Author's Note: Okay, I'm sure you knew this was coming, but I'm gonna save it for the end of this chapter. I'm sure you're all aware that the final Star Wars trailer is out by this point, so I'll give my thoughts about it at the bottom of the chapter.

Also, there's another thing I feel like I should mention. Looking back upon some of my first stories, such as LOJS V2: The Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith, I found myself bewildered and appalled by how horrible my writing was back then compared to now. xD xD xD As such, I've done a few revisions on several chapters (not all of it, just some). It doesn't really change the story aside from what you already know, but it does clean things up a lot more than the way it was previously, and fixes up any continuity errors I might have had in the past.

I'm not at all expecting you to look back at it, but if you're interested in rereading those sections, then what I've revised so far is at least half of Revenge of the Sith, the Mortis Trilogy in V2, and the first 7 chapters of V2. If you guys also have any suggestions about other chapters you would like me to revise and clean up in previous stories, then I would be more than happy to do so!

Chopper Base - Atollon

Ezra POV...

At the current moment, all of us were gathered at one of the holotables in the command center of the base, discussing our current assignments. Mara was with us, along with Rex and Boil, but Jarik was elsewhere out in the wilderness instead, saying that he needed to talk to Bendu. I'm not sure what, and even Mara isn't entirely sure, but he insisted on going out there alone.

Pushing the thought of Jarik out of my mind, I refocus on the details that Hera was laying out. Taking down that factory on Lothal is an important part of liberating my planet from the Empire, so I want to make sure we do it right. I can't stand the thought of my planet being constantly held under their rule.

"Even though we still have some preparation to do before we strike the Empire's factory on Lothal..." Hera was saying.

"Ezra."

I glance up upon hearing my name being said. Looking around I don't see anyone nearby that could've did it, and everyone at the table was focused on Hera. Confused, I shrug it off and continue listening. Probably just hallucinating.

"I want to do a thorough recon trip to update our intel," Hera continues. "There's no need for the full squadron. A small unit should be able to handle this..."

"Ezra."

I look up again, more quickly this time. I'm sure I just heard something... didn't I?

Looking around again, the conversation fades out of my mind as I try and figure out who was saying my voice. As I look in a more shadowy area a little ways behind Hera, I notice a dark figure stalking by, his back hunched, and horns sprouting out of my head.

"I'm assigning you the mission, Ezra..."

Whatever Hera was saying I don't pay attention, more focused on that shadowy figure. I blink my eyes furiously, recognizing him... suddenly he's just standing at a distance, staring at me...

"Ezra..."

"Ezra?"

I gasp quietly, blinking my eyes again when Hera's voice cuts through my mind. She's staring at me with narrowed eyes, an expression of annoyance and confusion on her face.

"Care to join the briefing?" she asks sarcastically.

"Sorry. Yeah," I quickly nod. I try looking behind Hera again, but the man was gone. "No, it's just I- I thought I saw something."

"This is your mission, Ezra. I need your full attention," she says firmly.

"Yeah, you've got it. Sorry," I apologize, blinking again.

Mara glances at me in concern with narrowed eyes, and Hera frowns suspiciously as well before continuing.

"All right," she nods in content. "So first, you'll slip into the system and study the Empire's orbital defenses..."

I try to refocus on the briefing again, looking down at the holotable, but then I hear it again.

"Ezra."

I look up in surprise once more, glancing around anxiously and blinking my eyes. I can feel... something! All around me! I then spot the dark figure walking around once more, his time among a few other rebels as if he were a regular part of the group. I widen my eyes at recognizing him...

"...We'll keep our distance, but gather all the data we can. I want Destroyer positions, TIE patrol routes, transport schedules..." Hera was saying.

"Ezra."

I gasp quietly in surprise once more and look over to my right, spotting Kanan and Mara looking at me in concern.

"Something wrong?" Kanan asks.

I glance over once more, but... he isn't there anymore.

"No, I- I just I thought I saw something, or someone," I say uneasily.

"Really? You're acting a bit weird, if I'm being honest," Mara comments.

"Yeah, I know, but I- I'm fine," I reply, nodding my head reassuringly.

"The recon team leaves as soon as we're loaded up," Hera states, looking around. "Questions?"

"Is Admiral Thrawn there?" Sabine asks.

"We have reports of an increase in capital ships, but no confirmation..." she replies.

"Ezra."

I whip my head around once more, hearing his voice again. This time he's amongst some technicians just behind Zeb...

"Ezra, what is it?" I hear someone ask.

I widen my eyes in alarm when I see him staring directly at me, just a few feet behind Zeb. The only distinct thing I can make out from the shadowy figure were the bright, glowing yellow eyes... unblinking.

