Leaving Maul and Kilindi at the center of the hangar, Sidious and Trezza went to the cruiser and turned to face the cadets. Sidious leaned close to Trezza and said, “Let me know when anything interesting happens.”
Kilindi said, “I have a bad reeling about this.” And then she gasped and grabbed the back of her neck, her knees buckling. Maul caught her around the waist and pulled her against his body as he launched sideways, carrying her with him. In midair, his right hand swept up Kilindi’s back until his fingers touched a small dart in her left shoulder blade. He hit the floor with the girl on top of him, absorbing the impact as he plucked the dart out from her shoulder. He rolled away from her and was still clutching the dart as he rose to stand, gazing in the direction of the dart’s trajectory.
He saw a figure, a man who wore dark gray body armor and whose head was concealed by a helmet with a distinctive T-visor. The armored man held a dart pistol in one hand and had a missile launcher secured to his back.
A Mandalorian.
Maul knew about Mandalorians, whose warrior heritage dated back thousands of years. He also knew that two factions of Mandalorians had battled each other in a long civil war, and that the war had ended recently. And he recalled that his own Master, after their arrival on Orsis six years earlier, had talked with Trezza about a former Academy instructor, a Mandalorian who had once fought Jedi.
Maul was fast enough to see the Mandalorian’s incredibly swift approach. He was also fast enough to dodge the first kick that came at his head. But he wasn’t fast enough to stop Meltch Krakko’s fist from knocking him out cold.
CHAPTER TEN
Running fast along the volcanic mountain slope on Orsis, Maul gnashed his teeth as another low-energy blaster bolt tore through the thin fabric of his utility suit and slammed into his back. He ignored the pain and kept running.
His pursuers were Meltch Krakko and the two Rodian cadets, Hubnutz and Fretch, and the goal of their exercise was to capture Maul. Krakko and the Rodians were wearing mimetic suits, energy-powered cloaks that allowed for almost perfect camouflage in any environment. Since Krakko's return to Orsis Academy two years ago, he had not only taken a special interest in training the Rodians in tracking and sharpshooting, but also in tormenting the fifteen-year-old Zabrak.
For Maul, the current exercise was merely a warm-up for a bigger challenge on Orsis, an Academy rite of passage called the Gora. Named after the challenge’s location, an immense volcanic crater filled with dense forests, vast swamps, and bloodthirsty beasts, the Gora required a cadet to traverse the crater for seven days, surviving without food or equipment except for a single vibroblade. From what Maul had heard, being chased by camouflaged hunters was nothing compared to surviving the Gora.
Maul approached the rim of the mountain’s valley, where glacial water and wind had carved a maze of tall, rocky formations. He darted into the labyrinth, never pausing to catch his breath. More blaster bolts zinged past his body. If his pursuers’ blasters had been set to kill, he would have been dead already, a fact that infuriated him. But because Sidious and Trezza had forbidden him from revealing his Force powers to Orsis faculty and cadets, he was obliged to let his pursuers shoot him occasionally. If he’d dodged every blaster bolt, they would have had ample reason to suspect he was a Force user.
Without glancing back, he drew his own blaster, which was also set at nonlethal power, and returned fire. He felt his rage increase as he deliberately missed his attackers. Although their mimetic suits rendered Krakko and the Rodians practically invisible, Maul had no difficulty sensing their exact positions behind him. He could have shot each one of them with his eyes closed, but that would have been against the rule that Sidious and Trezza had established. And so he pretended to miss Krakko and the Rodians, let them believe he was an ordinary Zabrak and sometimes allowed himself to be hit.
A blaster bolt slammed into his calf and another into his right shoulder, The pain did not slow Maul but he pretended to stumble anyway, all in his ongoing effort to conceal his powers. But as he ran forward, he saw he was heading straight for a deep chasm. Although he was confident his incredible strength and agility would have enabled him to leap to the other side of the chasm he knew it would be a mistake to make such a jump with Krakko and the Rodians watching. However, he was also determined to evade his pursuers, to show them that he was more daring that they could ever imagine.
I’ll earn their respect.
