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"The medication isn't working," said Alee.
Fi'Lora slipped to her knees beside the Jedi. The flickering lamp chased dim shadows of concern across her face.
"I can move," explained Alee.
Fi'Lora nodded. "We only used a 12 hour dose of ruba extract on you, knowing how you dislike it. Unless you'd rather have more..."
"No, that's fine," Alee blurted. "The pain I feel is quite manageable." She narrowed her eyes. "Just how long have I been unconscious this time?"
"A mere 18 hours. You should go back to sleep." She wiped Alee's brow with a cool cloth.
"And miss all the excitement? Which reminds me - where's Chale?"
"On a mission," said Fi'Lora.
"Sounds mysterious," replied Alee.
"Something about blowing up a munitions dump."
Alee frowned. "Sounds dangerous."
Fi'Lora took Alee's right hand. "I appreciate that since you saved my brother's life, you feel very protective of him. You must trust him, Alee. He will be fine."
"You're right." Alee nodded thoughtfully. "He's a good leader. And I do trust him."
Fi'Lora went back to organizing her supplies. Alee stared at the ceiling. The night breeze moved over it in ripples. A gust of wind flapped the walls.
"Why are we in a tent?" asked Alee
"We are camped in a valley on the plains."
"The plains? Isn't that a little danger..." Alee trailed off.
"Chale thought the element of surprise would serve us well. The humans will expect us to hide in our city or in the trees."
"I'm surprised he didn't insist on you staying where it is safe," mused Alee.
"Oh, he did insist," Fi'Lora said with a smile, "for all the good it did him. I am the best healer in the forest. This is where I am needed."
Alee laughed. "He's going to blame me for this - putting troublesome attitudes into your head."
Fi'Lora's eyes sparkled. "They were already there. You only showed me how to give voice to them."
"Keed will never be the same."
"I sincerely hope not," said Fi'Lora.
Alee sat up on her pallet. Her left arm was taped securely to her body. Her shoulder throbbed dully but felt remarkably whole. 12 hours of that ruba drug gave it a good start. A familiar odor told her that her leg was wrapped in kuba leaf. The injury twinged when she got to her feet, but was otherwise silent. She spotted Jonner on the other side of the large tent. His face shone in the light. Some sort of burn lotion? A cover swept over his body from the chin down.
"You should rest more," said Fi'Lora.
Alee shook her head. "I need to stretch my muscles. How is he?"
"The young heal fast. Amazingly, he had no broken bones. His real problem was internal bleeding." Fi'Lora glanced at Alee. "Whatever you did to him with your Force powers slowed the bleeding. We were able to stop it. He will wake in the morning bruised, sore and weak. But we are working on that, as well."
Alee looked into her eyes. "Thank you."
Fi'Lora smiled, then giggled as she watched Alee try to don her tunic one-handed. After a moment, she slipped over and assisted Alee. She fastened the belt and tucked the empty left sleeve under it. Alee leaned on the Keed as she slipped her feet into her boots. Fi'Lora did them up, then reached for Alee's cloak. The Jedi's eyes grew wide. The bottom edge of the cloak was tattered and torn and fringed with black. Light shone through a scattering of burn holes. She slid her right arm in its sleeve and let Fi'Lora secure it. The left side had burned away so her whole boot was exposed. Alee clipped her lightsaber to her belt and sighed. I should thank the Force I'm still alive. She limped into the night.
Alee pulled her hood up and made her way through the camp, seeking solitude. A few tents sprouted like squat bushes amongst a field of soldiers. The Keed camp was close to completely dark. Three small fires braved the night. Alee stopped to watch the figures huddled around the flickering beacons. Jonner was right. At each fire, a few Keed had joined their human compatriots and were regaling them with tales of battles past. Her eyes glowed from reflected light and she continued on.
A sentry lowered his blaster and bowed as she brushed past. Fifty meters down the valley floor she stopped and inhaled the quiet. The Force thrummed around her, the heartbeat of her existence. She closed her eyes and ignored the single tear tracking down her cheek. I walk a hard path. A lonely one. I don't belong here. I am a shadow, touching lives for a brief moment, forgotten as soon as I pass. Her leg protested as she eased down and sat cross-legged. Her fingers ran idly through the grass. Sometimes I long for roots like Fi'Lora's. For someone to look at me, not as a Jedi to be feared or revered, but as a person. A presence impinged on her awareness.
