Chapter Text
Grim’s eyes fluttered open. She didn’t recognize her surroundings at all. She blinked several times trying to adjust herself to the darkness, but she soon realized it wasn’t just in her surroundings. There was an emptiness to the Force, and for that always signaled the Dark Side.
She pushed herself up, but as she did she realized her hands were bound together. That would make it harder for her to fight against her captor. Whoever they were.
She heard footsteps. “Who’s there?!” She called out.
There was no response but the sound of the footsteps coming closer.
The more she listened, the more she realized she recognized the sound of metal footsteps on a metal floor. It really didn’t eliminate many options.
A silhouette began to emerge from the shadows. She pulled herself up against the wall as her heartbeat began to grow louder. She could hear its echo in her ears.
“Hello, child,” came a soft-spoken voice. In the next step he was fully revealed.
Her eyes widened. “Maul,”she said. There was only one reason he would have captured her.
He chuckled lightly. “You already know why you’re here.”
“There aren’t many other reasons you would capture me. Although I do have to say, there are far better ways of asking my Master out on a date,” Grim smirked.
Maul growled and used the Force to lift her up by her neck.
She began to struggle, kicking her feet in the air helplessly.
He threw her down on the ground. “You are a foolish child, he sliced me in half and left me in ruins for a decade. I have done nothing but plot my revenge against him. He will suffer as much as I have, and you are the perfect tool.”
She swallowed, but she wasn’t ready to back down just yet. “You mean you thought about nothing but Obi-Wan for ten years and never once considered kissing him?”
“Silence!” He shouted. Maul used the Force to grab her once more and threw her across the room.
She cried out as she hit the wall on the other side. Tears stung at her eyes.
He walked over to her and knelt down to her level. He grabbed her face and forced her to look into his eyes. “Do you see this as nothing more than a joke?” He demanded from her.
She said nothing, the reality of her capture setting in.
“Answer me, child.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” her voice trembled.
“Being sorry will not save you,” he said, letting go of her. “Nothing can. Not even your precious Master.”
He grabbed his lightsaber, and ignited its red blade. He moved it close to Grim’s face.
She watched the blade, paralyzed. She could feel the heat already, and knew too well how it would feel if he brought it any closer. She couldn’t tear her eyes away.
“You got lucky last time, when that witch saved you and Kenobi…but there’s nobody here this time.” He whispered.
He lowered the blade slightly, and she felt it singe her bare shoulder. Grim cried.
Maul paused as the weapon hovered over her. He seemed to consider something, and then switched it off. “I think I’d prefer Kenobi to see you suffer from that,” he purred. He stood up, and Grim let out a sigh of relief.
He chuckled when she did. “Oh, did you think that meant I was done?” He asked. He chuckled softly again. “Oh no, there are many other ways I can torture you.”
He reached down and grabbed her neck, lifting her up to his face. She hopelessly struggled against him. He threw her across the room again, and she crashed against the wall. She cried out in pain, and blood began to trickle down the back of her head.
She tried to stand again, but was met with a weight against her body. When she looked up, she saw that Maul was standing on her, crushing her with his metal foot.
She thought she was going to die under the pressure, as he pushed down on her, and she began to cry. Screaming as loud as possible. She hoped maybe that somebody else could hear her, that somebody could save her.
He stepped off of her. She curled into herself, crying. She was already far from remarking about him and Kenobi. He grinned seeing how easily he had already broken her down.
She barely heard that somebody else entered the room, but the noise made her shiver. She looked up and saw that Savage was standing beside his brother. The two Sith towered over her. “P-please, I’ve never done anything to you,” she begged.
“No, but your Master has,” Maul replied. He and Savage exchanged glances, and although Grim couldn’t tell what they were thinking it only made her shiver more.
Savage lifted her up forcing her to her feet. He turned her around, and she saw that Maul had moved. She remembered when Obi-Wan had been tortured by them. Her stomach dropped.
Savage shoved her forwards and she crashed into Maul. He punched her back at Savage and the two of them continued this until she couldn’t stand. She collapsed at Maul’s feet, covered in bruises that made her whole body ache, and she could feel blood dripping down her face.
