"Impressive for a Padawan. You were clearly an excellent student."

Ahsoka honestly didn't know how to feel about being complimented by a Sith Lord. On one hand she was pleased to see that he deemed her powerful enough to compliment her, and perhaps powerful enough to pose a serious threat to him.

On the other hand, well… being complimented by a Sith Lord was never a good thing. If anything it made her more worried about his intentions in the end. Was he perhaps trying to lure her into a false sense of security so it would be easier to eliminate her once their shared goal had been achieved? Or was he being genuine?

'He's a Sith! He's trying to deceive you! He doesn't really care!' The voice in her head whispered, reminding her of the truth of the situation at hand. Maul needed her to achieve his goal, just as she needed him to achieve hers. There was no middle ground between them.

"If I was an excellent student the Council wouldn't have kicked me out. Guess they didn't trust me at all." Ahsoka suddenly found herself saying, her eyes widening behind her helmet. She had not meant to say that? She had meant to retort with a snippy comeback worthy of Anakin's nickname for her.

Instead, she had allowed herself to open up suddenly… to Darth Maul of all people!

Why had she done that?!

"Then they are fools who waste potential." Maul responded, his golden eyes looking at her with intensity, as if he was figuring out some sort of intricate puzzle.

"What do you mean?" Ahsoka replied, curious. Maul was acting different than she expected him to be. From what Obi-Wan had told her and Anakin in the past, the Sith Lord was always made out to be a raging lunatic whose only goal was to destroy the Jedi and inflict massive suffering on everyone.

Now however, he seemed to be pensive, lost in thought about something.

The question was what?

"It matters little at the moment. We must proceed. Come." Maul finally replied, snapping out of his thoughts and leading the way to their previous destination before they had been confronted by the ghostly apparitions of long dead Sith. Having no other option but to follow, Ahsoka did, joining Maul at a large door at the end of the hallway.

The Zabrak began to run his hands along the door, his signature in the Force flaring suddenly as he began to manipulate it. Having no knowledge of how to assist, all Ahsoka could do was watch and listen. Sounds of moving mechanisms, likely from the door that Maul worked upon hit her montrals, further worsening her aching head. The dark side of the Force began to pulse louder and louder, calling out to her and threatening to overwhelm her own light.

She really didn't want to be here, not any longer than she had to be. She didn't like the dark side seeping into her mind. She could feel it's corrupting presence, testing her, trying to find something it could manifest in.

Ahsoka knew she had plenty of bad memories that it could use against her. All she could do was push against the invading presence of the Shrine as best she could.

The sooner she was out of here the better!

"Success." Maul spoke, stepping back from the door as it began to lift open, exposing another room behind it. "Let us proceed within. Our goal is nearly at hand."

Nodding her head in agreement, Ahsoka moved through the threshold of the newly exposed doorway first, eyes scanning the large room she had entered.

This chamber was very different to the previous ones. Gone were the long drab hallways of ancient stone architecture, instead replaced by metallic walls that gleamed with pulsating red light. On one side of the room a staircase was present, one that led up to another floor.

Her eyes continued to survey the room as she moved forward, suddenly finding herself standing at a ledge down into a large central pit.

And there positioned in the centre of the chamber, suspended above the large pit via various cables and machinery was something Ahsoka had never expected to see in a million years.

There a kyber crystal sat, monolithic in size and pulsating a dark foreboding red, energy coursing through it via the various cables and machinery attached to it. The dark side of the Force crashed into Ahsoka's mental barriers, very nearly overwhelming her in that moment. A groan escaped her body as she felt the headache she had worsened even more, no doubt thanks to the presence of such a crystal.

Maul chose that moment to move up beside her, his own golden eyes surveying the massive central chamber with unrestrained glee before he spoke.

"At last, we have reached our destination. Tell me Tano, what do you make of this?"

"Permission to speak freely General?"

Anakin couldn't help but smile at Rex's request. The Clone Captain was always a respectful individual to everyone he met, even his enemies. He was a model soldier, and a brilliant friend.

And Anakin had told him time and again that he was free to speak his mind whenever he wanted. If anything, Anakin would prefer if Rex always spoke his mind regardless of the subject matter. He trusted Rex implicitly. Hell, there were times when he trusted Rex more than he trusted the Jedi Council, or even himself!

"You know you don't have to ask, right Rex?"

"I know Sir, but I wouldn't feel right otherwise."

That was another aspect of Rex's character that Anakin admired. The Clone Captain did understand that he could speak his mind whenever he wanted too, but he always made sure to do so in a polite way, and he always asked if he had permission. He never wanted to impose on the situation if he felt it wasn't right too.

Anakin wished there were a lot more people like that in the galaxy.

"Permission granted Rex. What's up?"

