Ahsoka retracted her arm, pulling her saber backwards, and deactivated the blade.
Before her, Vader slumped to the floor, dead, a hole visible in his chest where she had impaled him.
She had killed him. She had killed her own master. What sort of sick twisted world did she live in these days?
But he was no longer her master, had not been for a long time. He had become a monster, intent of destroying everything for control and power. She had done the galaxy a favour. How many lives had she saved by ending him? That was how she would justify her actions. Despite that, she knew that it would haunt her for the rest of her life.
She was prepared for that. It was only right.
But as she pondered the fallen Sith Lord, another thought came to mind. Why did he call her name at the end? Why did he say please? Was he asking her to join him, spare him?
'Or perhaps he wanted you to grant him mercy and kill him.' Ahsoka's mind was doing circles. Yes, she was right to do what she did, but what did that make her now?
Ahsoka felt a hand gently clasp on her shoulder. She turned her head slightly to see Maul behind her, a solemn expression on his face.
"I'm sorry for your loss Lady Tano, but you did the right thing." Maul said, trying to offer comfort.
Ahsoka ignored him. She didn't want his pity. She didn't want anyone's pity. She would mourn her own way... in time.
"Chopper, we are ready for pickup." Ahsoka said into her comm, contacting the astromech.
Over the radio the droid beeped several times, enquiring to the whereabouts of Kanan and Ezra.
"Just get up here Chopper." Ahsoka responded. Moments later, the sound of engines reached her montrals, as the Phantom landed, the droid rolling out and making a beeline for the injured Kanan, as Ezra helped to shoulder his weight and move him to the phantom.
Ahsoka turned and walked outside of the temple, onto the ledge that overlooked Malachor. Maul followed, coming to stop beside her. After a few moments of silence, the first they had experienced since the Inquisitors had shown up, Ahsoka spoke.
"We did it."
Maul nodded in reply. "Yes, we did."
The two marvelled at the temple and architecture below.
"In all the time I have been here, I never once stopped to admire the view." Maul spoke, gesturing his hand outwards. Ahsoka could see where he was coming from. It may have been a Sith temple, rampant in the power of the darkside, but now, with the dust settling from the conflict, she could admire how it had all been designed and built. Much like the former Jedi temple on Coruscant.
She turned to look at Maul again. His eyes darted around still, as if watching for threats, but for the first time since encountering him on Malachor, he seemed at peace. He was relaxed and strangely enough, enjoying her company. She decided to question it.
"Why me. Of all the people here, you allied with me?"
Maul turned to look at her surprised, and then a look of sorrow appeared on his face. "Because you and I, more than anyone have suffered the most in Sidious game of Dejarik. He cast me aside, and used your master to establish his dominance. Tried to kill us both on multiple occasions. Truth be told Ahsoka Tano, I see you as my only true equal. We may not be friends, now or ever, but we are more alike in the force than anyone else. Two opposites of the spectrum."
He was trying to compliment her, in a weird Sith like way, Ahsoka knew. And she appreciated the gesture. Ahsoka considered what Maul was saying. They had both been used by Sidious. Both lost someone important because of him. And yet they were both still standing.
That meant there was only one last point of discussion between the two, even if she already knew the answer.
"I'd invite you to come with us Maul, but I imagine that fighting with the rebellion is not how you wish to take Sidious."
Maul laughed. "You know me too well Lady Tano. I have no desire to follow the orders of a regimented commander. I am my own person now. I follow no one."
Ahsoka understood, truly. Not everyone wanted to fight the way she and her comrades did. Saw Gerrera was a prime example of that. And she would not stand in Maul's way, unless he got in hers or threatened her friends.
"Keep the holocron Lady Tano, learn from it what you can. You've earned that much today." Maul continued, surprising Ahsoka. She complied, knowing that Ezra currently held the holocron after retrieving it from the obelisk.
"What will you do now?" Ahsoka asked, genuine curiosity seeping into her voice.
