Darth Minar

Chapter 24- Book 2

Ever since Ezra had been moved to the hospital room, Kanan had spent most his time with him; whether reaching out through the force, sleeping, observing, or just staring at the shell that once was his apprentice. He had fallen into another nap of dreamless sleep with the alarming beeping noises had began. Jumping to his feel, he ignited his saber, and quickly turned it off after sensing no danger.

"Kanan?" Hera's scared, unsteady voice called. He sensed her nervousness and her fear as he suddenly felt her warmly embrace him.

"Hera, what's going on?" He asked, but sensed it before he could get his answer. Ezra's force signature was completely gone.

And that's when he heard the rush of doctors entering the room, practically stampeding the two of them.

"Heart beat is failing!" A doctor called out. "Beginning chest compressions!"

Suddenly Kanan began to feel woozy, and fell to the ground, passing out as he heard Hera shriek.

Kanan awoke in darkness, more darkness than his blindness had given somehow. He searched around him, he knew he was dreaming, but he didn't know where he was. As he turned in circles, he saw a flickering light in the distance. As he slowly approached, he saw it was Ezra, as he last saw him.

Broken, hurt, dying, but himself.

The shadows twisted around Ezra's figures like lightened shadows and faint calls echoed in his head.

"Ezra."  Kanan spoke softly, and Ezra's electric blue eyes shone bright. Cuts and bruises lined his face, but he appeared resisilient, if not tired too. "Ezra, don't leave me."  Kanan pleaded.

A small smile began to form, before Ezra quickly ignited his saber.
"Kanan, get behind me."  Ezra spoke with a tough, scratchy voice. Kanan scrambled. That's one thing he liked about his visions, he could see.   And one thing he didn't, he didn't usually have complete control over himself in said dreams. If it was up to him, he would protect Ezra. He would protect him, like he should have in the first place.

Out of knowhere, an almost mirror of Ezra appeared from the shadows. Kanan recognizes this alter ego immediately. 

Ezra stood confidently with his makeshift lightsaber, his hands shaking slightly as he went into a defensive stance. His mouth was painted into a line, his eyes darting. Minar laughed, maniacally, his face a smirk. Walking slowly and with pride, he ignited a beautiful red saber, the color a perfect reflection of his eyes. He let out one final chuckle before striking, quickly and stealthily, quick enough to nearly knock the saber from the young boy. But Ezra stood strong, ish.

Kanan couldn't move, he was frozen in place, as if by a dark force. A dark force such as Minar. Kanan hadn't seen Ezra since the day he lost his vision, of course, but he had to assume present day Ezra looked something like Minar.

Minar was a few inches taller than Ezra, and his hair was buzzed instead of long and ragged. They had an identical scar, the same one Ezra had gotten from the original Inquisitor. But Minar had more scars then Ezra. Physical, and mental, Kanan could see.

He tried to move, to help Ezra with the fight, but he couldn't. He was frozen in place, completely now, he couldn't even move his hand to reach his saber. He could hear Minar's voice in the depths of his head like poison. Kanan clenched his teeth as he worked to free himself, all the while the young Ezra worked hard to fight his older evil. Why was this version of Ezra so young?  Surely if he was older he'd have won by now. Maybe it was Kanan's own fault...

"No, Kanan.  It wasn't your fault."  Ezra muttered in the depth of the fight. His teeth were clenched in pain and agony as he fought Minar.

"Of course it was my fault, Ezra. I was the one who left you, you were vulnerable. You were in pain, too. And as your master it was my job to take care of you. I failed."
"No, Kanan. I'm the reason you're blind. I'm the reason you weren't there. It was all me."  As Ezra spoke he noticeably weakened, Minar began to win the fight.
"Ezra, stop. These things, these excuses. They aren't you, they're me!  It's no one's fault but my own you're the way you are, and so am I. It's my fault you turned into Minar!  It's my fault!  I wasn't there before, but I'm here now. And I'm willing to do anything to stop this. Anything!"  After his last words, Kanan felt Minar's grip on him losen.

Whether intentionally or not, he could move again. And he would not waste that chance. Within seconds, he'd ignited his own saber, ran towards the impending battle, and used the force to push Ezra to the side. Minar's face lighting up wickedly. The battle was pushed to the next level; passion, anger, fear. The dark side.  Ezra could sense it, he was yelling and shouting for Kanan to stop. Kanan was so blinded by rage he couldn't hear it.  

"Kanan, Kanan stop!"  Ezra shouted, but Kanan wasn't listening.  He had no choice but to hop back into the battle.  But it was too late.

Ezra watched as Kanan, face full of passion, disgust, and anger, his teeth clenched and yelling, he shoved his saber into Minar's chest. Directly into his nonexistent heart.  Minar fell to the ground, dead in seconds.

Kanan seemingly came to, staggering back and dropping his saber.
"What've I done?"  He whispered. He fell to his knees.  "I have vowed, I have broken my promises."

"Kanan,". Ezra came to his master's side. "Kanan, you saved me. From myself it seems. You saved me, please, stop blaming yourself for these things.  Please, Kanan," Ezra began to fade as Kanan turned to face him.

"Ezra, what's happening to you?"  Kanan asked, concerned.

"I'm waking up, finally, you saved me from Minar, Kanan. I'm waking up!" 

Suddenly, Ezra had completely disappeared. And Kanan looked down to see himself fading too. The world became black again.

He awoke to darkness, as the usual now, but felt himself being shaken.

"Kanan, Kanan you have to snap out of it!  Ezra needs you, he will wake up!"

"We're losing him!" A medic spoke.  Kanan's face distorted in disbelief as he spoke.

"No, no I saved him. I defeated Minar, I saved him. Please, Ezra!  Fight through!" 

Kanan heard a deep breath, and suddenly his force sensed lit up like they were before. 

Ezra was back.

"Kanan!"  Ezra called, swinging himself off the bed and throwing his arms around Kanan.  For now, everything was alright.

But Kanan knew the dark side came with a price.

A price he would soon have to pay.