Constructive criticism is welcome! If you have a suggestion for a story, feel free to ask or send a purrgil with a message (PM). Do note that my process for choosing to write a story is unique, and factors in a lot of things. So I may not be able to do it, but I'll give it a shot.
May The Force Be With you,
Ezra/Spectre 6/Blueberry
Of all the kriffing places, Tatooine! Maul's anger had risen ten fold before he even landed. He had spent so long looking at more beautiful, populated planets, assuming Kenobi would be hiding out there and at least enjoying himself. It was the biggest insult, the biggest slap in the face, that he was here. He could sense him. Kenobi was calm. Calm? He had to have known Maul was there, so why calm? The orange glow of a fire was in sight, and Maul could hear crackling. Walking even faster, he made his way to the fire, and spotted him. There Kenobi sat, facing him, albeit not looking at him. "Kenobi!" Maul yelled as he stormed the little camp, now standing feet from his target. "I have waited so long for this moment!"
Whether it was a slight disrespect, he didn't hear him immediately, or he was purposely drawing it out, Obi-Wan took his time to respond. His head slowly inched up to meet Maul's eyes.
For what felt like hours, the old rivals stared at one another, trying to read each other. "Stand up and fight!" Maul impatiently said, not wasting any time.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "What will that achieve?" He asked. "There's nothing left for us to fight for. You no longer have masters, and I don't have an Order."
Maul's nose twitched. "I have my revenge to get!" he screamed, venom laced in his voice. "You took my legs, you ruined my life!"
Obi-Wan didn't move. "I didn't do anything but defend myself and my master."
"and look how that went." Maul smirked. "Lost your master and couldn't even avenge his death! Some Jedi."
"If your anger didn't blind you so much, you'd understand the teachings of the Jedi. I am angry for the loss of my master, but revenge is not the way. In the end, my master is one with the Force, and his sacrifice helped get the galaxy to where it is now." He said
"and look where it is!" Maul continued to taunt. "We are all screwed. So much for that prophecy."
Obi-Wan raised an eye, surprised by that statement. He had always assumed Maul knew very little. "How much about it did you actually know?"
Maul stared at him, annoyed that Kenobi would rather talk. 'I'll humor him...for now.' Reluctantly, Maul allowed himself to sit. He'd of preferred to finish this fight now, but Kenobi wasn't going to let it happen, and Maul refused to kill him while he just sat there. "My master told me there was a boy on Tatooine who would fulfill his ultimate plan of eradicating the Jedi. He didn't tell me any specifics, and I didn't care. I learned more about the prophecy in its fullest on my own."
Even now, it still hurt Obi-Wan to know that Anakin's fate had been sealed from the beginning. His admission did raise a concern. "If your master knew of Anakin and the outcome, that means you were never meant to return." He stated.
It felt like every muscle seized from anger - anger at Darth Sidious and himself for not being smarter, for not doing better to protect himself. He wasn't stupid, there was a way for him to of avoided the outcome..right?
Obi-Wan took the silence as him understanding, and assumed Maul was lost in his own thoughts. "I still don't know how you survived our initial encounter, but I must say I'm impressed, even if your will to live was ill placed in revenge."
"What else would there be to look forward to?" He growled. "I was a Sith, a warrior, a killer with no other usable traits!" 'Not like I chose to survive being cut in half.' He thought bitterly.
Obi-Wan started to open his mouth.
He saw Kenobi about to talk and cut him off. "If you mention I could've become a Jedi, I will pull you onto this fire."
"Fair enough." Obi-Wan said with a slight chuckle. "Why does your anger seem to be the only thing in life that keeps you going? I've encountered plenty of other Sith who have anger on their side, but they are also level headed and have multiple agendas. Your anger seems to completely consume you, to the point of not even thinking properly."
"I..I don't know what the answer is that you're looking for. I was raised from a young age into the dark side. Arguably, even some of Mother Talzin's methods were influential of that. I've never lived a normal life as others have. Fighting and anger are all I've ever known. It's who I am, who I forever will be."
"That's not true. You could stop this vendetta and go attempt a happy life." He almost mentioned a wife and family, but stopped when the memory of Satine dying flashed by. Deep down his anger over her death started to resurface, but he brushed it off, keeping it at bay. What's done was done, even if a part of him still wanted to avenge her.