"I will return home. Lord Vader's fighter shall make an excellent prize." Maul answered, excitement in his voice at the thought of acquiring Vader's personal ship.
Ahsoka turned to look over the barren wasteland of Malachor again. She had nearly fallen today, tapping into the darkside to enter the temple with Maul and retrieve the holocron, as well as to overpower Vader.
But she was still herself. She took comfort in that.
Ahsoka turned to Maul once more, one last request on her mind.
"Help me move Vader's body into the Phantom. He may have been a monster, but he was still my master. I want to give him a proper burial."
Maul nodded in understanding. Together, the two former apprentices picked up Darth Vader's corpse and moved it to the Phantom, placing it in a seat for the ride back to base.
"Chopper, set course for Atollon." Ahsoka ordered. The droid beeped in return, clearly understanding the severity of the situation. Maul turned to leave the ship, but not before turning to look Ahsoka in the eyes. He nodded once more at her. "May the force be with you, Ahsoka Tano."
Ahsoka smiled, repeating the phrase to the Zabrak, before the hatch shut and the Phantom took off, leaving Maul behind.
Ahsoka turned her attention to her two Jedi friends, both clearly exhausted. She was too, but right now, she couldn't show weakness. Instead she approached the two as they huddled together, Ezra still supporting Kanan' weight. She grasped one of Kanan's hands, squeezing it lightly in support.
"Come on Kanan, let's get these eyes tended too." She spoke, reaching for a medical kit stored on the Phantom in case of emergencies.
She was no doctor, but she would do what she could to help her friends.
Maul watched as the Phantom ascended through the surface layer of Malachor, disappearing from sight.
It had been an interesting and productive day for him. While he hadn't gained the holocron as he had intended, he had helped remove one Sith Lord from power.
His encounter with Lady Tano had been unexpected, but by the end of their journey, he found himself liking the Togruta. She may have been half his age, but she was a warrior in her own right, just like him. A worthy ally for the days to come.
"Until we meet again Ahsoka Tano, under whatever circumstances they may be."
Maul turned away from the shaft of light, making his way to Vader's now abandoned TIE fighter. As he entered the pilot chair he pondered his next destination. He could go to Coruscant, try his luck against Sidious. But alone he stood no chance, he knew that.
So he would plan and prepare, even if it took him another decade. He would kill Sidious.
With that in mind, he set course for Dathomir.
He set course for home.
A few hours later, Chopper signalled to the three that they were coming into land. Kanan's eyes were now covered by a thing bandage, hiding the worst of the wound. Despite her assistance, Ezra had insisted on putting the bandage on himself.
As the Phantom landed, Kanan and Ezra exited first, only to be greeting by a series of gasps of horror from their family.
Hera had her arms around Kanan in an instant, shock, yet relief on her face at seeing her two Jedi. Behind them, Zeb, Sabine and Rex watched, their faces equally upset over what had happened.
Ahsoka came down the ramp next, and Rex's face burst out into a bright smile, his joy clear. She chose to approach him, knowing she would need his help with Vader's body.
This time, it was Rex that wrapped Ahsoka into a tight hug, clearly sensing something was wrong with her.
"You ok commander?"
After all the years, he still insisted on calling her by her rank, as if it was an affectionate nickname. She nodded before moving back towards the Phantom, gesturing for the clone to follow.
When Rex saw what was inside he stepped back in shock. Turning to look at his long-time companion, he saw sadness in her eyes.
"I killed him Rex. It was Anakin, like I thought. And I killed him."
Rex wanted to pull the women close to him, to allow her to break down. But he knew she wouldn't. Ahsoka Tano did not break down.
"You did the right thing. He would have wanted it Ahsoka." Rex whispered, offering what comfort he could. "Come on, I'll help you build the pyre."
Rex knew the traditions of the Jedi. And while neither Ahsoka nor Vader were Jedi anymore, he knew what Ahsoka wanted to do for her former master.
Darth Sidious had felt the jolt in the force the second it had happened.
The tortured and scarred force bond he had with his apprentice Darth Vader had suddenly snapped. Disappeared.
