Nine years, nine months, and twenty-first day after the Battle of Yavin…
Or forty-fourth year, nine months, and twenty-first day after the Great Resynchronization.
(Five months and sixth day since the Arrival.)
The chronometer habitually ticked over to midnight by Coruscant time, but in my cabin aboard the Chimaera, the semi-darkness is the natural state of the artificial lighting.
It's easier to see — Chiss physiology determines the harmony of daily life first and foremost.
The bright lighting humans are accustomed to quickly tires the eyes, sometimes leading to migraines.
Ironically, one could draw a parallel with Darth Vader, who could only experience true comfort in his meditation chamber aboard the Executor.
Physical training allowed me to temporarily free my mind from current events. And so it became a part of my routine, the only worthwhile pastime apart from work.
Soon enough, though, everything will come full circle.
Twenty minutes until we exit hyperspace and begin another unscheduled operation.
A couple of minutes for refreshing procedures after a short workout, and I settle back into the familiar chair.
In the past — like the uniform tunic, this body, this life, this military campaign — it all felt like clothing I had to wear after my older brother in the lean years of my former life.
But now it has all become my own. It has become familiar, justly earned, obtained, deserved.
The shadow of Mitth'raw'nuruodo has ceased to loom over me.
A moral turning point has occurred, an acceptance of the inevitable. It crept up almost imperceptibly amidst the constant planning, routine, battles, intrigues, provocations, and traps.
There wasn't even any internal turmoil, particular anxiety, or triumph over it. Simply a statement of fact… and my attention switches to solving other problems.
Setting aside the information chip containing the decoded data on the false Liquidator's engine emissions, mentally acknowledging the Chimaera's crew for their efficiency and Maul's master for his ingenuity, I redirected my attention to the computer.
My fingers run over the keyboard, and a hologram of Dathomir appears in the center of the cabin, transmitted in real-time from the Scout Droids that our ARC-170s left behind during their raid into the system.
Four planets in the Dathomir star system. A single star, Domir, providing enough natural radiation for humanoid life to arise and sustain itself on the fourth planet in orbital position.
From my past life, I remembered that Dathomir was once home to an advanced race that had faded into oblivion. As I recall, all their achievements — technologically significant ones, that is — were long ago either destroyed or ruined, and consequently, their ancient history doesn't warrant much attention.
It has to be said that despite its remoteness and complete lack of study, Dathomir, located in the Outer Rim, in the Quelli sector, and squarely in quadrant O-6, has a rather rich history. Of course, that's if you trust the data from the Imperial archives and the historical chronicles of the institute on the planet Obroa-Skai.
Well, thanks to the work of Molo Himron's clones, we can now rely on our historical and navigational chronicles — intelligence operatives have been working in every institute and library in the galaxy, gathering information. And through the efforts of Mr. Ghent's clones, a unified database has finally been created.
The planet Dathomir.
Satellite imagery and archival descriptions indicate the planet, though inhabited, is little studied despite its unremarkable nature for worlds with oxygen atmospheres.
A rancor is never opposed to eating. Never opposed.
Perhaps tonight it will be dining on you.
And it's dangerous.
Besides being the homeworld of one of the galaxy's fiercest animals — the rancor — entire clans of intelligent, Force-sensitive beings live quite comfortably here.
The Witches of Dathomir.
In many accounts, they are described as wild, warlike tribes wielding magic — meaning the Force — whom the Empire kept confined to the planet solely to prevent these "bloodthirsty monsters" from reaching the galaxy's inhabited worlds. Supposedly noble goals…
Fine, let's assume that.
But there is another side to the coin.
As far as I recall the plot of the book The Choice of Princess Leia, whose events took place in this reality only a year ago, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, the Alderaanian princess herself, along with other individuals, visited the planet. And they contributed to the destruction of the warlord Zsinj, who was hiding here, as well as his Iron Fist. Apparently, not entirely, since the wreckage of that Super Star Destroyer was used to create another, which remained in the rear of my forces.
The Witches are incapable of such things — their technical skills are deplorably low. The presence of prisoners aboard the ship, the bases being evacuated from the planet's surface — all of this indicated that a garrison was stationed on Dathomir. And this is possible in only two cases.
First: the Witches are in an alliance with the master of the destroyers. Given my conclusions about this "character's" identity, this option spells nothing good for me. On the contrary — it means nothing but a bloody slaughter on the planet's surface if I order the destruction of those enemy forces still remaining in their positions.
Second: the Witches are enslaved by my latest adversary. Supporting this claim is the fact that hundreds of shackled, immobilized Witches were found aboard the captured Star Destroyer. Who they are and how they ended up there is currently being investigated by Lieutenant Colonel Astarion's department.
Therefore, it is quite probable that Maul's master is recruiting Force-sensitive individuals on an industrial scale.
And that is not good.
Not that we lack ysalamiri to protect the crews — no, we have enough. But for an offensive operation on the planet, there won't be enough to shield all the soldiers from the Witches.
And I have absolutely no significant number of Jensaarai for such an operation.
Aboard the Chimaera, and in fact throughout the entire fleet, there is only Mara. Yes, she managed once again to avoid serious injury or capture, but I am more than certain that in an open fight against Maul, and certainly against his master, she would not prevail — no point in deceiving myself.
Aurra Sing is busy eliminating another target.
