"Whoa, it's huge!" Feral shouted as he hold on to the railing of the tourist ship. Behind him was Savage and Jeret, and in front of Feral was a huge waterfall. Below them was a crystal clear lake with large native fishes and the most beautiful shore Feral had ever seen. There were lakes and waterfall on Dathomir, but not as beautiful as this.
"Told ya." Jeret smiled before turning to flirt with a group of Twi'lek tourists near them. Savage shook his head. He should have known that Jeret could be too socialize sometimes. Well, on the bright side he got to spend time alone with Feral. Maybe he should thank Jeret instead.
"Like the view?" Savage asked as he sat near the railing, watching Feral enjoying their trip to the waterfall. He would be lying if he said he wasn't excited. All his life had been devoted to fighting and preparing for wars that might or might not come, seeing Feral relaxed like this did help making him felt satisfied.
"Very much." Feral nodded, before turning toward Savage. A happy smile on his face. "I hope there was a waterfall liked this in Dathomir. I'd love to live near it."
"Do you want to swim?" Savage suddenly asked, eyeing the large lagoon which was supplied by the waterfall. There were tourists swimming and playing in the water; it should not be a problem if Feral wanted to get in the lagoon too. They didn't get to do that very often on Dathomir.
"I…" Feral's cheeks reddened, "…yes."
"Go then." Savage replied, he kind of knew what his brother was thinking. "We have all day to ourselves." He added, trying to act like he didn't see anything.
"But…" Feral frowned, biting his lips. Savage wondered what was in his brother's mind. Then Feral spoke. "You don't want to swim?"
"I would rather stay here to make sure everything is…normal." Savage said, gesturing toward Jeret who barely escaped the fight with the boyfriend of the female Twi'lek he just flirted with. And now he was moving to the next one. "Unless you want me to join you, of course." Savage added as he turned back to look at Feral.
"I prefer the later." Feral replied shyly. And he was blushing slightly. "Jeret can take care of himself. He will be fine."
"If you say so." Savage nodded, before he stripped himself out of his shirt and threw it on the rock nearby. Feral did the same before they jumped into the water below.
Savage had never thought that swimming could be this enjoyable, but now he had a nice view of Feral. His brother was swimming around, smiling and giggling as small fish swam around him from pure curiosity. And when he was above water with small drops of water clinging to him, that's what really made Savage's heart skipped beat.
Obi-Wan had a feeling that Maul was close.
He tried to calm his mind. The Jedi was still in his meditating form with his legs crossed under him.
Maul was close. He probably just entered the planet's atmosphere.
Obi-Wan tried to lock himself away as he felt Maul's presence coming nearer and nearer. The Zabrak was different from the first time Obi-Wan met him. Maul in the past was full with rage, bloodlust, and darkness.
Of course Obi-Wan still sensed darkness in him - but there was also the light - and instead of a storm of anger, he felt calmness. Calmness was what he had never thought this former Sith lord could possess.
It was the love for his brother that pulled Maul to ask for the Jedi's help. And with that, Maul had finally seen the way of the light. Right now the Zabrak was something between the light and the dark, just like Ventress. However, Maul was a darker shade of grey than her, he had been raising by the evil from the start; unlike Ventress who was once taught by the way of the light.
Obi-Wan could feel Maul's presence became clearer and nearer. He drew in deep breath and tried to relax. He had to be calm. He knew Maul came with an answer he was seeking, but he also had a feeling that Maul's answers would give him more questions rather than relief.
An hour later, there was a knock on his door. Obi-Wan released the air he had been holding, shifting a bit and cleared his throat.
"Come in." He said, hoping that his voice wasn't shaking.
The door slid open, and Maul entered the room. The former Sith was in simple dark clothes with a hood.
The Zabrak walked in without saying anything. The door slid shut and they were now looking at each other. Obi-Wan gestured toward a mat in front of him, and Maul slowly sat down.
No one said anything, until Obi-Wan decided to break the silent.
"I believe you've already known the reason of why I visit this small planet." He said, making sure his expression was neutral. Maul looked at him, before the Sith replied with a silk-liked voice. So soft, yet still hiding something.
"I do believe that I know." Maul said, leaning slightly further toward Obi-Wan. "Yet I want to hear it from you."
