The Holocrons of Fate

The Ghost crew finds themselves caught in the middle of Maul's return as he aims to finalize his dangerous scheme.

Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger are shown at the beginning of the episode traveling through hyperspace on a CR90 corvette. Ezra is frustrated by Kanan's refusal to discuss what he did with the Sith holocron. Kanan is adamant that it is secure. When Ezra suggests using the holocron, Kanan reminds his Padawan that it nearly destroyed him with its secrets. Kanan explains that Master Yoda gave them the chance to defeat the Sith when Ezra inquires as to why they were sent to Malachor, and that they were unsuccessful.

A rebel pilot then informs them that they've arrived at the rendezvous point with a Sphyrna-class Hammerhead corvette, but the transport isn't communicating. After exiting hyperspace, the rebels discover the Hammerhead corvette has been attacked. Ezra and Kanan board the vessel after docking with the Hammerhead, and they find evidence of a battle. Kanan and Ezra discover an astromech droid and an injured rebel crewman in one chamber. The Jedi are warned by the crewman that a red blade is after them and that the Ghost is in danger. Ezra and Kanan believe it to be another Inquisitor.

Ezra and Kanan get in touch with Hera Syndulla via hologram from the CR90 corvette's bridge. They quickly learn that Maul and his repurposed tour guide droids have taken the other Spectres prisoner. Maul admits to betraying the others but claims he would have remained loyal to Ezra when Ezra accuses him of betrayal. Maul demands the Sith holocron they found on Malachor when Kanan inquires as to his demands. Maul threatens to murder his friends when Kanan claims not to have it. Ezra and Kanan pledge to bring back the Sith holocron. Maul then requests that Kanan also bring his Jedi holocron. Despite Hera's objections, Kanan reluctantly agrees, and Maul says he'll meet them at the rendezvous point before hanging up.

Ezra defends himself by claiming Maul was on their side at the time when Kanan scolds him for telling Maul about his holocron. Ezra inquires as to whether his holocron is still on the Ghost, and Kanan replies, "Where else would I keep it?" Ezra then asks about the Sith holocron, and Kanan assures him that it is safe, but getting it back will be difficult.

Maul is inspecting a painting by Sabine Wren on the Ghost. He informs his captive audience, which includes Hera, Sabine, Garazeb Orrelios, and Chopper, that he initially believed the ship was merely a transport but now understands it to be their home. Maul asks captain Hera for a tour of the ship when Zeb angrily asks if he intends to move in. Hera directs Maul to the airlock, suggesting he leave. Maul then forces Hera to give him a tour of the ship, despite Zeb and Sabine's protests. Maul tells the Mandalorian teenager Sabine that she should trust him above all others because he once ruled her home planet of Mandalore. When Zeb asks Sabine if this is accurate, she confirms, "unfortunately".

Hera then shows Maul around the Ghost. Maul observes that Ezra and Zeb's cabin has a "curious smell" and that Sabine's cabin is quite colorful. He makes Hera take him into the next cabin, Kanan's quarters, which Maul describes as a dull and somber chamber befitting a Jedi. Hera pretends not to know anything about Kanan's holocron when Maul demands that she show it to him. Maul, however, uses the Force to read her mind, exposing her lie and learning Kanan's true name, Caleb Dume. Maul learns after probing Hera's mind that she was the one who suggested Kanan hire Ezra as his apprentice. He also discovers that Ezra stole the holocron when he first met the Ghost crew and where Kanan stores the artifact, taking it out of its drawer.

Kanan and Ezra use a speeder bike to get to the Bendu's residence on Atollon. Kanan starts calling out for the Force wielder, but there is no sign of him. Behind the Jedi's back, the Bendu grabs the sensor stick (or "thumper") Ezra had taken along to ward off the krykna as Ezra wonders who Kanan is calling to. Just as Ezra suggests Kanan is hearing things, a swarm of krykna appears, causing him to panic. Kanan advises his apprentice to remain composed. Ezra, not trusting his master, activates his green lightsaber. Kanan informs Ezra that his actions are making the situation worse and that he must learn to live in peace with them.