Maul kept running right up to the chasm’s upper ledge then flung his body into the gap, aiming not for the opposite ledge but for the wall below it. He used the Force to cushion his impact against the wall, then extended his arms to hook his hands over an outcropping a few meters below the ledge. With his legs dangling in the air below him, he made every movement look desperate, even though he was not in the least afraid.
He sensed movement above, and knew Krakko and the Rodians were searching for a narrower gap so they could follow him across the chasm. They succeeded less than a minute later, and Maul looked up to see them leaning out over the ledge. He assumed the exercise was over, that they would lower a rope to bring him up.
A rock struck his horned head, and another hit his shoulder. He heard a scuffing noise from above and realized his pursuers were kicking rocks over the rim. As a rock struck the back of one hand that clung to the overhang, he knew he hadn’t earned their respect al all.
They're trying to kill me.
Maul was done with restraining his powers, and pretending to be something that he wasn’t. Summoning the Force, he launched himself from the overhang and sailed up and out of the chasm. He somersaulted and twisted in midair, flipping his body over the three camouflaged hunters so that he landed on his feet, facing their backs. Startled, Krakko and the Rodians turned fast. Maul had already drawn his blaster and opened final them at point-blank range.
Krakko grunted and the Rodians cried out in pain as the blaster bolts hit them. They jumped and rolled away from the chasm’s edge, firing back at Maul. For a moment, they moved as if their mimetic suits still gave them an advantage over their prey. Maul used the Force to avoid being hit while he rapidly squeezed and released his blaster’s trigger, moving his arm back and forth to aim and fire at each of his cringing targets. He didn’t miss once.
Hubnutz and Fretch tried to find protective cover. Maul shot at their legs and continued shooting them after they fell and began screaming. Krakko deactivated his own mimetic suit so he was fully visible. Facing Maul, he shouted, “Stand down!”
Maul fired at Krakko.
“Stand down!”
Maul pretended he didn’t hear Krakko over the blaster’s report. He fell the blaster start to overheat but kept firing.
And then an amplified voice from above bellowed. “Cease fire!”
Maul lowered his blaster as he looked up. He saw an airspeeder approaching. Trezza was behind the airspeeder’s controls. The Falleen’s expression was outraged.
Maul knew Master Sidious would be even less pleased.
“You’re not entirely to blame for what happened.” Sidious said, his face lost in shadow beneath his dark blue cloak.
Maul stood before his Master on the stone floor in !he cavernous main hall of the fortress at Blackguard’s Gorge. After Trezza had treated Maul’s wounds and informed him that his Master had already arrived on Orsis to observe the exercises, he had traveled by speeder bike from the academy to the fortress. Because he was repeatedly told not to reveal his powers, he knew the punishment would be terrible.
“The dark side has taken a serious interest in you” Sidious continued. “And is gauging if you might be a proper vessel for its power. Seeking expression and loathing restraint, the dark side tests us continually, competing with our will and our need for secrecy.”
“Yes. Master,” Maul said. “I was overcome.”
“Overcome?” Sidious’s eyes blazed beneath his cowl.
Maul looked down on the stone-cold floor.
“I said that you weren�
�t entirely to blame,” Sidious said bitterly. “The willingness of the dark side to cooperate in your pitiful demonstration doesn’t exonerate you from breaking your vow to me and from jeopardizing my plans.”
Maul had not wanted to disappoint his Master. He wanted to apologue and ask for forgiveness, but he knew if he did, his punishment would be even worse. And then he thought of how long he had suffered on Orsis because he had not been allowed to use his powers, and he felt his shame transform into rage. He looked up at Sidious and was about to speak but his Master made a pinching gesture. Maul felt his throat constrict.
Sidious walked a few steps away from Maul before he released his remote grip on Maul’s throat. Looking back at Maul, he continued. “You have called unwanted attention to yourself. The Jedi have been continuing to harass Trezza for creating assassins and proxy armies, so consider what might have happened had a Jedi been present during the exercise. A Jedi would not only have grasped that you are strong in the Force, but that you have received training in the dark arts, endangering my position.
