AN: Almost wasn't sure I would get this out in time, but here we go.

Chapter 38- Belief and Chances (Andarran Kidnapping Part V)

"If this doesn't work, I don't know you," Rana Halion said. Her spiky white hair seemed to bristle like fur as she surveyed the squad.

Marit nodded. "Understood."

"But it had better work," Rana Halion added.

"It will," Rolai said confidently.

Rana Halion's transparent blue eyes swept the group. She sighed. "If you didn't come so highly recommended, I wouldn't believe it," she murmured. "You look like a bunch of kids."

Anakin had to agree. Rolai was skinny and pale beneath his Bothan mane. Ze was plump. Tulah always looked as though he had just woken from a nap, and Hurana appeared slight and shy. He and Marit weren't much better.

However, he also had seen that Rolai was tough, almost ruthless, Ze could dissect and solve any technical problem in five minutes or less, Tulah had a brilliant mind for strategy, and Hurana had convictions and no fear. Marit was smart and resourceful.

He would put his own trust in this squad. Rana pushed a contact button on her gold cuff and watched as a digital coded message flashed at her. "I don't have much time. Who is your lead pilot?" Anakin stepped forward. "I am."

Rana looked at him intently. Anakin thought it could have been the most intimidating glance he'd ever experienced - if he hadn't grown up at the Temple. Once you've faced Jedi like Mace Windu, no one else could intimidate you. He did not drop his own gaze and met hers without flinching.

She gave a short nod. "You seem competent. Can you pilot a starfighter?"

"I can fly anything."

"I almost believe it," she murmured, giving him another glance. "Do you know how to fire laser cannons at a target?"

Anakin glanced at Marit. "I thought there was to be no active firing."

Rana looked exasperated. "Who's in charge here?"

"We all are," Rolai broke in crisply. "And we all know how to fire laser cannons. We've been over this."

"Have you thoroughly briefed the squad?" Rana asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"Not with the final details," Rolai said smoothly. "We were waiting for the exact time of departure and target details."

Rana glanced at her cuff again. "Do it then. You can inspect the starfighters. You leave in thirty minutes."

Marit exploded as soon as Rana was out of the room. "What was that all about? What do you mean, you haven't briefed the squad? What do you know that we don't know? We're supposed to vote on everything!"

"Calm down," Rolai said with a glance at the door to make sure Rana was out of earshot.

"Don't tell me to calm down," Marit answered hotly. "Tell me the truth!"

"The mission just changed a bit," Rolai said. "We're supposed to fire on the fleet."

"Fire on the fleet?" Anakin asked. "But that's a declaration of war!"

"That's not our problem," Rolai said. "We're hired to do the job. That's all."

"Wait," Marit said. "Why didn't you tell us this?" She looked at Ze, Hurana, and Tulah. Their gazes slid away. "You all knew, and I didn't?"

"I didn't know, either," Anakin pointed out.

But no one was paying attention to Anakin. "We all voted to wait to tell you until we got here," Hurana said. She didn't meet Marit's hot gaze.

"We thought you might object," Rolai said. "After the last mission, you had some misgivings about organic damage."

"Organic damage?" Marit said in disbelief. "Is that what you're calling it now? They were living beings!"

"Marit, what do you think we're doing?" Rolai asked. "This isn't school. It isn't a game. We all agreed we would start this as a business and run it as a business. We all agreed that we would make our own destinies."

"That's the point," Marit said angrily. "We all agreed. We didn't leave someone out."

"I get your point, Marit," Rolai said. "Now let's move on. Here we are. Are you going to join us, or not?"

Anakin watched Marit's face. He could see that she was torn. No one cared what he thought, but he would throw his support behind Marit if she voted to back out.

"I'm in," she said in a low tone.

The group looked relieved. Even Rolai did, although he tried to hide it.

"Hold on," Anakin said. "What about me? I'm part of the squad. Don't I get a vote, too?"

Rolai gave him a glance that was so neutral Anakin felt a chill. It was as though Anakin wasn't even there. He was starting to realize that his faith had been misplaced, and it probably always had been. He'd been a fool.

"We don't have time for this," Rolai said. "Let's inspect the starfighters."

