Dedicated to ella_rowan

     Inside the Grand Salon, Ahsoka and Kryze found their fellow soldiers gathered around the holographic form of Master Kenobi, who listened to Bo-Katan as the Mandalorian reported, "There are a small number of firefights still happening in sector eleven, but for the most part, your clones have been as effective as promised. Still, without Maul in custody, this could all fall apart quickly. We must capture him before he escapes."

     "He mentioned a name. Darth Sidious," Ahsoka added. "Who is Sidious?"

     Obi-Wan's brow furrowed, "I do not know much, but I will share with you what the Council suspects. Darth Sidious is the Sith Lord who orchestrated the Clone Wars and played both sides of it from the beginning. I first learned the name from Count Dooku, though any chance of learning more about Sidious from Dooku has been lost."

     When Ahsoka asked why that was, Kyra could feel her father's mood darken, "Because Count Dooku is dead. Anakin killed him while rescuing the Chancellor. With Dooku gone, we've lost a vital link to understanding the mystery of Darth Sidious. If you can capture Maul, he may be able to provide the missing pieces to this puzzle."

     When Kyra asked for Obi-Wan to send more troops, he replied, "Unfortunately, I cannot. I'm being sent to hunt down General Grievous on Utapau."

     "What about Anakin? Maybe he can reinforce us?" Ahsoka suggested.

     The Jedi Master hesitated for a moment, then turned to Bo-Katan and Rex, "May I speak to Ahsoka and Kyra alone for a moment?"

     Once they were out of earshot, Obi-Wan explained in a low voice that Anakin was on a special assignment by order of the Jedi Council. When Tano asked what kind of assignment he was given, he reluctantly admitted that Skywalker had been asked to observe the Chancellor and report his findings to the Council.

     "Observe? You mean spy," Kyra retorted. "They told him to spy on the Supreme Chancellor? Why?"

     "The Senate has allowed the Supreme Chancellor to remain in office long after his term has expired," Obi-Wan replied. "The Council wants to know what his true intentions are."

     "The Chancellor has been a great friend and mentor to Anakin," Ahsoka pointed out. "I can't imagine he is happy about this."

     "No. He is not," Kenobi answered. "So perhaps it's best that you do speak with him."

     "And what?" Ahsoka asked exasperatedly. "Defend the Council's actions? I hardly think I'm the best person for that."

     "Ahsoka, the Council isn't always right," Kyra muttered under her breath, afraid that Obi-Wan would disagree with her statement.

     The Jedi Master surprised her, however, when he nodded, "That's why I'm asking for your help."

     Before either Tano or Kryze could reply, Rex said, "Sorry to interrupt, but there's been another attack."

     Ahsoka moved toward Rex, then paused and turned to face Obi-Wan, "Tell Anakin..."

     Understanding Tano's intent, Kenobi nodded, then turned to Kyra, "Be careful, youngling."

     "I will if you will, Father," Kyra whispered so that the others did not overhear her.

     As the hologram of Obi-Wan disappeared, Kyra joined Ahsoka, Rex, and the 501st division as they made their way to the scene of the skirmish, where multiple troopers and Mandalorians had been killed. From what she gathered, the fight had taken place above another access point to the Undercity before continuing into the bottom of the tunnel.

     "We got ambushed on our way to reinforce the entry port on C-deck," one clone trooper informed his superiors as they descended.

     "Rex, make sure the C-deck is properly fortified," Ahsoka instructed, and the commander set off as an injured clone trooper named Sterling called out to Tano and Kryze.

     "Kyra, Ahsoka, you need to know. Maul, he—" Sterling started, though he was forced to pause when a coughing fit overtook him. "He went right through us, one by one. He was asking about you two. The ARC trooper, Jesse. Maul realized he was older, somehow, looked in his mind...and he took him. He took Jesse alive!"

     Above ground once more, Ahsoka, Rex, and Kyra met with Bo-Katan in the capital city's prison, where Almec was being held.

