Once again, Mirax Halcyon was in the Council room for pulling pranks. If you were to ask Anakin Skywalker, the pranks had been brilliant, but if you asked a Council member, you were more likely to get a very different answer. Your answer would probably be something more like, "Damn Mirax Halcyon to the hell of hells!"

Currently, Mace Windu was struggling to keep his temper at his former padawan. As he looked around at his fellow Council members, only Xanetia Nigellus and Astarta Siennt seemed to be keeping any emotion from their faces. Yaddle, Yoda, and Thracia Cho Leem looked a bit amused and a tad annoyed, and the rest of the Council's faces appeared to range from annoyed to furious.

Mirax, however, seemed perfectly at ease. Like so many of the Jedi did nowadays, she was garbed not in a traditional Jedi robe, but a pilot's flight suit, hers being the dark green of CorSec. A utility belt was strapped around her hips from which hung her lightsaber and two blasters, the sheaths strapped to either leg. Her trademark devil-may-care grin was on her face and her arms were crossed in front of her chest.

Yoda cleared his throat and looked sternly at Mirax. "Know why you are here you should."

For a brief moment, it looked as if she was going to answer no, but she instead said, "Yes Master Yoda. And seeing how there's a full Council, I'm pretty sure this isn't just my weekly yelling."

Yoda nodded. "Good. Allow Master Windu to continue, I will."

Mace Windu hid a smile of satisfaction as he saw her wince slightly as she turned slightly to face him. "Halcyon," he began, "What part of 'do not mess with the Archives' did you not understand?"

"None of it," came the impudent answer.

"Then how do you explain the Archives being tampered with so that when the first section on the Council is accessed, the verbal records are translated into Ewok and say rather different things than they're supposed to?"

Yes, Mirax had sliced into the Jedi Archives, probably with her droid Whistler, and altered the files on the Council so everything was given in Ewok and in high, squeaky voices. Many of the Jedi Knights and padawans, and several of the Masters had been extremely amused by it, unlike the Council Members. Well, Yaddle had laughed, but then again she was considered a teenager for her species.

The Corellian titled her head slightly to the right, as if thinking about it. "Well, I can't I suppose. Besides, I never really liked Ewok anyways. That's more Ari's or Janson's thing."

"Halcyon, we weren't born yesterday. Lying is not going to help you right now."

She shrugged. "I never said I didn't do it, Master. But it was just a prank. It'll take Tyria Ritril or Adra Loran all of three seconds to fix it."

Anything else she might've said was cut off as Mace used the Force to silence her by using his much stronger Force presence to override hers. While she could still think of all the retorts and smart mouth comments she wanted, she wouldn't be able to voice them.

"That is not the point here, Halcyon. You are a Jedi Knight, you are supposed to set an example for the padawans. A good example, not one of how best to annoy the Council. The Jedi are supposed to be dignified and the keepers of the peace; not disruptive, annoying, childish pranksters who encourage behavior in the padawans similar to their own, as you are doing with Ari Solo!"

* * * * *

I glared at him and my green eyes locked on his brown ones, a silent battle of wills. After a tense minute or two, I looked away and Windu released his clamp on my Force presence, letting me talk.

"Ari Solo's always been a prankster, Master Windu, so you can't blame that on me. And some of us Jedi have to be less stern and unrelenting that you, or else they'll think of us all as stiff-necked and emotionless arrogant people who think we're above everyone else."

There was a pause as Windu glanced around at the Council members, the twelve obviously having a Force conversation. A moment later, Master Windu had stood up and walked towards me. Gesturing for me to turn around, he led me into a small antechamber attached to the Council room. As I walked in, I caught sight of my great uncle already sitting at the table in there in on of the four chairs. Windu took one next to him and I took one across from the two Jedi Masters. I sighed as I realized that I wasn't going to get away from this as easily as I had originally hoped.

"Your father and your grandfather would be ashamed of you, Mirax," Keiran Halcyon said, almost conversationally. "Especially Valin."

I winced at that. My uncle knew that making my family proud had been one of the reasons I'd joined the Jedi Order.

"And while all of the Halcyons were pranksters to some extent, myself included, we knew when to stop, unlike you. We also never altered Council files."

That one didn't hurt as much, if any.

"And all of us, your father included, accepted our strengths and our weaknesses and we never tried to ignore our weaknesses. That," he pointed to the lightsaber dangling from my belt that had been Nejaa Halcyon's, my grandfather's, before he was killed, "Was never used by my brother to gain telekinesis except in a crisis as it should be. He would never have used it for something as trivial as a food fight, or even been in a good fight for that matter."

That one hurt too, especially since I knew it was true. I wanted to reply, to say that I didn't mean to dishonor it, but Master Windy had done that smothering trick with the Force again. Damn him.

"And CorSec! Your father upheld his Jedi upbringing even while he was in CorSec, and kept what knowledge he gained throughout his life. But you seemed to get the information, and then forget it again. Even your year in CorSec seemed to do nothing to help you with that. Your father did not play pranks weekly when he knew that if he did, he'd get yelled at by the Council. And I know that you don't do it for fun, at least that managed to get through your thick skill. But yet, you insist on going to the Council room every week to be yelled at. You're not stupid Mirax, so stop acting like you are!"

