A wave of electricity flowed through Darth Maul's body, and his eyes burst open. As the shock of the electricity faded, Darth Maul saw he was floating inside of a bacta tank. Looking at the glass, the Sith assassin saw his reflection. His face was scarred and deformed, and covered in a bacta mask. Three of his horns were missing.
Looking downward, he saw that where his torso had been, there was nothing. What happened? Maul grimaced as he searched his memories, trying to recollect what happened to his body. Finally, he remembered his defeat at the hands of the Jedi Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. His eyes narrowed, and as his eyes moved, he saw his arms were missing as well, merely stubs of what they once where.
Enraged, Maul thrust his head up and screamed. With his head up, he could now see the tank he was in was inside of a laboratory. Insect-like aliens were working at various scientific machines. One of them stared at him floating in the tank.
A door whooshed open from across the room. Maul looked up. Darth Sidious entered, and approached Mau's bacta tank.
"Master," said Maul, bowing his head.
"I am pleased to see your rescue was a success," said the Sith master.
"How am I still alive?" asked Maul. "Last I remember, the Padawan cut me in half, and I fell down the shaft."
"I sensed your defeat on Naboo," began Sidious. "You would have died, but I had one of my operatives retrieve your body and bring you here. We are in a droid control ship over Geonosis."
"Geonosis?"
"The planet where the droid foundry is."
"The foundry?" asked Maul. He knew of his master's plans for the droid army, for the Clone Wars, but they were not supposed to happen for a long time.
"How long was I gone?" asked Maul frantically.
"After your rescue, you were placed in stasis for ten years."
"Ten years?!" shouted Maul.
"Indeed. I did not have need of you until now. You failed to destroy the Jedi. And you were destroyed because of it."
"But I killed Qui-Gonn, the Jedi master. His apprentice-"
"Enough. Your body, and therefore your connection to the force, is damaged. You are worthless to me as an apprentice," dismissed Darth Sidious.
Maul felt a wave of pain wash over him. He had spent his whole life training to be Sidious' apprentice. And now he had lost that, all because he was defeated by a mere Padawan!
"However, I resuscitated you because I still have use for you. The Clone Wars are going to begin soon. I need a powerful warrior to lead the droid army. Your remains will be rebuilt as a cyborg, and you will become my agent. You shall as the General of the Confederacy of Independent Systems."
Maul grimaced. He had always thought of the Trade Federation and the other Separatist organizations as pathetic businessmen. Cowards and liars who contributed nothing to the galaxy.
Sidious sensed his former apprentice's dislike of the situation. "You will accept my terms, or I will dispose of your broken body here and now," warned Sidious.
"I accept your terms," said Maul.
"Good. The Geonosians will begin construction on your new cybernetic body. However, you will no longer be Darth Maul."
"What do you mean?"
"With your connection to the force lost, you are no longer a Sith," began Sidious. "You will forever hate yourself for losing to a mere Padawan. You were my apprentice…now you will be nothing. Henceforth, you will be known as…Grievous, since your existence will be marked by grief."
Maul was angry at what Sidious said, but he knew it was the truth. He had failed, and would forever grieve what he had lost. No name could be more fitting than Grievous.