"Join me, Randu," she called.
He came up behind Alee and knelt beside her. He rested his haunches on his heels and held his arms stiffly with his palms on his knees. She felt his glare. "You did not see me, yet you knew who approached. I do not like that."
"Some auras are easier to detect than others. I did not mean to offend," said Alee.
"Your very presence offends, Jedi. I do not like this sway you hold over my master."
"What do you mean?" she asked. After a moment she added, "Not the humans that joined you?"
He jerked a nod.
"I wasn't even there, Randu. How did it come to pass?"
"Chale broke with tradition." Bitterness laced his voice. "He insisted the prisoners be treated with kindness, with respect. He, he talked with them - about the leader driving them, about working together for all Keed." He paused. "All Keed - as if they belong here."
"Don't they?" she asked quietly. "They may never belong in the trees, but after all this time they have become part of the planet. It is their home, too."
"Our traditions are the leaves that shelter our culture. They define who we are. Humans are not part of that tradition," Randu declared.
"Every tree eventually sheds its leaves and grows new ones. The process makes the tree stronger, helps it grow." She hesitated. "Change is hard. Chale understands this. That is why he was willing to negotiate. That is why the peace that comes from this battle will be a lasting one. He is the leader that will help your people through this time of transition. "
"You have seen this?" Alee felt the keen edge of his suspicion.
She spoke quietly. "Yes, I have seen it. In his eyes. If you look, you will see it, too."
Alee felt his focus shift away from her to the night sky. He said, "I think it is time for you to leave, Jedi."
"I was thinking the same thing before you joined me." She let a breath out slowly. "One Hutt-filled sore to cauterize and then I will go home." Is Coruscant home? Is anywhere?
The night urged them to silence. Alee sensed a truce had been declared between them and let the Force cover her with peace. If the Force is my life, maybe everywhere is home.
A rumble shook the ground. Randu pointed to a false dawn flowering in the east.
"It is done," he said. "Chale will return soon."
They trekked openly across the plain. Chale marched regally - the point of the spear. He was flanked by Jonner and Alee. Alee was pleased to see Jonner's health shining through his still red face. The day of rest we took for Chale and his marauders served Jonner well. Though the left arm was still bound, Alee felt the strength flowing through herself, also.
"Master," called Randu from two steps behind Chale, "I do not think such a brazen approach to the human city is wise."
"Are you questioning my wisdom, friend?" Chale shot a half smile at Alee and continued. "Do not fear, Randu, the humans that have joined us will make others loath to fire upon us."
At their own request, the human contingent of the Keed forces fanned out directly behind the Speaker. The rest of the Keed brought up the rear. They ebbed and flowed as a single living organism. Alee knew the mob-like appearance belied the discipline these soldiers held to.
The city grew out of the ground. Soon the barricade was visible. Why don't they fire their blaster cannons? When they approached hailing distance, a figure jumped onto the barrier.
"Keed!" Rave shouted. "Release your hostages and we may let you live."
Jonner stopped Chale with a touch. The young man stepped forward and called, "We are not hostages, Rave. We are Keed. One planet. One people. Join us."
"Fools! You've all been bewitched by that Jedi." Rave dropped behind the barricade.
"Ready," Chale barked. Thin durasteel shields popped in front of each soldier. Alee knew the shields would only be able to deflect one or two shots. Not much protection, but Force willing, enough. She drew her lightsaber.
The blue blade leapt to life as Chale shouted, "Now!" The company surged forward without firing. Only when the barricade started spitting flames did they use their weapons. Alee slid into the flow of the Force and ran at Chale's left side, deflecting any shots aimed at him. As they drew closer, the barrage intensified. She jumped ahead of Chale to weave a shimmering pattern through the air as she rushed forward. The shots became fewer. Alee charged the final distance and somersaulted over the barrier. She halted.
A full three-quarters of the men were on their knees, hands on head in the typical posture of surrender. A few had fallen. Running steps drew her attention down the street where Rave and a handful of hardcore supporters fled. She narrowed her eyes and tensed. A hand gripped her arm. She looked into eyes that were only a shade darker green than normal. Chale shook his head.
"Let them go. They cannot fight us all."
Alee looked around. Men from both sides were embracing, talking excitedly. The battlefield was strewn with a precious few bodies. Already she could see Fi'Lora and her healers moving towards them.
