Chapter 47: The Aftermath
Rey couldn’t help but facepalm. If the next great war was started due to her inability to properly train her Padawan, she would elect an exile like Master Luke. The awkward silence that had grown rapidly as the surrounding crowd turned to gawk at the young Jedi was deafening.
Just before Rey was about to step forward to defend her apprentice, a well-dressed and rather large Chagrian woman rushed forward. In a grande voice like an opera singer, she bellowed emotionally, “What nonsense is this? That little girl saved my life. It was she who stunned the cultist with that toy of hers.”
The face of the guard who had made the previous announcement went a bit sour as he spoke loudly, “Ma’am, the Security Force is still conducting the investigation. We will come to our own conclusions.”
Rey didn't know if these officers had something against the Jedi or were just plain stupid, but either option caused her to feel discouraged. The Chagrin female seemed likewise irritated but more so from being contradicted than anything. Aggressively, she barked, “Officer, do you know who I am? I am Lady Frigia Amedda. If I say she is innocent, then innocent she is.”
Admiral Primidian held up a hand to quell the growing conflict and looked to the Padawan before saying, “Fama. I'm very disappointed.” The guard's expression perked up at this, though the admiral wasn't done. He shook his head and continued, “Such language is truly inappropriate; you must be more mindful of your words in the future.” He gestured dismissively and ordered, “Officers, you may release her; take the cultist to my ship for interrogation.”
The talkative Officer seemed shocked and stuttered out, “That's against protocol. Even if you are an admiral, you can't abuse your power like this. This is highly irregular and suspicious.”
Primidian nodded and turned to the Chief of Security before speaking sternly, “Arrest this man for hindering the investigation.”
Without batting an eye, the fish-headed female nodded to the agents near her, who swiftly moved forward. The security officer seemed shocked and tried to object but was trapped in the side by a stun rod. His unconscious figure was dragged away while the Chief of security barked, “Release the girl. She is clearly one of today's heroes.”
The bulky men did so swiftly, looking frightened, and Fama angrily pulled away from them. After a moment of hesitation, she turned back and grumbled, “Sorry for calling you a mean name.”
The guard she addressed seemed genuinely touched by this, but the Chief of Security broke the mood by ordering, “Take the captive to the Admiral's ship for temporary holding. Once the chaos is over, they will be submitted to the public penitentiary.”
The men nodded and dragged the hooded figure away swiftly. She looked up to Primidian and the Chief, smiling, “Thanks, that was really annoying.”
The man chuckled and responded, “Have you ever heard the saying out of the desert and into the Sarlacc Pit.”
Fama's face went a pale green as she turned to impishly face her master, who had materialized behind her. She began to poke her fingers together and managed to get out, “I can explain.”
A security officer handed Primidian a slingshot fastened from what had been the girl's hair tie and an ornate crystal bracelet. The Chief looked at it and shook her head, “Assault weapon indeed.” She then looked to Rey and asked, “As grateful as I am for your actions tonight, I must remind the Jedi Master that only you are permitted a weapon during the Concord. Even if they just stun-beads, this will not be tolerated again.”
Rey glanced at the woman, her eyes filled with frustration directed towards her padawan, and responded, “Of course, my apprentice has made an error in this regard. I will be sure to discipline her.”
Fama’s eyes became pleading as she blurted, ‘But Master, I…”
Rey stopped the girl with a glare that would have likely even frightened her grandfather. The child instantly grew silent and bowed her head in shame. Primidian chucked and waved to the crowd at this point, “Thanks to the Jedi, not only have many lives been saved, but a cultist has been captured. I don't believe anyone will dare hold this against the child.”
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At this point, the audience that had built up got the message and returned to their personal business. Rey let out a sigh and spoke quietly, “Thank you for being so forgiving.”
The Chief of Security smiled at this and responded, “Not at all. It could be us thanking you. I'm ashamed that my agents couldn't prevent this attack in the first place.”
Rey felt more relaxed now and responded kindly, “It's my duty. I also believe the security force is doing everything in its power to protect us; you have no reason for shame.”
The female's large fish eyes grew grim, and she rumbled, “I wish that was so, but as you have seen, we are not as unified as some may believe.”
Primidian put a hand on her shoulder and responded, “We will get through this. The bureaucrats and extremists can't stand in the way of progress forever.”
