The glassy grey surface of Malachor was unlike anything Ahsoka had seen. Barren, aside from a series of dark pillars which loomed large in the distance, the planet was every bit as unsettling as the rumours had made it out to be. It was silent save for the pair's footsteps echoing across the unnaturally flat landscape. And a strange sense of foreboding hung in the air- a feeling which made Ahsoka's skin crawl.
"That was quite the brilliant strategy," commented Maul, at last breaking the uneasy quiet. "Though I am curious- how was it that you seemed to predict the exact combat capabilities of a Star Destroyer the rest of the galaxy knows so little about? You were aware of exactly what weaknesses to exploit and when- and I find it hard to believe you deduced all of that from a mere energy signature."
Ahsoka shrugged. "I guessed," she said casually.
"You... guessed?!" responded Maul in disbelief. "You gambled our lives and the fate of the very galaxy on... a guess?!"
"To be fair, it was an educated guess."
"That's hardly any better."
"Come on, it wasn't a complete shot in the dark. 'Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory'- that is part of the Sith Code, right?"
"It is, yes... but what has that got to do with anything?"
"Well... the ships a navy uses reflect the values of those that use them. And if Sidious... Palpatine... intended for these ships to be the enforcers of his will, then I figured that their design doctrine would borrow heavily from Sith philosophy. Victory from power, power from strength- I thought that a Star Destroyer built with these values in mind would probably be one focused around heavy offensive capabilities and not much else. And based on scans of the superstructure- the lack of a dorsal hangar, and the significant difference in power consumption when compared to the Venator- well, it seemed like a pretty reasonable guess."
"Hm... so you have been listening to me after all," said Maul, a hint of awe in his voice. "I'm... impressed."
Ahsoka paused for a moment, before a seriousness crept into her voice.
"I wasn't going to make the same mistake that destroyed the Jedi. I... I think the problem with both the Jedi and the Sith is that they get so fixated on the dogma that dominates their lives- for Jedi the pursuit of ideals and for Sith the pursuit of power- that they blind themselves to anything outside of that."
She let out a tired sigh.
"You were right, Maul. Sidious may have pulled the trigger, but it was the Jedi who handed him the blaster. All thanks to hubris- arrogance- and a refusal to see what was right in front of them. A refusal to understand how their enemy had evolved. A refusal to... a refusal to do what needed to be done."
"...indeed," said Maul, somewhat taken aback by Ahsoka's uncharacteristic words. "...and yet, as you said, the Sith fall into a similar pitfall. Power becomes their only purpose- and in their relentless pursuit of it, they refuse to see that their conquest is destroying all that they once held dear."
It was clear to Ahsoka that Maul was referring to himself in that last sentence- how his endless crusade had led to the deaths of the two people that mattered to him most. And yet, couldn't the same sentiment also apply to her master? It still seemed unfathomable- the idea that Anakin Skywalker- her friend- could fall so far. It seemed unthinkable that someone so devoted to the principles of the Jedi could suddenly turn to the side of their mortal enemies. But perhaps though they diverged in their expression, the core of Jedi and Sith philosophy was the same- for they both were built upon a rigid and unchanging absolutist dogma. The Jedi had their false dichotomy- Light and Darkness, while the Sith had their own- power and weakness. In both cases, one side of the dichotomy was idealised while the other was demonised. Both chose to distort their perception of the world to fit their narrow-minded narratives- and in doing so, they blinded themselves.
"...right," said Ahsoka as she brought herself back to the present moment. "Anyway, the point is... if I willingly choose to be ignorant of that which I seek to overcome... then I'll just meet the same fate the Jedi did. So yes, I listened. I watched. And I learned..."
A playful smile crossed her face.
"...so I guess your endless rambling actually did me some good, Maul."
"Very funny."
"It is funny! But in all seriousness... nothing I did was all that impressive. Even using the Star Destroyer's debris to blanket Malachor's orbit was an idea inspired by your scheme to capture the Fire Hawk using all those seismic charges and asteroids. You gave me all the pieces, and... all I did was put them together."
"Nonsense," scoffed Maul. "Your plan allowed us to overcome insurmountable odds- allowed us to turn an unwinnable battle into a resounding victory. There is no small merit in that, Ahsoka. Your creativity and tactical insights are astonishing, especially given your age. And-"
Realising he might have been speaking a bit too freely, Maul shook his head.
"...well... I suppose that is merely my appraisal of the situation. From where I'm standing, it seems you should give yourself more credit- but do with that information what you will."
"Heh... whatever you say, Maul."
