Qui-Gon woke to the sound of retching coming from the 'fresher. It took him a second to register, but when he did, he got out of bed and rushed to the refresher to find Obi-Wan over the toilet, heaving. Qui-Gon walked over to him and knelt down, holding the young man's braid out of the way and rubbing his back. He stayed there until Obi-Wan finished and shakily laid his head down on his arms. Then Qui-Gon went to the sink and got a cup of water for him to wash his mouth out with. Obi-Wan took it gratefully and shakily pulled himself into a standing position. Qui-Gon went over to steady him and asked, "Are you okay, Obi-Wan?"

"I'm fine," Obi-Wan assured him, his voice hoarse, "And no, I don't need to go to the Healer's ward. It was just something I ate."

"If you are sure. You should at least get some more rest," Qui-Gon said while he shepherded his apprentice back to his room. Obi-Wan looked like he was about to object, but then his defiant look crumbled and he nodded tiredly.

"Just for a little bit, Obi-Wan agreed, sitting down on his bed, "But I do have work to do for my physics class."

Qui-Gon made sure Obi-Wan was safely tucked in bed, wrapped up so far in the blankets that his head was barely showing, before he left for his morning meditation session. He made his way to the meditation gardens, the Coruscant sun shining in through the transparisteel and lighting the hall so that it glowed. The hall was fairly deserted despite the beauty of this early morning, and no one stopped him to converse with him.

He found his way to his customary spot in the wilderness garden, settling himself among a ring of stones, and inhaling the scent of pine. Artificial sunlight filtered through the trees, dust motes floating in the beams that reached the floor. The trickle of the nearby stream reminded him of the River of Light on his homeworld, warm and welcoming despite being hidden in thick woodland. This was where he felt most at home in the Force, where it was easiest to release his concerns and his fears.

Closing his eyes, Qui-Gon looked inward, searching out his training bond with Obi-Wan. After three days back on Coruscant, his Padawan was still drawing an unusual amount of energy through it. At the moment it wasn't a problem, but it could be when the Council sent them on their next mission. He worried that Obi-Wan was ill despite the young one's denials, and his fears had only been exacerbated by the morning's incident in the 'fresher.

Gently he probed at the bond, sending a wave of reassurance when he felt a spike in Obi-Wan's curiosity at the contact. The Padawan withdrew at that, presumably returning to his sleep and leaving his Master to metaphorically poke and prod as he pleased. He checked their connections on both sides of the bond, blessedly easy as Obi-Wan had left his shields at a low level after the initial contact. Qui-Gon could find no indication that there was anything wrong with his Padawan. His mind felt healthy despite his weeks-long ordeal.

He was certain Obi-Wan was completely unaware that he was slowly leeching energy from him, and furthermore, as far as Qui-Gon could tell he didn't need the energy at all. He sighed and broke away, rising to seek out those more knowledgeable than he. Whatever the problem, it was beyond his abilities.

"Qui-Gon, I'm surprised to see you here, I thought you would be monitoring Obi-Wan like a Casting Hawk watching it's chick." Tahl smiled at Qui-Gon's disgruntled face as she guided him into her sparse quarters.

"I'm not that bad, am I Tahl?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Qui-Gon, have you met yourself?" Tahl replied, deadpan.

He took his customary seat on the couch while Tahl busied herself in the kitchen making tea "Sapir tea? Or do you want something herbal like a Ho'din?" Tahl asked as she put the kettle on the stove.

"Sapir please," Qui-Gon answered as he settled himself. Tahl came over to join him while the water was boiling.

"So what brings you to my humble abode?" Tahl asked as she sat on the chair across from Qui-Gon. "You already sent me an update saying Obi-Wan checked out of the med center in good condition. So what are you here to work yourself up into a tizzy over?"

"I do not work myself into a tizzy over anything," Qui-Gon huffed. "And how much do you know about force bonds?".

Tahl looked taken aback. "As much as any Jedi I would suppose. They're formed to communicate more effectively with a Padawan or a partnered Knight. Depending on how the minds mesh the bond can be stronger or weaker. Why are you asking?"

