Archive of Our Own

Introduction

It began with a scream.

As Maul let out the pain and rage inside of him that had anguished his soul and body for the last decade, he spat out the madness alongside it, which had clouded his mind up until he had forgotten nearly everything that had ever been.

Left had been the desire to survive, the need to keep going for another day and another one, for the chance to redeem himself.

And redemption began with vengeance.

Against those that wronged him - the Jedi. The Jedi. Maul had kept his image behind closed eyes, making sure that however far madness dragged him down, he would not forget him.

Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Padawan who got the better of him in the last second, turning a fair fight into a deceitful attack.

No. Maul had not forgotten. He stared down his new body, taking in the cybernetic legs that had been created to replace the spider-like concoction he had worn to balance his thinning body, tensed his finger and felt the regained strength in each digit; and then he looked up at the Nightbrother who had lured him out of his hole and brought him to his home world.

He spoke his language: revenge.

Maul called onto the Force and demanded his lightsaber into his hand. Yes, he would remind the galaxy of who they had foolishly forgotten. And Obi-Wan Kenobi would find his end at his hands. That was a promise.

Ɛ><3

The other's name was Savage and he was his brother. Maul could not only see but sense the shift inside of him, the magick that had been used to enhance his body and access to the Force. He was a quiet and thoughtful being, but he lacked the skill Maul had been forced to perfect in his younger years. He had no idea of the outside, of the schemes and trickery of the galaxy, although he could provide Maul with enough information about what had happened for him to fill the gaps.

The war had started. His former Master's plan was in full progression. And Maul would use the created chaos to enact his own plan.

But for that he needed information. See, who the man had become in his absence. Depict patterns, strengths and weaknesses, before striking fast and viciously.

"The Jedi are an introverted organization, hiding their individuality behind titles," he let Savage know while putting up access to the holonet in the old turtle tanker the other had stolen to find him in. "Identity means nothing to them, which obviously just proves their lack of ferocity. They falter in the calling of something greater."

"I understand, brother," Savage answered with his deep rumble of a voice, tapping over the ship's datapad.

"So don't be discouraged by lack of information on Kenobi," Maul continued his teachings, gaze falling out of the cockpit's view, into the darkness of the galaxy that had become such an unknown to him. "To read between the lines, to find a single mention and follow it despite any obstacle, that is what makes us great. If he is alive, I will find him, just by his breath leaving a trail in the air." He clenched his fist together, recognizing the rush of hot hate spreading out into his veins and relishing in it, alongside an excitement he had not felt for long.

The promise of a hunt. Of relentless chasing until the prey was between his teeth, victory just tasting so much sweeter by the effort of –

"I found him," Savage announced.

His head whipped around. "What?"

"Yes, he's all over the holonet." Savage admitted and turned the datapad around for him to see. "He's a war general. The Republic praises him constantly for his successes."

"Hand that over! Let me see this..."

He snapped the pad out of his brother's hand and scrolled through the suggested entries, disbelieve and (admittedly) a touch of disappointment rising as he saw that Kenobi's every step seemed to be documented. He was flourishing alongside the so-called Chosen One, a name that brought a weird sense of trepidation with it.

Then he switched to suggested images and... and... well. Slightly thrown off, he blinked down at the results. Of course Kenobi had grown up over the last years, Maul had expected that. It was just... he had not expected that. The short beard and well-kempt hair, the attentive eyes and sharp military armor that was fitted over a slimmed down Jedi attire. Giving an overall... pleasing aesthetic. Not that it mattered. Now he had a visual, that was the important part. He saved one for easy access at a later time, needing to swallow down the excess salvia that had gathered in his mouth.

Also while Kenobi’s victories were praised, would that not indicate where he was right now.

These posting were reactive; but they needed to be ahead of him. They needed to lure him out and away from his precious fleet or apprentice.

“We need to get the Jedi’s attention,” he concluded and switched back to the articles, searching for the newest. “If he is at war, we will not come far searching for patterns. So we need to create a threat that rivals the battlefields scattered over the galaxy.”

“What threat would that be, brother?”

Maul grinned sardonic, picking up on the planets Kenobi had last been deployed to and he turned around in the pilot’s chair to open the ship’s star map. He zoomed into the general direction of these sightings, then a little outwards.

“The threat of death.”

“But aren’t the Jedi above fear?”

Maul stopped with his finger hovering over a planet called Raydonia, to turn his head around and look at Savage disapprovingly. “Not for his own life, Savage. But those of others,” he clarified slightly condescending in tone but had to grin again, as realization spread over his brother’s face.

“We will sent him an invitation he cannot refuse.”

<3 Ɛ><3 Ɛ><3 Ɛ>

1st surprise

His plan worked just as foreseen. They picked a planet with a weak defense and gathered a few helpless farmers from a small village, who became their hostages as Maul recorded a hologram, threatening them with death, would Kenobi not come immediately. To ensure his threat was taken seriously, he had also burned down half of the village.

And it was there, standing on top of the smoking ruins of what once had been a family home, his hostages in his back forced on their knees, that he finally came face to face with the man that had caused his downfall.

Like demanded was he unwisely alone, apparently underestimating the danger he was in.

With great deprecation on his face, did Obi-Wan Kenobi walk through the destroyed town, eyes taking in the damage as well as Maul, who waited for him to step closer with his breath held, stalking up and down the scanted scaffold he was standing on.

For a moment he was sure to dream; while he had never stopped holding onto life and the desire for revenge, had Maul thought in those certain nights that he would never get the chance to get revenge. Those nights that had pulled at his limbs, had made him lose every sense of orientation and security, turning him back into just half a man, with no strength left to keep his spider legs in shape.

When hunger had gnawn at him, only challenged in pain by his decaying mind. Then he had curled into himself and just wanted to forget – everything. His body, his pain, his past and present. Why he had to sleep in a cave made out of trash and who had caused his promising life to shatter without recovery.

But he survived. And not only that, but he had been gifted new strength. The legs… were something he needed to accustom to still, but he could acknowledge the improvement to his spider body.  

But now was not the time to reminiscent in his past, not where his object of desire was finally right in front of him, looking up to him with furrowed brows.

“Jedi,” Maul shouted down to him, spitting the word out like the curse it was. “I have been waiting for you!”

Kenobi’s attention shortly skipped to his hostages then back to him. With a tilted head, he crossed his arms, tipping a finger against his chin. “I’m not sure I’ve made your acquaintance?” He had a rich, crisp voice, the Coruscanti accent lying heavily on his tongue – Maul himself had lived long enough on Coruscant while underneath Darth Sidious’ teaching that he recognized it instantly. Just as he heard out the arrogance behind it.

He was sure of himself. A slight, provocative glint in his eyes waiting for a response to his words, which, despite Maul’s efforts not to, stung. He took a deep breath through his nose, for a moment clenching his jaw tightly shut against the sudden tension inside his chest.

He was bluffing. Of course he knew who he was. The murderer of his Master, that was not someone one would forget, not even a Jedi. He was toying with him, alright. But Maul could do that to, happy to play along, would it rip open old wounds.

“I am surprised you could have forgotten me so easily,” he responded clipped, leaning slightly forward to make sure his words were received with the utmost attention. “After I killed your Master and you left me for dead on Naboo.”

The almost easy expression on Kenobi made room for something more thoughtful. “It is you,” he murmured, nearly too quiet for Maul to hear.

And Maul quite frankly was more bothered by the comment than he initially thought. The first stung left a prickle of heat inside of him that he forced to grow into anger, feeding his next words on it because he would not allow for Kenobi to make less out of this than it was.

“You may have forgotten me, but I will never forget you,” he hissed with his hatred spat along his words through clenched teeth. “You cannot imagine the depths I would go to, to stay alive, fueled by my singular hatred... for you.” It sounded too personal, he thought a moment later, to revealing, but it was the truth and Kenobi should know what he had caused. The deep anguish inside of him, the pain, a constant companion, in his head even more than from his body.

He should be ashamed of what he had done, but Kenobi... Kenobi showed nothing of that shame. His expression was stern and his eyes had skipped again to his hostages, more concerned for them as that he would listen to him, it seemed.

With a snarl, Maul ignited his lightsaber and held it to the first his throat, grinning satisfied at the fearful whine from the man. Kenobi pressed his lips together, hand hovering over his own lightsaber by now.

“Well, you got my attention,” he acknowledged. “And if you’re going to demand for me to come with you in return for their lives, I will do that,” he offered freely enough and somehow managed to drop the short tension again, that had taken hold of his shoulders with him igniting his lightsaber. Instead he showed his own empty hands. “Let’s leave them out of this.”

For a moment longer, Maul kept his lightsaber right where it was, waiting until the other’s jaw clenched again and his eyes shone with worry for the lives of pitiful nobodies, before he gave Savage the sign to jump out of hiding.

“As you wish,” he sighed and skipped down the rumble of ruins to assist Savage in the short fight that rose, as Kenobi was caught by surprise and as soon as Maul landed, did he look foolishly over to him, leaving his back defenseless. 

Savage knocked him over the head with the end of his lightsaber and Kenobi collapsed before their feet.

With a grim smile, Maul stared at the unconscious man, heartbeat increasing. What a fool he was. Leaving himself so utterly defenseless just because Maul held a lightsaber to someone’s throat. But he would not complain, did it also mean that he had been right when it came to the Jedi’s weaknesses.

With a nod at Savage, he ordered him to lift up the man and turned around to return to the ship – leaving the hostages bound behind. They would find a way to escape, or they would burn. They were of no interest to him anymore.

Ɛ><3

For the first time in long years, Maul felt alive again. Truly alive. Letting his fist connect with Kenobi’s jaw, throwing him into containers and hearing the grunts of pain from him for his efforts. His hands were shaking just by the excitement of it all, of the ache around his knuckles and the slight strain in his breathing as he jumped after Kenobi to the corner he had thrown him in.

Kenobi looked back at him with a grimace, hand in the small of his back to rub over the spot he had just fallen on. “You know,” he said, voice sounding winded. “When I cut you in half, I should have aimed for your neck.”

Maul pressed his lips together. For someone who was being beaten up just now, Kenobi seemed way too comfortable still to talk back like that.

Savage threw him in front of his feet for his quip but Maul pointed his chin at the cockpit, making him start the ship, while he enjoyed a minute alone with Kenobi, aching and shaking at his feet, elbows trembling as he pulled himself on all fours.

“Anything more to say?” he asked him, was he not willing to let that smart mouth win.

To his irritation, was there a smirk dancing along the corners of those irritating lips, as Kenobi looked back to him. “I like your new legs,” he answered his question, raising an eyebrow. “They make you look taller.”

With a snarl Maul lifted him up with the Force to clutch his face, grip tight enough that he could feel the thrumming beat of his pulse in the vein of his neck. He may tried to act unaffected, but his body betrayed him.

And his eyes were still attentive, a deep blue that stared at him in furor while he tried to push him away. Maul ignored the hand that pulled at his own, instead he ignited his lightsaber, close enough that the blue in his eyes turned purple at the reflection.

“I will make sure you stay awake long enough to feel every single cut,” he promised him in a breathy whisper, personal and meant just for them. “Your death will be beyond excruciating. You will suffer… as I have suffered.”

“Th-that too,” Kenobi wrenched out between gasps, one eye pinched shut against the flare of his lightsaber.

Maul stilled, not following what he meant with that. “What?”

“Just- another thing I like,” Kenobi continued, his grimace turning into a grin. “Your new talkativeness. I was not aware on what a voice I was missing out.”

Maul leaned away, taken aback by that and opened his mouth to respond... but had no answer ready. He stared down at the other with heavy breaths, trying to make sense of the words. His voice? Was he... mocking him? By... by undermining his threats!

He huffed enraged and shoved him into Savage’s arm, who had returned at some point and caught Kenobi with a firm grip around his shoulders. Although his gaze lingered on Maul for a moment longer, a slight pinch to his expression.

“I’ll make you listen!” he shouted, gut churning just as much in rage than with a weird form of embarrassment he could not really place. But he did not like how lightly Kenobi had made of the moment, where Maul had taken such care in underlining the severeness of his return and the threat he now would be anew to the Jedi.

