After a few parrying strikes Darth Vader saw his opening. With a strong horizontal strike to the left his blade tore through the Jedi weapon wielded by a pathetic youngling. Sparks flew through the air as the young Jedi was sprawled across the floor on his side before finally the remains of his inferior weapon clattered to the ground. He watched the padawan look helplessly at his Jedi weapon.
"This weapon is your life…" A old friend had once told Vader. No. Not Vader. Anakin Skywalker, the dead Jedi Knight. The weak pathetic chosen one of the Jedi Order, the Jedi Knight that succumbed to the power of the Dark Side at his hands. The strong, powerfully hands of Darth Vader. The memory from the dead man only added to the wafting aroma of anger, but more prominent the fear that leaked from the inner sanctum of the young Jedi. Taking two powerful steps forward. The youngling clenched his chest as if that could contain the brew of darkside emotion within. If he were only strong enough he would have him be his secret apprentice. However he already had one, and had no use for another. Especially one as cowardly as he.
Fool. Lord Vader scowled in his own private He dare deny the power of the darkside? "Perhaps I was wrong." He chimed to himself He rose his saber as high as his shoulder pads would allow, prepared to strike down and destroy the Jedi Youngling. Then the Master. As the Jedi Youngling raised his arm in a feeble attempt to stop the strike, a paralyzing voice cut through the air
"It wouldn't be the first time." A voice, a familiar voice. But one that belonged to a dead man. Lowering his saber and turning around to meet the owner of the voice stood a proud Togruta. The power and energy of the Sith Temple creating a current that rustled her head tails. She looked at him bitterly, with contempt, with anger and disgust. And a look of determination which Vader fought the memory of seeing in the ast, as he had never seen it. For he had never seen this Jedi before.
"Ashoka… " A far out voice cried. A voice belonging to a long dead Jedi.
"Quite Skywalker" Darth Vader thought in contempt "You were weak, and I destroyed you. Now I will destroy your Padawan." The heavy robotic voice of Darth Vader cut through the air. Electric arcs danced across the the backdrop as Vader looked at his- no at Anakin Skywalker's former apprentice.
"It was foretold that you would be here. Our long awaited meeting has come at last." Vader spoke, his red lightsaber humming ominously as he stood over the body of this Jedi boy. He had fought bravely, and gallantly, but he was no match for the power of the dark side. His cape was ruffled by the energy as well, and electric bolts of Dark Side energy erupted along the temple walls and arching through the air.
"I'm glad I gave you something to look forward to!" Ashoka snapped back. Motioning with her hands in a mocking way. A feeling gathered up inside, one born from himself, that compelled Vader tp turn off his lightsaber. And attempt to talk. Not fight.
Hmm I…. Can see why Anakin Skywalker called her snips.. But she was a valiant warrior during the Clone Wars. Maybe.. Darth Vader thought to himself. He served the Emperor. And a opportunity to help the Empire, and his Master had presented itself.
"Ha, I trained her better than that. Ashoka will prevail." The voice of Anakin Skywalker mocked. Summoning his will he pushed the voice down into the deepest ravine he knew. He felt the slight vibrations as the Young Jedi slowly crawled away.
"We need not to be adveseartes. The Emperor will show your mercy, if you tell me where the remaining Jedi can be found." Darth Vader offered to the mature Togruta in front of him.
"There are no Jedi!" Ahsoka responded in anger. "You and your inquisitors have seen to that." She added with disdain, and partial sadness.
Not allI A ghostly voice spoke
"Perhaps this child will confess what you will not." A rage building inside Darth Vader. How dare she not do as i asked? After everything I did for her? After everything we went through? After she left? Ahsoka I hate you! Darth Vader turned to the boy cowering at his feet.
"I was beginning to believe I knew who you were, behind that mask." Ahsoka stated "But it's impossible! My master could never be as vile as you!" Anger spewing from her lips.
"Anakin Skywalker was weak, I destroyed him!" Disdain being audible from his voice even through the respirator.
