Chapter 18 A Good Feeling
Anakin left only after Forcing his ailing Padawan into sleep; it had been apparent that the boy would have gotten little rest if he had not. He made it as far as the turbo-lift before he was confronted by Ferri's parents, "We're taking him home, you know." Faleen informed him.
"I think you may be mistaken." Anakin replied, trying to remain civil.
"I don't think so; we have already arranged to meet with Master Yoda. Ferri has failed here; now it's time for him to do something useful with his life." Lexi said, "And there's nothing you can do to stop us."
"Why are you punishing him like this?" Anakin asked.
"It isn't punishment, Ferri has to learn to succeed at something, and being a Jedi is pretty much out of the question now; he might just as well start working now so he'll be able to support himself." Lexi answered.
Anakin shook his head in disgust, "So he failed to live up to your expectations and now you want to force him into manual labor; and you don't call that punishment?" He demanded, "You're sick, sir; and you don't even realize it."
"How dare you!" Lexi exclaimed, balling his fists.
"Have a care, Mr. Cortis." Anakin warned.
Lexi, however, ignored Anakin's warning and advanced on him; with a sigh, Anakin Force pushed him into the wall, "When you're ready to accept my help, you know where to find me; as to your son, he's my responsibility now and you're not taking him anywhere." He told them.
"What do you mean?" Faleen asked.
"I'm taking on his training; he's to become my apprentice." Anakin answered.
"Oh no; we forbid it." Lexi replied.
Anakin glared at him, "You are in no position to forbid anything. You've made enough of a mess with that boy already; I won't let you twist him any further." He said.
"Twist him? I don't know what you're talking about." Lexi claimed.
"You're lofty ambitions and impossibly high expectations have made Ferri jealous and resentful, and what he did on Myrkr was the end result." Anakin answered.
"That's ridiculous; we may have set high goals for him between us, but we never told him about them. And yes, we were also disappointed when he wasn't chosen by a more important master, but we never told him that either." Faleen protested.
"You did not have to tell him; he is Force sensitive and so is your husband." Anakin replied, "They apparently share a connection because of their blood tie; Ferri felt the pressure of your high standards and your disappointment when he failed to reach them."
"What a load of nonsense; I've never felt anything." Lexi denied.
"Not consciously; and neither has Ferri. But subconsciously, your feelings caused Ferri to develop a dangerous sense of insecurity; I could sense it, but I didn't know what was fueling it…until now." Anakin explained.
"You have no right to hold that boy. We know the rules; if we want him back, we can take him." Faleen said.
"What purpose would that serve?" Anakin asked.
"I don't think that is any of your business; we are grateful that you are helping Ferri recover, but we intend to take him home. Since the Jedi have no rule forbidding it, we will be leaving as soon as he is strong enough to travel." Lexi answered stubbornly.
"No, but the Jedi do have a rule against returning younglings and Padawans back to unhealthy homes." Anakin informed them as the lift door opened, "I think I have a strong case against the home Ferri will return to."
"You wouldn't dare." Faleen declared.
"Watch me." Anakin replied, entering the lift and closing the door before either of them could respond.
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"Master Skywalker, I think you might find this interesting." Jocasta Nu announced as Anakin hopped out of his speeder.
"Master Nu, I don't think I've ever seen you away from the archives." Anakin answered with a hint of amusement.
"You mind your manners, young Skywalker." Jocasta admonished.
"My apologies; what have you found?" Anakin asked.
"The Council requested that I check into whether Lexi Cortis was ever tested; and if he was, the reason why he was not taken into the Order." Master Nu answered.
"And what did you find?" Anakin asked, trying not to sound impatient.
"Well, here, look for yourself." The archivist replied, handing him a data pad.
Anakin scanned the data pad and raised an eyebrow, "Can I keep this for a bit?" He asked.
"Of course; just be sure to return it when you are finished. I lose enough data pads to the Padawans around here; they hardly ever remember to return them." Jocasta Nu replied in her normal stern tone.
