Sundari Royal Palace, Mandalore; 20 BBY
" . . . Have mercy . . . please . . . please!"
The words cut through the empty palace grounds, fear evident. The cyborg cowered on the ground before the cloaked Sith Lord. Darth Sidious raised his arms, hands hanging down like spiders suspended in the air.
"There is no mercy," Sidious soothed in a soft voice a fraction of a second before his hands shot forth, clawed and spitting bolts of violet lightning. His perpetual frown morphed into a manic grin at seeing the Zabrak squirm on the ground, writhing in agony, as it was meant to be.
Maul had suffered before, yes, his life was full of it. The pain necessary to train, to excel in his duty. The strain and eventual breaking of his mind on Lotho Minor was a striking hallmark. None of that compared to what he experienced now. Lord Sidious had punished him during his training, but this was more than to merely teach a lesson, this was torture, torture and then death beside his brother. Maul's tattooed skin blistered and burnt, his scream already horse after a few seconds as the electricity crawled its way down his throat. The lightning abated momentarily and Maul knew this was the end, the killing blow foregone.
"Do not worry, I'm not going to kill you" Sidious sneered down at his former apprentice, weak-willed and vulnerable after only the beginning of his tender mercies. He let the silence hang in the air for a beat. "I have . . . other uses for you . . . " He trailed off laughing as he ramped up another barrage of lightning, Maul's howls barely discernible over the crackling.
Sometime later, Sidious knelt beside his unconscious captive. His extensive session left Maul's body scarred and burned. Little remained of his red body art, blackened and charred to a crisp. Still, this pathetic excuse for an apprentice was alive, which was more than he deserved. Roughly grabbing an arm with the Force, Sidious hauled him to a sitting position. Despite his unconscious state, the pain was sufficient to make Maul cringe from reflex alone.
"Death will not be a punishment for you," Sidious slid a bony hand along Maul's cheek. "It will be an escape, but only after you've fulfilled your debt to me."
A flick of his wrist sent all three lightsabers flying to his hand. Maul's design was familiar, and that mongrel of a brute had fashioned a saberstaff of his own; clumsy and inelegant as its owner had been. The third was intriguing. It was an ancient design, angular and the blade was quite unique. Turning back to Maul, knowing that he couldn't respond, Sidious smirked. "You must tell me how you came by this relic."
His time here was over, after all the chaos caused by the civil war would only distract for so long before these pawns sought the guidance of Maul. As it was, the Republic would need to intervene, and thus fall under the influence of the Chancellor's reach. Sidious briefly considered leaving Maul's sibling behind, he never did bother to remember the fool's name, but that would leave too many questions for the Jedi.
So, Sidious strode back into the palace, Maul and his brother stayed where they were for a moment before they were dragged along. Maul's badly burned body twitched as more skin was scrapped off along the way, a muddy train of blood marked the path behind.
Chancellor Office, Coruscant; 20 BBY
"Chancellor, I'm relieved to hear your voice. When I heard of the civil war on Mandalore, I feared the worst."
"Oh, you needn't fret over me, my boy." Palpatine smiled wanly. "As it so happens, my trip there was preempted by business back here. A serendipitous turn of events, as it turns out."
The Chancellor rested his hand on Anakin's shoulder before making his way to his desk. Anakin frowned slightly. "Still, I wouldn't advise doing something like that again, the galaxy isn't safe. I received word from Obi-Wan a few hours ago that Maul was on Mandalore."
The Chancellor was still for a moment, as if frozen in thought. "Master Kenobi was on Mandalore?"
Anakin waved this off, not noticing the slight frown gracing the Chancellor's normally genial features. "He went there to save the Duchess."
"Ah, ever the noble hero, your master," Palpatine said, steepling his fingers. "Still, this is troubling news. If true, the Republic would have no choice but to act."
"Obi-Wan was afraid you'd say that."
"I fear I have little choice in the matter, my boy," leaning back, the Chancellor sighed. "Perhaps Captain Tarkin could help alleviate the tension there. I believe the two of you have met, have you not?"
