Chapter 33 Until Further Notice

Ferri jumped at the summons and then hesitated as he looked over to Zak for support, "That didn't sound very encouraging." He said.

"It wasn't meant to; we broke the law, Ferri." Zak replied.

Ferri sighed, "Don't remind me." He answered.

"Padawan Cortis, we are waiting for you." Mace called out sternly.

With a shake of his head and a deep breath, Ferri turned toward the open doorway and stepped into the Council Chamber. The door did not slide shut immediately, and it only took a moment for Zak to realize he and Ferri would probably be facing the Council together. He closed his eyes, took a deep cleansing breath, knowing he was about to be called, "Zak Perrin, you will join us as well." Mace commanded.

"Alright, Zak; time to face the music." Zak told himself as he stood up, straightened his tunic and entered the chamber.

The door slid closed behind him.

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Boba fumbled nervously as he tried to smooth out a wrinkle that had suddenly appeared in his freshly pressed tunic, "Relax, Son." Bail told him.

"I can't; what if they decide I'm not good enough?" Boba wondered and then caught a reflection of himself in window, "Stars, I look like a ruffian."

"Oh stop it; you do not." Breha assured him, coming up behind him, "You look very handsome."

Boba shook his head, "You would say that; you're my mother." He replied.

Breha smiled, "Even so, I have very good taste in men." She answered as she placed a hand on Bail's arm.

"Oh no, I've got a scuff on my boot. Blast it!" Boba observed.

"Will you calm down; they are not going to turn you away for having a scuffed boot." Bail said, "However, I am sure they will not be very impressed if you are not punctual."

"Right; yes, of course…." Boba agreed and bounded toward the door.

"Well, wait for us." Breha admonished, "You know Bail is not moving quickly."

"Oh, sorry." Boba replied apologetically.

"Boba, do you want this?" Gemma asked, holding his cloak out to him.

"Yes, I almost forgot that; thank you, Gem." Boba answered as he took the cloak, "Are you sure I look presentable enough?"

"For pity's sake, yes." Breha told him, "Now shall we go?"

Boba nodded and together, the family headed out to the waiting shuttle.

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Dena's parents were already waiting for her in the visitors' lounge when she and Master Heth made their way down from the spire where the Council Chamber was located. Both of them stood to greet her as she entered the lounge, "How did it go?" Elena asked as she put her arms around her.

Dena sighed, "Alright, I guess; I was glad Master Heth was there with me." She answered.

"I didn't do anything, Padawan." Ga'al said.

"You were there; that was enough." Dena told her.

"What did they say?" Ovan asked.

After a great deal of explaining; Dena was finally able to help her parents understand why it was still necessary for her to leave the Order when Anakin Skywalker had, not only been allowed to remain, but had been elevated to the position of Council Master. Calmly, Ga'al Heth informed them of the prophecy, and Anakin's important role in fulfilling it; his marriage and family, Ga'al told them, had been the will of the Force. Dena told them her decision to leave the Order was, similarly, the Force's will.

"I still cannot understand how they can just turn their backs on you just like that after all the time you have been with them." Ovan said.

"Oh, Father, they are not turning their backs on me; Master Kenobi made that very clear." Dena assured him, "I will be an affiliate; in a way, I'm not really leaving at all."

"What does that mean, Dena?" Elena wondered.

"It means I can serve them in another way other than being a Jedi." Dena answered.

"Then you will not be able to remain here?" Ovan asked.

"No, Father; but the Force will provide, and I'll be alright." Dena assured him.

Ovan shook his head, "I am still not sure you are making the right choice; you are so young." He said.

"When you meet Boba, you will know how right it is." Dena told him.

"And when are we going to meet him?" Elena asked, "I thought he would be here by now."

"I wasn't sure how long I would be with the Council; he isn't late, if that's what you were thinking." Dena answered.

An initiate peeked into the room, "Excuse me, Master Heth? I was told to inform you that the Chancellor and his family have arrived." He announced.

"Thank you; we will be down shortly." Ga'al replied.

"Yes, Master." The boy answered, then bowed and left.

"There, you see; I told you he wouldn't be late." Dena said triumphantly.

"I am rather surprised the Chancellor has come." Ovan observed as he followed Ga'al and his daughter out of the lounge.