"Yes, Master Nu; and thank you for the information." Anakin answered.
"I take it you found it interesting as well." Master Nu speculated.
"Oh yes; more than you can imagine." Anakin told her.
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"So Lexi's parents declined to have him trained." Obi-Wan said as he scanned the data pad.
"Yes, and read the rest of it." Anakin answered.
"Oh dear." Obi-Wan exclaimed, "I wonder if anyone else on the Council remembers this."
"I would think someone would; it sounds like it was a rather nasty incident." Anakin replied.
"Then we should go talk to them." Obi-Wan suggested.
"Yes." Anakin agreed.
An informal, impromptu meeting was held in the lower chamber less than an hour later at Anakin's request; if Lexi followed through and petitioned for Ferri's release, he and the Council had to find some way to block it. Ferri needed the Jedi…and Anakin needed Ferri; he was not about to give the boy up without a fight.
Yoda ran a hand over the top of his head, "Forgotten this I have not; but think it was passed I did." He said as he looked at the data pad.
"Then you do remember it." Anakin replied.
"Yes, I remember it as well; I could never understand why Lexi's parents told him about it in the first place." Mace added.
"You mean they refused to let us take him for training, and then they told him?" Luminara Unduli asked.
"Apparently, he did something out of the ordinary and then when he asked his father about it, his father told him." Mace answered, "Lexi was about 12 or 13 then, wasn't he?"
"That sounds about right." Ki-Adi Mundi concurred, "How he got here, we were never able to find out."
"So he came here hoping the Order would take him in for training?" Shaak Ti asked.
"Yes, and, of course, we could not; he was not only too old to begin training, he was still under his parents' authority, and they had already denied us the opportunity of training him." Mace told them, "And when he turned violent, we knew our decision had been the right one."
"I read that part, but I don't remember it." Obi-Wan said, "And I certainly should have, I would have been about 14."
"With Qui-Gon you were, away from the Temple." Yoda told him.
"We were finally able to calm him down; and when his parents arrived to claim him, he had resigned himself to accepting he could not be a Jedi. Years later, when his son was born, he contacted us to ask if Jedi tendencies could be hereditary; when he was informed that they were, he was ecstatic and requested that we test the boy. Of course we did, never knowing what Lexi's motivation was; and unfortunately, young Ferri has paid a heavy price. Had we known what Lexi was thinking, or realized that he had a connection to his son, we could have dealt with it before so much damage was done." Mace explained.
"So the question is, what do we do now?" Anakin asked, "Lexi and Faleen are bound and determined to take Ferri home; as far as they are concerned, he failed and now they want him to go to work and learn a trade so he can earn a living."
"So he is being punished for what they perceive to be failure?" Stass Allie asked.
Anakin nodded.
"Tell them that continue his training you will, did you?" Yoda asked.
"Yes, but they said they will forbid me to do it; they are coming here to petition for his release from the Order. We can't let him go back with them; Lexi's disappointment in him is…palpable; I could feel it, and I'm sure poor Ferri can feel it too. I just can't imagine what it will do to him if he has to endure living with that constantly until he is old enough to leave….if he even manages to keep his sanity that long." Anakin answered.
"So you're saying we should deny them because they are unfit?" Ki-Adi asked, "That is a very serious accusation; I understand what Ferri will have to face, but are we in any position to stop them?"
Anakin pounded his fist on the table, "There must be something we can do." He said, shoving his chair back and standing up.
"Calmly, Anakin; other, more gentle ways there are to go about this." Yoda told him.
Anakin shook his head, unconvinced.
"You're love, Anakin; a powerful tool it is." Yoda said.
"I don't think I have that anymore; not since…" Anakin replied and looked down at the floor.
"Yes, you do; we can still feel it, Anakin." Adi Gallia assured him.
"Excuse me, Master Yoda; but Mr. and Mrs. Cortis are here to speak with you." A voice sounded over the com system.
"With them shortly we shall be." Yoda answered, "It seems that settle this now, we must."