"Hey, kid. You feeling all right?" Zeb asks.

"There! Look!" I exclaim, pointing at him.

Everyone turns to look at the direction I was pointing at, but to my utter surprise and confusion, he's no longer there... what...?

"What am I looking at?" Zeb asks irritably.

"You don't look very good," Hera comments, more concerned now.

He just disappeared... but I can still sense him! I look around and see him walking by once more, a sinister chuckle echoing all around me.

"Hey, you alright kid?" Boil asks.

I start to breathe heavily as he suddenly disappears once more, his laugh still echoing around me.

"Ezra, what do you see?" Kanan demands.

"Hey, dude, what's wrong? You're freaking out!" Mara adds worriedly.

"EZRA."

The voice is growling now, no longer whispering to me... it's clear as day. It's right behind me!

I whip around to see Maul standing right behind me, leaning forwards with a leering and evil looking grin on his face. His eyes are gleaming a bright, sickly yellow as stares at me, contrasting against the devilish look of his red and black face and horns, looking like the face of pure evil. I'm overcome with horror, letting out a startled cry.

I don't see anything after that.

The Wilderness - Atollon

Jarik POV...

"Tell me, Sun, what brings you out here?"

I look up at Bendu, questions swirling in my mind. Hearing his own however, I frown thoughtfully as I attempt to formulate a response.

"Well, I was hoping you could help me make sense of some things," I admit.

"Such as?" he questions.

"When the holocrons were brought together by Maul and Ezra, I also saw something," I tell him. "I wasn't near them though."

"You were brought into that convergence?" Bendu asks curiously, bringing a large hand to his long and shaggy beard.

"Apparently it was due to the influence of something called the Soul Stone," I reveal.

Bendu widens his eyes in recognition, something I don't fail to miss. He strokes his beard for a few seconds and then lowers his hand, still a bit silent.

"I see..." he finally comments.

"You've heard of them, haven't you?" I ask him. "About the Infinity Stones?"

"...There are six stones, each one capable of limitless power. They were responsible for the creation of the universe," Bendu says, and I listen with apt attention. "You say the Soul Stone reached out to you?"

"It did, for the purpose of 'judging' me, according to a being known as the Keeper, whatever that means," I explains with a nod. "But why me?"

Bendu frowns, and doesn't answer for a while, leaving me anxious.

"The Soul Stone carries wisdom in a way that the other five do not. Understanding its reasons for doing things are near impossible for anyone," he finally says. "I will say this however: if Soul chose to commune with you, then this is a sign that you will have a great impact on the fate of the universe at large."

I look down with an uneasy sigh, shutting my eyes tiredly. At this point I can't really find myself appalled anymore, only filled with more dread.

"So no pressure then," I remark glumly.

"Your destiny can change just as quickly as the elements of nature in a raging storm," Bendu says. "Nothing is ever set in stone."

"Except me," I reply, glancing back up at him. "The Sun and Moon prophecy? I have a feeling you know about that."

"Ahh, indeed. The prophecy of the Sun and Moon, two children of the Force," he nods in confirmation, looking down at me curiously. "Why do you ask of it?"

"It's... pretty obvious," I state with a frown, raising an eyebrow at him. "It's about me, and my destiny."

"What makes you think so?" he asks.

"Seriously?" I ask, a bit annoyed. "You call me the Sun. You called Ahsoka the Moon. Everything I've done so far relates pretty well to what it says!"

"What makes you think so?" he asks me again.

"Bendu, you already know all of this-" I say, growing more frustrated.

"I'm not asking if it refers to you, Sun," Bendu interrupts chidingly. "I am asking, what makes you think your destiny is already decided for you?"

I falter for a moment, confused and still a bit annoyed.

"Because it was written in a prophecy," I tell him warily.

"So that means your life decisions are already set for you?" he questions.

"Pretty much, yeah," I reply, still frowning. "You can't fight against a prophecy, or attempt interpreting the vague meanings behind it. It will happen no matter what. Both the Jedi Order, and the Father did so with the Chosen One prophecy, and it cost them greatly."

"Ah hah! And that is where you will find yourself mistaken," he declares, much to my confusion. "Such a prophecy will inevitably come to pass, that is true. But you forget to understand that it does not state how such things will come to pass. In believing that your life is already determined, you yourself are interpreting the meaning behind it, something that you have said is dangerous to do."

I blink my eyes in surprise, thinking about what he's saying. I never thought of it that way before. And yet...

"But like you said, it will come to pass no matter what. I can't avoid what's stated in that dumb prophecy," I remind him.

"You misunderstand, my young friend," he replies. "A prophecy tells you what will happen. It does not, however, say when it will happen, or how it will happen."

