Author's Note: Question of curiosity! Out of these villain entrances for Darth Vader, which do you think is the best/coolest?

A. Siege of Lothal

B. Twilight of the Apprentice

C. Jedi: Fallen Order

Imperial Palace - Coruscant

3rd person POV...

"Emperor Palpatine is not who he claims to be. For many years he plotted from the shadows as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, orchestrating the Clone Wars to ensure his rise to power."

He narrows his glowing, hate filled yellow eyes at the holocaster, a scathing glare of pure anger, loathing, and fury on his face. This message... a message being delivered by both the traitorous senator Mon Mothma and the infuriating Jarik Shan, has been spread across all Imperial channels on a galactic level. All thanks to Shan's meddling in the holonet. Shan has been a terrible thorn in his side for years already, but now he has become a blight on his mere existence... on his most hard-kept secret.

While Jarik was talking about the Emperor, the holograms of him and Mothma were replaced by video recording of the Supreme Chancellor's office: the day the Empire rose to power. The dead bodies of three Jedi masters were clearly visibly in the recording, scattered around the office, whilst their murderer sat in the Chancellor's chair: he was the Chancellor. Darth Sidious looked up at the camera, his scarred face the main focus of the video, his yellow eyes gleaming with a wicked grin on his face. He raises a arm slowly, tauntingly, and makes a fist, ending the recording by using the Force to crush the security camera.

Darth Sidious wasn't filled with glee now. He snarls at the image of himself, beyond infuriated by Shan.

"He manipulated both sides of the war with his Sith apprentice Count Dooku serving as a figurehead for the Separatist Alliance..."

Video recording of Darth Sidious emerging from his shuttle—his Republic shuttle—on Mandalore plays next, where he executes two guards with a simple wave of his hand. The next video to spring up is a security recording of a Geonosian jail cell; Obi-Wan Kenobi—Jedi Knight at the time—was suspended in a containment field while Count Dooku prowled around him, looking up at his captive.

"What if I told you that the Republic was now under the control of a dark lord of the Sith?" Dooku suggests.

"No, that's not possible. The Jedi would've sensed it," Obi-Wan retorts disbelievingly.

"The dark side has clouded their vision my friend," Dooku continues to say. "Hundreds of senators are now under the influence of a Sith Lord called, Darth Sidious..."

The Emperor looks on incredulously, outraged upon learning that Dooku all but revealed the most important secret of all to a Jedi: Obi-Wan Kenobi no less! Fortunately the Jedi were of course too full of arrogance to believe they could have not sensed his presence, proving them to be the fools they are. But if Kenobi took Dooku's word seriously... Sidious growls hatefully, disappointed by the fact that Dooku is now dead, and thus unable to properly experience punishmet for revealing such a crucial secret of his plan...

"...and now maintains his rule by having his new apprentice, Darth Vader, enforce his will upon the galaxy, spreading fear and to crush anyone who questioned his authority."

Security footage of the Unifar Temple's throne room showcased the battle Darth Vader and the Emperor had with Jarik Shan and his allies, making it clear the two Sith Lords were fighting together against their adversaries. The hologram then returns back to Jarik and Mon Mothma, leaving the Emperor dumbfounded. How could he have gotten his hands on any of those recordings? It's unbelievable!

More than anything however, the Emperor feels pure, focused rage.

As Mon Mothma starts to speak he disregards her without a second thought. She is just words, nothing more of significance. But Shan... never in his entire life did he ever believe that irritating boy would grow to become the ultimate bane of his entire existence. The Sith Emperor of old had no trouble dominating Revan as if he were no more than bothersome insect, so why is it that he, Darth Sidious, Galactic Emperor and the Dark Lord of the Sith, cannot do the same to his descendant?! It's humiliating and outrageous!

Snarling with rage, the Emperor clenches his fist and crumbles the holocaster into a mere speck of worthless metal, unable to find any satisfaction in disrupting Mothma's speech. Flickers of lightning sparked in his hand, his whole body trembling in rage. The Royal Guards around him all stumbled over, holding their heads in agony due to the dark side flowing through the air as a result of his fury, strong enough to affect any living thing not that could not resist his power. But he could care less for their pain, as his only focus was on his hatred of Jarik Shan.

The Jedi need to die!

Chopper Base - Atollon

Jarik POV...

After giving our speech to the galaxy, Senator Mothma and her squad departed with the rebels that came to Dantooine so that they could group together on Yavin 4 with General Dodonna and the Massassi Group, which is one of the largest rebel cells formed, with Phoenix Squadron being a close contender behind them. Ahsoka and I haven't been as involved with the Massassi Group, as Dodonna and Senator Organa led operations there while we handled the Phoenix Cell. It worked for us, and we kept in contact to share intel from time to time.

While they departed for Yavin, the Ghost Crew and I traveled back to Atollon. On the way there a lot of my focus was on what I had to do next; Maul is searching the vast deserts of Tatooine for my master right now, and the only way he'll stop is if one of them dies. And while I'm certain that Obi-Wan is still more than a match for Maul... Luke isn't. If he's caught in the crossfire, or the conflict draw the attention of the Sith, he'll be done for. It's already stressful enough having to worry about Leia possibly being discovered: it's a miracle Palpatine and Vader haven't sensed anything yet, because I know she's met both of them before.

Regardless, while it is risky I know I need to go to Tatooine to make sure nothing terrible happens. Because if something does happen and I decided not to go, it'll haunt me for a long time. Bringing the Knight Hawk in for a landing at Chopper Base, I sit back for a moment and then turn towards R5.

"Would you mind doing me a favor and fly back to Ahch-To?" I ask him.

::No,:: he replies, and I narrow my eyes at him, so he continues. ::What for? I thought we were going to Tatooine.::

"I'm going to Tatooine. But I'd rather not take the Knight Hawk, it's too risky," I explain. "Besides, if something does happen to me I'm not about to leave Mara stranded where nobody can find her."

::Doesn't Rylla know where Ahch-To is?:: he points out sarcastically. ::Although I'd feel bad for anyone stranded on Ahch-To anyways, so I'll do it.::

I roll my eyes in exasperation at his behavior and get up from my chair, heading for the ships exit. Once I reach the cargo hold I open the ramp and step outside, closing it after me. I wait for a few moments, and thankfully R5 listened to me, and I watch as the Knight Hawk rises up into the sky and then flies up into orbit on the way back to Ahch-To. Satisfied I turn around and make my way through the base, coming across a few familiar faces in the process.

"Commander! Great speech, you really let the Emperor have it!" Boil congratulates.

"Statement: I find it very amusing that so many people are oblivious about this Sith Lord's true identity," HK-47 remarks, amused. "Quite sad."

"Uh huh," I reply, rolling my eyes. "Thanks Boil."

"What're you still doing here? I thought I saw your ship leave," Rex questions.

"It did. R5's taking it back. I've got something else I need to do," I tell him. "I'm just going to see Shaak first."

"Query: How did that meatbag Jedi lose her mobility?" HK asks.

"Oh shut up you tin can, have some respect," Boil scowls.

"Offensive statement: I don't respect anyone, and I'm not ashamed of that," he retorts.

"Who would've thought?" Rex grumbles sarcastically.

"Honestly, sir, there are a few things I'd like to say to you about this," Boil tells me, not looking entirely happy.

"Sorry guys," I apologize with a sincere look. "But there aren't many other people I'd trust to be able to handle him."

"Indignant response: Handle me?!" HK demands incredulously.

"Yeah I said it," I reply with narrowed eyes, and he shakes his head in annoyance. "If it pleases you, I'm sure you'll get a mission sometime soon."

"Statement: I'd better. I wasn't made to stand around a base all day like that boring garbage heap," HK scoffs, gesturing over to the right.

Having heard the insult, AP-5 turned away from checking a list of storage supplies to face us, forgetting his work for the moment.

"Excuse me?" he demands. "I will have you know that my duties are far more important and necessary than your desire to blast stormtroopers into oblivion!"

"Statement: I'll believe it when I see-" HK starts to retort.

"Alright that's enough you two!" Rex snaps irritably.

I roll my eyes, already getting another headache. Maybe hanging out with the Mandalorians would've been a better option... at the very least they would agree on their desire to fight enemies head on, and the average Mandalorian would be better equipped to fight HK-47 than the average rebel here would.

"Just try and find something to amuse him," I say with a sigh.

"Maybe we should throw him in a krykna nest," Boil suggests.

"Anyways Jarik, Master Ti is in her quarters last I heard," Rex tells me.

Making my way to Shaak's quarters, I gave a light knock on the door. After receiving confirmation to enter, I open the door and step inside to see her sitting in her hover chair, reviewing some data on a holoscreen. She turns the hologram off and turns to face me, a pleasant smile on her face.

"Jarik, good to see you again," she greets. "I saw the speech you and Senator Mothma gave recently. I'm certain it had quite the impact."

"Thank you master," I nod to her, sitting down on one of the meditation cushions. "I was going for 'impactful.'"

"Your usual style then, I would imagine," she jokes lightly, before sobering up a little. "It is saddening however to see how blind we were to the Sith."

"I guess so. There was a lot that went into that," I admit regretfully. "But there's something else I need to talk to you about."

"I'm happy to listen," she replies.

"It's about Maul," I tell her.

Shaak frowns at the mention of Maul, a troubled expression on her face.

"You are expecting him to make a move soon?" she questions.

"He's looking for Obi-Wan," I explain.

"I see," Shaak murmurs worriedly, looking at me with questioning eyes. "So he is still alive, like you said before?"

"He is," I confirm with a nod. "That's what Maul was using Ezra to figure out, and now he knows where he's hiding in exile."

"...Tatooine?" she deduces cautiously.

I look at her in surprise, having not expected her to know the answer to that. Shaak lets out a sigh and goes on to explain.

"After your return from Dathomir, Ezra came to me for further guidance, since you did not wish to tell the others where Obi-Wan was hiding," she tells me. "According to him, the holocron showed a desert planet with twin suns, which Maul referred to as the place where it began. Maul revealed himself to Qui-Gon Jinn on Tatooine, marking the first encounter between a Jedi and Sith in over a thousand years."

