C140 I’m Star-Lord (Patreon)

As Sidious spoke, his voice dripping with sinister intent, Yoda and Windu came to the same realization as Peter. This was not the present but a memory from the Sith they had captured. Somehow, all three of them had been given a Force vision of Maul’s past.

The robed figure radiated malevolence, his presence a dark stain on the Force. Peter's eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on Sidious with an intensity that did not go unnoticed by Yoda.

"Seen him before, have you?" Yoda asked, his tone filled with curiosity and concern.

Peter nodded, his voice tinged with anger. "Yes. He’s the one I saw in Carol's memory. He was torturing her."

Instantly, both Yoda and Windu understood the gravity of the situation. The man standing before them was not just any Sith but the Sith Master they had been searching for.

Windu’s eyes darkened with determination. "What should we do now?" he asked, turning to Yoda.

Yoda, his expression calm yet intense, replied, "Watch, we must. The Force brought us here for a reason. See what it wants us to see, we will."

They stood in silence, their focus returning to the scene unfolding before them.

As the three Jedi Masters watched from the sidelines, the dark figure of Sidious continued to examine the young Maul with an intensity that sent chills down their spines.

Sidious turned to Mother Talzin, his voice cold and calculating. "I sense great potential in this boy. He will make a powerful Sith apprentice."

Talzin’s expression shifted from pride to suspicion. "You said that I would become your apprentice," she reminded him, her tone laced with underlying tension.

Sidious’s lips curled into a cruel smile. "Plans change, Talzin. The boy is strong in the Force. Stronger than you. He will serve me well."

When Sidious pointed out her son and asked to meet him, she thought little of it. But now she realizes what Sidious truly wanted. He didn’t want her; he wanted a young, impressionable apprentice to do his bidding.

Talzin’s eyes narrowed, her resolve hardening. "You cannot have him," she declared, her voice rising in defiance. "He is my son."

Truthfully, she couldn't care less about the boy, but she wouldn’t let Sidious get what he wanted. Especially not after lying to her and wounding her pride like this.

She wouldn’t allow it!

Without warning, Sidious raised his hand, and a burst of powerful lightning shot forth, striking Talzin and sending her sprawling to the ground. “Argh!” She exclaimed, convulsing as the electricity coursed through her body.

"Your defiance is futile. The boy will be mine." The Sith declared.

Young Maul's eyes widened in terror as he saw his mother fall. "Mother!" he screamed, rushing towards her, but Sidious intercepted him, gripping his arm tightly.

Talzin struggled to her feet, her eyes blazing with fury. "Nightsisters, to me!" she cried out, summoning her warriors.

From the shadows, several Nightsisters emerged, forming a protective circle around Talzin, their weapons drawn, their eyes glowing with the dark magicks they wielded.

Sidious laughed, a sound devoid of any warmth. "You think your pitiful witches can stop me?" he taunted.

The battle erupted with sudden ferocity. Talzin and her Nightsisters launched forward, their magicks intertwining with their physical strikes.

Sidious, tossing Maul aside for the time being, met them head-on, his lightsaber igniting with a snap-hiss, the crimson blade slashing through the air.

Sidious moved with terrifying speed and precision, deflecting blasts of dark energy and cutting down the Nightsisters one by one.

A Nightsister lunged at Sidious, her sword aimed at his heart, but Sidious was relentless. He sidestepped her attack with ease, bringing his lightsaber down in a swift arc that cleaved her in half. She crumpled to the ground, her life extinguished.

Another Nightsister tried to ensnare Sidious with tendrils of dark energy, but he shattered her spell with a wave of his hand, sending her crashing into a nearby rock formation, her body impaled by a particularly pointy boulder.

Enraged, Talzin used all her strength, unleashing a torrent of dark magicks at Sidious, but he deflected her attack with his lightsaber before retaliating with a blast of Force lightning that sent her sprawling once more.

"Mother!" Maul cried out, rushing to her side, only to be snatched up by Sidious once again.

Sidious’s eyes gleamed with malevolent satisfaction. "This is your destiny, boy. Embrace it."

Talzin, battered and beaten, struggled to her feet once more. "No… I will not let you take him," she vowed, her voice trembling with determination.

Sidious sneered. "You have already lost, Talzin."

With a final, powerful thrust of his hand, Sidious unleashed a wave of dark energy that knocked Talzin to the ground, rendering her unconscious.

Young Maul thrashed in Sidious’s grasp, trying to break free. "Let me go! I won’t go with you!"

Sidious tightened his grip, his voice low and menacing. "You have no choice, boy. You are my apprentice now."

Maul's struggles grew weaker, his energy draining away. "No…"

Sidious began to drag Maul towards his ship, the boy’s cries echoing through the desolate landscape. The remaining Nightsisters, seeing their leader defeated, did not dare to challenge Sidious further.

As they approached the ship, Maul made one last desperate attempt to escape, clawing at Sidious’s hand. "Please, let me go… I want to stay with my mother."

Sidious’s expression hardened. "Your mother is weak. She lost you because she wasn’t strong enough. You, on the other hand, will be strong. Embrace this opportunity, and you will achieve greatness."

With that, Sidious hauled Maul up the ramp and into the ship. The door closed behind them with a final, resounding thud, leaving the decimated Nightsisters and the fallen Talzin behind.

As the vision began to fade, the rocky landscape of Dathomir dissolved into darkness, and Peter, Yoda, and Windu felt themselves being pulled into another memory.