     When they entered his cell, he said, "I'm flattered that you could find the time to see me."

     "What's Maul's plan?" Bo-Katan asked, skipping the formalities. "How is he going to escape?"

     Almec chuckled and slowly got to his feet, "Maul is not trying to escape because he sees no point in doing so. For weeks now he's been consumed by a strange sense of dread."

     When Kyra asked if Maul had mentioned the name Darth Sidious, Almec said he could not recall if the former Sith had mentioned anyone by that name.

     "Maul said he wanted Kenobi here. Why?" Kyra inquired.

     "Wasn't just Kenobi he wanted, no," Almec clarified. "Uh, there was someone else he was interested in. If only I could remember the name...It was—"

     Before the prime minister could reveal who Maul was interested in, he was shot in the chest by Saxon, who had infiltrated the prison. As Bo-Katan and the Nite Owls went after the leader of the Death Watch, Almec pulled Ahsoka closer.

     "Maul had a vision. A dream," he whispered. "The name came to him. Skywalker."

     The Prime Minister of Mandalore slumped over as Kyra and Ahsoka shared a glance, both wondering what Maul had seen in his vision.

...

     On the balcony of the Sundari Royal Palace, Kyra stood at Bo-Katan's side and watched as the citizens of Mandalore reluctantly complied with the clone troopers, who were helping them evacuate to nearby shelters. When Bo-Katan abruptly pushed away from the railing and started toward the throne room, Kyra followed her.

     "This occupation cannot last much longer," Bo-Katan said. "The people will not stand for it. I will not stand for it."

     "My men don't want to be acting as a police force," Rex replied as he and Ahsoka joined the members of House Kryze.

     "The Republic forces will depart once we capture Maul," Kyra assured Bo-Katan. "Then you will have your opportunity to lead."

     The blast doors to the throne room opened and revealed Darth Maul, who sat on the throne with ARC trooper Jesse kneeling before him. Bo-Katan growled and drew her twin pistols as she charged at Maul, but he easily redirected the plasma bolts.

     "My lady, is that any way to treat your rightful ruler?" the former Sith asked, using the Force to constrict Bo-Katan's airway. "Disrespect must run in the family, for your niece naively used the same method of attack when we were last in this room."

     Maul released Bo-Katan, and as she fell to the floor, he said, "And now, as a show of good faith, I return your comrade in arms to you. Run along, trooper. Back to your brothers."

     As Rex checked Jesse for injuries, the ARC trooper apologized for telling Maul what he wanted to know. The commander told Jesse it wasn't his fault and helped his brother out of the throne room, leaving Ahsoka, Kyra, and Bo-Katan to face Maul as explosives detonated in the distance.

     Maul sneered, "One of you might want to deal with that."

     Kyra turned to Bo-Katan, "You should go. Your people need you."

     When her aunt hesitated, Maul sighed, "Don't stay on my account. We'll be fine."

     After a moment, Kryze reluctantly lowered her helmet over her head and raced to where the fighting was most intense. Kyra then turned to the former apprentice of Anakin Skywalker and insisted that Rex would need her help, as would the men under his command. Tano started to protest but stopped when she saw the look in Kyra's eyes. Sighing, she nodded and ran after Bo-Katan.

     As the Togruta left the throne room, Maul moved to one of the large windows and sighed as he watched the battle below.

     "Look at them," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the explosions that rocked the building. "So blissfully ignorant."

     After passing several moments in silence, Kyra asked, "Care to tell me what this is all about? Or would you rather save it for the Council?"

     Maul chuckled and turned away from the window, "Oh, no, no. You are the one that I wish to speak with. When Ahsoka Tano was cast out of the order—"

     "She left voluntarily," Kyra interrupted.

     Maul waved his hand dismissively, "Yes, because she saw the hypocrisy of the Jedi Council. And I believe you see it, too. I can sense the conflict in you, stronger and more defined than it was when we last met. The more time you spend in the aid of the Republic and Jedi Order, the more you realize how small they – and their rules – are in the face of the larger galaxy. We have both been used as tools for greater powers."

