Star Wars: The Turn

Chapter 1: The Turn

Darth Vader turned around. He saw his former apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, lunge at him. She jumped on his chest, slashing his mask. The Sith lord felt the searing heat of the lightsaber close to his face. Both of them collapsed to the floor of the temple.

"Ahsoka!" cried Ezra. "Come on, hurry!"

Ahsoka lay on the ground dazed. But then, a voice got her attention. "Ahsoka."

She snapped back to reality, turning to see Vader. She had cut a large gash in his mask, revealing his right eye.

"Anakin," Ahsoka gasped, staring in shock at what he had become. The Sith lord got to his feet, facing her.

"I won't leave you," Ahsoka told him. "Not this time."

Vader paused for a moment. "Then you will die."

He ignited his lightsaber, slowly walking towards her. Ezra ran towards Ahsoka to help her, but she pushed him back with the Force. Darth Vader raised his blade, but Ahsoka parried his strike just in time. They continued their duel as Ezra and Kanan escaped.

She knocked Vader back, but he merely walked to his former student. But as he was about to strike her down, she kneeled. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I have decided to join you," Ahsoka answered, her eyes gazing at the floor.

"Good. With our combined strength, we can destroy the Emperor and rule the galaxy!"

Unfortunately for them, they were locked inside the temple. Vader extended an arm, ripping a wall open. He got into his TIE Advanced x1, while his new apprentice took one of the Inquisitor's TIEs.

Darth Vader contacted a Star Destroyer, informing him that he was back. The two TIEs landed in the docking bay, with a now hate-filled Ahsoka slaughtering Imperials.

He escorted his pupil to the ship's underbelly. "You must hide, my apprentice."

"Why, master?"

The Emperor is powerful, like you, but you are not ready to face him..." Vader paused for a moment. "Yet."

Ahsoka nodded in agreeance as Vader left. She meditated, thinking about her Rebel friends and her master. Her bond with the man whom many once called Anakin Skywalker was too strong for her to stay with the Rebels.

Darth Vader walked through the corridors of the Star Destroyer as an admiral approached him.

"My lord," the admiral said. "The Emperor demands a report on your mission."

Vader headed to his meditation chamber as a hologram of his master Darth Sidious was projected.

"Lord Vader," Sidious said. "What has transpired on Malachor?"

"The Inquisitors are dead, master," Vader responded. "As is the apprentice of Anakin Skywalker."

Vader felt the anger swell in his master. "I gave you specific orders to bring her before me!"

Forgive me, master," Vader told him. "She was too weak to embrace the Dark Side."

His master left, and Vader returned to his appretice. Ahsoka looked up with now yellow eyes. He looked down on her through the filtered lens of his mask. "Your training begins now."

Chapter 2: Ahsoka's First Test

Ahsoka was meditating in her quarters, when an armour-clad figure entered the room. She looked behind her back to see Darth Vader, and kneeled before him. "What is thy bidding, my master?"

"I've trained you well, but it is time you face your first true test. Hunt down and eliminate the former Sith Maul."

"It will be done, my master. I will leave at once."

Ahsoka stood up, turning and leaving. She headed for her TIE Advanced v1, searching for Maul through the Force. She eventually found him above Sullust, in a hijacked TIE Advanced v1. She opened fire, hitting one of his engines. The ship fell to the planet's surface, and Maul jumped out, igniting his lightsaber. Ahsoka's ship landed.

"It seems that Vader has sent another Inquisitor to hunt me down," Maul said.

"Not an Inquisitor," Ahsoka replied as the ****pit hatch of her fighter opened. She jumped out, igniting her lightsabers, and was met by both of Maul's blades.

"Tano?!" he cried out in surprise. They released their bladelock, gazing into each other's eyes.

They clashed, creating flurries of red on the surface of the volcanic planet. Maul kicked Ahsoka in the stomach, but she merely slid back, digging her boot heels and lightsabers into the floor. She then used a saber throw, hurling one of her blades at the Dark Jedi.

It grazed his knee, then returned to her hand like a boomerang. "Aah!"

He fell to one knee, looking up to see Vader's apprentice descending upon him. He barely activated and raised his lightsaber to block both her blades. Reaching out with the Force, Ahsoka ripped a large rock out of the ground and threw it at Maul, jumping out of the way before it hit him, smashing him into the ground.

Maul wheezed as he got to his feet, attacking Ahsoka. She blocked him, lifting him with the Force and slamming him into a rock wall. He dropped his lightsaber as Vader's apprentice jumped towards him. Maul Force pushed her back, recalling his saber to his hand.

Ahsoka landed on her feet as Maul prepared to stab her. She jumped out of the way, grabbing him with the Force. She hurled him over the edge of a cliff, his scream drowning out the sound of the howling wind.

Chapter 3: Second Test

The victorious Ahsoka returned to her master, kneeling. "Maul has been defeated, my master."

Vader was ready with another test for her. "Find and kill Jedi general Rahm Kota. He is hiding on Kashyyyk, homeworld of Starkiller, my former apprentice."

She was ready. "Yes, my master."

(Quick side note: In this fanfiction, The Force Unleashed is canon)

Ahsoka returned to her TIE, setting course for the Wookiee homeworld. She arrived, sensing his presence nearby. Igniting her lightsabers, she walked through the wilderness, eventually arriving at a hut. The apprentice entered, having Force visions of an event that had transpired there long ago. She saw a young Galen Marek ripping Darth Vader's lightsaber from his hands as he prepared to kill his father Kento. This got the Sith lord's attention, and he casually collapsed Kento's windpipe.

