“I ask you once again, Jedi, to end this for me!” Maul demanded, staring angrily at Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon simply shook his head. “Why are you so eager to die? What could your death possibly serve?”

“I have failed!” Maul snapped, angered by having to explain the obvious.

“So your death will ensure your success then?” Qui-Gon, leaned back against the wall, near the window, looking serene as he pulled his hands inside the arms of his coarse brown cloak.

Maul clenched his jaw as he pulled the thick blanket up around himself. “No,” he hissed, “but the punishment for my failure should be death.”

“Oh, I hadn’t realized that this was required by Sith tradition,” Qui-Gon stated. He looked at the Sith Lord and cocked his head slightly, pulled out his hands from the cloak and stroked his beard with his left hand, looking thoughtful. “Do the Sith always act in such a cowardly manner?”

Qui-Gon simply smiled again. “So whenever a Sith fails to fulfill his mission to the letter, he takes the easy way out, instead of sticking with the problem and finding a solution.”

“That is not how it is Jedi!”

“Isn’t it?”

They were interrupted by the opening of the bedroom door as Elissa walked in. Obi-Wan was right behind her, carrying some clean towels for Qui-Gon and himself.

*****

Even Elissa felt the tension as she walked into the large airy bedroom now occupied by their guests. She had heard voices shouting and now sensed the mood between the Jedi and Sith all too well. This was not going to be easy, living in the cabin with these men and their strange ways. She stopped in the middle of the room and looked over at Maul, surprised to see him sitting up at all. Well, sort of sitting up, more like propped up, leaning against some pillows so he could see something besides the ceiling.

He stared back at her blankly with those beautiful, golden eyes and she smiled at him. He blinked then turned away, looking out the window again. Was he as arrogant as the movie character? Apparently so. Perhaps that was not without some justification though, she considered, given he was one of two Sith Lords in the whole universe. A title not conferred upon him, but earned.

“Our young Sith is doing much better today,” remarked Qui-Gon as he noticed Elissa looking at Maul. Maul simply ignored them, continuing to stare out the window. “He should be up and about soon, possibly even this evening.”

“Breakfast is ready,” Elli said. She couldn’t help but stare at Darth Maul, his face and body were beautiful, especially since the blankets only went up to his waist, giving her a glimpse of his impressive physique. His smooth black skin, shimmered softly in the morning light, the red tattoos brilliant against blackness and his muscles perfectly formed over his frame. Even in his obviously weakened state, he was impressive.

Maul turned an arrogant gaze back to her, an almost imperceptible smile upon his dark lips.

She continued staring at him, unable to stop herself, despite her best efforts. She wondered if he really fought the way she had seen in The Phantom Menace. Did he move the same way in real life? The way Maul had moved in the movie was the first thing she noticed about him. Her attraction for the character, which her friends teased her about endlessly, had begun with the scene of the landing on Tattooine and solidified during the amazing duel in the Theed generator station on Naboo. She still hadn’t forgiven George Lucas for killing off this wonderful character. She never would.

“You go on, Obi-Wan. I’ll wait until you are done.” Qui-Gon said as he sat down in one of the chairs and shifted his weight into a seemingly more comfortable position.

“Yes, Master,” replied Obi-Wan with a slight bow. He walked around Elissa, glancing at her as he passed, before he went into the dining room to join the others for breakfast.

“Do you want anything?” she asked, still looking at the patient. She had helped the Jedi clean up his wounds the night before. In his eyes, she saw the pain he was still experiencing and wondered how he could stand it. She heard him growl, obviously annoyed, though he didn’t respond to her question.

“Some broth might be best for him,” suggested Qui-Gon.

“I need protein,” hissed Maul.

“Eggs should be pretty easy to handle,” Elli replied. She smiled, his voice was the same deep, and sexy voice as had played in the movies, the one she loved so much and the one she had heard in her head the previous evening. She turned to Qui-Gon, “I can bring your breakfast in here too, if you’d like?”

