Star Wars Rebels: When Hope Is Lost

Chapter 30: The Jedi Way

Ahsoka looked up the Sith. It was just the two of them, alone.

Her Master and her. Just like old times.

But it wasn't.

Darth Vader reached down and carefully–gently, really–took the gag out of her mouth and tossed it on the ground. She looked up at him, eyes giving away nothing, hands still bound behind her back.

They stayed in silence for a long moment.

"I see you have acquired new lightsabers," Darth Vader spoke first, fingering the two silver, custom hilts on his belt.

"I see you have acquired a new identity," Ahsoka replied. She was struck with sorrow; eyes pleading at him as he towered above her. "Anakin, why?"

"Anakin Skywalker is dead, burnt away by the cinders of betrayal." Vader retorted. "He was weak, so I destroyed him."

"Did you really?" She asked. "I'm not so sure. He's still in there, in that black armour, I know it."

"And why do you believe that?" Vader sounded amused.

"Because otherwise, I would be dead." Ahsoka's eyes flashed.

"Don't be so sure." The Sith–no, he was still Anakin, he had to be–began to pace in front of her. "You are an insurgent, a rebel leader. You know things. You have information in your head; valuable information that the Empire can use."

"Then I'm sorry to disappoint you,"Ahsoka said. "I will not be revealing any information that is useful to you."

"I believe you will. After all, I would hate to have to bring the boy into this."

"Ezra is not your pawn," Ahsoka barred her teeth angrily. "You cannot abuse his powers. He is not your puppet!"

"Silence!" Darth Vader commanded loudly. "He will follow his destiny, which belongs to me."

"You do not own him!" She spoke fiercely. "You cannot own somebody's destiny! Has being a Jedi taught you nothing?"

"Does it appear that I am still a Jedi? My past matters as nothing to me. I am a Sith Lord. I serve the Emperor's wishes."

"Then you are lost! You were supposed to destroy the Sith, not join them!" Ahsoka shouted furiously.

"Obi-Wan said the same thing. How sad it is that he was wrong." There was no trace of emotion in the Dark Lord's voice.

Ahsoka's breath caught. "You don't mean.... You killed him? You killed your own Master?!"

"He is not my Master!" The overhead lights flickered and swayed. Ahsoka stared at the man before her in shock. "Not anymore."

She was numb. Oh, so numb.... and cold. The darkness swept over her, taunting her, inviting her. Inviting her to embrace the cold, to be free of the pain. It would be so easy.

Somehow, she pushed it away.

"You always were stubborn," Vader shook his head slightly, removing the darkness from her directly, but not completely. It was still there, like a shadow; a faint presence that she was still aware of. "This will not do."