Escaped - Part 1

Maul stared at the screen in front of him with wide eyes. What in the sithhells had he just witnessed?! These pathetic human clones thought they could lay hands on his Lieutenant?! What was she thinking?! She didn't have to keep up the facade anymore! Worst was that last one - he thought he could-?! His hands gripped the sides of the console til his knuckles were turning pale. His teeth grit. Was this her conduct among the clones? Allowing them to touch and- and to…

The zabrak forced himself to his feet, the fury coursed through him and blocked out the crippling pain. He was standing fully and whirled to face the door as it opened. Zaiya stood there, shocked to see him there.

"Sire!" she gasped, and he stormed forward, a hand on her throat, though resting on the base and not choking her, just a warning.

"Is this the company you keep, Lieutenant?" he hissed, "allowing these lab-grown experiments to-"

"You will not speak of my friends that way!" she exploded at him and shoved him back, her own gloved hand bunched in the fabric of his tunic. Maul's eyes widened, she had never spoken to him like that before.

Then he saw it. The agony in her eyes. His anger faded at once, and he realised that there was more to this. She was in pain. A pain he didn't quite understand. It was deep and it was strong and his hand slackened its grip.

Then he shoved her hand away.

"You are so close with your friends?" he snarled and she frowned, then her gaze slid to the screens behind him and she seemed to realise he had been watching.

"I don't know what exactly you saw, sire, but now is not the time! They will be looking for me," she replied and pushed past him. "I had thought we would have more time, but we must go now." He watched her go to the console and pulled a data stick from the inside of her jacket and jammed it into the port.

"What are you doing?" he asked, having recovered from the sudden shock of seeing her temper flare.

"I have a program that will erase all data of our stay here, all records and all mentions of either of us. Nala Se will be fuming that all her research will be destroyed." He could hear the smirk in her voice and he felt his chest ease in some of the tightness he was not aware had overcome him.

"I witnessed your fight," he began. "The lightsaber." She paused for a moment then hit the button on the console, watching the screens flicker. She turned to face him.

"My temper got the better of me, I had been repairing it as a gift. I was not able to return it to its former glory but… it is functional." She turned to face him, and held out the lightsaber hilt in her hand, palm upward.

Maul reached out his own hand and the hilt rose in the air and to his hand. It spun and he caught it, looking over the construction with an appraising eye. It was brilliant work for someone who had never made their own saber. He wondered then if he might remedy that.

"You mend my mind, my body and now my lightsaber…" he mused, "are you intent on fixing all of me?"

"It is not I that fixed you sire, I merely held out my hand. You were the one that chose to take it," she replied, as though it were so simple. Was it like that? Had he really taken her hand? Had he done this? His yellow eyes trailed the repaired hilt. The new metal extended from the cut, just as he had been. He could return the saber to the way it was, rebuild it to be the same as before Naboo.

Or perhaps he should reshape it, improve it and let what he had experienced and learned shape the hilt of his new lightsaber. He was whole again, but he was different. Should it not reflect that too? His gaze returned to Zaiya who seemed to be finished with her work, she was tapping away at a wall panel and the screen flashed red with the word: PURGE.

She really was covering all her tracks.

"Can you walk?" she asked, stepping over to his side, he could feel the Force rolling around her like an open wound, his chest tightened again and he gripped her arm.

"You have done well, Lieutenant," he told her, meeting her gaze. He put aside his anger for the moment, he would deal with the conduct of the clones later. For now it was indeed wiser just to go. The anxiety in her seemed to ebb a little bit, he felt it in the Force and her smile, though small, was a grateful one.

The two zabraks made their way out of the lab, hoods up over their heads, and headed through the short corridor to the secondary lab where they had first arrived into the facility, the tunnel back to the ship was there. Maul was slower than he would like, and Zaiya opened the hatch for him.

"Tahn'ti?" asked a quiet voice, and Maul whirled around, saber in hand. There stood a little blonde human, eyes like that of saucers as she took a step back. Zaiya quickly moved between them.

"It's alright, sire, she is not an enemy," she assured, going to the human and kneeling before the child.

"She's seen me, Lieutenant," he warned, knowing his presence here was meant to be secret.

"She's a child…!" Zaiya hissed back over her shoulder and then looked at the girl.

"Where are you going?" the girl asked, her tone small and pathetic.

