Chapter 11

After their return to the ship, Tahl had disappeared into the medical bay to treat Obi-Wan. Meanwhile, Bail led the rest of the group into his ship's conference room, and everyone sat down. While the Viceroy ordered refreshments and checked that the vessel was entering hyperspace without further problems, the Jedi were sitting together in silence. Dooku's gaze was distant, and his hands were gripping the Holocron as if Sidious could jump out of it at any moment.

Qui-Gon felt mentally exhausted. Bringing his former Padawan back from the brink had taken its toll, and he wasn't able to chase away the image of the young man kneeling on the floor retching and convulsing. He hadn't expected something like this. He shuddered when he thought about the green shimmer under Obi-Wan's skin. Sidious must have had a much firmer grip on him than they had realized.

His musings were interrupted by Siri Tachi, who looked up and placed her hand on Padmé's arm in concern, "Are you all right?" she asked, and the young Queen swallowed at her question.

"I am not," she replied with a carefully contained voice. "I won't be before Obi-Wan is back, here." She pointed to her head, indicating that her bond with the young Jedi seemed to be dormant for the moment.

Qui-Gon and Anakin gave her an understanding nod. "It's disconcerting," the older Jedi said. "But at least he is still alive, and the bond isn't broken." He gave her a wan smile. "And I have to say, Padmé, what you did for him helped a great deal."

She snorted, not agreeing with Qui-Gon's assessment. "I did nothing, Qui-Gon. In the end, it was you who brought him back. He didn't even listen to me."

Anakin stood up and placed himself at her side, taking her hand. "He did listen," the teenager insisted. "It wasn't one of us who brought him back. It was all of us. In the end, he decided to stay with us."

Padmé shook her head, and Qui-Gon was concerned at seeing her desperate expression. "He almost turned because of me," she whispered, and tears began to form in her eyes. "I would have been the reason for him to become a Sith."

Dooku looked up at her words for the first time since they boarded the ship. "Your Highness," he began after clearing his throat. "Why would you say that?"

Padmé seemed surprised at the former Jedi addressing her. Then she swallowed against the lump forming in her throat and said, "He almost killed Sidious, well. . . uhm. . . not just Sidious, but a manifestation of him as a child. He thought I was dead. I felt his need for revenge. . . ."

Qui-Gon saw the worried gaze of Mace Windu at this and was glad that the Viceroy's staff chose that moment to enter and place the ordered refreshments on the table. What Padmé had said seemed to shock everyone present, and the moment they were alone again, Qui-Gon took a breath and tried to ease everyone's mind. "I have to admit, he was far gone, but we have to take into consideration that his mind was filled with Sidious' thoughts. When he chose to reject the Dark, it was clear to me that he had to purge himself of far more than Sidious' presence."

Anakin gave the Master a questioning look. "Was that the reason for his breakdown? His skin was shimmering green. What was that?"

Qui-Gon shook his head. "I really don't know, Anakin. I think it has something to do with Mother Talzin's Magick. We all saw that the Force seemed to manifest itself in it. And his breakdown surprised me too. The only thing he had to do was to let Sidious go. He had Mace's, Dooku's and Master Yoda's power to end it. Why would he use that much energy? Even Sidious can't be that strong. Three of the mightiest Jedi Masters and a Sith? I can't wrap my mind around it."

"He didn't just push him out," Dooku replied with a sigh. "He ripped him out of his mind. That he almost died isn't the result of overextension, but the effects of Sidious' mind occupation. He had to go deep to remove all the tendrils of Darkness my former Master planted within him. The Jedi should have helped him three years ago. If they had, it would have been much easier to do this."

Qui-Gon's eyes went dark at another memory of Obi-Wan lying on the floor, retching and purging himself of the Darkness. What Dooku said made sense. Then his eyes widened. "We never talked about that! All of us thought that pushing Sidious out was all he had to do. No one spoke about ripping out the effects three years of mind control had on him." He stood up and began to pace around. "But we should have known. You. . ." he gave Dooku an icy stare, "You knew! We planned for every single step here, but you didn't mention this?"

