"Ahsoka… Ahsoka!"

Laying in the commanding officer's bedchambers in the Fire Hawk, Ahsoka was roused from her sleep by Maul. She quickly sat up, inhaling sharply, her eyes panicked.

"Oh… it's you... again," she said, a calmness supplanting her frightened expression. "Never thought I'd ever be relieved to see your face, but… here we are. So… what's happening? Has the Empire made any moves I should know about? Or have you finally found an opportunity to strike at them?"

"Neither," replied Maul, gently taking a seat next to Ahsoka. "Your nightmares, I…"

"Oh…" winced Ahsoka with a sheepish smile. "Guess I must have been talking in my sleep, huh?"

"No. Well- yes, but that isn't why I bring them up. The Jedi temple in ruins- the panicked screams- the horrid stench of death- and you being the one to cut down the survivors, one by one."

Her eyes widened. Ahsoka had never talked about her dreams- and she'd certainly never mentioned them to Maul.

"How did you…"

"I can see them. Sense them. I suspect that the Force is connecting us- bridging our minds. That is why you were able to communicate your intentions to me so easily aboard the Venator… why I took the time to check on you on Mustafar… and why more and more, I'm able to see your dreams… and even feel your feelings. So I… I wanted to…"

Maul let out an exasperated exhale, turning away from Ahsoka to hide his expression.

"You're trying to put up a brave face, Ahsoka. The tenacity with which you keep fighting is laudable. But… I know the conflict within yourself is tearing you apart. And if you keep pushing those feelings down- if you keep trying to ignore the scars of the past… well… look how I've turned out. So... do you... do you want to talk about it?"

"Not particularly..." said Ahsoka, a pained smile on her face. It was true. She didn't want to show weakness. But the despair had risen to the point where keeping up the pretense felt all but impossible. And if Maul could already sense all that was bothering her, what did it matter, anyway?

"I've failed as a Jedi, and I've failed as a person. Do you know many people have died so that I could live? Do you how many people could have been saved if I just… if I had made just a few different choices? I know that people's lives don't matter to you, but they matter to me. And the weight of all those lives is mine to bear."

Maul shook his head.

"Those of my blood I cherished more than anything. And when I lost them, it… weakened me. Anger, rage, and… guilt. Directed not at Sidious- the man who had taken them from me- but at myself. It was you who allowed me to assuage those feelings. You told me that weakness isn't a personal failing. That failure itself need not define us."

Still keeping his expression hidden from her, a look of sincere sympathy spread across Maul's face.

"Do you… do you still believe that, Ahsoka?"

"…I do."

"And yet the same compassion you extend to others you don't extend to yourself."

"That's… different."

"How so?"

"...I don't deserve it."

Maul couldn't help but let out a surprised chuckle at Ahsoka's words.

"You don't deserve it?! Did you forget who you were talking to?! The rageful monster who hunted Jedi purely for its own sake- the ruthless killer who slaughtered numbers untold in some vain quest for vengeance- you were able to extend your sympathy to me- but believe you are unworthy of it?!"

"I-"

"I know what it is to suffer loss. Yet I wilfully inflicted this same feeling on countless others- I relished in the pain and suffering of my victims. And for what? Where did it all lead? In the end, every choice I made only served to benefit my greatest enemy and led me down a path of further destruction. I am not a person worthy of any semblance of compassion- yet you gave it to me anyway. So what about you? All your life, you've fought for what you believe is right. You've always strove to uphold goodness above self-interest. In spite of all the hardship you've endured- in spite of all the loss- you keep fighting- not for yourself, but so others need not feel the same pain you do now. If anyone is worthy of compassion… it is you, Ahsoka."

The emotional barrier keeping Ahsoka's façade intact shattered.

"I just-"

Her voice, once cold and distant, became laced with pain and grief. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she turned her head away from Maul to hide her own expression.

"It's so hard. How do I keep fighting when it feels like I'm just making things worse? How do I keep living when everything hurts so much?"

"…I don't know. But… there was a reason I asked you to take my hand on Mandalore- beyond your skill with a lightsaber and your power in the Force. Perhaps it has not yet occurred to you, but… do you ever wonder why so many people have been so willing to sacrifice so much for you? It's because they- we- believe in you. The strength of your spirit- that sheer force of will- no one in the galaxy can match it. Regardless of how treacherous the path, we believe that you will walk it and we believe you will see it through to the end."

"But what if you're wrong?! What if you're wrong about me?!"

"Do you think us fools, Ahsoka? Ask yourself why The Daughter- the living embodiment of the Light itself- chose to give her life so you could live. You are courageous, compassionate, capable and strong. Nothing will ever change that… and no obstacle can stand in your way forever."

Maul's words had stuck. The despair remained, yet it was now accompanied by a hope- and a realisation that she wasn't alone.

"I…" started Ahsoka, on the verge of breaking down completely. "I don't… know what to say."

"You need not say a word. Just… have faith. Have faith in our plan- have faith that we shall triumph… and above all, have faith in yourself. "

"Heh," she chuckled as the tears broke through. "All of that talk about compassion being a weakness… and now, you come here specifically to console me."

Ahsoka turned to the ground, grinning as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Who would have thought," she began, between fits of cackling, "…the fearsome Darth Maul, comforting a crying child!"

"Must you be so- all I said was-"

"Having compassion isn't a bad thing!" said Ahsoka, still wearing an amused grin. "Why are you ashamed of it? You were right in saying that the Jedi were short-sighted in forbidding attachment- so surely it isn't that much of a stretch to say the Sith were wrong to forbid compassion!"

"Compassion is… it is dangerous, it distorts, it prevents people from taking necessary action."

Ahsoka faced Maul, a sinister look spreading across her tear-stained face.

"Sounds an awful lot like how the Jedi describe attachment."

"But-"

"To feel what others feel- to empathise with those you care about- can you honestly say that's a bad thing? Was it wrong to feel concern and sympathy for your family? Didn't it feel nice- reassuring- to know that your family cared about you? Was it not these feelings that helped give purpose to your life?"

"I…"

For several seconds, Maul was silent, thinking on Ahsoka's words. And then, after what felt like an eternity, he let out a defeated sigh before speaking.

"…fine. Perhaps I have grown somewhat… accustomed… to your company… and perhaps there is more value to compassion than the philosophy of the Sith would let on. In any case… I truly do appreciate your skills, both as a warrior and a tactician."

"I'm glad to hear you say that. And Maul?"

"What now?"

Ahsoka placed a gentle hand on Maul's shoulder, prompting the former Sith to finally face Ahsoka.

"Thank you… for believing in me."