Chapter 2 A Life in the Balance
Sala came out of the bedroom, "What was that all about?" She asked.
"I think Terak has gone after the boy." Servus answered.
"Really?" Sala replied. "Well, it's his own fault for coming back here."
"I know but that Jedi was rather upset; I hope he doesn't do anything, you know…freakish." Servus said.
"It's against the law, he wouldn't dare." Sala answered.
"I've heard these Jedi types think they are above the law." Servus replied.
"Well, then I guess he'll pay the price for that, won't he." Sala said.
-----------
Zak felt Terak coming before he saw him. All the hate and suspicion he had felt the previous day had increased ten fold. Zak braced himself, Terak was going to fight him.
"There you are, boy." Terak spat out.
"What do you want; I haven't done anything to you." Zak replied.
"You were born; you should never have been allowed to live this long." Terak answered as he balled his fist and aimed a blow at Zak's head.
Zak easily dodged the blow and moved away from him, "Master Obi-Wan and I are leaving today; and I'll never be back." He said.
"It's too late for that, boy; you should have stayed away in the first place." Terak said as he swung again.
Zak dodged the second fist, but slipped a little on the rocks and nearly toppled over the edge of the outcropping.
"Look, I don't want to fight you; you're my brother…." Zak told him.
"Don't call me that; you freak." Terak screamed at him and then aimed his fist at Zak's midsection.
Again, Zak dodged away, but Terak was closing in on him, forcing him closer to the edge of the rocks, "Stop this, Terak. There's no reason for it." Zak pleaded as he backed up a little further.
"Well, can a Jedi fly? Let's find out." Terak wondered as he threw his weight at Zak.
Zak made a split decision, he could take his brother with him over the edge, dodge out of the way completely and let his brother fall, or…he Forced pushed his brother back as he went over the edge.
Terak did not understand what happened to him at first; one moment he was throwing himself at the freak and the next, he was sailing through the air in the opposite direction. He caught a glimpse of the boy as he disappeared over the edge of the outcropping. He picked himself up quickly, walked over to the edge and looked down.
-----------
"Uh oh." Luke said suddenly after piling a block on top of the one Leia had just put down.
"What, Lukie?" Leia asked as she put another block next to his.
"It's Sackie; he's lost." Luke told her.
"Lost? Whatya mean, Lukie?" Leia asked.
"Not sure. I better tell Daddy." Luke answered then picked himself up and walked out into the hallway.
Leia got up and followed him out. But Anakin was locked in his meditation room; Luke then went to the kitchen, "Mommy, I gotta talk to Daddy." He said.
"Daddy's busy right now, honey; you'll have to wait until he's finished." Padme told him as she put one hand on her ever-expanding belly.
"No, can't; this is 'portant." Luke replied.
"Nothing is that important that it can't wait for another half hour." Padme answered.
"Mommy, Sackie's lost. I gotta tell Daddy." Luke blurted out, hoping she would then understand.
"Zak is not even here, Luke; how could he be lost?" Padme asked.
"I know, Mommy; we gotta talk to Daddy." Luke said again.
Padme took a good look at her son's face, and that was enough to tell her that he was deadly serious, "Alright, Luke; this better be good." She said as she dried her hands and followed them down the hallway to Anakin's private room.
She pushed the button that would let Anakin know that she needed to speak with him; within a minute, the door slid open and a shirtless Anakin stood in the doorway, "This better be good; I was conversing with Qui-Gon." He said, irritably.
"I'm sorry, Annie; but Luke said it was important." Padme replied.
"Sackie's lost, Daddy." Luke told him.
"Lost? He's…uh oh…did you just feel that, Luke?" Anakin asked.
"Uh huh." Luke answered.
"What does it mean, Anakin?" Padme asked.
"Trouble; leave me for a few minutes, I'm going to try and speak with Obi-Wan." Anakin said as he turned back into the room. "Oh, and in the meantime, contact the Temple and see if you can find out where they are."
"Yes, of course, darling." Padme replied, then turned back down the hall.
