"So, in summary, the coup was nothing more than a wild bantha chase across half of the Inner Rim," Obi-Wan finished, leaning back on his heels. The sun had started to dip low, casting a soft light into the council chambers through the wide, curved windows. "Fanry, the previously deposed Queen, now lives rather quietly on Champala and appears to be entirely unaware of any plots to reinstitute the Pijal Monarchy."
"And you are certain of this?" Master Gallia asked. "She has deceived the Jedi once before."
"I sensed no deception in her when we spoke," Obi-Wan replied. "Fanry was adamant that she only wished for her, and her young daughter, to be left in peace. I do not believe she is the same angry young woman Master Qui-Gon and I encountered, all those years ago."
"While I'm pleased that this coup appears to be nothing more than unsubstantiated rumours," Mace Windu said, easing back into his council seat, "I am concerned that they managed to gain so much traction, across a number of reliable sources, to come to the attention of both the Jedi and the Senate."
"Given the number of people we spoke with on both the planet and its moon, I do not believe the rumours started from there," Obi-Wan added.
"Hmmm, sense something more to this, I do," Master Yoda said, trailing a clawed hand along his ear, his eyes distant. "Meditate on this matter, we will."
"Thank you for your report, Master Kenobi," Ki-Adi-Mundi said. Obi-Wan and Anakin both bowed, before retreating to the turbolift.
Anakin blew out a long breath, his shoulders slumping, as the doors closed behind them. "Thank goodness that's over," he said, staring out past the transparent walls and the blue skyline blurring past them. Obi-Wan would never understand his apprentice's dislike of addressing the High Council. Obi-Wan suspected it stemmed from his first meeting with them, when they had tested Anakin as a boy. Since then, he'd always stiffened up like a board the minute he entered the circular room.
"Can we go see Emily now?" Anakin asked, straightening back up as he bounced a little on his toes.
"I was hoping to get a shower first - and a hot meal as well, come to think of it," Obi-Wan replied.
"Can't we check that she's okay first, and then go do that?"
Obi-Wan scrubbed a hand over his face. He was tired and hungry and really, he just wanted a few minutes of quiet to himself. Still - Obi-Wan had to admit - he would probably enjoy that quiet more, in the knowledge that everything was as they had left it.
"Alright, but only a quick visit," Obi-Wan conceded. Anakin grinned in response.
"Do you think she's learned more words while we were gone?" Anakin asked, and then immediately ploughed on, not waiting for a response. "If she's learned even half as much in the last ten days as she did with you, I bet they'll be enough for me to get a proper translation protocol set up in M3L1. Then we could find out all kinds of things about her! And maybe, while we were gone, Master Pelri managed to make that vaccine for her. Wouldn't that be great? Then I could show her around the Temple. Do you think they'll keep her in the same living quarters we're in? I bet-"
"Anakin, you're getting too far ahead of yourself," Obi-Wan said, cutting him off. He had been subjected to a slew of similar questions and speculation since they had left Coruscant airspace, and his padawan's fixation was starting to become a concern. "Be mindful of your feelings. Our goal is to get Emily home to her people, as soon as we are able. While it's natural to feel a certain level of personal interest in her wellbeing, you must be careful to not let that interest develop into a form of attachment. Be it now or later, she will return to her world, and we will continue on as we are."
"Yes Master," Anakin said, his voice heavy with reluctance. "But I don't see why we can't all be friends - until she goes home, that is."
"I hope for that too," Obi-Wan said, patting Anakin on the shoulder, just as the turbolift doors opened. "Come on, let's go see if she's punched any more droids while we've been away."
It took them a while to reach the medical sector. The long corridors of the Temple were particularly busy with Jedi and younglings alike, filtering out of the training rooms and library, or from the meditation rooms on the level below. Most were making there way to the communal dining hall. Obi-Wan tamped down on the angry growl of his stomach. It was not pleased that he was heading in the opposite direction.
When the door to the iso-chamber opened, Obi-Wan was expecting to be met by any number of things - like the distinctive buzz of Pei's numerous scientific devices, or perhaps Doctors Nema's musical humming - which she often did when she was concentrating. Maybe even the distinctive sound of Emily's voice, low and a little rough, as she applied herself to learning Basic. What he hadn't expected, was there to be absolutely nothing at all.
