The plan was solid. They had Maul cornered and outnumbered. There was every reason to believe the mission would be a success. And yet… Ahsoka just had an uneasy feeling in her gut that wouldn't quite go away
As the fleet entered hyperspace to make the short jump to Jakku, Obi Wan turned to her. "You seem on edge, my padawan."
Ahsoka nodded, then was silent for a moment, not quite able to put into words what she was feeling. "What if he makes a run for it?" Ahsoka finally asked. "Just like Grievous did."
Obi Wan sighed. "I won't lie, Ahsoka. It is a possibility. However, I don't think that will happen. Darth Maul is many things, but a coward is not one of them. And I have no doubt he wants revenge for our previous encounter. If anything, I would be more concerned that we are walking into a trap."
"But how? He doesn't know we're coming," Ahsoka protested.
"I very much hope you are right," Obi Wan said with another sigh. "We'd best get down to the hangar now."
Down in the hangar, the usual organized chaos of preparing for a battle was already well underway. Astromechs were buzzing around, pilots were adjusting their flight suits, and maintenance crews were running through last minute checks on the starfighters. Ahsoka and Obi Wan made their way over to their Jedi Interceptors where a team of a couple dozen clones waited for them. They all climbed into their fighters, ready to take off the moment they exited hyperspace.
Ahsoka felt a light jerk to indicate that they were back in realspace and started her engines. The moment before she took off, she felt a larger jerk and knew that they were taking fire. But that wasn't right… Maul didn't know they were coming. How could his fleet be on them so quickly?
"We're taking fire," a clone said over the comm channel. "It seems they were expecting us."
"Stay in position. The deflector shields will hold until we get rid of them," Obi Wan responded calmly. Somehow, he didn't seem surprised at all. He steered his fighter out of the hangar, and Ahsoka quickly followed.
Lasers fired at them from every direction the moment they were out of the Negotiator's hangar. Ahsoka dodged them all with practiced ease. Some of the clone pilots weren't so lucky. Ahsoka felt a pang as she felt the life forces of no less than four of them be snuffed out in quick succession. Nonetheless, she did not allow herself to be distracted from her mission, and she quickly steered her starfighter towards the central yacht where Maul waited.
It took only a few minutes, but those minutes were perilous. The people Maul had working for him might might be outlaws and scum, the dregs of society, but they sure were good pilots. It was nothing like fighting against tri-fighters. By the time they reached the yacht, they had lost a dozen more pilots, and Obi Wan's starfighter was missing most of one wing.
Upon landing, they were greeted by about a dozen heavily armed enemies and lost all but two of the remaining clones in the brawl that followed.
Ahsoka felt sick. The force reeked of death, and she knew she had probably taken more lives today than during the entire war up to this point. And then there was something else on this ship. A truly awful presence, the likes of which Ahsoka had been this close to only once before.
Obi Wan looked at her, concern clear in his eyes. "Are you alright, Ahsoka?"
Ahsoka offered a weak nod. "It's just… it's not like fighting droids," she said.
Obi Wan gave her a sympathetic look, full of more understanding than Ahsoka thought she deserved. "I know, Ahsoka. And I can't say it gets any easier. But it is necessary, and you are doing the right thing."
Ahsoka nodded once more. Still, it was too much, the stench of death and of a Sith overwhelming all else in the force. Trying her best to ignore it, Ahsoka followed Obi Wan as he led the group in direction that the dark presence was strongest.
They had barely made it a hundred yards before Obi Wan stuck out an arm to stop her. Ahsoka quickly saw why. The air in front of them seemed to shimmer. Ahsoka groaned. Ray shields. How could this have happened? They should have been smarter than this. If she hadn't been so distracted…
"R4, they have us trapped," Obi Wan said into his commlink. "We need you to release the ray shields."
Before the droid could respond though, Ahsoka felt a sudden drowsiness pass over her. Before she even knew what was happening, she fell to the ground, and everything around her faded to black.
She woke up what could have been minutes, hours, or days later to a splitting headache and a zabrak leering at her.
"Maul," Ahsoka groaned, then looked around. "Where's Obi Wan?" she demanded.
"That is not your concern," was all Maul said.
That only worried her more, of course. She desperately pulled at their bond and was relieved to find it unbroken, even if she got no response.
"Kenobi is not dead," Maul confirmed. "Not yet."
Ahsoka shot the Sith her best glare before sitting up and taking in her surroundings for the first time. She was not in a cell nor had she been put in stun cuffs. She had been placed on a cushioned bench that wasn't uncomfortable. Her lightsabers were missing, but other than that, it did not seem that any measures had been taken to prevent her from escaping. In fact, a further glance towards Maul, and she saw her weapons placed lazily on the table behind him where she could easily reach them. Something didn't add up… did he want her to escape?
As if in response to her confusion, Maul spoke. "Ahsoka Tano, is it?"
"It is," Ahsoka responded carefully, eying her lightsabers.
Maul caught her gaze. "You won't be needing those. I propose we make a deal. We have much in common after all."
"We have nothing in common," Ahsoka protested.
Maul shrugged. "You were abandoned by the Jedi Order just as I was abandoned by my master."
"I left voluntarily," Ahsoka corrected. "But let Obi Wan go, and I will consider your proposal."
"Kenobi is mine," Maul snarled. "After what he did to me… what he cost me… he will die."
"I guess we don't have a deal then." Ahsoka shrugged, trying to project a calmness that she was not actually feeling. "I suppose I will just have to defeat you then," she added, summoning her lightsabers.
"You are quite the arrogant one," Maul said, crossing his arms and making no move towards her.
"You'll find I have many qualities for you to dislike," Ahsoka responded with a grin. "And why should I be afraid of someone who spent over a decade hiding?"
"I wasn't hiding from the Jedi," Maul spat back.
"From Sidious then?" Ahsoka asked.
Maul's lack of response was all the confirmation she needed.
"So what is it you want from me anyway?" Ahsoka inquired. It wasn't like she would even consider abandoning Obi Wan, but the whole point of this was to find out what Maul knew about Sidious, and she had a feeling that whatever deal he wanted to make had something to do with his former master.
"Skywalker," Maul said simply. "Where is he?"
Ahsoka looked at the Sith Lord, confused. "What, why? What do you want with Anakin?"
"He is the key to everything," Maul responded, a certain reverence in his voice.
"To bringing balance to the force?" Ahsoka asked, reciting the ancient prophecy that had caused such a stir three years ago when they had first met Anakin.
"To destroy. He has long been groomed for his role as my master's new apprentice," Maul stated.
Ahsoka glared at him. "You lie!"
"I have seen it," Maul insisted. "And Sidious all but confirmed it when last we spoke."
"Spoke about what? I thought you were hiding from your master."
Maul sighed. "I did try. But Sidious has eyes everywhere. He contacted me a few days ago. He said that I should expect you soon. Rather than kill you, he ordered me to reveal his identity before letting you escape and run back to the Jedi with the news."
Ahsoka could only gape. How could Sidious have known she was after Maul? Had Ventress betrayed them? But Ventress had insisted that she didn't even know who Sidious was, and Ahsoka had been so sure that she was telling the truth. And why would Sidious want the Jedi to learn his identity? It all made no sense.
"So who is he then?" Ahsoka finally asked. "Sidious?"
Maul grinned now, all too self satisfied. "But isn't it obvious? Darth Sidious is none other than the honorable Chancellor of the Republic, Sheev Palpatine."