9 BBY
NIGHTSISTER FORTRESS, DATHOMIR
Maul's informant hid her fear well. She barely trembled as Maul and Vader grilled her. She was a scumrat from Corellia, as he understood it. "Their fleet is somewhere in position near the Iridonia system."
"We will not catch them there. Find them and follow them," Vader commanded, pointing at the hologram. "Chase them until a pattern can be found. We cannot fail."
Maul came into frame. "Listen to Lord Vader, Qi'ra. If you must go there yourself to locate them, then do it. Finding the Rebellion will bring us the Empire's favor."
"It will be done, I promise you. I will spare no expense," Qi'ra said, signing off.
Vader folded his arms, openly expressing his doubt. "I hope this scum is as trustworthy as you claim."
"She is. If not out of competence, out of fear. I will say she is far less ambitious than her predecessor. We are unlikely to be crossed," Maul explained.
"She seemed nice. I think we can trust she'll find them," Leia chimed in.
Vader put his hand on the stone table in the crypt they stood in. "She has already narrowed our search," he said, though he was loath to admit it. "They went to Iridonia chasing leads on a Jedi I killed years ago," he said.
Every second of destroying Eeth Koth and his family flashed before his eyes. In the name of the Emperor he'd killed the couple in order to steal their child. Often he wondered if he would've done anything different to the ex-Jedi if he'd appealed to his sense of fatherhood. Vader realized that Leia had softened him, but hardly cared. With or without her, only one was more powerful than him.
Besides- there were too many Inquisitors present at the time to have done anything about it.
Maul broke the silence. "Where else have you laid traps for the Jedi?"
He turned to Maul without missing a beat. "Next I estimate they will go to Stygeon Prime chasing rumors of Luminara Unduli's imprisonment."
"The Spire?" Maul asked, his tone hostile. He had been there years ago, during the Clone War, as a prisoner of Sidious, and his tenure was less than ideal. That was as Vader understood it, at least.
"Yes. Hopefully this visit will be more pleasant for you than the last," Vader taunted. "Unduli's remains are kept there in order to lure Jedi survivors."
"It is awfully out of the way, but If the pattern points there we will go," Maul said.
Agreement filled the room. "I will station an Inquisitor there to ensure rumors are circulating."
Leia idly fiddled with her lightsaber as a lull fell upon the room. To say she was feeling left out would have been an understatement, but Vader imagined that she reluctantly accepted she didn't have much to bring to the table.
THE PROFUNDITY, IRIDONIA
"You said you wanted in on the next Jedi investigation, right? I've got a lead," Ahsoka said, sitting across from the man in the mess hall.
Obi-Wan finished chewing his rations, trying his best not to choke. "I'm sorry?"
"I've got a lead. You in?"
"Well yes, but-"
She folded her arms. "Time is ticking."
"If they've survived this long, I doubt a few moments will make any difference. Patience," he requested. "We don't want to be caught in a trap," he said, fully intending to spring any laid before them. That was more his style, and knowingly walking into a trap was often better than walking confidently with no traps.
"I've seen the footage, reviewed the schematics. Master Unduli is being kept on Stygeon Prime as we speak," she said, presenting the holo to him. It certainly looked legitimate, but something nagged at him.
"You've certainly looked into it," he said, looking past her to where the Larses and Luke were seated, enjoying their breakfast. "Do you intend on bringing along Luke?"
"Of course. A rescue mission is practically a Jedi rite of passage, especially if it goes wrong. This won't be nearly as difficult as the Citadel mission. It's practically begging to be broken into," she said.
He stroked his beard. "That's what I'm afraid of."
"Don't be. A few Stormtroopers won't stop us. Come on, we leave soon," she declared, walking away.
Taking his time to stand, he prepared himself, soothing his worries with the Force. Dread was at the forefront of his mind, but he never allowed it to consume him.
