Callera made sure to meet the Skywalkers and Captain Panaka. Taking in Shmi's pale form with a heavy shawl around her as the woman exits the speeder.
"I'm sorry to pull you away from the doctor Shmi, but you will get just as good care here in the Temple while the Council talk to Anakin.
"I thought they were going to wait a few more days?" Shmi's worn voice carries in the quiet while Anakin holds her hand trying to send her strength.
"The situation changed Shmi. My 'connection' to Anakin," Callera smiles at the young man in question, "has the Council concerned."
"Why?" Anakin's raised voice echoes as Caller kneels in front of him.
"You are a young man with a very intuitive grasp of the Force, your way with machines and your pilot reflexes are influenced by the Force." Seeing his lips turn downward she pushes ahead, "You have skills and talents in those areas without the Force Anakin, but to also have a natural communion with the Force in those fields is unusual. If you mastered both the physical skills and the Force in those fields you will be nearly without peer in them. But that will take years and years of discipline, for a nine-year-old kid, you are incredible, given time and training you will be amazing."
"It comes down to potential then." Captain Panaka interjects with a shrewd expression.
"Correct Captain, Anakin has enormous potential…" Callera agrees
"But they think you might not treat that potential in a way they like."
Tilting her head in agreement. "Something like that. But right now, lets get these two down to the healers for a bit of a once over."
The trek to the healers was brief due to the landing pad Panaka had been granted access to. Three Jedi healers awaited them, a blue-skinned Twi'lek. "Welcome to the Halls of Healing, I am Master Vorkara Che, the two next to me are Healer Ky'sa and her Padawan Rendo." The female and male humans tilt their heads as the Master acknowledges them. "They will take care of the woman and the boy. You Bladesinger are my patient."
"What?!" Callera's squawk of confused outrage causes Anakin to laugh.
"The Council told me some of your recent itinerary, you should have been knocking on my door before you even went to the Council!" Callera fights the eye-roll as she listens to what must be the 'standardized' Head Medic, Doctor, or Healer rant. "Trained field medic they said, somehow I doubt that." Those words turn Callera's world cold.
Fighting down the outrage before speaking, "Anyone with medical training makes the worst patients. Always thinking we know better."
"Indeed Bladesinger," A tilt of the woman's twin-tailed head as she motions Callera towards an exam room, "this way."
In the quiet of a private exam room, Callera strips down to her underwear without even being asked. When Master Che gives her an inquisitive look, "I figured you are going to want to do a full workup and examination, so trying to save you the trouble."
"How gracious of you. The report says you were in a vicious brawl two days before you arrived?"
"Correct."
"What in your self-assessment was the damage?" Master Che's voice skeptical as she begins to examine Callera.
"My ribs were cracked on the left side, contusions all over my legs, arms and torso, and abrasions on my knuckles from my strikes."
Master Che nods in acknowledgement as she holds a hand and a crystal near Callera.
"Based on what I sense your assessment was accurate. Healing trance to speed up your own healing?"
"Unfortunately, that skill is something I have not quite gotten a handle on, Master Che. I know the basics of healing myself and others with the Force, but a full-blown healing trance is outside of my skill profile. But every few hours a small little nudge to my body to speed up the ribs refusing together and filter the loose blood from the bruising back into my system more productively."
"Is that the extent of your Order's skills with healing in the Force?"
"Definitely not, Master Cligahl, is absolutely outstanding in her knowledge of using the Force to heal and so have been some of her students."
"And you weren't one of her students?"
"No, I learned what I did from a clan of Force Witches and planned on working with them and Cligahl eventually to learn more, but then war happened and I went to work in refugee camps as a nurse and occasionally medic for soldiers focused on stabilizing them for evacuation. Between Bacta patches, tourniquets, pain killers and the Force, I had some of the higher survival rates of soldiers getting to aid stations"
"Why didn't you start with her as your Master?"
"One of the other older members of my Order came from that culture of Force Witches. I had been taught the wrong way first, my master taught me in Jedi style but also brought me to the Witches to learn their ways properly and try to respect the knowledge I had been given. They showed me the basics of healing to help remind me that what can harm, can also heal. And the opposite."
Callera yelps, having been lost in her own words not noticing Healer Che had moved to draw her blood. Taking the blood sample to the nearby computer, the system starts to run.
