Battle in the Back Alleys

Reviews and criticism are always welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.

A/N: Might be late with the next chapter. Have a nasty head cold and sore throat.

After locking down the apartment, I took a cab to the upper levels. I figured I would stop by 500 Republica and check in Shmi and Padme while I waited for the paint to dry on the armor. On the way the cabbie, a sullustan, had his radio on and was listening to the latest news.

"In a surprising turn of events, Queen Amidala of Naboo called for a vote of no confidence against Supreme Chancellor Valorum's Leadership. The Supreme Chancellor was said to be the greatest ally the Queen had in the growing crisis surrounding her homeworld. We will keep you updated on who will be nominated for the Chancellorship-" I tuned out the rest.

I guess Plagueis wouldn't be a problem for long. Sidious would most likely take care of that problem for me. After all this I would have to visit his lab on Sojourn and find what I could and release his surviving victims. Since it hadn't been blown up by the Bando Goro in this timeline, it should still be there. Luckily after that, Sidious would be confined to Coruscant, and Maul would be dead. I'd make sure of the latter this time around.

Then the cab I was in started sputtering and warning lights flared on the dash. The Cabbie screamed insults in both fear and anger as we started to plunge down into the depths of the ancient city world. I took a breath. The speeder careened toward a skyscraper as the driver made to skim along a walkway. I focused on slowing its descent and landing using the Force. The speeder slowed down just before an outstretched pad and stopped mid air. I landed it gently on the parking pad. I released the hold on the vehicle and it clamored to the ground with a thud.

I sensed something. Danger. I grabbed the Cabbie and jumped out pulling him with me. I looked back seeing lightsaber burn scars where I had just been sitting, nearly bisecting the speeder in half..

I looked around as I stood. I reached out with the Force sensing the danger, my lightsaber already in my hand. I ignited the green blade and brought it to meet the red blade of Darth Maul as his blade attempted to make me share the speeder's fate.

"You," I said with a clear edge of annoyance as I stared into his piercing yellow eyes. A far cry from dead blue ones. I mentally shook those thoughts away. What the hell was I thinking? This wasn't the time for that.

Maul said nothing. Instead we clashed. Maul's form was impeccable, and so was mine for the most part. I focused on Soresu for the time being before throwing a bit of Makashi into the mix and started my own offensive. Maul was good and had yet to reveal his second blade. Must have been trying to pull an Exar Kun on me.

I hoped our fight would go unnoticed for the time being. It wasn't. Though to their credit any citizens that were nearby scrambled to get the hell out when they saw lightsabers unsheathed. I didn't want onlookers cut down by Maul. So I maneuvered into an alley. Maul followed and was quick to jump off walls and make the space required for his preferred form if he had to. I was almost impressed as an inspiring Juyo master myself. Again I found myself on the defense. Soresu was a lifesaver and I would throw some Shien/Djem So in when I could. I focused on finding a way to break Maul's rhythm. If I couldn't do so with my blade then perhaps my tongue.

"Not the talkative type, our we?" I said.

Maul glared but said nothing. I didn't expect him to say anything. Maul was all business around this time in his life.

I had to end this fight. It was better this way. At least if I killed him here Qui-gon would be safe.

I was forced out of the alley. I nearly fell off a ledge with a broken safety rail. Then Maul used a force push on me and I was flung off said ledge. I was launched to the level below. I managed to skid down a couple walls and used the force to slow my descent as well as turning down the intensity of my lightsaber while I dug it into a wall in order to not melt through the durasteel too quickly.

I landed gracefully and barely had time to react as my lightsaber parried the blow of Maul's saber. I stepped back and scanned the area for an edge. Other than a couple of dumpsters and a few piles scap, Nothing much was here. This area was a lot larger. Any people who did meander here got the hell out seeing an ignited lightsaber or watched from the shadows in intrigue. This would do. Maul sauntered up. He activated both of his blades.

I called my second blade to my hand as well, activating the blue blade. I gave him an unimpressed look. A look that said, "oh, it is just a double bladed lightsaber."

That had an effect. He growled and charged. His attacks were a lot more violent. Gone was the assassin and entered the warrior. Though I admit he was no less deadly. He focused his rage well.

I locked one of my blades and swiped with the other, taking advantage of the Double-bladed lightsabers greatest weakness. It allowed me to go on the offensive, employing a series of Niman attacks that mixed some Makashi and Ataru. Maul was on the proper back foot since the fight had begun.

Then I used the force to throw the dumpsters at him. Years of partitioning my mind allowed me to use my force abilities without having to halt my bladework. I sent the scrap at him for good measure. He was forced to dodge and weave and cut apart the various things that flew at him. I managed to keep close and get in a graze on his arm. He hissed and in his rage threw a dumpster I had tossed previously back at me.

"I hope you don't have the gall to call yourself Darth." I said dodging the dumpster and watching Maul struggle while I pressed the attack. "A mere assassin like yourself couldn't possibly qualify."

