Author's Note: Cue Duel of the Fates 'cause the Maul fight is here!
-Chapter 118: Breaking Point-
Location: Raydonia
"Before we can rise, we must be broken."
Scipio stammered out a reply. "N-Not yet. I-I'm still making a few final adjustments to-"
"I need it. The sooner the better." Wraith growled, not necessarily agitated but still simply seeking from the rage accumulating in his heart. Pushing past the Pau'an, the super-soldier made a beeline for the hub, leaving Scipio unnerved and worried by this sudden change in Wraith's behavior.
Elsewhere in the galaxy, on Dathomir...
Savage Opress ran. His footsteps carried him through the shadowy corridors and across the rocks as he followed the metallic clanging with skillful ease. Further ahead, metal feet pounded against the ground, clawed appendages powering ahead through a speed supplanted them by their user. They were scrappy and salvaged, parts from fallen B2 super droids pulled together and meshed into functioning limbs via Nightsister magicks. They looked animalistic and predatory, befitting of their wearer: his brother. Restored to life and sanity, Savage's brother was now alive and well, able to stand and think coherently thanks to the work of Mother Talzin. Another Nightbrother lived, one who would be feared throughout the galaxy.
For his brother was none other than Darth Maul.
Maul slid to a halt in the midst of the corpse-strewn field, letting out a terrifying roar that echoed throughout the empty valley and filled the misty crimson skies over Dathomir. Savage arrived by his side shortly after, his yellow markings in stark contrast to Maul's blood red ones.
"My hatred kept my spirit intact even though my body was not." Maul rasped, his body heaving as the Sith fed on the energy of living, the notion of being alive enough to supplant his anger just barely. "Yes, I was lost and became a rabid animal. Such is how you found me, brother. Discarded and forgotten." Maul growled as he turned around, the darkness around him thick and palpable to Savage. Trained in the Dark Side of the Force, Savage had never felt such great anger and darkness before. Truly his brother was most powerful. "I have missed so much." He mused, almost whimsically so. His gaze turned to the heavens as his sensed flexed and felt out his surroundings. "The Force feels... out of balance."
"Yes... there is conflict. The Clone Wars." Savage answered.
"Oh yes..." Maul whispered as if recalling some distant memory. "So it began without me."
"You can begin again, brother." Savage offered, stepping forward. In his hand lay the working portion of Maul's old lightsaber, the former saberstaff which had been severed by Obi-Wan Kenobi decades ago on Naboo during the fated battle in which he killed Qui-Gon Jinn. Reaching out to take it, Maul hesitated, pausing and instead flexing his hand as he summoned the Force to pull the saber into his grip. Maul took it in hand, felt a familiar strength return to his worn fingers as he grasped the hilt.
"I was apprentice to the most powerful being in the galaxy once. I was destined to become... so much more." He told Savage. "But I was robbed of that destiny by the Jedi... by Obi-Wan Kenobi." The name was uttered with a growl, Maul's hatred inflaming at the very mention of the Jedi who cut him down.
"Then you must have your revenge, my brother." Savage encouraged. Maul liked that word.
"Yes. We shall start with revenge..." He agreed.
The following day...
The Jedi Temple received a disturbing transmission coming from the world of Raydonia, depicting a pair of Zabrak murdering innocent villagers and demanding to meet with Obi-Wan Kenobi. One of them claimed to be Maul, the Sith killed decades ago by Obi-Wan while on Naboo. Disturbed by the notion that either Maul survived or that someone was impersonating him in an effort to draw Obi-Wan out, the Jedi Master vowed to investigate the matter... alone.
The Jedi were not the only ones to receive such a transmission, though. A lone Aka'jor shuttle in the Outer Rim also picked it up, intercepting it from its origin point not too far away. Pinpointing Savage, The Wraith changed his course in order to fulfill the mission given him by Count Dooku to kill the rogue Zabrak.
A forested world rife with thick jungles comprised of multicolored flora, Raydonia's location in the Outer Rim was marked by its relatively close proximity to worlds such as Geonosis, Tatooine, Mustafar, and Dathomir. Pinky clouds shrouded the atmosphere, passing harmlessly by as Wraith piloted his shuttle down to the surface. He was met by a world of blues and greens, the wildlife exotic and eye-catching. It zipped by underneath him, the super-soldier's gaze on the scanners triangulating the source of Savage's communication.
It was when he saw smoke on the horizon that he knew he'd found his target.
