Chapter 75 – Malachor
Author's Note: LONG HAVE WE WAITED! Okay yeah, we've been waiting to post this chapter for months, so we're pretty excited. The next one is the real fun one, though. ;)
To Guest: I've never thought about the Twilight of the Apprentice arc like that, but that's an interesting point. :) And as for what message Marr and Vizma take away from what's going to happen, I won't spoil that. :D
Pjo crossovers: Yep!
Bvh: You don't need to keep asking us to update. We're not going to suddenly stop. xD
noelle: Yeah, it's definitely very depressing. *cries*
~ Amina Gila
The ship comes out of hyperspace soon enough, and they fly down to the greyish surface of Malachor. The sky is dark, thick clouds stretching from one horizon to the other, and it feels fitting for the ominous mood. The place is dark, and even before they reach the surface, Marr can feel distant echoes of death in the Force, or maybe it's just that he's searching for something, anything, to warn them of what they might find here. And... he senses something else too. Something familiar, but it's too well shielded to feel what.
Revan fought here once, he knows, though he doesn't know the details of that battle. His musings are interrupted with Chopper announcing that there's already a ship here. Why is he not even surprised?
They track the ship – as best they can when they can't see it anywhere – finally landing. Towering, pillar-like structures of some kind rise out of the ground in front of them
The first thing Marr notices the moment they step off the ship is how the ground beneath them is almost like glass. It reflects as they walk across it. Seriously, what happened here?
"What are those?" Ezra wonders, approaching the towering pillars.
"They have ancient writing on them," Marr observes, moving a little closer. He was never one for studying languages, but some of the writing is a little familiar.
"Can you read it?" Kanan wonders.
"A little," Ahsoka replies, "I think I can make out a few words." She kneels down in front of it to get a better look, mumbling out a few mostly incomprehensible syllables.
Ezra takes a step closer, suddenly reaching out, laying a hand on the surface.
"Wait!" Marr protests.
"Ezra, no!" Ahsoka and Kanan cry, but it's too late.
Ezra jerks back, expression the living embodiment of the word 'oops', as a strange, glowing, red marks forms on the surface he touched. It abruptly reminds Marr of what the ground looked like on Lothal after the Inquisitors had forcibly entered the Jedi Temple, but he doesn't have more than a moment to process the thought, as the red lines spread rapidly across the surface, cracks forming in the ground beneath them. It gives way in seconds, and they all fall down into the darkness.
Marr hastily activates his jetpack, catching Vizma and landing on the ground amidst the pile of debris that fell down with them.
"Nice job, Ezra!" Vizma exclaims, irritated, as the other three start to push themselves up.
"You're welcome," he shoots back, standing.
"Maybe this is where we needed to be," Marr states, turning to scan their surroundings. The towering, black pyramid not far away stands out clearest of all. The top of it is glowing an eerie red. It looks like they're in the middle of the Temple's courtyard, and he can feel the Dark Side even more strongly now. It reminds him a little of when he went to Korriban, but not quite as bad.
"What is that?" Ezra breaths, eyes widening as he spots the structure.
"A Sith Temple," Marr answers.
They start closer, walking further into the Temple courtyard. The first thing that catches his eye is the stone statues of people all over the place. But no, they aren't statues, he realizes with sickening horror. They were people. At least he thinks they were. Nothing else could also explain why there's lightsabers all over, lying right near so many of them.
"What happened here?" Vizma wonders curiously.
"I don't know," Marr replies. Something turned these people into stone – and literally destroyed what seems like the entire planet – and he has no idea what.
"From the looks of it, Jedi Knights attacked the Sith Temple," Kanan murmur.
"And the Jedi won, right?" Ezra asks hopefully.
"From the looks of it, no one won."
Something moves out of the corner of his eye, and he spin around to see – Wait a minute, what was that one of the Inquisitor's infamous probe droids?
"We're not alone here," he warns quietly, hand reaching for his lightsaber, right as sound of a blade activating rings out and the female Inquisitor they've fought multiple times leaps down straight towards them. Is she the other one who came here?
Is she the only one who's here? They often work in pairs, and that would mean his mother might be here. Ahsoka and Kanan are the first to activate their blades slashing at her. She trades a few quick blows with them before whirling around, and sprinting away, jumping over and onto the statues (people) and other obstacles across the courtyard.
