"I really don't see why the Trade Federation would be using so many different shell companies. Czerka's big enough. They make just about everything in the world one way or another. Their hands are in everything." I counter Cayle's point.

Cayle nods to agree, then adds "And we've never gotten a good look at their books."

"Corporate spies are infiltrating." Hera smirks, causing me to spin around to her.

"Really?"

Kanan's eyes find the ceiling. "I'm pretty sure that's not legal."

"Under our current administration, legal is an evolving term dear. And in this one, specific instance…I'm not against it." Hera makes the point. "We'll get the answers and work backwards from there."

It is very authoritarian.

"But the unrest in Asia keeps maintaining itself. If we starve the funding and help the people, that's our road to success that doesn't end up with real soldiers fighting a land war in Asia!" I stretch on the wall briefly, then contort myself to loosen up a knot in my back. "Twos, make a heat map of the reported unrest."

"Whose?" Kanan quickly asks.

Oh.

"I named my AI like A wanted me to."

"He named it Twos." Cayle rolls his eyes.

"Twenty Two. Or Twos for short." I smile then look to Hera and Kanan, who both look skeptical.

Kanan is the first to speak. "Are you serious?"

"It's an awful literal name. Why just twos? Why not thirty three?" Hera adds.

"Because that's how many times it took him to unlock it…I mean you can change it later, but force of habit. Dumb name." Cayle laughs at me.

"My name. Twos!"

"Done Ezra." She responds. "Shall I display my findings?"

"Please." I nod.

A projection pops up for all to see, revealing that as the intel suggests it seeps from the tip of Iran all the way into China, with the most extreme reaches in Southern Russia and Northern India.

"I also made a time lapse and a heat map of the reported incidents. Would you like them?" Twos asks me.

I nod to dead air. "Sure. But keep the map up."

As instructed, Twos brings up the new maps on either side of the original. The time lapse quickly reveals that the group seems to have started in Eastern China and spread like wildfire.

"Extremist capitalism at its worst." Hera frowns. "We're afraid that they have eyes on spreading to Polynesia."

"How do they lure people in?" I ask her.

"Things are so bad there that sweatshops for companies like Nike, Apple and others under shell names are the norm. The Trade Federation tells them that they can offer better, pay better while doing less back-breaking work."

But they don't. They can't follow through on that.

Hera continues. "They squeeze into the governments locally, then on the national level, changing trade laws for them and their neighbors. Their profits never seem to grow and the support, as seen in Northern India is rabid."

"So the opposition to the elected government isn't truly political." I sum up.

That's been in the everyday news, to general approval from the United States and the Western World.

Cayle nods. "And now you can see how it's a sticky situation."

I nod, then focus on the map while trying to gently stretch out the fingers in my right hand.

There had to have been some sort of catalyst.

"Ahh!" I gasp, then look to the rough bandage covering my hand where the knife cut into me after I grabbed and broke it off.

Hera instinctively leans forward. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I nod then shake my hand. "I'm trying to get rid of a cramp in my hand, but it won't go away."

The sound of the barrier lifting gets everyone to turn and see that Zeb's back, along with four Temple Guards. "The Council is ready for us."

"Us?" Kanan asks before looking to Cayle.

"They deemed it prudent to speak to all parties at once."

Oh great. I'm so expelled and kicked out of school.

I mean, it makes sense. When I surrendered, I swore to do my best never to let him out of his box. To always keep a level head. As a stop gap measure, everyone at the Temple in New York and in LA have tried helping me contain him. And he very nearly got out of his box.

Those football players I had him on lock to a slight degree. Otherwise I start putting that knife thru necks and Force Choking people. If I'd totally lost control…we could be talking about near one hundred dead. Including Matt, Trey, JJ, Jaicey and…

She's not worth my thoughts right now. She gets her power from me thinking about her. To unplug her and de-invest, I need to distract myself.

The Guards surround us as Kanan and Zeb lead the way, with Cayle by my side on my left, protecting my injured shoulder. I try to block it all out, and focus on the point directly in between Kanan and Zeb then let out a breath.

