Maul's Spark

- 25 BBY - 

- Korriban, Outer Rim -

Maul and Elizabeth have arrived on Korriban, where a storm is raging. The Zeltron is worried about the powerful lightning strikes hitting their starship. Maul, on the other hand, isn't worried. He is using the Force to protect Muscle 52 and guides it towards the place that the interface indicates is rich in Dark Side energy. He has a very particular destination in mind and a very good reason for coming to Korriban. Maul moves through the storm and guides the ship to the ground masterfully. 

The door opens, and they exit. Maul takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. 

"Wha... what is this? It feels... cold and dark. I don't like it," Elizabeth says. 

The highly empathic Zeltron naturally feels the immense power of the Dark Side contained on Korriban. It is the original homeworld of the Sith species and a sacred planet for the Sith, housing the tombs for many ancient and powerful Dark Lords of the Sith. That's the reason why Maul is here. He had used and studied the Light Side of the Force, and more or less mastered what it contained, but now it was time for him to learn more advanced techniques. Maul had a path in mind which would allow him to progress very fast and see his projects through. 

"Naturally. This is Korriban, the birthplace of what we call Sith today. If you don't feel comfortable, you can stay here or follow. It is of no concern of mine," Maul says and walks forward. 

Elizabeth tries to follow along, unwilling to admit that it is too much for her. But the Dark Side is so potent that she falls to the ground, overwhelmed and unconscious. Maul doesn't care; he continues walking forward. After going at it for a few minutes, he arrives at the location he wanted: The Valley of the Sleeping Kings or Valley of the Dark Lords. It is located in a sheer rock valley, and Maul can hear the sinister remnants of dead voices. The walls are smoothed, and large statues have been added on the sides. 

Maul sees the hundreds of entrances, leading to powerful, dead Dark Lords. There are many buried here, and a lot of tombs can be seen. The Tomb of Ajunta Pall, of XoXaan, of Tulak Hord, of Marka Ragnos, of Naga Sadow, of Ludo Kressh and Darth Bane, to name a few. But there is also the former Sith Academy and the Great Temple to be found here. It is the perfect place for Maul to dive into the Dark Side and learn what he wants. However, and that's very important, Maul had to make absolutely sure that he would not be corrupted. 

And for this purpose, he has prepared extensively. It is also the reason why he started with the Todryn Holocron and not arrive here first. 

Maul walks into a particular temple, which tries to stay hidden from his senses. A present inside the mausoleum tried to shield it from the inquisitive Maul, but it hasn't managed to do so. Maul arrives at the wall, at the mausoleum and places his hand on it. He applies what he has learned about Shatterpoints and checks for the iconic lines, revealing weaknesses in the structure. He pushes the Force into those lines and destroys the wall in the process. 

Inside, he finds a holocron, shining and lying on the floor. 

Without thinking about it, he takes the holocron into his hand and unlocks it. The spirit of a humanoid female with spindly fingers, free-flowing strands of black hair, grey eyes, and white skin appears, looking at Maul. 

~I am XoXaan. I was one of the first of the Sith Lords, one of those who abandoned the Jedi Order to seek a darker path to truth. My tomb has lain in the belly of this temple for long ages, my presence hidden from those who sought me-until now. I have waited for someone... someone that is not like you... Someone who has served the light and found it empty, who has found how lacking the galaxy is. Someone who has known anger, hate... and despair...~

XoXaan studies Maul, and he doesn't flinch. He smiles, hearing her words. 

"Then I AM the one you have been waiting for. I have known nothing but anger, hate, and despair until I awoke and started to learn of the light. Now, I am here to seek further truth, the kind the Jedi tried to hide," Maul says the words the former Dark Lord wants to hear. 

~You are peculiar... You seem to lack it... Yes, you lack what makes a Sith.~

"Oh? And what might that be?" Maul asks, interested in whether she has figured it out. 

~All Sith have a fatal flaw: an overwhelming emotion and trait that drives them to self-destruction. For me, that emotion was greed. But you... You lack this emotion entirely. And still, you consider yourself a Sith?~

"No. I am not a Sith. I am closer to what you once were, or what the first Dark Jedi were among the Je'daii. I am making use of both sides, unconcerned with what others think. I have cut my strings and set myself free of such a destructive emotion. I don't care for the will of the Force, I don't care about destroying the Jedi. I will follow my will and that's all there is to it."

~Hmm... yes, yes, you will do nicely. My brethren and I invented what it means to be a Sith. Are you willing to open yourself to that truth?~

"Yes."

~Good, then let us begin with history. My story begins nearly 7'000 years ago. As a member of the Jedi Order during the reign of the Old Republic, I was part of a group of beings within the Order who sought to further explore the Force through its dark side. Supporters of the Light Side opposed those of us who supported this new philosophy, and our disagreement escalated into a war that spanned one hundred years. This is the event known as the Hundred-Year Darkness. I commanded the Dark Jedi's Black Legions as Marchioness, and roughly 7'000 years ago, the other Dark Jedi and I mounted a climactic battle against the Jedi Order on the Outer Rim planet Corbos.

