I do not own Harry Potter nor Star Wars, and I am super duper sad. If anyone wants to get me the rights to either, I'll be your best friend! :)

OOOOO

"Come on, get back up! I'm barely warmed up over here," Rex barked. "I'm getting bored kicking your shebs, Jean!"

Muttering a string of curses that would make anyone from his old village drop their jaw, Jean leapt back to his feet, fists raised in a somewhat shaky defensive stance. The older trooper gave him 'a chance to have a sparring partner'. Thinking nothing of it, he agreed, knowing he could use a self-defense teacher.

What he didn't realize, however, was that Rex wasn't a teacher; he was closer to a one-man monster of an army hiding in a suit of flesh. Every punch was blocked with almost contemptuous ease, every kick was dodged so swiftly that Jean felt he was chasing an afterimage, and he couldn't go on the offensive for more than a second before the more experienced man began his own counterattacking. Even on the defensive, he couldn't last more than a dozen seconds against him.

'At least this is getting me some results,' Jean thought. 'I went from getting knocked down in three seconds to over ten! Hooray...'.

"Come on, pasty! Even rookies can get at least one hit in!" a soldier on the side jeered. He was still unnerved by the fact that the clones were, well, clones. How they can tell each other apart, Jean had no idea. Still, they all seemed to be decent at heart, if a little more aggressive than usual.

When Rex took him to the hangar, he was surrounded by at least ten others that looked almost identical to Rex. They all introduced themselves, but he knew it was going to take a while before he had even half of the clones memorized. And there were millions of them…

They all loved fighting in their spare time. The clones wanted to see how good the 'new guy' was, since Rex of all people introduced him. In the end, the clone commander said that he would be the only one fighting him for today, as Jean (the other clones all raised eyebrows at hearing the name) needed to know how to fight if he was staying for any length of time.

And indeed, he was learning how to fight like a soldier would. His posture was already good; legs turned outward, fists raised to cover grapples and headlocks, and a slight lean forward all helped him react just barely fast enough to avoid getting caught in a continuous thrashing.

On the other hand, his opponent was far more intelligent than anyone he'd ever faced before. Since nobody from his world was willing to touch him, the smartest creatures he ever faced before were the wolves and bears in the forests of England. Rex was on an entirely different level. He knew how Jean would fight (since he was the one teaching him), and he looked experienced enough to be prepared for any surprises thrown in his face.

Sighing to himself, Jean mustered up what was left of his strength for one last try. Rex nodded in approval, and they began circling each other. Outside of the occasional jab, neither of them seemed intent on engaging each other just yet.

Rex decided that it was time to put an end to this session. At the cost of a glancing blow to his head courtesy of Jean's left fist, he dived inside Jean's guard and delivered a trio of punches to his ribs. Hunched over, he wasn't prepared to defend against Rex's headlock. The clone commander jumped, twisting to the side so that Jean's stomach would be crushed between the ground and Rex's shoulder.

What he didn't expect to see was a pained grin on his vict-sparring partner's face. Before he knew it, he felt a fist on his diaphragm. It wasn't enough to throw off Rex, but it was enough to loosen his hold so that the blow to Jean was softened. Despite this, his ribs were still crushed between Rex's shoulder and the ground beneath him.

Rex was able to get up, albeit with a little difficulty. Jean, however, was dazed and unable to get up for several minutes. When his breathing settled, Rex offered his hand with a grin on his face. In Rex's history of sparring matches, he had never seen someone improve so quickly in just one match. It wouldn't be for a while yet, but Rex could see Jean become a fierce fighter.

"You did well, trooper," Rex said. "I've never seen anyone learn that much in one match with me."

Pulling up to his feet, Jean smirked. "I spend most of my time learning from watching what others do." He grimaced. "This is the first time I was able to actually participate in something productive."

They held solid poker faces faces, but Rex and his troopers grimaced internally. If this was the first time he'd ever done anything with anyone… Rex's respect for the man went up a notch. He was about to open his mouth, when his communication device went off.