"I'm leaving, Omega, your brothers and I sent the invaders away but now I have to go too." She tucked a stray lock of the girl's blonde hair back as she spoke. Maul regarded how soft Zaiya was with this human child, it reminded him of the way she was with his brothers, how she was as a child. She had this softness in her then. He found himself bizarrely grateful that it still existed within her, that whatever had happened to her had not taken that side away.

Was this the woman that had healed him on Dathomir? Those memories were still fuzzy and plagued by madness, but this gentleness seemed familiar. Who else was she so gentle with? The clones too? Were they all seeing this side of his Lieutenant whilst he was locked in an accursed tank for an entire year? His lip curled and he let out a low growl at the thought.

"Will you come back…?" the girl - Omega - asked, tearily.

"I don't think so, le'mita kola," she replied, and took the girl's hand. "But you helped me in my mission, my friend is healed thanks to your help, and should you leave Kamino, come and find me, alright?" she offered, touching the girl's chin with a crooked finger.

Suddenly the child launched herself at Zaiya and Maul was on guard. But no, just like the clones on the holofeed, this little human had wrapped her arms around the Nightsister and from the feelings in the Force, was very sorrowful. It seemed Kamino itself was in pain and suffering that day. This was a wound in the Force that would not easily heal.

"Lieutenant," he called and Zaiya gently pulled away from the girl.

"I wish I had more time but I must go. You must not tell anyone you saw us, alright?" she said with a lingering pet of the human's head. Omega nodded, tears in her eyes as she waved goodbye. Maul did not linger, and once he had dropped to the bottom of the tunnel - aided by his use of the Force so as not to land heavily - he began along the underwater passage that would lead to the secret hangar. Rapid footsteps from behind sounded as Zaiya caught up to him.

"The child is a liability," he sighed.

"No, the Kaminoan that is her minder was Nala Se, she cannot reveal us lest she implicate herself, and few even know about the child," Zaiya replied bitterly. He glanced at her. Would she have done what was necessary if it came to it, he wondered.

"These people have made you soft," he scoffed as they reached the ladder, when suddenly he was pinned to it, her gripping his robes again.

"I have lost too many today to be able to debate you on this. I know what your Sith doctrine says about friends and loved ones - but I don't care. The clones matter to me, just as my Bounty Hunter mentors do. Just as the Nightbrothers do. The same as Feral and Savage. The same as you. I am not a Jedi, and I am not a Sith, so curse it to the Void. I have attachments to people, and none more so than you. So you cannot tell me to cast them aside. I won't do it and I won't hear it. Not today."

Her grip had slackened and he could see the emotion on her face. She was not hiding behind a mask now. She was bearing herself to him, and he found himself unable to say anything against it. Zaiya was attached to people. In a way he never had. In a way he likely never would. In a way that he perhaps envied.

"Very well," he replied in a rasp, the full weight of her emotions threatening to break from the dam she had maintained - he could almost see it. But they needed to go.

She looped an arm around his waist and used the Force to leap up to the platform. Suddenly he realised why the wretched humans wished to embrace her, her body pressed to his was comforting. Perhaps they had been taking their comfort from her in those moments, more than anything else. But who had comforted her?

Comfort is a pathetic lie only needed by the weak! The voice in the back of his mind still spewed the vile venom of the Sith teachings… but another voice offered a suggestion. That he might be the one to offer her comfort. That he could be the strength for her this once. Perhaps…?

They made it to the ship and Zaiya almost flew to her seat, running quick checks before the platform began to rise from the sea. The "walls" opened, and the sky, the sun setting in the distance was revealed to them, in the distance, smoke billowed from Tipoca City, the aftermath of the attack clear even from here. His eyes swept the horizon as they rose up into the sky and toward the upper atmosphere. They weren't clear yet.

[Shuttle 21574, we don't have clearance for you out here,] came a voice through the speakers. Maul looked at Zaiya and was taken aback when she spoke in a voice that was not her own, it sounded similar to the voice that had just spoken to them from the Republic Tower!

"Just an error, didn't have time in the chaos, transmitting codes now," she said in the weird voice. Maul almost made a face, it was disturbing. There was a short pause and he noticed her grip the controls tighter.

[...you're all clear, Shuttle 21574, good luck out there.] A moment later the communication cut and Zaiya lifted the ship into orbit, preparing them for hyperspace.

"Once we make the jump we can deactivate the Republic transmitter," she said to him in her normal voice. "I think it might be handy for the future." She flashed him a smile but she looked worn, and tired. He could finally take stock of her and realised just how beat up she was.

