Wasted Space

“Call me when she lands. I need to work on Raider. If I don’t get the turbine fixed, she’s not going anywhere.” J’has looked to her friend and nodded with a small smile. He turned to walk away but paused, glancing back at her. “Don’t forget to call.”

The Mandalorian woman chuckled to herself. It was obvious to her that Paxtn was head over heels for the Grey Jedi. Ahsoka was completely oblivious to the whole thing, which made it that more amusing to J’has.

Paxtn went back to working on J’has’ ship in order to get it functional again. It had taken some heavy damage during the last attack on Ryloth. J’has and her crew had been trying to take relief supplies to a small group of refugees on the planet. But the Empire saw the ship and immediately attacked. Without a lot of backup, the Rebels had taken a heavy loss. The two escort ships were shot down, and J’has lost a couple of her crew members.

She shook her head at the memory as the comm on her wrist began to beep. She looked down and tapped the screen.

Coming in hot.

J’has looked back up at the sky. Her eye’s widened when she saw a ship and a large trail of smoke coming from one of the engines.

“Paxtn,” she called, turning to run towards him. “You said to call you when Ahsoka was landing?”

He poked his head from beneath the ship he was working on. “Yeah?”

“We need a fire and recovery crew immediately. She lost an engine and it looks bad. She’s going to need as much help as she can get.”

Paxtn immediately jumped into action, doing as he was told. J’has turned on her heel and started sprinting towards the landing pad. As she ran, she clicked on the comm. A few seconds later, a shaky image of Ahsoka lit up her wrist.

“I’m not going to make it to the landing pad.” Ahsoka said.

“I figured,” J’has chuckled. “Keep her as steady as you can. What’s your collision coordinates?”

“23 mark 97. Wait, scratch that, mark 92.”

“Paxtn!” J’has shouted. “23 mark 92!”

“Got it boss!”

“It’s going to be a rough ride, J’has.”

“I know. It looks bad from down here.” She turned and started running to the southern side of the camp, where the command center was.

The Togruta snorted. “You should see it from up here. It doesn’t look much better.”

J’has opened the door to the command center and made a beeline for the long range scanner. “What’s been damaged?”

“The main fuel line. There was a leak and the fuel dumped all over my primary engine. The secondary one isn’t doing much better. And I’m pretty sure the compression chamber exploded. That’s going to be a bitch to fix.”

That made J’has chuckle. “Tell me about it. Can you keep her level? My team is 3 minutes out.”

“I can try, but no promises.”

“Copy.” She turned her attention to the channel that had all of her team members. “Paxtn, Nuovis, where are we?”

“90 seconds, boss.” Nuovis said.

“‘Soka? Still with me?”

“Barely. I can’t keep it under control!”

~*~*~*~

Nuovis launched herself out of the small transport, grabbing her bag as she went. The impact of the crashing ship shook through at least 10 klicks of the planet’s surface. Smoke billowed out from the twin engines, and Nuovis thought she could smell fuel. Which wasn’t good.

“Paxtn, Jarel, help me find her. Get her out as quickly as possible!” she called.

The two men with her jumped into action. Nuovis slammed a small sonic device on the glass of the cockpit and detonated it, blowing the shield out of the way so she could crawl inside the craft. “Ahsoka!” she shouted.

There was no answer.

That made Nuovis panic a bit.

“Guys, she’s likely unconscious. She’ll probably be in the small blast chamber if se was able to make it there.”

“Copy.”

She made a quick sweep of the front of the ship, grabbing Ahsoka’s dual sabers and throwing them in her bag. She also grabbed a few small explosive devices in the hopes of keeping the coming explosion to a minimum. Crawling through the debris of the much more damaged bowel of the ship, she made her way down to where the sleeping quarters were. Well, it was more of a hold than actual sleeping quarters, but Ahsoka made it work.

Set on the lower body of the hold was the blast chamber. Ahsoka had built it specifically in the event of a huge crash or explosion. Nuovis carefully made her way towards it and managed to throw the few pieces of debris off the door. When she finally got it cleared, she realized it was unsealed. Which meant Ahsoka wasn’t in there.

“Chamber is negative. She’s somewhere on the ship!”

It wasn’t an overly large vessel, but it was big enough to be a maze when crashed. And it most certainly had done that.

“I’ve got her! Mechanical room.”

“Grab her and get out, Paxtn! There’s a fuel leak and this ship is going to blow any second.”

There was a grunt on the other side of the comm, which was all the confirmation she was going to get. But she didn’t really have time to dwell on it. The Rogue was about to go up in flames.

~*~*~*~

The whole camp had turned to chaos. Ahsoka was back, but her ship had crashed. She had important intel with her that they may or may not get now because of it. Everyone was scrambling to get the Med Center ready for her. Nuovis said she was pretty badly injured, but it was unclear just how bad it actually was.

J’has managed to keep some semblance of calm as she directed people on what to do. To keep the peace, she had to keep everyone else calm. But she had to admit, she was in a slight panic herself. Ahsoka was one of her closest friends. It was gnawing at J’has not knowing the condition she was in. But there wasn’t time to worry about that now.

“J’has!”

She looked up from the tablet in her hands at the sound of her name. It was Nuovis. She had jumped out of the transport and was on the side, trying to help Paxtn and Jarel get Ahsoka out of the shuttle without causing more damage.

“What happened?” she called as she sprinted over to them.

“Not sure. She was towards the rear of the ship, no where near where she should have been,” Nuovis said.

J’has frowned. “What?” What could she have possibly been doing back there? She knew Rogue was going down…what could have been so important she would risk her life for?

“Get her in the med bay. I need to check her injuries.”

J’has watched as Paxtn gently carried Ahsoka, who was still out of it, into the tent that served as their medical center.

“Do you know what this is?” Nuovis asked, getting her attention once again.

J’has frowned and took the garment that Nuovis held out to her. It was well worn, she could tell as much. It was also quite large, and it obviously wasn’t going to fit Ahsoka. She turned it a few times, examining the plain black fabric. She noticed that it was soft, criminally so. It appeared to be a tunic of sorts, but it looked quite complex. “No,” she said. “I don’t recognize it.”

Nuovis hummed. “When Jarel and Paxtn found her, her legs were pinned beneath a large panel from the ship’s wall. She was holding this. Looks like she got knocked on the head before she got pinned.” have dropped control of the ship for?

J’has turned the slightly dirty garment around again, looking for any signs of who it could have belonged to. “Anakin, maybe?” she mumbled to herself. She knew Ahsoka blamed herself for her Master’s death. And she knew the fallen knight had a preference for black robes. It was possible she got her hands on it somehow.

“Whoever it belongs to must’ve been important to her. It almost got her killed.”

~*~*~*~

Ahsoka’s eyes snapped open. She forced herself to lie still, perfectly aware of the pain shooting through her entire body. Her shoulder felt like it was on fire. There was something in her side, maybe a broken rib, that made it hard for her to breathe.

She let out a slow breath and closed her eyes briefly, trying to calm her raging heart.

“Very good, Lady Tano.”

Ahsoka slowly turned her head, looking for the source of his voice. “Maul?”

He hummed quietly, which infuriated her. Ahsoka wasn’t used to feeling so helpless.

“Calm down, Lady Tano. I told you, no harm would come to you while you’re in my care.”

She took as deep of a breath as she dared. “Will you help me sit up?”

A grunt was all the response she got, but she soon found herself moving into a sitting position. Every part of her body burned with pain, but she fought it with gritted teeth. She felt Maul’s hands on her. They were warm and surprisingly gentle on her good arm and back. She was sure she would have injured herself more if she’d attempted it alone.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

He looked at her for a moment and nodded once. “You’re welcome.”

For the first time, she realized she wasn’t wearing her armor. The thought alarmed her for a second before she recognized the soft black fabric that gently brushed against her skin.

“Being confined in that blood soaked material wasn’t good for your wounds. I needed to clean them again while you were unconscious. Parts of your armor aren’t salvageable, but I saved what I could.” Ahsoka turned to look at him. He could tell there was still suspicion in her expression. Not that he blamed her. She had plenty of reason to be.

“Lady Tano…I rarely ask anything of anyone. But please, for the love of Force, don’t look at me like I’m going to kill you any second.”

That took her by surprise. “Excuse me?”

He raised his lip slightly. “I offered you my hand for a reason, Ahsoka. I wouldn’t extend the offer with any intent to cause you harm. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you’ll be able to relax and let your body heal.” he growled.

Ahsoka felt a stab of guilt. “I’m-“

“Don’t apologize,” he snapped.

His tone almost made her recoil. But she held her ground, in spite of the shiver he sent down her spine.

Don’t let him intimidate you, she thought to herself.

“I’m in a vulnerable position right now,” she said quietly. Her voice made him look at her, and he was surprised to find she was staring at him with her mouth in a hard line. “We’ve met once, and it consisted of fighting to kill each other. Forgive me if I’m a little bit wary of letting my guard down around someone who’s tried to kill my closest friends on more than one occasion.”

He tilted his head at her, his eyes narrowing as he appraised her. After a moment, he let out a quiet rumble and nodded once.

“I can see how that would be…disconcerting.” he said. “I mean you no harm. And I intend to make sure none comes to you while you are in my care.”

Ahsoka blinked in surprise. That wasn’t the reaction she’d been expecting. Curiously, she opened herself to the Force. One thing Anakin had taught her was how to distinguish a person’s intentions by their signature. Even non-force sensitive people carried a signature unique to them. She’d learned how to carefully and quietly manipulate it to tell her the true intent.