Landing his ship near the edge of a settlement, Wraith's scanners picked up a Goji-DF transport on the opposite of the village, better known as a 'turtle tanker' by spacers. Surely this vessel had been commandeered by Savage and carried him around. The blue of his duster, the final one in his arsenal of spares, blended in nicely with the surrounding foliage and made his approach just a little stealthier. He had no intention of making this a quiet confrontation. He'd kill Savage as ordered... and if that other Zabrak from the transmission got in his way, he'd kill him too.
Much of the village remained upright, but there were portions that had been torn down and set ablaze, fire slowly consuming part of the northern half of the settlement. Bodies lay strewn about, the entire area looking like the aftermath of a serious rampage. Obviously Wraith was dealing with someone deadly and was not shy about it. He had to wonder who, when his audio receptors picked up a distant conversation.
"You are certain Obi-Wan Kenobi will respond to this display?"
"He will come, brother. It is in a Jedi's very nature to come racing to save the innocent... if only to absolve themselves of guilt."
The voices certainly matched those from the transmission, Wraith concluding the two thermal signatures that had suddenly sprouted on his HUD were his target and their associate. Flexing his hand, the hilt of Tyth flew into his grip as Wraith continued his slow advance. Lowering his volume input, Wraith focused on his tracking systems and allowed the Force to flow into him.
"Everything I do, I do for the Dark Side." He whispered, opening himself up to the Force. But this one act enabled the Zabrak brothers to become aware that someone else was here with them. Maul's eyes narrowed as he focused his senses, searching his surroundings as a single presence stood out to him.
"I sense something... Somone is here." He whispered under his breath.
"Obi-Wan?" Savage wondered.
"No. Not Kenobi. Something... darker." Maul replied. Savage reached for the hilt of his saberstaff, anticipating the possibility of an ambush or outright attack, as Maul continued to search out with his senses, curious as to the nature of this Force signature.
Savage's concerns proved well-founded as a figure suddenly lept over the buildings and came crashing into their midst, a blade made of fire piercing the ground as both Zabraks jumped clear of his impact. Both of their lightsabers ignited immediately as Wraith pulled his blade from the ground and stood. Maul sized up the newcomer, expecting someone far more Jedi or Sith-like... not this.
"Brother, who is this?" He questioned.
"He is called 'The Wraith' and is a Separatist super-soldier commanded by Count Dooku." Savage answered, twirling his weapon around.
"So he's sent his pet after us." Maul mused, eyeing the super-soldier.
"I could care less about you. My orders are to kill him and that's what I will do." Wraith stated, tilting his head towards Savage. Without another word, he attacked Savage with a lunging sweep of his blade, Tyth colliding with his saber as Wraith went on the offensive. Maul watched on as they fought, his senses studying Wraith as he did battle with his brother. His Force signature was not cold like other Dark Side users, it was alive and fiery, like a tangible heat he could reach out and touch. Maul was curious, but at the same time, he was in no mood to deal with any lackey. His mind was set on Obi-Wan Kenobi and he would accept nothing less.
This 'super-soldier' was nothing more than a nuisance.
Wraith had Savage backed up against a wall, when a Force pull flung him into a building across the street, the super-soldier barely having any time to react before Maul was upon him.
"I care not for what your orders are, super-soldier. You will not come between us." The Sith growled as he pressed his blade hard against Wraith's firesaber.
"Who are you?" Wraith demanded, pushing back.
"Once I known as Maul, an apprentice to the most powerful Sith in existence." The Zabrak informed him. Wraith froze. He knew that name.
"Maul? 'Darth' Maul?" He echoed. "You're dead! You were killed on Naboo!" His robotic legs were certainly evidence he'd been at least wounded in some fashion.
"So everyone was led to believe." Maul answered with a sinister chuckle. "But hatred is a gateway to many possibilities... as you'll learn soon enough!" Maul rumbled with clenched teeth bared, rearing back his blade he delivered a hard trio of slashes that forced Wraith to go on the defensive. Perhaps 'dying' had done something of a number on him. Maul seemed unhinged, his emotions flickering from one state to another... and that made him dangerous.
Wraith snapped up his arm and blew Maul back with a Force push, Savage jumping in to take his place as Wraith met his diving slash with a swift parry, opening up Savage for a back kick that knocked him to the ground. Wraith pounced on him, blade reared back and primed to drive it clean through him. But a telekinetic wave from Maul sent Wraith tumbling and the Zabraks recovered in time to lunge towards him, Wraith twirling Tyth around and unleashing a wave of fire with a wide sweep. The two powered through and Wraith held Maul at bay with Tyth while his gauntlet blocked Savage's saberstaff.
