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Darth Maul, feeling as if he betrayed his cause, left the human to her sleeping the next morning. If it hadn't been for her blurting out for him to stay a while longer, he probably would've found himself traveling in space with no means of supplies. He recalled having little left when he arrived on Naboo those few weeks ago, but most of what he kept aboard was used when he was forced to stay on Tatooine for more than one day when he started the last mission given by Darth Sidious.
Without hesitation, Maul dressed himself and took Naturri's landspeeder back to Tyrena where he'd find what he needed. During the trip though, he thought about her. He cursed himself for being overtaken like that. It wasn't like him to lose his self control. Physical pleasures were never a necessity to him, unless it was pushing his body beyond its limit in combat training to prove that he was better than any living creature. Yet she had found a way to pull him out of that ego.
Dawn brushed over the land quickly and Maul found himself wondering what the human would think when she found she lay alone in the bed. He figured she'd be more than happy when he returned—he had no use for her speeder other than transporting him to and from the city, therefore he'd bring it back.
Maul drove past the shop he had bought the parts for his Infiltrator from, going down the next street where he recalled a produce mart while making his way to the Setting Moon club the previous day. As he expected the streets were already littered with the variety of peoples, most of them walking around like there was no one else in the universe. He spotted what he wanted, though and parked on in front. The people leaving the front doors immediately looked up and gave him a concerned gaze, but he pushed them aside with the Force and shook his head at the easiness of such a task.
Inside he quickly gathered what he needed for any further trips in the galaxy, although going to Naboo wouldn't be very far. He had a feeling he'd be heading to Coruscant next, but he wanted to be prepared for any trip following. He purchased a dozen food capsules along with some spare medical supplies—Force only knew that at his rate of luck he might need it.
It had only been an hour or so since he had left, but as soon as Maul was finished with his business in Tyrena he was on his way back to the shore. He'd drop off the speeder and make his departure to the Infiltrator; then he'd be back on course to find the Jedi and confront his master of his failure in capturing the Queen of Naboo.
At least that was the plan when he returned. When he entered the door he heard stiffened sniffles coming from the sitting area. He frowned, his eyes searching for the creator of the noise and probed the room for any sign of something different. Finding no one out of the ordinary was there, Maul turned to find Naturri curled in the corner of the room, tears dripping out of her eyes and her face red from crying.
"What's going on here?" He asked, pulling her to her feet with only one hand on her arm. Naturri coughed and leaned closer to him, but Maul made no point to comfort her. Instead he pushed her into the nearby chair and demanded the same question.
Naturri took several deep breaths before answering, but even then her voice stuttered. "As soon as you left, they barged in here…I thought it was you. I heard you leaving, so I got up…but then the door started to open and I came in to great you…and…"
"Stop your pathetic crying," Maul snapped. "Who do you mean?"
Naturri didn't answer. Maul knelt down and shook her shoulders to make her speak. She looked at him, her blood-shot eyes trying desperately to avoid his. "Answer me!"
"The men from yesterday…rather a few of their friends…"
Maul snarled openly and stood up, his hand pulling the lightsaber free from his belt.
"Maul, don't!" Naturri called out as she jumped to her feet. Darth Maul took a few steps forward, but Naturri grabbed his arm and held it tightly. "Please! Don't do it!"
"They'll pay for their intrusion," Maul snapped. "I do not tolerate such scum."
"Please!" Naturri begged, more tears flowing from her eyes. She yanked on the fabric of his tunic, trying to stop him, but he kept moving towards the exit. "I beg you! Don't kill them!"
"Why?" Maul yelled at her, turning about and looking down at her with such anger that it could've killed her at the speed of light if he focused on it. "You allow such men to come to your door, demand what they want and you willingly give it to them! You're weak and pathetic and I will not tolerate such insolence!"
"You can't kill them!" She hollered, but he quickly shoved her back where she stumbled and fell to the floor.
Maul calmed himself and turned away from her helpless form sitting on the floor. Her crying softened now that he made his point. "Watch me," he said and left it at that as he left.
Darth Maul searched the area, squinting his eyes in the mid-morning sun to focus on the land ahead. The dark side picked up his enemy and told him that they were not far ahead. Maul figured that the men—four of them—must have left when they heard his speeder approaching. He became angry with himself for not sensing their presence as he got closer to the little house, for he was much too preoccupied with leaving the planet.
