Obi Wan opened his eyes. Slowly the yellow textured ceiling came into focus. The throbbing pain had been replaced by a dull ache and the small skylight showing one of Elphora's twin moons and a deep violet sky told him it was dusk. He successfully attempted to sit up and examine his hand that was now in a sling and his upper arms were covered in yellowing bruises, and by the feel of it, his face and crown.
There were footsteps and Kyia became visible in the doorway. "At last, you're awake"
"How long was I out for?" he asked groggily"
"Two days. I've been bored stiff since they won't let me out" There was a mischievous look in her eye "Good thing I'm not human, Elphorans heal twice as fast"
"I see your sense of humour has returned"
Kyia lowered her eyes "It's better than crying," she raised them again. "We're both veterans of Sith attacks. We should be used to it by now"
"I don't think I'll ever get used to it" He retorted with more than a touch of admiration on her ability to cover over her anxiety "Has anything else happened?"
"I don't know. They won't let me near anything official until tomorrow. Medic's orders" Kyia sighed in exasperation. She didn't like being away from it all for this long.
"So quickly?" Obi Wan questioned
"I've had my treatment. I woke up from the healing trance with no problems." She defended herself. Strictly speaking you can discharge yourself whenever you want to," She sighed again "I'm bound by law"
The human nodded, it was a typical planetary custom. "Anakin?"
"He visited this morning" Kyia became tired of standing and perched on the edge of the bed. "He's a good kid" Obi Wan remained silent. It said it all. "You two don't really have a normal master padawan relationship do you?"
She had hit it on the head, again. Part of Obi Wan wondered if she missed anything. However, strangely enough he felt at ease with her, something he had missed since Qui Gonn had died. "Extenuating circumstances"
"Ah" She replied, recognising his use of her words.
"It's difficult"
Kyia paused, as if she wanted to say something but wasn't sure if she should. Obi Wan prompted her to speak with a raise of an eyebrow.
"Can I make a suggestion, Anakin is young, he's not a Jedi with honed discipline. I think you forget sometimes. And" She halted briefly "And you keep him at arms length. I think he hardly knows you."
"I'm not sure I know what you mean?" Obi Wan muttered
"Yes you do" She smirked playfully "Would it really kill you to lower those walls you've wrapped yourself up in"
"How can you tell all that from a week?" He asked puzzled.
Kyia laughed, then someone called her name. "In here"
Anice appeared in the doorway, her eyes were red and swollen. "The men in the cells. The ones you caught, they're…"
"How?" Kyia replied quietly.
"Looks like they took a cyanide pill" Anice said in similar tones.
Kyia raised a hand to her face. Once again the Quelena stunned Obi Wan, this time at her seemly-unlimited compassion.
"That's not all" A tear trickled down her cheek. "Some villagers, farmers from the edge of our sector have arrived. Three days ago they were attacked" There was a choked gasp. "The children"
Kyia stood up sharply, fierceness naked on her face. She sped out of the room.
Anice dropped down on the bed distraught.
"Syrous, get out of my way now, or I'll shove that law somewhere that will need surgery to remove it."
Obi Wan sprang up after her and saw her push past the Medic.
Syrous held up in hands "Fine, I'm only a medic, what do I know?"
Kyia ran down the meandering corridors of the palace until she reached the throne room. A dozen Elphorans were crouched in the corner with covered in burn marks and tatters; medics were attending who they could. One woman was clutching an unconscious boy and crying softly. They all looked up when they saw their Quelena.
Kyia rushed over to the women and put an arm around her shoulders. "Someone take this boy"
"Nilyka, his name is Nilyka." His mother cried.
A medic came and gently lifted him from her arms.
"What happened?"
Several voices chattered at once
"Two men"
"They cut us down with light swords"
"We weren't doing anything"
"Killed my wife"
"Killed my son"
"Please" said the Quelena "One at a time"
A man stepped forward with a burn mark on his forehead. He walked across with the calm of authority, but the strain showed in his voice. "Pardon, Quelena. Two men came to the village of Hellebore's Light, one wearing black robes, the other dressed in the manner of a Jedi and carried lightsabres." He paused "They spared no one but who you see before you. We walked three days to reach you; we didn't know where else to go. Our homes have been burnt."
"You were right to come here," She said hoarsely.
Obi Wan took a step towards her out of the shadows.
Someone screamed "That face, that's him." Other cries followed.
Kyia spun round and glared. The other Jedi looked back helplessly.
