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"Because, I promised my mother," I said. "The very last words I told her was that I would 'protect Shomari no matter what it took'. And I intend to do just that."
"He'll be fine," she assured me.
"I know he will be," I threw on my black cloak. "Because I'm going to make sure of that."
I turned and quickly left the space pod before she got a chance to argue with me, but I hadn't planned on her chasing me.
"Then I'm coming with you," she decided.
I snickered incredulously and continued on leaving Raena behind me. I refused to allow her to put herself in pointless danger when only I needed to go.
"You can let me come with you," she flipped over me and landed in front of me pulling her robe back behind her light saber. "Or you can fight your way past me."
I stopped short, was she really that determined to stop me.
"You're not coming," I said waving my hand at her releasing a ripple of Force at her.
The resulting shockwave lifted her into the air and threw her against a tree roughly causing me to wince. Satisfied my message had finally gone through, I resumed my trip as the end of the forest was in plain view. I felt a flash of heat on my neck and leaped back slightly as a pink light saber buzzed into existence from the direction I'd just thrown Raena.
"Well if you feel that way about it," Raena sounded furious, but determinedly steady. "Then I guess you're staying here."
"Fine," I relented. This got her to put her light saber back. "You can come under two conditions."
"Which would be?"
"You stay in the crowd, hidden to the best of your abilities." I explained counting it off on my hand.
"And?"
"And you simply come back here when they arrest me after the trial and do NOTHING to help free me. Verbally, mentally, or physically." I emphasized the word nothing.
"You might as well leave me here!" she said.
"My point exactly," I stepped around her.
"Fine, I'll come. But if they try anything funny…" Raena trailed off.
"If they try anything funny, all you're entitled to do is laugh." I told her firmly.
"You've got this all figured out right?" Raena said.
"Not hardly," I admitted.
"And what happens when you find out the Federation is trying Shomari personally?" She pointed out.
"In the Senate building?" I asked. "They would have took him back to the Trade Federations headquarters."
"I guess you do," she grumbled.
I stepped onto the suspended platform next to Shomari in the large room. It was a huge dome like room with a massive, circular observation area for the curious audience and in the middle was the actual area where the case was held. The judge sat at a high desk that rose about a foot and half above the other desks, that sat across the platform facing the judge's desk. The defendant was on the right side, the accusation on the left, and behind the counselors was the door that lead to stairs down to the observation area. I could sense surprise and shock coming off of every single one in the room, except for one: Shomari's fury was obvious even to those not sensitive to the Force.
"Why!" he hissed to me as I took my place next to him. "Are you here?"
"Your honor," I began in a strong voice that echoed around the chambers. "Rather than have you wait for him to be assigned a counsel I will represent him."
"I'm going to ask for their representation," Shomari threatened. "You should be in hiding."
"Do as you wish. But I had hoped to accomplish something before I was arrested," I thought calmly back to Shomari.
"You've got to stop doing this!" was the last thought I heard from Shomari.
"And do you accept this representation?" the judge asked, giving no indication he knew who I was.
"Yes, your honor." Shomari reluctantly surrendered.
"Well then, let us begin."
After going through the initial routine the preceded all trials the case began. I could tell that it was not going to go well from the beginning, as the only witnesses to the incident were the accused, and droids: Federation droids. Even if the Federation hadn't programmed them, droid responses were extremely limited so I had to choose my words with the utmost of care. Aside from that, I couldn't sense droids thoughts so it was impossible for me to tell if it was the truth of Federation programming. However, I was assured that they had not been tampered with.
"I hope you didn't base your strategy on using our witnesses emotions," Shomari poked fun at me as I got up to cross-examine the first droid, who happened to command the unit.
I found it hard to cross-examine such an unintelligent and dependent witness. Many of my lines of questioning came to a dead end, such as "incorrect input" or "unauthorized information" which I noticed didn't seem to be a problem for my opposition. Many of the droids different responses seemed to be gauged towards displaying ignorance and some made the crowd laugh. As the case went on, and more and more droids were questioned, I started to feel humiliated at the Federation's obvious ridicule of me, in front of the jury. However, I did my best to hold my composure for my brother's sake. After several one-sided interviews with the droids, we were ordered to make our closing statement. The accusing counselor stood with a smirk on his face.
"It seems quite obvious the intentions of our defendant." He began in a booming voice. "This Jedi, was taking information to his Council that was geared to sway the Senates resolution that his brother, and Raena Colonya were justified in killing a well respected Count."
"Objection your honor," I held my voice at an even level. "I don't recall them finding any form of information on Shomari Jackson's person at the time of his arrest."
"Taken into account," the judge told me. "Continue."
