A/N: I know I know, I'm getting sidetracked here; I'm writing other stories but I've decided that after a few more Httyd stories, I'm gonna do some Star Wars stories as well. This "what if" story takes place in season 5 of Star Wars the Clone Wars, episode 16. The Lawless. After Maul has killed Duchess Satine and has his men take Kenobi to a cell, Darth Sidious senses this rise in the Dark Side and ventures to Mandalore to deal with Maul and Savage which led to Savage's death and Maul being imprisoned by Sidious in the Spire prison. But in this story, Maul and Savage kill Darth Sidious and change the course of galactic history.
(Mandalore, Sundari)
As the night loomed over the Mandalorian capital of Sundari, Maul sat upon the throne he had claimed from the now-late leader of Death Watch, Pre Vizsla in single combat not long ago. His brother and apprentice, Savage Opress was standing by his side. The two brothers were discussing further plans to expand their newly established organization, Crimson Dawn, across the galaxy, now that Mandalore was theirs, the need to expand to the web of neutral systems was essential, not only to gain solid footing but also swell their numbers with those who wished to take up arms against their enemies as well as swell their war chest and resources.
While discussing the best course of action, however, Maul visibly tensed and he closed his eyes as he felt something approaching, or rather, someone approaching. It was someone whose darkness could consume the entire galaxy.
As this dark ripple in the Force was spreading throughout the city, Savage noticed his brother and master tense.
"What is it?"
Not answering his brother immediately, Maul then replied after a long moment. "Hmm, I sense a presence. A presence I haven't felt since..." A shaky gasp parted his lips, Maul's facial features twisted with horror, and his eyes were full of fear. The presence he felt drew closer and closer until one word trickled out of his mouth. "Master."
Suddenly, two of the Mandalorian Super Commandos in the throne room were lifted off of their feet, being strangled to death by the ways of the Force. The two warriors were then slammed against the wall, still being strangled violently, the sight caused Maul to rise from his throne, he could feel goosebumps erupt across his skin and his heart beat faster as fear flowed through him like the blood in his veins. As both Zabrak brothers watched as their men were being strangled to death, the doors to the throne room opened, revealing the puppet master of a galaxy-wide conflict and those who were fighting it. The man who had unlimited power and could destroy those who challenged him with but a wave of his hand.
Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith.
The fact that Sidious was here told Maul that his old master was here to destroy everything he had worked and clawed for. Not only this, but the Dark Lord was here so that he could instill a harsh, cruel lesson upon the two brothers, and that was this: there could only be two Sith Lords, a master, and an apprentice, and Maul was no longer Sidious' apprentice.
Maul knew that he had become a rival to his old master.
Collecting himself, Maul approached his old master boldly, his fearful demeanor was replaced with confidence. Sidious, however, was as vile as Maul remembered him, if not more so. The Dark Lord was a harbinger of death, ready to kill without hesitation, there was nothing that would stop him from fulfilling his mandate to the Sith Order, he sought to secure a legacy for only himself. Everything that has transpired was because of Sidious and him alone; from the blockade of Naboo to the Clone Wars itself and he was not going to allow a petty Sith assassin who fell victim to a Jedi Padawan to dethrone him from everything he had built. After all, Maul had been bested by Kenobi, and Sidious knew that Maul was like a loyal Loth-Wolf, he would bow to his knees the moment he raised his voice. Just when Sidious had finished strangling the two Mandalorian warriors, Maul kneeled before the man who took him as a child and trained him to be an instrument of vengeance.
"Master."
As Maul kneeled before his master, he could sense uncertainty rippling through the Force from his apprentice and brother, Savage Opress. For the moment, it did not concern him as he felt the piercing gaze of Darth Sidious as he loomed over him.
"I am most impressed to see you have survived your injuries," Sidious commended, despite his intentions of putting his former apprentice back in his place. "Most impressive."
"I used your training, Master," Maul replied pridefully. "And I have built all this in hopes of returning to your side."
Sidious lifted his head slightly, glancing over at Savage, and Maul saw his yellow eyes beneath the hood. Cold and uncaring, like the distant stars within the void of space, yet the gaze was also foretelling of the vast amount of power Sidious possessed as the Dark Lord of the Sith.
