9 BBY

FORTRESS INQUISITORIUS, NUR

Their trip to Nur, home of Fortress Inquisitorius, was multifaceted. The first was to procure parts for Leia's new lightsaber. Second to that was arranging training for the Tusken. While they had dropped her off on Arkanis, it had been a while since the children there were old enough for actual training. They were due for a stop in the Mustafar system anyway.

Leia found herself near the dojo, in the repair room. The walls were covered in drawers filled to the brim with catalogued lightsaber parts. A good deal of them, she'd heard, had been taken from a Jedi vessel that routinely traveled with younglings getting their own Kyber. The rest were the same standard issue parts that an Inquisitor used.

"Good to see ya, Boss Junior. Thought I'd heard something about him bringing you along," a gruff voice said from behind her.

She turned to see the hulking Dowutin she'd become acquaintances with. "Ninth Sister, hello."

"So I take it you aren't getting parts for a lost limb?"

Leia showed Ninth her Kyber, to which the woman grinned. "My father really only keeps parts for his lightsaber on the Devastator. They're mostly too big for my hands."

"Well if you need any help, I'm nothing but free," she said.

"Yeah, where do they keep the old Padawan parts?" Leia asked, turning to the walls.

The Ninth Sister walked up to the far wall, taking a drawer out near the ceiling. She looked inside to check the contents. "Here I think," she said, setting the thing down on a workbench.

"Thank you," she said, beginning to dig through it.

"Say, why haven't you bled that thing yet?"

"Father says it's unstable as it is. It's a Kyber rounded by the digestive system of a Krayt Dragon," she explained.

Ninth shook her head. "I shouldn't be surprised that you managed to kill one- you're Vader's spawn after all…"

She felt a tinge of self-doubt. People always assumed she was a few steps behind him in terms of power. "I didn't kill it. It was an old one waiting to die anyway."

The Dowutin picked up on her feelings, taking a gentler approach. "Still. You managed to walk away from one of the most fierce beasts in the entire Outer Rim…" the Sister said breathlessly. "Not even sure I could do that."

Leia shrugged, taking a glance at the Inquisitor. The Ninth Sister was practically the only one of her order who gave her the time of day. "Why do you treat me so pleasantly? The others hate my father and I."

"Maybe 'cause I've got vision. Things were a lot different before he found you. Plenty of stuff I was sure he'd kill me for, he didn't, because you were close enough to notice. I see no reason to be on his or your bad side," she said.

"So you're just looking out for yourself?"

"Maybe," she chuckled. "You're pleasant enough company when you aren't interrogating me, kid."

Leia averted her eyes. "Sorry. It's just… I was just made The Emperor's Hand. I'm trying to figure out the politics of this all."

"Well you got me as an ally, honest. I got no ambitions besides living, and I'd rather not get on the boss's bad side. You probably shouldn't go asking the others. They ain't exactly trustworthy. Hell, neither am I."

"I do trust you, though," she said, sensing the pure intentions through the force. "I wouldn't dream of asking the others."

"Ah, you flatterer."

Their attention was pulled to the hydraulic door opening, but the hissing did not stop. "Ninth Sister…"

As embarrassed as she was by his clinginess, it wasn't entirely unfounded. The Inquisitors were former Jedi turned to the Empire, so they were probably familiar with manipulating impressionable force users. She just wished he'd give the loyal ones a chance, at least to ease the strain she had with them. Leia could sense their jealousy.

"Just happened to be here getting replacement arm parts, Lord Vader. Honest," she said seriously, holding up her sparking hand.

"As you were," he said, approaching his daughter impatiently. "Have you selected a material for the chassis?"

"No, but I was thinking maybe copper or a nice bro-"

He waved his hand dismissively. "That will not withstand the heat generated by your crystal."

"I suppose something pretty like chromium or aurodium would be off the table?"

"Neither of those should be used near the emitter on even a standard lightsaber. Dolovite would be the ideal. It is heat resistant and plentiful on Mustafar," he explained.

"Why don't you just make the whole thing for me?" she asked exasperatedly. "If we're going for purely utility, why not duranium, or that Mandalorian stuff?"

"Not so easily shaped or obtained," he said dismissively.

She gave him a sideways glance. Not easily meant little to someone like him, or someone with his resources. "If you feel so strongly about dolovite, then…"

He folded his arms in response to her dramatic response. "It is unlikely this will be your last lightsaber you construct. You already have destroyed two over the years."

