better to burn out than to fade away ☼ may catch-all

[hopesparks]

Who: Anakin Solo, some CR, and maybe you
What: Catch-all with open and closed prompts
When: Throughout May
Where: Throughout the Trench

Content Warnings: None yet but they will be noted in the subject lines as needed!

Comments

[survivalthroughhate]

"I tend to invoke strong emotions in most people I meet, especially given I was prone to being much worse before you ever arrived here."

There is good reason Maul has become a bit infamous among the Sleepers, especially those that are still present from Deerington. He'd done enough there to make even those with the most forgiving and kind natures take pause.

[hopesparks]

Anakin can't deny that. He remembers all of the times his anger nearly boiled over whenever he spoke about what Maul did. It had gotten messy. But he'd argue that his reaction to it all is his failing, not Maul's.

In any case, Maul's statement makes him curious.

"What changed?"

[survivalthroughhate]

"I made friends."

This is said with Maul's usual serious nature which somehow makes the phrasing of the sentence all the more humorous. He doesn't elaborate about how those friends had basically patiently worked with him to become a better person, showing him a lot of kindness and love until the lessons they'd taught him had finally stuck.

As often happens with the theme of people from their galaxy, it had been the power of love that had made Maul become, if not good, than at least not as evil as he had been. His friends and the small family he's formed here have kept him on the right path.

[hopesparks]

Anakin just stares at him blankly for a moment. It makes sense, he supposes. Being a Sith doesn't lend itself to making friends. And he imagines Palpatine didn't exactly foster a fun, cooperative working environment. Anakin himself didn't have many friends growing up, but he'd had a loving and supportive family. Maybe if Maul had that, they wouldn't be having this conversation now.

"Oh. That must've been weird."

Going from looking out for yourself to trusting others, he means.

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul shrugs, eyes going faraway and expression turning a little sad as he thinks of the ghosts that still haunt him from his past. "It was. The last time I had friends before here, I was fifteen years old and forced to kill them all." No prizes for guessing who made him do that.

"It is still....difficult sometimes." Maul expects the worst out of everyone, that anyone he dares to trust will use what they know against him in the future. It's taken him two years to realize his friends won't do that to him and that anyone who would do so to begin with was never his friend in the first place.

[hopesparks]

Anakin's jaw tightens again, though it's not because of Maul this time. He knows Palpatine had untold depths of cruelty; but, every time he learns more, he's glad the man is dead. It's not a very Jedi-like thing to think, he knows.

"If it helps, I know for a fact he's rotting in Hell."

Granted, he didn't remember it really, but he heard the story later. Jedi sacrificed themselves to make sure he couldn't escape again.

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul notices the look on Anakin's face. There's something a little gratifying in knowing Darth Sidious is such an odious individual that he can even stir a Jedi to feel angry about what he did in the past.

Maul looks somewhere between pensive and a little sad. "It is a small comfort." But only a little bit given Maul knows he dies before Palpatine does. At least he now has the knowledge that he doesn't always win and gets what he wants. "Your uncle showed me the moment of his demise. It was very satisfying."

[hopesparks]

"I know it is." Palpatine's cruelty left scars on the galaxy, on cultures, on individuals. The only real comfort is that he's gone for good. Imperial sympathizers still exist, cruel people still rule and conquer, but a small victory is still a victory.

"I can imagine." He hasn't told anyone except for Ezra that Palapatine's death on the second Death Star wasn't a permanent death. How could he? His uncle just walked away from that. He had to watch as his father sacrificed himself to bring an end to Palpatine.

No, he can't do it. Not yet, at least.

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul doesn't like to dwell too long on his master when he can. The man is already always present in his mind on a subconscious level and he has nightmares almost on a daily basis because of that. He doesn't need to think of him during his waking hours as well.

Maul gives a brisk shake of his head, trying to dispel the thoughts, and rolls his shoulders back. "Well, I should be going. I have a Mankey to train and followers to attend to." Well, mentioning his cult doesn't make Maul sound ominous at all.

He turns towards where his Pokemon has finished eating his chestnut. "Cranky, let us be off." The Mankey screeches in agreement and jumps onto Maul's back, hanging there like a fuzzy backpack. He waves a paw at Anakin, still glaring at the young Jedi a little bit.