The ships power converters were damaged from the whole electrical discharge that had shut down the ship back when they had been brought here. The life support and oxygen systems needed fixing, of which Vex was doing at the moment, and the engines had debris, and needed some burst firing to clear them. As Vex replaces the vent filter in the main cabin, the air, and energy, shifts, as Anakin jolts awake. He makes his way to the Jedi, looking to him knowingly.
"Nightmare?" Vex asks gently, knowingly, as he secures the filter, and grabs the ventilation grate. Anakin sits himself up, rubbing at his eyes.
"Something like that." He responds softly, before standing up. With a resounding click, the grate is secured, the mag locks, and screws, keeping it held in place.
"If you are done napping, I could use a little help here." Ahsoka calls out, her playful voice echoing through the shuttle.
"We're coming." Anakin calls back in assurance, both of them walking into the small hallway that connected the ramp and cockpit.
"Leaving so soon?" The Son appears by the open ramp, Ahsoka unconscious in his grasp. "Not without this you won't." His form changes to the beast, Ahsoka now held within his talons as he takes flight, much to the frustration of Vex and Anakin.
"Ahsoka!" they call out in unison, their reactions having no effect in freeing her. Obi-Wan rushes in, having heard their shouts.
"What's going on?" He asks, having somehow been oblivious to everything that just occurred, when he had been just outside, with a perfect view of everything.
"Dark Side fucker took Ahsoka!" Vex answers, shoving his way into the cockpit, starting the engines, turning them off, and starting them again, clearing any debris so they wouldn't have engine failure.
"What are you talking about?" Obi-Wan questions, his mind not having caught up. Vex ignores the rest, not willing to listen to an argument when they could be catching up to the Son. He runs through all the checks, before taking control of the shuttle, lifting off, when Anakin enters.
"Move." Anakin orders gently, Vex following them as he takes the helm, using his skills to follow the Son through the planet. Obi-Wan and Vex both take a seat by his side, watching as everything passes by, while still keeping an eye on the Son, who was flying just ahead of them, as though teasing them. To the normal person, each swerve, each turn, each climb, all of it would seem random and desperate. But nothing in this place was random. As the beast disappears into the fog, Anakin pushes the shuttle faster to follow.
"Look out!" Obi-Wan warns, as a massive tower looms in sight, materializing from the thick fog. In fear, and with Anakin's lack of changing course, Obi-Wan yanks the secondary control yoke, tearing the ship away from the imminent collision. The sudden movement jerks the ship hard, and the engines cut out, their half repaired state unable to cope with such a maneuver. Anakin does what he can as the shuttle scrapes across the rocky landscape before eventually coming to a stop, sparks flying within the cockpit. Anakin and Vex are relatively unharmed, but Obi-Wan had a crash course with the panels in front of him. As he raises his head, he turns to Anakin. "I didn't think you saw it." He apologizes.
"It was a giant tower. Of course I saw it." Anakin snaps back, his pain palpable from both the crash and after having his Padawan taken right in front of him. Vex lowers the ramp, dashing outside first, with the others following him. Anakin visibly searches the sky, and Vex turns to him.
"Any sign of him?" He asks gently.
"No." Anakin responds. "But I think it's obvious where he took her." The giant tower that they had almost hit stands in the distance. Inertia was a bitch when crash landing near an objective.
"Yeah. We need to get moving." Vex agrees. As they begin to move, Obi-Wan blocks their way.
"No. This wasn't a mistake. He brought us here for a reason." Obi-Wan begins. "We must not get involved. Any conflict here could have massive repercussions for the universe at large."
"You can't stop us, Obi-Wan. Because if Anakin had been taken, you would do the same thing." Vex retorts. "And while the Galaxy might suffer from the actions here, that is only if it is deemed by the Force. While the Mortis family are gods, they don't control the Force, they simply represent it." He then storms ahead, ignoring whatever further argument is had. Anakin soon catches up, and the two begin to make their way to the tower, navigating the rocky hills and cliffs, the speed of travel frustrating them both.
As they climb, a feeling of dread and pain washes over them. They look at each other, and begin to move quicker, the Force, and null, empowering their limbs, giving them the boost they so desperately require. Once they reach the top, the boost fades away, their bodies aching, as though they were being hampered by some form of power. As they walk to the open courtyard, Ahsoka sits ahead, waiting for them in a meditative position.
