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He’d never admit out loud how proud of Maul he was.
As his father figure, the one who taught him everything important, he’d always believed his former apprentice was a failure. After all, he’d ‘died’ in a battle with a Jedi Padawan, one who was planted so firmly in the light, it made Palpatine queasy. But then, he returned, and this time, Palpatine paid close attention.
The Shadow Collective, for one.
Conquering Mandalore, for another.
Small victories in comparison to what Sidious hoped to achieve, but victories nonetheless. Finally, there was his vision, one he spoke to Sidious about under drugged torturous duress. One he most likely didn’t remember speaking of.
Mara Jade Kenobi. The daughter of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul. Destined to rule an empire at her father’s side.
Sidious knew how to manipulate force visions to his wants, and this one would be simple.
Maul escaped less than a week later, but he still had the important half of his wild card to play.
In his office, there was a small door tucked behind a bookcase, which would only open with the touch of a Sith Lord.
The room beyond, where he kept his prisoner, was small—half the size of his closet back home, if he were truthful—but by Jedi standards, it was luxurious. There was a curtained four poster bed in the center of the round room, with a soft mattress and even a pregnancy pillow he’d sent an acolyte to buy for Obi-Wan on Stewjon. After all, the child needed to be born in good conditions.
Around the room were pillars with Sith ruins carved into them to keep Obi-Wan from projecting or reaching out with the Force. And then, there was the shackle on his left ankle. There was no chain, but a spell kept him from leaving the perimeter of the pillars. He was well and truly trapped.
He wouldn’t lose another prisoner.
Sidious sat the tray of food on Obi-Wan’s bed. The Jedi didn’t look up from the book he was reading, but Sidious saw the distress flickering in his expression. He only brought the food when he had bad news, after all.
“It seems I’ve underestimated my former apprentice.”
At the mention of Maul, Obi-Wan looked up. He was always hungry for news.
“His loyal Mandalorians have broken him free from my prison. He is now somewhere in the Mandalore System, safe from my grasp.”
The tightening of Obi-Wan’s grip on his book betrayed his excitement. He believed his lover was coming for him—and it may have been true, had it not been for their last conversation.
Sidious sat at his side and laid a hand on his shoulder. “I wouldn’t expect him to rush in and rescue you, dear. You see, I told him about your little situation. How you planned to tell him, but became so disgusted by him that you decided you would rather give his child to the woman who enslaved his kind than let him anywhere near it.”
Obi-Wan jerked away. “That’s not true!”
“Then, I told him about your complications.”
Obi-Wan didn’t want to play into Sidious’s hands, but he couldn’t help it. “What ‘complications’?”
An oily smile pulled across his grayed face. “The one with your pregnancy. How you just started bleeding one night and, no matter how hard the med droids tried, it just wouldn’t stop. Neither you nor your child survived.”
Darkness through Sidious’s touch. Obi-Wan could feel the despair being fed to him.
“So that’s your plan,” he said quietly. “Kill me after your ‘grandchild’ is born.”
“No, I’ve raised a child and have no interest in doing it again. You will stay with her, raise her, and eventually give her to me to train.”
“Why would I do that?” he asked, though the answer scared him.
The hand on his shoulder crept up to his hair, and Obi-Wan screamed as Sidious snatched his head towards him. “Because you will be my new apprentice, Obi-Wan . I have foreseen it.”
He leaned closer and whispered in his ear. “You will sit here, helpless, as your order falls, feeling your clone friends betray and murder your family. You will feel your lover fight your padawans, who believe he has you captive, and you will Fall as you feel them kill each other. And in that moment, you will give birth to the future enforcer of my Empire.”
He threw Obi-Wan off the bed, and the Jedi barely kept from landing on his stomach.
Obi-Wan shook with rage. Good. “Never. I will never allow you near my daughter!”
Sidious laughed coldly. “Yes, I feel your hatred. You wish me dead. You desire your lover and child for yourself. You imagine burning everything to the ground to spite me.”
And he did. Sidious could see it all. How badly Obi-Wan wanted to destroy Palpatine and everything he stood for. But those weren’t Jedi feelings, and he couldn’t release them into the force. Not surrounded by so much darkness.
He threw the Jedi back, nearly causing him to hit his stomach again. When he tried a third time, Obi-Wan threw up his own hand, and Sidious was tossed back. Not far, but enough.
The emperor laughed. Yes. This would be easier than he thought.