I sigh in acknowledgement at her explanation. Although she wasn't on the Council at the time, Shaak was more than knowledgable in the goings of the Jedi Order, and gained a seat not long after the Invasion of Naboo.

"Figures you would figure that out," I begrudgingly admit.

"Something I don't understand is why Master Kenobi would return to Tatooine," Shaak adds, slightly confused. "Surely he's not there simply to hide... is he?"

I glance to the side, reluctant to reveal too much.

"Before going our separate ways, he, Master Yoda and I, put together a plan," I inform her. "We thought it to be the galaxy's best hope in defeating the Sith... That's what Master Yoda believed."

"And do you?" she asks.

"I don't know," I admit, looking back at her. "But I have faith in them."

Them.

Shaak stares at me intently for a some time, making me feel uncomfortable as I know she wants to hear more, but thankfully she nods her head in acceptance.

"Then I shall trust your judgement," she tells me. "I assume that Maul's presence on Tatooine puts it in jeopardy?"

"Maybe not, but it's not a risk I'm willing to take," I respond firmly.

"Then go to your master. Stop Maul, and keep that hope alive," she says.

"Thank you master," I reply gratefully, getting up from my seat.

"May the Force be with you Jarik," she adds in farewell.

Tatooine - Outer Rim Territories

Coming out of hyperspace in the Tatoo system, I look out the cockpit window of my borrowed A-Wing to see Tatooine in the distance ahead of me, the two stars it orbited shining farther beyond it. I make a face as I watch the desert planet grow larger in my view, not entirely fond of the place. I can definitely say I don't envy Obi-Wan for choosing to live out here for all these years, important as it may be.

Entering the atmosphere of the planet, I fly my ship in the direction of the Jundland Wastes, the area of Tatooine that Obi-Wan and the Lars family are living. Approaching the area I take notice of how the daylight is rapidly fading, entering late evening by the time I reach the Jundland Wastes. However instead of flying directly to Obi-Wan's home, I set my ship down onto the edge of a cliff a short distance away, no more than five miles. While walking through the desert isn't a preferable option, flying directly there could get the attention of Maul, which is exactly what I don't want to do.

After setting the ship down onto a cliff edge that's extremely hard to reach on a person's normal skill, I shut off the power and climb outside, slinging a bag of supplies over my shoulder for the journey. Looking out to the horizon in the direction of the setting suns, I stretch out my senses in the Force as far as I could go, closing my eyes. So far there's nothing for me to sense... it doesn't seem like Maul is in the area, and I can't sense any other forms of life in my vicinity...

"I HATE THEM!"

A sudden image flashes through my mind for no more than a second, of Anakin carving a vengeful path of slaughter through a village. I open my eyes in surprise at the random vision flashing through my mind, sensing the lingering presence of darkness and fear nearby. Turning my head to the right, I look down into the flat desert valley at the bottom of the rocky cliffs, noticing some strange mounds of some sort. Sensing the lingering darkness coming from there, I frown in unease and decide to investigate, a bit wary at what that could mean. I put on my cloak and pull my hood up to protect my face from the elements of the desert, and start moving.

Jumping off of the cliff edge, I soften my landing with the Force into an easy crouch, and start walking across the sand towards the source of lingering anger and hatred in the middle of the valley. Although the suns are sitting, there's still enough light for me to make out the mounds ahead. As I get closer I quickly realize that they aren't just oddly shaped mounds of sand, but are small structures of some kind that have been covered by the sand over time. Huts, around two dozen of them, proof as the remains of an abandoned campsite.

Or a massacre.

Entering the former campsite, I cautiously place my hand on one of the sand mounds, wiping off a layer of sand. Whatever material would've been used for the tent is long since decayed, but the bone used to prop up the tent still remains. I open myself up more to the Force, sensing Anakin's hatred and fury lingering around this place even after all these years... I can hear the challenging bellows of the tusken raider's as they rush to kill the intruder, only to become cries of fear and terror as they're merciless cut apart by what they see as a demon... unchallenged, with unsaturated anger.

"Stay with me mom... everything's going..."

"I- I love..."

"Anakin! Anakin!"

"NOOOO!"

The tusken raider's kidnapped Anakin's mother. They tortured her, beat her to within inches from death, fascinated by her resilience. And in doing so they awakened a terrible monster. A monster that ravaged the whole camp as vengeance for the brutal torture and death of his mother. The tuskens at first tried to fight back, but were easily overpowered by the demon, who proceeded to slaughter every man, woman, and child in the camp, until there were no more cries. No more screams. No more fear. Just death... and suffering.

I don't even realize I have tears rolling down my eyes when I pull away from the lingering darkness of the Force here. So much pain happened here. Everyone in this massacre was a victim: including the killer.

Looking up at the sky, I blink in surprise to see it's now night: ten minutes must have past while I was perceiving the old, painful memories of this place. wiping my residue tears away I turn away from the camp with the intention of leaving. However I don't get very far away before the Force converges on me in warning, and a fierce bellow is unleashed beside me. Whipping around, I jump back to avoid being blindsided by a tusken raider, who had swung at me with his gaffi stick.

The tusken raises his stick high overhead and bellows, seemingly angry at me, and several calls echo back as an answer. Looking around, I silently berate myself for completely losing my focus and allowing myself to get surrounded, as a small pack of tuskens are now moving in from all sides. The tusken that attacked me first lunges forward with his gaffi stick once more, but I grab it with my left hand and then whirl around to yank him off of his feet, tossing him away. Other tuskens let out challenging bellows, leering at me and stalking forwards.

Glancing at them irritably, I take notice of the ruined campsite once more, an idea popping into my head. through the Force I could sense that other tusken tribes learned of the massacre and came to fear the 'demon' responsible. Although I don't like purposefully trying to incite fear into others with my presence, in this case I can make an exception. Narrowing my eyes at the tuskens, I bring out my lightsaber and ignite the glowing blue blade, holding it up for them all to see.

The effect is immediate: the bellowing, angry tuskens pull back with startled squawks of fear. They cry out in terror and scramble all over themselves to get away, constantly letting out fearful screams all the while. I don't pursue them, opting to let them go on their own.

Once the tuskens are out of sight I deactivate my lightsaber with a troubled sigh and place it back on my belt. Giving one last look to the camp, I wrap my cloak a little tighter around myself to block off the sudden chill in the night air and begin my long walk to Obi-Wan's home.

Tatooine is a very unforgiving planet. While the daylight brings about extremely hot temperatures under the sweltering twin suns, the night brings about the opposite, leaving it much more chilly. Not as much as Ahch-To of course, but the difference is enough to make it feel a bit extreme.

Pausing at the top of a hill, I pull out a water bottle from my backpack and take a few sips, a bit exhausted. Even in the night, trekking across the desert is tiresome.

Putting my water bottle away, I look out across the horizon with both my eyes in the Force, looking for my path. In the distance I see the familiar landscape I've been to before on my few trips here, sensing more than seeing what should be Obi-Wan's house, familiar as I am with how it appears. With the place now in viewing distance, I make my way down the hill and resume my trek.

Ben Kenobi's home - Jundland Wastes

Walking up the sandstone steps of the hillside, I pass by a small fenced in area with a dewback sleeping inside it, giving me reassurance that Obi-Wan is home currently. Reaching the top of the steps I find myself in front of a small, sandstone house, with a moisture vaporator set up beside it as a source of water. I make my way up to the door and lift my hand, knocking three times. I wait a few moments, sensing something a bit off, and tilt my head slightly to the side.

"Is it too late for me to visit?" I ask calmly.

"Depends on who the visitor is," a familiar, but aged voice responds, laced with suspicion.

I turn away from the door in the direction of the voice, seeing my old master standing a few feet away, garbed in his Jedi robes. I slowly raise my arms, keeping them in clear view, and the pull down my hood to reveal my face to him. I detect some surprise in him as he instantly recognizes me.

"Jarik," he murmurs, pulling his own hood down.

"Hello there master," I nod in reply.

"I suppose it would be impolite to turn away a weary traveler," Obi-Wan remarks with wry amusement.

"You'd invite them anyways, if only to humor yourself," I comment.

Obi-Wan smiles at my joke and steps forward, beckoning to his house.

"Well by all means, come in. I imagine there must be much you'd like to discuss," he says pleasantly.

Obi-Wan walks across the room from the kitchen and hands me a small cup, which I accept from my position of the couch with a small nod of thanks. As he sits down in his own chair, I take a moment to reflect on his appearance. Whatever bit of auburn hair he had left on my last visit here with Ahsoka is now gone completely, replaced with gray hair. Despite his more aged appearance he stills seems to be going strong through the Force.

"You know, life out here hasn't been all too devoid of action, as I'm sure you probably think," he comments.

"Oh really?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "What, you get mixed up with the tuskens?"

"Well, there is that issue from time to time," he admits, taking a sip from his cup. "But there was one instance quite a few years back with an Imperial captain named Leegus. Nearly exposed us all."

I frown at the story, thinking back about what I know.

"Imperial reports said that his squad were ambushed by sand people. Only one trooper survived," I recall, giving him a look.

"That's what the reports say," he simply nods in reply.

"Anything else exciting happening for you?" I ask him, furthering along our conversation.

"Nothing too interesting, though I find many stories told on the HoloNet to be rather enlightening," he responds. "I certainly wasn't expecting to see myself as a prisoner twenty years ago in one of them."

"That's all you have to say?" I ask dryly.

"Oh. Yes, of course. I suppose it's fair to say that you and Senator Mothma gave a wonderful speech," Obi-Wan adds, smiling at me.

I roll my eyes at his teasing.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," I say in response.

"Certainly," he comments, sobering up a little as he sets his drink down. "I have a feeling what brought you here is important."

"I'm afraid so," I admit with a sigh. "Luke may be at risk."

"Because of Maul?" he asks me.

I nod my head in confirmation.

"Yeah," I tell him.

