- 27 BBY -
- Lotho Minor -
Maul sits behind his large setup, which consists of various screens displaying the information and data he needs at the moment. He has been working on the interior and setting up his workstation, as well as a laboratory, and has turned it into one of, if not the most advanced, stations in the galaxy. Although it may not look as high-tech as other setups, Maul has ensured that only the finest materials available are used.
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He finishes his current set of coding and then enters the command, watching as another screen displays the progress of what he has just done. Throughout the three years Maul has been on Lotho Minor, after regaining his memories and the cheat, he has accomplished a great deal. The first part was, of course, to ensure that his food and water needs were met. It was hard to come by, but Maul eventually found seeds. Afterwards, he initiated a series of biochemical and chemical experiments on seed modifications, creating mutations that eventually developed into fruits he could live on.
In the first year, Maul spent most of his time improving the various compartments he had already sealed off and incorporated into his power grid and life support systems. Maul had started to transform another cargo hold into a storage unit. He turned it into a rotating storage unit, where he could sort items or material into their respective shelves and could rotate the shelves around. It was a bit like the home of Wall-E, allowing Maul to utilise the space he had sparingly.
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Maul spent a lot of time sorting through the junk found everywhere to find materials that were sturdy and suitable for their respective jobs. That got tedious very soon, so after one month of doing that, Maul chose to create his first set of probe droids. Using the spare parts of hundreds of different droids, Maul started the construction of his own batch of them. Whenever he discovered a new type of technology, Maul would take it apart slowly until he understood how it worked, and then place the different parts into his storage unit.
A probe droid, also known as a reconnaissance droid, is a type of droid designed for deep space exploration and reconnaissance. They are tenacious hunters and searchers, utilising manipulator arms to perform various tasks. They could be equipped with both shields and blasters. Maul used power cells, which he had developed, that used power sparingly and could last for weeks on end. The data the probe droid saw was transmitted to Maul's main computer, set up in the circuitry bay, and it provided him with the location of the respective materials or technology.
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The pieces which were too large for the probe droids had to be picked up by Maul himself, which he did to improve his Force Telekinesis. The probe droids were also equipped with various sensors to check the materials they found. This would allow Maul to look for specific metals to use in the future and create a mental catalogue. If something was new and had never been scanned by the droids, it was retrieved, and Maul researched it until everything was known about it, then added it to the droid's databank.
This way, Maul has gathered a set of special metals and resources, like a few small pieces of Mandalorian beskar armour and the smallest piece of what Maul believes to be Phrik. He isn't certain about this, though, and only knows that it is even more resistant than beskar. But it's far too little to do anything useful with it. If anything, Maul might use it inside his lightsaber hilt.
He also found Transparisteel, which is essentially blaster-proof and used to make windows in starships. Then he found Impervium, which is an alloy used to make Capital ship armour.
At night, Maul doesn't sleep; instead, he meditates on his connection to the Force. He may or may not be considered a Je'daii at this point, but he has much more experience using the Dark Side. However, he is by no means a Sith. His anger has calmed down, like water that has settled, but it still has the potential to become a monstrous storm at a moment's notice. He is under control, and that's all that matters to him.
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Maul walks around his set-up and looks at the droid lying on the table with several cables attached to its droid brain. He presses several buttons and disengages the connection. The wires pull back and store themselves perfectly.
"Well?" Maul asks.
...
The droid looks like an ST-droid, but a bit more bulky and equipped with many more weapons. The Superior Super Tactical droid, or SST-X9, was the first and, for now, only droid Maul used mechu-deru on to create. He bound the droid to his will and enhanced it to be able to do things that a normal ST droid wouldn't be able to. In SST-X9's case, that's sparring and fighting—specifically, lightsaber combat. Maul has changed or upgraded SST four times now, and every so often, he changes his programming to make him more flexible during their fighting simulations.
"Then let us test your new capabilities," Maul says.
