All things considered, it was more favorable to her to be forgotten. If she was forgotten, at least there would be no attempts to torture or coerce her. There would be no threats of imminent execution. It was easier to survive that way, but right now Ahsoka wanted to be remembered.
By the end of the day, she got her wish.
"Apologies for the late dinner," the Grand Inquisitor announced as she strolled in, not looking sorry at all. "We've had quite a few terminations recently. Whole place has been quite a mess. I'm afraid that we accidentally forgot you," she drawled. "But don't worry, I didn't."
Ahsoka looked back up at her, meeting her eyes.
This wasn't just an ordinary meeting after all.
This was an interrogation.
"I'm sure you must be wondering why I'm here," Reva said.
"Are you coming to finally take these off?" Ahsoka asked, slightly rattling the beskar chains on her arms.
"No."
"Too bad," Ahsoka sighed. "Well, whatever your reason is, I'm guessing it's not just because you're low on staff."
"Correct."
The two of them locked eyes and stared at each other. Ahsoka waited for her Reva to make her first move.
"Consider yourself lucky," Reva smirked. "You finally get to see me doing what I'm best at."
"Wow," Ahsoka replied. "How lucky I am."
"Yes," Reva drawled. "But first, let's deal with that annoying tongue of yours."
Before Ahsoka could respond, a gas mask was shoved onto her. She struggled against it, crying out, but Reva just pressed it harder into her face, forcing her to inhale the vapor.
"Just a little TNI-36," Reva crooned. "It doesn't hurt, right? You're a big girl, I'm sure you can handle it just fine." Ahsoka glared at her as her body tried to fight against the psychotropic neuroinhibitors, but she could feel her consciousness slipping already. Her head felt unusually light.
Come on, come on, she groaned internally. Now is not the time to lose control!
Ahsoka coughed as Reva finally withdrew the gas mask with its canister attachment, placing them in a corner of the prison cell. Ahsoka stared at it, blearily trying to register her surroundings.
"Thought you were trying to poison me," she slurred passive-aggressively as Reva grabbed her chin and tilted it upwards, trying to determine if she had received a sufficient dose.
"Oh, it's not toxic," Reva replied. "But we Inquisitors like to use it during our investigations because of how easily it opens others' mouths. Yours, especially, has been quite difficult to crack." She frowned and let go of her face as if displeased. It seemed she had been expecting the gas to be more effective.
"Thank you," Ahsoka mumbled sleepily.
"Don't be smart," Reva glared at her. "I have been waiting for this for a long, long time," she sneered. "You're going to wish you accepted my offer the first time around."
"Finally got permission to interview me, did you?" Ahsoka asked, blinking to hide the fact that her eyelids felt slightly heavy.
"I don't need permission. I am the Grand Inquisitor," Reva said haughtily.
"'Grand' Inquisitor," Ahsoka said thoughtfully. "So, what does that mean? Do they give you a bigger sword, or do you have better work benefits?"
"It means that I am the best that the Inquisitorius Program has to offer," Reva glared. "But don't worry, you'll find out soon enough."
"Oh...I see. Well, please don't hurt me Grand Inquisitor. I'm just an innocent civilian, I don't know anything," Ahsoka batted her eyelashes innocently.
"You are a liar and a traitor to the Empire, and you will tell me everything you know about the Rebellion whether you like it or not."
With that, she took out her lightsaber and ignited it.
"Now tell me the name of the Rebel pilot that brought you to Daiyu and how you got into contact with the Rebellion."
"No, I don't think so."
"I'm not asking you to think," Reva snarled, swinging her lightsaber at the right shackle attached to her hand. Ahsoka let out a small gasp which quickly turned into a howl of pain as the lightsaber made contact with the metal, creating a shower of sparks. It turned bright red and heated up, but did not melt. "I'm asking you to talk," she sneered, removing her lightsaber from the red-hot shackle. Ahsoka hissed and grunted, trying to ignore the welts and blisters now searched into the skin of her wrist.
