Chapter Text
Maul was born as the sun set during the worst storm Dathomir had seen in years. Afterwards, no one celebrated, as their harvest was ruined. A yellow zabrak leaned over his crib, staring at his newborn brother. He whispered something in Mando’a.
Gar aarray gaa’taylir gar.
No one knew where the child learned the language of the Mandalorian warriors. They visited for two days a year ago, but the sisters kept them away from their youth.
Maul was three years old when the man in the cloak came. He promised greatness, and Maul followed blindly. His brother told him to stop, to stay away and reject his offer. Maul did not listen and left.
The man in the cloak was named Darth Sidious and he did not fulfill his promises. His training was tough and failure was met with a harsh slap to the face. He would starve Maul, trap him in a dark room for days at a time. On some occasions, he would use Sith lightning on him. That hurt the most.
Each time, something shifted inside Maul. He grew angry and tired. This was not the life he was promised.
Every time he expressed a hint of anger, a hint of rage, Darth Sidious smiled and told him his training was progressing well. It enraged him more and more.
Maul went to sleep crying every night. He wanted to go home. He wanted Darth Sidious dead. He wanted to see his brother again. He would whisper Savage’s words as he fell asleep.
Gar aarray gaa’taylir gar.
He did not know what it meant but it comforted him. Strangely, the Force left him each time he was given this sort of comfort. He’d give into his rage, and the Force would be by his side, aiding him. He’d ignore Sidious’ teachings, and it would leave right when he needed it most.
When Maul was six, Darth Sidious handed him two crystals and some scraps of metal. Maul took them in his hands and, a bald man with white skin and red marking wearing black flashed in his mind. It was only for a moment, but sent Maul into a fear that had him crying all night.
Eventually, he stopped crying. It was weak. He was not weak. Darth Sidious used his lightning more and more, but it only made Maul stronger. He pushed through the pain fueled only by rage. Sometimes, he wanted to rise up. He wanted to tell Sidious he was evil, that he wanted to go home.
And he did, once when he was ten, but it did not go well.
“You are nothing but a failure,” Sidious said. “Unless you push yourself!”
Maul turned his back to Sidious and narrowed his eyes. His fists clenched around the lightsabers in his hands. “How am I supposed to succeed if you won’t let me!”
“Blaming others for your own shortcomings,” Sidious sighed. “Typical. The only one stopping you is yourself.”
Maul screamed. He took strength from his whole body into it. It was raw and guttural and filled with rage. He dove into the Force that always seemed to leave when he was happy and grabbed it. He forced it into his lightsabers, trying to control his rage.
His vision was red and when he looked up, his two lightsabers had become one.
Darth Sidious laughed behind him. “Yes, use your rage.”
Maul screamed again and grabbed the saber from the air. He ignited it and a red blade appeared on either end of the saber. He swung it blindly at Sidious. “I will kill you!”
Sidious blocked it with ease. He swung his saber at Maul, breaking his weak control over the double saber and sending it to the ground. He then swung the saber towards Maul’s neck but stopped at the last second.
“Learn your place,” Darth Sidious put his saber away. “I can punish more people than just you.”
Maul’s brother flashed in the back of his mind and fear raced down his spine. He couldn’t find the courage to look up at Sidious. He bit the inside of his mouth when the lightning came out and when he went to bed, he used up the last of his burn cream and bandages.
When Maul turned thirteen, something shifted. There was something new in the Force and he did not like it. It was like a bridge, trying to connect him to something that did not yet exist.
This…development was so much brighter than him. He could feel their potential and it was wrong. It was all wrong.
Sidious’ demeanor changed after that, too. He pushed Maul to the brink, still, but it took longer to get there. He was going easy on Maul.
Maul didn’t know how to feel about that. At least he was getting stronger. At least he was succeeding, now. He could take Darth Sidious now. Everything was going his way and it was perfect.
Maul’s eighteenth birthday was not special. It was like every single other day. He hadn’t even realized it was his birthday until he was in his bedroom getting ready to go to sleep. When he realized, he didn’t feel anything. Not joy, not rage, not anything.
That was until the Force shifted. It was the second time it did something like this, so Maul thought it would be like the first time. It wasn’t; it was worse.
It was like Maul’s entire mind was overwhelmed with light. It was so bright that Maul collapsed to his knees screaming in pain. This…being was what was missing. The bridge from the first shift finally led somewhere, and Maul didn’t like it.