Qui-Gon nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

She returned to the kitchen and made a couple of omelets with a little cheese and some vegetables in it for them, and also brought an assortment of bread and fruit for them to choose from and some of Qui-Gon’s herbal tea for Maul.

Quickly bringing in the whole thing for the two guests, Elli set up a tray for Maul, finding it rather difficult to concentrate on her task, being so close to him. As she adjusted the pillow behind him, she noted his unique scent, a hint of musk, sandalwood and something else. Something indefinable. She stole a close look at him before she backed away. He was beautiful. She just wanted to stand there and stare at him, look at him, enjoy the sight of him. He gave her a slight mischievous smile and she blushed. Could he read her mind, she wondered. Or was she simply that obvious? She blushed again and saw Qui-Gon Jinn shake his head.

She stepped back to regain her composure.

Maul turned his attention to the plate in front of him and poked at the strange food with his fork, scowling.

“Before you turn your nose up at it, try it!” she ordered. “I haven’t killed anyone with my cooking, yet!”

“It’s delicious,” remarked Qui-Gon as he took another forkful into his mouth. “Try it Maul.”

“Thank you,” she replied, bowing slightly to Master Jinn. Maul finally took a bite, then nodded his head, but didn’t say anything. Elli frowned then went to get her own breakfast.

As she left the room she heard the voice of Qui-Gon admonishing Maul. “I realize you are a Sith Lord, but you are also a guest here of these ladies. I suggest you be a little more appreciative of their efforts.” She imagined the two men glaring at one another as she turned the corner into the kitchen.

Later that afternoon and the patient slept peacefully. He seemed to be recovering very quickly with the help of Qui-Gon’s tea and Force healings, although Maul wasn’t happy about receiving either of them. He continued grumbling and complaining at every opportunity, even though he realized he didn’t really have a choice, if he wanted to recover quickly.

Elissa sat at the table watching Debby surf the web with her computer, looking for her horoscope. Debby was interested in all that astrology stuff. Elli thought it was a bunch of hogwash, though she did get a good laugh when her horoscope said she would meet a dark stranger and an unusual relationship would follow. They heard Kim and Karen giggling behind them from the living room.

It was already obvious that Kim and Obi-Wan had a strong mutual attraction. The looks they gave one another became harder to ignore, you did not need to be a Force user to interpret what was going on. Elissa also thought that Karen and Qui-Gon also had the makings of a relationship, though Sandy and Debby disagreed. Karen had sworn off men after her last unsuccessful relationship. Elissa knew she just needed to find the right man, someone strong, kind and mature. Someone like Qui-Gon Jinn seemed to be.

The Jedi were discussing the necessary repairs for the both their ship and the Infiltrator. After breakfast, Obi-Wan had gone to locate the Infiltrator, finding it about a mile away, over one of the ridges. He had taken a quick preliminary survey of the damage from the outside, as he was unable to gain access to the interior. The old cargo ship that the Jedi themselves had come in was beyond repair they decided, but the Infiltrator was not and by cannibalizing the Jedi ship, they hoped to get the Sith ship operational.

The problem was that Maul had installed many, many, security systems and protocols on his ship. Without his assistance, they doubted very much if they would ever be able to access the ship. They hated to admit it, but they needed Maul’s help in repairing the ship and in returning to Coruscant.

After listening to Obi-Wan’s report on the exterior damage to the Infiltrator, as well as remembering the details from his own survey, Maul realized he couldn’t make the necessary repairs alone. Especially not given his current physical state. He would also need parts from the Jedi ship, considering how primitive the conditions obviously were on this planet. However, the use of his ship to transport them back to Coruscant would not come without a price.

“So Jedi, what do we agree to?” Maul asked coldly, pulling his blanket up closer to him, arranging it carefully about himself. He hated even being in the same room with the Jedi, the thought of having to work with them, appalled him even more. And worse yet, would be the trip back to Republic space, being stuck together in his ship, breathing the same air. A shudder went through him. “We use the parts from your ship to repair mine?”

