Monsoon: Part 6 - Choices

MaulMaus

Rating: PG
Warnings: This story is PG for violence and language.
Disclaimer: Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi are property of George Lucas and Lucasfilms, no question. Only borrowed and slightly abused. All original characters are mine - MaulMaus
Summary: Maul takes in the local social life..
Feedback to: MaulMaus@worldnet.att.net
Author's comments: Special thanks go to Dark Lady: Her stories have inspired me, her words have encouraged me and her friendship has touched me. Thank you also for the Beta! This story was also very much inspired by the adventures of a certain Mary & Sue that inhabit the world on Red's web-site - The Sorcerous Side. Thanks to “Mary” and “Sue” - though I know who you really are *smirks!*
Illustrated version: At MaulMaus' site.
 

Maul stood there for a long moment on the porch, working at maintaining his control. She had turned her back on him and walked away, something he would not have tolerated under normal circumstances. But these were not normal circumstances. He was alone and in unknown territory in more than one way. He had sensed her mind filled with doubt about him and his intentions. She was still attracted to him - that much he knew. But that Jedi had planted the seeds of doubt into her mind. Or, perhaps he had merely watered the seeds already there. She did understand he was Sith and she understood what that entailed. But, she had understood that from the beginning.

He tried unsuccessfully to push his anger to the side as he walked through the cabin, into his room, slamming the door behind him with the Force. He was angry; angry with the Jedi for interfering and angry with Elissa for turning her back on him and walking away. He didn’t need her. Why waste his energy on this? He decided to use this anger for something useful; to strengthen himself. He sat on the floor and crossed his legs, in front of the makeshift Sith shrine he had created from a few things he had taken from the Infiltrator. Lighting the small black candle, he focused on it, focused his energy and his anger. Called the dark-side to him, such as it was, though he still did not feel it as normal. It was still shrouded behind some strange, elusive barrier that he couldn’t penetrate. It frustrated him. He concentrated harder, and then let himself flow into the Force.

“Apprentice, remember, Sith need nothing but the Force and the Sith Order. A Master needs an apprentice and the apprentice needs his Master. We need no one - nothing else!”

The words of his Master were burned into his mind. Maul almost felt Lord Sidious standing before him, instructing him, as he used to.

“Compassion is a weakness, apprentice. Love is a weakness. You are a Sith Lord and these things have no place in your life. They are only useful in manipulating others to our will. They are tools, like any other emotion, and they are only to be used as such.”

Maul meditated further, resolving himself to move on. If Elissa offered herself, he would use her, as he would any other woman. But, there would be no true feelings, no emotions, and no relationship to interfere with his plans of returning to Coruscant, of returning to his Master’s service and of destroying the Jedi.

When he finished with his meditations, he rose and walked to his bed. Laying down on the too soft mattress, he pulled the warm blankets over him, one arm over his still painful stomach, the other one he tucked under his head, the pillows here being totally inadequate, tearing and ripping with the slightest movement of his horned head. He willed himself to sleep, but it would not come.

He called the dark-side to him once again, beckoning it to him, bending what little responded to his will. He took himself back to an earlier time, a simpler time, remembering the ceremony where he had taken his final vows as a Sith Lord, touching his chin where the final tattoo had been made, the one showing the symbol for the Ancient Order of the Sith. Part of his vows echoed in his mind; All the Universe bows before Me. He sneered. All the universe, except Elissa.

There was nothing extraordinary about her, he reminded himself angrily. She had no great Force abilities. Yes, she was unusually pretty, but not gorgeous. She was intelligent, but no genius. She was also stubborn, sarcastic, and strong-willed. She made him angry. More than angry, she infuriated him. She was difficult. He shook his head slightly and sighed. Why was he drawn to her so much? Why did he want to be around her, to look at her, to touch her? Why did he feel that soft energy every time he held her?

Maul rolled over, angry with himself for dwelling on this. What need did he have for companionship - aside from the occasional sexual release? None. Not hers. Not anyone’s. It would make him weak, as his Master had told him. Maul only needed the dark-side and his Master. His Master was always right, a lesson he had painfully learned long ago.

