Not a big one. For the matter, Anakin noted that ''The blur he fought- could that be Palpatine?'' and later says ''...moving so fast that he could not truly see them.
Sure, because having high pain tolerance is really relevant to being disintegrated. One time my mom was being disintegrated, but it didn't hurt that much so it...... didn't.... disintegrate..........her?
However, it plainly says that at the time: 'Until then he would be at less than full strength. A fraction slower in thoughts and actions, less adept at wielding the power of the Force. And he was still without his lightsaber.'
So even if he was boosted by the nexus, he was below his full power. Also they were below the prison at the time, and nothing suggests the Dark Side is strong down there.
Anakin was not as focused at that point. That doesn't changed the fact that Ventress, Maul, Oppress and Dooku have all overpowered Obi-Wan with the Force. I don't think he's actually fought a Force user who hasn't overpowered him tbh.
Really? I haven't.
Mmmmmm. Wookieepedia has no mention of this. Plus if he could do that then why did he not choke Kenobi into unconsciousness in Revival?
Zannah said that because he didn't kill Lucia. Bane accuses Zannah of biding her time until age had robbed him of his power. The actual quote is: 'I waited years for you to challenge me. But you were content to toil in my shadow, to remain an apprentice until the ravages of age robbed me of my power."'
But nice to see you're still misquoting things to gain pull one over on me. I wonder if Tempest is making note of this.
I fail to see why they shouldn't. He's the same damn person, just more experienced. As I've said, he's performed the same feats anyway.
In every one of his fights after Sirak beats him?
Has Maul been mentioned as faster than his opponents? Has Maul ever moved fast enough to wield multiple lightsabers? Has Maul ever blitzed Jedi-level opponents?
And Bane can see time frozen in he speeds up his perceptions. He also has time slow, when he was untrained in the Force:
'But with his vision gone, he could suddenly see everything clearly. He knew the position of every soldier even as they all scrambled for cover; he could track exactly where they were and where they were going.
The soldier in the third turret was training the cannons on the incoming wave of troopers. In the excitement she'd popped her head up just slightly above the walls of the flatbed, leaving the smallest of targets exposed. Des took her with a single shot, the bolt going in cleanly through one ear hole on her helmet and out the other.
It was as if time had slowed down. Moving with a calm and deadly precision, he trained his rifle on the next target, taking her through the heart; barely a moment later he got the soldier beside her right between his cold blue eyes. Des took one man in the back as he ran for the nearest gunship. Another was halfway up one of the flatbed's ladders when a bolt sliced through his thigh, knocking him off balance. He fell from the ladder, and Des put another shot through his chest before he hit the ground.
It had taken less than three seconds to wipe out eight of the nine soldiers.'
'Expanded into a shield.'
Hit him with his hilt then stab him.
So is it actually mentioned that he's faster?
I've evaluated it plenty. I just disagree with your evaluation. Zannah makes it pretty clear that Bane's faster than he was in RoT.
Once more I think you're looking into things further than they go and drawing unsupported conclusions.
It's 'of' centuries actually. And it proves nothing. It isn't mentioned as a darkside nexus and if it is then its surely an incredibly weak one. He is not mentioned as being boosted by it at all and is mentioned as being weak and having diminished powers multiple times. Your point is a farce.
Zannah is well aware of Bane's speed in RoT. Her surprise at it and that he's faster than she could 'ever' have imagined seals the deal.
Why would it only mean he's faster than he was at one point? That's exclusionary to a point not supported by the text. It mentions nothing about him merely being faster than he was at some point. It says he's faster than she could 'ever' have imagined. Ever. EVER. EV-ER.
No, by being slower.
Of course by being faster. The text says its due to him being more powerful, how else would that manifest in a way enabling him to win other than with increased attributes?
He's at least as fast. (imagine me saying this as Blackadder i.e. as if talking to a child)
Yes, thats the one. Not sure how you're getting afterimages from that though.
I don't think its mentioned. He's not far off surely given that he was able to exhaust him and duel him for some time.
You said he would 'annihilate' him. Do you still stand by that? Cuz if not I've proven my point and we can cease this tiresome duel.
Bane is faster than Dooku. I sincerely believe that if they were to duel, Dooku would likely see afterimages of Bane's blade as well.
Because Maul is relatively weaksauce compared to the Greater Sith Lords of which Bane is a part of.
No, because they're moving around, breaking apart briefly, having to block each others blows etc etc.
I did.
On page 1.
Why would metal legs do anything?
Bane's the Sith'ari.
Actually, Bane has trained for longer than Maul has. Maul got bisected when he was 19. Bane started training at at about the same age. The difference being that he kept training for about 18 years until his death.
No.