I winced again and slumped in my chair. My uncle had this amazing ability to know exactly what to say to make me stop, listen, and feel like bantha fodder.

Windu's mind clamp eased off slightly. As I started to try and turn my tangled web of thoughts into coherent sentences, the now familiar feeling of nausea rose in me again and I pressed a hand horridly to my mouth. Not daring to reply verbally, I said, via the Force, Sorry, but can you excuse me for a moment?

Not waiting for an answer, I stood up and hurried out of the room, ignoring my Uncle and my former Master's questions, only sending a quick I'll be back, I promise before cutting off contact and proceeding to empty the contents of my stomach into the toilet of a nearby refresher. This had to be the worst part of my current condition. Though the mood swings did give it a run for its credits.

Rinsing out my mouth, I took a moment to collect myself. I'd either have to come up with some sort of excuse or tell the truth. And quite frankly, I wasn't sure which would be harder.

"Sorry," I said to the two Jedi Masters as I came back in and retook my seat. "My stomach didn't agree with something I ate."

They didn't look like they bought my excuse, but for now, neither one was saying anything. Uncle Keiran nodded and continued where he'd left off, occasionally allowing me to slip in a few words.

But I didn't really concentrate on the rest of what he was saying, but instead on keeping Windu from breaking my mental shields. It was rather ironic, how twenty-two years ago, he'd been so picky about me having good mental shields, and now it was turning against him. I knew that the shields wouldn't hold him forever; after all, I had been his padawan.

What made me concentrate on the conversation again was when Master Windbag started talking again.

"Now then, as punishment for this prank and the thousands upon thousands of ones you've played in the past, you're being sent on a long term, meaning six months, assignment with your Uncle here to help and aide those on Vehaba VIII who wish to be free from the Empire.

I felt my jaw drop open and a panic arose in my mind. Six months? Was he crazy? I couldn't be gone that long because in six months-

I took a deep breath and struggled to get control of my emotions. When I was positive I had control, I said, "You can't do that Master Windu."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Why can't I, Halcyon?"

"Because if you do that, you might have another 'Nicola-on-Cracken's- mission' disaster." I was of course, referring to Nicola's miscarriage while on a NRI mission. "And legally, it's not really Halcyon any more I guess."

Both men frowned slightly at me, way past confused right about now.

"Come on Uncle Keiran, Master Windu, put two and two together. Oh, and frequent throwing up is also quite common when you're in my position, or rather, I guess I should say condition."

Still getting blank questioning looks, I rolled my eyes and said exasperatedly, "I'm pregnant damnit, three months pregnant. And you should've easily arrived at that conclusion by adding Nicola's miscarriage to my throwing up."

Uncle Keiran blinked rapidly and Windu merely seemed to be 100% shocked. I grinned slightly as they starred at me, flabbergasted. And then the questions came.

"Whose child is it?" My uncle demanded, even as Windu said, "Sorry Halcyon, but there's been enough pregnant women around the Temple recently for me to know that if you're three months pregnant, you'd be showing about now."

I held up a hand. "Wait, one question at a time." I decided to answer Uncle Keiran first. "It's Wes Janson, and-"

I was cut off by my both men's, "Wes Janson?"

"Yes Wes Janson. Now-"

"But you're not even married to the pilot!" Uncle Keiran said, still utterly shocked.

I frowned slightly. "Of course I am, I've-oh, wait." Grinning a bit sheepishly, I dropped the illusions I'd had up for the past month or two. My wedding ring reappeared on my finger and the slight bulge of my abdomen appeared as well.

"That answer your questions?"

Now over his initial shock, Windu became the stern Jedi Council member again. "Halcyon, that's two more rules you've broken. You never asked or received permission from the Council to date, and you most certainly never received permission to be married!"

I replaced the illusions and glared at him. "Like you would've given permission anyways! Well I'm married to Wes now, and there's nothing you can do about it! You try and make us divorce, and I'll leave the Jedi Order before you can say 'Tatooine.' Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to base."

I pushed my chair back and stood up abruptly and was halfway to the door when my uncle stopped me.

"Congratulations Mirax," he said quietly, pulling me into the first hug he'd given me in the four years he'd been back.

Returning it, I whispered a quiet 'thank you' then stepped back. As I hit the access panel, Windu's voice came from behind me.

"Mirax."

I turned around, a bit startled at him using my first name instead of my surname. "May the Force be with you, and good luck."

I nodded and left. As the door hissed shut behind me, I heard him say to Uncle Keiran, "Well, maybe that will keep her mind off pranks and she'll settle down a bit."

"I doubt it Master, it is Wes Janson she's married to," he replied.

"Good point. But one can always hope. Stop spoiling my illusions now Keiran."

I grinned and tried not to laugh. Being married and pregnant was in no way, shape, or form, going to stop me from pulling pranks. Not a chance in the galaxy.