Marked

Marked is a 12-page comic featured in Star Wars Tales 24, written by Rob Williams, art by Cully Hamner, colors by Wil Glass and letters by Michael Heisler. It features Darth Maul and Darth Sidious, and takes place roughly six months before The Phantom Menace. It also shows flashbacks of Maul as a young apprentice.

Plot
Darth Sidious sends Darth Maul on a mission to eliminate a certain disturbance in the Force. Sidious informs Maul that the phenomenon threatens to wake the Jedi from their complacency and inability to sense the return of the Sith.

Maul tracks his quarry to a cantina on a planet in the Outer Rim Territories. The disturbance is in the form of a Drovian brute called Silus, who is extremely strong in the dark side of the Force. Silus is a champion competitor in a fighting sport that involves use of the Force, and the winning of credits.

When Maul enters, an Aleena called Tabor engages Silus in combat. Tabor is no match for him, and dies quickly.

Maul confronts Silus, and opens a holocommunication channel to his master. Through the holo, Sidious offers Silus an opportunity to become his new apprentice: by giving him a chance to kill Darth Maul. Maul is confused by his Master's apparent betrayal, and turns to great anger. He kills Silus without much effort. Maul later realizes that it was merely a test of his own strength, and a lesson demonstrating that in fear there is power.

Throughout the story, Maul experiences some minor flashbacks. The flashbacks reveal that Maul had plain red skin as a child, and that his Sith tattoos were applied by none other than Darth Sidious himself.

Characters

 * Darth Maul
 * Darth Sidious
 * Silus
 * Tabor

Sentient species



 * Aleena
 * Aqualish
 * Arcona
 * Bith
 * Blood Carver
 * Drovian
 * Duros
 * Gand
 * Ho'Din
 * Human
 * Mrlssi
 * Rodian
 * Trandoshan
 * Ugnaught
 * Verpine
 * Zabrak

Droid models

 * Droideka

Locations

 * Iridonia

Vehicles and vessels

 * Scimitar

Weapons and technology

 * Double-bladed lightsaber
 * Nullifier field

Organizations and titles

 * Jedi
 * Sith
 * Dark Lord of the Sith