Thrawn was trying his best. By his own standards, he would be doing too little, but this situation was an exception: having to give a perfunctory speeches to a captive audience.

His lips moved as he mindlessly read off the prompter, but Thrawn's mind wandered, broaching every topic but the one at hand.

Thrawn never liked pageantry. He had even petitioned the Emperor to make Kenobi's execution less… grand. In his eyes, allocating all these resources to kill one man was not the show of strength the Emperor thought it was. But who was he to argue? At the end of the day, he served at the Emperor's convenience.

So here he was, harping on about his military exploits and letting the crowd understand how momentous this day was. As the prompter mentioned his time in the Imperial Academy and his actions at the battle of Batonn, Thrawn wished he could speak the truth about these experiences, rather than the abridged version.

"But our enemies do not want these things," Thrawn's cadence was commanding, his gaze reached even the most distant spectators. "They do not want our peace, or our laws, or our prosperity, or our happiness; they only seek their own war, their own tyranny, their own destruction and their own misery!"

This statement lead to boisterous cheering and applause, which was accounted for in the prompter with a bold: HOLD FOR APPLAUSE.

And so Thrawn held… and held… and held… nodding and taking in the crown until he was able to continue.

The shouting and rumbling from the crowd dragged on for a few more seconds…

But the rumbling was coming from somewhere else…

The crowd quieted down but the noise only got louder; as faces contorted in horror and panic spread through the audience, Thrawn turned around…

What he saw felt surreal: the central spire of the Jedi Temple was collapsing.

At a glance, it was unlikely that the spire would hit him or the audience, but that did not prevent all hell from breaking loose.

All the Imperial officers in the grand stands started scurrying away; a fine day for the Imperial High Command. Although the Emperor could not witness this spinelessness as he was entirely cocooned by his Red Guards who shielded him from all possible angles.

Before Thrawn could finish registering what was happening, he noticed something: two Stormtroopers had jumped up onto the stage.

He saw them, but no one else seemed to notice or care. He watched as these two Stormtroopers slipped into the tent that was hiding the prisoner, and no one around did anything about it!

In fairness, all the other Stormtroopers were busy trying not to get trampled by the crowds. In fact, every Imperial in sight seemed to be aiming for self-preservation, rather than fulfilling their sworn duties.

Thrawn would never be able to explain what possessed him in that moment; what thought process lead him to vault off the elevated podium, nearly breaking both his ankles, pick up two bandoleers of thermal detonators from an ammo crate and run at full speed towards the tent.

Luke had to give Yoda his flowers: this was one hell of a distraction.

He caught himself staring at the falling spire for maybe two seconds, before realising this was the distraction the old Jedi had promised. The Stormtroopers around him were getting restless as the crowd pushed up against them and begged to leave.

"Possible Rebel explosives found. Repeat, possible Rebel explosives found!"

Luke recognised Mara's voice instantly, despite her gruff Stormtrooper impersonation. Her ploy worked as the soldiers around him started breaking rank.

"Confirm, confirm," Luke took a turn sowing chaos over the comms. "Two men down at the south entrance."

Luke carefully slid up onto the stage. Mara did the same. Everyone was far too focused on saving their own skins, they did not even notice them.

And just like that, their luck turned.

"Disregard those reports!" they recognised the voice of the colonel that had given them both a hard time just a few minutes earlier. "Our ranks have been compromised. Cover all exits! No one is allowed to leave!"

"Damn it," Mara muttered as she approached Luke. "We were doing so well."

"If you've got time for wit, I'd say we're still doing alright," Luke spoke as he made a gap in the side of the tent.

Luke paused for just a moment, as he realised who he was about to see again. Luke had been worried about what state he would find Obi-Wan in, but right now, as long as he was alive, that was all he needed.

Obi-Wan could hear a lot of commotion happening outside. The deafening sounds of stone, metal and glass shattering and crashing, screaming and foot stamping. He tried to find some answers in the Force, but it too was a complete jumble.

Could this be for me?

He banished the thought. It was too improbable, too absurd, for anyone to come rescue him. The stakes were far too high. And what was the upside? Saving a nutrient deficient old man? It was impossible. No one would be crazy enough to attempt it.

Well… not exactly no one.

In fact, if the roles were reversed, and one of his friends were here instead of him, Obi-Wan would not even hesitate to mount a rescue. Even if it meant great risk. Even if the odds were slim to none.

