Masana was the first to go down. Despite her huge size, the hulking beast that was before them was much much stronger. The Dowutin had attempted to roll underneath the swing of one of it's large claws like the rest had done, but had failed to duck enough in time.
Instead, Masana had been forced to bear the brunt of what was essentially a hand made of stone colliding with her body, sending her careening through the air before she crashed into the far wall, collapsing to the floor in the aftermath.
"Masana! No!" Bil cried out in anger, ducking underneath the swing of another claw, his blue blade erupting to life in his hands as he swung towards one of the creature's legs, only to be met with a face full of what Anakin assumed was the beast's knee.
Like Masana, Bil was sent flying backwards, his prone form coming to rest next to Masana's as he too slipped into an unconscious state.
'Well this could have gone better!' Anakin thought to himself as he evaded to the side, dodging a large claw that came his way whilst trying to catch the beast with his own ignited lightsaber.
The creature however was too fast, moving it's limbs out of the way before Anakin could score a hit, before releasing another roar of anger at those still standing.
A hail of blaster fire echoed around the chamber moments later, blue bolts of plasma erupting from Rex's blaster pistols and crashing into the beast in the process, scoring several direct hits on it's armoured torso, as well as it's face.
However, try as he might, each shot that Rex managed to land seemed to have little impact. The creature staggered under the impact of the first few shots, clearly surprised at the damage it was taking before it regained its composure, pivoting around on it's large feet to reveal it's back to the enemy.
As well as a large protrusion from it's back that resembled a heavily armoured tail, one with several sharp ridges that much like the rest of the beast's anatomy, resembled bones!
The beast roared again before it's tail launched out in a horizontal swipe, aiming to take the legs out from underneath it's attackers.
"Jump!" Anakin called out to those still standing, reaching over to grasp hold of Rex's arm in the process as he channeled the Force and vaulted into the air, pulling a screaming Rex with him.
Thanks to the Force, they easily cleared the vicious swipe of the tail, as did both Windu and Dibs, before landing back on the stone floor with a slight wobble.
Upon regaining his footing, Rex instantly resumed firing, backing away slowly from the threat and towards where both Masana and Bil were. The two Jedi had both regained consciousness and were slowly pushing themselves back to their feet to rejoin their comrades against the beast, but the beast did not relent.
Spinning back around to face the group, the beast advanced on Anakin, who swung upwards with his own blade to ward off a claw that was coming in his direction.
Evading another two strikes, Anakin seized the opportunity and darted towards the beast's leg, putting all his strength into his swing that was aimed to sever the leg from the body.
However, the strike did not work as intended. Rather than remove the limb as Anakin expected, his blue blade instead crashed into the armoured leg, and bounced off, the only semblance of damage present being a thick orange line that ran across the beast's leg.
"What the?!" Anakin cried aloud in shock. Very few things could withstand a direct hit from a lightsaber, much less a direct hit with the strength he had put behind it!
"General, move!" Rex's cry drew Anakin back to the moment instantly! Glancing up, Anakin saw the beast staring down at him, one large claw clenched into a fist… and coming straight towards him!
"Oh poodoo!"
"Go on then. Do it!"
Ahsoka knew she was taking a colossal risk! She didn't want everyone above to die because of a decision she had made…. but she had to be sure that this Sith was being serious. By trying to call his bluff, she would find out.
"You would sacrifice the entirety of your Order to ensure that I don't get what I desire? Not very Jedi-like of you!"
"Yeah? Well that's because I'm not a Jedi!"
The Sith before her hummed once, his golden eyes moving across her form, studying her, both physically and through the Force. She felt a sharp jolt at her mental shields, one that clearly showed that the Sith was trying to breach them.
Calling upon the Force, she pushed back against the probing, leading to the Sith's mental powers going into retreat.
"Yes, clearly you are no Jedi. I must say, it is…. peculiar to see a Togruta clad in Mandalorian Beskar. Were you perhaps a foundling of a Mandalorian clan?"