"He asked me not to," Dooku replied dryly.

"He knew it, too then," Siri stated. "Typical. . . ."

"All of you do not see him for what he is," Dooku said with exasperation in his voice. "He would never have gone into this battle without contemplating every aspect of it. While you were focused on the task at hand, he took the time to study about possession. He was prepared for what happened to him in that cave. He was even prepared to die. His first goal was to not let Sidious win. He knew nothing about that Guardian prophecy, but he took on the role naturally. I mean, who would be the Guardian of the Force if not Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi who would sacrifice himself without any consideration for himself?"

"Did you know about this Guardian thing, too?" Mace asked calmly, ignoring the protesting murmur coming from his fellow Jedi.

Dooku shook his head. "Never heard of it. But if the Nightsisters tell us that he is some prophesized Guardian, I am sure he is. There is no reason for them to lie, and they know things about the Force that the Jedi forgot a long time ago."

"Do you think Sidious knew it?" Qui-Gon asked.

"I don't think so," Dooku replied. "My former Master was looking for the Chosen One prophecy as well, which means he didn't know what it really entails. No," Dooku shook his head. "I believe his interest in Obi-Wan was driven by the potential he felt not by any knowledge of a prophecy. He imagined that Obi-Wan could be a formidable Sith. He saw that Kenobi has this unbelievable capability to judge situations and exploit them for his goals, practically forcing people to be loyal to him. Sidious was able to see him as the face of a Sith Empire – someone who would sway people without oppressing them. I am sure that's the reason why he wanted to turn Obi-Wan. And. . . he knew that Obi-Wan was the only Jedi able to defeat him. I mean, he almost did it. We just have to decipher Mother Talzin's parchment and find the anchor, and Sidious will be history."

"And we might lose him on the way," Qui-Gon said flatly.

"Let's not go there yet," Mace replied with a firm voice. "Tahl was able to bring him back. There is no reason to believe he is going to die."

"Not ready to let him go, the Force is," Master Yoda stated. "His role as Guardian he still has to play."

"He's going to love that," Anakin said with a roll of his eyes. "He always told me not to give a thing about prophecies. Being the central subject of one will drive him crazy."

No one could help smiling when they thought about their friend and what he would say to that, and Qui-Gon was glad to see that Padmé's eyes had lost the shimmer of despair he had seen earlier. He chuckled. "Well, then let's all get some rest before he wakes up and keeps us on our toes again."

Mace Windu and Qui-Gon slowly entered the small medical bay on Organa's ship, careful not to disturb Obi-Wan in his sleep.

Mace shook his head. This wasn't how he had expected this day to end. Even without Tahl's assessment, he was able to feel that Obi-Wan's life force was fading. They just had to hope that the Force wasn't finished with him, as Master Yoda had pointed out. In the end, this new knowledge about the Guardian helped Mace to stay optimistic. If Obi-Wan had that role to play, the Force would undoubtedly help him pull through.

Tahl entered silently with an IV in her hands. She hooked it up and turned toward the two visitors. "I am keeping him on nutrition fluids. I know that his unconsciousness is primarily due to his mental state, but it will result in physical problems really fast if we can't stabilize him. He's in real bad shape. We saved his life, but we can't know for how long. By all accounts, he should have died in that cave. He used up all of his Force energy, including most of his life force."

Qui-Gon swallowed thickly. "It isn't the first time he did that. It doesn't mean. . . ."

"No," she shook her head. "He can recover. But we should give him the time he needs. The upcoming debates about his future won't help him. And when he recovers physically, I am sure there is much to be done to treat his posttraumatic stress symptoms. He is still struggling with the impact of coming back from another life. He always refused to be thoroughly treated. He was just so busy saving the Order. It gives me grief that we're now at this point. I don't see the Council reacting with the empathy needed in this situation."

