Dark Shadows upon Me...(Council)

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na had a headache, her ears were still ringing from the blast of the detonator that had gone off only a little while before that had brought down the top of a building, nearly on her. Quay's face was smudged with dirt and blood, as was her hair and her stomach was a mass of knots.

Her once clean Padawan attire was now dirty and dusty, but time was everything, she had to speak to the council now. No time could be wasted, or all hell could break loose.

The truth syrum that ran through her veins was finally wearing off and her head was clearing more. Her forearms were painfully stinging from the second and third degree burns on them from her captors hot knife attack. And her wrists and ankles were bruised from the steel bonds that had held her. But, she was free and now a new threat wore on her mind. One she wasn't so sure she could forgive herself for, but it wasn't her fault!

Mylia and Ace had told her they would accompany her, but she had to go alone and she would face them before the Watch got a hold of her. It would be alright, she would just explain.

After all, everything had a reason, didn't it? Quay hoped the council would understand, again. This wasn't the first time she'd been in trouble, but it might be her last. She didn't mean to get into trouble, it just always seemed to find her in the worst possible moments. But, that was what being a Padawan was about, wasn't it? Learning from one's mistakes?

Quay'Na hoped so as she stopped in front of the Council Chambers and took a deep breath and knocked. Even the simple movement brought pain to the Padawan's burnt arms and then she waited.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"Enter"

Anbira rose a hand, a slight gesture which drew the large doors of the chamber wide apart.

"Welcome, Padawan. What news do you bring before the council?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na entered. She went to the center of the room and bowed to the assembled council members. With a deep breath she began. "Master, my apologies for arriving at such an hour, but this can't wait. I'm here to expalin a situation at hand."

She paused for a moment. "Eariler this evening I was...attacked and kidnapped. The kidnapper had a Ysalamiri with him and somehow shorted out my lightsabre, then I blacked out. When I awoke I was strapped to a table and tortured and I couldn't really figure out why. His name was Xel and he shot me up with truth syrum and wanted me to believe that the Force was my enemy, it was nothing...nothing but a lie. This went on for a while and then Mylia showed up and he got her too. Tortured her as well, until Ace McCloud stepped in. He freed us and then went after Xel, I was going to help but....that's when I found out who was behind my kidnapping. My mother... Jescenia Rakai."

"She told me that she was behind it. She pulled a blaster on Mylia and told me that if I didn't go along with her little plan that she would kill Mylia. So, I told her I would, knowing very well I wasn't going to allow her to kill my friend. But, as I began to walk with her...I went for the blaster." Quay'Na took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second. She was calm now.

The Padawan looked at the council. "We struggled with it." She said slowly. "And...it went off. My mother....died."

"...I...killed her." Guilt and anguish began to stir in her. She didn't know what to do.

[Wei Wu Wei]

"It went off?" Wei asked.

Quay'Na had been incredibly vague with her story. No doubt it preyed heavily on her heart and mind.

"I'm sorry all this happened to you, Quay'Na."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"I didn't know what to do, Masters. It happened so fast and then the bomb went off above us and debris began falling..." Her sentence trailed off as her mind flashed with the last expression she'd ever see from her mother. The look of disbelief.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei got up from his chair, walked over to Quay'Na, and put his hands on her shoulders. "First of all, do not feel responsible for your mother's death. From what little you've told us, I am of the opinion that things were entirely out of your hands. Do not beat yourself up over it."

Wei looked Quay'Na in the eye. "I know it's hard. And it's ok to be sad. But we cannot dwell on the sadness, and we cannot bottle it up. Just let it all out, and move on. Cry if you have to."

[Kelt Simoson]

' Aye...' Kelt said looking directly at Quay'Na ' Feeling emotional is not a crime, and from what you have told us, i agree with Wei, it was not you fault thought you truthfull and braze attitude towards this matter is greatly respected.' Kelt continued a smile, gentle and kind upon his face.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na nodded, she hadn't wanted her mother to die. Maybe she had been doing some bad things, but she had needed help. Jescenia had been an estranged wife and mother for quite sometime and the reasons were now clear what was behind it.

She had wanted to control Quay'Na, just as she controlled Cheyanne, Quay'Na's younger sister. Birth daughter to the Rakai's.

The Rakai's had adopted Quay when she was only a baby, and this was how she repaid them?

What about her family? What would they have to say about it?

Just let it go, just let it go. A tear slipped down her cheek as she looked at Wei. "The Watch will be coming after me once the alley is cleared of the debris and she's found along with the weapon. And it'll be aired on the news....oh, Krast. I've got to talk to my family before that happens, I can't let them find out in a newscast..." She had a day or two at the most.

The reality of it finally hit and Quay'Na wanted so much to control her emotions, but it was impossible. And she broke into uncontrollable sobs. She'd never felt so alone, her family would disown her for this outrage.

[Wei Wu Wei]

When Quay'Na finally broke down, Wei put his arms around her and let her cry on him. "It's ok, my child. You can go talk to your family. But remember, you have family here among the Jedi too. We're here for you when you need us, ok?"

Wei now knew what it was like for a father to be unable to comfort a child. It made Wei squirm on the inside, but he had no choice but to just let her cry.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay had no idea how long she'd wept, but finally when no more tears came she shook her head while she wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly as she looked down at the floor wishing it would suddenly swallow her up. She despised crying openly, how many times while she was growing up had she been told crying was weakness, by her mother.

Too many times to remember. Crying is a sign of weakness, Quay'Na!! The swift hand of her mother haunted her and she closed her eyes for a moment and pushed the thought from her mind.

She drew on the Force and calmed herself, then opened her eyes. "I need to go to Naboo and talk to my father. I can't take the chance of him seeing this on the news. I need a ship, I can pilot it myself." Her head was beginning to pound.

But, what about the Watch, would it look as if she were running?

[Ace McCloud]

Ace had just come back into the GJO. Quay had run ahead of Mylia and him. Ace had been searching for the attacker a little more, but he had escaped on the explosion.

He sighed, as he came to the doors. He didn't really want to go in, but Quay had insisted before she ran off. He listened through the door for a second, hearing the sound of Quay's voice, to make sure that she was in there.

He opened the door and stepped in, seeing a few members up and Quay standing in the middle of the room. He himself had become quite dirty. The many cuts that he had received from the explosion had already sealed up and the bleeding ceased. However, there were signs that he had been injured pretty badly, though he would deny it.

"Greetings, Masters..." He didn't know what else to say. But perhaps they wanted to ask him a few questions.

[Helenias Evenstar]

"I need to go to Naboo and talk to my father. I can't take the chance of him seeing this on the news. I need a ship, I can pilot it myself."

Odd how foresight worked. I had heard exactly the same words in a dream days before and knew what to do.

"I do not give you permission to go, Padawan" I said, coming into the Council Room. "You are under my care and I will not allow you to go alone"

That would probably annoy her. But I wasn't finished.

"However, I do wish to note that I will be leaving tomorrow for Naboo as part of a Senate commission and I will be taking my Padawan with me. I dont expect we will be gone for long"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na was more than surprised to see her Master walk through the door. Her insight was amazing and she couldn't have arrived at a more better time.

A sigh of relief came over her as her Master said that she needed to go to Naboo. Quay hoped her master wasn't upset, she was fully intending on coming to her once she was out of the council room.

Helenias didn't seem to be.

"Thank you, Master." Quay'Na nodded in her direction.