"You're wasting your time, soldier. Your superiors did not send you here to kill, but to die." The yellow Zabrak growled. Wraith said nothing, ensuring his weight distribution was enough to keep them both from gaining the upper hand. "You mean nothing to them, you're nothing more than a disposable asset."
"I am not." Wraith fiercely growled.
"Oh, but you will be. In due time, they always abandon their own once they outlive their usefulness. As my brother can attest." Maul darkly promised.
"Your brother?" Wraith repeated in surprise, suddenly realizing a familial connection was also playing into this. Savage had likely had a role in Maul's return. "Hmph. Didn't realize there was a packaged deal afoot. Guess I'm killing two today." He remarked. In response, Maul blew him over with a powerful Force push as Savage lept upon on the downed Wraith. But the super-soldier spun over and landed a hard kick to Savage's jaw that batted him aside. Springing to his feet, Wraith was ready as Maul attacked him again. Exercising the calm and calculated mindset that had helped him through many prior battles, Wraith parried Maul strike for strike, proving his combative abilties equal to any lightsaber user. Maul's form had far more aggression tied to it, something the Sith used to press his advantage.
"There will be death, super-soldier. Just not the kind you wish for." Maul stated when their blades were locked in a clash. "My goal here is not you, you're just in my way. I could easily kill you, but I could do with a warm-up before my true prize arrives." Reaching out the the Force, Maul surrounded Wraith in a tight grip, using his own armor to crush him. Maul wanted to see just what Wraith was capable of, sensing his fiery spirit grow and pulse with each remark he made. Perhaps this soldier would be a worthy opponent... if this fire could be coaxed into a raging blaze.
The creaking groans of Wraith's armor as the metal was bent and twisted by Maul's invisible clutches filled the air, Wraith forced to his knees as pain wracked his body. "You are nothing to me. Count Dooku was obviously a fool to send you against us." Maul chuckled as Savage joined him. "A weak simpleton such as yourself has no place in this war... nothing more than cannonfodder." He could feel the fire growing, Wraith's anger building. Just a little more...
Dropping Tyth from his hand, Wraith channeled his anger as he unleashed two bolts of Force lightning that struck the Zabraks and knocked them over. Freed from his bondage, Wraith allowed his power to fester and grow, lightning crackling around his fingers as he picked up Tyth and let himself stew in the darkness abundant within him. Maul was the first up from the ground, shaking off the single burst like it was nothing.
"Yes... very good," he commended, clawed feet sinking into the ground, "let your anger guide you towards greater things."
"My anger does not control me... it empowers me!" Wraith retorted as he ignited Tyth.
"Power and control are two sides of the same credit." Maul responded as he ignited his lightsaber again. "You will learn this soon enough, too." Tired of being talked down to, Wraith lunged forward with his arm out, a sustained burst of Force lightning causing the brothers to separate. Wraith went after Maul first, Savage deemed less-potent than his brother and an easier target. Maul was quick to counter each swing and strike, parrying like a master duelist and expert in lightsaber combat (which he was to a certain degree). It was then that Savage got in on the action and attacked Wraith with heavy spinning blows from his saber staff. Wraith managed to ward off each one with well-timed placements of his gauntlet and boot, simultaneously holding Maul in a stalemate with Tyth. But as he sensed Maul pressing against him, the super-soldier knew it was time for a switch.
Rolling back in time to let Savage's blade collide with Maul's, Wraith stowed Tyth and popped his twin arm blades, thankful he'd taken these gauntlets along for the mission. He charged the Zabrak brothers again, swinging his silver blades in wide arcs as he recalled every skill that came with using these. It took a degree of finesse and no small amount of coordination to use these, especially in his line of work, and Wraith hoped it would be enough to offset the Zabrak and their more traditional techniques. For a moment, it seemed to be working. His double-offensive style allowed him to switch back and forth between the Zabraks with ease, his blade cutting through Savage's armored sleeve and drawing blood while another two-step into a spin allowed him to nick Maul's shoulder, a speck of blood flying through the air. His back-and-forth efforts infuriated Savage to a point where he lashed out with the Force, grabbing Wraith in a chokehold and levitating him off the ground.
"Kill him, brother!" Savage urged to Maul. "Kill him now!"
"Not yet." Maul replied. "Let us have some more fun with him."
"You do not wish to be weary by the time Kenobi arrives, do you?" Savage questioned.