"Where is everybody?" Anakin asked, as they entered the room. The observation room's tables; which at one point had been entirely covered by Pei's strange, glowing contraptions, were now entirely bare. Beyond the viewing window, the expanded room that he and Emily had shared, had been restored to separate chambers, the dividing wall back in place. There was no indication that anyone had stayed here merely ten days before. Everything was clean, neat and orderly - and entirely lifeless.
"Perhaps Pei managed to create that vaccine after all," Obi-Wan said, ignoring the lurch in his stomach which was most definitely not from hunger. He ran his hands along the smooth surface of the now empty tables. "Or they discovered her home-world while we were away?"
"Wouldn't the Council have told us, if they had?" Anakin asked, staring around the room with a baffled expression.
"Not necessarily. We were there to report on our mission, not to enquire after the goings on in the Temple while we were away. Either way, we're not going to learn much standing about here. Let's see if we can find Pei - or Doctor Nema. They'll be able to clear things up."
Obi-Wan and Anakin made their way from the iso-chambers, to the cluster of medical pods, surgery rooms, bacta chambers and labs that filled the rest of the medical sector. There were few people around, the area mostly filled with cleaning bots and medi-droids that whirled and beeped from room to room. Eventually, they found Doctor Nema in one of the research labs - her slender form hunched over a datapad.
"I do hope we're not interrupting?" Obi-Wan said. He watched as the Doctor startled, a hand coming up to her chest as she whipped around at the sound. Obi-Wan noted that she looked far more tired than the last time he'd seen her. There was a slump to her shoulders and a slightly ashy tone to her usually radiant yellow skin.
"Oh, Master Kenobi. Skywalker," she said, slumping back down into her seat at the sight of them. "I hadn't realised you'd returned from your mission. I'm afraid you've caught me with my thoughts in the clouds."
"We can always come back, if we're disturbing you?" Obi-Wan replied.
"No of course not. Please, come in," she said, rising from her chair. "I suspect that you've come to inquire about Emily."
"Is everything alright?" Anakin quickly asked, his voice thick with worry. "The iso-chamber was empty when we visited. Did Master Pelri work out a vaccine?"
Doctor Nema sighed, smoothing a hand over her headpiece. Obi-Wan felt his stomach dip even further. "I think you should both take a seat while I explain."
"What happened?" Obi-Wan asked, ignoring the seat.
"There's no need to be alarmed, Master Kenobi," Doctor Nema quickly clarified. "Emily is perfectly safe and healthy. She's simply been relocated to another facility outside of the Temple."
"Relocated?" Obi-Wan said.
"While you were on your mission, Master Pelri made a rather startling discovery," Doctor Nema said, picking up her datapad and moving closer to where the two were stood. "Initially, she had thought that an error had occurred while taking the tissue samples, which had led to a false-positive result. After several further samples were taken over the subsequent days, she realised that it wasn't a false-positive at all - Emily's cells were starting to develop midi-chlorians."
Doctor Nema tapped on her datapad a few times, turning the screen towards them to show two comparison blood cell scans. One, was the bafflingly Force deficient cell that had initially caused such an uproar, taken when Emily arrived at the Temple. The second, was a similarly structured cell; but there, scattered throughout, were the familiar microscopic shapes of midi-chlorians.
"How can that be possible?" Obi-Wan asked, plucking the datapad from the Doctor's hands so he could more closely examine the results. "And your definitely sure this isn't due to cross-contamination?"
"If you wish to question Master Pelri's methodology, Master Kenobi, then I'll let you be the one to ask her that yourself."
"I don't understand," Obi-Wan said, handing the datapad back to Doctor Nema. "Surely this discovery would be an even greater reason to keep Emily within the Temple? Why in the stars would we send her to another facility?"
"A number of senators and Republican scientists heard about Emily, and her rather unique biology. The Chancellor informed us, on his visit to meet her, that there had been increasing pressure placed on him, by interested parties, to have Emily put into a facility which would allow for greater access and sharing of information across the galactic scientific community."
"So, we just let strangers take her away?" Anakin asked, anger tinging his voice.
"I performed a thorough examination of the chosen medical centre," Doctor Nema said, straightening up a little. "It's one of the finest on Coruscant. And - as hard as it is to admit - the Chancellor did bring up several valid points. While the Jedi have complete authority over themselves - Emily is not a Jedi. When she landed here in Republican space, she became the responsibility of the Coruscant authorities."
"But we rescued her!" Anakin said.
