Chapter 5 - Reunions
Author's Note: And the plot thickens. :D
~ Amina Gila
Obi-Wan supposes he shouldn't be surprised Anakin brought up finding Maul again. The truth is, he doesn't want to. He'd only said that before to pacify him, really, but now... it's something he's going to have to deal with.
He actually considers it, for a moment. If nothing else, it would prove his point that Maul would only turn on them and contact the other Jedi. But it's not a risk he wants to take. He needs to stay hidden right now. And he doesn't want the Jedi stealing his new, albeit reluctant, apprentice.
(He can't bring himself to completely ignore the way Anakin was looking at him, though, or how disappointed he seemed.)
He finds himself awake early the next morning, and heads to Anakin's room, not fully sure what he's... doing there. The boy is still sleeping, curled up in the bed, still holding his tooka – er, Twilight – and he looks strangely peaceful now. Unlike how he often acts and feels, in the Force.
Not that there's anything 'peaceful' involved in learning to be a Sith, but still.
Watching Anakin always makes him feel a swell of protectiveness, but beyond that, a desire to see the boy actually happy. He's almost always cheerful, but Obi-Wan knows he's not actually happy here. Not truly.
Anakin stirs then – he always seems to feel the eyes on him – blinking himself awake, and hastily sitting up. "... Obi-Wan?"
"We'll find him," Obi-Wan says, almost without thinking, "Your master."
Anakin perks up, "When?"
"Preferably soon." Not really. But he can't keep putting this off.
He brightens, his enthusiasm radiating into the Force. Though it's nearly enough to make Obi-Wan uncomfortable, given that he doesn't share it.
"Your hair is a mess," he comments, dryly, changing topics entirely, "Do you never comb it?"
Anakin reaches up at that, lightly brushing a hand through his rather messy curls – it's grown quite long now, in the time he's been here. "... I need to?"
Is he serious? "You never did that before? What did they teach you as a Jedi?!"
"My master said I would, but it was short then. And we didn't... have that on Tatooine."
"Ah." He collects one from the 'fresher, settling on the edge of the bed behind him, tugging the comb through Anakin's curls. He's perfectly capable of doing it himself, but still.
All he knows right now is that he does not want to lose Anakin, whatever it takes. (He can't say what the boy means to him, but he's more than just an apprentice, even if he hasn't known him long, all things considered.)
But what if what Anakin himself is asking for will lead to that?
**w**
"Why are the cities domed?" Anakin asks, leaning forward to get a better view, watching the Mandalorian landscape.
Obi-Wan throws a glance at him, a twinge of fondness coursing through him. Anakin seems a lot more... settled now, likely because he believes Obi-Wan is going to look for Maul. And he – he doesn't know.
It's still not something he's very keen on doing, even if it will have to be dealt with at some point. Perhaps if it was in the right, controlled environment, or...
But they need to focus on this right now, anyway.
"A civil war decimated much of the planet," Obi-Wan replies, "These cities are all that is left."
"A civil war? Why were they fighting?"
"Long story. My family won the conflict. They rule Mandalore now. Though I believe your master was once here," he comments, as an afterthought, as they head off the ship, moving through the streets, towards the palace.
Anakin stills, looking up at him. "Maul? He was here?"
"The Republic was involved in the conflict, briefly. They were providing the then-Duchess protection."
Obi-Wan never met him, but it had been close, ironically enough. It was after the Viszla clan won, that they'd made the deal with Plagueis, and he went to train as a Sith. Obi-Wan touches Anakin's shoulder lightly, before picking up the pace. They only make it a little further into the building before he promptly sees none other than Duchess Satine.
He was going to ignore her, except she stops, eyeing him. "Ben?" she asks, curiously, though her eyes skirt towards Anakin briefly.
He can't say what it is about the look that puts him on edge.
"Satine," he replies, curtly, "I'm surprised to see you here."
"I was speaking with your parents," she replies, blue eyes flicking back to Anakin again. "I thought you were off world these days."
"And now, I'm back. What concern is it of yours?" he replies.
"I was merely asking," she answers, turning and striding down the hall, still the perfect picture of a Duchess, even with her power now lost. They'd ended up negotiating an agreement, and... Obi-Wan had nearly ended up in an arranged marriage with her. Thankfully,that was avoided, and he was trained as a Sith instead – something far more important for Mandalore's future plans.
