Author's Note: For all of those who are still reading this story, thank you so much for your patience! A great deal has been going on, but I'm hoping to be back on track. I also decided this past week that rather than wait until I have twelve or fifteen pages in a chapter, I'll go ahead and post with just nine. That way, the chances of a long wait are decreased. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter. . .it's something of a transition.

Chapter Fifteen

The Willing Sacrifice

Oh Sith! Ithurtsithurtsithurts! The pain, even ghostly pain, seemed to be tearing her apart. And unfortunately, this pain was all too familiar, driving the very air from her lungs. Merit doubled over, falling to her knees, and wrapped her arms around her waist. Every breath was a struggle, and the very Force shrieked with her pain and with her brother's. Her forehead was pressed against the cool metal of the girders, and over the bond she shared with Thane, she could sense Anakin's terror. Gotta reassure Anakin, she thought through the haze of pain, block off his bond with Thane. Oh, Force, that hurts! But she focused on her brother's bond with his new padawan, on shielding Anakin from the pain. Her memories were hazy of his part in this battle, and the Force was telling her only that he was necessary. However, it didn't matter. . .with that as focus, she was able to ease her own bond closed. Once the bond went still, Merit found the pain dissipating. She straightened up, unconsciously wiping tears away from her face.

Only moments earlier, seconds even, she was watching her brother and Master Jinn battle the Sith from her position above them. Merit had issues with Thane jumping down to join them without her backing him up, but he was the elder brother and the Master. Besides, she had the distinct impression that Anakin (the Force-ghost, not the little boy hiding in a ship) gave her and Thane separate assignments. Her assignment was to protect the younglings and the infants in the crèche. . .maybe it was Thane's assignment to protect Jinn. Either way, she saw all too clearly when Jinn's head snapped back, courtesy of an elbow from the Sith. Thane pushed forward. . .and was skewered on the end of the Sith's double-blade. She and Obi-Wan both screamed, and that was all she saw (or heard) for the next several seconds.

Drawing in a deep breath, Merit returned her focus to the current mission. They still had work to do, and until Thane was actually dead, she wasn't giving up on him. A cautious glance over the edge told her that Obi-Wan was furiously battling the Sith, and Merit caught her breath. Even from here, she could tell the senior padawan was dangerously close to losing himself to the Dark Side. After a brief consideration, she chose another focus. This battle. . .in all its dimensions. . .was Obi-Wan's. Unfortunately, part of it became hers, as Obi-Wan had fallen into the reactor pit. By itself, that was bad enough, but Master Jinn was awkwardly cradling Thane against his chest, and both were vulnerable to the Sith. Not for long, though. Not for long.

As the Sith strolled around the pit, running his 'saber along the edge, Merit made her move. She dropped from the catwalk, making not a sound as she plummeted. There was no point in announcing her arrival, though the Sith no doubt felt her Force-presence. However, he was more interested in taunting Obi-Wan. . .and so, Merit opted for the more practical approach with a kick to the back of his knees. The Sith stumbled forward slightly and pivoted neatly to face Merit. He already earned a place on Merit's poodoo list by seriously injuring her brother, but with his leering once-over, he shot up to the top. No time like the present for payback. Merit smirked at the Sith and lashed out with a kick that caught the Zabrak in the groin. He doubled over with an incoherent cry of pain, but that didn't stop him from backhanding her hard across the face. She spun around, narrowly missing a follow-up kick to her side, but still saw what she needed to see.

The lightsaber dropped by Qui-Gon Jinn when he caught her brother was moving. Not toward the two Masters, but toward Obi-Wan. Merit managed a smile, despite the ache radiating from the right side of her face, and moved back. Obi-Wan would need whatever room she could give him to complete this part of his destiny. It never occurred to her to finish the Sith herself. It wasn't her job. . .her job was to shield her brother and Jinn until Obi-wan could finish what he started. Thus, she maintained her position in front of them, crouched, with her lightsaber extended. As he had before she intervened, the Sith began pace back and forth in front of her, as if toying with her. Not likely, she thought, better men than you have tried and failed. She merely offered him a feral grin. Sometime in the next few minutes, Obi-Wan would come hurtling out of the pit. . .

