THALIA

Thalia was awake before Obi-Wan. Once again, her wrists were in chains, this time, thankfully, to the ground. She sat with her back to the wall, with her legs outstretched in front of her. Obi-Wan's head rested in her lap. One of her hands supported the crown of his head with a piece of fabric she'd torn off the tattered sleeve of his robes. Savage, Maul's so-called brother, had delivered quite a crack to Obi-Wan's head with the hilt of his lightsabre but Thalia had managed to stop most of the bleeding. Her other hand rested against his chest to monitor his breathing. When she'd woken, he'd been wheezing from a punch delivered to his ribs, but after moving him onto his back, his breathing had become deeper and more even. His own wrists were in chains attached to the floor beside her.

The room they were in was completely barren. Not a piece of furniture or equipment was in sight. It was just a huge, open space full of dust and cold concrete. There was no way of telling how much time had passed or even what day it was. Thalia had been taken by Maul at least four days ago, judging by her patchy sleeping patterns.

She heard Obi-Wan sigh deeply and when she looked down at him, she saw his forehead pinched in pain. Before his eyes fluttered open, he tried to raise his hand to his head, but the chains pulled against his wrists. He started awake suddenly, and strained against the restraints. Thalia took his hand and rested it against his chest.

"It's alright." Thalia said gently as his eyes took a while to focus, finally locking onto hers.

"Are you alright?" He asked groggily.

"I'm fine." She assured him as he made to sit up. "You were hit in the head. I healed it as best I could, but you should rest."

He pushed himself up, so he was sitting beside her, his eyes squeezed shut to dispel the wave of dizziness. "What happened?" He asked.

"Well, I watched Savage throw you through a wall and the next thing I remember is waking up here." Thalia answered, casting Obi-Wan a sideways look. "You still shouldn't have come."

"I was never going to leave you." He said and then turned to her with such a look of sadness and guilt that it had alarm sparked inside Thalia. "Thalia, I cannot begin to apologise for getting you involved with this. I thought Maul was dead."

"I do not blame you. This isn't your fault." Thalia assured him.

"He's only using you because you and I are close." He sighed and shook his head. "By returning to Troska I lead him straight to you."

"I wouldn't change a thing, Obi-Wan. Even if I knew this was going to happen, seeing you again was worth all of this, tenfold." She said and knew that this might be her only chance to say what had been weighing on her heart for so long. "When I saw you again… I'll never forget the feeling. I've missed you, so much. I won't lose you again."

Despite his blow to the head, Obi-Wan's eyes were clear and focused on her. For only a moment, his eyes dropped to the ground before he lifted them again, a look of purpose on his face. "Despite this war, there aren't many things in life I regret. But not returning sooner is by far my greatest. I never imagined this war would drag on for fifteen years when I made you that promise…But I still intend to keep it."

The weight of those words didn't entirely settle over Thalia at first. Perhaps she thought she was hearing things, but when Obi-Wan reached over and wrapped is hand around hers, it felt as though Thalia's stomach had dropped away. When he held her hand, a feeling of perfect calm washed over her. As if everything was right and balanced, like there was nothing in the world she could not overcome with Obi-Wan beside her.

His gaze was impossibly soft, but Thalia could sense his hope that she felt the same way. She took a moment to pull herself together and placed her free hand over the top of his.

"There is nothing anyone could ever say that could possibly bring me more joy. Never have I wanted something more." Thalia smiled softly despite her heart, which was leaping with joy. "I love you, Obi. I always have."

The Jedi beside her stilled. He seemed to be wrestling with what to say. Thalia had a feeling she knew what was going on inside her mind. He was afraid of speaking the words he'd been taught his whole life he could never say. The words that were always associated with the attachment, fear, hate… the dark side. But how could this feeling be evil?

"I…never once stopped loving you." Obi-Wan finally replied, his voice barely above a whisper. As if saying them was breaking a law.

Thalia felt like she was melting. She was very aware of how close they were. Their shoulders were pressed together, their legs nearly touching and their faces so close she could feel Obi-Wan's breath on her cheek. She swallowed dryly as his eyes slowly dropped to her lips and she became instantly infatuated with the look of his half-lidded eyes.

"Finally." Suddenly cried a loud voice and Thalia started away from Obi-Wan in fright. She hadn't heard the door open, nor had she noticed Savage Opress lurching into the room. "You're awake."

