Chapter 1
Two old enemies from decades beyond stand across from one another.
They spoken... briefly.
Before the short battle begin.
In mere seconds, it is over.
His grasp of the Force is too shaky for him to sustain. He expects to go into the hells the Dark Side has planned for him.
He. He didn't. Everything had happened too fast. Kenobi had...
His whole body hurt. Muscles spasms oddly, his entire body frozen and incapable of movement...
Darth Maul is dying. He had been struck down by Kenobi before. Only this time, the Force nor the Dark Side can save him. He is going to die on this dust ball of a planet at the hands of one of his hated enemy. The one who crippled him in their first fight. The one who is at the forefront of his mind in seeking out revenge. There is no one else aside from his old master that the Zabrak from Dathomir craved dead for all the agony that the Jedi caused him in his life.
It did not ended how it should have. Maul should have embedded his lightsaber into his abdomen and find the Chosen One and train him... But now that is impossible.
He failed yet again.
And yet, the Jedi showed him mercy by holding him. No mocking. No boasting. No witty comebacks over defeating the Sith. Just calm acceptance. It should have infuriated the Zabrak, but his rage had faded with his body. There are still questions. What is the one who Kenobi is protecting?
Maul can only think of one reason but needs to hear it from the Jedi's own mouth.
"Tell me. Is it the chosen one?" Maul asks while Kenobi holds him close to his chest.
The old Jedi looks at him with something close to sadness and sympathy.
"He is," Obi-Wan responds with conviction in his voice.
"He…will…avenge us," Maul murmurs, finding himself a bit hopeful.
The entire galaxy is turning blank, the face of his arch nemesis is fading more and more...
Life has abandoned him just like the Sith has.
Perhaps it is about time that he is placed out of his misery...
"Maul..."
Maul finds himself surrounded by stars. Up. Down. Left. Right. There it is all around him. He has caused nothing but death and destruction to everything around him. He lived a life full of vengeance and anger. Why is he in such a beautiful place?
"I can see your confusion," the voice states.
It is none other than the Jedi Master he killed on Naboo all those decades ago. Qui-Gon Jinn.
This is familiar. Some time after the Clone Wars, Maul headed to a forgotten Sith fortress on the planet Damanos; it appeared to be towards the end of Darth Maul's life, when he abandoned working with Crimson Dawn and instead pursued ancient Sith superweapons. The experience at Damanos was a harrowing one, with Maul facing images in the form of his greatest failures. The final challenge was different, however, because he finds himself faced with Qui-Gon Jinn. Rather than fight him, Qui-Gon taken advantage of Maul's emotional vulnerability to appeal to him to turn away from the Dark Side. The other visions ended in Maul killing the beings he faced, but when he attacked Qui-Gon Jinn the Jedi Master vanished - and taken the dark side power of the Sith castle with him. Maul was bewildered.
He is still again but this time he seems to be clearer. Is this yet another attempt to turn him from the Dark Side? Maul almost scoffs at the idea. The fact that Jinn at the time believed that he could have been turned from the Dark Side was borderline laughable. Perhaps this is another attempt...
There is no hope for him-
"Your eyes do not deceive you, Maul. It is I, Qui-Gon Jinn." Jinn states. "You are one with the Unifying Force now."
"You. You brought me here," Maul states coldly, his eyes going wide as he regards Qui-Gon Jinn.
"I am not your enemy, Maul. I never was. Neither was Obi-Wan. You have been used your entire life by Sidious." Jinn states sympathetically, walking forward and putting his hands on his shoulders in comfort. "You never had a choice. Your kind is typically viewed as animals. Each of you are unique but you have independence and you deserve to have a chance."
Maul snaps. "Why? Why did you drag me to this place? Have you expected for me to repent?"
"Your destiny could have been different, Maul. Sidious manipulated you. You cannot blame Obi-Wan for everything that went wrong in your life." Jinn replies.