"When did he first come looking for me?" he questions.

"About two weeks ago. As I understand it, he's been searching the planet for you nonstop ever since," I tell him. "I'm worried about what might come out of it."

"You know I can handle Maul on my own Jarik," Obi-Wan states.

"But at what cost?" I remind him. "What if Maul stumbles on the homestead, or your fight with him gets the attention of the Sith?"

"Vader will never return to Tatooine, Jarik," he replies firmly.

"He won't have a choice if the Emperor demands it of him," I argue.

Obi-Wan sighs, looking in front of him with a troubled expression on his face.

"What do you wish to do then?" he asks me.

"Let me handle Maul. I can lure him away; anything to make sure he never finds you, or Luke," I suggest. "And worst case scenario... kill him, if necessary."

"Out of necessity? Or revenge?" he says with a stern look.

I pull back slightly, a bit perplexed and put off by the accusation he's suggesting.

"I'm not sure if you've grown beyond it by this point, Jarik, but I still remember how much you hated him for killing your parents," Obi-Wan tells me.

"I'm not that same boy anymore, master," I insist.

"Maybe so, but even I fell victim to my hatred of him that day just as you did, if only briefly," he says, softening his gaze sadly. "I don't want you to end up losing yourself... it would break me if you did."

"I won't fall like Anakin did," I reply quietly, in reassurance. "There's too much I hold dearly to do so."

Obi-Wan looks at me with an unreadable gaze, and I nod my head slowly to him as a gesture of assurance that I know what I'm doing. After some time he sighs in acknowledgement.

"Do what you feel is right then," he murmurs.

Western Dune Sea - Tatooine

After my conversation with Obi-Wan I slept overnight in a spare bedroll he had, and then set out the next morning. My plan is to spend the days doing patrols throughout the Jundland Wastes and the Western Dune Sea, keeping an eye out for any sign of Maul. Despite my protests, Obi-Wan insisted on doing his own round of patrolling through the Great Chott salt flat to make sure Luke and his aunt and uncle weren't in danger. He wouldn't take no for an answer, reminding me that this responsibility is the sole reason he's exiled on Tatooine in the first place; it isn't my responsibility.

I couldn't really argue with him, as he wasn't wrong, and I also know Obi-Wan is smart enough to be able to do his job while also evading Maul; otherwise he would have found him already.

Obi-Wan helped me to acquire my own dewback, and also gave me some supplies before we set off. As of right now, I've been traversing across the endless deserts of Tatooine in search of Maul, roaming the great dunes and rocky valleys of the area. As I continued my search, I gained quite a bit of appreciation for Obi-Wan's willingness to remain on Tatooine to look after Luke; already I feel battered from the intense heat and seeing endless expanses of sand, and if he does this every day... that's tough.

Something tells me that Obi-Wan's main drive is his guilt over what happened to Anakin, and protecting Luke gives him hope of redeeming himself for the mistakes he made.

Sighing from exhaustion, I bring my dewback to a halt on a rock formation that Obi-Wan informed me was named the B'Thazoshe Bridge, a place that the tusken raiders considered to be sacred. Pulling out my canteen of water, I lift it to my lips and take a sip, relief filling me at the cool, refreshing taste of the much needed liquid.

Sensing my dewback's exhaustion as well, I take pity on the creature and use the Force to pull some water out of my canteen. I grimace uneasily at the strangeness of it, struggling to keep the tiny orb of water in place as I direct it in front of the dewback's head. The dewback happily drinks the water, and I let out a sigh once it's gone, relinquishing the Force. Holding water in place is so much more difficult that a solid object.

"...ken...obii...!"

A faint, echoing roar suddenly permeates the air, followed by the sound of a lightsaber slashing, and tusken raiders bellowing out fearful cries. I whip my head up, quickly losing my exhaustion as I go on high alert, and search the surrounding area. Looking around, I stare in the direction of where I could hear the cries of tusken raiders emanating from, narrowing my eyes upon sensing a presence filled with rage and darkness.

Maul.

Spurring my dewback onwards, I move quickly in the direction of the noise, no longer hearing the slash of a lightsaber, though the bellowing of tusken raiders is still clear, just quieter now. Following the source of the conflict, I soon come across a small hill leading down into a valley behind the B'Thazoshe Bridge. From my perch at the top of the hill I could see the remains of a small tusken raider camp; not nearly as big as the previous one I saw, but the signs were evident enough to prove it was for tuskens. And the damage done to this one is fresh.

Scouring the area with seeking eyes, I carefully direct my dewback a short ways down the hill, observing a few bodies of dead tuskens lying on the ground around the tents. I then have my dewback halt in place, spotting movement within the campsite. No more than twenty feet away from me a figure garbed in black clothing, hood pulled over their head, walks amongst the wreckage with a cane and a slight limp, more out of exhaustion than an injury. I watch him prowl through the campsite, sensing his emotions clearly through the Force, before he stops... and looks up at me.

"Kenobi..." Maul says softly, chuckling to himself. "So you finally came! At last, at last, at last!"

He laughs to himself, stumbling on his feet slightly as he stares up with me with bright yellow eyes, a wild grin on his face.

"Of course! The slaughter of so many draws you out! You old rat!" he laughs gleefully.

I don't respond to him, keeping myself quiet as I look down at Maul, my hood still pulled over my head as protection from the elements. He thinks I'm Obi-Wan... he thinks he drew him out with this slaughter of the sand people. As I quietly watch Maul laugh and sneer at me, for the first time since I met him all of those years ago the first emotion that I feel isn't anger, or bitter hatred... it's pity. Seeing Maul act like this... act like nothing more than a wild animal in his search for Obi-Wan... I can only feel pity for him. Out by himself in the desert for weeks now, he's starting to go mad as a result, and I only feel pity.

"Now... where were we, Kenobi?" he asks mockingly, sneering at me. "Oh, yes, yes indeed. I'm here to get my revenge. I've come to kill you!"

"I thought you already took your revenge on Mandalore," I finally say in response.

"Oh? Is that so?" Maul asks, thoughtfully. "Maybe it is. But it is not complete... for you shall suffer! As I have suffered!"

"No. He won't," I state firmly.

"He won't?" he replies, bursting into devious laughter. "You think that he won't?! Oh, you fool. Kenobi WILL suffer..."

Maul suddenly pauses in his sentence, his grin slowly being replaced with a frown. His grip on his cane tightens, and I tense up slightly as he stares at me more intently, the madness in him easing off a little bit.

"No, no no..." he murmurs, anger starting to build. "You're not Kenobi! Who are you?!"

I calmly dismount my dewback and take a few steps forward in his direction, pulling my hood back to reveal my face. He widens his eyes in recognition, glaring at me with growing fury.

"Hello there," I say politely, smiling at him.

"YOU!" he snarls.

"What? Were you expecting someone else?" I ask mockingly.

Growling, Maul rips the cane off of his lightsaber and ignites both red blades, jumping at me with a furious yell. I roll out of the way to avoid the strike as he stabs the blade into the ground, popping up beside him. He lunges at me, growling and snarling like a rabid animal as he swings and slashes his lightsaber in my direction. I easily duck and evade his strikes though, serving to only make him more infuriated. Finally, I whip out my blue lightsaber and hold it up to block Maul's overhead strike, entering a blade lock with him.

"WHERE IS HE?!" he shouts.

"You'll never find him," I respond fiercely.

Roaring, Maul separates from the blade lock and continues to attack me, but I keep dodging his swings once more. Back up to a small ledge on the hill, I jump down to the flat ground below me, prompting Maul to follow. He keeps lunging for me with fast, powerful strikes, but I easily deflect and parry them, leaving him to stumble around on his feet. It's painfully obvious to me that Maul is not fighting at his best, as if he was then we would be on even ground right now. But he's fighting like he's drunk, stumbling around with uncoordinated swipes of his lightsaber, hampered by exhaustion and blinded by rage.

I sidestep past Maul's jab and elbow him in the back, sending him to the ground. I stand still for a moment, looking ahead while listening to Maul hit the ground with a pained grunt, his lightsaber sizzling against the sand. I turn around to face him as he gets back to his feet, splotches of sand sticking to his face and clothing. He growls, pointing his lightsaber at me.

"Why must you always get in my way?!" he demands. "Tell me where he is!"

"How much longer are you going to keep this up Maul?" I ask him in reply. "There's no point in what your doing. Just let it go."

"Because of Kenobi, I suffered years as no more than a mindless beast, trapped in a disgusting wasteland," he snarls, glaring with wild eyes. "I deserve my revenge on Kenobi, you, and all my enemies!"

"Don't you see that your quest for revenge is only driving you insane?" I try arguing. "You could be so much more if you would just walk away!"

"Revenge, is my focus. It gives me life!" Maul retorts, raising his lightsaber. "And after I have exacted it... I will be fulfilled."

"It will be a fulfillment of nothing," I state firmly.

"So you say, Shan," he scoffs in contempt.

Leveling his blade at me, he charges forward with a vicious shout, intending to run me through with his lightsaber. Narrowing my eyes, I bring my lightsaber upwards and smack his blade aside, and then thrust out my hand. Calling on the Force, I release a powerful blast of energy that throws him back several feet away, slamming him against the side of a rocky wall. He hits the rock with a pained groan and then slumps to the ground, falling unconscious and laying in the sand.

I deactivate my lightsaber with a sigh and observe him for a few moments, still feeling nothing. Maul's too far gone at this point in his desires, and I can't think of much else that would convince him otherwise; he's growing mad. The darker side of my mind is whispering for me to strike him down right here and end his life, but I push the thought aside. Despite what I wanted to believe, Obi-Wan had a point in that I still have lingering feelings of hatred for Maul over what he did to my parents. My pity of him in this moment is what stayed my anger, because for all he did to hurt me and Obi-Wan, part of it can't even be his fault.

We were all victims of Palpatine.

