::insert usual Star Wars disclaimer:: also I got a few of my ideas from this chapter from the Immortal Series by Tamora Pierce (a wonderful series) just like to make note of that please don't sue me it was just such a wonderful idea.

Chapter 6

            The ship hit head on digging a furrow across the fields as they slid to a stop only a few feet from the edge of the forest. Sparks showered down as unsecured parts flew through the cabin, changing from harmless accessories to deadly projectiles.

When the sickening forward motion came to a stop Chade glanced over from his seat to see if Tess was alright. She was not. Blood covered her one side of  her face and she didn't appear to be breathing. Terror filled him. They had not come all this way for her to die here. He fought his way out of his harness and went to her, undoing her straps as he gathered her limp form into his arms and stumbled towards the exit.

Emerging into the light he came face to face with a few very confused students standing in a circle around his broken ship. He identified a familiar form among the masses "Numiar! Help! Somebody help her damn it! Get Help!"

Pandemonium. Everyone moved at once, some went to get help, others sped to the ship to search for more survivors. someone emerged with a charred but living Millow. A second later the crowd around Chade parted and Luke emerged. He carefully placed a hand on Tess's brow. "Get her to a medic." Someone gently took her from Chade's arms, he wanted to follow her but he was instead escorted in the opposite direction. He strained for a look at her but all he could see was a mass of heads. Then they where inside the temple.

He followed the master Jedi numbly to the council chamber, he heard a voice "What happened." He couldn't think

"Will she be alright?" he demanded.

"I don't know. Calm down and tell us what happened." but he couldn't at least not on his own.

A wave of calm washed over him, just enough to allow him to regain his balance. He recited their tell or at least as much as he knew. He had to admit he knew nothing about what had happened to Tess. They questioned and he answered to the best of him ability. "You said she beat a Sith with a piece of piping? How many times where you hit in the head." and so on.

            When they had finished Luke volunteered to escort him to his bed but he refused, heading instead toward the infirmary with Luke at his heals. He found Numiar in the waiting room along with Jonathan, Nmi, and the redheaded Ian. The apprentices stood when he and Luke entered. "Where is she?" he asked Numiar.

"We don't know they won't let anyone see her yet," said Numiar gently. Taking a double look at his friend he added "and sit down before you fall down or I'll give you to the medic's too" Chade sat, more for lack of strength to stand than because of Numiar threat, though he knew his friend was serious. His side ached like he had been kicked by a bantha and he had to fight down a groan as he sat.

"Your hurt" Numiar told him. "Jonathan go get a doctor."

"I'm fine." Chade insisted "it's just a scratch I'll wait out here with you"

"Your not." Luke told him. Then "Good you're here. Please see that this man is also seen to" he said to the approaching doctor who had brought out a wheel chair. Chade ignored it, stood and walked into the examination room on his own flagging power.

A few minutes later when, the very unhappy, rib bound, Chade exited from the examination room he found that nothing had changed in the waiting room. Sensing his mood Numiar answered his question before he had had a chance to voice it "Nothing yet but you're looking much better." Chade only growled in response and sat back down to wait. A few minutes later a doctor in white came out.

"She's still unconscious but stable. Any family member may go in and see her now." Chade stood up with every intention of seeing her now but Luke's voice stopped him "Chade." it was a warning and a reprimand although if you didn't know him well you would not have been able to pick out the subtle undertones to his speech. Instead Chade turned to the doctor and said, "She has no living relatives." but before doctor could respond to this Numiar asked, "What was the nature of her injury?"

"Severe trauma to the skull, some internal bleeding, a dislocated shoulder. Physically she should make a full recovery with only minimum scaring but physiologically I can't say." Numiar only nodded.

Still Chade wouldn't drop it "can she see visitors?" the doctor looked at him for a moment then nodded but before Chade could start back to the room he heard Luke's voice once more "Chade I think it would be best if you got some rest. We can come back latter when she is awake." it was an order not a suggestion and that fact was not lost on anyone present but only he and Numiar caught the subtle threat that said he would obey or be made to obey. Reluctantly he turned around and headed for the door unhappy about being ordered about.

The apprentices had stood and both the masters nodded their allowance proceed first. When the students had disappeared after the doctor down the hall Luke turned to his fellow master and said. "I worry about Chade. He hasn't made these kind of mistakes since he was still in training."

"Do you think it's the girl?"

"I don't know." Luke said with a sigh as they started down the hall after the retreating forms of the Apprentices.

Tess woke up to bright lights and unfamiliar figures standing over her head. Her head, oh how it hurt. Where was she? The lights faded and she sunk back into the welcomed darkness. When she awoke again it was to familiar faces. She wanted to ask them where she was but her throat would not work and she drifted off. The next thing she remembered was Chade leaning over her bed. This time she could get her throat to work although the words came out as a semi audible croak "Millow?" he jumped startled at her voice then replied, "Millow's fine. He's at home waiting for you now." Faceless hands reached over with a cup and cool water washed down her throat, a familiar fatherly voice urged her to sleep but the act of drinking was too much and she fell into darkness once more.

 The fourth and final time she awoke the world was much clearer than it had been before and those other times seemed only a dream. Voices, "She's awake." A face appeared above her, Chade's "How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

"Like a bantha sat on me," she replied weakly. "Your looking much better." she tried to set up but gentle hands restrained her. They were not needed as she fell back with little urging.