Old rage burns up at the implications that Kenobi isn't worthy of his anger. "Kenobi cut off my legs and killed me! I have every right to want revenge against that blasted Jedi!"
"And you killed his Master and lover in his arms. He'd been where you were before. You both have a lot in common and suffered greatly because of Sidious." Qui-Gon responds neutrally, a idle form of disappointment in his eyes.
"Kenobi taken away my destiny! Had I won on Naboo, I would have been the Sith Master now!" Maul growls, though for some strange reason he can feel his rage is dimming.
"And you would have been in misery, perhaps another Sidious." Jinn replies, shaking his head. "You don't need to be like him, not when you could be something so much more. If anything, it is Sidious who deserves your wrath, not Obi-Wan. He merely defended himself as much as your legs being chopped off was a tragedy."
Maul sneers and looks at where a ground would be in the mortal realm. "Kenobi is fortunate that I was too arrogant. Had I had the time, I would have made him share my pain."
"No, you wouldn't," Jinn replies as if it is a fact. And it is, and Maul hates it for that. "You have seen what he has become and perhaps feel a bit of sympathy. Your rage directed to him is not because you hate him, you hate what he represents. You hate how he cannot fall to the dark, and you wish that things could have been different. You have to end this rivalry; Sidious is a monster and everyone paid for it in the long run."
Maul cannot respond to that. Once, it would have fueled him with anger but now he comes to a realization. Maul feels an epiphany slowly rising. Kenobi was a victim of the Sith just like Maul was. He lost his Apprentice.
Like Kenobi, Maul lost everything...
"I admit that you have a point," the Zabrak replies coldly, closing his eyes and swallowing down the bitter feelings. After a full minute, they go away, and Maul couldn't help but feel free.
"You are responsible for many crimes, causing death and destruction to innocents, contributed in pain and suffering for the galaxy and for the Jedi likewise. But you deserve a chance for redemption."
He can feel something clenching up around him. It have been there before, briefly when Bridger turned his offer down, another time when Maul have failed to save Savage. Guilt...
What is he feeling guilty for? Perhaps because he wishes that he could have lived the life alongside his brothers? Perhaps because he wishes that he'd known a life outside of Sidious?
"...Why?"
Qui-Gon Jinn simply walks around him, "Given the chance, Son of Dathomir, would you amend everything you've done?"
Maul is surprised. "What do you mean?"
Qui-Gon stares, seemingly amused. "If you were able to reverse everything, all the deaths that you have caused, putting an end to the Sith Master for years, preventing Anakin from falling the Dark Side. Would you go back?"
What is Jinn's point? Maul had been an Sith for so long. What does the Jedi want out of this? Why had he brought him here instead of allowing the Dark Side to claim him?
Just how to respond to this? How can he find a life beyond anger and revenge? But yet, deep in the pits of his stomach, Maul knows he would change everything if given the chance. He'd hated what he has become, hated what the galaxy has become, and he wishes that things could have been different.
Whereas Jinn failed to reach him before, now Maul is older and realizes things far more than even after the events on Mandalore.
"...Yes."
"What was that, my friend?" Blast his taunting...
Maul replies coldly. "I would fix everything I could." When Qui-Gon smiles, he scowls. "Do not misunderstand me, Jinn, I would never renounce the Dark Side. I still serve that above everything else."
Golden eyes turn to expected gray ones.
"But... I realise now that those innocents didn't deserve to die. The genocide of innocents weren't the right thing to do, I admit that much."
Jinn turns to him with a kind smile. "So you would go back to fix your mistakes."
It is not a question. It is a statement, a fact.
Maul scowls. What is he-? And suddenly Maul feels pressure lifted from him, looking down to see his legs have been restored. "What... What is this...?"
"You still have much to do, Maul." Qui-Gon says from afar. "You can make better decisions. The Force has decided to send you back in time to Tatooine long ago when Anakin was discovered."
"You want me to kill Skywalker when he's a boy?" Maul interrogates slowly.
