Rise of the Phoenix

by Elfwarrior96

What if Skywalker wasn't the Chosen One? What if there was another maintaining the balance in the Force by whatever means necessary, protected by an order and a Jedi willing to die for them? What if that person came to restore the balance and revealed truths about the galaxy that had been ignored and forgotten by the Jedi for so long? Can they succeed? Or will they all fall?

41. 40: Bond, Gathering, Test, Bound

A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's a big-time reveal chapter with a few more old faces if you've read the Jedi Apprentice series with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, as well as a cameo that I couldn't leave out no matter how hard I tried. I've done the Clone Wars episodes a bit out of order to make it easier to write so that it looks like we're going back in time. As always, when I write medical scenes, I'm not a doctor and am relying on a scene from Grey's Anatomy for one part of this chapter. Also, hint of rape disclaimer is in effect as well.

Also, while I try to keep politics out of fanfiction, this chapter didn't allow that. I thought it up before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and after much thought, decided to keep it as is. If you don't believe in the right to choose, then this chapter is not for you. I thought having this part in the story would make the characters have to think about it, and so here it is. Personally, I don't know what decisions are made because I have never been through the experience myself, but I thought I would give it a try. If I am wrong or insensitive to anyone out there, please let me know how I can fix it and I will.

The next chapter is written and will hopefully be ready soon. I'm back in school now and my writing time is pretty limited, so please bear with me. It is coming though, so see you soon. In the meantime, please read, review, and enjoy!

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Pursued by pirates! While on a rite of passage, six Jedi younglings and Ahsoka Tano are ambushed. While protecting the young Jedi, Ahsoka was captured by the nefarious Hondo Ohnaka and taken to the planet Florrum. Marshaling their courage and training, the younglings infiltrated the pirate stronghold and rescued Ahsoka. Now we find our heroes in a race to their starship, with the pirates closing in….

Ahsoka had finally returned from a much bigger adventure than she had planned when she was asked to take those younglings to Ilum. Hondo showing up hadn't made things easier, and then Grievous had shown up as well and things had just escalated from there. But now, she was safely back in her quarters and was ready to lie down and sleep for a week. Petro, Katooni, Ganodi, Byph, Zatt, and Gungi had thought it was the greatest adventure they had ever had and were still talking about it.

Ahsoka just wanted to relax in her quarters and forget the entire thing. She had reported to the Council, heard their account of what had happened on Naboo, and was glad she hadn't been there. Fighting Seeker would have been hard for her, especially knowing what she knew. But thankfully, it hadn't come to that, even though it had been amusing to listen to the Council admit defeat when it came to Seeker. She was clearly too skilled for them, and her willingness to kill Anakin wasn't something to be understated. Ahsoka had known Seeker didn't like her master for years, but to hear that it was true hatred was hard to take.

Hopefully, Anakin wouldn't take such risks again.

She shook her head then and decided not to think about it. It had been a long few days and she was ready to call it a night. But she might as well check the feed from R6 before she turned in. Checking it while chaperoning the younglings and then fighting pirates and Grievous had been impossible, and frankly, she didn't think there would be any change.

Not after all this time.

Ahsoka activated the feed then and set the time for the last time she had checked it about a week ago. But this time, there was a change, and her eyes widened as she saw it, almost unable to believe it. She shot to her feet and ran out of her quarters, nearly running over Bariss. Shouting a hurried apology over her shoulder, she kept running, knowing the Council would want to see this.

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The Council was still in session, with Anakin and Aayla there as well, still discussing the fight on Naboo. They had analyzed the fight as much as they could and were now discussing what to do next regarding Seeker. Because it was a closed session communications were forbidden, and there was a lock on all frequencies in and out of the chamber. But Ahsoka knew how to get around that and sent a communication to her Master, who immediately shut his comlink off. But Ahsoka did it again, and seeing that the entire Council was looking at him, he sighed and activated his comlink, ignoring Obi-Wan when he asked nonchalantly, "Now how did that happen?"

Anakin didn't answer as Ahsoka's excited voice came through, "Master, you need to see this!"

"I'm in a meeting with the Council, Ahsoka," Anakin said, warning in his voice about interrupting such a thing, but Ahsoka ignored it and only said, "They need to see this too. It's about Master Fisto. I'm heading for the communication center."

She turned off the communication then, and Anakin turned back to the Council. Obi-Wan said then, "Ahsoka wouldn't have interrupted if it wasn't important. Perhaps we should see what has her so excited. It's not like Seeker's actions will explain themselves anytime soon. We've been debating in circles for hours. Perhaps a break would do us some good."

Yoda nodded, and the meeting adjourned for the time being. Reaching the communication center a few minutes later, they saw that Ahsoka was already there, working on something at the holotable. She turned when they came in, a smile on her face that wouldn't go away. She tried to calm down and show she understood how serious it was interrupting a closed-door session of the Council, but that turned out to be impossible as she said, "These two things happened at the exact same time, a few days ago," turning back to the table as the Council gathered around.

There were two images. One was Seeker and Anakin, Anakin on his back and at Seeker's mercy. The other was an all-too-familiar image: Master Fisto, still unconscious. His head was turned towards the empty bed, and his parents were sitting with him. Ahsoka started the playback, and just as Seeker stopped herself from killing Anakin, Mace said, "You owe Master Fisto a thanks the next time you see him, Master Skywalker. He just saved your life."

Anakin didn't respond, watching the feed in amazement as Ahsoka shut down the feed of him and Seeker. Santiana and Tzakara were watching their son closely and exchanged a glance before going back to watching him. A few seconds later, Kit's eyes slowly opened and he blinked slowly, finally awake. As he attempted to swallow around the tube in his throat, Santiana bowed her head in relief while Tzakara reached out and rested a hand on his son's cheek. Kit closed his eyes, but they opened as his father took his hand away.

As for the Jedi, they were relieved to see that Kit was finally awake, but the relief was short-lived when Tristan appeared, alerted by Santiana going into the back room and looking for him. The doctor smiled when he saw that Kit was awake but not really aware and said, "Thank the tides," his relief more than clear. He approached the bed then and started hitting buttons on a machine, prompting Santiana to ask, "What are you doing?"

Tristan said, "I'm going to turn the ventilator down and see if he can breathe on his own. If he can, I'll leave it off and take the tube out tomorrow. If not, it will stay on until he can breathe without help," he turned to Kit and said a bit more loudly, "If you can hear me, Kit, I'm turning the ventilator off. I want to see what you can do."

There was no response or reaction from Kit other than a slow blink, and Tristan sighed before turning the ventilator off and started watching the monitors closely. But there was no change from what the Jedi could see, and after a few moments, Tristan nodded and smiled at Santiana, who breathed a sigh of relief as Kit continued to breathe on his own.

Tzakara was relieved as well and turned back to his son as Tristan came around and kneeled down to be at eye level with Kit. He took a small flashlight from his pocket and flashed it in Kit's eyes, checking his responses. At first, he seemed pleased with what he saw, but then he started to frown as he looked more closely at Kit's eyes. Something had him concerned, and he ignored Santiana as she asked, "What's wrong, Tristan?"

Tristan paid her no attention, and she looked at Tzakara, who was also worried as he turned back to watching Tristan. Tristan cupped Kit's head with one hand and waved his thumb in front of Kit's eye, trying to get him to follow it with his eyes. It was hard to see if there was a reaction, but a few seconds later, Tristan's frown deepened even more as he did the same test with Kit's other eye. Finally, he sat back on his heels and said the one word no one wanted to hear, "Blind."

The Jedi were shocked and upset to hear that, while Santiana asked, "How?" doing her best to keep her emotions in check while Tzakara reached over and held her hand.

Tristan shook his head as he stared at Kit, who looked as though he was staring back but wasn't seeing anything, "He crashed on us three times during surgery, and his body has essentially been in stasis the entire time since. His brain was starved of oxygen during that time and hasn't recovered. So now he's blind."

"Is that permanent?" Tzakara asked, looking as though he was dreading the answer. Tristan shook his head, "I don't know. Structurally, his eyes are fine. There's nothing wrong with them," leaning forward and trying that test again before snapping his fingers near his own head a few times to see if Kit could find a sound with his eyes. There was nothing from what the Jedi could see, and Tristan continued, "I think what's happened is that his brain isn't getting the signals from his eyes to process the images they are seeing. It was starved of oxygen long enough to cause some brain damage, resulting in blindness. There's nothing we can really do right now except let him rest. A coma isn't exactly restful; his mind and body are completely exhausted and need a chance to recover from it. Rest is the best thing for him right now."

"What will that do?" Santiana asked.

"Letting him rest gives his brain a chance to reset and reboot," Tristan explained, "Since there's nothing physically wrong with his eyes, the problem is in his brain. It's possible it just needs a few days to turn back on and start functioning again. We'll know in a few days what's going to happen."

"And if this is it?" Santiana asked, "If his sight doesn't come back and he's permanently blind?"

"We cross that mountain when we get to it, Santiana," Tristan said quietly, "Let's not plan for the worst-case scenario until we have to."

With that, Tristan stood up and left the room, leaving Santiana and Tzakara with their son as Kit closed his eyes and fell asleep. Santiana shook her head when she saw that but only held his hand, not wanting to wake him, while Tzakara smiled as Kailan walked into the room, looking hopeful but clearly not wanting to get his hopes too high. But that proved impossible as Santiana looked at him and smiled. Tension the Jedi had never noticed in Kailan went away as he sat nearby and watched his twin sleep.

Only this time, he would wake up.

As for the Jedi, they were relieved to see Kit finally awake, and Obi-Wan said quietly, "Thank the Force he finally woke up. I was worried he wouldn't. Although the fact he's blind isn't the news I wanted to hear."

The others nodded while Mace said, "It certainly is good news, aside from that, but I am anxious to see what happens next. Is there any way to move the feed forward to the next day? I think we may learn more," as he turned to Ahsoka, who nodded and got to work. A few minutes later, it was the next day at Home Base and the Jedi could see that a few things had changed.

Santiana was still there, but Tzakara and Kailan were gone. Kit was somewhat awake, but after a few seconds his eyes slid shut and stayed that way as he fell asleep again. Moments later, Tristan came into the room again and Santiana turned to him. Seeing the tray he was carrying, she stood up and said, "My cue to leave. Let me know when you're done."

Tristan nodded, and Santiana left as Ventress came into the room. She settled on the empty bed as she watched Santiana leave, and Tristan said, "She can never watch when I have to do something medical to any of her children. It may be to help them recover, but she can never watch it. She'll come back soon enough, though," as he set up the tray on the table between the two beds.

Ventress didn't say anything for a few minutes as she stared at Kit, then asked, "You drugged him, didn't you?"

"I did," Tristan said as he set everything up before looking at Kit for a few seconds, "It's just to make sure he lies still and lets me do this," as he adjusted some of the flow rates from the IV bags hanging behind the bed, looking down at Kit as he did this, "He and his brothers are notorious for being uncooperative; I don't feel like dealing with that today. And there is the fact that I need to take the tube out of his throat, which is uncomfortable and unpleasant. I want him asleep for that."

"Why?" Ventress asked, and a few minutes later she found out why as Tristan put on a pair of gloves. He then reached up and gently peeled the tape holding the tube in place off Kit's face, then held it in place with one hand against Kit's face while the other pulled the tube out. Kit didn't react other than licking his lips slightly and swallowing. Tristan nodded as the younger Nautolan continued to breathe on his own. He then slipped a small pill into Kit's mouth, which he swallowed instinctively. Seeing Ventress' questioning look, he explained, "Antacid, since he was intubated for so long. It will keep his stomach settled."

Ventress nodded and seemed happy with that explanation, but one of the machines wasn't happy and started beeping loudly, something Tristan ignored as he reached for a clear plastic tube. It was a nasal cannula, and Tristan quickly put it on and taped it to Kit's cheeks. The machine stopped beeping after that as he started getting more oxygen into his system, and then Tristan answered Ventress' previous question, "Most people cough when you take the tube out, and considering the shape of his lungs, I don't want him coughing at all. Breathing will hurt for a while, so he isn't going to breathe as hard as he needs to to keep the right amount of oxygen in his lungs. Hence the nasal cannula. It will allow him to get more oxygen in without having to breathe as hard."

"Huh," was all Ventress said as she watched him, while Obi-Wan asked, "What does Tristan mean by being uncooperative?"

No one knew what that meant, but their attention was soon back on the feed as Tristan reached up with another tube. This one apparently had a camera on one end since Tristan watched a monitor as he gently inserted the tube into Kit's left nostril and started feeding it down. After a few moments, Kit swallowed instinctively, and the tube was in. Tristan kept going and a few minutes later was taping that tube in place before hooking it up to a new IV bag hanging behind the bed. This one was full of dark liquid, making Ventress ask, "What are you doing?"