He vowed to destroy it, no matter the cost.
Ahsoka Tano was born as the sun rose on the sunniest day Shili had seen after weeks of rainfall. Afterwards, the entire village celebrated. Her parents showed her off, telling everyone her name and how happy they were to have her. They spoke to her in Togruti.
Sa d’bhem omak yeh.
The first three years of her life were perfect. She had perfect parents and a village that cared for her.
Ahsoka had dreams every night of a man with red skin and black tattoos. He was usually training, though she didn’t understand what it was for. It was often violent and scary, so she’d wake up in the middle of the night crying.
Her parents were there to comfort her after, but they didn’t know what she was seeing and Ahsoka didn’t have the words to tell them.
Her mother took her out hunting to learn about life. It was how they discovered she was Force sensitive, and they realized her dreams must be related to that.
Darth Maul stopped sleeping well. He slept and had visions of the girl that caused the shift in the Force. She had everything he didn’t have.
She had loving parents, a stable home. Neither of them had siblings, but Maul’s brother was taken from him. The girl didn’t know what she was missing.
The girl’s name was Ahsoka Tano and she was naturally gifted in the Force, like him. While he was better with raw acts of power, she could bond with anything that was alive with ease. Her mother took her hunting, and she’d managed to make friends with a large beast.
Maul didn’t know what it was, but she infuriated him. He didn’t tell his Master about his visions, for he figured Sidious would beat him for spending so much time raging against a mere infant. And he knew it was pathetic, but it was as if the Force was telling him they were destined to be rivals.
When Ahsoka was three years old, a Jedi imposter came to her village intending to take advantage of her power. She knew he was trouble immediately, but no one listened to her cries. Even as the imposter stalked away from the village holding her while she sobbed, no one stopped and questioned him.
She’d been trapped in a cage, sending waves of panic through the Force in hopes anyone would hear it. They were answered when a tall Kel Dor came through the ship. He took one look at her and the imposter and knew what was happening.
Ahsoka didn’t see what the real Jedi did. She squeezed her eyes shut and covered her head. When everything went quiet, she took her arms away and opened her eyes to see the Jedi beaming down at her.
The cage door was open. She took his hand and they went back to the village.
The Jedi explained to them what happened. They were rightfully shocked and outraged. And then he told them he was taking her to Coruscant to train as a Jedi and the Force sent ripples of…safety to Ahsoka. This was where she was supposed to be.
Throughout the whole experience, Ahsoka felt a vague pain in her mind but didn’t know where it came from. It was familiar to her in a way that it shouldn’t and unfamiliar in a way that she noticed it every time.
Ahsoka considered telling the Jedi about it, but decided it was probably nothing. It would go away, as it always did.
The Jedi’s name was Plo Koon and he did not realize how special Ahsoka was.
Maul had been training with Sidious when he felt a cry for help. It was soft and more like a buzz in the back of his mind. Even so, it was enough for him to get distracted and Sidious broke through his defenses.
“I trained you better than this,” Sidious said as his fingers spread apart and lightning hit Maul’s body.
He clenched his teeth together and grunted through the pain. He learned not to scream anymore.
Maul figured the cry for help must have to do with the girl. He’d ignore it for now. He’d probably be dreaming about it tonight, anyway.
When Maul woke up that morning, he almost laughed. She was just like him. They were both taken from their homes at a young age, though she was going somewhere far more magnificent than him. She’d become a Jedi.
Perhaps they’d meet on the battlefield. Maul hoped so. That’d be far easier than arranging a murder plot.
Ahsoka arrived at the Temple and the Force sang its praises. She felt welcome immediately.
Plo Koon held her hand as he gave her a small tour. He told her the names of Jedi they passed, including one named Obi-Wan Kenobi which caused a small spike in the Force’s presence in Ahsoka’s mind. He told her about the Jedi’s customs and what would happen to her now that she was a Youngling.
She just wanted to skip around and jump around with excitement.
A few days later, Plo Koon took her to the Halls of Healing and they took some of her blood. The Jedi Healer took one look at the results before her eyes widened. She showed Plo Koon the screen and he too seemed shocked.
She’d learn later that they were reading her midi-chlorian count, which was over 20,000.
A year later, Ahsoka was sitting in her class. They were learning about animals native to some of the Core Worlds.