Unable to bring myself to do anything else, I return to my dewback and mount it, spurring it onwards in the direction of a desert plateau elsewhere in the Jundland Wastes, further away from Obi-Wan's home and the Lars homestead. If he wakes up, hopefully Maul will follow me out there, thinking I was returning to Obi-Wan. It feels kind of cruel to lead him further into madness, but I honestly can't think of anything else to do. Maybe I could bring him with me and leave the planet, but what then? I can't exactly keep him as a prisoner for the rebels, and if I let him free he'll just come rushing right back. The merciful option would be to kill him, but I'm still hesitant on how I would feel about it.

I don't know what the best thing to do is, so I just keep going.

Great Chott salt flat - Tatooine

Obi-Wan POV...

Coming to a stop in the flat, empty plains, I take a moment to close my eyes and feel my surroundings through the Force. I feel some measure of contentment at not sensing a darker presence nearby, indicating that Maul isn't around. I can also sense the young, spirited presence of Luke in his home, filled with untapped potential in the Force that he is not yet aware of.

Opening my eyes, I watch the homestead from a distance, reminding myself why I'm here and how much depends upon Luke's safety.

TWO DAYS LATER

Tatooine - Outer Rim Territories

Maul POV...

He is close... so, so close. He is here, I know it. Here in this... this endless desert. Hiding like the rat he is. I know he's out there, and I must find him! I must have my revenge...

He is close... so, so close. He is here, I know it. Here in this... this endless desert. Hiding like the rat he is. I know he's out there, and I must find him! I must have my revenge...

He is close... so, so close. He is here, I know it. Here in this... this endless desert. Hiding like the rat he is. I know he's out there, and I must find him! I must have my revenge...

...

...

...

Filth... he is such filth! His padawan, his apprentice, his young wretch, thinks he can hide him from me? He thinks he can prevent me from exacting my vengeance on the man who took everything from me?! No, no no no... no that was Sidious... no it wasn't him, he struck me down... but Sidious, murdered my brother, used me as a weapon, and then cast me aside! Once I had power, now I have nothing... nothing... all because of...

All because of... Kenobi. He struck me down into that pit, he took my future away from me, he is the one who turned me into a sniveling, deranged beast who survived in the filth on nothing but his singular hatred for him... my singular hatred for him. He's somewhere here. Here in this... this endless desert. Hiding like the rat he is. I know he's out there, and I must find him! I must have my revenge...

'Far above, far below. What once was great is rendered small.'

Where will I find him? Where will I find Kenobi?! That insufferable brat thinks he can lure me around this wasteland until I die? I will not die in such a place, no, no no no. I will find him, and end his life. And then I will kill the brat like I should have so long ago... But where? Where is he?

"Lost..." I growl bitterly. "I am lost!"

He is close... so, so close. He is here, I know it. Here in this... this endless desert. Hiding like the rat he is. I know he's out there, and I must find him! I must have my revenge...

"And yet, I can feel his presence. So close, so close!" I whimper angrily, glaring at the sand. "I can see him... in my mind's eye."

I narrow my focus onto him, glaring forwards in rage at the form of the one who destroyed me. My hatred of him gives me focus, and now I see things clearly. I am surrounded by endless dunes of sand, the lingering presence of him in my mind.

"Kenobi," I growl, my rage building as I throw my arms out wide and unleash a terrible roar. "KENOOOBIIIIIIII!"

I fall to my knees, suddenly feeling weakness overcome me as I refocus my senses, pushing through the cloud of misery and madness attempting to seep into my mind. I am Maul. Not a wild beast. I am Maul! And I... I am lost in this desert. Kenobi remains ever elusive, out of my grasp.

"Will it end here, like this?" I whimper in despair.

I must find Kenobi... but I may very well die in this wasteland. I am weak... I've walked around this desert for days... weeks... months? Years?

'Far above, far below, we don't know where we'll fall.'

How long have I been searching... I don't even know... but I must find him. He is my drive! I am Maul. And I will not fall to such weakness. I will not surrender to the desert!

"No. No!" I snarl, focusing my rage on Kenobi once more to clear my vision. My passion and my rage will give me strength. "I must draw Kenobi out, tempt his noble heart. But how? How?"

I start to whimper once more, unsure of how I would tempt Kenobi out of hiding. Shan is protecting him from me... he will do his master's dirty work for him! He is... he is away from his rebel friends.

He is alone on his quest to protect his aging master. Shan has left the others behind... he's left the other Jedi clueless without his guidance. He's left the boy... my apprentice, vulnerable without his disgusting influence. Kenobi's apprentice thinks to help his master, so I shall call my apprentice to help his.

"I know," I chuckle, smirking in delight. "Ooh, I know."

I bring out the one piece of the Sith holocron I still have in my care, observing it with a smile. My apprentice will come to help me, just as Kenobi's apprentice came to help him. But I shall be the victor.

'I deserve my revenge.'

Chopper Base - Atollon

3rd person POV...

It was the middle of the night on Atollon, and aside from a few workers and night patrols keeping the base running and alert, everyone was asleep. Aboard the Ghost, Ezra slept soundly in his bunk, the loudness of Zeb's snoring having long since become no problem for him to tune out.

'This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.'

'This is Master Obi-Wan Keno-no-no-nobi.'

The quiet sound of someone speaking broke through Ezra's ability to sleep, despite being used to Zeb's snoring, and he turns over in his bunk. Fatigued and tired, Ezra drowsily lifts his head up and rubs his eyes, confused at what he heard. He looks down to the bunk below him to see if Zeb said anything, but the lasat was clearly in deep slumber. Deciding he was hearing things, Ezra lies back down in his bunk and closes his eyes, drifting off to sleep once more.

"This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan- Obi-Wan- Kenobi."

Ezra opens his eyes, now wide awake. The voice was much clearer in his mind now, and he could hear it with more than just his ears: he could hear it through the Force as well, the voice penetrating the barriers of his mind.

Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Wide awake ow, Ezra was certain that he wasn't just hearing things: he could sense a pull in the Force. Something was calling to him. Determined to figure it out, Ezra gets out of his bunk and quietly steps onto the floor. He glances at Zeb for a moment to make sure he doesn't wake up and then moves to the door, the voice of Master Kenobi audible to him once more.

'I regret, I regret, I regret-'

Opening the door, Ezra steps outside into the hallway and cautiously looks around, hearing the voice speaking to him once more. Sensing the Force tugging at his mind, he follows the pull over to Kanan's quarters and raises his hand up to the door.

'This is Master Obi-Wan- Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret- I regret to report that both- I regret- Our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen- fallen.'

He opens the door to Kanan's room and walks inside, hearing nothing and also seeing nothing.

"Kanan?" he asks cautiously, wondering if he was trying to use his Jedi holocron.

To his surprise however, a blue glow suddenly catches his attention as the broken holocron, currently resting on the shelf in Kanan's room, activated itself, displaying a hologram of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Ezra approaches it with wonder and confusion, listening to the hologram's broken recording to try and figure out why it seemed to be calling to him.

"Our Jedi, Jedi Order and the- have fallen, with the dark shadow- This is Master Obi-Wan- Obi-Wan Kenobi," the recording says. "This message is a warning for any surviving Jedi- surviving Jedi. A new hope will emerge. A new hope-"

The holocron shuts off, and without warning a familiar coldness washes over Ezra: the dark side. Turning his head, Ezra looks at the Sith holocron uneasily as a dim red glow starts to emanate from it, widening his eyes worriedly as he hears the growling voice of Maul.

"Kenobi..." the voice growls softly, growing in volume. "KENOBIIIII!"

Feeling a sudden sense of terror, Ezra stumbles backwards and falls to the floor as the Sith holocron suddenly shines a bright red, humming with dark power. He looks on with a chill in his heart as the red glow fades, and then turns around to see Kanan standing in the doorway, a concerned look on his face.

"Maul's back," Ezra tells him softly.

After seeing his vision, Ezra and Kanan gathered in the command center of Chopper Base with Hera, Rex, and Commander Sato. Shaak Ti, Cere, and Cal were also present with them, listening in concern as Ezra explained his vision to them. Once he was finished, Hera turned to Kanan for further explanation.

"So what do you think it means, Kanan?" she asks.

"Ah, I couldn't really guess," he admits. "Holocrons at times take on a life of their own, but as to what it means-"

"It means Master Kenobi is alive and could be in danger right now!" Ezra interrupts fiercely.

"Don't you think you're being a little bit to hasty right now?" Cal asks gently. "If Master Kenobi is alive, then that's great! But, we don't really know anything that's going on."

"But we know Maul went looking for Master Kenobi, that was why he kept trying to join the holocrons. To figure out where he was!" Ezra insists.

"Ezra, no one would like to believe General Kenobi's alive more than I would," Rex says, releasing a sad sigh. "But Senator Organa confirmed his death."

"But he's wrong. I know he is, because that's what Jarik was talking about," he argues, growing a bit frustrated. "Kanan, you were there too! Remember when he didn't to tell us anything? He knows Master Kenobi is alive, and he knows where he is!"

"Well, yes, but-" Kanan attempts to respond.

"Shan was Master Kenobi's apprentice before the Purge. If he does know that Master Kenobi is alive, the why would he refuse to say anything?" Cere questions, frowning suspiciously.

"I don't know," Ezra replies helplessly. "But my vision, it can't be a coincidence! This could be a sign that Maul's closing in on Master Kenobi!"

"Or it could just be a broken recording," Hera suggests, doubtful.

That doesn't explain why I heard Maul's voice!" he argues.

"But you've heard it before," Kanan interrupts firmly. "You've heard it before, and it was just a trick. Maul was manipulating you."

"This dark sider, Maul, I don't know much about him, but I do know that he is devious, and cunning. Whatever his goals, they aren't good for us," Cere states.

"I already know what he wants! He wants to kill Master Kenobi!" Ezra replies firmly.

"Did that vision of yours say anything about where he would be?" Cal asks.

Ezra frowns, feeling a bit frustrated and helpless at his inability to answer.

"If General Kenobi is alive Ezra, and Jarik knows where he is, I don't see why he wouldn't do anything to keep Maul from finding him," Rex says with a troubled look.