His signature was bold and unmistakable. It pulsed with dark energy and hatred. But there was an underlying calm, something that told her immediately that he wasn’t a danger to her.

That revelation made her even more curious.

Honing her focus on his writhing signature, she felt it still.

What are you doing?

His voice was sharp, but she was surprised to find there was no malice. Only curiosity.

Feeling your signature, she responded easily. I haven’t ever felt one like this before.

Have you ever come in contact with the Dark Side like this before?

She paused for a moment. No.

She felt him begin to close himself off, to try and mask his signature. Ahsoka recognized his discomfort and quietly withdrew from the Force, focusing back in on the reality in front of her.

The expression on Maul’s face was conflicted. He looked angry and hurt, but there was something different too.

“Do you make it a habit of invading people’s minds?” he muttered quietly.

Ahsoka cocked her head. “I didn’t realize I was. I’m sorry.”

Maul turned his mouth downwards, frowning at her. “What?”

“I didn’t realize I could be a presence in your mind,” she admitted, looking away. “I’m sorry for the intrusion.”

He scoffed quietly. “For someone who’s supposed to fight the Dark Side in all its forms, you sure seem to use it quite often.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me, Lady Tano. You are using the Dark Side.”

~*~*~*~

Ahsoka woke quietly. There was no immediate danger. There was no unknown presence. But something sent her heart racing.

“You’re awake.”

She coughed and swung her legs over the edge of the bed she was laying on. “How observant, J’has.” she joked.

J’has snorted at her. “Welcome back. You’ve been out of it for a few hours.”

Ahsoka groaned. “We don’t have a lot of time.”

“Just calm down, ‘Soka. We’ve got plenty.”

“Not according to Obi Wan.”

J’has frowned and moved to grab Ahsoka’s arm when the Togruta looked as if she were about to fall off the small bed. Nuovis had tended to the major injuries, but there were some that couldn’t be helped. Such as the obvious concussion. “Start from the beginning.” she instructed.

Ahsoka sighed. “When I left Taris, I received a transmission from Master Kenobi. I learned some…interesting information. He’s also been keeping a watchful eye on the forming Rebel bases in the areas. The Empire is dropping some of their dogs as operatives within the rebellion. Four cells have already been taken down by the war dogs.”

That got J’has’ attention. “Does he think there’s one coming here?”

“As of right now, the cell on Dantooine is the largest group of rebels that we know about. Because of certain members, such as you, this particular cell poses a larger threat to the Empire. From the information that Obi Wan gave me, there’s already three war dogs planted.”

J’has’ eyes narrowed. If there were traitors in her crew, she was going to weed them out. “Did he give you names?”

“No, that was part of the intel that got lost when it came to him. All he knows is that they’re already here. And you need to be ready for any kind of attack.”

The Mandalorian raked a hand through her short hair and cursed under her breath. “What do we do?”

Ahsoka sighed. “Right now, there’s not much you can do. Who’s the newest recruits?”

J’has thought for a moment. “Honestly? We’ve been having a hard time getting people here. The newest was almost a year ago.”

The Togruta frowned. “Then they’ve had plenty of information to send to the Empire. What attacks have gone wrong recently?”

“At least half,” J’has said. “We never really thought much of it, though. We were usually outgunned and outmanned. The majority of the time, it was chalked up to half assed planning.”

Ahsoka shook her head. “They we’re ready for you.”

“I’m seeing that now.”

“Is there anyone that you don’t fully trust?”

J’has sighed roughly. “No. Each one of my crew have put their lives on the line. Most of them have saved my ass more than once. I trust every single one of them.”

“That’s going to be a problem.”

“You think?”

“But that’s not the only one.”

“Oh joy. Do tell.”

“There’s been activity on Moraband.”

J’has paled. “What?”

Ahsoka nodded. “There’s something wrong in the Force.”

“I’ve noticed. Something has been wrong for a long time.”

“I can’t say that Moraband is active for a fact. But there’s plenty of evidence telling me it is. My connection with the planet is…rocky…to say the least. The Commerce Guild is still in full swing, so I don’t think it’s detectable to many others.”

But you can feel it, Snips.

Anakin is right, Ahsoka. You’ve strayed far too close to the Dark Side for our liking. ”

She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a sharp breath. She didn’t have the energy to deal with Anakin and Obi Wan now.

Not now, she hissed.

You spent way too much time with Maul, Ahsoka. That Sith clouded your mind.

Oh, like you never did anything questionable, Master.

That’s enough.

“Sidious was there.”

“WHA-“

Ahsoka immediately slapped a hand over her friend’s mouth. “Keep it down,” she said.

“What was he doing there?!” J’has demanded. “If he went there seeking the knowledge those ancient Sith hold…Gods Ahsoka, this is bad!”

“I know,” she said, holding her hands in a placating gesture. “From what I gathered, all he did was enrage the Force. It upset the balance. He left empty handed.”

J’has gave Ahsoka a confused look. “How do you know all of this? I know you’re strong with the Force…but how?”

Ahsoka sighed. “I’ve…made some unlikely allies.” she said. “Including Asajj.”

“Ventress?!”

“She’s been an ally for a long time, J’has. She keeps tabs on places like Moraband for me. Places I can’t go. And people I can’t be around.” Ahsoka shook her head, thinking about how she’d ended up with the night sister. She’d learned a lot from Asajj, and she was grateful for what she did. The Night Sister wasn’t so different from the Zabrak she’d spent so much time with.

“You’ve spent a long time with Dathomirians, Ahsoka.”

The Togruta shot J’has a look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I know why you’re here, Ahsoka.”

She raised an eyebrow marking and crossed her arms.

“I promised information about Maul.”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. “And I have important information for you. I wasn’t going to let innocents die because of Sidious.”

J’has sighed and shook her head. “You’re on a mission Ahsoka. He’s alive, and you need to find him.” Ahsoka opened her mouth to say something, but J’has cut her off. “Whatever you went through with him changed you, Ahsoka. It’s not just you that needs him.”

“What?”

“We do too.”

A holodisk was tucked safely into one of the hidden compartment on her pants, which she would periodically tap to confirm it was still there. Mekkos had killed a lot of men for that information.

As she approached the Merchant’s Bridge, she began having to weave her way through a swarm of people. She had made sure to put her valuables in a safe place before heading back. The Bridge had no shortage of pickpockets and thieves.

“Where are you?”

Had she not been expecting the callous voice to ring in her ears, it would have sent her heart racing.

“Be patient,” she snapped back. “I’m planetside. Heading to the Bridge now.”

A deep rumble bounced around her eardrums, making her shiver slightly. “Good. You’re late as it is.”

The Twi’lek sneered again at the insult before tapping her finger to the comm that was tucked into the small opening behind her ear dome. She had enough to worry about without trying to keep him happy.

She wound her way through the extremely overcrowded market and down a few hidden streets. The heat felt like it was soaking into her bones, making her cringe every time she felt the sweat drip down her back. It was infuriating.

“Why did he have to choose this of all planets?” she grumbled to herself. Regardless, she was getting paid. She could complain all she wanted, but it wasn’t going to get her anywhere. If anything, it would reduce her payment amount.

She wasn’t extremely well versed in the culture of Thune. But she knew it was a cesspool of thieves and beggars. The perfect place to hide if one wanted to stay off the Empire’s radar. Which was exactly what they were trying to do.

The Empire was not the galactic paradise that they had promised. And there were a lot of people trying to keep hidden. She couldn’t blame them, really. She knew what their harsh treatments could do to someone. She’d experienced it first hand.

She felt a stab of pity for the people that were making the Outer Rim and Wild Space their home. Mekkos had abandoned what she knew as her home a long time ago, when she was barely more than a child herself. But when she saw families…that was something else entirely.

It was true that she was known to be a ruthless killer. It was a reputation that she took pride in. But even she wasn’t a monster. She knew when to show mercy and when to withhold it.

But the Emperor? Sidious was the true definition of evil. And she would do anything within her power to stop it.

At the moment, that meant finding herself in the certain predicament she was in. She was a part of the plan to destroy the Empire and Sidious. There were many grudges held against the Sith Lord. Hers, however, was a personal vendetta.

And that son of a bitch was going to pay for what he did.

All in good time, she reminded herself.

Slipping out of the dank alleys and away from the stagnant stench of the canals., Mekkos breathed in a quiet sigh of relief. Her sanctuary was just a few hundred yards in front of her.

The Garbis Mansion.

It was the one place she could allow herself to relax slightly on this hellhole of a planet. Everyone in the city knew the abandoned mansion was off limits. There were rumors flying around about the kind go people that inhabited the mansion now. For the most part, the rumors kept the curious souls away. If the rumors didn’t, then the appearance of the mansion did.

It was eerie and quiet. Broken stone and clay showed off the holes that contained sharpened spikes to keep intruders away. But Mekkos had gotten past the appearance a long time ago. After all, she knew what it held on the inside. Her employer was rich. That much she knew. She hadn’t seen him face to face before, so she didn’t know exactly who he was. But she knew he had deep connections.

There were errands he would send her on that confused her. She never knew what exactly they were for. He was keeping tabs on a few groups of Rebels, including one on Dantooine. He seemed overly fascinated with them. It was a puzzle she couldn’t piece together. She didn’t like it when she couldn’t figure something out.

Putting the thought of out her mind, she stepped into the mansion. Her boots made no sound on the stone as she walked into the foyer. It was as dark and dank as ever, but she knew what lie behind a hidden door. Mekkos moved towards the wall and placed her palm flat on a stone. It took a few seconds, but there was a quiet click and a hiss as a part of the wall sunk in and opened to reveal the true interior.