But I'm a foolish old man.

That's right. He had taught Luke well, but he had set a terrible example as far as letting go of his emotions. Obi-Wan's entire reputation during the Clone Wars was as a calm and tactful strategist. Anakin Skywalker was supposed to be the one who swooped in for daring rescues despite overwhelming odds. Passing on that trait to his son was one thing, but the fact Obi-Wan had given in to it as well…

Maybe miracles can happen.

And just as he thought it, a miracle appeared. The tent parted, someone entered. Obi-Wan could only see sunlight and shadows on the floor as he was still locked into the gallows. Only for a single lightsaber swing to free him from his restraints.

As he rose to his feet, he came face to face with Luke Skywalker, in Stormtrooper armor. And just behind him was Mara Jade, also in Stormtrooper armor.

"Luke…"

"We're here, Ben," Luke mumbled as he grasped Obi-Wan's good arm. "We're here to rescue you."

Obi-Wan's legs suddenly felt weak. He held on to Luke for balance as he slumped forward.

"I think I may have gotten up too fast," Obi-Wan said with a weak smile in response to Luke and Mara's concerned looks. "I've let myself go a bit."

"You can lean on us, master," Jada offered her shoulder alongside Luke to help prop Obi-Wan up.

"Leaving so soon?"

That familiar voice sent a jolt down Luke and Mara's spines. With their help, Obi-Wan turned to see Thrawn, wearing two bandoleers of thermal detonators across his chest. He held the detonator in his hand, and his service blaster in the other.

"Have I caught you at a bad time?" Thrawn teased maliciously. "I must commend you for making it this far. It seems our security protocol was severely lacking."

"Thermal detonators, Thrawn? Really?" Luke tried to downplay his nerves. "I have to believe someone as smart as you—"

"Believe what you will, Skywalker, but understand this: I am in control, not you," Thrawn's tone matched his gaze: cold as Hoth. "Now, please be quiet as I enjoy this moment."

Just seeing him made Luke and Mara's blood boil, but as he said, he had the upper hand. They had been outplayed by the last person they expected to run into, who was also the worst possible person they could run into, other than Sidious.

Thrawn shifted his eyes to Obi-Wan, who calmly held his gaze. He had heard about the famed Imperial officer many times, and he had assumed the descriptions of Thrawn would be at least slightly overblown: they were not. Obi-Wan had no trouble seeing how this man could rise to the top of the Empire's food chain.

"Master Obi-Wan Kenobi," Thrawn's tone seemed to cary the slightest hint of deference towards the old Jedi. "I've had the privilege of reading through many of your field reports from the Clone Wars. The way you describe and frame these incredible battle has been very… helpful."

"And you must be Grand Admiral… or is it Grand Moff Thrawn," Obi-Wan replied, slowly leaning off of Luke and Mara as his legs finished waking up. "Your reputation precedes you. Though I can't imagine why a forward-thinker such as yourself would choose to put himself in this situation."

Thrawn let slip the faintest grin, acknowledging the challenge. Obi-Wan's body felt weak but his mind was sharp, and his first fight after being freed had already begun. They could not attack Thrawn senselessly without risking death or injury. They had to play it smart, against one of the Empire's smartest men.

As if to drive home how precarious their situation was, Thrawn armed the detonator in his hand, causing it to pulsate a red light

"I have not put myself in this situation, Kenobi. You have. I will only tell you once: put down your weapons, and surrender yourselves to me, immediately."

Thrawn let his finger hover over the detonator, a few millimetres separating them all from a gruesome death.

Luke and Mara were both itching to act, but they also knew the stakes. They wanted to call Thrawn's bluff, but neither of them felt confident. With what little they knew about the Chiss leader, it felt at least plausible that Thrawn could sacrifice his life to benefit the Empire.

"Throw down your weapons."

Obi-Wan's request shocked them both.

"Master, you—"

Mara's protest was quickly quashed when Obi-Wan turned to her with a reassuring smile.

"We're so close to our goal, Mara," his voice was soft but authoritative. "Do as he says."

Begrudgingly, Luke and Mara threw their lightsabers and blasters at Thrawn's feet. He gave them all a satisfied smirk before disarming the detonator in his hand, though still keeping his blaster trained on them.

"How very uncharacteristic of you, Skywalker," Luke was surprised when Thrawn addressed him directly. "Our reports had you categorised as 'impulsive' and 'reckless'. I see they may require an update."