NIGHTSISTER FORTRESS, DATHOMIR
Maul scrutinized Leia when he thought she wasn't looking for the thousandth time, and she had enough. "It's not polite to stare,"
Maul made a noise of amusement. "You show no signs of embracing the Dark Side, despite your father's immense immersion," Maul said truthfully, gaining the ire of her father..
Vader sat perched upon a fallen monolith like some kind of gargoyle. "Unless you wish to find out just how much of you can be replaced before you die, I suggest you stop harassing my daughter with needless questions."
"I've never heard of a Sith with a happy ending," Leia said. "No offense."
She really was naive, throwing a fit when he didn't want to train her as a Sith. in hindsight, it was embarassing. She really just wanted her father to train her.
Maul chuckled before fully blowing up with laughter. "Yes, well, as long as you're against Sidious, I could care less about your alignment. Good and evil, light and dark. They are merely points of view."
She considered something during the ensuing pause. "Can I ask a question? I believe it's only fair."
"Very well," Maul conceded.
"Why do you hate Kenobi so much?" she asked, her father standing up.
Maul raised a hand toward Vader, his furious expression betraying the air of calm he attempted to put on. "He cut me in half, to begin. Need I say any more?"
She shrugged. Leia was already in hot water, and she doubted her punishment could be any worse than it would already be. "I've heard about the Invasion of Naboo. Any Jedi could have been there, you know."
"I am fully aware of that fact, but it is useless to dwell on. The Force is much too cruel for anything to be an accident, so I have no choice but to accept that he is a challenge placed before me. Overcoming him by any means has been my life's ambition since longer than I can remember," he admitted.
"What was your ambition before?"
Maul glanced at Vader. "What all those who were or are Sith crave, I suppose. I have since moved away from those ideals. The Sith took everything from me, just as they have from you, Vader," he said somberly, rage building.
Leia gave him a look of pity mixed with confusion. There was much he wasn't saying and much she didn't understand. The Force only ever made her feel warm when she used it.
Her father crashed to the ground from his perch, throwing up red dust. "I tire of hearing this conversation. Contact your enforcer," Vader commanded.
Maul simply entered the frequency, approaching the comm table. "An update, Qi'ra."
The hologram flickered to life, and the subject got right to the point.
"We've calculated an approximate path of every ship leaving the system."
"Any of them toward the Nuiri sector?" Vader asked, approaching the transmitter.
"One," she replied after a pause.
"Continue your search," Maul said, cutting the connection. "Your bait was taken, then."
"We'd better get moving," Leia suggested. How exciting. Missions were coming one after another now.
THE SPIRE, STYGEON PRIME
They arrived moments before the guard changed at one of the lesser landing platforms, right on schedule. After Ahsoka easily sliced the door open, they slinked in and split up. Obi-Wan left to obtain a list of all prisoners while Luke and Ahsoka went to get Luminara Unduli.
So far, at least on their end, it had gone smoothly. Ahsoka silently knocked out the first officer they'd seen in minutes after Luke distracted him, gaining them access to the database, and by extension the location of Unduli's cell.
"What's she like?" Luke asked at a low volume, slinking across one of the many intersections of their current level.
"She was extremely patient. Kind, too," Ahsoka explained, stowing the officer in a locker. "I got along with her apprentice fairly well before she tried to frame me for murder."
"That sounds complicated."
Ahsoka nodded. "Mhm. You missed a lot."
"Well I wasn't born," he protested.
She raised a brow. "Just teasing, Skyguy. Sometimes you're too easy."
They continued through the halls, finding the nearest lift and taking it to the cell block where Unduli was being held. Two stormtroopers stood guard making idle conversation.
"I just can't believe she said no," one said.
"Quit talking- We're on the chrono," he said. He glanced around, probably to ensure no one could hear. When he was certain, he turned back, shrugging his shoulders. "It's alright. I mean-"
Ahsoka swiped her hand to the side, and both men shot across the hall and slammed into the wall. They collapsed and didn't stir. Luke got an ill feeling. His master approached, stabbing her lightsaber into the control panel. The door hissed open, so they stepped in and down the stairs, finding the Mirialan Master sitting in an orange jumpsuit.
