Disclaimer:
Star Wars does not belong to me, nor do any of the images shown. This fic was created by me for entertainment purposes.
NA: I have translated this chapter using Chat GPT.
Star Wars Xion 15
"Begin the attack!" Ventress ordered, as the Republic cruiser they intended to assault had detected their presence and was firing at them.
The droids obeyed and launched themselves at full speed, ready to breach the cruiser's hull. Their ships were infiltration vessels carrying only a few hundred droids to infiltrate and create a distraction, which she would use to rescue Nute Gunray.
...
The plan went as expected, and most of the ships managed to reach the cruiser's hull and deploy the droids. Ventress didn't participate in the battle, and as soon as the droids cleared the room they had infiltrated, she exited the ship and entered the ventilation ducts.
Ventress's plan was to disable the cruiser and escape in a frigate, which she knew was there thanks to an undercover clone they had bribed for this plan. Therefore, before revealing herself to the Jedi guarding her target, she needed to sabotage the cruiser to prevent them from following.
Ventress silenced her presence in the Force and followed the route to reach the cruiser's engines. Dodging guards, whether droids or clone soldiers, was easy for her, as her senses were focused on the dozens of droids invading the cruiser. Without a doubt, these droids would be destroyed, as they weren't enough to take over the cruiser, and with two Jedi present, the odds were even slimmer.
...
After a few minutes, the soldiers and Jedi had regained control of the situation on the cruiser, but Ventress was already close to the engines, and no one had seen her.
Ventress could sense one of the Jedi, Master Luminara. She was focused, and her presence was serene. An easy target for Ventress if they were to face off. Jedi like her were easy to defeat using tricks. Ventress's concern was far from her, focused on the second presence, or rather, the absence of it.
It was Ahsoka Tano, the apprentice of that Jedi Knight, Anakin Skywalker. A Jedi Knight whom Ventress considered more dangerous than any Council Master, even more so than Master Yoda, that green dwarf she had once faced. He had paralyzed her with the Force, rendering her defenseless, and had taken her lightsabers from her hands, all in a direct confrontation, not a sneak attack.
Ventress had grown since then and sought her revenge. She had devised several ways to face the arrogant little dwarf, but she had no hope against Anakin Skywalker. She couldn't devise a way to confront him. He didn't attack head-on unless his opponent initiated the fight. Even if he attacked directly, he didn't leave his opponent alone, somehow infiltrating their minds and shattering their will as they faced him. Her own master, someone far superior to her, had been affected by his sharp tongue a few months back and had since gone somewhat mad. Ventress had caught him talking to himself several times.
Ventress feared ending up the same way. Every time she saw Skywalker, she fled for the sake of her mental health. Luckily, that madman was obsessed with Kyber crystals and would leap after them whenever Ventress threw her lightsabers. Her master never reproached her for fleeing, especially now that he himself had had to flee twice when facing the Jedi.
In this mission, Skywalker was absent, but his annoying apprentice was present, and the last time they faced off, she had used the orbs Skywalker used, although lacking his sharp tongue. Ventress wasn't overconfident and considered her the greatest threat she faced in this mission, where failure was not an option. The Republic had already captured another Separatist leader and General Grievous. Their forces were in chaos right now; they didn't need more confusion in the chain of command. Nute Gunray was their contact with the Trade Federation, who were already frustrated because they couldn't get rid of Senator Amidala, and she was breathing down their necks, dragging anyone she could into corruption scandals and causing political and economic ruin. Now she had also ensnared their representative in the Separatist Council.
Because of all this, Ventress's current mission could not afford to fail, and if it did, she had better not return, as she was certain her master, Count Dooku, wouldn't forgive her.
Ventress reinforced her concealment, as she was nearing the ship's engines, where she would plant explosive charges…
"So the little serpent tries to infiltrate," said Ahsoka Tano, who was ten meters above her, standing on four orbs while another orb floated around her.
