"Identification Card." The guard says stiffly, gesturing for me to place my card on the table. I do as he asks, pulling my ID card out of my wallet and setting it on the metal bench.

"Empty your pockets before stepping into the scanner."

I nod in compliance, then toss my wallet, car keys, phone on the table, followed by the USB thumb drive and folder full of documents before stepping into the circular scanner. I slightly raise my arms then watch the scanner's cylindrical bars rotate around me to map my body before a red light turns green.

I'm good.

Stepping out, I see that multiple people are digging through my stuff, with a pair of technicians holding my phone already. "Can I help you with that?" I ask, slightly sarcastically.

"I wish." Cayle's voice suddenly says before he pops up, holding my wallet. "Council's orders."

"Does the drive have the documents we entreated?" One of the Council's envoys asks roughly.

"Yes." I reply simply, then watch as they take all but my folder.

Cayle attempts to temper the insult by smiling at me, then extends a bottle of water. "How are you?"

"Alright." I shrug. "Couldn't eat much."

The Council always does that to me.

"You'll be fine. You've played everything correctly. Haven't broken any laws, requested potential backup when you thought something was off." He reassures me.

I laugh then change subjects. "How was your flight?"

"Awkward. I haven't gotten to the bad news."

Oh no.

I turn to look at him as he frowns slightly. "It's the High Council today."

"Not the LA Council?" I question him.

"Nope. Kicked out of their own chairs." Cayle replies. "Only Yaddle, Shaak Ti and Kanan got to stay out of their twelve. Dooku was very upset."

Well yeah, the Council came in and lorded over them.

Cayle continues walking with me through the cavernous halls of the Temple. "Things keep shifting down in Southeast Asia. Local peacekeepers can't seem to get a handle on a group of pro-Communist insurgents. So you're not completely the reason why they came."

"But I'm a big one." I say flatly.

Together, we arrive at the lift before Cayle sets his hand on the scanner. "Padawan Cayle, accepted." The automated voice reads out as a somber picture of Cayle pops up.

My turn.

"Agent Bridger, accepted." The voice calls out as a picture of me pops up.

"Still Agent…" Cayle sighs, shaking his head before the lift pops open.

I sigh to myself the glance over to him. "You know the Council."

"I do." He nods. "And I know how this is going to go."

"It's okay. I was in the mood for getting castrated in front of some of the most powerful people on the planet today." I joke. Cayle loudly laughs before I think of the camera that's watching both of our every moves. "Sorry guys. Forgot you were there."

"I believe that would be the point." Master Ahsoka Tano says brusquely the moment the door opens.

Dammit.

"Your every word is monitored here for a reason." She snaps, eyes piercing and cold. "Hands."

"Already? Fine, fine…" I drop my head, cross my hands at the wrists and watch as a new guard slaps massive inhibitors on me before pulling me forward toward a pair of massive wooden doors.

"Master." I hear Cayle greet Ahsoka warmly.

"How are you? Did you grab some coffee? The kitchens just brewed some new." She responds just as warmly.

"No, I haven't. I waited up front for Ezra. Figured he'd want to see a friendly face. I'd like permission to sit in on the Council's sessions." Cayle asks.

"Permission denied."

"Why." Cayle fires back. "I've already informed the Council that I am the person Ezra's corresponded with most while he was away."

"His personal attachment to you is something we cannot allow to taint the session."

I roll my eyes. "Taint, really? Didn't know friendship was so bad."

OW!

"OW!" I snap as the guards yank very hard on my inhibitors, causing them to roughly scrape both of my wrists, bending them awkwardly before they slam into my ulna on both hands.

"Silence." The guard in front of me orders.

Ahsoka and Cayle are silent for a moment before she speaks up. "Go grab a cup. This shouldn't take long." Ahsoka advises Cayle.

"Yes Master."

Great. Won't take long. That's just awesome.

I obediently stay silent as we close the gap to the Council's chambers before the doors open.

