This is the last chapter. Sad! Maul and Savage get closer just in time for Savage to die and Maul to lose the closest thing to a healthy relationship that he's ever had. Sad! But there is no death, only the Force.

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Again Savage watched. He was acutely ashamed that watching was all he could do, but he never allowed himself to turn away.

Maul had just begun a slaughter. The children who'd run up to the ship, thinking it brought vital supplies to their little remote outpost, were the first victims. Savage had followed his brother out when he went down the ramp and saw their faces as they died. At his feet were their bodies. After the children, the parents had come running. Maul had killed most of the kids quickly, but one he allowed to scream in terror so that the adults would be drawn to them before beheading the boy. He couldn't have been much more than six.

The parents turned the corner and one pulled a blaster, snapping Savage out of his shocked reverie. He deflected one bolt that could have hit him, the others not even close to mark due to the shooter's shaking hands. Maul wasn't so stationary. He was at them like a whirlwind, swinging a blade here, snarling a little there, herding them into an open area like cattle. Savage circled around behind them and covered the other side of the little herd, using his sheer size and frightening appearance to move them.

Maul lined them up and told him to find a droid, which he did. Then he had the droid record a holo, in which he spoke directly to the Jedi, Obiwan Kenobi, and told him to come and face him alone. The people behind him whimpered and cried all the while, to which he gave little attention. Savage acted as a deterrent from running, standing beside the droid and out of the shot. At the end, as added incentive, Maul sliced his saber blade across the entire group at the neck, killing them all. After all, Kenobi would come running if he thought there would be more innocents he could save, and Maul made it sound like these were but a few of their hostages.

In truth, there were only five other people in the town, one elderly adult and four almost teenage children. Savage knew the number because Maul sent him to take care of them. Savage had done as he was told, knowing that if he didn't and his brother was forced to do it himself, their deaths would have been worse than by his blade. Savage hadn't had terribly long with his brother, but he knew him that well at least.

Then they waited. Savage kept a careful eye on Maul all the while, trying not to let the man out of his sight. True, there were no more people to harm out there, but his brother was still dangerously unsteady. He paced around like a cage beast, muttering about revenge and Kenobi. Only his rigid posture and the arms crossed behind his back distinguished him from the raving lunatic Savage had first found. All the while, the bodies lay where they had fallen, spread over the settlement. No longer able to stand seeing them just sit there, Savage went to move the bodies, intent on burning them. Maul stopped his pacing and looked after him when he moved, eventually following him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice quiet and callus as ever.

Savage looked over to him with a knitted brow, then bent and picked up the body of a woman.

"Burning these," he replied simply, not looking up again.

"Why?" Maul asked, the question sounding as loaded as it probably was.

"Because it won't do to just leave them here," Savage growled back impatiently as he lifted another carcass onto his other shoulder.

There was a long pause. Savage was expecting Maul to call him weak or sentimental, as Dooku would have. After all, he knew now without a doubt that his brother was as much the sith lord as Dooku had been, and perhaps even more so. He loved him in spite of that similarity, but he knew how his brother thought. And he had to do this.

"You are wise," Maul said after a moment, coming up beside him and lifting the body of a child by the shirt.

"Brother?" Savage asked in reply, looking at him questioningly.

"If the bodies were left here, the Jedi would see the damage that was done and come in more guarded, knowing by the number of carcasses and dwellings that there were few to no living people for him to save," Maul explained, dragging the body towards the town, "He might even turn away and fly into orbit to call for reinforcements. Instead, we will leave only one or two of the bodies within sight to draw him in."

Savage knew that his brother understood what he'd meant when he said leaving the bodies wouldn't do. But he recognized that his brother was showing him something, like his uncle had showed him how to bait traps. He remember when he began baiting the trap in a foolish, rookie way and his uncle had said, "Ok, you could do it that way," and then began baiting his own trap correctly. He'd always moved slowly so Savage could see what he was doing and imitate him. Something about his brother's tone when he made his statement had brought that memory to mind and Savage was touched. His brother was trying to teach him something.

