"Are we sure this is the right way? This hallway looks awfully familiar."
"All the hallways look like this Bil!"
"Oh… right… oops?"
"Please stop saying that!"
Anakin tuned out the ongoing debate between Masana and Bil, instead choosing to devote all his attention on his current goal.
Ahsoka. He had felt something, if only briefly through the Force. Her signature had flared up suddenly, surrounded by the dark side as if it threatened to consume her.
The ping in the Force might have only lasted microseconds, but it was all that Anakin needed to track down his Padawan.
"Can you still sense her General?" Rex spoke from beside him, training his blasters down the hallway before them, as if expecting another ghostly ambush. Anakin too had an iron grip on his saber, ready, just in case.
"No, nothing. But she is this way. I'm certain of it."
"That's all you need to tell me Sir."
Anakin appreciated Rex's determination. He knew that the Clone Captain valued Ahsoka just as much as he did his Clone brothers. Rex would do anything for the Togruta, and no doubt she would do the same for Rex.
"Wait! Stop!" Prosset spoke suddenly, freezing in his place behind them, his brow clenched together as if he was listening to something.
"We don't have time to wait around Master Dibs, we need to…"
"Shush Skywalker! Listen!"
Resisting the urge to snap, Anakin did as instructed. Master Dibs did technically outrank him in the Order after all.
To begin with, Anakin could hear nothing but the sounds of the breathing of his comrades. Nothing out of the ordinary that would cause Prosset to freeze up like that.
Moments later however, the peace was shattered by the sound of a monumental roar, one that came from behind them, and one that Anakin had heard before.
"Oh kriff!"
Ahsoka made no move. She said nothing.
What could she say? Was this really happening? Was Maul really offering her what she thought he was offering her? And if so… why?
Was this all part of some diabolical plan of his? Was he being sincere?
She just… she just didn't know.
All she could do was stare at the hand Maul was offering, glad that her shocked expression was hidden behind her helmet.
Maul made no move either. He didn't attack, or retract his hand out of impatience. He simply stood there, hand outstretched, an oddly sad yet encouraging smile on his face, one that was devoid of any malicious intent. Even his signature in the Force was rather tame by dark side standards. It wasn't aggressively trying to warp the light around her as it had been before. It was just simply there, existing alongside her own signature.
What would Anakin do in a situation like this? Would he take Maul's offer?
No! He would never willingly join the Sith! He was a good man!
But still… Maul's words… there was a certain amount of truth to them. How could she trust the Jedi after what they had done to her, and what would she do once the war was over, and if Palpatine left office? Would she be alone again? Would she lose her apartment and everything she had gained?
But then, she couldn't trust Maul either! He was a monster! A murderer! He was a Sith!
But she was no longer a Jedi! Therefore, he wasn't her enemy… was he?
Maul's outstretched hand leaned closer ever so slightly, the look on his face growing compassionate suddenly, only further heightening her confusion.
"Why me?" Ahsoka said, finally. She had to know. Why was he asking her?
"Because I see myself in you. Both exiles that were cast aside by our respective Orders. I believe there is much we could learn together."
"And then what? What will we do afterwards? Inflict chaos on the galaxy? Dominate the weak?"
"We will ensure our own survival, as it should be. The days of the Republic and Jedi are numbered. We have a chance to survive, but only if we plan and stand together. Join me Ahsoka Tano, and together we will find our futures before they are taken away from us."
"Taken away? By who?"
Maul didn't reply to begin with, and Ahsoka didn't miss the way his hand dropped slightly, his calm and collected face being replaced by a brief look of fear.
"It matters little. First we must survive. Then we can have our revenge."
'And there it is. He just wants revenge. What a surprise!' The voice in Ahsoka's head snarled, bringing her back from her internal debate. Maul hadn't changed. He wouldn't. He may be preaching about survival and working together, but it was all for his own gain, all for his own revenge.
Revenge that was no doubt against Obi-Wan Kenobi. That Ahsoka could not allow.
Maybe Maul was right about the Republic's days being numbered, but right now she had a duty to do, and that was to protect those that needed it, and right now Obi-Wan needed protection from the monster before her, as did the entirety of the galaxy.
Maul could not be allowed to escape, much less with the Sith holocron in his possession.
Besides, she was fairly certain he would have betrayed her anyways, so why not betray him first and not hold up her end of the bargain.
A smirk appeared on her face behind her mask as she moved the holocron in her hands, attaching it to a magnetic clip on her belt.
Maul's expression changed instantly, the hand that had been offered being revoked. His signature in the Force flared in anger suddenly, clarity hitting him.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm not searching the job market right now, especially not for the role of 'Sith Apprentice'. Think I'll pass."
Ahsoka didn't miss the way Maul began to grind his teeth in annoyance, his golden eyes locked onto the holocron attached to her belt.
"Oh right!" Ahsoka continued, the smirk remaining on her face as she patted the holocron with her hand. "I'll be keeping this too. I'm sure the Jedi Council will appreciate the donation."
"You are a fool, Tano!" Maul snarled, his hands moving to grasp his saber hilt without hesitation, the twin red blades flashing into existence before him, intent clear.
Replicating the gesture, Ahsoka grasped her own saber hilt and ignited the blade, bathing herself in a golden glow as he brought the blade up into a ready position. She knew that this would be a hard fight. Maul was a fully fledged Sith Lord who had killed Jedi Masters before.
