27 BBY
The Council had given Cait a room alone while she awaited her assignment to a new master. It was rare for padawans, but not unheard of, especially for padawans in their twenties. The Council seemed to think she could take care of herself, at least within the confines of the Temple, and at least enough to live and sleep and cook for herself for one week. She appreciated the breathing space insofar as she could through her anxiety. Cait turned in the chair at the desk when a knock came at the door. "Come in," she said, her eyes narrowing in guilt even as Lyle tried to smile, exhaling.
He moved further into the room, taking a seat. "I'm sorry that I didn't see what was happening."
Cait looked down, spinning a pen on the desk. "I didn't want him to get in so much trouble, I just wanted him to stop."
Lyle narrowed his eyes, struggling to monitor himself. "What he did to you was wrong. He deserves any punishment."
"You shouldn't be thinking like that," Cait recited. "We are guardians of the peace. I didn't want to spread discord. It's only been a few days and there's already so much gossip."
"Too much," he admitted. "I wish people would not speak of it. They look at me with a mix of sympathy and scorn. And I'm certain it's worse for you."
"They don't blame you, do they?" She frowned.
He watched her. "Cait, I'm much more worried for you."
Cait looked down. "It's been okay so far. I just don't like seeing so many masters talking about him."
"I'm sorry about what happened and that I didn't see it. I hope this resolves itself quickly."
Cait stood, speedily drinking from her glass of water. Once it was empty, she moved to the sink, filling it again. "I should have told someone sooner. I knew he was wrong, he guilted me into not doubting him. They tell us to always listen to our masters."
"The Order needs to reconsider that. Apprentices should inquire, not follow blindly."
"Do you think they will?" Cait turned to look at him. She pressed her back to the counter. "What if they ask me why I didn't tell? I don't know what to say, I was scared."
"Say that. Say he frightened you and made you feel doubt for yourself."
"But I'm not supposed to let myself be afraid. I wasn't a youngling, I was fifteen years old." Cait dropped her head, shifting back to the dinner table. "Why can't they just tell him to stop?" She set the glass down on a napkin and dropped flat on her bed, crossing her arms on top of her head.
Lyle sighed. He stood, shifting his chair closer. "They rescheduled my Naboo mission for this weekend. They want you to stay, and they want me here. I argued it would be good for you to have distance, but even Master Yoda thinks you need to be here right now."
She dropped her shoulders. "Why did you ask me to go?"
Lyle looked to the wall and then to Cait's lightsaber. "I thought he was hurting you. When I came in, Cait, when I saw him hovering over you, I thought he was hurting you. I didn't know how, and I didn't know before, but in that moment, I knew I needed to talk to you in private. I thought you'd be helpful on my mission and I knew you needed some time away." He grimaced. He hadn't known well enough to take action in the moment, he thought he'd have time to talk with her about it on the mission.
She swallowed, hugging her pillow close. "I wanted to be away from him. And I wanted the experience, like you're saying. Do they just not want me going on missions right now, or am I temporarily grounded?"
"Its not a grounding. Master Yoda said he will be in today to speak with you about what is changing and happening, but you're not in trouble."
Cait narrowed her eyes, looking up at him. "He's coming today? No one told me that."
"I just did."
She started to shake her head. "But I don't understand why they told you and not me."
He looked ready to say something but sighed. "I'm sorry."
Cait didn't say anything. She looked away, pulling the pillow close. Even though she kept the same bedding, the new quarters had this romantic way of not reminding her of how many times their master had raped her on these sheets. "I know I'm an apprentice, but Master Koon said they weren't going to keep me in the dark."
"What have they kept from you?"
"Well, there's not really a way for me to know that, is there?" She swallowed, shifting into a semi-seated position. "Do you know when he's coming?"
"After the dinner hour. Just before sunset."
Cait didn't know how long she stared at the ceiling, but after the time, she blinked and exhaled, looking over to Lyle. "Master Vin messaged me."
Lyle's eyes widened. What a relief, that Bedo's master's master supported Cait, and supported him. The man might as well have been their great-grandfather, and by those familial allegories, their grandmother-Bedo's master-had died years before. Cait had never even met her. Lyle had.
