The Life of a Slave

Chapter 3: Dinner with the Jedi

Author's Note: I would like to go on record here and say that it wasn't my fault that I couldn't update. My computer charger kind of exploded when I was in the middle of making this chapter so it took me forever to find a new charger. Anyway, enjoy.

"I'd learned that some things are best kept secret."
-Nicholas Sparks, Dear John

"Jadella, we have visitors!" I called out as the four of us walked into my family's little hovel. "They're Jedi, too!"

"Jedi?" Jadella came out of the kitchen holding Kael and feeding him formula from a bottle. "And here I was thinking that I had seen everything in 1313."

She handed Kael to me, who squirmed in my arms and reached out to pat me on the mouth. I smiled and said in a goofy voice, "And how is my nephew doing today?"

"Causing trouble for his mother," Jadella said, rolling her eyes at my baby talk. "Jacinda was feeling tired so I took him off her hands." She held out her flour-stained hand to Ms. Unduli. "Hi. My name's Jadella Dabria. And I'll assume that you two are the Jedi."

Ms. Unduli took it and shook it. "Hello. My name is Luminara Unduli and this is my padawan, Barriss Offee." They separated hands and Jadella looked at me inquisitively.

"And just how did you meet them, Ethan?"

"Barriss ran into that cranky vendor near Slaver's Square and they had a misunderstanding. I saved her from being beaten and I invited them for dinner." Jadella nodded in understanding.

"You know, you should be thankful that Ethan saved you, Ms. Offee. People down here are a little harder to deal with than your regular scum of the galaxy," Jadella said, brushing her hands off on her pants.

"What do you mean?" Barriss asked.

Jadella gave a sharp bark of laugh and smirked. "Well, if you're planning on staying down here long, you'll figure it out. Anyway, Jaden go wake up your sister and get the boys from the garage. Ethan, show our guests to the table."

She took Kael out of my arms and laid him down in the small crib near our rooms. I said, "Alright, Ms. Unduli. This way."

The Jedi followed me to our small dining room where Jadella had laid out the red gourd soup and uj'alayi, followed by some bread. I seated our guests and sat across from Barriss.

"So, is this all Mandalorian food?" Barriss asked, raising her eyebrows at the delicacies.

I nodded. "Yes, it is. You see, our family has Mandalorian roots so we like to fancy ourselves as Mandalorians."

"Where are you really from, though?"

"I was actually born on Corellia while my sister was born on Alderaan. The rest of my siblings were born on Florrum."

"I thought that Florrum was infested with pirates," Ms. Unduli replied, curiosity peaking in her tone.

I laughed nervously. "Yeah well, my family was captured by pirates a few weeks after I had turned three. My parents had the rest of my siblings when we served the pirates."

"Wait, you're a slave?" Barriss asked.

My face morphed into a glare. "I'm a person, not a slave, Jedi." My voice had probably sounded menacing to the Jedi, but I didn't care at the moment. Slave was a term that I particularly despised and to hear someone call me that fueled the anger and rage that I felt towards slavers and pro-slavery individuals.

Barriss' face changed into an expression of fear and she said, "I'm sorry, Ethan."

I opened my mouth but instead of words, a loud sigh came out. I ran a hand through my shaggy black hair and said, "I'm sorry about my tone, Barriss. I'm not particularly fond of the term "slave"."

"We can see that," Ms. Unduli replied, her face holding surprise and astonishment at my sudden mood changes. "So if you were… servants to the pirates, how did you end up on Coruscant?"

"The pirates saw that they could make a decent amount of credits off of us so they sold us a few months after Jaden had been born. We ended up here in 1313," I concluded, watching the door, hoping that one of my siblings would walk in. Whenever I told the story of my family's past, there was always the question about my parents. I mean, most people already understood that our parents were dead, but that didn't stop others from asking. It made me wonder at the time if they did it for fun, to see our reactions to the question.

But Barriss and Ms. Unduli didn't ask about them. Instead Ms. Unduli nodded her head sympathetically and Barriss said, "It must've been hard for your family to adapt to being servants."

