Hello, loyal readers!

I'm going out of town for a few days, so I thought I'd put another chapter up before I leave; unfortunately, this one is a bit of a cliffhanger, but I promise to post an update as soon as I get back...


Chapter 3 'It Was Necessary'

Upon entering the room, Obi-Wan, again, was struck with the lack of technology here. In place of the scanning equipment he was used to, was a large machine taking up half the space in the room. Zak was placed on a platform extending from the middle of the machine and when he was in position, the platform slid inside. There were no hand scanners, common throughout the galaxy, here; and that, apparently, was why they could not diagnose Zak in the treatment room. The machine hummed to life and a view screen revealed the extent of Zak's head injury.

"Ah, just as I suspected; see that, Jedi? A hairline fracture." The doctor said. "It could have been much worse; we won't even need surgery to fix that."

"Surgery? You mean you would have opened up his skull?" Obi-Wan sounded incredulous.

"Yes, of course; it would have been necessary. It may still be necessary if there is swelling." The doctor said matter-of-factly.

"In most systems, there are less…crude ways of treating that." Obi-Wan replied.

"Well, not here; it's forbidden." The doctor said a little defensively. "Now lets see what else we have…yes, four ribs, uh huh…hmm…yes that looks alright…oh, that's not good."

"What?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Looks like one of his kidneys. We'll have to go in and fix that." The doctor replied. "Oh, and his spleen does not look good either."

"What kind of surgical equipment do you have here? Do you have laser technology, or is that forbidden too?" Obi-Wan asked.

The doctor glared at him, "Our surgical technology suits us just fine and should be good enough for this…your boy here." He answered.

"I'm sorry, Doctor; it's just that compared to the rest of the Republic, you are a bit behind the times here." Obi-Wan explained. "I'm concerned that Zak will not get proper care."

"He'll get the treatment he deserves." The doctor said.

"That's what concerns me. I know the way you deal with Force sensitive children." Obi-Wan replied. "I assure you, if Zak dies because of something you do, there will be trouble. The Chancellor holds the Jedi in high regards and, in particular, this one."

"Is that a threat, Jedi?" The doctor asked.

"No, that's a promise." Obi-Wan corrected.

"Then I assure you, I will do everything I can." The doctor answered and then turned back to the view screen. "Hmm…yes, there's the break, not too nasty; I should be able to set that without a problem."

"What about his wrist?" Obi-Wan asked.

"His…oh, I'll just back it up…there…hmm…that's pretty straight forward, I can just pop it back into place." The doctor said. "There is one thing we have to take care of first; I must have the consent of his natural parents."

"I thought we had already gone through this…" Obi-Wan started.

"Look, I've gone against policy by even doing this much. I need parental consent before I'll do anything else." The doctor finished as the comm on the wall beeped. "Just a minute."

The platform slid out and the attendant moved Zak back to the gurney.

"Well, it seems that his father is waiting in the lobby. So we should be able to take care of the consent question." The doctor said.

This relieved Obi-Wan, but he wondered why Servus had stayed after Obi-Wan had brought Zak in. Accompanied once again by the security guard, they returned to the main level. Servus was waiting in by the lift when the door opened.

"I'm surprised you're still here, Servus." Obi-Wan said as Zak was wheeled out.

"Had to, didn't I? I know the rules here; they need my permission to treat him." Servus answered.

"So, are you here to give that permission? Or watch him die?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Look, I have no desire to see the boy die; I just want both of you out of here." Servus told him.

"Really? So you had nothing to do with what happened this morning?" Obi-Wan asked skeptically.

"How do you know he didn't just lose his balance and fall?" Servus asked.

"Because he's not that clumsy, or stupid for that matter. He didn't just fall, he was pushed." Obi-Wan answered.

"That's a pretty harsh accusation. Is that why you wanted to know Terak was?" Servus asked.

"Yes; I have a feeling that he pushed Zak off that outcrop." Obi-Wan replied.

"You have no proof of that, Jedi; and even if he did, no one here would blame him." Servus said, his voice rising in anger.

"Oh, I have no doubt about that. But you had better hope he pulls through because the Chancellor will not let whoever is responsible for this get away with it. There will be an investigation in any case." Obi-Wan told him.

"Well, you've got your consent, Jedi; but this is your fault for bringing him here in the first place." Servus replied.

"Believe me, I already know that." Obi-Wan answered and turned away.

With the consent form signed, the doctor began addressing the injuries he could treat immediately. Obi-Wan watched every move; knowing their sentiment toward them, he could not bring himself to trust this doctor. Zak's head injury, the doctor felt, should be his first priority.

"Shave his head first, Bellak." He instructed.

The attendant, Bellak, nodded and started to do as the doctor ordered.

"Wait; do not take off that braid." Obi-Wan ordered.

"I'm sorry, Jedi; but…" The doctor replied.

"It's important that he keep it and there's no reason why you can't leave it on. The wound is no where near it." Obi-Wan said, cutting him off.

The doctor scowled, "Very well, leave it, Bellak." He said.