"Is he coming here?" Lyle pressed, excitedly. "It will be good to see him I think."
"Maybe it will. The message was just a lot of apologies. But he is coming."
"You can practice your Makashi with him." Lyle offered.
"I can practice my Makashi with plenty of people." She dropped her shoulders again. She didn't know how many times she had done that in the past few days. "It just wasn't his fault, and it wasn't your fault, it was Master Bedo's. And mine too, I guess."
"None of this was your fault." Lyle shook his head, sitting a few feet from her on the bed. "Cait, it's only his fault."
"There were some things I could have done to stop it, I could have told someone sooner." Cait pressed her head against the pillow. "He said it was going to ruin me."
He spoke almost before she had finished. "Oh, Force, it won't. Some people will talk, but they always do. Small people will focus on you until something else catches their attention." His mind jumped. He was glad he had thought ahead.
Lyle pulled a pair of practice sabers from his bag, which quickly extended into lightweight staves. "How long has it been since you practiced with one of these?"
Cait tied her silver hair back and jumped down from the bed, taking it with her left hand. "Just the other day, with Master Drallig. You're the one who's been an important knight, out all alone."
"Not important yet." Lyle shook his head. "I'm not seeking power, just to do what I can for the Order."
He rose, moving for the door. "I'll message Drallig about a practice room." He held the door open for her. "After you."
She thought for a moment and nodded, following.
Once they were closer to the lobby, Cait drew a mix of sympathetic and curious glances from the masters who moved about the hallway. Cait kept her expression blank, though she dropped to her knees when a pair of five year old younglings approached, one holding a chunk of hair at the front of her head.
"Cait. Cait, he pulled out my braid."
"Oh-Sanni." Cait frowned, pulling elastic from her pouch. She bent straight down at the waist and took the girl's hair to braid it. "Hagel, that's not nice. Did you say sorry?"
"I didn't mean to." The Duros boy shuffled between his feet. "It was an accident. And she ran away. I was trying to say sorry, but Sanni ran away."
"You had to pull more than one elastic," Cait pointed out. She tied the third elastic in, moving to the bottom half of the braid. "Why don't you apologize now?"
The gathered Jedi Knights and Masters watched from a distance. Carefully, Hagel moved around in front of Sanni.
"I'm sorry, Sanni. I let my sadness at you building a better tower than mine take over."
Sanni pouted, crossing her arms as Cait finished the braid and tucked it behind the girl's ear. "It's 'kay," Sanni muttered, shifting between her feet.
"Do you want to hug, or shake hands," Cait asked. "Or do you just want to go back to playing?"
"Playing," Hagel said. "Thank you, Padawan Cait."
Sanni looked between Cait and Hagel and then nodded. "I wanna keep playing." She ran up to Cait for a hug. "Thank you for fixing my braid," she squeezed Cait, rocking them from side to side.
Cait blinked, her eyes widening, but nodded, hugging Sanni back. "Of course. Why don't you and Hagel go build another tower together?"
"Together," Hagel shouted, running back down the hall to their Clan Mother. Most of the masters continued on their way, though Torre Yoffen, a Mon Calamari, nodded to Cait before moving along.
"Nicely handled. Shall we continue?" Lyle asked.
Cait watched the children go and zippered her pocket. She stood, brushing dust off of her pants and looked around at the masters, self-conscious.
The older Jedi managed to keep looking past her as they carried on with their business.
Cait's smile wavered, but she swallowed the fear, and then actively suppressed it with the Force. "Did you ask for a practice room yet?"
"I did." Lyle frowned. "It should be approved soon.'
She glanced back down the hallway. "Should we cross through the lobby, or go around the back," she asked.
"What would you feel safer doing?' Lyle asked. "I'd be okay with the back way in."
"I'm safe no matter what, Lyle, I feel safe." She slid her ponytail out, retying it to distract herself. "I don't care, either is fine."
Lyle nodded. "I was thinking the back way, maybe we could climb the gates and get some practice that isn't just fun. We could duel in an even quieter way, but it's your choice."
"I've told you that I don't care." Cait turned to him. "People are probably less likely to stare at me if we go through the lobby."
"Then the lobby it is." Lyle pushed forward to open a door for her. "Do you still want to teach in the Academy?"