Eymand is still traveling the galaxy searching for lost Jedi knowledge.
Obscuro is too far away, organizing a trap for Palpatine's minions from the Dark Side Elite.
Bre'ano Umakk and the other Jensaarai are currently on Susevfi.
Ahsoka Tano is in Hutt Space, occupied with buying slaves.
Ventress… Can an ambitious Dathomirian Witch who has switched sides numerous times to serve her own boundless ambitions be summoned to her homeworld? I think not.
The Witches themselves are certainly a force, but if you add technology, trained fighters, and a decent commander to them — far more blood will be spilled.
So, whether these Force adepts exist or not is almost the same…
I looked at the hologram of the enemy's disposition again.
Three Star Destroyers, drawn up in a line. An endless stream of transport ships stretches from them and back to the planet of rancors and Dathomirian Witches. Imperial ships. A tempting formation, suggesting a transition to a classic "wall-to-wall" battle immediately after exiting hyperspace.
It looks very much like a trap.
A trio of TIE Defenders has already arrived, so at the very least, Darth Maul is here. Not to mention the possibility that his master might be here as well.
Can the Witches and the other enemies seize control of my ships' crews?
Possible. But unlikely. If they possessed such power, the Imperial blockade wouldn't have been maintained by just a couple of Star Destroyers. And Zsinj wouldn't have based his shipbuilding and repair facilities here.
Consequently, we are safe in orbit.
But, again, the question of conducting a ground operation arises. Not to mention that some Witches might be aboard the enemy ships as well.
In any case, it depends on their status — allies or prisoners.
Aboard the false Liquidator, the Witches were clearly in confinement. Based on the footage provided by the special forces, they were restrained using force-field technology similar to what Count Dooku used to hold Obi-Wan Kenobi in Attack of the Clones. I doubt that's how friends and allies are transported. It looks more like this group is either prisoners or the opposition.
And if that's the case, another question arises.
Then why did Maul fly to the construction site of the Super Star Destroyer with prisoners, if the base is on Dathomir?
Hmm…
Alright, noted.
Let's look at events from a different angle in light of these new doubts and hypotheses.
It seems more likely that the outpost on Dathomir is not the main base, but merely one of several operational bases. And at present, the enemy is conducting an evacuation to relocate to another base. Obviously, the Dominion's growing strength is causing Maul's master some anxiety, hence the order to evacuate resources from here.
That's a more logical variant, one that has been repeatedly confirmed.
Therefore…
Let's use reverse reasoning, from effect to cause. Let's look at the situation in retrospect.
Maul is evacuating bases from the Quelli and Venin sectors.
The false Liquidator was part of the evacuation fleet.
Aboard it were Dathomirian Witches as prisoners.
Consequently, it is most likely that the Witches on the other three Destroyers are also prisoners.
From this, we conclude that there is definitely no voluntary alliance between them and Maul's master. Supporting this is the fact that not all Witches on Dathomir are adherents of the Dark Side of the Force.
The book The Choice of Princess Leia mentioned numerous times that many Witch clans live on the planet. Only members of the clan known as the Nightsisters are aggressive and destructive among all the others. Palpatine didn't bother with the intricacies of Dathomir's internal politics, especially since during the Clone Wars, the Witches supported the Separatists — that's how Maul came to serve Sidious, Ventress served Dooku, and so on… Later, of course, they all quarreled among themselves, but the fact remains: the presence of Witches in the galaxy could have done considerable harm to Palpatine, so he preferred to isolate them by force.
But the fact is, the Witches dislike being controlled. Independence is their obsession. Therefore, overt cooperation with Maul's master certainly has no long-term foundation. If anything of that sort is happening, the Witches are using it to leave the planet and scatter across the galaxy. If only we knew which clan they're from and whether we can negotiate with them to oppose Maul and his master. Because the ladies currently being interrogated by Lieutenant Colonel Astarion and his people are clearly not the talkative type.
Well… I think the line of reasoning is correct — the Witches were either brought aboard the ships by force, or voluntarily, but with the intention of eventual betrayal.
Organizing against the strong is practically a national pastime for them, undertaken at any convenient and opportune moment.
In any case, Dathomir's population has often acted against the galactic government. The Witches, as well as the planet's other intelligent population, disliked the Republic. The reason lay in the fact that in the past, the Coruscant government used Dathomir as a prison planet.
According to historical chronicles, this happened relatively recently — only a few hundred years ago. Criminals, the worst of the worst, were sent to Dathomir, where they were forced to spend the rest of their lives fighting the world's hostile fauna. They were sent, naturally, without weapons or technology. No wonder that most of them became little more than favorite snacks for the rancors that slaughtered them. And it's also clear that those who survived bore no love for the Galactic Republic and passed their resentment down through generations.
Another historical aspect concerns the Jedi.
A little over half a century ago, a rogue Jedi named Allya arrived on the planet. Judging by the fact that she was sent on the same "express" as hardened criminals, she distinguished herself in the Order solely according to old lady Shapoklyak's principle: "You can't become famous for good deeds."
What's surprising is that information about Dathomir and its "Jedi" past came precisely from Luke Skywalker. It seems that after the destruction of Zsinj, he spent a considerable amount of time on the planet, piecing together scattered puzzle pieces.
Allya's story is one of them.
The lady quickly brought the locals to heel using the Force, taking leadership.