But he had also been bested by a Padawan once. She had a much better chance against him that he likely realized she did.
"It appears the Padawan needs one last lesson." Maul spoke slowly, twirling his saber staff in his hands in preparation to attack, lowering his body into a ready position.
Taking a deep breath to centre herself in the Force, Ahsoka too braced. It would be best for her if she...
Maul descended upon her faster than she expected, lightsaber pivoting to try and strike her legs out from underneath her with frightening velocity.
Two figures emerged from the shadows behind them, towering over the entire team, jaws gnashing with obvious intent.
"You've gotta be kidding me! Two of them?!"
"Run!" Anakin cried in response, knowing full well that they didn't stand a chance. They had barely beaten one of these beasts back at the entrance to the Shrine. There was no way in hell they'd be able to beat two!
Their only chance was to run! Or at best lose them in the mazelike corridors of the Shrine.
Anakin turned on his heels and began to sprint away from the hulking beasts, the others following his advice without hesitation. Behind him Anakin could hear the occasional discharge of Rex's blaster pistols as he fired them back at the pursuing beasts in an attempt to slow them down. How effective it was proving was unknown to Anakin, and he sure as hell wasn't going to stop and check.
"Keep going!" Anakin called out to his companions as they reached a junction. With no time to stop and think, Anakin trusted what the Force was telling him and went left, the others following him.
It took several minutes of endless sprinting before their pace began to slow.
"Did we lose them?" Masana asked as she panted, slowing to a gentle jog beside Anakin.
"I don't know." Anakin replied. These beasts were clearly apex predators and no doubt had an excellent sense of smell. Even if they had lost them for the time being, no doubt they would be tracked down thanks to scent in no time.
"I can't see them behind us."
"Really Prosset? Making jokes right now?"
"Someone's gotta lighten the mood."
Rolling his eyes at the interaction between Master Dibs and Bil, Anakin turned his attention to where they had run to. The endless corridors looked the same as the ones they had traversed so far, but something in the Force was telling him this was the right way to go. He couldn't sense Ahsoka, not at the moment, but he had to trust his instincts.
He had to trust the Force.
"What way now General?" Rex asked from behind, gesturing to the fork in the road they had encountered.
There were two possibilities. A hallway on the left and a hallway on the right.
Closing his eyes, Anakin delved into the Force once more, asking for anything that might help.
The Force around him was unsurprisingly dark. The Sith Shrine corrupted the Force, twisting it into a dark foreboding presence. It made Anakin feel uncomfortable, but it wasn't bad enough to make him want to break his connection.
Besides, he had a Padawan to find. If he had to deal with the dark side of the Force to find her, then he would.
He would do anything for her.
Concentrating, Anakin began to picture Ahsoka in his mind. He tapped into their dormant Force bond, calling out to her, trying to pinpoint her location.
It took several moments before he finally felt something. A sharp ping in the Force, one that felt panicked, hit him. But it was definitely Ahsoka… and if she was panicking about something, then she was in serious trouble!
'Hold on Snips. I'm coming!'
Opening his eyes, Anakin glanced at the two pathways before them and trusted his instincts once more.
"We go left. I felt Ahsoka again. She's that way."
A sudden roar from behind distracted the team from Anakin's words. Glancing back at where they had come from, Anakin could hear the distant sounds of movement of the two beasts that were still pursuing them.
"Those things are gonna catch us at this rate!" Rex spoke, an undercurrent of worry being barely concealed in his voice.
"We can't outrun them forever. I'm exhausted!" Masana spoke next, hands on her knees as she continued to pant, trying to regain her breath.
She wasn't wrong. They could try to outrun them, but they would eventually get exhausted, and then, when the beasts did catch up, they wouldn't have the energy to defeat them.
But then, they couldn't just stand and fight either. Ahsoka was in trouble, and she needed him now!
"We don't have to outrun them, at least not all of us." Bil spoke softly, drawing Anakin's attention towards him. The grey skinned Jedi Knight had a look of resolute determination in his eyes. It was clear he already had a plan, and that nothing would stop him from enacting it.
Anakin could also tell that he wasn't going to like this plan.
"What are you thinking Bil?" Anakin asked.
"It's as Rex and Masana said Skywalker. We can't all outrun them. But I can. My species is known for having a higher stamina pool than most. You guys go down the left hand path. I'll lure the creatures down the right as a distraction. And before you say anything Masana… I promise not to get my rear end eaten!"
The plan made sense, but as expected, Anakin did not like it one bit, and he could tell from the reactions of the others that they shared the same sentiment.
"Bil no!"
"That's insane General Valen!"
"Are you crazy?"
"A reckless plan Valen."
Another roar from behind, this one far closer reminded the group of the urgency of the plan, something that Bil took advantage of.
"Look guys… I get it… you're worried, but I'll be fine. Besides, I do kinda need to make up for that minor mistake at the front door, remember?"
"Bil I swear by the Force that I'll…"
"You can beat me up later for it Masana! I've got to do this, just as the rest of you have got to find Tano! Now get going!"
Anakin didn't like the idea of leaving one of their own behind as bait, even if he was volunteering for the role in the first place. But at the same time Anakin could already tell that Bil wasn't going to change his mind.
Another roar, this one ear splitting forced everyone into action as the pair of beasts emerged from the shadowy hallways behind them, their eyes locking onto the group with malicious intent.
Bil wasted no time igniting his blue lightsaber, waving the blade above his head to draw the attention of the monsters whilst calling out to them.
