The Force Always Says Yes [Star Wars]

[numlore]

..... She's going to fall to the Dark in the Courtroom.

This case is going to go down in all sorts of record books.

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il laugh my damn ass of if that ends up happening lol the sith would be watching this wanting to recruit nerim on the damn spot

 

[Simonbob]

il laugh my damn ass of if that ends up happening lol the sith would be watching this wanting to recruit nerim on the damn spot

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I'm hoping that when she falls, the only one who's trying to help her back up is Nerim.

And, if he manages that, well, that'll really get things going. I'm not sure where, but it'll be fun to see!

 

[numlore]

I'm hoping that when she falls, the only one who's trying to help her back up is Nerim.

And, if he manages that, well, that'll really get things going. I'm not sure where, but it'll be fun to see!

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.,.. holy shit now i hope this happens it be so fucking great

 

[TroubleFait]

..... She's going to fall to the Dark in the Courtroom.

This case is going to go down in all sorts of record books.

Click to shrink...

And I can't help but feel like someone is setting it up.

I mean, besides Hyenanon, the author.

 

[Hyenanon]

And I can't help but feel like someone is setting it up.

I mean, besides Hyenanon, the author.

Click to shrink...

What, who, me, what? No. I have no part in this.

And even if I did, I would be certain there's nothing sketchy going on here, nosiree.

 

[TroubleFait]

With the care given to the description of the strangely bad weather, somehow I can't help but wonder…

The last time I saw Coruscant trapped in fog, it was in the opening of Attack of the Clones, just before Padmé almost got assassinated. Right in the middle of a massive political intrigue that would eventually doom the Jedi Order.

---

I was looking through old posts and I found this gem:

Boonta is definitely not a healthy world to be on! But it's long since become safe enough that people can live on it with only a slightly existentially terrifying number of years knocked off their average lifespan. A good medical checkup after a visit wouldn't go awry, though.

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Did you already know at the time how banged up everyone would be and how much they would need a medical visit? I feel like this is some form of trolling.

 

[Hyenanon]

With the care given to the description of the strangely bad weather, somehow I can't help but wonder…

The last time I saw Coruscant trapped in fog, it was in the opening of Attack of the Clones, just before Padmé almost got assassinated. Right in the middle of a massive political intrigue that would eventually doom the Jedi Order.

Click to shrink...

Nice catch! This entire arc as a whole has a lot of Attack Of The Clones references. Bizarre that it ended up that way, given the position of this arc, but it makes sense since that's the most Coruscant-heavy movie. Many thematic similarities, too.

I was looking through old posts and I found this gem:

Did you already know at the time how banged up everyone would be and how much they would need a medical visit? I feel like this is some form of trolling.

Click to shrink...

Hah! Oh yeah, I've known more or less everything that's going to happen in the story since before then. All the major beats, at least. There's been a lot of trolling going on lol

It's really fun having already written the story and posting it chapter by chapter, seeing people's reactions. On occasion people will outright guess the entire plot with varying levels of confidence, other times people will predict things that never even occurred to me to consider. One of the things that sticks out to me for the latter is that everyone speculated quite a bit on Nerim's new lightsaber, which I always knew would be an offscreen thing that I left back on Cathar, since it'd make no sense to bring it to court. Oops! Although I can't say I never considered that one. There's actually a lot of scenes and even whole chapters that I thought for sure would be in various arcs, which never ended up making it in, because they just didn't fit the pacing of the story. I'll probably release some of them as extra vignettes

 

[wschottkey]

"Remember, the two most important things are that you can't let them connect any of us to the Sith, and you have to make Chey-Linn look like she's the Dark Jedi," Kiseti whispered

Click to shrink...

"Any of us?"

What a weird way for Kiseti to put that...unless...

 

[Amrynel]

I am really hoping Nerim does the right thing (again).

 

[Hyenanon]

Chapter 72: All Sinking And No Power​

When Nerim entered the court room, he was struck by four realizations in rapid succession that each derailed his train of thought in sequence. First was that the Justices had all returned, and he was late. Second was that water ran down the outside of the transparasteel walls; it was raining. Third was that Pappino had somehow returned and was going through notes, despite Nerim never catching sight of him in the bathrooms.

Ya-Ban, standing in front of the Justices, placed his hands together. "Ah, there he is," he said. The fourth thing was that Ya-Ban pointed at him and said "I call to the stand Sir Nerim."

"Wha?" Nerim blinked. Most of the room seemed fairly surprised at that. He quickly moved forward and leaned down at his table next to Arwain. "Um, Master, there's something I need to—"

"Alright, listen, kid," Jethro said, pulling him down with an arm around his shoulders. "You remember what Pappino told you?"

"I...what?" Nerim was derailed for a fifth time.

