Hypori, Outer Rim, 37 BBY

Maul's body lay dead at the mouth of the cave that used to be his shelter for the last month of grueling survival training, hunted down by the assassin droids released by his Master, set to kill him. Sidious could hear his former apprentice's skin crackle as it cooked from the inside while his nostrils were assaulted by the smell of burned flesh. It was the smell of victory, the sign of a master's dominion over his fallen apprentice. Sidious closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling the Dark Side of the Force flow through him as the popping sound of lightning came from his fingertips.

He had shown so much promise, he thought. The Zabrak had been as knowledgeable as any Sith before him, even though he wasn't supposed to be. He knew the Order's long history, learning it at his hands and under the threat of being poisoned should he make a mistake. He had ruthlessly destroyed the Orsis Academy of Assassins, killing students and teachers alike with precision and brutality. He had almost survived his ultimate test, flying from the brink of death to strike him down. Sidious had goaded him, speaking of an apprentice more powerful and wise, a true Sith, waiting in the wings to replace him should he fail. It was a ploy, a deception to force his apprentice into calling all his hate and anger to the surface. To fight. And fight the Zabrak did and even tore into his hands with his bare teeth.

That, Sidious could not abide.

A torrent of emotions coursed through him. The pain from his would-be apprentice's attack, the anger at being touched by a being that wasn't nearly his equal, the fear that he might be in actual danger. The volatile mix exploded and that explosion fueled the Sith Lord. He showered the Zabrak with a torrent of Force Lightning and didn't stop for a good while. Sidious approached the body, wishing to take a closer look upon his handiwork. Walking with restrained yet gleeful steps that could only be coming from a man that was immensely curious about his handiwork, the Sith Lord was beside the body in seconds. The Zabrak's eye sockets dripped with a white liquid that Sidious quickly surmised that it could only have been his eyes. There were a few spots that one couldn't discern when the ink of Maul's tattoos began and his flesh ended, the lightning having burned it black. On the few spots where his red skin remained, marks similar to branches from the trees of his native Naboo showed the path that the electricity had taken through his blood vessels. The corpse was taut and frozen stiff. He had died with all of his nerves screaming in pain.

"Good", Sidious snickered. "Beautiful", he said to nobody but himself as a large smile formed on his face. He was beaming with glee. Even if Maul had proven to be a dead end, his own power had been confirmed once again. There was no higher goal for a Sith Lord. The only thing that he had lost was time and a few thousand credits.
"May you be forgotten, Maul. May the maggots of Hypori feast on you, my little red horned friend." With his face covered under his hood, Sidious left the cave behind him, the body of his would-be apprentice left to the elements to be forgotten.

Ishtetdona, Private Cruise ship in orbit over Ryloth

"What brought you all this way out here, Senator Palpatine?". He could sense the pink skinned woman's feigned interest in his itinerary. Danil was a Zeltron in need of someone to latch herself on. It was evident from her revealing attire, open and welcoming manner and the fact that she seemingly found herself in the same place as he throughout the duration of the cruise that Senator Orn Free Taa had organized during the Senate's recess period. It's their species' way, he thought while flashing one of his trademark smiles at her. Palpatine could taste her anxiety while she slowly realized that her pheromones had no effect on him. He knew that she could also read his mind and project images into his head. It was tempting to project a few images in her head himself but for now, he resisted the temptation. Maybe later.

"The Senate is in recess and my good friend", Palpatine said while placing a brotherly hand on Orn Free Taa's shoulder, "Senator Taa volunteered to show me around his little corner of the Galaxy. He could turn everyone into a fan of Rylothian hospitality."

"Yes. You may support that spineless weakling Valorum but you are a pleasure to be around, my friend", the corpulent Twi'lek replied, all too pleased with his Naboo counterpart. "He is a man of culture too, you know. We must be responsible for half the revenue of the Galaxies Opera House." Taa kept talking but Palpatine wasn't listening. He replied here and there but his mind was racing. Palpatine wasn't prone to questioning the merit of his actions but perhaps in this instance he had acted too hastily. Maul's demise left his spot empty. He had promised his master to deliver a Sith Assassin of unparalleled quality, a weapon for the Sith and unbeknownst to Plagueis, a weapon for himself too. He would need an apprentice when he disposed of his wretched Muun master.

There was somebody

Palpatine shivered beneath his robes. He had been feeling the presence of a being during this entire trip. It was strong, too strong. Even as he was killing Maul, its presence was there, all encompassing. He could shut it out with meditation, pain, pleasure or anger but not for long. It's here. It has to be here. He couldn't pin down its exact location but it had to be in this area of the Galaxy. At Coruscant, he could barely perceive it.

"Oh hoho, that might interest you Palpatine", Taa said, breaking his thoughts.

I highly doubt it. "I am sorry, my friend. What might interest me?", he asked gently.

"You are interested in swoop racing if memory serves, correct? Pod racing, bikes and the like." Palpatine nodded. Interested was an understatement. Palpatine absolutely loved racing. He even took his swoop bike for a spin when he was on Coruscant, not caring if he would be discovered. The adrenaline, the power, it was too much to turn down.

"I must admit that I have a certain… juvenile fascination with the subject. I wanted to be a swoop bike racer when I was younger, believe it or not. Is Miss Danil also interested?"

"As a matter of fact I am", the Zeltron smiled, hoping that she had finally found a way to his heart. "There is a little human boy in Tatooine, not that far away, who is a keen swoop racer. In fact, he is in the big leagues. He came in second in the Boonta Eve Classic, losing to Sebulba at the last possible second. And as if that wasn't enough, he is only five years old."

The tug of the Force at his heart almost made him cry out in pain and exultation. IT MUST BE HIM. Pod racing required inhuman speed and dexterity, attributes that one powerful in the force surely possessed. He did a double take which could thankfully be attributed to surprise before the Sith Lord composed himself once again. "How interesting. Almost impossible. We should go there immediately. Could you arrange it, Taa?" He has no other choice, he thought, compelling the Twi'lek through the Force before he took Danil's hand.

"Tell me more about this boy, my dear", he urged the pink skinned woman as they walked away from their host.