I didn't say anything, just rubbed my temples. Suddenly, a voice asked from the doorway, "Who are the Mirialans?"

I looked over there to see my brothers, Jaakan and Jace. They wore grease stained pants and gray t-shirts. Jace wore a long, black glove to cover up his cybernetic hand. Their hair was matted down and they both had grease covering their faces.

"This is Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and her padawan, Barriss Offee," I replied.

Jaakan didn't seem too interested in the Jedi, but Jace's eyes got a twinkle in them. "Are they here to save us?"

Barriss asked, "Save you?"

Jace gave her a quirky smile. "You know! Save us from this hell!"

"Jace, language!" I reprimanded him. He immediately looked down and started twiddling his thumbs. "I'm sorry about his tongue. He's been around some bad influences in his life."

Luminara shrugged. "It's quite alright. We've been working around clones for the past three years so you learn to disregard what comes out of their mouths, especially profanities."

I smiled and gave a chuckle. "Anyway, you two go get cleaned up for dinner."

"Why? We always eat in our shop uniforms at dinner," Jaakan said, his face still expressing a scowl. Then again, he had had a scowl on his face since the day of his birth thirteen years ago.

"We have guests over right now, and Mom and Dad told us that we should always try to look presentable," I said. I mean, we didn't exactly get many guests when Mom and Dad were still alive, but if we ever did then we would know what to do.

Jaakan smiled without warmth. "I don't think that they have jurisdiction over us anymore, Ethan," he responded, his voice full of bitterness and sorrow.

"Jaakan!" Jadella exclaimed, having just walked through the doorway. She was carrying a pitcher of water and her face was angry red from hearing Jaakan's outburst. "You will not act this way when we have guests over."

"Why shouldn't I? After all, they're from the Republic and they did nothing about when we were sold as slaves to the scum that we call our master! They should be the slaves, not us!" His eyes turned wild as he raised a scarred arm towards the Jedi and pointed at them as if they were animals at a petting zoo.

I immediately got up grabbed Jaakan by the shirt. "Listen here, brother. The Jedi are the only reason that we actually have a galaxy right now, so I suggest that you respect them."

He growled at me and I smelled something in his breath. Alcohol…

"Have you been drinking?" I asked, my hold on his shirt tightening.

He didn't reply. Instead, he burped in my face and sneered at me.

"Jace, take your twin to the bedroom and make sure that he stays in there." Jace complied and grabbed Jaakan by the arm. They disappeared around the corner and I rubbed my forehead.

"He drinks?" Ms. Unduli asked, compassion and emotion showing in her voice for the first time.

Drinking was something common in 1313 for a lot of twelve and thirteen year olds. I mean, it was tolerated around our house whenever Jadella, Jacinda, or I had a drink at night, but for the younger ones to drink…

"I honestly don't know what about him, anymore," I said, taking a seat once again. "He's been like that for a year, now. We've been hoping that he would grow out of that phase, but it's become apparent that he needs professional help."

"Then why don't you get him professional help?" Barriss questioned.

"Because there's no professional anything down here in 1313. Only bounty hunters, slavers, and prostitutes," Jadella said, sighing a little and placing the water in the middle of the table. She took a cloth out of her pocket and poured a little water on it. "You know, some kids think that living like a poor person or a slave or something isn't that hard, but they don't know anything about the emotional turmoil or scarring that it does to a person's mind." She started wiping a stain on the table with the rag.

She laughed without humor and added, "I would like to see some of those Senators try and survive down here. They'd be dead within hours."

I smirked and caught a glimpse of Barriss and Ms. Unduli's bewildered faces. They probably hadn't heard someone insult the Senators as we had. Barriss said, "But I thought that you were pro-Republic."

"Oh, don't get me wrong. The Republic and all sounds good to us, including the Jedi, but the Senate we have a problem with. You see, the Senate over the past few years has become increasingly corrupt. I mean, you turn on the HoloNet and there's something about how Nute Gunray attacked Naboo or about how a group of clones was bribed by the Banking Clan to smuggle droid parts across the galaxy." I took a breath after my long explanation.