Masters Yoda, Windu, Mundi, Koon, Kenobi, Skywalker, Jinn, Unduli, Shaak Ti, Yaddle, Jarrus, Billaba with Master Tano behind me.

"Masters." Ahsoka says graciously. "Your charge."

"Thank you, Master Tano." Yoda says normally before the doors shut behind me as I'm dragged to the middle of the room.

The guards drop my inhibitors and move to stand on the wall behind the Council just before I feel them start to try and poke around in my head.

"Young Ezra Bridger. Welcome." Master Windu begins graciously.

"Masters. Sorry you had to come out all this way. I hope your trip was relaxing at least." I smile and nod in their general direction.

"In the way of travel, we all have endured much worse. Thank you, young one." Master Mundi replies.

Master Qui-Gon Jinn is the next to speak. "How are you finding the University of Southern California?"

"Very well, Master."

I would elaborate, but the Council doesn't like that. Their follow ups will work anyway.

"We hear that the workload is heavier than expected." Master Kenobi asks.

"You hear correctly Masters. Mostly busy work, but some thought has been required."

"Computer Sciences." Master Yoda speaks, drawing everyone's eyes. "Chemistry. Freshman Composition. English of the First Class and University Strategies. That is your schedule, is it not, hmm?"

"It is, Master."

"Well." Master Plo Koon says in his penetrating voice. "Are you learning anything?"

I smile reflexively. "Yes, I am Master Koon."

"Give us an example." Master Windu demands.

"Alright," I nod my head. "In Freshman Comp, I'm learning to express myself better. Be more concise with my words. I've attempted to use my weekly reports as a practice for this."

"In Freshman Composition." Master Mundi clarifies.

"Yes."

"Then state the full class name. There is no time for shorthand and it breeds laziness." He snaps at me.

I bow my head meekly. "My apologies."

"The change in your reports have been noticed, young one." Master Luminara says softly, causing me to turn to my left. "Well done."

"Thank you Master." I acknowledge her praise.

"This job…" Master Anakin Skywalker calls out, shifting in his chair. "It's in Academic Advising, correct?" I nod in the affirmative, then wait for him to continue.

He has a temper.

"You mentioned in your report that there are holes in their accounting and reporting, to name a few." He leaves the statement open ended.

For me to interpret. Some freedom. Thanks Master.

I nod. "Yes, I've attached some examples on the drive I brought."

"All files are being examined now." Master Tano reports. "We'll find the holes."

"What do you believe we will find?" Master Jinn asks me.

"I don't have anything too concrete right now." I confess. "But I've gained the trust of my superior, and I should have access to more files soon."

"I didn't ask for an excuse, Young Bridger."

I duck my head as I feel him hit me with a stronger probe, "I do apologize." I wince. "Indications right now suggest money laundering in the university police department, athletics and higher administration."

"Hmm. Thoughts, Kanan?" Yoda leans over to look at Kanan.

"None of that surprises me. Ezra reported this when we had him for dinner. I haven't dug in further and have continued laying low."

"Good. We'll need their unknowing cooperation to uncover the truth." Master Kenobi smiles.

Master Yaddle finally speaks up, causing me to turn to the right. "Your grades are exceptional, as are to be expected." I nod, then wait for someone else to speak.

"They're not high enough." Master Billaba counters. "He is fluent in Spanish, the grade in that course should be perfect."

The Council's eyes turn to me for a response. "Not all the assignments, in all my classes for that matter have been individual ones. I've had multiple group projects, including in Spanish. That is where the blemish comes in there."

"You received an 80 on a discussion board. That will not cut it." Billaba curtly tells me.

I bow my head obediently. "One of my partners chose not to participate and complete the assignment. We all received the punishment for his laziness."

"Then I would choose better partners." Master Mundi pontificates.

"They were assigned to us by random generator, Master."

"So you did what you could with the resources at hand." Master Jinn nods. "I noticed you personally received a perfect twenty points on your portion, then an extra five for quality of response."

I nod once more. "That is correct."

"Well done." He compliments me, then falls silent.