"Something isn't right." Vex notes quietly, his powers sending a warning, as though they were under attack. With difficulty, Vex tries to move forward, but his limbs lock him in place, as Anakin closes in on his Padawan. He looks around, noting a few roots of darkness, but they seem frozen in place as well.
"Ahsoka? Ahsoka, its me." Anakin calls to her, his voice shaky. "You're safe now. Let's go."
"Are you… proud of me, Master?" She asks, her voice sickeningly sweet, an undertone of anger, of fear, of hate.
"Anakin." Vex tries to call his attention, but his voice is quiet, shaky, as though he is frozen in fear. With effort, he manages to take a hold of his saber, the crystal singing to him in soothing waves, assuring him that he will be alright, no matter what happens.
"What? Of course I'm proud of you, Snips. But we need to get out of here." Anakin replies, his confusion about the question evident. Vex finds his body unlocking, his limbs moving once more, his throat no longer constricted in fear.
"Anakin!" He calls again, this time loud enough to catch Anakin's attention. "That's not our Ahsoka!" He shakily ignites his saber, the azure blade grounding him, but the crystal is partially crying, sorrow for Ahsoka. The ignition seems to spur Anakin into action, as he takes his hilt in his grasp.
"He's right. Right about everything." She states, turning to face us. "You must join him. He only wants what is best for the universe." She tilts her head almost innocently, but the veins of darkness were visible across her body. At the sight, Anakin steps back, horror, and pain, written across his face.
"Ahsoka? What's wrong with you?" Anakin asks, his voice breaking at her figure.
"Always with the criticism, Master. Never really believing in me, trusting in me." She begins to pace, before turning her back to them again. "Well, I don't need you anymore." Her voice is a sweet venom.
"Ahsoka, don't do this." Vex warns softly, his voice cracking with emotion, tears brimming at his eyes.
"He's done something to you Ahsoka, snap out of it . This isn't you." Anakin adds with worry, but determination to reach her.
"Isn't it?!" She asks with a snarl. "I feel more like myself than I ever have."
"Ahsoka." Vex tries to call to her, but she ignores him, not even facing him.
"He asked me to give you a message. He said if you don't join him, he will kill me." She giggles, the sound grating in the courtyard at it's wrongness.
"We won't let him." Vex replies, his voice no longer shaking, his determination set. The howl of a wolf behind his words, his will to protect his friends, his family, resounding with the intelligent creature.
"Then you will be forced to kill me." She retorts, taking both of her sabers and igniting them. With a twirl, she leaps at them both, aiming at our legs. Anakin swiftly ignites his saber, blocking the strike aimed for him with ease. Vex does the same, but finds the blade no longer locked, coming for him elsewhere. Each parry becomes difficult, as Ahsoka's form builds more and more momentum, her blades sliding, rather than locking, as she twists and turns. Anakin tries not to engage, dodging unless absolutely necessary.
"I don't want to fight you, Ahsoka." He states, before parrying her blade. In retaliation, Ahsoka slides her blade away, and kicks him back, pushing Vex away with a blast of energy, as she focuses on her Master.
"And now, the student will kill the master." She declares, leaping towards Anakin with immense speed. Vex calls upon his power, yanking Ahsoka from her course, as she misses Anakin who rolls away, calling his lost saber back to his hand and reigniting it.
"Getting ahead of yourself aren't you, Snips." Anakin notes, his irritation beginning to grow, the fact he can do nothing harming his psyche, but his love continues on.
"Don't call me that! I hate it when you call me that!" She snarls. With a swift execution, Anakin disarms her momentarily, and Vex pushes her back with a burst of energy. With practiced ease, she catches herself, flipping up and catching both sabers once more, as Obi-Wan joins the fray, saber ignited as he steps beside Anakin.
"Two Jedi. Finally, a challenge." She notes, leaping at them and slashing with vigor, completely ignoring Vex, a fatal mistake.
"Am I just not that good, 'Soka?" He taunts, a burst of speed allowing him to reach her and strike.
"Not when I know your every move." She smirks in a dark glee as she parries, before moving to try and predict his next strike, which he feints and disarms her of a saber, her attention having been elsewhere. With an outstretched hand, Anakin calls the fallen saber to his hand, before he clips it to his belt, erecting a small barrier that blocked any attempts to take it from him.
"That, is where you are wrong." Vex admits, leaping away as Anakin takes his place, the power of his blows pushing her back. "Any suggestions on how to fix what has been done to her?"
"Yes." Obi-Wan admits, taking out a hilt, which is covered in a mist as an old, bloodstained dagger. "We cut her free."