"Hmm. How unfortunate that you are attempting to deceive me," Sidious remarked as he turned his back on the two brothers.
"M-Master?" Maul asked, lifting his head as he felt a faint stirring in the Force, a warning of some sort.
"You have become... a rival!" Sidious declared, spinning back around, hands lifting to his chest before bolts of violet lightning ripped out from the Sith Lord's fingers, tendrils of brilliant blue and purple that danced across Maul's tattooed skin and rippled through his muscles and organs, causing Maul to wail out in agony.
Savage was instantly at his brother's side, activating his double-bladed lightsaber and placing one end of the blade between Sidious and Maul, leaving the lightning no choice but to funnel into Savage's blade. Grunting, the hulking Zabrak lifted a hand and reached out with the Force, shoving Sidious backward as he shifted his ground. Turning his brother, Savage helped Maul get up, the red-skinned Zabrak then activated his lightsaber and the two brothers turned back to Sidious while snarling at him and getting in a battle stance.
Sidious scoffed at the sight, knowing full well that he could destroy these weak Nightbrothers with his vast power in the dark side of the Force, but that would be far too easy. He decided to toy with them for a while, and when his amusement had reached its end, he would dispose of these Sith pretenders and move on. Sidious then summoned his lightsabers into his palms, which were hidden in his sleeves. He then activated his lightsabers and waited for the brothers to make the first move. The two Nightbrothers shared a look and nod, they then pounced Sidious and locked blades with the Dark Lord.
Fear.
Maul has known great fear throughout his life: living in isolation in the tunnels of filth, waste, bile, and trash on Lotho Minor. He believed that he would die utterly forgotten when he was destined for the greatest he was owed while under the apprenticeship of Darth Sidious. That same Sith Lord who had taken him from Dathomir has unleashed hell in the form of Force lightning and other methods of torture on Maul for failing training modules, Sidious was ruthless and expected perfection from his young apprentice.
Anger.
This emotion flowed through Maul's veins like blood, and his anger for the Jedi was imprinted into his very being. It was in the Sith world, Malachor, where Maul laid eyes on the remnants of a battle between his Sith brethren and the accursed Jedi. Sidious made Maul breathe in the ash of a fallen Sith Lord, and Maul witnessed the Jedi slaughtering his predecessors, felt the burns of a thousand lightsaber cuts, and witnessed the liberty of the Sith being stripped away from the Jedi.
Hatred.
Maul harbored great hatred for the Jedi, specifically towards Obi-Wan Kenobi, the man who had cut him in half and robbed him of his destiny. Hatred is a hard thing to kill, and Maul is a being saturated in hatred, he was taught to hate the Jedi, the light, and those who seek to destroy him. It was a powerful emotion to draw strength from, and Maul knew that if his hatred was honed and keen, he could slay all his enemies, perhaps even his old master.
Suffering.
Savage had saved Maul from twelve years of unimaginable suffering, living in isolation, paranoia, constant starvation, and rabid insanity that threatened to consume him entirely. Maul was groomed for greatness as a boy, he was destined to become a Lord of the Sith and rule the galaxy, but Kenobi took that from him during their battle on Naboo, and the suffering he endured in exile was the result of Maul's overconfidence.
And now, the same man Maul had once called master has come to take away everything Maul has accomplished in such a short after his resurrection on Dathomir. The two Zabrak brothers had formed a criminal organization that included Black Sun, the Pyke Syndicate, and the Hutt Cartel, along with the Mandalorians of Death Watch. This coalition of criminals and warriors has taken the neutral planet of Mandalore and has grown in power and made plans to expand their operations to other neutral systems and wage war upon the Galactic Republic and Confederacy of Independent Systems. But now, Darth Sidious threatened to undermine their plans and efforts by killing them and leaving their forces to scatter into the stars to avoid destruction.
Both Zabrak bothers knew that this was a fight they couldn't win, sensing Sidious' vast power in the dark side of the Force, but they both held hope that maybe they could overthrow the Sith Lord who orchestrated the Clone Wars and be that much closer to ruling the galaxy, but only if they could kill Darth Sidious. The odds were not in the brother's favor, but if they were to die at Sidious' hands, they would die fighting, not on their knees.