"Ugh. Listen, just keep it simple, yes nos, don't engage with the bait, don't get nervous, we'll bail you out later. Smallest possible answers."

"But I was told—"

"Today would be nice!" Justice Icks called. Jethro pushed him towards the center, and Nerim awkwardly walked up to the witness booth, and swore the oath while trying to reorganize his thoughts.

"Sir Nerim," Ya-Ban began. "How did you prepare for your mission to Cathar?"

"Um, I first tried to figure out where we were going, I guess."

Ya-Ban paused at that, himself derailed. "You weren't given a location?"

"Arwain was given a location, but she never told me where we were going."

"Wh—when did you realize you were going to Cathar?"

"A few hours before we got there I managed to sneak in to the nav computer and saw it was our destination," he answered. Ya-Ban furrowed his brow. The Justices each had expressions of confusion on their faces. "It was a training, uh, thing!" He quickly clarified. "It's not uncommon!"

Arwain sat completely stone-faced. Jethro already had his face buried in his hands.

"Okay. And more precisely, when were you told your mission was to survey for Sith artifacts?"

"Um. Nobody ever told me that, exactly. I just sort of assumed at some point while I was on the flight and by the time we got there it turned out to be right."

"I—okay." Ya-Ban re-centered himself. "So it's safe to say you didn't prepare for this mission specifically?"

"Um, kind of. Not with my knowledge, at least."

Ya-Ban raised his hand and opened his mouth, thought for a moment, and then continued. "Alright. When you arrived, what did you do first?"

"First we met with Knight Haaka Mahn, Miss Sunrider, and Aesha, and then moved to the top of the City Tree. At that point Aesha broke off to do her own thing, and us Jedi sat down to meditate."

"And did your meditation go smoothly?"

He thought for a moment, comparing it to all of his other failed attempts. "Yes."

"I see. And what happened after that?"

"Master Arwain and Knight Haaka Mahn agreed that they would perform some sort of academic work to help narrow down the survey. Chey-Linn—Miss Sunrider—joined them."

"And what did you do?"

"Master Arwain gave me an objective to learn how to dance."

A seventh moment of derailment came over the room. Arwain began sweating in her seat.

"B-but I misinterpreted the order," he clarified quickly. "I thought she meant it spiritually."

An eighth. Jethro had yet to move, head still in his hands.

"I'm sorry," Chief Justice Scoralecta interrupted, her arm bending in several directions until her hand landed on the bridge of her nose. "I—uh..."

Rouhh leaned forward. "Are you telling a joke?"

"No—I—I'm telling the truth!" Nerim said. "It makes sense in context."

"And what is that context?"

"When we were meditating, she was trying to teach me how to act in concert with the Force, rather than use it like a tool, or obey it like a god. She compared it to a dance, that you have to act in rhythm with it and understand it, and engage with it on its own terms, with good intentions, and only then can you lead it by example. When she ordered me to learn how to dance, I thought she was still speaking metaphorically."

"Uh..." Rouhh raised one eyestalk.

"Where are you getting lost?" Justice Icks shrugged. "It makes sense to me."

"I...must admit, Jedi training has always seemed rather unorthodox to me," Scoralecta scratched her head.

Widdimur spoke. "The metaphor makes sense to me. It aligns with the Jedi texts I have observed. But when and why does the literal dancing come into it?"

"Arwain and Aesha taught me how to dance later that evening, in an electroglitz club. I...suppose I never asked why. It seems self-explanatory to me."

Ya-Ban spoke again. "Can you walk me through what you did from the moment of receiving that order, to next meeting up with Master Haaka Mahn and Miss Sunrider?"

"While under the impression that I was being asked to learn the metaphor, I decided the best way to start would be to familiarize myself with Cathar—the planet—and its culture. So I met up again with Aesha, and she showed me around the Tree, starting from the ground level and climbing up. We spent the morning racing and then sparring, and then ate lunch with some locals. During the afternoon she and the locals chased birds on the perch—a series of low lying branches—while I observed. After that Arwain arrived and explained my misapprehension and we went to the dance club for a few hours. Then we split up and Arwain and I went to bed. In the morning we were woken up and taken to the airspeeder hanger, where Aesha, Knight Haaka Mahn, and Miss Sunrider were."

"I see. And as a brief aside, you are not referring to either Princess Aesha or Master Mahn appropriately," Ya-Ban reminded.

"I don't say Princess Aesha much because Princess is an exonym used for the benefit of offworlders, we don't really use it on Cathar." He neglected to mention Jarroa often called his daughter that as a term of endearment. "Normally one would refer to her as Highkin if they were part of the same clan, but there is no specific honorific for her if you are not related to her. She's simply the Elder's daughter."

"I see. And Master Mahn?"

