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"Wow," she smirked. "I must've helped you pretty well back there."
"You have no idea," I winked at her.
"Not that this isn't turning me on," Trance said walking past us headed towards the ship. "But I think I'm going to head back home. Anyone need a lift?"
I laughed to myself and followed Trance, arm around Raena, and Shomari standing back slightly.
"Congratulations," Master Windu bid me. "You have silenced the threat of more deaths of Jedi."
"In order, thanks also are." Master Yoda added. "Saved the Council, you have."
"I couldn't have done it without your clue Master Yoda." I said bowing to him humbly.
"Apologize, I do, for such ambiguity. But warn you, I had to. However, solve the puzzle, you have. Proven your skill, you have. And at such youth." Yoda commended me. "Proud of all of you, I am."
"No doubt we are indebted to you," Mace Windu picked up. "But we're not out of hot water yet."
"Master?" I was confused. What other trick could the Federation be pulling now?
"Lance has alerted the Federation to what the 4 of you have done and they are now demanding your arrest. It seems that, unannounced of course, the Count was an important political post for them, and they won't take the loss of a Jedi on their side lightly. So they have gone public saying that all of you are murderers, citing your actions aboard their station, and your recent slaying of Popsomuo." Mace Windu explained, a grim expression crossing his face.
"What could I have done?" I argued. "You know what he's done with the Serum, and what he would have done."
"We know Déshawn, you anger is better directed toward those now after you. They've laid a large bounty on your head, unfortunately 'dead or alive'." Windu sighed. "They want an example made of you to scare off potential opposition."
"Master Windu," Raena stepped forward. "Why not expose the Count for what he was and tell what his plans were? It would at least level the playing field."
"Because, the Federation has proof that we were incapacitated during this time. Attributing it to a 'ill disturbance in the force', making us sound as if we were sick and had no idea what we were doing." Master Adi Gallia spoke up from my left. "As much as we've argued, the courts will not believe us."
"This is why you, Déshawn, and Raena are being ordered into hiding. We've failed to convince them of your innocence and bounty hunters, police, and other forces have been deployed here to find you. You don't have much time." Windu explained in a more hurried tone.
"Leave this planet, you must. Guide you, we will not. To important you are, to be captured. Contact you, we will, when it is safe again." Yoda said waving his hand causing the doors to open.
"Because it is only you and Raena that are being targeted, only you two must hide. Trance, Shomari," Master Windu turned to the other two. "Help them in whatever way you can, then leave them on their own. A larger group is easier to track."
"Yes master," Raena and I bowed together.
"We will sir," Trance said in an unconventional way. "Your wish is my command."
"Of course masters." Shomari bowed, showing a surprising amount of respect.
"So, what was that about?" I asked Shomari as we were in my room looking around for anything I might have unpacked upon our return that I would need.
"What do you mean?" Shomari grabbed my practice blade and tossed it on my bed.
"You seemed pretty willing to do what the council wants this time around," I said smirking.
"You know Déshawn, that sniveling Taelin actually made me think. And I felt guilty when I did." Shomari started, piling smoke pellets into a small container and laying it next to my training sword. "He's right you know. You've taken the blame for all my recklessness and now it's time that I returned the favor in whatever way I can. And that's by doing what your council is saying now. Hiding you the best I can."
"So," Trance burst into the room. "All ready for your honeymoon?"
"Just about," I said clipping my light saber to my hip and tossing on my robe. "Got a nice beach picked out?"
"Tatooine." He said simply packing the strewn items into my opened luggage. "Best hiding place for anyone."
"A little easy to find though, that's why it attracts such smugglers and convicts isn't it?" I said warily.
"Come on Déshawn, you should know me better. I'm putting you underground," he smiled evilly. "I won't even be able to find you when I finish."
"As long as you're sure." I shrugged picking up my baggage.
Standing on the sunny landing pad Raena and I stood across from Trance and Shomari. Shomari looked almost unwilling to see me leave, while Trance was more optimistic, as he wore a small smirk on his face.
"Well Déshawn," he held out his hand. "See you when we dig up that evidence you two lovers need."
"Heh, don't make it over a month," I gave him a cocky smirk.
"3 weeks if I don't cut corners." Trance said. "The hard part will be presenting it so that you guys are off."
Suddenly, I felt a powerful surge of force from inside the temple. Looking up to the sky, I saw several ships landing in front of the Jedi Temple.
"They move fast." Raena commented in a small voice.
"How much are we worth?" I asked.
"Well, if you two don't leave soon, I might turn you in and retire." Trance laughed as he turned and went back into the Temple. "They aren't getting through this door for a long time." His light saber ignited enforcing his point.
"Shomari," I grabbed his attention in a hurried tone. "Don't forget what you and I talked about. You have to trace the Serum machine back to the owner of the same time as mom died."
"I'll phone in on every clue," he said grimly.
"We can't risk being traced," I indicatively tapped my temple. "But drop me a line anyways."
Shomari nodded and turned around running next to Trance reinforcing the 2-man defense of Raena and I. I figured the Council didn't interfere lest they should lose their weak foothold in the political realm. We rushed onto the ship and I took the main pilots seat while Raena sat next to me and booted up the systems.
"Engines?" I asked.
"Check."
"Navigation?"
"Check."
"Armory?"
"Check."
"Stabilizers?"
"Just go! They're right behind us."
"So much for by the book," I joked as I lifted the ship off and we soared off away from Coruscant into our unknown future.
Yes…this is the final chapter of this part of the series. If you can't tell, I'm definitely going to do a sequel, so worry not! It's in the works already.