| As Long as there is hope By Jemmiah |
| The council. How many run-ins with the council had he had over the years? Mace had been true to his word and he convened the council at the first available moment, which had left Qui-Gon mildly surprised at the speed at which the man had moved to get the matter heard. It wasn't that he was complaining, it was merely that Qui-Gon felt fairly certain Mace was doing it to make sure he wouldn't have any time with which to prepare a case of any kind. Between his leaving Mace's room and his summons there had lapsed merely three hours. The deed was done: that was an end to it. Still, Qui-Gon knew that this was somehow going to alter his friendship with Mace one way or another. If he won, Mace would feel suitably wounded that his opinion had been overturned. If however Mace won he knew he would never be able to bring himself to look at Windu in the face for a very long time to come. He wouldn't think about losing: it was counter productive. He had to go in there believing he had a chance of winning or else why was he going to all this trouble in the first place? Jemmiah was relying on him to fight her battle for her because she was in no position to do it for herself. She had nobody - Except himself and Obi-Wan. The door slid back and Qui-Gon entered the room. He was calm now but it had taken a great deal of meditation and deep thought to relax himself after his spat with Mace. The man himself could be seen sitting next to Yoda on his own chair which seemed, Qui-Gon thought, to look every bit as uncomfortable as the man's furniture in his own apartment. The seat itself, metallic and polished to perfection, appeared to shine like it had been zealously scrubbed, as if to say: HERE SITS A BRAND NEW COUNCIL MEMBER. How very Mace, thought Qui-Gon drolly. The man had been in his current position for six months but he was still making sure that everyone knew that he was the fresh blood of the group. A new person with new ideas and new ways of thinking…except that he wasn't. The reason the council had elected Mace was because he was everything he had said he was: diligent, hard working, sensible…and practical. In other words he would fit right in with everyone else and not make waves. Qui-Gon was of the opinion that the council needed waves to buck the risk of staleness and stagnation that would inevitably creep in when things stayed the same for too long. Selecting a new member of the council was only good if he was just that: new. Someone who was allowed to have his own ideas and not scrape to the likes of old Samir the Togorian, who was sitting staring at him right now. With the exception of Yoda and Yaddle, Samir was the next senior member. He could tell by looking at him that the Togorian was ready to use his authority as he saw fit, and something told him that it wouldn't necessarily be in his favor… "Master Jinn." Samir broke the uncomfortable silence that echoed through the chamber, the eyes of each of the twelve council members firmly upon Qui-Gon. "You requested Master Windu that the council convene. I gather that this matter is of some importance." "I believe it to be, Master." Qui-Gon nodded his head stiffly in the direction of the large feline. If he wasn't Samir's biggest fan he did find that the Togorian was worthy of respect. He was inflexible but always an honest opponent. The two had clashed before but never with any really bad feelings on the part of the other. The Togorian nodded back at him, acknowledging the gesture. "Then I suggest that you let us hear what you have to say." Samir's dark fur rippled down his neck, white whiskers contrasting against the dark hair. "Even if you do not want to hear what we have to say, hmmm?" The barb was aimed at reminding him that he was there purely because of the council's generosity of spirit. It was only now that Qui-Gon began to appreciate exactly how much damage he might have caused himself by refusing to attend the council's summons two weeks ago when he'd first returned from Nargotria. "Master." Qui-Gon agreed, looking round at the sea of faces from various cultures, spread out in a circle around him. "I am here to request that I be granted permission to apply for temporary custody of the Corellian child that I brought back with me on my mission to Nargotria." He'd half expected a gasp of horror to spread right around him but it never came. All he heard instead was the slightly snuffley sound of Plo Koon's breathing, and the slight tapping of Yoda's stick on the ground. That apart the reaction had been deafening silence. "Expect this I did." Yoda spoke up after some quarter of a minute had passed without a word. "Master?" "Know you well we do, Master Qui-Gon." Yoda almost smiled in his typically tranquil and sleepy way. "Typical for you such behavior is." He paused, and the other council members waited on him to speak again, crediting him as their un-ellected spokesperson. "Tell us why this girl you would take in, hmm?" "Masters," Qui-Gon now addressed the whole assembly, "I believe with all honesty that the force led me to this child. I did not recognize it at first, and then when I did I tried to push it away. I recollected the council's