"I will help you. But you must answer one question." Ahsoka started, catching me off guard with her decision.
"You have but to ask." Maul told her.
"What do you want with Anakin Skywalker?" Ahsoka worried for her former master. I looked to her, feeling bad as the world was on fire and that was her only concern.
"He is the key to everything."
"To bring balance to the Force?" Ahsoka thought.
"To destroy. He has long been groomed for his role, as my master's new apprentice."
"You lie." Ahsoka claimed.
"I'm afraid not. In fact, I was so certain of his fate that I orchestrated this war to lure him here with Kenobi to kill him. Thus, depriving Sidious of his prized pupil."
"I know Anakin. Your vision is flawed." She ignited her sabers, pointing them at him accusingly.
"I see the Padawan needs one last lesson." Maul ignited his saber as well, posing as it attracted out in front of him. He swung at us with a spin but Ahsoka ducked and slid back. She stood up and swung her saber to block Mauls as he jumped at her. She bent backwards to avoid a swing from him.
I jumped in next, igniting my sabers to help Ahsoka fight back. I pushed him slightly with the force to get his attention. He spun around just in time for me to clash my sabers against his. Elbowing me in the face I had dropped one saber before defending myself with the other. He rushed at me to attack, me flipping backwards to avoid his hits. Kicking him in the face Ahsoka gave me a free moment to use the force to pull my lightsaber back to my grip, Maul flipping over it as it landed in my hand.
"You're lucky Anakin didn't show up. The way you're fighting you wouldn't have lasted long." Ahsoka spoke as we all circled each other, spinning our sabers to get a better grip on them.
"Oh, you have Kenobi's arrogance." Maul commented with a snarl.
"You'll find I have many qualities for you to dislike." She moved into a fighting stance before striking again. They hit each other's sabers on and on. Ahsoka made an advance before Maul moved on her and she was flipping backwards, him pressing down on her when she stopped. She fell to the ground and kicked him over her, throwing him out of a window behind the large throne.
I ran over to Ahsoka, helping her to stand as she caught her breath. Looking to the window he had crashed through we both nodded.
"I'll go after him" I told her, knowing she was getting tired and carried that fight more than I had.
"Do you need any help?" She questioned me wearily, knowing I was able to protect myself, but also offering to share the weight.
"I was trained by Kenobi, I think I can hold my own long enough to capture him. But if I need you I'll let you know" she nodded in reply, signaling me to jump out of the window and follow after Maul. I climbed up a building carefully and reached the rafters above the city where Maul had been standing.
"No. I think not. Any moment my ship will be arriving. Die well, Mandalorian." Maul told his men over comm link.
"No! Wait..." the transmissions were cut off suddenly.
"Obi-Wan was right." I ignited my sabers behind Maul catching his attention again. "You are difficult to kill." He turned to face me. I ran at him strongly, pressing my attack before he had pushed me back. I wobbled on the bars, but held my balance with focus.
"We could have destroyed Sidious!" He stood opposite me, giving me his 'join me' speech.
"Only for you to take his place!" I snapped back. Flipping over him I had kicked him back a bit. Jumping to crash down on him he used the force to push me back this time having been ready for the attack. I held onto the bar, hanging off above the city on fire.
"Lord Maul, we must depart immediately." His men reported as a light shone over us. Maul ran up the bars to reach the light while I used all my strength to pull myself up and balance again. Grabbing onto another bar I had swung myself up to kick him down. I had started advancing on him again when he knocked away one on my sabers. I looked down as it dropped, pushing on with my second one before that too was knocked out.
He had cut the bar we stood on, moving so that I was on the end hanging lower. Keeping my balance he had jumped up and down, making it fall further.
"I give you one last chance. Join me... or die." Maul offered again, reaching out an offering hand.
"Never." I declared strongly. He swung at me, trying to get me to fall, but I dodged all attacks swiftly and carefully. I switched places with him and grabbed his lightsaber hilt, moving it quickly to cut off Mauls end, making him fall down. Rushing to the edge I looked off and caught him with the force so that he couldn't get away this time.