"... Why did she call you Ben?" Anakin asks, eyeing her as she disappears down the hall.
"That's my Mandalorian name."
"Oh." He eyes him, inquisitively. "Your name isn't... Obi-Wan?
"I took that name myself, after. In case I would need another identity," he explains, "Here, I am Ben Viszla." He told his parents in advance that he was coming, mostly simply to stop by, before Plagueis came to tell them a completely different version of the story or something. Besides, when he goes after his once master, their help would be useful.
He leaves Anakin outside, instructing him to stay nearby, before going to talk to them privately.
And as expected, they are... thoroughly disgusted at how dishonorable his once master is. The views of Death Watch and the Sith are relatively similar, but Plagueis is hardly a Sith, the way Obi-Wan's learned from the Code. He's corrupting the Force, trying to bend it to serve him, very much unlike it's supposed to be.
They're also equally interested in hearing about Obi-Wan's new apprentice.
"You should keep him," his father says, "So long as he is not too brainwashed as a Jetii."
"He is learning the Sith way," Obi-Wan replies.
"And perhaps the Mandalorian way," his mother advises.
"Perhaps," Obi-Wan agrees. He knows he could officially adopt Anakin, but it's never something he's considered before. Not until right now, when he realizes how much that actually is how he feels about Anakin. It would have to be with the boy's consent, though.
Although, this is another reminder why he can't take Anakin anywhere near the Jedi. He's not going to let him become an enemy of Mandalore.
"Without Plagueis, how will we proceed with spreading Mandalorian rule?" his younger brother by two years, Pre, interjects.
"We wait until he initiates the galactic conflict on his own, and then we see," Obi-Wan decides. "Mandalore will likely be dragged in on one side or another. It is only a question of how we become victorious. We may need to fight for the Republic."
"The Republic?" repeats Pre, disgustedly. "You expect us to help the Jetii?"
It's a sentiment Obi-Wan shares, too, seeing that they nearly kidnapped him by force from his family when he was young. He shudders to think he nearly ended up as a Jedi. He wouldn't even have any memory of his past, had that happened. "We are not helping them. They will fall with the Republic, and something new will take their place." It will be harder if he's not directly involved in the Sith's plans, but he'll find a way.
He doesn't know how he'll go about explaining any of this to Anakin, though. It can wait until he's older.
**w**
Maul didn't actually expect the search for his padawan to go anywhere, so he's more than a little shocked when he they get an anonymous message that Anakin was finally sighted. He and some Mandalorian were apparently last sighted on Mandalore,of all places.
Someone tracked the ship to its next destination, another random planet in the Outer Rim. They don't have a guarantee that this is actually Anakin, but it's not a chance Maul is going to lose.
He stops to call Eldra first, though, just in case. If he's going to be dealing with a Sith, he's not arrogant enough to assume he'll be able to defeat him, when he technically lost the last two times they fought. Besides, he's not taking any chances with losing Anakin again. It's already been over a month since he first disappeared.
Still, he's beyond relieved at the news that he's alive and... somewhat okay, if he was actually moving around with someone. At least he hasn't been kept constantly locked up, or... worse.
"Are you available?" Maul asks. The Twi'lek's mission is also important, of course, whatever it is, but there's no one else he can ask. He hasn't been able to focus properly on his duty as a Jedi since this happened. All he can think of is Anakin, and Qui-Gon, and how he failed them both, and his promise.
"I'm on a mission right now," she replies, a little apologetically, "But I should finish shortly. What is it?"
"I found Anakin. I have no guarantee, but I am going to check it out. If the Sith is there, I may need assistance."
"I will be there, as soon as I can," she promises, giving him a small smile, "May the Force be with you."
"You too," he replies, gratitude flaring through him as she hangs up. She's always been... more willing to help than most of his other friends, even when it's not her current concern. He can only hope Anakin will actually be there, when they get there.
**w**
Anakin's unsurprised when they leave for a bounty hunting mission almost immediately after leaving Mandalore. This time, they're on a forest planet somewhere, looking for some... criminal. It's actually a criminal this time, so it feels like the mission has more of a purpose than the one to find that poor animal.
Silently, they move through the trees, Obi-Wan using his helmet – and the Force – to scan their surroundings for any sign.
