The Liberator/Part 27

Day 86 of the Occupation of Milagro

No one spoke in Zemma's office; Mali thought they were still too much in shock. Zemma had pulled in only the essential people—Nissi Enkolfo, Tago Tafen, the soon-to-be seated Ministers for Law and Defense, and Zemma's own Chief of Staff. Mali had invited Raven Kaivalt, but Baron Obveluus had tagged along of his own volition; he had been with Tafen when the Rodian was notified, and there had been no diplomatic way to get rid of him. Essely Kalliot stood behind Mali in Aldayr's usual spot for the same reason.

Seated at her desk, the sky just lightening toward dawn through the window behind her, Zemma looked a hundred years old as she stared at her laced hands on her desk. She had not looked up in the last hour, but Mali sensed her mind racing.

The silence was so thick that everyone could hear Mali's comlink vibrating on his belt, and most of them were strung so tight that they jumped. "Darakhan."

"It's me," Aldayr's voice returned. "We just landed. I'm taking them to medical."

Some of the people in the room stirred, and Mali sensed their patience fraying. "Did the RSF medics get them stabilized?"

"…yes…"

"Then bring them here first. We need answers now; boo-boos can wait."

He heard the anger in his own voice and tried desperately to rein it in, but he still could not believe the two Cathar had inflicted this catastrophe on him just as things were falling into place. He looked at Zemma; she had raised her eyes when Mali spoke, and he read in them his own fears mirrored back and amplified.

Aldayr was first through the door; he approached Mali and handed him a datapad without a word. Trajan and Haleya followed; their clothes were torn and bloodstained, they were caked in dust and grime, Trajan was limping, and Haleya was missing a piece of her left ear. Mali could smell the blood and stink on them across the room, and the beings he suspected had never been on a battlefield shifted in their seats and coughed in the backs of their throats.

"Mali…" Haleya started.

Aldayr held up a hand to her, then nodded to the datapad. "You'll want to check that out, Master."

"Don't raise your hand to me, Padavan, I'm a Jedi Knight!" Haleya snapped.

Mali knew he should make allowances—Haleya looked like she had been through the ringer—but he sensed Aldayr getting his back up and cut it off. "Well I'm a Jedi General, so I'll tell you instead: Be quiet."

Haleya's eyes widened and Trajan snarled, stepping to his mate's side in a protective way, but Mali could not waste the time caring; he had turned the datapad on, and as he sat back down he saw at once why Aldayr wanted him to view it. It was not the most gruesome sight he had seen—and between Aresh's extermination camps and the simple realities of violent, bloody battles on a galactic scale, nothing shocked or disgusted him anymore—but it was still much worse than he would have hoped. When he had reviewed the last image, he handed the datapad back to Aldayr and pointed. Aldayr took it to Zemma, and her eyes widened as she scrolled through. She set it down and stared at the two Cathar Sentinels in disbelief.

"Why did you do this?"

"He attacked us!" Haleya hissed.

"He attacked you?" Mali said. "He was an old man with a stick, you're Jedi Knights!"

"He vas a dark sider!" Trajan thundered.

Not everyone in the room knew enough about the Force to really grasp the impact of that, but those who did more than made up for their fellows; Mali sensed shock race through the room like wildfire. Mali rose from his chair, Raven's mouth fell open, and Nissi Enkolfo asked, "Do you…are you asking us to believe Pastor Jeh-Kro was a Sith?!"

"No," Haleya said. "I have sensed Sith before, this vas different."

"Different how?" Baron Obveluus asked.

"Just…different!" Haleya's purring Cathar accent was growing thicker as her stress mounted. "The dark side is more than just the Sith!"

"That's true," Raven supplied; as usual in these gatherings, he sat at the back of the room, out of the way unless he chose to speak up. "There have been plenty of dark side groups that weren't Sith factions, even during this war."

"Ve are Jedi Shadows," Trajan added. "Ve are trained to sense the dark."

"And we're just supposed to take this on your word?" Tago Tafen demanded. Mali couldn't read Rodian features well, but between the odor of his pheromones and the blatant disbelief radiating from his mind, he got the gist.

