First Duel on the Anakin Solo

The Duel on the Anakin Solo was a duel between Darth Caedus and Luke Skywalker during the Confederation-Galactic Alliance War.

Prelude
When Luke Skywalker withdrew the Jedi from the Galactic Alliance, Darth Caedus, formerly Jacen Solo, ordered the deaths of all the Jedi on Ossus. Luke sided with the Confederation on Kashyyyk. During the battle, Luke and Jaina Solo went to board the Anakin Solo to ambush Caedus and kill him, and possibly even destroy the Anakin Solo. However, Caedus was waiting in his Stealth X, and forced Jaina to fire on her uncle. Believing Luke dead, Caedus returned to the Anakin Solo and tortured Ben Skywalker in the Embrace of Pain, a Yuuzhan Vong torture device that had been used upon Caedus during his time with Vergere.

The Duel: Jedi vs. Sith
"I don't feel any Jedi presences at all, and if I don't, then neither do you-nothing real, anyway." "That's because he doesn't want you to feel him, but he's here." "And I suppose you'll help me find him if I let you go? Nice try." "I don't think you'll need any help finding him, Jacen. Dad's right behind you."

- Darth Caedus and Ben Skywalker

Luke, however, was not dead; He had infiltrated the Anakin Solo and caught Caedus unaware. Thinking himself that the scene that he was seeing is not real, but once he saw what a very nefarious person Caedus had become in torturing his son and the truth of it, Luke had decided he wouldn't give Caedus a chance to surrender.

Luke sprang at Caedus. Caedus quickly spun around in the same motion igniting his lightsaber to defend his face but the attack came low and Jacen barely had time to bring his lightsaber down. He was too late and Luke's blade hit his kidney but he brought his lightsaber down fast enough to prevent any more damage. Caedus landed a rib-crunching roundhouse kick to Luke. Luke stepped back in pain as the Sith had hit his scars from his fight with Lumiya. Caedus followed through with a high slash but Luke blocked it spun around and elbowed Caedus's temple. The attack made Caedus drop to his knees where Luke followed through by kneeing Caedus's chin. Luke then parried a slash at his thighs and attacked diagonally only to find Caedus sliding backward, using the Force to pull himself near a tendril draped rack. Luke leapt at him and brought his lightsaber around in a low, clearing sweep. Caedus stopped moving and instead swung his free hand around at Luke. Luke had thought it would be Force lightning and while still in the air brought his lightsaber in front of him. The lightning never came and instead was blindsided by by a rack of tendrils. Luke was trapped by the rack which Caedus had thrown at him. Caedus focused his power on keeping Luke pinned while the venom from the thorns entered his body. Caedus took his time getting up. Luke was able to cut through the vines, and attack Caedus. Caedus barely brought his lightsaber up in time to block a down stroke, but then was kicked in the stomach. Luke followed with a slash to the neck but Caedus ducked in time to avoid it. He came up and gave a Force powered punch to Luke's scar. Luke, in great pain, used both hands and put all his power into a series of attacks and beat down Caedus's guard so much that the tip of Caedus's blade singed his shoulder. Caedus kicked at Luke's leg, breaking it with a 'pop' sound, the same way he had broken Aurra Sing's leg to stop her from attacking Allana weeks ago. Luke fell but on his way down he swept his blade horizontally which hit Caedus's head, causing a rectangle-sized scalp wound. Luke knew that Caedus would attack despite the pain, so he rolled over his knee and spun back to his feet with a clearing sweep. Their blades locked. In the struggle, Luke drove a finger right into Caedus's eye. The Sith stumbled away in pain. Luke feinted a dash towards Caedus's blind spot, then as Caedus tried to protect his eye Luke hit him with a Force Wave. Caedus went flying and Luke used the Force to steer Caedus directly into a tendril-draped rack. The racks tendrils were tightening around Caedus cutting into his flesh and oozing out a yellowish liquid. Caedus began to cut away the vines. Luke realized that this was the chance to finish Caedus off. Luke closed in without saying a word, knowing Jacen would not surrender even if he gave him the chance. Luke brought his lightsaber up to strike for the kill but was stopped by Ben who asked his father to let him kill Caedus. Luke, horrified, denied him. The distraction gave Caedus the time to get up. Caedus leapt over Luke and the two clashed sabers once more. Caedus landed and ran rather than continuing to fight. Luke spat out a mouthful of blood and Force-leapt towards Caedus, while using the Force to drag Caedus towards him. The two then fought with incredible speed, similar to a duel between Yoda and Darth Tyranus decades ago. Luke then elbowed Caedus in his face. Caedus stumbled back near Ben, and Luke pressed foward angling towards the Embrace of Pain device. Caedus brought himself between Luke and the Embrace first. Luke jumped towards Caedus, knowing full well he would kill Ben if he needed to.

Luke again beat down Caedus's guard but stopped, fearing a trap. He started to turn around but was stopped when a thin tendril was placed over his head around his throat. The tendril cut deep into Luke's neck and he spun around with his lightsaber trying to cut Caedus. However, the Sith was already spinning away tightening his hold on the tendril that held Luke and pulled Luke close. Caedus was then elbowed by Luke right in the ribs. Instead of continuing to fight, Luke used the Force to hurl them both into the wall. Caedus's head hit the wall hard and his grip loosened on the tendril he was using on Luke. Luke slipped out of the noose and followed with a palm-heel to the same target using the impact to drive himself away from Caedus. Caedus let out a bloodcurdling scream and stumbled away into the darkness. Luke was confused and thought it was a trick until Ben walked to him and used a glow rod to illuminate the room and reveal the horrible state Caedus was in. Ben had driven a vibroblade into Caedus's back (puncturing a lung and barely missing his heart), his face was inflame and misshapen, his clothes smoking and tattered, a hand sized rectangle of scorched skull showed through his scalp, and he was still reaching for his lightsaber. Horrified by his son's dark side actions and Caedus's wanton brutality, Luke took Ben and escaped the Anakin Solo, thus sparing Caedus his life.

Aftermath


While healing from the duel, Caedus, reflecting upon his fight was furious. Luke had beaten him, had given more than he had got, and had kept coming, despite Caedus' best efforts. He also supposed that Ben's strike with the vibroblade had actually saved his life, because it was the only thing that could have dropped Luke out of his battle rage.

After the battle of Kashyyyk, Caedus felt he was truly alone, for like Count Dooku after his discussion with Yoda on Vjun, he felt all whom he loved had forsaken him. He came to believe that Allana was the only one who still loved him. Caedus admitted that he would kill anyone who stood between him and his daughter, including Tenel Ka.

Caedus would eventually build a new lightsaber and use a traditional red Sith synth-crystal, giving his blade a bloodshine glow after losing his old lightsaber at the duel between him and Luke Skywalker on Kashyyyk. Caedus's extended immersion in the dark side as a Sith Lord later appeared as sulfuric eye scleras and dark lines upon his face.

Appearances

 * Inferno
 * Fury
 * Revelation