Something's watching them, though. Anakin can feel it, and he could swear it almost feels... familiar. For a moment, he's almost certain he senses Maul, but even beyond that, there's... something more.
"We're being watched," Anakin says, in a whisper.
"I know," Obi-Wan replies, in a hushed tone, and keeps moving – of course they do, because the person tracking them doesn't need to know that they know.
Anakin senses it only a moment before it happens.
He hears the sound of a lightsaber activating, looking up sharply as a double-bladed blue lightsaber ignites, its user mid-fall to the ground, swinging for Obi-Wan.
The Sith jolts back, blocking the blade with the beskar on his armor, before he whips out a red lightsaber.
It's Maul.
What?!
How did his master get here or find them?!
For a moment, all Anakin can do is stare at him. He can't believe he's right here, in front of him again. Except –
Now he and Obi-Wan are fighting.
And he does not want them to fight. That wasn't supposed to happen when he found him! They were supposed to –
Obi-Wan nearly takes Maul's head off, blasting him back with the Force, and Maul lunges for him again, eyes burning. He's angry and in the Force, Anakin can feel that Obi-Wan is, too.
"You've lost, Sith," Maul snarls.
Obi-Wan shoves him back again. "So quick to assume?" he throws back, "The boy is staying with me."
What is Anakin supposed to do?! Neither of them are looking at him. They're –
"You will not win this time, Sith," Maul hisses.
"I already have. Your apprentice has embraced the Dark Side. He is mine."
The sheer possessiveness of the words nearly sends a shiver through him, though he knows Obi-Wan doesn't mean it like – like the way they said it on Tatooine. But still –
Maul flies at him almost blindly, and Obi-Wan blasts him back – with his armor and a Force-shove. Maul hits the ground a short distance away, and Anakin sprints to his side instantly, heart pounding. "Master!" he calls, urgently.
"Anakin," Maul murmurs, slowly pushing himself up, one of his hands on Anakin's shoulder. It's been so long since he last saw him. Not nearly as long as when he last saw Mom, but he never expected Maul to show up so suddenly. He's missed him.
Behind him, he can hear leaves crunching, and they both look up to see Obi-Wan approaching. He hasn't moved to attack, but there's a distinct note of anger and... jealousy? coiling around him in the Force.
"Stay away from him," Maul warns, instantly climbing to his feet.
"Wait," Anakin protests desperately, even if situations like this really just make him want to... hide. "Don't fight." Maul's gaze snaps to him, clearly confused. "He just needs our help."
"What?" he asks, incredulously.
Anakin's gaze nervously darts to Obi-Wan. He has no idea how much the Sith will or won't want him to say.
"My master is the one you should be concerning yourself with," Obi-Wan replies at length.
"And you are his apprentice," Maul shoots back, eyes narrowed.
"Not anymore."
"You –"
"It's true," Anakin interjects, quietly. That much, at least, he knows. Maul's gaze snaps to him again, eyeing him almost incredulously. Likely, he doesn't understand why Anakin is saying anything in support of this Sith. But he hasn't known him for the past month. Anakin just has to make him understand that – that Obi-Wan just needs help. "He... He freed me from his master. His master has been... chasing us."
"If he truly freed you, then why did he not bring you back? Why could you not leave?" Maul objects.
"That I was able to get him from the Jedi once speaks quite highly of their ability to watch over him," Obi-Wan replies, dryly.
Maul glares.
Why can't they just stop and talk? He doesn't like it when either of them are upset.
"So, no, I had no reason to bring him anywhere near them."
"We were gonna find you, if we could," Anakin speaks up, "He said so."
Maul shakes his head, sighing quietly. His voice is a little gentler than when he was talking to Obi-Wan, though. "Anakin, he's holding you prisoner, isn't he? I know you would have come back if you were able to."
Well, he's not wrong, but – "He just needs our help," Anakin repeats, "We can do that... can't we, Master?"
"Help," Maul repeats, "With what?"
"He – he wants to be free from his master, too."
"Anakin, he's a Sith –"
"What did I tell you?" Obi-Wan asks, "He is the same as the rest of the Jedi. They have no interest in aiding those they will not benefit from."
And that's not entirely wrong either, but Anakin knows why Maul is so angry with Obi-Wan. He doesn't know him, and he killed Qui-Gon. Maul's master. He knew Qui-Gon far better than Anakin ever did.