Unknown Location; 20 BBY
When he woke, it was to the stunning realization that he was alive. Sidious had kept his word, though that line of thought led to more ominous events to come. Maul's mind wasn't ready to follow that line of reasoning just yet, he needed to survey his surroundings.
The first, and most obvious thing, was the darkness. The room offered no sources of light, a pitch that was complete and all-pervasive. Second, Maul suspected that he was lying on the floor, it was certainly hard enough to be. Rolling over, he hit something large and heavy, but not a wall. Tentatively reaching out, he felt the outline of a body. Was Sidious holding other prisoners? He felt for a light, supplies, anything that might be of use, but came up empty handed. It was when his fingers touched the others' face that his blood froze. There were horns on the head, two broken.
Maul let out an involuntary gasp and shoved his brother's corpse away, just as a door slid open. There, bathed in unearthly light, stood Darth Sidious. "Not happy with your roommate?" The Sith's voice sounded concerned, comforting, and completely insincere. "After all, you ran to him so passionately, as if you . . . cared for him."
Sidious stepped inside, his golden eyes glowing in the darkness. Maul flinched, and Sidious struck. White-hot tendrils of electricity cocooned him, burning him.
"You've lost your way . . . "
Crack. Another wave of pain.
" . . . Reached for the sun . . . "
Maul was thrown bodily into a far wall.
" . . . And got burned . . . "
Held against the vertical surface, he could see the grin forming beneath Sidious' cowl.
"I'm here to help you find your way back."
The lightning started again, but this time didn't stop until he sunk into blissful unconsciousness. The first of many sessions, all of which he awoke to the sickeningly reliable corpse of his brother, a physical reminder that he always had a master, and that master was a cruel one.
LiMerge Power Building, Coruscant; 20 BBY {One Month Later}
The Punworcca 116-class Interstellar Sloop was an elegant ship, no other word could better describe it. The Geonosian design gave it needle point, but the crowning feature was the sail itself, hence the nickname 'Solar Sailor.' It had been in Dooku's possession for longer than many would have believed. Years before becoming a Sith, Dooku had been gifted the ship by Poggle the Lesser, a friend from his time as a Jedi Master. It was somewhat unorthodox for a Jedi to accept such a bequest but Dooku was never was to be described as conventional under any circumstances.
The sail itself was not originally part of the ship, but a unique antique purchased in Gree Enclave, a remnant of an ancient species that had mastered supralight propulsion. It, too, was a gift to the Count by a close friend and up-and-coming politician, Senator Palpatine, who himself was an avid antique collector. It was terribly ironic, for the scant few who had known, that Dooku and Palpatine would find themselves on opposite sides of a galactic war, they had been such close friends early on. The sail was compact and efficient, making Dooku's ship one of the most unique in the galaxy, though innocuous enough to be functional. The Sloop was also unique for its ability to travel nearly anywhere in the galaxy, a feature supplied by Dooku's master, Darth Sidious. It could bypass not only Confederacy forces, but also Republic ones if need be, and it was the latter that had been utilized this time.
Coruscant was truly one massive city, but what many people forget is nearly every city leaves behind a sprawl of abandoned buildings when the affluent decided to move onwards and upwards (the second being literal in this case). One of the best examples of this was the infamous Works. The factories that had once been instrumental in building the sky scrapers surrounding it had been left behind to the scavengers. No taxi pilot, even the droids, would venture there for anything less than a small fortune, it would have been cheaper to buy a ship and pilot it yourself if you wished so badly to visit.
In the very center of the Works, like a dagger plunged into the planet by some vengeful deity, was the LiMerge Power Building. Every few years some ambitious or environmentalist politician would rant and rave about tearing the whole thing down for habitation dwellings, but no one could ever quite figure out just who owned it all. What they would have found out, had anyone had the time, resources, and stamina to dig deep enough, was that the vast majority was controlled by a corporation headquartered on Tythe.
