Chapter 24: Trials
Finn walked into the jailhouse the next morning shaking. He knew what he had coming to him, and as much as it terrified him, he wouldn't avoid it. Unlocking Ben's jail cell, he slipped inside.
As soon as he saw him, Ben leapt to his feet, glowering.
"You... you think you can lay a hand on my wife...?!"
"Solo, we both know what we're here for, so let's get on with it," Finn stated, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice.
Ben grinned ferociously, igniting his blood-red lightsaber. "Insolent youth! Prepare to meet thy doom."
"Dark and sinister man... have at thee," Finn retorted. He ignited Luke Skywalker's green lightsaber and blocked Ben's downward swipe. Back and forth along the jail cell they pranced in a shower of sparks. Seizing onto the barbed windows, Finn swung himself away from Ben's swipe with the gracefulness of a dancer.
"Do you know how much you hurt my wife? Do you?!" Ben screamed.
"I'm sorry!" Finn yelped, tears roaring back at the horrid memory.
"You were a traitor!" Ben yelled, hacking towards Finn's knees, the ex-Stromtrooper somersaulting out of the way.
"And you were a fascistic prick!" Finn sneered, lunging into a thrust that Ben easily parried. A few more whacks at each other, and almost at the same time, both men doubled over, exhausted.
"Rematch ending in a draw - how pathetic!" Ben mourned.
"Yeah," Finn huffed through a smile. "Our girl knows us too well."
Regaining his breath first, Ben slowly straightened. He eyed Finn with an expression that was unreadable.
"Kneel."
Terrified, Finn obeyed. Hearing the hum of plasma coming to life, he stiffened, waiting for the killing blow. But he only felt the heat of the ignited kyber crystal just barely kiss his shoulders.
"Rise... Finn, Jedi Knight."
Finn slowly got to his feet, gaping in awe. Switching the blade off, Ben handed the hilt to him. "Now hide that before I get caught attempting a jailbreak, or pooching my chances at parole."
Finn scuttled both sabers inside his tunic. And just in time, too, for a few moments later, Beaumont Kin bustled in with a set of keys. He didn't look happy about it.
"You're free," the side-burned man said without fanfare, un-cuffing Ben. The ex-Supreme Leader gawked at him. "Leia and Poe have finally come to an agreement - full pardon, in light of heroic actions at the end of the war, but don't go spreading it around."
Then Beaumont looked at Finn. "Now, you get out of here and see that little lady of yours."
Finn grinned. "Come on," he told Ben, and the pair raced for the med ward. Neither one of them noticed the concerned look Beaumont sent after them.
"Emmy?" Finn called as he sprinted through the last halls leading to his love's room. "Emmary, did you hear the news? Ben's been..." Bursting in the door with Ben hot on his heels, Finn skidded to a stop at the hospital room crowded with Resistance fighters, Poe at their head. Emmary was lying on the bed, her hand clasped in Rey's. The Jedi was staring at the Commander, eyes pleading.
"Don't do this... you pardoned Ben! Can't you at least pardon her too?"
"Hey... what the hell is this?" Finn snarled.
Poe just glanced to him sadly. "She has crimes she must answer for, now that she is well enough to serve for them... I'm sorry, Finn." And he pointed a finger at Emmary. "Seize her."
"NO!" Finn dove into the middle of the crush of bodies as Emmary was forced from her bed. "Em! EMMARY!"
"FINN!" Emmary wailed, clawing for him as she was forced in ion cuffs. "Finny, help me!"
"Emmy, I'll get you out, sweetheart! I promise!" Finn was thrashing wildly to get to her - so wildly, that Wedge Antilles could hardly hold him back. Finn could only watch helplessly as his lover was led away to the jail cell.
"Finn..." Poe was watching him regretfully. "Please understand..."
Finn glowered, and for the first time, he understood why Rey hadn't forgiven the pilot. "Yes, Poe... I understand you."
Rey stood up, sending Poe a look of pure loathing. "You have no heart," she whispered.
"Rey, I can't just pardon every First Order ex-pat who happens to be in love with one of my comrades!" Poe cried. "Ben was a special case, because Leia practically busted my arm to let him go! Considering that, your lack of self-awareness is astonishing."
Rey spat at him, then flounced from the room. Sending Finn a deeply sympathetic look over her shoulder, she tugged Ben from the room before falling apart in his arms.
Finn stared around at all his allies. "I want into that jailhouse now - not tomorrow, not after breakfast - NOW!"
"Let him in," Poe mumbled. "She goes on trial first thing in the morning... and unfortunately, I won't be able to allow you into the courtroom."
Finn gnashed his teeth. "Perfect."
The sound of footsteps echoed ominously in the empty hall as Finn paced back and forth outside the courtroom where Emmary was being tried and dealt her fate.
"It's taking too long, Rey..." he mumbled, running his hands through his thick dreadlocks.
Seated on a bench, her hands clasped in those of her husband, Rey's smile was strained.
"I filed an amicus brief with the Court; Ben and I stayed up all night writing it..." She laid a hand on his arm. "Poe will pardon her, Finny; he just has to do this to keep up appearances..." She glanced to Ben. "Right?"
Ben grimaced. "I don't know, sweetheart. Dameron's always seemed like a loose cannon..."
The set of double doors leading into the courtroom were suddenly thrown open wide and all three Jedi straightened with a jerk. Maz Kanata's sagely eyes gave away absolutely nothing as to the final decision. "We have a verdict."
Taking Rey's hand in his right and Ben's in his left, Finn strode into the courtroom with his friends flanking him. Right away, his eyes found Emmary's like a heat-seeking missile. She smiled weakly at him from the defendant table, and just seeing her beam for him made his heart flutter.
Maz joined the three Jedi in the pew, as the jury filed in. Poe read the final sentencing:
"We, the jury, find the defendant - Emmary Lizkara Sollcot, formerly known as Tazla Ren... guilty of aiding and abetting a fascistic regime. As to the charge of mass murder, we find the defendant - Emmary Lizkara Sollcot, formerly known as Tazla Ren... guilty."
Finn flinched.
"Her ship did fire on us and inadvertently kill Rosie," Rey reminded him, though it pained her.
"However," the jury foreman continued. "Multiple petitions pleading for mercy and intercession have been filed with this court, most notably by Rey Solo and Leia Organa."
Rey gasped, whirling to her husband. "Your mother filed one?"
Ben grinned proudly and gratefully. "I guess so."
"After consulting with Commander Dameron, the representatives of this court have decided to make Emmary Lizkara Sollcot's sentence... pardoned with time served."
Finn leapt out of his seat with a whoop. Vaulting over the audience partition, be bolted for the defendant table. The guard was barely finished un-cuffing Emmary and out of the way before Finn swept her up into his arms and kissed her frantically. Emmary threw her arms around him with a happy sigh and melted, kissing him back.
"Mmmmm... Force above, I love you!" Finn peppered into her lips. "Hmmm... marry me. Will... will you marry me?"
Drawing out of the kiss dreamily, Emmary gazed at him. For a moment, she played with the dreadlocks at the nape of his neck, sizing him up. She had never before thought about marriage, and yet as she stared into Finn's eyes... her very-kissed lips slowly curled into a smile.
"OK," she got out softly.
Beaming, the couple leaned in and lightly kissed again.
Gasping at the sight, Rey clutched at her husband's arm and squealed. "We're going to have a sister-in-law!"
Ben chuckled. "Wasn't aware we had a brother-in-law."
She swatted him.