"I told you the Chancellor is like his father; didn't you believe me?" Dena asked.

Ovan didn't answer as they walked toward the entrance corridor.

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Zak and Ferri stood together surrounded by the twelve members of the Jedi Council who regarded them silently for several very long minutes; Ferri shifted uneasily, which seemed to be what they had been waiting for. Mace cleared his throat, "Do you understand the reason why you have been asked to stand before the Council?" He asked.

"Yes, Master Windu." Both apprentices answered simultaneously.

"Violating the law is a serious offense; you are both fortunate that you were not arrested…or worse." Plo Koon told them.

"We know that, Master Koon; but we believe there were extenuating…." Ferri began.

"There is never a good reason to break the law, Padawan Cortis; as Jedi we are sworn to uphold it." Luminara Unduli stated, cutting him off.

Zak shook his head, "With all due respect, sometimes…." He started.

"You were not given leave to speak, Padawan Perrin." Eeth Koth interrupted with a wave of his hand.

Zak sighed and looked down at the floor while Ferri looked with uncertainty toward his master; Master Koth's reprimand countered what they had been told would be permitted.

Mace clenched his jaw; he was all for discipline, and agreed the two should face some kind of punishment, but not without a chance to explain their actions so that the Council could help them to understand why they had been wrong; and they had all agreed beforehand to allow the pair to freely speak to the Council. Both apprentices had been informed of this by their masters, and now it appeared as if the Council had rescinded that agreement.

Obi-Wan shook his head; Zak had always strived to proceed correctly when he faced the Council. Now, Obi-Wan sensed his Padawan's confusion, it seemed he had failed even though he had been told he could speak freely during this session; Zak's feeling of failure hit him in waves. So great was Zak's shame, that he would not even raise his eyes to meet his master's; he had always taken his failures to heart, and now he was feeling he had let his master down. It tore at Obi-Wan, and he sent a wave of reassurance through their bond, but he sensed it did little to lift the young man's flagging spirit.

Anakin smiled encouragingly at Ferri as Obi-Wan turned to address the Zabrak master, "Master Koth, I must have misunderstood our decision; I had thought we would allow them to speak freely before the Council at this time. Master Skywalker and I both informed our apprentices of this; had Zak known it would not be permitted, he would not have spoken out." Obi-Wan said, wishing Zak would raise his head to look at him.

"You are right, of course, Master Kenobi; I am just unused to this change in Council protocol." Eeth replied, although it was evident that he had not been happy with the change when it had been agreed upon, "I apologize, Padawan Perrin; you may proceed."

But Zak merely shook his head as he continued to stare at the floor and Obi-Wan sighed; he had been Zak's master long enough to know that once Zak had been put in his place, he not be easily moved out of it.

"I believe what Zak was trying to say was that sometimes we have to bend the law a little." Ferri interjected.

Mace raised an eyebrow, "And just how, young Cortis, do you explain the difference between bending and breaking the law?" He asked.

"Well, we intended to bring Boba in; that's what we were doing when Black confronted us. It's just that we…delayed it for a little while." Ferri explained.

"I see; but in the meantime, you put both Master Skywalker and Master Kenobi in a very uncomfortable position." Mace replied.

"And you put both yourselves and Boba Fett in a very dangerous one." Ki-Adi Mundi.

Yoda, who had sat silently listening, tapped his stick on the floor, "What think you, young Perrin?" He asked.

For a moment, Zak said nothing, "I believe a Jedi's life is not without risks; when we chose to help Boba catch Black instead of turning him in, Ferri and I knew what we were risking. And we knew we would probably end up here." He finally answered, raising his eyes for the first time since Eeth's reprimand, "We took that risk because we felt at the time it was the right thing to do."

"And what think you now, of this risk?" Yoda wondered.

"I don't know; there might have been a better way." Zak admitted, "But I don't know what that would have been."

"You should have trusted us, Zak." Obi-Wan told him, "We've talked about this."

Zak nodded, but did not verbally agree, "Master Kenobi, if we had trusted you, what would you have had us do?" Ferri asked.

"Obey the law." Anakin told him.

"And turn Boba in; then he would probably be on his way to Kessel by now because Black would have never been caught." Ferri argued.

"You do not know that." Eeth Koth countered.

"The evidence was stacked against him, and there was no other suspect." Ferri answered with a shake of head his.

