First Knight - Part Thirty-Five
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When Obi-Wan pulled up to the manor, he was pleased to see that not only were there lights on all around it, but a number of Assembly guards were now patrolling the grounds along with security droids. The guards had even stopped the speeder as they had approached the estate, their weapons drawn, before one of them had recognized the Jedi and let them pass.
"Master Kenobi," Simtro cried as he came down the stairs along with, Obi- Wan was happy to see, Gendra and Rylea, Onara's twin aunts.
The aunts briefly greeted Obi-Wan and Anakin, then rushed over to Ben who was still in his baby carrier inside the speeder. Having awakened once the speeder had stopped moving, he cooed happily up at his great-aunts. Both women, whose eyes Obi-Wan saw were red and swollen, began to cry anew upon seeing their great-nephew alive and well. They eased the carrier out of the speeder and, holding it between them, quickly took Ben into the manor.
"You probably won't see your son for awhile, Master Kenobi," Simtro said with a smile as he watched the aunts leave.
"That's quite all right," he said, returning the smile. "But, where were they?"
"I found them gagged and bound in their bedroom. They had not been harmed but were, as you imagine, quite upset to learn of Dynast K'lia's death. I had feared the Red Tide had killed them, but, for whatever, reason, they were spared. I think, perhaps, it is because they chose not to attend Lady Tsara's banishment ritual." Then Simtro shrugged. "But who can say?"
Obi-Wan nodded and turned to where two of the Assembly guards were helping Anakin out of the speeder.
"Could you have someone look at Anakin's leg?" he asked Simtro.
"Of course, Master Kenobi," he replied.
He waved over a young servant girl and instructed her to see to Master Skywalker's leg. She curtsied and followed the guards as they helped Anakin into the manor.
"Where is Lady Tsara?" Simtro asked
"Dead," Obi-Wan said curtly. "Along with her valet. She apparently killed him. Shot him in the back."
Simtro lowered his head and sadly shook it. "Poor Cheran. He was not a bad man. He truly respected Lady Tsara and she was able to exploit that." Simtro looked up. "I contacted the Assembly as soon as you left, Master Kenobi. I was finally able to since our communications were no longer being jammed. They were reluctant to send the Guards, but when I told them both Jerule and K'lia were dead and the Red Tide was involved, they quickly changed their mind. They also notified Kindah Province of Jerule's death. Edress's nephew was declared Dynast and is, even now, withdrawing his troops from our borders."
Obi-Wan nodded. Then, almost afraid to, for fear of the answer, he asked how Onara was.
Simtro's face fell. "I'm sorry, Master Kenobi. While you were gone her condition worsened."
Obi-Wan grabbed Simtro's arms. "No, she can't be---"
"She's not dead," Simtro quickly assured him. "But she lapsed into a coma soon after you left. Sinja-Bau, after we removed Jerule's body and cleaned Onara's bedroom, had her taken there. Then she sequestered herself with Onara and gave strict orders she was not to be disturbed. That was some time ago."
"Did Sinja-Bau appear all right when she did this?"
"All right?" Simtro asked.
"Sane. Did she appear sane?"
"Oh, yes, Master Kenobi. Quite sane. She asked for some things to be brought to her, but nothing unusual. Some herbs, candles, but nothing I deemed to be harmful. I hope we did the right thing. She is the only one who can help Onara, correct?"
"Yes, she is." Obi-Wan took Simtro's shoulder. "Don't worry, you did the right thing. Now, there is nothing more we can do but place our trust in Sinja-Bau and in the Force."
"I'm afraid I don't know much about the Force, Master Kenobi, but I will do as you say. I will trust it."
Simtro then told Obi-Wan that they had found, in total, ten of the Red Tide's bodies inside and outside the manor, not including Jerule's.
"It's quite amazing, Master Kenobi," Simtro added.
"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked as he accompanied Simtro up the stairs into the manor.
"The Red Tide are the most feared assassins on Ahjane. Although they will commit suicide in order to avoid capture, it's rare for anyone to actually kill one of them. And for ten of them to have been eliminated...." Simtro shook his head. "It's never been heard of before."
