Finally! I've managed to complete this chapter. Sorry for the long wait!


Chapter 36 – Whatever It Takes

He had been waiting for this for so long. And now he was here. Kenobi. Maul had wanted to duel that man since Naboo. Make him pay for what the jedi did to him. But it wouldn't be enough – it could never be. He would make a show out of it, when he beat Kenobi down. Here, in the slave pits. And if he were victorious over him - the Jedi would know nothing but a life of chains and misery. The Zygerrians knew how to break slaves gifted with the Force. But he would break Kenobi personally first.

'If he doesn't break you first.'

Maul licked his teeth and spread a nasty smile. Taking his eyes from the jedi, who hid himself underneath his black robe, he looked up to the gallery where the queen was watching the fights with glee. Spreading his arms wide, Maul called up to her.

"Queen Miraj!", he yelled, "My worthy opponent has arrived! Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi!"

The crowd went loud with cheers and Maul felt how the blood in his veins began to pound even stronger. Yes, that is how it supposed to be. Let the mighty jedi fall in front of his future owners. Maul was betting that enough people would be interested in Kenobi after this fight. If he would be able to function after this, that is.

'Never underestimate your enemy.'

Maul whirled back around towards the jedi, ignoring the voice. "Let's give these people a show, Kenobi", he snarled, "Choose your weapon of demise!" He motioned for the metal blades and spears scattered around the arena; the weapons of the slaves who lost the fight against him. Another roar went through the arena. The audience wanted more blood.

Kenobi had yet to say something, but Maul could see the fiery glint of blue eyes underneath the hood. The man wasn't afraid. He had himself under control. The jedi's shields were tight, impenetrable. Something about that man was off but he couldn't tell what it was.

'You should fear the man who has nothing to give but everything to lose.'

Huffing, Maul tightened his grip on the double-bladed staff in his hand. "I'll never fear that man", he whispered, watching how Kenobi began to move slowly. The jedi stepped over the dead, avoiding the blood puddles in the sand.

Maul traced every of the man's movements. Kenobi still walked unevenly but at the same time portrayed a strength that was somehow unnerving.

'You signed your death warrant.'

"Silence", he hissed between clenched teeth. The jedi had seemingly found his weapon of choice. Maul watched how Kenobi gently rolled one of the fallen slaves over and began to unwind the blades from the man's arms. An extraordinary weapon. Two blades with a short length of chain on the handles. Somehow lightweight but nevertheless deadly in the hands of a warrior like Kenobi. The Sith had thought about using them himself, but he felt more comfortable with the staff. Still kneeling in the sand, the jedi hesitated for a second before he moved his hand and the eyes of the dead slave fell closed.

Then Kenobi set the blades down on the sand and discarded the robe, finally revealing his face to the Zygerrians. The noise of the crowd was almost deafening. He wrapped the chains around his now bare forearms and grabbed the handles steadily in his palms afterwards.

Maul began to realize what had unnerved him about Kenobi. The man didn't look like a jedi no more. The familiarity had vanished. He couldn't read the man in front of him.

Those constricting beige tunics were gone, replaced by a black top and trousers. With the offending scar on his head, Kenobi looked more like a mercenary or bounty hunter, no shining knight of the mighty order. And then there were these eyes. Maul hadn't got a good look at them before, but now, as Kenobi stood in this arena, bloody blades in his hands, he noticed the yellow speckles in the man's iris which almost seemed to reflect in the burning sun. The jedi had fallen. But the so infuriating compassion of his wasn't gone. No, the man still cared deeply for his friends. His biggest weakness.

'He's one step closer to the edge.'

Maul chuckled and readied himself on the podest. Kenobi took his place opposed to him; a grim expression drawn on his face.

"How do you feel, Kenobi? About to fail again", he taunted, "Like you failed your pathetic master."

A smile was the last reaction he had expected. Kenobi smiled, but it never reached his eyes. No, those were ice-cold, making Maul shiver under their gaze.

Was that the madness people saw in his own eyes?

'I told you before, you two are very much alike.'

"Is that all you want to say, Maul?", the jedi asked calmly, "Or do you want to make another long speech about how you will make me suffer and take your revenge?"

Nervousness began to spread inside him, but Maul played it down with a bared grin on his part. "What happened to your silver tongue, Negotiator? Has my master finally taken your mind?"

"Your master-", Kenobi chuckled, letting his eyes drift over the spectator stands, shortly locking onto the queen before his gaze returned to Maul, "your master… He has already replaced you. You mean nothing to him anymore."

"That's where you're wrong, Kenobi. He cut me free of my chains", Maul growled, "I am free."

'Free in your own imagination.'

With a roar he advanced upon the jedi, swinging his staff viciously. The metallic clank of their blades colliding echoed through the arena. The jedi blocked all of his attacks with ease or simply sidestepped the deadly cutting edge. The man was evading him.

It made Maul's blood boil.

"Start fighting, you coward!" he roared as Kenobi blocked the staff with the chains around his forearms, "Or is the life of your grandpadawan worth so little to you?"