Bendu then turns to look at something on the ground, and I follow his gaze to see a small pack of dokma's scuttling around each other.

"Look at these small creatures, for example," Bendu tells me. "It is already determined that their lifespan will be shorter than most animals. Yet it is never known precisely how each one will meet the end of their cycle in life. Shall they die peacefully of old age? Or will they be lost in a storm? Perhaps they'll be eaten by the krykna."

I think about the examples that Bendu is giving, grasping the general meaning of what he's saying. Bendu continues to talk more.

"This cycle of life is true for all living things. Some may have their roles more determined for them then others. But that does not mean they aren't capable of choosing how they wish to see their life through," Bendu explains, looking down at me. "You are destined to face great adversity, this is true. But only you can decide how you wish to face them."

He hums to himself, glancing down at the dokma again.

"When you first came to me, you worried about your past. And now you worry about your future," he remarks, giving me a meaningful look. "You are the Sun, a child of the Force. But you are also Jarik Shan. Tell me, which matters to you more?"

I widen my eyes slightly at Bendu's words, considering the meaning behind them.

"I don't want something to be forced into something," I answer. "I just want to be me."

"Then be yourself," he replies simply. "Do not fret over what is to come. Rather, focus on yourself, and your own life."

I nod my head slowly in understanding, feeling a bit better about the whole situation.

Chopper Base - Atollon

Mara POV...

"Do you have any idea what could have happened to him?" Sabine asks in concern.

"I don't know," Kanan replies helplessly. "Maybe we should get Master Ti."

"She's busy with a important lesson right now," Hera informs us regretfully.

"If I had to take a guess, then Ezra was having some sort of vision," I theorize, looking down at him in concern. "My Dad has had similar things happen to him."

Ezra then begins to stir with a quiet groan, gaining our attention, and we look over to see his eyelids fluttering.

"Ezra, wake up!" Kanan urges.

Ezra then shoots up with a terrified gasp, and Kanan quickly places a reassuring hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"Whoa, Ezra. It's okay. You're safe," he reassures him.

"You want to tell us what's going on?" Hera asks.

Ezra looks around at all of us with an anxious gaze, turning in the bed to better face us. He looks down silently for a few moments before responding.

"It was Maul," he reveals, much to my surprise.

"Maul again?" I remark worriedly.

"You mean, at the briefing?" Sabine asks him.

"I saw him. He said my name," he insists, looking up at us anxiously. "He was right behind me. I mean, he was right there!"

"Kid, I was standing next to you. There was nobody else there," Zeb informs him.

Maybe it was like Mara said. Some kind of, uh, Force vision," Hera suggests hesitantly.

"Mmm, maybe," Kanan remarks.

"I think we should tell my Dad about this when he gets back," I suggest, crossing my arms. "He's had much more experience with Maul, and Force visions."

"Ah. If you ask me, the kid's just been working too hard," Zeb replies with a uneasy grin, waving a hand.

He walks out of the room and Chopper takes the opportunity to make a jab at Ezra, to which I roll my eyes at.

"Chopper, stop it!" Hera chides at him irritably.

"No, Chop's right," Ezra says, much to our surprise, and he stands up from the bed. "Nap time's over. I should get back to work."

"You sure you're all right?" Hera asks in concern.

"You know there's nothing wrong with taking a break," I comment. "That's kind of what I've been doing lately."

"Hera, Mara, I feel fine. I just had a bad something. Besides, you're still here right now, right Mara? After all of the stuff you had to go through, you're still working just fine," Ezra reasons, looking at me. "No reason to stop the rebellion, right?"

"...I guess, but you shouldn't push yourself," I advise uneasily.

"Don't worry about it," he replies, leaving the room as well. "Come on, Sabine. We gotta get ready for our mission."

Sabine cautiously follows him out the door, looking back at us in concern before disappearing. Sensing a small pulse of the dark side, I look at a nearby shelf to see the Sith holocron laying there, glowing a faint red in spite of its damage. I narrow my eyes at it bitterly, feeling like the holocron has to hold some of the blame for this.

I wasn't going to participate in missions just yet, since Dad was still being protective over the whole situation about me being captured and brought to Coruscant. To be honest, I'm okay with that. Being imprisoned by Sidious took away a lot of my eagerness and anticipation for going out and facing the Empire, in a way that I feel I now finally understand the full gravity and risk that could occur with such things. I'm more than happy to go on missions in the future, but for now I still just want to hang back.