Maul has converted several large compartments of the bulk freighter into a single, massive simulation room. He devoted a lot of time and thought to ways to elevate his skills to higher levels. SST was his way of advancing his martial prowess. That concerned lightsaber combat, primarily and simulating a life-or-death situation, since the droids Maul created were not set to stun. The simulation room was called the Pit of Resurgence, and at the front, a control room was located on a higher platform, where SST-X9 would oversee the battlefield. Since he is an advanced version of a super tactical droid, he naturally won't get involved in the fight right away and dictate to the other troops what they should do.
Because the room itself has been equipped with secret traps, weapon systems and a control for SST-X9 to use to change the structure of the floor, so the Pit of Resurgence is alive.
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SST-X9 Operational Log
Location: Observation Deck – Sector Twelve, Lotho Minor
Time Index: 37:09:19
A slow hum rolls through the bowels of the Class VI Bulk Freighter as power is routed from the improved fusion core into the simulation room's systems. Beneath the support girders and durasteel, the Pit of Resurgence awakens—its many platings, which SST-X9 could control, thudding like sand.
From the sealed observation deck above, SST-X9 stands ready. His mechu-deru reinforced chassis anchored before a round control table of command buttons and sensory panels. Cables snake from the control board's link into the wall, allowing SST-X9 to move the floor, rise and drop it, call for reinforcements in the form he thinks would be suitable and even set off traps or fire the, for now, limited weapon systems hidden in the walls. Below, in the arena, a blast door opens, and Maul arrives.
A second later, the door closes with a hiss. He steps out, as usual, not armoured, but cloaked, to hide what his hands are doing and 'surprise' the Super Tactical droid. Maul's cybernetic legs, which he had improved after finally finding better materials and equipment, touch the metal platform, telling everyone involved that the simulation has started. His yellow eyes scan the darkness as he ignites the only weapon he has with him.
The Claw ignites, revealing the molten-orange blade full of power in the Force, yet controlled in Maul's hand.
"Well then, SST-X9, let's see what my programming skills are worth. You should see improvements compared to the last time we did this," Maul says in a low voice.
SST-X9's photoreceptors whirr. Target acquisition, posture indexing, and saber style recognition. Already, he was simulating thousands of engagement scenarios, as this wasn't the first time they had done this. SST-X9 is capable of studying and learning from past mistakes. Maul is trying to make SST-X9 as efficient as possible, while ensuring that he remains 100% loyal. That's why he makes sure to check and improve his programming. He doesn't want to see an uprising of any kind. This is also why Maul used mechu-deru on him and bound him to his will.
The Pit of Resurgence suddenly turns to life.
From drop ports above, three HK-51 Assassin Droids fall like predators. They land perfectly synchronised to one another, half-engaged, weapons drawn. Their movement is so much more silent that they might not even be considered metallic droids at all. But that's the idea Maul had with them. They are HK-series droids, he found pieces of and then turned them into assassin droids, wanting to make them soundless and deadly.
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But that's not the end. Two RM-2 Commando Droids emerge from hidden hatches. Their two 'floors' clicking with weapon modules as they come to life and focus on Maul. Quad-wielding blaster systems are what Maul went with, turning them into basically two B1 battle droids on top of each other for extra target acquisition and increased weapon systems available.
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However, SST-X9 isn't yet finished. Five upgraded and enhanced B1 battle droids, bulkier at the top but still faster than the ones during the Clone Wars, descend on gravlines, vibroswords and electrostaffs ready for a beating. Maul extended their leg systems to provide extra mobility, complementing the increased power they now possess. They are now fast and can jump high into the air, if needed.
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Maul leaps from his platform at the back and starts the fight officially.
The first volley of slugshots shoots toward him, a tight spread of slugs from one of the RM-2's modified slugthrowers. With practised motion, Maul spins around, deflects the first burst, and redirects several blaster fire into a B1 mid-descent. However, the armour plating still holds somewhat, not yet taking out the bigger machine, but causing damage. Maul dashes forward, cleaving the blaster of the nearest RM-2 in half, and driving his saber into the RM-2's chest as it staggers backwards. But that was an overextension on Maul's part. The RM-2 suddenly grabs Maul and tries not to let him leave.