"I believe what Master Koth is saying is that the Force may have provided another way to find Black." Adi Gallia suggested.

"I think I was listening to the will of the Force." Ferri replied.

"Were you, Padawan? Or were you listening to Boba when he called you a traitor?" Anakin asked.

Ferri furrowed his brow as he regarded his master, "I don't know, Master." He admitted after a moment as he recalled their earlier conversation.

"But how else would we have found the real assassin?" Zak asked.

"The Council may have come through with a similar plan; but because you refused to bring Boba into custody, you had no idea what we might have been planning." Stass Allie answered.

"If that had been the case, my master would have told me." Zak insisted.

A muscle in Mace's jaw ticked, "Nevertheless, both of you were in defiance of your masters, and in defiance of the law in harboring Boba Fett; in doing so regardless of the outcome, you risked serious injury to both yourselves and to Boba. The Vice Chancellor has chosen magnanimously to overlook your transgressions and will not press charges against either of you since the real assassin is now in custody. However, the Jedi Council cannot tolerate such behavior." He explained sternly.

Zak closed his eyes, here it comes, he thought.

"Therefore, it has been decided that your apprenticeships will be suspended and you will be restricted to remain within the Temple until further notice." Mace went on.

Ferri staggered back as the impact of Mace's words hit him; it was happening all over again, and this time for doing something he believed to be right, it wasn't fair. Zak was shocked into silence, he had not fooled himself into believing there would be no consequences, but to be…suspended…it was unbelievable.

"You will use this time to meditate about the seriousness of disobedience and you will report to the kitchens to work for five hours each day." Mace continued, "If it seems we are being overly harsh, you must remember your positions, not only as older Padawans, but the Padawans of two very prominent Council Members. The younglings and initiates look up to you, and you have the responsibility of being role models to them. If you show defiance, what kind of example are you setting?"

Zak nodded as his hand fumbled for the weapon hanging from his belt; next to him, Ferri did the same as the numbing shock slowly dissipated.

Obi-Wan shook his head, "That will not be necessary." He told them.

But Zak ignored him and stepped forward, holding his precious lightsaber out to him, "Until further notice could be a very long time, Master." He said quietly.

"And it could be a very short time, Padawan." Obi-Wan replied.

When Obi-Wan refused to take it, Zak sighed, squatted down and placed it on the floor in front of Obi-Wan's seat before stepping back to the center of the Council circle.

Ferri laid his on the floor in front of him when Anakin similarly refused it.

Yoda shook his head sadly and sighed, "To my private meditation room you will go." He instructed.

Both of them nodded, bowed and removed themselves from the Chamber.

"I had not expected them to be so devastated." Plo Koon said when they were gone.

"Suspended until further notice gives them an uncertain future; Anakin and I both felt that was unduly harsh." Obi-Wan replied as he looked down at Zak's discarded lightsaber.

"Perhaps this uncertainty will make them see the error of defiance more readily." Eeth Koth suggested.

"Or make them unsure about making the decisions they will need to make for themselves. Ferri faced termination four years ago; for him, this is not much different. I think it's unnecessarily cruel." Anakin said.

"Then what would you have us do, Master Skywalker? Reward them for their defiance?" Shaak Ti asked.

"No, but the period of their suspension should have been a set time; as Obi-Wan and I suggested." Anakin answered.

"And were overruled, Anakin." Adi Gallia reminded him.

Obi-Wan shook his head, "As has been pointed out before, the Council is not always right." He said, "In all honesty, I do not know how this will affect Zak; it may do more harm than good."

"The ruling has been made; I am sure you will be able to help him through it." Stass Allie replied.

"How long is 'until further notice'?" Anakin wondered, "No one was very clear about that."

"Long enough for them to…" Mace began.

"To see the error of their defiance, yes; but how long is long enough, Master Windu?" Obi-Wan asked, "A week, a month, six months? How long are our Padawans to face this uncertain future you have sentenced them to?"

"That cannot be determined." Ki-Adi Mundi answered, "As it depends on your Padawans."

"No more than a month, this suspension should be, and perhaps too long that is." Yoda decided, "Weary I am that always my counsel disregarded is."

As always, Yoda's words silenced the rest of the Council, "Over this session is; two Padawans I must see." He announced, effectively ending any further discussion.