"The same reason. Master is an exonym used for the benefit of non-Jedi. There are only two uses for that term within the Jedi, either for one's personal mentor, as a sign of respect, or for someone conferred the general rank of Master as a whole. If someone's a Knight, we usually simply refer to them by their name. Sometimes with the preface of Knight, if we're trying to be polite."

"You say that as if you are a Jedi."

"I am."

The room was silent for a moment. "And you understand that you have been exiled and stripped of your rank and title?"

"Of course," Nerim nodded.

"You realize it is illegal to claim under false pretenses to be a Jedi?"

"No," he shook his head. "It's illegal to claim to be a member of the Jedi Order. I have not claimed to be a member of the Order."

"Mr. Ya-Ban," Thagrit interrupted, "How, exactly, is this relevant to the case at hand?"

"Because this is schismatic behavior," Ya-Ban answered confidently. "Behavior strongly associated with Sith activity. I would argue a crime in itself."

Thagrit raised one eyebrow skeptically. "Sith often proclaim themselves to be Jedi on Galactic holovision?"

"At first, yes," he nodded. "So did Darth Revan, Skere Kaan, and countless others. Often the birth of Sith splinter factions occurs in this way."

"So what? Every individual claiming to be a Jedi is suspect of Sithhood?" Thagrit's large red eyes narrowed. "So what about you?"

"That is one of the functions of the Jedi Order," he reasoned. "To verify each of these claims, and ensure those members in good standing are trustworthy."

Justice Rouhh readjusted in his seat. "More to the point, what argument are you making, specifically?"

"That Sir Nerim's insistence on claiming—falsely—that he is a Jedi, shows his willingness to explore, endorse, and even assist alternative Force Orders. And as I will lay out, he will not stop with just the syncretized and acceptable factions such as the Ithorian Nature Priests, but is more than willing to delve into the Dark Side. And that given all this, he is yet another source of Dark influence on Princess Aesha, and his actions on that day stem from his protectiveness towards Sith artifacts specifically."

"Okay," Scoralecta bent her arms outward and inward, threading her fingers together. "Continue."

"Sir Nerim. When you arrived at the Revanchist Temple, what did you sense in the Force?"

Nerim placed his hands together in his lap and looked up. "There was a sense of rapid motion, like a waterfall. I would agree with Master Arwain in that it was not exactly Dark. But it was powerful, and dangerous."

"And when you were inside, did you interface with the nexus held within?"

"Yes."

"Were you warned ahead of time that it was of the Dark?"

"That was claimed by Knight Haaka Mahn and Miss Sunrider, yes."

"And why did you tap into the Dark nexus?"

Nerim began to reply, but Pappino rose. "Objection, Your Honors! Leading question."

"Sustained," Widdimur quite presumptuously said before anyone could argue. "You've worded that question in such a way that Sir Nerim has no choice but to argue over whether it was Dark Sided or not, rather than answer the question. Please rephrase."

"Certainly," Ya-Ban said with an unenthusiastic frown. "Why did you tap into the nexus, despite the warnings you received?"

This time, Nerim could think a bit more about the question. He answered. "With the presence of my Master, as well as Knight Mahn and Miss Sunrider, I felt I could safely attempt to understand what the Force was attempting to tell me at the time."

Ya-Ban's frown deepened at that. He had expected a number of different answers. "You were attempting to open the door, weren't you?"

"Not really," he said. "Not at first. I began interfacing with the vergence in the Force a while before I decided to try and open the secret exit. At first I was just attempting to figure out what it wanted, I only later tried to open the door after Master Arwain asked me to."

"I see. And what was it, do you think, that the nexus was trying to tell you?"

His memories returned to him, tactile. He felt the cold stone under his skin, the carving of the unnamed Mandalorian whose faceplate Revan wore, the feeling of rushing water and electricity through his bones. The prayer he felt compelled to say. He glanced to Chey-Linn, who had mostly regained her composure, and her skepticism of his interpretation of the events. "That not all of our enemies are evil."

Thagrit spoke. "Apologies for another interruption, but you must understand that as normal Sentients, we do not intuitively understand the language you Jedi use, or what it is that you are getting at," she gestured in confusion. "How is this supposed to enlighten us?"

"Quite understandable," the Jedi Serviceman nodded. "What I am doing here is not attempting to explain the feelings of the Force, but rather I am establishing his state of mind to be knowingly participating in heretical activity. These are things all banned to Padawans in the Jedi Order. But let's move forward."

Ya-Ban continued to ask him a number of questions regarding the events that took place afterwards, never quite seeming to receive an answer he wanted. Eventually the lawyer decided to cut his losses and stand on the relatively strong showing he had with Chey-Linn, rather than look like he was floundering in this moment. But not before asking a few final questions

"Sir," Ya-Ban said, moving closer to the witness booth. "During the fight, did you attempt to kill Chey-Linn?"