"As if I'm going to tell you my personal history!" Ahsoka snapped in response, bearing her Togruta incisors in the process, hoping to add some element of intimidation to the conversation on her end. She needed every advantage she could get after all.
The Sith however merely smirked back at her, his own teeth, covered in grime, being displayed back to her in a vicious grin. Clearly he was not intimidated.
"That's a shame. I do enjoy getting to know my foes on a personal level, unless of course, you have no desire to be my foe."
"Is this where you give me the 'join me and become my Sith apprentice' speech? Because if so, then I'm not interested."
"Unfortunate." Came the Sith's reply, the smile on his face being replaced by a harsh sneer. His golden eyes seemed to shine brighter as he reached a hand out to her, his palm very nearly resting upon her face.
The Force shifted suddenly in Ahsoka, and her mental shields came under great strain, worse than before. The Sith wasn't just prodding her shields this time…. he was actively pushing through them!
"Urgghhh… Get. Out!" Ahsoka muttered through clenched teeth, trying to push him out as she had before.
The Sith however did not relent. He continued to push, harder than before, resulting in Ahsoka letting loose a cry of pain as her head began to pound in the telltale sign of an oncoming headache! Memories flashed in her mind as the Sith Lord probed his way through, tearing apart and extracting the details he wanted.
"Ooohhhh… I see…. you were cast out of your Order…. very... interesting. Perhaps we do share something in common after all!"
And just like that, the Sith's mental breach retreated once more, leaving Ahsoka gasping for air despite not needing any. The headache she knew was to come rushed in, eliciting another groan of pain from her in the process. On instinct she made to move her hands to rub at her temple, but forgot about them being restrained.
Huffing at her predicament, Ahsoka channeled the Force again, slowly rebuilding her mental shields around her. Even if the Sith had penetrated them with ease, she still wanted them back up. Ahsoka had always felt safer with her shields up.
"So… tell me…. how is Kenobi faring? Unconscious like the rest?" The Sith continued, moving over to a nearby wall, his hand beginning to inspect the architecture of it in the process. Various symbols and runes were etched upon the stone surface, ones that Ahsoka guessed resembled an old language.
"How would I know?" Ahsoka replied, her tone gruff and openly hostile. She wasn't going to treat him with any respect or decorum, not after he had just invaded her mind in such a harsh manner!
"Don't play stupid with me! I saw your memories! I saw your relationships! I know everything about you…. Ahsoka Tano!"
Ahsoka couldn't help but flinch at the way the Sith uttered her name. It was said with such ferocity that it almost sounded like a curse, like a name that would be uttered to scare younglings during horror stories.
Was it possible this Sith was afraid of her…. or was there something else going on that she couldn't see about herself?
In a way, she hoped it was the former. The idea of a Sith Lord being scared of her was a deeply satisfying one.
"So you know my name then? Do I get the pleasure of knowing yours?" Ahsoka replied, dropping a hint of sarcasm in her tone. After all, it would only be fair if he told her his name too.
The Sith Lord turned around, his body facing Ahsoka, golden eyes once more boring into her own blue ones.
Silence reigned between the two for a few moments, both contemplating the other, waiting for the next move.
"So… do I get to know? Not really fair otherwise is it?" Ahsoka spoke again, a smirk coming to her face as she waited, secretly hoping that she was getting on the nerves of the Sith.
Said Sith however simply smirked back, as if enjoying her rebellious nature.
"I can see why your former Master nicknamed you 'Snips', Tano. I am Maul!"
"General, move!"
"Oh poodoo!"
If someone had asked him years ago, 'what would you want your final words to be?'... he would have prefered if they were something far more eloquent than, 'oh poodoo!'.
Alas… the Force did not seem to be on his side, not as the massive stone fist came careening towards him, leaving him staring up at it like a Loth-Cat caught in a speeders headlights!
However, moments before his untimely end, the fist stopped moving, as if it was suspended in mid air.
