Obi-Wan Kenobi swung his lightsabre in an arc and effortlessly cleaved through another two droids that attempted to halt his advance through the hangars of Theed's Royal Palace. Blaster fire flew all around him from both droids and the Queen's guard and the firefight only ceased when, with a flick of his hand, Master Qui-Gon destroyed the remaining hostiles.
Obi-Wan retracted his lightsabre and reconvened with the others. Fortunately, Queen Amidala – besides a tad out of breath and sweaty from adrenaline – was unscathed even if she had a proclivity for diving headlong into the thick of battle. Despite Naboo not being particularly militaristic, he had to concede that the Queen's training had been fruitful. Captain Panaka immediately took to her side along with her contingent of royal guards and handmaidens.
"It seems our infiltration has not gone unnoticed. Where to next, Your Majesty?" Qui-Gon said once near enough.
"Quickest way to the throne room is through the blast doors at the end of the hangar. The Viceroy's droids are making things more difficult than I thought." Padmé said in a firm and self-assured way that Obi-Wan couldn't help but admire. She would make for a good Queen, he thought.
"Is it safe?" Anakin said after a beat of silence and Obi-Wan tried to keep a frown from forming on his face as he gazed at the boy. What was Master Qui-Gon thinking in bringing a boy to the battlefield? That was nothing but reckless. The argument that he would be safer with them was flimsy at best; it's almost like he wanted the boy close at hand for some reason.
"Anakin, get in the cockpit and hide." Qui-Gon said sternly and pointed to a nearby N-1 Starfighter. Anakin wanted to protest but he was cut off by the Master reiterating the command in a tone that left no room for argument. The boy nodded meekly and scampered off behind a stack of crates.
"Are you sure that bringing the boy with us was wise, Master?" Obi-Wan said once Anakin was far enough away and they could get some privacy from the rest of the group.
"He needs to learn of the Force in any way he can."
"The Council has forbidden us from teaching him."
"That they have." Qui-Gon said and finally turned to regard his padawan fully, "However, they said nothing of letting him learn through observation."
Obi-Wan frowned and swallowed his words. He did not agree with his Master in this regard. Neither with going behind the Council's back nor with allowing a potentially dangerous sensitive to accrue knowledge in how to wield the Force. He knew his Master was up to his usual antics and he disliked being proven right in this regard.
"I understand you disapprove," Qui-Gon said quite smoothly as he did not even need to feel his padawan's presence to know what he thought at the moment, "but Anakin is both powerful in the Force and the Chosen One. He will be important for the future of the galaxy and we must ensure he is equipped to the best of his abilities to face the darkness that is to come."
"I understand, Master." While Obi-Wan was not entirely convinced that the boy was the Chosen One, nor were his worries assuaged by Qui-Gon's words, he could understand the logic behind them. As guardians of galactic peace, it was the Jedi's prerogative to be a bulwark against any threat to the Republic. Doubly so if said threat were the Sith as they had come to believe this new foe was. Even if the Jedi hadn't that mission, it was also their duty to safeguard the next generation of Force-sensitives to prevent any future enemies from surfacing. "I am simply…" Obi-Wan grimaced slightly, "worried."
"The concern you feel is warranted. We are facing an enemy the Jedi hadn't openly fought in a millennium, yet face him we must. Remember your training, centre yourself in the Force, trust your feelings, and we will prevail." Qui-Gon said in assurance.
Obi-Wan nodded and regained his focus as his Master's lips quirked slightly in fondness. The two Jedi followed the Queen and her group as they crossed the rest of the expansive hangar only to slow once they reached the imposing blast doors. The two metre-thick slabs of durasteel parted before the group to reveal the figure that Obi-Wan simultaneously dreaded and was eager to confront since Tatooine: the Sith Lord. He stood impassive and clad in a dark cloak that hid his features like an ode to death itself. Lurking. Waiting.
