Clouded by the Dark Side

Chapter 48 - Traitor of Dawn

Ahsoka Tano

Krell is cutting through the clones surrounding the perimeter and Alema and I land on the ground right behind him. Throwing – or cutting – the last of the clones out of his way, he runs for the forest up ahead, spinning one of his double-bladed lightsabers to block the blasts that the clones fire after him.

"Stay back," I order the clones as we run towards him. "Don't get yourselves killed needlessly!"

Finally, he disappears into the trees, deactivating his blades so we can't see him in the darkness. But that's fine. There are other ways to track him. His darkness rings loudly in the Force now that I actually try to feel for it.

"We'll have to use the Force," Alema urges. I nod, closing my eyes, reaching out. I know he's trying to run, but I have to trust the Force to lead us to him if we're going to stop him. We don't have a bond, which makes it almost impossible track him, but I can still feel him in the Force. He's like a black hole, emanating darkness. How I didn't notice before is beyond me. I always knew he was dark, but now it's so blatantly obvious.

But I sense the sudden movement thanks to my montrals first. "This way," I hiss, sprinting forwards into the darkness again. I can sense the danger lurking right up ahead, and I pause for a moment, peering through the trees.

The sound of maniacal cackling fills the air and both of us spin around, lightsabers activating as Krell leaps down through the trees, both lightsabers activating mid-fall.

Alema and I dive out of the way – on opposite sides of him – to avoid meeting the full force of the blow. In a flash I lunge at him, blades clashing with his. Alema instantly attacks him from the other side. I don't like being separated from her like this, but maybe we'll have more leverage. I don't know.

Krell spins his blades wildly, furiously raining blows down around us. I take a step back to regain my balance as he rapidly forces us onto the defensive. Not good. He has the advantage with extra limbs and two double bladed lightsabers, but we can't let him win this. We have to defeat him, somehow. If he escapes, he could give all of the intel and everything to the Separatists. It would be a crippling blow to the Republic.

A sudden Force-shove catches me off guard. I slam backwards hard into a nearby tree, falling to the ground in a daze. Krell's blades spin in a blur of green and blue as he attacks Alema. She slowly continues to back away from him, blocking the blows that come too close. She's never going to be able to defeat him alone. I need to get up.

A blow catches her on the arm, knocking her lightsaber from her hand. She stumbles to the ground. I force myself back to my feet, Force-jumping over to her, activating my lightsabers in time to block what would have been a killing blow. I brace myself against the ground, crossing my blades to force back the end of one of his. He's impossibly strong.

"How can you do this? You're supposed to a Jedi," I growl, swinging my blades to block his blows, never really getting a chance to land any of my own. If only Anakin or Aniya were here.

"A Jedi?" scoffs Krell, "I'm no longer naïve enough to be a Jedi. A new power is rising; I've foreseen it. The Jedi are going to lose this war, and the Republic will be ripped apart from the inside. In its place is going to rise a new order, and I will rule as part of it."

"You're a Separatist!" spits Alema. She staggers to her feet, picking up her lightsaber in her uninjured arm.

"Don't get delusional," I growl. "Dooku will never share whatever power he might gain." Krell's lying. I know it. The Jedi can't fall.

"I serve no one's side; only my own," Krell snaps, "And soon my new master."

"So, you serve the Sith," I state more than ask. The answer is obvious.