Yet, he smiled as he remembered when he had called her “woman!” She had glared back at him and told him exactly what she thought. She had not let her natural fear of him control her. That had impressed him immediately. Then he had also experienced her concern for him. And she, strangely, cared for him, despite the fact he didn’t care for her.

Or did he?

He sighed deeply and swore to himself in his native tongue. This wasn’t like him to brood about anything. Perhaps he had been around the Jedi too long already. Perhaps they were corrupting him. They certainly seemed interested in Elli’s two friends, Karen and Kim, for whom they all seemed well suited. Kim and Obi-Wan especially - so much of the light side in those two. The mere thought of them together made him slightly nauseous. Yet, the Jedi were not known for allowing serious relationships. He wondered how honest and forthcoming they had been with these women. Not that it mattered to him. What did he care if the Jedi hurt them?

Though Obi-Wan had said that the Jedi Code forbade marriage, he knew that wasn’t true. In fact, one of the Jedi Council members was married. But marriage and even relationships were frowned upon for the same reason as for the Sith, as his Master had told him. It would weaken their resolve in the Force. Qui-Gon obviously followed his own dictates, while Obi-Wan followed his hormones. Yet, the emotions he sensed from the women were strong and serious. He found himself a bit envious of Qui-Gon and even Obi-Wan. No one had ever cared for him as these two women cared for the Jedi. But if they returned to civilized space, these women would soon be forgotten. They were insignificant.

He rolled back over on his other side and adjusted his arm to a more comfortable position. He wondered what that would feel like, to have someone care for him so much, as much as he sensed from these women for the Jedi. It would be different from anything he had ever experienced, that much he knew for sure. It seemed a major pre-occupation for much of the universe, as he had learned in his years of study. Most cultures considered such things as the most precious of gifts. Something he, himself, had never understood. “It is not for you Maul. Love is not for the Sith.” His Master had told him when he had asked of such things while still an adolescent.

It was not for him to love. Maul knew that, realized it, understood it and accepted it. But what if someone cared for, even loved him? To have someone that much under his control, how could that be against what he had been taught as a Sith? If he had such a woman, who cared so much for him, he wouldn’t treat her like the Jedi would. He would take her and keep her for himself. She would belong to him and him alone; a fact that would be clear from the beginning. He would use that power over her to make himself stronger.

Power over her - a sudden vision of Elli appeared in his mind. He smiled slightly as he remembered her eyes, as he remembered what it felt like to touch her. He imagined her in his ship, walking along one of the corridors, looking for him. He would surprise her. She would laugh, a laugh he liked to hear. He imagined leading her to his cabin, to his bunk, caressing her body, kissing her soft lips, pulling her dress down and caressing her skin. He wanted to feel her body next to his, to touch her hair and smell her unique scent - the scent he had first smelled when he had touched her that first time in the kitchen.

He felt a strange throbbing in his body, one he wasn’t used to. In his mind he imagined her enjoying his touch, enjoying being with him as much as he with her. This excited him even more as this was something rare; in fact it was something he had never truly experienced. The throbbing became more persistent, one that he could usually control, but one that would not now be controlled. He could not stop thinking of Elli, of taking her to his bed - of making her his.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“The Zane Grey Tavern?” Karen asked as the three of them pulled up the driveway. She looked at Kim, curious.

“Well, it’s the biggest bar in Show Low.” She shrugged. “The only one who’s name I could remember.”

Elissa stopped the Jeep and pulled the parking brake. Looking at Kim, she smiled. “It’ll do.”

Kim nodded reluctantly as she clamored over the front seat and jumped to the ground. Karen gave her a quick hug, and then pushed her gently forward. Elli followed close behind. They could hear the music coming from inside the building, and they snaked their way through a parking lot littered with pick-up trucks and SUVs. Kim adjusted her hair again, for the hundredth time that night, and Elli pulled down on her black dress, feeling she should be wearing her Levi’s instead.