She took command of the survivors, teaching the outcasts the ways of the Force and, eventually, her own children. In later centuries, Allya was remembered as having single-handedly transformed Dathomir's society, credited with subjugating the entire male population under her rule, turning rancors from predators into friends, domestic animals, and war mounts, as well as systematizing her teachings. In other words, the lady, in the finest traditions of feminism, established a matriarchy.
Allya's leadership undoubtedly laid the foundation for a unique culture dominated by women who used the Force, and who collectively considered themselves her descendants.
The files mention a New Republic diplomatic mission, as well as the fact that the culmination of the galaxy's heroes' stay on Dathomir was the consolidation of power in the hands of a single ruler from among the locals. A woman, naturally — one of the Witches.
There is also a mention that the Witches approached the New Republic with an initiative to join its ranks… I even verified this information on the HoloNet. The application definitely exists. And its review has also been scheduled. In a couple of years. A striking contrast to how quickly industrially developed planets like Rendili and Brentaal IV joined the democratic state.
Skywalker's notes indicate that there may be dozens of Witch clans on the planet, which took their names from important geographical features, such as "Singing Mountain," "Raging River," and "Misty Waterfall." Poetic, beautiful, but I'd rather not encounter them in battle.
These clans, each numbering only a few hundred people, constitute almost the entire population of the planet, but there were also a small number of outcasts who lived outside the clan communities, including the inhabitants of the planet's dark side, the so-called Nightsisters, who at times existed in sufficient numbers to form their own clan. In total, the clans could probably field no less than a thousand female warriors on the battlefield, each a trained Force user, many riding rancors. These are Skywalker's own estimates.
It's unlikely, of course, that they actually possess such numbers, and their "training" is also questionable, but I'll repeat a certain thesis — these ladies are proponents of matriarchy, cunning, skilled, capable of channeling the Force to some degree, and some of them clearly wouldn't mind getting out of here and making a proper mess in the galaxy. I recall Tyber Zann had a "pet" Nightsister, Silri. Her rate of betrayals per unit of time exceeds the statistical margin of error.
I have enough Force users I don't particularly trust, so I'm not eager to get tangled up with the rest. Which once again calls into question the very necessity of a ground operation.
Neither Palpatine nor Zsinj controlled the entire surface of Dathomir. In the past, the planet had a correctional facility and a small outpost, both now abandoned or in the hands of the local population.
Like the wreck of the Jedi space academy Chu'unthor, which — according to Skywalker's accounts — crashed into a tar pit on Dathomir over three hundred years ago. He learned this from the local witches.
They also told him that Republic Jedi had traveled to the planet around the same time, but all attempts to recover the wreckage were blocked by the natives. The witches fought off the Jedi — and that fact can't be ignored. Centuries later, the witches still remembered, however embellished, the day they defeated the powerful Jedi. Based on Skywalker's notes in the Republic file on Dathomir — which I was currently studying — the witches claimed that after his defeat, Yoda returned to Dathomir and negotiated a peaceful resolution to the matter. Still, as of a year ago, Skywalker confirmed that the Chu'unthor wreckage remained on the planet. Given that the failed negotiations didn't lead to the Jedi recovering what was lost, the Order's High Council had given up trying to reach the witches.
For Republic intelligence on Dathomir, the infamous Night Sisters and Skywalker's information about them stood apart. I don't know where he learned this, but according to him, several generations before the Clone Wars, a small group of Iridonian Zabraks ended up on Dathomir during pirate raids.
The Night Sisters discovered they could interbreed with the Zabraks, after which they isolated them in a small part of the planet where the Sisters could get whatever they wanted from them. Darth Maul, and later another Zabrak, were sent from this very settlement to serve the Sith before and during the Clone Wars.
During the Clone Wars, the planet was repeatedly attacked by the Separatists — especially in the second half of the conflict.
During the Civil War, the planet was under an Imperial blockade. And here, Republic intelligence had only scattered data obtained from Imperial prisoners who had served Zsinj.
Curiously, shortly before the Battle of Yavin, Palpatine — for his own reasons, knowing about the witches' presence — authorized the construction of a prison on the planet. Initially, Imperial forces met no resistance from the witches.
What's more, they found willing helpers among the witches, who approached the Imperial commander and offered their services in overseeing the prisoners. Though the commander was suspicious of her true intentions, he accepted the offer. So some Dathomirian witches became a common sight in the Imperial complex.
And then the inevitable happened.
Using "Jedi tricks" (and that's a direct quote), the witches bent the Imperial garrison troops to their will and gradually seized control of the prison. When the Empire discovered the situation, a bloody campaign ensued in which the planet was subjected to significant orbital fire.
Primarily thanks to then-Captain Zsinj. Who, after suppressing the witch uprising, received the rank of admiral.
Now the reason for the quarantine on the planet becomes clear. In other words, the common belief that the blockade was established immediately after the Clone Wars is incorrect. Well, noted.
Zsinj strictly enforced the blockade, destroying all surface vehicles during the battle for control of the prison in order to trap the witches on the planet's surface. Interestingly, this was done in such a way that an Imperial garrison remained on the surface, its fate remaining a mystery. Skywalker assumed that some of the men enslaved by the Night Sisters were precisely those defeated Imperials.
