With a snap-hiss, Maul ignited his double-bladed lightsaber, crimson blades spinning in a deadly arc. In a blur, he whipped around, carving through the air—two camouflaged Zakuul Knights lurking behind him were cut down with a single, precise slash. Sparks rained across the durasteel floor.
Qui-Gon's own saber burst to life, casting green light across his weathered face. Without hesitation, he met Maul in the center of the hangar. Maul surged forward, Form VII: Juyo—a style defined by its relentless aggression and unpredictable, brutal strikes—unleashing a torrent of attacks. Qui-Gon, a true master of Ataru (Form IV), countered with fluid acrobatics and spinning arcs, using his momentum and agility to keep pace with the Sith's fury..
Obi-Wan didn't stand idle. Reaching out with the Force, he seized nearby cargo boxes and hurled them at Maul, aiming to pin the Sith from behind. But Maul's instincts, sharpened by years of battle, caught the ploy—he spun mid-combat, slashing the boxes apart in midair, splinters and metal raining down harmlessly. Even so, the relentless pressure forced Maul to fight harder, his focus split between the Jedi and the unpredictable attacks.
Realizing maul was starting to get overwhelmed—the two Jedi working in perfect concert, the open hangar exposing him—Maul snarled and broke the deadlock. With his left arm, he called on the Force, seizing a heavy box and hurling it at a massive steel door control panel. The panel shattered, and the huge door open, revealing the narrow, dizzying bridge spanning the power generator pit beyond.
Maul darted through, saber whirling, forcing the fight into the narrow causeway. Qui-Gon followed, lightsaber at the ready, but now his favored Ataru acrobatics—Form IV—were cramped by the tight space. Obi-Wan joined in, blue blade raised, smoothly switching into Soresu (Form III)—his defense unbreakable, warding off Maul's lethal flourishes and staying close beside his master.
On the swaying bridge above the endless abyss, the duel grew even more intense—a contest of skill, will, and survival, where a single misstep could mean death for any of them.
Meanwhile, at Jin-Woo's position, the elevator reached its destination. The doors slid open to reveal the grand hallway leading toward the throne room of Theed Palace. Jin-Woo strolled out, hands in his pockets, and pushed open the ornate doors.
Inside, his group awaited him , and a dozen Zakuul Knights quietly standing sentinel. Off to one side of the throne room, Viceroy Nute Gunray and Rune Haako sat slumped on the floor, chained and gagged. Their mouths were stuffed with cloth, and their eyes covered in an absurd amount of pink ribbons—making them look less like prisoners and more like the losing team in a children's party game.
Jin-Woo paused, taking in the scene with a deadpan stare, then shot Padmé a silent, wordless look that said everything and nothing all at once.
Padmé just shrugged, managing to keep her queenly composure—but there was a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Don't look at me, Jin-Woo. When I arrived, those two were already gagged and wrapped up. Isn't that right, Sabe?"
Sabe, caught off-guard and still in her handmaiden disguise, awkwardly cleared her throat. "Queen Amidala is correct. Somehow, the Viceroy and Rune Haako were already gagged like this when we got here."
Morgan, standing off to the side, wore a wicked little smile. Her eyes glinted as she telepathically sent a thought to Jin-Woo: It was Padmé and Rey. your Queen is really starting to enjoy the way we handle things…
Padmé caught Morgan's sly expression and whipped around, mock-offended. "Morgan, you traitor! You promised you wouldn't tell Jin-Woo!"
Morgan lifted both hands, feigning innocence. "I didn't say anything out loud. Did I say anything, Padmé? Actually, did anyone hear me say anything?"
Padmé pointed a finger, narrowing her eyes. "No, but for some reason I know you can transmit your thoughts straight to Jin-Woo. And you promised you wouldn't!"
Jin-Woo ignored their banter, kneeling to set his holopad on the ground. The holofeed flared to life, projecting a live feed of the ongoing battle between the two Jedi and Maul.
The image flickered, showing Maul backing away along the catwalk into a narrow access door. Qui-Gon followed in close pursuit, while Obi-Wan trailed further behind. The scene shifted to a long hallway lined with deadly energy rays—curtains of red plasma that blinked on and off in a lethal rhythm, slicing the corridor into segments.
Maul, moving with feline speed, slipped past several of the ray shields just before they snapped shut, blocking the way. Qui-Gon pressed forward, but was cut off by a shield—just one wall away from Maul. Obi-Wan, lagging behind, found himself five barriers back, separated from both master and Sith by a gauntlet of deadly light.
Jin-Woo watched in silence, then deadpanned, "The Jedi just fucked themselves. Classic."
Morgan stepped forward, expression unreadable as she turned to Talon. "You're up. If Qui-Gon gets stabbed, use that Locacaca 6251 vial I gave you. It'll heal him. And you've got a green light—join Obi-Wan to fight Maul, or solo him if you want. Your choice."
Talon nodded, resolve flickering in her eyes. She spun on her heel and dashed for the exit, already steeling herself for the chaos ahead.
Padmé, still watching the holofeed, shook her head. "This battle's far from over. It looks like Maul's the one who's cornered now."
Morgan let out a soft, ironic laugh. "The Jedi are the ones cornered. Qui-Gon's Form IV—Ataru—is almost useless in a tight corridor like that. And Obi-Wan… well, he forgot to recharge his Force Dash or Speed. Rookie mistake."
Padmé blinked, half-incredulous. "Morgan, are you joking? This sounds like those old children's holonet games I saw."