Anakin Skywalker must not live. He must stay dead! That...boy failed to save his mother Shmi Skywalker, he failed to save his Wife Padme, and by extension his unborn child. Anakin Skywalker lost his best friend, his mentor, his brother. Anakin Skywalker had no dreams left. And thanks to this suit Darth Vader never slept… a result of his corruption… no he was not corrupted! Darth Vader is pure with the power of the Dark Side. His muscles tightened. The barrier in his mind fell, and Darth Vader acknowledged Anakin Skywalker's suffering. Stupid! You could have been the Grand Master, you could have killed Palpatine! You could have had a open relationship with your wife, you could have trained your son! You could have saved the Jedi, saved the Republic! And Padme could have been the new Supreme Chancellor! But no… Padme was dead. And Obi Wan, wherever he was, was running for his life. Stripped of everything, just like Anakin. Darth Vader recollected that he was without friends. Without family. Without purpose. No his purpose with the Empire. It had to be, or all he all sacrificed would be for nothing. Right? He had to kill his former Padawan. Only with her death, would the death blow to Anakin be delivered. Ahsoka spoke with pain, suffering, and anger in her voice.
"Then I will avenge his death!"
Darth Vader was surprised "Revenge is not the Jedi way." He mocked
"I am no Jedi." She said cooly igniting her twin white lightsabers, one raised diagonally in front of her, the other hovering digitally below and behind her. Darth Vader flicked his thumb igniting his lightsaber as his red blade slowly crept up, bringing it in front of him defensively. Vader remembered how once long ago Ahsoka landed on Christophsis. How his mentoring and training had saved her from otherwise certain death. Ahsoka speed forward, jumping and delivering a roundhouse kick to Vader's mask. She lands and ducks low as Vader delivers a strong horizontal strike. Quickly she counter attacks rearing both of her sabers upward. Vader barely has enough time to block but is unable to match her unexpected amount of strength as he attacked forced Vader's saber above his head. This caused pain to him as his chest and shoulder restricted movement above his shoulders. He suddenly compensated and as Ahsoka went in to cut off Vader's arms he brought down his own saber blocking her strikes, then pushing her away. Recovering quickly attempting a twirl strike she aimed high striking at his mask. He blocked her and with her remaining lightsaber strikes at his lower body. Vader moved his wrist slightly engaged in a saber lock. Darth Vader pushed her away, using his momentum delivers a strong downward diagonal strike which she ducked under as she spun around to his side. He brought his saber up and to his left and attempted to do the same attack again when he was hit with a wave of force energy as Ahsoka gave Vader a strong force push. Darth Vader slid across the floor, taking a knee with his hands sprawled to keep himself stable., he looked up in time to see the Togruta force leap into the air rearing her sabers for a downward strike. The energy of the Temple matched the energy she fought with. He met her blades and held her in the air with his strength as they were engaged in a saber lock, Ashoka in mid flip, then Vader pushed up. Using the momentum Ahsoka rolled over Vader and behind him. As she landed Vader attacked with a strong horizontal strike which Ahsoka ducked under, as he stood up he brought the blade up for a downward assault. Ahsoka met his blade, engaging in yet another saber lock. Using his superior strength he started pushing her own blades back at her. Summoning the Force she physically pushed Vader off of her just enough to do a backflip away barely missing the Dark Lord's saber as he attempted to jab her. He continued swinging at her, first bringing across a strong horizontal attack that narrowly missed her midsection. Then he struck digitally as she again flipped out of danger. Landing on her feet Ahsoka was now decisively on the defense she blocked several of Vader's strong attacks. Attempting a killing blow Vader raised his saber and brought it down with immense force, to which Ahsoka met the blow with equal force before pushing the blade lock away for her. She turned and with her left saber blocked another incoming attack, before turning and elbowing Darth Vader in the side, as she moved behind him. Vader went in for a low attack at her legs which she jumped over, landing she immediately jumped into the air with a strike at vader, who promptly blocked it. Ahsoka began to weaken. She blocked Vader's onslaught but was being knocked around like a puppet. Their blades danced around the Sith Temple, as they got closer and closer to the edge. Vader went to stab her, and Ahsoka caught his blade between hers, before attempting to stab him, which Vader swatted away her saber. Several seconds later after an intense exchange Ahsoka was left open, and Vader forced pushed her off the edge, watching as she plummeted into the dark. Darth Vader walked back to where the Jedi boy was. A man who wore the mask of a Jedi temple guard was being led away towards a shuttle by the boy. Vader now wanted a new apprentice, if only to deny the Jedi of a padawan, if only to see if Starkiller was as strong as he thought so he reached out and began to pull the boy to him. The man grabbed him by the arm and attempted to pull him towards the shuttle. But then he heard footsteps. Vader turned around only to be kicked across the face by Ahsoka.