Rana Halion suddenly appeared again. "We have a slight change in the timing of the attack. We need to go over the coordinates and warning systems now. You'll have to come to the briefing room."

Rolai gestured to the group. "Let's go."

"While you're doing that, I'll check out the starfighters," Anakin said. "I need to look at the controls and see if I can handle them."

Rolai gave him a glance. "I thought you said you could fly anything," he hissed so that Rana could not hear.

Anakin shrugged. "I sure hope I can," he murmured. "I don't tell you everything. But then again, you don't tell me everything, either. Do you?"

Rolai shot him a murderous look. "We're coming," he called to Halion. "You," he whispered angrily to Anakin, "check out those starfighters. You're going to have to give the rest of us some quick lessons."

Anakin waited until the group had left with Rana. Then he hurried to the hangar. There wasn't much time. He didn't have a choice now. He couldn't let the mission go through. He had to disable those starfighters. He knew that now. He was nowhere near discovering what happened to Ferus or Gillam, and he was about to start a war. He was probably breaking every Jedi rule in the archives.

The Ierian starfighters were modifications of the Delta-6 Aethersprite that he was used to. Anakin knew every bolt on the engine. He thought for a minute. He needed to disable something that would show up as a warning light mid flight but wouldn't put the ship in danger. He wanted to give the pilots plenty of time to turn around and land. It would have to be something that would immediately lead them to abort the mission.

The laser cannon capacitors. Anakin swung open the maintenance panel. Small tools were snapped onto the panel within easy reach. He selected a small servo-driver and within minutes had disabled the capacitors.

He started toward the next ship, wondering if he should alter the engine cooling system just enough to cause the engines to overheat slightly. That might add a little urgency to the decision to abort the mission...

"What are you doing?"

Marit's voice echoed across the hangar. Anakin paused and peered around the control panel.

"Just a little tweaking."

She walked forward and peered into the system controls. "Do you think I'm stupid, Anakin? You've neutralized the laser cannon capacitors. I've studied the blueprints of this engine. I came back to see if you needed help. I guess you don't, do you?" She turned and looked at him. Their faces were very close. He could see the speculation and the disappointment in her eyes. "Why?"

"You don't think we should go on this mission, either," Anakin said.

"I voted to go." Marit's voice was firm. "The group rules."

"But I'm part of the group! The rule is that all decisions must be unanimous. Why isn't Rolai letting me vote?"

Marit shifted from one foot to the other. "He says new members shouldn't have full voting privileges until they've completed a mission - "

"And did you vote on that, or did Rolai just tell you?"

Marit's silence told him what he needed to know.

"So I'm supposed to risk my life without having a say in what we do? Do you think that's fair? You told me when you recruited me that I'd have a say in what I did."

"Do you think it's fair to sabotage our engines to get what you want?" Marit's voice rose challengingly. "How could you do this? I trusted you! I brought you into the group!"

Marit's brown eyes held anger and reproach. Anakin felt it was time for the truth. He owed her that.

"I'm a Jedi," he said. "I'm not really a student at the Academy. I was sent there to investigate Gillam Tarturi's disappearance."

"Gillam?" Marit was surprised.

"Don't you want to know what happened to him?" Anakin asked. "And before we left, Ferus Olin disappeared. What if Rolai had something to do with it? What if he's funding the squad with ransom money? He's the one in charge of your treasury, and he's the security expert. He's the one with the connection to Rana Halion. What if she got him to kidnap Gillam? All the pieces fit. Why did he lie to you about this mission? Don't you want to get to the bottom of it?"

Marit looked sad. "I wish you'd told me."

"I'm telling you now."

"You don't understand anything. Gillam -" Marit hesitated.

"So tell me," Anakin said, exasperated. "What about Gillam?"

"What about Gillam?" A mocking voice suddenly came from behind him.

Anakin whirled around. Gillam Tarturi stood, leaning against the wing of a starfighter. He was the same height as Anakin, and their eyes met across the space. Anakin felt shock and dismay ripple through him.

Anakin looked back at Marit. She nodded slowly.

"Gillam is the squad," she said. "It was his idea. He formed it. He made up the bylaws. He recruited us. We wouldn't have done anything without him. We would have been a bunch of miserable outcasts."

"You faked your disappearance," Anakin said to Gillam. "Why?"