"Make use of the unholy ritual weapon, for unlike any other, it's power shall break the bonds of immortality."
"The Apostles of the Apocalypse."
"The Reapers of Asmodai."
"WHERE DID YOU GET THAT? GIVE IT TO ME!" The Son's voice echoes in tandem with Ahsoka. She leaps at Obi-Wan, hell bent on taking the dagger, her movements becoming faster and faster, yet Obi-Wan blocks each strike with practiced skill.
"Stop this." The Father's voice echoes through the sky, as both the Son and Daughter are launched out the tower window, the four of them diving away from the falling glass, to avoid being impaled by the shards. The Father then lands by their stirring forms, with the Son being the first to recover.
"So glad you could make it to our little party, Father." He mocks.
"You will stop this." He tries to order his child.
"You are too weak for me, old man. You mean nothing to me anymore." The Son says, as he begins to send a constant barrage of red lightning at his father, swiftly breaking through his weakened shield. Anakin begins to walk towards the Son, when Obi-Wan calls to him.
"Anakin, now!" He tosses the dagger toward Anakin, his intent clear. Ahsoka leaps up, snatching the dagger from the air, before returning to the Son with a victorious smirk.
"Ah. Everything has transpired exactly as I planned." The Son explains.
"You showed them the Altar?" The Father asks weakly. Obi-Wan helps the Daughter to her feet as she looks at him with pain.
"I am sorry, Father. I didn't know how else to stop him." She apologises with a bite to her words.
"Give it to me, child." The Son orders gently, yet firmly, holding out his hand. Ahsoka glances back at us momentarily.
"Ahsoka, no." Anakin warns with sorrow. But his words seem to have no affect, as Ahsoka hands over the dagger.
"Thank you. Your usefulness has come to an end." The Son says, touching Ahsoka's forehead with his index finger. And like a puppet having it's strings removed, she collapses lifelessly onto the ground.
"NO!" Vex cries in pain, rushing over to her form, bringing her close to his body as tears fall his sobs echoing through the courtyard. The Son laughs darkly, watching on, before looking to the Father.
"The Jedi have brought me the Dagger, and you have brought yourself. Now, Father, you will die." The Son states, raising the Dagger and sending it down upon his Father, only to impale the Daughter instead, much to his horror and pain.
"Why?!" The Son screams, launching into the air and leaving with his pain echoing through the very foundation of the tower.
"My Daughter. What have I done?" The Father asks himself as he removes the dagger.
"Do not hate him, Father. It is his nature." The Daughter states quietly.
"I thought that by bringing you here… But instead I have destroyed the very thing I tried to protect." The Father weeps.
"Can you help her?" Vex asks gently.
"There is no light. No hope. I cannot undo what has been done. I am sorry." He denies in tears.
"There is always hope!" Anakin argues. "You must help her!" At this, the Daughter raises a hand to her Father's cheek, pointing at Ahsoka with intent. With reluctance, he gestures for Anakin to kneel between the two.
"Then let my Daughter's last act..." The Father begins, as Anakin places his flesh hand on the Daughter's forehead, something beyond guiding his limbs. "Be to breathe life into your friend." He then places his artificial hand on Ahsoka's forehead, as his own eyes glow pure white, as Life and Force Essence is transferred between the bodies. As the light dies down, the Daughter's body goes slack, her figure no longer glowing as her life fades completely. Anakin then slumps, his strength almost gone.
In Vex's arms, Ahsoka begins to cough, bolting upright in my lap as oxygen enters her lungs once more, as her heart begin to pump blood throughout her body again. Once her fit ends, I immediately bring her into a tight embrace, tears falling from my eyes in both relief and heartbreak.
"Hey, 'Soka." He greet her softly, kissing her forehead gently, much to Obi-Wan's confusion.
"Uh, what's going on?" She asks tiredly, her mind still hazed at the fact she had been dead, and clearly not remembering what had just happened. Obi-Wan just hands her lightsabers to her, while Anakin also gives her a hug.
"We'll explain it later. But it's good to have you back." Anakin states, his voice shaky.
"As the Balance of this world crumbles, so shall war escalate in your galaxy. The dagger, has bent the rules." The Father explains, kneeling down and gently holding his Daughter's lifeless hand. "As my Son has descended into the Dark side, so have the Sith gained strength."
"We will stop your Son." Anakin assures.