"Let's try that again, shall we?"
When Ahsoka did not respond quickly enough for her satisfaction, Reva pressed her lightsaber against her other shackle. Ahsoka shuddered and then let out a cry of pain.
"Who brought you to Daiyu?" Reva demanded, more forcefully this time.
Ahsoka panted, suddenly becoming more aware of her surroundings as she felt the TNI-36 wear off. The pain of the burns helped her to regain a small modicum of lucidity. She felt way more alert now.
"You're an inquisitor," she grunted. "Why don't you just use the Second Sight on me instead?"
Reva's eyes suddenly shifted. "I don't need to rely on the Second Sight like a common party trick," she huffed. "I can just as easily get answers out of you without using it."
"Are you refusing to use it because you won't, or because you can't?" Ahsoka challenged.
Reva froze.
"Oh," Ahsoka smirked. "It's alright if you don't know how to. Only the most skilled Jedi Masters in my time were able to fully perfect it. Not a lot of Inquisitors can do it, since most don't have the Force capability for it..."
The impact was instant.
Reva's eyes glowed bright yellow with fury. Ahsoka's eyes widened as she marched up to her and grabbed her by the face again, pressing her gloved hand into her forehead. Ahsoka let out a gasp as Reva leaned closer until their faces were inches apart.
"Stop speaking," she growled, her voice rough and dangerous. "I've had enough of listening to you."
Ahsoka let out a scream as Reva squeezed harder, plunging deep into the inner world of her mind. She was no longer trapped inside of the jail cell. Instead, she was hurtling downwards, falling into an endless dark pit as she cried out and tried desperately to hold onto something.
Light and Dark mixed and became one. Anger and hunger began to leak into her own feelings, tainting them and coloring them with their own twisted agony. Ahsoka grunted, struggling against Reva as she forced her way inside, pushing her further into the dark void.
"Show me your Master," Reva commanded.
Ahsoka let out a loud gasp as a vision of Anakin appeared. There he was, standing with his back to her while slashing his lightsaber aimlessly in the air.
"Anakin," she tried to speak, and he turned around. She screamed, seeing that half of his face was covered in the menacing black mask.
"You," he snarled, immediately swinging at her.
She fell back, trembling.
"How dare you come back," he hissed, seething. "After you just abandoned me and let me die."
"I'm sorry," she said shakily, ducking when he aimed for her head.
"Where were you when I needed you?" Anakin howled. "How can you say you're sorry, when you're the one who left me? After I begged you to return?"
"I'm sorry, Anakin," Ahsoka cried out. "Please, please don't do this," she pleaded as he raised his lightsaber menacingly.
"I can't, Ahsoka," he growled. "There is no stopping this anymore. Do you know what I've become?"
She squeezed her eyes shut, hearing the sound of modulated breathing surrounding her like an auditory hallucination.
"Stop," she said weakly, but Anakin did not listen. He continued to chase after her, swinging violently. She yelled and threw herself forwards, forgetting her weak legs and landing on her chest roughly.
Everything dissolved into darkness. She propped herself up on her arms and panted, trying to catch her breath. She could not see her surroundings, but she was aware of someone watching her from the darkness.
"You see now? Everything you have ever seen or felt is at my fingers. There is nothing you can keep hidden from me."
Reva walked out of the darkness and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her into the air. Ahsoka struggled against her, trying to pry her hands off.
"I can take anything and everything I want from your weak mind. I could reach in and pluck whatever memory I like, about anyone you hold dear."
"No!" Ahsoka exclaimed as Reva's hand once again made contact with her forehead and began to squeeze. "No, no," she pleaded.
Not Kaeden. Not Miara.
"Yes," Reva said. "Now show me the people you are hiding from me."
Ahsoka's heart rate increased and she began to take small, short breaths.
