Star Wars: Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir

"The story of Darth Maul had become an important one for the series and it was only fitting that we chose him for a comic adaptation. The comics will be based on four finished scripts that were written for Season 6. [...] The designs you will see, the plot lines, and character development in these comic books are all coming directly from the TV production. I turned over all of the art to Dark Horse so they could create an accurate representation of what we were planning for the show."

- Dave Filoni, on the comic's announcement

Star Wars: Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir is a four-part comic series published by Dark Horse Comics that was released in the summer of 2014. Its storyline is an adaptation of an unproduced episode arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, originally written for the sixth season. The arc continues Darth Maul's story following the events of The Lawless, but was never produced due to the show's cancellation after Season 5.

Issue 1
Darth Sidious holds Darth Maul in a secret prison on Stygeon Prime following the latter's capture in the duel at Sundari. Sidious has Dooku take charge of the interrogation, planning to use Maul to draw out one of his most ancient and foulest enemies: Mother Talzin. Shortly after Dooku questions Maul, Gar Saxon and Rook Kast, Mandalorian Super Commandos acting on the orders of Prime Minister Almec, arrive at the prison and liberate Maul from his cell.

Following the fallen Sith's escape, Dooku contacts General Grievous and sends him to Zanbar to engage the armies of the Shadow Collective, ordering him to deplete but not destroy Maul's armies. When wounded, Maul would call upon Talzin for aid, bringing her into the light. On Zanbar, Maul reclaims Pre Vizsla's Darksaber and leads his forces against the Separatist invasion.

Despite their skill, the Mandalorians are gradually overwhelmed and mowed down by the numerous Battle Droids. Maul duels Grievous in single-combat, but realizes that the battle is lost. He orders his Gauntlet Fighters to bomb the area and retreats with his remaining forces aboard their warships.

In the battle's aftermath, Grievous reports to Dooku that, despite extensive losses, the Droid Army had dealt serious damage to the Shadow Collective. But Grievous still does not understand what importance Maul holds to Talzin. Dooku assures him that it will become clear in time.

Issue 2
Maul uses his connection with Mother Talzin to contact her and seek her guidance. Talzin believes that Maul was meant to escape Sidious's grasp at both Stygeon and Zanbar. Instead of emerging and assisting Maul directly as Sidious and Dooku would expect, Talzin sends Maul to Ord Mantell, where his Black Sun allies have a stronghold. Dooku and Grievous soon learn of this, confirming that Black Sun is also a part of the Collective. Super Tactical Droid Tey-Zuka also reports that a small shuttle was seen departing from Dathomir and bound for Ord Mantell. Believing Talzin is going to Maul, Dooku orders the Separatist fleet to attack the planet.

On Ord Mantell, as Maul prepares his troops, a shuttle from Dathomir arrives, carrying Brother Viscus and a group of Nightbrothers. Maul sends them to his command center as the Separatists arrive and begin bombarding the city; he leaves Gar Saxon, Ziton Moj and Fife in command of the ground forces while he and Rook Kast move to entrap the Separatists in space. Dooku himself soon arrives in the city in search of Maul and Talzin, but is instead greeted by Viscus and attacked by the Nightbrothers.

Though the battle on the ground turns against the Death Watch, Black Sun and Pyke soliders, Maul's Mandalorian warships catch the Separatist fleet by surprise, allowing him to board Grievous's dreadnought. Maul, Kast and a boarding team make their way to the bridge where they successfully capture Grievous and disable the Battle Droids' command signal. Meanwhile, Dooku swiftly strikes down the band of Nightbrothers and overpowers Viscus. But with the Droids out of commission, Saxon and his forces are able to surround and capture Dooku.

Maul contacts Talzin again to report his progress. With Dooku and Grievous in their custody, and with the Separatist Armies under their control, they would soon undermine Sidious as well and complete their plot for revenge.

Issue 3
After the Shadow Collective departs Ord Mantell, a Jedi strike team arrives to investigate claims from survivors that Dooku led an attack against a red-skinned Force user. The team―consisting of Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Tiplee and Aayla Secura―believes that they could use such a rivalry to capture Dooku and Maul and potentially end the war. When Commander Wolffe and his men unearth a Mandalorian helmet from the wreckage, they realize that Almec's Mandalorian forces are still connected to the criminal underworld and Maul is possibly headed to a Mandalorian supply outpost with his remaining forces. Kenobi and Tiplee volunteer to investigate the outpost.

At the supply outpost, Maul boasts his capture of Dooku and Grievous to Sidious and plots to use them for his revenge. Maul sends Grievous to a holding cell to speak to Dooku in private, summoning Talzin's spirit once again to persuade him to their cause. Talzin informs Dooku of the details of her past with Sidious, revealing that Maul is her own flesh and blood son. She also tells him that Sidious plans to betray him as she was once betrayed, but should Dooku pledge his allegiance to her, she will honor his commitment.

