Path of the Jedi
The Ghost was parked out in the middle of the grasslands on Lothal and Kanan was knocking on the door to Ender and Zeb's shared cabin.
"Ender. Ender, you in there?" He said, only to be greeted by a yawning Zeb opening the door, looking drowsy and sleepy.
"Nope. No Enders in here." He told Kanan before shutting the door.
Kanan shook his head before he walked down the hallway.
Elsewhere, Ender was running at top speed back to the Ghost, as he was, against his will, taken by Serah to see something. And he knew that Kanan would be annoyed that he'd be late, as he was never late for any of his Jedi lessons.
Back with Kanan, he was meditating in his cabin, his holocron opened, displaying what looked like a map of some kind.
Just then, Ender had reached the Ghost and instantly made his way to Kanan's cabin.
As he was taking a moment to catch his breath, Kanan's holocron shut off, and he then knocked on Kanan's door.
"Come in." Kanan called out as he grabbed the holocron.
Ender opened the door and entered.
"I'm so sorry for being late, Kanan, but Serah was insistent that she showed me something. As in 'dragging me by the arm' insistent." Ender apologised as Kanan opened his eyes and stood. "And I'm sorry for missing training, because of it. I just don't want to go through what happened on that asteroid again."
"I know you're sorry." Kanan told him before he sighed. "And you're right, you made a dangerous connection through the Force when we were on that asteroid. I have to know if you are ready."
"Ready for what?" Ender asked, frowning in confusion.
"For a test, a real challenge, once that could determine if you're meant to be a Jedi or not." Kanan revealed.
"But why train me, then, if this test will tell me if I'm not gonna end up being a Jedi?" Ender questioned.
"Because you have the potential to become one. You just don't have the kind of discipline and focus needed all the time." Kanan explained.
"Kanan, growing up on my own didn't give me the pleasure of being used to all these rules, you know that." Ender reminded him before he turned to face a wall and leaned his hands against it. "I want to be the Jedi that you see in me, which I don't believe I can be, sometimes."
"You're lucky I'm not my master. She'd never let you get away with stuff like this." Kanan told him, making Ender turn to him. "Go on and prep the Phantom."
"Yes, Master." Ender replied before he left Kanan's cabin and went off to the Phantom while Kanan watched him from his doorway.
"I might regret this." He told himself.
"You have to do this, Kanan." Hera said, appearing next to him. "After what happened on the asteroid, you have to help him."
"I hope I can." Kanan replied.
"I know you can." Hera assured him confidently.
After it was prepped, Ender and Kanan entered the Phantom, and the latter detached it from the Ghost, flying off through the skies of Lothal.
"Where are we even going for this test?" Ender asked Kanan.
"That's what you're gonna tell me." Kanan replied, putting on the autopilot and sat with Ender among the passenger seats. "When I was younger than your age, there were around ten thousand Jedi Knights defending the galaxy. Now, we are few. But in those days, we had small outposts, temples spread throughout the stars. The Empire sought out these temples and destroyed many of them, but not all."
"Are you suggesting there's one on Lothal?" Ender asked.
"Yes. I want you to meditate and let the Force guide you to it." Kanan instructed.
"But what if I can't find it?" Ender then asked, unsure of himself.
"That's part of the test. Trust yourself. Trust the Force." Kanan assured him.
With that, Ender closed his eyes and started meditating, tapping into the Force and unknowingly drawing the attention of Loth-cats, which chittered upon looking up at the Phantom, and also the attention of a large white furred creature that has been keeping an eye on Ender for years.
Ender then exhaled.
"Did you take this test when you were being trained?" He asked Kanan, still keeping his eyes closed.
"It was different for me, Ender. Everything was different back then. All that remains now is the Force." Kanan replied.
"And only my connection to the Force can lead me to this temple." Ender concluded, still keeping his eyes closed.
"Nice to know you can be taught." Kanan grinned.
Ender went back to focusing and trusting the Force, which allowed him to see images in his mind.
"I see a huge stone, one with a tunnel. It also has a bright star in it." He told Kanan, soon seeing more images. "And it's definitely on Lothal."
"You sure?" Kanan asked.
"I may not have coordinates, but I can direct us there." Ender told him, opening his eyes and walking up to the pilot seat with Kanan, who sat in it and took over control of the Phantom.
