If it had missed

Disclaimer: I do not own star wars

-o-o-o-

Obi-wan took a deep meditative breath, his form as still as possible in his temporary quarters. He had just begun relaxing tensed muscles when a voice buzzed over the ship’s intercom.


--Knight Kenobi, we require your assistance in the prison bay--


His concentration broken, the Jedi exhaled in exasperation. Ever since he had captured Maul, the Sith had managed to dispel whatever calm Obi-wan had gathered over the past years. Somehow, the new Sith Lord had gotten under the Knight’s skin, and it was not a sensation that was well liked.


--Be right there-- Kenobi replied in the comm a moment later.


Gathering his robes around him, the Jedi moved quickly through the prison transport craft.

-o-o-o-

Darth Maul was sweating.


His robes were thoroughly soaked through, making the dark fabric cling to his tattooed skin. The fight with Darth Sidious had taken a large toll, but Maul didn’t realize it would affect him this much. That’s when a wave of pain hit him, clawing at every fiber of his being. He tensed up, his jaw clenching as he gripped the metal bed frame, refusing to release the anguished howl that tried to tear itself through his lips.


Through the haze of pain he saw the familiar brown shaded robes of the Jedi, though he had some difficulty grasping what the other was saying.


“Tell me what is happening.” Obi-wan Kenobi repeated, his brow creased in worry.


He had arrived a moment before to find the Sith twisting in agony within his cell. Despite any hostile feelings he had against Maul, he still couldn’t bear to see a living being in such obvious distress. But none of his words seemed to be really getting through to the Sith Lord. Darth Maul’s body jerked again before he fell with a hard ‘thud’ on the steel floor. The Jedi Knight’s frown deepened as he realized he might just have to go inside the cell to help. However, common sense was practically shouting at him that doing so was not a good idea at all. He considered simply leaving the Sith Lord to writhe around until whatever it was passed, but that was before Maul started slamming his head against the floor, possibly in an attempt to deter his physical torment. Whatever the reason, it was starting to create a rather big bloody splatter.


--That is not advisable, Jedi Knight-- The voice over the comm whizzed uncertainly as Obi-wan began entering the deactivation code for the cell door.


“I know it’s not bloody advisable,” Obi-wan muttered under his breath, his finger hovering over the last digit in the sequence. His resolution wavered before he finally pushed it, stating as much to convince the ship’s captain as to convince himself, “But what choice do I have?”


With a sense of dread, Obi-wan entered the cell, closing the door behind him. “Activate the field again, and don’t open it until I give the word.”


--Understood, Knight Kenobi--


Obi-wan stood for a moment, looking down at the red and black-skinned Sith twisting agonizingly at his feet. Crouching, the Knight hesitated a moment before leaning over and asking Maul, “Can you hear me?”


The moment those golden orbs shot open to glare at him, Obi-wan realized just how bad of an idea this was. Who was he, to get into the cell of a newly appointed Sith Lord? He wasn’t even a Master himself but a Knight.


He needed distance. And he needed it now.


Just as Obi-wan was stumbling backwards, the Sith lunged forward. The Jedi had almost dodged before tattooed fingers gripped one pale wrist. The result was instantaneous. A jolt of pain transferred from the red and ebony Sith to the Jedi Knight and Obi-wan couldn’t help but give a short cry at the unexpected rush. He felt something flooding into his veins, shooting through from fingertips to toes. But just as quickly as the pain had come, it receded, and Obi-wan was left to stare at confused golden eyes.


For some reason, Darth Maul’s agony had simply vanished. A moment before he had felt something else entirely…. foreign, washing over him. Almost much like the way water would douse a fire, this sensation took away the pain.


And Maul was left holding the arm of a despised Jedi, who looked just as confused as he. A wave of dizziness slammed into Obi-wan and he jerked his arm out of Maul’s hold, taking a few unstable steps backwards. Something was wrong.


Something was very very wrong.


“What did you do to me?” Obi-wan demanded of the Sith, hand clutching the side of his head.


But Darth Maul didn’t look too well, himself. He shot the Jedi a dirty look, “I didn’t think Jedi would stoop to poisoning prisoners.”