The krykna suddenly scatter, and Kanan senses Bendu's presence. The sensor stick, broken in two, is thrown to the ground near the Jedi. The Bendu introduces himself to the two Jedi and inquires as to the purpose of their visit. Ezra is taken aback by what he is seeing. Kanan apologizes for not being able to chat and prompts Ezra to explain the reason for their meeting to Bendu. Ezra informs Bendu that a Sith named Maul desires the Sith holocron. Kanan adds that Maul also wants his Jedi holocron. Bendu is unfamiliar with Maul but recognizes his kind, and he emphasizes the danger of combining the Jedi and Sith holocrons.

Bendu responds that they are more than that when Ezra claims that the holocrons are merely information libraries. They will provide clarity of vision if two potent sources of information are combined, but they can also bring chaos. Bendu warns him that the holocron is a source of conflict between him and his teacher when Ezra emphasizes that they require the holocron to save their friends and asks for its return. The Bendu informs Ezra that he has concealed the Sith artifact in the nearby krykna nest and that he and his master will need to collaborate to retrieve it. Kanan uses the Force to reach out and hears the Sith holocron. Kanan takes Ezra's lightsaber before entering the cave and instructs him to use his comlink instead, claiming that the krykna would attack as soon as Ezra ignites the blade. Kanan promises to lead his apprentice through the cave. Ezra enters the cave, complaining about not having his lightsaber. When Bendu asks, Kanan replies that Ezra must learn to solve his problems without relying on his weapon.

Maul is unable to open Kanan's holocron back on the Ghost and loses his temper. Sabine overhears in the common room and says that "someone" is having a rough day. Hera suggests making his day worse. Zeb kicks Chopper into two of Maul's tour guide droids at Hera's signal. The rebels then subdue their captors, seize the droids' blasters, and descend to the engine room via the central ladder, with Zeb closing the trapdoor just as Maul enters and discovers the common room empty.

Sabine, Hera, and Zeb hear Maul walking on the lower deck, and Zeb notes that he makes a lot of clanking noises. Hera points out that the ex-Sith is half droid. Sabine says they can use that against him, and the three hide behind a closing door just as Maul comes down the front ladder and sees Chopper in the cargo bay. Sabine instructs Chopper to activate the magnetizer, which pulls Maul onto the cargo bay's ceiling. The rebels then attack him, but Maul breaks free of the magnetizer by using his lightsaber to deflect a shot into the astromech socket, deactivating it. Maul then throws the rebels aside and locks Chopper in a store room. He angrily yells at Hera and Sabine that they will only stay alive as long as they are useful to him.

Ezra is navigating through the dark krykna nest on Atollon. Kanan instructs Ezra to keep to the left via comlink. Ezra goes right instead and is soon surrounded by the spidery creatures and loses contact with Kanan. Kanan instructs the Bendu to protect their lightsabers before entering the cave to assist Ezra, removing his visor. Bendu says that either master and apprentice will regain their balance, or they will be eaten, as such is the way of things. Ezra is rescued by Kanan, who pulls him up to a higher tunnel. When another krykna approaches, Kanan uses the Force to calm it down and send it away, to Ezra's astonishment.

When Ezra asks his master how he did that, as even with his talent for connection Ezra can't do it, Kanan explains that his blindness has forced him to see things differently through the Force. Ezra apologizes for "everything" as they venture deeper into the catacombs. Kanan then reassures his apprentice that it was not his fault, and that he never blamed him. He tells Ezra that it is time for him to forgive himself, and Ezra startles Kanan by hugging him. The Bendu senses their reconciliation and smiles outside.

Ezra and Kanan eventually find the Sith holocron inside a deep chamber, surrounded by several krykna that are tangled together. Kanan instructs Ezra to remain calm, and the apprentice uses the Force to levitate the holocron over to them. The entangled krykna initially follow, but stop once the holocron is far enough away. Ezra takes the holocron, and Kanan tells him not to panic, calming another krykna that had come up behind them. After emerging, Bendu tells them that he senses that the imbalance between master and apprentice has been addressed.

Bendu, however, warns them that their true test has just begun. He warns them that the task will fall to one of them because the darksider will be unable to open the Jedi holocron. When Ezra states that this means the two Jedi will also get the power of the holocrons, the Bendu warns them that it comes with a price. Once a secret is known, he stresses that it cannot be "unknown".

