Chapter 46
Twilight of the Apprentice Pt 1
ATOLLON
Chopper Base
It was early dusk, the sun hadn't yet risen over the coral tree lined horizon, the krykna still slept in their burrows and the new tenants of the hidden rebel base were all asleep except for those on guard watching the skies and the land. Inside his own hammock Ahkilleon lay wide awake aboard the Ghost, Zeb snored loudly in the waning hours of the morning but Ahkilleon knew he wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep.
A knock came at the door, and Ezra's legs swung over his bunk, the door opened and Kanan stood there "It's time."
The boys got up quietly and followed Kanan out of the crew quarters, Ahsoka stood by the Phantom wide awake dressed in her dark gray robes and Jedi armor. "You know if we are going to be fighting the inquisitors shouldn't we have some armor?" Ezra asked, looking at the two adults, Kanan with his shoulder pauldron armor extending down to his fist, and the armor on Ahsoka's forearms waist and legs.
"We just might find some along the way, I found this Jedi armor in a temple like the one on Lothal." Ahsoka said.
Ezra's ears perked up at that "I didn't know Jedi wore armor?"
"In times of war we did, but that was a long time ago." Kanan said "Well almost." He said looking at his fellow clone wars veteran.
They heard someone clear their throat behind them and saw the rest of the crew there, Hera, Zeb, Sabine and Chopper. "It may not be armor, but you didn't think we'd let you go without saying goodbye?" Hera said.
"Thought we did that yesterday?" Kanan asked her.
Hera rolled her eyes at him with a sad smile "I meant for the boys."
"You take care of him, you hear Specter 6?" Hera asked Ezra she said putting her arms around him in a warm hug. Ezra was taken off guard by the hug but then wrapped his arms around her waist.
Ahkilleon looked at them then noticed Sabine nudge her head to the lounge signaling she wanted to talk in private. He followed her in and she had her arms crossed pressed against her breastplate. "So… this is it, you're going off to fight the Inquisitors?" She asked stating the obvious.
"…. Yes."
"That's it?" She asked.
"What do you mean that's it?" He asked her.
She dropped her arms "You're treating it like it's not a big deal, but you're leaving us all of you?"
"Look Sabine, I don't want to do this, I've been against it from the start but I won't let Ezra, Kanan or my mom face this alone. I'm a Jedi- I'm not someone who runs away." Ahkilleon put his hands in his pockets looking at the floor "But I will miss you most of all Rainbow."
Sabine blushed "Ahkilleon, before you go I just wanted to say that I… well I wanted to say… ugh." She sighed, slapping her forehead. "I know everyone keeps saying how much Ezra has grown, how good he's gotten as a Jedi, it can be annoying when you see him get all the praise but I've seen you grow too." She said smiling "You're not the same snarky show off you use to be, you're brave, loyal, and even my kind of crazy. This crew is like a family to me- is my family but when it's just the two of us, I- um I…" she scratched her elbow looking away "I'm really going to miss those times we-"
Ahkilleon grabbed her shoulder pulling her down and into a sudden kiss.
Sabine's amber eyes were wide open in shock, cheeks pink with flush and Ahkilleon's were closed savoring every warm, wet and soft moment before he broke it off. "Ahkilleon time to go." They heard Ezra call out.
"I will come back." Ahkilleon said to her, Sabine was still shocked by the kiss. He turned to leave.
Sabine teary eyed said one last thing "K'oyacyi." In mandalorian before she tossed it something, he caught it and it was the transmitter Trench had given him.
"My word as a Jedi." Ahkilleon said stuffing it into his jacket, when in the doorway Ezra appeared.
"There you two are, Sabine no hug?" Ezra asked Sabine rolled her eyes and walked up and gave him a tight manadorian hug making him say "ow…. Miss you too."
The two Jedi walked out of the lounge then and into the Phantom, Chopper said a few things in binary and Ezra laughed while Ahkilleon said "Try not to commit any war crimes while we're gone."
Ahsoka meanwhile was speaking to Proxy "I must insist Mistress, I cannot no I will not allow you to go without me, my primary function is to protect the young master and I cannot fufill that function unless I am allowed to accompany you."
Ahsoka looked at Kanan "Might as well, we'll need all the help we can get." Kanan replied.
