Her vision darkened, the edges blurring with encroaching blackness as Maul's grip tightened around her windpipe. Her chest burned, starved of oxygen, but through the haze of pain and panic, she clung to the hope that he wouldn't kill her. At least, she hoped the ritual to heal his mind had not fractured under the weight of his rage and her scream.
Her knees hit the red dirt, sharp stones digging into her flesh as he dragged her closer using the Force to his outstretched hand, but the pain was distant compared to the crushing force around her throat. Maul's rage was palpable, radiating through the Force like a storm, his molten yellow eyes searing into her.
Without warning, his free hand snapped out, and Savage, too, was ensnared. The larger Zabrak's massive frame lurched as the Force gripped his throat, dragging him like a rag doll through the air. Savage's body collided with Maul's waiting claws, his ears and eyes still leaking blood from her scream.
The two of them Savage and Firefly were now held side by side, both choking under Maul's wrath. Savage gasped for breath, his struggles futile against his brother's iron grip. The blood dripping from his ears and eyes ceased soon after Firefly's voice had been silenced, but the damage lingered in his pained expression.
Firefly felt Maul's fingers tighten further around her throat, replacing the crushing Force hold with the raw strength of his hand. The pressure was overwhelming, her lungs screaming for air as her pale fingers clawed desperately at his wrist, futile against his strength. His grip was unyielding, stronger than steel, and as she struggled, tears welled in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks.
Maul's voice cut through the suffocating haze, low and venomous. "No more," he snarled, his words laced with a lethal promise. "I am the Master here. You both will obey me or I will render you where you kneel."
His fiery gaze flicked between them, the whites of his eyes stained red with blood from her scream. Savage, cradled in Maul's clawed grasp, managed a strained nod of submission, his pride bent under the weight of his brother's dominance. Maul growled in satisfaction and flung Savage to the ground with a dismissive flick of his arm, the larger Zabrak hitting the dirt with a thud.
Firefly's chest heaved as she tried to draw air into her lungs, but Maul's hand remained firmly locked around her throat. His burning yellow eyes bore into hers, the intensity of his gaze cutting through her like a blade. She couldn't meet his dominance head on. She felt her resistance falter, her body softening, becoming pliant in his grip.
Her hands fell to her sides, her body going limp in surrender. She couldn't tilt her head back to fully bare her throat to him the iron grip around her neck made that impossible but the submission was clear in her posture. Her gaze dropped to the ground, and she forced a slight nod as best she could, acknowledging his demand.
Maul wrenched her closer, their faces mere inches apart, his breath hot and venomous against her skin. Her tear-filled blue eyes snapped back to his, trembling under the sheer weight of his fury.
"Do not do that again without my leave. Do you understand?" he growled, his voice sharp and cutting.
The tightening of his grip sent another wave of panic through her as her airway closed completely, her body trembling under the strain. She forced herself to remain still, to keep her hands at her sides and her body loose, though her instincts screamed at her to fight. Instead, she nodded again, the tears spilling freely from her eyes, silent acknowledgment of his command.
At last, Maul released her. She crumpled to the ground in a heap, her body hitting the dirt hard as she gasped and coughed, air flooding her lungs in harsh, ragged gulps. Her throat throbbed with pain, the ghost of his grip still imprinted on her flesh, but she didn't dare lift her head.
The red dirt beneath her felt cold and unyielding, but it was better than his hands. As her coughs subsided, she remained still, too shaken to move, waiting for the weight of his gaze to leave her. Maul's presence loomed above, a shadow of dominance and control, and she knew this was his way of reinforcing what she had momentarily forgotten: she belonged to him.
She remained on her hands and knees before him, her trembling frame almost bowing as she fought to clear the flashing stars clouding her vision. One hand slipped instinctively to her bruised throat, fingers brushing over the dark tattoos that encircled her neck. She didn't need a mirror to know they had deepened, the marks now stark reminders of his crushing hold. Every fiber of her being willed her body not to shake not here, not now. She wasn't weak. Tears streaked her pale cheeks as the mantra repeated in her mind: I am not weak. I am not weak.