"This soldier is by no means wearisome." Maul answered with a chuckle before thrusting out his arm and sending Wraith flying from his brother's grip and into a burning building. Reaching out with the Force, Maul felt out the sole beam holding the building up and tore it out, letting the structure collapse on top of Wraith. The super-soldier raised his arm to protect himself before disappearing from sight beneath the tumbling wreckage, the fire roaring as it suddenly billowed out in time with the collapse.
"That should keep him." Savage growled.
"Patience, brother," Maul responded, "he has surprised us so far, let us see if he has something else in store for us." Savage reluctantly waited, but Maul was still reaching out with his mind. He could sense the heat escalating, Wraith's Force signature gradually approaching the height Maul was looking for. To see this soldier at his peak would surely present a decent challenge for them to overcome, suitable preparation for when Obi-Wan arrived. Maul had not experienced a decent fight in ages, to go through the motions of one again got his blood pumping, made him feel alive. Soon it would be time to prove his dominance once more...
The rubble cracked and scattered as an armored hand shot up out of it, followed closely by Wraith's body as he pulled himself out of the debris with a shout. Around his body, Force fire flickered and waved to and fro, surrounding him like an aura that reflected his anger.
His rage had built to a peak. He would be thrown about by these two no longer!
Unleashing a roar of mixed frustration and pure anger, the flames surrounding him extended and grew, fashioning themselves into a lengthy shape. With such suddenness they snapped out from his body, forming a great pair of fiery wings as Wraith's prolonged roar echoed through the Force. "So... is this your true power...?" Maul wondered to himself, fascinated by the sight as Savage grew wary. Taking a single step forward, Wraith pushed off and flew towards the brothers, straight as an arrow with fists extended outwards. He moved so quickly neither Zabrak had time to move and they were suddenly bowled over as the super-soldier collided with them. They tumbled across the ground as Wraith righted himself, his wings flapping as he quickly landed on his feet, stretching out both hands and shooting lightning towards the downed Savage. The Zabrak spasmed and cried out as electricity arced across his body, Wraith trying to shock him into submission. But then Maul pounced on his back feet-first, throwing Wraith to the ground as one clawed foot pinned his arm while the other gripped his head. The sudden move extinguished his wings as Maul forced him into the dirt. "Your hatred is growing soldier... I can sense it." Maul said, earning another roar from Wraith as he forced himself up and out from under Maul, throwing the Zabrak off of him. On his feet, Wraith charged Maul without a second thought to any tactical planning and lashed out with his fists. His Force-enhanced reflexes allowed the Zabrak to duck and dodge each strike, but he did take note of the trail of burning cinders following his fist and causing the air to shimmer from the heat. "So you know Convection, too." He remarked.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Wraith roared, frustrated by every punch that missed. Maul chuckled.
"There it is... the blind rage that consumes you entirely." He noted, avoiding yet another heated strike. "I can sense it, your anger and your hatred... it is powerful." Such a combination, especially the way it manifested in Wraith, was rather desirable and Maul wanted to know more about this power. But he could sense the time for his confrontation with Obi-Wan was drawing near and immediately his desire for revenge replaced his curiosity. "Yours is impressive, soldier," He remarked, drawing his lightsaber. With lightning-fast movements, as Wraith reared back to deliver another punch, Maul drove his blade into Wraith's shoulder, snapping him out of his enraged state as a searing pain overwhelmed him, he cried out as he felt Maul grip his body with the Force, "but mine is stronger still!" Using the Force, Maul threw Wraith into the side of a building before slamming his body into the ground and dragging him over until the super-soldier was at his feet. Ensnaring his body in a telekinetic hold, Maul summoned the Force to resume crushing Wraith's armor, driving shards of metal deep into his flesh. The super-soldier cried out as Maul planted his foot on his head, keeping him in place as the torture went on. A recovered Savage approached and stood beside Maul, watching the punishment unfold with a sense of satisfaction.
"Shall we kill him, brother?" He wondered as Maul relaxed his grip, blood slowly forming on the ground around Wraith. The elder Zabrak thought for a moment, considering the best way to send a message back to Dooku as well as to anyone else who might happen upon the body.
"No. Let us deprive Dooku of his pet in another way." He finally said. A plan formed, Savage piked up Wraith and forcefully removed his helmet, revealing the super-soldier's face to them. Maul took a moment to assess his appearance as Savage cast the helm aside. Wraith's amber, reptilian eyes would've been a point of mockery for Maul, had he not seen something familiar within them... something relatable. "Let this be a lesson, soldier: none may cross a Sith and live!" Maul stated, suddenly gripping his face with one hand.
