Disclaimer I do not own Starwars.

Ch 11

Three uncomfortably awkward days passed and I found myself spending as much time as I could away from the ship. This usually led to keeping myself busy with doing pointless tasks mostly involving physical labor. It had in fact been 2 days since I had last seen Maul in passing as I was walking out of the ship.

Although it had not been an intentional adventure at first I now found myself quite far from the ship. The mountain which towered distantly over the forest had drawn my attention. This is partially why I was now low on its summit at the edge of a river which I had followed inland when I left the ship. I stared down into the river, my reddish skin stood out in deep contrast with the black diamonds around my eyes. Annoyance had won out with my hair so yesterday when I tied it back I took one of my daggers and cut it. When my hair was loose it now rested around my shoulders instead of the middle of my back. I was wearing my black and red corset and black leather pants. My feet were firmly planted in a pair of black combat boots that I had found in the cargo hold and my arms were wrapped in my arm guards.

I stooped down to the water for a moment and pulled an empty black canteen from a clip on my belt. In a swift movement I plunged it into the slowly flowing river and allowed the water to work its way through the filter into the bottle. I listened keenly to the world around me as I stayed knelt in the somewhat vulnerable position. One hand rested on my sabers hilt as the other held the canteen till it finally filled.

I stood up and recapped the canteen clipping it to my belt. The day was hot and the air was thick with moisture which clung to my skin. At some point in time a strand of hair had worked free of its tie and now hung in my face. I paid it no mind as I glanced around. I was deep in the middle of the forest and the only sounds around me were that of the local wild life as they continued their daily routine of life and death.

I turned and started following the river, hopping across slick mossy rocks and ducking under thick vine like branches as I went. The going was slow as instead of making obviously new trails I stuck to following ones which were already there thanks to the wild life. The terrain helped keep my mind devoid of all thought aside from things pertaining to the environment around me. I was staring ahead up the mountain. The foliage at this point was so thick that you could not see up the slope more than a few feet. There was not much in the way of a trail either.

I weaved slowly up the slope. The foliage was so thick that even my light form seemed cumbersome. I felt clumsy as even with the force to guide me I stumbled here and there. I snaked through and around thick thorny bushes and small trees. Luckily the leather of my pants and corset meant that getting tied up in the thorny foliage was not much of an issue.

I liked the physical exertion it kept my mind and body busy which reduced how much I was able to dwell on the side effects I was still experiencing from the salve. When I left I had not actually intended on going as far as I had but once I got moving I found myself hard pressed to stop. It is hard to say exactly how far I had moved from the ship at this point seeing as I had not exactly been paying attention to the distance. The position of the sun above was the only marker of time I had and in the last 2 days I only stopped a few times including once to rest briefly.

I had not eaten since I left but I was not hungry so it would have been pointless to waste my time on such a trivial matter. I could go several standard weeks and not eat as long as I had water. There was no urgency to my movements not that it would matter if there was because there was only so quick someone could move in an environment without leaving obvious signs of their presence. It is not exactly like I was trying to avoid being tracked on purpose but it had become a habit long ago. It was a self-preservation measure that had now all but become instinct for me.

The terrain was becoming increasingly rocky but the foliage still remained rather dense. I found myself forced to a stop as I came to a flat vertical cliff face. This was only way to continue my current path which was up. I looked up the rich brown stone with a frown as it continued up until it became shrouded in mist. A waterfall fell over part of the wall and the torrent cut off any access from the other side.

To most this sheer cliff would have been un-climbable, there were very few holds that were large enough to support anything but finger tips. I sighed and without hesitation I set to climbing it. I allowed the force to flow through me as I placed my hands against the wall. I felt upwards and discovered that the cliff stretched a good 50 meters above my head. It was not a small cliff by any means and the lack of decent holds meant that this was going to be an arduous task.

I reached up and found my first hold pulling myself from the ground. I went slowly hand over hand as my feet hung below. There were no holds large enough for my toes in these boots so I kept my legs turned and pressed to the rock face. I closed my eyes as I climbed, using the force meant I did not need my sight to navigate my world. I found myself reaching up and at times having to stretch pretty far to grip the small holds with my fingers.

