History Literature / MaulLockdown

* SingleSpecimenSpecies: Played with. The readers know the creature Maul is fighting is a [[Literature/NewJediOrder Yuuzhan Vong]] but since this is ''way'' back in 33BBY they have no idea what species that prisoner is. Nor even what sex--some of the guards think it may actually be female. There's also the mysterious Iram Radique, who turns out to be [[spoiler:a Chiss]] long before that species makes contact with the wider galaxy.

* BigBadEnsemble: Discounting [[VillainProtagonist Maul]] and Sidious, the book features a wide variety of antagonistic forces competing against each other; Iram Radiq, the elusive arms dealer Maul is trying to locate, the Prison Warden Sadiki, whose questionable gambling practices earns the ire of Jabba the Hutt, who wants her head because of said gambling practices, and a Syrox worm that dwells within the lower levels of the Cog Hive Seven. Komari Vosa also gets in on the action near the end of the book, but is only briefly antagonistic towards Maul before joining forces with him when their goals align.

** Wampa poaching on Hoth, as seen in Literature/TheCallistaTrilogy receives a mention, as does how it often proves fatal to the poachers.

One year before the events of ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'', Darth Maul has willingly entered Outer Rim prison Cog Hive Seven, a WretchedHive which doubles as a death match venue where the prisoners fight one another. He's in there because he is trying to find Iram Radique (whom Sidious told his master, Literature/DarthPlagueis, that they were going to kill but in fact has [[BastardUnderstudy other plans]] for his particular skill set). Meanwhile, both the Banda Gora and Jabba the Hutt attack the prison.

!! Tropes include:

* BadBoss: Sadiki summons a group of new guards who she suspects of infiltrating the prison on behalf of Jabba the Hutt and threatens to unleash the ruthless prison gangs on them if no one confesses. Once she gets a confession, she sics the gang members on them anyway (in a {{Gorn}}-filled scene). She doesn't even spare the innocent ones due to feeling they know too much. For his part, Jabba (who Sadiki is calling throughout the scene) also refuses to acknowledge any of them as his men when that may have saved their lives.
* TheBeastmaster: A Weequay prisoner who Maul [[spoiler:incorrectly]] suspects of being Radique has a pack of predatory claw birds. He uses them to smuggle contraband throughout the prison and siccs them on Maul during their fight. [[spoiler:Later, the real Radique is also able to command the birds to attack people and is comfortable with letting them perch on his arms.]]
* {{Blackmail}}: While she only uses it as a last resort, Warden Sadiki Blirr eventually [[spoiler:forces a gaming commission official to stop threatening to shut down her operation with a picture of them having sex back when she was a casino worker.]]
* CallForward: One of the warriors that Maul fights in Cog Hive Seven is a member of the Yuuzhan Vong, the same species that will invade the galaxy in ''Literature/NewJediOrder'', which takes place decades after the Invasion of Naboo.

** Warden Sadiki Blirr is running a GladiatorGames, orders brutal executions without hesitation, and personally kills [[spoiler:some of Jabba's enforcers and pet dragons]] when [[spoiler:Jabba attacks the prison.]]

* DentedIron: Artagan is a famous prizefighter [[spoiler:and former cult enforcer]] who has recently suffered a punctured lung and brain damage that gives him epilepsy.

* DramaticAmmoDepletion: [[spoiler:Sadaki Blirr uses up all of her blaster's energy firing frantically at a carnivorous wolf worm in a room with no light or sound, and then becomes a sitting duck for it.]]

** [[spoiler:Artagan]] is mortally wounded in a fight, and dies smiling and expressing pride [[spoiler: that his son mastered a difficult martial arts move to use against their opponents.]]

* FunctionalAddict: CO Smight is a spice addict, but he's capable of doing complicated security scans and escorting a dangerous prisoner with no trouble. He's also [[spoiler:the only one of Jabba's enforcers who infiltrated the prison to escape when Warden Blirr sics a bunch of bloodthirsty gang members on them.]]
* {{Futureshadowing}}: Quite a bit , as per usual for pre-''Phantom Menace'' stories.
** Notably, Maul has faith in Sidious' grand plan for the galaxy, but has secret doubts about how he fits into it. He doesn't realize yet that Sidious will always consider him [[BadBoss totally expendable.]]
** The [[VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga Kell dragons]] in Jabba's yacht are brought up.
** [[Literature/TheCallistaTrilogy Wampa poaching on Hoth (and how it often proves fatal to the poachers) receives a mention.]]
* GambitPileUp: The Radique organization is making and distributing weapons from inside of the prison. Warden Blirr is is trying to keep the Hutts and the gaming commission from shutting down her lucrative convict gladiator matches. Blirr's brother Dakarai [[spoiler:is secretly impersonating one of Radique's minions to make extra money and gather data for his betting system.]] Jabba the Hutt has been losing money due to both Blirr's betting and Radique's arms deals and has several of his enforcers [[spoiler:get jobs as guards]] to bring the two down. Darth Maul has been sent to find Radique and [[spoiler:purchase a nuclear bomb from him ([[TheStarscream because Darth Sidious wants the bomb to kill ''his'' master, Darth Plagueis]])]]. [[spoiler:Komari Vosa]] attacks the prison to take possession of [[spoiler:the bomb.]] Darth Plagueis is suspicious of Maul's mission and is monitoring the whole situation. Artagan is just trying to escape with his son before it's too late. At the end of the book, [[spoiler:Maul gets the bomb and gives it to Komari Vosa, who will eventually use it in a failed attempt to kill Plaugeis's alter ego in ''Literature/DarthPlagueis''. Jabba gets to see Radique and the Blirrs defeated, although it isn't because of him, and he loses most to all of the enforcers he sends to Cog Hive Seven. Artagan dies, but his son makes it out alive.]]