Maul felt crushed. He thought of all his years of training, his constant effort to please his Master. He reflected on the exercise that had ended at the chasm, tried to imagine escaping his tormentors without using the Force, but he knew his thoughts were pointless. He could not undo his actions.
“Now,” Sidious said, “what did you wish to ask me earlier?”
Speaking tentatively, Maul said. “How long must I go on being one thing here and another there? Trained in the Force here, and trained to do without it there? What are your plans for me, Master? What am I to you?”
Sidious sniffed. “You are my student. Maul, and one day you may become my apprentice.”
Despite all that his Master had taught him. Maul knew practically nothing about Sidious. How had Sidious obtained his wealth or gained so much knowledge of the Force? It was a mystery to Maul. For all he knew. Sidious was a warlord, a sorcerer, a monarch, or even a banished Jedi Master. Maul said flatly, “Your apprentice.”
“Perhaps. But if that is meant to be, it will come at the end of many trials that will make these present ones seem insignificant. Removed from the shelter of Orsis, you will begin to understand that the Republic is built on deceit, and that it only survives because the Jedi Order wishes it to survive. You will need to be resolute in your allegiance to the dark side of the Force.”
Maul nodded. “I understand. Master.”
“No,” Sidious said. “You only think you do.” From the folds of his dark robe, he produced two lightsabers. He tossed one to Maul, then ignited the weapon that remained in his own hand.
Maul ignited his lightsaber. From the look in his Muster’s eyes, he guessed that the burns he was about to sustain would be much more painful than the ones he’d received from Meltch Krakko’s blaster.
He guessed right.
A week later, most of Maul’s wounds had healed as he prepared for the Gora. He was in the Academy barracks, modifying his combat vibroblade’s ultrasonic vibration generator, when Kilindi and another female cadet, Daleen, walked in. Daleen was a dark-haired human, slightly younger than Kilindi, and rumor had it that she was the princess of a royal house.
Kilindi said. “Meltch came looking for you.”
Maul glanced at the doorway. “Where is he now?”
“Up top, I think,” Daleen said.
Maul knew “up top” meant Orsis Orbital Station. He also knew it wasn’t unusual for Meltch Krakko to be there, that the Mandalorian instructor occasionally met with off-worlders at the station. But in the past week, Maul had begun to wonder if Sidious and Trezza had conspired against him, if they had encouraged Krakko to push him beyond his limits, all in an effort to find out whether Maul would break his agreement and use the Force. Now, he wondered if Sidious and Krakko ever crossed pains on Orsis Orbital.
Kilindi said. “Want any tips on what to watch out for in the Gora?”
Maul shook his head as he returned his attention to modifying his vibroblade. “I’ll make do.”
Kilindi laughed. “That’s what I said, and look where it got me.” Turning around, she shifted her head tentacles to display a relatively recent set of scars that crisscrossed her muscular arms and shoulders. Although bacta treatment would have erased all her scars. Kilindi kept them as proof of her experience.
Grinning at Maul, Daleen said. ‘“Just don’t gel lost out there.” She reached out and gently rubbed the back of his head, careful not to touch his horns. “We’re cooking up a surprise for your return.”
Kilindi and Daleen walked out of the barracks, leaving Maul wondering what they might be up to. Generally, Maul did not like surprises, as few in his life had been pleasant. But as much as he had been looking forward to the Gora, he now looked forward even more to seeing Kilindi and Daleen when the Gora was over.
The first day of the Gora was beyond intense.
The second day was even more brutal.
The third, fourth, fifth. and sixth days were increasingly bloody. And Maul was having the time of his life.
Countless wild predators kept him constantly occupied as well as sleepless. Except for his heightened senses and physical strength, he did not use the Force in any obvious way. With his vibroblade more often in his hand than in the sheath snapped to his upper leg, he moved like a jungle animal through the forests and grassy swamps that filled the enormous crater, killing some beasts in self-defense, some for food, and others for sheer sport.
Never had he known such freedom. After years of obeying others while containing his rage, he was able to run and hunt and kill as he pleased. By the seventh day, he almost regretted that his journey across the Gora would soon be over.
