"The Governor's office is incensed." "Never heard them so upset in their lives" "Might not even bother talking."

I force myself to blink and glance out at the traffic of Sacramento, California approaching the multiple miles long and wide complex of buildings that make up the state government.

(Flashback)

"Ezra." Sabine says firmly, grabbing onto my arm. "Really?"

I nod. "Yeah. They don't sound happy. And I doubt I'll be in the mood to socialize afterward anyway. Plus, it's your family."

"But they want to meet you!" Sabine hotly counters. "I've already told them a lot about you. They like you."

"But I'm the guy that got you in so much trouble." I counter Sabine's point.

Sabine blows right past that. "I know. They kind of understand. They'll really understand. C'mon. Please?"

"No." I shake my head. "I can't afford a bad first impression with your folks Sabine."

"Do you really think they'll be that mad though? You defended yourself? If the state's deputy AG or whatever is so mad, I think you would have been arrested or something with me."

"But I had the FBI on my side Sabine. The state wasn't in control. And I've heard they're mad at me."

Sabine looks at me for a moment, sighs then swats both of her legs. "You really don't want to meet my family."

"I don't think it's the right time." I try to explain to Sabine.

"I…" She starts, then walks in a circle. "Okay. Fine. I won't force you to come."

"I'm really sorry Sabine." I apologize.

She suddenly gives me an angry, dirty look. "Yeah, but…you know what…I'm going to go." She stops herself, starting to look like she worked herself up. "Yeah, I'm going. Monday maybe?"

"If you want to come over or we could do something. You don't have to go." I smile at Sabine.

"Yeah, Monday. Goodnight Ezra." Sabine says, sounding very frustrated before opening my door, slipping thru it and shutting the door behind her.

(End Flashback)

Breathe. Use the Force and breathe.

I let out all my requisite emotions out into the Force, which readily accepts them as I also try to calm myself with a breath.

"It's gonna be okay." Cayle suddenly says, sounding confident.

I turn to him in the driver's seat. "Are we sure about that?"

"Absolutely." Cayle nods.

"You read Mundi's reports. After getting their major challenge to Palpatine out of the courts, once they started focusing on me, they blew all their gaskets."

They didn't even want to meet. They wanted to come down to wherever I was and arrest me. They were open to talking after they arrested me, but that severely reduces what the Council can do.

"He got them calmed down. We're meeting them." Cayle smiles. "Relax. If you go in their looking like a wreck, it's just going to make you look worse. You've behaved perfectly. Your grades are spectacular. You've done all your community service, and then some. There's nothing else you could have done. It'll be fine."

But what if it's not?

I try to let out another breath before Cayle swears under his breath. "Undercover my ass.". Poking my head up, I see heightened security everywhere. Police cars lining a majority of both sides of the street, barricades, a roadblock and officers on horses carrying large batons.

Told you.

Okay. Let's just focus on keeping calm. Close your eyes and breathe. Just…breathe. The basics.

Dad would laugh if he were here. First, at all the precautions they're taking and secondly how I'm literally going back to the first thing he taught me.

"They're really putting all this at risk with all this. I don't think people will buy it."

"Shh. Breathe. You focus on being calm. I'll deal with everything else." Cayle orders me.

It popped up on Twitter yesterday that the State of California was meeting with the 'reclusive' Jedi Order over something. Nobody would comment publically ,which basically led people to believe that they're talking about my father and I.

The first break in the case that's captured the eyes of the world for years now.

I pull my water bottle to me and sip it before hearing Cayle roll the window down and start talking to someone. Purposefully, I keep my eyes close and try to focus on an exact point of my eyelids in an effort to block out their conversation from my mind.

I think Cayle might be right about looking guilty.

The car comes to a gentle stop, and Cayle kills the engine before I open my eyes and take in the cars parked all around us. Silently, we both get out of my car and start down a sidewalk toward a crisp white government building with a green titled roof in the center of it.

I take a peek down the street and see the larger view of this entire portion of the capitol and see that it's completely shut down.

I'm sort of surprised there isn't any media around.

Cayle opens the door and I see a glimpse of men lining both walls while in full combat gear with assault rifles across their chests. The one on my right closest to the door turns to glance at us before raising his weapon. "Freeze."