"Leaving a total of fifty five points for the remaining members." Master Unduli comments.

Yes Master, they can perform basic arithmetic I believe.

A chuckle flows through the Council before I allow myself to smirk.

"Ezra reported that many of the professors he is learning from have their own personal biases and grudges." Kanan speaks up.

"An example, Master Jarrus." Yoda requests.

"In his University Strategies course, Ezra gave an answer on a discussion board that all of his fellow classmates found suitable, but his professor, a man by the name of Calhoun did not find to be so."

Master Jinn leans forward. "And where is the bias and/or grudge?"

"The man is usually a Political Science professor, but due to a Board level decision is teaching Ezra's University Strategies course. He is not happy with this and has been doling out his frustrations in doses to many of the students."

"Well we cannot punish young Bridger for faults that he himself did not commit." Master Kenobi observes.

Keeping my gaze directly ahead on a set spot of the ornately decorated floor, I keep my mind clear as the Council continues debating.

"—not the greatest offense committed by one of Ezra's instructors. One of them hardly chooses to show up and teach at all. In the Spanish class as mentioned earlier." Kanan informs the Council.

Multiple Masters sit straighter in their chairs before Master Kenobi speaks up. "So he is teaching himself."

"In a course he already knows." Master Billaba reiterates.

Calm mind. Calm mind, blank mind. My thoughts can't get me into trouble if I do not think.

"And act on…instinct."

Master Windu cuts off Masters Jinn and Billaba as they debate the need for my Spanish course easily. "Grade your fitness level on a scale of 1-10."

"Six. Maybe seven." I answer honestly. "I've kept up my standards, going to the on-campus gym to break up homework sessions.

"10 Miles, 100 Crunches, 1000 pushups?" Master Yaddle asks for clarification. I nod in the affirmative, then wait for further questions.

Finally, Master Tano goes on the offensive. "You requested a tactical team to monitor you two weeks ago."

"Yes." I nod.

"Justify the use of valuable resources." She demands of me.

I nod, then shift my feet. "Well, I was invited to a party and was playing the part. Talking to people, blending in. They had drinks, people thought it was odd I didn't have one. So I poured myself a cup of something, texted Cayle in case something went wrong then kept on playing along."

"Invited you, who did?"

I look to Yoda. "My friend, Sabine."

"Ahh yes." Master Kenobi smirks. "The girl."

The girl.

Give me a break.

"I do hope you were expecting us to do our homework." Master Koon says calmly.

"I object to the tone is all, Master."

Kenobi jabs back. "Tone comes as part of the package, young Padawan."

I'm not a Padawan.

"We've done the research." Master Jinn jumps in. "Impressive resume, background is troublesome."

"How so?" I ask.

"She's Mandalorian." Master Mundi says dismissively, sounding near laughter.

"She hasn't said anything to me about it."

"And she tells you everything." He needles me.

"No." I reply shortly.

Ahsoka smirks. "The tone."

"Comes as part of the package." Kenobi smiles widely.

They love playing their inter-Council games. Bouncing from one to another to another for fun.

"I was under the impression that you intended to make as little impact as possible socially." Shaak Ti speaks, breaking her silence up until this point.

I nod. "It happened organically."

"Yes, you reported it as such." Master Skywalker nods curtly.

"Yet you've clearly sought out a further connection."

I shrug. "Do I have to defend wanting a friend?"

"No, but you have moved aggressively to secure your place in her mind." Master Mundi comments.

So I do have to defend gaining a friend.

I sigh and drop my head. "You all told me before all this, Masters that I should act naturally. Well this is me acting naturally."

"We've seen you act naturally around the Temple. This isn't that." Master Kenobi observes. In objection I stay silent, knowing that they know why the Temple wasn't exactly home sweet home for me.

After seconds of silence, Master Windu engages me again. "I take it she was the one to invite you to this party?"

"Yes Master."

"And did she participate in these illicit activities? She is only 18 according to her records."

I nod. "Yes Master."

"Was she intoxicated?"

"Yes."

"How much did you speak with her?" Mundi asks.

