Witches - Part 2

Savage touched down in the hangar of the dreadnought, dragging the limp form of the Toydarian King with him. If not for the Jedi… Urgh! The Toydarian was supposed to come back alive! They'd interfered and now he would have to face Dooku with his mistake. This was meant to be his fledgeling mission to prove he could be a true Sith apprentice!

Savage could do nothing but lay the body at Dooku's feet and wait for punishment.

"You ignorant beast!" Dooku boomed, "I told you, I wanted him alive!" The lightning came a moment later and Savage tried not to scream in pain. He was not successful.

It let up after about a minute and he managed to pant out an apology, asking for forgiveness. It was entirely the wrong thing to say and Dooku sneered at him before sending another blast right through him. Savage could barely move, he thought he was about to pass out, when the door opened before him and a familiar slender figure stood there.

"Ventress…" Dooku whispered in disbelief. Savage could barely hear what they were saying, and it took too much effort to be able to pull himself to his feet. "Savage… you can make amends for your mistake- by destroying this Witch!" But Ventress was already laughing at the old man. Savage felt confused, and his hand reached for his saber, his master had given him an order!

"I don't think that will be happening, will it, Savage?" he moved to take a step back but she raised a hand and he felt a tap on his forehead. There was a sound in his head and it felt like a fog was lifting. "Remember where your true loyalties lie…" her voice swam in his brain and he remembered the mission to deceive Dooku! Yes, that was what he was doing here! Though everything seemed foggy, he had to remember, this was his mate… right?

That strange voice in the back of his mind was louder now, and he felt parts of himself fighting internally. He could not hesitate though, he knew what he had to do now.

"With you, Mistress," he answered and ignited his lightsaber. He would finally strike against the man that had tormented him for the past few months.

The battle was fierce and intense, he struck at the urgent demands from Ventress, the incessant nagging in his head, the wrongness he felt. What was happening? Savage attacked again and again, but he was met with powerful bolts of electric pain that stopped him in his tracks.

"Kill him!" Ventress screamed as she defended with her twin lightsabers. "Kill him you fool!"

Couldn't she see he was trying!? Everytime he stood, Dooku would blast him with lightning and Savage was back on the floor.

"I… can't!" he growled through gritted teeth, "he's too powerful!"

"Your weakness will not be my downfall!" she screeched and Dooku seemed smug.

"A failed apprentice makes for a foolish master!" he gloated.

Savage saw it then, and the voice in the back of his mind called out.

They didn't care about him. They wanted him for nothing as a tool! Both of them! Why should he protect them at all?! She was willing to see him dead so long as she got what she wanted.

He managed to stand and for a moment there was calm- before rage exploded out of him. Power swept his body and he roared like the beast they claimed him to be, sending both of them flying back from the shockwave in the Force. He would show them. He would kill them both!

He charged, throwing both of them around the room, feeling a satisfying thrill as he inflicted more pain upon the two traitors! His success did not last however and in a moment between defending themselves, Ventress struck back and Dooku once again shot Savage down with blue lightning. He was flung back, and when he looked up, Dooku had gone and Ventress was leaping down an emergency escape hatch in the floor. Savage was too slow to make it however, and the door shut on him before he could follow.

He raised his double bladed lightsaber to strike down and cut his way through but- the main door opened once more. Savage heard voices and recognised the sensation in the Force. The Jedi had followed him somehow!

The rage built again. Were it not for them, he would not even be in this predicament! It was their fault! They had taken his success from him! With another furious roar he sent them back, he would destroy everything in his path!

He sent the Jedi back against the far wall, agony and fury surging through him, he just wanted to destroy everything! The two were on their feet, and he attacked with all the ferocity of a raging rancor, dodging the blue blades left and right, countering and parrying in a frenzy. He pushed them back through the halls of the Dreadnought, knowing that if he could not find Ventress or Dooku again, then he would have to escape, even in his rage he knew he could not take them all.

He narrowly avoided a strike from the bearded one, but the younger one slashed at his face, and caught two of his horns. His horns! The Jedi had cut them off!

Savage screamed in fury as the hangar doors opened to find absolute chaos … and green fire.


Zaiya had managed to land her ship, The Nameless, easily enough. Sixy had hooked into the system to trigger the ship to self-destruct. The Separatist droids were nothing to the three Zabraks and they had cut them down easily. Still, it had taken too much time, and Zaiya could no longer sense Ventress on the ship.

One of the comms for the droids echoed a deep voice Zaiya had only heard in holo recordings; Dooku. He was calling for the execution of Savage and her hearts leapt. At her back Maul and Feral were finishing off a small group of droids and Zaiya ran forward- just as the doors opened.

Anakin and Kenobi had their backs to her, but she looked right past them to see a bloody and exhausted Savage… and his horns! She let out a growl as she slashed with her mila hanska blade and Kenobi only just managed to block it.

"Siren?!" he gasped.

"I knew it!" Anakin cried as he defended from Savage's strike.