Several of her droids fly out of hiding, shooting down at them. Marr deflects several of the shots away, into the ground, and suddenly, cracks begin to form beneath them.
"Look out!" Marr yells in warning, as cracks spread rapidly across the ground. He and Vizma dive to safety, but Ezra isn't lucky enough. The ground beneath him gives out, and he goes crashing down into the darkness, again.
"Ezra!" Kanan cries, running to the edge, looking down desperately.
"We need to go! She's getting away!" Ahsoka calls, already racing after the Inquisitor.
"I'll get him. Go!" Marr shouts, activating his jetpack and flying down into the darkness. If there's only one of them here, Vizma should be fine. The others should be able to handle her. If his mother is actually here... Well, he'll be getting back up there soon enough.
Ezra is slowly pushing himself up, looking a little dazed.
"Are you alright?" he queries, giving him a hand, pulling him to his feet.
"Yeah," the boy reassures him.
There's a sudden noise in the darkness again, and Marr tenses, spinning around. He feels something familiar. Someone he hasn't sensed since – "At last, you have come here," the far too familiar voice speaks.
"Maul," Marr hisses, instantly whipping out the Darksaber – although it doesn't provide nearly enough light as a normal lightsaber. Still, he can make out the yellow eyes watching him through the darkness.
"Uh... Who's Maul?" Ezra asks.
"Stay back," Marr warns him, taking a step closer, "What are you doing here?" He knew he might run into Maul again someday, but he never gave much thought to it. For years, he'd wanted revenge against the Sith for what he did to his father, but now... When he had the chance, he couldn't do it. But all of that is a part of his past he's finally made peace with and thought would be left there. Apparently not. To be fair, nothing in his past seems to be left there.
He doesn't know how he feels seeing the Sith again, but he knows he doesn't trust him. They'd formed a strong enough Force-bond during the time they were together so much, but it's faded over the years. He doesn't hate him, but he certainly doesn't like him either. Regardless he isn't stupid enough to trust him. Still, none of that matters right now. The Sith is here, and he's no doubt out for revenge.
"The same reason you are," Maul replies, moving a little closer, "Knowledge."
Why has he not moved to attack him yet? Or is he just smart enough to know that if he lost last time, he definitely will now? That's most likely it. "What do you need more knowledge about the Sith for?" Marr asks, dryly.
"To defeat your enemy, you must understand them," Maul retorts.
Wait. "You are planning to fight the Sith?" Marr asks, dubiously. Of course, he knows how much Maul hates Sidious, but he never thought he'd outright do anything against him.
"I can see you're having a reunion," Ezra interrupts loudly, "But I would like to know what's going on."
"An apprentice?" Maul asks disdainfully, looking past him.
"No," Marr snaps, turning away, "I'm going to take you to the surface, and then I'll... come back." Hopefully Maul won't disappear in the meantime. Maybe it's better if he does, but Marr doubts this will end without a fight. This is not something they have time to deal with right now.
"Who is he?" Ezra objects, as Marr picks him up, flying back through the hole.
"An old... acquaintance."
"Is he a Sith?"
"Yeah."
"You knew a Sith?!"
"Where do you think I learned to use the Dark Side?" Marr asks dryly, setting him down on the ground, before he jumps over the edge again, landing a short distance away. Maul is still standing there.
"You are here for the artifact," Maul states more than asks. Artifact? What's so significant about some artifact that Maul is here for it? Is this what Yoda sent them here for?
"Of course," Marr replies smoothly.
"And how do you intend to get into the Temple if your companions are Jedi?" he inquires.
"Who said they are?" Marr shoots back.
"The 'Light Side' does not belong in this place," he replies, as though that answers something. Or maybe it does, because he can probably sense it.
"Well, so sorry it bothers you," he drawls.
Anger flashes through Maul's eyes. "No less arrogant, I see."
"Arrogant? I was being polite!"
The Sith scoffs. "Only two can open the Temple. No more, no less."
"Are you suggesting we work together?" Marr asks, almost incredulously.
Maul's eyes narrow. "I have no interest in working with you," he snaps, "But neither of us can enter the Temple alone, and we both want to destroy the Sith."