Oh, Kenobi would be sorry soon enough. Making fun of him. But he would have the last laugh, as he would find out soon enough.

Ɛ><3

The witch had been unplanned. Ventress, as Savage informed him later on; Kenobi had known her as well and together they had managed to disconnect the cockpit from the belly of the transporter, fleeing like the cowards they were.

But that was alright. If Maul had learned one thing over the last years, it had been patience. He would get his revenge and at least he had gotten a taste of it already: roughing up Kenobi and unraveling him with words left him despite it all with a satisfied feeling, blood rushing through his veins in an almost-forgotten dance as when they had clashed lightsabers.

Not even Kenobi’s continuous quips could take away from that.

And next time, he would make him shut up. Now Maul at least knew what kind of man Kenobi had become and he would be more prepared to counter that audacious mouth.

Although part of him relished in the sharp wit, matching his own. He had always enjoyed to play with his prey after all. So maybe, he would let him talk a bit longer… and then shut him up.

<3 Ɛ><3 Ɛ><3 Ɛ>

2nd encounter

Ambition was one of the most powerful character traits a being could have. To follow their goal single minded, pushing past limits imposed by others, past their own comfort to achieve something greater. To not wilt or bow in the face of conflict or danger, but to confront them and rise above them – no matter what.

Yes, Maul thrived with ambition. He had one goal in mind and nothing would stop him from reaching Kenobi again.

But… ambition could not pay fuel or food, nor could it bride lesser beings. And as much as Maul did not care to leave behind a streak of destruction, would it not harm to have more at hand, than just what some poor victim had in his pockets at their point of death.

They needed resources.

The natural solution to that was to break into a storehouse station owned by the banking clans.

Which was easy enough and with those newly acquired credits they hired pirates, did they need men as the Jedi Order’s chase for them increased with every day.

A strong base from which they could operate, with enough equipment to plan counter attacks – besides just because Maul sought revenge on Kenobi, did that not mean his desires ended there. He would bring to live the vision he was once taught – the rule of the Sith, dominating over the galaxy. His own rule, free from Sidious’ teachings.

Pirates were a low effort. Seedy and dumb, with their loyalty not being stronger than the credit chips weighting their arms down. Maul was disgusted by them already, but it was a beginning all right.

He convinced three flagships of a passable pirate group to join him and with that, attacked their base on Florrum to claim it all.  

What he had not accounted for, was for Obi-Wan Kenobi to appear in the midst of it all, a female Jedi by his side. They had followed them and Maul could not relish in the pleased feeling of having gained Kenobi’s attention right now. He was overseeing a coup! He needed to achieve his plan to survive first, before granting him his attention in return.

That did not mean though that he did not attack when Kenobi came running.

“Throwing in with pirates now?” Kenobi greeted them, glancing dismissively at the mutiny in their backs. “Oh, how the mighty Sith have fallen.”

Maul granted him no answer to that, would he not explain himself to him, shortsighted as the Jedi were. He attacked instead while Savage dealt with the other Jedi, and they jumped through the chaos around them. And this time, with Kenobi prepared for it, Maul had to realize how he had missed a good fight. As much as it irked him to admit, was Kenobi a worthy opponent – something he had already noticed back then as they had fought on Naboo.

He matched his speed, blade always already there where he tried to break his defense. Which was… good. Maul did not want an easy victory, for that he had waited too long. But right now he was trying to take over a base and Kenobi was a nuisance he needed to get rid of!

“No! I have plans, Kenobi,” he hissed at the other in a short break, waving down to the fighting pirates. “And you will not stand in my way this time!”

The man followed his wave, a slight furrow between his brows. With his head tilted a tad to the side, he looked back at him, appearing somewhat… offended?

“So it’s not about me?” he asked him.

His own brows furrowed, not understanding quite what he meant. “My vision goes far beyond you,” he let him know. “And this is just a stepping stone to--”

Kenobi talked over him, waving him off rudely. “No, sure, but… last time I got the impression I was your sole motivation,” he expanded, tapping his own chest and looking over to him with his chin raised rather arrogantly, Maul wanted to say, while he himself just stood there, not sure to what this conversation was drifting towards to. “And now you’re acting as if you’re not happy to see me.”

He could not stop the affronted gasp at that, his blood beginning to boil at the indication of the words. He made a step forwards in threat, lifting his lightsaber to point at him.

“Happy…? I will never be happy to see you!” he shouted back and slashed for him, but Kenobi danced out of the way. “You are the reason I was left behind! Forgotten and eaten up by madness!” he reminded him, words hissed past his clenched teeth and hot red rising into his chest, chasing after him. “What do you think I am doing here?!”

“That’s what I’m wondering,” Kenobi latched on, pointing dismissively towards the fighting Weequays. “Why pirates? As much as he acts like a fool, Hondo will not stand for this.”

“Ah, so you mock me for my affiliations, but you know the pirate captain yourself?”

With a shrug, Kenobi looked over to said man, who was shouting orders to two underlings that started to run for his stronghold “We go back,” he admitted with an annoyed undertone, that disappeared as he turned his attention back to him. Suddenly there was that smirk again. That one that lifted up the right corner of his mouth, while the lines around his eyes deepened as he squinted at him. That somehow made Maul suck in a breath, holding it in anticipation.

“But not to worry. Today, I’m here for only you.”

The heat that had simmered inside his chest rose up his neck and tingled in his ears, with his jaw locked shut. This was not the kind of sharp wit he had anticipated. His reaction was missing again and Maul licked his lips to stall for an answer. Kenobi followed the gesture with his eyes, smirk widening, surely seeing past his weak defense right now.

“You will not catch me,” he opted for at last, inhaling deeply against the suffocating feeling that wanted to rise, puffing out his chest. “For you to come here, thinking you have a chance against me, just shows how ignorant you have become. I…”

His last words were drowned over by a pained scream - not by volume but by the agony behind it. A wet wheeze. And as they both looked down, could they watch the final moment of the female Jedi Kenobi had brought along. For had Savage pierced through her chest with his horns, leaving her slumped against the hull of the ship wreckage they were standing on.

"No!" Kenobi gasped and his easy attitude vanished instantly as he jumped down. His focus had switched to Savage and his face was suddenly stern and angry, his signature in the Force tinted by determination as he attacked. Suddenly there laid a precision behind his strikes that had been missed before. He was not crossing blades to block but to bring swift justice to the man that had just killed one of his own.

The switch was so sudden, Maul had to jump in and stop a downward swift that would have caught Savage right through the neck – and this time there was no humor in his eyes when he looked up at him.

But now Maul smiled grimly, had Kenobi finally realized the severeness of the moment and the threat he was facing.

To the same realization did the pirate captain seem to come to, was he retreating into his fortress, calling for Kenobi to follow, who quickly did, Maul not able to stop him before he slipped out of his fingers, retreating the lost lightsaber from his dead companion while he jumped towards safety.

Maul allowed himself a moment to breathe through, mind still lingering on the mocking conversation from before, not sure if he could take the words as an affirmation that he had gotten Kenobi's attention. But he was here after all. Coming personally, not sending anyone else and maybe he also had realized that a fight between them was inevitable.

"I've gotten underneath his skin," he declared proudly to Savage while watching his new pirate crew's attempts at breaking in. Savage looked at him questioningly. The tips of his horns were red. "He was insulted by the indication I would not pay him attention."

Savage's eyes followed his gaze, lips pressed together in thought. "Yes, I heard you," he said a little haltingly. "At least partly. It sounded like he was trying to distract you."

"Hah," he spat and tightened his hold around his lightsaber. "It needs more than that, I assure you. Now come, let's end this."

"Of course, brother."

Ɛ><3

It was too soon to give a verdict about Kenobi's fighting style. With Maul he had been evasive, luring him back and in circles in an attempt to tire him out, not knowing that Maul's stamina surpassed that of a normal human any day. He was obviously favoring a defensive approach, waiting for the right moment to strike.

But when chased into a corner and with the right motivation, as fresh grief for example, did he fight with surprising aggression, weakening Savage whenever Maul was forced to retreat, ending with his brother losing his whole arm.

The sight caused his chest to constrict in a sudden fear that he was himself thrown off by, worry rising at the thought that he could lose what he had just gained with one well-aimed lightsaber attack. It was enough for him to abandon the fight. He channeled that fear inside of him to lash out with the Force, pushing Kenobi down the hallway they had fought in and causing it to collapse between them.

It stung to admit defeat, but they needed to flee. The pirates had turned against them again and Savage needed quick treatment for his arm.

But it was not all for naught. They had hurt Kenobi.

“Next time he will meet me with apprehension,” he murmured haltingly, gaze dropping slightly with the growing tiredness he tried to shake off. He pressed his crossed arms closer against his chest, shivering in the dropping temperatures, back firmly pressed against Savage’s for warmth. “What you did… was good, my apprentice. Next time, a trail of his grief will linger… and I can use that.”

“There might be no next time,” Savage hissed back, words tinted by agony next to aggression. He held his shoulder, nails digging into the flesh there in a feeble attempt to divert the pain from his stump of an arm. “We are floating dead in space!” he added louder. “We have lost and no means to…” A pained groan made him stop and Maul turned his attention back towards the cockpit.

He was not offended by his brother’s anger. Anger was good. Anger fed the dark side.

“No, I will see him again,” he murmured assuring, muscles growing heavy and his chest burned slightly by the stale air he had to breathe in. They were running low on oxygen. “I can sense it.” It was difficult to keep his eyes open and his body was turning more and more numb. But a simmer of heat remained between his hearts and he curled around it, breathing out that cursed name.

“Kenobi…I will see you again.”

<3 Ɛ><3 Ɛ><3 Ɛ>

3rd loss

Admittedly, his plan to recruit pirates had been a failure.

The need to be rescued from their damaged ship humiliating.

But the Force had plans with them still, bringing them together with just the right group of people to advance their reign over the galaxy tremendously.

They called themselves Death Watch and their leader, a man named Pre Vizsla, was eager to use Maul’s and Savage’s demonstrated power for his own gain. And Maul was okay with that. Let the man think he was using them, let him think he was in charge. Maul was a shadow-being. Operating from behind the curtain until time would reveal who had pulled the strings all along.

Mandalore. A planet divided by tradition against progression. Military regime against pacifistic rule. When forced into a confrontation, it seemed obvious which ideal would come out victorious.

So they did just that.

Gathering multiple crime syndicates underneath their control, they attacked Mandalore, allowing Death Watch to be their savior and for Pre Vizsla to take over the throne after their victory.

The deal had been that Death Watch would regain control of Mandalore and Maul could use their power against shared enemies inside the Republic and Separatist. That list headed by Kenobi.

It had come as a pleasant surprise, when Vizsla revealed his own grudge against the man.

Apparently he had fooled a previous plan of them to take over Mandalore, saving the former Duchess, a woman named Satine Kryze, from multiple assassination attempts. She was a personal friend of Kenobi, as it turned out. And just underlined Maul’s assurance that the Force had led him down this path.

He could user her against him. Luring out that anger and hate that still resided in his heart for him. Maybe covered by arrogance and tasteless jokes, but it was there. Maul had sensed it and he would feed it for him.

Vizsla had done his part of the deal and victory made him careless, throwing Savage and Maul into prison afterwards, having no apparent use for them anymore. Foolishly thinking a prison cell could hold them.

He paid for that mistake with his life.

And Maul found himself in possession of a planet and multiple crime syndicates.

He kept a farce on the throne, the former and renewed prime minister, did he not want for the Republic to know who had helped in the takeover.

And the duchess was none the wiser of him as well. Like the fool she was, did she call for help and like the fool he was, did Kenobi answer that call. Coming alone, without help of the Jedi Order or the Republic, for had they no jurisdiction to act on a neutral planet.

A pleased sighed escaped him as he received the alert for an intruder in the prison, fleeing with Kryze.

“He’s so predictable,” he tutted to Savage as they made their way down to the port to stop the ship they were trying to flee in. “Oh, this time there will be no way out for him.”

Savage gave an affirmative rumble, eyes lingering on him, that Maul threw him a sideway glance in question.

“He will try to get under your skin again,” his brother commented, which he brushed off with a sharp hiss.