-----------
The tracks left by the morning dew were gone, but Obi-Wan did not need them; he reached through the Force and allowed it to guide him to the place where Zak had gone to meditate. When he reached the outlook, it was deserted. He walked over to edge and looked down; and there, lying among the rocks was his Padawan. Acting quickly, and not giving himself a chance to think about whether Zak was even still alive, he pulled his repelling line from his utility belt, pounded the hooked end into a rock, and repelled down to the place where his apprentice lay. When he reached the ground, he touched Zak's head and was relieved to find that at least he was not dead. Zak was lying on his side, and Obi-Wan carefully turned him onto his back. Zak's eyes fluttered open for just a moment, "Zak?"
"Sackie's lost." Zak mumbled.
"What?" Obi-Wan asked, but Zak said nothing further.
A quick assessment of Zak's injuries told Obi-Wan that his right leg was broken; he had several broken ribs, a dislocated wrist and serious head injury. Obi-Wan did not want to move him, but it did not seem as if he had a choice; as gently as he could he picked his Padawan up. Zak whimpered softly, "I'm sorry, Padawan; but I have to get you out of here." Obi-Wan said.
Somehow, he managed to get Zak back up to the outcrop and made his way back to the Perrin's house. Not having a free hand, he kicked the door with his foot. Moments later, Sala opened it, "Did he fall?" She asked.
"I don't know; but he needs medical attention right now. Where is the nearest medical center?" Obi-Wan answered.
"We have a hospital in town; I guess that's what you might need." Servus replied.
"Can you take us there?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Well, I suppose I should." Servus answered reluctantly.
"Yes, he is your son." Obi-Wan reminded him.
Servus did not respond and moved past Obi-Wan to the door, "This way." He said.
Obi-Wan followed him out and around the side of the house to a wheeled vehicle similar to the one that had brought them out here the day before, "Where is Terak?" He asked.
"I don't know; I haven't seen him all morning." Servus answered. "Why?"
"I'd just like to talk to him." Obi-Wan replied.
"Well, I don't know where he is at the moment; and it looks the boy needs help now." Servus said.
Obi-Wan carefully laid Zak down in the back seat then took his cloak off and covered him with it.
Sala joined them, carrying their rucksacks, "Here, I don't expect you back here, so you might as well take them now." She said.
"I thought you might want to come with us." Obi-Wan offered as he took the packs from here hand.
"Why? I told you before, I only have one son; this one I want no part of." Sala answered.
Obi-Wan shook his head sadly and got in the back with Zak.
To Servus' credit, he drove carefully, avoiding most of the bumps and holes in the dirt track. Once they reached a paved driveway, the going was smoother and Servus increased his speed.
Obi-Wan maintained a constant connection with his apprentice; he could feel Zak weakening and Obi-Wan sent his own Force strength to him. "Obi-Wan?" Obi-Wan had never been so relieved to hear that voice in his head. "Anakin." "Luke told me Zak was lost." "He's hurt; badly hurt." "Where are you? I'll come." "Belarid." "Are you connected with him now?" "Yes." "Then I can send my Force strength to him through you." "Thank you, my brother." Obi-Wan felt a surge coming through him and into Zak and the result was immediate; Zak's breathing improved. "That should help until I get there. I'll leave right away." "Thank you." "May the Force be with you." Obi-Wan felt Anakin draw back; he was not gone, he never was now. Ever since their encounter on Naboo, Obi-Wan could always feel his brother and he assumed that Anakin could feel him as well.
"Master Anakin is coming, Zak; hold on." Obi-Wan whispered softly.
-----------
Anakin came out into the hallway and nearly ran into Padme waiting for him there, "I have to go." He said.
"I've just talked to Master Yoda; Obi-Wan and Zak are on…" Padme said.
"Belarid; and that's where I'm going." Anakin replied.
"What's happened, Annie?" Padme asked.
"Zak's been hurt; I need to go there to help him." Anakin answered.
"I gotta go too, Daddy." Luke said as he came from down the hallway.
"No, I don't think so." Anakin countered.
"I think we should all go, Anakin." Padme said.
"What? Look at you, you're seven months pregnant, Padme." Anakin protested. "And I'm not hauling my children all over the galaxy."
"We're going, Anakin." Padme said firmly.
Anakin knew better than to argue with her when she took on that tone of voice, "Alright, but make it quick; we're running out of time." He conceded.