“Yes, Maul,” Qui-Gon, stated. “These ladies have offered us food and shelter while we are here, so we don’t have to worry about that.”

“I worry about nothing,” snapped Maul.

“Maybe you should worry more about your future!” Obi-Wan shot back, glaring at Maul.

Maul glared coldly back at him. “Now there is incentive to make me cooperate.” Maul looked over at Qui-Gon. “Do you think I am going to help you return to Coruscant so you can present me to the Jedi Council as some sort of prize?” He could picture such an incident in his mind with all too much clarity.

“You are in our custody,” stated Qui-Gon, his expression stern.

“If you wish to use my ship and have my assistance in repairing it, that will no longer be the case.” That was the minimum requirement for his cooperation. To die on this primitive planet would be bad enough. But to be paraded before the Jedi Council, that would be humiliating. It was a fate worse than death, a dishonorable ending for his life and service to his Master and the Sith Order. He didn’t even want to think about what the Jedi would do to him - cutting him off from the Force completely? Brainwashing? His stomach started turning again.

“Unacceptable!” shouted Obi-Wan as he stood on his feet.

“Then we stay here!” Maul shifted into a more comfortable position in his bed, leaning back on his pillow. “This is a nice planet, albeit a bit rugged, even primitive,” he added casually, “though the natives are friendly.” He looked at the two Jedi, patiently waiting for their answer.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan looked at each other. Maul sensed that they were trying to work through their options. There weren’t many and there wasn’t much room for negotiation. The choice was simple. They all remain here on this planet or they all work together to return to Coruscant. “If we agree to this Lord Maul, I want your word as a warrior, that you will not betray our trust.” Qui-Gon was obviously apprehensive about trusting a Sith, but he also didn’t wish to spend the rest of his life on this rugged planet.

Maul sat up straight in the bed, despite the pain. “Agreed Jedi. I give you my word as a Sith Lord and a warrior, that I will not betray you. When we return to Republic space, I will drop you off at one of the spaceports. From there, our game begins anew!” He glared at them. “Now I want your oath, Jedi!”

“Master, I will not swear an oath to a Sith Lord,” Obi-Wan said in a strangely soft tone as he sneered at Maul. He crossed his arms in front of him, firmly planting himself at the foot of the bed.

Qui-Gon sighed and shook his head slightly. “Then you are of course free to remain here Padawan.”

Obi-Wan’s expression quickly changed from arrogance to dismay. “But, Master…”

“Do you have another suggestion Obi-Wan? I am willing to listen.”

“But he is a Sith Lord!” Obi-Wan’s brow furrowed as he looked from Maul to Qui-Gon and back again. “Master Yoda would not approve!”

“Master Yoda is not here!”

Obi-Wan continued glancing from Sith to Jedi. Maul sensed he was desperately looking for another alternative than having to work with him. None obviously came to him as he hung his head a moment later, shaking it slightly.

“Yes, Master, we will do as you suggest,” Obi-Wan said almost whispering.

Qui-Gon glanced at Obi-Wan then turned his full attention to Maul. “I swear by the Force and the Jedi Code that neither I, nor my apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, will betray your trust Lord Maul. I give you your freedom back upon your word that our dispute is nullified until we return to Republic space. However, I will be in charge of the repair procedures for your ship, but you will retain captaincy.”

“Agreed.” Maul still wasn’t happy about having to work with the Jedi, but things could be worse, he reminded himself. Somehow, he would turn this to his advantage.