"You know about that?" Ms. Unduli asked, surprised at how well informed I was.

I smiled and said, "I may not be able to read or write, but I like to stay well informed of Republic and Confederacy endeavors. And despite my illiteracy, I probably understand politics better than seventy-five percent of the Galactic Senate."

"You seem pretty sure of yourself," Barriss responded, raising an eyebrow at my statement.

I smiled at her. "Well, I try to take pride in what little I can actually comprehend. Politics is one of such things."

Our eyes met across the table and for the first time, I noticed how blue they were. And by blue, I mean blue. They resembled the color of electric blue, which was an interesting color to find in people and Barriss certainly seemed like an interesting person, even though I had only know her for about a half hour. But as I stared into them, I saw a flash of nervousness in them and she looked away. My smirk morphed into a frown and my eyebrows creased, expressing sadness.

Jadella seemed to notice it and she said, "Well, I'm fixing to start distributing food, so if anyone has anything else, ah… intriguing to add, you had better mention it right now."

"How could I not have anything intriguing to say?" I asked sarcastically. "After all, I'm a very intriguing person!" I brushed some hair out of my face and smiled.

Jadella laughed and the two Jedi smiled humorously. Jadella placed the plates at their designated spots and Jaden and Jacinda walked in with the latter holding Kael. I smiled softly at the sight of my nephew. He was holding his small Wookie toy in his hands and laughed and giggled.

Jacinda placed him in his high chair and ruffled his hair. The frown on her face shaped into a sad smile and the worry lines on her face undid themselves. You see, Kael, if you didn't already know, was the result of Jacinda's rape. When Jacinda found out that she was pregnant, she did what most girls did, which was cry. But she decided to keep it. My sister was kind of like a Jedi, in the sense that she had compassion for all life forms, and fetuses were included. So after nine months of headaches, morning sickness and mood swings, Kael Revan Dabria was introduced into the world.

And some might say that he was a mistake or a bastard, but to Jacinda, he was the best thing that ever happened.

"Did you get the baby formula, Ethan?" Jacinda asked, taking a seat next to Kael, who was still fiddling with his Wookie.

"Yeah, I did. It's in the cabinet above the stove," I replied.

Jacinda went off to the kitchen, while Jadella came back with more food. She set it down on the table and said, "Alright, everyone. I feel as though we should probably start eating now, just in case the lights decide to cut off again."

Barriss laughed nervously, as if she didn't know whether or not it was a joke. Jace came back into the room and took a seat in between Kael and Ms. Unduli. Jadella took her seat at the head of the table like she usually did and Jaden sat down next to me. The seat where Jaakan regularly sat in remained empty, as he was in his room.

Jadella started by passing around a basket of bread and then, the bowl of red gourd soup. Soon enough, we were all eating contently.

"So, why are you Jedi down here?" Jadella asked after a few minutes in silence.

Barriss looked up from her red gourd soup and Ms. Unduli took a sip of her water. "The Council had been getting reports of slave trades going on in the lower districts of Coruscant, so they sent us to investigate," Luminara replied.

"I'm sorry, but the Council?" I asked, not familiar with the term.

"The Jedi High Council. They're the governing body of the Jedi Order and make most decisions about proposed missions," Barriss said, while she wiped her mouth with her napkin.

"Ah."

"Anyway, we were looking for a place to stay when we ran into Ethan. From there, he invited us to dinner and here we are," Ms. Unduli finished.

Jadella nodded and leaned back in her seat. Her eyes moved at a fast pace and she seemed to be calculating the risks of something. Her eyes finally ceased movement and a small smile came upon her face.

"How would you like to stay with us?"

I had been drinking my water when I said this and I immediately did a spit-take onto the food. Jacinda started choking on her uj'alayi and Jace stared at Jadella with wild eyes.

"WHAT?" the three of us said in unison, all of us standing up in shock. The only person who didn't was Jaden, who sat in his chair with a full-toothed grin on his face.

