As always, a huge thank you to my reviewers for the encouragement. :D

Chapter Six

It seemed almost like a three-way battle at times, Obi-Wan thought as he continued to fight Count Dooku, not a two-on-one fight. With the way Anakin was ignoring him, you mightn't be able to tell he was Anakin's Master at all.

Obi-Wan had a hard time believing that the man who had trained his own Master was capable of such actions, but he pushed his own feelings aside for the moment and concentrated on the moment. Funny, he thought, how he could not for the life of him master that skill until after the man who had tried to teach it to him was dead.

No more thinking, he told himself sternly. Just concentrate on keeping you and Anakin alive.

It was at that moment that Anakin was thrown against a wall, one arm cut off. Rage filled Obi-Wan for a moment, but only a moment. He took a deep breath and continued to battle Dooku as he released his anger into the Force. It would do him no good to fight anger with anger: Dooku's rage was stronger than his own.

He failed to catch the Sith, and he was lying on the ground, a large metal cylinder about to come crashing down on him, when—

X

Despite the drugs that the Healers had given him to make him sleep through the night—the only drugs they could give him without completely unbalancing his system, he found out—Obi-Wan was completely exhausted when he woke. It was those visions he kept having, the ones where he was Anakin's Master...

Was he sure they were visions, though? They could be dreams. Well, they certainly felt like all of his other visions, Obi-Wan mused. He was staring at the blanket, deep in thought when the door slid open. A Healer walked in, one he hadn't met before.

"Hello," the man said pleasantly. "My name is Kaolu, and I'm a Mind-Healer. If you're feeling up to it, I would like to start your examination now." Obi-Wan took a moment to think. He felt better than he had in several days, and he figured that he might as well get it over with since they would insist upon doing one no matter what he said.

"That's fine," Obi-Wan answered. Kaolu smiled at him and sat down in the chair that had, only several hours ago, held Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan's mood darkened at the thought of his former Master. What was the man trying to do, jerking him around like this?

"I'm sensing that you aren't very happy right now," the Healer said as he activated a datapad, no doubt to take notes on Obi-Wan's words and mannerisms. Obi-Wan couldn't stop himself: he laughed. "You find something funny?"

"I've been stuck in the infirmary for over a week, shaking, sweating, dealing with various aches and pains and all the other symptoms of withdrawal," Obi-Wan said dryly, a rueful smile plastered onto his face, "and you're throwing out a wild guess that I'm 'unhappy.'"

"And bitter, too," Kaolu murmured as he entered something on the datapad. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and leaned back into his pillows. He may as well be comfortable when going through this torture, he thought.

"I am not bitter," Obi-Wan protested mildly. "I'm simply rather frustrated at the moment."

"Why haven't you released those feelings?" asked the Healer, looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and pity.

"Because of the withdrawal symptoms, I've been unable to meditate or grasp the Force very well," he admitted. The Healer made a "hmm" noise as he fiddled with the datapad, either entering something new or looking for something already there.

"I heard there was an incident of you using a Force-push against your Master, Qui-Gon Jinn?" The Healer made it a question, effectively opening up the topic for Obi-Wan's protests or thoughts. Oh, he's clever, thought Obi-wan. I'll play along.

"My former Master," he corrected in that same mild tone. "And I have been told that I was in shock from the sudden pain of the withdrawal."

"So you did use the Force against your Master?"
"My former Master," Obi-Wan insisted again, "and yes, I did. I am aware that I did so, I am sorry that I did so, and I do not think that I would have done it had I been myself."

"But you have said that you are unable to 'grasp the Force very well,'" Kaolu quoted. "So how did you use the Force against him if you were unable to connect with it?" Obi-Wan frowned.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "I have been trying to figure that out for myself."

"Could it, perhaps, have been the Dark Side of the Force?" asked the Healer. You're good, my friend, but not that good, though Obi-Wan.

"I sincerely hope not," answered the Jedi, injecting what he hoped was the proper amount of sincerity into his voice and tried to look slightly fearful. "That would mean that I'm far from who I think myself to be."

"And who do you think yourself to be, Obi-Wan?" asked Kaolu. Obi-Wan pretended to think hard on it before answering.

"A Jedi," he said after a moment, "in both heart and mind."

The Healer was about to say something else when the door slid open and yet another Healer entered the room.

"Good morning, Obi-Wan, how—who are you?" asked the Healer, looking quizzically at Kaolu.

"Mind-Healer Kaolu," he answered. "I was just gathering what we need from dear Obi-Wan here for the investigation." The familiar Healer growled lowly at the newcomer.

"What investigation?" Obi-Wan asked with a frown.

His answer was "don't worry about it," and "oh, they haven't told you?" simultaneously from the two Healers.

