IV
Almost four days had passed and since then Maul had no regrets of what he did to the girl, no care for her feelings. He had woken up that morning from a rather restful night's sleep to find another tray of food in place of what he finished the night before, as was the routine for four days now. The used bandages he would throw down on the floor were taken away and disposed of, and more rested behind the tray of food.
Like the first, the meal had been good, but whatever had made him feel relaxed the first time wasn't present in the food served to him during the day. He wondered which thing he had taken was the work of art that made his body feel alright in such a state where he was ready to scream from staying put in the same spot for who knew how long.
Most of the days had been spent meditating, since the thought of more sleep made him cringe. He couldn't remember the last time he slept that many days in a row for so long. It wasn't unusual for the Sith Lord to go several days without even a ten minute doze, but it was unusual for him to suffer through what he was doing now. Meditation, though, for some reason, wasn't easy that day. He couldn't sit in the position he felt most comfortable in, that being sitting on the floor with his legs crossed and arms stretched out. His legs were so stiff he couldn't bring himself to force them to bend. He had tried to walk the stiffness off by making his way to the door and then back again, but it hadn't done the trick he had hoped it would.
The meditation itself brought unwanted images to his mind. He couldn't be completely sure, but from what he could find, he was supposed to be dead. That would only mean one thing—he was no longer his master's apprentice. If that were true, if he had lost his position, then his master would not spend much time searching out a new apprentice to take his place; who that person could possibly be he didn't know, nor did he care. This led him to one conclusion; he vowed to find the Jedi that did this to him, that ruined his chance of taking Darth Sidious's place, the very Jedi that put him in this condition where he was forced to live under the roof of a nagging girl that drove him insane whenever she opened her bloody mouth—even if he hadn't seen her in nearly ninety-six hours.
Maul spent many hours trying to figure out where the Jedi could have gone; he doubted very much that by the time he was able to get off this wretched planet his foe would still be on Naboo. Jedi never spent much time in any one spot, much like the Sith. He'd have to track him down, train endlessly so he could perfect his skills and teach that boy a lesson. He would do it…he had to do it.
The screeching of nearby birds outside broke his concentration. He had been pondering his fate for most of the day. He usually meditated after a harsh work-out in order to rest his body and ease his mind. Doing so without the self-inflicted physical strain felt abnormal and he didn't like it.
Frustrated with himself and the thought of the Jedi still walking around the galaxy unscathed and with the knowledge that he had made a Sith Lord look bad, Maul found what any other person in his position would do if they had no other resource. He sat still on the bed, focused his mind on as many objects in the room he could and made them float around with strict use of the Force. The dark side embraced him tightly, his anger focused on not the objects that he kept hovering over their usual spot, but instead of what he would do to that Jedi once he found him. The revenge would be bitter sweet and he couldn't wait to grasp that opportunity.
Maul's stomach twisted inside his body, a sharp pain stretching through every fiber, warning him that it wanted something to feed on…much like he wanted to feed on the revenge he longed for. He sighed miserably to himself and glanced up at the door from a bowed head. It was nearly dark and the girl had yet to show up with more food. He knew she was nearby for he could feel her presence, so why wasn't she doing her job and…taking care of him.
The aggravation was starting to annoy him more than anything. He hated waiting more than anything else, the Jedi being the only exception to that rule. When this was over he was going to make her die a terrible death for making him wait so long. She hadn't brought him anything all day and now he was starving to death. Filthy human, he thought to himself as he scooted to the edge of the bed and stood up. He slowly walked over to the chair where some of his clothes lay and grabbed the sleeveless shirting he wore under his tunic. He tied it with the simple piece of material usually hidden by his belt, but that would stay off—he didn't want it rubbing against the gash in his side. As it was he tied the strap very loosely because it crossed over just where the bottom of the cut ended on his waist.
Maul stood up as straight as his abdomen would allow him and tried to be as casual as he could to walk out of the room and into a narrow hall. He looked down to his left where there were two closed doors. To his right was an open doorway against the wall; he sensed activity coming from that room, so naturally that's the way he chose.
The smooth floor was cold on his bare feet, making him realize he hadn't put boots on; not that it mattered anyway. He would find food and then go back to his room. He would not engage in any conversation, perhaps not even make any eye contact. He wanted one thing and once he got it he'd be gone.
When he got to the doorway he saw a plain table with a long bench on either side. It seemed to be the kitchen by the looks of the simple machines and storage bins that lined the walls, which was what he hoped for—it would quick and easy. However, when he stepped into the room he saw something else he didn't see before; sitting on the end of the table atop a tall, single center-legged stool was a thin, dangly and furry creature with large round black eyes. It gave him a look of puzzlement, its long skinny tale twitching and wrapping around its hind legs that were perched on the seat of the stool.
Maul had never seen such a creature, and to him it was the ugliest thing he had encountered in a long time. It was covered in short fuzzy beige fur and its long fingers played with some sort of fruit as it looked him over. He sneered at it, and was ready to throw it against the wall when it stood up, bounced and gave a short scratchy noise from its throat.
He would've strangled it easily if it hadn't been for his attention being taken away to focus on a form coming from the opposite side of the room. The girl stepped in from a small storage closet, wearing a bright blue cloak over something red underneath, the edge of the top the only part visible. Her hair was pulled up into some sort of knot on top of her head, only the many gold beaded strands hanging next to her face. Maul looked away, cursing himself for breaking the no-eye-contact rule he had set for himself before entering.
"So you can move around a little easier," she said softly, but not in the fear-filled tone she had the last time he heard her speak. She went over to the counter and stirred something steaming in a pot. "Feeling better?"
Maul might've answered, most likely not, if it hadn't been for a second staring contest with the odd creature. It bit into the fruit it held, but its round eyes were locked on him. He could only give it a sickened look.