Jin-Woo just shrugged, as if it were the most obvious thing in the galaxy. "What Morgan says is true, Princess. Jedi might be powerful and have a deep connection to the Force, but they forget the basics. Take Obi-Wan—if he learned to meditate properly, especially using what's called the Introspection Technique, he could refill his reserves mid-battle. But from My POV , he's burned out—spent everything on that flashy high jump back on the catwalk."
Panaka, always pragmatic, piped in, "But Maul doesn't meditate. I've just seen him pacing like a caged animal—shouldn't his stamina be gone by now after fighting Qui-Gon so long?"
Jin-Woo cracked a sly grin. "What Maul's doing is a little trick called the Seethe Technique. He paces to fuel his own anger, and while he's at it, he regenerates his Force reserves and stamina. He's letting his rage keep him sharp ."
(The Deeper Meaning in This Scene - Qui-Gon vs Maul #starwars link : https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DSQc2IkxIps .)
But in the quiet of his own mind, Jin-Woo's thoughts turned shrewd. Maul's cheating, at least this time. Not like what I watched in the old movies… Right now, I doubt even if Obi-Wan cleaves him in half, Maul will just regenerate—he's distributing any fatal damage across his remaining cultists. It's basically the same trick Makima used on Japanese citizens in that Chainsaw Man manga. Shame that world's already claimed by another Hadou God; can't go there, or the backlash would destroy everything…
Sabe's voice cut through Jin-Woo's musings. "Here it comes—the wall is opening!"
The group crowded closer to the holofeed, the glow of the projection casting anxious shadows across their faces.
Meanwhile, deep within the humming heart of the Theed power generator, the atmosphere was electric in every sense. The deadly rays cycled in and out, dividing the corridor with curtains of lethal energy. Qui-Gon knelt, breathing steady, meditating as the hum of the Force enveloped him. Across the barrier, Maul paced—eyes burning, muscles tensed, coiled like a predator.
As the electron field snapped open, Obi-Wan burst into motion, sprinting toward his master and Maul. In a heartbeat, the wall between Qui-Gon and Maul opened. Instantly, Qui-Gon was on his feet, saber blazing, meeting Maul in a clash of explosive ferocity that belied his age. They moved as blurs—sabers screaming, sparks cascading, feet circling the melting pit at the corridor's end—a bottomless well of darkness waiting hungrily below.
But fate intervened. The electron ray gates began to cycle again. Obi-Wan, legs pumping, raced down the hallway—only to be trapped as the field slammed down a meter before him. He skidded to a desperate stop, face flushed with frustration, separated from his master by a wall of energy he could not cross.
Inside the melting pit, the duel raged on. Qui-Gon and Maul traded blows—one a master's calm, the other a storm of hate. Then Maul, cunning and ruthless, slipped an attack in under Qui-Gon's guard. He drove the hilt of his saber hard up into Qui-Gon's chin—a brutal, stunning blow—then pivoted and drove the red blade straight through the Jedi Master's chest.
Obi-Wan's scream echoed, raw and devastated. "NOOOOOO!"
Time slowed for Qui-Gon. The burning pain in his chest was nothing compared to the flood of regret in his heart. In the split-second between life and death, Jin-Woo's words echoed in his mind: In this situation, Dooku would say, 'A Sith Lord is not to be trifled with. And I will not be there to protect you, my old padawan.'
He felt the weakness of age, the weight of Ataru's exhaustion, and one sharp regret—I wish I had more time. I wish I could guide Anakin, as Jin-Woo said. Maybe I was too old for Form IV, after all.
Qui-gon slumped to the ground, breath ragged, saber falling from his grasp. As his vision blurred, he hoped—just for a moment—that someone would finish what he could not.
Maul, sensing victory, straightened and turned, readying himself to face Obi-Wan as soon as the deadly ray shields cycled open. But just as he settled into his stance, his danger sense screamed—a blur of movement from the shadows. Two red lightsabers, spinning in the air with uncanny precision, shot toward Maul from behind, slashing at him with lethal intent. Maul whirled, bringing his double-bladed saber around in Form VII—Juyo—a furious dance of red energy as Maul parried the twin assault.
In the chaos, Talon slipped past Maul—her presence cloaked by [Force Stealth] and the advanced camouflage equipment Jin-Woo had entrusted her with. She knelt swiftly by Qui-Gon, uncorking the Locacaca 6251 vial and tipping its contents gently into his mouth. ( img Here )
The effect was immediate. Qui-Gon's wounds closed, color flooded back into his cheeks, and his eyes snapped open, sharp with renewed life. But as he flexed his left arm, he noticed a curious patch of skin had hardened—veined through with pale stone, an odd side effect. Even so, his stamina and Force reserves were still badly depleted; the revival had not made him invincible.
Talon didn't waste a second. She telekinetically hurled her purple lightsaber toward one of the corridor's deadly arc walls, slicing into the mechanism. The field sputtered and failed on that side, opening a path.
Obi-Wan was through in an instant, dropping to Qui-Gon's side. His concern was plain in his eyes. "Master, are you okay?"
Qui-Gon, breath still catching, gave a grateful nod. "I'll be all right… thanks to you, and especially to Talon."
Talon, undoing her camouflage, flashed a wry smile, voice brash and confident. "Can you old-timers get out of here? Your part's over. I'm going to kill Maul now."
Maul's eyes burned with fury as his saber twirled back into a ready guard. His teeth bared in pure rage.
"You… red Twi'lek. You're a disgrace to the Sith—same as Jin-Woo. You reek of the dark side, but you don't belong to it!"
Two crimson blades, still hovering at Talon's side, whirled to life. Then suddenly—a third blade, gleaming violet, snapped into the fray. It sliced the air in a deadly arc, grazing Maul's clothes and tearing fabric.