Warning: Smut at the end of this chapter.
Twilight of the Apprentice
The five Force users boarded the Phantom and headed to Malachor. After Hera said a tender goodbye to Errol and Alaara made both Dash and Ahsoka swear they'll make it back, of course.
They also took Slick with them. They are currently in Hyperspace, heading to the Sith planet.
"Once we drop out of Hyperspace, we'll be going dark." Ahsoka told Rex through a hologram.
"Are you two sure about this?" Rex asked them.
"Yes, Rex." Dash said.
"Guys, you don't have to go to Malachor alone. I could be there in two rotations." Rex tried to suggest bringing him along.
"We're not alone, Rex." Ahsoka reminded him.
"You know, I could've ordered you both to take me along." He remarked.
"Well, you don't outrank us anymore." Dash reminded him once more with a smirk.
"In my book, experience outranks everything." Rex said one of his major beliefs.
"Hmm, then we definitely outrank you." Ahsoka retorted.
"May the Force be with you." Rex then said with seriousness, making the couple nod before the hologram cut off. Errol was sitting next to them, deep in thought.
"Hey, sport. You alright?" His dad asked him.
"I'm just slightly worried I might not see Hera again." He revealed to them. The two looked at each other and they knew exactly how he felt.
"Don't worry, sweetie. You'll see her again. Besides, how else are we gonna get grandchildren?" Ahsoka decided to joke around. It worked as Errol's face blushed with embarrassment.
"Mom… knock it off." He groaned, making his mom and dad laugh. The family trio then walked up to Kanan and Ezra up front.
"Why is Rex so worried? What does he know that I don't?" Ezra asked them.
"Malachor has always been off limits to Jedi." Kanan replied.
"Why?" Ezra asked.
"*sighs* Old legends. Stories told to us as younglings in the Temple." He replied again.
"But legends tend to be based on some kind of truth." Errol pointed out.
"If Malachor is off limits, why would Master Yoda send us here?" Ezra then questioned. No one answered. They then exited Hyperspace and saw a grey planet.
"I don't know, but I trust Master Yoda. There's something here for us." Kanan finally answered Ezra's question.
"Yeah, something to help us stop the Inquisitors." Ezra said.
"Knowledge." Ahsoka and Dash said in unison.
Kanan descended them into the planet's atmosphere and flew through clouds. Slick then beeped that he found something.
"A ship? What type is it?" Errol asked him. Slick grunted over the comlink.
"Great. He can't tell. Track it anyway." He then told his droid.
Kanan flew for a bit until he came out of a parting in the clouds.
"Whoa, look, up ahead. What is that?" Ezra said, seeing something. They all looked and saw a flat ground surrounded by a circular rock wall. And in the centre were eight pillars and a ninth in the middle of them.
"I don't know, but the ship we're tracking went there. I'm gonna set her down." Kanan said and so he flew down to the flat and landed close to the pillars. They all exited the shuttle and Errol noticed how the rock wall was much more far away, meaning this flat was much larger.
"I don't see any ship." Ezra pointed out.
"It's more than likely underground." Errol suggested. Dash started to feel a presence closeby. A presence he knew of, but didn't know what it was yet.
"Slick, stay with the Phantom." He then ordered his droid, who nodded.
The five then walked up to the large pillar in the middle and stopped right up to it.
"What are these things?" Ezra asked. Dash looked closely and saw writings that he knew of, as well as Ahsoka.
"This writing's in the old tongue." He said.
"Can you and Ahsoka read it?" Kanan asked. The couple looked at the writings.
"We can try. It's a very old form, We can only make out a few words." Ahsoka explained as she and Dash read aloud the writings in the language they're written in.
Ezra looked at the writings and he was so focused on them, as though they called out to him, that he blocked out their voices and reached out to touch the pillar. Errol and his parents noticed this.
"Wait!" He called out but Ezra went ahead and touched the pillar, leaving a red glowing handprint. It then formed a crack into the ground, spreading and then ground gave in, making them all fall through, yelling as they fell towards another ground. They all rolled once they made contact and then stood back on their feet.
"What is that?" Ezra asked as he saw a really large structure that looked like a pyramid with a red tip. Everyone looked in the direction Ezra faced and frowned.
"A Sith Temple." Ahsoka told him. Errol noticed that all kinds of structures surrounded the Temple. It looked a lot like a city.
"No wonder this planet was off limits." Dash muttered.
All of them walked their way through the city, noticing the shafts of light beaming down from holes in the flat ground above them. Ezra put his hand under one of the shafts of light.
"Ezra, now's not the time." Errol told him right before Slick beeped through the comlink.
"Yeah, we're fine, Slick. Any fix on the ship, yet?" Errol replied. Slick told him that he did so.
"He's picked a trail. That way." He then told everyone and they headed in the direction. They also walked past what looked like statues in various positions.
