A/N: Chapter 3 is here! Thanks for the reviews! Enjoy reading the next chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my OC.
Chapter 3
Screams. So many people running. So much screaming. A kind face looked upon me. ''I love you sweetheart. You will be okay.'' The face turned away. I wanted to scream for it to stay. Then I heard one last scream and it went silent.
''Jessica. Jessica! Wake up! It´s just a dream.'' A voice I knew well said, but I couldn't place it yet.
''What happened? Where am I?'' I exclaimed.
''You are in the medical bay of the Temple. You were shot down by a lonely droid.'' A woman dressed in white said to me.
''What!'' I had been shot, how could that have happened? All of the droids had been destroyed…
''It is not a grave wound; if the shot had been a little bit to the right, you'd be probably dead. But you were very lucky and you will make a full recovery.'' The nurse continued.
''You will be fine Jessica. Stay still. You need to rest.'' The voice said again. Now I noticed it was the Doctor.
''It was so real Doctor… So much screaming.'' I relived the dream again and I put my hands on my ears, trying to block out the screaming.
''Shhh… Calm down. It was just a nightmare, it's gone now. You're safe.'' The Doctor said, putting a hand on my shoulder to calm me down. It was just a dream. It wasn't real. Slowly I regained my calm.
''How long have I been out?'' I asked him.
''About two days, I'd say.''
''Wait. What? Two days!'' Had I been unconscious for that long?
''Yes, but don't worry, it will all be fine. If you want to go back to Earth because of this injury and all that we have gone through in such a short amount of time, that's fine by me. I would understand. Well, I had hoped to stick around and learn a bit more about these people, but that's not important.''
''Doctor. Slow down. We're not going to leave just because I was shot. This has always been my dream, to come here, and I'm not giving up on it. It's far too exciting.''
Or is it something else. Does she feel anything? Is there another reason she wants to stay here? And that dream. Was it a flashback? I may have triggered something in her memory by coming here.
'' Okay…'' He said and after some hesitation, ''Thank you, I really like it here.'' He gave me a wink.
The Doctor was acting a little odd... ''Doctor? Is there something wrong?'' I asked him.
''No. Nothing wrong. Why would there be anything wrong?'' He asked quickly.
''Nothing.'' I muttered, there was definitely something bothering him. Better to ask him about it another time.
''But I think it's better for me to leave you now, you have to get some rest. Tomorrow we're going to the Council, so we have to be at our very best and impress them.'' The Doctor said.
''Alright, although I really enjoy your company.'' I smiled at him and he waved before exiting the room and I fell back in the land of dreams.
-Anakin-
Ahsoka approached me. ''Master. I discovered something about Jessica, something very strange.''
''What is it?'' I asked her.
''Well, we had to go over that giant wall to reach the tunnels. I told her to jump and my plan was to lift her higher with the Force, but before I knew it she was already standing on top of the wall. She thought that I had helped her, but I hadn't done anything. And on top of that, she also destroyed one of the turrets with the staff you gave her.'' Ahsoka paused. ''Master, she seems so at ease around here, like she has lived here all her life, like she has been on many missions. She wasn't scared or anything…''
''Hmm… This is indeed somewhat troubling news. We need to check her blood for midi-chlorians and then report to the Jedi Council. They need to know about this.''
''But what if she's really that strong. We can't just let her carry on like she did before.''
''I know, Snips… I don't know what to do with it, we'll wait and see.'' I answered and then we walked to the medical bay.
-Jessica-
I walked out of school together with my friends. Suddenly I felt ill at ease. I looked to the right and the left. At that moment I saw a man's face disappear behind the walls of the school… The face somehow seemed familiar, as if I had seen it somewhere before. I gazed at the corner of the wall, where the man had disappeared. ''Is there something wrong, Jessica?'' My friend Ruth asked and I was broken out of my reverie. ''No… There's nothing…'' I muttered while staring at the wall. Weird…
I awoke again when someone entered the room. Actually there were two entering the room. I slowly opened my eyes to see who they were.
''Ah good. You are awake. How are you faring?'' It was Anakin, and Ahsoka was with him.
''Better, I think. Never been shot before, pretty painful, but I'll get over it.'' I answered. Maybe I should tell them about these weird feelings and dreams I had been having since I came here. Jedi know about that sort of stuff, don't they? Hmm. Maybe it's just better to keep silent for now.
I saw Anakin and Ahsoka sharing a glance and they nodded to each other.