"Yes. And Master Windu told me the other day that they're only looking at teachers, for my next master."
He tilted his head to the side. "That's a good thing, isn't it? You can focus on learning what you need to do the job you want to do."
She allowed a small nod, self-conscious as they passed a group of masters. They peered over to her, but it didn't seem that their focus of conversation shifted, to her or anything else. She swallowed, refocusing on Lyle. "It all just seems strange." Cait shook her head. "Hagel has never pulled her braid before. He's never really touched her before as far as I know. I should tell their Clan Mother."
"That's probably wise." Lyle nodded. "Comm, or should we take a detour?"
"It'll be find if I just send Master Du-Mahn a message," Cait narrated, as she composed it, still walking by his side.
"Du-Mahn? How do you even know they're hawk-bats?" Lyle asked, shaking his head.
She shrugged, typing out the message. "I know."
"Do you have all of the younglings memorized?"
Cait looked up after she pressed send. "I could have checked if I needed to confirm."
He shook his head at her. "You don't need to." He blinked as a message came to her comm. He was shocked that the clan-leader had responded so quickly, expressing interest in training Cait and thanking her for caring for the two younglings.
Cait relayed the exchange to Lyle as they finished making their way to the practice rooms. They fenced for hours, and when they finally stopped and Cait dropped her robotic focus, she was clearly distracted from the events of the past few days. Years, really, Lyle realized.
"Do you want to eat dinner with me," Cait asked, as they both reclaimed their own lightsabers from the table. Cait took both practice sabers. Drallig tinkered in his workshop right outside of the practice rooms, and she would pass them to him as they left.
Lyle nodded. "Perhaps we should go out. My friend Lero Maccon just opened a seafood place only a dozen blocks from here, if you want to go. We could easily get you back in time for Master Yoda."
Cait quickly realized that she didn't have to ask permission to go out. There wasn't really anyone to ask.
They dropped the practice sabers off with Master Drallig. Cait felt that he wanted to speak with her, but she was thankful that he didn't burden her just then. She looked forward to the distraction dinner would provide.
Cait stepped on to the lift, waiting for Lyle before she pressed the button. "Master Drallig told me the other day that he doesn't want me working on the aggressive forms any more. I guess before, he didn't feel like it was his place to tell me. I don't know if he ever said anything to Master Bedo." She wondered if she would be allowed to speak with Bedo to ask.
"I'm uncertain. But you've never liked the other forms as much as Makashi. I think Bedo wanted you to take advantage of your flexibility, since it comes more naturally than for us." Humans had to work so much harder to develop like that, they were normally leagues behind Teevan Jedi. "Don't dwell on it."
"I'm not, I'm just curious." She blinked, and looked to her master's-former master's, she corrected herself-previous apprentice. She felt guilty, now, for speaking about Master Bedo so much with him, she knew it had to affect him too. "I'm sorry, I'll stop," she said, quickly.
"Don't be sorry. Focus on the now. We're going to have a wonderful dinner."
"I know we are." Cait nodded, pushing her hair back. She looked down. "I know, I'm sorry."
He sighed, shaking his head. "Cait, there is nothing to forgive."
The lift stopped, the door opening to expose the undercity. "Let's go," Cait said, stepping outside and turning to look at him. "Dinner."
The pair took off at a jog, the undercity buzzing with activity and the conversation from earlier echoing through their minds.
Abbisey checked his watch. It was ten minutes after three, when he and Cait had originally planned to talk. He did not want to rush his new Padawan after the trauma that she had suffered, but he suspected that she was not checking the time as she read the briefing page. He cleared his throat. "When you get to the end of that chapter, would it be all right for us to have our conversation?"
Cait blinked, looking up from the book and sitting up from her position on the living space's couch. "I'm sorry, I lost track of time." She quickly finished her page and marked it on her datapad. She set it down on the table and watched him expectantly.
He shifted around to the refrigeration unit. "Water or juice?"
"Water." Cait pulled up her knees. She took a drink as he passed her the glass. He took a seat near her, but on the other couch.
"How has the first week gone for you?" He asked the question slowly, trying to make it clear he wouldn't frown on a negative response.