"No. You must go now." The Father corrects. "He needs your ship to leave the planet. You must leave before he can take it."
"What about you?" Vex questions with concern. As much as he despises the actions the Father took, he, deep down, understands his desperation and concern.
"I shall mourn all that I have done. And all that is yet to be." The Father replies. With heavy hearts, they leave the Father to care for his late Daughter, backtracking to where the Ship had crash landed. As they reach the damaged shuttle, Vex stumbles, his vision darkening, voices calling for him fading into the background, as the darkness prevails.
"Sniper!"
"Boss?"
"Can you hit the schoolhouse?"
"Yeah. Bren in a single shot. I need the Bren!"
"The man in the white suit. Do you have his heart?"
"Yeah, Boss."
"Take it."
"Think he was important?"
"If he was, it won't take long to find out."
"You're hanging us out to dry! We need reinforcements!"
"There are larger things at play than you can possibly imagine."
"I don't give a damn about the larger 'tings."
"Tell me, what I'm supposed to do, General."
"Fight each other, until only one of you remains. Leave the Author alive, as he shall record each death when it happens. Make use of the Unholy Ritual Weapon, for unlike any other, it's power shall break the bonds of immortality. The strongest of you will be rewarded, as I shall claim their body for my return."
The Jedi... The Daughter... The Sith... The Son... In a bid to save the Balance, the Jedi... The Daughter... Are killed. The Sith... their powers having grown... take over... Anakin, his pain, his grief, his desperation... His anger, his hate, his suffering.
"No, Father, I have to saver you!"
"You already have, Luke."
"General? General Skywalker, come in!" Rex's voice brings Vex back with a jolt, as the familiar, if changed, signatures of Ahsoka, Anakin, and Obi-Wan calm him, as they are beside him, waking up themselves. Out beyond the cockpit, where the vastness of space spreads, a single Venator stands among the dark.
"We read you, Rex." Anakin replies, his voice groggy, as he brings himself to awareness. "Can you hear me?"
"Yes, sir. Standing by." Rex answers. "We were worried. You were off the scopes there for a moment."
"A moment? We've been gone for more than a moment, Rex." Anakin retorts incredulously.
"Sir, I don't understand. You'll need to explain." Rex notes with confusion. At this, Vex decide to speak up.
"Rex, until we get there, just file it under the Jedi Mumbo Jumbo section. I'll fill in the details later. Just make sure you leave a few years worth of space, as it may be needed to explain it all."
"Oh great. Echo, you get that?" Rex calls over his shoulder, before a muffled reply answers him. "Good, you can go work it all out when Recker gets on board."
"Rex… who told you about that name?" Vex asks with suspicion.
"Uh, General Ti, sir. She mentioned that it was your old military name. And I'll be honest, it feels right to call you that compared to Vex." Rex answers sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Fair enough. Besides, I think I need to speak with General Ti again some time soon." His smile has Rex shivering.
"Just don't involve me, sir." He warns.
"Didn't plan on it. Fives and Echo can help instead. It will be a reward for helping file the report." He assures.
"And on that note, you're on your own until you dock." Rex cuts the transmission abruptly. Three sets of eyes bore through him, curiosity and amusement shining brightly.
"Fuck off. What happened?" He asks. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka look to him, sadness in their eyes, Anakin seeming uncertain.
"The Father put you to sleep. He was concerned that your actions would break the prison he holds his children within. After that, we left you in the med-bay." Anakin explains. "From there, my memory is fuzzy. The Father said his Son showed me the future, a forbidden act."
"In the end, All the gods of Mortis died." Ahsoka states solemnly.
"What manner of creature are you?"
"One, beyond your power to destroy."
"I'm not so sure they are truly dead." Vex states, looking to Ahsoka. "The Daughter gave you life. She lives in you now." He turns to Obi-Wan and Anakin. "What happened when the Father died?"
"He... Disappeared. His body vanished." Anakin admits.
"Then he is one with the Force." Vex sighs. "He watches over us all now. I do not know about the Son, but I believe he is a part of the Sith now, his power locked away as he watches."
"They are still alive?" Obi-Wan questions, as the ship docks with the Resolute.
"No. Not alive, just a part of the Force now." Vex corrects, as he lowers the ramp, finding Rex waiting for them.
"Recker, you able to come with me and explain what happened?" Rex asks.
"Yeah. The others will have to report it to the Jedi Council while we do this." Vex affirms, as the two soldiers walk away, recording the events in the archives of the Republic.