Behind her, she heard Savage grunt as he struggled to his feet, the weight of his frustration palpable even without turning to see him. But Maul stood over her, his shadow engulfing her entirely. His presence pressed down like a physical force, and she understood his silent command: stay where you are.
"Start the ship, Savage. We are leaving now," Maul snapped, his tone as sharp as a vibroblade.
Savage hesitated for a moment, his eyes flicking between his brother and Firefly. His glare was full of unspoken fury, but he obeyed, limping toward the ramp. Each step seemed to echo with his frustration as he disappeared into the ship, leaving Firefly alone under Maul's suffocating attention.
Her fingers pressed into the red dirt, as if the ground could somehow offer her strength to withstand his gaze. "I'm sor—" she began, her voice barely above a whisper, but the words died in her throat.
Maul's arm shot out like a serpent, his claws tangling in her golden hair. He yanked her head back with brutal precision, forcing her to meet his blazing yellow eyes. Her gasp of pain caught in her throat, and her hands twitched, wanting to reach for his but knowing better than to act on instinct.
"Look at me when you address me!" he snarled, his voice a storm that cut through the thick air between them. The dried blood on his face only added to the feral menace of his expression, his rage palpable and consuming.
Her heart pounded as she arched under his grip, her neck exposed like an offering. Tears streamed freely down her face, her blue eyes locked on his. She swallowed hard, forcing herself to speak even as her voice trembled. "I'm sorry," she choked out, her breath hitching as she fought to suppress the sob that threatened to escape.
She didn't mean to hurt him. She hadn't meant to lose control, but she had. The realization twisted like a knife in her chest she was meant to protect him, and instead, she had caused him pain.
Maul's grip on her hair tightened, his snarling voice cutting through her haze of regret. "Rage and passion are to be controlled," he growled, his words dripping with venom. "It does not control you. You will think before you act, or I will make you wish the collar was never removed. Do you understand?"
His fury was nearly suffocating, an oppressive weight that pressed down on her as surely as his claws. Yet beneath the anger, there was something else a flicker of something deeper. It wasn't just punishment; it was a lesson. He was trying to teach her something, to hammer an understanding into her, but she couldn't fully grasp it.
She had been learning through rage, hate, pain, and passion, but now he spoke of control and patience. Her confusion showed in her tear-filled gaze, mingled with her desperate need to please him. She wanted to obey, to meet his expectations, but she didn't yet understand the shift in his demands.
"Yes, Shadow," she whispered before she could stop herself, the old name slipping from her lips like a plea.
Maul's eyes narrowed sharply, the name striking a chord. His gaze didn't soften, but his grip on her hair did, loosening from a fist of anger slowly to a hold that was almost... contemplative. His claws shifted, tracing the back of her head, and she leaned into his touch despite herself, as though he were the gravity anchoring her in place.
His long claws trailed from the back of her scalp to the side of her face, a slow, deliberate movement that made her shiver. She leaned into the gesture, her cheek pressing against his palm, her breath catching as if his touch could ground her amidst the storm.
But his hand shifted again, closing around her bruised throat. His grip wasn't crushing this time, though it was firm enough to remind her of his dominance. The fire in his eyes had dimmed, but it still smoldered, a warning that this moment of leniency could be snatched away in an instant.
His claws pressed slightly harder, drawing her attention fully back to him as he tilted her head, forcing her to meet his gaze.
"Yes, Maul," she managed, her voice soft but resolute, her submission complete.
The faintest flicker of satisfaction crossed his face as he released her. She dropped to the ground, gasping for air, but she remained on her knees, her head bowed. The weight of his presence still loomed over her, a reminder of the power he held and the lesson she needed to learn.
He turned sharply and strode toward the starship, his pace unyielding and precise. No command was necessary Firefly understood her place in the moment. Shakily, she rose to her feet, wiping her tear-streaked face with trembling fingers. She fell in step behind him, trailing in his shadow as if tethered to his presence. Her pale fingers brushed over her bruised neck, tracing the tender marks Maul had left behind. The soreness made her throat burn, and it took all her restraint to stifle the coughing fit threatening to overtake her.
