Back in the Game (COMPLETE)

9.14.3

That doesn't make me better than them, Ahsoka argued. 

No, it doesn't make me better than them. You, on the other hand, I think Bo-Katan might be right about. 

It seemed that the only person who didn't believe in Ahsoka was Ahsoka herself. Every other person on this cruiser trusted her, enough to call her General and enough to follow her to their death. She looked up, reactivating the projection of Sundari. Their faith sparked some kind of confidence in herself. If she was worth believing in to them, then who was she to say otherwise? Ahsoka trusted their judgment just as much as she trusted hers, if not more. If they decided to follow her, then she had to trust them with that too.

~

Not long after, the Venator-class ship exited out of hyperspace, and gunships started descending on Mandalore alongside fighters that had rallied behind Bo-Katan. She was with Ahsoka and Rex in one of the Republic gunships, and not long after they entered the atmosphere, the pilot of the ship notified Rex. "Commander, I have Prime Minister Almec of Mandalore on the comm."

"Put him through," Rex ordered, and the projector in the back activated.

"What is the meaning of this invasion?" Almec demanded, glaring at the leaders in the ship. "The Republic presence here is a direct violation of our treaty!"

She wasn't fazed, though, not even slightly. "Your time has come, Almec. We know you're Maul's puppet, and we are coming for him."

Almec looked at who had issued the threat. "Ah-ha! Mistress Bo-Katan, the traitor. I should have known you were behind this incursion. Siding with the Republic will make you an enemy in the eyes of the people. 

"I'm fine with that," Bo-Katan assured him and ended the transmission. She turned away from the projector, but Ahsoka saw the look on her face. 

"You're nothing like your sister," she remarked, remembering the few times she had worked with Dutchess Satine. 

Bo-Katan didn't say anything in response but instead activated her comlink. A few moments later, another Mandalorian appeared above her wrist, who Ahsoka suspected was one of Bo-Katan's allies. If she remembered correctly, this was the countess of Clan Wren. "Ursa, can you confirm the target's location?"

The answer she gave wasn't exactly reassuring. "I can only confirm that Maul has not left the city. All other attempts to locate him have been blocked. Saxon is already scrambling his defenses," she reported. 

"What about Barriss Offee?" Ahsoka asked, concerned. "Is she with Maul?"

"No one has seen Maul's protegee for two weeks," Ursa replied, not recognizing the speaker but assuming they were with Bo-Katan. "When Almec's forces retrieved Maul, Offee was not with him. I don't think she's even in the city."

That unsettled Ahsoka even more. "That should make this attack easier," Rex noted, but he knew that meant more for them to do in the long run.

"Why would Barriss separate from him?" she wondered, but she never got an answer. The ship jostled, and the pilot activated the speaker in the back. 

"We've got incoming!"

~

"I was hoping for Kenobi," a deep voice confessed from the same direction as heavy, metal steps. "Why are you here?

She didn't respond, aware that she didn't have a good chance of beating both Maul and his soldiers. Ahsoka needed backup and she needed to call for it. Adjusting her lightsabers, she remained silent. 

"Ahsoka...Tano, is it?" Maul asked, walking out of the pipe he was standing in. "I don't think we've met yet."

"It wouldn't have helped you any," she assured him. "I know you."

"Yes, I imagine we have several mutual friends," he assumed, beginning to pace around her.

Ahsoka spun her lightsabers again as if she usually did that when making conversation with her opponents. "I wouldn't put it that way."

Maul started talking again, and while he did, she moved her hands together enough to hide that she was activating her comlink. As soon as he got her signal, Rex would know what to do. "Of course not, not with your way of thinking. I was certain that Kenobi would have come himself. Perhaps bring his loyal foal. Skywalker, is it?"

Well, that was news to her. Maul had been expecting for the Jedi to come, although Ahsoka hardly thought she fit his bill. "Master Kenobi had a more important engagement," she informed him, keeping her lightsabers up.

"Indeed," Maul snarled, pausing in his steps. "I wonder what that 'engagement' was..."

She didn't feel the need to tell him. Better to let him ramble for as long as he would. Ahsoka was in no rush. 

"Why you?" he asked, turning around, observing this...girl that had been sent to fight him. "Why did Kenobi send you?"

"Why don't you surrender, and then we can both go and ask him?" she responded, even though she knew full well why she had been sent. She needed more time.

The Sith scoffed at her, continuing his pacing. "My surrendering, well, I suppose that would get me closer to him, but I think not. I'm not foolish enough to yield to the controlling interest in the galaxy. At least, the current controlling interest."

Ahsoka caught his underlying drift. "So who will be in the future? You?"

"I wish, but no," Maul admitted, a fierce scowl taking over his expression. "The apprentice of Darth...Sideous."

She would have loved to know more about what the blazes Maul was talking about, but Rex and the other troopers had found her. They took Maul's forces by surprise, taking down as many of the soldiers as they could, and Maul activated his lightsaber to hold down Ahsoka. She deflected his strokes, keeping him focused on her instead of the troopers.

For some reason, Maul didn't try to kill her. "Not yet," he muttered, and he pushed her back. He reached out and lifted Rex up in the air, throwing him into Ahsoka before retreating. His forces followed their leader. When she saw what was happening, Ahsoka jumped back onto her feet. 

"Come on!" she told the troopers, and they ran into the tunnels, splitting into two groups. Half of her men followed Rex while the rest stayed behind her. After a bit of searching, they caught some movement happening at the end of the pipe. She darted after them, brandishing her lightsabers in case she found Maul or his soldiers, but all that greeted her was Rex and the rest of the clones. 

"We've lost them," Ahsoka declared, looking around at her men. Not all was lost, though. They had some information to go off of now.