Chapter XXXII
Ahsoka runs down a long corridor, on her right are doorways to different rooms of the Temple. To her left, is a long balcony that overlooks the plateau and the burning freighter. She glances at the scene bellow, she can see the Stormtroopers moving towards the jungle, likely in pursuit of the others. However what she notices most, are the figures approaching the Temple. The troopers she recognizes, Death Troopers, they act as escorts for three others.
Two of them are familiar - at least their armor is. The gear she notices is the same as the opponent she faced some time ago back on Raada. The Imperial symbol on their shoulders and their distinctive lightsabers hooked to their back. However, the last figure is unknown to her.
The last figure is masculine and dressed all in black, his face completely hidden by a mask, and a black cape flows behind him. She can feel the Force surrounding him, it's very strong - and dark - much like when she first met Darth Titus.
Ahsoka stops to catch her breath, Titus is nowhere to be seen. However that doesn't convince her let her guard down, she doubts Titus would simply give up trying to pursue her. For now, she has to get Bail's transmission codes to Callan. She takes out her holopad and sets it down on the balcony railing with it set to record.
"Callan," she says, "this message contains the transmit codes to Prestor One. You must contact him for help, tell him Fulcrum sent you. Listen carefully to the codes: secure the com on channel six-one-seven-three-nine, frequency twelve. Good luck."
Ahsoka ends the recording and sends the message to Callan's holopad. She only hopes everyone is alright, and that they will be able to contact Bail.
Ahsoka ducks to avoid being hit by the holopad as it springs from the rail and flies toward her. The disc sores past her and into a dark hallway leading back into the Temple behind her. She turns around quickly to see Titus's silhouette standing in the halls walkway, with the crushed holopad in his artificial hand.
"Your friends won't save you now, Ahsoka. The Empire will kill them and you will be dead by my hand."
"As will you." Ahsoka says as she draws her lightsabers.
"I'm giving you one last chance. We can survive this, Callan, Shila, Ondar, Cassian, and Zallar too can survive this. If you will simply join me, we can make our first step to destroying the Empire, right now. Darth Vader is here, and together, we can destroy him and then my Master."
Ahsoka bows her head.
"I may not be a Jedi, but I will not betray my morals by joining the Sith to spread fear and hate!"
Ahsoka lifts her head up, her adrenaline heightened, and charges Titus.
Titus activates his blades and counters Ahsoka's flurry of immaculate swings. Titus is forced on the defense as he backs up from the hallway further into the Temple. The hallway leads into the Temples second level. The area stops at a railing that overlooks the Grand Corridor. The heads of the Jedi statues that form the tall pillars are level with balcony.
Ahsoka gets Titus up against the rail as she crosses her blades with his. She gets face to face with the Sith, staring into his disturbing white eyes and his to hers. Through them, she see the hateful and corrupt soul in him. No, there is definitely no resemblance or part of Brejik Ular behind them.
The Force between Titus and Ahsoka builds until it is released and Ahsoka is pushed back from Titus. Titus is slightly thrown off by the impact, allowing enough time for Ahsoka to charge him again, she swings her lightsaber up, and cleanly his lightsaber into two halves at the connector joint. The cut didn't break the blades energy flow, but it can no longer be used as the double bladed lightsaber Titus has become accustomed to.
Ahsoka flips backwards and lands in a defensive footing, fifteen feet away from Titus.
Titus clenches his severed lightsaber in rage.
"Enough!" he demands, "If you will not turn to the Dark Side, then you won't stand in my way!"
Force lightning shoots from Titus's fingertips at Ahsoka. Ahsoka, couldn't react in time and is thrown back by the blast, she drops her lightsabers on the lightnings impact. She lands on her back after being thrown four feet. The shock rages through her body, she screams in agony as she clenches her fists until her knuckles and nails turn white.
Her skeleton is illuminated once under her skin before the pain ceases, the lightning stops, and smoke rises off Ahsoka's body.
She gets back on her feet with much difficulty, her heart is racing, and muscles cramping to the blasts high voltage.
Titus brings his hands up to strike again, another attack will surely kill her. Ahsoka has no way to defend herself, her lightsabers are out of hand, and there's no time to retrieve them. Trying to dodge the blast would be useless, her muscles ache from the blast so much that she won't be able to move swift enough.
She knows it is possible to absorb the Force within the lightning, but the skill is found only in the most experienced of Jedi Masters like Yoda. However, given the circumstances, Ahsoka kneels as she closes her eyes, she sees no other way than to at least try it.
