Disclaimer: Disney owns Star Wars, not me. All the characters and places (except for my OC Analise Joy) belong to them.
"aaaa"-talking out loud."aaaa"-talking through a holo. 'aaaaa'-inner thoughts. aaaaa-talking through a Bond
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Chapter Thirty-Six
The time it had taken for the transport from the Temple to arrive and get them seemed to take forever. Returning to the Temple seemed to take twice a long.
A stretcher had been provided by the attending Jedi Healers for Analise to lay on, but Qui-Gon simply shook his head. All the way back to the Temple he tenderly cradled Analise's battered body in his arms. Anakin had sandwiched himself between Knight and Master, clinging tightly to Analise's hand. He refused to let go if it.
At the Temple Che was waiting in the hanger with another Healer. There was stretcher there too. This time Qui-Gon had no choice. He was forced to set his most precious of burdens on it. Analise let out a soft whimper, her eyes fluttering open before shutting again. Qui-Gon laid a hand on her forehead, filling their Bond with soothing and peaceful thoughts.
Rest now Ana. You are safe and when you wake I will be here. Ani and Obi-Wan will be here. Analise seemed to calm. Anakin on the other hand wasn't calm. He had yet to release the death grip he had on his sister's hand.
"Anakin, I need you to let go." Che attempted to gently pry his hand from Analise's. The reaction was immediate. Anger was gone, but fear remained. Fear that Analise would yet be torn from him again.
Anakin panicked.
"NO! We need to stay together. We have to stay together!" His grip on her tightened and tears poured down his face. "If you take her away I'll never see her again!" Hearts broke at his words. Anakin was not just a Padawan, a Jedi; he was a boy, a child. A boy who had been such a strong Bond with his twin sister since birth only to have her taken away when they were just hours old. At last the two were reunited and had that strong Bond had reformed, stronger than ever before. Just a week or two later they were torn apart by men with evil and Darkness in their hearts. He felt her pain from torture and her fear. Their Twin Bond while no longer strained and traumatized, was now more unsettled then it had been before. It would take time for the twins to bounce back from this.
Qui-Gon's fists clenched. He wished Mace and Ki Adi and all those hard-liners were here to see this. Yes they were Jedi and yes they were training the next generation of Jedi; but they were living beings and those Initiates and Padawans were for the most part children. Training Bonds were all well and good, but Natural Bonds were so much more stronger. His first Padawans were connected to him only by Training Bonds, easily created and easily broken. The Natural Bond he had with Obi-Wan was so much stronger and lasting. He knew for a fact that this father/son Bond was what had enabled his Obi-Wan to become such a strong Jedi Knight and had made Qui-Gon a better Master.
If the Order continued with the idea of no attachments and the frowning, stamping out of Natural Bonds; then the Order would fall. It was not a question of if, but when.
Obi-Wan stepped forward and laid a hand on Anakin's. "You need to let go Ani." The words were soft and he put nothing but steady calm behind them even as he too feared for the girl who come to mean and represent so much in the short time she had ben with them. Anakin trembled. "Let go Ani."
"If I do, she'll go away and I'll never see her again!"
"Healer Che needs to make her better Ani and she can't do that with you holding so tightly to her." Slowly Obi-Wan loosened Anakin's grip, freeing Analise's hand finger by finger. "Ana will only be in the Healer's Ward, still in the Temple. You'll be able to feel her through your Bond."
Anakin's fearful eyes tore at his Master's help. "Ana will still be here?"
"Yes Anakin and as soon as she is ready, I will send for you and your Master so you can see her." Che smiled softly at the boy. "You need rest too."
"Yes ma'am." Obi-Wan put an arm around the boy.
"We'll go back to our quarters and rest." The boy nodded, yawning. He could no longer pretend that he wasn't tired, wasn't scared. For the moment he just wanted to be a regular boy again, not a Jedi. He wanted to pretend that he and his older brother were waiting for his dad and sister to come home.
Let us know how Analise is Master.
I will my Obi-Wan. Pray and trust the Force. Sooner rather than later I hope we will have our hands full with two mischievous Learners and not just one.
Something to look forward to Master.
Imp. There was an affectionate tug at the Bond. Qui-Gon gave Anakin a hug and tugged on his braid.
Fear not Ani. Ana will be well and soon both of you will be driving the Masters mad.
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On his own in the waiting room of the Healer's Ward, Qui-Gon's own confidence and strength wavered. He collapsed on a chair and covered his face with his hands. Qui-Gon wanted to weep. He couldn't, just couldn't understand why anyone would do this.
'They're Sith...only Sith would want to cause so much pain to a child. An innocent child...so afraid...'
Che's assessment hadn't helped. Analise had been lucky. No bones broken, no organs damaged. She had deep cuts and severe burns all over her body though. She was weak and had a high fever. Analise's body trembled still from the aftereffects of electrocution.
"I don't want to, but I'll have to put her in bacta for at least a little bit. Just to clean out any infections and start those wounds on healing." Her lekku had twitched a little. "I'm still not sure how she'll be affected by a full bacta dip, but it's her best chance." She turned to the doors that lead to the ward beyond. "I'll call for you after she's out and in the clear."
It had been clicks and clicks though since Che had talked to him. As more time passed the more confidence drained from Qui-Gon. Even meditation failed to settle him this time.
"Run deep your worry does Qui-Gon."
"We nearly lost them today. Anakin and Analise." Qui-Gon lifted his head to study the Grand Master of the Jedi Order. "If Analise had died, Anakin could have turned. Would have most likely turned and he is still just a boy. The Order could have been lost today if Analise had died. Does the Council not understand that? If anyone but us had tried to find Analise, they would have failed. She would have died." He choked on suppressed sobs. "The child I see as my daughter would have died and her twin, my son would been lost to the Dark. If Anakin had fallen then Obi-Wan would have been devastated and I would have been destroyed at the loss of my children. We all would have been lost. The Order would suffer, end."
"Mistake it was not to let you three go sooner. Analise would have been found sooner."
The Grey Jedi stood, unable to sit still anymore. "The prophecy says it all. The Force itself told us through Anakin and Analise. The Jedi need to change. The Code is holding us back." He looked to the doors that kept him apart from the young girl who was more to him then just another youngling.
Yoda sighed and tapped his gimer stick. "Know this you think I do not? Long have I served the Jedi. Blind I know we are." His ears twitched a little, the tips going down. "Change we must, but slow for now the change must be."
Yoda's gaze strayed to the doors. "First step we will take with the twins. Acknowledge the Order will Anakin and Analise as your adopted children, given to you by the Force."
"And Obi-Wan?"
"Too old the Council feels he is" Yoda chuckled. "Another way one day your son he will be..."
Qui-Gon rolled his eyes. "You really like to act the part of the mysterious Jedi Master don't you Master?"
"Scold me not Qui-Gon. Besides who said an act it was?" A gentle hand patted his knee. "Fear not. All will be well."
"All I want is to have Analise back in her room where she belongs."
The doors to the waiting room opened at last. Che smiled tiredly at Qui-Gon and bowed to Yoda. "You can see her Qui-Gon."