With the area around the injury shaved, Bellak cleaned it carefully and then held his head so that the doctor could examine it more thoroughly, "It will need to be stitched." He announced.

Bellak went over to the counter, picked up a curved needle and a package of black thread.

"What are you going to do?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Sew it up; it's the only way it will heal." The doctor told him.

"There is an easier way to do that." Obi-Wan replied.

"Not here." The doctor answered as he inserted the needle into the skin on one end of the wound.

Obi-Wan watched the whole procedure, wincing every time the needle penetrated his Padawan's skin. When he was finished, the attendant held Zak's head while the doctor wrapped it in a cloth bandage.

"Aren't you going to use bacta?" Obi-Wan asked.

"We don't use that here." The doctor answered.

"But why not? It will prevent an infection from taking hold." Obi-Wan said.

"We don't use that here." The doctor repeated. "I don't think I need to give you any other explanation."

Obi-Wan shook his head; all the medical advancements that were available to them and they would not accept any of them.

When he finished bandaging Zak's head, he moved down to his wrist. Without ceremony, he yanked it back into place. Obi-Wan winced, there had to have been a gentler way of doing that. To ensure that it stayed in position until it healed, the attendant splinted it and wrapped it tightly.

Next, Bellak removed Zak's boot and slit his pant leg. The doctor then felt for the break by touch and manipulated it carefully back into place while Bellak mixed up a thick white liquid and soaked bandages in it, "Alright, I'm ready now, Bellak." The doctor said.

With the doctor holding the leg still, Bellak began to wrap the liquid soaked bandages around it until the entire leg from the ankle to the top or his thigh was encased in a thick layer of the material.

"Shouldn't you make it more rigid?" Obi-Wan asked.

"It will be when the plaster hardens." The doctor answered.

"Can't you just use a plasticine cast?" Obi-Wan asked.

"No." The doctor replied.

Obi-Wan sighed, the sooner he got Zak out of this place, the better.

Finally, Zak's tunic was cut off, exposing a dark bruise on his right side.

"This must be where he landed and where the internal damage is." The doctor explained. "Hopefully, I should be able to repair it without having to remove anything."

"What?" Obi-Wan responded.

"There may not be any other way." The doctor replied.

"I guess there isn't; at least not here." Obi-Wan said, with a twinge of disgust in his voice.

"Look, I'm sorry; but that's what you get for bringing him here in the first place." The doctor answered.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, "Just do what you have to do." He said wearily.

"I'll do what I can." The doctor vowed as Bellak handed him a needle, "A sedative." His answer to Obi-Wan's unspoken question.

Within the next few minutes, needles were inserted in both of Zak's arms and a tube was placed in his mouth and inserted down his throat. Two lines ran from the needles in Zak's arms; one, the doctor explained, was plasma to replace any blood loss there might be during surgery and the other was simply a saline solution that would allow them to administer any drugs they would need. The tube in Zak's mouth was hooked up to another machine that the doctor said would anesthetize him. A small patch was placed on his chest and hooked up to monitor to track his vital signs.

Bellak inserted a syringe into the saline bag and emptied its contents into it. For Obi-Wan, the sensation was immediate; he could no longer feel his apprentice in the Force, "What have you done?" He asked in shock and horror.

"Only what was necessary; don't worry, it's only temporary." The doctor answered calmly.

"You've cut him off from the only thing that has been keeping him alive." Obi-Wan exclaimed.

"I did what I was required to do by law. It's a safe and effective way to deal with these…abominations."

The doctor answered. "The effect of it will wear off in time; but he must be controlled while he is here."

"Controlled? He hasn't done anything." Obi-Wan replied.

"He might have." The doctor said. "As you might."

Too late, Obi-Wan sensed what was coming next; Bellak jabbed a needle into his shoulder.

"Anakin!"

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"Sackie's gone, Daddy." Luke cried out.

"What do you mean, Luke?" Anakin asked.

They were halfway to Theed City by then.

"Gone, I can' feel him no more." Luke replied tearfully.

Anakin stopped the speeder.

"What are you doing, Anakin?" Padme asked.

"You drive." Anakin answered as he hopped out of the speeder.

Padme moved over with some difficulty and Anakin hoped into the passenger's seat and closed his eyes as Padme started forward again. Anakin reached out to establish communication with Obi-Wan and for a moment, it was there. "Anakin!" He heard his brother say and then it was gone…completely gone as if Obi-Wan had been cut off from the Force altogether. Not for a long time, had Anakin been completely without the feeling of his brother's presence, "NO!" He cried out aloud.

"Annie? What is it?" Padme asked in alarm.

"He's gone, Padme; completely gone, I can't feel him at all. We have to hurry." Anakin answered.

Padme complied by pushing the speeder into a higher gear.

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Obi-Wan staggered as the drug took immediate effect. He did not lose consciousness or even control of his motor functions, but the drug blinded him in a way that could not be explained. He could no longer feel the Force or anything connected to it. Anakin was gone, his intuitiveness had dissipated and so had the strength he had always drawn on through the Force, "Why have you done this?" He asked. "We have done nothing to you."

"It was necessary." The doctor answered.