And then the storm hit. The clouds seemed to roll in from out of nowhere. Within minutes, torrential downpours and hurricane winds hammered at the jungle, turning ground to mud and tearing trees from the ground. The Gora had been dangerous enough with bloodthirsty creatures lurking everywhere, and Maul began to wonder if nature itself were trying to kill him.
Scrambling over fallen trees and trudging through flooded swamps, he made his way through a thorn forest to a rustic outpost, his final destination in the Gora. Once he reached the outpost, he could call for an airspeeder to return him to the Academy. He was eager to see Kilindi and Daleen again.
The storm began to die as Maul left the thorn forest and emerged at a broad savannah. He knew the outpost wasn’t far, just beyond the grasslands that stretched out before him. But as he began to move across the savannah, he heard footfalls from the forest.
Llian beasts, he determined. Llians were large creatures with spined tails, and although they didn’t travel in herds, it sounded as if at least three were heading straight for him. As he drew his vibroblade, he scanned the grasslands, searching for a length of wood so he might quickly improvise a lance. But no such wood or deadfall was in sight.
Four llians burst from the forest, and Maul was surprised to see each beast bore a rider. The riders wore slim humanoids dressed in red, hooded garments. Each was armed with an energy bow and pike.
Maul did not recognize the riders, but knew at a glance they were formidable warriors. Although he felt the dark side of the Force swell within him, he did not summon his powers to defend himself. He suspected that Master Sidious had sent the warriors to test his loyalty
The llians moved around Maul. Three warriors drew their energy bows and fired glowing arrows at Maul, not to strike him but to drive him back to the fourth mounted warrior who had moved up behind him. Maul dodged the arrows, but was knocked backward by an invisible force, and then yanked off his feel so he was suspended upside down in the air a full meter above the ground. The vibroblade fell from his hand.
Inverted and immobilized, he saw the fourth warrior dismount. From his upside-down perspective, he saw a tail, silver-eyed female with a pale face that was adorned with angular black tattoos. Below her high-peaked red hood, a shieldlike hexagonal medallion appeared to be affixed to her un
usually high forehead. A trove of talismans and amulets dangled around her thin neck. As she walked toward Maul, tapered streamers shifted behind her robe, moving like tendrils with a life of their own. “Don’t resist, Nightbrother Maul,” she said. Her voice was deep, with a most unusual accent.
Maul sensed the Force about her. He was certain she was in league with Sidious, possibly an apprentice. Before he could respond, she made a gesture with her hands and then extended one long finger to touch his forehead.
Maul plunged into unconsciousness.
He awoke groggily, feeling drained, as if he had been robbed of the Force. From the noise and vibrations around him, he knew he was inside a small spaceship. Shifting his fingers to his upper leg, he felt the empty sheath to confirm his vibroblade was gone.
He opened his eyes. He was lying on an accelerator chair in the main cabin of a drop ship. Pushing himself up, he saw the woman who had rendered him unconscious. Apparently, the woman and her fellow warriors were so confident in their strength that they had not bothered to cuff or shackle him.
“You are skilled. Maul.” the woman said from her own seat, “but perhaps not as skilled as I was led to believe. ”
Maul sneered. “That seems to be the common opinion lately. ”
The woman’s eyes widened slightly. “Very revealing. A few moments ago I was thinking that I erred in coming so far and in risking so much to return you to your clan brothers. And yet I sense that you are strong in the Force.”
“I have no brothers.” Maul said sharply, as if he found the word distasteful.
“Ah, but you do. And once among them your life will be very different. On Dathomir, you will be nurtured and trained as the Winged Goddess and the Fanged God meant you to be trained. When the time is right you will face the Nightbrothers’ equivalents of the Tests of Fury, Night, and Elevation. And should you pass those trials, you may be fortunate enough to be transformed into an extraordinary warrior. Your strength will be enhanced tenfold, and those puny horns that stipple your head presently will become long and lethal.”
Star Wars - The Wrath of Darth Maul Page 8