Chapter 35 The Uselessness of Lightsabers
"What? Where in blazes would they get that idea?" Obi-Wan wondered.
"Explain to them your opposition to the Council's sentence you did not; and shunned by you they think they have been." Yoda told them, "Sought them out you should have."
"We intended to, but we thought it better to wait until things settled down." Anakin said, "Now it appears we waited too long."
"Longer than you should have, yes." Yoda replied, "But lost all is not."
Obi-Wan wished he could be sure of that as he made brief eye contact with Zak on his way back to the kitchens. It wasn't even that Zak was angry or resentful, it was as if he had accepted, as an unbearably painful reality, that he was no longer worth training in Obi-Wan's eyes. It tore at Obi-Wan's heart that Zak could think such a thing.
"Speak with them you must." Yoda instructed both of them.
"And to the kitchen staff; public humiliation was not supposed to be part of this." Anakin added, "Unless Master Windu suddenly felt the need for it."
"I did not; and I have already spoken to the kitchen master. He assures me this was a misunderstanding on his part and will see to it that it does not happen again." Mace informed them, "I would also like to speak with both of them in private, with your permission of course."
"Since they are under suspension, the decision in no longer ours." Obi-Wan answered.
"Officially, it is not, Obi-Wan; but as far as I am concerned you are still their masters, and I would prefer to have your blessing to speak with them." Mace replied.
"Your decision to punish them so severely has already done its damage; I don't know what you can say to either of them that can fix that, but you have my leave to try." Obi-Wan said.
"Thank you; Anakin?" Mace requested.
"Go ahead, for all the good it will do now." Anakin answered with a shrug.
"For what it's worth, I'm beginning to believe this undetermined suspension period was improper." Mace admitted.
"Well, it's a little late for that now, Master Windu." Anakin retorted.
"Perhaps it is." Mace agreed.
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Zak and Ferri remained in the kitchens after the meal to load the soiled dishes, glasses and flatware into the washers and remove the remaining food from the hot tables. When the last of it had been stored in the refrigeration units, the kitchen master granted them leave to return to their quarters with instructions to return before dawn the following morning to help prepare the morning meal. With weary nods, they exited the kitchens and headed for the senior Padawans' wing and parted company at Ferri's quarters. With a sigh, Ferri hit his door control and stepped into his quarters. Mace Windu was seated at his workstation waiting for him, "Master Windu…I…I'm sorry about that tray, it just slipped out of my hands." Ferri stammered as he backed up against his door.
"I am not here about that tray, Padawan; you seemed to have forgotten this in the Council Chamber." Mace replied as he stood up and held Ferri's lightsaber out to him.
Ferri did not move to accept it, "I didn't forget it, Master Windu; since I am no longer in training, I have no use for it." He answered.
"Your training has been suspended, not terminated. There is no reason for you to lose your skills by not continuing to practice." Mace explained, continuing to offer the weapon to the blond-haired apprentice.
Ferri smiled sadly, "Suspension until further notice means there is no time limit, and that is not very much different than a termination; the Council could make it last a year or more, in which case, lightsaber skills will be of little use to me." He countered.
"Do you honestly think the Council would…well, I do not know why I am asking you; obviously you do." Mace replied with a sigh and shake of his head.
"I mean no offense, Master Windu; but why did you come here?" Ferri asked, "If you only wanted to return my weapon, all you had to do was leave it on my worktable."
"And if I had, what would you have done with it?" Mace asked.
"What I intend to do with it after you leave, take it down to Master Drallig." Ferri answered.
"This weapon? The one you put together yourself? What purpose would that serve?" Mace wondered.
"What purpose does it serve for me to keep it? It's no longer of any use to me." Ferri replied.
Mace sighed in frustration, "You are still a Jedi apprentice, that has not changed; once the Council feels you are ready to resume…." He began.
"See, that's it right there; what does that mean? Will they only think I'm ready when I tell them I will obey the law without question even if the end result is injustice?" Ferri cut him off, "I'm sorry, Master Windu, I can't do that."
"The Jedi have a duty to uphold the law; not break it when it suits them." Mace replied.
"I thought the Jedi stood for justice; I didn't know that meant only if the law allows it." Ferri said.
Mace sighed again, "I wish you had said that before the Council." He answered and then attached Ferri's weapon to his belt, "I think I will keep this until I know it will not end up in the wrong hands."
Ferri shrugged, "I don't mean to be rude, Master Windu, but I have been ordered to report to the kitchens very early tomorrow to help prepare the morning meal, and I should meditate before I go to bed." He explained.
"Very well; goodnight, Cortis." Mace replied as he moved to the door.
"Goodnight, Master Windu." Ferri answered.
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Zak sat on the floor crossed-legged; with eyes closed, he reached out through the Force searching for a calm center. It had taken the life-threatening injuries on Belarid for him to finally see that his place was at his master's side with the Jedi. But he had made a great error in judgment, according to the Council, and his master no longer felt he was worth training; after five years, it was difficult for Zak to accept, and so he had turned to the only refuge left to him. The sound of his door chime interrupted his meditation, and with great reluctance, he pulled back from the comfort of the Force just far enough to detect the presence of Mace Windu. Puzzled, Zak opened the door to the Horuun master and stepped out of his way to let him enter, "Have I done something wrong, Master Windu?" Zak wondered.
"Why is it every time I decide to pay a call on one of you, you always seem to think it is because you have done something wrong?" Mace asked.
"Mainly because that's the only time you seem to visit us, Master." Zak suggested.
"I see I have developed a rather nasty reputation." Mace realized.
