Thanks for the reviews all!!!!!!! After feeling so bad about making you guys wait all the time, I decided to post a really long chapter…It's not all that exciting at all but it explains a lot and will add up to the next chapter that will be so incrediably sappy.
Btw, if anyone knows Reeft's last name and his master's name along with Garen's master's name can you please tell me because I have no idea… Thanks!!! :)
Ch. 7 The Shadow's Forgiveness
Fight For Life
Carlie winced as she was jerked forward by the collar of her tunic.
"He's a what?!" Jinn all but shouted.
"If you'll be so kind as to release me I can explain." Carlie snapped pushing the much larger man away forcfully.
"Then start explaining." Qui-Gon growled.
"Wait, wait, how do we know what you're saying is true?" An-Paj commented. "Obi-Wan remembers everything that happened to him before you ever met him."
"We made him that way after a time." Carlie replied.
"What—After a time? How long has it been?" Qui-Gon questioned.
"About 3 months. His growth has been enhanced for treatment." She told him.
"Treatment?" An-Paj and Qui-Gon asked at the same time.
"We need to talk about this from the start Jedi, otherwise you're not going to understand anything." Grandai told them.
"By all means." Qui-Gon said harshly. An-Paj threw him a glare.
"We can discuss this in my office. The rest of you, don't touch him unless something's wrong, and if that's the case contact me immediately." An-Paj ordered.
Jinn continued to glare at the doctor as An-Paj led them out. How could she clone a 15 year old boy, a Jedi, and take this as calmly as she was?
"Take a seat, both of you." An-Paj said after leading them into his private office. Carlie and Qui-Gon sat in the chairs infront of his desk and he stood leaning on it with his arms crossed.
"It's not what you think…" Carlie said softly. "I didn't clone him just because I could-"
"Then why did you? And where is the real Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon cut in.
"I did it because I had to!" Carlie snapped back.
"Enough of this. Dr. Grandai you will explain your reasons without interruptions unless mortal questions." An-Paj ordered glaring at them both.
Carlie shifted in the chair clearing her throat and with a deep breath began. "As you know, the real Obi-Wan Kenobi, or Ben, was apart of the Shadow's Own and he was also my winged intern, under my supervision and teaching only. He was with us for 18 months when it happened."
Qui-Gon leaned back in his chair placing his ankle on his knee taking what she had to say in.
"Four months ago…there was an accident—a mistake." She continued, her voice stressed. "A patient came in with mortal bleeding, Ben was with me as we took him into operation, he wasn't coherent at all and we didn't know what we were getting into. We both ended up with blood on our hands before we brought him in, we had no gloves on first take.
"In the end, the patient's surgery went fine he was going to live. It wasn't until later that his DNA tests returned…He had Tionioma in his blood."
"Tionioma?" An-Paj questioned, shocked.
Carlie nodded, "Late stages, it caused his bleeding."
"What is Tionioma?" Qui-Gon questioned them both.
"It's a disease that attacks red blood cells and main internal organs. It first thins the blood extremely, and from there any cut can cause death because if a victim starts bleeding it's nearly impossible to make them stop. If, after a time, they don't die from blood loss during the time of around usually 5 months, their internal organs bid to attacks and they start shutting down one by one until the patient is dead." An-Paj told him. "It's also highly contagious passed on through blood only but easily."
Qui-Gon couldn't wipe the surprised expression from his face. He looked back to Grandai. She sighed and continued.
"After we received those results we tested everyone who had handled the patient in any way. Everyone besides Ben and I were protected by gloves…but Ben was the only one of us to contract the diease. He had a paper cut on his hand and contracted it from there." She said shallowly, obviously she wasn't in the best terms to discuss this.
"That was four months ago? Where is he now?" An-Paj questioned.
"After the first month or so we found that Ben had a rare blood type, and seeing is how I discovered he was a Jedi from his tests, there were very few beings available anywhere, especially deceased, who were Jedi and with his blood type. It would take a very long time to find a suppliest."
"What do you mean suppliest?"
"The only way to rid the disease is to flush out the patients blood with the exact same kind for the body to accept and comprehend." An-Paj told him.
"Right, and there weren't very many people at all, if any. So..we decided to try a different method. Ben agreed to clone himself, after a very long discussion, and be put under in a life support freezing condition for the amount of months that his clone needed to grow properly."