"They didn't try very hard, did they?" she mused.
"No. The only heavy fire was directed at you and me. By Rave, no doubt. Even one-handed you are an impressive shield."
Jonner joined them and slapped Alee on the left shoulder. She winced, causing him to flush. "I did it again, didn't I? Sorry, Jedi."
"I will forgive you if you use my name instead of my title, Jonner." She smiled.
"Ah, sure ... Alee." The red deepened. He hastily turned to Chale. "They want to join our march on the base. All of them."
Chale nodded. "So be it. Let's go."
The army cut through the heart of the city, flowing around stalled landspeeders and surprised citizens. Soldiers called to people they recognized. Their ranks swelled as people picked up anything handy and fell in behind and between the soldiers. A festive mood bubbled through the crowd. Alee's step became buoyant.
A child rushed out and Alee swept him up with her good arm before he was trampled. His eyes grew wide and he touched her cheek.
"Are you a Jedi?" he asked in childish awe.
"Yes, I am."
"Wow. Are you going to save us from the wormy guy?"
Chale's hearty laugh drew his attention. His eyes got bigger. Alee passed the boy over and Chale's guffaw was cut short by a huff. He shot Alee a vexed glance but kept the child.
"This is the Speaker of the Keed, young one," she said. "He is the savior of your people, not me."
Innocent eyes met wise ones. "You don't look like you eat bad boys." It was Alee's turn to laugh. The boy grinned. "Are we going to be friends?"
"Great friends," boomed Chale, as the boy's frantic mother finally reached their side.
The child twisted in his mother's arms and shouted, "Show me your lightsaber!"
Alee held it aloft and powered up the blade. The boy lifted his arm in victory as the crowd roared its approval. Alee carried it as a torch lighting the way to freedom.
They came to a halt ten meters from the gate. Soldiers in tan uniforms lined the walls, faces uncertain. Alee looked behind her and fought to keep her mouth from dropping open. As far as she could see, the avenue was plugged with bodies. Human and Keed. Half the city must be with us. She smiled at an astounded Chale and turned back to the wall. The lightsaber went dark as a hush fell over the throng.
An older man in black robes stepped into sight. Bearded. Swarthy. The man from her prison cell. Rave stood slightly behind him, arms crossed. "Minister Mundale," someone whispered. The minister placed his hands on the parapet.
"Why have you come?" his voiced carried across the crowd.
Chale stepped forward. "We have come to end this conflict, to restore peace on Keed."
"There can never be peace. The Keed lies," yelled Rave, his face livid.
Murmuring swept through the crowd. Cries of "The Hutt. Bring us the Hutt." broke out. The older man grasped Rave's arm and raised his other hand for silence.
"My son let greed rule his life and chose his master poorly." He waved his hand over the crowd. "You, the people, have driven the Hutt from this place." He pointed up. "Hear him flee your wrath!"
As if on signal, a ship blasted off from behind the base and rocketed towards space. The crowd cheered. Rave yanked his arm free and stared in horror. Two soldiers moved forward and took him away. The cheer grew louder. The minister raised both hands in the air. Now that is the look of a victor. * Two days later a small group joined Alee at the Keed spaceport to see her off.
She grasped Minister Mundale's hand. "I'm sorry you had to pay such a high price for peace to be restored."
He smiled sadly, "I feared for Rave when he left and joined with those Hutt gangsters. But, when he used threat of force against his own people to gain control of the military and ruling council, he ceased to be my son. He is the one who has a high price to pay. Exile is a hard thing."
She turned to Fi'Lora and embraced the Keed. "May your roots grow deep and flourish," she whispered. Fi'Lora returned the sentiment with tears threatening. A twinkle popped into Alee's eyes and she said, "And may none of your patients be as troublesome as this one was."
Fi'Lora's laughter pushed her to Jonner. Alee moved to hug him, then stopped and extended her hand. He grasped it with both his own. "I will work to make you proud of me, Alee."
"You've already made your people proud, Jonner. You don't need my approval. Just one piece of advice." He eyed her expectantly and she continued, "Always check the track for obstacles before you race."
Red seeped up his neck and he added, "Especially when racing a Jedi."
She winked at him. "But you won."
Alee pivoted to face Chale and bowed slightly. "Well, Speaker, it is a somewhat bedraggled Jedi you are returning to Coruscant. You certainly know how to entertain your guests."
