Coruscant

33 BBY

The journey back from Nar Shaddaa subsequent to his little excursion had done nothing to satiate his appetite, nor helped to curb the adrenaline that still coursed through his body after the altercation with the young and courageous Jedi Padawan, Eldra Kaitis.

If anything the brief meeting with his master had only encouraged his bloodlust and quenchless thirst for revenge against the Jedi order.

He emerged from the subterranean catacombs and let himself into his chambers in the long since deserted LiMerge building. Darth Maul took a deep breath and allowed the tension to drop away as the disguised door sealed behind him.

Mauls sanctum was dimly lighted and permanently so, this was the only place he allowed himself to relax completely.

The area was a large expanse and consisted of a small contained living area, a large training room and an equally sizable workshop. The living area contained very little and was sparsely furnished. Several relics littered the shelving unit along with trophies from old kills. He reached inside his cloak and found the shattered pieces of Eldras lightsaber, withdrawing them he dwelt on the shards a moment before placing them gently on the shelf.

Eldra had fought valiantly and that merited not only a painless death, but also a moment of his respect.

All the while he could not help but wonder, what if? What if he had been able to turn the young Twi'lek to the dark side of the force? The prospect made his mind run wild with theorized possibilities. Did he even need a master any longer? And more importantly, was he ready to discard the shackles of initiate to become the master?

Mauls shoulders tensed as he felt her approach, the hidden entrance slid open once more. His master was testing him yet again, could he not have a moments peace?

"What do you want?"

He hissed as he turned to face her. Her youthful face remained calm and composed, she was not afraid of him, she had, after all, her fathers protection. Maul could not touch her. Or could he? He had not been punished at all for his hunting trip, his master had been somewhat pleased with his success.

"Papa commanded I bring you a meal and tend your wounds."

She replied evenly not breaking contact with his eyes. Her wide silver irises sparkled as she spoke but her aura showed her displeasure at being treated so.

"I can do that myself."

He spat back angrily he felt the rage spilling into his eyes as they blazed at her like twin suns.

"I'm sure that you can, none the less it is what our master demands."

She came close to him and shoved the flask into his gloved hands before setting down the medical supply case on the table with a thud and unfastening the clasps.

"Eat first."

She commanded as she began to prepare her work space. Maul glowered on the outside, but the inside, that was an arcane storm of anger.

"Do try and calm yourself." she sighed "I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here."

She set out a row of hypodermics and tore the wrappers on each sterile cloth with her teeth. Ever emotionless Eiana Palpatine finally displayed some vexation. He had known this girl as long as he had been living on Coruscant. Like himself she was a tool of their master, her father. But that was where their similarities ended.

Maul was full of rage and hatred where Ana was full of the force itself. He was trained to pull his power from the dark side. Ana had been trained to be the balance between the light and the dark, all the better to see what the enemy was planing his master had assured him.

She was gifted with foresight like the witches she descended from and command of the force like her father. She carried no weapons and needed no combat training, her place was to be here, in the heart of politics advising their master on all she foresaw while he carried out the plan.

Maul ignored her dictation and tossed the flask aside before removing his gloves, cloak, boots and tunic. He seated himself on the lounge and picked up a data-pad completely disregarding her.

Ana breathed a sigh of exasperation before perching beside him and beginning to clean the saber slash down his chest. It stung but he was barely aware of it. Zabraks were far more tolerant to pain than humans, it was but an insect bite to his senses.

What he was all of a sudden aware of was her soft breath against his hot skin, it was warm and smelled of sweet wine. He clenched his jaw refusing the thoughts in his mind. He averted them and focused on the memory of the young Jedi, the feelings the duel evoked in him, and the thrill it was to strike her down. Nothing was helping distract him.

Anas raven hair, though tied back from her face brushed his forearm as she worked, her forehead peppered with pigmentation spots was creased in deep concentration. Her snub upturned nose crinkled as she focused on removing foreign objects from his wound. She placed a small and soft hand on his forearm and pushed it down and out of the way, trying to gain better access to his chest.

He grunted his annoyance and shifted the data-pad to his right hand, dropping his left arm so she need not touch it again.

"Do grow up."