"You're wounded," he said, knowing it was obvious. This blood was hers. He felt a stab of regret on not having noticed before.

"I'll be fine," she said dismissively.

"You will tend to your wounds once we are in hyperspace, Lieutenant," Maul commanded. He was not in the mood to argue. She looked at him slowly and nodded.

"As you wish, Sire."

A few minutes later, she had the drive programmed and the little ship's viewport was filled with the blue streaks of stars flying past as they jumped to hyperspace.

Zaiya and Maul had finally left Kamino.


Savage had barely returned from the hunt when he heard the comlink sound. He carried it with him all the time, unable to help it, the compulsion to speak to Zaiya and Maul if they called had him almost jump at their command. The others had told him he was obsessive but… it really was a sense of hope he'd not had in so long.

It was a particularly cold day on Dathomir and the snow on the village had fallen more heavily. The creatures they hunted were also slower. Though used to the cold, many of the creatures had been hindered and hidden in the caves along the base of the mountains. While it made hunting easier, they too were slowed despite their heightened body temperatures. Savage had even had to wear long sleeves and an extra layer. All of which made it harder to move in.

Thankfully he was now back in the village and the Elder Brothers were preparing the evening meal while Savage and the others in the hunting party had a little downtime.

It was then he'd heard the comlink and had called out to Feral. The middle brother stepped into a vacant area and activated the comm. Sitting there was a familiar feminine figure that grinned at him. It had been far too long since her last check in and Savage was relieved to see her.

"Zaiya!" he greeted with a bright smile. "How is the water-planet?" he asked, he wasn't sure of names or places or exactly what she was doing, much of her work was kept secret due to the Republic. All he knew was that she was training men for the Republic. Even that was probably too much information, she had once said, but it seemed that she'd had no repercussions from it.

"It's been alright, we were invaded again… that was…" she trailed off, her jovial tone fading. A moment later Zaiya cleared her throat and looked back at him. "I have some news." Savage inwardly stiffened, worried that the news in question would be bad. Zaiya reached toward her holo projector and widened the scope of what could be seen. Savage's eyes widened to see Maul sitting beside her!

"He's out!" Feral gasped from behind Savage. The middle brother turned with a smile to look at the youngest, then back to the oldest, who still wore his usual scowl.

"So… did it…?" Savage began nervously.

"I am healed," Maul interjected firmly.

"Hah!" Savage responded with excitement. He knew Zaiya could do it!

"So… you'll be coming back soon?" Feral asked, he looked happy but… cautious at the same time.

"We will," Zaiya affirmed, "not immediately, as there is still some healing to be done… and I have to lay low for a while." She grimaced and glanced away, causing Savage's hearts to jump slightly.

"What do you mean? What happened?" he asked urgently. He watched Maul glance at her, as though he too was curious about what she might say.

"So… you know that I was working for the Republic…" she began. The brothers nodded. "I don't know if you heard about the war…?" She looked back up and Savage and Feral shrugged.

"There was a mention of it, though we don't exactly have holonet access," Feral replied, having been taught what the holonet actually was. There was a disturbance, and from the brothers that had interacted with the Sisters, they had said something about a war.

"The majority of the Galaxy is at war," she explained, telling them about the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The Clones and the droids. It sounded simplified but she explained that it was a little complicated. She also told them about the Clones and where they came from, and that it was she that was training them on their home planet!

"So you were in charge of an Army?!" Savage gasped in surprise. Zaiya chuckled slightly.

"Well, I was in charge of all the training, they… heh, they called me Ver'alor. It's a word that means Lieutenant, funnily enough. They used it as a term of respect and affection…" she trailed off and there was a wistful and sad look on her face. "They are good men." Savage felt his hearts ache again to see it.

"You care about them," Savage said, realising what that look meant. There was a pause, she glanced back at Maul and Savage frowned slightly.

"I do," she said finally with conviction as she looked back at Savage and Feral. "They are… or were my friends…"

"What happened?" Feral asked.

"I… well Kamino was invaded, for a second time… and the Sith assassin, a woman who was born a Nightsister-" Feral and Savage's eyes widened. "-she killed some people very important to me. I… I lost my temper, and I went after her. I used the Force and in the moment, the Jedi began to become suspicious about who I really was. I had to leave suddenly. We're headed to a quiet location now."