Ventress clenched her teeth, not understanding how she could sense her. She could only step out and face her, revealing her presence, which caused the second Jedi to run towards them.
Ventress activated her lightsabers. Since she was there, she might as well get her work done ahead of time, and while she fought, she would blow the place up…
Ahsoka leaped toward her in what would be a suicidal attack if not for her orbs firing blaster bolts at high speed, leaving her no room for anything but jumping and running.
Ventress jumped out of the engine room. If they fought there, with no space to dodge, she would be doomed.
Ventress fled to the cargo hold, where there were enough obstacles and space for her to move, and the Jedi wouldn't be able to coordinate their attacks. Ahsoka Tano wasn't yet at her level. If it weren't for those cursed orbs, she could face her without any issue.
"Ventress, you're not my target. Put down your lightsabers, and I guarantee you can leave here as if we never crossed paths…"
Ventress jumped towards the voice coming from behind some crates, but her lightsaber only clashed against a shield generated by one of the padawan's orbs, which revealed her presence behind her. Ahsoka jumped onto her and struck with her lightsaber. Ventress managed to stop it, but it wasn't her only problem, as the other orbs started firing. Ventress could only defend herself, thankful that the available space prevented the orbs from surrounding her. However, she cursed and jumped again, as the orbs moved away and attempted to fire from above.
Ventress gritted her teeth when the padawan's presence disappeared again. She definitely wouldn't fight fair.
"Ventress, I'm not going to let you leave with those lightsabers," warned the padawan. This time, Ventress didn't jump and remained hidden.
Before, she only had to worry about the shields generated by those orbs. But now they could shoot too. That was madness. It was like facing mini droidekas. Because these orbs had shields as well. If it were a head-on battle, it would be a test of senses, and she wouldn't lose. But this padawan was trying to surround her the moment their lightsabers crossed, and being shot in the back was something she couldn't face.
Very few Force users could handle something like this, and it had been proven time and again. Because it was Grievous's favorite tactic. Confront the Jedi head-on while his guard harassed them from behind. The moment they tried to use the Force to gain an advantage, his guards attacked, and the fight was over. Ventress wouldn't attempt it.
Ventress clenched her teeth. She truly hated playing defensively, but there was nothing to be done in this case, as the other Jedi was a minute away from reaching her position.
Ventress used the Force to turn some crates into small fragments, causing the padawan to locate her and jump towards her while her orbs fired. But this time, she encountered a shower of fragments that forced her orbs to stop shooting and focus on defense. She didn't have enough skill to keep the orbs firing and defend herself at the same time, and those orbs weren't droids. They couldn't attack on their own…
The orbs fired while being moved to defend, so Ventress could barely dodge a shot that grazed her shoulder. She jumped and ran decisively as the padawan pursued her.
"You have no honor!" Ventress reprimanded as she was chased and evaded the highly accurate shots from the orbs. The Jedi no longer bothered to conceal that they were droids.
The padawan laughed as if she were a Sith.
"If your master were as crazy as mine, honor would be the least of your concerns. Now hand over those sabers," the padawan growled angrily.
Ahsoka leaped and used one of the orbs as a springboard to propel herself and jump over Ventress.
Ventress didn't hesitate; as Ahsoka jumped, Ventress leaped and entered the ventilation ducts. The padawan jumped after her, and Ventress barely made it to a bend before being hit by the shots from Ahsoka's orbs. Ventress started to worry. She opened the duct using her lightsaber to hide in another storage area.
Ventress didn't know what to do anymore. She was caught in the same trap Grievous used to capture Jedi, and so far, no Jedi who had faced this tactic head-on had come out alive. The only effective tactic was to escape, but she couldn't escape. Her master would kill her if she failed in this mission. She had to think.
Grievous was captured by a Jedi, so his tactic wasn't invincible. The problem was that the Jedi was Skywalker, and against him, the droids were useless unless there were tens of thousands of them. Grievous's guard had suffered a tragic fate when facing him, and Grievous had no chance. Her situation was different, because her opponent shielded her droids using the Force. She couldn't use the Force against them without exposing herself to an attack. She wasn't Skywalker.
