Commander of Wolves

Chapter Three: Council's Decision

Two weeks after Sinker, Boost, and Nya were trapped in a cave on Lothal, the 104th has finally been given a week of shore leave. Which Plo-Koon has decided to use wisely. He has a plan for the Council meetings this week, and that plan is to convince the rest of them that in this war, there can be no such thing as no attachments.

While the LAAT/is bring the troopers, and their Jedi, down to Coruscant, Plo speaks to his padawan using their Master/Padawan bond.

'I have called a Council meeting today, padawan. You may decide how to spend your time.'

'Thank you, Master. If it's all right, I'm going to comm my buir. Then I'll decide what I want to do.'

'Go ahead, Nya. I predict that this Council meeting will be a long one, at best. Just be sure-'

'To lock the door to my quarters? I remember, Master. I know, if I get caught, I'll get kicked out. I remember the rules, you have been letting me call her since I was thirteen.'

'Very well. I will see you tonight if you are awake.'

They stop using the bond, and as soon as the LAAT/is land, Plo heads off to the Council chambers, while Nya heads off to their quarters to comm her buir. The entire council is waiting when he reaches them. Only some physically present, but all of them there.

When Plo takes his seat, he steeples his fingers, and says, "I believe there is an issue we need to address about the war."

"The issue, what is, Master Plo?"

"Our views on attachment."

The council chambers are filled with stunned silence. Plo sits there calmly, letting his words sink in. He knows that it will be a fight, but he was guilty of being attached to his men. And his padawan as well. The first time he had seen the nose art for the LAAT/is of him, Nya, and members of the Wolfpack had meant more to him than any title the Jedi could give him. Not that he would ever admit that to the Council.

"Mean, what do you?"

"I mean, Master Yoda, that in this war, our views on attachments are rather hindering. Can any of you say that you are not friends with your men, at the very least? Is friendship not a form of attachment?"

The other Masters of the Council are greatly surprised by the suggestion that Plo has made. Ever since the very beginning of the Jedi Order, relationships have been forbidden. You could have friendships within the Jedi Order, but no attachments.

But they also see his point. For none of them could say that they were not indeed friends with at least their commanders. Plo makes another point before anyone else can speak.

"And can any of us say that we do not love our padawans and wish them well? Even our former padawans. Mace, I know you love Depa like a daughter. Obi-Wan loves Anakin as a brother. Depa, you love Padawan Dume as your son. I love Nya and my other padawans as daughters. Can any of us say we are not indeed attached to our padawans?"

Once again, the only sound in the Council chambers, is that of stunned silence. The other Masters are having a bit of a tough time digesting this. All of them, except perhaps Plo, had prided themselves on remaining free of attachments. But Plo was right. None of them could say that they were not attached to their padawans. Even if they were knights now.

"Perhaps," Obi-Wan says, "Master Plo is right. I cannot say that I do not love Anakin as my brother. I think we should reconsider our views on attachment."