LiMerge Power was a manufacturing corporation, but that wasn't important, what they didn't do was important. They decided to cut corners in certain containment domes for their factories on Tythe. Eventually, the structural integrity was reached and collapsed in on itself, spewing tons of volatile chemicals and toxins into the northern hemisphere of Tythe. The reparations to the planet were extensive, punitive, and forced the company to look for outside backing lest they go bankrupt. Hego Damask, of the famed Damask Holdings stepped in to save the day. The Muun paid off the Tythe government and fired the executive staff. Within a period of months, LiMerge Power had shut down all ongoing operations and became a shell for the InterGalactic Banking Clan. Damask used his influence to have LiMerge Power purchase real estate across the galalxy from an accounting facility on Mustafar to massive parcels of land and buildings in the derelict Works. The LiMerge Power Building had gotten its name because of this and it was here that Dooku's Sloop traveled.
Flying past columns of soot-filled smoke, miraculously still being pumped from the long abandoned factories, the ship slide quietly into an open hanger door near the apex of the tower. Repulsorlifts buffeted the craft as it landed without a sound. The rear hatch slid vertically and the entrance ramp extended to the polished floor. Dooku knew he was expected, and the shadows held more than just fear of the unknown here.
"Welcome home, Lord Tyranus," one particularly dense shade whispered. The cloaked form of Darth Sidious slithered into the light, a relative distinction in the perpetually overcast Works.
"You summoned me, my lord." Though Dooku couldn't fathom why. After all, there was a war to orchestrate. Still, he sunk to one knee in deference.
"Indeed I did." Sidious' lips twitched into a shadow of a smile, and Dooku felt the pit of his stomach drop, how had he failed this time?
Seemingly ignoring the concern radiating from his apprentice, Sidious began walking deeper into his lair. Dooku automatically rose and began to follow.
"Things have been different between us, my friend, since that unfortunate business with your assassin." Sidious said offhandedly, as if it was of no great concern. "I would like to correct any misunderstandings."
Some primal part of Dooku's mind urged him to run, flee the impending wrath for his failure in dealing with Ventress, the wretch was still at large. Another, more resigned part of him insisted that he could never flee his Master. With little effort, the latter won out. "Master?"
"You sent General Grievous on a mission to destroy the Nightsister clan," he continued, "but the matriarch escaped. Mother Talzin has caused me some grief these past few months."
They were deeper in fortress than Dooku had ever traveled. Dust coated the ceramic flooring, but the walls were immaculately clean. It was all he could do not to squirm at what was sure to be a painful lesson, as so many before had been.
"Did I ever tell you that your predecessor once thought he could betray the Rule of Two? That he thought he could circumvent me?" Sidious stopped at the threshold of an arched entranceway, larger than any of the others. He beckoned Dooku forward, to the darkened room. "There are consequences for failure, Count."
The door slid open and Dooku had a fraction of a seconds' warning before a sharp Force blast by Sidious sent him sailing headlong inside. Sidious strolled in a moment later at a much more leisurely pace. Overhead lights powered up to reveal what could only be called an arena. Steps from all sides spilled onto a sunken platform. Dooku landed unceremoniously at the foot of one end of the rectangular dais. At the other end, chained to a column of durasteel, was a deranged-looking Zabrak.
Sidious circled the room, like a vulture, and continued to speak calmly. "The Nightsisters' handiwork," he said, gesturing to the prisoner. "My former apprentice resurrected, a consequence of your failure." Snapping his fingers, the shackles fell lose around Maul. In a look that encompassed them both, Dooku couldn't be sure to whom the next words were directed. "Kill him!"
Snarling like a beast, Maul lunged, unlocked chains scrapping the ground behind them. His nails were chipped and sharp, deadly weapons, if they reached Dooku. Scowling at the enraged beast, the Count curled his fingers into a claw and Maul rose in the air, held aloft in a chokehold. Dooku followed his victim a moment later.
"Did I say you could do that, apprentice?" Sidious spat from somewhere behind him. "I'm not interested in Force prowess. If you want to win, you'll do so the hard way."
A pair of durasteel blades clattered between them. They didn't even have sonic generators, just razor-sharp metal, dead blades. Surely, he can't be serious, thought the Count. As one, he and Maul dropped unceremoniously to the ground. The Zabrak summoned one saber to his hand, it's dull slate-grey glint looked rusted.