"Move Skywalker!" Came the shout of Master Windu, bringing Anakin out of his shock induced stupor and back to the reality of the situation at hand, one that included a puzzle to solve, and a massive beast out to kill them!
Taking Windu's advice, Anakin evaded to the side, ensuring his continued survival.
Glancing up, Anakn spotted what had saved him from certain death. Mace Windu had both hands extended, channeling the Force to suspend the beast's hand before it could crash down upon where Anakin had been moments earlier.
Taking a brief moment to nod his head in gratitude towards the Jedi Council member for saving his life, Anakin sprang into action.
Charging towards the immobilized beast, Anakin swung his saber in a vicious upwards arc, attempting to sever the limb from its body.
But once again, as with the leg, the saber merely bounced off of the beast's exterior, leaving nothing more than a small orange mark. Yes, some damage had been done, but not enough to slay the beast, not without continued assault.
Backing away, Anakin witnessed the beast shudder suddenly, before it's previously immobilized hand moved again, breaking free of Windu's control.
Evading backwards to avoid another lunge from the beast's claws, Anakin began to deliberate the best course of action.
Unlike the beast he and Masana had encountered earlier, this one seemed to be far more protected on the outside. It's skin, if it could be called that, was coated in what looked like a layer of armour, one that had been placed upon the beast for extra protection. Whatever it was, it was clearly not natural.
"We aren't even making a dent in that thing's armor Sir!" Rex cried from behind him, letting loose another volley of blaster fire, trying to find a weakness.
"There must be a gap somewhere we can exploit!" Prosset Dibs called out next, ducking under a swing from the beast, his own green saber coming up in the process, connecting with the hand that had attempted to swat him away. As with Anakin's assaults however, the only damage done was a minor scuff to the armour.
"This thing's armour is tougher than Beskar!" Rex yelled again, firing yet another volley of shots at the beast, each shot successfully hitting it's skull shaped face. As before however, little damage was done.
"Reminds me of the Zillo Beast!" Anakin yelled in response, pushing Rex down to avoid the swing of the beast's tail.
"Even the Zillo Beast had a weakness. It is merely a case of finding and exploiting it!" Windu's voice came next, oddly calm despite the situation they found themselves in. Anakin wished he knew how Windu was able to be as calm as he was. Was it perhaps some special skill that Council Members possessed?
"Well we better find it fast before we…"
"Look out!"
Anakin barely had time to react as the beast advanced on him again, jaws wide open, sharp teeth gnashing towards where he had previously stood.
Wait! Previously stood? What had happened!
"Argghh…. Kriff!" Once more Anakin snapped back to his senses, his vision clearing from where he had been pushed aside by Rex, who was now on his back, the beast towering above him, jaw wide open and ready for a feast.
"Rex!"
Ahsoka would be lying if she said she hadn't already suspected who this mysterious Sith Lord before her was. She had heard the description of him. A red and black Zabrak with eyes burning golden, full of barely concealed rage and hatred, mostly leveled at Obi-Wan, if the Jedi Master's own words were to be believed.
But still, hearing it come from the mouth of the Sith himself added a whole other level of terror to Ahsoka. This was the monster that had murdered Qui-Gon Jinn, the one who had butchered Duchess Satine Kryze.
This monster, this Sith, far outclassed her, that Ahsoka knew… and he would do anything to achieve his goal, even if it meant killing hundreds of innocent people in the process.
"Yeah I know who you are. Honestly thought you'd be taller." Ahsoka quipped in response, earning a scowl from the Zabrak in return.
"I see you have Kenobi's arrogance too. Such a shame."
"Yeah well, I learned from the best."
"As did I, young one. As did I."
Ahsoka didn't doubt that. If the rumours about Maul and his position as the Sith Apprentice had been true, then his Master must have been a being of incredible power.
