Lockdown (Figrin)

[Sejah Haversh]

Beneath a blue sky crossed with speeders and transports stood a tower of steel, stone and glass. Lights revlected from it as if it were a glittering jewlel, but its beautiful exterior hid a pain inside.

Perched on the edge of his bed, Sejah sat, rubbing the bulky monitoring unit locked around his wrist. A small red light blinked every five seconds, reminding him that it was on, and that the Order would constantly know where he was. The light of hope that had always been in his eyes was gone, and he sat slouched over, staring aimlessly at the floor.

The room he shared with Dasquain had changed considerable in the past twenty four hours. His swords and kris dagger had been confiscated, as had his pistols and lightsaber. Even the kitchen knives that were sharper than a spoon were gone, as were all the hazardous chemicals. In three places around the living quarters a security camera had been installed, and he could have no privacy anymore.

It was called a suicide watch, and after his outburst in the Council room, it was warranted.

The oppressive feel of the room could be felt more than in just the lack of personal objects, and the security system. A great feel of melancholy hung about the area like a dense fog, and there was no focus left in Sejah. He felt broken, and unwanted. And this time he had nowhere left to go.

[Figrin D'an]

Standing outside the door, unmoving and unsure of what to do, Figrin stared at the door chime. He hadn't seen or talked to Sejah since the incident in the Council Room, and their brief discussion afterward. He couldn't be the one to inform the padawan of the new restrictions placed upon him. Other Jedi had graciously accepted that burden, allowing some temporary distance between the Nehantite and his master. Figrin had needed as much time to think as Sejah did... to consider how to handle whatever was left of the master and apprentice relationship. He wouldn't give up on Sejah. That was out of the question. But, things would undoubtedly be different now. The Jedi Master found himself dealing with powerful emotions of his own... frustration, sadness. And perhaps even anger on some small level. But not anger towards Sejah, or J'ktal, or anyone else. Anger that he hadn't had the forsight to know that something was terribly wrong, and that he hadn't been able to stop it before it had gotten out of hand. As misplaced as such blame upon himself might have been, it was there. It would be there for a long time.

But now, Figrin had to inform Sejah of his future, of the Council's decision, while still coping with his own personal feelings on what had transpired. For all his wisdom and experience, he knew not the words to speak or the demeanor to possess. It would spontaneous and unpredictable, which was, from the Jedi Master's perspective, potentially the most dangerous.

He stared again at the door chime, pondering. It took some of that very spontaneity that he didn't like to finally tap it.

[Sejah Haversh]

Huffing, Sejah pushed himself up from the bed and trudged to the door, wondering just sho would be there, and what else they would take from him, or do to him.

It was quite a suprise when he saw Figrin there before him, and the brown-furred mongoose stood with his mouth hangign open a little, unsure of what to say.

"Um, hi," he finally managed. "I guess you, uh, want to come in, huh?"

Stepping back from the doorway, Sejah ambled back into his room. He wasn't wearing socks or shoes, and he apparently hadn't combed his headfur that morning. In fact, he was still even wearing the same clothes he had been the day before, and from the state of the mess of tangled sheets and blankets on his bed, it appeared as if he had gotten little--if any--sleep the night before.

[Figrin D'an]

Figrin stepped into the room without saying a word. As the door closed behind him, he glanced about at the plainess that was now his student's quarters. It looked less furnished than even a standard quarters did for a new initate. Nearly everything recognizible as Nehantish was gone, and replace by nothing but bare walls and empty spaces. He wondered if Dasquain had decided to temporarily move out, as the Council had suggested.

As Sejah meandered slowly away, Figrin found a good spot to stand, crossed his arms, and spent a long moment, staring at the floor. He used the moment to recite the Code to himself, purging his mind of thoughts of uncertainty and stress that lay ahead. Even as a Master, the Jedi Code was an unshakable pillar to which he could anchor himself in times as these.

"I suggest you sit down," he said at last.

[Sejah Haversh]

Pulling one of the cheap dining room chairs over, Sejah slumped down into it. He was surely in for a lecture, but he wasn't angry about it. He was just scared of what Figrin might have to say.

