(Ezra's POV)
Waking up was usually pleasant for me.
But not this time.
I groaned from the pounding cold lancing through my mind as I rolled to my side, grabbing the sides of my head from the pain. My eyes squinting shut tightly from the pressuring cold.
I felt confused, to say the least.
My mind felt fuzzy, like I was waking from a long and absolute dream.
Strange... I thought faintly. I don't remember going to sleep...
Yet, as peculiar as that was, I noticed something just as strange beckoning me within my mind.
A familiar voice was calling to me, I could feel it just out of reach as I struggled to make sense of it, stirring my consciousness even more.
Who was that...?
It had to be Kanan... I thought as I began to fully wake.
Yet a part of me felt doubtful.
That voice sounded familiar, but... it felt wrong.
Though trying to find an answer to that would have to wait.
My memories suddenly rushed back to me, making me tense as my eyes flashed open to an unfamiliar room in alarm.
Karabast-! I thought as panic set in. Maul was on the Ghost! I had to warn the others!
I sat up fast, worried for everyone's safety.
Yet my vision immediately began to swim before me and pain nearly doubled me over as I cried out, grabbing my head and closing my eyes again in a hurry.
It took a minute for the pain to fade to manageable levels, but it gave me a moment to collect myself.
Bloody Force! What the heck did Maul do to me?
I felt... strange.
Something was definitely wrong.
Clenching my eyes even tighter together I struggled to stretch out with the Force, hoping to feel the familiar bond from Kanan as I subconsciously reached for him, but instead of the familiar calm I felt nothing but a static feeling in the Force around me.
My brow bunched in concentration.
No... It felt almost...
Blocked.
Someone was blocking me from the Force?
How...?
Who would even want to-...?
Maul.
I couldn't help but mentally growl at that realization.
Maul was doing this.
I didn't know how, but he was definitely the one blocking me.
''That shik of a hutt!'' I cursed in anger. Knowing Kanan would've been upset if he ever heard me say those words.
But Kanan wasn't here, so I made an exception.
Seriously, how was he blocking me from the Force?! I thought in frustration. And where the heck was I anyway?!
Taking a deep breath to try and calm myself I opened my eyes and focused myself back to the room around me.
I knew it obviously wasn't the Phantom, even though that was the last place I remembered being, and this place definitely wasn't the ghost either.
The large room had built in shelves along both of the side walls and a workstation in the middle of the right one. Surprisingly all of the shelves were lined with strange nick-nacks already, and the room even had what looked like a connecting bathroom as well.
Which left me at the rooms center, on a full sized bed with an empty desk next to it.
Hope for my friends immediately wilted.
I knew with cold certainty that I was no longer with my motely crew turned family members.
Or even one of the medical ships within the fleet.
I was with Maul.
Wherever that was exactly though, I had no clue.
Suppose I could try finding out with the Force, my head wasn't hurting as badly now... I thought as I lowered my hands from my head, no longer feeling the need to keep it from ripping in half.
Yeah, it felt way better now, actually.
Focusing on the feeling of the wisps of Force energy traveling past my mind I stretched out and called to them, yet I was struggling just as much to pull them to me as before.
Finally after a few moments of frustration I managed to connect, but it wasn't at all what I was expecting.
All I could feel from the fuzzy Force around me was that this was a very large ship, and Maul was definitely on it with me.
In fact, I could sense his presence quite clearly.
His Force energy was way more defined than anything else on the ship, and very familiar too.
Not that that explained where I was... I thought bitterly with a sigh, looking around the lighted room for possible escape routes instead.
The sooner I got of this ship and back to everyone on the Ghost, the better. I thought to myself with determination. Ignoring the flutter of pain from the thought of seeing Kanan again, knowing this wasn't the time to get distracted.
The room was definitely nice and all, but why was I even in here?
I certainly didn't want to think it was Maul's room that I had been deposited in, but It looked like it was meant for an actual crew member, not a prisoner.
So why...?
I mean...
... I was a prisoner, right...?
Shaking my head at that thought I scooted off the bed and stood up.
Of course you are, idiot. He kidnapped you, remember? I thought to myself with a frown.
Then... why was I getting the feeling that I wasn't...?
No, I thought firmly to myself as I began heading to the door, ending any doubt in an instant. He was just trying to trick me, like he always did. I needed to focus on escaping from this room before he came back.
Which meant if by some dumb luck he didn't lock the door, I needed to check.