"Little. I mostly observed."

"That's interesting because we have surveillance footage from the tactical team that you requested that clearly shows you taking her to your car, then disbanding the monitoring session for the night."

Multiple Masters focus in on me to ensure that I keep to the truth before I let out a breath. "Yes."

"What happened?" Master Kenobi asks.

"She texted me to come outside, then said she wanted to sleep."

"And you took her to your car." Master Windu takes charge of the session. I nod once before he continues. "And drove where?"

"To my apartment."

A murmur travels through the room before Windu shifts and they all give him a wide berth.

They think they've got me on something big here. Wonder what it is. I didn't do anything wrong.

"So you took a drunken, intoxicated Sabine Wren back to your apartment." He clarifies.

"Yes Master."

Master Mundi takes advantage of the opportunity. "And then what happened?"

"I got her a change of clothes to sleep in, she ordered tacos, installed something on my TV, we watched a program on the state of Alaska, she passed out, I took her back to my room, let her sleep in my bed then I slept on the couch. Woke up at five the next morning and went to work out."

"She slept in your room." Ahsoka snaps immediately. I nod. "In your bed."

"Yes Master Tano."

Master Windu raises his hand to silence Ahsoka before I feel everyone hone in on me and start probing my mental defenses. "Ezra Bridger."

"Yes?" I ask.

Oh here we go.

"Is there anything else that night that you should be telling us?"

I shake my head. "No."

"Anything you're leaving out?"

"No Master Windu." I shake my head firmly again. "I'm telling you the complete, abridged sequence of events. Nothing left out."

"Did you enter your bedroom with Sabine Wren inside?"

"Only to guide her to my bed." I inform them.

"And then you left?"

I nod. "And then I left, closing the door behind me."

"You did not linger."

"No."

Silent accusations swirl around the room for moments on end until Windu finally spits it out. "Did you have sex with Sabine Wren that night?"

"No." I say strongly.

"Did you sexually assault her at any point during the night?"

"No." I repeat myself.

"Did you make any advances on her that night?"

"No."

"Did you ever, at any point see her in any state of undress?"

"No."

"Then how'd you get your clothes back?" Ahsoka fires off at me.

I smirk. "I didn't. She still has them."

"How does she still have them?" Master Mundi asks, sounding skeptical.

"That next day, I made her breakfast and let her clean up in my bathroom. After breakfast she fell asleep again. During that time I worked on homework. Once she woke up, about one o' clock that afternoon I took her back to the house to get her car. She followed me back to campus and then we went our separate ways."

That's how she still has my damn clothes.

"The tone isn't necessary." Master Billaba reminds me.

I swallow, then force my tone to be even when I respond "There is no tone, Master."

"Did you engage in any sort of sexual activity with Sabine Wren over this period of time?" Master Windu gets us back on track.

"No." I repeat myself once more.

"Did she make any advances on you?" Master Skywalker throws a curveball.

I shake my head. "No."

"Your relationship is purely platonic." Shaak Ti observes.

I nod again. "Yes, Masters."

"We will investigate this matter. I'm disturbed that you spent so much time with this girl while she was unable to care or make decisions for herself." Master Windu closes the matter.

Oh yeah? How? How will you do that without making me out to sound like some sort of raping, psychopathic monster that takes advantage of drunk girls?

"That is hardly our intention." Master Kenobi defends Windu. "We only ask in the interest of the girl."

"No, your intentions, Masters, is to isolate me. Like I was here." I frown. "There, I have the closest thing to freedom that I've ever had. I enjoy it. You want to take that away."

"We have given you that sense of freedom." Master Skywalker reminds me, rising in his seat. "And we can take that away at any time."

Master Windu jumps in. "Your attendance there is a privilege, not a right. It can, and will be revoked if given due reason."

"You have made that abundantly clear." I say, then raise my shackled hands to indicate the literal chains they in fact, do have me in to control me. "Any comfort built up over the last month and a half is now gone."

