Disguised as a cargo ship, bearing the markings of the Empire, Kenobi and his crew entered the atmosphere of Coruscant, immediately being hailed by planet security.
"Please state destination." The pleasant female voice stated over the comm.
"Naboo cargo ship requesting landing permit."
"A few more hours, and you boys would have been late." Came the abrupt reply.
"For...?" The communications ensign, as well as Kenobi andthe rest of hiscrew were a bit confused.
"For the wedding, of course! Head 5.4 to docking station three." The cheerful voice ended its transmission.
Donning flowing dark brown hooded robes to disguise themselves and their weapons, the band of pirates exited the ship and walked the streets of Coruscant, in hopes of finding the location of the wedding.
Jarell leaned close to his captain as they walked. "Just how are we supposed to find her?"
"Follow the crowds." Kenobi stated simply.
The marriage of Prince Maul and the Naboo princess was the social event of the decade. Crowds of citizens were flooding the streets and airways, all heading toward the Sith Temple. Although they would not be allowed entrance, they were determined to stand or hover in front of the building, hoping to get a glimpse of the Prince and his new bride. Obi-Wan and his men simply mingled in with the crowd.
The huge gathering stopped in front of a massive building with five spheres jutting from its block style base. It was a massive and impressive structure, and Obi-Wan had the strange feeling as if he had seen it before, but that was crazy. He had never been on Coruscant before.
Jarell was once more mumbling in his ear. "And just how are we supposed to get in there? Knock on the front door?"
Obi-Wan was silent and Jarell's eyebrows raised at the captain's statement. "On the right side of the building is an entrance. That's where we need to go. And don't ask me how I know. I just do."
Jarell didn't reply and Obi-Wan turned to look at his friend. "Trust me."
Jarell nodded suspiciously and the group of brown robed men discreetly moved through the crowd to the far side of the building. Approaching what appeared to be a servant entrance, they were met by two imperial guards carrying heavy blasters. Jarell quickly gripped his own, but was stopped by Kenobi's hand on his arm. He watched in amazement as the captain approached the two guards and began speaking to them with a low but forceful command.
"We're waiters for the wedding reception. You will let us pass."
After a short hesitation, one of the guards murmured his reply, sounding very distracted and monotone. "We will let you pass." The guards moved from the doorway and allowed all fourteen of the pirates to enter the Temple.
Once Jarell had gotten over his shock at the ease of their entrance, he caught up with Kenobi once more. "How did you do that?"
Kenobi shot a grin at him over his shoulder. "I have no idea!"
Stealthily moving through the lower level, silently eliminating several more white armored guards, the pirates made their way to a large foyer and stood in its shadows, contemplating their next move.
"Which way now?" It was the first officer's hushed voice that broke the silence.
Obi-Wan once more stood silent, staring off into the distance, as if listening to a voice only he could hear. "That way." His hand pointed to a long hall on the opposite side of the room.
"How...? Oh forget it. You're just going to say 'Trust me' again aren't you?"
Obi-Wan simply smiled at him before motioning his crew to the opposite side of the room.
At the end of the long hall was an arched double door. Obi-Wan knew in his heart that Padmé was on the other side of it. He couldn't explain how he knew, but he just knew. It was similar to when he was involved in a fierce space battle. Sometimes he could react to an enemy's maneuver before it had even been executed. Jarell had often told him that he had a sixth sense when it came to strategy and battle tactics, but Obi-Wan knew it was more than that. It was almost like a voice was in his head telling him what to do. And sometimes that voice was so strong, it would almost transform itself into a vision, and he could almost see what was about to happen. It had occurred only a few times in the past, but now the voice was back, and it was telling him loudly and clearly that Padmé was in the room beyond these doors.
With only slight hesitation, he nodded to Jarell, who, joined by another officer, pushed the doors open. Kenobi entered quickly, hand on the blaster which hung from his side. His blood surged in his veins at the sight of Padmé sitting alone at a large vanity table, her back to him, obviously deeply involved in her own thoughts. She had not heard him enter. Her head suddenly came up though as if sensing something, or someone in the room, and she slowly turned to meet his gaze.