"Maybe that's what he's doing right now! He took an A-Wing, right? Why else would he do that?" Ezra suggests, feeling more emboldened. "We should be helping him!"

"Master Ti? You haven't said anything yet," Cere points out cautiously.

Everyone looks over to Shaak, who is still quiet in thought, appearing troubled and hesitant on how to respond.

"I'm not sure it's my place to say," she replies slowly. "Jarik told me of a plan that was set in place; a plan that could see the fall of the Sith if successful."

"What kind of plan, exactly?" Commander Sato questions.

"He did not wish to say, but he has followed Maul to Tatooine to ensure it does not fail," Shaak explains. "I trust his judgement to know what to do."

"That's it!" Ezra exclaims excitedly. "Don't you see? The holocron's told me that Master Kenobi is the key to defeating the Sith. That's why Jarik didn't want to tell us anything, because he knows it as well!"

"Ezra..." Hera says warily.

"I want to go to Tatooine to check things out," he continues resolutely.

"Ezra, can I have a word with you?" Hera interrupts with a firm look.

Sighing, Ezra concedes and follows her to stand a short ways away from the group so they could better talk in private. Once they've stopped, Hera gives him a stern look of disapproval.

"We're training for the attack on Lothal, and nobody knows that place better than you," she states. "I need you to help us prepare if we're going to be successful."

"But, Hera, if Master Kenobi is alive, think of what he could do for the Rebellion!" he insists.

"If he was alive, do you think he would be hiding on some backwater world instead of helping us?" she points out doubtfully. "And if it turns out that really he is, then we should trust that Jarik knows what he's doing."

Ezra looks down glumly, and Hera places her hand on his shoulder with a sympathetic gaze.

"I wish things were different. I really do," she tells him softly. "But right now, I need you here. There's too much at stake, for Lothal and for us."

"You know I want to help Lothal more than anyone," he replies sadly.

"I know," she says.

With his head hanging low, Ezra turns around and heads back to the Ghost. Kanan walks up beside Hera, and they watch him as he walks back with saddened looks on their faces.

Shaak Ti observes them all, letting out a troubled sigh as she thinks over the truth of what she knows. She'd be lying to herself if she said that she's content with everything, but the truth is she has just as much of a desire to seek out Obi-Wan as Ezra does. She wants to know more, she wants to reunite with a fellow Jedi, friend, and member of the High Council, she wants to seek out the wisdom of Master Yoda, to know what it is that she should do, and she wants to know what they are all hoping is the pathway to victory over the Sith for all time. She wants to know all of these things so badly.

But she's also come to trust Jarik's judgement in these matters, and if the secrecy of this plan was agreed on by Obi-Wan and Master Yoda as well, then she has no reason to doubt them in their belief.

The next morning, Ezra entered the Ghost with slow, cautious steps, checking to make sure nobody was around. Satisfied, he makes his way up to Kanan's quarters and steps inside, looking around. Spotting the shelf to the side, he makes his way over before stopping in surprise, groaning in frustration upon noticing that while the Sith holocron is still in the same spot, Kanan's Jedi holocron was gone.

"Great. Now what?" Ezra mutters in annoyance.

"Looking for something?" a voice asks.

Ezra whips around with a startled exclamation of surprising, calming down as he sees it's just Cal standing there. The red-haired Jedi Knight stood leaning against the door, arms crossed and looking at him curiously.

"Yeah, I was. But it's not here," he says as explanation.

"Figured as much," Cal shrugs casually, reaching for his pocket. "That's why I arrived here first."

Ezra widens his eyes in surprise as Cal pulls Kanan's broken holocron from his pocket, growing a bit more wary now.

"Ok... what're you trying to say here?" Ezra asks suspiciously. "That I shouldn't go?"

"I could, but something tells me that you'd still go anyways," Cal replies, tossing the holocron between his hands.

"What makes you think that?" he demands.

"You remind me of me a little bit. When I was younger," he answers, giving him a small smile. "After I started getting back into the whole Jedi thing, I was still a bit headstrong and always rushing around. I still had a bit of trouble trusting others too. But looking back now, I think it was good for me to learn my way through it all."

"So, you're saying that you think I should go?" Ezra asks.

"I know Cere wouldn't like it," Cal remarks. "But if Master Kenobi's alive, and you think you can help him, then I'm all for it."

With that being said, Cal tosses the holocron over to Ezra, who catches it in his hands. He looks down at it for a moment before returning his gaze to Cal, nodding his head in gratitude.

"Thanks," Ezra says.

"Thank me if you're right," Cal replies, heading off.

A few minutes later, with a couple fragments of Kanan's holocron secured, Ezra pushed several crates of munitions out to the busy landing field, under the cover of a manifest that AP-5 had put together, though the droid was unaware of how it was being used. As he brings the crates to the landing field, a rebel officer overseeing the work being done approaches him.

"Hey, Lieutenant. What you got there?" he asks.

"Oh, some munitions for the A-Wings," Ezra explains. "Where do you want 'em?"

"Munitions, huh? Who sent 'em over?" the officer asks.

"AP-5," he answers.

"Ah, AP-5. Yeah, that calculator's working overdrive these days," the officer scoffs. "Can I see the manifest?"

"Hey, any of the fighters run fully-loaded?" Ezra asks, handing over his datapad.

"Well, Commander Shan borrowed one of our fighters a few days ago for some assignment he's got going, but as of right now the trainer's prepped," the officer informs him conversationally, checking the manifest. "Been using it a lot lately with the newer recruits."

Taking a step back, Ezra glances out at the A-Wing in question and then looks back at the officer, smiling upon seeing him distracted with the manifest. Satisfied, Ezra quietly slips out of sight and makes a run for a fighter, though unbeknownst to him Chopper saw the whole thing.

"Well, everything seems in order. No surprise there," the officer remarks, turning to Ezra. "Why don't you take them over to..."

He pauses in confusion to see Ezra's no where in sight. Frowning, he walks around the munitions crates to see Ezra running to the A-Wing and climbing into the cockpit.

"Hey! What are you doing?" he calls out, getting the attention of nearby pilots.

The officer climbs up the ladder as Ezra shuts the cockpit and brings the ship online, waving his arm to try and get his attentio.

"Lieutenant, you're not authorized. Stop!" he protests, however Ezra feigns being unable to hear him, shrugging helplessly in reply. "Lieutenant, come back! Land immediately!"

Despite his protests, Ezra takes off into the air and swiftly breaks for orbit, and the officer drops his arms with a frustrated sigh of resignation.

"Hera, I hope you can forgive me," Ezra murmurs quietly, disappearing into hyperspace.

Tatooine - Outer Rim Territories

Ezra's A-Wing pops out of hyperspace above the desert planet of Tatooine, two of its three moons visible to him. He looks out at the desolate looking planet, looking around with a dull expression.

"All right, here I am. Tatooine. Middle of nowhere," he sighs.

From behind his chair, Chopper quietly peeks out to get a view of the planet, carefully scooting forward. Raising his sensors from his dome, he suddenly pops up with loud beeps, startling Ezra at his appearance. Crying out in surprise, Ezra jumps away from him and slams hit head against the cockpit window with a pained groan, accidentally knocking the ship off course. They tumble around for a moment before Ezra desperately rights them again, rubbing his forehead with an irritated scowl.

"Chopper!" he exclaims.

::What?:: Chopper asks innocently.

"No, you know what! How did you get here?" Ezra demands.

::With you, obviously,:: he replies matter-of-factly.

"I mean in the ship!" he snaps irritably.

::Why did you take off without telling anyone?:: Chopper asks in reply.

"I didn't want any of you to be involved, not this time," Ezra tells him.

::Hey, I can handle myself just fine!:: Chopper states smugly.

"Yeah, I know you can take care of yourself," he scoffs, grumbling in resignation. "You know what? You're in. Not that you have a choice now."

::Sure thing! So where are we going?:: he asks.

"I don't know where we're going," Ezra replies, glancing back briefly. "Yet."

Sighing, Ezra opens up his hand to reveal the two fragments of Kanan's holocron, looking down at them hopefully.

"Okay, Master Kenobi, if you're down there, show me something," he murmurs. "Chop, take us in. I'll let you know when to change course."

Chopper beeps back in confirmation, taking control of the ship and flying down to the surface on Tatooine's night side. As he does so, Ezra closes his eyes and recalls his training in the Force, bringing his focus to Master Kenobi, calling to him, so that he might show him the way.

Jarik POV...

A sudden change in the Force gets my attention, and I look up from what I was doing. Obi-Wan senses it to, for he also glanced up with a troubled frown on his face. Something is different now, and I'm not so sure it's very good.

"Ezra..." I murmur worriedly.

I lower my head to meet Obi-Wan's gaze, both coming to the same realization, grim looks on our faces.

3rd person POV...

After some time, Ezra feels an answering pull, and opens his eyes to see the fragments of the holocron glowing blue. They start to hover a few inches above his palm, arranging themselves into an arrow.

"Chop, bring us around!" Ezra says, studying the arrow. "Er, north by northwest."

Chopper beeps in confirmation, more than used to being around the Force by this point to trust Ezra and Kanan, and angles them in the correct direction. As they soar through the air, the holocron fragments slowly point them onwards, and they follow its direction by turning the ship to where the arrow leads. However, the holocron fragments suddenly lose their energy and fall into Ezra's hand without warning, the blue glow disappearing.

"Wait, what?" Ezra exclaims, panicking. "Hey, Chop, take us down!"

Coming in for a gentle landing in a small canyon, relief fills Ezra as the holocron comes to life once more, glowing a bit brighter this time.

"We're close now," he says with a smile, glancing at Chopper. "Stay with the ship."

Chopper beeps back a sarcastic response, and Ezra opens the cockpit of the A-Wing, climbing outside. He drops to the ground and looks at the holocron, turning in the direction it was pointing. He starts walking, following the guidance of the glowing blue holocron while Chopper watches with a bit of unease. Focused on the arrow, Ezra frowns upon noticing a red glow up ahead and turns around a small boulder. He looks down in surprise and confusion at seeing a familiar fragment on the ground in front of him, and his own holocron starts glowing red as well.

