Chapter 35: Public Scrutiny

Rey felt an incredible weight leave her chest at this and felt like crying with relief. She smiled and responded, “Thank you. I wish there was some other way.”

Poe smiled back and nodded, “That's politics.” His tone grew playful as he added, “But you'll tell me what's going on some day right.”

The Jedi nodded quickly, “As soon as it's safe.”

Her friend seemed satisfied and stood up, “Good, then I'll leave you to rest.” He paused to think and added, “Minerva said your classes tomorrow morning will be replaced by an evening one. Your only assignment is a tour of the Jedi Temple at noon, so sleep as much as you like.” Then, more protectively finished, “But if you're not feeling up to it, we can rescue dual that too.”

Rey shook her head, needing answers from the Admiral now more than ever. Her last trump card had failed, meaning she could only approach him the old-fashioned way. She responded, “I should be able to make it. I heal fast.”

Poe nodded at this, knowing it to be true, “OK. I'll be busy these upcoming days, but I'll try and stop by when I can.”

The Jedi smiled and let her eyelids close as sleep quickly filled her mind. She mumbled out, “Stay safe .”

Her friend smiled at this feeling, a chaotic mix of worry, irritation, anger, relief, and trust. He let out a sigh and let these things slip away as resolve appeared in his eyes. It was a chaotic Galaxy, and she could let her emotions get in their way. Rey was his friend. He trusted her absolutely. Even if their political agendas diverged and they somehow became opposed to one another, it was just politics. What was important was friends, family and love.

Poe left the room determined to never forget what he was truly fighting for in these upcoming peace talks as well as in the future.

Rey ended up sleeping through her morning classes all the way till just half an hour before her meeting at the Jedi Temple. Her body and mind still ached, and after a slight test, she found when she tried to use the Force, this pain intensified manyfold. It frightened her, but for the foreseeable future, she would not be able to depend on her Jedi powers. She considered calling the meeting off but ultimately resealed herself otherwise. At the moment, answers were more important.

She dressed and met Emi at her door; the petite woman looked Rey up and down before saying in her usual monotone fashion, “You look terrible.”

The Jedi scowled with weariness on her face, “I know, let's get moving.”

They quickly arrived at a transport, and Rey was given a damp towel to put on her eyes as they flew through the endless city. Minutes passed by in silence before Emi announced, “We'll be arriving soon. I'll escort you for the public tour but will leave during your meeting with the Admiral.”

Rey took the towel from her face, feeling uneasy, and asked, “Why can't you stay?”

The cyborg responded in a bland manner, “I was under the impression that your meeting would be a private matter. I reserved time at a salon.”

The Jedi blinked in surprise and blurted, “A salon.” Her aid seemed so robotic and calculating all the time. Rey had begun to think of her almost like a protocol droid. The idea of Emi going to a salon to get her hair and nails done surprised her.

Emi nodded at this and responded formally, “Lady Organa said I should try to relax more. The salon came highly recommended.”

Everything fell into place at this; even if it were an offhand comment or a joke, Rey believed Emi would do anything Minerva said. She let out a breath and nodded, “I hope you enjoy it.” She then looked out her window at the towering buildings and countless flying transports and murmured, “I guess I'm just nervous.”

Emi remained silent at this, having not been asked a question or given an order.

When they arrived a few moments later, Rey decided to put her worry behind her and enjoy the tour. It had been her dream, even as a child, to meet a Jedi. As this dream slowly became a reality, her vision expanded. Now, she wanted to restore the Jedi Order to its former glory. Thus, visiting the old Jedi Temple had become a new item on her bucket list. She wanted to see at least the shadow of the Jedi's past glory and learn more about them. Even Luke and Leia had never experienced the former glory of the Jedi. Only Luke's old masters, Obi One Kinoby and Yoda, had lived during such times. She had certainly heard stories, but they could never live up to the real thing.

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Once out of her ship, Rey was awestruck. Even with her Force abilities momentarily inaccessible, she could feel the soothing and radiant aura that flowed from the grand building before it. Its four main towers pierced the sky, its columned wall of stone appeared impenetrable, and its vast size was a testament to the countless Jedi, Padawan, and other missionaries it had once held. Rey felt a sense of calm and peace flow through her and couldn't help but sigh constantly.

The entire planet, or at least the parts she had visited, had all seemed to be sullied by the dark side and Palpatine's lingering shadow. But this grand building before her was like a glimmering star admiring the dark nighttime sky. Like a roaring bonfire spreading warmth and solace to all who sought it.

