“Yes,” Trezza hissed. He picked up a datapad and examined a readout. “Your payment is in order. However, Maul does have to take a standard physical examination. Also, his age was not indicated on the registration. Our administration would like to know that and some other data for placement purposes and general record keeping.”
“For confidentiality reasons,” Sidious said smoothly, “I would prefer not to divulge Maul’s age. I also request that he not be prodded by any medical droids unless he receives injuries that require immediate attention. I have already made a contribution in addition to the other fees, but I am quite willing to pay more to ensure... privacy.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Trezza said. “Your contribution was exceedingly generous, and very much appreciated. If it is your wish that we keep no records of the boy’s enrollment, I personally guarantee that there shall be no records. However, there is one thing we must address. Even though we’re a long way from Coruscant, the Jedi Order forbids Orsis Academy from training Force users.”
Neither Sidious nor Maul flinched. Sidious smiled and replied, “You are most perceptive, Master Trezza.”
Trezza tapped the side of his nose. “My nose and I have been around a long time, and we’ve met all types. I can smell Force users. I suspect you’re aware of the Jedi Order’s rules and regulations, that they expect me to report any Force-sensitive applicants, but here’s another fact for you. I really don’t care much for the Jedi. The way I see things, if a cadet is Force-sensitive, that’s the cadet's business. Just don’t make it my business.” He looked at Maul. “I don’t know what kind of powers you have, son, but while you’re on my property, no use of the Force. If you can’t handle that, you will be expelled. Am I clear?”
Maul bowed. “Yes, Master Trezza.”
“You are most accommodating,” Sidious said with a polite nod.
“We shall take excellent care of Maul.”
Sidious grimaced. “I wouldn’t want you to show him any favoritism.”
“Of course not,” Trezza said. “I mean only that he will receive the very best education in the arts of combat.” Trezza redirected his gaze to Maul. “Would you like to have a look around the school?”
“Yes, Master Trezza.”
Sidious smiled as he patted Maul’s shoulder. “I believe I’ll join you.” As they exiled Trezza's office, Sidious moved his walking stick back and forth, tapping at the floor in front of him.
Orsis Academy was a sprawling compound. Bordered by a tall wall that was topped by security sensors and automated weapons placements, the school consisted of nine interconnected buildings, three large open courts, and an open field beside a starship landing pad. Sidious’s cruiser rested on the pad nest to a drop ship that had just arrived from the aptly named Orsis Orbital Station, the large apace station that traveled in a geosynchronous orbit with the planet. In broad daylight, the station was visible as a point of light in a fixed position in the sky.
As Trezza guided Maul and Sidious to a wide walkway that spanned two buildings, Maul spotted a stairway that led down to a beach along the seashore. He felt a pang of excitement as he took in the view. He was still having a hard time believing that his Master had brought him to Orsis, that his years of isolation on Mustafar might actually be behind him.
Maul glanced at his Master. Sidious had explained that the sensor goggles were a necessary disguise because he did not want to be recognized on Orsis. Maul wondered, Why would anyone here recognize Master Sidious?
Trezza led Maul and Sidious across the walkway, which overlooked one of the open courts. Trezza said, “We place as much importance on computer skills as we do on poison production and assassination techniques. And Orsis offers many opportunities for training programs beyond the walls of the Academy. As cadets mature and progress, they learn to fight and survive in the mountains, forests, deserts, and seas. We have hunting grounds and... ”
A loud clattering sounded from the court below. Sidious stopped short with Maul and said, “What’s that racket?”
“Some of our younger cadets are exercising with combat staffs,” Trezza explained. “If you step closer to the rail, you can see them... ” Remembering his guest’s sensor goggles, he added. “Oh, please forgive me.”
“That’s quite all right.” Sidious said, his mouth twitching into his smile as he reached up to adjust his goggles. “I can usually see shapes well enough, just not much detail.”