Obi-Wan’s shaking increased, though now he could sense fear.
“You sense the potential,” he said. He held Obi-Wan still with the Force as he strode to his side. “The potential you and your child have for great darkness. You will rule the Empire at my feet, second only to me, and your child shall be a destroyer of worlds.”
Obi-Wan sneered. “I would rather die.”
“And leave your child with me?” He didn’t have to read Obi-Wan to know he was bluffing. From what Skywalker had told him, Obi-Wan was reluctant to leave his child with anyone, even those he trusted. He would never leave her with Sidious.
The Jedi’s eyes darted around the room like a caged animal. Sidious pulled him so he thrown back onto the bed. “Calm yourself, Master Kenobi. The main event isn’t for several weeks. Pieces must be moved into place first. Once you go into labor, the shockwave through the Force will distract the Jedi long enough that even Master Yoda won’t see the ultimate betrayal coming. The order will be gone, and you will be truly alone. Except for your child and me.”
Obi-Wan clenched his teeth. “Maul will feel it. He’ll find us.”
Sometimes, he heard Obi-Wan whisper those words to himself when he thought he was alone.
He’ll find us
He’ll find us
He will ALWAYS find us
Sidious chuckled. “Not this time.”
With that, he left the room, leaving the Jedi to his solitude.
###
Maul sat in the dark on his throne, staring into nothing.
He’d been held captive by his master for months, tortured and abused yet again. It seemed pain was all he was made for.
Obi-Wan was dead. The child he hadn’t known existed died with him. Savage was murdered in front of him. Mother Talzin was dead now, too, led into a trap by Lord Sidious and his pawns, Dooku and Grievous. He couldn’t even ask her about his child, his daughter he would never know.
That was the worst torture his master inflicted on him. The knowledge that Obi-Wan had known about their child and, instead of coming to him, had gone to his mother for help. He hadn’t trusted Maul, and why would he?
The way he reacted after hearing Maul’s vision made sense now. He’d already known. That meant that the child had been conceived on Maul’s ship, when he crossed that line. It was no wonder he kept it from him.
Now, he was dead, most likely by Sidious’s hand.
The walls around him shook with his anger.
He remembered that beautiful girl. Mara , his dream told him. How powerful she would have been, how strong.
How loved by her fathers.
“Lord Maul.” The shaking stopped. Maul took a deep breath and turned to Almec. The prime minister seemed worried about Maul’s mental state, which was understandable. “Your followers wish to know your plans, at least what you are willing to reveal.”
Maul blew out a slow breath, forcing himself into a state of controlled passion. “Tell them to call all the Armorers in the system. Every Mandalorian warrior will be fitted as their culture deems necessary.”
Almec frowned. “Of course…but necessary for what?”
“The chancellor of the Republic murdered my lover and unborn child.”
Almec paled. Good, let him see a Maul with nothing to lose.
“We will declare war and burn Coruscant to its core. The republic will fall, the Jedi who couldn’t protect them will be wiped out, and a new Mandalorian Empire will rise from the ashes.”
A smile grew across Almec’s lips. “Glory to the new Mandalorian Empire!” he called, and Maul felt satisfaction twist in his gut.
###
Obi-Wan wasn’t sure how long he’d been locked up, but he did know that Mara would be coming into the world very soon. He could barely climb out of bed anymore. Somedays, it felt like some monster was trying to claw its way out of him. Others, he felt his sweet girl somersault and stretch gleefully.
She was such a happy baby. He could feel it through their connection. How long would that last? Would she ever get the love and comfort she deserved? Or would Palpatine do to her what he did to Maul, and twist an innocent baby into a killer?
A cramp wracked through him. He’d been getting them on and off the last few days, but he was assured they were normal. Sidious was gleeful when he heard. For him, it was a countdown to his new empire.
He stroked his stomach. “Hello, beautiful. I’m your father. We’re going to meet very soon. I hope…I’m going to try and get us out, but if not, I promise I will never leave your side, and I won’t let you walk in the dark. I will always be there, holding your hand.”
He breathed deeply as another contraction hit. “I want to tell you a story. It’s about a family of three: Ashla, Bogan, and Bendu—the light, the dark, and balance.”
He told Mara the story he was told as an initiate about the Jed’daii, the first order of Jedi, and their myth of the origins of the Force.
By the time he finished, his eyes were slipping shut and he was picturing warm, red arms wrapped around his middle and a small baby girl curled against him.
