Lives & Adventures

by Ryder Windham

  Sidious extended his arms. Maul heard a rumbling sound and then saw stones sliding and bouncing away from two of the larger boulders that were about fifteen meters away, partially embedded in the ancient seabed. He realized the two boulders were rising slowly, as if an invisible giant were pulling them up from the ground. Dust and dirt fell away from both boulders as they tore free from the planet’s surface. Maul watched with wonder as they ascended several meters into the air.

  Sidious flicked his fingers. The two boulders launched even higher. He flexed his wrists, and the boulders spun around together like a pair of enormous dancers. He moved his hands apart, and the distance between the spinning boulders increased. Then Sidious clapped his hands together. Still spinning, the boulders swung into each other and collided with a thunderous crash. Shattered chunks and bits of rock exploded in all directions.

  Watching the rocky debris rain down from the yellow sky, Maul said, “How, Master Sidious? How?”

  “With the Force,” Sidious said solemnly.

  Maul looked at Sidious, hoping desperately to learn more.

  “The Force is an energy field,” Sidious continued. “It radiates throughout the galaxy. It is everywhere. It flows between all living things and every inanimate object. It is between us. It is between the stones, the cruiser over there…” He gestured to his starship. “…everywhere. Some beings—some very fortunate beings who are strong with the Force from the day they are born—are able to manipulate and control the Force. They can use its power to do incredible things. You and I, Maul, are such beings.”

  Maul looked at the two holes in the ground where the boulders had recently stood, then at the remains of the boulders strewn across the area. Knowing that such destructive power flowed through him made him feel very pleased. He smiled.

  Seeing the boy’s expression, Sidious said, “You and I shall return to this world often. Here I will teach you the ways of the Force. But because the Force can be very dangerous to those who don’t fully understand it, there is one rule you must obey. You must never reveal your powers to anyone else until I say you are ready. For now, the Force is our secret. No one else may know about it. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Master Sidious,” Maul said, then quickly added, “But the droid saw the staff jump in the ring. Does the droid know…about the Force?”

  “The droid knows just enough to help you in your training.”

  “Master Sidious, I meant…can the droid use the Force?”

  Sidious chuckled. “No, boy. The droid is just a machine. Machines can’t use the Force. But remember, the droid is a teaching tool. You are not allowed to use the Force against the droid.”

  “Yes, Master Sidious.” Maul bit his lip.

  “You have another question?”

  “Master, you said I must not reveal my powers to anyone else. Who is ‘anyone else’?”

  Sidious pursed his lips, then said, “So far, you have lived a sheltered life, but it is only a matter of time before you encounter other beings. Most life-forms are oblivious to the Force. They don’t realize that the Force binds the galaxy together. They cannot draw power from the Force.” Sidious patted Maul’s bruised shoulder. “Most people fear what they don’t understand.”

  “Master Sidious, do you have to be angry to make the Force work?”

  “Not all the time,” Sidious said. “But it helps.”

  Maul stared at the ground. “Are there others like us, Master?”

  Sidious knelt beside Maul so their eyes were on the same level. “Listen very carefully, boy. There are others who use the Force. But they are not…like…us.”

  “Tell me what you know about the Jedi, Maul.”

  Sidious and Maul were inside the training room in the Mustafar facility. Sidious stood beside the six-legged droid. The droid was operating a winch that controlled a long metal cable that extended to the ceiling. Maul was hanging upside down, his small body wrapped in chains, dangling from the winch’s cable. Eight meters below Maul’s inverted head was a large open vat of acid.

  “I know only what I’ve learned from datatapes, Master,” Maul gasped in response. Speaking was difficult because of the chain that was drawn tightly across his throat. His wrists were manacled behind his back, and as he struggled to free his hands, the droid began ticking at the winch’s crank, slowly lowering Maul from the ceiling. He calculated that at the rate he was descending, he had about ten minutes to escape. “The Jedi,” he continued, “are warriors who are strong with the Force. They use weapons called lightsabers. They are based on the planet Coruscant. They serve the Galactic Republic as peacekeepers.”

