When the elevator returned for Ahsoka and Maul, Ahsoka could tell instantly that something was wrong. The force sang concern to her, alerting her that something had gone wrong.
Why she may not have had a strong bond in the force with either Kanan or Ezra, it was still sufficient enough to sense they're presences, as well as their current states.
She reached into the force to feel for Kanan, trying to use the fragile bond to contact him. When she finally felt his presence it was still, as if he was asleep.
Or unconscious.
She reached for Ezra next, and her suspicions were confirmed. From Ezra's presence in the force she felt fear and worry. Clearly something had gone wrong. She turned to Maul as the elevator began to ascend.
"My friends are in trouble."
Maul nodded in reply, and added with humour in his voice, "I would expect nothing less from friends of yours Lady Tano."
Maul had seemed to let his guard down around her, acting more civil, and dare she say, sociable. Well, as sociable as former Sith Lords get that was.
So the two waited, preparing for what they assumed would be conflict ahead. Ahsoka calmed herself, centring herself in the force. She figured she would need her strength.
It wasn't Vader ahead that much Ahsoka could tell. She would recognize his force signature in a second, just as she had above Lothal.
Maul too was preparing, gripping his saber hilt in his hand, preparing to no doubt pounce on whoever stood in his way.
As the lift reached the top, Ahsoka saw what the issue was.
The Inquisitor held Ezra aloft in a force grip with one hand, lightsaber in the other pointed across Ezra's throat. At a distance, collapsed on the ground lay Kanan, alive but unconscious.
"Ahsoka Tano. I have a proposition for you." The Inquisitor began.
"I have one for you too puppet, it involves my blade in your gut!" Maul snarled, igniting his saber and advancing on the Inquisitor.
Ahsoka stopped him. If he got too close, the Inquisitor would kill his hostage. And she was not willing to sacrifice Ezra.
"I don't deal with Sith pretenders Shadow. Especially failures such as yourself." The Inquisitor clearly had no patience for Maul, as he lifted the saber in warning. Maul backed off.
"What do you want?" Ahsoka had no choice to play whatever game the Inquisitor wanted.
"I imagine you recovered an artefact from the temple. No doubt a holocron of some power. Relinquish the holocron to me and I will spare you friend." The Eighth Brother knew that he had to gain access to whatever allowed Maul and Tano to move around and activate the temple. By bartering the boy off the Inquisitor ensured that the trade would go off without risk of harm to himself and his siblings. Tano would never sacrifice an innocent life for the sake of a Sith artefact, he was sure of it.
"How can I trust you to keep your word?" Ahsoka asked, taking a single step towards the Inquisitor.
"Lady Tano no! We cannot allow the holocron to fall into their hands." Maul was growing angry, and to her surprise fear was laced with his voice.
"You don't. However you have willingly allied with a former Sith Lord. I expect you are pragmatic enough to agree to such a deal with me. Besides, this way you all live to fight another day. To stop me another day." The Inquisitor knew he had her. She would surrender the holocron, if it meant saving her friend and having another opportunity to stop him. His siblings may not agree, but he was a man of honour. And he relished a challenge.
Ahsoka looked over at Maul, who shook his head in despair. Maul would sacrifice Ezra, Ahsoka knew that. But she would not.
"Ezra's life is more important. Have the holocron." Ahsoka removed the holocron from the pouch she had stored it in at her waist and threw it at the Inquisitor, who dropped Ezra and caught the holocron in his now free hand.
"I'm glad to see you can be reasoned with Ahsoka Tano. Till we meet again."
With that the Inquisitor took off with his lightsaber, manipulating the darkside of the force in order to fly towards the top of the pyramid. He had a superweapon to claim.
Ahsoka dashed over to Ezra, checking him over for injuries. When she found none, she wrapped him in a tight hug. Over Ezra's shoulder she could see Kanan regaining his consciousness, Maul moving to help him up.
"Thanks Ahsoka." Ezra whispered to her, hoping to allay any fears she had about losing him.
"Anytime Ezra." She responded, pulling out of the hug to smile at him.
It was then that Maul stomped over to her and grabbed her roughly by the shoulder, spinning her to face him.
"Why in the Sith hells did you do that?!"
The Fifth Brother would never admit to being scared. He was a loyal servant of the Sith. They did not get scared by anything.
However, the thought of going up against both Tano and Maul was not something he had in mind when he came to Malachor. Whatever the Eighth Brother had in mind was a risk that he was not willing to take. Not unless they had help.
It was thus that in private he put in a call to Inquisitor command, quickly giving details to his current situation and requesting the presence of Lord Vader. His siblings may be willing to risk their lives for a slim shot of glory. But he was not.
The Fifth Brother looked over at his comrade. Working with the Seventh Sister was always a trial in itself. She was the exact opposite to his own style. She was over the top and vindictive, preferring to toy with her victims rather than outright dispose of them. And she was cocky, partly the reason why she had not advanced up the ranks since the death of the Grand Inquisitor.
"Our brother is taking his time." The Fifth Brother ventured towards his sister. She merely looked over at him snidely.
"Unsurprising. This plan is suicidal." She retorted. "But if it succeeds we can eliminate all of our enemies at once."
At that moment a figure flew from the lower levels of the temple via his lightsaber, landing next to the two Inquisitors. The Eighth Brother stood up in triumph, producing the holocron towards his siblings.
"Tano may be powerful, but she is hindered by her emotions, like all Jedi." The Eighth Brother smiled beneath his visor. This was proving to be a lucrative day for him.
"Now what?" The Fifth Brother inquired, fearing the answer would be what he didn't want to here.
"Now I will go to activate the weapon. You two will hold this position and stop Tano and her minions." The Eighth Brother began to climb the final steps up the temple, heading towards the summit of the pyramid where he believed the controls would be.
