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Saved

Damian attached the last piece of the two rifles they'd kept from Saxon's troops, both of which he'd upgraded to Beskar. They were designed to incorporate Mandalorian blaster pistols as the rifle's grip and the rest was essentially just a detachable barrel extension, scope, and shoulder stock, all of which were able to separate into small pieces for easy transportation, storage, and smuggling. He liked it. He'd already made a belt to carry the pieces on, and had gotten good at assembling it in about two seconds if he needed to, rare though the occasion would likely be.

"I don't see why you don't just start carrying Shaeeah's rifle," Ezra said. "That thing's awesome."

"Firstly, because it's Shaeeah's," Damian said. "Secondly, because this is easier to sneak in and out of places, I just have to disassemble it. And thirdly, because while hers packs a hell of a punch, mine fires lightsaber blades."

"Okay, that's fair," Ezra said.

"We're heading out," Hera said as she stepped into the room, Ezra following her to the cockpit.

"Just in time," Damian said as Sabine walked into the room. "Hey Sabine, your new toy's all set."

"Sweet," Sabine said, claiming her parts as Damian attached his belt, then adjusted it so that it didn't get in the way of his newly restored armor.

"You know, it still amazes me you were actually able to completely reforged me and Ahsoka's armor," Damian said. "Or, well, the chest plates, at least."

"Yeah, I'm sorry I couldn't do all of it," Sabine said. "I didn't realize I was going to have to use the metal from literally all of the other plates to fix the chest plates."

"It's alright," Damian said. "Having her have at least that much armor is good enough for my worrying."

"Then I'm glad I could help," Sabine said.

She headed for the cockpit and Damian left the Ghost, walking to the building where Ahsoka was with Alina. Alina instantly held her arms up, and he smiled, scooping her up and beginning to tickle her, making her screech and laugh instantly. Ahsoka smiled up at him from the floor and Damian squatted down, kissing her, then holding out Alina so she could give Ahsoka a kiss as well. He sat down beside Ahsoka and set Alina on the floor, only for Alina to suddenly begin to scream and cry. Damian hurriedly picked her back up and rock her, only for her to continue, actually seeming to get more upset. Ahsoka took her, but Alina continued.

"Alright," Damian sighed. "Fine. We'll do it this way." He reached out, meaning to calm her with the Force, but the moment his hand touched her forehead, images flooded his mind. He could see a Sarlacc pit, giant fungi in the background, and Shaak Ti fighting someone with a red lightsaber. He sucked in a harsh breath, snatching his hand back.

"What is it?" Ahsoka asked worriedly.

"Shaak Ti is in trouble," Damian said, setting his hand on Alina's head again, Alina instantly quieting down, allowing Ahsoka to wipe her eyes. "Alina was having a vision, and when I touched her, I saw it."

Ahsoka shook her head. "Guess we know she's going to be a Jedi."

Damian snorted and nodded just as Zera and Shia both walked in.

"Is everything alright?" Shia asked. "We heard Alina screaming all the way from the ship."

"She should be alright now," Damian said, he and Ahsoka standing and Ahsoka passing Alina to Shia. "Sorry, but something's come up and we need to go. Is Barriss on the ship?"

"Uh, I think so," Zera said. "What's going on? Do you need help?"

"We can manage!" Damian called back as he and Ahsoka left, both running toward the ship, reaching it just as Barriss was walking out of her room, stretching and yawning.

"Hey, what's going on?" Barriss asked, Riyo and Maylene both stepping out of Barriss's room as well.

"Shaak Ti's in danger," Damian said, Barriss's eyes widening.

"Right," Barriss nodded. "Riyo, we'll be back soon."

Riyo nodded, kissing her, then left the ship with Maylene. Damian piloted the Wraith out of the atmosphere and jumped as soon as they could, then, sat back, closing his eyes for a moment and extending his senses.

"What are we dealing with?" Barriss asked.