"I bet whatever we're looking for is inside that Temple." Ezra hoped.
"Seems likely. Just remember, if there's a ship, we're not alone down here." Kanan told him.
"Ahsoka, Dash, you said we're here to find knowledge. What kind of knowledge?" Ezra questioned.
"The forbidden kind. To defeat your enemy, you have to understand them." Ahsoka said, making him frown slightly.
"What better way to learn about the Sith." Dash added as they continued on. Errol then sensed that they were being watched so he kept himself on edge, watching every shadow and just about anywhere someone could hide in.
They kept walking until they saw more statues and so they stopped to look at them all.
"The ground looks scorched. Whoa, Kanan! A lightsaber. And another." Ezra said, kneeling down to grab a hilt. He then turned it on and it was a green lightsaber and surprisingly, there were crossguards as well. But just as it turned on, it deactivated.
"A saber with a cross guard…. They were used long before any of us were born." Dash said.
Kanan looked closely at one of the statues and connected the sabers with these statues.
"This was a battlefield." He said, grimly.
"What the hell happened here?" Errol asked.
"It looks like at one time, thousands of years ago, Jedi Knights attacked the Temple." Ahsoka explained.
"And the Jedi won, right?" Ezra asked.
"I don't think anybody won." Dash said in a dark tone.
"I hate to break up this history lesson, but we should keep moving." Kanan reminded everyone of their mission and so they started to head their way to the Temple again.
"Well, if you ask me, this whole planet is a riddle." Ezra said. Errol looked to his right and narrowed his eyes as he saw what may look like a statue but it was too detailed to be one.
"So if it's a riddle, what's the question?" Kanan asked his Padawan. Errol saw the 'statue' move with their hand reaching their back. Errol's eyes widened.
"Why is Kanan such a-" Ezra was saying but Errol pushed him and Kanan out of the way, igniting his saber as the 'statue' revealed itself to be an Inquisitor, who ignited his and spun at him, making them both be in a saber lock.
"Scumbag." Errol snarled before he kicked the Inquisitor back. Everyone else ignited their sabers, ready to fight.
"Five Jedi?" The Inquisitor said, sounding rather pleased.
"An Inquisitor!" Ezra exclaimed as they all charged at him but he jumped back, throwing some detonators at them. Ahsoka, Dash and Kanan took cover as Ezra and Errol got behind a statue before the detonators exploded, causing the ground to crack open, making the two fall further underground.
"Ezra/Hunter!" The three older Jedi yell out in worry. The Inquisitor ran away as the three went to check on the two.
"Guys, can you hear me?" Kanan called out to them as they groaned, getting up.
"We're alright. Go after the Inquisitor before he gets away!" Errol told them all.
"Don't worry about us, we'll catch up!" Ezra agreed. The three nodded before beginning to chase down the Inquisitor.
"This may take a while." Errol muttered as they looked around.
"Yeah, where are we exactly?" Ezra asked.
"I know where you are." A man's voice said, making them both freeze and turn around to see a hooded figure standing in the darkness, holding on some kind of walking stick.
"You're with me. *chuckling*" The man added. Errol sensed nothing but pure darkness from him and so he and Ezra ignited their sabers and pointed them at the man.
"Please put your weapons away. I… I mean you no harm." The man said, trying to seem peaceful, but Errol in particular didn't trust him. The figure looked at Errol and had a look on his face that showed that he thought he looked familiar.
"Stay back!" Ezra warned him but the figure kept walking up to the pair.
"We're warning you, stay back!" Errol spat at the figure.
"Forgive me, it…. It's just, I've been alone so long. I-It's been years since I've spoken to anyone." The figure explained, hiding his face, looking away from the two.
"You've lived here in the dark for a while?" Errol asked, still cautious as he now noticed that this figure is at least part Zabrak since Errol picked up on the patterns on the figure's arms, having seen others like him. There was one person his parents told him about that was part Zabrak.
"Not by choice. My ship crashed. I'm trapped, marooned. I've had to scrounge and scrape to survive." The figure then said.
"Look, we're sorry. Okay, we wish we could help you, we have to get back to our family and friends." Ezra said, looking back up at the hole.
"Well, perhaps I could help you." The Zabrak suggested.
"I doubt that." Ezra scoffed.
"Why are you here?" The figure asked them.
"Do you really think we'll tell you?" Errol replied, keeping his guard up.
"You came here for the same reason I did, years ago. You seek knowledge." The Zabrak told them, facing the two, letting Errol get a glimpse of his yellow eyes, a trait of a Dark Side user.
"It's in the Temple, isn't it?" Ezra asked him.
"And I know the secret way to get inside, but… but I'm too old. I… I… I need help to open the door." He revealed to them. They then slid down and stood in front of the figure.
"What's inside?" Ezra asked.