“No, I was the one getting underneath his skin,” he reminded him heatedly. “I have all the control. I will kill her before his eyes, getting my revenge. Today!”

With a flare of nostrils, Savage pressed his lips together, enduring his stare a moment longer, before he yielded with a sharp nod and looked back forward.

At another time, Maul would reprimand him for his doubts, and maybe he would do so later, disliked he greatly his attitude right now, but they just reached the port and Maul had more pressing matters to attend to.

He could sense him. A bright light in the Force, his signature sharp in worry and adrenalin, but full of determination. Maul inhaled deeply, ordering for his men to shoot down the ship. He would crush that determination. That hope. That spark of light, would smother it in his hands, alongside the bright shine in those eyes. He would force that snarky mouth into a scream, just like he would force Kenobi to kneel in front of him, allowing him to plead for his and the duchess’ life while clinging to his legs, making better use of his inability to shut up.

Maul’s blood singed to life and he was grinning already, fingertips twitching in impatience where he kept them crossed behind his back.

The ship went down in a wild spin, and Kenobi and Kryze were thrown onto the pathway before them.

Kenobi tried to shake off his dizziness and with his hair in disarray and his limbs weak from the harsh landing, he blinked up to him as he came stalking forwards.

“No,” washed over his lips in disbelieve, eyes widening, “it can’t be.”

But it was and Maul’s grin widened. Injured as he was, it was easy to pull him towards him with the Force, his hand closing around his throat. He kept him lifted in the air, relishing in the struggle the other kept up, hands clawing at his arm and hand.

“We meet again, Kenobi,” he said with a singsong voice, letting his eyes trail over the stolen armor he was wearing. Red and black. Maul liked it on him, somewhat. “Welcome… to my world.”

Kenobi swallowed heavily, Maul could feel his tendons tense underneath his hand and his jaw shivered slightly as he opened his mouth to speak up again. There was a slight smear of red tinting his saliva as his tongue darted out over his teeth, which somehow caused his stomach to flip.

“Why… do you…?” he started weakly – then collapsed promptly in his arms, head falling forward as his body went lax.

His chin nearly collided with his forehead, his hair brushing over his skin in a soft tingle and Maul quickly pulled his arm underneath his knees to distribute his weight better, holding him bridal style.

He stared down at him, taking in the solid weight of him, the relaxed features, for once without having anything to say. It was beneath him to carry him himself, something inside of him whispered. His men were waiting to take him off of him, ready to follow his orders for what to do with them.

Savage lifted up the former duchess and threw her over his shoulder, who groaned pitifully at the rough treatment, blinking sluggishly over to them.

“Obi…” she gasped out, a weak hand reaching for him in her delirium and Maul turned his body sideways to shield Kenobi from her eyes, a low growl coming forth. He griped him tighter, deciding to carry him personally back to the speeder.

“We return to the palace,” he ordered out loud and copied Savage, who was already watching him, throwing Kenobi over his own shoulder. A weak sound escaped the man, but he stayed unconscious, blissfully unaware of what was to come.

Ɛ><3

Kenobi woke up in the speeder while they were still driving. They had cuffed his hands behind his back and he was slumped over in his seat, flanked by Maul and a guard, with Savage sitting opposite of them, keeping an eye on Kryze.

There was a deep inhale and his head jerked slightly, body tensing. Maul watched him, just so making out an eye through his messy fringe that blinked open. To his credit did he stay still, not freaking out immediately. His arms tensed, wriggling his wrist in the cuffs, then his head swayed slightly. First one way, then the other.

As Kenobi peaked up, Maul met his searching gaze with a gleeful smirk on his lips. Kenobi groaned and let his head hang down again, pain radiating off of him.

“We were wondering if you have died after Florrum,” he spoke up surprisingly, voice more stiff than usual by the ache of his body. “I was told to stop my search for you…”

Maul huffed dismissively, tapping his finger on his leg. “And you believed that?” he asked back, allowing the conversation for now.

Kenobi shook his head, a sigh making his shoulders drop. “No. But I had my orders.”

“Pah!” The words made his contempt rise, and he shook his head and felt almost disappointed by what he was hearing. But alas, the Jedi were nothing more than imbeciles, that he had been taught very early on. And in that he had to agree with Sidious even now. “Abandoning your intuition because you were told to? I would have thought you to be a bigger man, Kenobi. I would not have stopped my search for you, no matter how slim the chance for your survival may have seemed!”

It was almost gentle, the way Kenobi turned his head to look at him, face marked by scratches and soot from the explosion of the ship, eyes tired, that this may caused the too soft expression with which he was regarding him.

Either way, Maul took it all in.

“Well. I’m not the one with the obsession,” Kenobi reminded him and – that man…!

Maul snatched for his collar and pressed him up but backwards, so he could lean over him in a threatening manner, ignoring the half-hearted protest of the guard that had to take the brunt of Kenobi’s weight.

“Taunt me all you want, Kenobi,” he hissed against his lips in rage, heat just fortifying at the pained throaty sound that escaped him by the rough treatment. “But you are here because I foresaw it! I know what it takes to make you come running,” he continued and his words were sharpened by his harsh inhales of air. “I know how you think and I know what it takes to break you. And I will break you.” He twisted his fist to curl the fabric of Kenobi’s suit around it, forcing him to lean his head upwards or meet him where he lingered. His voice dropped, speaking in nothing more than a whisper, lips curling back in a sudden need to bite that exposed throat. But he resisted that urge, knowing words were sharper tools than teeth could ever be.

“I will hold the shattered remains of your being between my hands and you will understand then,” he promised him, shoving a knee up on the seat to gain more ground, uncaring for the struggling legs who caught themselves between his. Kenobi stared at him wide-eyed and with his upper body heaving, glued to his words like he was supposed to. “How maddening it is, to be fueled by desire for someone out of your reach. And then you will be the one chasing me, forgetting order and law for your revenge… will nothing satisfy you until you reach me again.”

Kenobi’s eyes skittered away from him, cheeks turning red in strain and in his poor state, he could do nothing more than press out a disbelieving laugh, which Maul matched with a wide grin, pleasure warming his chest that he had left him speechless for once with his threats.

That was, until Kenobi swallowed and his eyes found his again, pupils blown. “Careful, Maul,” he murmured lowly, the struggle falling off his body in an act of defeat, leaving his front open. “We’re in public.”

Which was… Why would he care for that? They were surrounded by his army, warriors who were obeying his every word. The people had witnessed war, knew cruelty better than many others. And Maul could do with Kenobi whatever he wanted, no one would bat an eye – except for the duchess perhaps, who… Kenobi looked over to her almost as an afterthought and suddenly his demeanor changed. He looked caught, almost guilty for a second, dropping his head to evade Maul’s piercing stare, body locking up again.

Maul had lost the trail of the conversation. Again. He did not understand what he meant and… and now the moment was gone between them. Suddenly he found himself ashamed too, for having lost his temper.

He swallowed down the flatter of his pulse that had flared up his throat and let go, easing back into his seat. For some reason not granting Savage his attention, because he already knew the other was staring at him disapprovingly. Which did not matter to Maul. Not at all. He just… did not want to deal with his brother’s bad temper right now.

Kenobi cleared his throat, sliding back into a proper sitting position too, keeping his head down.

The rest of the drive, tense silence filled the speeder.

Ɛ><3

Maul threw the two back into prison. He could not deal with them right now, did he come to a dooming realization the higher the palace reached into the sky before them.

He needed his revenge on Kenobi. That was the given fact.

But now that he had met him again, Maul came to realize that even more, did he need to regain lost time. To just kill Kenobi would leave him dissatisfied, he knew that.

And… and now he wondered, if once he had killed the duchess Kryze, if Kenobi would turn his back on him for that.

The man left him confused, yes, but those encounters also were… refreshing. They made him feel alive. And Maul sought out the day he would get the better of Kenobi. When he would finally understand that weird language and parry those quips. Just like in the speeder. For a moment, Kenobi had been at his mercy, bothered and speechless and Maul-- his body ached with the memory of it, only a few minutes old and yet he yearned for it to happen again.

There had been something else there. Something that was reserved for them, unnamed and new.

But with her death… He had seen the shift in Kenobi when Savage had killed his Jedi companion on Florrum. No more word had left those lips, no more time wasted with mindless taunts. Just his blade speaking.

Which had been a good fight. Maul was silently impressed by him. To strike him down during such a showdown would be a worthy end, that was undeniable.

But it was an end.

With a silent groan Maul rubbed over his face, slouching into the throne, watching Savage throw open the double doors after having fulfilled his order to oversee the imprisonment.

Decisions over decisions.

The perfect tool for his vengeance had revealed itself in her. Maybe it was enough for Kenobi to lose himself to the dark even. Losing that arrogance, that smirk and careless attitude. Losing what made him… him.

No, it was too soon, he decided, waving away the guards for the discussion that would follow between the brothers.

Maul could sense it, he was not stupid. He knew his brother disagreed with his choice, seeing his order as hesitation. Which was not true. He just needed a few more hours to think.

He did not understand. Nobody did, truly. Kenobi was not just… anybody. He was the reason Maul fell from glory and at the same time he was also the reason that had kept him alive.

Maul was possessed by him, he would not deny that. Few days went by where his thought did not trail to the man, even during their tour through the crime syndicates to make them bow to them.

He was a motivator. To destroy it so shortly after they had reunited could fall back on him. The duchess needed to live. But she also needed to stay away from the planet and Kenobi deserved a reminder of the threat he was all the same.

Exile then? Physical punishment?

Make her forget, perhaps. Intrude her mind until she loses every memory of him.

Something dark and hot sprung to life between his ribcage. Yes. Yes. He liked that trail of thought.

“You said you would kill her,” he was reminded by Savage, the second after the doors closed behind the last guard, words tense and full of accusation. As if Maul did not know his own words anymore. He pressed his thumb along his browbone, massaging away a growing headache.

“I need him to suffer. Death is too final at this stage.”

“He will suffer at her death! It is the perfect opportunity! Get rid of the duchess and hurt the Jedi that took everything from you! Your legs!”

Maul glanced up at him warningly, not liking the condemnatory tone behind the words. “Do not repeat my own words to me, Savage. I will decide when the time is right.”

With a huff Savage shook his head, jaw working around unspoken words and the anger around him turned… wary.

“This is because of before,” he said then, quieter, although his voice had not left its bite. “He got to you again and now you’re confused.”

“Confused?” he huffed, laughing mockingly at such a ridiculous thing to say.

“Yes! Brother, you must know he is using that kind of language against you, because you…” but there he trailed out, his deep frown turning softer with uncertainty and suddenly he would not meet his eyes.

Maul did not like that at all, he had to realize. He pushed himself out of his seat, stalking down the flat stairs to the very last, leaning into the others space to force him to look at him again.

And only as he did, did he ask: “Because I am what, Savage?”

The careful gaze hardened again at his provoking drawl and Savage squinted at him. “He is flirting with you,” he was informed. “And you fall for it.”

Flirting?

“He’s mocking me,” he corrected.

“By flirting. And you let yourself be lured along.”

There was this weird feeling again, spreading out into his limbs without him being able to stop it. Some form of embarrassment he despised for feeling in the first place, because he had nothing to be ashamed of after all. He was not doing anything, except for trying to get his revenge.

And he also did not like it how Savage seemed to lose his respect, he was his apprentice after all and should watch his mouth. So he snapped for it, pushing the other away with a harsh grip around his chin, matching the growl the other let out by the rough treatment.

“Well, I can hardly stop him!” he pointed out the obvious, turning away from him to hide his face.

“You make a fool out of yourself. You don’t see him use the same tactic with me.”

“Well of course not, you’re… a nobody.”

He threw the words over his shoulder, not caring for the reaction they caused. Savage was out of line, making more of what happened in the speeder than it had been. Maul had threatened Kenobi, who had answered with a meaningless one-liner. Nothing more.

He could hear the sharp breath Savage inhaled through his mouth, the storm of emotions around him turning colder. And that somehow, that made him turn around, spurred on by the knowledge that this time, this time he had true power. This time, he could hurt his opponent like intended.