It had happened before, when Vader was trying to hide something from his master. But even then, Sidious could still feel him in the force, even across lightyears, without the need for a force bond.
But now he couldn't feel Darth Vader at all. Which meant he was dead!
Sidious resisted the urge to scream in fury. His prized apprentice? The one he had spent years training up? Dead?
The biggest question on his mind was how?
Who?
Sidious delved deep into the darkside of the force. His knowledge of the force was beyond that of anyone's, rivalled only by Vader and Yoda.
He was sure it wasn't the green troll who had killed Vader. And he was doubtful on Kenobi, so who?
He reached across the broken bond, hoping to relive Vader's final moments to identify his killer.
In retrospect, he shouldn't have been surprised.
Sidious watched through Vader's eyes as Ahsoka Tano killed his apprentice, without remorse.
He had largely ignored the girl when she was growing up. But as she and Anakin got closer, he knew he had to get rid of her, so he engineered her trial. When she walked from the Jedi, it was an unexpected outcome for all, but it played perfectly into his hand. Anakin became darker without the Togruta around, and easier to manipulate.
And all of his hard work had been undone by the very same Togruta.
He should be angry. Infuriated. He should take a shuttle and hunt her down himself.
But the events that had occurred, like so many others, had presented him with an opportunity.
He signalled his comm, contacting his Grand Vizier, Mas Amedda. The Chagrian responded moments later.
"Your excellency. What can I do for you?"
Sidious allowed a sinister smirk to cover his face. He would not reveal the fate of Vader yet. That would cause panic. Instead, what he needed was someone to help him with his devious plan. And he knew who could help him.
"My friend, I need you to summon our newest Grand Admiral to my palace immediately. I have a delicate assignment that I can only trust to him." Sidious spoke, authority in his voice.
Mas Amedda knew who the emperor was referring to immediately. "Yes your excellency. I shall inform him myself." Sidious cut the call after that, nothing else needed to be said. Amedda was loyal to him, and would do as he said without delay.
Thus Sidious turned his attention to his current situation.
He was down an apprentice. Again!
But that didn't matter. After all, Anakin had only taken Dooku's place after he had killed the older man.
So it only made sense to Sidious to continue that concept.
If he could no longer have Anakin Skywalker as his apprentice.
Then he would have Skywalker's apprentice instead.
Night had fallen on Atollon by the time Ahsoka and Rex had built the pyre. Vader's body now rested on top, waiting for the ceremony to begin.
Only three were in attendance, and Ahsoka was grateful.
Kanan had been taken to the med bay, Hera and the rest of the crew following. They were a family. They would look after each other.
Ahsoka was grateful for that.
So it had been a surprise when Ezra had shown up shortly before they had planned to light the pyre, asking if he was welcome to join in. He may not have known Anakin, and may have feared Vader, but he wanted to be there for Ahsoka.
And Ahsoka was happy to have him there.
So Ezra stood on one side of Ahsoka, hands clasped behind his back waiting as Rex approached both of them. In his hand was a lit torch, which he passed to Ahsoka.
Ahsoka gently took the torch from him, before walking up to the pyre, to Vader's body.
She took one last look at him. He was a monster. A murderer. A tyrant.
But he had also been her master. Her confidant.
Her best friend.
She lit the pyre, before stepping back to stand with Rex and Ezra.
None of them spoke, merely watched stewing in their own thoughts.
As the flames engulfed the body of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka allowed a tear to fall.
'I'm sorry master. I'm sorry I left you.'
Ahsoka wouldn't do well to wallow in depression. What was done was done. And it was for the greater good.
To her surprise, Rex pulled a snap salute, honouring the man who had once been his general. He turned to look and Ahsoka, before squeezing her shoulder.
Rex turned and headed back to base, leaving Ahsoka alone with Ezra.
After a few minutes silence, Ahsoka spoke.
"You were very brave today Ezra. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that."
"Don't worry about me Ahsoka. How are you doing?" Ezra asked kindly, concern in his eyes.