Seated comfortably in one of the rooms reserved for visitors, Lexi Cortis and his wife waited for the Jedi Masters to present their case for removing Ferri from the Order. He had no doubt that the Council would attempt to dissuade him, but he and Faleen had already decided what to do. The fact that he might not have Ferri's best interests at heart did not matter to him; Ferri failed, Ferri must go home, it was that simple. They did not even stand up when Yoda and Obi-Wan entered the room, "I'm sure your Master Skywalker has informed you of our decision." Lexi began.
"Oh yes; but we would like to hear from you just why you think it is necessary." Obi-Wan replied.
"It's necessary because it's what we want. You don't need any other reason." Lexi answered curtly.
"Do you really care about the boy, or are you just punishing him for failing in your eyes?" Obi-Wan asked.
"What do you care?" Faleen asked bitterly, "You didn't want him anyway."
"You have no understanding of the process of choosing an apprentice, do you; and whether or not I chose him has no bearing on my concern his welfare." Obi-Wan told her, "Now, can you answer my question, or can take it your intent is to punish him?"
"He failed; what point is there for him to continue here as a failure?" Lexi asked.
Obi-Wan shook his head, "Being removed from training does not…there are other ways to serve the Jedi aside from Knighthood; it was thought his path might lie in a different direction. It certainly does not make him a failure." He answered.
"And agreed we have to continue his training under Anakin's Skywalker's watchful eye." Yoda added.
"Then you're just setting him up to fail again; what do you think that will to do us…uh...him?" Lexi asked.
"Do to you? Think about what you said and tell me again that you have Ferri's best interests at heart." Obi-Wan replied, "His whole life Ferri has been under pressure from you to succeed; first he failed when I did not choose him and then he failed utterly when his rank was taken from him. No wonder he is so confused; you have made a mess of him."
"We haven't even had any contact with him until the ruling was changed; how could we possibly be responsible for what he has become?" Faleen demanded.
"Did you know your husband is latently Force sensitive?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Well, that's what Skywalker claimed." Faleen answered.
"More than a claim it is; tested as a child he was and his parents, give him up they would not." Yoda explained.
Faleen looked at her husband who looked away, "Lexi? You never told me that." She said.
"What difference does it make? It happened a long time ago." Lexi answered.
"It makes a big difference, because when you found out, you ran away and came here, didn't you." Obi-Wan replied.
Lexi stared at the floor and remained silent, "You were denied training, but you decided that when you had a child, that child was going to do what was refused to you, isn't that right?" Obi-Wan continued.
"So, I wanted to be sure that Ferri got what…but I never told him anything, I swear." Lexi insisted.
"Anakin tried to explain what happened; you are Force sensitive and even if you're not aware of it, you share a bond with your son. Your high ambitions for him became his and when he couldn't achieve them, he felt not only your disappointment but his own as well. Instead of striving to be the best Jedi he could, he wanted to be better than any other Jedi; he turned resentful and jealous, but he didn't understand that it wasn't really him, it was you." Obi-Wan went on.
"No, that's not true." Lexi denied as he glared at Obi-Wan.
"Isn't it?" Obi-Wan asked, his gray blue eyes boring into him as he connected with Anakin, who was standing outside in the corridor.
Lexi felt a sudden warmth and shifted uncomfortably, "No, it's not." He denied again, although he didn't sound quite so sure of himself.
"What's the matter, Lexi?" Obi-Wan asked, feeling Anakin's power merging with his, holding it briefly and then letting it surge from him into Ferri's father.
Lexi took a sharp intake of breath and tried to stand, "Wha…" He was all he could manage as he stared in shock at Obi-Wan.
"That is what you will be denying Ferri if you take him from us." Obi-Wan answered, "Anakin?"
The door slid open and Anakin entered, "Can you, in good conscience, force Ferri to give that up?" He asked with his arms folded across his chest.
"I…" Lexi looked at him and then at Obi-Wan and then down at the floor, "No." He admitted.
