Chapter 12 Zak Remembers

"You freak! You should have died a long time ago." Terak tells him. "You're my brother." Zak says. "Don't call me that you freak!" Terak screams at him. "Master Obi-Wan and I are leaving soon." Zak tells him. "Too late! You should never have come back." Terak answers. "Why are you doing this?" Zak asks. "Can Jedi fly?" Terak asks as he throws himself at Zak. Zak makes a split second decision and sees his brother flying backwards as he falls over the edge of the outcrop….and lands hard at the bottom. For a moment, he feels nothing, and then the pain hits, in his head, his leg, his arm and his side. "Master Obi-Wan?" He sends forth…and then others are there, surrounding him. "Have they sent you here too? Have you come to join us?" One of them asks. "Who are you?" Zak asks. "The others, sent here; as you have been." Another tells him. "I don't understand; where am I?" Zak asks. "With us; with the others." Yet another answers. "I don't understand." Zak says again. "You will, in time." The first one assures him. "No, my master is coming." Zak insists. "Your master? What is that?" One asks. "The Jedi who is teaching me." Zak explains. "Your teacher? A Jedi? What is Jedi?" The first one asks. "The Jedi Order; they keep the peace for the Republic." Zak tells them. "Then, if you are one of these Jedi, why are you here?" The second asks. "My brother pushed me." Zak answers. "Then you should not be here; your master will come for you." The second one assures him. "But I still don't know where I am." Zak says. "In the place where we, who are called abominations, have been sent." Another answers. "Are you all dead then?" Zak asks. "Yes." The same one answers. "Did they…kill you?" Zak asks. "We were sent and we are trapped here." The first one replies, "But you can help us." "How?" Zak asks. "By telling your Jedi Order where we are." The second one answers. "Where are you?" Zak asks. "Below the outlook where you fell." The third one tells him. "That's why the Force led me there, isn't it?" Zak asks. "The Force? We do not know what that is, we called you there." The first one corrects him. "Then, if I get out of here, I will help you." Zak promises…. "Sackie's lost." "Luke? Why are you here?" Zak asks. "Sackie's lost."….

Zak awoke with a start; he remembered now, the dream had helped him remember. He pressed the button to call ND25.

"Zak, what is it? Are you in pain? Do you need something to help you sleep?" ND25 asked, having arrived moments after Zak had alerted it.

"No, I'm fine, but you have to contact the Jedi Temple; I have to talk to Master Obi-Wan." Zak answered urgently.

"Zak, do you know what time it is? I cannot contact the Temple at this hour." ND25 replied.

"You have to; this is very important. We have to go back to Belarid." Zak insisted.

"The only thing you have to be doing is getting more rest. Now, I am sure whatever you must tell Master Kenobi can wait until morning." ND25 told him.

"But you don't understand; I know who the others are now. We have to help them." Zak protested.

"I do not know what you are talking about, Zak." ND25 said.

"The others; like me. They're trapped and now I have to help them." Zak explained.

"Who is trapped? I believe you were dreaming, Zak; now go back to sleep." ND25 answered.

"But the dream helped me remember what happened when I fell. They came to me, the others; they're dead and they're trapped." Zak countered.

"Well then, if they are dead, then I do not think it is urgent that help them tonight; do you?" ND25 replied.

Zak paused and relaxed; and then realized ND25 was right. He was not even sure how long the others had been there, "Oh, I hadn't thought of that; alright then, I will tell him in the morning and then we can go to Belarid." Zak decided.

"Not tomorrow; you may tell Master Kenobi, but…tsk…I will not allow you to leave this medical center until you are recovered sufficiently to do so." ND25 insisted. "Now, go back to sleep and rest; and in the morning, PT7 will be in to help you get back on your feet."

"I think Master Obi-Wan will want to leave tomorrow when he hears what I have to tell him." Zak told him.

"Tsk…tsk…why must you be so stubborn. I will inform Master Kenobi that you are not recovered well enough to go anywhere and he will agree with my assessment." ND25 informed him patiently, "Now, go back to sleep."

"I don't think I can." Zak told it.

"Well, you need to rest if think you are going anywhere soon with Master Kenobi; I can give you something to help you relax." ND25 replied, bringing up a syringe to inject in Zak's IV line.