"I…" Obi-Wan replied, and this was one of the very few times he was reluctant to proceed the conversation. It took him a split second to arrange the words. "We have formed a bond." He said and paused, waiting for the Zabrak's response.
"We did." Maul said, his eyes had never left Obi-Wan. "And it's still there." His voice was a bit lower than normal, but Obi-Wan ignored it – concluding that it was just how Maul talked.
"I'm not sure if it's healthy for us." He decided to get straight to the point, even that he still wasn't sure about the bond himself; about what the bond actually represented. "It caused… some difficulties. I assume that you might have experienced something too, right?"
"I would like you to clarify those 'difficulties'." Maul said, and Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes. He had a feeling that Maul was in a mood to play.
"Not until you answer my question first." He said, making sure his voice held no threats nor annoyance. "Have you experienced something from it?"
"I've experienced a lot of things." Maul replied, leaning back with a grin. "Emotions, feelings, and sometimes a voice, your voice."
Obi-Wan was sure that there were hidden meanings behind all of this. But since Maul didn't seem to be thinking about revealing them, so Obi-Wan decided to play along.
"My voice? That's surprising." Obi-Wan said, stroking his chin. "Do you have any theories for this?"
"I've one theory." Maul said, but he was grinning. "Yet I think you owe me something."
"I felt unknown pain. It was slightly preventing me from performing my normal routines." Obi-Wan replied. He was determine to be honest, knowing that Maul – like all Siths – were sensitive to dark thoughts of people's minds. Siths were raised and taught to be backstabbers, so they were very quick to notice any changes, shifts, or appearing of dark thoughts; lies were one of them.
"Can you describe the pain you experience?" Maul asked softly, almost leaning in again. Obi-Wan felt like the former Sith was scanning him.
"I don't know where it came from, but it started the day you…left Coruscant. It was…nearly unbearable at first, but it faded. I still feel it sometimes. Tenuously." Obi-Wan said, knowing that his voice was a bit higher from excitement and unsureness. He wasn't the person who could easily be open about himself, it's not what most Jedi were capable of.
"Interesting, but not unexpected." Maul nodded, his eyes had never left Obi-Wan. And it made the Jedi master felt slightly insecure in a strangely good way. "But first, I want you to promise you're not going to pass out."
"Oh, that very hurts. Do you really believe that anything can shock me more than you're still alive?" Obi-Wan grinned, enjoying the way Maul rolled his eyes. Months ago he wouldn't be acting like he and Maul were good friends, but with what they had shared and been through together, Obi-Wan was a lot at ease with the red Zabrk. "Come on, tell me."
"Death-Cheaters are believed to have a mate chosen for them by the Force, a lifetime mate. This ability comes early, just as soon as our full physical potentials are activated. Or, to cut it short, as soon as we know we're Death-Cheater." Maul replied. His voice was smooth, but his eyes were filled with mixed emotions Obi-Wan wasn't sure he could identify all of them. "When we and our lifetime mates meet each other, a bond will be formed. And if we part way with our lifetime mates before the bond is fully formed, we will feel the pain and the longing for each other." Maul ended a sentence with an intense gaze.
Death-Cheaters are believed to have a mate chosen for them by the Force, a lifetime mate.
…if we part way with our lifetime mates before the bond is fully formed, we will feel the pain…
Obi-Wan gasped. This was totally not what he had expected. "That's not possible." Obi-Wan shook his head. "You have to be kidding me." He tried to smile, but Maul's expression stayed the same.
"I was not. I also feel the pain." Maul shook his head. "Our bond was formed without us knowing, and it cannot be undone."
"You're saying that there is no way to get rid of it?" Obi-Wan felt his eyes widened. So, the thing that had been bugging at him for weeks was simply a bond, a bond that formed between them without permission. Obi-Wan didn't want to believe this. He wanted to refuse, but deep down he knew he had to, at some point. The Force could be cruel and merciful at the same time. Or maybe it thought that pairing him with his former nemesis was a good idea.
Yet it didn't mean that he must agree to it right now, Obi-Wan grimaced. It's possible that he and Maul could be friend, but a lifetime mate? That's hilarious. They didn't even know each other that well.
