In the CRC AU, Maul has achieved something that canon never allowed him to. Growth. Did he do it through hatred? Yes. Yes he did. But that’s the point. He arrived at such a fundamental hatred of his former master that he has turned his back on the man’s ways as hard as he possibly can. Is he a sweet baby angel now? No. But is he a Sith? Self-loathing?Cruel? Obsessed with vengeance? Power hungry? No. Can he still be all of those things? Of course. Does he make active decisions to try to not be? Yes. Well. All except the self-loathing part. That, he accepts.
Maul would describe himself as a monster. Even still. Even after allowing himself to work with a Coalition to utterly dismantle everything Sidious built. Even after storming Kamino and fighting side by side with Clones for their own freedom. Even after accepting a pupil, a charge who needs to be taught to control her considerable abilities. And learning how to provide comfort and support for her. He’s still a monster, twisted and forged by Sidious. He’s working to undo some of that. But Maul knows himself well enough to recognize that not everything Sidious did to him and planted in his spirit will ever be fully removed.
He has family now. Two brothers. (And several other people who’ve adopted him despite his obliviousness to their deep affection for him.) Maul owns a home. On Naboo, of all places. A dog. He shops for groceries and plans enrichment trips for his student. (She needs to have more than training to healthily develop.) With Pathfinder 38, who he refuses to refer to by simply a title and a number, is just a child. And she needs his best. It’s hard to think like a provider when you’ve never taken care of yourself. When you are still discovering what you like and don’t like. What you enjoy. Hard to think of how to make sure she is comfortable, respected, and as happy as her own painful past will allow her to be.
Until of course one considers: what would Sidious do? And then head in the exact opposite direction. And somehow… it works.