"Yes," Nerim said, still unsure how to feel about it.

"Did you use the Dark Side?"

Nerim thought for a moment. Was he using it, or was it using him? How could it ever be just one or the other? And that which he felt back then—it was not self-centered, not like the Dark. It was a righteous fury, certainly not in the Light, but far from Sith. He sighed. He looked back up to Ya-Ban. "I can't really say for certain. But I was battling her because I believed she had tapped into the Dark, and whatever it was she tapped into, I also did."

He practically could hear Jethro beaming into his head the thought of 'You should have just stopped at I'm not sure,' but he had sworn an oath to tell the whole truth.

"And since you have been exiled, I've come to understand you have gotten involved in much violence. Is that true?"

"Define much."

"Well, more precisely..." Ya-Ban turned to him, his piercing blue eyes looking into Nerim's own amber ones. "How many lives have you ended?"

That made him pause. Not only did the question unsettle him, it somehow deeply excited whatever that Dark feeling was. Nerim swallowed. "Um, I...I believe...seven."

Wrong. That sadistic glee intensified.

"Not even close," Ya-Ban scowled. "Now I won't accuse you of lying. We may not be counting the same way. But I am counting everyone who died not only to your hands in person, but as a result of your actions. And that is in the tens of thousands."

The color drained from Nerim's face.

"News from Boonta is scattered and plagued with misinformation, that much is true. But it cannot be denied what has happened there. When you—under arguable at best legal justification—went on an expedition to that world and began violently meddling in its affairs, your assault on the Palace of Boonta resulted in the death of Skissa The Hutt, the sovereign of that world. The upheaval this has caused is beyond mere statistics. Violence, looting, roving gangs and power struggles—civil war. Most horrifyingly of all, the chain deaths of thousands upon thousands of slaves, whose implanted bombs were held by Skissa himself, or by people who were themselves held by Skissa. After he was subject to firing squad in his own palace, so too did their bombs explode, and the bombs of any they were responsible for."

Nerim felt it again, that sense of glass shattering. It was inside of him.

"In the face of all this death at your hands, can you not find it within yourself to look in the mirror and at least wonder, were the Jedi right about you? Was Miss Sunrider's judgment on Cathar correct?"

Chey-Linn's words repeated in his head. You were always a time bomb. He swallowed again, his throat dry.

"I need an answer," Ya-Ban prodded.

"I...It's not like I never examine my own..." Nerim couldn't find the words. They were slipping away again.

"You have interacted directly with Sith artifacts, have you not? A holocron, even. Don't you think it's possible you have already fallen to the Dark? Don't you think it could have happened a long time ago?"

Nerim could feel the blood rushing through his limbs and behind his eyes. A thousand different impulses rushed through him, from screaming back at the lawyer, to curling up and apologizing, to throwing himself out the window and escaping as fast as he could. That Darkness swirled around him and bit at him like a shark testing its target.

"You have already attempted to declare a schism, and in the process of all this madness, you even involved the Republic in armed conflict with a foreign power, by utilizing an obscure chain of procedures to involve the Saarkanian and Malastari Defense Forces in an offensive and unprovoked attack on foreign soil, and, finally, with assistance directly from Princess Aesha in the aftermath. Is this not behavior of a fallen Jedi?"

Then, he heard his Master's voice.

Don't let them bully you.

He suddenly regained his breath, and looked up, meeting Arwain's eyes. She looked at him with nothing but confidence. No. You have not fallen.

Nerim looked back at Ya-Ban, attempting to calm his hyperventilation. "You wouldn't understand. You're not a Knight."

The Serviceman's pupils shrunk slightly, and he responded a little louder than he probably intended. "That's—!" He lowered his voice. "That's non-responsive."

Nerim tried to stop his lip from trembling. "Then my answer is no, I have not fallen. I may have spent quite some time surrounded by the Dark. But that's where a Knight should be."

Ya-Ban stared at him for a moment, and then turned to the Justices. "Even in the face of all the destruction he has caused, he is unable to consider if he is fallen. This type of cognitive distortion is...is commonplace in Dark Jedi, especially after contact with powerful or persuasive Sith artifacts, and indicative of yet another source of Dark Side influence on Aesha, and her willingness to directly interact with such," he said. The wind had apparently been taken from his sails, and whatever long speech he had prepared to make did not materialize. He nodded, an expression of confusion and distraction on his face, and then signaled he was finished with his questioning. The Justices looked to the Cathar table for cross examination.

 

[TroubleFait]

I really don't know what to think right this moment. I've got my heart beating, I think the "Don't let them bully you" resonates quite well in the text.

Tens of thousands of deaths? I was not expecting that. This is absolutely horrible.


But I've got two very pointed criticism to make against Ya-Ban.

