Shaak Ti and Ahsoka Tano

Chapter 39

(I decided to add an OC of a friend of mine in this book, at least for Malachor, because otherwise it wouldn't work out with the elevators. His name is Scaley, I hope you like it!)

The Jedi were following Maul. Ahsoka was looking around, her hands on her lightsabers. She still didn't trust Maul. How could she, after everything he has done?

Scaley explored the temple, taking record of what wasn't corrupted before sensing the presence of Jedi and another Sith. He walked towards them quietly.

Shaak stopped in her tracks. She sensed that someone was coming towards them. She stopped Ahsoka and whispered, "I sense someone is coming. Be careful." Ahsoka nodded. "I feel it too." She whispered. She gripped her lightsabers tighter and they continued to walk.

Scaley stuck to the shadows. "Jedi.... they shouldn't be here..." He whispered.

Ahsoka wondered where they were going. She doubted that Maul would answer her if she asked. "Maul, where are you taking us?" She demanded. Maul grinned. "You'll see, Lady Tano... You will see..." Ahsoka didn't like the sound of that at all, but the only thing she could do was being careful.

Scaley exited toward the stairs. He could feel they were near.

Shaak felt the strange presence getting stronger. She gripped her lightsaber tighter and looked around, but she didn't see anyone.
"Ahsoka, be careful. I feel the presence getting stronger... And we don't know if it is a friend or an enemy." Shaak whispered to Ahsoka.
Ahsoka nodded, and looked around, searching for anything unusual.
She couldn't see anything unusual, even though she kept sensing someone. She frowned, she didn't like this at all... 'I hope we'll be able to get out of here soon...' She thought.

Scaley started walking towards them, being careful of Maul.

Shaak felt the presence getting closer. She narrowed her eyes and looked around, her hand gripping her lightsaber tight.

Ahsoka felt the Force presence getting stronger with the second. She looked at Shaak and saw that she was looking around with her hand on her lightsaber, and she knew that she felt it too. She frowned. 'If I sense someone, then why can't I see him?' She thought. She looked at Maul and Ezra and saw that they were quite far behind them. She didn't like it that Ezra trusted Maul...

When Scaley felt that he would be safer, he revealed himself. He was wearing an armored robe with cybernetic looking legs up to his knees, and a hood covering his eyes which were naturally orange looking.

Ahsoka gripped her lightsabers, ready to ignite them. She saw Shaak and Kanan doing the same. "Who are you?" She asked the stranger.

"You should not be at this place..." Scaley said as he looked at them, "None of you should..."

'He's right...' Ahsoka thought.
Shaak frowned. "What do you know about this place? Who are you?" She asked sharply.

"My name is Scaley and this temple is more than just an academy for Sith... I know the horrors of this place and the Sith you walk with does too." Scaley said.

"He says that he can show us how to get more knowledge about the Sith, so that we know how to defeat them." Kanan said, frowning.
"What do you mean with 'the horrors of this place'?" Ahsoka asked suspicious.

"This temple is a weapon, and when it's fired, the end result is all this.... grey you saw here." Scaley said.

Shock was written over their faces. "A weapon? What kind of weapon?" Kanan asked.
Ahsoka frowned. "And why would Maul show it to us then?"

"The kind of weapon that created what this landscape is now, and Maul wants it, why I do not know."

"But if there's a way to defeat the Sith, and if we can get to know it by getting to the top of the Temple... Then we have to try it, no matter how dangerous it is." Kanan said firm. He saw both Ahsoka and Shaak nod in agreement.

"You don't understand, this weapon is Sith, it won't help Jedi! It kills everything in its wake, this planet is a graveyard of Jedi AND Sith!" Scaley said. 'Why don't they understand how dangerous this place is?' He thought.

"So... you're saying that Maul doesn't want to help us at all? That if we get to the top, this... weapon... will kill us all?" Shaak asked.

"I don't know the full extent of this temple, but whatever alliance you have with Maul is temporary. He wants the boy with the jacket as his apprentice." Scaley told them.

Kanan raised his eyebrows. "Why exactly would we trust you?" He asked suspicious. "We don't even know you, we only know your name and as far as we know you could be working with the Sith. We have no proof that you are who you say you are."

"The empire that hunts you follows the Sith Rule of Two; a master and apprentice established by Darth Bane and Maul is not of the Empire. And if I were working with them I wouldn't be telling you this and I'd have inquisitors here." Scaley said.

Ahsoka looked at the others, who both nodded at her to say that they should trust him for a bit. Ahsoka nodded at Scaley. "Alright, we trust you. But if you try anything, you're dead." She warned him with a deadly glare.

"Feisty one... very well..." Scaley said, smirking a little.

"Let's just go." Ahsoka grumbled. She walked after Maul and Ezra. She didn't know what to think about Scaley...
Kanan followed her.
Shaak looked at Scaley. "Are you coming with us?" She asked.

Scaley hesitated at first but nodded. "For now..."
Shaak smiled. "Come on then." She started to walk after the others.
Scaley followed. He still remained cautious but grew curious about the Jedi Master.

As they reached the others Ahsoka looked at Shaak, then at Scaley. She didn't trust him.

After a while Maul came to a stop as they reached the corner of the Sith Temple. "Now what?" Kanan asked Maul, irritated. He didn't trust Maul at all.
Maul reached out to place his hand on the rock. It glowed red beneath his fingers, and a slanted column began to retreat into the ground below them and slide down towards them.

"Wow!" Ezra gasped in wonderment as the column came to a stop at the ground, revealing a small platform. He walked towards it and stepped on it. Maul joined him.
Kanan moved to do the same, but Maul stopped him. "Only two, no more, no less."
"Yeah? Well, these two come as a set." Kanan said, pushing Maul away and stepping next to Ezra. He looked at Ahsoka. "You okay riding with grandpa?" Ahsoka nodded, "I'll be fine."

Shaak looked at Scaley. "I guess we have to go together then."

"Yeah.." Scaley slowly stepped on the platform, Shaak joining him. "We'll see each other at the top." Shaak said to Ahsoka. Maul pressed his hand to the stone surface, and the platforms began to rise up. 

Shaaks POV

Shaak looked down over the edge of the platform as it began to rise. She hoped that they would soon be at the top, that they could get the key to destro the Sith, and get out of here. But if what Scaley was telling was true...
She looked at him. Now that she thought about it, she didn't even know why he was here. No one would want to be here just for fun. "Why exactly are you here?" She asked him.
"I came here to figure out what truly happened here over 4000 years ago." Scaley replied. 

Shaak frowned. "4000 years ago? This... gray... is from what happened then?" She asked.
Scaley nodded. "Yes... The great scourge of Malachor..."
She got a sad look on her face. "That must've been horrible..." She whispered.
He sighed. "Maul cannot activate this Temple... Or it will kill us all..." 

Shaak shook her head. "We can't let that happen!" She looked up, they were almost there. She looked back at Scaley. "We have to stop Maul before it's too late... And before Vader comes here..."
He nodded. "If Vader arrives, things will get difficult." He hesitated for a moment. "Oh, and one more thing. I understand that you all don't trust me, and I can't say I blame you. But I want to help you, it'd give me a purpose." 

Shaak looked at him, studying him for a while before nodding. "Alright... I trust you. I don't think the others will trust you easily though." She said.
"Then I'll prove myself." Scaley said.
Shaak nodded in approval. She had a feeling she could trust Scaley. Then she saw that they had reached the top and she stepped off the platform, Scaley followed her.