"Come in, Rex."

"General Skywalker?" he asked. Jean snapped his head towards Rex, recognizing the voice and wondering how he knew him. Then again, it made sense; Rex was likely his subordinate, and Baby Face Man probably told Rex to keep an eye on him, and make sure he didn't do anything reckless and/or stupid. Jean felt a surge of gratitude for the man, resolving to repay his kindness as soon as possible.

"Bring Jean to the entrance of the Jedi Temple. Something has come up with the Council, and they require his presence."

Rex nodded slightly to himself. "Understood, general. I'll bring Jean to you as soon as possible." Turning to his sparring partner, Rex beckoned him with his hand. "Come on, then. If the council wants to see you, it has to be something important."

It was almost imperceptible, but Rex saw his companion narrow his eyes at the mention of the council. "Very well, then. Please lead the way."

OOOOO

The walk to the Temple was filled with a tense silence. Jean was filled with a slowly growing sense of apprehension of dread. Despite his best efforts, the teen Veela couldn't stop himself from drawing parallels to his own esteemed council. The condemnation, the glares, the hatred, the fear that he received replayed in his mind over and over again.

Unbeknownst to him, Rex observed his emotional turmoil with a mixture of confusion and concern. Surely, he wouldn't have a reason to mistrust General Skywalker's comrades?

Then again, General Skywalker himself became frustrated with the Council from time to time. Whether it was because of his actions or his general personality, seeing the Commander at odds with his superiors wasn't an uncommon sight.

And then there was the briefing the General gave him on Jean. He didn't go into much detail out of respect for his new friend, but Rex was intelligent enough to realize that Jean and Skywalker likely had similar upbringings, so he could see why Jean wouldn't be looking forward to meeting with the Council.

When they arrived at the entrance of the Temple, Rex was surprised at the size of the group. General Skywalker with his apprentice, Ahsoka, General Kenobi, and a pale woman the clone had never seen before. Coming to a stop a few feet in front of the Jedi, Rex saluted Skywalker.

Anakin waved off his salute. "At ease, Rex. Thank you for bringing Jean to us." Once he relaxed, the Jedi Knight let a grin etch itself onto his lips. "So, did he pass your test?"

Matching Anakin's grin with one of his own, Rex nodded. "He's unpolished, but he managed to get a solid hit on me right before you called."

Everyone's eyes (except Maris') widened in surprise. Rex was one of the best clones the Republic had to offer. For Jean to land a good hit after sparring for barely an hour…

The sound of someone clearing their throat broke the brief silence. "I've still got a long while to go before I can even put up a halfway decent fight. Anyway, isn't there a council that wants to interrogate me?"

At this, the joking mood disappeared. Wanting to calm his nerves, Obi-Wan gently rebutted him. "There won't be any interrogation on my watch. I myself am a member of the council. I'll make sure they won't push too far. Anakin will be there as well, so there'll be nothing to worry about."

Jean felt somewhat better, but the tension didn't lessen at all. Two friends were helpful, but he had no idea how many people would be against him from the get-go.

His eyes showed his resignation. "Thank you, but I'm not sure how much good that will bdo. In my experience, people are afraid of the unknown. They'd rather try to control or destroy the unfamiliar than understand it." With that said, he proceeded to walk past the Jedi and enter the room, when two hands stopped him.

Looking to his side, he saw that both Ahsoka and Maris had a hand on one of his arms. Caught off guard, he looked to Ahsoka first.

The Togruta's eyes narrowed, hard as steel. "They won't do any such thing. Not if we have anything to say about it." Her lips then curved into a smile. "Have some faith in us, ok?"

Wide-eyed, Jean nodded, then turned to Maris. If Ahsoka surprised him, then the Zabrak's reaction definitely threw him for a loop. Her hand was gripping his right arm firmly, yet still gentle enough to keep him from experience any pain. As if that wasn't confusing enough, her eyes were practically glowing!

