Maul and Anakin helped him back to the village while Savage carried the unconscious bodies of Ahsoka and Count Dooku. Mother Talzin meet them at the entrance of the village with a couple of Nightsisters.
"Take Dooku to the dungeon, Sisters. Savage take the young Jedi to the infirmary, a Nightsister is waiting for you. I shall take Maul, Skywalker, go and be with your apprentice." Mother Talzin said as everyone did what they were told. Maul stayed quiet holding where the blaster bolt hit him.
"You are troubled, Maul. What is bothering you?" She stated setting him down in her hut and started healing him.
"I've lost Kenobi to some woman called Ventress." Maul said in a quite hiss and looked up at Mother Talzin. "What do you know of this Ventress, Mother?"
"Ventress was once a Nightsister but we had to give her away in order to keep peace. She had been enslaved and once her master died the Jedi had took her in. She spent time as a Jedi padawan until bounty hunters killed her master. Dooku had found her and raised her to be a Sith apprentice. After many failed missions of hunting down Kenobi and Skywalker, Sidious ordered Dooku to eliminate her. She and Savage had a history together but se betrayed him after he failed in killing Dooku. After that she has become a bounty hunter with revenge for Sith and Jedi and now you and Savage." Mother Talzin tells Maul and his sadness turned into planning but than faded again.
"There is nothing I can do for Kenobi. Is there? Everything I do ends up hurting Kenobi." Maul says letting his emotions show in his voice. "I've hurt him so much that he refuses to be near me."
"Maul, my son," Mother Talzin placed a hand on his cheek when she finished healing him. "Have no worries about your and Kenobi's bond. Do not worry about what has happened, we will get him back. The longer she has him away from you will be worse for him and you. When you rescue him from her, he'll be happy." Mother Talzin told him and he looked into her eyes with sorrow.
"Rest Maul, the sooner you are better, the sooner you can get Kenobi back." She walked to the door to let him sleep.
"I need to take my time with my plans." Maul said and Mother Talzin stopped in the doorway
"A good plan can be ruined when rushed. Just remember Dooku and Sidious are going no where, only closer to their end. Even if it is slowly." She watched him
"Yes. Thank you Mother." Maul signed and laid down. He didn't feel well he didn't know if it was from being shot or if it was the bond. He took a deep breath as he stared at the stars through the hole in the ceiling.
Do not worry Kenobi, just relax. I'll be with you soon enough. Just hang in there. Maul thought as he counted the stars in the sky, calculating which ones had planets and thinking of the possible futures to take his mind off of what happened. Although his mind would flash images of Obi-wan whenever he relaxed. He kept trying to take his mind off of Obi-wan and what Obi-wan said before he stormed out and freed his master. Everything he ever did after seeing Obi-wan for the first time did hurt him one way or another and Maul had no clue on how he would stop it.
As his thoughts wandered he saw a green mist enter the room and it took an effect to him. His body and mind relaxed as the mist soothed him into sleep, but his body couldn't help but breathe heavily.
Assaij put her ship onto auto pilot and walked back to the cargo bay where she locked up Obi-wan. She had heard him breathing rapidly and panicking before he passed out. He was shouting something but she ignored him until he passed out hours ago. Now she wanted answers.
She watched him breath heavily as he slept. She really had nothing against him, but if Darth Maul didn't want him to get hurt he must be important to the Sith's plans. She felt a bit lightheaded when she crouched down to him. She guessed it was her missing forearm and ignored it.
"Kenobi." Her calm, rough voice said quite loudly and Obi-wan kept sleeping.
"Kenobi. Wake up." She slapped his face. He groaned waking up and looking around with blurry eyes.
"Ventress?" He asked and went to stand up only to notice that he was handcuffed at a pipe.
"Ventress what is happening? Where's Anakin? Where is Maul at?" Obi-wan's voice was raised louder than normal and it caught Ventress off guard.
"Oh calm down Kenobi, I only have you on the ship." Ventress stood up from her crouched position.
"That doesn't help the situation, Ventress! Why do you have me handcuffed?" Obi-wan's voice didn't change as he notice that the handcuff were force sensitive. His chest grew heavy as he realized how far from Dathomir they were.
"I'm using you as bait, Kenobi and I can't have you running off." She waved her hand
"Bait?! If I was bait we wouldn't be this far from Dathomir." Obi-wan said breathing deeply. Ventress watched him carefully.
"Dathomir? You aren't bait for your Jedi friends, Kenobi. I need to you to lure out Savage and this so-called Darth Maul." Ventress couldn't help but wonder what had the Jedi like this.
