Now you see me, now you don't
One year after the swarm wars books.
Ben Skywalker laughed as he jumped off the rock and into the sea below, the water was warm and it felt great. Ben's head shot up out of the water and his Dad laughed, "Ben if I didn't know any better I'd swear you were part fish." Luke Skywalker had decided to take his family on vacation to Mon Cal so they could spend some time alone together and get away from all the stress of day-to-day life. Raynar Thull was in the capable hands of Jedi healers who were working with him to repair the damage he'd suffered in a ship crash years ago and for the first time in a long time Luke felt comfortable leaving the Jedi order for a little while.
Mara Jade shook her head at the two of them and said, "Well how do you know he isn't? I mean we know nothing about my family and only slightly more about yours. For all we know giving birth to three toed blue furred tree sloths could run in either side of the family." Ben snickered at Mara, "Mom, I don't think there are and tree sloth's in our family."
Mara looked pointedly at first her son then her husband and said without so much as cracking a grin, "Well how would we know?" the three of them laughed as Ben noticed that his mother was sitting off to the side obviously trying to avoid the water and 'get some sun' Ben smiled wickedly as an idea suddenly bloomed in his head, "Oh, mom!" Mara turned, "what?" Ben splashed her as heard as he could. Mara jerked as the water hit her, it wasn't cold, but it was still a shock. She spluttered and shook her head while Luke, who was still standing to the side of both of them, leaned over, put his hand on his knees, and laughed.
Luke loved rare moments like this when he could forget about everything else in the galaxy and was able to just relax and be himself. Mara gave Luke and Ben dirty looks, "oh yeah." Mara used the force to send two strong waves at each of them, she made sure they wouldn't cause any serious injuries just knock them over. Sure enough when the waves hit Ben went under and did a summersault underwater which caused his head to spin slightly. Ben broke the surface gasping loudly without noticing the unusual color of the coral that surrounded him and not realizing that this particular coral was highly poisonous.
Ben scowled at his mother, "Hey, no fair." Mara just shook her finger at him saying, "All's fair in love and war." Luke surfaced a moment later and asked, "What'd you do that for, I didn't splash you?" Mara snorted at him, "No but you laughed." Luke shook his head as Ben walked along the coral to get closer to his parents. Just as Ben stepped forward onto a particularly brittle piece of coral it broke off and Ben slipped cutting his leg on the poisonous coral that surrounded him without even realizing it, "Ah! My leg, my leg!" Luke rushed over towards his son and Mara dove in after him.
Luke lifted Ben out of the water and noticed the large gash on his right leg it was about 12 centimeters long and fairly deep Luke used the force to send healing energy at Ben as he pulled him out of the water. Mara asked, "How bad is it?" Luke carried Ben towards the shore, "it's fairly deep he's going to need a doctor." Mara helped Luke carry Ben onto the beach, Luke didn't really need help, but he knew Mara would feel better if she could help. They set Ben down on the towel Mara had been sunning herself on and Mara went through the bag she'd brought as Luke grabbed his Com unit from his own bag and called the local hospital for a doctor.
Mara had made sure to pack some basic first aid necessities just in case she pulled carefully cleaned Ben's leg, "Ah, ow mom!" Mara ran a hand through her son's head, "I know it hurts just try to relax." Mara placed a disinfectant on the gash and wrapped it with a water proof bandage as Luke spoke up, "Ben everything will be fine help is coming."
Mara looked up, "how long?" She didn't ask what she was referring to and didn't need to, "five minutes."
Sure enough five minutes later the hospitals transport arrived and brought all three Skywalker's to the hospital. A tall blonde woman greeted them as the paramedics pushed Ben in on a gurney, "Nine year old boy with a serious leg lack, caused by slipping on the reef." The woman held out a hand which Ben shook instinctively, "Hi my name's Doctor Richards what's yours?" liked this woman she seemed nice, "Ben Skywalker." Dr. Richards jerked her head up at the sound of Ben's last name she looked at Mara and Luke who both nodded confirming her suspicions.
Dr. Richards took Ben into an exam room and removed the bandage Mara applied to the wound so she could view it properly, "ouch, don't worry Ben I'm going to take care of you. All right, we're going to take some of your blood and test to make sure there's no infection and x-ray to make sure there are no broken bones. Then we're going to clean and dress this wound and you'll be free to go, nurse." A large Mon Calamarian walked over to Ben holding a small syringe, "all right buddy I need you to make a fist for me." Ben did as he asked and turned away so he wouldn't have to look needles made him nervous. Luke and Mara both held their son's other hand Luke spoke first, "It's o.k. Ben just relax it'll be over before you know it." Sure enough a moment later the nurse removed the syringe, "there we go all done, I'm inputting this now." The nurse injected the syringe into a computer consul and pushed a sequence of buttons that would run the blood than he pulled a small hand held device out of the cabinet, "Dr. Richards."
