Xeran had done many terrible things in his life. He had lied, stolen, tortured, killed. But even he was shocked by his latest act. He could not help but wonder what kind of person he was that he was capable of murdering his lover.

A few months ago, at his sixteenth birthday, his master had introduced her to him. Xiann was one of the most beautiful Twi'lek dancers in his cantina. He was immediately attracted to her, and she had managed to awaken something inside him that he had not felt before. He felt as if every moment spent with her was special. He thought he would remember their first kiss for the rest of his life, and their first night together even more so. But now, he would always remember their last night together, when, after she exhausted him, she had tried to stab him in his sleep.

He felt betrayed. Wounded. But he had an appointment with his master, and he had no time to dwell on his thoughts. After all, it was possible that Maul, with all his wisdom, would be able to help him somehow.

When he reached his master's office, he heard the heated conversation inside. Apparently, one of his smugglers had dropped a large load of weapons to avoid being caught by the Empire. He felt Maul's anger rising and the fear of the other man, and then he only felt Maul's life force inside the room. A moment later, two servants entered the room and left carrying a body. Maul gestured for him to come inside.

Xeran bowed. "Master."

"Ah, my apprentice. I hope you bring me some good news. How goes your translation of Silc's documents?"

"It is nearly finished, master. It is a detailed description of the weapon and its inner workings, which happens to contain a description of the Sith Temple where it is housed. But there are no mentions of its creator, or its location, just as we suspected."

Maul appeared lost in thought for a second. "That is…unfortunate. I suppose it falls upon me to locate the rest of the documents if my plans are to progress. Though if you wish to help, you can try to exploit whatever connection the documents might have to their counterparts in the Force during your meditations. They are, after all, inscriptions created by a Sith, imbued with the energies of dark incantations drawing power from the creator's will. Perhaps somehow you will manage to uncover the secret."

"Yes, master."

He felt the older warrior's piercing gaze upon him.

"You seem distressed."

"…Yes, master. Not even half an hour ago, there was a…an attempt on my life."

"Oh? By whom?"

"Xiann, she…we were together, and she tried to stab me. I don't think it was of her own will, it couldn't have been, someone must have paid her… we struggled, and I pushed her away with the Force, and I only meant to stop her, but…her neck was broken, and I…"

"Apprentice. Stop talking. Take a breath. I can figure out the rest myself."

Xeran took a few deep breaths, then he kept his eyes on the ground. "We need to find who tried to have me killed. And then, I will personally destroy them."

"That will not be necessary. I already know who made the attempt on your life."

To say Xeran was surprised would be an understatement. "How? And who?"

"It was me. I paid her to kill you."

The young Zabrak was at a loss for words. He just kept looking at his master. His hand instinctively rose to the hilt of his weapon, and he gathered the Force around him, ready to defend himself.

"Relax, apprentice. If I desired your destruction, I would not employ an assassin."

"But…then…why?"

"It was a lesson. I intended for the woman to earn your trust, to show you that you need to pick your companions with greater care. It was a shame you were so misguided. She was very eager to take the money I offered her to kill you. But I had no intention to cause your death. I knew you would survive her."

Maul could feel the turmoil inside his apprentice. He was usually obedient. Even when he employed cruel tricks to teach him, Xeran would understand, and he would pass the test every time, growing stronger in the process. But the anger he felt radiating from him right now was deeper than he had ever felt. From anyone.

"You have permission to speak freely."

Xeran looked at him, his eyes predatory.

"Master, I understand the reasons for the nature of your methods. I am trying to learn the dark side of the Force, and you train me accordingly. But don't you think this is a step too far?"

"Is it? Let me explain something to you. My lessons aim to teach you something beyond the power of the Force: pragmatism. People will stop at nothing to better their position, including the betrayal of their closest acquaintances, as I have just proven to you. Laying your guard down as you did was uncharacteristic of you."

Xeran's anger rose. "And what about what you did? Whatever your purpose might have been, that was nothing sort of insanity! And I will never allow you to do anything like that to me again!"

Maul got up, walked until he was in front of Xeran, and gazed at him intensely. "And how do you intend to stop me?"

Xeran stood still for a second. Swiftly, he drew his warblade and, with a growl, he charged at Maul.