Sidious broke the blade lock and pushed Savage back with the Force and turned his sight on Maul. Letting out a snarl, Sidious pounced at his former apprentice and engaged in a blade lock with him. "All of this was for you!" The red-skinned Zabrak bellowed out. "I created this to show you I am worthy to stand by your side!" Breaking the blade lock, Maul and Sidious were throwing strikes at each other with incredible speed, but both combatants either swatted away or parried each other's strikes. Both dark siders were back to back and still striking at each other, Sidious then attempted to sever Maul's lower half, but the red-skinned Zabrak somersaulted backward and landed beside Savage who was whirling his double-bladed lightsaber.
"Your pathetic formation of rabble and scum does not align with my grand vision for the galaxy, Maul," Sidious stated as he whirled both his lightsabers with ease. "You were never meant to be a true Sith Lord! You were only a means to an end, a pawn whose usefulness came to an end after your defeat on Naboo all those years ago. You have been replaced!"
This revelation caused Maul to snarl in outrage and hatred toward his former master. He knew betrayal was the nature of the Sith, but he was groomed for greatness as a child to rule the galaxy! But now that Sidious had told him that he was just a pawn, something to be disposed of once his usefulness came to an end, that made Maul's blood run hot with rage. Both Zabrak brothers shared a look and nod as they pounced at Sidious once again, but the old man snarled and pushed them back with the Force, causing the brothers to collide into a window.
Sidious then fired torrents of Force lightning at the Nightbrothers, and both Maul and Savage quickly held up their lightsabers to absorb Sidious' lightning. The force of the lightning kept both brothers pinned against the glass, causing the windows to crackle and groan; threatening to break under the weight of both Nightbrothers. Maul and Savage found the strength to step forward while still managing to deflect their opponent's lightning, though with great strength and effort were they able to do this. Maul then stretched out his hand and sent Sidious flying into a portrait of the late Duchess Satine behind him, causing him to drop his lightsabers and cease his relentless barrage of lightning.
Struggling to free himself from Maul's grip, the red-skinned Zabrak gave his former master a murderous glare and seethed out. "You will pay for your betrayal," turning to Savage, Maul nodded at his brother. "Dispatch this fool."
Obeying his brother, Savage leaped into the air and was ready to strike Sidious in the chest with his lightsaber, but the Dark Lord hit Savage with a bolt of Force lightning, sending the hulking yellow-skinned Zabrak to crash down on the cold, glassy floor. Looking towards a chandelier right above Maul, Sidious cackled darkly as he used the Force to break the chain holding the chandelier, Maul looked up and then quickly evaded the chandelier as it came crashing down right where he stood.
Now free, Sidious summoned both his lightsabers back into his palms as Maul and Savage advanced with a cautious pace. If their opponent was a common Jedi, the two brothers would use their strength to beat them down, toy with them, or taunt them to lose their cool before striking them down.
But now the roles were reversed.
Maul knew that Sidious was merely toying with them both, and they needed to work as one to destroy the man who was threatening to end their lives and their plans for the future. However, if the two of them could tire Sidious, and get him to lose his stamina, he would be theirs. But to do this, Maul knew he and his brother needed to work together in perfect harmony. The Dark Lord suddenly backflipped back towards the palace entrance and slowly backed up in the narrow passage that led out of the Mandalorian palace. Maul and Savage then pounced and once more attacked Sidious until the trio made it outside on the balcony that overlooked the courtyard and the city of Sundari.
Once more, Maul and Sidious engaged in a heated clash, while Savage deactivated his lightsaber and prepared to knock the old man off the balcony and let him fall to his death. While Sidious was distracted, Savage charged, and with a fierce grunt, he bulldozed right into Sidious, knocking him off the balcony with ease, but the Dark Lord then grasped both brothers with the Force and pulled them down with him, causing them to fall at heights that would've killed an ordinary man. As the trio landed on the ground below with grace, Savage activated his lightsaber and lashed out at Sidious, causing the old man to evade his attack and then swing both of his sabers at Savage's face, the hulking Zabrak then activated the other end of his lightsaber and stopped Sidious's blow. Maul too lashed out at Sidious' back, but the Dark Lord ducked under Maul's strike and kicked him in the sternum, causing Maul to growl in pain.
