Star Wars Infinities: The Master
Interlude Profile: Darth Maul
By: Christopher W. Blaine
e-mail: darth_yoshi@yahoo.com
DISCLAIMER: All of the characters and situations contained in this story are ©2003 by LucasFilm Ltd. They are used here without permission for fan-related entertainment purposes only. This original story is ©2003 by Christopher W. Blaine.
In another time and place, he was barely a footnote in the history of the galaxy, but in one of the myriad of universes of Star Wars Infinities, Darth Maul became something to be remembered.
Maul was only a child when Darth Sideous discovered him. From a very early age, the Force-sensitive Iridonian Zabrak demonstrated an aptitude for combat. Maul was a master of several martial arts by the time he reached adulthood and in his heart he held an obsession to destroy the Jedi. As a Dark Lord of the Sith, Maul became the personal weapon of choice in Darth Sideous' mission to control the galaxy. Maul was an operative, student and assassin and he never failed.
Driven to prove that the Sith were more powerful than the Jedi, Maul jumped at the chance to match saber blades with renown Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn when the Jedi and his apprentice escorted Queen Amidala to Naboo just prior to the battle for that planet. Maul was successful in defeating Qui-Gon, which enraged the padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kenobi fought valiantly against Maul, but in the end was no match for the Sith Lord. Obi-Wan attempted to lull Maul into a false sense of security, but Maul was not fooled. With a swipe of his lightsaber, Maul killed Obi-Wan and secured a future for himself.
Months after the Battle for Naboo, Count Dooku, a Jedi Master turned to the Dark Side of the Force, presented before Darth Maul the young boy Anakin Skywalker. Anakin had been discovered on Tatooine by Qui-Gon Jinn and possessed vast Force potential. Qui-Gin had taken Anakin before the Jedi Council, but Yoda was against training the boy. With nobody to claim guardianship of him, Anakin was deposited into an orphanage on Coruscant. The story would have ended there except that Anakin was able to get a message to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, requesting he contact Queen Amidala to plead his case.
Palpatine, secretly Darth Sideous, sent Dooku to get the boy and from there Anakin Skywalker became the apprentice to Darth Maul. For ten years, Anakin trained in the ways of the Sith, eventually becoming a Dark Lord himself. This technically violated the Sith rule of one Dark Master and one Dark Apprentice, but Anakin, now calling himself Darth Vader, and Maul were an unstoppable team and Palpatine decided to adopt a more liberal view of Sith lifestyle.
Maul and Vader successfully infiltrated the headquarters of Jabba the Hutt and kill the crime lord, effectively seizing control of Tatooine. With Count Dooku and Palpatine's aid, Lord Vader presented himself before the Republic senate in order to gain entrance for the desert world. Maul remained behind on Tatooine and sought out the mother of Anakin Skywalker. Young Vader still clung to thoughts of his former life and Maul was convinced that by eliminating the mother and thereby severing the ties that bound him. Maul tracked down Shmi Skywalker and murdered not only her, but her new family as well.
Vader returned to Tatooine and was immediately suspicious of his master when he was informed of his mother's death. Vader had witnessed firsthand the cruelty of Darth Maul when his master had raped and killed the Force-sensitive bounty hunter Aurra Sing. Vader attempted to read his Master's mind and Maul reacted violently. Their relationship was beginning to fray as Vader was gaining power and prominence in the Republic and Maul reasoned that Palpatine was choosing a new Dark Apprentice.
There was an attempt by Maul to reconcile with Vader, on the planet Dathomir, as they hunted Rancors, but Maul finally had to admit that his apprentice was out-growing him. Maul sealed a deal with the Witches of Dathomir for Palpatine and then unknowingly fathered a child, Malakie, with the lead witch Gethzerion.
Maul was eventually given the rank of General in the military of the New Order, but was regaled to the sidelines as Vader, with his young bride Padme Amidala, took center stage and became the stars of the Empire. Maul seethed in a desire to regain his status with Darth Sideous and knew that the only way to do so was to get rid of both Vader and Amidala. Before he could act on his plan, however, he was ordered to the Sith world of Koriban to deal with holdout members of the Jedi Council that had taken refuge there.
Maul was the first to land on the planet, just in front of a task force led by Vader and Bail Organa, who had been drafted into Palpatine's service. Maul faced off with the Jedi and defeated them, including Mace Windu, the most senior surviving member of the Council. Vader landed on the planet and master and apprentice faced off against each other. Despite being wounded in battle with the Jedi, Maul proved to be the superior combatant.
Amidala, now a young Sith trainee and Vader's apprentice, traveled to the planet as well and interrupted Maul's death blow to Anakin. In a rage, Maul used the Force to drop a giant statue on Padme. Vader, shocked by the sight of his beloved being crushed, called upon the Force and became a conduit of pure energy. The build-up of power destroyed Vader's body, but it also allowed him to claim the life of his master and Darth Maul died with barely a whimper.