Leia deflated, taking on a not-so-happy face.

"Worth mentioning is your heritage. I have gone through five or so over the years," he lied. The number was far greater, and she knew for a fact. Artoo had told her as much.

That statement proved worthy enough to return the smile to her face. "You might have a point."

"I should hope so. There is still much you can do stylistically," he said, turning his back to her. "The dolovite is near the floor."

By the time Leia had chosen several maroon pieces so dark they appeared black, her father had set all of the parts standard in a lightsaber. The veritable buffet of tech brought her great excitement, although she recognized none of it. She set hers down, eagerly scooping up the power cell.

"Hey!" she cried when he stole it from her with the Force.

With his free hand he summoned a diagram from the workbench, lighting up the room with its projection. "Caution would be best, should you wish to avoid vaporization. Study this before you cause me to change my mind."

She sheepishly did so, her cheeks redder than his lightsaber. Leia took the rest of the parts, fitting them together with the Force as the diagram instructed. It was no sooner than she took out her crystal that her father gave his nod of approval. "You are a quick learner. Now do it with the force."

"I've never moved that many different objects at once. It's impossible!" she exclaimed. There were only five or so moving pieces when she had shown off with the lightsaber to the Sandpeople, and even then, it had exploded.

He waved a finger at her. "Only because you make it so. Remove any doubt you have from your mind."

Leia gave a quick roll of her eyes and a shake of her head. If it was that simple, she'd be the strongest Force user of all time. She took it apart, setting the parts on the bench once more. Vader placed the cell nearby. Closing her eyes, she began to focus on the task at hand. Imagining each individual part in her mind, they levitated one by one, and once she felt them come together, the crystal at the heart of it all, her focus was shattered.

"No!" Vader shouted, causing them all to drop with a clatter in all directions. "The emitter was reversed. Do it again."

Her heart raced.

"Next time, just stop it! You scared me half to death!" she cried in reply, picking the pieces back up, finding it much easier than she had previously conceived.

This time, she approached it carefully, over the course of several minutes. Leia brought it together much more slowly, using hand gestures, so any exclamations from her father wouldn't put a wrench in her creative process. It all clicked eventually, even through the force. As her eyes opened, so did her connection to the weapon.

Leia carefully grasped it from where it floated before her, standing ready to activate it. The hilt was rather straightforward, completely a cylinder save for the grip, activator, and wide emitter shroud.

"Proceed."

The sound of the blade springing to life was much louder than her father's- more intense. It reminded her of the Krayt she had taken the pearl from. The natural hum was similarly audible, although there were no physical differences to any blue lightsaber she had ever seen or used.

"You have done well," he said. "Now you can begin to move forward."

Leia turned to inquire further, only to instinctively bring the blade up to block her father's. The combination of her blade's intensity and her father's saber being set to a training mode deactivated his blade.

"Impressive. Most impressive," he said.

Her blade soon flickered out, extinguished of its previous vibrancy. "What?"

Something more ominous than anything she'd ever felt filled her being as her father spoke next.

"I have always doubted the quality of Czerka batteries," he said, folding his arms.

She had just openly given her father an invitation to shop talk. While she was decently competent with machinery due to her upbringing, she loathed talking about it with her father.

Sometimes her father was the mouthiest being in the Galaxy.

TWILIGHT II, OUTER RIM

Kenobi was not so deep in a meditative trance when Ahsoka entered his quarters. He'd been deeply troubled as of late, and he supposed she had caught on. He had been debating as to whether or not he should burden her with the knowledge of Anakin's fate. So far, he'd been unsuccessful in contacting Master Yoda through the force to ask for his counsel.

"What's been going on, Obi-Wan?"

"Hopefully nothing. Truthfully, I have been trying to commune with Yoda to no avail," he said, stroking his beard.

She put a hand to her own chin, sitting across from him cross legged. "So he survived. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I didn't feel it was appropriate. He has gone into exile, not hiding," he said.

She seemed troubled by that, just as he was. Yoda had taken most of the blame for himself regarding the end of the Jedi. It was a sad fate for the old Jedi. "I'll trust that he's the only one you know of. What changed?'

That trust was misplaced from a certain point of view.