All in all, the injuries aren't so bad. Probably will have a scar in my palm from the knife, small chance the door's glass shattering and imbedding in my arm scars. Severe bruising from my trip down the stairs, and a separated shoulder that's taking a few days to heal.

Unfortunately, the only decision the Council has made on the matter is that I don't get to use their revolutionary bacta to speed up my recovery time, citing the fact that it would look strange and my story wouldn't really check out.

Arriving at the lift, the Guards tighten up around me before we all cram into the lift and it rises.

Here we go.

The door pop open, allowing Kanan to lead the way and open the Council chamber doors.

And it's a full Council. Again. I'm so done. Cooked. Just tell me what max security prison I'll be spending the rest of my days in and I'll spare you the trouble.

I'll start walking now.

"Master Jarrus, Miss Syndulla, Commander Orrelious, thank you for coming." Master Windu says graciously.

"Thank you for having me." Zeb nods reverently.

"Let's begin with you, Commander. Kanan, Cayle, please take you position off to the side. Miss Syndulla, please sit." Master Kenobi asks politely.

ON THE COUNCIL?!

Has that ever happened in the history of the Council? A known, active member of another Agency taking a seat at the Council?!

Hera blankly takes this in, nods, then sits in Kanan's chair and immediately shifts. "This is as comfortable as it looks." She jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood. To my surprise, all the Masters except for Billaba and Koon laugh.

Cayle gently guides me to the left hand corner of the room before the Council focuses in on Zeb.

"We understand that you just returned from the Southern California campus?" Windu begins.

"Yes, Master Windu."

"Master is not necessary here, but thank you for the respect." Windu informs him.

"Alright, I was just proceeding as I was taught in the Academy." Zeb says sheepishly.

"Discover, what did you, Commander?" Yoda asks.

Zeb swallows, then nods to himself. "Many things. I, uh, don't know where to start."

"Begin with the arrested students. What status, Is theirs?"

"Currently in lockup in the San Bernardino secure facility. They only know that they assaulted a government official and a member of the military out of uniform, as well as their near universal crimes of public intoxication, first or second degrees of assault. Many are being charged with felonies due to not being of legal age to drink, nearly all cannot afford lawyers."

"Interesting. And they are all college students?" Master Mundi asks.

Zeb nods. "Yes."

"Did our belief that a few members of the Community College's football team were invited and simply brought friends intent on destruction bear fruit?" Master Skywalker asks Zeb,

"Partially. You are correct on the first charge. On the second, it appears to be a case of blind loyalty to their friend and teammate, combined with the alcohol."

"Miss Syndulla, what are your thoughts on these Community College students?" Master Jinn asks Hera.

Hera leans forward and clears her throat. "Many of them seem to have minor criminal backgrounds, hence their enrollment at the community college. The situation seems to have been a perfect storm."

"Caused by Miss Wren's actions." Master Billaba says coldly.

"Indeed." Zeb nods.

"You didn't happen to see anyone on campus, did you? Perhaps staking out Ezra's apartment?" Master Kenobi asks hopefully.

Zeb shakes his head. "No. I did not unfortunately. There was a note slipped under Ezra's door." He reveals, then holds up a plain white envelope.

Mine.

I raise my hand in a request to speak, immediately grabbing everyone's attention. "Something to say, have you young Bridger?" Master Yoda asks.

"Yes Master." I nod.

"Go ahead." Master Windu says, sounding…

Pleased? That's odd.

"I don't think you'll be seeing her. She was due to play again today at 2 PM before they go out to Arizona all week. I don't believe that she'll be back until Saturday at the earliest."

"That would explain things." Master Jinn smirks.

"Also, may I see that? Since it is intended for me?" I ask the Council.

"No." Master Windu says strongly. "You may not read it until we have and clear it for you."

"I have no intentions of reading it." I admit getting Cayle and Kanan to turn and look at me strangely.

