(I do not own anything from Star Wars.)
Chapter Two: All the Pigs, All Lined Up
In the upper deck of his Sith infiltrator, a dark figure sat in meditation in hopes of the depletion of all thoughts that were more of a hindrance than asset. His face was covered with the shade of his charcoal robe, and even more so by the dark that he found his sanctuary.
He was a hard soul and even his second heart did nothing to help fill the void in which there was no hope, love, or compassion. He had a shadowed down aura that could freeze over an entire planet if how cold it was could be measured in degrees. He was filled with much anger and hate for things in general.
However eloquent the passionate emotions that had helped build him as an individual, not a single person would have been able to tell through his stern and concentrated features.
In his mind were images of the people that he had trampled over and disposed of through the years; the people that he had laid waste to without a hint of remorse on their lost existence.
As he concentrated on erasing these unwanted memories, he heard a soft and steady beeping in the main hanger meant to alert him that he was near his next destination.
Without being shaken by the slight vibrations of the ship as it entered the planet's atmosphere, he stood directly from the ground and walked to Scimitar's control room.
It had been quite some time since Maul had been to Coruscant. He had once lived there in the apartment of his master's alias, Senator Palpatine, where he trained against many mercenary droids, built his speeder, Bloodfin, and had been given Scimitar to go against Black Sun.
After he defeated Black Sun, Maul was sent on a mission, in which he encountered two particular Jedi on Tattooine and Naboo. During the invasion of Naboo, he met Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi once again.
He defeated Jinn, who was much older and less agile than he was, but was surprisingly and disappointingly finished off by Jinn's padawan learner… or so Kenobi thought.
A few battle droids found his two severed parts nearly destroyed in the melting pit he had fallen in. The droids then took him to an isolated planet and successfully attached him back together. That alone would not have been enough to sustain him, but thanks to Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranus, he was brought back to full physical prowess through the dark arts.
He had to rest for two months, which happened to be a couple of the worst months of his life. All he could do was count the seconds as well as await his master's appearance, in which he was certain Sidious would probably kill him for having failed his mission.
To his surprise, he found out that once member of the Jedi, Count Dooku, was sent to him. Along with Dooku, or Tyranus, was the most unprofessional of any being who could wield the Force- Azazul Koniss.
Azazul, who was powerful enough to be considered important and wealthy enough to be useful towards Lord Sidious' grand scheme, was a snake and a cheat in many ways, or at least what Maul had seen.
He was shallow, snobby, and a sybarite and openly took his pleasure in women while on the job. To top it off he was a rattataki, a race known for their love of carnage. Whenever he visited a planet, he tended to leave a trail of blood and perversion in his wake.
Maul stared out at the planet through the tinted glass above the control panel. As the ship came closer to landing, he could see the long white lines of soldiers. The troopers were either forcing citizens of the Empire to form into lines going into the Senate Building or patrolling the public facilities.
His stare was menacing, but that was only because of his black and red appearance as well as his devilish eyes. Normally, Maul did not display any emotion.
He turned away from the troopers and looked upon his destination, which was a landing dock that led to a senatorial house within the Senate District. He let out a sigh of displeasure as a ghostly white man with a naturally bald head, a dark brown tunic outfit, a smoky robe, and knee-high polished boots walked out. He must have been awaiting Maul's arrival for quite some time.
The airlock on the spherical cockpit of Scimitar released and a metal ramp made contact with the concrete. Maul had his arms in the opposite sleeves of his robe and took long and steady steps down the ramp towards Azazul.
Azazul was not how Maul remembered him last. In body, he was larger. Instead of edgy and prentice like the young teenager that Maul met alongside Tyranus, Azazul seemed more adult and more refined.
"Lord Maul- you look rather lively this evening," Azazul greeted. "I do hope that you will enjoy your stay here."
Maul's eyes, like an explosion of fire, met with his ice-blue ones.
Azazul's sharp pupils became even more outstandingly tight as his eyebrows narrowed into the center of his hairless face. He knew that Maul was not one to "enjoy" much of anything; he would never admit to enjoying anything, at least.
Maul kept his bit of conversation right to the point as they began walking side by side, at almost equal height, down to the large estate.
"Have there been any problems with up rises from those whom still endorse the ways of the Old Republic?" Maul asked in a mustered-tone, his voice as commanding as always.
"Of course there has- pathetic politicians. Exasperating themselves with useless tirades, towards the soldiers for the most part," Azazul answered matter-of-factly. "It's nice when we are able to tell the troopers to kill on spot."
"The troopers are stationed in almost every republic sector. The Empire is growing steadily," Maul commented.
"And we all have Vader to thank for that," Azazul said, almost complainingly.
Maul was reluctant with Anakin Skywalker at first, mainly from his relationship with Obi-Wan Kenobi. But the past months had swayed his reluctance into respect towards the newly acclaimed Sith. He respected him, only as a Sith, just like everyone else.
So, as Azazul's tone showed his lack of respect towards Vader, Maul shook his head.
He still has the ego of a juvenile.
"Oh and look. A show of just how blaster-happy the troopers can be."
Azazul gestured towards the city below them, down to where a crowd of people had gathered. A group of men had begun to yell slurs towards a few troopers who had arrested what looked like a senator.