Ventress clenched her fists. Under these conditions, she wouldn't be able to fulfill the rescue mission. The only possibility was to destroy everything and ensure Nute Gunray's death. Her master wouldn't be pleased, but he wouldn't kill her either…
An Incoming communication interrupted her thoughts. Ventress gritted her teeth and answered.
"Master, I can't rescue Nute Gunray," Ventress said. The rest wasn't necessary to inform him, and her master wouldn't be interested.
"Forget Nute, return here immediately!" her master ordered. Ventress could sense the apprehension in his words.
"Master, I need time. I have two Jedi on my tail…"
"Immediately!" her master scolded and cut off the transmission.
Ventress blinked. Something extremely grave must have happened.
Ventress felt like crying. She would have preferred risking her life trying to kill Nute Gunray rather than what she was about to do next to fulfill her master's orders.
Ventress revealed her presence, and within a couple of seconds, the padawan was upon her.
"I'll give you the sabers," Ventress said, and the padawan blinked in disbelief. Ventress tossed her the lightsabers.
The padawan took the lightsabers, smashing them before her eyes to keep the Kyber crystals. Ventress could sense her triumph and felt like vomiting. This was a great humiliation for her.
"Start running; I'll be right behind you," the padawan ordered.
Ventress wasted no time and hurried to run.
"Trouble?" the padawan asked as both of them ran, hiding their presence, and the other Jedi asked for directions over the radio, which the padawan blatantly ignored.
The padawan could feel her apprehension, just as Ventress could sense her relief at obtaining the lightsabers.
"It's none of your concern, Jedi," Ventress insulted. The padawan only smiled.
"Of course," she said with a carefree smile.
It reminded Ventress of that Skywalker brat, and again, she regretted having to leave. This was her chance to get back at him, but once again, she had to hand over the lightsabers.
…
Ventress escaped in a ship while the padawan caused a disturbance on her own cruiser, destroying the sensors to prevent them from tracking her. Ventress cooperated by providing her an alibi, revealing the identity of her spy within the ship.
…
Upon leaving the Tranquility cruiser, Ventress set course for Serenno, a Separatist stronghold and her master's birth planet.
On her journey, Ventress calmed her emotions to sense the situation and seek answers. Prior to this mission, her master had warned her that she must not fail under any circumstances, but now he left everything up to her to return to his side. Ventress had a bad feeling about this matter and sensed a disturbance in the Force.
…
Upon arriving at Serenno, she was welcomed by a line of cruisers guarding the planet. There were no battles or anything of the sort, but the Force was restless, and something big was approaching.
…
Descending onto the landing platform at a palace by a cliff, where her master resided, he awaited her, holding two lightsabers that he handed to her with a serene expression. Ventress was stunned, but her master simply turned around.
"Follow me and stay by my side at all times," her master ordered.
Ventress followed him in silence, without complaining about being forced to withdraw disgracefully. She had never sensed apprehension in her master before, but now she did. Her master was nervous. She didn't perceive anything from him other than control, but her feelings and instincts warned her otherwise.
"Ventress, you have grown strong. I have underestimated your potential before. But now I think differently, and from now on, I will consider you my apprentice," her master said. Ventress didn't understand anything.
"Master, I already am your apprentice," Ventress said, though that was obvious.
"Yes, I've told you that, but until now, I've only regarded you as a skilled assassin. A Sith Lord cannot have apprentices if he himself is an apprentice," her master explained. Ventress tensed, and her master smiled.
...
Three hours later, Ventress entered a room her master assigned to her beside his own. Ventress was stunned by everything her master had told her.
