Peace is a lie...
On the barren and rocky wasteland that was the surface of Zanbar, Maul furiously wielded the Darksaber, training against multiple Death Watch Mandalorians in red-clad armor. The Mandalorians, despite being protected by beskar armor and possessing experience in training with Pre Vizsla, had never witnessed such fury and raw power as the driving force of their blade, the symbol of their proud ideals.
Maul swung the ancient antiquity, knocking one of the six Mandalorians backward and sending him tumbling through the dust. The Mandalorians noticed the immense strength of their rightful leader and pressed forward their attacks. Maul scoffed. There were fine lines between courage, arrogance, and stupidity. It seemed as if Mandalore had no concept of such boundaries.
There is only passion...
Twirling viciously to stun his opponents, Maul struck the chest plates of the surrounding warriors, shocking them as sparks flew rapidly from the area of impact. One of the Mandalorians activated her jetpack, propelling herself into the air for an advantage against the fallen Sith Lord. She launched a cable, which was cut by Maul before it could even make contact with him. He was privy to all their tricks after sparing with so many of them.
Through passion, I gain strength...
Maul truly was sorely disappointed. After losing his brother and half of his forces, he assumed the men of the Death Watch would be far more driven to succeed since their honor and homeworld depended on it for the coming battle. He seized the somber feeling that resided in his chest and tightened his mental grip on it, twisting into something far more pure.
Something far more potent.
Through strength, I gain power...
Maul grasped the cable, utilizing the burst of energy from his rage to pull the Mandalorian to the ground. He launched himself into the air as the female warrior came crashing down. He grasped the young woman and hurled her toward a Mandalorian who was reaching for his blaster. The two crashed into one another, tumbling through the dirt. They were out for the count.
Only three remained as Maul fell from grace.
Fell...
Fallen...
Never...
Through power, I gain victory...
The Mandalorians grabbed their vibroknifes, going on the defensive. Maul growled. He was not a fan of defense despite his knowledge of the form of Soresu. It came in handy quite often, especially against his former master on Mandalore.
Chills ran down Maul's spine, a fear that passed by all too quickly for him to take hold of. Despite the fear passing away, the hopelessness and sorrow, a bitter aftertaste, remained.
Maul raced forward, determined to win against his opponents. They prepared for impact but Maul rolled, cutting the jetpacks of two of the Mandalorians. In a subtle combustion, they were both sent flying into the mountain where their camp was situated. They fell to the ground, unconscious from the crash and groaning in agony.
Maul sighed in relief. He did not care much for these petty people, but he needed all the assistance he could achieve if he wished...
If he wished...
The final Mandalorian turned around. Maul sensed no trace of fear or anguish whatsoever.
Finally, someone who would fight and face fear itself.
With honor.
Through victory, my chains are broken...
My chains are broken!
MY CHAINS!
Maul's grip on the hilt of the Darksaber tightened as he furiously focused on finishing this rather anticlimactic battle. Still, if he was to end this pathetic excuse of a training match, he would end it in style.
"Sir!"
The anger pulsed through his veins, causing him to ignore the shouts and protests of the Mandalorian advisor. Maul charged the remaining warrior, who clenched his fists in preparation for an attack. Without thinking properly, Maul instinctually flipped over the Mandalorian, landing gracefully behind him. With a twirl of the armored warrior to face the fallen Sith Lord and a swish of dark light across his chest, the fight was over.
Maul apathetically watched as the Mandalorian gasped and choked in agony. Sparks emitted from his chest as a result of the lightsaber's egregious dissection. Attempting to maintain his balance, the final warrior's torso slid from his hips, plummeting to the ground dead with a loud crunch. The legs simply stood frozen for a few brief moments before collapsing to their knees and crumbling to the ground.
As memories of his greatest humiliation at the hands of a mere Jedi Padawan raced through his mind, fueling his anguish and rage, Maul turned toward the advisor and deactivated the Darksaber. Placing the inactive hilt of the shady blade on his belt, the leader of the Shadow Collective stormed over to the trembling advisor, a man with fear radiating off of his entire body.
Maul sneered calmly, "Report, Leer."
Advisor Pian Leer swallowed and straightened his posture before handing Maul a datapad, formally stating, "The leaders of the Black Sun family demand an audience with you, Your Excellency. The Hutts have begun to cut off ties with us, and only the Pykes remain fully loyal to you. Lord Vos is rumored to be creating his own syndicate with your influences, but our sources are faulty at best."
Maul gently grasped the datapad, scrolling through the complaints and reports of the entire Shadow Collective. Ever since Vizsla and Savage died, Maul had been the sole ruler of the syndicate, organizing the crime lords to his advantage and controlling the spice trade roads. The planets Kessel, Corellia, and Malastare would soon fall to the influence of their combined might. Yet now, on the edge of greatness, these cowards wanted to back out and crawl into their holes.
Pathetic, Maul thought to himself. Truly, absolutely pathetic, mother...
As Maul grumbled internally at the growing pressures and stresses of leading an entire army, he heard subtle whispers echoing throughout the valley. He grimaced. He ultimately knew where the voices were coming from and who they belonged to. It had become clear to him many weeks ago that only he could communicate with her, so he did not feel the need to elaborate this part of the plan to his underlings.