The hallway was lined with gentle light, the yellow glow flickering every few seconds. The false flames made Mekkos roll her eyes. One thing she knew for sure was that he loved theatrics. He had a flair for the dramatic, and he definitely knew how to get someone’s attention.

She walked down the corridor, headed for the office where she normally left all the files and information that she had gathered for him. It was a fairly plain room, containing a desk, a holoscreen, and a few files.

What caught her attention though, was a quiet rustle coming from the normally silent room.

She drew her blaster frothier hip quietly, her finger hovering over the trigger. She waited for a moment, trying to discern if what she was hearing was a person or a small animal.

But when she heard the sigh of frustration, she got her answer.

Mekkos jumped into action, her movements precise and deadly. She kicked the door open and effectively stormed the castle as it were. She was surprised to find someone sitting in the chair behind the desk, his boots resting on the wooden top. He was shrouded in shadow, but she could make out the majority of his silhouette.

“How the hell did you get in here? And who the hell are you?” she snapped.

The stranger scoffed. It wasn’t a sound that normally bothered the bounty hunter. But there was something…a tone in this man’s voice, that made her shiver. Two golden eyes glowed from the shadows and flashed in annoyance. “Really, Mek, for someone so smart, you’re quite slow.” The voice was deep and commanded attention. It made Mekkos nervous. There was something that made the proverbial hair on the back of her neck stand up. Something was off about this man. She just couldn’t put her finger on it.

She narrowed her eyes. “Excuse me?” She tried to put on a brave face, but the small quiver in her voice gave her away.

The man sighed and stood up, his boots thudding on the floor with a loud clank. Mekkos swallowed hard but held her ground, her blaster level with the man’s chest. “That’s far enough,” she hissed.

He stepped forward, the light from the torch behind her bathing him in a warm glow. Her eyes widened when she realized who she was seeing. The horns surrounded his head like a broken crown. The black ink on his red skin were intricate and likely held a deep meaning for him, much like her own. But the most piercing feature was his eyes. They were gold and glowing, rimmed with orange and flecks of red. It felt like they were piercing into her soul.

And she knew immediately who it was.

“Lord Maul?”

He hummed quietly and clasped his hands behind her back. “You’re catching on.”

She bared her teeth at him, the sharp weapons glinting. She was terrified, but she was determined not to show it. “Watch yourself,”

Maul scoffed. “Don’t insult me by trying to threaten me, child.” he said. His eyes narrowed as he examined her closely. After a moment, his stance relaxed slightly. But Mekkos couldn’t be more on edge. “I think it’s time you understand what exactly it is you’re doing here.”

That threw her for a loop. “What?” she asked with a frown, lowering her blaster.

He rolled his eyes and sighed at her. “You couldn’t possibly believe that I’m simply having you run meaningless errands for me, Mekkos. You have a greater purpose than that.”

Mek still wasn’t sure if she believed it or not. It was rumored that Maul had been killed when the last Republic ship went crashing down. Ahsoka Tano had been thought to have been killed in that explosion as well. But Mekkos knew better.

Maul was getting impatient and huffed at her. “If you’re going to shoot me, you may as well do it now. I’d rather not waste any more time than we already have.”

He turned and headed for the door, leaving him exposed to her blaster. She knew he could kill her if he wanted to, but she was still standing. He needed her for something.

Cautiously, she tucked the blaster back into the holster on her thigh and followed him out of the office. He walked with his hands clasped behind his back. He didn’t pay her any mind as they walked deeper into the abandoned mansion.

Well, it wasn’t so abandoned anymore.

Despite having spent the majority of her time in the mansion, she hadn’t taken the opportunity to explore. If she were being honest, it sent a chill down her spine. She couldn’t put her finger on the problem exactly, but it gave her a bad feeling.

Being a bounty hunter, she spent the majority of her time in unsavory places. She was used to the feeling of being watched. But this was something different, something more threatening.

“You brought the information I asked for, I assume?” he asked.

“Yes,” Mek responded, still finding herself looking around the dark hallway. He hummed quietly, not offering anything else to keep a conversation. The dark hallway seemed to come to a dead end when Maul held his hand out, waving it slightly. Mek watched in curiosity as an entire part of the solid wall separated from the rest and sank in before sliding to the side.

Sensing her curiosity, Maul spared her a glance. “It’s a security precaution,” he explained. “Only a Force user can open the door.”

She nodded once, not daring to say anything. Maul stepped forward into the dark room, and Mekkos followed him. She found a winding staircase that led deeper into the mansion. A few steps in, Maul turned around and sealed the door. Mek froze, completely encompassed in darkness. She had no sense of direction and it concerned her.

“I can sense your fear, Mekkos.” Maul said. “There’s no need to worry.”

His voice echoed off the stone walls, and she couldn’t tell where his voice was coming from. It was as if her body locked up, keeping her in place. All of her senses were on high alert, looking for the danger she was sure was there.

A few seconds later, there was a dim glow that began to light the pathway below them. Her eyes flicked down toward the light. She was surprised so see the wall beside the stairwell lifting up. She looked towards Maul, who had closed his eyes and was focusing intently on his task. She watched as the wall continued to lift until they were both bathed in light.

“Neat trick,” she blurted out.

He looked at her and chuckled. “Even the most experienced Force user is disoriented in the right circumstances. This is designed to throw their senses into confusion.”

Mek looked around briefly before nodding. “It’s a useful tactic,” she said. “I can see how it would unsettle someone.”

He hummed and nodded his approval. “Come with me, Mekkos.”

The pair continued down the starway until they reached a level floor. It opened up into a large room that contained several computers, disassembled droids, several parts of saber hilts, and some other miscellaneous items. In the center of the room was a large work desk. Maul made his way over to the desk and tapped it, lighting up the screen. “Bring me the disk.”

Mekkos did as she was asked, digging the small stick out of her hidden pocket. She looked at it briefly before wordlessly handing it to Maul.

“Did you get everything?”

She nodded slowly. “I believe so. There wasn’t much in their system. But I got everything that was there.”

“Good,” he growled quietly. He put the information disk into the port and a hologram popped up in front of him. He crossed his arms as a symbol with two circles, the bottom half being inverted, spun slowly in the air as the files loaded. “You haven’t asked many questions, Mekkos. Why is that?” Maul asked, turning to her with a curious gaze.

The bounty hunter cocked her head to the side slightly. “You said you were working to destroy the Empire. We have a common goal,” she said with a shrug. “As long as I’m fighting Sidious, then I don’t care what you have me do.”

The black mark where his eyebrow would have been arched upward. “So you know of his true nature.”

Mekkos crossed her arms. “Yes. I was undercover on Coruscant when Palpatine showed who he really is. There was a bounty on one of the senators, and I was doing my research.”

Maul hummed quietly. “How did you figure it out?”

She shrugged. “I met Anakin a few times while I was playing my part. It was usually after a Senate meeting. And the way he talked about Palpatine made it seem like there was more to the man than met the eye. So I did some research on him as well. I saw when Anakin and Palpatine turned on Master Windu. He was a powerful Jedi, but he was no match for two Sith Lords.”

The Zabrak sneered. “That youngling was no Sith Lord,” he snapped. “He barely found his footing with the Dark Side. Dare I say he was barely a Jedi.”

Mekkos frowned. “He might have been unorthodox. But from what I saw and the battles I studied, he had an inclination to the Dark Side for a long time. All he needed was the right push. And Palpatine gave it to him.”

Maul pursed his lips. “Perhaps. What do you know of Sidious?”

“Honestly? Not much. He’s kept that side of himself hidden for so long. I don’t believe even he knows who he truly is.”

Maul hummed and turned his attention back to the holograms in front of him, putting an end to the conversation.

“Who are they?” Mekkos asked with a frown.

“Assets. People of value in the war to come.”

Mek narrowed her eyes. She recognized some of them. “Dryden Vos?”

Maul nodded. “Have you heard of a syndicate called Crimson Dawn?”

She turned to him with a look of surprise. “I’m assuming you’re the one who runs it?”

“Away from prying eyes, of course. For this to work as well as it has been, I need someone more public than I. And Dryden Vos happens to love being in the spotlight.”

Mek pursed her lips and tilted her head. “He stole my obsidian.”

Maul arched an eyebrow marking and looked at her. “Excuse me?”

“On Yarvin 4,” she explained. “I was there hunting a bounty that snuck into a temple. I found myself a nice little chunk of Obsidian and took it as a souvenir along with the bounty. Turns out, running into Dryden was one of the more fortunate experiences I had on the planet.” Mekkos suddenly looked unhappy and uncomfortable. “I came across a Force being.”

That seemed to capture Maul’s interest. “Really?” he asked. “Fascinating.”

It sent a shiver down her spine just thinking about it. “Exar Kun.”

“A truly impressive show of power. I’ve studied his beliefs and practices. He achieved what few Sith before him had.”

Mekkos rolled her shoulders, trying to dispel the comfort that seeped into her at the memory. “As one who isn’t Force sensitive, you can see why I preferred Dryden.”

Maul appraised her silently for a moment. Perhaps I underestimated her, he thought to himself. If she truly came across Exar Kun, she may be more valuable than I had originally thought.

