Chapter 39 – Darth Maul
DISCLAIMER: We do not own Star Wars, even if we wish we did. xD
Author's Note: In which Ahsoka finds out about Maul and someone asks her for help. :P
~ Amina Gila
Breaking out of my prison cell for the third time since we were captured isn't too difficult. I managed to make a deal with the Pykes, so Rafa and Trace are gone to get a new spice shipment for them. I'm supposed to be staying here as hostage until they return with it. Now that they're gone, I can feel free to open the prison door. It's so simple.
I stand crouched out of sight, watching as the leader of the Pykes talks to a hooded figure over a hologram. Something about his presence... it feels so dark. And not like the Force signature of a usual sentient being. Like he's a trained Force sensitive. A Sith Lord, perhaps? I don't recognize his voice, so it's not Dooku or Sidious. Who could it be, then?
"You are but one small piece moving in this mechanism which I have designed. And yet, when you falter, it jeopardizes everything," he is saying, controlled anger in his tone, "Do you understand?"
"I understand," the leader nods, "The Republic is cracking down on my operations. Just a week ago, they raided one of my shipments arriving on Kiros."
"Were they Jedi?" he inquires, suddenly turning around. From under his hood, I can see his face. Red and black markings cover his face – clearly implicating his identity. Yellow eyes dart around the room. It's... Darth Maul. Just as I saw him in my vision.
"I don't know. None of my men made it out," the leader replies.
Suddenly, the Sith turns again, and his gaze falls right on me. He must sense me, even though I'm sure he can't see me from there. It's not a risk I'm willing to take. I hastily dart away from the railing and out of sight.
I need to find out where the signal is coming from. Now I know why the Force warned me to go with the sisters. If I hadn't come with them, I would never have found Maul, and he'd be left to gang up with Sidious again, if he hasn't already.
"Hmm... Well, then the answer is yes," Maul responds, "I have things to attend to other than your incompetence. Make sure there are no more delays. And if there are, I am certain Crimson Dawn would love the opportunity to take control of your operation." The hologram finally flickers off.
I dash out of the room as fast as I can, careful to remain out of sight as I make my way to the communications room. Hurriedly, I position a few bombs in place under the control panel. When the time is right, this place will be blown up, and we'll be able to get out of there. Now for other things. Stopping at the control, I quickly begin working to trace the location of the call. It doesn't take me long before I realize that it's coming from Mandalore. What's he doing there?
Suddenly danger screams through the Force, and I whirl around just as the doors to the room swing open and five guards rush in, pointing their blasters me.
"I knew you were no petty smuggler," growls the lead guard, "Who are you?"
Glancing over my shoulder, I see another one step up from behind me and take aim. I raise my hands in the air in surrender as I wait for them to approach me, an idea slowly forming in my mind. They unsuspectingly stride forwards, blasters aimed. Once they're close enough, I send a Force-wave outwards, knocking back the nearest ones. One shoots a stun bolt at me, but I dodge out of the way, twisting his arm so the blaster misfires and hits one of the others in the room. I kick the next one into the way of another blaster shot and then run for the door.
It slides open and three more guards walk in, blasters aimed at me. The ones who I had knocked over but were still conscious stand up and turn their blasters on me again. So much for that.
"You're a Jedi," he growls, "Are your friends also Jedi?"
"No. Just me. And they have no idea," I respond, backing up.
"Then the Jedi Council will regret sending you here," he warns, firing his blaster. The stun bolt strikes me before I can react, and darkness consumes me.
**w**
"I want to thank you. Your execution will help restore the Pykes reputation," the leader Pyke declares as the guards aim their blasters on me. I need to try something, but what? Maybe if...
"Stop what you're doing!" a familiar voice calls as Rafa and Trace approach us. So, they did come back after all. But their presence isn't going to help get me out of this situation. "Look, you don't have to execute her. We brought your spice back."
"Foolish," scoffs the leader Pyke, "We know you are both working for the Republic and this Jedi." I shift uncomfortably. Rafa and Trace are not going to like this news. I wish I had told them now, but what choice did I have?
"Her? A Jedi? Come on." Rafa throws up a hand in disgusted disbelief.
"I see," he chuckles, "So it is true that Jedi used you both. How unfortunate that your stupidity is so authentic."
They both turn their gaze to me, clearly upset. Rafa crosses her arms and Trace stalks closer to me. "Why didn't you tell me?!"
"How could I?" I reply, "After what you told me about your parents?" That story... it honestly didn't surprise that much. The Jedi are becoming more and more corrupted, less concerned with those who they hurt while they're trying to achieve their end goal. That's why the Order needs so many changes. Even after the Sith are gone, it's not going to be easy to change everything.
"Wait. So, you're actually a Jedi?" demands Rafa, who until now must have still been hoping I wasn't.