     Kyra opened her mouth to argue but remained silent when she realized Maul's words rang true. After contemplating his statement for a moment, she shook her head and reminded the Zabrak that she was there to bring him to justice.

     "Justice is merely a construct of the current power base," Maul replied. "A base, which, according to my calculations, is about to change."

     "And Darth Sidious is behind it?" Kyra questioned.

     Maul nodded as his yellow eyes darted across the empty room, and when he spoke, his voice was low, "He is behind everything. In the shadows, always. But soon, very soon...he will reveal himself."

     "With your help, the Jedi can stop Sidious before it's too late," Kyra stated.

     "Too late for what? The Republic to fall?" Maul countered, his voice growing louder as he became frustrated. "It already has, and you just can't see it! There is no justice, no law, no order except for the one that will replace it! The time of the Jedi has passed. They cannot defeat Sidious. But together, you and I can. Every choice you have made...has led you to this moment."

     When Maul outstretched his hand, his menacing yellow eyes seemed to have lost their hatred, their fire. Now, there was only a plea, a longing for connection. For understanding. As Kyra considered taking his offer, a nearby explosion blew out the windows and sent glass shards flying across the throne room.

     Kyra ducked, then straightened, taking a slow, deep breath as she nodded, "I will help you. But you must answer one question."

     "You have but to ask," Maul replied.

     "What do you want with Anakin Skywalker?" Kyra asked. "I understand why you were hoping my father would come, but why Anakin?"

     "He is the key to everything," the former Sith Lord answered.

     "To bring balance to the Force?" Kryze questioned, alluding to the prophecy of the Chosen One.

     Maul shook his head, "To destroy. He has long been groomed for his role as my master's new apprentice."

     When Kyra accused Maul of lying, he laughed humorlessly, "I'm afraid not. In fact, I was so certain of his fate that I orchestrated this war to lure him here with Kenobi to kill him. Thus, depriving Sidious of his prized pupil."

     "I know Anakin," Kyra insisted as she activated her saber and shifted into a fighting stance. "He's been like a brother to me. Your vision is flawed."

     "I see the padawan needs one last lesson," Maul growled as he ignited the crimson blades of his lightsaber.

     The former apprentice of Darth Sidious advanced quickly, and the apprentice of Obi-Wan Kenobi ducked beneath his first few swings. The blue and red blades of their lightsabers twirled through the air as they moved rapidly across the throne room, kicking and striking at each other when an opportunity presented itself. Maul elbowed Kyra in the face and she staggered backwards but quickly regained her footing.

     When Maul knocked the lightsaber out of her hand, she leapt through the air and kicked him in the face, distracting him long enough to grab her fallen blade.

     "You're lucky Anakin and Obi-Wan didn't show up," she said. "The way you're fighting, you wouldn't have lasted long."

     "Oh, you have Kenobi's arrogance," Maul growled as they circled each other.

     "You'll find I have many qualities for you to dislike," Kyra quipped as she brought her saber down in an arc.

     Their lightsabers flashed with a white-hot light when they collided, and Kyra somersaulted to avoid Maul's blade as he slashed relentlessly at her. She landed on her feet after the third flip and their blades met once more, Maul grunting as he forced Kyra onto her back. Kryze positioned her feet against Maul's stomach and pushed him up and over her, sending the former Sith through a nearby window.

     Kyra stood after a moment and paused to catch her breath before finally chasing after the Zabrak. She slid down the metal siding of the Royal Palace, using her lightsaber to slow her momentum as she watched Bo-Katan and the Nite Owls aid Ahsoka and the Republic forces under her leadership. Spotting movement off to her right, Kyra turned and saw Maul crawling over a nearby building.

     She quietly followed him onto the metal support beams of the glass dome over Sundari, then ignited her lightsaber to announce her presence.

     "My father was right," she said as Maul sighed and turned around. "You are difficult to kill."