Thanks for that. Might as well start repacking the apartment. It's going to be a bitch to take out that safe Zeb installed in the wall. Rex and Cody or another ranking officer will have to come confiscate my weapons.

An awful lot of trouble for an experiment that the Council did indeed approve of.

"Concerned only, this Council is." Yoda ameliorates everyone's rankled feelings.

Master Windu shifts in his seat. "While we have the resources, we'll monitor the girl. This Council's trust is earned. Not given." I nod in acknowledgement before waiting for him to continue.

"And your thoughts on this, Agent Bridger?" Ahsoka asks, breaking the quiet.

"I've already made them clear. I'd like to remain enrolled and attending. Anything further is asking too much and is an extension of the covenant I signed when I came here." I say meekly.

I have no other thoughts.

"Noted, your thoughts are. For now, you may rest in the quarters we have assigned to you."

I breathe thru my nose and force myself to look up. "Thank you Masters, but I'm not staying today. I'll be back tomorrow."

The entire room shifts, showing its surprise. "Not staying?" Shaak Ti asks me.

"No. I still have assignments that are due this coming Monday. I'd like to complete them on my own time, at my apartment."

Windu cuts Shaak Ti off abruptly. "And this wouldn't have anything to do with the text messages you are receiving right now? About a house?"

"What? No, I haven't texted anybody today. I woke up and came straight here." I tell him honestly.

The room titters at my acronym-ization of text messaging before Master Windu responds. "Bring up the texts." The virtual display appears, then shifts to my text message log.

Sabine.

"Hey, what's up? Doing anything today?"

I respond "No, just in a meeting. What's going on?"

"Matt is having people over after we both practice. Thoughts you'd want to come, meet more people. Hang out in a setting that I'm sober lol."

"Check the time stamps, this isn't me." I say as the display keeps scrolling.

The operator of the display complies, revealing that the texts start at 11:09.

This meeting was due to start at 10.

"Who has my phone?" I ask the Council, trying to keep my voice calm.

The texts continue. "I'd love to. Once I'm out of this meeting. Don't you have practice today?"

"Yeah, lol. I just got out."

Master Tano suddenly stands. "If you'll excuse me…" before walking out.

"What meeting? I thought all campus was off? It's the finance office right?"

"You told her about your job?" Master Kenobi asks, sounding slightly incredulous.

"Yeah. No details. She has no clue." I say, continuing to read.

Meanwhile, in the text conversation I reply "No, Academic Advising."

"Damn, my bad. I've got to remember that. Sorry."

Sabine Wren dropped a pin for you!

"Now hurry up. I'm hungry. Plus I haven't seen you since past Sunday."

"Thanks for the pin. I—" the texts abruptly stop with my next sentence still being typed before Ahsoka walks back into the room, my phone in hand.

"Cayle." She says simply as Cayle himself walks in, looking nervous.

"I was trying to help things along."

"By the looks of things, he doesn't need any help at that." Master Mundi snidely comments.

Cayle glances at me while I'm glaring at him. "What'd I miss?"

"Apparently he doesn't tell you everything. You said nothing about Ezra taking care of Ms. Wren while she was intoxicated,"

"What'd you do?" He turns to me.

I frown at him then take my phone from Ahsoka. "Tried being a decent person. Now I've gotta clean this mess up…"

"Thanks for the pin. I—" How do I even continue this?

I glance up at the Council, who is looking on silently. "If there's anything else? Anyone else trying to impersonate me?"

"That'll be all. We shall see you tomorrow." Master Jinn grants my leave.

Wonderful.

Cayle turns to me. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere, Ezra." I roll my eyes at him, then give him a firm shove to the shoulder, barely knocking him off balance before he turns to chase me down.

"Hey! I was just trying to he—."

"Jedi Knight Cayle. Stay." Master Windu commands him to stop. Cayle immediately stops, biting his lips before the door shuts behind me.

Well this is awesome.

I run my hand through my hair before taking the lift downstairs and walk back to security to pick up my things while texting Sabine.

"Thanks for the pin. I'm out now."