She fired her words at him with a frown as she turned back to the supplies spread across his table, he was riled trying desperately to stifle the rage that had boiled up to his clavicle now. His twin hearts pumped overtime.

She turned back to face him and was seemingly wholly oblivious to his anger as she injected the antibiotic hypodermic under his skin.

"Why do you not fear me?"

He finally asked setting the data-pad down beside him. She looked up into his eyes questioningly as she dabbed fresh blood away from the injection site and laughed softly before responding.

"Why would I fear you Lord Maul? We both serve the same cause."

She turned again to discard the bloodied rag and as she came back around his left hand wrapped around her throat faster than she could blink, squeezing just tight enough to restrict her breathing.

Her eyes remained unchanged, he could not feel even the faintest trace of fear in her. He pulled her close to his face never breaking gaze.

"You should fear me underling."

He hissed as he released her. She acted as though nothing had happened and carried on with her work.

When she was done bandaging him she began to collect her things together and threw her cloak over her slim shoulders. Pulling the hood over her head she pivoted back on her heel to look at him.

"I am not your underling, assassin. You should know by now that I see inside your mind and you would do well to show me respect with the secrets in that horned head of yours. I am your equal, do not forget it."

Her silver eyes suddenly seemed to smolder like embers in the blackest of nights for the shortest of moments before she left the chamber.

How much had she seen? Fear overtook him as he buried his face in his hands, the woman was intolerable.

Ana stood beside her father facing out of the office window of the senators apartment near the top of the 500 Republica. The view overlooking the planet city was striking but it stirred nothing in her, all that existed here was waste and corruption.

"How much longer do you expect it will be before we confront them Papa?"

Her gaze grimly fixated on the Jedi temple sitting peacefully and unassuming in the distance.

"The time will be right soon daughter."

He took a seat behind the desk and flicked through messages on his display panel. Sheev was as barren of emotion as she was, and the only being whose mind she could not he could not read hers.

The Papa-Daughter routine was just that, a routine, There had never been an iota of paternal feeling there for her nor was there any love that a natural daughter would bear for her father for him. Both her and Maul were raised by droids on secluded out of the way worlds to prevent human attachments forming that might distract them from their individual duties.

Thinking of Maul she remembered what she had seen in his mind before she had entered his chambers not two hours earlier. Did he really mean what he thought? Would he really try and overthrow their master? Ana almost opened her mouth to speak but for reasons she did not understand her mouth clamped shut and she remained silent.

"Was there something you needed to tell me?"

His blue eyes stared directly at her his face set in stone as he questioned her, almost as though he knew she was hiding something. Steadying herself in the force she replied sedately,

"No Papa, if you need nothing else from me I will retire."

He simply waved his hand at her in dismissal and continued with his work.

Her bed chamber was only a floor below the reception level but as she entered the private service lift she found her hand hovering over the ground level option on the touch-pad. She bit her lip hard and set the lift to descend one level only.

Ana found herself comparing her surroundings to Mauls as she entered her rooms. They were sumptuous and homely, full of modern comforts and beautiful art. None of which was to her taste but all her fathers decor.

Nothing here brought her any pleasure, she dwelt on her loneliness all to often feeling like a caged animal in this facade of a life, never allowed to leave. She wished she had the freedom Maul possessed.

Shrugging out of her cloak and peeling off her bodysuit she slipped into a loose gown and made herself comfortable at the foot of her bed. Cross legged and arms relaxed she allowed the force to move through her, reaching, seeing, perceiving. If she wanted to Ana could read the thoughts of every person in the tower, Monstrosity of architecture that it was.

There was only one person in her thoughts and she could not shake him. She could still feel his fingers around her throat now, dangerous, powerful and compelling yet far more intelligent and passionate than she had ever begun to imagine he could be.

She found his presence in her lucid state, he felt cold and distant, none to pleased to feel her probing.

"I didn't tell him, if that helps you sleep easier."

She assured him, fingers reaching out to touch his shoulder. His presence shrugged away from her,

There was no reply, she had not expected one. But her mind showed him to her, sitting just as she was. His muscular tattooed legs folded, hands relaxed on his knees, seated on his own bed in meditation. His face showed relief even if he did not intend for her to see it.

Ana forced her eyes open, severing the bond and took a moment to catch her breath before peeling back the covers and crawling into bed. She knew well that little sleep would come tonight.