The Sith Lord lowered his hood then let the cloak fall off his shoulders to pool at his feet and Obi-Wan finally got a good look at him. He was a Zabrak male with a face completely tattooed in black and blood red, styled in a pattern akin to tribal war paints that promised a swift end to all who faced him in combat. However, what caught Obi-Wan's attention were his eyes; they shone in the vicious yellow the Sith were known for and proudly proclaimed the taint of the Dark Side to all. They burned with hatred so fierce Obi-Wan's step halted briefly before he continued his march alongside his Master toward the enemy. Yet when Obi-Wan stretched his senses to feel his presence, he was calm. Unnervingly so. It was as if this Sith Lord was wholly focused on the here and now; that not a second in the past mattered and the future was inconsequential. It was a contrast that Obi-Wan found difficult to come to terms with as he could physically feel the oppressive cold and rage of the Dark Side emanate from him.
Once he and his Master reached the recommended duelling distance drilled in him from the countless spars at the Order, they halted and removed their robes. Muscles tensed in anticipation. The focus of all three men was entirely on the ten metres separating them and their immediate surroundings. Even when the battle between Amidala and the droids resumed, the sounds of blaster fire and explosions were silent to them.
The Sith Lord moved first: he produced a lightsabre whose hilt was far lengthier than was needed for a one-handed grip. Obi-Wan gathered he might be a fellow Ataru practitioner and the extra length was to apply both hands in Force-enhanced strikes for maximum damage. A quintessentially Sith approach to combat. His assumption was proven incorrect when both ends were lit to reveal it was, in fact, a sabrestaff. The Sith twirled his weapon confidently in a well-practised flourish and settled into an opening stance that, while not exactly like what was taught at the Temple, was nonetheless familiar to the padawan: Juyo.
Obi-Wan clenched his teeth once he recognised the danger such a proficient user of the seventh form posed, but he would not falter. If he can provide his Master with enough support, he was certain they would win. Qui-Gon was a master duellist trained by the greatest Makashi user of their time and the Force was with them.
The two Jedi lit their lightsabres and readied their stance. The moments that followed stretched for what felt like an eternity as each side gauged the strength of the other. Obi-Wan rushed in first, perhaps rather restless that the supposedly impatient Sith was so composed, and swung at the Sith who easily blocked. The handful of strikes they exchanged afterward dispelled any doubt in Obi-Wan's mind that the Sith was a skilled combatant. For every swing of his lightsabre was met in kind with pinpoint accurate deflections and parries delivered with exceptional quickness. Even when his Master joined the fray, the enemy merely began employing more unpredictable movement to make his attacks deadlier.
This man was a Juyo savant.
The twirls and flips that the Sith employed made Obi-Wan feel the need to opt for more unconventional approaches. He imbued one of his jumps in the Force to try and flank the enemy but an expert counter use of the Force by the Sith halted Obi-Wan in mid-air. He was then flung towards his Master who had to dodge and press the attack to attempt to unsettle the Zabrak. Obi-Wan landed harshly and skidded on the highly polished floor of the hangar, but kept his awareness in the fight. While still laying down, he raised his arm and made several crates fly at high speeds towards the Sith from his blind spot. The man smirked and, in a fluid motion, parried Gui-Gon's latest strike then cleaved the plasteel crates which fell harmlessly on the ground.
Obi-Wan stood quickly and advanced to support his Master in the melee. Arcs of colour and the sound of clashing plasma echoed through the corridors of Theed as the three men engaged in a veritable dance. Sparks flew and left the walls marred in scorch marks whenever struck and their feet skilfully exchanged both feints and dodges. Whenever the two Jedi thought they had the upper hand, the Sith merely shrugged their efforts off with little to no issue. All the while he seemed to be directing them to a preferred location, to set a more apt stage for this confrontation a millennium in the making. The Master and student pair quickly realised they were in a stalemate. Their combined youth and experience could not match the raw prowess of this Sith at the peak of his prime.
