Episode 8 – The Three Apprentices
Hunted by the Sith and the Jedi! After narrowly escaping both in the Karthaak System, exiled Sith Lord: Darth Lumiya and her accomplice, the Nightsister Silri, now seek out a Sith Lord capable of making them stronger in the Dark Side of the Force in order to get revenge on Darth Akul for exiling the both of them!
Somewhere in uncharted space…
Lumiya and Silri's shuttle dropped out of hyperspace, flying towards a gas giant with a single moon, their trajectory leading them towards the moon. Silri sat at the controls of the shuttle, Lumiya standing over her shoulder with her arms crossed.
"This is where we will find our new Master?" Lumiya asked as Silri gave a nod.
"It is." She replied, leaning back in her seat slightly, the moon fast approaching.
"I still suspect the existence of this Master. He would have to be well into his eighties if not, dead, by now." Lumiya said, skeptically. Silri merely smiled darkly.
"The Master may surprise you. During the Clone Wars, the Master attempted to kill Lord Sideous but was defeated. He was imprisoned by Sideous in a secret location, a location Tyber Zann acquired during his raid on the Imperial Vaults. I copied the coordinates and erased all mention of it from the computers before Zann or his pawn Urai Fen could find them. This, Lumiya, is the place where the Master was hidden away." Silri said as she guided the shuttle towards a large sinkhole that was large enough for the shuttle to land inside of. The shuttle touched down, Silri and Lumiya emerging from inside the shuttle, the entrance to a cave hidden away along one of the walls. Silri grabbed a glowlamp from the shuttle's emergency supplies, turning it on and leading the way as they entered the cave but almost instantly came across a large metal wall hidden just within the shadow of the cave entrance. There appeared to be no doors or switches but there was a strange assortment of round tiles arranged in a circle built into the wall. Silri quietly waved her hand across in front of her, the tiles sliding in and out of the wall at Silri's command with the Force. The tiles suddenly all sank into the wall, the wall starting to groan before sliding down into the ground, revealing what appeared to be a mining tunnel inside, leading downward, deeper under the planet's surface. Lumiya and Silri started to descend down the ramped path into the tunnel until they reached a door. Silri opened the door with another wave of her hand, the door opening into a darkened chamber.
"I'm still doubting this Master's existence, Silri. Have you led me into a trap or a tomb?" Lumiya asked but Silri rolled her eyes, reaching to a control panel nearby and pressing a button, causing orange glow panels beneath the floor to activate, revealing a round chamber with three doors around the edges. Sitting in the center was a large grey box with a black lid. It looked like a coffin and appeared quite ancient.
"Behold. The Master." Silri said, motioning to the box, using the force to pry the lid slightly ajar, the lid then proceeding to open on its own with a vile hiss. Almost instantly, Lumiya sensed a presence in the Force she had been unable to sense before, a powerful presence in the Dark Side. Suddenly they heard a loud gasp before a dark hooded figure sat up with a start, Silri immediately dropping to one knee in reverence.
"I welcome you from your slumber, my Master." Silri greeted as the figure looked over Lumiya with a piercing glare, a soft growl of contempt for the Dark Jedi. The figure turned and climbed out of the coffin, not taking his eyes off of Lumiya. Lumiya was staring back at him, unsure of what to make of him herself. Suddenly she felt her windpipe being pinched shut, a Force Choke. She felt herself being lifted off the floor by the throat, the figure holding his arm towards her, his entire hand in a pinching motion.
"My Master, she is with me! She seeks your council!" Silri exclaimed before Lumiya was suddenly thrown aside, the woman crashing to the ground nearby on the other side of Silri who was still knelt before the figure. Lumiya sat up, a hand to her throat, rubbing it as the figure glared at Silri, pulling back the hood to reveal a red face covered in black Sith Tattoos and a head covered in horns. His eyes were red and yellow, a clear sign of the Dark Side's grip on him. He appeared to be in his early to mid-thirties.
"How long have I slumbered?" the man asked with a smooth and soft tone, belying soft spoken anger.
"You reentered the Oubliette in the year 11 ABY. It is now 28 ABY and we are nearing the New Year. I welcome you from your slumber, Lord Maul." Silri said as Lumiya watched with shock and awe at the legendary Sith Assassin, Darth Maul, standing before her. Maul closed his eyes, a light snarl on his face.
"I no longer sense the presence of my former Master. His presence is gone from the Force entirely." Maul said as Silri smiled up at him.
"He is dead. He died a few months after you entered the Oubliette." Silri reported as Maul scowled down at her.
"And yet I sense that it was not by your hand, that my Master met his end." Maul said as Silri bowed her head again.
"It was by the hand of the Jedi, my Master." Silri replied, Maul smirking slightly in dark satisfaction before turning towards Lumiya who remained on the floor, still stunned at the sight of Darth Maul.
"I sense the Dark Side has grown stronger in the Galaxy, stronger than it was when I returned to my slumber." Maul stated.
"The Sith have returned in full force, my Master. An army of soldiers and Dark Jedi wage war against the Republic and the Jedi. This new Sith Empire seeks to reclaim that which Palpatine's Galactic Empire once controlled. The Empire is led by the final Apprentice of Darth Sideous: Darth Akul. She is the new Empress and has abolished the Rule of Two. She has at least a handful of Apprentices and countless Dark Jedi at her command." Silri explained as Maul put his hands behind his back, looking at Lumiya again.
"And who is this?" he asked.
"This is Darth Lumiya. She was cast out as one of Darth Akul's apprentices and seeks revenge against the Empress. I brought her here because I thought that she might be useful to you, Master, as a second apprentice." Silri explained as Maul took notice of Silri's cyborg leg and sneered.