“I am the itch underneath his skin,” he let Savage known, voice lowered ominously. “Not you. He’s thinking about me, trying to find a way to even the grounds with me, not you. I am the Master and you are my apprentice! So show some respect… dear brother.” He made the title sound like an offense.

Savage squinted his eyes at him, chin trembling in barely concealed anger.

With a smile, Maul turned back to his throne. „Leave Kenobi to me. You don’t have to involve yourself,“ he informed him with a shallow glance backwards, feigning disinterest for his opinion on it all.

„No I don’t,“ Savage agreed at last, his voice a deep rumble. “Because I am leaving.”

What.

Maul stilled, resisting the urge to turn around again. “Leaving?” he echoed, voice carefully neutral.

“Yes. I will not be the fool standing next to a fool! I was ready to face the galaxy with you, brother. But I won’t stand by while you’re getting outsmarted by the same man again and again. Not even trying!”

He could not help it. He whirled around, just to be the one staring at a back now. What? His heartbeat sped up at Savage’s swift steps towards the door.

“You’re leaving because of some words of his?!”

“I’m leaving because you like it!” Savage shouted, for a short moment turning his head, so Maul could see his angry expression.

Which was not true. That was not where his hesitation came from. He would get his revenge on Kenobi in due time, just not right now. But he did not need to explain himself to the other, that was not his to understand. He just had to accept it.

“You can’t leave!” He tsked in dismiss, shaking his head condescending at him - who was nearly at the door by now, shoulders hunched but steps assured. Maul kneaded his hands at his side, eyes flickering around as what to do. He skipped down a pair of stairs before stopping himself. “Savage! You will stay! I am ordering you!” His voice rose. “Stop right now!”

He unclipped his lightsaber. The hum of it activating made Savage finally froze with a hand around the doorhandle.

Both their expressions were murderous where they stared at another.

“You will not dare,” Savage said, making it sound like an observation to be true, an observation he was most displeased by, was his tone any indication.

But Maul he… no. He did not dare.

He was aware of the favor Savage had done for him. Even if ordered by Mother, had Savage been the one to find him. To drag him out of his hole of garbage and then he had stayed at his side, willing to assist him in his demand to find retribution against the Jedi.

Maul wanted him to be his pupil. But he was his brother first and his emotions for him betrayed him. It felt… good, to have company. To know he was not alone, to have his kin by his side, understanding at least a fraction of what a hell he had lived through.

He trusted him with his life. So how would he ever be able to take it?

But those were emotions and words not suited for a Sith.

So Maul said nothing.

And Savage left.

<3 Ɛ><3 Ɛ><3 Ɛ>

4th chance

Days and nights had blurred together. Thoughts loosing themselves in Maul’s head in the quiet minutes before they were disrupted again by pain.

He did not try to pry into his mind.

Which meant that whatever use for him Sidious had been speaking of, lay ahead not in the past.

“It would be wise to kill me,” he rasped out one day, eyes fixed on the floor of the prison cell. Sidious walked up and down in front of him, watching him where he was hovering in the air, trapped between a force field. It hummed non-stop, energy dancing like an army of needles over his exposed skin.

He meant it as a threat.

His voice was too weak for it to come across as such.

But Sidious did not kill him. He had not killed him on Mandalore, coming for him deep into a lonely night, forcing him into submission after a gruesome fight.

And now he was locked up in a prison on a planet that was so cold, the corners were sparkling with frost. Cold and lightning, it turned out, could make a brutal combination to undergo repeatedly.

He felt his strength dwindling with every day gone by and Maul… mourned his brother. Would it have made a difference, he wondered and wanted to think, yes. Savage had been blunt but strong. Alongside his refined skill, they may have been a match against Sidious. But his brother had left him and Kenobi had fled with the duchess in the same night and now Maul was sure that the Mandalorians would take the opportunity to regain the throne for themselves, that he had truly lost everything.

Again.

A second person entered his cell. Count Dooku, as Sidious introduced him almost warmly as his apprentice. Maul watched them with his teeth clenched tight, body shaking in anger. He pulled and teared at his shackles once they left, but he had not managed to break free from them the first day, he would not be able to do now, faint as he felt.

He blinked and stared at feet again. His lips opened, nearly asking in his sluggish confusion as when someone new had entered. Steeling his expression in the last second, there was nothing but hatred showing on his face as he looked up at Dooku, now alone.

He wanted information – control of the crime syndicates apparently still loyal to him. When he refused, the same sharp lightning sizzled from his fingertips, Sidious was so prone to use. Maul could not stop the scream from ripping past his abused throat, hearts pounding wildly in his chest in the aftermath.

More pain would come, would he not get out of here. But how? How?

If Savage would know where he was, would he maybe…?

Yes.

Yes, he would.

Because let it be an hour later or a day or week, Maul could not say, but suddenly his cell door was ripped open and his brother actually stood in the doorway, lightsaber at the ready, eyes wide where they stared at another in shared shock.

“I found you,” Savage exclaimed and jammed his elbow into the console that held upright the magnetic field. Maul dropped to the ground with a soundless cry, for a moment not able to do more than breathe against the strain of his muscles screaming in protest to the sudden movement.

There were more voices outside, hectic footsteps, blaster fire, the hum of a lightsaber.

“Do you have him?” a voice made it through his hazy mind. Maul shook his head, for a moment sure he was hallucinating.

“Yes.”

Savage lifted him up underneath an arm and Maul quickly willed his legs to obey and his vision to clear.

When he lifted his head to the door, he was staring at Kenobi.

His pulse jagged up into his throat and his breath made a pathetic little hitch in his confusion. He silently looked over to Savage, who sighed annoyed where he followed his attention to the Jedi.

“Dooku was sighted close by. The prison is a fortress. The terrain hard to maneuver. The Jedi agreed to help for… information.”

“Information?” he repeated, not understanding. Slowly, almost gentle, Savage helped him take his first steps to the door. Towards Kenobi, who looked at him with a reserved expression, conflict behind those stormy eyes.

Their last departure had been… weird. But Kenobi did not give anything away, instead he unclipped the robe he was wearing, to hold it out for him. He stared at the gesture but could not react. His body was slow and his mind even slower, it seemed.

“About Sidious,” Savage admitted and that caused a new flood of adrenalin to explode inside of him, cold and pain for a second forgotten for the wave of fear rolling loose.

“What?” he snapped, staring up at his brother.

“The Jedi want his death.”

“Capture,” Kenobi interjected, but Savage ignored him.

“He is a common enemy and you… you know him best. With him out of the way…” Slightly nervous, Savage stopped and looked over to Kenobi, who had crossed his arms with pursed lips.

“Yes, better you don’t finish that trail of thought in front of me,” he agreed to Savage’s hesitation, then glimpsed back over his shoulder. “Now come, we can discuss anything once we are out of here.”

“You sold me to them?” Maul could not believe it, but as he struggled against him, was he just shoved forwards and… and for a short moment his vision faded. He had no idea how long it had been until he had been given water, let alone food.

An arm slipped around his other side and Maul could not stand his closeness. He pressed his lips together, mind reeling with what he had just learned.

“You are not our prisoner, Maul,” Kenobi said, voice too close to him. Body too close, concern a soft brush in the Force around them, for him – where he… where they… they were not friendly. No, it was pity that made Kenobi act caring, for was a Jedi always so full of compassion, not even Maul was spared from it.

“More droidekas!” someone shouted and Savage let go of him, his heavy steps marching forwards.

Maul clung to the arm around his middle at the sudden shift in balance. He could not look. He could not move. He had no idea what to make of the just revealed.

Sidious. Information about Sidious… against his freedom. It sounded so simple. But his jaw was already locking up, paranoia taking root that he would appear just by his name whispered.

“And if I refuse?” he managed to press out with gritted teeth, fingers scratching over the hard plastoid of Kenobi’s gauntlet.

“Let’s talk on the ship.”

“No, I…”

Kenobi pushed him into movement and Maul realized he had not the luxury to linger for longer.

The hallways was a battlefield compressed into the too tight space. His men – the Mandalorians – were fighting and he recognized one of his commando, Gar Saxon, nodding at him in greeting.

They had come for him.

Although how they would get out of here was still a mystery to him.

Kenobi dragged him down the hallway and halfway down did Maul push him away, the touch becoming too unbearable for him to tolerate any longer. He had shaken off the worst of his lethargy anyway, he could walk on his own.

“What’s the plan?” he demanded to know, frustration rising as they were just ducking from one corner to the next, while he was highly aware that at least Dooku was still somewhere at the facility. Maybe even Sidious…

The answer came in the form of an explosion which ripped a hole into the prison wall, exposing them to the harsh, icy climate of the planet. Maul shuddered, body exposed as it was, as the wind surged into the hole and over them and he stared down the drop of the mountainside the prison had been built on.

A warm robe was pulled over his shoulders. Kenobi did not meet his eyes and Maul would not have thanked him either way.

“This is our plan!” Savage announced and one of his men came forth and shot off a speargun with a wire rope, aiming downwards for the other side of the canyon. “Now come.”

He pressed a blaster into his hands, then used one himself as a handle, to skive down the rope. The Mandalorians followed, lifting into the air with the aid of their jetpacks.

Maul swallowed thickly, knowing there was no time to spare for hesitation. He kneaded his hands, forcing strength back into them and taking a calming breath, calling onto the Force as an aid.

“Excuse me.”

Kenobi slipped past him and threw a belt over the wire, sliding his hand through the loop to get a secure one-handed grip, then – there was a flash of a grin – Maul was pulled against his side, Kenobi’s arm holding him tightly, and he protested against his plan in the same second the other jumped forwards, dragging Maul along.

His appalled “No!” came too late and he could do nothing more than quickly hold onto the man with his face pinched tight against the biting snow that whipped into their faces, completely at his mercy.

“I hate you!” he shouted over the roaring storm, because he did. He really, really did and would he be in better condition, he would let go of him just out of spite, taking his chances with the fall into the unknown than being at his mercy.

“Brace yourself!” Kenobi shouted back and Maul tried to make out the awaiting ground – and then maybe he yelped in surprise, as he saw the canyon wall right in front of them already.

Kenobi let go of the belt and they fell onto the ground just before they would have collided with the stone wall. The snow eased their fall, but it punched the air from his lungs nonetheless and he tumbled through the snow without any orientation, Kenobi’s arm still around him, being rolled along.

They came to a slithering stop with Maul on his back, snow everywhere, which he brushed from his face and spluttered from his lips to take a winded inhale. Kenobi coughed where he was leaning over him, shaking his head like a hound for a second, before he leaned up on an arm, taking some of the weight away.

Maul blinked up at him, breathing heavily and the feeling off too much still a sharp pressure inside of him. Kenobi looked down, braced on an arm, kneeling over his hips.

For a moment they both did not move.

His expression was unguarded, something inside of him warned him. But Maul could not act on that right now. There was snow in Kenobi’s beard and his hair darker than usual, which was a mess of wet strands poking up and sideways. The cold had bitten his cheeks and nose red, but the air that puffed out between his lips was warm, reaching Maul’s own barely so, before the harsh climate took also that away from him.

He licked his lips, not sure what to say.

Kenobi’s eyes dropped.

“You know,” was there his rich voice, nothing more than a hum, spoken so quietly Maul leaned slightly upwards to not accidentally miss a word. “I wouldn’t mind meeting you like this.”

His back was aching from the cold snow, but his chest burned. “Like this?” he asked, because Kenobi was speaking that language again that would not make sense to him.

Flirting, Savage had claimed. Which was still a too obscure idea for him to consider.

But maybe he just had to ask to understand it.

Instead of standing up, Kenobi’s weight dropped more heavily onto his hips – he could not really feel it, except for a dull pressure his cybernetics were looping back as a feeling to his brain. And the burn in his chest crawled up his neck and throat.

The white around them made the blue of his eyes brighter than it usually was, he noticed. Although adrenalin was still rushing through Kenobi’s body as well, did his pupils expand nonetheless.

“Yes,” he agreed, “like this.” Gaze trailing down his heaving chest and his sucked in stomach and – a leg kicked Kenobi into the side, propelling him off of him.

“Move,” Savage demanded and hauled a slack Maul out of the snow.