"No, please, don't do that; I'll try to sleep, I promise." Zak said, fearfully as he cringed at the sight of the syringe.

"Zak, I detect fear in your voice; what are you afraid of?" ND25 asked.

"I…I…I don't know; something…" Zak tried to answer and then shook his head as the reason eluded him.

"Tsk…well, if you promise to get some sleep; I will not give you this." It conceded, stowing the syringe in one of its compartments. "However, if you cannot, please let me know….and, Zak, the contents of this syringe will not harm you."

After the med droid had gone, Zak tried to understand why the syringe had frightened him; when the answer would not come, he concluded that it must have had something to do with what happened on Belarid. In the morning, he would ask Master Obi-Wan about it. Sleep finally came when he resorted to a Jedi relaxation exercise, not dependent on the Force, it did the trick; and he drifted off thinking of how he could help the others who were trapped on Belarid. The dream, apparently having served its purpose, did not return.

His master's sleep, however, was plagued by dreams, every one a twisted version of Terak, Zak and the allusion to the mysterious others. In some of them, Terak sported the red lightsaber, in others, Anakin. The locations of the dreams were never the same, but all of them ended with the same line, 'He should be dead like the others.' He awoke feeling just as tired as he had when he had laid down and frustrated that he continued to experience this recurring nightmare of Zak's death and Anakin with a Sith weapon. Even though he did not carry the red lightsaber in each dream, it bothered Obi-Wan that he dreamt that his brother held one in any of them. It was bad enough that a void filled the place where the Force should be, but to be inundated with nightmares as well was beginning to wear on his patience. He sat up, swung his legs over the side of his bed and rubbed his eyes. He had had enough; he would speak with Master Yoda about them. He showered quickly, dressed and searched out the venerable master.

"Hmm…interesting, Obi-Wan; that you would dream of Anakin like this." Yoda told him as they sat together in Yoda's meditation room. "What do you think this means…hmm?"

"I don't know, Master Yoda; that's why I have come to you." Obi-Wan answered.

"Hmm…yes; strange how the sleeping mind works. Mixed up it has your experience with Zak and the nightmare Anakin revealed to you." Yoda said.

"But what does it mean, Master?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Difficult to say; possibly a message." Yoda replied.

"Message? From these others in the dreams?" Obi-Wan wondered, "But who are they and what do they want?"

"Revealed the answer to that will be, in time." Yoda told him. "Patience, Obi-Wan."

"Well, I'm going to lose mine if I don't get a good night's rest." Obi-Wan answered as he stood to leave, "Why can't you just tell me?"

"Because I do not know; only this do I know, that revealed the meaning will be soon." Yoda said, rubbing his hand over his head. "And Anakin, turn to the Dark Side, will not. Mixed up your dreams have become with his."

Obi-Wan nodded, it was comforting to know that at least that part of his dreams would not come about, "Thank you, Master Yoda." He replied, bowed and then left.

He went to the kitchens to eat something before heading back over to the medical center, on his way out, he nearly collided with Anakin who was heading for the dining hall, "Good morning! I'm just going to have breakfast, care to join me?" Anakin asked.

"No, I have had my breakfast and I'm going to see Zak." Obi-Wan replied, skirting around Anakin and heading back down the hall.

"Wait until I eat and I'll come with you." Anakin suggested.

"No need; I'll be back in a little while." Obi-Wan answered as he continued down the hall.

"Wait a minute; are you angry with me? Obi-Wan..." Anakin said as he turned to go after him.

"No, Anakin; go have your breakfast." Obi-Wan replied.

"What is it then? Come on, tell me; I can't read your mind right now." Anakin told him, refusing to give up.

Obi-Wan stopped, sighed and looked down and Anakin then noticed how tired his former master looked, "Did you sleep at all last night, Obi-Wan? You look terrible." He said.

"I did, but it was not very restful." Obi-Wan admitted as he looked back up at Anakin.

"What did you dream about?" Anakin asked.

"Who said I dreamt about anything?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Well, what else would cause your sleep not to be restful?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan sighed again; even without the ability to read his mind, Anakin had managed to get to the root of the problem, "I dreamt that you turned to the Dark Side, Anakin." He said.

"You know that will never happen; not now. So why would you dream something like that?" Anakin asked.

"I don't know; or at least I didn't until I talked to Master Yoda." Obi-Wan answered.