The HK-51s shimmer into near-invisibility, flanking the pair. One of them fires a slugthrower at him. Maul applies the Force in a burst and gets himself free, dodging, but not in time. The slug's metal bites his flesh. He grunts, more annoyed than concerned with the wound. He slams the floor with the Force, causing a ripple to burst outward and reveal the shimmer of cloaked HK outlines. The Force warns him of incoming attacks.
The nearest HK-51 tries to stab him through the ribs, just as he is warned.
Maul catches the vibroblade bare-handed, using tutaminis and absorbing the energy released from the blade and preventing himself from being damaged. The Claw flashes through the air, about to sever its head in a hiss of sparks, when another attack arrives from behind. Feeling the warning, Maul redirects his lightsaber to block the next vibroblade and therefore the second HK-51's attack. And yet, there are even more on the way.
Maul pushes both attacks backwards and then turns around, using Force Speed to vanish from the third HK-droid's view and then reappears behind it. But it's not called an HK-assassin droid for nothing. The droid bends forward at a strange angle, dodging Maul's stab using his lightsaber and turning around. He fires his slugthrower at Maul, forcing him to move around and dodge the shots. None of the HK droids Maul created would ever use a blaster when fighting him; they know it's useless and would only damage their side. Maul reaches out and copies Neo from the Matrix, using the Force to stop all the shots before they hit him.
Maul blocks several attacks from the other droids, which have repositioned themselves, and swings his lightsaber through the air. He is waiting for the HK's slugthrower to have no ammo left. But it doesn't seem that he has luck in that regard. He jumps into the air and uses the hundreds of slugs he blocked to move forward and hit the B1 battle droids. In the command room, SST-X9 is observing the fight and making calculations.
The floor shudders and comes to life. Maul keeps his balance and looks up to the command room, knowing what is coming now. The moment of initiation and entering the next phase was brilliant. Maul had just reached a good tactical position and was about to go on the offensive when SST-X9 chose to start.
Hydraulic servos start to rotate the terrain. The various plates that comprise the floor of the simulation room begin to move around. Sections of the arena are lowered and raised, forming an unpredictable labyrinth under the droid's control. From the vents, a gas pours out, a hallucinogen Maul had once created from Lotho Minor's toxic air and the nonexistent flora. They use it for their simulations, and ST-X9 had it ready for this trial.
Maul feels his vision starting to blur slightly and begins using the Force to expel the waste from his body. It doesn't defeat Force users if you use poisonous gases, but it does slow them down, and that's the idea. The lights pulsate brighter. The droid's movement seems to have accelerated suddenly, and that is possible, since they can move quite quickly. Maul isn't certain that it isn't the gas working. So he closes his eyes for a moment and uses Force Sight, relying not on his vision, but on the Force to guide him and warn him of danger.
Maul moves around, weaving through the attacks and blocking vibroblades and electrostaffs with his lightsaber in very quick succession. He feels a way to victory and acts upon it.
But then the traps activate.
A blast panel opens. Four B2 Super Battle Droids march in, only slightly upgraded for a change with wrist cannons and flamethrowers. They move forward, shooting at Maul and creating one line of attack, which he can't block all at once. From the other side, the other droids are still attacking him as well, cornering him, and the floor is still moving around unpredictably, or so it seems.
The B2 battle droids open fire in unison.
Maul, still slightly disoriented but not slow, leaps into the air. He lands amid them, uses the nearest B2 as cover, uses the Force to twist its own cannon into another, and carves his way through two with wide arcs of lightsaber swings. He plants his feet and finds the floor isn't where it was moments ago.
A trapdoor snaps open, and Maul falls.
Mid-fall, he plunges his lightsaber into the wall with one hand and stops his descent. He pushes with his feet, flips, and hurls himself onto a narrow bridge of rotating magnetic rails. Mid-air, he swings his lightsaber around and blocks slugs using the Force. Maul was smart about creating these battle simulations. Almost no one, indeed, used slugthrowers, but that is what makes them so dangerous. He instead trains in the harshest conditions, and then it gets easier when the real fight starts.