"HEY! BIG UGLY STUPID STONE MONSTER THINGS! WANT SOME DINNER? COME AND GET IT!"
The beasts roared again as their jaws gnashed, eyes focused entirely on Bil as he moved away from his friends, deftly avoiding an attempt by Masana to pull him back.
"YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT! JUICY JEDI HERE! COME AND GET IT!"
The beasts roared again, and Bil took off, sprinting down the right hand hallway, saber illuminating the way.
Wasting no time, the beasts moved to pursue, ignoring the others in favour of the heroic grey skinned Jedi, much to everyone's surprise.
Masana made a move to follow, but was this time held back by Rex, who spoke softly, addressing the whole group.
"Come on. He's bought us some time. We've got to find Tano and Maul!"
"But Bil..."
It was then that Prosset released a sigh of acceptance, stepping forward to speak to Masana.
"Don't worry about Bil. I'll go help him. The four of you keep going and shut this damn Shrine and whatever weapon it houses down. I'm getting bored of the same scenery now."
"Prosset no!"
"Prosset yes. May the Force be with you all."
And with that Prosset too broke into a sprint, following down the same hallway that Bil had led both of the beasts down.
"And then there were four. Let's keep moving." Windu spoke for the first time in a while, his presence calm and collected, despite the apparent sacrifice of two of their peers.
Anakin had faith that they would be alright. That was something he had learned whilst serving with the 501st, and Ahsoka. You had to have faith in your friends and comrades in arms that they could get the job done, no matter how dire the situation. He only needed to look at the blockade of Ryloth and Ahsoka's handling of that situation as proof of his faith in others.
"Agreed. Ahsoka is close, and we've got a Zabrak to deal with." Anakin replied, trying and failing to keep the venom out of his voice at the word 'Zabrak'.
Maul was going to pay.
Red met gold in a volley of strikes, each more vicious than the last, and each forcing Ahsoka back into a defence position, a place where she was not at her best.
Her style was aggressive, and it relied on her being on the offensive most of the time. She could defend herself yes, but not indefinitely like Obi-Wan could.
And most certainly not against a full fledged Sith Lord like Maul.
Perhaps she had bitten off more than she could chew. But still, even if she didn't stand a chance, she would still fight. No way was she going to willingly give him a Sith holocron! Who knew what sort of damage he could do with such a thing!
Maul brought his saber towards her again in another volley of fast strikes, each of which she intercepted with her own saber as precisely as she could. She was fast, but Maul was clearly faster.
Maul pulled back briefly, twirling his saber staff in his hands as he prepared for another set of strikes, hoping to wear her down.
At that moment Ahsoka chose to strike. Rather than wait for him to come to her, she attacked first, swinging her saber for his legs as he had previously done to her at the start of her duel. The brief gasp of surprise that escaped Maul before he deflected and redirected her attack was enough to bring a small smug smile to Ahsoka's face behind her helmet. Even if she failed and lost the duel, she had still managed to catch Maul by surprise, if only for a moment.
She doubted he'd fall for it twice though.
The Zabrak snarled as he redirected her swing, forcing her out of offense and back on defense. Swing after swing came her way, and Ahsoka intercepted each strike, defending both her centre line, and her limbs from harm. If she faulted, just even for a second, and Maul was able to slip through…
Well… she doubted very much that she'd get a Jedi funeral. She honestly wouldn't be surprised if Windu and the others left her body behind!
Anakin and Rex wouldn't though… at least she hoped they wouldn't!
A snarl came to her lips at the dark thoughts that had come to mind, leading to her releasing a sudden roar of anger directed at the Zabrak. Bringing her saber up with a harsh swing, she crashed the golden blade against Maul's red, forcing him into a saber lock.
The two stared at one another across the blades, a look of aggression on Maul's face that matched her own behind the helmet.
"Such a shame really," Maul began, his hate filled look becoming snide, his lips curling as he spoke. "You have been corrupted by the Jedi when you could have had so much more. My offer was genuine!"
"Maybe it was!" Ahsoka snarled in return, pulling back out of the saber lock and launching her own series of strikes towards him, trying to gain some ground in the uneven duel. "But there is no way in a million years that I was going to join you. You're a monster!"
"And the Jedi aren't?!" Maul yelled in return as he deflected Ahsoka's strikes with ease, changing the direction of the duel so that the Togruta was once more on the defensive. "At least the Sith don't hide their intentions under false pretense! The Jedi kidnap children! They stole you from your family!"
"The Jedi saved me from becoming a slaver's property!" Ahsoka cried in return, remembering the time she had met Plo Koon, and how he, despite his intimidating form had been one of the kindest people she had ever met, whilst the individual that the others had been enamoured by had turned out to be nothing more than a slaving bounty hunter.
Ahsoka liked to think that she was a good judge of character. Maul's offer might have been genuine in his words, but she knew that he couldn't be trusted in the long run.
He'd betray her and cast her aside just as the Jedi Order did.
'Maybe the Jedi and Sith have that in common then? They both cast aside their apprentices for their own personal gain!'
Ahsoka ignored the voice in her head as she moved her blade to defend herself once more, clashing and entering into another saber lock with the Zabrak.
"Hmph… I'm impressed by your resilience Tano, but it will not save you. You are no match for me!"
"Maybe not… but I can at least slow you down until the real show arrives. How long do you think you'll last against Anakin… or Windu? Kriff… you'd probably lose to Rex!"
