Title:Another Robe
Author:Lorry Guffey
Rating:PG
Category:Drama, Angst
Timeline:TPM
Disclaimer:Because of the fact that George Lucas owns the Star Wars universe, no attempt will be made to profit from this story. (Unless you count the friends I've made along the way!) It's done strictly for entertainment purposes. Any original characters belong to me. :o)

Tucked securely behind a seemingly haphazard arrangement of duraplast synthfuel barrels, a young woman with close cropped, silver-white hair crouched in the depths of Theed�s royal hangar bay. Expanding her Force sense, she took in the details of a battle going on not far from where she waited, in the reactor room of the capitol city�s nearby energy plant.

Two long white braids fell from above her right ear, coiling at her feet as the woman waited, bowing her head in concentration. Her life-mate fought with an arrogant prowess that swelled her heart with pride. She could feel his sinuous muscles flowing with an explosive grace, his determination to disgrace the opponents he faced before he ended their lives punctuated every move he made. He had trained his entire life for this moment of revenge, this final release to attack those responsible for the ongoing extinction of his order, and it showed, gloriously, as Sith Lord faced Jedi Master.

Sensing that the time for her to move was right, Rando-Maul shifted position, uncurling herself as gracefully as any meir-cat on Zin Kare. She made her way to the hangar bay�s blast doors, smiling maliciously as she reveled in the memory of the moment where this epic battle had begun.

The crowd had parted before him, in that moment now frozen forever into Rando-Maul�s memory. The Jedi Master had pronounced that he and his apprentice would face the phantom menace, while the Queen and her entourage fled in another direction. Each one present realized that this battle was between Jedi and Sith, it had nothing to do with the Trade Federation or its little insurrection. It was an unresolved matter between darkness and light, and as Rando-Maul sensed a surge of triumphant power filling her mate, she could tell that the darkness was winning.

Gliding toward the doorway, she stepped between two drab brown Jedi robes, robes that had been dropped just before the battle had begun. Once, long ago, these robes would have had the power within their memory to touch her soul, but now the fierce light in her eyes blazed only for the mound of heavy black linen on the other side of the doorway. She scooped it to her chest, inhaling its scent as she covered herself in its possessive warmth. She wrapped it around her shoulders and pressed herself back into the shadows in one fluid motion, longing to get closer to the battle. She had every intention of gazing upon Maul�s face as the realization of his triumph graced the features now etched to permanence in her mind.

She slipped into the laser-locked corridor that led to the power station�s melting pit, the disposal unit for its residue. Trapped between security walls of laser energy, she was as acutely aware of her surroundings as she was of her own thunderous heartbeat. Stealth was of utmost importance now. She could not allow her presence there to interfere in this battle between light and darkness. If any part of this mission failed, her master would likely kill whoever was responsible, and although she had not always felt this way, at the moment, Rando-Maul had no desire to die.

She had her back pressed against the cold durasteel wall when it happened. The inconceivable. As if with the touch of a palm to a panel, the intricately woven part of her that was her Force connection with Darth Maul was torn violently from her being. Their link was severed with a sudden fury, laced around the edges with a touch of fatal surprise. The loss of her mate�s life essence, with all of its accompanying dark energy, brought the black clad Rando-Maul to her knees, an involuntary grunt of dazed disbelief escaping her lips as her legs absorbed the impact of black ferrocrete. Stealth was forgotten, but only for a millisecond, as Rando-Maul�s eyes blurred with sudden, unshed tears.

Because she did not want to face Lord Sidious weakened by the intensity of her grief, Rando-Maul flew herself back to Coruscant, arriving well ahead of the newly elected Chancellor. The emptiness that invaded her heart while in the cockpit of Maul�s ship drove her, upon landing, into the unsavory underground districts of Galactic City. She drifted from tapcafe to tapcafe, not noticing that each became a bit more down-trodden than the last. Nightfall descended on the eternally-in-motion planet, and Rando-Maul, who had begun her evening with elegant Corellian brandy, finally stumbled out of a dilapidated place called �The Vornsker�, with half a bottle of rot-gut she was sure had been fermented in the swamps of Dagobah.