'You shouldn't have said that.'

Maul twisted again and jabbed with the other end of his weapon but Kenobi had already moved again. He felt a swish beside himself and suddenly he found himself face to face with the jedi, so close that their noses almost touched. His opponent's face was contorted into a snarl, teeth flashing through his auburn-grey beard. His eyes had the color of a violent thunderstorm now.

"Don't mistake my reluctance for a lack of caring", the jedi gritted out. The next second Kenobi was gone once more and Maul had to yank his head back sharply in order to avoid losing his eye sight as one of the chained blades abruptly sailed past.

The Sith jumped back on reflex, gaining distance between himself and the jedi who casually pulled back the thrown blade with the Force.

That had been too close to comfort. How was that cripple moving so fast? Maul didn't have time to think about it as the Jedi caught up with him again.

Both men danced back in forth, their blades colliding almost melodically. Sometimes a stab or blow slipped through their defenses, but it never resulted in more than a few superficial cuts. They were evenly matched.

Crack. His staff and Kenobi's blades met directly between the two fighters, resulting in a pure test of strength. The crowd howled, spurring the fight before their eyes.

Yes - this was how it was supposed to be. The Sith began to grin and pushed the Jedi back. He was still physically stronger than Kenobi, an advantage he knew how to use.

"Why not be like that from the start, Kenobi?" quipped Maul in amusement, "Come on, show me what you're made of."

The Jedi tensed under the combined force and squeezed out another smile. "As you wish, Darth," he hummed melodically before suddenly stopping to counter the attack. Maul stumbled forward briefly from the resulting momentum, causing him to catch on to Kenobi's intent too late. The blade scraped across his staff unabated - right through the fingers of his left hand that clutched the weapon.

The Sith howled in pain and blindly hurled the Jedi back with the Force. He did not notice where Kenobi hit the ground. He was too focused on the rest of his bleeding hand and the fingers that had disappeared somewhere in the sand at his feet.

The bastard had indeed severed his fingers.

'At least he wasn't aiming for your head this time.'

The staff fell to the ground with a light thud. For Maul, there was dead silence as his rage boiled up inside him - not a shout from the crowd, not the wind, not even his own breath reached his ears. The Sith zoned out, lost in his hatred and madness.

Clenching his metallic hand into a fist, Maul fixed his gaze on the Jedi, who had landed in the sand a few feet in front of him and still hadn't gotten back to his feet. He had caught him off guard.

With a guttural growl, Maul darted toward Kenobi, pulling his lightsaber from his belt.

The time for games was over.

His claws dug mercilessly into the sand as he lunged forward like a possessed man. Just before he reached Kenobi, he leapt into the air and let his foot fly towards his enemy - ready to crush him on the ground. The Jedi rolled aside at the last second, but Maul was prepared. Clutching the blood-red blade in his remaining hand, he aimed for Kenobi's head.

With a hiss, his blade was countered by a bright blue blade. The Sith bent down, pressing the seething blades closer to his victim's neck. Kenobi shook with exertion, and it was clear he would not last much longer.

"Any last words, Kenobi?" he drawled.

His hair clinging to his wet forehead, Kenobi let out a shaky breath.

"I like your new legs," he heaved, "they make you look taller."

The jedi pushed him back with the Force, giving him just enough room to try to scramble away. But Maul was right behind him. With a roar, he forcefully stomped on his ankle when the Jedi failed to pull his right leg up high enough. Kenobi cried out in pain and twisted onto his back.

"Stop running, you cripple!" the Sith yelled, sending his saber sailing down again.

For a moment, he thought he saw something like fear in Kenobi's eyes. He watched them grow wide, the white standing out. The iris was now clear blue, almost like the horizon.

The Jedi threw his hands in front of him in a pathetic attempt to protect himself. At least that's what Maul thought.

A wide grin on his face, he thrust the saber down.

A sharp gasp went through the audience. Maul was still staring down at Kenobi, but suddenly bloodstains covered the man's contorted face. His lightsaber deactivated with a snap and fell to the ground. Suddenly, his knees gave way, and with dazed eyes he realized how Kenobi caught him. He was slowly guided to the ground and when his head finally began to touch the sand, he felt the pain in his chest for the first time.

With the last of his strength, he turned his head and spied what had been his undoing. One of the blades Kenobi had wielded earlier. The jagged tip protruded from his chest, having severed spine and lungs in its path. The Jedi had used the Force to pull the blade through him.

He tried to take another breath, but felt that he couldn't. Blood began to pool in his mouth and Maul knew that would be the end of him. He would choke like a miserable dog. Panic surged through him as his body began to fight off its inevitable fate.

He strained his neck as warm hands began to settle around his head. Even though his vision had already faded out, he knew it had to be Kenobi.

"It's alright, Maul. Don't fight it."

A feeling began to set inside him that he had not known since childhood.

Peace.

As he took his last shuttering breath, he didn't feel alone anymore. His fears and terrors, his rage and hatred; they were gone now.