Qui-Gon steepled his fingers together and took a moment before he spoke. "Something happened on Ryloth when we took off the inhibitor. Obi-Wan's shields had deteriorated over the period of time he had it on, and when it came off his mind couldn't handle it. He grasped the bond and buried himself in my mind. It took some convincing to bring him back to his own mind, but when he did return something was …. different." Qui-Gon paused trying to gather the words to continue.

Tahl leaned forward in interest, clearly engrossed in the story. She motioned for him to continue.

"The bond was stronger," Qui-Gon started, "And I noticed I was able to sense his emotions without any effort. He was also drawing energy from me through the bond without conscious effort."

"You mean he isn't aware of the changed state of the bond?" Tahl asked, eyes widening with shock.

"No, he is not. I have not informed him of the change yet. I believe he is still ill and I don't want to give him anything else to worry about."

"Qui-Gon, I've never heard of anything like this," Tahl said, clasping her hands tightly together.

Qui-Gon inclined his head. "I have not either, but I thought that if anyone had, it would be you. I would like to ask for your assistance researching this in the Archives. Your research skills are unparalleled."

"Well Qui, flattery is one way to get me to help. I'll see what I can dig up." Tahl smiled.

"Thank you Tahl, I truly appreciate this." Qui-Gon said, just as the kettle started to whistle.

"Perfect timing, we can discuss our course of action over tea." Tahl rose to go fetch the kettle.


Obi-Wan left Master Toliman's classroom feeling exhausted. He had only been gone for three weeks, but it felt like he was even farther behind than that. He was going to have to ask Garen for his notes. Obi-Wan put his pad under his arm and started walking down the hallway that was flooded with Padawans leaving their classes and making their way to the Commissary.

Just the thought of food was making Obi-Wan nauseous, so he abruptly turned to walk in the opposite direction. The Archives were mostly empty at this time of day. He made his way there, intending to start work on his report on the third war of Cartao, but before he could even make it five steps towards the Archives, he heard a familiar voice calling his name.

"Obi!" Bant cried, "Over here!" She waved her webbed hands in the air to get his attention.

Groaning in dismay, Obi-Wan slowly turned around to face her, making his way slowly towards his Mon Cal friend. Bant was just as bad as her Master, Healer Lyonava, on pestering him about his weight. They both thought he was underweight and be should eating more. There was no way Bant would let him get away from her without seeing him eat something. Obi-Wan put on what he hoped was a convincing smile."Bant, how are you doing?"

Bant laughed, and nudged Obi-Wan's shoulder. "I should be the one asking you that, you just got back from your first solo mission! And, you didn't come into the Healer's for your post-mission check up." She was scowling, hand planted on her hips, but her eyes were shining with mirth.

"For your information, I was checked out on a Med-center on Ryloth and got a clean bill of health." Obi-Wan sniffed, turning his nose up haughtily.

Bant gasped and pointed her finger reprimanding at him. "And you didn't come to see me when you got back?"

"I didn't think you missed me that much," Obi-Wan said smiling her at brightly.

Bant closed the distance between them and wrapped her arm around Obi-Wan. "Come on Obi, let's go eat lunch," she said cheerfully, and dragged Obi-Wan to the Commissary.

The Commissary was almost overwhelming. There were crowds of people sitting around tables, or in line to grab food. They were all talking, and the noise made Obi-Wan's head throb. Worse than that was the smell. There were so many different smells that he couldn't tell which one was making him sick. He plopped down at the first empty table and waved at Bant. "You go get food, I'll stay here."

"What do you want to eat?" Bant asked.

Obi-Wan sighed and put his head in his hands. He knew saying he wasn't hungry was not going to work. "Get me whatever you think looks good," he mumbled. Bant gave him a searching look then left to get the food.

Obi-Wan tried taking deep breaths to sooth his nausea, but that was a mistake. It just made it worse. He was breathing shallowly and chanting a mantra for peace in his mind, when Bant returned, pulling him out of his thoughts as she set a tray down in front of him. The smell that was assaulting his senses got even stronger.

Obi-Wan opened his eyes to find Fried Crispic. Bant was saying something to him, but he couldn't concentrate on it, he just knew he had to get out of here fast. He stood up abruptly and started running to the nearest waste receptacle. He almost didn't make it, but just as he got to it, he started sicking up. He heaved for long minutes, feeling miserable. At some point he felt a hand rubbing his back, and when he was finished,slumping down, he saw it was Bant who had comforted him. She offered him a hand and helped pull him upright, snaking an arm behind his back for support.