Fascinating… In a single operation, Zsinj earned Palpatine's blessing, securing his career advancement from a simple captain first to admiral, then to Grand Moff of the Quelli Oversector, which included Dathomir. Apparently, Palpatine kept the ambitious and cunning commander away from the Core Worlds, ensuring that he, having proven his competence in handling the Dathomir witch problem, would continue that service indefinitely.
However, former Imperials indicated the blockade wasn't impenetrable. And Imperial command did continue operating on the planet's surface. I understand this happened in areas remote from witch territory.
The Imperials also noted that the planet was invaded by operatives of the Zann Consortium, who left with one of the most dangerous Night Sisters, inflicting terrible destruction and recruiting several other witches into their service.
Additionally, the Imperials reported that on Dathomir's moon, known as Koratas, Zsinj discovered vast deposits of key shipbuilding metals: neutronium, lommite, and zersium. Zsinj ordered all Oversector shipbuilding facilities relocated to the Dathomir system, turning it into his secret headquarters.
And now, for a certain period, Maul's master's forces have been active on Dathomir.
It's unlikely this happened immediately after the planet was freed from Zsinj's influence, but they've definitely been there for at least a few months.
Considering that in just over six months I've built my own state and a substantial fleet, that doesn't diminish the fact that the enemy could just as easily have created his own Empire in the same timeframe.
I have dozens of Star Destroyers at my disposal, millions of humans and other sentients, a considerable budget — yet it never even occurred to me to spend resources on building my own Executor-class Super Star Destroyer, which for warlords in this galaxy is practically the pinnacle of military power and prestige.
Could Darth Maul's master possess greater resources and means than I do?
It's entirely possible.
Based on what I know of Maul's history and character, it's unlikely he chose to serve his new master of his own free will after Palpatine's death.
Maul served those stronger and more powerful than himself. Before Naboo, he craved power and the killing of Jedi.
Now there are almost no Jedi left, though that doesn't change the fact that some still exist. Is Maul hunting them? Possibly, but due to their secrecy, such killings remain "off the radar."
Could it have been Maul's master, rather than Palpatine's servants, who attacked Skywalker at Polis Massa?
Possibly, but it seems to me that's not the case.
It would also be an exaggeration to believe they command a large number of forces. Such ship movements couldn't have gone unnoticed by Republic intelligence — especially since the enemy continues using fake transponders, posing as "Death Squadron."
Given that Maul's master intends to consider himself a Sith Lord, he's most likely trying to imitate Darth Vader. Hence the effort to terrify his opponents by resurrecting an old enemy.
A typical intimidation and fear-mongering tactic.
The comlink trilled.
"Grand Admiral, you asked to be notified five minutes before the end of the hyperspace jump," said the commander of my flagship Star Destroyer.
"Thank you, Captain," I replied. "I'll be on the bridge shortly. Prepare the ship for battle."
"Yes, sir."
After Gilad's voice faded, I looked once more at the trio of Star Destroyers holding orbit over Dathomir, peacefully receiving cargo from the planet.
A trap, plain and simple.
Maul knows full well what forces I had when I attacked his base in the Barpine system of the Venin sector.
If he feared an invasion — and only the stupidest of Gungans couldn't predict a direct jump from Barpine to Dathomir — and lacked the means to counter it, he would either have withdrawn his ships, or…
Or he's waiting for reinforcements, having set a trap for his pursuers.
One strong enough to crush my forces.
It's unlikely his subordinates are stupid enough not to spot an ARC-170, let alone a reconnaissance droid transmitting real-time data.
A trap set by a former Sith Lord.
And Maul, if I remember correctly, is a reasonably competent sentient, including tactically. Not a genius, but he can plan, sometimes even successfully.
So the trap will be cunning and painful.
Well, we're ready for that.
For every overreaching Sith Lord, there's always a countermeasure. There's no defense against a crowbar, and I recently took one away from Maul and his master. I'll take everything they have.
How could it be otherwise?
Though the decision doesn't please me — for the very reasons I've already stated — it's the best option for a swift resolution to the problem.
I glanced at the chronometer.
Three minutes until we emerge in the Dathomir system.
I straightened my tunic and headed out.
And thirteen minutes until all participants in this conflict converge in one place to clash in battle for their convictions.
I can't just let Maul and the Dathomir witches go free. I can't allow him to escape on his own — he and his master are, unfortunately, a significant problem for the Dominion's reputation and border security.
They've spent considerable time near our borders, with fleet movements passing through the Quelli sector — effectively right past Dathomir. They may know things they shouldn't.
Is that enough justification for attacking an enemy, especially one wielding the Force?
From a strategic standpoint — yes. I can't allow such an enemy to slip away and vanish into the vastness of the galaxy, possessing even potential knowledge of me and my forces. The galaxy is huge, and finding a hidden corner to settle down and build up strength is all too easy.
And then, instead of a small problem, I'd be dealing with a massive headache.
It's easier to cauterize and treat an abscess much earlier than when it becomes a huge, festering wound with hints of gangrene.
The odds aren't the best.
On his side — Star Destroyers and a powerful Sith.
On mine… imagination and something substantial.
I caught myself as the turbolift doors to the bridge slid open. Curious — I'd been so deep in thought.
The bridge greeted me with its usual work atmosphere.
Walking across the central platform, I scratched the head of the ysalamiri, comfortably settled on my headrest.
Sinking into my chair, I witnessed the hyperspace tunnel dissolve into individual components, finally collapsing into an unfamiliar pattern of stars.