With Ender's directions, Kanan flew the Phantom towards the colder, snowy region of Lothal, where they found a large and tall stone.
"That's what I saw." Ender told Kanan.
"Autopilot disengaged." Kanan said, flicking a switch, making Ender frown.
"So you did already know." He said just as the Phantom landed.
"I checked the holocron back in my cabin." Kanan said as he stood and pressed a button to open the back of the Phantom.
"And it told you there was a temple on Lothal?" Ender questioned.
"The holocron holds extensive star maps, but I was as surprised as you that there was a temple here." Kanan replied as they exited the Phantom and walked towards the large stone. "Course, I couldn't be sure this is where you were meant to be, but it makes sense. This is your home."
They then looked up at the large stone.
"You better figure out how we get inside. And don't take too long. Remember, the Empire has access to all the old Jedi records. They may know about this temple and have it under surveillance." Kanan then urged him.
Ender stepped forward and approached the large stone while Kanan sat on the ground and meditated in a circle that was formed on the ground.
Ender walked around and examined the stone, noting that the ground around the stone looked like it was cracked and apart, like the stone could move.
Realising this, Ender decided to listen and use the Force. So he closed his eyes and placed a hand on the stone, tuning into the Force.
"The temple wants to admit me… and Kanan. Master and Padawan." He said to himself, realising that the two had to work together and enter the temple, so he walked up to Kanan, who opened his eyes.
"Well?" Kanan asked.
"The temple wants the both of us together." Ender told him.
"Then together it shall be." Kanan said before standing up and leading Ender to another circle that was formed on the ground.
The two then closed their eyes and held their hands out, tuning into the Force.
The large stone shook and rumbled before it started turning and rising up until it stopped, revealing an entryway into the temple itself.
"Whoa." Ender gasped in awe as he and Kanan opened their eyes.
"Make sure you don't lose focus." Kanan reminded him. "We don't want this thing crashing down on us."
They approached the entryway, stopping right up at it to prepare themselves before they walked right in.
They found themselves in a hall with three pillars on either side, and a doorway opposite them.
The whole room was filled with mist that lingered close to the ground.
Ender looked around until he gasped and jumped upon seeing two corpses resting against a couple of pillars.
This ultimately made him lose focus, and the temple lowered itself back into the ground, closing off the entrance, making the hall shake and have dust and pebbles fall down.
"You lost focus." Kanan told him with folded arms, making Ender cringe.
"Well, excuse me for not being used to seeing corpses, okay?" Ender retorted, pointing at said corpses, which he realised were Jedi.
"In here, you'll have to face your worst fears and overcome them. And there's no guarantee of success." Kanan explained to him.
"I'm gonna have to go alone, won't I?" Ender then asked.
"You will." Kanan confirmed with a nod. "And I'll be here, with them…" He gestured to the corpses. "...Masters whose Padawans never returned."
"So you're putting your life in my hands?" Ender questioned.
"You put your training in mine." Kanan reminded him.
The pair then heard rumbling from the doorway that led deeper into the temple, making Ender take a deep breath before he stepped forward and walked in through the doorway.
"Good luck." Kanan sighed.
The door then started to close.
"What do I look for?" Ender called out through the rumbling.
"Nothing and everything." Kanan replied as he got to his knees, just before the door fully closed.
Ender looked down the dark cavernous tunnel before him and made his way through it.
He felt a pull, which led him right into a chamber with three different doorways leading elsewhere into the temple, which made him sigh.
"This place sure does love messing with me, already." He muttered to himself before closing his eyes and listening to the Force to determine which way to go. After a short while, he felt a pull from the doorway to his left.
With that, Ender opened his eyes and made his way through the doorway, first walking, but then he heard screaming from ahead of him, sounding like Kanan and the others, along with the sound of a lightsaber slashing, which made him worry, so he ran the rest of the way.
He turned a corner and soon stopped when he found himself at the edge of a large ravine.
"What the -?" Ender questioned, as the screams and the lightsaber slashing sounded so real.
Then he heard a lightsaber activating behind him, also seeing red light behind him, making Ender turn to see the Inquisitor standing over Kanan, who was on his knees and holding his left arm, the bodies of Hera, Zeb, Serah and Chopper laying around them.
"No." Ender gasped in horror, seeing that the Empire had arrived, laying a trap for him and the crew.