Obi-Wan said nothing. He didn't want to think about the killing he, Anakin and Master Eo had engaged in this night. It had been necessary, of course, in order to protect the lives of innocents, but Obi-Wan took no satisfaction in it. Especially since, as a result, one of the Order's must revered and respected healers had been lost.
"Where is Master Eo's body?" he asked Simtro as they entered the hall and made their way up the main stairs.
"In a place of honor, Master Kenobi, along with Dynast K'lia's. We will leave the body there until you decide what you would like done with it."
"Thank you, Simtro."
As they walked down the hall to Onara's bedroom, Obi-Wan saw that the area where Dynast K'lia's body had lain was being cleaned by some of the servants. As he and Simtro passed by, they stopped what they were doing and bowed. Obi-Wan returned their bow with a slight incline of his head.
"They are in awe of you, Master Kenobi," Simtro explained as they stopped outside Onara's door. "They are in awe of all you Jedi."
"They shouldn't be," Obi-Wan said softly. "We're no different than they are. Or at least we shouldn't be."
Obi-Wan stood before the closed door to Onara's sitting room. He did not want to violate Sinja-Bau's orders but he wasn't sure he could just stand outside and not know what was going on. Then, just as he contemplated whether it would be all right for him to enter, the door opened.
Sinja-Bau stood in the doorway. She was still wearing the clothes she had worn when Obi-Wan had taken her from Douro's camp. Her hair still lay, stringy and thin, upon her shoulders. But there was a glow about her, an illumination Obi-Wan recognized and that recognition filled him with both awe and shock.
"Obi-Wan," she said smiling. "Your son? Is he all right?"
"Y-y-yes," Obi-Wan stammered. "He's fine."
"And your apprentice?"
Obi-Wan nodded, too stunned to say anything more as he continued to stare in wonder at her. Sinja-Bau smiled warmly at him and took his arm.
"Come, my brother." She looked over at Simtro. "Would you mind waiting for a moment?"
"Of course," Simtro said, inclining his head.
Sinja-Bau guided Obi-Wan through the sitting room and into Onara's bed chamber. The room was softly lit by candle-light, and Obi-Wan could smell sweet-scented herbs in the air. The window, through which the Red Tide assassin had thrown himself, was now boarded up, but the other window was open and Obi-Wan saw through it that dawn was not far off.
He looked over at Onara's bed. She lay sleeping, her dark hair strewn across the pillows. Her face was serene, there was color in her cheeks and, through the Force, Obi-Wan detected that her life energy was as strong and as the bright as the sun that was just about to rise over the horizon. He looked over at Sinja-Bau, tears welling in his eyes.
"She's...she's going to be all right?"
Sinja-Bau nodded. "Yes, my brother."
"But, how..." Obi-Wan began. "How were you able to cure her? Your Force powers...."
"Were given back to me."
"Back to you?" Obi-Wan gasped. "But that's not possible. You were blinded to the Force."
"Yes, that is true. But the Force has given me back my sight, so to speak, and my sanity."
"The madness is gone?"
"Yes. As suddenly as it came." Sinja-Bau smiled at Obi-Wan. "Do not ask me to explain it. I can't. I just know. I can feel the Force again."
Obi-Wan stared at her. What she was telling him, as far as he knew, was impossible and yet, even after 25,000 years of studying the Force, did the Jedi truly know everything there was to know about it. The Force works in mysterious ways, Qui-Gon had once told him. And here, Obi-Wan realized, was living proof that it did.
He went over to Onara's bed and sat next to her. He did not want to wake her but, unable to resist touching her, gently took her hand and rubbed his fingers over it. It was warm and soft and just the touch of it made his head spin with bliss. Sinja-Bau, who was standing behind him, touched his shoulder.
"And this illness will never plague her again," she told him.
"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked as he turned and looked up at her.
Sinja-Bau blue-green eyes sparkled. "Well, if by chance you and Onara should someday, perhaps, wish for Ben to have a sister or a brother, she will not become ill from the pregnancy. I have seen to that."