And then there was a sudden pain in the back of her mind. It wasn’t stabbing, it was as if someone swung at her with a lightsaber and cut off a part of her. It hurt. More than usual. It was coming from the same place as the rest of the pain she felt, but worse.
Ahsoka screamed and gripped her head. She could feel the stares from fellow Younglings, but she’d overreact about that later.
Master Yoda was at her side in a moment’s notice. He placed his hand near her head and dove into the Force.
Ahsoka could feel him prodding at her presence, searching for the issue. She tried lowering her shields to make it easier, but it was as if someone wasn’t letting her.
She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping the pain would end, but when she did, images of the man with the black tattoos filled her mind. He’d been cut in half and fell down a long way. He seemed to hit the ground painfully, but he was not dead yet.
Yoda’s presence suddenly took over and the vision disappeared. The pain was still there, but it was closer to the buzzing that was always there.
Ahsoka slowly peeked her eyes open. Tears streamed down her face. “I-I don’t know what that was.”
“Agree, I do,” Yoda said. “Very strange this was. Confer with the Jedi Council, I will. To your crèche, you should go. Practice meditating, you will.”
Ahsoka nodded and hurried out of the room as fast as possible. She cursed herself for leaving her homework, knowing it’d now probably be late and she’d be behind.
When she got to the crèche, she went to her bed and sat down. She crossed her arms, not sure how to process the information. She decided she didn’t want to stay in the same place, so she left and wandered the temple.
Look confident and no one will stop you. Ahsoka told herself. She’d heard a Jedi Master tell her Padawan this, and it stuck with her.
She walked with her back straight and her head held high, but the more she thought about her vision, the more her head fell.
She wanted to know more about what happened. Was the man okay? Who cut him in half? Of all people, why was she getting the vision?
In her thoughts, she almost ran into Count Dooku.
“Watch it, Youngling,” he said. Something told Ahsoka that something seemed to be distracting, but that did more to intimidate her than anything else.
“R-right,” Ahsoka stuttered. She ran off before he could scold her for being where she shouldn’t.
Maul saw red. He felt red. He heard red. He screamed in pain. The lightsaber cauterized the wound, but nothing could stop the damage.
His muscles were weakening. His body was failing. He failed. Not even his rage could get him through this one.
Bested by a mere Padawan. Sidious said you were pathetic and he was right. You are nothing.
The small ray in the back of his mind rippled with worry.
Not now, Ahsoka. Maul wanted to tell her. A second presence joined hers. It was peaceful, like a green meadow. They were clearly strong in the Force.
His strength grew and he decided it must be from the second presence. Did they know what they were doing? Did they know who they were helping? Were they even helping on purpose, or were they just comforting a Youngling having a bad vision?
Maul didn’t dwell on his questions. He found the strength to crawl with his arms into darkness. Yes, his life was over, but he’d never be Sidious’ apprentice again. He was free to do what he wanted, and what he wanted was revenge.
The buzzing in Ahsoka’s mind was angrier than usual. It was unnerving and distracted her from her classes. Yoda commented on it once, but attested it to her vision the other day.
Ahsoka spent the day with Plo Koon and he was dropping her off in the Youngling Crèche when they saw him.
The boy was nine years old and walking with Obi-Wan. He and Ahsoka stared at each other as the Force danced around them with joy.
Plo Koon and Obi-Wan shared a look. They could feel the Force’s happiness as it radiated off of them. It was like their meeting was written in the stars; like they had a destiny linked together that wasn’t quite clear yet.
Plo grabbed Ahsoka’s shoulder and guided her away from the boy.
Later, he told the Council about it. Yoda brought up Ahsoka's vision. They decided there was something not quite right about her, and she must be watched. And that she and the Chosen One must stay away from each other until they know what the Force has in store for them.
Maul landed in a junkyard with nothing but scraps. He used his fury to call the leftover parts to form legs. His bottom half looked like a spider and he looked both terrifying and awful, but it is what he commanded.
The dreams of Ahsoka Tano kept his rage going. She had everything he didn’t have and that made him rage. She was in the Jedi Temple fulfilling a destiny that should be his. Not to mention she was so close to Kenobi.
Kenobi. The man who ruined his life.
They both had everything they didn’t deserve.
“When is it my turn to succeed!” Maul would shout to no one in particular. “They don’t deserve it! Not like I do. They are frauds!”