With her connection to the Force severed, it was a mystery to Ahsoka just how many people were aboard the Star Destroyer when it was blasted into oblivion. Even so, it couldn't have been an insignificant number- the vast majority likely clones or officers who once served the same Republic she did. How many people were aboard that ship? How many innocent lives had her choices ended?
"No," thought Ahsoka. "That's the wrong question. None of them were innocent. "They all chose to serve the Emperor. They stuck by him after the Massacre of Mon Cala. And even if they were not evil individually, they still let themselves become tools of Imperial tyranny."
Any traces of empathy and guilt once again slipped away in favour of grim satisfaction and solemn determination.
"They deserved it. They brought destruction upon themselves."
It was frightening just how quickly Ahsoka had grown indifferent to the idea of killing her former comrades. But however she rationalised it, Ahsoka had already made up her mind- any act of evil she took was justified if it spared the galaxy a greater evil. In the pursuit of their ideals, the Jedi had rejected pragmatism- a path that led them directly to their own destruction. Ahsoka had no intentions of following in their footsteps. Even if it cost her very soul, she would see this through to the end.
Ahsoka had changed- that much was obvious to Maul. He could sense a growing disconnect between her words and her feelings. It was a state of mind Maul was all too familiar with- that desperate desire to cling to some semblance of purpose when all hope seems lost. He knew this illusory bravado was just that- an illusion- and a part of him feared that she would not be ready for what came next. But dwelling on such things was foolish. Either way, this was the endgame. Either way, Maul's blood would be avenged. And soon enough, for better or for worse, the fate of the galaxy would be in the hands of Ahsoka Tano.
"Hm..." said Maul as he examined a series of strange runes etched into the base of one of the strange stone pillars. "How peculiar..."
"What's peculiar?"
"I know not how my old master gained access to the temple last time... I assumed that these structures would hold the answer."
"But they don't?"
"Well... from what I can make out of the Old Tongue- the ancient language of the Sith- the text here seems to be referencing the prophecy of the Sith'ari. Though what relevance it has to Malachor, I am... uncertain."
"The prophecy of the Sith'ari? You say that like I should know it."
"You do. The Jedi knew it as the prophecy of the Chosen One- though... both groups had their own interpretations."
"...really?" asked Ahsoka, suppressing the pang of fury she felt at the mention of the Chosen One. "What was the Sith's interpretation?"
"'The Sith'ari will be free of limits'," recited Maul. "'The Sith'ari will lead the Sith and destroy them. The Sith'ari will raise the Sith from death and make them stronger than before.'"
"That... doesn't sound much like the Chosen One prophecy..."
"Are you so certain? The Jedi and the Sith might have twisted the prophecy to fit their own worldviews, but from both we can isolate certain... commonalities. At their core, both prophecies speak of a being with absolute power destroying the Sith and putting the galaxy into its rightful state."
"...I see. It's just that the Jedi and Sith disagree about what this 'rightful state' is. For the Jedi, it is balance... peace... while for the Sith, it's the strong ruling over the weak. The rebirth and ultimate victory of the Dark Side."
"Exactly."
"But... Anakin..."
"Skywalker was a candidate for Chosen One, certainly," said Maul, nodding. "But while the Jedi believed that the identity of the Chosen One was preordained... decided by the Force... the Sith believe that anyone can claim the mantle of Sith'ari- Perfect Being- Chosen One- provided they have the ambition and the power to back it up. I believe the Sith were right- at least about that part. Skywalker was powerful- perhaps powerful enough to claim such a destiny. But now, we shall never know."
"...I guess that makes sense," responded Ahsoka, her tone intentionally detached and indifferent. "But what does some old prophecy have to do with..."
Ahsoka felt something.
"I..."
Almost unconsciously, she found her hand drawn to one of the inscrutable symbols. She raised her hand to touch it. Maul moved to stop her.
"Ahsoka, wait-"
A red glow emanated from the pillar before the ground shattered beneath them, dropping Ahsoka and Maul into the depths of the dead world.
"Ouch..." muttered Ahsoka, her head groggy from the impact of the fall. Still dizzy, she cautiously stood, before offering a hand to Maul.
"You alright?" she asked.
"For now," responded Maul, taking Ahsoka's hand. "Though next time," he started as he got to his feet, "...I would advise you heed my warnings."
"Sorry," winced Ahsoka. "Where... where are we?"
The pair had fallen into a cavern so vast it felt virtually endless. The cavern roof was dotted with tiny holes, creating a scene that bore a striking resemblance to the night sky. Ruins of ancient buildings stretched on as far as the eye can see, and towering above all of it was an enormous pyramid, a crimson light shining from its apex.
"We've made it," said Maul, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "This... is the Temple of Malachor."