"I don't like this Sir."

"Don't like what?"

"Waiting around. I know General Windu said we should wait for the entire team to complete whatever that trial was, but I don't know if I agree. Every minute we wait here is another minute that Commander Tano is held captive by Maul!"

Anakin agreed, one hundred percent. He hated the idea of waiting around whilst Ahsoka was in danger, Anything could be happening to her! Maul could be torturing her… or worse… and here he was… her Master, sitting around doing nothing!

He would never forgive himself if something bad happened to her!

But as much as he hated it, he understood Windu's reasoning. A Sith Shrine was not a friendly place to explore. It had already tried to kill them in numerous ways, each of which had only been overcome by the collective teamwork of the group that had been assembled.

Anakin was confident in both his and Rex's ability, no question. But at the same time he knew there was a time and place for patience, and as much as he hated to admit it, this was one of those times.

"I can't stand the thought of leaving her alone with that monster either Rex, but we need the others for this. Maul is a powerful threat, and we are on his home turf here in a way. He'll be stronger than ever with the dark side supporting him. We have to wait for the others."

Anakin didn't miss the way one of Rex's hands clenched into a fist in anger at the thought of leaving Ahsoka behind. Much like him, Anakin knew Rex would never forgive himself if something bad happened to his 'Commander'.

"I know Sir. It makes more strategic sense to wait. But still…"

"I know Rex. I know."

"Thanks for listening Sir."

"Anytime Rex. Ahsoka is lucky to have a friend like you."

"Just as we are to have her as a friend."

A warm smile came to Anakin's face at Rex's reply. Much like him, Rex had been wary of Ahsoka in the beginning, not sure how to react to the snippy teenager.

That had changed over time of course, and Ahsoka had become just as much a member of the 501st as any of the Clones had. On a number of occasions he had caught his men discussing the antics of their 'little sister', warm smiles that rivalled the one currently on Anakin's face as they did so.

Companionable silence fell over the two friends for a few moments before it was broken by the sound of stone moving, followed by footsteps and heavy breathing.

Turning in alarm, Anakin witnessed the door that had led to the trial chamber open, with Masana and Bil stumbling out together.

Masana appeared to be shaking, with Bil supporting the majority of her weight in his arms as he moved her over to a nearby wall, gently sitting her down in the process so her back was against it.

On instinct, Anakin's eyes began to roam over Masana's body, looking for wounds. However, from what he could see, there were none.

The Dowutin's facial expression was very different however. Her eyes were wide with shock. Her breathing erratic as both of her clawed hands came up to cradle her face in what looked like pain.

Whatever she had seen inside that room, it had done a serious number on her mentally.

"Are you ok?" Anakin asked as the door to the chamber slammed shut once more, no doubt preparing the room for Masters Windu and Dibs.

"I….I…" Masana muttered, before covering her entire face with her claws once again, blocking out eye contact.

"It's ok Masana… he can't hurt you anymore, I promise." Bil's voice was soft, softer than he had ever heard from the grey skinned Jedi Knight. In the short time Anakin had known him, Bil had come across as rather arrogant and uncaring, as if he thought everything was a game. In a way, he reminded Anakin of himself.

But here, now, with his friend distraught, Bil was a completely different person. His expression was caring, focused entirely on Masana and what she was going through. It didn't matter to him that they were in the middle of a Sith Shrine. All that mattered to him was Masana's well-being.

Anakin admired that.

"He… he can't?"

"No Masana. He can't."

"... you promise?"

"I promise."

That seemed to do the trick. Masana's breathing returned to it's normal rate, her claws moving away from her face, confidence building up in her eyes once more. Bil extended a hand towards her, one she took without hesitation.

Breathing a sigh of relief as Bil pulled Masana to her feet, Anakin approached the two.

"I'm glad you are both ok. I take it you had a pretty nasty vision too?"

"Something like that. We saw Pong Krell!"

In an instant, Rex spun round, his helmet facing towards BIl and Masana. Anakin couldn't see his face, but he knew there would be a look of confusion and repressed anger on it. Not at Masana and Bil mind you, but at Krell.

"You saw Krell too? Why?" Rex asked, confused.

Anakin couldn't help the way he suddenly held his breath. Masana had confided in him about the identity of her former Master, and had also expressed concern as to what Rex would do if he found out.

Now Rex was suspicious. Would Masana…

"Yeah, we saw him. He was my Master when I was a Padawan, like how Skywalker was Tano's."

Anakin's eyes widened in surprise. He had not been expecting Masana to outright reveal the truth like that! What would Rex think?

Turning his attention back to the Clone in question, Anakin watched as Rex placed his blasters in their holsters, his hands coming up to remove his helmet, exposing his face for all to see.