"Different." She paused, squinting as she looked for better words. "Different, but okay."
Abbissey winced internally but didn't let it show. He'd hoped for better than different. "You've enjoyed working with the younglings, yes?"
Her eyes rounded out, her silver irises seeming to lighten. "Yes. Force, yes."
He smiled small. "They love having you. You saw they thought it was some special treat.
Cait beamed, nodding to the side. Her eyes went out of focus. "It's really the best. I wish Master Bedo had let me do it more earlier."
Master Bedo had other goals in mind but Abbisey wasn't going to remind her of that. "Now it can be your life every day." He smiled small at her. "We said we'd have the hard conversation a week in. So what has been difficult? What can I do better?"
Cait swallowed, looking down with a nod. The hard conversation. "I'm really okay, I just think that a lot of adjustment is in order. I don't know what I'll say to him in therapy." She looked up and swallowed harder, her eyes smaller circles now. "Why does it have to be so soon? What if he's mad at me?"
Abbisey winced. He didn't have those answers and lying wouldn't help. "I don't know. I would like to see you happy. That's my primary concern." He watched her. "You do like what we're doing, don't you?"
"Yes." She caught his eyes. "I love the younglings. So much. When you asked if I could help once a week, I was happy. Now I get to do it every day. That's what I wanted, always, I never wanted Guardian training. I just feel like I'm causing trouble, like I'm shaking things up. I didn't mean to do any of that, I just wanted him to stop."
Abbisey nodded. As much as he hated to hear what she said, he knew that for her, stopping the abuse had been the priority. "I feel this was the only way. He would have found other ways to hurt you."
"You don't think he would have stopped, if the Council had just told him to and I had kept training with him?"
Abbisey shook his head. "He would have hurt you. And if not you, another padawan. It's a repeating crime."
Cait looked down again, hugging herself. "He didn't make Lyle have sex with him."
Her new master wasn't going to touch that. "Cait. I'm sorry this happened. I'm sorry he did this to you."
She shook her head. "If it was about control, like Master Tachi and everyone says, then why would he start with me? I wasn't his first padawan. And if the Council is so worried about him trying to take control, why is he only banned from taking padawans for five years?"
Abbisey frowned. "I suspect he will be put on further probation. Many masters are extremely angry at his light punishment." He coughed. "And I believe the report said he beat Lyle."
"He did." Her shoulders dropped. "He only beat me once."
"You said." He sipped his juice. "Cait. He was controlling you and Lyle, but in different ways. And. I think you see that." He sighed. "He wasn't a good master to you."
Cait scoffed at herself, holding her knees closer. She shook her head, and peered up to him. "So it's because I'm a woman? Master Windu told me about the other padawans whose masters had made them have sex with them since his time in the Order. Two were male. It's not just women. So why was it just me?" She winced, moving a hand up to her forehead. "I don't wish he'd done it to Lyle, that's not what I mean."
Abbisey wanted to hug her, but that would not be as comforting as he would wish at the moment. "I cannot say that I understand the mind of Soreyn Bedo. It may have been that he was exposed to toxic and dangerous ideas at some point before you were a padawan."
She exhaled. "It didn't start when I was twelve." She winced, thinking now for a moment. Had it? Had that explained the extra hugs, the forehead kisses, the staying in her room to comfort her after nightmares. That had all seemed like such normal behavior.
Her new master exhaled. "Do we need to do anything different going forward?"
"No." She shook her head slower than he did and sighed, running her fingers over her braid. "I'm honestly trying not to think about it. I know I have to quiet my mind and come to terms."
That much was true, but Abbisey was surprised and concerned the Council expected to condense several years of reconciliation and self acceptance into such a short period. If he had his druthers, Cait wouldn't have to speak to Bedo for at least a year, if ever. He shook his head. "With time, all wounds are healed. Before you can come to terms you have to forgive yourself. This is important in all internal conflicts but especially when you have done no wrong."
"I know I didn't do anything wrong," Cait said, and closed her eyes. She over pronounced the words. "I just don't understand why he did it. He's a good person, he cares about me. I know he does."
"Whether or not that is true, we saw that he truly cares primarily about himself." Abbisey paused, inhaling. "Cait. I believe Bedo has been corrupted by pride, greed, and power. I do not know if he has fallen to the dark side, but he is not following the Jedi way."