He hesitates a moment. This... could well be a trap, but it's their best option. Besides, he defeated Maul before, and anything the Sith tries to throw at him he should be able to handle again. "Very well."
They walk in an awkward silence, until Marr can't handle it anymore. "Why the sudden urgency in going after the Sith?" he questions, "When you've been avoiding anything to do with them all these years."
"I have my own reasons for wanting the Empire to fall," he answers unhelpfully, stopping in front of the door to the Temple, "We must use the Dark Side to open this door."
Marr reaches out with the Force, and he can feel Maul doing likewise. The heavy rock slab in front of them slowly lifts and they step forwards, into the Temple. The strength of the Dark Side slams into him full force, even though it feels a lot more stagnant than it did on Korriban.
He releases the rock, and the door slams closed behind them, almost sounding as though it's sealing his fate, whatever that may be. His every sense feels hyperaware right now. Anything could go wrong, and he has to be ready to handle it. They lift door after door as they go steadily deeper, but he refuses to give any indication at how exhausting it's becoming. He was trained as a Jedi, Sith, and Mandalorian to endure far more, anyway.
Finally, the last door slams closed, leaving them standing in an enormous room. The ledge they're on ends only a few feet away, dropping downwards into a crevice he can't see the bottom of. On a small platform in the middle of the room, there's... a Sith holocron? It's glowing brightly, the only source of light in the room.
"That's it?" Marr blurts.
"Only one willing to risk oblivion can claim it," Maul replies.
"I guess they never considered how useful jettpacks are," Marr shoots back.
He activates his jetpack, streaking over to the structure and reaching up, lifting the Sith holocron.
Something suddenly shifts in the Force, and the platform jolts as a jagged bolt of electricity crackles upwards from it, before it starts rising steadily.
What?
He doesn't stick around to find out what will happen, and just flies back to the platform, landing by Maul.
It isn't until that moment that he senses the sudden surge of danger, and dread pools inside of him. "I have to get back to the others," he declares – showing such vulnerability to Maul is unbelievably stupid but there's no choice right now – and takes off.
**w**
Vizma sprints after the Inquisitor's retreating figure, as they circle around through the courtyard. "Why are you running, coward?" she calls, pausing a moment to catch her breath on the top of some pillar, right as Ahsoka flips through the air, landing right next to the Inquisitor.
She spins around, blocking the Togruta's blade. They trade blows and Kanan jumps forwards, into the fight. Vizma jumps down, charging over to them, though with how furiously they're fighting, there's no room for her to get even close. There's a sudden flash of blue, and she spins around to see Ezra running towards them, lightsaber activated.
"Where's Dad?"
"Down below with someone named Maul?" he pants, skidding to a stop next to her.
"Maul?!" Vizma yelps, eyes going wide.
"What? Who is he?"
"He killed my grandfather!" She spins around, fully intend on running to find her father.
"They weren't fighting," Ezra argues, sprinting past her, towards the ongoing duel. The Inquisitor is losing rapidly, as she struggles to her own against them.
"Not yet," Vizma corrects. She takes off running, but jolts to an abrupt stop right as a figure riding on their spinning lightsaber flies around the corner.
Her... grandmother, although Aunt Anastasia always reacted with disgust whenever anyone called her that.
There's three people they need to fight here now? Was this a trap? Is Maul with the Inquisitors, or was it a complete accident? Either way it doesn't matter. They're going to defeat them. They're going to win. They must. She remembers her vision, and she won't back down. Vizma withdraws her father's lightsaber, igniting it, holding it in front of her as Athea drops to the ground, swinging for her.
Quite the welcoming grandmother.
She clenches her teeth, spinning her blade up to meet the other's. Athea shoves her back, and she goes with it, ducking under the next slash and taking a swing of her own. Her armor gives her special protection, but she knows she could never defeat the Inquisitor alone. "You really are like him," Athea comments as their blades clash again.
"Nice of you to notice," Vizma retaliates, "Seeing how you long since forgot about him."
"You know nothing of this, child," Athea snaps, slashing at her. Apparently, that hit a nerve.
"I know enough," Vizma shoots back. Anger pulses through her, and she draws on it, throwing everything into the fight. Athea steps back for a moment, slowly circling her, and she uses the opportunity to keep talking. "You're a coward," she spits, "And a liar and traitor."
