Chapter 13 Saying Fairwell

Jesse held on to a handle as the gunship swooped down to fire on the battlefield, scattering droids. Mace Windu was giving instructions to the clone troopers, but for a minute there was a brief lull, and he turned to Jesse.

"So, what did you think of your first solo mission?" he asked.

Jesse flushed. This probably wasn't the best time, but something told him that it was now or never. "We weren't here the whole time."

Mace Windu looked up from the battlefield to his apprentice. "What do you mean?"

Jesse took a deep breath. "We went to Tatooine like I told you, but when we found out it was a false lead, we didn't leave." At Mace's questioning look he continued. "We met up with Anakin and Padme and learned from them that Obi-Wan was here, so we stayed with them instead of coming here."

"I see. And what were they doing on Tatooine?"

"Anakin was looking for his mother." Jessecringed at the can of worms this was opening up. "Ijust I felt I should stay; Anakin was going to do something stupid. And since Obi-Wan was here, I didn't think a short delay would hurt things too much. I guess I was wrong."

Mace regarded his padawan thoughtfully for a minute. "Maybe." He finally said. "Of course your mission is top priority, but you should always follow the Force. The key is knowing the difference between the Force and your own feelings."

"Yes, Master." Jesse said dutifully.

Mace smiled. "You won't be able to call me that much longer, will you?"

Jesse looked up. "What?"

"This mission was a test to see if you were ready for knighthood. Or did you forget?"

"No, but I thought I'd failed."

"Why?"

Why not? Jesse wanted to ask. He'd followed a false lead and when he'd discovered that it was false had gone off on a tangent instead of sticking to the mission, gotten captured and had to be rescued by half the Jedi order, had needed a thirteen year old to figure out what was happening, the list went on and on.

"You made some mistakes, but things turned out fine."

"I needed rescuing."

"Obi-Wan was out there too."

"Yes, but…" Why was he arguing?

"I'll wait until you give the report to make an official decision, and if you'd like you can take another test, but this was a highly irregular mission, Jesse. It caught us all at unawares."

Jesse nodded. "Yes, Master." He didn't know what else to say, so he went to the front with Kimmy.

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"Jesse, I want you, Kimmy, and Kitch to go into that gunship. It'll be safer." Mace Windu called after him as they approached the ground.

Jesse leaped off the ship and sprinted the several yards to the other ship with Kimmy and Kitch at his heels. As soon as their feet touched the floor it took off. Several other Jedi were switching ships in order to maintain a better strategy, but staying on the ground for more than a few minutes at a time was pretty much guaranteed to be fatal.

As they neared the edge of the battle in the gunship, Jesse noticed a speeder making across the vast expanse of sand.

"It's Dooku!" he realized.

Kitch shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand, trying to see better. "It is! There's a gunship going after him. I think it's the one Anakin was in."

"Follow it." Jesse told the clone trooper pilot. His comlink buzzed. "Yeah?" He hoped it wasn't Mace Windu. Now was not the time for another lesson on the correct protocol for answering a comm unit.

"Jesse, it's Anakin. Is that your gunship following Dooku?"

"Yes, we figured you might want a hand."

"Look!" Kimmy leaned over and pointed. "It's another speeder!"

"There's another speeder about fifteen degrees to the left." Anakin said.

"We'll get the other speeder; you keep on that one." Jesse once more spoke into the comlink.

"Roger. Out."

"Oh no." Even from the distance, Kitch recognized the man on the speeder.

Kimmy picked up on his distress immediately. "What's wrong Kitch?" she asked.

Kitch shook his head, but now Jesse's attention had been caught too. "Kitch, who is that?" he asked.

Kitch took a deep breath. "Sifo Dias." He said quietly. "Jesse I can explain…"

Jesse turned to look back at the speeder they were pursuing. "No, Kitch." He said, his voice low. "You're not the one who needs to."

As they flew, Jesse kept his gaze focused on the speeder, never looking away. His concentration kept Kimmy and Kitch from saying anything, and they flew in silence until the speeder came to a halt in front of some caves. As the transport touched the ground, Jesse sprang out and Kimmy and Kitch followed.

The man looked up as Jesse entered the cavern. His face went white. "Jesse." He cleared his throat. "You've grown quite a bit. What are they feeding you?" he gave a forced laugh.

More than anything Jesse wanted to run into his former master's arms. But he had a job to do.

"This isn't a social gathering." He said in an even tone. "It's a battle between their side and our side, and from what I've seen and heard, you're on their side."

"Do you really believe that?"

"It doesn't matter; that's not my job. The council will decide that."

"The council?" Sifo Dias looked up quickly.

"You're coming back with us to Coruscant."

