By Josafeena
Author's note: For all the nice people who let me know they wanted another part. As always feedback is loved and adored
Disclaimer: Not mine…except for Kala and the scientist and a couple of the guards, oh and Darvin Four…. Don't hurt me Lucasfilm, I don't mean to cause them any damage.
Enjoy!
"Tell me again." Qui-Gon Jinn was pacing the cell again.
"I've already told you a hundred times." A frustrated Darth Maul slumped in the corner, glaring at the Jedi from under hooded eyes.
"I just want to hear again, to be sure everything is right." Qui-Gon stared down at the Sith Lord.
"If my arm wasn't broken I would gladly beat it into you myself." Maul muttered under his breath, he pulled the broken arm closer to him and thought of a new way to torture Kala once he was free, just for having her guards stamp on his arm. He sighed and let their plan take form in his mind. "When we get to Darvin Four, I will . . .."
"Wait, someone's coming." Obi-Wan Kenobi hurried away from the door, just in time.
Kala stepped through the entrance. "Well, my friends, the time has come for farewells."
A group of heavily armed guards marched in to the cell and pulled the Jedi and the Sith lord to their feet. Thick metal manacles were clamped onto their wrists.
"Be very careful of this one," Kala stepped up to stand close to Maul, her eyes gleaming at the sight of him. "He bites."
"You think they'll stay quiet?" The most senior guard asked her.
Kala looked at the Jedi. "I don't know, they may surprise you."
"Well I don't want them embarrassing the customers." He withdrew an injector and pressed it up against Maul's neck, then repeated the action with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. The Jedi looked at each other in confusion.
Qui-Gon tried to ask Kala what they had been injected with but when he opened his mouth to speak, no sound came out.
Obi-Wan looked on in shock, then tried to speak and found the same effect.
"Come on, the auction has already begun." The guard shouted.
They were escorted out of the cell and through the corridors of Kala's ship. As they reached the exit the bright glare of the sun made Maul flinch.
He pulled his arm up to shade his eyes but one of the guards grabbed him roughly and pushed him forward.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan looked around as they trudged out of the ship. For an illegal slave market Darvin Four had the appearance of a wealthy, civilised, cultural capital. Tall buildings spread out as far as they could see, matched only in frequency by the huge towering trees that stood by them.
They were brought inside the building where Kala's ship had docked and were quietly amazed at the hive of activity that spanned out in front of them. The prisoners were led along a walkway high above the floor of the building where a market place seemed to be in full swing. At the end of the walkway curtains were lifted to reveal a room filled with seated dignitaries and merchants. This was where the higher class of auction took place, and the sale of three Force-users demanded nothing but the best.
As they were directed into the room, an authoritative voice began to speak. "And here they are – the galaxy's most powerful beings, three Force-users available for one day only!" The voice came from a small round Hutt. His voice projected around the luxurious room stirring a great amount of interest among the bidders.
The Jedi were brought up onto the stage, followed shortly by Maul, who caused not a few gasps of horror from the audience.
"Let's start with the little one, shall we." Obi-Wan was pushed forward to centre stage. He looked out at the audience staring back at him.
"This young Jedi is aged approximately twenty two years, hails from Coruscant and is skilled in the Jedi arts of Lightsabre fighting, Jedi-mind tricks and all those fabulous other skill you can learn from this, your very own padawan learner!"
Obi-Wan stood there feeling extremely naked in front of all these people, he hadn't been listening to a word the auctioneer had said, instead tried desperately to quash his rising panic.
"Let's start the bid at one thousand credits.."
Darth Maul looked over at Qui-Gon. The old Jedi Master wore an expression of deep pain as he watched Obi-Wan bargained for like a piece of meat. Maul looked out at the audience trying to spot who was making the most effort to purchase the young Jedi. His eyes suddenly locked on one position.
Qui-Gon noticed an expression of horror cross Maul's painted features. He followed the Sith Lord's gaze to a lone figure sitting in the aisle at the back. The man was shrouded in a black robe, his face hidden under a hood, but Qui-Gon could just make out a pair of glowing yellow eyes. Another Sith! Qui-Gon gasped and turned to Maul.
Maul saw Qui-Gon's expression and recognition. It was bad enough that his master had appeared to either kill him or watch him be sold off as a slave or a laboratory experiment, but to have the Jedi find out made it worse.
"And now, the most exotic of items available in the galaxy – a genuine Zabrakian Force-user."
Maul was pushed roughly to centre stage. He turned and bared his sharp teeth at the guards.
"Oh he's so feral, ladies and gentlemen!" The auctioneer drew a genial laugh from the crowd.
Maul glared at them, imaging way of torturing every single one of them. If he still had the use of his voice he could think of million of curses to wish upon their thick hides.
"Let's start at ten thousand credits."
Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow, both he and Obi-Wan had started at one thousand, managing to go for just under a million each, and to the same bidder, a fat Corellian merchant. He quickly shook that train of thought out of his mind. They were going to escape, they had it all planned. Once the auction was over they would be brought backstage for their respective owners, at that point Maul would create a distraction, the Jedi would slip into the crowd, where they would find coverings. While the guards ran around trying to find them they would return, free Maul and escape to a ship.
Maul's bids were getting higher and more rushed. Maul kept his eyes trained on Sidious, who had not made a single bid. Every now and then a thin wiry man in the front row would make a bid for an exorbitant amount. Maul guessed he was the scientist from Hoth that Kala had mentioned. The thought of becoming that man's lab rat on a frozen world like Hoth caused a shiver to run up Maul's spine. At that moment he saw a small smirk appear on his master's lips.
"I have fifty million, going once, going twice, gone! Sold to the fine gentleman in the first row." The Auctioneer banged a rock on the podium with a smile. "I'd like to thank you all for joining us this afternoon, I hope you'll return again in a week. The purchasers can collect their new properties backstage right now. Thank you." He sighed and let his cheerful demeanour drop like a ton of rock.
The wiry scientist grinned up at Maul, and winked.
Maul grimaced and looked up to see Sidious rise and begin to leave. Maul tried to call out to him, to shout something but no sound came. He stomped his foot on the stage, and as the Guard took hold of him and pulled him away, he got a glimpse of his master's smiling face.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were waiting backstage as Maul was dragged back. Behind the stage was a huge room where merchandise was stacked up in huge columns against the walls. The room led into the main hangar where all kinds of ship and shuttles were waiting to transport various cargo to their destination.
Qui-Gon stared meaningfully at Maul. Maul recovered immediately and nodded in reply.
Suddenly the scientist appeared with his own armed forces. "I'm here for my Zabrak." He announced. The guards at once produced a large metal cage.
Maul took one look at the cage and began to fight the guards surrounding him.
As more of them became involved, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan found themselves alone. Qui-Gon hesitated to see Maul struggle against being forced into the cage. The Sith Lord frowned at him and mouthed the word 'go'. Qui-Gon turned to Obi-Wan and inclined his head. In a flash they took off through the crowd. It wasn't until Maul had actually been locked into the cage that the guards notice the missing Jedi.
"Get them!" One of the guards shouted and a group of them took off into the crowd.
At this point Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had taken two colourful blanket and wrapped themselves up to hide the filthy brown Jedi garb they wore. They reached the other side of the Hangar and had quietly crept around to find a small republican shuttle with a nasty blast mark on its side, no doubt stolen by pirates. Qui-Gon checked that it was empty and looked around.
Obi-Wan watched his master carefully, trying to read his expression. It was hard enough without the Force but without speech they would find it very difficult to communicate.
Qui-Gon pointed to several places on his scalp then used his fingers to portray horns on his head.
The Zabrak! Obi-Wan realised his master wanted to return for the Sith lord. Obi-Wan shook his head and let out a frustrated sigh, then looked around, and pointed to the guards who were making their way through the crowd to them.
Qui-Gon's shoulders dropped in frustration. He got up and quickly moved into the shuttle and began to start the engine.
Obi-Wan closed the hatch and took a seat beside his master. It annoyed him a little to see his master so worked up over the safety of a Sith Lord who would have killed them given the chance.
They took off and flew out of the hangar just as the guards reached their position.
"Open fire!" One of the guards ordered through a Comm link on his collar.
Qui-Gon managed to dodge the bolts of energy as they flew towards them. Soon they were sailing out of the atmosphere and headed into hyperspace before anyone could catch them.
Maul was crouched in the cramped cage. There wasn't even enough room for him to sit upright so he had to kneel as low as his back would allow him.
"How sweet you look all squeezed up like that."
Maul didn't even look up, he knew Kala's annoying voice anywhere.
"I hear your Jedi friends got away. It's a terrible shame really, that Corellian is furious." She giggled like a child, then kneeled down to his eye level. "On the other hand you fetched such a handsome price I don't really need those Jedi anyway." She reached inside the top of the cage to touch his horns. "You know I had surveillance vids of you and the Jedi. Would you like me to tell the good doctor about your little weakness." At that she stroked a finger along the base of his top most horn.
Maul glared his yellow eyes at her and pulled his head away from her outstretched fingers.
"Very well then." She got up angrily and kicked the cage with her foot, sending it toppling over onto its side.
"Alright, that's enough." The scientist told Kala. "We're ready to leave." He ordered his men to pick the cage up and Maul was carried into a waiting ship.
As he stared out of the metal prison glaring evilly at anyone or anything that would meet his eyes, Maul wondered where the Jedi were at that moment and if they would return for him. His thoughts went to his master, abandoning him to this fate. His hope of escape faded, how could he possibly trust a pair of Jedi to return for him.
TBC…