Obediently, I raise my hands before the room turns at the exchange and the remaining men rush over, voices rising to become a indecipherable cacophony that leaves my face presses up against the wall, my pockets being brutally searched. My phone and wallet are harassed out of my pocket as I feel cold, stainless steel cuffs get wrenched around both my knees and ankles.

"He surrendered. His hands were up." A familiar voice says, rushing over. "Remove those handcuffs."

How is she—No way.

I'm turned around roughly by my biceps, leaving my hands to get rubbed raw before the soldier holding my left side scowls. "Sorry ma'am. I have orders. Excuse us."

"No. Not ma'am." Senator Padmé Amidala says, fire in her eyes. "I'm a Senator."

"Take it up with my superior officer."

"Happily." She fired back, leaving Cayle in her wake before he chases after her.

"Cayle!" I call out. "Did you—"

"Silence." The soldier on the right barks out before yanking me backward, rubbing on my arm again.

Okay, okay…

I'm guided all the way thru the atrium, past police officers, a SWAT team and a governmental lobby before I spot Cayle and Senator Amidala speaking to Masters Skywalker, Kenobi, Sifo-Dyas and Yoda. Standing beside them is a calm Kanan and annoyed looking Hera. "In here."

"Alright…" I nod before we push forward into a large office with an ornamental wooden desk in the middle filled with two men in suits talking, a woman talking to a man, some others in dress clothes that clearly are staffers along with more guards.

I'm released by the guard on the right as the remainder follow me with their weapons, clicking ominously to indicate they're ready to fire before all the conversations cease and Padmé rushes past me. "Governor, this is already too much—"

"Senator, I'm sure you have more important opinions in this meeting. Please hold them until I finish with your introductions." The Governor says calmly. "I'm, as we all know Governor Green. With me here representing the State is our Lieutenant Governor Whitt, Attorney General Ansight, LA County Sherriff Thorne and Sacramento Police Chief Paital." Governor Green informs everyone.

"It is my honor, to be hosting the Jedi Order delegation today, highlighted by the famous Masters Kenobi and Skywalker, as well as Grandmaster Yoda. In addition to those guests, we are joined by Mand'alor, Mr. Boba Fett as well as his personal guard."

I glance over to the men who I thought were lobbyists and indeed see that they are wearing very subtle Mandalorian armor. "For having us, thank you, Governor." Yoda replies to the Governor. "Lower your weapons, your men may."

"Like hell they will." The Attorney General snaps. "This is a volatile situation with an uncontrollable weapon. He needs to be inhibited."

"No, I'm—" I say quickly before I'm tackled by multiple men and feel the electric buzz before I hear it, crackling menacingly. "That's not…Oh geez."

I'm no threat…it's just a freaking meeting!

My stomach immediately shrivels up as the inhibitors effects start to take hold and my thoughts begin to fog up.

"Excuse me, that's not necessary." Master Kenobi steps forward. "He walked in, perfectly on time and has been treated like an enemy combatant since the moment you saw him."

"He's not armed." Cayle adds. "I want a receipt for his wallet and phone. All cash and cards accounted for."

Oh damn, we didn't count before we came in. Now I can't do anything if they take $5 or $50.

"I—" I start but get no farther before somebody cranks up the inhibitor, my knees vanish beneath me and I fall heavily to the ground, head bouncing off the carpet heavily before trying to take a breath and have it shorted out by the inhibitor, left on with a gasp of air.

"Put him in a chair." A man in uniform but no helmet says coolly.

Master Skywalker steps forward. "No, he can stand. Turn down the inhibitor Colonel."

"We didn't touch the inhibitor." The Colonel replies.

"We've performed every test on him. It has to exceed 50 joules for his knees to fail." Cayle says angrily. "Don't lie."

"I can feel it." Master Skywalker scowls at the Colonel.

"You have no authority here."

Hera steps forward finally as a metal chair is procured and I'm tossed onto it and more cuffs are slapped on me, almost at the elbow. "I'm sorry, if I'm not mistaken it is the Jedi who dictate the state Ezra's given. The State's word is secondary."

"Not when we are not notified of his arrival into the state and underlying violence issues." AG Ansight answers.