''Jessica, we need a blood sample, to examine if it maybe contains a virus or bacteria that could cause some kind of disease.'' Ahsoka said to me.
I became a little bit confused. ''What could be in it? I was only shot by a clanker. I didn't come in contact with anything, so the wound can't be infected, can it?'' I asked them.
''We think it's nothing, but we have to know for sure.'' Anakin said. He didn't answer my question completely though; it was as if they were hiding something.
''Just hold your arm completely still and we'll take the blood sample.'' I shuddered a bit. I hate needles. Absolutely hate them. ''It's only for a second, Jessica.'' I sighed and stretched out my arm and they just touched my arm for a second with some kind of little device. It left just the tiniest of holes in my skin and it didn't hurt at all. I sighed in relief.
''Okay. Thank you, Jessica. We will share the results with you in about an hour. You only have to rest now. Just get some sleep.'' Anakin said and they walked out of the room again.
-Anakin-
We walked out of the room where Jessica was and then we headed to one of the meditation rooms in the Temple, so we could see the test results. We shut the door behind us and quickly looked at the device.
''How? How can it be so high?'' Ahsoka almost shouted.
''Shhh… Quiet. I don't know Ahsoka. I have never seen this myself, not in non-Jedi anyway. We should report this to the Council immediately. And we should also tell the Doctor this, he would want to know.''
''I agree.'' She nodded and we walked to the Council Chambers. We walked in and saw the irritated faces of the Council members. They were apparently busy with something and we had interrupted them. Master Windu shot a death glare to us, but I ignored him. He had never liked me. Always the same, stern, unfriendly man. But he was one of the most important Jedi in the Council, so I had to respect his wishes and demands. Still, that didn't mean I had to like him.
''Sorry for the sudden interruption Masters. But there's something urgent we need to tell you.'' I said to them, mostly looking at Yoda.
''Speak you may. Tell us of this urgent matter you will.'' Yoda said to us.
''It's about one of our guests. About the girl. Jessica.'' Ahsoka joined the conversation.
''Continue, Padawan.'' Windu said with a serious face.
''We tested the midi-chlorians in her blood, and the amount is extremely high. I've never seen anything like it, not in non-Jedi.'' Ahsoka told them. ''I have the device with me, so you can see for yourself.'' She handed Master Yoda the device. Yoda looked at it shortly, showed it to Windu and they nodded at each other, both looking very concerned now.
''Right you are, Padawan Tano. Extremely high this is. Only a couple of Jedi with a stronger connection to the force, there are. Extraordinary this is.''
''Thank you Padawan, for showing us this. This girl is extremely strong in the Force, and she doesn't know about it. Or at least, so she acts. If she has known about this, she could very well be a danger to us.'' Windu said, frowning.
Ahsoka protested. ''No. I know for certain that Jessica doesn't know about her Force-sensitivity. She wouldn't have acted like she did. I have been to Ryloth with her. I would have noticed if she did know of her Force-sensitivity. Besides, she's untrained in the Force.''
''You can't know that for certain, Padawan. You don't know her well enough. Maybe she is just a brilliant actor and has fooled you. Maybe she's actually untrained, but there's another possibility. Skilled Force-users can shield themselves for the people around them. It's possible that Jessica is shielding herself for you.'' Windu said, his head on his hands.
''How can you think so badly of a person?! I know Jessica is a good person. She hasn't been acting. She really doesn't know about her connection with the Force.'' Ahsoka exclaimed. I saw she was getting angry and laid a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.
''Don't be so ignorant and rude, Padawan. You are only a Padawan, remember your place. You may be thinking a bit too highly about your new friend.'' Windu spat the last words. I felt Ahsoka going rigid under my hand.
''Agree with the Padawan, I do.'' Yoda said suddenly. Everyone turned their heads to him in shock. I felt Ahsoka calm down. She even began to smile.
''What? Master Yoda, you can't be serious.'' Master Windu said.
''I am. About her abilities, Jessica does not know.'' Yoda proceeded. Ahsoka grinned and I saw that she was holding back a laugh. I could barely hold back my own laugh, the offended face that Mace Windu made was just so comical.
''Right. We will discuss further about how to proceed with this matter.'' Windu said.
''Thank you, Masters.'' We bowed and left the Council room.
''So Master, what do we do now. Do we tell her?'' Ahsoka asked.
''No, we wait for the Council to tell her, but we will tell the Doctor. He has to know about this. It's going to affect both their futures, whether Jessica stays here or leaves.'' I answered.
