Luke and Mara were standing hand and hand in the observation room. Beside Mara was her mother in a hover chair. She was holding Mara's other hand. Also in the room was Han and Leia. They both stood beside Luke. The members of the Ruling Council where quietly watching. They had all agreed to abide by the rules Luke had set. General Cracken was also in the room off to the side.
In the Room below were two children frozen in Carbonite. Cilghal and Doctor Davis were making sure everything was ready. Master Windu and Ashoka were standing back waiting till they were needed. Once everyone was ready, they started the unfreezing process.
As soon as part of the children were visible, they were both given a sedative. It was a few minutes more before Cilghal put them both in a healing trance. As soon as the children were fully out and placed on hospital beds a 2-1B medical droid started running scans. Once the scans were complete the children were moved to the Bacca room. There they will be placed to help heal some of the physical injuries the children seem to have.
In the observation room the Council was quiet till the children were gone. Luke addressed the council.
"As you can see, they both seem to be alive but what shape they are in I don't know. The healing trance and a dip in Bacca is a precaution till a deeper medical check can happen. Master Windu and Ashoka were in the room incase either child woke before we could sedate them."
"When will you wake them?" Dall Thara Dru.
"Tomorrow if they have no major injuries. Master Cilghal and Doctor Davis will go over the preliminary scan. They will then remove them from Bacca and do a deeper scan. Once they are sure they are physically capable of being safely woke up then they will."
"Do we know General Cracken if there are any still alive that are responsible for this?"
"Not that we know of. We will be looking into any records that could shed some light on what happen. It is unlikely we will find any."
"What of what is left of Mount Tantiss on Wayland. I know we are still going through the rubble." Ask Fey'lya.
"It is always possible. We have recovered some data cards, but most have been too corrupted to read. I will have the teams searching look for any reference to carbin freezing."
Mara started to take her mother back to her room. They were able to get a look at the two children clearly. One did have long red hair. He knew Cilghal plan to take a blood sample so she could run a comparison to Mara and her mother. He turned back to the discussion.
"I will admit I was wrong Master Skywalker. While on Coruscant we have a better medical facility, your people are doing what needs to be done and what is best for the ones frozen."
"Thank you, Senator."
"What will be next for them?" another asked.
"Once we know who they are we will see if they have any family. If they do, we will invite them here. We will explain what we know and talk about option."
"You will not try to keep them here?" Fey'lya asked.
"No, I hope they will want to continue training, but I also believe that they will need to spend time with their family to help them adjust. The family might want to take them home or they might want to stay here. Master Cilghal will speak with the families to let them know what their options are and her view on what will be best but, ultimately it will be up to the child and their family."
"What if they do not have any surviving family?" Leia asked.
"Then we will try to place them with an adult to help them adjust. I may even speak with Maste Ashoka about sending them to Lothal. It is far out on the rim and a lot more peaceful. They are a smaller group but that might be what will be best."
Behn-kihl-nahm spoke. "I think we all can agree that Master Skywalker and his staff are doing everything possible to help them all recover. I would like us to discuss the news team and the ship's crew."
"I still believe we should have the right to prosecute them here but, with everything going on at the moment it might cause more of a problem to do so. I am willing to turn them over to the New Republic if I can get a guarantee they well be prosecuted. Not just some fine and a slap on the wrist."
"I believe we all can agree with you Master Skywalker. I spoke with the family of the child." Seeing the look Luke was giving him Fey'lya added. "I did not seek them out. I was out walking around when they approached me wanting to know if the New Republic was going to let them get away with it. I told them we would be speaking with you about the issue and that we were taking the injury to their daughter and the danger the other children were put in seriously."
"I can tell you from initial talks with the pilot and his crew. The lead reporter had a blaster on them, and they thought if they landed away from the temple there would be less chance of hurting anyone."
Cracken then spoke. "If that is true then the reporter could be charged with piracy, which is a more server crime."
"When Corran returns, I will let him interview them with you. Between the two of you, we will know the truth."
"If the crew is incent?"
"They will be free to go. The ship though belongs to the news organization and we will still be confiscating it."
"That is fair." Leia stated.
The rest agreed. They also said after Cracken and Jedi Horn finished their investigation that a joint press statement should be made to show we are all united on this." Fey'lya stated.
"I will agree with that. Is there anything else you all need. If not I would like to invite you to the ceremony we will be holding tomorrow."
"We will except the offer." Leia spoke.
"I do have some things to speak with you about Master Skywalker, if we could speak in your office." Fey'lya asked.
"We can, this way."
L/M
Once they were seated. "I have spoken with the clan leadership and have convinced them that your approach is a better solution. The issue that came up was most didn't want to turn them over to the New Republic. They felt that there were those who would use this to find a way to punish the Bothan people as a whole."
"I would like to say that their concerns were unfounded but we both know that that would not be the truth. Did they have a solution?"
"Two options. One was to hold the trial on Bothawui with Jedi oversite. The other was to have it here conducted by you and your masters."
"If we were to choose between the two options, I would choose the first. I don't want the Jedi to become the galaxies court. I have no objections to having it on Bothawui. I would suggest that the prosecutor not be Bothan. Maybe someone fair from the New Republic."
"Do you know of one that would be fair?"
"Yes, Halla Ettyk. She was the prosecutor during Tycho Celchu trial. She was fair and only wanted the truth to come out."
"I believe I can get the Ruling Families to agree. Who would you suggest be the judge for the trial."
"I would suggest a tribunal. Three Senators with judicial knowledge. I would suggest those who could be considered neutral in the matter."
"I will speak to Garvisom when we return to Coruscant about this. Once we come up with a plan I will present it to the Ruling Families."
"I will give you what support I can. I don't want others to use this to start old grudges."