"Get out" She growled.
Obi Wan turned and left. A confrontation in front of these people wouldn't do him any good. Despite that he felt slightly hurt, he went into the blue entrance hall and sat down.
A few minutes later she came out of the door where he was waiting.
"Kyia it wasn't me…"
"I know" She cut him off and sat down in a blue armchair next to him. Tiredness had come over her. "I know. I just had to get you out of there."
He nodded, and be seen to be standing by her subjects. "You look exhausted"
"I am," She admitted. Tears started streaming down her cheek. "How could they do that to children?"
Obi Wan awkwardly put an arm around her shoulder.
"Why didn't he just take me? That's what he wanted. Hellebore's Light had nothing to do with him. They were innocent"
"He was trying to hurt you, and he knew exactly what buttons to press" He offered reasoning, not really knowing what to say. "I know, it's wrong"
"I will hunt them down I swear it!" She spat venomously
The other Jedi looked on in alarm. "Kyia, do not go down that path"
"I know" She shook it off "I didn't mean it, really I didn't. I was just letting off steam."
"You obviously care about your people very much" He replied softly
"I owe them that much" She said simply "I just feel helpless"
"You're helping your people" He soothed. "We will stop them"
"Thank you"
"Thank you" He returned "For trusting me"
Kyia made eye contact "You're not evil. I knew that from the moment I saw you"
There was an awkward silence; the gaze was broken suddenly with slight embarrassment.
"I had better go check on Hellebore's Light"
"And I had better find Anakin"
They hastily parted, going in opposite directions.

Anakin was sat cross-legged on the floor, focusing on a data pad, and trying to raise it from the ground. He frowned in concentration and the pad rose by a few centimetres. It dropped suddenly when he noticed his master.
"You've been practicing"
Anakin nodded, "I thought I had better, since you were ill and all"
"I'm fine now" Obi Wan sat down in front of him.
"Your arm?" his padawan asked with concern.
"Is fine too. It's just a little sore," He pointed to a large wooden armchair on the other side of the room. It looked heavy and he knew that without the Force the young Skywalker would not be able to lift it "Try that"
"It's too big" Anakin protested.
"The Force knows not size" He directly quoted Yoda. "The difference is only in your mind." He levitated a few inches off the ground. "It doesn't matter if it's a pebble or a star ship to the Force. It shouldn't to you either".
The young Jedi turned to face the chair and concentrated, imagining the Force surrounding it. Slowly it began to lift. Anakin opened his eyes and was so astonished that it was working that it clattered back to the floor. "Oops"
"You are improving but you need control. Work on your concentration exercises. Eventually it will be as natural as breathing but until then you will have to practice".
Anakin lowered his eyes "Yes Master"
Suddenly he remembered Kyia's words. "You will get there, Anakin. It seems a long road but you take a step everyday"
He raised his head and gave Obi Wan a half smile, he was not used to such open praise. "Yes Master"

"A call for you on the secure channel" whispered Anice. Kyia was in her own room. Unlike most of the palace the walls were a dusky purple, the colour of the Elphoran sky at dusk. The ceiling reached up high then came to a point turning into a blue glass skylight. The furniture was soft in pastel blues greens and pinks. The colour scheme had not been changed in centuries but it was still Kyia's favourite room in the palace.
"I'll take it here. Give me time to change" She braided her blonde hair and removed her Jedi robes just in case it was a dignitary. She picked out a soft loose yellow gown. Kyia glanced at her reflection. Her eyes still held the distress of the previous few days and hoped whoever it was wouldn't notice. The Quelena sat down and turned on the holo-imager.
Master Yoda appeared. It only took one look. Kyia blurted out the whole story.
"Most disturbing this is" muttered the hologram. "Knows your weaknesses he does"
She nodded "I feel lost Master. I do not know what to do. The Force has never shown me what the future holds"
"Always in motion the future is" The small figure started to pace the room leaning on his cane "What says Master Obi Wan hmmm?"
There was a thin-lipped smile that Kyia had always found impossible not to return, "He does not know either. We are both at a lost and he has his own troubles. Why did you not tell him who I was?"
"Good for him I thought it would be. Too untrusting is he. What troubles do you speak of? Told you did he?"
Kyia pulled a face "Not exactly but a blind nerf-herder could sense it. He is still mourning the death of Qui Gon Jinn, and until he finishes he will not be able to conquer the Sith."
