Chapter 7 A Strange Dream

Anakin and Luke boarded the yacht together. Padme had moved to the passenger's compartment where it was more comfortable. She had begun to feel her pregnancy and wanted to stretch out on one of the beds there, "Will Zak be alright?" She asked when Anakin came in to see her.

"I don't know, Padme; Luke seems to think so, but I just don't know." Anakin answered.

"Luke?" Padme asked.

"Yes, he wanted to go see Zak before we left." Anakin replied.

"What is it between those two?" Padme asked.

"Well, Obi-Wan and I have talked about this before; there seems to be connection between them, but it's unusual for there to be one between two younglings." Anakin told her.

"Anakin, will they ever be…" Padme trailed off.

"I don't know; I hope so. I feel empty without Obi-Wan." Anakin answered sadly.

Padme took his hand in hers, "I'm sorry, my love." She said. "Would you like to stay?"

"No, I'll take you and the twins home and then I will meet them on Coruscant." Anakin replied.

"Annie, I didn't ask you what you were going to do; I asked you what you wanted to do." Padme said.

Anakin sighed and shook his head, "It doesn't matter; I'm taking you home first." He answered firmly and then headed for the cockpit before she could argue with him.

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"The Naboo yacht is leaving now, Master Kenobi." The med droid informed him, "You may watch from this view window if you wish."

"Thank you." Obi-Wan replied politely and moved to the window just in time to see the yacht emerge from the docking bay. "Good bye, my friend." He said and then stood watching it until Anakin made the jump to hyperspace.

"Is everything alright, Master Kenobi?" The droid asked when he continued to watch out the window into empty space.

"What? Oh, yes." Obi-Wan answered then turned away from the window and looked down at Zak floating in his bacta bath.

"He really is doing remarkably well, Master Kenobi." The med droid said.

"But you can't tell me if he'll ever regain consciousness, can you." Obi-Wan replied.

"No, Master Kenobi; I am sorry to say that it is too soon to tell." The droid answered, regretfully.

"How long…before you know?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Hmmm…that will depend on when the swelling around his brain has diminished." The droid told him.

"Swelling? But the doctor on Belarid only said it was a possibility." Obi-Wan said.

"Hmm…tsk…No; the diagnostic equipment on Belarid is insufficient, it would not have detected it." The droid replied.

"But then why wouldn't he have told me that?" Obi-Wan wondered.

"Hmm…if I may, Master Kenobi, I believe I may have a hypothesis for their reasoning." The med droid interjected.

"Please, tell me." Obi-Wan urged.

"Perhaps they did not want to admit that their medical practices were inadequate." The droid suggested.

"Oh, yes, of course…is this what you meant when you said that Zak should have had proper treatment immediately?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yes, Master Kenobi; however, I assure you that my first priority when he was brought here was to administer the proper treatment in order to reduce the swelling as soon as possible. The boy has a very good chance." The med droid assured him.

"The boy…I have a request." Obi-Wan said suddenly.

"Yes, Master Kenobi." The droid replied.

"Could you please refer to him as Zak instead of 'the boy'?" Obi-Wan requested.

"Oh, yes; of course, Master Kenobi. 'The boy' does sound rather impersonal does it not?" The med droid answered. "I should have acquired that information and entered into my databank much sooner. I am sorry."

"Thank you." Obi-wan said.

"Master Kenobi, I did detect a slight degree of dehydration and to a greater extent, lack of nutrients." The droid informed him. "I would like to address this immediately."

"Yes, yes; whatever you think is necessary." Obi-Wan consented.

"Excellent; I will assemble what I need and return promptly." The droid replied, and left the room.

"Well, Padawan; it's not exactly a first class dinner, but it's better than nothing." Obi-Wan said as he brushed the back of his hand across Zak's cheek.

A few minutes later, the droid returned carrying a tray with several clear pouches full of what Obi-Wan thought must be the nutrients and liquids the med droid indicated Zak would need. It laid the tray on a table along the wall and pushed the table up to Zak.

The droid hooked Zak up to lines; talking to him constantly and hung the pouches from hooks attached to the tub, "There now, Jedi Zak; that wasn't so bad, now was it." The droid said and then turned to Obi-Wan, "I will return in a short time to replace the pouches."

"Thank you." Obi-Wan replied.