He was awoken hours later by the sound of someone entering his room. He didn’t have to open his eyes to know it was Sidious.
The Sith Lord sat on the edge of his bed. A med droid hovered behind him, and next to it stood a middle-aged woman.
“The time is coming,” he whispered. “Skywalker and Tano have been sent to the Mandalore System to stop an uprising led by a known Sith Lord who plans to overthrow the Republic.”
Dread settled in his gut. “No…”
“Duchess Kryze and her sister testified to his obsession with keeping you on Mandalore, and now, with a few pointed suggestions, Anakin believes that’s where you are. It is all falling into place.”
Obi-Wan swallowed hard. “The council will stop you.”
A smile stretched across Sidious’s lips. “Oh, they will try. But for now, you have other worries.”
A contraction hit him. This time, it felt different. “No,” he said. “Not now…not here… ”
Sidious rose to his feet again. “I'm afraid I have a meeting with a Jedi grandmaster, but don’t worry— Shya, my acolyte here, is a great midwife. She will care for you and your child.”
He turned to leave, and the midwife took his place at Obi-Wan’s side. “We must remove your pants to see how dilated you are. Lord Sidious’s vision says it will be within the hour. I have a gown for you…”
Obi-Wan wanted to scream. And he did.
###
Maul waited in the throne room for the Jedi to arrive. He’d heard the council sent knights to stop him and place the Duchess back into power. He should’ve killed her when he had a chance.
The doors opened, and three of his guards led in a young man and what looked like his togruta Padawan.
Anakin Skywalker.
He sneered at Obi-Wan’s former Padawan. The Chosen One .
“Leave us.” His voice was low, but it echoed loudly in the hall. The mandalorians left with a short bow. “We all know you aren’t here about politics, Skywalker. Why are you truly in my halls?”
The Jedi drew his lightsaber. “I know you have him. Where is he?”
‘Him’. There was only one person they both cared for. “Dead. Killed because your order was too weak to protect him.”
Skywalker shook. “No—you’re lying!” The Jedi lunged, and Maul, finally able to unleash his own rage, blocked the blow. “If Obi-Wan was dead, I would know! I would feel it!”
A light of hope sparked in Maul’s heart, but he quickly smothered it as he broke their lock and swung at Skywalker. “And what do you feel from him now?”
“Nothing,” he replied, blocking. “Like someone built a wall between us and I can’t reach him. But I know he’s still there!”
Maul scoffed. Dreams and feelings. Nothing more. “He is dead. He died alone, face to face with a monster, praying that he and the child he carried would be saved!” He lashed out with the force, but he was no match for the Chosen One.
He was tossed to the floor like it was nothing, because he was nothing. He would die at the hands of his lover’s Padawan, and join him in oblivion.
The more he thought of it, the angrier he became, and the angrier he became, the more power he felt.
“Why didn’t your order save him ?”
Skywalker’s grip on his weapon tightened as he pointed it at Maul’s throat.
Then, the togruta girl reached out a hand to stop him.
“Wait…” she said. Her eyes bore into him, cutting through his like water through stone. “The baby…you’re the father, aren’t you?”
Skywalker stared at his Padawan in confusion, but she stepped closer to Maul. “That’s why you’re so upset. Obi-Wan didn’t reject you, and you didn’t take him, did you? Someone else did.”
Maul’s hand rested on his weapon, but the fire dimmed to a low burn. “You are wise beyond your years, child, but I fear it makes little difference. If you don’t kill me, the republic and Jedi will pay for what has happened to my lover and child.”
“Why?” Skywalker demanded. “Obi-Wan loves the republic. He believes in everything it stands for. Why destroy it?”
Maul growled. “It failed him. He gave everything to them. And in return, he was taken by my master, locked away, and bled to death in some hidden corner of 500 Republica.”
The two Jedi started. “What?”
“The Sith Lord is a senator?” Skywalker said, stumbling back a step.
The dark, humorless laugh that fell from Maul’s lips startled even him. “Fools. There is only one position a lord of the Sith would seek. One he would dig his claws into and refuse to give away once his. One where he would seamlessly be able to step into the role he truly desires—Emperor of all.”
He saw the moment they both realized the truth. The betrayal in Skywalker’s eyes. The horror in the padawan’s.
“Yes,” he continued. “Your chancellor is a Sith Lord, who took your precious master and locked him away to steal our child for his own, just as he stole me from my mother’s grasp. He spoke of Obi-Wan’s death himself, of how he bled out.” How he called out Maul’s name, begging for his help.
