Episode 21 (1)

                                    

                                          
Ooooh, I'm really liked writing this. It's so much fun working with all these moving pieces. Difficult at times, but fun. Writing is an amazing thing.
                          
This episode was quite a challenge to restructure with the adjustments I've decided to make with my AU. It definitely forced me to examine the characters I had to work with and decide which characteristics to highlight. There is one more surprise cameo in this episode. I'm curious to see how you will react to this...

                          


                          
While Kanan flew the Phantom with Ezra at his shoulder, Anakin was transmitting to Rex. "Once we drop out of hyperspace, we'll be going dark."
                          
"Are you sure about this?"
                          
"Yes."
                          
"Sir, you don't have to go to Malachor alone," Rex reasoned. "I could be there in two rotations."
                          
Anakin shook his head, glancing at the others. "I'm not alone, Commander. We're going to keep an eye on each other, all of us." He made eye contact with him, lowering his voice. "This isn't a suicide run, Rex. We plan to make it out alive."
                          
Of course, Skywalker knew what Rex was actually thinking. He nodded, trusting his general. "May the Force be with you."
                          
He smiled, appreciating the gesture. Rex's image disappeared, and Anakin stood up, joining the others at the front of the ship. 
                          
Ezra looked at the Jedi Master. "Why is Rex so worried? What does he know that I don't?"
                          
"Malachor has always been off-limits to Jedi," Kanan explained.
                          
"Why?"
                          
"Old legends. Stories told to us as Younglings in the temple."
                          
Staring out the front of the ship, Anakin agreed, "There's always a bit of truth in legends."
                          
Well, that didn't make sense. "If Malachor is off-limits, why would Master Yoda send us here?"
                          
And that is the question of the day, Anakin thought, but he didn't say anything. He already didn't like this commission and not just because it was Malachor. Kanan seemed to be on the same page.
                          
They dropped out of hyperspace, and Kanan finally answered his apprentice. "I don't know, but hopefully, there's something here for us."
                          
"Yeah, something to stop the Inquisitors," Ezra said, looking to Anakin.
                          
He gave his best guess as to what that was. "Knowledge."
                          
Kanan flew the ship toward the dark planet, the atmosphere clouding their vision the further in they went. After a few minutes, Chopper beeped from above them. 
                          
"A ship? What kind?" Ezra asked, but he didn't like the response he got. "He can't tell."
                          
"Track it," Kanan instructed. "Let's see who else is interested in this place."
                          
Well, this is off to a great start. Still, Anakin tried to be optimistic. It was okay to have suspicions, but he couldn't let that distract him. He was here, so he needed to address the current situation as best as possible, no matter how much he didn't like it.
                          
A break in the clouds came up, and Ezra leaned forward. "Woah. Look, up ahead. What is that?"
                          
'That' was a huge crater on the surface of the planet, inside of which they could see spikes. The spikes could have been anything. They were too far away to see it properly. "I don't know," Kanan responded, "but the ship we're tracking went there. I'm gonna set her down."
                          
A minute or so later, the Phantom was resting on the ground inside the crater. It seemed empty and quiet to the Jedi once they stepped outside. "I don't see any ship."