Tristan smiled slightly and said, "He's not going to want to eat for a while; this is taking the choice away from him, I'm sorry to say. The only way he's going to get better is by resting and eating, but he isn't going to want to do the latter. These," nodding at the bag, "are calories. Because his system was messed up for so long, he's a bit undernourished and underweight, but eating isn't going to be possible for a while. Getting them in this way means we can take it easy on his stomach and digestive system, and he can get used to eating without pain. It also means I can get rid of about half of these," pointing at all the IV lines in Kit's arms.

Ventress nodded slowly as Tristan started removing the lines. He was right; he took out eight or nine before finally stopping. But then he did something neither the Jedi nor Ventress were expecting: he put cloth bindings around Kit's wrists and tied them to the underframe of the bed. Seeing this, Ventress asked, "What's that for?"

Tristan smiled slightly as he said, "Kit and his brothers have a rather unpleasant habit of pulling their IV lines out when they're here. They don't do it anywhere else, mostly because it's not me taking care of them and they want to be somewhat polite," he shook his head, "And there is the fact that the feeding tube is uncomfortable and will take some time to get used to. I don't want him pulling that out either since it will be staying in for at least a month. I don't think he will, but I don't trust him enough to leave him free to try, unfortunately. He and his brothers have given me more than enough reasons to not trust them."

Ventress shook her head as Lorelei suddenly came into the room and climbed into her lap. Ventress put her arms around the young girl as they watched Tristan work, Ventress asking, "He shouldn't be awake right now, right? Or even alive?"

"No, he shouldn't be," Tristan agreed, "but I think I figured out how he was able to survive," Ventress stared at him for a few moments as he changed out a few IV bags, and then once he had settled, he said, "It probably wouldn't have been possible for even another old-breed, but Kit and his family are of some of the oldest bloodlines on Glee Anselm. I've explored their DNA over the years to learn more about them and see how I can apply that knowledge to other parts of my research. Santiana's mother's line was pure royalty, with bloodlines stretching back into unrecorded history. Her father may have been a commoner, but his bloodlines were just as ancient, if not more so. Tzakara's family is of an even older bloodline, but that is all I could figure out about them. The answer to where he came from has likely been lost to time, and he isn't inclined to talk about his past before he came to the clan or his family. His ancestral home is long gone too; taken over by the warlords and destroyed a long time ago to be a tourist stop," he paused a moment before saying sadly, "It's a shame, that the most sacred place on Glee Anselm is now a place where offworlders get bad tans and conned out of their credits. I doubt Tzakara would even recognize his home if he saw it now."

Tristan looked up at Ventress then, "Santiana and Tzakara's bloodlines have merged in their sons. They are the most purebred old-breeds in the galaxy, which may allow for some extra strength and endurance. I don't think Kit surviving this coma was because of his own strength; I think it was because of a heritage older than recorded galactic history. Tzakara told me he is of an older time; this is what he meant. His sons surviving things other old-breeds haven't isn't a coincidence; it is the result of a heritage so ancient it makes the idea of the Republic look young."

Finished speaking, Tristan removed a few more IV lines before turning to Lorelei and nodding with a smile. The young girl climbed out of Ventress' lap and onto the bed, reaching for and holding her father's hand. Kit's eyes fluttered briefly, and he moved his head slightly before sliding into a deeper sleep, and Lorelei smiled as her father finally reacted to her presence.

The Jedi were similarly relieved to see such a reaction, and Ventress left then, saying, "I'm going to get Seeker from Naboo. She has somewhere else to be, but I don't know where it is. I'll see you in a few days."

Tristan nodded as Ventress left, watching as Lorelei lay down near her father and settled in to wait for him to wake up fully. Kit continued to sleep, and Tristan smiled to himself before saying, "You certainly know how to keep things interesting, lad. Next time, don't scare everyone so much, will you? You've definitely taken a few years off your parents' lives with this stunt."

Kit didn't respond, and Tristan left so that Lorelei could have some time with her father. She stayed for a few minutes longer before reluctantly leaving as Krista came in and talked to her for a few moments in their language. She went with Krista as Santiana and Tzakara entered, the two of them heading for the bed and sitting down. Santiana sat on the edge of the bed while Tzakara sat on the empty bed and watched as his mate reached over and gently stroked her son's cheek before asking quietly, "Kit, can you wake up?"

At first, nothing happened and Kit continued to sleep, but Santiana was persistent and Force-sensitive. Using the Force ever-so-slightly she nudged Kit's mind awake, and a few seconds later his eyes opened slowly, revealing bone-deep exhaustion. He didn't even bother moving his head or looking in the direction of his mother's voice, and that was when Santiana said quietly, "We'll let you go back to sleep in a minute, child, but we need to know who hurt you. Can you tell me who hurt you?"

The Jedi were surprised to see her ask such a question when it would have been better to let her son rest, but Santiana kept stroking Kit's cheek as he shut his eyes and tried to bring his thoughts into order. After a few seconds, he licked his lips and whispered dryly, "….'rkin..."

Santiana exchanged a glance with Tzakara when she heard that before turning back to Kit and saying, "Go back to sleep, child. We'll stay for a little while with you," resting her hand on his forehead and nudging his mind back into dreams. He settled after that and fell into a deep sleep, leaving Santiana to look at Tzakara. Tzakara only nodded and said nothing, leaving the Jedi to wonder what would happen next with Tarkin now that Kit had confirmed who had stabbed him.

Watching the feed over the next few days was actually harder for the Jedi than watching what Tristan had to do to him. Kit did wake up eventually, but was delirious from the pain and spending so much time in a coma. Tristan didn't have a chance of calming him down, having to send for Santiana and Tzakara to keep him still and quiet. Tzakara was able to for the first couple of days, but on the third day, he couldn't and turned to Santiana and said, "Get Kailan, now."

Santiana nodded and ran from the room as Tzakara used his own strength to hold his son still, something that was hard for the Jedi to watch. Thankfully Lorelei didn't get to watch it since Krista had appeared and tempted her away with some sweets and food when Kit had started waking up and shown himself to be delirious. Tzakara didn't look as though he enjoyed holding his son down so he wouldn't hurt himself, but Santiana was apparently a fast runner, and Kailan was faster than her since he was there not even five minutes later.

Kailan immediately went into the room and kneeled next to his brother's bed, his father continuing to hold Kit down, reaching out and resting a hand on his head, forcing him to keep his head still. He stared into his brother's half-open eyes and then rested his forehead against his twin's and closed his eyes. Kit clenched his teeth for several seconds before slowly settling down, leaving the Jedi amazed. After a few minutes of this, Kit finally settled and calmed, but Kailan didn't move. He just stayed there, holding his brother still as Tristan came over and gave Kit an injection of something.

It must have been a sedative because moments later, Kit was asleep again, and Tristan was saying, "The last thing he may remember is being attacked. It's possible his instincts aren't letting him settle until his brain recognizes he is safe. Hopefully this was all it needed," nodding at Kailan as he continued to hold his brother still.

"Hopefully," was all Tzakara said, and the rest of the day passed peacefully for Kit as he continued to sleep. Eventually, his twin and father left, while Tristan stayed close, and the next day looked as though it would be better than the first.

Kit was alone in the room, still asleep, but as the Jedi watched, his eyes slowly blinked open as he moved his head slowly. He swallowed hard as he did so, and the Jedi were treated to the sight of him moving calmly and no longer delirious. He looked around then, actually looked around, and it was clear his sight had returned. He looked behind him as much as he could at the IV bags and all the monitors before turning to look out the windows. He swallowed dryly again before looking down at his hands, seeing they were bound to the bed. He shook his head weakly when he saw that, unsurprised, and Eeth said, "He's been through this before."

The others nodded as Kit raised his head as much as he could, but it was only a few seconds before it fell back onto the pillow. He was clearly too weak to hold it up on his own for long just yet, but that didn't stop him from looking around. He glanced at the empty bed next to him before looking through the door across from his bed. Something in there had his interest, and a few seconds later, he turned his head as he called out dryly, "Annie!" his voice dry and rough, not to mention weak. It no longer sounded as deep or commanding as it had been before, and it clearly hurt to speak as he winced slightly.

But that didn't matter to whatever he called since an animal suddenly appeared. It wasn't one of the horses. It was smaller than the horses, much smaller, just over half a meter. It still had four legs and a deep chest but had pawed feet instead of hooves. A long snout and folded ears complimented the head, with dark brown eyes and a black nose. The body was streamlined and muscular and covered in black fur. There were bits of white on a few of the toes of her feet and a white patch on her chest, and her tail was long and thin. The muscles were highly pronounced, and she was clearly meant for running. A wide collar with a gold woven pattern and metal tags jangled on her neck as she shook her entire body, and Kit smiled as she bowed down on her front legs to stretch her back, her rump up in the air.

She straightened and then stretched her back and legs, and Kit moved his left hand off the bed, where it hung limply. The animal immediately trotted forward, waging her tail excitedly and tossing her head side-to-side, pushing her head into his hand and asking for attention. He gave it willingly, petting her ears weakly and smiling slightly as she looked at him with love and adoration, and his smile widened as he kept petting her head. She rested her head on the bed then, staring at him with love, and the Jedi were amazed to see it. They had never seen an animal like that before, and Obi-Wan said with just a hint of sarcasm, "I'm betting Seeker has something to do with her being there. Whatever she is."

Anakin chuckled when he heard that, but then a deep voice said, "Seeker wasn't kidding. Petting that animal really does lower your blood pressure," and Kit looked over to see his father leaning on the door frame with his arms crossed, watching his son and the animal while the Jedi were able to see that Kit's blood pressure had gone down according to the monitor and he relaxed as he pet the animal. Tzakara smiled when he saw his son's eyes focus on him, "She's been waiting for you to wake up for a while," as he started walking into the room. Kit stopped petting the animal, who looked over her shoulder at Tzakara. Seeing him, the animal left, leaving Kit's hand hanging, and he was too weak to bring it back onto the bed. Tzakara smiled slightly, walked over, and sat on the bed before taking his son's hand, holding it in both of his for a few moments.

Kit stared at him with half-closed eyes, and then Tzakara smiled and reached out, gently running the back of his left hand along Kit's forehead and temple. Kit closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, and Tzakara said quietly, "You scared a lot of people, my son. More than I care to think about," as he lowered his hand.

"Didn't mean to," Kit murmured quietly, opening his eyes and looking at his father. Tzakara shook his head and said, "Only you can get away with just about anything. You've got your brothers wrapped around your finger, and your mother and I do nothing but worry about you. It's not healthy for any of us," as he put his hand back in his lap.

Kit only swallowed slightly and winced as he looked around again, looking for something. Or someone. Who that someone was became clear when he tried to get up, but Tzakara stopped him. Kit didn't seem to notice, looking around as much as he could, and the Jedi were surprised to see the panic in his eyes. It didn't go away when Tzakara said quietly, "Calm down, Kit, you're alright."

Kit still didn't calm, and a few seconds later, Tzakara sighed and said, "Kailan is fine, Kit. If you stop and think for a second, you'll know that," reaching up and pressing Kit's head down onto the pillow. Kit finally stilled for a few minutes, and the Jedi watched as his eyes slid half-shut. Seconds later, he relaxed and settled, and Tzakara said, "You see? He's fine. He's with Geeta right now, finally getting a good night's sleep."

Kit nodded slowly as he felt through their bond his brother was fine, but then looked at his father and asked, "Geeta is here? I thought she was on Malastare," surprising the Jedi that he knew where she had been.

"She was," Tzakara said, "but then Mithrol decided to sell her out. He's still frozen in carbonite until your brothers decide what to do with him, and Geeta was found on Tattoine. She's fine as well, and you have a new nephew," seeing that Kit was looking at him with concern and worry he added, "Kailan and Seeker found her and led the team to get her back. And before you ask, Seeker is doing just fine. I'm not sure what she's been up to the last couple of days, but I think we'll find out soon enough."

Kit nodded before asking, "What happened?" his mind refusing to work, and Tzakara raised an eye-ridge and asked, "What do you remember?"

Kit shut his eyes and kept them that way for several long minutes before finally opening them halfway and saying, "I was leaving my cruiser and almost made it. Then I rounded a corner and Tarkin was there. He stabbed me before I could defend myself or get away. My reflexes were too slow. It gets very hazy after that. I think I remember sensing Kailan nearby, but I can't be sure."

"Your connection to the Force was also weakened from all the drugs you were using to keep the pain under control, which meant you weren't ready for Tarkin at all," Tzakara finished for him, and Kit nodded. Tzakara nodded as well before saying, "Seeker severed your connection to the Force until you woke up and were stronger. Once you're ready she'll reestablish the connection," Kit nodded slowly before Tzakara said, "You told your mother it was Tarkin that stabbed you when you woke up. I don't know if you remember that?" Kit shook his head, and his father continued, "Your mother will obey clan law, as will everyone else. You can't stop what happens next, even if you wanted to. No one can," looking at his son closely as he said this.