Skywalker frowned and shook his head. “No, Obi-Wan is alive. I sense it. I didn’t feel him die—not like I felt my mother. He’s okay, and you’re going to help us save him.”
“And the chancellor?” the Padawan asked.
Skywalker swallowed hard. “No…it isn’t Palpatine. It can’t be. He’s sat with me everyday and listened to my worries. It’s not him.”
Maul sneered. How foolish. How weak.
“It is. And I will kill him.” He rose to his feet. “Will you be good Jedi and stop me, or help me avenge Obi-Wan Kenobi?”
Skywalker raised his saber. His Padawan followed his lead, warily.
Maul practically vibrated with the itch to continue their fight.
Then, the force hit them all.
###
“Just a little bit more!” Shya coached. It felt like hours when it was only a few minutes of pushing. In his mind, Obi-Wan distantly felt Anakin through their bond. He was angry, ready to kill.
“I need…” he gasped. “Help…Anakin…”
“You need to focus on your child!” Shya yelled. “She’s starting to crown!”
Obi-Wan screamed, his body automatically going through the motions needed to deliver his child into the world.
“Almost there…”
Finally, he could do nothing else. Obi-Wan collapsed. Everything went dark for a moment, until the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard brought him back.
“Mara?” he whispered. His head was propped by a pillow, and a droid was in the process of cleaning the afterbirth. Shya stood by with a crying baby in her arms.
Obi-Wan cried with her. She was amazing.
Shya placed Mara into his arms before silently heading for the door.
“Wait,” he called out. “Thank you.”
Shya looked back and nodded. Then, she continued out the door.
Palpatine entered, his oily grin fixed on his lips, his focus on the baby in Obi-Wan’s arms.
“My dear grandchild,” he said, holding out his arms. Obi-Wan flinched away, but knew he could do nothing to stop Sidious from taking her. The Sith Lord took the baby into his arms and cooed.
“You will be powerful,” he told her. “As will your mother, once he accepts his place in my Empire.”
Obi-Wan sneered. “You have no Empire, and neither of us will help you to get one.”
Sidious clicked his tongue. “Your mummy is being rather stubborn.” He tapped Mara on the nose. “I wonder if there’s a way I can convince him otherwise.”
“Chancellor Palpatine,” a familiar voice called from the other room.
Hope lit up inside Obi-Wan’s stomach. “MACE! HELP! I’M IN HERE!”
Mace Windu came running into the room, flanked by Kit and three other members of the council. Joy filled him…until he saw the look on Sidious’s face. He was still smiling like this was all part of his plan. Then he remembered that Mara was still in Sidious’s arms.
“Don’t…” he whispered helplessly.
“You’re under arrest, Chancellor,” Mace said. “Put the baby down and move away from Master Kenobi.”
Kit moved across the room to Obi-Wan’s side. Obi-Wan grabbed his sleeve. “Please, my baby.”
“She’ll be fine,” he promised, but somehow, it didn’t comfort him. Instead, his stomach twisted awfully.
“How did you know she’s a girl?”
Palpatine laughed as Mace’s eyes flickered to Obi-Wan. “Tell him, Master Windu. Tell him of your shatterpoint. Tell them all what stands between the Jedi Order and their destruction.”
Mace’s eyes flickered to Mara, and Kit shot up. “We’re here to stop a Sith Lord, not murder Obi-Wan’s baby.”
“That’s not…”
“Is it not, Master Windu?” Sidious said. “Is that not exactly what you planned to do once you saw her in my arms? Perhaps you thought you could make her collateral damage by cutting me down while I held her, but I assure you…”
Without warning, Sidious drew his saber. He took out the two masters behind Mace, stabbed Kit, and nearly took out Mace as well, if the master hadn’t quickly blocked the blow with his own saber.
“...I am not so easy to kill.”
Mara began to cry and Obi-Wan widened his eyes. “Put her down, please!”
Both ignored him as they began their fight. The sabers came close–far too close –to the crying child, and Obi-Wan’s heart broke.
“I said STOP!”
The force blew them both back. Sidious stayed steady, Mara cradled in his arms, but Mace flew backward into the wall. Mace slumped over. Sidious took the opportunity to throw his saber—slicing off the Jedi master’s head.