"I have my reasons," Gillam replied lightly.

Marit spoke into her comlink. "We need you," she said crisply.

"What's going on?" Anakin asked.

For his answer, he heard the soft sound of her blaster leaving its holster. He could have stopped her easily, but he didn't. Marit pointed the blaster at him, a reluctant look on her face. Within seconds, the rest of the squad rushed into the hangar. Their blasters were drawn. They were all pointed at Anakin.

"I'm sorry," Marit said.

Marit's gaze was sorrowful. Rolai and Gillam looked hardened with purpose. But the others - Hurana, Tulah, and Ze - looked afraid. Why were they afraid? Anakin sensed that there was a conspiracy here. Gillam and Rolai were together, and they had roped in the rest of the reluctant squad.

Except for Marit. There is something going on here that even Marit doesn't know.

"He disabled the laser cannons on two of the starfighters," Marit told the others. "It's all right - I know how to fix it." She turned to Anakin. "We're going to have to restrain you until we're safely away."

Anakin looked at Gillam. "Is that so, Gillam? Why don't you tell her what you really have in mind?"

"Sorry, Marit," Gillam said easily. "That's not quite the plan."

"What's the plan, Gillam?" Anakin asked.

Marit gave Gillam a questioning look.

"How would the kidnapping disgrace Senator Tarturi if he wasn't implicated in something terrible?" Gillam said to Marit.

"And we get a very large bonus from Rana Halion, too," Rolai said.

"Think about what it will do for the countermovement, Marit," Gillam said. "The Senator kidnaps his own son to throw suspicion on the Ierians. And then something goes wrong, and his son dies - "

"And it's his fault," Rolai chortled. "He sacrificed his own son so he could keep his power!"

"I don't get it," Marit said.

"I do," Anakin said. "They want to kill me."

Shocked, Marit looked from Gillam to Rolai. "That can't be true."

"Actually, we were going to hand you over to Rana Halion for that particular step," Gillam said, "but since you pushed the issue . . ." He flourished his blaster and smiled at Anakin.

"But you're not Gillam - they'll figure that out," Marit said.

"They have a plan to disguise the body somehow," Anakin said. "I'm sure Rana Halion can find ways. I'll be taken for Gillam. And Senator Tarturi will not only be disgraced among his own people, he'll have a war on his hands. He won't be able to investigate, even if he wants to."

"Which he won't, because he won't care," Gillam said. "He'll just care about his Senatorial privileges being threatened."

"It's a brilliant plan!" Rolai said, ecstatically.

Marit stared at the two of them. "You're both insane."

Gillam shook his head sadly. "Poor Marit. You lost your nerve on Tierell. That's why we couldn't trust you."

Marit looked at Tulah, Hurana, and Ze. "Are you going along with this?"

The three of them looked uncomfortable.

"Gillam says we must be warriors," Hurana said. "This is the only way."

"I just do the tech stuff," Ze said.

"This has nothing to do with me," Tulah said.

'Cowards. All three of them,' Anakin thought sadly. 'They were lying to themselves.' What surprised him was that he wasn't angry, he just pitied them.

"Ah, one thing I should point out," Gillam said. "Because of the disappearance of another student, the school has gone into security code green, and that means that all passes have been canceled. You've missed three of the hour check-ins."

"I knew I should have extended the range on our comlinks," Ze muttered.

"Which means we've been expelled," Hurana said.

"Which means, dear friends, that we have nowhere to go," Gillam said. "It's a big galaxy out there. We only have one another. That's all we need! Together, we can be the best. We can have everything we want, if we just stick together. At first we did it because nobody wanted us. But now we can do it because we're the best. We belong together."

Gillam's voice was low and compelling. Anakin saw the charisma and charm that had led these students to join him. Gillam was far more dangerous than Anakin had realized.

"Maybe nobody wanted the others," Anakin said. "Or you convinced them that it was true. I don't know about that. But what about you? You're the son of a powerful Senator. Who didn't want you?"

Gillam's face went white with sudden rage, and for the first time, Anakin could see that he was quite capable of killing him. "My father!" he shouted. Gillam regained control of himself with an effort. "And now he'll realize how wrong he was. Everyone will realize who underestimates my resolve. Well, Marit? Are you with us?"

