Chapter 25

Ezra arrived to the coordinates Kanan sent him and climbed off the speeder bike, taking a quick look around at his surroundings as he did. He was standing at the edge of another clearing, also surrounded by trees, but it was a little bit smaller than the one they train at; about thirty or forty meters shorter in diameter. The trees were not really the same size unlike their training area. Some were tall while most were pretty small. In the center of the clearing, he found Kanan meditating, his own speeder powered down next to him. Ezra approached Kanan as he stood up to face his apprentice.

"You made it," Kanan said, his face remaining relatively emotionless.

"Of course. Any idea where this temple could be?" Ezra asked then.

He wasn't trying to rush the situation, in fact he was very patient with this whole thing surprisingly. Nevertheless he longed to get back to Sabine, though he remembered she's not alone either. His unit is with her and that thought alone put his mind at ease.

"My time meditating helped me get a general understanding, but I'm still not sure of it's exact location," Kanan said.

"Maybe I can help," Ezra offered, getting down to his meditation position as Kanan did the same.

They both shut their eyes and focused on the Force, searching for the Temple's location. After a few minutes, they both opened their eyes and looked to the North.

"It's over there somewhere," Ezra said as he stood up.

Kanan nodded and they both climbed on their speeders and began to head north.

...

"You seem pretty calm right now, Sabine," Max said.

She and Sabine were sitting on the sofa in the common room, drinking some Cassius tea as they talked. Coren, Jill, Jax, and Keith were all resting in the guest rooms.

"I can't help it. Everytime I drink this stuff I feel like all my worries fade," Sabine said.

"Just like whatever Ezra does with the Force? The uh... I don't know Force Relax or something like that?" Max asked.

"There's really no name for that actually. I think of it as some form of Jedi Mind Trick."

"Yeah that. So how does he do it?" Max asked.

"I think he just connects to the Force and thinks of happy thoughts maybe? I don't know exactly, but if that's the case he uses good memories," Sabine replied.

"How do you know?"

"I can see them as he sees them. If not that, he just pulls all my fears and worries out of my mind and 'releases it into the Force' as he says it. In a way, this tea gives me the same feeling."

"I remember hearing about something that happened with Ezra a while back," Max said, suddenly changing the subject. She didn't know why but she felt like she wanted to know more about how Sabine got together with Ezra.

"It was over a year ago. Maybe a year and a half," Sabine said. It's been long enough, she should tell the whole unit. They don't know what happened back then, but they know something went wrong.

Sabine sighed and began to explain, "We were on Abansaz to take out an Imperial TIE factory. Rumors were starting around Yavin that we were already dating, but we weren't at that time. Everything was going the usual: think of a plan, plan goes out the window, things go to their worst. We were supposed to be heading back to the Ghost to escape, but Ezra didn't want to fail the mission. He was going to run back into the factory and grab the data spike we left in the computer, but... my charges detonated. They were set on a timer."

"Oh no..." Max gasped.

"He was in a coma for 5 months after that," Sabine said, her grip tightening around her glass.

"You must have been devastated," Max whispered.

"I was a wreck. I could have gone insane if he died," Sabine said. "He pulled through without any complications, and we've begun solidifying our relationship since. It wasn't long after he woke up, maybe three weeks, and he was doing well with his recovery."

"Who said it first?"

Sabine blushed, "I did, though I said it in Mando'a first."

"Really? Sabine Wren, scared to admit her feelings to Ezra Bridger?" Max laughed.

"I was scared he'd reject me," she said.

"After all you two have been through?"

Sabine nodded, "Hey we're Mandalorians. We don't specialize in this sort of thing. Neither did the Jedi so... you get my point."

"I suppose you're right."

...

"Ezra!" Kanan shouted over the speeders.

"Yeah I know!" Ezra shouted back, slowing his speeder to a stop, Kanan stopping next to him.

They both climbed off their speeders and approached an old, run-down looking structure. Ezra placed his hand on the walls and looked up.

"I think this is it..." he murmured.

"Don't conclude with your sight, but with the Force," Kanan said.

Ezra closed his eyes and focused on the Force. He sensed Kanan did the same.

"I sense it..." Ezra said. "We're here."

Now to find the entrance.

The two Jedi searched the Force for the Temple's entrance, and after a few moments, they found it was near the top of the Temple.

"How do we get up there?" Ezra asked.

"Focus on jumping. There should be ledges on the sides to grip to, but I could be wrong," Kanan said.

"How do you know so much about different Temples?" Ezra asked.