"Help me and find out." He told the pair.
"Show us this doorway." Ezra requested as he and Errol approached the man closer.
"Please, this way." The Zabrak gestured in a particular direction.
"You first, buddy." Errol narrowed his eyes at him.
"You do not trust me?" He asked them.
"We don't know you." Ezra reasoned.
"Well, then let's change that. Call me 'Old Master', And you?" He said, clearly not telling his true name.
"Call me 'Jabba'." Ezra said, not revealing his name.
"'Swift'." Errol said.
"Hmm. Come then, Jabba and Swift." Old Master told them before heading off.
"He's a Dark Side user. Don't trust him." Errol cautioned Ezra, who nodded slowly as they followed him.
The three walked for a bit in silence and there was so much tension in Errol, knowing that whoever this Old Master was had evil intentions.
"How much further?" Ezra whined.
"You worry about your friends?" The Old Master asked them.
"They need our help." Ezra replied.
"Yes… *sighs* ... and with good reason. The Inquisitor is powerful." He explained, surprising the two young Jedi.
"You know of the Inquisitor?" Errol asked him.
"*sighs* He is my enemy. All Inquisitors and their Masters are my enemies." He told them, sounding bitter.
"You were a Sith, am I right?" Errol asked, moving his lightsaber slightly in front of him for protection, as did Ezra.
"The Sith…. The Sith took everything from me. Ripped me from my mother's arms, murdered my brother, used me as a weapon and then cast me aside. Abandoned me. Once, I had power, now I have nothing. Nothing." The Old Master told his story with the Sith. Errol was still cautious with him, starting to think that he just might be Maul, who his parents told him about, but Ezra ended up relating to him.
"I know how you feel." Ezra confessed, getting the attention of the Old Master.
"The Empire, it took away my home, and my mother, and my father." Ezra explained, sounding angry, teetering on the Dark Side.
"And you want revenge." The Old Master said.
"I want justice!" Ezra snapped back. Errol watched in silence, getting worried that Ezra might be turning to the Dark Side.
"Yes, yes! And you shall have it, for I have discovered the key." The Zabrak revealed as he started to walk.
"The key to what?" Ezra asked in confusion.
"The key to destroying the Sith." He replied.
"Well, that is the knowledge inside the Temple?" Ezra asked as he and Errol followed him.
"Yes, that Temple holds secrets of the Sith, secrets that have been buried with the dead for thousands of years." The Old Master said as they approached a doorway with stairs leading up to the Temple.
"And you'll share this knowledge with us?" Ezra asked for clarification.
"Yes. Yes, of course." He assured him as the three walked up the stairs.
Eventually, Errol and Ezra turned off their sabers and they reached the top of the stairs.
"Whoa." Ezra muttered as they approached the front entrance of the Temple.
"A place of worship for some. To others, an engine of destruction. But at its heart, our prize." The Old Master said.
"How do we get in?" Ezra asked.
"Two must lift these stones. No more, no less. That is the way of the Sith." The Old Master explained.
"You seem to know an awful lot about them." Ezra pointed out. Errol rolled his eyes.
"That's because he used to be one." He reminded his fellow Jedi.
"To defeat your enemy, you must know your enemy. Even practice their beliefs." The Old Master pointed out.
"Yeah, my Master wouldn't approve of that last part." Ezra said.
"Then he is doomed to fail." The Old Master said, of course, biased towards Jedi.
"Now, young Jedi, help me." He then requested Ezra's help, connecting more with him than Errol.
With hesitancy, Ezra closed his eyes and reached his hand out to the Force to move the rocks that blocked the entrance in front of them. And it proved to be difficult as the rocks were too heavy and it only moved the tiniest bit with dust being kicked up.
"I can't. It's too heavy." He groaned.
"Your anger is a wellspring. You must use it." The Old Master instructed Ezra.
"But a Jedi is never supposed to act out of emotion." Ezra replied. Errol was annoyed that the ways of the Jedi Kanan knew are now implanted into Ezra, the very Jedi way that helped make Anakin turn to the Dark Side.
"Your passions give you strength. And through strength, you gain power. You have seen it. You feel it. You must break your chains." The Old Master explained, revealing himself much more.
Ezra now started to tap into the Dark Side and his emotions and this time, there was more done as the rocks moved even more, showing a red light. This was scaring Errol a bit.
"Yes. Use your power." The Old Master said with a sinister smile. Ezra was then able to lift the rocks up high enough for them to enter the Temple, but as they walked a bit further, they faced a wall.
"A dead end!" Ezra growled.
"Focus!" The Old Master snarled and Ezra tapped even deeper as the Old Master lifted another rock, to move further on into the Temple.
"What do we do?" Ezra barked.