The Jedi, and Tarkin who had joined via hologram, were actually hoping Kit would speak in defense of Tarkin, but he didn't. He just lay there, eyes half-closed as he thought over everything his father just told him, and then nodded slowly, surprising the Jedi that he seemed to be okay with his family and clan going after Tarkin. All he said was, "I don't think I can win that fight. Màthair won't listen to me about this, will she?"

"No, she won't," Tzakara agreed, "And neither will anyone else. The entire clan sees this as an insult that can't be forgiven."

Kit was silent again before sighing and saying, "I'll still try and talk her out of it. Even if she won't listen."

"Wouldn't expect anything different from you, child," Tzakara said, "You wouldn't be you if you didn't speak in defiance of her. I will not, but you can," Kit nodded and was silent for a few moments. Tzakara respected that silence before saying, "I did get to meet a few of your friends in the Temple a while ago. It's been an interesting time."

Kit stared at him before asking, "How long was I out?"

"Almost three months," Tzakara said, "and I think you know what that means."

"I shouldn't be alive right now," Kit said quietly, and Tzakara nodded, "That's right, you shouldn't be. And somehow, you are, something I still don't understand. Tristan thinks it is due to our heritage and ancestry, but that can't be it. There has to be a bit more to that riddle, but I don't feel like puzzling it out right now."

Kit nodded slowly before looking down at his restrained hands and then up at his father, but Tzakara wasn't falling for it as he said, "No, don't even think about asking. We both know you'll pull out those IVs as soon as you're given half a chance, which will slow down your healing. And you'll try and get up before you can. Tristan tells me the only things holding you together right now are quite a few stitches and a whole lot of pretense. That pretense is built on you not moving for a while, and I'm not falling for that look."

Kit sighed and turned away, but he must have done something he shouldn't have because he suddenly tensed up, his eyes screwed up as his jaw clenched, and Tzakara asked, "Kit?" as he leaned forward. His son didn't respond, and Tzakara looked at the operating room door before saying, "I'll go get Tristan," as he started to stand up, but his son's hand on his wrist stopped him.

"N-n-no," Kit shuddered, "no d-drugs."

"It will relieve the pain, child," Tzakara said, turning back to Kit, "You need some relief."

"It will pass," Kit said between clenched teeth, "and I don't want any drugs," as he slowly relaxed and the pain settled. After a few minutes, it had gone away and he was able to look at his father again, who said, "One more flair-up like that and I'm getting Tristan. You don't deserve that kind of pain."

Kit nodded, seeming to know he wouldn't be able to change his father's mind on that, then asked, "When did you go to the Temple? And how unwilling were you to go there?"

"What makes you think I went there unwillingly?" Tzakara asked, a teasing light in his eyes, and Kit attempted a smile as he said, "You said once you'd only go to the Temple if you were forced to or if it had been razed to the ground. And since you would have told me if it had been destroyed, you were forced there."

The Jedi exchanged glances when they heard that, and Tzakara smiled slightly when he said, "It was about two months ago. Tristan and I were caught leaving Glee Anselm and weren't able to evade the Jedi. They brought us to the Temple, and the Chancellor made them turn us over to the Monarchy. Raojull Gon almost took us, but we were able to escape from him and get away."

Kit had listened to the abridged version of events with interest, but the second he heard the name Raojull Gon his heart rate spiked, and the Jedi were able to watch as his eyes widened in fear and he started trembling. It was involuntary and not something he could stop, and his father was quick to settle him by saying, "It's alright, child, he didn't lay a hand on us," resting his hand on Kit's cheek and running his thumb over it and after a few minutes, Kit's trembling eased, but the fear didn't go away. Tzakara smiled sadly when he saw that, "You remember what he did to you, don't you?"

Kit nodded, and Tzakara said firmly, "He's not going to do it again, you know that, right? He only did it then because he was a coward and still is a coward. He only fights weakened opponents, those that can't fight back, and you are more than able to fight back now. If you ever meet him again, you'll be ready. And you won't be alone next time."

Kit nodded again while Tzakara said, "I was surprised to meet a few of your friends in the Temple. They weren't entirely what I was expecting, but they were a bit of a disappointment. I remember when the Jedi were willing to defy the Chancellor for the good of someone the Chancellor targeted. They did no such thing this time," Kit was silent, not defending the Jedi. Tzakara continued, looking more carefully at his son, "Your mother will be here soon to ask if you still think the Jedi are worth defending. Their actions don't lend your words much credit, but I won't fight this fight for you. You can deal with your mother all you want."

His son didn't say anything, but that was more because he looked up as movement caught his eye. Turning, Tzakara leaped to his feet and yelled, "A-MHÀIN!" at the female Nautolan standing at the door. She backed away and took off running down the hallway, and Tzakara settled back into his seat and turned back to his son, who had shut his eyes and winced when his father had raised his voice. But that was all, and a few moments later, Kit could open his eyes and look at his father. Tzakara only said, his voice barely over a murmur, "Sorry, child. But we both know you don't want her bothering you, or anything to do with her."

Kit nodded, but movement caught his eye again and he looked towards the door. Tzakara looked too and smiled when he saw Lorelei standing there, looking a bit uncertain. But that didn't last as her father smiled at her and she ran into the room. She made a beeline for her father, but was intercepted by her grandfather before she could plow into Kit's healing stomach. Tzakara picked her up into his lap, and she calmed enough to gently climb into her father's bed and hug him. After that, she settled into the crook of his left arm, the picture of contentment as her father reached up with his left hand and ran his fingers through her hair gently, the cloth bindings having enough play for that but not much else. She sighed and relaxed then, Kit relaxing as well, and that was when Tzakara said, "She's been scared for you for a long time. We didn't tell her anything, but she caught on that something was wrong, so we let her in to see you. She followed Seeker to Malachor and then to Tattoine when they went after Geeta. Whatever she saw on Malachor scared her more than we think, but she hasn't said anything about it, not even to her mother, who will be here soon enough to see you. She's finally catching up on all the sleep she missed out on from worrying about you. Lorelei refuses to sleep by herself now, so whatever it was has truly terrified her. You're going to have to get answers out of her, and good luck. You know how stubborn she is. And then on Tattoine she had another adventure."

Kit looked up when he heard that, and Tzakara said, "Kailan had to go after her when the Republic took her off the Ghost, and the Jedi know she's your daughter, but that's all. They haven't figured out who her mother is. Kailan was forced to show the Jedi around the south pole and only did so after the Tholothian you told us about came and agreed to watch Lorelei. Kailan refused to leave her with anyone else, especially since Tarkin was also on the ship. Seeker and Ventress came after that and retrieved her and Kailan, and then they were brought back here. We've been as careful as we can be, but she's your daughter, so she's rebellious by nature. Seeker has also taken her to Naboo with the horses to get her mind off everything happening here and with you. It did work, but the Jedi also tracked them down on Naboo. No one was hurt. The more detailed stories can wait until later."

Kit didn't react for a few moments as he stared at his daughter before finally saying quietly, "I've missed a lot."

"You'll get caught up soon enough," Tzakara said, "Kailan will be here as soon as he wakes up to talk to you. I think you scared him more than anyone else," he looked closely at his son then, "I don't think either of you knows how to live without the other. Which makes what might have happened too frightening to think about."

Kit didn't say anything as his father stood up, "It's after midnight now, and I need to get some sleep. Your mother will be here in the morning to talk with you, and I suggest you get some rest. You'll need all your strength for that conversation," and headed for the door.

Just before he left the room, Kit said suddenly, "Athair, aon ni eile," Tzakara turned back, surprising the Jedi that Kit knew his people's language after so much time away from them. But they weren't given any time to think about it as Kit said quietly, "I may be down now, but I want to get back up."

Tzakara smiled gently then and said quietly, "I'm counting on it," he again tried to leave, but Kit asked suddenly, "What's wrong with R6? He's usually a lot more active," as he looked at his droid that was still sitting by the door. Tzakara turned back and said, "The Jedi hacked him and have been listening in on what's been happening around Home Base for the last couple months. Seeker is planning to air-gap to make him hack-proof but hasn't gotten around to it yet. She's been a bit busy," he looked more closely at his son then, "If you have anything you want to tell the Jedi, now's the time before Seeker comes back and air-gaps him. After that it will be too late."

Hearing that, the Jedi were curious to see what Kit would say, if anything, and were somewhat disappointed when he shook his head and said, "What I have to say they deserve to hear in person, if possible. If Seeker air-gaps him before I can get back to the Temple, I will find a way to explain everything to them then."

Tzakara stared at his son for a few moments before nodding slowly and leaving, and Kit turned back to his daughter after staring at R6 for a few more moments. He smiled as his daughter looked up at him, and it stayed as she fell asleep. A few minutes later, he also fell asleep, the conversation with his father apparently exhausting him.

Seeing this, Anakin said, "Does that mean Master Fisto is planning to come back to the Temple? If he does he'll be arrested for treason. He does know that, right?"

"He does," Mace said, "which means something is going on that he wants us to know and wants to tell us in person if he can. But he knows he isn't ready to meet us, so he's going to keep us in suspense," he leaned on the holotable, "Which makes me think he and Seeker have a long-term plan. It was sidelined when he was injured, but once he heals it will be back on track."

The rest of the Council turned back to the feed then as Ahsoka skipped ahead to the next day. Lorelei was awake first and sat up, waiting for her father to wake up as well. He eventually did, and she grinned recklessly before climbing down from the bed and saying something in their language. Kit listened before replying, and she took off running, almost running into her grandmother. Santiana only shook her head and smiled as she entered the room, saying quietly, "That girl is more fearless than you, my son," as she sat down on the bed and stared at him for a few moments.

Kit stared back through half-open eyes, only about half awake but becoming more aware as time passed. After a few moments of this, Santiana shook her head and said, "Still rebellious," she reached over and ran a hand along Kit's face, saying, "I wouldn't have you any other way, but I wish you listened to me every once and a while. If you had, you likely wouldn't be in this bed right now, unable to leave it."

Kit shook his head then, "If I listened to you I would have left my friends a long time ago. I wasn't ready then."

"Some friends, child," Santiana said softly, "Did they do anything to help you when Tarkin detained you? Would they believe your defense of your actions? They betrayed you, and yet you are still defending them. When will you realize you've given them enough of your life? And that they have been more than willing to trade it away just to appease the Chancellor and the Senate. When did your life start mattering less and less to them?"

"They haven't heard why I did what I did yet, or what it all means," Kit said quietly, "How are they supposed to know?"

"And when they do, will they believe you? Or will they hand you over to the Senate without a second thought?" Santiana asked, daring her son to challenge that.

"I have to believe they will listen," Kit said quietly, "if only for what I have done for the Order over my lifetime. I hope they'll give me the benefit of the doubt long enough to hear why."

The Jedi were impressed to hear Kit speak to his mother in such a way, and so was she since she stared at him a few moments before saying with a slight smile, "Keep talking like this and I'm going to be the reason you're trapped in this bed," she smoothed the blankets then before saying, "I'm not going to get far in this argument, I know that. You've barely been awake five minutes this morning and I'm already losing control of this conversation," she smiled then and said, "And somehow I don't mind," she reached up and cupped his head in her hand, and he leaned into the touch as much as he had with his father and shut his eyes. After a few moments of this, Santiana said, "I'm going to let you get some rest now. Lorelei will be by later, and we both know you'll need as much energy as possible to deal with her. Now that you're awake, she will want to be with you, not her boring grandparents. I will see you later," standing up after and leaving her son a bit confused since he stared at her in surprise that there wasn't more to this conversation.

Santiana smiled at his expression and said, "I know when to cut my losses, child. I also know that when you're like this, I could have a more productive argument with a chair, or your father when he thinks he is right. Whether he is or not and I'm too stubborn and proud to admit it is beside the point. But I like it more when you fight back and can wait until you are strong enough to do so. Maybe then I will be interested in hearing your arguments on why that captain should be allowed to live. In the meantime, get some rest."

Kit nodded and turned to look out the windows, watching the images change, but the animal from before suddenly came out of the room and asked for attention. He gave it willingly, and that was when Santiana said quietly, "I don't understand that animal, or why Seeker brought her."

"Annie is not that hard to understand, màthair," Kit said as he stroked her head, "She likes attention, and she loves sleep and food."

"Then why doesn't she sleep out here and keep you company?" Santiana asked with a slight smile, and Kit smiled as he said, "She won't lie on the hard ground; Seeker spoils her too much for that. She'll only lie on her bed. It's in the other room," nodding in the direction of the door Annie had come out of.

Santiana shook her head when she heard that and headed for the room, saying quietly, "At least Tristan can have his office back now," causing Kit to smile again but not laugh, showing that it probably hurt. Santiana disappeared for a few moments but came back with a large, round bed that was a bit thick. But it was apparently comfortable because once she put it down in the corner, Annie went straight for it and circled a couple times before lying down, laying her head down on her front paws and watching all that was happening as Santiana reached down and pet her head before leaving. Kit smiled and turned to Annie, saying quietly, "I think you're wearing her down," before Kailan suddenly came into the room.