"Master Unduli!" Luke exclaimed. "We're here to rescue you."
Ahsoka stopped Luke from going to undo her cuffs. Unduli got up and walked into the wall, revealing that she was a hologram. The actual Luminara Unduli lay dead in a stasis chamber, thoroughly decayed.
"It's a trap…" Ahsoka said.
"And you've sprung it," a voice said from behind them. A man in armor stepped into the room, igniting his red lightsaber. "I am an In-"
"Inquisitor, yeah I know. You're going to fight us, waste our time, lose, and then cry to your master. I've fought half a dozen of you," Ahsoka interrupted, igniting her white lightsabers.
"Then we're on the same page," he said, closing the door and springing into action.
Luke ignited his lightsaber just in time to block a blow aimed at his neck. Ahsoka struck at the red blade, diverting attention toward herself. While she kept up the offensive and sent the overconfident Inquisitor on the defensive, her protege went for the door, slashing at the panel and sending the door open once more. He was quite frankly surprised it worked this time.
Ahsoka hit the Inquisitor's saber with both of hers powerfully, causing the man to trip over the cell's bench. A Force push ensured he stayed down while the two escaped the cell. Luke thrust his saber into the door's panel once more, and it locked for good.
"You made that guy look worse than me!" Luke exclaimed.
"He is, from a certain point of view. They're kept untrained on purpose so they don't rebel. Step away from the door."
Luke had no sooner opened his mouth to question why before a crimson blade came protruding from the door before slowly cutting through it vertically. "Oh right."
"Lightsabers,. Jedi's best friend," she remarked before putting away her sabers and pulling out her comlink. "Obi-Wan, come in," she said to static. "Blast, I figured they were jamming comms, but it was worth a try."
All of a sudden, sirens blared, and all of the blast doors began to close. "Run!" Luke cried before following Ahsoka.
"This was a disaster, but at least we know for sure what happened to Master Unduli. It's a shame…" Ahsoka said.
"Yeah, and we'll get a prisoner list," Luke added.
Ahsoka stopped the doors ahead of them with the Force. "In situations like these, we'd always head for the main hangar and improvise a ship offworld. I trust Obi-Wan is thinking the same."
Luke nodded, going along with his Master.
As they rounded a corner to the hangar, they noticed the massive doors were already shut. "Blast!" Ahsoka exclaimed, just as the durasteel slammed shut behind them. "Alright, I'll need your help. Just trust the force to help unlock the mechanism."
They both came to a stop, lifting a hand to raise the door. After a few moments, they were successful. However, as the massive gate lifted, something was clearly and inexplicably wrong. From the moment even a molecule of air could pass through the gap, a deep and dark cold seeped from under it, increasing in overwhelming presence by the moment. It was familiar to both in a twisted, corrupted way.
"What is that?" Luke asked, terrified. It felt like someone had replaced his spine with ice.
Just as he began to instinctively back up, a field of red energy filled the doorway, sealing Ahsoka in the hangar with the darksiders.
OxOxO
"Run, Luke!" Ahsoka said, whipping her head around to see through the haze. She trusted that he would find Obi-Wan. The sound of his lightsaber igniting gave her small comfort.
A girl and what could only be described as the most foreboding and ominous presence Ahsoka had ever seen stood alone on the platform. They were blocking any chance of escape. However, the sense of intimidation slowly faded as the dark behemoth spoke.
"Ahsoka…" he said, more familiar than she was comfortable with. The child next to him lit up with wonder. "I thought you died after Mandalore."
A chill ran down her spine at the mention of her own name. These Imperials seemed to be doing their history homework. Ahsoka immediately ignited her sabers, damning herself for even suggesting this crazy mission. "Glad to be recognized by a fan."
