Illana lay in her king-size bed with the mysterious Sith, her delicate almost porcelain frame was dwarfed by huge physique. Illana sunk into the Sith's chest and felt safe, she knew this man was special, he acted like a Jedi but without the arrogance. Illana had never really liked Jedi, her brother had become one and she hadn't seen him since she was three. They took her younger brother away from her when he was only six months old. She often wondered what she had missed.

"I sense great pain in your heart." The Sith said.

"It's nothing." Illana said as she turned into him. She caressed his chest lightly and felt his strength rippling through his muscles.

"Your thoughts betray you." He added.

Illana sat up, she turned to him and began, "What are you, you said you weren't Jedi yet you talk and sense like you are." She could see her own frustration reflected in his eyes. His soft smile calmed her down and it was as though his touch made her feel safer than she ever had before.

"Jedi I am not. But use the force I do, I can sense your anguish." The Sith continued, "Why don't you talk, I can listen if you need me to."

Illana looked at him and sighed, "I don't even know who you are, all I know is not to mess with you."

The stranger smiled and began stroking her hair; she pulled away slightly. His eyes burned into hers and she felt obliged to lean in closer, she
stopped and asked him. "Who are you?"

The stranger rose from his bed, he moved across the room and perched on the edge of the windowsill. He looked at Illana and sighed heavily.  "I'm." he paused. "My name is Darth Maul."

"Darth Maul?" Illana inquired. "What kind of name is that?"

Darth Maul slowly rose his head, looked into her eyes and with a twinge of regret he said "It's the name of a Dark Lord of the Sith."

Illana froze, Maul's eyes drilled into her and she felt weak beneath his gaze. Maul turned away and stared out of the window. Illana had heard stories of the Sith. The first time was when she was just a child and her brother was due to be collected by the Jedi anytime soon.  She didn't understand why he had to become a Jedi and she asked the Jedi that came to collect him. The Jedi had thought for a moment then told her an ancient tale about the Sith. They were a race of evil Jedi; they had fought the Jedi for centuries until their own lust for power had destroyed them all. The Jedi actually said that there were no more Sith, but there were still Jedi because if evil ever rears its ugly head, the Jedi will destroy it once again.

But now Illana sat naked in her bed and a Sith was staring out of her window, suddenly she was terrified. Maul turned round, he approached
the frightened woman and softly said "I will not hurt you, I intend you no harm"

"You're a Sith though, you are pure evil." Illana replied as she cowered under the bed sheets.

"I am not pure evil, I am a Sith though, and from your expression I expect you know what a Sith is."

"I know you were destroyed by the Jedi, and that you are the dark side of the force."

Maul smiled, "that is all I know, but the Jedi didn't destroy us."

"Apparently not." Illana felt calmer as she realised this man had made her feel safe just moments earlier. Maul turned to her once again and smiled, he approached her and they kissed. Inside Maul was feeling joy for the first time in the years he had been training since Sidious had captured him. He was grateful to his master for the opportunity but he wasn't sure if he wanted this darkness within him at all times. As he and Illana began to make love he for the first time had some time off from the darkness.

Illana woke the next morning to find herself alone, she wrapped herself up in the blankets and thought of Maul. She sat up. He had gone; all his robes and his light staff had gone. Illana felt herself nearing tears then she thought better of it and got out of bed. For a few moments she thought maybe she had dreamt it all but as she walked into her bar she could see the remains of last nights fighting. She began cleaning up with her thoughts firmly fixed on the stranger that had been a Sith. She missed him already.

Maul knelt in front of his master Darth Sidious. He could feel the older mans mind probing his, he felt violated and unable to defend himself
from this ordeal. After several minutes Sidious rose and moved over to him.

"I have read your thoughts my apprentice." Sidious began "You fought well last night and passed the test with flying colours." Sidious paused and Maul could feel his anger. "But you disgraced me, and the Sith."

Maul stood and pleaded with his master, he had not intended to disgrace his master and never the Sith.

"Last night you were with a woman were you not"

"Yes master, she was strong and."

"I don't care about her you fool. You told her about us,"

"Yes but."

"No buts, she must be eliminated."

"But master why?" Maul pleaded. Sidious roared with rage; his voice boomed around the star ship, his eyes went red with anger and his fist
clenched so tightly that blood poured from his palms.

"You fool Maul. If she tells the Jedi they will hunt us down and destroy us. Is that what you want."

Silently Maul decided he wanted to end the darkness but he hid that thought even from himself.

"No master of course not. But she will never tell the Jedi. She dislikes Jedi."

"And if a Jedi is passing and he reads her thoughts and finds the word Sith in there, he'll extract it."

"Maybe we could bring her with us."

"I will not tell you again Maul, if you don't go and destroy her now, I'll do it myself. And maybe I'll find another apprentice while I'm at it, one that doesn't think with his crutch."

"I am sorry master," Maul spoke quietly. "I will do as you wish my master."

"Very good, see that you don't fail." Sidious turned and left the room. Maul could feel the darkness follow his master and wished he could have more darkness than his master had. He solemnly donned his robes and left the ship.

When Maul arrived at Illana's club he hesitated to go in, he was frightened for her. If he saw her and his master forced him, he would destroy her without a flicker of emotion. But if he could somehow let her escape and fool his master. It was no good his master was probably listening at the moment anyway. Maul took a deep breath but couldn't step inside. An hour later after Maul had hung around in the alleyways hoping he could escape somehow he heard his master's voice.

"Destroy her, destroy her." Sidious' booming voice came into his head. "Don't make me punish you."