He turned his attention back to the holograms in front of him. “I had you gather more information on people who would be of value to me. Qi’ra is an interesting woman. Voss recruited her. I believe she is his lieutenant.” Mek crossed her arms and listened as he talked. There was something about it that was mesmerizing. “Rook is my personal favorite,” he said. “She’s a loyal woman and is skilled in many forms of combat. She is undoubtedly my best asset.”

Mek tried to make sense of what he was asking her to do. She fit a few pieces of the puzzle together, but she was missing a large portion of the picture. “What exactly is it that you want from me?” she asked with a frown.

Maul turned to her again. “I need you to keep an eye on them. I may value them, but that does not mean I trust them. I want you to make sure their performance is…adequate.”

Mekkos started to say something, but something else caught Maul’s attention. Deep in his consciousness, he felt a tug. Everything else but that feeling faded to black. He allowed himself to be pulled backwards, his mind following the unbidden call. His eyes roved through the Force, looking for what had tugged at him.

A torrent of emotions ripped through him.

Pain.

Anger.

Hate.

Rage.

Fear.

Those emotions weren’t his. His eyes narrowed as he honed in on what was causing such a ripple in the delicate balance of the Force. Light was fading into Dark and Dark was brightening into the Light.

They weren’t just my friends! They were my brothers! Obi Wan might have known war. But I lived it! I was born into it and raised to fight. Anakin, I was fourteen when I became your Padawan! I was three years old when I started training as a Jedi. Normal children grow up learning language and history. I grew up learning saber techniques and how to kill a droid.

The sheer pain in her voice was undeniable. It was so powerful that it almost knocked Maul backwards.

Ahsoka? He thought. He could feel her.

Within the Force, he reached out to her. He allowed his energy to search for hers. He could feel it buried deep in the Force. She was trying to conceal it. But try as she might, she couldn’t hide. Not from him.

Never from him.

He saw her blue eyes light up the darkness around them. They were wide and filled with fear.

“Ahsoka!”

As soon as she felt him, she disappeared.

Suddenly being ripped out of the connection with the Force, Maul stumbled forward with a grunt.

Mekkos let out a quiet yelp and jumped out of the way as he reached for the desk. His breathing was suddenly heavy, and she was more than confused. A moment ago he seemed to be listening intently. Then, as if something in his head snapped, he appeared to be in a deep trance. And whatever trance he’d been in was suddenly ripped away.

“She’s alive.”

“I’m sorry?”

Maul turned to her. “I have a new Bounty for you, Mekkos.”

She crossed her arms. The man seemed to change his mind on a dime. But if he was paying her, who was she to ask questions? “Does this bounty have a name?”

“Ahsoka Tano.”

She was surprised to find that J’has was a force-wielder as well, but it wasn’t long after that she’d learned the backstory of the bounty hunter.

Jerked out of her thoughts, J’has looked up when she heard her name called. She turned to find Paxtn, one of her closest allies and friends, approaching her. He held a datapad in one hand and his glasses in the other with a frown on his face.

“What’s wrong?” J’has asked.

He sighed and shook his head. “We got word from one of the Sentries on the rim of the sector. There’s Imperial Star Destroyers headed this way. We can hide beneath the cloak for a while, but it’s only a matter of time until they send scouting parties to the surface of each planet.”

The woman sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “That’s not good.”

“No,” he agreed. “But in good news, we’ve received an encrypted transmission from Ahsoka.”

J’has perked up at the sound of her friend’s name. “What did she say?”

“It took a while to decipher. She used a complex code to hide it. And it was buried deep in subspace, deeper than most of our transmissions. The woman knows how to cover her tracks.”

She chuckled. “That tends to happen when the Empire thinks you’re dead. I’m sure she wants to keep it that way.”

Paxtn nodded. He understood the want to stay under Imperial radar. “She’s interested in the message you sent her, that much was clear. She kept asking if you were sure he was alive. Not sure what that means, but she seemed spooked by it.”

J’has frowned. It took her a minute to remember exactly what it was that she’d said. The message had been sent a long time ago. Then it hit her.

Oh, she thought. Well, at least that got her attention.

“Then she asked when you got the intel and how old it was. And she said she would be here within a week.”

She blinked in surprise. She wasn’t sure what it would take to get Ahsoka back to Dantooine, but she was quite interested in the fact that it was simply the mention of the Dark sider’s name. Regardless, she would be happy to have to Togruta’s help. Their numbers had been dwindling. The Empire was sending spies to every sector in the galaxy and rooting out any seed of rebellion that they found. The Shadow squadron was quickly losing numbers. And they needed Ahsoka to keep them on their feet.

“How long ago did we receive the message?”

Paxtn scrolled through a few more lines of code with a frown as he tried to find the date of the transmission. “It was sent about three days ago.”

J’has nodded. “Good. Make some arrangements and make sure that she has a suitable place to stay. If you can, see if you can get one of the cavern apartments ready. She’s going to need time to recuperate. I know Ahsoka, and I know she probably hasn’t been taking as good of care of herself as she should.”

And little did she know, she was more right than she ever wanted to be.

~*~*~*~

Ahsoka glared at the Devaronian in front of her. “Excuse me?” she snapped.

He smirked at her, his eyes glinting devilishly in the dim light of the bar. “You heard me, he said. “If you are who you say you are, then this wouldn’t be a problem. And you’ll have as much fuel as you need.”

“Are you trying to blackmail me?”

He chuckled. “On the contrary, my dear. I’m simply trying to see if your reputation is truly deserved or not.”

Her eyes darkened as she continued to glare at him. “I’m not here to do your bidding, Kolt.”

The Devaronian raised an eyebrow at her. “It appears you are,” he said. “You’re on my planet, looking for my fuel. I don’t think you’re in a position to deny my form of payment.”

She could practically feel her montrals hum with the tension in the air. Kolt had draped himself across the chair, with one leg hooked over the arm. He lazily swirled his drink around as he stared at her.

Suddenly, the image of the Manda’lor Zabrak flashed in front of her.

His form confidently and carelessly laid across the throne as he stared at her from across the room. He tilted his head as he motioned to her with his cup, inviting her to come closer.

“Ahsoka,”

His horns practically shone under the lights of the throne room. His voice was deep and gravelly as he spoke to her.

She blinked rapidly, trying to force the image out of her mind.

“Do we have a deal, Ashla?”

Ahsoka almost paled at the name, but she kept her composure. He had referred to her as Ashla before. She figured it had been a jab at her loyalties, but it had grown to a term of respect. At least, she thought it had.

She ground her teeth and sighed. “Fine.”

Kolt grinned and raised his glass. “Wonderful.” He motioned for one of his men to step forward. “This is Darilan. He’ll make sure you have everything you need. Starting with a drink!”

The other Devaronian raised his lip sightless before handing her a glass. She took it with a skeptical look. The liquid smelled as if it could strip the paint off a speeder. It took everything she has not to gag at the smell. Kolt leaned forward, his twisted horns and crooked smile making him look even more devilish than he already appeared. He extended his cup, expecting her to toast.

Cautiously, Ahsoka tapped her glass against his before bracing herself and lifting it to her lips. She drained it in one gulp, opening her throat and allowing all of the burning liquid to scald her throat as it cascaded down.

She handed the glass back to Darilan, managing to keep a straight face and not flinch at the after effects of the alcohol that felt like it was still eating away at her throat. She wouldn’t be surprised if it was raw later. “I’ll take that information now.” she said.

Kolt chuckled. “Straight to business. I like you, Ashla. Darilan, as the Lady says.”

Darilan looked at Kolt before turning his attention to Ahsoka. “This way,” he said.

~*~*~*~

The more Ahsoka learned about what Kolt wanted her to do, the more disdain she held for the man.

She didn’t have time to be sent on wild bantha chases. It frustrated her to no end that she was being pulled down the rabbit hole of Kolt’s crime family.

If Anakin could see me now, she thought to herself.

Oh believe me, Snips. I can see you. What have you done?

She winced at the voice in her head. Ahsoka knew she should have been used to it by now, but every time she heard the scathing tone in his voice, it cut her to the core. “What I have to do…” she said aloud. “J’has asked for my help. She needs me.”

But that’s not the only thing that’s motivating you, is it?

She froze in her tracks. “Excuse me?” She hissed lowly.

You heard me. There’s another reason that you’re putting yourself in harm’s way. And it’s not just because a small group of rebels asked for your help. She promised you information.

Ahsoka shook her head and continued with a rough sigh, trying to shove Anakin’s nagging voice out of her mind.

You can’t just shut me out, Snips. I’m in your head.

“I know that,” she snapped. “But it would help considerably if you would so kindly shut up.”

He snorted. Not a chance.

She growled under her breath and stalked up the ramp to her ship. If she was going to go through with this, she needed to do her research.

Quit ignoring me, Ahsoka. You know this isn’t right. Is he really worth this?

“You’re the one always telling me that I should have listened to him!” she exclaimed as she dropped into the pilots chair. She flipped a few switches and the holonet appeared in front of her. Her slim fingers did their work precisely as she tapped in a few lines of code that she needed to hide her signal from any prying eyes.

The past is the past, Ahsoka. You can’t amend that mistake by trying to look for him now.

“Shut up,” she hissed. “You don’t know what’s going on inside my head.”

That’s where you’re wrong, Ahsoka. As much as you don’t want to admit it, we are all a part of you.

She paled at the sound of Obi Wan’s voice. It had been a long time since she heard his soothing Couriscanti accent. He was right, she knew. But she couldn’t bring herself to admit it.

“You’re just a figment of my imagination,” she said. Obi Wan sighed and she could picture him shaking his head.

Think, Ahsoka. You can feel our signatures. They’re a part of you.