Jadella, who had stood up as well, looked at the Jedi for an answer. Barriss and Ms. Unduli, on the other hand, were muttering something to each other in some other language. Barriss sounded a little persistent, while Ms. Unduli kept her usual authoritative tone. Then, Barriss whisper-shouted something that didn't sound so friendly. Ms. Unduli sighed and said something to the younger Jedi, which made Barriss smile a little.

Ms. Unduli said, "My padawan has convinced me to take you up on your offer, considering the fact that there probably isn't a Jedi-friendly hotel around here. So, if wouldn't be too much of a bother, we'll accept that offer. But out of curiosity, why did you ask?"

"Well, you're Jedi and even Jedi need help at times. And there have been some, err… problems in this district," Jadella said, voice expressing anxiety.

Ms. Unduli raised her eyebrows. "What kind of problems?"

I glanced at Jadella, who was looking at me expectantly. I shook my head and mouthed, No.

She nodded to me and said to the Jedi, "We'll talk about that after dinner."

Jaden pulled on my sleeve and asked, "Talk about what?"

My expression saddened and I whispered back, "It's none of your concern, Jaden. Go back to eating your food."

I turned back to the Jedi and asked, "How long will you be staying here?"

Ms. Unduli scrunched her eyebrows together. "We're not quite sure, yet. This could take months, but we hope to have this done as soon as possible. The slave trades have been thwarting the Jedi Order's grasp for quite a while and the rate of these trades have been rising considerably since the start of the Clone Wars."

"Why do you think this has been happening?" Jadella questioned, taking a bite of her cake.

"The slavers got the idea of using the war for cover, since the Republic has had their hands full with the Separatists," Barriss answered. "But my friend, Ahsoka, saw glimpses of slaves being transported down into the Underworld and she reported it to the Council. And that, coupled with frequent reports of slave trades, contributed to the Council's decision to send us."

I scrunched my eyebrows together, confused at the sudden haste of the Jedi Order. "Why the sudden rush of the Republic to put a stop to slavery?"

"We realized that we had neglected the problem far too long, especially after a mission to Zygerria," Ms. Unduli responded.

"We as in the entire Republic, or we as in the-Senate-didn't-care-but-the-Jedi-Order-sent-help-anyway?" I asked, giving a sad smile.

"The latter, I'm afraid," Ms. Unduli said with a sad smile.

I sighed and scratched the top of my head. "See, this is why the Separatists left the Republic. Too many corrupt and business-focused people in place of power. They don't even care about the people they represent!"

"Ethan, calm down." Jadella's tone gave off a warning bell and I knew that I needed to shut my mouth before I said something else. "Save it for afterwards."

I nodded slightly and said, "It's getting late. Jaden, Jace, go get ready for bed."

"Do you need any help cleaning up?" Jace asked, always the first one to respond with aid.

I shook my head. "Jacinda and I have this covered. Just bring your brother some food and tell him to get ready."

They both left the room and Jacinda proceeded to pick up Kael and her plate. "I suppose that I'll wash dishes and put Kael to bed. Then we can talk about sleeping arrangements and certain… events that have transpired around here."

Jadella nodded to her and asked the Jedi, "Would you like to join us in living room, Ms. Unduli? Barriss?"

Ms. Unduli nodded. "I suppose that we could talk about sleeping arrangements and this problem that you mentioned earlier."

I stood up and asked, "May I take your dishes?"

Ms. Unduli replied, "That won't be necessary, Ethan. Barriss take our plates to the kitchen and come back to the living room."

Barriss gave a curt nod and picked up her and Ms. Unduli's plates. She went into the kitchen and disappeared from my line of sight.

I nodded to Ms. Unduli as well, and took the other plates. When I walked into the kitchen, I was met with the sound of running water and grumbling about lack of warmth. I smirked and said to my sister, Jacinda, "Maybe if we didn't live in 1313, we would have hot water."

She gave me a playful shove and said, "Maybe if my brother would help me with the dishes, I wouldn't be so pissed about it."