Her touch drifted from her neck to the lightsaber burn seared across her shoulder and down her arm. The realization struck her with a cold clarity: she was lucky she hadn't lost the limb entirely. Savage had pulled his blows. If their clash had been a true fight, with all his strength behind those crimson blades, she would have lost her arm and the duel. The weight of that truth settled in her stomach, heavy with shame and the sting of wounded pride.
Her mind churned with self-recrimination as she ascended the ship's ramp. Weeks, perhaps even months, of brutal training under Maul on the desolate trash world hadn't been enough to prepare her. Even with her enhanced body and sharpened reflexes, her victory had come not from skill but from her voice her song. The very thing she tried so hard to not relying on. Worse still, she had lost control. She hadn't fought Savage to dominate or subdue; she had fought to kill.
The thought chilled her, an icy blade running down her spine. She understood now why Maul's rage had burned so fiercely. Her actions had jeopardized them all, escalating a confrontation that could have left them crippled or dead. Savage had fought with restraint, wielding his blades to harm but not destroy and his Force to hurt and hold. She, however, had wielded her power with lethal intent, blind to the consequences. If Maul hadn't intervened, she might have killed Savage, and she could have permanently damaged Maul as well without even noticing.
That bitter realization gnawed at her as she crossed the threshold of the ship. Maul didn't even glance her way, his imposing figure disappearing deeper into the vessel without so much as a flicker of acknowledgment. The dismissal stung worse than the lightsaber burns on her arm. It was a silent wound, cutting into her pride and leaving her raw.
The ship, once a symbol of escape and fleeting adventure, now felt oppressive and suffocating. The walls seemed to close in around her, heavy with the weight of her failure. It was like being back in the cage again but this time, Shadow wasn't there to offer solace or understanding.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to keep moving. The air inside the ship was thick with unspoken tension as Savage passed her in the narrow corridor, his leg tightly wrapped in fresh bandages. A part of her, the fiery, sarcastic part, would have once mocked him for his injuries, perhaps thrown a biting remark his way. But that part of her was quiet now, subdued under the weight of her loss.
She felt his gaze lingering on her, sharp and unrelenting. For a moment, their eyes met. His yellow irises burned with anger and pain, but there was something else there a flicker of respect, however begrudging. The unexpected emotion in his gaze startled her.
Savage's form was rigid, his massive frame braced as though he expected her to lash out again. But she didn't. Instead, she held his gaze for a heartbeat longer, then lowered her eyes to the floor. The gesture was deliberate a quiet surrender, a signal that she wouldn't challenge him further.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught his reaction. His head reared back slightly, surprise flickering across his expression. But she didn't linger long enough to let him speak. With a swift movement, she sidestepped him, slipping past and heading toward the escape pod where she had claimed a small corner of the ship as her own.
The familiar space, once a haven of curiosity, now felt hollow. As she sank onto the makeshift bedding, her mind replayed the confrontation over and over. Her bruises throbbed, her arm ached, and her pride felt shattered.
She was utterly drained, her very soul weary in a way she hadn't experienced in a long time. It was as if the anger and pride she'd clung to during the fight had seeped out of her, leaving only an icy void behind. In their place came pain and sorrow, creeping into the cracks of her mind like unwelcome intruders. She bit her lip sharply, a desperate attempt to keep herself grounded, to stop the flood of dark thoughts that whispered echoes of her time in the cage.
Closing her eyes, Firefly tried to center herself, recalling the meditative techniques Maul had taught her. He'd always spoken of using the Force and will to embrace pain, to bend it to her will rather than letting the pain consume her. She could manage that with physical pain she had been mastering accepting bruises, burns, and broken bones. But the anguish inside her chest was a different beast altogether, intangible and relentless.
Her trembling hand rose to rest against her heart. It hurt. Stars, it hurt so much, and she didn't know how to make it stop. Tears welled in her eyes, stinging as they blurred her vision. She growled low in her throat, a feral sound, willing the tears not to fall. But her body betrayed her.
