Star Wars and all characters belong to Lucas-film and Disney. This novel is a fan-based literature. please don't sue me Disney, I'm a poor college student.
The time period is set during the end of the Phantom Menace and onward, all events prior to the beginning of the story within the canon are unchanged. Any questions, comments, criticism, and reviews are welcome! They all help me improve my writing style so I encourage it greatly! Thanks and happy reading!
A LONG TIME AGO IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY….
STAR WARS
FRACTURED
TURMOIL HAS ENGULFED THE GALACTIC REPUBLIC. THE TAXATION OF TRADE ROUTES TO OUTLYING STAR SYSTEMS ARE IN DISPUTE.
HOPING TO RESOLVE WITH A BLOCKADE OF DEADLY BATTLESHIPS, THE GREEDY TRADE FEDERATION HAS STOPPED ALL SHIPPING TO THE SMALL PLANET OF NABOO.
IN RESPONSE, THE SUPREME CHANCELLOR HAD SECRETLY DISPATCHED TWO JEDI TO RESOLVE THE CONFLICT ONLY TO SPARK THE BEGINNING OF THE INVASION OF NABOO.
UPON PLEADING THEIR CASE TO THE GALACTIC SENATE ON THE PLANET OF CORUSCANT, THE TWO JEDI RETURN TO LIBERATE THE PLANET OF NABOO FROM THE TRADE FEDERATION'S CLUTCHES. NOW THEY MUST FACE THE DEADLY SITH DARTH MAUL, HOWEVER, UNBEKNOWNST TO THE GALAXY, HISTORY HAS ALTERED FAR MORE THAN ANY COULD REALIZE…
Their lightsabers clashed in sparks of hymns and hisses. The hues of green and crimson collided together in precise swordsmanship. Soon thereafter, the young padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi once again joined the duel. He had been pushed back by the black and blood colored zabrak. Effortlessly the Sith parried both the Jedi's lunges and strikes with grunts and growls.
An opening revealed itself.
Exploiting the opportunity, Darth Maul hurled the padawan over the platform with a force infused kick. Reaching out with the force, Jinn sensed Obi-Wan was safely able to land on a parallel platform below. Qui-Gon continued his attack. Thoughts of fear flashed through his mind, "The Sith on Tatooine… Now here. This is no coincidence. Could the Sith really have returned after a thousand years?" He dashed the thoughts and continued to focus on the duel.
Their battle took them down the corridor. Faintly he felt his padawan return to their level and begin to sprint towards them.
In a push the Sith slid just enough to separate himself and the Jedi from the now beaming wall of red. Obi-Wan was quick in returning to his master side but, not quick enough, the beam followed through the corridor and closed him off before he could get any further. The young Jedi let out a breath of frustration. Qui-Gon rested on his knees, closing his eyes. He could feel the force flowing through his body, calming his heart and soothing his nerves. Darth Maul paced back and forth, glaring down the Jedi like a vicious predator before its prey. Seconds lingered as hours.
The feeling shot through all three of their senses. Obi-Wan wasted no time in reigniting his lightsaber and taking stance. Qui-Gon's eyes shot open as he quickly regained his posture and ignited his green lightsaber. The red wall fizzled away and the battle resumed.
Obi-Wan's muscles burned in his legs as he strenuously sprinted to meet by his master's side. Yet again, however, he was denied by the last beam shooting back into place, leaving him to watch his master face off with the Sith, alone.
Once more, Seconds dragged on. A cold fear gripped the padawan's heart. His master was beginning to falter.
Qui-Gon could feel his body slowly begin to betray him. He was no longer the agile and energetic Jedi he once was in his youth. His strikes became desperate parries. He desperately searched for an opening, unwittingly creating one of his own. The Jedi raised his lightsaber for an overhead strike, but Darth Maul had read his movements and deflected the attack with a stiff horizontal grip of his double bladed lightsaber staff. He rammed the hilt of his staff between Qui-Gon's eyes, stunning him. Maul spun around preparing to strike the killing blow.