"Don't mind Ezdum," Naturri said not looking up from her stirring. Maul made no glance at her, but watched the creature more closely…one false move from it and he'd kill it.
"She's harmless," Naturri continued. "She just isn't sure about strangers and since she hasn't been in your room since you came here, she doesn't know who you are. Most men that come here are left alone after she gets her fill of checking them out. I think she's just a little protective."
Maul walked two more steps into the room and looked around for anything he could eat besides whatever she was cooking. "I want some food," he said finally, looking at her back. He could see the smile forming on her face and this time he gave her the snarl. "I grew tired of waiting for you to bring it to me."
"I do have a life outside serving you," she said, opening a wall cabinet to take out a second plate. She walked past him and set it on the table across from the other plate. She went back to the simmering pot and pointed to the table with the long spoon. "You can sit down, can't you?"
Maul didn't make a move until she brought the pot to the table and rested it on a round mat. What he thought to be some sort of soup was actually something much different. It seemed to be a stew of some sort with a pasta-like substance, chunks of white meat mixed in a yellowish sauce. Again, it didn't look very appetizing, but knowing how the last meals were he had a feeling with a pot full of it in front of him he'd be going after seconds.
He sat down, his eyes watching her scoop a few spoonfuls into his bowl and putting it in front of him. She served herself, and then abandoned the table to go into the cooling compartment; she pulled out a frosted glass filled with the same pink drink he had been given the day before.
"I'd let it warm up a bit before drinking it," she told him as she sat down and poured herself a green drink from a pitcher already on the table, "if you drink right after taking it out of the cooler you'll give your tongue frostbite."
The Sith said nothing as he started to eat, paying no attention to the girl or the strange creature to the side of him. He wasn't surprised this time when the taste buds in his mouth approved of what he was eating. He couldn't help but keep it going, his stomach already having begged him to do something about the emptiness.
He was almost finished before he glanced up at the girl who took only a few bites. She was staring at him, and his eyes became cold with the look of astonishment on her face. He put her expression to the side, however, and finished the remaining bits in his bowl, then proceeded to take a large gulp of the pink drink.
"Want more?" she asked out of nowhere.
Maul looked at her warningly, but pushed the dish towards her. She gave him another decent sized helping and he wasted no time filling his mouth again. This time he drank some of the pink stuff after every few bites, which only made him enjoy it more.
As he was eating, he sensed the tension in the creature's mind. It was staring him down like he was something vile and hateful. He could hear the nails scratching away at the fruit in its hands. Then, barely without warning, the strange furry thing pitched the half eaten fruit across the table, aiming it at Maul's head. His eyes darted up, his head tilted to the side, and his hand came up and snatched the fruit out of the air with his good hand.
The creature took that moment to lunge off the chair and run out of the room and down the hall. Naturri sat still, mouth slightly open, but she closed it quickly. He turned the half eat piece of food over in his red hands and then tossed it to the sink in the kitchen. Once again he began to eat as if nothing happened.
"You are a Jedi," Naturri said as-a-matter-of-factly.
"I am not," Maul replied simply. He didn't look up until he said, "And don't disgust me with such a tag. I am much more powerful than a Jedi."
Naturri raised an eyebrow that Maul paid no attention to. He began to stare her down as he took another silent slurp of his drink. "There's nothing better than a Jedi."
"Untrue," he said. "What makes you think such things?"
"The way you tried to choke me or perhaps the incident that happened about two minutes ago—the one where you instantly caught what my yeknom threw at you?"
Maul frowned and finished off the drink after taking the last spoonful of stew. "And how do you figure that's what a Jedi does?"
"I've met a few in the past," she told him. "I've seen what they can do. And you, my friend, have those abilities. I know you do."
"Perhaps," he said. "But I'm not a Jedi."
"Then what are you?" Naturri insisted.
Maul gave her an aggravated look. "A Sith Lord."
Naturri scoffed. "Impossible. The Sith have been gone for thousands of years."
"If you don't believe me just try my lack of patience." He began to stand up before he was pestered by anymore annoying questions.
The girl did the same, moving to the side of the table. "If you're a Sith then why are you here?"
"You tell me," he said as he started for the hall.
"Yes, I found you," she said, "but I mean what happened that you landed on this planet?"
"It doesn't concern you," he said as he walked as quickly as he could at the moment to get away from her. He already broke his rules of ignoring her; he wasn't about to tell her he lost to what he loathed.
"They're lightsaber wounds, aren't they?" She asked stopping in the hall.
Maul stopped, his back still turned to her. He felt her take a few steps closer to him, but he made no move. She knows, he thought to himself; that little bitch figured it out. She's smarter than I gave her credit for. Master Sidious was right about underestimating those who appeared weak.
He turned to her shortly, barely glancing at her face. "What makes you so sure?" He questioned just to satisfy himself that he's not jumping to conclusions that she knows of his fight with a Jedi…and lost.
Naturri walked down the hall until she was only an arm's length from him. She looked up at him, her face soft and non-judgmental. "The way your skin is burned around the cuts. I'm guessing by a Jedi because they're the only ones that carry those weapons."
Maul wanted to strangle her again, but he held himself back. He didn't like it when people acted all-knowing around him…even Master Sidious after a certain point. "Yes," he said shortly. "I did fight with a Jedi. Now that you know, you can find something else to do with your evening." With that he left her to stand in the hall by herself. He made his way over to the bed and sat down on the side. He looked at his red hands marked over with jagged black lines. Being here, being like this, Maul felt useless. He needed to force himself to train, no matter how much it might hurt. He'd done it before—he had been pushed beyond his body's limit. There was no reason why he couldn't manage it now. All he had to do was get back to his ship to see what resources were left there.