Chapter 43
Shrould of Darkness
"How many are there?" Ezra, he was speaking to someone?
"More than enough for the two of you." An unknown voice, dark, malevolence on the end of every word. "Nothing can save you."
"Why are you on Malachor?" Kanana demanded, where he couldn't see him.
"Hunting." the dark voice said.
"But you were not expecting us."
"Who are you after?"
"A shadow."
REBEL FLEET
Phoenix Squadron
Waking up from the dream, Ahkilleon heard loud banging on his door "Up and at'em Ahkilleon, training." Ahsoka said through the door. Ahkilleon got up groggy, rubbing his eyes as he got dressed and opened the door to see his mother standing over him disapprovingly.
"Come." she ordered.
He followed her to the hangar, where Captain Rex was waiting with Commander Sato's men, "About time, what are you planning on sleeping the day away?"
"We're in space Uncle Rex, how do you know if it's night or day?" Ahkilleon asked him, yawning.
Rex smirked, "Well time for a wake up call, right Commander?" Rex asked Ahsoka.
"We'll see?" She said.
Rex smirked, "Alright kid, take your position and my assistant will take theirs."
"Assistant?" Ahkilleon asked as he got a smack in the back of the head "Wake up Snips." Sabine said walking into the hangar and slipping her helmet on.
Blinking a few times, "What, you're in on this Rainbow?"
"Well since Kanan and Ezra are off looking for our base, I thought I'd get the target practice in, don't worry I won't hurt you." She teased, Ahkilleon smirked at her watching her walk away "Come on, get in the center." Ahsoka said to him, breaking his gaze.
He walked out to the middle of the floor and turned his lightsaber on, the hum of the green blade signaling Sato's men, Rex and Sabine, to get ready. "Begin." Ahsoka said and the barrage of blaster stun rings rang out in the hangar. Rex and Sabine, both holding their twin pistols, added four new barrels to the barrage and Ahkilleon deflected them using his jedi senses that became more honed in the days since they all met. Ahkilleon moved his smaller body around, flipping off one hand and deflecting while contouring his body into every changing movement to avoid the ones he could deflect. Ahkilleon switched his grip from forward to reverse three times in the process of the drill till Sabine held her fire watching him, moving waiting for her opening and then NOW. She squeezed her carbine pistols and shot Ahkilleon in his blindside. He deflected one slicing the blue stun ring energy into vapor but the other hit him right in the face knocking him out.
A few of the rebel troopers winced at such a direct hit even Rex said "Ouch."
Sabine spun her blaster pistols in each finger holstering them "Cake."
Ahsoka shook her head, as Rex approached her "Needs a bit more practice."
"I thought he was ready for it, maybe I started too early?" Ahsoka said to second guess herself.
Rex looked her in the eye "You're doing what you think is best for him, same as General Skywalker did for you, he'd be proud to know your following in his footsteps… Ahsoka?" Rex asked seeing Ahsoka durn ghostly pale when he said that.
"It's nothing, Rex I… just spaced out." She said looking over at the center of the target ring, Ahkilleon was being shaken awake by Sabine.
Moaning out he saw Sabine with a marker "What are you- oh don't you dare." He said, shoving her hand away "Oh I didn't." Sabine said smiling under her helmet, he got up and Rex had to stifle a snicker along with some of the men.
"What?" Ahkilleon asked looking around at them, Ahsoksa saw written on Ahkilleons forehead in Sabines handwriting was 'Shoot Me'
Ahkilleon ran his forearm sleeve across his forehead to wipe the marker off, "Sabine!" he snapped at her, "What, if you had blocked my shots this wouldn't have happened think of it as motivation." Sabine said from a distance.
The training resumed shortly after and with more intensity, as it progressed Hera walked in with Zeb at her rear, she approached Ahsoka who was diligently watching her sons training, "Ezra was asking when he'll get a turn?"
"That's up to Kanan, speaking of any word?" Hera asked.
"Just now, Kanan and Ezra want us to meet them away from the fleet, didn't say why but they're alive and that's what counts." Hera said optimistic.
Ahsoka turned back to the drill seeing Ahkilleon had found his groove and was now deflecting the shots better than before, the first round having woken him up entirely. "He asked for you to come too, really?" Hera added.
"That's enough." Ahsoka said loudly for all to hear, the shooting stopped and Ahkilleon looked around stunned "But I was just getting the hang-" "I said enough, meet us at the Ghost padawan." Ahsoka snapped firmly before she turned to leave.
Ahkilleon stood there perplexed as everyone stood down, Sabine walked up behind him "Don't take it personally, my mom trained me ten times harder than this."
"Because she's a Mandalorian?" Ahkilleon asked sarcastically.
"No, because my mom is one mean bitch." Sabine replied before he followed.
Later, the crew boarded the Ghost. Proxy was waiting at the entrance. "Are you sure you do not need me to come with you mistress, what if the young master is taken again?"
Ahsoka stopped "We'll be fine Proxy, I hope, besides you deserve a break after the ordeal you had."
"But Mistress I am fully functional even after Commander Sato's engineers cross examination of my systems, I have no viruses or spyware from the Militia?" Proxy replied wanting to go.
Ahsoka shook her head, "No, stand down, thats an order." She replied.
"Yes… mistress." Proxy said before she boarded the Ghost.
The Ghost had flown away from the fleet and the Phantom, the Phoenix's secondary support ship, was redocked with the mother ship, Ezra and Kanan exited it followed closely by Chopper. Hera was out there waiting for them, Zeb was sitting at the lounge table working on his bo-rifle to pass the time " Well, you two seem fine. How's The Phantom?" She asked the pair.
"I don't know. Chopper was flying." Ezra said.
"Oh, boy." Hera said, hearing the lack of optimism in the boy's tone.
Zeb then asked "So, kid, you found a base yet?"
