I Bet My Life

Twenty-One: Shots

Obi-Wan slowly opened his eyes, the rush of pain filling his body again. His hearing was disconnected as the sounds around him would abruptly fade in and out depending on how loud they were. He tried to focus his eyes, but they would just wander around, searching for Maul. He was able to locate him, wandering meters away pacing, almost waiting for Obi-Wan to get up so he could deliver the killing blow. However, the former Jedi was filled with a newfound sense of hope. Pure hope. That's all Obi-Wan needed. He focused his mind and used the Force to help him stand up somewhat properly, ready to fight Maul at all costs. The Zabrak looked at him, astonished,

"Ahhhh... Kenobi... You know, being unkillable is kind of my thing..."

"I haven't died yet, but you will..."

"A new sense of confidence, I see... Your cockiness will be your downfall... AND THEN I will exact my revenge against YOU..."

A screeching Maul charged hot-headedly at Obi-Wan, but only for the Jedi to pull a move that was so unpredictable. With assistance from the Force, Obi-Wan used Force speed to get as close as possible to the former Sith, grabbing his hands around the hilt. Then within a split second of that, Obi-Wan ignited one side of the blade, fully penetrating Maul through the abdomen before swinging the crimson blade upward through his neck. Obi-Wan stepped backwards and watched as Maul's head fell cleanly off his torso while the rest of his body crumbled onto the sandy ground below. He had done it. Maul was finally gone. Obi-Wan dropped the former Sith lightsaber onto the sandy ground, a small ping ringing in the cave from the metal hilt. He didn't want to touch that blade again, there would be no need to keep it. The former Jedi stood there, blankly staring at the body that laid dead in front of him. Then, he looked up at the night sky. It was clear tonight, a rare occurrence with the sandstorms of Tatooine. The sky was only filled with the stars and three moons that revolve around the desert planet. A slight breeze blew, slowly covering the lightsaber and body of the late Sith with the endless sands. The nightmares were finally resolved.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath. He was finally at peace with himself. He could now close his eyes, knowing that everyone he loved and the galaxy were safe from the grasp of the vicious and vengeful Zabrak. His family was going to be okay. Family. It hadn't hit Obi-Wan until this moment, but he had grown a small family over the years. He had learned to love people in all kinds of ways. Luke, Leia, Reva, Cody; they were the reasons that he kept going. Cody. His heart broke when he thought of Cody. The man who had willingly risked everything to make sure Obi-Wan was okay. The man who volunteered to give up the chance to go into peaceful retirement to take care of two young children and a former Jedi Padawan with a wanted Jedi. The man who loved the three kids like his own and would lay down everything including his life to protect them from harm's way. The man who loved Obi-Wan. The former Jedi felt a sharp pain in his left leg and upon touching it discovered that it was bleeding profusely. He didn't have much time. So, he began running. He ran out of the desert valley of rocks and into the dunes of the sands. He ran over hill after hill, a rush of adrenaline pushing him to keep going. After what felt like almost an hour of running, Obi-Wan's leg gave out, taking the former Jedi Master out and forcing him onto the sands of Tatooine. All of his adrenaline had run out by this point, bringing him to a heavy tiredness. His eyes drifted asleep, going unconscious from the blood loss and exhaustion of the battle.

In the distance, a large cargo ship could be heard landing onto the dunes. The landing gear hissed as it made contact with the millions of grains, the bay door lowering into a ramp connecting to the ground. Despite the ship's large size, only 2 occupants exited the large vessel. One of them was an Ugnaught dressed in dark coveralls, his face covered by the oversized helmet. The other was a tall Weequay dressed in traveling pants and shirt, a large red coat tying the outfit together. The shorter of the pair was dragging a medium-sized sled behind, most likely to collect valuable parts for a piece of profit. The twin suns were beginning to rise in the distance, providing some light for the pair of travelers. While they were walking, the Ugnaught squealed, pointing at something in the distance. The Weequay smiled happily,