Obi-Wan let out a shout. He’d done that. He’d helped Sidious…
The Sith Lord approached Obi-Wan, a smile on his
face. “Here,” he said, handing Mara over. Obi-Wan felt sick, but also grateful his daughter was okay. What kind of Jedi did that make him?
“You monster,” he hissed at Sidious.
“Join me, and I will help protect your child from the Jedi. They know her destiny—they will seek to destroy her.”
Unfortunately, this time Obi-Wan didn’t have an answer.
###
It was an awkward ride back to Coruscant. Anakin was ready to take down Maul and his commandos at the slightest sign of aggression, while Maul was contemplative and quiet.
The psychic blowback they’d felt meant something, but life had not been kind enough for him to hope Obi-Wan and their baby were alive. Still, he imagined what it could mean if it were true, and Sidious kept his family. What was the endgame?
Once they arrived in Coruscant airspace, he could feel the darkness shrouding over the planet. Sidious was victorious. The Jedi Order was ready to fall.
The padawan held her head. “There’s something wrong. It’s like the planet is sick.”
“Sidious is close to winning,” Maul explained. “He has yet to wipe out the Jedi, but I can sense that he’s on the brink. Something holds him back. He needs an apprentice.”
“I killed the last one…” Anakin said. “I was searching for Obi-Wan…I thought Dooku might have him.”
Maul nodded. “All part of my master’s plan.”
“What if he wants Obi-Wan?” Ahsoka asked. “He was interested in the child—why not the birth giver as well?”
Maul clenched his fists. If what the Jedi believed was true, Sidious had his family for months, putting Obi-Wan through all means of psychological torture.
He clenched his fists until his claws bit into his palms. “If he’s planning to turn Kenobi, we may not have long left. My master always gets what he wants.”
Skywalker growled low and drew his lightsaber. “Not this time.”
#
Obi-Wan held his head in his hands. “No…” he whimpered. “I won’t…”
Mara was safe now, asleep in her crib.
“How long will she remain safe from the Jedi?” Sidious said, lurking over him like a phantom. “How soon will the Jedi return to kill her, especially after hearing how you murdered the head of the council?”
“That wasn’t me. It was you…”
“You didn’t stop me. You aided a Sith Lord.”
Obi-Wan shook his head. “No.”
“Yes. In doing so, you have already Fallen. It only takes a few more steps to become my apprentice.”
“I won’t!” He turned to Palpatine and pushed him back with the force. He slid, but didn’t react.
“You’re still weak from giving birth,” Sidious said with all the fake concern he could muster. “This will happen with or without you. But perhaps I can sweeten the pot for you. Since you care so much for Mara, perhaps you care for the younglings in the temple. The ones who will be slaughtered in the march on the temple should you not side with me.”
“No!” Obi-Wan clenched his fists. “You can’t!”
“They will die alongside their masters and padawans. But I can make sure they’re spared if you join me.”
Obi-Wan looked away, knowing Sidious now had him. “Why do you even need me? I’m still weak, as you pointed out. I can’t fight off Jedi right now.”
“No,” he replied, “but you can do something no one else can.”
###
This is Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The Jedi are under attack.
I am recalling all Jedi to the Coruscant Temple.
If you are with younglings, go to Hanger 42. If not, enter through the front and go to the gathering rooms.
###
The temple seemed fine, but Anakin knew better than to follow Obi-Wan’s message.
Those weren’t his words. They belonged to Darth Sidious.
Which meant Obi-Wan, tortured and alone forgotten, had Fallen. Had become a Sith, probably to protect his baby.
Maul sat on his makeshift throne, tapping his claws on the arm. He’d calmed when he heard Obi-Wan’s voice come over the speakers, but everyone knew what it meant.
“My master plans to slaughter the Jedi all at once,” he said, not even denying what Sidious was this time. “He’s using Obi-Wan’s position and reputation to lead them all to one place and deal a final blow.”
“Why put the children somewhere else?” Ahsoka asked. “Sidious doesn’t seem like the type to spare anyone.”
“That’s for Obi-Wan,” Maul explained. “A tool to keep him in line, to be sure he does what’s asked.”
Obi-Wan did love the children. It was an easy thing to use against him.
“The emergency system is in the temple, but there’s no way he made it there after just giving birth a few hours ago,” Anakin said. “It was probably a recording Sidious snuck in, meaning he’s somewhere else.”
“My master’s apartment,” Maul said. “He had a secret room made for when I stayed on Coruscant. It was little more than a prison. Perfect for keeping someone for long periods.”