Kit quickly turned his head towards his twin, and it was silent as they stared at each other. Kailan stared expressionlessly at his brother for several long moments before the relief finally came through, and that was when he went to the far side of the bed near the other door. He never took his eyes off his twin, Kit never taking his eyes off Kailan, and it was still silent. Neither were speaking, but Obi-Wan couldn't help but notice there was no tension between them. They were just silent, leaving him to say, "I think they're talking to each other in a way we can't hear or understand."

Mace and a few others nodded as Kailan finally reached his brother's side and sat down in the chair there. He took his brother's hand and held it tight, staring at it as Kit gripped his hand, before looking up at his twin. Kit stared back, and then smiled suddenly and reached up as best he could as Kailan rested his head on Kit's shoulder. Tension that the Jedi had never noticed melted out of both of them as Kit held his brother as close as he could and Kailan just rested his head on his brother's chest, listening to him breathe. The two of them stayed like that for several long minutes, Kit resting his head on his brother's and their head-tentacles mixing together, both of them relaxing as they shut their eyes and strengthened a bond that nothing had ever broken or could ever break. Kit nestled his head under his brother's a few minutes later, closing his eyes as he did so and essentially disappearing, but it was impossible to tell if he said anything to his twin. Kailan didn't respond or react either way, and was silent as he settled next to his brother for many long minutes.

Watching this Luminara said, "I think I understand why Kit trusted his twin to take care of his daughter, and why his twin wouldn't have failed. Their bond is much stronger than we could begin to imagine, or comprehend."

Obi-Wan nodded before saying quietly, "It would explain why Kit never said anything about his twin or brothers. They mean too much to him for him to betray them so readily. He wouldn't have done it for anyone, not even us."

Mace nodded as Yoda shook his head, but both were silent as Tristan suddenly came into the room and said cheerfully, "Time to change bandages."

Saying that clearly ruined the moment since Kit and Kailan drew apart. Kit didn't even try to have Tristan's enthusiasm, saying bluntly, "This is going to hurt no matter what you do or say, Tristan. You always peel off a few layers of skin," as Kailan moved to the other side but clearly intended to stay, not letting go of his brother's left hand the entire time.

"And this is why I prefer you drugged into oblivion," Tristan shot back as he sat down next to the bed, "You keep your comments to yourself then. I would have thought the Jedi taught you better manners than that."

Kit only said something in their language that was clearly nothing kind, if Tristan's expression was anything to go by, while Kailan looked like he was barely stopping himself from either laughing or blushing, and that was when Obi-Wan said, "I think he's feeling better," barely keeping the laughter out of his voice as they watched the banter between Kit and Tristan. Personally, Obi-Wan was surprised to see this side of Kit's personality, having never seen it before since it had always been hidden under a layer of drugs and pain.

"Yes, he is," Mace said with a slight smile while Yoda shook his head in amusement, but then he frowned and said, "But I am interested in what Seeker is up to right now. We've caught up to the live feed, but there's still no sign of her. If she sensed Master Fisto waking up, why didn't she return to Home Base immediately?"

"Is there any way to see what's happening with her, little 'Soka? And give Master Fisto some privacy while Tristan changes the bandages?" Master Plo asked, and Ahsoka nodded as she started checking the feeds, and after a few minutes was able to find the right one and go back a few days. Once there, she said, "I think this happened just as I arrived on Ilum with the younglings. It looks like she went straight from Naboo to a planet in the Kalamith sector."

"What planet?" Obi-Wan asked, recognizing the name, and Ahsoka said, "Simpla-12," causing Obi-Wan to wonder what she was doing there and if a recent rumor he had heard had anything to do with it.

---

As the Clone War scorches its destructive path across the galaxy, it is the Jedi who bring order to the chaos. Though as the war progresses, the number of Jedi have declined, and new younglings are harder to find. When a youngling is located, they are brought to the Jedi Temple and learn quickly that their true family is now the Jedi Order. The trials are hard. Tests must be passed. But none is as important as The Gathering. It is then that a Jedi's path will truly begin….

Simpla-12 hadn't changed all that much since the last time Obi-Wan had seen it. It was a somewhat notorious planet where trawlers landed and space pirates lived. Once it had been rich in minerals, but those minerals had all been mined and the industry abandoned. There was little life and no native beings, and the weather never changed. It was always wet and raining, and the weak sun never made its way through the dark clouds that were always there. The economy of Simpla-12 was gambling and the black market.

There was only one colony on the planet, and the occupants had really thought there would be more when they called it Sim-First. But the sprawling town was the only one; the buildings connected by metal walkways sunk into the dirt and mud. The buildings were in disrepair and had been patched back together with random sheets of metal.

Seeker was there, dressed in her usual blue outfit, sitting on the roof of a building and looking out, using the low wall around the roof as an armrest as she watched what was happening below her. What was down there was beyond the range of the bug, and as the Jedi watched she suddenly shook her head and sent droplets of water flying. She did it again, then reached up and wiped the droplets off her thick lashes. It did little good because they gathered again, and she shook her head again with a jerky movement, clearly irritated.

"I thought you liked water," a familiar voice said, and Seeker turned her head slightly as Ventress joined her. The half-Nautolan only said, "I like consistent water. This rain is irritating," shaking her head again and sending her necklace flying, her hair so thick the water droplets gathered and didn't soak through. Now that she was sitting still in the dark weather the Jedi thought the large stone was glowing, but it was hard to tell in the hologram. Seeker again shook her head before asking, "You find what I was looking for?" as she turned to Ventress.

Ventress nodded, "It wasn't that hard. They were exactly where you said they'd be. They'll be here in a few minutes."

"Alright," Seeker nodded as she went back to watching the street, cocking her head as she asked, "I wonder if they've gotten any braver over the last few years?"

Ventress only snorted as she joined Seeker at the low wall, watching the street as well. After a few moments, Ventress turned to Seeker and asked, "You sure you want to do this? You could upset the locals."

Seeker snorted, "They would have to care to want to get involved in this. And they don't. Besides, I would have to care as well. And I don't."

With that, Seeker crouched low and walked a few paces away from the wall, standing tall then and heading for the opposite side of the building. Ventress followed behind her, and the two women dropped down to the ground and landed in the mud. Seeker shook her head in disgust but that was all; while Ventress wiped some mud off her face with her hands before Seeker handed her a rag and she tried to clean herself up that way. But all that did was smear the mud around, and after a few seconds she gave up as voices were suddenly heard over the bug and she looked in the direction they were coming from.

Voices that Obi-Wan thought were vaguely familiar.

"Gibbertz and ham, I was hoping we never had to come back this way," one voice said, while another added, "Right, but it's not like we can tell her no. You know who her friends are."

"The Fisto brothers," a third voice said, fear easy to hear, "We can't just walk away when that name drops."

Seeker exchanged an amused glance with Ventress, and a few moments later three beings rounded the corner, and Obi-Wan's amusement went up a few notches as he exchanged a glance with Adi, recognizing the three characters standing in front of the two women. Adi returned the glance, easily recognizing Cholly, Weez, and Tup. The three humanoids had "helped" them rescue Qui-Gon when he had been captured by Jenna Zan Arbor. The three scoundrels were terrible criminals, mostly because at the first sign of danger, they ran. Still, they had done as best as their cowardly hearts could when the situation called for it. Seeing them was actually a welcome sight for Obi-Wan. It seemed like they were doing alright for themselves after all these years but still looked as if they were just getting by. Seeker looked them over, and they seemed to shrink back under her commanding gaze before she said, "We need your help. Do this, and we'll give you quite a few credits."

"How many credits?" Cholly asked, and Seeker cocked her head, "Enough."

That was all she said, and Weez spoke up then, "Why should we do this? Whatever 'this' is?"

"Because I asked you to and am paying you," Seeker said, "And because we are rescuing someone you know and who helped you, if I'm not mistaken. Doesn't that warrant some courage?"

"I guess so," Tup answered instead of Weez, "But why did it have to be this building? You know what happened there last time, right? And what friend are you talking about?"

"Of course I know. And this friend was there last time as well," Seeker said, "But we're still going in. And with you three, it will be the same as before. Offer to sell some security droids. You just need to be a distraction and don't have to enter the building. We brought the droids, and a gravsled, so don't worry about that. You can keep both after."

The three scoundrels exchanged glances when they heard how easy the job was going to be and that they could possibly make even more money, and Obi-Wan exchanged a glance with Adi. How did Seeker know what happened last time? Neither Kit nor Quinlan had been involved in the mission. And what friend were they talking about?

Everyone involved was accounted for, or dead.

There was no time to think about it as Seeker turned around and walked down the alley to the street, looking out. Now the bug was in range of what she was looking at, which included a darkened street barely lit by glow lights. But what had her attention was the building there. It was a large building that took up an entire block unit. There were no windows and only one door. And that door was guarded by battle droids. Seeing the droids, Obi-Wan said quietly, "There was a rumor circulating around that an enemy of ours had escaped from prison. I wonder if we are about to get confirmation about that rumor?"

"What rumor, Master Kenobi?" the Chancellor asked. He had joined this meeting via hologram with Dr. Boll and Captains Thrawn and Tarkin.

Obi-Wan only shook his head as he went back to watching the feed. Seeker turned back to Cholly, Weez, and Tup and said, "Your turn to play the heroes. The gravsled is down the street," nodding in that direction, "We'll be watching."

The three immediately nodded and took off running to retrieve the gravsled while Seeker looked over her shoulder at Ventress. Seeing her nod, Seeker led the way back into the depths of the alley and through a labyrinth of alleys that eventually got them to the other side of the street just as Cholly, Weez, and Tup appeared with the gravsled. They were piloting it with some skill, but Obi-Wan was amused to see that they weren't letting Tup go anywhere near the controls, apparently remembering the disaster that had happened last time. Seeker shook her head before muttering, "If they stick to the plan, I'm a Kowakian monkey-lizard. Let's go," turning to Ventress and again leading the way. They ran to the side of the building, which wasn't guarded at all, and a few moments later, Seeker was turning her head toward the front door. She raised her arm and activated her comlink, and they could hear the faint voices of Cholly, Weez, and Tup at the door, offering to sell droids. She had bugged the gravsled in order to time this mission.

Ventress smiled slightly when she heard that, and as the three voices got more insistent, Seeker turned to Ventress and asked, "Would you like to do the honors?" nodding at the wall. Ventress was more than willing and quickly cut a hole in the wall with her lightsaber, and then the two of them jumped through into the building.

The interior of the building was as clean and polished as the last time Obi-Wan had seen it, and those memories weren't particularly welcome. Seeker had to blink a few times to adjust her eyes to the bright light, but that passed quickly enough, and they were then running down the hall. Ventress was a few paces behind as Seeker passed another hallway before suddenly stopping and pressing herself against the wall. She turned her head, and the Jedi were able to hear a voice they hadn't wanted to hear again: "Go away, I've got no interest in your droids. I have my own, and they actually work."

Cholly quickly said, "I can see that, miss, but these droids are adapted for the conditions of Simpla-12. They won't fail you and last longer when charged."

"These droids are programmed to shoot and kill," that familiar voice said, "Go now, before they follow their programming."

The sounds of blasters being primed were barely heard over the sound of the gravsled leaving and that voice saying, "The nerve! Did they really think I forgot them, or the Jedi that were hidden in that gravsled last time?"

Seeker quickly jumped to the ceiling and gripped a pipe with her hands as a familiar figure came around the corner and kept walking. Obi-Wan and Adi exchanged a glance while Mace said quietly, "Jenna Zan Arbor."

The scientist was smaller than Obi-Wan remembered, and her hair was streaked with gray, her face starting to show some wrinkles. But she still looked strong and able, and clearly her years on a prison planet hadn't affected her too badly. She didn't look up as she walked and completely missed Seeker, while Ventress stayed where she was. Once she was far enough away, Seeker dropped back down, hitting the ground without a sound as a few battle droids came around the corner. The droids were surprised to see her and not fast enough to react as she drew her lightsaber and started cutting them down as Ventress joined in, alerting Zan Arbor. The scientists spun around and blanched in fear when she saw the lightsabers, but then took off running.

"Ventress!" Seeker called, and the assassin raced after Zan Arbor for a few paces before suddenly slowing. Seeker only said, "I don't care!"

That was the permission Ventress was waiting for since she raced off again and left Seeker to deal with the droids, which were almost more than she seemed able to handle. But suddenly more blaster fire joined in, and clones were suddenly there. Monnk was in the lead, and the Jedi watched in amazement as he executed a move only taught to Delta Commandos that allowed him to break the head off a commando droid. The others with him seemed similarly trained since Monnk yelled, "We got this!"