"Release the one behind you." The Old Master told him and so Ezra did as told. Being around all of this made Errol feel slightly off, like he was having a pit in his stomach. Ezra then lifted the next rock up with ease this time. They went under it and the Old Master released the one behind them and lifted the next rock. They walked on and Ezra dropped the rock.
"*grunts* How many more of these things are there?" Ezra questioned, feeling exhausted. They then repeated this process one more time until they reached a spot for them to take a breath.
"Unless you take risks, do what must be done, there will always be limits to your abilities. Seize the knowledge. Seize the power. Do not become like me, Jabba and Swift." The Old Master explained/
"My name's Ezra. And this is Errol. Our real names." Ezra revealed. This made Errol furious as Ezra is putting trust on this man.
"Real names? Yes, I once had a real name. So long ago, I don't remember." The Old Master said, taking his hood down to reveal his face to show that he is indeed a Zabrak.
"Now… now I am called… Maul." He revealed who he really was. And Errol instantly Force Pushed up against the wall and pointed his now ignited saber at his neck.
"Errol, what are you doing?!" Ezra asked, shocked at what Errol's doing.
"This is Darth Maul, Ezra! My parents told me about how evil he is!" Errol spat.
"Your parents?" Maul asked.
"You know them. Dash Flynn and Ahsoka Tano." Errol told him. Maul now knew why he looked familiar.
"I see it now. You look so much like your father. And you have a mark like your mother." Maul pointed out, straining against Errol.
"Errol! Don't!" Ezra begged.
"He's a Sith, Ezra! He can't be trusted in the slightest." Errol reminded him.
"He's our only clue to destroying the Sith. We have no other choice." Ezra argued with him. Errol glared hard at Maul and he couldn't help but be frustrated because Ezra's right. He let go of Maul and deactivated his saber.
"Fine. But if he actually does betray and kill us, it's your fault Bridger." Errol spat, pointing a finger right in his face. He then turned back to Maul.
"I'm keeping my eye on you." He warned.
Now with more tension in the air, the trio made their way into the Temple, down some stairs and then they found themselves in a chamber with an object in the centre held within a stone of some kind. And it was surrounded by a chasm.
"Behold the key." Maul said. When looking at the object, it looked familiar in some way.
"It's a Holocron." Ezra said.
"You know of them?" Maul asked.
"Yeah. My Master has one, but it's different." Ezra told him.
"Because this is a Sith Holocron, one that holds all their secrets." Maul explained.
"Well, how do we get it?" Errol coolly asked.
"It's a test. Only someone with the courage to risk oblivion is worthy to claim it." Maul stated. Ezra then looked down at the chasm, slightly concerned but had an idea.
"Throw me. Yeah, throw me. I'll jump, and then you use the Force to throw me." Ezra told Maul.
"No. I'll do it. I don't Maul with your life, Ezra." Errol said. Maul raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything as Ezra nodded. He backed up to do a run up and then he ran to the edge and that's when Errol Force Pushed him across the huge gap and Ezra landed right next to the Holocron.
Ezra nodded to Errol and then walked right up to the Holocron and then grabbed hold of it. But when he did, the Temple started to shake and rumble, with the top of the Temple opening up. Then the platform Ezra was on started to rise up in the air.
"Ezra, jump!" Errol called out to him.
"I won't make it!" Ezra replied.
"I'll catch you, NOW JUMP!" Errol bellowed out. Ezra took a deep breath and then he jumped off, yelling in fear. Errol used the Force to pull Ezra to him and Maul at the right moment and grabbed him before putting him on his feet.
"Thanks." Ezra said, giving Errol a quick hug.
"No problem." He shrugged.
"Let's go." Maul told the two and they walked out of the chamber.
They were close to the entrance when Ezra's curiosity of the Holocron came up.
"How do you open this?" He asked Maul.
"One must be a Sith. Or think like one. But it has… *scoffs* other uses. Give it to me. I will show you." Maul said. Errol narrowed his eyes as Ezra hesitated but eventually handed the Holocron over to Maul, who placed it into the wall next to him, which opened the door in front of them.
"Sith Holocrons are keys that can open many doors." He said as he handed the Holocron back to Ezra. The rocks were then lifted up and they saw Kanan, Dash and Ahsoka fighting against not just the Inquisitor they encountered, but also the Fifth Brother and Seventh Sister.
Both Errol and Ezra ignited their lightsabers and ran to help out in the fight. When the three pushed the Inquisitors back, they saw the two.
"Ezra/Errol!" They said, glad to see that they're alright.
"Guys! We've brought help." Ezra said, pointing to Maul.
"Though he really ain't." Errol said, as his parents glared at Maul.
"Maul." Dash and Ahsoka growled upon seeing him again after so long.
"The Shadow." The new Inquisitor whispered.
"What fun. *laughing* What fun!" Maul said with a sinister smile.
"So, the rumours are true, Darth Maul lives." The Seventh Sister noted as Maul took off his hood wrap and walked up to them.
