1 BL (Before Light)
The blood red sky of the dying world of Dathomir was slowly fading into total blackness. Night was coming, and with it would come all manner of vicious predators. Yet Ahsoka remained still, sitting aimlessly in the cavern that had once served as the fortress of the Nightsisters. None had survived- she'd known that much since before the Clone Wars' end- and since then, it had served as a place of safety for her former ally, Maul. But now, even he- a crimson star whose light it seemed would never dim- had been extinguished. Maul had been a monster. Ahsoka knew that much. Yet part of her was compelled to bring his body here for burial on his homeworld.
She told herself their alliance had been one of necessity. Did she ever trust Maul? It was hard to say. And after he'd tricked her, activating Malachor's superweapon and vanquishing all life on Coruscant, how could she possibly mourn him? He was a monster. He had to be put down.
"It's insanity," she thought to herself, her chest aching with that all too familiar emptiness. "Why should I shed tears for a creature so vile?"
But for good or ill, the fact remained- she was alone. First Rex- then Anakin- and now Maul. Gone. Who else could she trust? What else was there left to fight for? Ahsoka was alone.
She sat in front of a crudely constructed altar decorated with a distorted depiction of Satine, the former Duchess of Mandalore. Before it rested a weapon- the darksaber- fabled blade of the first Mandalorian Jedi and symbol of unity for the Mandalorian people. Ahsoka still had a purpose. She had a plan to see through. But still her hand hesitated as she reached for the weapon.
"I suppose that in the end, you got your wish," she muttered as her fingers settled around the hilt. "I will do what you could not. I will make it mine."
The blade ignited. It was a void of endless black, surrounded by a horizon of glowing white. How much blood had been spilled by this storied sword? How much more would yet be spilled? As if feeling the weight of those countless deaths, she drew the blade, a solemn reverence in her movements. But she was snapped out of her revere by the sound of a familiar voice behind her.
"Ahsoka?"
Ahsoka's muscles tensed. She wanted more than anything to cast the blade aside, to turn around, to embrace the voice behind her, to bring things back to the way they once were. But things could never go back. How could one turn back on a path so littered with corpses? Switching off the weapon, she wiped the tears from her face and drew a sharp breath between gritted teeth.
"You found me," she said, her voice devoid of emotion.
"How could I not? Your presence in the Force is- I… I was worried-"
"Don't pretend you care. We both know why you're really here."
"Ahsoka, you know I've always- of course I care about you! I-"
"You have a question for me. Ask."
The Ahsoka that sat before him was a stranger. There was coldness in her voice- even cruelty.
"...is it true?"
"You'll need to be a little more specific."
"A vortex in the Force- trillions of voices silenced- and you at its centre. I… need you to tell me what happened. Even from Tatooine, I-"
Rage engulfed her. Ahsoka stood up and whirled around, her gaze meeting the haggard face of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"Tatooine?!" she yelled, her voice venom. "What right have you to judge me, Obi-Wan?! The galaxy burns thanks to your padawan, and you hide yourself on Tatooine?!"
"Ahsoka, I-"
"No. I don't want to hear your excuses. I don't want to hear anything from you. Leave."
Obi-Wan's expression was one of total and utter heartbreak. Clad in sand-worn robes with his lightsaber dangling clumsily from his belt, he looked a far cry from the stoic general who'd faced down entire armies during the Clone Wars.
"I'm sorry, Ahsoka, but I can't do that. What the Force has revealed to me- everything you've done- everything you intend to do- I… cannot turn a blind eye to that."
A wry smile spread across Ahsoka's face.
"What- are you going to kill me? Or are you just going to leave me for dead, bloodied and broken, the same way you did with Anakin?"
Crippling dread seized Obi-Wan.
"Anakin… he…?"
"He didn't die. Oh, no. The thing he turned into on that day- it's impossible to imagine the suffering my old master would have inflicted upon the galaxy if I hadn't put him out of his misery."
"You killed him?!"
"No. I killed the monster that took his place. I killed the monster that you created-" she said, briefly lifting her armoured shirt above her abdomen to reveal the scar left by Vader's saber, "...but not before he killed me."
A mass of emotions overcame Obi-Wan, but through sheer will he pushed them down. He was here for a purpose- one if left unfulfilled would bring disastrous consequences for the universe.
"Ahsoka, I'm… so sorry. I failed Anakin, and I failed to stop what he became. I failed the galaxy and I failed you. I know the things you must have been through over these past-"
"You know nothing. Hypocrite. Coward. Disgraceful failure of a master. Where were you when Anakin slaughtered his way through the Jedi temple? Where were you when the remaining Jedi were hunted down and executed? Where were you when-"
Despite her efforts, tears once again began to well up in Ahsoka's eyes.
"When I was all alone- when everyone turned against me- when I just wanted to die- where were you?!"
"I-"
"What was so important that you left us all to rot?! And after turning a blind eye for so, so long, what gives you the gall to show your face now?!"
Taken aback by Ahsoka's outburst, Obi-Wan couldn't help but flinch.
"...believe me when I say that I want nothing more than to atone for my mistakes. Listen to me, Ahsoka. This world has taken so much from you, and you're right to feel angry. But is it not the Jedi way to put aside our passions? To act in the interests of the greater good? The Jedi may be gone, but everything they stood for only dies if we allow it to- if we, blinded by rage, choose to forsake our values!"