You forced my hand young one. Darth Vader thought to himself. He swung his saber at her and she ducks under it. Vader rears his saber up and goes down to strike, Ahsoka blocks it as they engage in yet another blade lock. Vader remembers to himself how not long ago on the mysterious plane of Mortis he and his Padawan had been fighting under similar circumstances. Then she was the one who was corrupted, and he tried to bring her back to the light. Now? Now the tables were turned. Ahsoka pushes Vader away and rushes him. Delivering several attacks on Vader as he gets hit in the mask and cries out. She jumped off his head as she rolled away, but landed wrong on the ground. Vader looked up at her as she struggled to the ground. He was in pain. He was tortured. He believed all his family to be loss. Yet here she was, attempting to kill him because she believed that Darth Vader killed Anakin. If Obi Wan was his brother, Ahsoka was his sister. And at that moment Darth Vader, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Fleet, Dark Lord of the Sith, was dead. Anakin Skywalker, the Hero with No Fear, legendary Jedi Knight, husband of Padme Amidala was alive again. It felt good to be himself again. The anger, fear, pain, and suffering of Darth Vader still remained. But Anakin fought the Dark Side, and won, because he discovered that he still had some family left.
"Ahsoka…" Anakin cried out. He voiced was unmistakably his own. But the mechanical respirator caught his voice, a mixture of Darth Vader, and Anakin was the result. Anakin weezed. "Ahsoka…" She turned to look at him. She watched as the yellow sith eyes receded and Anakin's original blue eyes returned.
"Anakin…" She said with pain in her voice from seeing what had become of her former master. "I won't leave you! Not this time." determination and love coming from her voice. The Jedi boy ran to Ahsoka but she force pushed him back. The temple walls fell separating them. Anakin put his lightsaber on his waist. Ahsoka did the same.
"Ahsoka... why did you leave? Where were you when I needed you?"
"Master I made a choice… I couldn't stay" This angered Anakin
"You were selfish!"
"No!" She pleaded
"You abandoned me! You failed me! Do you see what I have become?" Anger, and sadness, and a plethora of emotions raged behind his words. "I've done such terrible things."
"Skyguy," Ahsoka pleaded "Come with me. We can make things right!"
"It's too late for me my padawan. Go. Save yourself."
"I'm not leaving master. Not without you."
"There's no place for me. There are no Jedi. There is no Republic…"
"Master Skywalker, if you truly believe that then the Anakin I knew is dead." She walked up to him taking his hand and placing her lightsaber in it then placing the blade emitter into her abdomen. "Master, it's not too late. You can turn away, but if you want choose to go down the Dark Path you're going to have to kill me. I won't leave you." Anakin looked down at his Padawan. She stared at him with resilience, bravery, and hope. Finally Anakin spoke.
"Snips… I killed Master Windu, i lead the raid on the Jedi temple. I killed them all, the masters, the knights, padawans, even the younglings. The surviving Jedi i've hunted ever since I became...this… do you hate me?" His words shocked her to her core. She did not know how her master could fall so low. Then she remembered. She had once been fully corrupted by the dark side, becoming the minion of the Son, the literal Dark Side of the force. Whatever his reasons, whatever his motivations, they would be nothing in comparison to the corruption of the Dark Side.
"No master. I don't know why, but I understand. But we can fix this. We can fix this. Together."
"Together…" Anakin said. He nodded. Anakin led his padawan to his TIE as she contacted the Ghost crew, And together they left Malachor.