Maul : Lockdown Maul : Lockdown is a novel by Joe Schreiber featuring Darth Maul . The story takes place in the year before the events of and follows Maul on a mission in which he must infiltrate a space prison in order to secure a nuclear bomb for use by the Bando Gora terrorist group . The novel was first unveiled on the website io9 . com on January 24 , 2013 and was released on January 28 , 2014 . Narration for the audio version was performed by Jonathan Davis . The paperback edition was released on January 27 , 2015 . Publisher ' s summary . Hardcover . Back cover The power of the Dark Side is never more dangerous than when it ' s cornered . Internal flap " It ' s kill or be killed in the space penitentiary that houses the galaxy ' s worst criminals , where convicts face off in gladiatorial combat while an underworld gambling empire reaps the profits of the illicit blood sport . But the newest contender in this savage arena , as demonic to behold as he is deadly to challenge , is fighting for more than just survival . His do - or - die mission , for the dark masters he serves , is to capture the ultimate weapon : an object capable of obliterating the Jedi and conquering the galaxy . " " Sith Lords Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious are determined to possess the prize . And one of the power - hungry duo has his own treacherous plans for it . But first , their fearsome apprentice must take on a bloodthirsty prison warden , a cannibal gang , cutthroat crime lord Jabba the Hutt , and an unspeakable alien horror . No one else could brave such a gauntlet of death and live . But no one else is the dreaded dark - side disciple known as Darth Maul . " Plot summary . Darth Maul is dispatched by Darth Sidious to the prison colony of Cog Hive Seven in order to find the mysterious weapons merchant known as Iram Radique . In Cog Hive Seven , Maul , under the guise of a mercenary known as Jagganath , finds himself in a prison that also holds gladiatorial contests between prisoners . Maul is forced to partake in several of these matches during his investigation into Iram Radique ' s whereabouts . However , as his investigation unfolds , Maul soon discovers the true nature of his mission ; he is to contact Radique in order to buy a nuclear device that had been secretly built inside Cog Hive Seven . The purpose of buying this nuclear device is to sell it to the Bando Gora , whom Radique hates with a passion . Unfortunately , during Maul ' s investigation , Cog Hive Seven ' s warden , Sadiki Blirr , finds out that Jabba Desilijic Tiure has sent several of his minions into the prison as guards in order to find Radique . Blirr has these guards summarily executed , provoking Jabba ' s wrath as he sends a team to intercept the prison barge known as the " Purge " . After Jabba ' s team hijacks the " Purge " , they attack Cog Hive Seven , prompting Blirr to initiate the prison ' s self - destruct sequence . However , Blirr is killed by the Syrox , a creature embedded in Cog Hive Seven who feeds on the ceased consciousnesses of dead inmates . As Cog Hive Seven meets its destruction , Maul , with the help of inmate Eogan Truax , attempt to escape with the nuclear device that Maul bought from Radique . But when Radique betrays them by refusing to help them detach the bombs embedded in their hearts ( which is what every prisoner in Cog Hive Seven gets when he enters ) , Eogun kills Radique just as the Bando Gora arrive . Maul and the Gora ' s leader , Komari Vosa , have a brief fight before they are confronted by the Syrox . Maul decides to help Vosa kill the Syrox so he can fulfill his mission of giving the nuclear device to the Bando Gora , and then Maul , Vosa , and Eogun escape the prison before it completely destroys itself .