Her face was a mixture of emotions, the first of shock, surprise, then joy, expressed through a smile. However, the smile disappeared and her face now wore an expression of worry. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it quickly as the sound of soft thuds of footsteps filled the room. The horned, red and black creature entered throught another doorway and stopped abruptly, pulling off his outer cloak and grinning at the pirate captain who stood in his doorway. To Maul's pleasant surprise, Kenobi removed his own brown cloak and withdrew a lightsaber, immediately igniting it.
Maul grinned ferally and drew his own saber.
Kenobi took a deliberate step forward, his action mirrored by Maul, but his attention was abruptly drawn back to his crew who were suddenly under blaster attack. His momentary distraction opened the door for Maul, who came at him quickly with his red hissing lightsaber. Obi-Wan wasn't sure how he saw it coming, having had his head turned, but he had, and his blue beam met red, sparking at their contact.
Maul's sword and strength pushed relentlessly against his, shoving him back against the doorjamb. Their joined sabers sparked against his face, Maul's face contorting into a grim reddened haze. The evil voice hissed through blackened teeth, "You fool. You should have stayed on Bandomeer."
The flash of red and black tatoos, the screams of his friends and family, and the evil laughter now issuing from his opponent surged through him and Kenobi felt a sudden unexplained power. He pushed Maul away and started viciously hacking away at him, sending ferocious blows across and down upon Maul's surprised and retreating defense. But Obi-Wan was not as adept to this type of weaponry and his fury did not outmatch Maul's skill. He was soon defending himself with all the energy he possessed. A swift swirling strike by a red saber sent his own skidding across the marble floor, the breath then knocked out of him by black boots that had collided with his chest.
He was gasping for breath on the floor and looked up just in time to see a boot coming down hard upon his head. He seethed in pain as he felt the agonizing burn of Maul's saber slashing across his thigh.
He had failed, but death was a welcome destiny. It was better than living a life without Padmé. His only regret was that he couldn't have taken Maul with him so that she wouldn't suffer. But she was strong. She would survive, somehow.
The boot came off of his head and he lifted up enough to look across to where she had sat. She was now kneeling on the floor and to Obi-Wan's dismay, was holding a knife to her chest. "No." The mouthed word was a sobbed plea.
Padmé was initially thrilled to see Obi-Wan standing in the doorway, his crew behind him as usual, but fear quickly enveloped her. Not fear for herself, but fear for Obi-Wan and what Maul would do to him if he was found here. Before she could warn him, Maul was in the room and the two were battling each other with drawn laser swords. Maul soon had the upper hand and it was then that Padmé realized that Obi-Wan would be defeated. She recalled something she had spoken to him at their first meeting, words meant to threaten, about how Maul would track him down and kill him, but now that it was actually going to happen, she knew that she could not live, knowing that he was dead. She would rather die herself.
She reached down to her boot and withdrew a long thin blade, meant to be used against Maul that night following their wedding, or on herself in a worst case scenario. She had decided that one of them would die this night. Knowing now that it would be her, she felt little grief. Seeing Obi-Wan struggling for breath on the floor, Maul's menacing blade hovering over his body, she felt a wave of contentment. If she couldn't be with him in life, then they would be together in death. She smiled gently as his frantic gaze met hers.
Obi-wan reached out his hand in desperation toward her. This wasn't the way it was meant to be. She couldn't die. Not like this.
A rush of peaceful energy flooded through him and to his amazement, the knife that she had been holding was suddenly in his hand. He quickly thrust it into the thigh of Maul, who was preparing to strike the killing blow. Maul hissed in pain and anger, but only momentarily dropped his sword before raising it once more to come down hard to end their fight.
The strike never reached its goal. As if in slow motion, he heard Jarell scream and saw his first officer leap over his body, right into the path of the descending sword, taking the full length of it through his chest. Jarell clung onto Maul with a steely grip and raised his blaster to Maul's chest, firing several quick rounds. Both men collapsed onto the floor, Jarell's body still impaled on the red blade, Maul's feet jerking in spasms of his own death.
Obi-wan rushed to the bodies, reaching to pry the lightsaber from Maul's death grip, automatically switching it off, thereby releasing his first officer's body into his arms. But it was too late. Jarell was already dead.