"I am unsure. I doubt if anything has happened to him. This must be a test- some sort of way to get me to stop relying on him," he guessed.

"You're already plenty wise without him. Maybe… he wants you to go to him?"

Obi-Wan considered that, a twinkle in his eye. "I can say the same for you, Ahsoka. Perhaps that wouldn't be the worst idea. However, you must promise to-"

"I know, Obi-Wan. We're all fugitives."

He smiled. "We should depart as soon as possible, then."

THE DEVASTATOR, MUSTAFAR

"Do you ever get tired of putting down these silly insurrections?" Leia asked, trotting behind her irate father toward his quarters.

Vader challenged her words without stopping. "Do you ever tire of endangering yourself by insisting upon being my shadow?"

"I guess I just want to prove that shadows can have shadows. It's a very important scientific discovery," Leia chided. She sensed agner, but couldn't pinpoint the source.

Vader threw open his doors with a toss of his hand, sending creaks and metallic groans throughout the wing. "I'm not in the mood for your antics."

"What's going on?" she asked, entering the chambers and closing the door in the intended way.

"If you must know, rebellious activity is at an all time high. The Emperor believes the week we spent on Nur is to blame. He is somehow ignorant to the fact that his terroristic toadies have done that," Vader vented, fully using his sharp tongue. "Increasing pressure with no way for it to release is a sure way to cause an explosion."

She felt a tinge of guilt because it was she who recruited Reiren, the Sister-in-training. Leia felt it prudent to redirect his frustration.

"I've looked over the data, and a lot of the treasonous acts committed by these rebels begin as unauthorized relief missions… Why does the Emperor want his people to starve? You were a slave. Why do you let people go through that?"

Vader ignored her question, his tone becoming sharp. "I am going to meditate. Go prepare for your lessons."

Leia sighed, walking to one of his workbenches. Sometimes he was just closed off. It just wasn't a day he would be free with information. "Do you have anything interesting to tell me about here?"

"I am restoring a podracer in my spare time. Do not tamper with those power couplings."

Leia rolled her eyes. Vader had almost no spare time, and this was probably the fifth restoration he began this month. "What's in this box?" she asked, picking up a sealed plasteel parcel.

Vader glanced over, his patience visibly thinning. She intended to press on. "There are many boxes here."

"This one," Leia specified, lifting it up. "Feels kind of heavy."

He turned back to his chamber. "Do not touch it."

That was merely a suggestion to her, and she ignored it.

It came open with a hiss. "It's a lightsaber and a commlink..."

Vader whipped back around. "Leia!"

"What? It didn't blow up," she refuted, holding up the curved lightsaber. "How's this supposed to be held?"

Vader stole it from her with the Force, igniting the blue blade.

"I wasn't finished looking at that, father."

"I often wonder if you subsist entirely off of my frustration." he said, walking towards her and the box. Vader picked up the communicator, activating it. It looked simple enough to be a one-way connection. "Step away. Now."

She got the distinct idea that she may have perhaps gone a teensy weensy little bit too far. Leia obeyed, shuffling just out of sight right as a hooded figure appeared in her father's hand.

"Lord Vader. I'm glad my gift was able to attract your attention…" the creepy figure said.

"The lightsaber of a Jedi is not something easily come by in this age," he said, casually turning the weapon around to inspect it.

The creepy man made a sound of acknowledgement. "You've made sure of that, haven't you?"

Vader scrutinized the picture, both of them unable to recognize the man. "Yes. Now that you have my attention, what is it exactly that you plan on doing with it? My time is a precious resource."

"You mince no words. An appreciated trait in my field."

Leia couldn't help but roll her eyes. Her father definitely had to be the most dramatic man she knew. Whether or not he realized it, his penchant for one-liners, making memorable entrances, and overall presence would make him a great character on a holo. They wouldn't have to embellish his true self when making documentaries a century from now.

"By whom?" Vader droned.

"Do you always find it prudent to insult your allies?" the figure asked offendedly, showing off the dark marks on his chin.

The realization hit him, and not soon enough. Leia's curiosity was burning and she yearned for him to share whatever he found.

"My only ally is the Force," Vader explained. "That is something you should have become part of long ago, Maul."

Leia's brow shot up in surprise. She recognized that name as Darth Sidious' first apprentice, before Tyranus and her father.. He was supposed to have died a long time ago.