"Lord Maul?" Leer inquired cautiously, concerned about his master's well-being. "Sir?"
Shoving the datapad into Leer's chest, Maul growled, "Regroup with our forces. Instruct them to prepare and train for betrayal on every side. And tell Saxon and Kast to meet me when I have finished my meditation."
Leer swiftly bowed before turning around and hastily marching over to the camp. Maul turned to the Mandalorian warriors who had sparred with him. One of them was dead due to the Sith Lord's growing impetuousness.
A quality worth correction, Maul thought grimly, begrudgingly admitting his flaw.
"And Leer?"
Leer stopped dead in his tracks before turning around, trembling internally with trepidation, before asking, "Y-yes? My lord?"
Maul sighed as he crossed his arms, "Order the men to prepare the rites for one of their own. And bring medical attention to these fallen warriors who haven't tasted their culture's prized blade. We will need all the assistance we require on the battlefield..."
Leer sighed in relief, nodding his head respectfully before racing off toward the camp, careful not to display any fear or disrespect before the rightful ruler of Mandalore.
Maul sat with his legs crossed in his ornate tent, breathing patiently as he meditated. He focused on the dark side of the Force, calling out to the void, the source of all anger, fear, and darkness. The darkness in his mind was suddenly replaced by an alluring green, pulsating and beautiful in his mind.
"Mother..." Maul whispered, feeling his heart beat rapidly. "I am here..."
Sensing a pungent tingle rise in his throat, Maul's yellow eyes shot open as a green mist erupted from his chest and mouth, encircling him and dancing vividly. The green mist took the form of an elegant woman with white and black facepaint, peaceful silver eyes, bright red robes, and clawed hands.
From the mist and beyond the void, Mother Talzin had appeared to Maul, her son. A minuscule smile tugged at the edge of Maul's lips as she appeared before the young Zabrak from Dathomir.
"My son," Talzin spoke, her soothing voice resonating with power and authority. "You seem troubled."
"Mother," Maul stated, frustration bubbling in his voice as he gritted his teeth. "The men of Mandalore are weak, the Jedi hunt us both, and Sidious and Dooku are close to enacting the Great Plan. How am I to defeat ruthless forces when treason and debauchery await me on all sides?"
"Do not fear, my son," Talzin answered, carefully and meticulously choosing her words to comfort an agitated Maul. "The strength in numbers will never overcome your character. We await an opportunity to seize our victory. Soon, Sidious and the Sith will pay for what they have done to us."
"There is more," Maul continued, quickly spitting out the words. He was worried he might have been a little too rash and impatient to speak, but Talzin did not seem irritated with him for doing so, looking upon him with determination yet understanding. "I have felt a great disturbance in the Force. A single name echoes throughout the cosmos, radiating throughout the fabric of existence and time itself. It has been felt by the Sith."
Talzin nodded. Despite not being force-sensitive, she was naturally tuned to the dark side of the Force. As the greatest of all the Nightsisters, no whisper, secret, or name ever passed throughout the galaxy without her knowing it.
"I know... I too have sensed it."
"You... are not displeased with the imbalance created?"
"I did not expect to hear that from you of all people, my son," Talzin humorously replied before regaining her sincerity. "However, I see this as an opportunity to break the Jedi who wronged you and the Sith who destroyed our sisters."
Maul frowned, "How can a single Jedi determine the fate of the entire galaxy?"
"The Chosen One is the key, my son..." Talzin stated confidently, placing her hands behind her back as she floated mystically.
Pursing his lips, Maul grimaced furiously. The Chosen One. Sidious's so-called replacement. He had waited years to find the Chosen One and be the one to save the Sith from extinction.
Now...
"You know who this Chosen One is, mother?" Maul asked with a twinge of hope within his darkened and depraved soul. "Is it the name echoing throughout the Force?"
"No..." Talzin answered, shaking her head calmly as she dropped her hands. "The answers will all come in time, Maul. For now, we must trust one another if we are to survive."
"Trust you?" Maul asked, astonished that she would question his loyalty. "Never. I would never betray you..."
Smiling and placing a hand on Maul's cheek, much to the Sith Lord's shock at such a foreign gesture, Talzin continued, "Find the bearer of the name and bring her to me on Dathomir. We shall use the life energy of the Jedi to lure the Chosen One and exact our revenge."
Maul nodded before stating, "I will, Mother. Revenge shall be ours..."
Talzin smiled with genuine pride in her eyes. Her form dissolved into green smoke, prompting Maul to briefly raise his hand and plead with her to stay before hesitating. The mist covered Maul's body, which immediately absorbed it without much discomfort.
When he had absorbed all of the gaseous substance, Maul gasped and fell to his hands, panting for breath. He immediately recalled the name, the single name that echoed throughout the Force as he fought with the Mandalorians mere hours ago.
"Ahsoka. Tano."
The Force shall set me free...
Please leave a review! Have a great day! We will see the Jedi Council and several other Jedi reacting to Ahsoka's decision in the next chapter. Whose reactions would you like to see?