Title: Never Leave Me
Rating: PG
Authors: Jedi-JEB (Jennifer and Bethany)
Disclaimer: We do not own Siri Tachi who belongs to Jude Watson, or Obi-Wan Kenobi, who belongs to George Lucas. All other characters are creations of the authors and should not be used without permission.
Author's Note: This is set after "Secrets of the Jedi", which means that there are spoilers in this story.
The light in the hut was dim. The sun had not set yet but the hut was shut off from all natural light for a purpose. One change in the atmosphere and everything could go wrong. The only light was coming from the candles that were put in a circle around a table.
Chanting was coming from the group of people circled around the table as well, wearing robes and holding candles. The chanting was of an ancient spell and the sound became sharper as a light emanated from the table. On it was a woman. She was dead. Her long blonde hair draped over her shoulders. Every inch of her naked body was covered in ceremonial oil, which enforced the glowing light that was coming to her. Her pale skin now glowed as her body lifted a few centimeters off the table as she took in a deep breath, gasping. Life had returned to the woman and she opened her eyes. They were a dark green and as she took another breath they glowed and shifted dramatically to a deep blue. Siri Tachi was back
Siri's eyes were wide and she seemed to gasp for air. She didn't know where she was or what was going on. She was shaking as she looked around at a crowd surrounding her. She could not see at first, things looking blurry. One moment she had been with Obi-Wan and then she was gone. She should be dead. She felt as if she could still feel her hand against his cheek, or perhaps that was from her warming crystal. She could still see Obi-Wan beside her, clearly upset, even though she had tried to joke about death. She had done it to try and help him with the pain she knew he would feel.
"The transformation is complete." A man spoke and the group of people pulled back their hoods. Now their faces could be seen in the dim candlelight.
One of these figures, a woman with graying hair and dark eyes, approached the blonde haired, wide eyed woman "Siri?" The older woman asked.
Still panting slightly, Siri just gave a small nod. Her heart was throbbing painfully, as if it was being crushed, but already the pressure was lessening. Not only that, but her lungs were burning as if she had run for miles. Her entire body felt chilled, her teeth almost chattering.
"You are Siri Tachi?" the woman questioned again. They had to be sure that everything had been done properly and that this truly was Siri Tachi.
Siri answered with a nod again. She wanted to ask what was going on, and wanted to sit up, but she felt as if all of her was being held by lead weights
The older woman smiled. "Welcome back." Siri felt a piece of cloth being draped over her, covering her nakedness. Until that had happened, she had not even noticed that she had no clothes on, since she had been unable to lift her head to see. Once it was covering her, she felt herself being picked up. "Take her to be bathed. I will join her short." The woman said.
Siri looked at the woman again and mouthed a name. Grandmother. She knew this woman. How had she gotten to Corellia though? She had been Azure with Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padme and Taly. What had happened to them? What had happened to the Codebreaker and Magus? These questions ran through her mind and she tried to focus on what was going on, hoping some of her questions would be answered.
The woman smiled and nodded as Siri was carried out of the hut and out into the streets of her tribe. It only took one man to lift her, but a few others were trailing after them. The sun assaulted her, forcing her to close her eyes as she was taken to another hut. In this hut, there was a bath tub. The man who carried her left and a few women stepped in, carrying oils and shampoos. They slowly lowered her into the warm water and started cleaning her.
Siri had never gotten used to being touched like this, and wanted to volunteer to wash herself. However, she found it difficult to move, as if she had not used her muscles in a long time. "What is going on?" she asked the women. Her voice was quiet, as if unable to speak loudly and it did not sound like hers. She was certain that she was going to die. She had, hadn't she? Her mind went back to what she last remembered. For Star's sake, Obi-Wan, I'm dying. She knew she had been dying. Everything had become gray, and she tried to hold on but the Force was calling to her. As if to just release herself into it. She knew her death was coming and she could remember that her last image was of Obi-Wan looking at her, holding her most prized possession, her deep blue warming crystal with the star in it. She had said that she would not leave him. Had, by some miracle, that occurred? Was she truly alive? Did that mean that Obi-Wan as here as well?
"It's alright. Shh..." One woman cooed her. "You are safe now."
Siri shook her head. "What is going on? How did I get here?" Her voice was a bit stronger, but still sounded strange, having more of a Corellian accent than usual.
"You will soon find out." The woman said as they washed Siri's hair and every part of her body with wonderful smelling aromas.
While Siri knew she should relax and let them, her mind was racing, unable to figure out what was going on. She wasn't dead. Was she?
After giving her a bath, they dried her hair then combed it and she noted that it seemed longer than she remembered it being, at least by a few inches. After drying off the rest of her, the women helped her dress into a beautiful tribal dress with sandals. Her hair was then fixed in braids and tiny flowers all in it. She did not see the full effect, but was certain it probably was impressive.