Marit turned to Anakin. "I have nowhere else to go," she said defeated.

"Marit, we're not doing anything wrong," Gillam said. "We're doing what we set out to do. We knew what the stakes were."

Anakin held Marit's gaze. "Did you know the stakes would be murder?"

"No one is asking you," Gillam snapped at Anakin. "You're already dead."

"He's a Jedi," Marit said. "If you think your plan will be easy, think again."

Gillam shrugged, coming closer to Anakin. "He has six blasters pointed at him. Even if you don't fire, I don't think we'll have a problem. I know the Jedi. I've seen them around the Senate all my life. They are basically servants of the Senators. Whatever power they had is gone now."

Now anger coursed through Anakin. He saw the privilege Gillam had been brought up with, and how it had corrupted him. He saw that Gillam had counted on the feelings of the others, how they had felt lost and alone in a world he knew and they didn't. He had taken their minds and hearts and fashioned them into a weapon aimed at his father. The squad wasn't about justice. It was about revenge.

Anakin reached out with the Force and tore the blaster's from every member of the squad's hands, and then he did something Kastor had shown him and waved his hand, unleashing a Force wave which blasted five of the six of them away, leaving only Marit still near him.

From where the five laid on the ground, they stared up at him in surprise, finally realizing what a Jedi could do. Ankin pulled out his lightsaber, and ignited it, holding it in a posture ready for offense.

He didn't want to hurt anyone, but the mission couldn't be allowed to continue.

"Just don't move," he told them.

Anakin sensed movement behind him and turned slightly. Rana Halion had taken a step inside the hangar. As soon as she saw the lightsaber, she hit a button on her cuff.

Gillam smiled. "Looks like your luck has run out, Jedi."

"Jedi don't need luck," Anakin said, just as two dozen battle droids entered, and immediately started opening fire, aiming at Anakin, but scattered enough that Anakin worried for Marit and the others.

The squad dropped, scrambling for their blasters. Anakin saw at once his problems. Gillam and Rolai had found blasters and were trying to aim at him as he moved. Fire from the droids was heavy. Marit had ducked behind a starfighter. He did not think he could count on help from her. She seemed dazed. Ze, Hurana, and Tulah weren't much better. 'This wasn't their problem.'

He saw a smile of triumph on Gillam's face, as Anakin continued to dodge the heavy blaster fire, deflecting the bolts that were closest to him, dropping three of the droids. Anakin reached out with the Force and ripped Gillam and Rolai's blasters from their hands once again, allowing him to focus back on the battle droids.

Anakin managed to cut down two more droids when he felt the warning in the Force that provided him the push to move as the laser cannons from the starfighter on his right began to fire. Anakin quickly observed that Gillam had slipped inside the cockpit.

Still, Anakin wasn't worried, with the Force as his ally and all the lessons he'd had over the years with Soara, Kastor, and Obi-Wan, all three some of the best duelists in the Order. He was evading the blaster fire, deciding to focus on Gillam when Obi-Wan, Ferus, and Siri all came running into the hangar.

Anakin leaped straight at the cockpit of the starfighter as his three fellow Jedi started cutting down the remaining battle droids. He landed on the ship and quickly sliced through the windscreen and then used the Force to pull Gillam out of the pilot's seat, dropping him onto the floor. He hopped into the seat and turned off the engines and disabled the laser cannons.

He glanced back at his fellow Jedi seeing Siri and Ferus guarding Rolai, Marit, Hurana, Tulah, and Ze, and Obi-Wan had captured Rana Halion. Anakin felt a thrill from the success of the mission, but when he looked at his Master, Obi-Wan didn't glance at him, even though Siri and Ferus looked at him with astonishment.

**The Will of the Force**

Obi-Wan had never seen such a display of the Force from a Padawan, especially not a Padawan as young as Anakin. Anakin's power was astonishing, and in many ways, it was a sign of just how right Qui-Gon had been. Anakin had been a blur, with even a slight smile on his face, and even if they hadn't gotten there, Anakin clearly would have been able to take out the droids and the fighter by himself.

Anakin was so gifted, so powerful, and yet he'd been so wrong. It was a gift to teach someone of Anakin's abilities, but he also was burdened with all of Anakin's failures. Anakin was dropping back to the ground when Rana Halion attempted to glide away, but he lifted his lightsaber and stopped her.

