As Jacen and Garis prepared for their next journey to the Unknown Regions over the next two days, Nelani began spreading the word of the incident between herself and Garis to her fellow apprentices and the Knights there. Naturally, several Jedi whom Garis passed by would return whatever blank glances he gave them with suspicious glares.
And, at a few points, some apprentices even came straight up to Garis and threatened that they would kill him for the good of everyone else in the Jedi Temple, and in the Order overall, if he ever commenced anything similar to what happened with Nelani.
Garis remained silent about these threats to Jacen and to the other Masters; he had it lucky when Jacen managed to speak to the Masters Skywalker on his behalf and explained that it was Nelani who instigated the duel. And while she was confined to her quarters until after Garis departed for the Unknown Regions with Jacen, she had already told her friend, Seha Dorvald, and Seha, in turn, spread it to others.
Garis voiced no thanks, but inwardly, he was eternally grateful to his Master when the Solo Quest finally left the Jedi Temple and soared away from Denon.
The next few days of hyperspace travel aboard the Solo Quest were uneventful. In fact, they were so much so that Jacen and Garis scarcely spoke to each other; Jacen didn't even give his apprentice anymore lessons following the incident with Nelani.
Garis understood; as his Master told him before they left, the real test would lay on Csilla, where Jaina and Jag's wedding would take place. The only thing that lay in Garis's head throughout the trip was what the test that Jacen had for him there would be.
And that was what ran through Jacen's head, too. What would the test be? he wondered as he stared out at the star-streaked void of hyperspace before him. He doubted that he'd be "lucky" enough for some incident to start there that would test Garis's mettle in some way; what could possibly challenge Garis's patience in a way that Nelani Dinn hadn't already commenced?
Maybe Danni would be able to help him; while she was not a Jedi by any means, Jacen felt that he could use some amount of help.
After picking her, Tahiri Veila, and Tekli off from Zonama Sekot, Jacen explained his concerns to his lover in their private cabin as the Quest continued to speed through hyperspace for Csilla. When he was done, Danni laid a hand on Jacen's and said, "All I can say is have faith in your apprentice, Jacen. That's really all you can do aside from teaching him."
"That's what I'm afraid of, Danni," Jacen replied morosely.
Around the same time, Garis would meet again with Tahiri, who would frequent the Quest's galley to get some caf and food. He would try to talk to her, make small talk about whatever came to his mind that he felt was appropriate, but at the end of every encounter with her, she would be mostly non-responsive and leave the room to return to her quarters.
That began to make Garis feel very angry...
.
By the time the Quest landed within Csilla's underground city of Cshanalla, Jacen still hadn't come up with a plan to properly test Garis.
Really, what was he going to do? Everything he came up with was either a typical Jedi exercise or, even worse, the idea of letting Garis have fun; in the back of his mind, Jacen had conjured up a short speech about the test being that Garis should just have fun. But given his mental state, Jacen threw that idea away; for all he knew, having fun might result in someone getting hurt.
So then what would he tell Garis? That he simply couldn't come up with anything? How would his apprentice feel about that? Would he feel disappointed and angry that the great Jacen Solo couldn't come up with an idea to properly test Garis?
At the back of one of the two hovertaxis that were taking the Solo Quest party to Jaina and Jag's wedding, Jacen sighed inwardly; with Garis and Danni sitting at either side of him, he didn't want to appear too vulnerable as he already felt. He supposed that after the wedding, he would just have to face the music, tell Garis that he couldn't find a way to properly test him here, and go on hoping that maybe, someday, Garis would be a completely sane person and at least a half-decent Jedi.
Minutes after entering this taxi, Jacen, Danni, and Garis disembarked it before the community center where the wedding would be held. All three of them were dressed appropriately; Jacen and Garis wore plain yet simple dark tuxedos while, in Jacen's eyes, Danni radiated in a green shimmersilk dress that was handcrafted by clothesmaker on Zonama to be a more stylish version of her typical Sekotan garb.