First, do those deaths count at all? After all, slaves are things, not people. If they were people, it would certainly be horrible to implant explosive devices into them, and I really wouldn't care about any "upheaval" cased by the death of the sovereign of a world condoning it. Additionally, Boonta being a Republican world, the Republic would condone those explosive devices put inside people too. So you have to choose, did Nerim cause property damage or was the Republic condoning the abuse and enslaving of tens of thousands of people?

And second, you would really spring this on Nerim and ask a question just then? Are you really expecting a reliable answer? What is this circus?


What a difficult situation.

 

[Hyenanon]

I really don't know what to think right this moment. I've got my heart beating, I think the "Don't let them bully you" resonates quite well in the text.

Tens of thousands of deaths? I was not expecting that. This is absolutely horrible.


But I've got two very pointed criticism to make against Ya-Ban.

First, do those deaths count at all? After all, slaves are things, not people. If they were people, it would certainly be horrible to implant explosive devices into them, and I really wouldn't care about any "upheaval" cased by the death of the sovereign of a world condoning it. Additionally, Boonta being a Republican world, the Republic would condone those explosive devices put inside people too. So you have to choose, did Nerim cause property damage or was the Republic condoning the abuse and enslaving of tens of thousands of people?

And second, you would really spring this on Nerim and ask a question just then? Are you really expecting a reliable answer? What is this circus?


What a difficult situation.

Click to shrink...

There's no easy upheaval of Hutt Cartels, and there are grand consequences to the battles of Force Users. But all said and done, one can't just weigh up body count. It matters why the fighting happened. And at the very least, Arwain is confident her Padawan did the right thing.

Also to be clear, Boonta is not a member of the Republic, it's a jointly administered territory with Hutt Space. Doesn't exactly make it that much better that the Republic stands by and watches the slave trade occur, of course. The Republic has a grim view of the Outer Rim; they even consider the Mid Rim to be beyond the realm of civilization and a wild frontier where bad things just happen and the Core only shrugs about it.

 

[torac]

Even in the face of all the destruction he has caused, he is unable to consider if he is fallen. This type of cognitive distortion is...is commonplace in Dark Jedi

Click to shrink...

>"He's denying that he's a fallen Jedi… which is just what a fallen Jedi would say!"

Yep, I'm convinced.

 

[TroubleFait]

Especially when he did consider it, and I presume it was visible on his face

 

[Hyenanon]

Chapter 73: Was Your Trip Productive?​

Pappino whispered something to a bailiff, who whispered in response, and then the Muun stood and walked to the center. "Your Honors," he began with a friendly smile, "It appears that the primary case made by the prosecution is a common case of character assassination, with an uncommon subject, that being the unverifiable claims in regards to the Force. That obviously puts us in a tough position. But for us mundane Sentients, it's quite simple. Jedi are good. Sith are evil. All Sith are evil. But not every Jedi who leaves the Order is evil, far from it. And not every Force Sensitive unaligned with the Order is a blight to society. In lieu of questioning Sir Nerim, I would put it to you that we use this witness cross examination to provide evidence of his good character, utilizing our other witnesses."

Scoralecta looked puzzled at the suggestion, and gestured for the Muun to approach the bench. Pappino conferred with them for a few minutes. It puzzled Nerim. He couldn't imagine what they would even have anyone say. Ask Tetha to come to the stand and declare Nerim was really good at picking out hairpins? He didn't know how to do anything but hurt people. He was just a lightsaber.

Scoralecta eventually agreed. "Alright. We will allow sworn testimony. Keep it short and to the point."

"Fantastic!" Pappino smiled. Kiseti rolled out a large holoprojector from beneath their desk and began setting it up. In the meantime, Pappino pointed towards Jarroa. "Please stand, Elder Jarroa!"

Jarroa stood and moved to the center, hulking past the Jedi Order's table with a glare. He was sworn in, and then Pappino paced in front of him on silent, smooth footsteps. "Now, Elder Jarroa, you have known Sir Nerim since a particular incident on Raxus Prime. What were your first impressions of him?"

"When I first met him, he was but a boy," Jarroa began. "He was anxious to do well, and he took his duties in protecting us seriously. He treated us as equals and risked his life to ensure our safety and the continuation of our mission. He saved my daughter's life, and a number of hostages."

"Between then and the mission at Cathar, did you have any contact with him?"

"No."

"When he returned, what was your impression?"

"He had grown more confident and more respectful. While on Cathar he indulged the curiosity of our citizens and showed fondness for our traditions. He saved my daughter's life a second time, at great risk to himself, sustaining injuries in the process, both physical and spiritual. Our wellbeing was at the forefront of his mind."

"And after his departure, when did you next hear from him?"