Abandoning any quick thoughts of moving towards the speeder to catch them, Maul darted forward into a full-out run. Not only would he get the satisfaction of killing someone for a reason, but he would also have a brief chance of stretching his legs. The Force gave him the pressure he needed to run faster than anyone could dream of; anyone looking would only see a flash of black streaking across, having no chance of making his form out.
Maul smiled when he started gaining on the men on their easy-going speeder-bikes. They were making a slow escape—that would be their downfall. As soon as he was close enough Maul's hand shot out and the dark side tipped all four bikes over, the men flying to the ground. They all looked up and shot a nervous glance at the approaching Sith Lord.
A smile broke Maul's lips and before the men knew it he was upon them. He leapt into the air with a double-somersault, his duel-ended lightsaber coming to life on both ends to shoot more fear into his enemies' hearts. They yelled out, one falling where he stood and holding his arms up in defense…as if he had a chance to block any attack.
Maul landed in front of him, his lightsaber coming down to slice both arms off, then bringing the other end of his blade up to sever the creature's neck. The head rolled off and Maul leapt to his next victims. Two men darted away together, one running for his life and not looking back, but the other taking the time to turn and shoot a blaster at the upcoming menace. Maul snickered and repelled the blast back, aiming it perfectly at the man's back and getting him down easily. The next man was in close enough range for Maul to extend his arm and surge the end of the lightsaber through the man's body. The creature paused suddenly in his tracks and slumped down soon after.
Only one remained and Maul would take pleasure in slowly killing this one. The coward had stumbled several times in his footing, but even though he had regained his running abilities, he hadn't gotten very far. Once again, Maul called towards the Force, freezing his enemy in mid-escape. As he casually walked over to the fear-filled human, Maul turned him around so the fool could see death as it approached. Maul snickered, but then turned his face into the most evil expression that automatically came to him as he stopped in front of the human.
"Please! I beg you!" he cried as he helplessly hung in Maul's Force-grasp.
"Beg for a swift slaughter," Maul said as he twirled the lightsaber behind him to his other hand. "Die."
Within a flash, in a movement so quick no one could've seen it without recording it and slowing the image down, Maul's lightsaber struck the man in three places—cutting off both legs, severing his mid-section, and then neck. The parts fell to the ground and Maul kicked the head that rolled towards his foot.
His task was complete. At last he felt his body feeling normal again; the easy kill was enough to get him back on his feet from a longer-than-usual healing process. Deactivating his lightsaber, Maul looked around at his kills. Three human men and Twi'lek…in fact, Maul recognized him to be the same one that entered the parts shop in Tyrena who quickly turned around at the sight of the stranger at the counter.
Thinking no more of the scene, Maul walked at a normal pace back to where he left Naturri. He figured she would've calmed down by now, probably greet him in a way that he'd be pleased with for killing her attackers. Naturally her attempt to dissuade him from killing the worthless idiots was only because she wasn't thinking clearly and wanted him to stay with her instead.
Upon returning, though, he didn't receive the greeting he expected. Naturri had picked up the few things that had fallen over from the attack, but that was all. She sat in the chair he had tossed her to, her legs curled up with her knees at her chest. Maul frowned at the sight of her and the lack of eye-contact.
"Stand up and get over it," he told her. "They're dead. You need not worry anymore about them."
Naturri closed her eyes, her face cringing as if she was about to let lose another flood of tears. "You don't understand," she said softly.
Maul didn't respond to her question. Instead he went over to her and pulled her to her feet where she buried her face into his chest and clung to the fabric that covered his biceps. Maul looked down at her, and then shoved her away again. "You show vulnerability," he said, but thought better of pursuing the subject.
Instead he moved to the cooling compartment and pulled out a pitcher of water and filled a glass. He held it in front of her and after a short moment she took it. "Why did those men come here?"
Naturri sighed and took a sip, trying desperately to calm herself. "The man that came after me yesterday sent them…because you attacked them at the club."
Maul snickered. "And if I had been myself I would've killed him too."
"I can't afford him to die," she said.
"So you can serve his hungry needs?" Maul said with hatred. "You disgust me if that's all you care about; a man like that has nothing to offer you."
"And what do you have to offer me?" She asked quickly, her eyes finally meeting his for the first time that day.
Maul's head leaned back, his eyes locked on her serious face. He snarled lightly and turned to leave. He was glad she said nothing as he went outside—if she had, he probably would've killed her.