"Come on Obi-Wan, let's go to the Healer's Ward," Bant said sedately. Obi-Wan nodded and started following along before the words really hit him. He stopped in his tracks.

"I'm fine, Bant. It must have been something I ate for breakfast. I feel better now." And strangely enough, he did, now that he was away from the noise and scents of the Commissary.

Bant looked him up and down, skeptical of his proclamation. "You just don't want to be examined."

"Can you blame me?" he asked, spreading his arms wide. "Look, you can sense the Force. Do I feel at all ill to you?" He deliberately lowered his shields, leaving Bant free to search his Force signature for ailments.

She frowned, Force-touch feather light as she probed his aura. Eventually she sighed, "No."

"See? Totally fine."

"Fine," she grumbled. "But if it happens again, you're going. Even if I have to enlist your Master to drag you there kicking and screaming."

Obi-Wan gasped, mock clutching his chest. "Bant, you wound me."

"Please, the only time you'd stop avoiding the ward like it's the Rakghoul Plague is if you had the Rakghoul Plague." She huffed.

"I swear Bant, that if it happens again I will come to the ward—"

"You humans are bizarre," she declared as Obi-Wan began to walk, rushing to fall into stride with him.

"And only if it happens again."


Obi-Wan did not, in fact, keep his word to Bant. Over the next few days he felt nauseous almost all the time, and was sick many times. Luckily, he managed to hide it from his Master and Bant, so no one was dragging him to the Healer's ward. He was getting tired of being sick all the time, and he fervently hoped this was just a stomach bug that would clear up soon. It wasn't just that he didn't want to go to the Healer's, it was that the idea of being in there, poked and prodded left him feeling terrified. He knew he needed to face this, meditate and release his feelings, but every time he thought about Zan Arbor and what happened, he panicked. He would start to hyperventilate until he managed to focus his mind on something else. He knew he could take care of this himself, he didn't want to put his burdens on Qui-Gon. He had already put enough on him, and he most definitely did not want to do a joint meditation. He had enough trouble with his shields as it was, there were some things he desperately didn't want his Master to know about. Like Obi-Wan's feelings for him. Qui-Gon was a rogue, but Obi-Wan didn't think he would be okay with breaking the no attachments part of the Padawan code. He was so close to being a Knight, it was just within his reach. He had already taken the classes on how to deal with attachment and balance it with the Jedi Lifestyle. He knew he could do it, now he just needed to face his Trials. But with the disaster that his first solo mission turned out to be, he didn't think his Master was going to recommend him for the Trials anytime soon.

Sighing, Obi-Wan turned away from the rail of his and Qui-Gon's balcony, wandering inside. Perhaps he would make some tea while he waited for his Master to return. It was one of the few things his stomach did not seem to find objectionable.

He set about making the beverage, procuring some light crackers from a cupboard. He breathed in the steam rising from his tea bowl, already feeling his mood lift. He settled on a meditation cushion at the small table in their quarters.

He started nibbling on a cracker when he heard the door woosh open, and his Master strode into the room."I see i have missed tea time, is there any left for me?" Qui-Gon asked.

"There is still hot water left. Let me make you some," Obi-Wan said, as he made his way into the kitchen. "I am having Hodin, but we still have some Sapir left if you would like that."

"Sapir would be wonderful. Thank you, Padawan," Qui-Gon said as he sat down on the meditation cushion that was opposite Obi-Wan's.

Obi-Wan poured the water into a mug and put the Sapir leaves in. He watched them start to uncurl. The Sapir flower's vibrant colors were dulled by the water, but it was still beautiful to see. He brought the mug over to his Master and handed it to him. Qui-Gon took the cup from him and nodded his head gratefully. Obi-Wan made himself comfortable on his cushion.

"You are still looking a little pale, Padawan, are you sure you are over your illness?" Qui-Gon asked.

Obi-Wan tried to hide his wince. He was not doing better, in fact he might be doing worse, but he most definitely did not want Qui-Gon to know that. If he found out he would drag him to the Healer's ward no matter how much Obi-Wan protested. "I'm fine," Obi-Wan assured him, "Just a little tired from all the activity today."

