TCAT Chapter 10

Ahsoka could not believe what she had witnessed. It was plainly obvious that Saki had lost someone close to her during the Togrutan enslavement by the Zygerrians. At the same time, Ahsoka felt angry towards Saki for insulting her physique and the Jedi name. She stormed away from the waterfall in frustration with these negative thoughts in her mind. As clouds appeared on the horizon, Ahsoka recalled something that Master Plo Koon had told her: Little Soka, anger is an acid that can do more harm to the individual in which it is stored than to others. The most difficult thing to do is recognizing your negative emotion and not embracing it. That is the path to the Dark side. You must let those feelings wash away from your thoughts… Remembering his words, Ahsoka took a meditative position underneath a tall tree. She took a deep breath, focused on her anger and frustration, then let go of it. A sudden strike of lightning broke Ahsoka out of her meditation. There were storm clouds directly overhead and they let out a torrential downpour of rain. Ahsoka quickly took action and scanned the landscape for shelter. There was no way to get back to the colony now. The heavy rain fell onto her clothes as she realized that the only shelter nearby was a cave near the waterfall where she had seen Saki. Ahsoka ran towards it at a fast pace and ignored the sounds of the thunderstorm.

Meanwhile, Lux decided to explore the caverns underneath the waterfall. He didn't want Ahsoka to know that he had accidentally seen Saki naked or that he had been eavesdropping on their conversation. Lux was able to see in the darkness with the aid of a special ring that he had found in his mother's belongings back on Onderon. It had originally belonged to his father and Lux wore it with pride. The ring glowed with a yellow light that was bright enough for Lux to see the immensity of the caverns. There were numerous tunnels through the caverns, but one particular passageway caught Lux's curiosity. It was a slightly narrow ledge that led downward into a lower level. He felt the smoothness of the walls and said to himself, "The Togrutans or some other race must have made this passageway. It feels like it was carved out by hand and through the use of tools." Lux turned into a chamber at the end of the passageway and was amazed at what he saw. He remarked, "Ahsoka has to see this…" Then he heard the thunder as the sound echoed through the caverns. Lux raced back towards the cave entrance, worried for Ahsoka's safety in the storm.

Ahsoka ran back towards the cave near the waterfall, her lekku being bombarded by the constant thunder and lightning. It was only her battlefield experience with explosions that kept her from being overcome by the onslaught of noise. She thought that there was someone in the distance and then felt through the Force that it was Lux. Ahsoka sprinted towards him and hugged Lux tightly. There was an expression of surprise on Lux's face as he returned the embrace. He lovingly touched her face, pushing back one of her lekku as he said, "Let's take shelter in the cave behind the waterfall."

Once inside, they slowly traveled through the darkness along the carved tunnels. Ahsoka used her lightsaber to illuminate their surroundings but happened to notice the glow from Lux's ring. She asked, "Lux, since when did you get an item thar glowed? Don't tell me it's from another female padawn." Lux lightly laughed at her joking manner. "No. not at all. You know that you're the only one I want with me…It's actually an heirloom from my father. Before the Clone Wars, my mother had ties with the Jedi through contacts in the Senate. She persuaded them to give her a small piece of a Kaiber crystal. She had it placed within the jewel of my father's ring to remind him of her while on the battlefield." Ahsoka glanced at Lux and she was about to reply when they reached the hidden area that Lux had discovered.

It was an immense cavern that had its celing covered with sparkling crystals and the waterfall cut through part of it. Ahsoka exclaimed, "Wow, this is amazing." Lux chuckled "I'm glad you enjoyed the view. It took my breath away too when I came upon it." Ahsoka smiled back and noticed a fire pit filled with dry wood. "Lux, is it all right for us to be here? It looks like someone has used this place. I-" She was interrupted by Lux's sudden kiss, his lips crashing onto her suddenly. He pulled away and replied, "It doesn't matter. We need it for shelter tonight. I'll make the fire while you go change." Ahsoka replied, "I'm going to pay you back for that ambush, Lux. But I won't tell you when." She raised a questioning eyebrow after realizing what he had just said. "Lux, I can't change my clothes. All the other clothing is back at the apartment."

Lux had finally started the fire and the flames lit up the cavern. He took off his shirt and stretched his body before walking close to Ahsoka and wrapping his arms around her waist. He answered, "We'll just have to make the best out of this situation. I'm here in a beautiful cave with a stunning female Jedi." Ahsoka smiled and replied, "And I'm with a very handsome flirting senator…. Lux, why do you always know what to say to me?" Lux returned a smile of his own and replied, "Well, I was a senator, a politician. It comes as part of the job."