"You were notified. Once we decided that Ezra could attend school at the University of Southern California, we went thru the correct channel to inform you that he was coming here."

"We received no such courtesy call. It wasn't until the incident four weeks ago and witness testimony that the truth was revealed." Lieutenant Governor Whitt answers. "You know that he broke one man's jaw to the point that he couldn't give a statement? His jaw had to be wired shut."

He moved into the punch.

"We are aware of this, yes. He sustained injuries as well."

"The boy is enhanced Masters. You know of his father's experimentations? Stainless steel atomically inserted into his growth plates, infusing his very bones with the power of a girder. Eyes optimized so that he can see clearly in almost any situation." The Governor speaks up. "Clearly they did not last long."

They were only flesh wounds, in the end.

I take a shallow breath and get a glare from a guard on my right once more. "So you dismiss any trauma inflicted upon him."

"What about the trauma the young Wren girl underwent? Is that not important to you?"

"Well." Master Tano walks into the room coolly. "From our testimony, she had very little trauma, aside from being arrested."

The Governor leans off his desk and takes step forward. "So, am I to understand that you had no issue with bringing a Sith Lord into my state. Not just a Sith Lord, the Sith Lord after his father. Darth Vader."

I lower my eyes at the mention of my other name. "We went thru the arranged channels." Master Kenobi repeats itself. "If you'd like them I can pull up the records for you."

"Yes, my attorneys can look at that." Ansight waves over his lawyer squad.

"I don't believe you're being truthful, Attorney General Ansight." Master Skywalker informs him. "You'd like this expedited, even if you must trample upon law and order."

The Sacramento Police Chief perks up. "Law and order isn't in question. They don't apply to him."

"I'm sorry, this is the United States of America." Padmé interjects. "Law and order is the backbone of our country. And this is not a trial."

"You're correct." Ansight nods. "We're detaining Lord Vader today, for an indefinite period of time for entering our sovereign borders until we can properly charge him with every crime that he has ever committed. Then we'll allow the courts to decide."

Lieutenant Governor Whitt smirks. "I've got dozens of judges begging me, chomping at the bit to prosecute one of the last remaining Sith Lords."

"You've got elections to win." Master Kenobi counters fluidly. "I bet I could choose where the trial would take place if there were to be one."

"Which there will not be." Hera jumps in.

Uhm…I would agree, but the way I'm being treated as well as California's political clout says otherwise.

Padmé shakes her head. "The lengths you'd go to to score political points disgust me, Daniel."

"Excuse me." The Governor looks to Padmé. "We have been invaded by a one man army. And caused the arrest of almost forty people. You are not aware, but our legal system is full to the brim as it is. Unless you'd like us to trample upon law and order, as well as the right to a fair trial, we're forced to plea down or have the system back up."

"I am aware of the current legal backlog. It is very common." Padmé replies. "The answer to that is simple, and for another time."

Attorney General Ansight frowns. "Hiring enough staffs to accommodate more courts is not in the states interests, nor our voters. We are not interested in mass incarceration."

"But you are willing to look past that for young Bridger, hmm?" Yoda needles the Attorney General, causing him to go pale.

"The rules should not apply to him." Colonel Whatever His Name Is bites off.

Governor Green adds "I cannot, in good conscience allow him to walk free. He is a walking nuclear weapon."

"Okay then, let's talk about that." Padmé leaps in from the sidelines, grabbing the room by the horns. "He surrendered four years ago, give or take a few days. Not as Vader, but as the son of Sidious, who saw what he was doing and didn't want to do it anymore. The Jedi Order, a founding principle is to respect life. To help people to grow and mature. Look at his resume since then."

The room falls silent, causing my shaky breath to echo around the room, causing Mand'alor's associate to look over at me, pity in his eyes.

I'll be fine, don't give me your damn pity.

"What is his resume?" Green asks sarcastically.

"No issues. No problems. Not even a charge of breaking curfew." Master Kenobi replies. "Quieter, to himself, with the exception of the exceptional young man he walked in with, Cayle—"

Cayle quickly looks down, nodding to accept the comment before I see him go slightly red, causing me to smirk. Immediately he sees me and shakes his head.

