The End of Ahsoka Tano

Water dripped somewhere, causing echos on the temple's cave walls. A breeze rustled through the cave, bringing with it the smell of the snowstorm outside. The crystals sang. Purple, blue, green. But they were out of tune.

You sighed. Obviously a disturbance in the Force, yet you had been ordered by Master Yoda to take a meditative retreat here, and under no circumstances return until sent for. Yet, the disturbance had not evened out to meld with the greater hum of the Force, and you had not been sent for. Both the radio silence and the disharmony persisted.

You shook your head and sent your beaded Padawan braid swinging against your head-tails. All this quiet and mediation must be getting to you. You were used to the battlefield and the close quarters of space travel, not to this infernal waiting and silence. Getting up from your cross-legged meditation position, you massaged your legs, finding them stiff after staying still for so long. You shivered and pulled your robes closer around your body.

The lightsaber crystals glowed gently in their respective colors, lighting the cave passage as you made your way back to the Starfighter you had taken here. Thankfully, you had been able to bring the small

Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor through the main door of the Crystal Caves, protecting both you and it from the harsh weather outside. You opened the upper hatch of the small ship, and retrieved a depleted supply of field rations.

"There's another thing I wish I would have brought along with me..." you groaned to yourself, "More rations and an Astromech Droid. Then maybe I'd have more to eat and somone to talk to. At this point I don't even care if it's a driod."

You crouched on the wing of the Starfighter, gazing thoughtfully at the large, intricately carved door as you ate your unappetizing, but filling meal. The sound of the howling wind made goosebumps rise on your rust-red skin. If Master Yoda did not contact you... if you ran out of rations... you had two options... the first was to venture outside and hunt. But, you knew of no animal on Ilum other than the ruthless, feral Gorgodon. Not an exciting prospect. Your second option was to disregard Master Yoda's orders and return to Republic space. The sharp discord in the Force made that option undesirable as well.

"What did Master Yoda intend by sending me here?" you mused aloud, as you had many times since your arrival, "Was he protecting me from something? Did he sense something? Why didn't he just tell me? AGH! If I keep talking to myself and going over the same things in my head, I'm going to go insane!" You threw down the ration wrapper in disgust and stomped your boots on the Starfighter's wing, throwing metallic echos off the temple walls.

You looked up sharply, your eyes wide in surprise. A presence. Someone was standing in the snow outside, standing on the other side of the door. You slowly slid off the Starfighter and carefully backed away, debating your chances against an unknown attacker if you fled into the crystal caves. You had been here long enough to have memorized most of the passages, but... The door creaked. Someone was opening it. With the Force.

You retreated to the entrance of a side passage, the presence of a force-user could either be a very good sign or a very bad one. At best, it could be Maser Yoda or another Jedi, at worst... well, you didn't really want to think about it... You bit your lip, lightsaber in hand, ready to fight or flee if needed.

The door swung open completely, and you were met with a blast of cold air and snow, the whiteness nearly blinding you after your time in the dimly-lit crystal caves. However, you were able to make out a dark figure against the snow. And through your connection to the force, you felt someone you knew very well.

"M-master?" you yelled above the wind, shielding your face, "Master Skywalker, is that you?"

The figure stepped forward and shut the giant door once again, with an ease that surprised you. As they turned around, something similar to an electric shock passed through you. Yes... that was your master... But... something was very, very wrong... Long black robes, a mask and helmet that covered his face, and a rattling breathing....

"Ahsoka.," a deep, metallic voice said, "I'm so glad to finally find you. I was worried."

"By the Force... Master, what happened?"

"A great deal. I am relieved to find you unharmed, however."

Cautiously, you moved closer to him, stopping just sort of arm's length. This was your master, to be sure... yet instinctively, you felt something... was wrong...

"You're hurt, Master? How did you end up like this? Please tell me what happened!"

"There is no easy way to tell you this, Ahsoka." the metallic voice explained, "The Jedi Council has moved to attack the Chancellor. They have declared war upon the Republic they gave an oath to protect."

"What?!" you exclaimed, staggering backwards, "That's... not.... How could-?!"

"I sense you are the only one I can trust. The reason I am in this state is because Obi-Wan himself attacked me."

"Master Obi-Wan attacked you?! I c-can't believe this... there's just no way that..." your breath caught in your chest, and you gazed up into the lenses of the black helmet your master now wore, "Master... I... sense the Dark Side in you..."

No reaction. Just the steady, horrible, rattling breathing.

"Please, Ahsoka, come with me and meet my master. He will explain everything to you. He will help us."

"Your master?! I can't believe this, I won't believe it! The Jedi would never attack the Republic! By the Force, what has happened to you?! No, I won't come and meet your master!"

"It really is too bad, little one. I had hoped you would not be like the others. I had hoped I could trust you. But it appears you are just like all the other Jedi. The only thing to do now is to make your fate and theirs the same."

He ignited his lightsaber... a red blade... red... Sith... the Dark Side... red...

You ran.

He caught you. A Force Grip on your ankle. You fell, but curled with your arms out, meeting the ground and managed to tumble safely. You kept running, making it to the main stone dias of the temple. You turned, lightsaber ignited in your hand in the Shien grip.

He strode calmly over to the dias, and stood opposite of you. His presence, the strength rolling off of him in sheets... you were in his power, both of you knew it. He was going to kill you. Anakin Skywalker. Your master. He was going to kill you. This was the disharmony in the Force. This was the reason the crystals were out of tune.

Your mind sped through your options, searching frantically for an escape plan, a way out. Your only chance of surviving was to wait for an opening and run. But, would he catch you? Your ship was powered down, and you would not be able to start it before he caught you. What of his ship? He must have come in one. Could you reach it in time through the snow? Could you even find it?

"Little one..." he murmured in a voice that was not his, "If you will come with me to meet my master..."

"No!"

Anger. You rushed toward him, your attack sleek and low. He blocked you easily, and Force Pushed you aside. Your back struck one of the cave pillars. A broken rib, numerous cuts. Blue crystals fell like rain.

You weren't given any time to recover. He struck down, and you barely managed to block, your lightsabers locking together, glowing yellow where green and red met.

"Can't you see, Master?! You've just been turned into another General Grievous!"

You broke the saber lock, and lashed out viciously with your lightsaber. He blocked your attacks easily, but you were struggling to block his. He Force Pushed you once more, and you slid backwards.

Raising your left hand, you pulled a chunk of the black rock from the ceiling, bringing it smashing down on your former master. He avoided most of it, but a large rock ripped aside half of his mask.

You stared, frozen to the spot. Angry red scars ran down his once-handsome face. And his eyes... no longer deep blue, but a sick mixture of yellow and red. This was not your master. This twisted thing had consumed him.

He struck at you. You moved to block, but too late.

It took you several seconds to realize that his lightsaber had burned through your heart. Gasping for breath, you sank to your knees. Your last view of the world was of the eye that no longer belonged to your master.

The music of the crystals... the hum of the Force filled your ears, blinding you and deafening you to everything but itself. Where it had been merely been out of tune in your meditations, it was now cacophonous and grating, growing in volume until your body was filled with it, made of it. You felt your world tear itself in half, and then you were no more.