Sidious struck at Maul, but he backed away from the incoming strike, but not before protecting his back from Savage and driving his elbow in the yellow-skinned Zabrak's face, causing blood to fly out of his nose and Savage to snarl in anger at the old man. Suddenly, Maul twisted his body around and used his crimson blade, and now the Darksaber to clash against Sidious' own. Recovering from the blow he had received, Savage lunged at Sidious' head, but the Dark Lord parried the bigger Zabrak's swing and swung at his throat, Savage inhaled sharply and held his saber to stop the Dark Lord from removing his head. He had just recently lost his arm to Kenobi during their duel on Florrum, and Savage knew every action he took was critical, he and his brother were fighting the most powerful Sith Lord in generations. The duel between the trio was ferocious and crimson flashed in the darkness.
While leaping into the air, Sidious collided blades with both brothers, his arms outstretched as he laughed to himself while pressing his attack on Savage. The taller Zabrak was fortunate he was able to defend himself against Sidious for so long, unfortunately, the yellow-skinned Nightbrother was pushed on the retreat by Sidious who had gained the upper hand against him by pushing him back ferociously with the Force. Dashing to the downed apprentice, Sidious struck, only to strike the ground instead of flesh and bone. Despite his sheer size, Savage was able to move fast enough to land a powerful strike into his opponent's sternum with his cybernetic fist, causing the Dark Lord to fly back and snarl in pain. Maul and Savage then regrouped and stood together as brothers while Sidious bore his teeth at them.
He was done playing games with them.
Momentarily deactivating his lightsabers, Sidious lifted his hands, and tendrils of purple lightning crashed down on the brothers, who were fortunate to defend themselves against the attack. Growling loudly, Maul was able to redirect Sidious' lightning back at him, causing the Dark Lord to cry out in agony and crumble to a single knee. Both brothers jumped at the now vulnerable Sidious, who reactivated his lightsabers and blocked both Nightbrother's blades raining down on him. The Dark Lord was on edge as he stepped back and forth, and used everything he had to stand his ground against these two duelists.
Savage suddenly flipped over Sidious until he was right behind him, Maul then threw a punch at his former master while his attention was directed at Savage. Sidious leaned back and evaded Maul's strike, he then kicked Savage in the face which sent him flying back and crashing into the ground. Leaping into the air while raising his lightsaber high above his head, Maul released a rabid snarl, he was determined to mutilate Sidious and wipe the walls with his insides for his betrayal. But Sidious extended both his hands and sent Maul flying back into a wall headfirst, causing the red-skinned Zabrak to lose consciousness for the time being.
Turning back to Savage, the Dark Lord watched in amusement as the hulking Zabrak activated his double-bladed lightsaber and charged him. Sidious merely leaped over Savage and landed on the ground with grace, while casually sidestepping his clumsy and sloppy swings. Whirling his double-bladed weapon, Savage then brought his lightsaber down on Sidious's, determined to beat the old man down with his brute strength. The Dark Lord then struck Savage in the gut with a powerful kick, causing the hulking Zabrak to groan in pain and also evade the Dark Lord's lightning-fast attacks. Each blow Savage blocked was quickly draining him and his heavy huffs of breath caused Sidious to cackle in glee as he pressed his attack, tiring the lumbering oaf before him.
Maul regained consciousness as he got back up on his feet and groaned as his head pounded and throbbed in agony, after being hurled against the wall by Sidious, he regained himself and witnessed his former master merely toying with his brother. Fear once again flowed through Maul's veins, Savage was strong and able to beat down Jedi with his brute strength, but he was not strong enough to deal with Sidious alone. The Dark Lord then struck a blow that staggered the hulking Zabrak, Sidious whirled his lightsabers in hand and was about to drive both blades into Savage's chest and end him for good.
"NO!!"
Maul bellowed out in fear and horror, he then stretched his hand out towards Sidious, and to Maul's shock and astonishment, Sidious was immobilized; suspending the older man in place, causing the Dark Lord to snarl, and slowly turn to Maul. Seizing this opportunity, Maul unleashed a primal roar and leaped into the air while activating his blood-red lightsaber and the Darksaber, plunging both of his weapons into his former master's chest. Recovering from the blow Sidious dealt him, Savage followed his brother's example and plunged his lightsaber into Sidious' back.