Master Che starts to speak while still looking at the screen, "Based on what I see here, a lot of your story checks out. Signs of antibodies to diseases known to be common in refugee camps, and a few others for various worlds. You picked up something Dantooine, their swamp phage, and that disease lingers in the bloodstream for years even if treatments have rendered it inert. Your midi-chlorian count seems low compared to the stories Master Mundi relayed to me and the comments of a few passing younglings about your encounter with Master Drallig."
Callera's smile at Master Che's comment on her midi-chlorian count startles the Healer slightly, "Communion with the midi-chlorians might help one with communing with the Force, but one can be sensitive to the Force without them. It just takes more work and effort to develop one's connection with the Force. We do not have the auxiliary corps you have, if you came to us for training you were trained. You made the commitment to be one of us, you are one of us. If you were not as in tune with the Force as others, you developed other skills. Even those who are more connected to the Force would develop their mundane skills. Symbiotic organisms do not a Jedi make, Master Che."
"Indeed, they do not Bladesinger," the Master's words pensive, "overall you seem to take care of your body and according to several members of the Council, you are trying to take care of your mind. If you were a member of our Order, I'd be recommending that you be stood down and spend time in meditation and time with our mind healers so your spirit and mind can match your body."
Nodding in acceptance Callera starts to redress, "If it was not for the current crisis, that would be my goal. I was trying to do that when the Force had a sense of humor in bringing me here right now. If the Council sees fit to bring me into your Order, the moment the immediate crisis is concluded, I will avail myself of those services."
"If the Council does not?" The Chief Healer's tone curious.
"See if the Queen of Naboo wants an advisor and put my pay towards private help, and if that doesn't work find any sort of work on a planet with mental services. My last option would be Dathomir, its different here, but if its similar enough I should know enough of the culture to accepted by a tribe or clan. Being a village healer and protector is not a bad way to spend a few years healing if I have to wait to teach Anakin."
"The boy?"
"Yeah, we come from similar backgrounds and he's a bright energetic kid."
"Not because what Healer Ky'sa just forwarded me?"
"Let me guess, highest midi-chlorian count ever recorded?"
"You expected that." Master Che's eyes narrow.
"It's why his medical exam is here rather than with a Senate doctor."
"You figured it would have been open knowledge before the night was out."
"Exactly."
"You already knew." The master's voice slightly accusatory.
"I suspected," Lowering her walls so Master Che can feel her sincerity, "but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter to me. He's a good kid with a good heart and deserves the chance to develop himself to do some good for the galaxy."
Master Che bows slightly at the open declaration from Callera. "You know I will be reporting it to the High Council."
"I know. Just as I know while this would normally be totally confidential you need to share at least your impressions of me with the High Council. Since Master Mundi told you about my work on Dantooine and you found medical proof of me being there; I release you from any confidentiality concerns when it comes to that matter."
The Healer nods in thanks and motions for the now dressed Callera to leave the exam room. "If our Order does take you in Bladesinger, I would welcome you in the Halls of Healing to develop your skills."
The admission startles Callera. Barely recovering she bows, "Thank youm Master Che, if the High Council welcomes me after this crisis, I will definitely consider the offer."
Looking towards the front of the Hall of Healing Callera sees Anakin and Captain Panaka waiting for her. "Where's Shmi?"
Anakin chirps up, "Ky'sa did something to help mom enter some sort of healing sleep! It was so cool, but also weird." The named healer off to the side fight a chuckle at the young boy's description.
"Yeah, healing trances are cool Anakin, very useful too. By the time she wakes, your mom should have kicked whatever's bothering her." Callera ruffles his hair as she finishes her words.
"If I become a Jedi, can I learn how to do that?" Anakin's eyes shining bright.
"Possibly. There are so many interesting ways we can interact with the Force, every individual is different in how they touch the Force and what they can learn to do in concert with it. Get a few years of lessons under your belt and you should know what will come easily to you and what will be a challenge; at that point, you'll have an easier time choosing what you want to focus on learning."
Looking over at Captain Panaka, "Thanks for keeping an eye on Anakin while Shmi and I were occupied."
He tilts his head, "It is not a problem Bladesinger, I have to be here to talk with Council same as him. A few minutes of watching an energetic young man is a break…"
"…from watching over an energetic teenage Queen?" Callera interjects with a wry smile.
"Indeed." A twitch of a smile from the Captain.
"We still have an hour till the appointment with the High Council; I can take us to the kitchen for a quick snack, or we can go wait outside the Council chamber now," Looking at Anakin. "what shall it be?"
A low rumble from Anakin's midsection provides the answer.
"Kitchen it is."