"There is something you have not told me." Maul said, applying some pressure with the Force against Silri's throat, just enough to make her need to forcibly inhale and exhale in order to breathe. Silri's eyes widened as she started to shake with fear of her Master's reaction.
"I was…discovered, my Master. I was…a fool and shared too much information freely with the Empress. Before I knew it, my leg was taken from me and I was cast into one of Akul's dungeons. I have been held there for ten years and have only recently escaped. But they never learned of you." Silri explained, Maul snarling angrily at her. He immediately pulled out a twin bladed lightsaber, activating one end and swinging it at Silri with the intent to kill but the blade was stopped mere inches from Silri's head. Maul looked and saw Lumiya, her arm outstretched, keeping the blade aloft with the force.
"It would be a pity to dispose of a tool that can still be of use to you, Lord Maul." Lumiya said as Maul scowled at her, his gaze then turning back to Silri before he deactivated the lightsaber, putting it away before turning away from them both.
"You are correct. Destroying her is a waste of effort. She can, as you say, still prove useful to me." Maul said as he grabbed Silri by the arm, pulling her to her feet and snatching her lightwhip from her belt. Silri's face flashed with fear of what her Master was going to do to her.
"But I will punish you for your failure." Maul said, tersely, as Silri shivered in fear, Lumiya merely watched with dark satisfaction.
Meanwhile…
The 501st Fleet Group was finishing off a small fleet of Sith vessels that had attempted to invade Rhen Var a second time but had been thwarted by the 501st. Anakin Skywalker was stood upon the bridge of the Tatooine Avenger, having not joined the battle personally, watching the fleeing Sith Vessels as they made the jump into hyperspace. Commander Delta, commanding officer of the 501st, then approached him.
"Lord Skywalker, the enemy is in full retreat. Ulic Base reports that the new sensor array is online and the planetary defense cannon is in place and functional to thwart any further attempts at invading the planet." Delta reported. Anakin didn't reply.
"Milord?" Delta asked. Anakin didn't reply again. Anakin then heard a second voice in his ear, whispering…
"He has returned."
"Lord Skywalker?" Delta asked, worriedly.
"Commander, order the fleet to remain in position here at Rhen Var until you receive further instructions. I will be in my meditation chamber." Anakin ordered finally. Delta saluted in response.
"Right away sir." He replied as Anakin turned and departed quickly, heading for the solace of his private meditation chamber. After a few minutes, he stepped into the chamber room, stepping inside the chamber itself and sealed himself inside. As he sat meditating, he suddenly felt a presence in the force that he hadn't felt in a very long time. In his mind, he stood on a field of stars, a light fog below his knees as he stood. Before him was a figure he hadn't seen or thought about in decades. The ghost of the first Jedi he ever met: Qui Gon Jinn.
"You have grown into the Jedi I always knew you would become, Anakin. Your path might've strayed into the shadows for a time but you did return as I knew you would." Qui Gon complimented as Anakin, who appeared as the unscarred youth he had been prior to becoming Vader, looked sadly towards the long dead Qui Gon.
"The presence I sensed, Master…is it who I sense it to be?" Anakin asked with the voice of his Vader mask.
"You sense the presence of the Sith Lord who killed me on Naboo. Your senses are not wrong, Anakin." Qui Gon replied. For a brief moment, Anakin heard echoes of the cry of anguish from a young Obi Wan from the moment he had witnessed Qui Gon get stabbed by Maul on Naboo.
"How is this possible, Master? Maul died long before the Clone Wars. He would have to be nearly a century old." Anakin said.
"You yourself once said that the power to destroy a planet was insignificant compared to the power of the Force itself. This has always been true and has never changed. For Maul to be alive is not impossible. Be mindful of your feelings. Darth Maul is still very much alive and very powerful." Qui Gon replied as Anakin gave a nod.
"I do sense him but why do I sense him now?" Anakin asked.
"That I cannot say. Even those of us who have become one with the Force do not have all of the answers." Qui Gon replied.
"What must I do, Master? Should I confront him? Where would I even find him?" Anakin asked.
"You are still the chosen one, Anakin. That fact has not changed, not even during your tenure in the shadows of the Dark Side. Allow the Force to guide you. Remember the advice I gave you before the Boonta, Anakin. Trust your instincts. They served you well then, they will serve you well here and now." Qui Gon said before disappearing back into the void of the Force. Anakin remained for a moment before seeing a vision of molten lava rivers and ashen black mountains against a black and red sky. It was a place Anakin knew too well. He then emerged from his meditation and turned towards one of the communications consoles. He immediately opened a comlink to the bridge.
"Commander Delta, prepare the Twilight II for departure." Anakin ordered.
"Right away sir." Delta replied. Anakin then entered a specific comm code, his meditation chair turning to face the back wall, the chamber ceiling raising just as a transmission viewscreen activated, showing Galen Marek standing at a holotable on the Lusankya, talking with a couple of Republic Officers. He noticed his Master and turned towards him.
"Master? What's happened? I sense a disturbance in the force." Galen said worriedly.
"I need your help, Galen. I will explain everything to you when you arrive." Anakin replied before abruptly closing the channel.
Back on the hidden moon…
Lumiya was quietly pacing back and forth outside of one of the side rooms connected to the main chamber with the Oubliette. It had been hours since Maul had dragged the fearful Silri away. Finally the doors opened, Silri staggering out from inside, weakly putting the straps to her now torn and tattered clothes back into place. Her skin was now covered in deep red cuts from where she had been whipped and tortured by Maul. She said nothing as she staggered to her feet, Maul exiting behind her, tossing her lightwhip to the ground and approaching Lumiya.
"You served the Empress?" he asked as Lumiya gave a nod.
"Yes milord." She replied.
"Tell me of this 'Darth Akul.' Who is she exactly?" Maul asked.