"I know he – he hurt you, but you told me we hafta let go of those things." Especially if it's to help free another slave, even if he's... chained differently.
Maul glances between them, hand falling to Anakin's shoulder when Obi-Wan moves closer, almost threateningly.
"You are not taking him," Obi-Wan warns, voice full of barely suppressed fury. It's nearly enough to make Anakin flinch back. This is bad.
"I am returning him to the Temple," Maul retorts.
"Did you ever consider that maybe he wouldn't want to go back?" Obi-Wan retorts.
Maul stills, expression morphing to confusion and wariness. "Anakin...?"
And... Anakin has no idea what to say. He doesn't want to be trapped in this. He just wants to help them both. He wants to go back to the Temple, to be a Jedi, but he wants Obi-Wan to be there, too. But that's not... possible.
Whatever he says, it's probably going to make someone mad. And he doesn't want them to hurt each other, not over him.
But he doesn't have the chance to respond.
There's a ship flying in, high above the trees, and no one had thought to pay it any mind until right now. Laser blasts explode from the guns, tearing through the trees, around them, sending everyone diving for cover. Maul instantly whips out his lightsaber, and Obi-Wan activates his jetpack, flying out of the way of the falling trees. Except the ship keeps on shooting, and Obi-Wan instantly streaks through the air, in pursuit. A blast nearly hits his armor, but he dodges out of the way. Branches and leaves are flying everywhere as Anakin ducks near one of the trees, wishing again that he had his own lightsaber so he could do something.
"Stay here," Maul calls, sprinting away as a figure appears in between the trees, shooting at them.
Suddenly, the eyes Anakin felt watching them make so much more sense. All he knows is that he can't shake the feeling something very bad is about to happen. He should go there to help, maybe, but the last two times he did that, he only got himself in the way of Maul or Obi-Wan, respectively. He doesn't want to mess this up and accidentally hurt them again.
So maybe he should just stay here?
That doesn't stop the anxiety twisting through him, as he watches Obi-Wan attacking the ship in the trees far above, and Maul fighting off... several more figures a distance away now. How did so many bounty hunters track them here?!
And the fact that they're attacking both Maul and Obi-Wan could only mean one thing... because Anakin doesn't think this ambush has anything to do with the bounty hunting mission he and Obi-Wan were supposed to be on. No, they're probably from Plagueis, here for Obi-Wan or Anakin. Again.
Something moves suddenly in the trees behind him, and Anakin whips around, sensing the danger instantly.
Someone with a much too large hat for their small, blue head, and very unsettling red eyes steps through the trees, blasters pointed at him.
Uh oh.
"Look what we have here," he comments.
Anakin reaches for the blasters first, ripping them away with the Force, throwing one to the ground, the other landing in his hands instead. It throws the blue man momentarily off-balance, but he hastily rights himself with... hover-shoes?
Anakin tries shooting at him, but he dodges out of the way, circling down through the trees –
And danger flares right next to him, but he probably only didn't notice it sooner because it's a small droid that's attacking him, instead of a person, whose intentions he could've sense.
The droid hits him with something electric, electricity crackling through him. Anakin knocks it away purely on instinct, feeling more than seeing himself fall to his knees, as the pain coursing through him.
It stops just as abruptly, but his body is still stinging everywhere, especially his leg, and that's bad because it's going to make it very hard to run, and –
He forces his eyes open anyway, because he always has to move past pain on Tatooine, but the blue man is already standing over him. Anakin's still just trying to breathe right now, gasping in ragged breaths, and that makes fighting back more difficult, especially as the man snaps binders on his wrists. The droid is still hovering next to him in silent threat of electrocuting him again if he tries anything.
But what hits Anakin the hardest is that these are Force-restraints.
Where would the Duro – that's his species right? – have ever gotten those from?
Unless –
Dread pools in him, sharp and suffocating, especially when it already feels like he's suffocating with the Force ripped away from him like this again. It feels like he's being smothered, surrounded by a world that looks real, but feels like it doesn't exist, and this is –
"Obi-Wan! Master!" Anakin yells, desperately.
He doesn't know if either are close enough to hear him, but nothing except blaster shots answer his cries.
"Now, now, we don't need that," the blue man says. He doesn't sound angry, but something about his voice always comes out like a low, not exactly growl. He lifts his blaster, flipping to stun and firing again.