The scene before them shifted, and they found themselves inside a dark, foreboding room aboard a starship. The oppressive atmosphere was palpable, and the cries of a young Zabrak echoed through the cold, metallic corridors.

The young Maul was huddled in a corner, his small body trembling with fear. Tears streamed down his face as he cried out for his mother. "Mother Talzin! Please! I want to go home!" His voice was filled with desperation and sorrow.

Peter's heart ached at the sight. “…”

Yoda’s ears drooped slightly, his eyes filled with sadness. "Heartbreaking, it is."

Windu’s expression was stern, yet there was a glimmer of pity in his eyes. "I have a sinking feeling that this is only the beginning..."

The memory shifted again, showing Sidious entering the room, his presence radiating malevolence. His eyes narrowed in irritation as he approached the sobbing child. "Enough of this whining!" he barked, his voice dripping with contempt.

Maul flinched, trying to curl up even smaller, but Sidious grabbed him by the arm, pulling him to his feet. "You will learn to be strong, or you will die," Sidious snarled, his grip tightening painfully.

Maul whimpered, tears continuing to flow. "Please, I want to go home…"

Sidious’s face twisted with rage. "There is no home for you but the one I give you. Your old life is gone." With a swift motion, Sidious struck Maul across the face, sending him sprawling to the floor.

The young boy cried out in pain, but Sidious was relentless, delivering blow after blow. Each strike was accompanied by harsh, unforgiving words meant to break Maul’s spirit. "You are weak! Pathetic! You will learn to obey, or you will suffer the consequences!"

"How could he do this to a child…?" Peter clenched his fists, his anger bubbling to the surface. ‘Is this how the Sith really are?’ he wondered, having only dealt with Revan until now, who seemed like a saint compared to Sidious.

Yoda shook his head, his expression a mix of sorrow and disgust. "Cruel, Sidious is. Twisted and dark, his heart has become."

Windu’s jaw tightened. "This is how the Sith break their apprentices. Through fear, pain, and suffering."

The scene shifted once more, showing Maul now slightly older, standing in a dimly lit chamber. His eyes were filled with a mix of fear and determination. Sidious loomed over him, his presence even more menacing. "Your training begins now," Sidious declared, his voice cold and devoid of any warmth.

Maul’s training was brutal and unforgiving. The young Zabrak was subjected to relentless physical and mental torture. Sidious would force him to endure excruciating pain, both through physical and mental abuse.

“Aaahhhh!” Maul’s screams of agony echoed through the chamber, but Sidious showed no mercy, reveling in the boy's pain.

Peter watched in horror as Maul was repeatedly electrocuted, his body smoking and convulsing with pain. "This is monstrous…"

Yoda’s face was etched with sorrow. "Turned, he was, by pain and suffering. Lost, his innocence became."

Windu’s voice was filled with anger. "Watch closely, Peter. This is the true face of the Sith. They destroy any semblance of humanity in their apprentices, leaving only hatred and anger."

The memories continued, showing Maul’s gradual transformation. He was forced to fight for his life against other trainees, often emerging bloody and battered but victorious.

Each victory hardened him, the fear and pain giving way to a growing anger and hatred. Sidious watched with a twisted satisfaction, knowing that his apprentice was becoming the weapon he desired.

In one particularly brutal memory, Maul was pitted against a group of adversaries. Sidious watched from the sidelines, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Show no mercy. Use your anger. Let it fuel you."

Maul, driven by the need to survive and the desire to please his master, fought with a ferocity that was both terrifying and tragic. His movements were quick and deadly, fueled by the anger that had been nurtured within him. He struck down his opponents with ruthless efficiency, his eyes burning with a fierce determination.

As the last of his adversaries fell, Maul stood amidst the carnage, his chest heaving with exertion. Sidious approached, a cruel smile on his lips. "You are becoming strong, my apprentice. But there is still much to learn."

Peter’s eyes were filled with a mix of anger and pity as he watched the young Zabrak being molded into a Sith. "This is what he’s been through… It’s no wonder he turned out the way he did."

Yoda nodded solemnly. "Twisted by the Dark Side, he has been. But born this way, he was not."

Windu’s voice was resolute. "We must remember that Maul was once a victim. His actions are his own, but the path he was forced onto is one of darkness and suffering."

The final memory showed Maul, now fully grown, kneeling before Sidious. The transformation was complete. Gone was the frightened child who cried for his mother. In his place was a Sith warrior, his eyes burning with the fire of hatred and ambition. "What is thy bidding, my Master?" Maul asked, his voice steady and unwavering.

Sidious looked down at him with satisfaction. "You are ready, my apprentice. From this day forth, you will be known as Darth Maul, Lord of the Sith..."

As the vision began to fade, Peter, Yoda, and Windu found themselves back in Xavier’s office, their hands still glowing with Force light, protecting Xavier as he delved into Maul's mind, seemingly oblivious to what they had just gone through.

Staring down at Maul after witnessing his torturous upbringing, Peter suddenly made up his mind. The memories of Maul's pain and suffering, his transformation from a scared child into a ruthless Sith, weighed heavily on Peter's heart.

Despite the darkness that had consumed Maul, Peter's resolve hardened. He would help Maul. He would find a way to turn him from the dark side and give him a second chance. ‘Who knows? Maybe he’ll even join my crew…’

Yoda and Windu noticed the change in Peter's demeanor, both guessing that he was planning something they likely wouldn’t approve of…

A/N: 2004 words :)