AN: So, this chapter was more difficult to write than I thought it would be. I hope you like it, and if you do so, you know where the review-button is.


Chapter 3

Why did he always get the most uncomfortable beds while flying through hyperspace? Force, it was nearly as hard as the floor. He opened his eyes. Bad idea. The light stung in his eyes, reverberated in his skull and cast multiple echoes of extreme headache. How could he get such a headache? And while checking his body, he found it pretty sore, including a numb right arm. He tried to move his arm to get back some feeling when he realized to his horror that his arms were tied together. Sithspit, how long had he needed to realize that? Obviously, he was growing old. But back to the task at hand: Where was he? And why?

At least his first assumption that he was in hyperspace was confirmed by the low humming of the hyperdrive generators and the particular way the Force felt here. And while sinking into the Force, he immediately knew that something was not right. He remembered. Adi Gallia was dead. Because she wanted to help him deal with Maul and Opress. Because he had not killed Maul beforehand. But there is no death, there is the Force. He clung to that piece of the Jedi Code until the dark tremors in the Force vanished.

So he was now in the hands of the two Zabrak Sith. That was...disadvantageous. He had to get out of that situation as fast as possible. But first, he would find out what exactly that "situation" was. So he slowly tried to open his eyes again, and he managed to the stage of narrow slits. At least he could make out schemes now, but the headache he got for his trouble was extremely painful and additionally slowed his thoughts.

Slowly his eyes accustomed to the bright headlights and he could survey his cell. It was not even a cell, but a converted storage room. Besides gray durasteel walls and a door with a broken sensor – well actually more sabotaged than broken - there was nothing to see.

With a small nudge of the Force, he briefly affirmed that the door sensor on his side of the wall was dead - no surprise there, the Sith knew how the Force could be used.

When he could not make out neither a way to escape nor a direct threat, Obi-Wan settled on searching his surroundings in the Force. With the help of the wall, he heaved himself in a sitting position to meditate. But that proved to be a lot more difficult than under normal circumstances, because the blood was slowly flowing back into the arm he lay on for Force knows how much time. And although his head was not sending shards of agony through his body, like when he had his eyes open, it still pulsated loudly in his ears and hurt like hell. Almost as much as when he was given that special drink on Phindar he did not dare to decline. Qui-Gon was very busy the next day telling him that for a fifteen year old, it was no breach of protocol to refuse alcohol, especially if it was only given to him for entertainment. Of the Phindians. And Qui-Gon. He suffered for years of the story his Master constantly rubbed under his nose. As a half-smile tugged at Obi-Wans lips, he remembered Qui-Gon and his affinity for the Force, which he had to some degree taught to his padawan.

Slowly, he sank into the Force, listening to its deep murmurs. He could slowly feel a near presence . Aboard the ship. From the presence leaked some undefinable smoke – or dust...it felt strange but also familiar, as if it was somehow belonging to the Force and somehow not. It was entwined with dark thoughts, and at times, he felt a flash of anger through that smoke. That had to be Savage Opress. He felt uncontrolled and surely hadn't been taught very long or thorough in the use of the Force. He still had to learn how to shield himself right.

Obi-Wan sank deeper into the Force, in search of another presence. He nearly didn't find it. But then, he made out a soft shimmer of the same undefinable smoke he found leaking from Opress. It was barely detectable, and not entwined with feelings, but it was there. So Maul was on the ship, too. That was unfortunate. If he could somehow get to a lightsaber, he could maybe overpower one of them, but in his weakened state, he would not be able to fight them both off again.

He had to escape differently. It would really help if he knew what Maul planned to do with him. Did he just want to kill him slowly how he claimed on Raydonia? Obi-Wan did not think that was all. Maul seemed to have certain plans, and seemed to be fully restored to sanity. And on top of that, he seemed to get as calculating as Count Dooku. Maybe that was a requirement for a Sith Lord, even though he could not find that trait in Opress. On the other hand, Opress was still learning...

He was distracted from further brooding by the hissing of the door. Darth Maul walked in, in all his robotic-legged glory.

"Kenobi," he said.

"Maul," Obi-Wan nodded his head in acknowledgement.