"Rex wishes she could be here but the rebellion needs him elsewhere." Hera told ahsoka, "I'll be sure to contact him once we get into hyperspace." Ahsoka said, looking back at the boys. They all piled into the Phantom with Proxy entering last, afterwards the Phantom took off from Atollon and into wild space, making the jump to Malachor.
LOTHAL
Black Wolf Moon
The militia had assembled one last war council ahead of the coming days, a hologram of capital city stood in the center. The imperial center at its heart the massive sphere shaped dome and donut rings around it making it the largest structure among the hundreds of buildings "Captain City, that's the key to taking Lothal." Reik said walking through it, arms crossed, he stood over the center looking down at it "With the droid army with us, we can take any settlement or outpost across the planet but Capital City is a different animal." He said to them.
The hologram raised up to show the sewage system below the city, "Our forces in the city have been reopening the old republic sewage system and we have dug right under the imperial center, so we'll be hitting them from every direction." Red points appeared inside the imperial centers walls.
"Why not send the droids in, overrun their position?" Jetstream asked.
Reik met his gaze "The people need to see it's us who liberated the city not the droids, no offense." Reik said turning to the tactical droid.
"I am incapable of being offended sir." The droid replied.
Reik nodded, "Captain Fairfax." He turned to the blonde haired dragoon who was standing with his dragoons and pilots. "The subjugator is our flagship, it'll launch with the rest of the fleet but it needs a commander, I have no navel combat experience can I count on you to take care of the imperial fleet."
Captain Fairfax glanced at Dray then back at Reik "I would be honored."
"While the imperial fleet is engaged, the landing ships will descend on the surface under the cover of our Hawks, Vulture droids and Hyena bombers to the various outlying settlements. The main force will land outside the city." Reik said as small holograms appeared of the droid army in green and blue for the Militia, "Keiza and our forces in the city will strike from below while we overrun the outer city, when our tanks and cannons are in position we bombard the Imperial Center."
Dray stepped forward "It'll be a tough fight, we want the city in tact, so it'll be street by street to get to the Center." Reik continued as Dray approached him "Such casualties may be unnecessary Warlord, with the droid army we could-" "No it has to be us."
Reik pointed to the north side of the city "This is where the vanguard will be positioned. We'll use every mustang and high speed transport we have to overwhelm imperial checkpoints and establish a forward command post here, cut off the imperials from escape by land and air." He said looking at everyone waiting for anyone to speak
He turned to Tai who was standing in the back, hands behind her back "Master Jedi, are you with us?"
"I am, but I would be more use to you in your medical tents." She said to him, "We will need to select a rally point on the surface, to call all our forces still on the planet and not in Capital City." Reik said.
"When the time comes?" Dray asked.
Reik nodded "We won't
Everyone moved away to the door "Master Jedi, stay." Reik said
Dray looked at Tai who was just as surprised as he was, she stayed and Dray was the last to leave when it was just the two of them. Reik looked down at the hologram. And she walked up behind him "Yes Chief?"
"Please call me Reik, I'm not even sure if I should take the title of Warlord." He sighed loosening up.
Tai nodded "Warlord isn't really something you take, people don't give you the name like being a Jedi Master you earn it."
"And this is how you earn it to be a Lord of War, by this?" He asked walking around the holographic battle plan, "I wanted to ask you… a Jedi, a holy woman a peacekeeper am I doing the right thing?" He asked.
She blinked a few times "You have doubts?"
"I'm ashamed to say I do." He said back "Not even half of the population is with us, we're just a small minority and when we attack… the civilians, the people in the city… thousands will die even if we keep the fire on the Imperial Center and I'll be responsible for it killing my own people." Reik said shaking his head.
Tai watched him hands behind her back "You want my honest opinion?"
"Yes, I do." Reik said.
She walked up to him "Those deaths you're so afraid of being on your conscious, you're right to fear them. As a Jedi I'm suppose to protect life, it's not the Jedi way to strike an unarmed opponent and I've seen you kill men who were trying to surrender. You're no hero Reik, you aren't a noble freedom fighter, you're a killer a monster… and that's what we need to win this."
He starred her puzzled unsure if she was insulting him or not "They say jedi have the power to see visions. Visions of the future, can you see mine?" He asked.
