Trial of the Times

Chapter 47 - Duel of the Fates

Anakin and Ahsoka close in on Maul. From the stories Ahsoka has heard from Obi-Wan, she knows better than to underestimate the Sith Lord. If he could overpower Qui-Gon – though she never met him – Maul is a force to be reckoned with. She keeps her green lightsabers in front of her as they strike towards him as a team. Even though it must be unwieldy to use a lightsaber which requires a great deal of spinning, Maul is matching them blow for blow.

She desperately hopes it won't be hard to defeat him. When she fought him on Serenno, she hardly had a chance to learn his style, but between her and Anakin, she remains confident that they will win. Maul's lightsaber moves between them with a practiced grace, keeping both of them from going fully on the offensive. She leaps back as he nearly takes off her arm, before blocking him from hitting an opening Anakin left.

As the duel progresses, Ahsoka quickly realizes that she's doing far more defending than attacking. Trying to find a weakness in the blur of red swirling around him is almost impossible, even though she does manage to give his left arm a glancing blow. He's incredibly skilled at using the Force while fighting, something she learns all too well when she's tossed backwards for the third time. Somehow, Anakin seems to be holding him off far better.

Her frustration quickly leads to anger. If they don't defeat him, Sidious could escape, something that they cannot allow. On impulse, she reaches towards the Dark Side. She's gotten used to drawing on it over the past few weeks, though it still feels strange to embrace something she's shunned her entire life. Anakin isn't having nearly as hard of a time. She felt him grasp it towards the beginning.

Maul picks up the pace of his attacks, backing away and tossing a random object or two at them as they push him onto the defensive. A surge in the Force is Ahsoka's only warning before she's flying through the air and slamming hard into a wall. She lands on the floor most ungracefully, shaking her head to clear her vision. Maul spins his lightsaber, stabbing viciously towards Anakin, hatred boiling, as the Sith makes a clear attempt to force him onto the defensive.

She pulls herself back to her feet, calling her lightsaber to her hands, igniting them as she leaps through the air, bringing them down hard on one of Maul's red blades. He doesn't even seem fazed, ducking gracefully between them and pushing Anakin backwards a few steps. Maul is showing no signs of tiring, and Ahsoka is becoming irritated. The fight is taking far too long, and she knows the real duel is still ahead of them.

Twisting his lightsaber in a surprise move, Maul manages to rip one of her lightsabers away, sending it skittering across the floor, before kicking Anakin backwards off his feet. She barely has time to register that the Zabrak is turning towards her before she's flying through the air again, slamming into a wall for the second time. Stars dance in her vision as she feels herself landing on the ground. She can't stop now. They have a duel to win.

She reaches for her lightsaber, fingers outstretched as it flies towards her, looking up in time to see Maul's lightsaber arching down towards her neck. In a millisecond, she knows she can't block it in time and scooting across the floor only gives her inches. Is this the end? She can't help but wonder if it is, fear searing through her. When Maul's blade is only inches from her body – it's so close she can feel the heat – he's ripped backwards by an invisible Force and lifted into the air, reaching towards his neck as he's Force choked.

Scrambling to her feet, Ahsoka sees Anakin standing there, anger pouring off him in waves as he mercilessly crushes the Sith's neck, stalking towards him before stabbing him through the chest with his lightsaber. Maul's lifeless body falls to the ground. Anakin stares at it for a moment, breathing hard before he turns to face her, eyes glowing a Sithly yellow.

"Are you alright?" he asks, concern coloring his tone, even as the Dark Side hovers around him like a shroud.

"I'm fine," she assures him, calling her other lightsaber back to her hand. She looks away from him, trying to pretend that his yellow eyes aren't scaring her. She's not afraid of him – she has no reason to be – but she knows what he's capable of in that state. At least the only other person around he might kill is Sidious.