From the perspective of Kalifa.

‘After I took away the arrogant girl’s lightsaber and tide her up, I had to also carry her to the bridge somehow.’

‘To achieve that, I carefully channelled my force abilities into my limbs and picked up her body. Then I began to walk towards the bridge. I put her down on a chair... ups... One of her lek is kind of swollen...’

‘A spike of guilt run through me seeing how pitiful she looked in this state.’

‘Anyway... she clearly needs medical help. The best healers are in the order on Coruscant... Vokara will have a look at her. Even a sith deserves to be treated if she is injured. Also… she kind of let me out… either way… it is definitely not because of my sudden spike of guilt. I set the hyperspace drive coordinates towards Coruscant. We are quite close to it, so we will reach it in an hour, give or take...’

“The others will be so surprised that I survived... I hope O-Mer and Jinx are still doing well... They will be so jealous that I managed to capture a sith! My name will be entered into the jedi archives as a hero of the republic, written in big letters! What a great day...”

‘Just then, I noticed a half-eaten grilled nuna leg placed on a plate over the control panels.’

“Finders keepers, they say!” — ‘I reached for the plate and bit into the cold food. I hadn’t eaten almost anything half as good as this in the last few weeks. I found it unbelievably fulfilling.’

~oOo~

‘Not long later, I exited hyperspace and the view of Coruscant filled my whole vision from the spacecraft cockpit. I immediately called the border guard station, reported my name and affiliation. I told them briefly that I was kidnapped, and that I managed to escape.’

‘I also told them that I captured a sith. I think that the last bit of information was the one that truly hastened things up. I was immediately led to the Jedi Temple with a long military and police convoy following me.’

“Look at that. It feels good to be important once in a while.”

‘After landing on the platform. I once again turned towards the girl. What was her name? Nizzy, yeah, something like that.’

‘I lifted her out of the chair, noticing once again how light she actually was. The girl was probably a year older than me at best two, yet she was barely taller than me, if at all.’

‘I walked towards the ramp with her in my arms. She was easy to carry when I channelled a little force into my body. I stifled a chuckle while her arms and leks were weakly flailing in the air as I walked. She was even drooling over herself... Look at that stupid expression. She had the face to act so tough when she was actually this weak. To think I almost believed her that she killed those scary lizard men, sure. What a big lier.’

“Looking at her pitiful state, I began to question my previous idea. I always thought that the sith were powerful and fearless warriors. In reality, it seems they got the short end of the stick, or maybe she told me the truth and she is really not a sith.’

‘Those black veins running all over her body are so ugly, though.’

‘I walked down the ramp. There were eight fully armed temple guards waiting for me in battle formation. There were also two masters standing among them.’

‘Master Windu, and wow... that is Anakin Skywalker! I am so lucky to run into him!’

‘While the guards encircled me, I told them that the sith is unconscious, so there is no need to be on edge. Master Windu and Anakin walked closer, in a more relaxed manner. Windu clearly recognized me as a missing apprentice, of the order... He gave me a small welcoming smile.’

“I am relieved to welcome you back to the order, young Kalifa. I am sorry for the seemingly cold welcome, but your report of a captured sith must be handled with the utmost care...”

“Of course, master, I understand... It is good to be back.”

“Of that, I have no doubt.” — ‘Said Master Skywalker and suddenly stepped closer to me. His expression was strange. There was recognition in his eyes?‘

‘I never met him personally though, so he could not have remembered my face, or could he?’

‘Windu also stepped closer. Soon the same surprise and recognition appeared on his face, too. The two masters traded a few meaningful glances with each other, then with the temple guards.’

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‘Their formation immediately relaxed, and six of them began to march back to the temple without a single word.’

‘Windu continued in an almost warm tone.’

“And that is your captured sith, I see. You can hand her over to these two temple guards. They will take her to Vokara. In the meantime, the jedi council is curiously waiting for your story. Especially the part where you captured this so-called... sith.”

“Of course, master, I will do my best!”

‘We began to walk towards the Jedi council. It was a truly glorious feeling being able to see these familiar walls again. Curiously, before this, I always thought them to be boring. Yet now I found myself comforted by the serenity found between these walls.’

‘The walls of my home.’

‘They were thousands of years old and unchanging. A piece of eternity, as Master Yoda often referred to them.’

‘The masters saw my longing expression and decided to stay silent, giving me the time to take in the feeling of home and the sense of peace and safety. My shoulders relaxed and the constant awareness began to loosen up a bit for the first time in weeks.’