Doesn't mean I can't help with gathering their supplies needed for it. Sabine, Ezra and I are currently transporting a cart carrying crates of proton torpedoes to the Ghost, at the behest of Sabine, only to have AP-5 walking down the ramp of the Ghost and stopping us in our tracks. Apparently he's a newer droid they picked up from an Imperial cargo ship just before the mission to Malachor. He's in charge of cargo inventory.

"Stop. We have all the proton torpedoes we need for this mission," he states.

"Well, not according to the weapons expert, which is me," Sabine retorts easily. "I want two more cases of 'em loaded up."

"Why am I the last one to know about supply changes? I cannot work under these conditions," AP-5 complains, pushing the cart up the ramp.

I raise an eyebrow at the droid and manage an amused grin, crossing my arms. Apparently he's also very crabby and uptight as well. Force knows how he became friends with Chopper of all droids.

"Ugh, it's like AP-5 and Chopper were made on the same assembly line," Sabine tells me.

"I feel like R5 can be added to that list," I reply, smirking.

Both astromech droids in question are rolling around nearby, and turn around at our comments. Chopper lets out an angry beep at Sabine while R5 sends me a sctahing remark, and I roll my eyes in exasperation.

"Oh, I'm the one who needs an attitude adjustment?" Sabine asks Chopper sarcastically.

"Hey, at the very least R5, you weren't made out of junk," I add.

R5 and Chopper both look at each other and start grumbling angrily to themselves.

"It's him. I-It's Maul!" Ezra suddenly exclaims.

Sabine and I both turn and watch in surprise as Ezra takes off at a sprint down the landing pad, accidentally bumping into someone along the way.

"Ezra?" Sabine asks.

"Wait, where are you going?" I ask in bewilderment.

"Hey, Ezra!" Sabine calls out, panicking. "Chop, go get Kanan!"

Chopper beeps in confirmation while the two of us go running after Ezra. I try to imagine what could possibly be causing him to freak out so badly right now. If it is Maul, then that doesn't make sense. He can't be here, otherwise we would all know! Ezra shoves a few more people out of the way before coming to a stop, and looks around with a wild glare, several others looking at him weirdly.

"Ezra stop!" Sabine calls out.

However he runs away from us again, and at that point Kanan comes rushing over to us in concern.

"What's going on? Where's Ezra?" he asks.

"He's freaking out for some reason! He thinks Maul is here," I explain quickly.

"I knew it!"

The sound of Ezra shouting gets our attention, and we look over to see him jumping off of an A-Wing to kick a rebel officer in the chest. He stumbles back in surprise, and Ezra uses the Force to throw him away into a pile of crates.

"Ezra!" Sabine exclaims in disbelief.

As he stalks forward with his lightsaber at the ready, Sabine rushes forwards and gets in front of Ezra, pushing him away from the man.

"Ezra, wait!" she urges.

Kanan and I both help in gently restraining him, but he shoves against us furiously with his lightsaber in his hands.

"Let me go!" he roars.

Ezra shoves past us and runs forward, activating his lightsaber and raising it over the man's head, who looks up in terror. In a desperate move I lunge forwards and jump onto Ezra's back, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his torso to restrain him, forcefully pushing his arms down. I wrestle for control of his lightsaber as he struggles against me, grunting in anger.

"Get off me Mara! What are you doing?!" he demands incredulously.

"Chill out dude, he's not who you think he is!" I retort with a grunt, trying my hardest to restrain his movement.

"Ezra! It's not Maul! Look at him!" Kanan shouts insistently.

I shove his arm to the side with all of my strength, having difficulty since he's physically stronger than I am, but manage to get him to look in the direction of the man, who's hyperventilating in fear. Ezra slowly widens his eyes in shock, finally realizing that this isn't Maul.

"You're out of your mind, kid!" the man shouts fearfully.

Ezra stumbles back, and I jump off of him as he turns off his lightsaber, watching regretfully as he backs away in horrified guilt.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he cries out in horror, but the man gets to his feet and sprints away.

Ezra gets onto his hands and knees and starts breathing heavily, guilt and panic overcoming him as we all do our best to support him.

"What's happening to me?" he asks helplessly.

Jarik POV...

The sound of a speeder bike gets my attention, and I look over to see Mara, Kanan, and Ezra approaching, coming to a stop. They all get off of the bike, Ezra pulling off a helmet, and I smile briefly at Mara. Bendu also turns to look at them, humming to himself.

"Ah, more company it would seem. You aren't exactly quiet creatures, hmm?" he muses, a little amused.

"I, guess not," Mara shrugs, looking over at me, and I just smile at her. "There is something that Ezra here wants to ask about though. It's... pretty important."

"How important?" I ask with a frown, sensing their concern.

"Tell them what's happening," Kanan says, nudging Ezra forward.