"She was formerly a Jedi Padawan to Darth Vader, the Emperor's second to last apprentice when he was a Jedi. She was trained in secret by Palpatine to be his successor should the Empire fall. She has at least four Apprentices which she refers to as the Empress's Hands. Darth Fenrir is a four thousand year old Talortai and well connected in the affairs of the underworld. Darth Sheelal is the grandson of a legendary Separatist General from the Clone Wars and is a formidable lightsaber expert and master strategist. Darth Talzin is the daughter of Asajj Ventress, a Dathomiri Nightsister, and was trained by Silri to use a lightwhip although she now favors her mother's twin lightsabers. Finally there is Darth Stalker, who is a perfect clone of Darth Vader and has the skill and power to prove it. He is essentially the heir to the Sith Throne." Lumiya explained as Maul listened intently.
"What of the Death Watch? Do they still exist or were they wiped out during the war on Mandalore?" Maul asked.
"The Death Watch have sworn loyalty to the Sith while their weaker counterparts, the Mandalorians, rule Mandalore and are aligned with the Republic and the Jedi." Lumiya explained as Maul snarled.
"And I suppose that anyone formerly of my Master's Empire is aligned with Akul?" Maul asked as Lumiya nodded.
"Yes, my Master." She replied.
"Or they defected to the Republic." Silri added.
"It makes little difference. Darth Akul's days as the Empress are numbered. We shall eliminate her and anyone who defies us. She will know the true power of the Dark Side." Maul said as Lumiya arched a curious eyebrow.
"We won't get within five light-years from the Sith Capital. Silri's and my faces are on every bounty board in both the Republic and Sith sectors." Lumiya said.
"Then we shall make the Empress come to us." Maul said as he approached one of the doors in the chamber. He waved his hand, the door opening to reveal a darkened hallway. Several glow-panels began to light up shortly after the door opened.
"How will we do that exactly?" Lumiya asked as they walked down the hall.
"We will give her something she won't be able to resist." Maul said as, with a wave of his hand, the door ahead of them opened, revealing another darkened room. The lights suddenly flickered on to reveal a large conical vessel with curved wings similar to a TIE Fighter's. It was Darth Maul's old Sith Infiltrator, the Scimitar, perfectly preserved since the Battle of Naboo, 60 years ago.
"What exactly does one entice a Sith Empress with?" Silri asked, confused.
"The one thing that any Sith craves the most and hates losing the most: Power." Maul replied as they boarded the Scimitar, the Infiltrator soon rising up through a hidden hangar door overhead, its wings unfolding, and flying away from the uncharted moon.
On the Sith Capital World…
Darth Akul sat in a meditative pose on her throne, her hood down, as she sensed a disturbance in the Force, a presence in the Dark Side that irritated her. She opened her eyes with a scowl just as Darth Talzin arrived and dropped to one knee in a bow.
"You sent for me, my Master?" Talzin asked as Akul rose to her feet.
"You are aware that your former Master, Darth Silri, was freed from her prison on Malachor V." Akul stated as Talzin scowled slightly.
"I am." She replied.
"You are also aware that Darth Lumiya has been cast out from amongst the Hands. I sense that the two now seek to challenge me. There is a great disturbance in the force. Something has awoken, something old, something...powerful." Akul said as Talzin looked up at the Empress curiously.
"Is this 'something' that the Empire could use?" Talzin asked but Akul scowled.
"No. Beyond a doubt, this is a threat to the Empire and must be eliminated." Akul said as Darth Anjo entered, bowing before her master.
"Milord, we just received word that Lady Lumiya and Silri have been spotted in the Mustafar system! They are attacking our mining facility there!" Anjo reported. Akul scowled in thought for a moment.
"Prepare my shuttle. I will deal with this would-be usurper myself." Akul said as Anjo and Talzin looked towards her.
"And what of Lumiya and Silri?" Anjo asked.
"After your failure at Thule, consider this a chance to redeem yourselves by eliminating them." Akul said as the two bowed.
Near the Mustafar System…
The Twilight II dropped out of hyperspace, activating a stygian cloaking field as it approached the planet. At the helm sat Anakin Skywalker. Sitting in the copilot's seat was Galen who seemed disconcerted by his former Master's behavior.
"Well Master, are your instincts correct?" Galen asked.
"He is here." Anakin replied.
"Darth Maul? Palpatine's first apprentice? What makes you think so?" Galen asked.
"A tremor in the Force. The last time I felt it, was on Naboo as a child in the presence of my first Master." Anakin replied as Galen took a breath.
"I sense a trap." He said worriedly.
"As do I." Anakin said.
"Spring the trap?" Galen asked.
"Be mindful. I sense another disturbance in the force. I sense Ahsoka is aware of this." Anakin said, Galen taking another cleansing breath.
"This will be the first time in over forty years you've seen one another face-to-face. Are you sure you can handle it?" Galen asked.
"Leave her to me." Anakin replied as the Twilight II entered Mustafar's atmosphere. Anakin brought the yacht in towards the same facility where, forty years earlier, he had fully become Darth Vader. On one of the catwalks lining the facility, Lumiya was stalking through, searching for survivors when she heard the engines of a ship overhead and felt a familiar presence in the Force. She looked up and saw the Twilight II decloaking overhead, touching down at one of the landing platforms. Lumiya quickly headed inside, entering the control room where Maul sat meditating.
"We have an unexpected visitor. My former Master has arrived." Lumiya said as Maul opened his eyes.
"Explain." He said.
"The third apprentice of Darth Sideous, Darth Vader, has arrived. He trained me as one of the Emperor's Hands and more importantly, is the one who initially trained Darth Akul in the Jedi Arts. He has since turned away from the Dark Side and is now a Jedi." Lumiya said as Maul furrowed his brow.
"This is unexpected indeed, but gratifying all the same. Who trained Vader in the ways of the Jedi?" Maul asked.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi I believe." Lumiya replied as Maul's face contorted in anger.