The task was toilsome and I found myself enjoying the feeling of my muscles burning. I only used the force to sense where my hand holds were but other than that I relied on my own physicality to climb up the wall. After a moment it did no good to try looking up as the mist shrouded the wall and obscured my vision. The air at this point was cool when it would blow. The small gusts would carry particles of water off of the waterfall and coat my exposed skin. This felt wonderful and brought some relief from the otherwise steamy heat of the jungle.

I slowed my breathing and my heart rate; a serene state filled me as I continued upwards. My only focus was the ascent. Despite the distance the climb was not overly arduous. Sweat rolled down my body and the muscles in my forearms screamed. I could feel the environment starting to change with the altitude and lack of shade. The temperature had risen by a few degrees but the change was by no means drastic.

I opened my eyes and looked back and out at the horizon. I was above the trees although not by much. The forest looked like a rolling sea of green as a gust of wind blew through. The water fall was the only thing that offered any relief from the heat of the direct sun as the water would mist on me when the wind blew. I looked up and could see the fissure in the wall of the cliff where the water was pouring out from. I closed my eyes once more and continued up in silence with only the sound of the water and the wind to break the strange silence of this part of the vertical world.

I reach up energetically and the force told me that I did not have far left to go before I would reach the top. At this point I could easily use the force to spring myself to the top but I did not want to. The air was now surprisingly starting to cool and it made my ascent a little easier as I continued up. I could feel when a slowly drifting cloud passed in front of the sun because the temperature drop was quite noticeable. There were a few times where the hand hold I had attempted to grab pulled out as I tried to put weight on it and I found myself cursing as I was forced to rely on one hand in order not to fall. I could also tell by the dropping of the temperature that the sun was going down.

I continued upwards slowly pausing right before I reached the top to press my body to the cliff as a strong gust of wind screamed against the rock face. If I had been a normal Zabrak or human I would have been ripped off of the face. I used the force to hold myself steady with my meager finger holds. The air was not cold but a shiver still raced up my body as water misted me. I hung there for a few minutes and clung until the wind died down. I pulled myself up the rock face and onto the flat rocky shelf above.

I crawled away from the cliff into the fern like grass which covered the ground. Rolling on my back I laid down looking at the sky. The air was a misty grey but I could tell by the position of the light that I did not have much day light left. I sighed and felt out with the force the mountain continued up and didn't peak until it was out of the cloud bank.

The environment here was quite different from the jungle below. The air was not nearly as hot but it was still thick with humidity. I sat up and looked around me. The fern like grass was a myriad of green and yellow and it stretched around the slope as far as my eye could see. It was damp and cool to the touch. The fissure which the water fall flowed out of was not very far away from me, a well-worn path which cut a trough into the rock was the only thing that stopped this whole part of the shelf from being flooded.

I pulled my canteen from my belt un-capped it and took a swig from it. The cool water flowed into my mouth and my taste buds delighted in the slightly sweet flavor it had from the minerals in it. I swallowed and recapped my canteen re-clipping it to my belt. I took a moment as I relaxed listening to the sounds around me. The free strand of my hair flitted in the breeze and some amphibians and insects sang their songs which echoed in the air. The flat cliff I was on was probably about 100 feet wide in some parts while in other parts it was hardly wide enough for one to press them self to the rock face and scoot around. It continued till it bent out of site around the side of the mountain, it also did the same thing on the other side of the water fall.

I enjoyed the peace and seclusion of the mountain as the sun's light continued to fade from the world around me. For a moment time seemed to stand still and I reveled in the peace around me for a moment I was free, there was nothing but the universe and myself.

I closed my eyes and the material world faded away. I could feel the universe flowing into me and my energy in turn flowing into it. Soon even the parameters of the consciously conceived universe faded away. There was no sith, no jedi there was only the force in its purest form. A true neutral entity the force was neither good nor bad, it was neither black nor white.

The force was everything and nothing; it had no beginning and no end. It like our energy was eternal. It imbued every living creature, plant, rock, planet, and star with its properties. There were exceptional creatures of the many worlds which inhabited not only the galaxy but the universe at large that had the ability to connect with it. These souls were on the next evolutionary step of their journey to reunite with the force in its entirety. However most of the creatures lacked the evolutionary vision necessary to truly connect and understand for they still limited their capacities with a binary understanding of the physical galaxy around them.