"I am," I confirm. The guards start closing in around us and we turn to face them.
"Prepare to execute them all!" orders the leader. The guards aim their blasters, ready to fire.
"You should have told me!" Trace hisses, just before a deafening explosion shakes the room. The bombs are going off at last. The force of the blast sends everyone sprawling. Now is our chance. More explosions shake the building as the guards start shooting. I Force-shove over one of them and the three of us take off.
"After them!" I hear him scream from behind us, "Or we will all suffer"
**w**
"So, what were you doing out here anyway?" inquires Rafa as we stand outside their shop back on Coruscant. We had managed to escape the Pykes, although not without a skirmish in the air, which Trace helped us get out of with her flying, which was apparently much better than I thought.
"I was on an undercover mission," I admit, seeing no harm in telling them at least that, "And no, it had nothing to do with the Pykes."
"You know," says Trace, stepping closer, "You're how I always imagined Jedi as acting. Nothing like that one we did meet."
I give them a smile. "The Jedi need to change. Many of them have lost their way, and that's something I'm trying to fix."
"You're going to be leaving now?" asks Trace, disappointment obvious in her gaze. Rafa isn't looking too much happier, but she's better at hiding it.
I nod, hoping they'll be alright on their own. "Maybe I'll be back –"
A sudden voice from behind cuts me off. "Isn't this sweet?" I turn to see three masked figures approaching us. "Making friends?"
"Trace and Rafa, back away," I warn, shifting to standing defensively in front of them as the figure in the front throws back her hood to reveal a mask that looks just like the ones Death Watch had.
The one in front takes off her mask to reveal Satine's sister. Bo Katan. "So, you remember me?" she asks, "Don't worry, Death Watch is gone and now you and I have a common enemy." She turns on a hologram of Maul.
"Me?" I echo.
"I need your help," she states, "Once we are underway, I will explain everything." She turns, putting her helmet back on. "You have five minutes."
Now I'm beginning to think this was why the Force wanted me to go. So, I could help them out on Mandalore. I need to go. The Force is nudging me that way, and I'll always follow it. I suppose I am supposed to be on break from the front lines right now, but sometimes things are more important than the rules. If this is what the Force wants me to do, I have to do it even if the Jedi Council doesn't agree.
I turn back to the sisters. "I'm going," I tell them, "Goodbye."
"Goodbye," Trace nods. They accompany me to the end of the hanger bay where the ship is docked. I give them one last look before walking up the ramp into the ship, leaving my bike – Trash behind.
After leaving the shop, I go to Padme's apartment to collect Anakin and Obi-Wan where I briefly explain what happened. Before long, we're standing around a hologram of several systems in space.
"Bo Katan has been tracking Maul's movements for several months," I explain, "I was able to obtain some transmission codes from the Pykes on Opah Diah which helped her pinpoint some of his previous locations."
"We know Maul is on Mandalore in the city of Centauri," declares Bo Katan, stepping forwards.
"You're certain of this?" demands Obi-Wan.
"He arrived two days ago," she replies.
"So why not take him yourself? Or to be more specific, what do you want from the Republic?" he inquires.
"I don't have the numbers needed for seizure without a complete lockdown of the city. Maul would escape again," she explains, switching the hologram to show one of the city layout. "That's why I'm proposing a joint operation. If we are successful, you'll have Maul and I'll have Mandalore."
The three of us exchanges glances before Obi-Wan speaks again. "If Republic forces aid you in your assault, it will break treaties that are a hundred years old. We will effectively be drawn into yet another war."
"Just one more," she replies.
"Well, we're not finished with our first one yet," Anakin points out, looking faintly amused.
"I will advise the Jedi Council of this development," Obi-Wan declares, turning to leave the room.
"There's no time!" Bo Katan insists angrily. Obi-Wan pauses and turns back as she continues. "Maul's influence on Mandalore is destroying my people. He murdered their ruler, my sister. I thought she meant something to you."
"She did... and she still does," Obi-Wan says, looking down, a pained looked flickering through his eyes for a moment. "But I cannot allow my feelings to cloud my judgement. The Council will decide what our course of action will be."
I frown. I expected his response, but that doesn't mean I like it. They'll never let us go there, and I know I need to go. We can't wait. I will not sit by idly and watch as civilians die senselessly because the Council is too worried about their reputation.
"I told you this was a waste of time," Bo Katan grumbles to me before stalking out of the room.
"Come on," Anakin urges, "We should go talk to the Council."
"They're never going to let us go," I murmur, "We might have to disobey their strict orders again."
"That would risk getting thrown out of the Order," Obi-Wan points out, giving me a warning look.
I cross my arms. "If that's what it takes to defeat the Sith. We can't let the Empire be formed, whatever it takes."