A roar of anger escaped Maul at the taunting, and suddenly Ahsoka found herself pushed backwards with the Force, her back colliding with the far wall with a clang.
Groaning, she pushed herself off the wall and returned to a ready stance, waiting for Maul's next move.
The Zabrak paced before her, his saber moving slowly before him, bathing him in red light. Behind him, still positioned above the bottomless pit, the corrupted crystal sat, inert. Ahsoka was glad that at least had been dealt with.
Maul began to laugh suddenly, a dark foreboding sound that filled her with dread. It was the laugh someone made when they knew something you didn't, and if Maul of all people was laughing like that, then it couldn't be good.
"I take it back Tano. You are far from an intellectual. You are an idiot!"
Ahsoka's hand gripped her lightsaber tighter. She was used to being insulted by her foe… and sometimes by her friends, though that was usually a joke, at least she hoped it was.
But even still, it made her angry. She just had to control her anger.
"I mean," Maul continued, his pacing slowing as a smug smile came to his face, gesturing towards the inert crystal behind him as he spoke. "Did you really believe me when I told you that removing the holocron would deactivate the weapon? Because if you did, then the Jedi were right to cast you out for such naivety!"
A rush of the dark side suddenly hit Ahsoka, disorientating her as the inert crystal behind Maul began to glow a bright crimson. Her aching head suddenly began to pound, far worse than it had been previously.
Before, the dark side had simply pulsed around her. It hadn't threatened to consume her in its entirety, as it had been warded off by the light within her.
Now however, all she could feel was darkness. The light had begun to abandon her, and everything hurt.
Was this how the Jedi above had felt? Was the weapon now affecting her too?
Blinking her eyes, Ahsoka realized her vision was becoming distorted. Maul seemed to be in two places at once as he paced before her.
Despite the disorientation however, Ahsoka could still see the malicious smirk on his face. He was clearly enjoying this.
"What have…" Ahsoka began, struggling to get her words out as the dark side began to consume her. "What have you done to me?!"
"What have I done? Ha! I have done nothing Tano. You were the one that removed the shackles of the crystal before us. You were the one that unleashed its full potential. You are the one that has doomed the Jedi Order!"
Realization set in, despite her debilitating state. Maul had tricked her! Removing the holocron hadn't stopped the weapon! It had only unlocked its full power… power that would consume the very essence of the light side of the Force all across Coruscant.
Power that would in turn kill everyone it absorbed from!
Obi-Wan. Plo Koon. Caleb. Yoda. Everyone! She had foolishly listened to Maul in an attempt to save them all.
And now she had killed them!
"I'm going to kill you!" Ahsoka struggled to speak, snarling under her helmet as she tried to focus on Maul. Her vision became red, fuelled by anger and hatred.
She didn't care about the consequences right now. She just wanted to murder Maul!
With a scream of rage she charged him, swinging her blade with reckless abandon towards the Zabrak Sith, who clashed and redirected her blade, exposing her legs.
She knew she had made a mistake the second Maul broke through her defences and brought his blade down. She tried to step back, to evade, and whilst she saved herself from amputation, Ahsoka was still punished for her reckless charge.
Maul's crimson blade cut through Ahsoka's armor with surprising ease, slicing a nasty wound into her left thigh. Beskar was tough, and could save it's wearer from lightsaber strikes, but not ones delivered with such force and precision. Maul knew exactly where to hit, and he knew exactly how much force he needed to put into the swing to cause serious damage.
Ahsoka screamed as the blade cut into her skin, falling to the floor in an undignified heap and Maul swung his blade again, catching her shoulder as she fell. Luckily, this one was only a glancing blow. Her custom suit of Mandalorian armor saved her from what had been a lethal blow, but it had still left enough damage. The armor was scorched, and underneath it she could feel burning. No doubt she'd have a nasty blister as a result.
Yelping in pain again, Ahsoka felt herself collapse to the ground at Maul's feet, her saber rolling from her hand and out of reach, rendering her defenceless as Maul stood above her, a sick and sadistic smile on his demonic face.
"How pitiful. Perhaps you have done me a favour by refusing my offer. I have no need for such a weak apprentice."
"Kriff you!" Ahsoka spat up at him, not caring at all. She might be about to die, but she'd be damned if she was going down without defiance!
Maul almost looked sad for a brief moment as he stared at her, his golden eyes surveying her, as if able to see her face behind her helmet.
"Unfortunate. Goodbye, Ahsoka Tano. It was, 'nice' to meet you."
With that, Maul raised his saber above her head, the crimson blade ready to come down on her neck.
Ahsoka wouldn't cower… she wouldn't close her eyes. She would face her death with dignity.
'Anakin. Rex. I'm sorry.' Her mind whispered as she braced for the end.
Maul snarled again, and then he brought the blade down.
He brought the blade down…
But Ahsoka did not die.
A sharp lance of pain hit Anakin suddenly through the Force… and he knew exactly what it meant.
Ahsoka was hurt, and she was hurt badly.
Fear, anger, hatred. Every negative emotion that Anakin could think of, every emotion he wasn't supposed to have as a Jedi suddenly dominated his mind. He didn't care what happened next. He didn't care who he hurt, so long as he could tear apart Maul with his bare hands!
"Up ahead! Dead end!" Rex called out as the team continued to sprint, a group of Sith ghosts behind them giving pursuit once more, determined to not let the Jedi reach their goal.