"How dare you!" she cried. "I assure you, I have no idea what this renegade band is doing here. My security team alerted me that there was a break-in and I arrived to see a battle."

"And why did you send in droids to attack a Jedi?" Siri asked.

"How ridiculous! I didn't know there was a Jedi here," Rana Halion said. "We sent in the droids because it is the usual procedure when there is a security breach."

The girl called Marit raised her chin and fixed Rana with a contemptuous stare. "She is lying," she said. "About everything. I'm not a student anymore, but I can see I've learned my first real lesson today. Betrayals are the way the galaxy works."

She looked at Anakin, and Obi-Wan felt some sorrow at that. That was not the lesson to be learned. Anakin shook his head, looking like he wanted to apologize.

"I believed in what you believed," he said.

"Then you were as foolish as I was," Marit said softly.

"You'll take her word over mine?" Rana Halion huffed.

"This is a matter for the Senate to sort out," Siri said. "These students will testify, no doubt. They've already been expelled, so they'll certainly be available."

"Expelled? I don't think so," Gillam said. "I want to talk to my father!"

"Your father might not want to talk to you after he discovers that you were trying to set him up for murder," Obi-Wan said.

"Who told such lies?" Gillam asked. "I barely escaped my captors with my life. She kidnapped me!" he shrilled, pointing at Rana Halion.

"You scrawny brat!" Rana cried.

Ferus held up Gillam's datapad. "You might want to reconsider what you're saying, Gillam. Do you recognize this?"

Gillam went pale, but only for a moment.

"I don't know what he's talking about. I don't even know him. I've never seen that datapad. He's just another jealous student, no doubt."

"No, he is a Jedi," Siri said.

Gillam looked alarmed. "He's a Jedi, too?"

"They're everywhere," Tulah said, dazed.

"I never realized how much you lie," Marit said to Gillam. "You breathe, you lie. This squad was never about us. It wasn't about banding together to do something good. It was really all about you. And if you think the rest of us are going to support your lies, you're not only a liar, you're crazy. Like you said, Gillam, we all have nothing left to lose."

"Affirmatively true," Ze said, and Hurana and Tulah nodded, all three looking crushed.

Gillam looked flustered. He opened his mouth and then clamped it shut. He crossed his arms. "I want to see my father," he repeated.

"You'll see him soon enough," Siri said. "We're taking you all to Coruscant. The Senate authorities can straighten out this mess."

Siri led a protesting Rana Halion away. Ferus herded the squad toward the open doors of the hangar.

Obi-Wan was left alone with Anakin. At last it was time for him to speak to his Padawan. Yet he could not find the right words. He knew, glancing at his Padawan's eager face, that Anakin meant well from the bottom of his heart. In many ways, Anakin was still a boy. A wounded, loving, anxious boy with great gifts he did not fully understand.

Yet he was also a young man, close to maturity, who could do great harm. To others, yes. To himself, most of all.

"They were going to conduct a raid on Andara," Anakin said, tired of Obi-Wan's silence. "But first they were going to kill me - "

"I know," Obi-Wan said. "Everything was on Gillam's datapad. Which you would have known if you had searched for Ferus."

Anakin flushed. "I didn't know where he was."

"You did not look."

"I thought perhaps he was on Ieria or Andara. I thought the secret squad knew where he was - "

"You did not even look!" Obi-Wan shouted. "Your fellow Jedi was missing, and you did not even look!"

"I thought it best to continue under cover," Anakin said. His face showed his surprise at Obi-Wan's harshness. Obi-Wan almost never raised his voice.

"I had infiltrated the squad. I thought my best chance of finding both Gillam and Ferus was to continue."

"You were willing to participate in a raid that would have started a war," Obi-Wan continued. He had to struggle to keep his voice level. He needed to keep as calm as possible.

"I didn't know about the raid!" Anakin protested. "I mean, I knew they were going to do something, but it was a dry run, designed to show the Andarans that they had the capability of invading their airspace. I didn't know they had plans to destroy their fleet. As soon as I did, I sabotaged the laser cannons."

