Part 17: Betrayal

1 BBY.

Nar Shaddaa.

"My lord…" Q'ra began. "The Hutts have turned on us."

Maul could barely believe what he was hearing. It had only been a week since his meeting with Grakkus in the arena, he knew he had him under control…the pykes were nearly pushed out of Nar Shaddaa…how could this be?

"Grakkus would not dare." Maul said.

His yellow eyes studied last night's reports she had handed to him on a holo-pad from under his dark hood. Maul growled to see Q'ra was correct.

"My contacts in the pykes tell me they've struck a deal." She said. "The Hutts will aid the Pykes in the... unprovoked attacks by the overgrasping Crimson Dawn and finally wipe them off of Nar Shaddaa."

If what Q'ra said was true, the Grakkus had leaked assault plans to the pykes who sprung several counterattacks on The Crimson Dawn strike teams. As the pykes began to launch an offensive, Grakkus's forces was assaulting the territory Crimson Dawn seized from them.

Within a night, The Crimson Dawn had gone from on a glorious rise to a plummet that may destroy them forever.

"Leak to the pykes that Grakkus was behind the attacks on them." Maul said. "We must destabilize their alliance."

"Would that I could, my lord." Q'ra said. "Though presently they would see it little more than a desperate shift of blame."

Maul seethed under his dark hood.

"That aside," Maul said. "Grakkus has been adversarial to the pykes…what were they offered?"

"The pykes will receive what few operations we still hold in other systems, and Grakkus will consume the Pyke territory here." Q'ra said. "Additionally, the pykes that hold our territory here will resume operations more directly under Grakkus' supervision."

"Grakkus is a fool." Maul said, pacing.

"He gets everything he wants, my lord." She spread her hands. "The pykes are out of his way and he gets to expand his territory, and what presence remains from Oba Diah will be more tightly leashed. And us? We proved ourselves too powerful, he believed us a toothless lothwolf…but now that we showed our fangs again Grakkus has seen fit to finally kill us."

"We had him where we wanted." Maul said, making a fist. "What went wrong?"

Q'ra allowed herself a small sigh before straightening her posture.

"First we relied on forcing the Hutts to make accommodations for us, now we were relying on them to stay true to their word. If all of the pyke territory was held by us, what then? We were still counting on Grakkus to validate our position. If he decided to withhold his blessing…everything would have been for nothing. It was always within his control."

"He needs me." Maul said. "Grakkus has an appetite for knowledge that only I can satiate."

Maul knew it was flimsy…he had overestimated Grakkus's obsession with his trinkets, as if he'd forsake his obligations as a hutt crime lord. He was out of touch, he had become more accustomed to manipulating the desires of an individual rather than playing off the position of entire organizations these past years.

It was one thing to manipulate Grakkus the Hutt, a specific being with ambitions and fears…just as easily as he could twist Minister Almec or Ezra Bridger around his finger, but Maul was beginning to remember that an organization may be made up of individuals…but it was never adherent to the whims of one. That is where the masses of the galaxy differed…they had to become mindless hordes dedicated to one singular goal to make a ripple, but for Sith…all they needed were two. A master, and an apprentice. One to wield the power, and one to crave it.

"Yes, well…" She began carefully. "Our leverage came from his fear that the rest of The Hutts would take notice of his stunted trade. Perhaps they finally did, and forced his hand. Or certain Pykes contacted partners on Nal Hutta and informed them of the three-way war in Grakkus's domains. He may be passionate about his hobbies…but when The Desijic is asking him why he is underperforming…Grakkus will put business first."

The central holoterminal buzzed, and Q'ra went over to check the unending stream of notifications. Maul held up a hand and walked over and took a look at the updates himself.

Ever since they had reached their deal, The Crimson Dawn's assault against the pyke diverted many of their resources and their attention was lightened from the Hutt borders. Within a night, a dozen massive assaults from The Hutts pierced into those soft boundaries and stabbed deep within their territory.

A quarter of their territory had been seized. They were trapped…to divert from the front with the pykes would make them vulnerable to a counter attack, but to leave the hutts to themselves would have them hollow out The Crimson Dawn.

"How could you allow this, Lady Q'ra?" Maul seethed.

He was deflecting his frustrations, he knew, but Maul would not blame himself. His true obligations were only to the pursuit of The Dark Side, Q'ra lived to deal with these worldly affairs.

"I believe…" Q'ra began slowly before speaking more firmly. "I believe I was outspoken on my stance that Grakkus was not to be trusted, my lord."

Maul stared at her. She looked so small. For a moment, he felt a muscle flex in his arm, he was going to lift his hand and crush her. But he held the impulse back just before he did.