Kaeden's face materialized first. Kind, but strong and worn by years of labor as a farmer and then a medical worker. Long locs of dark hair that had partially been gathered into a bun and partially hung down to her shoulders, tied back with a green headscarf. Ahsoka trembled as she looked back into her soft brown eyes.
"Ahsoka," she said gently. "I missed you, where did you go?"
"No," Ahsoka shook her head and backed away. Kaeden frowned and stepped forward, trying to follow her.
"What's wrong? Why are you walking away-"
"It's not safe for you here!" Ahsoka yelled. "You're not, you're not real," she sobbed, trying to tear her eyes away.
Kaeden reached out and gently stroked her arm, causing her to lose control and wail even louder. "What do you mean? Nothing bad is going to happen," she said. "Why are you crying?"
Ahsoka sobbed. The gentleness of her touch hurt all the more, both because she hadn't felt it for so long, had craved it every day that she was locked in this accursed prison, but also because she knew what would come next as punishment for her transgression.
Kaeden leaned in closer, try to get a good look at her face and reassure her. But it was all in vain. Anakin appeared behind her, seizing her arm and yanking her roughly away from Ahsoka.
"No!" Ahsoka screamed and covered her mouth. Kaeden let out a cry of surprise. Anakin snarled, lifting his lightsaber.
"Now watch as I make your Master kill your little girlfriend."
There was a flash of red, and Kaeden let out a loud scream.
Ahsoka crumpled to the ground, tears falling from her eyes as she futilely tried to stifle herself. Her hands were wet, covered in tears and drool. She tried in vain to stabilize herself, to remind herself that none of this was real, none of this was happening, it was all an illusion, just in her mind...
"Is your spirit finally broken, Jedi? Are you going to give me what I want? Or do you still need more?"
Ahsoka did not lift her head to address Reva. Instead, she kept her eyes closed. "Take what you want," she said brokenly. "I don't care anymore."
Reva snarled, clearly not expecting her to give up so easily.
"Not so fast. Show me what you were doing on that day, first."
Ahsoka let out a scream of pain as if a sword had been plunged into her very heart.
She heard the quiet click of a blaster's safety being unlocked and felt the heavy metal barrel being pressed to the back of her head, pushing hard against one of her Montrals.
"Give it up, Tano," the modulated voice behind her said. "Surrender now."
Ahsoka closed her eyes, letting a single tear leak out and run down her cheek.
"Rex," she said softly.
"Save it for the Emperor," he hissed.
Ahsoka took a deep breath, then whipped around and made a grab for the blaster. Rex growled, pulling it out of her reach and and kicking her hard. Ahsoka yelped and groaned, clutching her stomach.
"What's wrong?" Reva taunted. "Forgot how to fight without your little lightsaber?" she crooned.
Rex grunted and aimed a shot at her. Ahsoka jumped out of the way, then turned and charged at him. He shot at her face and she screamed, forgetting it was a memory.
Then everything faded to black again.
Ahsoka let out a cry as suddenly she was standing back there in the same snow that plagued all of her worst nightmares. It fell all around her, cold and unwelcoming. She sank to her knees and stared wide-eyed in front of her at the long rows of former clone troopers' helmets. It seemed to stretch on for miles and miles to no end.
This was no longer the realm of abstract dreams. She was now at the sight of the battlefield, the graveyard where her friends were buried.
The place where the last remnants of her childhood died.
"No," she said out loud. "No," she backed away, trying to tear her eyes away from her fallen brothers and friends.
"This is the price of your war. They hailed you as one of their best, but what for? What were you fighting for? This?"
"No," Ahsoka sobbed.
The sound of heavy, modulated breathing returned and she looked up. She could see a group of clones closing in on her, their blasters pointed directly at her head. In front of them, a hooded figure slowly marched towards her with a blue lightsaber clutched in his left hand. His hood lifted slightly and she finally saw his eyes, glowing bright yellow with fury and bloodlust.
"Anakin," she gasped. "Stop, no," she said.