This was the freedom he had always longed for.


Obi-Wan's hands stilled on Maul's head. It was over. The tortured soul had moved on into the Force. In his last moments he had seen Maul's fear and torment; it had only felt right to help him to leave this world.

He gently closed the Zabrak's eyes and got to his feet a little unsteady, wincing as he put weight on his ankle. The fight had exhausted him deeply, but he knew he was far from being done here. The arena had stilled around him. As he let his gaze wander, he noticed the shock written on so many faces. Queen Miraj had risen from her seat and was propping herself up on the edge of the gallery. No one had expected him to defeat Maul.

He limped closer to her, lifting his head.

"Let me guess," he called up while spreading his arms, "You had a deal with Maul."

The scowl on the woman's face deepened. "What do you want, Jedi? Your kind is not welcome here."

"Funny, it's not the first time I've heard those words. Must be me", Obi-Wan laughed dryly.

The Jedi shifted his eyes from the queen to the guards who lined the exits of the arena. There were eight of them, faces hidden under helmets and armed with electro whips. He could almost feel their stares. One command from the queen and they would leap into action.

Still watching the guards, he addressed the queen again. "I think you know why I'm here… I want the padawan you voluntarily enslaved."

"And why should I give her to you? You're alone versus how many? That Zabrak you might have slain - but even you will be outmatched against all of my men."

Obi-Wan sighed. This conversation was tiring. And if he was honest - he didn't feel like negotiating with these slave traders either. Maybe it was time to use a method from Anakin's book. Head first through the wall. While not very elegant and increasingly questionable, even he couldn't deny that it was effective.

Tightening his grip on his lightsaber, he set off to jump. The guards in the arena began to move at the same moment as his feet left the ground. They were too slow, of course. Obi-Wan landed with a thud on the balcony - decapitating the two waiting guards, who were too surprised to put up a fight. The queen had backed away, terrified of the Jedi who now stood between the two dead guards.

Holding the blade in front of him, he strode forward, his face bathed in a cold light. With a wave of his hand, he locked the door to the room. That would keep the men a little busy - and buy him the time he needed.

"I'll ask you one more time", he hissed, "Where. Is. The. Girl?"

"You're making a mistake," she sputtered, still backing away from him.

"The only flaw I see here is that your head is still on your shoulders. And now move. Take me to her," he threatened, holding his saber under her chin, "and remember – one wrong move and your head will join the others."

Miraj pressed her lips in a thin line but complied. Lightsaber tip on her neck, she stumbled forward, into a small hidden pathway behind her throne. To Obi-Wan's surprise, they began to move up, onto the palace rooftop.

The queen let him towards a cage which was suspended above the city. His stomach twisted as he spotted a very familiar form crumbled on its floor.

"Unlock the cage and her chains", he ordered, trying to keep his voice calm. He would like to wring her neck right now.

'Relax, Kenobi.'

He watched how the queen fumbled with an electronic device and both the door and the chains finally clicked open. Stretching his hand out, he pulled the thing from her hand. Next, he pried the chains off from the floor and swiftly chained the queen inside the cage.

"Hey! You can't-", she began to protest, but was quickly silenced as Obi-Wan held his lightsaber under her chin.

"You're lucky I don't kill you", he drawled, before he finally deactivated his weapon and crouched down next to Ahsoka. The teenager was out like a light. Despite being hidden underneath a dirty rag, he could already see the massive swelling on her arm. It was definitely broken. He also spotted an untreated blaster wound on her calf, which made his anger rise up again. Stomping it down, he lifted the padawan into his arms as gently as possible. She didn't even stir. Her head lolled lifelessly against his shoulder and he could feel the heat radiating of her skin. Not good.

Obi-Wan quickly left the cage and locked it with the device again. Then he crunched it underneath his boot, ignoring the queen's shouts. Scanning his surroundings, he guessed the easiest way to escape was to jump over the rooftops. Not an easy task, considering he was carrying Ahsoka and Maul had definitely hurt his ankle prior in their fight.

He had no other option though. Focusing, he tightened his grip on the padawan and steadied his legs as much as possible before he launched himself from the roof. Obi-Wan was halfway through the city when they opened fire on them. Cursing, he shielded them with the Force and pressed on as fast as he dared.

He felt years older when he finally jumped the city walls and the ship moved into range. They had almost made it. His feet carried him up the ramp as if by remote control. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he noticed himself calling out to the droid to start the ship immediately. But his focus was on Ahsoka. He gently laid her down on one of the cots and began to gather the meager medical supplies Quinlan and him had managed to gather before.

Obi-Wan wrapped Ahsoka in his Force presence, not wanting her to feel the anguish that dominated the Force now. She needed all her strength now.

As he set down and began to treat her wounds, he locked his eyes on her ashen face.

"Come on, Little One. Don't give in, I know you're a fighter."


So, I recently played God of War again and somehow the Blades of Chaos inspired me for the weapons Obi-Wan used in this fight ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Anyway, thanks for reading :)