Title: Redemption
Author: Rita Marx pinduck85@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13
Category: AU
Summary: Can one act of mercy lead a Dark Lord to Redemption?
Setting: A green unnamed world in the Old Republic & Coruscant.
Generic Disclaimer: Anyone, anything, and anyplace you recognize from
the movies belongs to George Lucas, all else I made up. No, I'm not
making any $$$ off this, I'm just trying to appease all those nasty
little plot bunnies that are biting my ankles. OUCH!!
Feedback: Sure. Although flames will be nuked. @={
Archive: You want it? You can have it. Just let me know so I can go visit. :)

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*** Prolog ***

The dark night hides him. The cold rain slides off his cloak. The
wind howls as in pain. Another lightening flash blinds him, as does
the pain, driving him to his knees. In all his years, in all his
battles, never had he experienced, nor meted out such pain. It
threatens to split him in two as it slices through his abdomen.

Slowly it subsides making the after-pain recede to a breathable level
if he concentrates hard enough. Grabbing a young tree with both hands
he pulls himself up, breathing heavily. Finding his feet his eyes
focus on the small cabin in the center of the clearing. There...inside
he can sense the origin of the pain. A pain so strong any Force-
sensitive would be incapacitated by it. Determined to put an end to
his own suffering he unsteadily reaches the cabin door as another
shockwave rolls over him. It is a scream of pain sent into the Force;
yet, it is more. It is a desperate scream for life.

Casting out, he senses only two lifeforms, both are weak and fading.
Two screams pierce his psyche as they join the thunder. One is hoarse
and is heard in his ears. The other is heard in his soul. //Two
beings tortured together, yet no executioner? Curious.//

As the next respite eases upon him he gathers his strength and pushes
the small door open. It crashes back into the wall as a gust of wind
catches it. The wind rushes through the small, dimly lit room.
Firelight dances as sparks twirl and flutter from the hearth. The wind
pushes him farther into the room, his hood and cloak swirl about him
reaching inward. All settle back into their proper place as the door
closes of its own accord.

A harsh breathing draws his attention. He eyes narrow as he gazes upon
the source of the disturbance. The weak firelight bathes the sole
occupant. A shallow voice entreats an unknown god for help, "...I beg
you send help, I can't do this alone...I don't want us to die...send
help...please..."

Not seeing the second person, he steps closer to the bed. His eyes
grow wider at a sight he never before beheld. Knees drawn up, small
hands clutching the sheets, a distended belly; a petite woman writhes
in the pain of labor. Bathed in sweat and paler than a snowflower, she
fought to capture another breath. She was dying...and so was her unborn
child. To his amazement, it was the child that brought him here. The
child was screaming in pain, begging to be released. Something had
gone horribly wrong with this delivery and it was killing both mother
and child. Another death-scream, a plea for life, jolted him from his
thoughts.

When this wave of labor pain finished he rose from his knees and sent a
wave of comfort over the woman. This connection was made stronger as
he picked up her hand. She turned to him. "Relax," he commanded by
voice and by Force. Her body obeyed by some small measure.

"Who are you?" Her voice was weak and hoarse; her throat raw from
unanswered screams. Her eyes glazed dark with pain searched the
shadows beside her. She focused on a dark form. An arm came up to
join another as a black hood was pulled back to reveal the devil
himself. Fear raced through her mind and stabbed at her heart.
"No!...NO! GOD, NO! Please don't take my baby like this!"

Eyes of yellow and red fire pinned her to the bed. Orange firelight
danced across a visage marked in a horrific red and black mask. Horns
jutted in a crown about the devil's head. "Oh, Lord God. I ask for
help and I get a daemon, the devil himself..." she whimpers. Tears
course down her cheeks into her sweat-dampened hair.

He feels the fear building within her. Another wave of labor pain
crashes over him. Inside her womb, the child's silent scream joins
hers. When the pain subsides he tucks his gloved hand beneath her
cheek and turns the mother's face towards his. Using the Force, he
reinforces his thoughts as he speaks to her. "No, I am no daemon. I
heard your cries. I will help." His voice covered her like a warm,
soft blanket. "You must relax and trust me." //Trust me...Relax//

//Trust...Relax...Trust...Relax...// echoed through her mind. A thought-wave
from her unborn child echoed back to her. With two protective hands
over her child, she listened and nodded. "T'would seem I...We...have no
choice...if we are to have...any chance," she whispered weakly.

