Darth Minar

Chapter 3

The following night, Ezra was requested in Hera's personal quarters. She watched sadly as he entered, his head lowered in humility. She patted the space on her bed next to her, and Ezra sat down slowly.
"Ezra, Kanan told me what happened." Hera said, avoiding eye contact.
"I'm sorry, Hera." Ezra started. Hera put up her hand to quiet him and made eye contact.  Her eyes stared into his, sensing emotions never really displayed on a public level. Regret, misery, and hopelessness.
"Ezra, I'm worried about you. I wonder how much different you would have ended up if we never would have picked you up."
"No, don't go there, Hera. If you never would have picked me up, I would still be a lonely, selfish street urchin. You helped me."
"It doesn't seem like that now." Hera said sadly. Ezra's heart skipped a beat.
"I'm sorry, Ezra, but I have to relieve you of your duties." Hera said.
"No." Ezra said, sadly. Hera's sad eyes met his and she shook her head.
"Ezra, I want to help you, let me in." Hera pleaded. Ezra swallowed hard, a voice forming in his head. A voice discrediting Hera's kind heart. Ezra shook his head.
"No," he whispered.
"No?" Hera asked sadly.
"Not you." Ezra shook his head. "Ever since I started using the holocron, there's been voices in my head. Voices telling me to be more powerful."
"Have you told Kanan?" Hera asked.
"Kanan? No! He'll probably just go off on me again. He doesn't understand. Nobody does." The words had started out in joking disbelief, then turned to sadness, and lastly pure anger. Hera grabbed Ezra's shoulders.
"Ezra, hold onto yourself. Tell Kanan." Hera advised.
"Will you come with me?" Ezra asked hopefully. Hera nodded, hugging her young companion. He accepted gratefully, pushing the voices back.

The next day Ezra went to find Kanan, but found him nowhere in sight. Hera had promised to be with him, but important rebellion business had come up. Ezra swallowed hard as Kanan came around the corner.
"Kanan!"  Ezra called out. Kanan turned toward his lost apprentice, approaching him with caution.
"Kanan, I-."  Ezra started. Kanan shook his head.
"I don't want to hear it, Ezra.  I'm not going to tell you where I hid the holocron." 
"That's not-."  Ezra attempted again.  And again, he was shushed by Kanan.
"Ezra, please not now."  Kanan rushed. Ezra blinked, wounded.
"Kanan," he started, exasperated. Kanan shook his head, walking away. Enraged, Ezra kicked a stone before picking it up and throwing it as far as he possibly could. What had happened to his relationship with his master?  Since when were they unable to listen to each other? Ezra, shaking, fell into indignant, angry sobs. And there, in the plains, he fell asleep. Meditating and dreaming of what seemed to be a different life. A life where Kanan would correct Ezra on simple mistakes, bothering him into a short temper.  Those days they spent alone on Lothal.  Hera would listen to hidden Rebellion messages and would spend countless hours arranging missions or fixing Chopper. Sabine would either be fixing up guns or expressing herself through various art projects. Zeb would lye around, waiting anxiously for someway to train himself or to annoy his fellow companions. Ezra would learn to ways of the Jedi. Experiencing the light side of the Force.  Why had Master Yoda instructed us to travel to Malachor even though he'd led Ashoka to her demise, led Kanan to his ultimate blindness, and led himself to the Sith Holocron, which was withering his soul away. Sure, they'd defeated the Inquisitors, but they'd also unleashed Maul, evil sith lord of the the pre-clone Wars. Maul would probably be back for his "apprentice" and for the holocron.
"The right path for you, it was, Young Bridger."  A voice spoke. There, sitting in front of him, was the small, old, green creature known as the great Jedi Master Yoda. Ezra kneeled.
"Master Yoda."  He said, offering his respects.
"On your feet, you must get. Not a king, I am."  Yoda joked pleasantly. Ezra awkwardly got to feet, then Yoda motioned for him to sit.
"Not seeing eye to eye, are you?  You and your master?"  Yoda asked, closing his eyes in deep meditation.
"No, I opened the sith holocron. I used the sith holocron. I lost my masters guidance and trust."  Ezra relived sadly. Yoda shook his head.
"Make mistakes, everyone does. Makes us better, learning from our mistakes does.  Get your master to trust you, you must."  Yoda instructed. Ezra partially smiled and thanked Yoda. With a flash, Yoda was gone as soon as he'd came.  Ezra fell asleep once more.

