A Test of Faith

Chapter 20 - The Judgment of Master Dooku

So preoccupied was Jinn with the recovery of his Master and the welfare of Allyaah that it completely slipped his mind that they'd been sent on a mission in the first place. It came as rather a shock, then, when he and Master Dooku were summoned before the High Council to report on the matter. Allyaah was still too weak to come out of the medical ward, so she was unable to accompany them, and Qui-Gon felt that this played against them - Allyaah was the peacekeeper in these type of matters, the one who might keep Dooku from becoming irritated, or from rising to sarcasm, and she just wouldn't be there to hold him back this time…

Then again, Qui wasn't even sure his mentor was up to sarcasm yet. He still seemed subdued and looked pale, and, though they had together managed to return to some semblance of normality in their day-to-day routines, Allyaah's ill health continued to loom over Serenn's head, and he seemed to take it as some sort of penance. Jinn didn't like to see his Master lacking so much in his usual vigour and confidence - it just wasn't right.

It was drawing toward the evening when the two made their way up to the council chambers for an audience with the Order's elite. Qui kept unconsciously tidying his Jedi robes, running out the creases and folds in a nervous attempt to look presentable. He had little or no idea whether or not he'd even be addressed in the forthcoming meeting, but he at least wanted to look the part and not be frowned upon for untidiness; he didn't need that reflecting on his Master along with everything else.

Serenn himself wasn't too bothered about his appearance. He didn't look scruffy in any way, but he didn't look immaculately presentable either. His hair was still really short, which gave him a rather surly look, though he'd at least managed to trim his beard back into shape.

The journey was made in an uneasy silence and they reached the High Tower as soon as darkness had fallen outside. They then exchanged glances before they, as one, entered the chamber.

They bowed to the assembly once they stood in the room's centre, facing Master Yoda and the aloof Syfo-Dias. Jinn joined his mentor in giving Dias a quick glare, neither of them being on good footing with him right now.

"Master Dooku," Yoda began, "Time you have been given to recover. The mission to Colla IV now, report upon you must."

"It was a disaster," he said plainly, glancing at each of the members within his sight range before him, "Like I said it would be."

Jinn shifted his weight from one foot to the other, looking uneasy.

"I assume you did try?" Dias said, leaning forward in his seat.

Serenn's lip trembled a little but he suppressed his indignation, "Yes," he said, taking a deep breath, "We did try." His eyes moved back to Yoda, "My Masters, the planet is unwilling to have anything to do with us. They've been using our idiotic, almost vain wish to 'civilise' them against us, and have been drawing Jedi in for the vile means of their own genetic experiments, through which they -"

"What nonsense is this?" Vance asked, eyebrows cocked as he sat back, "It's ludicrous."

"If you'd give me chance to finish…" Serenn returned between gritted teeth.

Yoda rose his small, green hand and a respectable calm came over all gathered. He turned to Qui-Gon and said, quietly, "Explain all, the Padawan will."

Serenn and Vance both looked rather shocked, but Serenn's faded to pride whilst Dias just seemed a little perturbed.

Qui-Gon himself looked horrified.

Yoda gave him an encouraging smile, "Master Qui-Gon," he said, "From your view, the situation we shall see."

Jinn felt a renewed confidence within himself and ploughed straight into a lengthy retelling of the events - about their landing, their travel across the desert, their journey underground, how they'd met with the Sohta Colicoids and been treated as guests before the Colicoids from the Simara Nests attacked, separating he and Master Jiao from Dooku. He then told the part of the story Serenn wasn't privy to, concerning how he and Allyaah were taken to the Simara Nest's Queen, how the Colicoids there tried to urge them to go home and leave Master Dooku, because he was doomed to die, telling them that they'd secured their ship and would give them safe passage. He then explained how both he and Allyaah had refused and, together with the Simarans, they'd made a plan to rescue Master Dooku, who they were sure would be held within the Sohta Nest's experimental compound.

"It was his blood they wanted, or so the Simarans reckoned, "Jinn rambled on, holding his audience well with his tale, "The Sohta Nest wanted to enhance their brood, or something, and felt that by genetically engineering them with the use of a powerful Jedi's blood, they'd be able to do that, and then dominate the planet." The Padawan swallowed, taking a breath, "We weren't gonna let that happen, though. Whilst Allyaah and a group of Simarans acted as a diversion, another group of Colicoids escorted me to the compound where I went and found Master Dooku. They were taking blood from him and… well, the Jedi we'd been sent to save, they were…"

He paused, the image of the mangled, lifeless bodies continuing to prove an unshakable vision in his mind.

"Go on, young Padawan," Yoda nodded, his voice hush and calm.

"They were dead," he murmured, staring unseeingly at the middle distance, "They…"

"Their blood wasn't strong enough," Serenn added, placing a hand on Jinn's shoulder, "That's what a leader in the Sohta Nest told me. That was why they'd wanted me, instead."

Jinn swallowed convulsively, "I helped free Master Dooku. Allyaah had to come and help me, too," he continued, "Then we had to try and escape. Master Dooku was very weak… he'd lost a lot of blood, and Allyaah and I had to kinda carry him most of the way."

Serenn nodded vaguely, though he wasn't willing to admit this.

"The Sohta Colicoids, who had been attacking, seemed to have vanished on our way out, though. Until we got near an exit, through which the Simarans told us we could get to the surface and find our ship. That was when the Sohta's Queen attacked, with hundreds of her soldiers."

"And this is when Allyaah got injured?" Syfo-Dias asked.