"Good. That puts us on the same page."

Hardly. Leia knew she wasn't intended to be in the audience, but Maul had done a poor job of explaining things to the uninitiated like her. The way of the Sith was treachery, so this transparency was confusing to her. It had to be a trick, but her father knew that well. "I'm afraid my imagination fails me. Why would my disgraced predecessor be contacting me amicably?"

"Because we share a common enemy, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend…"

"I do not follow…" Vader said, but Leia didn't think that was true.

"I'm not ignorant. I have noticed the bounty for Obi-Wan Kenobi," Maul spat venomously, "has been steadily increasing over the years. No other Jedi bounty shares that trait, not even Yoda's. He is by all means not as powerful or dangerous as their former Grandmaster, so why? Why the desperation to find him..?"

Vader's silence answered all the questions Maul had. Leia just had more.

"Your desire to find him is personal… Like mine…"

Vader folded his arms. "Your intuition serves you correctly. Obi-Wan Kenobi is a blight to the both of us. He has taken more than you can know from me. You wish to make a competition out of hunting him, then?"

Maul shook his head. "I know I have no chance of defeating you single handedly. In exchange for my assistance and transparency in finding Kenobi, I would ask for the chance to exact my revenge."

"You wish to eliminate two enemies at once?"

"You are not my enemy," Maul said with conviction.

"Forgive me if I have trouble believing that. Why would you wish to share the satisfaction of ending him?" Vader said as dryly as he could. "There is little you can provide me."

"I've already located him," Maul said frustratedly. "My actions will speak louder than my words."

"That remains to be seen. My sources have narrowed his location down as well," he reported.

"He's no longer on Taris, if that is what you mean."

He paused for a moment. "Is that so? I had assumed as much..."

Darth Vader began to consider an alliance, judging by the intense annoyance radiating from him. That sounded exciting.

Maul smiled amicably. "See? My reputation has already increased in your mind. The fact you've let these negotiations go on after ascertaining my identity proves you are open to this partnership."

Vader nodded. "Very well… You are no threat to me, and your underworld resources possess a certain… subtlety the Empire lacks."

"Meet me on Dathomir. There, we will conspire to have our revenge…"

Dathomir was hardly a friendly place. Part of her education regarding the Force was the various wielders in the Galaxy. The Nighsisters were an interesting footnote in history, but notorious nonetheless.

Her father shook his head slightly, letting out a sigh of anger. "Expect me presently," he said, deactivating and crushing the communicator.

After a brief silence, Leia spoke up. "Who was that? Was it really Darth Maul?"

"Perhaps the only man in the galaxy that hates Obi-Wan Kenobi more than I do. It was indeed Maul, my master's first apprentice," he explained.

"What did he do that was worse than what he did to you?"

Vader turned to her. "You know only that he was my predecessor's predecessor. He was a cunning assassin some twenty years ago. Kenobi cut him in half on Naboo, robbing him of his chance of being at the Emperor's side. Of my position. The singular hatred he feels toward Kenobi is perhaps the only thing keeping him alive."

Leia absentmindedly touched her waist, appreciating that she still had legs. "Just how many of the Emperor's apprentices has Obi-Wan Kenobi dismembered?"

"Most of them," Vader said dryly.

His daughter awkwardly giggled at the morbid subject. "So... when are we leaving?"

Her father's 'happy' attitude soured. "We are not going anywhere. I am going immediately."

She knew this was coming… "But-"

Darth Vader folded his arms. "There will be no negotiations. While Maul presents no threat to me, he could easily kill you or worse in order to exploit my attachment to you."

She looked up at him as innocently as possible. "But dad-"

"Besides the obvious threat Maul poses, Dathomir is filled to the brim with witches, ghosts, and other creatures of unimaginable terror. This is no vacation."

Formal approach, then. "Father-"

"End of discussion," Vader said firmly. "Unless you would like to negotiate the number of Stormtroopers I leave to babysit you?"

Her cheeks reddened.

"Have a nice trip to Dathomir, father," Leia conceded with a defeated sigh. "I hope your revenge goes well…"

Vader rested his hand on her shoulder. "Your cooperation is noted."

A devilish smile crept onto Leia's face when her father made his way to the door.

TWILIGHT II, HYPERSPACE

"Ow!" Luke cried, being hit by the training remote for the fifth time.