Qui-Gon scrutinized Obi-Wan for a long minute then nodded. "Then you should go to bed early tonight. I've arranged a tandem duel with Master Gallia and Padawan Tachi tomorrow afternoon. I suspect you wouldn't want to add another loss to your ongoing contest."

Obi-Wan brightened. Sparring! Finally his Master had stopped his coddling and let him get back to a normal schedule. A match against Siri was always a good fight. Qui-Gon was right, he was going to add another tally to his victories, which he definitely didn't have written down on plast somewhere. "Siri-Tachi and I are not in a contest to see who wins the most, as that would be unbecoming of a Jedi," he corrected.

Qui-Gon raised a speculative eyebrow, "If you say so, Obi-Wan." He raised his tea to his lips. With that stated, they moved on to conversing about their day, and it was a piece of normality that Obi-Wan relished after the time he had spent on Ryloth. They chatted until the sun set and Obi-Wan excused himself and retired to bed.


Qui-Gon was looking forward to this match-up. It had been a long time since he last faced off against Adi Gallia and her Padawan, Siri-Tachi, who always put up a good fight. He looked over at Obi-Wan as he was stretching, readying himself for the battle, and smiled. It had been some time since they had sparred together just for fun, instead of battling for their lives. Obi-Wan caught Qui-Gon's glance and smiled at him.

"Ready to lose Kenobi?" Siri-Tachi mocked, as she finished her stretches.

Obi-Wan ignited his saber and slid into a classic Ataru opening stance. Qui-Gon followed and brought his left foot forward and lifted his lightsaber. They all held for a second, and then the fight started. Qui-Gon went in with a powerful strike, which Adi deftly parried. She retaliated with a strike of her own, driving him back into the wall and effectively cornering him. Qui-Gon deftly leapt into the air and landed behind Master Gallia. He went for an overhead strike, but Adi spun around quickly and caught the blade with her own. He was about to retaliate when he heard a crash and Siri-Tachi yelping.

He turned around to see Obi-Wan unconscious on the floor and Siri-Tachi hurrying over to him. He and Adi both deactivated their lightsabers and went running over. "What happened?" Qui-Gon demanded.

Siri turned around from where she was crouched next to Obi-Wan. "He jumped up to flip and then just fell half way through. I think he hit his head."

Just as she finished speaking, Obi-Wan started to stir. "What happened?" he groaned.

"You fainted in the middle of an aerial move. And fell flat on your face." Siri said gleefully. "This is a story that I will tell for years to come. Showing aspiring Padawans that the great Obi-Wan Kenobi isn't infallible."

Obi-Wan sat up and rubbed his head. "And you didn't think to try to catch me?" he groused.

"It was all too sudden, I was in shock." Siri smiled.

Qui-Gon stepped around Padawan Tachi and crouched down to look at Obi-Wan's head. There was a lump forming there, along with what promised to be a pretty spectacular bruise. He reached out and touched it softly and Obi-Wan winced.

"Really, I'm fine, Master. Just light headed," Obi-Wan assured him.

"You might have a concussion, we need to go to the Healer's ward," Qui-Gon said.

For a split second, Obi-Wan looked panicked, but he quickly schooled his features into something more calm. "I know what a concussion feels like, and I can assure you I don't have one,"

Qui-Gon raised a speculative eyebrow. "Can you tell me why you fainted then?"

Obi-Wan looked mulish. "No, I can't," he admitted reluctantly.

"Then we will go to the Healer's and they will find out why," Qui-Gon declared.

Qui-Gon turned to Master Gallia and her Padawan. "It looks like we will have to schedule a rematch for later."

"I look forward to it," Adi Gallia said.

As Obi-Wan stood up and started following his Master out of the salle, Siri-Tachi caught his shoulder and said, "I'll call this one a draw, Kenobi, but I won't go easy on you next "

"We shall see, the last time we sparred, your lightsaber technique wasn't up to par." Obi-Wan smirked at her,and followed his Master out of the room.

"You just wait, Obie-Nobi, I'll get you next time," Siri called after him as he went down the hall.