He lumbered over to them and unlocked first Thalia's chains from the ground and then Obi-Wan's. Holding tightly to the manacles, he dragged the pair to their feet and lead them like dogs on leashes out of the room.

"We'll be alright." Obi-Wan said beside her, his eyes imploring.

"I know." Thalia assured him. Whatever may come, nothing could disrupt the joy and love that had filled her heart.

They were dragged into the control room of the outpost, where Maul sat languidly on one of the dusty chairs. Savage threw Obi-Wan onto the ground in front of the monster, while he dragged Thalia over to Maul and forced her to her knees beside him.

"Your noble flaw is a weakness shared by you…and your Queen." Maul began and waved his hand in Thalia's direction. She jolted suddenly as she felt her windpipe close. She grabbed at her throat as Maul used the force to block her airway and lift her off the ground.

Obi-Wan went to lunge forward, but Savage grabbed him by his hair and shoved him back down to the ground. Thalia opened her mouth to breathe but no air went in. Fear sparked inside her.

"You should have joined the Dark Side, Master Jedi." Maul continued, smiling dangerously. "Your emotions betray you." He goaded. "Your fear…and yes, your anger."

"Let you anger deepen your hatred." Maul growled as Obi-Wan glared at him, still restrained by the iron grip of Savage. White stars began to dance in front of Thalia's eyes as she tried to gulp in air.

"It takes strength to resist the Dark Side. Only the weak embrace it." He spat. Thalia had never seen him look so angry.

"It is more powerful than you know." Maul continued as tears began to fall down Thalia's face and the corners of her vision went black and murky.

"And those who oppose it are more powerful than you will ever be." Obi-Wan replied, his voice dangerously calm.

"You think you know me?" Maul snarled. "It was I who languished for years, thinking of nothing but you. Nothing but this moment. And now the perfect tool for my vengeance is in front of us." He said, waving his hand at Thalia who was beginning to turn white. "I never planned on killing you. But I will make you share me pain, Kenobi."

As Thalia's hands clutched at her throat, her fingers brushed over the Kyber Crystal ring she still war. Focus. She heard her own voice say inside her head. It was clear and calm. Focus. It said again. Despite her lack of oxygen, she watched as Maul ignited his lightsabre and as if everything was suddenly moving at half speed, she saw his hand fly towards her and felt the force pull her fowards. He brought his lightsabre in a wide arc and drove it towards Thalia. She listened to the voice. Focus. She focused on the Kyber energy flowing through her veins.

She felt the blade pierce her middle, but she felt no pain. She cried out at the shock, but there was no blood, no smell of burning flesh. The blade had passed right through her without doing any damage.

Obi-Wan cried out in horror as she hung in the air, impaled upon Maul's lightsabre. He leered at the Jedi as he wrenched the blade from her middle and dropped his hand, sending her dropping to the floor. Still. The voice in her head said and she listened to it. Without moving a muscle, she let herself fall to the ground like a ragdoll, her nose making a ghastly crack as it collided with the concrete floor.

"No." She heard Obi-Wan whimper as he wrenched himself away from Savage and hurled himself to the floor beside her. She felt his arms around her as he lifted her off the floor and held her to him. "Thalia." He gasped, running a hand over the side of her face as she allowed her eyes to stare, half open, at the ceiling. From what she could see of his face, Obi-Wan looked so distraught that she wanted nothing more than to tell him that she was pretending and that she was perfectly fine. He lifted one of her hands up to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles before gathering her in his arms once more.

"I will love you, always." She heard him whisper into her hair before gently laying her on the ground. He let his hand drift over her face one more time before carefully lowering his fingers over her eyelids, closing them and leaving Thalia in darkness.

"Do we kill him now, brother?" She heard Savage ask.

"No." Came Maul's cool reply. "Restrain him again. Take him away to rot. Let him drown in his misery."

Thalia heard shuffling beside her and Obi-Wan's hand quickly disappeared from her face as Savage yanked him to his feet. She heard the sound of footsteps growing fainter, but could still sense the presence of Maul.

A clanking sound met her ears, and she knew he was standing over her. She felt something sharp, cold and metallic press against her face; one of Maul's clawed feet no doubt. The mechanics turned her head, letting it roll to the other side as Sith inspected his kill.

"Weak." He growled, and then the metal claw left her face. Thalia heard Maul stalk out of the room and then she was alone. And she was alive.