"What is your name, woman?"

"Orchid."

"What has gone wrong, Orchid?"

"Breached... You shall have to reach inside me...and turn the babe around."

A glimmer of confusion was writ across his face as he looked at the
mound holding the babe prisoner. "Have you no mid-wife?'

"No...the babe is two weeks early," she clamped a death-grip on his hand
as another wave built up. "Please!...You must hurry, or we will both
die!"

Using the Force, the dark angel did what little he could to ease their
pain. Taking a life was nothing to him, but giving life was something
outside his realm of experience. He looked to her, his mind seeking
hers for the knowledge he needed, but could not get past the walls of
pain.

He stood to remove his dried cloak and placed it over her for warmth.
As he mulled over the situation he realized how chilled the cabin was.
It was rustic with few modern appliances. Through the Force he knew
there was no power because lightening had struck the generator. The
only warmth available would come from the fireplace. As he built up
the fire the young mother began issuing orders.

"There are clean sheets in the chest by the wall...But, first you must
wash your hands very well...The soap in the kitchen is a disinfectant...and
I am thirsty."

The dark angel returned in a blur of motion. Sipping a small amount
of water to soothe her raw throat, she gestured for a washcloth. A
cool rag graced her forehead, face and neck to wipe away the sweat and
cool her fevered skin. Weakly, Orchid nodded her thanks. "You must
hurry! You must reach inside...and turn the babe around...but be warned...
you may be wrapping the cord around the babe's neck in the process..."
she gasped.

"I understand." He settled onto a stool before her and concentrated.

"What is your name?"

His eyes jerked to hers, "Maul."

"Just thought I'd ask. I'd like to know the name of the man who would
touch me so intimately," she replied with a crooked grin, trying to
revive her own spirit by joking. She watched beads of sweat on his
face reflect the firelight as his returned to his task.

Sending a Force-command her muscles began to relax he worked, slowly
easing his long fingers into her canal. The babe jumped at his touch
and the young mother gasped. With one hand within and the other
without, Maul turned the child around. Using the Force to aid him, he
slipped the cord over the babe's head, thus assuring the child would
not be further harmed.

Orchid was amazed that she could feel everything, that she could feel
anything at all. She felt her babe turning. She felt the child's
relief as the pressure from being forced through in the wrong position
was eased. Together, they breathed a sigh. "Thank you, Maul. It
should go quickly from here. Be ready to catch..."

Maul could feel another spasm build and worked to block the pain.
"Push!" She screamed and gave her strength into the push. A small
bundle of wet arms and legs shot into his splayed hands.

"Must...make sure...breathing passages...clear," her voice got stronger with
each breath she drew. "Tie and secure the cord...before you cut it."
Her breath caught in her throat as she heard a slap and a wail. Her
child was alive! "Well?! Is everything where it's supposed to be?"

Maul lifted his head, his eyes glowed. "Yes! It's a very healthy
girl." He smiled back down at the bundle cradled in his hands.

"It isn't over yet, Maul..."

With the after-birth taken care of, Maul gently lifted the newborn from
her mother to clean her off. Orchid glowed, her color slowly beginning
to come back. Breathing in the scent of a new life he returned the
child. For several minutes Orchid examined her daughter...and wept for
joy. "Thank you, Maul. We both owe you our lives."

Speechless, he watched as the babe suckled. The babe also thanked him
for saving her and her mother. "You should rest now, Orchid." He
waved a hand before her weary eyes, but she was already asleep without
his help.

After placing the baby girl in a blanket lined basket Maul turned to
elevate the exhausted woman. Keeping her elevated while he changed the
sheets was a small matter to one who enjoys tossing around full-grown
Wookies for fun.