"Formerly Darth, now just Maul." He replied.
"Ezra, stay away from him!" Kanan warned his Padawan.
"You too, Errol." Dash said to his son, who stepped closer to his parents, as far as possible from Maul.
"Kanan, I swear he's on our side!" Ezra argued.
"No, he ain't. How stupidly naive are you, Ezra?" Errol remarked, earning a glare from him.
"Perhaps my actions will speak louder than words." Maul said, pull apart his walking stick to reveal his red double bladed lightsaber. He then started to attack the Inquisitors, kicking the Sister in the face.
"What are we waiting for?" Ezra asked as they all watched Maul fight against the Inquisitors with ease. He was in a saber lock with the Fifth Brother when the five Light Side users joined. Mainly Ahsoka and Dash, who was in a saber lock with the new Inquisitor and Errol with the Seventh Sister.
"The Holocron, do you have it?" The new Inquisitor, the Eighth Brother asked.
"You will find out soon enough." Maul replied. Errol tried to get an advantage on the Seventh Sister but he unknowingly left an opening, which the Sister used to her advantage and slashed at him, over his right eye, payback for when they first fought.
"Fall back!" She ordered and then she and the Brothers used their sabers as propellers and flew away. Ahsoka checked on her son, who placed his hand over his eye.
"Errol, are you okay?" She asked, concerned, pulling the hand away to see that he'll now have a scar over his eye, thankfully, his eye wasn't slashed at.
"Yeah. It stings, but I'll live." He hissed.
"Alright, Maul. What are you doing here?" Dash asked, frowning at him as everyone stood in front of him.
"The endgame, Dash Flynn. The endgame." He replied vaguely.
"I am the enemy of your enemy now, and I have my own reasons for wanting the Empire to fall. *inhales sharply* But we have little time. The one they call Vader will be here soon." Maul stated, shocking everyone with the news of Vader coming.
"How do you know this?" Kanan asked as everyone deactivated and sheathed their sabers.
"His dogs will tell him where we are. Three Jedi and two 'part timers'. Oh, he will come. He will not be able to resist us." Maul said, facing everyone.
"Okay, hold on, there is no 'us'. Dealing with Inquisitors is one thing, Vader is another. And I'm not convinced we're all on the same side anyway." Kanan told him, crossing his arms.
"Kanan, we should trust him. Uh, look. He and I took this from the Temple together. This is why we came here, right? To find out about the Sith. To find a way to beat them. Ahsoka, you said we came here for knowledge." Ezra tried to reason with the adults, showing the Holocron, concerning them all as well as Errol.
"Ezra, there is no way a Jedi can unlock that Holocron." She reminded him.
"But you may unlock the Temple itself." Maul said to Ezra.
"How? Tell me how." He requested.
"At the top of the Temple is a chamber. Connect the Holocron to the obelisk within and you can unlock the ancient knowledge of the Sith." Maul pointed out.
"Why are you trying your hardest to keep us here, Maul?" Dash asked, narrowing his eyes at him.
"I cannot defeat Vader alone." He answered.
"I say we stay with him." Ezra, to no one's surprise, sided with Maul.
"Yeah? Well I say we go, so that settles it." Kanan disagreed with his Padawan.
"*scoffs* Are you such cowards that you would run from this chance to defeat your enemies? Who slaughter your friends?" Maul questioned with some passion.
"Kanan?" Ezra said, wanting his Master to do this. Kanan looked over to Ahsoka, who then looked over to her husband and son. They frowned at Maul until they agreed, sighing in annoyance.
"Fine." They muttered, Errol pulling out a comlink.
"Hey, Slick. Looks like we're staying for a while." He informed his droid, who beeped back with concern.
"I know it's a bad idea. Just keep an eye out for incoming ships and make sure the Phantom is out of sight until we're ready to go." He replied, Slick acknowledging.
"How exciting. We're all on the same side." Maul remarked, standing next to Kanan.
"Just show us how to get to the top, and hurry." He told the former Sith.
"This way." He said, leading them all to a part of the Temple, unaware that one of the Seventh SIster's Probe Droids watched them.
Maul led them to a corner of the Temple.
"Now what?" Kanan asked him. Maul then placed his hand on the wall and the corner slid down, meaning that it was an elevator.
"Wow." Ezra said, very impressed with it all.
Once the elevator reached them, both Ezra and Maul got on. Kanan tried to join but Maul stopped him.
"Only two. No more, no less." He told the Jedi, connecting the Rule of Two the Sith used after Darth Bane formed it long ago.
"Yeah? Well, these two come as a set." Kanan retorted, shoving Maul aside and taking his place, making sure Ezra was in his sight at all times.
"You three okay riding with grandpa?" Kanan asked the family trio as he also mocked Maul.