Lifting things is not the sole basis for telekinetic strength. In fact Bane's much more focused abilities are much more useful in combat. To contrast, despite being stronger Maul can do little more than toss Kenobi around, which doesn't even nearly put him down. Bane on the other hand would disintegrate Kenobi's head. Or pulp his skeleton.
Lifting things is piss poor in terms of telekinetic mastery by comparison.
Did he need to go shit? If he can overwhelm him with the Force then why does it matter how ready he is? Its a nonsensical handwave to justify Mauls loss. Theres no logical reason why he wouldn't be ready to face Kenobi. Other than just being not as good as him.
And you know what, I actually buy that explanation.
Not really.
Except in Revival you mean?
It doesn't need to:
"Form three allows you to parry incoming attacks with minimal effort," he told her. "Your opponent must expend precious energy with each blow, slowly tiring while you remain fresh and strong.
Bane seized the hook-handled grip of his own lightsaber with both hands and raised it high over his head, then brought it straight down in a fierce chop. Using the techniques he had made her practice for two hours each day over the past year, Zannah meet her Master's blade with one of her own. Had she tried to meet it head-on, the strength of his attack would have driven her own weapon back into her, or knocked the lightsaber from her hand. Instead she clipped his blade with a glancing contact, rerouting it so that it continued its downward arc at an angle, passing harmlessly a few centimeters from her shoulder.
"Good" Bane said approvingly, winding up for another heavy-handed swipe. "Do not block. Redirect. Wait for opponents to become weary or frustrated. Let them make a mistake, then seize the opening and make them pay."
To illustrate his point Bane took a wild swipe that she easily picked off. The momentum of his swing caused him to lean too far forward, exposing his shoulder and back to her counterattack. With a flick of her wrist Zannah directed her own weapon toward the opening. She scored a direct hit, one of her twin blades tracing a ten-centimeter~long slash across his shoulder that would have severed the arm of any other opponent."
It takes minimal effort for her to redirect his blows.
> No, its Maul being stupid. Character Induced Stupidity.
> He toys with them, lengthening the duels out of enjoyment, allowing them to almost kill him. Both lure him into explosions that he narrowly avoids.
> He wasn't trying to kill him. Its arrogance to assume he could beat him holding back.
> He left himself open, sure of his victory. Once again.
I am because its true.
Then why did he flee from them? Bane wouldn't have needed to run.
No one said he was choking him into unconsciousness in the comic.
I'm misquoting nothing. :/
huh
He's the same person without power-enhancing armor.
> You ask the same question later so I'll address it there.
> Dynasty of Evil Bane hasn't either.
> Dynasty of Evil Bane hasn't either (has he?)
Impressive. Was it on Korriban?
Also:
If some of the residents he had passed on the street were the hunters, the manka cats, here were the nerfs the cats fed on—the ones who gave themselves over to intoxicants and games of chance and other vices. It was the sheer absence of discipline that sickened him. Discipline was the key to power. Unflinching discipline was what had forged him into a sword master and warrior. Discipline was what enabled him to defy gravity and slow the inrush of sensory input, so that he could move between the moments.
What of it?
So?
Yeah.
Even without knowing anything else, Qui-Gon knew this man was trained in the fighting arts of a Jedi, a skilled and dangerous adversary. Worse, he was younger, quicker, and stronger than Qui-Gon, and he was gaining ground rapidly. The Jedi Master blocked him again and again, but could not find an opening that would provide any chance of escape.
-The Phantom Menace
Except he's slower than once before, and so it'd be stupid for Zannah/Karpyshan to refer a period of Bane's life we don't know about.
It's surely a more logical conclusion than yours.
And was Bane not under the prison when it is mentioned he hadn't full strength?
Given that we know Bane is slower than once, your conclusion makes little sense.
Do you have a quote of Bane being more powerful/at least as fast?
Also, nexus.
Per the text Anakin's blade was whirling faster and faster until Dooku saw the room through a haze.
This is what a haze looks like:
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He saw a haze of Anakin's blade, ie afterimages.
They dueled for 30 seconds... and prove that it was Dooku that exhausted him.
Annihilate was merely another way of saying ''wins, beats, destroys, crushes, kills'', etc.
So? Maul runs on walls and whatnot during the exercise.
He mastered all the forms... lol
They're stronger than legs and would easier resist weight.
So?
What's your source? According to Maul's journal, his training started as soon as he learned to walk.
Yes.
What has Bane that is more useful in combat?
I lol'd IRL.
I don't know why. Maul said it, I'll take his word for it.
Yes really.
Yeah, where Maul pwned Kenobi in the end, would've impaled him with his saber if he had tried to kill him, held back and was hindered by the environment?
And what happened on Ambria, a nexus?
