There was nothing around him, aside from the sand. The desert was merciless, it took everything from people.

And for some reason, Maul once again found himself wandering the vast endless deserts of Tatooine, in search for the man he would call his mortal enemy.

Last time round, he was fully committed to killing him when he found him. That was until Lady Tano intervened.

Lady Tano. She was something alright. If someone had told Maul when he was starting out that one day his closest confidant would be a former Jedi, then he would have laughed in their face before cleaving them in two with his saber.

But now? Things were different.

Sure, he could argue that his alliance with Lady Tano was purely one of convenience. They were both priority targets for the empire, and both had personal grudges against Sidious.

But in spending time with her, listening to her, Maul had found something he had sought all his life.

Someone who was willing to listen. Someone he could trust.

At one point, despite his attitude towards him, Maul had thought that his brother, Savage would fill that void. But then Sidious had taken Savage from him.

And Maul had been left alone again. Even at the end of the clone wars, when he had desperately tried to hold control of Mandalore, he was still alone.

And so he had sought to find a purpose in his life, and that had been to find and kill Kenobi.

But when he had found Kenobi, Lady Tano had stopped him. Offered to help him, to be everything he wanted. And he had accepted.

He still hated Kenobi, still had to refrain from coming back to kill him. But Maul liked to think he had changed.

But when the Togruta had begun assembling a team to take down the Emperor, Maul knew they would need help against Sidious, and Kenobi also had reason to want the man dead.

So, despite his lingering hatred towards Obi-Wan Kenobi, Maul had travelled back to Tatooine in hopes of finding him and asking him to help. It was unlikely that the Jedi master would ever help him with anything, but Maul hoped that he would be willing to help their mutual friend.

Upon landing on the surface of Tatooine, Maul had reached deep into the force, searching for any presence of Kenobi. The man swam in the lightside of the force, and while Maul did not, he knew how to detect it.

During his time with the rebels, Maul had picked up more talents in the force. He was still a creature of the dark, despite not calling himself a Sith, but his exposure to individuals such as Kanan and Ezra had helped him understand both sides of the force better.

So he reached into it, trying to find some sort of lightside presence, and send it a message through the force. If the presence accepted the message, and offered their location, then Maul would head to it. If not, then they clearly did not want to be disturbed. At least this time, he was not forcing Kenobi to meet him, he was giving the Jedi the chance to say no.

Yet somehow, miraculously, the lightside presence he did detect responded, an image being sent back of a small hut in the middle of nowhere.

Using the force as a guide, Maul had set off on foot in that direction, walking for over an hour before something came into view, something that was not just flat plains of sand.

The hut from the image he was sent. This must be where Kenobi was.

Kenobi! The man that ruined everything! He could end him here and now! He could…

NO! That was not why he was here! He had risen above that now. He was stronger.

Taking a deep breath, Maul began to walk towards the hut, each step drawing him closer and closer to Kenobi.

Before he knew it, he was at what he presumed to be the front door.

Taking another breath, Maul let out a sigh, before raising his hand and knocking on the door three times.

'Since when was I so polite?' Maul thought, as he waited for an answer.

The seconds passed by slowly, anxiety kicking in for Maul. Was this hut not where he was supposed to go?

And then the door opened, and a voice spoke.

"Hello there."

Maul very nearly snarled. He very nearly ignited his lightsaber. He very nearly relapsed back into his old ways.

But rather than doing so, he closed his eyes, took yet another deep breath, and reopened them.

Before him, was Obi-Wan Kenobi, the man responsible for his condition. The man he so hated with every inch of his body. The man he had wanted to kill for so long!

Sighing again, Maul spoke. "I need to talk to you about something."

Obi-Wan's face remained stoic, betraying no emotion as to how he was feeling. Nor did his force signature.

Maul waited, expecting to be turned away. But instead, Kenobi stepped back from the door, gesturing for Maul to enter.

Rather than question, Maul did so, moving past Kenobi and entering where the man had clearly been living since the fall of the republic.

The room was somewhat empty, a few crates of materials and supplies were around, enough to ensure Kenobi's survival, but the room was still sparse. Maul knew that Jedi did not own many possession, minus their lightsaber. Clearly, Kenobi had continued that ideal even after the end of the Jedi Order.

But right now, he was not here to ogle Kenobi's home. He had a purpose.

Turning to face Kenobi, he spotted the man moving over to what Maul assumed was a kitchen. Maul watched as Kenobi took out a small cup, before seemingly pour a sizable amount of water into it, before heading over to Maul and gesturing for the Zabrak to take it.

Maul's eyes widened in surprise.

"Drink this. You'll need it after walking across the desert."

Maul hesitated. 'Is it poisoned? Had Kenobi stooped that low?'

But Obi-Wan did not relent, he merely held the cup out to Maul. The Zabrak had to admit, the liquid looked good.

So despite his reservations, Maul took the cup offered, and gulped the water down faster than he should.