OxOxO
The control level stank of death, Obi-Wan noticed almost immediately. Unfortunately, Vader's style seemed to be one uncaring of casualties. His former apprentice's presence was incredibly strong all of a sudden, making it difficult to mask his own. That raised a question, however.
What had caused this slaughter, if Vader was levels below them? He found his answer when he opened the doors to the records room.
"I see time has not been kind to you, Kenobi. Look at what has become of you…" Maul spat venomously, pacing back and forth among the dead.
Obi-Wan knew this moment was bound to come. There would probably be another given Maul's infuriating habit of refusing to stay dead. His old adversary was looking worse for wear, and he took time to appraise him. "Something far worse has happened to you."
He grimaced. "I have purpose. That is something you have lacked until now. Why else would you come out of hiding? What makes now the time to collect the pitiful leftovers of your long dead order? The dust is far from settled."
Kenobi narrowed his eyes.
Maul searched for answers in the Force. Depending upon his findings his fate was sealed. "No… you do have a driving force… Have you found something?" he asked. "Someone..?"
Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber, holding it defensively. "I cannot allow you to jeopardize the future. Whatever Vader has promised you, you should leave far behind."
Baring his fangs, he held his lightsaber steady. The first one to act would be the first one to die. "I am not leaving without my revenge…"
"Then you will never leave here," Kenobi countered.
Maul savagely approached, feinting with one side of his saber and attacking with the other. Obi-Wan blocked it and the next strike, countering in the third attempt. His sapphire blade cut through the middle of Maul's hodgepodge lightsaber. Kenobi kicked his sternum for good measure, wishing he hadn't. His hips weren't what they once were.
"Augh!" The former Darth Maul let the halves of his weapon clatter to the ground shortly before he himself did. He splayed against a terminal. "Why..?" he asked pitifully, lip trembling. "Why can I not BEAT you?!" he screamed frantically. "If I don't have your life, I have nothing!" he cried.
"I cannot allow that to happen before my apprentice is trained. I am sorry."
"Sorry?!" he spat incredulously. "I have taken so much from you, and yet you apologize? Jedi arrogance." Maul's eyes darted around as he tried to piece such an unfamiliar concept together.
What could not realize was that he was not sorry for doing anything he had done. Kenobi mourned that Maul never had anyone to truly care for him, as he had Qui-Gon.
"Do you remember what I told you on Mandalore?" he asked quietly, his eyes sad. "I do not blame you for the path Sidious chose for you. Not anymore."
That day haunted him if the look in his eyes was anything to go off of. "I remember," he spitefully said.
"You have a choice, a choice to turn back on the path laid before you," he said. "I hold the belief that there is a certain point of no return. I desperately want to be wrong."
"The one you protect. Is it the Chosen One?" he asked, almost too quietly to hear.
"Yes," he said with conviction.
He sat, considering these revelations thoughtfully. Strangely, he felt little anger coming from the Zabrak. He felt… hopeful. "Go. I will have my revenge another day. When Sidious is destroyed."
"Thank you," he said, turning his back to the man as he left.
Maul caught the gesture of faith, seemingly unsure of what to do. "Beware of Vader. Pray you do not cross his path," he said, his gaze downward. "There is something he loathes even more than you, something that makes him infinitely more dangerous."
Kenobi stopped in his tracks, quieting his fear. The thought of something worse than Mustafar sent a chill down his spine. "What could that be?"
The Nightbrother locked eyes with the Jedi. "…Himself."
OxOxO
Never did he expect Tano to be alive, let alone show up here. He didn't think his training would have been sufficient for her to survive the chaos years ago. It made sense now, that the spy network he was a part of was based after one of his old frequencies. He always assumed Gerrera or one of the other fighters he had helped to train had done it. Now that he considered it, Saw Gerrera was far too blunt for deception on the level that he had been a part of.
He paused for a moment, seemingly realizing the gravity. How he wished he could have gone back and denied Maul's offer to trap Kenobi. It complicated things. "We need not be adversaries," Vader suggested, making no move to draw his lightsaber. "This trap was not intended for you, but for Kenobi."