The guards have my wallet and car keys waiting for me, then allow me to walk out without further questioning.

I really need to clear my mind before I see Sabine. She can probably read me well enough to spot my irritation at the Council.

All these years of good faith, intentions and behavior. I saved Master Mundi on a mission in Azerbaijan, and nothing ever changes.

Sabine Wren – New iMessage

"Great! We're ordering Chipotle here. I've got your order from Verde written down. Do you want all those extra salsas and pico de gallo?"

I smile to myself as I walk thru the pillars of the Temple, then glance back at the building.

As I understand it, most people don't know what it is exactly. It's just mysterious and assumed to be with the state government.

"Sure." I reply to Sabine. "Do you need me to pick it up?"

My stomach rumbles as I take the stairs two at a time down to the parking garage for the support personnel and administrative side of the temple that are mostly ex-CIA that eased out of their jobs their due to age or fatigue from the grind of the job.

Sabine Wren – New iMessage

"No, we're having it delivered. Just ordered, so hustle it up."

"Aye Aye Cap'n." I reply, then toss my phone in my pocket and unlock my car.

Wait, I need to know where I'm going.

Fishing my phone out as soon as I threw it in, I scroll back up Sabine and I's messages to the pin. Then tap on it.

Doesn't look too bad.

Should be up here and the right…

I take the bend and immediately spot a grey truck pulled up randomly next to a house with multiple cars out from with a woman in the front door talking to somebody.

The delivery driver.

Smiling to myself, I park near the curb, pop out as the conversation by the door ends in time for Sabine to spot me holding the food and smile. "Nice timing!" She calls out as the driver hops back into his truck.

"You said hurry." I force myself to smile. "And it's food."

Sabine smiles, toting the two massive bags of food. "Here, this way."

"Nice place. Whose is it?" I ask.

In case the Council digs something up on them.

"Basketball player, parents are loaded. Food's here!" Sabine calls out before turning back to me and smiling. "It's so good to see you."

"I got it babe." A distinctly male voice calls out before a tall, tattooed guy around my age pops out of a hall on my left. "Thanks Sabine. This your friend?"

I smile. "Think so."

"JJ man, nice to meet you." He smiles, before I nod politely and he turns to the food. "Do we know what's what?"

"I asked them to label it." Sabine explains before JJ starts pulling out bowls of stuff.

"Oh hell yeah, they did. Earned their money today boys!" JJ smiles, scooping up two bowls. "We can eat in the game room, c'mon Ezra! You play cod?"

Play what?

"Huh?" I ask blankly.

Sabine violently rolls her eyes. "Video game."

"Oh, I don't play many of those. No time." I say sheepishly. "You told him my name?"

That's not really why. Cayle and I played the hell out of Halo.

"Why not?" Sabine glances back, then really looks at me. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I nod.

She can't read my face. Impossible.

"You look upset. Did your meeting go badly?"

"I just got reamed for coloring outside the lines. My direct boss is nice, but his bosses can be really hard to deal with." I shrug.

Sabine silently reaches out and grabs my forearm affectionately. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay now." I glance back up at her as I hear more footsteps approaching. "I'm here and we have food."

Forcing Sabine to drop my arm subtly before Matt walks in. "Ezra! How's it going?"

"Good." I smile, then look to my food.

Chicken bowl, guac, pico…hah!

Sliding my bowl to me, I grab a plastic fork and two or three napkins as Sabine and Matt cheerfully chat, then follow both of them deeper into the house and a room with two chairs in the middle of the room, a large TV on one end along with two 'L' couches pushed together on the other end.

The blonde just now digging into her food must be Jaicey. Matt, JJ and Eliza are closer to the TV.

"Hi Ezra!" I hear Eliza call out warmly as I move to sit in the farthest right hand corner.

Give her the minimum amount possible as not to be rude or reveal my lack of trust.

"Hi. How are you?" I ask.

"Good, good. Enjoying the break." She says airily, then waves her hands dismissively.

