"Maul battled with grief and loss anew. His child-self did not have the opportunity to process their deaths or grieve for the time and memories he had lost, so Maul, as he currently was, carried the burdens his past did not. It was more painful than being severed in half. His insides constricted into knots, he struggled for air, and everything burned. His clothes, the cybernetics connecting to his midriff, the wind, the dirt, the stars, the moons; they all hurt him as the inanimate mocked with their indifference to his cries."
Genre: Action/Romance/Sci-Fi – Canon Compliant AU where Maul still has the Shadow Collective with him after the events of Order 66, including Rook. Recreated Dryden Vos and Qi'ra’s story, and Crimson Dawn was referred to as Crimson Veil in previous parts.
Pairing: Móni x Maul
Summary: When two stars collide, they can sometimes merge into a single, brighter star.
Chapter Excerpt
Maul held her wrist and splayed her fingers across his right cheek, where he nuzzled into her palm.
“I have dreamt of this moment for so long, a part of me still believes this to be a dream. Each day was a fog without you near. Without your warmth, laughter, and smiles, everything became almost meaningless.”
He drowned himself in the sunset that glistened like crystals and poured his soul into her.
“My fate. My destiny. My life. It is all yours. Whatever challenges lie ahead for us, I promise you, we will never face them alone again.”
The brilliance of her smile spread across her features, displaying all whites and that slight crookedness.
“You had my heart the moment you kept me from flying away into space. Don’t ever let me go, alright, handsome?”
Here’s a list of some characteristics of how I’ve written Maul so far in my fic. Starting from how he was introduced and up to what’s going on recently. Also important to note my OC’s personality, which a lot of how he acts is in reflection to who Móni is. She’s an extrovert, loud, laughs a lot, and doesn’t take things seriously. She is a test to the man’s patience lol.
P.S. This fic is 10 years old so some characterizations may seem a bit outdated, especially of what we’ve currently seen in Maul: Shadow Lord.
When S/O meets Maul for the first time:
Maul doesn’t like sharing his personal life or past and avoids any mentions of it
As a mentor, he’s super strict about a training schedule and hates it when you’re late, which is usually met with consequences if you are
When training finishes, that’s pretty much the last you’ll see or hear of him until the next day
He’s suspicious of your loyalty to him and would need to prove it to him otherwise, or he’s constantly testing you for it
When you play aloof, zone out in the middle of a lesson, or backtalk him, his temper goes on a whole other level
He gets especially annoyed when he tries to be cunning by manipulating you into getting what he wants and you straight up confront him about his motives
In the beginning, he would solve his frustrations through violence to tame you, unfortunately for him you can take him on and he eventually ceased altogether. Maul did find other ways to gain some control by threatening to extend training or meditation sessions
Any acts of kindness he may perform towards you is met with immediate denial if you make any mention of it to him
When he does put down his barriers, Maul gets flustered and confused as to why he was speaking to you about things he’s never spoken to anyone else about. In the process, he begins to discover things about himself
When S/O and Maul are more or less friends:
Conversations expand beyond the realm of training, Crimson Dawn, and the crime syndicates... to an extent. Maul would end it when he feels he has spoken enough about “other things”
The groans and growls of anger turns into those of annoyance and acceptance when you act like yourself
He’s discovered he has a lot of patience for you when you make mistakes and beat yourself up over it. Maul does a pretty good job at offering advice in being more confident with yourself
He’s a pretty good listener, although when he shares his input it can be a little skewed given how his brain is wired. Can’t always take to heart what he says so you learn to find the pieces of truth in what he’s trying to convey
Maul begins feeling a bit... possessive of you or an attachment. It’s gotten to the point he won’t needlessly sacrifice you over saving his own skin and would prefer if you don’t die
You can almost, almost get him to smirk. Trying to push for a smile
Maul does not like being touched. When you show even the slightest form of intimacy he shuts down and avoids you the rest of the day
When S/O has a crush on Maul:
Maul literally hasn’t a goddamn clue, but you also hide it pretty well... until you can’t
He does notice certain changes in mood. At first he finds it amusing because you’re rarely ever flustered, but eventually he starts seeing it as a problem since there’s something constantly preoccupying your mind when you should be focusing at the tasks at hand
It gets to the point he’s frustrated at you when he knows you’re keeping something from him and almost forces it out of you, which you don’t take very well which then leads to an explosive argument
Then the confession is just one big oof. Maul not only rejects you but says the feelings aren’t real for they are a distraction from pursuing your goals
A mess honestly
But on the plus side, you managed to make him laugh before he pulled a stupid on you
When Maul has a crush on S/O:
Denial
Dreams and daydreams about you
Denial
Looks forward to having conversations with you
Denial
Doesn’t like to see you hurt
Avoids physical contact with you
When you get mad at him he finds you especially beautiful then denies that fact
When you’re up to your usual antics, he let’s you get away with most of it
Gets jealous when you’re loud and laughing with other people and not with him
He enjoys your laughs and smiles
Denial
When you confessed to him, the most prominent emotion he felt during the moment was fear. Not only did he not know what to make of it but was shocked the feelings were reciprocated
Of course, he denied his own feelings towards you and hurt you in the end
When Maul Accepts his feelings for S/O:
He doesn’t know what to do with himself at first. He needs time to process what it means to be a partner and the implications of being one
Will it weaken his resolve to expanding the Underworld and overshadowing the Empire? Will it make him become lesser by releasing his hate and turning it into something pure?