[Figrin D'an]

Once the mongoose had taken a seat, Figrin looked directly at him, but not with the cold piercing glare that might have been expected. Instead, he kept a calm yet critical expression, and spoke in a tone was more akin to a teacher telling a story with a moral than a harsh disciplinarian.

"You know," the Jedi began, "I sat up for about five hours last night, trying to piece together and rationalize what has happened over the past twenty-four hours. I sat in my favorite chair, I stared out the window into the night, I emptied an entire caraf of tea, and I thought. I attempted to figure out where everything went wrong. I looked at everything that took place in the Council chambers, I looked at what I know of recent events and your troubles both here and on your homeworld. I spent half the night trying to convince myself that there was a shred of logic in all of this madness."

He paused, sighing.

"I found nothing. Nothing to justify what has happened. Despite all of the circumstances leading up to this mess, there's just no good rational explanation."

He took a deep breath, and exhaled through his nose.

"I did find one small truth amidst the rubble, though," he added. "The responsibility for this is shared amongst many. Not merely you, not only J'ktal, not only the Nehantish Royal Council. We're all responsible, including the Jedi, and including me. And it's going to take all of us to find a solution. There will be many parts played, and many actions taken... some helpful, others harmful. But we're all involved, and nothing is going to change that."

[Sejah Haversh]

"You're wrong," Sejah said flatly.

"This is all about politics. The Sultan knows that a revolution is coming, and because I, a lower class citizen, became so popular, the lower classes will feel powerful as well. He is threatened, and with me still alive he will always feel threatened. It's as simple as that. He has to kill me; show that he has control over Nehantish, and all its citizens."

The mongoose, however tired and disheveled as he might have looked, was sincere, and he continued on, "I don't want him to win, though. He is corrupt, and evil things happen on the streets while he does nothing. I know it's not right, Master D'an, but I want to live so that I can be a thorn in his side, or even more. There will be war on Nehantish, and I want to fight in it. Jedi are supposed to protect those who cannot protect themselves, to bring justice to the unjust. I could not live with myself if I were to stand aside why my kinsbeasts died for what they believed in. And I need you to know that even if you forbid it, I will go back to Nehantish if there is a war. I'm sorry, but that's jsut how it is."

[Figrin D'an]

Figrin shook his head.

"Political manuevering or not, that's not the point," he retorted. "This is about an individual having control over his own actions. For all of the efforts of the Sultan and the Nehantish government to manipulate the situation to their advantage, you still had a choice when you stood in the Council chambers. By making the choice you did, you've made matters all the more difficult to handle. You acted rashly, and whatever rationalization you wish to use for those actions is in direct conflict with what it means to be a Jedi."


He paced a bit, wonder what would he could say to get through to his student, to make him see the simple facts of the path he was about to choose.


"If a civil war breaks out on Nehantish, and you choose to go fight in it... you'll be throwing away everything you have accomplished. There is simply no guarantee that you would be readmitted to the Order should you survive. The Council is willing to give you a second chance, and is willing to take the steps necessary to protect you. We are willing to throw ourselves on the proverbial thermal detonator in an attempt to lessen the effects of the explosion. But should you choose to become more involved than you already are..."

He stopped short, composing himself.

"... your journey to become a Jedi may be over."

[Sejah Haversh]

"Then I'm out on my butt and nobody will help me, I get it," Sejah said.

"Master D'an, I'm stuck in the middle of too many things. Yes, I came here just to escape Nehantish originally, but now I honestly do want to be a Jedi, and help those who need it. I want to help my fellow beasts, and if I can't go do that, then I don't know what I'll do."

Getting up, Sejah headed to the fridge and got out a can of soda, crack ing it open and taking a swig. "What does the Council want to do with me?" he asked. "How big of a thorn in your side have I become?"

[Figrin D'an]

"The Council has decided that you will remain with the Order," Figrin revealed, "on the condition that you not do anything that will further complicate things."

Pacing a bit, he continued the explanation.

"Your training will continue, only after you have undergone personal counseling with someone approved by the Council. And that person will not be me. Once you have demonstrated the ability to control yourself, your personal items will be returned, but the surveillance will remain until the Council decides it can be removed."

"As for where your training will take place," Figrin added, uncertainty clear in his voice, "that is yet to be determined. You may remain here on Coruscant, but you may also be part of the group relocating to Yavin IV, with Masters Evanar and Mystt."