Jaicey glances over, catching my eye before she waves to me, mouth full as Sabine sits beside me and my phone buzzes.

Not now.

Instead, I focus my attention on the TV screen, where the screen is split in two, with Matt and JJ controlling avatars of soldiers, going around a map and shooting other avatars.

It's Call of Duty. COD. I get it now. War Games, designed to entertain the masses while numbing them to the perceived horrors of war. Makes the entire thing seem like a pleasurable experience, a…well, like game.

You can die over and over and over. Learning your lesson about how you died, or not.

Right before my eyes, I see Matt fall prey to a sub's erratic fire, respawn, take the exact same route through the map, only to die to the same guy in the exact same way.

"Gash! That damn sub is vicious!" he spits out, rubbing his hands on his sweatpants before shaking his head and starting again.

I need to eat. Throw off Sabine's suspicions.

The girls, Jaicey and Sabine look at their phones while I glance at the screen and rotate my chicken bowl, forcing myself to stay focused on something.

JJ is better than Matt. More measured and more accurate with his weapon. Both of them would be fodder in reality, they take corners way too fast and don't use their grenades properly but they are killing more people then they die, so their kill to death ratio is positive.

They'll probably ask me if I want to play, if for no other reason than to be polite.

"Good shot babe." Jaicey compliments JJ sweetly, then smiles at him.

"Thanks." He replies happily, then proceeds to die by headshot.

Distractions.

(Flashback)

"Thanks for the ice cream. You don't think the kitchens will be mad?" Aubrey smiles at me happily.

I shake my head. "What is there to be mad about."

Wordlessly, she curls up into my shoulder and lays her head on me. "Thanks."

Normal. Be normal.

"You're welcome."

She giggles, closing her eyes for a moment before she tucks my hair behind my ear so it doesn't get into my eyes. "Your hair makes me jealous."

"Why?" I laugh as we walk down the corridor.

"I'd need extensions for my hair to be that long. Everyone around here except you and the 'Liar has short hair."

"Benefits of being the bosses son." I joke, getting another laugh out of her.

"Ezra!" I hear him call out sharply to me. Instantly, Aubrey straightens up, abandons me and ducks into another hall.

Just like that.

I stop respectfully to wait for him, hearing his soft footsteps walk up behind me before he takes my ice cream sandwich that I've taken two bites out of from my hand and throws it away. "What have I told you about discipline?" Dad barks at me, face impassively glaring down at me.

"Makes us better. Makes me better."

"And you're showing none right now." He says, face not moving while towering over me. "You're attempting to branch out. Discoveries come to us. Not the other way around."

I nod and maintain some sort of eye contact. "Yes Father."

"You are not meant to love." He spits out, then pulls out his gun and places it on my forehead, resting the cold barrel there.

Maintain an even heartbeat, Betray no emotion. No fear.

"I am not afraid to die."

"What you do not seem to be picking up, despite my pleading, is that love is pain. You know what happened to your mother. How it broke all of us." He says, pressing the barrel into my head further. "I'm trying to protect you. Have since you were born. You have one purpose: I designed you to destroy."

I nod, then wait for him to continue.

I know all of this.

"Do not make me protect you further by continuing to seek out that girl. Because I will protect you. I am your father. I made your blood, and protecting you is in mine." He spits out, before shoving me down with the barrel and stalking off.

(End Flashback)

The TV reads "Kill Streak by VaderLord96420" causing JJ to laugh. "Nice name edgelord bro."

"You know it's some dumb kid that doesn't know who Vader actually is." Jaicey comments.

"I thought he was dead?" Sabine says, mouth partially full.

No, he's not.

"You can't really buy that Sabine. Come on now." JJ frowns at her, finally digging into his food.

Sabine violently shrugs. "The government released all the files! It's fully transparent! He is one of the single greatest killers in human history! Over five hundred kills!"

"On mostly bad people." Matt comments.

"Killing is killing! It's murder." Sabine says strongly.

Matt frowns an glances at Sabine. "Sabine's right though. He died going down with the Architect, his boss."