Kenobi and Tiplee's forces close in on the outpost and begin scanning for activity. But Tiplee feels that Kenobi's emotions are in turmoil because of Satine Kryze's death at Maul's hand. Kenobi assures her that his emotions are under control. Commander Cody soon reports that the Mandalorian outpost has been detected and the Republic launches its forces to attack it. Upon detecting the incoming craft, Maul offers Dooku a choice: allies or death. Having used the Force to free Grievous from his cell, Dooku agrees.

The Republic forces board and clear out the Mandalorian presence. Kenobi and Tiplee are soon confronted by Maul and Dooku, leading the Jedi to believe that they are working together. Just then, Windu and Secura arrive with reinforcements and engage Maul in a lightsaber duel while Dooku attacks Kenobi and Tiplee. Tiplee is killed by Dooku and Windu and Secura are incapacitated by a rocket fired from the Mandalorians. Kenobi fails to stop the Sith Lords as they flee the outpost in Maul's Gauntlet fighter.

Afterwards, Chancellor Palpatine contacts the Jedi for a report. Windu tells him that they failed to capture the Sith and surmises that Dooku is the Sith Master they had been searching for, with Maul as his apprentice. Palpatine allows the Jedi to believe the deception and states that such an alliance could spell doom for the Republic.

Issue 4
Maul races toward Dathomir with his new ally, Dooku, aboard his Gauntlet Fighter. Ziton Moj and Fife soon contact him with complaints that the Shadow Collective's objectives had changed from profit to Maul's personal crusade. Maul orders them back to their respective sectors, with Saxon keeping them in line, and await his next command, assuring that they'll receive the profits they desire. Dooku makes clear his skepticism of Maul's fraying empire and how difficult it has become to maintain, but Maul plans to use Dooku to return Mother Talzin and destroy Darth Sidious.

Upon their arrival at Dathomir, Dooku is forced into Nightbrother custody and taken to a hidden chamber. There, Maul summons Talzin's spirit and begins a ritual which enables her to possess Dooku's body. At that moment, Darth Sidious and General Grievous arrive over the planet in a Sith Infiltrator and pinpoint Dooku's position. Once they arrive, Talzin has already taken control of Dooku's body and uses it in combat against Sidious while Maul engages Grievous in a duel.

Sidious easily overpowers Talzin, but the witch abandons Dooku's body and fully regenerates her body to attack Sidious directly. They then enter a heated deadlock using Force Lightning. Maul soon dispatches Grievous and moves to provide additional strength to his mother. Simultaneously, Dooku regains consciousness and reinforces his master.

Meanwhile, Kast receives another transmission from Moj and Fife, both of whom report that Separatist armadas are attacking them and they demand to speak with Maul. Kast informs them that Maul is occupied and insists that they hunker down and fight. However, both the Black Sun and Pykes sustain heavy losses and subsequently secede from the Shadow Collective, despite Kast's protests. Another Mandalorian informs her that a Separatist fleet has arrived over Dathomir. Realizing that the planet is lost, Kast takes the Gauntlet Fighter to rescue Maul, lest the Shadow Collective be completely dissolved.

Maul hears Kast's report and begins to escape with his Mother, but Talzin states that she cannot escape without endangering him. At that moment, Grievous recovers and advances on her. Against Maul's wishes, she forces him to safety while holding Sidious and Dooku at bay. Grievous is soon upon her and fatally stabs her in the chest, causing her to wither away. Enraged, Maul is forced by the Mandalorians to flee in his transport.

Sidious, Grievous and Dooku look over Talzin's body as the Droid Armies conquer Dathomir. Dooku apologizes for having allowed Maul to escape again, but Sidious assures him that everything transpired as foreseen. His plan to destroy Talzin was complicated, but now, with her death, Maul's future as a rival is erased and theirs is more certain than ever.

Characters

 * Almec
 * Cody
 * Darth Maul
 * Dooku
 * Fife
 * Grievous
 * Rook Kast
 * Obi-Wan Kenobi
 * Ziton Moj
 * Darth Sidious
 * Gar Saxon
 * Aayla Secura
 * Talzin
 * Tey-Zuka
 * Tiplee
 * Viscus
 * Mace Windu
 * Wolffe
 * Satine Kryze
 * Savage Opress
 * Anakin Skywalker Indirect mention only

Locations

 * Dathomir
 * Ord Mantell
 * Stygeon Prime
 * Zanbar
 * Coruscant
 * Mandalore

Events

 * Clone Wars
 * Battle of Zanbar
 * Escape from Stygeon
 * Battle of Ord Mantell
 * Attack on the Mandalorian supply outpost
 * Second Battle of Dathomir