"No, but we did find two Inquisitors." Ezra chirped back.
"Oh, that's nothing new." Zeb bemoaned when Kanan left the Phantom followed by Chopper.
Hera saw him and in a delicate voice replied "She's waiting for you, why did you have us meet you out here away from the fleet?"
The look of doubt on Kanan's face was mixed with uncertainty and even some fear "It's safer this way." Kanan said, his ears perked up to the clashing sound of lightsaber on lightsaber, all too familiar to his ears from recent events. Walking out to the cargo hold he saw Ahkilleon training with Proxy in lightsaber combat.
"Blaster training, lightsaber combat, Ahsoka is really drilling the kid?" Kanan said to Hera.
Elsewhere in the ship, inside Kanan's quarters for her own privacy Ahsoka was meditating to a holocron playing an old recording, Ezra walked in and saw the recording was of a man tall, handsome with perfect hair, wearing dark gray robes and faded red. He was deflecting laser bolts with a blue lightsaber "Keeping your saber moving is key to deflecting the fire of multiple adversaries." he said before he started to deflect the shots "Fluid motion, one into the next, into the next, and so on." The man said before he turned off his lightsaber speaking off camera. Ezra looked wide eyed at the man, a jedi from a bygone time "I've made some adjustments to the classic Form IV techniques that I think you'll find work well against droids and other ranged attackers."
Ahsoka listened and watched the man, "Here, I'll show you. One, two, three." the jedi knight went through the motions of his lightsaber deflecting the shots high, low and side to side.
"He's amazing." Ezra said as the recording went on "I've watched these recordings to help me with my own saber training.
The togrutan woman smiled softly almost sadly "You should have seen him in person, Anakin Skywalker, he was my master."
Ezra replied "Kanan said he was the greatest warrior the Jedi had in the Clone Wars."
Ahsoka smirked at the praise "He was powerful, rarely lost a battle. What would have surprised people was how kind he was. He cared deeply about his friends, and looked out for them until the end." Ahsoka said.
"Practice these exercises mindfully, and you'll see improvement, I promise." The recording ended and the holocron deactivated into itself resealing itself on the floor.
There was a tense pause "Do you know what happened to him?
"The last time I saw him, he was rushing off to save the Chancellor…. Then everything changed." Ahsoka said sadly.
"The war ended and the Jedi were accused of treason, and the schism had just been resolved so were united only to fall…. Ahkilleons father tried to fight, he and a handful of Jedi tried to retake the Temple, and kill the Emperor… I thought none of them survived but then we have the Militia." she paused before continuing"Then One by one, they were hunted down."
Ezra shared the grief in her voice "By the Inquisitors."
The door opened and Kanan walked in "Or worse, speaking of Inquisitors; Ahsoka, what do you think about us hunting for a change?" Kanan asked her.
Ahsoka got up, hand on her hip "When you defeated one, two more came, who's to say we wouldn't multiply our problems yet again?" she asked.
"And there's Vader." Kanan reiterated.
"I don't disagree. But the fact remains, we can't protect our friends from Vader and his Inquisitors." he looked at Ezra "I can barely protect you."
The boy, somewhat offended, was taken aback "I don't need protecting."
Before an argument could ensue between mentor and student, "It's times like these that Anakin and I would turn to someone like Obi-Wan or Master Yoda. They always had the answer." she gave a playful shrug "Well, almost always."
"Then maybe we should ask Master Yoda?" Kanan said.
"I don't follow?" Ahsoka asked him.
Ezra stepped in "When we were on Lothal, when I first found my lightsaber crystal I went to a hidden Jedi Temple on Lothal, my home I spoke to Master Yoda." Ezra said excitedly.
Wide eyed Ahsoka looked at Kanan, "I could hardly believe it either, but it's true, there's a Jedi Temple on Lothal."
Ahsoka set her jaw and exclaimed "Then that's where we need to go, but there's a chance the Militia have found it with their own Jedi."
"We have to take the risk, even if it draws the Inquisitors there too." Kanan insisted.
"What do we tell Hera?" Ezra asked "We don't, this is jedi business." Kanan said putting a hand on his shoulder "Go get Ahkilleon, he should come too." Kanan added, looking at Ahsoka. Ahsoka frowned at Kanan overstepping "I know he's your son and your apprentice, but if he's going to walk the path of the Jedi, a pilgrimage like this could do him some good." Kanan pointed out.
Ahsoka reluctantly nodded.
Later, they were all piling into the Phantom with Zeb watching them go along with Sabine and Hera, "So, where are they going now?" Sabine asked.
"Sometimes it's better not to know." Hera said, watching the Jedi and Ahsoka all depart.
LOTHAL
Northern plains
The only other Jedi on Lothal were soon to have company, Tai Uzuma Knight of the New Jedi the Ikar, and her padawan Declan Koi were training on a remote plain, her green saber clashed against his blue lightsaber staff the long stick with a lightsaber blade at the end gave Declan a long striking distance but made his Masters green saber far more effective at close range. Lightsabers danced off one another and sparks of yellow energy flashed upon each blade meeting the other. "You've gotten rusty." Tai said as she countered and put him on the defensive.
"We haven't really fought anyone with lightsabers Master?" Declan replied.
"Which is why we're training." She replied as they continued to spar.
Suddenly Tai stopped "Hold." She ordered and Declan felt it too.
"Is that who I think it is?" he asked.
Tai looked up to the sky and felt out with the force, "Yes, can feel how many?" she asked.
Declan shut his eyes under his Sunguard visor and reached out with the force a hand up "Four jedi, no three… I'm not sure who the fourth is?" he said.
"All the same, we should alert the Militia." She said turning off her lightsaber, Declan deactivated his and they walked back to two mustang speeders parked side by side.
"Master, if these are other Jedi shouldn't we at least try to talk to them, we got off to a bad foot the first time we met his Kanan Jarrus?" Declan suggested.