"Gotta love a 1960's radical gaining more followers." Jaicey shakes her head.

JJ pointed violently at the screen, where they're now in a lobby. "The Architect is dead. For sure. But not Vader, the kid."

"He can't be a kid though!" Jaicey frowns at him. "You knows this is too far JJ."

Who knew he was a conspiracy nut.

"It's not too far, when is Valorum open and honest about anything? It's a smokescreen." He asks her.

Matt blinks a few times before smiling. "That's actually a good point."

"Conspiracy is too big." I shake my head, causing everyone to turn to me. "Somebody would have talked."

"Oh yeah?" JJ asks harshly, raising his voice and causing me to subconsciously jump, sending my phone onto the floor, off my lap. "And I guess you're an expert on the rumored Jedi existence. Vader and the architect. It's all just made up, huh?"

"JJ!" Jaicey snaps at him before Sabine leans across me, slightly curled up on the couch and scoops up my phone, still on part Cayle and I's text conversation.

"I don't need your 'help' with Sabine. I was in that meeting and you mucked it up."

"The Council thinks you slept with her. Good job on that one."

"I didn't. If I did I wouldn't need your help."

"So you did sleep with her! Nice!"

Sabine's eyes linger ever so briefly on my phone before she hands it back. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I make myself smile and nod. "Long day, like I said that meeting sucked."

"Meeting?" Matt asks, then looks to Sabine. "When'd this happen?"

"So that's why you're dressed up." JJ comments.

Yeah, the Jedi have a strict dress code. I got to skip the tie and coat today because it was in-house. But I had to do the shoes, pants, white dress shirt, all perfectly starched.

Jaicey grabs at her hair, then shoves her boyfriend roughly. "You asshole."

"Kind of had to. For work."

"Where do you work?" Matt asks as JJ and Jaicey whisper to each other.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? He just got here! Sabine likes him!"

"Why the fuck is he all quiet and jumpy!"

"He just said he was in a long meeting! Give him a break!"

I smile at Matt. "Academic Advising. They took everyone out for brunch, but it turned kind of contentious."

"Why? You said they liked you." Sabine asks.

"They do, but I did something my way instead of how they do it. My bosses are the type that only like things done one way, o now my parents are going to hear about it, they're going to get mad at me, blah blah blah." I roll my eyes. "No big deal yet, at least."

"They won't fire you I hope." Jaicey asks.

Matt laughs. "I'll get him a new job."

"With you?" Sabine asks.

"Somewhere with us." He nods.

I look back to Jaicey. "I can't really say other than I won't be so much fired as expelled."

"What did you do!?" Sabine yelps, sounding terrified.

"Nothing." I reassure her.

"Yeah right it's nothing!" Sabine says, looking panicked. "You just said you might be expelled!"

"If I get in trouble like this again."

How do I find myself covering my bases and lying my ass off at the same time?

"It wasn't…what I think it is, is it?" Sabine asks nervously.

"Huh?" Matt and JJ look to each other.

No, not that. Or the other thing.

I don't know if she really read those texts.

"No." I smile. "I'm fine."

Silence falls over the room. Before Jaicey basically throws JJ out of the room, and Matt excuses himself to use the restroom.

"Hey." Sabine says softly as I glance back to my food.

I'm not really all that hungry now. Have to stuff it down though.

I smile then take a bite, knowing that Sabine will speak.

"Hey." She forces me to look at her, sticking two fingers under my chin and making me look at her. "You know you can talk to me right?"

"Yeah." I nod.

Sabine softly smiles at me, then squeezes my knee affectionately. "Good."

Our private moment is shortly ended by JJ and Jaicey walking back in the room toting drinks and tortilla chips. "Ezra? You want a shot?" Matt asks.

"Nah." I shake my head. "I'd rather watch, I've never played this before."

"Rain check then." Matt smiles. "I bet you'll get good at COD."

JJ barks out a laugh, installing them into a new lobby while I feel both Sabine and Jaicey looking at me.

Ignore them Ezra.

"That's not your purpose."