Maul growled and lunged at me, starting his own offensive. I flowed back into Soresu, almost swatting his attacks with an arrogant disregard.

"Juyo is a great form, but come on. Don't tell me this is the only form you mastered. What kind of a Sith would limit himself in such a way?" I said.

Maul growled as his rage was beginning to overcome him and I continued like that was his response.

I forced a blade lock and looked him dead in the eyes. "You're right, that fault lies with the Master." I said while nodding in agreement to my own statement like he wasn't even there.

Breaking the blade lock we engaged in a series of strikes and parries. Maul was creative with his use of the double blade. He clearly understood the weaknesses of his weapon, and the fact that I knew those weaknesses very well. I threw in some Makashi, thanking Komari for the intense training sessions. I could almost hear her response. Something about "How she liked their intensity." I closed that avenue of thought down before I saw the mischievous gleam in her eyes fade, becoming that awful dead star-

I ducked as I was nearly decapitated. I caught Maul's follow up strike with the second blade and he let go with his other hand. I received another force push.

I managed to control how I landed as I was tumbling back and barely missing hitting the wall skidding to a halt in front of it. I raised both my sabers and caught his leaping strike that followed his push.

"You talk too much." He growled out.

"It speaks." I said in mock surprise. He growled again, and attempted to stab me in the chest. I dodged.

"Sorry Ray, I got distracted. Where was I?" I twirled away to keep distance and get away from the wall, using the force to guide my lightsaber into the path of Maul's attempt at an opportunistic strike.

"Or do you prefer Sam?" He growled again. "Right, let's see. Oh, the fact that your Master half-assed your training most likely means you are not his intended apprentice. A mere placeholder." He growled and we locked blades again.

I took the opportunity to twist the vibroblade. "Tell me, has he given you the title of Darth yet? No doubt to make you feel like you meant something to their Grand Plan. After all you're as blunt as a hammer." I smirked, acting as if I was thinking to myself, "No, more like a maul."

His response was loud shriek and a headbutt. I nearly caught the end of it as I jerked back instinctively. This cost me. Maul took advantage and sliced my left arm off just above the elbow.

You stupid di'kut, I thought to myself as I let out a sharp shout of pain. I attempted to block with the green blade only for Maul to slice through the blade. The green blade's kyber crystal exploded as it connected with the red blade. I was flung back against a nearby wall with a Force push for good measure. I guess I poked the gundark a bit too much. I exhaled rapidly as the wind was knocked out of me and I slumped down to the ground. I fought through the shock as Maul approached to finish me off and managed to get up on one knee as he approached.

He stabbed down at me to impale my chest with the red blade. I reached out with my remaining hand. I used tutaminis to stop the blade dead in its tracks. It was a last ditch effort to buy more time. He pushed against my arm until my hand was pushed up against my chest. I held firm for now. I was planning to throw another dumpster but my focus drifted on my other lightsaber. I made sure to not give away the fact that I was planning something with my features.

While I felt the lightsaber's crystal, I found myself sensing the midichlorians in my arm just starting to fade from reality. I remembered one of Plagueis' datapads. Something about how there was a brief window after a limb or life in general was severed upon which the midichlorians remained. I reached out, asking them to return to me. It took a little coercion, but I was making headway.

What the Hell was I doing? I mean I had out of mild curiosity attempted to connect more with the little Force microbes in the past, but this?

I was about to die from the looks of things anyway so why not? If Maul decided to step back and make another attempt, he wouldn't fall for the tutaminis trick a second time. Luckily for me the Sith Assassin liked to play with his victims a bit and seemed to find my one armed last ditch struggle amusing.

Then off all the things that happened to me, this little event was certainly up there. The midichlorians recalled to me as I bid. I reached out again and this time my lightsaber flew to me and landed in my hand. A hand that was very much still gone, yet there was a translucent outline of a hand as the midichlorians rejoined my whole being. I am sure to the outside observer it would appear that the lightsaber looked suspended in the air barring the odd shimmer of where the arm was. I didn't question the weird ghost arm and activated my blade. Maul had seen the arm "reform" and in his brief moment of confusion I took the chance and sliced upward with my lightsaber, bisecting him diagonally along his torso with the blue blade. I ensured I cut through his heart.

I managed to stand and look over the corpse. I sensed no life coming from Maul. I looked down to see the "Force Arm". I thought it would fade after I was done with it. But no, the translucent arm still remained. I sighed wondering how I was going to explain this. I don't think the Council would approve. Messing with midichlorians was a big no-no. I think.

Then I ran out of energy and collapsed to my knees due to the shock kicking in. A vision swept past my eyes. I saw Naboo, and the massive chamber that held the plasma vents. Among them, Qui-gon and Obi-wan fought. They were not fighting Maul. No the black robed and hooded figure they fought was blurred, but tall and lanky.

Plagueis.

"No." I said in my hazy shock-ridden mind. He should be dead. The shadow should have killed him before that happened. But if Maul was here then that meant Plagueis would no doubt go to Naboo for one reason.

Anakin!

Then everything faded.