Old he may have been, but Dooku was nothing, if not adaptable. The second blade flew to his hand in time to block a sweep by Maul. The clash sent ripples though his arm, the impact hurting almost as much as a cut would have. With his hand raised, the Count sent his opponent flying away, only to latch onto the column and ricochet back. This time, Dooku angled his block to send the other sword down, and rounded in a high pass that would have taken off the Zabrak's horned head.
Maul dropped his blade and grabbed the Count's sword arm, stopping it from completing its deadly arc. Without hesitation, he slammed his forehead against Dooku, stunning the older man. Following though, Maul's fists rained down, leaving burses and fracturing frail bones in the process.
Knowing he had to stop the physical contest, in which he had little chance against someone half his age and completely enraged, Dooku grabbed one of Maul's arms, locking it with his own. The stayed that way, at impasse for a full second before the Count sunk his teeth into Maul's exposed arm, metallic blood staining his mouth when he pulled a chunk of flesh away. The Zabrak's howl of pain echoed in the arena, and Dooku threw him off.
"Good, good," Sidious cackled from the upper echelons of the chamber.
Dooku rose to his feet shakily and grabbed one of the dead blades. Maul was doing the same, only with sticky red blood coursing down his left arm. The two came together with a clang of durasteel, two pairs of hate-filled eyes glaring over the grey instruments. Maul got the upper hand first with an angled kick to the Count's leg, a loud crack and Dooku dropped to one knee. With a sweep of his blade, Maul's leg fell away to reveal cables and circuitry, a surprise to the Count.
Sidious circled, watching with glee as his apprentice and former-apprentice were at the other's throat. There wasn't much left of Maul by now, only the animal and base instincts that were so primal that Sidious didn't even fully consider him sentient any longer. It was of no matter, he needed the body, not the failed mind. All the neuro-pathways were there for the procedure the Jedi infants had escaped, and even had a better chance of survival. The first in an army of advocates, loyal to him alone, working in the shadows, extensions of his will. They would be his influence in the galaxy, his hands on the throats of all who ran afoul of the Lord of the Sith. But until then, he was a tool, a rabid tool to show Dooku what happens to failures, to those who fall behind.
The time to end this lesson was drawing close. Neither were faring well, especially with the Count forbidden from using the only real advantage he had. Walking down to the central dais, Sidious sent them both flying back, cracking ceramic walls in the process, adding insult to injury. He waved a negligent hand and a pair of assassin droids dragged the nearly catatonic Maul out, on to his final use to the Sith.
"This was an object lesson, Count," Sidious said, turning back to Dooku. "If you ever deign to train someone again, I'll do far worse. My leniency has bounds."
Dooku felt like a decade of life had been stripped away, he had more broken bones and lacerations than he'd taken in nearly his entire life. Only his training and devotion to the dark side let him stay conscious enough to understand his master's words, drilled in though pain.
"I trust this impresses upon you the consequences of failure again?" Sidious levitated Dooku in the air, high enough to meet the Sith's hooded eyes. Dooku nodded and tried to speak, but exhaustion was already set in. Anger flared in his master's eyes. "Say it!"
"Yes . . . master . . . "
Sidious dumped him on the ground, Dooku panting for air, not daring to look up at the cloaked Sith.
"I trust you can see yourself out, apprentice." With a flick of his rode, Sidious was gone.
Author's Note: Well, the one episode of the Clone Wars that I've been looking forward to was finally here, and I enjoyed this one even more than 'Children of the Jedi.' I was surprised that Sidious didn't kill Maul, but I just had to put my own spin on what happened after. My guess, and how I wrote this, was Maul becoming the first of Sidious' Hands, early prototypes for what we see in the Empire (there are hints he had Hands during the Republic).
As far as the story, not too much to say. I always thought Dooku got off easy when Sidious told him to kill Ventress and he failed three times, plus training her so much in the first place. For me, Sidious is pretty sadistic, I actually took the idea of leaving Savage's body in Maul's room from what I thought would have been a cruel (and thus perfect) thing for Maul to do to Obi-Wan with Satine. Macabre, I know, but I think Sidious would actually do that.
I was torn as to making this a separate story, but it kind of fell under the umbrella of the original one-shot.