"And he said?" Anakin inquired.

"That I was just mixing things up with your nightmare." Obi-Wan replied.

"Mixing what up? What else did you dream about?" Anakin wondered.

"Go eat your breakfast while I go see Zak and I'll tell you later." Obi-Wan promised.

"I want to hear about it now, Obi-Wan; come in to the dining hall and tell me while I eat." Anakin insisted.

Obi-Wan could not think of any reason not to, "Alright, maybe you can make some sense of it." He said.

----------

ND25 found Zak well rested and eager to begin his rehabilitation with PT7. The sooner he was on his feet, he decided, the sooner he could return to Belarid with Master Obi-Wan.

"Tsk…hmm…yes, I think you are strong enough for me to remove this." ND25 announced as it carefully withdrew the needle from Zak's arm.

It scanned Zak again from head to toe before deciding that the young Jedi was fit enough to begin working the PT droid, "After breakfast, PT7 will help you get started." It said before leaving Zak to eat.

Half and hour later, ND25 returned with Zak's therapy droid, "This is PT7, it is ready to begin; I know I do not need to ask if you are." It informed Zak.

"Now, I'm ready now." Zak said impatiently.

"That is quite apparent." PT7 replied as he lowered Zak's leg sling and moved him into a sitting position, "You may try to stand now; and please, hold on to me so that you do not fall."

"I will leave you now; PT7, please alert me if there is any problem." ND25 said as it moved to the door.

"Yes, ND25." It answered.

As Zak turned to swing his good leg over the side of the bed, PT7 maneuvered his other one, "Good, now; put both feet on the floor and hold on to me." It instructed.

Zak did as he was told and was shocked when his good leg buckled underneath him; if he had not been leaning on the therapy droid for support, he would have fallen on his face. PT7 gave a little mechanical chuckle, "That is why I told you to hold on." It said.

"I don't understand; what's wrong with this leg?" Zak asked, clearly shaken.

"Nothing to be concerned about, Zak; you have been in bed for nearly five days and your leg muscles are a little weak. Give yourself a moment and then try again." PT7 told him, calmly.

"Are you sure?" Zak asked apprehensively.

"Of course, I encounter this all the time; it is quite normal, I assure you." PT7 replied, "Now, are you ready to try again?"

"I guess so." Zak answered as he tried again to put weight on his uninjured leg.

"There, you see? How does that feel?" PT7 asked when Zak was able to stand, although a little unsteadily, on his own.

Zak grinned, "That's better; now what?" He asked, ready for the next step.

"Now, you may sit in this chair and I will see about getting you a pair of crutches." PT7 said, "And sit until I return; do not attempt to stand when I am not here to help you if you fall."

Zak sat down, "I won't, I promise." He said obediently.

As much as Zak wanted to try to stand on his own, he realized that PT7 was right; he had nearly fallen the first time he tried to stand, stood unsteadily the second and did not wish to test his luck by trying to stand again by himself. If he fell, he knew he could reinjure himself; if that happened, it would delay his trip to Belarid. He remained seated in the chair until PT7 returned a few minutes later.

"Aha, you listened to me; I was not at all sure that you would." It said, "You have passed your first test."

"I did?" Zak replied.

"Yes, I am your physical therapist; it is vital that you do as I tell you. Now that I know that you will, we can continue." PT7 answered.

"How do you know I didn't get up while you were gone?" Zak asked curiously.

"I was watching you." PT7 informed him.

"That was pretty sneaky." Zak said.

"Sneaky is part of my programming; now, shall we begin?" PT7 replied.

----------

An older Padawan approached the table where Obi-Wan and Anakin were seated, "Excuse me, Master Kenobi, but the Chancellor would like to speak with you." She said.

Obi-Wan recognized her as Galyn, the Senior Padawan in charge of Zak's wing, "The Chancellor is here?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yes, he is in the Visitors' Hall; I believe he has some important news for you." Galyn answered.

"Thank you, Galyn; I will be there shortly." Obi-Wan told her.

"I wonder what that's about." Anakin said when she was gone.

"He may have some information from Belarid; maybe they've uncovered something about this drug that affects midi-chlorians." Obi-Wan speculated, "You finish eating and I'll go see what he has to say."

"No way; I want to hear this too." Anakin replied as he grabbed the remaining pallie from his tray and stood up.