Darth Maul—Son of Dathomir 4

"Maul faces his former master!"

- Cover tagline

Darth Maul&mdash;Son of Dathomir, Part Four is the fourth and final issue of the comic series Star Wars: Darth Maul&mdash;Son of Dathomir. Within its pages, the once-Sith Lord Darth Maul unleashes the next phase of his plan with Mother Talzin to defeat Darth Sidious and seize control of the galaxy. Sidious, however, disrupts the plan, leading to one final confrontation between the Dathomir witch and the Dark Lord of the Sith&mdash;a confrontation that will determine the fate of the Shadow Collective.

Son of Dathomir, Part Four was written by Jeremy Barlow and pencilled by Juan Frigeri. It was adapted from "Showdown on Dathomir," an episode that was scripted by Aïda Mashaka Croal and Matt Michnovetz for what would have been the seventh season of the television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, had the show not been cancelled. Because it is based on a script from the series, which was produced by George Lucas, it is part of the official Star Wars canon. The 40-page issue was published by Dark Horse Comics on August 20, 2014.

Publisher's summary
"Count Dooku is possessed by the spirit of Mother Talzin! Darth Maul's Shadow Collective is shattered! The Separatists attack! And Darth Sidious himself enters the fight!"

Plot summary
In the aftermath of the Galactic Republic and Jedi assault against the Shadow Collective on Vizsla Keep 09, Darth Maul races towards Dathomir with his Death Watch allies&mdash;as well as Count Dooku, who had claimed to join Maul's vendetta against Darth Sidious.

While en route to Dathomir, Maul is contacted by Ziton Moj of Black Sun and a member of the Pyke Syndicate. Having lost the moon of Zanbar and the planet Ord Mantell&mdash;as well as the supply outpost&mdash;in their fights against the Sith, the two allies have become worried that Maul's plan is failing and that the fight has become the former Sith Lord's personal vendetta against his old master. Maul assures them that they will be paid, and that, once Darth Sidious is dead, the galaxy will belong to the Shadow Collective. Maul then orders Gar Saxon, a Mandalorian, to keep the Pykes and Black Sun in line. Meanwhile, Maul tells Dooku that he knows the Sith Lord is not truly an ally, and that Dooku has been told by Sidious to play Maul's game. Maul then has Dooku taken into custody by Rook Kast.

Once on Dathomir, Maul speaks to Brother Viscus, who survived his encounter with Count Dooku during the battle on Ord Mantell, and Viscus tells Maul that the preparations had been made for the next phase of their plan. The Nightbrothers take Dooku before Mother Talzin, who appears in a cloud of smoke and begins to unleash a magick attack against the Sith Lord.

Meanwhile, a Sith Infiltrator arrives in orbit, carrying both General Grievous and Darth Sidious, after tracking Dooku's location to Dathomir. Sidious orders Grievous to jam the Dathomirian communications and cloak the ship, allowing them to arrive on Dathomir undetected. Maul and the Nightbrothers do not see the ship coming and continue with their plan, as Talzin uses her magic to draw the life force from Dooku so she can use it to physically manifest herself again. As Maul explains, Talzin's physical return requires a great sacrifice, and they had chosen Dooku to make that sacrifice.

As the process continues, an explosion rips through the area, and Grievous and Sidious appear before Maul to confront him. Sidious reminds his former apprentice that there is only one plan that matters: the plan of Darth Sidious to rule the galaxy. As they speak, Moj and Pykes contacts Kast, informing her that the Separatist armies have begun attacking them. The Shadow Collective allies demand to know where Maul is, but Kast says that his not their concern and that they are to fight the Separatists.

On Dathomir, Mother Talzin takes control of Dooku's body, and she and Maul engage in combat against Sidious and Grievous. Talzin fights the Dark Lord of the Sith while Maul attacks Grievous. Sidious quickly gains the upper-hand against Talzin, demanding that she release his apprentice. Sidious bombards Dooku's body with Force lightning before Talzin releases Dooku and appears in physical form once again. Kast, meanwhile, continues speaking with Black Sun and the Pykes, who inform her that they are pulling out of the Shadow Collective, leaving Maul on his own as a Separatist fleet emerges from hyperspace over Dathomir.

Maul continues his fight against Grievous, pushing him out of and away from the battle. Sidious once again unleashes lightning against Talzin, while Talzin herself sends a torrent of magical energy towards the Dark Lord. Maul pleads with Talzin to take his strength, but, as Dooku enters the fight with his own lightning attacks, Talzin tells her son to retreat without her, even if it means her own doom. Talzin uses her magic to telekinetically throw Maul from the fray, and he is pulled away by Kast and another Mandalorian warrior&mdash;but watches as Grievous returns and uses two lightsabers to fatally stab Talzin through the chest.

With his Shadow Collective in tatters, Maul and the Death Watch flee from Dathomir. Sidious, Dooku, and Grievous overlook Talzin's body, while Dooku regretfully says that Maul has once again escaped. Sidious is not concerned, however, as everything transpired as he had intended. Maul's future as a Sith rival has been destroyed, while the Sith have taken another step in securing their own future.

Development
Son of Dathomir, Part Four was adapted from "Showdown on Dathomir," an episode that Aïda Mashaka Croal and Matt Michnovetz scripted for what would have been the seventh season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Collections

 * Star Wars: Darth Maul&mdash;Son of Dathomir (TPB)