The next day, Maan went to her brother to train.
"Brother, I'm here."
"Well, let's get started."
Vader attacked Maan, without even giving her time to move. Maan immediately ignited her blue saber and defended herself as best she could. Her brother's attacks were much more powerful. If Maan didn't have good reflexes, she would have been eliminated in a second, given the speed with which Vader attacked her.
Now was not the time to think, it was the time to counterattack. Maan rolled to the side and tried to hit him but was intercepted by his red saber. She attacked and the sabers collided again.
Vader advanced, trying to block his sister to the wall, but she again rolled to the side and with the Force, she crashed her brother against the wall. The armour had not caused him any damage.
Vader breathed heavily, he was bored by the weakness of his opponent.
He advanced against her and raised her with the Force and crashed her against the wall and she fell to the ground.
This had hurt so much!
"That was rude, brother!" Maan exclaimed.
"That was mercy! You are weak. We have a lot of work to do. We will train again later, I hope I don't have to spare you again!"
Vader left the room, leaving his sister in pain on the floor.
Maan awoke from her unconsciousness and heard voices. She was trying to figure out where they were.
"Ben. Ben, stay with me. You're gonna be okay. Hold on." Tala said.
Obi-Wan grunted.
"Get the Bacta tank ready." Tala added.
"Bacta tank is right this way."
Obi-Wan continued grunting.
"The years have made you weak. You should've killed me when you had the chance."
Kenobi came out of the tank before complete healing.
"Don't. Don't."
Obi-Wan gasped.
"You're still not healed! Your burns, your body, they just need time."
"Where..." Kenobi tried to say.
"We're on Jabiim. You're safe now."
Obi-Wan panted.
"Where's Leia?" asked Obi-Wan.
"They took her to the base, Obi-Wan." Maan declared.
"Mary??"
"Hello, Obi-Wan." Maan replied.
Maan was tied to a chair and looked at him with a smirk.
"What is she doing here?" asked Kenobi confused.
"Your droid knocked me out. Vader will not be pleased with my defeat at the hands of a droid." Maan added.
"Where is the base?" asked Tala.
"What makes you think I'm gonna tell you?" replied Maan.
"Mary, this is Leia we're talking about, your niece. It's the Dark Side that's affecting you... Fight it." Obi-Wan added.
"Ten years ago, you said yourself that it is difficult to get out of it, don't you remember, Obi." Maan replied.
"And you said that it was a risk to take to save your brother, do the right thing, Mary." Kenobi replied.
After Obi-Wan finished speaking, her smirk disappeared and left room for one sad.
"They shouldn't be here." Roken said.
"I know you're upset, but..." Tala replied.
"I mean it. Get them on the first transport outta here. Too many people are looking for them. You'll put us all in danger."
"I need your help." Obi-Wan added.
"So does every kid making a rock float from here to Coruscant." Roken said.
"Someone very important to me has been taken. I need your help to get her back." Obi-Wan said.
"General, I'm sorry, but that's not my problem."
"She knows everything. Roken, if she finds us, we need to prepare an evacuation." Tala added.
"Then help us to get her back. I can't lose her. You've no idea what the Empire is capable of." Obi-Wan said.
"I had a wife once. I knew exactly what she was before we got married. We tried to hide it. And the Inquisitors found her anyway. So I know exactly what the Empire can do. Look, if you want my help, you got it." Roken concluded.
"The base is in Nur. It's a water moon. It's in Mustafar system. That's Vader system." Mary said.
"Why are you helping us?" Tala asked.
"That's the right thing to do." Mary replied, looking at Kenobi.
"Is Vader there?" asked Obi-Wan.
"No, but he's still on the ship, he's close." Mary replied. "Anyway... could you untie me? My wrists start to hurt."
"So that's it? Fortress Inquisitorius."
"It's impenetrable, Wade."
"How far down do you think it goes?" asked Kenobi.
"Have no idea. It's their base of operations, so probably got a command center, a training facility." Roken replied.
"Truth is, nobody knows what it looks like in there."
"I don't see any shields." Kenobi declared.
"That's because no one would be stupid enough to attack." Mary replied.
"We could take those speeders, go in at night. You have some T-47s in the hangar." Kenobi said.
"It's suicide." Roken affirmed.
"We need to find a way inside." Obi-Wan asked.
"Yeah, well, we're not soldiers. Those speeders are for hauling sewage."
"I won't leave her there. I'll go on my own." Obi-Wan affirmed.
"I come with you." Mary said.
"Are you on our side now?"
"Look, being in the Dark Side for ten years, it's not nice and it's not that easy to get out. I'm not proud of it, I did it to save my brother, but the Dark Side ended up dominating me." Mary said.
☾☼
Maan had almost reached the meeting room, she knew that Vader was there and she had to talk to him. She came around the corner and bumped into someone, and it was none other than her brother.
Speak of the devil and he doth appare!