"I had spent much of my time studying the different kinds of Jedi Temples scattered around the galaxy during my years as a youngling," Kanan said matter of factly.

"Wish I had what you did," Ezra said.

"Trust me what you got was easy."

"You call all that training 'easy'?" Ezra joked as they began climbing.

"Yeah, I do. Want to know why?"

"Why?"

"Because you did not have to worry about battle droids."

"You're right," Ezra said. "I had to worry about the Empire."

Kanan was silent for a few moments. "Ok scratch that part, but you still had it relatively easy."

"Whatever you say, master," Ezra said with a grin.

They made it to the top and Ezra looked over the edge to the ground.

"How tall is this thing?"

"About 200 meters I think," Kanan said.

"Right," Ezra said turning around again. There still wasn't a door seen.

"I have a feeling this is going to be like the Temple on Lothal," Ezra said.

Kanan nodded and they both knelt, focusing on the Force once again.

"This one won't be easy. You have grown powerful in the Force, Ezra," Kanan began. "Whatever this temple tells us to do, we'll have to do it."

"Understood," Ezra replied.

Few moments of concentration passed before they 'heard' the temple.

"It... wants me to go alone..." Ezra said.

"Then alone you shall go. The Trials will always leave the Padawan alone."

"What happens if I don't pass?" Ezra asked.

"Then you are not a Knight. Not necessarily a Padawan, just not a Knight. Most Padawans that don't make it as Knight, become archive librarians. Some retired Jedi used to do the same. Some become temple guards I think, though there were probably some Knights there, too. I honestly don't have a full understanding of how this works," Kanan explained.

"Good to know," Ezra said. He walked up to the wall and pressed his right hand to it, focusing the Force through his hand and into the wall. It began to shake and a slab of the stone slid down, creating a bright entrance into the Temple.

"You must go alone from here," Kanan said.

"I know," Ezra said before walking into the Temple.

The stone slid shut again, sealing him inside.

Just like the Temple on Lothal, there were three paths to choose from.

"Which one do I choose?" he asks himself.

He closes his eyes and concentrates, first looking down the left path. Didn't sense anything except danger. Next he searched the center path, feeling more danger, but not as strong as the left. Last he searched the right path. This one felt peaceful, but something still didn't feel right.

"Which path will you choose?" a female voice asked.

Ezra calmly opened his eyes to see a familiar figure ahead of him.

"Sabine?"

Sabine smiled at him, "Come on. You know which way to go, right? I mean you are a Jedi after all."

"What are you doing here? How did you even get in?" Ezra asked.

Sabine just coughed, "Jeez I have to do everything myself."

Something wasn't right and Ezra knew it. This didn't sound like Sabine and she even looked different. Her hair was back to that white and pink, and she wasn't pregnant. Nevertheless, he decided to follow her with his guard up.

"Over here," the fake Sabine said, running around a corner. Ezra sensed a quick disturbance just before there was the sound of a lightsaber activating, then a scream.

Ezra ran around the corner and found Sabine impaled by a red lightsaber. The red glow revealed Darth Vader in the shadows. The blade was removed from Sabine's midsection and she collapsed, Ezra running up to catch her. By now he forgot that wasn't the real Sabine.

"NO..." Ezra shouted as he held Sabine's lifeless body.

"You have failed to save her just as you will fail to save the rest of your friends," Vader said, his crimson blade giving off a menacing glow to his black suit.

Ezra stood up and clutched his head, "No... this isn't real... you're not really here!"

"How can you be so sure?" Vader asked.

"It's just like that Grand Inquisitor. It's not real!"

"Then you will die believing a lie," Vader growled as he swung his lightsaber at Ezra, who jumped back to evade it.

He tried to ignite his own lightsaber, but Vader suddenly vanished with the crimson blade.

...

Kanan remained still on the stone balcony, his meditation firm.

"Doing well, your padawan is," Yoda said.

"I don't know. I sense his struggle," Kanan replied.

"Natural, that struggle is."

"He has to learn to accept death," Obi-Wan said, his ghost materializing next to Kanan. "Death at the hands of evil."

"I understand."

"It's the same way you received your title as Jedi Knight. He must understand that he can't always be there for his friends and family."

"I'm not sure if he's willing to accept that just yet. I still fear for him," Kanan said.

"Naturally. We all fear for the Padawans going through this final test."

...

