The chamber they had entered was barrel-shaped. Its polished metal walls and floors were covered with lights, sprinklers, hologram projectors, speakers, half-assembled droids, and all sorts of gadgets that they didn't even recognized.
The room's ceiling was three stories high, and a catwalk ran all the way around the wall above their heads. Two huge ancient-looking statues as high as the catwalk faced each other across the thirty-meter width of the chamber. A complicated control panel was set back into the wall beside the far statue.
"We may have stumbled into Orloc's main workshop... his headquarters." Ikrit said.
"Huh." Ahsoka snorted. "So this is where he makes all that high-tech 'magic' we've been seeing so far."
"I knew he wasn't a real magician," Anakin said. "Uldir will have to believe us now."
Suddenly, Orloc's laughter boomed from above them—amplified by speakers. A doorway appeared in the far wall beside the control panel. Behind it, stood Orloc with several of his droids and Ranats.
"I'll take back that Holocron now." Orloc's voice thundered. "You won't be needing it anymore."
Anakin clutched the Holocron in his hands.
"Why not save yourselves a lot of trouble and give up now?" Orloc said. "You cannot hope to defeat me. My followers and I have you outnumbered by at least ten to one."
Anakin felt Tionne place a hand on his shoulder. Strength and encouragement flowed through her touch.
"Our power comes from the Force," Tionne said. "So don't assume that the odds are in your favor."
Anakin handed Tionne the Holocron.
Orloc laughed. "Then, we must put your confidence in the Force to the test and we will see whose power is the greater."
Anakin frowned. "Wait, where's Uldir?" He asked.
Orloc shrugged. "I left him behind with your droid. He doesn't know anything of my secret passageways into this room. Unfortunately, his friendship with you makes him weak so this fight won't concern him. Now give me back my Holocron."
Orloc made a come-out gesture and a dozen Ranats appeared on the circular walkway five meters above the floor. Each Ranat held a blaster.
"Great, what now?" Anakin whispered.
The Mage laughed again. "Isn't that a pity!" He folded his arms across his chest. Orloc played with the silver spangles that edged his robe. Suddenly, mist began to seep outward from the walls, hiding the armed rodent creatures up on the catwalk.
"Now defend yourselves, if you can." Orloc scoffed.
The Mage himself still stood near the opposite wall. Fog hovered behind him and a dramatic purple spotlight shone down from above, so that it looked as if he was surrounded by a bright purple haze.
A blaster bolt bounced off the floor directly between Anakin's feet.
"I'll take care of the Ranats." Ikrit volunteered. Then the Kushiban bounded toward the closest wall and swarmed up one of the metal ladders toward the catwalk. Ikrit's furry white form disappeared into the mist above.
Tionne and Ahsoka drew her lightsabers. Anakin did too. They caught the energy bolts that came at them, deflecting them toward the ceiling.
Then the firing stopped.
"Ikrit did it." Tionne said, deactivating her lightsaber. "I don't think we'll have to worry about those Ranats anymore."
Unfortunately, Anakin gave bad news almost immediately. "Uh, Master, maybe we don't have Ranats to worry about, but here come the droids."
"What?" Tionne asked as if she'd misheard.
"Are the droids coming this way?" Ahsoka asked.
"Yep." Anakin said. "And they're halfway across the room." He added.
"Good." Ahsoka said.
"What?" Anakin gave his master a confused look. "Since when did that became a good thing?" He asked.
"It didn't." Ahsoka said. "Just leave those tinnies to me."
Anakin frowned. "Uh, I'm right here." He reminded her.
"And you, of course." Ahsoka smirked. "Let's get busy."
"Fools!" Orloc snarled. "Why, I can defeat you without my Ranats or my droids." He toyed with the sleeve of his cloak. An ominous clanking sound rumbled from beneath the floor.
A door slid open in the curved wall. Suddenly, all of the droids in the room turned their blasters to point at it.
Still standing and lightsaber ready, Tionne, Ahsoka and Anakin saw Uldir standing in the doorway. Beside him, riding on Artoo's domed head, was Ikrit.
"So this is the chamber of wonders you've told me about." Uldir said looking around in bewildererment.
"Why, yes, my boy," Orloc said pleasantly. "As long as you're here, stay where you are—and watch true power in action."
Orloc spread his arms wide. For some reason, he held tightly to the silver edges of his purple cloak.
Suddenly, a powerful wind roared through the room. Orloc's purple robe flapped madly, and made Tionne, Ahsoka and Anakin turn off their lightsabers. Everyone looked as though they might be blown backward by the strong wind.
"Don't listen to him, Uldir," Anakin yelled over the wind. "He's not what you think he is."
"Watch carefully, young man," Ikrit told Uldir, his white fur flying wildly. "And see the magician's tricks for what they are. The Force is not with him. His magic is not real."
Uldir shook his head stubbornly. "No, furball. I can't ignore what I've seen with my own eyes. How can you not see his power when he's showing it before your eyes?"
"Those are only tricks." Ikrit said. "The man's one true power is the power to deceive. He has lied to you, and you believed him. That's why his magic appears so strong."
"I can't close my eyes to what's right in front of me." Uldir argued.
"No, open your eyes." Ikrit corrected. "Let yourself see what is truly before you."