"Now," Maul began to speak again, his legs carrying him around the room in a manner that resembled a wild animal stalking its prey. Ahsoka got the distinct impression that at any moment he could lunge and attack her. "Let me ask you again. Will you help me, or will you force me to amplify the power of this Shrine to kill all above it!"
"Why would I help a Sith Lord like you?" Ahsoka replied, trying to stall for time. She knew that once he heard she was missing, Anakin would stop at nothing to find her, as would Rex. She hoped the Clone Captain wasn't feeling too guilty about her being captured under his watch.
"Because whilst you might be a Jedi no longer, you still have a conscience on you, one that will not allow the deaths of hundreds of innocent people. I saw as much when I probed your mind Tano."
He was right. Ahsoka knew he was. She had her grievances with the Jedi Order and those that led it, but that didn't mean she wanted it to be destroyed. She certainly didn't want Master Kenobi, or Master Plo harmed either.
It wasn't a sacrifice she was prepared to make, and if she had to work with a Sith Lord to prevent it, then so be it.
"What exactly do you need my help with? Holding a door open or something?" Ahsoka inquired, adding an element of teasing into her tone as a form of rebellion against Maul's demands.
"Your impudence will be your undoing one day Tano!"
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Maul outright snarled in response, a rush of the darkside crashing against Ahsoka's mind briefly as an obvious warning.
Ahsoka chose to ignore said warning. She was going to make this as painful for him as possible, no matter what the consequences were.
"As to your question, I require your assistance in navigating to the centre of this Shrine. An artefact of great power resides within its central chamber, but I cannot access it alone. I require a cooperative partner to proceed."
"Wow…. the big bad Sith Lord can't proceed into his own Shrine without someone to hold his hand? No wonder you got cast aside."
Once more Maul snarled, advancing towards her before…
SMACK
"Gah!" Ahsoka cried out in surprise as the Sith's hand made contact with her eye, delivering a solid blow that would leave a black eye in time.
"Show respect! These Shrines may have been built before the Rule of Two, but even then the concept was in mind! No Sith can access the secrets alone, not without someone who shares their goals! You might not be a Sith, but you are still powerful enough in the Force to be of use to me!"
"What makes you think we share any common goal?!" Ahsoka hissed through the pain pulsing round her face. Maul had hit her good.
"Perhaps we do not share the same goal, but it is in your best interests to assist me. The only way for you to disable the weapon is to accompany me through the Shrine. There we will both receive what we seek."
"What exactly is the weapon in this Shrine? What does it do?" Ahsoka ventured. She needed to learn more in order to stop it after all. She doubted there would be a convenient 'off' switch for her to press.
Maul began to pace again, his golden eyes transfixed on her the entire time, boring into her skull. The darkside of the Force swam around him, amplifying his power, dominating the Force nearby, much like the Shrine itself had been earlier.
"This Shrine was constructed eons ago, during a time when the dark side reigned supreme. It was designed to act as a leech in the Force, a weapon used to drain the very essence of the light. By doing so, it would drain the powers of any who controlled the light, leaving only the powers of those who embraced the dark side intact. Fully powered however, it would not only restrain the light, but snuff it out completely, killing all that depended on it in the process. I'm fairly certain you don't want that, do you now Tano?"
It was meant to be a rhetorical question, that much Ahsoka could tell. Maul was toying with her, taunting her, using every card in his possession in an attempt to sway her to help him.
She wanted to refuse, but there was something in his tone, something that suggested that he would increase the potency of the weapon without hesitation, dooming those that were unconscious in the process.
"What do I get out of this?" Ahsoka spat in return, trying to level the field however she could.
Maul's lips curled into a simple smile.
"I will show you the means to deactivate the weapon, freeing the Jedi from their slumber. It is a simple exchange, is it not?"
It was a tempting offer. The whole point of this mission had been to find a way of freeing the Jedi from whatever had caused them to fall unconscious.
And clearly Maul knew how to turn off the weapon. He had, after all, been the one to turn it on. He had to know how…. right?
