Chapter Fourteen:
(A.N. 'cause I'm young and I'm hopeless, I'm lost and I know this." Don't you just LOVE that song.oh, yeah BACK TO THE STORY!)
Anakin bent down, checking for the Jedi's pulse. He found it, although it was faint. The Jedi's eyes were clouded, and he was going through a great deal of pain. Anakin glanced down at the wound the Sith had inflicted. It was stab at the lower left of Obi-Wan's torso. The Jedi pressed his hands against it, but even then blood seeped through. Anakin's mind spun, he had to get the Jedi some help or else he was going to die.
"He will die soon." Maul hissed, laughing. He was enjoying the show of shock and worry that the younger man was going through. Somehow it was satisfying to him to see other creatures suffer, he fed off it.
Anakin looked up at the Sith, his face contorted with anger. For a moment, the only sound was the wind brushing the sand over the dunes.
Maul stopped smiling. He lifted the lightsaber in front of himself again. "Soon you will die also." He met the young man's ferocious gaze, and nodded.
Anakin took the silent challenge and got to his feet again. Carefully stepping around the wounded Jedi, he attacked.
Darth Maul wasn't ready for Anakin's fury, and it surprised him. The younger man had surprising strength.
Anakin was fighting hard now, he was alone, and he knew it. There was nobody to watch his back. The rythem was fast and smooth. Parry-strike, jump away, slice left. Everything he did the Sith countered, but he didn't retreat. Anakin had reached an impasse with his opponent, and he couldn't let himself loose it, once he did, he would be dead.
Darth Maul was insulted. He was being tied by an untrained slave. His anger was knocked up another notch as his opponent made a slice for his face and he had to back up. Sweat popped out on his tattooed forehead from the fierce work-out, and his lungs burned from the hot Tattoine air.
Anakin's muscles were growing weary, but still he forced himself to give everything in each strike. He was forcing the Sith back, but he wasn't sure he could keep it up long enough.
Maul saw a chance, and swiped at his opponent's shoulder.
Anakin yelled in pain, but still delivered a vicious slice to Maul's defenses, knocking the Sith back a few more feet.
Maul cursed. It had backfired in his face. "Impressive."
Anakin nodded, and then sliced at Maul's legs. The Sith jumped back. "Thanks."
Darth Maul flipped his lightsaber over, noticing that the ex-slave had not followed him this time. His opponent was tiring, which was good, and if he could catch his opponent off guard it would be even better.
Anakin kept an eye on the Sith, but reached over to the bleeding slice in his upper arm. He took what was left of his long sleeve and ripped it away.
"My Master sent me to bring you to meet him on Dubrillion." Maul said, snidely. His voice wasn't loud, but it echoed off the sand dunes, the evil resinating in it's tone. "Your power is great, but still you are a question even to my Master."
Anakin took a step closer to the Sith, his lightsaber poised and ready.
"You are nothing but a freak of nature, an unnatural."
Anakin attacked again with a harsh slice at Maul's left, but the Sith caught it. "You shouldn't talk 'bout being a freak."
"My parents were strong in the Force, but they were too brainless to realize it." Maul snarled, slicing at his opponent's head. "What of you? You don't have a father- you're are nothing but a slave's bastard."
Anakin's anger flared, he launched himself through the air, surprising the Sith. His feet connected with Maul's face, and the Sith fell back stunned for a millisecond. "How do you know this?" Anakin shouted. He swiped at the downed Sith, but the dark lord rolled away too quickly.
Maul rolled to his feet, slightly shaken this time by Anakin's attack. "You have tasted the sweetness of the Dark Side. It was like a beacon. Since then my Master has kept tabs on you. He watched you through the Force, listening to your thoughts, feeling your emotions. He's even haunted you in your dreams."
Realization came to Anakin quickly, he remembered the nightmare he had experienced while sleeping in the Phoenix. He came down hard, and fast. Strike!
Maul leaped away, grunting as he felt the pain of Anakin's blade going through his shoulder. That was it, his left arm lost half of its strength. With only the fury of the Dark Side he met Anakin's attack.