"No, I'm not, I can't. Jesse," he took a step forward. "I've gone too far to go back."

"Then you can stand trial in the supreme court instead. It doesn't make any difference to me." At the look on his old master's face Jesse wished he hadn't added that last part, but it was true, to a degree. He was carefully keeping his feelings out of this for fear of them influencing his actions.

"Trial?" the ex-Jedi asked.

"You left the Jedi and yet continued to use their authority. Not only that of a Jedi,but the authority of a Jedi Master on the council. That's a crime."

Sifo Dias stepped away. "I'm not going back." He repeated.

Jesse activated his saber. "You don't have a choice."

Sifo Dias studied Jesse, trying to determine if he really meant it. Seeing the iron resolve in his eyes, he pulled out his own lightsaber.

"That's a Jedi's weapon." Jesse said.

"This is the first I've used it since I left."

"Liar." Kitch muttered, igniting his own weapon.

"Except once." Sifo Dias added, catching his mistake.

The three Jedi closed in on the ex-Master. Sifo Dias flipped in the air and swung toward Jesse, but at the last second turned and caught Kimmy. She fell to the ground, blood pulsing from her side.

Jesse didn't dare look, but Kitch did. Taking advantage of his distraction, Sifo Dias sent out bolts of electricity from his fingers, knocking Kitch against the wall. Jesse glanced over at Kitch then at Kimmy. Her blonde hair had fallen over her pale face, adding contrast to the crimson blood pooling beside her. With a leap Jesse swung at his old master, feeling something he had never known to be so powerful- anger. It was white hot, not quite hatred, but as close as you could get. Sifo Dias tried to fight, but he was no match for Jesse's unconquerable wrath as it lent him a speed and strength he had never thought possible.

From his spot on the floor Kitch saw Sifo Dias' lightsaber clatter to the floor and Jesse holding his own turquoise blade to the man's neck.

"You wouldn't kill me." He rasped.

"Don't count on it." Jesse muttered through clenched teeth.

Kitch tried to rise, but his limbs weren't obeying him.

Jesse tensed to deliver the killing blow. Suddenly he stopped. Merciful Force, what was he doing? He let his arm drop.

"You can add resisting arrest and bodily damage to two Jedi to the list of charges you'll answer to." He said, trying to keep his shaking voice steady.

"I already told you, I'm not going back." Sifo Dias was unsteady too, but he pulled himself up. "Either you're going to kill me, or I'm leaving." He called his fallen lightsaber to his hand and walked over to his speeder bike.

Jesse watched him for a moment then leaped forward in the air and aimed a blow directly at Sifo Dias' right arm. Sifo Dias spun and drew his lightsaber in lightning fast movements and tried to block the blow, which Jesse quickly diverted, and instead of hitting his arm, the saber came down on his neck,and Sifo Dias slumped to the floor.

Shock washed overJesse's mind like the waves of the ocean, numbing his senses to everything but the horror of it all. He turned away and noticed Kimmy. Using the Force he lifted her and placed her gently on the transport, but his mind was still reeling. He had killed his own master, a former Jedi. He had ended a life. Somehow he couldn't get past that fact. And why? All Jesse could remember was the blinding rage that had consumed him.

Kitch finally got his legs to cooperate and stood, albeit a little shakily. He cautiously approached Jesse.

"Take Kimmy back to the rest." Jesse said, his voice hollow, his eyes blank and distant.

"What about you?" Kitch asked.

Jesse turned and started to walk away. "What about me?"

Kitch shook his head. "Jesse, you did what you had to do."

"Kitch." Jesse's voice was low and deadly.

"I won't let you."

Jesse halted but didn't turn to face him. "Can you stop me?"

Kitch exhaled loudly, afraid that if he tried to hinder Jesse it would put him over the edge. "No." he finally said. "What should I tell Kimmy when she asks?"

Jesse paused in climbing on to the speeder, wishing he could look into her eyes one more time, but knowing if he did his resolve would melt.

"It doesn't matter." He said, climbing aboard and gunning the engine.

Kitch watched him go and then started the ship. He wanted to follow but, Kimmy needed medical attention.

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Back at the base the first thing Master Windu asked was where Jesse was.

"Gone." Kitch said, feeling like he'd somehow failed.

"Dead?"

Kitch shook his head. "No. Just gone."

Mace just stared ahead. He had worked so hard to train Jesse in the ways of the Force; in the way of the Jedi. But now, as he watched gunships roar in from the battle, he wondered who had failed, the master, or the apprentice.

That totally awesome ending sentence belongs to WizardJedi by the way. Everything thing else in this totally awesome chapter belongs to me. You know, I think I forgot to ask for reviews in the last chapter. Bad little me. So review. Please? One more chapter to go!