Qui-Gon's hand rested on Obi-Wan's shoulder, steering them both to the Healer's ward with firm resolve. The lump in Obi-Wan's throat grew, fear rising towards a state of panic with each step they took. Logically he knew that there was no danger, nothing and no one that would actively seek to harm him, but it didn't stop images of silent medical technicians flashing before his eyes, ignoring his pleas and failing to acknowledge him as a sentient being.

Obi-Wan hesitated at the threshold of the ward, moving forward only at a squeeze from Qui-Gon's hand. He tried to keep his breathing steady as he stepped into the room.

"Healer Lyonava should be in shortly to look you over." Qui-Gon offered him a smile.

Obi-Wan tried to focus on the older man, but the smell of the antiseptic was overpowering. Everything was stark white and durasteel, just like the facility. His breathing increased in pace, but he held on. 'I can do this,' he thought determinedly, 'This isn't Ryloth, this is the Temple, I am fine." He realized his hands were shaking, and clenched them around the side of the bed to hide that. The door opened and Healer Lyonova walked in. At least Twi'leks had few similarities to Duros. He was also wearing browns and tans, and not the blinding white that the lab assistants had worn. Bant followed him into the room, and the sight of his friend calmed him a bit.

He could vaguely heard Lyonova talking to Qui-Gon, but he payed no attention to the words being spoken. He continued to concentrate on his breathing, taking long, slow breaths in an attempt to relax. He avoiding looking at Bant, not wanting to see the knowing look in her eyes, the one that said, 'I knew you weren't well, Obi-Wan.' Her hand slipped into his and squeezed.

"Are you okay, Obi-Wan?" There was no smugness in her voice over him being forced there by Qui-Gon, just concern. He looked at her, and finally began to relax at the sight of her calm eyes, her thumb stroking soothingly across the back of his hand.

"Not really," he admitted, as Healer Lyonova and Qui-Gon finished their conversation.

"Okay Obi-Wan, we need get your vitals," Healer Lyonava said. He wrapped a pressure cuff around his arm, and as it closed, his heart rate skyrocketed. His breath hitched in his chest as the panic tried to rise in a wave. Lyonova frowned as Obi-Wan's force signature clearly broadcasted his distress, glancing at Qui-Gon with an unmistakeable, 'Do something before your Padawan passes out again!' face.

Qui-Gon moved to stand in front of Obi-Wan, settling his hands on his Padawan's shoulders. "Breathe with me," he requested, putting just a touch of a Force suggestion into the words. Qui-Gon watched as Obi-Wan struggled to concentrate, until he finally managed to drag wide eyes away from the pressure cuff on his arm and focus on the rise and fall of Qui-Gon's chest.

Lyonova left the cuff deflated until he saw the Padawan's heart rate begin to drop, distracted by Bant and his Master, working together to calm the young man. He didn't doubt that the reaction was a side effect of his stint on Ryloth at Zan Arbor's hands. Obi-Wan had declined a visit to his Ward when he had been returned to Coruscant, but Lyonova would be scheduling some required visits to the Mind Healers when he was done with this examination. No Jedi that panicked over their own medical treatment could be trusted with that of another in an emergency situation.

He finally got a read from the cuff and immediately removed it from Obi-Wan's arm, choosing to ignore the sigh of relief from the Padawan. Lyonova elected to prepare the vials and needle for a blood panel himself rather than pull Bant away. Keeping Obi-Wan's focus off of him was more important at the moment.

Lyonova tied a tourniquet onto Obi-Wan's arm with practiced ease, despite a flinch at the touch. The Padawan seemed determined to follow Qui-Gon's orders though, his eyes never leaving the man's chest, though Bant's hand paled as Obi-Wan grasped it a bit tighter.

"You might feel a slight pinch," he commented, allowing just a seconds notice before sliding a needle into the now prominent vein in the crook of Obi-Wan's elbow. The blood flowed quickly, blood pressure still a hair higher than normal, and it was less than a minute before the necessary vials were full. Lyonova gave the arm a small nudge with the Force, encouraging the small puncture to heal before Obi-Wan could realize he was finished.

"All done," he said. Normally he would have teased such an obstinate Padawan about his reluctance to visit the ward when ill, but it just wasn't the time or the student to do so. "We'll start with the blood panel, and if that doesn't turn anything up, we'll do some scans to see what we can find. I'm going to keep you here overnight, but we'll move you to a private room, no equipment."