The most important question of all is, who are you to him now?
Once he comes to terms with his emotions, and willingly expresses them to you, it’s almost like the universe opened up to him anew. Never would he have expected to experience such joy and compassion from another being, and all meant for him alone
His resolve is twisted, however. He forces his desires for galactic domination to be something you also share with him, disregarding what it is you truly want. It hurts you both in the end.
How S/O is with Maul:
Patience is key when it comes to handling Maul. You know this whole relationship thing is new to him and he is having trouble navigating how to be a proper partner.
You typically take the lead on everything and have no problem with it. In fact, you enjoy it so much sometimes you tease him a little too much, which tends to push Maul away a bit
You do take care to respectful when it comes to physical touch, always allowing him the choice to reciprocate:
Before your first real hug, you spread your arms out, inviting him in
You hold your hand out, asking quietly if he would like to take it
You reward him with a quick peck to his cheek when he makes a valiant effort apologizing to you for something he was in the wrong about
Before your first kiss, you kiss the corner of his mouth, requesting his permission
You understand how he’s twisted his desires for you with his ploys for revenge, yet you are unable to untangle them. It’s not what you want, and you often wonder to yourself if you would ever be enough for him.
This is the driving force that sets you apart to forge your own paths, until you are brought back together as stronger individuals to be better for the other.
Of course, my OC has her own set of flaws that’s also the driving factor of their separation (she’s self-destructive and falls into her own pit of self-hate often), but they are currently making amends in Part III of the fic :)
Genre: Action/Romance/Sci-Fi – Canon Compliant AU where Maul still has the Shadow Collective with him after the events of Order 66, including Rook. Recreated Dryden Vos and Qi'ra’s story, and Crimson Dawn was referred to as Crimson Veil in previous parts.
Pairing: Móni x Maul
Summary: Ahsoka and Móni try to see eye to eye. Maul takes the first steps toward amending his past.
Chapter Excerpt
The final accessory Maul hesitated to put over his head. Crimson Dawn’s symbol caught the afternoon’s light and flashed its opulence onto his face. A stark reminder of what he still represented, regardless of the metamorphosis he was undergoing. It was a responsibility that still belonged to him and one he must still carry. Once the pendant rested on his chest, Maul was once again the most powerful crime lord in the galaxy.
Not the Sith or crime lord or master. Just Maul. I want to know who he is.
Here is to three years since posting Star Wars: Autonomous! It’s been a journey and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my lovely readers. You are all amazing and I appreciate each and every one of you.
And if you haven’t already, check out @bonesaldente’s art of Móni!
Unconcerned by their immediate circumstances, Maul glanced at the woman. Alone with an injured apprentice on a planet undergoing an Imperial occupation he shouldn’t have been so calm. It had been some time since his resolve was tested so. Not since the siege of Mandalore.
He wondered how things would have turned out if she was with him then.
But what mattered was now and he had never been so gratified by the prospect of having her at his side. The capacity of her abilities was endless and deep in his core he understood what he witnessed in the skies was the birth of everything she could accomplish. A glimpse of what she would become.
And he would not have her.
Never.
“So, we did it,” there was a dry laugh behind the helmet, and he imagined the well-placed smirk that was surely underneath.
“Yes.” Her feet dragged, and Maul was practically pulling her along, “You were magnificent.”
“Charmer,” her body leaned against his arm. “You always know how to make me blush,” she said in the faintest whisper then her body fell, but he caught her before she sunk to the ground.
He crouched to adjust her body behind him and lifted her onto his back and her legs hooked over arms. The helmet was a discomfort on his shoulder, but it was nothing compared to her own.
Her heat warmed his back. A reminder she was alive. With him. Still his.