"What is he charged with?" Maul questioned, with a bit of curiosity.
"I would have to guess treason. I believe he is a senator from Corellia who became a bit too open about the formation of a rebellion after a few Alderaan Beers," Azazul proposed, with a smirk.
While the senator was being put inside a vehicle in handcuffs, the men who had begun a riot were shot down on the spot. There must have been fifteen deaths and a few more injuries that were carried out thoughtlessly.
Maul could tell that Azazul enjoyed watching such things like this. But the simplicity of death by a blaster was, in his mind, uninteresting.
He started towards the estate once again and Azazul followed by his side.
"Sidious has made arrangements for you to leave as soon as possible to the Death Star. He wants you to see it for yourself, considering you helped fund the construction."
Maul continued, "I still am unaware of why I have to stay here- is there something that is being guarded or hidden?"
"Sidious ordered me to station myself here, with the belief that there are live Jedi on the planet. If there are, and they are hiding, it will only show them for what they are- cowards," Azazul replied.
"Have you not been here for a little over three months? Have you found no Jedi?" questioned Maul.
"I have found none."
Maul went forward with the questions without realizing or taking notice to the lie that Azazul had just spoken.
Just as they were walking even nearer to the home, a woman stepped out of an ornate entry way that was the foundation of the reddish-brown estate's elegance.
The woman was beautiful, and obviously of zeltron descent. She had fuschia skin, a clear complexion, and long emerald hair that fell down her shoulders in curly locks.
Her body was curvaceous and looked even more enticing in a violet outfit that consisted of a long skirt with a slit up each thigh and a collared tank top with a low neckline.
Her legs were concealed underneath a pair of knee-high, heeled boots. She had a pair of black gloves covering from her elbows to the tips of her fingers. Her look was that of a sorceress, and she began eyeing the once Sith Lord.
She traversed over to the two men with exaggerated movements. Azazul simpered, and his eyes grazed over her form.
She came up and embraced the Rattataki, and Azazul seemed to enjoy her attention, more than he should have.
Maul was not appreciative of the woman. His black cloaked arms pulled to his chest, crossing tightly, with an indomitable appearance profiling his tattooed face.
"Let me introduce you to Madame, or Lady Volutta. She is in charge of my handmaidens and of security in the hanger," Azazul explained to Maul.
"So this is the infamous Lord Maul," Volutta annotated, with a deep and exacting, yet womanly voice. Her indigo painted lips molded into a seductive grin. "It is pleasing to have another man of stature to accompany us."
"Separated company, I assure you," Maul expressed, coldly.
"Volutta- would you do me the favor of fetching me a ship for my leave?" Azazul asked.
"Yes I will, Lord Azazul," she replied. "Lord Maul- I hope that we will not be separated for long."
She sized him up at once, with a pair of dark green eyes, before she headed back inside.
"You do not like her? Very interesting," Azazul hissed.
"Unlike you, I don't like overused companions," Maul answered. "She is not of my taste."
"Of course," Azazul cackled with a thought in mind.
"Would your taste possibly be inclined to a younger, suppler woman? She still-" Azazul paused, letting loose a vicious smirk, "feels like a virgin."
Maul walked on, listening, and taking in Azazul's words. He became impertinent, cautious of his meaning.
"Feeling like one is not the same as being one," Maul stated.
"If I gave her to you without saying she wasn't, you would have thought she was," the Rattataki remarked.
His pace quickened and he roamed ahead of Maul. He devilishly licked his lips, tracing over the row of his upper teeth.
"What is her race?" Maul questioned.
"Near-human."
"You expect me to waste my time with a human?"
"She is the most intriguing human I have ever met. She isn't as submissive as a twi'lek but she craves for the attention that only men can give. Not to mention the fact that her body, as well as her very scent, is strangely intoxicating-"
"Save your breath," Maul harshly interrupted.
"Funny thing is- and I tell you this as a man to a man-," Azazul continued, not fazed by Maul's assailing attitude, "she feels better than anyone I have ever had. Even the little virgin girls that I have become acquainted with in the past don't compare to her."
Azazul stopped in his tracks, as the sounds of Maul's heavy steps silenced. He was astonished to know what the Sith was pondering.
"She isn't pre-pubescent is she?" he asked, almost questioning Azazul's own personal affairs.
"No- I am not into that sort of thing," Azazul assured. "She is young, but definitely past the age."
Azazul could feel Maul's thoughts, the amount of interest that had mixed in with Azazul's words. Maul's eyes narrowed and faced Azazul, threateningly.
"Don't take it personally, Maul, but it is awfully hard to resist."
Maul glared at him and responded rather calmly, "Do not make it difficult for me to resist harming you."
"I see that I have just touched a nerve."
Maul gruffly hissed at Azazul and walked roughly ahead toward the house. Azazul then entered into Maul's mind not to search, but to inform.
"Just take her Maul. What will it hurt? Not you, of course. You having done so will never leave this house."
Maul, still hooded, turned around to face the other man. His yellow eyes settled and became stern once more.
Azazul added, "You don't have to have any entertainment if you don't want. I was just offering some attraction for you to-"
"I will try your girl. Have her sent to my room tonight."
After having heard Maul's answer, Azazul traveled next to him with an unnoticed grin, and led him into the entrance of his stay.