I could feel the force as it flowed through me and filled me with purpose. Even though my conscious mind was not always understanding of my missions I knew that they had purpose. The force had taken a vested interest in both Maul and Savage. It was unwavering in its current desire that I aid them. This left me frustrated as I knew that Maul had destruction on his mind. He was wrapped in his rage and blinded by his hatred.

How was I supposed to help bring balance to this man? How was I supposed to undo a lifetime of torture and repression? My over whelming message was clear the intent of the force was to free him but not to kill him. I had seen and lived his tortured life over and over again. Every time I felt like I would make a small step forward it seemed like we took 2 steps back. Venturing into his mind had been a difficult task when he was fully unconscious. Venturing into his mind now was a bit more hazardous.

He was becoming increasingly aware of my presence. The more he became aware the more difficult it seemed to extract myself from him. The harder he tried to push me away the more he seemed to draw me near. Parts of his twisted broken mind wanted nothing more than my death, parts wanted to possess me in the most primal ways possible, parts wanted nothing to do with me. Strangely it seems that the parts that tried to push me away and repel me were the ones that were most upset when I actually did leave.

Maul was one of the most twisted, confused, angry, and sad creatures I had up to this point ever met. After seeing his memories I knew why. After being inside I also knew there was so much more. He was not just the monster that Sidious had created. In fact part of him truly hated the monster he had become. He hated himself for some of the things he had been forced to do. However he was so broken to that nasty man's will that there was not much he could do to withstand it at this moment.

I could not help but feel a sadness in my heart for him. His mother's face came to me for a moment. I knew from talking to my mother that she had never wanted a life of slavery for Maul. She had wanted him to be so much more. It had been my mother who had helped Kycina deliver him. She said he was born with perfect red skin and that Mother Talzin had shown up quickly afterwards. Talzin had an uneasy obsession with the boy, especially after his coronation bath. His black markings became the exact depiction of the Fanged God.

When I last saw my mother she had told me about how she helped Kycina and Maul escape from the planet. She had warned me about what would happen if Talzin or the night sisters ever found out. After all when they found out about Kycina taking the baby giving him to someone off planet they arrested her and continued to hold her prisoner. Being a female in the Night Sisters society was only good if you obeyed the mother. Kycina disobeyed and then refused to tell Talzin where she had taken him so as a result she had been tortured and raped in that prison. That is how she ended up with Savage and Feral.

I looked at the situation now as an outsider looking in. This did not change just how messed up it truly was, it just changed the perspective. My mind wandered back to Maul. His pain and hatred was caused by the very action which was meant to spare him from such suffering. Had Kycina known what fate awaited him I doubt she would have given him to whoever she gave him to. However the knowledge of this did not change the current situation. After all I could not change the past even if I wanted to.

Maul… I could feel him now and as a result I was drawn back into my body. He was now actively looking for me. He was usually frustrated by my presence but he was now enraged at my abrupt absence. After all he had not told me I could leave. For a brief second my mind touched his and I felt the frustration, rage, and annoyance that wracked his body. I could see the part of the forest he was in I had been there yesterday after noon. He was slowly tracking me and every time he got thrown off the trail he got a little more frustrated.

I sighed and stood up as I drew my mind from his. I felt him reach out with the force his energy brushed the exiting trail of my energy. I knew it would not take him overly long to find me. If he had not been force sensitive then I would say it could take him the better part of a week to find me. I turned and started the final leg of my ascent. There weren't many trees here but the misty bank of clouds which shrouded the height of the mountain combined with the darkness made any moving a cautious venture.

I had not made any attempt to hide my use of the force. I was not going to start seeing as he could already feel where I was anyways. It was as if the force wanted him to find me. Given that it was the force's will that I help him, I made no attempt to throw him off.

The ground was sloped steep enough in parts that if one were not force capable you would probably stumble quite a bit. The terrain did not give me any issue though. I glided effortlessly across the uneven surface following the sharp but steady incline.