She shifted on the makeshift nest she had created in the escape pod, a small pile of scavenged fabrics shoved into the corner of the cold, metallic space. The walls pressed against her back, their unyielding chill offering a grounding sensation, even if it wasn't the comfort she sought. The ship rumbled beneath her as its engines roared to life, vibrating through her bones. She could feel the lift-off, the weight of gravity shifting as they ascended, the air around her growing thicker with tension.
Biting the inside of her cheek, Firefly forced herself to confront the truth: she had failed. She had lost control, and her actions had jeopardized everything. She would accept whatever punishment Maul deemed necessary. It was the price she had to pay. Her breathing hitched, sharp and uneven, as she struggled to push the thoughts away, to focus on the rhythmic hum of the ship's engines.
Slowly, the hum grew louder in her ears, a low buzz that drowned out the chaos in her mind. She latched onto it, clinging to the sound as though it were a lifeline. Her breathing began to steady, her gasps and sobs fading into shallow, measured inhales. But as her focus deepened, the hum changed.
It grew, evolving from a steady drone into something more. A haunting melody emerged, a sound so pure and aching that it pulled a startled gasp from her lips. Her eyes snapped open as the song filled her mind, overwhelming her thoughts with its haunting beauty. It was like nothing she had ever heard before pain and longing woven into a melody that seemed to resonate deep within her soul.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, unbidden, as the song's intensity grew. Firefly clamped her hands over her ears, desperate to block it out, but it was useless. The sound wasn't external it was in her head, vibrating through every fiber of her being. She tried to focus, to ground herself, but the melody's power was too great.
Her body began to move without her consent. She stood, her movements fluid and unnatural, as though she were floating underwater. She gritted her teeth, clenching her fists to regain control, but it was like fighting against a tide. Her limbs jerked and swayed, pulled by invisible strings, dragging her from the nest she had sought refuge in.
She wanted to scream, to let out the building pressure in her chest, but the song seemed to scream for her, a symphony of emotion too vast to contain. Her lips parted, and a single note escaped her throat before she snapped her mouth shut, biting down hard on her tongue. The taste of blood flooded her mouth, sharp and metallic, but she welcomed the pain it gave her something solid to hold onto.
The song shifted, its tone growing less aggressive but no less haunting. It wrapped around her like a shroud, pulling her deeper into its grasp. Firefly felt herself swaying, her movements growing more fluid, her mind caught in a trance-like state. It was as if she were being carried by a current, her body weightless and unmoored.
When she finally managed to force her eyes open, her heart seized in her chest. She was no longer in the escape pod. The confined, safe space had vanished, replaced by the open corridor of the ship. Her feet moved of their own accord, her body swaying in time with the song as she approached one of the hatches leading outside.
Beyond the hatches was nothing but the endless expanse of space.
Terror gripped her as realization dawned. She fought against the invisible pull, her muscles straining against the force guiding her movements. The song screamed louder in her mind, urging her forward, but she gritted her teeth and resisted with every ounce of strength she had left.
Her hand reached for the hatch controls, trembling. It was no longer her own.
The control panel chirped as her trembling hand slammed against it, and the first door hissed open with a metallic groan. Beyond it lay the small airlock chamber, its sterile walls devoid of comfort or mercy. All she had to do was take a few steps, press one final button, and the second door would open, hurling her into the infinite void.
The song in her mind grew deafening, its agonizing melody reverberating through her very bones. It throbbed in her skull and wings, consuming every fragment of her willpower. Her mouth, still filled with the metallic tang of blood from biting her tongue, gurgled as a wet cough broke free. Crimson droplets spilled from her lips, streaking down her chin and staining her pale, glowing skin.
Her feet moved on their own, one agonizing step at a time, crossing the threshold into the chamber. She tried to fight it, tried to anchor herself to something anything but the force compelling her was too great. Her light, normally soft and radiant, now blazed with an intensity that lit up the entire airlock and spilled into the hallway beyond. It was blinding, her skin shimmering like a supernova, so bright she could hardly look at herself without wincing.
Another step, and she was fully inside the chamber. The door hissed shut behind her. She turned slowly, her hand drifting toward the second control panel. Tears streamed down her cheeks, mingling with the blood staining her face. The song wasn't just in her ears it was before her eyes now, a swirling cascade of vibrant colors and hypnotic shapes that danced and shifted in the air. It beckoned her forward, demanding her surrender.