"Damn! Did we go the wrong way?" Masana called out, slowing temporarily to swing her saber behind her, catching one of the ghosts off guard, eviscerating it in the process.
"No! This is the right way. It has to be!" Anakin cried in response, throwing a harsh Force push behind them, knocking the pursuers back. He had trusted in the Force, in his connection to Ahsoka! This had to be it! It had to be!
"Skywalker, there is another concealed door ahead! Cover me while I open it!" Windu called out, sprinting ahead of the group and coming face to face with the seeming dead end. His hands began to move across the stone surface, searching for something, as a rush of the Force left him.
"You heard Master Windu… hold the line!" Anakin called to Rex and Masana, who drew up beside him, ready to face the advancing ghosts.
Death did not come to Ahsoka… much to her surprise.
Why had Maul stopped? He was ready to kill her! Was going to kill her! Had something changed? Opening her eyes, Ahsoka glanced up at Maul.
Maul had indeed stopped, his blade hovering inches above her chest, waiting to cleave her in two.
"What is this?!" Maul cried out in anger, his expression determined and hate filled. He too seemed to be confused as to why he had stopped. Was this perhaps not his doing? Was something else doing this?
Seconds later, both Togruta and Zabrak got their answer, as a series of harsh cackles echoed around the room.
Maul's face dropped in an instant. Gone was the anger and hate, instead replaced by fear and dread. His signature in the Force shifted from bold and strong to cowering and weak in an instant, his golden eyes widened in terror.
"No. Not here. Not now." Maul spoke softly, almost whispering as he moved his eyes away from Ahsoka, glancing at something behind her that she could not see. She didn't have the energy to move, and if she did, the pain in her thigh might very well cause her to pass out.
Instead, all she could do was watch as Maul's face flitted between various emotions, each one more scared than the last.
"Pleas…" Maul began to say before he was suddenly assaulted via the Force. His arm was wrenched upwards, saber flying out of his hand in the process and away from Ahsoka. Clearly someone had just saved her life. But why?
And more importantly… who?
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Maul cried out in desperation as he backed away slowly, before he was suddenly suspended in mid air, hands moving to his throat as he began to choke.
Ahsoka recognized the manipulation of the Force in an instant. A Force choke! Was it perhaps Anakin? She knew that on occasion, when he got really angry, he would use such a…
A sudden discharge of lightning erupted towards Maul from behind her, cascading around his body as he screamed in agony! Behind her helmet, Ahsoka's eyes widened! That was a Sith power! Both Anakin and Obi-Wan had told her about it, but she had never seen it in person herself!
Force lightning! Had a Sith just saved her?
The stream of lightning continued for a few moments, Maul screaming in agony the entire time. The sound was harsh and cruel, but frankly, Ahsoka felt like the bastard deserved every minute of it.
The lightning stopped suddenly, and Maul was left barely clinging to consciousness, suspended above her.
His golden eyes, dulled with pain, glanced down at her in what appeared to be pity.
Ahsoka had no such remorse for him. Behind her mask she was smirking. He deserved everything he was getting.
"Y...You don't… don't know who… you… are…" Maul said slowly before the unexpected happened.
Maul was thrown backwards violently towards the corrupted crystal in the central chamber. Ahsoka barely managed to spot him disappearing over the ledge and into the bottomless pit below the crystal, screaming all the while.
Breathing a sigh of relief at Maul's sudden defeat, Ahsoka's smirk turned into a grimace as the reality of the situation kicked in. Here she was, lying on the floor, badly hurt with a wound that would kill her if not treated soon.
But she couldn't move. The pain in her thigh and shoulder was one problem. The state of her head, of her mind was another.
She could feel the crystal sapping her dry, sucking all the energy, all of her life force out of her in its attempts to reconnect with the light. The other Jedi above in the Temple were likely going through the same. Perhaps even Anakin was.
She had failed them all. And now everyone would die… all because of her.
Footsteps echoed in her mind as her vision became blurry. Lying on her back, she glanced up at the ceiling in time to see a shadowy figure appear above her. She couldn't make out their face, thanks to both her distorted vision and the black hood they wore to conceal their identity.
What she could see however were a pair of bright golden eyes staring down at her, different to Maul's. There was no kindness in them, but instead what seemed like understanding.
For a few moments, the figure just watched her, their head tilting to the side as if they were analyzing her form. Eventually, their eyes moved away from her helmet covered face and down to her waist, where the Sith holocron was attached.
At that moment, Ahsoka passed out.
"Mace! Are we there yet?" Masana yelled from beside Anakin as she deflected a series of saber strikes from her foe, before delivering a harsh one of her own in return, causing the ghost to stumble and provide an opening for Rex, who promptly blasted the ghost with several well placed shots, destroying it.
"Nearly Knight Tide. Hold the line."
"What do you think we've been doing!"
Anakin ignored the rage in Masana's voice as he moved to engage a pair of advancing ghosts himself, his blue saber twirling in vicious heavy handed strikes, forcing the ghosts onto the defensive.
The duel continued for a few more seconds before Anakin finally found an opening, one he immediately took advantage of by burying his blade deep into the ghost's exposed chest, before bringing it back out and eviscerating the second ghost across the waist.
Beside him he saw another barrage of blaster bolts fly past his head, striking a charging ghost directly in the chest before it could reach and attack Anakin.
