Maul: Legacy of Shadows

Chapter 29: He Lives

***Year 4 BBY***

Maul finally awoke to the sound of the temple crumbling above him.  Slowly opening his bloodshot eyes, he found himself within one of the hidden passages of the temple's catacombs.  His ribs ached, and he silently thanked the Force for giving him prosthetic legs, which remained largely undamaged from the fall.  Rising to his feet, Maul found his lightsaber half-buried in the dirt next to the catacomb wall.  Through a few small cracks, daylight could be seen in the sky above, surprising Maul who had spent so long in the darkness.

His relief in the activation of the temple quickly faded, as he sensed a presence still lingering on the planet, like a wounded animal attempting to return home.  It was Vader, weakened but still very much alive.  Maul's rage boiled within, knowing even now he was in no shape to confront the Sith Lord.  As he reached through the Force, he patiently waited for Vader to flee the world before digging himself out of the catacombs with his lightsaber.

Suddenly, Maul could hear a faint coughing coming from deeper within the tunnel, and he decided to investigate its origin.  Wondering how his plan could've failed at the final hour, Maul came upon the Eighth Brother, still barely clinging to life from his fall.  Maul looked at the pitiful sight and pondered what he should do next.  The Eighth Brother couldn't speak, his body a shattered mess of broken bones and internal bleeding.  Through the Force, Maul could feel that the Inquisitor had given up and accepted his fate, causing Maul's bloodlust to fade.

"Just do...it," the Eighth Brother mustered through his intense pain.

"No," Maul simply replied while turning away and heading back to the opening he had created.  "Do what I couldn't; let go of it all and be free."

Behind him he could hear the Eighth Brother trying to sit up against the catacomb walls, who was confused at the rare act of mercy from the former Sith Lord.  As Maul reached the opening he had cut open, he could've sworn he felt Eldra standing behind him, smiling as she usually did.  Quickly turning to hopefully see just a glance of her, standing with her signature hand on her hip, Maul was disappointed as he saw no sign of her.  Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Maul climbed out of the cavern and onto the surface of Malachor.  The power of the temple had caused the outer shell of the planet to collapse inward, blanketing what was left of the temple and the countless bodies beneath its sands.

Surveying the truly dead world, Maul noticed one of the Inquisitors' ships sticking halfway out of the sand and dust.  Calling upon the Force, and his anger at failing to kill Vader, he pulled the starship out of its tomb and set it softly next to himself.  Climbing into the cockpit, Maul could sense his Force connection with the young Jedi Ezra was still strong.  Focusing on that connection he could feel the effect his brief teachings had on the boy.  Maul smiled at the prospect of gaining a worthy apprentice to carry on his revenge should he fail and sped away into the cosmos.

***Year 2 BBY*** Coincides with Star Wars: Rebels - Twin Suns

The desert landscape burned and clawed at Maul's skin.  Months had passed since he last saw his unwilling apprentice, who helped him discover that his true enemy was in fact still alive and hiding.  With ancient magics Maul had found on Dathomir, Ezra and himself were able to find the whereabouts of the key to defeating the Empire.

As the twin suns beat down on his back, Maul continued to whisper to himself, "it ends where it began."

Behind Maul, unseen even to himself, Eldra strode quietly behind the one she loved.  She could feel the all-consuming thoughts of revenge that flowed through Maul, who inched ever closer to his final destiny.  No longer able to reach him, she could only watch helplessly as the pain of the Dark Side flowed through Maul's body, pushing him to his limits.