"The only way they're going to hurt you is through the four of us. Is. That. Clear?" To emphasize her point, her hand tightened just enough to feel echoes of pain on his right arm. Eager to get out of both girl's grips, Jean hurriedly shook his head in the affirmative.

Masking his confusion, he forced a smile on his face. "Crystal. No more pessimism from me!" The girls both eyed him curiously, but grudgingly accepted his words at face value.

The raven-headed Veela, alongside Anakin and Obi-Wan, walked inside the Council chambers, leaving the girls and Rex waiting outside.

OOOOO

Out of the dozen members on the Council, five were there in person, while the rest were all in a blueish-white projection. Upon walking into the chamber of the Jedi Council, Jean was immediately taken aback by just how different the members were. There were two humans including Obi-Wan, the other being bald and black; he held the eyes of someone who held very little humor, and he looked like he was at least dozens of times stronger than Rex. A humanoid with purple things coming from his head had a permanent scowl on his face, and an obviously female figure was entirely blue and had similar appendages. Just looking at her made Jean start to blush, but he blinked and fought it down before his staring became impolite. The woman in question raised an eyebrow in curiosity, but said nothing.

Getting back to his observations, Jean felt his eyes drawn to the figure in the middle. He was short and green, and he held a cane in one of his three-fingered hand. He looked calm, but the Veela could tell that he was more than his appearance. He could tell the green being held much power, even more so than the black man. Out of everyone in the room, Jean knew that this small person would be the one he had to get on his side.

Jean was staring so intently at him that he nearly jumped when the green man spoke. "Greetings, young one. Heard much about you from Obi-Wan, we have. Grandmaster Yoda of the Jedi Council, I am, and ask questions, we must."

After taking a few moments to decode his speech, Jean nodded. "That's understandable. I've been living off of your hospitality for far too long, and you probably have a lot of things to ask me. I'll answer your questions."

Nodding his head in thanks, Yoda looked to the black man. "If you please, Master Windu, your question."

The now dubbed Windu turned from Yoda to Jean. "Master Obi-Wan reported that you saved Padawan Ahsoka Tano from a band of mercenaries, nearly costing you your life. Why would you do make so many enemies for someone whom you've never known before that moment?"

Jean's face took on a look of irritation. "I know what it's like to be completely helpless, to not have anyone to rely on. When I saw her being prodded like a piece of meat, I just got really angry. I had to do something, you know?" He saw Obi-Wan's face tighten into a grimace, but he couldn't figure out why. He resolved to ask him about that after the meeting.

Mace seemed to have accepted his answer, but Jean noticed that his eyes narrowed when he talked about his anger. The Jedi Master then turned to the blue woman. "Master Secura, I believe it is your turn."

The blue-skinned humanoid let out a smirk, looking at Jean. "The entire time you've been in the Temple, we haven't been able to feel your Force presence at all. How are you able to hide it so perfectly?"

Now this threw Jean for a loop. "What are you talking about? I don't have any idea what this 'Force' is. I use magic." He must have said something wrong, because he felt several condescending glares aimed at him. Even Master Secura gave him a deadpan look, as if he was stupid.

The man with the purple montrails actually laughed. "Preposterous. You must be from one of the most backwater planets in the galaxy if you think the Force can be explained as 'magic'. Now tell us your real reasons for hiding your presence from us!"

Going on the defensive, Jean turned on the Master, his eye glowing with rage. "Listen here, sir. I am not comfortable being judged by people I've never seen nor heard of. The only reason I'm even here is because Master Kenobi promised me I wouldn't be ridiculed; obviously, he overestimated your maturity and underestimated your ego. I have no idea what this Force you're talking about is, I don't know where I am, and I have no fucking idea why I ended up here." He turned to look at the other Masters. "So before you shit on everything I am and what I believe is true, I would appreciate being at least treated with a miniscule amount of respect, ton culot*!"