Ahsoka snapped out of her trance from the ignition of a green-bladed lightsaber. Her target. She lunged forward with a scream, but the Jedi blocked her attack. Kota was blind, but still powerful, managing to match her strength. He matched her rage-filled strikes, using the Force to atune to his surroundings.

Eventually, Ahsoka used Force lightning to throw him through the wall of the hut, jumping down with both sabers ready to impale him. The Jedi rolled out of the way as her red blades sank into the ground. She ripped them out, hammering him with a flurry of attacks.

Kota was barely able to keep up with her, and he soon felt a searing heat in his stomach. Looking down, two red blades portuded from his body. Ahsoka deactivated her weapons, then kicked him to the ground and crushed his skull underfoot.

She victoriously returned to Vader. "Rahm Kota is dead, my master."

"Good," Vader was still looking out into the deep nothingness of space. "You have but one final test."

Ahsoka was ready. "What is it, my master?"

For a while, Vader paused, hesitant to tell her. The only sound was his ominous breathing. Then, after five minutes, he answered his apprentice. "Your former friends. Find and kill the crew of the Ghost."

Chapter 4: Vader vs Maul

Just as Ahsoka left, Darth Vader received a transmission from the Emperor. Kneeling before the hologram of his master, Vader asked, "What is thy bidding, my master?"

"Lord Vader, deal with Maul on the Third Moon of Concord Dawn," Sidious commanded.

Vader bowed his head. "As you wish, my master."

He was secretly enraged that Ahsoka hadn't killed the Dark Jedi, but decided to forgive her. After all, she was the only one he could use to overthrow Sidious. The armour-clad cyborg left in his TIE Advanced x1, heading for his destination.

***

Meanwhile, Ahsoka had already landed and was fighting Kanan and Ezra. They had since changed after the Malachor battle. She was aggressively fighting them with no hesitation.

"Ahsoka!" Ezra tried to reach out to her. "Turn to the light! The Rebellion needs you!"

They locked blades. "No."

Then, a Mandalorian ship arrived, but was abruptly shot down by a TIE Advanced x1.

"Vader," Kanan muttered.

As the Mandalorian ship fell, Maul jumped out, saberstaff ignited. His blade sank into the ground as the three Force-wielders leaped out of the way. The TIE then landed, and the ****pit hatch opened. Vader casually strode out, lightsaber activated.

All four gasped as the Sith arrived. Maul knew he couldn't run from Vader now, he had to face him. For the first time, Darth Sidious's two most powerful apprentices locked blades.

Meanwhile, Ahsoka held off Kanan and Ezra. She Force-pushed Ezra into a stone structure, subduing him

Ahsoka fought Kanan, the two creating flurries of red and blue. She eventually kicked Kanan, knocking him down. She prepared to strike him down, but was met by the strike of Ezra's green lightsaber, which blocked her.

"Ezra," Ahsoka hissed through gritted teeth. She broke off as they both bombarded her with lightsaber attacks, Kanan increasing the length of his blade. He was using a dual-phase lightsaber, like Vader.

The two Jedi were no match, and she eventually struck down Ezra with a slash across the chest. She impaled Kanan through the stomach with one saber, and through his back with the other. Vader's apprentice watched the body slump to the ground.

Meanwhile, Vader had managed to push Maul over the edge of a cliff. He turned to his apprentice, who bowed before him. "What is thy bidding, my master?"

"You have faced your final test. Return to your quarters at once. I will be right behind you."

She took off as Maul leaped up with a scream, catching Vader off guard. He slashed Vader across his control panel.

"GAH!" Vader grunted with frustration as his breathing was laboured. He fell to one knee, blocking Maul's strike. Using the Force, he pushed the Dark Jedi back, adjusting his lightsaber blade to the second setting, doubling its length.

Maul charged at Vader, who was like an inpenetrable wall, blocking his Juyo attacks. Vader analysed Maul's form...If he could get past his overwhelming speed and ridiculous attacks, he might be able to end the battle.

Maul lunged again, making a mock lunge with his saber. Then, he pushed Vader into a stone column. It collapsed on top of Vader, burying him under a pile of rubble. Thinking he was dead, the former Sith walked away. Suddenly, chunks of stone hit him in the back, cutting his flesh. Blood trickled down him as he turned in horror. A battle-torn Darth Vader lifted the stone column off of himself. Sidious's first apprentice gasped in horror. The left side of Vader's mask had been torn off. Blood leaked through his mouth vent as his laboured breathing filled the air.

He knocked the Dark Jedi over the edge of the cliff. To ensure his death, Vader leaped down to finish him.

He hit Maul's blade, but the former Sith shoved him back. They locked blades, with Maul beginning to gain the upper hand. He used the Force to lift Vader into the air and throw him across the ground. He dropped his lightsaber as Maul leaped toward him.

Looking up, Vader saw Maul descending upon him. Recalling his blade to his hand with the Force, he cut Maul's saber in half, ripping the two halves from his grip. Vader held Maul against against the cliff face, crushing his cybernetic legs and impaling him through the nipples with his own saberstaff. Maul let out his dying breath as he fell to his knees, then a crimson blade portruded from his back. It was Vader's lightsaber, and he limped away, returning to his ship.

***

Upon his return, Vader collapsed after exiting his ship. Ahsoka ran to him, helping her master up. She escorted him to a medical bay, placing him in a bacta tank.

***

Upon his recovery, Darth Vader was sent to the Death Star to oversee its completion, alongside Director Orson Krennic. He ordered his apprentice to remain on the incomplete Executor. No one knew it, but this was the beginning of the most important period in Vader's life...