Seeker nodded and ran after Zan Arbor and Ventress but hung a left almost immediately. There was no sign of the other two, but that wasn't a bother to her as she kept running, eventually coming to a door just as three clones appeared. One of them was a medic, while the other two had a stretcher between them, and Seeker turned to them and said, "Watch the doors. I don't trust anything in this place."

The clones nodded and leveled their blasters, ready for whatever came at them as Seeker started to work on the door after pressing her hand against it. She closed her eyes for a few brief moments before opening them and reaching for the controls.

"What the –?" was all the clone had time to say as a being suddenly appeared from another door and attacked. Seeker spun around and activated her lightsaber, jumping into the fray immediately and separating the being from the clones, who hung back and let her handle this. The being jumped clear, and the Jedi could see it was a Quint, just like before.

Quints were from the planet Quint, tall, furred beings known for their speed and agility. They were covered in delicate fur and had small heads with triangular eyes. This Quint's fur was patchy in places, with many scars, revealing he was a fighter and a brutal one at that. But Seeker wasn't intimidated, even though he had at least half a head on her. She was just as fierce and more brutal than she ever let on about, and seconds later the Quint was falling to the ground with a broken neck and she was turning back to the door. The clones let her pass and continued watching the hallway, and seconds later the door was opening and they were entering.

The lab looked the same as the last time Obi-Wan had seen it: boxes and containers were against one side while monitors and lab equipment were against the other. Towards the back was a transparent chamber filled with vapor. It was impossible to see if someone was inside, but Seeker seemed to think so as she ran to it and looked through the vapor as the clones found the controls. Seconds later, the vapor was exiting the chamber and a being was lowered to the ground as the chamber walls lowered.

Seeker and the medic immediately got to work, and seconds later the person was ready to go, strapped down to the stretcher and unable to move as their neck and spine were splinted and braced. They were unconscious and half-naked, one of the clones finding a blanket and covering them with it. The rest of this person was covered in dirt and grime, rendering them unrecognizable. Seeker nodded in thanks before saying, "Let's go. Ventress has taken care of Zan Arbor; she won't be experimenting on the Force or Force-users ever again. We need to get back to Home Base."

"Yes, sir," the medic said as the others picked up both ends of the stretcher and carried it out of the room. They headed for the front door, stepping over the remains of quite a few battle droids, Monnk falling into step for a few paces to say, "We've checked the rest of the lab, and there's no sign of any more prisoners. We got all the intel left and have secured the drives. Rip and Casey are setting the charges."

"Tell them they can go as big as they want," Seeker said, and the commander nodded and turned around as Seeker kept walking. A few moments later Ventress appeared, and there was a satisfied air about her that said Jenna Zan Arbor hadn't survived their encounter. Seeing this, Seeker nodded and kept walking, Ventress behind her as the clones started packing things up. Exiting the building, they could see that a few ships had come in for landings, and there were even more clones. Those clones were making sure no one approached, but Cholly, Weez, and Tup were waiting nearby with the gravsled. Seeing them, the three scoundrels walked over, looking at the person on the stretcher before Weez asked, "Is she going to be alright?"

"I don't know," Seeker said, "But she has a better chance now that we found her. You three did good."

Tup puffed up a bit when he heard that, while Cholly said, "I'm glad we could help, but I think now it's time for us to go back to our poverty-stricken but somewhat safe existence. Don't call us if you need us again."

Seeker's lips twitched in amusement as she suddenly tossed them a small bag full of credits, and their eyes widened as they opened it to see the amount. Weez said quietly, "Gibbertz and ham, that's a lot of credits."

"And you'll get even more when you sell the gravsled and droids," Seeker said, "Now get out of here; we're going to blow this building sky-high."

The three scoundrels immediately nodded and took off, with Cholly looking back at the woman on the stretcher one last time, but that was all. Seconds later, they were gone, heading back to the more populated parts of town as they argued about who got what share of the credits. Seeker shook her head when she saw that but turned her attention back to the stretcher. A few seconds later, it was loaded onto one of the ships, and the clones all came out of the building and loaded themselves onto the ships. A few minutes later, the ships had taken off, and Seeker turned to one of the clones and said, "Let her rip."

The clone grinned and tossed a detonator in the air before hitting the button, and a muffled explosion was heard. That explosion rocked the ship since Seeker said, "Next time I'm scaling you back, Rip. You overdid it," as they both went to the bridge viewports to check out his handiwork.

"I did not," the clone protested, "I used just enough that you can't rebuild the place."

"By leaving a crater the size of the Jedi Temple behind," the woman said sarcastically without turning around. Rip shrugged and walked away, muttering, "Everybody's a critic."

"I heard that!" Seeker said, but with plenty of amusement in her voice, and then she left the bridge as well and headed for the medic who was keeping an eye on the woman they had found. He looked up and said, "She's not looking good. You think she'll make it?"

"I hope so," Seeker said, "But we won't know until we get her back to Home Base. Hopefully we're not too late. I really want her to survive this."

The medic nodded, and then Seeker was turning to Ventress nearby and said, "You did good, Ventress."

Ventress nodded but didn't say anything, staring at the woman they had rescued. Seeker left and headed back to the bridge, saying when she got there, "Bring it home, Spitz, as quick as you can. We don't have a lot of time."

"No lightspeed skipping then?" Spitz asked as he started plotting his course for hyperspace and priming the hyperdrive. Seeker only stared at him, and the clone shrugged before turning back to the controls. Minutes later, they had cleared the atmosphere and he was sending the ship into hyperspace.

Seeker settled after that into the copilot's seat, and that was when Obi-Wan turned to the Chancellor and said, "There was a rumor circulating that Jenna Zan Arbor had escaped from prison and was working with the Separatists. She had been a brilliant scientist until we discovered she was manufacturing diseases and famine to make money and bolster her reputation. We were involved when she started experimenting on the Force, and she was brought to justice. Why would Seeker go after her? Zan Arbor isn't someone she would know anything about."

"Ask the wrong question you do," Yoda said suddenly, "Seeker knows about her; how? Crossed paths they may have."

Mace nodded, "Seeker is Force-sensitive, one of the most Force-sensitive people in the galaxy. She may have been captured by Zan Arbor and experimented on but escaped. That would explain how she knows about the lab. And was so willing to let Ventress do what she does."

"It doesn't explain how she knew about the last time Cholly, Weez, and Tup were there, Master Windu," Adi said suddenly, "Master Fisto wasn't involved in that mission. And neither was Master Vos."

Mace nodded while the Chancellor said, "What about the person they rescued? Do you recognize her?"

Obi-Wan shook his head, "No, but there wasn't much to see. We need to wait until they get to Home Base and get her cleaned up," he raised an eyebrow, "I wonder who it could be."

"Spitz sure is a fast pilot," Anakin said suddenly, "I think they might have skipped the multiple jumps and just gone straight to Home Base," nodding at the feed that showed the ship was coming in for a landing at their base.

Obi-Wan shook his head when he saw that, "Time to see what happens next."

---

Ancient Jedi tradition! Six younglings are sent to the secret caverns of Ilum, where they are tested by The Gathering, an ancient Jedi ritual where each youngling must harvest a crystal around which they will construct their own lightsaber. Along the journey, they underwent great perils, hardest of which was to face themselves. Now, having passed the test, they take their first steps into a larger world….

Leaving the ship, the clones and Seeker quickly brought the person they rescued from Zan Arbor's lab to the medical center. They didn't go into Kit's room, instead heading for the next one, which seemed to be a prep room with a bit more equipment and a table they put the stretcher on. As soon as that was done, the clones left the room while the medics gathered around and Seeker left, dropping her utility belt with hers and Kit's lightsabers nearby so the Jedi could see what was happening. She came back minutes later wearing scrubs and ready to work, a few droids appearing as well, one holding a datapad and asking for the patient's information. Seeker only shared an annoyed glance with Tristan before turning back to the patient.

She had been stripped of what remained of her tunic, trousers, and shoes, and was covered with a clean blanket, a brace on her neck and left arm to keep them stable and still, and there was an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. Her entire body was covered in dirt and grime, and her hair was a matted mess. She was unconscious and limp, and as the Jedi watched the medics got to work and started getting her ready.

"Her vein's collapsed. I can't get in," a human male said as he took her right arm and started looking for veins. Tristan only said, "Put in a central line."

Krista said, "I got it," as she prepped and inserted the central line in their patient's shoulder.

"Okay," Tristan said as Seeker added, "Obvious dislocation of the left elbow," carefully manipulating that arm before moving the blanket to look at the legs, "We got some left knee swelling, and both legs are broken," she raised the blanket then and checked for more broken bones, finding some a few moments later when she said, "Rib fractures on the left with palpable crepitus. We're going to need films to see what we're dealing with here."

"Get a blood gas from the art line," Tristan said, "We need a wide bore I.V.," as Seeker put a stethoscope into her ears and listened to their patient's heart before saying, "Pretty severe murmur and low pressure. I can hear two faulty valves. That's going to need surgery," still ignoring the droid that was walking around and asking for information but starting to get a bit annoyed that he was there, saying to Tristan, "Remind me again why you programmed him to be so annoying?"

"I didn't think he would be this annoying," was all Tristan said as he took a closer look at their patient's left knee, "Damn it," he swore a moment later as he looked up as their patient suddenly woke up. From one second to the next, her eyes were open, moving around frantically but not looking at anything. Seeker was quick to shine a small flashlight in her eyes but frowned when she tried to get her to follow her finger. But there was no time to think about it as Krista said, "Send for a trauma panel and a cross. We need blood."

"We don't stock human blood, Krista," Seeker said, "I sent a few of the brothers to get some. They'll probably steal it, but it was the only way to get them to stop hovering."

Krista's response wasn't heard as a Nautolan and the human from before wheeled in a machine, and Seeker leaned over and said, "We're gonna shoot a quick X-ray, alright?"

There was no response from their patient, but that changed when they took the films and had to put them under her. That required turning her, and despite how gentle they were, she still screamed in pain.

"Easy, easy, easy, easy. Okay. Easy," Tristan said as they settled her before saying, "All right, everybody back," all of them stepping out of range of the radiation before coming back. Their patient let out a screaming groan as they removed the films from under her chest, but the second they moved her left arm, she was screaming and groaning in pain and trying to reach for her arm and relieve the pain. Seeker quickly stopped her saying, "No, no, no, no, it's okay. It's okay, it's okay. It's okay. We're here."

Tristan said quietly, "We got a possible concussion, head contusions, multiple blunt-force blows to the head and neck, broken legs and ribs, a dislocated elbow."

"Severe malnutrition and dehydration," Seeker added as she gently pinched the skin of their patient's arm. It stayed up and didn't come down at all, and she added, "I would bet my lightsaber she's anemic as well," she looked into their patient's eyes and added, "And I would guess those blows to her head have caused a bleed. She's going to need brain surgery. We might have to take her skull off to let her brain swell."

"Let's not go there until we have to," Tristan said as the man from before suddenly appeared and said, "Here's the films," holding them up to the light so that both Seeker and Tristan could see them.

"Pressure's 90 over 60," Krista said suddenly, "Her body's not coping with this."

Seeker nodded as she said suddenly, "She's got a 30% and increasing pneumo. Her lung's collapsing. She needs a chest tube," as she turned to look for the right place to place the tube, "I need a 36 tube, a nerve block, and gloves, and send her blood for labs so that we know for sure what we're dealing with," before turning to put gloves on before turning back to their patient and saying, "Okay, we're gonna have to put a chest tube in, all right? Your lung is collapsing," there was no response or reaction from their patient. Seeker glanced at Tristan before leaning down and injecting the nerve block. Seconds later, it was done and the tube was in; their patient reacting with violent coughs as she was finally able to get some air in. She groaned as she continued to gasp and cough, Tristan saying quietly, "Breathe, sweetheart, breathe," as he watched the monitors before saying, "Pulse ox is coming back up. 88….90."

That was a relief for the team as they went back to work, with Krista saying, "The neck is bruised and swollen," palpating it gently, "She needs an airway evaluation," before doing exactly that, saying a few moments later, "Positive battle's sign," she shook her head, "This girl's been through hell."

By now, the droid had gotten even more annoying and insistent, and that was when Seeker turned to him and snapped, "Go away, you're not helping!"

"My programming dictates I stay until I have everything regarding the patient's personal information," the droid said, making Seeker narrow her eyes and say, "That can wait. Go away."

"Not without a name, mistress," the droid said, making Seeker roll her eyes and go back to her patient as she and Tristan ran an ultrasound probe over her chest and stomach to look for more internal injuries. The droid kept insisting and talking, getting louder and louder and making it harder for them to hear the others working there. Finally, Seeker turned around and snapped, "Siri! Siri Tachi!"