Luke kept his cool, despite the increased commotion he could hear happening outside. Obi-Wan and Mara's presence helped him find balance and clarity.

"I've only begun to surprise you, Thrawn," Luke replied evenly. "And I'm not the only Skywalker who'll ruin your expectations."

Obi-Wan was so happy to hear Luke say that. Even though he did not know which Skywalker he was referring to, his hopeful sentiment still rang true. Seeing how much Luke had matured since Obi-Wan last saw him was incredibly humbling.

He had left him as an apprentice, but now, he was a Jedi Knight.

Suddenly, the old Master felt a tug through the Force. It was so foreign at first. It had been so long since he had actually felt someone reach out to him like this. He knew it was Mara, who was carefully nudging his attention towards the lightsabers at Thrawn's feet: one of them had its emitter pointed right at Thrawn's boot.

Making sure not to telegraph their plan, Mara reached out to Luke through the Force while Obi-Wan continued to hold Thrawn's focus.

"Where do we go from here?" the old master asked innocently. "You don't have a free hand to use your communicator, so are we just going to wait until someone comes to investigate?"

"I'm not in any rush, and neither are you," Thrawn replied.

"In that case, answer this for me: how is it…"

While Obi-Wan was busy keeping Thrawn busy, Luke and Mara were able to map out how they could neutralise him, all by communicating through the Force. Obi-Wan could sense their thoughts as he entertained Thrawn and carefully stroked his ego.

Luke and Mara had noticed that one of their lightsabers was oriented conveniently close to Thrawn's foot; a good opening move. But they would need pinpoint coordination to pull the rest of their plan off. One person had to ignite the lightsaber using the Force, while another Force pulled the detonator out of Thrawn's hand, and the third person would need to tackle Thrawn and keep him from calling for help.

Luke and Mara were amazed at how they were able focus on what was happening in front of them, all while conducting a parallel conversation through the Force. It was something they knew was possible in theory; they'd all communicated through the Force before, but to put it to use in a real-life situation was something else.

Obi-Wan made sure to temper the young Jedi's excitement as he prepared to initiate their plan.

3…

2…

1…

Now!

It was all over in under two seconds. Obi-Wan ignited one of the lightsabers straight into Thrawn's foot, just as Mara Force pulled the detonator out of his hand, and Luke propelled himself into Thrawn, tackling him and clamping a firm hand over his mouth.

Mara quickly jumped onto Thrawn to keep him pinned down. They waited with bated breath for a few cautious seconds, but nothing happened. And just like that, they were back on track.

Thrawn was furiously thrashing and trying to bite Luke's hand, but that all ended when Obi-Wan shot a stun round right in his face, and a second one for good measure.

"Wow…" Luke wheezed, now noticing his heart was beating like a drum. "That was incredible."

"Yeah. Like we were sharing a single brain," Mara said.

"You've both far exceeded my meagre training," Obi-Wan spoke warmly, patting each of them on the back with his remaining hand. "You're Jedi Knights now. No doubt about—"

Obi-Wan could not finish his praise as Luke hugged him suddenly.

"I missed you, Ben," Luke admitted, making sure to keep his emotions in check.

Mara placed a firm hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder.

"I would not have been able to live myself if I didn't help you like you helped me," Mara said.

Their words made the months of isolation, torture, and neglect feel like a distant memory. He felt blessed to have these two in his life. They were not just his students. Obi-Wan felt a paternal urge towards them, and he made a silent promise to see them through this war, no matter what.

"I'm so proud of you," Obi-Wan whispered, pulling Luke in closer. "Let's be done with this Empire once and for all."

"We're actively working on that, actually," Luke said, as they went to pick up their weapons. "Han and Leia are headed for Endor. The Empire's built a new Death Star orbiting the planet."

"Another Death Star…" Obi-Wan was exhausted just saying those words. The Empire, or rather Sidious', appetite for destruction was nauseating. "How can I help?"

"One thing at a time, master," Mara jumped in, unsurprised by Obi-Wan's eagerness to get back in the fight. "We need to get off Coruscant first. Ahsoka, Rex, Cody, and Master Yoda are also with us."

"Ahsoka and the Clones are on bomb disposal. Master Yoda collapsed the spire as a distraction, and said he'd… fight Sidious."

