Sorry, but this chapter just couldn't wait. I just want to get Season 1 done and over with.

Chapter 21: The Darkness Awakens

The fear was only getting intense as Ezri felt her palms sweating and her heart racing. She was not sure how this was going to end. Was it going to end in their favor or their enemies? In fact, what was Kanan thinking? This plan was ridiculous because there was no way it was going to work. They were either going to die facing the creatures if the plan worked, or die facing the Inquisitor if the taming plan worked. The more she felt these emotions, the more that she would be susceptible to the Dark Side of the Force.

"Okay," Kanan said as he set the Phantom down where the creatures lurked in the dark. The two got off of their seats as Kanan put a comforting hand on her back. "I'll get the tracking device off the Phantom. You go make some new friends. Here we go."

Ezri shook her head, walking out the door, mentally telling herself not to let Kanan take the kids to the park when she became a mother one day when the Empire was no more. It probably wouldn't sit well with her or her future husband. She could just feel the intensity run through her body as the creatures appeared from the shadows. Those creatures' yellow eyes glared at her.

"One with the force. One with the force. One with the force," Ezri kept repeating, looking around her as the Fyrnocks were surrounding her. I'm one with the force. One with the force. One with the force." She screamed mentally. She was not ready for this! She was too afraid, but she was not sure WHAT she was truly afraid of at the time. After Kanan finished with the tracking device, he fell down to her side. However, she was not afraid of the creatures. She was afraid of something else. Kanan could sense that she kept all the rage and fear inside of her as they collided next to each other. But he did not know why.

"You're blocked! Let go," Kanan snapped.

"I can't!"

"Don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid of them."

"Then what?"

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do!"

"I..."

"Ez, what are you afraid of?" Kanan shouted. Ezri gulped in fear. She was afraid of what happened to her parents...why did she not listen to Sabine about Tseebo? Kanan and Sabine were right. Tseebo did everything he could to find out what happened to them. And all she did was blame him for her parents' misfortunes. It was all flowing through her but, she just could not say it out loud.

"I'm afraid of I'm afraid of knowing. I'm afraid of the truth! I'm sorry! I'm sorry. I forgive you, Tseebo!" She suddenly found herself crying.

"I, too, am sorry," she heard Tseebo in her head, but she was not sure if it was Tseebo's voice or her own subconscious making fun of her. Meanwhile, Kanan was smiling as Ezri kept her eyes closed, her hand stretched out and the beasts finally tamed.

They were ready for the Empire.

….

The Empire finally arrived to the asteroid field, where the Stormtroopers had found the Phantom and the Inquisitor knew his enemy jedi were inside. He ordered his men to find the Girl and her master, alive because he wanted the pleasure of doing it himself. When they entered the cave, the stormtroopers, shocked to see them just...sitting there, meditating? Even as Jedi, they were foolish to do something like that. However, the Grand Inquisitor was no fool, he could see there was something else going on. Ever since his encounter with the girl on Lothal again, he knew she and her master were up to something. When the Stormtroopers flashed their lights, they saw the Fyrnocks surrounding Ezri and Kanan. Using their meditation skills, they sent the creatures after the Stormtroopers. One tried to attack the Inquisitor, who quickly deflected one with his red lightsaber.

"This was your plan?" the Inquisitor said as he captured Kanan's attention while his Padawan remained in her sitting position. "To lure us here and allow these creatures to do your work for you?"

"How do you think it's going?"

"Pathetically."

"Guess if you want something done right..." Kanan began, getting up and taking out his sword to fight the Grand Inquisitor. Both enemies clashed, their lightsabers flashing a color of green as the two blades connected. Kanan blocked every attack the Inquisitor's double-bladed lightsaber but every time he tried striking Inquisitor down, Kanan was quickly defeated, as the Inquisitor kicked Kanan so hard, that his ribs were hit and he fell, unconscious. Meanwhile, Ezri broke all concentration when she felt Kanan's pain through their Force bond. She screeched in pain, holding her hand to her ribs, where Kanan had been hurt.

"Kanan!" Ezri said in desperation.

"Your meager training is nothing in the face of true power," the Inquisitor mocked a sleeping Kanan. Ezri used the Force and took up her master's lightsaber and stood protectively in front of Kanan.

"Stay back! You're not going near him!" Ezra snapped. The Inquisitor easily took the Lightsaber out of her hand.

"I believe I am," The Inquisitor said. "In fact, it's time to end both Jedi and padawan for good. Your devotion to your master is admirable, but it will not save you." He Force-pushed her. "Nothing can."