Kenobi groaned, pulling a face where he was kneeling on all fours, looking up to Savage with the same hostility. “My apologies,” he bit out and did sound nothing of the sorts.

Maul patted the snow from his--Kenobi’s robe, needing to clear his throat, eyes skipping over everything and nothing.

Move. Yes. They needed to move. Dooku could still come after them. For half a second, he wanted to extend a hand to the other to help him up. Luckily he caught himself fast enough, reprimanding himself for his ongoing confusion.

He needed to get a grip on himself. He had faced worse than a few days in prison, this was underneath his pride, really.

Slowly, he stretched his hand out, demanding for the Force to heed his call, letting himself be fed by its dark power, slowly exhaling through his nose in a controlled manner.

Yes. The cold became unimportant to his body. His hunger a faraway sensation. The excitement in his chest was smothered by dark demand. Yes. He fletched his teeth at Kenobi as he stood up and dared to step too close.

“Jedi,” he spat, just because, then shouldered past him, following his warriors to the ship waiting for them. A gentle sigh reached his ears, forwarded by a gust of wind.

Sounding disappointed.

Ɛ><3

Maul did not speak.

Giving up his knowledge on Darth Sidious was a too obscure idea for him to consider earnestly.

He wanted to claim it was because that would mean to give up his only advantage he had over the man. That it would mean he would allow others to execute what he was entitled to.

But there was also a… string of anxiety inside of him that caused a nervous twitch in his hand. An old loyalty wanted to rise up that had been beaten into him a long time ago. Not so much physically than with calm words underlaid by a threatening undertone, making even a child understand that Sidious’ teachings were to keep between them, no matter what. 

He despised the man. But he was also a great Sith Lord and if Maul could prove- no, not proving. He did not have to prove him anything. He would show him. By actions, the loss for Sidious by abandoning him and turning to someone else. He would make him regret.

He also, just by principle, could not allow for the Jedi Order to win.

He hated them, too. Every single one of them. They were weak-willed and shortsighted, humble to the point of idiocy and the complete opposite to his own values.

He had Savage back. Together, with the help of Mother and his growing crime syndicate, they had a chance to create something great.

He did not need the Jedi for that.

“You think you are outsmarting us, but you are only protecting him.”

Kenobi was persistent. He followed him first through the ship, then through the tent Maul had claimed for himself at the small base of his shadow collective, on the moon Zanbar. 

The only time he had granted him room had been when Maul had eaten.

Now he was standing right behind him again, ignorant to his attempts at ignorance.

“His power is becoming too dangerous. To think you can beat him on your own is deluded, Maul.”

“I have a plan,” he claimed while taking stock of his manpower, even if it still was in the making. Mother had contacted Savage. She had a plan and naturally he trusted her more than Kenobi.

“Oh, let me guess,” Kenobi’s voice turned sarcastic where he stood with his arms crossed, one hand flickering through the air, thinking this was about petty revenge still. “You will challenge him to an honorable duel, expecting he will fight fair.”

He should shackle him. Gag him. Throw him out or – no Maul should kill him. But he was still not feeling too well and Savage had arranged a truce with the Jedi, so it would cause him just more troubles would he break that now.

Unimpressed he turned around, keeping the datapad as a barrier between them.

“I gave you my answer, Kenobi. I never promised you anything. You should leave already, for when I see you again, this will count as nothing.”

“Maul, he will kill you,” the other continued and his voice sounded more and more pleadingly. Almost like he was concerned for him.

“He had the chance before and did not take it,” Maul pointed out the obvious, looking away as the worry in Kenobi’s eyes became harder to ignore. For a moment it felt like they shared the same spark of fear in the Force between them, before Maul quickly brought back up his mental shields. He gnawed at his lower lip, fingertips tightening around the pad.

“Then that should worry you.”

“It does.” That sounded too vulnerable, he realized frustrated. Kenobi’s constant chatter was wearing him down. He quickly rightened his shoulders, glinting at the other with new-found hostility. “But my worry is not yours, so leave. me. be!” And he spat the words at the other’s face.

So Kenobi… yielded.

Body deflating, he took a step back, eyes falling to the ground.

“Very well. You will not help,” he said quietly, glancing to the entrance of the tent. “Then I suppose your men will bring me back to the agreed upon rendezvous point, for my crew to pick me up.”

Maul’s chest felt too tight, suddenly more displeased at Kenobi’s surrender than he had been by his constant nagging before. He pushed past that, nodding curtly.

“Yes,” he agreed stiffly.

Kenobi lingered. Maul watched the troubled emotions flickering over his face, any arrogance or mocking or even that smirk, gone.

He was not sure if he was supposed to say more, but he would not change his mind just because Kenobi now resolved to pouting.

Another sigh. His eyes appeared duller than normally as he looked back up to him, before Kenobi lifted his hand up between them, which he eyed warily, his own not loosening its grip around his datapad.

“Can I transfer you my com-code?” he was asked and Kenobi pressed a button on his wrist. “Just… should you ever change your mind or… Well. You could contact me.” 

There was a small, yellow light blinking on his gauntlet, a transmission waiting to be received.

“I will not change my mind,” he needed to let him know, because in this, he could not. Sidious was… if his revenge against Kenobi lost its appeal, he could not let Sidious slip through his fingers as well. He could not… let him go unpunished.

“Ah, I see.” Somehow, Kenobi managed to look even more defeated, his voice turning rough from an exhaustion he had hidden so far. There was white in his hair, in his sideburns, Maul noticed suddenly as he turned his head away. The shine of the fair strands of hair catching in the dim light of the tent.

The war moved on and so did age. No. Time would not wait for him to come a conclusion about what exactly Kenobi was to him by now. And maybe he would never find out.

In a sudden panic, he quickly caught the dropping hand, curling his fingers around his underarm to align their gauntlets. He did not look up as he accepted the transmission, but his inhales were too heavy where he breathed through gently parted lips.

Kenobi’s hand curled around his own arm. It did take no longer than a second to transmit the code.

Somehow, this second dragged on. Kenobi was staring at him, hand squeezing his arm, a thumb rubbing over his sleeve – but Maul could not look up, too focused on keeping his breath steady.

Ɛ><3

Savage replaced Kenobi after he left the tent, a quiet farewell spoken to him.

Maul just shortly looked at Savage, then he turned his attention back to his datapad. The danger was not over, he could sense it. They had not much time.

His arm burned where Kenobi had held on.

“We need to gather the rest,” he informed Savage. “Dooku might have followed us. We can’t let our defense down.”

“I will call them,” Savage agreed, his voice his usual, deep rumble. But he looked nervous, head turning to where Kenobi had vanished. “Have you told the Jedi what he came for?”

“No,” Maul answered simply, shaking out his arm.

The nervous frown turned uncertain. “I have my doubts against the Jedi, just as you. But if they can assist in eliminating a common threat…”

It was obvious why Savage would think the same as Kenobi. Probably everyone would think that Maul kept his information locked for personal revenge – which it was. It was! Just not by killing him.

“To ask for their help weakens us,” he opted for an explanation towards Savage. “We will not align our goals with them. We are Sith and they are Jedi. It is against our nature.”

Understanding made it onto his brother’s face. He did not say more, just nodded and turned around to do as ordered.

“Savage,” Maul called him back before he could disappear behind the tent flaps. With his posture stiff, he forced himself to keep looking at him as he turned back to him questioningly. He clasped his hands behind his back and lifted his chin up.

“You are not a nobody,” he wanted him to know, keeping the tone of his voice professional. “You are my brother.”

Savage’s mouth dropped open, for a second forgetting himself, before quickly steeling his reaction to his words.

“As you are mine,” he returned solemnly.

With a lump in his throat, Maul nodded, and Savage slipped out of the tent before they could embarrass each other.

<3 Ɛ><3 Ɛ><3 Ɛ>

5th attempt

“Lord Maul, your brother is awake.”

He turned around from the row of windows and acknowledged Kast’s word with a sharp nod, following her where she led him back to the medical wing.

His steps were quick and sure, the hands in his back steady. His heartbeat was even, his breath calm, years and years of practice kicking in to remain stoic in the face of danger. But his restless eyes would give him away dared anyone to look for too long, and a being of the Force might sense the conflict within him.

Savage was still too weak and confused in the aftermath of the three day long bacta treatment, as that he would pick up on it immediately.

“Leave us,” he demanded form the medical staff after being given a quick rundown of Savage’s state.

He was stable and awake, that was enough. It had to be, for was their time running out and he needed his brother to shake off his remaining fatigue for what was to come.

“I disappointed you,” Savage lamented with a broken voice. “I was not strong enough when needed and now Mother Talzin is dead because of it.”

“Mother would have died either way,” he refused the apology, comforting him with a quick squeeze of his shoulder, before he rather hid his hands behind his back again. “It was a hunt from the beginning. Sidious wanted her death… and we led him to her.”

What had happened left him more angry than that he would mourn his losses and he would not allow for Savage to go down that path instead. “You and I survived, this is what matters.”

“I suppose it is…”

Savage was too large for the medical bed, his feet hit the frame as it was and as he laid back down properly, did his horns scrape along the thin headrest. He looked like a monster but was nothing more than a lost Nightbrother, seeking guidance in something he did not understand fully.

Seeking Maul’s guidance as the Sith Master he claimed to be. With a bitter taste on his tongue, Maul turned away from him, knowing he was not worthy of that title anymore. He had been a fool, clinging to shattered bits of a past relationship that meant nothing for the other. If Maul had been a wiser man, Sidious would have never been given the chance to attack Talzin.  

“You asked the Jedi for help before,” he began haltingly, for had they no time to linger on what could not be changed. It was the future that was eminent to be shaped to their advantage, as long as they still could do so. “Considering our losses in men and… loyalty, over the last days, would you ask of me again to cooperate with them? So Sidious’ rise to power will be stopped.”

With a rustle of bedsheets and a low groan, Savage heaved himself back into a sitting position, eyes growing more alert.

“I… am not sure,” he admitted quietly. “I needed Kenobi as backup for your rescue. But I understand what you said before. And I see myself the hypocrisy their order is founded on and… I don’t know who is the bigger challenge to eliminate, once in power. With Sidious, at least the dark would rise, and we could use that, no?”

“I am adaptable,” Maul agreed. “And crime is easy to spread in the aftermath of a war… But Sidious’ rise will come with another victory I am most concerned by.”

“Which is?”

“The Chosen One will fall into his hands, swearing his loyalty to him.”

“Anakin Skywalker?”

“Yes.” He turned around to him, the memory of his vision still turning his insides. He would not underestimate the power Sidious would gain with the boy. Visions had become a sparse happening for him, that he would not just dismiss the one that had clawed itself to the forefront of his mind the other night. Foretelling a future that frightened even him.

He had researched Skywalker’s success over the war, his career in the Jedi Order and even managed to find a few holovids of him fighting in public spaces. He was capable already. Once he had tasted the power of the dark side, he could become an unstoppable force – led on by Sidious himself, who had shown once and for all, which worth Maul had for him, destroying nearly all of his progresses over the last months.

“He needs to die.”

Savage stared at him speechless, hands curling around the bedsheets in his lap, blinking rapidly up to him. “But… he is… strong.”

“And I am not?” he hissed back.

“No, brother, of course you are! I just… am worried, how you would achieve such a thing.”

“I called Kenobi,” Maul revealed what he was leading up to, hand closing around his gauntlet again for the innumerable time over the last days. “I offered him a truce, agreeing to travel with him to Coruscant to discuss Sidious in front of his Council.”

“You what? No!” Savage made to stand up, genuine worry urging his body into movement. “You will be surrounded by Jedi!” Maul gently pushed him back into his bed, this time leaving his hand on the tense shoulder of his brother.

“That is what I told him,” he continued to explain and ignored his own storm of emotions inside of him. “In truth will we never reach Coruscant.”

Guilt was at the forefront of it, which caused anger to spread, because his plan was justified and necessary and had nothing to do with Kenobi in itself. He was just the bait.

“I will kidnap Kenobi, then I demand for Skywalker to come alone if he wants to save his life. They will switch and once I have Skywalker unarmed, I will kill him. Denying Sidious his precious new apprentice.”

Savage wanted to stand up again, growling frustrated as Maul did not let him and his body was too weak still as that he could struggle for long.