[Sejah Haversh]

"J'ktal is going to Yavin," Sejah said dully. "I'd rahter stay here, if you don't mind."

A long silence passed as Sejah hung his head, his tail swishing jsut sligtly. Finally, he looked back up, his eyes looking very tired, and a little fearful. With a weak voice, he said, "I, I don't suppose it would mean much to say I'm sorry right now, would it Master D'an?"

[Figrin D'an]

The Jedi Master sighed heavily, his gaze falling on nothing in particular.

"I'm more concerned with getting through this without any more damage occuring," he admitted. "Apologies and reflection will come later."

He looked back to Sejah.

"Although, it gives me hope that you are acknowledging that you have not used the best of judgement lately."

[Sejah Haversh]

Sejah nodded slowly, glancing down at the large locator device on his wrist, and trying to smile, though it didn't come out well.

"I won't mess this up, Master D'an," he promised. "I know I need to face what's coming to me, and I'll try and do it with the most respect and dignity as I can find. I'm sorry to have to put you through all this; you shouldn't have to go to Nehantish just because of me."

[Figrin D'an]

"I think an official Jedi mission to Nehantish would have happened eventually anyway," he thought aloud. "With your people starting to really venture out into the galaxy, official diplomatic relations between Nehantish and the Republic were already on the horizon. And, the simple fact that there are two Nehantites in the Order, yet the Jedi have not established an open dialog with your world, was another matter that needed to be resolved."

Figrin looked directly at his padawan.

"The Jedi are a family. When one of us is in trouble, the others do what is necessary to help that member. Our power comes as much from our connections with each other as it does from the Force. It's essential to us, allowing us to be what we are meant to be."

"That's why I must go to Nehantish. For all of us."

[Sejah Haversh]

Standing up from the foot of his bed, Sejah ran a paw through his wild headfur and paced over to his dresser. There, he opened the top draw and rummaged under a pile of socks until he withdrew a holopad, an engelope, and a small, framed photgraph.

His face was solemn when he turned back to Figrin, and he walked over, extending the items. "Speaking of family," he said, his voice almost faltering, "Can you deliver these to somebeast forme when you get there?"

The envelope was stuffed with a letter that Sejah had spent hours of frustration trying to write, and on the outside the words, "Master Rej" were scrawled in his exeptionally bad handwriting. Sejah tried his hardest on it though. And in an old, worn frame, behind a pane of glass, rested a faded photgraph. In it, a skinny, gawky-looking brown-furred youth smiled exuberently, clutching a practice sword and a large, cheesy trophy, stood next to a taller, muscular brown-furred male who held the other half of the trophy, also smiling.

Sejah chuckled lightly as he looked at it again, nostalgia in his eyes. "Heh, that's me," he explained. "I was fourteen, and won the All-City Youth fencing tournament. That's Master Rej; he helped me a lot as I grew up, both in the fencing ring, and out of it. I want you to give him these things for me, if you can." He looked into Figrin's face with a hopeful smile as he spoke, but it faded as he finished, "He's not accepting mail from me. I think he's mad at me. It would mean a lot of you could get these to him, though."

[Figrin D'an]

He took the envelope, then looked at the picture. Despite his youth in the photograph, Figrin could easily see that the younger mongoose was Sejah. The other one, whom Sejah called 'Master Rej,' seemed to have a caring nobility to him that came across quite well, even from a simple still photo.

"I will do my best to locate him. Even if he his upset with you, I'm sure he still would like to know that his former student is well."

It would also give the Jedi a chance to talk to someone who had known Sejah for many years, and understood him perhaps better than anyone. Any insight he could discover could prove important to successfully convincing the Royal Council to call off its death sentence.

"Is there anyone else that might want to hear from you?" Figrin asked. "Or anyone that could potentially help us while on your homeworld? I have a feeling that we could use as many friends in this matter as possible."

[Sejah Haversh]

"That want to hear from me?" Sejah asked, laughing. "Well, maybe a few, but not many. C'mon, have a seat. You don't talk to Nehantites standing up if you want a real conversation."

