Chapter 36: Together

"Your brother says that we shouldn't trust you."

Jas gave the Bothan an arched look. It was a bit surprising that she would openly admit such a statement, but maybe it should not have been, considering who he was speaking to.

Trace Sei'lya was not the type to talk around an issue. Her bluntness had gotten her into trouble more than once as both a youngling, and as a Jedi Knight, or so the tales told about her had said.

"Really," he replied, "And what else did my dear brother have to say?"

The Bothan's cream colored fur rippled, The single golden ring around her left eye shimmered in the neon lights of the capitol city.

"He believes that you have allowed your attachment to blind you to the truth of the matter regarding the Bantoon succession. That you would deny the greater good, and, as a result, bring harm and shame to the Republic."

The Bothan paused mid step, she turned to him, meeting his even gaze with one of her own.

"Do you agree with this statement, or is your brother mistaken?"

Jas frowned slightly. He considered what was asked, and was not quick in answering.

Though far from a criminal charge, Sy's statement was one way of looking at the Bantoon situation, he supposed, and Jas realized that he should at least consider what was being said. He could not deny his attachments, and would not do it.

Were they harmful though…?

…that was the true question.

IOI

The Jedi arrival had not been a matter of coincidence. Master Trace had been coming to speak with Vess, on the council's request. V'Lek had been asked to come along, considering his history with her, to show her a friendly face.

Sy had invited himself, given his involvement in the matter. Jas would have rather not seen him tag along, but Master Trace had allowed it.

He wondered if she understood just how much bad feelings remained between Vess, Val, and Sy. Sy blamed them for the destruction of the Righteous, he still saw Jas as the one most responsible, claiming that Targo Sei wouldn't have gotten involved had his former clan mate not been there.

The three Jedi had entered the lobby of 500 República just as Mirax Fallenstar had. The bounty hunter had just arrived, bringing information for Vess. Sy had not been happy to see her, given what had happened on Alderaan, resulting in the scene that had distracted Val, causing her to call him while he and Vess had been…alone.

Good fortune that, or just the Force taking a hand in protecting Vess. A hand that Jas was grateful for, if any on the council would see it that way, he could not be sure.

Jas shook his head.

Sy still thought him unworthy of trust, an enemy of the order.

He turned to look over the city. When Master Trace asked to speak with him alone, he had let her take the lead. She had led him out onto one of the many terraces that dotted the surface of 500 República; this one only two floors above where the recent battle had been waged. If Jas looked down and to the left her could see The Rist apartment, and the smoke still drifting from the open doors. Two of the mercenaries had managed to fall back when Master Trace and Sy had arrived, they had been heading for the secret exit, but had been cut off.

Jas' eyes narrowed.

The intruders had had a lot of good info, not only about the Rist apartment, but the building as well. The attack itself had been carried out by two full assault teams, twenty-four troopers in all. While one squad had attacked the apartment, a second had been lying in wait, in case he and Vess had managed to make it down to the lower exits.

Again, the amount of information they had possessed had proved this was no mere lark. This attack had been well-funded and well-planned, much like the attack on the north mountains of Alderaan had been.

Jas looked at the Jedi Master, the Bothan's question remained unanswered. She awaited his answer.

He did his best to try.

"My brother is…entitled to his opinions. I am attached to Vessaria, and her cause. As for the greater good of the Republic, I've always preferred to deal with a single tree than the whole forest."

"So, you believe that your brother is right?" the Bothan gave him a surprised look.

Jas shrugged.

"From a certain point of view, yes. Sy has always been one who cares more about the greater good, the big picture. Such people are necessary, they get things done, but they also miss things from time to time."

He smiled.

"If you look at a forest, it can appear peaceful and thriving, but if you look closer, focus on a single tree, you might find something…amiss. A single diseased tree, or smoke rising from burning embers. if you are staring at the forest as a whole; you might not see such a threat, not until every tree before you is infected, or the fire has become too large to contain."

Jas sighed, and looked down on the city below, most of its people oblivious to what had happened tonight.

Had they known, would they have continued to turn a blind eye to Vess' home, and what was happening there.

He couldn't say.

He hoped that they wouldn't.

Master Trace gave him a curious look, his answer surprised her, he supposed.

Perhaps she expected me to rage against what my brother had said, he realized, maybe she believed that my attachment had blinded me to what was going on?

Sy's statements would have hurt him, once. He would have been insulted and enraged, maybe even brought up what had happened years ago, when his brother left him to die out of a desire to claim what had been Jas'.

Yes, he would have acted on that desire, once, but now he realized that it wouldn't have mattered.

Anything he said against Sy now would seem like an attack on the one that was working with the Republic's best interest at heart. It would seem to be an attempt to distract the order from the real issue.