Gritting her teeth against the pain from her broken rib, Zannah rose to her feet. Bane hadn't killed her, but her survival had come with significant cost. She was tired now, the desperate scramble to escape after tripping on the grave had pushed her one step closer to physical exhaustion. She felt the broken rib with each ragged breath, and she sensed that the injury would make it harder for her to pivot and turn, limiting the effectiveness of her defensive maneuvers.
She couldn't wait any longer. She'd wanted to surprise Bane, slowly gather her strength before unleashing it so he wouldn't be able to properly defend against it. But she knew she wouldn't survive another clash of lightsabers.
I could also contradict the text you provided by the quote from TFU.
>No
>He doesn't ''allow them'' to almost kill him. Both Jedi were cunning.
>Given that he already beat him, why not? Also, he'd probably feel comfortable with Savage.
>No he didn't. He was swinging his saber down at him:
I know right? Why would you think that being 'pain-tolerable' is relevant in regards to disintegration? Thats just dumb.
Indeed. I see we're finally getting somewhere. This is shortly before his fight with Zannah where he disintegrates stone with his lightning: 'Despite missing her the first time, Bane followed it up with another blast on the exact same trajectory. Turning her head to follow the course of the misguided bolt, Zannah saw where the first had hit the wall. The stone had been disintegrated in a fist-sized hole, revealing something that looked like bright red plastic beneath it.'
Rofl, that quote is referring to Set Harth, not Bane.
Zannah is more powerful than Maul for one thing, and Maul hasn't ever demonstrated skill with Tutaminis. He did run through that Nightsisters lightning rather than blocking it for one thing.
It looks as if he's slowly pulling it towards the droids and then, shutting its legs? Not much of an impressive feat in my opinion.
There was nothing diminishing his Force powers.
Other than posting two quotes as if they said Bane was weak in the Force when neither actually said that? Clearly thats not misquoting.
The armor does not enhance him to the degree you are saying.
> He was faster than Sirak, Kas'im, Farfalla, Raskta, Johun and Zannah (thrice).
No, it was on Phaseera.
Obvious hyperbole is obvious.
Its hyperbole. As I said.
If he was faster than him by a significant amount, why did he need to stun him before killing him.
Jesus, keep up.
Ok, but as I said it doesn't appear to be a vast difference.
No it wouldn't. All it needs to do is establish that he's slowed down. If Karpyshan really intended Bane to be slow, he would not have have the opening scene of the book be Bane demonstrating extreme martial prowess.
That he's tired after a training session? Yes, I can see why thats so illogical?
Yes. Why do you keep pointing this out? And this was with the sedatives almost completely burned away.
I'm not responding to this ridiculous point any more.
'Then he went on the attack. In the past he had always been afraid to surrender his will to the raw emotions that fueled the dark side. Now he had no such limitations; for the first time he was calling on his full potential.
He drove Kas'im back with furious slashes, forcing his old mentor into a backpedaling retreat across the floor of the chamber. Kas'im flipped back and out through the door into the hall beyond, but Bane was relentless in his pursuit, leaping forward and coming within a centimeter of landing a crippling blow to the Twilek's leg.
His strike was turned aside at the last second, but he quickly followed it up with another series of powerful thrusts and stabs. The Blademaster continued to give ground, pushed inexorably back by the raging storm of Bane's onslaught. Each time he tried to change tactics or switch forms, Bane anticipated, reacted, and seized the advantage.
The outcome was inevitable. Bane was simply too strong in the Force. Only some unexpected maneuver could save Kas'im, but they had fought too many times in the past for him to surprise Bane now. Over the course of his training Bane had seen every possible sequence, series, move, and trick with the double-bladed lightsaber, and he knew how to counter and nullify them all.
The Blademaster became desperate. Leaping, spinning, ducking, rolling: he was wild and reckless in his retreat, seeking now only to escape with his life. But he didn't know the Temple like Bane did. Bane kept the routes to the outside cut off, slowly herding his opponent into a dead-end hallway.'
Bane was dominating, forcing him back and almost landing blows the whole time. He was more powerful than Kas'im. And as Kas'im said earlier in the book, 'the Force is the real key to victory in any confrontation.'
Kas'im is a Sith too, stoopid. He would have been benefiting from it just as much as Bane (if either were).
Its hyperbole and also impossible given the characteristics of lightsabers. They're constructs of light, they wouldn't make it hazy. It doesn't indicate afterimages either.
Or his eyes were burning from all the bright light.
If it was the crane then my respect for Yoda is at an all time low.
He's performed greater telekinetic feats without getting tired.
Annihilate means 'Destroy utterly' and is much more emphatic than simple victory.
But seriously, do you think Zonakin stomps Bane or not?
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Supported by cheese! Duuuuuh!