Once she was done, Siri took a few steps without support from the women. While she still felt shaky, she was able to move a little on her own. She also felt much better, especially after the bath.
"You look wonderful." One of the women said. She looked familiar, but Siri could not remember her name at the moment.
"It feels nice," Siri answered. She could not see herself, but she could at least feel it. She was not too concerned with her looks though, they had never mattered to her before. All she truly wanted at that moment was to get her questions answered.
The door opened to the hut and the older woman, the one Siri called grandmother, stepped in. "Siri, you look wonderful." She smiled and motioned for the other women to leave, which they did. "I'm sure you have many questions. I am here to answer them."
"What is going on?" she asked immediately.
"That is a complicated answer."
"I just want to know how did I get here? And why am I not dead?"
"When you came here for the first time you went through a ceremony. During that time, one of our holy warriors studied you through what you call the Force, and discovered something about your fate. He saw you were going to die. Of course you know of the prophecy here that foretells of you being our deliverer from these troubled times, we could not allow you to die. However, your attempted sacrifice showed us that we would have to take extra steps to ensure your survival. So we used an ancient spell that had not been used in ages. We put it on you so that when it came time for your death you would not die, but be transformed into another body, one that was given to you in sacrifice. We knew when you would die and we counted the days. We found a suitable woman and brought her here. She died and now, you live."
Siri just stared at her for a moment, in shock. She once again found that her knees felt weak, but for a different reason. "What?" she managed, trying to understand this. She had truly died and was brought back to life? That was impossible. She had died. She had felt her heart stop.
"We have brought you from the brink of death. Now, our prophecy has been fulfilled. You are alive, Siri Tachi."
Siri shook her head. "No...no, this isn't true," she protested. She could not have been brought back to life, and not in someone else's body.
"It is. Why deny it? Embrace it. You are alive and can go back to the Jedi and live your life."
"I can't be alive, I died. And I can not be alive in someone else's body."
"You did. And you are."
Siri shook her head, not being able to take all of this in at once.
"I know this must be hard and you can have all the time you want to get used to this."
"I just want to be home," she admitted. While her relationship with Obi-Wan was confusing, at least she knew that she belonged with the Jedi, in the Temple.
"You may leave once you are better."
"I have to tell Obi-Wan. He will wonder where I have gone," she was starting to ramble, unable to believe all they had told her. Had the mission all been a nightmare? No, it had been too real.
"Would you like to see yourself?"
Siri paused then nodded. After all, they had to be wrong. She could not be in another person's body. While she trusted her tribe now, especially her grandmother, who was actually her grandmother's sister, she could not believe that what she was told was true.
The older woman led Siri to a wall and took down a drape revealing a full length mirror.
Siri just stood there in shock, and then her mouth dropped open. That could not be her. This woman had her blue eyes, but all the rest of her features were different. She was about the size Siri was, but all of her features were different. Her hair was longer than it used to be, and darker in color. Her skin was slightly pale and her facial features were different. "Oh Force..." she muttered and moved one hand, seeing the stranger doing the same in response. Siri did this a few times, using both hands. Nothing was making sense, and only her eyes showed that this stranger was truly her. Slowly, she sunk to her knees, trying to remain calm and allow herself to believe all of this. Her mind was racing and she felt somewhat sick.
The woman came to Siri and hugged her. "It's alright."
"I...I don't believe this." This meant that she had truly died, and that she had been brought back to life in someone else's body.
"I know it's hard, but it's the truth and we are so glad you are back. And soon, you will get to go home. Things will be normal again. You have been given a second chance."
Siri nodded slowly still looking at the mirror, but then turned to her. "Do they know?" she asked, referring to the other Jedi, especially Obi-Wan.
"No. They know nothing."
"I have to contact them. They should know." If all of this was true, they thought she was dead. That she was one with the Force now.
"You must take your time. First, we must help you regain your strength, then you may leave."
"But I have to contact them, you don't understand." She couldn't let them believe she was dead if she was truly alive, even if it was in someone else's body.
"I do understand, but our com system is down. There is nothing we can do."
"Can anyone else send a message?"
"We cannot get receive or send any from the tribe. I am sorry."
Siri nodded, then turned back to look at the stranger in the mirror. She reached one hand out and touched the cool surface, and it seemed as if the stranger was doing the same, the two hands looked like they were touching. "Who was she?" she asked quietly as she put her other hand to the mirror so it was almost as if there was a circle between herself and the reflection.
"A woman who killed herself with drugs."
"Why would she do that? She looks so young."
"Her husband left her."
"That is so sad," Siri whispered. She knew how much love hurt, and she knew that even after years, it never went away. She had hidden her pain from others, but after twenty years, the heartache remained, only until they both admitted their true feelings to one another did the pain disappear.
She nodded. "But you are giving her life now."
"So am I Siri, or this woman?" she asked, uncertain if she wanted to know the answer. She had to go back to the Jedi, she had to be Siri still, if not in body, at least in mind and spirit.
