The Jedi Temple- Coruscant- Monday
When Jaina parked her speeder in the lower level of the Temple and got a good idea of the agitation happening nearby, she almost even forgot that she had to have Dab go everywhere with her. At the very least, it made it easier to ignore him as they rode the turbolift up to the Great Hall, where Jaina found Kyle Katarn talking with two other Jedi.
And being a subtle person, she greeted him with, "Master, what's happened?"
While he looked fine, Kyle was definitely angry. "They've come for Valin."
Jaina frowned. "I hadn't heard that we'd come to terms with the government about his evaluation."
"We haven't. This is unilateral on the government's part. It's in retaliation for this morning's High Court decision."
That Jaina had heard about. Daala's pressure on the Jedi had backfired, and the High Court had decided that while the observers and limitations would remain in place for current Jedi, those who had left the Order would be freed from them. It was mainly because Tahiri had rejected her observer, and Daala had gotten pissed off, and Jaina had to think that the ruling was fair. She also had to wonder what they'd done in the case of Tenel Ka, who'd left the order to be Queen Mother and who probably would have had a similar reaction if they'd tried to impose a spy on her.
"But we didn't have anything to do with that," Jaina protested.
"Of course we did. If we had put pressure on Tahiri Veila to withdraw her appeal, all the pressure the Order could bring to bear, would she have continued?" Kyle said.
"Probably not." But that was a stupid way to do things.
"Well, now we know what the government considers cooperation on our part," he said. "Unthinking acceptance of their decisions, silent obedience, preemptive groveling."
They heard the sound of the turbolift arriving and everyone present turned to see Master Kenth Hamner along with a small processional. He marched before a floating medical bed, where Valin lay unconscious, covered, and strapped down. They were escorted by Kyp and Tekli, along with Kuh and Vaxx, two of the bounty hunters who'd tried to hunt him down.
Valin probably required the restraints. He twisted and struggled against them, loudly ranting, "Look at you, all of you. You think you have everyone fooled. But you'll make a mistake. They'll see through your deception as I have. What have you done with the real Jedi? What have you done with the real Horns? Did you kill them? Bring them back alive and unhurt or I'll make you suffer. You'll suffer like you were swallowed by a sarlaac, forever and ever, once I get my hands on you…"
A squadron of GA Security troops rushed in to take over, surrounding the processional.
Dab was recording everything on his holocamera. "They made a very public event of this," he murmured. "Not nice."
"You have no room to talk," Jaina snapped. "You're part of the problem."
"I'm qualified and even sympathetic," he said evenly. "If I quit, who replaces me? Maybe a one-armed convict with a grudge against the Jedi released from prison just for this job? Would you prefer that?"
No, she really wouldn't, and Jaina fell quiet to watch the procession, where at the end of the hall Valin was publicly loaded into an ambulance, still yelling at onlookers. Tekli and Cilghal were not allowed to go along, and the GAG people left without them.
When he came back inside, Jaina whispered to Kenth, "This is going to get worse and worse as long as we let it."
He nodded. "And yet I have to stay on this course. I need to be able to look at Chief of State Daala in the eye and say, There is no resistance in the Order to your measures. Just ask me. Ask any Master."
And with that, he left.
"You look suddenly happy," Dab noticed.
That's because she was. "Ever been given permission to do what you planned to do anyway?"
"Sure," he said. "What were you given permission to do?"
"Have lunch," she lied
[Omg you know what to do here. Dialogue taken from Outcast by Aaron Allston.]
And being a subtle person, she greeted him with, "Master, what's happened?"
While he looked fine, Kyle was definitely angry. "They've come for Valin."
Jaina frowned. "I hadn't heard that we'd come to terms with the government about his evaluation."
"We haven't. This is unilateral on the government's part. It's in retaliation for this morning's High Court decision."
That Jaina had heard about. Daala's pressure on the Jedi had backfired, and the High Court had decided that while the observers and limitations would remain in place for current Jedi, those who had left the Order would be freed from them. It was mainly because Tahiri had rejected her observer, and Daala had gotten pissed off, and Jaina had to think that the ruling was fair. She also had to wonder what they'd done in the case of Tenel Ka, who'd left the order to be Queen Mother and who probably would have had a similar reaction if they'd tried to impose a spy on her.
"But we didn't have anything to do with that," Jaina protested.
"Of course we did. If we had put pressure on Tahiri Veila to withdraw her appeal, all the pressure the Order could bring to bear, would she have continued?" Kyle said.
"Probably not." But that was a stupid way to do things.
"Well, now we know what the government considers cooperation on our part," he said. "Unthinking acceptance of their decisions, silent obedience, preemptive groveling."
They heard the sound of the turbolift arriving and everyone present turned to see Master Kenth Hamner along with a small processional. He marched before a floating medical bed, where Valin lay unconscious, covered, and strapped down. They were escorted by Kyp and Tekli, along with Kuh and Vaxx, two of the bounty hunters who'd tried to hunt him down.
Valin probably required the restraints. He twisted and struggled against them, loudly ranting, "Look at you, all of you. You think you have everyone fooled. But you'll make a mistake. They'll see through your deception as I have. What have you done with the real Jedi? What have you done with the real Horns? Did you kill them? Bring them back alive and unhurt or I'll make you suffer. You'll suffer like you were swallowed by a sarlaac, forever and ever, once I get my hands on you…"
A squadron of GA Security troops rushed in to take over, surrounding the processional.
Dab was recording everything on his holocamera. "They made a very public event of this," he murmured. "Not nice."
"You have no room to talk," Jaina snapped. "You're part of the problem."
"I'm qualified and even sympathetic," he said evenly. "If I quit, who replaces me? Maybe a one-armed convict with a grudge against the Jedi released from prison just for this job? Would you prefer that?"
No, she really wouldn't, and Jaina fell quiet to watch the procession, where at the end of the hall Valin was publicly loaded into an ambulance, still yelling at onlookers. Tekli and Cilghal were not allowed to go along, and the GAG people left without them.
When he came back inside, Jaina whispered to Kenth, "This is going to get worse and worse as long as we let it."
He nodded. "And yet I have to stay on this course. I need to be able to look at Chief of State Daala in the eye and say, There is no resistance in the Order to your measures. Just ask me. Ask any Master."
And with that, he left.
"You look suddenly happy," Dab noticed.
That's because she was. "Ever been given permission to do what you planned to do anyway?"
"Sure," he said. "What were you given permission to do?"
"Have lunch," she lied
[Omg you know what to do here. Dialogue taken from Outcast by Aaron Allston.]