warnings not to get involved with anything other than my mission for the chancellor…" "Yet you disobeyed." Samir's eyes narrowed to slits of disapproval. "Tell us why you disobeyed the command laid upon you, Master Jinn." Qui-Gon drew a long, sustaining breath. "Because it was the right thing to do and I believe in the ultimate will of the force." He stated simply. It had been tempting to rattle on about how he didn't care if he upset the council one iota but that would not further his cause at all. No, he must be mindful of his thoughts and guard his tongue. "The only reason that we had the information on Inga Calton was largely down to the girl. I could have left her there," he admitted, "and I very nearly did, knowing that I would incur the council's unhappiness. But to leave someone to almost certain death when they have a chance to live a long and hopefully normal life seemed like a very poor reward somehow for all the co-operation and kindness she had shown us…" "Nobody doubts the child's part in this." Insisted Samir placatingly, raising his padded hand to halt Qui-Gon's statement in its tracks. "But your own personal reasons we do have doubts over. There was a similar matter some years ago when you wished to…" "Master," Qui-Gon insisted, "the case that you are eluding to and this case are genuinely different, I promise you. This child has nobody to look after her. She is sick of body but An-Paj reassures me that in time she will recover. But she is also sick in spirit. Our shared experiences of Nargotria are a background that nobody other than my padawan and myself will ever share with Jemmiah. She needs people around her who she can trust and who understand what she has suffered first hand." "These sentiments do you credit." Mace said grudgingly. "But you will allow that as a non-jedi Jemmiah really has no place within the temple walls. She would have little in common with the other children her age. Surely she would be better settled in a normal environment where children such as herself can be properly looked after." "You mean some kind of institution." Qui-Gon said bluntly. "What kind of a life would that be? And what would she learn there?" "What would she learn here?" Mace shrugged back. "That she was different to everyone? That she is an outsider?" "I would not let her be an outsider." Qui-Gon reassured him. He could see that he wasn't impressing most of them. Masters Koon and Billaba looked warily at each other, their expressions easy to read. Yaddle was frowning at the floor. Samir was staring at Qui-Gon suspiciously. Mace looked slightly too smug for his own good. Only Yoda sat there serenely. Why did he say nothing? Why would he not help? "Master Ashdal will back me up on my claim to the girl's custody." Qui-Gon said in a stiff voice, straightening his back in defiance. "I gave my word that this child would be looked after…" "And nobody disputes this." Mace insisted. "But who is to say that you are the right person to look after her? Surely it is a matter for the authorities to decide. Even if we did agree with your decision to take her in, the relevant authorities on both Coruscant and Corellia might disagree." "They would agree." Qui-Gon insisted. "Because the last thing they want is to add another statistic to their already overflowing figures. Why foist another mouth to feed amongst their numbers when the jedi temple would look after her?" "It's never been done before." Insisted Mace. "Then why not make this the first and last occasion?" Qui-Gon asked him seriously before addressing the council as a whole. "Masters, because something has never been done before does not make it wrong. I believe that the girl was meant to come back with us to Coruscant. I fought it like I did so many things in my life but she is here now…and I fear for her safety if she is not housed within the temple." "Explain." Samir frowned, whiskers flattening against his face. "There is a very real danger that the man with whom Jemmiah stayed will seek her out at some stage." Qui-Gon replied in a soft voice. "To what end?" Yaddle asked curiously. "Revenge." Answered the tall master. "To take her back or maybe even to kill her. He threatened to do so before he murdered the women of the brothel. I believe he would do it." He could see Depa's face begin to ease a fraction, as did Yaddle's. There was genuine compassion there, but was it enough to win them over? "Then this is also a matter for Security." Mace replied. "It's past a simple security matter." Qui-Gon shook his head despairingly. "To a determined and dangerous man such as Rufus Merdan neither they or a ten year old girl will pose any threat to him. We are genuinely the best hope that child has. I have offered to take her in and see to it she gets an education, and that she is looked after as best she can. The temple is secure. It is the best place for her: I say it with conviction." He sighed as he thought of the scene merely an hour ago, when the authorities had decided to try questioning Jemmiah about life on Nargotria, who she was with, names, what had happened. The girl had been so overwhelmed by the questioning that she had been quite unable to answer and An-Paj had