"No," he said, directing his focus to Kaolu, "they haven't." He sensed that he would get more information out of Kaolu now than he would out of the Jedi Healer.

"When the Senate became aware of your tragic situation," Kaolu began, but the other Healer was quick to inject himself into the conversation.

"He does not need this added stress at the moment!"

Kaolu ignored him and went on. "They formed a committee to investigate the Jedi. Oh, don't worry, don't worry! We simply want to know how this was allowed to happen. We are only gathering information at this time."

"I am going to have to ask you to leave, Healer Kaolu, and if you do not cooperate I will call down Master Windu."

"I am leaving, dear Jedi, do not worry," Kaolu said calmly as he stood. "I may have to come back. Should I assume that I need a signed Right of Admission from the Senate to enter?"

"And the permission of the Jedi Council."

"Then I will set myself to writing the request papers immediately." With a charming smile and a "goodbye" in Obi-Wan's direction, the Mind-Healer left.

"I'm very sorry about that," the Healer told Obi-Wan as she checked him over. "We had no idea he was in here."

"Why wasn't I told that there was an investigation going on?" asked Obi-Wan.

"You do not need that kind of stress during your recovery," the Healer told him. Then he smiled. "I have good news: it seems that you are over the worst part of the withdrawal. The rest of it will be mostly psychological, perhaps with some lingering difficulties in meditation and connecting to the Force."

Obi-Wan's heart leapt and he grinned. I haven't been this happy since I was chosen as a Padawan! And immediately the smile dimmed.

"If I may make a suggestion?" the Healer said. "You're going to be allowed to go back to your own quarters this afternoon, and since we saw no negative psychological effects during your withdrawal—that incident with Master Jinn can easily be attributed to the overwhelming pain you were in—there will be no required therapy, but I think it would be a good idea if you spoke to a Mind-Healer. The feelings I sense in you towards your Master are... troubling."

"I'll keep that in mind," Obi-Wan answered civilly, promising nothing.

"There is someone who would like to see you before you're discharged," the Healer said, smiling. "No, it isn't Master Jinn. He's been ordered to spend the day sleeping by Master Yoda."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, and the Healer opened the door, about to leave. He quickly stepped aside as a small boy ran straight into the room and towards the bed.

"Obi-Wan!" Anakin cried as he threw himself onto the bed. "I heard you get to leave this afternoon! That's great!" Obi-Wan felt any lingering dark feelings dissipate in the face of the young boy's enthusiasm. He let himself smile broadly.

"Yes, it is," he answered.

"I've been thinking that you can come see the models I built—they're really cool! I painted them all by myself, too! And my lightsaber—it's coming together really nicely, and—" Suddenly Anakin stopped, looking down at the blanket. "I mean... um... if you want to..."

Obi-Wan laughed quietly. "I'd be delighted," he said. Anakin perked up instantly, smile bigger than ever. Their eyes met and suddenly Obi-Wan felt Anakin's happiness, his excitement, even his doubts—would he approve of Anakin's lightsaber? Master Yoda did, but for some reason Obi-Wan's approval meant more to him that his own Master's—

"Woah," breathed the boy softly. "Did you feel that?" Obi-Wan nodded.

"Strange, this is." Both turned to see Master Yoda standing in the doorway. "A bond you have formed."

"Forgive me, Master, but I don't see any strangeness in that," said Obi-Wan.

"Strange it is not to have a friendship bond," Yoda agreed, "but a training bond, this is. Yet a Master he has."

"How is that possible?" asked Obi-Wan. "I've never heard of anyone with two active training bonds at one time."

"Broken, our bond has been," explained Yoda. "Takes its place, yours does."

"And neither of you meant to break it?" asked Obi-Wan. "That shouldn't have happened."

"Talk about this, we should," said Yoda. "But for now, Anakin's Master, you are."

"Wizard," Anakin said quietly, a lopsided grin on his face.

X

"You asked him about the incident with his Master?"

"Of course, Chancellor," Kaolu answered. He shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, unused to the luxury of Chancellor Palpatine's apartments.

"Good. Will you need more for the investigation?" asked the elder man. The Healer nodded.

"Yes, I think so. But why not just call on him to testify at the committee hearing?" asked Kaolu. The Chancellor looked at him, deep in thought for a moment before smiling.

"A fine idea, Healer Kaolu. If you would write up the papers...?" The Healer nodded quickly. "Thank you."

As Kaolu left several minutes later, he thought that the man's smile had been almost predatory, like an animal ready to feast on some scrap of meat. He shivered—there was something wrong about that man. He resolved to be more careful around the Chancellor and put it from his mind.

X

Aw, no Qui-Gon in this chapter, but don't worry, there's lots of him in the next one. ;D