‘We finally reached the council room. All the masters were present. Of course, most of them were only through holographic projections. Every one of them smiled at me, welcoming me back. Grandmaster Yoda seemed to turn a few years younger, seeing me back in the temple alive and mostly well.’

“Kalifa, jedi candidate from Corellia. We officially welcome you back to the temple. It is a relief to see you once again. Allow me to apologize for the unfortunate incident that was allowed to happen with you and a few others of your peers...” — ‘Said Master Windu after he walked to his empty seat in the council.’

‘Master Obi-Wan picked up the conversation.’

“Our investigators reported a few days after the incident that they succeeded in reconstructing the events. Our database was hacked, resulting in the leakage of the time and place of your training exercise, along with other sensitive information. Although we realized what had happened and since then reinforced our cybernetic defenses. We, unfortunately, were powerless to find your current location, especially in the middle of this raging civil war. Now, since I don’t want to sound like I am making excuses. I will only say this. In the name of the order, I apologize for your hardships...”

“I...”

‘I was touched... I felt as my emotional gates were about to overflow... I felt a few tears find their way into my eyes. I would never say this out loud... but secretly I doubted... I thought that I was forgotten, and no one was searching for me... Yet... they were doing their best to find me, even in the middle of a galactic war... I felt as a few tears escaped my eyes, the masters clearly acted as if nothing happened.’

‘Graciously overlooking such an open show of emotional breakdown.’

‘I rubbed away my tears and snot, then quickly tried to compose myself, momentarily succeeding.’

‘Yoda looked at me and said in a patronising tone.’

“In these troubled and dark times. We have to value every happy moment such as this reunion. Therefore, my hearth is heavy when I ask you to tell us your story. We have to know as much as possible. There are others, who may yet to be rescued from a dire fate.”

‘I nodded to that.’

“In the meantime,” — ‘Skywalker began.’ — “I will take my leave and order some men to search over the ship. Its hyperspace data computer may prove to be an invaluable asset in finding the locations of these criminals.”

“Then I trust you with this task.” — Said Yoda.

“Masters.” — ‘Anakin bowed, then turned around and marched out of the room.’

‘Everyone else turned back towards me, and I finally started the retelling of my mostly boring story with a few incredible highlights. Why was it boring? What I mean is that most of the time, I was sitting in a lonely cage where I was occasionally threatened and humiliated. Not the best time of my life...’

‘After about an hour of questioning, I finally finished my story with a bang.’

“And that was how I managed to capture that sith scu... I mean girl...”

‘An incredibly awkward silence descended upon the room. I saw Aayla Secura reflexively hugging one of her head tails with a funny expression. Uhmm... Well, she most likely didn’t appreciate my act... but... well...’

‘Kit Fisto also seemed to be highly disturbed by this...’

‘In the end, it was Master Obi-Wan who pointed out the issue with a barely stifled chuckle.’ — “I can only hope you didn’t go through with that threat of yours. Tieing a knot on the leks of a twi’lek sounds quite despicable.”

“Uhm... no, I didn’t have to…” — ‘I answered hesitantly.’

‘Master Windu interpreted my words saying.’ — “Meaning that she would have done it, if things come to that.”

‘I gulped silently, knowing that he was actually right.’

“The mind of a child is a weapon that even the greatest of inventors couldn’t harness yet. We can only hope that it stays this way...” — ‘Master Shaak Ti stated, pretty rudely, if I might add.’

‘The other council members couldn’t help but nod to that with a solemn expression.’

“...” — ‘I was kind of speechless seeing them nodding simultaneously.’

~oOo~

After Kalifa finished her report and left to be checked by the medical staff and get a well-deserved vacation. The masters remaining in the council hall exchanged dire looks amongst themselves.

The jovial atmosphere kept around the luckily recovered youngling was nowhere to be found anymore, and only dark and tired gazes searched each other, waiting for the first to break the ice.

In the end, it was Master Windu who spoke up first. — “As I have suspected it from the start… The girl’s intentions have come to the surface at last. Kalifa’s words clearly state her opinion on our order. Her hatred towards us could hardly be misunderstood or explained. Even if she isn’t a Sith, which I hardly doubt at this point. She is clearly a danger towards us, and mayhap towards the entire Republic.”

There were tired whisperings in the hall, following Windu’s statement. It was clear that something needed to be done, and quickly.