Chapter 52 – Lost And Found
Harry's recovery did not take long, by the time he was well enough to move about Aayla and the other rescuers had replaced or repaired all the hull plates on the Raven and had fitted a replacement conduit with a spare from the Galor. Alema had arrived two days after he started walking again and had almost rugby tackled him to the ground when she saw him. She spent so much time hanging onto Harry's arm over the next two days that he genuinely wondered if their skin had melted together in the heat.
Asani had not been happy with her initial accommodations and spent most of the first day outside the box sitting on Harry's back and shoulder hissing at people and even after that she was extremely unwilling to trust anyone.
The question of what to do with the strange creature was discussed but as it was clearly not a native of the planet Aayla agreed that the creature should come with them at least as far as Coruscant then the Council would decide whether to locate its home or to allow it to stay with Harry who she seemed almost glued to. Aayla had even begun to wonder if the creature had bonded to him in some way from the amount of time she spent with him.
Hermione and Coleman joined them after a week; Hermione's recovery was harder than Harry's, she had been without food or water for longer and had used up a lot of her energy reserves getting to Naboo, she had to use a hover chair to enable her body time to recover.
But despite all that it was less than two weeks after Aayla and the rescue party had reached the planet that they were taking off in the Raven, escorted by Alema and the Masters' three fighters, to limp the ship back to Coruscant for yet another round of repairs; Its antennas had been patched up from spare parts on the other ships and although it was only running off a single primary conduit rather than the usual three the ship was flyable.
When the ship powered down on the landing platform outside one of the Temple's hangers a couple of weeks later (the ship being much slower without the other two conduits) the entire High Council was there waiting for them as they came down the ramp along with a trio of Healers.
Yoda went to speak but was interrupted when a pop sounded and a small figure flung himself at Harry's legs much to the curious looks of Asani who was still seated on his shoulder.
"Master Harry, you is back!"
"Yes Dobby, I'm back," Harry replied, uncertainly glancing up at the Council in front of him. Some were looking amused; others looked annoyed at the House Elf's antics while some just looked resigned to waiting for the little creature to finish.
"You is not to scare Dobby like that again," ordered the House Elf, standing back and putting his hands on his hips, which caused more than one member of the Council not to mention the older jedi behind Harry to try to hide their amusement as the tiny creature chastised the padawan.
"Dobby, the Council wants to talk to me," he urged, trying not only to get out of the situation but to try to not let this situation get any more embarrassing.
The house elf looked around and saw the Council standing behind him, far from cowering as he would have once done under such gaze he merely turned back to Harry.
"Dobby and Harry Potter Sir will finish this later. You will also explain to Dobby the cat-thing on your shoulder," the House Elf said certainly before turning again. "Master Yodey."
"Master Dobby," the Grand Master replied respectfully before the former vanished with a snap of his fingers.
The group waited for a second to make sure he had gone before they took the remaining steps to reach the waiting jedi.
"Truly unique that Dobby is. Padawan Potter, Padawan Granger, to see you alive and safe, brings warm feelings to my heart."
"Thank you Master Yoda," Harry bowed, Hermione who was still in the chair nodded respectfully. Asani who was as usual perched on Harry's shoulder just looked on curiously. "It's good to be back."
"We look forward to your report Padawans," instructed Master Dooku. "But first rest and visit the Healers. The explanations can wait as well as explanations as to what to do with your…companion."
The last comment directed at the bundle of fir currently staring intently at him.
"Yes Master," nodded Harry but withdrew the enemy jedi's blade from his back using the Force. "This belonged to the man who attacked us hopefully either the users DNA or its design is logged in the Archives. I have tried to handle it as little as possible in case such evidence is upon it."
Dooku took over control of the hovering hilt and nodded his approval before the trio of Healers pounced on them and hurried them towards their domain, the Padawan's Masters trailing behind.
As they went none noticed the look that crossed Master Yoda's face as he looked upon the face of Asani. The creature seemed to sense his eyes and turned his head around almost all the way to stare at the small jedi. The pair locked eyes and then Master Yoda with a speed that would make most think that they had missed it winked at the creature.
The creature flinched backwards before turning away to a small laugh from the jedi master.
The following day the sextet of Harry, Hermione, Aayla, Coleman, Alema and Asani walked (or hovered in Hermione's case as although she could walk she was ordered not to overexert herself) into the High Council Chamber.
"Good it is to see you all here," greeted Yoda. "For a while fear that forever lost you would be."
"Padawans," continued Dooku, "Please explain what happened at the Battle of Malastare Narrows and how you came to be stranded on that planet?"
