Inheritence

Chapter 1 - Master and Apprentice

Author's Note: First of all, I want to say that this is a gift request for hiep16 on ao3. This is essentially a darker version of Meet You at the Dark Side if you know which fic of ours that is. Lol. This was supposed to be a one-shot at first, but then it turned into a two-shot, and we realized that we needed more... background information on the characters' interactions to properly write ROTS. And here we are! It's a total of nine parts now, and we'll be releasing it every other week. :)

To hiep16: I know we got this request like four months ago, so sorry for how long it took us to write and post it, but here it is! I hope you enjoy it!!! :D

~ Amina Gila

Something about the man feels... familiar. He's instantly drawn the ever-curious three-year-old Ahsoka's attention. He's different than anyone she's ever seen. He's human, one of the older children told her. And, there's something inexplicably bright about him that has her captivated.

"Her powers could be dangerous," Ahsoka hears him saying, but she's too captivated by this strange, slightly cold and dark, yet not at all threatening, presence to listen. "But I can teach her to control herself."

Ahsoka doesn't entirely understand what's happening. but she waits as she was told to. "The Jedi will come for her soon, unless she comes with me," she hears him saying. Jedi? She's heard that word before, something about these bad people who will forcibly take her away from her home. "She will be safe with me."

The adults continue speaking, and she slowly loses interest, attention returning to her surroundings. At least until the older human man approaches her, followed by the other adult Togruta she's been staying with along with a number of other children.

"This is Count Dooku," the Togruta tells her, "He will take you to your new home."

"Hi!" she squeals, staring up at him. She knew she'd leave this place eventually, but she didn't expect it to be this soon. Or by a human. Especially not one who feels so... she's not even sure what, exactly.

"Come," the man requests, picking her up. She shifts in his arms, resting her head against his shoulder. She doesn't know where he's taking her, but a part of her trusts him instinctively. Wherever she's going, it's to a better place than the one she is in now.

***

Twelve-year-old Ahsoka spins her red lightsaber downwards, blocking the electrostaff of the MagnaGuard in front of her. She dodges the next slash of the one behind her before exchanging another blow with the one in front of her. The second one swings at her again, and she spins to meet its blade, quickly pulling back and swinging for it again.

She's long since learned to use her size and agility to her advantage, since she doesn't have the strength of the droids. Or any opponents that she may end up fighting on the battlefield in the future. But either way, she also has the Force – the Dark Side – and that's good enough.

Ahsoka flips out of the way, jumping through the air when the two come at her again, landing on top of one of them. She drives her lightsaber down through the top of the droid, pulling it out and hopping aside it falls, sparking, to the floor. She whirls around to attack the one remaining MagnaGuard, and the droid quickly moves to block her.

They trade a few more blows as she backs off a few steps, waiting for an opening. Droids may not have the intelligence of sapient beings, but in a way, that can almost make them better. They don't make mistakes unless there's something wrong with their programming. Finally, she feigns a move to the left, and when the droid swings its electrostaff down to block her lightsaber, she instantly darts to the right, slashing her blade deep into its side. The droid tries to hit her with its staff, but she finishes cutting the rest of the way through it, stepping back, and letting the pieces fall to the floor.