"No, Anakin needs a mentor and you have to serve as that. There would be a time when he grows older and you have ensure that he would have the inner balance he needs... with the Force in its entirety."
Maul frowns. When has he agreed to this?
Yet, this may be the only chance he has for seeing his brothers again and stopping Sidious.
"Why should I save Skywalker when killing him will be easier?"
Jinn explains. "Killing him would be easier, but doing so would cause the Force to doom you. He is the Chosen One, meant to destroy or reshape both the Sith and the Jedi. He is meant to bring balance. If you kill him, the Force will punish you and you will never accomplish the true happiness you deserve. He was made of the Force as a response to the Sith's meddling in their power too much."
A form of Sidious and Plagueis appears, eyes closed deeply in concentration. Of course it would be his former Master and his Master before him. They have much knowledge in the Force-
"He needs a parent, Maul. Obi-Wan was... narrow-minded to understand Anakin. Maybe you can serve as a understanding mentor or find someone he can.
Maul looks at him in consideration, ideas forming in his head. He can whisper seeds of doubt against the Republic with Skywalker earlier and perhaps go along with Jinn's idea to find a more suitable Master amongst the Jedi that can train him.
"And why not you?"
Jinn's face falls. "I... do not have the best experience in training Padawans."
Maul nods, not willing to go deeper into that particular subject. "Very well."
"Just remember to contain the Dark Side instead of allowing it to consume you and you would find the true freedom that you deserve. The Force is all around us and we must follow its will if only to bring true balance and stopping the greater evils that abuses its gifts."
Maul looks, swearing an oath to bring a end to all of this. The Empire would never rise, at least not the one in Sidious's vision. He would stop this before all of it.
"I accept."
The form of Qui-Gon nods...
Memories of lifetimes away suddenly goes through him. He sees things-
(-Maul descending downwards, no legs, defeated, shocked...)
(-Savage dying in his arms-)
(-Lady Tano refusing to listen to him on Mandalore-)
(-Maul begging for Tano to release him and let him die-)
(-Maul spending his years lost in the galaxy loathing this Empire and only using his fuel for Kenobi-)
Now...
Now he sees something he never saw before...
(-Skywalker and Obi-Wan locked in lightsaber battle surrounded by lava, anger on Skywalker's face, pain and resignation on Kenobi's-)
(-countless Jedi on the ground like discarded dolls, their empty faces more surprised than afraid-)
(-the monster that is Darth Vader storming through, cutting through anyone who gets in his way-)
(-a boy - the true Chosen One no doubt - staring at the sunset with hopeful vigor -)
(-Kenobi falling at the hands of the machine that once been Anakin Skywalker)
(-the Force striving from darkness returning to a balance that Maul never seen before-)
The Zabrak is no longer fading. He is... sitting? On a speeder?
In a distance, the Naboo Royal Starship is waiting. Maul finally comes to a harsh realization. He is back on Tatooine, going directly for Jinn and Skywalker!
"Anakin, drop!" Jinn shouts.
Maul finds himself clamping down harshly onto the speeder's controls, breaking the vehicle away from Not-Vader before it could have crashed against the child, and jumping off.
Jinn's expression morphs in distaste as he draws his green lightsaber.
"Anakin, get to the ship."
Maul looks at the boy before regarding Jinn. He squashes down the desire of wanting to draw his lightsaber.
"Qui-Gon Jinn, you have no idea of the danger awaiting you."
Jinn's expression morphs into further distaste before he charges forward. Maul activates his lightsaber, realizing suddenly that this is his old hilt, as Jinn comes crashing down upon him.
The old Jedi is obviously unprepared for someone of Maul's caliber. The Zabrak continues to swing his lightsaber around him once he accustoms to the hilt, moving quickly as he tears at the Jedi's defensives.
Unlike last time, Kenobi rushes in, blue lightsaber sparking to life. He attacks Maul, using the form that the Zabrak recognizes as Ataru. As the battle continues on Maul cannot help but wonder. Where is the grace of Soresu that has been evident in their last few battles throughout the Clone Wars?