Windu glances at Yoda, who nods before I grab the letter from Zeb's hands with the Force along with his lighter and pull both to me. The whole room seems to realize what I'm doing at the same time and let out a collective noise of understanding.

Whatever is in this letter, I don't want it. Its heat of the moment, and their apologies mean nothing. They don't do anything to mend the situation.

I briefly glance at the handwriting on the front of the letter, then roll my eyes.

Jaicey. It's feminine handwriting for sure.

Without further thought, I ball my hand into a fist, instantly crumpling the letter before I flick on the lighter and set it aflame.

"Who wrote it?" Kanan asks as the paper burns quietly.

"Jaicey, one of her teammates. Team captain, good person. I like her. I'm pretty sure I know what she said."

I'm sorry for what happened, she didn't mean anything of what she said and maybe I hope you're okay.

"Is she the girl in the audio that tries to mediate the situation?" Master Luminara asks softly.

I nod. "Yes."

"Then why burn it?" Master Kenobi asks as the paper is now a floating ball of fire, not quite yet ash.

"Too soon. And their apologies do nothing to mend the situation at hand, so forgive me if I do not want it."

"That is your decision young one, to shut them out." Master Jinn reminds me. I nod, then take a step back and throw the paper ashes away, then wait for them to continue.

"Did you find the girl and her tryst?" Master Windu asks Zeb, resuming the questioning.

Zeb suddenly smiles. "I did, about five miles away in his apartment."

"And their crimes?"

"I charged them both with public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, second degree assault, fleeing the scene of a crime, fleeing the scene of a violent crime, DWI, assault on a federal official and member of the military as well as the felonies on alcohol consumption before the age of 21."

Sheesh.

"And what are the odds that all those charges stick?" Master Jinn asks.

"The assault charges are likely to be dropped on those two in this case. The fleeing the scene charges are bulletproof since we have video footage, eye witness testimony and the matching plates."

"Try to add destruction of property to all of their charges." Hera suddenly speaks up. "His phone is a complete loss."

Wonderful.

Apparently I lost it going down the stairs. Cayle said the Tac Team found it in the kitchen of the house, all battered to hell like they had tried to break it.

Zeb darkly smiles. "Will do."

"We can provide the audio of the incident, if it helps any." Master Skywalker says hopefully. "Ezra's AI was recording the entire exchange."

Oh. Twos…

"That should help get confessions easily. May I ask Ezra one question?" Zeb asks the Council.

"Go ahead." Yoda grants the request.

Zeb turns to me. "Would you mind if I used the exchange against Sabine?"

"Not at all." I respond without a second's hesitation. "But say that you pulled it from my phone. Nothing else of value was recovered."

Master Mundi tuts in approval. "Very clever."

More vengeful than anything, but okay.

"In this rare case, your vengeance is justified. I hope the audio wraps this up at top speed." Master Windu nods to me, then looks to Zeb.

Oh dammit I forgot to shield my mind.

"Thank you, Commander." Master Kenobi thanks Zeb.

"My pleasure, happy to serve Masters." Zeb bows, then slides off to join Kanan, Cayle and I.

"Young Bridger, step forward, please." Yoda requests me.

Here we go.

I comply, stepping forward while holding everyone gaze, then walk to the center of the room and let out a breath and try to clear my mind.

"After reviewing the footage, compiling all of the eyewitness statements, the audio recordings as well as your action during the course of the night, it is overwhelming clear that you did your best to make the best of a bad situation Ezra. Congratulations." Master Windu says.

It's not something you congratulate.

"Thank you, Master." I accept the compliment.

"Your actions even before the domestic disturbance saved potentially tens of lives, displaying the core of what it means to be a Jedi." Master Koon adds.

"Therefore, we have decided to issue a very light punishment for the night's actions. All weapons will be removed from your apartment until the conclusion of the fall term as well as a monitoring period of two weeks." Master Windu continues, looking to Cayle. "I believe you would be more than happy to volunteer.

Cayle blinks rapidly a couple of times before responding "Yeah, of course."