"Master Kenobi, I now have a request for you." The droid said.

"Yes?"

"I detect an injury to your wrist, would you allow me to examine it?" The droid inquired.

"I had intended to have it checked when we returned to Coruscant." Obi-Wan answered.

"Well, there is no reason to wait, I have seen to Jedi Zak, now I should see to you." The droid replied.

Obi-Wan nodded and allowed the med droid to remove the bandage wrapped around his wrist.

"Hmm…tsk…tsk…this is a chemical burn." The droid stated. "Was this treated on Belarid?"

"Yes, but it wasn't a chemical burn when it was treated." Obi-Wan answered.

"Hmm…interesting…what was it treated with?" The droid asked.

"I don't know, I'm not a doctor." Obi-Wan replied.

"May I test it then?" The droid requested. "I will need to know what has caused this before I can treat it."

"Yes, of course." Obi-Wan consented.

The droid then took a scraping of blistered skin and inserted it in a slot on its arm, "It should be just a moment." It said. "Tsk…tsk…tsk…tsk…your treatment, Master Kenobi, consisted of a caustic substance. My assessment is that this was a deliberate attempt to worsen the injury."

"Oh, well; that makes perfect sense." Obi-Wan replied.

"No, Master Kenobi, it does not. It is illogical for medical personnel to deliberately cause harm."

The droid answered.

"It does when they think they are doing it for a good cause." Obi-Wan stated.

"Hmm…good cause? I do not understand." The droid said.

"On Belarid, people like me, the Jedi, who have special abilities, are considered abnormalities that must be eliminated." Obi-Wan explained.

"But this would not cause your elimination." The droid countered.

"What if it were left untreated?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Hmm…hmmm…eventually it would develop an infection which…ah…which could lead to elimination." The droid concluded. "That is an unethical practice for medical personnel."

"Oh, I agree; but the Belaridians are very firm in their beliefs; and they believe that all Force sensitives, such as the Jedi, pose a threat." Obi-Wan replied.

"Hmm…tsk…well, I have caught this one in time and will treat it now before it can cause future damage." The droid said as he cleaned the blistered area, applied some kind of ointment, applied a bacta dressing and then wrapped it in clean bandages. "You should have this redressed when you arrive on Coruscant." It said.

"Yes, thank you I will be sure to do that." Obi-Wan promised the droid as it left the room.

Obi-Wan leaned over and stroked Zak's forehead, "Zak; you and I have both been very lucky." He told him.

The droid returned to change the pouches draining into Zak's arms, "He is doing much better, Master Kenobi; I do believe we can forego any further feeding until he is in the medical center on Coruscant." It announced.

"Well, if he's not going to recover from this, I don't see any reason to continue feeding him; I don't want him to keep living like this." Obi-Wan replied.

"Master Kenobi, the outcome of this is far from certain; you must give it time, time for the swelling to diminish. Only then can a proper assessment of his recovery be made." The droid informed him.

"I know that." Obi-Wan answered wearily.

"You are very tired and this is affecting your thought processes; rest, Master Kenobi." The droid said, "You may use one of the beds here if you wish to stay close to Jedi Zak."

"I am very tired." Obi-Wan admitted.

"And it would be advisable for you to take sustenance yourself; I will bring something back for you." The med droid said.

"Thank you; that would be very nice." Obi-Wan replied.

After the droid had gone, Obi-Wan leaned his head one his hands.

"Oh, Zak; how did it come to this? I should never have taken you to that place; I should have followed my instincts and opposed the Council's decision. Now look what I've brought you to." He said dejectedly and with great weariness, "I'm so sorry."

A short time later, the droid returned, as promised with food and something to drink.

"Thank you; just put it down and I'll eat it later." Obi-Wan said.

"No, you will eat it now, Master Kenobi." The droid ordered.

"I'll eat it later; thank you." Obi-Wan replied.

"Master Kenobi, you, as well as Jedi Zak, are my patient. I have seen to Jedi Zak's needs and now I must see to yours. Right now, it is imperative that you take nourishment or you will be of little use to your apprentice." The droid insisted.

Obi-Wan nodded, he could not argue with the med droid's logic. The droid stayed until he had finished and then admonished him to also get some rest.