Tai mounted her speeder "Trust me, they've made their stance clear, we shouldn't underestimate him or the woman he's with, especially her."
"But this shouldn't be left up to the Military, should it?" he asked.
Pausing Master Uzuma sighed "No, no it shouldn't, the Jedi were never meant to be soldiers but right now keeping the rest of the Order on Arcadia is what matters, and we need the Militia for that and besides, I know why you want to see them." she said looking at him. He was yet to get on his own speeder, Declan set his lightsaber pike on the side of it where a soldier would place his blaster "Put that Jedi King nonsense out of your head, not even the Council believes it."
"The Council is divided on the Jedi King, if he or she even exists, but the other boy, not the Bridger one, you saw him on the Holos, the reports are wrong he's alive, he's the son of-" "I'm well aware of his lineage, but it takes more than blood to be a king, the Jedi do not serve kings we serve democracy." she told him.
Declan got on the speeder "Then I vote we go?"
"And I vote we don't, there we're at an impasse we'll go to the Militia for a tie breaker." She said turning on the speeder and he followed her. They skidded over snowy covered grasses before Declan veered off following th force at full speed, "Dammit Declan!" Tai shouted.
Up above in Orbit, the Phantom dropped out of hyperspace with Kanan flying ,Ezra stood behind him with Ahsoka and Chopper, Ahkilleon sat in the back trying to get some rest from Ahsokas new non stop training.
"Ezra, you're from Lothal?" Ahsoka asked "Yeah, this place is my home." Ezra said as they descended onto the planet from above.
Ahsoka looked back to see Ahkilleond dozing off into sleep "Rise and shine Ahkilleon, we're here."
Yawning out he replied "Oh goody." They landed outside a large stone pillar made of the same stalagmites that dotted Lothal, but this one was different: the snow and ground had circles carved out of the ground and the pillars rose around it in a strange way, almost mythical.
"Here it is." Ezra said as they walked out of the Ghost, before they could approach the temple the four of them stopped, "You hear that?" Ezra asked.
Kanan and Ahsoka turned west and so did the boys, coming toward them at incredible speed on the back of a mustang speeder was Declan Koi, the Kage Sunguard and New Jedi padawan of Tai Uzuma. He was coming in hot and brought his speeder to a halt, and got off. "The Militia, be alert." Kanan said reaching for his lightsaber and taking it out, Ahsoka took hers out and so the other padawans. After his dismount, Declan approached them briskly "That's close enough." Kanan ordered.
But Declan kept walking toward them slipping his lightsaber staff out of the sheath on his back, Kanan raised his guard "I told you-" Declan moved as if to swing but within two feet of them he dropped to his stabbing the butt of his lightsaber staff into the dirt looking at them, looking at one of them.
"What do you want?" Ahsoka asked.
Declan said nothing for a long time "I want to serve. I am Declan of the House of Koi, son of Theseus Koi of the Sunguard, Victorious Dead of Rhen Var and Akane of the Kage Mistress of Shadow, padawan of Master Tai Uzuma of the New Jedi, and I am at your service…." he looked at Ahkilleon "My King." and bowed his head.
Just then Tai rode up on her own speeder, she saw Declan kneeling and gritted her teeth approaching them "Get up you stupid boy." she snapped at him "I want only to be your man in victory and defeat my lightsaber is yours." Declan said again not getting up.
"I said get up." Tai grabbed Declan by his armor collar and pulled him to his feet, getting between him and the rebels, "Where are your friends, Tai?" Kanan asked.
"Cale- Kanan, it's just us." Tai said hands up not going for her lightsaber "Me and one very overzealous padawan." She said, chastising her student.
She looked over at Ahkilleon scanning his face "You think that's your so-called king?" she asked her padawan, Ahkilleon looked abashed and said nothing, "Tai Uzuma, from your padawan class?" Ahsoka asked.
Tai lowered her arms slowly "Greetings Lady Tano, a shame we couldn't speak at our last encounter I-" "Save your breath why are you here Tai?" Kanan interrupted.
"We could ask you the same thing Kanan, but why are we here? My padawan saw you in a vision arriving here at…." she looked at the strange structure and at the ground with the intertwining Temple "... a Jedi Temple, by the force." She said,
Declan walked up to her "The force is with him, Master, do you not see-" "Be silent." She hissed at him, "We are all Jedi here, there's no need for politics to make us enemies brothers, sister." She said, adamantly.
"I'm not a Jedi." Ahsoka said to them, Tai faced her "Even so, I don't want a fight, none of us do, my padawan is out of line, he's not thinking clearly." she said.
Declan shook his head, "Master I-" "I said shut up!
Tai recoused on the Jedi in front of her, plus Ahsoka "Yes, we work with the Militia but we are Jedi, surely that has to mean something Kanan?" She asked him.
"I've seen what kind of Jedi you are, your friend Lord Asimov-" "Is a fanatic, we aren't all like him Kanan, more than half of the New Jedi don't even serve in military roles." She argued.
"What does that make you?" Ezra asked accusingly, "Advisors, yes we join them on the battlefield but not because we want to, we have to." Tai said.
Ahsoka wasn't convinced "It's that kind of talk that led to the Clone Wars?"
"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the galaxy is that good people do nothing. We are on the same side in this." Tai said hands at her side she grabbed her lightsaber and all the rebels tensed up before she flung it away giving up her weapon "At least let us help you with whatever your here for, not Militia, not rebel, jedi business so maybe you can see we aren't all like Asimov."
Kanan looked at Ahsoka and then at Ezra, taking a breath "We plan to enter the temple, to seek its guidance, alone." Kanan told them.
Tai nodded and she placed one hand on her chest and extended the other, "Then we'll guard the entrance, make sure you're not disturbed."
The jedi disarmed themselves and Ahsoka said "You should know, with this many force wielders here will draw the eyes of the Inquisitors."