* MovingBuildings: This is Cog Hive Seven's specialty as the warden can shift the prisoner cells around till they connect with that of another prisoner. Then the deathmatch begins.
* NoNameGiven: [[spoiler:The Weequay member of Radique's organization who Maul briefly mistakes for Radique himself]] never gets a name.
* NoOneSeesTheBoss: Radique is a powerful intergalactic arms dealer operating within the prison. Many (including the warden) believe that he's an InventedIndividual. Maul begins to suspect he's HiddenInPlainSight, posing as another prisoner. [[spoiler:Neither is true. Radique is hiding in the prison's tunnel system.]]
* ObfuscatingDisability: [[spoiler:Dakarai Blirr presents himself as an autistic savant who hates sound too much to even speak. Really, he's able to function perfectly and has [[TwoAliasesOneCharacter infiltrated Radique's inmate organization in disguise.]]]]

* OnlyOneName: Deconstructed. [[spoiler:Dakarai Blurr needs to perfect his algorithm for his sister and serve Radique so he created his Twi'lek persona who goes by the name Zero.]]

* ShipTease: Maul and [[spoiler:Komari Vosa]] have a bit of chemistry and mutual respect after initially almost killing each other. Maul views her as a unique Force user and feels compelled to keep her from being killed by a Wolf Worm, while [[spoiler:Komari]] makes him an offer to join her that isn't entirely platonic.
* SingleSpecimenSpecies: Played with. The readers know the creature Maul is fighting is a [[Literature/NewJediOrder Yuuzhan Vong]] but since this is ''way'' back in 33BBY they have no idea what species that prisoner is. Nor even what sex - some of the guards think it may actually be female. There's also the mysterious [[spoiler: Iram Radique]], who turns out to be [[spoiler: a Chiss.]]

* StrangerBehindTheMask: One of the {{Driving Question}}s of the book is [[spoiler:which prisoner is the mysterious ArmsDealer Iram Radique. He turns out to be a man who is hiding in the tunnels and has never met Maul, rather than one of the many prisoners who Maul meets throughout his search.]]

* TheOldConvict: Zero's name comes from how he's been at Cog Hive Seven since it opened. [[spoiler:He isn't a real prisoner, but an administrator in disguise.]]

''Maul: Lockdown'' is a ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' novel written by Joe Schreiber. Released on January 28, 2014, it's notable for being the last ''Legends'' book published by Lucasfilm before the ContinuityReboot by Disney on April 25.

--> ''In his fifty-fifth year of life he'd become what the other prisoners referred to as a knockout mouse, a former champion who'd hit the ceiling of his abilities and was waiting for the inevitable final bout. The one that would kill him.''

* StrangerBehindTheMask: One of the {{Driving Question}}s of the book is [[spoiler:which prisoner is the mysterious ArmsDealer Iram Radique. He turns out to be a man who is hiding in the tunnels and has never met Maul rather than one of the many prisoners who Maul meets throughout his search.]]

''Maul: Lockdown'' is a ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' novel written by Joe Schreiber. Released on January 28, 2014, It's notable for being the last penultimate ''Legends'' book published by Lucasfilm before the ContinuityReboot by Disney on April 25.

Set one year before the events of ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'', Darth Maul has willingly entered Outer Rim prison Cog Hive Seven, a WretchedHive which doubles as a death match venue where the prisoners fight one another. He's in there because he is trying to find Iram Radique (whom Sidious told his master, Literature/DarthPlagueis, that they were going to kill but in fact has [[BastardUnderstudy other plans]] for his particular skill set.) Meanwhile, both the Banda Gora and Jabba the Hutt attack the prison.

* SmugSnake: Oh there are quite a few.

* BadassInDistress: His next fight had him chained underwater and facing an Aqualish (a species that can handle that situation quite well).

* CallForward: One of the warriors that Maul fights in Cog Hive Seven is a member of the Yuuzhan Vong, the same species that will invade the galaxy in ''Literature/TheNewJediOrder'', which takes place

Darth Maul has willingly entered Outer Rim prison Cog Hive Seven, a WretchedHive which doubles as a death match venue where the prisoners fight one another. He's in there because he is trying to find Iram Radique (whom Sidious told his master, Literature/DarthPlagueis, that they were going to kill but in fact has [[BastardUnderstudy other plans]] for his particular skillset.) Meanwhile both Banda Gora and Jabba the Hutt attack the prison.

''Maul: Lockdown'' is a ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' novel written by Joe Schreiber. Released on January 28, 2014, It's notable for being the last penultimate ''Legends'' novel published by Lucasfilm before the ContinuityReboot by Disney on April 25.