"I didn't say that he was," she replied, her words still extraordinarily spaced out. "I just said that he cares about me."
"If he truly cared about you he would not have put you in this situation."
Her eyes watered, and she lay her head on her legs, shivering. "He r-raised me for almost t-ten years." Suddenly, the numbness turned to overwhelming anxiety.
And he was using her for over half that time. "Sometimes those we trust the most hurt us the most. That doesn't mean you didn't get anything from it. Just because you learned from a painful experience doesn't make it right for someone to have inflicted the pain on you. You owe him nothing."
"I know," she repeated, the words at a much faster clip. Her hand shook as she wiped her eyes. "But am I s-supposed to stop thinking the best of people? Even Master Bedo. T-there must have been a reason."
Abbisey nodded. "You should think the best until they show otherwise. Bedo has shown he is not one to expect the best from. The reason was power. When a child pulls another child's braid, or a youngling cuts in line or an adult attacks another adult physically, emotionally, or sexually, it is about power. Some feel powerful by taking it from others. Bedo is one of those people."
Cait's shoulder's hunched, and she shook harder, pushing her side against the couch. She didn't trust herself to speak, really. She was supposed to forgive him, and even if she wasn't supposed to, she wanted to. Wasn't it easier, still, to say there was nothing to forgive?
Abbisey winced. "Cait, focus on here and now. You are in our apartment in the living room. We are talking." He said the words slowly, keeping his gaze as encouraging as he could.
"W-why do I have to t-think about it?" She wiped her eyes again and tucked her head back down. "W-why are they making me?"
"They intent on healing this rift. It is painfully obvious that the time is not right. But the majority of the Council of Reconciliation ruled it to be so." She knew as much, but Abbisey didn't really know what else to say.
She rubbed her lips together, closing her eyes. "I'm f-fine to talk to him, that's okay, I can do that. But what am I supposed to say to him about this? W-what are we supposed to talk about?"
"I expect they will choose a mediator who will make that process easier." Abbisey hoped that he would be proven correct. "Usually they know what the conversation should include." Not that this particular issue came up frequently.
She fidgeted, pulling her tunic down. "I don't want Lyle to yell at him."
Abbisey was much less concerned about that. Lyle wouldn't even be there. "As long as no one yells at you, Cait." He sighed. "To change the subject, have you looked at the lesson plans for the next weeks?" He assumed she had, but it was better to check.
Sure enough, she nodded, but the tension she held didn't seem to release. "Did you want me to work on the alphabet with the three and four year olds while you start phonics with the five year olds?"
"I was thinking that would be where our efforts could best be focused." He sipped his juice. "Do you think that the songs we're using are best, or do you have other ones that you prefered when you were a youngling?"
She thought for a moment, doing her best to push Master Bedo out of her mind even as she wrung her hands. "A lot of them are the same. Why don't we teach the Chancellorship eras song anymore?"
"Because ah." Abbisey smiled. "The six to seven year olds learn the eras."
Cait frowned, turning her head to the side. She'd thought she'd learned it earlier. After a moment, she shook her head. "You're right. None of us got it when we were younger. But would it be a good idea to talk to Master Carilon to see if there's any way we could prime the five year olds better for those social science lessons?" Master Carilon taught the clan's six to seven year olds.
Abbisey nodded as he considered the proposal. "We have been looking for new ways to integrate teaching from cycle to cycle. It could be an effective way."
"Only if you really think so, Master," she quickly disclaimed. "I just thought it might make the transition easier."
"It is a wise idea." Abbisey nodded. "Perhaps you can help us on a unified curriculum. With more ideas like that. Master Carilon expressed interest in training you too. Why don't you talk to her, take care of this?" He thought giving her an assignment would distract her.
Cait's eyes sparkled as she thought through the proper approach, nodding. "May I talk to her during naps tomorrow?"
He inclined his head. "I cannot think of a better time."
She leaned back against the couch, taking another drink of water. "You'll be able to handle the five year olds without me there for them to hang on?"
Abbisey chuckled. "I'll manage a pack of sleeping younglings somehow I'm sure." It had only been a few weeks since he'd handled them alone.
