The Negotiator and the Fire Fang

Investigation on Iveria: Silver Lining

They entered into the darkened cargo hold, keeping their guards way up. Skywalker split off, moving around carefully in search for the light switch. He found it quickly and the area flickered to visibility before them.

The cargo hold was a maze of crates. The three of them, well, more like two and a half with Shan's injuries, should be able to handle Maul, but Sahrea knew not to underestimate anything, especially the former Sith. They maneuvered through, ears and senses primed for anything.

"Where's Artoo by the way?" Shan asked in reference to his white and blue R2 unit. She knew that wherever Anakin Skywalker was, R2-D2 wasn't far behind. Those two were more attached at the hip than he and Obi-Wan were. Skywalker laughed uncomfortably at the memory.

"While you guys were on Iveria, there was an, uhh, incident, on Xelfos." he began as they slipped around a few crates.

"By incident, he means Artoo almost got eaten by a Keratonic." Kenobi finished.

"Anyway," Skywalker continued with a pointed look at his master,

"Artoo had to get fixed up. I've got the best mechanic on it now." he said as they turned another corner. "Which puts a damper on my mood, cause I really could use his help at the moment. Guess we gotta do things the old fashioned way." Anakin grunted as he pulled the cover off of a door panel.

Sahrea looked around for a second before looking over her shoulder. Obi-Wan has stopped walking. He had a concentrated look on his face. She opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong when he stretched out his arms. She felt her feet pull away from the floor.

"Ahh!" Shan shouted as she was sent flying into a wall of crates through the Force. She had just enough time to turn herself so that her feet hit the wall first.

She bent at the knees and flipped away as the sound of lightsabers swinging filled the area. She landed softly a few feet away, her back giving a nip of protest. Right where she had been standing previously was Maul. He must have been perched above them, because there was no where else he could have been hiding.

The former Sith was dueling both Kenobi and Skywalker, but it was so casual like, like a training exercise that he was excelling it. He truly was a talented warrior.

Maul flipped high over the crates. His metal feet landed on the top with a clank before hopping backwards and disappearing. Anakin being Anakin followed him over, while Shan and Kenobi ran around the side.

When they rounded the corner, the Jedi and former Sith were already dueling. They were slashing at each other brutally. They broke apart as Kenobi and Shan ran towards them.

Maul snapped his eyes towards them before looking back to Anakin. He leapt up and struck Skywalker so viciously that the Jedi Knight was slammed into a nearby machine, a big heavy one. He didn't get up.

Sahrea pressed a button and her blades extended to life. Maul twisted his saber so that the bottom half was partially behind him. His face donned a concretated look. The Zabrak reached back and flung his saber at them. It spun, the red blades turning into a whirling disc.

Sahrea backflipped over it as Kenobi stepped out of its reach. It stopped in midair and returned to the former Sith's hand.

What was it about him that made him such a deadly duelist? He wasn't any stronger or more skilled than, let's say Dooku or Kenobi. He was certainly just as intelligent. What was it?

Shan and Kenobi attacked him at once, blades flying. Maul dodged their slick strikes and responded with a few of his own. Shan, seeing an opening, swung both of her sabers, one at his hip, the other at his neck.