The Knight, Death, and the Devil

Chapter 28: A Fire Burns

For the second time in as many months, Torin stood in the Jedi Council chambers in front of seven assembled masters. The Grand Master was absent—she had better things to do than mediate petty disputes—and Torin's own Master wasn't included due to her inherent bias in the matter. He recognized a few of the Jedi from his visits to the temple, but could not say he knew them well enough to predict how his hearing would turn out.

"Do you know why we called you here today?" said the robed man at the head of the table. His voice was wise, but he looked ageless. With a shaved head and nary a wrinkle on his face, he could just as likely have been thirty or sixty.

Torin swallowed and squeezed his wrist with both hands held behind his back. "For assaulting one of the Twi'leks at Kalikori village."

"Correct." The man rolled up his sleeves and picked up a datapad from the table. "Do you have anything to say in defense of your actions?"

He shook his head. "No. I was angry, and overreacted."

The Jedi nodded. Ziare had assured Torin that the bravery of his other actions would outweigh what was ultimately a minor incident.

"You also threatened them with violence if anything happened to the girl you found." He looked to Torin expectantly, who stared up for a moment in thought.

"I stand by my words, Master Jedi."

The room, which had already been nearly silent, grew even quieter as the other Jedis' breath caught for a moment and they looked to the head Master.

"You should think over those words carefully, Torin Val. You know the extraordinary circumstances under which you were brought to Tython. If you were only to assure us that you would not act out in such a way again—"

"I'd be lying," Torin said, cutting him short.

The Jedi frowned and exchanged inscrutable looks of silent communication with his fellows, then looked back to Torin. "We are finished here."

All of the assembled Masters rose from their seats, and Torin slipped out the exit of the council chambers. Ziare was waiting for him outside, and together they descended the curved stairwell in silence. "Fools," she muttered. Apparently she had overheard at least some of the discussion. Once they reached the first floor, Torin placed a hand on her shoulder and came to a stop.

"I need my lightsaber." Ziare met his request with uneasy silence. "It was on my belt when you found me—I know you have it."

She sighed. "Why do you want it?"

"I'm not going to try and fix it, if that's what you think. I just want the Kyber crystal."

"Wait here," she said, then vanished down one of the adjoining corridors. Passing students and teachers eyed Torin as he milled about, feeling very awkward under their stares—no doubt they had heard at least the broad strokes of what the council had summoned him to the temple for. Ziare came back out of the hall with her hands folded into her sleeves and nodded towards the temple exit. Torin followed her, and once they were in the emptiness of the entry plaza she withdrew a hand from her sleeve, revealing the charred remnants of his lightsaber. A hole was blown in the middle of the hilt, interrupting the twin helixes of gold Electrum his former Master had woven around it.

He took the weapon in hand, slowly, as if touching it would bring to the surface every unpleasant thought he had managed to push down deep—but he felt nothing when his fingers wrapped around the cold metal.

Ziare lay a hand on top of his. "When the time comes, you will build a new one."

He flashed a smile then looked back to the broken saber. After that meeting with the council, he wasn't going to be holding his breath. Ziare left him to his thoughts, and he began the long trek to Kalikori village. Night fell before he reached it, putting the town to a much-needed sleep after the hectic events of the day. Only a few flickering street lights lined the dusty paths that surrounded the aluminum shacks, and he stalked from shadow to shadow as he searched out the home he knew Ayahe to be staying in. He stopped below the stairway of a home built up on a concrete platform nearly as tall as him, then circled around until he saw a blinded window with light peaking through the slits.