"It says here that the Jedi attempted to assassinate the Chancellor…" Ahsoka murmured, feeling a pit in her stomach. "They... really went so far?"

Sitting at the controls of the Nu-class attack shuttle, Maul turned to face Ahsoka. He saw her sitting behind him in the passenger seat, examining a news broadcast from the holonet.

"I must admit, I have always admired the cunning and subtlety of my master's schemes," Maul said. "He's a masterful deceiver. Even now, the galaxy rushes to embrace his 'protection', oblivious of his true face."

"You... don't think it could be true?"

"Heh... I'm more surprised that you find it believable, considering your Jedi indoctrination."

Ahsoka scoffed. "I'm not one to believe something on faith alone… But... you heard those recordings presented to the Senate. And after telling Anakin to..."

"What?"

Turning to look out the windows of the cockpit to feign indifference, the truth was, Maul's curiosity had been piqued. Anakin Skywalker was Sidious' favoured pawn. What had the Jedi asked of him?

"The Jedi Council were growing increasingly suspicious of Chancellor Palpatine," said Ahsoka, careful not to reveal too much. "They... instructed my master to spy on him."

Maul smiled, the amusement palpable in his voice.

"They committed such blatant treason? That's a new low for the supposed protectors of the rule of law. And I suppose Skywalker just... went along with this outrageous demand?"

Ahsoka's eyes narrowed.

"I'll have you know that my master would not have been happy with the Council's decision. He too saw the flaws in the Jedi Order and was more vocal than I about exposing them. He would not have stood for this. As for me, I made my feelings on the matter clear. But as Jedi, we have an obligation to uphold the greater good. Yes, the Order is flawed, but... whatever the Council did, I'm sure it was for good reason."

Maul let out a scornful chuckle.

"Oh yes. 'The greater good'. An ideal used by the immoral to justify their immorality to others."

Ahsoka shook her head, her voice growing more impatient.

"What would you know of morality?! The Jedi aren't perfect, but at least they have compassion. They have a code, and a series of lines they do not cross. What do the Sith have?! The Jedi protect. The Sith destroy."

"And we can see the fruits of the Jedi's 'compassion' throughout the sands of Tatooine, and the mines of Kessel. During peacetime, when the Order was at its strongest, a single Jedi Master could have handily dismantled either of those brutal networks of slavery and suffering. And yet they chose not to. Is being complicit in the enslavement of others part of your vaunted 'Jedi Code'?"

Ahsoka couldn't deny that there was truth to what Maul was saying. And considering how Obi-Wan described Anakin's past, there was a good chance her master would agree with him, at least partially. After a moment of silence, she responded, though the conviction had vanished from her voice.

"The Jedi… they… they also have a duty to the Republic. Whether or not it's just, the Jedi can only operate within Republic territories. They are powerful, but the Jedi cannot flout the law at will. Otherwise, they risk diminishing their standing in the galaxy."

Maul shook his head and spoke with a tinge of mocking sarcasm.

"Is that so? It seems to me that they're more than willing to bend or outright break Republic law whenever it's convenient for them."

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow and her voice darkened.

"What do you mean?"

"The Jedi sought to spy on a democratically elected official... and if those recordings are to be believed, they sought to depose him as well. But such actions shouldn't faze you, Lady Tano, for were you not the one who aided a band of murderous terrorists in an effort to eliminate the rightful ruler of Mandalore? Not only was your little siege unsanctioned by the Republic, but it violated treaties over a hundred years old. That makes you and your Order little more than war criminals."

"I am no Jedi. The actions I take do not reflect upon the Council."

"That may be so, but who approved the mission? Was it the Senate? The Chancellor? Or was it your precious Master Kenobi?"

"That doesn't matter! It was obvious that Almec was your puppet. Legal or not, the people of Mandalore were suffering. They had to be liberated from your tyranny!"

Maul grinned.

"And so, you expose your hypocrisy. Tell me this, Lady Tano. Do the Jedi uphold morality, or do they uphold legality? If they uphold morality, why did they continue to allow enormous, galaxy-spanning slavery operations to continue under the pretext of 'upholding legality'? If they uphold legality, why did they routinely ignore the rule of law under the pretext of 'upholding morality'?"

Ahsoka remained silent, and Maul's grin widened.

"The best lies, Lady Tano, are those founded upon a truth. I have no doubt that Sidious orchestrated much of these events… but they would not have been possible were the Jedi truly the paragons of righteousness they claimed to be. My master created this war knowing his enemies would be quick to abandon their ideals of pacifism in favour of becoming generals and warmongers. He used the Clone Wars to expose the Jedi's failings for all to see. And when people were sufficiently afraid of what the Jedi could do, he eliminated them- positioning himself as the hero of this grand story. That was the genius of his designs- not just destroying the Jedi, but ensuring their death was celebrated with thunderous applause."