Ezra was about to crash through a stone wall, but that turned into the durasteel floor of the Ghost. No, his quarters on Yavin. He stood up and rubbed his head, then heard the alarms and saw the warning lights. An automated voice on the intercom ordering a full evacuation of the base. Ezra opened his door and expected to see rebels running down the halls, but instead he saw a hallway filled with blood and bodies. The lights flickered and shut off making the hallway look like a haunted wasteland. The walls and floors were riddled with lightsaber marks and blaster burns, the bodies also covered with blaster burns. Some of the bodies were unrecognizable since the didn't have heads or limbs. The sight was sickening, even for the strongest Jedi and soldiers.

He heard a scream from down the hallway and rushed to assist. He turned a few corners, his lightsaber now active, and suddenly stopped as he found a rebel pinned against the wall by a familiar figure.

"Delphine?"

"Oh hello, dear. I'm glad you're still alive," she said cheerfully. She pulled out a blaster and shot the rebel in the head, his lifeless body crumpling to the ground.

Behind Ezra, a legion of stormtroopers marched down the hallway towards him.

"However, I'm afraid it's too late. I've come to accept that you're never going to leave her," Delphine said, a menacing tone beginning to replace her usually cheerful tone.

"What have you done?" Ezra asked.

"What I should have done a long time ago," Delphine said. "Lord Vader, I've held up my side of the deal, now it's your turn to fulfill yours."

Ezra turned around and found Vader standing behind him, the infamous 501st troopers flanking him.

"You have done well, Katz. The Emperor thanks you greatly for your service," Vader said.

Ezra turned back to Delphine, a dangerous look in his eyes, "You sold us out?"

"Hey don't look so upset. It's just you and me now," she said.

Ezra stood still, then blinked a couple times, he was seeing a pattern here. Everything he was seeing was about death. People close to him dying by the Empire.

Delphine took a step forward towards Ezra, but he just shut his eyes. He couldn't sense Vader anymore. He reached for his lightsaber but found it was gone. Delphine took another step forward forcing Ezra to step back.

"If I can't have you, then nobody can," Delphine said as she pounced at him, a vibroblade in her hand.

Ezra sidestepped her and grabbed her wrist, twisting it to disarm her, but she's still a trained militant. She was able to avoid the disarming by tossing the blade to her other hand. Ezra was just barely able to dodge the strike and he kicked Delphine's legs out from under her. With her down on the ground, Ezra was able to run down the hallway, narrowly avoiding a strike to his leg. He found his way to his quarters again and tried to open the door. He sensed something behind him and ducked out of the way just as a blade smashed into the metal door.

He shoved Delphine out of the way, but she grabbed a hold of his sleeve and pinned him against the door, the knife to his throat.

"We could have had a lot of fun together," she whispered.

Ezra stayed silent. He didn't want to be there. He kept silently pressing the button to enter his room, getting Delphine off of him, and getting away. But nothing happened. Delphine slowly began pressing the blade into Ezra's skin, hoping to cause him pain before killing him, but before she did any damage, the door suddenly opened and Ezra fell into an empty space. It reminded him too much of that Temple on Lothal with the Grand Inquisitor.

...

"He still doesn't seem to get it," Kanan said.

"You should have more faith in your apprentice, Kanan," Obi-Wan's ghost said. "He is figuring it out. Slowly but surely."

"I wish I could help him."

"I know the feeling."

...

Ezra opened his eyes again and saw the planet Delphine brought him to the first time she kept him. It was just as he remembered it; the trees all full of pale leaves, just like the grass on Lothal, the grass looking the same.

After that battle, they added the planet to rebellion charts and they studied the planet, eventually decided it would be good as a backup headquarters if Yavin was discovered. It was exactly how Delphine said it was; one day like Yavin, with Lothal's colors, then like Hoth almost the next day. The snowfall at that point in the weather was intense. Since it was a newly discovered planet, and no inhabitants, they called it Epsilon Prime.

"It's nice out today, isn't it?"

Ezra swiftly turned around, activating his lightsaber, and found Delphine sitting in the grass a few meters away, staring at the clouds.

"The weather is going to change tomorrow, starting late tonight," she added.

Ezra watched her carefully. There was a heavy silence between them. This part of the Temple was different. He could feel it. He thought about the past events he went through and it clicked. He deactivated his lightsaber.

"Aren't you going to kill me?" Delphine asked.

"No."

"And why not? I hurt you and your family. I tried to kill Sabine several times."

"It's not the Jedi way. I shouldn't care how much you hurt my family, it's not right to kill an unarmed suspect," Ezra said.