"I saw her fighting against a Dark Side user," Damian said. "I sensed that she would be killed. But I didn't recognize the person she was fighting."

"Okay," Ahsoka nodded. "Is there anyone else we should worry about?"

"I'm looking for him now," Damian said, then sighed. "I can sense him. He's not there yet, but he's going to meet us there."

"He?" Barriss frowned before her eyes widened. "What, that Sith Stalker?"

"Yeah," Damian nodded. "It looks like it's time for one final battle against him."

"Wonderful," Barriss sighed. "Well, at least you'll have each other for back up. And I can help Master Shaak Ti."

"No," Damian said. "I have to face him alone. Ahsoka can help you."

"I'm not letting you fight him alone," Ahsoka said. "You don't have your Juggernaut armor anymore."

"I know," Damian said. "But this is something I have to do."

"How do you know?" Ahsoka asked.

"Do you remember the vision we had together?" Damian asked.

Ahsoka frowned before remembering the one of the Mother's silhouette behind Damian and the cloaked figure behind the Sith Stalker. "Yes, but that doesn't mean you have to face him alone!"

"Ahsoka, I have to do this," Damian said. "I can't tell you how I know, or why I have to be the one to do it. I don't know. But I have to fight him alone."

"Fine," Ahsoka said. "But I'll be right there to back you up the moment you get in trouble."

Damian nodded, smiling. "Deal."

Ahsoka nodded and they all fell silent, waiting to reach Felucia.

Damian leapt out of the Wraith in time to slash at the Dark Side user who was fighting Shaak Ti, who currently had her suspended in the air as he electrocuted her. He leapt backward, landing on his feet and glaring at Damian as Ahsoka and Barriss landed beside him, all in a line in front of Shaak Ti. Damian took the enemy in. He was a white-skinned human with his brown hair shaved, dark brown pants, dark brown combat boots, a long scarf wrapped around his neck and shoulders a dozen times, and mud covering everything.

"More Jedi?" he asked. "Good. Then I'll bring all of your lightsabers back to my Master."

"You're not going to be hurting anyone," Damian said, just as the Sith Stalker landed beside the Sith Apprentice. "Right on time. Master Shaak Ti, Barriss will help you. I'll deal with my old friend."

Shaak Ti nodded and Damian motioned for the Sith Stalker to follow before he and Ahsoka leapt up to the top of a cliff nearby, which wrapped around the top of a large raised area about a hundred feet long and fifty wide in a rough oval, and which had bone spikes sticking out of the ground randomly around it. After a moment, the Sith Stalker landed in front of him, lightsaber already out and ignited. Damian drew his own and ignited it before both shot forward. Their blades began to clash rapidly, and Damian instantly saw the difference. The Sith Stalker was like a whole different person. He slashed and stabbed wildly, unlike his usual controlled, almost playful fighting style. Damian sent a Force Push out of his lightsaber blade, but the Sith Stalker only skidded about four feet before lunging and slashing at Damian. Damian deflected it over his head, then slashed downward at the Sith Stalker, only for his claws to block the blade.

The Sith Stalker shoved the blade away as he slashed across his body at Damian, and Damian allowed the lightsaber to deflect off the back of his armor, glad he hadn't brought the jetpack he had stolen from Saxon's Mandalorians. He spun, slashing at the Sith Stalker, but it sparked across the metal plating attached to the Sith Stalker's ribs and the Sith Stalker roared, sounding like a monster, as he brought his lightsaber down across Damian's helmet. Damian's head bounced off the ground before he rolled, his left hand catching the Sith Stalker's blade before he kicking him, sending out a Force Blast that managed to throw him ten feet this time. Damian stood, shaking his head. This was ridiculous. He shot forward, slashing, and his lightsaber crashed into the Sith Stalker's, only for Damian to leap backward, the Sith Stalker's claws just barely missing tearing gashes into him below the chest plate. The Sith Stalker shot after him, his lightsaber crashing into Damian's rapidly before finally sending out a Force Blast, launching Damian. Damian flipped as Ahsoka caught him and set him on his feet. Then, Damian separated his lightsabers, extending the second blade before he began to rapidly clash with the Sith Stalker, his blades clashing with the Sith Stalker's lightsaber and claws both.