As that taxi hovered away, the cab ferrying Tahiri and Tekli stopped alongside Jacen and his little entourage to dislodge its passengers. Tekli was dressed in a light blue robe that was appropriate for a wedding in the Chadra-Fan culture that the short alien had been born into. Tahiri, meanwhile, was dressed in a flowing red robe that was made of the same shimmersilk that Danni was dressed in.
Garis could barely look away from Tahiri as he followed the rest of them toward the community center; that dress on Tahiri, he now wanted more than ever to see what was beneath it...
But as quickly as those thoughts came to mind, Garis shut them out, hiding them as carefully from himself as he did even to his Master. Now was now the time to be having any sexual fantasies about one of Jacen's friends; and if he continued to dwell on them anyway, Garis realized, he would only feel more frustrated.
Oh, how he wanted to just make Nelani Dinn hurt back on Denon; to make her pay for insulting him, Jacen, and the idea of the Unifying Force! Confining her was not enough, he felt; she would have pleasant surroundings in her quarters, decent meals, and no true punishment that would make her understand the foibles of her actions.
Then there were all those other Jedi who gave him those dark stares; how dare they do that to him?! Why, he would have half a mind to stick a lightsaber down their throats and... and... somehow make them live through it if only to make them suffer for silently degrading him. Garis wondered if there was a Force-technique that Jacen could teach him to make that a possibility...
And now the fact that Tahiri Veila wouldn't respond to his advances, let alone they be negative responses... Again, Garis kept in mind to keep these thoughts and emotions out of Jacen's Force-awareness, which was easier than usual as he didn't feel his Master's probing touch trying to assess his apprentice's mental state. Garis figured that his Master must have his mind on something else, such as the happiness that he would feel for his sister after she became a Fel through marriage.
In any case, it was what allowed Garis to keep those thoughts in the back of his mind as he and the others entered the community center, took their seats, and waited for the ceremony to begin.
.
"Jagged Fel, Jaina Solo, I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Even before the Chiss reverend's sentence, which had been spoken in Basic given the bride and groom's human backgrounds, had been complete, Jaina had already taken Jag into her arms and kissed him deeply. It was only after the reverend had finished did everyone start clapping for the marriage that now united the Solo and Fel clans.
The following wedding dinner found itself going well; humans, Chiss, and members of other species who attended the wedding mingled here and there, and for the sake of the occasion, certain members of the Chiss, a typically proud and some would even say arrogant species, disregarded their usual demeanors for more lighthearted ones.
Han Solo, Soontir Fel, Wedge Antilles, Luke, and several members of Rogue Squadron chatted idly. Wedge and some of the others, like Wes Janson or Derek "Hobbie" Klivian, teased Han and Soontir about being fellow fathers-in-law. Han and Soontir each took it very lightly, and they, in turn, would trade jokes and barbs about how a former smuggler and Rebel Alliance member and an ex-Imperial officer (notwithstanding the fact that Han, too, was also an Imperial) were now united like this.
Elsewhere, Leia and Syal Antilles Fel, along with their friends like Winter Celchu, Mara, Danni, and others chatted in a more comradely fashion that was no less heartfelt than the men speaking to each other. Laughs were shared all around, how it was lovely that Leia and Syal were now a family, etc. Some attention was also paid to Danni about her expecting and how she was coming along.
And then there were the Jedi, primarily Jaina and Jacen's friends, who spoke to each other. Tekli, Lowbacca, Tesar Sebatyne, Raynar Thul (who was being escorted by Cilghal), and Alema Rar chatted idly around the table with Jaina and Jag, congratulating them for their union. Zekk, who had been such a close friend to Jaina that he was almost her boyfriend in the past, was also happy for the bride and her happiness with Jag. Only Tenel Ka Djo was unable to attend, as her duties as Queen Mother in the Hapes Consortium was taking up too much of her time.
And away from all of the general happiness, Jacen sat by himself at a table drinking some imported Corellian brandy, still thinking of how he was going to confront Garis about not coming up with anything to test him. He was glad that Danni was away from him right now and chatting with the other women, because he wasn't sure if he'd be able to help himself in spoiling the mood that Jaina and Jag's wedding had brought about; if he'd spilled his guts like that, he wasn't sure if he had the heart to tell Danni, Uncle Luke, Aunt Mara, and his parents that he was starting to feel unworthy of being a Jedi Master now.