"Sorry, sis," I replied and handed her the dishes. "Make sure not to miss a spot."

I smirked down at her and she rolled her eyes, but I knew that she was trying to stifle a laugh. I went into the living room and asked Jadella, "Should I bring in something to drink?"

She nodded and I went back into the kitchen. I reached into the cabinet above the oven and pulled out five glasses and a bottle of ale. I loaded all of it onto a tray and went back into the living room. I placed it on the small table in the middle of the chairs and asked, "Would anyone like some?"

Jadella nodded, yet Ms. Unduli raised her eyebrows at the drink. I noticed this and added, "Don't worry, Ms. Unduli. It's low alcohol. We wouldn't dare get a Jedi drunk."

She replied, "I suppose that I will have some. And please, call me Luminara."

I smiled softly and poured four glasses, one for myself, Jadella, Jacinda, and Luminara. I looked at Barriss to see if she wanted some, yet she remained silent. But she did look at the bottle of ale curiously, as if she wondered what it would be like to try some.

I apparently, wasn't the only one to notice this, as Luminara raised her eyebrows at her padawan. "You may have some if you want, Barriss."

Barriss shook her head and reclined in her chair, keeping her legs crossed and a professional look on her face. But I saw the flash of disappointment in her eyes. She wanted to try it, try something new, but she was afraid of what her master would think, despite Luminara had given her permission.

She was fearful. It's weird to see a Jedi, the people that protect others, being fearful.

Still, I set the ale down and sat back in my own chair. Jacinda came out of the kitchen drying off her hands. She sat down next to Jadella took her own glass of ale.

At first, no one really said anything. I coughed once or twice and my sisters sipped on their drinks. Luminara took a swig from her glass and Barriss looked around discreetly.

"I suppose that we should explain why we want you two to stay here," I said, breaking the silence and causing everyone to look at me. I sighed and brushed the hair out of my eyes. I really need to get a haircut, I thought, realizing how irritating my hair was becoming. "Lately, a lot of children and young teens have been found dead in alleys and in abandoned buildings. Jace and Jaakan found someone themselves when they were walking around.

"We don't like knowing that there's someone out there hunting people. I despise it even more when it's children they're hunting. We were hoping that the Jedi might be able to do something about it." I leaned forward in my chair, waiting for Luminara's answer.

She frowned and said, "I'm sorry Ethan, but we're here on the slavery issue, not to track down a killer. I wish that we could help."

"You still can," Jadella said, her voice full of hope. "We're positive that the man or woman doing this is connected to slavers."

"How so?" Barriss asked.

Jacinda interjected, using her timid voice, "We've found traces of expensive poison and pieces of cortosis in the children's bodies. The killer would have to have support from wealthy people to own his kind of arsenal. The only people down here with that kind of money are the slavers and crime lords."

"So, if we find the killer-" Luminara started, but I interrupted.

"You find the slavers and proof of slave trades." I smiled and added, "It's not so complicated when you think about it."

Luminara smirked and said, "I suppose not."

"Well, now that we have that matter out of the way, why not we hear a little about the Jedi Order?" Jadella asked, smiling and leaning back into the couch.

Barriss exchanged a look with Luminara, who shrugged as if saying, Why not?

"Well, being a Jedi isn't as easy as most people think," Barriss began. "It requires patience and discipline, which are considered to be some of our most important principles. We're taught from a young age that without dedication to the Code, we'll fall to the Dark Side, which is our enemy, if you will."

I scrunched my eyebrows together. "The Code?"

Luminara answered, "It's the set of rules and regulations that we abide by. It's supposed to keep us on the right path."

Jadella raised her eyebrows. "Would you recite it for us?"

Luminara nodded and looked to Barriss, who said, "It's goes like this. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serentity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force." She took a breath and sat back in her chair.

I stroked my chin and sat my elbows on my knees. "Explain to me the first line. The one about no emotion, yet peace."

Luminara replied, "It entails that Jedi have to put aside any and all personal feelings and become one with the Force. Basically, we cannot form attachments or start relationships with others."