Which was, perhaps, what his brother had wanted all along, to deny Jas any chance to bring his twin to justice. Sy was not just working to protect Republic interests, but his own, the life he had built in the decades since his brother's exile.

Sy, Jas thought, your pride is not doing you any favors, brother. Had you admitted to the council what you had done, you could have avoided all this. I would have forgiven you. After all, your actions had served the living Force, they put me on the path I am now, where I need to be to help Val and Vess.

He would have embraced his brother, all Sy would have had to have done was said: I'm sorry. Jas would have forgiven, and the council would have seen that confession as proof that Sy Dar Bynn as the Jedi they believed him to be, that he had let go of the ambitious child that had done what had been done.

That had not happened, and again, Sy's pride compounded on his past actions. Jas feared that is brother was on a very slippery slope.

If he continued to justify what he had done, hid that darkness and let it fester, who knew what he might one day be capable of?

Who, or what else would he sacrifice for his own pride, and his perception of the greater good?

"Then you are not afraid that your actions are hurting Republic interests?" Trace asked him, "That you are hurting the galaxy by focusing on one single issue?"

The Bothan's fur shifted again, a sign of curiosity.

"Do you not consider yourself loyal to the Republic? The source of peace in the galaxy?"

"I am loyal," he replied, again sensing that Master Trace was trying to get him to lose control, for what reason, he couldn't say.

Regardless, he would not do it. His passions were now for Vessaria, and Val when she needed him.

He would not be baited.

"My loyalty is to the people of the galaxy, all the innocent lives that need my help. The will of governments can be twisted, manipulated to serve greed and fear. What is the Republic, Master Trace, if not its people, the people that the senators and other officials claim to serve."

Jas sighed, and stood taller in the master's presence.

"With so many voices struggling to be heard, I will do my part to make sure that they are not drowned out by the desires of those in power. I DO serve the Republic, the Republic that SHOULD be. Perhaps I'm being naïve, but I would rather try to bring about the galaxy that should be than accept that all I can do is cater to those who would let innocents suffer."

The Bothan said nothing for a moment, she merely looked at him, he felt her reaching out for the Force, seeking some deception perhaps, or a justification that she could use to oppose his view.

Finally, Trace Sei'lya smiled. That wide toothy grin that Jas had seen in the council chamber.

"Vey speaks highly of you. She assured us that, despite your…unorthodox way of thinking, that we should not dismiss you as a valuable member of our order, knight, or not."

"And do you now agree with what she said," he inquired.

"I believe that your brother and several others underestimate your value to us. They see darkness where the light may not shine as brightly, but that is not a bad thing. Sometimes, when a light shines too brightly, it blinds you to what is before your eyes, and sadly, in the brightest of lights, the darkest shadow stands out."

Now it was Jas' turn to smile.

"You are starting to sound like a true master of the High Council, Master Trace."

The Bothan smirked.

"I'm going to have to work on that. Once the council censored me for my bluntness in dealing with the powerful and well connected. It is good that I've learned restraint, but I should try not to forget who I am, and what brought me to this moment."

What was being said put Jas at ease, when the Jedi Master had asked to speak with him alone, he had expected a rebuke, or an order to leave the affairs of Bantoon alone, and return to his mission.

"I remember hearing of your exploits, master. "Did you not accuse Supreme Chancellor Hul Temm of conspiring with assassins during the Chandrila incident?"

His words made the Bothan's toothy grin grow even wider.

"What I said was that, by his actions: the Chancellor was making himself complicent in what was happening. My master didn't approve of that, but considering what happened later…"

The Bothan shrugged.

"It is hard to believe how quickly this Bantoon matter has grown. After being isolated for centuries, the planet has drawn much attention, and at its center, stands that young girl in there, and you…of course."

"I only seek to insure that Vessaria finds justice. After what happened to her parents, she deserves to find closure, and the restoration of what was taken from her."

"Goals that will be oppose, on many sides," the Bothan replied, "What happened here tonight was no mere lark, but you know that to be true already, yes?"

Jas nodded.

He hated that Vess had had to experience yet another assassination attempt. Yet, the brazenness of the attack suggested that the young woman's course of action was affecting her enemies.

It fell to both Jas and Val to make sure she lived long enough to strike back at those who dared to attempt to take her life.

The Bothan Jedi shook her head.

"Politics," she growled, "It is so easy to forget that the Republic needs to stand together in face of politics. Do we sacrifice a single world for the betterment of ten? If we make that choice, what are the consequences? How will that one world see us, and what may happen as a result?"

"Surely, we must do what we can to minimize the pain of that one world. I believe that a compromise is possible, one that grants justice, while at the same time allowing some benefit for others. It will not come easily, but…I think it can be done."

