"So how does a Starship get lost?"
Jessie gave a start. While Obi Wan was looking out the window, studying the stars, she had been studying him. She told herself it was so she could send a detailed description of him back home to verify who he was. So she was taking note of his hair and his beard and his beautiful, beautiful eyes. Until he turned them toward her and asked his question.
"The same way a Jedi does," she said archly.
"Fair enough," he chuckled.
Jessie smiled.
"Actually, they were pulled to this end of the universe by a creature named the Caretaker. It's a long story but they ended up stranded here."
"They? You weren't with them?"
"No, once Starfleet figured out that they weren't destroyed as they first assumed they sent me to find them."
"And so you did."
"And so I did."
"And yet you and they are still lost."
"So it would seem."
" Good job."
"Thanks," she grumbled. The fact that she couldn't get Voyager home was actually a bone of contention with her. "I can actually sense rifts in the time space continuum, that's how I found Voyager. But so far the rifts I have sensed out here would actually shoot them closer to your end of the universe then there's. "
Obi Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"I've heard of Jedi's past that had the ability you speak of but I've never known one in modern times."
Jessie stood up and cleared her throat.
"We should head back to sickbay," she said, hoping he wouldn't notice how desperately she wanted to change the subject. "The Doctor only authorized you for a short walk."
Obi Wan nodded and she helped him get back to his feet. From his careful movements to the slow way he was walking she knew he was injured far more then she realized that first night.
"So how did you end up here," she asked, as they made their way down the corridor.
"Anakin and I were in the Outer Rim territories when….Are you alright?"
Jessie didn't know what expression had come over her face but she was sure it wasn't a good one.
"I--it's just when you mentioned Anakin…" she stammered, unable to think of how to finish the sentence.
"Anakin is my padawan, do you know him?"
"No," she said quickly. "I mean, I've never met him but I know of him."
Obi Wan grinned.
"Well it's nice to know he'll be around for a long time. Some days I wonder."
Jessie hoped he didn't see her grimace.
"So you were coming back from the Outer Rim…." she prompted.
Obi Wan nodded. "Yes, we had just received word that Chancellor Palpatine had been kidnapped and we were heading back to Coruscant. I remember that some sort of anomaly opened up behind me and Anakin was yelling my name and I lost total control of my ship. The next thing I knew I was here." He stopped when he realized that Jessie was no longer by his side. He turned and found her standing as still as a statue in the middle of the corridor.
"Jessie?"
"I'm on duty," she stammered. "I'm supposed to be on duty."
She grabbed the arm of an ensign passing by.
"Please accompany our guest back to sickbay," she said and she didn't wait for an answer before she turned heel and practically ran in the other direction. She didn't stop until she got back to her quarters. Only when the door slid shut behind her did she allow the trembling to start. Her whole body shook until she slid to the floor. And no matter how tightly she clasped her arms around her, she couldn't make it stop.
"I can't do this," Jessie said, her voice muffled by the pillow over her face.
"Of course you can," came her sister's distinctive voice. Tired of typing her communications Jess had activated the voice controls on her computer and also filtered her sister's replies so she heard her words rather then had to read them. It was comforting to hear her voice, computer simulated as it may be. It also allowed her to maintain her self-pity prone position on the floor.
"You should have heard him," Jessie said. "He talked about Anakin and Palpatine," she almost choked on the name, "like they were nothing. Like they were just people instead of evil incarnate."
"They are just people. To him anyway. He has no idea."
"He's about to find out. If he and his padawan are heading out to save the chancellor then things are going to start declining fast. They only have a few days, weeks maybe, before the monster takes over."
Unless…
"Don't even think about it."
Jessie threw the pillow off her face and sat up. She was long passed being surprised when her sister apparently read her mind.
"Why not?"
"Because no good will come of it. You know that better then anyone."
"No good will come of it," Jessie cried, standing up, starting to pace the room. "If I tell Obi Wan what is about to happen, if I make him believe it, he can stop it. There won't ever have to be an Emperor or a Darth Vader. We won't grow up in galaxy strangled by tyranny."
"And you won't grow up at all."
Jessie stopped short.
"That doesn't matter," she said.
"It matters to me," she replied. "And to Luke and Han. And you don't know what other things will be affected. What if he fails and Obi Wan is killed? What if Anakin never turns and Palpatine escapes and takes on a new apprentice, one Luke won't be able to sway back to the good side? What if the Emperor goes after Anakin years later? What if he goes after Luke and I when we're children? What if--"
"OK," Jessie cried in frustration. "Fine. You've obviously given this some thought."
"I've thought of nothing else since you told me Obi Wan was there."
Jessie smiled.
"You're right," she sighed. "I won't tell him anything. But what am I supposed to talk to him about?"
"Personally, I'd like to hear about Anakin. And Padme. I'd like to know what my parents were like. Personally, I'd kill to be where you are."
Jessie closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I never thought of it that way."
"You never do, that's why I am here to remind you."
Jessie walked over and picked up the picture on her bedside table. It was of she and Luke and Leia. Anyone who didn't know them wouldn't be able to tell Jessie and Leia apart in the picture. It wasn't until you met them could you tell how different they were.
"That's why I'm the dark mirror," Jessie whispered.