Three felt hollow. Everyday she spent healing Davin left her disgusted and exhausted. She had always been so proud of her natural ability to heal but to use it as a punishment made her wish she was better at fighting or diplomacy. Anything that would keep her from having to sit in his presence for hours - too close to touching his body and hearing his scattered thoughts as she repaired his brain. The council wasn't sure if their sentence was working on her. Mace found that she was becoming more rebellious rather than reigning in her power.
"Do you want to know what that man dreams of? What he finds pleasurable as he lays there in his coma?" Three asked.
"No." Mace answered. "Concentrate."
"He thinks it's funny to hurt women."
"Three—"
"His life's ambition is to have ten slaves. He wants all of them to be female… so he can rape them."
"Enough!" Mace barked at her. "I know that man is horrible. It pains me to see you having to care for someone that intended to kill you."
"Not just kill." She added.
"Three of Fifteen." He sighed. "I must report to the rest of the council that you are learning proper restraint. If I am annoyed when I meet with them they will know you are being difficult and that you need further punishing. I don't think you need restraint, that is why we are going to sit here. I am going to meditate and you are not going to dwell on the disgust you feel for that man. Think of something pleasant and keep quiet for the next hour while I come up with placating answers to give the other masters."
Three watched him for a moment before she crossed her legs and closed her eyes. There were few things she could think about that didn't remind her of Davin. If she thought of flowers she remembered he liked to burn them. If she thought of a food she liked she'd see him cramming it into his fat mouth.
"I miss you so much."
Three suddenly heard Obi-Wan's voice in her head. It had been nearly a month since she was able to spend more than five minutes with him. All of her time was spent fixing Davin and 'training' with Mace. When she thought of him she reached out a little further to find him. He was still in the temple - training with his saber. Losing to his opponent.
"I miss you too."
Obi-Wan perked up when he heard Three in his head. He was able to side step his sparring partner and get the upper hand.
"Meet me at my dwelling tonight. I don't care how tired I am - I want to see you."
"Might be a little hard to get past Master Qui-Gon. He's been watching me like a hawk lately." Three sighed. "I'll sneak out if I have to." She smiled and he could feel it.
"Where are you going at this hour, my young padawan?" Qui-Gon asked. Obi-Wan froze an inch from the door. He was so sure his master had fallen asleep for the night two hours ago. He had also made sure not to make a sound as he crept to the door of their dwelling.
"I…" He stammered for a moment before he let out a long sigh. "I'm going to see Three." He told the truth - unable to come up with an excuse that Qui-Gon would buy.
"It's a little late for visitors."
"Well, she's busy healing that man all day…"
"You mean the man she injured." Qui-Gon said - subtly reminding him of what she did and that he should be wary.
"And what of the people we've injured because they attacked us?" Obi-Wan asked. He could feel Qui-Gon's surprise. He had never said such a rueful thing to his master. And clearly Qui-Gon never gave those people they harmed a second thought until now. "I've never been made to tend to the wounds of someone I crippled."
"That was in battle." Qui-Gon tried to rationalize.
"He attacked her and killed her best friend."
"Jedi do not seek vengeance." Qui-Gon said. "They also do not disobey their masters and sneak out after curfew."
"I'm not sneaking - you see me. And since when do I have a curfew?" Obi-Wan asked. Qui-Gon seemed almost happy that Obi-Wan was bucking his authority. That he didn't just accept the things he said and followed rules blindly. "I'm going to see her." He said matter of fact. "If you want to stop me… well you're going to have to stop me." When Qui-Gon didn't make a move to stop him he left.
Three was nearly dead on her feet as she walked back to her dwelling. First she had to heal Davin, train with her master, teach her class and then attend another council hearing on her progress. Everything just weighed on her until it felt like she was being pushed down with every step she took. She just wanted to get to bed. Lay there with Obi-Wan and just rest while he played with her hair. He really loved watching her ringlets spring back into place after being stretched out. He's twirl it around his fingers and gently massage her scalp - his hands were magic.