Anakin landed the ship on Padme’s landing pad at 500 Republica, thankful she was back on Naboo for a meeting with the queen.
He didn’t want her to see what was really becoming of her Republic.
They snuck through the building, up to the highest level, only to find Palpatine’s door unlocked and the secret wall that led to Maul’s former room open.
Obi-Wan sat in the window, staring out at the Jedi temple as he rocked a bundle of blankets in his arms.
“What else could you possibly want from me right—?” He turned mid sentence and stopped as he took in his three visitors. “He told me…”
Maul pushed past Ahsoka and Anakin and ran to Obi-Wan. He kissed him deeply the second he was close enough, and Obi-Wan kissed him back just as desperately.
Anakin guessed that cleared up if Maul was lying or not about their relationship.
There was a cooing noise, and Maul looked at the bundle with wide eyes.
“Mara…” he whispered. Obi-Wan handed the bundle over to him carefully, and a bit of blanket fell to reveal a mop of red hair.
Anakin approached them slowly and smiled at the baby. Her eyes were closed, but she was pale white as a nightsister with Obi-Wan’s red hair.
There was a gasp of pain behind them. Anakin turned to see Ahsoka hit the ground, twitching.
Palpatine stood behind her, lightning crackling between his fingers.
“Ahsoka!” Anakin drew his saber, but Palpatine shot lightning at him, throwing him back against the wall.
“I had hoped to have this reunion in private,” Sidious said, his voice a hiss. “But I see you were too weak to take care of your lover’s padawans.”
“Master…” Maul stared at Sidious as though he was unsure what to do. Would he kneel before his former master or shield his family?
Obi-Wan made the choice himself, pushing Maul and Mara behind him. “Stay away from them.”
“I’m afraid, my apprentice, that they have all made themselves part of our deal. Your family for the Jedi.”
Anakin’s eyes widened. “Obi-Wan, you didn’t.”
The shame was clear on Obi-Wan’s face, and Sidious laughed. “Oh yes. Tell them how you assisted me in killing Master Windu when he threatened your child. Or how you agreed to become my new apprentice and sell out the Jedi in return for the children. I’m afraid that the deal doesn’t protect you dear padawans.”
He raised his hands towards Ahsoka and Anakin, but Obi-Wan had enough. He tackled Palpatine to the floor.
The Sith Lord didn’t see it coming, but he quickly recovered. He sent charges of electricity through Obi-Wan’s body, knocking him to the side.
Maul hissed, but didn’t dare move to defend his lover with Mara still in his arms. Anakin reignited his saber and slid in front of Obi-Wan, blocking the lightning with his blade.
Maul took the chance and ignited his own double blade. In a surprise move, he flipped over to Sidious—baby still in hand—and sliced the Sith Lord’s hands from his arms.
Sidious screamed, and Anakin plunged his saber into the man’s heart.
He glanced back at Obi-Wan, whose eyes were closed and chest wasn’t moving.
“Obi-Wan!”
He moved to his master’s side, but Maul beat him there. “Check on your padawan!” he ordered, sitting at Obi-Wan’s side and pulling him into his lap.
Mara, still cradled in Maul’s arms, cried.
“Obi-Wan, please…” Maul whispered. “I can’t lose you again.”
Closing his eyes, he focused all of the passion he felt for Obi-Wan into the Force. If he could just find a spark…
He focused it into his hands and everything touching Obi-Wan. He wasn’t powerful, but if he could just…
A burst of the force came from his arms. He glanced down at Mara, who was radiating magic. Green energy poured off of her, just like a nightsister, and settled onto Obi-Wan.
Then, Obi-Wan began to breathe.
#
Ahsoka was fine. Anakin was fine. His family was fine.
Obi-Wan felt it all as he opened his eyes. The darkness that had suffocated him for months was gone. He looked up into familiar gold eyes and smiled.
“Hello, there.”
Maul smiled down at him. “Next time, tell me the truth.”
A tear dripped down Obi-Wan’s face as he looked at the baby in Maul’s arms. Their baby.
#
The Jedi order still stood, though Obi-Wan resigned. He had nearly been responsible for wiping them out.
The chips were removed from the clones.
Anakin was made a Master. Ahsoka was knighted.
And Maul brought Obi-Wan to Mandalore, where his vision would come true. Together, they became great leaders, and Mara would grow to be neither Jedi nor Sith