What started was the long explanation of all that had happened to Harry and Hermione since the battle, from encountering the other jedi to crashing on Knowhere to learning to transform and finally engineering their escape.
"An extraordinary tale indeed," remarked Master Plo. "A great test of endurance, strength and faith you have weathered."
"Tell us what you know of this jedi that attacked you?" instructed Master Sifo-Dyas, a relatively new member to the Council.
"He charged me with, and I quote 'Crimes against the Light Side of the Force, of using Dark Side techniques openly and stating that not only did I use them to inflict pain on Wormtail but stating that I would do so again.'"
"He also condemned him for not showing remorse for doing so," added Hermione.
The Council stayed silent for a moment, presumably communicating telepathically.
"We have identified your attacker from his lightsaber," explained Dooku. "His name was Tiad-Coroc."
"I am not familiar with that name Master," explained Aayla. "Was he an expelled jedi or a self-taught Force Sensitive?"
"Do you really believe Knight Secura that a self-taught Force user could ever construct a lightsaber and wield it with enough skill to fend off both these Temple trained padawans?" asked Master Piell. "Particularly in the case of Padawan Potter who received training in all seven forms of lightsaber combat from some of the best in the Order?"
"He was not an exiled jedi," continued Dooku, not waiting for the rhetorical answer. "He was an active jedi knight."
"Why would any jedi knight want me dead Master?" asked Harry.
The Masters exchanged looks again before some of them nodded to Dooku before he turned back to them.
"What we are about to discuss does not leave this room…Clear?"
"Yes Master," the group nodded.
"Have either of you heard of Jedi Shadows?" he asked, directing his question at the padawans specifically.
"Yes Master," answered Hermione. "They are rumoured to be jedi who are deleted from all official records and are assigned missions of assassination and any other missions that the jedi code would not allow us to undertake, but they are just a story aren't they? Invented by jedi haters to make us look evil?"
"Real they are," answered Yoda. "But inaccurate the rumours are."
"Normally you would not be told this but given these unique circumstances…The Shadows are a secret group of jedi whose identities are deleted from all official record," confirmed Master Depa. "But they are not assassins. They are an offshoot of the Sentinel branch of jedi learning and only the best are chosen to become Shadows. Their task is to hunt down and eliminate Dark Side items and beings in order to protect the galaxy. They are also some times given tasks like espionage of potential threats and saboteurs against such threats. Their purpose simply, is to protect the galaxy from what the public face of the Jedi Order cannot. Occasionally they do have to capture or eliminate people for the good of the many which is where the rumours of being assassins come from."
"Unfortunately," continued Master Oppo, "Being responsible for protecting the galaxy from its darkest elements, they tend to get very polarised views of the galaxy. Unlike the shades of grey we know it actually exist in. In the eyes of a shadow Padawan Potter went from white to black; the accepted use of Force Lightning, however justified, was deemed as damming evidence of the padawan's fall to the Dark Side which led to the attempt on his life."
"Masters are you saying that someone ordered the execution of my padawan?" demanded Aayla.
"Not at all Knight Secura," Plo replied.
"We have spoken to Tiad-Coroc's superiors on the Council of First Knowledge and he had been missing in action for weeks before you encountered him," elaborated Master Koth. "The last time he spoke to them he was advocating your Padawan's expulsion for use of the Dark Side but his plan was summarily rejected as they supported this Council's decision and did not consider Padawan Potter a threat or to be a danger to the Order. It was then Tiad-Coroc disappeared. We fear he then, believing that the Council of First Knowledge and the High Council were no longer up to doing what needed to be done, decided to take on the mission himself. His superiors had been worried about his mental state for quite a while but his inherent abilities at tracking down Dark Side elements made them a bit reluctant to chastise him for it. At the time they saw him last they determined that it had gone too far and he needed to be reined in and monitored but he left before they could initiate that action."
"The incident is highly regrettable and the Council of First Knowledge have asked us to extend their deepest apologies to both the padawans and you're their Masters for the incident and the subsequent trial you had to undergo which is now thankfully resolved," concluded Dooku. "With his death ends that madness. This subject is obviously classified because of the secretive nature of the Shadows' work so if anyone asks you were actually just attacked by a rogue jedi. It's still not a story we would want broadcast around but given the witnesses it's the best thing we can conceal it with that fits what they know."
"Now, to the subject of your new friend we shall turn," decided Yoda, directing his gaze at Asani who was still seated atop Harry's shoulder.
"We brought the creature with us from the planet Masters, it was clearly not a native so we reasoned that it had better be removed as it was as close to death as my padawan. We hoped we might be able to locate its home planet and return it."