"I'm on my way." Three caught his thought and woke up a little. She entered her dwelling and sensed someone there.
"Obi-Wan?" She called as she turned on the lights. "What did you do fly… here?" She trailed off when she noticed her dwelling was in shambles. Someone had flipped over her dining table and scattered her books and holocrons everywhere. Her couch had been shredded - the stuffing and pillow fluff were every where.
Obi-Wan started running when he felt Three's fear. He could see her just inside the door to her dwelling and moved to protect her from the intruder. "Obi-Wan!" She gasped as soon as he stepped in front of her. He felt the pain of the laser blast to his chest and fell back into her. "Obi-Wan!" She shrieked as she caught him. He weighed more than she thought and they landed hard on the floor. Three looked up as Davin came out her bedroom - still clad in hospital robes, I.V. needles and heart monitors still attached to his skin. He aimed the blaster at her and for a moment she thought about using the force to snap his neck but if she did and he managed to fire again he might hit Obi-Wan. "No!" She hugged Obi-Wan close and the blast seemed to bounce away from them.
Davin looked around confused for a moment before he did it again and again. But each time the laser deflected and collided with something else. He started to move closer - firing angrily until the blasts where pinging out into the hallway.
"Back away!" Three looked back when she heard Qui-Gon. He extended his hand before he gestured back. Three yelped when she and Obi-Wan were pulled out the door. As soon as they were clear Mace stepped in and brandished his lightsaber. Three looked away as he cut down Davin. All her hard work undone when he cleaved the man's head from his shoulders.
"Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon tried to wake his padawan but he got no response. He checked his pulse. "He's gone."
"No… no no!" Three said as she laid him out. "I can save him."
"Three, no! You know you can't." Mace said as he raced to her side. She ignored him and gripped her crystal. She put her other hand to Obi-Wan's chest. After a few tense moments he suddenly gasped and opened his eyes. Qui-Gon jumped back in disbelief. Obi-Wan looked around bewildered for a moment before Three hugged him. "How?"
"The blast stopped his heart." Three said as she pulled back to look at the wound. She pushed his robes open and the burn mark was right in the center of his chest. She healed it easily and Obi-Wan grabbed her hand. "It's alright…"
"I can't do this anymore." Three said. The council went silent and paid attention to her. They had been arguing amongst themselves over what to do about her. Mace wasn't about to let them throw her in the Ghost prison. Several members didn't want her to stay within the order but her power needed to be checked. The situation was a full on disaster and what's worse was that she used the exact technique Mace had promised them she wouldn't use again. But Obi-Wan was alive because of it. Davin had come out of his coma and given his second chance at life he chose to attack her again. Mace was unapologetic about ending his life and he didn't get so much as a sideways glance from any of the council members.
"What?" Mace asked.
"I can't do THIS. This constant… degradation. I'm being punished for not letting that man kill me. For saving Obi-Wan's life." She got a few concerned looks for the familiar use of Obi-Wan's first name. Anyone else would've referred to him as 'Kenobi' or simply 'the padawan' "… And it's not just this situation. It's been this way all my life. I've spent years trying to convince myself that you weren't just making up rules to keep me down—"
"Come with me, young knight. Everything I will explain." Yoda interrupted. It was the first thing he said since the meeting began. He appeared to be a little bothered when she started talking - like he could feel her despair. It appeared he couldn't take anymore of her mistreatment.
"But Master Yoda," Plo Koon began to object but Yoda put up his hand.
"To lose her we can not afford. To lie to her anymore we can not. The Jedi way it is not." He said before he led Three to a private meditation room. He gestured for her to sit down and took a seat across from her. "Of your origins what do you know?" Three had to think for a moment. She had been so emotionally distraught a moment ago - the question caught her off guard.