The identity of Dark Sidious as Palpatine. How they planned to eliminate the Jedi Order and how this war was nothing but a puppeteer's game, aimed at elevating his master and Palpatine to power. In this plan, she was nothing more than a pawn meant to be abandoned, because Palpatine, Dark Sidious, wouldn't allow her to be trained properly, as that could lead to his own downfall. But now everything had changed.
Dark Sidious was conspiring to replace her master, and her master needed his own apprentice to oppose his plans, so he offered to commit to training her, making her his apprentice. And when it was all over, they would take power instead of Dark Sidious, whom they would dispose of along the way, when the time was right.
Ventress pondered as she meditated, seeking guidance in the Force to clarify her thoughts. The war was a falsehood, but she didn't care about the war. This was about the Republic and the Jedi. The corrupt had to fall, and they would establish order. The objectives didn't change, but now she knew more. Now she would be a true Sith, so Ventress smiled, for she had her answer. Yet, she continued her meditation for another two hours.
…
As her meditation ended, Ventress headed to her master's training chamber, an empty hall with stone walls and floors.
"Ventress, it seems you've made a decision," Count Dooku said, rising from his meditation at the center of the room and taking his lightsaber.
Ventress approached him and knelt down on one knee.
"Master, I have chosen to be your apprentice and bring order to the galaxy," Ventress swore. Her master ignited his lightsaber and held it a few inches from her shoulder.
"Then rise, my apprentice. Together, we will bring order to this galaxy. Rise, Asajj Ventress!" her master ordered, stepping back three paces and immediately assuming a defensive stance. It seemed that her training was about to begin.
Ventress didn't hesitate; she stood up, ignited her lightsabers, and attacked.
…
"Speed, apprentice, but don't sacrifice your agility. You must react at the right moment, neither too soon nor too late. Every time you fail to seize an opportunity, you take a step back on your path to victory," her master cautioned after sending her flying with a Force attack. For the tenth time in an hour, she couldn't sustain her speed, giving him time to use the Force and send her airborne.
It was just like facing Skywalker. Her master and he were duelists with opposing styles, but Ventress didn't know better lightsaber fencers. In fact, when they dueled, that Skywalker bastard didn't dare to use his tricks. Her master would cut him in half if he attempted to use the Force against him. That meant facing her master was like fighting Skywalker. She would take years to match them no matter how well she was trained.
Ventress couldn't accept that. She wouldn't accept humiliation. She wasn't willing. Now there was that brat of a padawan and her dirty tricks…
An idea came to Ventress's mind, urged by her forces and emotions. The dark side encouraged her, swirling around her with a thirst for blood and revenge. She looked at her approaching master, who raised an eyebrow upon sensing her emotions and the disturbance in the Force.
Ventress jumped back, and from the ground where she had stood, rock fragments rose and flew toward her master like sharpened daggers. Her master raised his hand to use the Force and stop her attack. Ventress lunged at full speed to cut through with her lightsabers. Her master dispersed the fragments and halted her charge, leaving ample space to push her back. However, he made no Force movement; instead, he stepped aside and crossed his saber several times to deflect the sharp rock fragments that came back at him after he sent them flying. This time, he used his lightsaber to cut them down and prevent them from launching at him again, but that prevented him from using the Force against her. They clashed sabers for a full minute before separating.
"Interesting effect, it seems you've learned from your encounters with Skywalker," her master said, looking at her thoughtfully.
Ventress nodded. After so many encounters, seeing how Skywalker and now his apprentice used the Force to suppress it, she had learned she could use it to enhance her own abilities. Her master deactivated his lightsabers, and Ventress followed suit.
"This move betrays your impatience for power, but in this case, we don't have time to be patient," her master said, gazing at the rock dust that hadn't yet settled to the ground. He turned around, wearing a smile.
"Follow me, apprentice. Let's find something better than mere rocks as your secondary weapon," her master said, leading the way, and Ventress walked beside him.
…
During the night, Ventress meditated when she felt a disturbance in the Force, like a shiver of the dark side. She opened her eyes; it wasn't her master's presence; it was a wild and uncontrolled force oozing hatred and vengeance.