It would not be in his interest.

Q'ra seemingly sensed the danger she was in, and took a step back and bowed her head.

"Apologies, my lord." She said, wavering. "But I would not be a useful asset to you if I did not honestly express my perspective on our… your plans."

Maul turned, his cloak swaying.

He lashed out, flinging a crate with The Force across the room and smashing into a monitor. Q'ra flinched, but she held her posture firm and gaze fixed on the floor.

There was still time.

Maul could take his apprentice and carve his way to Grakkus…without any of these petty games he would dominate any who opposed him. But doing so threatened to show his hand and risk exposure to The Empire, perhaps he could have the boy do it himself…though he had shown growing reluctance to engage in this crime war and his powers alone may not be suitable.

If things truly turned against them, Maul could take Skywalker and return to Dathomir and reevaluate their plans. Together, their possibilities were endless. But losing The Crimson Dawn would make things much more difficult in arranging a presence in The Underworld, and if he were to abandon those plans pivoting to creating a different network entirely would take even longer. And while Q'ra was ultimately disposable, she was a useful tool to Maul and it would be a waste to lose her before he could use her fully.

A thousand possibilities ran through Maul's mind, and all of them relied on his apprentice.

As if summoned, Skywalker pushed in with heavy step, lightsaber dangling at his hip.

"Lord Starkiller." Q'ra said. "I take it the raid was successful."

Skywalker brushed a lock of his blond hair out of his face.

"We lost a lot, and we killed a lot…and for what?" He said, throwing up his arms. " Blasters . Just a ship full of blasters. I guess we're in luck…more blasters for us to kill more people."

"Darth Starkiller -"

Skywalker flinched.

"And that's another thing…I'm not Darth anything…it's ridiculous, my name is Luke , Luke Skywalker ."

The silence hung in the air. Maul could sense Q'ra's anxiety as she stood still between the master and apprentice.

"Leave us." Maul said to Q'ra without turning.

She quickly left without a word, and Maul sensed the anxiety lift as the door closed behind her.

The boy paced back and forth for a moment, and fidgeted with his lightsaber. Maul waited for him to begin, suppressing the urge to throw him into the durasteel wall for his display of defiance, in front of a tool no less. He looked like he had sustained wounds in his raid, but that was no excuse.

"I…I appreciate everything you've taught me." Skywalker finally began. "You awoke a deep part of me…but, well, you didn't think I could ever forgive what you did?"

Maul had told his apprentice the story many times on Dathomir…of how his Aunt and Uncle conspired with Kenobi to lie to him and hide his destiny, how they hated and feared him, how they would have him killed like his father before him…he would tell him during their duels to spur his anger, when he was at the point of exhaustion or most vulnerable, and when Maul could stir the darkness in him the most.

Eventually, Skywalker had begun to believe it. He had begun to turn his hate from Maul onto his family…but that was on Dathomir, and the boy was behaving differently these past few weeks. More assertive, and defiant. He should have dominated his apprentice once again, but he dared not break him in his attempts to bend him.

"I told you, they were afraid of you…" Maul began, lowering his voice. "They kept your powers secret and lied to you about your father, and plotted with Kenobi to kill you if you ever showed your true potential."

Maul could feel a mix of emotions stir within the boy, and opened his mouth to respond before stopping himself. After a moment, Skywalker began again.

"Maybe. Maybe not." He sighed. "All I know is that I loved them. And you killed them."

"Is that what this is about?" Maul asked, annoyance dripping from his voice. "The dead?"

"No. Yes…not all of it." He shrugged. "I have these great powers…I can't use them to help scum like the Hutts. I could be with The Rebellion right now fighting against The Empire, but instead I'm helping one gang fight another?

"We have been over this." Maul said. "The work we do now, together , is necessary to topple The Empire. The Rebellion are misguided fools, and you would be nothing but a tool to them."

"I'd rather be a tool for a good cause than a master of evil." He snapped back.

"You are not thinking clearly." Maul said. "Perhaps it is best for you to withdraw from the raids, and focus on reconnecting with The Dark Side."

Skywalker shook his head, and rubbed his hand over his face.

"No." Skywalker said. "On Dathomir, my mind was clouded and dark…I could barely think straight, it was like something was… wiggling its way into me, into my mind. But here…it's a little clearer at least, and I'm starting to think straight about all this."

Maul was silent, a cold anger rising in him.

"What are you telling me, apprentice?" Maul asked.

Skywalker stared down with his blue eyes. Maul's hand twitched at his side.

"I'm done."