“Well, at least we will get some quiet time away from the boys!” Karen quipped and they all laughed. They all enjoyed the company of the Jedi, and even the Sith was okay, but the girls needed a break, needed a night out on their own. They slowly walked toward the entrance.

It took a minute for their eyes to get used to the darkness inside. The background conversations quieted immediately when the three of them entered the large main room, only the twang of the Country music from the speakers could be heard. The stares of the locals followed them as they walked, and all the girls felt very out of place. As they made their way to the bar, the cowboys and wanna-be-cowboys, ranchers, truckers and other locals all made way for them, smiling at them, muttering to one another in hushed tones.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maul sat on the large living room sofa as usual, his legs stretched out. His booted feet tapped nervously against the pillow at the end of the sofa. He was stewing and brooding, fidgety - unusual things for him. He had been angry when Elissa and her friends decided to go out by themselves. Mostly he was angry with Elli. He was still mad about her turning away from him on the porch. Now he was also angry about her going out with her friends. He knew this was her idea - it had to be. There was more going on than any of the girls had said. He knew that as well. The Jedi knew it too. Still, the girls had gone.

To his protests, Elissa had simply replied that they had no relationship, emphasizing that he had no right to tell her what to do. Why was she so difficult? He had felt she was in danger. Something was wrong or was going to be wrong. He told her what he sensed. She smiled, she nodded and she ignored his wishes. By the Force, she enraged him. He swore to himself about his Force limitations here. It was making him very angry now, but that anger didn’t help him with his power here. Anyplace else, he could simply have willed that she stay - and she would have in one way or another. But not here.

“Easy my young Sith,” Qui-Gon started, sensing his concern, “the girls will return to us.”

Maul simply glared at him. Of course he knew the girls would return. But how? When? He didn’t like it at all. What did he feel? Jealousy? Why should he? Who would he be jealous of? No one was his equal. Especially not here! He and Elli weren’t involved. That had been decided the previous night when she walked away from him. Yet in his mind he saw Elli in her dress, the sexy black short one she had left the cabin in, and he saw other men looking at her, wanting her. He hated it.

He stood up and began pacing the length of the cabin, hands clenched tightly behind his back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m not sure I can do this…” Kim looked down at her wine cooler, twirling the slender bottle in her hands nervously.

“Yes you can!” Elli replied, before taking a drink from her glass.

“We’ll be here for you, Kim. Bob won’t do anything here!” Karen shuffled her beer bottle back and forth along the wooden table, bouncing it over the knots in the dark wood.

“It’s not here that I’m worried about,” Kim added. “What if he follows us back?”

“I think Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon can take care of him!” Elli replied. A short fantasy played out in her mind, seeing Bob cut in half, like had been done to Maul. She smiled at the happy thought.

“C’mon Kim, do you really want to stay with Bob?” Karen looked at her, watched Kim shake her head. “Obi-Wan is much better for you. You know that!”

“I know,” Kim sighed.

“You called Bob here so you could break up with him,” Karen repeated. “I think Obi-Wan is worth it.”

“I know,” Kim replied, taking a sip from her drink. “But, Bob …. he’s been better recently....”

Elli rolled her eyes and looked at Karen, clenching her jaw to keep from saying something she might regret. “And how has Obi-Wan treated you?” she asked.

Kim smiled then nodded her head. “I know what you are saying Elli, Karen, but that doesn’t make this easy.”

“Well, you’re going to have to decided because he’s here,” Elli remarked quietly under her breath. She had been watching the door, and now she saw him walk in, his band buddies Marc and Michael with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A sudden wave in the Force jostled Maul from his pacing. It was Elli. No. It was all three of the girls. They were in danger. He glanced over at Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon who had been watching the TV again. They were staring back at Maul; obviously they felt it as well.

That is it!” Maul shouted, as he started back across the room and putting his hand on the door handle.

“Patience, Maul,” came the soothing voice of Qui-Gon. He had jumped from his chair and reached the door at the same time, putting a firm hand on Maul’s shoulder.

Maul turned, ready to strike the Jedi, but thought the better of it and forced himself to control his anger, remembering his oath. “They are in danger,” remarked Maul as calmly as he could. His impatience was eating at him. They were wasting time standing here.