The Sith Stalker stabbed at him suddenly and Damian flipped, spinning with his arms out so that his lightsaber blades moved like a saw blade, but the Sith Stalker spun out of the way and drilled the end of his Lightsaber Blade into Damian's chest, hurling him into the air. Damian flipped, reconnecting his lightsabers just in time to fire a full-powered Force Push out of his newly freed left hand, the blue-tinted blast crashing into the Sith Stalker's red-tinted one, both cancelling. Damian landed on his feet, instantly beginning to fend off the Sith Stalker's lightsaber with his conjoined ones, holding his ground for a moment before beginning to backpedal. The Sith Stalker roared, bearing down on him, his lightsaber flailing around almost in a flurry of frenzied, uncoordinated, haphazard slashes, as though he didn't care what he hit as long as it was Damian. Damian finally pivoted, allowing the Sith Stalker to pass as he slashed at his back. The Sith Stalker spun, Damian's blade again sparking off the metal rib-plating the Sith Stalker had before the Sith Stalker's blade swung up from below, crashing into Damian's helmet's face, throwing him backward.

Damian stood, and looked around, seeing his lightsaber behind himself just as the hairs all over his body stood on end. He spun back to the Sith Stalker and shoved his hands forward, pure white lightning exploding from his hands and clashing with the dark purple lightning the Sith Stalker was suddenly firing. The two blasts fought to overpower each other for far longer than Damian felt comfortable with. He felt his energy dropping rapidly as bolts of electricity began to flash off the impact point, striking all around it as it creeped toward them. Then, the impact point suddenly exploded, hurling all three away from it. Damian crashed into a bone spike smashing it but stopping flying as the Sith Stalker crashed into one opposite him. Ahsoka landed on the edge of the cliff and caught Damian's lightsaber. However, suddenly, the Sith Stalker began to laugh. The laugh didn't fit the Sith Stalker, though. It was a wheezing, tired sort of laugh, like the person couldn't quite catch their breath. Deranged and unsettling.

Damian pushed himself back up as he began to sense something. There was a presence surrounding the Sith Stalker, strengthening him. Damian allowed his eyes to see the Sith Stalker's Force Connection, and instead of only that, he saw the same cloaked silhouette as from his vision, hands wrist-deep in the Sith Stalker's head, and forcing the Sith Stalker's aura to shine blood red. Damian swallowed hard. The Sith Stalker's hands snapped up and both unleashed their respective Force Lightning again, both sides once again fighting to overpower the other. However, this time, Damian's was weaker than before. He was too tired. He couldn't keep using his as long as whoever was possessing the Sith Stalker. The point at which the two colors met began to creep toward Lightning and he groaned, then shouted in effort, shoving with all his strength. However, just as he did, the Sith Stalker did as well. Damian's lightning failed abruptly and purple lightning began to arc over Damian's body. He screamed in agony, body collapsing to the ground in a spasming, contorting heap. And then, light began to shine from his body. His arm swiped and the Force Lightning ended instantly. He stood, his entire body glowing, and Ahsoka's mouth fell open as she stared at the silhouette behind him. Then, both began to fire their lightning again, except this time, Damian's began to win out instantly.

"No!" the Sith Stalker snarled. "I...will not...be beaten!"

"I am the manifestation of the pure Force!" Damian snarled, but with a feminine voice, tone commanding and dripping with authority. "You will submit to me!"

Then, the Sith Stalker's lightning failed, Damian's arcing over his body for several seconds before Damian suddenly yanked the Sith Stalker to him, catching him by the head, hands shining.

"Begone!" Damian ordered, in that same voice as before.