The only remaining question was why had Maul activated the Shrine in the first place?
So she asked him.
"A good question Tano. As I said, I require the assistance of another to proceed to my prize. By activating the Shrine, it lured you and your companions here to investigate the source, thus providing me with the assistance I sought!"
"So this was all some complex trap for you to get what you want?"
"Of course it was. And do not get your hopes up about an impromptu rescue either. This Shrine is full of secrets and traps, ones that even the most powerful of Jedi will falter at."
"Rex!" Anakin cried out in horror as he witnessed his loyal Clone Captain fall onto his back, blasters falling out of his hands as he scrambled backwards, away from the gnashing jaws of the beast.
The jaws crashed down upon where Rex was time and again, with the Clone narrowly avoiding each bite by mere inches.
"Kriff!" The Captain cried out as he avoided another lunge of the jaw again, trying in vain to reach his blasters in the process.
Pushing himself up, Anakin began to move over to distract the beast when someone beat him to it.
Masana sprang into action, crashing her entire body weight against the beast's face when it came down for another bite at Rex.
The Dowutin woman roared a battle cry, using her large claws to grasp hold of the beast's jaw, wrenching it open, exposing the beast's throat, whilst saving Rex's life in the process.
"Captain! Shoot this bastard in his mouth!" Masana cried as she struggled against the beast's jaws, her face contorted in anger as she pushed against the beast.
"Gladly General!" Rex called out in response, his hands finally finding his blasters, before he aimed and fired directly down the beast's exposed throat.
The roar from the beast in response told Anakin everything he needed to know. It was hurt… and it was hurt bad.
Several successive shots to the inside of it's throat later, and the beast roared again, this time with a heavily distorted tone thanks to the damage it's throat had sustained, before pulling back and wrenching it's jaw out of Masana's grip in the process. The Dowutin released her grip on the beast, reaching down to help Rex to his feet before backing away, her green saber flashing into existence just in time to deflect a swipe of the beast's claws.
"Good work Knight Tide. You too Captain!" Windu called out as he moved to join Masana, his purple blade joining her green one in a series of deflections as Rex continued to lay down cover fire from behind, each shot aimed at it's throat, which now looked very different from before.
Whereas previously it had been covered in the same armour like carapace the rest of the body had been, now it was exposed flesh that had been burned away. Rex's shots inside the throat had clearly done a lot more damage than Anakin had expected.
The beast lunged with it's claws again, and again, and again, but each time it was deflected as Rex continued to pelt the beast's throat with blaster fire. Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, the beast began to slow, to the point where it stumbled over onto its elbows, it's neck now fully exposed for a swift lightsaber strike, one that Bil took the opportunity to deliver.
Bil dashed forward, his blue blade swinging up one to slice across the beast's exposed and badly burnt throat, before pulling the blade round again and sinking it deep into the throat.
The beast tried to give one last pitiful roar of defiance, before it slumped to the ground, dead.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Anakin shot a grateful nod over to Masana for saving his Clone Captain, one that the Dowutin returned.
Glancing back over at the felled beast, Anakin watched as Bil removed his lightsaber from the throat, before turning to his comrades with a smirk on his face.
"Well… that was easy!"
"You underestimate my friends."
"No, I think you overestimate them Tano." Maul replied instantaneously, his tone dry, clearly tired of the 'banter' that Ahsoka was producing. The Sith moved towards where Ahsoka's custom Mandalorian helmet lay, his golden eyes surveying it before he bent down to pick it up, revealing her lightsaber hilt hidden beneath it.
Huffing to himself, Maul tossed the helmet aside with little care, before stretching his hand out and focusing with the Force, summoning the hilt to his hand.
Ahsoka flinched at the sight of her saber, now in the hands of a Sith Lord. That was her saber, not his!
"An interesting design. Single blade with a curved hilt, designed for precision strikes. I find it peculiar that you chose to make only one. Your memories showed a level of skill in Jar'Kai. Why abandon what you were taught?" Maul spoke as he surveyed the hilt, turning it around in his hands as he inspected the metallic sheen it held.