Ahsoka smirked as she fondly remembered her identical struggles. "The objective is to hit the blasts with your lightsaber, not your body."

"Yeah, I know," he said in a huff. "I just can't do it, Ahsoka. I can't predict where it's gonna go!"

"You can't, but the Force can," she explained, folding her arms. "Close your eyes, and give it another shot."

Luke nodded, closing his eyes and holding his lightsaber in front of him. He jerked and jittered, anticipating the blast that never came. Ahsoka idly wondered if she ever looked this ridiculous.

"Let the Force flow through you. Trust that it'll take care of you if you need it to. Act on the Force's instinct, and it will become your instinct."

He took a deep breath, centering himself. The next time the remote fired, Luke's lightsaber moved to hit the fired bolt, dissipating it. The next bolt was dispersed even quicker. Before he knew it, he was no longer being guided by the Force, but utilizing it of his own volition. His eyes were open, and the Force was with him. Ahsoka felt pride.

"Very good," Ahsoka said, deactivating the remote with a wave of her hand. Obi-Wan wasn't kidding. The kid was a fast study, and that was coming from someone who was to be knighted at sixteen. "Remember that trusting in the Force doesn't just apply to this."

"Got it," Luke nodded.

"You keep at it, and we'll be at Dagobah before you know it."

Luke gave a thumbs up, closing his eyes and activating the training remote with the force.

THE DEVASTATOR, MUSTAFAR

Leia finished affixing her hair up in two buns, pinning her still-brand new lightsaber carefully to her belt. She grabbed her rucksack from her bed, moving to leave. Something stopped her, in the form of a blue and white astromech droid. She looked to him, pursing her lips.

"You're going to contact father if I leave, aren't you," Leia stated more than asked.

R2-D2 beeped once to signify yes, as he'd been accustomed to in order to pass their language barrier.

Leia walked over to him, staring him down. "Can't you pretend you didn't see me?"

He beeped twice, then uttered a string of binary words Leia couldn't comprehend after a pause. Something about a scrap heap. What a frustrating little thing.

She sighed at the passive droid. "Can't you get around your programming like that time you showed me the wedding holo?"

Artoo swiveled his dome back and forth, whistling and beeping something complex that once again, she couldn't fully understand. At her expectant look, he beeped loudly, swiveling around to show her a short and small cylinder on the back of his head.

Leia's eyes lit up. "Restraining bolt! If I take it off, that'll turn off your tattling protocol?"

One whistle was followed by a string of excited binary.

She smirked, activating the lightsaber in her hands. Artoo chimed nervously as she moved to strike the bolt off. With surgical precision, the bolt soon fell to the ground.

R2-D2 wasted no time testing his new freedom, wheeling along in circles. Leia smiled, putting her weapon back at her hip. The astro droid bumped into her, pushing her toward the door.

"Woah, woah! I'm going!" she exclaimed, picking up her pace. "You're more lively than I expected."

Expletives she couldn't understand filled the recycled air as Artoo trudged on ahead of her. Leia jogged to keep up. "Cut it out! I've got a plan, you know, and it doesn't involve you rolling over the deck officer's feet."

He sighed as best as a rolling trash can could. Then he turned around, impatiently following Leia and clipping at her heels. She wondered if he had always been this impatient, or if her father had rubbed off on him. The walk to the hangar bay wasn't a fun one, but it was quick.

Leia approached the deck officer as he seemed to be counting Nerf.

"Lieutenant Kurn, did you sleep well? May I ask why my ship hasn't been prepared?"

He snapped to attention. "Miss Leia, my apologies! I was just…" he said, scanning his data pad. "I… am afraid no such request has been received. Nor do you have authorization for such a request," he explained, waking up enough to grow a backbone.

Unfortunately, her father had unofficial power over any act she took as the Emperor's Hand. That included ordering the crew aboard the Devastator and any other ships in the fleet to treat her exactly as before: as an occasional troublemaker. What the heck was the use of it if nothing changed?

"My father requested my presence on his trip. The order should have come from him. I was able to receive his message informing me of such a request, so there are no excuses as to why you shouldn't have received it," she said as primly as she could, holding her arms behind her back.

Kurn scanned the pad once more. "Is this another one of your pranks? Lord Vader's transmissions are of high priority."

