PT Maul and Qui-Gon meet again

Its a story from ''Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith 2022'' which is canon since its published after 2014. Its a short story named ''The Ghosts of Maul''.

After Order 66, some time passes and Maul searches a planet that is strong with the Dark Side. He find a Sith castle on planet named Damanos so he could learn the Sith secrets that can make him more powerful.

The Sith castle is similar to cave of evil in Dagobah, strong with the dark side. While he was in the Sith castle, Savage Opress and General Grievous's ghosts attacks Maul, but Maul defeats them.

Then Maul enters a different room in the castle, and sees Qui-Gon Jinn who was sitting with a meditating pose. Maul senses the great power inside the room.

However, unlike Savage and Grievous, Qui-Gon doesn't attack Maul. Maul ask Qui-Gon if returned to fight him and defeated again. Qui-Gon replies while Maul killed him, he never defeated him. Maul asks why he returned then. Qui-Gon instead offers Maul a choice, he offers that Maul should leave the Sith castle and forget it existed and leave behind his obsession for revenge and take a new step towards a new destiny.

Maul sarcastically asks if Qui-Gon wants him to take the path of the Jedi. Qui-Gon replies that there is much more to the galaxy than Jedi or Sith, more than Light or Dark, Qui-Gon wants Maul to free himself from the prison Maul is making. Maul asks him what he would know about his prison, Qui-Gon tells Maul, Maul is being ruled by his need of revenge, asks him what good would it do if Maul killed all his enemies Darth Sidious and Obi-Wan, where would that lead him.

Maul refuses answer the question, and says he knew Jedi would try to taunt him by unleashing his anger. Qui-Gon scoffs and tells him not that anger Maul feels, but the lost, Maul ignites his lightsaber, when he tried to strike down Qui-Gon, Qui-Gon disappears. Then the dark power that Maul sensed in the castle faded away.

Was Qui-Gon's force ghost really there or it was just a trick from the Sith castle's power?

 

At the time Maul was looking for Darkside Artifacts to get stronger, so 80% of me thinks it was force visions putting him through tests, similar to the dark cave on Korriban ( in kotor 1&2 ). The other 20% makes me believe that it could be both a Darkside test and Qui-Gon talking to Maul through the force or at least his essence. In rebels Yoda was both trained put Ezra through tests of vision and was talking to Ezra himself.

 

I always took the darkside cave scene from Empire as the Force warning Luke of his inevitable destiny if he followed the quick and easy path, as well as a warning that Vader was part of him.

Maybe this is a case of the Force warning Maul of his inevitable end if he doesn't abandon his hatred and lust for revenge. Maul wasn't truly a Sith any longer despite his belief as such. So, it's possible it's actually the Force as opposed to a trick from the Sith temple.

 

I lean more towards it being a force vision , or the Sith castle’s power, like you mentioned. Kinda like Luke seeing Vader in the Dagobah Cave.

Sounds like the writer left it up for the reader to decide (like so much in STAR WARS ), knowing some will interpret it to actually be Qui-Gon since his force ghost became Canon after Kenobi.

 

I like the duality of it all, regardless of whether it was the Force itself, or the power of the castle. Both despised the messenger who presented their warnings. Maul despised Qui-Gon. Luke despised Vader, as this was before the reveal.
With Luke, we see him heed the Force's warning. He keeps his promise to Yoda and returns. He stands before evil and resists the temptations of the quick and easy path of the dark side.
And with Maul, we see the lust for revenge against Obi-Wan had consumed him and that he failed to heed the warnings, which ultimately cost him his life.

 

We should see this story in Shadow Lord.