Ventress stood up, leaving her room to head towards her master, as this danger was approaching them and had to be related to the betrayal he mentioned.
Her master's room was right next to hers, so Ventress only walked a few steps and was about to touch the door when she froze.
"A Sith name was unnecessary; it's a tradition that should be forgotten," her master said.
Ventress didn't touch the door because there was no one inside. "He's talking to himself again," Ventress thought, feeling some apprehension.
"I don't want a stupid beast like Maul; I want someone capable of following in my footsteps, which is why I teach control and not anger," her master replied as if he were speaking to someone else.
"You're wasting your time; my path is decided. I am a Sith, there's no turning back from the dark side," her master said, and Ventress felt… sorrow?
"I warned you before, visions of the future can lead a Jedi to ruin, and Skywalker will follow the same path."
"You're mistaken; Sifo-Dyas sealed his own fate. I had little to do with it. His assurance in what lay ahead blinded him to what was right in front of him, and the same will happen with Skywalker. It's not hope, and I have no…"
"You're doing well. Order will come through my hand; I am the galaxy's only hope," her master said.
Ventress stepped away from the door as the madness seemed to subside, and her master regained his composure.
Ventress returned to her own room, sat down, and meditated again. Her master had lost his sanity. This explained why the other Sith Lord had abandoned him and sought another apprentice. That meant her position wasn't secure. However, Ventress wouldn't flee. Today, she had learned more from Dooku than she had since they met, and she accepted being his apprentice.
Dooku was insane, but he remained incredibly powerful. Otherwise, her master would have come here to dispose of him before seeking another apprentice. He had gone mad, but Ventress could feel his power growing, and the Force strengthening. That was why she would stay. She would learn from him, gain experience, connections, and influence—everything promised to her. When she had it all and, alongside Dooku, destroyed the other Sith and his new apprentice, then the time would come for her to take everything from him and give rest to the old man and his unstable mind. That would be her path.
…
Pain, suffering, hatred. Revenge. Feelings swirled in his mind as he awakened from his long sleep, gazing at his body—or what was left of it. Cold and a persistent sense of pain invaded him as medical droids rushed to attach his body to prosthetics.
Maul endured the pain, growling in fury and anger. Now, a day later, he managed to break free from his restraints and unleash his rage against the droids that had caused him such suffering.
"Very well, apprentice, release your hatred. Feed your emotions to the dark side and use your anger to strengthen yourself," his former master, Darth Sidious, chuckled.
Having satisfied his rage, Maul knelt before his master.
"Master, I am ready to continue serving and learning," Maul said.
"Good, because while you were absent, a new Sith was trained. But his talent is lacking, and now that you're back, he's no longer necessary. Together, we will deal with him, and then we will rule the galaxy as it was meant to be from the start."
"Rest now, apprentice. Once you've done that, I must teach you what you still don't know, so your training will begin," his master said, leaving the infirmary and leaving his old lightsaber for him… not an identical model.
Maul let him go and then stood up, looking at himself in a broken mirror in the infirmary. He brought his hand to his head.
Dark Sidious had installed a computer there. It was a control device for his legs and also an enhancement for his physical abilities. It was also part of a droid control system that the Sith Lord intended for him to take the place of his fallen general. All the information was now in Maul's brain, and he didn't know if he was still himself or if he had become a machine…
Maul activated his lightsaber and destroyed the mirror.
"Dark Sidious," Maul growled in his mind. One day, he would kill him. Him and Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan had subjected him to the worst torment of his life, and Sidious had used him, then discarded and replaced him. Now, he was reclaiming him as just another piece. That much he could understand now. Sidious was too arrogant, making adjustments to his brain and thinking it would be impossible for him to draw conclusions...