In a near trance-like state, Rey and a small group of people were led inside by an older woman dressed in plain grey robes. This woman, as it turned out, was a steward of the temple, which, since the fall of the First Order, had been labeled a Galactic Heritage site. She was very calm and knowledgeable, and Rey enjoyed listening to her speak.

They roamed the grounds, including the main hall, training field, meditation rooms, living areas, and the famous Jedi Archive, though most of its content had been wiped out during the rise of the Empire. The building's history was elaborated on, and it could be traced back to even before the rise of the Galactic Republic. There were also more recent events discussed, such as the rise of Count Douku, who had started the Clone Wars, the great Jedi Purge after they had tried to throw a cue, and how the building had been cleansed of its Jedi architecture under Palpatine's rule but after his death restored.

Rey disliked the woman's imperial bias but also knew the woman was likely ignorant of the truth. Rather than dwelling on these historical inaccuracies, she decided to soak in the experience of walking the same halls as countless masters had done before her.

Before she knew it, they were heading back towards the entrance, which was busking with tourists. Rey was in a relatively good mood at this point, having pushed her meeting with the Admiral to the back of her mind. However, her peace was shattered when a heartbroken and infuriated voice cried, “You traitor, you lying traitor.”

A stout, fish-headed individual broke through a crowd, waving a blaster and staring directly at Rey. This person's eyes were bloodshot, as though they had shed many tears and were scared by pain and betrayal. He raised the blaster in a moment and cried, “The Galaxy doesn't need Jedi like you.”

In a flash, the weapon was discharged, and time seemed to slow down. Normally, it would have been an easy shot for Arry to have blocked. She had her lightsaber on her at all times and, with Battle Meditation, could respond in an instant. However, now, as her instincts kicked in, her body was racked with pain as the Force tried to flow through her non-receptive body. She thought for a moment that this is sure was an ironic way to die, slain by a loyalist of her own faction when a blue light appeared in front of her.

This light was an energy shield with a rather elegant design that neutralized the blaster bolt. In the next moment, another blaster was fired, and a blue ray of energy shot past the Jedi's left. Her attacker was hit by this stun blast and dropped to the floor as people retreated. Time resumed its normal pace, and Rey slumped back, almost collapsing from pain. She was caught against a person's chest, the same person who had raised the shield and fired the stun bolt.

Turning her head, she saw the Admiral looking rather heroic, the shield being generated by a forearm guard that looked like an ordinary portable computer. He glanced at her with a smile and spoke softly, “No worries, little one.”

Though hit by a truck, Rey felt a potent sense of deja vu at this but couldn't place the memory. She recovered from her shock quickly and moved away from him, her heart racing with panic. Guards quickly descended on the scene and took the attacker away. One man in classic imperial armor approached the Admiral and asked, “What should we do with him, sir.”

The grey-haired man eyed the captive with both anger and slight amusement in his eyes as he answered formally, “This was attempted murder on a galactic diplomate, arraigned him, and sent him to a prison camp of the world.”

Rey was shocked to hear this and held out her hand to object. Prison camps were just about the same as a death sentence, and it was clear this person was not in the right state of mind. Primidian grabbed her arm gently and spoke to her calmly, “I assure you he will have a fair trial. Prison camps are far from what they used to be. He would live to return here someday.”

The Jedi shook her head and countered, “He's distressed, this isn't right.”

Primidian sighed and responded quietly, “We can't let acts of extremism go unpunished. If we show weakness, then it will encourage others to act out.” He met Rey's gaze and, not seeing what he wanted, added almost in a whisper, “I'll ensure he remains safe, a month in a penitentiary at most. But he can't be released.”

Rey, onside red, looking for any falsehood in the man's face, then nodded, “OK.”

The Admiral smiled and waved back to the guards that had frozen after a few paces, “You may proceed.”

They left swiftly at this, and the hall quickly returned to its former bustling state; however, everyone was now whispering and taking glances at the Jedi and Admiral pair. With the sudden and terrifying matter of attempted assassination behind them, Rey tried to calm her nerves. She breathed deeply and, after putting on a stern look, demanded, “Primidian, we need to talk.”

The man's golden eyes caught the light as he retracted his energy shield and holstered a compact blaster. In contrast, he went from stern to cheerful and nodded, “Of course, but this is hardly the place.” He gestured to a side passage and commented, “Come, I'll give you a behind-the-scenes tour.”