"He, while injured and without rest, was acting on behalf of the Jae'Narkraata clan to petition us for aid, as the refugees from said clan had no where else to go. Despite the troubled pasts of our peoples, he made a persuasive call for peace and cooperation between Cathar and Mandalorians."

Nerim felt a strange fluttering in his chest, almost nauseating, almost pleasant. Jarroa rarely ever offered his opinion on whether Nerim was doing well or poorly at his job at any given time. He never experienced direct praise like that from the man. Or, at least, it felt like praise to Nerim, because it had to have been embellishing the facts.

"Yes," Pappino tapped his lips. "And speaking of, that will be all. Next, I call Ms. Jianno."

Jianno stood up and clunked over to the floor in her armor, and was sworn in identically.

"Ms. Jianno, how did you meet Sir Nerim?"

"His Master had taken a mission to locate and arrest me," she said frankly. "Their arrival spooked me, and when I attempted to exit, I found myself behind him. I reflexively grabbed him and prepared to kill Arwain, but he drew his weapon in time to catch me in a standoff."

"And where did it go from there?"

"He handled the situation until his Master was able to arrest me. In the aftermath, Arwain hired me. In the years we spent together, he always displayed an open and unbiased interest in my culture."

"Nerim participated in three major offworld missions while you worked together in the Order. The first was to Raxus Secundus. How did he behave himself?"

"With utmost dedication."

"On Utapau?"

"He remained calm while surrounded by enemies, located a Sith holocron, and mediated peace between the at-the-time Dark Jedi Tetha and the Jedi Order, and then ensured Tetha could receive education from other accepted Light Side Force organizations."

"And on Cathar?"

"He was attentive to his Master's commands and maintained a disciplined demeanor throughout the mission. He spent most of it in quiet meditation, and when he was given orders, he executed them as given."

"And afterwards, he assisted your clan on Boonta as well?"

Jianno nodded stoically. She didn't respond quickly, but after a moment, she removed her helmet. "I was born as a slave on Boonta, just outside of Republic space. All of my family for two generations up and one down had been born that way. We were bound to a cruel Hutt named Skissa, who used us as both trophies and death squads. I escaped as a child, intent on bringing freedom to my people, but I never had the capability to. Nerim took it upon himself to help me, in repayment for my services—which they had already paid for in coin. Most of us took injuries, including him. Due to his actions, all of us made it out alive and had our slave bombs removed."

"But originally you were be taken to Saarkane in refuge, correct?"

"Yes. But due to political instability, Saarkane was unable to take us. Before receiving medical treatment, Nerim negotiated with the Cathar government to take us in."

"I see, yes," Pappino nodded slowly. "And speaking of..."

Nerim realized that thing that was approaching a pleasant feeling dropped from him, replaced with something approaching embarrassment. He didn't like being talked up like this. He wasn't used to it. It somehow felt inappropriate, painful, even. Like people were lying about him, vicious rumors. That wretched black wall of self-rejection that tried to keep his feelings at bay rose up in him.

Pappino looked to Kiseti, who gave him the thumbs up. "I call, via holo, Governor Vseyav Irmat!"

He blinked in surprise at that. The Governor was more than busy. He had only narrowly missed being impeached in the aftermath of the Boonta liberation raid, with a vote just under the two thirds threshold necessary. His popularity had rebounded and was skyrocketing, however, with the aftermath being revealed to have been a large scale successful slave liberation, a suspect in Fae Coven's murder captured, and all at the cost of one little unpopular Hutt. Some analysts also suggested a large part of his rebound was due to general Saarkanian mania over their breakout bolo-ball performance.

The hologram blinked to life, again with that strange artifact of capturing the stately room around him and only a silhouette around the man himself. Apparently he hadn't forgotten Nerim. Vseyav was sworn in.

"What was your first encounter with Sir Nerim like?" Pappino asked.

Irmat thought back, a ripple of color running over him, its hue not captured by the holographic technology. "Grand Master Fae Coven had just arrived, along with Master Arwain and Master Nerim. When I greeted them, Fae Coven and Arwain prompted Nerim take charge of the interaction. He partook in our customs and displayed admiration for our food and architecture, and even understood our language."

"How did Fae Coven appear to regard Sir Nerim?"

"Fondly. She laughed aloud at his jokes and praised him for his talents. She did occasionally fuss over his manners. It was clear she cared about him and saw a future in him."

At that point, Nerim felt tears building up behind his eyes, and he quickly attempted to regain composure. He took a deep, shaky breath, trying not to think about it—not about how he felt, or what he had done. He was determined to remain in distant confusion at these things being said about him. But in some corner of his mind, that small voice asked a question. Wait, am I actually a good person now?

"And your later interactions?" Pappino asked.