That shut the droid up and shocked the Jedi to the core, especially Adi and Obi-Wan. Siri had disappeared twenty years ago, and there had been no sign of her all that time, with many thinking she had been killed and her body never found. But there was Seeker making that claim, and she wasn't one to make such mistakes. The half-Nautolan was now staring at the droid, saying more calmly, "Her name is Siri Tachi. Now go away," and surprisingly, the droid did. The second he was gone, she turned back to Siri and said, "We have work to do."

Tristan nodded and flashed his own flashlight in Siri's eyes, saying, a few moments later, "Got some evidence of traumatic brain injury, but no focal deficits. Uh, except….uh, Siri, I need you to move your fingers for me," looking down and waiting for a reaction. There was none, and Tristan tried again, "Or your toes," but still, there was nothing. Tristan turned back to her and said, "Come on. Wiggle something."

"She responded to the painful stimulus. It doesn't make sense…." Seeker said thoughtfully as the human man there said suddenly, "Pulse ox is dropping again," as one of the monitors started beeping an alarm.

"Unless…." Seeker said suddenly as she reached for an otoscope nearby and checked Siri's ears. While this was happening, Tristan removed the oxygen mask and said, "The chest tube might have a small air leak," everyone went quiet, and even the Jedi could hear the wheezing.

"She has a mild sub-Q emphysema," Krista said, "We need to secure this airway and tube her."

"Got it," the human said, with Krista suddenly saying, "You can't work on your family," and the human looked up as she added, "She is your cousin, after all, Simon."

"Everyone in this damn room is her family," Simon said, "I got this," as he turned away to get everything ready.

There was no time for the Jedi to get over the surprise of Siri having a cousin that was at Home Base or understand what he meant by that because Seeker suddenly said, "Guys. Guys!" making them all look at her, "I don't think she can hear us," snapping her fingers near Siri's ears but not getting a reaction.

"What?" Tristan asked in surprise, "Are you sure?"

"No," Seeker said as she handed the otoscope to Tristan, who looked in Siri's ears while the Jedi were hoping she was wrong. But Tristan dashed those hopes when he said, "I see evidence of barotrauma, possibly from the blows. I think Seeker might be right. I don't think she can hear anything we're saying," looking Siri in the eye and frowning. Seeker joined him and said, "Those blows might have also caused ocular damage. Her eyes aren't following anything. We need to get a scan of her head and see what's going on in there."

Tristan nodded as Seeker turned back to where Simon had gotten the tube ready and was waiting. She stared at Simon for a few moments before looking down at Siri and noticing something else. She leaned down and said, "Her jaw is locked. Suction!" and Simon helped suction out the saliva in his cousin's mouth to see what was going on.

"Can we take a look?" Tristan said, and Simon took the suction away, allowing Tristan and Seeker to look more closely at Siri's jaw. Tristan said, "Alright, let me see. Yeah, easy, easy," as Siri tried to move and was quickly held still by everyone, "Yeah, we've got a dislocation here, possible fracture. There's no way we're getting a tube in there."

"You have to get a tube in," the female Nautolan nurse said, "You have to preserve her airway."

"Or we have to trach her," Simon said as the monitor started beeping again as Siri's stats started going down again.

That was clearly an option none of them wanted because Seeker said, "No, um….alright, wait a second," turning and wrapping a piece of gauze around each thumb, "If I can reduce the dislocation, we can probably get her mouth open just enough to intubate. It's gonna hurt like hell, though," as she turned back to the table.

"Alright," Tristan agreed, but before Seeker did anything she looked up and asked, "Is she maxed out on pain meds?" Krista nodded, and Seeker sighed, "So we can't give her anymore without causing an overdose. Get ready. This is going to hurt more than anything else we're going to have to do to her."

Everyone gathered round, Tristan holding Siri's head still, and Seeker looked around one more time as she put her thumbs in Siri's mouth. Seeing the determined looks that did nothing to hide how much they didn't want to do this, Seeker turned back to Tristan, who nodded. Sighing, Seeker turned to Siri and said, just in case Siri could actually hear, "Okay, Siri, we're gonna have to pop your jaw open, okay? I'm sorry. I know. But we have to do it," getting her hands into position while Adi looked away, unable to watch was going to happen next. Obi-Wan put a hand on her shoulder in support as Seeker said, "We're gonna do this on three, you guys. Ready?" there were nods all around, and then Seeker went, "1….2…." bearing down suddenly, and even the Jedi were able to hear the sounds of bones snapping back into place.

But that was barely heard over Siri's scream of pain, and seconds later, her eyes rolled up into her head as she passed out from the pain. Seeker said, "I hate doing this," as Tristan quickly got the tube in and took over Siri's airway. Once her breathing was stabilized, he turned to Seeker and said, "That's why there's that rule that family doesn't work on family. Or friends."

"Unless you're the only one in the galaxy that knows how to do it," Seeker murmured, but that was all she said as she turned to a monitor that showed a scan of Siri's head. A few moments later, her eyes widened and she said, "We need to get her into surgery now. Her brain is swelling and there's a bleed," pointing at the spot in question.

"She's not stable," Tristan said, but that was only noted as an afterthought as he helped get Siri ready, Krista taking a few moments to wash the dirt and grime off Siri's face to reveal that her cheeks were sunken in and her skin was too pale. Krista shook her head as she looked through Siri's matted hair and said, "She's got lice too. We might have to shave her entire head and start over. After we clean her up."

"I'm going to have to shave it to get to the bleed and remove the back of her skull anyway," Seeker said, "We need to let her brain swell. Once the swelling goes down and stays down, we can put it back on."

"What about her heart?" Simon asked suddenly, "You said something was wrong with her heart. Will it survive the surgery?"

Seeker bowed her head and said, "I don't know, but we don't have a choice," she looked up then, "If we don't do this, she definitely won't survive. Her brain will crush itself from all that pressure if we don't relieve it."

"There's no time to argue this out," Tristan said suddenly, cutting into the conversation, "Get ready, Seeker; we'll finish getting her prepped. You're the only neurosurgeon here right now. The other one is visiting his family. We're gonna defer to your judgment on this."

Seeker nodded and left to get ready, while Tristan turned to Simon and said, "She's the best neurosurgeon I've ever met, Simon. If she thinks she can get in and out quickly, she can."

"She's really that good?" Simon asked, and Tristan nodded, "If she were any better, the Jedi healers would be jealous. Your cousin's in good hands."

That was apparently all Simon needed, and a few moments later, they were moving Siri into surgery. Once the room was empty, Ahsoka said quietly, "That room blocks radio and transmission frequencies. I can skip ahead and see what happens next."

Mace nodded, and as Ahsoka started looking for the right video, Mace turned to Adi, who only glanced at him and shook her head, needing a few moments to process all this since Siri had been her Padawan. Mace shook his head, saying, "She went missing over twenty years ago. There was no indication she was alive. How did Seeker find her?"

"I don't know," Obi-Wan said, "A better question would be how did they meet. And where and when? Siri never mentioned her."

"I'm sorry, Master Jedi," the Chancellor suddenly said into the silence, reminding them he was there via hologram, "But what is going on? Who were they treating?"

"Her name is Siri Tachi," Mace said, "She was a Jedi that went missing years ago and was thought dead. There's been no sign of her since she failed to return from a mission. Our investigation of her disappearance yielded nothing."

"And your connection to her, Master Gallia?" Dr. Boll asked, and Adi looked up and said, "She was my Padawan and student for many years."

"I see," Dr. Boll said, while Tarkin said, "And here is one more connection between you and Seeker. Are you still going to claim you don't know anything about Seeker?"

Adi stared at him before saying, "I wasn't aware there was a connection. She never spoke about Seeker from what I recall."

"Would she have told you?" Tarkin challenged, and Adi narrowed her eyes at the insinuation of guilt, but just then Ahsoka said quietly, "I found the right recording. That surgery was only two hours."

Adi glared at Tarkin a few moments longer before turning back to the feed to watch Seeker, who was leaning against a door frame and watching Siri. Siri was lying in a bed and still unconscious and intubated. She had been cleaned up and had a bandage wrapped around her head and a large cast on her entire left arm. Seeker was still wearing surgical scrubs but must have had Kit's lightsaber in her pocket so that the Jedi could see what was going on, and a few moments later, Tristan appeared and joined her at the door. It was quiet for a few moments before Seeker said, "I found the bleed and repaired it. Her skull came off easily enough and is on ice. Once the swelling goes down and stays down for twenty-four hours, I'll put it back on."

"That's good to hear," Tristan said as he watched Siri, "But that isn't why you're here. There's something else going on."

Seeker didn't answer for a few moments before saying, "The injuries to her brain aren't the only injuries she has. Krista wasn't kidding when she said Siri's been through hell."

"What kind of hell?" Tristan asked, "How did you find her if not even the Jedi could?"

"The Jedi never bothered to think of the impossible," Seeker said, "I tracked her after she was taken during a mission. The pirates that took her sold her to a Zygerrian, who brought her to the slave markets and sold her again. I found out about that through my contacts there and have spent the last few years trying to catch up to whoever was holding her. But they always stayed one step ahead of me or sold her to someone else before I caught up to them. I got close on Lola Sayu, but I was a few months too late. All I found was her lightsaber."

The Jedi were surprised to hear all this, with Luminara saying quietly, "That's what the former queen was talking about. They had captured Master Tachi, not Master Abazza. And Seeker found the lightsaber on Lola Sayu, hoping to find Master Tachi."

Obi-Wan nodded as they went back to watching the feed, and Seeker sighed before saying, "She has massive internal bleeding and injuries in her abdomen, probably from being kicked, so that needs surgery. She's in heart failure because of two failing valves, so those will need to be replaced. The only way to repair those is to put her on bypass, remove her heart, make the repairs, and then put it back in. She also has a lung infection because of a broken rib. A rib that has been broken for a while but hasn't healed because of how weak her body is. The scans also showed a mass in her spine, and a few pieces of shrapnel," she cocked her head then, "That mass is a beast of a tumor with its own blood supply, putting pressure on her spinal cord and making it next to impossible to remove for someone who isn't skilled enough."

"Meaning?" Tristan asked, and Seeker shook her head, "Meaning she hasn't been able to feel her legs in a long time. At least a decade, if I had to guess from the lack of muscle tone in them. And those pieces of shrapnel could slice through her spinal cord if they were removed the wrong way. But if they and the tumor are removed correctly by someone who knows how…." she cocked her head then, "She could walk again."

Tristan nodded, and it was silent for a few moments before Seeker added, "There's also a tumor in her brain. It's right between her optic nerves and putting pressure on both, causing her blindness. If I had to guess, it's been there about as long as the tumor in her spine. That will need surgery as well. And we'll have to re-break her legs to make sure they heal correctly. The elbow has been set and I don't want to wire her jaw shut, so I'm hoping that if we keep a bandage on it and she doesn't move it too much it will heal on its own."

"She needs all that surgery, and yet I don't see you getting her ready for any of them," Tristan said quietly, and Seeker nodded, "I would be, if she wasn't so sick. She's severely malnourished and dehydrated, not to mention anemic. Her blood's thinner than water right now. Any more surgery will kill her right now. I only did the surgery now because there was no other choice and she would have died otherwise. I sent Myeko and a few of his brothers to her homeworld to get more blood. Once I have enough, I can take her back into surgery. Her heart and lungs first, then her abdomen, and if she's still stable after that, her spine, eyes, and legs. From there, it will be up to her."

"And we can't use the bacta tank because Echo's still in there," Tristan said, "He's not stable enough to be taken out."

"Wouldn't want her in there anyways," Seeker said, "I prefer having my patients out of the tank so I can react more quickly if something goes wrong. And the bacta will fix what's wrong now; it won't do anything for the tumors, the malnutrition, or dehydration. I don't think it can do anything for the failing valves in her heart either."

Tristan nodded slowly before asking, "There's something else, isn't there? Something you're reluctant to discuss with me."

Seeker stared at Siri for a few moments before nodding, and Tristan sighed and said, "Well, maybe a friend can you help figure out what to do," looking over his shoulder as Quinlan Vos walked into range, and then the Nautolan left. The Jedi Master hadn't been seen around Home Base all that much, so whatever he was doing was a mystery to the Jedi, but he didn't seem all that interested in sharing as he looked at Siri. He stared at her a few moments before saying, "I can't believe you found her, after all this time," Seeker nodded, and Quinlan said, "I overheard what you told Tristan about what she needs, but why do you need to talk to me?"

"Because I can't ask her what she wants to do," Seeker said, "I'm stuck right now and need some advice from a Jedi."

"You could ask Kit if you could wait a few days," Quinlan said, "He woke up while you were on Simpla-12."

"I know," Seeker said, "but he's delirious. His mind is a jumble right now, and I don't want to stress him out by being older than he thinks I am right now. Once his mind is clear, I'll go visit him. After I'm finished with Siri and the upcoming mission I'm going to need your help on."

Quinlan nodded before asking, "What do you want to ask me about?"