"Maul? You do not want Maul coming here Ventress! I'm warning you. Let me go before he finds me with you!" Obi-wan could help, but feel panicked. He tried to hide it but his showed in his voice.
"Ha! You really think Darth Maul is a threat? He could hardly fight off Skywalker's apprentice." Ventress brushed aside the Jedi's panic. "Besides he seems to be a big part of Dooku's plans and I will do anything to stop them."
"Ventress, you don't understand." Obi-wan's voice lowered to it's normal volume, but his breath continued to stay heavy.
"What are you sick, Kenobi?" Ventress curiously asked wondering if that was the reason he was on Dathomir. "You hardly put up a fight back there. You're so... Unbalanced."
"Call it what ever you want, but I'm warning you if don't let me go you'll have more than Maul and Savage coming after you." Obi-wan said standing up as much as he could.
"A missing Jedi won't get much attention from the Jedi Council. Skywalker maybe keeping in contact with them, but I'll easily be able to intercept his transmissions. No one else will know that you're gone." She walked off closer to the cockpit. "Don't think about getting out of those cuffs, Kenobi. I may have lost an arm, but I'm not afraid to hurt you." She left the cargo bay leaving Kenobi alone with himself.
All he could hear was the pounding of his heart and his heavy breathing. He needed to get back to Maul to stop the weight and pain. He could get sick again and die because Ventress refused to let go of her revenge. He felt along the wall looking for a weak spot seeing that there was many in the walls of the ship. Ventress must have fought someone in here and stolen it or someone had an itchy trigger finger in the cargo bay.
Kenobi found a weak spot and broke the pipe. He was free to roam now, but his hands were still cuffed. A spot on his stomach burned like he was shot. He moved his robe and tunic to see his stomach, but saw no wound. He fixed his clothing and looked around. He has to find some thing to knock Ventress out with.
Finding nothing he concentrated on breaking the rest of the pipe out of the wall. He felt weak and tired. He wanted to just lay down and sleep until he gained his strength back, but he didn't know if he would gain his strength back. He could just be wasting time sleeping and slowly bringing himself closer to death. He had to get back to Dathomir. The weight and pain in his chest told him that Maul wasn't close by so he wasn't following them or he was but she jumped into star speed and got away from him. All Kenobi knew is that he only had one option and that was to fight.
He knew it would be a bad idea to leave the cargo bay and attack her. She would be expecting it, but he has to get back as quickly as he could no matter the risks. He calmed himself and quieted his heavy breathing as he snuck closer to Ventress.
He got right behind her and just before he hit her, she dunked and kicked his feet out from beneath him knocking the pipe out of his hands. He quickly got back up and landed a few punches on her. She grabbed the cuffs and kicked him in the stomach. She dodged the rest of his attacks with ease and quickly knocked him back down to the ground.
"You seem determined to leave, but you of all Jedi will not ruin my plan." Ventress grabbed the cuffs and recklessly dragged him back to the cargo bay. As she looked for another place to chain him down to Obi-wan hit countless of cargo boxes. She chained him in a corner behind some cargo boxes to another pipe after making sure she herself couldn't break out of it than she left him there.
Obi-wan couldn't help, but feel alone and hopeless at this point. He curled up against the corner. He fought to keep his tears at bay and soon ended up falling back to sleep again.
Groaning with blurry eyes, Ahsoka woke up looking around from her bed.
"Master?" She tried sitting up but couldn't.
"Rest Jedi, you were hurt and your master is right outside." A Nightsister said in her calm voice and walked to the door bringing Anakin inside.
"Hey Snips, how are you feeling?" Anakin stood next to her bed
"Just feeling sore, Master. Dooku had hit me with some of his lighting. Wait! The battle! Was anyone else hurt? Did we capture Maul and Dooku? What about Ventress?" Ahsoka sat up as much as she could
"Well... We have Maul and Dooku. But Ventress got away." Anakin scratched the back of his head looking away from her.
"What is it Master?" Ahsoka asked forcing herself to sit up
"Ventress even though she was wounded by Maul... She got away with Obi-wan." Anakin quietly said
"She took Master Obi-wan?!" Ahsoka started to get out of the bed
"No Snips you have to rest." Anakin put her back down on the bed to lay back down
"But Master!" Ahsoka resisted
"Do not argue with me Ahsoka!" Anakin ordered. "No one is allowed to leave this planet. Mother Talzin said so at east until Maul is healed from his attempt to save Obi-wan."