"Let me go! Let me die!" He begged as gunships arrived around him. "You're all going to burn! We're all going to die! You don't know what you're doing!" Maul continued to shout as the gunships tied him up, me dropping him from my hold and looking to Ahsoka and Rex while Rex stunned the sith.
"We'll take it from here, General!" Rex called up to me. I sighed, out of breath as he was pulled into a ship and taken away. Rex and Ahsokas gunship stayed to take me back. Before I could jump into the ship I had slipped from my spot on the broken beam, falling into the depths of the city. A gloved hand caught my wrist, looking up to meet the helmet of Rex. With the help of Ahsoka he had pulled me up to sit on the ship, flying off with the others.
"Thank you, Commander" I nodded to him, letting my guard down a bit.
"Of course, General" he nodded back calmly.
"Don't you have something for Lyra?" Ahsoka pointed her question to Rex as to remind him of something he had forgotten.
"Oh yeah, here" he pulled out my two sabers and handed them over.
"Thanks, I never would have heard the end of it if Kenobi found out" I laughed lightly, clipping them back onto my belt. "Force that was not easy" I sighed, laying back a bit in defeat, exhaustion hitting me with power.
~~~
"You actually captured him. I'm impressed." Bo Katan stated to us, walking alongside us both after the battle.
"That is what the council wanted." I reminded them of Obi Wan's words as we walked off the gunship into the city of ruins.
"Still. You succeeded where many have failed."
"I've learned from the best, including you." Ahsoka told her with a proud smile.
"I wish I was good at something other than war." She sighed.
"Your people need a new kind of leader." Ahsoka claimed, following to look over the city below.
"My sister tried that. I never understood her idealism."
"General, Commander. I have the council waiting." Rex joined us with the news.
"And Master Skywalker? Were you able to contact him?" Ahsoka rushed over with worry.
"He was at the meeting when I left to get you." Rex nodded at her hope to speak with her former Master.
"Go on. I can handle this." Bo Katan nodded to Ahsoka and I while we made our way to talk with the council and give our report on the capture of Maul.
"I understand your mission was a success." Windu spoke to us upon our entry.
"Yes. We have Maul in custody. We will escort Commander Rex when he delivers him to Coruscant." I stated to the group of masters in front of us.
"A great service to the Republic, you have done." Yoda proudly told us both.
"I did my duty as a citizen." Ahsoka responded coldly towards them.
"Not as a Jedi." Yoda noted.
"No. Not yet. Actually, I was hoping to speak with General Skywalker." Ahsoka crossed her arms. My eyes widened slightly at her words, hope filling me at the idea of Ahsoka coming back to the Jedi order.
"I sent him to inform the Chancellor that General Grievous has indeed been located on Utapau." Windu explained to us.
"Master Kenobi?" I questioned about my former master.
"Engaged the enemy, he has." Yoda gurgled.
"Then the war could be over soon." Ahsoka thought on the possibility.
"That depends on the Chancellor." Windu thought quietly, but we both caught onto his words.
"What do you mean?" Ahsoka worried.
"I'm sorry, citizen. These matters are for the council to discuss." Windu stated harshly to the girl.
"I understand." She told him with disappointment. Ki Adi Mundi, Alya Secura and Mace Windu all left the meeting, leaving Yoda with us.
"Ahsoka. More to say, have you? A message for Skywalker, perhaps?" He asked her.
"No, Master. Thank you. I'll tell him myself when I see him." She paused before speaking.
"May the Force be with you, Padawan." Yoda nodded before leaving.
"You didn't tell them what Maul said about General Skywalker." Rex noted to her from behind us where he had been listening.
"No, I didn't." Ahsoka agreed.
The three of us made our way back out towards the city to prepare to leave again. I was ordering a group of troopers to get Maul to be escorted onto the shuttle when I noticed Rex.
"Hey, General!" Rex had waved me down eagerly.