Seeker said nothing for a few moments before saying, "Siri needs quite a few surgeries, and the brothers are getting what I need to do them. It doesn't change the fact she's still badly malnourished and dehydrated, but she's held on this long. I think she can go a bit longer. There's just one problem."

"And that would be what?" Quinlan asked, while Seeker suddenly shifted her weight and looked a bit unsure about how to say what she was going to say, leaving the Jedi to wonder what other bad news there was she was so unwilling to share. That was answered a few moments later as she said, "We ran blood tests when she got here so that we would know what we were dealing with, and she's…." she stopped a moment before swallowing and saying quietly, "She's pregnant."

Quinlan stared at her in shock while the Jedi were similarly surprised, and then Quinlan asked quietly, "What?"

"She's pregnant, Quinlan," Seeker repeated, "About six weeks," she looked at Quinlan then, "And judging from the trauma, there was nothing consensual about it."

Quinlan looked sick to his stomach while Adi leaned down and rested her elbows on the holotable, Obi-Wan resting a hand on her shoulder while Shaak came and gripped her hand as Quinlan asked, "Who would do such a thing?"

Seeker said, "I'm not going to try and hazard a guess. That's for someone else to figure out. But a lone Jedi, without help and unable to walk or see or fight back?" she looked at Quinlan with narrowed eyes then, "That's the ultimate power trip."

Quinlan shook his head before asking, "What happens now?"

Seeker shook her head as she turned back to Siri, "Anesthesia is risky by itself, and with the shape she's in, the risks are greater. And there is the fact that an anesthetic is even riskier for a fetus. It can cause developmental problems or a miscarriage. And since this wasn't willing, I don't even know if Siri wants this."

"What do you mean?" Quinlan asked, and Seeker answered, "Will she want this pregnancy, or is she willing to risk it? A few of those surgeries I mentioned aren't life-or-death; she doesn't have to do them right now. And Jedi value life. If that life is unwanted, is it still valued? This isn't a choice you or I can make. I can put her back together completely and risk that fetus, or just do what is medically necessary to keep her alive. I can't wake her up right now; she's in a medically induced coma until the swelling in her brain goes down. So I can't ask her what she wants."

Quinlan nodded slowly before saying, "I won't speak for her either, but if it were me? Do everything you have to do to get her back on track. You may risk the child, but in the end, she could decide she doesn't want it anyways. But she needs to be alive in order to make that choice."

Seeker nodded and sighed, saying, "Myeko and the others will be here soon. I'll start getting her prepped. Hopefully, she can keep going. There are a lot of people that want her to survive this."

Quinlan nodded as Seeker walked into the room, leaning against the door frame for a few moments before something had him looking up and walking away as one of Kit's brothers suddenly appeared. It was Ataltca, evidenced by his one eye, and he stared after Quinlan for a few moments before looking in on Siri. Seeing that Seeker was there, he kept going, and a few moments later, Tristan appeared as well and started helping Seeker. A few minutes later, Myeko and a few more of his brothers suddenly appeared with cold medpacs, leaving them on a table nearby before leaving, even though Myeko looked over his shoulder for a moment before also leaving. Once they were gone, Tristan asked, "Why'd you send them to Siri's home planet of Corellia? They could have gone to a planet near here and been back sooner."

"Kept them out of our hair for a few hours," was all Seeker said, "I didn't want them bothering me while I was working. Let's get going; I'm going to need your help."

Tristan nodded, and a few minutes later Siri was ready to go back into surgery as they began a blood transfusion. From there, they took her back into the operating room, and it was quiet for a long time. Ahsoka moved the feed forward then, but it was the next day before Seeker finished and brought Siri back into the room. Her cousin stayed with her for quite a while, and it was a while before Seeker decided to bring Siri out of her coma and extubate her. From there, all anyone could do was wait for Siri to sleep off the drugs and wake up. She finally did, opening her eyes slowly and moving her head around as Seeker and the Jedi looked on.

The Jedi wondering if she was still the Siri they had known.

---

Piracy in deep space! Infamous outlaw Hondo Ohnaka attacks a Jedi transport bearing six younglings who just received their lightsaber crystals. So rare are these crystals, that Hondo knows he can sell them on the black market for a small fortune. In a desperate attempt to save the younglings, Ahsoka Tano is captured by Hondo and his pirate horde. Now, with a damaged ship, the younglings are stranded and alone….

"Hello," was all Seeker said, and Siri's eyes moved towards her voice. She swallowed hard, then smiled weakly and asked, "Did somebody call for a hunter?"

Seeker chuckled slightly as she stepped closer, "No, but here I am, and here you are, looking like death warmed over."

"I wonder why," Siri said, revealing she could hear again before shutting her eyes and saying, "I feel like death warmed over."

Seeker's smile faded when she heard that, and she asked, "Aside from that, how do you feel? Really? We can give you something for the pain if you want."

Siri opened her eyes and said, "I feel like I got hit by a Jedi cruiser," before seeming to realize she could actually see as her eyes roamed around the room and took in everything there was to see. Her eyes explored the table against the far wall, the floor-to-ceiling windows to her right, even the ceiling. She turned her head back to Seeker then, who smiled and said, "That answers the question of whether you can see or not."

"I can see," Siri whispered as tears came to her eyes, "I can see!" her excitement and relief felt by even the Jedi watching.

Seeker nodded as she settled into a chair next to the bed, "I'm glad to hear that," she placed Siri's cleaned lightsaber on the table nearby and said, "This led me right to you, after a couple months of the Force not cooperating. But once it decided to behave, it led me right where I needed to go," as Siri reached out and touched her lightsaber, not picking it up because her hand was shaking from just the exertion of reaching over. A few moments later she lay her hand back on the bed, saying, "I tossed it down the vent on Lola Sayu, hoping someone would find it one day and then find me. By then, I could barely see the vent, and I had no way of knowing if anyone was coming for me, but something told me not to give up."

"You have a lot of optimism, Siri," Seeker said quietly, "It's served you well. And thankfully, your being blind didn't make it harder to find you. Once I knew you were being held by Jenna Zan Arbor, it was easy to track her down. Thankfully scientists are creatures of habit; she was in her lab on Simpla-12. I even recruited some friends of yours to help," making Siri snort weakly in amusement as Seeker said, "They're still about as cowardly as the last time you met them, but they were able to help you out when it counted. They would actually be competent criminals if they were a bit braver."

Siri snorted in laughter again before saying, "Coming from you, that's high praise," looking towards the window as she squinted and tried to bring the images into focus before sighing and giving up as it gave her a headache, saying when Seeker looked at her in concern, "I'll be fine. I'm just glad it's back. It started going away a while ago, and I didn't understand it, and the pirates that had me didn't want to bother with a doctor. They didn't want someone to recognize me and get me back to the Jedi. They didn't care that I was going blind. They thought I wouldn't fight back if I couldn't see. I still fought."

"Never would have thought otherwise, Siri," Seeker said, "The reason you went blind was because of a tumor in your brain, right between your optic nerves," reaching up and gently tapping right between Siri's eyes just above her nose, "I was able to remove it by making a small incision under your upper lip. Your vision will sharpen as your brain gets used to the signals from your eyes again."

Siri nodded slowly as she reached up and felt the bandage under her jaw and the one wrapped around her head. Her bed was slightly inclined and a bit bigger than Kit's, likely to make space for her elbow and the cast, which were resting on several large pillows. She looked over at it before turning back to Seeker, a questioning look in her eyes.

Seeker answered her unspoken questions, "Your jaw was dislocated. I could have wired it shut so that it could heal faster, but I knew you wouldn't want that and would want to be able to speak. The same with your elbow. Both will heal as long as you take it easy," she stopped for a moment before saying, "When we found you, you had a bleed in your brain. Your brain was also starting to swell from being hit."

Siri frowned then, "Jenna Zan Arbor hit my head against the wall. She thought I would heal myself if I was hurting more than I was. She didn't understand I couldn't feel the Force," angering Obi-Wan until he forced his anger back down, while Adi was just saddened to hear what her former Padawan had gone through, alone, and the fact she hadn't even had the Force to help or comfort her.

"Your connection was severed because of the abuse you've been through," Seeker said quietly, catching their attention, "When you're stronger, I'll help you reestablish your connection," she paused before saying, "We did have to shave your head to reach the bleed and remove the back of your skull to let your brain swell. The swelling has gone down, and I'll put it back on soon. Some surgical cement and it will be good as new. Your hair will start growing back once you start getting some actual nutrition in you. The cooks can't wait to start fattening you up."

Siri's eyes widened when she heard she didn't have a skull, but that was all as she said simply, "I trust you," she looked away a moment and took a deep breath in, surprised when it didn't hurt as much and turned back to Seeker who said, "We set your ribs and drained the fluid out of your lungs. You still have the drain in to make breathing easier while the antibiotics do their job. Your heart also had two failing valves in it, but those have been replaced as well," she cocked her head then, a slight smile on her face as she asked, "How do your legs feel?"

"Pins and needles," Siri answered automatically before suddenly realizing what that meant. She raised her head and looked at her legs under the blankets. She stared at them several moments before attempting to move one of them, and it twitched weakly. She turned to Seeker, who smiled and said, "You had shrapnel and the largest tumor I've ever seen in almost twenty-five years of practice in your spine. Getting that tumor out of your spine without damaging anything was the hardest part. A few months of therapy, and you'll be walking again. After your legs heal. We had to re-break them because they were starting to heal wrong."

Siri nodded as she rested her head back on the pillow and said, "Hope I can stay still long enough," but a slight smile instantly made Adi feel better. Her old Padawan was still there, battered and bruised, but still there.

Seeker smiled at that, but it didn't reach her eyes as she said, "You also had some pretty severe abdominal injuries. It looks like you've been kicked a few times too many."

"I think I was," Siri said quietly, "A few years ago, I just went numb and let whoever had me do what they wanted when it came to being beaten. It was easier than fighting. I only started fighting again when Zan Arbor got me and started experimenting on the Force again. She wanted to use it to create some kind of weapon for the Separatists," trembling slightly as she remembered what had happened.

Seeker nodded before saying, "She won't be able to do that, Siri, or hurt anyone else. Ventress made sure of that."

Siri nodded slowly, prompting Seeker to say gently, "There is something else I want you to know," Siri looked at her, a questioning look in her eyes, and Seeker said, "Your labs are back. You need a few meals and a lot of fluids, and a few more blood transfusions, but you will be fine. But Siri…." she trailed off for a moment before saying quietly, "Your labs show you're pregnant. And somehow, that pregnancy has survived the last six weeks and everything you've been through. It even survived the surgeries we had to do."

Siri stared at her through half-shut eyes before saying, "I knew I was. Whenever those pirates bothered to feed me, I couldn't keep it down. And it wasn't just because it was disgusting."

Seeker shifted uncomfortably before saying quietly, "There is no easy way to ask this, Siri. But I need to know -"

"It was a Twi'lek," Siri cut in, knowing what Seeker was asking, "I heard his accent."

Seeker nodded before leaning forward and asking, "What do you want to do?"

Siri stared at her, asking, "What do you think I should do?"

Seeker sighed and said, "Medically, I don't know if your body can handle a pregnancy. Your body is very weak, and so is your heart right now. Pregnancy puts strain on the body and, in your condition, may kill you. Morally, I don't know and asked Quinlan about it because I know Jedi value life. He wasn't all that helpful. Kind of wish there was a female Jedi I could ask about this, but there wasn't one available at the moment," smiling slightly as Siri snorted quietly in laughter.

"Asking Quinlan Vos for advice is like asking a gundark to become a vegetarian," Siri said quietly, "It's not going to happen and won't be pretty if it does."

"I'll be sure to pass that along," Seeker said sarcastically, "But it doesn't answer my question."

Siri nodded slowly before asking, "Can I think about it?"

"Yes," Seeker said, reaching over and tapping a small control near Siri's right hand, "The blue one gets me immediately. Green is for Tristan or whoever's on call, and the yellow is for the pain meds. Let me know whenever you're ready," standing up and heading for the door.

Just as she got to the door, Siri asked suddenly, "Seeker?" Seeker turned back and looked at her, and she asked, "That thing you promised to do all those years ago, when we were young? Did you do it?" she swallowed suddenly, "Did you keep my master safe?"

"Yes, I did," Seeker said, "I promised I would, didn't I? When's the last time I broke a promise?"

"Never," Siri said quietly, "But I kept hearing rumors, and it was hard to tell if it was the truth."

"Ah," Seeker said, "I see. You've missed a lot in the last few years, and it will be a long time until you're caught up. But your master is safe, just as I promised. I never intended to break a promise to you, and I won't if I can help it. Alright?" Siri nodded, and Seeker smiled and said quietly, "Let me know when you're ready."

Siri nodded again, and Seeker left, walking down the hallway to where Quinlan was leaning against the wall. The Jedi nodded in greeting before asking, "So now what?"