"It doesn't work like that, but what I can tell you that the force is always in motion, as one power rises it's opposite will be inevitable, the Empire rose to power so did the sith the same as when the Jedi were at their height with the Republic and just like the ladder it fell. This is the way of the galaxy, of the Star Wars." She told him, Reik looked down at Capital City "But…"
He turned to her "If you choose this path of blood, someone will come for you, could be the Empire, could be the Rebels, could be your own people… all that matters if you do this,do it and stop feeling sorry for yourself, Warlord."
With that she left the room, Reik stood there alone in silent contemplation before he left the chamber, Keiza and Colin were outside and followed him. "Prepare a ship, I need to go for a walk."
HYPERSPACE
Phantom
The Phantom flew across the blue spiraling whirl of the hyperspace lane, in the back Ahsoka and Ahkilleon were sitting in front of Rex, "Once we drop out of hyperspace, we'll be going dark."
"Are you sure about this?" Rex asked her.
"Yes." Ahsoka reaffirmed to him, "We'll be fine Uncle Rex." Ahkilleon added, "With her, you all could take on a Star Destroyer, but something about this doesn't sit right with me, Ahsoka, you don't have to go to Malachor alone." Rex argued.
He held up two fingers signaling his next response "I could be there in two rotations.
To which she prompt replied "I'm not alone, Rex"
"You know, I could have ordered you to take me along." Rex replied casually.
Ahsoka smiled at her long time friend "You don't exactly outrank me anymore."
"In my book, experience outranks everything." Rex said, Ahsoka just reminisced about something he said to her long ago. "Hmm, then I definitely outrank you."
Rex smiled at her, before he somberly replied "May the Force be with you." the form of Rex flickered and Proxy stood up straight to his full height before he cut the comlink and the two Tanos went to joined Ezra and Kanan at the front of the small shuttle.
"Why is Rex so worried? Uh, what does he know that I don't?" Ezra asked them.
"Malachor has always been off-limits to Jedi." Ahsoka said.
"Why?" the boy asked why?
Kanan glanced back "Old legends, stories told to us as younglings in the temple."
"There's always a bit of truth in legends." Ahsoka replied.
"If Malachor is off limits, why would Master Yoda send us here?" Ezra asked aloud.
Ahkilleon cleared his throat, "According to legend, an army of Jedi came to Malachor to defeat the Sith, the battle was… inconclusive." Ahkilleon said "Some say it was Revan."
"Who's Revan?" Ezra asked.
"I don't know, but I trust Master Yoda." Kanan said.
Ezra was in the same mind set as his master "There's something here for us."
"Yeah, something to help us stop the Inquisitors." Ezra said, determined.
Ahsoka agreed with "Knowledge."
The phantom dropped out of hyperspace and before them a gray world, like a ball smoke in the black curtain of space, flying down to it they flew through pale clouds, that were more dust then water "A ship? What type?" Kanan asked after Chopper beeped af ew times.
"He can't tell." Ezra said.
"Track it, let's see who else is interested in this place." Kanan ordered.
They flew down through the clouds and Ezra looked out at a strange mountain range, "Whoa, look, up ahead." Ezra said seeing it. No it was a crater completely covered in what looked like an ocean of white, with six strange obelisks protruding out of it. "What is that?"
"I don't know, but the ship we're tracking went there." Kanan said as they flew over it toward the obelisks. "I'm gonna set her down."
The phantom landed down on the strange surface, and the rebels looked around the strange pillars for any sign of a ship "I don't see any ship." Ezra said aloud.
"Maybe the droids finally lost it?" Ahkilleon asked before Chopper barked back in binary.
"It's gotta be around here somewhere." Kanan said looking down at the droid "Chopper, try to get a fix on its location." He said as they all exited the ship, Chopper beeped at him and Proxy followed Ahsoka out before she stopped him, "Stay with the ship, I'll feel better knowing your guarding it."
Proxy held up a hand "But Mistress… I will… do as you ask." The droid said hanging back, "Don't look so glum Proxy, we'll be back before you know it." Ahkilleon said, patting the droid on the arm confidently "... I hope."
"Do be careful young Master." Proxy warned them before they approached the obelisk.
Ahkilleon caught up with the others and looked at the strange black structures, they stood as tall as skyscrapers with strange writing on their black stone bodies "What are these things?" Ezra asked.