Master Windu heaved a sigh at that. "I fear that you are right, Tahl. And the whole Guardian business doesn't help. They tend to get nervous when prophecies are involved."

Tahl gave him a slow nod. "You know, I've always wondered how he coped with being sent back. Much of what he accomplished was due to his former experience. He could rely on that. It won't be the case with this. Mother Talzin was quite clear that he didn't assume that role in his former life."

"But didn't he?" Qui-Gon asked. "After all, he went to Tatooine to watch over Luke Skywalker. He was guarding the only hope of the Jedi returning."

Mace shook his head. "We don't know what the Guardian's purpose is. Who says that he has to help the Jedi? Maybe this prophecy has nothing to do with us. . . ." He stroked his chin. "I can't believe that we lost so much of our history over the past Millennium. We must have been blind to not see that the Chosen One prophecy wasn't complete, and now we learn that there is a Guardian we've never even heard about?"

"You can still remedy that," Dooku's voice came from the doorway. "The only thing the Jedi have to do is open themselves up to their history and new possibilities."

Mace gave him an exasperated look. "You of all people should know that it isn't that easy."

The Sith approached Obi-Wan's bed and touched the young man's hand with surprising tenderness. "Which leads us to another question," he said, his eyes closing briefly. Then he took the Holocron out of his pocket. "What are we going to do with this? As long as we haven't found the anchor, it has to be safe."

"We should give this to the Council," Qui-Gon suggested. "It should be well-guarded in one of the Temple's vaults."

Dooku shook his head. "It's not my place to tell you what you have to do with it. Obi-Wan wouldn't want me to interfere. However, I suppose that no one will be able to resist the pull that Holocron will develop apart from him. You could give it to the Council, and they would bury it in the Temple archives. But who is to say that no one will be swayed by it? And. . ." he looked toward the young Jedi Master, who was still lying motionless on his bed. "I am sure that the Council is going to punish him for what he did. He always told me that they wouldn't accept what he did, and that was before they knew how deep he had to immerse himself in Sith teachings. I'm not sure if he will be able to access this once they have decided his fate. We should keep it for now – ask him what he wants to do when he wakes up."

Mace shook his head. "We don't know if they will punish him. I still hope that they will come to terms with what he did." When Dooku opened his mouth to protest, the Korun-Master held up his hand. "I won't let this hope determine our decision. You are right. We can't give it to them before we know how things will turn out. However, it has to be in the hands of a Jedi." He gave Qui-Gon an inquisitive look, and at a short nod from his friend, he continued, "Just give it to Qui-Gon for the time being. There is a vault on Alderaan, and we will make sure that Obi-Wan has access to it whatever the Council decides."

Dooku narrowed his eyes, and a deep frown formed on his forehead. "You are not sure how much of an influence you are going to have after this is done," he stated. Then he gave the Holocron to his former Padawan. "I am happy to part with it, Qui-Gon," he said. "but I have to warn you. Having this in your possession is going to be a trial on its own. He is still trying to get out, and you have to resist it."

The Jedi Master took the object reluctantly and weighed it in his hands. Despite standing at a considerable distance from him, Mace could feel the pull into Darkness. He took a deep breath, chasing the oppressive feeling away, and reached out with his hand to shield it. Qui-Gon let out a sigh of relief and put the Holocron into his pocket. "Thank you, Mace," he said.

"That shield won't hold him for long," Dooku warned them.

"It won't," Mace agreed. "But it should help for now. Let's see what we're going to do with it after we return to Naboo. Maybe Obi-Wan will be awake then. I don't want to decide what to do without consulting him. We all know that Sidious' focus will always be on him. Even the Council can't deny that." With that, the Korun-Master gave them a nod and left the medical bay.

Deep in thought, he stretched out his senses and was glad to still feel Master Yoda in the conference room. When he entered it, Bail Organa was the only one left to keep the ancient Master company. Apparently, their other companions had really taken Qui-Gon's advice and were resting. With a sigh, Mace sat down and said, "Tahl says that Obi-Wan is still at risk. I hope you're right, Master Yoda, and the Force isn't finished with him yet."