Broken sleep and haunted dreams were all Ana found that night. She rose early and meditated again as she was accustomed to doing for most of her day. After a small meal she sat in her room practicing her calligraphy, an ancient art form and one thing she truly enjoyed. Reference books lay scattered all over the desk, various quills and pots of different inks lined up within easy reach to her right and rolls of parchment stacked to her left. The smell of paper was a small joy and black ink stained her fingers.

Her focus was interrupted by her own name, Feeling more than hearing her fathers call she abandoned her work and proceeded up level to find him.

"Papa? You wanted something?"

He held his hand up indicating to her to stop talking as he finished his conversation with the flat faced Neimoidian slime in the hologram before him.

As the image faded she waited patiently for Sheev to speak, hands tucked inside her sleeves, head bowed. He made her wait what seemed an eternity.

"Go to Maul, I need you to teach him how to hide his force signature before this boycott, I have no doubt the Jedi will become involved and I need him ready."

He didn't even look at her when he spoke just carried on reading. She shifted her weight and cleared her throat before replying.

"If I may, Papa, I don't think he will be interested in anything I have to teach him. Maul does not have respect for me or my abilities."

"Then you will make him respect you Eiana, I have no time for childish bickering, too much is at stake."

He stared at her long and hard. "Just do as I bid, prove my faith in you is not misplaced."

"Yes Papa, as you wish."

This was not how she wanted to spend her day, Teaching an arrogant and over confidant being command of a force. A force that he in his own mind already believed he had command of. She would be angry but anger was not in her nature.

The private turbo lift took her below the surface for a second time in as many days. She hated it here, the 500 Republica, the City planet, all of it. She wanted to feel dirt beneath her feet and clean air on her face. Coruscant was filth.

Her steps took her forward unwillingly through the labyrinth of passageways and down perilous flights of stairs all heading towards the LiMerge. No one ever came here, the area was heavily guarded by an intricate circuit of security systems, and the guard dog himself.

She drew on the force gathering it all around her like a shield, She could feel it wrapping her up in it's embrace. She could feel his darkness, but he would not feel her.

Ana found herself in the open doorway to the training area, and there he was. Slashing, spinning and kicking at training droids. It was truly a masterpiece to watch him at work. If the force was her arena this most certainly was Mauls. The darkness enveloped him as he trained, it flowed with him like a deadly river that would carry anyone else away. Yet he was the current, fluid and virulent.

He did not notice her watching and carried on with his dance until all the droids lay arcing on the ferrocrete floor. His saber extinguished and he rested on his knees a moment wiping sweat from his brow.

Ana moved forward and clapped her hands together just once. Startled at the sound he jumped to his feet and spun to face her as she clapped her hands together again and one final time before dropping them to her sides.

His face contorted, bewildered, and rightfully so, he still could not feel her.

"Why the confusion My Lord?"

She tilted her head to one side with a small smile quirking at her lips. His thumb hovered over the ignition knob on his saber as she moved closer still.

"Tut-tut. You don't want to do that Maul, whatever would our master have to say? He did after all send me here today."

"Why can't I feel you?"

he growled and she only smiled in response

"That, Maul, is why I am here."

She reached suddenly and snatched the saber from his hand.

"You won't be needing that for this lesson."

"This is pointless"

Maul hissed. She could feel him glaring at her still cross legged figure in contempt. Her eyes remained sedately closed as he sprang to his feet and stalked around her. His frustration was quite an overwhelming feeling, it oozed off of him filling the area in an oppressing thick asphyxiation of emotion.

"Do you even see a thing?"

He snarled hunkered down before her. There was no reply from her, only succeeding in deepening his anger.

Her freckled forehead creased and her face contorted slightly as she reached deep into the force to find some foretelling for him.

"I see a spider"

she murmured

"A spider in your future."

His hand swung back and clapped soundly across her face on its return.

"You are nothing more than a glorified fortune teller, bog witch. Tell me, daughter of the Sith, why oh why did your father let you live? If you were of my loins I would have left you where you fell in the birthing hut."

His disdain for her had never been more clear, his words struck her like red hot daggers. Her eyes blinked awake at his vile diatribe, pupils icy enough to make mere beings shiver, but not the Dathomirian.