“Brother, please, Kenobi is… You are…”

“I will not falter.” He emphasized the words with a last push to his shoulder, shoving him back down into the mattress. “This is not about my… my struggles to find a worthy way to act out my revenge on him. This is about Skywalker and Sidious forming an alliance I cannot allow to happen!”

“But he is Kenobi’s Padawan. If you kill him…”

The consequences would be even more damaging for his and Kenobi’s relationship, than if he had killed the duchess Kryze.

Which should not be a factor that needed to be considered at all. Whatever careful truce they had agreed on last time, would have needed to end at some point anyway. He had been prepared for that.

Maul just had thought it would last longer than a few days.

“You need to prepare for a possible attack of the Republic in the aftermath of my assassination,” he let him know, not willing to answer anything else. “And I don’t know if I will be able to escape, I might be taken into custody. So there is Nite Owls that could try to abuse my absence, too. You will be in charge of Mandalore while I am gone.”

His brother’s eyes turned larger with every word, mouth falling open and his shoulders squirmed in a great displeasure for what he was hearing. He was already shaking his head before he had finished speaking.

“But Maul. I am not… you,” he rejected his plan, voice so small, he had never heard him like this before. With a heavy pang Maul realized his own involvement in this lack of confidence as an individual. “I never was.”

Instead of his shoulder, Maul pulled up his hand and squeezed that, clasping both of his around the larger one.

“And you don’t need to be,” he let him know, giving it a heartfelt shake, hoping his expression was as steadfast as his voice. “I have trust in you.”

Savage stared at him, mouth working around soundless words. His eyes dropped to their hands and after a short, silent battle, he squeezed back, nodding yes, hardening his expression.

“When will you depart?”

“Since you have woken up… Immediately.”

Ɛ><3

It was not a smile Kenobi greeted him with, but the corners of his mouth were definitely raised and his eyes gleamed with a pride that was underserving for what Maul was planning to do.

Maybe he would understand, Maul wondered suddenly. If he would explain to him what he had seen and what he could feel in the Force around them. A sinister presence which grew and thickened, coating everything it came in touch with in an inconspicuous film of negativity. Which would multiply itself when called upon.

“I was worried I would need to wait months for you to use my code,” Kenobi remarked, rolling up on his toes as he skipped around to lead him from the huge hangar bay into the belly of his attack cruiser. He was in good spirit, unaware that months were a far too generous time estimation for the remaining war.

It would have been nice if they had gotten months though. So much more opportunities for them to meet over useless trifles, with nothing dooming diverting their attention from another.

“I’m coming for selfish reasons, Kenobi,” he waved the niceties away, glimpsing to the clone soldiers flanking and following them. He might act careless and friendly, but he was not naive. The Jedi knew the danger he could be, even with a truce between them.

“Oh sure, me too.” He threw a stiff smile into his direction. “I’ve rejected an order from the Chancellor for you.” Maul perked up surprised. “Which he could be miffed about on my return. So please make this journey worthwhile.”

Oh, you have no idea.

“Considering the heavily armed escort, I should be the one being nervous.”

“That’s just protocol,” Kenobi waved off his concerns. “I consider you my guest.”

As if to prove that statement, was Maul given not a prison cell for the duration of their travels, but a suite in the upper levels of the ship. And as Kenobi led them into the generous space, did the clones stay behind in the hallway, leaving them alone for the moment.

“See, no cell or hidden lock,” the man tried to soothe his obvious tense demeanor, but Maul was truly not bothered by the security – just yet. Sure, he needed to find a passable moment to catch Kenobi unguarded, but he had hours for that still and considering their past encounters, also got the feeling that it would not take much for Kenobi to seek out his presence again.

“Although there is a hidden door…”

Turning his focus back from his thought towards the other, Maul shook his head gently as he did not understand what he wanted to say to him.

“Aha?”

Kenobi walked to a shelf, finger gliding over the side of an edge, for it to gently click open and he pulled at it to show another room on the other side.

“It connects to my suite. Usually I don’t make anyone aware of it. It is in case of an attack if diplomats are travelling with us,” Kenobi explained, closing it again and instead he leaned against the shelf, a feisty grin morphing his face into that cocky expression again, causing Maul’s heartbeat to rise by that already, without having even heard what he would say next.

But it would leave him speechless again, of this he was sure, so he steeled his own expression to not give something away instantly, while still waiting for it with an eager anticipation that he would resent himself for later.

“So if you’re feeling lonely tonight…” Kenobi let his sentence trail out, although of course Maul understood that he was inviting him to use the door.

He just did not understand to which purpose, at night especially.

“Do you want me to strangle you?” he quipped back, crossing his arms.

Kenobi let out a delighted sound, although Maul had only half-joked.

“Well that might be a tad much for the first time, but we can store that away for later… maybe,” he added in an afterthought, his hand going to his own throat undecided. “No promises though.”

Maul’s arms tightened, his frown so deep, he could see the arch of his own browbone.

“First time of what?” Because why did he always feel the need to talk in riddles? Why could he not just tell him what his implications were supposed to lead to?

Kenobi’s careless attitude turned a tad more serious, his eyes questioning where he regarded him carefully, coming back over to him.

“Maul. Surely you’ve caught on by now?” he asked him, for the first time sounding unsure himself.

He’s flirting with you, Savage’s voice in the back of his mind provided. But that was… absurd, was it not? Why ever would Kenobi do such a thing, or continue to do. Maul was not humble; but he understood the disadvantage he had.

“You don’t mean that,” he rejected that possibility out loud, sure that Kenobi would agree and they could move on from this weird encounter. Although he felt that heat again that took hold of his limbs whenever Kenobi was around, that heat that came with a gentle prickle, like goosebumps but inverted.

He also could not see how mocking him right now would make Kenobi gain anything. Maul was complying, provocations were counterproductive right now.

Kenobi drew a small pout, although his eyes stayed gentle. Too gentle for them, for… Maul would kidnap him. He could not… look at him like this, it was not fair.

“Don’t I?” he asked back, and the warmth changed to heat.

Kenobi was still approaching, stepping up into his space, but Maul stood his ground with his throat turning dry, unwilling to yield. He took one step back, one tiny step for balance, but that was it and he glimpsed along his nose over at Kenobi, standing so close, their clothes brushed.

Shy finger fiddled with the rim of his belt, luring along the heat inside of him like a magnet. It pooled in his stomach, and he had the sudden realization that his body had seemed to find ways to work around certain missing parts, did his cybernetics not stop the rush of -want- spreading out through his veins.

“I’m not mocking you, Maul,” Kenobi explained more earnestly to him. “And partly I am conflicted too, especially was in the beginning. I don’t need to explain our history to you. I just also think that… the last months around another changed us, yes?”

“I still hate you,” he protested feeble, keeping his hands stiff in front of his chest.

A grin was the wrong reaction to that statement. But Kenobi did it all the same, showing a row of white teeth. He made the unhelpful observation that Kenobi flushed easily.

“What can I do to change that, then?”

“You could let me kidnap you,” his brain provided for an answer for some reason and the words slipped past his lips before he could stop them. With an appalled exhale of air, he clenched his teeth together – but it was too late.

Kenobi lifted an interested brow, seeing this as meaningless banter, oblivious about what Maul actually planned to do. And he should not feel guilty about it. This was-- so much more and…

But maybe he would understand, he wondered again. But how should he, where they were talking about his Padawan and companion throughout the war.

No, he could not risk it.

“Now, that’s more in your style,” Kenobi acknowledged. “But if you’re just going to beat me up again, I have to decline.”

“Not if you comply.”

“To what?”

“My demands.”

“Which are?”

“Compliance.”

Sith spit, what was going on with him? He was losing any sense of his own confident self and wit with the other. But Kenobi laughed at his words, seeming to enjoy this… them, talking, spending time outside of a battlefield.

His comm pinged and with a smile still on his lips, he let go of his belt and turned slightly away to answer. Maul‘s fingers trailed over the spot he had held him, lamenting his gloves that prevented him from feeling the lingering warmth surely there.

It was the clone commander, asking him to come to the bridge, which Kenobi agreed to with a short affirmative.

“Please stay here for the while,” he said turned back to him. “And please know the corridors do have security cameras. If you could also give me your lightsaber, just for the time I am not around.”

Naturally was his first instinct to decline, but he needed to play along for now. So although still with great hesitation, he unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and placed it in the waiting hand.

“So much for not being your prisoner,” he had to remark though, because it was still rather hypocritic of the other, but Kenobi just lifted an unimpressed brow at him.

“Maul. I’m optimistic about us- you,“ he hastily corrected himself, for the first time being the one that looked away rather embarrassed. “But I’m not naive. You don’t get free reign on my ship… Just to my quarters,” he added then rather cheeky, saluting him with two fingers tipped to his temple and left Maul without being given the chance to reply.

Not that Maul had a reply at the ready. He was staring after him before he rubbed through his face with a groan, feeling too hot, confused and… good. 

He was feeling good.

How such an observation could make him miserable at the same time, was out of his competence to describe.

But he hoped Kenobi would not take too long to return.

Ɛ><3

He was too late after all.

This was his first thought as he sensed the sudden shift in the Force. Like a tidal wave was he hit by a cold darkness exploding throughout the whole galaxy, echoes of screams and death rising and rising until even Maul felt sick by the implication of it all.

Whatever it was, Sidious just had launched his final strike. And whatever it included turned the clones hostile. He also had no doubt that it was Sidious, since who else would be able to orchestrate such a devastating assault, tearing at the remaining bits of balance the Jedi had carefully tried to uphold over the war. It was brilliant as it was terrifying.

The time of the Jedi had come to a pass.

And Kenobi was a Jedi.

He stomped down the worry that wanted to rise, emotions slipping into the back of his mind as he focused on his task at hand. Which was to stop the ship and get off from it. Create a diversion so the clones would be scattered… and find Kenobi, who after all still had his lightsaber.

This was of course the only reason.

Maybe also because he could be his only remaining ally.

But no more other reasons.

Maul destroyed the hyperdrive generators of the ship, forcing it out of lightspeed. The plan was to just leave it stranded in space, but they jumped out close to a moon, too close, and its gravity well started to pull them in. 

All of a sudden he was running out of time, unable to make out Kenobi’s Force signature in the chaos around them, but needing to get to the hangar despite it.

Damn the man, Maul thought as he bashed two clones against each other until he heard it crack, running past them without care, noticing a growing tilt of the floors. Where could he be?

It was not worry that made him turning hectic, that made him take loops through the ship in hope to spot the other. It was… anger. In some form, surely.

Suddenly someone pulled at his tabard and Maul twisted with a leg already risen to kick his attacker from him – to then be slammed backwards into the wall with the Force.

“Sorry,” Kenobi breathed and tugged at him, hastily pulling him into a slit in the wall that had not been there before. Maul made a surprised noise and let himself be dragged into some kind of slim maintenance tunnel, hiding them both from the masses of clones.

“There you are,” he exclaimed and pulled at Kenobi’s shoulders, giving him a quick once over. His robes were scorched here and there, but nothing seemed to bleed too badly or had only grazed him.

“Are you alright?” Kenobi asked him in return, still clinging to him. At first glance he looked composed, with his jaw set into a straight line; but his eyes were shining with a hurt confusion that had Maul lose any anger he wanted to come up with for being left unarmed because of the other. “The clones turned against me. And the Force is…”

“Yes, I sense it. It’s Sidious.”

Kenobi took a shaky breath, then stumbled against him as the ship tilted more sharply with a worrying groan coming from the floors.

“We need to leave,” Maul informed him, cupping his jaw to make him look up to him, making his urgency clear. “The ship will crash. We have to board a shuttle.”

Kenobi’s hand curled around his wrist, not pulling it away but seeking out a point of guidance. “I don’t know why they would turn against me?”

“I don’t know either, but we can find out later.” He reminded himself that he had an objective to fulfill right now as he tried to shove down his emotions again, could he not deal with that mixture of guilt, worry and – sad sympathy tugging at his chest by Kenobi’s wounded expression.

So he rather looked down the tunnel over his shoulder. “How do we come to the hangar unnoticed?”

“You caused this.”