And then there he was, somersaulting out and between Merit and the Sith. One minute, the Zabrak was leering at her, and the next, Obi-Wan's lightsaber was cleaving him in half. Merit rose to her full height and stepped to Obi-Wan's side, their shoulders nearly touching. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of the Sith's mouth. And then, as if they were pieces of a weird puzzle, the two halves of the Zabrak fell into the pit. He never even made a noise. The same couldn't be said of Thane, who moaned in agony as the Sith died. Merit powered down her lightsaber and spun to face her brother. All that took place in the last few minutes ceased to matter. She didn't notice the Jedi Master holding him. Nor did she feel the gentle, reassuring hand on her shoulder from the soon-to-be Knight at her side. There was only room for her brother. With a strangled cry, Merit dropped to her knees and scooted to Thane's side, pulling him from Master Jinn's arms. The sudden movement dragged another cry from her badly-injured brother and Merit whispered an apology, even as she saw the truth. Thane was dying.

"Hold on, Thane. . .just hold on, all right? Oh Force. . .don't worry about Anakin, I've taken care of him. He doesn't know anything's wrong," Merit tried to console her brother (a traitorous voice whispering, he doesn't know yet), "just hold on. I think I can heal this." Even before she finished speaking, though, Thane was already shaking his head. He was blinking back tears from his eyes, his gaze never wavering from Merit's face. Thane knew what she was even now trying to deny.

"Not this time, baby sister. Shhhh, it's okay. . .Merit, look at me," Thane rasped out as Merit's eyes wandered back to the mortal wound, trying to figure a way to save her brother. She snapped her attention back to her brother's face, not wanting him to talk more than necessary. He smiled up at her weakly, whispering, "It's okay. A price had to be paid, and it's been paid. Better me than you. My. . .my part in this tale is done. It's up to you, little sister. Up to you now." He moaned, his back arching, and Merit tightened her grasp on her brother, trying to anchor him in this world, trying to reassure him he wasn't alone. For the second one, it was enough. . .but not enough for the first.

Behind her, she heard soft whisperings between the Master and Padawan they accompanied, but Merit paid no attention. Her focus was solely on Thane, who continued, "Gotta know, baby sister. Gotta know. I love you. I love you, Merit, and I'm so very proud of you. You'll be all right, Merit. . .too much like our grandmother not to be all right. Follow your instincts, listen to the Force. Just do that. . .is all you gotta do. The Force will take care of the rest. Love you. Love you so much. Love. . ." The light died from Thane's eyes, and his body went limp in Merit's arms. At the same time, the bond between the siblings completely snapped, and Merit allowed herself one keening wail, before she gathered her brother's body closer to her and wept.

Outside, the cheers of the Naboo could be heard. As Thane Solo's life ended, so did the invasion. It was over. And it was only just beginning.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW

He allowed his anger to overwhelm him, and he nearly paid the price. Instead, a Master whom he was growing to like very much was dying. Obi-Wan didn't fool himself into thinking that one thing had anything to do with the other. Oh, it did. . .but it was Thane Solo's mortal injury, which could have just as easily been rendered to Obi-Wan's own Master, that caused his anger. Thane Solo wasn't dying because of his anger. . .he was dying because he chose to sacrifice his life to save Obi-Wan's Master. No. Not dying. Even before his sister's anguished wail echoed around the room, Obi-Wan knew that Thane Solo had passed into the arms of the Force.

That could have been him. Oh, not the man who just died in his sister's arms. But the dark-haired woman who knelt on the cold floor, cradling her brother? Oh yes. That could have been him. He swallowed as the young woman rocked back and forth, keening. Thane's head settled against her chest, reminding Obi-Wan of a sleepy child. But Thane was neither sleepy nor a child. And. . .he was no longer there. Obi-Wan's Master looked as shocked as he felt when Thane Solo simply vanished. There was nothing left but his clothes, which his weeping sister clutched all the tighter.

"It. . .cannot be," Master Qui-Gon whispered, obviously stunned. Obi-Wan looked up at his Master, who was staring at the empty clothes in Merit Solo's arms in utter shock. He shook himself out of that shock and turned to face the padawan at his side, saying, "Obi-Wan. See to Knight Solo and her brother's. . .remains." As he spoke, as the queen and her entourage joined them. Obi-Wan merely nodded numbly. Merit Solo raised her eyes to meet his, her lips forming words that never emerged. He didn't know why he did what came next. . .Obi-Wan knelt beside her and drew her into his arms. But he was lying to himself. He knew exactly why he pulled Merit into a comforting embrace.