During his time as a Sith apprentice, Maul had learned many of the Force's dark abilities. The kind that gave him an edge in battle and the kind that made him such a frightening opponent under any circumstances. Since he had no further use for Wraith, Maul reached deep into his mind with the Force.
His invasive presence was more than Wraith's mental shields could handle and the super-soldier was soon overwhelmed. Maul then began to twist at Wraith's essence, driving a shard of dark side energy into his consciousness that slowly began to fragment and splinter his psyche. Wraith cried out as a vicious pain wracked his body, his mind slowly shattered by Maul as he used Mind Shard to tear him apart from the inside. He felt every emotion, thought and memory be rifled through, his entire being stripped apart as Maul invaded his very essence. The stabbing pain of Maul's mind shard forced him to shut his eyes and grit his teeth, tears forming as the sensations became unbearable. Like a solid object pressed against glass, the cracks formed and spiderwebbed, spreading across the entire canvas of his psyche. Another push and more cracks followed.
A final push and they were reduced to splinters.
Broken, his mind reduced to mere fragments, Wraith went limp in Maul's hold. His vacant eyes rolled upwards as Maul looked upon his victory. He felt nothing further radiate from the super-soldier, Wraith effective put into a catatonic state. "Not so super." The Zabrak scoffed, carelessly releasing his body to crumple in a heap on the ground. Stray tears dripped down Wraith's cheeks as he remained motionless on the ground.
"So much for an assassin." Savage agreed as they stood over Wraith's body. The yellowed Zabrak turned to the crimson one, still feeling the energy of battle pumping through his veins. "Are you satisfied, brother?" He wondered.
"With this, yes. But I will never be totally statisifed until my revenge is complete." Maul answered. It was then that. he looked up and sensed something new had come to Raydonia. Something... familiar...
All at once, the memories came flooding back. The searing pain that crossed his waist, the look of grim satisfaction on the youthful Jedi's face, the sensation of falling, tumbling head over heels as his body fell apart, falling for an eternity...
"Come, brother. Kenobi approaches." Maul stated, turning to leave with Savage right behind him. They left Wraith where he was, another victim to lie on Raydonia, the super-soldier no longer a threat... to anyone.
The dragon thundered forward, his silver scales reflecting the sun as his flames scorched the halls of the Jedi Temple. No one could stop him, lightsabers simply glancing off his armored hide and the fire streaming from his mouth reduced Jedi to ash. His rampage would not be halted, for dragons are relentless until they reach their prize which they then defend with their very lives.
And he had found his prize.
Ahsoka stood with her Masters, trying to valiantly ward him off. But they were swiftly consumed by his gaping maw and incinerating flames, Ahsoka the sole survivor and soon swept up in his claws. "Come, my dear." He rumbled, taking flight through the halls until he came to rest in the middle of the Temple, the Jedi driven out as he remained alone with his prized Togruta. He curled up in the centre, Ahsoka kept within his arm and under his wing as the Iron Dragon slipped into a peaceful slumber.
But it was not to last.
For a time, the dragon was happy. He had what he wanted. But then a distant door opened and a figure entered his domain. The Iron Dragon awoke, as did Ahsoka, to find a man approaching them. He wore the armor of the Wraith, but in pure white and accented silver. The topics of his helmet were a blazing blue, much like Tyth was, lit and in his hand. "You dare dishonour that armor?!" The dragon roared, alighting from his space and flying towards the figure, roaring and storming in a fit of rage. The figure acted calmly but swiftly, avoiding the dragon's flames and sweeping claws, using superior agility to leap onto its back and scoot up between his wings, driving Tyth down into its back. The dragon screeched as he careened widely, the armored man hanging on for dear life as the Iron Dragon desperately tried to throw him off.
But he persevered, advancing forwards along the dragon's back, until he finally reached a point where he could score a critical blow.
Tyth pierced the dragon's hide, flaming blade plunging deep into his neck. The dragon shrieked a death knell and collided with the ground, sliding to a halt as the fatal wound took its toll. The man dismounted as the dragon heaved gasping, labored breaths in a vain effort to cling to life. His vision grew dark, but before he lost it, he watched Ahsoka run over to the armored man and slip off his helmet. His face was very much like Wraith's, everything the same except for his eyes. They were like a normal human's, green like polished emeralds. Ahsoka embraced him, the dragon sadly witnessing their liplock before his vision faded to black.
"She was never meant to be yours."