"What do you want?" Anakin asked, his voice raspy and harsh.
"What I want?" Maul laughed. "I want to kill you." With that, he slammed the wide handle of his lightsaber into Anakin's face.
Anakin stumbled back, but not without taking Maul's opening at the best opportunity. He swiped the Sith's stomach, and felt it as the blade grazed Maul's hide.
Maul jumped away as the searing pain burned across the soft skin. For the first time it occurred to him that he might loose the battle.
Anakin wiped the blood away from his face with his hand. He was getting really tired. Although the mysterious force gave him tons of desire and energy, his muscles kept screaming that they weren't superhuman. Looking up, he suddenly saw the Dark Lord was upon him.
Darth Maul bared down on Anakin with the vengeance only the Dark Side could muster.
It was all Anakin could do to keep the twin crimson blades away from him. He'd been caught by surprise, and cursed himself for it.
Suddenly, the blades locked, and again the two opponents faced each other. Maul looked into the younger man's eyes, seeing that he was tiring. He laughed. "My Master was a fool to think of replacing me for you. Only two there are, a Master and Apprentice." Maul sneered. "You are nothing but a weakling."
Anakin's eyes blazed, the furry, the anger, and the hate. They all released themselves, and he let them go.
Maul was taken aback when he saw the power thrive behind his opponent's eyes. But he was even more surprised when Anakin flew back, gaining a little distance, but in the same moment switching directions and coming in again.
At first Anakin aimed at Maul's torso, but suddenly switched directions, Maul's weapon blocked nothing. Anakin sliced his blade up and across.
Darth Maul screamed, but it was cut short. The last thing he saw was Anakin's blazing eyes, and the last thought was of his anguish failure.
Anakin watched as Darth Maul's head fell and rolled in the sand. A moment later the dark clothed body fell also, but Anakin didn't pay much attention to it. The Sith's yellow eyes were still wide open, and his mouth was also, as if he was screaming even when he was dead. The look of pure hatred was etched on the Sith's features forever.
Anakin tore his eyes away from the grotesque corpse of the Sith. Looking around, he saw that they had traveled a small distance when they'd began fighting. The twin suns were getting low, and he wondered how long they had fought in the first place. He also noticed he was shaking.
He switched off the green lightsaber, putting it back into his shirt. He looked down at his hands, clenching his fists. He was drenched in sweat, and exhausted.
Looking over his shoulder, he saw the Jedi's still body. "Sithspawn." Anakin half ran, half fell through the sand toward the Jedi.
Anakin kneeled down next to Obi-Wan. A lot of the blood had dried, and the Jedi's eyes were only half-way open. Frantically, Anakin felt for a pulse. At first he found nothing, but then, just a slight heart-beat. Obi-Wan was fading fast, but he was still alive.
Shakily, he hauled the Jedi up. He put Obi-Wan's arm over his shoulder and held the Jedi up with the other. But Obi-Wan wasn't helping at all, and Anakin only got a few feet until he stumbled, falling to one knee. He was weak from his injuries, and exhausted from the battle with the Sith.
Anakin groaned, hauling both himself and the unconscious Jedi up again. Had to do this, must get to the top of the dune, had to. The Phoenix was their only chance. He could feel the wind beginning to pick up again, which meant that a sand-storm was on the way. Plus, he could feel the Jedi's life draining away more and more each second.
He got three feet up a sand dune before he fell again. "Come on Jedi!" Sand got into the wound in his shoulder, and it felt like his arm was on fire, Anakin groaned again. He was breathing hard, and he kept his eyes on the ground. One foot in front of the other. Hauling the Jedi up again, Anakin took a few steps. The sand was loose, and Anakin went down knee deep into it. Then, he heard the high-pitched scream of the wind coming in fast over the dunes. The storm had come.
TO BE CONTINUED!!
(A.N. OH! I'm SOOOO sorry, that cliffie really hurts. "Sorry mate. I couldn't resist." -Captain Jack Sparrow.)
