The heart of the Scimitar is quiet and filled with seething anger. Maul knew his quarry was nearby; but needing more information before he went after the Jedi and the Queen, so he waits. His Master had warned him of an 'anomaly' in the Force and ordered him to be cautious. The recordings from Naboo were sparse but showed a woman trained in the Force. She looked casual and confident even with her lack of clothes and weapons. She was a predator. But even predators were prey to a Sith Lord.
A light starts to flash on the console. One of his droids was returning; the only reason he wasn't watching the droid live was to limit the chances that someone could find him out here. Lowering the ramp and walking down into the chill night air to await it. The small black droid barely visible as it comes to him. Showing him images of the Jedi Master and Queen in a small hut and blue flash drawing the droids attention to see the pale woman stunning someone in the back area before looking right at the droid as the droid rushed off at top speed. Walking towards Bloodfin to start making a run for Mos Espa to cut them off, his anticipation raising at the chance to best a Jedi Master.
A loud high-pitched whine tickles at his ears and stops his preparation. An engine, a powerful one, and growing closer…
Taking a pair of macrobinoculars, he gazes towards the sound. Zooming in and turning the night vision on. A podracer on practically a direct path to his ship. They'd managed to track the droid to his ship, but how?
It would take several more minutes for the racer to arrive, but any attempt to leave on the Bloodfin, might draw the racers attention. Maul's estimation of his prey goes up a notch. A sacrifice play to buy time for the Queen, and without him knowing exactly where their ship was, his search near Mos Espa would take time. If he tried to launch the Scimitar the racer would get here before the engines could fully warm up from a cold-start. Add in a fight now, and the odds of the Queen leaving were high. Pulling his lightsaber into his hands but leaving it unlit he awaits the thorn in his side.
The Podracer slows as it nears the rear of his ship, coming to a stop out of range of being able to leap upon her. The pilot dismounting, the tall and lithe form of the anomaly clear as she slowly unwraps the scarf from her head. Blueish silver skin and ice blue eyes meet red and black skin with yellow eyes. She's wary and cautious but determined. The hand at her hip already unholstering the blaster, he lets her shoot.
Three shots fly as his lightsaber ignites its brilliant red, three deflections. Her shots were placedwell, targeting places he could block, but not easily send back her way. She knows how to fight Force users.
Running towards the woman he builds up momentum to leap at her, taking to the air. She shoots again, her shots again placed to force his leap off-target if he was to block them all. Landing beside her and slashing downwards, he then rolls as the Force barely warns him of a blaster shot coming into his side. She'd rolled with his strike and used his lightsaber as a blindspot.
Shuffling back Maul grips her blaster with the Force, and pulls. He expects her to fight and resist it, to get a feel for her strength in the Force. He doesn't expect his lightsaber tearing from his hand and hurtle into the comms relay on the underside of his ship buried to the hilt. Snarling at the woman, his hand reaching back to summon his blade. But no time.
She is upon him. Fists and feet flying, denying both of them their strengths. No time to breathe just react to each other. No time for distance, denying him his strength with no room to work yet slippery enough to avoid a grapple. Feeling her ribs crack under his shin, his leg popping out of socket as she wrenches it after that impact. It's become a brawl, no skill or technique, just pure body against body. An elbow to his temple makes him see stars as he just reacts and sends her flying with the Force, slamming into the side of the Scimitar.
Picking herself off the ground using his ship to support her, as with a sickening crack he resets his leg. Watching each other with wariness. She fights dirty, far dirtier than he'd expected. Her gaze also assessing him. Even as she struggles to breathe, her eyes show a quiet success. Even if he kills her here, she's won and they both know it. He's not in any condition to go after the Queen when she has two Jedi protecting her. That frustration and anger build up a second wind as he pulls his lightsaber to him with a snarl and ignites both blades. A loud howl of engines draws the fights particpants gaze, the Queen's silver ship reflecting starlight as it turns.
"CALLERA!" Their ship swinging by with its gangway open, Qui-Gon catching Maul by surprise and tossing him towards the podracer with the Force. "COME ON!" She runs and leaps gracefully as Maul picks him self up, glaring at her. She gives him a tired smirk and a wave of her hand. He watches stunned as the podracer flies into the Scimitar's engines, fouling them with the impact.
He'd been beaten. Yelling into the night in frustration, he pulls the droid that had been followed to him. Intent on pulling it apart with his bare hands. There's something on the back, bringing his fingers to his nose he sniffs. Blood. Her Blood. Bloodtrace. He'd just fought a Nightsister.
******
"Ramp's closed! Get us out of here!" Qui-Gon's voice resonating through the ship. The ships answering thrum and shaking through the atmosphere.
Qui-Gon kneels beside Callera's beaten form, "How bad are you hurt?"
"He cracked my ribs," Callera grits out through clenched teeth, "and my bruises have bruises, but I'll live."
"And Maul?"
"Probably a concussion, dislocated leg, some fractures, and enough bruises that he'll be all black for a while."
"You took a big risk." His words steady and non-judgemental
"I did," she agrees with a wheeze, "but I did what I set out to do, buy time and get a measure of him."
"Your thoughts?"
Before she can answer a sandy blonde missile wraps his arms around her, causing her to hiss in pain. "Watch the ribs!"
Anakin leaps off her in shock. "Sorry! But, I was so worried I'd never see you again, you'd been trying to help me and risked everything, and not able to thank you would be…"
"Breathe Anakin, breathe." Trying not to chuckle at the anxious child-babble. "I told you I'd make it back if I could. And it appears the Queen decided, she wasn't done with me."
Padme comes up to the group with a nod. "You've done everything in your power to help her, she wouldn't abandon you after that."
Tilting her head in acknowledgement of the implied secret as she slowly stands up. Ruffling Anakin's hair with the hand that's not holding her ribs before shuffling towards the repair bay. "Is the Hyperdrive ready?"
Padme chimes in, "They need about ten more minutes, but after what you did to that hunter we know he can't pursue us."
"I'm going to lay down and rest for a bit. We can start talking next steps in a little while, we have a few days before we can reach Courscant."
"I think the crew won't mind if you appropriate a bunk instead of the maintenance bay after what just happened."
"Pass my thanks to them and the Queen then."
"Rest well Callera, the Force knows you need it."
"Thank you, Master Qui-Gon, the Forces knows we all need it."