Sidious then unleashed an inhuman scream that caused Maul and Savage to cry out in agony and clutch their ears while backing away from Sidious, their ears were ringing heavily and their vision was foggy for the moment. Seeing that his Force scream stunned both the Zabrak brothers, Sidious snarled in agony knowing that he needed to make his last few moments of life count, he then discarded his lightsabers, and his hands crackled with purple electricity, Maul's eyes widened in horror as he looked to Savage and barked out.
"MOVE!!"
Both Zabrak brothers backed away as the Dark Lord's piercing yellow eyes burned hotter than a thousand suns and he extended his hands towards Maul and fired fatal torrents of Force lightning at his former apprentice. Maul quickly raised and activated his lightsaber and allowed his weapon to absorb the power of Sidious's lightning.
"You defy me by returning from the dead!" He boomed out in outrage. "You will not usurp me as Dark Lord of the Sith," Sidious snarled out. "My plans for galactic dominance are close to completion, you and your pathetic brother will not undermine me, not after everything I've built and done! As your grip on life slips away, you will experience the full power of the dark side!" The sheer force of his former master's Force lightning rattled Maul's bones and he could feel his grip on life slipping with each passing moment, causing the red-skinned Zabrak to summon all of his rage, hatred, and fear to give him the strength he needed to survive this.
Savage, who recovered from Sidious's Force scream then snuck up behind the Dark Lord and was about to strike him down, but the old man quickly turned around and hammered Savage with his Force lightning, causing the hulking Zabrak to roar out in raw agony. "Down, you insolent dog!" Palpatine snarled while using one hand to kill Savage with his Force lightning and he place his other hand on his chest while enacting Force healing, tending to the wounds both brothers inflicted on him.
Witnessing his brother writhing in pain, seeing his skeleton flickering, and hearing his roars of pain, Maul made his move while his former master was too focused on both killing Savage and healing his fatal injuries. Moving like the wind, Maul then struck as fast as lightning and proceeded to lash out at Sidious, who quickly turned to defend himself, but Maul's strike split one of his lightsabers in half, leaving the Dark Lord with only one blade left. Despite healing most of the damage the brothers had inflicted on him with their lightsabers, Sidious considered his options as both brothers regrouped once again, if he didn't escape this conflict alive, everything he had worked for would've been for nothing; years of manipulating prominent figures within the Republic and Separatists, enacting Order 66 to wipe out the Jedi Order, and persuading Anakin Skywalker to become his new apprentice and rule the Galactic Empire by his side, as master and apprentice. Dooku never had the vision to finish what he started and if he were to fall here on Mandalore, then the Sith Order would be taken over by two feeble brothers from Dathomir if they bested him in combat.
At this moment, Sidious knew the fate of both the state of the galaxy and the Sith Order would determine who would emerge from this battle alive. And he would not allow himself to be vested by those that were inferior.
Seeing that he had no choice but to fight, Sidious pounced at the brothers, standing between them, and slashed at them with ferocity and aggression the likes of which they had never seen before. Maul could see that his level-headed opponent was now fighting like a feral animal that was backed into a corner and he was fighting with all the strength he could muster. As lightsabers clashed against each other outside the palace courtyard, the three duelists moved around in formation, pushing off of one another and trying to seize the advantage. Sidious had no room for failure as he was now caught being too aggressive, Maul slashed at his pristine robes and ultimately struck the Dark Lord's left leg. Pressing the advantage, Savage smashed into Sidious, and each of the hulking Nightbrother's blows grew more powerful and far too heavy for the Dark Lord, causing him to tumble off balance and collapse to the ground, panting heavily while still holding his own against the raging Zabrak beating him down.
Maul, who was walking behind his brother, grinned as Savage continued to whittle Sidious' strength with each of his powerful strikes. Despite his current and dire predicament, the Dark Lord smiled at his former apprentice, part of him was proud of what Maul had accomplished, but it was now painfully clear that Maul and his brother were going to win this conflict.
They would kill him and then track down Dooku and kill him as well.
As is the way of the Sith.
Maul, despite his failure on Naboo had refused to die, and now he has returned to lay claim what Sidious had promised him as a boy all those years ago-- become a Lord of the Sith and rule the galaxy.