The thunderstorm finally weakened into a light drizzle that ended as
the sun rose to kiss the horizon. Settling onto a bench outside Maul
readjusted his cloak about himself and the sleeping bundle in the crook
of his arm. As the sun appeared, he studied the babe. Violet eyes,
soft black hair, a pert nose, tiny hands and feet were all thoroughly
examined. His fiery eyes softened as he looked down in awe at this
child. A child he delivered. //Was I ever this tiny?//

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ummm...warm. Sniff...stew. An audible growl woke Orchid from her warm,
dreamless sleep. She woke with a smile on her lips that quickly became
a gasp of alarm. // My babe! //

//Your babe is asleep, little mother. In the basket next to you.//

With a wince of pain, Orchid pushed herself back onto the pillows
behind her and picked up her daughter from the wicker basket between
herself and the wall.

"How do you feel?"

"Sore...relieved...grateful...and tired," she answered. Her babe yawned and
began searching for breakfast. Orchid opened her gown. A feeling of
utter contentment washed over her as she felt her babe suckle. She
blushed brightly remembering a stranger was watching.

"There's no need to be bashful now. I've seen everything there is to
see about you, Orchid."

Chagrined, she nodded and replied in a small voice, "Yeah, I suppose
so...How long have I been asleep?"

"Eighteen hours."

"Eighteen hours! But..." she looked down at her daughter.

"I made sure she was properly fed, little mother." He watched another
blush sweep across her cheeks. "Now its time you were." She made
short work of a large bowl of tabbit stew and washed it down with a big
mug of fresh milk.

"What will you call her?"

Orchid looked into her daughter's sleepy eyes. "Amethyst. She has her
father's eyes - the color of a deep amethyst."

"She is strong in the Force. It was her silent cry of pain that lead
me here."

"My husband's a Jedi Knight. You're one too," Orchid stated nodding to
his lightsabre. He smiled and said nothing.

"Where is he now. He should be here," Maul felt his anger build toward
the man who would carelessly abandon this petite woman.

"He's dead. He died three months ago in an ambush on Ziara. He died
protecting orphans from slavers...Amethyst will never be held by her
father." The sun streaming in through the open window glistened on her
tears as a warm breeze caressed her cheek and ruffled her babe's hair.
Sparks from the fireplace danced between the bed and Maul's boots. He
stiffened, listening to an unseen voice.

"How will you survive without help?"

"The widow Magda will come stay with me for a while. I collect gemma-
stones from a nearby stream to set into jewelry I make. This I sell in
the city for what I can not get here in the country."

"And your husband left you here."

"We tried living on Coruscant, but I did not like it - it was just too
big, and no greenspace. I grew up here. I'm happy here. He wanted me
to be happy while he was away. Actually, it was his idea to live
here."

"You should sleep now," he said as he waved a hand before her eyes.

"Sleep..."

For the next week, Maul slept on her floor, then he took his leave...


*** Six months later, Jedi Temple, Coruscant ***

"Your husband would be very pleased to see his daughter join our ranks,
Orchid," Master Windu said smiling to the small mother with her babe
asleep in her arms.

"I am happy Amethyst has been approved by the Council, Master.
Although, I do not relish the thought of leaving her. That's why I've
waited so long to bring her. I'm not ready to give her up. I will
miss her everyday. That's why I'm thinking of relocating here."

Windu looked at her, surprise written across his face. "I thought you
didn't like it here."

"I do not. But, as long as I can see the Temple I'll feel like I'm
close to her. I've already lost my husband, I don't want to loose her
as well," she ended in a sniffle.

"Your husband is One with the Force, Orchid." He placed a gentle hand
on her shoulder.

"But, it's not the same! It's just not the same as being able to
physically hold someone you love," she shook her head, hugging her
daughter to her heart.

Windu nodded in understanding. The handing over of a child into the
Order was one of the best and worst experiences in the Temple. The
best in that a future Jedi was to be trained. The worst in that, except
in rare cases, the child never knows his/her birth family from the
begining.

The Jedi Master changed the subject as they continued down the sunlit
corridor on their way to the Council Chamber's tower. "We still have
not been able to identify this mysterious Jedi who helped you in your
time of need. Is there any information you may have overlooked?"

