The Quill

MaulMaus

Rating: G
Warnings: A tattoo is painful to undergo, that is all.
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: All characters property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd., they are simply borrowed and slightly abused here. Special thanks go to Dark Lady who inspired me and also did the beta-reading for me - Thanks!.
Summary: Maul undergoes the last rite of the Sith to gain his title of Sith Lord, and his last tattoo..
Feedback to: maulmaus@worldnet.att.net

Anger - Power - Immortality - the Dark Side: Maul contemplates the words and their meanings in his mind. Burning them into his soul. These are his meditations - his mantra. Sitting cross-legged before the Stone of Darkness, he relaxes his arms. His hands held in an easy grasp, touching gently to his knees. He controls his breathing, slowing it even more. The Force flows strongly through him, lives in him. It guides him through his thoughts and meditations. Leading him along his path.

This is the last Rite of the Sith, the most holy and the final one he must undergo before his Master calls him a Dark Lord of the Sith. Until now, he has only been called Maul or when his Master was generous, Apprentice Maul. Finally, this is acknowledgement for the long years of study and work. He is to receive the final tattoo as well as his Sith amulet, the one carried by all Dark Lords. He has fasted and purified himself for this ritual, as he has for the others. For six days, he has prepared, cleansing himself of all worldly impurities in order to prepare to become a Sith Lord.

The Force guides him in his thoughts and memories. He remembers the process of choosing his symbol, an insignia that was to be his alone. He was very young at the time, barely fifteen. He combed diligently through the ancient texts, studying and memorizing them, looking for not only inspiration, but also enlightenment. His skin was all black then.

His Master had chosen him among many others. How many? Maul did not know. Suffice to say there were many. Some eliminated by his Master in training or for disobedience. Some eliminated by Maul himself in the occasional battles he had to undertake as part of his training and testing. Now they were gone. He was the last, the final apprentice. He was the one chosen to become a Sith Lord.

He was proud to be Sith. He would show the universe he was Sith, even with his countenance. All Sith received tattoos upon completing the final passage. Some, like his Master's, were carefully hidden. Maul wished for the opposite. He and his Master had both foreseen that Maul would be the first Sith revealed to the Jedi in a millennia. Therefore, there was no reason to hide being Sith, even amongst the Jedi. Meaning permeated every part of his tattoos; every line and mark was sacred, every curve had import. Some were obvious, others were not and a few hidden. Lord Maul would be a living and walking symbol of the Sith, their beliefs embedded into his very skin.

He remembers with pride the day he first used the ancient and sacred Quill of the Sith to draw the tattoo designs he wished applied to his body. The Quill was ancient. Darth Bane himself had used the Quill to pen many of the ancient texts. Now it had a metal nib and appeared quite different from its original form, most of it having been repaired or replaced through the ages. The Quill had an even deeper meaning than that. It also physically tied all Sith together to the sacredness of their Order by symbolically tattooing the insignia of each Sith Lord into his skin. The nib would prick the skin of each Sith Lord, connecting them to one another through their blood as well as to the ancient Sith writings.

The first tattoo he received was the one across his shoulders and down his back. The lightning like design represented his power and speed. The dagger like design along his upper back was for his ferocity and strength. These four elements had singled Maul out to his Master. Though he was young, his Master had great faith in him. His speed and grace coupled with his strength physically and through the Force made him almost invincible in battle. He had worked every single day to perfect his movements, develop his unique style. Every day he tried to improve himself in this. He continued in that pursuit of perfection even until this day. Perfection would be necessary to destroy the Jedi; there would be no second chances.

Facing the black stone slab before him, Maul kneels, preparing for the final meditations before the final ritualized tattooing. The Quill of the Sith lies before him in a small, perfect crystal bowl. He begins contemplating the Quill again, the rituals he has undergone and the one he has yet to complete.

Each Sith Apprentice follows a set course of learning and disciplines. Yet, as each Sith was unique, each of their paths was unique. No two could be alike. His Master had seen the desire in Maul for a deeper understanding, to truly learn and become one with the Sith, and had proposed to Maul that his path of learning might be fashioned around receiving the tattoos. Maul felt such a satisfaction and pride at becoming part of this ancient order, of becoming both a servant and master to the Force. The honor of being the first Sith to be revealed to the Jedi was indescribable for him.

Maul centers his thoughts, focusing on his breathing. He calls the Force to him, to master him as he masters it. His mind fills with the images of the painful arm and leg tattooing he had received. He added new tattoos as he reached new levels of learning and discipline.

The even more painful stomach and chest tattoos came after he had succeeded on his first real mission alone for his Master. His Master had outlined the basic designs on his chest using the Quill. The medical droid continued with the actual tattooing. It was painful. Even now, years later, he could recall that pain. It strengthened him then and even strengthened him now. That first mission had been a difficult assignment, but one that Maul still relished, eliminating a Niemoidian Senator who opposed Senator Palpatine, one who was potentially dangerous. He remembered the dark emotions that washed over him as the life of the Niemoidian ebbed away as he tightened his grip. He remembered the power of the Dark Side flowing through him, feeling it fully for the first time as life slipped from the Niemoidian. He returned with its head for his Master, to prove he had completed the mission as instructed. The sense of pride he felt from his Master overwhelmed him, a feeling he longed to repeat over and over again. The thought of failure did not occur to him. He trained to succeed. Sith do not fail.

His mind drifts back to the specific designs he had chosen for his tattoos and their significance. The black, upside down heart shape to represent the Heart of Darkness that he was to become. He chose the rib-like designs below the breast to symbolize strength as well as flexibility. The graphic designs on each side of his chest are actually ancient Sith symbols for evil or darkness. Later as the Sith evolved in their knowledge of the Dark Side, they came to specifically represent the Dark Side of the Force.