"The Council does request that you stay away from all forms of off campus gatherings, especially those where alcohol is present. Your grades must maintain their current averages, and some community service will be required."

"Sounds more than fair, Masters. Thank you."

"We do suggest that you seriously examine the character of this Wren girl. Her actions in her interview with Master Skywalker and I were contentious and heated, whereas her actions at the party are unacceptable and indefensible. Our assessment of her is that she is an immature eighteen year old girl that comes from privilege and does not have the requisite emotional and maturity capacity to separate right from wrong. She seems to allow her emotions to get the best of her, having come from a place where such actions were dealt with by throwing cash at the problem." Ahsoka explains.

I nod. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you Master."

"Your psychological report came back clean as well, but we are prescribing you with something to ease your pain, tone down your stress and anxiety as well as help you sleep. Please inform us if the medication is too strong, or too weak." Master Waddle asks me.

I nod again. "Thank you Masters."

"Well then, I believe we are done here. The Council is now off to Eastern Asia." Master Windu rises. "May the Force be with us all."

"See you later Ezra." Bri smiles at me as I'm gathering my stuff.

Drew's already left right at the stroke of 5.

"Bye Bri. Have a good one." I smile at her.

Bri smiles in return, before it fades. "You sure you've got it?"

My sling. I'm doing all this one handed.

"Yeah." I try to reassure her. "I've got it."

Okay.

Bri walks away toward the door as I grab two folders and slide them into my bag, then zip it up before tossing one strap over my good shoulder. However, the movement alone slightly tweaks my left shoulder, causing it to twinge.

Oww…

I shake my head, make sure my computer is shut off before walking out the door towards the Administration building.

Week's almost done at least. Hera and Kanan invited Cayle and I over for dinner tonight. It's been a pretty quiet week really. I've done homework and tried getting ahead on some final study guides that appeared on the main student work page that USC uses called Blackboard.

Cayle went out and bought a PS4 and has been setting ridiculous scores in Call of Duty in his down time while helping run back end for the Asia trip.

He doesn't want to admit it, but I know he wants to be there. He's been working on this for a couple of months now. And I screw it up when they start drilling down there.

The vibrations of my phone in my pocket yank me out of my thoughts.

That's probably Hera or Kanan.

Pulling out my phone, I read the push notification, then glance around me.

Three USC players dismissed, eleven suspended after investigation into campus party gone awry – ESPN

Dismissed?!

SABINE'S DISMISSED FROM THE TEAM?!

As quick as I can, I swipe right to open the article while my stomach continues to drop.

I can't believe this. I knew there was an investigation, and yeah it's serious, but…DAMN!

"Three USC scholarship athletes have been dismissed, two of them on the nation's #4 ranked Football team after an investigation into an altercation at a party last Saturday night after USC's thrilling 48-45 come from behind win over Cal…"

Yeah yeah, I know that part. Who is dismissed?

"—Junior Forward Eliza Taylor was dismissed from the Women's soccer team after the investigation concluded that she, along with the football players conspired to destroy the victim's cell phone in an effort to conceal the event from authorities.

Junior Midfielder Jaicey Weber has been suspended for the first half of the team's next game against Arizona while star Freshman Forward Sabine Wren, the team's leading goal scorer has been suspended indefinitely.

On the Football side, starting quarterback Matt Saracen along with wide receiver Trey Bibbins , who were both prominently involved in the controversial triple lateral that resulted in the game winning score have been suspended for the first half of their next game, a road affair against Oregon State for their roles in the altercation, which resulted in seventeen arrests of local community college football players as well as sent one student to a local hospital with critical injuries."

I wouldn't call my injuries critical. I didn't even miss a day of class!

"USC's athletic director declined to comment if more punishment was forthcoming, citing the ongoing legal process and the involvement of the FBI after shots were reportedly fired at an off-duty police officer, followed by death threats against the governor."

Now that did not happen! That's how they're covering for me.