Rey nodded in agreement, through her mind, then returned to reality, and she asked, “Is it really ok to take the cultist to your ship. It is irregular.”
The Admiral glanced at the Chief of Security, who swiftly found a subordinate to go talk to. The Admiral led her away from Fama, who remained frozen, and once alone, he moved closer and spoke quietly, “I tell you this in the strictest confidence because I know where your loyalties lie.” He put an arm around her shoulder as though they were just friends having a chat and continued, “The gravity of this situation is truly severe. It was a blessing Fama managed to stun one before he could take his poison capsule like the others we managed to catch.” He let out a sigh and continued, “As I'm sure you already know, there exists a silent but quite powerful Anti-Peace Faction. If that captive were to be sent through normal processing, he would surely be killed before we can get any information from him.”
Rey was disheartened by this as she realized the Anti-Peace Faction must be truly influential to attack the most important social event of the last century, let alone assassinate a mere prisoner. She tried to maintain a calm face while inquiring, “So what are you going to do?” She thought for a moment and inquired about what she found to be the best solution. “Are you going to switch the prisoner with someone else?”
The man chuckled and responded, “Smart, but there's not enough time. It is also likely his identity is known to the enemy, and they will be able to detect the switch.” He sighed and concluded grimly, “We will have to extract what information we can before tomorrow morning when he will be transferred.”
The Jedi was worried by this and responded, “But I can't use my powers. Even if I could, Cultists can resist force suggestion.” She grumbled to herself, “There are tough nuts to crack.”
Primidian nodded and responded quietly, “There are other ways to extract information from an unwilling mouth.” His tone grew grim as he finished, “I'll personally oversee his interrogation.”
Rey couldn't help but grimace as she asked, ‘ You're not going to torture him, are you? Mind Probes have been classified as illegal, and using them is now a war crime.``
The Admiral was unfazed and responded simply, “Perhaps in the New Republic, that's the case, but here in the Remnant General territory, we are still under martial law.” She squeezed her shoulder in a reassuring but also protective manner and finished, “I don't want you to concern yourself with this issue. Both the old empire and the New Republic are not nearly as innocent as you believe. “
The Jedi couldn't help feeling conflicted. She knew what was right and what was wrong, but this, for once, what was right didn’t overlap with what was for the greater good. She couldn't help but voice her feelings, “But it's wrong. We can't drop to their level. We can't cross the line.”
Primidian sighed once more and responded, “Some of us must cross the line to make sure it is still there. I promise you he will leave my ship with his life. But for the sake of peace throughout the galaxy, I can't guarantee his sanity. This sin will be mine to bear.”
Rey swallowed at this and looked towards Fama, who had been intercepted by Poe and Mncerva. She shook her head and responded, “I disagree, but I doubt there is anything I can do to stop you.”
The Admiral nodded, “You are wise to understand the entirety of the situation.” He also looked off to Fama, who still looked terrified but was growing less frightened by the moment, and finished, “I only hope one-day things will no longer have to be this way.” He let out a heavy sigh that seemed to be burdened by the weight of a life torn between doing what was right and doing what was for the greater good. He put a hand on Rey’s shoulder and finished, “Rest tonight. My agents will gather what information they can. I'll have all the information we can gather available to you by dawn.”
The Jedi still believed getting to work immediately was better and tried pleading her case once more, “By tomorrow, their trail could be cold. They can't have gotten far; if we start now, we could catch them.”
Primidian shook his head at this grimly and responded, “If they planned the attack, then they also planned their escape. Everything possible is already being done to track them.” His eyes grew colder as he added, “The city is also a dangerous place. Rushing in blind could get you killed. The delegate also needs to approve any investigation performed by anyone aside from the security officers. If you start searching now, our enemies may use this as a chance to make a scene.” His voice grew glum as he finished, “You have entered the world of politics. One wrong step could lead to disaster.”
Rey looked away, feeling like a child who had just been lectured by a parent. She wanted to curse and complain that the politicians should move faster but realized it would be folly. In the end, she collected her thoughts and nodded, “I understand.”
The gray-haired man smiled, and his golden eyes flashed, “Very good, we may make a diplomat of you yet.”
Rey snorted at this, but the statement did make her feel a little proud.