(A.N. 'cause I'm young and I'm hopeless, I'm lost and I know this." Don't you just LOVE that song.oh, yeah BACK TO THE STORY!)
Anakin bent down, checking for the Jedi's pulse. He found it, although it was faint. The Jedi's eyes were clouded, and he was going through a great deal of pain. Anakin glanced down at the wound the Sith had inflicted. It was stab at the lower left of Obi-Wan's torso. The Jedi pressed his hands against it, but even then blood seeped through. Anakin's mind spun, he had to get the Jedi some help or else he was going to die.
"He will die soon." Maul hissed, laughing. He was enjoying the show of shock and worry that the younger man was going through. Somehow it was satisfying to him to see other creatures suffer, he fed off it.
Anakin looked up at the Sith, his face contorted with anger. For a moment, the only sound was the wind brushing the sand over the dunes.
Maul stopped smiling. He lifted the lightsaber in front of himself again. "Soon you will die also." He met the young man's ferocious gaze, and nodded.
Anakin took the silent challenge and got to his feet again. Carefully stepping around the wounded Jedi, he attacked.
Darth Maul wasn't ready for Anakin's fury, and it surprised him. The younger man had surprising strength.
Anakin was fighting hard now, he was alone, and he knew it. There was nobody to watch his back. The rythem was fast and smooth. Parry-strike, jump away, slice left. Everything he did the Sith countered, but he didn't retreat. Anakin had reached an impasse with his opponent, and he couldn't let himself loose it, once he did, he would be dead.
Darth Maul was insulted. He was being tied by an untrained slave. His anger was knocked up another notch as his opponent made a slice for his face and he had to back up. Sweat popped out on his tattooed forehead from the fierce work-out, and his lungs burned from the hot Tattoine air.
Anakin's muscles were growing weary, but still he forced himself to give everything in each strike. He was forcing the Sith back, but he wasn't sure he could keep it up long enough.
Maul saw a chance, and swiped at his opponent's shoulder.
Anakin yelled in pain, but still delivered a vicious slice to Maul's defenses, knocking the Sith back a few more feet.
Maul cursed. It had backfired in his face. "Impressive."
Anakin nodded, and then sliced at Maul's legs. The Sith jumped back. "Thanks."
Darth Maul flipped his lightsaber over, noticing that the ex-slave had not followed him this time. His opponent was tiring, which was good, and if he could catch his opponent off guard it would be even better.
Anakin kept an eye on the Sith, but reached over to the bleeding slice in his upper arm. He took what was left of his long sleeve and ripped it away.
"My Master sent me to bring you to meet him on Dubrillion." Maul said, snidely. His voice wasn't loud, but it echoed off the sand dunes, the evil resinating in it's tone. "Your power is great, but still you are a question even to my Master."
Anakin took a step closer to the Sith, his lightsaber poised and ready.
"You are nothing but a freak of nature, an unnatural."
Anakin attacked again with a harsh slice at Maul's left, but the Sith caught it. "You shouldn't talk 'bout being a freak."
"My parents were strong in the Force, but they were too brainless to realize it." Maul snarled, slicing at his opponent's head. "What of you? You don't have a father- you're are nothing but a slave's bastard."
Anakin's anger flared, he launched himself through the air, surprising the Sith. His feet connected with Maul's face, and the Sith fell back stunned for a millisecond. "How do you know this?" Anakin shouted. He swiped at the downed Sith, but the dark lord rolled away too quickly.
Maul rolled to his feet, slightly shaken this time by Anakin's attack. "You have tasted the sweetness of the Dark Side. It was like a beacon. Since then my Master has kept tabs on you. He watched you through the Force, listening to your thoughts, feeling your emotions. He's even haunted you in your dreams."
Realization came to Anakin quickly, he remembered the nightmare he had experienced while sleeping in the Phoenix. He came down hard, and fast. Strike!
Maul leaped away, grunting as he felt the pain of Anakin's blade going through his shoulder. That was it, his left arm lost half of its strength. With only the fury of the Dark Side he met Anakin's attack.
