Maul: Legacy of Shadows

Chapter 4: The Sith Code

***Year 4 BBY***

Maul slowly opened his eyes to see Eldra staring down at him. He figured he must've looked pathetic, as she simply smirked after he roused from his bout of unconsciousness.

"About time you get up, you know us Force ghosts get bored too.  Especially when we have to watch a former Sith lord taking a nap," she quipped as Maul sat upright, his eyes trained on the heap of mechanical parts from his prosthetic leg.

"I don't remember asking you to be here in the first place," Maul snapped back, his voice and tone sounding half-hearted.

In truth, deep down he was glad she had come back, the months of no one to talk to was beginning to drive him crazy. Even if she happened to be a figment of his imagination, at least he didn't feel quite as alone. His leg still proved to be an obstacle, and one that he would need to rectify soon, or his only solace would be that he wouldn't die alone.

"Yikes, seems that leg finally gave out," she said, staring off in the distance towards the Sith temple. "How do you plan to make it back with that?"

"I don't," the former Sith lord replied, his voice filled with defeat.

"How did I lose to someone so weak? You're giving up already? The Sith I remember didn't give an inch in our fight, but you aren't that Sith anymore, are you?" she rhetorically asked him, her words stabbing into Maul's soul.

Maul wasn't a Sith, his master replaced him after his defeat at the hands of Kenobi, and try as he might, Darth Bane's legacy went on without him.  After learning of Order 66, Maul assumed his hated enemy dead, and yet it was this Twi'lek padawan that was sent to haunt him instead. Maul scoffed at his enemy's insult, convincing himself that it was fear that kept Kenobi's spirit from haunting him.

Eldra began tapping her foot, her patience with the Zabrak reaching its end and Maul simply looked up at her, his thoughts of Kenobi finally fading from his mind. Maul backed himself on a pillar and looked down at what remained of his prosthesis and ignited his lightsaber. With one quick swipe he detached what was left of it from his body, pushing the heap of mechanical parts away from him with a quick burst of anger and the Force.

Placing his lightsaber back into the cane, Maul made an awkward attempt to stand, and probably looked ridiculous, but Eldra's face held no humor. She watched intently as the Zabrak tried to balance on his remaining leg while bracing his full weight on his cane. After what seemed to be minutes, Maul was finally on his foot, though standing and walking were two different things entirely. He tried to take tiny steps, but they seemed to extract more energy that he had to spare, and after only a few feet, his balance was lost.  Maul rolled forward in a deliberate tumble. Eldra still didn't laugh, and Maul noticed her face showed signs of pity, which angered him greatly.

But even as his rage began to rise inside, Eldra slowly walked over and held out a hand. Maul was confused at the gesture.  If she was a spirit, how could he hope to accept her aid? Hesitantly, Maul reached out and felt he was able to grasp her hand, and it was warm to the touch. Wasting no time, he tried again to rise, this time with the Padawan's help. He was surprised she was able to sustain his weight so effortlessly. Bracing himself on a nearby pillar, Maul stared at the Twi'lek's hand, trying to understand how he could feel her if she was just a spirit of the Force.

Eldra knew her physical presence perplexed the broken Zabrak, but she didn't mind. Instead she brought his right arm over her shoulders and held him upright, placing most of his weight on her. Maul stared at the ground, his mind racing to find an answer as to what was transpiring. After rounding a few pillars and large rock formations, Maul caught a glimpse of what looked to be a ship, but obviously badly damaged. Eldra noticed it as well, and they changed their destination instinctively, with Maul's awkward hopping keeping a brisk pace with the Padawan carrying his weight.