Trezza motioned for Maul to guide Sidious closer to the railing. Maul looked down and saw several dozen cadets, mostly humanoid adolescents, swinging wooden combat staffs at each other. Thanks to his studies on Mustafar, he could identify each cadet’s species. A pair of bug-eyed Radian boys seemed to be the noisiest with their weapons. Both Rodians were testing their staffs against a Nautolan girt, an amphibian with tentaclelike tresses extending from her bead. The Nautolan moved quickly and appeared to be very capable of defending herself.
“Right now.” Trezza said, “we have just over five hundred cadets. As you know, we offer programs tor ages eight years old and up. Most have enrolled for four-or eight-year programs. We also have a good number of ‘floaters,’ temporary students who come here to refine their skills. Graduates also come back from time to time for the same reason.”
Sidious said, “Bounty hunters?”
“Occasionally. Do you object?”
“Not at all. On the contrary, I’ve met a few very accomplished bounty hunters in my time,” Sidious stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I’ve heard your instructors include a Mandalorian who once fought Jedi. I believe his name was Krakko. Meltch Krakko. Is it true he’s the best?”
Trezza stared quizzically at Sidious’s goggles, then looked back at the cadets below, “He’s still among the best, but I regret to inform you that your information is dated. Commander Krakko left us some time ago, returned to his clan. As you may be aware, the Mandalorians are engaged in a civil war.”
“Oh, now that is unfortunate,” Sidious said as he patted Maul’s shoulder. “I really had hoped the boy might receive training from a Mandalorian. You see. Maul has been in a few fights, but... well, he can be a bit wild. He lacks finesse. He needs to learn how to make each move count. I don’t suppose you have another Mandalorian about?”
Maul was surprised and embarrassed by his Master’s description of him, but he kept his expression neutral. He almost missed the irritation in Trezza’s voice as the Falleen replied, “Commander Krakko was our only Mandalorian instructor. But I’m confident that we can still teach young Maul here some things that he can’t learn anywhere else.” Trezza looked at Maul. “I’ve already agreed to forgo the standard physical examination for you, Maul. But now that I’m aware you’ve ‘been in a few fights,’ I would appreciate a demonstration of your abilities.”
Maul looked to Sidious. Sidious adjusted his goggles and said, “A demonstration? I suppose that does sound like a practical way for you to evaluate Maul.”
Trezza led Maul and Sidious into a lift tube and they descended to the court As Maul stepped out onto the same level as the cadets, he suddenly realized they were all taller than he. Every one of them.
Seeing Trezza, the cadets halted their exercises, lowered their combat staffs, and bowed to him. Trezza gestured to Maul and said, “We have a new cadet. His name is Maul. I’m told he can fight.”
One of the Rodians laughed out loud. Trezza shot him an icy look. The Rodian shut his snout.
Trezza cleared his throat. “I’m looking for a volunteer. Will any one of you fight the new cadet?”
Maul did not expect every cadet to raise an arm, tentacle, or equivalent limb into the air and shout in unison with the others, “I volunteer. Master Trezza!”
Trezza looked at Maul. “Remember what I said about the rules on my property, son.”
“Yes, Master Trezza.” Maul looked at Sidious.
Sidious adjusted his goggles, leaned close to Maul, and whispered, “Select the largest and most muscular student. Int
roduce yourself. Hurt him. No killing.”
As Maul’s gaze traveled across the cadets, he peeled off his black shin, exposing his lean, tattooed torso. He was aware of the many eyes gazing at the bold red and black patterns on his bare flesh. He placed his shirt neatly on the ground. Stepping away from Sidious and Trezza, he overheard one cadet whisper. “Check out his ribs.”
Maul breezed past the malodorous Rodians and came to a stop before a teenage Abyssin, a hulking native of the planet Byss. Distinguished by a broad head that held a single eye with a slit pupil over a broad, fleshy nose and a mouth full of sharp teeth, the Abyssin stood nearly two meters tall. Maul lined his head back, looked up into the Abyssin’s eye, and said. “I am Maul. Your move.”
The Abyssin's nose twitched, and then he blinked his eye in disbelief. When he had volunteered to fight the boy less than a minute earlier, he had never imagined the boy would actually choose him. His eye flicked to see Trezza. Trezza nodded to him.
The Abyssin shifted his feet. Maul stood his ground. All the other cadets stepped back, leaving room for the combatants.