"The Sith holocron," he murmurs anxiously.

Ezra crouches down and cautiously picks up the Sith holocron fragment, studying it intently when a dark, growling voice permeates through his mind.

"Now you see..." Maul whispers gleefully.

The glow of the holocrons suddenly disappears, reverting back to their lifeless states, and Ezra widens his eyes in alarm.

"Chop! This is a trap!" he yells in warning.

The loud crack of a rifle suddenly permeates the air, and Ezra ducks his head away to avoid a red blaster bolt aimed for his head. Up on the cliff above him, several tusken raiders open fire with their cycler rifles, and Ezra takes off running. At the same time, the breaking of glass has Chopper turning around to see another tusken smashing through the cockpit window, raising his pike to chant and bellow before stabbing its blade through the glass.

Chopper screams in a panic, but Ezra comes to his rescue by thrusting an arm out and blasting the tusken away with the Force, sending him tumbling off the ship. Without wasting any time, Chopper blasts off through the newly opened hold in the cockpit and flies into the air on his thrusters. However the sand people immediately switch their aim to shoot at him, and the droid swerves out of the way with startled cries, landing back on the ground beside Ezra.

"Chopper, find cover!" Ezra tells him.

He turns to the ship, but the tusken he threw off suddenly grabs his arm and shoves him to the ground, attempting to beat him with his fists. Ezra grimaces uneasily as he holds back the bellowing tusken, lifting his foot to kick him in the face. The tusken grunts in pain, and Chopper rolls forward to spray him with a thick cloud of smoke. Releasing startled cries, the tusken waves the smoke away and scrambles off in a panic, momentarily startled. Ezra gets to his feet to thank Chopper, but suddenly notices several shots from the cycler rifles striking against the A-Wing, rupturing its fuel cells.

"Move, move!" he shouts in a panic.

He and Chopper move away from the A-Wing as fast as possible while the sand people continue pelting it with blaster fire. Unable to take the hard shots, the A-Wing explodes in a fiery blast, and Ezra grabs onto Chopper to protect him from the explosion as they're thrown away from it, hitting the sandy ground hard.

Up above on the cliff, the sand people lift their cycler rifles and gaffi sticks, bellow and chanting triumphantly. A vicious hissing sound and bright red glow suddenly gets their attention and they turn around, thoughts and feeling of victory instantly replaced with primal fear at the sight before them. They scream in horror as the black, yellow-eyed demon raises his glowing, blood red blade with a terrifying hissing noise and then slashes downwards. They had no chance to avoid their doom before it strikes with a vengeance, their last thoughts only terror at the appearance of the Demon Outlander.

Ezra slowly opens his eyes, looking at the smoldering remains of their destroyed ship with guilt and despair before lifting Chopper upright with a sigh.

"Well, that explosion must have scared them off," he theorizes optimistically.

Chopper observes the wreckage for a moment, grumbling as he bounces on his treads, glancing up at Ezra.

"What else can we do? We have to go forward," Ezra sighs in resignation.

Grumbling, Chopper nevertheless acknowledges the fact and turns around, rolling forwards. They starts to travel down the canyon, following the path of three moons in the sky with the hopes of finding Obi-Wan Kenobi

Ezra and Chopper had traveled well through the night, still walking even in the morning, when Tatooine's twin suns were high up in the sky. Ever since the sun had risen, Ezra was starting to feel the intense heat, and they kept to the shade as much as they could in the rocky valley. Eventually they came to a small sandstone archway, which led out to the Great Chott salt flat, a never ending expanse of dry, sodium-rich sand spreading for dozens, if not hundreds of miles in size. The silence was deafening, broken only by the quiet howl of the wind blowing through the rocks.

"Well, I suppose crossing the sands is a bad idea," Ezra comments.

Chopper beeps back a deadpan response, and Ezra rolls his eyes.

"Yes, Chop, especially for droids," he adds, and Chopper beeps again. "Okay, we can head along the ridge."

Ezra turns left and starts to walk forward, but falters in his step as he senses a darker presence nearby, whispering in his mind.

"Ezra..."

Startled, Ezra whips around and stares out at the salt plain with narrowed eyes. In the distance he spots a dark figure standing with a cane, hunched over, looking back at him. The figure appears almost ghoulish, like a ghost, but Ezra knows he would recognize Maul anywhere. Who else would it be?

"Chop, you see that?" he asks.

Chopper looks out where Ezra referred to, shaking his dome in reply with a negative beep. Ezra looks back out at the horizon, only to see that the ghostly figure has vanished without a trace.

"It's gone," he murmurs, baffled. "It was Maul. It had to be!"

Reaching for his pocket, he pulls out the holocron fragments and lifts them up. Glowing red, the fragments form another arrow pointing out to the salt flats, in the direction he saw Maul standing moments earlier.

"He's close," he says quietly.

"Look!" Ezra says to Chop, gesturing to the arrow. "We have to go that way."

As he pockets the holocron fragments Chopper beeps back at him with incredulous protest.

"I'm sorry, Chop, but I have to help Master Kenobi if I can!" Ezra responds determinedly, marching out into the flat desert. "I'm sure if you follow the ridge you'll find a settlement."

Chopper watches him go in frustration, baffled and uneasy.

"Maybe you could contact home base," Ezra calls back after walking a little further.

After a few more moments Chopper slowly turns left with the intention of going along the ridge like Ezra suggested. However he pauses, looking back at Ezra, switching his gaze several times between the salt flat and the ridge before finally giving a resigned sigh of frustration. Grumbling to himself, Chopper turns back and starts rolling after Ezra, heading out further into the unknown.

It wasn't long before Ezra and Chopper were assaulted by a vicious sandstorm, blowing tremendous amounts of sand and dust that completely obscured their vision. Without any protection from the storm, the pair had to keep moving forward in the hopes that they would eventually find something, anything to help them. Chopper trudged along behind Ezra, not having the luxury of being able to cover himself without limbs of his own.

Ezra had his arms up to cover his head, the whipping sand biting at his exposed skin. With the glowing red holocron fragments in his hand, they were the only thing giving some sort of direction through the otherwise unseeable landscape, which was Ezra's only form of hope he could cling on to.

"Don't worry, Chop! It can't be much farther!" Ezra calls back We'll find someone, or something."

Chopper beeps back an irritated response, not happy about having to continue on through the harsh sandstorm. Sand caked them both, getting into small cracks of Chopper's chassis and wedging themselves into his joints. Unable to offer any responses to Chopper, Ezra looks forward once more to try and see through the storm, hopelessness and exhaustion creeping into his mind.

"Draw him out."

Ezra falters in his step at the sinister, growling voice speaking in his mind, seeing a ghostly figure once more on the horizon just barely through the storm.

"Your pain, your sorrow. It calls to him."

He looks down guiltily, succumbing briefly to his fears at the words of Maul. However he hardens his gaze and glares up ahead, no longer seeing the dark figure in front of him. He won't let Maul manipulate him into despair.

"Come on, keep moving!" he calls back to Chopper, pressing forward with determination.

The storm eventually lifted, but it seemed as though the situation was only getting worse, and becoming more hopeless. Caked in sand due to the storm, Ezra and Chopper were now moving on at a slow, heavy pace. Ezra trudged along with a stumble, heat exhaustion and dehydration the only thing he could focus on any more. They've been walking nonstop for hours now, with no sign of anything anywhere on the horizon, not even a distant rock formation. Just endless sand.

Ezra breathes shakily, wiping sweat from his dirty forehead, taking in Tatooine's hot dry air with desperate gasps. Hearing Chopper's weak, pleading beeps from behind him, he turns around to see Chopper rolling forwards before slowly coming to a stop, his beeps fading into silence as the droid comes to a halt, standing completely still.

"Chop?" Ezra asks in alarm, rushing over to him. "Chopper!"

He crouches down beside Chopper and grabs onto his dome, starting to panic as he tries to rouse him out of the shut down.

"Hey, no! No, no, no, no, no! Don't do this, buddy! Come on!" Ezra pleads in despair, shaking the droid helplessly. "Chopper! Hey, Chopper!"

Chopper offers no response, completely shut down, and Ezra lowers his head with guilt.

"This is my fault. I should have just stayed home," he says miserably, having never felt more alone. "I don't know what to do!"

Ezra hugs Chopper's chassis in despair and regret, unable to abandon him in the desert, feeling intense anguish and distress, more so than he has ever felt since the mission to Malachor, where they lost Ahsoka.

The twin suns pound on him from above with unforgiving heat.

He doesn't know how much time has passed. Minutes? Hours? It all just blurs together in these endless dunes, the heat suffocating him of anything pleasant. Ezra remained on the ground beside the lifeless form of Chopper, unable to feel anything but helplessness and regret for his mistakes. He rests his head against his forearm, holding onto Chopper with his other hand to try and stay grounded in reality. Surely there must be someone... someone that can help! Some form of hope.

"He is dead!" Maul's voice suddenly whispers in his mind, full of glee. "He is dead."

Ezra looks up slowly, unable to believe it. He can't be dead...

"No," he murmurs.

"You led me to him," Maul says happily.

"No," Ezra says in denial. How could have done that? He couldn't have.

"You failed your friends," Maul taunts him.

"No!" Ezra replies defiantly.

Ezra would never fail his friends; his family! They mean everything to him!

"You will die!" Maul roars.

Ezra whips his head up to see Maul standing before him, his form silhouetted by the sun, yellow eyes glowing brightly. He ignites his blood red lightsaber, raising it with the intent to strike.

"NO!" he yells.

He whips his lightsaber out and jumps up to strike at Maul, only to swipe through nothing. He stumbles forward and collapses on the ground, losing his grip on his lightsaber which spirals away from him and deactivates near Chopper.

The last thing he hears is the mockingly, gleeful laughter of Maul echoing in his mind, before everything goes black.

Jarik POV...

"I don't understand why he came here," I mutter to myself in frustration. "Surely he would know better!"