While they may have been able to stand against him a lifetime ago, now Maul is ahead of them in all fields. He can stand against the Master of the Order himself and perhaps emerge victorious...
Maul pushes his hilt up against Jinn's face, and while he could have taken the advantage as he did many years ago, the Zabrak twirls around him and drives his fist into his gut, causing the Jedi Master to reach for that area with a gasp...
Now it is just Kenobi and Maul...
Ironic.
Kenobi's brash and arrogance is palpable for the Zabrak to see as he continues to try to push him back. Another twist in irony is that Maul is now using Soresu, rapidly deflecting every blow as they lands, eventually driving Kenobi's hilt out of his hand.
Instead of decapitating his head as he would have at one point, the Zabrak calls for both Jedi's lightsabers, placing them on his belt.
Maul regards them both before staring at the Jedi Master.
"Jinn, I am not your enemy," Maul assures, deactivating his lightsaber, much to the surprise of both Jedi. "Let's negotiate. First, ease your companions minds."
Jinn frowns but is surprised when 'truth' rings through the Force. He does so, speaking into the com, and seconds later the ship descends.
"The boy is the Chosen One," Maul speaks. "He is destined to bring balance to the Force."
Kenobi pales. "You knew?"
Maul eyes him. "Yes; originally I was to carry my Master's plan, but I had a vision. I would have gut Jinn, and you would have been the one who trained the Chosen One. My Master would have betrayed me and I cannot allow him to rule this galaxy so I offer an alliance with you Jedi to stop him."
Both Jedi are petrified by this, staring at one another, before the oldest respond.
"How do we know that you wouldn't betray us?" Jinn asks.
Great point.
Maul looks at the floor before staring up at the Jedi. "I swear on my brother's behalf I would never betray you nor present a problem for the Jedi."
A oath that Maul promises to keep.
The Zabrak floats their hilts back into their hands.
"Undoubtedly a false promise," Kenobi spits arrogantly, activating his blue lightsaber and charging forward yet again.
Maul ignites his lightsaber in irritation when Jinn blocks the strike.
"Master, what are you doing?!"
"He's not a threat. I can feel it through the Force." Jinn states, staring at his Apprentice with a raised eyebrow. "Now deactivate your lightsaber."
"He's a Sith-"
"You must put your personal feelings aside, my young Padawan."
Maul stares at both of them with a slight smirk across his lips as Kenobi pouts and deactivates his lightsaber. Jinn does so next, and so does Maul.
"Lead us aboard, Jinn, we have a lot to discuss," Maul says, planting his hands behind his back and walking behind the Jedi.
His former Master would be in for quite a shock when they land on Coruscant.
Maul would truthfully love seeing it and break each of his plans one by one. He would see that the true Chosen One is trained by the Jedi if only to teach him the power of the Dark Side later when the boy's ready to learn control.
The Zabrak would make sure the boy go against everything that Sidious loves. Sidious loves the Sith, and so Maul would see the Sith in his image following the Rule of Two crash.
He would make better decisions this time around, even though Maul would hold bitter feelings at having to control the Dark Side instead of unleashing it on all.
He would settle for it. After all, stopping Sidious and killing that bastard would be satisfying.
Maul thinks bitterly.
"You have won once, my Master, you will not win again."
Arthur's note: I have recently discovered how much I love the character of Darth Maul and was horrified that there's barely any fics of him time traveling to the Phantom Menace. I have tried and failed with many characters time traveling because they were boring and already used ideas or I didn't know that much about them. Darth Maul is someone who I can use in many ways.
There are going to be several pairings in this fic. Maul x Sabé, Anakin x Padmé, and Obi-Wan x Siri is all that comes to mind currently. Of course there's going to be more but I want to use this fic to do something unique. I hope you all join me in this journey.
May the Force be with you all always.