“That’s where you’re wrong.”

I beg your pardon?

“I might be able to feel yours, Obi Wan. But Anakin? He’s dead. If his Force would be with anyone, it would be Padme. And she’s dead too.”

So then that just makes me the more reasonable part of your conscience, Anakin said. And a part of you.

Ahsoka growled. “Enough,” she said. “I have a job to do and I can’t do it with you two constantly bickering with me.”

She could feel the discontent in the back of her mind, but she paid it no attention. She didn’t have the luxury of time to dwell on what they’d said to her.

“If there’s a chance I can do something to make this right, I need to take that chance.” she said to herself. She’d fingers gripped the edge of the dash in front of her, squeezing until she could feel her nails breaking beneath the pressure.

After a few intense seconds of holding her breath, she slowly let it out. She could feel the raging storm in her mind calm slightly.

“Alright. Let’s get to work.”

~*~*~*~

Ahsoka hissed as she prodded the ribs on her right. She grimaced when she saw the blackening bruise that was spreading across her side. There wasn’t a lot she could do about the discoloration of the orange skin, but she figured she could do something about the pain.

More than likely, she’d fractured a few of them. Even more likely was the fact that she probably split them in half.

She cursed as she held the hem of her battledress in her teeth and reached for the bacta cream that was dwindling in supply. She groaned with the pain as she rubbed it across her damaged bones, sighing after a moment as the cream began to work its magic and spread a pleasant cooling sensation through her body.

Ahsoka shimmied out of her leggings, checking her lower body for damage. She glowered as she thought about the events that led to her injuries.

She knew she wouldn’t be able to find a better deal anywhere else, especially considering where she was. So after a few days, she went back to them. But as expected, their price had gone up.

A tremor ran down her spine and she closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to see the blood still staining her hands.

Oh, Snips…

Ahsoka raised her lip in a snarl. “I thought I told you to leave me alone?”

She felt something move inside her. If she didn’t know better, she would have said it was Anakin’s Force. But, she did know better.

Ahsoka, what have you done?

Obi Wan’s voice was clear beside Anakin’s and she bristled.

“What both of you taught me. I’m surviving. Staying alive.”

Yes, but are you really living, Snips?

“Don’t patronize me, Anakin!” she snapped.

I’m not patronizing you, Ahsoka! I’m asking a legitimate question.

She slammed her fist down on the sink of the fresher, her eyes burning into the mirror. If she looked hard enough, she could practically see Anakin and Obi Wan beside her. “I’ve lived through enough goddamn shit these past years, Anakin. Every time I did it with both you and Obi Wan criticizing my every move. Now that I’m actually trying to do something about the mistakes I made in the past, you’re degrading that too!”

Ahsoka, he’s not-

“And you have no right to talk either, Obi Wan!” she snarled. She could feel the anger pulsing within her as she addressed the Force signature she could feel. She knew Obi Wan was paying attention to what she did, whether the Obi Wan in her head agreed or not. “You left me! I needed you in one of the darkest times in my life, and you left me! What the hell was I supposed to do? I don’t think you understand…either of you! I spent almost my whole life in the middle of a war zone! How was I supposed to deal with everything that happened without my closest friends?!”

Because I taught you how!

Ahsoka felt tears of anger flood her eyes as she listened to what Anakin said. “No! You taught me to push everything aside and never acknowledge my problems! Anakin, I don’t know how to do this!”

Letting out a sob, Ahsoka sank to her knees. Injuries be damned right now. Her chest heaved as she wrapped her arms around her knees. She had no idea how to make sense of the chaos that was going on inside her head. She could feel herself succumbing to the darkness once again. But in the back of her mind, there was something pulling her back towards the light.

You can do this, Ahsoka. I know you can. Fight it. Stay strong.

Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to figure out who’s voice it was. It didn’t sound like Rex. The accent was wrong for it to be Obi Wan.

Stand up, Ad’ika.

Everything seemed to stand still. Her heart slowed, but she could still hear the pounding in her ears. She focused in on the voice, listening it what it said.

Good. Stand.

Taking a shaky breath, Ahsoka pulled herself to her feet.

Ignore them, Ahsoka. You are stronger than they are.

She did as the voice asked, repeating the mantra that it kept saying to her.

Whoever or whatever that voice was, it was right. She knew it was.

~*~*~*~

“Do you really think you’re better off on your own, Lady Tano?”

Ashoka ignored him and continued shoving things into the back back she’d found a week ago while scavenging on one of Couruscant’s moons. It was a dangerous task, but one that Maul had insisted on. At the time, Ahsoka hadn’t understood his desire to do something she considered so foolish. It was only later that she understood how important it was.

He didn’t offer an explanation, regardless of how many times she’d asked for one. He would simply tell her that they needed to take what they could while they still had the chance.

Just trying to keep herself alive, she followed his lead.

Later, she understood how important it was for them to get their hands on what they could while Palpatine was busy trying to keep his new Empire under his thumb.

“Talk to me, Ahsoka,” he growled quietly.

Ahsoka let out an exasperated sigh and practically threw her hands up. “Being with you is dangerous, Maul. Palpatine knows you’re alive. But as far as he’s concerned with me, I’m dead. And I would very much like to stay that way in the Empire’s eyes.”

Maul sighed and shook his head. He knew she had a point, but he also had a selfish reason for wanting her to stay with him. As long as she was there, he had the chance to try to make up for his own wrongs. But she apparently wasn’t having any of it.

“Be that as it may, you’re hardly strong enough to fend for yourself.” he said with a frown.

That gave her pause. He had a point; her wounds had just barely healed. They hadn’t even scarred over yet. She still had difficulty with her shoulder, and she knew if she wasn’t careful she would injure it even more.

If she was being honest with herself, being with Maul made her extremely uncomfortable. While it was true he was no longer a Sith, he still followed the Dark Side of the Force. Being near any darksider made her skin crawl. But Maul was a special case.

Even so, she couldn’t overlook the fact that he’d saved her life.

“Look, Maul.” she said, looking up at him. Her expression softened when she saw the genuine concern on his face. It was quickly masked when she looked at him. But Ahsoka saw it nonetheless. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I really do.”

“But?”

She sighed and hugged her middle, trying to figure out what to say so as to not offend him. “But we both have completely different morals. You’re a Sith, for Gods’ sake.”

He frowned at her. “Excuse me?”

Realizing what she’d said, Ahsoka continued, not realizing she was rambling almost incoherently. “I mean, you serve the Dark Side, Maul. I’m a Jedi. Or…at least I was. Not anymore. But the morals I learned still stand with me. They’re a part of me. I’m supposed to represent the light…everything good within the Force. You’re the exact opposite! Everything you know is anger and hate…the kindness you’ve showed me these last few months has amazed me to know end, but still-“

“Ashla, please. Stop talking.”

Ahsoka promptly shut her mouth at hearing the name he’d taken to calling her.

“As you so graciously pointed out, I follow the Dark Side. But that doesn’t necessarily mean everything I do is to cause pain and suffering. And you are hardly a Jedi now. Just because we follow different paths, that doesn’t mean we are exactly the opposite. We have more in common than you might think.”

Ahsoka opened her mouth to interject, but he held up a hand. She could tell that his demeanor had changed. Over the six months she’d spent with him, she’d come to know a different side of Maul. Everything that she saw while she was still a Jedi was what he showed everyone. And she was starting to realize that there was more to him than he let on. And while she was sure he wasn’t showing her his full self, she’d learned that he wasn’t only a warrior full of hate. He had a surprising amount of compassion for a former Sith Lord. But she decided not to dwell on it.

“Be that as it may…you have made your choice. And I will honor your right to choose. I’ll do what I can to make sure you stay alive, but I can’t guarantee to do so once we part ways.”

Ahsoka blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected that. And it robbed her of words.

~*~*~*~

Ahsoka sighed and leaned her head back against the pilots chair. Her eyes closed briefly as the memory faded from her mind. She’d been feeling something lately, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. But she knew it rubbed her the wrong way.

She hadn’t thought about the time she spent with Maul in a very long time. Honestly, she preferred not to. Over the past several years, she allowed both herself and the voices in her head to continually beat herself up over the fact that she hadn’t listened to him when she had the chance. It made her more angry at herself than anything. She realized now that she could have prevented so many things if she had just listened.

But she didn’t.

Her Jedi training was still ingrained in her at the time, much as she tried to ignore it. They wouldn’t admit it, but the Council was willing to do just about anything to capture Maul. And while she was working with Bo-Katan, she thought she understood why. Even being out of the Order for almost two years at that point, she was still seeing only what the Council wanted her to see.

She was still seeing Maul as the enemy.

As a Sith.

A beeping caught her attention and dragged her out of her thoughts. Ahsoka blinked a couple times, frowning at the red light that was pulsing.

“Incoming transmission.”

She rolled her eyes at the obvious statement the ship’s computer made. Her fingers tapped a few buttons that lit up the screen. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw who was staring back at her.

“Ahsoka?”

“Obi Wan,” she gasped quietly. She felt tears spring to her eyes as she stared at the shaky image in front of her.

He let out a sigh of relief. “It’s good to see you.”

She let out a laugh and a sob all in one. “That’s really the first thing you say to me in years?”

Obi Wan chuckled. “Fair point.”

“Gods, you don’t know how much I’ve missed you, Obi Wan.”

He smiled gently at the crying Togruta. “I’m sorry, Ahsoka.” he said softly. “I know I have a lot of explaining to do. And I’m sorry I couldn’t do it before now.”