Through the kaleidoscope of light and sound, her blurred vision caught movement beyond the airlock's first door. Two figures. One red, the other yellow. They were running toward her, their forms sharp and urgent against the blinding haze of her light. She could barely comprehend them through the suffocating melody, but something deep inside her stirred.
Her fingers trembled over the control panel as she tried to resist. The anger, pain, and fear she had buried deep within surged up, giving her the strength to hesitate. She locked her hazy gaze onto the red figure, the unmistakable shape of Maul. His dark eyes burned as he sprinted toward her, his mouth moving furiously though she couldn't hear a single word over the song.
"Shadow… help… me…" she tried to call out, her voice a hoarse whisper choked by blood and strain. Her lips barely moved as she struggled to form the words. Blood dripped down her chin, her body trembling violently as she reached a shaky hand toward him.
Maul's expression twisted into something she couldn't quite decipher rage, fear, desperation. He bellowed something, his fist slamming against the airlock's reinforced glass as he reached her. Even if she couldn't hear his voice, the raw emotion on his face broke through the haze.
Her hand hovered over the control panel. Her glazed eyes locked onto his for a fleeting moment as tears streamed down her face. For a brief instant, she saw him, not as a Sith Lord, but as her anchor her Shadow.
But the song would not relent. It screamed louder, battering her defenses until her body acted against her will. Her trembling hand slammed down on the button.
The door hissed open, revealing the vast, merciless expanse of space beyond.
Maul's face contorted in a primal scream, his voice finally piercing through the song as the vacuum wrenched her from the chamber. His fists pounded against the glass, his crimson lips shaping words she could barely comprehend.
"NO!"
The cold hit her like a blade carved from the void itself, slicing through her very essence. Her breath was stolen in an instant, her lungs burning as if she had been plunged into a frozen sea. The blood on her face turned to icy trails, clinging to her glowing skin. Her body drifted weightlessly, limbs splayed as she tumbled through the vast, merciless expanse of space. The ship behind her grew smaller, its lights dimming against the infinite black.
But the haunting melody in her mind only grew louder. It throbbed in her core, resonating with the stars themselves. Her light, once a faint shimmer against the dark, began to shift and intensify. The glow radiating from her skin no longer flickered like a dying flame it surged, pulsing with a rhythm that matched the song. It was as if the universe itself had taken notice, aligning with the strange, ethereal symphony emanating from her soul.
Heat bloomed within her, burning hotter and brighter than she thought possible. It warred with the cold, consuming her from within even as the freezing vacuum of space clawed at her. The paradox of sensations searing heat and biting cold left her paralyzed. Her body hung rigid, limbs stretched wide, as if an invisible force was pulling her apart and holding her together all at once.
The song swelled, building to an unbearable crescendo. It was no longer just in her mind it was everywhere. It vibrated through the starlight, hummed in the silence, and reverberated in the very fabric of existence. Firefly's lips parted in a soundless scream, her body trembling as the overwhelming power reached its peak.
And then, with a cry that shattered the stillness of space, Firefly erupted into light.
It wasn't merely a burst of energy it was a birth of something entirely new. Her body seemed to dissolve, breaking apart into a cascade of dazzling stardust. The particles of her being scattered into the cosmos, swirling in radiant patterns that illuminated the darkness. For a brief, breathtaking moment, she was everywhere. Her light painted the void with colors that had no name, streaking through the heavens like the birth of a star.
Her body was gone, but her essence remained. She felt herself slipping into the vastness, her mind untethered and free. The stars sang to her, their voices blending with the haunting melody that had consumed her. She was no longer confined by flesh or form. She was the light between the worlds, a thread woven into the galaxy's eternal tapestry.
Her consciousness began to fade, merging with the symphony of the universe. The pain, fear, and sorrow melted away, replaced by a profound, all-encompassing stillness. She drifted in the breath between the stars, her soul becoming one with the endless songs they sang. And as the last remnants of her awareness dissolved, she found peace in the infinite, her light joining the celestial choir of the galaxy.
Don't worry she is not dead.