"So..Obi-Wan Kenobi is in a life support freeze?" An-Paj questioned.
"Yes." Carlie nodded.
"I understood that clones didn't remember that of their original being if they actually got past the fetus stage." He added confused.
"Originally he didn't, he was to be in the growth tank for his entire span of life, but then we discovered that Ben, the real Ben, was beginning to deplete rather quickly. The only way to quicken the cloning phase was to have the clone function as a real person..and to help him understand better we digitally traced the real Ben's brain waves, functions, and canals, also including his memory cells and projected them into the clone. From then on he wasn't G34, he actually was Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"This is sick." Qui-Gon said harshly. "You bring a living being to life, let him believe so many things, let him interact with others, and yet you're going to kill him in the end."
"He won't die…in a way. From a certain point of view, this Ben will still be alive. You see when we transfer the blood types we're also going to transfer the brain activity, the real Ben will know everything that happened in that time he was frozen." Carlie said defensively.
"You've created, and you're going to kill an innocent being." Qui-Gon retorted.
"Would you have rather have me let the real Ben die, or would it just be a burden off your shoulders?" Carlie growled.
Qui-Gon shot up to a stand, towering over the sitting woman.
"That is enough! You both act as though you're third year intiates! If you cannot work together civilly one of you is going to leave and I'm guessing it's going to be you Qui-Gon because we're going to need Grandai no matter how much you dislike her." An-Paj exclaimed, his annoyance getting the better of him.
Jinn sat down again, a cold glare still boring into the doctor.
"Now, where is Kenobi doctor?" An-Paj said settling back to lean on the desk.
"He's in a level below the hospital." Carlie told him.
"Are you still going to be able to use G34's supply?"
Qui-Gon clenched his jaw at the name the healer mentioned.
"Depends on the amount lost. More then likely, yes we'll be able to use it. And, seeing as how he doesn't have any brain damage we can still use his brain waves and cells." She replied. "We were planning on doing the transfer in three days, but now I think we should do it as soon as possible. The real Ben is doing as well as can be expected, but if we lose G34 we're going to lose him as well."
The room fell into silence and An-Paj kept in thought. Qui-Gon didn't know what to think. In a way, he was grateful that it would let Obi-Wan, the real Obi-Wan, live but then he was enraged that Grandai would tamper with life Force so effortlessly and thinking nothing of it.
"I think we should continue with the operation, it may be Obi-Wan's only chance." The blue healer said after a while.
"I agree." Carlie added. The both looked at Qui-Gon.
"Shouldn't the Council be made aware of this?" He asked, irriated.
An-Paj looked at him oddly. Since when did Qui-Gon Jinn care what the Council thought as long as he did what he thought was right?
"You're probably right. Dr. Grandai, you're going to have to repeat what you told us to the Council. I'll request an emergency meeting."
"Alright." Carlie said after a moment of shock. Going infront of the Jedi High Council??
Qui-Gon just shook his head slightly, still in disbelief, and looked away.
3 Hours Later: 0200 Hours- 2 a.m.
An-Paj and Qui-Gon Jinn entered the Council Chambers 2 hours after Carlie Grandai had entered. Two entirely long, tiring, questioning, boring, 2 hours. Her hands still shook slightly as they had times 10 before she entered the chambers. Jinn offered little advice or sympathy, An-Paj helped as much as he possibly could and she was gratful.
"Disagree with this tactic of cloning, we do. Even for life." Yoda said, obviously not pleased that a Jedi had been completely cloned. Cloning was still a verge of new territory and it often didn't work. The fact that this particular one had was more than disturbing.
"But, if it is Obi-Wan Kenobi's final and only chance at a return to life, then we have considered." Master Ki-Adi-Mundi said in his strangely smooth voice.
"He has no other choice Council." Carlie said, as if she had repeated something again.
"Then, if that is the way of things, you should continue with the operation. Finish what you started." Mace Windu said with a small nod.
Carlie breathed a sigh of relief. She glanced at Qui-Gon and An-Paj.
"I think we should transfer Obi-Wan here as soon as possible, likely tonight, and begin tomorrow morning. It'll take at least 5 hours for the operation." An-Paj suggested.
