Star Wars: Darkness Rising

Chapter 3: Trials of The Infinite Empire!

Ezra opened his eyes. He didn't know how long he had been out for, but he knew he was still inside the Temple. For some strange reason, he wasn't tied up or in binders either. "Well, you handled yourself well" said the Rakata, who was sat in front of him. It then broke out into a grin, and laughed, not a fake laugh either. Something was seemingly hilarious. "Your face when you saw me, ah it was priceless, after all though, my Mam did say if I wanted to make friends in life, don't murder them too much, or too hard. Otherwise they might not get up again you see..." it said. Ezra didn't know what was even funny. "Who are you Rakata?" he asked, sitting up. He was surprised to feel his lightsaber clipped to his belt. The Rakata became serious. "Oh I think you know that" it said. "I want to hear you say it" Ezra said. The Rakata shrugged. "I am a Rakata, a creature of Legend to you and your Jedi" it said. Ezra sighed. "I meant your name" he said. "I am Soa'aan, but you can call me Soa" said the Rakata. "I am also in great need of a shower, and food... do you see any other hungry starving life forms in the near area?" he added. Ezra looked around, and then at himself. "Yeah, me" he said. Soa made a disgusted sound. "Oh stop it, one crumb and you humans are done, Where did you say you were from?" he asked. Ezra shrugged. "Lothal" he said. Soa just nodded. "Great, do they still have roasted wolf meet there?" he asked. Ezra sighed. "How about you answer my questions, why did you attack me!?" he demanded. Either Soa didn't notice Ezra was fed up, or just didn't care. "Hey, no wait just wait ok? I'm starving, and I'm talking about food, real food... you haven't been stuck inside this temple for thirty thousand years" he said. Ezra was angry now, and used the force to clamp the Rakata's mouth shut. "I'll let it go, but only when you start answering my questions... was it you inside my head!?" he demanded. The Rakata nodded. "Why!?" Ezra demanded. He let go of its mouth so it could answer. "Because I want to help you, but you know its not as simple as that. Like I said, you have to pass the trials of my people..." he said. Ezra stood, and unclipped his lightsaber, activating it. He held it to Soa'aan's throat. "And what if I refuse?" he asked. "Well it would be rude and impolite on one hand. On the other, I would most likely have to kill you!" Soa answered truthfully. Ezra nudged his lightsaber closer to the Rakata's throat. "I could cut off your head right here and be done with it... you know that as well as I do!" he said. Soa laughed. Not a joking and jolly laugh, but the evil laugh Ezra had heard before. "Then you will never defeat the Grysk, will you?" he said. Ezra let his lightsaber drop slightly. "Oh that got your attention didn't it?" asked Soa. His joking nature was gone now. "Yes, young Jedi, my people fought them. The Grysk vs The Infinite Empire... one of the greatest wars The Great Divide ever saw!" Ezra's face set in a neutral, but determined expression. "What do you want?" he asked. Soa just smiled. "You, and your talents, they can be beneficial to both of us..." he said. Ezra shrugged. "What could you possibly offer me?" Ezra asked. Soa smiled at him. "I could offer you everything... I could offer you an end to this war, I could give you the power to win it! You could go home..." he said. Ezra seemed unsure. "How dangerous are your trials?" he asked. Soa broke out into a huge grin again. "Well now" he said in his joyful tone. "If you fail or get one part of them wrong, there's a very good chance you could fall to your death, be burned alive, eaten, tortured, lost and never found again or basically die some slow horrible and painful death" he explained. Ezra sighed. "Figures, how good are those chances on a scale of one to a hundred?" he asked. Soa beamed encouragingly. "About Fifty-five Billion to one in favour of you dying" he said, as if he had simply proposed the chances of it raining when there were huge dark clouds in the sky. Ezra sighed again. "Alright... lets get on with it I suppose" he said. Soa smiled broadly. "THAT'S MY BOY! Oh, and while you're doing that, could ya see if I still have some Kwa meat anywhere? I'm starving, won't say no to something alcoholic either" he said. Ezra's stomach turned, and he felt like he was going to be sick. He took a few moments to recover. When he was ready, he moved into the next chamber, and headed for the first trial.