“I needed a diversion,” he admitted openly enough. “Now tell me, Kenobi. How do we get off this ship?”

With a heavy breath Kenobi pulled himself together, combing down his beard while his eyes skipped unseeing over their surroundings.

“Alright, yes,” he murmured, then tugged him along where he still had not let go of him. “Follow me.”

Kenobi only unclenched his fingers out of his clothes when it became too narrow for him to reach back anymore – and then Maul pushed his hand into the small of his waist, letting him know he was behind him still.

Giving him the bit of comfort he could.

Ɛ><3

Kenobi kneeled in the snow, staring at the remains of his flagship crashed in front of him. He held a helmet in his hands – it had an orange visor and somehow seemed to hold larger value to him than any of the others helmets scattered around, most of them attached to bodies still.

Maul left him the minute to mourn. He was rather certain they were the only survivors of the crash – and it had been a wild drop to the surface, with Kenobi being sucked out of the hangar as the ship had broken in two and Maul trying to catch him in freefall with a fighter from a drop that would have been even too much for a Jedi to survive.

The fighter had gotten some damage, but it was not too bad, he decided after a short check of the system.

His lightsaber was back at his hip and his objective had not changed.

They needed to kill the boy. Now or never.

His chest felt too tight as he walked up to Kenobi, who acknowledged his approach by gently placing the helmet into the snow before him.

“We have to go,” he informed him solemnly, reaching out a hand to help him up. “If we want to stop worse, we need to act.”

“What do you know?” Kenobi demanded of him to share his knowledge, eyes dull and dead.

“Nothing about why this happened. But Sidious… Sidious is the chancellor.” His eyes widened slowly. “He had his hands on both sides of the war, letting it play out to his advantage, with the aid of Dooku.”

“Palpatine,” Kenobi repeated shocked. “Palpatine is Sidious?”

Maul nodded solemnly, aware that now was the time to speak his truth. If they wanted to prevent Sidious to gain ultimate control, they needed to work together from now on, with no more secrets between them, that could undermine this partnership at an inconvenient time later on. “Yes. And he... has found himself another ally that should concern you.”

With a short shake of his head, Kenobi asked the silent question of whom that could be, his eyes growing more alert again after being allowed the short drop of his barriers to mourn. Now duty took hold of him once more.

Maul dearly hoped this would stay with his next words. But there was no coming around of it. He opened himself up, just a tiny bit, just enough that Kenobi could sense his honesty, would he search for it between them.

“Sidious has lured Skywalker onto his side. The boy has sworn loyalty to him.”

With a sharp inhale Kenobi’s expression dropped, his eyes growing wide. “Wh… what?” he asked in a splutter, pulling a face. “Anakin? Are you talking about Anakin?”

“Yes. He has long been groomed for the role of my Master’s new apprentice.” Maul’s voice turned more insistent as Kenobi started to look away, as if the gesture could also stop his words. And he knew that it was nothing that someone wanted to hear from his apprentice, but that did not change the truth. “We need to stop them both.”

“How… why would you know that?” Kenobi asked confused, hand wandering to his gauntlet as in an urge to reach out to the topic at hand, even if they were too far away for the signal to reach even beyond the planet. “How could you?”

“I foresaw it. The Republic has fallen.”

“And you did not tell me?!”

This conversation should not afflict him more than his regrets at having acted too late, but he felt the weight of guilt creeping up onto his shoulders, making it hard to think while looking at Kenobi, who was so pathetically confused and wounded right now, with every attempt to pull himself together crumbling again after just another intake of air.

“I… could not risk it,” he said and it sounded more like an apology than a simple explanation.

Kenobi pinched his eyes together for a moment, hand pressed before his mouth, then he stared out over the wreckage behind them, gaze skittering up into the sky and then… back to him. A sudden sharpness in those blue eyes that he had last seen quiet a while ago – on Florrum, after the death of his Jedi companion.

Maul did not like it, bracing for the worst.

“Why are you here?” Kenobi wanted to know in a demanding tone. “Maul. Why are… Did you actually plan to share this with the Council?”

Just stick to the facts, he reminded himself. What did he care if Kenobi would approve of his idea – of course he would not. This same thing would have happened as soon as Maul would have taken him hostage. He had been prepared for that and yet – yet his hearts were pounding and he averted his eyes.

“Maul! Tell me what your plan was!”

“I need to kill the boy,” he explained curtly, trying to breathe through the worst of the pressure inside of him, kneading his hands into tight fists at his side.

“Speak!”

“I wanted to lure him out… Your life against his.”

A disbelieving gasp came from the other. “Oh, you…”

Kenobi turned and in a surge of- not fear, but… growing dread perhaps, Maul hastily reached out for him, catching his sleeve between his fingers.

“I needed a good enough reason to get close. You would have not agreed would I just have told you,” he urged him to understand his logic. “But I know the danger he is--”

“You vile, heartless man!”

Kenobi shoved him away, again and again never mind how often Maul tried to reach for him in his hectic explanation, not daring for him to further that distance between them.

“No – I would not have hurt you!” He insisted with a plea stuck between the words. It was justified what he had wanted to do. So why did he feel so guilty nonetheless? Kenobi had cared for him before. And now Maul was the one who cared and he refused to entertain the thought that this, them, could end right now, after everything before. “I just knew that I could--”

“Oh, you told me even.” Kenobi broke into his explanation, burying his face into his hand, fingertips pressed into his eyes. “You told me you wanted to kidnap me and I laughed about it.” He shook his head aghast, looking utterly devastated. “I laughed with you, Maul. I thought… Oh stars, you are…”

There was this string of… trepidation again. Of being abandoned by someone he- he cared about. And Kenobi was his enemy, he cut him in half and was a Jedi to top it off, this was wrong to feel. But those facts did not deter from the truth, and those were crushing his soul right now as the other would not look at him again.

Kenobi shook his head, mouth trembling were he clenched his teeth together, showing him his shoulder, stumbling back, back, away from Maul who could not respect that, racing after him.

“No! I just – This is more than us, can’t you see that?!” And as always when Maul did not know how to react best, was there his anger he could rely on. He was right. He was right in his worries! “He is the Chosen One! He is too powerful to be allowed in Sidious’ hands, we need to strike now, in the aftermath of confusion--"

“We won’t do anything.” Kenobi shouted back, slapping his hand away. “I heard enough. I will return to Coruscant and find out what is happening on my own.”

“We need to kill--”

“Don’t!”

Kenobi exploded out into the Force and shoved Maul with such force, he skittered backwards multiple meters until a piece of metal caught him in the heel and made him stumble and fall into the stained snow.

Maul hastily pulled himself on a knee, staring wide eyed at Kenobi climbing into the prepared fighter.

“No!” he shouted and jumped up, panic now doubling over. “Kenobi you can’t just leave! You have no idea of the danger awaiting, you need me…” He was not listening. He still did not even look at him, and his chest was burning away, his hearts were… they were…

“Obi-Wan, I was only trying to right this!”

He reached the fighter as the engines roared to live and he hastily held onto its wing, set on not letting go. The cockpit was still open and at last Kenobi spared him a glance. The disgust in his gaze hit Maul worse than the shove before and the wing slipped out of his hands.

“I’ve wasted enough time on you. I hope we never see each other again.” His voice was cold as ice, slipping past Maul’s clothes and between his ribs, slicing him open. Laced with resentment where he lowered his head, regret shining in his eyes. “To ever think I could have…”

Maul could not speak.

Could have what?

He stared at the cockpit closing and the small fighter lifted into the air, with him unable to properly comprehend what just happened. Just that it hurt and… and Kenobi took off. Leaving him behind, with nothing on him but his lightsaber and a feeling inside of him, that crushed his hearts and swelled between his ribs until it was an agonizing ache to breathe around.

With a heavy plump he dropped onto his knees and pulled his arms over his head, hands tugging at his own horns, spitting droplets of spit through his gritted teeth as he seethed and gasped for air.

Then he screamed, cursing the man through the Force.

Cursing him in every language he knew and then some more, curling up into a tight ball.

And it hurt.  

<3 Ɛ><3 Ɛ><3 Ɛ>

+ a final question

Call it luck, call it fate, for Maul to be on Vandor already, estimating the worth of a coaxium mine before buying. A planet that was just a sector away of the planet Daiyu.

Because otherwise the notification for a new bounty may have never reached him that fast.

But it did. And this time it definitely was intuition nudged along by the Force, for him to look at the new bounty instantly, instead of waiting until later – because what did Maul care for them. He was no bounty hunter, although obviously he checked them to make sure none of his own men were on the list, and if so, for them to quickly act against it.

As it was, he opened the hologram right where he stood, on the open field between his ship and the mines, with Qi'ra standing a few feet ahead, looking back questioningly at him.

The hologram flickered to live and Maul bit his tongue in shock, just barely managing to stop a gasp from escaping.

He did not glimpse on it for longer than to estimate where the last sighting had been before turning around to the ship with taut steps, mind already whirling, pulse quickening with every step he took.

“What happened?” Qi’ra shouted after him, hurrying to match his strides, but he waved her off.

“Call for pickup,” he demanded of her, not looking back as he climbed the ramp. “This I need to do on my own.”

“Lord Maul. What happened? Where are you going?”

“Contact Savage. Tell him an old foe has resurfaced. Don’t wait for me.”

“Old foe?” she repeated, but Maul did not answer more. He closed the ramp before her, half running into the cockpit to get the ship into the air and on its way to Daiyu.

And only then, once in hyperspace, did Maul open the hologram again, to make sure he was not mistaken.

But of course not. He would recognize that face between a million of humans. It even was from the time of the Clone Wars – the neatly trimmed beard, the short hair with the styled back fringe, dressed in Jedi robes. And his name right beneath it.

So he had survived.

Maul could not say how that made him feel.

Because he had hoped for it – yes. To a certain degree. Had searched for signs of him in the aftermath of the fall of the Republic, but it was like he had been swallowed from the surface of the galaxy. So at a certain point Maul had found more comfort in the thought of him dead, than the possibility of him having survived without reaching out again.

For what reason, though, except for the obvious. Maul had hoped he still cared. And Maul certainly had been a target broadcasted throughout most of the galaxy in the first years after the fall, the Inquisitorius hot on his heels. Kenobi would have been able to find him, would he have tried.

But he had not.

Because… he did not want to see him again. He had said it himself and yet here Maul was, ignoring that wish for a desperate urge inside of him he could not quell.

Maul had built up an imperium of his own. The shadow collective was thriving, he had riches, power, influence and reverence combined underneath one title. The Shadow for those unaware of the man behind it all, Lord Maul for those he allowed near his presence.  

He had successfully evaded danger, opposed crime organizations, the Inquisitorius and Sidious’ ever-growing reach over the galaxy. Building and building onto his shadow collective, because it was the only thing he still had control over.

He had thrived in his role as a ruler, but with time even that excitement had become dull, him seeking out another purpose without knowing what he was looking for.

His senses were bored. His spirit long gone.

Savage was becoming the driving force behind what he claimed his to be these days – but both did not mind, yet also did not speak about the reason. Savage knew. They both knew and it was a shame that had him double over if he thought about it for too long.

He should have told him. Right from the beginning, he should have told him his plan about Skywalker. Not that he believed it would have turned out great, but maybe then Kenobi would have been willing to circle back to him, hurt and having still experienced great loss, but at least Maul had been honest to him. That would have counted for something.

Now he could maybe gloat that he had been right about Skywalker all along, but it was a stale victory.

His last words had burned themselves into his chest. He was highly aware of them as he stalked through the streets of the capital of Daiyu, but how could he not… He just needed at least to see him. Just a glimpse. To make sure it was truly him and he was still alive and well, and…

Maul stumbled onto an injured inquisitor but not on Kenobi. He had left the planet already, but that was alright. Maul could read between the lines. Now that he had found a single mention of the man, he was able to follow it – it was what he had excelled at, once, back in younger years. And such a skill never truly left someone. Instead suddenly he was breathing in fresh air, an excitement moving him onwards that he had thought lost. His senses were sharp, his limbs trembling in this new rush of life inside of him.

And it only turned into fury again, when he actually saw him. Kenobi. He had chased him over to the mining planet Mapuzo, a dry and unimpressive piece of earth otherwise.