Ahsoka didn't know how to answer truthfully, so she instead smiled lightly at the boy.
One day he would make a brilliant Jedi knight. Even master.
"Go be with Kanan, he needs you right now." Ahsoka responded. She wanted to be alone right now. Just her and Anakin. As it had been once before.
Ezra clearly sensed this. He nodded once, before wrapping his arms lightly around the Togruta.
"I'm sorry about your master Ahsoka. But we are here for you if you need anything. Anytime." Ezra let go of Ahsoka, looking her squarely in the eyes.
Ahsoka smiled again, before sitting down on the floor in a meditative position. Ezra turned and left, following the same path as Rex.
Ahsoka allowed herself to reach into the force. It was clearly now, with Vader gone. They still had to deal with Sidious, but she was in no rush to repeat today anytime soon.
Out of pouch in her armour, Ahsoka extracted the Sith holocron that she had acquired on holocron. Ezra had given to her once they had landed on Atollon for safekeeping, not wanting it anywhere near him.
Kanan had agreed, despite the situation he was in.
So Ahsoka took it. Why, she wasn't sure? She just felt that she needed it for something. The knowledge within could prove useful.
Ahsoka reached into both sides of the force, balancing and controlling both sides. She was no Jedi. She was no Sith.
She was neither light nor dark.
And she certainly wasn't Maul.
She was Ahsoka Tano. Guardian of the light, who moved in the shadows.
As the fire before her began to dwindle, the Sith holocron opened.
The fall had been nasty. Several heavy collisions with solid objects had knocked him out cold by the time he had finished falling.
So when consciousness was finally regained, it was met with a splitting headache, as well as sore bones.
Nothing was broken, except maybe his pride and dignity, and his armour too.
But that wasn't what concerned the Eighth Brother at that moment.
He had been so close. So very close to obtaining the weapon. Only to be foiled at the last second.
Foiled and then betrayed by his siblings. And by his master.
Darth Vader had done this to him. Tried to kill him.
And if the force was correct, Vader and his siblings were now dead. And he was not!
The Eighth Brother found that he did not care about the deaths. They were nothing to him now.
The empire that he had so loyally served had tried to kill him, simply because he knew too much.
They were no better than the Jedi, or the rebellion.
Or Maul.
His ship would still be nearby, he realised. He could escape. But then what?
The Eighth Brother didn't take long deliberating his possibilities.
The empire tried to kill him.
The Jedi tried to kill him.
The temple and holocron itself had called him a puppet, called him unworthy.
So he would fight for himself. Prove himself worthy.
'From this day, everyone is my enemy!' The Eighth Brother thought, anger and hatred fuelling him as he began to limp back to his ship.
He was the Eighth Brother. Aligned with no side.
Servant to no one!
Author's thoughts
And thus the end has been reached. At least until the sequel.
So yeah... Vader is dead. No redemption for him this time. He is dead as a dodo.
And as you can imagine, that will dramatically alter the future of the star wars story. Canon is now practically non existant.
Thanks again to everyone who has even so much as glanced at this fic. I didn't expect such a positive response from it. The sequel will be coming soon, once I finish writing it.
Feel free to comment on this chapter also. Any interesting comments or questions will be answered in the opening chapter of the next story.
Speaking of which, comments from last chapter:
Mysterious Guest that commented on chapter 10: Glad you liked the ending to the chapter. Was unsure how it would be recieved.
FossilQueen1984: No more Vader, as this chapter shows. As for Luke and Leia, you will have to wait and see. The bigger question now is... who will deal with Sidious now that "The Chosen One" is gone.
So before I sign off, I will give one little tease as to the upcoming sequel to this story:
"When someone claiming to be her agent appears and starts helping to rebellion, Ahsoka is sent to track down this individual and discover who they are, and what they want."
The story will continue in: The Tale of Two Fulcrums
Feel free to speculate on what happens next. I add a bonus update chapter on the end of this one when the sequel is posted.
Thanks again.
Till next time.
:)