Not funny, yeah yeah…

"Displayed extreme discipline, a desire to control the alternate personality that we all know of as the Sith Lord, the willingness to allow us to draw him out, again and again in an effort to learn to control him. Which, by the way is why you even had forty arrests to make. Ezra commented on that himself when giving his account of the situation. If not for his training, everyone in that fight, at that party is dead. An effort like that should be commended."

"It is indeed good that he wants to control himself. However, I do not believe that Vader is an 'alternate personality'." Colonel Airhead snaps. "he and the boy are one, and the same."

NO. LIES.

Angrily, and without thinking I start to get to my feet before my feet and restrained by their cuffs, preventing me from fully standing up. The sound of ten plus assault rifles training their sights on me with tiny clicks follows, as well as my arms straining before I'm hit with the inhibitor. "Sit down boy." I hear somebody say vaguely.

"No." I blurt out, then shake my head in an effort to clear it.

Focus Ezra…Focus on a point.

I blink hard once, then try to focus in on a man advancing on me before I feel something get shoved into my chest.

It's a pistol.

My head clears instantly, leaving only ringing in my ears. "That's just about the worst idea—" I hear Master Skywalker start.

"If you'd like to see Vader, please, go on. Be my guests. Mind you, you don't have enough men to stop him. And we didn't bring enough." Master Kenobi smiles cheerfully at the Governor.

Cayle quickly places his hands in between the Colonel and I. "Easy, Ezra…breathe. Colonel, please put the weapon down."

"Why didn't you bring enough people to contain him?" The Governor asks Master Kenobi is disbelief.

"Because prior to your biased attacks, he hadn't been provoked in this manner in years."

"He just had an incident!"

"His actions were justified!" Cayle bites at somebody as I find myself focusing on the pistol.

The colonel doesn't break eye contact with me as I pay him little attention. "I should kill you where you stand. You're not Ezra Bridger. You're Darth Vader. An abomination. Mass murderer."

Got it.

The safety to the pistol in his hands flips on, before the magazine falls out with a heavy sound. "I'm not Darth Vader." I say to the Colonel quietly.

"That's a lie." He fires back, then hears the heavy noise and looks down to see his magazine. "What in the hell—"

Taking advantage of his lack of focus, I pop out the bullet in the chamber, allow it to fall low enough and catch it with my foot, then set it down. "Please turn off the inhibitor."

"Give me a break, it's the only think keeping you from killing us all."

Cayle continues pushing the Colonel and I apart. "Clearly not, as he just emptied your clip. The bullet in the chamber is noted."

"Self-Defense."

Hera's eyes bulge "He's handcuffed and inhibited!"

We're going around in circles.

"Doesn't matter. They won't listen. Can you please turn off the inhibitor? And may I have some water?"

"No." Attorney General Arrogance replies instantly, before his own staffers look sadly at him.

It's water dude…I am a person. (A/N: If you haven't already noticed, the governmental officials aren't really important. Hence Ezra's nicknames for them. Which certainly will continue! Carry on!)

Padmé starts walking over to a fridge as the Colonel takes a step back. "Perhaps, focus on the event, we shall?" Yoda says.

"Indeed, Grand Master." The Governor nods.

Trying to keep things amicable.

"From all witness testimony, the situation began when Lord Vader—"

"Bridger. Ezra. Bridger." It's Cayle's turn to step forward.

"Alright, alright. When Mr. Bridger returned from driving, went upstairs to the house where the party was going on and found Ms. Sabine Wren with another man."

I nod as Padmé walks over and starts fiddling with my cuffs. "That's the general premises."

It is. Oh—

Surprised, I feel the cuffs fall off me, followed by Padmé sliding around me with a smile and extends a cold bottle of water. "Here."

"Thanks." I smile quietly, causing her to turn to the conversation while squeezing my shoulder reassuringly.

It's great to see her. I haven't seen her in years. She's always so busy making things happen.

"Bridger walked past a group that confessed to harassing him, calling him 'Mother Teresa' before finding Ms. Wren with another man, a football player by the name of Drew. Shortly afterward, he found himself in a verbal confrontation with three more men." Attorney General Asinine then stops. "Am I correct so far?"

"Yes sir." I say quietly, effectively silencing the room.

The Governor sits up from his perch, leaned against his desk. "Why were you driving in the first place?"