     She charged at Maul once more, leaping nimbly over the Zabrak and bringing her saber down as she landed on the narrow beams, the surface of Mandalore far below. When Maul shoved Kyra backwards, she kicked him in the stomach and sidestepped around his strikes. She vaulted over Maul and nearly lost her balance when she landed, but she just managed to regain her footing.

     When they stopped to catch their breath, Maul yelled, "We could have destroyed Sidious!"

     "Only for you to take his place!" Kyra retorted, forced to shout over the cacophony below as she rushed toward Maul.

     When he stumbled backwards and turned away from her, Kyra didn't allow him to gain the upper hand. The blade of her saber sliced through the air as she soared toward him, but the former Sith turned just in time to block the attack. Maul kicked her in the stomach and sent her tumbling across the beams, causing her to hang above Sundari by her fingertips. Kyra grunted with effort as she pulled herself back onto the support beam, then squinted against a Kom'rk fighter's searchlight as it hovered overhead.

     "Lord Maul, we must depart immediately," the female pilot urged.

     When Kyra looked down at the ground below, she saw the tide was turning in favor of the Republic. When Maul ran toward the starfighter, Kyra jumped and used the nearest beam to launch herself toward the former Sith. Just as Maul slashed through the glass ceiling, Kyra tackled him and left him hanging from a beam as she regained her footing.

     He quickly pulled himself up and the fight continued, Maul finally gaining the upper hand and knocking the lightsaber out of Kyra's hand. Growling, he lunged forward and aimed for Kyra's head, but she was able to evade his advance. Trying a different tactic, Maul cut the beam in half, and Kyra stumbled forward, quickly shifting her weight in order to keep her balance.

     Maul smirked as he jumped into the air, arcing over Kyra and landing behind her, causing the beam to groan as it tipped toward the surface below. Kyra crouched, carefully shifting her center of gravity as Maul outstretched his hand.

     "I give you one last chance," he said, breathing hard. "Join me...or die."

     "Never," Kyra replied, quickly backing away from Maul as he snarled and rushed toward her.

     Spotting a vulnerability in Maul's stance, Kyra grabbed the hilt of his double-bladed lightsaber and abruptly spun around, knocking him off the beam. Maul's eyes widened as he started to fall, but his descent was halted by Kyra, who reached out to the Force and kept him from meeting a gruesome death.

     "Let me go! Let me die!" Maul pleaded, but Kyra ignored his request as several Republic transports moved into position.

     "You're all going to burn!" the former Sith shouted as Kyra maneuvered him into one of the shuttles. "We're all going to die! You don't know what you're doing!"

     A pair of Mandalorians fired their grappling hooks and restrained the flailing Zabrak, who went limp in his binds when Rex set his blaster to stun and fired.

     "We'll take it from here, Commander!" Rex said, shock lacing his voice as Kyra finally released the prisoner.

     She nodded and took a deep breath, looking up at the shattered glass above her before hopping into the nearest transport. As the shuttle landed, Kyra looked around and saw the destruction that the Siege of Mandalore had wrought: the majority of Sundari was burning and the wounded and deceased were strewn across the battleground.

     But she also saw what the Nite Owls and clone troopers had been able to accomplish: Gar Saxon, Rook Kast, and Maul were in custody, the civilian population had been successfully evacuated, and the remnants of the Shadow Collective were being flushed out of hiding. Kyra spotted Bo-Katan and Ahsoka as she disembarked and made her way toward them. When Tano spotted Maul in the back of the transport, her jaw dropped.

     "You actually captured him. I'm impressed," Bo-Katan said with a smirk as she patted Kyra on the back. "Maybe there's hope for you as a Mandalorian yet."

     Kyra smiled as pride swelled in her heart, but her expression quickly clouded as she replied, "That is what the Council wanted."

     Ahsoka watched the padawan's mood darken and added, "Still. You succeeded where many have failed."

     "I've learned from the best, including you two," Kyra stated as she looked from Tano to Kryze.