In all his years of training, growing in strength and power, Sidious never could've predicted that he would meet his end at the hands of his former apprentice and brother. This should not have happened, however, if one is more ruthless and more hungry for power, than they will do anything to ensure they achieve that power. And Maul had proved to Sidious that his hunger for power was exceeding his own.
"As one legacy of the Sith falls, another rises this night," Maul laughed as Savage used the Force to push Sidious into a nearby wall, the Dark Lord's grip on his lightsaber slipped and despite his efforts to break free from Savage's hold over him, Sidious was now at the mercy of the Nightbrothers before him. The strength of keeping the Dark Lord suspended caused the stone to formulate cracks, Savage dared not losen his grip, his hand clenched tightly, and Sidious' snarls filled the air as he was suspended against the wall. "Your time has reached its end, old man," Maul retorted in a taunting tone, he then gave his former master a cruel grin. "I thank you for your teachings and the wisdom you passed down to me, Lord Sidious, but your time as Dark Lord of the Sith has concluded. My time to take your place has begun," Maul then hurled both his lightsaber and the Darksaber at Sidious until both blades crossed together like an 'X', as each blade found its mark, the now-deceased Darth Sidious was severed into four parts and tumbled to the ground with a sickening smack.
Darth Sidious was no more.
After summoning both blades in his hands and deactivating them, Maul loomed over the mutilated corpse of his former master and released a shakily exhale.
They had done the impossible and killed the most powerful being in the galaxy.
Previously, all Maul had desired was revenge against Kenobi, but now the galaxy and the Sith Order itself were his for the taking. Finally, with Sidious gone, Maul felt that his place in the galaxy was now truly restored.
As both brothers caught their breath, Savage deactivated his lightsaber and turned to his brother. "What do we do now, brother?" Grinning at his brother's words, Maul explained that with Sidious out of the way, the Sith pretender, Dooku, would carry on the Clone Wars, and depending on who became the new interim chancellor of the Republic, the intergalactic war would undoubtedly be prolonged. Savage then inquired what this new change in the galaxy would mean for them.
Not satiating his brother's curiosity immediately, Maul then closed his eyes as he reached out through the Force and tried to look for Kenobi, but he would no longer detect the Jedi's presence on the planet. Suddenly, several Mandalorian Super Commandos descended and bowed down before Maul and Savage before informing them that the traitor Bo-Katan Kryze, her Nite Owls, and those who wished to join her resistance had escaped the planet as well, but not before freeing Kenobi from imprisonment and getting him off-planet.
Filled with rage, Maul pondered on hunting Kenobi but knew that hunting down Kenobi could wait, they needed to remove Dooku from power and perhaps take control of the Separatists Alliance itself, integrating the Droid Army into his Shadow Collective. Looking down at his loyal Mandalorian soldiers, Maul ordered them to rise. "Inform Prime Minister Almec that my brother and I will be departing Mandalore for the time being and that he is to be the face of our rule for the time being. You will then train anyone who desires war and battle, I foresee great conflict ahead of us. The Republic and the Separatists will unleash their forces down on us, and we will need to be prepared for war," Maul's Mandalorian followers bowed their heads and flew off and obey their lord's command. "Savage, take Sidious' head and come with me, we are departing Mandalore for the time being." Laughing quietly to himself, Maul was still feeding off of the adrenaline from their duel with Sidious. Although his brother wasn't fully educated in the politics of the galaxy, Maul was smart enough to take advantage of the intergalactic conflict, using the war as the perfect cover to complete his brother's training and to see his newly birthed criminal syndicate grow into something far more powerful.
As Savage had removed Sidious' head with his lightsaber and then severed the hood of his crimson cloak and used it like a sack, he placed the fallen Sith Lord's head in the center of the hood and wrapped it up, he then clipped it to his belt before inquiring. "Where are we going, brother?" Maul stopped in his tracks before turning around to look his brother in the eyes while smiling.
"Home. To Dathomir."
A/N: I know I'm busy with other stories, but for now, I'll leave this chapter here and update again when I can. This would NEVER happen but I think this is a story that should be written and the result of Sidious's death in this story, it's going to impact the Star Wars universe greatly. I won't spoil what I've got up my sleeve but it's going to be pretty exciting.