Chapter 3

The following day, there was a skirmish near the old droid foundry where the clone war had begun. Some straggler Separatist droid troops had decided to make one last stand, and Obi-Wan and Jeela were sent there with their clone troops to squelch it.

At first, things seemed to go smoothly, and then somehow, Jeela wasn't sure how, she and Obi-Wan were separated. She wanted to go and find him, give him the backup he needed, but her instincts screamed out in protest. He's looking after himself and you should do the same, she admonished herself. She kept deflecting blaster fire with her light saber, and chopping droids to pieces. Suddenly, she felt a stab of pain in her chest and leg and knew she'd been hit. She screamed in pain and fell to the ground near Commander Cody's feet.

Obi-Wan heard Jeela's scream in his mind. He dispatched the battle droids quickly and ran over to where she was lying on the ground. Cody was trying to defend them both, but it was obvious the poor clone trooper was outnumbered. He stepped in, dispatching what few droids there were left, and then going to the fallen Jedi. Normally, he would've let a Knight become one with the Force, but for some reason he couldn't let that happen to Jeela.

He lifted her gently in his arms and began to carry her to his tent. By all rights, they could leave Geonosis. The mission was accomplished, but now he had to deal with an injured Jedi Knight.

Jeela drifted in and out of consciousness. She knew she was being carried to Obi-Wan's tent, and she knew she was dying. She tried to let herself slip into the oblivion that was the netherworld of the Force, but something wouldn't let her.

No, make that someone wouldn't let her.

"Please…" she rasped weakly, knowing what Obi-Wan was going to do and knowing the risk he'd taken when he'd done it before with his Sith comrade Asajj Ventress. "Don't risk your life for me…"

"It's too soon," he whispered mentally. "It's too soon for you. I won't let you die here, not today…"

She could feel his Living Force mingling with hers, giving her strength to live. "No…no," she protested again. "Please don't do this. You'll die…"

Suddenly, she couldn't speak anymore as Obi-Wan's mouth was pressed against hers, cutting off her protests. The kiss was tender, gentle and she couldn't help but return it. Her arms slipped around him and she clung to him. Gradually, she felt a peaceful lethargy steal over her, a lethargy that she knew would send her into a deep, healing sleep.

"You'll sleep deeply here tonight and heal of your injuries," he said softly. "I'll stay with you."

Jeela couldn't keep her eyes open, but she wasn't afraid. She knew she was going to be all right. She'd heal and live to fight in this clone war another day.

But at what cost? she asked herself. At the cost of Obi-Wan's life?

Those were her final thoughts as she slipped into the deep sleep, the sleep that promised to heal her body of its injuries.

Obi-Wan didn't know what had come over him. He'd wanted to help her; her concern for his well-being had surprised and touched him. And he'd silenced her protests by kissing her.

Why he'd done that was a mystery to him and would remain so for the remainder of his days.

He lost track of how much time he spent in his tent with her cradled in his arms. He knew he should give her his bed for tonight. First things first, he thought. I should see to her injuries.

He laid her down gently on his bed, but not before taking her hair out of its bun, leaving it spreading on the pillow like a reddish golden halo. He smiled, remembering that he'd touched it as he laid her down. It was as soft as it looked. Shaking his head to clear it, he set to work, cutting away the areas of her tunic and leggings where she'd been shot. He cleaned her wounds with bacta, and then dressed them, wrapping her leg and upper chest in clean bandages. After getting cleaned up himself, he took a spare blanket and spread it out on the tent floor so he could let Jeela have the bed. She needed it more than he did, he reasoned.

As he readied himself for some rest, something didn't feel right. He knew they were no longer in danger for the moment; it was something else, like he didn't feel complete if he wasn't close to the Jedi in his bed.

Sighing deeply, he went to his bed and pulled back the covers. I'm doing this so she won't be alone and afraid, he told himself. Nothing more. He crawled into the bed with Jeela, and felt her snuggle close to him in her sleep. He draped an arm around her shoulders. To his surprise, it didn't take long for sleep to come.

On Coruscant and all over the galaxy, the gentle ripple in the Force was felt by everyone close to Jeela and Obi-Wan, Jedi and Sith alike.

Anakin was at the apartment with Padme when he felt the gentle warmth spread over his body. It was a peaceful feeling, and it left him knowing that things were set in motion that could not be undone. And he knew it had to do with Jeela and the Sith Knight Obi-Wan.

Sith Knight Asajj Ventress could even feel the ripple as she prepared to help Master Quinlan Vos move the troops to Boz Pity. She'd felt the warmth and it didn't surprise her one bit. Obi-Wan was always the one who was more in tune with the Force. And this new bond he'd begun to forge with the young Jedi Knight maiden was the will of the Force itself, no matter how much he protested. If he tries to fight this, she thought, I'll send him a Force slap.

Master Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn was in the middle of meditations when he felt it. And he closed his eyes and that's when saw it. A man and woman, both with reddish gold hair, were standing together, two souls as one, and they were happy together. As they kissed, he could see who they were, Sith Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Knight Jeela Linn. As the second prophecy said, he thought. Yes, the Chosen One would bring balance to the Force, but the love between a Sith Knight and a Jedi Knight would keep balance in the Force, and bring the rival orders together in reconciliation. The love would be strong, the bond unbreakable, a true soul bond.

So it begins, he thought. I just hope Jeela sees it as a blessing and not a curse.