The light shone blindingly and Ahsoka shielded her eyes, but forced herself to watch. All at once, the red silhouette Damian had seen appeared behind the Sith Stalker, hands clutching at his head as the silhouette roared in effort before loosing his grip and being launched backward, fading before he'd made it ten feet. Then, the light vanished and Damian collapsed.

Barriss blocked her opponent's lightsaber, and grunted under the force of his blow, only for him to blast her with the Force, sending her flying backward. She crashed into one of the Sarlacc's tentacles just as the opponent blasted Shaak Ti with lightning. She screamed, falling to her knees, but as the Dark Side wielder moved to finish her, Barriss leapt off the tentacle and slammed her blade into his, hurling him away. She scrambled to her feet, retreating to Shaak Ti and helping her up as the Apprentice stood, walking toward them again.

"Are you alright?" Barriss asked.

"He's stronger than I thought," Shaak Ti said.

Barriss nodded in agreement as the Apprentice's hands began to flicker with Force Lightning. Barriss moved to block it, only for a massive wall of lightning to explode from his hands, crashing into both of them, both screaming in agony as they were sent crashing backward into the Sarlacc, which also shrieked in agony. Then, the Apprentice allowed his lightning to end and both fell, crashing to the ground beside the pit. Shaak Ti stood after a moment, holding her side and glancing at Barriss.

"You are Vader's slave," Shaak Ti said, kneeling and lifting Barriss and Barriss's lightsaber, Shaak Ti's own lightsaber lying at the Apprentice's feet. "But your power is wasted with him. You could be so much more."

"You will never convince me to betray my master!" the Apprentice spat.

"Poor boy," Shaak Ti said, staggering forward a step, then back. "The Sith Always betray one another. But I'm sure you'll learn that soon enough."

Then, she tipped backward, falling and crashing down the inside of the Sarlacc Pit. The Apprentice ran to the edge and looked over, but Shaak Ti had already used the Force to pull herself and Barriss behind one of the tentacles. After a moment, she sensed the Apprentice turn to leave as Barriss stirred.

"Master?" Barriss groaned quietly. "We lost, didn't we?"

"Yes," Shaak Ti said. "We lost."

"Sorry," Barriss said. "Don't tell Damian. He'll never let me live it down."

Shaak Ti smiled. "He seemed different this time."

"He's changed," Barriss said. "For the better."

Shaak Ti nodded, looking up toward the top of the pit just as a blinding light shone. "What...is that?"

"Damian!" Ahsoka shrieked, sprinting to him as the Sith Stalker staggered backward before catching himself. Ahsoka yanked Damian's helmet off and felt for a pulse, finding one, but he was completely unconscious.

"He won't wake," the Sith Stalker said, Ahsoka spinning and igniting a lightsaber, only for the Sith Stalker to cast his aside. "Not yet, at least. He'll probably be out for a week."

"How do you know that!?" Ahsoka demanded.

"It's just an educated guess," the Sith Stalker said, reaching up to his helmet and detaching the tubes, beginning to pull it off. "I can't begin to tell you how much I hate this fucking mask." He cast it aside and Ahsoka's lightsaber clattered to the ground, her eyes wide with shock. "Hello Ahsoka. It's been so...so long."

She stared at him uncomprehendingly. It couldn't be. And yet it was. His skin was a pale, deathly white, black veins spiderwebbed through it, with the exception of his face, he was bald, his eyes were ringed by dark purple skin like he had two black eyes that didn't swell up, his cheeks were gaunt, and his eyes were bloodshot, but she knew that face. It was Damian's, plus about fifteen years or so.

"D...Damian?" Ahsoka breathed. "But..."