She leaned against the building�s outer duracrete wall, glancing down an alleyway, then craning her neck upward to the skies of Coruscant.

�I still cannot fathom how that Jedi managed to slice you in two,� the dark voice in her head turned a shade darker as it moaned its mantra for the one hundredth time.

�There will be an opportunity for revenge, my obsession,� she vowed silently. �And when that moment comes, I swear I will not fail you.�

Slowly, she realized that she stood before a tiny shop who�s outward facade was lit up just a bit too brightly for Rando-Maul�s liking. Her eyes shifted in and out of focus as her destination became clear to her conscious mind.

�For now, there is something I must do,� she muttered. �This galaxy cannot forget who you were, my beloved. I will not allow it.�

She picked up one foot and brought it gingerly inside the doorway of the little shop. When it became clear that the leg would indeed support her weight, she did the same with the other. A few steps later and she stood face to face with the establishment�s proprietor.

�Are you... him?� she asked shakily, pointing to a sign above her that read �Sekou�s Tattoos�

At his nod, Rando-Maul�s fog-blurred eyes narrowed a bit. �And are they really the best that Coruscant has to offer?� she continued, reading the meter high advertisement that was emblazoned on the back wall.

�Yes, Ma�am,� the weequay owner of the tattoo parlor stood to his full height, and Rando-Maul eyed him carefully. In her world, aliens were not to be trusted with missions of importance, and at the moment, this was the most weighty mission of Rando-Maul�s life.

In a surprisingly gentle voice that seemed to soothe her, he smiled down expansively. �How can I help you this fine evening?�

Rando-Maul shuddered and slapped the bottle into the weequay�s hand. �I want... no, I need to create a memorial,� she said through thickened lips. �I lost someone...� her voice lowered to a confidential whisper. �Someone I don�t want to forget.�

Sekou patted her hand, oblivious to the emotions swirling beneath the surface of his latest customer�s skin. �I get alot of that,� he assured her. �Just what do you have in mind?�

Slowly, she pushed back the tendrils of impatience that threatened her already crowded brain. She fumbled within a pocket of Maul�s robe, coming up with a holo cube that contained different, intimidating likenesses of her mate.

�Do you see this face?� she asked, the sharp intake of breath from her companion indicating that indeed he did. �I want you to reproduce that tattoo on mine. Do you understand?�

The weequay let go of the breath he�d been holding and slowly shook his head.

�Look, lady, you had a little too much to drink tonight, OK? Go home and sober up. Come back tomorrow and I�ll see what I can do.� He put a hand on Rando-Maul�s shoulders, turning her toward the door. She tensed in his grasp, planting her feet and refusing to move, flashing a murderous look in Sekou�s direction.

�If you send me out of here, I will go to the next...� she stopped, the effects of her alcoholic haze lifting just a bit as she looked around. �What do you call this place?� she wondered aloud.

��Sekou�s Tattoo�s� Ma�am. Now if you�ll excuse me, I have some work I need to get done.�

�No!� Rando-Maul stated, a bit louder than she meant to. �I _am_ the work you need to get done. Now.� Turning around to face him, she grabbed him by the arms. The intensity of her grip was not lost on the gray-skinned alien.

"The galaxy must not forget... I will not allow it. Now, will you accept this job, or shall I find somewhere else to dump these credits?�

From out of another pocket came a handful of currency that shook only slightly in her hands.

Sekou�s eyes widened noticeably. �Alright. OK, lady... listen, I�ll do it, but it�s getting real late. Lemme close up the shop, so we won�t be interrupted. Gimme the holo, let me take another look, while you go back to that room over there and get comfy, hmm?�

Rando-Maul nodded, stuffing the credits into the weequay�s shirt pocket with one hand while she held up the holo cube with the other.