"It's about Maul," he tells me, and I narrow my eyes at he mention, and Ezra turns to Bendu. "The dark side wielder I told you about, the one who wanted to join the holocrons together. I've seen him here on Atollon."

"Maul's here?" I ask in surprise.

"Not literally," he quickly assured me, but still unsettled. "But I keep seeing him, fake visions of him. I... almost killed someone because he looked like Maul."

I look at Ezra in concern, sensing his distress. Thinking about Maul, I wonder what he could be possibly doing to make Ezra hallucinate in such a manner. Or why he would want to.

"I warned you, joining the holocrons together could bring both great wisdom and great danger," Bendu states.

"I know. I felt their power. And I did see things, but my vision, it was incomplete," Ezra reveals.

"Incomplete?" Bendu asks, confused.

"Yeah, I let go before either of us got the answers we wanted, and then the holocrons were destroyed," he explains.

"Aha. I see," Bendu remarks, silent for a moment. "Well, that's not good."

I raise an eyebrow in surprise, looking at Bendu with a frown on my face. The others, particularly Kanan, look up at him in aggravation.

"What do you mean, that's not good?" he demands.

"What can we do?" Ezra asks anxiously.

"Something good, right?" Mara asks.

"What do you want to do, hmm?" Bendu questions.

"I want to stop seeing Maul," Ezra states firmly.

"Then don't turn around," he comments.

I narrow my eyes in confusion, glancing at the others. However movement from behind us catches my attention, and I turn around to see none other than Maul himself standing at the top of the hill, looking down at us. I widen my eyes in alarm and stand up, becoming tense. The others turn around to spot Maul as well, and Mara gasps in surprise. He begins to walk down towards us, and the others back away warily while I take a step forward, glaring at him.

"Bendu, what should we do?" Kanan murmurs anxiously.

Upon hearing no response, I glance behind me only to sigh when I realize he's disappeared.

"Well, isn't he just helpful," Mara mutters irritably.

"This is a strange place. So remote," Maul starts saying casually, looking around. "Oh, yes, the Empire will have a difficult time finding you here."

He walks over to us, and in response Kanan, Ezra and Mara all whip out their lightsabers, pointing them at him threateningly. I stand forwards beside them, not pulling out my lightsaber but still fixing Maul with a firm glare, making my presence quite clear.

"Y-you think I came here to fight? You would do better following Jarik's example," Maul scoffs.

"Yeah, I don't really care," Mara retorts.

"What do you want Maul?" I demand.

"I merely wish to speak with my apprentice," he comments with a smile, moving towards Ezra.

"He's not your apprentice," Kanan snaps.

"Yet," he retorts calmly.

"How did you find me?" Ezra demands.

"When you abruptly severed our connection with the holocron, you mixed up the information," Maul explains, pacing while the three continue holding their lightsabers defensively. "You learned a bit of what I want to know, and I learned a bit of what you wanted to know. But there were fragments and memories left in my mind."

"Like the location of our base," he deduces.

Yes. Very good!" he replies with delight, chuckling. "Oh, you do learn fast, apprentice."

Ezra sighs in aggravation, lowering his lightsaber.

"Look, I can't make sense of what I saw. I couldn't even describe it if I wanted to," he tells him.

"And that is why you need to come with me, so I can retrieve the answers which are just out of reach," Maul says.

"Well, there's no certainly no doubt about you being a persistent, son of a kriffer," I remark.

Mara snickers at the comment while Maul turns toward me with a vicious glare on his face, to which I just stare back dryly.

"So you get your answers, but what do we get out of it?" Kanan demands.

"I will keep your rebel base secret," Maul replies casually, smiling.

"No deal," he snaps, walking forwards with his lightsaber raised. "You're not walking off this rock in one piece."

Maul backs away from his blade, but chuckles at him, unconcerned.

"I have planted a beacon nearby. Strike me down, and it will activate, revealing your presence to the Empire," Maul taunts, holding up a device in his hand.

"Is that right?" I ask dryly.

Fast as lightning, I raise my arm and rip the device out of his hands using the Force, catching it effortlessly. I smile at him triumphantly, looking down at it.

"Well, let's see how fast it takes me to disarm it," I say triumphantly.

However to my alarm it begins to beep as soon as I touch it, causing Maul to chuckle once more.

"Oh I know full well of your talents, Shan. Unfortunately, I'm afraid you'll have to return the device to me. If anyone without my biological signature touches it, then the beacons begins to arm itself. You have ten more seconds," he explains smugly.

Surprised at being beaten at my own game, I glance down at the device, realizing even I can't deactivate a bio scanner that fast. Scowling with an angry glare, I toss the device back over to Maul, and as soon as it's in his hands, the beeping stops.