Chale laughed. "Except for the fact that trouble seems to cling to you like a tree tick, you are most welcome to return and enjoy our hospitality anytime, Jedi."
"My thanks, Speaker. The next time I feel like getting injected with drugs every time I turn around, I will rush right back."
He huffed. "I see we are sending you off with your impertinence intact."
They smiled at each other. Chale's eyes sparkled bright green. He clasped her good arm and added quietly, "Don't let too many seasons pass before you return, Alee. My friend. I will not forget you."
Nor I , you. "May the Force be with you, Chale. My friend."
Alee entered her ship with a final wave.
Alee paced up and down in front of the Jedi High Council chambers. They had reviewed her report. They had questioned her at length. They had dismissed her. She halted and stared at the double doors. Feels like being on a long hyperspace jump before a big battle. She spun and strode to the large window opposite the doors. Her jittery nerves were soothed by the ebb and flow of Coruscant's unending lines of traffic. The reflection of the doors opened. Alee wheeled and nodded to Mace Windu's motion to enter.
Alee approached the center of the room slowly, trying to get a feel for the Council's mood. She could sense nothing. She stood in the middle of the large circular room. Twelve beings focused their gazes on her. The wide windows were three extra eyes, boring down, magnifying her thoughts for all Coruscant to see. I am a microscopic organism under intense scrutiny. She pushed the thought aside and searched for her center of inner focus. The silence stretched. Alee picked at a hole in her cloak with her right hand. Should have found the time to deal with this tattered thing. Her left arm itched under its sling. She ignored it. Enough of this. She took a deep breath and met Yoda's stare.
It was Mace Windu that spoke. "Tell us again what your mission was."
Alee shifted her gaze to his fathomless black eyes. "I was sent to Keed as an observer."
"Did you maintain those parameters?" he asked.
She sighed. "You know I did not, Master Windu."
Yoda nodded. "Disobeyed the Council you did, young Jedi." He narrowed his eyes. "Regret it you do not."
"Of course I don't regret it," blurted Alee. Into the pall of silence she added, "What should I have done, let the Speaker of the Keed die before my eyes?"
Mace leaned forward in his chair and stroked his chin. "To preserve life is never wrong, Alee. But you did more than that."
Alee pondered the way the sunlight stroked his smooth, dark face and scalp. She kept her mind blank, striving to remain open.
"Provoke him you did," declared Yoda. Alee's eyes snapped to his in surprise.
"Yoda is right. You incited the Keed to become the aggressors," added Mace.
"I..." Alee began.
"No," said Yoda. "Understand this you must. Wrong you were."
"They would have been enslaved," Alee cried. She pushed aside the anger invading her mind. "How would it have served justice for me to deny them my aid? A people destroyed just so I could stay within my mission's parameters. I could not live with myself."
"You do not know if that is what would have happened," Mace pointed out softly.
"With Chale dead, it would have," Alee said.
Yoda and Mace exchanged glances. Alee cringed inwardly at the sense of the other Council members' displeasure. One telepathic message was especially strong. Master Tiin? His leathery face came to mind, but she resisted looking at him.
"Certain it was not," said Yoda. "Always in motion is the future."
"Your passion for justice cut off other alternatives," said Mace.
Eeth Koth cleared his throat. Alee turned to look at green-skinned humanoid with horns protruding from the hood of his cloak. He frowned. "Attack should always be the last resort, not the first. Your discipline was lacking."
"Self-control is paramount," declared the Lannick warrior, Even Piell. His one eye pierced her soul. Her calm unravelled. She grabbed the elbow of her injured arm to stop her hand from shaking. She spun slowly to face Yoda and Mace once again.
"Disciplined you must be," said Yoda.
Alee swallowed hard and nodded. She looked at the floor. I wasn't wrong. What I did was right. I felt its rightness.
"You are young, Alee," said Mace. Her bleak eyes met his. "This was your most difficult mission as a Jedi Knight. Your handling of it was wrong, but, thank the Force, the results were satisfactory. The issue remains that the Council's directives must be followed. We cannot have Jedi following their own whims and spreading chaos across the galaxy." He paused and held out his hand. "Give me your lightsaber, Alee."
