Jedi Go Home

Part 9

It was sometime in the afternoon when Qui-Gon knocked on the door of Ben�s bedroom.�I�ve just had word that An-Paj will be arriving in a few minutes. I want you to come with me to meet him, and then we can go right to the infirmary for the treatment.�

Ben glanced up from the book of Alderaanian poetry that he�d found in one of the shelves, considered the request briefly, then stood up and followed the Jedi out of the apartment. He�d been alternately reading and thinking the whole day, but had not come to any firm conclusions yet. The big Jedi had seemed sincere, and everything he�d said had sounded both logical and true, and yet Ben still baulked at believing him completely. Some of his anger had drained away, however, and he�d decided it couldn�t hurt much to simply go along with things for now and see what happened next.

The ship was already settling down to the hanger floor when they arrived, and Ben watched in interest as the loading ramp was lowered. A few minutes later, three humanoids appeared. All were blue-skinned, with white hair and antennae on top of their heads, and Ben, who could not remember ever having seen anything like them before, could not help staring. In the middle was a male, dressed in Jedi tunics and trousers, but the females on either side of him were wearing what appeared to be clothing native to their home planet, brightly coloured cloths draped around their bodies and little hats perched on their heads behind the antennae. The straggling group behind them contained four more females and three or four children of varying ages. One of them, a boy, was also dressed in Jedi clothing. He broke loose suddenly and ran over to Qui-Gon, bowing low and speaking before he even came up again.

"Hello, Master Jinn, hello, Obi-Wan, guess what! My father let me pilot the ship around Sceotan three times while we were there! It was great! We got to see the ocean and everything! Did you know that there are at least five different oceans on Sceotan?�

"Yes, An-Paj, I have heard that,�said Qui-Gon with a tolerant smile. Ben stared down at the little humanoid in sheer amazement. This was An-Paj? This was the Healer who was supposed to treat him?

"No, my father is the Healer,�said the humanoid, looking up at him as though he�d read his thoughts.�I�m going to be a pilot! Father said I could use all the practise I could get, but then he didn�t let me go around Coruscant three times. We had to land right away.�

"We are glad that your father did not delay his return any longer,�Qui-Gon said, gazing hard at the older male.

Letting go of his female companions, the blue-skinned alien came closer.�Qui-Gon, it�s not what you�re thinking.�

"What am I thinking, An-Paj?�Qui-Gon asked mildly.

"You�re counting my wives and wondering if I�ve picked up an extra one while you�ve been away, if I�ve been enjoying my seventh honeymoon while your Padawan is suffering. I haven�t.�

"You merely took the opportunity to combine business with pleasure?�

"It was the will of the Force, Qui-Gon. Somehow, the family to which young Paj here is bonded discovered that I was going to Sceotan and they asked if I couldn�t arrange it so that we could meet there.�

"Somehow?�Qui-Gon queried.

An-Paj glanced meaningfully at one of his wives, who smiled to reveal pointed teeth, and Qui-Gon nodded.�I see which force you mean.�

The woman came forward, bowing gracefully.�Please don�t be angry at our tardiness, Master Jinn. It�s important for the children to get to know each other, and for us adults, too. Young Paj got to see his newest betrothed wife for the first time since she�s been born. That makes four so far, and we also learned that number five will be coming in a few months, unless it turns out to be a boy, of course. We haven�t been off Coruscant since An-Paj married our youngest sister. He�s been working much too hard in the infirmary, and he needed a break. So you see, this journey served many purposes.�

"I�m not angry, I�m just worried about Obi-Wan,�Qui-Gon admitted.

"I know. I�d be frantic if anything like that happened to my son, too. But now that you�ve found him and he is safe here at the Temple, one or two days don�t make any difference. No one is hurt.�Smiling again, the woman turned to Ben.�Hello, Obi-Wan, my name is An-Hwaet, I am the second wife of An-Paj.�

"Hello,�said Ben automatically. His mind was reeling. Wives? As in--many? Not just one?

"And that is a lovely pullover you�re wearing. The colours suit you well. The Jedi wear too much brown. It depresses me.�

"Yes,�Ben replied faintly, still reeling, but deciding anyway that he liked this An-Hwaet. She wasn�t a Jedi!