She scoffs. "You know nothing of me."
"Enough to know you're the perfect mom model," Vizma spits back, "Who abandons their children whenever it suits them, and is too drunk on power to show a shred of loyalty to anyone but themselves. And delude themselves into believing it's all for the 'greater good'."
"You know nothing of which you speak," Athea growls. What's with all the 'you know nothing of this' talk today? Whatever. Typical non-Mandalorian adults.
"Then why are you angry?" Vizma snaps, "I think it's because you know it's true. You abandoned your child for power, despite how useless power is when have no family."
Athea lunges forwards – and Vizma can't help feeling a vicious surge of victory because she clearly really hit a nerve – only for two white blades to intersect her.
They exchange blows in a furious blur, but Athea is easily keeping up with them. And the other Inquisitor is steadily gaining the upper hand against the other two. She throws Ezra against a pillar, leaving him motionless, and Kanan swings for the Inquisitor, but she cuts down sharply, lightsaber burning across his side. He staggers, and she hurls him back into the wall, lifting her blade to deliver a killing blow.
And there's nothing anyone can do to stop her.
"No!" Vizma screams, all of her description and anger surging through her, and she throws up a hand, hurling the Dark Sider backwards as hard as she can. Her heart still pounding, anger blazing. Vizma Force-jumps, landing right next to her as scrambles to her feet again, hastily trying to parry Vizma's blade. She cuts downwards, slashing through the middle of the Inquisitor's lightsaber. Half of it falls to the ground sparking, but she doesn't give the other a moment to recollect herself, attacking her in a blind rage.
For a moment, she could almost feel invincible. It's a stupid move, but she ducks downwards as the Inquisitor tries to block her, and she impales her through the chest with her lightsaber, even as the red blade burns across her arm.
She stumbles back with a yelp, breathing heavily as the Inquisitor falls to the ground.
Dead, or close enough.
She killed her.
For a moment, she can hardly believe it. The one Inquisitor they've been fighting against for so long is finally gone. And Vizma did it. She's surprisingly proud of herself. This is vengeance, she realizes. They killed Aunt Satine, and she took one of their lives in return.
She turns away, running to Kanan's side. Ezra is already starting to get up, and he looks dazed, but otherwise okay. "Kanan?" she asks, urgently, crouching next to him.
He grimaces as he tries to sit up. His side was hit badly, and he's in no condition to be doing anything. But he abruptly frowns as she sees her. "Vizma, your eyes..."
"What?" she asks, confused.
"They're yellow."
... oh.
That explains why she's feeling so... full of sheer power right now. The feel is almost intoxicating, and though she's drawn on the Dark Side before, it was never this deeply. It gives her power, and she needs that power. "I..." she draws in a breath, unsure if she's ready or even wants to let go it right now, "You can't keep fighting. You better get to the ship."
Kanan nods, and she holds out her good arm, helping him stand, as Ezra appears next to them.
Behind her, she hears the sound of the lightsaber whirring and looks up to see Athea flying away. Coward.
Ahsoka frowns when she sees her, probably noticing the same thing Kanan did, but she doesn't mention it. "Kanan, Vizma, you better go back to the ship. Ezra and I will find Marr."
**w**
Marr sprints back into the courtyard of the Temple, right in time to see his mother flying away on her lightsaber, and Kanan and Vizma limping towards their waiting ship. "What happened?" he demands, urgently.
"There's just one left now," Ahsoka replies, looking past him, "Maul," she greets, stiffly.
"Lady Tano," he says flippantly.
"What are we doing now?" Ezra wonders.
"Give me the holocron, and we can use it to activate this Temple," Maul replies.
"No, I'm keeping it," Marr shoots back. He can't trust Maul won't run away with it or try something else.
"Very well," the Sith says, though he sounds decidedly grumpy about that, "But we must use the lifts to get to the top. Only two can go in each."
He exchanges a glance with Ahsoka and Ezra. "Guess I'm with you," he decides, heading for the closest one. Maul steps in next to him – it's beyond weird to be standing side by side in closed spaces like this but he tries not to let it get under his skin – and the lift starts moving upwards.
Something prickles at the edge of his awareness. Something is... coming. No... someone. He's felt the feeling only once before, and the last time was –
Anakin.