Obi-Wan felt himself blushing and, shaking his head, looked back at Onara.
"Thank you, Sinja-Bau, but if Onara is to be blessed with more children, I do not think I will be..." Obi-Wan stopped and sighed.
"You should get some rest," Sinja-Bau said. "When was the last time you slept? Or ate?"
Obi-Wan shrugged. He had no idea.
"Well, I'm ordering you to eat and to rest," she said. "Onara will not awaken for several hours and when she does I will send for you."
Obi-Wan nodded. He held Onara's hand for a moment longer. Then he lifted it and kissed it. As he did, he was surprised to see a small smile on her face, but she did not awaken. He lowered her hand and, rising from her bed, followed Sinja-Bau out into the hallway. Simtro was still waiting, but judging from the look on Obi-Wan's face did not need to ask how Onara was. He clapped his hands together, a big smile spreading across his face.
"I will go and tell the others," he cried and, turning, ran down the hall.
"I should go check on Anakin," Obi-Wan said, but Sinja-Bau grabbed his arm and, pulling him along, steered him towards one of the bedrooms.
"No, I will check on your apprentice, Obi-Wan. You, on the other hand," and she opened the door and pushed him, gently but firmly, into the room, "will do as I instructed. And I don't want to see that handsome face of yours for at least five hours. Understood?"
"Understood, Master Sinja-Bau," Obi-Wan said smiling.
Sinja-Bau jumped a bit at his use of her old title, than smiled.
"I'll have some food brought to you."
"Thank you."
Obi-Wan walked into the room, Sinja-Bau closing the door behind him. He stood for a moment, his glance falling on the door leading to the fresher. He would shower, then eat. But, as he looked over at the bed, he quickly unclipped his lightsaber, laid it on the nightstand, fell onto the mattress and, even before his body had settled onto it, was soon fast asleep.
As a matter of fact, Obi-Wan slept so deeply that, when the servants brought his food, Sinja-Bau had them take it back to the kitchen, telling them he would eat it when he awoke.
To be continued...
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When Obi-Wan pulled up to the manor, he was pleased to see that not only were there lights on all around it, but a number of Assembly guards were now patrolling the grounds along with security droids. The guards had even stopped the speeder as they had approached the estate, their weapons drawn, before one of them had recognized the Jedi and let them pass.
"Master Kenobi," Simtro cried as he came down the stairs along with, Obi- Wan was happy to see, Gendra and Rylea, Onara's twin aunts.
The aunts briefly greeted Obi-Wan and Anakin, then rushed over to Ben who was still in his baby carrier inside the speeder. Having awakened once the speeder had stopped moving, he cooed happily up at his great-aunts. Both women, whose eyes Obi-Wan saw were red and swollen, began to cry anew upon seeing their great-nephew alive and well. They eased the carrier out of the speeder and, holding it between them, quickly took Ben into the manor.
"You probably won't see your son for awhile, Master Kenobi," Simtro said with a smile as he watched the aunts leave.
"That's quite all right," he said, returning the smile. "But, where were they?"
"I found them gagged and bound in their bedroom. They had not been harmed but were, as you imagine, quite upset to learn of Dynast K'lia's death. I had feared the Red Tide had killed them, but, for whatever, reason, they were spared. I think, perhaps, it is because they chose not to attend Lady Tsara's banishment ritual." Then Simtro shrugged. "But who can say?"
Obi-Wan nodded and turned to where two of the Assembly guards were helping Anakin out of the speeder.
"Could you have someone look at Anakin's leg?" he asked Simtro.
"Of course, Master Kenobi," he replied.
He waved over a young servant girl and instructed her to see to Master Skywalker's leg. She curtsied and followed the guards as they helped Anakin into the manor.
"Where is Lady Tsara?" Simtro asked
"Dead," Obi-Wan said curtly. "Along with her valet. She apparently killed him. Shot him in the back."