"There is no stopping this. You know how this must end."
Ahsoka tried to back away but she felt the cold grip of a gloved hand sink into her shoulder, pushing her forwards.
"Please, please please!" Ahsoka begged, but it was no use. She screamed uncontrollably as Anakin and the clones closed in on her and Anakin raised his lightsaber, slashing it towards her in one clean swipe. It went right through her shoulder, piercing her skin and causing her to burn alive. Reva continued to hold her in place as her screams grew even louder. The clones all unclicked their blasters, preparing to finish the job.
"No, don't close your eyes. Keep them open."
Ahsoka whimpered and desperately struggled against her grip, but she could feel her strength slipping.
"Keep them open, Ahsoka Tano! Now, you will finally see what kind of monster your beloved Master is!"
Ahsoka stopped struggling and fell back, exhausted.
Something about this was not right.
Reva had the ability to reach into her memories and either combine them or manipulate them based on Ahsoka's fears. But something about this was off. It felt too real, even down to the wound that was rapidly cauterizing in her shoulder. When Anakin stepped closer and he lifted his lightsaber, she realized that she had never seen him like this with his eyes glowing yellow.
Ahsoka frowned, finally understanding what was going on.
"This isn't my memory," she panted, turning around to face Reva. "This is yours."
And with that, she flipped them over.
Reva made a sound of surprise as Ahsoka grabbed her by the forehead and pressed her fingertips to it.
"I am one with the Force and the Force is one with me."
Reva let out a cry. Ahsoka opened her eyes, now glowing bright blue.
Now she could see what really happened. There was Anakin, facing the Younglings and killing each one of them. Reva shuddered and opened her mouth in a silent scream of shock, but the sound never left her mouth as Anakin rammed his lightsaber through her shoulder, instantly striking her down. Without making a noise, she quietly collapsed among the other children's corpses, small and unnoticeable. Finally Anakin turned around and marched out, followed by the Clone troopers.
Reva's younger self laid alone in the pile of dead bodies, shivering and sobbing.
"I'm sorry," Ahsoka said. Beside her, the real Reva shuddered and groaned. She let go of her forehead, and closed her eyes. When she reopened them, they were back in the jail cell.
Reva backed away from her, still trembling.
"I hate you," she hissed angrily.
"I went through the same thing as you," Ahsoka said gently. "We have the same enemy."
"We do not," Reva snarled back, "He keeps trying to get you to join him because you're his precious Padawan. Me? I am nothing!" she screamed. "After he injured me, he left me to die! I only survived by chance because I played dead," she sobbed.
"Reva," Ahsoka said quietly, addressing her by name for the first time. "He turned against both of us. We don't have to fight each other, you know. We're in the same situation."
"No, we are not!" Reva screamed, drawing her lightsaber and charging at her.
There was a flash of red, and she let out a cry of surprise as it was torn from her hands. Ahsoka grunted and opened her shackled hand as much as she could. With some effort, the ringed saber flew into her grip.
Reva sneered. "Nice try, Jedi," she spat. "What is your plan? Gonna try and break free using that? Face it, Tano. You know it's not nearly strong enough for that."
"True, you are right," Ahsoka panted, "Trying to cut these beskar chains with it would be pointless. But that's not what I wanted it for."
She stretched out her other hand, and the canister of TNI-36 gas flew across the room into it. Reva snorted.
"Gonna gas me and then kill me with my own lightsaber?" she asked.
"No," Ahsoka replied, "I'm not very fond of murder. I am, however, open to arson."
With that, she threw up the canister at the wall behind her and reignited the lightsaber, slashing through it.
Reva's eyes widened as she watched the gas glow brightly as the lightsaber reacted with it and caused it to ignite. Ahsoka grunted and quickly created a Force shield between herself and the wall. Reva only had seconds to react and brace her arms in front of herself before the power of the explosion blew her back. The ground shook and she was thrown through the air. As she landed on the ground, she felt pieces of rock and debris fall around her. She groaned, trying to ignore the searing pain in her side from landing so roughly.