All they could hope for was to prod his defences and bait a slip-up, a weakness to exploit, or a well-timed counterattack. So far their opponent was too smart and disciplined to give them one. Therefore, they increased the ferocity and determination of their clash instead. Obi-Wan could feel sweat break on his brow from concentration as his heart thumped in his chest with the same intensity as each blow that connected to his blade. This was by far the most difficult opponent he had ever faced in lightsabre combat. None of the countless sparring matches he had participated in nor the previous scraps with the galaxy's scum and villainy had come anywhere close to feeling the same as this fight currently did.
It was both terrifying and exhilarating.
The Zabrak did another flip and gained some distance between them. With the brief lull in the struggle, Obi-Wan noticed they were now in a power station deep in the bellows of the Royal Palace. It was a cavernous place filled with catwalks high above a pit hundreds of metres high. Huge columns of thrumming plasma provided hum and light to the locale while heavy machinery whirred and beeped all around them.
The Sith backflipped with the Force to a catwalk above them and gazed down at the two Jedi. A wicked smile that shone with joy and bloodlust spread upon his face and he raised his hand to taunt them to come for him. The pair obliged: one in front and another behind. Once Qui-Gon landed he quickly had to lie prone as the Sith threw his sabrestaff spinning at him. Obi-Wan rushed from behind to strike the unarmed opponent but stopped dead in his tracks as the Force warned him of danger. He had a split second to dodge the same sabrestaff that had flown like a blaster bolt with extreme speed towards him. The Sith sprinted at Qui-Gon and leapt high in the air with his arms raised above his head; his weapon flew into its owner's grasp during the manoeuvre. Qui-Gon got his bearings just in time to lift his lightsabre to block the overheard strike that felt like being hit by a Corellian freighter.
Their weapons were locked in a struggle that made Qui-Gon's arms quake with the effort needed to withstand the sheer weight behind the Zabrak's attack. The Sith's eyes were bathed in an ominous red glow and filled with the overwhelming rush of combat. Of finding worthy prey. It sent shivers down Qui-Gon's spine, but he would fight until he could fight no more. Qui-Gon fell to a knee and his green blade was getting exceedingly close to his ear when the pressure suddenly lifted.
Obi-Wan swung at the Sith's back but was deflected at the last possible second. Qui-Gon rolled beneath another attack the Sith tried to finish him off with and gained some distance so he could get back to his feet. Obi-Wan stood next to Qui-Gon and spared his Master a look to make sure he was okay then, once he received a nod in return, the two resumed the fight. Obi-Wan was tired and bruised and, while his Master did his best not to show as such, he could tell that Qui-Gon's movements were slowing. They needed to finish this fight quickly, or they would be lost.
More blows were exchanged between the three antagonists, but there were signs the fight was reaching its climax: robes were being scorched by barely avoided strikes; blows that previously landed with severe impact now did so with markedly less force; and the overall volume of attacks steadily dwindled. At one point, either due to eagerness or exhaustion, Obi-Wan overextended his strike and caught a kick in his midriff that sent him tumbling over the railing and off of the catwalk the three were fighting on. He landed hard on the level below and the roll he instinctively did to soften the impact made him dangle precariously from the edge.
Up above, the clash between his Master and the Sith raged on. He had hoped Qui-Gon wouldn't be lured by the enemy like he so clearly was, but he understood that this was becoming a desperate struggle. With great effort. Obi-Wan pulled himself to safety and rushed as quickly as he could to rejoin the fray. Qui-Gon was currently in pursuit of the Sith Lord with the two in a long service hallway and headed even further in. Obi-Wan yelled after his Master but he did not slow.
Then the sound of laser buffeting struts activating split through the air and the fight was brought to a grinding halt.
The Sith Lord was the furthest one down the narrow corridor, completely clear of the barriers. Qui-Gon stood trapped between barriers four and five, while Obi-Wan hadn't crossed any. Each man looked about themselves to find an escape or a shut-off switch, finding none. Both Jedi gazed at the Sith Lord with bated breath as they feared he would run and escape. The answer they received was a grin – he had no intentions of going anywhere. Qui-Gon exchanged a meaningful glance with Obi-Wan, then dropped into a guarded crouch and meditated.