Finally, Obi-Wan gave in to his exhaustion, "I'll be right over there, Zak; if you need me." He said as he brushed a hand across the boy's cheek and then stood up, stretched and went over to the nearest bed. He sighed heavily as he laid down, letting the exhaustion take him into sleep…

It is Belarid, Zak has gone and he knows he must find him. Something is wrong, terribly wrong. He questions Zak's father, but gets nowhere and so he goes searching. The Force is guiding him, it has not been taken from him yet, and it leads him to the place,….Zak is down among the rocks, and he fears he may be too late…no, not quite..."Sackie's lost." Zak says, though he does not even know anyone is with him.

Zak's parents are reluctant to help, their other son, Zak's brother, Terak is missing and he knows, somehow, that this brother is responsible for what has happened. Finally, the father agrees to help, but what help is it when there is no modern medical assistance on this planet? His apprentice will never get the proper care he needs here, but they refuse to let him take Zak off planet. He should be dead, like the others…The others? What others? Abominations, he is told, must be dealt with…, the Force is taken from them both…, and he is forced to watch as a doctor uses his antiquated medical skills to 'treat' Zak. Anakin he knows, though he can no longer sense him, is coming…and so he comes, but he kills Zak instead...with a red lightsaber... " He should be dead, like the others"….

"Master Kenobi, we are orbiting Coruscant and a shuttle has arrived to transfer Zak to the medical center. He is being moved to a medical capsule now." The med droid said as he shook Obi-Wan awake.

Obi-Wan woke to the void of still being without the Force. He felt a little disappointed; he had thought it might have come back to him by now. A negative thought, unbidden and unwanted, entered his mind…would it ever come back? Quickly, he pushed this thought away…yes, of course it would. He stood up and watched as the Clones who had brought him from the yacht lifted Zak out of the bacta tub and laid him in the waiting medical capsule. Obi-Wan hoped that Zak would suddenly rouse, but he remained unconscious and Obi-Wan knew he would likely remain so if any brain damage had occurred due to his lack of treatment on Belarid.

"Master Kenobi, the shuttle is leaving now." The med droid told him.

"Oh, yes, of course." Obi-Wan replied and automatically moved to gather their belongs, which, he realized, he must have left on Anakin's yacht.

"Are you looking for these, Master Kenobi?" One of the Clones asked, holding up both rucksacks.

"Oh, yes; I don't remember bringing them in; did I?" Obi-Wan asked.

"No, Master Skywalker gave them to me just before he left." The Clone answered.

"Well, thank you." Obi-Wan replied, as he took the rucksacks and followed them toward the doorway, "You're not coming with us then?" He asked when he realized the med droid had not followed them.

"No, I am integrated to this medical transport; the medical capsule will stabilize him and I have transferred all of Jedi Zak's records to the medical center; they will be prepared to receive him when you arrive." The droid explained. "And you, Master Kenobi, must remember to have your injury redressed."

"I will." Obi-Wan promised.

"Look after your own health, Master Kenobi; or you will do your apprentice little good." The droid added.

"Yes, I will; and thank you." Obi-Wan replied.

"You are welcome." The droid answered.

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A solemn looking Master Yoda was waiting at the shuttle when they arrived at the docking bay. He shook his head sadly and leaned heavily on his gaffer stick as he watched the Clones take the medical capsule aboard the shuttle.

"Sorry, I am, Master Kenobi, that this has happened. Predict this I could not." The old master said.

"I know that, Master Yoda; I had a bad feeling about this from the beginning and I should have trusted my instincts." Obi-Wan answered.

"Hmm…urged you to do this, the Council did. I knew when Zak came to us that trouble there had been. I forgot that and so myself I have to blame for this." Yoda replied. "And now, missing you both are from the Force. Explain to the Council you must how this could have happened."

"Master Yoda, I will tell you and you can meet with the Council. My place is with Zak right now." Obi-Wan said.

"Hmm…my own counsel will I keep on where you place is." Yoda replied. "Meet with the Council you must, Obi-Wan."

"Yes, Master Yoda." Obi-Wan relented.

"Excuse me, Master Yoda; but we're ready to leave now." The Clone pilot said from the shuttle doorway.

"Hmm…yes, yes; ready to leave we are as well." Yoda said and hopped up into the shuttle followed by Obi-Wan.