"Yes - but rescuing a person doesn't automatically grant control of their fate," Doctor Nema replied. "He also mentioned that, if we don't find her home-world for some time, Emily would need to be acclimatised and integrated into the Coruscant culture. Trying to teach her to do that in the Jedi Temple wouldn't be fair on her - or us. We live a life purposefully detached from those not within our order. She should be around people who can teach her more about life outside of our sanctuary."
The conversation lulled as each of them contemplated the situation. Obi-Wan's logical mind could see how perfectly sensible and valid each argument was. It was true; they had no authority to dictate her fate. That fell within the purview of the local government to agree on, just as it would for any other non-Republican citizen discovered during an incident. He couldn't help but entirely agree with the decision - in principle. In reality - that little spark of worry that had settled in his chest from the moment he left the iso-chamber, only ten short days ago, was now a cold, gaping void. Emily had come to them hurt and frightened, and they had handed her over to a group of people she didn't know. It wasn't right.
"Do you know if she's okay?" Anakin eventually asked.
"I've received a few reports from the facility," Doctor Nema confirmed. "In fact, that was what I had just been looking over when you arrived. It's been mostly blood tests, medical notes and the like. They say that she's settled in, is eating well and getting along with the staff."
A glitter of alarm ran down Obi-Wans spine. "Will we be able to visit her?"
"They want to give her a month or so to settle in, but they say that their happy for people to visit her after that. I was hoping to get the Council's permission to perhaps arrange an extended visit, of a week or more, to help with her integration."
"What about Pei?" Obi-Wan asked. "I can't imagine she's happy about this."
Doctor Nema lowered her eyes, fiddling with one of the hand straps on her dress. "Master Pelri did voice her strong objections, unfortunately in the presence of the Chancellor. I'm afraid that the Council is not pleased with her. I think they're hoping that she'll return to her previous studies, in the Outer Rim."
Obi-Wan was hardly surprised. Much like his old master Qui-Gon, Pei Pelri had been at odds with the Council for as long as he'd known her. He could just imagine the sort of choice phrases the Sullustan would have used to voice her displeasure with the decision. Obi-Wan would seek her out in the morning, in the hopes of having a candid discussion about the whole thing. Doctor Nema was a great Jedi and an excellent healer, but Obi-Wan could sense that she had feelings she was reluctant to reveal. He knew that Pei would have no such qualms divulging her misgivings to him.
"I believe we've taken up enough of your time, Doctor," Obi-Wan said. There was little more they could glean from the healer, and Obi-Wan had a full day of enquiries to make tomorrow, which would need him as well rested as possible. "Thank you for informing us of the situation. We'll leave you to your work."
He bowed, and Anakin, pulling himself from his thoughts, followed suit. As they both turned to leave, Doctor Nema quickly got to her feet.
"She asked for you," the Doctor said, her voice hesitant. "Emily. When she left. She was asking for you, Master Kenobi. I ah…I'm sorry, I just thought you would want to know. I don't think she really understood what was going on."
Obi-Wan must have made a face, though he wasn't really conscious of doing it. He was too busy trying to not feel like someone had just punched him in the gut. Whatever Doctor Nema saw, her eyes widened and she quickly stammered, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"No, I appreciate it Doctor Nema," Obi-Wan said, smoothing his features into what he hoped was a neutral expression. "Thank you for informing me."
Obi-Wan and Anakin walked back to the sleeping quarters in silence. Whatever appetite Obi-Wan initially had, was now entirely gone, and he had a sneaking suspicion the same could be said for his padawan. They paused just outside Anakin's room.
"You do think she's alright though; don't you Master?" Anakin asked, suddenly looking much younger than his fifteen years. Obi-Wan patted his shoulder, forcing on a smile.
"Yes, of course. As Doctor Nema said, the facility was thoroughly inspected and is one of the best. I'm sure she's in good hands. Now, try not to dwell on it. You'll be back to training with the other padawans tomorrow, and you'll need all the rest you can get. I'll speak to you in the morning."
"Yes Master. Goodnight."
Obi-Wan watched the sleeping chamber doors close behind his padawan, unease churning like a whirlpool in his belly. He hated being dishonest with Anakin, but there was no point in adding his own doubts to the boys. He would speak to Pei tomorrow and get to the bottom of this whole thing. Because no matter what anyone said, something wasn't right, and Obi-Wan knew he wouldn't be able to rest until he had discovered the truth.