Chapter Text
PROLOGUE
Everything was going wrong. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Maul wasn’t supposed to be here.
They brought him into the throne room, and his head was swimming from the impact of the crash. White spots invaded his vision as they forced him onto his knees. Shaking his head to clear the fog, he looked to the scene in front of him. His heart dropped in fear. Maul sat irreverently upon her throne, her throne, smiling wickedly at their pain. And she- she… she was knelt beside him, eyes downcast. Her clothes were charred with the ash of the ship crash, and she minutely trembled. No, this was wrong. Never in his life had he seen her so yielding, so defeated.
She glanced up at him, and he saw only great sorrow. This wasn't right.
Maul casually stood and walked to the deposed duchess. He stroked her cheek, mocking her defenselessness. She sharply looked away and closed her eyes, breathing out to calm herself. Smirking at her discomfort, he turned to Obi-Wan.
"Your noble flaw is a weakness shared by you," Maul raised her up with the force to choke her, and she began clawing at her throat for reprieve, "and your duchess. You should have chosen the dark side, Master Jedi. Your emotions betray you. Your fear, yes, and your anger. Let your anger deepen your hatred," the Dathomirian growled at him. Obi-Wan lowered his head, shaking with the effort to not make the whole situation implode.
"D-Don't listen to him- Obi!" Satine gasped out. Maul's grip tightened.
"Quiet!" Maul's anger spiked, pounding against him in the force.
"You can kill me, but you will never destroy me. It takes strength to resist the dark side. Only the weak embrace it," Obi-Wan spat at the horned monster in front of him.
"It is more powerful than you know."
"And those who oppose it are more powerful than you'll ever be." He searched for something to say, an appeal, a distraction, anything. He could feel where this was heading. "I know where you're from. I've been to your village. I know the decision to join the dark side wasn't yours. The Nightsisters made it for-"
"Silence! You think you know me? It was I who languished for years, thinking of nothing but you, nothing but this moment!" Satine gasped out for air and his heart clenched. Blast him and his instincts for negotiation. That title the Republic bestowed upon him in the war tasted bitter on his tongue.
He should have known that Maul was beyond reason.
"And now… the perfect tool for my vengeance is right in front of us. I never planned on killing you, but I will make you share my pain, Kenobi." He began backing up to the throne again, to where Satine was suspended in the air like a tooka caught in a snare. He looked back at the helpless Obi-Wan, taking in his moment of triumph. The guards pushed Obi-Wan to the ground, and he felt a blaster barrel hit the back of his head. Biting back a cry, he raised his eyes just in time to see that dreaded weapon, the darksaber be unsheathed. Pure terror filled his heart, but then a flash of blue caught the corner of his eye. Was that- was there someone hovering outside the throne room window?
He heard Satine gasp, and she shot forward in the air. Time slowed to a crawl as he saw Maul raise the darksaber.
In this moment, many things happened at once. Maul grinned widely. Satine's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock and fear. The force screamed bloody murder at Obi-Wan, pleading, begging him to act. Obi-Wan reached for his love.
A blood-curdling scream echoed from beyond the throne room. "NO!" Shattered glass suddenly showered the throne room.
And all hell broke loose.