As he felt the liquid enter his system, Maul spoke.

"Thank you."

Kenobi nodded in acknowledgement, before taking the cup back to the kitchen to fill it up again.

Maul would not usually be so polite, but after a run in with the rather rude and obnoxious astromech that Hera Syndulla owned, he had adopted the phrase. He had not given his gratitude to the droid once for bringing him something, and Chopper had not taken it very well, covertly deactivating the mechanism of his cybernetic legs whilst Maul slept.

Suffice to say, Maul did not have a good time when he woke up.

Kenobi returned again, once more offering a cup of water to Maul, who readily accepted it. This time round, Maul did not gulp it all down, but slowly sipped it, savouring the taste.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Kenobi questioned, his eyes burning into Maul's.

It occurred to Maul that while Kenobi had welcomed him, he was still being cautious. Maul could respect that.

Finishing off his water, and placing the cup back into Kenobi's waiting hand, Maul spoke one name.

"Ahsoka."

Obi-Wan's brow furrowed in concern. "What about her? Is she ok?"

"She's fine Kenobi, but in need of help. We've uncovered information about a weapon that can destroy planets, and Lady Tano wants to destroy it. She's forming a team to attack it despite rebel command saying otherwise."

Maul had practised what he was going to say. While most people would have been swayed by the planet destroying threat, Maul knew that Kenobi would not. He clearly had a reason for being on Tatooine, one that he would not abandon for anything less than vital.

Kenobi's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the battle station, but did not seem too fussed.

"So, why are you here then and not with her?" Kenobi inquired.

"Because she intends the face the Emperor, who will be there at the same time. She cannot do it alone. We need your help Obi-Wan."

Internally, every darkside aspect of Maul was screaming at him for asking a Jedi for help. He should destroy Kenobi.

But he restrained himself. They needed Kenobi if they were to survive.

"I can't leave Maul. I need to stay here."

Maul sighed, he had expected this. But he still had one more trick up his sleeve.

"Sidious is trying to turn her."

That got Obi-Wan's attention. His face was suddenly full of grief, as if remembering some old wound. Maul could guess what it was, but he wouldn't bring it up.

"She won't turn!" Kenobi spoke, almost in a snarl, one that surprised Maul.

Sighing, Maul replied. "Everyone can be turned Kenobi, it takes only the right amount of pressure. Lady Tano currently sits on the edge of balance. One small shift and she could go either way. Sidious knows this, and is no doubt exploiting it. When we face Sidious, he will try to turn her once and for all. I won't let that happen, and I know you won't either."

It was a risky gambit, Maul knew. But he hoped that by focusing on what Ahsoka was to Kenobi, he could gain his support.

And it was clearly working. Through the force, Maul felt a brief stab of anger from Kenobi. Anger at Sidious, for what he had done to Anakin Skywalker, and for what he intended to do to Ahsoka Tano.

"I understand you are here for a reason Kenobi, one that requires your utmost attention. But your grandpadawan is in grave danger. If we succeed in this mission, the Emperor will be dead and the empire will begin to crumble. But if we do not, there is a very real chance that the galaxy will fall before Sidious and his new apprentice, and she knows that you are here!"

Maul watched as he spoke, looking at Kenobi's face as he absorbed what Maul was saying. Kenobi's face, and specifically his eyes, were a myriad of emotions. Concern, worry, dread, fear. All unbecoming of a Jedi, but emotions that resembled a man that had lost everything.

Virtually everything. Maul hoped that Kenobi would be willing to help, to ensure he did not lose another.

"Is she really in that much danger from herself? From him?" Kenobi asked, weakly.

Maul nodded. The situation needed no further words.

The two mortal enemies remained silent for several minutes. Kenobi mulling over the revelations, and Maul waiting for an answer.

Eventually, Kenobi made some sort of gesture with his hand, as if he was trying to stop himself, and then spoke.

"Fine. I can leave, only for a while. But if we are going to face Sidious, we are going to need more help."

Maul breathed a sigh of relief. Somehow, despite the odds, despite the age old vendetta the two had against one another, Maul had convinced Kenobi to help.

"Excellent. So, where can we find this help you yours?" Maul spoke, enthusiasm coming to his voice now that the hard part was over.

"I'll tell you once we reach your ship, presuming you still have one of course?"

Maul very nearly chuckled, before gesturing to the door leading back outside. If they set off now, they would make it to the Nightbrother before dark.

"Of course. Come Kenobi, this way."

Neither Maul nor Obi-Wan said a word on the walk back to the ship, both preferring to remain silent. It wasn't as if they had anything to say to one another anyway. They certainly would never make polite conversation with each other, due to their pasts.

The only reason they were working together was because they had a mutual enemy, as well as a mutual friend.

Entering into the Nightbrother, the two unlikely comrades sat down in the cockpit.

"So, where do we find your friend? And who exactly are we looking for?"

Maul expected Kenobi to give some mystical Jedi like response, one that didn't answer any questions, yet somehow created more.