"So, even after you save the galaxy from the bad guys, you can't get married or anything?" Jacinda asked.

"Precisely," Barriss said, though Luminara remained silent.

I would have expected for a Jedi Master, one who is supposed abide by the Code supposedly, to agree in the matter. In fact, she looked a little guilty. I could see it in her eyes. She was thinking about something, something that she regretted. And it had to do with the Code.

Could she have... no. Luminara seems like a "Code-abiding" person. That's impossible.

"And that whole no death, the Force line?" I asked, hoping to shake off thoughts of Luminara and disobedience.

Barriss looked over at her master, but Luminara still seemed to be deep in thought. So, Barriss said, "It means that when a Jedi dies, they join the Force and become, well... part of the Force, I guess. I'm not exactly the one you should be asking."

She shot a galnce at Luminara, who seemed to be recovered from her little zoning out endeavor. "Yes well, it would take a while to explain how it all works, so go with my padawan's explanation for the time being. She has it down pat, at least enough to suffice."

Barriss smiled, probably happy that Luminara agreed with her. "So, what do you guys do?"

"Huh?" Jacinda asked, confused.

"What do you do as... servants to someone?" she asked again, carefully avoiding the term slave, which I appreciated.

Jadella took a sip of her ale and wiped her mouth. "Well, I work with speeders and podracers in the garage next door. Jace and Jaakan work there, as well. And I'm guessing that you noticed Jace's hand in that glove."

The Jedi nodded.

Jadella sighed and rubbed her temples. It hurt her to relive the memories of Jace's arm, Jaakan's depression, Jacinda's rape. She didn't like to talk about it with us, her family, and I could tell that she was having a difficult time explaining it all to people we didn't know. "When Jace was ten, he lost his arm to a haywire engine in the shop. That kind of affected where Kade, our master, placed him for a while. He worked mostly selling drugs with Jaden, until he built a new arm when he was eleven."

"Wait, Jaden sells drugs?" Barriss asked, leaning forward in her chair with wide eyes.

"He may look like a cute, innocent child, but he has a way with words that even a Senator couldn't match," I said. "But yeah, Kade has him walk around 1313 and sell death sticks and stuff like that. He's good at what he does, too."

"Anyway, he works at Kade's house with Jacinda when he doesn't deal drugs." Jadella finished off the last of her drink.

Barriss looked over at me. "What do you?"

Jacinda immediately looked over at me. Jadella, who had closed her eyes in rest, sat straight up looked at me, as well.

I didn't look at them, though. I looked at the ground and then closed my eyes in sadness. The arena was a cold and harsh place filled with bloodshed and death. I killed to survive. But I still felt as though I was dead whenever I thought of it. "I kill people," I muttered into my hands, which had risen up to my face to wipe away the tear that had fallen from my eye.

"What?" Luminara asked, her voice taking on a more shocked and fearful tone.

I removed my hands from my face and looked up at the two Jedi. "I kill people," I repeated. My voice sounded robotic, like I had been programmed to say that every time someone asked.

The Jedi sat, speechless, so I decided to continue. "My master makes me fight in an arena for entertainment. He likes watching people die. He says that killing makes him feel good. But still, it's my decision to kill the people so yes, I kill people."

Still, they sat, not moving, not saying a word. It was like that for a few seconds then Barriss said with sorrow and compassion in her voice, "I'm so sorry, Ethan."

I smiled, a sad smile, and waved her off. I said in a hoarse voice, "No need to say sorry. It's not your fault, after all." Besides, I didn't need anyone else's pity or sorrow. I get enough of that from my own self.

"No," Luminara said. She seemed to have lost her aura of professionalism and now, she sat shaking her head and looking at me with eyes full of realization and shock. "It is our fault. We let the slave trade go on and now, we have children selling drugs, teenagers getting drunk and losing limbs, and people being forced to fight each other to the death."

She kept on shaking her head and then placed it in her hands.

After a few minutes, Barriss asked, "Is there any alternative to killing people?"