It was because he knew that it could have been him, kneeling on the cold floor with his Master's dying body in his arms. Merit clung to him with one arm, weeping softly into his shoulder. She whispered, "He was all I had left. He was all I had left, and I don't know what to do now, Obi-Wan." Queen Amidala stared at the three Jedi, her face stricken, and Obi-Wan remembered once again just how young she was: not much older than a brand-new padawan. But right now, his concern was for the woman in his arms.

"You go on, Merit. You go on, and you honor his last wishes. You may come from another galaxy, but you are still a Jedi, and there are people here who need you. Grieve and mourn, Merit. . .but you go on," Obi-Wan replied. He wondered a bit numbly where the words were coming from, but they were there when he needed them. And not a moment too soon, for fast on the heels of Amidala and her entourage came Anakin. The little one was chattering away to one of the handmaidens about what he had done, but then he stopped. His eyes focused on Merit, who was still leaning heavily against Obi-Wan, and then he looked around for Thane.

When he couldn't find him, Anakin whispered, "Master Thane? Merit, where's Master Thane? I can't feel him anymore." Obi-Wan looked at Merit, who nodded weakly, then released the young woman. Merit rose to her feet, still clutching Thane's clothes against her chest. The boy's eyes focused on those clothes and he began to shake his head, crying, "No, no, no! NO! Not Master Thane!" He started to back away, to run, but Merit moved faster than anyone, including Obi-Wan, was anticipating, and caught the little boy, pulling him into her arms.

"Yes, Anakin, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, I wasn't fast enough to help him. But he was so brave, Anakin, so very brave. He saved Master Jinn's life. And now, we gotta be strong, too, Anakin. He wanted us to be strong, because it's just like Obi-Wan reminded me. We're still Jedi, and there are still people who need us. So we honor Thane and we make him proud of us. Okay?" she asked. Anakin nodded, tears rolling down his small face, and then he threw himself more fully into Merit's arms.

Obi-Wan moved forward to put his hand on Merit's shoulder, saying softly, "She's right, Anakin. That's exactly what Master Solo would want. But she forgot to tell you. . .while Master Solo saved Master Qui-Gon's life, she saved mine." The little boy pulled away, his eyes widening as he looked from Merit to Obi-Wan and back again. The senior padawan nodded with a faint smile, saying, "It's true. I didn't hear what you were saying when you came in, but I'm very sure that Master Solo would be just as proud of you as he was of Merit."

"What happens to me now, Merit? Will I still be a Jedi?" the little boy asked plaintively. Merit swallowed convulsively, her dark eyes flickering from Anakin to Obi-Wan and around this place where her brother died. He thought of what she just said, how her brother was all she had left. Everyone she loved was now gone, everyone and everything. Her home was gone, her family was gone. She was alone in an unfamiliar place, and Obi-Wan shuddered. Were he in her position, could he show the same strength she was showing now?

"I'm sure you will, Anakin," Merit answered, her voice quavering only a little, "remember, the Council already chose to train you. They just need to find a new Master for you. Come along, little one." Anakin nodded and made a manful attempt to wipe away his tears, which continued to roll down his cheeks. Merit released him reluctantly, and Obi-Wan realized that her strength was but a veneer while she focused on Anakin's grief. But that was still strength, he knew, because she was looking past her own grief to ease that of another. The little boy took her hand.

"You take her other hand, Obi-Wan. It's our job to look after Merit," he instructed. Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows at Merit questioningly, and the young Knight shrugged a little, as if to say, 'I don't have the energy to argue with him, do you?' The senior padawan smiled and took Merit's free hand, and together, they walked out of that place of death. Anakin was silent for several moments, aside from asking the queen if everything was all right now, which left Obi-Wan free to carry out his instructions, to take care of Merit and her brother's remains.

As they left the palace, Merit murmured, "In a way, it's fitting that my brother died here. The woman he loved. . .or could have loved, if our father wasn't so bent on domination and destruction. . .she died on a planet like this. I have to hope that somewhere in the Force, they've been reunited and can find out if they can love each other. I'll take my comfort in knowing that this truly isn't the end." Obi-Wan frowned and Merit explained, "The Force-ghost of our great-grandfather told us how to get here. He and his former Master, along with others, helped us. I know this isn't the end. I know that Thane will be watching over me." She fell silent, before adding in a broken whisper, "I just miss him so much already."