�There are several different...� her voice trailed off as her eyes beheld the different images of Maul the cube contained. �They�re all him.� Her voice cracked then as her hand released the cube into Sekou�s waiting fingers.

Obediently, she moved to the indicated room and sat down in a nearly horizontal float chair. Closing her eyes for a long moment, she contemplated her actions.

Sekou entered the room moments later, his huge form filling the space as his eyes rested on his customer�s relaxed form in the chair. The holos had given him plenty to work with, and this wasn�t nearly his first heartbroken patron, but there was something different about this one. Something about the way her fierce loyalty to her lost lover blazed out from her eyes spoke to the weequay�s heart. He wondered if she had any idea the extent of what she was asking him to do.

Touching her arm with an outstretched hand, he watched as she jumped a bit, then glanced down at a snow white capsule that rested against the gray of his palm.

�Something for pain,� he offered simply.

�No,� Rando-Maul whispered, glancing away.

"Look, lady, this is your face. It�s gonna sting, alot, no matter how we do this.�

�I have been trained to deal with pain,� she insisted flatly. How could she possibly explain that the pain would be welcomed, that it would only dimly echo the pain already resident within her heart? That maybe, just maybe, the heart pain would lessen as the pain from the tattoo increased, and she knew that her mate would never be totally gone. At least not as long as she carried this permanent reminder with her.

Sekou shrugged his brawny gray shoulders, and dropped the drug on a nearby counter. �It�ll be there if you change your mind.�

Sekou considered himself an artist, as most good tattoo creators do. He studied the lines of the face set before him with a critical eye. After a bit of consultation he convinced his patron to forgo the red coloring and concentrate on only the black. The red, he told her, wasn�t necessary, her own ivory paleness was enough of a contrast to the black he began injecting under her skin.

Every now and then he�d pat her hand and ask if she was OK, and she�d open her pale blue eyes, now made even paler as blackened skin surrounded them, to give him a reassuring nod. He took a swig of the bottle she�d given him earlier in the evening, it�s bitter edge giving him everything he needed to continue with this job. One he was sure he�d never forget.

Her pain shunting technique worked for a while, pushing back the pain as well as the effects of her binge. Slowly, she allowed the sting of Sekou�s needles to seep into her consciousness. It was only right, she had decided, to feel a fraction of what her mate must have experienced when defeated by his enemy.

The weequay was attending to last minute touch-ups when the first tear tricked down her cheek. He�d seen enough to know that she wasn�t reacting to anything he was submitting her to. The artist in his soul caught the anguish of the moment and without permission he altered the design a bit, creating a permanent tear in the corner of Rando-Maul�s right eye.

Nearly finished, he offered her the bottle, standing up straight to stretch his back and peer out a slowly brightening viewport. It looked as though morning was going to catch them right there in the room.

�No thank you,� Rando-Maul refused politely. �I�ve had enough of that to last a lifetime.�

�Yeah, you didn�t look like the drunk and disorderly type.� Taking a seat beside her for a moment, he passed her a mirror and motioned toward her face.

�So who�s the guy, huh?� he asked innocently. �He must been somethin� special, for you to do this for him.�

�He was my mate... my husband,� Rando-Maul said thickly. �He was killed in a duel...� her voice caught in her throat, as the memory of the moment she�d lost him came slamming back into her mind, full force.

�Sorry to hear that, lady,� Sekou muttered, finishing off the contents of the bottle in one last gulp and standing over her again.

Rando-Maul felt his thick fingers trace with surprising gentleness over the lines he�d created on her face. �If you need more money...� she offered, suddenly weary and ready to get out of that chair.

�We can take care of that later,� Sekou whispered, his face close to her own as he prepared his finishing touches. For good measure, he checked the holo cube again, studying the face of Maul and then glancing back to the face of his bride.

Moments later, he pronounced the job done, and handed her the mirror again. For the first time since she�d stumbled into his establishment, the weequay saw his customer smile.

There they were, those familiar lines that her fingers had traced over countless times. Her own face wearing Maul�s mask spoke volumes to Rando. Now she could rest assured that her mate would not go forgotten.