Forcing himself to sit upright, despite the tremendous pain, Maul concentrated on the Force, calling the Dark Side to him. He sat with his legs crossed and his hands resting comfortably on his knees, his usual position for meditating, his black tunic loose around him. The Force was different here. He called the Darkness to him, reaching for the power and strength that came so easily to his beckoning normally. It was not here, not fully, only a shadow it seemed. He felt as if the Force was being kept from him by some sort of invisible shield around him. It was there, but he couldn’t reach it fully. It seemed to ebb and flow with his own emotions, with the emotions of the others, with the time of day. There were too many variables to comprehend, he only knew sometimes it was stronger and sometimes much weaker. He reached for it again, but it responded only weakly. He didn’t understand it, puzzling him greatly. This went beyond mere annoyance, even beyond frustration. It angered him, and still, this anger did not help to make the Force what it should be.

The door to his room opened slightly and he sensed someone there. A woman. The one who had helped tend to him the day before, the one who had looked upon him with desire. She started to back up and close the door.

“What do you want?” Maul asked tersely.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt your meditations,” she commented softly. “I was just going to check the room for any dishes and straighten it up a bit.”

He sensed her smile.

“But, I can do that later.”

Maul turned around and looked at her. “Do what you need, then leave.”

Elissa glared at him as she opened the door and walked in. He sensed her anger at him and he smiled. At least he could do that, make someone angry, and manipulate emotions. He watched her go around the room and gather up a cup he had used earlier for Qui-Gon’s tea and a plate that had held his snack of fruit and bread. She folded up the extra blankets and straightened up the various items on the shelves as he had looked on. He tried sending out a probe in the Force, wondering how much of his usual strength in the Force he still had.

She turned around and looked at him again, now irritated. She had sensed his probe somehow. This surprised Maul. Usually only Force sensitives were able to sense such things, or the strong minded - the ones who were difficult to read even under the best of circumstances. Their eyes locked on one another for a moment and from her expression, he guessed she wasn’t quite sure what had happened, wasn’t sure what he had done, or even if he had done anything.

“Bring me some more tea,” Maul ordered as he sat up straight, stretching his back. He looked up at her as he spoke and noted her eyes widen in surprise and anger.

She stopped her work. “Excuse me?”

“I asked you to bring me some more tea, woman!” Why did he have to repeat himself? It was a simple enough command.

Her upper lip rose in disgust. “I’ll see if I can fit it into my schedule, master,” she remarked sarcastically and picked up the dishes and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Maul knew she wasn’t going to be bringing him any tea and he didn’t need the Force to tell him that. He shook his head. He had never encountered such resistance to his wishes before. He was not used to this and he didn’t like it.

“We have made a list of items we need to purchase in order to repair the ship. It’s mostly tools and a few basic supplies.” Qui-Gon sighed as he handed the list to Karen who looked it over. “The problem obviously is that we don’t have any of your money with which to purchase these items.”

“Why not just use the Force with these primitives,” snapped Maul from the sofa. “Make them pay for it!” After dinner, the recovering patient sat in the living room with the others, yet apart from everyone, only because Qui-Gon insisted that he come out and be hospitable. Maul grumbled and complained and kept to himself, stretched out on the sofa.

“That’s against the Code my young Sith!” remarked Qui-Gon patiently. “We want their cooperation, do we not?”

Maul rolled his eyes in disgust.

“Need I remind you of our agreement, Lord Maul?” Qui-Gon’s tone was unmistakable. He was already having doubts as to how well this was going to work out with the Sith. He wasn’t sure his own patience would hold out long enough to get back to Republic Space.

Maul glared back at the Jedi Master, a slight sneer on his lips. But he said nothing.

Karen smiled at Qui-Gon, “Well, Elli is the only one with any money here. You’ll have to ask her.” All eyes turned to her and she fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. “It looks to me like you’re looking at maybe a couple hundred dollars worth of tools and supplies there.”

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan looked at Elissa, then at Karen, “Is that a lot?” Obi-Wan finally asked. Karen nodded.

“Is that a problem?” asked Qui-Gon concerned.

Elli pulled the list from Karen’s hand and quickly glanced over it. “Don’t you Jedi ever carry any money?” she remarked under her breath.