He moved to kiss Ahsoka on the lips but tilted his head and started kissing her neck instead. Ahsoka was taken aback by this change but felt electricity shoot through her body as she felt his lips on her bare skin. Lux then started kissing Ahsoka up and down her neck. Ahsoka accidentally let out a small moan as she ran her hands through the back of his hair. She didn't know how it happened, but somehow her clothes fell to the floor. It was probably in the heat of the moment. Lux traced his fingers lightly down her body and gently massaged her breasts. This action made Ahsoka let out a soft moan again and encouraged her to trace the outline of his torso with her hands. The two lovers engaged in their passion, unaware of the initials carved into the entrance of the cave: an R intertwined with an S.

Saki arrived at her father's house shortly before the heavy rains started falling over the planet's lush landscape. However, her mind was focused on something else other than the storm outside her window. The conversation with Ahsoka brought up old memories that Saki had suppressed in order to cope with the grief. Growing up in the Togruta colony was not easy because the populace had to constantly receive supplies from other planets. It was also hard on Saki because she was shunned by the other Togrutan children. Roshti never told Saki who her mother was, but she was able to recognize that it was not Togrutan. Through the constant teasing and rejection, there was one person who always accepted Saki: Rolan.

He was her only friend for her childhood and they grew closer over the years. Rolan was kind hearted and stood up for the innocent. Saki shared her bed with him on the eve of her 18th birthday in a secret place. They were happy together and Saki thought that her life had finally turned around. Then the Zygerrians came…

A loud crash suddenly broke Saki out of her thoughts and she noticed her fist clenched tightly at her side. A lamp on the far side on her bedroom lay shattered on the floor and she was nowhere near it. Through her childhood, Saki found that she had hidden Force abilities which only activated whenever she was angry. It was another reason why the other Togrutan children shunned her. Saki nearly killed one of her bullies by accident and Roshti kept Rolan by her side to control her anger. Saki fell to the floor among the shattered pieces of the lamp and felt the tears streaming down her face. The façade of conceit that she had built around herself came apart. The other Togrutan boys that Saki had dated only did so because of her father's insistence and his status made it impossible for them to refuse. Rolan had been the only one that Saki had ever loved and the painful memory of his lingering presence hurt like a knife.

The specially designed Sith fighter was an impressive sight. It had taken Maul weeks to create from Separatist supplies. Its hull was completely black with the exception of the grey and dark blue outline. The cockpit had red tinted windows that gave the pilot dual perception of space. It had two delta wings as well as two horizontal stabilizers with elevators by the tail. Powerful thrusters gave the fighter an impressive speed in comparison to other ships with its same size. Its offensive capabilities lay within the four main guns: two lasers from the protruding extensions as well as two lasers from the guns connected to the cockpit. The resulting barrage of fire could quickly eliminate any opposition.

Using his connection with the Force, Maul Force jumped into the cockpit and took off in his fighter, igniting a dozen droids in the process. He then made his way to his target: Onderon. There was a heavy fog on the planet's landscape when Maul landed, creating an eerie image of the capital city. Maul ventured out through the empty city that almost felt like a graveyard. He guessed that the inhabitants had decided to stay in their homes until the fog dissipated. What luck. Underneath the black hooded cloak that covered his armor, Maul gazed at the royal palace and stretched out his hand. He sent out his connection to the Force and the Dark Side, pointing him in the right direction.

Maul walked his way up the stairs into the main hall of the palace. It was a large hall lit with torches and filled with at least a dozen Palace guards armed with lazer lancers. They noticed the intruder and aimed their weapons at Maul, telling him to put his hands upward. He did as they asked slowly… and then used the Force to ignite his dual bladed light saber staff. Maul swiftly used Soresu to deflect their incoming blaster bolts and immediately switched to Juyo. His light saber staff was a fast moving blur, cutting down the palace guards with ease and several were decapitated.

Maul walked to the center of the main hall and used his light saber to cut a hole in the floor. He dropped into a series of ancient catacombs that led to a Sith temple underneath the palace. In the darkness, Maul's eyes spied his prize for his efforts: a powerful Sith pendant that would corrupt any wearer to the Dark Side, no matter their previous allegiance. As the pendant emitted a red glow in his hand, Maul laughed and the sound echoed throughout the tunnels.