But as Jacen thought of Garis, the apprentice himself, who was generally keeping to himself most of the time, and only gave the minimum of courteous greetings to the guests around him, soon found his attention drawn to Tahiri.
The blonde Knight was also keeping to herself, not even mingling with her friends around the bride and groom's table. She was simply wandering around, as if she were lost; though she kept up a suitably happy appearance on her face, Garis saw cracks in her facade, which he could also sense in her Force-presence, and felt the sadness beneath.
And he realized why that was so.
As that realization struck Garis's mind, which wasn't so much of a realization so much as a reminder from something that Nom Anor told him back on Zonama Sekot, he began following her inconspicuously. The female Knight was now heading toward the women's washroom, no doubt to cry; he felt that he should give her a reason not to. And along the way, even as he consciously made sure that Jacen and most, if not all, of the Jedi in this room could sense his intentions and emotions, Garis couldn't help but rudely push some guests out of his path; but thankfully for himself, he made sure that they were minor pushes, which were met only with glares of annoyance by the "victims." At one point in his short trek, Garis glared balefully at a waiter who tried to give him some champagne; the waiter promptly took the hint and got out of his way.
And all the while, Tahiri didn't sense him stalking her; even if he didn't have a shield up to prevent others from sensing what he intended to do, the older Knight was too distracted by her woes to notice her would-be attacker.
As soon as Tahiri entered the bathroom, she headed for an empty stall, sat down on the toilet, and began to silently sob.
But her crying was interrupted almost a minute later when the door to the stall was ripped away from its locked hinges. Tahiri looked up and saw Garis standing before her with a wicked grin.
"Garis!" Tahiri exclaimed. "What are you doing in here?"
Before Garis could answer, the other occupants of the washroom, all obviously female, began to peer out of their stalls or look from the washing sinks. The male looked out among all of them and waved an arm, saying, "All of you, leave."
Wordlessly, all of the other occupants vacated the washroom, and Tahiri watched in mild concern as the women left. After the last woman was gone, Garis unleashed a volley of Electric Judgement that welded the washroom door shut so no one else could get in... or out.
He looked back, his grin still in place, as Tahiri sat up from the toilet, her expression now set in determination to fend off whatever Garis meant to do to her.
"I can sense why you're so sad, Tahiri," Garis said. "Today reminds you of Anakin, doesn't it? It reminds you of the fact that you'll never be happy with him like Jaina is with Jag."
Tahiri's expression of concern contorted to one of indignation and anger. "What's it matter to you?"
Garis's grin lengthened. "I think I wanna help you with that."
He then sent out another volley of Electric Judgement, this time to Tahiri. Her body convulsed from the electricity that wracked her form, and after a few seconds, Garis cut off the volley, leaving a weakened, limp Tahiri who could do nothing as Garis approached her while unzipping his fly.
Once he was on her lap, his member completely erect and in line beneath her dress, he covered her mouth as she began screaming, muffling her terror from spreading outward, and growled, "Shut up. Shut up. I'm trying to help you." He repeated this over and over as he continued thrusting.
.
"Oh, I can sense him already," Leia said with a gleeful smile as she held her hand over Danni's stomach. The older woman then looked back up to the mother of her son's child. "He'll be strong in the Force. I can tell that already." The joy of the moment for herself, Danni, and Han who was also with them was heightened by the soft, chiming music played by the Chiss band in one corner of the ballroom. Around them, several of the guests were dancing with each other, if not simply sitting in the tables, lounging, talking, and drinking.
Danni gave Leia a nod and smile. "Hey, he's a Solo, right? If it isn't the Force that's strong in him, it'll probably be luck." She and Leia laughed lightly.
The other being with them, Han, also chuckled. He hesitated before saying, "So, Danni, since you're going to be the mother of one of my grandchildren, have you and Jacen considered to... I don't know..." He looked at Leia. "Honey, I think I'm going senile now. Can you remind me what Jaina and Jag just had today? I want Jacen and Danni to do that, too, and soon." His tone conveyed that even at his old age, he still wasn't going senile.