"Obelisks, ancient ones by the look of them."
"This writing…" Ahsoka said leaning down looking at it hand hovering above it "It's in the old tongue."
"Can you read it?" Kanan asked her.
"I can try." Ahsoka said as she began to recite old aubresh, Ezra looked at the black stone "It's a very old form, I can only make out a few words." Ahsoka said while she read it out.
Ahkilleon looked at it too, trying to read it when he heard Kanan bark "No! Ezra, don't!" Ezra barely touched the surface when the stone glowed with a red hue, and the ground beneath their feet gave out. The four of them fell down into pure darkness landing with a heavy thud on something hard, when they looked up Ezra and Ahkilleon gasped "What is that?" Before them was an entire underground valley, the ground above them hollow underneath with ruins scattered across the area for miles to see. Stonehenges leaning one one another or standing at their own,broken gateways, statues, toppled structures and the hollow crust above dotted with cracks and holes of light letting in thousands of rays that gave them some light, but more shadow.
"A Sith temple." Ahsoka said.
Ahkilleon got up "You just had to touch it?"
Ezra shrugged "I thought it looked cool."
"Oh like the giant man eating spiders at the base?"
"Focus you too, lets look around." Kanan told them.
As they scanned the area, Chopper reported in "Oh, we might fall through the surface? Thanks for the warning, Chop."
"Any fix on that ship yet?" Ahkilleon asked the droid.
Chopper answered them and Ezra spoke up "He's picked up the trail. This way."
"I bet whatever we're looking for is inside that Temple." Ezra said pointing to it "Or something bad, I know I said I didn't like this, but we're acting pretty gun ho?" Ahkilleon asked.
"Caution is wise, but we came here for a reason." Ahsoka told her son.
"Seems likely." said Kanan to the two of them "Just remember, if there's a ship, we're not alone down here."
Kanan pushed on ahead and the rest followed "Ahsoka, you said we're here to find knowledge. What kind of knowledge?" Ezra asked her.
"The forbidden kind. To defeat your enemy, you have to understand them." Ahsoka told them, Ahkilleon stopped feeling something in the force, a whisper but the opposite like someone was watching, no listening "Ahkilleon." Ezra called out so he wouldn't fall behind "i'm coming."
"No better place to learn about the Sith, I guess." Kanan told them.
They moved deeper into the strange ruins and noticed the statues were all in some sort of strange movement, somewhere sticking out the ground, others were locked in a struggle, others bent over trying to take cover from something "The ground looks scorched." Ezra said.
"Whoa, Kanan! Look, a lightsaber…. And another." Ezra said running up to pick one of the long hilted blades up, it had two ports sticking out of it and when he turned it on it was bright emerald green "A protosaber, they haven't used those since the High Republic." Ahkilleon said before the blade short circuited and shut off.
Kanan looked at one of the statues and saw it wasn't a statue it was a petrified corpse "This was a battlefield. What happened here?"
"It looks like at one time, like Ahkilleon said thousands of years ago, Jedi knights attacked the temple." Ahsoka told them.
That prompted Ezra to ask "And the Jedi won, right?" "
"From what I can tell, nobody won." Ahsoka said, Ahkilleon picked up one of the blades it was a curved lightsaber hilt and he turned it on and a red blade popped out, he dropped it instantly whipping his hands from the sith weapon "I hate to break up this history lesson, but we should keep moving." Kanan urged them.
"Well, if you ask me, this whole planet is a riddle." Ezra asked, Ahkilleon couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching them.
Kanan turned his head over his shoulder back at his apprentice "So if it's a riddle, what's the question?"
"Why is Kanan such a-Get down!" Ezra said when one of the statues moved, but it wasn't a statue it was an inquisitior, they wore a similar style of light black armor but wore a closed face helmet with a narrow visor, it had had a ripple front guard giving them a ghoulish appearance. When his red lightsaber met Ezra's the other Jedi drew their lightsabers.
The Inquisitor inspected the four of them reflecting off his black helmet "Four Jedi?"
"An Inquisitor!" Kanan said when the sith acolyte fell back and grabbed something from his belt throwing three glowing detonators "Take cover!" Ahsoka shouted grabbing her son and falling back with Kanan, Ezra took cover behind one of the petrified Jedi.