"I was a baby when a carrier transporting me and fifteen other baby girls crashed near here. We were supposedly going to be sold into the slave trade but when the ship crashed everyone on board died but us— we were the only survivors. The Jedi took us in - waited for someone, anyone to come for us but they never did. We were allowed to join the order. I think only me and Twelve are still here."
"Do you believe that?"
"I believe that I'm a nobody. The order couldn't even be bothered to name me." Yoda pulled a holo disk from his robes and handed it to her.
"Listen to this - nobody you are not." He said as he moved for the door. "Because of your protection you and the other children survived." He left her in the room. Three thought about what he said before she activated the file. The simple hologram only had a picture of the Jedi symbol and voice speaking over it.
"Within the Jedi order there are a number of prophecies in our time. This is the telling of the 'Dark Healer'. It's said that during 'a great calamity' there will emerge a Jedi that will be able to reach into the life force itself to heal any injury and even 'give and take' life. Beware of this Jedi for there is a chance they will fall to the dark side as there is with any Jedi. Also, this Jedi will have great power that compliments The Chosen One. The Sith, should they exist when this comes to pass will try to eliminate this healer for they will be able to raise anyone the Sith strike down. This prophecy has been designated the 'Dark Healer' because their talent will be looked upon as a curse and will initially be forbidden because it is life force manipulation. This prophecy will precede or coincide with the 'time of great sorrow'. Jedi data log U54-98C2."
Three sat there for a long time after the hologram turned itself off. She didn't know what else to do. After a while her master came for her. "This thing… Yoda said I'm some kind of prophesied healer." She glanced up at him. "Did you know when you chose me?" she asked.
"Not at first." Mace answered. "The more I talked to Qui-Gon the more I started believing. I'd tell him about something you did and he'd make a correlation to the prophecy. He wanted to spend more time with you to make sure - that's around the time we started traveling together two years ago. When you healed Kenobi's arm without any prior training is when I knew for sure."
"Why wouldn't anyone tell me?" She asked. "Why keep brow beating me?"
"Because you had to chose this path on your own. There have been healers before that had potential but when told they must stay away from the forbidden arts they veered off the course of the prophecy."
"Master Yoda said I protected the other babies during the crash - that I had my abilities back then."
"He's correct. Crash reports show the compartment where you and the other younglings were being held was completely undamaged. That your innate abilities led your captors here in the first place. Master Vu may have also known of your destiny. It's might be why he tried to kill you. Oh course all of these things are made clearer in hindsight." Mace explained. Three went quiet for few minutes. Her mind was suddenly on the darker version of herself she had seen during her trials.
"That man destroyed my dwelling…"
"I've acquired a new one for you." Mace said as he offered his hand.
"Thank you master." She said as she slid her fingers into his palm. He pulled her up and automatically put his free hand on the back of her neck to guide her out the room. The rest of the council had already dispersed from the main room so he led her to her new dwelling. She looked at the name plate on the door and her eyes went wide when she realized what it said.
"Master Consular: Three of Fifteen."
Three was a little uncomfortable with the attention she got after it was announced to the rest of the order that she was 'The Dark Healer'. The rest of consulars seemed to gravel at her feet - asking her how she wanted things to be done from now on. She just told them to go about their business. Other Jedi seemed to further ostracize her. The designation of 'Dark' ensued that there was an evil element to her new position. She couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable some of her students seemed to be around her now. And of course Van had his 'two creds' to say about it.
"Boy they really hit the nail on the head with the whole 'dark' part." He said. Three rolled her eyes. She had hoped his duties as a knight would keep him away or at the very least away from her. Three attempted to walk past him but he blocked her way and invaded her personal space as he leaned in to whisper in her ear.
"Y'know since I'm pretty close to proving I'm the chosen one maybe we should… work together." Van said as he turned his head to look her up and down. "Think how happy the council will be when I 'bestow my light' upon you." Three jumped when he ran his hand up her thigh. She moved out of his reach and glared at him.