Leia mentally smirked. Just where she wanted him. "Would you like to contact him and find out? Is your curiosity that burning?"

The lieutenant stared her down for what seemed like ages before he caved. "Blast… Take whichever one you fancy…"

"Your cooperation is noted. So long, Lieutenant!" she exclaimed, jogging to the nearest

"TIE fighters don't have hyperdrives!" he called after her.

Leia embarrassedly changed her path. Her cheeks flushed as what she could only assume was the droid equivalent of laughing rang out behind her. They boarded a completely overkill and conspicuous Lambda-class shuttle. Artoo had enough of her fumbling with the controls, plugging himself into the flight computer.

"I'm not used to flying something so large…" she said in her defense. She sat back, wondering if this was maybe worse of an idea than she had previously thought.

Artoo laughed at her once again, taking the shuttle out of the destroyer.

NIGHTSISTER FORTRESS, DATHOMIR

He arrived on Dathomir with disdain. Vader had only been here a few times while going by his old identity as Anakin Skywalker, and he wasn't sure he enjoyed it any more devoid of life. The crimson sky, flora, and ground were no different, he imagined, beneath his tinted lenses. Maul's presence was not that well hidden, because he didn't need it to be. Vader had no trouble finding the abandoned Nightsister lair.

Before he had even left his TIE Advanced, Maul left the entrance to the cave, welcoming his visitor with open arms. It just so happened that in one of those arms was a cane doubling as a lightsaber. Vader bit the slug, leaping out of his ship and to the red ground.

"Welcome, Lord Vader. I am glad you didn't stand me up."

Darth Vader surveyed the long abandoned grounds. "If you are as credible as you claim, I would be a fool to pass this chance up. That lightsaber…"

Maul brandished it to Vader. "Yes, I have killed several of your Inquisitors. They sought to kill me for your favor…"

"I am aware, and it was no loss. Hunting hounds can be easily replaced. I am referring to the lightsaber you gifted me," he explained. "How did you come into possession of it?"

Maul raised a brow. "I give you the chance for revenge and you're focused on the lightsaber of some long-gone relic?"

"It is important to be aware of how many surviving Jedi roam the galaxy," Vader said.

"She was an old Jedi whose path crossed mine several years ago. Perhaps she believed that orchestrating raids against my organization would somehow restore the Light to the Galaxy?" he explained. "I killed her. Does that satisfy your census?"

"Yes," he droned. "Exactly what resources do you possess now? The Shadow Collective you refer to was destroyed years ago, and we are the only two souls here," Vader said, unimpressed.

Maul smirked aloofly. "I said nothing of the Collective. Surely your Empire is aware of an organization called the Crimson Dawn?"

If he recalled correctly, that had been part of the Shadow Collective, in the waning days of the Clone Wars. "I am. They recently had a change in leadership, did they not?"

Maul chuckled again. "No. I have been, and continue to pull strings from the shadows."

Just as Sidious had, and the Empire was proof of his success. Sith and the shadows got along like Mimbanites and mud. "My master was wrong to let you roam free."

"Darth Sidious has been wrong about many things…" Maul spat with venom.

"I will not dispute that…"

"You and I are more alike than I would care to admit. We are focused singularly on our hatred. Betrayal does not suit us," Maul said. "That will make our partnership even stronger."

Vader said nothing on the matter, spying Maul's prosthetic legs. "So, where is Kenobi?"

"All over. Are you aware he pledged his allegiance to the Rebellion?" Maul asked, smirking.

"I had no confirmation," Vader droned, folding his arms in concern. "Finding him would allow me to crush the fledgling Rebellion in addition…"

"Should you, though? Surely allowing them to sow chaos would allow you to usurp the throne of Master…"

Vader put his arms at his side. The thought had certainly crossed his mind. "I have no such ambition. Sidious has become too powerful…"

"Then all the more reason to kill him."

He pointed a finger at the Nightbrother. "Killing my master is my concern, and mine alone. We should focus on the task at hand, Maul."

"Very well," Maul sighed, turning around to enter the sanctum. "Follow me, and we will check in with my informants."

Vader followed him with long strides, but both men suddenly stopped when the roaring of a ship filled the atmosphere. Maul whipped around, pointing his lightsaber at Vader's neck from a low angle. "A man as cautious as you would not be as careless as to let himself be followed… Who is that?"