"To prevent people from driving drunk. Uber and Lyft refused to come by. Citing a new law I believe that just came into effect Governor." I answer, making sure to keep my tone even.

"That very law is worded to allow them to deny rides to clearly drunk college students that know that they cannot drive, leaving them to either walk and potentially get a public intoxication charge, be stranded or drive drunk and risk everything." Padmé jabs the Governor. "In the interests of keeping the courts clear, of course.

Not at all. Funds for the state in the forms of fines and legal fees.

I sip my water to hide my smirk. "Please, continue with your version of events." Master Skywalker asks.

"Okay, uhm." Attorney General Genius fumbles around, glancing at his notes. "A physical altercation soon followed, Mr. Bridger was flung down the stairs, avoiding injury only due to his…modifications before fleeing the scene, only to fight in a neighboring backyard before authorities arrived to break it up."

"Our authorities." Cayle jumps in. "Ezra notified the Jedi of the party, his action and requested a tactical team in case something went wrong. The tactical team set up at a safe distance and rushed in when needed."

"The entire night was alcohol fueled. Nobody's testimony on the matter can be trusted." My favorite Colonel says. "Only a recording of the event should suffice."

"Funny you say that Colonel." Master Skywalker smiles. "We brought that too."

OH. Got him.

I smile as Padmé quietly chuckles behind me before the audio from that night starts to play.

"Where you going, pipsqueak?"

"Pipsqueak? What is this, the sixties?" My voice answers, sounding deeper than I'm used to.

"I asked you a question. Pip. Squeak."

"Yeah, you did. Congratulations." I reply sarcastically, getting many of the soldiers to quietly laugh before the Colonel shoots them a look, silencing them.

"And you gonna answer it."

The sound of flesh hitting flesh sounds out before quiet murmuring. "Don't grab me like that."

"I'll do what I want."

"Not when you're grabbing me you're not."

"This is my house. You're gonna listen to me in my house."

"Not your house." I take a breath "Now I'm leaving. If you'll excuse me."

"No, you're apologizing to me. And to everyone here for disrespecting me in my house."

"It's not your house. I don't know whose house it is." I reply. "So I'll disrespect you if I want. Excuse me."

A heavy sound rings out, followed by the sound of breaking glass. "Really?"

"Is there a problem?"

Oh hey, there's JJ.

"Mother Teresa wants to leave. Like a bitch."

"Like a what now?"

And there's Matt.

"Mother Teresa over there has been taking drunk people home. So watch who you're talking about."

"And shoving around." JJ adds. "You okay?"

"Fine." I confirm.

The entire room continues listening intently as the tape continues. "You lyin. His girl's wrapped around our buddy in the game room about to get railed. He's pissed about it."

"Crude."

"Fact. Lady."

Jaicey. Close, but not quite.

"Why've you been running around, taking people home?" A female voice asks

"Because I'm sober and it stops people from driving themselves." I answer the query.

"Oh no, look a hero. Boo hoo." The room is filled with laughter.

"What's so funny?"

Mand'alor turns to his associate, who continues listening. "Nothing. I was just leaving."

"You ain't doing shit, Mother Teresa."

"Oh my god. You're going to be a problem Ezra? Now?"

"Aww. Ezra?" Somebody pitches their voice up before the room joins in. "Ezraaaa…"Ezraaaa….Ezraaaa…"

"All of you shut the fuck up! Ezra! Why are you leaving! You've barely been here, all you've done is take people home and be a buzzkill!" Sabine hits her stride. "And there you go. Lying down, just like they want you to. Fight for yourself! Don't lie down! All you do is work work work work work. Always focused and serious all the time. Never any fun. I'm Ezra. I have an important job that gets the FBI sent after my friend for no goddamn reason. I'm lame and smart and study for fun!"

The room bursts into raucous, rowdy laughter as Sabine's faces and motions during the tirade pop into my head, and I grip the legs of my chair.

Breathe. In. Out.

Focus.

"Sabine." Jaicey cuts thru the noise. "How drunk are you right now?"

Very.

"I'm not drunk! He needs to hear this. He had some creeps pose as FBI agents I think that asked if I slept with him. No, because he's too much of a coward to do anything, even if it was like that. Which it's not!"