sent them away with a flea in their ears for overtaxing his still very ill patient. Was this the sort of thing she would have to cope with if she were taken away from them? "Master Jinn, what of your padawan?" Yaddle asked in a kindly voice. "What does young Obi-Wan think?" "Obi-Wan is of the same opinion as myself. He is fond of the girl and wishes to see that she is well, even if it is only until her relatives are traced. However we believe that she has no surviving family." He admitted. "What Master Yaddle was saying, I think," Mace suggested with a glance at Yaddle, "Was that your padawan's training might become disrupted by this new presence in your household." "I do not believe that will become a big problem." Qui-Gon answered. "I know Obi-Wan well enough now that if he felt that something was wrong he would tell me and I could do something to rectify the situation. Children are still children when all is said and done, be they force sensitive or otherwise. I still have rules and regulations that Jemmiah would have to fit in with. Obi-Wan's training will not alter overmuch. I would undertake to monitor this." Samir nodded approvingly, always a stickler for rules and formula. "I think," he glanced at his fellow council members, "that we should perhaps discuss this matter a while." "Agree I do." Yaddle nodded sagely. "I also." Depa replied. "Master Jinn, have you anything further to add for the present moment?" Qui-Gon felt that there was something he should say but his mind seemed to have gone blank. His eyes locked with those of his former master, whose contemplative countenance remained unaltered all through the discussion. What he was thinking, Qui-Gon couldn't begin to guess. He only wished it would be something to further his cause. Some like Mace were adamantly against him. Some like Yaddle, Samir and Depa seemed uncertain. Who could say how this would turn out? "Nothing for the time being, Master Billaba." Qui-Gon replied wearily. "Then I suggest a recess of two hours. We will discuss this with you further Master Jinn when we reconvene." Depa offered him a small smile. Qui-Gon bowed to Yoda and Samir and turned and left the council chambers, walking across the highly polished floor with long striding steps. As he did so he could hear Mace in earnest debate with Yoda, insisting that Qui-Gon was acting only on his over-compassionate nature and that the whole thing would never work out should the girl be allowed to stay. The doors closed off the sound of Mace's low but animated voice and Qui-Gon was once more alone outside the chamber. This was going to be too close to call. *********** "Master Yoda, I think that debating this is going to prove a frustrating and fruitless waste of everybody's time, including Qui-Gon." Mace sighed, passing a weary hand over his face to show just how he felt on the subject. "To get the girl's hopes up like that was a most unfortunate and inadvisable thing to do." "On this point I agree with Master Windu." Samir growled throatily, eyes flickering round at his companions as they sat in their chairs. "It shows a blatant and abominable assumption that we would go along with Master Jinn's wishes." "It was most ill-thought out." Agreed Depa Billaba thoughtfully. "But really the imprudence of Master Jinn's methods are not what is being debated here. The issue at hand is whether or not we believe we should offer this child shelter within the temple." An array of dubious and cautious looks met her own and Depa could tell they were fairly evenly split down the middle as to their own opinions. Qui-Gon would have a fight on his hands if he were to get his wish. She didn't particularly want to see him hurt at all nor the poor girl either, whom Depa had heard much about from various sources but Samir was correct. He should not have appeared so presumptive before the council. It would not be appreciated in the slightest, especially in light of his recent slight two weeks past. "I should like to talk with this girl." Depa said eventually. "Would that be possible, do you think?" "An-Paj might not allow it." Mace said flatly. "He keeps her visitors to a minimum as it is." "Have you tried to visit, Master Windu?" Depa enquired sweetly. "Well, er…" Mace shook his head, knowing that he could do little than admit it. "No, I have not." "Master Yoda?" Samir leaned forwards in his chair. "What is your opinion?" Yoda's eyes opened slowly as if he had been a sleeping volcano woken from dormancy. He prodded at the floor with his stick for a moment before resolving to give the council his own opinion on the affair. "Meet with the girl we all cannot. Sick she still is." Yoda pronounced. "Allow it the healers will not. Frightened she is. Time she must be given to grow in strength." "You think we should not come to a decision now?" Master Koth asked in surprise. "According to Master Windu it would seem that presumptuous or otherwise, Master Jinn is looking for an immediate answer." "Have his answer he will." Yoda replied. "Send a deputy to speak to the girl we shall." Yoda gazed guilelessly round at his fellow council members. "Master Windu. Accompany me you shall." "Master?" Mace frowned, feeling slightly uncomfortable