"Kanan!" Ezra shouted before the ground beneath his feet fell through from the blast "Ezra!"
The inquisitor ran off as the three Jedi looked down to see their fourth was stuck in a hole but alive "Ezra, can you hear me?" Kanan called out.
"I'm okay." Ezra said up to them.
"He's getting away, let's go!" Ahsoka said running after the sith.
"Don't worry about me, I'll catch up!" Ezra shouted up.
Kanan followed Ahsoka "Stay safe." Ahkilleon told him before he followed Kanan "Sure, I'll catch up."
"Soon as I figure out where I am." Ezra mumbled looking around the even darker chasm.
He turned on his lightsaber when he heard an old raspy voice "I know where you are." Ezra spun to it to eee a hunched over figure with a hood no shirt wearing dark faded black pants with metal legs leaning on a wooden cane with metal sticking out of it. "You're with me." He said before he saw the lightsaber and reeled back. The pale blue light cast a spectral appearnce on him his skin a pattern of dark red and black.
"Please put your weapon away, I... I mean you no harm." The old man said.
"Stay back! I'm warning you, old man." Ezra commanded, gripping his blade tighter.
The old man backed away hand raised and hunched over "Forgive me, it... It's just, I've been alone so long, it's been years since I've spoken to anyone." The old man said somewhat happily but also sounded very tired.
Ezra didn't lower his guard but asked "You live here alone? Uh, in the dark?"
"Not by choice my ship crashed." The old man's said from under his hood looking at him with gleaming eyes "I'm trapped, marooned. I've had to scrounge and scrape to survive."
Ezra started to look for a way out of his predicament "Look, I'm sorry, Okay? I wish I could help you, bu I have to get back to my friends." He said not very interested in the mysterious stranger.
The old man stepped closer leaning heavily on his cane "Well, perhaps I could help you?" The old man offered.
"I doubt that." Ezra scoffed at the offer.
The old man got closer still "Why are you here?"
Ezra sensing the man wasn't what he appeared faced him sword ready "I'm not gonna tell you that."
But the old man answered him "You came for the same reason I did, years ago." He said looking down at Ezra "You seek knowledge."
"It's in the temple, isn't it?" Ezra asked.
"And I know the secret way to get inside, but, but I'm too old, I... I... I need help to open the door." The old man pointed down along the darkened underground of the necropolis and pointed to the base of the temple.
Ezra hesitant to ask but did so anyway "What's inside?"
"Help me and find out." The old man said.
"Show me this doorway." Ezra replied.
The old man stepped out of the way and gestured with an open hand "Please, this way."
"You first." Ezra said still wielding his lightsaber in the old man's direction.
The stranger lowered his arm "Do you not trust me?" He asked him.
"I don't know you." Ezra growled pointing the tip of his blue saber at them.
"W-Well, then let's change that call me Old Master." The old man or Old Master said, with a hint of pride at the title "And you?"
Ezra knowing something was odd but couldn't tell replied "Call me Jabba."
"Hmm Come then, Jabba."
LOTHAL
Black Wolf Moon
The eyes of Dray didn't hold back his shock and disgust, "The Chief said he had to be sure, he's on a walkabout alright." Keiza told him, they were standing inside one of the bases large charging stations thousands of battle droids up against slanted walls charging at power generators.
"Walkabout?" Dray asked Keiza.
She nodded "Needs to clear his head."
"We are about to launch the most massive uprising in the history of the Empire and you let your leader go for a walk?" Dray snapped at her.
Colin got between them "Commander Dray, the Chief will be fine he knows Lothal and we gave him our comlinks to contact us if anything is wrong."
Unsatisfied Dray stormed out of the room limping as they continued to prepare, he limped all the way to a private room where Tai was sitting legs crossed before the door opened. "What did you do? Dray asked.
"I told your champion the truth, that he's a monster." Tai said.
"See- this is why Ieft the Order, you all refuse to see the galaxy as it is." Dray snapped walking around her she stood up and looked at him sternly.
He felt her gaze on him "You wanted him to be this way, you trained him to be a warlord, he has doubts and he needs to face them, alone."
"Doubt we have any army, a fleet we-" "Don't have the approval of the General or the Warlords Council, you Asimov, Caliban and that trandoshan Turok pushing this war haven't gone unnoticed." She accused him.