No. Sidious already knew he would draw these conclusions. "He just sees me as trash he can use and then discard," Maul reasoned. But Sidious was mistaken. He would be the one using him. One day his moment would come. Sidious's current apprentice had gotten out of control. He was forced to bring him back. He believed Maul didn't know, but with this brain implant, everything he saw had been recorded, processed, and turned into a history.
In the records, it was noted that he had been rescued a few days after his duel with Obi-Wan, treated, and then frozen. His brain had no more data until he was awakened again in Sidious's hands. That meant he knew Maul was alive, and when he found him, he kept him as a card to be played in case his apprentice rebelled.
"How did Sidious know that I was still alive?" Maul wondered. He didn't know. He would have to find out later. For now, his computerized brain warned him that it was more important to devise a plan.
"Stupid machine!" Maul scolded.
The plan could only be one: to kill Sidious. But not now. He didn't have the power or the skills. But he had the opportunity to acquire them, because Sidious needed him. His other apprentice had become a threat to him, and thanks to that, Maul now had his chance. He would learn and, in the process, become a figure of power and authority, Palpatine's right hand, a suitable stepping stone to take his power. But not now. He had to wait.
Wait for the other apprentice to fall. Wait for the power to come. Wait for influence and wealth as his strength grew. The first step was to take control of the droid army and correct its flaws. He needed to earn merits and win battles.
With all this in mind, Maul sat down to meditate.
...
The next day, his training began, and Sidious took it seriously, teaching him everything he could learn for fifteen days.
At the end of the fifteen days, Maul had much to practice to become stronger, and it was time to present him to the one who had replaced him. He was sent to Serenno.
...
Upon arriving on Serenno, the one who had replaced him after his fall received him along with his apprentice. Despite Maul walking alongside a hologram of his master as he disembarked from the ship in the apprentice's palace hangar, the apprentice didn't kneel to greet him as was proper.
"Master," Dooku greeted, who was Dark Tyranus, the apprentice who replaced Maul.
"Lord Tyranus," his master greeted as if he didn't notice anything unusual. "The loss of Grievous has been a blow to our plans that we cannot ignore. Skywalker must be stopped, and I'm afraid Grievous's return alone won't be enough, for he will never be able to face Skywalker," his master said.
"I agree," Dooku said. "That's why I was thinking Ventress could take his place," he added, indicating the apprentice at his side.
Maul thought his master would sooner slit his own throat than allow this rebellious apprentice to control an army.
"Your idea is sound, 'apprentice'," Sidious emphasized. "But I've already resolved this matter so that your agent can continue serving us with greater freedom of movement. Before you stands the remains of Dark Maul, my former apprentice."
"I have retrieved his body and converted him into a loyal droid for our cause, who will play the role of Grievous without any issues, as Skywalker won't be able to challenge him," his master said. "Dark Maul is a tool with no will other than obedience, for the glory of the future Sith Empire. You can entrust him with our operations; I'm certain he won't disappoint you," Sidious added.
"Of course, Master, it will be as you say," Dooku said.
Maul's electronic brain indicated that not even a five-year-old child would believe a word of what had been said in this meeting, as it lacked all sense.
On the other hand, everyone there acted as if the nonsense spoken made perfect sense. Maul included, because this charade had to continue until he had power in his hands. Then, everyone would pay the price for their betrayal.
…
Anakin
A week after arriving at the Thousand Moons, Anakin was controlling System 0 to repair the damages on the Truth and Reconciliation when he received an alarm from R2.
Anakin hurried to take off his helmet, and for a second, he saw double due to the sound of the alarm that almost deafened him. Anakin looked at R2.
"R2, vengeance and anger are the path to the dark side," Anakin advised.
R2 excused himself, saying that his sensors were still offline and rupturing Anakin's eardrums was not his intention.
"What's happening?" Anakin asked with a sigh.
R2 notified him that the Jedi Council was calling him, and it was an emergency. Anakin nodded and got up to go to the communication room, followed by R2, who bumped into his shins several times with the excuse that he had issues with his new operating systems.