"Temptation, is hard to ignore. Especially if it's because one believes they can do good," Obi-Wan says wisely.

For the past day now, our schedule was drastically changed. The sudden appearance of Ezra here was not something we planned for, and if the destroyed A-Wing back in the canyon is any indication, he's stranded here. I could sense Ezra's pain and sorrow from across the desert, and I know Obi-Wan could as well. That's why we were trying to find him, so that we could send him on his way before Maul finds us first.

"How would he even know to come to Tatooine in the first place?" I ask in bewilderment, before coming to a realization. "Oh, right. I'm an idiot."

"Oh really?" Obi-Wan asks casually, and I roll my eyes at him.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Shaak Ti knows you're here in exile," I tell him.

"Does she now?" he questions with a frown. "I did not realize that information was to be shared, Jarik."

"Hey in my defense, I never told her," I point out. "She put the dots together after Ezra talked about his vision."

Obi-Wan hums in understanding, looking ahead out at the great expanse of desert.

"Is she doing well?" he asks me.

"She's made peace with her role," I inform him.

"It's saddening to know that Mace and the others weren't so fortunate," he sighs regretfully.

"I'm... sorry about that, master," I say apologetically.

With all of the spare time we have living in the sands of Tatooine, I've gotten around to telling Obi-Wan plenty about some of the things I've bee doing for the past few years, with the incident on Naboo a few months back being one of them.

"It's not your fault Jarik. They weren't fully able to move on from past," Obi-Wan says sadly, before nodding his head forwards. "But we can honor our fallen friends by seeking to look ahead."

I look forwards as well to see two small figures in the distance, a stark contrast against the otherwise flat horizon. As we draw closer on our dewbacks I recogize them as the forms of Ezra and Chopper, both motionless in the sand. With grim faces we keep moving in their direction, finally halting in place once we're a few feet away, and dismount our dewbacks.

Obi-Wan silently walks up to them before pausing, and I move to stand beside him. Chopper is standing completely still, the harsh environment having exhausted his battery forcefully shut him down. Ezra on the other hand is laying face down in the sand a few feet away from Chopper, his lightsaber fallen from his grip. The two had clearly been traveling through the desert for some time, if the sand and dirt covering them was any indication, and through the Force I could still detect Ezra's fear of Maul in his mind.

"He's been through much," Obi-Wan says softly.

I nod my head wordlessly in reply, sighing as I look down at Ezra with a sad gaze. I wish he hadn't come, but I can't fault him for it. Maul's gotten way too deep in his mind without him knowing. Obi-Wan takes a few steps forward when Ezra seems to regain consciousness, weakly glancing behind him. He meets Obi-Wan's gaze, and I can't tell how much he's able to perceive before he falls unconscious once more. I crouch down beside Chopper and brush off a bit of the sand clogging up his chassis, looking over as Obi-Wan crouches down to check Ezra's health.

"He seems to be alright," he tells me. "What about the droid?"

"His battery is dead. The sand has messed up a lot of his systems," I respond.

"Well, I'm sure you can fix that," he replies with a small smile.

I smile back at him lightly before looking around us, scanning the horizon for any sign of Maul. But aside from the distant hills and dusty haze as a result of the heat, there wasn't anything to look at. Only an endless desert, and the sweltering heat of the twin suns from high in the sky.

"Maul will be here soon," I state grimly.

"He will," Obi-Wan nods in resignation. "For now, we'd best help our young friend here."

3rd person POV...

Night had fallen over the deserts of Tatooine.

After discovering Ezra and Chopper in the empty desert, alone and left to surely die, Jarik and Obi-Wan brought them to safety on their dewbacks, heading back in the direction of the ridge. Once they had found a suitable place to make camp in the evening they stopped, carefully depositing Ezra and Chopper onto the ground. While Jarik cleaned the sand from Chopper and hooked him up to a power lamp to restore his battery life, Obi-Wan administered his care to Ezra, well knowledgable in dealing with the effects of a heat stroke, before gathering sticks from dead bushes scattered nearby, getting to work on starting a fire.

Eventually, Ezra came to in the night to find himself lying on the ground, a burning campfire set up in front of him. Lifting himself up, he looks around to see Chopper operational again, standing between a pair of growling dewbacks, who sniffed the ground curiously. Ezra sits up in confusion, and Chopper beeps at him before turning his dome to look at the other person sitting with him. Following Chopper's gaze, he instantly notices a robed man seated across from him in the campsite, tending to the fire with a stick. Ezra rubs his eyes in disbelief, and the man looks up from the fire to meet his gaze.

"You're in the wrong place, Ezra Bridger," he states.

"Master?" Ezra asks, hope filling him as he gets to his feet. "Master Kenobi?"

"I am. And when you have your strength, I will help you on your way," Obi-Wan says, getting to his feet and pulling his hood down.

"On my way?" Ezra asks, shaking his head. "No, I came here to find you. To warn you!"

"About Maul?" he replies calmly, momentarily checking Chopper.

"Yes!" he exclaims in confirmation, before pulling back in confusion. "Uh, you know?"

"Of course he does Ezra," another voice says, getting into the conversation. "Why do you think I'm here?"

Ezra glances over in surprise as Jarik walks forwards, setting a small pile of sticks beside the campfire.

"Jarik!" he says, a bit baffled. "So you did know Master Kenobi was here!"

"Very perceptive," Jarik responds dryly. "After the war ended, we parted ways. Obi-Wan stayed here, while I went looking for Ahsoka."

Stopping beside him for a moment, he lifts a syringe and sticks the needled into Ezra's bicep. Ezra cries out in pain at the painful pinching sensation while Jarik injects a substance, ripping his arm away once he was finished.

"Ow! Hey, what was that for?" Ezra demands, rubbing his arm.

"Relax kid. Being in that sandstorm for so long likely given you a disease. That should help fight it off," Jarik explains, putting the syringe away. "What I'd like to know is why you're here, and not back with the Rebellion."

"Like I said, Maul's looking for Master Kenobi. I had a vision about it!" Ezra tells him with some irritation.

"Surely you didn't think I would've ignored that," Jarik replies, crossing his arms. "I told you all I couldn't share anymore details."

"But what if you weren't here in time to warn Master Kenobi?" he points out.

"He already knew about Maul before I arrived," he replies, sitting down beside the campfire.

Ezra blinks in surprise and turns back to face Obi-Wan with a questioning look on his face.

"You did?" he asks. "How?"

"One doesn't survive as long as I have by being foolish or unprepared," Obi-Wan explains calmly, walking around the fire to him. "Maul is an old adversary, and a persistent one at that."

"Then we can fight him together," Ezra says determinedly.

"That wasn't really the plan Ezra," Jarik interjects. "I've spent the last several days throwing him off course, leading him farther away to ensure he never finds Obi-Wan."

"But why not just face him head o? With all three of us, Maul doesn't stand a chance!" he reasons determinedly.

"I had no intention of fighting him, though that seems inevitable now," he replies grimly.

"You don't understand. You're the answer!" he insists. "The holocrons told me. They said you would be the one to help us destroy the Sith!"

Obi-Wan turns around and shares a troubled look with Jarik, frowning at the statement.

"Hmm. It's the first I've heard of it," Obi-Wan admits.

"The Rebellion needs you. We need you to defeat the Empire!" Ezra says hopefully.

"What you need, you already have," he replies, stepping closer to him. "Unfortunately, you seem to be letting it all go."

"But if I had what I needed, why would the holocrons send me to you?" he asks, confused.

"Because they didn't send you," Jarik says grimly, getting his attention. "Maul did."

Ezra widens his eyes in surprise, and Obi-Wan sits him down on the ground with a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Maul used your desire to do good to deceive you, and in doing so he has altered the course of many things," he explains regretfully, and Ezra looks down in disbelief. "He knows your fears, your heart, and he manipulated the truth, which has led you here, where you should never have been."

"But the holocrons, they tell the truth!" Ezra insists.

"Do they?" Obi-Wan responds rhetorically. "The truth is often what we make of it. You heard what you wanted to hear, believed what you wanted to believe. And now, the only one who has gained anything from all of this is-"

"Me."

The three Jedi look up at the sudden interruption, seeing Maul standing a few feet away from the campfire, narrowing his yellow eyes with a snarl. Ezra gets up with an angry frown, confused when Obi-Wan holds him back.

"You must go now," he says, getting to his feet.

"I led him to you. Let me make it right!" Ezra protests, following after him.

"That is not your responsibility. I will mend this old wound, alone," Obi-Wan replies calmly.

"Without help from your former student?" Maul questions mockingly.

"He doesn't need my help," Jarik states passively, looking up at him with a neutral gaze.

Maul narrows his eyes angrily, but he simply disconnects Chopper from the power lamp without much concern, further frustrating the zabrak. Obi-Wan gestures to his dewback for Ezra and Chopper.

"Ride north. That is your way out," he tells him. "Your way home."

Sensing both Obi-Wan and Jarik's confidence, he nods to them in acknowledgement with a trusting gaze, and mounts the dewback. Chopper flies up onto the creatures back to set himself behind him and, with a flick of the reins from Ezra, they set off in the direction Obi-Wan advised.

"See you soon, apprentice!" Maul calls out with a mocking wave.

Reminded of his old adversary, Obi-Wan turns to face him while Jarik remains seated at the campfire, choosing to not get involved. This is something that needs to be settled between the two of them, not him. Maul lowers his arm after waving, and takes a moment to observe Obi-Wan with a sigh.

"Look what has become of you. A rat in the desert," he mocks.

"Look what I have risen above," Obi-Wan replies calmly.

The two begin to circle the campfire slowly, staring each other down while Jarik watches.

"I've come to kill you, but perhaps it's worse to leave you here, festering in your squalor," Maul sneers at him. "I would've thought you'd join your brat in his struggles. Perhaps he doesn't want you anymore."

"Makes sense. It's not like I came to help him or anything," Jarik retorts, scoffing.

