-1Chapter 1:

Prologue: The Fall

Darth Maul felt a rift in the force like he'd never felt before. Breaking eye contact with his prey, Obi-wan Kenobi, who dangled helplessly below his feet, just long enough to realize what was about to happen. Searing pain shot through the Sith's body equivalent to the dismembering bite of a Nexu hound. A misty shower of blood lightly sprayed his face as he began to lose consciousness.

Maul felt time become sluggish as he slipped backwards into the Noobian mining pit. Memories began to flood his mind, memories of his past, memories of his childhood, the times of joy and happiness, as well as memories of dark times. Murder, the slaughter of a pair of Jedi only a short time ago. The many trials of his master… The dark side within him was set free by the cauterizing light saber blade of a Padwan. Maul welcomed death.

He seemed to fall forever, stuck for eternity in a supernova of shame and dishonor. Thoughts raced in his mind as the pain intensified, reaching a level far beyond anything he'd thought possible.

"No." Maul thought to himself quietly and calmly. "It…it can't be."

Maul despised the Republic and all its inhabitants…but not because it was simply the way things were, but because Darth Sidious had instilled it in his soul. His very moral fibers glistened with the Sith Lords evil intent, allowing hatred for life to build and build, until finally, after years of planning, after nearly two decades of training, all of his work had been decimated by a jedi. How he despised them all.

Iridonia, his home world, nothing more than a repressed memory. His family, only a tiny spec of thought inside an infinite universe of darkness. The Sith, he and his master were the remnants of what once was, and what may never be again. His mother, he remembered his mother. The pain of the saber wound he'd just received paled in comparison to this new pain, an emotional pain. He'd realized he had taken the wrong path, and in that tiny glimmering memory of his mother, of his family, Maul knew he'd been deceived.

"Lord Sidious." Maul thought to himself. "I've failed you."

Time seemed to slow even further as more memories hurtled into his psyche. Images flashed in his mind like a Holotube screen on the fritz. He saw himself as a young boy on Iridonia. He'd been young…the thought somehow slipped his mind over the years. The possessing Palpatine forced him to endure had erased that memory along with many others. A new being was created after the Senator discovered his potential. The Senator sensed his power and jumped at the chance to train an apprentice of his own. An apprentice? Or was he simply a tool, a dismissible object to be discarded at any given time.

"He used me." Maul contemplated silently to himself as he continued to fall.

The fallen Sith felt anger and pain fuse together to form a new hatred; a hatred for his master. Long had he felt distrust for Palpatine, long had he fought an internal battle to repress his own memories. His people. He'd never known any other Zabrak. He would have liked to know someone else. He was utterly alone in the universe. He was the only Sith apprentice in existence.

"Hence forth, you shall be known as Darth Maul." The words echoed throughout his mind. A new image, a violent image sifted into his view; that of Darth Sidious the Deceiver. He remembered.

"Maul."

"Yes, my master." The Sith apprentice said half bowing.

"You have done well over the years. It is time to exact our revenge on the Jedi." Sidious voice boomed throughout his office. "You are both strong and wise. I feel it is time for you to explore the realms of the dark side."

"What would you have me do, my master?" Darth Maul exclaimed in a low gritty voice.

"You will go to the planet Kamino. You will gain the friendship of Lamu Su and the dignitaries there. Do what ever is necessary to gain their trust and loyalty." The hooded Sidious flashed a piercing smile. "Unfortunately, my young apprentice, you must appear to be part of the Jedi order to complete your task. It is vital that Lama Su believes you are Master Cypho Diaz." His smile dipped to a deceptive frown. "Unfortunately, my young apprentice, I cannot allow you the satisfaction of ending Master Diaz's life. He is far more powerful than you…I shall take care of him myself."

"Yes, my master. It should not pose much of a problem."

Maul widened his eyes as he realized his wound was far worse than it seemed. He closed his eyes tightly in pain, clenching his fists. The air left his body just as he caught a glimpse of Kenobi above him. He sneered into Obi-wan's eyes and received the same gesture in return, only to witness the lower portion of his body slide into his view. Mauls heart skipped beat and blackness took over his world. The Sith apprentice felt one last blast of pain rummage through his head as he slammed into the pit wall. The dark finally took over and it was not welcomed any longer.