  Sidious smiled. “That’s according to the data-tapes. But what I am about to tell you is the truth.” He stepped away from the droid and began walking in a wide circle around the vat of acid. “The Jedi Order was founded twenty-five thousand years ago by a group of beings who were strong with the Force. Before the Jedi Order, such Force-sensitive beings were isolated instead of united. Some were regarded as wizards. Others as demons. There were not many. Nearly all were considered unique on their own worlds. They were strong, powerful individuals. Free to live and die as they wished.

  “But the Jedi Order changed all that. They started by analyzing the Force to understand its power. They found it had a wide spectrum that was influenced by emotions. They debated their findings. Over time, they discovered there was much they could not understand, and they chose to believe what they wanted to believe. They believed some mysteries were best left unsolved. They believed that the Force itself was testing them. Like narrow-minded, superstitious children, they created explanations for the Force.

  “And rather than embrace the full spectrum of the Force, the Jedi ignored the infinite shades of gray that stretched between light and darkness. They declared the light side of the Force was good and the dark was evil. To them, there could be no in-between, no middle ground.” Sidious let out an exasperated sigh. “It’s one thing to examine an energy field that permeates the galaxy. But to give an energy field characteristics of good and evil? One might as well say, ‘That cloud wants to protect us from solar radiation, but that other cloud wants to strike us dead with lightning.’

  “And then the Jedi declared that to be born with Force powers was not a gift or a curse. They insisted it was a calling. They proclaimed the Force should never be used for selfish purposes, that all Force-sensitive beings were obligated to use their powers for the benefit of others.” Sidious shook his head ruefully. “Many Force users joined the Jedi Order, but the Jedi were not satisfied with their numbers. They sought out the so-called wizards and demons, and gave them three options. Join the Jedi, cease using Force powers, or die.”

  Sidious paused to look at Maul. Maul had traveled almost halfway to the acid vat. He had already wriggled his left hand out of the manacles and was now working to free his right.

  “Join the Jedi,” Sidious said. “Relinquish your individuality and freedom, and fight only when the Jedi tell you to fight. Cease using Force powers. One might as well tell an ordinary life-form to stop living. Die.…Well, I don’t believe that requires an explanation. And so, the Jedi not only increased their ranks but destroyed those who disagreed with them.

  “The Jedi convinced the Galactic Republic that they could be the Republic’s guardians. The Jedi Order thrived, and they expanded their authority beyond the Core Worlds. They used their powers and their lightsabers to vanquish those who opposed them. For many millennia, the Jedi were unchallenged. And they grew confident. So confident that they could hardly imagine the possibility that some Jedi did not want to be Jedi.

  “But almost seven thousand years ago, a group of Jedi rebelled against their own kind. The battle that ensued lasted one hundred years. The so-called peacekeepers believed the war was over when they banished the surviving rebels to an uncharted region of the Outer Rim Territories. But the exiles did not meet their end in the Outer Rim. They discovered the Sith species, and they used their powers to conquer the S
ith. They became the Sith Lords.”

  Sidious raised his right hand slowly and examined his fingernails. “Maul, in your studies of history and the galaxy, have you ever come across any datatapes about the Sith Lords?”

  Maul had freed his other hand and was now bent at the waist, lifting his torso so he could work on the chains that were biting into his ankles. He glanced at Sidious and replied, “No, Master.”

  “That’s because the Jedi destroyed many records.” Sidious flexed his fingers, then lowered his hand to his side. “The early Sith Lords had one ruler, the Dark Lord of the Sith, and their armies were legion. Eventually, they discovered the path back to Republic space and fought the Jedi in the Great Hyperspace War. They lost. But the Sith Lord Naga Sadow survived and managed to preserve his spirit in a tomb.

  “Hundreds of years after Sadow’s death, a Jedi named Freedon Nadd revived Sadow’s spirit. Nadd became the new Dark Lord, and he used his powers to conquer the world Onderon. Following Sadow’s example, Freedon Nadd also preserved his own spirit in a tomb. Many centuries later, Nadd’s spirit was awakened by the Jedi Exar Kun, who became the next Dark Lord. Exar Kun allied with a wayward Jedi named Ulic Qel-Droma, and together they established a Sith Order ruled by two, a Master and apprentice. These two Dark Lords of the Sith failed to conquer the Jedi because they wound up fighting each other, as did their successors, another pair of former Jedi, named Revan and Malak. History, it seemed, was repeating itself.” Sidious looked at Maul. “Am I going too fast for you?”