"Sit, Lord Maul. This is at my fathers bequest or I would not waste my time on the likes of you."

Her voice was void of all feeling, she discarded the childlike emotions of hurt that threatened to rise in her.

"Stupid little girl, you have no fire, no passion. Only control, you may as well be Jedi scum."

He spat the diminutive insult as he forced himself to fall to his knees before her.

His rage was barely under his control, he was an animal with primal instincts that could not be tamed. She did not know how her father expected her to work with this brute. It was his frustration, his fear of failing this task, that drove his wrath and hatred towards her.

Yet she would not neglect her own undertaking, If their master demanded her to earn Mauls respect she would not disappoint him.

Lashing out suddenly Maul gripped her slender ashen throat.

"How can you serve our lord completely without the burning rage within you? I think it's time I gave you some incentive to our cause."

He grinned wickedly. His one hand remained tightly on her neck but still he did not sense fear, She felt like an empty space in the force.

He shoved her backward so hard her head hit the floor. He could smell her blood as it began to trickle from her mouth where she had bitten her lip on the impact. He dove in to taste it, his true carnivorous nature showing before his teeth found their way her throat.

Stunned she did not move as Mauls free hand tore at her shirt then coming to the reality of her situation her eyes suddenly appeared black and wild and her force shield dropped.

"No!"

She screamed in his ear as she attempted to push him away. Her aura turned dark, he could smell her fear filling the room. Gone was the always calm young woman, gone was the force dreamer. In her place was a terrified little girl trying desperately to protect herself.

His wild golden eyes met her terrified silver ones. Maul could feel her clutching for her composure, mortified at her own lack of control in this moment. Her palms planted firmly against his chest when suddenly he found himself flying backwards and hitting the wall on the opposite side of the room, the impact knocking all of the air from his copious lungs.

Maul felt her draw in the darkness surrounding them and with outstretched hands white light arced from her fingertips, dancing across the room and striking him in the chest in a searing galvanic onslaught. It ceased just as quickly as it had started and she raised her left hand, him along with it.

Mauls entire chest cavity felt tight in her grasp as her right fist clenched into a fist, his body paralyzed by the power she exerted over him. In one deft movement she cast him down to the ground in front of her both her hands faced palms down to the ferrocrete now, keeping him there.

Maul writhed shamefully a moment at her feet before forcing himself up onto his hands and knees fighting through the force holding him down. She crouched before him and gripped his chin between long slender fingers and thumb.

"You will never touch me with such notions in your head again, do you understand?"

He glared infuriated, but that was all he could do.

His body was fatigued, his mind unable to form cohesive thoughts. Her silver eyes were so very deep, an infinite metallic pool and he was drowning in them. Abruptly her irises smoldered red again as he had witnessed the night prior. The last thing he remembered was her soft rosy lips meeting his before everything turned to darkness.

Passion breeds strength.

Sheev took a sip from his teacup and wondered how Eiana was handling his apprentice, enraged animal that he was. He had no doubt that she would hold her own against him if it came to it, but would she be able to teach him anything?

His own master had tried to warn him that pairing the two together was a dangerous game, but what did Plagueis cognize about his pawns that he did not?

The Assassin and The Grey were both adept and highly disciplined in their respective areas, and to add to that, both were unwaveringly loyal to him and him alone.

It was axiomatic they detested one another. There was no risk, in his eyes, of a coupling that would prove any danger to his authority. Instruments was all they were, under his rule.

Besides this, Plagueis would not remain an issue for very much longer if all went according to Sheevs designs.

As if his speculating on the matter had somehow called for her, his daughter entered the library, bowing deeply and demurely before him. Her face was calm though her body seemed weary. Her rich zyed cloak wrapped around her brushing the comfortable crimson carpet as she walked.

"Well? Tell me, were you successful?"

He asked leveling his piercing gaze upon her composed countenance, The young woman made direct eye contact and answered him unwaveringly.

"I believe I have gained the assassins respect Papa. However, I did not teach him more than that today. He was left somewhat incapacitated Father. He is,"

The young woman paused a moment,

"Sleeping."

Her voice trailed off and she seemed to be pressing her lips together to hide an almost exultant smile.

"Very good."

