Chapter 11: Blood on Rock
The cliff was in sight, and so were the explosions of aqua and crimson light, clashing against one another atop it. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan knew the danger was there far before they could see it in its physical form. The dark entity stalking their apprentices had succeeded in its mission, it had found Anakin and Padmé. With all haste and with the aid of the Force Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon tore towards the cliff, sprinting up the dark mountain side, passing trees that they could not see, leaping over boulders and rocks… they had to reach them in time…. Nothing was an obstacle; however, it had began to rain. Each drop was freezing, like tiny blades of ice stabbing at their skin, lightning streaked above them, traveling down to the surface of the planet where it hit a tree, snapping it like a twig, thunder rumbled loudly soon after.
Somehow it seemed like an ill omen, but Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon ignored it, there were no omens, there was nothing so supernatural that they believed in, there was only the Force, and it was the Force that told them they had to move before it was too late.
XxX
This Zabrak was skilled, Anakin and Padmé quickly realized. He wielded the Force like a seasoned killer, and flourished a crimson, double bladed lightsaber as though he had wielded it since he could begin to walk. He was strong, nimble… lightning fast, he effortlessly held his own against the two Jedi Padawans.
Padmé would hack here, he would parry quickly and spin out of her range as Anakin struck, deflecting the blow with an ease that came from lifelong practice. Their contact would break, and it would be his turn to strike, either Jedi would halt his effort and begin their own once again, they would then run in to the exact same problem.
It was time for a change; the moment had come, when the battle must take a turn, when one combatant must gain the momentum.
And so it took a turn.
Padmé and Anakin parried a complex strike from the Dark Jedi, which left him in the middle, Anakin to his right flank, Padmé on his left, blades locked in a kind of odd tangle. The Zabrak's horned, tattooed face turned slowly, Anakin's sapphire eyes met the yellow of the Dark Jedi. The Zabrak's upper lip curled into a snarl, revealing rotted teeth. A smile filled with malice spread across his face. It was then Anakin knew…
What happened next happened all at once; the Zabrak broke the lock between himself and the two Padawans, and flew into a spin, striking at Anakin who had not the angle to parry, he was forced to duck as the crimson lightsaber blade flew over his head, missing him by inches, this, however, was not setback for the Dark Jedi, he'd been intending it.
As he spun towards Padmé, Maul extended his leg into a sweeping kick which, before she could stop it, made contact with Padmé's head. She gave out a small… shriek, and fell… Anakin had the misfortune of watching her… she fell… for an eternity… he was almost certain her eyes made contact with his when she hit the rocky ground. Her head bounced sickeningly as it smacked down… once… twice… no more. Anakin involuntarily cried out in fear as flowing liquid began to glint in the aqua and scarlet light.
"PADMÉ!" the Jedi bellowed. No answer, except the raspy snicker of the Dark Jedi.
The Zabrak stood before Anakin, a mere three yards away from Padmé, and now about four yards away from him, within striking distance. Anakin's eyes turned from Padmé's unconscious form to the cloaked figure, fire erupted in them.
"You just made… a huge mistake." Anakin breathed, barely audible.
"Exact your revenge then, Jedi." the Zabrak taunted in his smooth, deep voice.
"No! Jedi do not give in to revenge, when I kill you, it will be in self defense."
"Lies."
"Just die!"
Anakin lunged forward and slashed with all his might, his blade singled the robes of the Dark Jedi, but did not strike flesh. With Anakin's blade off to the left, an opening was left for his opponent. The Zabrak stabbed at the Jedi Padawan's heart. Anakin flew back, into the air, curling in to a flip, he landed lightly and ducked as his opponent lunged, blade extended, the other end of his lightsaber inactive. Anakin knew the Zabrak overshot him, he could feel the cloak slide across the top of his head for a fleeting moment.
The one who bore the dark robes, dived, tucked, and rolled. He shot up to find Anakin behind him, the Zabrak did not turn, he simply threw his blade around, blocking the Padawan's. They locked there for a moment. It was now a contest of strength, Anakin's against the Dark Jedi's. It was inevitable that one would win, not because of superior strength, no, better angle. Anakin felt the Zabrak giving way, he was so close to slicing him in half, to ending the battle, he desperately needed to, he needed to ensure Padmé's safety.
At the last possible moment, when both blades were mere centimeters away from slicing through the Zabrak's side… the Dark Jedi spun like with inhuman speed and launched into a vicious strike, Anakin did not parry. The Jedi Padwan extended his hand, called upon the Force and expelled it. The cloaked Dark Force user was sent flying back; his lightsaber fell from his gloved finger tips, deactivating in mid air and landing upon the rock with a metallic clank that echoed once in the cave nearby.
He was pulled to Padmé, he had to see… yet he could not help but watch as the Zabrak flew to the high of his ascent, and then began to fall. Down he went, past the edge of the cliff… silence. Anakin stooped and placed a hand on Padmé's forehead, the ground below her hair was drenched in blood…. He sensed she was in no immediate danger; he had to do something, quickly, but what? How could he possibly help her? What was he to do?
