The Duel
By Mark Post
Evil.
The sense of evil was so strong Qui-Gon could practically reach out and touch it. The warning sensations assaulted Qui-Gon's senses in a barrage unlike any he'd felt before. As Queen Amidala's group continued fighting their way through the hanger bay, Qui-Gon tried to block the sensations from his mind. After the last Battle Droids were dispatched Qui-Gon focused more heavily on the sensation. It was near and oddly familiar. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan trotted to catch up with the young Queen's hustling band.
As the hanger bay doors hissed open a low gasp escaped an unknown throat. The group instinctively parted and Qui-Gon's eyes met his once again. His fiery-red eyes blazed from deep beneath the housing of his cloak. Qui-Gon stared into them and saw his hate-induced power blazing from deep within him. Only his deeply instilled Jedi training kept him from being afraid.
Darth Maul peeled the hood of his cloak back revealing his horned head. His gaze caught Qui-Gon's and held it. The two adversaries stared at each other, sizing up the other. They remembered each other well.
"We'll handle this," Qui-Gon said making his way through the crowd of people with Obi-Wan following right behind.
The Queen's group scattered as the two Jedi disrobe and ignite their lightsabers. Darth Maul, already in his defensive stance, ignites his weapon more deliberately, taking time and care to show his two foes the deadliness of his double-bladed saber. The sound of explosions could be heard tearing through the air behind them, yet each stood still awaiting the first move.
For a moment there is nothing. The three warriors stand ready, their lightsaber blades hissing in anger. A small, nearly unnoticeable smile crosses Maul's lips moments before he strikes. A quick slash at Qui-Gon's head is immediately denied, but the duality of his weapon allows for an immediate strike at Obi-Wan. The Padawan was ready, but Maul isn't finished. He attacks in a ferocious explosion of moves that sends the two Jedi back toward the center of the hanger in defense. The two Jedi -- mentor and student -- working together, deflecting blow after blow from the Sith Lord. Each lightsaber slicing through the open air, every stroke igniting an intense hail of blinding light flashes as they cross paths.
Suddenly, as if thinking as one, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan turn the tables. No longer finding themselves on the defensive they move with lightening speed banging away at the blades of their mutual opponent pushing him further and further out of the hanger.
The three swordsman continue in an intense battle out of the hanger and to a series of bridges in the belly of the Queen's palace. The flashing blades tear through the atmosphere, each blow intended on finding, but denied reaching its mark. Taking the upper hand, the two Jedi Knights immerse themselves in their offensive, eventually knocking Maul off his balance. Faced with falling to his death, the Dark Jedi quickly back-flips to a different bridge. Refusing to give up their advantage the two jump, Qui-Gon landing behind Maul and Obi-Wan imitating Maul's back-flip to land in front and the battle continues across the catwalk toward the palace's power pit.
Qui-Gon can feel his strength leaving him. Though his timing and speed are strong he watches as Maul handles not only his blows but Obi-Wan's with glee, deflecting one strike after another as if practicing. He could see Obi-Wan's face, the youth's resolve refusing to fade in the face of so powerful an enemy.
Qui-Gon takes a quick, deep breath and in unison the two Light Side warriors strike a killing blow at the Sith. Maul expertly uses his double blade to simultaneously stop both attacks in their tracks with a smile of such pure evil it takes the young Kenobi aback. Maul takes advantage of the young Jedi's loss of concentration and kicks him off the bridge. Obi-Wan tumbles through the air landing with a loud and painful thud several levels below.
Maul watching his Padawan's fall was enough of a distraction for Qui-Gon. He attacks Maul, knocking him from the ramp down two levels. The aging Jedi Master calls out to the force and leaps safely down to Maul's level and again takes up the fight, this time alone. Obi-Wan, having regained the wind knocked from him leaps up to the level of the dueling warriors, chasing after them.
Qui-Gon can again feel his body weakening. The intensity of the battle takes its toll and he begins to lose his advantage of the more youthful opponent. The Sith lord continues his defensive, blocking blow after blow from the Leonine Jedi until they find themselves closing in on the dangerous laser shields protecting the power generator pits of the palace. Suddenly, with a loud hiss, the walls ignite and separate the battling warriors. Obi-Wan, still chasing after, slides to a stop coming a mere few inches from running into the deadly beams. Maul takes one end of his lightsaber and taps the laser sheet separating he and Qui-Gon. A loud crackling noise enters the air and he realizes they are trapped. He looks up to see Qui-Gon kneel and take advantage of the hiatus by entering a Jedi trance, before quickly tending to his own wounds. Obi-Wan, bounces back and forth watching Darth Maul on the other end pacing like a caged animal waiting to attack. The walls disengage and Qui-Gon leaps immediately to his feet, lightsaber ignited. Regenerated by his meditation Jinn goes on the offensive, beating the Sith Lord back taking killing shot after killing shot to no avail. The younger man's strength and agility match Qui-Gon even in this rejuvenated state.
Obi-Wan, sensing Qui-Gon's weakening conditions runs full steam toward the end of the hallway trying to beat the laser wall before it once again makes itself known, but he is too late. Before he can reach the end it is he this time who is trapped by the closing electron rays. He is forced to watch helplessly as Qui-Gon's strength withers with each passing moment. Maul's senses the Jedi's loss as well and seeing and opening butt's Qui-Gon in the chin with his Sith weapon before driving the blade's tip home. The intense pain overwhelmed Qui-Gon's shock as Maul pushed his weapon through him.
Obi-Wan's scream echoed through the pit as he helpless watched Qui-Gon slump to his knees and collapse to the ground. The young Jedi's breathing became hard and angry. Maul turned away from his defeated foe, his fire eyes locking on their final target. The laser wall turns off and Kenobi attacks Maul with a ferocity he'd never seen before. Blow after blow beat the Dark Jedi back toward the melting pit, but Maul deflected each blow, seemingly relishing this portion of the fight. The two men use the Force to fling objects at one another, each looking for an opening to make their end move.
The battle continues as Obi-Wan and Maul lock blades. The deflection's impact pushes both men away from the other, spinning them around back into their defensive postures. Beads of sweat trace a trail down Obi-Wan's forehead as the tiring Jedi gathers his strength. A quick swipe at Maul causes the Dark Lord to momentarily lose his concentration and Obi-Wan slashes at him cutting the Sith Weapon in two. Maul quickly recovers, grabbing his now single-edged lightsaber and assumes the traditional defensive stance. Obi-Wan moves in for the kill, swiping at the Sith warrior with deadly precision bringing his lightsaber crashing down for the killing blow. Only Darth Maul was ready and defeats Kenobi's maneuver and in a move of lightening quickness catches the weary Jedi off guard, knocking both him and his weapon into the melting pit.
Obi-Wan is able to make a life-saving grasp a hold of nozzle sticking out of the melting pit wall. Darth Maul inches to the edge of the pit, seemingly mocking the Padawan learner by swishing his lightsaber blade to and fro just above Kenobi's head sending sparks into the Jedi's face. Obi-Wan clears his mind to think. Calming his heart, Kenobi calls out to the Force, reaching for his Master's weapon. Jinn's lightsaber fires through the air over Maul's head. Obi-Wan uses every last ounce of strength to propel himself skyward toward the stunned tattooed warrior. Grabbing Qui-Gon's saber in flight, he ignites the weapon, slashing at the unprepared Maul's belly before landing. The shocked Sith Lord can do nothing as the blade runs through his torso, emitting a strange red cloud as though his dark power were deserting him. The force of the attack knocks Maul's body into the melting pit, his body separating in two as it plummets down the bottomless shaft to his death as the victorious young Jedi watches in exhaustion.