"So you are forgiving me for my actions? Forgiving me of my crimes?"

"If that's what it takes to end this madness and bring peace back, then yes."

Delphine stood up, brushing the grass off her clothes.

"And what of the Empire? Are you still willing to kill every last one of them?"

"I've come to realize killing isn't the answer, but the alternative if all else fails," Ezra answered.

"And of the Sith?"

Ezra was silent. He didn't know how to answer to that.

"The Sith will not yield to kindness. That is the only evil that cannot stand."

Delphine smiled, "You have done well. In spite of all that you've experienced, you still managed to find peace. You found what it means to be a Jedi again."

A light appeared on a nearby tree.

"Enter, Ezra Bridger. What lies beyond is not in my knowledge. Only you can see."

Ezra slowly walked over to the entrance but stopped, turning around to look at Delphine.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the real side of the one called Delphine. You must help her, Ezra."

"From what?"

"You will know soon. Farewell, Ezra Bridger. Your time has come."

With that, Ezra entered the opening in the tree and everything changed. He found himself in some sort of room, with lightsabers lining the walls from the floor to the ceiling. On one side of the room sat a man in white, some sort of lightsaber lying in front of him.

"Where am I?"

"Ezra Bridger. You have passed one test, but to finish your path, you must pass a great challenge."

"What challenge would that be?" Ezra asked.

"You must learn to let go of your attachments to your loved ones."

Ezra stared at the man some more.

"You're a Temple Guard?"

"I am."

"Why should I let go?"

"It is against the Jedi Code to form attachments," the guard said.

"The Jedi of old are gone! Attachments are not a bad thing to have! It's the only thing keeping me and Kanan alive these days!" Ezra countered.

"How so? Did you know Darth Vader was once a Jedi. His fall to the dark side was because of attachments," the guard said, standing up, his lightsaber in his hand.

"He probably didn't have a strong sense of mind or something," Ezra said.

"Tell me, if you think attachments really help you, then winning here shouldn't be much of a problem, yes?"

"What?" Ezra asked.

The guard didn't answer. Instead he ignited his blade and charged Ezra, forcing him to dodge several strikes before igniting his own lightsaber and parrying an attack away from his neck.

"I don't want to fight you!" Ezra exclaimed, but the guard didn't say anything. Instead he kicked Ezra's legs out from under him and pointed his golden blade at Ezra's throat. Two more guards emerged from their hiding places and surrounded Ezra.

"It's not whether you want to or not," the guard said.

Ezra reignited his blade and managed to get behind the three guards, but they were really not making it easy on him.

"You can't depend on your friends," the guard said as their sabers clashed. "They will only bring you pain in the end!" With that he threw Ezra into the wall, knocking some lightsabers off their racks. Ezra tried to stand, but collapsed to one knee. He looked up at the guardsmen.

"You're right. It could bring me nothing but pain," Ezra said, his breathing heavy. "But that's a risk worth taking."

The guard lowered his lightsaber and hovered next to Ezra's head. Though it didn't feel like it, their duel lasted almost an hour.

The guard moved his lightsaber over Ezra's right, then left shoulder, ending above his head as he muttered a few words Ezra struggled to process.

"Wait... what...?"

"You have fought well, Ezra Bridger. It is true that the Jedi lost their way, and there have been several that have had secret families and never lost their way. Vader fell because he lacked the strength to resist the dark side. Go, master Jedi. Your family needs you in this dark time. The Empire is coming for you and your friends soon."

"What does that mean?" Ezra asked.

"You are what I was in the past. A Knight of the Jedi Order. You haven't much time, you must go," the guardsman said as a doorway appeared leading straight to Kanan.

...

"Kanan!"

Kanan turned around and, through the Force, 'saw' Ezra standing behind him.

"Ezra, you made it out! What happened?"

"I'm fine. I think I passed, but the temple guard told me we didn't have much time. We need to get back to everybody and fast!" Ezra explained quickly.

"I sense something's coming, too. You're right," Kanan said.

Ezra jumped off the temple balcony then and used the Force to slow his fall enough to land safely and Kanan did the same. They got on their bikes and sped off back to the Rebel base. Kanan split off away from Ezra to get to the headquarters while Ezra made his way back to Sabine.

...

A/N: Alright there's a good explanation to this ending. I had the duel go very well with a lot more detail, then I forgot to save my progress and accidentally changed from this site to another site and lost a large chunk of this chapter so I had to rewrite it. But due to my limited time, and patience, I couldn't rewrite it exactly how it was before.