"Let them come, as long as one of us draws breath they will not defile this place." Declan declared stomping his staff down. The others looked at Declan oddly, it was like he'd become a different person, more serious and less snarky teenage padawan.
Ezra looked up at them "Okay, but no funny business."
"We promise, I give you my word as a Jedi." Tai said to Kanan and Ahsoka who were still looking at her distrustfully, "Be careful, that use to mean to something." Kanan hissed at her.
Tai frowned when he turned his back and they let them approach the Temple, "If you and Kanan stand here, you can use the Force to open the temple." Ezra said up to the two adults.
"... I cannot." Ahsoka replied holding her arm.
"Why?"
"Like I said, I am no longer a Jedi. It was my choice, I left the Order. It's probably best if you two open it." Ahsoka said to them.
"All right then. Kanan?" Ezra said as Master and student got into the circle they held out there hands and channeled the force to the Temple to open it up to them. While Ezra and Kanan focused, Ahkilleon could feel Declans eyes on him he looked over his shoulder and saw the other padawan holding his lightsaber tightly ready to use it at a moment's notice.
Ahsoka tapped him on the shoulder to keep his eyes forward, "He said his father was Victorious Dead at Rhen Var, do you think… he was there?"
"Most likely, don't think about it, focus on the here and now."
"But that jedi is here and now, is he like the Zealots Turok told us about?"
Ahsoka glanced down at him in silence, "Focus on the task at hand, we'll worry about this later." Ahsoka warned him.
"... yes, Master." Ahkilleon said bitterly. They watched the Temple rise up from the ground twisting like a cork screw a doorway appeared but then it rose even higher out of the ground to Ezra's astonishment.
"Hey, where's the door going?" Ezra asked, Kanan looked back to Ahsoka and her son "This is new." the Jedi replied.
Ahsoka walked up to him with "Well, new problem, new door." she said as the doorway settled giving them an entryway into the Temple.
Kanan turned back and called to Chopper "Chop, stay here. Keep an eye out." he ordered "And play nice." Kanan added to the droid who gave a growl to Tai and Declan who began their vigil. Before they watched the Temple sink back down beneath the ground. The rebels walked down the Temple hallway passing by ancient stone walls and entering into a large open room with a mix of cave and building bricks.
"How did you contact Master Yoda here?" Ahsoka asked.
"Well, he kind of contacted us." Ezra explained.
Ahkilleon crossed his arms firmly, "What like sent you a holo?"
Ezra frowned at him, as Kanan told Ahsoka "I thought I was dreaming when I first heard Master Yoda's voice and I was meditating."
"Then perhaps that's a good place to start." Ahsoka said sitting down, they all sat down and started to meditate Ahkilleon was the last one and looked around the stone, he looked at the strange carvings seeing images of people that he'd never seen and yet he felt like he knew he saw an image of a man with a pointed hat being followed by a man in black and a woman in white with green hair heading toward a strange floating diamond "Ahkilleon, meditate." Ahsoka said before he obeyed.
Outside the Temple, the New Jedi, Tai and Declan were on guard outside the Temple, Tai had her hands on her hips, "How many times have I told you, the Jedi King is a ruse created by Asimov and Calibam they fed it to the Warlords like Trench who spread it to get Jedi to join the Militia." Tai said as Declan paced holding his staff at the ready.
"You don't know that for a certain Master."
"Of course I do, I knew Asimov and Caliban before they were even Asimov and Caliban, the two of them want young jedi like you to believe in it, to act reckless." She scolded him.
He turned to her "What's so wrong with believing in a Jedi King, it gives us hope."
"That's not hope Tai, it's a lie they've been building for years and it didn't even have to be the Tano boy, it could have been any-" Tai stopped mid sentence when Chopper started to go crazy waving his arms around from inside the Phantom.
"What's that droid saying?" Declan asked.
Tai listened for a second, "Inquisitors, heading this way." She said she walked over to her speeder and started to press a few buttons sending out a signal, "Commander Dray, come in." Tai said over and over.
Then the signal got through and a small hologram of Dray appeared on the bike, "Tai, where are you?" he asked.
"No time to explain Commander, we're in the northern hemisphere, there's a Jedi Temple here and Two Inquisitors are on their way, send everything we can't let the Empire have this place too."
Dray's eyes went wide "A Jedi Temple…" he thought about it, "We're on our way, we can't risk sending anything from the moon, it'll draw too much attention, hold them off for as long as you can, Militia Invictus." Dray said before he cut the transmission.
"Declan get in the rebels ship and we'll attack the Inquisitors from the air and…. Where the hell is that droid?" Tai said seeing the Phantom was gone. Her padawan pointed into the sky where the Phantom was flying very, very far away.
Deep underground in the hidden Temple, Kanan woke from his meditation he could see appearing out of one of the cavern walls was a glowing doorway "I see a doorway."
"Where? I don't see anything." Ezra asked him.
"Neither do I." Ahsoka echoed, Ahkilleon looked around as well and they looked at him "What, I don't see anything either?"
"Last time we spoke to Master Yoda, we were separated." Kanana said getting up walking to the doorway that only he could see "Maybe this is my path alone."
Watching his back he headed toward the invisible doorway, Ezra called out "Be careful."
"Don't worry. I wouldn't do anything you would do." Kanan teased before he vanished.
Ezra nearly jumped up with a start "Where'd he go? He just disappeared."
"As you know, these temples can be tricky." Ahsoka said as Kanan walked through the door of light and came out on the other end into a familiar room, it was a dojo with white walls and floor lined with ancient wood. The Isignia of the Jedi on the wall and floors, looking around Kanan saw that the walsall were lined with wooden swords and even lightsabers on mantles. But sitting their on their knees dressed in white robes and armor inlaid in gold was a man, he wore a featureless mask with only yellow paint on it around the two eyeholes, a hinge lightsaber at his belt rising to greet Kanan.