Dray gritted his teeth "If he dies or is caught by the empire, I'll kill you myself."
MALACHOR
The Necropolis
Up above Ahkilleon, Kanan and ahsoka were chasing the inquisitor across the fallen ruins and dark stone, " I've never had an Inquisitor run from me before." Kanan said.
"Maybe it's because he's outnumbered?" Ahsoka asked.
Ahkilleon kept pace with them despite his short legs and the uneven terrain, He did seem surprised. I don't think he was looking for us."
"Then who is he tracking?" Kanan asked. As they chased them Chopper contacted them over the comlink beeping in binary "You found the ship? Where?"
Chopper answered them and offered to transmit the location "No, no forget it, no time! Get over there and find that ship, do not let him take off! We'll follow your signal." Kanan ordered and chopped complained about not wanting to go down there "No, disobeying me is gonna be dangerous. Now get going!"
Then Ahkilleon's comlink came up "Young Master are you in danger, the ship we found is a model associated with the inquisitors."
"Actually it's the opposite we got him on the run." Ahkilleon told him.
"Are you in need of assistance?" Proxy asked.
Ahsoka overheard them as she ran with both white lightsabers on "No guard the ship Proxy." Ahsoka ordered.
Down in the darkness ezra followed Old Master in a quiet walk before he asked "How much further?"
And as if the old man could read his mind he asked "You worry about your friends?"
"They need my help." Ezra told him, the old man nodded "Yes, and with good reason, the Inquisitor is powerful."
Ezra stopped hearing him mention their foe "Wait, you know about the Inquisitor?"
Old Master halter and growled "He is my enemy, all Inquisitors and their masters are my enemies." His voice changed from a feeble old man to a stronger growl.
"Were you a Jedi?" Ezra dared to asks
"Uh, no. No, no. But I was once a Force-wielder, long ago." The old master said with regret on every word "Long, long ag…"
Ezra stepped back "Then you're a Sith?"
"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." Old Master said it like he was gargling acid and spat it out "Once, I had power, now I have nothing. Nothing."
Ezra didn't need to be a Jedi to know how the man felt "I know how you feel, the Empire, it took away my home, and my mother, and my father."
"And you want revenge." Old master said quickly "I want justice!"
The old man smiled, not seeing the difference "Yes, yes! And you shall have it, for I have discovered the key."
"The key to what?" Ezra asked him, still unsure if he should trust him .
"The key to destroying the Sith. Well, that is the knowledge inside the temple?" The old master said looking down at the base of the temple they were getting closer to with each step "Yes, that temple holds secrets of the Sith, secrets that have been buried with the dead for thousands of years".
"And you'll share this knowledge with me?" Ezra asked.
"Yes. Yes, of course…." Old Master said when he noticed Ezra's nexu fang had come out from under his collar, the old master looked at it "A curious trinket?"
Ezra looked down to see what he was gazing at and pulled it back by the hemp rope it was attached to tucking it into his collar, "It's nothing."
"It does not appear to be?"
Ezra didn't know why but he felt like he could trust him "Its a nexu fang my friend.. my brother we killed one that was after us." Ezra told Old Master, and for some reason he smiled "A brother is a true gift, one that nothing can replace." He said before he continued on with Ezra following him into the darkness.
Up top Chopper had flown down like a rocket of spare parts all the way to the inquisitors tie tucked away in a hidden spot in the underground just as the inquisitor came back to his ship. Chopper slipped inside and the sith ran up to his Tie "Filthy droid."Suddenly his three Jedi pursuers appeared behind him and attacked him, Kanan disarmed him and then Ahsoka kicked him in the gut knocking him back against the tie's cockpit before he fell over lightsaber at his neck.
"Chopper, sometimes you do it right." Kanan said proud of the droid.
Ahkilleon picked up the inquisitors lightsaber "Believe me, between us and the droid you're lucky it's us." Ahkilleon told the darksider. "How do you think Ezra's doing?" Ahkilleon asked asks an handcuffed the inquisitor.
"I'm sure he's found a way to get himself in danger." Kanan muttered.
And in danger he was beneath them, Old Master led Ezra to the very base of the sith pyramid there the structure was made from the same stone as the obelisks outside, carved with hieroglyphics in the old tongue. Ezra looked at the dark black stone in awe and could feel the power coming off it "Whoa."