"We'll be fine." Dash said blankly, keeping his eyes on Maul. He placed his hand on the wall, making the elevator go up.
Eventually, it came back down.
"You and I are going up next, Maul. Errol, stay with your mom." Dash said, getting on the elevator with his old enemy. Errol nodded as he placed his hand on the wall for the elevator to go up. Shortly after it came back down and both mother and son got on and made it go up.
"I'm worried about Ezra." Errol told his mom.
"How come?" She asked.
"Because Maul is making him tap into the Dark Side, much more than Ezra ever did before." He explained.
"Indeed, that is worrisome. We'll have to keep an eye on him." She suggested and that was when the elevator reached the top and they saw Maul throw the Eighth Brother off with the Force and fly off with his spinning saber and then Maul helped Ezra up as he was hanging off the edge. Dash was waking up Kanan, who looked like he was knocked out.
"You alright?" Dash asked Kanan.
"Yeah. I'm alright." He groaned, getting up. Everyone then looked up to see the other two Inquisitors flying above and around the corner of the Temple.
"Looks like they figured out your plan." Kanan told Maul.
"The Seventh Sister's Probe Droid. I hate that thing." Errol groaned.
"Then we shall alter it. I recommend we split up and scale the Pyramid from two sides. They will also have to divide their forces." Maul came up with his alternative plan.
"And let me guess, Ezra goes with you? No thanks." Kanan shook his head, not wanting his Padawan to be manipulated further by being with Maul.
"It is the logical choice. Maybe even have Errol join us." Maul argued. The suggestion with Errol made Dash place his arm in front of his son protectively.
"I say we split up. Trust me." Ezra told his Master. Kanan ultimately sighed, going along with this plan.
"Errol stays with us." Dash shot down the idea of Errol joining Maul.
"Excellent, excellent. You will find another lift on the far side, we will meet again on the next terrace." Maul said, him and Ezra getting on a lift and then made it go up.
"He'll be fine." Dash assured Kanan.
"Yeah? How do you know that?" Kanan asked him.
"Because you taught him." He reminded him.
"Though Maul easily convinced him to tap into the Dark Side with ease." Errol pointed out, leaving a grim mood with the group as they went off to get to the other lift.
Once they found it, they all decided to get on it and as they were going up, they heard Ezra yelling and lightsabers clashing.
"That doesn't sound good!" Kanan said, getting more and more worried. Errol sensed the Fifth Brother at the top so he ignited his saber and clashed with him once they reached the top. He then kicked the Inquisitor back, giving space for his parents and Kanan to get off the lift and they too ignited their sabers. They all each took turns fighting the Fifth Brother until the Eighth Brother joined in.
They split up with Errol and Dash facing the Fifth Brother and Kanan and Ahsoka facing the Eighth Brother.
The whole fight was pretty much a stalemate for a while until Maul suddenly leaped out of nowhere and changed the fight in favour to Errol, Dash, Ahsoka and Kanan. As Maul fought against the Fifth Brother, Ahsoka rolled in and destroyed his saber and this gave an opening for Maul to kill the Inquisitor.
Errol faced the Eighth Brother and managed to slash his saber, causing damage. Seeing that he was severely outclassed and outnumbered, the Inquisitor tried to take off with his saber, but it broke apart and he screamed, falling to his death.
"Where's Ezra?" Kanan asked Maul, who's back was facing them as he looked up at the Pyramid.
"You mean, my Apprentice?" Maul questioned, sending a chill down their backs, Errol and Dash knowing full well that Maul was using them all from the start.
But then Maul turned around and charged right at Kanan and slashed right at his eyes, blinding him permanently. Kanan fell on his knees in pain, holding his face as smoke emitted from his eyes.
"Kanan!" The family trio shouted in concern. Maul was about to attack Kanan again when Dash came in and the two got into a saber lock.
"I'll keep him busy, help Kanan!" He told his wife and son. He then swiped at Maul, though he dodged it by jumping back.
"I knew you were up to something!" He spat at the former Sith. Errol and Ahsoka knelt down next to Kanan.
"Are you alright?" Errol asked him, worried about his eyes.
"Not really." Kanan hissed from the pain.
"My Apprentice is activating the Temple, or more precisely, this battle station, which I shall use to exact my revenge on all my enemies!" Maul declared right before an energy wave dispersed from the top of the Temple and a bright beam shot up to the flat ground above.
Errol and Ahsoka joined Dash and they faced off against Maul.
"The power will be mine! Ezra will be mine and there is nothing you can do to stop me." Maul said with a fiery passion before he fought against the family trio. As they fought, Kanan was reaching out for his saber hilt and then he found a mask that was used by a Temple Guard.
The family saw this and they jumped back high up the stairs, away from Maul.
"Running away, again?" Maul asked Dash and Ahsoka in particular. They just smirked.