He followed Maul's lead almost eagerly after that, putting his previous shame in the killings aside. What was done was done, and he'd certainly shamed himself much worse when he became a kin killer. Now he had only one duty in the universe, his duty to his remaining brother, and this time he was going to get it right.

When the revenge attempt failed due to the witch's interference, the brothers became wanderers of sorts. They took bounty hunting jobs here and there, when they had the option, but more frequently they were robbers and Jedi slayers, killing several who came to hunt them down as they ran. They got to know each other well and the bond between the twins was rekindled, to a point where Savage swore that sometimes the feelings and thoughts he had were coming from Maul and not himself. The environment between them, however, was in a constant state of flux. Sometimes they were the closest of companions, willing to risk everything to see each other safe, and sometimes there were moments like this.

Their latest robbery had been a stop along the way, barely planned. It was easy enough to pull off with little planning, but surprisingly the payoff was abundant. They'd just managed to get and entire safe full of credits, enough to last for a lifetime if they were careful. But Maul was acting superior again. He had begun talking of the Jedi hunting them, saying that credits were useless without a plan to survive. Savage had already brought up the idea of finding an outer rim world and settling there when this conversation had come up before, and kriff the rest of the galaxy. By Maul's reaction from last time, he knew not to bring it up again. So Savage just said they could deal with the Jedi when they came, trying to put his brother's doubts to rest. Maul just shook him off.

"There are too many," he said, looking back to Savage, "To continue we need one, singular vision. My vision."

"Brother," Savage said in a tired way, seeing the conversation going into an issue that had already come up once or twice before and led to arguments, "Let us share our strength. There is no need for dominance between us."

"Always two there are, my brother," Maul said, his voice sounding only slightly irritated, "A master and an apprentice. And you…"

He walked to Savage as he spoke and gently pushed his shoulder, swelling up on his mechanical legs to be taller than his brother. He knew exactly the buttons to push to start Savage's temper, and Savage felt himself begin to fume.

"…are the apprentice," he finished, turning away with quiet distain.

Savage didn't want to fight his brother. He would rather die than cause his only kin any harm. He did, however, want to bring down his pride a notch. Whenever Feral had gotten too big on himself it had been solved with a simple wedgie or a brotherly brawl that caused nobody any serious harm but got the point across. However, as neither was an option in Maul's case, Savage drew his saberstaff and ignited it boldly, taking a ready stance behind his brother. Maul sighed and spoke quietly before turning to engage him.

"Ah, so it's time for a lesson," he said, his voice carefully neutral.

The fight was over embarrassingly quickly. Maul had caught his arm, twisted the lightsaber out of his grip at the wrist, grabbed his face with his mechanical foot, and used the full weight of his largely metal body to force Savage to the ground. Savage went limp and the foot altered its grip, allowing him to see his brother's face.

"You've grown so strong," he said, both awe and pride evident in his voice.

"I shall complete your training," Maul said, helping him up, "Not as your brother, but as your master."

Savage didn't meet his brother's eyes once he'd regained his footing. He didn't want him to see the feeling of betrayal in his eyes. Savage had told Maul of all that he'd suffered, told him of the master he'd had and the torture he'd endured. How could he want to be as Dooku had been? Why could be not be happy to have a brother at all, as Savage was?

His life was not his own. But that was a fact he'd accepted long ago.

"No, wrong again," Maul said, his voice increasingly tired.

They had been drilling with the same saberstaff stances for almost four hours. Savage's legs were sore for the first time since he was changed, and his patience with his brother was wearing thin. He was infuriating! Nothing was ever perfect enough for the boy raised a sith, and Savage couldn't help but lose focus as his anger approached a full boil.

"Do it again," Maul said, walking circles around him in the cargo bay of their ship as they flew through hyperspace.

Savage did try it again, and Maul stopped him before he even started.