The Grand Master looked down, his eyes closed, and his ears twitching. "Feel I do, that still a role he has to play."

"Mother Talzin pointed out that he was saved," Bail agreed. "After what I heard, I am sure she would have told us if Obi-Wan was in danger. Instead, she spoke about further trials. She gave me the impression of someone who could see into the future as much as a Jedi can."

Master Windu nodded. "Maybe even more so. Contrary to us, her use of the Force isn't limited by rules. And. . . years of neglecting ancient knowledge."

Master Yoda gave him an unbelieving glance. "Question you do, the Jedi Code?"

The Korun-Master shrugged. "How could I not? After what we've learned? Obi-Wan wasn't able to destroy Sidious with our means. No, he needed to broaden his views. He had to use Sith Magic. But who tells us that this Magic belongs to the Sith? There was a time when the Sith didn't even exist. And Mother Talzin's Magick? It was different, but it wasn't Dark. I am beginning to ask myself if there is such a thing as Dark techniques or if it's just our intent that determines whether something manifests as evil."

Bail frowned at that. "Well, as a mere human, I have to say that this seems logical to me. But we all saw how difficult it was to bring Obi-Wan back from the Dark."

"Yes," Mace agreed. "But was it difficult because he used Sith Magic, or was it difficult because Sidious was able to corrupt his mind? I am not sure anymore."

Master Yoda cleared his throat. "Explore that train of thought we should. And more we have to know about the Guardian."

"We could send Siri Tachi and Garen Muln on a mission to ancient Temple sites. I think we have to go back in time quite a bit to uncover the knowledge we need." Mace suggested, and Master Yoda nodded with acceptance.

The Viceroy stood up then and inclined his head. "I am going to look after Padmé. She was exhausted, and I want to make sure she gets the rest she needs."

"Thank you, Senator Organa," Mace Wíndu replied. "For everything. . . We couldn't have done this without you providing us transport and backup."

Bail gave him a smile. "I am always ready to support the Jedi, as long as they open their minds to the outside world."

Qui-Gon and Dooku stayed in the medical bay after Master Windu had left and were soon joined by Tahl, who once more checked Obi-Wan's vitals. After sitting silently beside the young man's bed for a while, Qui-Gon looked up to his former Master. "If you talked about the possibility that Obi-Wan could die during this mission, is there more? Something that he wanted you to tell us?"

Dooku swallowed thickly, and Qui-Gon was surprised to feel that his former Master could still feel uncomfortable around them. "He. . . He asked me to watch over you and his family. He doesn't trust the Council to do it. He wanted me to save you in case the Jedi Order is destroyed again. He asked the same for the young Queen."

"That's one hell of a vote of confidence," Tahl blurted out, and Qui-Gon chuckled at her outrage. He placed his arm around her shoulder, calming her down. He knew that his former Master couldn't be trusted in general, but he was convinced that in case they needed saving from a Sith plot, he would be the only one to turn to.

He gave the older man an understanding nod and stated, "Well,. I am sure my former Padawan will be up to this task when the time comes. I haven't given up on him yet. Nevertheless, I thank you for your promise. It sure made it possible for Obi-Wan to enter this battle with the mindset he needed. You might have saved him. If he had been distracted by his concern for us, he wouldn't have been able to use his potential to finally rip this Sith out of every corner of his mind. Let's just hope he will recover."

"I know that you can't trust me," Dooku replied. "But I really, really want him to get over this. Whatever he is going to do, he has grown so much, and his knowledge about the Force surpasses everyone in the Jedi Order." He scoffed. "Well, they don't even know it. They weren't really interested in what he was doing. They just decided that dabbling in Sith Magic is forbidden. As long as they don't understand that the Jedi need to know more about their adversaries, I am sure the day will come when you need saving. I just hope for you that he will be the one to do it. Because he is going to save everyone he can. I, on the other hand, just promised to save the people dearest to his heart."