�Thank you,� she murmured, touching a finger to the tear he�d created on her cheek.

�It�s OK, then?� he asked, peering into her reflection from behind.

"Yes,� she replied absently, turning her face first one way, then another in an attempt to take in her new appearance from every available angle.

�The swelling will be gone this time tomorrow,� Sekou assured her. �You decide you need a touch up or somethin� you come see me, huh?�

She turned to him, pressing another handful of credits into his hands.

�I will,� she promised.

Sekou grinned in surprise as she pressed her tattooed black lips against his cheek. His hands engulfed hers as he continued to gaze into her eyes.

�You need a drinkin� buddy, someone to talk to, anything... you come see Sekou, got that?�

She nodded mutely and turned to leave, waiting for him to key the security sequence to let her out of the building.

�Don�t forget me, huh?� he reminded as she stepped out into the feeble morning light that managed to filter its way this far down into the depths of Coruscant�s lower levels.

�I won�t,� she smiled, pulling her hood up over her head. Her fingertips lingered on the gray of the weequay�s shoulder, for something intimate had indeed passed between them during the darkest hours of the night. Alien or not, Sekou had been there to lighten a burden that had threatened to consume her, and she did not intend to forget.

With the finality of someone who�s lost the reason for their existence, Rando-Maul walked numbly toward the hangar that now housed the _Infiltrator_. There was no longer a need for the protective cover of shadows. She strode purposefully, as one trained not to waste unnecessary movement, threading her way to sanctuary. Vaguely she wondered if her Master had felt it, that instant that would freeze itself forever in her brain as the moment half of her heart had died in her chest.

Yes, he had felt it, she was sure. Maul had meant much to his Master, but he�d meant volumes more to his bride. Her mind went back to the moment he�d given her the name of Rando-Maul.

�Rando means bride,� he had said, in that velvety smooth voice that had never fail to mesmerize her. �At least in the language of my home.� At that moment she�d sensed the ache of loneliness within him, and had given all that she was to fill that void.

The sight of his ship brought her back to the present, as she trudged wearily up the ramp. Sealing the hatch, she wandered through the extension of Maul that the _Infiltrator_ had become. It had been here that he�d first brought her, after abducting her from her home world and position as high holy woman, or Saiy-Clarr. He�d seen her kill him in a vision of his death-- a gift given by his Master, Darth Sidious. And so he�d come to Zin Kare, to insure that she would not make that vision his fatal reality. Sidious, as always, had had a plan of his own for the little priestess of Zin Kare. He had turned her to the dark side, slowly molding and twisting her to fit his specifications. Not that she could blame her turning on Sidious alone. She had followed willingly. Hesitantly, at first, but with increasing eagerness, as previously unknown desires had been awaked within her.

It had been Sidious who had joined them in marriage, his apprentice and his innocent, in a blood ceremony that had altered her existence forever. Maul�s blood still coursed darkly through her veins, thanks to her Master.

Reflexively, Rando rubbed the scar on her wrist where her skin had been cut and her flesh bound to Maul�s. Exhausted emotionally as well as physically, she curled up in the tiny cabin�s only bunk. She pressed her nose into the black of her beloved�s robe, hoping to somehow inhale not only his familiar scent, but his essence as well. This feeling of utter abandonment was new to her. For the past decade or more, she had never strayed far from her lover�s side, he had never allowed her to wander too far from his touch. Aloneness consumed her, as she fell into a fitful sleep.

Hours later, her pale blue eyes flew open, adjusting to the light streaming in through the ship�s viewport. She�d heard his voice, she�d sensed that presence that she�d thought she�d never experience again.

�Rando,� it whispered, coursing through the ship�s cabin in a Force-pushed breeze.

Rando sat up in her bed, her eyes darting right and left for a glimpse of her mate.

�Maul?� came her hushed reply.

�I�m here,� an invisible voice informed her, petulant in the still ragged emotion of his defeat. The room began to glow softly, and without warning the translucent red form of Darth Maul�s spirit stood before her.