I continued my ascension until the air cleared of the foggy mist and stopped for a moment looking around. The ground was a mixture of moss and hard deep brown and grey stone. The environment was significantly cooler than the jungle below. The sun was almost out of the sky, faint traces of its light were just barely licking the horizon. The moons were starting to rise in the starry sky. Their rounded shapes were almost full and they gave a wondrous light to the world around me, lighting up the cloud bank below.

The air up here was significantly thinner and much less humid than the forest which lay below. I kept moving slowly as I modified my breathing so my lungs could acclimate. They screamed as they struggled to get as much oxygen as possible out of the air I was inhaling. The feeling was uncomfortable but I did not stop moving.

My head started to spin as I approached another steep cliff. I came to a stop and looked up. This cliff was not nearly as tall as the one I had previously climbed but it appeared more menacing and sheer at places. I yawned as my body still struggled with the limited with the oxygen supply and decided to sit down for the time being.

I could feel Maul reach out with the force once more. He had made considerable progress and I could not help but feel impressed. If he continued moving with this steady pace he would reach me by day break, especially if he used the force to aid him in ascending the cliffs.

I leaned back and pressed my back to the cliff. I breathed slowly as I reached up using the force to find the best path up. If I had wanted to I could fling myself up the cliff using the force and expend little effort or time doing so. However at this point I still wanted the physical challenge.

I pulled my canteen from my hip and took a slow drink before closing and replacing it. My head had stopped spinning and my lungs burned significantly less. I was still acclimating and seeing as I wasn't exactly in a hurry I sat and relaxed as the last visage of sunlight faded.

Silence surrounded me as I listening to the world around me once more. There was no sound aside from the wind. No matter what planet I was on if it had mountains and you got this high up it was always the same. There were no animals that would live at the altitude. Occasionally you would get moss like we had here but seeing as most of the time once you got this high mountains tended to be covered with snow mossy exposed stone was rare.

The cool air wrapped around my sweat covered body which wicked away my body heat and caused me to shiver. Although it was still not quite cold enough up here for most things to freeze it was still cool. I allowed a few more minutes to pass before I forced myself to my feet. The altitude was starting to make me feel tired but it did not stop me from turning to face the wall.

Dathomirian Zabrak tended to have exceptional night vision, I was no exception. The light from the moons shined on the sheer cliff and lit it up nicely against its back ground of sky. I took in the wall realizing if I were not force sensitive I would have been forced to wait till the morning and then found a way around or up.

This cliff had holds bigger than the last one did but it had the drawback of having steeper than 90 degree angles. If one fell from here they would find themselves going splat on the hard stone below. This realization did not escape me as I slowly started to climb up.

The stone was cold to touch and some of my hand holds were sharp enough that they cut into my flesh as I pulled myself up. I did not exactly mind though, the pain gave me something to focus on. I climbed with my eyes closed using the force to guide me. My lungs had started to burn once more and my arms had a dull ache in them. I did not mind though it just did more to keep me focused.

I found my way one hand at a time. The ascent was made a little easier by actually having foot holds. There were only two places that did not have good foot holds but they did not stop or even slow me. There was not much wind at the moment which was relieving.

Some of the stones were slick which made getting a grip quite difficult. I found myself using the force to keep my grip as I slowly pulled myself up further. The force was a helpful guide but it did not stop the occasional hold from crumbling beneath my hand. If it weren't for my exceptional experience climbing I would have fallen from the cliff.

I found myself at the top of the cliff but I had very few secure options to pull myself up with. With a frown I steeled myself and used the force to fling myself up and over the edge. I landed on my feet my boots making a firm thud on the rocks. The ground continued to slope upwards to the peak of the mountain which rested ahead draped in the starry sky.

I took a step back and turned looking down over the edge of the cliff. Even with my night vision and the light of the moon the mountain side disappeared into inky darkness. I could not see the cloud bank below although I knew it was there. I then turned my eyes to the sky. The moons seemed extremely close at the altitude and the light from them light up the mountain top.

I turned back around and walked slowly up the slope. I had no intent of leaving the mountain top. I would rest here while Maul made his way to me. The temperature at this height was cold but it was not freezing by any means. I sat down and leaned back against the slope. Even with Maul making quick progress through the forest below I still had a while to wait. There was no reason to waste my energy staying awake. I closed my eyes and reached up resting my hands behind my head. The only thing left for me to do was wait.