I scowled at her, not even believing how naive she was. "Barriss, if I could make my dreams come true, I wouldn't ever kill something unless its heart couldn't be changed." I stood up and said through clenched teeth, "I've searched and searched for alternatives to killing them. There is no other choice but to take their breath!"

Luminara looked up at me and said, "There is always another choice. You just haven't looked hard enough."

I felt like slapping someone at that moment and a million thoughts ran through my head. You ignorant Jedi! You just heard me say that I've tried everything and you tell me to look harder?!

Or...

Maybe she's right...

Maybe I haven't looked hard enough...

Or maybe I'm just insane for even considering her words.

I sat back down and said, "I'm sorry for my outburst, Luminara. It's just that..."

I trailed off and looked at the ground, ashamed of my previous attitude and thoughts toward the Jedi Master. After all, she had been wiser and more experienced than I. So, in the end, I didn't hold a candle to her in terms of knowledge and wisdom. I shouldn't have been so rash.

"It's quite alright," she said. I felt her gaze soften and she added, "I feel as though the Republic is the one who should be apologizing, anyway. The time that we've spent in 1313 so far has shown that we certainly have been neglecting 1313 and slavery for too long."

I looked up and smiled at her and Barriss. Jadella and Jacinda smiled at them, too. "We accept your apology, then. But one last question. How do you plan to get proof of slavery down here?"

Barriss replied, "Well, the Senate didn't exactly approve a mission down here, so we can't launch a full-scale invasion of 1313. That is, until we bring liable proof to them. We also knew that smuggling a servant out of here wouldn't exactly be the wisest option."

"But we knew that a slaver would keep a record of servants purchased and sold," Luminara said, jumping into the conversation. "We want to break into their quarters and retrieve their records. Also, we'll need to identify who the slavers are if this is all going to be successful."

"We can help you with identification, but I'm so sure about the breaking-and-entering part of the plan," Jadella said, scratching her head. "Those slavers have their houses locked down like I don't know what!"

"But Jaden and I have been inside Kade's house," Jacinda interjected. "We know what kind of guards and security he uses."

"Thank you, but we'll need more than one set of records to prove that a mass slave trade is going on down here," Luminara answered, sighing and wiping something out of her eyes. "I do think that it is time for some rest. Where will we be sleeping?"

I looked over at Jadella, who said, "I guess that I can bring some blankets and a few pillows out here for you. You can sleep on the couch and the chairs. Sorry it's not better than that."

But Luminara waved her off. "It's quite alright. We've slept in some bad conditions before. Besides, it's probably better than what we would have ended up with in this place."

Jadella smiled and said to me, "Ethan, why don't you help them make their beds? Jacinda and I must go check on everyone else. Show them to the bathroom, as well."

I nodded as my sisters got up and headed to the bedrooms. I stood up and said, "Well, one of you can take the couch and the other can push the chairs together, I guess. I'll grab the blankets. Also, the bathroom is right through that door." I pointed at the door in the left corner of our small living room.

I went into our cramped hallway and opened up the closet. To my dismay, I saw only one blanket and two pillows. I grabbed all of it and walked into the living room once again to find that they had pushed together the chairs and created a makeshift bed for one of them. I saw that Luminara wasn't in there, so I said to Barriss, "Sorry, but we only have one blanket."

She shrugged and said, "It's alright, Ethan. Master can have it. She making me sleep on the couch, anyway."

I tossed a pillow to her and said, "You can always use my blanket."

She placed the pillow at the head of the couch and said, "No, Ethan. I would never do that."

I shrugged and met her gaze. "It's alright, Barriss. You're the guest and I need to treat you with respect. Besides, I hardly get cold during the night." When she didn't give an indication that she was budging, I said, "Barriss, I would never forgive myself if I let someone go to sleep shivering."

She sighed and said, "Fine." And with a mock scowl, "You're starting to vex me, Ethan. And I hate to be vexed."