Maul’s endless rants would often end up in Ahsoka’s nightmares. She was used to it now. She no longer woke up screaming and crying about a monster. She was seven years old and she refused to be scared.
She wondered who the man’s rants were about, though. She knew he had a grudge against Obi-Wan, since he said his name a lot. He had hate for a second person too, but he never said her name, only referring to her as “girl” or “that child.”
Whoever she must be, she must’ve done something bad for the man to hate her with such force.
Ahsoka often wondered who the man in the visions was. The cloaked man who trained him would sometimes say his name, but she was too young at the time to remember it.
Because of this frustration of not knowing, Ahsoka started journaling. She wrote down every nightmare and every feeling throughout the day. Some of the other Younglings made fun of her, but they didn’t understand how much the Force tormented her.
It was normal for Force Sensitives to feel the Force at all times, but for Ahsoka, it was like it always wanted something from her, or it had a new task for her, or it just wanted to say hello. It was annoying most of the time, but like the man’s negative feelings, Ahsoka grew used to it.
When Ahsoka was eight, she went to Illum and got a kyber crystal like everyone else. She took the longest of anyone and didn’t talk about what she saw.
She saw a woman that glowed. She wore white and had green hair. She held Ahsoka’s hands in her own and said something that still echoed in her ears.
“Sa d’bhem omak yeh."
Ahsoka's brows furrowed. "Hope will help me?"
"Do not give it up."
And then there was a bright light and when it faded, Ahsoka was lying on the ground with a kyber crystal in her hand.
The other Younglings were talking all about their trials and the challenges they overcame. Ahsoka stood in the back, feeling nothing but shame. Her trial was easy. She didn’t overcome a single thing.
No one seemed to care to include her either, which hurt worse than not being able to share anything at all.
Yoda brought them back to the ship with Huyang and she put her lightsaber together like everyone else.
Yoda lined them up to ignite their sabers at the same time. Everyone else’s were shades blue and green, but her saber was a brilliant white.
The other Younglings gave her strange looks. Yoda stared at her with a look that wasn’t quite friendly. She looked to him for answers, and he could not give any.
When they arrived back on Coruscant, Huyang took all the Younglings but Ahsoka back to the crèche. Yoda took her to the Jedi Council Chambers. The whole way, her stomach churned with anxiety. They were going to accuse her of something evil, she was sure of it. They were going to cast her out for something that wasn’t even her fault.
Ahsoka looked to Plo Koon for comfort, but he did not return her gaze.
“Initiate Tano,” Mace Windu said. “Tell us about your trial.”
Her eyes darted around nervously. She told them about the woman, but based on their expressions, none of the Jedi believed her.
“What did this woman tell you?” Plo Koon asked.
The Force wrapped itself around Ahsoka in warning.
“Sh-she told me to not lose h-hope,” Ahsoka said quickly. “Then there was a bright light and when I woke up, my kyber crystal was in my hand.”
Some of the Jedi shared a look.
“It is wise you tell the truth, Initiate Tano,” Mace Windu advised.
“I am telling the truth!” Ahsoka insisted. Panic rose in her throat. They had to believe her.
“The Gathering trial is where Younglings overcome a challenge,” Ki-Adi Mundi said. “Forgive me, but I do not know what challenge you overcame.”
“Overwhelm her, we will not,” Yoda suddenly said. “An odd color, white is, but nothing to be done, there is.” He looked at Ahsoka. “Dismissed, you are.”
Ahsoka left with a polite nod, but as soon as the doors were closed, she ran as fast as she could away from the Council. She passed by a group of Younglings.
One of them shouted something at her, but she barely heard it.
Ahsoka found her favorite spot under a stairwell. She sat underneath and hugged her knees to her chest and sobbed.
The Clone Wars started and Maul decided he had to get back into the action. He had to steal a ship and return to Dathomir where the Nightsisters could help him take his enemies down.
He eventually found one and returned. They were shocked to see him, but Mother Talzin ordered they perform their magic on him.
When Maul woke, he felt more alive than ever. His horns that had grown much too long were suddenly trimmed. His strength returned and he was no longer weak and malnourished. His spider legs transformed into normal ones twice as powerful as the ones he lost.
“Thank you,” Maul told them. It was all he could say. “I will use your gifts to bring my enemies to their knees.”
Mother Talzin said nothing to him.
