"They're here," said Maul in barely a whisper and Ventress withdrew her blade hilts and held them out ready to ignite. "I'll take Dooku and the boy," he turned to hold Ventress' gaze, "you have one chance to redeem yourself. Dispatch Kenobi, or I'll take your head myself. Remember, his compassion and his grief over his former master are your distracters. Keep his focus away from the fight, but be warned, he is not to be underestimated. His anger will make him powerful and his fear for his friends will make him unpredictable. Don't let him get the chance to fool you like he did on Kamino."

"I know what I'm doing, he'll not get past me again." She hissed at him, eager to get on with it. She was still at a loose as to why Maul was testing them both with this trial. Hadn't she proven herself time and time again to him that she was the one he should officially claim as his apprentice so they could defeat Maul's master? This former jedi was her last test then. And he would suffer for his humiliation of her on Kamino.

"See that he doesn't. Once he is defeated, collect Jango and we shall leave. I do not wish for the bounty hunter to get out of this as easily as he hopes to."

"What of Boba and Amidala?"

"Use them against Kenobi as you see fit. Now, let us welcome our guests."

The shuttle swooped in to the hangar and the three force users leapt from it to land between it and the Sith. Jango remained inside with Amidala, ready to take off if things looked like they were going bad for the Jedi. He knew Obi-Wan would not abandon Boba, he just hoped he was still alive and somewhere they could find him. Despite his growing anxiety, he put his faith in Obi-Wan and tended the ailing Amidala.

The senator was in a bad way. Despite the warning from Dooku, both Obi-Wan and Anakin had sent some of their force energy to help her, but it had not been enough, she needed a healer. She was vaguely aware of the situation they found themselves in, and was terrified of losing both Anakin and Obi-Wan, especially now she had found him again. How she wanted to assure him, let him know everything was going to be alright. She couldn't begin to understand what he had gone through for the past ten years, but it did explain so much of his loyal and determined character, and how he managed to beat himself up over the smallest of errors. She chuckled, remembering his pleasant, if distant behavior towards her and her entourage. This brought on a fit of coughing and the pain in her head rumbled through her skull. She lay on the shuttle bench, looking up at the ceiling, cursing her weak body for being unable to aid the two men she cared most for. Her mind drifted to Anakin, the dear boy grown into a man of extraordinary control and yet such passion flashed in his eyes whenever he gazed upon her, she was lost in those eyes just thinking about his dear soul. Did he know just how much she needed that soul in her life? His declaration in the arena had been one of love through duress. Once this was all over and they were walking together back on Naboo through her parent's estate once again, would the Jedi Knight feel the same way? She pulled herself up into a rather uncomfortable sitting position so that she could see into the open hangar deck, the three men facing off against Maul and Ventress. At that moment she just hoped they would get the chance to see her home again, one last time. Jango had no weapon, if they were caught without the protection of the jedi they were dead. She focused on the stand-off, which seemed to last an infinity, determined to not allow her fear to keep her from witnessing the battle. She owed both Anakin and Obi-Wan that much.

"Well, are you coming?" asked Maul playfully of Kenobi, who's intense stare turned to one of surprise. Ventress shot a quick glare to her companion before she remembered to focus on the former Jedi.

Taken aback momentarily by Maul's question, Obi quickly recovered, holding his Master's lightsabre hilt tightly in his hand, the weight of it suddenly greater than he had at first thought. His concern shifted to Boba, who he sensed was close, but the boy's presence was clouded and confused.

"Where's Boba?" he asked of the Sith, who merely rolled his eyes and shook his head gently.

"My dear Kenobi, you never disappoint me, but that was not an answer."

The small craft acting as Boba's prison flew across the hangar to the open platform that led into the deep valley.

"No!" screamed Obi and he leapt to the side of the hangar and threw a force sling around the ship, preventing it from shooting off the platform and plummeting into the valley floor. He barely had time to send the craft back into the hangar before Ventress was upon him with her blades smashing down to him. He rolled away and flipped on Qui's blade, holding it to defend against the sudden attack. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Dooku's craft rock precariously on the platform and he nudged it just enough to get it back inside the hangar before Ventress began an onslaught of blows driving Kenobi back towards the shuttle.