The trip was a silent one. Obi-Wan's thoughts dwelt on Zak's future and his own. Master Yoda, for all his wisdom, had no words of comfort for him. He could not begin to understand what it must be like for Obi-Wan; his Padawan had been badly injured and now he himself had been incapacitated when his Force sensitivity had been lost.

"Know from Master Skywalker I do what happened to your Force sense." Yoda said suddenly.

"It was my fault, Master; I was too trusting. They gave it to us before I could stop them." Obi-Wan admitted with regret.

"No, Obi-Wan; blame yourself for this you cannot. Prevent this from happening again, we must. Travel to Belarid we will to find the truth behind all this." Yoda replied.

"I'm sorry, Master Yoda; but I will not go with you and I will not meet with the Council until Zak's fate is known. If he is…" Obi-Wan stopped.

"Is this defiance I hear, Obi-Wan? After so many years, I thought grow out of that you would." Yoda reprimanded.

"If I must be defiant to do what I feel is right, then yes, you hear defiance." Obi-Wan replied.

"Careful, Obi-Wan; Qui-Gon's flaw, defiance was." Yoda warned.

"Was it? Or was it his strength?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Defiance is a trait that a member of the Council should not have." Yoda answered.

"Then maybe I do not belong on the Council." Obi-Wan replied.
Yoda sighed, and rubbed his hand across the top of his head, "Tired you are, Obi-Wan; and lost you are without the Force. Be with Zak, if you must and discuss this again we will when the Force has returned to you." He decided.

"Yes, Master Yoda." Obi-Wan replied, "if it returns…no, I must not think that; when it returns."

The shuttle landed at the emergency entrance to the medical center. The Chancellor was waiting along with a medical team to take Zak inside. Boba Fett stood alongside the Chancellor; his normally cocky attitude absent as he watched the medical capsule disappear into the medical center.

"Master Kenobi, I cannot tell you how sorry I am about this; I assure you we will get to the bottom of this." The Chancellor said as Obi-Wan exited the shuttle.

"Who did this? If I ever find out, I'll…they'll pay, I swear they'll pay." Boba stated angrily.

"Easy, Boba; we talked about this earlier; revenge is wrong." The Chancellor told him.

"Yeah, right." Boba answered sarcastically.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I think I'd better go with Zak." Obi-Wan said as he bowed to the Chancellor and then slipped inside.

"Master Yoda, I would like to meet with the Council later to determine what to do about this; for now, I think I will stay here to see if there is anything I can do." The Chancellor said.

"No, alone Master Kenobi must be; a difficult time this is for him." Master Yoda told him.

"It was not Master Kenobi that I was thinking of." Bail said, and then looked down.

"Ah…hmm…then perhaps you are right, Chancellor." Yoda replied and then hopped back up into the shuttle.

"You are not staying?" Bail asked.

"No, I must not; better for Master Kenobi if I do not." Yoda said as the shuttle lifted off.

The Chancellor spotted Obi-Wan standing in front of a treatment room window. Boba started toward him.

"No, Boba; we shall wait over here." Bail said and indicated the chairs in the waiting area.

"But, I just want to see him." Boba protested.

"I know, but you will have to wait until Master Kenobi allows it." The Chancellor replied.

Zak was moved from the medical capsule to a bed in the treatment room. Obi-Wan watched from the hall as the diagnostic droid examined him. After a few minutes, the droid came out.

"Your apprentice is resting comfortably." It stated.

"How long before you will know if he will recover." Obi-Wan asked, choosing his words carefully.

"Oh, he will recover. I have detected only minimal brain damage." The droid answered.

"Minimal?" Obi-Wan repeated.

"Yes, the brain is an amazing thing, Master Kenobi. There is damage, however, Zak should be able to adapt." The droid replied.

"Adapt? You mean he'll never be…" Obi-Wan trailed off.

"Oh, no; I am sorry, Master Kenobi; you have misunderstood. Zak will make a full recovery; although part of his brain has been permanently damaged, he will be able to compensate. In a few weeks, it will not even be evident that he was so seriously injured." The droid explained.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relieve, "When will he wake up, then?"

"Oh, now that is difficult to say. Possibly as soon as tomorrow or it could be up to a week." The droid answered.

Obi-Wan nodded, it was enough for him to know that Zak would recover. His only concern now was how his apprentice would react to being Force dead.