"Anakin, you left your fellow Jedi imprisoned and went off on a mission with a group of beings who you had no reason to trust," Obi-Wan said. "You were wrong at every point. Can't you see that?"

Anakin said nothing.

"You did not contact me to tell me Ferus was missing - "

"I would have compromised our cover - "

"You had a responsibility!" Obi-Wan's voice cut like a laser whip. "Just as I had one to Siri. You betrayed me and the Order by your actions. And your inability to see that troubles me the worst of all."

"I am sorry, Master."

Obi-Wan shook his head. Grief rose in him. "Those are words you speak so easily, Padawan."

Anakin's mouth closed in a line. "I don't know what you want from me."

Honesty. Loyalty. Patience. Obedience. Obi-Wan thought these things but did not say them. Because, after all, they were only words, too.

"I can only show you the path," Obi-Wan said. "You must choose to walk on it."

"I just . . ." Anakin stopped. He took a ragged breath. "I thought you would be proud of me."

'I am proud of you,' Obi-Wan thought, but now was not the time to say that. At least, he didn't think so.

"I will take this matter up with the Council," he said.

"Of course," Anakin said. "The Council. We can't take a step without it."

"That's enough!" Obi-Wan snapped. "Come. The others are waiting."

Anakin hesitated. The set of his mouth was stubborn.

"Come, Padawan." Obi-Wan's tone rang with authority. Anakin's hesitation cast a chill on his heart.

Anakin followed him. Obi-Wan did not glance back again.

**The Will of the Force**

"Do you think I was too hard on him?" Obi-Wan asked the man who was leaning against the wall of his room.

"No," Kastor said, and Obi-Wan sighed, feeling some relief, even if it didn't remove the anger and fear that came with Anakin's choices. "However, I don't know if it was completely right either."

Obi-Wan glanced over at Kastor, who had come to listen to him and Siri about what had happened.

Kastor sighed.

"Anakin is very young. Mature in a lot of ways, but still young. Unlike many younger Jedi, he needs praise because of his upbringing, but at the same time, he needs to learn that just because he succeeds, does not mean he gets to avoid criticism or punishment for his actions. I think you might need to sit down and let him know that. Hear him out. You understand what it's like to be taken in by a group that you believe in. He knows he made mistakes, he just struggles with the Jedi life at times, as do many of us."

"You're right of course," Obi-Wan said glumly, and Kastor chuckled lightly.

"Obi-Wan, I haven't said anything you weren't already going to do," he said. "You know Anakin. As he grows, he'll surprise you, just as you do him, but overall, you know him. You know what he wants. You know the correct path. Sometimes you just want others to confirm."

"That's where Kas and I come in," Siri said, with a grin.

Obi-Wan nodded at his mentor and lover gratefully.

"Now, I think there's one way for us to use that squad of Anakin's," Kastor said thoughtfully. "How about you tell me what you know and observe, and then I'm going to go talk to Anakin. I think I can help prove that Anakin's faith wasn't completely misplaced, and maybe push a few souls away from a dark path."

"What did you use to accuse Qui-Gon of?" Siri asked sardonically. "Picking up pathetic life forms? It seems Kastor has adopted that habit."

Obi-Wan laughed thinking of the numerous times they picked up "pathetic lifeforms" to tag along, while Kastor rolled his eyes.

"These squad mates of Anakin's are young, and perhaps we can turn them away from a darker road, rather than the one they would inevitably fall upon, which is a criminal, a mercenary, a bounty hunter, or all of the above," Kastor said, putting on an air of a pompous teacher.

"From what Anakin said, I think it might be worth trying to save four of them," Obi-Wan admitted. "He seemed to think highly of Marit, but I worry this whole situation will have shaped them in a way that has destroyed their ability to work with others."

"Perhaps," Kastor agreed thoughtfully. "I guess we'll just have to see."

**The Will of the Force**

"What are we doing here, Master?" Anakin asked, still feeling how their bond was fractured from the mission on Andara.

"Observing Kastor," Obi-Wan said with a slight smile, and Anakin looked at him in confusion as Obi-Wan led him into an observation room, and Anakin's eyes widened, seeing Marit, Hurana, Tulah, and Ze in the interrogation room on the other side of the one way glass.

"What's going on?" Anakin asked.

