Wartorn

Chapter 8 - Malevolence

This is the moment Maul has been waiting for, for so long. His master may have found him after his defeat on Naboo by Kenobi, and he was restored to his place as apprentice, but he nearly lost it. And he still lost so much of himself, not to mention the years of constant agony, time he will never have back.

And he will have his revenge on Kenobi for this, no matter what it takes.

"He is here," Maul intones, speaking to the hologram of Asajj, his... wife. It's not real – it couldn't be even if he wanted it to be, which he does not – but there's still some level of camaraderie between them.

"If you're certain," she replies, sounding most unenthusiastic, "But don't go doing anything stupid and making your master mad."

Maul scowls. "Eliminating Kenobi will be a severe blow to the Republic. And my master wants him gone for... personal reasons." He's known that Sidious has wanted to be rid of him for years, and Maul is more than happy to oblige.

"Fine," she agrees, giving him a pointed look, "But don't do something stupid."

She's right to be concerned, because if any of Sidious' delicate plans are thrown off, Maul knows what the consequence will be. It's strange to have Asajj here, though – he's never had anyone else to speak to on a similar level as him before.

Sometimes, he thinks maybe this arrangement isn't so bad. Even if, when they'd first come together, he'd despised the notion.

"I'm not any happier about this," Ventress snaps, glaring at him, "But we will have to make this work."

"This does not need to be a marriage." There is no reason the only way he can become leader of the Separatists is by marrying her. He has had enough of people having authority over him, and this is how Zabrak... mating works. Even if it's not real.

"No one knows you," she replies, tersely, "Dooku declared me his heiress, once he's gone. And if you have any further questions, I'd advise taking them up with Sidious."

He scowls back at her, before turning away. He would never complain about something like that to the Sith Master, no matter how much he dislikes the arrangement. He has to work to start really forming the Separatist movement, and it helps, since Ventress is technically going to be the Countess of Serenno once Dooku dies.

He's already old, and Maul knows he'll be gone long before Sidious is ready. Whatever exactly the Sith Master is waiting for this time – he's always waiting, it seems.

"And we must retrieve the ally I found among the Nightsisters," Ventress adds.

What she means is the one who's going to be their fake daughter.

She'll be like an apprentice, though, and that, Maul doesn't have a problem with. He wants to take an apprentice of his own, and this is a prime opportunity. Even if the girl will be mainly using Nightsister magick.

"You are going to lead the movement?" Merrin asks, dubiously – she's the one they adopted, and Maul still doesn't know what to think of her.

"Yes," he replies, curtly, "I have been trained for this role." It's what he was always meant to do, and he nearly lost it because of Kenobi.

"I just would have thought Ventress would take it, since she was Dooku's heiress," the girl replies – she's practically an adult, actually, but still far younger than Maul. She's much like the rest of the Nightsisters, he can tell. The Nightbrothers never seen capable of leading or anything, but he's not like the others.