The Doctor walked over and scanned Ben's leg, "all right let's see what we have here, perfect no broken bones. We can seal this and wrap it, now you're going to have to take it easy for a few days, but everything should be fine. Dr. Richards used surgical glue to seal Ben's leg and wrapped it tight." Just as she finished the nurse said, "Doctor, I need you over here."
Dr. Richards walked over and looked at the read out on the screen as she read it over her face dropped while Luke and Mara sensed her distress Mara asked, "what's wrong?" Dr. Richards regarded both of them carefully, "Can I have a word with you two outside." Ben asked, "what's going on?" Luke put a reassuring hand on the boys shoulder. "Doctor I'd like Ben to hear this." Dr. Richards bit her lip, "Are you sure?" Mara nodded, "We don't want to keep things from Ben regarding his health and we'll tell him anyway." Dr. Richards nodded, "if you're sure." Luke and Mara said 'yes' together and Dr. Richards walked towards them she sat down in a near-by chair, "The blood work shows that Ben cut his leg type of coral that is highly poisonous now I assure you my staff and myself will do everything possible to help him, but if he doesn't receive and antidote in three days time he will die."
Ben stiffened, "I'm going to die?" his voice sounded so small and afraid Mara put a hand under his chin and turned Ben to look her in the eye, "No Ben everything will be fine if your father and I have to move heaven itself to get you better we will." Luke said, "Absolutely" Then turned to Dr. Richards, "What's the problem this is a hospital don't you have the antidote available?" Dr. Richards nodded, "Well yes, but unless we know exactly what kind of coral Ben injured himself on we can't do anything. If he' given the wrong antidote it could make it worse or kill him faster."
Mara pulled her son tightly into her arms as Luke sucked in a deep breath, "Fine then, I'll go find it." Luke turned to Mara, "Will you stay here with Ben?" Mara raised an eyebrow, "Do you need to ask?" Luke leaned over and kissed Ben on the head, "Ben I'm going back to the beach to find the coral, I'll be back as soon as I can all right?" Ben nodded still looking completely terrified as Luke turned and left the hospital.
Luke ran full tilt using the force to help him and arrived at the beach faster than it had taken the hospital transport to get there Luke dived in right were Ben was standing when it happened and quickly guided himself down to reef. Once he was down there Luke found the spot were Ben had fallen, but there was a problem Ben's leg had broken off the coral that he'd cut himself on. Luke reached out through the force hoping to get a glimpse of the coral and describe it to the doctor, but no matter how hard he focused it wouldn't come to him. Luke stayed there for over an hour going up and under the water again and again. Finally he surfaced and shouted at the sky, "Why?! Damn it! Haven't we lost enough why?!" Luke panted as he felt tears fall down his face and then quietly asked, "Why?" He didn't receive an answer (at least not one he heard).
Luke arrived back at the hospital and Mara knew without having to ask that he hadn't gotten what he needed. Luke pulled Mara into a hug and said, "I don't understand why this is happening I just don't." Mara pulled back so Luke could look her in the eyes, "I meant what I said before. I don't care what I have to do I refuse to burry my child over a chunk of rock." Luke nodded, "count me in." They broke the news to Ben and had to spend the next two hours calming him down, Luke ran through the hospital confronting every doctor he saw and called in a few experts. They all said the same thing as Doctor Richards without the proper coral they couldn't do anything.
Meanwhile Ben was getting worse he started with a headache than moved on to stomach cramps and a fever. Luke and Mara poured every ounce of force healing into Ben they could, but it only lessened his symptoms it didn't remove them. Luke and Mara were determined to beat this, but in the back of their minds they both couldn't help wondering if this were the beginning of the end.
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Ben Skywalker woke up with a gasp his ear was sore he pressed a hand to it and was surprised to see that neither of his parents were awake. For the last two days they had tended to his every need if Ben so much as coughed they poured healing energy into them and now they were asleep. Ben reached out to wake his Dad when a voice range out, "Don't bother the nurse put sedatives in their drinks I don't think an explosion would wake them at this point."
Ben jerked up, "Who are you?" A shadowy figure walked towards him, "my name is A.J. I brought you some medication it'll cure you're illness." Ben shook his head, "The doctor's said they couldn't give me anything without knowing what kind of coral I got hurt on and Dad couldn't find it." A.J. nodded his face still in shadows, "I know, your father couldn't detect the kind of coral because there is a certain type of rock on Mon Cal that can block force energy. It doesn't block it fully like some other things, but it will prevent someone from doing certain things I think that's why your father couldn't get a glimpse of the coral through the force." Ben raised an eyebrow, "I've never heard of anything like that."