I've been monitoring the real drama, the court proceedings, and right now they're literally making me out to be an off duty ROTC member from high school. They're leveraging that, along with the majority of the involved parties lack of abilities to afford lawyers to get this over with quickly and efficiently.

Keeping my cover intact, somehow.

I scan the rest of the article before it goes more in depth about the football and soccer elements that I don't care about before slipping my phone back into my pocket and walk into the administration building and start climbing the stairs.

Well, I guess this means Sabine won't miss class anymore. Wonder why she isn't here now then? I know that she didn't play Sunday.

Twin Towers Correctional Facility record showed that Sabine was bailed out via wire transfer of $5000 by her father. Her hookup on the other hand, was one of the many "I can't afford my bail and a lawyer" crowd. In their defense, college is expensive.

Not everyone is attending on the Council's dime.

"That's purple." I hear Cayle say softly as I walk through the third floor halls toward Kanan's office.

Mira must be here.

"—can you say purple?" Cayle asks her. I don't hear the reply before walking up to the slightly opened door and knocking twice.

Cayle and Mira and the first to turn, while Cayle smiles and Mira makes an ecstatic noise and kicks happily. "Hey Ezra."

"Hi."

"How was work?" Cayle turns in his chair, away from his crowded desk.

"Fine." I shrug. "Twos might have found the break we wanted with the funds embezzlement."

Kanan's face scrunches slightly. "What does it look like?"

"Like mostly a sports thing. Players getting paid, coaches getting some of the side, administrators taking their share. And tax misappropriations." I explain. "I'm having Twos detail everything now, it'll be ready for the Council to look over by the end of next week."

"It's a bad time to be an athlete here. Or an administrator." Cayle comments as Mira reaches out for me.

I smile and scoop her up. "Hi. How are you?"

Mira grabs onto my shirt with both hands and lays her head on my collarbone while making a happy noise. "Only if you're breaking the rules." Kanan comments.

"The Council thinks everyone is breaking the rules." Cayle replies to Kanan.

Kanan shakes his head. "Hera's boss thinks that. Apparently it's a hilariously open secret that there's laws being broken, rules being disregarded left and right. Ezra's inquiry is getting us what we need to do something, and will apply the crimes to what we find."

"That's usually not how it works." Cayle adds.

I reply. "This isn't exactly normal."

There's these…middle-men. Most corrupt institutions have them, but these colleges seem to have them coming out of their ears. Just people that don't need to be there with their hands in the mud, taking shares that aren't theirs and should be going to the athletes, who don't get a dime.

The whole thing is a pyramid scheme, otherwise I'd feel bad about tearing the whole thing down.

Mira turns away from me to reach out to Cayle and make a specific noise, to which he replies "You want your bitey toy. Here you go." He hands her some gel keys, which Mira instantly starts chomping on happily with a smile on her face.

"She's teething a bit." Kanan explains as Mira chomps away. "It's making her a little grouch and a little gassy, but I think that's because she's taking in too much air."

Cayle smiles "I'm also talking a little!"

I light up and look to her Dad, who shakes his head. "We don't think she knows who ba-ba is, just that she knows how to make the noise, so she's making it."

"So it could be Mom or Dad?" I ask him.

"Or anything. If you guys want to go grab a smoothie, I'm going to be about another hour here. Take Mira with you, she'll like the adventure." Kanan explains, then turns back to me. "Is Chicken okay for dinner?"

I quickly nod. "Sounds great."

"C'mon Mira, let's go adventure." Cayle smiles, grabbing a pair of earmuffs which causes Mira to let out a squeal and let go of the keys to clap, hitting her hands together in a glancing blow.

I snatch the keys out of midair with my sling-riddled arm before laughing. "We made contact on this clap!"

Mira responds by looking up at me, sees me smile and smiles back, then tries clapping and completely whiffs.

Until then.

Cayle laughs, then starts to lead us back downstairs as I give Mira her teething toy back and she grabs onto me tighter. "Anything exciting happen today?"

"Nah." I shrug.

