His helmet sank onto his head, his mechanical breathing sounded throughout the chamber. He rose and darted to the hangar. His ship was only a few feet in front of him,
"Lord Vader!" A voice called out from behind him, Lieutenant Piett. Vader turned to him in frustration,
"What."
"Grand Moff Tarkin insists your presence on the bridge." Piett's hand was shaking. Vader lifted him by the collar,
"You will tell Governor Tarkin that I have departed for Malastare. And if he wishes to speak to me, he'd be careful not to send a courier. Consider yourself lucky that I do not strangle you!" Vader released his grip, Piett stumbled and scurried away. Vader boarded his TIE fighter, lifted it off the ground and sailed it into space. He flipped switches, preparing for hyperspace,
"Vader, what is the meaning of this!" Tarkin's voice relayed over comm. Vader shut off his communications relay. He pushed on the accelerator and the ship zoomed off.
"Starkiller, what is your progress?" Vader transmitted over comm,
"He was powerful m'lord but he is dead." Starkiller sounded flustered,
"How did you manage to find and kill Master Hett in this span of time?" Vader questioned.
"Luck I suppose, stumbled into a random cantina and there he was, more drunk than a Weequay on Victory Day."
"In my experience there is no such thing as luck. Meet me on Malastare. We are confronting him." Vader's voice became dark.
"I understand m'lord." The communications ended. Vader's ship exited hyperspace, the purple hue of the planet gave Vader a sense of relaxation as he descended through its atmosphere. Vader's communications relay sounded,
"Vader. Here you are, welcome to my hell! Here are my coordinates, I expect a good fight." Maul's voice burned the insides of Vader's ears. Vader flew to the coordinates, a small abandoned town, mud huts lined the main walkway through the village. Vader exited his ship, he walked down to the center of town. He saw him, his red face and horns stuck out to Vader, he sat there, eyes shut. Maul's weapon; on the ground in front of him. Vader approached,
"Are you Jedi? Must you meditate?" Vader remarked, unclipping his saber.
"You see this as meditation, I was simply picturing your death in numerous scenarios." Maul did not move an inch,
"You challenge me, and now you do not even stand. You are weak." Vader ignited his lightsaber.
"You see this as weakness. There is more than meets the eye Vader, look closely and you shall see." He opened his eyes, orange and red, filled with anger. Vader activated his infrared vision, three figures stood around Maul. Vader took a step back and readied his saber,
"What is this sorcery?" The three figures unveiled themselves, they were adorned in red silk, scarfs around their faces- except one. "Ventress." Vader's mouth curled with anger as he released the name. Maul rose from the ground, the four combatants stood abreast.
"Yes, it's little old me. I hope your master realizes he should've killed me when he had the chance!" Ventress roared with anger, she had changed since the last time Vader saw her, she had jet black hair that went down to her shoulders, she was unnaturally thin- Vader perceived that to be from years of malnutrition. Maul put a hand on Ventress' shoulder,
"Settle down child, we shall have our revenge." Maul ignited his saber, his black blade lit up his darkened face. Ventress and her Nightsister's drew and ignited their weapons.
"You don't know the power of the darkside!" Vader taunted the failed Sith. Ventress charged Vader, her sisters trailed her, Vader engaged the three. They circled Vader, his defense held up against the flurry of attacks, Maul deactivated his saber and folded his arms. One sister swiped at Vader's head, he sidestepped and cut her in half with a swift flick of the wrist. The second sister engaged Vader alone, Vader toyed with the inexperienced fighter, she lunged at him, he grappled her by the neck and snapped her spine, she fell to the ground- her head twisted a whole 360 degrees. Ventress' gaze was one of grief and sadness,
"You killed them without honor! I will not die so easily!" Ventress charged Vader, they locked sabers,
"You are weak Ventress, I feel your strength fleeing from you. Join me, and you will become more powerful than you could ever imagine!" Vader put all of his weight onto his blade, Ventress slowly crumbled to one knee. She disengaged, she regained her footing a couple of feet away from Vader. The Sith lord unleashed a torrent of powerful strikes, knocking her sabers away when she attempted to deflect his attacks. "This is futile. Give in- or die!" Vader charged her, fueled with anger, he swung at her head, fatigued- she missed his blade. Vader's saber went through Ventress' neck, her head rolled on the ground. A slow clapping sound came from the left of Vader, Maul was sitting in his original position, mocking the Sith Lord.
"Twas impressive that you managed to completely obliterate inexperienced and out of practice fighters. Oh who am I kidding, that was a walk in the Naboo meadows for you wasn't it?" Vader tensed, "Oh yes, I know who you are. Underneath that stonecold armor of yours, you're nothing more than a slave boy. I remember you actually- hiding in a Naboo starfighter, like a pathetic child while I killed your beloved Qui- Gon. How did that feel knowing the man who discovered you died at the hands of lowly me? Perhaps I am more skilled than you had previously thought." Vader's anger swelled at the mention of his past life. He remembered the pyre, watching Qui-Gon's corpse disintegrate in the flames, how angry he was at Obi-Wan for not saving him.
"You know nothing Maul." Vader marched closer to him,
"I know more than you think young one." Maul rose and ignited his saber. Vader charged, he let out an onslaught of strikes, Maul deflecting each one. Maul countered and hit Vader with immense speed, Vader was struggling to keep up. Maul pushed the attack, leaping, flipping and striking at Vader simultaneously. Maul cut into Vader's knee joint. He collapsed onto one knee, still deflecting attacks from Maul. Their sabers clashed, Maul parried and cut through Vader's wrist, cutting off the Sith Lord's hand. Vader fell to the ground on his back. "The great tale of Anakin Skywalker ends here." Maul readied his blade for the final strike,
"Drop it!" A familiar voice called from behind Maul, Starkiller stood there, his lightsaber ignited. Maul started to chuckle,
"Is this one of your pets Vader? Oh how delightful!" Maul approached Starkiller, "You are but a boy, what makes you think you can contend with a Sith Lord?"
"This is how." Starkiller bent over, he felt the force surge through him, he released his energy, an explosion of force power sent Maul careening into the mud houses. "You are but an old man, what makes you think you can contend with me?" Starkiller mocked, Vader frantically searched for his saber, using his left hand to scavenge through debris, his hand- still holding the saber was underneath his cape. He grabbed the saber with his left hand, he couldn't stand- his knee joint wouldn't allow it. Maul appeared from the wreckage, he ignited his saber and charged at Starkiller, the apprentice deflected the attack and parried with an onslaught of Shien, Form V attacks. Aggressively striking at Maul, the aging Sith could not keep up, Starkiller swiped down, cutting of Maul's hands, he picked up his saber, forming an "X" around Maul's neck. "Shall I destroy him master?" Vader struggled to rise, he limped to the two men. Vader motioned Starkiller to leave, Vader ignited his saber,
"And so the tale of the failed Sith Lord named Maul comes to an end." Vader hacked at his neck, Maul's head rolled to Vader's feet. Vader lifted his boot and crushed his decapitated cranium. Blood spurted and curdled at Vader's feet, brain matter exploded onto the ground. Vader felt his satisfaction, he turned to Starkiller, his apprentice stood there- stunned. "Leave before the fleet arrives." Vader said to his apprentice, Starkiller stumbled and fled off to his ship, Vader saw in the sky, The Emperor's shuttle...