The two Jedi then travel to the coordinates Maul has set for their meeting on an A-wing trainer. Kanan reminds Ezra that he has to deal with the consequences of getting the Sith holocron back, and asks whether it will help them against Maul. When Kanan asks Ezra to open it up, the apprentice replies that he would rather listen to his master. When Ezra asks Kanan what their plan is, Kanan tells him that they will "play it by ear". When Ezra asks whether Kanan is taking it lightly, his master replies that they must not give in to fear and despair.

They arrive at the rendezvous point, a Mandalorian asteroid outpost, and land in the main hangar, next to the Ghost. Maul greets them there, mockingly calling Kanan "Master Jedi" and telling him to follow the sound of his voice. Kanan tells Ezra to take it easy with Maul. When Maul asks Ezra if he found the Sith holocron illuminating, Ezra demands to know that his friends are safe. Maul replies that their friends will be his guests until their business is complete. He orders his tour droids to escort Ezra to the command center. He warns Ezra that his friends will die if he attempts to free them or if the tour droids are deactivated. Ezra replies, "Good to know."

Maul then leads Kanan down a corridor, while the tour droids guard the other Spectres in the Ghost's cargo hold. While walking, Maul confesses that he was not trying to blind Kanan, who retorts that Maul was only trying to kill him. Maul responds by stating that if you don't succeed, than try again, shoving the Jedi into an airlock. Kanan is sucked out into space but manages to cling to Maul's ship, the Nightbrother. Using the Force, he propels himself back into the hangar bay. After catching his breath, Kanan heads out to save his friends.

Maul secretly orders the tour droids to kill the prisoners in the meantime at the command center. He then informs Ezra that he has fulfilled his end of the bargain and falsely claims that his friends are secure. Maul instructs Ezra to kneel on the floor, and they exchange holocrons. Maul asks Ezra if he knows what will happen when they open both holocrons after they have settled down, and Ezra says that he is aware that any question they ask will be answered. Maul is surprised that Ezra knows, and asks him what his question will be. Maul replies that he is only seeking hope when Ezra expresses his desire to destroy the Sith. The two open the holocrons, which are drawn together and fuse, bathing the room in brilliant purple light.

Back on the Ghost, the tour guide droids prepare to execute Hera, Sabine, Chopper, and Zeb with their blasters. Kanan intervenes just in time, beheading the droids with his lightsaber and using the Force to remove the other Spectres' binders. When Hera asks about Ezra, he tells them that the youth is with Maul and that the rebels need to go. Maul exclaims that he sees nothing but oblivion and vows to go deeper back in the command center. Meanwhile, Ezra sees something. At that point, they are interrupted by Hera shouting, and the light from the holocrons becomes even more brilliant. Kanan removes his visor and sees Ezra and Maul in the holocrons' light. He tells Hera that he can see Ezra, and he's going to get him. Hera, mystified, incredulously repeats Kanan's assertion that he can see Ezra, and calls for him to come back.

Kanan tells Ezra to look away, but Maul tells him to stay focused. While Maul tells Ezra to acknowledge his desire, Kanan warns his apprentice to heed Bendu's warning. Kanan tells Ezra to turn away before it is too late. The young Jedi is tempted by a vision of seeing the key to destroying the Sith. Maul says he can see "him," and Ezra sees twin suns. Kanan warns Ezra that it is not worth it. Ezra listens to his master and closes his eyes. Suddenly, the bright glow disappears and the holocrons separate, destroyed, as the rebels are knocked out by a shockwave. Sabine, coming to, asks where Maul is. Maul, seizing the chance to flee, laughs with the knowledge that "he lives" before departing aboard the Nightbrother.

Kanan and the other rebels attend to the unconscious Ezra, who has sustained a headache. Ezra, upon waking, asks Kanan if he can really see again. Kanan responds that he could see Ezra, but only through the light of the holocrons. When he asks Ezra what happened, the younger Jedi tells him that he saw images of places both unknown and familiar. He doesn't know if it was what he or Maul wanted to see. Kanan reassures Ezra that they will find out together.