Cait smirked. "May I message her, Master, or do you want to reach out first?"
"Please reach out. She'll be glad to hear from you."
She nodded, quickly composing a message. The other instructor was also off, and a message came back quickly, confirming that the time of the three to five year old nap was a great time for Cait to visit the six and seven year olds, and that she could help with basic maths.
Abbisey refilled their glasses, looking up politely when the response came. "Good news?"
She nodded, setting the com down. "Tomorrow is fine."
She sighed, dropping her shoulders. "I still have my period." It had been seven days. She supposed stress worked the other way as well.
"Do you want to see a medical corps member?" He asked. "It might be worth while."
"I had the Physical Evidence Recovery Kit." She said it like he didn't know, taking another drink of water. "I don't want to bother then again, I'm just so exhausted."
"This would be far less invasive. I could even ask the droid to take a sample."
"Can I take a nap, after that?"
"You may." Abbisey smirked, leaving off the first half of the bad joke.
She looked up at him, blinking. "Thank you, master."
He bowed to her. "I'll ask the droid to come to your room. It should be under a minute."
She finished her water off and cleaned the glass in the sink. She waited. She did so much of that now, it was just duty.
When Bedo moved inside the room for their joint therapy session, Cait already sat inside with Abbisey and with Master Egrin, the Jedi Consular who would be leading the sessions. Cait shifted in her seat, having to restrain herself from standing out of respect. She looked up at him, catching his eyes in silence. Her shoulders dropped.
Bedo exhaled slowly, calmly. Abbisey watched him. How could the Acklay in Bantha's fur have hidden so long amongst them?
Cait broke off the eye contact first, looking down to her lap. Abbisey offered her a hand and she took it without a word.
Egrin smiled around the room. "This is a serious matter, but we come to resolve our differences. Cait, thank you for being here. What troubles you?"
Cait looked up again, her expression pained. "I don't know how to phrase it. I don't know what I'm feeling. H-hurt? Used?"
Bedo shook his head. "Cait. You told me you wanted it." His voice was controlled, and his expression was neutral. Bedo's hands spread, palms up.
Cait sniffled, squeezing Abbisey's hand. She shook her head.
"You did," Bedo whispered. "You told me you did, you came to my bed. Come to me now."
"Don't try to rush, Master Bedo. And don't ask her to come to your bed." Egrin chided, quite calm for the conversation. "Cait, do you have a response to that?"
Bedo looked back to her. He had meant to imply she could come to him now, rather than sitting with Abbisey. Her eyes had started to water, and she shook her head again, looking down to her lap. "I d-didn't want it. You m-made me."
"Cait, don't lie," Bedo whispered, his tone soft and encouraging despite the biting words.
"This is not a productive discussion. You are just letting him make Cait feel guilty," Abbisey snapped.
Egrin raised a hand to the other master, silent for a moment. "Cait, if it isn't true, just let it be."
She squeezed Abbisey's hand, her head snapping up to the Consular. "How am I supposed to ignore this," she whispered. "H-how? You're making me c-confront him."
"I am not a him, Cait." Bedo stretched out his hands. "I'm sorry you felt like I was taking advantage. It wasn't about that." He smiled. "It was a mistake."
Her brow crinkled and she wiped a fist over her eye. "H-how can you say that? You hit me when I asked you to stop."
Egrin looked to Bedo as the other man shook his head. "A misunderstanding. I reached for you much too fast. I'm sorry."
"N-no. No, it wasn't," Cait exclaimed. "You r-raped me then too. You d-didn't check to see if I was okay. Y-you yelled at me to never tell you no. So I didn't anymore."
"I think that it is pretty clear that this is a misunderstanding. You are my Padawan, I would never go out of my way to hurt you." Bedo smiled as if forgiving her. "I don't hold any anger over this."
"You did hurt me," Cait exclaimed, covering her eyes. She couldn't hold the tears back anymore, and just let them fall.
"I'm very troubled by all of this," Abbisey interrupted. "Cait was fifteen when you started abusing her. You were the adult."
Bedo ignored the other master and raised an eyebrow. "Cait doesn't seem to be quite calm and controlled enough to continue here."