It was time to show Maul who wore the pants over their mechanical limbs, he decided. Vader activated the other end of Maul's saber with a wave of his hand, piercing his right leg. Maul collapsed under the weight of his robotic legs, sprawling out on the red dirt. Vader unleashed his swirling dark presence all over the planet.

Vader stood lordly above him. He relished intimidation far more than killing. "When killing you comes so easily, I have no reason to deceive. My wrath will be open and swift."

He felt a sliver of fear slip through Maul's facade. "So then that means we have an uninvited visitor… One from your Empire," Maul spat, pulling himself together and forcing himself to stand with the Force. "Who would follow you here? One of your dogs?"

"None of them would be so clumsy or foolish. Only-" he explained, reaching out. A familiar presence tapped against his, causing Vader to mentally sigh. "That would be my apprentice…" he said, holding a hand to his helmet. The air he had set upon himself had no doubt dissipated.

Maul glared at Vader. "You could've said so, rather than stabbing me. I thought you were without ambition?"

"She is a special case. Wasting her potential would be a mistake. I believe my reasoning for not bringing her to you goes without saying."

"Your teachings lack subtlety," Maul said, watching the ship come down on several trees.

Vader shook his head. "And yours lacks students."

Maul walked toward the shuttle, nodding his head. "Your sharp tongue is something I will have to watch out for. Don't bother sending her back. If you trust her, I do. Imagine the humiliation if Kenobi is killed by a learner…"

Vader said nothing, following. He was extremely disappointed in his daughter, but hardly surprised. This was exactly her avenue. Leia was always getting into trouble she didn't fully comprehend. He wished she could understand why he didn't want a vulnerable Force user anywhere near a manipulative and disgraced Sith Lord, but evidently that was too much to ask. There was no danger if he could help it, but he would have to be incredibly steadfast.

DAGOBAH

Luke stepped off of Twilight II into the muck. Dagobah was nearly everything Tatooine wasn't. It was loud, alive with the sounds of croaking amphibians and other creatures living beneath the water. The air was damp, humidity already making him feel stuffy. A dense fog had set in on the planet, rendering him unable to see past a few dozen meters.

"Where are we?" he asked, his own voice lost in the choir of life. It was surreal to him, like something out of a dream he'd had while sick. Being on Dagobah was like being lightheaded with none of the ill effects.

"Dagobah," Obi-Wan said, not answering a single question.

He paused, a few moments feeling like years. "I know that. What is this place? It feels so familiar…"

"It is a nexus in the Force. It is especially strong here. Can you feel it?' Obi-Wan asked.

"Yes," he answered immediately. He felt empowered. Warm even without the humidity. Like he could stay here safely forever. "What are we here for?"

"I must speak with someone here."

Ahsoka broke the silence she seemed to be engrossed within. "Do we know them?"

"Perhaps. I think I shall stay here and relax while you two find him."

Master and apprentice wordlessly left the comfort of the ship, trudging through the murky bog at the whim of their Jedi instincts. They spoke sparingly, as it seemed as if such an act would be seen as irreverent. Luke could feel Ahsoka's near identical sense of wonder as they explored the swamp. Minutes quickly turned to hours as they blazed their path to nowhere.

"It feels like we're walking in place," Luke said, breaking the loud silence. He stopped, looking at his surroundings. Both of them were covered head to toe in bog gunk.

"We've got to be going somewhere," Ahsoka declared.

A nearby tree caught his attention. Something orange was wrapped around it."Hey, I think I've seen that snake before. On that branch."

She looked to confirm it, her optimism escaping. "Never say that, Skyguy. You may be right, though. It's not exactly like we can see where we're going."

"Let's contact Obi-Wan. It's getting dark."

Ahsoka nodded, pulling out her communicator. It was then that she discovered it had become compromised by the steady rain. "Oh, that's just great."

"Assistance, do you require?" a voice asked from seemingly everywhere.

Luke whipped around, activating his lightsaber in the direction of a small, green creature in robes. "Ahsoka!" he called out, glancing at his master. His second look in her direction was his last as he spotted that she seemed unperturbed by the stranger's appearance.

"Lost, you seem, hm?" it croaked.

"Yes," Ahsoka said calmly. "Do you know the way?"

"To where?" he asked.

"I think to your home, Master Yoda."