“We have Republic dataries… um … credits,” offered Obi-Wan hopefully.

Ellie rolled her eyes. “No, it’s not a problem,” she remarked flatly as she looked back at Qui-Gon. “Though we are going to shop for sales!” She looked the list over again more carefully. “We’ll have to go into Payson to get this stuff though and you should be aware this might also raise some suspicions with the locals and one of you gentlemen will have to go with me to carry all of this.”

“How far away is this Pay-Sun?” asked Obi-Wan.

“Payson,” she corrected, “is about a hundred and ten miles and it’ll take us about two and a half hours to get there. We should leave early, about seven tomorrow.” Elissa looked over the list again. “I don’t think you’re going to find everything on this list though.”

“We’ll just have to improvise with what we can’t find.” Qui-Gon shifted in his chair, realizing the enormity of the task in front of them as well as the slim chances that they would succeed. So many obstacles, so many variables and so many potential problems faced them. It was all up to the will of the Force, that much was for certain. The only thing he knew now was that the Force was here, though it was different than what he usually experienced. He believed there was a reason they had landed here, but as he cast his mind into it, he could find nothing specific, nothing with which to be sure of his actions; only a vagueness about their destiny and that strange muddiness and haze. He didn’t understand why the Force was so unpredictable here. He would have to try again later and hopefully more answers would be forthcoming.

Obi-Wan and Elissa returned late the following afternoon, having successfully found most of the items on the list, or at least parts that could be used as items from the list. It had been a pleasant trip with Obi-Wan, though he didn’t seem to appreciate the rugged nature of traveling by Jeep over badly weathered roads. He also didn’t seem to place much trust in Elissa’s driving abilities. He probably would have preferred to drive, but she refused, thinking of trying to explain any insurance claims that might come up. Though on the way back to the cabin, he seemed more relaxed than on the way out.

They spent most of the trip chatting about American popular culture, though the subject of Elli’s best friend Kim came up more often than randomly possible. She found it amusing. She liked Obi-Wan and thought the two of them made a good couple. She also knew Kim needed someone gentle and good, which she was sure Obi-Wan was.

As they turned the last corner, from the street into the dirt drive that led to the cabin, Obi-Wan made a strange noise, sounding almost like a discontented sigh. Elli looked at him strangely as she dropped the Jeep into second gear to make the grade up the hill. At the top, the sharp left led right to the cabin - and to a drive full of official cars!

“Shit!” Elli exclaimed, too late as they had been spotted. She couldn’t help but look surprised as the Sheriff’s deputies waved her over to park the Jeep. She stopped it amid a collection of Sheriff’s cars, a couple of plain sedans and a large black Suburban with tinted windows and government plates on it. “This is not good,” she muttered under her breath. “Now what, Jedi?”

“It’s okay,” Obi-Wan said softly as he opened his eyes. “Master Qui-Gon has used the Force to control the situation. We must simply follow his lead.”

Two Deputies came forward, one at each door. “Ma’am,” said the one at Elli’s door, tipping his hat toward her. “What is your business here?”

“I’m staying here,” remarked Elli, attempting to sound more annoyed than scared. “Why are you here?”

“We’re investigating a … situation here.” He smiled at her. “May I have some identification Ma’am?” He held out his hand, waiting for her to give her some ID.

Elli grimaced and turned towards her purse, pulling it from underneath a bag full of supplies. She looked over and saw the other deputy eyeing the load, and she began to worry. Taking her wallet out of her purse, she pulled out her driver’s license and her work ID badge, hoping that being a fellow government employee might help ease the situation. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Obi-Wan hadn’t moved. He had no ID of course.

“Where is your identification, sir?” asked the other Deputy.

“You don’t need to see my identification,” Obi-Wan said in a smooth monotone voice, waving his hand slightly.

The Deputy looked at his fellow officer, “We don’t need to see his identification.”

“Let us pass into the house,” Obi-Wan added softly.

“Let them pass into the house,” the Deputy said, backing away from the door.

