Chapter 4

History

Jason POV

I was feeling more nervous than I ever had when I entered the Council Room. I immediately saw a Togruta and a Twilek, and I almost had an anxiety attack right there.

Barriss tugged on my shirt though, and I walked to the middle of the room. Everyone went silent.

"Jason Hutt, welcome to the Jedi Temple," a black man said. He was bald with a hardened expression. I immediately listed him as a threat.

"I'm glad to be here," I said. "I just wish that someone didn't have to get hurt in the process."

"Yes, well we thank you for rescuing one of our padawans," a Kel Dor said to my left. He had a deep voice, but it sounded more like a wise old grandfather than a villain or madman. I already knew that he would be one of my allies in this meeting.

"Would you please like to explain how you managed to do it?" the Togruta asked. I thought that she looked like Ahsoka, but I pushed the thought out of my head. I would never be able to tell Ahsoka what I was gonna have to tell these people.

I was about to respond when someone burst into the room. "So sorry that I'm late, Masters! I was… preoccupied," a Mirialan said. She was wearing almost all black, and her clothes were disheveled and rumpled. I also noticed that she wasn't wearing a headdress. It was a law that all Mirialan females were supposed to wear a headdress to cover their hair.

I looked over to Barriss who mouthed, My master.

One of the Jedi spoke saying," Luminara, your headdress-"

"I know, Kit! I know I'm not wearing one and that I'm breaking the law, but right now I don't really give a shit! Let's just do the meeting already, okay?" the woman called Luminara said. She took a seat and faced me.

Swearing must not be that common in the Order because the other Masters looked at Luminara like she had just committed a crime, which is also true.

The bald man cleared his throat and everyone's eyes went toward me, though people still shot Luminara bewildered looks.

"Jason, would you explain how you came across Ahsoka?"

I nodded and told them the entire story, leaving out the parts in which my father spoke to me. I also left out the scene in the room between me and Ahsoka.

When I was done, I came across a lot of confused expressions. They probably hadn't expected the part about her almost being beaten to death.

"So I have a question. Why was Ahsoka in an abandoned building to begin with?" a Twilek said.

I sighed. I'm guessing this is where I get into my family history?

That's right, son!

"Ahsoka and I had already known each other before this incident. She might've been checking to see if my uncle's stuff was still there or if I still lived there," I said, remembering when all of my family's stuff was taken and destroyed and how I had to find work as a busboy.

"Who exactly is this uncle? Sorry if we're intruding on sensitive material, but you don't exactly show up in our records," a red-haired man said.

I closed my eyes for a brief second, and then opened them again. "My uncle is Ziro. Or at least he was, until he was killed."

My throat went dry thinking about uncle. Ziro might've been pictured as a villain to the Jedi, but when you got to know him, he wasn't so bad.

"But you aren't of the hutt species so how is this possible?" the bald man asked.

I shook my head. This is going to be a long conversation….

"Do any of you know anything about the original Hutts?"

Silence. "I guess not. Anyway, the term Hutt originally referred to a group of humans who basically controlled the galaxy before the Jedi Order even existed. Yes, I know that the Jedi have been around for over thousands of years, but the Hutts have been around longer."

"Anyway, about two thousand years before the Order was formed, the slave trade was started. You might think that the Zygerrians were responsible, but at the time the original Hutts were. They started taking Togrutas and Twileks off their homeworlds and shipping them to other crime lords."

"What does this have to do with anything?" the bald man said. He was really getting on my nerves.

"Just wait a minute. Eventually though, the Hutts were making so much money and gaining territory that they had to hire non-humans to help them. The non-humans that they hired eventually came to be the present-day Hutts, but it took awhile. The Hutt species were jealous of the humans, so they plotted a coup against them."

"They overthrew the humans and became the leaders of the Hutt clan. They gave control of the slave trade to the Zygerrians and made the humans pledge their loyalty to the new Hutts. Among the humans was the man who started it all, Jason Hutt."

"But your name is Jason Hutt. You say that this clan has been around for thousands of years, but you're only eighteen. How could he have your name?" the Togruta said.

I took a deep breath and said," That Jason Hutt was Jason Hutt the first. I'm Jason Hutt the fifteenth, his descendant. My family started the slave trade and the Hutt clan."

When I finished saying that I got a lot of dirty stares from the members of the Council. The Togruta and the Twilek were staring at me with what could only be described as absolute rage. There was also a human male in there that was clutching his lightsaber like he might decapitate me.

"Well, this certainly changes things," the red-haired man said, his face now devoid of any humor or friendship. "So you're saying that your family started all of the slavery that we have to deal with nowadays?"

I nodded.

The bald man said," We'll have to wait for Master Yoda to get out of hyperspace to come to a clear decision as to how we will deal this Hutt. But until then, he will be put in one of our spare rooms and under arrest."

I sighed and nodded, knowing that I deserved it.

"Wait!"Barriss suddenly shouted. I looked at her, as did the other people in the room. "We're going to punish him for something that he didn't do! His grandfather wasn't even around at the time! And if all of you have forgotten, his family was overthrown by the Hutts. Plus, he rescued Ahsoka and bandaged her up, saving her from infection and further harm. And Ahsoka's a Togruta!"

Some of the masters nodded in agreement. Barriss continued," Jason probably has had harder times than any of in here for the past two years because of us, the Jedi. We took his uncle and his stuff away and now look at him." She gestured at me and my clothes. They were torn and bloody. I also saw a couple of people looking at the scar on my face. I winced, remembering when I was forced to fight a bounty hunter in the arena once. I had won, but not without getting the scar.

"He obviously has respect for us, given how he's taking all of this so well. And we're going to throw him in jail for rescuing a Jedi, showing respect, and being the great-grandson of a former crimelord? That just tells the galaxy that we're no better than the Confederacy and the new Hutts," she finished.

By now, a lot of the masters had their heads hung in shame. Huh… I guess even Jedi are ashamed of themselves sometimes.

"Well, thank you for that thought, Padawan Offee," the bald man said quietly. "I suppose that you have a point so we will not put him under arrest. But he will have to stay in the Temple. If anyone finds out about his family's past then he will have numerous bounties on his head."

I mumbled," I already do."

"Anyway, how about we all go get some lunch. Barriss, how about you show our new guest to a room. Council adjourned," the man said. Everyone got up and left.

"Thank you, Barriss," I said to the young Mirialan.

She smiled at me and hugged me. "Anything for a friend of Ahsoka." She kissed me on my cheek, and I blushed.

She laughed and said," Now come on. I'll escort you to your room, or should I say you and Ahsoka's room."

My face was completely red by then, and Barriss was laughing harder.

Ha! I like this girl, son! And who knows? She might be doing you a favor!

I said to my father, How would she be doing me a favor?

She could be setting you up with a potential mate…

I bit back a curse as I followed Barriss out of the room.

Sorry if it didn't make sense, but you really need to reread it to actually understand. Anyway, the next chapter will be about why Luminara wasn't wearing a headdress and if you guys remember, why Gree called her Luminara instead of General. Until then... may the force be with you...