The Sith only raised his hand as an answer, as if he wanted to grip something invisible. The result was a tightening on Obi-Wan's neck. It grew stronger until he was not able to get any air inside his lungs. Maul was moving in his direction, a satisfied smile on his face. When he approached, Obi-Wan was slowly lifted from his cross-legged position, sliding up along the wall. He wanted to reach for his neck, but it was impossible with his hands bound behind his back. Darth Maul was now in close reach, and his eyes bore into Obi-Wan's. He could see the hate in the yellow eyes, longing to break free.

Obi-Wan's lungs screamed for air, but all his attempts to breathe were in vain. It was the same dark power Ventress had already used on him. He had no idea how it could be stopped. Maul seemed to have read his thoughts. He came nearer, the smile transformed into an evil sneer.

"Where is your light side now, Obi-Wan? Is it so weak that it can not even overcome a simple Force-choke?"

It was a rhetorical question, Maul could clearly not expect an answer from the suffocating Obi-Wan. Their faces now nearly touched. Obi-Wan could see the red ring around the yellow iris, as if Mauls torn soul was bleeding into his eyes. These eyes now watched his more desperate attempts to breathe with a sick delight. Obi-Wan felt his heart clang at an alarming speed in his ears, and black spots appeared in his vision. Anyway, he kept his eyes on the Sith. He knew that Maul would count it as a triumph if he looked away, and he would not give him the satisfaction. He would not die on the conditions of the Sith.

Suddenly, Maul furrowed his eyebrows, as if he felt Obi-Wan's resolve. With an angry stare, he lowered his hand and backed away.

Obi-Wan sank to the ground awkwardly, not able to move his arms to support his body. He drank the air in thirsty gasps. It felt like the best air he ever breathed. Nevertheless, it did not seem to suffice for his body and the black spots in his vision were growing larger. He heard Mauls voice again, holding him in the here and now.

"Not so talkative anymore, are we?"

Obi-Wan won the battle against unconsciousness, but he still needed all his air to stabilize his circulation, so he could not give a pointed answer. Not that he could think of anything right now anyway... he felt a warning from the Force, right before he was slammed into the corner. Obi-Wan's joints and bones complained at the rough treatment, but thankfully his head was spared.

However, Maul was not done with him yet. He lifted his hand again, and it was clear that he would throw Obi-Wan around again. The Jedi prepared to counter with a Force-push, but his attempt was futile. He was too weakened by lack of oxygen to build any barrier that could withstand the angry Sith before him. Until he was lifted into the air and saw the malicious joy on Maul's face, he was not even sure if the Sith noticed Obi-Wan's feeble attempts.

And he hit the wall again. Hard. This time his back, followed by his head hit the durasteel wall. It surely more felt as if a seismic charge exploded in his head and he could not prevent himself from a pained groan.

He heard the clanking of Maul's robotic legs on the floor, then a face appeared in Obi-Wan's periphery vision. The Jedi tried to sit up, but he was inhibited by his throbbing head and a metal claw that pressed down on his chest.

Maul bent his leg, shifting more weight on Obi-Wan and evoking a small gasp. The tattooed face came uncomfortably close again when he hissed:

"You will never cross my plans again."

"Maybe it was easier if you just made better plans," Obi-Wan croaked.

"You can try to be smart as much as you want, but you will not escape me this time."

Maul turned around after giving Obi-Wan a last shove with his claw. When the doors hissed close behind Maul, Obi-Wan's adrenaline level slowly decreased. He flung around so he was lying on one side. That encounter was quite fear-evoking. He knew that he should not be afraid of death, but it was not death that he feared but the consequences. Oh, the world in general would not be concerned, another Jedi would replace him in the Council, but he feared for Anakin.

His former padawan had already shown that he would be obsessed with his revenge. He never told the Council what exactly happened during his undercover mission as Rako Hardeen on Nal Hutta, but he had never felt Anakin that much out of control. Anakin would have done nearly everything to avenge the death of his former master. He had walked on a thin line between light and dark that time, and if Anakin had gotten one push into the wrong direction, he might have fallen. It was a very unpleasant time after the mission, full of silent reproach and mistrust. However, they overcame it and Obi-Wan had been very grateful for that. But now it seemed as if the events could repeat themselves. He just hoped that Anakin could cope with his actual death, should the matters be carried to an extreme.

But that were no thoughts for now. As Maul clearly wanted him to stay alive a little longer, he might get the chance for escape. He would just wait until some sort of opportunity presented itself. Like Qui-Gon taught him. He just hoped that when the moment came, he would still be able to run.