"A place of worship for some. To others, an engine of destruction, but at its heart, our prize." Old master explained to him.
Ezra turned back "How do we get in?"
"Two must lift these stones. No more, no less that is the way of the Sith." Old master explained as if he were giving a lecture on sith.
It didn't help that this man new so much about their enemy "You seem to know an awful lot about them."
"To defeat your enemy, you must know your enemy. Even practice their beliefs." Old Master said
"Yeah, my master wouldn't approve of that last part." Ezra argued looking away thinking of what Kanan would say, or ahsoka.
Old master sighed with "Then he is doomed to fail." Then he faced the stone door and said "Now, young Jedi, help me."
Ezra held out his hands and focused drawing on the force he began to lift the door but it wasn't so much a door as it was a giant black stone slab of solid rock. It only got a few feet off the ground before Ezra dropped it panting "I can't. It's too heavy."
"Your anger is a wellspring. You must use it." Old Master told Ezra.
Old Master shook his head "But a Jedi is never supposed to act out of emotion."
"Your passions give you strength and through strength, you gain power. You have seen it, you feel it, you must break your chains." He told him but Ezra needed more convincing so the old man sensed something in the back of Ezra's mind "There is something you know about this?"
Ezra fidgeted "We'll my friend- my brother, he used the dark side some to protect us but he always got hurt and one time he hurt one of our friends, he vowed never to use the dark side again."
"Yes, there is always a price to power, but if he endured that pain the help you would you not do the same, as brothers?" Maul asked.
Facing the door Ezra focused he drew on his anger, the frustration he had to move the door, his anger or the inquisitors "Yes. Use your power." The old man said as the stone rose higher and higher before it hit the ceiling of the hall.
"A dead end!" Ezra grunted while holding it up with the force.
"Focus!" Maul walked forward and the dead end rose up, it was another slab.
Ezra followed him and asked "What do we do?"
"Release the one behind you." Old master ordered and Ezra did just that before he lifted another one and old master limped forward. Ezra did it again and wheezed out "How many of these things are there?" They continued it two more times moving the heavy slabs with the force so the other could move the next and finally came out on the other side.
Both of them were panting near exhausted but Old Master recovers faster "Unless you take risks, do what must be done, there will always be limits to your abilities." He stood up taller as if his hunch had been healed "Seize the knowledge. Seize the power. Do not become like me, Jabba."
The words of encouragement were dark and ominous but Ezra could feel some kinship to this stranger "My name's Ezra. My real name." He confessed.
"Real name?" Old Master asked, "Yes, I once had a real name. So long ago, I don't remember; now I am called…" he pulled back his hood into a scarf and revealed he was a zabrak man with red and black markings like his chest a crown of horns on his bald head "Maul."
Outside the temple and by the Inquisitors Tie, Kanan, Ahsoka and Ahkilleo were interrogating the Inquisitor, Ahkilleon was looking over the lightsaber and saw it was in the same style as the others. A lightsaber in incasd in a circle shaped guard he saw button on it and pressed it the guard had blades pop out of it and it started to spin like a buzz saw. "Stop playing with that thing." Kanan scolded taking it from him and when he did Ahkilleon noticed the number eight on the side.
"You're the fourth Inquisitor we've seen." Ahsoka said down interrogating their prisoner. "How many are there?"
The Inquisitor grunted back "More than enough for the two of you." He looked at Ahkilleon "Nothing can save you."
"Why are you on Malachor?" Kanan asked.
"Hunting." The inquisitor said.
"But you were not expecting us." Ahsoka deduced.
The inquisitor snickered "Who are you after?"
"A shadow." The inquisitor said.
Ahsoka and Kanan looked at one another unsure what that meant for them, ahkilleon put his hands in his vests pockets and started to thumb the transmitter, weighing if he should press it or not.
Suddenly the earth under their feet shook, and carvings in the ground and rubble began to glow, coming directly from the temple at the center of it all. At its peak the crimson stone started to surge with power "He's inside, I know it." Kanan said "But there's no way he lifted that door."
"Not without help." Ahsoka said when their prisoner laughed out loud.
"What's so funny?" Kanan asked and all the sith did was laugh.