"Savage!" Zaiya cried, trying to get around the Jedi. She shoved the two back and bolted over to the huge Zabrak. "Savage… Come on, we have to go. Tell me you remember me!" He raised his lightsaber but stopped, his eyes went wide as he stared down at her in shock.

"You…?"

The moment didn't last and they were again having to fight off the Jedi, but this time back to back.

"I knew you were behind this!" Anakin growled.

"Ah Skywalker, as stubborn as ever," she snarled. "If you don't mind, I think I shall be taking our brother and leaving-"

"Brother?!" Anakin scoffed.

"Our?" Kenobi asked at the same time.

"Savage…" Zaiya held back Kenobi's blade and nodded behind him as she reached back and gripped Savage's forearm. She looked at Anakin with a firm and serious gaze. "I will do anything for my family."

Simultaneously, Anakin's expression softened, Kenobi looked away and Savage looked down at her. She saw the recognition in his eyes.

"No…" Kenobi gasped. He was looking past the battle now… and at the two other Zabraks that were finishing off the last of the B2 Battledroids. Maul turned toward them, and his face became murderous.

[Self-Destruct Initiated. Abandon Ship.] An automated voice spoke and in the moment of total confusion, Zaiya grabbed Savage tighter and yanked him with her as she kicked Kenobi away.

"No time!" she yelled and dragged Savage with her. "Into the ship!"

Sixy barreled through and charged back onto the ramp. Zaiya pushed Savage ahead of her and Feral helped his injured brother inside.

Maul however moved to charge Kenobi, but Zaiya's hand landed square in the middle of his chest.

"You will not deny me my revenge!" he roared, the two Jedi having weapons raised to fight.

[Self-Destruct in Two Minutes.]

"Never, sire, but there's no time!" she urged, and she watched fury contort his handsome face.

"I will kill him," he growled.

"And I will help you, but we cannot do that if we're both dead!" He looked at her sharply and nodded, the two turning away. The Nameless was already hovering and they had to leap to get up there, the ramp closing as soon as the two were inside.

Zaiya hurried to the cockpit to get as much distance between them and the dreadnought as she could. She did it. She had them. Savage was safe.

Now she just had to get him to remember them.


Obi-Wan ran back to his own ship with Anakin in tow. The Siren's ship had already made the jump to hyperspace by the time the two Jedi had escaped the Dreadnought.

"At least the Separatist ship was destroyed…" Anakin murmured. Obi-Wan said nothing, letting Anakin pilot, his mind churning. There was no way it could be true, no way that he could have seen what he saw.

How could he be alive?! And the Siren was with both him and the monster Savage… it was worse than he thought.

The image of the last time he had seen the red and black warrior. Standing over his Master, dying at his feet. Darth Maul had killed Qui-Gon Jinn and somehow… somehow he was still alive?! Obi-Wan had cut him in half!

Jedi were not supposed to feel anger and hate… but by the Force if there was anyone he despised more he could not name them. Darth Maul had killed his Master, the man that had taken him as a Padawan when no other Master would dare.

Darth Maul had taken the man closest to a father that Obi-Wan had ever had in his life. It was Qui-Gon that Anakin needed as his master, not him.

"What I don't get is why they blew up the ship. Wasn't that big guy serving Dooku? He even had a lightsaber…!" Anakin sighed, then looked at Obi-Wan in alarm. "Are you alright?" Obi-Wan quickly used the Force to mask his emotions and tried to calm himself down. He couldn't dwell on his emotions.

"Did you see those other warriors?"

"More of those Dathomirian Zabraks, seems the Siren is collecting them," Anakin snorted.

"I don't know about that… the red one… we've seen him before." Obi-Wan looked gravely at Anakin whose eyes widened.

"You can't be serious?! He's dead! You killed him!"

"I did," the Master responded, looking out the viewport just in time to see the dreadnought explode in a fireball in the distance. He hit the hyperdrive and made the jump. "I am certain it was him, he recognised me, I could see it in his face." That ugly twisted rage-filled face. Obi-Wan felt disgust crawl up his back.

"So the Siren is a Sith?" Anakin asked, "I thought there were only meant to be two, if she was one, then that was at least three in that hangar… as well as Dooku… if they were working for him, why did the droids turn on them? Why did they blow up the ship?"

"Those are all very good questions, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied, "but for now we need to report this to the Council. Soon, we will find out what they are up to." He had to focus on the task at hand. He would not let his emotions force a reaction.

Even if he did want to tear that Sith to pieces.


Maul let out a scream of anger, his hands balled into fists, the Dark Side writhing in him. He looked like he was ready to take his lightsaber to them all.

"He was right there!" he roared. Zaiya watched him as calmly as she could manage, but if she were honest, her own emotions were wreaking havoc on her insides. She was just as angry, but also worried.

