#darth maul | odetoavillan (2024)

The human woke and found her house completely clean laundry in the laundry room, dishes put away, cupbords shut.... and her favorite mug glued back together and stuffed with all her pens and penciles. She looked around and found Maul in a meditative position on the couch staring at her.

"I could not stand the mess a moment longer." He stated. She grunted and shuffled into the kitchen and started making a pot of caf.

She drank the caffeine once it was done walking to sit on her chair then she looked at him.

"I'm a messy person..." she mumbled, voice still thick with sleep.

"So I have observed." Maul snorted.

"And I'm a wierd person..."

"Again, this I have observed... what is the point of this?" Maul ventured.

"Giving you a chance to retract your offer..." she shrugged.

"You're accepting?" Maul didn't know why his hearts started pounding and his adrenaline rushed at the aspect of her joining him.

"I'm giving you till the end of the day to retract your offer... and I'm gonna let my inner goblin out... I'm not always this annoying but... I'm really gonna let you have it today." She smirked. Maul studied her, she was smiling, but not in the terrible way his master used to. Her nose was crinkled and her eyes twinkled. Through the force he could sense... playfulness?

"Do your worst..." Maul replied.

"Oh hunny... you shouldn't have said that." She smirked setting her mug down and walked by him. "Boop..." she poked his nose and ran out the door bare footed and in her pajamas, squealing and giggling. "Dont hurt me!"

"What the kriff!" He raged, then noticed the mug she left behind. Maul growled and picked it up setting it in the sink. He looked out the window and saw her carrying something large and orange towards the house.

She ran back in and he scowled at her as she grabbed a large knife from the knife block. She grinned maniacally holding it in both hands before walking out. Maul quickly followed her backnout, but was relieved when she didn't run again but instead practiced sensible knife safty.

"What the kriff are you doing?" He sighed as she started cutting a hole in the bottom of the orange thing.

"Pumkin carving..." she grunted pulling the cut out piece and set it next to her. Her bare feet held the pumpkin still as she dug into it elbow deep, and started pulling what looked like entrails out. Maul couldn't help but smirk at her appearance, hair still wild from sleep.

She lifted a handful of the stuff into the air and hooted loudly which caused Maul to flinch. Moments later black birds pulled the stuff from her hand and where landing around her as she continued to pull the guts from the pumpkin. Maul counted twenty of the noisy beasts. She flung some at Maul with a playful cackle. He growled at her, and she growled back with a smile, much to his suprise.

About five minutes later she when finished gutting the pumpkin and moved away so the black birds could finish eating.

"You do this to fit in with your community?" Maul questioned, as she started outlining something on the pumpkin with the knife.

"Pumpkin carving yes... befriending the local murder of crows... not so much... but they keep pests off my garden, and I feed them." She chuckled. She started cutting what looked like a crude face into the pumpkin. "Grr." She teased turning it to him when she had finished.

"What's the point?" Maul asked tilting his head to the side.

"Fun..." she answered simply before walking way to a small river and washed her arms. "Oh sh*t..." he heard her muttering, he could feel her fear rising so he started towards her. "sh*tsh*tsh*t!" She ran back to him, "nonononono.... you gotta go hide inside." She urged, pushing him back towards her house.

"Why should I?" Maul snapped, brushing her hands away.

"My neighbor is coming and she's nuts!" She whispered earnestly. A shrill scream caused them both to jerk around.

"The devil himself has come to Pyrell! I knew it would be you who summoned witch." The woman screamed.

"Im not a witch, hes a zabrack! I follow the same belief system you do!" She shouted back. The woman turned and ran back down the path. "How long till your ship gets here?" She questioned.

"It will be here this evening." He answered. She nodded.

"How do you feel about taking on a mob of angry villagers armed with pitch forks blasters and tourches?" She questioned dryly.

"What?"

"They all think I'm a devil summoning witch... they're gonna be coming here to kill us." She stated. Maul could feel a numb tingle in his legs and shook his head.

"I... am not well enough yet to take on so many." He answered honestly.

"I know... it's ok... but we've gotta go... I'm just gonna grab some stuff." She stated running inside. Maul followed her in as she grabbed up bags and started packing books and clothes and blankets. She also started grabbing canned goods and food and asked him to put things into her speeder.

Half an hour later, they could see smoak rising from from her old home. She rubbed her forehead and temple with shaking hands, as she put her communicator away, giving up on contacting her parents.

"Looks like you get your way... I'm coming with you." She sighed.

"All for the better... this would have happened eventually anyway, I'm assuming." Maul commented. She nodded slowly looking slightly pale.

"I feel really sick... can we just not talk please... we still need to get as far away from here as possible though." She stated with a shuddering voice. Maul nodded and started driving away again.

Night fell and Mauls ship arrived. He quickly set about removing the tracking beacon then loaded her things into the Infiltrator. He slowly approached the human female whennhe finished. She hadn't spoken or really even moved since they had left. If her thoughts hadn't been so loud as she thought of herself in better circ*mstances, he would swore she slept with her eyes open.

"Apprentice, we must away..." He spoke gently, touching her shoulder. She gasped and jumped, throwing up defensive hands.

"What?" She shook her head looking around, lost.

"Time to go." He repeated himself. She nodded and clambered clumsily out of the speeder. Maul offered her a hand out, and held her upright as she stumbled.

"Sorry..." she muttered.

"We'll be able to make it to another planet to refuel..." He stated leading her into the co*ckpit.

Once they were into hyperspace space Maul turned to her. "Tell me what you are feeling, apprentice." He instructed. She was staring again but was able to respond.

"i know you're trying to teach me something... but... I'm too tiered to feel anything..." she answered in a monotone voice, her breathing slow but labored.

"I will show to where you may sleep." He stated standing. She slowly followed and he brought her the blankets she packed. "Rest, my apprentice, you've had a... trying day..." He bid, gently patting her shoulder twice before leaving.

He could hear her muffled sobs as she finally broke down. He clenched his fists as his hearts seamed to strain for some reason. He knew that crying was a weakness... but she had let him be weak so he would let her. She would be powerful one day... but not today, and Maul decided that it was an acceptable situation.