"I felt a disturbance in the Force the moment the Jedi planned to bring you here, Padawan." The Inquisitor sneered. "I even made sure to have your friends taken care of, for good measure."
"No." Ender whispered, shaking his head in disbelief, as this was just becoming too ridiculous to be true.
"Now, who dies first?" The Inquisitor then asked before he started walking up to Ender.
"No!" Kanan yelled, being able to stand up and ignite his lightsaber. "I'll die before I let you harm the boy!"
"How reasonable." The Inquisitor said with a malicious grin before he turned and locked sabers with Kanan, who deflected it to the side and swung his saber at him, but the Inquisitor stepped aside and then ducked under a swipe, blocking and kicking away Kanan's next two attacks. Then he stepped aside, making Kanan slash at the rock wall behind him.
He dodged two more attacks and deflected the third.
When Kanan thrust his lightsaber, the Inquisitor then knocked it downward, causing Kanan to fall onto the ground.
Ender ran to try and help, but was getting choked by the Inquisitor with the Force, even being levitated off the ground.
Kanan got back up and charged at the Inquisitor, who let go of Ender to face him, dropping the eighteen year old, who was gasping deep breaths for air.
The Inquisitor blocked and deflected all of Kanan's attacks, making him back up towards Ender, who got up and put some distance away from the fight, which kept going, the Inquisitor still dodging, blocking and deflecting all of Kanan's attacks with ease until they locked sabers, when the Inquisitor decided to activate both blades and spin his lightsaber, making Kanan stumble back from trying to block repeatedly before being Force pushed onto his knees.
And before he could attack, the Inquisitor thrust his lightsaber, now back to being only one blade, into his chest, killing him.
Ender's breath was taken away upon seeing this, watching Kanan's now lifeless body fall onto the ground among the others, his lightsaber shutting off.
"Kanan." Ender whispered, feeling alone and lost again.
"So he called himself 'Kanan', did he? Well, it hardly matters now. Your turn." The Inquisitor sneered, turning to Ender and walking up to him.
Ender, his eyes welling up, turned and ran until he reached the edge of the ravine again, making him turn to the Inquisitor, who bared his teeth at Ender.
Seeing that he'd rather determine his own fate instead of a pathetic bully, Ender braced himself before he jumped down into the ravine.
He fell, spinning in the air, for a while until he suddenly found himself landing in the middle of an Imperial corridor.
This made Ender get up on his feet, wiping his eyes, as they were wet with unshed tears, and looked around, finding the corridor to be completely empty, which he baffled about, along with the fact that he was even here, as he was in the Jedi temple only moments ago.
That was when he realised that this was all just some vision of some kind. And if that's the case, then what he saw moments ago was all a vision, as well, meaning the others are still alive.
Of course, Ender connected the dots and understood that the vision was showing his worst fear: of being alone.
So what was this vision trying to show him?
Deciding to find out, Ender walked down the corridor, soon finding a window to his left, which he looked through, seeing a YT-1300 in a hangar bay, but the hangar didn't look like it was part of a Star Destroyer, so what was he in?
He would've continued on, but he heard robotic and mechanical breathing behind him, sending chills down his spine.
He turned and was face to face with a tall figure dressed all in black with a helmet that covered the whole head a black cloak.
"Who are you?" Ender asked the figure.
They didn't respond. Instead, they pulled out a lightsaber hilt and activated it, showing a red lightsaber blade.
"Oh, no." Ender gasped, wide eyed with horror.
He then turned and ran, but the dark side user held his hand out and stopped Ender in his trackers, lifting him off the floor and then pulled him back, making Ender scream as the dark side user slashed at him.
Ender closed his eyes, but he didn't feel the lightsaber.
Instead, he found himself falling again and crashed onto the floor of a chamber in the Jedi temple.
"What the hell was all that about?" Ender asked himself as he sat up, wondering what that vision was trying to tell him, because he never saw that ship before, and had never met whoever that dark side user was. Could it be a vision of the future? That he'll come across that ship and that dark side user at some point?
"And Kanan… the others…. That's all an illusion. Making me face my fear of being alone again. And even if it wasn't an illusion, I'll survive like I did before." Ender then swore to himself before he got up and walked up to a closed doorway.
It then opened up, revealing the Inquisitor on the other side.
"How perceptive." He told Ender, walking up to him.
"Back off! You're just an illusion, nothing more!" Ender snapped at him, only to get grabbed by the cheeks by the Inquisitor.