"If you want to finish our fight, you'll have to deal with him first." Ahsoka said, making Maul turn around to see Kanan with the Temple Guard mask on.
"Go get Ezra!" He told the trio and they ran up the steps to the top of the Temple. As they did, all three of them sensed the cold, the anger and the pain. They looked up and saw Vader standing on his TIE Fighter with his lightsaber activated.
"Oh, no. We must hurry!" Errol said and they all ran the fastest they could and once they reached the top, they saw Vader about to strike Ezra, whose lightsaber was destroyed.
"Perhaps I was wrong." Vader said to Ezra.
"It wouldn't be the first time." Ahsoka told him, making him stop in his tracks and turned to see both Dash and Ahsoka with angry looks on their faces. Their son behind them.
"It was foretold that you would both be here. Our long awaited meeting has come at last." Vader noted.
"Then I guess we're glad to give you something to look forward to." Dash told him as Vader deactivated his lightsaber.
"We need not be adversaries. The Emperor will show you mercy if you tell me where the remaining Jedi can be found." Vader told them, thinking they'd give in to that request.
"There are no Jedi. You and your Inquisitors have seen to that." Ahsoka told him.
"Perhaps these children will confess what you will not." Vader then suggested, looking at both Ezra and Errol, who glared at him.
"It saddens me to know that this is what my Master has become. A monster, a loyal dog to a selfish old man." Ahsoka said, feeling a form of pity.
"He would never be as vile as you are." Dash added.
"Anakin Skywalker was weak. I destroyed him." Vader replied to their words. The couple knew they'd never change him back to who he was, knowing that the person in front of them wasn't their old friend.
"Then it looks like we'll avenge his death." Dash coldly spat.
"Revenge is not the Jedi way." Vader reminded them, only for it to not phase them in the slightest.
"We are not Jedi." Ahsoka growled as she and her husband ignited their white and purple lightsabers, Vader igniting his red saber. The couple then charged at Vader, dodged his swing at them and then they clashed blades until Ahsoka Force Pushed him, making him slide on the ground and then Dash leaped into the air and slammed his saber onto Vader's, ,making him jump back and they entered a saber lock until Ahsoka joined in and they went back and forth.
As this happened, Errol ran to Ezra and helped him up on his feet.
"I need a lot more training." He muttered.
"Later. We need to deal with the Holocron." Errol reminded him of the object in the centre of the chamber, being the source of the beam.
"We can't let him get it." Ezra said. He then reached for it but then a wave of energy threw him back.
"Ezra!" Errol ran to his fellow Jedi and helped him back up again.
"It takes a Master and an Apprentice!" Kanan said, walking up to them with Slick by his side escorting him, the Phantom parked further behind them.
"Kanan!" Ezra exclaimed, glad to see he's alright, though surprised to see him being escorted and wearing a mask.
"Wait, what happened, why are you wearing that?" He asked his Master.
"I'll explain later! Slick, get the Phantom ready." The droid nodded and headed back to the shuttle.
"Ezra, help me with the Holocron! Errol, guard us!" Kanan then said, holding his hand out. This made Ezra realise what happened to Kanan.
"Kanan, your eyes…." He said in despair.
"Let's worry about that later. We've got to get that Holocron out of here. Where's Ahsoka and Dash?" Kanan said as Ezra escorted Kanan and Errol ignited his saber.
"Fighting Vader." Errol answered.
On the outside of the chamber, Vader was backing the couple up to a corner. He was relentless in his attacks, making Ahsoka and Dash be on the defensive. Eventually, the two were getting tired and that caused an opening for Vader to Force Push them over the edge. Vader thought he won this fight and had his focus on the chamber and the Holocron.
Ezra escorted Kanan to the centre of the chamber where the Holocron was.
"Just a few more steps. Now reach! Higher!" Ezra told Kanan, both reaching for the Holocron, Errol watching their backs.
"We almost have it" He then said as he and Kanan grabbed hold of the object, causing the energy to pulsate.
"Now pull!" He then told Kanan and they pulled the Holocron with all their strength and then they pulled it out, throwing them back, past Errol.
"You alright?" He asked them as the Temple started to rumble.
"The Temple's starting to collapse!" Ezra said with worry.
Ahsoka and Dash woke up from the bottom of the steps to see the top of the Pyramid was starting to lower and they had to get up there.
Errol, Kanan and Ezra were making their way to the Phantom, Slick beeping at them to hurry up.
"We're coming as fast as we can! Just be ready to go-" Ezra was replying to him when the Holocron suddenly started to pull Ezra back, making Kanan and Errol hold onto him. Errol saw that Vader was using the Force to pull the Holocron into his hands. He was too strong for them as they were being pulled.
"You are such an annoying pest, Vader! Don't you ever quit?" Errol spat, fed up with his last minute interruptions.