�How did they best you, my love?� she asked, the longing to embrace him and make him hers once more leaking into her voice.

�That�s not important, and it�s not why I�m here,� he spoke just as bitterly. His voice softened and he reached for her. Rando-Maul almost imagined that she could feel his caress.

�I need you, Rando,� he continued. �You�ve got to let me in. Something is keeping me here, and I can only guess that it�s my blood that still flows within your veins. Take me back to Sidious. Surely he can come up with a body for me, somewhere.�

�But you already _are_ in...� she spoke, confusion written on her face. �I can see you...�

�No, you don�t understand,� he pressed, sitting beside her on their bed and trying his best to breach the gulf between them; the impenetrable gulf between flesh and spirit. Rando could feel the frustration in his voice.

�I can�t just float within this realm forever. I need something, someone to embody, so I can remain with you. You have to let me in.�

Suddenly his meaning washed over his bride. �You mean you want me to allow your spirit to live... inside me?�

�Do you want me to be able to stay with you?� he returned impatiently. His gaze upon her narrowed as he looked on the altered features of her face. Red fingers that were only barely there reached out to trace the line across her cheek.

Rando-Maul swallowed. �Of course I want you with me. I haven�t been able to think since you�ve been gone. I need you.�

�Then you must invite me in,� he finished matter of factly.

She shifted position, coming to a cross-legged pose on the bunk. The consequences of her actions were disregarded as she shivered with excitement. She could have Maul back-- she _would_ have Maul back, and he would be all hers, forever.

�I invite you in,� she spoke, without reservation, and with an unexpected jolt she felt his spirit enter her, with a rush of wind and a sharp intake of breath, Maul�s energy invaded her mouth, her nose, her ears, her eyes, the force of it knocking her flat against the mattress. Her body felt as though its flesh were being stretched to accommodate an additional entity inside her. She lay momentarily paralyzed, as she experienced his spirit insinuating itself into her own.

�We are one again, Rando,� she heard his silken voice within her still bedazzled brain.

�Yes,� she managed to breathe, as his purposes became hers and her thoughts and memories became his. Fear fingered her soul at this new and sudden level of intimacy, as she realized that all the Sith magic in the galaxy could not shield her thoughts from him, now. He felt cold inside her, and bitter. She could sense that he still angered over his defeat at the Jedi�s hand.

Using Rando�s arms Maul wrapped himself around his bride. He nursed her fears while she nursed his wounded pride. Slowly, she felt herself drifting off again, as his soft voice filled her mind with its comforting thoughts of revenge. They were together, and they had a mission. That was the most important thing. His spirit kept its vigil while Rando�s body went back to sleep.

It was nearly a standard month later before she caught a glimpse of her Master returning to Coruscant from Naboo; Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. She kept herself well hidden, far above the docking platform where his shuttle landed, for to approach him now, in his role as Chancellor Palpatine, would be nothing less than suicidal.

He acknowledged her presence darkly as he disembarked the ship that had brought himself and his compliment of Guardsmen from his home world. Rando-Maul�s eyes widened in wonder as the entire Jedi Council trailed slowly behind him. She could not begin to fathom the power it had to have taken for him to hide his darkness from the group of Jedi.

�You could learn that kind of power if you would only open yourself up to him,� Maul�s voice sounded inside her head.

�I never wanted to be _his_ apprentice,� she thought back. �I only wanted to be yours.�

Maul laughed darkly within her, and as her arms went around herself, she could feel his embrace. It had gotten easier, as the days went by, to become familiar with his presence inside her soul, although she'd developed a permanent chill. She knew that every thought that ran itself through her brain was now under his scrutiny as well, but she didn�t mind, for to have him so close that he had now become a part of her, Rando was willing to sacrifice a bit of privacy.