“If only that were the case.” Obi-wan shot back dryly.


He tried to reach out to the Force, to find some sense of peace that could help him withstand whatever physical onslaught was determined to wreak havoc over his body. But there was a barrier. That’s when Obi-wan remembered that he was in a force-cancelled cell. As the Knight took a step towards the door, Darth Maul doubled over in pain once more, actually crying out this time, even if it was merely a sharp growl. Obi-wan glanced at the Sith and his Jedi compassion once again made him halt in his retreat. Something very strange was happening here. Something to do with the Force. And Obi-wan wasn’t exactly sure if getting outside of the cell would have a better effect. The Jedi Knight shifted his heel in indecision.


This slight sound caught Maul’s attention, and his head shot up, that deeply feral look in his eyes once more. Too close to hope for any chance at dodging, Obi-wan braced himself. Just as he had thought, the other launched himself through the short distance, tackling the Jedi with enough force to knock both of them over. It was like a repeat of what happened before. An immense shock of Maul’s pain forced itself into the Jedi’s system, a strange sensation of something else invading with it. Along with this came the invasion of something into Maul’s system, quenching his pain like a drink in a drought.


Darth Maul was very torn. On one hand was the pain that tore through his body like starved scavengers of the worst kind, on the other was what seemed strangely like salvation in contact with this Jedi Knight.


“Get off me.” Obi-wan demanded, his upper body propped up by his elbows with a very heavy Sith Lord tangled on top of him.


“You’re not going anywhere.” Darth Maul growled, face inches from the Jedi’s.


This was very unnerving, to say the least. What happened to now be the single most powerful being on the dark side was staring, unblinking, into Obi-wan’s eyes.


“You are very mistaken if you think you can order me around like some kind of-”


“Padawan?” Darth Maul interrupted the Jedi, a smirk showing a flash of pointy teeth.


Obi-wan felt a burst of anger roll through him as he proceeded to shove the Sith off of him. Succeeding, the Knight shot to his feet, taking about two steps before he was tackled into the wall. His back pressed against the flat surface, Obi-wan directed a glare at the red and black being before him, demanding hotly, “If you do not stop whatever foolish game you are playing, I will be forced to hurt you.”


“Jedi fool.” Darth Maul spat, making the other glare in return, “This is no game. Whatever is doing this is killing me. I need the Force to survive. I need-”


“You need to get out of this cell.” Obi-wan interrupted, finishing Maul’s sentence for him. Contact with a force user was the alternative, apparently. However, this wasn‘t something Obi-wan was really willing to broadcast. “You think I’m dumb-witted enough to let you out?”


“Listen.” Darth Maul growled, bringing his face closer, a threat poised in his eyes, “Either you let me out, or you will be solely responsible for my death.”


“How tragic.” Obi-wan said through gritted teeth, matching the Sith stare for stare.


“Let me put it another way, then, Jedi.” Darth Maul spat, one hand beginning to crush Obi-wan’s windpipe, “I. Will. Kill. You.”


Obi-wan held still, feeling his oxygen slowly being deprived as he stared into maniacal golden-red eyes, but he didn’t allow himself to panic. Forming his fist into a flat palm, the Jedi gathered what energy he could find in himself and drove that palm into Maul’s abdomen. The force of it sent to dark force user to his knees, skidding backwards in the cell before abrupt contact with the cell wall slammed him to the ground.


“Now, Captain.” Obi-wan said, voice directed through the comm system.


With one glance backwards to ensure the prisoner wouldn’t escape, Obi-wan walked out of the cell and once again felt the force flow into him. The door activated behind him and the energy field sizzled the air. Turning, Obi-wan saw those golden eyes trained on him, with an emotion he was unsure of. Was it hate? Or something else?


Before leaving to his quarters, Obi-wan muttered under his breath while under that gaze, “I could kill you too, Sith.”


To the comm, Obi-wan simply said, “I’ll have to meditate on this matter.”


As the Jedi walked away, Darth Maul brought himself slowly to his feet, body still wracked with pain. But he couldn’t help but find himself grinning, “What an interesting Jedi.”