She frowned, tears still streaming freely down her cheeks. “What?”

Obi Wan sighed. “There’s a few things I haven’t told you, Ahsoka.”

The Togruta rolled her eyes. “I gathered as much,” she said. “Let’s start with why I haven’t heard from you in two years.”

He nodded. “When I last saw Anakin on Mustafar, Padme had followed him. I found her lying unconscious on the ground and…pregnant.”

That made Ahsoka’s eyes go wide. “What?”

“I knew there was obviously a forbidden relationship between them, but I didn’t realize how intimate it was.”

“What happened to the child?” Ahsoka asked quietly. She was almost afraid to know the answer.

“You mean children. Padme was carrying twins.” She gasped, and Obi Wan nodded. He could understand her surprise. It had shocked him as well. “The children are fine. Leia has been adopted by a royal family. And Luke is taken care of as well.”

“Where are you?”

He sighed and shook his head. “I wish I could tell you, Ahsoka. I really do. But it’s for the boy’s protection that I keep our location secret.”

“Our? So you’re with him?”

Obi Wan nodded. “Yes. I trust the people that Leia is with. But Luke…I made a promise to Padme that I would keep him safe. So that’s what I’m doing.”

Ahsoka sighed. “Good. Keep him safe, Obi Wan. I wish there was something I could do to help you.”

“You’re doing it right now.”

She frowned. “What?”

“You’re keeping yourself alive, Ahsoka. You are my closest friend. I need you to make sure nothing happens to you.”

Ahsoka let out a mirthless laugh. If he only knew, she thought. “I can’t make any promises, Master.” she said quietly.

His keen eyes searched her features and examined her quietly. “I can feel your turmoil, Ahsoka. And I wish there was something I could do to take it away.”

She shook her head and felt tears spring to her eyes once again.

He’s lying. You’re just as pathetic now as you were when you were a child.

Ahsoka clenched her jaw and forced herself to look him in the eye. “With all respect, Master, you have no idea the kind of hell I’ve lived for the last several years.” Something along the lines of hurt flashed across his face, and he opened his mouth to say something. But Ahsoka cut him off. “While you were safe and hidden away on whatever world you found yourself on, I was here. I was the one trying to avoid the bloodhounds that Sidious sent after the Jedi. I watched my closest friends die, Obi Wan. I’ve spent Gods know how long trying to just stay alive. That’s hard to do when everything in the world tells you that you should be dead.”

She angrily wiped the tears from her face and glared at him. By the surprise on his face and the wince in his shoulders, she knew he could feel her energy rippling through the Force. She didn’t mask it. Instead, Ahsoka let herself feel. And she made sure Obi Wan knew exactly what it was she was feeling.

Easy, Snips. He knows you’re upset. Try not to overwhelm him.

Why shouldn’t I?! She snapped back. He doesn’t know what I’ve been through!

He might not. But he understands.

How?!

Because he knows war. He saw countless friends die. He understands your pain.

They weren’t just my friends! They were my brothers! Obi Wan might have known war. But I lived it! I was born into it and raised to fight. Anakin, I was fourteen when I became your Padawan! I was three years old when I started training as a Jedi. Normal children grow up learning language and history. I grew up learning saber techniques and how to kill a droid.

The Anakin inside her head quieted, but she could feel him wriggle with discomfort as he settled back into the darkness.

Obi Wan noticed the pain in her expression and he reached out to her. “I’m so sorry, Ahsoka. I didn’t realize how hard this was for you.”

She sighed and wiped her eyes again before righting herself. “As much as I would love to believe that you called to catch up, there’s got to be another reason, Obi Wan.”

He had the decency to look ashamed. “You’re right,” he said. “I have a few contacts on the Outer Rim. I heard you’re responding to a rebellion request for aid?”

She stiffened. So that’s what this was about. “What of it?”

“I just want you to be careful. I feel a disturbance in the Force. It’s strong.”

Ahsoka furrowed her eyebrow markings. That concerned her. She allowed herself to open to the Force, searching for whatever Obi Wan was feeling. She let out a deep breath and closed her eyes, her consciousness gently floating into the Force. Only when she was fully open to it did she immediately close herself off and recoil.

The inky blackness of the dark side was intertwining itself with the light of the Force. It wound itself around the light and seeped into every aspect of it. Two golden eyes flashed before her, blinking out of existence almost as quickly as they had appeared.

Her breathing came in ragged gasps as she stumbled backwards, colliding with her chair and falling to the floor.

“Ahsoka?!”

“It’s him,” she gasped quietly. “It’s him.”

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She felt it all, ripping through her like teeth. Golden eyes stared at her through the smoke and she gasped at the sight.

Jesse.

Kix.

Rex.

Screams and the sound of gunfire surrounded her on all sides. Her eyes widened as she tried to locate where it was all coming from.

Anger.

Hate.

Rage.

A cyclone of emotions tore through her mind. It didn’t matter if they were hers or not. The Force echoed with the suffering of her friends.

Her Masters.

Her comrades.

Her boys.

Ahsoka sat bolt upright with a scream. It echoed between the four walls of her cramped quarters, making her montrals hum with the noise. She winced at the sound, bringing her hand up to her forehead. Sweat dripped down her skin and she wiped it away with the back of her hand before rubbing her eyes.

“It was just a nightmare,” she told herself.

As much as she hated to admit it, she’d been having them more and more often. She wasn’t sure what had brought them on.

How long has it been? Two years?

She shook her head and sighed, untangling herself from the bedsheet. Her bare feet hit the cold metal of the floor and shocked her awake. She readjusted her shirt and made her way to the door. It opened on hydraulic hinges with a quiet hiss, retreating within to wall to grant her access to the rest of the ship. She quietly padded down the hall before stopping at another door. That one hissed open to reveal a refresher.

Ahsoka splashed the cool water on her face, her hands shaking.

Bodies surrounded her. She didn’t know if she was the cause of their death or someone else. But it sent pain rippling through her heart. Those were her friends.

She squeezed her eyes shut and bared her teeth, trying to fight off the memories. Even as she tried to suffocate the unwelcome images, she could hear them.

“Please,” she begged aloud, dropping her face into her hands and falling to her knees. She could feel it pressing in on her from all sides. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks as she tried to fight it off. “Please stop…”

Ignoring her pleas, Ahsoka felt them pressing in on her through the Force. Their voices whispered against her ears, fleeting touches caressed her arms. The sound of blaster fire assaulted her from all sides, leaving her no room to breathe. She felt her throat closing up and her eyes widened in panic. A weight settled on her chest and bore down on her. The harder she tried to fight it, the heavier it became. Her slender fingers wrapped around the invisible force on her throat, trying to stop it from suffocating her. She was choking on her own breath and had little control over it.

Ahsoka squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out all sensations.

Deep breaths, she thought. You can do this. Anakin taught you how to control your emotions.

With her arms shaking, she forced herself to suck in a breath. She let out a sob as she forced another breath into her lungs, her chest expanding with the rapid intake of air.

You left them to die. Rex. Jesse. Kix. You deserve every ounce of suffering for that.

“No, it wasn’t my fault!” she shouted, trying to get that incessant voice to leave her alone. It sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place exactly who it was.

You left me, Ahsoka!

“Anakin!” she gasped.

He shimmered to life in front of her, his blue eyes glowering at her. Ahsoka didn’t want to know if it was his Force signature or simply her mind playing tricks on her. But she could feel his disapproval. Is this what you’ve been reduced to? he sneered.

Ahsoka felt her eyes will with tears and she stared at him. Or, her mind’s interpretation of him. “I…I don’t…”

Exactly. You don’t know. If you had just listened when you had the chance, you wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place.

“No!”

Yes! You selfishly ignored the warnings you were given and lost any chance of a head start you might have had. The death of those men? That’s on your head Ahsoka!

She shook her head and let out a sob. Her arms went around her middle, hugging herself as she slid to the floor. “No…there was nothing I could have done…”

Bullshit!

“You don’t know that!”

The hell I don’t! You lost your chance because you didn’t want to listen to someone who so obviously wanted to help you!

Another sob took over her body as she collapsed, allowing herself to lose control. “It was wrong…he was a Sith…”

The voice of Anakin echoed through her head as he let out a mirthless laugh. Was he? Or was that what you told yourself to feel better about what you did?

Ahsoka continued to let her emotions roll off of her in waves. She knew Master Kenobi would tell her to curb her feelings and keep everything under control. But Anakin had taught her differently. He taught her to use her emotions.

If either of them could see what she had become, they would both be ashamed, that much she was sure of.

“It should have been me that died on that ship…” she choked out, feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt flood her mind. “Why didn’t I die?”

She closed her eyes and fought back another round of tears as she tried to collect herself. She’d been replaying that night in her mind over and over again every single day for the past two years. There wasn’t a single moment that escaped her. She knew exactly why she was still alive. And she resented every minute of it.

The voices in her head wouldn’t stop assaulting her. It seemed that with every reason she was forced to hear that she shouldn’t be alive, she was forced to hear it from a different voice.

To die on that ship, your fate was. Defy the will of the Force, you have. Grave consequences, there will be. Master Yoda.

The faith that your friends placed in you was obviously placed without care. You were to face the fate of order 66. Master Windu.

You’re obviously not feeling the weight of your actions, Ahsoka. You left us. Obi Wan.

You left me to die, Ahsoka! If only you knew what was going to happen, you could have saved us. Oh, wait. You did know. Anakin.

The General is right. Your failure to act resulted in all of our deaths. Rex.

