Amir sent a message to 32 and Han Solo through his wristguard, telling them not to follow for the time being and to wait on their ships.
This was Maul's stronghold, after all. In case there were ambushes—like hidden ships or personal guards Maul had cultivated within Crimson Dawn—the others remaining on the ships could provide better support.
So, only Amir and Bo-Katan walked deeper into the complex terrain.
After walking for a short while, Amir saw a light ahead.
There was a clean clearing containing basic living equipment. At the innermost part stood a strangely shaped house.
"Is this where he's been hiding?" Bo-Katan looked around.
The man she had been thinking about for ten years was about to appear before her. She felt a moment of emotion, but she instantly converted all those feelings into the will to fight.
Bo-Katan raised the blaster pistol in her hand, aimed at the lintel of the house, and pulled the trigger. A hanging fluorescent object was shattered, releasing a cloud of glowing green smoke.
Such a disturbance could no longer be ignored.
The door slowly opened, and a tall, thin figure walked out.
"I don't recall inviting guests to my home today . . ."
Red skin covered in tattoos, sharp horns crowning his head, and pupils that looked as if they had been soaked in blood. Being stared at by him felt like being encircled by a nest of vipers.
But that feeling lasted only for an instant.
Maul's gaze became peaceful, though beneath the calm surface of the sea, one could still feel the dark tide surging.
"Let me see who has come to visit a forgotten old man . . . Oh, an old friend. Bo-Katan. Have you come to your senses and returned to pledge your loyalty to me? Hehe, I should still hold the sovereignty of Mandalore, shouldn't I? But does Mandalore even exist anymore?"
Bo-Katan clenched her fists. "Bring out the Darksaber! I challenge you to a duel to reclaim the throne!"
"No, no, no. I advise you not to do that. Does bullying a dying old man really conform to the ancient etiquette of Mandalore? Hehe, and who is this . . ." Maul looked at Amir standing to the side.
"A Force user. Jedi or Sith? Did my old master send you to kill me? Haha, even if that were true, I wouldn't be surprised."
Bo-Katan stopped listening to Maul's sarcastic remarks. She raised her blaster pistol directly.
"Draw your lightsaber, Maul!"
"Fine, fine. It seems a fight is unavoidable today."
Maul reached his hand backward. From the depths of the house, a curved-hilt lightsaber flew steadily into his grasp.
It was only then that Amir clearly felt the Force within him.
Dark and powerful.
The Imperial Inquisitors Amir had met before were like ordinary apprentices compared to this master.
Powerful talent, rigorous training, and bone-deep hatred—all these piled onto a dark side user and former Sith. The result was inevitably strength beyond imagination!
Amir began to worry for Bo-Katan.
The moment she saw Maul grip the Darksaber, Bo-Katan fired.
Dense blaster bolts shot toward Maul from various tricky angles. Bo-Katan displayed her superb marksmanship right from the start, firing while steadily retreating.
Facing Maul and his weapon, she had to maintain a safe distance.
Maul activated the Darksaber and simultaneously pulled his own red lightsaber from his belt, igniting both blades.
He walked forward, swinging the blades to deflect and ricochet every incoming beam. He didn't even need to move his feet to dodge.
Bo-Katan frowned and continued to retreat, but she didn't stop attacking.
"Is this your resolve to retake Mandalore? Retreating?" Maul revealed a mocking smile.
Bo-Katan wasn't affected by Maul's words and steadily maintained her tactics.
Maul seemed to get impatient. After raising his hand to block two blaster bolts, he threw the red lightsaber in his hand directly at Bo-Katan. Controlled by the Force, the lightsaber carved a sharp curve through the air, slashing toward Bo-Katan's head.
This is a chance!
Maul was distracted controlling the lightsaber, his hand slightly raised. Only the Darksaber in his left hand remained to block attacks!
Deciding instantly, Bo-Katan activated the jetpack on her back. The blue tail flame provided massive thrust, lifting her body into the air. She dodged the flying lightsaber and flew rapidly toward Maul.
Mid-flight, she raised her right hand. A thin whipcord shot out from her wrist gauntlet, launching unexpectedly at Maul.
Once entangled by the whipcord, Maul would lose his ability to resist momentarily.
Seeing Bo-Katan take flight, Maul immediately manipulated the distant lightsaber to return to his position. The return trajectory was set to pass right through Bo-Katan's body.
He even anticipated the sight of her body being sliced in two by the blade, the corners of his mouth lifting unconsciously. But the sudden arrival of the whipcord interrupted his fantasy.
If the cable had merely wrapped around his body, he could have continued to control the lightsaber to slash at Bo-Katan's undefended back.
But this woman had wrapped the cable around his right arm.
It started at the right arm and spread to his body.
Although one didn't strictly need to make physical gestures when using the Force, most people retained the habit—like reaching out a hand to guide an object they were trying to control.
Combining Force perception with the sense of touch did indeed make controlling the Force feel more "natural."
But this also meant a problem: when one relied too heavily on this behavior, once the physical movement was broken, the control over the Force would also suffer a massive impact.
Maul was no exception.
He was about to succeed, but the moment his right arm was bound, the red lightsaber lost its momentum and fell from the air.
Watching the battle, Amir silently noted this issue, because he had the same habit.
In a split second, Maul's right arm was firmly bound to his waist.
Snapping back from his momentary lapse, Maul quickly swung the Darksaber to slice the whipcord and crouched down, rolling to the side.
He finally had to dodge, because Bo-Katan seized the opportunity to fire madly at him, and she began throwing the explosives she carried.
BOOM!!!
With a loud noise, a large crater appeared in the center of the cozy courtyard that had accompanied Maul for years. Amidst the smoke, Maul walked out, looking slightly disheveled.
"Hehe, clever brat."
Maul reached out, attempting to retrieve his red lightsaber. But Bo-Katan wasn't about to give him that chance; she had already shot the lightsaber with her blaster, knocking it flying toward Amir.
It was unclear if she did it intentionally or unintentionally.
Amir was happy. Watching the fight came with a free gift; the trip wasn't in vain. He reached out and pulled the lightsaber through the air into his hand.
"Hmm! This object is out of bounds. I'll hold onto it."
Maul glanced coldly at Amir, but only for a second, because Bo-Katan launched her attack again.
She became even more ferocious. After the initial probing, Bo-Katan no longer held back. Flying in the air, she unleashed the large number of compressed explosives on her armor and the small rocket launcher on her jetpack as if they cost nothing.
The barrage made Amir click his tongue. Mandalorians were truly a wondrous species. Veronica would probably love this style.
Under this firepower, Maul could only constantly run and dodge on the ground.
Amir could see a solid Force barrier around his body. If the shield hadn't blocked the violent shockwaves from the explosions, Maul would have already been severely injured!
"Had enough fun? Then get down here." Maul suddenly walked straight into the blaster fire Bo-Katan was shooting.
He had switched the Darksaber to his right hand, while his left hand was aimed straight at Bo-Katan.
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