"Indeed. I must wonder why. You've earned quite the reputation for yourself Shan," he hisses, looking down scornfully at Jarik as he passes behind him. "Why come here, when you could continue to pursue glory against the Sith?"

"Because he understands what is most important," Obi-Wan interjects calmly. "If you define yourself by your ability to take life, your desire to dominate, to possess, then you have nothing."

Maul comes to a stop and growls with anger, narrowing his eyes.

"Then what do you have?!" he roars.

Pulling out his lightsaber, Maul slashes the red blade through the fire, spraying up sand and extinguishing the flames to plunge the pair into darkness, the only light coming from the three moons and Maul's lightsaber. Jarik looks up from the fire, no longer to tend to it, while Obi-Wan comes to a halt beside him.

"Why would you come to this place?" Maul suddenly asks. "Not simply to hide."

Obi-Wan narrows his eyes suspiciously while Jarik tenses up at the statement, their reactions not missed by Maul as he comes to a realization, a smile forming on his face.

"Oh, you have a purpose here. Perhaps you are, protecting something?" he suggests, smirking at them.

Jarik gets to his feet tensely, moving behind Obi-Wan to stand in support behind him. Master and apprentice both look at Maul with hardening glares, which he takes delight in having struck a nerve.

"No. Protecting, someone!" Maul proclaims confidently.

Obi-Wan ignites his lightsaber in hand, the blue blade springing forth to light his face up in blue. Obi-Wan twirls his lightsaber slowly and points it at Maul in his traditional stance, outstretching two fingers and pointing at him. Maul responds by spinning his lightsaber around and activating the second blade, getting into his own battle stance with a glare on his face. Jarik remains tense and uneasy, but slowly backs away from them so that Obi-Wan has room to fight.

The two old enemies stare each other down, Maul positioning his lightsaber at the ready and twitching anxiously. Seeing Maul's position, Obi-Wan slowly shifts to get into an Ataru stance with his blade held at his side, reminiscent of the stance used by his old master. Maul spots this with hidden glee and takes two small steps forwards, tightening his grip on his lightsaber. It's almost like poetry for him; he struck down Kenobi's master right in front of his apprentice, and now Kenobi's apprentice shall watch the same thing happen to his master.

Finally, after a few tense seconds that seem to stretch into hours, Maul strikes.

With a roar, he lunges forward and rapidly twirls his blade, aiming to cut through Obi-Wan. The old Jedi Master deflects the blow swiftly and swings at his side. Maul crouches down on one knee and blocks the strike, then holds his lightsaber in both hands and pushes upwards in an attempt to strike him in the face with the hilt. However, that's precisely what Obi-Wan was waiting for and he swiftly slashes his lightsaber straight down the middle.

There's a sudden silence, and they both stand in place with their lightsabers still on.

Maul growls quietly, but without warning his expression turns more to shock and pain, and he lowers his arms. The two halves of his lightsaber swing downwards and deactivate as he slumps over, a steaming gash cut through the middle of his chest. Obi-Wan quickly turns off his own lightsaber and catches Maul before he could hit the ground, the broken lightsaber halves rolling out of his limp hands.

Maul takes a shuddering breath, unable to find any energy for rage as Obi-Wan watches him sadly, a grim look on his face.

"Tell me… is he the Chosen One?" he asks weakly.

"He is," Obi-Wan confirms with a nod.

Maul stares up at the sky with a dazed expression, and glances over to the side upon sensing another presence. He can just barely make out the form of Jarik standing nearby, watching with an unreadable expression. Maul thinks about him, thinking about all their battles, encounters, and hardships. He thinks about the three of them gathered here, who have all been hurt and ruined by the manipulation only one man.

"He… will… avenge us!" Maul proclaims resolutely.

Jarik's expression softens slightly at his words and he shares a brief glance with Obi-Wan, who looks saddened himself. Obi-Wan looks down at the still form of Maul sadly, and gently closes his lifeless eyes, laying a hand against the wound on his chest. Jarik walks over slowly and crouches beside him, observing the lifeless body of Maul.

"It's over then…" he murmurs.

"It is, old friend," Obi-Wan replies with a sigh.

"Despite how much I hate him for everything he did to me… all I feel now is pity," Jarik says softly.

"Maul was just another victim of Palpatine's manipulation," he replies grimly, looking up. "We all were, Jarik."

Jarik sighs sadly, completely understanding just how true that statement was. All of the pain and suffering that he, Obi-Wan, and even Maul have gone through… all of it is a result of Darth Sidious. He's hurt so many people in his quest for power, causing unspeakable horrors.

"You ever think about what could have been, Obi-Wan?" he asks quietly.

"Sometimes," he admits. "But we cannot control what may be, or what might have been. Only what we can do."

Nodding in reply, Jarik looks back down at Maul, sadness and pity overcoming him as he thinks about all of the pain that the former Sith Lord endured.

Chopper Base - Atollon

Following the directions of Master Kenobi, Ezra and Chopper discovered Maul's gauntlet starfighter, the Nightbrother, resting hidden amidst a rocky outcropping. The two now flew the ship down to Atollon's atmosphere, escorted by a pair of A-Wings as they approach the base. Upon landing, Ezra and Chopper exit the starfighter, still caked in sand, to find the rest of their crew, their family waiting for them. Nearby, the Mantis Crew look on as well, with Cal meeting Ezra's gaze for a brief moment and nodding to him with a smile.

"Tell me this means what I want it to mean!" Zeb asks anxiously, recognizing the starfighter.

"We won't be seeing Maul again," Ezra confirms, smiling at him.

"Well?" Hera asks, and he looks at them with a guilty expression.

"I'm sorry I ran off like that," he apologizes. "I was wrong. This is where I'm supposed to be. You're my family, and we should go home."

Smiling back at him, Hera, Zeb, Chopper, and Kanan all reach out to lay their hands on Ezra's shoulders in support, glad to have him back. The Mantis Crew watch the scene in content, with Greez scoffing good-naturedly at the sight.

"Well isn't that a sweet reunion," he says.

"It certainly is Greez," Cere replies in agreement.

"Maul's gone then," Merrin murmurs softly, and Cere nods in reply. "So... I guess at this point we're part of the Rebellion?"

Cal glances at BD-1, who chirps eagerly from his shoulder, and then places a supporting arm around her waist.

"I don't see why would shouldn't join their family too," he remarks.

Merrin nods back to him, smiling softly at the statement. At one point, that feels like a lifetime ago, Merrin thought she had no family left. Then she met Cal, who introduced her to her new family aboard the Mantis. Now, seeing the clear familial bond shared by the Ghost Crew, she's more than happy at the idea of adding more to the family. They may not be nightsisters like her, but she considers them family just the same.

Great Chott salt flat - Tatooine

Jarik POV...

After Maul's passing, Obi-Wan and I decided to pay our respects to the former Sith by giving him a proper burial in the sands of Tatooine, mourning the loss of a possible life he could've had if not for Darth Sidious. Afterwards, with Obi-Wan's dewback reacquired, we traveled to the Lars homestead to reassure ourselves that all is well, that the hope of the galaxy has not faded yet. In the evening sky, the homestead was visible not far from us, the call of a woman's voice reaching our ears.

"Luke! Luke?" Beru calls to her nephew.

I could just barely make out the small form of Luke Skywalker running across the sand, returning back to the homestead at his aunt's beckoning. After a few moments I glance over to Obi-Wan.

"He'll be alright," I say softly.

"Indeed," he murmurs in reply, stroking his beard. "I just hope he's ready when the time comes."

I look back out at the homestead, watching as Luke disappears inside.

"He will be," I say, feeling confident in my answer.

Whatever destiny is set in stone for Luke Skywalker, whether he's the Chosen One or not, the Force will guide him. From what I can sense, my destiny might not be set on the same path as his. For now though, it's probably time that I return to worry out my own future, and leave Luke in the care of my old master once more.

Author's Note: This chapter I'm sure has been a long awaited one for many of you, and I enjoyed writing it. It was definitely fun to cover some of the different character aspects in this, including Maul's descent into madness. Which was an interesting take on him in canon, as it also made sense. At this point, getting revenge on Obi-Wan is the only thing driving him, and without much else he's slowly slipping back into the wild states he was when Savage first found him. To be honest, there are seriously a lot of moments that are really long awaited in this series, and I'm dying to get to them lol.

Did anyone spot the reference I made when Jarik and Obi-Wan were chatting? ;)

Also still partially debating how much of "Dragons: Race to the Edge" I'll include, as in my timeline that show starts when Season 4 of Rebels does and ends when A New Hope begins, while HTTYD 2 happens a year after the show, putting it as 1 ABY in the Shaniverse (1 year after ANH and 2 years before ESB). I like Race to the Edge and think it's a good show, but not much of it is really crucial to the story of Jarik (that's why I skipped out on Defenders of Berk between V4 and V5). I'll definitely have some of the major parts, as the villains are pretty cool, and set up Drago Bludvist, but how much I add is up for debate.

Imagine if Viggo and Thrawn were to meet lol. They're basically the same character when you think about it.

WARNING! This next bit gets a bit more involved in political viewpoints: I'm not trying to push my views on others, or would I want to, as what's important to me is providing all of you readers with a good Star Wars story. I just felt I should respond to this topic. You're more than welcome to disagree with me on it. :D

To that one reviewer (who I won't name because I don't want them to be targeted by others) I think it's silly to believe Rosario Dawson is transphobic. So many accusations of bigotry get thrown around these days that they kind of lose their meaning. As I understand it, Rosario and her family got into a conflict with a trans person, so therefore they're accused of being transphobic. Why?

Media and the accusers see it as Rosario Dawson and her family getting in a fight with a trans person.

I see it as Rosario Dawson and her family getting in a fight with someone, who happened to be a trans person.

A key aspect of being treated equally means that both the positive, and negative sides of it are made certain. You can't pick and choose to have one over the other, otherwise it is not equal treatment: it would be special treatment. Whatever fight allegedly happened, I'm in no way excusing it, I just don't think that jumping to conclusions is the best, or ideal way of handling things.