The words of the Dark Jedi Code come to him: There is no Peace, there is Anger. There is no Fear, there is Power. There is no Death, there is Immortality. There is no Weakness, there is the Dark Side. He chose to use the diamond shape to symbolize this, using it multiple times on his body. Each point represented one of the four parts of the Code, with the Dark Side at the bottom or base of the diamond.

Maul suddenly senses his Master enter the chamber. His dark presence is like none other in the universe.

Lord Sidious walks slowly towards the kneeling form, his loose, black cloak flowing freely from his body. "Apprentice Maul, it is almost finished." He pulls his hands from inside the black folds and places them on Maul's shoulders and Maul senses the dark energy coursing through him.

"Yes, my Master," he replies as he bows his head then prostrates himself on the floor facing both his Master and the Stone of Darkness.

Lord Sidious studies his Apprentice for a moment, meditating and reminiscing about his own Rite of Passage. It had been many years since that ancient ritual had passed. Many years of training and study. Many years of meditation and watching, waiting to find someone worthy of becoming his Apprentice, someone worthy of becoming the next Lord of the Sith. "Rise my Apprentice."

Maul rises to his knees and holds out his hands to receive the sacramental quill, the Quill of the Sith. Using the Force, Sidious raises it to his own hands and then places it carefully into Maul's cupped hands. Maul grasps it into his right hand and begins signing his mark, his insignia into his left hand, cutting the skin of his palm and drawing blood. Maul recites the Dark Jedi Creed and dips the tip of the Quill into the well of blood forming in his hand.

He recites the Sith Creed next, slowly and deliberately, contemplating the words and their meanings. "I am the Heart of Darkness. I know no fear, but rather I instill it in my enemies. I am the Destroyer of Worlds. I know the Power of the Dark Side. I am the Fire of Hate. All the Universe bows before Me. I pledge myself to the Darkness. For I have found true life in the death of the Light." He drinks in the strength and meaning of each word, feeling the Force become even more powerful within him. Feeling himself ruling over it and bending it to his will.

Now he is to receive the final tattoo, the one truly indicating he is Sith. Just four months previous, he had received the other facial tattoos. These were the most difficult and most painful. They were also the most meaningful and powerful. The designs and intricacies played out upon his face were full of significance, for those that cared to see. Every line was sacred, every bend symbolic.

He had one advantage over humans and most other humanoids, as far as he was concerned. Being Zabrak, he had a crown of horns on his head, lending him a fierce appearance even without the tattoos. He accentuated the three in front with drop like designs around them. The base of all of his horns was made red to symbolize the blood of the Jedi he would destroy, the blood to be spilled in obtaining his revenge over what rightfully belonged to the Sith.

The other lines and symbols were less obvious. The strange, lightening like black lines leading from his eyes to two of the horns were his interpretation of destruction, from the "destroyer of worlds" portion of the Sith Creed.

The "V" like design on each of his cheeks was an adaptation from an ancient Sith symbol for fear. The tattoos on his face, not only showed he was Sith, but to instill fear in his enemies. He left the area around his golden yellow and red eyes, black, in order to accentuate the contrast between them.

He exaggerated the shape of his lips to show his ability to devour and destroy his enemies.

The long black line from the middle horn to his nose represented the Sword of Darkness from the mythology of the Sith. The diamond shapes, representing the Dark Jedi Creed were repeated again on his forehead and nose, while the short line at the bridge of the nose signified his intelligence and cunning.

Now it is time for his Master to etch the final tattoo into his chin. The design he has chosen is the symbol for the Ancient Order of the Sith itself. He feels such joy and pride in receiving this final tattoo; he is almost overwhelmed. Lord Sidious repeats his incantations and now stands over Maul with the Quill in his hand and Maul's chin held firmly in the other hand. Maul feels the prick of the Quill and the sharp pain as his Master makes the outline of the design on his chin. The blood in the nib from his hand is still warm as it mingles with the blood from his chin.

Lord Sidious invokes the powers of the Dark Side, blessing Maul with the honor of being Sith, with the powers and strength of the Dark Side. The medical droid moves forward and begin its work as Sidious steps to the side. The pain is intense and Maul uses it to gain even more strength and power. He calls the pain to him, intensifying the experience. This is the last tattoo in the process. In a way, he regrets this. The path he has taken was so gratifying, so rewarding he could never fully express it. But, he has completed his journey as an apprentice, and he is ready to begin his journey as a Sith Lord.

The droid finishes its work and quietly exits the chamber. Lord Sidious moves back in front of Maul and puts out his hands. A small silver and black amulet drops and hangs by a sturdy silver chain between Sidious' calloused hands. The amulet glows in blackness and darkness. The power of the Dark Side flows through it, magnified by it. Maul feels the tremors run through his body as he watches it swing gently between the fingers of his Master. Maul bows his head in reverence to it.

Sidious pulls the chain apart, breaking it in his grip, through the Force. Only one strong in the Dark Side can break the links of the ancient chain. He leans forward and places it around Maul's neck and presses the ends back together, mending it through the Force. The amulet will never leave the body of the new Sith Lord. It is a part of him forever, just as the power of the Dark Side is part of him forever.

"Rise Darth Maul, Dark Lord of the Sith."

Maul rises to his feet and bows to his Master. Hearing the words calling him a Dark Lord unexpectedly fills him with deep and dark satisfaction. Maul's destiny is now assured. He is a Sith Lord. The Universe will bow to him.

END