Chapter Two: Hiding

"The Council is going to want a briefing," Anakin stated as Barriss pulled a sheet over Marali-Ketana's body. Obi-Wan barely heard Anakin, as he found himself drawn to the small, helpless child in the corner.

"I will send through my report immediately," Barriss confirmed as she tapped on the datapad. "Funeral?"

Anakin looked to Obi-Wan for an answer, finding him staring at the tiny girl in the bacta crib. Anakin felt his heart constrict, sensing the sadness and confusion in his former Master's heart. "She was a Force-sensitive. Please make the arrangements for a small Jedi funeral."

Barriss nodded. "As you wish, Master Skywalker."

Anakin made his way over to the bacta crib, where the tiny girl lay covered in the thick, healing liquid. At seven standard months old, she was unable to be taken from the bacta until her body fully developed. Anakin's thoughts went to his own children, once again, remembering just how small and helpless they had been when he and Padmè had taken them home.

As if on cue, a padawan stuck his head into the theatre. "Master Skywalker, Madam Skywalker is here to see you."

"Thank you El-tar, please notify my wife I will be there shortly."

"She is so small, Anakin," Obi-Wan whispered.

Anakin placed a hand on his back. "Will her early birth diminish her ability to access the Force?" he asked Barriss.

Barriss made her way over to the bacta crib and looked at the datapad. "She is a fighter and her midichlorian count is higher than average. I should think that as soon as she gains some strength, her development will continue as per normal."

"Thank the Force and thank you, Master Offee," Obi-Wan replied. "She would have not survived without your quick intervention."

Barriss smiled sadly. "It is my only regret that we had lost her mother. A child so young would need her mother. However, she will be taken care of by the Jedi and become a strong and adapted youngling."

Barriss scoured the datapad. "Now, I've entered her birthday and midichlorian count to the Archives. I am looking for a name.? Master Obi-Wan, would you like to do the honour?"

Obi-Wan stared at the baby and her tiny wisp of bright red hair. "Mara, I believe I should like to call her. Mara Jade."

Barriss squeezed Obi-Wan's shoulder. "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. Thank you for your assistance, Masters. I believe you may go—I have a feeling the Council is eagerly awaiting your detailed report."

Just as Anakin was about to pull Obi-Wan away from the bed, the door flung open and Padmè entered the room. She was holding Luke on her hip and Leia sat in the double hover-pusher. The twins were both crying.

"Anakin," Padmè breathed, trying to bounce Luke. "They haven't stopped since we last spoke. I have no idea what is wrong...I..."

Zonder immediately picked Luke up and Barriss leant down and took hold of Leia. "Zonder, pass me the scanner, please."

Anakin held his wife's hand and brushed against his children with the Force. "I don't sense anything harmful through the Force," he announced and then squeezed her hand. "You were right to bring them, Padmè."

"Fine," Zonder announced and gently smoothed down Leia's thick, brown hair.

"Luke too," Barriss confirmed, following suit with Luke's blonde hair.

"Thank the stars," Padmè breathed. "What is wrong with them?"

Obi-Wan took in the scene in front of him. "They are both very sensitive," he said calmly. "And there is something rather upsetting under that sheet," he reminded them. Barriss's eyes widened.

"Of course, Zonder, could you please take...Miss Jade," she asked politely. Zonder picked up Leia and handed her back to Padmè.

"She is very precious," Zonder said, a sad longing in his eyes. He grabbed the datapad to manoeuvre the body out of the theatre.

"Thank you, Jedi Master Zonder," Padmè replied and hugged her daughter close.

Anakin picked up Luke and as soon as the body had left the room, the twins stopped crying.

"Fascinating," Obi-Wan said, still unable to tear himself away from Mara.

"Baby," Leia said first, pointing towards Mara.

"Baby!" Luke repeated, craning his neck to the newest Force-sensitive in the room.

Padmè's eyes widened. "Do you think..."

"Jedi children have been known to be very attuned to the Force," Barriss replied. "Especially when it comes to other Force-sensitive children. It is the reason having Force-sensitive twins can be, ah, interesting."