(supported by his speed feats)
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Last edited by Nephthys on Jul 15th, 2013 at 09:29 PM
Maul is not Dark Lord of the Sith material. And yes, Bane is a member of the greatest Sith Lords. Sorry to break it to you but he's one of the most knowledgable, powerful and skilled Sith in the mythos. Maul does not compare.
Bane is not overrated, he's rated as high as he is because he's had competent arguments favoring him. Can you please keep up? This is the third time in this response I've had to remind you of what I'm talking about. Try to read what you're responding to next time.
In this basic training that he does a hundred times every day? This is starting to sound incredibly retarded. Post the damn quote of him doing this.
I'm not going to continue to talk to you if you insist on being needlessly dismissive and stubborn like this. Kas'im can blow open a large stone door behind him while still engaged with Bane's lightsaber and defended against a Force Wave that 'had enough power to shatter every bone in Kas'im's body and pulverize his flesh into a mass of pulpy liquid.'
And unless he's holding the lightsaber in his legs that doesn't matter.
So being the perfect sith is a better accolade than 'really dangerous gaiz, like seriously.'
Bane left the mines he grew up in at age 18, worked as a soldier for a while before joining the Sith. So about 19 or so. He died in 980 BBY at about age 46, so he was training for 28 years, not 18. Sorry for the typo. Furthermore Bane's learning rate is much higher than Mauls.
What opponent has Maul defeated who was so skilled? Anoon had only opinion to back him up and Qui-Gon is unproven.
Force pushes and waves that can pulp internal organs and kill on contact and the ability to disintegrate opponents with TK. Far more devestating than throwing his opponents against a wall.
I don't know why since he's actually done those things.
'There was nothing subtle about Bane's attack: the massive shock wave shook the very foundations of the great Rakatan Temple. The concussive blast had enough power to shatter every bone in Kas'im's body and pulverize his flesh into a mass of pulpy liquid.'
'Bane spun and threw a wave of invisible dark side power at her.... The impact of the wave would have plastered her against the wall and crushed her.'
'Crouched on one knee, he clenched both fists then threw his arms out to either side, fingers splayed wide. The resulting Force wave pummeled the guards, sending them hurtling backward so they bounced off the walls hard enough to leave cracks in the stone.
Bane rose to his feet in the center of the carnage. Half a dozen bodies lay strewn about him, bones shattered, internal organs crushed into pulp. One choked out a pink, frothing spray with his final breath; all the others were still.'
'Bane thrust out with the Force, and a dozen of the oncoming creatures exploded into dust and tiny flecks of small, twisted metal.'
'That enemy vanquished, he used the Force to disintegrate two more advancing technobeasts'
'Then he began to gather the power of the Force. An instant later the cuffs on his wrists and ankles shattered, exploding into a million pieces at a mere thought from Bane.'
And thats just TK. His lightning can disintegrate stone, melt blaster, incinerate opponents (in DOE) and produce well over a million volts.
Face it, Bane's Force Powers utterly eclipse Mauls.
Even Zannah, who's sooooo 'weak' in TK can easily kill with the force of her Force Pushes:
'He began to gather the dark side, the power slowly building. But before he could unleash it he was hit by a wall of thunderous force rolling out from a corridor to his left. Instinctively he threw up a defensive shield, absorbing the blow. Despite this, he was slammed against the opposite wall, knocking the breath from his lungs.
Lucia was not so fortunate. Unable to call upon the Force to protect herself, she was sent careering down the corridor, flipping and twisting. Her skull smashed against the stone half a dozen times as her body ricocheted off the walls and ceiling, reducing it to a bloody, misshapen mess. Her corpse finally tumbled to a stop thirty meters away where the hall made an abrupt ninety-degree turn.'
I won't. They was nothing affecting him negatively at all that would cause him to be unprepared and weaker.
By what? The cave was large enough for him to swing his lightsaber fine and it was 2 on 1.
Maul ran. If he 'pwned' Kenobi he would not have. He ran because he's not powerful enough to put Kenobi down with his Force powers. He ran because he would have died if he'd stayed.
She tripped, allowing Bane to get an opening. You think they'll be a convenient root for her to trip on if she fought Maul? And she broke her ****ing ribs, impeding her defense. So yes, I'll admit that Maul has a shot of penetrating her defense if she falls over and has broken ribs. What exactly was this quote meant to be proving?
Zannah uses a different style than was used by Galen in that quote.
> Maul was being stupid. Fact.
> He does. By intentionally drawing out the duel he gave them the chance to utilise that cunning. Were he not so dumb and arrogant he wouldn't have almost died. Whats really stupid is that he does this 3 times in a row. What a complete moron.
> Given that Kenobi has defeated him in the past after Maul had 'already beat him' its yet more evidence for Maul being thick as a plank of wood.
> He taunts him, allows him to pick his lightsaber back up and leaves himself open to go for a big overhand chop. Again, his hubris is his undoing.