"Kenobi." He hissed, absently placing a hand to his waistline, reminded of his first encounter with Obi-Wan Kenobi over fifty years ago at Naboo.
"Master?" Lumiya asked as Maul rose to his feet.
"I may not be able to get my revenge on Kenobi, but killing his apprentice will have to suffice." Maul said as he pulled the hood up over his head. Outside the facility, Anakin and Galen were just disembarking the Twilight II when they heard the hum of shuttle engines. They looked up and saw a Sith Shuttlecraft touching down on the opposite end of the facility.
"Ahsoka?" Galen asked but Anakin remained silent, quietly confirming Galen's assumption as they entered the facility. At the same time, Akul, Anjo, and Talzin disembarked the shuttle, Akul pausing halfway across the causeway connecting the platform to the facility.
"Skywalker?" Akul asked herself curiously.
"Master?" Anjo asked.
"Skywalker is here. There can be no mistake about it." Akul said as she resumed walking towards the facility. Soon they came to a large open area that acted as a cargo staging area with an empty shuttle platform. As they arrived, they soon heard the familiar breathing sound of Anakin's mask coupled with a pair of lightsaber activations. Akul snarled quietly to herself and turned to see Anakin and Galen approaching.
"Ahsoka." Anakin said as Akul glared at him.
"I've been waiting for you Skywalker. We meet again at last. When I left you, I was but a learner, now I am the master." Akul said as she activated a pair of red lightsabers, one of them a shoto blade.
"Only a master of evil, Darth. You still have much to learn, my old Padawan." Anakin said as Akul scowled.
"It is you who have much to learn my old Master. We both sense the presence here on Mustafar. That is what has drawn the both of us out, is it not?" Akul asked. Anakin quietly reached out with his empty hand as if offering it to her.
"We don't need to continue this war, Ahsoka. The Dark Side will fail you as it failed me. It is not too late to turn away from it." Anakin pleaded but Akul rolled her eyes.
"You never had a chance to taste true power, Skywalker. You were always subservient to the Emperor, and never once had the chance to have the power he once had. The power I wield as an Empress and as the new Dark Lord of the Sith far surpasses what I could've had as a Jedi! Besides, after what you did to my sister, do you really think that I will listen to you?" Akul asked.
"Ashla turned away from the Dark Side in her final moments. She is one with the Force. Her last thoughts were of you, Ahsoka. Don't fail her like I failed you." Anakin pleaded.
"It was you and the Jedi who failed! I first tasted the bitter fruits of the Jedi's Betrayal when Barriss blamed me for that bombing! When the entire Order blamed me! And then you betrayed me, with him." She hissed, glaring at Galen who blinked in surprise. Before Anakin or Galen could answer, the doors to the facility opened, revealing Lumiya, Maul, and Silri all standing in the doorway. Maul had his hood up and his double-bladed lightsaber in hand, his eyes focused on Akul and Anakin.
"Galen." Anakin said, Galen quietly stepping to one side, activating a pair of blue lightsabers, holding them in reversed grips.
"You know what to do." Akul said to Anjo and Talzin who both stepped off to the side, Talzin activating her twin lightsabers but Anjo didn't activate a lightsaber at all, holding the inactive hilt in her hand as Anakin and Akul began to approach Maul who pulled back his hood, glaring at the two of them in clear anger.
"It would be wise if we worked together, Ahsoka." Anakin said as Akul glanced at her former Master.
"Perhaps…" she said before suddenly reactivating her second blade and swinging at Anakin who deftly blocked the blow, "…but then again I never was good at following your instructions."
(A/N: It would be a good idea if you cued up either Battle of the Heroes or Duel of the Fates here. Ideally there's a version of both ripped straight from the Ep3 movie score that features both on YouTube.)
Maul proceeded to activate his double-blades, the battle lines being prepared for a three way fight, Maul versus Akul versus Anakin. The three suddenly all attacked, Maul charging towards Akul who blocked with both blades and swung back at the Sith Assassin before quickly blocking a blow from Anakin. Maul tried to strike at both but Anakin and Akul both quickly raised their blades to block an attack from Maul. The three became locked in their three way battle, while Lumiya, Anjo and Galen stared each other down. Talzin and Silri were circling each other, the both Nightsisters anxious to end the other. Lumiya and Silri both had lightwhips and were ready to strike immediately. Silri suddenly swung at Talzin who dodged and lunged in but had to duck a swing from Silri, the elder Nightsister managing to keep the younger out of striking distance, forcing her onto one of the observation arms of the facility, the lightwhip leaving glowing marks of molten metal wherever it struck. Meanwhile, Lumiya was glaring at Galen.
"Shira." Galen greeted in a cold tone.
"Starkiller." She replied, Galen occasionally glancing at Anjo.
"Negating my battle meditation won't help you here, clone." Galen said, Anjo turning to glare at him angrily.
"I am aware of this." She replied, activating her lightsaber which was a unique lightsaber with built in cross-guard (A/N: Yes, just like Kylo Ren's). Anjo then raised her offhand and unleashed a blast of Force Lightning which Galen quickly blocked with one hand while Lumiya swung her lightwhip at him, Galen quickly ducking just as the whip cracked over his head. He deftly redirected the lightning toward her, causing the cyborg Sith Lady to hiss in pain and anger as the lightning hit her cybernetics but she kept moving. Meanwhile Galen launched towards Anjo who raised her lightsaber, the two becoming locked in a clash of lightsabers. At the same time, the three way fight between Anakin, Akul, and Maul was branching out onto a long bridge spanning the lava river below, the blue glow of heat shielding flickering beneath the bridge as the three exchanged savage blows. Maul was stood between them, Akul standing on the end opposite the facility while Anakin stood at the ready on the end nearest the facility.
