Maul: Legacy of Shadows

Chapter 15: How Far We Fall

***Year 4 BBY***

The Eighth Brother was shocked when he realized the extent in which the Dark Side permeated the planet that sat before him.  Initial scans showed a large cavernous region hiding under the surface of the barren world.  His master's coordinates proved to be useful for pinpointing the location he should search.  Putting his TIE Fighter in a low-power engine mode, he circled a large pyramid that stood out as the only artificial structure besides a graveyard of ships that periodically dotted the landscape.

Scanning the planet for life forms proved difficult, the maze of pillars and rock formations blocked most of his scans.  The Eighth Brother decided that a manual hunt would prove to be the best course of action.  Finding a small clearing not far from the black pyramid, the ship landed quietly, coming to a rest and crushing a small group of petrified bodies as it touched down.  Checking over his equipment, the Eighth Brother tested his lightsaber, which he firmly attached to his belt after deactivating it.

As he walked upon the barren landscape, the Inquisitor felt the power of the Dark Side filled the very air he walked upon.  His mask filtered out most toxins and could even allow him to survive in the vacuum of space for a short period if need be.  The Eighth Brother hardly noticed the vast amount of bodies that littered the landscape.  His thoughts sat firmly on completing his mission for Vader.  Reaching out through the Force, he felt a presence lay to his left, not far, but obviously hidden from view in the maze that was the planet itself.

Deciding he wanted to be rid of his journey as quickly and efficiently as possible, he chose a random opening and began his trek through the cavernous wastes.  Hours dragged by, and still he found nothing, though every now and then a random artificial pillar would jut from the ground, and the Eighth Brother could feel a slight humming from the air whenever he walked by one.  The presence was getting stronger, until eventually he came upon a small clearing.  It was somewhat circular, with a cave system that seemed to go deeper into the planet.  His mask allowed his vision to see through a multitude of spectrums, but the Force was the only sense he wished to rely upon.

As he slowly crept through the opening of the cave system, the Force screamed a large warning, but the Eighth Brother couldn't see any enemy.  Suddenly, his senses warned that an enemy was approaching from behind.  He quickly turned in one fluid motion, igniting his double-bladed lightsaber as he did so.  Facing him was a hulking beast, obviously reptilian in nature, with a large row of teeth and scales covering its entire body.  He was shocked by the hatred he felt emanating from the monster.  Nevertheless he readied himself to face his assailant.

The beast roared in anger and ran its claws along the edges of the cave entrance, the sound screeching and echoing through the cave.  The planet itself seemed to shake from the beast's unbridled fury.  The Eighth Brother wasted no time and activated his lightsaber's rotary function, turning his weapon into a buzz-saw of energy and death.  The Eighth Brother knew he needed to knock the beast out of his way, as he was trapped in a tight corridor, which wasn't ideal for a master of Form VII.  Using his free hand, he commanded the Force to shove the beast away, but nothing happened.  It was as if the Force itself feared the beast and recoiled before its primal instincts.

The monster saw an opening as the Eighth Brother pondered what had just happened, rushing in quickly and attempting to swipe with its left claw.  Luckily the Inquisitor was no fool to combat.  Quickly ducking out of the way, the claw got nicked by the spinning lightsaber, causing a slight wound on the beast's palm.  If the animal knew it had been damaged, it didn't show it, completely ignoring the small cut across its hand.  Realizing he needed to get back to the clearing, but aware the Force wasn't of much use, the Eighth Brother looked to the ceiling of the cave system.  Spotting an opportunity, he quickly ripped a large stalactite from its ceiling perch with the Force, dragging it down in-between the two combatants.  The monster backed up, nearly falling off balance as the massive rock structure slammed into the ground mere inches in front of it.