They had their hinge saber in one hand, the other arm behind his back "I wondered when you would return." they said with a deep voice muffled by the mask.
"A temple guard."
"I've come for knowledge, I need to know how to defeat Vader and his Inquisitors.
The Temple Guard held up his hinge saber hilt like a ruler scolding a child "Try to fight, and you will fail. The Rebellion will be destroyed. You will die, and your apprentice will become a servant of evil."
Kanan glared back confused, shaking his head and asked "What are you talking about?"
"The dark side." the Temple Guard warned "It pulls at him and the one he calls brother it calls to him eventually, he will be consumed by it stand aside. The boys must be eliminated before he embraces the darkness." the Temple Guard activated his lightsaber and two golden blades emerged from each side.
"I won't let that happen." Kanan said turning on his blade, the two of them locked lightsabers and the duel for Ezra's fate began.
Outside the Temple, the speeders were gone and so was the Phantom, two Inquisitor TIE flew down to the surface, they landed as the sun began to set casting shadow across the land. The Seventh Sister and the Eighth Brother emerged like two snakes hunting their prey, the Brother glared around with a scowl before growling out "They have fled, your instincts have failed you."
"Have they?" the Sister replied as she sent one of her probe droids out to scan the structure in front of them, "Our prey came here, and they are still here, tell me what you see." She said as the droid returned to her arm and perched on it to show the two Inquisitors the underground scans of the Temple.
The Seventh Sister gasped "A Jedi temple, their sanctuary will be their tomb." She said when she heard something.
"No." Both Tai and Declan appeared from around the Temple, "It will be yours Sith." Tai said turning on her green lightsaber and Declan activating his blue lightsaber staff twirling it, the two Inquisitors turned on their lightsabers.
The two Inquisitors drew their blades, "Ah the replacements." The Seventh Sister said.
Tai came out and stood in front of Declan, "We take them together."
"Yes Master." and they charged
Down below, the minutes began to draw out from Kanans disappearance "You knew Master Yoda?" Ezra asked.
"Yes. He taught almost all of the younglings in the temple at one point or another." Ahsoka told him smiling at the memory of being around his age before her life really began.
Ezra smiled too "Kanan described him to me, small, green, and wrinkly with pointy ears. But he didn't know what he was really like." Ezra explained.
"I'm not sure anyone did." Ahsoka said thinking back on the short green jedi "He was wise, kind, but when I was young, he seemed happier. As the Clone War dragged on, he carried a great burden, a deep sorrow, as if he knew before anyone else that one time was ending, and another beginning." she said looking somber, Ahkilleon who'd been mostly quite this trip except for when people talked to him leaned on his knees.
Then he scratched the back of his neck "Plus he seemed to talk backwards, anyone ever explain that, right, explain that no one has?" He said doing his best impression of Yoda, both Ezra and Ahsoka looked at him wick cocked brows not seeing the joke.
"Erzra!?" Ahkilleon gasped seeing the boy vanish into thin air in front of them, Ahsoka was surprised but wasn't as shocked as her son, "... And then there were two." Ahkilleon said a wirey voice, Ahsoka scowled at him "... just trying to lighten the mood?"
Where Ezra was hard to describe to anyone but him it was the same place he'd been when he was inside the Temple in the first place, where he found his lightsaber crystal "Whoa. I know this place." Ezra said aloud getting up he looked down to see a ring like the one he had sat in with the others.
"Special to you it is, hmm?" A voice said, backwards.
Ezra turned around to see a strange pointy eared wrinkly green skinned thing sitting in front of him holding a cane and wearing an old robe "Master Yoda? You're here!"
"Or here you are, hmm?" Master Yoda asked him.
Ezra sat down in front of him on his knees "Last time I couldn't see you?"
Yoda nodded "Ah, growing your abilities are and with them, danger." he told them unaware as outside the danger was already there.
NEW JEDI VS INQUISITORS
Meanwhile, Kanana was facing his own vision. The Temple Guard spirit was fighting Kanna with the fury of ten Jedi, he could barely hold on against it dodging the strikes and swings of a trained Jedi ghost. "Is this the limit of your knowledge?" The Temple Guard scolded him slicing at Kanan who blocked, parried and kicked the spirit away "I learned enough."
"I think not." The Temple Guard said as his spirit split into two more Temple Guards, making it three on one "You will never be strong enough to protect your pupil, and you will perish for your failure."
Outside the invisible chamber, Ahkilleon and Ahsoka were still meditating "So am I going to get a vision here?"
"You can't rush these things Ahkilleon, these tests could be only for Kanan and Ezra." Ahsoka explained to him.
He leaned back on his hands "And mine are getting shot by the Phoenix Squadron troopers?" he asked her.
She glowered at him, knowing he knew better than to joke about the situation "This is serious, we need to know how to fight the Inquisitors." She repeated Kanan's words just differently.
"But mom, no disrespect but we do, there outside, this Master Uzuma and the Padawan she's with, look I'm not saying I buy into the Jedi King stuff, I don't want it, but it's clear that the New Jedi don't all agree with Asimov, and the jedi at Hammer Town, you saw the Inquisitors, they were scared." Ahkilleon said, smiling up at her.
"Fear is not the weapon of a Jedi." She explained.
"But you're not a jedi, so why can't we use it?" Ahkilleon snapped at her jumping to his feet, she didn't rise up but her eyes were surprised at his outburst.
He dropped his shoulders "I just- I'm worried we're going backwards not forwards alright, this isn't something we can keep running from I know that, but you saw us as Nar Shaddaa when we stand and fight, together we can win."
"I'm glad you know that son, I'm proud you know that we can only win by working together, I want to say the right answer but not even I know everything, but I do know you made a promise to walk the jedi path, it's not meant to be easy or short." she said as he sat back down holding his leg close to his chest.
