Ezra dusted off his jumpsuit as he looked around. After Kanan and Ahsoka ran to chase off the inquisitor, he was left to find another way out of the lower level. There weren't any statues around, meaning no one was down here, but there was still rubble from the battle of old here.
"Now..where am I exactly?"
"H-Here with me." An old voice called, making Ezra jump. Instinctively, he activated his lightsaber, pointing it in the direction of the voice. A shadow, hard to see in the darkness, slowly walked to Ezra. It was hunched over, leaning on a cane, as it got bigger towards him.
"Who are you?" Ezra called out, watching as the figure walked over. Whoever it was, it shied away from the lightsaber, almost hating the light.
"Please," the figure pleaded, holding a hand up, "Put your saber down."
"Who are you?" Ezra repeated, still holding his saber out.
"I-It's just...its been years since I last saw someone...ever since I came here." The figure said, standing some feet from Ezra. The hood he (judging by the voice) wore covered his face, but he looked a little taller than Ezra himself, and looked much older than him as well.
"You live here?" Ezra asked, sounding confused. The planet was desolate, and the scorched surface left no room for life. So how has this man lived here for years?
"For some time, yes. I've been alone for so long, but it feels good to see another face."
The man was old, and probably harmless, which put Ezra at some ease. "Look, I'm sorry that you're here alone, but I have to get to my friends."
The man paused, and Ezra sensed some uncertainty in him. Actually, Ezra felt a pull from the Force, pointed at the old man, which added more to the mystery.
"Y-You seek what lies in the temple." His voice sounded uncertain...and fearful.
"The knowledge inside, yes." That made the man laugh, but it was a pained laugh.
"Knowledge!" The man said. "There is but two things in that temple: Destruction and the darkside. There is nothing in there that is worth getting into the temple itself."
"What do you mean?"
"Inside is an artifact, one of the Sith," The old man explained, looking towards the temple. "However, the other is the temple itself. A war machine of the Sith that, when activated, will destroy anything in its path. The statues above are but a taste of the temple's strength."
Ezra felt a shiver run through him. The emotions rolling off the man were of pain, anger, and remorse. It was as if he knew what had happened thousands of years ago, and was pained by it.
"How do you know what's inside?" There was no way that this guy randomly got here. He knew what was inside, which meant he came here with that knowledge, not just crashed here by accident.
"I am a Force wielder," the figure turned to Ezra, his dimly glowing eyes of orange looking straight back.
"Were you a Jedi?"
"No...No, but I was alive during the times of that Order." The man seemed nervous saying that, but Ezra figured something out.
"Then you were a Sith!" The lightsaber was pointed back at the figure, Ezra's eyes narrowing.
The Force came to life in that person, and a flurry of emotion made the area around them thick with tension. His grip on his staff tightened, so hard that Ezra worried of breaking it. "The Sith. The Sith took everything from me. They ripped me from my mother, murdered my brother, used me and discarded me without a passing glance. The Sith. They ruined my life!"
Now Ezra felt bad for assuming, and lowered his blade. "I'm sorry, I understand how you feel." Through the Force, he felt a little anger bleed through the man, annoyance and disbelief. He thought that Ezra was pitying him, and that made him take a breath. "The Empire took everything from me. They killed my parents, left me as an orphan, and hurt anyone they can."
The emotions from the man calmed down, and a little guilt rolled of him as well. "You understand."
"Yes, I do."
The man nodded. "Then what do you seek?" His eyes stared at Ezra, waiting for a response. "Revenge? Do you seek revenge against the Empire?"
"I seek justice!" Ezra shouted, letting some of his anger bleed through. For that second, he felt a tiny bit of power, and it relieved him a little.
"Do not let your hate blind you." The figure warned, eyes narrowing. "You may seek justice, but do not let it become personal. That is how you will lose yourself."
Ezra was actually surprised before he rechecked his emotions. Taking a moment, he refocused and suppressed his anger and lust for revenge. Though the relief he gained had slipped away, along with it the energy and power that came with it, calming his emotions helped him. "Thanks."
"Now," The figure took a step forward, towards the temple. "Shall we?"
"But you're a stranger." Ezra pointed out, getting a nod from the man.
"It would appear so." The man thought about it. By Ezra's judgement he hadn't really talked with anyone else, so he had to pause to think about his words. "Then let us remedy that. Call me...Old One." He seemed happy with the name, looking to Ezra to say his.
"Call me...Jabba." Ezra replied, getting a chuckle from the Old One.
"Then let us be on our way, Jabba." They both walked towards the steps, avoiding the big rubble piles. The darkness went throughout the distance, adding the creepy effect to the dark planet, while the pair walked closer to the temple steps. As they neared it, Ezra kept feeling a dark presence brush up against him, pulling him closer with temptations, but he shook them off. A glance over to the other guy showed no visible reaction, which either meant the dark side didn't go to him, or he was better at hiding it.
When they came to the doorway, Ezra only saw a tall stone in their way, way too big to be singularly lifted. "What now?"
"A test," The Old One explained, sighing. "'Always two there are, no more, no less.' To enter, a pair of dark users, a master and an apprentice, would work together to access the temple."
"Then how do we do it?" Ezra asked, powering down his lightsaber. He saw the Old One sigh, looking and feeling conflicted in the Force, before he turned to Ezra.
"You're not going to like it, but we have to raise these in the force, by using the ways of the dark side." The Old One slouched, looking defeated, while Ezra looked taken aback.