Silence reigned in the room. With the exception of Yoda, everyone's eyes widened to dinner-plate size. Anakin, who had remained silent for the entirety of the meeting thus far, put a hand on his new friend's shoulder, deciding that now was the best time to speak up.

"Jean, they're not trying to be so condescending, even though some of us might be acting that way." After glaring at Master Tiin, he continued. "Remember that we really have no idea what you're capable of; all we have to go off of is what Obi-Wan described as you apparently teleporting in front of him. Now that we're in a war, the Council wants as much information as possible so they don't have to think of you as a threat."

Listening to his words, Jean let the anger ease out of his body. Taking in a few deep breaths to center himself, he gave an appreciative glance towards Anakin, then looked to the rest of the Council, pointedly ignoring Tiin. Whether it was out of embarrassment or pettiness, even he couldn't tell.

"I apologize for not realizing the situation you're all in. I'll tell you some of what I can do, and answer any questions after the fact to the best of my ability. I won't tell you everything, though; I'm not a fan of sharing every little detail."

Looking around the room, Jean's eyes locked onto one of the free chairs. Reaching out with his left hand, he muttered "Accio". The chair flew towards him, and he caught it before it landed on top of him.

"I can use an internal supply of magic," Jean's eyes briefly shot to Master Tiin, daring him to speak up, "to cast spells. In addition to pulling things towards me, I can also push them away." With a flick of his hand, he sent the chair back to its' former place. "It's easier to use magic to cast the spell, but I can also maintain it. Unfortunately, I have to use a constant stream of my magic to continue casting it. If I use too much of it, I'll fall unconscious."

After a moment of silence, Obi-Wan spoke. "How much magic can your body hold?"

Jean scrunched his face in concentration. "Well, I'm not really sure. My people's magic is like a muscle. The more it gets used, the stronger it gets and the longer we could use it. There hasn't been any way to measure the exact amount of magic inside someone." He shrugged. "I guess… I could have a potentially limitless amount of magic at my disposal."

Once again, everyone in the room was rendered speechless. Even Yoda's jaw dropped a little; there was somebody besides the Sith that could evade their watch, and could have limitless power. Though a part of the Grandmaster's mind was worried about Jean's lack of emotional control, he also realized he was being overly paranoid. He was genuinely lost in an unfamiliar world, maybe even from an unfamiliar galaxy.

Yoda's heart went out to the young man, and decided to spare him from answering any further questions. "To go, free you are. Knight Skywalker, to the guest rooms take him. Dismissed, this Council meeting is."

Sending the Grandmaster a look of gratitude, Jean followed Anakin towards the exit. Before he left the room, however, Obi-Wan's voice rang out. "Master Tiin, I would not recommend doing something as uncivilized as drawing your weapon to intimidate an unarmed civilian. Surely you're not that petty."

Whipping his head, Jean saw that Tiin had grabbed a cylindrical object, with one open-ended side. The purple-skinned Master glowered at Obi-Wan, slowly holstering his weapon. Jean turned to his bearded friend, bowing his thanks.

As Jean left the room, the pressure in his chest lightened. He gained acceptance from at least part of the Council, and he even managed to get a room with an actual bed!

'I can't believe this' the awe-struck Veela thought. 'Is my luck finally turning around?' The smile on Jean's face would remain for several hours afterwards.

Unfortunately, there were other forces besides the Jedi Council at work. Unbeknownst to Jean, this would be the last time he could afford to feel safe.

OOOOO

And that's all for this chapter. These chapters are getting pretty hard to expand upon, but I'm still here! I'm not going to give up on this story anytime soon :)

I have to give credit where credit is due. I have two betas to bounce ideas off of. Matthew and Ryan are both great at helping me develop my story. Without them, I would have probably given up on this by chapter 2. Thank you both for helping me this much!

Merry Summer to all, and to all a good swimsuit season ;)