"Vy vould ve lie?" Trajan replied. "Vot vas this man to us?"

"What exactly happened?" Mali asked.

"He knew I vas there—" Haleya started.

"Why were you there?" asked Ziffano Colzoraddi, the Law Minister.

"Because…"

"I told them to be," Mali admitted. Haleya and Trajan needed to own what they had done, but Mali would not allow the Security Committee to think rogue Jedi Knights were stalking political dissidents on their own.

"Why did you do that, General?"

"Because—"

Zemma raised a hand. "One thing at a time. Haleya, what happened?"

"He attacked me. Not vith a stick, vith the Force.  I don't know exactly vot happened…"

Zemma held out the datapad, turning it to projection mode so the holographic images filled the room. Several beings gasped and Baron Obveluus barked, "Shey's soul in glory!"

Zemma did not look away from Trajan and Haleya. "Does this help you remember?"

"Ve did not do all of this!" Haleya insisted.

Mali looked at the mutilated corpses, bodies rent by gashes and limbs contorted to hideous angles amidst the ruins of an industrial building, as Tafen said, "A Human with a staff against two Cathar Jedi with lightsabers and claws…what are we supposed to think?"

"You are supposed to believe us!" Haleya cried. She turned her gray-green eyes on Mali. "Mali?!"

Mali felt the desperation growing behind her gaze. Clenching his jaw so he didn't flinch, he looked at the images again, then asked, "Trajan, you saw Jeh-Kro attack her?"

"I…" He stopped, clearly conflicted, but Mali gave him a warning look, and the Cathar growled. "No. I sensed the darkness descending on her and returned as fast as I could."

"Which of you actually killed him?"

"I…think I did," Haleya said. "It vas all so confusing…"

"They vere attacking us from different angles, and then Jeh-Kro…" Words seemed to fail Trajan. "Their bodies…he…"

"It vas like he…absorbed their spirits," Haleya completed, and Trajan nodded in agreement. "These vounds appeared as he used the Force on them—on us."

"Ve attacked to protect ourselves, but he vas…it vas like he vas in more than one place." Dust fell from Trajan's bloodstained mane as he shook his head. "And the fire…"

Mali glanced at one of the images; he was fairly sure the being had once been Human, though the corpse was charred so badly that nothing short of DNA analysis could ever prove that.

"More than one place," Tafen said. "Meaning you saw some sort of illusion? Maybe enough to strike down these other beings without realizing it?"

"I…" Haleya trailed off as fear crept into her eyes.

Zemma's advisors traded looks of horror and disgust, but Zemma herself seemed shell-shocked. Mali gave her a slight mental nudge; she started and met his gaze, and he felt her reeling under the same understanding that had beset Mali since Haleya's call—the knowledge of what this would mean for Milagro when word got out.

"General Darakhan…" she started, but she stopped there; she did not seem to know where to go.

Mali felt disquiet in the room at her hesitation, and he seized the moment to back her. "Yes, Prime Minister, I do."

Her Chief of Staff blinked. "Sorry, General Darakhan, you 'do'…?"

"I'm sorry, Meyt," Mali said. "Bad habit—it's a Jedi thing. But I understand what you're all thinking, and yes, I believe Haleya and Trajan.  I sent them to investigate Jeh-Kro to find out if he posed a threat to Milagro, but they're Jedi Knights, not murderers.  If they say Jeh-Kro attacked Haleya—that he was a Force user we didn't know about—then I believe them."

Mixed expressions greeted this assurance, from unease to doubt, but only species pride kept Haleya from collapsing against Trajan in relief, and Zemma's expression cleared; that single intervention had recentered her. "Nissi, Tago, you both met Jeh-Kro. If you had conclusive proof that he had some sort of power like the Jedi do, how surprised would you really be?"

Both of them squirmed in their seats, but Nissi admitted, "Not really surprised, I suppose. The way his people followed him…Jedi can mess with people's minds, can't they?"

"Sith mess with people's minds," Mali corrected.