“Yes, but we must be careful how we proceed.” Qui-Gon replied.

“But, Master, it’s Kim! She’s frightened.” Obi-Wan said softly, fear in his voice as he bounced nervously on his feet, ready to jump into action.

“They are all nervous!” snapped Maul. He was actually surprised at the depth of emotion he was sensing from the Padawan. Perhaps there was even more to their relationship than Maul knew of. Perhaps it went deeper than he had believed.

“Yes.” Qui-Gon sent out a probe in the Force of his own and a worried look crossed his face. “We should go to them,” he quickly replied, “I believe they need our protection.”

Maul growled slightly at the Jedi Master’s not so original observation. “My speeder is the fastest way to them. But, I have room for only one of you!” he smirked, “maybe.”

Obi-Wan bolted forward. “I’m going!”

“No Padawan. I will go.” Qui-Gon noted Obi-Wan’s angered expression. “There will be no argument Obi-Wan.”

Maul was already halfway down the steps of the cabin and Qui-Gon had to run to keep up with the Sith Lord. Obi-Wan stood on the porch, angrier than he had been in a very long time, not since the duel with Maul in the Theed generating station, when he watched the Sith cut down his Master.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bob refused to speak to Kim with her friends around, insisting they speak alone. Neither Karen nor Elissa liked it, but didn’t say anything, just kept an eye on Kim as she and Bob sat at a nearby table, talking.

“So Elli… what’s up?” Michael asked, teasing her, grabbing her around the waist. He brushed his long dark curly hair out of the way, and then pulled Karen over to him with his other arm.

“Nothing,” they both replied, almost in unison.

“Now I don’t believe that,” Michael remarked, glancing at his friend, who came back with a couple of beers. “Do you believe nothing’s going on, Marc?”

Marc looked over at Kim and an obviously angry Bob. “Not for a minute.”

“Is she breaking up with him…. again?” Michael asked, sitting down in the booth. He pulled on Karen to come sit with him.

Elli turned and looked at Michael and smiled. “Yep! Hopefully for good this time!”

“I don’t know,” Marc replied, taking a sip from his beer and shaking his head. “I’ve heard that before.”

Karen nodded in agreement. “I know …”

They were interrupted with the sounds of Bob shouting at Kim as he stood up. “You’ve been cheating on me!!!” He slammed his glass down on the table, the beer spilling out of it, all over the table and splashing on Kim. “You ... fuckin’ whore!” Bob’s face was red and contorted. He reached over to Kim, to grab her and pull her out of her chair. “You …”

Suddenly Bob found his own arms being grabbed by another man, pulling him away from Kim and keeping him immobilized.

“Go cool off somewhere buddy!” a deep familiar voice said.

Kim started crying, obviously scared and upset by all that was happening. Karen held her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

“Who the hell are you?” Bob yelled, angrily pulling away from the other man’s grasp, sneering at him. “Is this your new boyfriend, Kim?”

“No. He’s mine!” Elli stepped forward, looked over at the man and winked at him. He smiled back, understanding.

Bob glared at the larger man, furious with his intrusion. “This isn’t your business!” he shouted, getting ready to shove him.

“It is my business. And I suggest you leave now!”

“Bob, did I tell you he’s a Sheriff’s Deputy?” Elissa smiled as she watched the blood drain from Bob’s face as he turned his attention back to the man staring intently at him.

“Deputy John Martin, Apache County Sheriff’s Office,” he said in his most official voice.

Michael and Marc had been watching from the sidelines, but obviously decided now was the time to leave. “C’mon Bob. We can deal with this later.” Bob shook his head.

“Now, gentlemen!” John threatened. Another man came up behind John and glared at Bob, obviously offering support to the deputy.

Michael pulled Bob from the middle of the scene, swearing at him. Marc grabbed Bob’s other arm and dragged him off, now swearing at Kim, Elli and the Deputy.

Elli turned and looked at the John. “Thank you!” she said, a big smile on her face. She had been afraid it was going to turn ugly. Uglier than it had actually been.