So he was surprised when Kenobi gave a straight answer for once.

"A Jedi Master, one that survived the purge. He's faced Sidious before. He'll help us, I hope."

Maul's eyes widened in surprise. Another Jedi survivor? What were the chances?

Still, if the master in exile could help, then Maul would happily go and investigate. But he knew that Lady Tano should hear about this too.

"I need the coordinates. I'll get Lady Tano to meet us there." Maul spoke.

Kenobi nodded, reaching over to enter a series of coordinates into the navigation system of the Nightbrother.

When done, Maul reached for his comm link, entering the same coordinates, and recording a quick voice message, before sending both off to Lady Tano. Hopefully, she would meet them there.

Reaching out to power up the engines of the Nightbrother, Maul turned his head to Kenobi to fill him in one last piece of information.

"Did I tell you this was a suicide mission by the way?"

Kenobi's response almost made Maul chuckle.

Almost.

Author's thoughts

Well, I hope this chapter was worth the wait.

And congratulations to SLE's fave guest, who back in the reviews for chapter 6 correctly guessed (if not it as joke) that Maul would drag Kenobi along as a plot twist. :)

Now, I know some people will not like the idea of Kenobi leaving Tatooine to help Ahsoka, especially when he is supposed to be protecting Luke from the Empire. However, I hope I did a good job of giving a reason for why Kenobi has left, if only briefly. He can't stand to watch another person he cares for be corrupted by Sidious, and thus he will help.

Besides, I'm sure nothing will happen to Luke if Obi-Wan leaves for a short while.

Anyway, I don't really have much more to say in regards to this chapter, so I'll just leave it here for now and await your repsonses to it.

Next time round, well, it should be obvious where we are going.

As normal, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:

SLE's fave guest: To be honest, the Rex comment wasn't directed at you, but I knew you would comment back about it, which I'm glad for. Honesty I'm surprised by how few people jumped to Rex's defence. Oh well. And I do agree with several of your points too. I'm not completely anti-Rex, I just don't find him that interesting. (in comparison to other clones such as Fives and Wolffe)
Still, I'm glad your not out for my blood. The last thing I want to do is upset people because of my story and its content. After all, I've already killed off everyone's favourite bad guy, Kassius Konstantine. :)

jamese765: With Maul around, things often got to hell in seconds, usually because of the Zabrak himself.

Mogor: You will get to see what Mon Mothma is up to shortly. I imagine that chapter will be quite divisive when people read it.

Mysterious Guest number one: Maul's recruit was not Snoke. Sorry, but interesting guess. :)

Mysterious Guest number two: I'm glad you enjoyed the Ahsoka/Saw dynamic. They are fun to write together, as they sort of resemble to old guard in a way. Of course Saw would join, the mission is against Mon Mothma's orders.

Chiara Polairix Edelstein: I'm glad you are enjoying this still. Saw is not as visibly insane yet, but there are strands growing that will be explored.

LukeDude: I'm glad I was able to surprise you. Saw joining the mission was always a guarantee. He knows an opportunity when he sees one.
I'm glad you liked the little reference to Lux and what happens to him after the clone war. He's a divisive character (due to the fact he was created originally as a love interest for Ahsoka) but in the end I think he is a fascinating character that I would like to know more about. The episodes he is in in the Clone Wars are guilty pleasures of mine.
Well done for thinking of Obi-Wan, I hope you liked his inclusion and that it made sense.
And now for your questions:
1. I imagine Two Tubes will probably lead the partisans in Saw's absense. I wanted to include him, but I couldn't find a good enough spot. A one-shot however is not out of the question.
2. Saw is unaware of who Maul is. He hasn't even met him by this point.
3. Considering that Home One was present during the meeting above Dantooine, I imagine either that or the Profundity is the largest vessel the rebellion possesses.
4. By this point in the story, it is unlikely that we will be going anywhere else other than Raada and the Death Star. We are closing in on the end now after all.
5. For the sake of the story, the Death Star does have a Throne Room. In this case, I imagine that Krennic probably built it for himself rather than the Emperor.

Travis Middleton: I'm really glad you enjoyed my interpretation of Saw. He is different in canon, but the same.
I will look into the Acolytes of the Beyond for the one shot I mentioned.
As for Inferno Squad, they will not appear as they are not former until after the first Death Star is destroyed. The members might be mentioned however.

FossilQueen1984: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and thank you for the kind words. I hope you enjoyed your thanksgiving. Hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much.

Cranky Paws: I'm glad you are still alive. I will work hard to endeavour you remain that way.
Thrawn is certainly undergoing an interesting character shift in this story. You will have to wait to see what happens with him.
I'm glad you are enjoying the story still. More is coming.

Maliwan: Thank you for the kind words about the story. I will admit there are times where I ask myself, 'why am I doing this again?'
Still, I'm committed to getting to the end of this story now, and I look forward to seeing what people think of the ending.