     "I wish I was good at something other than war," Bo-Katan admitted quietly as she moved to a nearby balcony and looked down at the ruined city below her.

     After a moment, Kyra joined her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Your—our people need a new kind of leader."

     "My sister tried that. I never understood her idealism," Bo-Katan said.

     Before Kyra could respond, Rex informed her and Ahsoka that the Council was waiting for a report.

     "And Master Skywalker? Were you able to contact him?" Kyra asked, wincing at the urgency in her tone when Ahsoka arched an eyebrow.

     Rex nodded, "He was at the meeting when I left to find you."

     When Kyra looked back at Bo-Katan, the leader of the Nite Owls told her she could handle the operations on the ground. Kyra nodded as she, Ahsoka, and Rex made their way to the mobile communications center, where the holographic forms of Jedi Masters Mace Windu, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Aayla Secura, and Grand Master Yoda waited.

     "I understand your mission was a success," Windu said as turned to face Tano and Kryze.

     Kyra nodded, "Yes. We have Maul in custody. Ahsoka and I will escort Commander Rex as he delivers him to Coruscant."

     "I'd like to add that Padawan Kryze fought Maul off single-handedly, giving Rex and his men time to capture him," Ahsoka added, smirking when Kyra's face turned bright red.

     Master Yoda turned to look up at Kyra, "A great service to the Republic, you have done."

     "Thank you, Master, but I was only doing my duty as a Jedi," Kyra replied before quickly changing the subject. "Actually, I was hoping to speak with General Skywalker."

     "I sent him to inform the Chancellor that General Grievous has indeed been located on Utapau," Windu informed the padawan.

     When Kyra asked if the Council had heard anything from Master Kenobi, Yoda only told her that he had engaged the enemy. When Ahsoka claimed the war would be over soon, Mace countered that it all depended on the Chancellor.

     "What do you mean?" Ahsoka asked.

     Windu and Yoda shared a glance before the former replied, "I'm sorry, citizen. These matters are for the Council to discuss."

     Kyra could see that Ahsoka was hurt, but she hid it well. One-by-one, Master Windu, Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Master Secura's holograms disappeared as they ended their transmissions. Ahsoka and Rex left the room as well, but Kyra stayed behind, her mind racing as she thought of her discussion with Maul, as well as the words of the Council. Yoda, who had not left the meeting, startled Kyra out of her reverie when he asked if she would like to send a message to Anakin.

     Kyra started to answer, then changed her mind, "No, Master. Thank you. I'll tell him myself when I see him."

     "May the Force be with you, Padawan," the Grand Master replied with a nod before his hologram disappeared.

     After a moment, when Kyra heard the blast door open, she turned to find Rex standing behind her.

     "Did you tell them what Maul said about General Skywalker?" he asked, for Kyra had filled him in on her conversation with her mother's murderer while they were aboard the transport.

     She shook her head and left the communications room without elaborating any further. Ahsoka, Rex, and Kyra met the Nite Owls and the clone troopers at a docking platform, where Bo-Katan and Ursa Wren escorted Maul onto a Rho-class transport, the former Sith Lord locked inside a metal capsule.

     As the prisoner floated past, Kyra moved to Bo-Katan's side and said, "Impressive. I suspect even Maul couldn't get out of there."

     "A relic of a bygone era when Mandalorians had reason to imprison you Force-wielding maniacs," Bo-Katan explained, smirking as she looked down at her niece.

     Kyra laughed quietly, "I thought my mother outlawed such devices."

     "She did. This is the last one," Bo-Katan replied.

     Ahsoka came over and shook Bo-Katan's hand before saying her goodbyes and boarding the transport. Kyra also went to shake Bo-Katan's hand, but Kryze pulled her into a hug instead.

     "Goodbye, Kyra," Bo-Katan whispered. "Remember that you will always have a home here on Mandalore."

     "Thank you, Bo-Katan, of House Kryze," Kyra said as she pulled away. "I won't forget."