"Wouldn't be the first time," she countered, clearly trying to place where she knew this mysterious Force user from. She did not falter for an instant, despite his attempt to show he meant no harm. He felt pride in her lack of openings.
Darth Vader said nothing, considering her words. Judging by her probing presence, she was still attempting desperately to divine his identity, his recognition of her putting fear behind her presence. He wasn't sure if he preferred for her to not know what he had become. Either way, this caused him to doubt himself more than he had since discovering Leia. Nothing felt right. He was wholly unprepared for this.
"Do you know who I am?"
"You're a Sith Lord- Sidious' apprentice. That's all I need to know," she said, lightsabers still humming. "What game are you trying to play?"
The Sith was aware she would not strike first. His shoulders sagged as shame filled his person. "It would have been easier had you died."
"How can you say that?!" the girl next to him exploded, taking them both off guard. Vader had forgotten she was here. His shoulders rose once more.
"Control yourself," he warned sternly, not turning away from Ahsoka. Her loss had weighed heavily on him. She was one of the deciding factors that he had no other path than the one Sidious had laid for him, yet here she stood, alive and stronger than ever. The arrival of his daughter had shaken his faith already, but perhaps this meant he wasn't as alone as once thought.
"No, she's Ahsoka. Ahsoka Tano, right? I read about her. Your-" she stopped, noticing the quizzical eyes on her. "Father, it shouldn't come from me."
He wished it could.
She narrowed her eyes. "What's going on? I thought you Sith are more direct with their prey."
"You are the one behind the Fulcrum network," Vader stated, holding a hand to silence Leia.
Ahsoka raised her sabers defensively, clearly not picking up what he was laying down. "I don't know how you know about that frequency, but I won't surrender any information willingly! You'll find I have that in common with my master…"
Vader stood silent for a few moments before standing tall and folding his arms. He wanted to do everything but admit it. However, he felt his daughter's eyes drilling holes in the back of his helmet. "The frequency the network is based upon is derived from one I created."
Her brow unfurrowed as her face relaxed, utterly shocked. "No…" she said. "That's not possible- The Anakin I knew would never-" she said, utterly haunted. "You- You killed him."
"Search your feelings," he suggested somberly. "You know it to be true…"
She closed her eyes, both to briefly meditate and quell the tears in her eyes.
Vader glanced at Leia before focusing on his old apprentice. "There has not been a single day in the past ten years that I haven't felt regret."
"Then come back- the Rebellion- we could-"
"On Dantooine, the Thune graze peacefully," he said, silencing her. "I am doing what I can, but my daughter is my first priority. The Emperor is inescapable."
A ghastly expression painted her orange face as she examined Leia. "I won't leave you again."
It drove deep into his heart.
Vader turned his head slightly as he sensed a presence. The one he intended to draw here in the first place. "You must. Your place is not repairing the mess in my wake. Besides… do you not have prior engagements?"
The attention of everyone not Vader was taken to the hangar's exit when a cerulean blade poked through the door. It melted through it until the wielder hit the sweet spot, causing the blast door to open with a whoosh.
Frigid darkness clashed with overwhelming warmth as Vader recognized his old master. They stood apart, merely looking at one another for a few moments. Rage refilled his body.
"Obi-Wan, wait," Ahsoka said, only to be ignored.
"I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again at last," Vader said, silencing the room. Cold fury burned within him. The anger he felt overrode any of the tumultuous feelings he had before.
"I see you've prepared no ships for me to crash this time," the old man remarked, a twinkle in his eye.
Kenobi's arrogance angered him even further. Vader was still utterly unsure of what was to become of this reunion.
"No attempts to goad me will work. When you left me on Mustafar to burn, I was but the learner. Now, I am the master."
"Only a master of evil, Darth," Kenobi retorted.