From a tiny window high in a building overlooking the landing shuttle, Rando continued to watch the procession, wondering at the sensation of knowing that Maul saw everything her eyes beheld, as well. She didn't even realize that she stood, arms crossed over her chest, legs wide, in a stance that was typical of Maul. She'd taken on many of his mannerisms since inviting his spirit to dwell inside her own.

�Now what?� she whispered, forgetting momentarily that she no longer had to use her lips to communicate with Maul.

�We wait,� he informed. �Our Master will call us at his convenience. And you�ve got to stop that whispering. People will think you�re talking to yourself.�

�I am,� she retorted defiantly.

�Only trying to protect you, Love.� His amusement coursed through her being.

�Me... or yourself?� she taunted, not quite ready to drop the matter.

�One and the same, Rando,� he reminded thoughtfully, �one and the same.�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

�He fought well, my Master,� Rando�s voice broke the silence that permeated her Master�s inner office. She stood respectfully in the doorway, waiting for permission to enter.

�Rando-Maul,� Sidious� icy voice spoke. He was the only being alive that had the power to speak right through her.

�I see you�ve brought my apprentice with you,� he stated, watching impassively as she crossed the space between them to kneel at his feet.

�Resourceful as always, Lord Maul,� he addressed Maul�s spirit dryly, motioning for Rando-Maul to stand. Without preamble, as though picking up where he and his apprentice had just left off, he began to speak.

"You missed a touching moment around a funeral pyre, Rando-Maul. I half expected you to be there. Wasn't Qui-Gon Jinn an uncle of yours?"

He chuckled coldly as he sensed the anger course through her body. Only Maul's control of her body kept her eyes down and her head bowed respectfully, as Sidious continued.

�As newly elected chancellor, I will, of course, be spending the majority of my time here on Coruscant. I have a proposition I�d like to discuss with you. See that you are in my chambers at 2300 hours standard, day after tomorrow. For now, you both are dismissed to go.�

�Yes, my Master.� Rando-Maul�s eyes widened as two distinct voices came out of her mouth.

Sidious� barely hidden smirk of sinister amusement followed her all the way to her quarters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rando-Maul wrapped her husband�s robe more tightly around herself as she waited. She was cold, and tired. She'd never quite gotten used to her Master�s habit of doing much of his dark mechanizations in the dead of the night.

�Meditation chamber, 2300 hours,� she muttered mockingly, impatiently waiting for Sidious to appear.

�Quiet,� Maul soothed her from within. �He�s coming.� He stroked the neural stimulus inside her brain to calm her.

�What is he up to n-� she wondered briefly, as Maul put a gentle clamp on her vocal chords.

�You�ll find out in a heartbeat, if you don�t stay quiet,� he reminded.

�She is anxious to hear my plans for her, Maul, now that your body is no longer a barrier between us.� Sidious� voice cut through the darkness of his chambers. Even Maul�s spirit within her could not suppress the sharp gasp of surprise that escaped his lover�s lips.

Sidious gazed on her, distain evident on his face. His eyes flickered only lightly over her newly tattooed features.

�She knows I no longer trust her, and she�s waiting for the moment I will tire of her completely and end the life she gave me years ago. She knew she could always hide behind you before...�

The word �before� hung in the air between them.

�I have not come to punish you for past misdeeds, Rando,� Sidious assured, almost missing the twitch of her jaw as he called her by the name only Maul had ever used. Absently, he wondered just which entity inside her had twitched it.

�I come with a gift,� he breathed slowly. �But first you have to be willing to give up something of your own.�

Rando-Maul bowed low. �Anything, my Master,� Maul�s voice spoke through her mouth, before she had the time to protest.

�The robe, Rando... you must give me back Maul�s robe from Naboo.�

An interesting display was afforded to him then, as Maul, intent to shrug the black robe off his mate�s shoulders, was met by her resistance as she attempted to keep it on.

�Perhaps this will help you decide,� Sidious bit out caustically. He motioned Rando-Maul deeper into his meditation chamber, opening a closet sized room where only one thing stood on lighted display: a replica of the uniform worn by Palpatine�s royal guardsmen, only this one had been fashioned in crimson red.