"A coward huh?"

This sounds way worse than it was in the moment. There's a cruelty to it that I don't remember. I think Sabine's actually mad about the FBI thing.

"I thought you two were friends." Someone asks.

"We are, even though he's lame as hell! Doing homework over coming to parties and hanging out with me."

And here's the impression.

"I'm Ezra. My idea of fun is a bottle of water and some alone time with my textbooks."

"I think it's time for me to go." I say, almost inaudibly.

"You're not going anywhere. I think she has more to say."

"You're damn right I do. I don't know what your problem is, but if you ever want a piece of this? Then get your shit together. I don't want to be friends with a complete Eeyore."

A moment passes in silence that sounds edited. "Who you talking to buddy?"

"No."

"Uhh guys, I'm not sure he's okay. I think he burst a blood vessel in his eyes."

"I think you need to be taught a lesson. Brat. While my friend goes and gives your girl the best night of her life."

"Let him go." JJ tells him.

"Move."

The audio suddenly screeches, likely caused by me being thrown down the stairs before Master Skywalker taps his tablet. "How did you get this audio?" Attorney General Annoyance asks impetuously.

"I'm afraid that's classified." Hera smoothly replies.

The Governor suddenly leaps up, looking incensed. "Classified?! No. I'm sorry, this entire meeting is classified. The Jedi's existence is supposed to be extremely classified! Do not tell me that something is classified!"

"Sir…" the Lieutenant Governor steps in front of him, aiming to calm him down.

"It's experimental technology. Nothing worth the conversation yet." Kanan explains to the room.

Oh now that's not true. It's worth a conversation.

"That sounded much more hostile toward the boy than I was led to believe." Mand'alor speaks for the first time, causing the room to turn to him.

"Believed, we do that he handled the situation very well." Yoda replies.

Master Kenobi strokes his beard before asking "Governor, why would you invite Mand'alor? There's no issue with him being here, but we know that Ms. Wren is Mandalorian, it came up in our background research on her."

"Now why would you do research?" The AG asks.

"Due diligence. Making sure that Ezra's intentions and actions are pure." Kanan replies.

Uh oh. He opened the door.

"Hah!" he barges right thru. "You don't even trust him! You are afraid of allowing him to even have one friend!"

"Not true. We trust him implicitly, to go out in the world and attend college knowing enough to tear down everything this order has built since the last Purge."

The Governor jumps in. "So that's real. This so called, Jedi Purge. It happened."

Kanan, Yoda, Ahsoka, Kenobi, Sifo-Dyas and Skywalker all exchange dark looks. "Yes, Governor." Yoda replies.

Vietnam just wasn't a disaster for the US. It was worse for us. Backed by them, only for a mutiny and coup to take place, unauthorized by Washington that killed 80% of all serving Jedi, leaving many to run for their lives in the Vietnamese forests to be captured and tortured for years.

We still don't know how many my father killed indirectly.

"I just am amazed you researched somebody that he probably considers a friend." Lieutenant Governor Lucky comments.

"To ensure her safety."

"I'm not so sure they're friends anymore." The colonel says, eyes locked on me.

Nope.

The entire room turns to me. I let the silence build for a moment. "If you wanted my views, you should have been less combative Colonel."

"Because you're a monster!" He leaps to me.

I pop to my feet, hands now free before he does a full body spasm before tumbling to the floor and the AR-15's are pointed at me again.

Coward.

"At least I know my strength. And avoid using it at all times." I say quietly before sliding back to Padmé and Cayle and sit back down.

"Masters Jedi, please be honest." The AG takes control of the conversation. "If all is as you say, that this boy has a hold on the truly terrifying abilities he has, wonderful. But I have my doubts. After all that his father did, is he even human anymore?"

I blink in surprise, and the Force ripples with the Council's surprise at his question.

"Well." Master Kenobi says after a moment. "It would depend on your definition of human. If we're going by the standard definition, then I would have to say no."

"Then all of his rights and so forth do not apply." He jumps onto the point. "he is a third category. An irregularity. A dangerous one that must be confined, contained and exterminated."

Exterminated. Oh no.

"He is still a life." Yoda jumps in quickly. "We fight on behalf of all life, yes. Can you say the same?"