Obi-Wan's body was tense. He prowled the front end of the service corridor in an agitated manner. He was furious for being trapped so far from the enemy and furious at his Master for letting himself be lured by the Sith also. He replayed the events in the fight that led to this predicament and he did not like what he saw. This should have already been over. It was two fully-fledged Jedi versus a singular opponent. In any other circumstance, this contest would've been decided by the time the first kata was completed.
He feared the worst outcome of this fight. Not just for himself and his Master, but for this planet, for Queen Amidala, and – in a realisation that shocked him slightly – for Anakin. Although he had his reservations, Obi-Wan Kenobi could sometimes see the potential that his Master saw in the boy when he had a spark in his eyes. There was a spirit, a fire, in him that Obi-Wan was both impressed by and slightly envious of. Perhaps it was his fate to be found by them on that Force-forsaken planet. It would be… interesting, at the very least, to have him train at the Temple. These thoughts of what was at stake steeled the young man's resolve. He would not let his failure to be by his Master's side be the reason the Republic lost this day. Despite nearing his physical limit, he would make sure to bring defeat to the Sith. He would make sure Anakin was brought back to the Jedi.
The lasers began to disengage, starting from the opposite end from where Obi-Wan was. As soon as the barrier separating the Sith Lord from his Master disappeared, they restarted the clash of lightsabres but Obi-Wan barely paid attention to it. His focus was on what he must do. He gathered the Force within him and prepared his body for the burst of speed he was about to demand from his muscles. When the last barrier went away, he ran.
His speed was such that he could barely feel the ground beneath his feet and the edges of his vision blurred, but the focal point of his gaze remained locked on his objective: the Sith Lord. When Obi-Wan got within striking range of the Zabrak, he noticed the surprise that flitted across his face as he brought his lightsabre down on the Sith. He was caught off-guard, having to defend a flurry of strikes with power he had not witnessed from the young Jedi since this fight began. It forced him on the defensive. The Sith was losing. They would win.
When Obi-Wan planted his foot down to lunge with his lightsabre with the intent to finish things once and for all, he felt a muscle in his thigh scream in agony. The white-hot pain broke his concentration for a split second and it forced him to shift his stance mid-strike. The look that the Sith gave him at that moment confused Obi-Wan. It wasn't of apprehension or rage, but elation. Pure glee. It brought cold, dreaded fear into Obi-Wan's heart. He began to raise his off-hand to protect himself with the Force as his mind raced for an explanation as to what the Zabrak saw in his attack. What Obi-Wan did not know is that the Sith, Darth Maul, had never seen a Jedi do a lunge before. He had only seen it from one person.
And he was no Jedi.
With movements that were borderline instinct drilled into him from countless hellish spars, Maul easily deflected Obi-Wan's lightsabre away. At the apex of the movement, he turned one end of his sabrestaff off, switched the hand that held the hilt of his weapon, spun out of the way, and brought the blade down to cleave the Jedi; all within a fraction of a second.
There was a flash of deep, stinging pain that coursed through Obi-Wan for the briefest of moments before he felt strangely… numb. He couldn't feel the smooth surface of his lightsabre beneath his fingers anymore. Had he lost it? His Master would be very cross if he lost it. He also felt cold. Very cold. He didn't think Naboo could get this cold. Seems like it's something he'd have to take into account next time. He could hear someone scream but it was faint. Far away. The next thing he found quite odd was the fact that his vision was quickly getting closer to the floor. Was he falling? He couldn't tell if he was falling. That was strange. Perhaps he should ask his Master about it… later. After a short nap. Yes, that sounded nice. The fight left him tired. So very tired.
When his severed head hit the floor, the light faded from his eyes and Obi-Wan Kenobi knew no more.
AN: To all Obi-Wan fans, I'm sorry for your loss. If it makes you feel any better I cried during that final paragraph, and I was the one who wrote it.
10/July/23 EDIT: General touch-up and grammar fixes.