I smirked and said, "Be right back." I left the living room and entered the bedrooms to find that Jacinda had fallen asleep in a chair, cradling Kael. I smiled and took Kael from her arms. I placed him in the crib and grabbed the blanket from my bed. I went back into the living room and tossed it to Barriss. "Here you go."

She smiled and said, "Thank you." I turned around and prepared to leave when Barriss presented another question. "Why does Jacinda have a child?"

I froze mid-step and asked, "Why do you want to know?"

"She seems much too young to be a mother."

A million different answers ran through my mind, giving me a headache at all the possibilities. It was an accident. She met some bad people. Walked into the wrong alley. But the answer that kept back was rape. I knew in my mind that I shouldn't beat around the bush.

"She was raped."

Silence.

Then, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." Pause. "It wasn't your fault."

"Ethan!" a voice whisper-shouted at me. My eyes shot open and I sent my fist flying toward my right side. "Ow! Damn it, you idiot! It's me! Jadella!"

I shot up in bed and saw the silhouette of my older sister. And from her posture, she didn't look too happy about something. "What?" I whispered groggily. I hadn't been fully awake yet.

I made out, "Meet me in the hall."

I got up and grabbed my shirt. I pulled it over my head as I entered the hallway, and saw that Jadella had gotten a lightstick. I asked, "What is it? I'm needed at the arena tomorrow."

She rolled her eyes and said, "You're always needed at the arena!" I rolled my eyes as she said, "This is your fault, you know!"

"What's my fault?"

The green light from the stick allowed me to see the glare on her face. "The Jedi! If you hadn't invited them over here, we wouldn't be having a problem!"

I stared at her with disbelief written on my face. "What problem? As far as I know, they're helping us, not causing trouble! What could they possibly be doing to endanger us?"

"Figuring out your secret," she whispered calmly and without any sarcasm.

I looked away from her and felt guilt overcome me. Yes, I'd had a secret at the time that only Jadella and my best friend, Hafiz, knew about. It was something explosive, something that could change my family's life if anyone knew about it, especially if the Jedi found out. "They needed help, Jadella," I said. I sounded like a child who was getting scolded by his family, which I was.

"They're Jedi, Ethan!" she whispered harshly. "Let them get their own help!"

"I thought that you liked the Jedi Order!"

She glared up at me with eyes full of betrayal and disbelief. "I do! The problem is that you've endangered us all by bringing them here!"

"How?" I asked. "The only thing that my secret could do is make our lives better!"

"What if Kade found out?" she replied, her voice raising an octave. "He'd just sell you to the highest bidder and separate all of us! How is that helpful to me, huh? To your siblings and Kael?"

"You heard them, Jade!" I said, calling her by the nickname I had given her. "They're going to free us! And we can help them do so!"

"But they're Jedi! They'll sense something is off about you and then they'll find out!" Jadella wiped tears that had started streaming down her face. "Ethan, I can't let you go away. I won't be alone again. Not again." She sniffled and I pulled her into a hug.

"It's alright, sis." I felt her tears dampen my shirt. "When all of this is over, we can just move to Alderaan or Corellia. Someplace safe from the war and slavers."

I let go of her and added, "I don't know what you're so worried about anyway. It's not like they'll dissect me or anything. They have lots of people like me."

"But what if they take you away?"

I chuckled and that made Jadella smile. "Even if they find out, they'll find that I lack many of the required characteristics and principles." I said in a softer voice, "Don't worry, Jade. It'll be alright in the future."

She nodded and said, "Thanks, Ethan." She went back into the bedroom, but before I followed her, I saw a shadow at the end of the hall. I tip-toed down the hall and peeked around the corner. Barriss and Luminara were both asleep.

I scrunched my eyebrows together. That's funny... I swear I saw something.

But nevertheless, I dismissed it as my imagination and went back to bed. I shouldn't have dismissed it.

Author's Note: I've decided to start putting poetry at the top of every chapter just to give a little snippet of what's going to happen in every chapter. Hope you guys appreciate quotes from famous authors, books, and politicians! Also, leave a review telling me what you think Ethan's secret is. It's kind of obvious, by the way.