"What is it Rex?" I questioned, turning to face him while the troopers walked off with their orders.
"I learned a new word today," he proudly smiled, helmet tucked under his arm to reveal his face.
"And what word is that?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Mesh'la"
"Oh, what does that mean?" I asked with confusion as I have never heard that word before.
"I'm not telling" he smirked.
"Really? Why not?"
"You'll never find out Mesh'la" with that he walked off proudly, leaving me in confusion and shock. I shook my head slightly before moving back to the hangar to stand beside Ahsoka and Bo Katan. A large box was walked past us with Maul tightly secured inside, unable to break out on his own.
"Impressive. I suspect even Maul couldn't get out of there." Ahsoka nodded to the box he was held in confidently.
"A relic of a bygone era when Mandalorians had reason to imprison you Force-wielding maniacs." Bo Katan commented back directing it to us.
"I thought your sister outlawed such devices." I spoke up, fearful of how they could have been used to capture Ahsoka or I easily.
"She did. This is the last one. Goodbye, Ahsoka Tano." She turned to shake hands with Ahsoka. "General Jayko" she nodded to me with respect. Ahsoka and I walked into the shuttle that would take us up to the Jedi cruiser above planet.
"How are you feeling after your fight with Maul?" Rex questioned me as we stood beside each other in front of Mauls box.
"We caught him and I'm still alive, so I'd say pretty good" I replied with a slight laugh. My laugh slowed to a stop as I had an odd feeling settle in, looking to Ahsoka we both looked to Maul.
"General? Lyra?" Rex called my name.
"What? Sorry" I snapped back to focus, looking to him again, my mind racing with thoughts.
"Are you alright?" He asked sincerely with worry for me, brows furrowed together.
"Yes, I'm fine. What is it you wanted?"
"We are reaching the cruiser now." He repeated his words. I nodded before the ship shook, signaling our landing on the cruiser.
"Take Maul to the cell block and keep an eye on him" I ordered sternly to a group of clones who had greeted me once we stepped off the shuttle.
Walking side by side onto the bridge, troopers saluted to us while we looked out, jumping into hyperspace to return to Coruscant.
"Something on your mind?" Rex noticed how Ahsoka and I seemed off after the battle.
"As a Jedi, we were trained to be keepers of the peace, not soldiers. But all I've been since I was a Padawan is a soldier." Ahsoka explained to him.
"Well, I've known no other way. Gives us clones all a mixed feeling about the war. Many people wish it never happened. But without it, we clones wouldn't exist." Rex told us his view on the war.
"Well, then perhaps some good has come from all of it." I smiled to him. "I've fought this war since the beginning and I can say without a doubt that I am honored to fight alongside men like you everyday"
"The Republic couldn't have asked for better soldiers, nor I a better friend." Ahsoka added onto my statement. Ahsoka and I saluted Rex in respect who saluted back before a trooper approached him.
"Commander Rex, the latest briefing has come in." The trooper reported.
"Want to have a look?" Rex faced us with his question. "It might have an update on General Kenobi's efforts." He said, knowing I would be eager to know how Kenobi was making out in his own battle.
"You go. I'm sure it's more good news." Ahsoka commented to him as I nodded along with her, both of us needing a moment to think. Rex walked off when thoughts filled our head through the force.
"You must choose."
"Don't listen to him, Anakin!"
"It's not the Jedi way. He must live."
"He's too dangerous to be left alive."
"Please don't."
"I need him." The two of us winced at the thoughts raging war in our minds.
"Unlimited power!" Ahsoka and I stumbled back slightly.
"What have I done?" She held her head in pain.
"Anakin?" Ahsoka worried, knowing the last voice belonged to her master, eyes shooting open.
"Ahsoka?" I looked to her slowly and carefully, knowing something bad was going to happen. Memories flooded my head at the memory of Fives and the inhibitor chips, remembering the vision I had after Fives death. "We need to tell Rex"
"Execute Order 66."
........................................
Question of the day: How do you think Lyra will react to the clones turning on them?