"Yes, yes" Yoda pondered his for a while, considering whether this was the reason the Force had implored him to send Kenobi to Elphora. "Help him you must" The old Jedi chuckled to himself. "Hmmm, very good"
"Why are you laughing Master?"
"Oh nothing, no, no. Not important. Learn it yourself eventually you will" He stifled his laughter "Another problem you see?"
"Yes" She said noticing his deflection of the subject. "Anakin"
"Oh, having difficulty is he hmmm?"
"Not Anakin exactly. It's Obi Wan. He doesn't understand that Anakin is young. He's expecting him to behave like an adult and he isn't one. I think he had forgotten what it was like at that age"
"Oh!" Master Yoda smiled again. "Rid him of that will you defiantly, yes, yes"
"What!" Kyia cried in frustration.
"Nothing, nothing" It was clear he was not going to say anymore on the subject. "Be wary my old padawan. Over this may not be" His hologram faded out.
"I'm sure," the Quelena said out loud. "I'm sure it's not" She stood and walked out of the room.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in" said Obi Wan, sensing at once who it was. Suddenly he felt awkward.
The door opened. "Master Yoda just called. Hi Anakin"
Anakin smiled in reply, his eyes closed in mediation.
"What did he say?" The human Jedi asked.
Kyia shrugged "What I expected, to be mindful. There is not much he can do at this moment in time anyway." She pulled a face "It's just he was acting" she paused searching for the right words " well outright strange."
Obi Wan frowned "In what way?"
"Its like there was a joke and I wasn't in on it" The Quelena sighed, "You know how he gets when there is something he shouldn't tell you but can't restrain himself?"
"Yes" The Jedi nodded with familiarity "When he starts repeating words and talking faster?"
"Exactly! He knows more than he is telling." She grimaced "And his sniggering was getting disturbing"
Obi Wan smiled at her discomfort. Then there was another knock at the door.
Anice stood in the doorway "Master Kenobi, Master Yoda wishes to speak to you"
"You can take it in my room." She said, knowing it was one of the few rooms in the palace that wasn't under surveillance. "Good Luck"
"You say that like I should be worried" he replied with feigned nervousness as Anice showed him out.
Anakin opened his eyes
"Meditating?" Kyia asked
"Yeah" the boy nodded "Master Obi Wan says my concentration needs improving"
She smiled "I'm glad Master Yoda taught me. I would not like to be Obi Wan's padawan for anything"
"He's okay" Skywalker paused "Mostly"
"I might need your help with something Anakin," After all Master Yoda has told her to.
The padawan frowned sceptically "It won't get me in trouble with it"
"Don't worry" The Jedi laughed "I'll take the brunt of the lightsabre if he gets nasty. But I think we need to loosen up your Master before we have to feed him to the Sarlacc"
Anakin's face brightened slightly "I think you're too late already, but I'll help".

Obi Wan got down on his knees and respectfully waited for the hologram of Master Yoda to appear.
"Get up, get up. A padawan you are no longer." The small figure chortled.
He stood up "Yes Master"
Yoda sighed in exasperation and shook his head. "How going is the task?"
"Difficult, Master. Kyia thinks she knows who the Sith Lord is but I disagree."
"Be sure of anything we cannot at this time, Obi Wan. But insistent Kyia is, and stubborn"
Obi Wan couldn't help but smile at that comment. "I had noticed. You didn't tell me she was a Jedi"
"Thought trust your own senses better than me you would" Yoda chuckled. "And what of your battle hmmm?"
" I believe it was the apprentice that I destroyed" Obi Wan confided solemnly
The older Jedi nodded "Suspected Master Windu did. Tell me, really how is the Quelena?"
"The destruction of the village has hit her harder than the attempt on her life. I cannot say more than that. I do not know her well enough and she keeps her thoughts well shielded."
"Hmmm yes, an Elphoran talent that is" Yoda replied with the slightest irritation. "Let her fool you not. Strong is she, but not that strong. If break does she, see it you might not until too late it is."
"I understand"
"Survive she must. The Force demands it" With a comical edge to his voice he said "Let my last padawan die and no chance of obtaining the rank of Master will there be!"
He bowed low "I won't"
"No, No, sure I am you will not" Yoda smirked to himself.
"Master Yoda" Obi wan asked inquisitively "Is there something you are not telling me?"
"My young Kenobi always is there something I am not telling you!" The hologram faded out leaving the Jedi even more perplexed than before.