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| - Maya was born the daughter of slaves, born in captivity and when she was 6 or so her parents tried to escape and give her a better future. They were chased, captured again and slayed for their mutiny, but their sacrifice was not useless: During the flee attempt they were able to keep her safe entrusting the child to a human farmers family, the Lockjaws, that were also informed about the location of the clandestine weapons factory where they were reduced to slavery together with many other peoples (mainly togrutas, twileks and wookies too). The traffickers were arrested and all the slaves set free thanks to her parent's sacrifice. She remained with the human family, they loved her as a daughter of their own and she was quite happy, though often tormented by horrible misty nightmares that she could not focus on. The Lockjaws were put under the protection of the Jedi Council, fearing probable retorts by traffickers and were moved to a secret location where they could live peacefully. Some Jedi Knights visited them quite often: Maya could feel their attention focused on her though she seldom dared to speak with them, she was a very silent and shy child. Once, Master Al'Mutab'bi asked her if she'd like to became a Jedi Knight. That's has been her dream since she was a toddle. She could remember her father telling her about Togruta Jedi knights of the past and their quests to cheer her up and give her some hope in the future. Maya was a charmed little girl, and knew that if she'd ever manage to set free from slavery, she'd become a Jedi Knight and a Healer (maybe because she saw too much pain and grief around her and felt useless and impotent before it). Master Al'Mutabbi chose Maya as his padawan and she followed him in Felucia, where many years ago Master Shaak Ti had established a base to train force sensitives. She was after all serene, and an eager learner. She managed to control her frequent nightmares and the grief for her parents death. Besides, thanks to meditation and to her Master teachings Maya began to learn the Force Ways. They got along very well together. Maya could understand his thoughts with a glance. A few years after the beginning of her training, Maya lost him. And she blamed herself for this. They were on patrol in the Outer Rim and about to leave towards home when Maya suddenly felt the presence of slave prisoners in the nearbies: her head was filled at once with grief, and cries and wails, that she almost lost consciousness. She withdrawed from her Master as in a sort of trance while he was intent to check on the ship before the departure towards home. She wandered off and was able to locate the slaves. They were hidden in a huge cargo ship that had just landed for supplies. Maya managed to sneak into it and to find the trapdoor where they were segregated, they were 30 or so, in terrible conditions and there were many of her kind too and so many children. Anger overcame her, and Maya lost control. She knew she should have come back to warn her master and call for reinforcements. But at the moment she could not think about that as her fury and rage blinded her senses. That put her in serious danger: she could not feel the roughs approaching and she found herself surrounded by eight of them in no time: she fought hard to defend herself and slayed down most of them with such a fury and fierceness that she still shivers at the recall, but she was badly shot at the right shoulder, dropped her weapon, and fell down. Maya pretended to be unconscious to gain time and decide what to do, but she was losing much blood, and she could feel her strength draining away... There were only two of them left and she could hear them wondering if they should take her too as a slave or finish the job. All of a sudden she felt her Master approaching, most likely he had noticed her absence and went out to look for me, maybe she called him telepathically, Maya cannot surely know. He managed to get ridd the two traffickers, and to send out the alarm asking for aid from nearby patrols to attend to the prisoners. Maya was still bleeding copiously, he managed to stop the blood flow, but she was very feeble and falling in and out of consciousness. Then she felt her hearth freeze and a sudden fear overwhelmed her exactly as it has happened so many times in her nightmares. Maya was perfectly vigil all of a sudden and could see clearly though she could not move a finger and nor open her eyes. While Master Al Mutabbi was leanig over her, checking on her wound, and trying to wake her up, he could see and feel everything but could not move a muscle. She saw a black hooded figure behind him, a red flash and Master falling down beside her. As quoted by Maya Lockjaw "A cry of horror and grief rose within me and I thought my head was going to burst; evil, anguishing, cold laughter filled the air, and the last thing I remember was the face of my Master so close to mine, still staring at me with a startled gaze. Then all became black. When I woke up I was in my bed in Felucia base. I thought for a second it has been one of my nightmares again, then the pang in my shoulder forced me to face the reality.the wound has been carefully clean and bound, a little red stain was spreading now on the bandage surface because of my brisk movement. Master Ashla entered the room with some clean clothes and found me awake. She didn't dare to look into my eyes, but I had no need to ask about my Master's fate. She informed me that when the patrol arrived, they found only me and Master Al Mut'abbi clothes and lightsaber, nobody else was in sight. They thought I was dead too, I remained unconscious for several days. I told her about the killer, and about the few things I could remember. I was informed that there was no doubt that my Master had been killed by a lightsaber stroke. They guessed that could have been a Sith Lord, or worse, a traitor Jedi and that I had probably been a pawn used to reach Al'Mutabbi, to lure him into a trap Master Ashla was thinking of some traitor jedi knight too, or anyway someone very close to us, that could have observed me, someone that knew of my past as a slave, and the deep connection existing between me and my Master, and that could have used this information against him. That's why only two people at the Temple knew I was still alive. They decided I had to withdraw. I did not oppose to this choice, I needed time to stay alone and regain control of my mind, I felt so weak and vulnerable without him. Master Ashla allowed me to take my Master's lightsaber, with the promise I'd never use it before complete my trials. I could no more feel as before the attack, and the worst being I did not manage to connect with my late Master. Grief, and regret and rage too were blinding again my senses, and were leading straight to the dark side. For a long period Revenge has been my only wish. I struggled hard against this feeling and at last, slowly and with great effort I regained control and strength. I fruitlessly kept contact with Master Ashla to get news about the murder. Nothing suspect had happened after the attack, and once I regained my skills, the nightmares too returned to torture me. Always the same, the icy feeling, the hooded figure, the cold laugh and, now, my Master staring eyes. I decided to not come back to the base in Felucia, I feared to put in danger everyone I loved by coming back there. I worried also about the Lockjaws and thought that it might not safe for them that I visit their home so I took a chance to go to my native planet where I had never been before, I met my clan and my relatives. When my parents were kidnapped by slave traffickers, my mother was pregnant with me, but none in the clan had a clue about my fate. I spent a year with them, and to this day visit them when I got the chance. I have travelled throughout the galaxy under the name Maya Lockjaw to discover what really happened that day, why Master Al'Mutabbi had been so cowardly murdered and Who's the responsible. I did not look for revenge anymore, I'd only wish to know why it happened. But then I realized that the most important thing I could do to honour him was going on with my training and become a Jedi Knight. I visited many Jedi Temples around the galaxy till I reached Coruscant and here I found, at last, that feeling of peace that had abandoned my soul for so long . I took this feeling as proof that I had reached the right place where I hoped to complete my training and become a Consular of the Praexum Order to serve the Galaxy, the Common Greater Good and honour my ancestors and my people, and yes, my late Master too."
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