-----------
Obi-Wan gathered Zak up in his arms and carried him swiftly inside what Servus had referred to as a hospital. He knew that the Belaridians rejected many forms of higher technology, but he was unprepared for the lack of modern equipment in this place. Obi-Wan did not see a single droid; the staff seemed to consist entirely of living beings. An attendant, a short blue alien, approached and, seeing the serious nature of Zak's injuries, quickly directed Obi-Wan to a nearby treatment room.
"Put the boy down; there will be a doctor with you shortly." The attendant said before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.
Obi-Wan gently laid Zak on the exam table and put his hand on the boy's head, "It's alright, Padawan; you'll be alright." He said quietly and he sent him another surge of Force strength.
Moments later, a man entered; this man, Obi-Wan assumed, was a doctor, "What have we here?" The doctor asked.
"This is my apprentice, he's fallen from a great distance." Obi-Wan answered.
"You're Jedi." The doctor said.
"Yes, is that a problem? He's badly injured." Obi-Wan replied.
"Well, we have a policy here about treating these kinds of people." The doctor explained.
"What?" Obi-Wan asked.
"You know, people who are….different." The doctor answered.
"Why? Look at him, he can't hurt you." Obi-Wan replied.
The doctor hesitated.
"All I ask is that you help him enough so that I can take him home." Obi-Wan told him.
"Well then, I need permission from his family." The doctor said.
"The Jedi are his family. You have my permission." Obi-Wan answered.
"That's highly irregular." The doctor replied.
"Perhaps, but his family gave him to us; we are responsible for him." Obi-Wan explained.
"But you see, he should never have reached…" The doctor began.
"I don't believe this; you're just going to let him die because he's 'different'?" Obi-Wan interrupted.
The doctor looked down at Zak and then over at Obi-Wan, "Alright, I'll see what I can do." He finally answered.
"Thank you; as soon as you've stabilized him, we will leave." Obi-Wan said.
"You said he fell? How far?" The doctor asked.
"About fifteen meters." Obi-Wan answered.
"You should not have moved him, he could have a broken neck." The doctor told him.
"No, I checked; his leg is broken and he has some broken ribs, but his neck is not injured." Obi-Wan replied.
The doctor eyed him suspiciously, "Now how would you know?" He asked.
"I'm a Jedi; I can sense that kind of thing. What I'm most concerned with is his head." Obi-Wan told him.
"Yes, I'm going to send him down for a scan. I'm also worried about internal injuries; if he fell that far, he's bound to have ruptured something." The doctor said.
"Thank you, Doctor." Obi-Wan answered, gratefully.
"I'll just go find an attendant then. I'll be right back." The doctor replied.
Obi-Wan nodded and when he had gone, turned his attention back to Zak, "There, you see? Everything has been taken care of; you'll be all right. I'm just sorry that I brought you here to begin with; it was a mistake." He said as he stroked Zak's forehead. Blood had caked the side of his head and matted on Zak's budding Padawan braid that extended just below his ear. There was a sink in the room and, needing something to do, Obi-Wan wet down a towel and went about cleaning the blood out of it. By the time he was finished, the doctor had returned with an attendant and a wheeled gurney.
"We'll be taking him down now; it should not take long." The doctor said as the attendant helped him move Zak to the gurney.
"I'm going with him." Obi-Wan stated.
"No, that's not allowed." The doctor replied.
"Well, I'm sorry, but you're not taking him anywhere without me." Obi-Wan told him with a wave of his hand.
"We're not taking him anywhere without you." The doctor repeated.
The attendant finished securing Zak to the gurney and Obi-Wan followed him as Zak was wheeled out of the room and down to a lift at the end of the hall. An Abyssin, Obi-Wan assumed was a security guard, stood waiting for them by the lift. The attendant pressed a button on the wall next to the lift and immediately, the door slid open and he pushed the gurney in and Obi-Wan and the doctor entered behind him. The Abyssin followed them and he focused his single eye on Obi-Wan; Obi-Wan stared back impassively.
When the lift door opened, the guard followed them down the hallway and to the room where Zak's tests would be conducted.
"You may wait out here, Durm; if there is trouble, I will call you." The doctor said as the door opened and the attendant pushed Zak's gurney in.
"We're not here to cause trouble, Doctor; I just want you to treat my apprentice." Obi-Wan countered.
"I'm not taking any chances; your kind can't be trusted." The doctor replied.
Obi-Wan could only shake his head and wonder why all the people here seemed to be wary of Force sensitives.