"And I�m An-Paj, the husband of all these beautiful women and the father of all these beautiful children,�said the man, coming forward.�I�m also a Master Healer here at the Temple, and therefore, you and I know each other quite well.�

Ben was saved from having to answer that by the sound of another ship coming into the hangar for a landing. An-Paj glanced over.�Ah. There he is now. I was wondering when he was going to catch up. That�s Dr. Ra-sek-mun, he�s the specialist from the medical center on Sceotan who will be overseeing the treatment. As soon as he�s disembarked, you can come along to the infirmary with us, Obi-Wan, and we�ll have a quick look at you, then start the treatment to-morrow morning.�

"To-morrow?�Qui-Gon asked. He sounded faintly disapproving.

"Qui-Gon, I�ve just spent several days in close quarters with six wives. I�ve got to sleep sometime.�The women all giggled knowingly, and Ben felt himself blushing.

"Also, whether we can start the treatment at all depends on the preliminary tests. Not to mention the fact that Dr. Ra-sek-mun is probably still on Sceotan time and will no doubt be exhausted as well.� Extending his hand to the nearest wife, An-Paj moved closer to her, then leaned down slightly until their foreheads and noses touched. Their antennae curled together for a brief moment, then uncurled, and the two humanoids stepped apart with tender smiles on their faces.

As An-Paj repeated the process with each female, Ben stared in sheer amazement, then remembered his manners at last. Turning away, still somewhat dazed by the encounter, he asked,�Do all Jedi have six wives?�

"No,�Qui-Gon replied sternly.�An-Paj is--an exception.�

Glancing at Ben, he added more gently,�Don�t be too disappointed.�

"I�m not disappointed, I�m--�

"Relieved? Yes. So am I.�

The shared feeling was so strong that they smiled at each other conspiratorily until Ben realised what he was doing and frowned again, then turned his attention abruptly back to the blue-skinned humanoids. After the group of women and children had moved towards the lift, An-Paj came back to stand next to Qui-Gon and they waited in silence for the doctor�s ship to finish landing. The loading ramp opened with a hiss and a dull thud, and Dr. Ra-sek-mun appeared at the top almost instantly, striding purposefully down with a smile on his furry face.

Ben stopped in horror, and felt Qui-Gon�s hand grip his arm, preventing him from any hasty movements. Sensing that something was going on, An-Paj looked over at him in confusion.�What is it?�

"He�s a Getter!�Ben blurted out.

Dr. Ra-sek-mun�s smile wavered slightly, but he came closer anyway.�Actually, I�ve never been on Get-tro-we, I was born on the colony world of Ta-Sobek.�

"Welcome to the Jedi Temple, Dr. Ra-sek-mun,�said Qui-Gon, bowing his head slightly and still keeping his hand firmly on Ben�s arm.�I am Qui-Gon Jinn, this is my apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi.�

"Hello, Master Jinn, hello, Obi-Wan.�Getting no response except a hate-filled glare, Dr. Ra-sek-mun glanced inquiringly at Qui-Gon.

"Obi-Wan was tortured by the Get-tro-wens on Theosne,�Qui-Gon explained.�I�m afraid he�s been conditioned to think of them as the enemy.�

"Oh.�The doctor seemed faintly embarrassed.�I�ve never been on Theosne, either. In fact, this is the first time I�ve left Sceotan in many, many years. The amnesia cases usually come to us, you see, but when Master An-Paj told me about Obi-Wan, I thought it might be interesting to see if we couldn�t gain better results in treating the patients in familiar surroundings. Since Obi-Wan has obviously spent his whole life here at the Temple, bar the occasional mission, it will be an excellent test of my theory. I suppose I�ll be doing much more travelling if the results are as good as I hope.�

An-Paj smiled and nodded.�Qui-Gon, why don�t you take Obi-Wan down to the infirmary now? I�ll just show Dr. Ra-sek-mun to his quarters and then we�ll join you there.�

They all went to the lifts together, and when it stopped for the first time, Qui-Gon propelled Ben out into a wide corridor that stretched left and right. As they went through the double doors exactly opposite the lift, Ben became aware of the smell. It reminded him of the smell of the salve that the Getter medic had smeared on his puncture wounds in the prison, and made him feel immediately apprehensive.