Sheev only smiled

"I knew my faith in you was well grounded."

He rose and rounded the desk to meet her. Taking both her hands in his own emulating a false warmth he told her of the great pride he had in her and how impressed he was in her skill before he sent her away.

"All to easy."

He told himself smugly before returning to his books.

She rubbed her temples, trying to erase the incessant pain that kept returning to them as she tried to enjoy the bath her body was submerged in. The water was now tepid and the fragrant oils had all but evaporated away.

Tiredness was likely to blame Ana thought as she stifled a yawn and drew herself from the tub, It had been an exhausting day. Reaching out and pulling a robe to her she slid into it and snuffed out the candles that surrounded the bath before retreating to the bedchamber.

Part of her was afraid of her thoughts and the outlandish idea that had sprung to her mind after hearing Mauls own internal contemplation. Another part of her was resolute to see this through.

Swaying Mauls allegiance would be no easy feat, but it was by no means an impossible task. If she had indeed earned his respect tonight the rest would fall into place quite simply, It was all a matter of patience and out witting Sidious. She felt quite confidant in her ability to do this. She was after all his kin and his intellect had been passed down.

Ana paused to reflect on her image in the ornate mirror suspended from the wall, appearance alone would not be enough to win Mauls heart and mind, but it wouldn't do any harm either. She tousled her dark tresses the ends of which were wet from her soak. Her cheeks were still flushed from the heat.

She was not what one would call well experienced with the opposite sex, in fact she had only shared the intimate company of one man before and the occurrence still left her confused to this day.

The Alderaanian Representative Bail Organa had been fascinated with her, so much so she had found herself completely overwhelmed and terrified her father would discover her rendezvouses.

She had used the force to gently dissuade him while encouraging him to pursue a lady of his own system rather than herself.

She tried to avoid him now, Ana couldn't quite face up to the feelings she tried to suppress. Such emotions were strange to experience, it was far easier to scrutinize them from a distance. She turned away from her sad reflection and made her way to bed.

Sleep was what she needed most of all now, she would start a new day afresh with a clear mind and for the first time a sense of purpose and plan all her own.

Maul awoke some hours later from a deep and dreamless sleep. His body ached and a jolt of pain seemed to strike his brain as he came into an upright position. The feeling was all too familiar and not an entirely unwelcome sensation.

For his pain triggered an intense feeling of rage, ignited by his fear and transformed into something more tangible. Passion.

Passion he could use, wielded as a weapon to vanquish all foes. But there was something else, a feeling he wasn't familiar with at all. A burning desire to possess, a fire taking hold somewhere deep inside of him, something primordial and savage.

Lust.

Angry though he was, and humiliated by her complete dominance of him, he could not shake the desire radiating from some place unknown. The want to possess something, or someone, had never driven him before. Yet now he felt like this notion could lead him astray from the path that he had followed his entire life.

Maul gripped the bedclothes with both fists, clenching so tight and so hard his fingernails left indentations in his palms. His teeth ground against each other noisily, this point in time seemed to last an eternity.

This was a game, another test from his master. He would hold firm in his resolve. He would remain a loyal servant. She would not prove him weak again.

Maul slid off the bed and fell to his knees on the floor relaxing into a deep meditation, steeling himself against the barrage of his own crude emotions, smothering them out. He would not succumb to this.

Her beauty was peculiar and in his sentiment unparallelled, As a fellow Dathomiri he found her more delightful to look at than any other female he had spent time with, And this vexed him greatly.

Maul did not want these feelings. But he found himself studying the generous dusting of freckles, long black curls gathered back away from her face, her tall slight frame with full hips, revealed now she had removed her cloak.

The girls height matched his own and her soft curves drew him in, an unwilling victim to the magnetism that was her appearance. But more than that it was her brilliant mind Maul found himself gravitating to.

She had commanded his respect and now her gentleness held him almost under a magick spell as she guided him in the clandestine knowledge she had acquired from their master.

It had been two standard days since she had humbled him so decidedly and frustratingly she had never, at any time since reached out to him.

He was partially relieved, maybe this was not a trial after all. And then a small part of him ached with disappointment, secret hopes he never knew he had were dashed he found himself wishing she had tried to reach out to him once more. He found his body and mind willing her to contact him in some way, however small that might be.