But it wasn't done. Wall panels slide open. Dozens of miniature blaster cannons emerge. Each one is protected by a very small force field, similar to what the droidekas have.
Maul stands still, sensing danger. He has been deflecting and blocking attacks, moving around and cutting through the droids, yet he doesn't seem to be making any progress. And yet, a smile makes its way onto his face. The former Sith inside him relishes this challenge, and the harder it is, the greater the rewards will be. There is no greater danger than playing it safe. It's what he might have said, but he sees it differently now. Playing it safe is good, but you need to know when to capitalise on an advantage and attack with brutal efficiency. Thankfully, he still knows when to do that. Now, even better than before.
Maul reaches out with the Force. He feels the hum of power conduits, the rhythmic pulses of trap circuits underneath. With a grunt, he backflips onto a higher platform, dodging the bait. He cuts through another B2 battle droid as he does so.
Ceiling panels open up. Reactor coolant canisters dropped and burst. A mist of toxic vapour blankets the floor, interfering with Maul's movement due to the immense cold. He uses the Force to counteract the effects of the cold and continues moving at the same speed as before. The droids attack in a different pattern again. But before he can destroy them, ST-X9 issues a withdrawal command.
The remaining droids retreat as a second wave poured in, newer models, leaner, faster, some airborne. They attack with synchronised formation disruption tactics, testing Maul's adaptability, not just his lightsaber skills or Force power. He is bleeding now.
His shoulder was scorched, one knee joint sparking. But the Dathomirian doesn't care about this. Pain and damage are as much a part of growth as anything else. Maul moves forward, like a violent Force storm given form. Even staggered, he is relentless and will not give up. He changes his style.
As the former apprentice of Darth Sidious, Maul was trained to be a living weapon of the Sith, one intended to aid Sidious in bringing about the destruction of the Jedi and seizing control of the galaxy. Under Sidious' tutelage, Maul became one of the deadliest, most efficiently trained Sith in the Order's history. He became an acrobatic and highly trained Sith warrior, one who could relentlessly pursue his enemies while utilising his double-bladed lightsaber and had been trained in several forms of lightsaber combat. He put these skills to the test for the first time in his duel against the Jedi apprentice Eldra Kaitis; although the young Twi'lek managed to hold her own against the Sith for a time, Maul came out of the encounter victorious. Later, during his duel on Naboo against Jinn and Kenobi, he demonstrated the ability to fight both the Jedi Master and his prodigious apprentice simultaneously on equal grounds as well as overpower Kenobi after he killed Jinn. His death was partially his own fault.
Maul was also skilled at using Jar'Kai, a method of utilising two weapons in combat. However, he also began to incorporate aspects of various lightsaber forms. He liked Shii-Cho swordplay, which was simplistic and raw. In the hands of a master, the bladework was described as "like watching water flow over the falls". He enjoyed the rather unpredictable nature of it. But because it favoured direct attacks over the acrobatic mobility of Form IV and the Force powers of Form VI, Shii-Cho might have appeared more aggressive than other forms. However, this appearance was misleading. Far from the violent Form VII, Shii-Cho required a calm and collected, even methodical application. So, Maul simply used different aspects of various forms and mixed them together. But he has by no means perfected his new style.
At the base of the control tower, Maul stands panting. His lightsaber was still lit and in front of him, slashing through the air defensively. The air smells of ozone and smoke. He blocks the attacks of the last remaining HK-51 droid and then reaches out, using Force Crush on the metallic body. He didn't want to do that, as the droid was valuable to him, and now he would have to recreate all of them. But it is a minor setback. He has time.
Maul looks up, his eyes burn with fire and conviction. Ready for more at any time.
"You're not wrong. But we have been doing this quite a few times already. If I didn't progress, I might as well kill myself."
SST-X9 pauses and starts to rewrite the combat simulation, seeing but one solution.
"We will finish this. If I can still stand, I haven't been pushed enough."