"Many thanks, Jarik," he says, smirking at me smugly.

"You smug piece of bantha fodder," I mutter to myself with a scoff, crossing my arms irritably.

"Now, as I was saying, you have knowledge that is rightfully mine," he tells Ezra, and I narrow my eyes. "I have knowledge that you want. The key to defeating the Sith. What I propose will satisfy us both."

"What could you want to know so badly if not to defeat the Sith as well?" I question suspiciously.

It doesn't make sense. He hates Darth Sidious just as much as any of us, probably more so. And yet he doesn't want to learn the knowledge of the holocrons that would help defeat him? Who else could he possibly hate more...

Maul glances at me with a frown, and that's when I put the pieces together, realizing his desire.

"You want him..." I murmur, glaring at him. "You still want him."

He scowls at me, barely controlling his rage at me realizing something he doesn't want to know.

"You will not stand in my way of this, Shan," Maul says with a growl.

"What? What do you mean Dad?" Mara asks in confusion.

I keep my eyes on Maul, hardening my gaze while he looks back just as intensely, infuriated with me.

"All right, I'll go with you," Ezra finally decides.

"Seriously?" Mara asks, surprised.

Kanan shouts off his lightsaber and pulls himself and Ezra away, huffing with anger and clear disagreement.

"Ezra, you're not doing this," he states, leaving no room for argument.

"He's going to expose Chopper Base!" he replies anxiously.

"We'll move, build a new base!" Kanan retorts.

While they speak with each other I move to confront Maul, and he turns to face me with a scowl.

"What makes you think he's alive?" I demand quietly.

"I have seen this, and I know that you are aware as well," he mutters, growling. "And I can promise you that you won't stop me."

"Even if he was still alive," I retort with a glare, emphasizing my position to make him doubt. "What would keep me from stopping you by taking him to safety?"

"He has spent all of these years alone. If he truly wished to go with you, then he would have done so by now," Maul retorts. "And you can't possibly keep a constant watch on him without unveiling the secret. Especially considering your great limitations."

I narrow my eyes in frustration, knowing that he's right. As far as the galaxy is aware, my master is either dead or missing, and I'm the only one of two others who know of his location. I glance over at the others to see Kanan and Ezra finish their conversation, reluctant resignation coming from the former. Mara is looking at me with confusion and worry, having caught a bit of my interrogation with Maul. I look back at the former Sith Lord, seeing his relentless determination and willingness to do anything to get what he wants, and also that he knows he's won this argument.

"All right. We have a deal," Ezra announces.

"Excellent," Maul says happily, turning away from me.

He presses a button on his wrist, and up in the sky a Mandalorian carrier ship begins to make its way over to us, turning around and lowering to the ground with the ramp open. Maul turns to look at Ezra with a smile on his face.

"After you, my apprentice," he says.

Ezra states at him angrily but walks forwards, and the rest of us turn to watch him leave, Maul entering the ship after him. Turning back to look at us one final time, the ramp closes to block Ezra from view, and then the ship blasts away into the atmosphere.

After Ezra and Maul left, we made our way back to the base in order to go after them. Mara rode back with me on my bike while Kanan rode on his own.

"So, who were you and Maul talking about?" she asks me.

"I'll explain later. Right now, we need to focus on following them," I tell her.

We come to a stop in front of the Phantom where Sabine was waiting for us, the ship already set to take off.

"I'm tracking Ezra's signal. They just made the jump to hyperspace," she reports.

"Let's get going. I don't wanna lose 'em," Kanan says.

Dathomir - Outer Rim

Ezra POV...

When we come out of hyperspace, I take a moment to observe the blood red planet in front of us, startled by its strange appearance.

"Where are we?" I ask warily.

"That is Dathomir, my home," Maul answers.

I glance at him in surprise, frowning to myself. As Maul flies the ship down to the surface I start wondering what Maul's home planet could possibly be like, not sure what to expect.

At least the red dark color makes sense though. He's red, and the planet is red.

Maul lands the ship in some sort of forest, where the trees look old and decayed, some carrying strange and disgusting sacks of... something. We walk out of the ship, and I look around at the landscape, noting the scene of destruction and clear abandonment.

"If this is your home, where are your people? Where is everybody?" I ask uneasily.

"I am the last survivor. My family, the Nightsisters, were killed," Maul explains bitterly. "Masterful witches they were. A threat to the Empire. I know that you can relate."

I make a face at his comment but continue onwards, and we begin approaching a large cave with strange statues carved into the cliff above the opening. I then detect a faint glimmer of darkness in the Force, although it doesn't feel the same as what I've felt before. It feels different.

"These witches, they use the Force?" I ask him.