His expression was stoney, anger hidden in the eyes at the mention of Krell. Again though, Anakin could tell it wasn't directed at Masana.

"Your Master? He taught you?"

"He did. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner Captain. I understand if you hate me after what he did to you and your men."

A deep dark part of Anakin expected Rex to reply with 'I do hate you for it, now go away!'. At least, that was how he would have responded in Rex's place.

The Captain's response however was much much different.

"Why would I hate you for it? You're nothing like him."

"Wha… what?" From the shock evident in Masana's voice it was clear she was not expecting such a positive response from the Clone Captain.

"I said you're nothing like him, General Tide. Would Pong Krell have sat there broken at seeing a vision of their former Master? Would he have saved my life back there with that massive stone beast? Would he try and help me and Skywalker find our lost little sister?"

"I… I guess not?"

"Exactly. You are already a million times better than Pong Krell in my book. I'd be honoured to serve beside you any day." Rex finished, a smile and nod of respect being sent Masana's way in the process as he replaced his helmet.

"I… thank you Captain. I'd be honoured to serve beside you too one day."

"I look forward to it happening then Sir."

"Careful there Rex. It almost sounds like you're asking her out on a date!" Bil chose that moment to intervene, throwing a smirk towards the Captain in the process, before being nudged in the ribs by a scandalised looking Masana.

Rex too chuckled at Bil's words, before the sounds of stone moving behind them distracted them once more.

Unlike with Bil and Masana, Windu and Dibs strolled through the reopened doorway without any issues. Clearly they had had no trouble with whatever they had faced, considering how quick it had been.

"Ah, good. You are all still here. I was worried you might have run off without us." Windu was the first of the duo to speak, humour in his own tone, once again surprising Anakin.

"We are stronger together General Windu. Maul doesn't know who he's messing with."

"No Captain. No he won't."

She had heard of crystals this size of course, through legends mainly, never from the stories of living people. Such entities were thought to be mere stories used to either inspire or terrify those it was being told to. To see one in the flesh, especially one so corrupted by the dark side of the Force was unreal.

But then, Ahsoka supposed she had seen a lot of weird and unbelievable things during her time as a Jedi, and beyond. Honestly, deep within the bowels of the Sith Shrine, she should have expected something like this.

"I take it that is the power source for the weapon?" Ahsoka inquired, stating what she believed to be the obvious. A crystal of that size could only really be used for one purpose.

"Correct. Do you perhaps have a hypothesis of how it was created?" Maul replied, countering with his own question towards her, as if he was testing her knowledge.

Glancing back up at the kyber crystal, Ahsoka's eyes moved across its gleaming surface, which continued to pulsate a dark red even as energy coursed through it.

"Is it perhaps synthetic? I know the Sith have experimented with such crystals in the past."

"They have indeed, with catastrophic results. No, this crystal is different. Tell me, what do you know of the process referred to as 'bleeding'?"

Ahsoka knew what bleeding was. Despite it being a Sith technique, it was something that all Jedi were informed about. A dark side user would pillage a kyber crystal, usually from a Jedi they had slain in combat, and then corrupt it with the very nature of the dark side itself. The corruption would turn the crystal a dark red, resulting in the crimson coloured blade that was indicative of all dark side users since the dawn of time.

The process could supposedly be reversed as well, though Ahsoka had not seen or heard of anyone in recent times who had succeeded in such an effort. She wasn't even sure what colour the crystal and blade would go as a result. Would they return to the original crystal colour, or fall in line with its new owner?

Was that what had happened to this crystal? Had it been corrupted by a Sith of old via the bleeding process?

"Ah, I sense you understand. You do catch on quick Tano." Maul spoke, reminding her of his presence. Unlike her, Maul's eyes were staring at her helmet covered face once again, his golden eyes staring right through the Beskar helmet and into her blue eyes, as if he was seeing directly into her mind.

"Are you saying the Sith found this crystal and corrupted it? Was it a source of the light side before?" Ahsoka asked, testing her hypothesis. She wondered if Maul knew all the details already, or if he was trying to figure things out as he went like she was. Perhaps he was simply bouncing ideas off of her as a form of discussion?

"Once again Tano, you prove to be an intellectual. Yes, this crystal was once a symbol of light, housed within an ancient Jedi Temple in the Outer Rim. The Sith, 'acquired' the crystal and turned it to their cause."

"And that powers the weapon?"

"Powers the weapon? No. The crystal is the weapon! When the Sith corrupted the crystal, they removed the light side through sheer force. But try as they may, they could not change the crystal's true allegiance to the light. Naturally, the Sith found a way to weaponize its desire."

Behind her helmet, Ahsoka's eyes widened. Now it all made sense. The Sith had tried to force the crystal's loyalty via the bleeding process. The corruption however had not been completed, and the crystal had yearned for its return to the light.