Time froze. Qui-Gon knew what was coming next. Disorientated, he was powerless to stop it. All time had allowed for, was one final flash of a thought, "Forgive me… Obi-Wan…"
The red beams shot open, "NO!" Kenobi's desperate shriek incited the focused Maul to turn his head, distracting him from finishing off his prey. The small seconds were all the old Jedi needed to regain his momentum. In a twist of his wrist he slashed downward with his verdant lightsaber lacerating the shoulder of the evading Maul. A bitter grunt escaped from the Sith's lips; he called to the force and pushed the old Jedi back across the room crashing into a wall before falling to the floor.
Obi-Wan relentlessly attacked the now furious Sith. The Jedi's strikes were calculated and strong, but the Infuriated Maul kept up with the strikes. The rage of pain and being denied his kill increased his tenacity and soon began to turn the tide in his favor.
Minutes later, Qui-Gon's eyes cracked open to see his padawan exchanging strikes with the Sith. The fear that gripped Obi-Wan's heart had now taken over Qui-Gon's.
With a parry, Maul spun around and delivered a diagonal slash across Obi-Wan's chest. In a gasp, Obi-Wan stumbled back and Maul followed with a piercing lunge through the Jedi's torso.
"OBI-WAN!" Qui-Gon bellowed.
The Sith turned to the downed Jinn and gave a sinister grin as he yanked his lightsaber free, deactivating it; Obi-Wan fell to his knees before collapsing entirely. Qui-Gon Jinn's heart sank in his chest. His mind tried to deny what he had just witnessed but tears began to roll down his tired eyes.
Maul now made his way around the chasm in the middle of the room to finish off Qui-Gon.
The master reached out his hand toward his fallen apprentice. A feeling began to stir within his heart, a feeling he had not felt in a long time. He had known Obi-Wan Kenobi since he was a youngling. Though attachments were forbidden by code in the Jedi order, somewhere in the reaches of his mind he had made the same mistake again; he grew too fond over his padawan whom he couldn't help but accept as a son. This overflowing feeling of grief and sorrow began to grow as his breathing began to labor.
The horned shadow of the Zabrak eclipsed Jinn followed by a hiss and an illumination of red. Maul kicked Qui-Gon Jinn's lightsaber into the chasm as a precaution; he wanted Jinn to writhe in powerless humiliation. "Do not worry, decrepit Jedi. You need not mourn him for long, I shall send you to him shortly. You should feel honored, you both are but the beginning of many that will follow…" Drowning out Maul's words, Qui-Gon stared toward his lifeless apprentice. Obi-Wan slowly turned his head to face his master. With what little strength he had left, he loosened his grip inducing his lightsaber to roll out of his hand. "…If only you knew what we had planned… You will die knowing your precious republic will burn from the inside out." Maul raised his crimson lightsaber vertically, to bring down and impale Jinn.
Qui-Gon could see his apprentice mouth unheard words, "Don't… give up… Master… please…" Maul let out an evil laugh as he began to drive down his lightsaber.
In an instant, Qui-Gon snapped back to his senses and beckoned to the force with an open palm. Obi-Wan's lightsaber flung into an underhanded grip and ignited in a shining, arctic blue. Clutching his apprentice's lightsaber, he turned from laying on his side and swiped the red lightsaber away from piercing him; The parry severed the shocked Maul's legs just above his knees. A bloodcurdling screech filled the chasm. The rest of the Sith's body fell back, as he drowned in pain.
Qui-Gon Jinn's eyes locked down on the Sith while he quickly tried to catch his breath. After moments of wailing in agony, Maul had lost consciousness. After being certain that Maul wasn't going to get back up again he turned his head toward his apprentice. "Oh no… Obi-Wan…" He lifted himself up and ran by Obi-Wan's side.
He lifted his padawan's head and held him close to his chest, "Oh, Obi-Wan… It should have been me…" Tears welled in his eyes once more, "I should have been the one slain in your place…" "No… Master…" Obi-Wan weakly spoke, "… I am glad … you are alright…" "Obi-Wan…" Tears dropped on the young Jedi's cheeks. "I am glad... I was able to... serve by your side..." The young Kenobi's eyelids slowly descended as his head tilted back in his master's arms. Jinn cradled his padawan tightly, "... Forgive me, Obi-Wan... Forgive me..."