"No," she shook her head. "He said his name was Maul and wore black,
which I thought was a bit odd for a Jedi. He carries a red, double-
bladed lightsabre. And, as I discovered since I came here, he's a
Zabrak with red and black markings on his body, and yellow-red eyes.
That's all I can tell you, Master.

"You can imagine the fright I had when I first saw him! I thought he
was the devil himself, or at the very least a horrible daemon come to
steal my unborn child. But, no, he was neither," she smiled.

"Could anyone else identify him?" Windu asked.

Orchid shook her head, "No. No one from town saw him before he left.
Our cabin is rather isolated and with the terrible storm that night, it
was several days before anyone was able to make it to the cabin to
check on us."

Both kept silent in their thoughts as the elevator took them up to the
Council Chamber.

"If you would wait here for a moment, Orchid. I will call you when you
may enter."

"Of course, Master. I would like a few last moments with my daughter,"
she nodded as he stepped ahead of her.

Amethyst stirred in her arms and woke with a huge yawn. She smiled up
at her mother and then to the Chamber doors.

"That's right, Amethyst. Your future awaits you in there behind those
doors! Your father must be very proud of you, I am. I don't how
often, or indeed, if ever I will be able to see you again, but know you
will always be in my heart. I love you sooo much, Amethyst!" She
placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead and whispered a little prayer
over her.

Orchid felt a call in her head, a bid to enter. "Well, daughter, this
is it."

The Council Chamber was rather crowed, she thought walking in. In
addition to the twelve members, standing across from the entrance was
the Jedi Healer who would take Amethyst into her new life. Two Knights
stood off to one side of the door.

She walked to the center and bowed in deference to the Jedi leaders.
Something caught her attention as she came up. She turned her head and
an audible gasp tore from her lips, "Maul!"

In the corner of the Chamber stood a familiar form dressed in black.
Energized cuffs bound his wrists to his waist and shackles bound his
ankles. His eyes flamed. His guards had one hand on their weapons.

"Master Yoda, Master Windu, what's the meaning of this? This is the
man who saved my life and the life of my unborn child! Why is he being
treated as a prisoner?"

Master Yoda's eyes narrowed to study this young mother and her babe
before answering. "Because a prisoner is he. Because Sith is he."

"Sith?!" Orchid's eyes went wide in disbelief. "But, he...He's...You're a
Sith?" He didn't move but for a slight nod into her eyes. "My babe
was delivered by a Sith?"

"A Sith Lord is he, and a Sith Lord die he will."

"Die? I don't understand, Master Yoda."

"Captured was he by Jedi. For crimes against the Jedi on trial he was
put. Convicted he was. Executed he will be."

"No! Please, there must be some other way. I would like to stand by
him. On his behalf, since he will not speak for himself, I would like
to ask you to reconsider." She stepped closer to the Dark Lord to look
him in the eyes, fighting the tears that threatened to burst forth.
Looking from her savior to the Council she shook her head and continued
her plea. "Surely the fact that he saved the life of an innocent,
unborn child must be worth something?... Please...don't do this..." her voice
wavered.

The fire in his eyes burned though her, "Silence! I will have no one
beg for my life, woman." Orchid and Amethyst winced at the anger in
his voice. Softly spoken, yet loud in its meaning. He would never
consider, even for a microsecond, of converting to the Lightside. He
would rather die a Sith Lord.

"Executed in one hour he will be," Master Yoda stated harshly.
"Dismissed you are, Orchid and Amethyst."

Orchid swallowed a lump in her throat and bowed to the Council. With
slow steps she walked over to face the prisoner. The Council shuffled
in their seats as the guards warned her back with a shake of their
head. Amethyst reached forward to grab the horn at his left temple,
but he did not allow contact. A flicker or maybe just a trick of the
light bouncing off traffic outside the Temple flashed deep in his eyes
as he looked into the babe's eyes.

Looking into the fire of his eyes, Orchid made a promise to a Dark Lord
of the Sith, "I will light a candle and pray for you, Maul. May God be
with you...my friend," the last two words spoken as a faint whisper.

