Clouded by the Dark Side

Chapter 47 - Old and New Enemies

Aniya Skywalker

I freeze in place for a moment, fearing coursing through me, at the sight of the Sith in the doorway. The last time I saw him was right after he came to get Maul, planning on leaving me and Anakin to die in the building he was about to drop into the lava.

He was too strong for Dooku, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan to take on alone. What were we even thinking coming here all by ourselves? Yes, we may be some of the strongest Jedi, and even if we did win the fight, it would come at a cost.

It certainly isn't helping that the mere sight of him is giving me flashbacks to when I was nine.

"Welcome, Jedi." He sounds almost exactly as I remember, too, and the voice sends a chill snaking down my spine.

We ignite our lightsabers, holding them in front of us defensively. If he attacks, we're going to be ready.

"We meet again at last. But you're already too late."

Too late? I don't think so. Unless he's planning something. We move forwards almost as one, charging at the Sith.

Then he just... disappears. It's as though he was never there to begin with.

What?

All the things we've seen so far are unreal enough I almost think it's a dream, but I know it's realty. He was just here, and now he just... vanished. Gone. No traces. How is that even possible? I throw a furtive glance around the room, half-expecting him to rematerialize somewhere else, but nothing happens.

"What now?" I finally utter, looking to the others.

"We keep searching the place," Vos suggests.

Wait, something feels wrong, very, very wrong. The same kind of danger that I remember feeling all those years ago on Mustafar – except amplified so much more now that we're trained to sense things. And of course, I've felt things like this many times throughout the war. The place is about to blow up. Again. Like it did so many years ago.

Anakin obviously senses it to. "We need to get out of here. Now."

"Yes, we do," concurs Vos, rapidly realizing the same thing.

I wish we could get to the people out of here, but there's not really time. We need to run. Now.

"Run!" Anakin yells, sprinting for the door. I glance back over my shoulder as race out of the room, to see that the Mon Calan isn't following. He's standing there staring as though we never said anything at all. But we can't go back for him or we're all going to die. If this place comes down on us...

I hit the button on my comm, telling Arthree to get the engine fired up and come pick us up from the door. A sudden explosion shakes the floor beneath us and nearly throws us to the ground as we enter the room containing the exit.

Anakin Force-shoves the door open as we run, sprinting out the backdoor as several more explosions ring out all at once. The ground shakes violently as the building starts to cave in on itself, pieces of debris flying everywhere even as we try to keep running from the building. I catch the debris with the Force and throw them aside as we keep running.

Finally, a moving light comes into view through the dark fog hanging around us. The ship zooms into view, the ramp open. More explosions ring out as we leap onto the ramp of the ship and it flies away into the air, just as practically the entire building goes up in flames.

"That was close," I say, once I manage to catch my breath.

"I'd almost think I imagined that Sith if we hadn't all seen him," Vos quips as hurry up the ramp into the cockpit.