Maul: Legacy of Shadows

Chapter 10: Alone

***Year 3,959 BBY***

The planet's red sand and jagged cliffs looked alien and ominous to the Zabrak Jedi.  Bao-Dur landed just outside a small village, and he was sure that his presence was noticed by the citizens.  On his hip sat a small holdout blaster, and the thought of his lightsaber no longer in its place made him feel uncomfortable.  Many Jedi took pride in their lightsaber, and the empty holster seemed to reflect the emptiness within Bao-Dur's soul.  As much as he hated the thought of using such an uncivilized weapon, it was now his only defense in a galaxy recovering from the ravages of war.

It didn't take long for the citizens to reach his ship and Bao-Dur noticed most of the males looked like typical Iridonian Zabraks.  The females however, were all pale skinned with features closer to a human's.  Their dress was primitive, and the females wielded bows that seemed to create arrows made of energy.  The males had distinctive tattoos and each held a sword or spear at the ready, unsure what to make of the newcomer to their world.

Eventually the villagers moved aside as a regal woman, obviously a shaman or spiritual leader of some type came forward.  She walked up, moving within inches of Bao-Dur, her eyes piercing deep into his soul.  Her gaze never blinked, and Bao-Dur felt his hand instinctively hover over the blaster on his side.  His actions didn't go unnoticed.  Two of the females immediately drew the energy strings back, ready to fire upon him at a moment's notice.

The shaman raised her left hand and the pair lowered their weapons.  From her commanding presence it seemed she was the de facto leader of this village.  Without warning she stepped back and Bao-Dur heard her let out a slight sigh.

"Why have you come here, Jedi?" the woman inquired, her voice seeming somewhat ethereal.

"How...how did you know I was a Jedi?" Bao-Dur replied, somewhat taken aback.

"You smell of one who knew the Force, but you no longer feel it," her tone filled with a sense of annoyance.

Bao-Dur wondered how much she knew.  Even without the Force at his command, he knew her power must've been great indeed.  The shaman merely turned and began to walk towards the village, her guards and citizens following closely behind.  Before he could muster a word in protest, Bao-Dur felt a sharp poke in his left side.  The effects were immediate.  The world around him began to spin, and he could feel his mind slipping into unconsciousness.  His vision went black as Bao-Dur's last sight was one of the female guards holding him up as he slumped into her arms.

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"What do we do with this one my mistress?" a faint female voice could be heard, as Bao-Dur began to finally stir from his drug induced sleep.

Bao-Dur opened his eyes, his vision still blurry but returning quickly.

"Ah, I see that a dose this small isn't much for a Jedi to overcome," Bao-Dur recognized the voice as the shaman.

"I'm....not....a Jedi, at least not anymore," Bao-Dur replied, his muscles feeling weakened still.

He noticed he was being held down by primitive straps, feeling akin to a type of leather.  Without the Force, he was as helpless as a child, but he wouldn't let fear cloud his mind.

"Don't bother trying trespasser.  The Force is no longer yours to command," the young female guard said, her face covered by a red cloak.

She wasn't lying, ever since Malachor he was deaf to the Force, and only now did he truly seem to appreciate how much he relied upon its power.  Looking around the room, he noticed what seemed to be a small alchemy table, with green vapors rising from small wooden bowls strewn across it.