Chapter Eighty-One
Aalea woke up. A ceiling arched over her. She recognized it as the one in the Healer's wing. She swallowed and took a breath. Looking over she saw Cian sitting in a chair next to her. Her eyes were closed.
"Cian," Aalea said. But her throat was so dry, she could hardly get the word out.
"Cian," she said a little louder.
Cian's eyes flew open and she looked quickly over at Aalea.
"Aalea," she said as she stood and moved next to the bed. "How are you feeling, dear?"
"My throat is so dry."
Cian turned and poured some water from a pitcher on the nightstand into a small glass. She held it to Aalea's mouth and helped her drink from it.
When Aalea was finished, Cian put the empty glass on the table. Then she sat next to Aalea on the bed and took her hand.
Aalea gazed up at Cian. She noted the dark shadows under her eyes, the tautness of her pale features. Cian looked as if she had aged a decade.
"He's dead, isn't he?" Aalea asked in a small voice.
Cian's eyes darkened with anguish. She cupped Aalea's face and held it gently.
"Yes, dove," she said quietly. "Qui-Gon is dead."
Aalea closed her eyes as pain like a thousand arrows pierced through her soul.
"No, not Master Qui-Gon! No!" Aalea cried, rocking back and forth, her body shuddering. Master Windu had thought she'd been dreaming and she'd tried so hard to convince him she wasn't. Now she wished with all her heart it had only been a dream.
Cian reached quickly over and held Aalea tightly.
"No, Cian, he can't be gone," Aalea wailed. "Oh, please tell me it was just a dream. He can't be gone. I won't let him be gone."
Deep sobs racked Aalea's body and she could feel her heart tearing apart as the full realization that the tall and gentle man she had loved all her life was truly dead. Her grief was like a storm, raging and uncontrolled. She buried her face on Cian's chest.
"Oh, Cian, please tell me it's not true! Please tell me he hasn't left me!"
"Oh, little one, by the Lady I wish I could tell you that," Cian said, her voice choked with grief, her arms tight around Aalea. "I wish I could tell you it was only a dream. But it wasn't a dream, my love, it wasn't."
Aalea could feel Cian's tears splashing on her hair. She lifted her head and looked up at her.
"Oh, Cian, what about you? What about you?"
Aalea reached up and touched the tears streaming down Cian's face.
Cian gazed back at Aalea for a long moment. She lifted her hand and wiped quickly at her face. Then she took Aalea's hand in hers and placed it gently on her stomach.
"Reach out, Aalea. Reach out through the Living Force as Qui-Gon taught you. What do you feel?"
Aalea took a breath and opened her awareness. She felt her hand grow warm as it lay on Cian's stomach. Then she felt it. Like a tingling under her palm. Tiny, flickering, but alive. She looked up into Cian's face.
"Is it...?"
Cian nodded, a small smile on her grief-ravaged face.
"Qui-Gon's child. So you see, Aalea. I haven't lost him. Completely."
Aalea leaned over and placed her head against Cian's stomach. She reached out with her thoughts to the glowing bubble of life within Cian's womb.
Don't be afraid. I'm here. I'll always be here for you.
Cian smiled down at Aalea and softly stroked her hair.
Then, suddenly, Aalea remembered the rest of her vision. She sat up, a look of horror on her face.
"Obi-Wan! Is he dead too?" she asked, her voice thick with tears.
"Oh no, dove, no! Not at all! Obi-Wan is very much alive. He's fine."
"But, but, I saw him, he was alone, when Qui-Gon was....he was alone with the dark warrior."
"Yes, but Obi-Wan killed him. He killed him," Cian repeated and Aalea heard the grim satisfaction in her voice.
Tears spilled from Aalea's eyes as both her grief at Qui-Gon's death and her joy that her love was still alive warred within her heart.
"Is Obi-Wan here?"
"No, he hasn't returned from Naboo yet. The funeral...," Cian gasped and took a deep breath, "is going to be held on Naboo. The Council has already left for it."
"Already left? How long was I unconscious?"
"A few hours."
"Why did they sedate me, Cian? Didn't they believe me? Did they think I was only dreaming?"
"They were afraid you would hurt yourself. They now know it wasn't a dream."
"But, why didn't you go with the Council? Wouldn't they let you?"
"Master Yoda said I could come if I wished. But I wanted to be here when you awoke, dove. I didn't want you to be alone when you heard about....about Qui-Gon. And also because...."
Cian stopped, her throat working, tears glistening in her eyes.
"Because I know what the Jedi do to their fallen," she went on in a pain-lashed whisper. She bit her quivering lip. "I know I couldn't just stand there and watch as they....as they....burned him!"
Cian covered her face with trembling hands and her body shook uncontrollably from the sobs which ripped through her.
"Qui-Gon! Oh, gods! Qui-Gon!"
Aalea quickly sat up and took Cian into her arms and the two women wept and wept for the one they had both loved so dearly. And for awhile the Healer's Wing in the Jedi Temple on the capital world of the Republic was filled with the anguish of two broken and shattered hearts.
To be continued...