"It's a really complicated story," the older Damian said as the black veins faded, though his skin remained pale and he remained gaunt with dark circles around his eyes. "I'm from the future of an alternate timeline. In my life, everything was the same as your Damian's. At least, up until I...he...we came back to you. In my time, you didn't accept me back. You didn't forgive me. You turned me away after Hondo's gang was destroyed. So I fell into a pit of despair and alcoholism too deep to come back from. I never trained with you and gained the power your Damian did from trying to protect you, and instead of training, or ever reconnecting with the Force by meditating, I closed myself off. I drank enough alcohol for five people to get drunk, I abused every drug I could get my hands on, and I fucked anything I could get my dick into. I was every bad part of your Damian's personality that he left behind for you. I embodied it all. Jek and Shaeeah died on a smuggling job. Barriss died to an Inquisitor. Somethings still happened similarly. I still met the Ghost crew and joined them. But I was nothing like yours. By then, I was beyond saving. I was such a horrid piece of shit, that I lured all of the Inquisitors to the Ghost crew, just so that I could stage a rescue. I made them think they couldn't possibly protect him without me, and then as payment, I forced both Hera and Sabine to allow me to use them whenever I wanted. When we met you again...things just got worse. You saw what I had become and it just proved that you had been right to turn me away. I still loved you, though. And you hating me simply pushed me deeper into my despair. Despite everything I had become, I still wanted to be with you, and I still wanted to be better. So the fact that I had fallen so far killed me. I couldn't stand what I had become, but it was too late to change. Eventually, we were attacked by Vader on Malachor. I tried to stay. I tried to help you, but you said you'd rather die then accept my help. You caste me aside again. Literally. You hurled me off the Sith Temple to make me get away from you, then told me you hoped I died in my landing."

Ahsoka covered her mouth. "I...I would never!"

He smiled, shaking his head. "In my time, you did. It wasn't like now. You didn't love me. You hated me more than anything. And you were right to. But after you died on Malachor, I was broken, I sank lower still. I didn't force Hera and Sabine to allow me to use them anymore, but everything else simply got worse. Eventually, I found an alternate dimension that exists outside of time. While I was there, there was an explosion. You probably remember the one I mean, since in your time you were in that dimension. The explosion cast me through a portal into the past, onto the planet Korriban. It was years in my own past. I hadn't even met you yet by then. But the ghost of an ancient Sith Emperor named Bane was waiting for me. He's the one who sent the droids after you."

Ahsoka's eyes widened in surprise.

"He had known I'd be there, somehow," the older Damian continued. "He said he was my new master, and that I would be his greatest pawn. I fought him, but I had fallen too far. There was so much darkness inside of me that I never stood a chance of resisting him. He corrupted the Mother's power within me, turning it to the Dark Side and infecting me like a virus. He surgically implanted armor and blades, life support systems, control devices. He turned me into the first Sith Stalker, then sent me to Palpatine as a gift, along with a single condition. I was to hunt down my past self, your Damian, and train him, make him strong, then crush him. I was to take everything he held dear and cast him into the same abyss I was thrown into, then bring him back to Malachor early to become the true puppet for Bane to corrupt and possess. To be reborn through. Palpatine began to make more Sith Stalkers based off of me and sent them to help me in my mission. To bring Damian to his fate."

"Can I save him?" Ahsoka asked, tears flooding down her face and desperation shining from her eyes. "Please, tell me what to do. How do I save him from his fate?"

The older Damian watched her in silence for a long few moments before smiling sadly and shaking his head. "You don't have to. I was sent to lead Damian to his dark fate, but I wasn't loyal to Bane. I tried to help make him strong, but not so that he could be Bane's slave. I just wanted him to kill me. And I thought that maybe I could help lure him out of his despair after he lost you. Maybe I could find someone to replace you to him. But then, things played out differently. Everything was different. You accepted him back. You loved him more than anything, and you forgave him for all he had done. And then, other things began to change. Jek and Shaeeah never went on the mission that ended in their deaths. Barriss fought a Sith Stalker instead of an Inquisitor, and yet still she lived. I couldn't understand what the difference was. You all fought Sith Stalkers time and again, each of them vastly more powerful than you all were, and yet you always came out of it alive. I thought maybe it was me coming back that changed it, or that it was the inclusion of Sith Stalkers, but I was wrong. After the last time he fought me, when he beat me the first time, I realized the difference. Or, at least, I have a theory. It was you. It was your love for him changed the future. Just by loving him enough to forgive him, to accept him back into your life, despite everything he'd done, you had already saved him from becoming what I am. You don't have to worry about saving him from his fate, because you did that years ago without even knowing it."