“No problem,” he replied, lifting his hand up to his cowboy hat, tipping the hat slightly, “Ma’am.”

Elli smiled, and then she saw Karen leading Kim away, probably to the ladies room for a good cry. She sighed, grateful it was over. She turned back to John and smiled again, feeling a bit uncomfortable suddenly.

“Oh … this is my brother Todd,” John said, pointing to the man who had stood behind him during the confrontation. Todd nodded his head in acknowledgment. “And this is Elissa McCragg.” John smiled.

“This must be the lady from that cabin you’ve been talking so much about, John,” Todd offered with a mischievous smile, taking a quick sip from his beer.

Elli blushed and looked over at their booth.

“Yeah, thanks Todd!” John replied, shoving his brother back a few feet.

“Do you want to sit with us for a while?” Elissa asked, not really sure what else to say.

“Thanks,” Todd grinned, pushing John in front of him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maul pushed the speeder as fast as it could go, but the groundcover and the traffic on the roads made the going rough. Maul was pleased to sense Qui-Gon’s nervousness. Obviously, he really wasn’t comfortable riding with a Sith pilot. At least it wouldn’t be too long now. The only way Maul knew the way to this place was through the Force, and the Force was telling him, it wasn’t very far now. He grit his teeth and pressed the speeder on even faster, ignoring the warning monitors going off and feeling Qui-Gon hold on even tighter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had been talking with one another for a few minutes. Kim and Karen were obviously going to take more time than she thought in the bathroom. She looked around the room a bit nervously, listening to the country music, music she didn’t recognize in the least. Finally, she saw her friends emerge, and waited for them to return to the booth, introducing them to John’s brother.

“Would you like to dance?” John finally asked. He nodded slightly, and motioned with his head out onto the dance-floor. It was a slow song.

Elli looked at her friends, feeling uncharacteristically unsure of what to do. Kim pushed her softly and Karen nodded. She really didn’t feel like dancing, but she didn’t want to be rude either. Besides, John had helped to get rid of Bob, and he was reasonably good looking. She sighed, resigning herself to being at least polite and stood up.

He quickly took her hand and led her out to the dance floor, taking her right hand and pulling her close to him with his arm around her waist. “I’m glad you agreed,” he said softly.

Elissa felt very uncomfortable, and she didn’t know why. John was a nice man, a decent man. He had gotten rid of Bob for example. At any other time, she would have been more interested. But, she couldn’t get her mind off Maul. She would much rather be dancing with him. Though he had appeared interested in her, he had never said so. Maul was a man of action, yes, but she was quite sure that if he were so interested in her, he would have said so. He would have made it perfectly clear, rather than just teasing her or toying with her emotions. Besides, what about all the things Qui-Gon had said to her the previous night? There were several things she had to consider about him. He wouldn’t abuse her, or hurt her physically, but would Maul use her? Toss her to the side when he was finished? That she did believe him capable of. But then, why had Maul been upset when she and the girls were leaving tonight? She almost swore he was jealous.

“What are you thinking about?” John asked, caressing her back gently.

“Um… nothing,” she replied, pasting a smile on her face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The speeder came to an abrupt stop behind the bar. Maul dismounted first and Qui-Gon, a bit stiff from the ride, stretched and quickly followed Maul, who wasted no time in turning the corner and making his way to the entrance. He sensed that the immediate danger had already passed, yet, Elissa was still a bit nervous about something, something indefinable. He swore to himself again, cursing the limitations on his Force abilities. He stopped suddenly, Qui-Gon almost running into him, and concentrated. He would need what strength he had, to convince these locals that he was human.

“Do you want my assistance?” offered Qui-Gon, sensing the changes in the flow of the Force.

“No, Jedi. I can do this myself!” Maul’s expression softened slightly as he drew the Force and called the dark side to himself.

Qui-Gon nodded and glanced around the parking lot, waiting for Maul to finish with his simple mind-cloak.