Ahsoka sobbed again as she listened to each of the voices. “You’re right!” she screamed. “I should be dead! I don’t deserve to be here!”

Her entire body shook as she let everything out. It wasn’t the first time she’d faced these types of accusations. But it was the first time that she felt they were right. That they were justified.

Exhaustion seeped through her, down to her bones, as her persecutors continued their onslaught. She slowly faded out of consciousness, allowing the black void to consume her. But as she drifted off into sweet oblivion, she could have sworn she heard a quiet echo.

Don’t listen to them, Ahsoka. You’re stronger than this. Fight them.

Before she could identify the voice, she was gone. Her mind had been sucked into nothingness, and she welcomed the silence.

~*~*~*~

“You’ve lost quite a lot of blood, Lady Tano. If I hadn’t found you when I did, I fear you wouldn’t have made it off that ship alive.”

Ahsoka groaned as she tried to sit up. Her montrals rang with an echo that was no longer there. Her head pounded as if someone had taken a hammer to it. She blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the low levels of light that permeated the area.

“What?”

There was a sigh of exasperation somewhere to her left, and she put a hand to her forehead as she turned to look for the source of the voice. She noticed that her arms had been bandaged, and an uncomfortable pain shot through her shoulder as she moved. “Where am I?”

“Aboard my shuttle. Alive. And in one piece.”

The shadows spoke to her, and she narrowed her eyes to try and make out the form of who spoke. The voice sounded familiar.

It tsked her quietly. “I’d hate to think that I never at least made an impression on you, Lady Tano. Or, maybe you took one too many blaster shots to the head.”

There was only one person that deep voice could belong to. “Maul?”

“Obviously.”

Ahsoka sighed and tried to gather her bearings as she looked around. She found herself in a small shuttle, one that seemed barely big enough to house the two of them. She mentally took stock of her situation and quickly assessed that she had extensive injuries. She hissed when she tried to move her arm, pain shooting through her shoulder and down her back.

A quiet sigh came from him and he moved to help her. “You took quite the beating.”

“Obviously,” she said, snapping a glare in his direction. He chuckled.

“At least you haven’t lost your spirit.”

Ahsoka appraised him silently as he carefully helped her stand and orient herself. “How long…” Maul raised an eyebrow marking at her, and she shakily finished her sentence. “How long was I out of it?”

He looked thoughtful for a moment as his eyes softened. “Four days.”

Her eyes widened and her mind started to throw itself into a panic. Realizing what was about to happen, Maul set a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Take a deep breath, Lady Tano. You’re safe.”

She did as he asked, squeezing her eyes shut as she did. She couldn’t afford to lose control. Not now. And not in front of Maul.

“I know this is hard,” he said softly. “You can take the time to grieve. Nothing is going to happen to you while you are in my care.”

Ahsoka looked at him with suspicion and curiosity. Why was he being kind?

As if reading her mind, he scoffed. “If I wanted to kill you, Lady Tano, I would have left you on that ship.”

~*~*~*~

Ahsoka slowly and warily opened her eyes, unsure of where she was going to find herself. But when she saw the metal grate of the floor of her ship, she let out a quiet sigh of relief. She pulled herself into a sitting position and eventually struggled to her feet. She looked at herself in the mirror, and she hardly recognized the person staring back at her.

Her face had thinned considerably. Probably because she hadn’t been taking the best care of herself. Despite her efforts, she somehow managed to stay alive. And her body was beginning to pay the price.

With a sigh, Ahsoka scrubbed a hand down her face and turned on the water. She dried her face with a towel before making her way back to her small quarters. The ship she was piloting, the Proxima, was big enough to carry her, another passenger, and some cargo. It wasn’t the fanciest vessel in the world by any means, but it did its job and got her across the galaxy. She had managed to send off a few secure subspace transmissions to Obi Wan, who she recently discovered was still alive. She’d tried to track him down, but he was good at not being found when he didn’t want to be. Ahsoka supposed that’s probably what kept him under the Empire’s radar for so long.

He had assured her that he was okay and offered his condolences when she told him that Anakin was dead. They managed to say their goodbyes properly and went their separate ways.

Ahsoka rummaged through her small storage bin, looking for some clothes that she hadn’t worn for weeks on end. She was running out of motivation to do anything, and that included her laundry.

When her comm link beeped a couple times, she paused, frowning for a moment as she looked at her wrist. Whatever the message was, it wasn’t fully translating on the portable link. She abandoned her search for clean clothes as she made her way to the cockpit. She dropped into the pilot’s chair and tapped a few buttons, waiting for the program to run the decryption and translation.

A few moments later, and a hologram of a woman appeared in front of her. She raised an eyebrow marking as she recognized her face.

“Jhas?” she muttered, frowning at the image.

“I know you might not get this for a while, Fulcrum. But I have some intel you might be interested.”

Part of the message glitched out after that, but Ahsoka widened her eyes and had to rewind it a couple times to make sure she hadn’t misheard anything.

“Come to Dantooine. There’s a small group of us here, and we need your help. Oh, and that intel? It’s about Maul.”

She sat back in her seat with a thud, eyes wide with shock.

She’d played it three times, and she knew she wasn’t hearing things.

Maul.

Maul is alive.

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There was no use in dwelling on things stuck in the past.

But you were right there. In front of him, and in the present.

He couldn’t figure out what the point was in the Force binding the two of you together. It was a puzzle that he didn’t have all the pieces to. And it frustrated him to no end.

She’s not a sentinel, that’s for sure, he thought to himself. So why does she conduct herself as one?

From what he knew about the training of temple Sentinels, you had gone through no such thing. In fact, it was incredibly rare for one of them to take a Padawan learner. The Sentinel duty seemed to be ingrained in a youngling from the day they discovered the Force. But there was something different about you.

“Master,”

He opened his eyes, turning to look at his former Padawan. “Anakin,” he greeted. He inclined his head, his golden eyes seeming to pierce the soul of the Lord approaching him. “What is it?”

“I sense a disturbance.” Anakin said with a frown. His long hair framed his face and blew in the gentle breeze. “And it’s powerful.”

Cataegis hummed in response, nodding quietly. “She is,” he muttered quietly.

Anakin arched his eyebrow, part of it marred by the scar that adorned the side of his face. “She?”

Cataegis let out a chuckle. “Yes, she.” He was loathe to the fact that he didn’t have a name to put to your infuriatingly beautiful face. “She’s becoming a rather annoying thorn in my side.”

Anakin snorted and crossed his arms. “What do you plan on doing about it.”

The blond Sith pursed his lips as he thought. Truth be told, he didn’t know. There were too many unknown factors for him to run headlong into this without a plan. He knew Anakin was usually the one to do so, but spending so much time with his former apprentice seemed to be rubbing off on him. “I…don’t know.” he admitted.

“Let me hunt her-“

“No!” Cataegis snarled at Anakin and threw him backwards, his hold tight on the other man’s throat with the Force.

Anakin grunted as his back hit the wall and he clawed at his throat momentarily before realizing his Master had full control of his body.

“You will not,” he hissed.

“Seems like you’ve found a new pet,” Anakin choked, trying to struggle against the hold Cataegis had on him.

He growled, the sound reverberating through his chest and his eyes narrowing in a primal rage. “Touch her, and you’ll have one less hand to worry about,” he snarled. “She’s not a bantha for you to hunt for sport. She’s someone more powerful than either you or me. And Force help you if I find out you’ve disobeyed me.” He let Anakin go with another growl, and the former Jedi fell to his hands and knees as he tried to suck in large breaths.

“You’ve gotten rather attached,” Anakin said as he pulled himself to his feet.

Cataegis scowled at his former apprentice. “Have care how you speak, Vader. You never know when you’re going to push me too far.”

Anakin rolled his eyes, but the threat gave him pause. Cataegis only used his Sith title when he was extremely upset with him, which wasn’t often. There must have been something awfully special about this woman for him to be so on edge. “Very well,” he said, inclining his head and acknowledging Cataegis. “But is this going to be a problem?

The former Jedi let out a huff of annoyance. “I don’t know.” he said. “There seems to be a lot about this woman that I don’t know. And I don’t like it.”

“All the more reason we need to find out who she is.”

A low rumble came from Cataegis’ chest, a hum of agreement. “True. But I don’t want you doing anything to scare her off. She’s already on edge enough as it is.”

Anakin raised an eyebrow. “Since when have you been concerned about whether someone is scared?” he asked.

Cataegis gave him another warning look. “Since the Padawan I’ve connected with is barely more than sixteen,” he snapped. “Her mind is still malleable, and there’s still a chance I can undo everything that the Jedi have taught her. But if you go scaring her off like that, there’s no telling how she’ll react. We have a difficult enough time as it is. The last thing I need is for you to tear down any work I manage to accomplish with this youngling.”

“Do you really think you’ll be able to turn her?”

He paused for a moment, thinking it over. He could sense the turmoil and fear within you. There was confusion, doubt, and surprisingly, anger. At what, he couldn’t be sure. But it surprised him nonetheless. He could sense the disturbance in your mind. If he really tried, he didn’t think it would take much for him to sway you. “I believe so,” he said, rubbing his beard as he continued to think. “I’m going to Coruscant.”

“What?!”

“Are you questioning my decision?”

“Of course I am!” Anakin defended. “You’ve absolutely lost your mind! Yoda will know as soon as you step foot on that planet. There’s know way you’ll be able to get past all of them without getting arrested. Or killed.”