Anakin however had no time to compliment Rex as another ghost began to charge from the approaching group. This time however it was Masana that intervened, her green saber easily batting aside the ghost's red with a single strike, before reaching forward with her free claw and crushing the ghost's head with shocking ease. Anakin would hate to see her do that to an actual person. No doubt it wouldn't be pretty!
"Heads up! Detonator out!" Rex's voice sounded from behind him, warning both Anakin and Masana of the Clone Captain's actions. Without hesitation Anakin evaded away from the approaching group of ghosts, just in time to see them erupt into flames as the detonator exploded, vapourizing them all in an instant, leaving the hallway clear of threats.
"Hey… we did it. Awesome!" Masana said with glee in her voice, throwing a smirk at Anakin in the process, one he returned.
The sound of movement from behind them brought Anakin's attention back to the situation at hand. Windu's hands had stopped moving across the stone wall as it began to shift, a door opening in the process, leading to a large chamber beyond. A sudden rush of the dark side of the Force crashed into Anakin, nearly knocking him over from the sheer impact of it. From the way both Masana and Windu swayed suddenly, it was clear that they too felt it.
"GENERALS! WE'VE GOT COMPANY!" Rex's alarmed voice forced Anakin to shift his focus yet again. Turning to face the Clone Captain, he saw what had caused Rex to shout in alarm.
Emerging from the shadowed hallway was one of the large stone beasts from before, a large burn mark on its face that was indicative of a lightsaber strike. Clearly this was one of the creatures that had chased after Bil earlier, and clearly either Bil or Prosset had landed a blow on the creature before…
Anakin chose not to think like that. There was no way either Bil or Prosset were dead. Besides… there had been two of the beasts. Perhaps they were just dealing with the other one elsewhere?
"Oh you've gotta be kidding me!" Masana snarled, moving in front of the group with her saber out. "Skywalker. Windu! Get your ugly asses inside! I'll hold this monstrosity off!"
"Knight Tide?" Windu's tone was one of concern as he watched Masana advance upon the snarling beast with her green saber twirling in her hand.
"She's right Sir. We've got this." Rex chose that moment to join Masana, ready to face the monster that had come for them, much to Anakin's surprise.
"Rex?! What are you doing?"
"Buying you some time General Skywalker. Go save our Commander. Tide and I have got this!"
Anakin was about to demand otherwise, but it seemed that both Masana and Rex had already made their choice to stay and fight. The Clone Captain opened up with a barrage of blaster fire at the beast whilst Masana moved within striking distance of its claws, evading several swipes and countering with her own, looking for an exploitable gap in its armour.
"Skywalker, we must move!" Windu reminded him of the urgency of the situation. He didn't like leaving Rex or Masana behind, much less with that beast! But he knew he could trust them. If anyone could survive and emerge victorious, it was them.
Spinning on his heels, Anakin charged into the newly exposed chamber behind Windu, the door slamming shut behind them as they entered.
The chamber's architecture was different from the rest of the Shrine. Gone were the stone walls, instead replaced by metallic infrastructure, all of which was built around a large central chamber overlooking what appeared to be a pitch black chasm.
And there, positioned above the chasm, glowing an ominous red was what looked like an enormous kyber crystal, one that had been corrupted down to its very core.
"By the Force!" Anakin whispered in horror. He had heard of the legends of large kyber crystals. He had seen one before, during his childhood trip to Ilum to acquire his first kyber crystal. Back then, he hadn't given them much thought.
But then he had encountered another one alongside Obi-Wan on Utapau. They had stolen the crystal from Grievous, destroying it in the process to stop the cyborg General from acquiring it to create… something.
But this one was different. Gone was the expected green hue of the crystal, instead replaced by a deep red that screamed 'Sith' to him.
"It would appear this crystal has undergone the bleeding process. No doubt it is the source of the problems plaguing the Jedi Temple."
Anakin was about to respond to Windu's hypothesis when he felt a sudden burst of agony through the Force, one that he recognized as Ahsoka in great pain!
She was close… very very close!
"Ahsoka!" Anakin called, hoping she would respond. Praying!
But no response came. Anakin reached into the Force, tugging on their dormant Master-Apprentice bond, trying to get her to respond, trying to find her location.
But again, Ahsoka did not respond. Anakin could feel the pain she was in, but her signature was muted.
No! Not muted… fading!
"No. No no no.. no! Never again! Never again!" Anakin muttered to himself, memories of Mortis coming to his mind, what little of it he remembered. The one thing he did remember from his trip there clear as day was Ahsoka, corrupted by the dark side.
Ahsoka, after the Son had…
Never again. He would never let that happen.
"Skywalker! There are stairs over there!" Windu's voice was a welcome distraction, drawing him out of his darker thoughts and back to reality.
"Good spot!" Anakin called in return as he began to run towards the stairs and began ascending him, Windu hot on his heels.
Once up the stairs, the duo found themselves in another chamber that overlooked the corrupted crystal suspended above the chasm. The walls were much the same as the lower level, made from the same metallic material that seemed to shape what Anakin assumed was the crystal's home.
Continuing to survey the room Anakin spotted what looked like a plinth at the far end of the room, it's design similar to the ones they had encountered earlier. Did it perhaps have a similar purpose.
Another jolt of pain across his bond with Ahsoka hit him suddenly, and it was then that he spotted her, lying prone on the floor a few feet away from the edge of the pit.
"AHSOKA!" Anakin cried in dread as he sprinted towards her, praying that she was alright. She was clearly still alive, judging by the lances of pain he felt from her. That was something at least.