Maul took a deep breath, recited a few words of Sith magick, and called the Force to him. He realized his power was weaker than usual, weaker than he wanted, but it would have to do. Deep down, he appreciated what the Jedi Master had offered, and it surprised him. But then, Qui-Gon was not like most Jedi, or any other Jedi, that Maul knew of. Many things about Qui-Gon surprised him.

“I am ready,” he finally stated as he stepped forward and the two of them made their way to the entrance.

“Three dollars each,” the woman in the window said flatly. She only glanced up at them, not really looking.

Qui-Gon waved his hand gently. “We don’t need to pay,” he said softly.

The woman looked blankly at Qui-Gon, then a small smile slipped across her lips. She brushed back her brown hair, trying to look more attractive than she was. “Okay, hun. You don’t need to pay.”

“We can both go inside,” added Qui-Gon, smiling warmly at the woman.

“You two can go inside.” She smiled again. “Save a dance for me, will’ya hun.”

Maul sneered as he pushed around the Jedi. Though he did find it amusing that the woman obviously thought Qui-Gon was the hottest thing to hit the area in a long time. Must have been something special in that Force impression, another surprise from the Jedi Master. He entered and stopped at the edge of the room, quickly scanning it for Elli.

Qui-Gon stopped right behind him. “Think before you act, Maul,” he said softly.

Maul saw Kim and Karen talking with a man in their booth. He pursed his lips and looked around the room, and out onto the dance floor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How long will you and your friends be up in Greer?” John asked.

“Most of the rest of the summer,” Elli replied. “I’ve taken some extra time off from work.”

John smiled. “Good. I hope that gives me a chance to get to know you better.”

Elli felt very awkward. She shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t know how to answer. She wished she had stayed home this night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maul stood there seething, his anger boiling just below the surface. He didn’t like seeing Elli in the arms of another man, even if only dancing. He hated it. Though he sensed some ambivalence from Elissa, she also wasn’t un-attracted to this man and he sensed this man’s attraction to her all too well. He scowled at the couple, but neither of them noticed. Didn’t she know who he was, and that he was attracted to her? Didn’t she know he couldn’t stand to see anyone else touching her? It made him angrier and angrier, the longer he watched. She didn’t even look over at him; she didn’t notice anything else going on around her, instead paying attention to that man!

“Peace, my young Sith,” Qui-Gon said softly, putting a firm hand on Maul’s shoulder. “Come, let us go sit with Karen and Kim. Elissa will return to them shortly.”

Maul glared at Qui-Gon, but knew he was right in his assessment of the situation, following the Jedi to the booth with the other girls in it.

“Qui!!!” Karen shouted, jumping out of the seat and rushing up to the Jedi, holding him close. “What are you doing here?”

“We thought you girls might be in danger,” he replied, giving Karen another hug. He nodded back to Maul.

“Where’s Obi-Wan?” Kim asked as Karen and Qui-Gon sat down.

“He couldn’t come… there wasn’t room on the … transport,” Qui-Gon said, looking nervously at the other man in the booth.

“I’m Todd,” he said, realizing these two men were staring at him. “John, out there,” he pointed to the dancing couple, “he’s my brother. We helped the ladies here earlier with some trouble.” He looked from Qui-Gon to Maul, looking rather confused at what he was seeing. “John met the ladies earlier at their cabin I think.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Anyway, he really likes Elissa,” he said, looking from Kim to Karen and smiled.

Maul clenched his jaw, forcing himself to keep quiet and not kill this human. Glaring at him for a moment, he turned his eyes back out to the dance floor, to Elli. He sensed this man’s growing interest in Elissa; watching him reach up to her face with his hand, caress her cheek as he smiled at her. She smiled back. Then the man leaned over and kissed her.

Maul couldn’t stand it and stepped forward only to find himself held back by the Jedi.

“Maul, it is not your business,” Qui-Gon said firmly as he ignored the heated glare Maul gave him in return. “She is a free woman.”

“That does not mean I approve!” he snapped back.

“It is not for you to approve!” Qui-Gon said, holding the Sith back. “She is not your property. She must make her own decisions, as you agreed with her yesterday.”