Obi-Wan could say nothing to that, and instead, tightened his grasp on her hand. He could have given her platitudes, but he learned the hard way that those didn't work. He was simply telling her things she already knew, and she considered that a waste of her time. He could see her point. Besides, she was of a higher rank than he. And then she looked at him, eyes filled with grief and guilt and an aching loneliness, and she asked, "Will you stand at my side, when we lay my brother to rest? I don't want to do this alone, Obi-Wan." There was no other answer but 'yes.' Her fingers tightened around his, and he offered her a reassuring smile. Their friendship was still very new, but he could no more allow her to go through this alone than Bant would have allowed him to go through the aftermath of Bruck Chun's death alone.

If anyone asked how Merit and Obi-Wan's partnership began, they both would have answered it was the will of the Council. Obi-Wan was soon knighted after that day and Merit was a stranger in a strange time, needing someone to guide her. Truly, they needed each other. However, their friendship began even before then. The first seeds were planted on Coruscant when Merit gently explained to the worried Padawan that while Anakin had the potential to be dangerous now, he would be far more dangerous if he wasn't trained at all. She was so gentle, so clear in her explanation. . .an explanation that was far easier for the young man to accept. The seeds were watered during their journey to Naboo, as she held the squirming Anakin Skywalker on her lap and with the same gentleness and clarity she used when she explained to Obi-Wan the necessary for Anakin's training, explained to the little boy the reasons for Obi-Wan's concerns.

It was further strengthened in the pit reactor, when Merit jumped down from a higher level as Obi-Wan struggled to maintain his grip. She stood between Darth Maul and the two Jedi, one of whom was her mortally injured brother, buying time for Obi-Wan to vault up from the pit, call his Master's 'saber, and finish the job. But it was cemented as he comforted her. They both said that their partnership was the will of the Council, and that much was true. But perhaps it would have been far more accurate to say that their friendship was the will of the Force.

SWSWSWSWSW

Master Thane was dead.

There was a great hollowness in his chest where the young Master once existed. Anakin Skywalker clung to Merit's hand, not questioning why a man whom he knew for such a short time. . .why that loss hurt him so much. Merit was no longer crying, though her face remained swollen. She was trying to be strong for Anakin, when she lost the most important person in the world to her. Anakin swallowed hard, remembering how kind to him they both were to him after he left Mom. But at least Mom was still alive. Anakin heard Merit tell Obi-Wan that even though Master Thane's body wasn't still here, his spirit lived on. She knew this, for a fact.

How she could know this, Anakin didn't understand, but he wasn't about to argue with the rock-solid certainty he heard in her voice. Besides, Mom always said that it was cruel to take hope away from a person, even if it was false hope. Sometimes, that was all that kept a person going. And sometimes, false hope turned out to be not-so-false. So Anakin wouldn't tell Merit that she was wrong. If it helped her hurt a little less over losing her brother, then that was all that mattered.

He would have liked to talk to Padme more, make sure everyone was okay, but right now, he thought Merit needed him more. Well, yeah, she had Obi-Wan, and he was taking good care of her, too, but Obi-Wan didn't seem to know what to say to her. For that matter, neither did Padme, especially not after the hollow-eyed look Merit gave her when she reassured the knight that her brother would long be remembered as a hero on Naboo. Anakin didn't know what that particular look meant, but he had the sense that Merit was holding something in. Almost as if she was angry, as well as sad. She probably was. But why was she angry with Padme? That was the part he didn't understand. It looked like Padme didn't understand, either, but she told Merit to take any room in the palace for her own for as long as the Jedi remained on Naboo. Merit simply inclined her head, murmuring that her majesty was too kind.

Before anyone could rest, there was much to do. . .the new treaty and cleaning up after the invasion. Anakin thought that was rather unfair to ask Merit to help, but she reassured him that there would be time for rest later and right now, she couldn't rest. So, while Padme saw to her people, and Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan talked to the Jedi High Council, Anakin and Merit helped to clean up the palace and tend to the wounded and comfort the dying. There was so much work to be done, even with so many able bodies to do it. Eventually, Merit quietly informed one of the handmaidens directing the others that she was taking Anakin to rest. The handmaiden immediately apologized for not thinking of the comfort of the two Jedi (which Merit dismissed with the wave of her hand) and directed the knight to an empty room. Merit carried the exhausted youngling, humming softly under her breath all the while. Anakin tried to protest, tried to tell her that he was once a slave and that he would work as long as she did, but he couldn't even move his head from her shoulder.