"Some aspect, yes. But it was their connection to this planet that made them strong," he replies in explanation, turning to look at me. "That is why we are here, to perform some old magic."

We draw closer to the cave entrance, and I shiver a little bit at the unnatural cold that greets me.

"Yes..." Maul murmurs in satisfaction. "Yes, everything that we need lies within the cave."

I come to a stop and glare at him, not willing to venture into some clearly abandoned and creepy witch cave.

"I'm not going any further until you tell me how this works," I state firmly.

Maul growls in annoyance and lightly smacks his fist against his forehead, looking irritably at me.

"The only way to access the knowledge we seek is to merge our minds again. The effect will only last a moment. Just enough time for each of us to find the answers to our questions," he explains in frustration, before softening his gaze. "Trust me, Ezra. I only want the answers I deserve, nothing more."

I raise an eyebrow at his words, not believing him for a second. Still, if it'll get him to stop annoying me...

"What do we have to do?" I concede with a sigh.

Maul smiles at me, and gestures to enter the cave.

"Come," he says.

Deeper inside of the fortress was a massive cavern, clearly once the home of a secluded group of people. Everything in here was dark and gloomy, the only light coming from a lake of green, steaming water. The place itself was made up of various islands in the strange lake, the rock carved into different types of buildings and pathways. Maul led me over to one of the buildings, where we entered a room filled with a large assortment of different things.

"I have gathered many things, secrets to help us restore our memories," he tells me.

"Look at all this junk," I scoff, looking around at everything scattered around the room. How is this supposed to help us?

"Do not touch anything," he growls in warning. "These are artifacts from my past, from a time when my power was almost absolute."

I glance at him warily for a moment before looking around curiously once more. A painted picture of a woman gets my attention, and I move over to investigate. The woman seems to be wearing some sort of blue headdress and robes, clearly a person of royalty.

Looking down, I also spot a single set of Mandalorian armor propped up on the wall beside the painting. Curious, I investigate it more close to see its paint, while old and faded, is colored gold and dark gray, the helmet different compared to Sabine's. I frown for a moment, wondering why Maul would have Mandalorian armor, and then glance down to spot something else set up in front of the painting; some kind of sword hilt. Curious, I reach a hand out to grab it, wondering if I'm right...

"Get away from there!" Maul roars.

I jump up in surprise and turn around to see Maul stalking towards me, a glare on his face. I look back at the sword hilt, my suspicion rising.

"Is that a lightsaber?" I ask him.

"Indeed, yes, but not like any that you would know," he remarks, leaning closer and chuckling. "If your Mandalorian friend was here, she could explain it to you."

"And... what about the armor?" I ask, pointing it out. "What do you need Mandalorian armor for?"

Maul stills and looks at the armor, and angry frown on his face. However his anger doesn't seem to be directed at me.

"A 'token' from one of my previous assignments... when I was still the apprentice of Sidious," he scowls, turning away.

I frown at his answer, even more confused, and look back up at the armor. What sort of token would he...

Wait a second. Mandalorian armor as a token; retrieved when Maul was still a Sith apprentice to the Emperor, because of some mission he was on? Maul killed Jarik's parents... and Jarik's father was... was a... Mandalorian.

I gasp upon realizing who's armor that really is, shocked. My surprise and bewilderment quickly turns to anger as I whip around to look at Maul's retreating form, clenching my hands. Maul killed Jarik's parents, and then decided to take his father's armor? Recalling that whole situation fills me with anger at how he's hurt Jarik, and I recall Jarik's anger when he first mentioned in on Malachor as well.

Taking a deep breath, I push back some of my rage and remember the reason why I'm here. What happened in the past is already done, so now I just need to focus on finishing Maul's stupid spell and learning what I need to know so that I can finally get away from him.

Still scowling angrily, I follow after Maul once more.

Jarik POV...

"Why is Ezra so willing to trust Maul again and again?" Sabine asks.

"I don't think he is, but I do know he's taking a big risk for all of us," Kanan replies with a frown.

"Just have to wonder when Maul will get the hint that Ezra's not his apprentice," Mara deadpans.

I don't comment, thinking more about Maul's motivations, and what he wants. He wants to kill my old master, even after all of these years, so I suppose that's nothing knew. As for why he keeps focusing on Ezra, he clearly wants his own apprentice, but it's not just that. During the Clone War, he had an apprentice in the form of his own brother, Savage Oppress. What happened to him, I'm not fully sure, but I can only assume that Sidious killed him on his visit to Mandalore. Maul cared for Savage, and so now he probably wants someone to be by his side as well, someone he wants to be able to care for as a friend, or brother, as well.