Ahsoka Tano became Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice and the Force danced with joy for a second time. They looked at each other and felt it and while Anakin still didn’t want a Padawan, he was glad it was her.
As they were coming back from rescuing Jabba’s son, Anakin sat next to her.
“You did well back there,” he said.
“Really?” Ahsoka said, surprised.
“Don’t get me wrong, you’ve got a lot of rough edges, but you stayed focused on the mission.” Anakin crossed his arms. “The Force sees a lot of potential in you.”
“What, did it speak to you?” Ahsoka teased. For most Jedi, the Force was a feeling. It very rarely spoke directly to people.
Anakin nodded. “It did, actually. It’s been speaking to me for a while.”
“Oh,” Ahsoka said. “It just likes bothering me.”
“Maybe it’s telling you something and you won’t listen,” Anakin said.
Ahsoka rolled her eyes. “No, not like that. There’s just–it’s a constant presence.”
“A lot of Jedi feel that way,” Anakin said. “It’s pretty normal, I think.”
“Not like that either,” Ahsoka sighed. “There’s this faint buzzing in the back of my mind. I think it’s connected to someone, but I don’t know who. Every time something happens to them, I feel it and when I sleep, I see them.”
Anakin said nothing for a moment. “Have you told Master Yoda?”
“Sorta?” Ahsoka said. “I had a vision of him when I wasn’t asleep once and Master Yoda was there.”
“You’re just always connected to this person?” Anakin asked.
Ahsoka nodded. “I think so. And I think something similar happens to him with me.”
“Is he at least pleasant?” Anakin said.
Ahsoka made a face. “Not…exactly. He’s always angry. Or in pain. Or both. He looks scary, too.”
“You should meditate,” Anakin suggested. “As you Master, I can give you a few tips and tricks to help with that..”
“As opposed to not giving me any advice because you’re not my Jedi Master?” Ahsoka said with a raised eye marking.
Anakin laughed. “Exactly. You get it.”
Maul dreamed of Anakin and Ahsoka’s conversation and raged. It wasn’t fair. She was now the Chosen One’s Padawan.
She’s going to rise up and kill you. One voice told him.
Another said. She hates you as much as you hate her.
Now that she’s the Chosen One’s Padawan, she’ll team up with him and Kenobi to kill you.
His paranoia was getting to him, yet Maul didn’t care. He would start planning his revenge. He’d have to lure them somewhere, and he’d have to have a backup plan in case things went wrong for him.
While Ahsoka learned, Maul learned too. He researched the Force and discovered several things. It was prophesied by one Jedi from thousands of years ago that with the arrival of the Chosen One, the sides of the Force, Bogan and Ashla would choose their successors. No one listened to him, as he was not a well respected Jedi, but his theory was supported by Jedi Master Yaddle. A shame she was dead; if she was still alive, Maul would’ve interrogated her about the theory.
The theory said that the only way for the Chosen One to bring balance to the Force was through both Bogan and Ashla. There was a lot of information about the two of them separately.
Bogan was often seen as a man with white skin and red markings. He usually wore black. He was known to have powers of destruction and claws that could come out of his knuckles.
Ashla was often seen as a woman with green hair and cream colored robes. She was supposed to be gorgeous. People thought she had healing capabilities and could control the weather.
As for the Chosen One, he was supposed to have a heightened connection to the Force.
Without Bogan and Ashla, the Chosen One is nothing. Maul read. He set the ancient book down. There was information about how Bogan and Ashla related to the Chosen One, but not each other. It was frustrating, but probably wouldn’t lead anywhere anyway.
In his plotting, Maul forgot his brother was alive and on Dathomir with him.
Months passed. Ahsoka learned a lot with Anakin, and some with Obi-Wan. On the HoloNet, the three of them became a popular trio. She wasn’t a huge fan of being in the news a lot, but the HoloNet was the HoloNet so there wasn’t much getting out of it.
They were hanging out in Obi-Wan’s apartment. Anakin was talking about his robotic arm, teasing Ahsoka because he knew she didn’t like it. Obi-Wan was making tea, and Ahsoka was sitting on the couch laughing.
The familiar buzzing suddenly took over her mind in waves of darkness. She fell silent. Her face shifted and her hands fell into her lap. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and glowed bright white.
The man in her nightmares stood in front of her on rolling hills. On his side, the plants were dead and gray. It was a barren wasteland. On her side, the plants were thriving. They were happy.