"Is Lady Istillo open to compromise," Trace asked him, "There are those in the Senate that call her a war monger that she cares nothing for her people, and is willing to risk a civil war over this."

"Vess doesn't want a war," Jas assured her, "She wishes her birthright, and is doing everything in her power to ensure that war doesn't happen. It is those around her that have turned to violence. THEY do not wish to compromise. THEY wish to divide. Rather than stand with the rest of the galaxy, they send poison and assassins…"

Jas' hands curled into angry fists, thinking of all the times that Vess had been threatened, all the times she had nearly been killed.

"The politics in this matter are no longer about compromise, they have turned vicious."

The Bothan's eyes narrowed, her expression grim.

"The viciousness of politics is no surprise to me, Jas Dar Bynn. My people practically live by such rules, they call election seasons: the Times of the Long Knives. Once, such times involved actual knives, the methods may have changed, but the intent remain."

She met his gaze with one of her own, it was hard and cool, a challenge if he had ever seen one.

"The Senate has asked for the Jedi to intervene, formally. I would remind the leaders of Bantoon, and the mining guild that we are all in this together, the Republic is stronger together. I respect your loyalty to that young lady, but would ask you to see that she understands this matter as well. Only together can we find a solution to this crisis."

The Bothan's fur rippled, her eyes focused fully on Jas'

"Are you up to the task of seeing this through. Things will get worse before they get better."

Jas didn't have to think about that answer, he knew it in his heart and soul.

H would do this. For Vess.

The Force had placed him in this moment.

Vess, Val, and he were in this together.

He would not falter.

"I'm ready, master. I'm not afraid."

The Bothan sniffed in amusement.

"But you will be, Jas Dar Bynn," she replied.

"Yes…you will be."

IOI

An attack on 500 República was no small matter. The place had been the home of the powerful and important for generations, and, to most, considered one of the more secure places in all the galaxy.

The attempt on Vessaria Istillo's life had shaken that belief to its core, and the management and staff of the República would respond…

…those responsible, would answer.

After the battle, Vess had been moved to one of the secure rooms deep within the building. She would be allowed to stay here until planetary security tracked down the surviving attackers, and concluded their investigation.

Given the wealth and prestige of the República staff, it would not take long.

Jas and Master Trace arrived to find a dozen armed guards outside of their new apartment. The guards let the Jedi pass without a single glance. A Jedi councilor was always welcome, and Jas'…place at Vessaria's side had become well known.

He was accepted here, and so, was afforded the same protection.

They entered the chamber to find one of the planetary security captain's reporting what had been discovered. The head of República security was there, a tough looking human, that could likely have taken a Wookie in a hand-to-hand fight. The man was built like a tank, yet, his eyes were cold and intelligent.

Vess sat on long couch next to him. She still wore the shirt and leggings from the time of the attack, yet, in spite of grime and dirt, still managed to look regal.

She glanced up as Jas entered, smiling at him. Through the Force, he could sense her worry, she always seemed to worry about him when it came to his fellow Jedi, despite his assurance that they were no threat.

He was grateful for that worry, and that smile could light up a room. The fact that it was for him warmed his heart.

Was this what love felt like? If so, he could understand why even those who could not feel the Force would go through such lengths to protect it.

Val, clad in her combat armor, stood just behind her queen. As the wounded party, they were allowed to hear the report, so they could plan accordingly, adjusting the girl's schedule to make another such attack more difficult.

Not that Vess was low on protectors.

Jas nodded to Miri Fallenstar, the former Jedi turned bounty hunter leaned against the back wall of the room, eating some caramelized sweet fritter.

The woman nodded back; Jas was pleased to sense no hostility there. After what had happened with the Sunset Collective, and their Anzati ally, he had feared that Miri blamed him for how that had ended.

He was pleased to sense that she did not.

On the other side of the room. Sat Sy Dar Bynn and V'Lek, representing both the Jedi and Republic's interests.

If not for the presence of the Whiphid, he might have felt a bit outnumbered. Who knew what Sy had been telling Master Trace and the rest of the council.

With V'Lek, at least, he knew where he stood. The Whiphid was not only a fierce warrior, but an honorable Jedi.

Jas was glad to see him here.

He and Master Trace waited while the captain continued his briefing, it seemed they had missed the beginning of it.

They would need to catch up, later.

"We have identified the access point used by the assassin's, sir," The Captain said, "They entered through sub-entrance beta."

One of the private entrances," The security man replied, "That is impossible."

"Normally, I would agree with you, sir, but the survivors retreated back through the section after their attack failed. Security droids tried to pursue, but they were cut off by explosions just beyond the final gate. Demolition charges set to cover the group's escape."