A dry chuckle escaped Ahsoka's mouth.
"But I'm not a Jedi, am I? You and your council have seen to that. Time and time and time again, you've turned your back on me, Obi-Wan. You cast me out- you left me with nothing. I ought to hate you for all you've done."
"Then hate me. Despise me if you must. All I ask is that you spare the galaxy your wrath."
There was silence. Then came an eerie humming as Ahsoka raised the darksaber towards Obi-Wan.
"I'll give you a final chance, old 'friend'," she said, her voice dripping with spite. "Leave now or die upon the same blade as your Duchess."
Obi-Wan's eyes widened in frightful realisation. Her words- her stance- the manner in which she wielded her blade- they were terrifying in their familiarity. Fragments- pieces- memories, perhaps- but the likeness was unmistakable.
"Why did you come to Dathomir?" he said, unease creeping into his voice. "It… it was for Maul, wasn't it?"
Ahsoka's flinch confirmed Obi-Wan's suspicions.
"Ahsoka, whatever he's told you, it's-"
"It's true! All of it! Even as the Jedi stumbled blindly in the darkness, Maul warned me of what was to come! Maul foresaw what Anakin would become! Maul protected me when everyone else betrayed me!"
"Can't you see, Ahsoka? He's using you! Manipulating you! He's-"
"He's dead! By my own hand. He was a monster. But unlike you- unlike anyone else- he stayed by my side. He's the one person who never betrayed me."
"Maul has twisted you into a pawn of evil."
"Evil?! I did what needed to be done!"
"You wiped out a planet!"
"I destroyed Darth Sidious! I shattered the Empire!"
"And at what cost?! How many trillions of lives did you take? In fighting evil, what have you allowed yourself to become?!"
"I became what I had to to survive! Though I know you'd have much preferred if I'd died alongside the rest of the Jedi. That way, I wouldn't be standing here as witness to your failures."
"That isn't fair."
"I'm not trying to be."
"Please. Lay down your weapon. It isn't too late for-"
"For what?! For me to become a monster?! For me to be twisted into something my old self would have despised?! You said it yourself, Obi-Wan- I destroyed a planet. There is no redemption left for me. The only way forward- the only way for me to go on living- is to turn these feelings towards a greater purpose."
"...you are correct, Ahsoka. If it is true- if you truly were the cause of Coruscant's destruction- you will need to face justice. But deep down, you know it's the right-"
"Justice?!" exclaimed Ahsoka incredulously. "What justice? Republic justice? The Republic is gone! Imperial justice? I destroyed the Empire's heart! Justice is merely a construct of the current power base- which, in case you hadn't noticed, will soon be mine to command."
"You mean to become the tyrant you once sought to destroy."
"I mean to bring peace- order- security- unity of purpose. I mean to repair this fractured galaxy before it turns on itself!"
Obi-Wan's hand moved to his lightsaber and he ignited it without hesitation.
"...I'm sorry, Ahsoka. I never wanted this, but… the future I've seen cannot become a reality."
"Heh…" said Ahsoka, suppressing a pained expression with a forced smirk. "I'm impressed. I didn't think you'd have it in you."
Ahsoka shifted into a defensive stance, blade held ready to meet Kenobi's. But Obi-Wan's strike didn't come. The blue of his blade reflected off the pools of green scattered about the cavern, creating a bizarre serenity as the former master mentally probed Ahsoka's defences for a weakness.
"Ahsoka," he thought to himself. "What has Maul done to you?"
Then, the darkness held captive by the blade of Ahsoka's saber expanded into a singularly decisive strike.
This wasn't the way it was supposed to go. Such was the speed of her one masterful motion that Obi-Wan had not a moment to react. And then it was over. Ahsoka's breathing grew heavy. Her chest ached unbearably. How could it have been this easy? This was Obi-Wan Kenobi- legendary Jedi, master of her own master, famed for his impenetrable defensive form! And all it had taken was a single attack- a single movement- to destroy him. The old master said nothing as he collapsed to the ground, split almost in two. It was impossible. It was unthinkable. It had to be a trick, a dream, some manner of falsehood! And yet, there was no denying the reality of what she'd done. Her blood-stained hands were a testament to the path she'd now resolved to walk.
Her paper-thin facade of ruthless detachment shattered then and there. This wasn't the way it was supposed to go. It was she, not Obi-Wan, who should have been struck down! If anyone could bring an end to the ceaseless guilt and the abject loneliness, surely it would have been Obi-Wan! She'd tried to goad him. She'd struck first, anticipating a duel in which her defeat was a certainty. She'd hoped beyond hope that Obi-Wan would possess the strength to do what she'd been too cowardly to. But she'd underestimated her own strength. In the absence of the Daughter's light, a festering void had grown in Ahsoka. It was a wellspring for the Dark Side- the infinitely black shadow left behind from the Daughter's all-consuming light. It promised meaning- hope- a vision of a galaxy unified. It hungered for conquest and victory and absolute dominion. And it granted to Ahsoka both relentless ambition and seemingly limitless power. She'd seen the failures of the Republic and the Empire it became. She knew there would be those who would stand in the way of this grand vision. And now she had the power to vanquish them all.
Obi-Wan was gone. Ahsoka would find no salvation in death. But if the world was determined to take everything from her, then she would take it all back.