''Alright. So where would the Doctor be?''
''Oh. I think I know just the place where he would be.'' I said with a big grin.
We found the Doctor in the Temple library, as I thought we would. The library was the place where all the knowledge of the Jedi was stored. The Doctor couldn't possibly resist the chance to take a look around.
''Ah, hello my friends! I was just doing some research here. Brilliant library by the way. Very beautiful and huge. It's like a maze. So many books, so much information to gather. I almost got lost around here.'' The Doctor greeted us. He had a big smile on his face and Ahsoka chuckled at his comments on the library.
I smiled because of his cheerfulness. ''Hello Doctor. It's nice to see you enjoy this dustball of a library. I don't understand why you like this place, it's a place full of books. I never enjoyed studying.''
''Ah. That's a shame. Books are a whole other world. You could learn so much by reading. Books are full of information. You could even learn about your enemies through books. I dare to say that books are the best weapons in the world. They do not hurt, but they are so incredibly useful. Full of history.'' Maybe I could read something about that battle too.
''Yeah, that's exactly why I don't like them.'' I replied. ''But we didn't come to just check on you, we have something to tell you. Something regarding your uh… Companion.''
''What is it? Has something happened to her again? Is she alright?'' The Doctor started firing questions.
''She's fine. But well… We examined her blood and she has a massive amount of midi-chlorians.''
''Midi-chlorians… Oh! I know. Those are the timey wimey things with the Force, right?'' The Doctor exclaimed.
I know exactly what they are talking about. Deep down I have always known that this would come up one day. There was no avoiding this time. Maybe… No… I can't tell her. Or them.
''Timey-what? Well, never mind.'' I shook my head in amusement. ''You could phrase it like that. Your companion has a higher amount than most of the Jedi we know.''
''Wow. That's so cool.'' Was the only thing the Doctor said.
I knew something like this would happen. Screw it. Oh nice. I should keep that line. Matches with my sonic screwdriver. Maybe I should write it down.
''That's the only thing you have to say about it? You do know that this will change her future, right?''
''Hmmm… You're right. What are you going to tell her?'' He didn't seem bothered at all. He probably didn't realize that this could not only change Jessica's future drastically, but his own as well.
''I don't know yet. The Council is conversing about it as we speak.''
''Good. Call me if they need me.'' That was the last thing the Doctor said before returning to his book. We looked at each other, shrugged and walked away from him.
Do I tell here. Do I not tell her. Do I tell her. Do I not tell her. We should never have come here.
-Jessica-
''No, don't leave me here alone. I need you!''
''You have to be on your own from now on. This is the only way. You'll be safe here little one.''
''No! You have to stay!'' I started to cry.
''Don't worry, I'll be there when you need me.''
''I need you now.''
''No you don't, and you know that. You only want me to stay because everything will be easier that way, but I have to go, and you have to live your life. I can't stay here.''
''Don't go!''
I screamed. Suddenly I felt a warm hand on my shoulder and I slowly calmed down. I was still panting, the sweat dripping down my face.
''It's alright. It's alright. You're safe. It was just a nightmare.'' It was Obi-Wan talking to me. He handed me a cloth to wipe the sweat away. I gladly took it from him.
''Yeah… Just a nightmare.'' I murmured, but I knew it was something else. Maybe some sort of a vision. Like the other dreams I'd had. They could be visions. Or maybe… No. I don't want to think about that possibility. It couldn't be a flashback. Nothing of that stuff ever happened.
''Have you had nightmares like this before?'' Obi-Wan asked curiously.
''I've had nightmares before.'' I answered, trying to avoid giving a real answer to his questions.
''I meant to say: have you ever had such vivid dreams? That you would wake up screaming and panting? Nightmares that were so realistic that they could have happened?''
I hesitated. ''Ehmm...''
''You need to tell me if you've had any. It could mean something.''
''I have had a couple of them since I arrived here. It's like being here triggered something in my mind. They feel so real.''
''This is troubling, Jessica. It could be that these nightmares are not only nightmares, but also visions or maybe flashbacks.'' Obi-Wan's brows knitted together. ''Do you remember any of them? Do you know what they are about?'' Yes and no, but I wasn't going to tell him that.
''No and no. I only know that I wake up panting every time, and sometimes screaming, so they must be very frightening and shocking.''