"So here we are at last! The first and last apprentices of Darth Sideous, together and locked in combat to decide which amongst us is the true Dark Lord of the Sith!" Maul spat.
"Sideous dismissed you as a worthy apprentice when you failed him at Naboo, Assassin! I was chosen to be the Dark Lord's heir! I am the Empress of the Sith Empire! Only I am the true Dark Lord of the Sith!" Akul hissed.
"And I will not become a slave to the Dark Side again!" Anakin argued, earning an angry snarl from both Maul and Akul.
"You disgrace every Sith Lord to have ever lived! You are our Master's greatest failure! The only one of his Apprentices to become a Jedi! And like all Jedi, you must be destroyed!" Maul said.
"You won't touch him, Assassin! Skywalker's life is mine to take! Not yours!" Akul yelled.
"Ahsoka I cannot blame you for your anger towards me. I blame myself for your fall. If only you knew the peace of the Light Side. Join me, and together we can find redemption as Master and Apprentice, just as we once were forty years ago." Anakin pleaded, begging Akul to turn away from the Dark Side but Akul snarled at him.
"Oh of course, Skyguy, lull me in and then betray me again?! Betray me like Barriss? Like the whole Order? The Jedi are evil, Skywalker! It was you who taught me that!" Akul screamed at him.
"Enough! Neither of you will have the chance to reconcile until after you have become one with the Force!" Maul yelled before turning and throwing his lightsaber towards Akul but just as he did, Anakin threw his lightsaber as well. Akul blocked Maul's blades which went spinning back towards its wielder while Maul ducked Anakin's lightsaber which also boomeranged back to its wielder. Anakin started stalking towards them, not even breaking his stride as he caught his lightsaber, using the force of its return to rear back for a particularly powerful swing which Maul sidestepped, moving around so that Anakin was now between the two Sith Lords. Anakin turned towards Maul as both Sith Lords came charging in with their lightsabers raised, Anakin between them. Akul grinned as she saw Anakin's back turned towards her but just as she swung at him, Anakin already blocking Maul's blade with his lightsaber in one hand, a flash of green energy appeared, blocking her blades. Akul staggered back in surprise, especially as she saw the green blade piercing through the back of Anakin's brown Jedi cloak. She saw Anakin turn his head slowly to his left towards her, turning just enough to look at her out of the corner of his left eye although it wasn't noticeable due to his mask but she could feel his gaze. She then saw the green blade cut its way straight out of his cloak, revealing that Anakin was now holding a second lightsaber in his offhand, and not just any lightsaber either.
"Is that-?!" she asked as Anakin threw Maul away with a powerful force push, launching the Assassin very nearly to the edge of the bridge before turning towards her.
"Your lightsaber, Ahsoka. I have kept it in the hopes that you will return to the Light Side." Anakin said as Akul growled.
"Then you've kept a piece of ownerless junk!" She yelled before charging in again, their lightsabers coming together in a blinding flash. Meanwhile Silri and Talzin were still playing keep-away, Talzin using her twin lightsabers to try and trip up the lightwhip wielding Silri.
"Looks like your Master is rather abusive!" Talzin taunted, noticing the scars still covering Silri's body.
"Pain is but only a medium through which we are strengthened. It is this pain which gives us strength! I should thank you, girl! Were it not for your taking my leg, I would not have become strong enough to destroy you!" Silri yelled as Talzin grinned.
"I'll take more than your leg this time, hag!" she taunted before lunging in with a swing, Silri swinging her lightwhip at the Nightsister but it got tangled around one of Talzin's lightsabers. Silri blinked in surprise as Talzin grinned and pulled hard but was stunned when Silri pulled back, pulling one of the twin blades from Talzin's grasp, the inactive hilt clattering to the ground. Talzin was snarling as Silri chuckled in dark amusement and reared back the whip. They both froze as they felt a powerful surge of Force energy nearby. They both turned to see a large durasteel beam come flying towards them. The two leapt clear just as the beam slammed into the ground between them. They soon saw what had caused it. Galen was stood between Lumiya and Anjo, glowing with the Force, as the facility was literally ripped apart beneath him. Anjo and Lumiya were forced to try and stand against the powerful force torrent that Galen was unleashing. Finally Anjo raised a hand and unleashed another blast of Force Lightning, forcing Galen to stop, catching the lightning in one hand and then redirecting it through his body and towards Lumiya, the former Dark Lady quickly coiling her lightwhip around her and deflecting the lightning away. Galen leapt clear just as Anjo quickly leapt forward and swung at him, Galen landing in the center, surrounded by the four Sith Women.
"I think it would be wise to consider a temporary truce to dispose of Starkiller, would it not?" Anjo suggested. Galen glanced calmly at the other three who seemed amenable.
"Whoever kills Starkiller will truly be the more powerful." Silri said as Lumiya cracked her lightwhip.
"He's mine. Starkiller and I have an old score to settle from our Rebellion years." Lumiya hissed as Galen glanced towards her. All four Sith Ladies suddenly charged towards him, their lightsabers and lightwhips ready but Galen simply squatted down, the force surging around him but before any of them could get within striking distance, he unleashed a powerful shockwave of force energy, sending all but Lumiya flying back. Lumiya had dug in a pair of spiked metal cleats on the soles of her shoes and was able to resist the shockwave although her headdress was blown off, her fiery red hair blowing in the Mustafar wind. Lumiya lunged forward with her lightwhip but Galen was fast, igniting his lightsabers and blocking the attack, the lightwhip becoming wrapped around one blade while Galen used the other to pin the whip down.
"You can't win, Shira. If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." Galen warned but Lumiya scowled at him from behind her mask.