"I'm so sorry," Feral said warmly. "That must have been hard." Savage looked between Feral and Zaiya and Maul. Maul just had a deep frown on his face, his intense eyes flicking between them as well.

"Are you alright?" Savage asked, concerned for the woman that was always there and caring for him. As usual though, she smiled… that masked expression as though there was nothing wrong in the world at all. Savage was growing to hate that smile.

"Of course I am," she said with a gentle tone. "Thank you, both of you. I don't know what I'd do without you." Savage felt his face grow warm at the compliment. This smile was different this time, it was genuine and affectionate and this was a smile that he really liked. There was a fluttering in his gut and suddenly he didn't feel the cold anymore.

"You can comm us anytime if you want to talk about it." Feral offered, her grin grew to a big and bright one.

"I will be free to comm you more often now, there are less things to interfere with my day, and I can spend more time with you, with Maul…" she glanced back at Maul and there was a deeper expression in her eyes. Savage's hearts tightened though he didn't know why. The entire conversation had his feelings up and down and he didn't understand.

She looked back at them with another warm smile. Savage felt lighter, to know she was out of there, that his brother was healed. There was hope that he and Feral would be able to get out of there. They could be free.

There was a beeping from the holo and Zaiya's eyes darted to the console. Her full lips formed a line.

"I have to go, but I will be able to contact you soon, keep a hold of that comlink," she flashed a grin.

"We will, please be safe," Feral said, stepping closer to the holo projector. His big eyes wide and worried. He truly looked like the youngest baby brother now.

"As best I can, chikala chante," Zaiya replied with a soft look between the two of them. Savage wished she was here, wished he could hug her. Something about her embrace was healing and comforting… though now, like when he had first seen her in the village after she had returned… she just seemed so small. He knew she was strong, and powerful. But these small vulnerable moments… he wanted to protect her. She was his. Feral's, and Maul's too. She was theirs and to the void with anyone that would harm her!

The holo flicked out and there was a moment of silence.

"Do you think he understands?" Feral asked, his head downcast.

"Understands what?" Savage frowned as he looked at his brother.

"How much she has done. She looked exhausted," Feral chewed his lip and Savage grimaced. She had looked tired.

"It'll be fine, she is strong, she can handle anything. Besides, they will be back soon, and she can tell us about everything that's been happening." Savage offered in comfort.

"Then we'll what? Just leave? Or she'll come back to live here? You think either of them will be satisfied with that? You heard Maul when he was here, he wants revenge on those Jedi and Zaiya doesn't believe in the Nightsisters anymore. Is she going to fight all of them at once?" Savage was surprised by Feral's outburst, he looked angry and frightened at the same time.

"Then we can go, leave here and travel the Galaxy, away from the Nightsisters!" Savage offered but Feral shook his head in despair.

"And leave all our Brothers to their mercy? They are protected now, but what if Zaiya doesn't return to take her place in the clan? They will take it out on everyone left behind, Savage!" Feral hissed, his hands were shaking. "Some… sometimes I wish she never came back."

"Don't say that!" The older of the two brothers cried, angry Feral would dare to say such a thing.

"At least if we thought she was gone there was no false hope -we knew what would happen!" There were tears in Feral's eyes and Savage's temper faded. He realised Feral was in pain though he felt guilty now. He had been so eager for Zaiya and Maul to return for him… he hadn't really thought about the rest of the Nightbrothers. He opened his mouth to speak but Feral spun on his heel and stormed out. Savage reached out but… stopped himself from following.

If Feral had thought about this, no doubt Zaiya had too. She was always thinking of them, she always seemed so happy when she visited the village. What would she do? She couldn't take them all… would she follow Maul and doom the brothers? Or stay with them, and abandon the Nightbrother and former Sith she referred to as a Prince? Savage bit his lip and snatched up the holocom. It was too much and too frightening to think about, he had to go do something active to figure out his thoughts.


Notes:

Hello again!

We're nearly there! Only three weeks left until the 100th Chapter! I am still taking questions for the Q&A so please, if you have a question about the story; ASK ME A QUESTION! I love love questions and comments and feedback, so please send me some!

I hope enjoyed this one and will enjoy the chapters going forward. And I will say... Chapter 100 is... a little *spicy*

I'm very excited! I hope you are too!
As always, I hop you guys are well and I am really touched by all the messages and comments I have been getting. You guys are amazing! Thank you so so so much!