This didn't seem to deter his reasoning line however. "This does not mean, however, that he did not have some information that was solely based on one side of an argument. Despite the Senate's clear restrictions that all information must take both parties into account. It is this information that he intended to take to the Jedi Council so that they could rely their information to Trance Pierson, their current representative in this shady case. I, personally, remained convinced that his family relations to Déshawn Jackson is what drove him to bring this illegitimate information to the Jedi Council."
"Hmm," Shomari mused in a quiet voice.
"What?" I whispered.
"He's focused on an opinion for his case," Shomari quietly responded.
"I think I have a more effective counter attack in mind," I assured him.
"I sincerely hope so," Shomari said as I stood up to deliver my closing argument. "Or you will have accomplished nothing by this ill-advised course of action."
"It seems to me," I began confidently. "That my respected opponent has an ill-advised view of what the title Jedi Knight entails. As a Jedi Knight, he has a certain responsibility to do his best to protect the galaxy. The Jedi Council is a simple hierarchy that meets and decides what course of action will effectively keep the galaxy safe. This means, that, should the Council required his services, he is to respond as soon as possible. Having been a Jedi for a while myself, I have found that at times when the Council summoned me, it required certain urgency in the response. Because he was researching a controversial subject means nothing. I'm sure the case being argued among the Senate has raised many questions for the people of Coruscant and that it has now become a commonly researched subject. But I wonder how many people were arrested because a droid thought they had information about it on them." At this point, I sensed several flashes of warmth roll through my body. Mainly my wrists, where handcuffs would be put, which signaled my impending arrest. I knew that by this time there were several droids waiting to arrest me outside the room already. I wrapped my argument up by paraphrasing my opposition's last sentences. "I, personally, remained convinced his loyalty to the Jedi Council drove him to the Council's door with such suspicious urgency. Seeing as he was in the Jedi Temple's archive room, it wouldn't be hard for the Council to summon him from there."
I sat down with a satisfied smirk on my face. I'd done my best to free my brother, and soon I would no longer have to run from something I did not fear.
"Brilliant," Shomari thought appreciatively in my mind.
"I can only hope you're not the only one with that opinion," I thought back apprehensively.
The judge stood up behind his desk, "because the Trade Federation has been granted some unorthodox authority in these unorthodox times. I feel the need to exercise my influence to the fullest extent I am allowed. I am going to contact your Jedi Council, and confirm that he was indeed summoned. If he was then he will be freed. If not, than he will be convicted."
"Master Yoda," I mentally called out to him.
"Know your wish, I already do." Yoda responded smoothly. "Need him, we did. Interrupted from coming to us, he was."
"Thank you Master," I thought back.
The judge sat down and pressed a few buttons on the controls behind his desk. After a few seconds, Master Windu's hologram faded into existence facing the judge, between the counselors and the judge.
"How may I help you your honor?" He asked in a convincingly confused voice.
"Have you recently summoned Jedi Knight Shomari Jackson to your chambers for any reason?" the judge asked purposely vague.
"Recent as in?" Mace Windu expertly indicated no previous knowledge of the current situation.
"Within the last two or three hours." The judge defined.
"Yes we have," Mace Windu said. "We wished to discuss his instatement as an agent of the Jedi Council."
"Very well," the judge said in a resigned voice. "Thank you for your cooperation."
"Anytime," Mace Windu nodded his head respectfully.
"We can't trust him!" the accusing counselor suddenly burst out.
"Silence," the judge ordered him. "Shomari Jackson will be released."
I let out a relieved breath of apprehension and sat back in a more relaxed posture. I felt satisfied as if I'd fulfilled my duty.
"Your welcome mom," I whispered to myself.
"Thank you Déshawn," Shomari stood up.
I matched him and squared up with him, "we're square."
I could sense Raena still in the crowd, surprisingly near the Federation droids that were about to arrest me. I turned and headed out of the courtroom, walking out of the door ahead of Shomari.
"Do not do a thing," I warned him.
"Halt," a mechanized voice told me from my right. "You're under arrest."
I faced the droid calmly and held out my arms to allow them to cuff me, "where am I going to be held?"
"On a private prison planet." It informed me as it placed the cuffs on my hand.
I nodded and allowed myself to be taken away without an argument as Shomari and Raena silently watched from the shadows. I knew they wouldn't allow me to stay on the Federation ship for long but I could only hope they would show the proper restraint required for the situation. I was comforted in the fact that I'd done everything I could to help those around me. I'd argued Shomari to innocence once again, I'd given Trance the information he needed, I'd made sure Raena was not arrested as well, and most importantly, I'd kept my last promise to my mother.
Another part in this endless series! Yay me! This cliffhanger is obviously going to lead into yet another sequel, so calm your worries lol