She remained in the room with him, allowing him to curl against her body for warmth and comfort, and lightly caressed his sandy hair. There were times when she looked like his mom. . .she didn't smell like his mom, even though she smelled nice, too. . .but right now, she felt like Mom with her softness and her warmth. Anakin slept after telling Merit about his part in the battle (for the fourth time) and after hearing about the battle with the Zabrak (for the eighth time).

When he awoke, Merit was involved in a quiet discussion with Obi-Wan. Master Qui-Gon wasn't in the room, and Merit's eyes were still puffy. But she was quiet and calm, listening intently to whatever Obi-Wan was saying. A movement from Anakin got her attention and she looked over at him, smiling gently. However, it was Obi-Wan who said, "Good morning, Anakin. . .there's still some food left on the tray, if you'd like it." Anakin looked around the room until he discovered the tray of food mentioned.

"Is everything okay?" he asked sleepily, throwing back the covers to amble over to the food. He had no idea what time of day it was, but he was starving. And despite Merit's gentle smile, he was still worried about her. If his day was long, hers was even longer, and Anakin asked anxiously, "Did you sleep at all, Merit? You must have been awful tired." And she still looked worn out, as if she hadn't slept in days or even weeks. Not for the first time, Anakin wished that Merit had met his mom. . .Mom would have helped him take care of Merit properly. Jedi saved people, but it didn't seem like they were very good at taking care of them.

"Everything's fine, sweeting. And I did sleep for a few hours. I'll get more rest once we get to Coruscant. My brother will be laid to rest tonight, and I need to focus on that right now. I've already eaten and so has Obi-Wan, so eat as much as you like. You and I have been released from clean-up duty. . .until the High Council has chosen a new Master for you, you're in my care. Master Jinn and Obi-Wan will be coordinating with the Queen. However, since you're awake now, I'm going to wash up. You boys will play nice while I'm in the 'fresher, of course," Merit warned. There was a playful light in her eyes, but she was also totally serious, Anakin sensed. He bobbed his head vehemently and Obi-Wan inclined his head in agreement.

Satisfied with their response, Merit headed into the 'fresher, and Anakin helped himself to the food. He was a little surprised when Obi-Wan said quietly, "That was only a half-truth, actually." Anakin looked up, startled, and the young man explained, "What Merit didn't tell you was that once you were asleep, she left the room to try to help with tending the wounded. She collapsed before she even reached the handmaiden who was directing that. I carried her back here. She woke up when I placed her on the bed. She needs to rest today, so I'm counting on you, Anakin, to make sure she does that. We all have different way of taking care of the people we care for, taking care of our friends, and right now, I think you're the best person for the job." Anakin straightened his shoulders, then realized he missed something in what Obi-Wan said.

"Merit is your friend, too? I suppose she must be. I just hadn't thought of it like that. Does she take care of you?" the boy asked curiously. Ever since Master Thane was appointed Anakin's Master, some of Obi-Wan's unease around Anakin dissipated. Not all of it. He was still worried, but he saw Anakin now. . .and with this conversation, the youngster from Tatooine was beginning to hope that he and Obi-Wan might become friends as well. He also realized that he liked this possibility.

"Yes, she's my friend. Or rather, we're becoming friends. And. . .she has different way of taking care of people. For you, it's holding you while you sleep and making sure that you eat. With me, it's listening to my fears and explaining how she sees things. Or practicing with me. But yes, she takes care of me, just in a different way that she takes care of you," Obi-Wan explained. Anakin nodded slowly. That made sense, put like that. Kinda like how Merit explained why Obi-Wan was concerned about Anakin. Maybe Obi-Wan was more like Merit than he realized.

But there was still one very important question to be settled, and Anakin thought it should be settled right now. He looked at the young man and asked softly, "So how do we take care of Merit? She's working so hard to take care of everyone else. . .you, me, the people who got hurt when those awful people invaded Naboo. So do we have to be sneaky to take care of her?" To his delight, a mischievous light entered Obi-Wan's eyes and he leaned forward, just as things in the 'fresher went quiet.

"We will have to be very, very sneaky. Can you be sneaky, Anakin?" he asked softly. Anakin nodded and just as he did when he first met Obi-Wan, only days earlier, extended his hand. This time, there was no confusion or wariness when Obi-Wan took it. They shared one last smile before Merit emerged from the 'fresher. After all, if they were going to be sneaky about taking care of Merit, they couldn't make her suspicious. Anakin had his assignment for the day. He would make sure that he accomplished it.

TBC