Behind him he could hear his siblings begin to bicker again.
He got the distinct impression he wouldn't see them again.
He found that he didn't care. They were both liabilities. Their inability to cooperate would be their downfall.
He would activate the temple alone. With the holocron in his possession it would only be a matter of time. And without Lord Vader around to claim the victory in his name, the Eighth Brother would soon advance through the ranks. Perhaps even to the rank of Grand Inquisitor.
'Now that would be a fitting reward.' The Eighth Brother thought.
Maul was angry. Extremely angry.
This Maul was unlike the Maul that had accompanied Ahsoka through the Sith temple.
This was more akin to the Maul she had encountered on Mandalore.
The Maul from the stories told to her by Obi-Wan.
This was Maul at his most dangerous.
And she was ready for him.
She darted back from the Zabrak, forcing Kanan and Ezra behind her, her only thought to protect them.
Maul's eyes glowed bright yellow. Ahsoka could feel Ezra cowering behind her. Kanan too was worried, his hand had gone to his lightsaber, drawing the hilt, but not igniting the blade.
Ahsoka too found herself ready, sabers in hand.
Maul snarled once, baring his teeth, and then took a deep breath.
"I'm not going to attack you Lady Tano. But you just gave our enemy the key to the weapon of this temple."
"Ezra's life is more important than that holocron Maul!" Ahsoka shouted, angry too. Who was he to question her judgement?
"If Vader or Sidious gain possession of this weapon, millions more will die. One life for the many Lady Tano." Maul shouted back. He had backed down from his aggressive stance, not wanting to cause a fight to break out between the group. They needed to stand together now.
"Be that as it may Maul, we still have time to recover the holocron, if we move now." Ahsoka reasoned. Maul was right. The Sith could not be allowed access to whatever it was on Malachor. And Ahsoka would not let them. Even if she had to do it alone.
"Well let's go then. Can't waste any more time here debating." Ezra interrupted, stepping forward between Ahsoka and Maul.
Ahsoka smiled. Ezra was developing well as a Jedi. His skills in diplomacy and negotiation vastly improving with every encounter. The fact that he was willing to try to stand his ground against a former Sith Lord was courage itself.
"Agreed." Kanan too seemed to be enthusiastic about the prospect. "Let's end this once and for all."
Ahsoka looked at the two Jedi, and then back at Maul.
The two former apprentices of two of the most power individuals in the galaxy stared at each other, judging, analysing one another.
And then Maul nodded. "I stand with you Lady Tano."
Ahsoka nodded in return, glad to have his assistance. They would need it.
"We must get to the top of the temple and retrieve the holocron from Vader's puppets. Whether the temple is activated or not, we must succeed." Maul began to move up the next set of stairs, the Jedi following suit.
"Chopper, get the Phantom in the air and wait for our signal. Extraction is the top of the temple." Kanan called into his comm. They needed to stand together now. All of them.
That included the droid.
The Eighth Brother had reached the top of the temple. Before him was a large central chamber, and in its centre, and obelisk type structure.
That was clearly where the holocron went.
Excitement filled the Inquisitor. This was the moment he had waited for.
He approached the obelisk and lifted the holocron towards it using the force.
The obelisk began to pull the holocron towards it with hidden energy, the force clearly interacting between the two objects. The Eighth Brother released the holocron from his hand, allowing it to combine with the obelisk.
A flash of bright light filled his vision as the chamber came to life. The walls lit up, much like earlier, as darkside energy flowed throughout the temple.
The Eighth Brother could feel the power from the holocron. Whatever was inside it, whatever it was doing to the temple was of considerable power that it made the Inquisitor tremble with anticipation.
It was all going to plan.
"Who comes forth?" A voice rang out from within in holocron. Female, but clearly wise and powerful.
"I am the Eighth Brother. I am a servant of the Sith. I seek the power within this temple."
"A servant of the Sith. So not a true Sith Lord. A shame. Only those worthy may hold the power of this temple in their hands." The voice was mocking him. Testing him.
He responded. "I am worthy. Far more worthy than my companions. Jedi have infiltrated this temple. I seek to purge them from this holy place."
"I care little for the presence of Jedi in this temple. Only those worthy may retrieve the holocron. You are not worthy puppet!" The voice was growing hostile towards the Inquisitor. And the Eighth Brother was growing tired of this charade.
"How do I activate the weapon?" He demanded.
"It is already activate. It will fire once it had charged." The voice replied, cooperating for the first time.
"Excellent. Target the Jedi and their pet Sith." The Eighth Brother ordered.
"No! This weapon shall target all on Malachor, regardless of who you serve!" The voice boomed, malice dripping from the holocron. "You are not worthy, puppet!"
The Eighth Brother stiffened in horror.
'Oh… Kriff'
Author's Thoughts
So now the Eighth Bro has the holocron instead. And the Fifth Bro chickened out and called Vader.
I love writing the Inquisitors, there are such an interesting bunch, helicopter lightsabers and all.
So the action really picks up from this point. Lightsaber duesl ahoy. (not very well written ones mind you but hey)
Feel free to comment as per usual.
Speaking of:
artsycherry: (Evil Laugh) "I have you now". In all seriousness, I'm glad you are enjoying it so far.
FossilQueen1984: Ahsoka had nothing to redeem herself for, she made the right choices in regards to the Jedi, unlike Yoda. Perhaps the Grand Master does feel guilt, or perhaps he is using Ahsoka and the others to his own advantage. Their relationship will be solved in a future fic, so you will have to wait. As for why she went to Malachor, I like to think it was not because Yoda asked her to, but becsue she wanted to be there for Kanan and Ezra, two people who have not betrayed her in any way.