"Now we let Siri decide," Seeker said as she joined Quinlan against the wall, "No one can make this decision except her. And don't even think about going in there. It needs to be her choice alone."

Quinlan nodded slowly as he said, "You want her to decide what she wants."

Seeker looked at him and said, "Siri's had twenty years of not being allowed to choose what to do with her life. This is about letting her know she now has power and control over her life. The power and control to make whatever choices she wants. Whatever she wants, she gets. If she wants a rancor, she gets a rancor. Although I might ask her to reconsider that idea, no one is stopping her if she really wants one. No matter what she chooses, we respect it. Understand?"

Quinlan held up his hands as he said, "Relax, I'm not getting involved in this. This is beyond my understanding and whatever authority I have here. Which is next to none; I'm honest enough to admit that," he looked up suddenly and asked, "Is Myeko supposed to be wandering so close to here? His brother's room is farther down the hall," the Nautolan sitting on the ground against the wall and looking like he was exercising everything he knew about patience to stay where he was.

"He's fine, Quinlan," Seeker said as she pushed off the wall and started walking down the hallway, "He's just staying nearby in case we need him to get anything."

"Why is he doing that?" Quinlan asked as he followed her, and Seeker looked at him out of the corner of her eye as she said, "I wasn't the only one who spent the last twenty years looking for Siri. Myeko almost tore the Outer Rim apart looking for her. And I don't think I need to tell you why he would do that. Those people that had Siri weren't just hiding her from the Jedi and me; they were hiding her from a rather relentless hunter. A hunter that will make sure they pay for what they did to her as soon as he finds them. If a Fisto can't find someone, then no one can, which was why the Jedi and myself couldn't find her for so long."

Seeker kept going while Quinlan stopped and stared at her in surprise and then was out of range of the bug as Seeker entered her meditation room and sat down on the mat. She settled after that into meditation, and that was when Ahsoka said, "We've caught up to the live feed now."

It was silent for a few moments before the Chancellor said quietly, "I didn't know Seeker was so versatile as a doctor. I wonder who taught her?"

"It could have been Tristan," Dr. Boll said, "But he yields to her experience, so I don't think it is that simple," she looked at Mace then and asked, "What do you think is going to happen with Master Tachi, General Windu?"

"I don't know," Mace said, "but we will respect whatever decision she makes. Seeker is right in that Master Tachi needs to make her own choices now that someone else isn't making them for her. And I guess we now know who asked Seeker to keep you safe, Master Gallia," turning to the Tholothian, "It was Siri. I wonder how and when they met in their younger years."

Adi nodded, while Thrawn said slowly, "I don't think it's entirely that straightforward, Master Jedi. Yes, Seeker likely did this for Master Tachi, but there are layers to everything she does. And since Master Fisto is also involved in this, I don't think we should count out other reasons for her saving General Gallia. There must be some other factor we aren't considering now that the obvious one is revealed."

"If Siri knew Seeker so long, she might know about the Fisto brothers," Anakin said suddenly, "That may be what Seeker meant when she said it was alright for Myeko to hang around. And since every Jedi connected to Seeker has broken the Jedi Code, I think it may be safe to assume Master Tachi has too."

"I don't want to consider that until we have to, Master Skywalker," Mace said, "Unless there is irrefutable proof that Master Tachi is more involved than we think she is."

Skywalker ducked his head when he heard that, but suddenly Seeker was getting up as her comlink started blinking. She stared at it a moment before sighing, leaving the room, and heading back the way she came. She stopped in a room filled with medicines and drugs, emptying two pills into a small cup and filling a syringe, filling another cup with water before leaving. She entered Siri's room and sat in the chair, waiting for Siri to acknowledge her presence. The wounded Jedi was staring out the windows and watching the fake scenery, looking as though she was relishing everything about this as her newly returned vision took in everything there was to see.

"I'd forgotten what grass looked like," she said quietly, "Or what the sky looked like. Or even clouds."

Seeker nodded slowly before asking gently, "You wanted to see me?"

Siri nodded before looking at her and saying, "I don't want it," the Jedi, despite thinking they had prepared themselves for everything, weren't entirely ready for that but were given no time to think about it as Siri added, "I thought about it, but I just can't. I know the Jedi may think it wrong, but I just want to feel like there is something in my life I have control over. This is one decision I can have control over, and I want to make it."

"My place is not to judge you, Siri, or make this choice for you," Seeker said gently, "The only thing I can do is give you my honest opinion from a medical standpoint and then let you decide. And respect that decision, no matter my personal opinions. If you want this, I will help you and not try and talk you out of it. No one would think any less of you."

Siri nodded slowly as she said, "If it was something I wanted, I wouldn't be making this choice. But I didn't want this, and I can't bring myself to go through with it. If I did, I would regret it every time I looked at this child; I know it."

Seeker nodded slowly before reaching up and placing the two cups on the table nearby. Seeing them, Siri looked in them and asked, "Two pills? That's it?"

Seeker nodded again, "It doesn't get much easier than that, Siri, if this is really what you want to do."

Siri hesitated only a moment before reaching over and picking up the cup of pills, staring at them for a few moments before glancing at Seeker, but Seeker was staring down at her hands while she played with her fingers, and Siri sighed. She stared at the pills a few moments longer before shutting her eyes and swallowing them, drinking the water to wash them down. Once she was finished, she looked over at Seeker and asked, "Do one thing for me?"

"Anything I can," Seeker said immediately, and Siri said, "I don't want to be awake for this. I just want to sleep through it."

"That is something I can manage," Seeker said with a smile before reaching into her pocket and pulling out the syringe. Seeing it, Siri asked quietly, "You knew what decision I would make, didn't you?"

Seeker nodded, her eyes serious, "I might have known, but the choice still needed to be yours. I had no intention of swaying you one way or the other."

Siri nodded as she settled herself and got comfortable. A few moments later she was asleep as Seeker gave her the sedative. Once certain she wouldn't wake up and was comfortable Seeker left, going out into the hallway where Quinlan was waiting. She only shrugged before saying, "I can put the back of her skull on now. The swelling in her brain has gone down and will stay down now that it's had a chance to rest and recover."

"And after you plied what you knew of Force-healing," Quinlan added, "We both know she wouldn't be healing this fast without the Force. And since she can't sense it right now, and I can't Force-heal, it must be you."

Seeker only cocked her head with a slight smile before walking away, Quinlan shaking his head as he went and checked on Kit with Seeker. Looking in, they were glad to see that Kit was asleep and resting quietly, Annie getting up and coming over to say hello before going back to her bed. She was a bit shy of Quinlan, but that was all and soon warmed up to him as Seeker crouched down and gave her a gentle hug and gave her ears a thorough massage that she leaned into so far she almost fell over. Seeker left after that, heading into the room and through the operating room door, the signal from Kit's lightsaber getting cut, leaving Quinlan to shake his head before looking around. Seeing Ventress waiting for him, he went with her while Annie went back to her bed. Kit didn't wake up at all, clearly exhausted, and the reason for that was lying with him as Lorelei slept in her usual spot. Seeing them together caused the Jedi to smile at the sight, with the Chancellor saying, "She seems content."

"Yes, she does," Master Plo said, "And we have to wait for whatever is coming next now."

That wait turned out to be not that long, just a few hours, although the Chancellor, captains, and Dr. Boll eventually had to leave to return to other responsibilities. But finally, the signal from Kit's lightsaber returned to reveal Seeker and Tristan getting Siri settled, with Tristan saying, "That went more smoothly than I thought it would. She just needs to sleep off the sedatives, and it should be smooth flying for her."

Seeker nodded, "Physically, it will be. And I'm sure Myeko will help with the rest," looking towards the door where Kit's brother was waiting impatiently. As soon as they were done and had left the room, he went in, but the Jedi couldn't see what he was doing as Seeker walked out of range. She headed to the barn then and checked on the horses after that, spending a few hours with them and grooming Aineislis and Plenty Coup. She also checked the others over to make sure they were alright before setting out feed and hay for them. Every horse had their own feed bin and flakes of hay and didn't steal from each other.

Plenty Coup seemed to keep them all in line, and Aineislis was apparently also in charge because she threatened to bite the brown and white mare that came too close to her feed, leaving Seeker to say, "That'll teach you, Rain Dance. Aineislis' food is not for you, and she won't let you forget it," leading the smaller mare away from Aineislis with just a hand on her cheek and towards the gold-colored one, saying, "Keep Esperanza company instead. She won't mind if you borrow from hers. Although you have more than enough."

Rain Dance only shook her head and started eating, leaving Seeker to turn to the tan stallion that was always with Rain Dance and say, "Keep her in line, Raven. You know how Aineislis is about her food."

The stallion only shook his head and went back to eating, and Seeker chuckled slightly as she went to the giant horse and scratched his cheek, saying, "I think this is the only time I can actually reach your ears, Phantom. The rest of the time they're out of reach," massaging his ears for a few moments. The giant horse just kept eating, and after a few more minutes, Seeker left and headed back to the medical center while avoiding a herd of running children. They were laughing and playing as they ran, a few shouting greetings to Seeker as they ran past, and Seeker smiled and shook her head as she kept walking. The children moved fast, but the Jedi could see that they all appeared to be half-Nautolan, proving that Home Base was doing what it was designed to do and keep those children safe.

A couple clones were following the children, trying to keep up and clearly off-duty and in civilian clothes, and Seeker chuckled at the sight before moving on. She headed straight for the medical room and looked in on Siri. Siri was sleeping peacefully, her head turned away, but she wasn't alone. An arm was resting over her stomach and holding her close but gently, and a few moments later, the person with her raised his head to reveal Kit's brother Myeko. He stared at Seeker with something that might have been jealous protectiveness, and Seeker moved on after that. Myeko settled after that and went back to sleep, kissing Siri's forehead lightly before sliding back into dreams. Once far enough away, Seeker shook her head and said to herself, "Never underestimate how jealously old-breed Nautolans guard their mates. Even from those they know aren't going to hurt them," revealing that Siri was indeed more involved in this than the Jedi had been willing to believe. And yet...Adi didn't mind seeing it. It meant Siri had someone that loved her more than anything and was ready to do whatever it took to keep her safe for however long they needed to.

Seeker kept walking, eventually coming to the hangar and boarding the Ghost before looking around. There was no sign of Quinlan or Ventress, but a few moments later Seeker smiled to herself and headed for crew quarters. Once there, she knocked on one of the doors and said loudly, "Can you two get dressed and meet me on the bridge in twenty minutes? We got places to be."

A muffled curse that sounded like Quinlan's voice was heard, followed by a thump as a body hit the ground, and Seeker moved on after that, chuckling to herself as she shook her head. She settled in the bridge after that, and about ten minutes later Ventress and Quinlan joined her, Ventress glaring daggers while Quinlan refused to look at anyone or say anything. Seeing the glare, Seeker said without a hint of remorse, "Next time, choose a place with locking doors and no foot traffic. Might I recommend room 17B on sub-basement level 4? No one ever goes there, the door locks, and there's a bed for these sorts of dalliances. Just make sure you change the sheets and blankets when you're down there for the next wayward couple."

"Don't you have anything better to do than embarrass us?" Quinlan snapped, making Obi-Wan snort quietly in laughter, while Anakin barely stopped himself from laughing when Seeker said, "I do, but this is way too much fun," she turned back to the controls and said, "We've got a mission to do. Let's go. You can get your complaints off your chests on the way there."

Quinlan only said, "I fully intend to," somehow actually sounding menacing, but Seeker failed to look even remotely intimidated or threatened. A few minutes later, the feed went dead as they jumped into hyperspace and disappeared, leaving Ahsoka to say, "They left R6 behind, so I can't see where they're going or what they're doing."

"We have two unaccounted-for cruisers," Shaak Ti said, "Perhaps they're going to rendezvous with them for whatever mission they have planned, wherever they are."

"Perhaps," Yoda said, speaking for the first time, "but for now, wait for what happens next we shall. Check the feed regularly, Padawan. Alert us if there are any changes; you will?"

"Yes, Master," Ahsoka said quickly before bowing her head and leaving, knowing she wasn't needed for this conversation anymore and having other things she needed to attend to. A Conspiracy meeting was happening in Padmé's apartments later, and she couldn't be late. It would just be her, Padmé, and Bail, mostly because Padmé said she had some very exciting news that had her a bit scared as well. Ahsoka wasn't sure what to make of it but was more than willing to help her if she could.

The Council dispersed after that, knowing that many of their questions wouldn't be answered at the moment, and there was nothing they could do but wait for whatever happened next with Seeker and Home Base. The question of Siri and Myeko looked as though it explained itself, and there was nothing they could do about it without knowing where Home Base was. All they could do was wait and see what came next.

And hope that whatever Seeker, Kit, and Quinlan were keeping from them came to light soon, if only to help them understand why they were doing what they were doing.

---

Translations:

A-MHÀIN! – OUT!
Athair, aon ni eile – Father, one more thing
Màthair – mother