"But if he is not human, that doesn't matter."

Cayle snaps, looks disgusted. "Jesus, at least try to mask your hate and disdain a little bit. All you want is to string him up for all to see like it's the French Revolution."

"No, he will be tried for his crimes."

"That he committed on orders." Ahsoka jumps into the fray again. "His father ordered him to kill all those people, go on all those missions. If he didn't he would suffer and quite possibly die. Many times, even though he did succeed he was whipped, beaten, abused. He carries the physical and mental scars to this day. That person, in our mind, died the day he surrendered to us."

"Great!" The Lieutenant Governor snaps. "Can he love? Can he care for people? What does he think of the Wren's daughter?"

The room turns to me once more. "Me?" I ask.

"yes." He says seriously. "Can you love? Do you love her, or anyone else? Do you have any sort of remorse for your monstrous actions?"

"Oh come on!" Cayle snaps in irritation.

I raise my hand to silence Cayle. "On the first question…I don't know. I believe I can. But I don't know, being truthful. On Sabine, which is her name…I don't love her. And I don't think she loves me. We're friends, at least I believe so."

"Who do you think you love? How can you not know?" Lieutenant Governor Lucid asks. "It's a binary concept."

"Because I didn't know what I was really doing until it was too late. When I did I surrendered. I face you not knowing who I really am sir." I say quietly. "I'm eighteen years old and find myself morphing to face my situation every day. I think I love Agent Syndulla and Master Kanan's children. They're the most precious thing to me. After that it would be Cayle."

"That's sweet." The Colonel rolls his eyes. "Do you have any remorse? Do you even remember anything? Many of those murders were committed when most children have little memory. I believe you're paying lip service."

He doesn't know. None of them do, this next part. I think they suspect but…here goes.

"I remember all of them." I say coldly. "Every single person. My father modified my brain to have photographic memory. So I can recall all the details of every mission I've ever been on. I just thought of the one that I met Master Sifo-Dyas on the other day. It wasn't pleasant. If it makes you feel any better I don't sleep well most nights. Believe me."

A moment passes that everyone just looks at me, processing what I just said.

Checkmate.

"The true issue here." Master Sifo-Dyas speaks up for the first time, causing everyone to turn to him. "Is that you cannot differentiate from Vader, who would have killed you all for the first three words the Colonel said, and Ezra, who turned the other cheek."

"I saw Vader. He came for me. I was protecting a prospective Padawan down in Colombia. It was a barbecue. The boy's father needed more barbecue sauce, and I volunteered to go to the store. By the time I came back, Vader had already killed his father, along with everyone else except for the women, children and one man who he looked to make an example of."

Yup.

"I surrendered to Vader, in the hopes that the boy would live. I was wrong. The man who he intended to save for later spat on him, and Vader choked the life out of every child in that house simply by closing his fists."

The air conditioning in the room is the only sound as everyone representing the State of California looks horrified and speechless.

"How did you escape?" One of the Governor's lawyers, a petite woman asks, sounding scared.

Quietly, hiding behind a larger colleague.

"We got shot down by the cartel. The helicopter crashed, denying Vader retribution on the man who spat on him, who died instantly. I fled and signaled for assistance from the nearest Jedi outpost. Vader then proceeded into the Colombian jungle, found the offending guerillas, and slaughtered all of them." Sifo-Dyas explains. "Not just the men, like at the barbecue. But the women. And the children as well. Every single one of them."

"Is there any question as to if that monster is the young man that sat willingly in a chair, being inhibited before you today?" Sifo-Dyas asks the state's contingent. "Is that the young man who only broke someone's jaw as a response to being insulted by people he called friends, shot at, knifed and mugged before he tranquilized himself to prevent Vader from even coming out, even though Ezra himself believed he had a handle on the situation?"

Silence stretches on for at least thirty seconds. "No." Sifo-Dyas answers his own question. "It is not the same person. I was initially quite hesitant myself, having seen the monster up close and personal. But I've seen how hard he has worked every single day to make amends, knowing fully that he never can do that. He carries a burden nobody else knows, and ever will."

"Done we are, I believe." Yoda says, with a finality to it. Cayle quickly marches over, snaps off my restraints and nods for me to follow.

"C'mon. We're going home."