Behind Vader, Ahsoka and Dash charged at him with their lightsabers ignited and once they reached him, they roared and slashed right at his helmet, making him grunt and collapse to the ground and the couple rolled to a stop.
"Mom! Dad! Hurry!" Errol called out to his parents, seeing that the walls were about to close. They were about to get up when they heard a familiar voice.
"Ahsoka… Dash..." Instead of the deep and menacing voice coming from Vader, it was Anakin's. They looked back and the part of the mask that was slashed off revealed part of Anakin's face, his eye burning yellow instead of his normal blue.
"Ahsoka. Dash." He repeated, looking at them.
"Anakin." Ahsoka said with sadness as she, Dash and Vader stood up.
"We're sorry we didn't help more in keeping you in the Light." Dash said to their former friend before Ahsoka freezed Vader with the Force and Dash stabbed the floor, causing it to crack and reach towards Vader. The two then ran to the others and slid under the wall making it through before it closed off the chamber.
"Come on, let's go!" Errol told them and everyone boarded the Phantom. Slick flew the shuttle out of there and reached for the surface just in time as the Temple exploded. He then flew out of Malachor's atmosphere and entered Hyperspace as soon as possible.
Everyone was silent, glad to have escaped out of there alive. Errol sat in between his parents, holding their hands.
"Do you think Vader would have survived that?" He asked them. They looked at each other and came to the same conclusion.
"Maybe. If he did, he might not be tracking us down anymore." Dash said.
"Either way, it's over." Ahsoka said, referring to being chased after by Vader and the Inquisitors. Kanan hugged Ezra, assuring him that it's alright.
They made it back to Atollon and headed right to the Rebel Base. Once they landed, the hatch opened up and the first to exit were Errol and his parents. Hera, Rex and Alaara were happy to see that they were alright and made it back. Hera immediately ran to Errol and embraced him tightly. He embraced her back, watching Alaara and Rex greet his parents.
"Told you I'd make it back." He whispered. She chuckled and they kissed for a few seconds. Ignoring his new scar. She then saw Ezra holding Kanan, who was now wearing a bandage over his eyes, shocking her and the others.
"What happened?" She asked as they gathered around.
"It's a long story. We'll tell you later. We're just glad to be back." Kanan said. They all embraced, knowing that in the end, things were good.
Nighttime rolled around and Errol asked the crew to leave the Ghost and told Hera to meet up with her. Ever since he got back, there's been something built up in him and he had to let it all out, and Hera would help.
He shed his armour and waited as patiently as possible until Hera entered their quarters.
"Errol? What is it?" She asked. He stared at her and then slammed her up against the wall and smacked his lips onto hers with a new level of passion that he never reached. Hera kissed back with equal passion until they parted and Errol had a hunger in his eyes.
"I have a lot of tension built up from Malachor. I need to let it out. You can help me, if you know what I mean." He said hungrily. That was all Hera needed to hear as she smiled sensually.
"Is that so?" She said, sliding her hands up his sides.
"No foreplay, no slow build up. I need it now." He growled right next to her ear and it made her crotch wet, staining her clothes.
"Then let's get to it." She said and that tipped Errol over the edge and he smacked his onto hers again, the two kissing passionately as they ripped their clothes off and got on their bed, naked. Errol's hands went to Hera's hips and she turned her around, making her squeal in surprise.
He then made her lean forward as he marveled at her perfect butt, kneading and spanking both butt cheeks, eliciting moans that caused Errol to growl possessively. He then aligned his cock with her butt and inserted himself into her. Because they've done this before plenty of times, it wasn't too much of a struggle to insert into her and it no longer hurt.
"Oh yes. That hits the spot." Hera groaned in bliss as she leaned back up and rested her back onto Errol's chest. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her breasts and kneaded them as he thrusted into Hera's ass.
The couple closed their eyes because the whole experience was too good as Errol started to thrust into her faster and faster as he kneaded her breasts and kissed her neck and earlobes.
"Errol, I'm close." Hera gasped. He was feeling the same as her.
"Me too." He trembled, thrusting slightly faster until he came into her butt and she too came onto the bed, not caring about the mess. They gasped from the release, Errol thrusting a few more times until his cock got soft and he pulled out, the cum slowly spilling out of her. Now worn out, they laid down on their bed, tiredly breathing.
"Did that help?" Hera asked.
"Very much." He nodded. She smiled and curled up to him.
"Good. I'm glad I could help." Hera said, kissing him on the cheek.
"Let's get some sleep." He told her, pulling the blanket over them without looking.
"That's nice." She said, dozing off at the same time Errol did, feeling much better than before.
I was eager to write this chapter and I feel good to have finished it. As you saw both Dash and Ahsoka leave Vader there at the temple. If you remember in the show, Ahsoka stayed out of guilt, but in this story, because she and Dash don't feel guilt, they have no problem leaving Vader there.