Obi-Wan's shoulders slumped as he finally looked away from Qui-Gon, his face one of abject misery.

"You will also be meeting with a Mind Healer in the morning." The Padawan nodded, Lyonova's voice making it clear that no form of protest would be accepted. "Further appointments will be scheduled at your convenience. I think Healer Nyatas Bailaiea would be a suitable match for you."

Lyonova often found the best was to deal with stubborn Jedi was to throw them in a room with a stubborn healer and wait for sparks to fly. Healer Bailaiea definitely topped the list; it was only through mutual determination that they both survived her apprenticeship without murdering each other. She would be perfect for dealing with Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Bant escorted Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon to their temporary room. It was small, but there was a sink and private bathroom, and a sleep couch rested against the wall opposite the medical bed for Masters to stay near their ailing Padawans. Bant gave Obi-Wan a hug, before hurrying out of the room to run his blood tests for her Master. Obi-Wan sat down on the bed looking immensely relieved to be out of the main Healer's ward. Qui-Gon sat across from him on the sleep couch. He needed to talk to Obi-Wan, but he also needed to sort through his thoughts. He knew that his Padawan's stay with Zan Arbor wasn't pleasant, but he had no idea that his reaction to it would be this bad.

"Obi-Wan, is this why you've been avoiding the Healer's ward?" Qui-Gon asked softly.

Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around himself and looked down, not wanting to meet his Master's eyes. "Yes," he whispered, barely loud enough for Qui-Gon to hear.

"Why didn't you come to me with this? If I had known, we could have prepared, we could have worked on your anxieties." Qui-Gon was genuinely bewildered by the fact that Obi-Wan would want to hide this from him. In the past, Obi-Wan had been reluctant to share his struggles with him, but in the end came to him for advice. Qui-Gon could feel Obi-Wan broadcasting his discomfort clearly, even without the changed state of their bond.

"I didn't want to burden you with my problems. I am a senior Padawan, I should be able to take care of these things by myself," Obi-Wan murmured. He was still looking anywhere but at Qui-Gon.

"Obi-Wan, no one expects you to deal with things like this by yourself." Qui-Gon began. "I know I am not the best example of taking the help I need. After Xanatos fell I refused to talk about him, but after my experience with Zan Arbor, the Council made me go to mandatory sessions with a Mind Healer. I will admit that I was reluctant at first, but it did help."

Obi-Wan finally looked up at Qui-Gon, but his hands were still wrapped tightly around his body. The Padawan opened his mouth, then closed it again, unsure of what to say. After a long moment of silence he spoke. "It wasn't a big deal. She didn't even hurt me. It shouldn't be affecting me this much."

Qui-Gon leaned forward on the couch and found his Padawan's gaze. "Obi-Wan, everyone experiences things differently. What would not affect one person could be disastrous for another. On top of that, what you went through was not easy. You lost control of your body and your mind, and the Force was taken away from you. It is natural for you to have residual anxieties about these things," Qui-Gon explained.

"I didn't know what to do about it," Obi-Wan choked out. "Every time I tried to meditate and release the feelings attached to those memories, I … I panicked. I didn't want to admit my failings to you, Master." He turned away from Qui-Gon, not wanting to meet his gaze.

Qui-Gon stood up and made his way over to the bed where Obi-Wan was and sat beside him. He went to place his arm on Obi-Wan's thigh, but hesitated for a moment, not knowing if the touch would be welcome. He decided to risk it, and Obi-Wan turned to face him. Qui-Gon couldn't decipher the emotions in his Padawan's eyes. "Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon started softly, "You have never been a disappointment to me. There is nothing you could do that could change that. Early in your apprenticeship I didn't show it, and later I thought I didn't need to say it, but that was my mistake. I know that now."

"No Master," Obi-Wan interrupted, "This isn't on you, it's my fault it's—"

"No, Obi-Wan, it is not. My job is not only to teach you, but to take care of your wellbeing, both physical and mental, and I see now that I haven't done that. I intend to remedy this, starting now," Qui-Gon interjected somberly, curling his arm around Obi-Wan's shoulder. The young man leaned further into the embrace, placing his head on his Master's shoulder and Qui-Gon could feel some of the tension and anxiety that was radiating off of his Padawan vanish. "Now, It doesn't need to be tonight, but if you want to I would like to do a joint meditation to work through some of what you are going through," he said, softly.