Wow, if that's true then that makes me feel a bit sympathetic for him. He's lonely.

The ship then comes out of hyperspace, and we look out to see a large, blood red planet in front of us.

"What is this place?" Sabine asks, unnerved by it.

"Dathomir," I answer with narrowed eyes. "The home of the Nightsisters."

"Nightsisters?" Kanan asks warily.

"And who are they?" Mara asks.

"A group of witches. They could manipulate some dark aspect of the Force. My master, Obi-Wan, once came here with Anakin, looking for clues about a new assassin of Count Dooku that originated from them," I explain, frowning.

"That's nice," she replies dryly.

"Thankfully we don't have to worry about them," I add. "The Nightsisters were wiped out at some point before the war ended."

"Then why would Maul want to come here?" Kanan asks me.

"I'm not sure," I admit with an uneasy frown, looking ahead.

Author's Note: The rest of the "Visions and Voices" episode is already completed, and I will be publishing it tomorrow. I just felt it would be better to split this into two parts, since there's so much to cover!

Thoughts on the RISE OF SKYWALKER trailer:

Okay, let's get this thing started.

Upon first seeing the trailer, I enjoyed it. The set pieces looked cool, characters seem interesting, and I'm curious to see how it all goes down. I do like that the overall setting feels a lot bigger than it did in TLJ, what with Endor, that water planet, etcetera, and it seems they're going to be finishing this saga with a massive battle against the entire military might of the First Order. I like that, and I'm also eager to see what Emperor Palpatine is planning to do in this.

The negatives? I am EXTREMELY anxious and apprehensive of how this could possibly all work out.

After the complete mess left by Rian Johnson, I honestly don't know how JJ Abrams is going to pull off a satisfying fix to the whole thing. At least 40% of the characters in this movie are being introduced for the first time in this trilogy (Knights of Ren, Lando, Lando's daughter, etc.) so that's a lot of ground to cover, and not very much time to do so in just one movie. In general I'm fine with Abrams work (was entertained by the new Star Trek movies), but I also recognize that he does have a tendency to sort of copy things from previously told stories in the universe. Case in point: The Force Awakens. Now I enjoyed TFA and still do, but I also see how it is kind of a rehash of A New Hope. For TFA though I could see the rehash working in a way because it laid the ground work for the Sequel Trilogy, and also was excellent at setting up a really interesting storyline and left us with all kinds of fun speculation and mystery.

Then Rian Johnson happened.

Since this is the last movie I'm sure we all know that Palpatine and the Knights of Ren will die, and Kylo Ren will probably die as well. With Snoke I have no idea what his fate truly is, whether or not he survived or was just a puppet of Palpatine's (if that's true then that's kind of annoying, because Shaniverse canon has already set him up as a completely different entity), so I'll leave that topic alone. We should have had the Knights of Ren introduced in TLJ, since finally seeing them here is just way too short of a time frame to get to know these characters as villains or enjoy them very well. I just hope they don't get killed off super easily by some dumb stuff like how Snoke and his guards were.

Palpatine... lets hope he does something extraordinary in this movie, and doesn't die in a dumb way either. I have heard talk that Hayden Christensen is set to play Anakin in this movie, believe it or not, but no matter the case it feels like kind of cheap to have Palpatine not die at the hands of Darth Vader as the prophecy of the Chosen One was all about: killing the old Sith and Jedi to lay groundwork for something new. If Anakin really is in this movie, then I hope he's the one to end Palpatine in order to keep the Chosen One Prophecy correct and done right. If not... then that'll be disappointing. I honestly see no possible way that Kylo Ren and Rey can hope to be strong enough to face Darth Sidious himself, one of the strongest (if not THE strongest) Sith Lords to ever live in the Star Wars universe.

I do like the Emperor's quote though: "Long have I waited. And now, you're coming together. It's your undoing." Already he sounds very powerful and intimidating, and of course he'll feel like a genuine threat even if I'm concerned about his role in this.

Overall... I have mixed feelings about this movie. I want to be excited for it so very badly, yet at the same time my excitement is held back by the fact that the Sequel Trilogy can't really be fully recovered at this point, not after the lack of unity in cohesion in its planning, since Rian Johnson ignored JJ Abrams script and plans entirely. And no that is not an exaggeration, he literally DID NOT use any of JJ's ideas or planning in his writing of TLJ.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

(P.S. Honestly this whole Sequel Trilogy business is constantly leaving me on edge with trying to brainstorm how it happens in the Shaniverse, haha. There's so much I don't know, and I don't want to ignore it! I will be rewriting things the way I see fit of course, but I want to know what it will be like in order for me to properly decide what direction I want the Shaniverse to go for the First Order Conflict.)