As she looked up, she saw Ahsoka standing in front of her, panting and gripping the ring lightsaber. The battered and dented beskar shackles still hung from her arms, but the parts of the wall that they had been attached to were gone, completely blown to bits.
"How are you-" Reva stammered, looking down at her legs then back up at her. She must have been faking her leg injury, because there was no other way she was able to stand after that explosion.
"Thanks for the lightsaber," Ahsoka grinned. "Without it, I wouldn't have been able to ignite the gas." She twirled the ringed lightsaber, trying to get a feel for it, imitating what she had seen Maul do.
Reva glared at her. "So what now, you're going to slaughter me with my own weapon?" she asked icily. "I thought revenge was not the Jedi Way."
"I never said I was a Jedi," Ahsoka replied, "But you are right. This is not a fair fight."
Looking down at the ringed lightsaber, she split it cleanly into two separate swords. Reva stared incredulously as she offered one half to her.
"Here, take it," she said. "Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of Form VII. That's more of Maul's thing."
"Why are you giving it to me?" Reva demanded. "Are you mocking me?"
"How about this?" Ahsoka asked. "If you can beat me in combat, you get to do whatever you want to me. If I win...then, we do what I want."
Reva looked at her suspiciously then scoffed. "Are you mocking me?" she demanded. "You expect me to believe you won't just immediately stab me in the back?"
Ahsoka shrugged. "Here, if it makes you feel better, I'll only use one hand," she demonstrated, hiding her right hand behind her back. Reva narrowed her eyes, but finally grabbed the lightsaber from her and assumed an offensive stance.
"Switch those hands," she ordered. Ahsoka complied, now placing her lightsaber in her right hand while hiding her left hand behind her back. "Keep them where I can see them," Reva snarled.
Gingerly, Ahsoka changed her position, and Reva now saw that although she could stand, her legs were not very stable. The injury that Vader had inflicted upon her when he severed her tendons still had a damaging effect on her.
She must be in a lot more pain that she lets on, Reva realized.
Ahsoka just smiled. "Ready?" she asked.
"Ready," Reva growled, charging her.
Ahsoka ducked to the side. She swung at her and Ahsoka parried the blow with her left hand before throwing her off. Grunting, Reva turned back around and charged again, this time aiming for her left side. Ahsoka simply swiveled around and caught her with the same blade, causing her to be thrown forwards due to the increased momentum. Reva panted, aiming a low shot towards her legs, and Ahsoka jumped. She caught herself using the Force before her feet made contact with the ground and remained there, holding herself up in the air to take the weight off her ankles.
"Is that all you have?" Ahsoka asked. "I thought you were supposed to be the best of the best."
Reva snarled and went after her again, but this time Ahsoka parried her blow and twisted their blades until she was holding her saber at an awkward angle, forcing her to back off instead of pressing harder. When she tried to push her into a corner, Ahsoka just stepped to the side and continued to dodge her blows. She could feel herself growing more and more exhausted, but her opponent was still fighting defensively, not even provoked to act as an aggressor yet.
Reva snarled. "Stop avoiding me!" she shouted, raising her lightsaber and slashing it right at Ahsoka's face.
Nothing happened. Reva stared at the unlit hilt, confused.
"First rule of lightsaber combat," Ahsoka said. "Never let your enemy turn your weapon off."
Reva opened her mouth to say something, but was caught off-guard as Ahsoka swung her lightsaber at her. She immediately ducked and ran out of the way, holding her hands in front of her. She expected her to take advantage of her lack of protection and go after her, but she did not.
Ahsoka just stood back, not chasing after her.
"Stop standing there and fight me properly!" Reva growled.
"But, my hand-"
"I don't care!" Reva yelled. "Use the other one if you must!"
Ahsoka shrugged, bringing out her left hand. "Alright, if you insist."
