Chapter 12.
Maul awoke to the unpleasant stench of hospital grade disinfectant. He groaned uncomfortably, screwing his face tightly as he rolled onto his side, ripping the needles from his arm only to find that he couldn't. Maul was restrained laying flat on his back in a hospital bed and an environment that did not resemble the usual hustle and bustle of a medical ward.
Maul tried to reach out using the force only to find his senses dampened and his mind misty, fogged with the numerous narcotics spiking his dathomirian blood. Reluctantly he opened his eyes to find a singular medical droid gazing down on him from above and an unfamiliar clone prodding at his left shoulder.
"My apologies… erm Sir," Tech stammered before reaching for his communicator, "General Skywalker, Maul has awoken".
"On my way," Anakin replied without missing a beat.
Maul wanted words to exit his mouth but nothing came out as a sharp jab stung into his neck.
"Sorry about that," Tech stated before continuing to work on Maul's new arm, "that's a stimulant I've just given you".
Maul began to feel the numbness disappear and could hear an elevator descending. Anakin walked through the medical room door.
"Thanks, Tech," Anakin nodded as tech left the room, the sound of an elevator rising into the roof could be heard.
Anakin began by removing the restraints from Maul and flicked the panel on the wall to reveal a lush mountainside covered in snow enveloping the entire left wall. Maul flexed his new arm, grunting at the loss of another limb. All Maul could feel was the intense hatred yet a metal wall was preventing him from remembering how he had lost his arm.
Anakin began asking Maul what he last remembered. He remembered the explosion of the temple and the call for darkness to consume him. He explained how he could sense the dark side and went to investigate its origins that lead him to Mortis only to find that it was a trap. Maul explained how the lushness and comforting embrace of the dark side had coerced him to be enveloped back in its peaceful slumber. Maul stuttered in his recount of events, not able to remember what happened next. Anakin frowned, placing his left hand on Maul's temple.
Anakin struggled to break through the force barrier that had been placed around his mind but managed to break through with extenuated effort as Maul cried out in pain, struggling to remain still as any slight movement could dissolve his mind into individual snowflakes. Anakin delved deeper and could see Maul land his ship on Mortis and enter the temple, his eyes a putrid yellow as he snarled, entering the temple.
The Son sat on the throne in the darkness of the temple, his eyes glowing blood red as he watched Maul obedient kneel before him.
"Ah, my son! You have returned!" The son giggled his maniacal laugh, floating to his feet, "I gave the witches the power to give you life and now we finally meet."
The Son reached down and angled Maul's chin so their eyes met.
"My loyalties are to you," Maul murmured out, completely encapsulated in the velvet touch of the dark side.
"Now that the Jedi are gone, the galaxy is ripe for the picking!" The Son laughed summoning the force to bring Maul to his feet.
Maul denied the Son's intentions stating that he only wished to seek the Son's help in abolishing the rest of the Sith.
The Son and Maul fought in a battle of force lightning, racing for the ship Maul had come in but it had all ended as The Son put the ship in autopilot and fought Maul off the landing ramp, using his Maul's lightsaber and twisting it cruelly to severe the left arm he gripped to the ship.
Ahsoka sat in deep meditation on the rooftop of her house, using the force to do her routine check on their surroundings ensuring that no one knew of their whereabouts. She enjoyed surfing the planet without leaving her home and felt exhilarated and calm at the same time.
The young Jedi Zatt and Petro had stayed on Coruscant to oversee the removal of the inhibitor chips whilst Obi wan lead a strike team to find the Clones who had gone under the radar and have their chips removed and investigate the Clone disappearances further. Ahsoka had entrusted Katooni to reluctantly leave for Naboo and protect the twins. Katooni was angry that she could not stay and learn more from Ahsoka but she knew that Ahsoka needed her to be as close to those twins as possible without attracting too much attention. Should anyone else had gone, they would have been discovered in a heartbeat. This would be Katooni's first assignment unknown from the Coruscanti media and abrasion of the war.
Anakin, Obi wan, Rex and the Bad Batch had travelled with Maul to Ahsoka's abode to remain undetected and to keep Maul hidden by way of the force to ensure that The Son of Mortis would not find them until they were ready. It would be their job to track them down and find out what they were up to.
Ahsoka could hear the elevator ascend to the rooftop so she pulled back from her exploration of the planet's orbit for the second time, although nothing had looked unordinary the first time Ahsoka always liked to be sure. This was her first home after all.
Anakin exited the elevator and joined Ahsoka as she got up to her feet. She used the force to throw a snowball at him only for him to use the force to catch it and drop it to the floor. Ahsoka giggled and hugged him tightly melding her force presence with his briefly. She felt relaxed as he held her in his arms.
"How is he?" Ahsoka Asked pulling back and walking her meditation mat.
"He's just woken from his two-week coma I accidentally put him in," Anakin said sitting down on the mat.
Ahsoka sat in his lap, frowning, "what do you think it means?" she asked concerned that he hadn't meant to put him in a coma for that long.
"The force feels stronger to me Ahsoka than it ever has and it scares me," Anakin swallowed, "I've shut myself off from the force for the time being only using it when it is necessary…" his voice trailed off, decreasing gin volume as he held her closer to him.
Ahsoka scooted around so that she was face to face with him.
"Don't look at me like that," Anakin snarled, "I'm handling it".
Ahsoka huffed raising her arms to hug Anakin's chest to hers.
Anakin remained silent; his emotions unsure of how to deal with the new senses that the force presents to him. He explained to Ahsoka that he can feel Jedi dying but he doesn't know where they are and it's only getting worse and it's been happening ever since the twins were born.
Ahsoka just held onto him not sure how to digest the sand that kept filling her mouth. He had been hiding all this from her and it only brought up unwanted emotions of their failed relationship. Ahsoka wanted more than anything to open herself back up to Anakin, back to the way they used to be but her time with lux had changed her. She realised that Anakin had been more of a brother to her throughout her training and somehow that changed after she had been kidnapped on Felucia and that their relationship had reverted to this after they went to the Grey Jedi temple. Lux had given her the world but it was too perfect but it showed her what she needed. A part of her wishes that she had stayed and ignored the wishes of the force but this is the path she chose. Ahsoka felt clarity and she knew that Anakin needs her now and that is what she would do.
~Preview~
"I keep having visions 'Soka," Anakin barely whispered, "it's an old Jedi temple on Lothal and it keeps calling me".