''Hmmm... If you have one again, you should come and tell me. And if you remember something about them, you can also come to me. I can help you. We don't want you to have these nightmares every time. And if they are flashbacks or visions, we must discover the meaning behind them. It's important that you tell me, Jessica. Do you understand?'' He searched my face for any dishonesty.
''Yes, Master Kenobi.'' I sighed and flopped back onto my pillow again. Silence surrounded us for a couple of minutes. Neither of us felt the need to say something. I was thinking about the dreams. I was silently considering if I should tell Obi-Wan that I knew very well what happened in the dreams. I could remember every single bit of them. Maybe he could help me, he was nice.
''Now for other matters. In two days, when you are feeling better, you have to come before the Council.'' Obi-Wan said to me, shocking me out of my thoughts.
''What? Why?'' I asked him.
''They want to have a word with you. What else?'' He said with a slight smirk.
''What are they going to say to me?'' I ignored his wit. I needed to know why I had to come before the Council.
''I don't know. You'll have to wait. The Doctor is with the Council members as we speak.'' He said to me, but I didn't believe him. He probably knew very well why the Council needed to speak to me. He was part of that Council. How could he not know? He just wasn't allowed to tell me. Why did people always lie about that sort of thing? They always thought it would make the person in question less afraid, but it had the opposite effect. I only became more nervous. The fact that he wasn't allowed to tell me implied that it was something serious. Something very serious.
But, wait, he had said that the Doctor was talking to the Council at this very moment. Obi-Wan had stood up and was about to walk away. ''Wait. The Doctor had to go to the Council too?'' I asked him.
''Yes. They have to talk to you both. Now, rest young one. You will need it.'' And he walked out of the room.
-Third person-
(meanwhile)
''Doctor. We have to speak to you about Jessica.'' Mace Windu said.
''Is it about the midi-chlorian-thing?'' The Doctor asked.
''Yes.''
''I know about that stuff already. She has a high amount of it in her blood, so she's Force sensitive. Now let me guess: you guys want me to know that this is going to change her future and that she has to make a choice about whether she will stay here or not. You also want to know if I already knew or if she already knew about her Force-sensitivity. And you also want to know who she really is and where she comes from.'' The Doctor said in a rapid progression of words.
''Uhm… Yes…'' Mace Windu stammered.
''Well… Maybe it's time for me to tell the whole story, but she has to know first. Then I will tell you.''
''She doesn't know her whole story?'' Windu became a bit curious and leaned forward.
''No, she doesn't and I think it's time I tell her.'' The Doctor said, looking, strangely, a bit afraid. Was he afraid to tell Jessica about herself? Why?
''Why do you know her story, while she doesn't?'' Windu became suspicious and leaned even further forward.
''Complicated.''
''Tell us.''
''Very complicated.''
''You know you're talking to the Jedi Council, right?''
''Yes, so?''
''You have to tell us.''
''Why would I have to tell you? Just because you're sitting on cool chairs in a fancy room? I need to tell her first, and she's not ready for it yet.''
''How do you know she's not ready for it yet?''
''I know her longer than you do.''
''A point there he has.'' Yoda said, joining the discussion between Mace Windu and the Doctor. ''If the girl is not ready you believe, then wait we will.''
The Doctor nodded respectfully to Yoda. ''Thank you for your understanding, Master Yoda.''
''But what do we do with her? She is Force sensitive and very strong.''
''Make her own decision about this she must. Thought about this already, I have. Padawan she may become if her will that is. If her will this is not, let her go we will.''
''But Master, she is too old to become a Padawan.'' Windu protested strongly.
''No such thing there is. Many ways the Force has. With us she is for a reason.'' Yoda said and Mace Windu slowly nodded, although it was obvious he still didn't agree with Master Yoda's decision.
I'll lose her if she becomes a Padawan… I can't lose her again.
''Master Jedi. I know she has to make her own decision, but I think it's best if she leaves this place.''
''Here she wouldn't be, if nothing important there was. Led her here the Force has. A very important decision she must make.''
''I understand, but she has a life elsewhere. Family, friends, school. She can't just leave that behind. Besides she is really nice company.'' The Doctor didn't quite realize that if she were to return to her old home on Earth, she would still have a different life, and everything would change no matter what she would choose to do. Her life would never be the same again, one way or another.
''Her own decision this is.'' Master Yoda solemnly replied and the Doctor sighed.
''You may go, Doctor.'' Windu said and he pointed at the door. The Doctor left the room.
I should never have come here with her. This was a bad idea. I should have said it was impossible to come here. Then we wouldn't be in this mess.