Her eyes grew large. Her nostrils flared. My lightsaber? The symbol of what I am? She shook her head slowly. Mace's hand remained outstretched. She looked at Yoda. He pursed his lips, his ears flattened and he nodded his head. Her hand shook violently as she unclipped the weapon. She crossed the room on unsteady legs and fell to her knees before the Jedi Master. Her eyes pled for reprieve as she laid it in his palm. Mace gently peeled her fingers off the lightsaber. She slumped, defeated.
"You will have no need of this for the next month. It will remain in my safe-keeping." Month? Alee felt hope spark deep inside. She looked up. I am still a Jedi? Mace watched her face closely, then continued, "You will spend the month with the loremasters, reviewing the history of the Jedi and our call to serve. You will assist Docent Vant by teaching the young trainees in the Temple that which you know. You will spend all your extra time in meditation. And, you will report back to me at the end of the month. Is that clear?"
Teaching the young ones will be scant penalty. She glanced at her lightsaber. That is the real punishment. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.
Alee rose and stood tall. She opened her eyes, thrust her chin forward and looked at Mace.
"I understand perfectly, Master Windu."
Yoda snorted quietly. Mace waved for her to leave.
Outside the chambers Alee started to shake again. Fresh air. She needed fresh air. She clattered down stairs that led to a balcony one level below. "Hey!" She bumped unseeing into two figures, spun, and kept going. She rushed onto the open gallery and threw herself against the guardrail. She leaned over, her stomach heaving, and gulped in the cool afternoon air. Slowly her vision cleared and she found herself staring at the plaza far below her. She shifted her focus to her vibrating hand. Alee willed it to stop, but it didn't.
A large hand took hers and gently tugged. She turned with the pull and stared as a matching hand settled on top of hers. Cradled between the two, her own hand twitched, then finally came to rest. She lifted her gaze past a broad chest cloaked in Jedi brown until she was looking straight ahead, at a neatly trimmed beard and firm mouth. The mouth started to smile and she realized she was staring. She raised her stare past a patrician nose with its single bump and fell into deep-set blue eyes. A moment passed.
"Were they terribly hard on you?" a deep voice gently prodded.
She blinked. The lips moved again. "The Council. Were they harsh?"
"I felt so," she replied quietly.
"It always feels so, at the time."
She took a step back and scanned the tall man standing before her. He didn't let go of her hand, but just stood, eyebrow raised in amusement. Recognition dawned.
"Qui-Gon Jinn. Venerable Jedi Master," she whispered.
"That makes me sound so old, don't you think?"
Alee felt heat creeping up her neck. His eyes crinkled and her discomfort eased. "Since you know my name," he pointed out, "I think it only fair that I should learn yours."
She took a deep breath. "Alee. Alee-Nedra cy Nerac." She looked down. He still held her hand. He squeezed it gently.
"Well, Alee," Qui-Gon paused, "this thing the Council berated you over, would you do it again?"
Her eyes shot back to his face. She opened her mouth to speak and closed it. Would I? She tilted her chin up. A barely whispered, "Yes" escaped past her lips.
"A matter of honor?" he asked.
"One of justice" Her voice was firm.
"I see. That's too bad."
"That I seek justice?" Alee was indignant.
"No," he said with a small smile, "that you are unrepentant. If you had shown remorse I might have felt compelled to plead your cause with Mace. But, as it is, you will just have to serve your sentence."
Alee straightened. "Yes." A sigh followed.
"But?" he urged.
"They took my lightsaber. I feel so..."
"Exposed? Humiliated?"
"Yes, and yes." She looked across the spiked Coruscant skyline.
"The Council took your lightsaber? A test of obedience, perhaps? If so, you passed. I sense great strength in you, Alee. You will get past this." She looked back at Qui-Gon as he added, "Though I'm not sure you will learn the lesson the Council has set before you."
"It's not the learning, it's the application that is the trouble," she said.
Qui-Gon laughed. "That is often the case."
A throat cleared behind them. Qui-Gon blocked Alee's view and a question filled her eyes. He nodded. "My Padawan. He is anxious to be going. When you nearly bowled us over on the stairs I had to make sure you were all right."
"Thank you for stopping. I feel much better."
"It was my pleasure, Alee." He ran his thumb over her fingers and tingling skittered up her arm. He smiled and released her hand.
Alee watched until Qui-Gon had disappeared, his Padawan at his side.
A cloak of serenity settled on her shoulders and a smile blossomed on her lips.