Ezri stopped herself from falling over.

"Get back!' Ezri snapped, anger rising within her.

"Ah, yes, good. Go on. Unleash your anger. I will teach you what your master could not."

"You don't have anything to teach me. The darkness is too strong for you, orphan. It is swallowing you up, even now."

"No!"

"Your master will die."

"No!"

"Your friends will die. And everything you've hoped for will be lost. This is the way the story ends, girl."

"No!" Ezri screamed as the rocks around her raised and her anger rising as she closed her eyes. The Inquisitor stopped what he was doing as soon as he saw the girl open her eyes and give him a deadly glare as she reached her hand out. As her anger rose, she tapped into the Dark Side of the Force, where a Giant Fyrnock rose. The Inquisitor was frozen in fear. Kanan woke from unconsciousness and Kanan saw that his Padawan was drawing from the Darkness.

"Ezri, no!" Kanan shouted at her. The girl looked infuriated to the Grand Inquisitor before her eyes rolled back and she collapsed on the ground. The Inquisitor backed up, grabbing both his own lightsaber and Kanan's, but quickly lost it when the Fyrnock swiped at him. With the Inquisitor distracted, Kanan rushed to his Padawan's side and lifted her up into her arms, resting her head on his left arm, looking at her up and down. Kanan began shaking her, fear rising as the girl he loved stayed in darkness. He shook his head.

"Come on, kid," Kanan said as he shook her, cupping her cheek. When she did not respond, Kanan patted her cheek. "Please, don't do this to me."

The girl slowly woke up, looking at Kanan who sighed in relief.

"Kanan? What happened? I... I feel so cold," Ezri asked.

"I know," Kanan said, rubbing her back up and down. "It's okay, honey. We're leaving."

Putting Ezri gently around his shoulders, Kanan used the Force to summon his own lightsaber and gently set his padawan down, before setting the course for the Ghost. He helped Ezri sit onto a chair before putting the autopilot on. She sat in silence as Kanan finished the story.

"I saved us?"

"You did," Kanan said, sitting down on the opposite.

"But something doesn't feel right."

"If your will isn't strong enough when you open yourself to the force, you become vulnerable to the dark side."

"Well, I was trying to protect you."

"I know. But your anger and fear caused that giant creature to attack."

"I don't remember it."

Kanan sighed in relief. "That's for the best. Your powers are growing so quickly, you weren't prepared. I didn't teach you what you needed to know. I'm sorry."

Ezri wished she could tell Kanan that he did not need to apologize but she couldn't let the words come out. They finally made their way back to the Ghost. The Phantom attached itself to its spot and Kanan and Ezri walked down the ladder. As Kanan made it first, he held his hand out and helped Ezri stand down.

"Welcome back, you two," Sabine said with a smile.

"You outsmarted them again," Zeb said with a smile. "Good job, boss."

"You made it.," Hera said as she made it to the common area.

"Was there any doubt?" Kanan asked Hera, who shook her head and smiled.

"Never," she said. Hera looked at Ezri and saw that she looked exhausted. "Ezri, I have something..."

Kanan stopped Hera. "She needs some time to herself right now." He wordlessly nodded to Ezri, who nodded back and silently walked to where the nose guns were at, as Sabine, Zeb and Chopper looked at her sympathetically. Kanan sighed and looked at Hera in all seriousness. "We need to talk."

Ezri sighed to herself, still trying to get over the fact she tapped into the Dark Side of the Force. Even if she was in the dark for a minute, it still brought out a fearful side towards Ezri. She sighed watching the stars when Sabine came in to check up on her best friend. Sabine could tell there was something bothering Ezri but she wouldn't push it. She walked over to Ezri, who was sitting in the chair, her arms crossed.

"Rough couple of days."

"Yeah. It's been strange." Ezri sighed.

"I have just what you need," Sabine said. She held up the holodisk. "It's the holo-disk from your old house. It was pretty degraded, but I cleaned it up. And I found something."

She activated the holodisk and saw that Ezri smiled. It was a picture of her climbing on her mother's back and her father standing, his hands on his hips, smiling.

"Mom! Dad!" Ezri said with a smile. She looked at Sabine and quickly gave the older girl a hug, which brought Sabine into a slight shock. "Thank you, Sabine,"

Sabine, to her surprise, found herself smiling before wrapping Ezri up in a hug as well.

"Happy birthday, Ezri Bridger," Sabine said, glad that Ezri was happy again. Whatever happened to Ezri's parents, Ezri knew the truth would come out one day.