"Will G34 be stable enough to complete the operation?" Adi Gallia questioned.
"Yes. He's lost blood, but he will be stable and everything should be fine if we keep him under bacta treatment until the operation itself." Grandai supplied.
"Good, good." Mace said. "When can you transfer the real Kenobi?"
"He's fine whenever anyone is ready." She told him.
"Then agree with you the Council does. Transfer young Kenobi back to the Temple, you will. Conduct the operation, you must." Master Yoda said, softly tapping his gimmer stick on the marble flooring.
"Yes Masters." An-Paj and Qui-Gon said in unison, bowing. Carlie kind of glanced back and forth between the circle and the two Jedi.
"Speak with you after the operation, the Council will Dr. Carlain Grandai. Much to be discussed there is." Yoda added. Carlie inwardly cringed but nodded lowly.
"May the Force be with you." He dismissed the three.
Outside the Council Chambers An-Paj said, "I'm going to call a small team to help with the transfer. I'll meet you both in the East Port."
Qui-Gon nodded. The healer quickened his pace away from the two.
Jinn and Carlie kept silent as they entered the turbo lift the healer didn't take. Qui-Gon broke the silence rather softly.
"Have you done this before?" He questioned. She was 21 years old and was going to conduct a complete blood transfer from one living being to another, an extremely risky operation. Then throw in a laser remodeling of the brain, and you had a very nervous Jedi Master waiting.
"No." She replied with a shake of the head.
Silence again. "Do you know what you're doing?" He questioned.
"Yes." Carlie replied, but Jinn felt her own anxiety over the situation.
"Prehaps An-Paj should do the operation.." Qui-Gon suggested.
Carlie stiffened defensively. "I've been operating since I was 16…a doctor since I was 15 I know what I'm doing." She retorted icily. "Besides…" She added after a moment. "Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ben Kenobi mean more to me then they do to Healer An-Paj, I will not make a mistake."
Qui-Gon noticed she separated the clone and Obi-wan differently now. She was feeling guilty about what she was going to have to do.
"I suggest you don't." He replied.
Grandai glared at him.
"I will be the least of your problems if you do." He added motioning her out of the lift as the door opened.
"So this is where he's been for four months?"
"Three, yes." Carlie corrected Qui-Gon as they looked at the liquid frozen boy.
An-Paj stifled a laugh at the purpose correction. "The transfer shuttle is ready."
"Right..TiFin--…Keep an eye on his vitals, we're going to wake him up to move him." Carlie said. TiFin frowned a little but nodded.
Carle approached the freezing tank…Her guilt in the entire situation was climbing incrediably fast. She shouldn't have let him touch a bleeding patient without gloves. She should have known better. She should have caught it sooner in the patient. She shouldn't have brought a being alive only to die…But she couldn't let Obi-Wan die.
Carlie glanced at Qui-Gon then back to the limp body. This was her fault. If she'd been in her office and not him the operation would have gone fine…and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan would have probably settled into something of an agreement.
"Carlie.." TiFin murmured.
She cleared her throat and entered a few digits into the keypad next to the tank. A light liquid entered into the tubes connected into his arms and dehibernation gas was pumped into the mask over his face.
After a few moments he began to stir and move again. Slowly his eyes opened, dilated from lack of light. He could only see from the hibernation because of the gas being given to him.
He studied Carlie a moment and she smiled with a nod. He nodded slightly in return, not paying attention to those behind her, and the droid machines holding him began to surface him.
Qui-Gon moved forward as Obi-Wan was placed on a hover bed, toweled off of the cool gel and beginning to be blanketed heavily.
"Qui-Gon, I think you should stay back." Mace Windu said, he had accompanied the group as an eye for the Council.
"What? Why?" Qui-Gon questioned pulling away from his friend's grip.
"Because, Obi-wan hasn't seen you in 22 months." Mace reminded. "How will he react if suddenly you're just here with him?"
Qui-Gon thought on this a moment and glanced at the group around the young Jedi, then nodded stepping back beside Windu.
"..I know..you.." Obi-Wan said, weakly moving the breathing mask from his nose and mouth, looking at An-Paj.
"Ah, at least someone does." An-Paj replied with a big smile.