Dathomir.
Three Star Destroyers against us.
And four ships, of which only the Chimera was of the same class — the rest were Corellian corvettes.
More than enough to defeat Maul's forces.
More than enough to trigger the trap's closure.
"Launch the interceptors," I ordered. "Begin analyzing the enemy's comm traffic. Identify the command ship and relay the order to the Scimitar."
"Should we broadcast the customary surrender offer?" Pellaeon inquired.
"Of course, Captain," I confirmed. "As I said — we need to know their comm traffic. A humiliating offer from a numerically inferior enemy is part of the insult no Dark Side follower will ignore."
If you don't have enough of your own "Jedi" to defeat a lesser Sith, why can't proton torpedoes do the job?
"Understood, sir," Pellaeon replied. "Captain Bren reports he's reached the designated point and is shifting to passive signal reception and inertial drift."
"Excellent," I smiled. "Let the enemy have the first chance to get themselves beaten."
* * *
Darth Maul, standing on the bridge of his Star Destroyer, hands clasped behind his back, gazed with satisfaction at the lone enemy Star Destroyer, accompanied by three escort corvettes, positioned directly opposite the three ships under the Sith Lord's command.
"Remember the first and only reality of the Sith. There can only be two. And you are no longer my apprentice. You have been replaced."
That's what his former master, Darth Sidious, had told him.
The same man as Emperor Palpatine.
A pathetic orchestrator of farces and intrigues who not only used him in the past, calling him his apprentice, but discarded him like a used toy when Kenobi cut the Zabrak in half on Naboo.
All the talk about them both being the legacy of the Sith Order, all the promises of Jedi annihilation… It had all been just another farce. Despite the years Sidious spent training Maul, he easily threw him away, finding a replacement — both in the short term and the long.
And until recently, Maul had thought Palpatine was dead…
His former apprentice, the Emperor's Hand, could have lied, but the Sith felt she was being honest.
And now, watching the flagship of Grand Admiral Thrawn form a defensive formation while the hologram of the commander himself broadcast a surrender offer in exchange for their lives from the comm station, images of his life flashed before the Zabrak's eyes.
Long and merciless training under Sidious.
Missions carried out at his command.
The killing of one Jedi on Naboo and defeat at the blade of another.
A decade in obscurity on a junk planet.
The reunion with his brother and the changes Mother Talzin had wrought on Dathomir.
The creation of the criminal syndicate known as the Shadow Collective, with vengeance in mind…
And Mandalore…
The execution of Duchess Kryze and Kenobi's escape.
The appearance of Darth Sidious, who killed his brother and captured Maul himself.
Sidious had considered his former apprentice too dangerous to allow him to continue his reign of terror.
Then he telekinetically beat Maul, hurling him across several stone surfaces before dropping the Zabrak at his feet.
Badly wounded and disarmed, Maul weakly begged for mercy. Sidious smugly declared he had no plans to kill him, noting he had other plans for his former apprentice. Laughing sadistically, he then subjected Maul to a painful but non-lethal barrage of Force lightning.
Though he didn't tell Maul right away, Sidious wanted to use him to draw out the leader of the Dathomir Night Sister clan, Mother Talzin, from the hiding place where she'd been since General Grievous's attacks on Dathomir.
After the humiliating duel with his former master on Mandalore, Sidious took Maul prisoner and transported him to a remote secret prison on the planet Stygeon.
Maul's loyal Mandalorians pursued Sidious's ship, intending to rescue their captured leader. After he was imprisoned by Palpatine, Maul was tortured by the Sith, as Sidious reminded Maul that he still had plans for his former apprentice.
And when Sidious grew tired of torturing Maul, he sent Count Dooku, leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, to learn more about the Shadow Collective and the Zabrak's accomplices and allies.
Dooku continued Maul's breaking, torturing him with electric shocks in an attempt to find the information he sought — the information Sidious needed.
Maul resisted the torture and refused to divulge any information until the Mandalorians attacked the prison and freed their leader.
As it turned out later, Palpatine intended for Maul to escape, so he would lead them to Mother Talzin.
Wherever Maul fled with his allies, the Separatists, goaded by Palpatine, followed like attack dogs, destroying everything he had built.
Zanbar. Ord Mantell, where Black Sun — part of the Shadow Collective — had an operational base.
Goaded by Sidious, Grievous and Dooku crushed Maul's forces, forcing him to personally attack both CIS leaders.
And he succeeded — he captured both of them.
And then, though he claimed to Maul that he needed neither Grievous nor Dooku, Sidious sicced the Jedi on them.
Much happened afterward, including Grievous's escape, a false alliance with Dooku to escape…
And he arrived on Dathomir.
Again.
Only for Sidious and Grievous to appear personally and destroy both the barely revived Mother Talzin and the Night Sisters, and shatter the Shadow Collective, annihilating all his forces.
And those who survived no longer wished to test their fate against Darth Sidious.
Maul fled Dathomir, which was now under Separatist attack.
In Sidious's eyes, despite Maul's escape, the former Sith Lord had been eliminated as a rival for the future Sith rule of the galaxy.
At least, that's what Maul himself hoped.
The Inquisitors found him almost immediately after the New Order was proclaimed.
And dragged him before Sidious, throwing him at his feet.