“We’ve been dreaming of each other for years, child,” the man said. “Don’t you want to know why?”
“Who are you?” Ahsoka asked. She crossed her arms defensively.
The man laughed. “Your Grandmaster will know who I am, Ahsoka Tano.”
She frowned. “Are you causing this?”
“Yes, I am afraid this is my doing,” the man said. “It’s a bit of an advanced technique. I doubt a Padawan like you could do it.”
“Then it’s a good thing I don’t really want to talk to you,” Ahsoka sneered.
The man tutted and shook his head. “Then you will never discover your purpose.”
“My purpose?” Ahsoka raised an eyebrow marking. It wasn’t the first time she’d asked herself that question. Why would the Force give her this connection to this man? Why was she the Chosen One’s Padawan of all the potential Younglings? Really, there was nothing special about her. It had to be pure chance the Force took such a liking to her, right?
But it would be nice to know what it wants with her. For real, instead of her stupid theories.
“You are intrigued.” the man smiled.
“I’m just thinking,” Ahsoka said.
“Well, now that you’re interested, I’ll be waiting on Dathomir,” the man said. He reached out and pushed Ahsoka down using the Force. She fell backwards through the grass through the comforting layers of the Force back to her reality.
Ahsoka gasped for air. She looked around, blinking repeatedly. Anakin and Obi-Wan were both in front of her with worried expressions on their faces.
“I have to go to Dathomir,” she suddenly blurted out.
“Why?” Anakin asked incredulously.
She looked from Anakin to Obi-Wan nervously. “I had another vision of him.”
Anakin knew who she was talking about, but they hadn’t told Obi-Wan about her visions yet.
“What happened?” Anakin asked before Obi-Wan could step in.
“We were on this hill and his part was all dead and stuff and mine was alive,” Ahsoka started. “He told me he found a way to cause the…meet-up. He–he thinks he knows why we're connected. He told me to go to Dathomir.”
Anakin rubbed his forehead. “You mean the guy who only feels pain and rage sneaks access into your mind and tells you to go to Dathomir and you just agree?”
“I didn’t agree to his face, but–”
“What is this?” Obi-Wan interrupted. He looked concerned.
Ahsoka shared a look with Anakin. “Ever since I can remember, I’ve had a buzzing in the back of my head. It’s my connection to this guy, so I feel what he feels. If I had to guess, he feels what I feel, too. And every night, I have nightmares of his life. When he has, um, really intense feelings, I get actual visions as if I’m watching whatever’s happening to him. It’s only happened twice, and the first time was when I was four.”
“How old is he?” Obi-Wan asked. "What does he look like?"
Ahsoka shrugged. “A lot older than me, I think. Today, I got the best look of him I’ve ever gotten. He’s usually moving a lot or unpleasant to look at because he’s always angry. And he’s a Zabrak with red skin, if that helps. And he’s got intricate tattoos. I sometimes see him practicing with a red lightsaber.”
She felt all the air get sucked out of the room. She saw Anakin and Obi-Wan’s lectures form at the same moment.
I forgot I never told them about the red lightsaber. Ahsoka internally cringed. When she was younger, she didn’t know what it meant. When she finally learned, she realized there wasn't anything to do about it. Besides, unlike Dooku, he wasn’t actively hurting people. Most of the time, that is. And if he started, she'd see it when she slept.
“Ahsoka, you–why would you trust–” Anakin started and kept stopping. He didn’t seem to know where to start with her.
“Listen, when you’re three years old, you don’t question–”
“Is this him?” Obi-Wan had an image pulled up on his wristband. It was a hologram so there was no color, but the man’s features were obvious anyway.
Ahsoka swallowed the lump in her throat, knowing she was in trouble. “Y-yeah. That’s him.”
All the air was sucked out of the room. She and Obi-Wan stared at each other for several moments. On his face, disbelief and horror. On hers, shame and guilt.
“You’re not going to Dathomir,” Obi-Wan finally said. “We’re telling the Jedi Council everything, and Jedi will be sent to eliminate Maul. For good, this time.”
Maul as in Darth Maul. Ahsoka realized she messed up. No wonder Obi-Wan's so angry.
“Ahsoka, this man is dangerous,” Anakin said. “And he’s manipulating you.”
“Don’t you want to know why the Force chose us?” Ahsoka asked incredulously. “Of all the people in the galaxy, why us? I’m not saying I support it, but–”
“The sooner the connection is severed, the better,” Obi-Wan said with a finality that made Ahsoka’s chest hurt and eyes water.