"Such a waste," she cooed at him, "the boy was an interesting diversion while we waited for you, but Maul wouldn't let me keep him." Another slash from her blades came at him as his back pressed against the craft they'd arrived in, her words horrifying him. He could feel his anger bubbling, he needed to get to Boba quickly and he ducked in under her attack and pushed her back across the hangar with a force push against her chest. She flipped back through the air, and regained control of her body to land gracefully on her feet and made a dive for Kenobi who was headed to Boba's position.

He got a glance at the prone figure inside the ship pressed up against the dura-glass. He was deathly pale, his right leg twisted and swollen. The condensation that formed on the glass around the boy's nose and mouth assured Obi that Boba was alive, but he was in as desperate a situation as Padme and this was all Obi's fault. How could he have left the child alone? He knew Maul and Ventress were on their way, and with their resources and skills it should have occurred to him sooner that they would have known about this place. Obi thought he was being so clever with his plan, his over confidence had blinded him and now Padme and Boba were paying for it.

Ventress was at his back in an instant and he had to turn and duck around from her blows. But the defensive stance he took didn't last long as his hatred spiked at her arrogance over Boba's treatment. He slashed fast and hard, driving into her counter blows and the blend of green and red blades became blinding. Maul had been right, the former Jedi was formidable when riled and Ventress relished this new challenge at her own power. How could she crank up the fury that burned between them and force Kenobi into a mistake?

"Maul was right, you are so much more powerful than that failed Master of yours." An increase in the pace confirmed she was getting to him. "He fell so quickly to my Master, certainly not a worthy opponent for a Sith. How did he ever train such an efficient fighter as you?" The blows continued to rain down on her as the energy from the Jedi peaked. She broke away for a moment, rolling to her side and away from the flashing green blade. He glared at her, his eye sparkling with his rage at the mention of Qui-Gon and her slow smile was enough to draw a scream from his lips as he launched himself at her again. How dare she comment on something she knew nothing about, had she been there? Had she seen how Qui-Gon fought for his life, the times he had come so close to taking Maul's head?

/Calm yourself, Obi-Wan/ through the blur of movement that his limbs had become he heard his master and he slowed his pace, pulling back a little from the aspiring Sith. Ventress noticed the change, the sudden cessation of blows and witnessed some of the passion in his hate burn lower within his eyes. He was actually calming down before her and began a much more controlled confrontation with her.

Now it was his turn to witness her anger mount at her failed attempt to rile him further. She swung at him with the twirling blades, but hearing Qui-Gon's voice, even if it was merely his own mind bringing down his fury, had brought him back into focus at least for the moment. He had to get passed Ventress to be of any use to either Boba or Padme at this point. He could sense the intense battle between the three other force sensitives present. The combination of Anakin and Dooku could take on Maul, that was a fight he knew he couldn't win. But against Ventress he had a chance. He had bested her once already, he could do that again and he just needed to hold out until Yoda and Mace arrived.

A swing from Ventress' left blade came up a little too close to his cheek and he responded with a slash that hit home through her red shield of blades to graze her right upper arm and she hissed at him with a force push from her raised left hand. He flew back and managed to turn and use his left arm to cushion his impact against the hangar wall. The sand stone crumbles around him, churning up dust that he swept up around his torso as her blades flew at him again to find purchase.

"Of course I understand why you hid all these years after you let your master die. How could you return after such failure?"

/Stay calm/ he thought, /it's just words./

The hiss of the three blades slicing against each other was almost deafening to him at this point, but her words rang out crystal clear, more than likely force enhanced as they danced across his psyche.

"And what pleasant surroundings you found yourself in," the cooing voice was back, it seemed to provoke more of a reaction than anything else. "She really is a beautiful woman, Obi-Wan." She let that sentiment sink in for a moment as another cycle of blows began. "Did you ever get your hands on that soft, pliant skin?"