She wanted to cry and found that even such a simple action hurt. She could only curl into herself as she silently pleaded with the Force that her torture would end.
Although it seemed that even the Force wasn’t on her side.
She was being dragged by her hair, but she was too tired, and in too much pain to fight back. She was suddenly forced to her knees. Her hair covered her face, and she made herself look at the ground. She had the sinking feeling she knew what was happening.
“Kenobi, I’m sure you’ve been wondering where your Padawan is,” Maul purred, into a holo-recorder.
Grim was shoved forwards. She kept herself looking at the ground so Obi-Wan wouldn’t be able to see just how beaten she was.
Maul went on. “If you want to see her again, you will come….alone. If you don’t arrive by yourself by the next rotation…” He ignited his lightsaber and held it at Grim’s neck.
She was forced to look up to avoid being burned by the blade. Tears filled her eyes, she wanted to warn her Master that he would be walking into a trap but she knew he would already be aware. It wouldn’t matter to him. She was resigned to be Maul’s hostage and lure.
The recording ended and Maul deactivated his lightsaber. She was shoved to the side as he and Savage left the room. She crawled to a corner, and curled in on herself. Tears wracked her body and she ignored the pain and the aches that grew only worse every time she found herself gasping for another breath. She cried until her voice became hoarse, and she couldn’t cry anymore. After that, her eyes fluttered closed, and she was able to get some relief from the torture she had endured.
Obi-Wan stared at the hologram in shock. It had already ended, but was frozen on that last frame. A lightsaber held Grim’s neck as she seemed to look directly at him, tears in her terrified eyes. He couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away for a long moment. “Turn it off,” he finally found the strength to say. His voice sounded far away.
“Obi-Wan, you know this is a trap,” said Windu. “It’s as obvious as his last one.”
“He has Grim,” he replied, he could barely hear himself. He still had her terrified face frozen in his mind. He had never seen her so afraid.
“We’re well aware of that Master Kenobi,” said Windu.
“I have to go,” he wasn’t going to hear anything else about it. He had already made up his mind. His Padawan was in danger - and worse of all it was his fault.
“Exactly what Maul wants, that is,” Yoda warned him.
“I’m aware, Master. However, this isn’t between anybody else. Grim should have never been caught in the crossfire between me and Maul, I have to be the one who fixes this, and saves her.”
“Understand, we do. Mindful of your emotions you must be, Master Kenobi. Want you to do this Maul does.”
“Master Yoda is right, Maul captured Grim because he knows how important she is to you. You can’t let your emotions blind you to that fact.”
“I’m aware, Masters,” Obi-Wan replied. “But it has to be me, I will not let anyone else get caught in this.”
Windu sighed. “Very well, Obi-Wan. May the Force be with you.”
When Grim woke up, the pain quickly returned to her. She groaned as she sat up. Once again she waited to let herself adjust to the darkness of the room she was held captive in. She tried to meditate, to distract herself from her pain. As she reached out into the Force she could feel warmth. Not just any warmth, one that was familiar, and it filled her with hope. Although the very next moment a pit sunk into the bottom of her stomach. Dread. It was Obi-Wan. He had come to save her - just as she knew he would - but just like Maul had planned for.
She said nothing. She did nothing to reveal where she was. She exited her meditation and tried to close herself away from him. Maul would be waiting. Maul would hurt him. Would torture him. And it would be her fault. All of this was because of her - and she wouldn’t let that happen.
It didn’t matter. The door to the room she was captive in slid open. Light filled in from it, and she could see Obi-Wan standing there. She couldn’t help herself. “Master,” she whispered.
He ran over to her, and dropped to his knees. “Grim, I’m so sorry,” he told her. He saw that her hands were bound together. He used the Force to undo her binders. “This should’ve never happened to you.”
“It’s alright,” she promised him. “But you need to get out of here. This is a trap, you should know that.”
“I’m aware it’s a trap,” he told her gently. “But I had to save you.”
A soft sob escaped her. “You shouldn’t have. Your story is far more important than mine. You shouldn’t have come.”