about his being selected by Yoda. It was almost as if he had been maneuvered into the situation on purpose. "See the child for yourself you will, then decide." Yoda remarked with a knowledgeable look in his eye. "Adjourn we will until our return." Mace blinked, but said nothing further. Yoda's scheme would alter nothing, of that he was certain. Quite what the troll was hoping to achieve he didn't know. If he was hoping that the sight of a sick child would appeal to his better nature he was prodding with the wrong stick. Mace did not have an in-built 'awwwww-factor' like Dex and Qui-Gon had. He did not have a better nature. "Very well." Mace stood up, waiting on Yoda to do likewise. "We shall return within the hour." Mace walked slowly to the door in deference to the diminutive master, whose feet could only take small steps at a time. As he reached the door he looked down and frowned. Why was Yoda still smiling? ********* "What are you doing here?" Jemmy asked curiously, sitting up in bed at the sight of Obi-Wan opening the door and cautiously approaching her. "Aren't you supposed to have some class to go to? Won't Master Jinn be upset when he finds out you aren't there?" "Maybe a little." Admitted Obi-Wan reluctantly. "But I only wanted to see how you were doing. I'll head along to class in a few minutes or so. I stopped by because I was worried. I thought you were upset earlier on and I thought I'd see if I could help you at all. Do you need me to get you anything?" "How did you know I was upset?" Jemmy croaked at him. "Is it that force thing of yours again?" "Well…yes." Confessed the padawan a shade nervously, knowing how suspicious she was of force wielders and how they might possibly abuse their powers, especially towards her. She seemed preoccupied with the thought that they could somehow look into her mind and hear her thoughts, which she kept as close to herself as that tattered old Gundark of Master Berlingside's. "I just thought you felt a little bit stressed. You seem better now though." "Padawan Healer Territ gave me some herbal stuff to drink. It made me relax." Jemmy stated. "I do feel better now. It was just those people that came to see me, you know…from the child welfare authorities." She looked down at her hands and started to fidget as she remembered the never-ending and personal questions that had made her want to cry and blush at the same time. How had she been supposed to answer them? "They said some stuff that I found upsetting. Asking about my mother and father…what I remembered about Corellia. Stuff about Nadine and the others and…other things." "Oh." Obi-Wan felt embarrassed at how unhappy she looked. "But at least you are better now." "I guess." Jemmy nodded, trying not to think too much about it. "I just wish people would stop asking me things, that's all. And you'd better go, too." She offered him a melancholy little smile. "I don't want you getting into trouble for me. I'll be okay. Better not upset anyone." "I don't mind." Obi-Wan replied stoutly. "But other people might." Jemmy answered him. "It might be best if you just went to class. You're teacher might be waiting on you or something…" she broke off suddenly when she realized the door had been opened and a tall, dark skinned individual stood half in, half out of her room. "Well, I'm glad to see that one of you has common sense." The man's deep voice rumbled, his arm holding open the door for yet another visitor. Shortly afterwards the familiar tap-tapping sound of stick against floor could be heard and Jemmiah and Obi-Wan could see the tips of long green ears appearing as Master Yoda entered the room. "Back in here you are, hmm?" Yoda looked up at the bed. "Moved you into the infirmary I was told, with the other patients." "I…I was." Jemmiah confessed guiltily. "But I kept having loud nightmares and it was disturbing the other people. And then I kind of accidentally damaged a wheelchair and An-Paj decided it would be better for my own safety if I stayed in here where he could keep an eye on me." "And has he?" Mace asked conversationally. "Oh, yes sir he has." Jemmy looked far from happy about it, her face creasing into a frown. "All the time." "Good. You're here to get better after all." Mace rejoined, forcing a smile onto his face. "Yes, sir." Jemmy nodded somewhat subdued in manner. Mace turned his attention back to the padawan sitting on the chair beside her, clearly wanting nothing but to be out of the way. "Should you be here, padawan Kenobi?" Mace asked sternly. "Have you not got some class that you are supposed to be at right now?" "Y-yes, master." Obi-Wan bowed and shot a nervous look at Jemmiah, pushing himself hastily off the chair and edging his way past the two masters as swiftly as he could. "Sorry, master." "Save your apologies for Master Opallah." Mace replied frostily. "I'm sure she is going to be very interested in your explanation regarding your lateness for her biology lessons." Obi-Wan bowed sharply to both masters, and fled out the door, his face a vibrant shade of scarlet. "Came to speak with you we have." Yoda climbed up onto the recently vacated chair that Obi-Wan had relinquished a few seconds before. "Sit with you