Obi-Wan nodded as he processed this information. Yoda had never spoken about it, but he knew the old Jedi blamed himself for not defeating Sidious all those years ago; much like how Obi-Wan regretted not ending Anakin's suffering on Mustafar. If anything, Obi-Wan's case was worse, since he had actually defeated Anakin, but was too afraid to land the killing blow, naively thinking his old Padawan would succumb to his wounds.

Meanwhile, Yoda had lost his duel; plain and simple. Sidious was just that powerful. And if four Jedi council members weren't able to defeat him, it felt fair to say nobody could. Yoda did nothing wrong, but Obi-Wan knew that was no comfort. Defeat had a troubling way of making anyone question their worth and abilities.

"I understand. We must respect Master Yoda's wishes," Obi-Wan replied slowly. "Lead the way to our extraction, and let's hope we can pick up Ahsoka, Cody, and Rex on the way."

Luke and Mara nodded grimly. It was no use arguing about Master Yoda anymore. As Obi-Wan said, he had chosen his path, and no one had to right to distract him from it.

Mara peeked through the tent and gleaned an unobstructed path through the rubble from the destroyed spire. Her stomach tightened when she saw Sidious and his squad of Red Guards march into the Temple.

"Let's give it a few seconds, then go," Mara told the others. "Sidious just entered the Temple."

"Good call," Obi-Wan said. "I'm curious about this other presence I'm sensing… It's so familiar, yet alien at the same time."

"It has been a day for surprises, Ben," Luke chimed in.

"Isn't it always?"

Sidious was beyond disgusted. He could not fathom how the Rebels and Jedi had managed to pull off something like this. He had envisioned perhaps light interference, but overall was secure in the idea that there would be no credible threats to the execution.

In only a handful of times throughout his life, Sidious had admitted fault. This was one of them.

His Red Guard had reacted well after the spire began to collapse. They formed a protective bubble around him, cutting off any possible sight lines. Sidious made sure to play up his helplessness in case any stray cams were pointed at him.

Sidious…

His disgust was replaced with rage when he heard that voice; sheer, unbridled rage. He could sense the voice was coming from the Temple.

Face me, you must…

He forced his way up, despite his guards' protests. They kept trying to shield him as he tried to look towards the Temple.

And he saw him…

Just on the edge of the main entrance, stood a short green creature; the one loose end he regretted not tying up.

If all-powerful you are, why leave?

As Yoda echoed his past remarks to Sidious, the old Jedi Master disappeared inside the Temple, daring Sidious to follow him.

The Sith Lord seethed. He knew that Yoda was baiting him, but he did not care. This was the day he corrected an old mistake. Yoda was weak, and Sidious was accompanied by the greatest warriors in all the Empire, capable of facing even a Jedi.

This was the day. This was the day he would finally kill Yoda.

"Take me to the Temple. Now."

His Red Guards knew better than to object when Palpatine spoke in that tone. Most of the grandstands had cleared out, giving them a relatively uninterrupted stretch to the Jedi Temple.

So on they went. The guards kept their formation around Sidious as they led him up the concourse and through all the dust and rumble from the collapse of the spire. As they got closer to the Temple, the damage to the core structure was relatively minimal. It seemed that most of the spire had fallen on the empty parade grounds, rather than directly on the Temple.

Sidious' bloodlust was slowly rising. He could not wait to finally be done with Yoda.

Ahsoka, Rex, and Cody were making good progress on their bomb diffusals. They had managed to get the information they needed and were now working on their third explosive.

Cody was deathly focused on the wiring patterns, while Rex read through a checklist to make sure they were leaving no stone unturned. Meanwhile, Ahsoka kept an eye out for any roaming Imperials.

When the spire collapsed, they all got the biggest scare of their lives. Cody nearly cut the wrong wire, and all three of them thought the other bombs were going off.

"What was that?" Rex's tone was on edge.

"It wasn't me," Cody shot back.

After a few more seconds, they began to understand that no bombs had gone off.

"Must be Master Yoda's distraction," Ahsoka put together. "Seems it worked a little too well."

She shot a humorous glance at Rex and Cody whose nerves had just been badly frayed.

"Who's distracted? I'm not distracted," Cody pushed back, returning to his wire hunt. "In fact, I was just getting to… done!"

With a final clip, he severed the lead wire, and the entire explosive charge powered down. Rex and Cody traded a quick fistbump.

"One down. Three more to go?" Rex looked to Ahsoka for confirmation.