Leia gave her husband a tilted grin. "Han, if Jacen and Danni are thinking about marriage, I think either one of them would have brought it up to us by now." She looked back at the younger woman. "Right, Danni?"
"Jacen and I haven't discussed it," Danni said. "And to be honest, I don't think he's all that interested in proposing."
"He'd better get interested fast, 'cause if I'm gonna be a grandpa, I wanna be a legitimate grandpa," Han said.
"Han..." Leia patted her husband's arm to get him to calm down from launching into another one of his rants.
"Danni," Jacen's voice said.
She turned around to see her lover standing there with a smile on his face; a smile that belayed the uncertainty in him that Danni knew, by now, was a result of his handling of Garis.
"May I have this dance?" Jacen asked as he offered his hand to her.
"That dance had better end with you on a knee and giving her a ring," Han piped in.
"Oh, stop it," Leia said playfully. "Besides, it's Jaina and Jag's wedding! It's their special time now."
Jacen ignored his parents as he took a willing Danni away from Han and Leia, and began an appropriately slow waltz.
"He still on that?" Jacen asked her. "About me asking you?"
Danni shrugged. "What else can you expect from a traditionalist like your father, right?" Her tone was as playful as Leia's was.
"But you agree with him, don't you?" Jacen asked.
Danni's cheerful smile was quickly replaced by a slightly sad expression. "Somewhat," she said. "I kinda wanted this for a long time, Jacen. Not with you, necessarily, but even when I was concentrated solely on my work before the war, I always figured that I'd end up married and having kids before I died."
"Well, you'll certainly be having one kid, at least," Jacen said with a grin.
"That's for sure," Danni agreed. "But, look, I know you're not exactly one to adhere to traditions. So I get it if you don't want this."
"I agree, I don't exactly agree with marriage as an institution," Jacen said. "Especially after my travels. I mean, these days, people think that they're going to live the rest of their lives with each other, but when you have the option of divorce, which many people take, what does marriage really mean in the end?"
"I guess you're right," Danni agreed with a sad tone. She looked away from her lover.
"But that doesn't mean I'm not open to it," Jacen said.
Danni's expression lit up as she looked back at him. He gave her a slow nod accompanied by a trademark Solo grin.
But that grin was quickly replaced by one of worry. He tore his gaze away from Danni as he looked toward the women's washroom, where he was now noticing, along with a few extra people, that the door to that bathroom was somehow welded shut.
And inside, he could feel Garis's Force-presence, now unshielded from his usual protection, as he was doing something that was bringing terror in Tahiri's heart.
Without saying a word to his lover, Jacen quickly broke away from Danni and rushed over to the women's washroom, where he used the Force to blow the welded door into the washroom.
Carefully, he stepped inside as the entire wedding party shifted their focus on what was happening in the women's washroom; and there, they all saw Garis step out of one of the stalls, staring back at his Master with disdain.
"Garis," Jacen said, "what are you doing?"
"Trying to help Tahiri Veila," Garis said. "And release some of my own tension as well, Jacen."
"Jacen!" Tahiri's weakened voice cried. "Help!"
Silence permeated the air for a moment before Jacen finally sighed and said, "Garis, you have to come with me now."
"No," Garis replied.
"Garis, come with me now," Jacen ordered.
"Or what?" Garis asked.
Jacen hesitated. "Or I'll have to take you by force."
"Try it," Garis said as he unhooked the hilt of his lightsaber and activated the weapon.
"Very well," Jacen said as he unhooked and activated his own lightsaber.
The two of them then rushed each other and began clashing blades in an instant; the duel itself, however, lasted only a full ten seconds before Jacen managed to twirl his opponent's lightsaber out of Garis's hands. The weapon clattered out to a corner, and Jacen held his lightsaber up near his apprentice's throat.
"It's over, Garis," Jacen said in a defeated tone.
And everyone else outside the washroom understood why, in the midst of victory, Jacen felt like he had lost; he had failed as a Master, and he had failed to stop Garis from hurting one of his friends.