"Carlie…why…who..?" Obi-Wan asked hoarsely. His voice killing him from so long without use.
"Relax Ben, everything's going to be fine." Carlie assured softly.
"We just needed some help." TiFin told him, popping into his small line of vision.
"Hey…Fin.."
"Hey yourself." The humanoid said with a grin. "Ready to come back to the land of the living?"
Obi-Wan did something that resembled a nod.
"Good. You hang in there alright? I'll be seeing you soon." TiFin told him.
"You should sleep Ob-…Ben." Carlie told him with a soft smile. "Don't worry, you'll be back in no time."
"mm..k." The exhausted boy replied slowly closing his eyes.
"He's good to move." Carlie said and they did so.
An Hour Later
"Master An-Paj…ah…We have a small problem." Healer Omia said coming into the room that was being prepared for operation.
"What kind of problem?"
"Umm…G34, the clone..it's-he's waking up."
An-Paj looked at Grandai. "It's ok…I'd like to talk to him." Carlie said.
"Remove him from the bacta and set him in a room please Omia." An-Paj said.
"Yes sir." She replied.
"…Should we tell Qui-Gon?" Carlie asked.
"He's finally asleep…Without sedative." An-Paj said, as if it were a victory looking out the open door to the lobby where Jedi Master Tahl sat between young Bant Eerin and Qui-Gon, both who were asleep. Stepping closer to the door he saw two more Masters, with two more tired Padawan, one who was asleep, the other wasn't. Two boys, Reeft..something, who was snoring rather loudly. His master was next to him.
And Garen Muln was sitting with his head in his hands, obviously tired but unwilling to sleep. His own Master near him.
"We'll have an audience in no time." An-Paj mentioned. Carlie looked up as 5 people she knew so well entered, being led by a young healer. Half the Council were standing just outside the lobby.
"Well, isn't he the popular one?" She said with a smile.
An-Paj chuckled and motioned for her to follow. Tahl looked up at them, as did mostly everyone in the lobby. Carlie put a finger over her lips and looked at Jinn and Bant. Tahl smiled a little.
Carlie caught the blood shot eyes of Garen Muln next to his two sleeping friends. A heavier male and Bant. He looked back at her silently. She offered a small smile and continued behind An-Paj, past her own people. Moh received a whack on the head from Fice after giving her the number one sign. This brought a smile to Carlie's face and her mood lightened.
"We'll be ready as soon as you're done." An-Paj said, stopping at the door to Ben's room.
"Alright, I shouldn't be long." She replied entering the darkened room.
Ben shifted at her entrance. "Carlie?"
"Yeah, it's just me." She said coming to his bedside.
"Is…everything ok?" He asked.
Soon after they'd returned Carlie was told that Ben's spine had been snapped through no one's fault but the explosion and small pressure of him moving once and a while. If he were to stay like this no matter what, he'd be paralyzed from the waist down.
"Everything's fine." She told him semi-truthfully.
"Why can't I feel…my legs?" He asked.
Carlie sighed softly, "You will. Give it time and you'll be fine."
"You're sure?" He asked tiredly.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Trust me."
"I trust you." He told her quietly with a small smile.
"..Where's..Qui-Gon?" He asked suddenly aware that he hadn't seen the man.
"He's fine. He's waiting for you." She said with an assuring nod.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Oh..ok."
Carlie reached over and turned on the anesthesia without him noticing into the tubes helping him breathe.
"You'll see him soon." She told him.
"Carlie?" Ben slurred.
"Hm?"
"Tell him…I…I'll right the mis.." He said something more but it was slurred and died away with his sleep.
Carlie nodded knowing what he said. She knew.
Healer's aides entered and began to move him out as she took all of this into prespective. Slowly she nodded to herself and left the room.
A Very Short Time Later
Tahl looked at the doctor from the small piece of paper she'd handed her. After a moment she nodded and Grandai nodded back. Tahl mouthed a thank you with a smile. Grandai just nodded again, though with a smile this time, and turned away.
Tahl read the piece of paper again, knowing she was to show it to Qui-Gon when he woke up.
He'll right the wrong if you will…
TBC…
--- Yes I know, not much of an 'awakening' there. Sorry!!!!! Don't worry next chapter will prolly be a tissue caller. :) Just a warning. ---