With genuine delight, Palpatine spent the first years of his reign breaking his former apprentice's body and spirit.
Until he had crushed any thought of resistance to the Emperor's authority.
And then Palpatine made him…
No, not one of his Hands.
Not even an Inquisitor.
Not even a secret agent.
Not an assassin.
Not an emissary.
Not a bodyguard.
He turned him into a nameless instructor who trained the Emperor's agents in fencing and exercises in wielding the Dark Side of the Force.
Palpatine continued wiping his feet on him and humiliating him, turning Maul's existence into something more fitting for an advanced droid.
He took everything from his former apprentice: his title, his freedom, his identity, his name, any chance of ever leaving the Imperial Palace's dungeons and living as before…
The last thing Palpatine did, the last time he paid Maul any personal attention, was to visit the Prophets of the Dark Side, who used some of his organs and Sith magic to create a fully healthy copy of Darth Maul, possessing the full extent of his physical attributes and knowledge.
All so that, in Maul's presence, he could demonstrate with what ease Darth Sidious's true apprentice, former Jedi Anakin Skywalker, would destroy the healthy copy of Maul.
The moral annihilation of even Maul's most hidden desires for ever rising again.
He received an answer more than clear when Palpatine destroyed those same Prophets who had created the copy of Maul for him.
Never again, as long as the Emperor and his apprentice lived, would Maul ever become anything more than a nameless alien in the Palace's dungeons, whose lot was to train arrogant half-wits. A trainer of the Emperor's Hands.
A nobody.
A servant whose value was less than even a droid's.
Everything changed just over five years ago, when at the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance destroyed both Darth Vader and Darth Sidious.
During the chaos on Coruscant, as the Imperials fought over power, Maul escaped.
Shamefully, without looking back.
He stole a ship and returned to Dathomir, breaking through the blockade.
He lost the ship, but returned to his homeworld.
Where he naively believed anyone but himself would want him.
For long years he hid, tracking and selecting candidates to seize control of the planet. But even the other Zabraks, whom the Night Sisters regarded as little more than cattle, turned away from him.
The thirst for power, half-forgotten through years of humiliation, tried to break through the tangle of cultivated complexes, but… faded again.
Because on his home planet, no one and nothing remembered him, or preferred not to get involved.
Personal depression haunted him until, a few months ago, his new master arrived on Dathomir.
So twisted by the Dark Side that it would be hard to discern a human in him. But Maul knew this very trait indicated power in the Force for Dark Lords.
Together, Maul and his new master, with the latter's army, subjugated Dathomir. Leaving his apprentice to hunt the foolish and rebellious witches, the master departed for the main base to continue preparing for his triumph, gathering forces for the decisive blow.
And now, the master didn't know the crucial thing…
He didn't know that Maul had lost control of the Executor-class Super Star Destroyer under construction, which was meant to be the flagship of the master's fleet.
The master didn't know about the loss of one of the four Star Destroyers allocated to Maul for covering operations in the Venin sector, the Quelli sector, and several others.
The master didn't know that he had failed…
But Maul knew for certain that the master wouldn't be pleased with such news. Nor with the loss of the captured Dathomir witches, whom he had promised to his master as a personal army — a promise his negligent apprentice had failed to keep.
The master was definitely not the type to forgive defeat.
And he would certainly make no exceptions for anyone but himself.
Sith Lords are not ones to forgive their subordinates' failures.
Therefore, even if Maul returned his three Star Destroyers with full crews, all fighters, and all prisoners, it wouldn't cancel his execution.
Darth Maul — as the humiliated Zabrak had grown accustomed to calling himself again — understood perfectly that his master was using him, promising the power of the Dark Side, but intending to dispose of him just as Palpatine had, the moment his services were no longer needed.
And Maul wanted to live…
Because now, new opportunities for self-realization were opening before him. And the fire of the Dark Side burned in his veins, echoing as phantom pain in his lower torso — right where Kenobi had cut off the lower half of his body.
He had served the Sith, been at the peak of power, been an outcast and a tool in others' hands…
But now he wanted what his master, with his pathetic pretensions, pathetic resources, and delusions of grandeur, could not provide.
He wanted vengeance.
The Zabrak closed his eyes, concentrating on the Force permeating everything around him.
He sensed the hunted desperation of the crew, most of whom would have fled long ago if they'd had the chance.
The only ones ready to fight to the death for the desires and ambitions of his master…
He felt a calm, focused emotional atmosphere aboard the Chimaera and the escort ships. Darth Maul could sense these people were ready to enter battle, even against a numerically superior enemy. And they knew for certain they would defeat three Star Destroyers.
The Zabrak sensed many things, but he also didn't miss that among the many lights of life emanating from the Chimaera, he could feel his former apprentice, the Emperor's Hand, who was surely thirsting for revenge.
She wasn't foolish enough not to understand — this time he would destroy her. Even if it cost him his prosthetic legs again. But this time, that was unlikely — beskar wasn't so easily destroyed.
And Darth Maul also clearly saw the black spots, the blind zones in the Force, that covered all key areas of the Grand Admiral's ship. He couldn't break through such barriers, and that was the primary thing reinforcing his confidence in the rightness of the action he intended to take.
Just as he had listened to the Force, delaying his departure, unwilling to be executed for failure, he now stared at the sections of the Chimaera that were unreachable through the Force, realizing with growing admiration that Thrawn had found and was using some method to neutralize the abilities of those sensitive to the Force…
And that opened up so many possibilities, so many prospects for the future, that it was hard to imagine.
