Maardak grew up in the Empire and was trained as a Sith lord, having taken the dark path in his early years. He was born into a blood-line that expected great things from him and trained him as such. For every mistake, no matter how small, he received lashings, beatings, and many means of horrific torture. After months of this constant pain that was befallen upon him, he finally decided enough was enough. He began hatching a plan to find a way out of the Empire. It didn't take long for him to find an opportunity, as Zakuul began to begin taking over the galaxy, and that's when he made his escape to the Republic.

After he managed to escape the Empire's grasp, he knew he'd be hunted down once they had the resources. His former master put a bounty on his head for a substantial amount of credits, which proved to be a challenge for him. Though, he had already defected to the Republic and was allowed asylum within their borders. This wasn't the end to the torture though, as Republic soldiers began seeing him as an easy target to let off some steam. Many times he was taken away for a beating, but not once did he strike back. Although tempting, he understood the reason each blow was made. He was the face of their enemy. At this time, he pondered whether he should stay within Republic space, or find his way into the sleazy underbelly of the galaxy.

That was until he met a woman. A Twi'lek with a ship, a smile, and a kind heart. She noticed bruises and the constant weight he carried, knowing it well from her own experience. They began speaking with one another on a regular basis, and soon the two fell in love. Months passed, and the two were happy together, beginning to speak of marriage. It wouldn't last, though, and Maardak knew that. He warned her every chance he could about who wanted his head, but she didn't seem to care. That would later cost her life by the hands of the Empire.

Her death caused Maardak to have a newly seeded hatred for the Empire. Previously he decided to leave the Empire and never look back, but now, now he wanted to see it burned to the ground by any means necessary.