On the way to Mori the Senran's hospital room, Max Vizsla said to Maul, "The fact that Darth Sidious held things back when he taught you was, in truth, a good thing."
"And why would you say that, sir?"
"Because it kept you, in objective terms, from falling fully into what a true Sith becomes. There is still hope for you."
"Sir," Maul said, stopping in his tracks and turning back toward Max, "you seem to hold the Sith in rather deep contempt."
Mori's room was just ahead, so Max simply stopped as well and continued the conversation with Maul there in the corridor.
"It is not that my prejudice against the Sith runs deep. It is that your understanding of them runs shallow. Darth Sidious raised you as an enforcer, nothing more. He never truly groomed you as the Sith heir of the Rule of Two. There is much he kept from you—much he never taught you."
Maul fell silent again.
"Do you know of Chaos?" Max asked. "It is also called the Void. Or Hell."
"Do you mean Malachor?"
"Malachor?" Max shook his head. "Malachor is still countless Lotho Minors away from Hell."
"Darth Sidious may be able to take you to and from Malachor, but Hell is a forbidden realm he would never dare enter—a place he fears precisely because he knows he would never leave it. There, the souls of evil dark side adepts suffer eternal torment—pain beyond measure, many times worse than what you endured on Lotho Minor."
Maul narrowed his eyes.
"That sounds like the sort of parable the Jedi would invent to keep Force-sensitives from delving too deeply into the mysteries of the dark side."
"You are giving the Jedi too much credit. They do not go to Hell, and they know very little of it. What records still exist regarding Hell come mostly from Sith and other dark side practitioners. In Sith holocrons, there are..." Max paused for a beat. "When you return to Dathomir, ask your mother. She should know quite a bit."
"My mother..." A fresh wave of pain throbbed through Maul's head. "Do you mean to say my mother will one day fall into Hell as well?"
As the two of them spoke, the door to Mori's room ahead opened, and the Senran poked his head out and came scurrying into the hall.
"Boss!" The moment he spotted Maul, Mori burst into tears and charged forward like a bolt loosed from a bow. "Waaah—!"
At the sight of his comrade-in-hardship, even Maul's eyes grew wet. He rested a hand on Mori's head and, with a catch in his voice, said, "There, there. It's over now."
A genuine display of feeling, Max noted with a faint smile. No pretense in it.
"Tell the galley to prepare a welcoming feast to the highest standard," Max ordered. "Serve it in the morning."
"Yes, Chief."
After the celebratory meal ended, Max and Maul resumed their unfinished conversation.
"Maul, you are deeply loyal to those you care for—just like your brothers."
"Urp... my apologies. Brothers? I have several brothers?"
"You have two blood brothers."
"Is that so?" Maul rubbed at his temples. "I can't remember."
"And your mother? Do you remember her now?"
"A vague impression, perhaps, but nothing clear. I only remember my mother in crimson robes, holding me and..." Suddenly Maul's eyes lit up, and he blurted out excitedly, "Holding me and my younger brothers! Yes—I have two younger brothers!"
Then, just as suddenly, he fell silent. Anger leaked from him in waves, nearly condensing into flames visible to the naked eye.
"Do not think too far ahead just yet," Max said, outwardly soothing him while quietly feeding the fire. "You are still no match for Darth Sidious."
"AAAAAAARGH!!"
Maul clenched both fists and threw back his head with a howl. For an instant, it was as though Hell itself had manifested in the mortal world—flames of rage and ice of hatred existing together in impossible overlap. Even Max found it distinctly uncomfortable.
When all the air had finally been wrung from his lungs, Maul turned, faced Max, and dropped to one knee.
"If you can help Maul take his revenge, then Maul is yours to command!"
...
At 10:00 a.m. on July 8, Year 6 of the Galactic Standard Calendar, the Golden Dragon battlecarrier group emerged from hyperspace near Dathomir.
"Planetary surface scan complete. The target village has been located."
"Dispatch unmanned probes to the target village and establish contact with Mother Talzin's clan."
"Yes, Chief."
"Remove the explosive vest from Mr. Maul."
"Yes, Chief."
"Everyone, leave this compartment. Do not disturb Mr. Maul while he speaks with Mother Talzin." Just before stepping out, Max turned back with a smile. "Try smiling more, Maul."
"Golden Dragon reporting: main battery firing solutions are locked in. Orbital bombardment can commence at any time."
"Stand ready and await orders."
"Yes, Chief."
"Marine Corps reporting: the 202nd Regiment and the 303rd Regiment are assembled and ready to deploy."
"Stand ready and await orders."
"Yes, Chief."
Before returning to Mandalore, Max had no interest in seizing Dathomir. It was too far from Bespin—too far to hold even if he took it.
These preparations were only in place as a precaution.
Those who steep themselves too long in the dark side usually end up touched in the head one way or another, and Mother Talzin was very much one of the severe cases.
In the later timeline of the original canon, during the Clone Wars, Talzin sought revenge on the Sith and dreamed of ruling the galaxy. To that end, she did not hesitate to use shadow magic to transform her own son, Savage Opress.
To test Savage's loyalty, Mother Talzin even went so far as to order him to kill his own brother—her other son, Feral—with his own hands.
Max could not predict whether Talzin would have one of her episodes today, and he had no intention of gambling on it. If she did, he would immediately administer a dose of very direct physical treatment to restore her clarity.
The compartment door opened, and Maul stepped out, radiating an almost Jedi-like air of calm and positive energy.
"Mandalore the Ultimate, Mother Talzin speaks for the Nightsisters and invites you to Dathomir as her guest!"
PS: In this story, the concept of Chaos—the Void, or Hell—will build on the older Expanded Universe interpretation.
In current canon, Chaos—the Void, or Hell—has only been acknowledged as existing, without much further explanation.
In the older Expanded Universe, after death, dark side adepts who could not preserve themselves as Force spirits would fall into Chaos, the Void, Hell. There, the soul would suffer torment beyond imagining. And not only dark side Force-users—ordinary beings guilty of terrible evils would also fall into Chaos after death.
In this story, the souls of the wicked fall into Chaos after death. Dark side adepts, however, will not fall into Chaos if they acted with kindness and did good in life.
PPS: Mother Talzin's particular madness was something later writers saddled her with.
In the older Expanded Universe, Mother Talzin was not the biological mother of Maul, Savage Opress, and Feral.
-
-
-
-
🛡 Star Wars: The Rise of Mandalore
📢 For Mandalore! 📢
Star Wars: The Rise of Mandalore is now available with 100+ chapters ahead on Patreon! 🛡🔥
Witness the resurgence of Mandalorian power long before public release.
🛑 Also available on Patreon:
Cyberpunk: The Relentless (500+) Dragon King of Ice and Fire (200+) Cyberpunk: Lucy Adopted Me and I Got a SystemMy Cyberpunk 2077 SimulatorMy Girlfriend's a Cyberpsycho—Who Knew?Game of Thrones: Secrets Beneath the DreadfortThe Rebirth of Harry PotterStar Wars: Relics of the PastR18: Reincarnated in Her World
🔗 www.patreon.com/c/MrMagnus👤 SrMagnus🐦 https://x.com/SrMagnusBook
⚠️ The novel with the most Power Stones rises first!