Tahl shifted uncomfortably at that. "I'm fairly sure that he will make it. His life-force. . . ."

"It can be supported," Qui-Gon finished her sentence, and at her incredulous expression, he squeezed her hand. "We both know that it works. He did it for me once."

"Yes," she said, her voice becoming nervous. "But he almost died. You can't seriously. . . ."

"I can," he replied firmly. "I know that you will watch over us. You won't let anyone of us die. If I feed him some of my life-force, we should be able to reach Naboo without another crisis, and there we will have the equipment to help him get better."

Dooku sighed and looked toward them with a concerned expression that reminded Qui-Gon of his former Master before he turned. "I realize that this is what you do, Qui-Gon. You and Obi-Wan have a way of saving each other. This just proves the point I made when I first heard about your bond. The Force has singled you out to support him. I just. . ." he swallowed briefly. "Please, make sure that you stay safe. He won't thank you if you sacrifice yourself for him."

Tahl shook her head. "Qui-Gon is right. I can control this. I won't let anything happen to either of them."

Dooku gave her a grateful nod. "Well, then there is only one more thing I have to tell you."

Qui-Gon's head shot up at that, and he gave Dooku an almost icy stare. "Do not tell me that you want to leave."

Dooku smiled wanly. "I am sorry, my former Padawan, but I have to. I know what the Council is planning to do to me, and I won't allow them to hold me a prisoner again. I took a copy of Mother Talzin's parchment, and I promise you to help him finish this. But I have to do it on my own because he won't be around to protect me from an Order that isn't able to see that times have changed and that they need to move forward."

"We just found a way to save him," Tahl protested. "He will be around. . ."

Dooku shook his head. "At least he will lose his position in the Jedi Council. Or do you really think they just accept what he's done without sanctioning him? He can't influence their attitude toward me any longer. If we want to find Sidious' anchor, I have to be free to do so on my own terms. The moment we will arrive on Naboo, I am going to leave. You have the Holocron, and Master Yoda has the parchment. Just try to keep it in his reach, whatever the Council is going to decide. If not, at least I have a copy of the location to work with."

Qui-Gon stood up when the Sith turned around to leave. "Master," he said with a shaky voice, and Dooku looked over his shoulder, apparently surprised by the address. "Thank you," Qui-Gon continued and bowed his head slightly. "Whatever your plans as a Sith Lord may be. What you did here helped Obi-Wan a great deal, and I hope that there comes a day when the Council will be able to see it, too."

Dooku shook his head. "I always liked you for your optimism, my Padawan. But that day is still far away. However, much has changed already. I never expected Master Windu and Master Yoda to help us, and it shows how far we've come."

With that, he left, and Qui-Gon looked after him with sad eyes. He had never shared a bond with his former Master as he had with Obi-Wan, but he had come to appreciate the man more and more over the last few weeks. He would miss him. Then he turned toward Tahl and gave her a nod. "Let's do this," he said with determination. "Oh, and one more thing. Let's not talk about it. I fear that Anakin would want to help, too, and I am not sure how Obi-Wan is going to react to us placing his Padawan in danger."

"We will be arriving on Naboo tonight. Make sure that we are prepared to leave the moment I am there. . . ." Siri Tachi stopped in her tracks at hearing the faint voice of Dooku coming from the galley. She debated with herself to just turn around and inform Master Windu that once more, the Sith was trying to escape capture but decided that confronting him was a better option. With determination, she went into the galley and saw the former Jedi sitting at the small table, shutting down his commlink. He looked up with a calm expression, and it annoyed her that his face didn't betray the slightest trace of surprise.

"You're leaving?" she asked, keeping her voice steady.

He leaned back and gave her a wink, which made her even more furious. "What did you expect? For me to stay and wait for the Council to decide my fate like Obi-Wan will?"