"Can you get rid of the Force?" Maul replied his question with a look that Obi-Wan would give to a youngling when they made a funny mistake in their lightsaber training. The Jedi sighed. He knew Maul could be snarky in the way that would definitely piss Mace Windu off. At some point, his mind tried to create a scenery that Maul had bonded with Windu, but decided not to continue.
"I suppose I will have to put up with it" Obi-Wan said, meeting Maul's eyes. He felt as if he now knew what were behind the Zabrak's eyes. "Unless you have another plan." He added, knowing that Maul did have something in his mind.
"I do," The Zabrak said. "There is a reason why the Force pairs us together," Maul continued, his vice remain calm and neutral; it scared Obi-Wan a bit. "I wish to know about it. The question is; do you want to explore it too?"
Obi-Wan knew the true meaning behind Maul's words, and the Zabrak's question shook him to the core. Obi-Wan knew he quiet wish to know the reason too. But the way to achieve that answer might change him from who he was, and Obi-Wan wasn't sure if he wanted to change.
"By 'exploring', is it necessary that we have to stick together as we 'explore'?" Obi-Wan made sure his voice was still calm as he spoke. He could see something in Maul's eyes shifted, and it made his heart sped up.
"I want us to do it together, but it's up to you too." Maul replied. His voice made Obi-Wan wanted to get closer to the former Sith Lord.
"Is this my imagination, or you're going soft on me?" Obi-Wan grinned despite the turmoil in his mind. Half of him wanted to stay with Maul, the other half wanted to go back to Coruscant before the bond was completely form. Who knows what will happen after that? We won't work out as a couple. He was a Sith, and I am a Jedi. It's a miracle that, after years of being rivals, now we can have a conversation without lightsabers pointing toward each other.
"Imagination is a delusion, Kenobi," Maul chuckled. His voice was so smooth, liked always. "Yet it has so much power over most people."
"It's true." Obi-Wan nodded. At first he was slightly afraid that Maul would get angry, but it seemed that the Sith was a lot better than he had thought. Or it might be a calm sky before a storm, he had to proceed with caution.
"Since you have come this far, Kenobi. Maybe you should visit Dathomir." Maul spoke up, and it surprised Obi-Wan that the former Sith decided to change the subject. He thought that Maul would be more stubborn. "I guarantee you that it will worth your time."
"Well, you're very persuasive." Obi-Wan sighed, smiling. Whatever Maul had in mind, he was glad that the Zabrak decided to drop the subject about their growing bond. He wasn't ready to talk about it yet.
Savage watched as his brother walked around the ship, humming a song they heard when they were young. Jeret and Janeta were at the cockpit, piloting the ship, as if they knew Savage wished to have sometimes alone with his brother.
"So, where we will be going tomorrow?" Feral asked as he finished putting every food supply in place. He looked so bright and happy.
"I don't know." Savage shrugged, smiling. "What about you? What do you want to see?" He asked, walking toward Feral who was looking at the world below them through the window.
"I… I don't know." Feral shook his head. "I…. everything is so new to me. I don't even know what I want to try first."
"I know that feelings." Savage smiled, gently spun his brother so they were face to face. "Well, do you want to see a circus show? I've heard that there is going to be one in town lately."
"A circus?" Feral raised his eyebrows, clearly excited and curious. "That's great!" He smiled, and Savage knew his heart was melting under that warm smile. Oh Force, how come he had never seen how gorgeous Feral was.
"So it's settled." Savage said, trying his best not to just bend down and kiss his brother right then and there. "I will let the Nautolans know."
Then he turned to leave, only to be stopped by Feral's hand on his arm.
"I will tell them." Feral said casually, but Savage could sense that the other Zabrak was up to something. He could almost feel the sped up heart rate, and waited to see what Feral had in mind.
The smaller Zabrak just looked at him. Savage could see determination mixed with hesitation, before Feral looped one arm around his neck and pulled him down to a soft kiss. But before Feral could pull away, Savage deepened the kiss. His arms sneaked around his brother body and held the smaller Zabrak close. To his surprise, Feral moaned and melt into him. Savage grinned against his brother's soft lips, tightening his embrace. He could feel Feral shuddered, and then his brother was mewling - which made blood ran straight toward his groin.
"Feral" Savage growled against his brother's lips. "If we don't stop soon…"
Feral gave a frustrated moan but pulled away immediately. The smaller Zabrak's face was reddened and his shy mixed with heated sexual expression, and he was panting slightly, which made Savage want nothing but to dominate and devour the other. Feral looked so edible in a sexual way, but he restrained himself, knowing that Feral wasn't ready for that.