He looked down at the dirt, "Then why did you leave?" he asked.
Ahsoka opened her mouth but nothing came out, "I… had my reasons." She said.
Ahkilleon looked up unsatisfied with her answer "Reasons, the Jedi were at war, dad was still there, your Master and his teacher, and the way Asimov said it, how the Council betrayed you so quickly sent you to war, mom I don't blame you for leaving but-" "But it was my choice!" she snapped.
Ahkilleon shut up and gawked at his mothers outburst, he blinked a few times when he saw a light out of the corner of his eye, looking left he saw a crack in the wall "Do you see that?"
"See what?" Ahsoka asked.
"Take that as it is now." Ahkilleon said getting up looking at the crack in the wall as it grew and more light came out of it, "It's a light, a crack and it's… it's getting bigger." Soon the crack in the wall was large enough for someone small enough to get inside.
Ahsoka watched her son moving toward the wall "Guess I'm up?" Ahkilleon said looking back at his mother, "Son, remember this is a Jedi Temple, it may not give you the answers you seek, but there is a reason for them."
"I'll keep it simple mom, beat the Inquisitors." he said smiling as he slid into the crack and vanished from sight leaving Ahsoka alone.
Ahkilleon emerged from the other side out into a large courtyard, with walls around it there was a great tree in the back with leaves attached to swaying branches making soft music in the air. The floor was a mix of stone tiles and he looked above to see a beautiful sky of stars and nebulas something celestial about it all. When he looked down he saw a brown cloaked figure sitting in the center of the courtyard, Ahkilleon took a deep breath and looked for a way down. He saw a pair of stairs on each side that could lead down, taking the right way he walked down into the courtyard and approached the brown cloak sitting on their back turned "Welcome my friend."
"I know that voice." It was the same voice he had heard on Garel, the old eloquent man's voice who guided him to find his lightsaber crystal.
"It has been some time, you have grown since our last encounter." the hood said to him.
Ahkilleon crossed his arms "Yeah and… I can see you, what's that about?"
"Perhaps it is you, perhaps the force has allowed me to retain my physical form after death to meet with you here, in this sacred place." The hood said sitting beneath the tree, even though there was no sunlight the tree casted a shadow on the man.
Putting each hand on his hip Ahkilleon put his hands on his hips, "You know, I don't care much for the whole vision lesson thing to be honest, so I'm sorry if I'm blunt but how do we beat the Inquisitors, an ancient jedi like you has to know?"
The mysterious Jedi spirit stood and turned slowly, his attire was just as Ahkilleon would assume a Jedi would dress, a simple brown cloak with a hood hiding his face in shadow, underneath long brown robes and black boots. Tough fabric but also comfortable to wear, it wasn't worn or weathered in fact it looked somewhat regal. The man reached up with pale hands and removed his hood he had sharp features with a noble bearing, his hair was black just showing signs of gray and a beard not shaggy or unkept but brushed and trimmed. The man before him was familiar to Ahkilleon somehow "I… know you, don't I?"
"In your own way my young friend." The man said one arm behind his back the other out stretched exposing more of his robes and the curved lightsaber hilt at his belt.
When Ahkilleon saw it he recognized the blade immediately "Count… Dooku."
He backed away from the Jedi No the Sith- Sith Lord!
"I don't understand, why-why are you here you're a Sith!" Ahkilleon demanded, Dooku stood there as wind blew from seemingly nowhere, it blew his cloak and Ahkilleon had his hand on his lightsaber ready to defend him.
Dooku looked at his boots "Yes I was, but I was also a Jedi… once."
"You betrayed the Jedi, you betrayed the republic, you started a war that tore the galaxy apartd and let the Empire take everything." Ahkilleon barked at the ghost.
Dooku said nothing.
"…why are you here dammit, why me- why are you speaking to me, I'm not Sith- I'm Jedi!" Ahkilleon barked at him.
Still Dooku was silent.
"Tell me!"
The Count raised his gaze to meet Ahkilleon's eyes, he then I clipped his lightsaber im Edie toy Ahkilleon drew at the sight of the blue laser sword his own orange one burning . "You are on a path, that path is about to split soon." Dooku stabbed the stone floor of the courtyard and then with two strikes he made the stone gash in the floor split. It was going off into two different directions both toward Ahkilleon.
"What split, what path?" Gm the boy asked.
Dooku began to walk around the scar on the floor and Ahkilleon moved the saber on guard, "Fight it and the attempt will consume you." Dooku dragged the tip of his saber making a circle around the stone and the smell of melting rock burned in Ahkilleon's nose.
"You haven't told me anything?" He asked as dooku made a full circle.
Dooku turned off his saber, "You are heading for a choice, one that all who walk the path of the Jedi must choose, as your father and mother before you, so must you choose."
Ahkilleon lowered his blade "To… do what?"
"Only you can decide." Dooku told him "Just as I had to decide."
Outside the Temple Declan and Tai were holding off the Inquisitors, lightsabers clashed against one another, Tai held off the Seventh Sister and Declan the Eighth Brother and every so often they would switch or take on one together before getting back to back. The two Inquisitors were growing frustrated "I take it you two are the new jedi here on Lothal, a new detachment of rebels I'm guessing."
"You Inquisitors sure like to blab." Declan said back.
"It matters not how many of you new jedi there are, we will find you and-" The brother attacked jumping into the air "We will kill you!" Tai pushed Declan out of the way and blocked his attack. Declan attacked the Seventh Sister and forced her back into defense.
She cackled loudly as her lightsaber spun around in a helicopter blade "Hahahaa Sun Guard armor how adorable." she said using the force to lift up a heavy rock and throw it at Declan, he sliced the rock in half and she tried to attack him from the blindspot it provided but he smashed the butt his staff into her back.