"You don't have to tell me that," Anakin grumbled, earning a smack from Luke.

"Daddy," he said very clearly. "See the baby."

"The baby," Leia said.

"Luke, do you want to see the baby?" Anakin asked his son, who nodded in agreement.

"Leia baby," he announced too, pointing to his enthusiastic sister.

Anakin walked over to Mara's crib and placed Luke close, so he could see inside. Padmè followed and placed Leia next to him. They both touched the crib and for a moment, a spark filled the Force with hope.

"She will be your friend and train with you, one day," Obi-Wan said, smiling at the contact between the children.

"Friend!" Luke exclaimed and touched the crib.

Leia giggled. "Red," she said, looking at Mara's hair.

"They could feel her, Anakin," Padmè said, fascinated by her children's reaction. "They felt her, from even lightspeed."

"She is very strong in the Force," Obi-Wan replied, feeling a strange sense of pride. He leant down to eye level with Luke. "Your new friend's name is Mara."

Luke smiled and Leia clapped happily.

"Mara!" Luke squealed and began to laugh. "Mara, friend. Friend Marrrraaaa!"

"Luke, baby, I think it's time to go," Anakin cooed as Luke happily snuggled into his arm.

"I like Mara," he announced.

"She is so small," Padmè commented, shifting Leia up into a comfortable position. Padmè peered into the bacta crib. "What will happen to her?"

"She will remain in the bacta for another four to five standard weeks. Her immune system will strengthen and her lungs will finish developing," Barriss answered with practiced ease.

"And afterward?"

"She will go into the Jedi Youngling Unit and be raised with the other younger Jedi."

"Until she is taken as a padawan," Padmè finished.

Barriss smiled wistfully. "Yes, Madam Skywalker."

Obi-Wan didn't break his gaze from Mara.

"Won't she be lonely?" Padmè asked sadly.

"She will be raised with the other Jedi—she will hardly be alone," Barriss commented. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Master Kenobi, if you could activate Mara's sensor before you leave to attend your debriefing. Master Skywalker, Madam Skywalker; a pleasure."

Anakin bowed as Barriss left the theatre.

"Padmè, I still have to attend the debriefing," Anakin said, placing Luke into the hover-pusher. "I'll be home in about three standard hours."

Padmè nodded as she placed Leia next to her brother.

"Bye baby!" Luke called as Padmè began to guide the pusher out the door. "Baby!" Leia added.

"I'll see you at home, Anakin. Obi-Wan, she is very beautiful," Padmè said and left the theatre.

"Come, Master, the Council is expecting us."

However, Obi-Wan felt reluctant to move from Mara's side. He felt torn—his allegiance was always to the Council and he had already kept them waiting.

She is beautiful, a voice said to him.

"Master?" Anakin prompted.

"I cannot leave her, Anakin," Obi-Wan admitted. "The Force—it is telling me to stay."

She needs your help, Obi-Wan.

"I will go to the Council," Anakin offered. "I'll see you in the morning, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan didn't acknowledge Anakin's absence. He pulled up a chair to the crib.

"Hello, Mara. My name is Obi-Wan."

o0o

"He didn't leave, Master Yoda," Barriss Offee related to the aging Jedi Master.

"Worried, he is," Yoda stated as he watched Obi-Wan through the observation panel.

"More than that, Master," the Healer added respectfully. "I think he has formed an attachment with the child."

Yoda nodded in agreement. "No longer fear attachment, the Jedi do."

"Master, do you think..."

Yoda closed his eyes. "The Force surrounds the child."

"Mara," Barriss offered.

Yoda opened his eyes. "Special, she is. Guidance, she will need and Master Kenobi is most experienced."

"Skywalker?"

"Better than a Master, he is. Parent, he should be," Yoda said firmly, gazing at Obi-Wan and Mara. "Will of the Force, it is."

o0o

Anakin opened the door to the theatre early the next morning. "Well you obviously didn't use the sanisteam," he commented dryly, throwing Obi-Wan a new set of robes.