For a moment, he can't even breathe.
He's here.
Anakin is here. He can feel it.
Maul has this look on his face, which gives Marr the feeling he senses it too, but he hardly cares. It's the only thing he can think of. He – he has his chance finally, to see him again, after so many years. He can't believe this is really happening.
At least not until the Force screams, and a red blade nearly slashes his head off. Maul blocks it – surprisingly – shoving Athea back, only for her to swing at them again.
Great.
And there's still her to deal with. He does not want to get into this right now.
"Activate the Temple!" Maul snaps, as Marr starts reaching for the Darksaber.
The two double-bladed red lightsabers clash in a blur, and Marr watches another moment before he turns and runs for the top of the Temple. He needs to find Anakin. Where is he? He's here somewhere, and they have to find him. Or maybe he'll find them first. But he doesn't know what else to do, so he continues heading forwards, for the top of the Temple. Something is telling him that maybe this isn't the best of ideas, but he won't find out until he does it.
Stepping forwards, Marr hesitantly sets the holocron into place. Electricity instantly crackles outwards, between the two sides of the... object. It spreads further, crackling dangerously above Marr's head. "Who comes forth?" a voice asks, that sounds vaguely feminine.
"Marr Vizsla," he replies. This feels dark, disturbingly so, and for some reason, he suddenly has a bad feeling about this.
"Why are you here?" it asks, when he doesn't continue.
"For knowledge."
"Indeed, Marr Vizsla. And do you know what knowledge is?"
Why do people like asking such cryptic questions that don't even have an obvious answer? Or maybe it's just so obvious that you never think of it. "It is power," he answers. "That is the way of the Sith."
"Yes," the voice hisses, and a blast of electricity bursts outwards, expanding in a growing circle of energy that spreads far beyond the Temple. A column of the reddish-white energy rises upwards, so far up into the sky that he can't see the end of it. It's too bright to even try. Then, after a moment, it fades.
"What are you doing?" he asks, warily.
"The power to destroy life is at your command."
What?! That is not what he came here for! Although he has to admit that a weapon like this might actually be useful against Sidious, they couldn't do that without probably killing everyone around him. And... he'd have to experiment to see how it works, which isn't something he's very inclined to try. Not after seeing all those rock statues that were once people.
"That is not what I came here for," he objects.
"That perhaps the other who approaches will claim it instead."
It's the sound of an approaching TIE fighter that finally catches his attention – or maybe it's the feel of that presence so close. He spins around to see the TIE flying straight towards the Temple, a black armored figure standing on top.
Anakin... Vader.
He's here. In front of him. After all these years.
For a breathtaking moment, all he can do is stare as the TIE comes to a stop, and Vader jumps off, landing easily on the ground. The sound of a respirator rings out loudly, even above the electricity crackling behind him.
Marr remembers with perfectly clarity, in this moment, the last time he saw Anakin.
"Don't do anything stupid until I get back."
"How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you."
"Anakin! Good luck."
He remembers the feel of that hug in perfect clarity, maybe because it was the last one they ever shared. He remembers the last time he talked to his brother over the comm, and something was clearly bothering him, but he never got to find out what it was. Marr feared he died at the Temple, that he was dead for years. Somewhere deep inside, he thinks he always knew, but... he doesn't think he truly accepted it until this very moment. He knew in principle that Anakin was still there when he sensed him, but that was so, so different from seeing his once-brother standing in front of him.
And now he's here and alive.
He might be almost completely Dark, though there's a part of him that feels more broken and depressed than anything else, and he might be a cyborg now – and how did that happen? How could something of that nature have happened to Anakin? – but he's here. It gives Marr a flare of hope.
There's a completely irrational part of him that almost wants to... cry, maybe, and throw himself into his arms. Force, he's here. He wants to demand to know what happened. Ask if he's alright. Ask what happened to him all these years, how he's been. Demand to know how he could do any of this. But in the end, only one thing comes out.
"A-Anakin?" Marr breaths, nearly choking on the name.
"Our long awaited meeting has come at last," he replies. He sounds different, far deeper, mechanical, probably a result of the vocoder on his helmet.
Marr can't believe this is really happening. He can't believe he's here.
They're here, together. After so many years.
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