"You're kidding yourself, Jedi. Can you go live a happy life right now? Exactly, look at you now. The mighty Jedi Master forced to hide out on some shitty planet because you're being hunted." Maul laughed.
Obi-Wan had a sly grin. "Who said I was here hiding?" Given their age and how things were in the galaxy, Obi-Wan wasn't concerned about Maul trying anything with Luke. It was far too late for Maul's plans.
Maul thought about his response, trying to decipher it. He thought back to when they discussed Anakin Skywalker...and it clicked. "He's here?!" Maul asked. "Why is this karking planet so significant? Why not Naboo? Why not Coruscant? Where is he?"
"There's no point in telling you." Obi-Wan said. "Nothing is to be gained from the son of Skywalker."
Maul wanted to argue, but he reluctantly agreed. What would his son provide for Maul at this point? Sure, he could try and train him to overthrow his father and Sidious, but what was the point? Maul was not willing to risk his life over some kid who might not even have the same strength as his father. "Does the boy even know of his powers?" Maul inquired.
Obi-Wan stared into the fire, contemplating. "No, and that's how it's going to be for a while."
"Haven't learned your lesson from Vader, huh?" Maul sneered. "If memory serves, he was much older than your Jedi's typical students when they are taken in. Now his son is even older and you're planning to train him." He laughed. "First Skywalker and now his son, are you that desperate to die by your student's hand?"
Obi-Wan looked up at Maul after his comment, then looked to his legs. He badly wanted to make snarky comeback, but instead decided to stay peaceful. "There is hope within that boy, hope of bringing back the Order and taking down the Sith - the very same Sith who betrayed you."
"You said there was nothing to be gained from this kid, now you say there's hope of the pathetic Jedi coming back?" Maul scoffed. "Why would you want to bring back such a corrupt thing? Even you of all people have to know there is truth to that."
Obi-Wan was one of the many Masters and council members who followed the Code to a T. He did have an interest in Satine Kryze during The Clone Wars, but nothing ever came of it, and looking back now, even if she had lived the outcome would've remained - he wouldn't of acted. It was humorous. Qui-Gon had been unorthodox, and considered by many as a Gray Jedi, yet despite their countless missions and time together, Obi-Wan didn't pick up on the middle ground that his master walked. With all that was said and done, Obi-Wan could see the flaws that led to the demise of the Order, he saw the flaws that had turned them into machines. "The Order had its issues, but it wasn't corrupt. We didn't allow ourselves to be taken by the dark side as you did."
Maul rolled his eyes. "You can't be taken by something if you embrace it. Your blind loyalty to good and peace, to the Republic, helped in your downfall. I didn't know of the purge, but even I could see that that loyalty was dangerous. All you had to do was open your eyes and accept that you Jedi weren't always right."
"I guess we're both blind." Obi-Wan said. "We were blind to the growing threat of our own army, and you were blind to your master's plan of betraying you." He stared at Maul, thinking of his next words. "Regardless of how this ends, was all of it worth it?" He asked.
Maul opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He wanted his answer to be yes, that Kenobi's death would be worth all of it, but given everything that had happened to Maul, and the state his body was in now, he was having doubts. Sidious had instilled how vital Maul was for the demise of the Jedi, and Maul ate it up. In reality, Maul was not going to be a part of that demise, he wasn't going to be a key factor. No, Maul would be long gone - most likely dead. If not, at least he'd be out of Sidious's way so he could finish getting his ultimate apprentice. He still believed heavily in the dark side and the powers it granted him, but his loyalty to Sidious had long since dwindled. Even What good for Maul had come out of this? Did Maul gain anything? No, in fact he lost everything. His brother, his legs, his life. "No." Maul said in a solemn tone. "It wasn't worth it, but this is where we are now. "
"If none of it was worth it, then why must be finish this?" Obi-Wan asked. He didn't see a need to do this, nor did he want to end an older man's life for no reason other than revenge.
"This.. rivalry has been embedded into us, there is no removing it, there's no changing. I've spent far too much time, sacrificed far too much to just throw it all away now that you're a mere few feet away." Maul stood up, grabbing the half of his dual bladed lightsaber that he managed to salvage. "Enough stalling. This ends now, Kenobi." The hiss of his lightsaber was loud in the quiet of the night, the crimson blade adding more light to the surrounding area.
Obi-Wan sighed sadly, and stood up, taking out his own saber. "It didn't have to end this way." He said before the hiss from his saber was heard.