"No, stance is off balance," he said, earning a frustrated grunt from Savage but not showing the slightest bit of emotion himself, "Again."

Finally, he could take it no longer. He'd barely even moved that time!

"I'm trying my best, brother!" he said, glaring down at Maul.

Maul met his eyes with an unimpressed look.

"There is your problem," he said, then began walking again without any explanation.

Savage boiled over and struck at his brother, shoving him from behind hard enough to send an ordinary man to the ground. Maul recovered without falling and turned on him as quickly as a wild animal, throwing him against the wall of the cargo hold with the Force and calling Savage's saberstaff to his hand. He then walked collectedly over to the heap where his brother lay and spoke down to him.

"Your lack of control is your greatest downfall," he said quietly.

Savage didn't answer him, so he continued on.

"I realize that you had a previous master who trained you using much different methods than my own," Maul said, his voice sounding almost sympathetic, "It is unfortunate. He taught you to surrender your control completely to your rage, but that is neither wise nor efficient. Your anger is your greatest weapon, a weapon to be sharpened and tended regularly. But a weapon cannot control itself. If you surrender to anger, you act on instinct alone, and while sometimes effective against Jedi and other non-sith, this will almost never work on one trained in the dark side. No, your anger must be the tip of your spear, your fuel. It should drive your body, not numb your mind. Do you understand, brother?"

Savage listened to his brother's words and accepted them without question when he heard Maul call him brother for the first time in a great while. He did lack control, especially when he was angry. And he was grateful it was his brother teaching him now instead of his former master. Maul was kin, not just his master, so Savage knew that he cared about him more than his training. He was only strict because he wanted his brother to be the best he could be, the same way Savage himself had been with Feral. Savage thought he understood. He nodded his head and stood, looking at Maul apologetically.

"I did not understand what you said earlier, brother," he said, standing and brushing himself off, "Can you explain it to me?"

"To which statement do you refer, apprentice?" Maul asked, his voice soft and detached as ever.

"When I said that I was trying my best," Savage clarified, already missing the title of brother.

"Ah, yes," Maul said, turning to walk slowly away from him, toward the cockpit, "You said that you tried. But there is do, and do not. There is no try. Nothing less than perfection is acceptable, and if you are forced by imperfection to say merely that you try, you are not doing what needs to be done."

Savage nodded and followed after Maul.

"I will remember that, brother," he said.

Savage and Maul were trapped in the ejected cockpit of their ship, running low on life support and drifting aimlessly in space. Savage sat in a chair, feeling himself weaken slowly. He'd lost his arm in the battle with Kenobi, and his knee wasn't in great shape either. He was bleeding, tired, and their situation was growing more dire with every moment as they had to divert all power to life support. Even with that, the air was decreasing in quality with every breath.

"Stay alert, Savage," Maul's voice said, sounding distant, "You must resist falling into shock."

Savage looked up briefly to see a concerned look on his brother's face. Maul was in the chair opposite him and looking like he was faring a bit better than Savage. He was panting, slightly, at the thinness of the air and he had a few minor burns and cuts. But though he'd lost one of his mechanical legs, Maul had otherwise avoided serious harm. Savage was glad for that. If only one of them was to survive, he'd rather it be his brother than himself.

His eyes drooped again and his head lolled back, too weak to hold his head's weight anymore. He faintly heard Maul saying something to him, but could barely make out the words.

"Savage?" the murmur said, "Brother? Hold on, Savage! Hold on!"

That was the last thing he heard before the blackness took him entirely.

Savage admired his brother's mind greatly. He was cunning, quick, and had a way about him that made people want to serve him. The deathwatch gang had been unconsciously following his lead from the moment he arrived. He played Pre Visla like the fool he was, and Savage watched as everything unfolded perfectly for them both. The Huts, the Black Sun organization, the spice traders, all of the underground networks that attended to anything illegal were now under his brother's control, and it had taken only a few weeks.