"I know," she said, "but there was no time, fighting a Jedi on a Separatist ship, even if it's not destroyed…" She shook her head, at least the ship was destroyed but…it was likely that Sidious would learn of Maul's survival. What that meant for them, she didn't know. It did make things difficult, however; they could not return to Dathomir and the Republic would come for them… likely so would the Separatists if their actions became known.

Maul just gave a growl and his hands twitched. He let out a deep sigh and watched as she crossed the room, heading to the small medical bay in order to check on Savage.

In the room, Feral sat by the cot, wrapping bandages around one of his brother's forearms and Savage himself seemed barely conscious, his eyes unfocused.

"How has he been?" she asked.

"I applied bacta, but he has… burns, like-"

"Lightning," Maul finished in a hoarse whisper, now right behind Zaiya. "It was my former Master's favourite method of discipline, it seems his current apprentice has learned the same technique…" there was a look that crossed Maul's face, the pale blue light from the wall unit reflecting on his face. For just a second he looked so vulnerable. Zaiya felt sadness and anger burn in her chest, she hated that she had waited so long.

She turned back and stepped over to the big Zabrak, he could barely fit in the cot, his head shifting from side to side.

"Savage," she whispered, "can you hear me?" His fluttering eyes suddenly flew open and before she could stop him, his huge hand was around her throat. Feral and Maul jumped, ready to attack as she held up her hands at the same time.

"Where am I?!" he cried, but then his eyes seemed to focus and he released his grip.

"It's alright," she soothed, to the others. "Savage, do you remember me?"

"I… I know you…" he said, but it sounded strained.

"Feral," she called, suppressing a cough. She was sure she was going to be bruised again. Feral stepped over and Savage's eyes snapped toward the movement. His eyes widened again.

"Brother," Feral said gently, "you're safe now." Savage slowly sat up, then he spotted Maul.

"Brother…" he whispered. It seemed that of all people, he recognised Maul with the most surety. Feral made a face and she instinctively laid a hand on his shoulder.

"The spell has suppressed much of his memory," she explained, and hoped he would not take it personally. She looked at Savage and gingerly reached out. "I need you to relax for me," she said. He just watched her with those big golden eyes as she carefully laid her hands on either side of his head. He tensed but it seemed the residual memories of her told him she was safe.

A green glow emanated from her fingers and she got to work unravelling parts of the spell. They looked like threads to her, and she had to carefully untie the thread holding his memories. The rest of the spell that had made him so large and imposing however, was not something she had the power to undo.

Savage groaned, and she felt his large hands lay over hers, fingers digging in while she worked. She grit her teeth as his nails bit through her gloves. He was in pain, memories were not an easy thing to recover…

Her hands began to shake slightly with the strain, the green smoke flowing from the contact points of her fingers. A moment later, he relaxed and it was done. She withdrew her hands, stinging and aching from the pressure of his grip, but it needed to happen.

"Savage…?' Feral asked quietly. Savage looked up and his face changed into one of utter relief.

"Feral!" he rasped. Zaiya stepped back as Savage wrapped Feral in a tight hug.

It was a moment of light in what was otherwise four very dark lives. The family was finally together again.

"Where are we?" Savage asked as he pulled back.

"My ship," Zaiya explained, "when we were small, Maul and I swore to travel, and bring you with us." She gestured to the group. "That time has finally come."

"We aren't returning to Dathomir?" he asked and Feral's head lowered.

"No," Zaiya said, "I…"

"She defied Talzin when she heard you were in danger," Maul supplied, arms folded across his chest. "It was she that told the Jedi where you were."

"She betrayed me?!" Savage growled.

"She was always going to, Ventress and Talzin do not care for anyone other than their own power and their goals. They would sacrifice any of us to get what they want," Zaiya sneered.

"Will the others be alright?" Feral asked quietly. A silence fell over the room.

"I don't know," she admitted. There was a likelihood that the Nightbrothers may be punished… or even Zaiya's mother. But if Talzin could not use it as leverage anymore, would it be worth her trouble? Zaiya couldn't be sure, but even before she had made the choice she knew she would be burdened by it.

"As much as retrieving Savage was important…" Maul began and Zaiya had a significant sense of dread crawling up her back like a blackbane spider. "I still have unanswered questions, Lieutenant. You pushed the conversation away before, but now I want answers. Tell me about the collar."

Zaiya's head lowered. She had begun to hope she would not have to tell him after dodging the question last time. There was no escaping it now.

She would have to face the truth.

She would have to tell him about Zygerria.


Notes:

If you notice me posting late - no you didn't!

I mean... Hello there.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Savage is back! Lets hope his memory is intact and he's alright. :/ Poor guy. They've all kinda been through the wringer, huh? But! Now they are altogether again! Except Feral's boyfriend of course... Are they gonna meet again?
Next chapter... Zaiya finally has to come clean. Will Maul accept it? Or will he turn her away for her weakness?

As always I love love love feedback! Any comments or thoughts you have, send em my way! I love to read them! I hope you're all having a wonderful day!