The captain shook his head.

"This was well planned, sir. These men knew what they were doing."

"WE bloody well know that Captain," Val responded angrily.

She looked at the security chief.

"I was told that the access to the sub-entrances were monitored around the clock, that the codes were changed every half hour."

"They are," the man answered.

Then how did these thugs gain access? This building is supposed to be secure?"

Jas noticed the pain in her voice, and could see that the protector had not come through the attack entirely unscathed. Her face was bruised, and her combat suit burned in several places.

Both the captain, and the security chief turned as Master Trace entered, the Bothan's history had seen her involved in many high-level rescues and conflicts over the years.

"Forgive the interruption," she said, her eyes finally falling on Vess.

"Lady Istillo, it pleases me to see you unharmed. If you need…"

"What I need, Master Jedi, is for these attempts on my life to stop," Vess said coldly, she glanced over at Miri, still more concerned with her meal then what was being said.

"And if Hunter Fallenstar has returned with what I think she has, then perhaps I can finally rest easy."

Miri smiled, wiping away some caramel from her lips.

"I think you will be happy, Your Grace. Things are moving in the direction you wanted."

Master Trace looked at Jas, who could only shrug. He knew some of what his lover was doing, but not all. Vess was keeping her plans very secretive, even he and Val didn't know everything she was doing.

It was troubling, but Jas gave her the benefit of the doubt.

Not all in the room shared his confidence…

…Jas' brother for example.

Sy Dar Bynn shook his head.

"We must be told what is going on Lady Istillo. We insist. The Jedi are guardians of the peace, we need to…"

Vess glared at him, a withering look that stopped Sy midsentence.

"The last time I trusted the Jedi completely, I was kidnapped from my home, placed in stasis, and nearly killed. You will forgive me if I'm a bit more careful this time."

"That was not the order, or the Republic's fault," he replied, "I need not remind you that you were taken by an enemy of my dear brother, the one you chose to trust over those who have the galaxy's best interest at heart."

Jas' eyes narrowed.

What?

Did Sy truly believe that?! Targo Sei had come to Alderaan on his ship! How dare he…!

"We are not here to discuss past mistakes, or cast blame," Master Trace said, stopping any argument before they could begin, "We came here to discuss important political matters with you, Lady Istillo. The Force aided us in being able to help you with your attackers, but the matters at hand still must be discussed. In private…if you would be so kind."

Jas drifted over to Vess's side, he stood behind her chair, with Val, his hand finding her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

She looked up at him, the question in her eyes clear.

Could she trust the Bothan, or was speaking with her privately a bad idea?

Jas gave her the barest of nods. Master Trace was not his brother. She would listen to Vessaria, and speak plainly, at least, that was the impression that he got from her.

No, the Jedi Master could be trusted, he was sure of it.

Vess nodded back.

She would take his advice.

"I will speak with you," Vess replied, "Though, you may wish to hear what Hunter Fallenstar has to say. It may…change your views on matters."

The Bothan glanced at the bounty hunter, Miri looked back and shrugged, still appearing to be more interested in her snack than the conversation.

"I would advise against this, Master Trace," Sy said, "Whatever this rogue is up to, it likely has no bearing on what needs to be done."

Mirax Fallenstar looked at him then, giving him her sweetest smile.

"You seem a little…grumpy, Sy Dar Bynn."

She held up what she was eating.

"Would you like a piece of my fritter, I always feel better after having ate something."

Sy glared at her.

It was clear that he had no interest in anything she had to offer, he had made up his mind about her, and nothing would change it.

Master Trace was not so set in her ways.

"I will hear what Hunter Fallenstar has to say, Lady Istillo," the Bothan said with a slight bow, "Though, we should converse privately, as I suggested."

Ves nodded.

"Agreed, Val would you see the others out, I will speak with the Jedi alone."

"Yes, my queen," the protector answered, "If you will all follow me, gentles. We shall let those of higher rank discuss matters.

Jas aided Val in gently herding the others out of the room. Sy resisted, at first, wanting to be in on whatever Vess and Master Trace had to say.

V'Lek placed a large hand on his shoulder, guiding him out with the others.

That left Vess, Miri, and Master Trace, Jas was still not sure what information the bounty hunter had brought, but Vess seemed to think it important.

Vessaria looked up at him as the door closed, the warmth in her eyes bringing a smile to his face.

As the door closed, she mouthed three words to him, three words that he was grateful to hear.

I love you.

Jas nodded, he knew how she felt, but it was good to hear those words, three words that had been so hard to say.

He could say them now, without hesitation or fear.

I love you.

Whatever was to come, he was not worried.

He and Vess, whatever they would need to face, they could do it.

Together.