Obi-Wan and Elli both got out of the car, before they escorted the two of them inside. Opening the door for her, the deputy again tipped his hat to her, obviously finding her attractive. She grinned ruefully, thinking of all times for someone to find her attractive. She looked around and saw all the girls in the kitchen and Qui-Gon sitting at the dining room table, government agents talking to him, but no Maul in sight. That was good, she hoped. The Jedi could possibly be explained, but a tattooed Zabrak?

One of the agents stood up from the table and walked toward the two of them. “Who is this?” he asked coldly, pulling his dark suit into order.

Elli could hardly keep back a look of irritation, attempting to cover it with a quiet cough.

“This is Elissa McCragg,” the Deputy standing behind her stated. “She says she’s staying here.” He handed the ID’s that Elli had given him to the agent. Another agent came forward and led Obi-Wan off over to the dining room, seating him next to Qui-Gon.

“I’m agent Mark Ramos, with the FBI,” he stated flatly, looking over the pictures, comparing them to the woman standing in front of him. “So you work for the State of Arizona?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied. This seemed rather obvious, given her ID badge. Idiot.

“Are you the one leasing this cabin?” he asked.

“Yes, the lease is in my name.”

“Rather expensive for you, isn’t it?” he offered, looking at her, watching for her reaction.

Elli gave one. “I don’t think that’s any of your business,” she snapped back. She watched his eyes open up in surprise. “It just happens that the owners are family friends,” she added, thinking she had better keep her cool in this situation.

“And they are?” the agent asked, straightening his tie up as he stood up to his full height, trying to intimidate her.

“Dwaine and Rona Garrett.”

The agent looked over at the deputy. “Yes, they do own this cabin and the one at the bottom of the hill. They’ve been in the community a long time. I’m acquainted with them as well.” He looked at Elli and smiled again. She smiled back slightly, in appreciation for his comforting words.

“And where were you just prior to coming here?” Agent Ramos asked.

“Wal-Mart!” Elli snapped, as she turned from the Deputy to the FBI Agent, unhappy about all this questioning, though she was afraid that they might take a look at the stuff they bought. That might be hard to explain. “Can I ask to what all this pertains?”

“We are investigating a suspicious airplane that may have gone down in the area.” He looked at her again. “Where were you Friday afternoon at about 3 o’clock?”

“I was at work,” she paused, adding, “in Phoenix,” figuring he wouldn’t understand that part. “I didn’t get here until after nine that night.”

“Did your friends here say anything about a strange noise? Suspicious characters?”

“Kim and Debby said they heard what sounded like a low flying airplane, but that was it.” She shrugged her shoulders, hoping desperately she wasn’t over-acting. She watched as Agent Ramos suddenly had a strange, glazed look on his face. She instinctively looked at Qui-Gon, who simply smiled a little at her.

Elli looked around the room quickly, noting that all of the Agents and Deputies and various government agents suddenly had strangely blank expressions, their eyes all looking a little glazed over.

“Thank you for your time, Miss,” Agent Ramos suddenly stated flatly.

“Ma’am,” the Deputy said to Elli, smiling again. “I’m Deputy John Martin. If you see or hear anything unusual, don’t hesitate to give us a call.”

“Thank you, Deputy,” she said, smiling back. He tipped his hat again and walked down the porch stairs and got into his cruiser. She waved good-bye to them, watching all the cars turn out of the driveway and head down the dirt road to the main road. She sighed softly, grateful that ordeal was over with, and turned around, almost walking right into Darth Maul.

He simply sneered at her. “Fools!” he muttered as he turned and walked back into the cabin.

“You should be happy they are fools, Maul!” Elli replied as he glared at her.

“We should all be grateful they were not the most … strong minded individuals,” Qui-Gon stated. He looked at Obi-Wan. “Did you get all the supplies we need?”

“Most of them, Master,” Obi-Wan replied with a slight sigh.

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