"Thank you." Feral whispered, giving him a genuine smile, then he was walking away toward the cockpit, leaving Savage still stunned in place.
It took a few more second for Savage to catch up to what just happened. And it made him sighed, scratching his head.
"You're going to be the dead of me." Savage sighed, watching Feral disappeared behind the automatic door. He was about to follow, only be stopped by a sharp voice signalling that Maul was calling.
"Brother." Savage walked toward the storage before he accepted the call. He had a feeling that there was going to be something interesting happened.
'Savage.' A hologram of his brother spoke. His voice was still as stern and cold as ever, yet Savage could sense something different in it. 'I'm bringing a guest to Dathomir.'
"Who is this guest, brother?" Savage asked, even that his instinct already knew whom the guest might be.
'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Maul replied. His face still showed no expression, but there were mixed feelings and emotions in his eyes. Savage mentally smiled, now he knew who was going to be his brother-in-law.
Obi-Wan sighed as he laid down on a bunk bed in the corner of the room. He still wasn't sure of why he was going to Dathomir with Maul, yet his instinct said that it's a good decision.
Not so far away from him, Maul was in the pilot seat. He finished setting the ship to go into a hyperspace before walking away from the control panel.
"Sleepy already?" The red Zabrak asked as he sat down on a chair not so far away. Obi-Wan could saw that friendly smirk, and he knew Maul wasn't going to actually let him sleep, not now.
"Sleep is my priority when I'm not in a battlefield." Obi-Wan replied, lying and smiling back. "You know, if you're unable to sleep properly for a while, you'll look older that you really are."
"By your standard." Maul chuckled. "Come on, you know better than that."
"I…" Obi-Wan sighed, he knew he couldn't fool Maul. Not when they were linked with an eternal bond like this. "…I prefer to do something simple when I have a lot to think about. Laying down and do nothing physically is, of course, one of that."
"I see." Maul massaged his chin, mimicking what Obi-Wan always did when he was thinking. "So, tell me Kenobi, what were you thinking about?"
"Nothing important." Obi-Wan replied. He was torn between telling Maul the truth or brushing it off. It's not that he could totally trust this Zabrak, not yet anyway. But the look in Maul eyes told Obi-Wan that the Zabrak wasn't going to drop it.
"Obi-Wan. You're a terrible liar." Maul said, and oh how could he make Obi-Wan's name sounded so sexy on his tongue. Obi-Wan gulped, trying his best not to let Maul knew how his voice had an effect on him.
"I've been told, hmmm." Obi-Wan sighed, sitting up and faced the Zabrak who was watching him with calculating eyes. "I just… I'm trying to warp my head around what happened. I felt like it was yesterday when you arrived at the Temple with your brother in a bacta tank."
"Really?" Maul raised his eyebrows, and Obi-Wan knew that Maul wasn't going to let him go unless he spilled out everything in his mind.
"Okay, fine." Obi-Wan sighed, massaging his temples. "Okay… I was thinking…about us. About what we really should do. I think you decide to take it slow, and I appreciate that, but this is definitely not going to work." He paused to see if he had angered Maul, but the Zabrk stayed calm. So he went on. "I am a Jedi, and you're…a former Sith. We are clearly not going to work. I'm sorry."
Maul was silent after he finished. Obi-Wan wondered if he had angered Maul and the former Sith was thinking about a way to kill him. Yet all the Zabrak did was sighing.
"You need to be less concerned about what the future might hold, Obi-Wan." Maul shook his head, a soft smile on his lips; something completely new for Obi-Wan. "I cannot undo what the Force had done. You should know that already." The Zabrak then stood up and walked closer to where Obi-Wan was sitting. "I cannot change my lifetime mate. We both can't." He simply said and just stood there, waiting for Obi-Wan's response.
"It's very illogical." Obi-Wan replied, looking Maul in his strange yet alluring yellow eyes. "The Force might be wrong."
"It might be." Maul nodded, "but who knows? We still have a lot of times to explore such ancient power. You can deny it, you can tell yourself you don't want it. But I have a feeling that, deep down, you're curious." He ended a sentence with a grin.