  “No, Master.” He was having some difficulty with the chains at his ankles, and he was close enough to the acid that the smell of it was burning his nostrils.

  “I neglected to mention that Revan and Malak renamed themselves Darth Revan and Darth Malak. Some historians believe Darth is a contraction of dark and Sith, while others suggest it was a corruption of daritha, an ancient Rakatan word for ‘emperor.’ In any event, the honorific Darth was introduced to the Sith Lords. Following Revan and Malak, other former Jedi assumed the mantle of Dark Lords…and none learned from their predecessors’ mistakes.

  “History took a different turn about a thousand years ago, when yet another former Jedi, named Kaan, rose through the ranks of a new order of self-proclaimed Sith Lords. After Kaan became Dark Lord and united thousands of followers, he tried to avoid the mistakes of his predecessors. To avoid infighting, Kaan proposed that all Sith Lords were equals. Kaan’s army became known as the Brotherhood of Darkness.”

  The droid’s pincer lost its grip on the winch’s crank. The metal cable slipped half a meter before the droid stopped the crank with another pincer. Maul’s body fell and jerked violently in the air. He did not cry out but stayed focused on his shackles as he resumed his slow descent to the acid, which was now closer than he’d anticipated.

  “At the Battle of Ruusan,” Sidious continued, “the Jedi overwhelmed the Brotherhood of Darkness. With surrender not an option, Kaan crafted a Force-fueled weapon called a thought bomb, which would destroy all Force users within its blast radius. The thought bomb killed Kaan, his army, and many Jedi.

  “But one Sith Lord survived. Darth Bane. Bane knew that Kaan had been wrong to believe in strength in numbers. Bane knew that too many Sith Lords resulted in too much envy and competition. Everyone wanted to be the leader, the Dark Lord, and nearly everyone was willing to kill other members of the Brotherhood in order to achieve that goal. And so Bane established the Rule of Two. One Sith Master. One Sith apprentice.” Sidious looked at Maul, who was still struggling with the chains, and added, “Any more would be to lose control.”

  Maul broke free, gripped the chain, and swung out, twisting his body in midair so he landed on his feet beside the acid-filled vat. He faced Sidious. Although he did not know his own age, he was now nearly as tall as Sidious’s hip. He said, “Master, do the Sith Lords still exist?”

  “I would not rule out the possibility,” Sidious said. “Just remember, the Jedi do not tolerate Force users outside their order. It is because of them that you and I live in secret. Had they discovered you on Dathomir before I, they would have attempted to mold you into one of their own. A mindless, obedient servant for the Republic. Had they failed, they would have destroyed you. Now that you know the truth, how would you describe the Jedi?”

  Maul thought for a moment, then said, “They are cowards, Master. Cowards and tyrants. They are weak.”

  Sidious smiled. “Do not underestimate the Jedi. Even though they have a fatal flaw, they are formidable.”

  “What is their fatal flaw, Master?”

  “Compassion.” Sidious looked at the chain that Maul had left swinging back and forth over the vat of acid. “You took much too long to free yourself. You will do the exercise again. But this time, the droid will lower the chain faster.”

  Maul bowed. “Yes, Master.”

  “I have a surprise for you, Maul,” Sidious said as he handed a cylindrical metal object to the boy. “Do you know what it is?”

  “Yes, Master Sidious,” Maul said as his eyes widened with awe. “It’s a lightsaber. I’ve seen them on holovids.”

  They were on the planet Tosste, standing at the center of a grove of gnarled black trees at the edge of a desolate field, not far from Sidious’s cruiser. Sidious had been bringing Maul to Tosste regularly over the past year, as the wide-open spaces allowed opportunities for training that could not be conducted on Mustafar’s volcanic surface. Maul would run for great distances and perform long jumps. Under his Master’s supervision, he fired ranged weapons and explosives and also practiced using the Force to lift and move objects. Maul never knew when Sidious would bring him to Tosste, or what plans Sidious might have for him there, but he always looked forward to any trip away from Mustafar. Even if he was required to do rigorous exercises at their destination, he still regarded such excursions as adventures.