"We aren't those rebel jedi, but you will not harm them." Declan said using the force to grab the Seventh Sister and bring her close ready to impale her on his lightsaber staffs blade. She recovered seconds before she could be skewered and locked lightsabers with him.
"Well we'll only kill one, maybe two, the others so much more fun to replenish our ranks." She teased.
With Tai the Eighth Brother was fuming hacking and slashing at Tai who dodged and parried his blows, "You have no skill Inquisitor, only anger, only hatred you've lost your edge hunting force sensitives not real jedi." Tai said blocking his lightsaber and locking it with him.
"Your fear would say otherwise, Jedi." The Brother growled before he turned on the rotator on his lightsaber hilt letting it spin toward her, she backed up and then lunged stabbing forward to lock swords again.
He reached for her grabbing her by her throat before she force pushed him off her and coughed, "Master!" Declan felt her stumble and the Seventh Sister snapped her fingers, her probe droid flew at Declan and latched onto his visors facemask he grabbed at it "Damn droid get-" he pulled at the droid so hard it cracked open his visor revealing half of his face just in time for the Seventh Sister to run him through the stomach with her red lightsaber "DECLAN!" Tai screamed "AAHHH-" The Eighth Brother recovered just in time to kick in the back of her knee and smash her in the back of the head with his lightsaber hilt knocking her out.
"What are you doing, finish her." The Seventh Sister snarled.
"Lord Vader will want prisoners, that includes the Jedi below." The Brother said walking to the Temple leaving Tai as Declan died.
While all three of the 'jedi' faced their trials, Ahsoka was back outside in the cavern trying to meditate but as soon as she thought she found inner peace she heard a voice "... Ahsoka… Ahsoka, why did you leave?" It was a voice she knew, it was her Master's voice, Anakin.
"Where were you when I needed you?" she said sensing a shadow behind her, she new it was Anakin but she couldn't bear to look around.
Ahsoka squeezed her hands tight into fists "I made a choice. I couldn't stay."
"You were selfish." Anakin said.
Ahsoka bit down, fixing her jaw "no."
"You abandoned me- You failed me! Do you know what I've become?"
Ahsoka's heart was racing "No-No!" She screamed, swiping at the shadow behind her but nothing was there.
Back with Ezra, he had started his conversation with Yoda "Master Yoda, you're powerful tou must know a way to destroy Vader and his Inquisitors."
"Padawan, thousands of Jedi once there were." Yoda said looking up, Ezra saw the stars darken and flashes of azure and crimson burst to the sounds of combat, fighting, dying "Then came war. In our arrogance, join the conflict swiftly." Yoda told him to continue.
Yoda waved his hands and showed Jedi Ezra had never seen before standing together running forward into the combat fighting with blue and green lightsabers, he couldn't see them clearly but he knew they were Jedi "Fear, anger, hate Consumed by the dark side the Jedi were."
Then another image appeared a young man with white hair and lightsaber scar across his face, Ahkilleons father, Leo, "Challenged, from within we were, arrogant we were to condem." The image showed the Jedi Knight Leo Rock standing in front of Yoda and dozen other Jedi shadowed behind him. Leo's arm was outstretched pointing an accusing finger at them shouting, Ezra couldn't hear him speaking "Broken the order was, jedi fought jedi." The image changed to show the Jedi Leo Rock leading other Jedi against other jedi then vanished.
Eventually they all vanished.
Sighing, Yoda said "Too late, the jedi were, united we were, only to fall."
"Was it wrong for the Jedi to fight?" Ezra asked him " Is it wrong for me to protect my friends?
Yoda didn't answer out right, he looked at Ezra with kind green eyes "Wrong? Hmm A long time, fought, I did consumed by fear I was, though see it I did not."
To Ezra's astonishment he knew what this great Jedi Master was saying "You were afraid?
"Yes, afraid." Ezra gapped hearing it was true "Hmm, surprised are you? A challenge lifelong it is, not to bend fear into anger." Master Yoda said to him when the whole chamber shook violently.
"What's happening?" Ezra asked, looking around at all the shaking "Found you the enemy has."
In Kanan's vision he was trying to fight the three Temple Guards but their power was overwhelming, Kanan deflected two blows but fell back to the nearby wall and he fell down facing down the three lightsabers bearing down on him. "Even now, the servants of the dark side come for the apprentices."
Kanan could feel the Temple rising, the Inquisitors forcing their way in "You cannot fight forever."
Kanan dropped his lightsaber and knelt at their feet "You're right… I can't protect Ezra forever, I can't show Ahkilleon how dangerous things are for jedi like us." he looked up at the Temple Guards "Not even from themselves."
"All I can do is what I've done, train him the best I could." Kanan said lowering his head readin to accept the Temple's judgment.
Kanan waited for the spirit to slay him but then he felt the lightsaber rise from each side of his neck "By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, Kanan Jarrus, you may rise."
"Wait, what does this mean?" Kanan asked, standing up as the Temple Guard walked toward the exit.
The Temple Guard removed his mask to reveal the face of the Grand Inquisitor "It means you are what I once was. A knight of the Jedi Order."
Kanan's jaw almost hit the floor and the spirit of the Grand Temple Guard spoke "The temple is falling. Go. I will delay the enemy." The spirit said vanishing.
Elsewhere, Ahkilleon was standing in front of Dooku, the spirit of the former Sith and former Jedi waved his hands, Ahkilleon looked down at the circle Dooku had made in the courtyard floor the sky turned ark and the hole vanished to form cloudy images he saw people, people he new.
Ezra.
Kanan.
Ahsoka.
Himself.
"Your path is taking you to a place of great sorrow, death and power." Dooku said to him "Power?" Ahkilleon asked.
Dooku nodded "Death is as natural as life, and there is power in life, so too in death." Dooku's spirit said as the images changed to show them walking, running. He saw Ezra scrambling through darkness and Kanan fighting with someone, a red lightsaber near him at all times, an Inquisitor or Vader? Then Ahsoka his mother looking sad and heartbroken, "There you will find that which your allie seek, but at a terrible price, one of you will not return."