The extent of her injuries however were yet to be seen.
Skidding to a halt beside her, Anakin was quick to remove her helmet and thankful to any gods that existed to see that she was still breathing, despite being unconscious.
Breathing a small sigh of relief, Anakin continued his examination of her form. Her shoulder armour was scorched, likely from a glancing blow from a lightsaber. It had been really strange at first, seeing Ahsoka suited up in Mandalorian Beskar, especially after years of her not wearing any armour whatsoever.
Now though he was glad. The armor had likely saved her life.
Continuing downwards, Anakin's eyes widened at the sight of what appeared to be a bacta patch attached to her left thigh.
"Lightsaber wound." Windu spoke softly as he crouched down beside Anakin, his hands moving softly over the patch, lifting it slightly to reveal a nasty wound several inches long. It had cauterized of course, thanks to the burning heat of the lightsaber, but that didn't make it any better.
"She is lucky. Had this bacta patch not been applied she could have very well succumbed to this wound in time. It might have just saved her life." Windu continued as he removed the bacta patch completely, replacing it with a new one he had taken out of a pouch on his waist.
A seething build up of anger and hate threatened to overwhelm Anakin. The person who had caused this wound had nearly killed his Padawan. His Ahsoka!
He was going to murder them… and he was going to do it slowly.
"Where is Maul?" Anakin snarled, eyes never leaving Ahsoka's face, which was distorted in pain.
"I haven't seen him. I imagine he is long gone. Calm yourself Anakin. She'll be fine." Windu replied softly as he stood back up, moving towards the central chasm, evaluating the corrupted crystal.
Anakin didn't want to calm down. He wanted to make Maul pay. He would make Maul pay!
Though perhaps not today. Right now they had more serious issues. Ahsoka was one of them, but at least she was stable.
The kyber crystal however was not.
"What's the plan? Do we destroy the crystal?" Anakin inquired, glancing towards Windu, who stood with one hand on his chin in a very Obi-Wan like pose.
"No. To say these things are unstable would be an understatement. One of this size, and one as corrupted as this? The resulting explosion would wipe out Coruscant. We need another plan."
"And what's that then?" Anakin replied, moving to join Windu, trusting that Ahsoka would be fine in the meantime. The bacta patch had stabilized her, for now. She'd need proper treatment and soon, or she could very well lose her leg.
Windu didn't reply at first, his eyes surveying the crystal before them, analysing, searching for a solution. Anakin too began to study it. The crystal itself pulsated with electrical energy, energy that was discharging towards the top of the crystal and beyond. Various cables, seven to be exact, were attached to the crystal's exterior, energy coursing through them too. To Anakin's eyes, the cables reminded Anakin of power lines. Perhaps if…
Windu clearly had the same idea.
"Those seven cables appear to conduct energy into the crystal, as if charging and amplifying it. The design is not too dissimilar to how a lightsaber functions. A single crystal embedded in a chamber with a power current running through it to create the plasma of the blade."
"So if we remove the cables?"
"We remove the source of the crystal's power. It would again become inert." Windu finished, turning his head to Anakin, eyes locking with the Jedi Knight's.
"Are we sure that's safe? I mean, if you don't assemble a lightsaber properly, the results are rather explosive." Anakin replied, voicing his concern. He had seen firsthand what happened when a lightsaber exploded in the user's hand. The poor unfortunate youngling had ended up in a coma for over a year in the aftermath. It had not been a pretty sight, but it had served as a strong reminder to many in the Temple of just how volatile kyber crystals were, and just what sort of power the Jedi wielded in their most iconic tools.
"I know. Which is why we will need to disconnect all seven power cables simultaneously. No doubt the Sith installed a specific amount of cables to keep the crystal stable. Removing one at a time risks destabilizing the amount of energy coursing through it. But if we remove all of the energy at once, in theory it should be no different to a crystal within an inactive lightsaber."
"This is a big risk Master. We could blow up all of Coruscant if we are wrong?"
"I thought these were the sort of situations you thrive in Anakin?" Windu's words contained a hint of humour, a rare smile present on his face supporting the tone. In a strange way, seeing Windu in a good mood unnerved Anakin.
"I guess it's the best chance we've got to stop the weapon." Anakin replied cautiously, not fully believing in the plan.
"Look at the bright side Skywalker. If I am wrong, then you can tell me that you told me so in the cosmic force. Now, reach out with the Force and assist me. I cannot do this alone."
Momentarily stumped by yet another bout of humour from Windu, Anakin refocused on the situation at hand. The crystal before them was coursing with energy, and he could feel the dark side within it reaching out, consuming the light around it. His head was banging with a headache, no doubt caused by proximity to such a powerful relic, but he would not let that deter him, not when everyone's life was on the line.
"I'm ready." Anakin confirmed to Windu, closing his eyes and delving deep into the Force, hands outstretched. Beside him he felt Windu delve into the Force too, his Force signature bonding with Anakin's, amplifying both of their powers into one. Anakin hadn't ever bonded with Windu in this way before. He had numerous times with Ahsoka, and Obi-wan, and even Plo Koon once or twice, but never with Windu.
A rush of power charged through Anakin in an instant, power that was drenched in the light side of the Force. Anakin had always known that Windu was powerful. But now, feeling the Jedi Council member's power firsthand, Anakin could see why everyone was in awe of his power.