He wasn't exhausted. He had the trip from Mustafar to Wherever he was sent to recover. And the droids didn't attack him straight away, he had time to rest.
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Last edited by Nephthys on Jul 15th, 2013 at 09:27 PM
AotC Kenobi can block Dooku's lightning but Maul can't block Bane's? lol
He had his saber?
It's pretty good. The fact that Maul can outright dominate him is impressive.
So? He dominated him twice in Revival alone.
I didn't say that. I said that Zannah said ''you've become weak'' and that Bane said ''age has robbed me of my power'', which is correct.
It does.
Too lazy to look through RoT. Quote that he's faster than the Jedi trio?
lmao
Not really. He spun his blade in a circle leaving so many blurs that it looked like a shield.
Who says he ''needed to?''
It's worth nothing that his leg was injured which heavily effected his performance against Jinn on Tatooine (which was were the quote about Maul being faster originated from).
No one said Karpyshan intended for him to be 'slow'.
Nothing states he was tired...
Also, I was mistaken before: Maul is extremely tired after the exercise he does hundred times a day.
Nevermind.
Victory is mine.
He's refering to this:
The Force allows you to anticipate your opponent's moves and counter them with your own. But the more options your foe has available, the more difficult it is to predict which will be chosen."
Precognition, not speed, bro.
Sure, but whatever speed either might have displayed there doesn't count for the average.
Sure it does. Afterimages fade over time, ie making them hazy. It's pretty clear that it's afterimages given the ''the blue blade was everywhere'', ie not the blade itself, but it looks like that because of the afterimages.
Ataru.
I apologize my choice of word
Yes, Zonakin would stomp Bane utterly.
None of which are above Dooku's.
Last edited by Intrepid37 on Jul 16th, 2013 at 09:00 AM
Every training exercise has value, even the most basic ones. For example: One of the earliest training exercises taught by my Master consisted of running up a wall. I started from one end of the training room and ran toward the wall. I took several steps up the wall with my momentum and then flipped over to land on my feet. I did it over and over, even as my leg muscles burned with fatigue. If I missed, I could have broken my neck. Still, I continued. There is no fear in a Sith. Training drives out fear. The greatest thing I have learned about the Sith tradition is to be prepared to lose my life at any time.
When I was a boy, this was a basic exercise I could not master. I suffered many blows on the head and shoulders as, without the necessary strength, I fell backward. I would try to cushion my fall with my hands.
Never break a fall, my Master would say. If you are prepared to break your fall, you are prepared for the fall itself. Sith do not fall. They do not fail.
So, unable to break the fall, the next time I would fall more painfully than before. Soon my body was covered with bruises.
My Master would say this: There is no pain where strength lies. Do it again.
My head spinning, my bones aching, my legs trembling, I would do it again. And again I would fall.
There is no pain where strength lies. Say it!
There is no pain where strength lies, Master.
Do it again!
Each part of my training prepared me, and now I reap the benefits of my struggle. Now I never fall.
I run, I take four, five, six steps up the wall, and I flip through the air to land on my feet.
When I complete my basic exercises, I power up my double-bladed lightsaber and practice maneuvers. My body is as strong as durasteel and as fluid as water. I shift from one position of attack to another. I fall on one knee and slash my lightsaber as I imagine cleaving my victim cleanly. I roll away and grip my lightsaber with both hands for a vertical sweep. I leap and twist and come down, leading with my left shoulder. I deliver a death blow and leap away, somersaulting in the air. I perform ten thousand slashes, lunges, attacks.
My lightsaber is no longer a separate weapon, but part of my arm. I move in the time it would take my opponent to blink. I move in the time he would take to raise his weapon. He would only see the space where I had been. He would feel the sudden shock of the blow that would knock him to the floor.
I do these maneuvers a hundred times a day. I do them even though my body knows them intimately, even though I have not made a mistake or a misstep in years. I do them until the memory of the movement is part of the muscle itself. The goal of the Sith is to fight without thought.
There is no pain where strength lies.
I end with a triple backward flip. My breathing is ragged, my muscles on fire. You may think I would quit. I never quit. I am just beginning.
You can ignore me, I really don't care.
Quote for the stone-door feat?
The second one happened on a nexus.
We can apply that strength to Maul making him more impressive. :]
I need some info on this Sith Ari stuff.
Well, Maul began training in 53 BBY and died in 32 BBY, meaning he's got 21 years of training plus whatever months he spent on training Savage between S4 and S5 in TCW. The disparity is little.
Perhaps, but what did Bane's training include other than sparring?
I'm gonna list some training examples. I'm not including his basic exercise because you've read it already.
Here are some examples of Maul's training. He fights assassin droids:
Perhaps, but what did Bane's training include other than sparring?