She exhaled, took one last look at Anakin before storming out. She considered going to the Room of a Thousand Fountains, but decided she had a better idea: go to Dathomir before anyone could stop her.
Ahsoka walked quickly to the hangar. She did her best to look inconspicuous, which went surprisingly well. She went straight to her starship and took off.
Maul knew the girl would come. She never explicitly declined his offer. That meant her curiosity was greater than her mistrust.
As he waited, the Force surrounded him in a veil as if protecting him from something. Or protecting someone from him. Neither possibility mattered, he decided. He had greater things to focus on.
The girl’s ship landed and she exited. She had a hand hovering over her lightsabers.
Maul longed to see its blade in person. He knew the girl’s sabers like the back of his hand after so many years seeing it in his dreams, yet a white blade still felt unreal.
“Darth Maul,” the girl said shakily. She was shorter than he thought she’d be. Her eyes were glued to him and nothing else. Her face was entirely blank but it was clear what she was thinking. She was expecting him to lash out, or attack.
Maul bowed. “Ahsoka Tano. Welcome.”
“What did you want to tell me?” Ahsoka asked with an inflection that reminded Maul of Kenobi.
“Follow me,” Maul said. He turned and took a few steps before looking back to make sure she was following. She was, much to his relief. He didn’t want to force anything, at least not yet.
He led her into the Nightsisters home to the altar where they’d healed him. There was a large stone table and several torches nearby illuminating the large room.
He could feel the glare from the Nightsisters as he walked. They barely trusted him, and now he was leading an outsider into their home.
“Do not mind them,” Maul said when he sensed Ahsoka Force signature shift slightly. “They do not like outsiders such as ourselves.”
“But you live here,” Ahsoka pointed out.
“It is a…temporary arrangement,” Maul said.
“Right,” Ahsoka muttered.
Maul stood on the other side of the table. He kept his hands on his hips, near his lightsaber. His body tingled in anticipation. This had to go to plan. He didn't tell Mother Talizn about his true intentions, as he knew she'd never agree to help if she knew.
Ahsoka stood near the door with her arms crossed.
“You may relax,” Maul said, gesturing to her defensive stance.
“I’d prefer not to,” Ahsoka said. “You mentioned my purpose.”
“I did,” Maul said. He was studying her. Of all the people for Ashla to choose, why this child? There wasn’t anything special looking about her. She looked like a regular Padawan. Maul could snap her in half without breaking a sweat.
Maybe that was Ashla’s weakness. She always followed her heart instead of her mind. Maul didn’t know how he knew this; it hadn’t been in his studies yet it came to him naturally.
Still, perhaps this is not the child Ashla claimed.
“That’s rude,” Ahsoka said.
“I didn’t say anything,” Maul said, resisting the smile coming onto his face.
Ahsoka looked surprised for a moment before masking it. “Th-the Force told me you were thinking something bad, I think.”
Maul laughed. “We came here to talk about your purpose, not my judgments.”
Ahsoka’s head shot towards the door as it suddenly slammed shut. Several Nightsisters rushed out of the shadows and grabbed Ahsoka with their green magic.
Maul took a few steps back so he was out of their way.
“Get off me!” Ahsoka shouted. She tried reaching for her lightsabers, but Maul called them to his hand with the Force. He put them on a small shelf next to him.
He made a tsk sound. “We cannot have you armed, Lady Tano. You understand.”
“I don’t,” Ahsoka said coldly. She struggled against the Nightsisters’ grips, but there were many around her. Two of them grabbed her arms while two more grabbed her legs. They dragged her onto the stone table.
She screamed and struggled to free even one of her limbs, but the remaining Nightsisters kept her trapped with magic.
Maul crossed his arms. Through their bond, he could feel Ahsoka’s anger. Her pain, too. It was unnatural. Those feelings belonged to him, not her.
"Consider this a...ritual," Maul said. "I've decided I don't want you in my head, and I'm sure you don't want me in yours. It's unlikely you will make it out, but sometimes sacrifices are needed to find the truth. Besides, Kenobi hurt me and it's only fair that I hurt him back."
Ahsoka squirmed to free herself. She screamed again out of rage.
Mother Talzin came from the shadows gracefully holding a jar of black and white powder. She shared a look with Maul before approaching Ahsoka.