Maul pulled away from the Jedi, sneering at him. He turned his back on Elli and the others, staring out across the bar. Why was he behaving like this? He was Sith and this was not the way for a Sith Lord to behave. What was wrong with him? He shook his head, trying to clear it. His mind told him he was behaving like a fool. His emotions told him to turn around and look at Elli. He did. His jealousy resurfaced as he looked at Elissa still in this other man’s arms. He sensed that this human wanted the same thing he did. Elli. He watched her dancing, moving slowly, and seductively even, he wanted to be the one she was dancing with. He wanted to feel her body next to his, her arms around him, looking up into his eyes.

Before Qui-Gon could stop him, he walked over to the couple and stood there for a moment watching them, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

“I wish for this dance,” he growled.

The couple stopped and Elissa looked very surprised at seeing him here. He sensed she had not realized he was there. His eyes glanced at her then he glared at the man, who was obviously angered by this interruption.

“I don’t think so,” John said, stepping back, keeping Elli on one arm.

“It’s okay, John,” Elissa said quickly. “He’s an … an… old, um…………friend.”

John turned and looked at Elissa in disbelief then he turned his gaze back at this imposing man standing angrily before them.

“Really. It’s okay,” Elli said. “We … um… we can dance again later.”

John looked rather reluctant. He didn’t see Maul move his hand slightly, or sense the tug on his mind telling him to leave Elissa alone. He looked again at Elissa, who just nodded, then walked over to the bar and leaned against it, watching Elissa and this new man, an unhappy expression on his face.

Maul stood there for a moment just looking harshly at Elissa, then he pulled her close to him in the manner that he had observed the other couples dancing. It felt good to hold her like this, though dancing like this was like nothing he had ever done before. His natural grace and athletic abilities covered for his lack of expertise in this primitive art. “Do you often dance with strange men?” he asked accusingly.

“Sometimes,” she replied. “I’m dancing with you, aren’t I?”

Maul glared at her, not expecting that response. Though, he knew he should have expected something like that, considering her character.

“Why are you even here?” she asked.

“We sensed you were in danger.”

“Bob,” Elissa said under her breath. She looked up at Maul’s face, noticing his superior expression and obviously not liking it. “Well, John took care of Bob.”

“Him?”

“Yes.” She paused and smiled. “I think you’re jealous.”

“I was concerned,” he corrected.

“Jealous.”

Maul stopped, looked down at her, then over at the very unhappy looking man still at the bar. “I think not.” He began dancing with her again, enjoying having her arms around him, her body next to his, feeling that soft energy again as he held her. He pulled her closer, his mouth moving to her ear. “He is not the right one for you, Elissa,” he whispered as he kissed her ear softly.

Elissa backed up a step to reply, but before she could even think of anything, Maul took her face into his hands, caressing her face softly, pulling her forward, his lips pressing against hers, kissing her fervently and with more passion than he had ever done before. “I am,” he whispered, barely audible above the noise of the bar. He called the Force to him, and touched her with the dark side, as he kissed her again, his tongue dancing with hers as the soft energy flowed between them.

Elissa fell back, the power of the experience too much for her. Maul caught and held her in his strong arms, pulling her even closer to his body, a smile on his dark lips, knowing he had overwhelmed her. One hand ran down her cheek, softly caressing her skin as he looked into her eyes, the color of the H’ya blossom.

“What can that pathetic human offer you in comparison to me?”

Elissa couldn’t reply, she was still overwhelmed by the strength of the experience. She didn’t know what to say - she had no answer. She simply shook her head as she looked into the golden eyes of the Sith Lord.

“We will talk, Elissa.”

She nodded and followed him as he led her off the dance floor and to the booth with their friends. She glanced back at John, still sitting at the bar and still looking very unhappy and now joined by his brother.

“You will have to return to the cabin with Karen and Kim,” Maul stated matter-of-factly as he stared at the Jedi. He looked down at Elli.

Elissa pulled her purse out from behind Kim and grabbed the keys from their clasp, handing them to Karen. “Take the Jeep home. Maul will take me back on the speeder.”

END - of part 6.

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