Harry gave a small grunt as the creatures claws dug into his shoulder.
"Hmm, think that suggestion like she did not," smiled Yoda.
Harry was beginning to get worried; the smile on the small master's face was far too close to the one that Dumbledore used to wear to be considered safe. It positively shouted 'LOOK OUT…MISCHIEF AFOOT'. Somehow it was even worse coming from someone so much smaller.
"The creature seems to have developed some form of attachment to the padawan," remarked Master Piell.
"Yes Master," acknowledged Aayla. "We noted that it seemed strangely attached to my Harry, and while it is friendly to Hermione and now ourselves, anyone who threatens or tries to separate her from Harry does not get a very friendly reaction."
"Not unusual if the creature were timid," theorised Master Koth.
"Agreed Master, but its reactions are defensive of both itself and my padawan rather than being frightened."
"My Padawan," added Coleman. "Suggested that the creature might have created some form of Force Bond with the Padawan Potter."
"You believe the…creature, to be Force Sensitive Master Coleman?" asked Plo.
"I might not be as attuned to such things as some of yourselves Masters but I can feel the creatures connection to the Force," replied Coleman. "We know of many species that are not sentient yet are Force Sensitive to varying degrees. My Padawan has also described to me how on their world almost all students of Magic get what they call a familiar; a creature with which they create a bond. Some that are just those of owner and pet while others are much stronger; not necessarily anything as strong as kin or a master and apprentice might have but nonetheless it exists as more than loyalty and friendship. Both the padawans obviously had to leave theirs behind when they left Earth and when we went back we did ask about them and were told that both had perished in the intervening years. We believe this missing bond might also have played a part in Harry's connection to Asani."
"I see," the Councilman replied neutrally.
"Leave the creature with us," instructed Dooku.
"Master?" asked Aayla.
"Leave the creature with us," he repeated. "We shall not harm it."
Harry, attempted to follow the order, shifted his shoulders in an attempted to dislodge Asani but she dug her claws in again and refused to move.
"Let go," Harry hissed, and tried to grab her but she crawled down his back out of his reach…but not out of Aayla's.
So much for not causing you any trouble, Aayla thought at him as she plucked the surprised creature from her padawan's clothing.
Putting Asani down the group tried to leave but the creature tried to follow them, only for Master Dooku to direct a hand towards the creature and for it to float of the floor, earning a cry of alarm from Asani as gravity no longer applied to her.
"We shall summon you shortly," he advised as they left uncertainly.
It was quite a few minutes later that the quartet were summoned back into the Council Chamber. Asani was sitting in the middle of the room, apparently content, but immediately jumped up, ran to Harry then up onto his shoulder as soon as she saw him.
"We have made our decision," stated Dooku. "The creature will remain with Padawan Potter."
All four of the jedi in the middle of the room were shocked and confused, they were sure the creature would be sent back to its home world.
"May we ask why Masters?" asked Aayla.
"It has been determined that the creature has bonded with the Padawan to some degree," replied Plo.
"It was likely very young when it was captured," added Eeth. "It became very nervous and skittish as soon as you left the room. Separating it from the padawan and returning it to a planet it may well not even remember or know how to survive on would not be wise."
"And as you said," Sifo-Dyas added. "On your padawan's planet taking a creature as a companion is customary. We are interested to see how it will work here. Consider it another experiment as to how their 'magic' differs from the Force."
"If work it does not," concluded Yaddle. "Returned to its planet it will be."
"Yes Masters," nodded Aayla. "What are your orders for us?"
"Both of you padawans have undergone a very difficult trial," recounted Dooku. "They are to have no missions other than to slowly recover and reacclimatise for the next month."
"Only one task, assigned to them and you there is," continued Yoda. "Learn to utilise their alternative forms better they will."
"There new techniques of transformation could be very useful to both but right now they are limited," advised Adi. "Especially Padawan Granger's. Work out a way for them to be used more efficiently and less dangerously, go off world if required but take the month to rest first."
"Dismissed," concluded Dooku.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Really sorry for the delay guys, it was the run up to my sister's wedding shortly after I last posted so that occupied me for at least a month and a half. I freely admit though I had a bit of writers block shortly after that though; a classic case of knowing what to write but not how to write it.
Also sorry that this is a short one but I realised that I need to give you guys something as it's been almost three months since I posted. And again apologies for taking so long to reply to reviews and if I haven't replied to you it's not because I am ignoring you it's just that I cannot remember which I replied to and which I have not.
Enjoy.