I fought on the surface of the world alongside my fellow Dark Jedi Karness Muur and Baron Remulus Dreypa, and my Black Legions mounted a charge at the battle. It was a hard battle, and thousands perished in the fight. And yet, despite our efforts, with our leadership's horrid creatures requiring all the strength that the Jedi could muster to defeat, our forces were ultimately destroyed, and the war came to an end. I survived the conflict with eleven 'allies', including Dreypa, Muur, Sorzus Syn, and leading High General Ajunta Pall, all of whom were convicted of high treason by the Jedi Order. 

With lightsaber tips pointed at our backs, we Dark Jedi, rather than being executed, were marched aboard a galleon headed beyond Republic territory, and so we were exiled into deep space, left to contemplate the error of our ways. Do you see? Our way of thinking became scrutinised and cast out by the Order because we dared to stray away from the essential Jedi dogma and dared to explore the complexities of the Force.~

Maul listens to XoXaan rant about her past and the Jedi's actions. 

~Pursuing rumours of an ancient Kingdom of the Sith species, my fellow Dark Jedi and I, known as the Exiles, travelled into Sith Space. Along the Nache Bhelfia route, we discovered what would become the five sacred Sith worlds: Khar Delba, Krayiss, Rhelg, Ziost, and Korriban. It was then in that year that we Exiles arrived on the last and encountered the native Sith people.

After weeks spent deciphering the native Sith culture, we installed ourselves as overlords of the Sith species, with Ajunta Pall beheading the Sith ruler, Hakagram Graush, in the presence of me, Syn, and Dreypa. We were worshipped as the Jen'jidai, and Pall claimed dominion as Dark Lord of the Sith; I, along with other Exiles, became Pall's Shadow Hands and took up the mantle of Sith Lord, beginning the creation of the Sith Empire. At the Sith citadel on the Empire's capital world of Ziost, I joined those with ambition or ranks to make up the new Sith Council.~

"A fascinating life story, but what can you teach me?"

~So inpatient, how very Sith of you. In my lifetime, I developed my healing skills, for which I was renowned among the Sith. I will teach you how we created our horrid creatures to fight the Jedi, introducing you to all of my knowledge about Sith Alchemy and teaching you how to perform the dark healing that I created. I will open your eyes further than you can imagine, and when we're done here, you will carry my legacy into the future.~

"Very well then. Let's get started."

.

Time passed. Days followed days, and weeks followed those, and finally months. Maul listened to what XoXaan had to teach, and after he learned it, which happened almost immediately, he tried to understand it and the principles behind it. His goal was not to step in someone else's footsteps, but to create his own path. He was here to understand and learn, but he made his theories as he went along. 

XoXaan's dark healing was impressive, and Maul saw a lot of potential in that, but he knew that the Dark Lord was not the best at using dark healing. In fact, Maul had created a theory on what would result in the best type of healing to exist using the Force. After studying for months, Maul looks at the spirit of XoXaan. 

"Is that all you have got to teach?" Maul asks. 

~Indeed. It is all that you will need to move forward.~

"And yet, I know that you have more to teach. So why are you not going to teach me all that you know?" Maul asks. 

~Not all I know is for you to know. It is the way of the Sith that-~

"I care little for Sith customs and only what you can teach me. I would like for you to teach me ALL that you know."

~What you want or don't want is inconsequential. I will not teach you more, and that is all I will say.~

Maul looks at XoXaan's spirit and then nods his head. 

"I believe you," Maul says and walks out of the temple. 

Maul makes his way back to the Muscle 52, which is currently empty. Maul went back to the ship and brought Elizabeth to Lotho Minor, where she could train and learn on her own. He even allowed her to leave if she wanted, as he was far too engrossed in his learning process at that moment and didn't care about her. Maul went back to Lotho Minor to retrieve the 'Mind Reader' because he had predicted the current situation would occur. Sith never let anything go, so he would have to be forceful when wanting to learn all there was to XoXaan's knowledge. 

Having retrieved the device, Maul makes his way back to the tomb and takes XoXaan's holocron, placing it inside the Mind Reader. 

~I thought I was clear on this. You will not learn anything more from me, Darth Maul, and that is final.~

"Formerly Darth, now just Maul. You see, despite all that you've told me, I haven't shared much about myself with you yet. And the fact of the matter is that I am not a Sith. You noticed this during our very first meeting, but haven't bothered to think about what this means," Maul says, continuing what he is doing. 

~What could this possibly mean? Do you think sealing me will bother me at this point, child? I have been sealed for thousands of years and will be waiting long after you are dead for a more suitable successor.~

"And that's where you're wrong. I take what I can to further my goals and power. Your refusal to teach me all you know was predictable, and I have prepared myself for it."

~With this contraption? Haha, please, child, you are not nearly experienced enough to scare me.~

"This contraption, as you put it, can decode spiritual knowledge hidden in the deepest parts of a holocron and translate it. I know that might not be easy for you to grasp, but it's true. You aren't the first holocron I decoded this way, and you will most definitely not be the last," Maul says, finishing with his preparation.

Maul then activates the device, connecting it to a laptop. The spirit of XoXaan suddenly realises that something is wrong and tries to scream, but nothing will help her now; she is already doomed. She was doomed the moment Maul found her holocron. All the knowledge contained in the holocron is uploaded to the hard drive and displayed for Maul to read. After looking through everything, Maul finds what he is looking for.

"The Yoke of Seeming... excellent."