…
"Masters?" Anakin asked as he connected the communication.
In front of him was the entire Council of Masters and also Obi-Wan.
"Anakin, there is an obvious disturbance in the dark side; stop pretending ignorance!" Obi-Wan scolded.
"Master, I'm not pretending ignorance, though you're mistaken. It's not a disturbance; it's a beautiful storm," Anakin said, showing a wide smile.
"Knight Anakin?" Windu raised an eyebrow.
"Master Windu?" Anakin asked, still smiling.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan reprimanded.
"Master, they're calling me to ask a favor. Don't you think you shouldn't be scolding me for being rude?" Anakin complained.
His master's light blue hologram shifted to a darker blue, so Anakin assumed he was turning purple right now, but when he was about to speak, Windu raised his hand.
"Knight Skywalker, this Council knows your senses are exceptional. Would you be so kind as to explain to us what your senses are telling you about this matter?" Windu asked with authority.
Anakin made a face. For some reason, he didn't like it when these old men surrendered and granted him an easy victory. It made him feel a certain loss.
"The Sith are in turmoil; I'd say they're ready to slit each other's throats. The dark side is chaos right now, and it's divided. It seems all the candidates have their approval, so their ambitions must be quite serious," Anakin said with a smile. Then he raised his hand before they started accusing him.
"I'm not responsible for this; another Jedi has been whispering in Dooku's ears, and this has made his master very nervous, forcing him to seek reinforcements," Anakin explained, and they all looked at him as if trying to decide if he was telling the truth.
"Which Jedi has had contact with Dooku?" Obi-Wan asked, knowing him better and knowing he wasn't lying.
"Qui-Gon, the bastard has been hiding from me. I suppose telling him that he died for not listening to me is too much for his pride, so he prefers to go talk to his old master," Anakin said.
He had already sensed Qui-Gon, even though the bastard didn't show his face, he knew he was there. The Council looked at him indignantly and were preparing to reprimand him, but his master bowed.
"Masters, Anakin wouldn't play with this. In fact, he's been trying to contact my master for the past few years. And I…" Obi-Wan didn't dare to continue speaking because the entire Council suddenly looked at him.
"Master, I'm surprised. Keeping information from the Council," Anakin said somewhat annoyed, as his words clearly indicated that this guy had already contacted Qui-Gon and didn't tell him anything.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan scolded, and then looked at the rest of the Council. "Masters, I wasn't in good condition at that time. I thought maybe I had dreamt it, but now that Anakin has spoken, my instincts tell me I'm not mistaken," his master excused himself.
The rest of the Council fell silen". Most of them still didn't accept Qui-Gon's current state and dismissed it as nonsense despite all the evidence.
"Meditate on this we must," Yoda said, looking at him. "Knight Skywalker, your actions have triggered this. The Sith's vision of you will be," Yoda warned. Anakin nodded; he was already prepared for this.
"Masters, soon it won't just be about me. The dark side will want to rid itself of all those little lights opposing it. I will need your permission to protect you," Anakin said.
"Who they are, tell us you will not," Master Yoda said.
"Masters, I can feel the dark side growing within the Jedi Order…"
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan reprimanded.
Yoda and Windu exchanged looks, and the rest of the Council refrained from scolding him upon seeing that.
"Knight Skywalker, after your mission, approach the temple. We will meditate on it," Windu said. Anakin nodded, and the rest of the Council looked disheartened, but since Dooku's fall, their faith in themselves had wavered slightly.
Anakin wasn't lying either. With war and death everywhere, doubts were arising, and corrupting the Jedi wasn't something Palpatine was bad at, especially now that his plans were becoming chaotic.
"Knight Skywalker, we will await your return," Windu said, and the communication was cut.
Anakin knew Maul had returned; it seemed Palpatine had learned about the Jedi's search for Maul on Naboo and had been more efficient than them in finding him. This could be his mistake or an advantage, considering the Sith had returned to their origins and started planning against each other. Time would tell if this would give him an edge or cause him trouble.
