Chapter 12

Jedi Cruiser Negotiator, in orbit around Coruscant

Obi-Wan stared at the holographic image of Barriss Offee. "You're sure?" he asked.

"Positive," Barriss replied. "Whatever is making the people here sick is in the water."

Obi-Wan looked to Luminara, whose hologram glowed next to her apprentice's. "Can you confirm this?"

Luminara shrugged. "So far we only have Barriss' word, but I have a few medics looking into it. It seems logical."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I'll pass this on to the Council so it can be considered."

"Have you arrived on Coruscant?" Luminara asked.

"We'll be landing momentarily," Obi-Wan said. "I'll be out of contact for a while, however. The Council order both mine and Anakin's legions along with the crews of the Resolute and the Negotiator quarantined on account of this sickness."

"Its water transmitted," Barriss said. "There shouldn't be any need for quarantine."

"It's still a good precaution," Luminara said to her padawan. "We still need to confirm your theory."

"My senses were clear!" Barriss argued. "I felt the sickness. It was in the water!"

"Your theory would explain the strange phantom danger sense Anakin picked up in the University Courtyard before he left Tyreea," Obi-Wan admitted. "But I couldn't feel anything, and what Anakin felt was so faint we both eventually wrote it off as exhaustion."

"That's what makes me uncertain," Luminara said. "A disease's danger sense isn't going to get stronger with time, and there's no way a padawan could be more sensitive than the Chosen One."

Barriss bristled visibly. Suddenly, Obi-Wan remembered she was only a few years younger than Anakin. So many people forgot that now that Anakin was a knight and she was still a padawan.

Luminara didn't notice. "We will be in contact, Master Kenobi," she nodded and the holograms flickered out.

Obi-Wan put a quick call through to the Council and explained Barriss' theory to them. Master Yoda nodded slowly. "Hmmm...Right, we should hope Padawan Offee is. Easier to contain then, this will be."

"Is there any news on Anakin and his men?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Fifty-seven of Skywalker's clones have gone down sick and they haven't even been in quarantine for twenty-four hours," Master Windu said. "A number of those clones were assigned to the Resolute's medbay. They weren't even on Tyreea."

Obi-Wan frowned. "That throws a wrench in Barriss' theory."

"Still worth considering, it is," Master Yoda said. "Use any information on this sickness, we can."

"What about Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, far more worried about the answer than he cared to admit. "How are he and Ahsoka holding up?"

"We've been receiving a running list of all the sick and all those who the doctors in quarantine are worried about." Master Windu said. "So far Skywalker and Tano haven't shown up on either list, but it's still early; a lot can change."

Obi-Wan wished Master Windu wouldn't remind him.

"Going to visit the Hospital this afternoon, Master Che is," Master Yoda said. "Wish to know more, she does. Think she can help, she does."

"I have no doubt she can." Obi-Wan said. "Master Che is a brilliant healer. She patched me up after Zigoola, after all."

Master Yoda smiled. "A good point, that is."

"When will you be arriving at the Hospital?" Master Windu asked.

"We're leaving the ship in a few minutes," Obi-Wan said. "We'll be their within the half hour."

Master Yoda nodded. "Good, Master Kenobi."

Quarantine Division, Coruscant Standards Hospital, Coruscant

Less than an hour later, Obi-Wan was led out of the processing room and into the large room of quarantine cells by an exhausted-looking Pantoran woman.

"It's a good thing you passed screening, Master Kenobi," the woman said. "I made a deal with a friend of yours to keep him informed on the matter, and I didn't want to have to tell him you were taken up the ICU."

"Which friend of mine?" Obi-Wan asked.

"The one who you're always on the holonet with," she said glancing at him.

Anakin. Of course. Who else? "Really?" he said. "Tell Anakin to mind his own business."

She blinked, taken aback. Obi-Wan laughed. "Relax. He'll know it's a joke."

She smiled, tightly. "I promised to keep him posted on you, the little Togruta Jedi and one of the clones in exchange for him trying to sleep."

"I take it he spent last night pacing?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yes," she said. "How did you know?"

"I've known him a long time," Obi-Wan said. "He didn't develop that unhealthy habit overnight." he frowned. "Though the stress of the War is only making it worse."

"I can imagine," the woman said. "He's a bit young to be a galactically renowned hero, don't you think?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "That his is," he sighed, "but he's unusually talented and the galaxy needs that talent if it's going to stay out of Separatist hands."

The woman nodded. "Would you like to see him? I can't let you talk because I'm supposed to just be escorting you to your cube, but we can take the long way and walk by his."

Obi-Wan smiled. "That would be nice," he paused. "May I ask your name?"

"Jakari," she said.

"Jakari," Obi-Wan repeated. "That's a lovely name."

"Th-thank you," she stammered her blue cheeks flushing a furious shade of purple.

Obi-Wan smiled at her. "You're welcome."

They walked between the cells. Obi-Wan studied the clone troopers inside. Some were sleeping, some were playing around on datapads, some were watching holonet, but they all looked healthy, they looked like they were just sitting around doing nothing. However, the swirling cloud of danger that circled the entire level like a hawkbat reminded him of what was really going on.

He shook his head in an attempt to push the feeling away.

Anakin's Force Signature informed Obi-Wan he was near before Jakari pointed him out. The young Jedi was sprawled on the bed in his cell, eyes closed, sleeping. Obi-Wan smiled, he couldn't watch Anakin sleep without remembering the little nine-year-old he'd once known.

Anakin wasn't sleeping well, however. Obi-Wan could see the boy's eyes moving frantically under their lids; he was dreaming about something. He'd probably wake up gasping in the next half hour.

Obi-Wan wanted to stay around for a while. He couldn't go into Anakin's cell but he wanted to be there when the boy woke up, at least so Anakin could see him, but Jakari wasn't going to let him. She motioned. "We need to get you to your cell, Master Jedi. I'll get in trouble if anyone figures out I didn't take you right there."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath, his eyes lingering on Anakin's sleeping form, then nodded and followed Jakari off.

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