“Your story is important too, Grim. We need to get out of here. Come on,” he helped her stand.
“You won’t be going anywhere, Kenobi,” hissed Maul. The door closed behind him, and the only light that illuminated the room came from the harsh glow of his red lightsaber.
“I was wondering when you would show up,” Obi-Wan replied.
“I just thought I’d let you have that reunion with your Padawan,” he said. “And now that you have…”
There were choking sounds coming from behind him. He turned around and saw that Grim was hovering above the ground, her hands trying to pry off invisible ones as she panicked.
Maul pulled her towards him. She was stuck at his side as she continued to choke.
Obi-Wan activated his own. “Let her go,” he demanded. “All you wanted was me, and I’m here now. Grim has no part in this.”
He chuckled softly. “Oh no, Kenobi. Did you really think that was going to happen?” He stepped closer to him. “You are going to suffer just as much as I have suffered. You took everything from me. So now, I am going to do the same to you. Starting with your Padawan.”
Maul had not let go of his grip on her as she continued to struggle against him. Panicking the more he went on. He brought his lightsaber towards her, all without looking away from Obi-Wan. “You are going to watch, and there will be nothing you can do.”
“No!” Obi-Wan shouted. He ran at Maul.
He moved out of the way with ease, and kicked him in the back, sending him smashing against the ground. He used the Force to take his lightsaber from him. He smiled. “Careful Kenobi, your anger is blinding you. That’s not very Jedi-like, is it?”
Obi-Wan pushed himself off the floor. He glared at Maul, blood was running from his nose, but it didn’t seem to bother him.
The anger in his eyes almost scared Grim. What would he do if Maul was able to succeed? And it looked like Maul just would.
The door opened again and Savage entered the room. “Ah, just in time. Restrain Kenobi for me, I want to make sure he sees everything ,” Maul instructed his brother.
He did so without a word. Forcing Obi-Wan onto his knees, and keeping him held down, by gripping his shoulders.
Maul finally released Grim. She fell on her hands and knees gasping for air. Tears filled her eyes again, and she didn’t stop them from falling. “I’m sorry, Obi-Wan.”
She closed her eyes as she felt the heat of a lightsaber blade close to her. She remembered what Maul had said earlier. She felt helpless. She squeezed her eyes shut as she prepared to feel her flesh burn.
It didn’t happen.
There was another scream instead. It came from Maul. She opened her eyes as she saw that he had been hurled into the wall behind her.
Realizing this Grim quickly stood up, and used the Force to summon his lightsaber to her hand before he had the chance to grab it again.
She shoved Savage away from Obi-Wan and helped him up. He grabbed his lightsaber as well, and the two ran.
They could hear the footsteps from the Sith brothers as they ran after them.
Adrenaline pumped through the two Jedi, and Grim was able to ignore every ache and pain in her body. It couldn’t even scream in protest at her.
They were about to escape. Grim could see the ship Obi-Wan had arrived in. They were almost there.
Obi-Wan began to choke.
Grim stopped and turned around. He was frozen in the air. Maul had his hand outstretched.
She ignited the red lightsaber she had stolen. “Let go of him,” she demanded.
“What are you going to do, youngling?” Maul taunted her. “You’re too weak.”
She growled. She charged at him.
Savage moved in front, and blocked her attack with his own lightsaber.
Grim and Savage began to battle. She had to turn all of her focus on him, otherwise she was at risk of being killed.
Her injuries began to catch up to her.
The lightsabers locked. Savage pushed down against her.
She used all of her strength to push back harder.
It wasn’t enough.
She collapsed to the ground. Savage deactivated his lightsaber.
She realized Obi-Wan and Maul were gone.
Panic seized her. What was she going to do?
She couldn’t save Obi-Wan on her own. Maul was right, she was too weak.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
She forced herself back up. She shoved Savage away, and began to run again.
She ran to Obi-Wan’s ship and climbed inside. She started the engines and flew away. She set course to Coruscant, and activated lightspeed.
She wouldn’t be able to save Obi-Wan, but she knew who could.