Vader shot forward, trading blows with the old master. Obi-Wan, either feigning or due to his lack of proper practice, struggled to block each strike. "Your powers are weak, old man…"
He pushed the old man backwards, holding his saber high for a strong strike. Kenobi gave a knowing smile to his companion, holding his lightsaber parallel to his face. "Don't try it."
So Vader didn't. He stood defensively, not ready to fall for the old man's tricks any longer.
"Put your lightsabers away!" Leia cried. "Stop!"
Obi-Wan was visibly confused, before he glanced at the girl. No doubt he was shocked by how dissimilar they were. "I was wrong about you, Vader."
"You were wrong about a great many things, you old fool..." he said snidely, taking advantage of the lull. Vader slashed at Kenobi, his blow deflected into a stray crate.
Kenobi held his saber defensively, smiling distantly. "It's not too late to atone for your sins, old friend. You have shown me what you are capable of."
Darth Vader paused for a moment, ceasing his planned attack midswing. If it were that easy, it would have been done. Mistakes were made. "It is. The Emperor is currently too powerful. For both me and for your Rebellion."
"You always were stubborn…" Obi-Wan sighed. "The Rebellion will succeed. You are forgetting that even the dimmest flame can quell darkness. Historically, the Sith never prevailed for long. Please."
Something about those foolish, narrow-minded ideals resonated within him. They were wrong, but he detected a hint of… lecturing within his old master's tone. He actually felt wrong for disappointing Kenobi. A part of the light coaxed him to reconsider killing the man.
Vader took a moment to consider this impulse, extinguishing his lightsaber and hooking it to his belt. He brought his voice low enough that he thought Leia incapable of hearing. "Very well. Listen closely, as I do not wish to repeat myself. The Empire is developing a technological terror beyond all comprehension. The trail begins on Geonosis. Leave and tell your Rebel friends."
Kenobi smiled and approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder and speaking quietly. "Thank you, my old friend. I'm sorry about Leia, but at the time-"
He bristled, gripping the man's wrist with his mechnohand.
"Do not touch me. We are far from familiarity," he said bitterly, slapping Obi-Wan's hand away and jabbing a finger toward his chest. "Leave."
Obi-Wan Kenobi gave his former apprentice a half smile with eyes full of sadness. He soon broke away, beckoning for Ahsoka to follow. She no doubt had dozens of questions, but probably realized there was no time. He wished he had time to explain- to apologize. To atone.
There was little time or place for that, no matter how much he realized he cared for them.
Vader folded his arms, turning around. "Go with your lives and count your blessings. I will cover your trail. The next time we cross paths, however, do not expect the same mercy."
Vader didn't wait to watch them leave before exiting the platform himself. His daughter confusedly followed him through the hallway with melted doors. They nearly crashed into the Inquisitor assigned to the prison as they rounded a corner.
The Inquisitor kneeled before his master. "Lord Vader, my apologies."
"It is quite alright, Inquisitor. I did not expect you to be able to best Tano. Rise," he commanded with a wave of his wrist.
As soon as he complied, Vader activated and drove his lightsaber through the Inquisitor's stomach, causing his daughter to flinch. He wished he could have put the death off, but it was too big a risk. The Dark Side adept slumped forward when Vader reactivated his weapon, dying utterly confused and insulted.
"I've had enough, father! What happened on that landing platform, and why did you just kill him?!"
He felt a sense of ambition. A rogue and challenging feeling that he had not felt in some time.
"We must leave no witnesses to what has transpired today. This Inquisitor undoubtedly felt Maul's presence," he said.
This seemed to placate her. It… wasn't her first time witnessing death, regrettably. "Is Maul dead? He went after Kenobi, and obviously he's alive."
Vader began moving, opening the lift doors. "I have my doubts, but I imagine we will discover him either way."
"Will you really kill them the next time we see them?" she asked quietly.
Truthfully he hadn't the foggiest.
"Not Tano," he said, avoiding the question. "You have not formed a complete opinion of her, and I believe she could be a useful ally."
"I hope you don't have to kill them."
He didn't either. "Let's clean our hands of this incident."