Simtro lowered his head and sadly shook it. "Poor Cheran. He was not a bad man. He truly respected Lady Tsara and she was able to exploit that." Simtro looked up. "I contacted the Assembly as soon as you left, Master Kenobi. I was finally able to since our communications were no longer being jammed. They were reluctant to send the Guards, but when I told them both Jerule and K'lia were dead and the Red Tide was involved, they quickly changed their mind. They also notified Kindah Province of Jerule's death. Edress's nephew was declared Dynast and is, even now, withdrawing his troops from our borders."
Obi-Wan nodded. Then, almost afraid to, for fear of the answer, he asked how Onara was.
Simtro's face fell. "I'm sorry, Master Kenobi. While you were gone her condition worsened."
Obi-Wan grabbed Simtro's arms. "No, she can't be---"
"She's not dead," Simtro quickly assured him. "But she lapsed into a coma soon after you left. Sinja-Bau, after we removed Jerule's body and cleaned Onara's bedroom, had her taken there. Then she sequestered herself with Onara and gave strict orders she was not to be disturbed. That was some time ago."
"Did Sinja-Bau appear all right when she did this?"
"All right?" Simtro asked.
"Sane. Did she appear sane?"
"Oh, yes, Master Kenobi. Quite sane. She asked for some things to be brought to her, but nothing unusual. Some herbs, candles, but nothing I deemed to be harmful. I hope we did the right thing. She is the only one who can help Onara, correct?"
"Yes, she is." Obi-Wan took Simtro's shoulder. "Don't worry, you did the right thing. Now, there is nothing more we can do but place our trust in Sinja-Bau and in the Force."
"I'm afraid I don't know much about the Force, Master Kenobi, but I will do as you say. I will trust it."
Simtro then told Obi-Wan that they had found, in total, ten of the Red Tide's bodies inside and outside the manor, not including Jerule's.
"It's quite amazing, Master Kenobi," Simtro added.
"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked as he accompanied Simtro up the stairs into the manor.
"The Red Tide are the most feared assassins on Ahjane. Although they will commit suicide in order to avoid capture, it's rare for anyone to actually kill one of them. And for ten of them to have been eliminated...." Simtro shook his head. "It's never been heard of before."
Obi-Wan said nothing. He didn't want to think about the killing he, Anakin and Master Eo had engaged in this night. It had been necessary, of course, in order to protect the lives of innocents, but Obi-Wan took no satisfaction in it. Especially since, as a result, one of the Order's must revered and respected healers had been lost.
"Where is Master Eo's body?" he asked Simtro as they entered the hall and made their way up the main stairs.
"In a place of honor, Master Kenobi, along with Dynast K'lia's. We will leave the body there until you decide what you would like done with it."
"Thank you, Simtro."
As they walked down the hall to Onara's bedroom, Obi-Wan saw that the area where Dynast K'lia's body had lain was being cleaned by some of the servants. As he and Simtro passed by, they stopped what they were doing and bowed. Obi-Wan returned their bow with a slight incline of his head.
"They are in awe of you, Master Kenobi," Simtro explained as they stopped outside Onara's door. "They are in awe of all you Jedi."
"They shouldn't be," Obi-Wan said softly. "We're no different than they are. Or at least we shouldn't be."
Obi-Wan stood before the closed door to Onara's sitting room. He did not want to violate Sinja-Bau's orders but he wasn't sure he could just stand outside and not know what was going on. Then, just as he contemplated whether it would be all right for him to enter, the door opened.
Sinja-Bau stood in the doorway. She was still wearing the clothes she had worn when Obi-Wan had taken her from Douro's camp. Her hair still lay, stringy and thin, upon her shoulders. But there was a glow about her, an illumination Obi-Wan recognized and that recognition filled him with both awe and shock.
"Obi-Wan," she said smiling. "Your son? Is he all right?"
"Y-y-yes," Obi-Wan stammered. "He's fine."
"And your apprentice?"
Obi-Wan nodded, too stunned to say anything more as he continued to stare in wonder at her. Sinja-Bau smiled warmly at him and took his arm.
"Come, my brother." She looked over at Simtro. "Would you mind waiting for a moment?"
"Of course," Simtro said, inclining his head.