Windu was a storm in the Force. Pure concreted light side energy that could consume and overwhelm even the darkest of foes. In that moment, facing the challenge they were against, Anakin couldn't have been more glad for Mace Windu's help.
"Focus on the cables Anakin. Picture removing them slowly." Windu spoke through the Force, his signature shifting slightly as he began to manipulate the Force. Anakin too began to shift his control, grasping each of the seven cables gently with the Force, ready to pull.
"Good. Now, on three."
Anakin took a deep breath. This was the make or break moment for everyone. Either they would succeed and save everyone...
"One."
Or Coruscant would be obliterated, and everyone he cared for would be dead. Ahsoka. Obi-Wan. Rex. Padmé. Palpatine. All gone in a blink of an eye.
"Two."
He couldn't let that happen. He would never let that happen, even if it killed him in the process.
He had failed to protect his mother. He would never fail to protect anyone else.
"Three."
Purple electrical energy cascaded from the tip of the buried pyramid, crashing into the decrepit factories around it, destroying several in the process whilst illuminating the cavern with its light show. The Force screamed in anger, darkness radiated from below, consuming everything above it.
And it felt beautiful to him. This was what he lived for. It wasn't the way he had anticipated his inevitable victory, but life had a funny way of throwing curveballs at you when you least suspected it.
However, curve-balls were still easy to manipulate, and this was one he could easily use to his advantage.
A dark smirk came to his face as his gaze moved away from the energy pouring off the pyramid tip and to the artifact in his blood stained hand.
A Sith holocron of ancient times, in a Shrine he wasn't ever sure had actually existed. Now it was his.
A sudden shudder in the Force brought his attention back to the pyramid before him, his smirk falling in the process. The dark side, previously so powerful, suddenly receded, the Force returning to normal around him.
He should snarl. He should yell in anger. He should find something, or someone to destroy!
But instead, he simply hummed to himself, impressed. The Jedi had found a solution, not that he was surprised. Jedi were the most dangerous when backed into a corner, especially the likes of Skywalker and Windu.
Still, today hadn't been a complete loss. His former apprentice had not achieved his goal, and he had a new source of power within his hands, ready to use.
But not only that, today he had made yet another step to ensuring the loyalty of his new tool. There had been nothing stopping him acquiring the holocron and leaving her there to bleed to death. Instead, he had stopped. He had placed a bacta patch on her wound and ensured her survival long enough for Skywalker to arrive and save her.
And she would live, he knew that, and whether the Jedi knew it or not, it was all thanks to him.
The smirk returned to Darth Sidious' face as he turned away from the now inert Sith Shrine, prize in hand.
Everything was going according to plan.
Author's thoughts
And thus ends the Sith Shrine arc... but perhaps not in the way most of you expected huh?
A lot of crazy stuff just went down in this chapter, and I honestly don't know where to begin. Maul went for a flying lesson, Sidious saved Ahsoka, Anakin and Windu dealt with the crystal, a bunch of people are in life threatening situations, and Ahsoka is badly wounded! I think that about sums it all up really. I'm sure thee is more to say, but you lot have just read about 8,500 words worth on content, so I'm not gonna make you read 1000 more! I only hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It took a while to write, that's for sure. XD
The wait for the next chapter might be a while as I want to get partway into the next arc's drafts before I post anything else. Sorry in advance. I might post some teases of some kind over on my Tumblr though, so feel free to check there now and then. I have one good idea for a tease for the arc. XD
Thanks again to my beta reader 'ArrinSnyders'. We had a bit of a major-ish disagreement in this chapter regarding the severity of Ahsoka's wounds, and I'll be the first to admit I snapped at him. I thus want to publicly apologize to him once again. My bad buddy, and thanks for all your help. :)
Next time round the aftermath of this arc is dealt with. Will everyone be ok?
As usual, comment and speculate at will, speaking of which:
TragicFiction: Good timing huh? Enjoy the update!
60FPS: Hopefully you aren't too mad by the outcome. It might not have been what you thought it was going to be, but remember there is still plenty more story to go. There is still time! XD
Cat-Gods-Of-The-Cat-People: Looks like she didn't open it. Oops. Hope that doesn't upset you too badly! XD
Still, thanks for the compliment. I like writing character based stuff the most, and having an arc for them is important. If you think I've succeeded, that means a lot. :)
1saaa: Oops. Sorry. I just like to interact with the readers so they don't feel ignored or left out.
Still, glad you enjoyed the set up, as well as Ahsoka's desire to simply have a purpose in life. I'm sure that won't come back to bite her in the ass at any point. Palpy won't take advantage of that... surely? XD
DressyOne22: That they are... and I love that dynamic about them. If circumstances were different, they'd make formidable allies for anyone to face.
However, for the sake of this story, Ahsoka is still very loyal to Anakin, and to Palpatine. She's not leaving her current job anytime soon. XD
Hope you liked the outcome that was chosen. :)
tf330129: Going as best I can. :)
IanAlphaAxel: You're most welcome. I like replying to comments. Makes it feel like I have some sort of interaction with the readers! XD
RyanSquad: Wow! Glad you enjoy seeing updates to this that much! That means a lot to me, so thanks! XD
Funny you mention Appo actually. I've got him booked in to appear quite a bit in the next story arc, as well as the one after it. I've not forgotten about him, nor other lesser known Clones (Ridge and Boil are coming soon too).
I only hope you like the ending direction this story goes. There might not be an Empire after all. Only time will tell how this all finishes up! XD
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. XD