But there he was, guiding a small girl into a simple stone bungalow in an unimpressive hamlet, followed by another woman.

And Maul was on them before the door could close. He squeezed himself in behind her, closing them in before the group could understand what just happened.

“Kenobi!” he spat out in resentment, in hurt and anger and everything between, who whirled around in shock, mouth falling open at his sight – then chaos broke out.

The woman shouted something, a name, and suddenly a heavy machinery droid was stomping up to him, with Kenobi shoving the girl behind himself, who nearly stumbled and fell as Maul ignored the rest to reach out to him. He gripped him at his collar and plucked the blaster from the woman’s hand without heeding her a look.

The droid was sent into the next corner and Kenobi lifted both his hands, trying to soothe his rising temper.

“Stop. Stop! Maul!”

It was him. It was truly him. Older, the hair longer not by choice but by lack of care, with the tips bleached out. His skin was tanned, slightly burned around the nose, and his clothes were old and rubbish – but his eyes. His eyes were the same blazing blue as always.

Maul did not know what to do. So he shoved him back into a shelf and kept him pressed to it with his hand splayed wide over his chest. They stared at another with the same round eyes, the same harsh breathing, the same quickened heartbeat pounding away underneath his hand.

“Maul,” Kenobi whispered again. Sounding absolutely wrecked. But at least he could speak, because Maul had trouble working his throat and his tongue felt too heavy in his mouth, weighting him down.

A gentle hand slipped around his wrist – and he wrenched away from the touch, stumbling back.

Suddenly he had troubles to get air into his lungs and his gaze skipped to the girl, tightly holding onto the woman, both of them starring at him fearful and alert; the droid he pushed away again with the Force as it dared to come too close.

She was ten, maybe nine. And as he looked her in the eyes… could he feel it.

Oh.

“Oh,” he managed to croak and had the need to grin. But it was not joyful. “Oh, you’ve been busy. What a selfish thing to do, don’t you think so.” He still stared at the girl. She had not much similarities with Kenobi, except for the ability of the Force, but that after all was the most important one.

“Ben, who is this?” the woman asked in a tense whisper. She was wearing imperial clothes, but she felt too kind for that.

“Ben?” he echoed, forcing the grin to stay on his lips, because he did not know how else to react. “Is that what you call yourself these days? Ben. And who is this then?”

The first fear in her brown eyes slowly made room for something more hostile, her little face crunching up in an attempt to appear brave.

“Enough,” Kenobi’s quiet voice made him turn back to him. He had collected himself again, at least enough to meet his gaze way more steadfast than Maul could claim to be right now. “Stop looking at her like that. She’s not my daughter if you are implying that.”

Somehow, that actually made something of the hard coil between his lungs unclench.

“Wait, I thought I’m supposed to be your daughter,” the girl protested. “And now I’m not?”

“That’s… not with him.” Kenobi shook his head, brushing too long strands of hair out of his face. “He knows me anyway.”

“Well, who is he then?” the woman demanded to know again.

“That’s Maul.”

“Yes, I heard his name. But I don’t know who he is and how he managed to follow us.” She was still tense, clearly fearing for her cover to be blown. Most likely this was a hideout that was supposed to stay hidden. It was a pathetic excuse for one, though.

“I followed the stench of misery,” he explained deadpanned and Kenobi grimaced in his back.

“Maul is an old foe I clashed with over the course of the war. Once I had hope to form a… an alliance, with him,” he haltingly said and Maul gaze skipped back to him at the sudden regret in his voice, mirroring what he felt on the inside. “But in the chaos of the order that uhm… well, we could not come to an agreement on what to do next.”

“You’re a Jedi, too?” the girl asked and sounded most displeased by that possibility. Maul bared his teeth at her at such an insult.

“Quite the opposite, little girl,” he corrected her, carefully probing at her mental barriers. A Force sensitive child. So Kenobi was protecting her against the Empire, most likely. He was unsure if she was worth the trouble. There was potential, sure, but it was deeply hidden inside of her and would need a lot of training to expand into something noteworthy.

But her fierce character sure spoke of ambition. If she was willing, she could manage it.

“And what are you doing here?” The woman again. Maul threw her an annoyed glance, not missing that she started to scooch over the dropped blaster. With a flick of his wrist, it scattered over the ground, underneath a workbench. She pursed her lips at him in anger.

“For years I have not heard even a single mention of you,” Maul turned around, rather addressing Kenobi again, who had opted to stay leaned against the shelf, looking more and more exhausted. “And then you manage to draw out the Grand Inquisitor and your bounty is being blasted through the whole underworld?”

“You know them?”

“Do I…? Kenobi, have you lived underneath a rock?" For some reason that had Kenobi press his lips together. "Of course! They are hunting every Force sensitive being there is. I’ve killed some of theirs! But to draw attention of multiple is a foolish thing to do!”

He did not know why, but that made the man smile. Just a gentle uplift of his corners but… but it was exactly what Maul had yearned for, in lonely nights. Because it was directed at him. He swallowed thickly, his upset being tamed by it again, not able to look away from it - him... he was not able to look away from Kenobi again.

"Are you worried?”

He was. Not that he would admit that. With a huff he pulled a face, shaking the comment away and shaking off that feeling of melancholy. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m only here because I was too curious if it actually was you. I will be gone now.”

Kenobi’s smile dropped at that, his expression becoming more guarded. “Maul, if what I said at our last departure is still bothering you… Well, I hope you know that I was upset at more than just you. I am actually glad to see you are well.”

Maul’s eyes graced past him. He thinned his lips and could not answer with more than a sharp nod. He had trouble breathing again and even if the words were like a blessing, did they hurt at the same time, piercing through his hearts like sharp knives.

“They are still hunting you,” he informed him instead of what he had been able to pick up on while he had followed his track. Since if Maul was able to do that, others could too. “You need to keep moving. It’s been a long time since the Empire put so much resources into a single hunt. It won’t be easy.”

Kenobi sighed, pulling back the same strand of hair again, just for it fall before his eye a second later, that Maul had a great itch in his fingertips to tuck it behind his ear himself. Of course he resisted that urge. But it made his hand twitch all the same.

He had missed him, he realized with a sharp pang of sorrow. He had truly, honestly missed him. It shamed him, because in the end their encounters could be counted down on two hands. But maybe because of that, maybe because each one of them had shaped Maul to such an extreme, was it hurting now to look at him for longer, knowing also this moment would pass.

“I know,” Kenobi admitted uneasily. “That’s why we are here, there’s a passage to a port we can then depart from unnoticed. We need to get her back to her family.” He pointed at the girl and both ignored the appalled hiss from the woman, who was not amused by Kenobi just talking about their intentions. “But we have to wait a few hours until then.”

“You might not have hours.”

Kenobi shrugged at that, for could he not change it. He was reliant on others and Maul understood that covers needed to be upheld, otherwise suspicion would rise.

It was also so that Maul was not bound to such concerns.

“I have a ship,” he heard himself speak before he could change his mind. This was not his fight. He was pushing himself back into the attention of the Empire with this, where they had finally started to ease up on him in the last years.

But he could not let the Empire win. Not with this especially.

They could not get Kenobi. He was his.

Whatever that meant.

“I hid it behind a dune over in the desert. We have to be careful, but it’s a short march. Manageable.”

The haunted look in Kenobi's eyes slowly eased up listening to him, with them starting to shine again, fatigue dropping from his shoulders. “You mean that?” he asked astonished and he nodded solemnly, meeting his searching gaze with his chest pounding by the promise of prolonging this moment.

“And this is not another kidnapping attempt on me?”

With a groan, Maul rolled his eyes. “No, Kenobi, I think we’re past that. I will drop you and the girl off wherever you want, unharmed and with all your meager possessions.”

While he spoke, Kenobi’s expression morphed from his surprise into a smile and then a grin even; and it was just as beautiful as Maul remembered, was that something that was unaffected by time. There was that cheeky note he had worn so effortlessly over the war, that glint that had him breathe more freely, even when it stole Maul’s countenance.

“You got to be careful Maul, or I might think you care after all.”

Maul swallowed and took a deep inhale through his nose. With his hearts pounding away and his nerves flattering through his veins, he stepped back into his proximity and carefully lifted his hand to pinch his chin gently between thumb and index finger. His tongue darted out over his lips in preparation and Kenobi’s eyes were drawn to the gesture even now.

“Just for that pretty face of yours,” he murmured lowly between them and then felt a rush of triumph, as a slight red tint appeared on Kenobi’s cheek and his eyes widened. Kenobi opened his mouth to say – nothing, caught by surprise by his words.

So that was why Kenobi had liked to do that to him so often. He felt absolutely enthralled and he grinned sharply at the other, trailing over every little change of his expression.

A deep breath left the other in a rush and he chuckled then, head dropping into Maul’s hand, he slightly moved to cradle his jaw instead, silently celebrating his decision to take off his gloves on the way here, could his fingertips now move through his beard and relinquish in the tickle it caused.

“Took you long enough,” Kenobi remarked.

“Well, I’m more interested in, if it took me too long?” he tried to keep his voice casual, but he was not sure if he was succeeding. By the way Kenobi looked at him, his hopeful undertone seemed to shine through despite his efforts.

His expression turned more somber, which he disliked greatly. “That is… Maul, I’m not the man anymore you once knew.”

“Did I ever truly know you?” he asked with a shrug. “Or did you just show me what you wanted me to see? Which was a great sight nonetheless, mind you.”

With a startled laugh, Kenobi hid behind a hand, heat creeping up to his ears. “Oh stars, when did you…?”

“I’ve changed too,” Maul remarked, his hand trailing down the side of his throat, feeling unable to ever let go of him again. “So that is not an argument I will accept.”

“Well, that’s hard to reason against.”

“Oh, yuck. Are they flirting?”

Kenobi stiffened, drawn back into the now, where it was more than just them, and a hand came up to pull his away. But Maul tightened his hold, slipping it into his neck now, pulling at the man until he was leaning against him, while he craned his neck to look at the girl. He looped his other arm around Kenobi’s waist, closing the remaining space between them.

“Hush, child,” he demanded. “I have been waiting a long time for this!”

“For a hug?” she shot back, tongue too sharp for her own good.

But Maul turned his attention back onto Kenobi, whose quickened heartbeat thrummed against his chest and who trembled slightly by an overflow of emotions – or maybe that was Maul, he could not tell anymore properly, because then Kenobi’s arms came up and he returned the gesture and Maul had to close his eyes as they suddenly burned.

“Yes,” he said quietly, nose gently grazing his hair. He smelled of sun and sand and sweat and Maul breathed him in. “Yes, exactly. I will take whatever you want to give.”

Kenobi made a choked up little noise, too vulnerable to be witnessed by others, so he hid it in his shoulder, hands digging more firmly into his back where he was holding on.

Maul breathed past his own nerves. “Yes?” he needed to know, waiting for an answer.

He was bored these days. Life felt grey and tasteless and was lacking a motivator.

Savage was dear to him and he was thankful for the close relationship they had managed to build up over the years. The other was confident now, sure in his skills. Maul had taught him everything he knew, not between a master and apprentice, but between brothers.

But his love for Savage could not fill that gaping hole of desire inside of him. Once being falsely filled by him with the want for revenge. For an epic chase for the man that had changed his life forever. Then by the need to understand. To explore the broad facets of emotions outside of anger and hate. The curiosity that had come with Kenobi, how someone that had caused him such harm could also be the one to bring him joy.

To identify that burning feeling inside his chest for what it truly was.

He had mourned all that for so many years, just to now get a taste of it back.

Maul could not let go – never again would he let go and if Kenobi would refuse him now, would push him away again then… he could not even think about it. He refused to entertain that thought and just held him more urgently.

That was not necessary though, did Kenobi understand. Not in the exact same way, he had never been driven by revenge after all. But he recognized the confusion caused by feelings playing against reasons, having fought his own inner battles around his sympathy to Maul in return. Somehow ending that trail of thought right next to his.

Because he nodded and turned his head to whisper the word into his neck.

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said.

And Maul found peace.

<3 Ɛ><3 Ɛ><3 Ɛ>