"You stop manipulating her." Abbisey leaned forward, holding her hand. "You were the adult. She was fifteen. Let's talk about you."
Bedo smiled, turning to Egrin, who almost on cue shook his head. "This is not the place for you to speak, Master Abbisey. Cait, did you have anything else you wanted to say?"
"I said something," she choked out. "I said he h-hurt me. He d-didn't even respond."
"Master Bedo?"
Bedo inclined his head. "Cait, remember what I taught you. No pain is too great for the Force to overcome."
"You told me that while you were raping me," she exclaimed.
Bedo shook his head. "Master Egrin, I just don't think Cait is ready to have a calm discussion."
"Stop it," she cried out, shivering. She grabbed more of Abbisey's arm, turning against him. "S-stop."
"She's losing control. Cait, be careful, lest you fall to the dark side." Bedo said, leaning forward with his hands on his knees, though Cait swore she could see laughter in his eyes. Bedo simply wanted her to break down without the others seeing it. Years of knowing the padawan had given him the knowledge to do as much with ease.
"Are you losing control, Cait?" Egrin looked to her in concern. "Breathe in and out, focus on the here and now."
"He's h-here, now, he's h-hurting me. You're l-letting him."
"I think we should continue this another time." The counselor said. "Cait, Master Abbisey, would you leave first, and then Knight Bedo will leave a minute after that."
She whimpered, dropping Abbisey's arm and running out of the room.
"Cait," Abbisey exclaimed, standing. He shook, turning to the other two men in the room. "We won't be doing this again."
Bedo smiled in faux sadness to Abbisey. "I hope under your guidance she can learn to control her impulses."
Abbisey moved for the door, hesitating only slightly. "I do not want you ever speaking to my padawan again. Do you understand me?"
Egrin frowned. "Those are dangerous words, Master Abbisey. For the good of the Order, I urge you to reconsider." He did not see Bedo smirk.
Abbisey strode outside, rushing to find his padawan. By the time he caught up, he saw Master Yoda calming her down. He guided her down against the wall. Her head bowed against her knees, and she said something to the older master that Abbisey could not hear.
Yoda nodded, grunting at Abbisey. "To your chambers, Cait you must take."
Cait's head was still down, though her hand had moved up to hold her forehead.
Abbisey sighed, moving forward. "Cait? It's okay."
"It's not," she whispered.
"Why don't we follow master Yoda's advice and relocate to the room?"
She tucked her head down further. "I'm sorry."
Her master shook his head. "You're not to blame. None of this is your fault." He exhaled, glancing to Yoda. "Let's go, Cait."
She hugged herself, pushing up from the seated position Yoda had eased her into. She didn't once pick her head up.
Adi Gallia could see the rising notes of frustration on Mace Windu's face. He more than anyone needed to keep his emotions under control with his fighting uncontrolled emotions could quickly lead to disaster.
"If you think it would change the Council of Reconciliation's decision, then I will speak with them again."
Gallia kept from responding, her hands folding in her sleeves as the Chamber doors opened and Jedi Master Abbisey moved to the two councilors. "Master, is your padawan all right," she asked, Mace copying her movement.
"She is resting. I came here to-"
"That is not what Master Gallia asked." Windu's tone was calm but probing. "Why are you not with your Padawan?"
"She is asleep," Abbisey replied, advancing. "I am monitoring her." He held up a datapad. "She is best served by my figuring out what our next steps are. Because she will not be returning to therapy, not with Master Bedo and Master Egrin.
Windu raised an eyebrow, "Even against the orders of the Council?"
Abbisey knew it not to be a threat, but still shook once, choosing his words very carefully. "Do you know what happened today? Would you force her through that again?"
"It is not the position of the Council to force its members to do anything save in dire need." Gallia glanced at Windu.
Mace nodded in agreement. "We shall arrange for a one-on-one counselor for Cait, if you and your padawan agree."
Abbisey swallowed, watching them closely. "I will speak with her." He hesitated. "Do you know what happened today?"
Windu nodded. "Master Yoda informed us." He shook his head. "There is little doubt in my mind that Jedi Bedo is entirely in the wrong. But we will show a unified front with the Council of Reconciliation."