  Maul turned the lightsaber over in his hand, testing its grip. He held it away from his body, just as he had seen Jedi hold their weapons in the educational holovids he’d studied in Mustafar’s training room.

  Sidious said, “What do you think?”

  “It weighs less than I thought, Master.”

  “It’s a training saber. The same kind used by Jedi younglings.”

  Maul wondered how his Master had obtained the weapon. But he didn’t ask.

  “That’s the activation switch,” Sidious said, pointing to a green switch on the lightsaber’s grip. “Press it with your thumb.”

  Maul thumbed the switch. A brilliant amber blade of pure energy flashed out from the emitter at the end of the grip, accompanied by a loud hum. Holding tight to the grip with both hands, Maul could feel the power of the weapon. He grinned, unable to conceal his delight.

  “That’s it,” Sidious said. “Feel the energy? Now, go on.…” Sidious made a waving gesture. “Test it.”

  Stepping away from Sidious, Maul made a tentative jab at the air, then swung the lightsaber back and forth. The weapon’s hum changed pitch as the blade moved. Maul also noticed how the lightsaber illuminated the surrounding trees. He shifted his stance and faced a thick, twisted limb that jutted out from one of the gnarled trees. He looked to his Master.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Sidious said. “Will a training saber cut through that tree?” Sidious shrugged. “A Jedi would hesitate to share this information, but…well, I am not a Jedi. Training sabers can be adjusted for greater power, but the process is a bit time consuming. You might try this instead.” Sidious reached into a deep pocket, removed another lightsaber, and held it out to Maul.

  Maul looked at the weapon in his Master’s hand. He switched off the training saber, barely noticing how its humming sound fizzled out, and exchanged it for the proffered lightsaber. He noticed that the grip was heavier than the training saber’s. He thumbed the activation switch.

  A red beam flashed from the weapon’s emitter and hummed to life. Maul immediately sensed that the blade was even more powerful. He looked again at
the gnarled tree’s limb, then glanced at Sidious. Sidious nodded. Maul jumped forward and sent the lightsaber’s blade in a downward slash through the limb. He had expected at least to hear some kind of a cracking noise as the limb separated from the tree, but the blade sliced through the limb with a continuous whoosh, as effortlessly as a bird’s wing slicing through air. And then the severed limb crashed loudly against the ground.

  “Well done,” Sidious said.

  Maul swept the blade through the fallen limb again and again. With each sweep, he marveled at how cleanly the blade sliced through wood. From what he’d seen on the holovids, he knew the weapon was just as effective with dense rock and thick metal.

  After he had reduced the tree’s limb to diced chunks, he turned his attention to the tree’s trunk and kept swinging. Sidious did not stop him.

  When Maul finished with the tree, he reluctantly returned the lightsaber to his Master. Sidious said, “Now, it is time for you to meditate.”

  “Yes, Master.” Maul turned and walked out of the grove, heading into the neighboring field. Sidious had trained him to relax his mind and body by closing his eyes and visualizing a dark, comfortable nothingness, leaving himself open to the power of the Force. Maul enjoyed meditating. It always left him feeling stronger.

  He had taken only a few steps into the field when his foot struck something that moved. He looked down and saw a dinko.

  From his studies, Maul knew about dinkos. They were nasty palm-sized creatures—not that anyone would want to pick one up. The dinko had powerful, perpetually moving rear legs that were naturally equipped with serrated spurs, two pairs of grasping claws on its chest, and extremely sharp fangs. The grasping claws were especially feared, as dinkos used them to grab on to a victim’s finger or nose and would not let go unless surgically removed or killed. Even more notorious was the dinko’s stinking venom. Because dinkos were native to Proxima Dibal, a planet situated on the far side of the galaxy, Maul wondered how a dinko had ever arrived on Tosste.