Shaak Ti and Ahsoka Tano

Chapter 36

Ahsoka's POV 

Ahsoka, Shaak and Kanan were standing around the Inquisitor. 

"You're the fourth Inquisitor we've seen." Kanan said, looking at him. "How many are there?"

'The fourth one... For Kanan, yes... But not for me.' Ahsoka thought. 'I've seen more than four Inquisitors... It aren't exactly pleasant memories.'

"More than enough for the three of you." The Inquisitor scoffed while looking at each of them. "Nothing can save you."

"Why are you on Malachor?" Kanan asked.

"Hunting." The Inquisitor replied after a moment of silence.

"But you were not expecting us." Shaak said with a frown. "Who are you after?"

The Inquisitor laughed. "A shadow..." 

Ezra's POV

"Behold the key." Maul said, as the hallway they were walking through ended, leading off to a platform.
Ezra stared at the stone platform with the blocky piramidal pillar. Or, more accurately, what was inside of it. "It's a holocron!" He said surprised.

"You know of them?" Maul asked a bit surprised.

"Yeah. My master has one, but it's..." Ezra hesitated, looking for a word. "Different."
"Because this is a Sith holocron, one that holds all their secrets." Maul said.

"Well, how do we get to it?" Ezra asked, gesturing to the drop that seperated them from the holocron.

"It is a test." Maul said. "Only someone with the courage to risk oblivion is worthy to claim it."
Ezra walked a few steps and looked down. It was a long fall... "Throw me." He said suddenly.
Maul looked at him, shocked and surprised. 

"Yeah, throw me. I'll jump, and then you use the Force to throw me." Ezra explained. "My master and I do it all the time... Well, a few times anyway." He said a bit unsure, but that quickly made place for determination. "Look, we can do this."

Maul looked at him and nodded.
Ezra scrambled back to the mouth of the hallway. When Maul nodded, he ran to the edge of the platform and he jumped.

Maul caught him with the Force as his feet left the ground, using the Force to get Ezra to the other side.

Ezra landed safely at the podium, smiling at Maul for a moment before turning to the holocron. He reached out to take it, but the moment his hand closed around the holocron, there was a tremor in the ground underneath them. Before he had time to get back to Maul, the podium began to rise. Ezra looked up to where a ball of white energy glimmed.

Ahsoka's POV

They looked up as they heard and saw the Temple that began to glow, the etchings on its surface turning gold. The Inquisitor activated something on the comlink on his right hand without the Jedi seeing it.

Ahsoka turned to the others. "We need to find Ezra." Her voice sounded stronger than she'd thought; she thought that it would sound weak with worry.

"Get back to the Phantom and get ready to leave." Kanan told Chopper, who grunted in reply and took off flying.

"Come on, let's take a walk." Shaak said, roughly pulling the Inquisitor to his feet and pushing him forward.

Ezra's POV

"Jump!" Maul yelled.
"I won't make it!" Ezra yelled back, fear clear in his voice.

"Ezra!" Maul shouted.
"I- I can't!" Ezra yelled, his voice shaking with fear.
"Trust me."

Ezra paused and took a deep breath, then he let himself fall.
Maul caught him with the Force just as he fell past ground level, then he began to pull Ezra towards him. As Maul's hand closed around Ezra's and the holocron clenched within it, he pulled the boy up on the platform. Ezra was trembling and panting, not sure if he did the right thing by getting the holocron.
"There was nothing to fear." Maul said, his tone sweet like honey. "You were wise to trust me."