"Enough," he said barely audibly as the strikes continued.

"Oh, how sweet she smells, even from here." Ventress actually paused to breath in the air around them.

"Enough!" he called and whipped around and slipped down to sweep her legs out from under her, but she had been ready for that and flipped forward over him to bring her blades down on his back. He twisted out and slashed at her blades to deflect them and rolled round to get back to his feet as she straightened back up. The problem was that the shuttle was now behind her and her purple eyes gleamed as Kenobi realized his mistake.

She leapt for the shuttle entrance, Jango thrown out of the way with such a force push that he fell motionless to the floor. Obi-Wan immediately followed her inside, but Ventress was already in position, red blade tip to the unconscious Padme's throat. How could he have been so reckless, this was exactly what Ventress wanted!

Ventress lifted her other blade tip to Kenobi who took on a defensive stance in the confined cabin. Ventress smiled at him and shook her head, then moved the tip of the blade pointed at him, indicating he should lower his weapon. He looked to the two fallen occupants of the shuttle, closed his eyes in defeat and lowered the blade, his sense of failure overwhelming all other emotions.

"All those years you took such care of this child and now we find ourselves standing over her broken body. What could my master have seen in you? You claim to be a man of compassion, and yet those who place their lives in your hands find themselves in the direst of circumstances. Boba, Jango, Padme and Qui-Gon."

A sudden intense spike of hate focused on Ventress from Kenobi and she found herself clutching at her throat, her blades forgotten on the floor. Kenobi held his left arm out to her as she rose off the floor. She had gone too far. He would not have her mention those names again. He was running out of time for Padme and Boba, and she was in his way. She writhed above the floor, kicking out where she could, trying to get any kind of breath back into her lungs. He could sense her fear at him, now, and he liked how that felt, the control over her body, the realization that a simple squeeze would free them from her forever, Boba would never have to face her and Padme would never be this close to her ever again.

He released her and she fell hard to the floor, gasping desperately while Obi looked at his own hands in horror. He had never done anything like that before, the force choke was not a Jedi technique. He could justify it as being the only way out of a desperate situation, but that was a cop out and he knew it. He pulled her blades to his side and now placed the tip of his blade to Ventress' throat, his hand suddenly shaking.

Recovering from her coughs she looked up at him and began a low laugh.

"You couldn't do it," she said through her laughs, "you truly are weak. All that power at your fingertips and you fail to use it."

"I may still," he said quietly with a conviction that had Ventress re-examine his face. There was a steely coldness that still remained, but the subtle tremble to his sword arm betrayed his internal conflict. She rose quickly and moved to the blade tip as he backed away unsure of how to proceed. He could kill defending himself in a fight, but this was different somehow, now she was unarmed, defenseless, he could not take that life as it stood before him and she knew it.

"That is not who you are, Obi-Wan Kenobi," she was gleeful with the control she had over the situation, despite facing down a lightsabre. "You dwell here," she indicated the two bodies in the cabin with them, "with their lives in your hands, with my life in your hands and you will always choose life over any alternative. So I suggest you back out and we can continue our dance."

"Why should I, I have you taken, it's over." He was saying this to convince himself more than Ventress. She was correct about him. Like this there was no way he could take her life, especially when he had come too close to killing her out of pure hatred. That was not an option anymore, he could not allow it. That was not his path, he couldn't let them all down by taking it so easily.

Her smile only increased with his declaration and she pressed further into him until he was at the shuttle entrance.

"You have the chance to defeat me in battle and be done with me, or you live with the thought that no matter how hard you try to protect them I will always be coming after them. And not to kill them, oh no, that would be too easy. I can think of much better ways to divert myself with them." She pushed him out of the shuttle and he back flipped to avoid falling. Once he had landed she flipped over him and held out her hands for her blades.

"Well?" she challenged him with Maul's words, "are you coming?"