The doors suddenly burst open. Maul leapt forward to block Anakin and Obi-Wan from reuniting with their Padawan.
“Get away from her!” Anakin shouted. He swung his saber at Maul.
Maul blocked it with his own saber. “You were not supposed to show up.”
He moved quickly to block Obi-Wan’s incoming attack.
Mother Talzin sprinkled some of the powder on Ahsoka’s face and began muttering an incantation under her breath.
“What is this, some sort of revenge scheme?” Obi-Wan asked.
“In a way,” Maul said with a twinge of playfulness in his voice.
This angered Anakin. He struck down at Maul with a roar. Maul barely dodged in time.
Their fight was interrupted by a raw and guttural scream. Maul’s head turned sharply to its source.
Ahsoka.
Whatever Mother Talzin did, it had an effect.
There was a sudden gust of wind that pushed Maul a few steps back. The Nightsisters closest to Ahsoka, including Mother Talzin, had fallen to their knees.
Maul wanted to see what the commotion was, but there was a bright light. He covered his eyes with one hand as he tried to figure out where it was coming from. Surely not the torches, right?
“Ahsoka,” Anakin breathed.
The light dimmed enough for Maul to take a better look.
Ahsoka was sitting on the table with a bright smile on her face. Her eyes were glowing, as were her facial markings. She was laughing with a larger bird sitting on her hand. It was a convor with white and green feathers. She didn’t seem to notice the current predicament she was in.
“It cannot be…” Mother Talzin breathed. She pointed from Maul to Ahsoka with wide eyes. “If she is, then…no, it is not possible.”
“What the hell did you do to my Padawan?” Anakin asked angrily. He was looking directly at Mother Talzin with a rage, no, worry, that Maul was unfamiliar with.
“Ahsoka Tano is the living embodiment of the Light Side of the Force,” Mother Talzin said so quietly that Maul almost didn’t hear her. Her gaze settled on Maul. “Which means you are the living embodiment of the Dark Side of the Force.”
Maul laughed. He couldn’t help it. He threw his head back and laughed like there was no tomorrow. Of course this was his luck. No wonder his life was plagued by failure. He wasn’t the issue; the real issue was his destiny. Well, fuck destiny.
A thunderstorm of shadows washed over him.
If his destiny was so awful and if it was tied to Ahsoka Tano like this, then maybe he should just fulfill his promise from so long ago and kill her.
I don’t want to be stuck playing the bad guy in every scenario. Maul thought as his knuckles clenched at his sides. No wonder she’s gotten everything and I’ve been stuck with nothing.
It was as if time slowed down. He called his saber to his hand as he leaped forward. Someone was yelling at him to stop. Ahsoka’s head snapped his direction with terrifying speed. The bird vanished into thin air.
As his blade closed in on the target, it felt like all would be right. Maul would destroy his destiny by killing the other half of it. It was the only way. Then, he'd finally be free.
At the last moment, Ahsoka flipped backwards and called her sabers to her hand.
Maul raged. He lunged at her again, but there was a green energy around him trapping him in place. He searched wildly for who would dare.
Mother Talzin stood with her hand outstretched. “That would not be wise.”
He looked at her wildly. “Let me go! You don’t know what you’re doing!”
Mother Talzin ignored him. She turned to Ahsoka. “We will not harm you, child. You are destined for much greater things.”
Ahsoka didn’t say anything. She tilted her head and sheathed her sabers.
“And you,” Mother Talzin’s attention was on Anakin and Obi-Wan. “You must promise to keep them safe. Both of them.”
“Even Maul?” Anakin said, confused. “I didn’t think you wanted us to take him with us. We’d just take him into Republic custody.”
“You’ll take him with you, but not to the Republic,” Mother Talzin said with a look that sent shivers down Maul’s spine. “You’ll know what to do with him.”
“I am not some child that needs protecting,” Maul protested, but Obi-Wan interrupted before he could finish his thoughts.
“We promise to keep them safe. The Republic will not come after you or the Nightsisters. You have my word.”
Anakin sent Obi-Wan a look.
Ahsoka went to stand next to them. “It’s time to go.”
Her voice was radiant. It echoed in the caves with an unnatural energy that felt so familiar yet not.
The glowing coming from Ahsoka gently faded. As it did, her body collapsed.
Maul found his vision go black as Ahsoka hit the ground.