Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars TPM

-o-o-o-

PROLOGUE

He had missed. The damn light saber was in the perfect position, but he had missed! Instead of swiping a clean cut through the Dark Apprentice's body, it had merely cut through air, forcing Maul to fall backwards into the pit. One glare of piercing golden orbs and then the tattoed Sith was gone.

If it had not been for the groans of his barely conscious Master, Obiwan himself would've leapt right into that mechanized shaft, despite its obvious dangers. The next few days had been a blur, rushing Qui-Gon to the nearest Med bay had been no easy feat in itself. No sooner had he done that Obi-wan dazedly found himself newly Knighted.

Jedi Knight Obi-wan. So brave. So courageous. So... foolish.

It hadn't been enough. He had saved Qui-Gon only to have him slip into a deep coma, one nobody was sure he would ever come out of. Not only that, but Obi-wan had let his mentor's attacker slip away! Everyone had told him to forget about the Sith attacker. That all things would come with time and to let the force do its work. Through some deep meditations, Obi-wan could even have sworn to hear his former Master's voice. Ever the perfect Jedi role model, Qui-Gon Jinn, the victim, had told him the same things all the other Masters kept saying. Having known the man all his years, Obi-wan wasn't very surprised.

He was surprised, however, when a couple years later he stumbled across just the figure he had almost stopped looking for.

-o-o-o-

PRESENT

Obi-wan found himself in a remote village in a distant planet, doing a recon mission for the Order so they could better mediate the split kingdoms in the region.

"I don't believe it..." Obi-wan stood agape, unbelieving as he first felt and then saw the familiar cloaked figure.

It was... Maul.

And he was bleeding.

Something must've happened. Something HUGE. And the Jedi Knight had no doubts in his mind that it had something to do with the colossal wave in the force that had struck the day before. He had been at the spaceport making arrangements for a flight back to Coruscant due to the strange nature of the wave, but that trip was now delayed, indefinately.

It was laughingly easy how Obi-wan tracked the other to a hut that looked like any other around it. He had just stepped through the doorway when he detected movement in the force. Nimbly side-stepping to the right, Obi-wan felt the breeze of the table he had narrowly dodged.

"Jedi." The word was spat, like a foul taste in the speaker's mouth.

Obi-wan turned, glancing to his left. In an instant the air burned, the familiar humm of a lightsaber igniting caught up with the sensation. The Jedi Knight barely drew his saber in response, the red energy blade glancing off his own blue instead of embedding itself in his arm. With a practiced air, the Jedi whirled under the next blow, surging upwards on his last step and effectively knocking the red lightsaber out of the Sith's hands. In a moment he was face to face with the tattoed man, his blue blade humming threateningly at the other's throat.

This was the monster that had hurt his Master. Kenobi could end it here, now. He could slit the demon's throat and be done with it. Be done with the Sith. Obi-wan's breath came in hard gasps, though what had transpired seconds before could hardly be called a fight. Blue eyes steeled, he met the gaze of the tattoed menace before him.

At that moment, those golden orbs widened in surprise and recognition.

"You..." Darth Maul narrowed his eyes, a frown creasing his red and black brow.

He staggered forward and Obi-wan tensed, ready for an attack. But the last thing he had expected happened instead. The Sith Apprentice's eyes slowly closed as he dropped to the floor, apparently unconscious.

"Well... this is definately unexpected." Obi-wan muttered to himself, unsure whether or not he should retract his lightsaber.

-o-o-o-

The next day found the two on a prison transport, Obi-wan seated nervously before the force embedded bars that held the dark apprentice.

A growl from within the cell put the Jedi Knight on the edge, his blue eyes soon captured by the sole occupant who was now awake. Obi-wan was surprised. The man was like a beast, prowling back and forth in his prison, eyes searching for any flaw through which he could escape. Obi-wan stood, his outer Jedi robes cascading to pool at his feet with a silent grace. Nevertheless, the motion caught the attention of the cell's occupant.

Golden orbs flickered up to ensare Obi-wan's blue ones.

They both stood still, staring at eachother like that for the longest time, neither knowing what the other's thoughts were. Obi-wan frowned. He did not like the way the Sith was staring at him. Something about those feral eyes disturbed his tranquil thoughts. Despite the fact that this being was responsible for Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn's unconscious state, the Knight felt compelled to extend the Jedi's compassionate hand of peace, "I could get a healer for those wounds."

Darth Maul sneered, "I'll heal."

"All right then," Obi-wan conceded, feeling he had done what was expected of him. What was he to do if the Sith only wished to bite off a helping hand? "But I suggest you get comfortable. Coruscant will be your final stop before the Jedi Council sends you to wherever they see fit."

The Jedi Knight looked away as he said his last statement, his jaw tightening as he thought of a few dark pits he would like to send the Sith Apprentice. Why was the Sith allowed to live while his former Master was stuck in his dormant state?

Picking up on the Knight's negative energy, Darth Maul smirked, "Having dark thoughts, Jedi?"

Obi-wan exhaled slowly, drawing tranquility from a well reserved for moments just like these.

"Still a little sore about your Master?" The Dark Apprentice goaded, black clothed arms folding across his chest. When the Knight flicked a glance over to the tattoed warrior, he noted that the other had grown both in size as well as muscle mass, even if the difference was only slight. He refused to rise to the bait and looked away. But the Sith had not given up yet, "He's not dead, is he? Because that would be a shame."