"He did battle with Dark Jedi on Saarkane, protecting its people. I did not see him again until after his exile. At that time, I could see his heart was wounded, but he tirelessly worked to find Fae Coven's killer regardless. Simultaneously, he remembered his friends, and devised a brilliant plan to both save the Mandalorian slaves and pursue our only lead. He followed through."

Pappino finished his questioning, and dismissed Vseyav. "Right. Thank you. And, just on time, I hope...?" He looked to the bailiff. The bailiff nodded, and he smiled. "I now call—"

The doors opened, and hefting across the floor with a wide smile and sly dragon eyes, Yenchara entered. Nerim nearly jumped out of his seat.

"Yenchara Desilijic to the floor!" Pappino finished.

Yenchara managed to squeeze between the pews and tables thanks to her relatively small size for a Hutt.

"What in the Corellian Hell..." Nerim breathed out.

Chief Justice Scoralecta, who sat right next to the witness booth, turned and raised an eyebrow. "Did your legal team not tell you...?"

"I—I didn't read the syllabus," he admitted, not sure if syllabus was even the correct word.

"Always good to have a foreign dignitary in the Supreme court—without a charge associated!" Pappino grinned.

"Indeed," Yenchara chuckled. She was sworn in, speaking languidly and with great self-satisfaction.

"Might I begin by inquiring as to the obvious. What, pray tell, did Sir Nerim do on your planet?"

Yenchara grinned. "Well, what didn't he do?" She began in Huttese. A holographic translation appeared beside her. "Be direct; he liberated Boonta from the oppressive grasp of Skissa The Terrible, Skissa The Petty, Skissa The Mandalorian-Enslaver. So terrible a slaving habit Skissa had, that he invited all sorts of trouble unto the world. And I can tell you from first hand experience, that some of the slavers he invited, these so-called Syaniids, were Jedi. Dark Jedi, very Dark."

"And they were organized and well trained in the Dark Side?"

"Yes! Powerful witches who ensnared minds and killed not for law or revenge or even for profit, but for religion! They used our great castle as a vicious temple, and they haunted me—oh, they haunted me so! I feared that even if one day Skissa The Butcher died, the Syaniids would take over, for they had me in their clutches, and Skissa The Glutton had each of our palace guards implanted with bombs wired to his heart, to ensure that if he died, they would too! Nobody would have protected me, oh no, they would have killed me with their magic powers!"

"Quite, yes. That is, until Sir Nerim arrived? What changed then?"

"Nerim the Brave arrived cordially, smoothing over our early misunderstandings and providing us with quite a show! Nerim the Knight took them on in combat, and defeated many with his hands and the rest with his army, liberating Boonta not only of Skissa The Fool, but also of the power vacuum that would have lead to the rise of organized and vile Dark Jedi in the Outer Rim! He left with no demands of repayment, it is true, very polite."

Nerim couldn't believe his ears. The Jedi couldn't believe their eyes.

"And now that both the Slave King and the Dark Jedi have been neutralized, you plan to abolish slavery on Boonta, isn't that right?"

"Of course! With Skissa's death, unfortunately, oh so unfortunately, many tens of thousands perished to the slave bomb scourge, as so much of Boonta was wired to his own survival. So much waste," she performed what Nerim could assume was the Hutt equivalent of a dainty gasp, but came out more like a wet cough. "But now with the slave supply chains decimated, we have a unique opportunity to abolish the practice. An economic opportunity! Boonta can once again embrace its destiny not as a dusty outpost of slavery, but as a crossroads of the Republic and Hutt Space, and as a world of religious and celebratory value. We will hold races, and games, and show our best face to the Galaxy. Our world is saved!"

Nerim's head was spinning. Was this a...tourism campaign? And petition for foreign aid? A bid for legitimacy. Yenchara was using this as the televised event it was to consolidate power in the wake of Skissa's death.

"And there you have it, from the mouth of the sovereign of Boonta herself. You must be extremely busy. Thank you for taking time out of your mission of diplomatic normalization, to testify for a young man who helped you."

"Yes, of course..." Yenchara grinned, and then turned to leave. As she passed by the Cathar table, she winked at Tetha. "Have a good evening, little Human..."

"Not a Human..." Tetha responded automatically, watching her pass with both awe and trepidation.

"Now!" Pappino clapped his gigantic hands. "One last, especially brief aside. Sir Tetha Nerim, may you rise?"

Tetha stood up and walked to the center. She swore in, looking up at Nerim with a reassuring, small smile.

"Tetha, if I may call you that," Pappino began, "May I ask but a simple question. I know you love Nerim. But does Nerim love you?"

"Yes," she answered without hesitation, despite her obvious embarrassment at the public nature of the setting. Her expression was stoic and blank as he had ever seen, but her hands did fidget a little and her face was tinged pink.

"You sound quite sure."

"He has never shown me anything but love."