"Ana- brother... I was looking for you."
"So am I, sister. I hope this time you won't be weak enough to get beaten."
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something else..."
"I know what you want to say and it's wasted breath. I read your mind."
"Then you also know I don't quit so easily."
"I know, but it's pointless. Surrender to the Dark Side so I don't have to destroy you."
"Anakin, plea-" Maan could not finish the sentence that she felt a squeeze in her throat.
She put her hands to her throat and looked at him with tears in her eyes and he let her go. She began to take back the air.
"All right... brother... you win."
"Now you're starting to be reasonable. Come on! You need to train."
Vader walked away. Maan looked at him as tears fell and followed him.
And that's how Maan understood that her brother was really lost. She lost all hope and let herself be embraced by darkness.
Obi-Wan decided to go on a mission to rescue Leia with the help of Mary, Vader's sister and Tala, who, thanked to her rank as an imperial officer, was a great docker to land on the spot.
"All right, I'm inside the system. Here we go. Ben, I'm overriding an entry port. It should be right ahead of you." Tala said through the comlink.
"We're in."
Tala's plan worked, and once they got past the controls and let Obi-Wan and Mary in through an underwater portal.
"God, look at this place. What are they keeping down there?" asked Tala.
"You don't want to know." Mary replied.
"Where is she?"
"Detention area's in a secure sector. Just keep heading north." Tala said and Mary confirmed.
"Seeker droid." whispered Obi-Wan.
"Yeah, I see it. Looks like they're everywhere. You'll need to..." Tala said.
"Tala? Tala, can you hear me? Tala?" whispered Obi-Wan.
Mary and Obi-Wan continued walking when suddenly they heard... "Ben?" Tala said.
"Did you hear that?", "Over there. Let's go." said the Stormtroopers.
The Stormtroopers went their way, and Mary had an idea. She showed up at them, and as soon as they saw her, they said, "Lady Maan."
"Where is the prisoner? Lord Vader has asked me to take her to him." Mary said.
"How come we weren't warned?" asked the Stormtrooper.
"That's why I'm here, and don't you dare question what I say anymore, is that clear?" said Mary.
"Yes, Lady Maan, we're sorry. We're taking you to the prisoner now."
Mary gestured to Obi-Wan. They took them to Leia and then Mary used the mind trick.
"You have not heard and seen anything. Now leave."
"We have not heard and seen anything. And now we leave."
After they left Obi-Wan asked Tala, "What happened?"
"I had some company. But it's been taken care of." Tala replied.
Obi-Wan and Mary reached to Leia.
"You're alive. They told me you were dead. I didn't tell them anything." Leia said.
"I know. Come with me. I'm gonna get you home." Obi-Wan said.
Suddenly the alarm blared.
"Tala! Tala, we're in the open!" yelled Obi-Wan.
"Where are you?" said Tala.
Two Stormtroopers stood before the trio, Mary with the Force, crushed them on the floor.
"Leia! Hide!" said Obi-Wan.
The Stormtroopers kept coming and the duo shot them down.
There were screams, grunting.
During the escape from the Stormtroopers, Obi-Wan managed to use his sword discreetly, but a blow reflected against the glass walls of the structure creating a crack.
"Obi, the window!" said Mary.
The glass was breaking.
"Ben!" yelled Tala.
"Tala! Mary! Get her out of here. I'll hold it." Kenobi said.
"Come on."
"I stay with him, you two go. Run!" Mary added.
Tala and Leia ran and Mary continued fight troopers. Kenobi tried to control the breakup by Force. Obi released power on the walls and the water flooded the corridor, drowning all the soldiers and the duo ran. Tala took an officer's disguise for Ben, and with Leia hidden in her cloak and Mary still dressed as Sith, they tried to escape from the fortress.
The group was almost at the ship when they heard, "A traitor!"
"A child, an old man and... Lady Maan. Interesting! Lord Vader, won't be happy to know that his sister betrayed him to be on Kenobi's side." Reva said.
"You know I can kill you with a snap of my fingers, Reva?!" Mary said with a smirk.
Suddenly all the troopers surrounded them and aimed their blasters at them.
Two ships flew into the hangar and started hitting the troopers. The group continued running and they boarded the ship from its open ramp.
☾☼
Darth Vader entered the room, angrily, and lifted Reva into the air, "You were warned what defeat would bring. I will tolerate your weakness no longer."
"I let them go." Reva said gasping for air. "I put a tracker on their ship. Soon, the location of the network and Kenobi will be ours." added Reva.
"It seems I have underestimated you."
The Fifth Brother said "But, my Lord, the base was almost destroyed..."
"Kenobi is all that matters." replied Reva.
"There can be no mistakes. You're certain the tracker is with him?"
"Yes, my Lord. Where he goes, it will follow."
"What about Lady Maan? She betrayed us." asked the Fifth Brother.
Vader breathed heavily and replied, "I'll deal with her too."