Obi-Wan nodded, but didn't move from his position of leaning against Qui-Gon's chest. "Can you, I mean would you … Would you stay tonight?" he asked in a tentative voice.

Qui-Gon pulled his apprentice even closer and said, "Of course, Obi-Wan, all you have to do is ask."

They stayed like that until Obi-Wan started to drift off, then Qui-Gon tucked him under the covers on the bed. He reached out and touched the strange new bond between them and could sense nothing but peace, so he made his way over to the sleep couch and lay down. He did not sleep for a long time.


When Obi-Wan woke the next morning, he was feeling a little bit better than he had been for the last week. He looked around the room to find his Master gone. Panic swelled in his chest, and he tried to reach out through their training bond. He sensed Qui-Gon nearby, and he immediately relaxed. A few minutes later his Master entered the room carrying a tray of food. Obi-Wan was surprised to find that he was actually hungry, and that he wasn't nauseous. Qui-Gon set the tray on the table next to the bed. It had a Muja fruit, eggs and toast on it. Obi-Wan looked up to his Master and smiled. "Thank you for breakfast, but where is yours?"

"I already ate. I was just waiting to give this to you when you woke up," Qui-Gon said, smiling brightly. Just as he sat down, his commlink started to chirp. He frowned and ignored the message. Obi-Wan started to eat and silence descended. Qui-Gon's comm link started to chirp again, breaking the silence.

"It looks like someone really wants to get in touch with you. Maybe you should answer," Obi-Wan suggested, picking up and inspecting the Muja fruit before he took a big bite out of it.

"It's just the Council. They wanted our verbal mission report today, but they can wait a little longer," Qui-Gon said.

"Master," Obi-Wan said exasperatedly, "We can't defy the Council again, I am well enough to go."

"No," Qui-Gon gave his Padawan a stern look. "We still don't know what caused your fainting spell yesterday. You aren't going anywhere until you are cleared by Healer Lyonova."

"Fine, I'll stay," Obi-Wan sighed. "But you should go, Master, I will be fine until you come back." He pushed away the tray, starting to feel a little nauseous and not wanting to risk eating more.

"Healer Lyonova will be here in an hour to do another check up. He has agreed to do it up here instead of in the main ward. Will you be okay to be on your own?" Qui-Gon asked, worriedly.

Obi-Wan thought hard, then took a deep breath. "I won't be alone. Bant will be there. I will be fine, Master." He smiled a bit shakily at Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon nodded and stood up. "Very well, I will go. I trust your judgement, but if you need anything, don't hesitate to call."

Obi-Wan watched him leave the room, then dashed to the 'fresher as the nausea overcame him. He barely made it to the toilet before he was sick. He heaved up everything in his stomach and when that was out, it continued. It felt like his stomach was trying to turn itself inside out. He was so preoccupied with being sick, that he didn't hear the door open. He felt a hand rub his back and a cool washcloth touch his forehead. He finally finished and weakly leaned against the toilet.

"Obi-Wan, you promised you would come to the ward if you were still sick, and you obviously are," Bant said in a soft but disapproving voice. She then helped Obi-Wan to his feet and supported him as he staggered back to the bed.

He lay down on the bed and looked at Bant. "I'm sorry, Bant, but now you know why I didn't want to go." He smiled weakly.

"Oh, Obi," Bant cried and gave him a tight hug. She released him and sat down on the bed next to him. "I'm sorry Obi, but I need to draw more blood from you. The Healer who ran your blood test contaminated it."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and nodded. "It's okay Bant, I can do this."

"Okay, Obi, just relax," she soothed.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and touched his training bond with Qui-Gon. He could sense his Master's irritation, and smiled. Council meetings never went well for his Master or the Council. He barely even felt the pinch as the needle went in, and before he knew it, it was over.

"Done," Bant said cheerily. "Now I need to get this back to the lab. Will you be alright by yourself?"

"Don't worry Bant, I'll be fine. I am just going to rest for a bit." Obi-Wan yawned and crawled back under the blankets, curling up and making a little nest for himself.

"Sleep Well Obi-Wan," was the last thing he heard before he fell asleep.