His weapon was met by the red blade of a lightsaber. He tried to hit his master with the other blade of the weapon, but the older Zabrak was fast. He blocked a few hits, then went on the offensive, trying to finish the fight with a powerful stab.

Xeran saw it coming. He sidestepped and kicked Maul on the back. The Zabrak fell forward, but he reduced the impact with a roll and faced Xeran again. The younger man saw his master's naked teeth, and the rage in his eyes, but his anger far outweighed his fear. He unleashed a powerful Force push that sent furniture flying and charged again, without waiting to observe the results.

Maul managed to block the push. He dodged his apprentice's brutal blow and, finding an opening, scored a hit on Xeran's shoulder. Thankfully, it was superficial, but the pain only made the younger warrior angrier. He performed a wide sweep, which Maul avoided by jumping above him, and Force pushed the older man the moment he landed. This one hit, and hard. Maul was sent flying across the room and crashed on the wall, then fell. Xeran was onto him at once and blindly hammered his master with the warblade. Maul rose on his knees fast enough to block the deadly hit, but another came, then another. Eventually, Xeran delivered a powerful blow, which knocked the double-bladed lightsaber out of Maul's hands. Maul prepared to defend himself with the Force, but he did not need to, as the younger warrior fell on his knees, exhausted by both his frenzy and the events of the day. The blade left his hand. Both men fell on the floor, completely drained.

There was a long silence. Xeran spoke first.

"I understand." Maul looked at his apprentice, surprised.

"I understand what you are trying to do. You are trying to prepare me for this world, for what you believe I am not ready to face, what you believe will destroy me. But experiences like this…maybe I learn from them, but also, little by little, they break me, and sometimes I fear it is beyond my ability to heal. Have you ever thought that, in the end, you might be the one who destroys me?"

Maul felt something he could not describe. Xeran was right. He was not teaching the boy, he was traumatizing him, and that would not save his life, it would corrupt it beyond repair. He thought back at the way Sidious had trained him, and how that had affected his life. He remembered seeing his brother dying, and the gaping hole his death had left in his life, one that, for all his efforts, he was never truly able to fill. He realized he was doing the same to Xeran. No matter how hard he had tried to avoid it, he had become his master.

He was at awe at the sixteen-year-old's wisdom. He briefly wondered whether it was a product of what he had put him through over the years.

Slowly, he got up, letting his regret be felt across their Force bond. He offered Xeran his hand. Xeran looked at it for a second, unmoving, then took it and let Maul help him up.

"Xeran…I am sorry." Maul picked up a chair and sat. "When I discovered you, I decided I would do more than train you. I wanted to raise you. In the beginning, it was a choice made out of self-righteousness, but slowly I started to truly care for you. I did not expect that, nor was I ready for it, but I swore I would do the best I could. But I do not know the right way to teach you. The way I was raised was…harrowing. Every moment was meant to turn me into a weapon. I desired to be better, but this is the only way I have known. At least believe this: I am truly trying."

Xeran did not look at him for a while. Eventually, he raised his eyes. "I know. But sometimes, it does not feel that way."

"You are right." Maul looked at the floor. "I shall try harder to be the teacher you deserve. Nothing of that sort will ever happen again, you have my word. And I will never interfere in your personal life again. As long as it does not impede your ability to serve me."

Xeran stayed silent for a short time. Then he spoke. "Yes, lord Maul."

"Also, it is imperative that you understand something else. I was not attempting to teach you to never get close to others. It is true that you need to choose your companions more carefully, but never make the mistake of isolating yourself. The Sith believe attachment makes you weak. I believe otherwise. I discovered, late in my life, that having something important to you, something worth fighting for, can be a source of great power. It can certainly give you purpose." He hesitated for a moment. "It took knowing you to teach me that."

Despite his best efforts, Xeran could not find anything to say. He took a deep breath to ease the ache in his chest.

"By your leave, I need some time to contemplate the events that transpired."

Maul nodded. "Go. Take as much time as you require, then return to me. I believe it is time for you to complete your training."

Xeran bowed, then left.

Maul found himself lost in his thoughts once more. It happened a lot since that child came into his life. He knew he was not meant to be a father to the boy, and he was not sure what he expected to come out of this endeavor, but all the years of loneliness and lack of purpose had taken their toll, and he wanted something more than what he had known before. He wanted to do right by Xeran. He wondered, as he often did, if he was too broken to even try.