"So if I haven't done anything wrong, why are you here?" Zak asked.
"Well, first of all, you left this in the Council Chamber, and I wanted to return it to you." Mace answered, unclipping Zak's lightsaber from his belt and holding it out to him.
"I don't need it any longer, Master Windu; that's why I left it behind." Zak replied.
"Do not be foolish; take it." Mace ordered, flicking the weapon at him.
"It would only gather dust here; maybe Master Drallig could use it in his classes." Zak suggested.
Mace shook his head, "I have not decided who is more stubborn, you or Ferri Cortis." He said.
"This has nothing to do with being obstinate, neither one of us has a use for a weapon anymore; we work in the kitchens. Now, if you were offering me a kitchen knife, that might be more useful." Zak answered.
"You know very well that is a temporary situation as part of your punishment for disobedience." Mace reminded him.
"Yes, a punishment that has no set end; we may be there for a very long time." Zak replied, "In which case, it would be better if I learned how to handle a knife rather than a lightsaber; unless, of course, the vegetables suddenly became capable of attack."
"You have developed your Master's wit." Mace observed, "Just how long do you think you will be in the kitchens?"
Zak smiled, "I don't know, and obviously the Council decided it didn't want us to know; that tells me that it must mean a very long time." He answered.
"The Council's choice not to put a limit on your suspension was done because they did not know how long it would take for you to be ready to resume your training." Mace explained.
"When did we become unready?" Zak asked.
"When you disobeyed your master's orders and continued to defy the law." Mace told him.
"I see; so when we decide we can never question the law, then we'll be fit to train again?" Zak presumed, "That will probably never happen."
"If the law is just, there should be no reason to question it." Mace replied.
"And who is to say whether it is or isn't in any given situation?" Zak asked.
Mace was silent for a moment, "That knowledge comes with experience." He finally answered, "And that is why you have masters, to teach you this."
"Well, I don't really have one anymore." Zak said, "So you might just as well take that and give it to Master Drallig."
"You are still Obi-Wan's apprentice, Zak; and you will need this sooner than you think." Mace insisted.
"I rather doubt that; Master Obi-Wan no longer thinks I am worth training." Zak replied.
"That is patently untrue, and he would be hurt to hear you say it; I will keep this for you until you are ready to accept it." Mace told him, "You have made a fine weapon, and it would be a waste for it to end up among Master Drallig's training sabers."
"Better that then not being used at all." Zak answered.
"Well, I have been informed by young Cortis that you have an early morning, so I will leave you to meditate." Mace said, brushing off Zak's last comment, "I am just sorry you and Ferri have chosen to give up so easily."
"The Council didn't really give us a choice." Zak replied.
Mace shook his head, and with a sigh, triggered the door and left.
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"And he said it just like that?" Obi-Wan asked with astonishment.
"Yes, his exact words were that you no longer think he is worth training." Mace confirmed.
"Why would he think such a thing?" Obi-Wan wondered.
"I would guess because you did not seem to be concerned that his training has been suspended indefinitely." Mace answered.
"Well, he should certainly know better than that." Obi-Wan replied, clearly upset.
"All he sees is that you did not oppose the Council's ruling, Obi-Wan; and to him, this means it doesn't matter to you whether or not you continue to train him." Mace explained.
Obi-Wan ran a hand through his hair, "He must know I could not openly oppose the Council in front of either him or Ferri." He countered with exasperation.
"Perhaps he will come to that understanding; but right now, he is hurt by your apparent indifference." Mace answered and then held out the weapon he had tried to return, "In any case, he will not take this; he told me to give it to Master Drallig."
"Blast it! How could this happen?" Obi-Wan exclaimed as he took possession of Zak's lightsaber.
"I don't know; but I am going to arrange a Council meeting for tomorrow morning to discuss this before we lose two very good Jedi." Mace said.
"And does Ferri feel the same way?" Anakin asked.
"Ferri feels that the Council will never consider him ready to resume training; he did not say that he believes you are no longer interested in training him, but that does not mean he may not also feel the way Zak does." Mace answered, "However, he did say if I left his lightsaber with him, he would give it to Cin."
"Well, if the other masters do not support putting an end to this nonsense, then I will resign from the Council." Anakin decided, "This punishment is causing more harm than good."
"I could not agree with you more, Anakin; if the Council chooses to do nothing, then I will resign." Mace replied.
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Dena's high spirits were quickly dampened when her soon-to-be former master revealed the punishment Zak and Ferri had been given for helping Boba; she had just returned to the Temple after dining with her parents when Ga'al reluctantly informed her of it, and only then because Dena told her she was going to hunt down her friends to find out how they fared with the Council. She, like her master, found it hard to believe the Council, who had been so compassionate and understanding with her, could be so hard and unfeeling toward her two friends. While she could understand the need for some kind of retribution for defying their masters and bending the law, it seemed an indefinite suspension was far too harsh a sentence. She considered telling Boba about it and then swiftly discarded the idea, knowing Boba would blame himself for their predicament. It just didn't seem right that she could be so happy when they were probably feeling as if their world had come to an end.
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The following morning, while Zak and Ferri were still toiling away in the kitchens, the Council convened at Mace Windu's request to discuss the consequences of the previous day's decision concerning the suspension of the two apprentices. While none of the opposing Council members were pleased their decision was being questioned, it became readily apparent soon after the meeting began, that the indefinite suspension had been a poor choice of sentence. Two hours later, as the boys were dragging themselves to their first lessons, they were ordered to report immediately to the Council Chamber. It was with trepidation they made their way to the Council spire suspecting they would receive a reprimand for their behavior toward one of the Council's senior members.