Nerim realized he couldn't hold his tears anymore, and settled for attempting to just control his lungs as the tears ran down his face. Pappino nodded. "Since the moment you met him?"

"Yes. At first it..." She paused. She had rehearsed what she was going to say, but she wanted to ensure she did it right. "At first it was a universal love. Unconditional and directed towards everything he came across, which I would define as...a simple wish that another prospers, with or without you. A hope that good things happen. And he showed me that. But as we got to know one another we began to love in...in the way that one does, when they find their perfect match."

"And you are happy to be married to him, despite some of the doubts sown in the court about the genuine nature of your marriage?"

She looked down and smiled slightly. "Yes. He is good to me."

"It's no secret anymore that you also interacted with Sith artifacts when you were younger. Some have even considered you a Dark Jedi. How has Nerim affected that?"

"He brought me to the stars, and from there to Coruscant where the Jedi Order gave me a new life, and from there I gained passage to study under the Baran Do Sages and Ithorian Nature Priests. And ever since he was exiled, he still counsels me frequently on how to resist the Dark and embrace the Light."

"Mm, yes, that does seem to corroborate everything else we've heard thus far. Thank you, that will be all."

Tetha smiled again at Nerim, and then sat down.

Pappino turned to the Justices, and spread his arms out. "Well, there you have it. An inappropriate relationship with the Cathar? They certainly don't think so. The word Mandalorian has been used more than once as a pejorative by our oh-so-noble opposition, but they seem to think of Nerim as a liberator and peace bringer—and even that his peace is a good thing! And the two of them, together now, in peace and aid after four thousand years of bad blood! Is that something a being corrupted by the Sith would create?"

Pappino paced, continuing. "Saarkane? Overjoyed with his performance. Boonta, the world who the Order places the blame of all of its problems upon Nerim's shoulders? In their own words, saved by him. He has deep appreciation for foreign cultures and politesse for those he meets. He has a loving young wife, who was in danger of the Dark Side before Nerim brought her directly to Coruscant. The late Grand Master Fae Coven approved of him. I challenge the Order to find me a single person in the Galaxy that has a bad thing to say about Sir Nerim, beyond the Jedi Order itself, and even then, I'd like to see them have an argument about it with the Old Lady herself, were she still around! Is this the profile of a Sith? Of a Sith sympathizer? Does he seem like a bad influence on my client?"

He turned around to the Order's table, and leaned down from his towering height, with that same friendly smile. "Now, let's be honest here," Pappino said softly, "You picked Sir Nerim as your next witness because you thought it would be obvious just how evil he was, and then by proxy, just how evil Her Highness is. You picked him thinking you could use his testimony to color the rest of the trial. And I hope you're right! But if you are so manifestly wrong about your assumptions in regards to his so-called fall to the Dark Side..." He turned back to the Justices. "Mm, well, perhaps we should downgrade our estimations of the Order's ability to identify Dark Siders?"

And again, strongly, that feeling of sadistic glee, but this time distant—muted, by Nerim's own emotions. Pappino returned to his seat, and Nerim was ushered out of the witness booth, wiping the tears from his face. He sat between Arwain and Tetha, and his Master placed a hand on his shoulder, while Tetha grabbed his hand in hers. "I don't understand why all these people said all those things..." He muttered.

"Because it's all true?" Tetha offered.

"But I just don't understand all these...people," he said softly, not quite knowing what he meant.

"Ah," Arwain smiled. "That's because you're a Jedi."

"What?"

"How many times do I have to tell you, Padawan?" She ruffled his hair. "A Jedi draws strength from the world around him, and by living in symbiosis. You've been setting up the conditions for the Galaxy to be on your side, and you've been giving a lot more than you've been receiving lately. It's only predictable, and only fair."

He looked down at the alabaster table, and then out to the window into the raincloud that had consumed the building. "I think coming back to Coruscant reminded me of more than I thought it would. It reminded me that I was...alone, once."

"Not anymore," Tetha squeezed his hand, and Arwain placed a hand on his shoulder.

He smiled, and allowed himself to enjoy the moment—for a few seconds. Then he went back to worrying.

 

[numlore]

the sith are watching this and thinking how to actually make nerim become one of them stat because holy shit bro has done more to make the jedi look like clowns than there entire damn order

 

[TroubleFait]

He smiled, and allowed himself to enjoy the moment—for a few seconds. Then he went back to worrying.

Click to shrink...

Our poor boy

 

[waffelmeister]

the sith are watching this and thinking how to actually make nerim become one of them stat because holy shit bro has done more to make the jedi look like clowns than there entire damn order

Click to shrink...

He's gonna get a fruit basket from Darth Plagueis the Wise.

"But why is it full of durian and jackfruit?"
"He's Sith."
"Oh. Right. That tracks."