Darth Sidious had once told Maul never to dwell on one thing; always be ready for an enemy to strike; never let your guard down…and finish what you've started. For whatever reason—something he avoided coming up with excuse for—Darth Maul defied all of those teachings. Perhaps the enemy was Naturri…a simple human that had somehow found the courage to stand up to him, to make him weak with a pitiful dance, to make him feel a lust shoveling through his stomach until that lust was fulfilled. That was probably the reason why Maul hadn't returned to the Infiltrator…why he remained on Corellia.
The remainder of the day was spent training—he did countless exercises over and over again until he became bored and almost tired. He focused his mind, concentrated on the sand until a whirlwind of dust encircled his entire body. And yet he still didn't feel better. His anger swelled and he forced it to swell more so he could feed off it and turn it into his dark power.
By sunset, though, Maul had had enough. He was tempted to leave now, forget about staying here any longer—he had lingered far too long. His master would be more than displeased with his recent performance and he knew if it were under normal circumstances he would've gotten a beating for his behavior.
Maul turned and started walking away from the open sea where he had been standing for several minutes pondering his choices. He faced the path to his ship, but his feet turned in the direction of the house. He wanted a quick glass of that kier libsa…and then he'd be off.
When he entered the kitchenette, he expected to see Naturri sitting at the table, perhaps watching him perform his exercises, but she wasn't there. He sensed she was down the hall…it was better that way. Swiftly he moved to the cooling compartment and pulled out the pitcher of the pink drink, only to find there was less than half remaining.
Pouring himself a full glass, though, Maul drank it at a steady rate. His hustle failed, however, for Naturri appeared in the doorway with a stillness and silence that surprised him. At first her eyes focused on the floor, but in a moment the looked up at him, just as he finished his drink.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, "if I disappointed you earlier."
Maul raised his brow, although he didn't think she'd be able to tell the change in his expression easily. He moved over to her reluctantly and looked down her at her. The brown eyes that shifted to meet his gaze took hold immediately and Maul could feel the lust starting to build once again. Perhaps one more night wouldn't hurt, he told himself.
Naturri must have had the same idea because she put her hands on his shoulders just before he picked her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she kissed him eagerly. Maul pushed her against the nearest wall for a moment, holding onto tightly, pushing against her with a decent amount of force.
Maul allowed curses flow through his mind, but after a moment he ignored any rational side that tried to break through—he needed on more night with her. He needed to fill a gap in his being once more, and then he'd return to the life he had lead since he was a small boy taken from his home.
Maul's tongue swept over Naturri's jaw as he carried her down the hall to her room like the previous night. Putting her down, they quickly undressed the other and soon they were experiencing the same explorations, the same feelings as they both had the previous night.
Darth Maul awoke to a dark room some several hours later. Dawn had yet to grace the planet with its presence, leaving the scene outside illuminated only by what light the moon had to provide. A small stir of the creature next to him made his eyes shift to his right. Naturri laid belly down, her head resting on his shoulder, an arm draped over his stomach. Maul was on his back, one arm trapped beneath her body, the other laying free by his side.
Lust had taken over his mind and he hadn't even tried to fight it—not hard enough, that is. He had been in the company with a couple of women before, for brief moments though, but never had he desired to spend hours with any of them. This human somehow ensnared him into her web, filling him with passion instead of hatred. He frowned at his behavior and was mildly glad his master wasn't around—otherwise there'd be hell to pay.
But now it was time to leave. He had things to do and he knew it would be a long journey before finding his quarry. Things would be almost back to normal the moment his ship left this planet. And unlike some weak minded fools, he wouldn't look back.
Maul pulled his arm from under the girl and untangled himself from her. He stood up, his balance faltering for a split second, but he gained it back quickly. His black clothes were thrown to the floor, that of which he picked up and started to dress himself in silence. He watched the human sleep, she being unaware that he's missing from her side.
Once he was back to his normal look, lightsaber securely strapped to his side, he gave the girl one last glance—and then left. He decided to leave her speeder and make his journey back to the Infiltrator on foot. It didn't take that long, but it felt good to stretch his body out before he was locked away in a cockpit until he reached Naboo.
Inside the ship, engines revving, navigation system computing the codes recently entered, Maul brought up the landing gear and the ship lifted off the ground. The Infiltrator rose into the air, slowly at first, but switching on the new thrusters boosted the engines to shoot forth into the waking sky of Corellia. In minutes Maul would be in space, the memory of the planet behind him.