An hour later, Orchid embraced her daughter in one of the many Temple
gardens. On her knees, head bowed, she prayed to her god to have mercy
on his soul, not to send him directly to Hell, but to give him a chance
to be reformed and redeemed. A sharp pain sliced through her neck and
Amethyst began to cry in earnest. Beheaded by lightsabre, their savior
was dead.


*** 35 years later to the day, a small cabin in a clearing in the
woods. ***

A small bundle of blankets moved as tiny arms and legs kicked to be
free of them, inside a babe cooed. "Ah, Topaz. Your mother and father
are so proud of you. Next week you begin a whole new adventure, a
whole new life. You begin training to become a Jedi, just like your
parents and your grandfather." Dark golden eyes looked up at Orchid
and smiled. Indeed, this child was strong in the Force; she could feel
his excitement bubbling through him. "But, for now, its time to sleep
little one. Tomorrow we will go to your favorite place, to the falls
for a picnic. So the sooner you fall asleep the sooner tomorrow will
come."

With her grandson cuddled in his crib, Orchid went into her own room.
She knelt on a time worn pillow and lit three candles, each in a tall,
clear glass. One tied with an amethyst colored ribbon; she said a
prayer to keep her daughter and husband safe from their Darkside
enemies. One tied with a dark honey colored ribbon; she prayed that
her grandson would succeed in the many trails he will face in the
future.

The last candle was bound with a bicolored ribbon of red and black.
This she lit and said a prayer as a sin offering so that he may be
forgiven and welcomed into the Light of Heaven. Before she finished
her prayer a swift of wind blew out the flame. She re-lit the candle
and began again. A second time the flame blew out.

"That will no longer be needed, my friend," was softly spoken behind
her. Alarmed by an unfamiliar voice, Orchid spun around to face the
intruder. Her jaw dropped in shock.

There he stood before her, just as she remembered. Fierce yellow-red
eyes on fire, red and black markings covering his face and dressed in a
black tunic with billowy pants tucked into black boots.

"Maul...But your...but..." There was something different about him. A smile
graced his lips and a feeling of warmth and peace flowed from him.

"Yes. That was my death you felt that day."

"But...how?"

"You kept your promise. You prayed for me everyday. You were right.
For a while, I spent some time in a place so horrible it scared the
Sith out of me. Hell really is everything they say it is! But,
because of your prayers, I was given a second chance. Your continued
prayers helped me to see the light of things. They gave me strength
when I needed it. Just knowing that one person cared was enough to
help me change. For that, I will be eternally grateful." He finished
with a deep bow, "It took a lifetime in Purgatory, but I have been
redeemed and forgiven. I have been accepted into the Light of Heaven,
because of you." He straightened and saw tears of joy rolling freely
down his savior's cheeks.

Orchid gathered him into a strong embrace and began tracing small
kisses across his forehead, his cheeks, his nose, and his chin. He
returned the hug with a strong one of his own as her tears bathed his
face and neck. Her voice was muffled into his clothing as she spoke
between kisses, "I am...so happy...for you...my friend...I am...so
overjoyed...Maul!"

"Khamier Sarin."

"What?" She pulled away to hear what he had said. Another surprise
met her eyes. Gone was all the black. His clothing was the same, but
snow white. Gone, too, were the red and black tattoos; replaced by his
own natural flesh color - the same as hers. His horns were hidden by
soft brown hair and his eyes were sky blue. Dimples framed his white
teeth as his smiled down at her.

Understanding the change, she sent up a quick prayer of thanks.

"And thank you, Orchid...my friend...my protectress...my savior," he kissed
her cheeks gently with each title bestowing the Kiss of Peace.

The room brightened as a doorway of white light revealed itself in a
corner. Khamier took a deep breath. "It is time for me to go now. We
will meet again someday. Until then, be safe my friend." He turned
and disappeared through the doorway.

"And may the Peace of God be with you, Khamier Sarin."

"Amen," Amethyst added her prayer as she came to hug her mother from
behind. She caught a last glimpse of the man who saved her unborn life
and found redemption. A tear slid down her cheek.


*** FIN ***