Time slipped by as they wove through the seemingly endless maze of corridors, eerily devoid of the usual clone bustle. "Somethin's not right," Crosshair muttered, his chewed toothpick dancing between his lips as he squinted into the hallway shadows.

Leading their motley crew, Amethyst's regal stride never missed a beat, her path mysteriously unerring. By her side, Hunter shot her thoughtful glances from time to time, his brows tucked into a hard line of consideration.

Studying them from the back, Crosshair evaluated the dynamics at play. He wasn't a fool. He had a hunch she ain't no Jedi, and his clone-trained instincts usually hit the mark, and a dragon was no ordinary creature in this galaxy.

His dealings with her had been rough, yeah. But that was only because he hadn't been prepared for the flurry of emotions that storming hurricane of a woman would stir within him. And it wasn't just him. He could see it in his brothers too. The way their gazes followed her every move. The way their eyes lit up when she returned their glances. His brothers, an open book as always.

She, on the other hand? A riddle, swathed in a maze, wrapped in a damned enigma. All he could do was observe, wonder, and on a brave day, maybe even ask.

Suddenly, Amethyst's stride stopped dead. Her eyes kindled with recognition, "Rex, Ahsoka..." Her voice trailed off wistfully before a shadow of unease darkened her gaze.

"Hide," she hissed, whisking her crew into a cranny faster than one might say 'hyperdrive'. Mere moments before they evaporated from view, the glint of a deep green-blue lightsaber was unsheathed.

A deafening sizzle cut through the calm as she embraced the wall with the saber, a brilliant spider web of sparks spreading across the surface. "Hide!" She roared one last time, her figure lost in the blinding light of the saber.

"What's all the ruckus out there?" Wrecker yelled, his eyes darting towards Tech, who had his green-tinted goggles flipped down.

"I ain't really sure, but she's duelling someone. And I'd bet it's a humanoid, but not quite... hmm" Tech squinted through his techy glasses, quickly scratching his head. He gasped, a chill pressing down on him. "It- it's Darth Maul. Just like the ancient Sith legend."

Suddenly, Amethyst's stride stopped dead. Her eyes kindled with recognition, "Rex, Ahsoka..." Her voice trailed off wistfully before a shadow of unease darkened her gaze.

"Hide," she hissed, whisking her crew into a cranny faster than one might say 'hyperdrive'. Mere moments before they evaporated from view, the glint of a deep green-blue lightsaber was unsheathed.

A deafening sizzle cut through the calm as she embraced the wall with the saber, a brilliant spider web of sparks spreading across the surface. "Hide!" She roared one last time, her figure lost in the blinding light of the saber.

"What's all the ruckus out there?" Wrecker yelled, his eyes darting towards Tech, who had his green-tinted goggles flipped down.

"I ain't really sure, but she's duelling someone. And I'd bet it's a humanoid, but not quite... hmm" Tech squinted through his techy glasses, quickly scratching his head. He gasped, a chill pressing down on him. "It- it's Darth Maul. Just like the ancient Sith legend."

"What?!" Echo could barely believe what he'd just heard. "Mas-Master Kenobi... no!" he stuttered, rising, his prosthetic hand clutching onto something unseen. Crosshair snagged him by that same arm, his grip firm.

"You lookin' to be hacked to bits, brother?" he retorted.

Echo shrugged him off, desperation morphing his features. "Amethyst stands no chance against him, Cross! He's legendary for a reason!"

Then, a deafening thud rang through the ship, followed by a distinctly masculine groan. Swallowing hard, they watched the door slide open and out sauntered Amethyst, her lightsaber now sheathed. "What's the holdup, slowpokes?" she puffed, barely pausing before striding away, Hunter quick on her tail. The rest of the batch followed tentatively.

As they entered the docking bay, their steps faltered at the sight of Darth Maul, slumped against the wall, his face hidden behind his hands. He seemed pretty knocked out but intact otherwise.

"Move it or lose it," Amethyst's voice rang through the corridor, a reminder of the danger they were still in. Adrenaline surging, they scampered off, leaving the legendary Sith to regain his bearings.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

Their journey back was remarkably peaceful, without additional clone troopers dropping in as unwanted surprises. At first, it was a relief, but a lingering sense of unease soon crept into Amethyst's mind - it was too quiet.

When she stepped into the mess hall, the sight that awaited her confirmed her worst fears. Clone troopers were scattered around, wounded, groaning, or worse, already silent and lifeless. She swallowed hard, her throat dry and tight, as she picked her way through the fallen heroes, her eyes scanning the area for anything that could help put the pieces together.

Behind her, the Bad Batch had fanned out, keeping a sharp watch while their leader worked. Echo broke the silence, concern pocking his voice, "How... how long until we can leave?"

Amethyst glance over her shoulder, meeting Echo's gaze. The man had seen more than his fair share of battles, and yet, the sight in front of them seemed to have unnerved him.

"Not until I figure out what in the galaxy got Darth Maul here. Last I heard of him, he was a goner."

From the gloomy recesses of the pacified mess hall, a smoky, mechanical voice rasped out, causing a visible jolt through the Bad Batch. It was a voice she'd heard in a thousand dreams and a thousand nightmares. "No," she breathed in disbelief, her body frozen as her eyes met the towering figure emerging from the darkness. Ah, those eyes; cold, emotionless, housed within an equally icy, bug-like mask - the merciless sight of Darth Vader.

The male clones recoiled, the familiarity of that figure raising collective alarm. "You!" their voices came out as hushed whispers. Hunter instinctively stepped in front of his brothers, providing a barricade of sorts.

Amethyst, rooted to the spot, seemed like a statue, her aquamarine eyes leveled with the red glowing eyes of Vader's mask. A pang of familiarity piercing her heart, she whimpered, "Anakin."

The legendary Sith, draped in his imposing black cloak, took another step forward, the hum of his red lightsaber casting a haunting glow around him. "I don't go by that name anymore. It has no meaning to me, as you well know, Amethyst Blaze, Princess of Dragons, Last Dragon-born to walk the Earth," he responded, a chilling note of frost hanging onto his words.

Yet, amidst the iciness, a hint of regret managed to break free, seeping into his words, stirring his aura into a pool of undefined sadness. Yes, he remembered her. Anakin remembered her.