"Too early, you are. No time to tidy, there was!" he exclaimed, laughing to himself.

"Wait- Master Yoda? What's a Jedi Master like you doing here?" he asked, turning his saber off. He actually wasn't too out of place, being a strange green creature in a swamp. Maybe it was his home planet.

He raised a green brow. "A suitable place for retirement this is, hmm?"

Luke burst out laughing. Ahsoka couldn't help the smile that grew on her own face. "I'm glad you're okay, Master Yoda."

"Likewise. Good to see you as well, young Skywalker."

"How did you…"

"Known you longer than most I have, Luke Skywalker. My idea it was, to send you to Tatooine. For that, apologize I do," he said, smirking faintly.

"Well it kept me hidden for a decade, so… Thanks." he said genuinely. He wasn't mad at all about that. Tatooine lasted longer as a haven than anywhere he thought of now, and even then it was compromised by pure chance.

"Yes… Foresee the Sith finding you this early, I did not. Much we have to discuss. To Obi-Wan, we should go, hmm?" he announced, waddling through the swamp.

In less than a minute they arrived back at the freighter, Obi-Wan meditating expectantly.

Ahsoka folded her arms and raised a brow. "Wait, that's not… We've been away for so long."

"Not always ahead, the path is, hmm..?"

Luke listened intently, wishing he had a datapad or something to take notes with. He wanted to take it seriously. Yoda was someone with a lot to teach and he was someone with a lot to learn.

"Master Yoda, I wish to speak with you privately," Obi-Wan said as he stood up.

The green Jedi's demeanor changed entirely. He grew more distant, more serious. "Without saying that goes."

Ahsoka glanced at Luke, walking away. The apprentice shortly followed.

"Do not become lost this time, hmm?" Yoda called after them.

OxOxO

"The bantha in the room, we must discuss."

Obi-Wan stroked his beard. "I have recently come to know that Bail Organa was slain long ago."

"I know this."

Obi-Wan, if he had less control, would have been frustrated by Yoda's flippancy. However, he'd known the Master long enough to know there was definitely a good reason he seemed unperturbed. It still wouldn't hurt to inquire further, though, he decided. "He surely has her."

"Yes. She is lost, but know nothing do we. Clouded by the Dark Side, the details are. Save concern we will for certainty, Obi-Wan. Powerful, her bloodline is, but sensed the boy's potential in her, have you?"

"No."

"The balance of the Force is unchanged. Right about Vader, Padmé could have been. Although no warnings do I sense, we must remain cautious. Seek him out to determine Leia's fate, you will. Imperative it is, that we discover what became of her."

Obi-Wan stroked his beard, troubled. "If she was wrong, and he has corrupted her…"

Yoda closed his eyes. "Then lost, she is, and more difficult Luke's journey will be. He… is our last hope."

It was a very pensive moment before he spoke. "Very well, Master. Will you come with us?"

"Here, my place is. My duty it is, to wait. Unsure I am, though, for what."

They exchanged bows, Yoda leaving and passing by Ahsoka and Luke. "It goes without saying that Yoda's location is to be kept secret."

"Are we leaving, then?"

"Yes. Ahsoka, I believe it would be best for me to assume your role and investigate surviving Jedi."

NIGHTSISTER FORTRESS, DATHOMIR

Leia took a deep breath before lowering the ramp. She had seen the horned man standing next to her father, and his chaotically evil presence unnerved her. Granted, her father's was more vast, but it wasn't foreign, and never directed toward her. She shut herself off, walking down onto the red planet.

"To whom do I owe the pleasure?" Maul asked with a decayed smile.

Leia put on her best polite air. "I am Leia Vader, second heir to the Empire."

Vader seemed a bit more upset than she anticipated. The moisture in the air seemed to disappear. "You are not supposed to be here…"

Leia felt a chill down her spine, giving her the idea she probably should've stayed on the ship. It was too late now. "My apologies, but I couldn't pass up the chance."

"I felt a similar eagerness to slay Jedi when I was young. I don't blame you. Welcome to Dathomir, milady."

"Dispense with the formalities. She is the heir only in name. Sidious has no intentions of relinquishing his throne. Leave, or come with us."

Leia deflated slightly.

Maul turned around, entering the sanctum. "Let's check in with my informants, shall we? At this rate, we will hardly have time to scheme against him."