"I couldn't leave," Obi-Wan replied honestly. "I was worried she wouldn't make it through the night."

Anakin smirked. "You know as well as I do that Master Offee has this place running like a well-oiled machine. Zonder told me he'd been in during the night and you didn't even sleep."

"How are the twins?" Obi-Wan asked. "And the debriefing?"

Anakin waved his hand and Mara's datapad flew towards him. He caught it expertly and studied the information—much as he had done when Luke and Leia had been born. "They're fine—a little too excited for my liking. The debriefing was boring, as predicted."

Anakin stopped. "Master, have you looked at Mara's blood analysis?"

Obi-Wan fought a wave of panic. "Is there something wrong?"

Anakin sent a wave of reassurance through the Force to his obviously stressed Master. "No, nothing like that. Take a look at this strain found in her analysis."

Obi-Wan grabbed the datapad and read the information.

"It looks familiar."

Anakin nodded. "I thought so too."

Both men walked towards the data terminal and input the details on the larger screen. "She has a THX-1138 marker in her blood," Anakin confirmed.

"That's quite rare and usually the carriers are Serenno natives," Obi-Wan mused. "Bring up the bloodwork on Marali-Ketana." Obi-Wan scoured the information. "Barriss didn't do an analysis of her blood."

Anakin quickly punched in a code and within seconds, an addition to her file appeared. "Her too," he confirmed. "Obviously the marker is genetic."

"Something feels very strange here, Anakin," Obi-Wan confessed. "The Force is trying to tell us something. There's something important about this marker. What made you think to look for it?"

Anakin shrugged. "It jumped out at me, Master. Like it was something that I should know."

Anakin punched in another code. "I'm doing a cross-reference from the Archives, Master, to see if we get another..."

"Match!" Obi-Wan finished.

An image and a file flashed across the scene. "Shavit," Anakin swore, staring at the picture. "It isn't possible!" He shot Obi-Wan a look. "This can't be possible, can it Master?"

For his part, Obi-Wan felt as if his heart had been torn in two. One side was calm and rational, following the Jedi Code to an exact point. His other side, the side that had sobbed when Qui-Gon and Siri had died, screamed.

"Dooku," he finally croaked out.

"Coincidence?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan hurriedly flicked through the file. "I doubt it, Anakin. The match is too close."

He stared at the screen. "It would appear that Marali-Ketana Jade shares enough genetic material with Dooku to be his biological daughter. She was probably conceived during Dooku's time serving with the Jedi Order. Her mother was likely a native working-class woman, considering her surname."

Comprehension dawned on Anakin. "So Mara is Dooku's biological granddaughter."

They both turned towards the crib in the corner.

"We need to report this," Obi-Wan said, sadness marring his voice. "The Council ought to know."

"Will this affect her training, Master?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "She will be given a fresh start."

"Perhaps, nobody would have to know," Anakin suggested. "I mean, especially Mara. Who would want such a shadow falling over their head? She will already have a fight on her hands, I'm sure of it."

Obi-Wan considered this for a moment. "Are you suggesting altering the official records, Anakin?"

Yes.

"Of course not, Master."

"And you really believe this will give her the freedom to become the best Jedi she could possibly be?" Obi-Wan probed.

Yes.

Without hesitating, Obi-Wan deftly altered the bloodwork analysis. "I cannot believe I just did that."

"Obi-Wan, there was a reason I came down here."

Anakin led Obi-Wan back to the crib and floated the datapad back to his hands. "Master Yoda wished me to extend his congratulations."

Obi-Wan was confused. "Congratulations?"

Anakin proudly held up the datapad. "Master, there's a reason you haven't been able to leave Mara's bedside. I know the feeling. It is with great honour that I announce to you that this is Mara Kenobi."

Obi-Wan, the General, the Negotiator, was at a loss for words. Finally, he found his voice. "The Council?"

"By recommendation of Master Yoda, myself and Healer Offee. With a secondary vote by Madam Skywalker."

Obi-Wan looked back down at Mara. She was his.