The Abyssin launched a sweeping kick that knocked Maul off his feet, and then lashed out with one hard-muscled arm that connected with Maul in midair. Maul flew across the courtyard and crashed to the ground. Both Rodians roared with laughter. Trezza did not reprimand them.
The Abyssin leaped forward, landing on his powerful legs a short distance from his opponent, and waited for Maul to rise. Maul shook his head as if he were making sure nothing was loose as he slowly pushed himself up from the ground. Once he was on his feet, he turned to face the Abyssin again. Maul threw a jab at the Abyssin’s left thigh, just above his knee.
If the Abyssin felt the jab. he didn’t show it. He pivoted on one foot and kicked out with the other, catching Maul in the stomach. The sound of the impact made a few cadets wince. Maul was again lifted off his feet. Hitting the ground, his body rolled like a broken doll past several cadets until he came to a stop near the feet of the female Nautolan. The Nautolan looked down at Maul’s small, tattooed back, then turned to face Trezza and said, “With all due respect. Master Trezza, this is not a fair fight.”
“What’s that?” Sidious said as he tapped his walking stick against the ground. “Did Maul do something unfair?”
“Not at all,” Trezza said. “He simply chose to go up against an older cadet.”
“He does have spirit,” Sidious said. Then he muttered, “Curse these old goggles. I can’t see a thing.”
Maul braced one palm against the ground. His arm trembled as he pushed himself up. The Abyssin stepped closer to Maul, moving up behind him. Maul started to turn to face the Abyssin, but then his legs buckled and he collapsed. Maul squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them. He looked at a cloud overhead, then shifted his gaze to see the Abyssin. Maul gasped, “What’s... your name?”
The Abyssin blinked at the boy for a few seconds but finally replied, “Dalok.”
Maul twisted his neck away from the Abyssin and his horns dug into the ground. His chest shuddered and then his limbs went slack. He turned his head again, and his eyes rolled up into their sockets before they shifted back to stare in the general direction of the Abyssin. “Your name,” Maul repeated. “Please... tell me... what's your name?”
The other cadets quietly moved in around the Abyssin to get a closer look at the defeated boy. Seeing that Maul was thoroughly beaten, the Abyssin knelt beside him, leaned over his face, and said, “I just told you. My name’s Dalok. Are you all ri-”
Maul grabbed the back of Dalok’s head, pulled Dalok's face up against his own, and sank his teeth into Dalok’s fleshy nose. The startled Abyssin screamed. With his teeth and one arm, Maul held tight to Dalok’s head while he moved his other hand to grab Dalok’s throat.
The surrounding cadets recoiled. Dalok tried to roll away from Maul, but Maul stayed on him, slamming and driving his knees into the nerve dusters in the Abyssin’s shoulders. Dalok was flat on his back as he convulsed, his arms flopping uselessly beside him Dalok passed out.
Maul rose to stand beside Dalok’s unconscious body. Turning slowly, he looked at every one of the surrounding cadets, letting them see the Abyssin’s blood dripping down his chin and notice that he wasn’t even breathing hard. He thought he smelled fear from the female Nautolan who had tried to call off the fight. He didn’t know how old she was, but noted she was slightly taller than he. When his yellow-eyed gaze fell on the Rodians who’d laughed at him, he spat at the ground.
An astonished Trezza looked at the goggled man beside him. “You said Maul has been in a few fights. Just how many is ‘a few?’ ”
“I’m not sure, really,” Sidious said with a shrug. “Obviously, I never actually saw any of his fights. Tell me, did he win this one?”
“He almost beat his opponent to death.”
“Did he, now?” Sidious chuckled as he elbowed Trezza. ‘I told you he was a bit wild.”
The Nautolan moved past Maul, and one of her head tresses brushed against his arm. She knelt beside Dalok and checked his pulse. Looking to another cadet, who stood gaping nearby, she said, “His nose will heal but he needs a medpac.” As the cadet went for the medpac, the Nautolan turned to face Maul. Maul could see his own reflection in the Nautolan’s large black eyes. Although he could not comprehend why, he did not want her to be afraid of him.