"Meaning it's a dark side power," Raven added. "And dark siders of any stripe could learn it."

Mali gave Raven a grateful look for the save—dark sider, not Sith, he reminded himself.

"Then why not?" Nissi was still frowning, but she shrugged. "If the power exists…yes, I could believe he used it if he had it."

Tafen hesitated. "He…well, he was a little zealous, maybe…sort of a mystic, I'd say…but the kind of eldritch magic you're talking about—"

"The Force is not magic, Speaker," Trajan rumbled. "And the dark side does not alvays attack with lightsabers blazing. Sometimes it is subtle and secret."

"And its secrecy can be more dangerous," Haleya added.

"The Tapani have experience with just such issues," Baron Obveluus put in. "For centuries House Mecetti patronized a Sith sect known as the Mecrosa; its agents caused substantial injury to the other noble Houses until the intervention of the Jedi rooted the Mecrosa out. Milagro may be fortunate that the Pastor's nefarious intentions were thwarted before they could come to fruition."

"He spoke of the elections—Milagro's harlotry, he called them," said Haleya. "He called for action. And vith all the fire around him…"

"Now you're not only calling Pastor Jeh-Kro a…'dark sider', you're accusing him of the fire bombings?" Law Minister Colzoraddi asked.

"I am saying it is possible."

"They had to be taking orders from someone," Aldayr suggested. "The attacks have been too similar for coincidence, and too many for it to be just one bomber."

"There's no proof of any of this," Tafen complained.

"But what's done is done," Zemma said. "The question now is what we're going to do."

"Get out ahead of this," Raven suggested. "At once—today, if possible. Tell people the Pastor was being investigated for possible involvement with terrorist activity, and he attacked a Jedi Knight, who was forced to kill him in the struggle."

Colzoraddi sighed. "With no evidence? We ask the entire planet to take the word of two Jedi they don't know?"

"I'll vouch for them both," Mali said.

"Are you sure you want to spend your political capital that way, General?"

Mali looked at Colzoraddi, and this time his ferocious expression was quite deliberate. Aldayr came back to Mali's side, and he and Essely Kalliot crossed their arms almost as one; Colzoraddi swallowed and leaned back a little in his chair.

"Haleya and Trajan are Jedi Knights, like me," Mali said, making each word cold and distinct. "I'm not here to politick or play games—I'm here to defend Milagro and the Republic. If Haleya and Trajan say Jeh-Kro was a dark sider, then he was, and the people of Milagro deserve to know about it."

"But why come forward with it?" Nissi Enkolfo asked. When she had everyone's attention, she asked, "I'm not saying lie to the people, I'm just saying keep it under wraps."

"People will find out," Tafen fretted. "The Pastor had followers, devotees…"

"It looks like most of them died with him," Enkfolo answered, gesturing to the holos.

Mali looked at Haleya. "Did anyone who saw the…who saw him attack you escape?"

Haleya snarled in the back of her throat. "I don't know."

"Trajan?"

"There vas so much confusion…and ven the roof came down…" The burly Cathar shook his head. "I don't know either, Mali."

Raven shook his head. "If somebody survived this mess and says Jedi killed the Pastor, and we haven't already come out and said it, it could be ruinous for the new government's reputation."

"It could ruin the new government if we admit to this before we need to," Enkolfo answered. "If anyone asks, we tell them we can confirm the Pastor's death, and that there's an ongoing investigation into the circumstances and we can't comment further, but we'll have a full report when it's concluded. That preserves the government's standing for a while and gives us time to investigate these bombings further.  If Padawan Nikodon is right and it was the Pastor's people involved, we can include that in the report, and then we will have evidence."

"Nothing will ever be able to prove Jeh-Kro could use the Force," Tafen warned. "We have only the word of the Jedi, and even if we believe it, there will always be those who think they lied to justify their actions after the fact."

"Ve didn't—"

"It doesn't matter," Colzoraddi sighed. "Since we can't prove it, it only matters whether people think you did."