"You've got it backwards, Marek. If I strike you down, I will be the more powerful! I will be known as the one who killed the Starkiller!" Lumiya said, assuming Galen hadn't noticed Darth Talzin starting to approach him stealthily from behind, her lightsaber inactive. She froze when she suddenly started to gasp for air, Galen turned and saw that Silri was force choking her from atop an observation platform overhead. Galen quickly deactivated both lightsabers, freeing Lumiya's lightwhip, but jumping clear before Lumiya could bring it around for an attack. Galen used the force to shake the platform, causing Silri to lose her footing, stumbling slightly yet freeing Talzin who scowled up at the Nightsister. Silri leapt down at her, Galen backing away as the two Nightsisters began fighting again. Silri managed to knock Talzin onto her back. She raised her blade to try and block but Lumiya's lightwhip coiled around her lightsaber and pulled it away, leaving Talzin open for an attack. Silri was just rearing back her whip when…
"Ventress!" she heard Galen exclaim, throwing her one of his lightsabers. Talzin caught it, activating it just in time to block Silri's lightsaber. She looked towards Galen in surprise, noticing the Jedi Master giving her a quiet nod before quickly activating his lightsaber and spinning to one side just as Anjo attempted to run him through from behind. Starkiller quickly adopted his old Shien form with the reverse grip, defending against the Sith Lady's attacks. Anjo's mask had a large crack across the face and part of the outside edging of the right eye had broken off, revealing part of Anjo's pale skin beneath the mask.
"I meant what I said, clone. I won't have any remorse ending you." Galen said, unleashing a powerful barrage of lightsaber strikes, easily putting Anjo on the defensive, taking her by alarm. She could sense in him, something she hadn't anticipated from a Jedi Master. She sensed a slight tremor of the Dark Side within him but it was being carefully balanced. He could tell she had sensed this.
"It's called Vaapad. It is a forgotten technique. It's designed for the execution of Sith Lords." Galen replied as he continued to unleash his attacks on Anjo, forcing her back towards one of the large arms extending over the lava river below.
…
Meanwhile the duel between Anakin, Akul, and Maul had moved back into the facility, Maul and Akul dueling atop a catwalk while Anakin followed them from below. The catwalk the two Sith Lords were on ran parallel over a series of conduits that were pumping some of the molten ore up from the collection basin up to the processing facility above. Anakin noticed the conduits and reached out with the force, crushing one end of the conduit, causing molten ore to spew from the cracks, melting the catwalk ahead of the two Sith Lords. The two both stopped when they heard the loud cracking from the conduits and suddenly had to grab hold of the railing as Anakin started to pull the catwalk down at an angle, forcing the two Sith Lords to fight on an incline. Anakin started to storm up the ramp towards them, his lightsabers ready, putting Maul between him and Akul. Maul however leapt up and landed atop a narrow pipeline that ran parallel to the catwalks. Maul snarled as he lashed out with the force, crushing more of the conduit, more and more molten ore gushing from the cracks. Akul and Anakin both were forced to jump clear mere seconds before the entire catwalk Anakin had ripped down was sent crashing down into the molten river below. Some of the ore rained down on Anakin's back, igniting his robes. He quickly ripped his robe off, allowing it to fall into the river. His armor was smoking a little but he was otherwise unharmed.
Maul leapt into the air to attack but Akul quickly threw him away with the Force, causing him to overshoot his jump and start flying towards the bottom of one of the large arms reaching over the lava river. Akul expected this to be the end of Maul but he hit the side of one of the arm's pillars, his shoes suddenly exploding as a series of metallic claws burst out of them, grabbing onto the side of the pillar and snarling up at the two.
"He is clearly more machine than man!" Akul hissed before remembering that Skywalker was there with her. She turned to see Anakin was calmly standing there, with only his lightsaber active, ready to defend himself.
"Which reminds me that I have a decided advantage over you, Skywalker! The one thing guaranteed to finally finish you OFF!" Akul yelled as she quickly raised her hand and unleashed a blast of Sith Lightning against him but Anakin had quickly raised his empty left hand, the lighting channeling into his hand and down his arm. Anakin made a slight writhing and low groaning as he clinched his fist in pain. Akul was grinning at Anakin's suffering but her grin suddenly vanished as Anakin reared his left arm back and then thrust his hand up into the air, releasing all of the force lightning harmlessly into the air, the armor around his arm tearing and ripping as the energy burst free from his arm but his cybernetics were still functioning. His cybernetic limb was now partially visible beneath the tattered remains of the armor over it. Akul could make out a series of large capacitors inside the arm's casing, the capacitors still intact.
"As I too am more machine than man, I thought it wise to upgrade." Anakin said, although his breathing was a little more labored. Strangely though his breathing wasn't labored from the burst of lightning as Akul first thought. In truth, the ashen air of Mustafar was gradually clogging his mask's filters. Akul snarled instead and came running towards him, Master and Apprentice becoming locked in their lightsaber duel. They suddenly heard a loud metallic groaning from overhead and looked up to see the large span above them that Maul had latched onto was being sliced in half by Maul's lightsaber. The Sith Assassin had climbed to the top and run to the base of the span. Anakin and Akul both dove in opposite directions just as the span came crashing down, smashing through the catwalk between them and leaving a large gap between them, Maul riding the span down to the river, standing atop the severed end as it floated away, snarling at them as it carried him down river towards the Scimitar. Akul and Anakin watched him float away and then turned their attention back towards each other but the entire facility started to shake beneath them. The damage sustained from the fighting had weakened the facility's supports and it was starting to slowly collapse into the river. The gap between the two was too great to jump given the state of the collapsing facility and both of them knew this. Akul instead glared at Anakin.
"This isn't over Skywalker! I will destroy you for what you've done to me!" Akul yelled.
