Shaak Ti and Ahsoka Tano

Chapter 43

Ahsoka's POV

Ahsoka took a deep breath as she summoned her lightsabers to her hands, igniting the white blades and getting into a ready position. For a moment, she cleared her mind of all thoughts and only focused on the Force to guide her. She saw Vader raise his own red lightsaber and standing ready for her. She thought about her mother, about Kanan and Ezra. She had to be strong for them, so that they would all be able to go home. Then, she closed her eyes for a second, and when she reopened them she ran towards her former Master.

She jumped as she reached him and swung her white blades at his head. Vader saw it coming and he dodged her attack. Then she Force pushed him away from her, to jump up and attack him from above. She tried not to think about their training sessions in the Clone Wars, when they'd practised these kind of battles. Vader raised his lightsaber to block her attack, and her next one. They began to fight harder, and slowly moved to the edge of the Temple, a deadly battle.

As they fought Ahsoka tried not to think about Vader as Anakin Skywalker, that would only make this fight harder. She attacked him again and again, but he blocked all her attacks. Then, he Force pushed her over the edge, and she let out a small cry as she fell down.

Ezra's POV

Ezra was still on the ground, but now slowly got up and looked at the holocron. "The holocron... I can't let him get it!" He walked towards it and tried to pull it out, but failed. He cried out as he was thrown backwards. "I'll help you, kid." He heard behind him, and he turned around to see Scaley walking towards him. "What... What happened?" He asked, seeing the mask. "Maul blinded me, it was meant for your master, but I saved him. Now, we have to hurry and get this holocron out." Scaley said. Ezra nodded as he led Scaley to the holocron. "We're almost there." When they reached it, he reached out for the holocron. "We almost have it!" He said as he reached higher, his hand closing around the holocron. Scaley reached up too and helped Ezra pull the holocron out. When it was out, Ezra closed his hand around the holocron. That's when everything started to shake around them, and he looked up. "The Temple is starting to collapse!"

Behind him, he heard the sound of a ship landing. He looked behind him and saw the Phantom with Kanan and Master Ti running out. "Ezra! Come on!" Kanan shouted. Ezra got up, and when he realized what was happening he started to go towards the Phantom, helping Scaley. Shaak ran over to them and began to help them get to the Phantom, when Ezra suddenly got pulled back with the Force by Vader. "No! No no no no no no no no no!" Shaak and Scaley both held on to Ezra tightly, who tried as hard as he could to hold onto the holocron. Vader was pulling him back with the Force, and was slowly walking towards them.

Ahsoka's POV

Ahsoka was running towards Vader as fast as she could, both her lightsabers ignited. Vader realized it too late and slowly turned to her, but she jumped and swung both her lightsabers at his mask. At the same time he swung his own lightsaber at her and hit her side, and she let out a scream as they both fell to the ground.

"Run." Shaak said to Ezra and Scaley, pushing them both to the Phantom. She turned to Ahsoka and Vader, wanting nothing more than to help her daughter.

Ahsoka slowly got up, trying to catch her breath. Her eyes snapped open as she suddenly heard Vader call out her name. She hesitated for a moment before turning around. She looked at him as he turned around and she gasped as she saw a part of his face where she'd cut off his mask. "Ahsoka." He breathed. "Anakin..." Ahsoka said with tears in her eyes. She tried to hold back her tears as she remembered everything they had been through together. She regretted ever leaving him, maybe if she hadn't left him, things would've been different...

"I won't leave you!" She said. She couldn't leave him, not again... "Not this time..."
There was a moment of silence between them as they looked each other in the eyes.

Shaak's POV

"Ahsoka!" Shaak shouted as she ran towards her daughter. Vader only now saw her and his eyes widened. "Jedi Master Shaak Ti... So you are alive." He said. Shaak helped Ahsoka up and pushed her behind her. She looked at Vader, not saying anything yet. "This is an.. unexpected turn of events. If you are alive, more Jedi may be alive." He said thoughtfully. "I'm the only one alive, to my knowledge." Shaak responded. It was true: as far as she knew, she was the only Jedi from the original Jedi Order who was still alive. Vader looked at them and his gaze hardened. "No matter. If you won't leave, you will die." He hissed, igniting his red lightsaber.

Shaak looked at Ahsoka. "We need to leave!" She said, starting to run to the Phantom, but she immediately stopped when she noticed Ahsoka wasn't running with her. She turned around and looked at her. "Ahsoka? Come on! Hurry!" She said.

Ahsoka's POV

Ahsoka looked at her mother, hesitating. She then looked at Vader, who was coming closer. "I'm sorry, mom." She whispered as she Force-pushed Shaak away, to the Phantom. "AHSOKA! NO!" Shaak cried out. But before she could go to her daughter, Kanan and Ezra both held her back, and pushed her into the Phantom. Then Vader swung his lightsaber at Ahsoka and she blocked it with both her lightsabers. She watched the Phantom fly away as she continued to fight Vader.

She turned around, swinging her lightsabers at his face. He blocked it and attacked her, but jumped aside, quickly deactivating her lightsabers and almost immediately igniting them, now holding them in the reversed grip like she did back in the Clone Wars. She continued to block all his attacks as he became angrier and his attacks got stronger. Then they got into a saber lock, and at that moment Vader got distracted for just a moment when some sparks exploded from the center of the Temple. Ahsoka took that chance to Force-push him backwards, and impaling her lightsabers into the floor of the Temple. The floor began to crack and Vader raised his lightsaber to finish her.

Then she felt someone grab her shoulder and pull her backwards, just as Vader swung his lightsaber at her.