"Are you saying that the reason this weapon only affected those who use the light side of the Force is because the crystal is draining them in an attempt to restore its own place in the Force?" Ahsoka speculated, her tone shocked. No wonder this weapon had been so potent. How were they supposed to deal with such a weapon? Kyber crystals were naturally unstable as it was, corrupted ones twice fold. Any attempts to physically destroy the crystal would likely result in a colossal explosion, one that could easily render Coruscant uninhabitable.

"That is precisely what I am saying." Maul replied, "The crystal leeches the light side because it seeks a return to its former glory. Such a tool was too powerful to resist. Still, every weapon needs a switch to activate."

"Is that the artifact you are after?"

"Indeed. We are in search of a Sith holocron."

Author's thoughts

So... shorter chapter this time I realize, and a heavy exposition based one too. Can't have action all the time after all. Gotta have a few quiet moments like these.

Speaking of exposition, look like we've finally found what has been powering this mystery weapon. Anyone who has read my previous Rebels AU can most likely already see where I got the idea from (and may have also spotted the sneaky reference in this chapter to it as well). I wanted to look more into the idea of giant kyber crystals, and since I had already done a synthetic crystal once before, I figured it was time to do a giant corrupted crystal that had undergone the bleeding process, but not quiet successfully. Naturally, this creates a corrupted crystal that seeks to absorb the lightside to return to it's true place in the Force. No wonder the Sith would find a way to weaponize it!

Meanwhile, Anakin and Rex had another heart to heart, and we finally got Rex's reaction to the revelation of Masana's former Master being Pong Krell. I'm sure some of you expected him to be mad about it, but that didn't seem like Rex to me. He's a cool headed person after all, and he knows not to judge a book by it's cover. Hopefully it doesn't backfire on him at any point. :)

Oh, and I hope you guys aren't too mad about not seeing what Windu and Prosset encountered in their vision. There wasn't enough time and it would have distracted from the plot. Whatever it was, it was an easy win for them, that's all I can say. Nothing too strenuous. XD

Aside from that, not much else to say really. Only two chapters left for this story arc, and they are both pretty big and action centered. Oh... and expect more cliffhangers. Just a warning from me, that way you lot can't get angry to me. XD

Once more, thanks again to my beta reader 'ArrinSnyders' for all his hard work. Without him this would be a convoluted mess. XD

Next time round, Ahsoka and Maul attempt to acquire the holocron. I'm sure it will be easy peasy... right?

As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:

thegreyjedioftheforce: Thanks! Glad you like it. Kind words like that are what keep me going!
As for an update schedule, I honestly don't have one. I update when I can. Sometimes that is quickly, sometimes it isn't. Afraid all you can do is wait and see. I want to make sure I release the best stuff I can, and if that means holding off and delaying chapters, so be it. I am committed to finishing this story though. :)

Dream Plane: Everyone had to go through it yes, and now they are all reunited. Hopefully they get to Maul and Ahsoka before something really bad happens! XD

1saaa: ... maybe I do. It;s fun to see what ideas you come up with though, especially when you get the one's that I am thinking of too. XD
And who knows... maybe the little fun chat in the last chapter is foreshadowing of what is to come. Or maybe it's not and I put it there to throw you all off track. Who knows? XD

the Mandalorian terminator: Thanks! Glad you liked the vision and how Rex dealt with seeing Krell again! Krell was a bastard, no doubt about it, but he was an awesome villain. Kinda wish we got to see more of him honestly. You're not wrong about him making a terrifying Inquisitor if he had survived!
And glad you approved of Anakin's vision too. The death of his loved ones is something he fears greatly!

Dressyone22: Foreshadowing huh? What makes you think that?! XD
Guess you'll have to wait and see if Rex eats his words. XD

Cat-Gods-Of-The-Cat-People: No problem Glad you enjoyed the chapter. Hopefully this one was just as interesting and not too boring. :)

60FPS: Interesting power source if that was the case! Wouldn't put it past the Sith though that's for sure! XD

RyanSquad: That's fair. End of the day we've all got our own opinions and none of them are wrong. As long as we don't devolve into open warfare against one another over a character (not that we should ever need to), then all is well. I'm certainly not gonna tell you you are wrong for your opinions. If anything you are a better person than I for having faith in Anakin. I've got none! XD
Admittedly I have written an entire AU where Anakin's name does end up tarnished by those who survived his stupidity, but that was done solely for a unique story telling point of view rather than pure ill will against his character. This story shall be different. :)
And yes... evil Anakin and Ahsoka would totally never happen. Nope... not gonna happen... no way whatsoever. XD

tf330129: Still going sort of strong! XD