Darth Minar

Chapter 6

Ezra hadn't slept well since the absence of the holocron. The voices had stopped speaking during the day, but practically screamed durning the night. He saw visions; visions of himself, visions of Darth Vader, visions of Thrawn, and visions of the dark side.  He continued to meditate with Kanan, and it helped for a while.  Then, as the visions progress, the ,edit action became less and less effective.  He continued to tell Kanan he felt contempt with the light side of the force, until one day.
"Kanan, can I confide in you?"  Ezra asked. Kanan furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, but nodded his reply.
"This meditation, it hasn't been working recently. My visions are becoming worse. I'm getting more and they're lasting for longer."  Ezra sighed, defeated. Kanan bit his lip, trying to find comfort for his young companion.
"We'll meditate more, longer."  Kanan insisted. Ezra shook his head.
"Don't you understand?!  It's not working!"  Ezra shouted. Nearby pilots looked over in worry and confusion. Ezra blinked, taking a step away from his master in fear and sorrow.
"I'm sorry, Kanan."  Ezra put his hands in his armpit, hugging himself. Kanan took a step forward and laid his hand on Ezra's shoulders.
"Ezra, it's not your fault. For some reason your being targeted by the sith." Kanan soothed. Ezra pulled away.
"That's exactly it, Kanan. They'll never stop hunting me. It'll just get worse and worse, until-." Ezra stopped, choking on his words.
"No, we'll find a way to prevent this." Kanan argued.  Ezra shook his head and walked away.
"Ezra?"  Kanan called. He may' even been strong with the force, but he was still blind.

Hera saw Ezra walking quickly way from his usual practice spot with Kanan, but he was alone. Usually sessions lasted longer, and they walked back together. Something just seemed, wrong.
"Ezra!  Ezra, hold up!"  Hera called, running to meet Ezra he looked up, revealing an oddly sad expression and paused.
"What's the problem?"  Hera asked when she'd caught up.
"Nothing."  Ezra said, sadly. Hera glared at him.
"Ezra, I've known you long enough to know when your lying. Tell me the truth."  Hera demanded calmly. Ezra sighed and shifted his weight.
"Fine."  He gave in. "The meditation hasn't been working as well recently."  Hera looked at him, expecting him to elaborate, but he didn't.
"And?"  She hinted. He took a deep breath.
"The visions are getting stronger, more demanding.  I can't resist them forever."  He said. Hera grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Ezra, don't give up!  Don't give in!  I believe you can resist them!"  Hera argued. Ezra lowered his eyes to the ground and Hera shook her head.
"Ezra, I know you, you gave up. Don't give up!"  Hera demanded.  Pilots looked over awkwardly at the loud conversation.
"Hera, I'm going to ask politely for you to leave me alone. I've been the cause of a lot of dramatic scenes lately, and I'm becoming infamous among the pilots. I really don't appreciate all the attention."  Ezra said, stalking off. Hera looked after him numbly.
"Not opening up to you either?"  Kanan asked, scaring Hera. She hadn't noticed him standing there.
"When he gets upset, he loses hope. He hides in his shell, Kanan, and it's not healthy!"  Hera said.
"I agree, Hera. Especially in his vulnerable state right now.  He doesn't realize it, but when he does this he's practically leaving the door open to the sith."  Kanan said sadly.
"We have to do something, Kanan."  Hera said. Kanan sighed and nodded.
"He needs guidance I cannot offer him, we must go seek some wisdom."  Kanan said. Hera nodded.
"Please, be careful."  Hera pleaded.
"We'll be fine, just a quick trip to Lothal."  Kanan smiled, heading off the find his Padawan.

Kanan found Ezra hugging himself in the head of the ship, staring longingly at the picture of him and his parents.
"Ezra?"  Kanan asked. Ezra, lowered his head and turned around. There were dark circles under his eyes, dark circles that weren't there five minutes ago when he dismissed himself.
"Ezra?"  Kanan asked again, shock and sadness clouding all other feelings.
"Stare all you want, Kanan, that won't change anything."  Ezra snapped, his eyebrows dancing with anger as he talked.
"Ezra, I was thinking we could step out a few days, maybe go to the Jedi Temple for guidance."  Kanan said. Ezra's eyes narrowed menacingly, and his anger and fear flared.
"Did you not hear what I've been talking about for weeks?!  As soon as we leave the planet they'll have us!"  Ezra raged. Kanan shook his head.
"No, I won't let that happen."  Kanan said calmly, not reacting to Ezra's anger. Judging from the anger and circles, Ezra had fallen in deeper than Kanan ever imagined. The sith were making him miserable.
"Please, Ezra, you need Jedi guidance. I need guidance to help you.  We must go to Lothal."  Kanan insisted. Ezra's anger softened and he saw the true sadness return to Ezra's eyes. Tired and weak, Ezra nodded his head.
"Sure, when'll we go."  Ezra sighed, yawning.
"Early in the morning, get some good sleep and we'll go."  Kanan nodded, leading his drowsy apprentice to his quarters. The joy of going back to his home fueling him, he had a dreamless sleep. A nice, long, dreamless sleep.

