“I… yes, Master.”
Malik took his leave, frustrated with Master Che’s decision. Still, her logic was sound; he had been working overdrive for the latter half of the Clone Wars. Though he disagreed with her, he refused to allow his frustration to boil over into anger. He needed a calming presence. Taking the elevator down to the ground level of the Jedi Temple, Malik made for the Meditation Gardens.
Entering the serene green space, Malik’s mind began to quiet. He always had his best thoughts here. In fact, this was where he first discovered his natural talent as a surgical healer, spurring him on to research how he could heal bodies too far gone under most normal circumstances. Yes, here he could make sense of anything. Here, he was in complete control of himself.
“Hello, Malik.”
Turning, he saw Serra approaching. “Serra! Man, am I glad to see you!”
“I saw you heading this way. You always come here to think things over, so I figured I should check on you. Everything ok?”
“Yeah… it’s just that Master Che denied my request to accompany Master Kenobi on his mission to Utapau. I’m the best medic in the Order, and it’s the most crucial mission to date… yet here I am, stuck at home.”
Serra moved closer, rubbing his shoulder with her hand. “She’s right, you know. You’ve been pushing yourself so hard. Many of us have been worried about the amount of stress you’re placing on yourself. I know you want to be out there in the thick of it, but you need to recover from all the good you’ve already done.”
Sighing, Malik admitted, “You’re right, Serra. Thanks. You always know just what to say.”
“What can I say? We’re good influences on each other,” she replied with a sweet giggle.
Their eyes locked. The pair could feel that they were being drawn together. It was as if the Force itself was calling them. Serra’s cheeks flushed. Malik’s breaths became more labored. Unable to help herself, she leaned closer, beginning to move her lips closer to his, bit-by-bit. He was so kind, so honest. She couldn’t help herself.
“Ahem.”
The pair was startled by a voice from behind them. Spinning around, they found Master Mace Windu standing nearby, his arms crossed and wearing a facial expression of displeasure. They knew they had been caught.
“Serra, I just received word from Master Drallig. He needs to see you in his office right away,” Windu said.
“I’ll… go right now. Bye, Malik. I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Bye.” As she left, Malik could not escape the glare of Master Windu. “M-Master, I can explain-”
“Walk with me,” Windu said with calm conviction. As the pair strolled through the garden, he continued, “I know what you are feeling. It is, after all, human nature.”
“Then why do I feel like I’m walking to the gallows?”
“Malik, you and I both know that we Jedi must hold ourselves to a higher standard than human nature. You accepted this in your promotion to Jedi Knight. The path you and Serra were about to start down may seem innocent and harmless now, but down the line leads to the Dark Side. Love may not be a dangerous emotion in and of itself, but it must come without condition. Choosing one individual above all others… that is a dangerous condition.”
“I understand your premise, but I disagree with your conclusion,” Malik replied.
“The Council’s wise words often contradict each other. One minute, Master Yoda talks about how the future is ever dependent on our choices. The next, you talk of destiny and the unavoidable lure of the Dark Side. I agree with the ideals, but there must be a more practical way to achieve them.”
“I know. You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last. In truth, this is a somewhat common issue for us to work through. Again, human nature.” Turning to him with a stern look, he continued, “You may disagree with the Council if you wish, in words. You may be looked upon with disapproval, but you won’t lose your career.”
“And be branded a Gray Jedi…”
“I don’t think that’s warranted. A Gray Jedi actively calls upon both the Dark and the Light Sides of the Force without being devoted to or consumed by either. But if you take any action in your disagreements with the council… such a title might make sense in that case.”
“Perhaps… but this does bring up a question that’s been rattling around inside my mind,” Malik said.
“What is that?”
“What happens to the Jedi Order once the war ends? Is it really as simple as us going back to the way things were before? After all, many citizens of the Republic have grown to resent us, thinking that we were the catalyst that started the war in the first place.”
Windu sighed. “No, it’s not that simple. How I wish it were. As much as the Council tries to hold to our traditions and ideals, we cannot deny the drastic changes the Republic is undergoing. I suppose… some changes in the Jedi Order may be inevitable. What those changes look like, I cannot be certain. But one thing I am certain of is our need for Jedi like you, Malik. You see things from a certain point of view, one that can at times provide you greater insight into a situation that would baffle some of the more traditionalist Jedi. Those like you and Serra Keto… you will be necessary to ensure our future. Of this I have no doubt.”