"You are Siri Tachi."
"Okay," she nodded, relieved, in a way. She looked back at the reflection, the stranger who had killed herself over love. It was like a full circle. She died after finding love, just to be brought back into the body of a woman who had died after losing love. "So what now?" she asked. She was already tired, and knew it must have been the result of the spell.
"You should get rest. Perhaps eat something. For the next few weeks you will be building your strength through training."
"Training...as a Jedi?" she asked, hoping she would say yes. The Jedi had been her life. As she had told Obi-Wan, she could not imagine not being a Jedi, and being brought back like this, she did not know if she did not have that life.
"Like a Jedi." Her grandmother corrected her. "But not as. You have already been trained as a Jedi. Soon your midi-chlorian count will return and you will have even more midichlorians then you had before."
"How is that possible?" Siri knew that people could lose the number of midi-chlorians in their body, but she did not know how the number could increase.
"We will give you them."
"You can control midi-chlorians?" The though was almost frightening. However, the Force was strong with this tribe, and she trusted that if her count was supposed to rise, it would.
"By giving you blood, yes."
"Blood? From who?"
"Ones here who are strong in the force."
"Was this woman strong in the Force?" She was curious about this woman and her past, but had a feeling it would be better if she did not know. If she did, she had a feeling she would never be able to look in a mirror again.
"Yes. But not strong enough."
"You aren't going to be killing anyone else for the blood, will you?" While she knew this woman had taken her own life, she knew that she could not stand for anyone else to die, even if that meant her midi-chlorian count would not increase.
"No, of course not. We are not monsters."
"I just..." she trailed off thinking of when they wanted to sacrifice her, and how they had almost succeeded.
"What?" the older woman asked, seeing that Siri seemed lost in thought.
"I was thinking about when I was first here," she admitted.
"I am sorry for that. You were going to be brought back though."
"You mean if I was sacrificed?"
"Yes." She nodded.
"No one told me that was a part of the prophecy." She was happy how things had turned out though. She had found this tribe, her family in a way, from a mission just four months before.
"Are you hungry?" her grandmother spoke up, changing the subject.
Siri nodded, coming back to the present. "A little."
The woman smiled and led Siri to a table which was filled with fruits and vegetables. "Help yourself."
Siri found a piece of juma fruit and took a bite. It tasted strange, yet familiar at the same time. The juice tasted sweet and she closed her eyes to savor it. Then she felt just how empty her stomach was and she started it eat faster, hungry.
"There is a bed over there." Her grandmother motioned to a bed in the corner. "Get some sleep."
"And then what?" Siri asked her. She still felt very out of control of her body, not feeling the Force like she used to.
"Then we will see how you feel."
"How long will I be training?" she asked. While she was thankful for everything they had done, she wanted to get on with her life. She had a second chance, and with the war going on, she was never certain of what would happen next.
"As long as you wish."
"I want to go back to the Temple soon. Do they know about this ceremony?" she asked. They did not know it had been performed, but it was possible that the Jedi knew that in some cases, a Jedi could be brought back from death.
"The Jedi?"
"Yes."
"No, of course not."
"Then they think I am dead?" She wondered how Obi-Wan was handling this, certain that the others would be alright. She had become friends with Bant and Garen through Obi-Wan, and was certain they would be alright. She was sure even Master Adi would be alright. It was Obi-Wan she was worried about.
"Yes."
"I have to get back soon then," she said.
"Their reaction might not be the best."
"They won't take me back?" she asked. The thought had not occurred to her until now.
"I'm sure they will, but at first their reaction might not be good."
"Then why bring me back?" she asked. She was growing frustrated, not having any clear answers. What if she was brought back only to be rejected by the Jedi?
"Because they need you. We need you. You have fulfilled our prophecy."
"What does the prophecy say will happen next?"
"Our tribe will prosper now. Our crops will return and the storms will clear. We will have peace. It is because of you."
"Then what happens next?" Siri asked. The prophecy reminded her of how the Chosen One would bring balance to the Force and she wondered if the Chosen One would have to go through such a trial, like death, to fulfill it.
"With?"
"The tribe? Me?"
"We will have to see what happens."
Siri nodded, finishing another piece of fruit. Her hands were sticky and she wiped them on a nearby cloth. Now that she had eaten, she was finding herself even more tired now, and made her way over to the bed.
"Good night Siri." Her grandmother smiled at her before exiting the hut. Once there, she would make sure that no one would disturb Siri so that she could rest. The cloth in front of the door would help keep out the sunlight as well, since her eyes would be sensitive for awhile.
Siri murmured a response before sleep overtook her. Even with all the questions in her mind, she found the sheets and blankets very soft. They were also warm reminding her again of her warming stone, which Master Adi had given to her on her thirteenth birthday. Until she had traded it for food, she had never been without it. She slid further under the blankets and was soon sleeping much better than she had in a long time.