"I won't lie that I'm not curious." Obi-Wan replied, feeling as if he was leaning forward. "But I live by logics and the Jedi Code. No attachment is allowed."
"You need to loosen up old man." Maul rolled his eyes, before pulling away. "You can ponder all you want about the Force. I know it seems to be impossible for us to work, but the Force has its reasons. And that's what we will be seeking."
"Firstly, I'm not that old," Obi-Wan replied. "And secondly, you're as old as me." He added, and watched in satisfaction as Maul rolled his eyes in annoyance again. Yet there was a cocky grin on the Zabrak's face.
Well, this trip to Dathomir might be better than he had thought.
Obi-Wan felt like he just stepping his foot on Maul's ship as they reached Dathomir. Time flew quicker when he let himself lost into a conversation. Maul told him about how he and Savage rebuilt the clan. Obi-Wan had to admit that he was impressed, since he always thought that the only thing Maul was good at was violence.
They landed on a platform that was actually a large flat rock. Obi-Wan took a deep breath as he followed Maul out of the ship. His experience in Dathomir wasn't a good one, since both the Nightsister and Nightbrother seemed so eager to kill him. Yet this time, he was greeted with soft smiles and curious eyes.
"Kaliz." Maul greeted a Nightsister who walked toward them. She dressed like other Nightsister, but had pale red hair and purple eyes. And liked most Nightsister, her hair was kept short.
"Maul." The Nightsister bowled slightly, looking at Obi-Wan with curiosity in her eyes. "So, this is the guest you mentioned?"
"Yes." Maul nodded, walked toward the mountain which was also their village. Obi-Wan saw many Nightbrothers and Nightsisters around, working together. "I assume that everything function normally while I was gone?" Maul's voice was casually, but Obi-Wan felt that if Kaliz lied, the Zabrak would not be hesitated to dissemble her.
"Yes." Kaliz nodded. "We've finished building a new silo and those several extends. We should have enough place to accompany the-soon-to-be our new members." She smiled, gesturing toward the village with a knowing look. And Maul smiled to. Obi-Wan was curious about what they were talking about, but decided not to ask.
They walked passed the gate into the large cave inside the mountain. There was many Nightsisters and Nightbrothers in there, working together. Obi-Wan scanned the village from the top and noticed exits to the outside where he hadn't seen in his last visited to this place.
"We're extending the village." Maul said as if he could read Obi-Wan's mind. "Living outside the mountain also have its benefit, since we now plant corps as same as hunting."
Kaliz excused herself after a while, and Maul took Obi-Wan on a tour around the village. Obi-Wan could tell that Maul was undoubtedly proud of what he had achieved. The village looked even better in Maul cared. There was no slavery, no double standard between males and females. Also, Obi-Wan was surprised by the wipes he felt from the members of the clan. None of the Nightsisters were opposed to Maul's idea. They agreed with him.
"Not every Nightsister prefer slavery, Master Jedi." Maul said as if he read Obi-Wan;s mind, again. "Most of them were casted out by Mother Talzin, and some survived by running away before their fortress was destroyed and roamed by droids. Their loyalty toward Talzin wasn't that strong."
"I see," Obi-Wan nodded, and he also noticed a few things. "And…I think I know who the 'new members' you've talked about are." He gestured toward one Nighsister walking passed them. She looked just like any NIghtsister, but with a noticeable enlarging of her stomach. She was pregnant, and so as half the Nightsister Obi-Wan saw here.
"Well, sexual intercourse was one of the most restricted actions in the old days." Maul shrugged, grinning. "With Mother Talzin gone, along with some of the old strict codes, the Nightsisters are now allowed to enjoy sexes as what it is, not just an activity they had to commit when they were told to multiply. They had a chance to choose a mate, and how they want to live together, not casting the Nighbrother out as soon as they had conceived. Their love also wasn't restricted to be for only Nightsisters anymore."
"I see." Obi-Wan nodded, smiling. He had never thought that Maul would come this far, both physically and mentally. "You did a good job. I'm impressed." He also sent more a genuine smile.
"Thank you." Maul returned the smile, which Obi-Wan didn't expect him to do so. "Come, there was a lot more to see." He nudged softly at Obi-Wan's side, and Obi-Wan returned it with a playful nudge as he followed Maul around the village.