A part of me was curious though... How did Maul even manage to get me off the Ghost in the first place?
How did he even get on?
As much as I was reluctant to, I felt the strong urge to ask.
If he had some strange ability within the Force, then...
I really wanted to know of it.
Maybe I could even learn it, and show Kanan how as well...
I stopped that line of thought stubbornly as I got to the door. Yeah, like Maul would show me how he did it, much less let me escape and teach it to Kanan... I scoffed at myself. Yeah, funny Ezra, funny.
Karabast, why was I getting so distracted with "what if's" anyway?
This was Maul I was dealing with, so I needed to focus.
If I let my guard down he'd definitely take advantage of it.
Escape now, I reminded myself. Relax later.
Focused on the task at hand, I reached to the door sensor, ready to try and open it when a strange sensation traveled down my spine making me shiver.
I instinctively lowered my raised hand as my eyes darted around the room, feeling strongly that something was wrong.
I see nothing in the room though, nor sense anything on the other side of the door, which just makes me frown in worry.
Maybe it was the Force trying to warn me about Maul...?
Hesitantly I reached for him through our bond, stopping near the edge of his mind in order to avoid alerting him as I tried to feel if he was nearby.
Well... from the feel of it, Maul still hadn't moved from where I had originally sensed him.
I couldn't feel any emotions from him either, even amusement, which was even weirder.
Could Maul be sleeping...?
The thought was incredulous to me, but it also gave me hope.
Honestly, that would be the best luck ever if it was true, I could find a way to escape from this ship with no problems then.
Biting my lip nervously my mind raced with ideas, trying to find the best course of action I should take with this possible development.
Hmm... maybe if I could just...
A little unsure I closed my eyes tightly as my brow knitted in concentration, reaching further towards his mind, hoping to see what he was doing.
I've never willing reached for Maul before, so I was feeling extremely nervous as sweat began to form on my brow.
But I just needed to see if he was asleep, right?
So not too deep in, only a little...
I felt my mind stretch out slower than I ever thought possible, just barely brushing through his Force energy.
Almost...
Just a little more...
''Having fun are we?'' Maul's amused voice suddenly echoes through our bond.
My eyes fly open as I take a step back away from the door instinctively, Maul chuckling through our bond at my shock the entire time.
Wait, did he just-?!
My minds shock shifted to anger.
He seriously just baited me!
He was awake the entire frickin' time!
And I just reached towards his mind, something I've never done before, willingly, because of him!
My skin seemed to tingle in heat as the familiar sensations between us made themselves known.
I was furious.
My eyes narrowed as his amusement flooded into my mind. He was clearly able to sense my jumbled emotions and he seemed quite happy with himself for causing such turmoil within me.
But all I wanted to do was make him pay.
For tricking me, for Kanan's eyes... I wasn't picky on the reason, either would've done at this point.
I felt shame with every heartbeat.
Worry for everyone back at the Ghost.
Disgust at myself for falling so easily for Maul's tricks once again.
But stronger than all of them was my anger.
And I honestly didn't mind the feeling.
It cleared my mind.
Brought me focus.
Where I normally would have acted rashly and emotionally, I was able to center everything into that one emotion, and felt calmer for it as it seared across my mind.
"Maul..." I growl out with deadly calm, clearly not amused as he was. "Care to explain why you kidnapped me?"
I hear him 'tsk' in my mind at the anger I held for him as he began to speak.
''My dear boy, I simply saved you from a terrible situation.'' I could see him smirking in my mind. ''Honestly, you should be thanking me for rescuing you. I even spared your little friends in the process.''
A bit of relief went through me at the last part, but I quickly suppressed it so Maul wouldn't sense it as I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes, knowing he'd sense what I was physically doing through our bond.
"You call THAT a rescue?" I say, my sarcastic side coming out in tandem with my anger.
Seriously, kidnapping was all it was.
No rescue about it.
'Why of course, my Apprentice.'' His voice echoed smoothly in my mind. ''Being there was keeping you filled with guilt and sorrow, I just wanted to save you from it.''
My anger swelled at his words.
Did he seriously think I'd fall for his lies again?!
This was all his fault!
Everything was!
I couldn't hold it back any longer.
"That wasn't your choice to make! You had no right, Maul!" I yelled angrily, arms falling to my sides as my fists clenched.
I could feel my skin prickle and seem to shift with the Force underneath it at my rage, though I was unaware that I had even called for it, much less to it responding so strongly after resisting me so much before.