Ahsoka had been victim to the flaws of the Jedi first-hand. She'd seen how quickly the Council ceased to trust her. She'd witnessed the anti-war protests of Coruscanti citizens at the Jedi temple. She'd heard how the Order had failed everyday people, such as Trace Martez and her sister Rafa. Whether or not the Jedi were the monsters Maul made them out to be, it was clear to Ahsoka that that was how they were perceived. Still, she knew at their core, most Jedi were good people. Which was more than she could say for any of the Sith. Regardless, there was no way she would change the mind of the former Sith Lord. Instead, she decided to shift the conversation in a more productive direction.

"You understand your master's plan pretty well… but you still haven't told me one thing. Who is he? Who is the phantom we're fighting?"

"Why Lady Tano, I thought that would be obvious by now. Who had the political status to play both sides, the opportunity to subvert the clones, and the ability to thrust the Jedi into their new roles as Generals?"

"I don't know. Dooku himself could have fit that description, had he still lived."

Maul sighed in frustration.

"Then perhaps I shall phrase it this way: 'Who had the most to gain from the Clone Wars, and the following Jedi purge?"

Ahsoka looked back at the hologram, seeing the scarred Palpatine's face looking back at her. She knew exactly what Maul was getting at, and was certain that he was wrong.

"I know how it looks. The Clone Wars made Palpatine the most powerful Supreme Chancellor in the Republic's history. It was he who declared himself Emperor and called for the Jedi to be exterminated. But he's just a puppet, and nothing more. If your master truly works behind the scenes, surely he wouldn't have acted out in the open like Palpatine. And if he's as powerful as you've made him out to be, the Jedi would have sensed his aptitude for the Force a long time ago."

"Arrogance such as yours is exactly what he counted on to make his plot succeed. I suspect he allowed the Council to discover his true nature at an opportune time... prompting the Jedi to attack him openly, utterly destroying whatever goodwill they had left."

Ahsoka shook her head.

"But Anakin always spoke highly of-"

And then, it clicked. She remembered Maul's words in the throne room.

"He has long been groomed for his role… as my master's new apprentice."

A look of fearful realisation spread across Ahsoka's face.

"Now you see it. The terrifying cunning of the enemy we face," Maul said as if he knew exactly what Ahsoka was thinking. "Skywalker, Dooku, the clones… and I… we were all pawns in Sidious'… Emperor Palpatine's game."

Palpatine had been nothing but a friend to Anakin ever since he'd arrived at the Jedi Temple. Was that all an act? Was his true intention to turn Anakin away from the light? If so, then what had become of her master now?

"Stop it!" Ahsoka thought to herself. "There's nothing you can do for him right now."

Still, Ahsoka struggled to conceal her worry.

"If you're right… then we're already too late. Palpatine is the most powerful man in the galaxy. How can we get to him? How can we possibly defeat him?"

Maul smirked.

"That, Lady Tano, is a question we must answer together. I would not have thought to enlist your aid had you been some incompetent Padawan or a dogma-blinded fool. And you still surpassed my expectations in our little… 'sparring session'."

Ahsoka smiled inwardly. The end of their duel on Mandalore must have been a shock to someone as prideful as Maul.

"Regardless," Maul continued, "You possess strength, skill, and beyond that, the ability to inspire loyalty. Traits such as those, backed by my guiding vision, can go very far indeed."

Had Maul just complimented her? After the scathing criticism he'd levelled at the Jedi, it seemed oddly out of character. But something else in what he had said stood out to Ahsoka.

"What is your vision, then? To take Sidious' place? Because I will not allow one tyrant to be replaced by another."

"So idealistic…" frowned Maul. "Have you not considered that under my- under our guidance, the galaxy could be set right?"

"Not if it's achieved through force and fear," Ahsoka said, her resolve unbreaking. "I'm sure Palpatine and his followers used that exact justification for their actions. If you intend on becoming the next Sidious, then you can forget about my help."

"Then what would you have me do? Give the galaxy over to crime families and cartels? Or… would you rather I attempt to rebuild that failure of a Republic?"

Ahsoka stood up from her seat, her tone growing bitter.

"Even the Republic, corrupt as it was, would still be better than a dictatorship under your authority. When you offered me your hand on Mandalore, I entertained the idea that you might be different to other Sith. But now I see that there's no difference between Sidious and you. You're both monsters."

Maul's voice darkened.

"Do you truly think so little of me, Lady Tano?"

"All you've done is cause misery and death and destruction. You murdered Obi-Wan's master and the woman he loved. You slaughtered innocent civilians and children without a second thought. And for what?! You did all of this in a futile attempt to bring Master Kenobi down to your level. To put him in the same pathetic and miserable state as you."

Maul stood up from the pilot seat and turned to face Ahsoka. His expression was hostile, his eyes glowing with rage. As he took a single, intimidating step towards her, it took every bit of her willpower not to flinch.

"You cannot imagine what it is to be moments from death, fuelled only by hatred and fury. Losing my legs was just the beginning. The pain never faded, not for all the years I spent trapped in the squalid darkness of Lotho Minor, subsisting on trash and vermin. Every day was torture, and it was all thanks to Kenobi. I was driven to madness, and it was only by the grace of my mother that I recovered from what he'd done to me."

Ahsoka did not back down.