"He is a Jedi," she replied, trying to keep her voice down. "It's not a sign of weakness that he is ready to bear the consequences of his actions."

"No," he said with a smile. "It isn't, and I never implied that it is. But it's a sign for his belief in an Order that doesn't deserve it."

She inhaled sharply at that and took a step toward him. Then she realized that he was baiting her and stepped back. "I have to inform Master Windu of your plans," she said, carefully masking her annoyance.

"Yes, you have to," Dooku answered. "I wouldn't expect otherwise. . . ." He made a meaningful pause, and she took another step back. He stood up and put his commlink into his pocket, projecting the image of calmness. Then he looked into her eyes with open humor in his expression. "But shouldn't you have done that the moment you heard me talking. It would have given him the chance to surprise me. Maybe he would have contained me then. Now the advantage is gone. . . ." He moved another step, and she felt her personal space being violated. "I wonder. . . Why would you confront me, knowing that I am a Sith who can play hide and seek with the Jedi on this ship? Why would you give up the possibility to capture me?"

She huffed at his ironic tone. "Do not assume anything, Dooku," she said and tried again to move back, but the furniture behind her prevented her from putting more space between them. "I thought that it would be decent to confront you. In the end, you helped us. . . ."

He crossed his arms and gave her a smile. "I did, didn't I? But weren't you always telling me that my help is appreciated, but that I am a Sith and that I need to be punished? Or. . ." his smile broadened. ". . .that I can't be trusted. Now, Siri Tachi, if that is the case, why would you treat me with decency." He chuckled. "Oh, wait, it's the thing a Jedi does, isn't it? Doesn't that bother you sometimes? To always do the right thing?"

Her eyes widened at that. What was he trying to do?

He took another step, effectively trapping her. Then he leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "If it bothers you, you could always accompany me. I could use a capable apprentice, and you would be marvelous."

She shoved him back, and her eyes blazed with fury. "What are you doing? Are you mad? How would you think. . . ." She freed herself and rushed out of the galley. "Just, leave me alone, Dooku. I would never join you!" she exclaimed.

He laughed. "Oh, but I would have liked that. You have such a spirit, and you bring with you all the makings of a wonderful Sith. Your temper, for example, and. . ." he inhaled deeply as if smelling something. "Oh, your fury is just delicious."

"You are disgusting," she said with a sneer and stormed away, seeking out Master Windu to tell him about Dooku's plans. Desperately, she tried to tune out Dooku's laughter that was following her.

Their return to Naboo occurred during nightfall, and Mace Windu was glad that things had been prepared long before their departure. The Queen's handmaidens had expected them, and Sabé had taken command immediately when she realized that Padmé wasn't in any state to take on her role. She led the stretcher with Obi-Wan to the medical wing of the Palace and ordered the medics to provide Tahl with everything she needed.

The other handmaidens led them to their quarters, and the most trusted ones went with Padmé after making sure that the Queen was just sleeping and there was no medical emergency. Mace and Bail decided to leave them on their own, confident that Padmé was in good hands.

When they came out of the Queen's quarters, they saw Siri Tachi waiting for them. Mace gave her a nod, knowing that she had come to report on Dooku because he had asked her to keep an eye on the Sith after she had told him that Dooku wanted to depart as soon as they arrived on Naboo. He was sure that more had occurred than the young Knight let on, but he was still waiting for her to tell him about it.

"Dooku is preparing his ship," Siri said, her voice icy.

"We expected that," he replied. "Did he explain to you why?"

"No," she said and looked down.

"Maybe he doesn't want to wait for the Council to capture him again," Bail stepped in.

Mace gave him a nod. "I think so, too."

"Why would you let him go then?" Sri asked with annoyance in her voice.

"I assume this old script we received from Mother Talzin is some ancient Sith language. He might be the only one who has the resources to decipher it. I'm inclined to trust him. He's even more eager to end Sidious as we are," Mace said. And Master Yoda agreed with me on that. He can't help us if he is in Jedi custody."