"That's what our Imperial friend said," Ahsoka acknowledged. "He seemed genuine, but we can't be certain he wasn't lying to us."

Before Ahsoka could continue, she felt a cold chill through the Force. A familiar chill she had experienced far too many times.

His metallic, echoing voice confirmed her suspicions.

"The Emperor did not believe you'd be so foolish," Vader breathed menacingly. "It seems even certain things escape his foresight."

Rex and Cody were quick to draw their weapons on Vader, who stood several feet away from them. The large windows behind him gave an impressive view of the sun setting over Coruscant, casting the Sith Lord in luminous orange light, accentuating his bold silhouette.

He had not drawn his lightsaber, and the Clones noticed that neither had Ahsoka.

"We're not done surprising Sidious, Anakin," Ahsoka replied, stepping between the Clones and Vader. "This is the day we put an end to the Empire once and for all. There's still time for you to help us, to reject him, and embrace who I know you truly are."

Ahsoka did not let herself be fooled by the ensuing silence. She held out hope that her words might be getting through to him, but doubt clouded her mind. As much as she tried to reach out and recall Anakin Skywalker's presence, she could not sense him anywhere in Vader.

"What have you done to him?" she muttered, partly to herself, partly to Vader. "You couldn't have destroyed him fully. I know my master is still here."

"You sound... unsure."

That one sentence drove a dagger through Ashoka's heart. He was right. She was unsure. She had been for a long time. Ahsoka wanted to believe that Anakin was still there, but she had to make space for the other possibility: that Darth Vader was all that remained.

"Don't tell me you don't also have doubts," Rex surprised them both by suddenly speaking up. "Sir… Anakin. How many times did you save my life? How many times did you save entire races, entire planets? You always wanted to help those less fortunate than yourself, don't tell me Sidious destroyed that too."

Rex managed to keep his nerves in check as Vader cast his gaze upon him. The slow breathing echoed through the desecrated halls. The very halls that saw the birth, rise, and fall of the Jedi Order, and now hosted the prophesied Chosen One.

"Rex…"

Just hearing Vader say his name was both unnerving and comforting. Rex, like Ahsoka, wanted to believe that the man he knew was still in there. But he could not let his guard down.

"You are both fools," Vader spoke carefully, removing his lightsaber from his belt. "That name holds no meaning to me. Obi-Wan learned as much. As did Luke Skywalker. And now… so will you."

As Vader ignited his red blade, Ahsoka could now sense the Dark Side within him. She drew her twin blades as Rex and Cody backed away, keeping Vader in their sights.

"What's the plan, commander?" Cody asked tensely.

"Take care of the rest of the bombs," Ahsoka's tone left no room for negotiation.

Cody and Rex shared a glance, the latter especially pained at the idea of leaving Ahsoka alone to face Vader, but both knew it had to be done.

They both started backing away, keeping their eye on Vader, who made no move to stop them. As they reached the end of the hall, Rex called out one last time:

"May the Force be with you! Both of you."

And with that, the Clones darted off to take care of the rest of the explosives.

Ahsoka and Vader circled each other, each looking for an opening to exploit. They had faced off so many times that they were now intimately familiar with each other's fighting styles. They were mirror opposites. Ahsoka used two lightsabers and made use of her speed and mobility, while Vader wielded a single blade and relied on powerful, sweeping attacks.

"I have far surpassed my old master," Vader said. "Will you be able to surpass Anakin Skywalker's teachings?"

"You tell me."

And with that, Ahsoka made the first move. She opened with a series of fast slashes and jabs to probe Vader's defence; which was flawless. Every hit was deflected or blocked; hardly any wasted movement.

Even as the apprentice of Anakin Skywalker, she had never managed to best him in any of their practice duels. She'd come close on multiple occasions, but his natural instincts and abilities created too big a gap to overcome.

Vader responded to her attacks by using his free hand to yank a nearby statue, a nearly 25-foot metal statue, no less. It fell towards Ahsoka, who managed to Force push herself out of the way in time. The statue crashed between them, but Vader was not done. He immediately Force pushed the statue towards Ahsoka. This time, she was not quite fast enough.

She had just enough time to shield her body with the Force, before this hulking mass of metal collided into her and sent them flying down the hall.

Ahsoka was actually out cold for a few seconds. When she suddenly opened her eyes, intense panic seized her mind, before she quickly focused. Her leg was pinned between the cracked statue and a stone column.