Pre Visla's plan of attack of Mandalore was quickly replaced by Maul's, as all his other plans had been, and Savage could only smile at the fools that surrounded them. His brother was right; it was the will of the Force that these people find them. They were perfect tools.

Maul had taken control of the entire deathwatch gang in a single afternoon by winning the battle with Pre Visla, and only a small fraction of them had left with Bo Katan and the Night Owls. The others had painted their armor red and black, some of them even putting horn like spikes on their helmets in the same pattern as Maul's. They saw him as a mighty warrior and the idea leader. The plan had been perfectly executed, and still left Savage in awe. Overnight they'd gone from a prison cell to leading the planet, and all thanks to his brother's incredible sense of tactics. No, Savage no longer disputed who of the two of them was the leader. He now followed Maul's decisions with no questions asked.

And then Maul had finally gotten the chance for his long overdue revenge against Kenobi, although Savage didn't understand his methods. Yes, he understood that killing the girlfriend would cause him pain and didn't dispute that part. But he didn't understand why his brother would leave a man like that alive when he was in a situation to do otherwise. He'd cut him in half, for Force's sake, not to mention that he had the alarming habit of escaping under the most unlikely of odds. He could understand wanting him to suffer, but this just made no sense at all.

Not surprisingly, Kenobi had barely made it back to the cell block before Bo Katan and her rebels decided to bust him loose. Savage was not a man to gloat, especially over Maul who would cause him some kind of pain if he did, but he knew it would happen. He didn't have to be a tactical genius to know that Kenobi would be gone again, and this time with valuable information that couldn't afford to be leaked. The republic couldn't know that Maul had taken over leadership, or the clone army would come knocking at their doorstep. So the entirety of their men were sent out, all trying to bring Kenobi back into custody or else kill him. Savage had grabbed his own weapon and was headed to the throne room to join his brother so that the two of them could join in the battle. Not surprisingly, his brother's presence felt very agitated. But when Savage opened the door he found him quietly pacing in front of his throne.

"Brother?" Savage said to announce his presence as he entered the throne room.

Maul looked up for a moment, then back down as he continued pacing, muttering about something.

"Brother, the Jedi," Savage said, coming closer to Maul, "Are we not going to go and catch him?"

Maul paused for a moment, then murmured something again and kept pacing, his concentration through the force becoming palpable to his twin.

"Brother, what's wrong?" Savage asked as Maul sat down on the throne, closing his eyes.

"I sense a presence…that I haven't felt since…" Maul said, his eyes losing focus for a moment, then they shot open in alarm, "Master!"

Savage had never been so outmatched in his life, and he knew it. His brother was obviously terrified of this newcomer, trying to flatter him as soon as he saw him. Anyone who frightened his brother like that was immediately an enemy in Savage's book, and his fists began working angrily as the cloaked old man looked up at him and back down to his brother. If he harmed one horn on his head…

His thoughts were interrupted by gravity suddenly losing its effect. Savage flew to the glass wall and hit with a great deal of force, enough to bend the metal framework behind him. He sensed his brother's pain as he struggled in the same situation and his rage flared up. After a few moments, the newcomer who Maul had called "master" dropped both Zabraks to the ground. They took a ready stance together, moving instinctively together into their own, separate defensive stances. The old man cackled and drew his own two lightsabers, holding an open stance as if in a challenge.

The fight began and progressed more quickly than even his encounters with the Jedi had. They found themselves winding down a marrow hallway, with Maul taking the lead in the tight space. This was unusual, as over the last few months Maul had purposely placed Savage at the front, saying he needed the practice. But he shoved his way in front of his brother as they entered the hallway and growled menacingly at the stranger. They went blow for blow until the hallway ended in a platform overlooking a large and, gratefully, empty courtyard. His brother twirled around their opponent and Savage saw and took his change simultaneously. He charged the man while his eyes were on Maul and head butted him, causing him to lose his balance.