Ahsoka's eyes widened before she frowned. "What about you? If the future's been changed, doesn't that mean that you never existed as you are?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I'm now an anomaly. I have been ever since I was caste back in time." He was silent for a long while before smiling. "After my defeat, Palpatine spent months torturing me, forcing a part of his soul into me in order to possess me. But just now, Damian cleansed me. Or, at least, the Mother did. The part of her residing inside of him. I'm finally free, after so long of being unable to escape Bane and Palpatine, I'm finally free." Tears began to roll down his cheeks.

"What will you do?" Ahsoka asked.

"I...I want to rest," the older Damian said. "I want to go to apologize to my Ahsoka in the afterlife."

"You want to die?" Ahsoka gasped.

"Yes," he smiled. "Finally. But...I can't kill myself. If I do, I won't be able to see her again. So...please. I want you to kill me."

"What!?" Ahsoka gasped. "No! I...I can't! You're...You Damian! You may not be my Damian, but you're still Damian! I can't kill you!"

He smiled. "Okay. That's alright. There are other ways. But..." his smile faded and his gaze dropped to the ground. "Can I...ask something else of you? Something I have no right to?"

"Okay," Ahsoka said. "What is it?"

"A kiss?" he said, looking up at her. "Just once. I...I just..."

"Okay," Ahsoka nodded. "Just one."

He smiled and nodded, and she walked over as he held out Satele Shan's lightsaber, which had fallen off Damian's back when he had been electrocuted by the Sith Stalker before. Ahsoka accepted the lightsaber and hesitated before reaching up and kissing him. He let out a shaky sigh, kissing her back instantly. However, after a moment, Ahsoka pulled back suddenly ass she felt him lift her arm with the Force, but it was too late. Just as she was about to release the lightsaber, he used the Force to manipulate her hand to activate it, the blade stabbing through his heart instantly. Ahsoka cried out in surprise, yanking her hand back from the lightsaber, which fell to the ground, the older Damian using the Force to deactivate it as he staggered backward, smiling.

"No!" Ahsoka said, eyes watering. "No! You bastard! Why!? Why me!? I didn't want this!"

He smiled weakly, tears leaking from his eyes and blood from his mouth. "Because...my life...was always meant...to be...yours."

Then, he allowed his eyes to slide closed as he tipped backward, falling off the edge of the cliff. Ahsoka let out a strangled cry, running to the edge, only to arrive just as he hit a bone spike, which impaled him through most of the torso, though he was already dead when he hit.

"Ahsoka?" Barriss asked from behind her, only to hurry over to her and hug her as Ahsoka began to cry. Barriss looked down and grimaced, gently stroking up and down Ahsoka's back.

"I don't...understand," Ahsoka sobbed. "Why? Why would he...make me...kill him?"

"Because he loved you," Barriss said. "His life was yours, so he wanted you to be the one to take it."

"But I didn't want this!" Ahsoka sobbed. "I don't care that he wasn't the same Damian! I didn't want this!"

"I know," Barriss said. "I know." She held Ahsoka for a long while, until Shaak Ti returned from retrieving Maris Brood, who had grown into an attractive young Zabrack woman. "Come on, Ahsoka. Let's get Damian home."

Ahsoka nodded and stood, wiping her eyes and walking back to Damian, lifting him gently as Barriss radioed R3 to bring the Wraith to them, R3 arriving within a minute and allowing the five of them on before beginning to leave the planet behind.

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