His attitude to his lessons with her had changed completely, he was both subservient and quiet letting her guide him with her intricate knowledge of the force. Maul had decided it was one of the hardest things he had ever necessarily accomplished, submitting to her teachings. When only few days prior he had viewed her as a faint and tenuous being, inferior to him.

All was still and very quiet and he felt her watching him, Ana simply stared.

"Why are you not trying?"

She asked her arms folded over her chest, eyes fixed on him critically studying his face. He almost smiled back.

"No more trying today my lady, we've been here for hours."

Maul shook the cricks out of his neck and rose to his feet.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

He gazed down on her as he uttered foreign words of thoughtfulness. She looked shocked that he would offer, taken aback searching for words her jaw slack.

He did smile this time, somewhat gracelessly, a smile did not come naturally to the Sith Lord.

"Only water."

He assured, offering her a tumbler and she took it nodding her thanks.

"I have only ever shown you contempt and rage, yet still you feel nothing."

He lowered himself down beside her on the edge of the dais she sat upon.

"How is it you have so much control of your emotions, yet you harness such power?"

He questioned her taking her now empty vessel and placing it on the floor.

"There are many differences between you and I."

Was he only answer she offered her eyes glazed over in deep thought.

He felt awkward in her silence even for a man of few words. He found himself holding his breath waiting for her to verbalize whatever it was she was conjuring in her mind, awaiting that soft voice that held so much resolve and conviction whenever she spoke.

But what he really wanted to know was if the faint memory he recalled was fact or something his mind had fooled him into believing in some cruel jest.

"Did you kiss me? Two nights ago after..."

He trailed off ashamed of what came next. After I lost control, after I hurt you. The words reverberated about his skull filling him with disgrace, he may be a dark Lord of the Sith, but he could still have honor in the path that he traveled.

She remained unmoving, head bowed and eyes closed. Was she purposefully ignoring him or too distressed to answer? He touched her shoulder while gathering the force and probing to see what she was feeling.

"I did."

She finally replied

"I don't know why, I don't understand why I would."

She stared again, unblinking her eyes appeared as two full moons on a night sky eclipsed by black holes.

"I wasn't myself."

She shook her head beginning to rise from the meditation platform. All he felt was pain radiating off of her, she was trying to escape it. His hand shot out and he gripped her wrist.

"Stay with me."

he blurted the words hoarsely, he wasn't asking her, he was imploring her. He felt his brow furrow and his eyes appealed silently.

Two solitary souls wandering the universe, neither of them had to be alone. Loosening his grip he took her other hand.

"Stay."

He whispered pressing her fingers to his lips

"Don't leave me."

"Just give in Ana"

He whispered grasping her wrist again and pulling her up against him.

"Do you know what we could be? Do you know how powerful we could become? Together, not apart. Your knowledge, my skill, we would be an unstoppable force."

He pressed his tattooed lips against hers biting down softly.

She felt a small stirring within her. This was what she planned, this was her design she affirmed herself, She was still in control here and she would not let that control slip through her fingers and into his iron fist.

"Yes"

She whispered her words barely audible, looking up at him as he loosened his tunic and discarded it behind him.

"I can feel your rage fighting to meet mine Ana, don't deny it any longer."

Maul took her wrists and lifted them above her head, pinning her down kissing and biting down her neck.

"Your father does not care for you Eiana Palpatine."

He breathed huskily in her ear now.

"You are a tool, his pawn, as am I. I am all you have. The only one you will ever have this chance with."

Their eyes met in the weak light for a long moment, His fiery depths begged of her now, moving her in ways she had never known.

She let her presence began to spiral around him like a sandstorm of hate and fear. In those moments of turmoil the realization dawned.

While he was falling for her plan, she was falling for his intentions. Both wanted a culmination of the same events. With their masters eventual downfall they would take his place, together, as equals.

In a quick and fluid motion her legs wrapped around his hips and her mouth met his. Mauls lust that had become familiar over the past few days boiled up again but there was no stamping it out this time.

Finally she could feel her passion, a climax of anger, hate and fear all meeting at a juncture with a singular intent.

She was no longer a pliable servant, but instead she now relished the visions of the powerful pair she subconsciously always knew they would become.