Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars; all characters, places, names, etc. belong to George Lucas and Lucasfilm.
His heart was pounding in his chest, a seemingly cavernous series of booms, throbbing as though to threaten exploding right out. He could feel the beads of anxious sweat rolling down his perspiring face, dampening his tunic until the garment clung wetly to his skin. Teeth clenched, he was tensing every other moment, desperate to move forward but unable to, needing to pace in the confined corridor but unwilling to tear his gaze from the red shield of energy that separated him from the heated battle of his mentor and their opponent. He knew his master's fighting style, and by now that of the other as well, and so a secret, whispering foreboding urged him on, telling him to hasten before the final strike could be dealt.
Seconds were minutes in a timeline where a single slip meant death. He mentally flowed with his master, feeling where to parry, where to attack, as though it were he who was locked in mortal combat. A slow-motion holoprogram was being played before his widened eyes; he knew what would happen seconds before it occurred, though the battle's end was still shrouded and uncertain.
Then, slowly, unwillingly, comprehension dawned in his racing mind…
It was too much for his mentor, who was beginning to weaken and fall back under the strain of parrying the heavy strikes. Their adversary was younger, stronger, and had the added bonus of a dual weapon at his advantage. He watched in rising horror as the two opposing blades locked for a moment, then his mentor's head snapped back under a surprise blow. And in swift succession, a scarlet blade of energy burned through cloth and flesh.
Obi-Wan Kenobi's scream of loss, pain, and anger echoed off the durasteel walls as Qui-Gon Jinn fell silently to the floor, his deactivated lightsaber landing beside him with an unheard ping of metal. Darth Maul bared pointed teeth in a feral grin as the laser wall barring Obi-Wan's path was deactivated. Filled with rage at his master's fall, the Padawan charged out of the corridor like an angry lorqual, his lightsaber a flash of azure.
Memory from then on was burned away in a red haze of battle fury. At one point, Obi-Wan comprehended that he had severed the Zabrak's weapon in two, leaving him with a single red blade. Then all coherent thought was lost again in a whirl of frenzied saber strokes.
All too soon, however, he was forced to pull himself back from his enraged grief; his initial aggressive attack was wearing down as fatigue inched through his body. Darth Maul's inhuman face was twisted in anticipation of victory, and the Sith was swift to press on, bearing down hard on the young Jedi.
Obi-wan could feel his concentration slipping, his sure strokes faltering as a desperate panic was set loose. Before, he had been fighting for the lives of others, but now, he was battling for his own survival. But no, he could not lose, he could not fail Qui-Gon again…
Master, he found himself thinking in despair, I cannot do this, I do not have the strength or the skill-
All he had was his determination and willpower, and now even those were weakening under the assault. For an instant, he lowered his saber, seeking a respite from the agony of continuing. Darth Maul wheeled around and landed a kick on the young Jedi's upper chest. The powerful blow sent Obi-wan staggering, his fingers lost their grip on his lightsaber, and he tumbled back, right over the edge of the pit in the room's center. In desperation, he lashed out with both arms, managing to catch hold of a metal protrusion just below the pit's rim. Gasping, he looked up into his adversary's triumphantly sneering face. He hung helplessly as the Zabrak contemptuously kicked his lightsaber over the edge as well.
Obi-Wan watched Darth Maul score the pit's rim with swinging blow's of his lightsaber, an intimidating gesture that easily distracted him. But his own searching mind had hit on a solution, the only possible way out of his dire predicament…but could he pull it off?
Calming himself with great effort, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and reached out through the Force, willing his fallen mentor's lightsaber to come to him and exact revenge. Above him, the Sith's face contorted in confusion.
Obi-Wan's eyes snapped open as cold determination seethed through his being. He gathered his strength and launched himself upward, Qui-Gon's lightsaber flying to his hand as he flipped right over the Zabrak's horned head. Darth Maul whirled around a second too late; the young Jedi had landed, and with a thrust of his jaw, Obi-wan swung a two-handed blow that severed the Sith in two at his waist. A look of surprise etched on his tattooed face, Darth Maul fell back, disappearing into the dark pit below.
Chest heaving with excursion, Obi-wan stared down at the pit for a moment, then deactivated the saber and ran to where Qui-Gon lay motionless. He knelt down, gently raising his mentor's head and shoulders into his lap, and gazed down at the face of the greatest Jedi he had ever known.
"Master," he whispered, stunned. Tears flowed down his face. "No-"
"Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon stirred, half opening his eyes. "It is…too late…"
"No!"
"Obi-Wan…promise me…you will train the boy…"
"Yes, Master-" The young Jedi's voice shook.
"He is…the chosen one…He will bring balance…to the Force…Train him well…"
Qu-Gon's hand reached up to touch his Padawan's face briefly, as though to brush away his tears. And then, as if floating on a breath of wind-
"You have made me proud…that I trained you. You have become… a great Jedi Knight…Obi-Wan Kenobi…"
Cradled in his arms, Obi-Wan felt Qui-Gon go still. He lowered his head, his forehead resting on the Jedi Master's chest.
"Master…" he cried softly. "Master…"
Please review; I'd really appreciate comments and/or suggestions! Thanks! May the Force be with you.