Obi-Wan woke to the sound of voices conferring. He turned over and attempted to go back to sleep, but one of the voices called his name. "Padawan Kenobi, I need you to wake up."

Obi-Wan sat up and ran his hand across his face, trying to wipe the sleep away. He tiredly looked up and found Healer Lyonova at the foot of his bed. "Di―" Obi-Wan croaked, his voice sore from disuse. He cleared his voice and tried again, "Did you find out what caused the problem?"

"We found no viruses or infections in your blood, but we did find a large imbalance in your hormones. That and the fact that you are still vomiting has us concerned, so we want to try a body scan," the healer explained.

Obi-Wan looked over Healer Lyonova's shoulder to see Bant wheeling in a small machine with some sort of wand attached on one side, and a screen on the other. She pulled the machine up right next to his bed.

"Please take off your shirt Obi-Wan," the Healer requested.

Obi-Wan took a shaky breath and complied. He pulled it off in one motion, trying to get it over quick.

Lyonova noticed his unease and asked "Would you like to wait for Master Jinn to get back?"

Obi-Wan shook his head determinedly. "No, I can do this," he assured the Healer.

His heart was beating faster than normal, but it wasn't the frantic pace of yesterday's examination. He took a deep breath and laid back on the bed, steeling himself for the exam.

"We won't even need to touch you for this Obi-Wan, but if it gets to be too much, tell me and I'll stop," the Twi'lek said firmly.

Obi-Wan nodded and tried to relax as Bant took the wand and waved systematically from his head downward. He relaxed as the exam went on; the fact that he wasn't being touched helped immensely.

Bant slowly moved downward and as she reached his abdomen, Healer Lyonova made a surprised noise. "Bant, Go back down and get a picture of the whole abdomen." Bant followed his instructions and moved the wand over Obi-Wan's stomach. The Healer was quietly muttering to himself and looking from the screen to Obi-Wan and back again. His lekku were twitching in agitation. The quiet and intense looks caused a sinking feeling in Obi-Wan's gut.

"Thank you Bant, I got what I needed." Healer Lyonova praised. Then he turned to Obi-Wan. "In your time with Zan Arbor did she inject you with anything?" he asked.

The feeling in his gut was even worse now and Obi-Wan felt like he was going to panic. "Not that I remember, but I was out of it most of the time." His voice trembled as he spoke. "They only took samples," Obi-Wan paused thinking for a moment. "They also put me in bacta to heal my blaster wounds."

Healer Lyonova made some grumbling noises and looked back to the scanner. "Well this certainly explains the hormone imbalance if nothing else."

Obi-Wan's heart was beating frantically now, and his breathing was getting faster. "What's wrong with me?" he asked fearfully.

"I've never seen anything like this, but, well, you're pregnant." Healer Lyonova admitted.

Obi-Wan's brain didn't process the answer for a time, and when it finally he laughed, some of the panic leaving him. "Very funny, now please tell me what is really going on."

The Healer took the screen and turned it to face Obi-Wan. "I'm afraid I'm not joking, Padawan Kenobi. If you look here you can clearly see something that looks like an artificial womb and here,"he pointed to what looked like a tiny blob, "Is the fetus."

Obi-Wan blinked, befuddled by the news. He sat there for a long minute, then said "How is this even possible? I don't understand" He wasn't in danger of hyperventilating anymore, he was so shocked he almost couldn't get his breath.

"Well that I don't know, but looking at how far the fetus is developed, it looks like it happened while you were with Jenna Zan Arbor. I requested the files they took from her computer, but the technicians haven't been able to decode it yet, so I can't say how right now," Bant's Master explained.

'What I can tell you is that I believe I could safely remove it, but there could be complications."

Obi-Wan's mouth was as dry as the Tatooine desert. He swallowed trying to get moisture back into his mouth. "Is, Is it healthy?" he asks tentatively.

Healer Lyonova looked shocked. "As far as I can see it is, But if you were to go through with this I have no idea how things would go. I do think it could be dangerous though."

Obi-Wan took a in a deep breath and held it for a moment, then slowly let it out. "I, I think I need some time to think." he quavered.

"Very well, Let me know when you've made a decision,' the healer said and motioned for Bant to leave the room with him.

A soon as the door shut, Obi-Wan put his head in his hands and his mind went blank.