"It's good to know he's still on our side." Ahsoka relaxed
"Yeah. What I want to know though is why he let Dooku out and tried to escape." Anakin said thinking
"We could ask Mother Talzin. She is able to foresee these kind of things." Ahsoka said siting up again
"No Ahsoka. I will. You stay here and regain your strength." Anakin ordered laying her back down
"Alright Master, stay safe. We don't know if Dooku called for reinforcements or not." Ahsoka said
"If there were reinforcements they would have been here by now, Snips. Don't worry." Anakin left the infirmary and headed to Mother Talzin. She sat at her table with her crystal ball in front of her and Savage next to her.
"Ah, Skywalker, I sense you've come for information." She looked at him from her seat.
"Mother Talzin we must talk. I know you are able to see things in the future. You must have seen Maul freeing Dooku and you told no one ahead of time." Anakin walked to her, but Savage kept him at a distance.
"And now you aren't letting anyone leave the planet to go and get Obi-wan! What are you planning?"
"I only foresee into the future as far as I want to and whenever I want to Jedi Skywalker. When I saw Maul freeing Count Dooku it was too late to prevent." Mother Talzin stood up clamly and walked next to Savage placing a hand on his shoulder ordering him to relax.
"And what about rescuing Master Obi-wan?" Anakin pressed further about the topic.
"Kenobi is clever and witty, he will be fine under Ventress's watch. He is unbalance though which will keep him from encouraging himself to escape for to fight. Ventress will not harm him unless provoked. The separation from him and Maul will make him see his own mistakes and not only Maul's. He will balance him even further with the Force." Mother Talzin explained to Anakin
"Besides with Kenobi's absence, Maul will also learn and grow stronger with the Force. If I were you Jedi Skywalker I would be patient. In this time it may seem like a time to act, but it is a time to learn. I figured you would be in favor of this plan. Kenobi, is unharmed and under protection. Maul, will see and reflect on his mistakes learning from them. It keeps him away from doing anyone any harm even from himself and everyone has time to heal."
"Healing is for the weak." A raspy voice from the entrance gave everyone the introduction of Maul before they could look. He slowly made his way to the table holding his healing stomach.
"We have to go and find Kenobi. His illness could get worse." Maul coughed leaning on the table.
"I, for once, agree with the Sith Lord." Anakin noticed Maul's coughing and guessed he is starting to feel the side effects of Obi-wan's sickness.
"Kenobi will be fine, Maul. I have foreseen that his illness will not get any worse. You are injured and must heal. Savage, take your brother back to my hut." Mother Talzin ordered and Savage took a few steps to Maul before he stopped.
"I do not need an escort." Maul left the building angry with what Mother Talzin said he had every right to be worried about Obi-wan. His own injuries didn't matter until he knew Obi-wan was safe under his care.
"Don't worry Mother Talzin, I'll follow him to make sure he's ok." Anakin followed after Maul quickly catching up to him.
"What do you want Skywalker?" Maul snarled as he slowly made his way to Mother Talzin's hut.
"We are the only two who think we should go after Master Obi-wan. Even you are starting to show the symptoms of being separated from him, as much as I hate to say that. I don't doubt Mother Talzin's ability to see the future, but it's obvious she can't see everything." Anakin kept walking with Maul until he stopped and paused.
"I'm listening Jedi." Maul looked over at Anakin.
"Ventress and Master Obi-wan have had battles before and knowing my master he can smooth talk his way to peace with her. I know she won't hurt him unless he provokes her and Master Obi-wan would never put his life in danger unless it was for a greater good." Anakin continued
"Some greater good." Maul commented
"Although I think we should act now, knowing you, you would fight until your last breath, but you do need to heal. If you do want what's best for Master Obi-wan than rest. If you go after him like this you'll only hurt yourself more and I don't think Master Obi-wan would like that." Anakin finished and Maul couldn't help but shift conflicted with himself. He realized the Jedi just started with rescuing Obi-wan immediately to finishing with take your time in rescuing him. What was he trying to say? Maul acting normally rolled his eyes and continued walking back to the hut. He saw Anakin follow him as if the Jedi expected more of a response. Maul growled in his head realizing that if he wanted to make Kenobi happy he would have to learn a bit more about him. Which lead to the topic of asking the Jedi about him. Maul was never a man to ask for help, but if he wanted to know more he would have to start learning without the means of interrogation and torture. He would have to take a rather disgusting route of peace for him to think of. Meaning he would have to become more than acquainted with the ones near Obi-wan, he would have to befriend them. He already had some of their trust by his actions in the last battle. He knew this processes would take a lot of trial and error, but he was confident in his own mind that he would figure out what advice would be useful and what advice would be completely nonsense.