Keeping her eyes fixed on Maul, the Nautolan said, “You did know that Dalok’s an Abyssin, didn’t you? That Abyssins have regenerative abilities?”
In fact, Maul was already aware of this, but that particular bit of knowledge had not crossed his mind when he’d challenged the Abyssin. He’d simply selected the largest and most muscular student, just as Sidious had instructed. Maul looked away from the Nautolan and let his gaze flick back and forth at the Rodians’ snouts. “No,” he lied. “I didn’t know.”
The Rodians trembled. Maul knew he was going to enjoy his time at Orsis Academy.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“I want to go swimming,” said the female Nautolan, whose name was Kilindi Matako.
Maul did not know why Kilindi was talking to him. He had been at Orsis Academy for almost three years, and the other cadets always kept their distance from him during his recreation hours. He continued dragging his vibroblade along the edge of the long branch he was carving into a spear. But when Kilindi didn’t walk away, he realized she might be expecting a response, so he said, “Then you should go swimming.”
They were in the open courtyard closest to the sea al Orsis Academy, near a gateway to a path that led down to a rocky beach. On the far side of the courtyard, a group of cadets was preparing for the upcoming martial arts competition against a rival military school.
“I thought you might want to come with me,” Kilindi said.
Surprised, Maul cast a sidelong glance at her and said. “Why?”
“I don’t know. I just thought you might. I thought maybe you liked to swim.”
Maul’s jaw tensed as his memory flashed back to Mygeeto, a planet of ice and snow in the Outer Rim Territories. During a break from the Academy, Master Sidious had brought him to Mygeeto to exercise and test his Force powers. They had been walking by a lake that was covered by a sheet of dark ice. Even though Maul had worn heavy, insulated clothes, the frigid winds cut like lasers against his skin. He had just completed a series of exercises that had him running up sheer, icy slopes and then coming down as fast as he could. He knew he had performed well, and he’d hoped that his Master might praise him.
Instead, his Master raised a hand and used the Force to lift Maul’s small body, tossing him into the middle of the lake.
Maul crashed through the ice and sank, his heavy clothes and boots pulling him down. As the freezing water bit into his face and chilled his blood, he feared he would die. And then his Master’s words came to him... Turn your fear into anger.
It was easy for Maul to be angry, especially with his Master. The dark side ignited and fueled his
anger. He was enraged by the icy water and by the entire planet Mygeeto. He fought his way to the surface, kicking and clawing and bursting through the ice. And after he broke through the ice, while he was still gulping freezing water and struggling to keep his face above the surface, he saw his Master on the shore.
His Master made no move to help him.
Maul’s rage was incredible. His fury propelled his arms and legs, made him push through the water, kick his booted feet, and swim to shots. The dark side had set an inner fire to keep him alive, but he quickly realized that same fire did little to keep him warm. He was shivering fiercely as he arrived before his Master.
And even then, his Master did not praise him, but merely continued their walk by the lake, with Maul staggering along at his side, hating the cold, hating the water.
“Well,” Kilindi said, “I guess I’ll see you later.” She turned away from Maul and began walking toward the courtyard’s gate.”
“Wait,” Maul said. He switched off his vibroblade and set it down beside the spear he’d been working on. He said, “I like to swim.”
Maul marveled at the way Kilindi moved through the sea, her long head tresses trailing behind her. He thought she was even more graceful in the water than she was on land. Not that he would ever tell her.
He was standing in the sea, not far from the shore, just up to his waist, his bare arms held out stiffly at his sides. Kilindi was swimming about thirty meters beyond him, her strong legs cutting through the water without any obvious effort. He watched her submerge and was surprised when just a few seconds later she broke the surface a meter away from him.
Gazing al Maul with her large, dark eyes, Kilindi said, “Is something wrong?”
“No,” Maul said.
“But you said you liked to swim, and you’re just standing there.”
Maul grimaced. “It’s been a long time. Since I’ve been in water.”
“Oh.” Kilindi glanced at the shore. “Do you warn to go back?”
Star Wars - The Wrath of Darth Maul Page 6