What if?: One Death

Realizations

Obi-wan tears had become tears of happiness as he held Maul tightly to him. With both of them weak from their fight, they sat up and leaned against the  tree that had previously knocked Maul out. Maul saw a blurry image of his mother and Nightsisters. Something had also told him that they were not happy. As Maul's vision cleared, he heard a familiar voice speak.

"Obi-wan?" Qui-gon's voice spoke as he took a step towards Maul and Obi-wan.

"Take another step forward Jedi and we will not hesitate to shoot at you!" Sister Acolyte hissed aiming her bow at Qui-gon.

"I am only trying to see if my old padawan is alright," Qui-gon announced taking the step back to where he was.

"Jedi Master Yoda," Mother Talzin's voice boomed as she walked to the front of the group of the Nightsisters, everyone was put on edge as they could hear the obvious annoyance in her voice. 

"Good to see you well, Mother Talzin," Yoda replied in a much calmer tome than Talzin. "To see you under better conditions would have been better for this meeting of ours."

Mother Talzin just hummed in response to his comment. "Tell me, why would the Jedi bring this many Master Jedi to Dathomir?"

"We came to collect Maul and Kenobi," Windu spoke up

"Was I talking to you Jedi Master Windu?" Mother Talzin snapped at Windu along with some Nightsisters aiming their weapons at the Master.

"To be interrupted, Mother Talzin does not like, my friend. Explain our presence on Dathomir, let me." Yoda spoke to Windu before turning back to Talzin. "My friend's interruption I apologize for, Mother Talzin. Correct he is. To get Maul and young Kenobi and bring them to the Jedi Temple we are here for."

"My son and his friend are going nowhere Master Jedi," Talzin spoke her voice finally leveling out. 

"See more of that Dark Lord you will. Drawn here by Maul and now young Kenobi's presence on Dathomir, he will be." Yoda explained

"It is nothing we Nightsisters cannot handle on our own. We drove off Sith before, we can do it again." Talzin spoke as none of the Jedi or Maul or Obi-wan could read her expression.

"Stronger this Sith is," Yoda spoke.

"Mother," Maul struggled to stand as he leaned heavily against the tree, his head hung low as he begun to speak. "The Jedi are right. Plaugeis is unlike Sidious. He is a greater threat than Sidious ever was. If you think you and the Nightsisters would be able to defeat him, you are greatly mistaken."

"Gained the ability to create life and change others he has gained. Nearly killed your son, young Kenobi did after being affected by this Sith Lord." Yoda added and the word caused Talzin to look at Maul, who was helping Obi-wan stand. Her stoic face cracked showing her worry for her son.

"You didn't see this. Did you mother?" Maul's voice turned harsh as he spoke through his teeth and Mother Talzin's silence caused his voice to rise dramatically. "You didn't! Did you?! If you had, you wouldn't have let Obi-wan leave the village!"

Mother Talzin's stoic look had returned to her face. "I had only seen the Jedi coming here. I did not foresee any battle or Sith Lord."

Mother Talzin's words caught everyone but Maul off guard. It had caused the Nightsisters to even look amongst themselves, lower their weapons and began to whisper to each other.

"Dangerous it is to have Maul and young Kenboi here it is, you see," Yoda spoke before Maul could.

"My son and Kenobi would be as safe here as they would be in your Temple." Talzin hissed at Yoda

"Remove Maul and young Kenobi, impossible it will be from Dathomir then. Be back the Sith Lord will be." Yoda paused thinking for a moment. "Leave some Jedi here on Dathomir, would be the best decision. For the protection of your son, your Clan and young Kenobi."

Mother Talzin was silent for the longest of moments.  Her eyes roamed around her from her son's softening glare as Obi-wan placed a hand on Maul's shoulder, to the Jedi's calm pose, to her follower's questioning gaze. Surely they were questioning her leadership now. Her powers had failed not only her, but Maul and Kenobi, and it could put the entire clan at risk. 

Was she going to let more Jedi stay on Dathomir or was she going to uphold her own law that Force wielders were not allowed to be on Dathomir? She had already bent the law to accommodate to her son's needs. Was this Plaugeis truly more dangerous than Sidious was, or were the Jedi or Obi-wan getting Maul to say that? She terribly hated that her son could be used, but she had to take it into her mind as the Jedi were considered as a borderline enemy of theirs. She had to think of every single possibility that could happen before she decided on the decision she would make.