"I can assure you, I am not." He told Ender before he let go of him, making him back away. "No way out, Padawan."
"There's always a way out, as long as I follow my training." Ender retorted as he was pressed up against a pillar.
"Ready to die, boy? Or are you afraid to face your demise?" The Inquisitor questioned him.
"I'm not afraid of death, unlike you. All I'm ever afraid of is being alone and letting my master down." Ender snapped back.
"Your master lies dead and rotting in a forgotten tunnel with your friends. You could hardly have let him down more." The Inquisitor sneered, standing right in front of Ender, who glared at him.
"I am not afraid of you." Ender snarled before he closed his eyes.
The Inquisitor grabbed and activated his lightsaber and yelled before slashing at Ender, not even inflicting an injury on him, as though the saber phased through him.
Ender opened his eyes back up, finding the Inquisitor to be gone, seeing that it was indeed all just an illusion, as he suspected.
He took this moment to lean against the pillar behind him and let out a sigh of relief.
"Big fears have you faced, young one." An old and wise voice spoke to Ender, who closed his eyes again.
"I have." He replied, knowing that whoever he was talking to had to be a Jedi.
"Hmm. For what lies ahead, ready are you?" The voice asked him.
"I am." Ender nodded, opening his eyes yet again.
"Come. See more clearly what you could not see before." The voice said.
"Who are you, anyway? A Jedi?" Ender asked.
"A Jedi, I am, young one. A guide, I am, too." The voice replied.
Then Ender saw a swarm of lights form out of thin air and lead him to the doorway, so he followed after it, knowing he was safe, the door closing behind him.
Back with Kanan, he was getting antsy and anxious, as Ender has been in the temple for a while now.
"The kid's taking too long." He groaned before he got to his feet.
"Patience. Remember you nothing of your own training?" The voice questioned him, leaving Kanan shocked to his core, as he recognised that voice very well.
"Master Yoda." He called out, looking around before sighing and shaking his head. "It can't be. I'm losing it."
"Losing? Lost? Yes. But what loss, hmm? The question, that is." Yoda questioned, making Kanan fall onto his hands and knees, taking deep breaths.
"Master? How… how can this be?" He asked.
"Be not concerned with how. Know I am here because you are here." Yoda told him.
"Thank you, Master." Kanan thanked, sitting up properly.
"Thank you? Hmm. Nothing have I done. Hmm. See you, I can. Before, I could not. Changed, something has." Yoda noted.
"I've taken on an apprentice." Kanan admitted.
"Apprentice? Mmm. And now Master are you?" Yoda asked, making Kanan look at the closed doorway in front of him. "Of this decision, honest you must be."
This had Kanan sigh, realising he had to come clean with how he feels about being Ender's master.
"It's true. I'm not sure of my decision to train Ender. Not because of him or his abilities, because of me, because of who I am." He confessed.
Back with Ender, he continued following the swarm of lights until he found himself in a chamber with three doorways, like the one he entered previously.
"Which way do I go?" Ender asked.
"The wrong question, that is." Yoda's voice told him.
"You'll have to forgive me. I just don't understand. I honestly have no clue why I'm here or what I'm meant to do." Ender replied, making Yoda chuckle.
"A better question, that is." He told the eighteen year old.
"All Kanan told me was that I'd be tested. He never said anything about what for or why." Ender explained.
"And your master, tell you everything, must he?" Yoda asked.
"Fair enough. Not really." Ender shrugged.
"Your path you must decide." Yoda advised.
The swarm of lights hovered away, leaving Ender to look at the three doorways, ultimately deciding to go down the one in front of him in the middle.
Back with Kanan, he closed his eyes and entered a meditation state.
"A dangerous time this is for your apprentice, for you." Yoda pointed out.
"I know. I can sense it. I feel as if his abilities are growing faster than I can teach him." Kanan replied.
"You sense, or you fear?" Yoda questioned, sensing something within Kanan, who sighed.
"I lost my way for a long time, but now I have a chance to change things." He admitted.
"Hmm. Last chance." Yoda pointed out.
"I won't let him lose his way, not like I did." Kanan replied.
Ender found himself entering a circular chamber with glowing inscriptions and symbols on the ceiling, leaving him in awe.
"Tell me. Why must you become Jedi?" He heard Yoda ask him.