Sinja-Bau guided Obi-Wan through the sitting room and into Onara's bed chamber. The room was softly lit by candle-light, and Obi-Wan could smell sweet-scented herbs in the air. The window, through which the Red Tide assassin had thrown himself, was now boarded up, but the other window was open and Obi-Wan saw through it that dawn was not far off.
He looked over at Onara's bed. She lay sleeping, her dark hair strewn across the pillows. Her face was serene, there was color in her cheeks and, through the Force, Obi-Wan detected that her life energy was as strong and as the bright as the sun that was just about to rise over the horizon. He looked over at Sinja-Bau, tears welling in his eyes.
"She's...she's going to be all right?"
Sinja-Bau nodded. "Yes, my brother."
"But, how..." Obi-Wan began. "How were you able to cure her? Your Force powers...."
"Were given back to me."
"Back to you?" Obi-Wan gasped. "But that's not possible. You were blinded to the Force."
"Yes, that is true. But the Force has given me back my sight, so to speak, and my sanity."
"The madness is gone?"
"Yes. As suddenly as it came." Sinja-Bau smiled at Obi-Wan. "Do not ask me to explain it. I can't. I just know. I can feel the Force again."
Obi-Wan stared at her. What she was telling him, as far as he knew, was impossible and yet, even after 25,000 years of studying the Force, did the Jedi truly know everything there was to know about it. The Force works in mysterious ways, Qui-Gon had once told him. And here, Obi-Wan realized, was living proof that it did.
He went over to Onara's bed and sat next to her. He did not want to wake her but, unable to resist touching her, gently took her hand and rubbed his fingers over it. It was warm and soft and just the touch of it made his head spin with bliss. Sinja-Bau, who was standing behind him, touched his shoulder.
"And this illness will never plague her again," she told him.
"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked as he turned and looked up at her.
Sinja-Bau blue-green eyes sparkled. "Well, if by chance you and Onara should someday, perhaps, wish for Ben to have a sister or a brother, she will not become ill from the pregnancy. I have seen to that."
Obi-Wan felt himself blushing and, shaking his head, looked back at Onara.
"Thank you, Sinja-Bau, but if Onara is to be blessed with more children, I do not think I will be..." Obi-Wan stopped and sighed.
"You should get some rest," Sinja-Bau said. "When was the last time you slept? Or ate?"
Obi-Wan shrugged. He had no idea.
"Well, I'm ordering you to eat and to rest," she said. "Onara will not awaken for several hours and when she does I will send for you."
Obi-Wan nodded. He held Onara's hand for a moment longer. Then he lifted it and kissed it. As he did, he was surprised to see a small smile on her face, but she did not awaken. He lowered her hand and, rising from her bed, followed Sinja-Bau out into the hallway. Simtro was still waiting, but judging from the look on Obi-Wan's face did not need to ask how Onara was. He clapped his hands together, a big smile spreading across his face.
"I will go and tell the others," he cried and, turning, ran down the hall.
"I should go check on Anakin," Obi-Wan said, but Sinja-Bau grabbed his arm and, pulling him along, steered him towards one of the bedrooms.
"No, I will check on your apprentice, Obi-Wan. You, on the other hand," and she opened the door and pushed him, gently but firmly, into the room, "will do as I instructed. And I don't want to see that handsome face of yours for at least five hours. Understood?"
"Understood, Master Sinja-Bau," Obi-Wan said smiling.
Sinja-Bau jumped a bit at his use of her old title, than smiled.
"I'll have some food brought to you."
"Thank you."
Obi-Wan walked into the room, Sinja-Bau closing the door behind him. He stood for a moment, his glance falling on the door leading to the fresher. He would shower, then eat. But, as he looked over at the bed, he quickly unclipped his lightsaber, laid it on the nightstand, fell onto the mattress and, even before his body had settled onto it, was soon fast asleep.
As a matter of fact, Obi-Wan slept so deeply that, when the servants brought his food, Sinja-Bau had them take it back to the kitchen, telling them he would eat it when he awoke.
To be continued...