"It doesn't have to be this way, Ahsoka! With our combined strength, we can put an end to this destructive conflict and bring peace to the galaxy, but only if you join me! Join me, Ahsoka, and we will be together again, just like we were before!" Anakin begged, earning an infuriated glare from Akul.
"You think I embraced the Dark Side because of you?! You think my whole life revolved around you, Skywalker?! You couldn't be more mistaken! You know nothing about me! There's only one thing I feel towards you, Skywalker! Hate! I HATE YOU!" She yelled. This stunned Anakin, his eyes widened in pain and sadness as, for a brief moment, he heard his own voice yelling those same words, his own last words to Obi-Wan after their own duel at Mustafar, echoing back at him. Anakin didn't even notice as Akul leapt onto a repulsorlift inspection platform, glaring at Anakin as the platform carried her across to the other side of the river where her shuttle was waiting.
Anakin's heart was broken. Everything had come full circle, only now it was Anakin in his Master's place as one he had once loved like a brother, or in this case a sister, told him three words that wounded him more than having lost his own limbs not far from the very place he was standing. The worst part of it all, Akul was right. He knew nothing about her fall, didn't know the reasons for her fall. He turned away from where she had been standing, his lightsaber clipped to his belt along with Ahsoka's, and started walking, making his way back to the landing area.
…
Back on the top levels, the three way fight was still raging. Anjo and Galen were still fighting but Anjo saw Akul making her way towards the opposite side of the river and quickly lashed out at Galen with a burst of Force lightning, distracting him long enough for her to leap down onto the bridge below, taking a moment to glare up at Starkiller before rushing after her Master. Galen turned to see Lumiya and Silri both fighting against Talzin. Galen quickly ran towards them, just as the lightsaber he'd loaned Talzin was sliced in two by Lumiya's lightwhip, missing Talzin's fingers by mere millimeters. Talzin was now trapped with Lumiya and Silri in front of her and Marek approaching from behind. She glanced over and saw her other lightsaber, calling it to her hand with the force, now back up to two blades. Before any of them could do anything, the doors back into the facility opened, a familiar breathing sound echoing from inside as Anakin emerged with one lightsaber active.
"Your masters are abandoning you. I will allow you all to leave and I encourage you to do so." Anakin said as Talzin grimaced in frustration before turning and fleeing, racing towards the edge and jumping down towards the bridge, racing across the river to Akul's shuttle.
"We can't beat Skywalker and Marek on our own." Silri hissed in frustration.
"Agreed." Lumiya replied before the two turned and fled, running towards where Maul's Scimitar was docked. Galen watched them depart before turning towards Anakin, a look of worry for the elder Jedi Master on his face, especially as he heard Anakin's labored breathing and saw the damage to his arm.
"We better get you out of this ashen air. This facility's collapsing beneath us." Galen said as Anakin quietly followed him back towards the Twilight II. Galen started to climb the ramp to the yacht but as Anakin reached the foot of it, he paused, taking a moment to look back just as a cloud of ash over the river dissipated, revealing the landing platform where Akul's shuttle was docked. Akul was just starting to board the shuttle when she sensed Anakin's gaze on her. She turned and gave him a hate filled glare over her shoulder before storming up the ramp. Anakin turned away, his head lowered in sadness before climbing up the ramp as the Twilight II's engines roared to life.
…
Meanwhile, the Scimitar had already managed to slip past the Sith Star Destroyers in orbit over Mustafar thanks to its cloaking device and soon made the jump to lightspeed. Inside, Darth Maul was quietly scowling with his arms crossed over his chest. Lumiya stood leaned against one wall while Silri sat at the helm controls.
"We've lost our chance at eliminating the Empress. We'll never get this close to her again." Silri hissed.
"Skywalker's presence was unforeseen. Had he not gotten involved, we might've succeeded." Lumiya said as Maul growled.
"The Empress is stronger than I had first anticipated, and the Jedi, this 'Skywalker' is far stronger than I imagined. I see now why my Master chose him as an apprentice." Maul said to no one in particular.
"He is credited as the one who killed the Emperor seventeen years ago. The other Jedi, Starkiller, was the one who killed the Emperor the first time at Endor." Lumiya said as Maul narrowed his gaze.
"We will deal with Skywalker and the Jedi later. The Empress and her Empire are what we need to focus upon. We need to weaken her, to prove we are a threat to her power, to prove that she herself is weak." Maul said as he looked towards the two Dark Ladies.
"We need allies, pawns that we can use to further our goals, and seeing as how I have been slumbering for years, my information and contacts are out of date. Do either of you know of any?" Maul asked but Lumiya remained silent. Silri on the other hand…
"As a matter of fact, I do, my Master. I know a few powerful contacts within the underworld of the galaxy, people who are not friends of either the Republic or the Empire's. With the right incentive, they could be made to see our point of view." Silri said as Lumiya stepped forward.
"But our information has a price. You will train us in the ways of the Dark Side so that we may become stronger." Lumiya said as Maul scowled towards her.
"You dare give me an ultimatum?" he asked, snarling as he did his best to restrain his anger. Finally he let out a growl and backed off.
"Very well, I shall teach you to wield the Dark Side of the Force. I will make you stronger than you are now. And when the time comes, we will strike down Akul, Skywalker, and any who stand in our way!" Maul said as Silri climbed out of the pilot's chair before she and Lumiya both knelt down before Maul.
"We pledge ourselves to your teachings, Master." Silri said as Maul allowed a dark smirk to appear on his face as the Scimitar roared through hyperspace.
…
Meanwhile, Darth Anjo watched as the shuttles carrying Darth Akul and Darth Talzin departed the hangar of one of the Sith Destroyers. She then turned and headed for the turbolifts, riding it up to the bridge. She made her way to one of the bridge's main rooms where a holotable sat in the center of the room, the ship's Captain approaching.
"Lady Anjo, the Empress has ordered the facility below to be rebuilt so ore processing may resume." The Captain reported but Anjo looked away from him.