"Well, initially it was because Kanan believed I could. But now, it's so that I could help people. Save them from the Empire and maybe even prevent them from losing those they love, like me." Ender explained.
"Ah, selfless you are. Help others, you seek." Yoda said thoughtfully.
"Yes. I don't care for power, I never wanted that. I just want the galaxy to be safe and free from the Empire." Ender replied.
"Yet, much anger you have. Much fear." Yoda noted, making Ender sigh.
"Only because I lost my parents. I tapped into the dark side, and I hated it. I don't want to lose myself to anger and fear again. But I also want to protect my friends, as well." Ender admitted. "And everyone else. Before I met Kanan, I tried to help others, but with little effect. But since I met Kanan and the others, they helped me think on a grander scale. And I truly see how it makes people feel to help and give to them."
"Feel, yes. How?" Yoda pushed him to explain.
"They feel alive, and they hope, like I do, now." Ender replied.
"Good. Good." Yoda said as the room suddenly vanished, leaving Ender surrounded by the void of space around him. "Ahead of you a difficult path there is, Padawan. A Jedi you may yet be."
Ender then noticed a light appearing above him, lowering itself towards him. He watched it until he placed his hand under it, watching it land on his open palm, when he finally noticed that it was a crystal with a blue hue to it.
He may not know its significance yet, but there was something about it that made him grin, seeing that he had passed the test.
Back with Kanan, he continued meditating until he heard the door in front of him open, making him open his eyes to see Ender, which made him stand up as his Padawan walked up to him.
"How are you?" He asked Ender, relieved to see he was okay.
"Different, yet the same, if that makes sense." Ender replied, making Kanan chuckle.
"I know what you mean." He said.
"I even found this." Ender showed the crystal in his hand, surprising Kanan.
"I don't believe it." He said, grinning even more.
"What is it, exactly?" Ender asked, hoping Kanan would know.
"Ender, that's a kyber crystal." Kanan told him.
"And what's so special about it?" Ender questioned.
"It's a lightsaber crystal." Kanan revealed, making his Padawan go wide eyed with awe.
With the test now over, the pair used the Force to open the temple back up and exit the doorway.
"I have to admit, when I brought you here, I didn't see this happening. Getting a lightsaber crystal is a big step." Kanan admitted just as they exited back outside.
The temple rumbling made the pair turn to see it lower back into the ground, keeping the entrance hidden again.
"It's odd knowing that this place is here." Ender told Kanan.
"And it will be, for now, and hopefully it'll be here long after you and I are gone." Kanan replied.
"I also can't help but wonder what else is in the temple." Ender added.
"I know what's in there. The past." Kanan replied before he and Ender turned to walk back to the Phantom, which they entered and took off, heading back to the Ghost.
A few weeks later, everyone gathered in the common room, waiting for Ender, who was currently building his own lightsaber, which he's been doing ever since getting back from the Jedi temple.
"He's been working on that thing for the past two weeks. What kind of lightsaber could he possibly build with the junk we have laying around"? Zeb questioned.
"Well, I had a few spare parts I found over the years." Kanan replied with a smirk.
"And I had some pieces I thought might work, like modulation circuits and an energy gate." Serah added. "Heck, even Chopper donated a power cell."
Chopper beeped and warbled proudly.
"I gave him some additional tech." Hera revealed. "He was pretty specific about what he was looking for."
Ender then slid down the ladder to the Phantom, holding his newly constructed lightsaber hilt.
Everyone instantly focused on it as Kanan got up and walked up to Ender.
"What do you think?" Ender asked, holding his hilt to Kanan, who took it and examined it.
It was unlike any lightsaber he saw Jedi use during the Clone Wars, especially with the fact that it had a guard on it to cover then fingers when holding the hilt.
"Well, it's different." Kanan said as Hera and Zeb joined his side, getting a closer look at it. "But that seems about right to you." He then handed it back to Ender as everyone grinned. "Go for it."
Ender took a deep breath before he ignited his lightsaber for the first time, showing a blue blade, just like Kanan's, leaving everyone in awe, also feeling proud of Ender for both creating it, and for advancing in his training to the next level.
As you can see, Ender isn't about being powerful to save and protect his friends and make the Empire pay. All he cares for is helping others, even more so since meeting the Ghost crew. That is different that what Ezra admitted to Yoda.
And that second vision he had, it's safe to say what it was trying to tell Ender.