"He might as well be." Obi-wan muttered under his breath.

"Because my lightsaber still remembers the feel of driving through his guts, scorching that Jedi's innards as he dropped to his knees with that priceless look on his face." Maul continued as if the Knight hadn't said anything, grinning wider as he felt the Jedi's anger rising, "I wouldn't mind meeting him again."

Obi-wan was at the bars in two shaking steps, every muscle vibrating in anger. Cold blue eyes drilled into the Sith's, the Knight's voice like hardened steel as he bit off, "You've done enough damage, Sith."

"What happened to the calm face of the Jedi?" Maul mocked.

Obi-wan clenched his fist before forcibly relaxing himself. Instead of rising in anger, he shot back in a more relaxed, though still slightly hostile tone, "Says the one trapped in a holding cell."

The sith Apprentice charged at the cell doors, stopping a fraction before the force-filled bars could scorch him. To Obi-wan's credit, he did not flinch. Maul's burning gaze drilled into Obi-wan's, his voice filled to the brim with hatred, "If I were at full strength, this brittle cage would not contain me."

"That's a lot of talk coming from a captured Sith Apprentice." The Jedi said with a cocked brow.

The Sith snarled, about to come back with a scathing comment before he suddenly just stopped. He frowned, tilting his head to observe the Jedi silently for a moment. When all he got was a confused glare in return, Maul started to smirk, his pointy teeth shining past tattoed lips, "You don't know... do you?"

Obi-wan's frown deepened, though curiousity led him to ask, "Know what, exactly?"

"Surely your wizened Jedi senses haven't failed you completely." The Sith raised a brow, an incredulous look in his eyes.

"I don't know what yo-"

Impatient as ever, Maul interrupted the Jedi midsentence, stating simply, "I killed him."

The Knight frowned. What could the Sith mean? He couldn't mean Qui-Gon. He was halfway across the galaxy, so the Jedi Master was out of the question. What did Maul mean about his Jedi senses? What-

Obi-wan's frown disappeared as he looked at the Sith before him with shock, blinking. Surely... he could not mean...

"...Your Master...?" The Jedi Knight said hesitantly, unsure what the consequences could mean.

Though the Sith remained silent and the Jedi still, Obi-wan's mind was racing at light speeds. That would explain why Darth Maul had been so easy to capture. Why their fight had been so brief. It was also the reason for that huge pulse wave in the force the other day. It was a shifting in the powers of light and dark in the Force. With the elimination of the Sith Master, then that would mean...

"So you finally understand." Darth Maul said smugly, enjoying the concerned look that graced the Knight's features, "I suggest you get a stronger holding cell for me, if you plan on extending my stay. My recovery, though well for me, cannot be said the same for you Jedi."

Maul was no longer an apprentice. He was a Sith Lord.

Obi-wan quickly overcame the shock, berating himself for letting such emotions through. Putting on the tranquil Jedi mask of serenity, the Knight folded his arms into his sleeves, settling a confident gaze on the prisoner, "You should not put much stake on your newly appointed rank, Maul. These force cells cancel out any affects a force-user could possibly apply on them. As I stated earlier, you should get comfortable. This is going to be a long ride."

The Sith Lord looked slightly put off by the Knight's statement. But that did not wipe of the smirk he gave in reply.

-o-o-o-

Obi-wan was sweating, his heart beating rapidly. He knew this was a dream, but that didn't make it feel any less real. Those eyes... those golden eyes. They were searching for him, he could feel it.

He couldn't get caught. He wasn't sure why. He just had a very bad feeling about all of this. The Sith Lord was still resentful. Resentful of the fact he had defeated him when the Sith had been so very close to his goal. Obi-wan had made him fail. Had ruined his perfect track record. He wanted revenge.

The Jedi could feel the other closing in. Could feel him in the force. But the Jedi Knight was not afraid. He turned to face the other, for Maul was suddenly right there before him. He was standing, shoulders rigid, golden orbs raking over him.

"You do not scare me." Obi-wan stated defiantly.

The Sith looked slightly distracted. But at that statement, the tattoed man's focus was all on him. He smirked, his pointed teeth gleaming in the darkness. He wanted something. That much the Jedi Knight knew. But as to what, he was unsure. The most likely thing was to kill Obi-wan.

"What are you waiting for?" Obi-wan spat, "Kill me already."

But the Sith slowly shook his head. The smirk still on his face, Lord Maul took a step forward, his eyes trained on Obi-wan's.

-o-o-o-

Obi-wan woke shivering. He mopped the sweat off his brow with his sleeve, practically jumping out of bed. What did that dream mean?

Shaking it off, the Jedi Knight headed down towards the prison sector of the space craft. He wanted to check on their guest.

Half-expecting to see the Sith outside of the cell, the Jedi was relieved to see the other sleeping peacefully within it. Nothing seemed out of place. Nothing broken. Nothing to worry about. As he turned to leave, the rough voice of Maul stopped him in his tracks.

"Rough night?"

"Just making sure your pillows were fluffed." Obi-wan shot over his shoulder, continuing his trek out of the prison block.

"How considerate." Lord Maul said dryly.

Yet as the Jedi Knight left, the Sith Lord lay back on his cell, his brow furrowed as he stared at the ceiling in consternation. Obi-wan wasn't the only one who had a strange dream that night. But neither one of them understood its meaning.