Rando�s eyes narrowed as she beheld the uniform and felt the sharp intake of breath that it invoked in the other entity that shared her body. Her feet propelled her to the uniform, and without her bidding, her hand smoothed the crimson fabric between trembling fingers.

�There is more,� The Sith Master informed with a curt nod. He pushed past the spotlighted uniform and its crimson helmet and robe, revealing a narrow doorway hidden in the wall behind it.

�Now that we will be spending so much time here on Coruscant, I have to have a way to keep my apprentice by my side,� Sidious explained, as they traveled down a dimly lit and spiraled staircase. He keyed in a security code and activated heavy blast doors three levels down.

�You will serve me as my bodyguard. My closest companion and my very right hand,� he continued. �The first of an elite command.�

�You already have your royal guardsmen,� Rando-Maul stated suspiciously.

�As I said,� Sidious returned, with much more patience than she deserved, in Maul�s opinion. �An elite squadron of highly specialized commandos, skilled warriors who will do my bidding...without question.�

His eyes bore into hers as they entered an underground chamber whose walls were embedded with a diverse compliment of control panels and computerized work stations. In the center of the room, and bathed in bright light, stood a muted silver tube, measuring over two meters long.

�A Spaarti Cylinder,� Sidious breathed the words as though within themselves they had the power to rearrange the universe.

�A clone,� Maul�s incredulous voice spoke out of Rando�s mouth.

�I�ve made an acquaintance of one of the clone masters,� Sidious revealed, his clenched jaw the only outward sign of the import of this project.

�You will be my first,� he addressed the spirit within Rando-Maul�s body. �There is only one... complication. Time, it seems, has a direct influence on the stability of a clone. You will be forced to reside right where you are, until it is ready. You, Maul, will command my elite Crimson guard. Once you wear the crimson robe, we will communicate only telepathically. You will become an extension of all that I am.�

Turning to look full into Rando-Maul�s face he continued. �Your identity, of necessity, will remain hidden from everyone. You will answer solely to me. I need to know that you will not betray me, Rando. As long as my apprentice remains within you, I know that your faithfulness will be above question. Will you accept this appointment?� he asked officially.

Rando felt the force of her body fall to one knee before Sidious. With trembling hands, slowly, lingeringly, she removed Maul�s black Sith robe and presented it to her Master. A tear pierced the back of her eyelid, briefly, as the garment left her hands. She gazed up at Sidious, watching with satisfaction the look of surprise that came to his features when he saw the extent of the striping that now permanently etched her pale face.

She stood to her feet, facing her Master without flinching, finding comfort once again in the tattooed lines that crossed her cheeks. Lines that proclaimed loudly exactly where Rando-Maul�s loyalties lay.

Turning on his heel, he mounted the steps, with Rando only a heartbeat behind him. She gazed emotionlessly on the crimson uniform.

�That clone will not be programmed to love me,� she spoke mentally to her husband. �Sidious sees your love for me as a weakness. He will reprogram your clone�s mind without any memory of me.�

�Put on the robe, Rando,� Maul argued silently.

�You will be quite a unique entity while we wait for Maul�s clone to mature, Rando,� Sidious broke into their thoughts. �It would be beneficial to all of us if you will embrace all of your potential while Maul�s disembodied spirit resides within you. By the time the moment comes for him to leave your body, all of his mannerisms will be your second nature. I predict that you will be unstoppable.�

Without preamble, Darth Sidious pulled the red robe from its display and arranged it around her shoulders. It was not lost on Rando that while under his dominion she had gone from the white robe of her station as Saiy-Clarr to white laced with black and red, after she and Maul were married. Then she�d gone to black, and now, finally, a robe the color of blood encased her body. Only she knew the significance that these colors had had on her life. She allowed her own spirit to decrease, as Maul�s took over more and more of her body. If this was what it took to keep him within her grasp, then she would do her Master�s bidding. She would gladly put on another robe.

The End

L.G.

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