Maul’s Reign
At the height of the Clone Wars wreaking havoc across the wider galaxy, Viszla and the Death Watch staged multiple strikes against the Neo-Mandalorian government, culminating in a successful coup d’etat staged in part through an alliance with the Shadow Collective, a criminal syndicate backed by the former Sith apprentice Maul and his brother, Savage Opress. After betraying Viszla and executing him in ritual combat, rightful ownership of the Darksaber passed to Maul, who used it in turn to execute Satine Kryze, bringing an end to the Neo-Mandalorian government.
Maul’s rule of the planet was short-lived—his coup collided with the climax of the final hours of the Clone War, where Mandalore was besieged by Republic forces supporting Satine’s sister, Bo-Katan Kryze. After Maul was rendered into the custody of Ahsoka Tano, the Clone War was brought to an abrupt end with the systemic execution of Jedi Generals across the galaxy, the unconditional surrender of Separatist leadership, and the transition of the Republic into a Galactic Empire. Maul, embracing the chaos around him, escaped Republic custody and took the Darksaber with him to his ancestral home, Dathomir, where it remained in secret for over a decade.