Mali felt his fellow Jedi sharing his distaste, and even Baron Obveluus frowned with one side of his mouth, though he was nodding in acceptance too. Mali said, "It isn't the Jedi way to veil and distort the truth."

"The Jedi don't rule Milagro," Enkolfo said flatly. "Milagroans do. We have a government again—a government that hasn't yet voted to join the Republic.  If the people think the Jedi are murdering political dissidents, our coalition will fall apart, and the Republic vote will probably fail.  We need to decide whether being up-front with…with whatever happened in Derresor is worth losing Milagro's membership in the Republic, and keeping Milagro safe from Gasald."

Mali sat back, nauseated but struggling to find a new line of attack. Worlds are independent only so long as the Republic or the Sith factions will it, he had been told not long ago. Better they be within the Republic, where their rights will be respected, than with the Sith, where they live on the whim of Karzded and men like him.

It's their planet, Master, Mali had said.

It's our war.

In the silence, Colzoraddi said, "I think the Minister is right. We avoid making a problem for ourselves if it isn't necessary, and if it does become public knowledge, we have a strategy to manage it."

"A deft and adaptable strategy," Baron Obveluus agreed. "And I advise that the investigation into both the bombings and the Pastor's known associates take place at once, so whatever insidious designs underlay the pretense of faith can be exposed immediately. Should sufficient evidence present itself, the government could even confirm Jeh-Kro's death once the evidence is amassed and the public can receive it without becoming distracted."

More beings were nodding now, and Zemma Rufos's face was drawn. She looked at Mali, and he shook his head. She grimaced, but said, "I…agree with Nissi. Zaffino, do you have people capable of looking into this, or is this better left to the Republic?"

"If speed is the goal, Prime Minister, the Republic's the better choice."

Zemma turned her tired eyes on Mali. "General?"

"I…" Mali sighed. He had to keep Milagro from falling back into Gasald's hands, and he had to protect Corellia and the rest of the Republic from the Sith. "Yeah. Aldayr, get me a Judicial team immediately."

Aldayr stepped out of the room to make the call while the rest of the beings settled into acceptance of the plan. Rufos stood, and as they rose with her, she said, "It seems like we all have work to do. Tago, I want the swearing-in as soon as possible, and the Republic vote is the first measure on the docket.  Make it happen."

"Yes, Prime Minister."

"Nissi, make sure your department lends the Judicials aid of whatever sort they need."

"Of course."

"The rest of you…do your duties. Thank you."

They herded toward the door at the dismissal, and Mali approached the desk. "Zemma—"

"It's what has to be done, Mali," she said, shaking her head. "It's my call, and I made it."

He grimaced, but nodded and left the room; Essely Kalliot fell into step with him, but he waved her on. "Go on, get back up to the Soul Diamond."

As she walked away, Mali cast about for Aldayr, but saw Haleya and Trajan lurking to one side of the hall, still dirtied and bloodied but clearly waiting for him. He approached them and sighed. "I'm sorry I was short with you. It was just a shock."

"To us as vell," Haleya said. "But thank you for trusting us."

"I vish things had been more clear, Mali, but I swear vot ve told you is vot ve remember," Trajan promised.

"I know. I'm sorry about your ear, Haleya."

She winced, as if she had forgotten the pain until he pointed it out, but shrugged. "Ve must make sacrifices for our duty. Your Padavan has borne a greater sacrifice than this little thing."

"You are still beautiful to me, love," Trajan growled, and Haleya leaned tiredly against him.

"Well, we'll deal with the fallout here."

"Vot do you vant us to do?"

Mali hesitated. "Trajan…I appreciate what you both did here. If…because Jeh-Kro was a threat like this, he needed to be stopped.  But with everything going on now…with all this…it'd probably be best if you two got off world."

Mali did not have to be a Cathar to read the hurt in the way they looked at one another. Haleya said, "Mali, I svear, ve had no choice."

"I believe you, Haleya—I really do. It's just…"  He gestured vaguely toward Zemma's office. "They're in charge now. They have to be, or we're just as bad as Gasald and none of this means anything.  We have to keep the peace, at least until the vote; things'll get better then.  They have to."