Here are some examples of Maul's training. He fights assassin droids:
I feel some fatigue and hunger. That means I should undertake my most difficult training of the day. I push my body whenever I can. This I have learned from my Master. Events do not wait until you are well rested. You must be able to fight at the peak of your control even when you lack sleep and food.
It is time to activate the assassin droids.
Assassin droids are a necessary part of training. They are programmed to fight to the death. Blasters are built into their chests and hands. Their accuracy is perfect. A miscalculation on my part could be lethal.
I activate three droids and power up my double-bladed lightsaber. I am outnumbered, but assassin droids can't move as quickly as I can. They cannot jump, and their flexibility isn't as finely tuned.
Their weaponry makes up for that.
They track me easily in the empty room, their sensor lights flashing. I meet the first barrage and deflect it with my lightsaber, spinning it in a blur of motion while I track the next blaster fire and meet it. I can feel the power of the dark side. Aggression fuels it. The darkness throbs furiously, beating in my muscles, making me merciless and effective.
This is what I love: the feel of the dark side of the Force pulsing, growing, until the air crackles with the charge. It is the charge of blood and pain and anger. I control it. I manipulate it. It only makes me stronger.
The assassin droids are programmed to use complicated fighting strategies. They try a flanking maneuver, but I leap over them, the dark side fueling every muscle, and come at them from behind. I destroy the first droid as the second and third turn and fire.
I am already a millimeter away, escaping the fire and twisting to deliver a cleaving blow to the second droid. It topples, its sensor lights still flashing. I bury the other end of my lightsaber in its control panel. It lets out a screech of protest that sounds almost human. Smoke rises and I breathe it in. It is the smell of the Jedi Temple burning. The pleasure of destruction builds, makes my blood pound.
The third droid swivels. Instead of coming at me directly, it wheels to the right. I feel a start of surprise. It is a new maneuver. The droids are continually reprogrammed.
The maneuver and the surprise please me. I do a backward somersault as blaster fire pings over my head.
Challenge. That is a cornerstore of Sith training. Lord Sidious keeps me off balance.
This mission will challenge me. He told me that. I must not assume the Jedi will be easy to defeat. I must remember the power the dark side will give me. I must be confident, and I must be prepared.
Many times in the past, Lord Sidious gave me duties to perform without telling me the reason why. But now my Master includes me in communications with the Neimoidians. This must mean that he's come to trust me completely. He has come to see how valuable I am.
The blaster fire is close, closer than I like. I can feel the heat on the sleeve of my tunic. I smell singed material. The assassin droid has suddenly flipped sideways and aimed from the chest. I've been distracted.
Anger rises in me, which is good. The darkness crests and roars. I twist in the air, my lightsaber twirling, revolving. Its balance is perfect in my hand. I strike one hard blow to the left flank of the droid. I feel the power of the move reverberate all the way to my shoulder. It gratifies me. The other blow to the right follows a fraction of an instant later, so close that an observer would not be able to tell which blow came first. They would only see the armless droid wobble, its internal balance mechanism destroyed.
It is an easy job to slice off its head. The droid crashes to the floor, now a useless heap of smoking metal. I kick it out of my way with a smile, my lightsaber held loosely in my fingers. One day I will see a Jedi at my feet just like that.
Maul's punishment as a very little boy:
Here is an example of the good my punishments did me. I was a small boy, no higher than my Master's hip. Often I was taken to a desolate planet for outdoor exercises. There I learned how to use the dark side of the Force. Once during my training in a desolate field, a dinko surprised me. It is a nasty, palm-sized creature with sharp fangs and an aggressive disposition. Its twin grasping claws have been known to grab onto a finger or nose of a victim and not let go.
The dinko secretes stinking venom when startled. When I came across it, I flinched, and the venom sprayed against my face, stinging my eyes. I howled, then stomped it with my boot. I looked over at my Master, pleased at my courage.
"You flinched, " he said. "You were afraid of the dinko?"
"Yes, Master, " I answered. "But I controlled my fear. " I said this with the certainty of the child that I was. My Master nodded, but I knew he was displeased.
I knew a punishment would come. Yet that evening I ate my usual meal. I was not confined in the sensory deprivation suit. I was not forced to sleep on the hard floor. The heat was not turned off.
It was the same the next day, and the next. Nothing disturbed my routine. Finally I forgot about the incident. I was young.
Then one night after a particularly exhausting day I went to my quarters. My door hissed closed. I undressed in the darkness and turned back the coverlet on my mat. A dinko jumped straight at me.
Startled, I batted it away, but I missed it when I tried to stomp on it. I hesitated, afraid its claws would tear into my bare foot. Then another dinko jumped out from a corner. Then another. And another. The room was filled with them.