Anakin had to hold an arm in front of his face to block the wind that stung his eyes. He couldn't hear anything above the roar of the wind, except for the deep chugging of machinery above them. Then a bright light began to blink overhead. On-off. On-off. The blinking light made it harder to see the approaching droids.
But one thing they could see: Orloc was now holding Obi-Wan Kenobi's lightsaber in one hand. The blade flamed bright blue.
Despite the strong wind whirling, the droids kept advancing. But with the blinking light and the strong wind it was hard to keep up.
"We have to get that lightsaber back." Ahsoka said.
"We can't get it back with all these droids," Tionne answered. "I'll go after Orloc. All we need some sort of distraction."
"Alright, fine," Ahsoka said. "Anakin and I will keep his attention—"
"Master!" Anakin interrupted.
Ahsoka turned to him, her lekkus swaying from to the wind. "What?" She demanded.
Anakin pointed to his right, to a complicated control panel was set back into the wall beside the far statue control panel a few meters from them, then up on the ceiling. "That panel controls some turbines hidden on the ceiling. And probably the flashing lights too."
"Nice work, Little Skyguy." Ahsoka said. She turned to Tionne. "You can go ahead, Master Tionne. We'll cover you. I'll take care of Orloc's so-called magical wind." She pointed up.
"And how are you gonna do that?" Tionne asked.
She took her shoto saber from her belt. "How else do you think?" She smirked.
Tionne made a face. "Truthfully, you scare me sometimes, Ahsoka."
Ahsoka ignored her comment. "Watch out for the droids." She warned.
"I won't have to," She yelled back. "I'm going up." She pointed toward the catwalk that ran around the side of the room. On the catwalk, she might be able to go all the way around to the other side of the room and drop down on the Mage from above.
Tionne clipped her lightsaber to her belt and walked toward a ladder on the wall, while covering her face to block the wind from stinging her eyes.
The Mage must have seen her in the flashes of light because his voice boomed from the wall speakers. "Get that Jedi!" Orloc shouted as he pointed at Tionne.
The droids started to turn their blasters toward Tionne's direction. At the same time, Ahsoka threw her shoto saber and it hit the turbines' control panel.
Instantly the strong winds stopped and the flashing light went off, which made Orloc furious. "Kill them!" He yelled.
The droids forgot about Tionne and turned their blasters toward Ahsoka and Anakin, who drew their lightsabers.
"Get ready, Anakin." Ahsoka told her Padawan.
Anakin took a deep breath. "I'm always ready, Master." He assured.
The droids started firing. Ahsoka and Anakin blocked as many blaster fires as they can and destroyed the ones that got close enough.
With the droids busy with Ahsoka and Anakin, Tionne made it easy to the ladder leading up to the catwalk.
Orloc seem to forget about Tionne too. She was already halfway to the catwalk when he noticed her again. "Nice try, Jedi." Orloc said as he saw Tionne climbing up the iron ladder. He fiddled with the spangles on the tip of his purple sleeve and suddenly all the iron ladders leading up to the catwalk hummed with electricity.
Before anyone else can do anything, Ahsoka gasped. "Tionne!" She yelled as she impaled one of the droids.
Tionne had almost reached the catwalk, but somehow Orloc have sent an electrical current through the ladders that led to the structure.
The Holocron dropped from Tionne's hand and clattered to the floor.
The Mage's laughter boomed from the loudspeakers.
Another jolt of electricity flashed along the walls and through the ladders. Tionne was obviously using every ounce of Force to push herself away from the ladder. She hung for a moment high in the air. Then she fell to the floor, trembling.
"Master Solusar!" Anakin cried. He turned to Ahsoka, who was slashing her lightsaber at the nearest droids, then threw her shoto at the ones she couldn't reach.
"Go," Ahsoka said. "I got this."
Anakin ran to Tione's aid, dodging jets of hot steam as he went.
When he reached her, Tionne was trying to move, but her muscles were shaking. Her hair strands had been scorched. She tried to reach for her lightsaber from her belt, but it wasn't there. It skated a few meters when she fell.
"Must—fight—Orloc." Tionne gasped.
Suddenly, Ikrit was beside Anakin. "Her hands and feet are covered with blisters." Ikrit said. "She won't be able to stand, much less hold a lightsaber."
"What are we gonna do now?" Anakin asked.
Ikrit glanced at Ahsoka, who was still busy with the last few droids.
"Go, help your master. I got Tionne." Ikrit assured. "Find a way to stop Orloc."
Once the remaining droids were destroyed, Anakin ran back to his master's side.
Ahsoka faced Orloc who still stood near the opposite wall. "Alright, Orloc," She yelled as she stood in the middle of the wreckage of droid parts. "Stop being a coward and face me without your tricks."
Orloc clapped his hands. "Well done, Ahsoka Tano, isn't it?" He asked from his platform. "My, my…I've missed you."
Ahsoka smirked. "Well, I'm actually flattered that you remember me since our last encounter, Orloc."
"Of course I do, my sweet." Orloc said. "It's not everyday I get to meet a feisty female Jedi like yourself." He winked at her.
Ahsoka raised an eye marking at him in digust. "Oh—kay."
Anakin turned to his master, astonished. "Did he just…hit on you?" He rolled his eyes. "Who knew this guy's worse than Jaden Korr." He muttered.