Reva grunted and pointed her lightsaber at her with both hands, then charged again.
This time, Ahsoka did not throw her off. Using both of her hands, she met Reva's blow in a corps à corps blade block. Reva struggled, trying to push harder, but unexpectedly Ahsoka let go of her hilt with one hand. Shocked, Reva had only one second to react before Ahsoka raised her hand and brought it down hard against her forearm. Reva let out a cry of surprise as the heavy beskar made contact with her durasteel vambraces, denting it and causing her to stop applying pressure with her saber. Ahsoka brought her shackle down on it again and it fell off, leaving her wrist unprotected.
"What are you doing!" Reva yelled and drew back, breaking their blade lock.
Ahsoka did not listen. She stepped back and forcefully swung her beskar chains again, forcing Reva to duck before Ahsoka's shackles hit her in the face. Instead, the iron chains made contact with her unprotected hand and caused her to let go of her lightsaber hilt with a crack and a cry of pain. She fell to the floor in agony, clutching her injured hand.
Ahsoka grabbed the second lightsaber hilt and twirled both of them, standing above her menacingly.
"Yield," she said, her face illuminated by the twin red blades.
"You lied about giving me a fair fight!" Reva shouted angrily. "You were able to use both hands all along!"
Ahsoka shrugged, assuming a defensive stance with the sabers. "I never said I couldn't. You just assumed I was left-handed."
She circled Reva as she peered at her warily from the ground.
"What do you want?" she spat.
"I want you to join me," Ahsoka replied.
"Me? Join you?" Reva scoffed. "What kind of joke is this? Are you trying to mock me?"
"No," Ahsoka replied. "I'm completely serious. I think we would make a good team. We both have something we want, after all. You want to defeat Vader too, don't you?" Reva glowered at her. "You don't stand a chance on your own. If you accept my help, I can take him down with you."
"I don't need your help," Reva spat. "I was doing just fine by myself."
"Yeah, I'm sure," Ahsoka raised an eyebrow and shifted her weight slightly. Her legs were trembling slightly from the effort of standing up, but she did not want to make her weakened state too obvious. "I mean, I'm just the Padawan. What do you think it would have been like for you, going up against the man who taught me everything I know?"
Reva grimaced. "I'll figure something out," she mumbled.
Ahsoka sighed. "Always so stubborn," she rolled her eyes. "Have you considered that maybe Vader isn't the enemy you want? He's only part of the problem. If you really want to end everything, you need to think bigger. The Emperor is the real one behind this. I wouldn't be surprised if he was the one to issue Order 66 himself."
"You are not suggesting that we go after the Emperor."
"I am."
"You're crazy," Reva said, backing away.
"Perhaps I might be," Ahsoka replied. "But that's what war will do to your mind, I'm afraid."
Just then, a sharp pain surged through both of her ankles. Ahsoka let out a cry and fell forwards, dropping both lightsaber hilts which instantly flickered off.
Reva ran to her and grabbed her with both hands, catching her just in time right before her ankles gave out. Ahsoka panted, trying not to cry from the amount of excruciating pain she was in. Every nerve in her body felt as if it had been shot through, her legs rapidly going numb. If it was not for Reva holding her up, she would have fallen facefirst on the floor.
"Listen...to me," Ahsoka grunted. "There is a way to defeat...Anakin," she gasped. "But he...he..."
Reva tried to get her to look at her, but it was no use. Ahsoka's eyelids fluttered rapidly as she lost consciousness and collapsed.
"No," Reva said. "Don't. You can't die on me," she said, frantically shaking.
Ahsoka's hands weakly grabbed at Reva's arms for a while, but eventually she couldn't anymore, and they slowly went limp in her grip. Reva yelled and fell back as Ahsoka collapsed lifelessly on her.
"How is the prisoner?" The Purge Trooper circled around, watching Reva's reactions.