we may, hmm?" "Yes, Master Yoda, sir." Jemmiah replied respectfully, but although her words were directed at Yoda her gaze never strayed from that of the other Jedi at the foot of her bed. She knows,Mace thought as he looked away, feeling strangely ashamed. She knows that I am somebody who is opposed to her staying here. I can see it in the way she stares at me, always unblinking. She's like some kind of trapped wild creature chained up in this room. "Please, do not be nervous." Mace found himself smiling at her politely. "My name is Mace Windu. I am a jedi master here at the temple." "Yes, I'd heard your name before, sir." Jemmiah nodded, face turned down to the sheets on her bed. "You're Master Jinn's friend." I am his friend. Mace felt himself becoming more and more unhappy with the situation…there was no way he should have listened to Yoda and visited the girl. I am his friend from many years ago - and now I stand in the way of his happiness and yours. You can see it, can't you? I can tell you do. You're wondering why I defy my friend. I'm beginning to wonder that myself. "That's correct, yes." Mace replied, the smile faltering a fraction with uncertainty. "Would you mind if I asked you some questions?" The resignation on her face twisted into something much darker, something almost akin to despair, taking Mace totally by surprise. "No more questions, please!" Jemmy let her head flop back on the pillow and turned her head away from them. "All people do is ask me things that I can't answer. They keep asking me until my head hurts and I don't know what's the truth and what isn't anymore. I can't even escape in my sleep…" "Speak to Master An-Paj you should, if troubled your dreams are." Yoda said softly. "All they do is give me stuff to drink that makes me drowsy." Jemmy's small voice came back sounding young and vulnerable. "That isn't real sleep." The words were despondent, and Mace could well imagine the downcast turn of her face as she spoke. "All I ever wanted was to be free to go where I want…like a Sand Falcon flying the dunes. I'll never have that though. I'll never be free." "Freedom, in your mind it is." Yoda replied, neither chiding nor reproving the girl's sorrow. "Even a slave can be free inside their mind. A bird inside a cage can still be free." Mace watched as Jemmiah turned round cautiously to face the master, listening to his words of wisdom…no, he thought to himself. Clinging to them as a drowning man holds onto a raft. To find yourself cast down so low in spirits must be a dreadful thing, especially in one so young. For the first time Mace got a genuine insight into why Qui-Gon was so keen to help the child. But was he really the best person for the job? "Birds must learn to fly before they find freedom." Yoda warned her. "Careful they must be so that fall they do not." Jemmiah remembered something from her old life, a time when her world had consisted of fighting with her brother and turning handsprings in the back garden. That had seemed like freedom to her…a time when it never seemed to rain and where for a while death and sickness had barely touched their lives. She remembered something about a bird that had fallen out of the tree and her mother scolding her as she had tried to get the dead creature to fly again. Death had meant nothing to her until that day... Why won't it fly? When something dies, it no longer has need of it's body. Like the bird. The part of it that matters has gone away. Where? She had been that bird. They had buried her innocent life that day. Death had plagued her life every moment since like an unwanted cannoid running to heel… Jemmiah knew that whilst Merdan lived she would never be truly free. That was why she needed to stay here, where it was safe. Caged and imprisoned, perhaps, but safe. But Master Yoda was saying that if she looked on it differently it needn't be a prison, but a home. How long had it been since she had one of those? And Master Windu wanted to take it from her before she even had a chance. Yoda continued to speak to her for a while, encouraging her and offering her words of hope, praising her determination and her extremely strong will…a will that Mace felt certain would one day repeatedly test the patience and affections of those who surrounded her, for whilst the wizened old master spoke Mace had a sudden vision of a time when things would be very different for them all. Dark times. Pain…the death of an ancient way of life. People he knew, young and old, scattered and lost…hunted like vrelts in alleyways. The end of millennia's worth of traditions and those even further back: lost forever. Always the darkness seemed to prevail. And then somehow at the end of it there seemed to be a small glimmer of hope… There was something about this child's future that Yoda had seen. Now Mace had seen it too. He caught Yoda's placid features turn upward to face his own. It wasn't a triumphant look. It didn't brag or say 'I told you so'. It was one that accepted that Mace now understood what Yoda had been trying to say. For the first time in his life Mace was happy to go back on his hitherto unshakeable opinions. Qui-Gon had been right after all. The girl had to stay. |