The man fell over the side of the platform, but reached out with the force and dragged the brothers down with him. The other two landed more gracefully than Savage, but he took pride that he at least landed well. The brothers began attacking in tandem, one constantly circling while their opponent focused on the other. The old man must have realized that he couldn't keep this up long, because he took a chance and focused his whole attention on Savage, using a maneuver that sent him flying a few meters and landed him solidly on his face. Then he turned on Maul.

Savage didn't see what happened to his twin, but he felt him lose consciousness and stood to see him sliding down the stairs, with the man advancing on him slowly. Savage threw himself at the man forcefully, putting himself between their opponent and his brother, and began fighting the man one on one. He wasn't entirely clear headed, the hard landing a few minutes ago had concussed him slightly, but he knew he was in trouble. He was barely bringing up his defenses in time.

The man twisted and turned around him, confusing him even more with his fast movements. Then he back-flipped to gain momentum and kicked Savage in the face, worsening his concussion. Savage stumbled for a few moments, his vision unclear, when the worst pain he'd ever felt charred its way through him. One of the man's sabers pierced his abdomen and one his lung, both fatal injuries. Savage stumbled backwards one step out of instinct, then he was falling. The man had pushed him off the elevated wall with the Force, landing him hard at the bottom and knocking what little wind he had left right from his lungs. Savage started to feel very cold and a green mist began to rise off of him, like the mist that had seeped from his arm when he lost it. A moment later, he heard a light thump and looked up to see his brother running towards him. He reached out his hand towards him.

"Brother," he said as Maul grabbed the hand, "I am an unworthy apprentice."

The cold feeling began to spread and Savage took in a small amount of air to continue.

"I'm not like you," he said, his voice getting lighter and strangely more familiar as the mist rose from him, "I never was."

His brother shook his head lightly and Savage's eyes rolled back as he lost control of his muscles. But, strangely enough, Savage did not fade into nothing as he had thought he would upon dying. He had always mused that dying would be like falling asleep and everything would fade into blackness. But when he breathed his last, a warm feeling washed through Savage. He separated from his body and felt, suddenly, like he had found the place where he truly belonged. He understood everything now about the Force and couldn't remember why it hadn't been clear when he was alive.

He saw Maul grieve over his body. He felt like he should leave for some reason, but his brother was all alone now. He couldn't just leave. He couldn't let himself "be at peace," not when his kin was still in danger. Savage watched as Maul threw himself into the fight with the man who'd killed him, knowing before it happened that his brother was going to lose. He felt the Force…felt himself churn as his killer threw its energy into force lightning, torturing his brother after he begged him for mercy. He felt his brother's pain as his own, and screamed in unison with him as the torture continued until Maul lost consciousness.

The man bound Maul after he passed out, putting him in shock cuffs to prevent his using the Force. He lifted Maul into the air and Savage watched as his own body was lifted as well and carried to the ship the man had come on. The brothers were thrown into the cargo hold together, and Savage felt the pain again as his brother screamed when the shock cuffs, locked on their highest setting, were triggered by the old man to send him again into unconsciousness.

Savage watched his brother as the ship took off. He lay on the ground, his face creased with the remnants of the pain of electrocution. The ship went to the nearest sun, stopped within the closest safe orbit to the star. The man came back to the cargo hold then and looked down with disgust at Maul, earning an unheard angry growl from Savage. He lifted Savage's body with the force again and threw it into the airlock, closing the hatch behind it. He then went back to the cockpit and Savage heard the airlock open, ejecting his body into the star.

Again he got the strong feeling that he shouldn't be here, that he should somehow be moving on, but he ignored it. His brother still needed him. And while Savage didn't know what he could do, he wasn't going to leave him until he knew he was safe. He would find a way to protect him, because that was all he knew. That was how he'd lived, that was how he'd died. It was what he'd always done.

And there it is. The final chapter. Again, I say you should check out the profile of my sister, MuchAdoAboutNonny. She will be handling any continuation of this story from Maul's side, if the deal between us stays the same. Thank you for reading, it was a fun story to write!