"We are once more crossing a line," the young Knight stated. "I don't like it."

Mace approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder in reassurance. "Will you tell me what he said to you? There must have been more than you confronting him."

She sighed. "He asked me to join him."

Mace chuckled. "As his apprentice?"

She looked back with annoyance. "Yes. As if. . . . I would never. . . ."

He gave her a nod. "I know that. And he must have known it, too. He just wanted to unbalance you. Don't let him succeed." He felt her calm down at his words. "Well, I'm glad you refused his offer. I really want you to follow the Guardian trail. And if I am right, yours and Dooku's ways will cross again soon enough. He can't resist an ancient prophecy. He's going after it, too."

The morning after their arrival, there was still no sign of Obi-Wan waking up, and Qui-Gon took the time for his morning meditation in the Palace gardens. He sat down and tried to feel the Living Force, but at the moment, his connection was too weak. The memory of Obi-Wan standing inside that storm of Darkness was still too vivid – a memory of the man, whom he loved like a son, with eyes suddenly shimmering yellow, full of revenge, consumed by emotions that Qui-Gon understood completely. Sidious had taken everything from his former Padawan, and after he had finally defeated him in a new life, the Dark Lord's plans had become even more devious. He was gone, for now, enough reason for them to take a breath, but nobody was able to. They all knew that they wouldn't rest until they had found a solution to destroy the anchor.

He turned around, seeing Master Yoda making his way over to him. He managed to give the Master a small smile, but his concern was still visible on his face. The Councilor climbed onto the bench, and his ears twitched. "Still not awake he is," he said, his voice not calming Qui-Gon's worries in the slightest.

"He's still struggling to come back," Qui-Gon just said, repeating what Tahl tried to tell him whenever he was despairing. "He's not given up yet."

"Hmm. . . Looking very pale, he is," the Master replied with a distant look. "Long time it will take for him to go back to his former self."

"Did you talk to the Council?"

"Refused a report we have before we know if Obi-Wan will recover."

Qui-Gon gave him a nod. Before they knew if the young man survived – before they knew if he would turn. There literally wasn't anything to decide yet, and any report would just give them a reason to discuss Obi-Wan's fate before having the whole picture. He sighed. "I fear he doesn't want to come back into the Order before we destroyed the anchor."

"Come back now, he should. Fear I do that it will be too late if another adventure he takes on by himself."

The younger Master snorted at that. "Too late for him or the Jedi Order?"

Master Yoda closed his eyes, reaching into the Force. "For both maybe," he said and sighed deeply.

Qui-Gon gazed at him with sadness. The older Master was right. Obi-Wan really needed companionship at the moment. But he wasn't sure that the Council would be able to give him what was necessary. After what happened, the Master's belief was shaken, and he was convinced that Obi-Wan's trust toward the Council was broken. Dooku's words had confirmed that. If the Jedi had decided to help them, they would have had so much more Light to battle the Darkness on Dathomir. Would Obi-Wan have been driven so far if that had been the case? There was no sense in thinking about what-ifs, but in the end, Bail and Padmé had done more for him than his fellow Jedi had. "From the moment he was sent back, he tried to save the Jedi. And he did. Thanks to his efforts, our crèche is filled with younglings. Thanks to him and the decision to lift the non-Attachment rule, we even have Jedi children who all have the potential to become Knights. The Order did nothing to help him when he needed it."

"Difficult it is, Qui-Gon. Know this, you do. Lines he has crossed," Yoda replied, but Qui-Gon couldn't shake the feeling that the older Master didn't believe in his own words. There was no point in arguing, so Qui-Gon just went silent, unable to talk about what he perceived as the Council's betrayal of his former Padawan.

"Not archived the language on the parchment that Mother Talzin gave us is," the Councilor said after a few minutes of silence, and his eyes showed even more concern. "An ancient Sith language it is. Well hidden, the anchor remains."

