Darth Minar

Chapter 4

"Ezra?  Ezra!"  Kanan and Rex called into the night as they searched for Ezra. Kanan continued to check his comm link for messages from Hera.
"Do you sense him?"  Rex asked, partially uneasy by the lack of daylight.
"No, he may be deep in mediation, or maybe asleep."  Kanan said.  "But that wouldn't mean I wouldn't sense him. Since he's used the sith holocron, I'm becoming less and less aware of his force presence. He's growing colder, darker, more lost."
"Yeah, I heard about that. At the base, you said you left things uneasy. What did you mean by that?"  Rex questioned. Sighing, Kanan explained all that had happened. Rex listened intently, his facial expressions changed when Kanan's tone changed.
"Wow." He said after Kanan was done. He took a few seconds before continuing. "Why didn't you let him speak?"
"I don't know, I just assumed the worst after all of that."  Rex nodded.
"Just like when you first met me and my friends." Rex pointed out. Kanan laughed.
"I guess so." Kanan admitted.  Sensing something, he stopped in his tracks. "Wait, be quiet."
"What is it?"  Rex whispered, alarmed. Kanan reached out using the Force. He sensed a presence, a very powerful, very old presence. A presence he hadn't sensed since he'd taken Ezra to the Jedi Temple on Lothal. He'd only heard Master Yoda's voice, but he'd felt his presence. He was sure this was the same way.
"Rex, why don't you go look up ahead. I'll catch up."  Kanan asked.
"You sure, Kanan?"  Rex asked. Kanan nodded. Rex scouted up ahead, searching desperately for Ezra. Once he was out of sight, Kanan knelt.
"Reveal yourself!"  Kanan ordered.
"Your blindness has not weakened your Jedi senses, I see."  Yoda said, appearing before Kanan. Using the Force he sensed Yoda, but could not picture him.  He'd never seen Yoda before.
"Master Yoda."  Kanan bowed with respect, taking a seat across from him.
"Had a talk with your apprentice, I did."  Yoda informed. Kanan went stiff.
"You've seen him?  Is he okay?  Where is he?"  Kanan asked suddenly.
"Just around the corner, your Padawan is.  Take it easy, he must."  Yoda warned.
"Why?"  Kanan asked.
"Conflicted, He is. Keeping something from you, he is."  Yoda said.
"What?  Do you know?"  Kanan asked.
"Between you and young Bridger, this is.  On a path to the dark side, he is. Almost impossible to come back from that, it is."  Yoda said calmly. "Fix things between you and young Bridger, you must."  Kanan nodded and got to his feet.
"Thank you, master."  Kanan said. Yoda nodded and disappeared.
"Kanan!  I found him!"  Rex called from around the corner.  Kanan ran to Rex's voice.

As night fell, the climate of Chopper Base grew hot. But, the visions had left Ezra in a state of cold. The dark side was more powerful than he'd ever imagined. While he slept, all Ezra could think of was that unknown Inquisitor. That Inquisitor who called him a funny name. Minar, was it?  How had he become Minar?  His eyes were red, his voice had become darker, deeper. What would happen to him in the future?  Then he heard a distant, familiar voice.
"Ezra?  Ezra, wake up."  The dim voice called. He recognized it as Rex.
"Rex!"  He called out. On the outside, it came out as a moan.  The voice returned.
"Kanan!  I found him!"  Rex called.
"Kanan?"  Ezra asked. It touched him his master still cared. He shivered. Kanan knelt next to his apprentice. He touched his forehead.
"Kanan, I know you can't see, but he's really pale. Almost frosted. It looks like Hypothermia." Rex warned.
"The dark side, he tapped into it.  This is really powerful darkness." Kanan said sadly. "He's cold as ice, we have to take him back to the base." Rex nodded once.
"Kanan." Ezra moaned. In his mind he was shouting.
"Ezra?" Kanan asked.
"S-s-s-so. S-s-sorry." Ezra moaned while shivering. The cold was overtaking his body. Kanan shook his head.
"It's okay, Ezra. You'll be fine." Kanan comforted. With the help of Rex, he heaved Ezra to his feet, and carried him to the base.