"No, I didn't think so." Anakin replied.
"What if he fails?" Lexi asked.
"He won't if I can help him understand what happened between the two of you." Anakin answered, "And even if he does not become a Knight, it does not mean he failed, only that his path was a different one."
Lexi sighed heavily and nodded, "I know, your friend told me that already." He replied.
"Maybe we should….Lexi?" Faleen began.
Lexi sighed again, "Maybe it would be wrong to take him with us." He said.
"There is one thing we are going to have to do before you go; I don't want to do it, but I think it would be for the best." Anakin told them.
Lexi looked at him questioningly.
"Sever you bond with him, you must." Yoda answered.
"But I don't even know it's there." Lexi protested.
"Oh it's there, alright." Anakin assured him, "I know you can't feel it, and neither can Ferri; it's a dangerous bond because I don't think you will ever lose that feeling of failure you have because you could not be trained as a Jedi. Master Kenobi and I can help you break the connection with him."
Faleen put her hand over Lexi's, "It's for the best, Lexi." She said.
Lexi looked at her, turned his hand over to grasp hers and then nodded, "Alright, if you think it's necessary." He conceded.
A week later, Ferri stood, once again, in the center of the Council Chamber. He was still weak and he had a long way to go before he would be fit for any missions, but he was well on the way to complete recovery. His parents had said their goodbyes and returned home several days earlier. Ferri could not deny that he was not sorry to see them go; despite Master Skywalker's promise to train him, he continued to worry that they would demand to take him back anyway. But here he stood before the whole Council, and he had never been happier in his young life. Eleven of the twelve seats were occupied as Mace called the session to order, "Ferri Cortis, you stand before the Council today at our request; do you know why you have been summoned?" He asked.
"Yes, Master." Ferri answered.
"Are you prepared to face the difficulty and responsibility that comes with being a Jedi's apprentice?" Ki-Adi Mundi asked.
"Yes, Master." Ferri confirmed.
"And can you say, with confidence, that you will uphold the Code to the best of your ability?" Plo Koon asked.
"I will, yes, Master." Ferri replied.
"Master Skywalker, are you prepared to take on the task of training an apprentice?" Mace asked.
"Yes, Master Windu." Anakin answered, putting a hand on the shoulder of the boy standing next to him.
"And you are aware of the hardships and responsibilities that go with this duty?" Adi Gallia asked.
"I am, Master Gallia." Anakin told her.
"Done it is then. To Master Skywalker, you are apprenticed, Ferri Cortis; learn from him, listen to his counsel so that one day, a Knight you will be. Teach your Padawan well, Anakin Skywalker; show him the ways of the Force and guide him to Knighthood. Bound you are now as Master and Apprentice." Yoda announced.
Anakin squeezed Ferri's shoulder and Ferri looked up at him, "Thank you, Master." He said.
"Don't thank me yet, we have…." Anakin began.
"…a long way to go." Ferri finished.
Zak was standing outside the Chamber when the door slid open; one by one or in pairs, the Council Masters drifted out. Anakin Skywalker, his new apprentice and Zak's own master were the last to leave. Obi-Wan smiled at his apprentice and put a hand on his back and guided him toward the turbo lift. Anakin and Ferri followed close behind and Obi-Wan could sense the elation and joy emanating from his former Padawan. He turned to look at him, "It's a good feeling, isn't it." He said.
Anakin smiled, looked down at Ferri and then back at Obi-Wan, "Oh yes." He answered, squeezing Ferri's shoulder, "Oh yes."
Well, this is the end of another story; I know you are probably wondering if there will be another one, and there is, but I am going to take a hiatus before posting it some time after the new year. Again, I want to thank all those who read this one and posted reviews for it. I am grateful to each and every one of you, and to those who took the time to read it and decided not to leave a review for whatever reason. Some time in January, I will begin posting my latest story, one that I am currently still working on, "The Assassin" which takes place about four years after this one ended. I hope that you all return then and continue reading. Once more, thank you for you interest. Happy Holidays!