Maul: Legacy of Shadows

Chapter 21: Deaf Ears

***Year 3,958 BBY***

Surik felt her wayward apprentice's power radiating from the Stygian quadrant of space.  Deep down she knew that meant only one thing, Korriban, home world of the Sith.  Just how far had her apprentice fallen?  What could he be seeking?  These questions plagued Surik's thoughts as she punched in the hyperspace route numbers into her ship.  In all likelihood, he would be beyond saving now, especially if he came under the sway of the ancient powers that still lurked there in the shadows.

The stars faded from view as the ship sped away in hyperspace, the route ending just outside Korriban's orbit of the star Horuset.  Sitting alone in the system, the Sith planet was a desolate world, surrounded by seven moons.  Each had once been governed by a Sith Lord until the Great Hyperspace War over a thousand years beforehand.  Surik could feel her apprentice on the planet, perhaps he was waiting for her to arrive, a fateful encounter the Force was pulling them towards.

Flying through the planet's thin atmosphere, she looked on as the land was covered in large half-buried pyramids and towering statues of ancient Sith Lords.  Eventually, she spotted a lone shuttle, sitting just outside what appeared to be an academy of sorts.

"Bao-Dur," she whispered, clutching her heart in sorrow.

Surik landed her shuttle next to his, and from the entrance of the temple, she saw him standing there, covered in black robes.  His complexion looked ravaged.  Blue veins could be seen pulsating just under his skin on his cheeks, and his eyes held a sickly yellow with red undertones near his pupils.

"Oh Bao-Dur, please don't let it be true," Surik said to herself as her ship's docking ramp lowered onto the landing platform.

Her former apprentice didn't move.  He merely stood and watched unblinking, even as dust and sand blew into his face.  Surik stepped off her ship and looked at her apprentice with a deep sadness in her eyes.  Inside she could feel emotions flooding the air around her former apprentice, from relief to anger, it all mixed together.  Their connection had always been strong, even among Jedi, but even that connection wasn't enough to keep him safe from the darkness awaiting in the galaxy.

"Bao-Dur please, don't follow this path.  I'm here now.  Don't let this drive us apart," Surik pleaded, hoping to reach the man she knew for so long.

He said nothing, but Surik could feel he was conflicted about what to do next or how to react.  Finally, he grasped an unlit double-bladed lightsaber in his hands and held it out in front of himself.  Surik stood shocked but returned the gesture and pulled her student's former lightsaber from its holster on her belt.  Neither ignited their blades, they just stood silent, their Force connection trying to speak to each other in silence.

Finally, Bao-Dur ignited his blades and split them from each other, holding one in each hand, their blades glowing a crimson red that seemed to crackle with wild energy.  Surik's face showed visible shock, as crimson blades could only be formed by one who truly gave into the Dark Side fully.  Her heart skipped as she ignited her apprentice's former lightsaber, taking her signature stance in Form I.  Bao-Dur didn't bother with a stance, instead rushing towards his master and striking with his left blade at her head.

The Jedi blocked the strike easily, but Bao-Dur pressed with his right blade at her legs, nearly cleaving one off as she backed out of the blade's range.  Bao-Dur simply smiled, impressed his former master was able to dodge an attack designed to attack Form I's weaknesses.  His intense training was noticeable however.  Before he would never stand a chance against his master, but now he felt her equal.  Surik was surprised at her apprentice's newfound skill with the Jar'Kai style of Form VI.  It was something she wasn't prepared for, but she still felt confident in her Form I abilities.