"The Council of Reconciliation has no regard for Cait's interests." Abbisey's face was stone, and he slid the datapad away.
Windu shook his head. "Yes, they do. And beyond your padawan, the Council of Reconciliation, whose ruling deeply troubles me, is concerned with the interests of the entire Order." Windu exhaled again, his heart heavy. "I have seen this too many times in too few years."
Abbisey shook his head, his mouth opening after another swallow. "You can do something about it. Both of you can."
Gallia exhaled as quietly as she could. "Yes. And compromise the integrity of our Council. The High Council can overrule the Council of Reconciliation, it's true, but it's uncommon and not to be done lightly."
Abbisey shook his head, pointing back to the door. "Cait came to today's therapy session vulnerable, she was ready to talk about anything with Bedo, to talk with him alone. She just wanted him to stop. He is still manipulating her."
Windu folded his arms. "And we have ordered him to keep his distance. If he violates that order, we will reprimand him further. We've confirmed that we will not compel her to attend group sessions."
"And if the Council on Reconciliation instructs her differently," Abbisey asked, turning his head to the side.
"We will not force her to attend and neither will Reconciliation." Gallia was grave. "Master Koon will see to that much."
Abbisey shook his head, taking another step forward and crossing his arms. "Master Koon assured my apprentice that Bedo would be exiled. How can you assure me now that Reconciliation will not force my padawan into that room?"
"He spoke much too soon." Gallia nodded, glancing towards Mace. "Exiling Bedo would have put others at risk. Not to mention putting the Order's reputation in jeopardy. There are those who wish us ill, Master Abbisey."
Windu fixed Abbisey with a frustrated glare. "What would you have us do?"
Abbisey shook, dropping his arms. "I am astounded by my padawan's faith, that she still believes the Council has her interests at heart." He shook his head. "I'm astounded." He looked down at the tile flooring. "Masters Rennagen and Minos were calling my apprentice slurs. She didn't hear."
Gallia's head turned to her comm and she immediately typed out a message. "We will put a stop to that. Master Abbisey, I know how awful this must be. The Council has many forces and considerations to balance, but your padawan is not forgotten."
"The Council does keep repeating that." Abbisey blinked, shaking his head.
Gallia winced. If she hadn't also thought the same it wouldn't hit so close. "Master Abbisey. What would you have us do?"
"You have to set an example. The Order has to take responsibility, you're the role models. Cait needs you."
Windu inclined his head. "Again, we have spoken to the Councils, but we must maintain a unified front. What we can do is pose no obstacle to her completing her training."
Abbisey shook his head. "No, please. Your silence is an obstacle. She needs you, she needs you to set the example. Can't you see that?"
"The example to a thousand others is that we can disregard the Council of Reconciliation to help a single padawan." Windu hated every word. "I will never shy from comforting Cait nor from urging the Council of Reconciliation to change their minds nor from assisting her in any of my official capacities."
Gallia nodded. "A press conference would only draw external attention to an internal conflict, and I don't see another way to speak up as you deem fit."
"A letter, to all members. A video. An internal statement. Something. Please," Abbisey pressed.
"All it takes is one copy leaking and we have a media frenzy. That helps no one. Especially not Cait." Windu frowned, watching Abbisey more severely now. "Master, we will not make her go. We will keep Bedo away. We will let her attempt the trials when the time comes. That is what we can do."
Abbisey exhaled and dropped his shoulders, covering his mouth. He said nothing for a moment, staring down. "If there's nothing more for me, masters, I'll let you get back to your meeting."
"We welcome other ideas and solutions," Gallia offered.
Windu nodded, swallowing hard. "Abbisey, we will do what we can. Contact us if you need resources or materials for your padawan."
Abbisey set his jaw, resigned. "I'll take my leave." He nodded and exited the Council chambers, the door swinging closed behind him.
Gallia looked at Windu when the doors had stood closed. "He's right." She shook her head. "An outsider arbitrator may be necessary."
"We can't do it, Adi." Mace shook his head, claiming his seat. "The Republic can't get involved."
She exhaled, looking up at the ceiling. "They will find out. They always do."
"And always for the worst." He frowned. This conversation would get them nowhere. They had Jedi to reprimand, and dark thoughts to push from their heads.