He felt the general response of people who knew perfectly well they would emerge victorious from this battle.
And those weren't the thoughts of the crews on the three Star Destroyers. Those worthless beings were scared stiff of just one of Thrawn's destroyers. They wouldn't make a single move without a direct order.
Because they feared Maul and would never show even a drop of initiative until they were permitted to.
The Zabrak had thoroughly drilled the crews, destroying anyone who disobeyed him or even thought about it.
Which meant the crews would remain at their battle stations, awaiting his command. And they would carry out any of them.
Because they knew what he was capable of.
They knew how simply and easily he crushed everything in his path. They'd seen everything happening in the galaxy too.
Darth Maul remembered perfectly the number of starships Thrawn had brought with him to Barpine. And his spies among the local workers had told the Zabrak that Thrawn had taken almost all those forces away with him.
Which meant the Grand Admiral had set a trap for him. And, most likely, he simply couldn't imagine that Maul had nothing left to oppose his advance.
Only try to escape — but the Chimaera was blocking the hyperspace vector. Which meant he'd have to break through. And as soon as Maul attacked, his offer of amnesty would be revoked. They would all be destroyed, and the fire of vengeance slumbering in the depths of the Zabrak's consciousness and very being would never find release.
Once again, he would be humiliated and crushed.
His pride would be cast down again and again.
That wouldn't work.
That wouldn't do.
"The way of the Sith is betrayal," he recalled another foundational mantra of the Sith Order.
"Darth Maul," the senior executive officer of the Star Destroyer addressed him obsequiously. "All prisoners are on board. The ground contingent… the Master said they don't matter and…"
"We're staying," Maul declared in a tone that brooked no argument.
"But, sir, you said to prepare for evacuation," the subordinate displayed inexplicable impatience and persistence, apparently forgetting what had happened to his predecessor. "The Master must learn that his ship is lost, that the operation has failed… If we linger here, Thrawn will undoubtedly spring the trap, and then the Master's plan is finished!"
"We no longer serve the goals of my latest former teacher," the Zabrak stated clearly, inwardly preparing for what was about to happen.
What was bound to happen.
Darth Maul closed his eyes, feeling several beings approaching him from behind.
Some of them were ship's security troopers, the rest — just two — were Dathomirian Nightsisters who served their new master joyfully and faithfully.
A metallic whip whistled through the air, its striking elements meant to pierce Maul's skull.
The former Sith Lord sidestepped, igniting his lightsaber and grabbing the end of the whip with his hand.
Calling on the Dark Side of the Force, Darth Maul yanked the weapon toward himself, using telekinesis to pull along the owner of that impractical and foolish item.
Parrying a shot aimed at his torso with one of his blades, he spun his weapon in his hand, beheading the witch who had dared to challenge him.
He threw her body toward the security officers, distracting them for just the few moments he needed.
In that time, he snapped the senior executive officer's neck with his foot, sending him to the afterlife in the same manner he had dispatched the ship's commander himself.
The lightwhip coiled around the blade of his double-bladed saber, intending to rip it away and leave the Zabrak unarmed.
But no such luck.
Maul clicked the magnetic lock, redirecting the blocked blade and splitting the hilt in two.
And immediately after the second witch pulled the weapon toward herself, he calmly released his weapon…
Or rather, the first half of it.
The second half of the fully functional lightsaber staff, whose hilt consisted of two individual lightsaber hilts, came down on the second witch, cutting her from crown to hip into two equal halves.
Maul, regaining his balance after the leap, retrieved his second blade and then lunged at those trying to stop him…
A few moments later, their mangled and dismembered bodies lay scattered across the central platform of the Star Destroyer's combat bridge like a heap of foul-smelling chunks of meat.
Sensing a threat from the right, he easily dodged the fire from the mutinous officers, then methodically and with a sense of deep inner satisfaction, slaughtered the part of the crew in the left pit, and then moved to those trying to hide in the right one.
Climbing out of the last one, he swept his gaze with a predatory grin across the bridge, littered with body parts and dead worthless men, and then walked over to the comm station.
* * *
Gilad impatiently drummed his fingers on the casing of his personal datapad.
"The silence is dragging on," he said.
"Curious, isn't it?" the Grand Admiral inquired, his gaze fixed on the trio of enemy Star Destroyers drifting peacefully and without any external effects, bows pointed toward the Chimaera.
Which itself showed no inclination to move from its position.
"Sir, the patrol pair of interceptors has returned intact," the officer of the watch reported, approaching Pellaeon. "The pair leader reports that they were merely targeted and escorted on approach, but no fire was opened. No pursuit was initiated. Sir, they didn't even launch fighters to intercept."
"Although we know for a fact that they have them," Thrawn noted. "Your thoughts, Captain?"
"Stalling for time?" he suggested.
"You think they decided to let the Scimitar reach their formation from the moon and deliver a precision strike with proton torpedoes?" the Grand Admiral clarified.
"It's highly unlikely they even know about it," Pellaeon grimaced, looking at the tactical display where the one-of-a-kind bomber was smoothly coasting in passive mode, using inertia, toward the enemy position. Thrawn had originally ordered Captain Bren to enter hyperspace separately from the ship and set a course for the moon.