At the rebel base, they were locking up for the night. They role called as they did every night, having higher upers check their crews. Hera called together The Ghost crew and the Phoenix Squadron.
"Alright, is this everyone? Wait, where's Ezra?" Hera asked, examining her ranks. "Zeb, go check The Ghost." Hera ordered. Zeb nodded and ran aboard. Minutes later, he came back shaking his head and shrugging.
"He's not on the ship, Hera." He informed.  Hera looked worriedly out into the night.   "I hope he's okay."
"Are we ready Captain Syndulla?"  Commander Sato asked.  Hera shook her head.
"No. Ezra's missing. He may not be in our ranks anymore, but he's still apart of my crew."  Hera said. "Someone has to go searching for him."  She ordered.
"I'll go."  Kanan offered. Hera put her hand on her hip.
"No offense, Kanan, but you're blind."  Hera pointed out.
"I have been using the force to strengthen my vision. I can see through it. And I know Ezra's force presence.  I left things uneasy between us, and I need to show him I care."  He argued. Hera nodded.
"Alright, but you must take someone with you."
"I'll go."  Rex volunteered. Kanan nodded his approval and thanks. Rex grabbed a flashlight and the two of the made their way to find Ezra in the darkness.

Meanwhile, Ezra was plagued with dreams and visions again.  He saw, well, himself. He saw flashes of red and himself using the holocron. It was before he'd cut his hair. It had grown ragged, so he'd gone for a shorter look. He noticed, looking onto himself for the first time, his eyes were glowing red. Everything seemed easier with the holocron, but just as Kanan had warned, it was too easy. It was too easy to fall victim to the dark side. Too easy to learn new powers, power too great and poisoning. Powers that made him prideful, and full of anger uncanny to any other. Then, the image flashed. It was to one of his earliest Jedi lessons. He was with Kanan on his home planet of Lothal, trying to connect himself to his surroundings. While attempting to connect to a loth cat, he found himself unable and, annoyed, gave up. It wasn't a good day; it was empire day, his birthday.  Then, the image flashed to the following night.  The Ghost crew had picked up a friend of his parents, Tseebo. Tseebo had volunteered himself for an Imperial Implant, just for Ezra. Ezra didn't forgive Tseebo, and it held Ezra back. Finally, Ezra forgave Tseebo, and he connected with the creatures and deeper into the force. The image flashed again to Kanan, blind again, who was making a gesture of disbelief.
"You just won't give it up, will you?  I thought training you would help you, help me!  I ended up blind, and you torn."  Kanan argued. Ezra, who sported eyes of a different color, scowled angrily. His eyes had changed from an electric blue to a dull, indigo color. Taints of red formed around the edges.
"Just give me the holocron."  Ezra said shortly. Kanan shook his head.
"It's somewhere safe, for now."  Kanan said with a tint of nervousness. "Come back to us, Ezra." 
"I was lost the day you started ignoring me.  You made me believe it was my fault you ended up this way. I now understand, it was never my fault. If anything it's yours I'm this way.  Now, the day I cracked was that day weeks ago, remember?  The day a few after you found me sleeping on the outskirts of camp. Do you remember?  I certainly do."
"Ezra, please."  Kanan begged. "What about Hera?  Sabine?  Zeb?"
"Zeb?  He'll be glad to get him room back. Sabine?  I was just an annoying kid. An annoying kid that became a thorn in her side. And to Hera I was a basket case street urchin who needed a family, desperately. Now, Ezra is dead."
"Ezra?"  Kanan asked. Before the vision continued, the image blurred once more. The face of Thrawn replaced it, along with an unknown, masked Inquisitor of some sort.
"Minar, are you ready to begin your training?"  The Inquisitor asked. Ezra, now with eyes mostly red, nodded.
"Yes, master."  He said. Finally, the image returned to darkness, where it stayed.

Hello readers!
I just wanted to thank quickly anyone who supports me by commenting and reading my stories.
I will have Chapter 4 up and running in the next three days.
BTW, you know how Vader means father, right?
For this story, I tried to find a name that fit Ezra like Vader fit Anakin.
So, I chose Minar, which means to undermine or attack
Thanks again and bye!