Maul simply frowned through our bond, his own amusement finally fading for a moment of seriousness.
''Oh?'' His voice was quiet as I felt his mind stretch across mine even further, cutting like a knife and making me focus intently on his next words.
''Then you deny your feelings? The very feelings I felt in you daily, even through such a vast distance that separated us?'' My eyes widened at his words.
''Do you deny yourself?'' The last part felt like it was whispered in my ear menacingly, making me tense.
Yet I was unable to turn around.
To see if he was there myself.
I lowered my head as my anger rapidly drained away from me at his words, leaving me exhausted as I closed my eyes.
I couldn't speak. I couldn't deny what he said.
Because he was right.
So right, that it hurt to hear it, to know that someone I thought my enemy, knew it just as well.
And he even knew why I didn't respond.
I could feel it.
If... If I could just...
Kanan... I thought quietly, desperately reaching for a bond I could feel was no longer there. What do I do...?
My face twisted in pain as the familiar sensation traveled through my chest.
Where are you...?! I shout desperately into the void where our bond once was, desperate for answers.
But it was no use.
I knew he wouldn't hear.
He wouldn't respond.
But that didn't stop me from trying to feel for him.
For once, after everything on Malachor, I wanted to hear his voice in our bond.
To hear him talk to me.
To guide me, if only this once.
But... even wanting that, I knew...
It wasn't going to happen.
My fists clenched as I stilled myself.
I was alone.
And I had to make decisions myself now.
No more relying on Kanan.
I didn't have the right.
Taking a steady breath I looked up, my blue eyes shining like steel with my resolve.
Maul always knew what would hurt me.
He only needed to speak the truth, and my resolve crumbled before him.
And I hated it.
"What do you want, Maul?" I finally ask, my voice strong yet sounding more weary than I intended. "Why did you really take me from the Ghost?"
I knew he could sense the small bit of me that was genuinely curious.
The bit of me, that even after everything he's done, still trusted him a small bit.
To that part of me we were so alike, after all...
Maul chuckled, his voice once more in my mind, showing he wasn't truly behind me as I had thought before.
''Ah, that is the question, isn't it?'' I could hear his amusement had returned, but for once I didn't respond with anger.
''Well fear not my apprentice, for I have the answers you seek. And I shall gladly share them with you.''
Like a creeping tide I felt my mind fill with the same fuzzy feeling that I had pushed away earlier, yet for the life of me I couldn't seem to focus enough on it to be concerned as my hand suddenly began to raise, intent on opening the door as a strange sensation travels through my mind from Maul's.
Yet a slight part of me felt alarmed by that feeling, and it struggled to resist the urge to open the door.
He was showing me the way, I could feel it.
It felt like our bond was stronger than ever now, and this disturbed me greatly.
I shouldn't go so easily... I knew that, so... what was I thinking...?
I need to buy some time... I thought slowly, fingers twitching as my brow bunched from the conflicting instincts fighting for dominance.
It was the only way to dispel this strange feeling. I felt that with certainty within my heart. Though I could feel my mind resisting my attempts to fight against the fuzziness within it.
Man, my mind felt so... weird.
Definitely not a good sign.
Ah, suppose the door was locked, right...? That could buy a little time...
"Um, but the door is..." I begin to say, ready to voice my thoughts as I fought against the instinct to go to him, but my voice fails me.
Much to my further confusion.
Why did I feel so compelled to listen to him?
To hear everything he was wanting to tell me like it was some secret truth I've been longing for?
"Locked?" Mauls says softly, finishing my sentence for me and pulling away from the bond a little with his usual amusement. "My boy, it was never locked to begin with, you could've ran at any time."
He chuckles as my mind fills with numb shock over his words.
"Now come, my Apprentice." He says, his voice beckoning within my mind. "Don't keep me waiting.''
The Force itself seemed to pull me to do as he said, and my own mind seemed to be working against me, the need to see him, weather out of curiousity or anger, won out against the instincts of my heart.
The part that refused to trust him.
Yet as I felt myself stepping forward, I didn't respond to him.
Without a word from me, the door opens, and I dimly notice I was the one who opened it as I made my way through the gray colored hallways.
I knew where I was supposed to go, I could feel Maul guiding me in my mind.
Yet strangely, I no longer felt alarmed by that.
I passed many doors along the way, yet not once did I stop.
Not once did I hesitate.
And not once, did I care to.