Cataegis sighed and shook his head. “Such little faith, Anakin.”

~*~*~*~

After what happened with Windu, you’d been avoiding your master like the plague. He understood that you would need your space, and he left you to your own devices. For the most part, anyway.

At least he did until Yoda came looking for you.

He found you in one of the many training rooms within the temple. You’d been going at a program of Darth Maul for several hours, at least. The hologram was giving you quite the workout, you had to admit. And you could land blows and slice it to pieces without actually hurting any of your fellow padawans in a sparring session. You knew the emotions raging within you would cause a disturbance, but at that point, you didn’t care.

You didn’t understand what was happening, much less why it was happening to you of all people.

Cataegis’ golden Sith eyes stared at you every time you closed your eyes. You could feel his presence looming over you. It was as if he were right beside you the entire time.

And it unsettled you.

“Hmm…sense your anger, I do.”

You jumped at the sound of the voice that interrupted your training session. You turned on your heel and thrust out your hand. A wave of powerful force energy flew from your palm and rushed towards Yoda. Your eyes widened when you realized who it was. “Master Yoda!” you exclaimed. He saw your reaction coming before you even acted. He quickly jumped out of the way, somersaulting in the air and landing behind you in the training area.

“Mean to scare you, I did not. Sorry, I am, Padawan.” He tilted his head to the side and watched you visibly deflate. The lightsabers in your hand retreated back to their durasteel handles and you quietly hung them on your belt.

“It’s alright, Master.” you replied. “I didn’t mean to attack you.”

He let out the quiet chuckle you knew so well and shook his head. “Conflicted, you are. Resolve your issues, you must.”

You felt like throwing your hands in the air. “How do I do that, Master?” you asked. “I don’t understand what’s happening to me.”

Master Yoda hummed quietly and observed as you took up a meditation position before him. “Explain what is happening, you will.” You arched an eyebrow. You’d figured that Windu had told the Council everything that was happening with you. It would make sense for him to do so. After all, from what he said, it was highly unusual for something like this to happen. Sensing your hesitation, Yoda shook his head. “Tell the Council the details, Master Windu did not. However, like to help you, I would.”

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. You couldn’t help the flinch that took over your shoulders when you saw his eyes staring back at you.

There’s no need to be scared, little one. His deep voice soothed. I’ll soon be with you.

You let out a gasp and opened your eyes. Yoda almost recoiled when he saw the red and gold brimming your normally bright irises.

A chuckle that wasn’t your own echoed through your head and his voice spoke once again, this time a fading whisper. Have no fear, my young apprentice. I won’t hurt you. Yet.

“Hear his voice again, you have?”

You swallowed the fear that lumped in your throat and nodded. “Yes,” you admitted.

He hummed in thought and readjusted his hold on the cane before settling himself in front of you. “Get to the bottom of this, we will. First, discover what this bond is, we must.”

The lights of the training room began to fade away as you closed your eyes and began a light meditation. You’d done something similar with Mace in the past, and you assumed Yoda would want to see exactly what it was that you saw. You were willing to show him, but that didn’t mean you had to like the invasion it would bring into your mind.

But you pushed those feelings aside and opened your mind to him. Everything came rushing forward and you let it.

Everything you were feeling pushed itself towards Yoda. And you didn’t try to stop it. All of your emotions bubbled over the surface and came spewing out like a volcano.

The waves crashed against the edges of your mental shielding, and you didn’t want to hold them back anymore.

What’s happening little one? I can feel your pain from here!

There was a note of concern that you hadn’t heard before. You almost snorted at the thought. You and you let it with a sigh of resignation.

There was no use denying it.

The Dark Side had a hold on you.

And it didn’t appear to be letting go any time soon. didn’t want to hear his voice anymore.

When you opened your eyes again, you were no longer sitting in the training room with Yoda. Instead, you found yourself on a landing platform. The night was cold and dark, and the wind ripped around and billowed your Jedi robes around you. Standing across from you…was him.

Black encompasses him like the shadows of the night, trying to swallow him whole. But the closer you looked, you realized that he was controlling the shadows. The rain pounded on the both of you, soaking you to the bone. Lightning struck the platform to your right, lighting up the area around you. His eyes flashed with the lightning, gold and beautiful.

“You!” you snarled, baring your teeth and glaring at the man.

He held up his hands in what he probably thought to be a placating gesture, but you took it as a threat. You threw your hand forward, and a powerful blast of energy flew from your fingers. Cataegis grunted and crossed his arms to block your blow.

“Get out of my head,” you snarled.

Letting out a scream, you let yourself feel the force around you. The energy flowed through you, became your blood. Everything around you became a part of you. And when you attacked him again, you attacked him with everything.

Yoda watched you with awe. His eyes were wide as a bubble of pure force energy surrounded you. He could see the waves rolling off of you, creating the field. Blue, red, and purple flowed through it like veins in a body. The sphere itself had a golden glow that pulsated with your heartbeat.

His eyes widened and he jumped from his seat as he saw you open yours.

“Get out of my head!”

An intense gold seeped into the color of your irises, intensifying the color. Energy exploded out of your body, throwing Yoda away from you and across the room.

Dead.

They were all dead.

She felt their deaths as if it were her own, thousands of times over. Their lives were cut short, flames snuffed out without hesitation.

A scream ripped through the air. She wasn’t sure if it came from her or from her boys. But it ripped through her heart nonetheless.

Smoke filled the air around her and she coughed, throwing her arm over her nose to fight the fumes invading her lungs. She hissed in pain as a blaster bolt tore through her shoulder. She lashed out to her right and was rewarded with a scream she knew all too well. She’d listened to too many of her boys fall with that scream. Ahsoka couldn’t distinguish one sound from another. Jesse was screaming at her to put her weapon down, Kix was trying to drag his now one-armed comrade away from Ahsoka, and blasters were firing in every direction.

She moved on autopilot, her sabers swinging away to block the blaster bolts as she disregarded the pain that shot through her. She let out another pained yelp as a bolt struck her in the side, throwing her backwards and to her knees. Ahsoka coughed again, trying to rid her lungs of the invasive smoke.

I’m going to die here, she thought to herself.

And at that moment, she was fully at peace.

She looked up in time to see Jesse standing over her, his weapon pointed directly at her head. She closed her eyes and waited for the blow to come. Things continued to move around her, but she paid them no mind. Her head was throbbing from the pain, but even that was dulled as she let out a deep breath. It was a strange sensation, but one that she welcomed. She was calm. Finally at peace after a lifetime of war.

As Ahsoka surrendered herself to the darkness, she felt something.

It was small, almost like an annoyance poking at the back of her consciousness. But it was there.

And it was real.

Two golden eyes appeared out of the darkness, pupils blown wide as they stared at her.

“Hold on.”

The voice that spoke within her head wasn’t hers. She could feel the Force wrapping itself around her, almost like a blanket.

And when she opened her eyes, all Ahsoka could see was red.

It came from every direction, making her head spin with how fast it moved. It turned end over end and went spinning back down the hall to her left. The soldiers in front of her suddenly seemed to lose interest in her as they turned to face this new threat. Ahsoka felt paralyzed. She couldn’t move more than her head as she tried to make sense of what was happening.

The red blade of the saber cut through the air with a shrill hiss, and if she were in her right mind, she would almost call it a scream. The clones continued to fight their new enemy. Ahsoka narrowed her eyes as she tried to figure out where this sudden rescue was coming from. A dark figure strode from the shadows, emanating power. It moved fluidly, cutting down a clone or two with every move it made.

She let out a quiet gasp of pain as another stray shot landed square in her back, right between her shoulder blades.

Those golden eyes shone within her mind once again.

“Hold on, Ahsoka. I’m here.”

Her grip on her sabers faltered, and the two durasteel cylinders clattered to the floor as she feel forward. She tried to regain her balance, to stop her fall, but her arms buckled under her weight and she went crashing to her side.

Moments later, she saw him. Her eyes settled on the boots that were in front of her face. She barely had the energy to lift her head. He knelt down in front of her, and she felt something brush against her cheek.

She had to blink a few times in order to focus on what was happening.

Those golden eyes were no longer hiding in her mind. Instead, they were real, in front of her, and full of life.

“Maul,” she whispered. Her eyes were heavy as she stared up at him. He reacted to the sound of his name, reaching out and inspecting her wounds gently. She could see his lips moving but couldn’t make out what he was saying. The smoke around them seemed to get thicker, and Ahsoka coughed once again. She groaned with the effort and pain and closed her eyes before she felt two strong arms envelope her body.

Too weak to do anything but barely open her eyes, she stared up at Maul. He looked down at her for a moment and said something indecipherable to her as her eyes slipped shut and she fell into the void once again.

“Save your strength, Lady Tano. You’re safe. For now.”

He carried her through the damaged ship, her body limp in his arms. His durasteel boots thudded against the metal as he stalked towards his ship. He paused when he heard something come from behind them. He glanced over his shoulder in time to see a clone staggering towards them, ordering them to stop. With a sneer, Maul drew his saber with the Force and sent the staff flying through the air. It cut through the chest of the clone with ease before flying back to its place at his belt.

Turning his attention back to the task at hand, he readjusted his hold on the fallen Jedi and began trudging to the ship once again.

He would glance down at her whenever she whimpered, the sound full of pain and loss.

As fire and destruction raged around him, Maul made a choice. Looking down at the Torguta in his arms, he made a choice. Hearing the Force scream with the voices of the fallen, he made a choice.

Of all those who had died that day, he would save one. He would save Ahsoka Tano.

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