Kanan woke Ezra in the morning, and, for the first time in months, Ezra was upset to be awoken. Kanan was relieved his apprentice had finally found peace, even a short-lived peace. Soon enough everything would be back to normal again, no matter what it took. Kanan would give up anything for his apprentice, like he did his sight. Ezra could never know, though, he already felt guilty enough about Kanan's sight. That's what started the problems in the first place.
"Ready, Kanan?" Ezra asked. Kanan realized he'd been deep in thought and nodded, following his apprentice's force signature through the door.
"You going?" Hera asked, catching Kanan at Ezra's door. Both Kanan and Ezra turned around
"Yes." He said. Hera sighed.
"Take care of him, will ya? I would like both of you enlightened and back in one piece in a few days." Hera instructed.
"I will." Ezra and Kanan said at the same time. Kanan whipped his head around towards Ezra's direction and Hera smiled. Kanan turned back towards Hera.
"You won't mind if we take a small rebellion ship?" Kanan asked.
"Sure, Take the ship at the second dock. I'll tell Sato where you went." Hera smiled. Kanan nodded and both him and apprentice turned to leave.
"And Kanan?" Hera stopped him. He turned around.
"May the force be with you." She smiled, as did Kanan. He nodded and left for Lothal.

Lord Vader marched the halls impatiently, just as he had months before. His resistance to choke an officer diminished as his anger flared. He practically ran to find Thrawn, his plan had failed.
"Thrawn." Vader said angrily as he met with the Grand Admiral. "My patience has become next to none, your plan has failed."
"There is hope yet, Lord Vader. One of our cruisers docked outside of Lothal have reported a rebellion craft. The Jedi has taken the bait.  It is almost time for you to fish."
"Were they stopped at the blockade around the planet?"  Vader asked, his faith in Thrawn returning.
"No, they were permitted to enter, but they are being tracked. This could be a golden opportunity for us, Lord Vader.  We could track them back to their base."
"No, they'll find the tracker when they land."  Vader shot. A silence filled the room, and the only sound filling the void was Vader's respirator.
"I shall take my shuttle and follow them on the planet." Vader decided.
"What will you do with the master?" Thrawn asked Vader.
"I shall lock him in a cell and torture him. Use his life to convince the boy to join me. Then, when the boy is strong enough in the dark side, I will kill the master. It shall be the breaking point for Minar to emerge." Vader turned to an officer who was listening intently to the conversation.
"Get my shuttle." Vader demanded. The officer nodded, and walked swiftly from the room.

Vader got on his shuttle, ordering the pilot to take him to Lothal. An hour flight followed him, but it would be worth it to gain an apprentice. With a strong enough apprentice, he could overthrow the emperor, and possibly become emperor himself. Everything he had dreamed of would finally be possible. The stormtroopers surrounding him were dead quiet and ready for anything. He was glad to strike fear into their hearts, the hearts of his shoulders. A truly strong and successful army was built around fear. And his true, raw power was strong enough to conquer anyone, except his master of course. He'd killed many Jedi. Sure, most of them were younglings, but he'd killed a very powerful Jedi. He'd conquered the chosen one, Anakin Skywalker. Anakin Skywalker was dead on his account, along with his family.
"Lord Vader, we approach the planet." The pilot called. Vader nodded, demanding to be loaded onto a Star destroyer. His thoughts were left on his shuttle.

"Lord Vader, we have tracked the shuttle to the middle of nowhere on the planet's surface. There seems to be only rocks and mountains. There could possible be some sort of base." Vader looked over the maps, and saw an out of place land mark.
"There." He pointed. "There is a Jedi Temple. The rebels are a Jedi Knight and his Padawan, and they seek guidance. I shall go, alone. You will land me there." He pointed to a locations a few hundred meters from the temple.
"When did they arrive?" Vader asked.
"They arrived about an hour and fifteen minutes before you. According to our scans, they are still on the planet. Their ship hasn't moved since they landed." Vader nodded, and commenced with his plan to make the young boy a sith.