"Kastor is thinking about helping these four," Obi-Wan remarked. "While we both agree your actions were wrong, we also believe in your instincts. We trust that, from a certain point of view, you were not wrong."

Anakin looked at the squad with a frown.

"You trusted them because you saw the capacity for good they had. You saw their skill, their professionalism, and you saw the kindness that they had," Obi-Wan said. "Kastor has already met with all four individually, trying to get a feel of them and where their minds are after everything. Now, we'll see what happens. Do you believe they deserve help?"

Anakin mulled it over.

"I don't know, Master," Anakin admitted. "I think Marit does. She wasn't involved in the worst of the plot . . . but when the cards were down, she went with the squad."

"She went with her friends," Obi-Wan agreed. "She chose her attachment over what was right."

"She chose what she thought gave her the best odds at a better life," Anakin said in disagreement.

"Maybe," Obi-Wan said with a nod.

"She also killed someone though," Anakin said. "It was an accident, but it still happened."

"True," Obi-Wan agreed. "However, they were acting as mercenaries hired for a job, dismantling security, I believe, and the death occurred in the firefight that broke out when battle droids started firing on them. They certainly were in the wrong by breaking in, but they were defending themselves during the fight. If the droids hadn't fired, nobody would have died. It doesn't excuse what she did, but it's not an assassination. It's not cold blooded murder, and you said she showed regret for her actions. She's not a monster. She's a young woman who was manipulated."

Anakin nodded slowly in understanding.

"The other three were lying to themselves from the moment they were told what the mission would be. They didn't agree, I could tell, and they were scared, but they still were willing to go through with it," Anakin said. "I'm just not sure."

"I guess we'll see what Kastor has come up with," Obi-Wan said quietly as Kastor entered the room.

"More interrogations?" Marit asked sadly.

"No, I think we got everything we needed," Kastor said. "Indeed, Gillam and Rolai have both already been sentenced and will be in prison for a long time for their crimes. You all are here because I think we can find a better use for you."

"So, what?" Hurana asked. "You don't throw us in prison and now we're slaves to the Jedi?"

"Jedi don't take slaves," Kastor responded calmly. "I'm going to present you with your options. The choice forward will be your own."

"Why?" Tulah asked with a frown. "Why do we have a choice when Gillam and Rolai were already sentenced?"

"Because Gillam and Rolai have no regrets," Kastor said quietly. "They truly were ready to start a war that would have torn the Andaran system apart, all for wealth, power, and revenge. You all are guilty of being too malleable, too afraid, and too naive, but none of you wanted to start a war. I believe in second chances, and Anakin Skywalker believed in you."

Anakin watched as shame flashed across all four of his old squadmates faces.

"I doubt Anakin believes in us now," Ze said with a bitter snort. "He lied to us, but he was on the right of it the whole time. This was how it was always going to end."

"Jedi don't hold grudges," Kastor said. "Anakin was trying to protect you all, all through that fight at the end. He didn't want any of you to get hurt, despite your deception, despite you being open to participating. Even now, when I spoke to him before I spoke to you all individually, he spoke of your strengths, your skills, and then of your mistakes and weaknesses."

"What are our choices?" Marit finally asked, still looking ashamed.

"For you, there are two options," Kastor said. "The Duchess of Mandalore has agreed to take you on as an aide to her, pending your graduation from the academy on Mandalore."

"What? Why?" Marit asked, her voice cracking in disbelief.

"Because I asked it of her," Kastor said simply. "I'm told you have an incredible knowledge of politics and the workings of the Senate. Because of your actions on Tierell, this is the only way for you to continue to cultivate that talent. Mandalore is not part of the Republic, but Kalevala, a Mandalorian world is, which gives Mandalore an indirect access to the Republic. The Duchess is a pacifist who also believes in second chances. She could use your expertise, and at the same time, this would give you a chance to gain an education and a life while serving your sentence in service to the Mandalorian people."

"Will . . . will I be watched at all times?" Marit asked.

"For the duration of your sentence, you will be locked down to Mandalore, while completing your education, and for the rest of your time, you will remain on the planet where the Duchess is, or where the Duchess requests you to be. You will have freedom of movement on whatever planet that may be, and you won't be guarded, but you won't be leaving without approval."

Marit looked at him in surprise, and then licked her lips nervously.