Do or do not, there is no try.
Master Yoda's voice comes back to her.
Everything around her goes still and quiet. She feels the emptiness, as if she is the only one in the universe; a feeling she's had before when meditating peacefully. Only this time, a warm feeling grows inside her, almost like life is building in her. Ahsoka realizes, she hasn't felt this feeling since her resurrection on Mortis.
A single person comes to mind as she holds her hands out with her palms facing Titus.
Daughter.
Suddenly, in her palms, she can feel pulses of electricity run through her fingertips. When she opens her eyes, she sees a large glowing blue ball of energy grasped in her hands. Surprisingly she feels no pain, the only shock she feels are the small electric pulses, but even then they are of no annoyance. She looks up from the energy ball to Titus; who stands astonished by the rail.
Ahsoka is tired, she feels near completely drained in the Force, but she musters what she has left to repel the lightning back at Titus. The lightning strikes the Sith, and the impact throws him off over the rail, sending him plummeting to the floor of the Grand Corridor. Titus hits the floor hard before sliding into the steps to the Council Chamber. Ahsoka, crumples onto the balcony, drained of the Force and her energy. She rolls over onto her back as she takes deep and slow breaths, at that moment, she never thought a stone floor could be so comfortable.
Unfortunately, she knows this isn't over. Those Imperial agents like the one she faced on Raada will soon be here, and she's sure they're not only here for Titus.
Titus grabs onto the stairs with his shaking prosthetic arm as he struggles to hoist himself back up. The lightning damaged the respirator, causing a soft wheeze with every breath he takes. He puts all his weight on his artificial knee as he rises back to his feet. Indeed he is aching, however the hatred and anger within gives him strength and quickly numbs the pain.
Titus looks up the staircase at the doorway to Council Chambers. He stares at the placard of the Old Jedi Order, pondering if his end will come as it did the Jedi. The statues of the Temple Guards look down on him, as if watching him closely in order to keep him from entering the old sanctum of the Jedi Order.
Titus can run, get to the hangar in the mountain then easily sneak past the Imperial fleet by jamming their scanners. Ahsoka and his fallen Rebel cell will be destroyed by the Empire. He can retreat to another one of his syndicates, claiming the Empire discovered the base and that he was the sole survivor. Only, his Master will surely hunt him down once he discovers the true nature of his plan.
Titus will have to sort out what comes next later, for now, he must get off Panatha.
He takes a step to go up the staircase. There is an access to the hangar from the Council Chamber.
Suddenly, the air grows cold and the sound of breathing echos through the otherwise quiet corridor, there is another presence behind him. It's dark and he can feel the Force around it, yet also familiar. Titus is confident he has felt this connection before, he traces it back to a darker memory.
Skywalker.
Titus turns around slowly to see standing in the large doorway into the Temple, a tall figure cloaked in black with his face hidden behind a respirator. At that moment, Titus remembers the vision of the future Tulak Hord gave him years ago on Korriban, this man is undoubtedly the same one he saw in the vision.
My fate. Titus remembers.
He approaches the Sith Lord and stops once he is in the middle of the floor, and at the stone feet of the old Jedi Masters.
"Lord Vader, I presume?"
Vader's menacing voice is amplified through the empty hall, "In the name of the Galactic Empire, lay down your arms and submit to the rule of the Emperor."
"You are mistaken, my Lord, it is you who will submit to me."
Vader raises a gloved hand and motions over his shoulder for two squads of Death Troopers to run into the Temple and circle Titus. With their blasters directed at Titus, they await Lord Vader's orders.
"Surrender, or be executed." Vader warns.
Titus says nothing.
The Death Trooper Commander looks over at Vader for the command of execution by his firing squad.
Vader nods.
"On my command." the Commander encrypts through the Death Troopers helmets.
"Ready."
The troopers prime their weapons.
"Aim."
They aim for their targets vitals as Titus raises his hand.
"Fi-" is all the Commander can utter as he is raised from the ground, and claws at his throat.
The rest of the troopers follow in unison as they grab at their throats. Their garbled cries in agony through their helmets is muted suddenly with the snap of their necks before their bodies are thrown into the walls and pillars.
Titus glares at Vader, "If you are as powerful as claimed to be, why not destroy me yourself?" Titus opens one of his lightsabers, "Finish the monster you created years ago on Don Har."
Vader pauses before he reaches for the lightsaber on his belt, then opens the red blade with its tip just slightly touching the ground as he slowly moves towards Titus.
"Then I will succeed in where Skywalker failed."