| abstract | - The duel in the Crimson Corridor took place in 154 ABY. Fought in the alleyways of the Crimson Corridor on Coruscant, it pitted two Jedi against agents of the Mecrosa Order. Jedi Master Halambo and his Padawan, Zee Pek, were assigned by the Jedi Council to find the Sith holocrons of Darth Ramage and Darth Chosis, which were up for sale on the Coruscant black market, and apprehend anyone else attempting to obtain them. The Mecrosa Order was one of those very factions; a six-member team of assassins under the command of Marcus Antessio had also been dispatched to Coruscant to obtain the holocrons by whatever means were necessary. Believing that the One Sith would pose the most dangerous threat, Halambo, a veteran of campaigns against the Sith in the wake of Darth Krayt's death, kept his senses alert for surges in the dark side. That feeling led him to the Force-sensitive Antessio, who had studied Sith-influenced teachings and developed some control over his powers. Rather than retreat, Antessio elected to fight, and Thosso, who was with him, backed him in the engagement. Thosso kept Zee Pek pinned down by blasterfire, leaving Antessio to duel Halambo with his cortosis-weave Echani double-brand. Having both mastered equivalents of staff combat, the two were skilled in each other's style, but Halambo was the superior swordsman and seasoned against Force-wielding enemies. When Zee deflected a shot in Antessio's direction, the Tapani nobleman's reflexes were sufficient to the task of dodging it. However, he was off-balance, and Halambo put him further off with a power strike. Before the Human could react, Halambo activated the dual-phase feature of his weapon, doubling the blade length and impaling Antessio through the throat. He died seconds later. Thosso escaped the duel, but was unable to recover Antessio's body, which was picked up by the Jedi. This, combined with the killings of Halambo and Zee Pek days later and the subsequent recovery of the mutilated body of Aimon Bathiriat, led the Jedi to suspect House Mecetti's involvement in the ultimate disappearance of the holocrons.
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