"Don't touch me!" She growled. Not only was she jumpy from her ordeal with Davin but Van had tormented her all her life. For him to suddenly show sexual desire for her was jarring. He had insulted her not two minutes ago. Three couldn't think of anything more vile than sharing a bed with him.
"Trying to stay 'pure'." Van asked. He took a long moment to glance down at her crotch. "That's kind of cute." Three made a face - she couldn't get away from him fast enough. Even as she walked she could feel his eyes on her.
"Three!" She looked up when she heard Qui-Gon. She was suddenly very glad to see him - she didn't want to give Van a chance to catch up to her.
"Master Jinn." She said. He smiled warmly.
"You're a master as well now - no need to be so formal." He chuckled. "I wanted to introduce you to Senator Palpatine."
"Hello." She bowed politely and the other man grinned.
"This lovely creature is the 'Dark Healer'?" Palpatine asked in disbelief. "The title doesn't do you justice my dear."
"Don't let her looks deceive you. Three is a highly skilled Consular. She fulfilled every aspect of the prophecy. She will be coming into her full power soon. We all have great hopes for her."
"You're too kind Master Ji— Uh Qui-Gon." She corrected herself and flushed a little. She wasn't used to such high praise.
"Master I looked everywhere - I couldn't find the leather one." Obi-Wan said as he walked up to them with a pair of gloves in his hand. He noticed Three and couldn't hide his smile. "Three."
"That's Master Three now." Qui-Gon said. He wasn't normally such a stickler for titles but he knew it would make Obi-Wan squirm a little.
"Yes of course. Master Three." Obi-Wan said - he never broke eye contact with her. Qui-Gon seemed amused at Obi-Wan's inability to hide his infatuation. Even Palpatine noticed and lifted an eyebrow at the two as they gazed longingly at each other.
"Padawan Kenobi." Three nodded slightly at him. Qui-Gon clapped his hand on Obi-Wan's back and knocked the air out of him a little.
"Master Three would you be so kind as to escort my hapless Padawan to the market and acquire leather for a new belt." Qui-Gon asked.
"Of course… A pleasure to meet you Senator." They said their good byes and walked off.
It was almost painful to go to the market and make small talk. Three wanted so badly to hug Obi-Wan and kiss him and she could sense that he wanted to as well but if they didn't get Qui-Gon his belt he'd come looking for them. With everything that happened they had barely seen each other despite being at the temple at the same time. They found the leather and brought it back to Qui-Gon who decided to let them go without any questions. Obi-Wan could see it in the smug smirk on his face - his master briefly entertained asking Three about her new title or where they were planning to go. But he busied himself with making his new belt and let them leave. Three could feel Obi-Wan's eagerness but she suggested a walk rather than head back to her new dwelling. Obi-Wan didn't mind - once they were on the streets of Coruscant he reached over and took her hand. He watched his thumb smooth over her knuckles and enjoyed the contact for a moment. But Three suddenly pulled away from him and hid her hand in her cloak.
"I'm… I'm not ready yet. I'm sorry." She apologized. At first he didn't understand her apprehension but then she let him see. She let him into the part of her mind where she was keeping Davin's memories. She could see it when realization washed over his features. Mistreating women had never crossed his mind - he seemed entirely disgusted by the aspect of abusing anyone like that.
"Three I would never… I would never!" He said louder than he meant to. A few people looked his way and Three pulled him down an alley to calm him down.
"I know you wouldn't. We've been through this. It's all in my head and it's just too fresh. I can't let go and I don't know how—"
"Let me help you." He reached for her but stopped himself. He slowed down and brushed his finger tips against her temples. She twitched at the contact but didn't stop him. He kept going - combing his digits through her curls and using the easy contact to replace her terrible memories of Davin Yerlow. Three sighed and looked at Obi-Wan. She finally lifted her hands and grabbed his wrists.
"Let's not do this here." She advised.
"Want to go back?" Obi-Wan asked hopefully. She took his hand and led him out the alley towards the temple.