"What's my second option?" she asked.

"You will serve your sentence in the Republic Detention Center," Kastor said. "Five years for involuntary manslaughter."

"Not much of a choice, is it?" Hurana muttered.

"Keep in mind," Kastor warned, "that if you choose the first option, the Duchess will be your guardian, for all intents and purposes. She will guide you and help you develop into the person you were meant to be, but if she finds any reason to lose faith in you, then she will have the ability to remand you back to the Coruscant authorities. Your service to the Mandalorians will be double the amount of time of your sentence in a republic detention facility. Ten years in service to the people of Mandalore."

"Can I think about it?" Marit asked softly.

"Of course," Kastor said, turning to Hurana, Ze, and Tulah.

"The three of you have three options," Kastor said. "One option, of course, is to serve your time in the Detention Facility. Three years total. Another option is service to the Republic. The Judiciary Naval Academy is willing to take you all on for a contract double the length of your sentence. You will get paid, promoted, and treated like every other cadet who enters, and life won't be as glamorous as that of a mercenary or the lives you might have had from graduating from your school, but you'll have honor, job security, and chances to move up. The Judiciary Navy is a place where anyone can make a name for themselves, if they have the drive to succeed, and the dedication to work hard."

All three nodded slowly. Anakin figured that a month ago, the concept of joining the Republic Navy would have seemed laughable, but times had changed, and Anakin could see that they all saw it for what it truly was: an opportunity at a life as a pilot, or a communications specialist, or a commander and strategist.

"A third option would also take you into service with the Mandalorians," Kastor continued. "Similar to Marit, you would attend a Mandalorian academy at some point and they would assess your skills and place you into service for their government. With the Mandalorians, you might truly learn what it means to be a warrior, if that is something you desire, but your other skills are things that can earn you accolades among the Mandalorians who believe in actions and ability more than anything, even name."

All three exchanged slightly startled looks, obviously surprised at their options.

"Take your time," Kastor cautioned, "and think about what you want. The contracts in the Navy or for the Mandalorians are longer, but they come with careers, opportunities, and partial freedom. The Detention Facility will yield complete freedom earlier, but it will also remove many opportunities from your lives, and I fear you will end up in a situation just like you are now, but without any aid the next time."

"Will we be together, if we all choose the Mandalorian route?" Tulah asked.

"I believe that the likelihood you will see each other again is high if you all commit to service with the Mandalorian people but I cannot guarantee that you will all follow the same paths," Kastor said solemnly. "Now, I will leave you to think it over. Take as much time as you wish. The guards will take you back to your cells when you are ready, and will alert me for you, when you have made a decision."

With that, Kastor walked out of the room, and Anakin watched the other four all slump against the walls or in the two chairs, clearly thinking hard about what they wanted. Obi-Wan guided Anakin out into the hall, where Kastor was waiting for them.

"Did you really talk to the Duchess of Mandalore just to give them a second chance?" Anakin asked, amazed, and Kastor looked at him.

"I think they are redeemable, but it will be up to them to choose to do so," Kastor said. "They had good intentions, but were led astray. Good intentions and success do not mean that what they did was right. Their good intentions and decisions almost led to a war. Hopefully they've learned. Duchess Satine is a pacifist, but also a Mandalorian. She respects skill, especially skills in something other than war. They have it. She trusts her people, and Mandalorians are not as forgiving. Either they'll do better, or the Mandalorians will deal with their poor decisions, but we did what we could. Do you understand?"

Anakin nodded slowly, seeing the hidden message in Kastor's words. He just wished that they could see that it had all turned out alright. He had been wrong, but he also had done the best he could with the situation. Why couldn't they see that?

"We are proud of what you accomplished, Anakin," Kastor said, surprising Anakin, who felt like Kastor had just read his mind, and Obi-Wan nodded firmly. "We are proud of who you are becoming, but that doesn't mean your actions were correct. It doesn't mean that you are free from punishment."

"However, know that we are proud of you," Obi-Wan said, softer, with a slight smile, and Anakin smiled weakly, feeling some relief mixed with some guilt at him thinking they didn't understand at all.

A few days later, Marit was the only one who went to Mandalore, while the other three left her and went to the Judiciary Navy together.