So that the Chimaera's arrival would distract the enemy specialists from the Scimitar's emergence from its hyperjump, but along a slightly different vector.
And now everything was frozen in anticipation… of something.
The enemy had several options — attack now, call their reinforcements and attack, simply run away, since neither the interdictor cruisers nor, especially, the Interdictor-class Star Destroyers had yet arrived in the system with the second wave of reinforcements.
So what was the enemy after? Waiting for their own reinforcements, which were no more than two minutes out?
Well, they wouldn't wait long.
They'd also get the third wave.
And they definitely wouldn't like what would be done to them after the third wave arrived…
"Incoming transmission from the enemy command destroyer!" the comms officer announced. "Holographic transmission."
"Curiouser and curiouser," the Grand Admiral declared.
And Pellaeon wholeheartedly agreed.
"Put it through," Thrawn ordered, gesturing that he wished to receive the message on the holo-projector built into his chair's armrest.
The very next moment, a small — about a third of human height — three-dimensional holographic projection materialized before him in the usual blue-and-white tones.
But Gilad would bet his month's pay that this being's face was clearly not a natural color. Neither were his irises — too bright, practically dazzling on the hologram, even considering the monochrome nature of the transmitting device.
Pellaeon had seen something like that only once — when, along with the other Republic fleet commanders, he listened to the newly declared Emperor's statement about the Jedi Rebellion.
A speech that changed everything and turned everyone's world upside down.
"Grand Admiral Thrawn," the Zabrak grinned, showing his teeth. "Glad to finally see you in person. With all the rumors, all the interviews, and all the pain your efforts have caused the New Republic, I still haven't had the honor of knowing you personally."
"The last person who persistently wanted to meet me at a speed of sixty meg lights flew his cruiser into a moon's surface near Coruscant," Thrawn stated calmly, which only broadened the grin on his interlocutor's face. "I doubt you contacted me just to express your respect for my person. Get to the point."
"Of course," the non-human stopped displaying his teeth, but his face was still chilling. "I like your offer. I'm ready to surrender my ships, and the crews will go over to your side if I give that order. You will also receive from me complete and accurate information on where to find my former teacher…"
"Mustafar," Thrawn said calmly.
And surprise bordering on shock appeared on the Zabrak's face.
However, he recovered fairly quickly.
"Possibly, but you don't know where he gets his ships…"
"He restores wrecked and crashed Imperial Star Destroyers," Thrawn replied just as calmly.
Was it a fault in the connection, or had the Zabrak's mouth actually fallen open?
"But then, you'd surely be interested in my former master's plans for the near future…" the Zabrak suggested, suddenly sounding very uncertain and unconvincing.
"I know that too, Darth Maul," the Grand Admiral said in the same bored tone. "Your former master is gathering an army to restore the Empire, but under his own command. And you, upon learning from my agent about Palpatine's resurrection, were inflamed with a thirst for revenge against someone you thought was dead. And you also, no doubt, realized that your failures in the Venin sector and Quelli would not be forgiven. So you decided to switch sides, offering your services as a Sith Lord to me."
It was pitiful to look at the being the Grand Admiral had identified as Darth Maul, who had once led one of the most repulsive criminal empires.
Looking around with a hunted expression, he clearly didn't know what to do and…
"I'll tell you about who my master is and what personal crisis will help you lure him into a trap and destroy him!" he said fervently.
"Thank you," Thrawn said. "But I already know that you serve a clone of the deceased Jedi Falon Grey, under the code name ×1. And his desire, after killing his biological progenitor, is to find and kill his genetic double, ×2, who serves the New Republic."
This time, rage was written all over Darth Maul's face.
"I won't allow myself to be humiliated, Thrawn! If you think you can simply throw your knowledge in my face like that, making me a worthless laughingstock… If you intend to refuse my joining you by declaring me good for nothing," the Zabrak narrowed his eyes, "then my three destroyers…"
"I said nothing of the sort, nor did I intend to," Thrawn stated calmly. "I don't need servants, Darth Maul," rage and irritation appeared on the Zabrak's face. "But that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to accept your help in the task of destroying the resurrected Palpatine."
The Zabrak thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Good enough," he said, putting on an air of importance. "Accept the ships, Grand Admiral. And tell those preparing to arrive not to open fire on these destroyers. I'm sure you'll be interested in what and who is in the holds."
With those words, the hologram dissolved.
"Cooperate with… that?" Pellaeon grimaced. "Sir, he's even more arrogant and insufferable than Obscuro! A true fanatic."
"And it is entirely to our advantage that this fanatic lives long enough to try to kill Palpatine," the Grand Admiral noted reasonably. Seeing the question in the Chimaera's commander's eyes, the Supreme Commander elaborated:
"Why throw our own personnel into battle against the Sith Lord, when we can pit two ancient enemies against each other, who despise each other so much that even the threat of death won't unite them against us?"
Pellaeon started to object, but at that moment, signals came in about four Star Destroyers and their operational-tactical formations emerging from hyperspace.
The second wave of reinforcements had arrived, which meant…
Thirty seconds later, the Crimson Dawn appeared above the assembled Dominion fleet.
Commodore Shohashi in person had completed the operation to bring reinforcements to the Dathomir system.
And now Pellaeon had no idea how to explain to all of them that Thrawn didn't need the services of such an armada.