“Does that mean Serra and I would be placed on the Council?” Malik asked with a sly grin.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Windu fired back with a smile. “The Council remains… quite discerning in regards to its membership.”
Malik’s face turned serious. “Is that why Anakin Skywalker was allowed onto the Council yet not granted the rank of Master?”
“Don’t concern yourself with that situation. It’s beyond the scope of your influence, and thus should not be dwelt on.”
“Fair enough.”
As the sun began to sink in the late afternoon, Master Windu’s holocom signaled an incoming transmission.
“This is Master Windu.”
“Master Windu, it is Master Kenobi.”
“Obi-Wan! You alright? Did you find Grievous?”
“I did. I have just destroyed him in combat. He’s gone. My battalion has moved in and is working with the warriors of Utapau to liberate the system. It will not be long.”
“Excellent work! I’ll deliver this information to the Chancellor. I only hope he reacts… favorably.”
“I understand. May the Force be with you, Master.”
“And with you as well, Obi-Wan.”
“Well, that’s great news!” Malik said.
“It is. I have some business to attend to. Malik, I would ask that you meditate on everything we have discussed today. I sense that you are still conflicted, and I do not wish that for you. I would also recommend some time away from Serra for now, so that you may both think more clearly.”
“I understand, Master.”
Bowing to each other, the two Jedi parted ways, Windu heading for the hangar and Malik for his quarters. Once there, he meditated for an hour or so, attempting to come to terms with his inner conflict. He found little success, and was still torn between the code of the Jedi and his growing fondness for Serra.
Every time he tried to convince himself to leave her be, he began to feel a tug from the Force, something telling him that it was not the right course of action. Now as confused as ever, he exited the Jedi Temple to get some fresh air.
As he traveled through the skies of Coruscant in his airspeeder, Malik began to feel more at ease. Flying in his favorite open-cockpit vehicle was always a freeing experience that allowed his concerns and worries to melt away. As he merged into a skylane, Malik saw that he was approaching the residential area for many of the senators of the Republic. As mundane an experience as that would be under most circumstances, something odd caught his eye. Up on the higher floors of one of the apartment buildings, he could have sworn he saw the flash of a lightsaber.
“Huh, strange,” he muttered, slowing and pulling out his electrobinoculars. As he zoomed in, he realized, “That’s Chancellor Palpatine’s apartment!”
Thinking the Chancellor was under attack, he set his airspeeder on autopilot, bringing him closer while also allowing him to continue to monitor the situation from afar. As the apartment came into view, Malik was shocked by what he saw: Master Windu was fighting the Chancellor, and both had lightsabers! All of a sudden, a brilliant flash blinded him for the moment, forcing him to look away. As he looked back, he now saw that the Chancellor was attacking Master Windu with Force Lightning.
“No… the Chancellor’s a Sith?!”
Realizing he had not a moment to lose, Malik resumed control of the airspeeder and rocketed towards the apartment to render aid. He began to sense a growing presence of the Dark Side in the apartment, and was now worried that Master Windu could be outnumbered. Feeling a sudden burst of dark power, Malik looked up just in time to see Master Windu being blasted from the apartment window by the Chancellor’s Force Lightning. He adjusted course and aligned his speed with Windu’s to be able to safely catch him.
“Master Windu! Hang on!”
The Jedi’s form was easy to spot against the backdrop of the building, as his body still sparked and crackled from the Chancellor’s blast. With great effort, he managed to catch him at last just as Master Windu was about to be hit by an oncoming airspeeder. Malik laid him across the back seat and began to inspect him, knowing he would need to work quickly to save his life.
“Severed hand… hyper pulse rate… he’s not got long,” he observed.
Calming himself with the Force, Malik first focused on Windu’s heart, working to bring his pulse back down to normal levels after the electric shock. Soon, it began to slow, and his breathing, though still labored, became more metered and regular. Next, Malik turned his attention to the stump where Windu’s right hand once was. Before he could begin his work, Windu suddenly regained consciousness with a gasp.
“NO!”
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