"That we can both agreed on."
L/M
Luke found Mara heading to Cighal's office and joined her. Before they entered, he pulled her in a hug and held her till she was calm.
"Thanks, Farmboy."
"Anytime."
They both entered the office after knocking.
Cilghal saw who came in and smiled. She was happy for her friends. "I have some good news. The young girl is Lacey. Also Master Windu does know who the young boy was. He was a padawan in care of Master Che, who was the chief healer at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. He said he would most likely not have any family because he was left with the Jedi anonymously.
He said it could be the child came from a poor family living on Coruscant or as a result of a Jedi having the child threw a secret relationship. I spoke with him, and he said it was never spoken out loud but was known to happen. He said several children came to be in the care of the temple because of this."
"I am glad you are not following the old ways, Luke. While we have received a couple orphans over the years, most know where they came from and had a relationship with their family still."
"The more I learn about the old order the more broken it seems." Luke told the other two.
"Cilghal, what of my sister?"
"The initial scans did show some injuries that are healing now. We plan on bringing her out of Bacca later today sense the injuries were not to server. We will then do a deeper scan. I am planning on waking her tomorrow after your ceremony. I know you would like to have her there, but it will not be possible."
"OK, I will let my mother know. I know if she can, she would like to be there."
"I have no objections; we were planning on having her there already but want you to wait till we explain things to her first."
"Mara wanted to object but Luke took her hand and spoke. "I'm sure Mara and her mother will agree with what ever you think is best."
Mara took a deep breath and let her frustration out into the force. "If you feel it will be better."
"Mara, I know you want to be there but seeing her younger sister as an adult when she wakes up could upset her. Once we explain thinks and she is calm you will be able to speak with here."
"I'm sure it will be hard for her. You were her little sister but now you are a lot older than her now." Luke told her.
"I know. Could we push the ceremony back a couple days?"
"We could but I think the Senators will be disappointed, they are staying for the ceremony."
"Also, Mara we don't know how long it will be before she will be able to function enough to attend."
"We can at least record it for her to watch if she wants to later."
"That is easy to do."
L/M
Luke and Mara walked around the grounds outside the Great Temple. For the most part they just walked and held hands. They really didn't have much need to speak. They just needed each other. Both had a lot on their minds and their plates at the moment.
When they were heading into dinner with the rest of the occupants of the Acadamy, Luke told her about his talk with Karrde. Mara thought it was a good plan. She even said the plan with the Norgori stay on as added security was not a bad plan. They were good at staying inconspicuous. She even said that they could ask if a couple wanted to help with training Jedi to defend themselves in case, they had to use hand to hand.
Once they entered the dining hall, they saw Han and Leia at a table with a few other of their friends. They got their food and joined them. They spent several hours talking and just enjoying the evening with family and friends.
L/M
The next day they pulled the two children out of the Bacca tanks. After cleaning them up they put them in a room with two beds. Waiting for the two to wake up were 4 Jedi masters. Windu, Ashoka, Jade and Cilghal, they all sat in chairs not saying much. The boy named Damion started to wake first. Windu and Ashoka went to stand by his bed.
As he woke Windu spoke. "Easy Damion, you are safe."
The boy started to come around some more and looked at the two by his bed. "Master Windu.
"Yes, how do you feel?"
"OK, I guess, where am I. This doesn't look like the medical wing in the temple."
Then the young boy had a look of fear. Windu and Ashoka sent calming feelings threw the force to the boy. Once he started to calm down Windu explained he was not on Coruscant anymore but was safe.
"What happen?"
"We were hoping you could tell us what you remembered."
"I was leading a group of younglings. Master Che told me to take them and try to get out of the temple and off planet. I was going to try to make it to the hanger to get a shuttle, but the way was blocked by clone troopers. Why would they turn on us?"
The young man started to cry, and Ashoka held him till he calmed down. She told him in a calming voice "Palpatine was behind everything. He was responsible for so much pain and suffering. He was also responsible for the creation of the clone army. He had an inhibiter chip planted in their heads. A few clones didn't follow the command and a few more discovered their chips and had them removed but it was to late to save the Jedi.
Palpatine gave order 66, which was to tell the clones that the Jedi were traitors and to be killed."
"So, the order is gone."
"The old one is but there are two new once that have risen."
Cilghal came over, "I am going to give you something to sleep. You need to rest." She then gave him a sedative and the young man fell asleep.
It was another hour before Lacey woke up. She handled waking up better than Damion due to the presents of her mother by her bed side. Lynn Jade talked with her daughter and explained they had been asleep for a long time.
"What of Mara?"
"She is fine. Lacey she was not put to sleep like us. She is a lot older now."
"How much?"
"A little younger than I was when we were captured."
Lacey didn't know what to thank. Her baby sister was now older than she was. Why did she not sleep like us?"
"A bad man took her and raised her. She escaped the life he wanted for her and is here now. We are on a planet with lots of Jedi."
"Like you."
"Yes, like me."
"What are we going to do now mamma."
"We are going to heal and to get to know your sister and when the baby I am caring is born we will watch over her. This time we have friends who can help us."
Lacey gave a yawn and was showing signs of being sleepy. Cilghal gave her a sedative also.
Lynn Jade sat in her chair and cried for her late husband and her daughters. They were in an unfamiliar time at a place she knew not.
Ashoka and Cilghal took her back to her room and helped her to bed. She was asleep a few minutes later.
Things are moving along. I will not spend much more time on the children other than speaking of how they are adjusting. We will still see Mara's family. I am thinking of sending all the others to Lothal with Master Windu and Ashoka. Hopefully they will be able to recover better there.
The issue with the Camaas document will be further addressed in the next chapter. Luke may be going to Bothawui to deal with the trial.