Sejah led the way to the table by the kitchenette, pulling out a chair for his master, the mongoose passed on into the kitchen and opened the fridge. He deftly snagged twqo glass bottles of orange Nehi, and brought them back before sitting in one of the chairs himself.

"One more thing, only offworlders and punks drink cola. We import tons of this stuff, though. You'll want to pick up yours at Krath's Deli, near the corner of Nineteenth and Sharr. The owner, Krath, is probably one of the guys you'll want to talk to. I've known him since I was a kid," Sejah explained as he placed the rim of one of the bottles against the metal edge of the table, the ribbing of the bottlecap right on the edge. With a quick blow from his other paw, the cap popped off, and he lifted the bottle to take a swig, smiling when he put it back down. "Heh, that's how you open them, too. Well, at least if you're cool."

Slouching back in his chair, Sejah relaxed, knowing there was little he could do in his current predicament other than cooperate and make things better for himself, and everyone involved. "Yeah, you'll want to talk to Krath, but make it after eight-thirty, because that's when he'll have closed the deli. Tuesdays you can get a really good sanwich on special. You probably would hate it if I told you what was in it, but trust me, it's good eats. Next guy to talk to will be a kid, actually. You'll need Rej to direct you to him, I hear he's run away from home, and somehow I inspired that." He looked up from his bottle of soda into Figrin's eyes and broke topic, "Trust me, that's the last thing I would want him to to. He's straight up fifth class, no hope, no future unless he gets back to doing what he was, being one of the best fencers his age I've ever seen. If you find him, tell him that if he doesn't go back home, and get back to blade training, I'll come down there and beat him into next week. He's a good kid, Master D'an, he just makes mistakes, like me."

Returning to topic, he carried on. "Master Rej is possibly the best guy to talk to. He turned me froma street kid into a pro fencer, and mostly kept me in line. I looked to him like a father, Master D'an, and sometimes I still do. Don't worry about finding him, he'll find you. Even if he's mad at me, he'll still find you.

"Both my parents are dead now, as is my older brother, so there's not much in the way of family for you to talk to. It seems I made more enemies than friends, at least among those who will still be on Nehantish. Most of my friends will be scattered thoughout the galaxy on various freighters or transports. Good ol' cheap, furry labor, we are." His pink eyes drifted away toward the end, narrowing jsut slightly and his tone growing bitter.

Swigging down another gulp of his soda, he then took a deep breath and sighed. "If you have some form of rel dagger or sword or something, and it hold significance to you, then wear it when you go to see the Sultan, or whatever political lardbag you get treated to. You'll get more respect that way. But if they offer you tea in a cup with no handle. don't drink it, you got that? If you drink it, you might as well just leave and my head will be going to them in a box. Do not drink the tea if the cup has no handle."

[Figrin D'an]

"Tea in a cup with no handle?," he echoed. "Interesting. And what exactly is the significance of serving and drinking tea in cups with no handles?"

[Sejah Haversh]

Sejah tried to think over a reason that Figrin would understand without having to tell him a lengthy story. Finally, he just boiled it down to hte basics.

"It's a test," he explained. "A test to see if you know Nehantite ettiquite. It goes back a long way, back to K'shenurien, the first Death-Shadow. Where he came from, cups do not have handles, and as he learned of what has become mainstream Nehantite culture, he gave several members of the nobility some tests to see if they would surrender to his ways out of fear of him, or stick to their own ettiquite for where they were from. All who drank from the cup with no handle he considered to be weak, and untrustworthy. Thse who stayed by their own ways he rewarded.

"In such a way, you will probably be tested. Though now it will be to see if you know the significance of it, rather than choosing the way you know. Even if you are pressured, don't touch the teacup with no handle. It's a silly tradition, I know, but one you would ahve been unprepared for."

[Figrin D'an]

"At least now I know," Figrin said, a bit shocked at the importance of such a simple idiosyncracy. He could only wonder what other odd ideas and traditions he might encounter. "I'm hoping that, between you and J'ktal, we'll be prepared for most scenarios. Although, I admit that there seems to be far too much to learn in such a short time."

He laughed a bit, under his breath. "Let's hope my improvisation skills are still sharp."