"Is that the choice, to go and find the power to defeat the Empire but… one of us will die?" Ahkilleon asked.
Dooku said nothing, the Courtyard shook with a violent earthquake, "What's happening?"
"The enemy has found us." Dooku replied.
Inside Ezra's vision the Temple kept shaking "There's still a way."
"Yeah, but Master Yoda, how are we supposed to win if we don't fight back?" Ezra asked him.
The vision of Yoda was unphased by the Temple's shaking "Win? Win, hmm… How the Jedi choose to win, the question is." Yoda put it on the boy.
"We already chose. We're going to fight." Ezra said steadfastly, holding up his fist.
Yoda nodded at him and said a simple name "Find Malachor." and vanished.
"Malachor? Who's Malachor?" Ezra asked looking around "Master Yoda? Master Yoda!"
"The secrets of this temple will be ours." The Seventh Sister said walking past the fallen New Jedi, Tai crawled her way over to Declans body he was wheezing out his last breath.
She crawled up to him and held his hand "I-i-i-i- I-i'm s-s-s-sorry- ack- Master…." he gasped through his broken helmet "It's alright, it's alright you're going to be fine-" she said reaching for him when she saw Imperial ships heading their way.
"They won't… hhrrrr." She forced herself to stand her leg burning like fire "They won't take you." She said picking him up and dragging his body over to her speeder. She climbed up to it and slammed her hand on the comlink.
"D-dray c-c-come in." she snapped "Tai, Tai we're almost there what's the situation?" Drays voice echoed out.
"The Temple has fallen, fall back I'll meet you at these coordinates." She said as she grabbed her med kit out of the speeders compartment.
Down in the Temple the Jedi were regrouping Ezra ran down an open hallway to see "Kanan, Ahsoka, you won't believe what I-" "Tell us later! Come on!" Kanan shouted at Ezra making them all run.
"Wait where's Ahkilleon?" Ahsoka asked.
Inside the Courtyard, Ahkilleon felt the whole ground beneath him start to crumble he looked behind to see the hole in the courtyard wall reopen but it was flickering like he'd be trapped in there forever if he didn't go now, he looked back at Dooku "What choice do I have to make, please tell me, tell me what to do, so I don't mess up?"
Dooku pulled his hood up "I cannot."
"Why, why show yourself to me, how can I stop this from happening, how do I save everyone?" Ahkilleon asked him as the tree began to wither and die, signaling the vision would follow shortly after.
"You cannot save everyone, young jedi, you must do what you think is right." Dooku said siting down to meditate as the world crumbled around them. Ahkilleon looked up to see stars falling from the sky he ran towards Dooku at full speed "No, tell me what I want to know- TELL ME PLEASE!"
Just then Ahkilleon came running out like he'd seen a ghost, before he stopped seeing he was back in the cavernous hallways of the Temple, Kanan running toward him "What are you doing snips move it!" Kanan shouted, grabbing Ahkilleon by his arm, forcing him to run with them.
Elsewhere the Inquisitors entered into the same chamber the rebels had gone in, they had their red lightsabers on when they heard footsteps and saw the "Grand Inquisitor?" The Eighth Brother gasped seeing the former sith, other Temple Guards appeared and in the shadows Dooku's spirit watched with Master Yoda as the Temple itself fought against the Inquisitors.
"Again to see you, strange it is my old apprentice." Master Yoda said to the spirit of Dooku, "My old Master, you didn't think you were the only one to find the Force Priestesses and learn their tricks, did you?" Master Dooku said under his hood.
Yoda frowned at him "Unnatural you are, my old apprentice, say to the other younglings, what did you?"
"What you were always afraid to say, the truth." Dooku said as the Inquisitors were overwhelmed.
Near the exit, Ezra ran ahead with Ahsoka, Ahkilleon and Kanan behind "Up ahead! The way out!" They burst out of the Temple and looked around the torn up terrain, they saw the signs of combat and looked around. Kanan saw Tai throw Declans body onto the hood of her mustang speeder and she let out a groan.
Forgetting whatever animosity he had against her, Kanan ran to his clanmates side "Tai!"
"Chopper!" Ezra shouted into his commlink and Chopper replied "He says Imperial forces are on their way." Ezra said.
Kanan saw the wounds Tie had and he looked over at Declan's body, the lightsaber wound gaping out of his lower back "Is he.." "Yes, dammit yes he's gone." Tai said from the pain as she got onto the speeder groaning.
"Come with us, we have medics." Kanan offered grabbing her arm she swatted his hand away "I have my own… go." Kanan stepped back as Chopper came back down with the Phantom, he moved to leave "Caleb."
He looked back to see Tai's strained face "I hope it was worth it." Then she turned on the speeder and sped away, seconds after Declans speeder blew up leaving no trace of Militia tech behind. Kanan ran back to the Phantom and jumped on it.
"I saw Master Yoda." Ezra said as Ahsoka was in the pilot seat flying up to the sky for them to escape the planet before any Imperials could arrive.
"Saw him? What did he say?" Kanan asked.
Ezra nodded to his master "He said to find Malachor. Who's Malachor?"
"Malachor isn't a person, it's a place." Ahsoka said.
Before they could ask anymore Ahkilleon had his own question, "Kanan, the Sunguard Padawan what… he'll be okay, right?" Kanan looked back and shook his head, Ahkilleon buried his head into his hands "no, no, no."
Ahsoka got up from her flying and Chopper took over, "What is it son, Ahkilleon what did you see, what did you see?"
She pried his hands from his face to look into the horror in his eyes "... Pain, suffering, death if we go to Malachor it'll be the end, we can't go, mom we can't go to Malachor or it's all over."