Inside, Hera was pacing, worried about her two Jedis and Clone friend.  She looked over to the remainder of her crew. Both Zeb and Sabine looked worried.
"That's kids been causing a lot of trouble and drama lately, but I hope he's okay." Zeb said truthfully. Sabine nodded her agreement.
"Here they come!" One of the pilots called as Kanan and Rex dragged Ezra in. Hera ran over and attempted to help with Ezra.
"He's cold as ice. That can't be right.  This is one of the hottest planets in the Lothal Sector of the Outer Rim."
"It's the dark side."  Kanan said simply. Hera blinked in confusion.
"Take him to the med bay!"  Sato ordered.  Kanan and Rex placed Ezra under the care of two pilots who took him to the med bay.
"What happened, Kanan?"  Hera asked.
"He was alone. And vulnerable. There's no saying what he could have seen. Something caused him to use the force in a way he was not ready for. Just like that base a few years ago."  Kanan said. Hera nodded.
"Will he be alright?"  Sabine asked, walking into their conversation. Kanan nodded and she walked away.
"He will be alright, won't he?"  Hera asked, sensing Kanan's unease.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. He may have tapped into something he can't just tap out of."  Kanan warned sadly. Hera nodded, returning the sentiment.
"Alright, it's time for curfew. Lights out in ten." Sato said, heading towards his personal quarters. Hera nodded and ordered her troops to bed.
"Will he be okay alone in the med bay?" Hera asked. Kanan nodded.
"I'll check in on him first thing." Kanan said, heading to bed. Hera followed him.

The following morning Ezra woke with a start. He'd dreamt of that strange Inquisitor all night. The word Minar replayed in his head over and over. When Kanan woke, he'd woken up and headed straight for the med bay. Ezra remained unconscious, but had warmed up. While Kanan waited, Ezra had woken up suddenly, breathing hard. He looked over to see Kanan at his side.
"Kanan." Ezra sighed, regaining his breath.  Kanan smiled.
"I'm here. And I will be from now on."  Kanan smiled. Ezra smiled sheepishly in reply. 
"So, What happened last night?"  Kanan questioned.
"I need to tell you something first. What I was trying to tell you yesterday."  Ezra introduced. Kanan nodded permission to continue.
"Ever since you took the holocron, I've been hearing voices. In particular one voice. The voice that came out of the holocron. The voice is trying to tell me no one understands me, no one cares for me."  Ezra confided. Kanan scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"You must've gone deeper than I thought. The voices is an effect from being pried from the darkness quickly. It's trying to get you to continue to use the holocron. It's like an addict. The more you use, the more connected you get. It takes time to fully separate."  Kanan said. Ezra nodded.
"So, What exactly did you see last night?"  Kanan asked.
"Well, I was trying to cool off a little before heading back. I was frustrated, and I didn't want to give you another chance to not believe in me. To not care for me."  Ezra started honestly.
"Ezra, I'll always care about you."  Kanan said quickly.
"Well, it didn't feel that way when you ignored me."  Ezra said sadly. Kanan was stunned to silence.
"Either way, I must've fallen asleep, because next thing I know Yoda was there and talking to me. Then I had visions of some sort."
"What did you see?" Kanan pressed.
"Well first, I saw myself sometime after we received the sith holocron. I was using it, and my eyes were glowing red." Ezra said. Kanan grew stiff and nodded for Ezra to continue.
"Then I saw us a few years back, on empire day. I saw us in that base again. Then, it was me and you. We were arguing. I wanted to sith holocron, desperately. My eyes, they were Indigo, like partially blue partially red. But not quite purple. You told me to come back to you. But, I told you I was already dead."  Ezra said. Kanan sensed a great distress in Ezra. A great conflict.
"Is that it?"  Kanan questioned. Ezra bit his lip.
"No."  He said. "There was one last image."
"What was it?"  Kanan asked, worried about his apprentices fear.
"I was with Thrawn and this new Inquisitor. We talking, as if almost equals. I was older, but I was different. I didn't recognize myself. I felt so much hate. So much pure anger. And my eyes were really dull." Ezra said, stopping himself.
"Anything else?" Kanan asked.
"Yes, The Inquisitor asked me if I was ready to begin my training. And he called me a funny name."
"What was it?" Kanan asked.
"Minar. He called me Minar."  Ezra confided. Kanan nodded once, conflicted.
"You get some rest, I'll be back to check on you in a while."  Kanan instructed. Ezra sensed his Master's hurry to get away from him.
"I'm not going to become a Sith, am I Kanan?  Am I going to end up a bucket head?"  Ezra asked fearfully.
"No, I won't let that happen. Just don't fear the future.  It leads to the dark side. Don't worry about this now, just rest. I'll talk to Hera and Sato about getting you your job back."
"You really think I'm ready?"  Ezra asked happily. Honestly, Kanan didn't. But, he needed his apprentice. He couldn't bear to loose him to the darkness."
"Yes."  He lied, before leaving.  Ezra watched after him; happily, sadly, and conflicted.