Chopper started to beep and go bonkers at
Kanan "What is it, Chopper" the droid told him and Kanan tensed up "What do you mean we've got company?"
"Dammit we need to find Ezra." Ahsoka told them they rushed to the temple, climbing up multiple stairs to the upper levels, they found a large door and the inquisitor kept laughing.
"Hey, what are you laughing at?" Kanan grabbed him when they looked up to see both the Seventh Sister and Fifth Brother appear overhead the captured inquisitor used the force to take his lightsaber back and cut himself free before he fell back where the other inquisitor landed.
"An excellent day's hunt." The sister said as they now faced three red blades.
The Jedi drew their multicolored lightsabers and the battle began. The door behind them opened and out of it came a running "Ezra?"
"Don't worry guys I brought help." Ezra said running out holding a small red pyramid and behind him came the old master.
"Maul." Ahsoka gasped.
"The Shadow." The eighth brother said.
Maul looked out at the Jedi and the inquisitors "What fun." He started to chuckle "What fun!" Ahkilleon reached into his pocket and pressed the transmitter that started to blink.
LOTHAL
Somewhere forgotten
The sun was going down on Lothal, a lone shuttle flew down to an abandoned farmhouse and landed. Reik walked out and approached the farmhouse as the sun set behind the planes. Opening the door to the ruined building it was covered in dust and loth cats ran seeing him come in, he walked into an abandoned living room with turned over furniture covered in dust. Dragging his fingers across the wall he approached the living room fireplace to find a dusty picture wiping it off he saw the image of a stranger.
Him as a child.
Holding onto the picture tightly he cracked its glass frame and flung it into the middle of the room, and proceeded to throw everything he could find into the center of the living room. Pictures, toys, books, furniture everything. When the pile was big enough he walked back out to the shuttle and walked into it, removing the survival kit he took out a flare gun and shot it into his hood house starting a fire. The flames were small but the winds began to flow through the cracks making the fire grow till it engulfed the entire house as Reik sat there in the dirt alone in the fields under the stars, he looked at the fire and felt himself growing sleepy. Then he heard something getting up he drew his warclub and sword looking into the darkness there was a growl, but then Reik lowered his weapons he dropped them and then he undid his breastplate, his gauntlets and greaves all of his armor then his clothes until he was naked. Leaving the safety of the fire behind he walked out into the darkness with only the stars to give him light, he stood there and looked into the black fields "Show yourself."
"…. afraid?" A voice asked.
Reik couldn't tell if it was, man, woman or even sentient but he saw a dark figure emerge from the shadows, it was larger then he was almost as big as a TIE, but it was covered in black shaggy fur with eyes red as flame. Reiks heart was pounding as he was looking into the face of a giant black loth wolf, it was different from the gray one he road into battle before. This one was bigger, it had scars on its face and it could talk. He couldn't see its mouth move but he heard its malignant voice in his head, "What are you?" Reik asked the lycanthrope.
"I am Fury."
"I am Passion."
"Where I hunt, I pursue'til I die." It continued to circle him the voice like gravel crunching under an armies boot "And even after the kill, they must cut out my mouthful from my preys body and bury it with me." The black loth wolf eyed him teeth barred glowering white in the moonlight.
"I can live a thousand years and not die."
"I can run a thousand nights and not rest."
"I can drink a ocean of blood and not be quenched."
"I am suffering, I am hate, I am anger, I am fear in-." The wolf had slowly spiraled closer and closer to Reik with each step till the young chief was face to face with "THE-DARKNESS!"
Reik was trembling not with fear, but something else, "Are you here to kill me?" Reik asked his voice shaking looking at its snarling teeth.
"Death comes to all, I come for death." The black loth wolf said his red eyes burning into Reiks soul. "You bring death, I come for you." The wolf added.
Reik thought back to his sword and it was as if the wolf sensed his fear, "How many?" The wolf growled.
"How many what?"
The wolf snarled out "How many will you kill, a hundred more, a thousand more…. For freedom?" The black wolf asked.
Reik started to understand what the beast wanted, what it was "I…" loosening up he remembered this question, and its answer "I'll kill them all."
The black wolf's growls grew and then it raised its head jaws wide ready to bite his head off with one snap of its massive jaws, ready for the kill.