"And so you decided to make him suffer just as you did. Do you know what that makes you? It makes you much weaker, much more petty, than Master Kenobi ever was. He had every reason to hate you. You killed the two people he cared about most in the world. But he never sought vengeance. Obi-Wan could have led this siege himself. He could have saw to it that you were executed for what you did to him. But he put his duty before his feelings, and allowed me to lead the siege- while giving me explicit instructions to bring you in alive for questioning."

"Then he is a fool."

"No. He is a Jedi."

Maul took another step forward.

"Hear this, Ahsoka Tano. You are but a naïve child, who knows nothing of what they speak."

"And you're just a Sith reject, bested twice by Padawans."

Maul's tone became dangerously low as he drew and ignited his lightsaber, the crimson blade close enough that Ahsoka could feel its heat.

"You'll find that this 'reject' is more than capable of killing you where you stand."

Stepping backwards and adopting a defensive stance, Ahsoka ignited her own sabers.

"Then what stopped you the first time?"

Maul snarled, his grip tightening around his weapon. Such insolence could not go unanswered. But killing Ahsoka would only rob him of a valuable asset. After reminding himself of that fact- as much as it pained him to do so- he turned away with gritted teeth, the rage in his eyes subdued.

"…Lady Tano, it is not my intention to fight you," Maul said dispassionately. "But with respect, you do not understand what it is like to suffer as I have."

Maul's body language relaxed and he retracted his lightsaber, returning the weapon to his side. Ahsoka, however, tightened her grip on her weapons, poised to strike.

"And I don't need to. I helped you before because I had no other choice. But if you want me to work with you for a moment longer, you'd better give me a good reason why I should even consider it."

"Perhaps because there are far worse things in the galaxy than I. Contrary to what you might believe… I'm no monster."

"No. You're not a monster," Ahsoka said sarcastically. "Just a mass-murderer, criminal, and former Sith Lord."

"So quick to demonise that which you despise. You share that trait with the Jedi. But I speak the truth."

Ahsoka's expression grew weary.

"Fine. Then tell me what you want. What you actually want. Few people seek power purely for its own sake. Or at least… few people start out that way. So tell me. Why do you seek power? What is it you hope to gain?"

"…An unexpected question. I've already made it clear what I seek. I seek that which I have been promised yet denied all my life. I seek greatness."

Tentatively, Ahsoka lowered her sabers, but left them ignited.

"Greatness? What do you mean?"

"I was born a Nightbrother, a child of the mighty Mother Talzin. I do not remember much from those early days- not even my own name. But I do remember being promised a place at my mother's side as the Son of Dathomir."

"So then… how did you become a Sith?"

"Sidious," Maul scowled. "He stole me away. And he told me I would inherit the galaxy itself if I devoted myself to his teachings. But his training was… beyond excruciating. Every day, I secretly dreamt of escaping my master's clutches- of seeing the sprawling city of Coruscant and the heights of the Jedi temple for myself. Sidious told me of my nature... my Force-sensitivity... and I'd hoped...," Maul said as he suppressed a bitter chuckle, "I had hoped a Jedi would save me. But no one came. At the time, I thought myself unworthy. I thought that if perhaps I was just a little bit… better… then, maybe, I'd be worth saving. What a fool I was back then."

"You… wanted to be a Jedi?"

Maul's expression softened.

"I did. But the Jedi left me to be a plaything of Sidious. They allowed me to suffer for years. Such pain taught me an important lesson. It showed me the true face of the Jedi… and why they deserve to be resented."

"That's not the fault of the Jedi! Had they known-"

"Had they known, they would have killed me alongside my Master. The Jedi see the world in absolutes. They would have thought me irredeemable... evil. Just as you do now."

"If that's what you believe, you know nothing of our order. Even after every horrible thing you've done, I was still instructed to bring you in alive."

"That's only because of what I know. What they can gain from interrogating me. The Jedi make it seem as if their actions come from the goodness of their heart. But in truth, the difference between Jedi and Sith is marginal. The only real difference is that the Jedi are self-righteous charlatans."

Ahsoka relaxed, extinguishing her sabers' blades and returning the hilt to her belt. And unthinkably- impossibly- she felt a pang of compassion for her former adversary.

"You blame the Jedi for your fate."

"Who else is there to blame?" muttered Maul. "It was the Jedi who stole from me my destiny at my Master's side. It was they who robbed me of the opportunity to prove to the galaxy that I am not some worthless life to be discarded and forgotten. I would have climbed to the top, and then everyone would be forced to acknowledge my power."

Ahsoka shook her head.

"Was that even a possibility? Did your master truly view you as a successor, or were you just a temporary placeholder until… until Anakin grew strong enough?"

Maul remained silent for almost half a minute. For the first time Ahsoka had seen, he seemed genuinely lost for words.

"I… I do not know. The machinations of my master are... difficult to anticipate. Perhaps I was always just a weapon to be used, expended, and thrown aside. I would not put that past him," he said, turning away to obscure his expression. "I was never 'good enough' for anyone. Not for Sidious, and not even for the Jedi… But I will be. I will take my revenge, destroy my old master, and rule over all the galaxy. Then, finally, no one will question my worth."

A longing look spread across Maul's face.

"I'll finally be... free."