"She's still weak. You need to leave so she can rest." this came from the man in white. A doctor? She thought to herself why am I in a hospital. Unwanted memories came back to her in a rush. She had submitted. the feeling of utter filth came back to her and she wanted to scream but she could not muster the strength.

The feeling had not lessened when she awoke again to a barrage of friendly faces. Nmi, Jonathan, Ian, Chade, Numiar, and the one called Skywalker. These people found her predictable. They sought to control her too. They weren't any better than he was. Well these men would not control her. Never. Fear gave her renewed strength as she tried to fight her way off the bed. Hands restrained her and she panicked, invisible hand grabbed her and the world went blank.

The Jedi knew the instant her feelings shifted but they could do nothing. She fought like a wild thing trying to claw her way off the bed. At this rate she was going to hurt either herself or somebody else. The masters looked at each other and Numiar nodded it was the only way until a doctor came. Luke touched her gently with the force, she screamed the cry of a dying thing, a horrible hopeless sound, and passed out.

Every one in the room was shaken by her outlandish display the Jedi and the students had sensed the change in her and the cause of her scream but poor Chade could not. He turned eye's wild and demanded, "What just happened?" the doctor entered and as they were herded out of the room Luke replied softly "we lost her..."

She felt utterly hopeless. When the doctor came over and asked how she felt all she did was cover her head with the blanket and turned over. When she finally heard the door shut she turned back over and stared at the ceiling memories replaying over and over in her mind. That was the way they found her when they came to visit. She just lay there no matter what they said and stared up at the ceiling. Eventually they left too and when the door closed the door she cried herself silently to sleep.

Dinner came but she wasn't hungry and refused to eat. They left the untouched food on the table, which was where they found it in the morning. Breakfast was a repeat of dinner she still wasn't hungry she felt to dirty to eat. At lunch the nurse came in to the untouched breakfast and told her sternly that if she didn't start eating on her own they would force-feed her, that she was to weak to go about starving herself. She didn't care.

So the IV's and tubes returned and kept her alive although she wished they would just let her go. Visitors came but she didn't see them. One time Numiar came he asked the nurse they kept with her at all times now how she was doing. The nurse only shook her head and replied "We keep her body alive but she's lost her will to live." Numiar reached a hand toward her and she felt the gentle use of the force. She slept deeply, undisturbed by nightmares for the first time since her ordeal.

When she awoke she saw she had a rare visitor, Master Skywalker. When he realized she was no longer asleep he reached a hand over to her and she flinched. He sighed and rose to leave. The next day she was in for an even greater surprise if she could claim to feel surprise in her present state. The next day Chade came. She hadn't seen him since she had fell into this depression although the others had come on a regular bases especially Jonathan. He was decidedly angry,

"You little bitch! So you've decided to die have you? You have no right, no right! Do you think you're the only one who has ever suffered? I can't believe this!" he turned and thundered out of the room. She tried to get up to go after him but the world went white and buzzers sounded all around her.

He slammed the door behind him seething with all the emotions fighting for his attention. He'd seen death before why should her's bother him even the slightest, he sniffed disdainfully, but it did. He hadn't managed two steps down the hall before he heard the alarm go off he broke in to a run "LUKE" he bellowed "Come quick!"

The world was white and she was floating. Everything was so peaceful and she felt clean for the first time in days. She watched as the light condensed and turned into a short green being. "Given up have you? Ahh. Strong the darkside is and won have you let them," he said this sadly.

            "No. I will not submit." it was the only thing she could say.

            "Too late you are. Already have you given in to despair."

            "It was hopeless," she said softly

            "Hopeless it is not. Friends have you many. Though see you do not. Love you they do. Help you they will if you let them." She started crying. She couldn't help it.

            "Ahh. Back you go. Talk later we will." She felt something pulling at her but she did not want to go. She looked down to see a clump of ants circling around a miniature bed. Then she was looking up at the faces of her friends. Chade had a hold of her shoulders and was shaking her viciously,

"You little wretch. Don't you ever do that to me again! You were dead. I ought to kill you myself!" he shook her again for emphasis.

            "Chade clam down." this was Numiar looking tired and strained "How are you feeling my darling?" In answer she sat up and hugged him fiercely.

            "What happened?" she asked weakly. Chade gather breath to answer but Nmi slipped her hand over his mouth.

            "Not until you can speak without screaming," she said calmly. She turned to Tess "It's so good to see you feeling better again." Then to Chade "Will you behave now?" He nodded and she let him go wiping her hands on her pants, but it was Skywalker who answered

            "You went into cardiac arrest. We almost lost you." Chade picked up where he left off in a dangerously calm voice

            "You were dead until Luke set a direct jolt to you heart." Because she had to know if the little green man was a dream or not she asked

            "Do people have visions when they think they're dead?" His control vanished

            "I don't know I've never tried it!" hands reached to restrain him but he shrugged them off.

            "Who put the pin in your seat?" she replied sharply to his lack of manners.

            "Pin in my seat…"

            "I think it's time you left," Luke said calmly to Chade. "Jonathan?" the apprentice took Chade's arm and led him from the room. Luke turned his attention back on her "You gave us quite a scare. What's this about visions?"

            "I don't know it was weird this little green guy who spoke funny told me to come back." she shrugged indicating her lack of understanding. He appeared to think for a while then described her apparition exactly. When he had finished she nodded and said "Yeah that's him" he looked pre-occupied than left the room leaving only her, Numiar, Nmi, and Ian. Nmi left to follow Luke out. Reiterating her happiness at Tess's recovery.