Frantic, I ran to the door. It would not open. The lights would not work. In the darkness one dinko jumped on my shoulder and dug its claws into my ear. Another latched on to a toe. I cried and screamed, trying to shake them off. The venom blinded me. I bounced against the walls, trying to crush them. The stench of their venom turned my stomach.
It took me a long time to kill them all. In the morning my door opened and my Master stood there. He saw my inflamed skin, my swollen eyes, my bloody hands and feet. The stench of my room rolled out at him.
"Do not flinch again, " he said.
The punishment is a lesson. My Lord Sidious taught me well. There could be no better teacher. Look at the result - my body is hard, and my mind is harder.
Always remember, my apprentice: Anger is a living thing. Feed it and it will grow.
Maul fights on against a pirate despite being in extreme pain from being hit by an ax:
I turn for the attack, lunging at him as he jumps to the floor. This huge Togorian moves well. He shakes his fur, sending shards of light into my eyes. Momentarily dazzled, I lose my focus. I am in the middle of a vertical sweep when he twists, rolls, grunts, and comes up on my other side. I jump away, but the vibro-ax catches me on the leg.
The pain sends a red haze over my vision. He grins as he smashes one massive arm against my wounded leg. I feel the razors slice into my torn flesh. The pain sears me, but I bare my teeth at him in contempt.
If your enemy inflicts pain, do not allow him to see it. There is no pain where strength lies.
My rage is a torrent, a burning river. I leap, twist, keeping my weight on my good leg. My lightsaber is part of my body now, merciless, hard, cruel. I dance around him, slicing his arms, chest, shoulders. I want a thousand cuts to kill him. He falls facedown without a cry.
I leap over his body and up the ramp. My leg wound screams in protest but I do not limp. I steel myself against the pain, disciplining my mind against it. I won't attend to it until I am safely away from this ship and have landed on Tatooine.
Before being sent to fight assassin droids in a month, Maul completes fourteen days of hard training:
For fourteen days, I take a series of physical tests. Lightsaber duels, endurance exercises, fasting. Some tests I take blindfolded or in a sensory-deprivation suit. It is the most grueling fourteen days I can imagine. By the time it ends, I am exhausted.
Right after he completed the above training, he is sent to a planet in the Outer Rim for a month: assassin droids, starvation, blaster wounds etc:
"I am sending you to a planet in the Outer Rim, " my Master tells me. "It is made up of three kinds of terrain: desert, swamp, and mountains. You will have at least three matches on each terrain. I have sent a fleet of assassin droids to attack you. Each are programmed with different strategies. Some will work together, some will work alone. They are all programmed to kill. "
That gets my attention.
"That is correct, " Lord Sidious says quietly. "I am prepared to lose what I most value. So must you be to become a Sith. You must be prepared to lose your own life in order to win. "
I nod. "I understand, my Master. "
"You will have to survive for a month, " Lord Sidious adds. "You will have only a survival pack. "
Despite my exhaustion, I am exhilarated, too. Did I ever imagine it would be easy to become a Sith Lord? The value of anything is measured by effort. I will prove to my Master that I am the best apprentice in the history of the Sith. I shall not only survive, I shall conquer.
I realize now how young I was. I couldn't have known what was ahead of me.
I land on the planet and begin my test. It is infinitely more difficult than my imagination has been able to grasp. The assassin droids are relentless. Again and again I am awakened by an attack. Again and again I fight, move camp, fight again. I am driven into the mountain snows and across the burning desert. I lose my survival pack in a battle and have to kill and forage for food.
Ten days go by. Fifteen. Twenty.
I grow thin and my strength begins to ebb. I have never felt such weakness, even during my fasts. And yet I have to go on. I have to fight, I have to find a place to rest, I have to fight again. I count off the days in my head.
One battle with two assassin droids almost undoes me. I sustain a bad blaster wound to my thigh. I drag myself to a cave to hide. I have no bacta, no bandages. Yet I know I must recover before I fight again.
The wound festers. It is a searing, blinding pain. I am too weak to forage for food. The days blur. I no longer know how long I've been on the planet. Surely it has been more than a month. Has my Master forgotten about me?
I am close to hallucinating when Lord Sidious appears at the mouth of the cave. I am so glad to see him that my bones turn to water. I look at him hopefully.
Maul, as a small boy, suffers again:
Then another memory comes to my mind. I am a small boy, walking with my Master on a planet that is all ice and snow. The wind cuts like a laser as we walk by a deep blue lake, but I am warmly dressed and don't feel the cold. I have just completed a series of exercises, rigorous ones that conclude with my having to run up the icy sheer slope of a mountain and come down at top speed. The effort called for superior balance and control. I feel fear, but I perform well, and I am hoping my
Master will praise me. Instead, my Master raises a hand, and suddenly the dark side picks up my small body and tosses me into the middle of the lake.