"Anakin, duck!"
His eyes flicked up to catch a glimpse of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon sprinting towards him, lightsabers ablaze, what—
A sharp pain flared at the back of his skull, he fell, and looked into blackness.
XxX
"Stop!" Qui-Gon shouted, angling his emerald saber at the Zabrak's chest as he stood above Anakin and Padmé's motionless forms, crimson weapon cocked, aimed to kill. The Jedi Master's eyes met with those of his nameless enemy, the enemy grinned.
"This is not your battle, Jedi."
"It is now!" Obi-Wan hissed, stepping beside his former master. "Leave them be."
"Very well," the Zabrak growled, giving Anakin's back a slight tap with is foot as he backed away.
"I'll give you one chance," Obi-Wan stated dangerously. "Surrender now, and we will guarantee you are not killed."
"No." The Zabrak replied. Surrender himself to Jedi? That would not happen, the Sith could not afford to be exposed. "I have a counteroffer. Flee and you shall escape with your lives."
"Never!" Obi-Wan snapped.
"Then we've nothing more to discuss," Qui-Gon cut in before the Dark Jedi would utter a syllable.
Obi-Wan and his former mentor moved first, they charged the Dark Jedi on both flanks and slashed in unison, the Zabrak raised his staff-like weapon, blocking both strikes, and back-flipped back towards the edge of the cliff.
"We must take him together Obi-Wan; he cannot handle us if we both attack in unison." Qui-Gon muttered to Obi-Wan over their old Force Bond.
"Agreed, I'll charge head on, go for the left flank."
The Jedi set their plan into action, Obi-Wan sprinted toward the Dark Jedi while Qui-Gon came up around his left, however, the Jedi Knight was first to strike, the cerulean and crimson blades clashed and locked, the wielder of the cerulean threw all his weight into the stalemate, the Dark Jedi managed to keep him at bay whilst simultaneously twitching a finger, that was all he needed to distract the Jedi Master, at least for a moment.
Qui-Gon, unsuspecting and gearing to strike, tripped, falling fast and hard. The Dark Jedi then leaned towards him, breaking the saber lock.
Obi-Wan, drive by his own momentum fell forward, and was caught by nothing. He tumbled off the cliff.
The Jedi Knight stretched up a hand and caught a small outcropping of rock three feet down. His fall was halted and he was slammed hard into the sharp rock face, he could feel a warm liquid running down his shin where a large gash had been torn…. He grimaced in pain, slowly clipping his weapon back on his belt, he then raised his now free arm and grabbed a small crevice, relieving the strain on his muscles slightly. He glanced up as the duel between his enemy and former master continued.
Qui-Gon had leapt up the moment Obi-Wan's feet left solid ground, he had stuck at the Dark Jedi's neck, there they had locked.
Once more it was strength against strength, and the Zabrak was far younger than the Jedi Master. Qui-Gon's muscles burned from strain, and he felt himself loosing the battle, but he would not lose the duel. With his last burst of energy, he shoved the Zabrak's weapon away, ducked at his enemy retaliated, and spun, extending his foot.
For the second time the Zabrak fell, loosing his weapon along the way. However, he was prepared.
Maul reached forward and clamped his hand around the Jedi Knight's leg. Obi-Wan nearly lost his grip as an extra one hundred plus pounds were added to the total weight his arms had to support.
Qui-Gon arose and looked down upon the struggle. In a blur of movement, his lightsaber was dead, deposited on the ground. He growled in frustration, he could not reach his former Padawan. The Jedi Master glanced around quickly for something, anything to aid him. His eyes locked upon the object he required, extending his hand, he called upon the Force and watched as the foot sized rock lifted from the ground, seemingly by itself.
If flew over the edge of the cliff and descended like a bullet, Maul's eyes widened as his vision began to fill with the stone, he could not react fast enough. It contacted with his face and he instinctively raised his hands to cover his forehead, and he felt himself fall away…. Silence, only the patter of rain on rock.
Qui-Gon watched as the cloaked figure disappeared into the forest canopy below. He breathed a sigh of relief and used what was left of his Force reserves to pull Obi-Wan safely back upon solid ground. The Jedi Master fell to his knees to retrieve some of his lost energy. Anakin stirred, as did Padmé, she winced as she ran her hand back across her soaking hair, coming across the tiny gash. Thunder rumbled as lightning streaked across the sky.
"Padmé!" Anakin cried, ignoring the throbbing pain in his own head. "Are you alright?!"
"My wound is superficial." She replied. "I'm fine, just a lot of blood…. I can… fix it."
The Jedi Padawan tapped into the Force, and used her abilities to close the wound on her head, that was all she could do. She stood as did Anakin.
"What happened to the Dark Jedi?" Anakin asked.
"He fell," Qui-Gon replied, standing now. "It is unlikely he is dead."
"He's too powerful." Obi-Wan concurred.
"What's more, Anakin, I do not believe that was an ordinary Dark Jedi flourishing a red lightsaber. I believe that was a Sith Lord."
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