Darkness consumes everything before he can try twisting out of the way.
**w**
Maul senses it the moment his bond with Anakin abruptly goes dark again. Only moments before he sensed danger from him, and – Force, no. This can't be happening again.
Is the Sith taking off with him in the time Maul was distracted?! He hurls the bounty hunters he's fighting back with the Force, turning and sprinting through the trees to where he left Anakin.
Except, it's only in time to see another figure disappearing through the trees, dragging the boy behind him. Maul gives chase instantly, anger flaring at seeing Anakin being treated like that, but somehow, it feels like an exact repeat of last time, because he doesn't manage to get anywhere close in time.
The bounty hunter's ship, with Anakin on board, is taking off before he can even come close to stopping it. He lost Anakin again, only moments after being reunited with him, and he has absolutely no idea what to do now.
The other bounty hunters are pulling back now, and this... doesn't make any sense. Did the Sith call them in?
He doesn't have more than a moment to consider it, before said Sith lands on the ground in front of him. It's good to know that he's Mandalorian, but that has disturbing implications Maul will take the time to worry about later.
"What did you do?" he demands, even if he can't say for sure it's the Sith's fault. That wouldn't make sense, would it?
"That is the first thing you think of, Jedi?" the Sith snarls. He's radiating fury and a strange sense of wildness that he wasn't only moments before. "You were left to protect him, and you lost him again."
Any other time, and he could've cared less about the Sith's words, but this time, it can't help but feel like it's the truth. Why does he keep failing his padawan? "Did you hire them?"
The Sith scoffs. "I already had the boy. What need would I have to arrange an elaborate kidnapping?"
There's no time to argue about this right now, and just this once, he thinks the Sith's being genuine, even though that makes little sense. Unless what Anakin was saying is the truth, and he wasn't being deceived. He obviously sincerely believed it, but that had just scared Maul, at the time. He already knew how likely it was for the Sith to have gotten Anakin to use the Dark Side. And to have started brainwashing him against the Jedi.
But, of course, with his padawan being the light, caring boy he is, his first thought would be to a help Sith who had kidnapped him. Though how the fact that this is the same person who murdered Qui-Gon isn't still bothering Anakin, Maul's not sure.
All he knows is that – that he really needs to calm himself, because he's never been quite so inclined to lash out in a very un-Jedi-like way before, as he has right now. Well, okay, he did after his master was killed, too, so maybe it's not surprising when he's facing his master's killer again.
"Then who are they?"
"Likely, they are from my master. He has been searching for me and the boy."
That's... weird. Maybe it is true, then, though he doesn't know why the apprentice would've left. "How would they have found us?" Maul argues.
"What matters is how we get him back," the Sith snaps.
"I assume you have a plan for that?"
The Sith gives him a hard look – Maul can see as much, even through his helmet. "Yes. I know where he's taking him. This trap is for me."
"Why?"
"That is none of your concern."
He supposes it doesn't really matter right now. He can sense the Sith's... desperation, as strange as that is. He means to get Anakin back, too, for whatever reason – maybe he's officially decided he's his new apprentice or something – and Maul won't hesitate to take advantage of that. Actually – "I'm going with you," he replies. And no, he has absolutely no desire to work with a Sith, but that's what it takes to his padawan back, he'll do it. He can deal with the Sith once this is over. "If you truly want to get him back, this is not something you can handle alone."
He can feel the heat of the Sith's glare, his presence icing over. "Very well. This, my master will not see coming."
He just... agreed? And he's going to take him straight to the Sith master? There's no way this can't be a trap of some kind. He'll have to send out a call to the Council and hope it's not a senseless one. "Then, it's time for us to leave."
"I assume you intend to call in more of your Jedi friends?" he asks.
"Unless you are arrogant enough to assume we can bring Anakin to safety alone," Maul retorts.
"Prepare," the Sith snaps, turning away, "As will I." He activates his jetpacks, streaking up into the sky, presumably returning to his ship.
Maul makes a beeline back to his own, contacting first the Council, and then, Eldra.
"I'm only a few systems away. I'll be there as soon as possible," she promises.
Maul can only hope that the Council – who have to travel here from the other side of the galaxy – will be able to get here fast enough as well. Maybe, today they can bring Anakin safely back to the Temple, and bring an end to the Sith forever, all at once.
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