I sink and then fight my way to the surface. Chunks of ice surround me. The water is so cold I can't catch my breath. It stings my exposed skin. I remember the shock of fear I felt as I realize my thick clothes, my heavy boots, will drag me down and I will drown.
Turn your fear to anger, Maul.
That had been my lesson. I see that I have not learned it to his satisfaction.
I struggle, gulping the icy water, going down and rising again. I try to call for help. I see my Master on the shore. He does not raise a hand.
My fear becomes anger. The dark side propels my arms and legs, makes me push against the water furiously, allows me to kick my feet in my heavy boots and swim to shore. I drag myself upright, shivering.
Still he does not praise me. We merely continue our walk.
Against Jinn on Tatooine, he forces Jinn back despite being injured:
It is because of my wound. It has slowed me down somewhat. It is almost imperceptible, but it is there. The Jedi has an advantage. I am not at my best.
What happened when Maul failed?
He did not take it well. He raised a hand, and the dark side grabbed me by the throat and lifted me high. My breath was squeezed out of me slowly. Too slowly. I had time to feel every stretched-out moment of panic as I struggled to force even the tiniest trickle of air into my lungs.
When I was close to passing out, I was dropped to the floor in a heap. My Master walked away. He did not address me or call for me for some time. The removal of his favor was worse than the punishment.
Maul describes his punishments:
While in my Master's presence, I was relieved at my lack of punishment. Obviously, his mind is on other things.
But as soon as I am alone, I wonder. Is my Master reviving an old method used when I was young, delaying punishment until my nerves are screaming? I never knew when my punishment would come, or what it would be. Then when it came, I would almost feel relief.
But never for long. As soon as the punishment began, relief was but a memory. I am too old now to be frightened by a roomful of dinkos, but I never underestimate my Master's ingenuity.
Maul describes his surroundings:
I walk through the palace, noting the richness of the materials, the fine workmanship of the furnishings, the grandeur of the hallways and staircases. Windows run floor to ceiling and reflect back the pools and waterfalls of the city of Theed. I do not often notice my surroundings except as something to move through and exploit in order to accomplish a mission. But here I begin to see what lies ahead for us. Control of the galaxy in our grasp, with every luxury at our feet.
I have been raised without luxury. Bare walls, bare floors, a sleep-mat. A bowl to eat from. I have believed fine things make one soft. All my joy comes in battle, all my pleasure comes in preparing for it.
Maul's basic exercise that he does hundred times a day:
Every training exercise has value, even the most basic ones. For example: One of the earliest training exercises taught by my Master consisted of running up a wall. I started from one end of the training room and ran toward the wall. I took several steps up the wall with my momentum and then flipped over to land on my feet. I did it over and over, even as my leg muscles burned with fatigue. If I missed, I could have broken my neck. Still, I continued. There is no fear in a Sith. Training drives out fear. The greatest thing I have learned about the Sith tradition is to be prepared to lose my life at any time.
When I was a boy, this was a basic exercise I could not master. I suffered many blows on the head and shoulders as, without the necessary strength, I fell backward. I would try to cushion my fall with my hands.
Never break a fall, my Master would say. If you are prepared to break your fall, you are prepared for the fall itself. Sith do not fall. They do not fail.
So, unable to break the fall, the next time I would fall more painfully than before. Soon my body was covered with bruises.
My Master would say this: There is no pain where strength lies. Do it again.
My head spinning, my bones aching, my legs trembling, I would do it again. And again I would fall.
There is no pain where strength lies. Say it!
There is no pain where strength lies, Master.
Do it again!
Each part of my training prepared me, and now I reap the benefits of my struggle. Now I never fall.
I run, I take four, five, six steps up the wall, and I flip through the air to land on my feet.
When I complete my basic exercises, I power up my double-bladed lightsaber and practice maneuvers. My body is as strong as durasteel and as fluid as water. I shift from one position of attack to another. I fall on one knee and slash my lightsaber as I imagine cleaving my victim cleanly. I roll away and grip my lightsaber with both hands for a vertical sweep. I leap and twist and come down, leading with my left shoulder. I deliver a death blow and leap away, somersaulting in the air. I perform ten thousand slashes, lunges, attacks.
My lightsaber is no longer a separate weapon, but part of my arm. I move in the time it would take my opponent to blink. I move in the time he would take to raise his weapon. He would only see the space where I had been. He would feel the sudden shock of the blow that would knock him to the floor.
I do these maneuvers a hundred times a day. I do them even though my body knows them intimately, even though I have not made a mistake or a misstep in years. I do them until the memory of the movement is part of the muscle itself. The goal of the Sith is to fight without thought.
There is no pain where strength lies.
I end with a triple backward flip. My breathing is ragged, my muscles on fire. You may think I would quit. I never quit. I am just beginning.