Jinn nodded, "Yes. Master Dooku…" He paused, hesitating. He gave his mentor a glance and when he got a reluctant nod back, he went on, "Master Dooku was still weak. He insisted on helping us fight - and we had to, masters, or we would have all died - but he couldn't sustain himself. Allyaah saved him before the Queen killed him, and, when she was attending to my Master, another of the Colicoids ran his claw through her arm…"

Jinn sighed, finding this lengthy recollection to be quite tiring; My Master came back to himself then. He seemed to gain strength and he fought off loads of the Colicoids."

"By killing them?" Vance interposed.

Jinn glared at him but swallowed and nodded faintly, "Yes… he killed many of them."

Serenn looked away, closing his eyes as the weight reinstated itself over his heart.

"Hardly a way to keep the peace, is it, Master Dooku?" Dias asked grimly.

"Discussions we shall halt until finished the Padawan has," Yoda interjected suddenly, causing Vance to flinch a little.

"We'd all be dead if my Master hadn't acted," Qui-Gon said quietly, determined to defend Dooku.

"Who's able to say such?" Syfo-Dias rejoined.

Jinn swallowed, eyeing Vance with a growing dislike, unable to think of a way to get one over him. He rose his chin a little and said, "That is what I believe."

"Continue, Master Jinn," Yoda insisted.

"Allyaah then asked my Master to amputate her arm. And he did. She… she knew that it was the only way she might survive," he went on, "And then the last few Simarans helped lead us out, before we came home…"

He looked around at the council, his account having come to an end, until he suddenly remembered something else, and added before anyone could speak, "And Triangle… I mean, one of the Simaran Colicoids told me something before we left."

Serenn again looked to Jinn, unaware of this part of the story as well.

"He told me that their race does not wish to be allied with us," Qui-Gon said, "He told me that they are best left alone. And I said I'd see to that… as best as I could."

He finally stopped, and there followed an edgy silence. Qui was beginning to wonder whether he should have said 'the end' or something, just to let them know, but it seemed that the lull was serving as a period of thought.

Yoda soon raised his little head and looked Jinn in the eyes, then looked to his old Padawan, the lofty Dooku. Syfo-Dias looked bursting to offer his judgement, though his fear of Yoda rebuking him again seemed to hold his tongue.

"Failed the mission did not," Yoda finally uttered, "Found was the fate of the late Jedi, though unfortunate it turned out to be…"

Dooku nodded faintly, looking downward.

"And, the wishes of the Colicoids, as young Master Jinn respected, we must also respect in turn," Yoda added.

Dias turned to Yoda, "But my Master, we -"

"Expressed their wishes the Colicoids have," Yoda again interrupted, managing to somehow raise his voice above Syfo-Dias's, "And respect them we must. No more Jedi shall we to Colla IV send, not until ready to receive us, they are."

"They need to sort out the problems on their own world before we can begin to believe that they'll think about the problems outside of it," Qui-Gon suddenly added, followed by several mumbled nods and assents from the council circle. Syfo-Dias eyed him uncertainly.

"But we can't leave wrongs unpunished, "Vance finally stated, staring at Dooku, "Master Allyaah, though she has been through enough, seems to have made no errors, and nor does Master Jinn warrant any condemnation…"

Serenn stared at Dias, asking him to just be plain and tell him his punishment.

"Many Colicoids were killed, and that can only act as a negative to their view of the Republic that exists outside their world."

Jinn wanted to tell Master Syfo-Dias that the Simaran Colicoids had bowed down to his mentor after he'd helped quell the threat of the Sohta Nest, but Serenn gave his shoulder a light squeeze, telling him to remain silent.

"What does the council suggest?"

The ten members outside of Syfo-Dias and Yoda all looked a little uneasy at the prospect of dealing out punishment to such a respected and well-liked Jedi.

Dias looked over them, "Colicoids have died!" he reminded them.

"But only in defence," Master Limaya, the Zabrak sat across the room, reminded him in turn, "Not in cold blood."

"I'm not certain," Oppo Rancisis said, "If Master Jiao hadn't been injured, I believe Master Dooku may have acted more leniently."

Serenn was getting impatient. He looked to Master Yoda, asking for them to be quick and get it over with.

"More debate this needs," Yoda said in turn, "Master Dooku's punishment later shall be dealt."

----

"Later!" Serenn sighed as he and Jinn walked back through the Temple halls, "Later, I tell you, Qui! Leave me hanging for a while, why don't they?"

Jinn was almost laughing - his mentor was annoyed, but he was acting more like he usually did, and taking it all in his stride. An audience with Syfo-Dias seemed to have helped bring him back to reality.

He shook his head as they rounded a corner and stepped into a lift along with a couple of Younglings. One was a human girl, the other a lanky Rodian, and they both looked up at the two, tall men with nervous smiles. Jinn smiled back whilst Serenn flashed them a brief smirk.

"Hi," Qui said to them as the lift began to descend.

"Hello," the girl said with a little wave.

"Are you still a Padawan?" the little Rodian then asked Jinn.

Qui-Gon nodded, flicking his braid over his shoulder, "Yup."

"You're too big to be a Padawan!" the girl giggled.

Qui-Gon looked mildly insulted, but just smiled back at them anyway, "Am I?"

The two Younglings nodded, laughing amongst themselves.

"Am I too big to be a Padawan?" Serenn then asked them.

The Younglings looked him up and down, "Yeah, coz Padawans don't have beards."

Serenn smirked, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"And you don't have a braid."

"No… but it might have been cut off."

"That means you're a Jedi Knight."

"Or it could mean I've been a naughty Padawan and have to start over."

The two Younglings looked confused and glanced at each other, thinking this over; "Then you've been a Padawan a loooong time," the girl deduced.

Jinn exchanged glances with his mentor now and they laughed.

"Are you both Padawans, then?" the Rodian asked, confused.

"No, I'm a Jedi Knight," Serenn nodded, before he placed his hand on Qui-Gon's shoulder and said, "And this young man will be one soon, too."

TBC…