[Sejah Haversh]

"I wish I could go with you," Sejah said with a shrug. "But I don't dare show my face around there until this is all cleared up. I don't know what esle to tell you, other than just use the baths in your hotel rooms, and not the main baths that whatever hotel you are at. Unless, of course, you want to be stared at. I think the closest equivalent you might know of is something called a Roman bath. Water is a commoddity on Nehantish, so communal bathing was the norm for a long, long time. Still, I don't expect you to get in on that."

Adjusting his posture, Sejah truly became relaxed, recalling many things from his past. "You'll see a lot of things that might look pretty backwards to you, so jsut try not to stare too much. If you get a chance, go check out the Royal Gardens, and the Great Museum in the center of town, and if it wouldn't be too much to ask, could you stop by the Rho'istaan collisseum grounds, and take a picture of my statue there? See, they make a life-sized statue of each Rho'istaan champion, and they are arranged in a line around the collissuem's perimiter. I want to see what mine looks like, and if it is still in one piece."

[Figrin D'an]

"I will attempt to do so," he nodded. "I don't know how much time I'll have for sight seeing, but I will mention it to Estelle and Dasquian, and see if they are up for it. If not, I'll try to sneak away for a little while and take some images for you."

There was a long silence, one that was painfully uncomfortable. For a master and an apprentice, they had talked little of late, and their friendship has been severely strained. While the mission to save Sejah's life appeared difficult, repairing their relationship as teacher and student would likely prove just as challenging.

"I know none of this has been easy," Figrin said at last. "And I know all that has happened to you seems so unfair. It would be easy to allow oneself to seek a different path, one that might seem more promising. It's times like these that we have to be even more vigilant against the temptation of the Dark Side of the Force. That's part of the reason for the Council's actions, and it's why I've been urging you not to risk making anything about this matter worse by acting rashly."

He stood up and walked around the chair. The next words that came out of his mouth brought him pain, which came across very clearly in his expression.

"I've had students who have fallen to the Dark Side before. Despite my warnings and doing my best to teach them about the Force, I found myself unable to prevent them from being poisoned by it's touch. I watched them change from beings of good heart to people with a twisted sense of morality, deformed in mind and soul. Facing them was among the hardest things I have ever had to do."

The Jedi Master fixed his eyes upon his padawan with clear concern, yet his voice remained firm and unwavering.

"It's something that I never wish to do again."

[Sejah Haversh]

Sejah could hear the feeling in Figrin's voice, and knew the pain of losing a student. Rising from his own chair, Sejah placed a reassuring paw on his master's shoulder and looked into his eyes. "Master D'an, I have been a teacher, too. And though I have faults, I understand what you mean. Please, try and trust me to do the right thing, now."

[Figrin D'an]

"I certainly hope you do indeed do the right thing, Sejah," he answered softly. "For both of our sakes."

[Sejah Haversh]

Grinning, the mongoose slid his paw back off of Figrin's shoulder and held it up to display the bulky unit strapped around his wrist. "Well, it's not like I can sneak off while nobody's looking, now is it? Don't worry, I'll work on my temper while you're gone."

Reaching back to the table and picking up his half-empty bottle of soda, he took a drink and then asked, "By the way, can I ask you something? When Kelt confiscated my stuff, he took my wooden practice swords, too. Can I have some of those back so that I can at least exercise and practice? It helps me to calm down, and think better."

[Figrin D'an]

Figrin finally smiled a little. It wasn't much, but it was something, at the very least.

"I think that can be arranged," he said, sounding closer to his normal self. "I'll put in the request myself. You'll have them no later than tomorrow."

Figrin turned to leave, but stopped as the neared the door.

"When I get back, and after this is all sorted out, I'll make arrangements for a training excursion off-world. I think it would do both you and Ka' el some good. And probably me as well."

[Sejah Haversh]

"Hey," Sejah called, a little tennative as Figrin approached the door. "Um, could we maybe go somewhere with plants and water and stuff? I'm, um, kind of getting a little sick of all the buildings and stuff aroudn here."

[Figrin D'an]

"That sounds like a good plan," the Jedi Master replied, smiling more fully. "Take a look through the planetary database, and pick out a few places you'd like to go. We'll finalize a destination when I get back."

"May the Force Be With You, Sejah. I'll see you in about a month."