"Is that the only way?"
"Unfortunately." The Old One turned to look at Ezra, who could feel the conflict inside the man. "For this, you must use your emotions and fuel your strength with them. I know," He raised his hand, stopping Ezra from interjecting. "It is not the Jedi way, but this is not a Jedi temple. As such, we have to play by its rules."
Although he still had some reservations, Ezra nodded and turned to the pillar. Taking a deep breath, he reached out his hand and the force towards the black object, willing it to rise. It didn't move, making Ezra put more will behind it. Still, it only rose and inch, before the strain made Ezra drop it.
"I can't," he panted, "It's too heavy."
"That is the point." The man explained. "It forces you to use your emotions to raise it, so that you choose to enter it the dark way." Seeing Ezra still panting, the Old One leaned a little close. "For just a short time, you must not be a jedi. Though you will gain strength, you must control your emotions and only use them here and now. As long as you can do that, you will not be tempted by the dark side, and can be spared of the path."
Collecting himself, Ezra looked back at the pillar. Trying again, he used his anger towards the Empire, and revenge for his parents, to fuel his force. This time, the pillar rose greatly, allowing for both of them to walk under. By this point, Ezra's hand was shaking but holding the pillar steady, watching his companion look at the next one. With no words, the older man reached out his hand and made the next pillar raise with little effort, surprising Ezra. He had sensed the Force around the old man, but seeing have such control over it made him appear stronger.
Standing under the second pillar, Ezra was really feeling the strain pull him. "What now?"
"Let go of the previous one." The man said, holding the one above them firmly.
With a grunt the previous column fell, leaving behind a panting Ezra. Collecting himself, he turned to the next pillar and raised it up again. On and on this process went, raising and dropping pillars with each step. When they reached the end, Ezra was kneeling trying to collect himself, and the Old One was sweating a little. They stood there, regaining their strength, when the Old One spoke.
"Remember: the dark side gives you strength, but it requires you to lose control as you do it. It takes your personality, twists it, and leaves behind a monster instead. Don't tempt it, for it is patient and will wait for your weakness to strike."
Ezra was actually listening to the man, and learning a great deal. Instead of telling him to use his anger and hate, this man told him to refrain, to stick to the Jedi ways, to be stronger without it than with it. It was this trust that had Ezra speak afterwards.
"Ezra...my real name is Ezra."
The Old One actually let off some surprise in the Force, before offering a small smile. "I used to have a name...a long time ago.." with a pause, he reached up and pulled down his hood, revealing his red skin and horned head. "Now, I go by Maul."
With a nod, and after sufficiently regaining themselves, the duo traveled further into the temple. It was silent as they neared the heart, the source of the Force getting stronger as they reached the top step. There, across a deep gap, floated the prize. The heart of the temple.
"What is that?" Ezra asked. A golden prism, glowing red, floated across the gap. "It looks like a Holocron."
"Indeed," Maul pointed towards the red prism. "It is a Sith Holocron. One that holds the knowledge of the Sith."
"Then how do we get to it?" Ezra peered over the edge, not seeing a bottom to the pit (at least not one in view). He kicked a pebble over but never heard it hit the bottom, making him gulp.
"Another Sith test. One must be ready to risk everything, including oblivion, to become a true Sith."
Ezra thought about it, and although Maul didn't like this at all (he could sense that quite easily), he had a plan. "Throw me."
Maul looked taken aback by the idea. Ezra pointed across the gap, "Me and my master do this all the time...well, not all the time, but we have done it!"
Though he hated the idea, it was Ezra's determination that had Maul convinced, he nodded and got ready. Ezra walked back, getting a run up, before signaling to Maul. Both of them were ready, and Ezra took off for the edge. Jumping, he couldn't help but feel a little afraid, before he felt a hug push against his back. He made the platform, but skidded a bit too long and almost hung off the edge.
Calming his adrenaline, Ezra gave a thumbs up to Maul and went to the Holocron. The red glow certainly didn't help Ezra's confidence, but he pushed his nerves down and reached up. Pulling it from its chamber, he examined it before everything around him lit up. The temple suddenly activated, and the platform he stood on suddenly rose.
Rising quickly, Ezra looked to Maul for help. "Jump Ezra!"
"What?!" Ezra shouted back. "I won't make it!"
"Trust me!" Maul replied, his eyes pleading him from all the way down there.
Ezra wavered, before he nodded. Without a second thought, he jumped off the edge, towards Maul. Caught in the freefall, he let out a little yelp, but he stopped just below Maul. Sighing, he looked up at Maul, who pulled him up. Looking at his eyes, Ezra saw that they were focused on the Holocron, but they switched over to Ezra. There was a flicker of anger before they softened at Ezra, and he pulled him up faster. He grabbed onto Ezra's free hand, and hoisted him up onto the platform.
Ezra panted, out of breath. He held the Holocron tightly, feeling the dark energy inside the golden prism. Slowly he looked over to Maul, who was regaining his breath as well. It was silent for maybe a half a minute, before Maul looked up at him.
"We have the artifact," He leaned on his cane, offering a hand out for Ezra. "Now, we must leave this planet."
"What?" Ezra took the hand, standing up. "But what about the temple?"
"The temple is nothing more than a weapon." Maul explained. Gesturing to the pillars, he spoke about it, "Those outside are the result. The temple can offer nothing but destruction, yet the Holocron is what has the knowledge inside, we can leave this planet with it."