In the time she had had the saber, Ahsoka had customized it's exterior in a simplistic way. She knew that some people plated their hilts with various rare metals or attachments. Ahsoka had no desire to do such a thing. The hilt was simple enough to be comfortable in her grip. As far as she was concerned, it was the interior that was important, not the exterior. The hilt could be as flashy as it wanted, but without the proper high level components on the inside, the blade would not function.
That said, the only unorthodox aspect of her new hilt was the exposed kyber crystal, one that was hidden behind metallic grating. The crystal, and the components used to channel the power of the crystal within could barely be seen illuminated by a light golden glow, the same shade as the blade itself.
"I only had the materials to construct one saber." Ahsoka replied truthfully. There was no point in lying right now. Not when this monster had her saber in his hands!
"Have you ever considered adding a second blade to this one? A saber staff might suit your combat prowess well."
"No thanks! I like my flexibility."
"You have clearly never seen a skilled saber staff wielder in combat. I'm glad I will be able to provide you with a demonstration!"
The snap hiss of the lightsaber erupted around them, bathing Maul in the golden glow of her saber. Ahsoka nearly shuddered at the similarities between her saber and the Sith's eyes. That was surely a coincidence.
"Fascinating. There is something about this saber, about this crystal that seems…. familiar."
Maul's words further added to the dread Ahsoka was feeling. What did he mean by 'familiar'? She had been given the kyber crystal within her saber by the Chancellor as a gift for her service. How could Maul have possibly encountered it before?
Perhaps the crystal had belonged to someone Maul had killed! That would make sense. That was the only thing that made sense.
Ahsoka watched as Maul twisted the hilt in his hand, performing several slow moving arcs of golden energy in the process before he began to approach Ahsoka, the tip of the blade pointed directly at her wrists.
Ahsoka flinched in instinct at the sight of the blade nearing her. Maul could very well end her life here and now if he wanted, but she already knew that he would prefer not to. He needed her help.
And as much as she hated to admit it, she heeded his too. That was the only way to deactivate the weapon in the Shrine after all, and save those in the Temple above.
Maul angled the blade again, moving it away from her wrists and towards the shackles that held her in place, his golden eyes staring directly into her blue ones, questioning her, demanding an answer.
Sighing to herself, Ahsoka nodded once.
In an instant, Maul made a gentle movement with her saber, slicing the shackles in a single clean cut, freeing Ahsoka.
Resisting the urge to charge at him, knowing that would get her nowhere, Ahsoka slowly began to push herself up, hoping he wouldn't perceive her as a threat.
Maul seemed to understand this, as he took one step back to give her space, extinguishing her blade in the process, his grip on the hilt relaxing, but not releasing it.
Once she was fully to her feet, Ahsoka leveled a gaze at the hilt in Maul's hand, a simple request.
The Sith laughed humorlessly before offering the hilt to her, something that surprised Ahsoka even more. Did he really trust her not to stab him in the back?
Reaching forward, Ahsoka accepted the hilt in her dominant hand, before moving toward where her helmet had been thrown by Maul, picking it up and placing it over her head in the process.
Maul chuckled again before he too began to move, his metal legs directing him towards the doorway he had originally emerged from.
"Our path to the heart of the Shrine is through here. I was unable to proceed through the trial without a 'companion', for reasons you will soon see." Maul said, reaching out with a hand to lift the doorway open with the Force. "Come Tano. Let us go and face our darkest fears."
Knowing she had no other option but to play along for now, Ahsoka sighed and moved to follow, her hand tightly gripping her lightsaber the entire time, just in case.
Maul couldn't be trusted, that much she knew. But she needed him to achieve her own goals. After that, he was disposable.
And no doubt he was thinking much the same of her.