She could feel that her foot was broken, likely part of her shin as well. And she definitely had a concussion.

"Blast."

The statue blocked her view of Vader, but she could hear him drawing closer.

"It seems you are still a student," Vader taunted.

Ahsoka wanted to shoot back a witty reply, but she was struggling to find any levity. Her leg was pinned down tightly, even small movements shot pain all the way up her leg. If she were not keeping herself stable with the Force, she would have passed out from the shock.

Her options were slim; more accurately, non-existent. Signalling her allies on comms wouldn't do any good. They had enough on their plate, and hearing she was in trouble would only distract them.

She still had her lightsabers, which was some comfort. If she were to die, it would not be quietly.

And despite this sentiment, a very small part of her still believed her old master could not kill her. It was absurd, she knew it. Vader had struck Obi-Wan down without hesitation and mutilated his own son. No reasonable person would believe that such a person could show mercy.

Ahsoka did not understand it herself. Vader's actions cast no doubts on his intentions. And yet, every time she reached out through the Force to sense Darth Vader, she felt something different every time; his Force signature seemed to change and morph every time she faced him.

And it would be for the last time, as he rounded the statue to tower over her.

But before they could exchange any words, Vader was suddenly hit by a Force Push that launched him back down the corridor.

Ahsoka expected it to be Yoda, maybe Luke or Mara, that saved her, but no. She recognised him on site, but could not comprehend how he was here: Mace Windu, one of the greatest Jedi to have ever lived.

He was just as she remembered him. A stern gaze, which was now more sunken and weary. The same Jedi robes he had always worn, frayed and patched up, bearing some very obvious scorch marks. As Ahsoka took him in, she noticed the two biggest physical differences: his right arm was an obvious prosthesis, and his right eye was badly scarred.

But it was when she reached out to sense him through the Force that Ahsoka realised how much he had changed. His presence was almost unrecognisable. Had she never known Mace Windu, she would have wondered if he were not a student of the Dark Side. He gave off this muddled, unstable energy, rather than the steadfast and unflappable one she remembered him by.

"Not much to look at, huh?" Windu remarked, effortlessly lifting the statue off of Ahsoka and launching it at Vader, who had started to recover his senses.

"Stay right there, kid!" He called out to the Sith Lord. "I'll deal with you next."

The master held his arm out to Ahsoka and helped her to her feet. She was careful to keep her weight off her ruined leg as she wrapped a medpac on her ankle.

"Master Windu…" Ahsoka muttered, trying to sequence the hundreds of questions running through her mind. "How?"

"Doesn't matter," Windu replied. "Join your friends and continue your mission. I'll handle Vader and Sidious."

"Master, don't do this," Ahsoka pleaded; she was tired of making sacrifices, tired of everyone around her being so desperate to prove something by throwing away their lives. "We're so close to destroying the Empire! The Rebellion is on its way to destroy the Death Star as we speak—"

"Which is exactly why I need to do this," Mace spoke with finality. This was a decision that was years in the making, he would not be swayed now. "I was already an outsider before the Jedi were destroyed, and since then, I've become something I hardly recognise myself. The new Jedi you will train after this will need you, and Obi-Wan, and that upstart Skywalker kid; they won't need me. I've embraced darkness to fight darkness, and someone like that has no place in a future without the Empire."

"No, master, that' not—"

"Don't argue with me, Ahsoka," Mace demanded. "Or does my life mean so little to you?"

Classic Mace, Ahsoka thought to herself, which was enough to make her smile.

Mace noticed the smile, which brought the tiniest light to his eyes.

"We failed you during that trial, Ahsoka. The Jedi had lost their way, and you were made to pay the price for our failures. I want to kill Vader because of what he did, but also because he's my responsibility. Anakin's fall to the Dark Side was only possible because of our negligence and arrogance. This is my atonement for that mistake."

And with that, Mace Windu moved past Ahsoka towards Vader, who was stumbling to his feet. His meticulously clean armour was scuffed up and dusty, but he was otherwise unscathed.

Ahsoka observed the two men for a few seconds. She was shocked when Vader looked straight at her… she was sure it was a mistake, but for a second she thought she sensed… relief?

She tore her eyes away and limped as fast as she could to find Rex and Cody. She did not want to see what happened next. Every lightsaber clash that echoed through these once-hallowed halls was like a dagger being thrust in her chest.