Unveiling Darth Maul’s Grand Post-Clone Wars Scheme to Topple Palpatine – A Star Wars Revelation

E.K. Johnston’s novel Crimson Climb charts the rise of Qi’ra, Han Solo’s first love, through the ranks of Crimson Dawn. The book reveals Crimson Dawn is older than viewers realized, although it had never before been a galactic force; it had largely grown because it had accepted a new overseer, one who found it useful. That overseer, of course, was Darth Maul himself. Dryden Vos was one of the few members of Crimson Dawn to know the identity of their master, although Qi’ra was given access to Maul too after acquiring an ancient Jedi superweapon he desired.

But – staggeringly – it seems Darth Maul didn’t only run Crimson Dawn during the Dark Times of the Empire’s reign. He had successfully expanded his Clone Wars-era Shadow Collective, taking control of no less than five of the major crime syndicates: Crimson Dawn, the Hutts, Black Sun, the Crymorah, and the Pykes. This was no mere alliance; at one point in Crimson Climb, Maul commands representatives of the various syndicates to meet together, and they have no choice but to do so. He is their overseer, their commander, the one they are responsible to. Later, Crimson Climb confirms Darth Maul is based on Dathomir, the legendary homeworld of the Nightsisters of Dathomir – his own people.

This explains why Qi’ra knew she could not go with Han at the end of Solo: A Star Wars Story. She was one of the few who had met Darth Maul, the true ruler of the galaxy’s underworld, and there was no way he would allow her to go free. All the resources of the five greatest criminal empires in the galaxy would be used against her. Qi’ra was in far too deep, and she had no choice but to stay with Darth Maul.