Qui-Gon shrugged his shoulders. It would have been too easy otherwise, wouldn't it? "There must be a way to translate this ancient language. Maybe Obi-Wan knows what to do about the note. It seems as if he is the only person around here with the imagination to fight a real Sith."

He felt the admonishing gaze Master Yoda gave him when he left. But he had to admit that his patience with the Council was running low at the moment.

Two days later, Qui-Gon was still sitting at Obi-Wan's bedside, exchanging shifts with Anakin and Master Yoda. But for the most part, it was him guarding over his former Padawan's sleep. After they decided to feed the young man part of his own life-force, his condition was stable enough; it just would take some more time.

Tahl entered the room silently and came up behind him, reaching for the young man's wrist. "His pulse is steady," she stated with a satisfied voice. "I didn't expect him to recover that quickly."

"It's his strength that's shining through. He finally seems to be able to access it even in his sleep. He couldn't do that before," Qui-Gon replied with a proud shimmer in his eyes.

"Well, it's also you feeding him with Force energy, my love," she said with a sad smile.

"Oh, that was just to kickstart his own Force healing," Qui-Gon chuckled. "His mental state was a mess, and he needed a push. A bit of his stubborn Master's life force seems to have done the trick, though."

"It did," she said with surprised eyes at the readings she was getting from the young man's mind. "He's in a healing trance right now. He used your energy to put himself under."

"See," Qui-Gon smiled. "I knew the Force wasn't ready to let him go."

Padmé awoke with a start in the middle of the night. She looked around, disoriented, and held her head, fighting against a pounding headache. Then she reached out with her bond to Obi-Wan, making sure he was still alive, and, in an instant, she knew what had woken her up.

His warmth was filling her mind, sending her soothing waves to calm her down, reassuring her of his continued existence. He didn't seem alert enough to resort to mind speech, but he was able to send her precisely what she needed. Relieved, she sank down again, enveloping herself in the warm feeling of having him back.

Anakin rushed out of his quarters, followed by Master Windu. Both of them had awoken from a nudge in the Force. "He's back," the Padawan told his interim Master with a broad grin on his face. "I can feel him."

Mace shook his head. "He shouldn't spend his energy to reassure the people around him. He should use it to speed his healing process."

Anakin chuckled at that. "That wouldn't be Obi-Wan, Master," the boy replied with his grin getting even broader.

They entered the healer's wing and were greeted by Master Yoda, standing in the doorway, regarding Qui-Gon and Tahl at the young Jedi's bedside. Mace gave the Master a half-smile, still unsure what to think of Obi-Wan's speedy recovery.

"Only Light I can feel for now," the venerable Master stated, and Mace felt more relieved about that fact than he cared to admit. He hadn't expected the young man to turn after Sidious was finally gone, but he couldn't deny that the stakes in what they had done had been high. Obi-Wan had used Sith Magic, and to succeed with it, one had to connect with his inner Darkness. Mace Windu knew all too well what this could mean, having fought over years for his balance.

"I am not looking forward to the discussion with the Council," he sighed. "But now that Obi-Wan seems to be on the mend and we know that he hasn't turned for good, I think we should contact them and see what will happen."

Master Yoda gave him a reluctant nod. "Not too long, we should wait. Already anxious, they are because we refused to give a report after coming back from Dathomir."

Qui-Gon turned around and raised both of his eyebrows. "They weren't able to understand that our priority was his well-being?"

Mace blew out an annoyed breath, apparently his patience with the Council running out, too. "No, they weren't. They were occupied by their fear that their precious Master might have turned. Even Master Yoda was struggling to remind them to be patient."

"What are we going to do if they don't come around?" Anakin asked, his voice uncertain.

Mace shook his head. "Let's not dwell on that for now. Master Yoda and I will do everything that this doesn't happen," he tried to reassure Anakin, who looked at them with sad eyes.

They left the Padawan with Qui-Gon and Tahl to watch over his Master and decided to contact the Council in the morning.

….