Arya woke to the sound of a knock on her door. She was just about to yell to her mother that she didn't want to get up yet, but something was wrong. The knocks on the door sounded too metallic, and the door to her room in Winterfell was made of wood. It all came back to her in a rush and her eyes snapped open. She looked around at her surroundings and found that she was indeed in her room on Darth Maul's flying ship. So it wasn't a dream. she thought. The knock on the door would most likely be Maul himself coming to wake her up. She slid out of bed and walked in bare feet to the entrance of her chambers. "Valar Morghulis." she said, jumping slightly at the hiss of the hydrolics as her door slid open. Maul was standing in the entry way in black robes holding a tray of food-type substances.

"May I enter?" He said.

"Yes." Arya turned to let him into her quarters. He walked over to the table and set the tray down.

"Eat." He said. Arya eyed the food on the table with scrutiny.

"Is it safe?" She asked.

Maul sighed impatiently. "I've studied the biology of your race and found that genetically we are virtually the same. My food will not harm you. And if it's poison you fear, do not worry. If I wanted to kill you I would kill you outright, and it would not be difficult." Arya scoffed at the last part, but decided to eat anyways. As she did, she started to realize just how hungry she was. She quickly ate all the food on the tray. There was a loaf of bread-like food and some soup-type substance; both of which weren't great but weren't bad either. During her hard life on the road her taste buds had grown accustomed to poor quality food out of desperation. This food would more than suffice. In fact, she felt more invigorated from what she had just eaten than she had in a long time.

"Now" Maul began "we had little time to discuss anything yesterday, and I know you must have questions. So, ask me any questions that you have. I will answer as I can." Arya had just finished the last parts of her meal and looked up eagerly. Finally, some solid answers. She thought.

"First, I need water." Arya said looking around her quarters.

"Over by the sink child." Arya followed Maul's gaze and walked over to the sink with an odd contraption mounted next to it. She just stared at it.

"Move the lever." Maul said impatiently. Arya did as she was told and water began to pour out. She stared for a second before she got her wits back and grabbed a cup next to the sink and filled it. She shut the lever off and the water ceased to pour out of the contraption. She took a sip. Hmm, fresh drinkable water whenever I need it. She thought. It was something so simple, but it amazed her. Entire towns had either died off or needed to relocate because of a spoiled water supply. Here water seemed like an afterthought. She finished what was in her cup, making sure not to waste any out of habit, and then sat across from Maul.

"Who are you?" She finally asked.

"I am Darth Maul. I have already told you this." His response seemed arrogant. As if it was a stupid question.

"Ok" Arya started again, "but exactly who are you? Where do you come from? Who do you serve? Should I address you as Darth, Maul, or fully as Darth Maul? Why-" Maul held up a hand to silence her.

"Let me answers these first." He sat in thought for a moment, and eventually Arya thought he was going to fall asleep, but finally he answered. "I come from a planet called Dathomir, which is where my ship is heading right now. My name is Maul, Darth is my Sith title. But you will call me neither of these things. You will address me as Master, and I serve no one." Arya was about to protest calling him Master, but the way he looked into her eyes told her not to question that.

"Yes Master." She said, surprising even herself. Her lack of respect towards any authoritative figure seemed to have worn off. Maybe she had learned a thing or two from all her previous teachers. Maul himself looked exceptionally pleased, and she found that she was happy with that.

"Are there any other question you wish to ask?" He said.

Arya thought for a minute and then asked "What is a Sith?"

Maul's face grew hard. "The Sith are an order of knights who look to dominate the galaxy. But really, it is a lust for power that drives them. The more powerful they are, the more they can control."

"And you are one of these knights?" Arya questioned. "I thought you served no one. Knights serve someone."

Anger was visible on Maul's face. "I was once one of these knights, but I was forsaken by my former master. I no longer align myself with the Sith." He sneered as he said 'former Master'. Arya could sense his hatred.

"Then why still use the Darth title?" She said.

Maul thoughtfully regarded this for a second. "My birth name means little in the galaxy. But my name, together with my old title, still carry weight and fear for those who would oppose me." Arya thought she could understand. Names like Tywin Lannister and Sandor Clegane brought fear and discomfort to people even when they were spoken in private. Some names carried weight. But she was no one. Or was she? She regarded this for a moment. She could prance around as no one, wearing the faces of those she had killed. Or, she could accept the truth that she was a Stark of Winterfell. In that moment she made a decision. She chose to be a Stark. And, when she was done with her own plans for revenge, no one would hear the name Stark and not tremble in fear.

"Master." she said.

Maul smiled wickedly again and looked her in the eyes. "Yes apprentice?"

"As my master, what will you be teaching me?" Arya said. She looked up at him eagerly. Maul's smile faded, and as he spoke Arya could tell there was great reverence in his voice.

"I will be teaching you the ways of the force, as well as how to fight with a lightsaber. You will be feared, and none will oppose you once your training is complete."

Arya liked the sound of that, but a dozen more question popped into her head.

"What is the force?" She said.

"That question" Maul began, "is more complicated, and best answered when we are on Dathomir."

Arya was about to protest, but Maul's glare silenced her. Maul thought about the force energy pouring off of his new apprentice. If he started to teach her how to harness the force, and she made a mistake, she could easily destroy his ship and kill them both. Best to wait until they were on a planet to start unlocking her abilities.

"You will see why we waited until a planet was underneath our feet to begin your force training." Maul said. "But for now, we will start with some light sparring to test your skill with a blade."

At this Arya felt a flutter in her heart. She loved sparring. She was extremely skilled at it, and as far as she knew, no one could match her now.

Maul pulled a bundle out from underneath his robes and set it on a chair next to Arya. "These clothes will fit you well and allow for maximum movement when we spar. I will leave you to change. When you are finished, join me outside of your chamber and we will go to the training room."

With that, Maul turned and walked out of her quarters leaving her alone. Arya sat in silence for a moment, and then rushed over to change into her new sparring clothes. Excitedly, she joined Maul in the passage outside of her quarters, and together they went to the training room.