"What do you want?" Anakin asked, his voice raspy and harsh.
"What I want?" Maul laughed. "I want to kill you." With that, he slammed the wide handle of his lightsaber into Anakin's face.
Anakin stumbled back, but not without taking Maul's opening at the best opportunity. He swiped the Sith's stomach, and felt it as the blade grazed Maul's hide.
Maul jumped away as the searing pain burned across the soft skin. For the first time it occurred to him that he might loose the battle.
Anakin wiped the blood away from his face with his hand. He was getting really tired. Although the mysterious force gave him tons of desire and energy, his muscles kept screaming that they weren't superhuman. Looking up, he suddenly saw the Dark Lord was upon him.
Darth Maul bared down on Anakin with the vengeance only the Dark Side could muster.
It was all Anakin could do to keep the twin crimson blades away from him. He'd been caught by surprise, and cursed himself for it.
Suddenly, the blades locked, and again the two opponents faced each other. Maul looked into the younger man's eyes, seeing that he was tiring. He laughed. "My Master was a fool to think of replacing me for you. Only two there are, a Master and Apprentice." Maul sneered. "You are nothing but a weakling."
Anakin's eyes blazed, the furry, the anger, and the hate. They all released themselves, and he let them go.
Maul was taken aback when he saw the power thrive behind his opponent's eyes. But he was even more surprised when Anakin flew back, gaining a little distance, but in the same moment switching directions and coming in again.
At first Anakin aimed at Maul's torso, but suddenly switched directions, Maul's weapon blocked nothing. Anakin sliced his blade up and across.
Darth Maul screamed, but it was cut short. The last thing he saw was Anakin's blazing eyes, and the last thought was of his anguish failure.
Anakin watched as Darth Maul's head fell and rolled in the sand. A moment later the dark clothed body fell also, but Anakin didn't pay much attention to it. The Sith's yellow eyes were still wide open, and his mouth was also, as if he was screaming even when he was dead. The look of pure hatred was etched on the Sith's features forever.
Anakin tore his eyes away from the grotesque corpse of the Sith. Looking around, he saw that they had traveled a small distance when they'd began fighting. The twin suns were getting low, and he wondered how long they had fought in the first place. He also noticed he was shaking.
He switched off the green lightsaber, putting it back into his shirt. He looked down at his hands, clenching his fists. He was drenched in sweat, and exhausted.
Looking over his shoulder, he saw the Jedi's still body. "Sithspawn." Anakin half ran, half fell through the sand toward the Jedi.
Anakin kneeled down next to Obi-Wan. A lot of the blood had dried, and the Jedi's eyes were only half-way open. Frantically, Anakin felt for a pulse. At first he found nothing, but then, just a slight heart-beat. Obi-Wan was fading fast, but he was still alive.
Shakily, he hauled the Jedi up. He put Obi-Wan's arm over his shoulder and held the Jedi up with the other. But Obi-Wan wasn't helping at all, and Anakin only got a few feet until he stumbled, falling to one knee. He was weak from his injuries, and exhausted from the battle with the Sith.
Anakin groaned, hauling both himself and the unconscious Jedi up again. Had to do this, must get to the top of the dune, had to. The Phoenix was their only chance. He could feel the wind beginning to pick up again, which meant that a sand-storm was on the way. Plus, he could feel the Jedi's life draining away more and more each second.
He got three feet up a sand dune before he fell again. "Come on Jedi!" Sand got into the wound in his shoulder, and it felt like his arm was on fire, Anakin groaned again. He was breathing hard, and he kept his eyes on the ground. One foot in front of the other. Hauling the Jedi up again, Anakin took a few steps. The sand was loose, and Anakin went down knee deep into it. Then, he heard the high-pitched scream of the wind coming in fast over the dunes. The storm had come.
TO BE CONTINUED!!
(A.N. OH! I'm SOOOO sorry, that cliffie really hurts. "Sorry mate. I couldn't resist." -Captain Jack Sparrow.)