"And still no word from Sabine."

I shake my head. "I think your theory on that is right."

Twos data mined her file in the court system in particular and Cayle found out that the lawyer her father hired is one regularly retained by Walgreens, the pharmaceutical company, also her father's work.

Cayle thinks that the lawyer told Sabine to not contact me until all this is over. That all she can do by contacting me is incriminate herself more.

"Your twitter numbers, texts, everything's way down."

I nod. "Well yeah, that incident was really ugly."

"You're telling me. I find you, bleeding and near berserk-ing out before you knock yourself out."

"To protect you." I quickly counter.

I took the threat out. In this case, it's what's inside me.

Mira stops gnawing on her toys and curls her fist around my shirt tighter as Cayle replies "I'm not afraid of the berserker. You had him locked. You took a beating, won and kept him down. Everyone's very impressed."

"I'm just glad everybody's efforts are working. That was the first incident in a non-temple environment."

For years, they've been purposefully provoking him out of me. I would try to keep him back, but almost always failed. That way it served as practice for them to set me down without killing me, and for me to try and get a hold on him.

He really is a different person.

Cayle smiles. "You did awesome. You're healing up great, by the end of the week you'll be able to use that arm more and everything should get back to whatever the new normal is."

Yup.

"How's the court cases sorting out?"

Cayle glances at me. "The whole thing, or just the girl?"

The girl.

"Cayle." I start.

He instantly puts his hands up in apology. "Sorry, sorry—"

"I don't want your opinions on it. I'm trying to sort it out myself." I explain.

"Care to enlighten me?"

Not really.

I think it comes down to three things: The alcohol, which was the catalyst. Her upbringing, upper middle class, getting whatever she wants because of her soccer skills. And her Mandalorian heritage, making her temper flare hotter and fire burn brighter, turning a disaster into a potential cataclysm.

As much as I want to cast her out for this, I think it's kind of important for me to give her one last chance. As a Jedi, it's my job to be the bigger person. To be better than she is. All her personal insults the threw at me means I'm doing it right. And if she doesn't like that, then this road will end shortly.

I am already better than she is, Saturday all but cemented that. But I'm still a recovering Sith, so it counts for nothing in everyone's eyes.

Cayle takes my silence as a no. "Okay then. Her lawyer is working some magic. Pleading guilty on some of the lesser charges to help clear the system, which are effectively being dropped."

"Dropped?" I ask hotly.

"The legal system is swamped. Everyone wants this over with as soon as possible."

"That's not justice!" I tell him.

Cayle replies. "I know…let me finish."

Fine.

"She's fighting the'Assault of a Federal Official' and 'Military Member' charges, claiming ignorance, and the fact that she was under…at the time of everything."

Yeah, under him getting worked.

I sigh. "How about the fleeing the scene charge?"

"Claiming that her state influenced the decision and that she was unaware of the situation. They're trying to plea that down."

"Like everything else."

She and the football players from here are at least. The community college guys are getting buried. This is probably going to follow them around as felonies for the rest of their lives.

Their entire lives in front of them, and they are losing the right to vote, live within three miles of schools, nurseries, unable to serve on juries, ineligible to vote, ineligible for welfare, disqualification from many jobs, certain licenses such as gun ownership…

OH WAIT.

That's my entire life. Has been for years now.

The only dude I kind of feel bad for is the one guy who was brought here illegally by his parents when he was just a baby. Guy's getting sent back to Guatemala, a country he's never even been to. Call me a jerk, but my pity stops when I look down at my hand and arms or move my shoulder.

"All in all, it's looking like a lot of community service time and mandatory counseling for your friends. If they're still your friends, I guess." Cayle says, opening the door to the food court. "He said there's a smoothie place in here?"

I nod, pushing everything else out of my mind.

I've got Mira and Cayle here. There's homework to do, the financial crimes I'm looking into as well as keep up on the world and what's going on in it. I've got more than enough on my mind.

So let's focus on that.

"Yeah." I smile then point to the left. "It's right here."