Author's thoughts
I know I know... it's been a bit longer than normal... but I did warn you all. I needed a break from writings, mostly thanks to writers block that I have still not shaken completely. Plus I've been busy doing... nothing... ya'know? Still, this chapter was fully drafted and just needed beta reading, so I thought I'd get it out to you guys rather than keep you waiting. XD
This was a fun chapter to draft, especially with the jump back and forth between the combat scene with Anakin and the crew and the quieter exposition section with Ahsoka and the mystery Sith.
In regards to the mystery Sith... guess he's not such a mystery anymore huh? Oh hi Maul! What are you doing here... and how are you here?
I see that a lot of you expected it to be Sidious, or some ancient Sith Lord. I hope this reveal isn't too disappointing for you all, but I wanted Maul in to play a role in this story. He's a fun parallel to Ahsoka in a lot of ways, and he's always fun to write, especially when he's being a grumpy bugger, as he is here. XD
Also, I've seen all of your possible solutions to the riddle presented in the previous chapter. I'm not gonna say if you are right or wrong just yet, but I will say that I am impressed (not that it takes much to impress me mind you, I'm easily pleased XD)
So yeah, not much else for me to really say about this chapter. I only hope you enjoyed it. I'll try to get the next one to your soon. Fingers crossed that writers block leave me alone and I feel up to writing. XD
As usual, thanks to my beta reader 'ArrinSnyders' for all his help.
Next time round the riddle is resolved, and Ahsoka and Maul have a little 'chat'.
Comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:
Mysterious Guest One: Looks like you were correct about it being Maul. Nice job spotting the clues in the last chapter. I was wondering if anyone would, so yay for you! XD
Mysterious Guest Two: A good riddle always goes give you the answer in some form. It's just a case of finding and decrypting the meaning in the first place. Once you do that, the answers are usually obvious.
And don't worry about bragging if you think you've got the right answer. I'm pleased that you think you've got it. The answer will be revealed next chapter though. XD
DrCyrusBortal: Looks like it's not Palpy. Sorry. :(
Cat-Gods-Of-The-Cat-People: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. I had fun writing and planning it.
The death threats were mostly jokey... I hope. I expected some ire from the cliffhanger I left after all. XD
60FPS: Ahsoka is known for making friends fast. I don't quite know if that extends to evil Sith Lords though? XD
DS Rider: Looks like you were right about it not being Sidious. It's his former apprentice instead!
Plagueis is long dead since before the start of this story. Sorry.
the Mandalorian terminator: Sorry! There are a lot of cliffhangers in this arc, so sorry again in advance! XD
Sith do indeed like their riddles don't they? Must be down to their creepy and manipulative nature.
Glad you are liking the expansion on the Sith Shrine. I wish we had got to see that in Clone Wars, but oh well. XD
Roddlz25: Hey! Might have been a while, but that's no problem. Glad to see you doing well. (hopefully)
You could be on the right track there with the puzzle, but you'll have to wait till next chapter to find out if you were right or wrong. Hope that's ok?
beard boy: An interesting choice for the answer. Find out next time if you are right or not! XD
Dressyone22: Was it who you thought/hoped it would be... or have I left you feeling major disappointment?
1saaa: 0_0 I don't like the sound of that! Why does everyone want me dead? It was just a simple cliffhanger! :'(
Looks like you were wrong with your Sith assumption. Hopefully you aren't too angry.
Palpy is powerful, no doubt about it, but don't neglect the others. Maul fought toe to toe with Sidious on Mandalore, despite his defeat. And Dooku is one of two people in canon that we've sen use Force lightning, so he's gotta be pretty damn powerful too. XD
So yeah... hope you aren't too mad.
RyanSquad: Revenge of the Sith is two more story arcs away I'm afraid. This one and the next, and then... we are there. Got a while to go yet. :)
loldelegate: The business at Mortis will be important down the line, no worries there. I'm not going to neglect the fact that Ahsoka has already turned to the darkside at least once before. XD
tf330129: :)