A.J. shrugged, "Most people don't know that, I happen to because I've encountered it before. I was there that day I know what you injured yourself on and I can heal you." Ben wasn't sure what to think he wanted to get better and he didn't want to die, but could he trust a total stranger who he'd never seen before? It's true he hadn't been in the hospital long and didn't know everyone, but he thought every expert in the place had seen him all ready, "How do I know you're not lying?" A.J. Nodded, "you are your mothers' child, here." He through something at Ben who caught it, Ben looked at the item carefully it was a hospital I.D. that read simply A.J. there was no last name Ben thought this was strange, but he figured it wasn't that big of a deal after thinking things over for a moment he said, "All right." A.J. walked over and injected a syringe into Ben's leg right where he'd cut it, then he picked up his I.D., turned, and left without a sound as Ben fell asleep once more.
Ben woke early and tried to figure out why he was up so early, but then he heard it, "Oh my goodness!" Dr. Richards was shouting as Luke and Mara jerked up as well, Dr. Richards turned to them, "His blood work is clear there's no sign of infection nothing Ben is perfectly healthy!!!" Luke and Mara pulled Ben into a hug, shouting in joy Ben hugged back and soon everyone was crying. They stayed that way for over an hour before look finally asked the question all three adults were wondering, "How?" Ben answered, "The doctor gave me a shot he said you couldn't sense what had happened because there's a certain kind of rock that blocks the force a little."
Dr. Richards gasped, "What doctor?" Ben turned to her, "He said his name was A.J." Luke groaned loudly as Mara asked, "What was his last name?" Ben shrugged, "I don't know the I.D. didn't say." Luke said, "And let me guess you never saw his face." It was more of a statement than a question, but Ben nodded, "Yeah how'd you know?" Luke shook his head, "it's a long story." The doctors spent weeks running every test they could on Ben and looked over the hospital employee records to find the slightest sign of the man who'd saved Ben's life, but no one's description fit. Luke told Ben the story of what had happened to his cousins and tried once more to discover the identity of this strange man, but he didn't hold out much hope Luke had resigned himself to the fact that whoever this man was they weren't going to find him. Finally Luke and Mara insisted on taking Ben home there was nothing more they could learn here.
When Luke and Mara arrived back home they sent Han, Leia, Jacen, and Jaina a com telling them what had happened the four of them arrived shortly to discuss the situation. Luke sighed heavily, "Well I think we can verify this man is definitely a spirit all though who I have no idea." Mara said, "Not necessarily, this man could be a changeling that would also explain everything." Leia nodded, "Yes, but I've never heard of a changeling Jedi and even if this person were some kind of shape shifter why would he be so crazy to save members of our family and never get credit or even introduce himself. He'd have to be around constantly to do these things and one way or another someone would have sensed him."
Luke nodded, "That's true I don't think it's possible for a changeling to be a Jedi I've never met or heard of one. The question is whose spirit is it Ben said there was no last name on the tag." Han asked, "Well what about Obi-Wan, I know he said he couldn't see you anymore, but you haven't seen anything have you?" Luke nodded, "I suppose that's possible still this man doesn't really feel like Ben's it's familiar, but I can't quiet place it. It's almost like trying to remember the name of someone you meant once years ago and even though the name's on the tip of your tongue you just can't seem to get it out." Han shrugged as Jaina spoke up, "Well, whoever this guy is we know that he definitely isn't causing these accidents and he isn't dangerous so I say we just accept that and call it a day."
Many of the others nodded and while Luke was inclined to agree with his niece something was still bothering him about it all, he finally realized what it was when Jacen said, "I don't know if this guy is so great why didn't he intervene when Anakin or Chewie died? Or when aunt Mara got sick? I mean why does he only show up sometimes?" That was precisely what Luke was wondering about, "I don't know Jaina had a point there's nothing we can do about this man (at least for now). While we may not understand him fully he doesn't appear to be dangerous so I think we should take these events at face value until we can prove with absolute certainty what is going on, which will probably be never if things keep going to way they are."
Mara shook her head, "Yes maybe this is just one of those cases were you have a truly unsolvable mystery and we all need to live with that as best we can." Everyone agreed and decided to let the matter drop no one thought they would ever find out who this A.J. really was. Once more it would be a long time before they saw him again, but it would be different, because the next time they saw A.J. they would know exactly who he was and what was going on, the only problem was once more it would take a near tragedy to bring him forth.
A/N O.k. that's all for now there will probably only be one or two more chapters of this story before it finishes in the mean time opinions are welcome.