"She put up quite a fight, but it was too much for her body. I'm afraid her arrogance cost her the victory."
"Hm. I'm surprised she thought of that, using the gas to explode her shackles. How did she survive it?"
"Force Shield," Reva said simply.
"She must really have been a fighter. Most prisoners don't get that far."
"No, they don't," Reva agreed. "It's too bad her little plan failed," she snarled. "Almost had me, too."
"What shall we do then? Should we report her to Vader?"
"No need. I'll be seeing to her execution myself," Reva replied coolly.
The Purge Trooper hesitated. "Do...do we have clearance to perform that?"
"Of course I have clearance, you idiot," Reva snapped. "I am the Grand Inquisitor, what other authority do you need?"
The Purge Trooper shuddered. "Yes of course sir," they replied immediately.
"Now, give me your blaster," she snarled. "I want to get this over as quickly as possible."
The Purge Trooper nodded and handed it over. Reva unclicked the safety and pointed it at their head, instantly shooting and killing them. The Trooper crumpled over, the tip of their helmet smoking where the blaster shot had right gone through it.
"You owe me one," Reva hissed. "You're lucky they didn't send more to check on the explosion."
Ahsoka sat up and blinked, rubbing her wrists. "Is it going to be hard to cover this up?" she asked.
"No," Reva grunted. "I'll just say that I discovered he was involved in a conspiracy to unmask the Princess' identity and Vader will let it go."
Ahsoka nodded, looking around her. "I don't suppose you could have my legs fixed, could you?" she asked. "These medpatches are great, but I'd like to be able to stand again without hurting all over."
"Only if you promise not to pull any more funny stunts."
Ahsoka grinned. "Thanks," she said. "Knew I could count on you."
"Don't push your luck."
The former Jedi and the Inquisitor stared at each other. Ahsoka reached out, and Reva looked back at her with confusion. Deciding to just show what she meant, Ahsoka simply grabbed her hand and held onto it. Reva balked, completely caught off guard by the sudden contact.
"Together, we will get him," Ahsoka said, squeezing her hand tighter. "He might win against one of us, but he can't beat the both of us."
Reva stared at her with doubt then slowly, hesitantly squeezed back.
Lightyears away on Naboo, another entity was also calling for the attention of their very same target.
"Lord Vader," Palpatine frowned, pressing urgently on the holoprojector. "Lord Vader?"
Despite his attempts, there was still no response from the other end. "Lord Vader, it has been a while since your last communication. What is keeping you? Please, respond soon," he hissed.
Whatever Vader was doing, apparently it was more important than picking up calls from his comlink.
"Lord Vader," Palpatine growled. He tried one more time, then finally gave up. Turning around, he came to face the furious Dathomirian behind him.
"You said that he captured Kenobi and Tano," Maul snarled. "That's the only reason why I agreed to start working for you again. If that was all a lie, then I won't-"
"Silence, Lord Maul," Palpatine snarled, reaching out and splaying his hands. Maul howled as the lightning bolts hit him and surged through his entire body, causing his muscles to seize and shake. "He has indeed captured Kenobi. However, why he has delayed killing him for so long, I do not comprehend..."
Maul grunted and pushed himself up from the ground, forcing himself to sit up. "If they are still alive, then I demand that he bring them to me," he gasped. "I have waited for more than ten years to see them again...to kill them," he snarled.
Palpatine shook his head and turned away, pulling his robes tighter around himself. "We shall see soon," he replied. "Patience, my young Apprentice. These matters require a subtler hand."
Maul frowned, clearly displeased. Palpatine just smirked.
"Do not worry," he said confidently. "He will give them up to us soon, I know it. When he is finished with whatever distraction is holding him, I will lure him back under my influence and demand them. And when he finally delivers them to us...then, you shall have the pleasure of dealing with them however you see fit."
Maul bowed his head. "Thank you, Master," he gasped. "You are most generous."
Palpatine smiled slowly. "Of course," he replied. "I always am."