Maul thought back that he would destroy Sidious and then he got the deafening scream again the one he hadn't heard since he had found his own darkness. He sunk himself down into the darkness. Feeling the darkside welcome him and comfort him, he felt stronger. He could still hear his master's voice echoing in the background, his own voice was drowning it out. He was telling himself to run, run away from this club. Inside of Maul's brain something clicked, something that hadn't dawned on him before and he knew what he would have to do, and how he would do it.

Illana was sat at the back of the club. She was watching her dealers carefully after last nights cheating she was sure there would be more
trouble tonight. She didn't notice Maul enter but she had been thinking about him all morning. Illana hadn't yet decided if she wanted to see more of him of if she would rather never see him ever again. She had thought this morning that never seeing him again would be best, he was after all a Sith and destined to be evil. But somehow he had made her feel more alive than any of the other useless men she had dated.

Illana noticed Maul as he strode purposely towards the bar, one of last nights survivors (of which there wasn't many) saw him and began a series of Chinese whispers around the club. Maul reached the bar and quickly surveyed the room he had noticed Illana but was purposely ignoring her. The whispers reached Illana and she had to hold down a laugh, but she knew he was ignoring her on purpose. Maul could sense Illana's frustration and he too wanted dearly to hold her again. He searched the room and found a likely candidate he was about to move into action swiftly when the barman placed a hand on his forearm. Maul looked up and just caught the end of a gesture towards Illana. He didn't need to see where she was he knew it was from her. He gestured to the barman who hesitantly approached him and said "Tell the owner I am grateful for the hospitality but I must decline." The barman looked at him askew but said nothing.

Illana had seen Maul ignore her attempt to catch his attention, she felt rejected she was just about to go up to him when he suddenly moved.
Illana held her breath, this was the kind of movement that she had seen last night and last night Darth Maul had killed over 50% of her
employees. He was moving across the bar towards a woman who was seated with one of her more loyal customers. As he approached the
crowd was silent and the man was terrified. The woman seemed not to care at the moment but when Maul stopped in front of her and spoke
directly to her she looked up. Illana couldn't understand what was happening, she had half-expected Maul to be forced to kill her after
revealing his identity. The woman stood up and tried to leave, Maul's arm shot out and grabbed her; she screamed and was quickly silenced. The crowd mostly turned away and carried on with their sabaac. Maul let her body drop to the floor than spun around and came over to Illana. On his way the pimp that had owned the ex-prostitute that Maul had chosen stopped him. In a bright flash and an eerie humming wail the pimp dropped to the floor also. This time the crowds of sabaac players didn't even bat an eyelid.

"I am sorry for the inconvenience I have caused tonight." Maul spoke softly never looking into Illana eyes. Illana was about to speak but
stopped when maul spoke up again.

"I was directed to eliminate her." He continued

"Why her" Illana squeezed in.

"I had revealed to her too much. That it all I can say." Maul bowed and left the club.

Illana was about the follow him but something held her back, something dark but yet comforting. Almost like the comfort she had spent in the
arms of Darth Maul.

Darth Maul strode onto the bridge of his master's star ship. He felt no anxiety or fear only satisfaction and this was all his master could sense.

"Very good my apprentice, you have proved yourself well." Sidious began "We must leave here now, I will take on to another world, one quite different."

Maul sat down by his master's side and asked "How many worlds will there be master?"

"There will be as many as it takes, my apprentice."

"What is the name of this world,"

"The one you have just left."

"Yes master."

"That is ______"

"Thank you master, and where will I finish my training."

"There is a dark world, a planet far from the centre of the galaxy."

"Is this dark world where you finished your training."

"Sort of." Then Sidious motioned to maul to leave him, Maul politely bowed then left with his thoughts firmly on the future, before he had
passed through the doors he turned and said "Master, are we leaving this world right away." His master spun on him and was quick to point the finger.

"Why? What does it matter."

"I saw some useful parts at the markets, I might build a spare light sabre. Expect the unexpected master."

"Very clever my young apprentice. You may leave soon for the market but don't dwell I have pressing engagements."

"As you wish master." With that Maul turned and left.

As soon as Darth Maul had landed by the market he began to run, he ran through all the streets until he reached Illana's club. He stole inside and quickly found Illana preparing some madassion juice. He quickly moved up behind her and covered her mouth with his hand. Illana jumped and squirmed but Maul's grip was too tight for her. Maul began to whisper in her ear.

"I am sorry for earlier today, I am sorry for this. I cannot let my master discover you. I have hidden my thoughts of you from him but I will be
leaving soon. His power is greater than mine is so you must promise not to think about me. I am still in my training, and won't be finished until my master says so. I will however finish on a dark world far from the centre of the galaxy, and I believe that while there my master will not visit. On this dark world he will not be able to discover my thoughts for you. If." Maul paused and realised what he was about to say. Illana had stopped struggling and was listening intently, was she hearing this right. "If you wanted to, you could meet me there in a few years. I don't know if you'll be able to find it but it might be the Sith home world. I love you." And with that she was released. She spun round but only caught the swinging of her club doors. Maul was gone but he wanted to see her again. On the Sith home world. She'd have to be crazy. Maul sprinted back to the market and quickly bought the necessary parts for the construction of a spare light sabre. He was back onboard the ship before his master would have even begun to get suspicious.

Maul walked onto the bridge and felt his master's mind, he spoke strongly with his thoughts to his master and showed his market antics plus some made up delays. When he sat next to his master and felt the older man's presence lift he relaxed and felt sure he would see Illana again. Sidious ordered the pilot to proceed to the next system and before Maul could ask what system it was the stars were lines and they were in hyperspace.