"See that it is done, and clear the room." She ordered as the Captain bowed.
"Yes milady." The Captain replied before walking away, taking a couple of bridge officers with him, Anjo sealing the doors behind her with the force before dropping to one knee in a bow, a hologram of a masked Darth Stalker appearing over the holotable.
"What do you have to report, my Apprentice?" Stalker asked with his arms crossed.
"It is as you sensed, my Master. The disturbance in the force was indeed the first Apprentice of Darth Sideous. Darth Maul lives, milord." Anjo reported, looking up at the hologram.
"Excellent. Maul may prove useful in our plans. You have done well, Lady Anjo." Stalker replied.
"What is thy bidding, my Master?" Anjo asked.
"Continue as before, Anjo. The Empress already suspects us of plotting against her. We may be able to use the return of Maul as a distraction so that everything is in place when the time comes." Stalker ordered as Anjo bowed her head.
"I shall do as you command, my Master." She replied as the hologram disappeared.
Beyond Sith Space…
In Anakin's meditation chamber on the Tatooine Avenger, Galen entered the room in time to see Anakin's old arm be removed by medical droids and a new one, already in a new black sleeve and glove to replace the torn one, get moved onto the pale white stump of Anakin's arm. His helmet was also removed but a forcefield was up around the chamber, containing the atmosphere for Anakin.
"It's been a while since I've seen you under there. I've missed it." Galen said but Anakin seemed lost in thought, looking away. He didn't even seem to notice the new arm being attached, although Galen could sense the physical pain he felt as it was connected.
"The helmet's filters were nearly clogged by the ash in the Mustafar air." Anakin replied absently as the medical droids finished attaching his replacement arm and sewed the sleeve into the rest of his suit, leaving virtually no clue it had even been removed at all. Galen was silent for a moment before taking a breath.
"It appears Maul, Silri, and Lumiya escaped Mustafar. We've not gotten any chatter from our agents within the Sith Empire that they've been captured or killed so they must still be at large. As for Akul, Talzin, and Anjo, they too escaped." Galen explained as Anakin rolled his replaced arm slightly, adjusting to it, before picking up Ahsoka's Lightsaber, examining it with a sad expression.
"Are you alright?" Galen asked, clearly worried for the elder Skywalker.
"I at last understand what Kenobi must've felt before we parted ways after our duel at Mustafar. To know that someone you once loved like a brother, could utter three words. 'I hate you.' And to have those words pierce you because you know they mean it." Anakin said as a tear ran down his scarred face, ashamed of his own past and grieving his own failure with Ahsoka.
"You'll get through to her Master. If anyone can, it's you." Galen said as Anakin lowered the lightsaber, shaking his head slightly.
"No, Galen. I cannot save her. The Ahsoka Tano I knew forty years ago is gone with Darth Akul rising to take her place." Anakin said as Galen grimaced slightly.
"You're giving up on her?" he asked, surprised.
"No. I'm not giving up on her. But I cannot save her as I am. I must know why she fell. I must know what made her succumb to the Dark Side of the Force. Only then will I know how to save her. I know what I must do and I must do this alone." Anakin said as his helmet, the light reflecting off of its freshly cleaned and polished surface once more, lowered down onto his head, locking down with a hollow "thoomph," the familiar breathing sound echoing from Anakin's mask once more.
"Where will you go?" Galen asked as Anakin climbed out of the chamber, grabbing a black cloak with a hood on it and throwing it around him.
"To the last place I truly saw Ahsoka." Anakin replied as he started for the door. Anakin paused when the door opened, sensing something.
"You've lost one of your lightsabers, Galen." Anakin said as Galen looked down at the empty spot on his belt.
"Lost? No. More like…gifted." Galen said, sensing Anakin's understanding.
"A gesture of kindness that will give hope to a lost soul. You are truly a Jedi, Galen." Anakin mused softly but proudly.
"May the Force be with you, Master." Galen said softly as Anakin raised his hood and stepped out of the chamber.
Meanwhile…
Darth Talzin had just arrived in her quarters on the Ventress. The ash and soot from the volcanic planet, covered her from head to toe and she was ready to be rid of it. She reached for her belt buckle but as she did, her arm brushed against something that wasn't usually there. She looked down and noticed that, clipped to her belt was the severed base end of Galen's lightsaber, the one that had been destroyed on Mustafar. She held up the broken lightsaber curiously.
"I must've clipped this to my belt on accident." She muttered as she turned towards the garbage chute, intent on disposing of the lightsaber. As she held the lightsaber over the chute, she paused, unable to release the broken weapon. She then slowly pulled it back in and looked at it curiously. In her mind, she was replaying the scene from Mustafar over in her mind. She was at Lumiya and Silri's mercy, disarmed of one of her lightsabers and the other was trapped in Lumiya's lightwhip. By all rights, that should've been it for her right then and there. But then Galen Marek threw her one of his lightsabers, actually helping her, saving her life, even though she was his enemy.
"Why did he do that?" she whispered to herself.
"Talzin." A familiar voice whispered, but Talzin clinched her eyes together and shook her head.
"Probably some Jedi trickery." She muttered, tossing the broken lightsaber into her footlocker. She started to step into the refresher when she paused, glanced over her shoulder towards the footlocker at the lightsaber resting on the top for a moment, before stepping inside, closing the door behind her.
End Episode 8
You might be wondering how Maul was kept alive for so long. The answer is the oubliette that was featured. It is not Dreypa's Oubliette featured in the Celeste Morne incident (mostly because Celeste Morne never survived into this era in the Shadow Wars continuity) but a new Oubliette that Darth Sideous had built to keep Maul alive for some unknown purpose. The Oubliette and the circumstances that got Maul into it will be a plot point for a later episode.