…
Anakin returned to ship repairs, but a few hours later, R2 screamed in his ears again because a small ship was approaching.
Anakin was puzzled because no one was supposed to know he was there, yet the approaching ship was Ahsoka's, and the defenses didn't activate.
Anakin stood up and went to the upper bridge to receive her, as she didn't go to the base's hangar but to that of the Truth and Reconciliation. Anakin was somewhat nervous because there was a way to reach that ship for her, and the Force confirmed that his instincts were right—she had followed their bond.
…
"Anakin, let's train," Ahsoka said as soon as she got off her fighter.
Anakin could only blink because she didn't call him "Master," and there was coldness in her words. Anakin noticed that until now, he had enjoyed great respect from Ahsoka, but only now, when she called him by his name without any sign of that respect, did he realize it.
"Ahsoka, how did your mission go?" Anakin asked with apprehension.
"Nute Gunray will escape from his prison, but I've obtained a lot of information about his operations. Senator Amidala seemed pleased with it. Nute Gunray is a member of the Separatist Council, and below Grievous and Dooku, he is the highest-ranking among them and the one with the most information. Many senators were on his paylists," Ahsoka said, taking out a Kyber crystal. "I've already taken mine," she reported.
Anakin was somewhat frightened. He took the Kyber crystal.
"Ahsoka, you must be tired from the journey; you should rest and meditate. I'm also busy right now, and later we have to leave because the Council has summoned me," Anakin excused himself.
"Anakin, let's train now," Ahsoka said.
"Padawan…" Anakin interrupted his reprimand because Ahsoka put her hand on her lightsaber.
"Very well, we'll train now," Anakin said, giving in. It seemed he would have to teach his padawan a lesson since she apparently planned to give him a hard time.
…
A few minutes later, the two of them were in a cleared cargo hold, and Ahsoka deployed five spheres and activated her lightsaber. Anakin sighed and activated his.
Ahsoka started with a powerful attack while her spheres fired shots. Anakin didn't plan on letting his padawan get too full of herself as it would get her into trouble later. His intention was to show Ahsoka that her Force control wasn't on the same level. Using his left hand, he stopped the blaster shots and with his lightsaber, he parried her lightsaber strike while pushing with the Force at the same time.
"Master, Padmé sends her regards," Ahsoka said, and Anakin's heart skipped several beats.
"Aaaaaah!" Anakin groaned as a blaster shot hit his right hand, causing his lightsaber to fall.
Ahsoka took advantage of this to deliver a charged strike while her spheres continued firing relentlessly. Anakin was forced to use the Force heavily to absorb all the blaster shots while directing the same ability to his left hand to stop the lightsaber. He used telekinesis to send Ahsoka flying along with her spheres.
Ahsoka flew about ten meters, and her spheres crashed into the wall. If they were regular droids, they would have been destroyed, but as they were artificial cells, the damage was repaired instantly, and they flew back to Ahsoka. After she got up, she returned to her guard stance.
"Ahsoka!" Anakin scolded.
"Anakin, just heal your hand, and let's continue," Ahsoka said.
Anakin blinked.
"Xion!" Anakin scolded, understanding everything.
"If you don't get serious, my padawan is going to beat you up," Xion teased himself.
"She's my padawan!" Anakin reprimanded.
"But it's me she's calling 'master,'" Xion mocked.
Anakin felt betrayed, but he didn't have time to complain because Ahsoka attacked again, intending to cut off his head. He jumped while healing his hand and used the Force to retrieve his lightsaber.
"Anakin, who is Dark Vader?" Ahsoka asked, and Anakin was shot in the leg again.
"Xion, I'm going to kill you!" Anakin growled.
Author's Note: The Sith plan their betrayals, and Ahsoka has been stolen. In the next chapter, we'll see Padmé and the consequences of everything Nute Gunray revealed under Ahsoka's interrogation methods.
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