"We can wait here,�said Qui-Gon, indicating a group of chairs set up in one corner and taking the one next to Ben. After a few moments, he added,�Ben, he�s not going to hurt you.�

"He�s a Getter,�Ben repeated through clenched teeth, folding his arms across his chest.

"He�s a doctor. He�s going to help you get your memory back.�

Ben was silent with refusal.

"He has nothing to do with the conflict on Theosne. He�s never even been there. Your focus determines your reality, Padawan. Focus on him solely as a tool and not as a Getter.�

"I thought you said my name was Obi-Wan.�

Qui-Gon looked surprised for a moment.�It is. Obi-Wan Kenobi.�

"Then why did you call me Pada-Wan?�

"Oh.�Qui-Gon smiled a little.�Padawan is the Jedi word for apprentice. I often call you that.�

Ben could just imagine how Rixi would laugh at the word, as she had laughed at the name Obi-Wan, and scowled.�Call me Ben.�

Laying one hand on his shoulder, Qui-Gon said,�It�s all right, Ben. You�ll remember soon enough.�

Ben shook it off and stood up, moving to the chair farthest away from him. Although he�d briefly considered making a run for it, he knew that the Jedi would be able to catch him before he�d even reached the lift or found the stairs. He probably still had those handcuffs in one of his belt pouches somewhere, and Ben wanted the use of his hands if he was going to be around a Getter. Even if he was a doctor. Even if he was telling the truth about helping Ben get his memory back. It was better to lay low, see what was going to happen next, and not lose prematurely any advantage that he might need later. Several minutes passed in silence until An-Paj and Dr. Ra-sek-mun finally joined them again.

"All right, come on, Obi-Wan, let�s see if you�re fit to start the treatment to-morrow,�An-Paj said, guiding them to an examining room.�Take everything off except your underwear and hop up here.�

Self-consciously, remembering the shower room in the prison, Ben undressed, then sat down on the examining table. An-Paj peered intently at the small round scabs, some surrounded by bruises, that marked his body.�What are these?�

"The Getters shot me full of ants,�Ben snapped, glaring accusingly at Dr. Ra-sek-mun.

"Ants?�the Getter asked, as though he�d never heard of such a thing.

"Artificial neural-transmitters,�Qui-Gon put in.

"Oh.�An-Paj nodded.�They seem to be healing all right. No sign of infection that I can see. Lay down, Obi-Wan, I want to take a closer look.�

Feeling very vulnerable and very aware of Dr. Ra-sek-mun watching his every move, Ben laid back. An-Paj stretched out both hands, holding them flat just above his abdomen, which made him tense with anticipation, and told him,�Relax, Obi-Wan, this won�t hurt a bit.�

Then he closed his eyes, which confused Ben. Hadn�t he just said he�d wanted a closer look? A moment later, however, he felt that awful touch in his mind again, that whisper of a foreign presence that he�d felt only one terrible time before.

"No!�he screamed, leaping up from the bed and hitting An-Paj in the face, sending the Jedi Healer stumbling hard into Dr. Ra-sek-mun. Reaching the door, Ben slapped his hand across the control to make it open. Something barrelled into him from behind, however, and he fell flat on his face in the corridor, the wind all but knocked out of him. With a sinking feeling, he realised that Qui-Gon was pinning him to the floor. Again.

"Get off me, you filthy stinking Jedi!�he raged, trying to squirm his way free from both captivity and humiliation.�You liar! You�re all liars, every single one of you, stinking baby-eating Jedi! Get off!�

"Ben,�said Qui-Gon in that reasonable, patient tone of voice that only served to make him angier.�Ben, listen to me.�

"Let me go!�

"An-Paj was not lying to you.�

"Yes, he was! He was in my head, just like you were! He was going to torture me, just like you did! He and that Getter! Let me go!�

"Ugh. Qui-Gon, what is he talking about?�An-Paj asked. His voice sounded more nasal and slightly muffled. "Get off me!�

"I had to go inside his mind and break down his shields, An-Paj, to find out if he was telling the truth when he said he had amnesia. When he felt your mind-touch, he thought you were about to do the same thing,�Qui-Gon explained.

An-Paj said something that could have been �Oh� but sounded more like another "Ugh.�

"Are you all right, An-Paj?�Ben could feel Qui-Gon shift his weight as he looked behind him, and tried to take advantage of the opportunity to break free, but the tall Jedi still held him firmly.

"I�ll be all right in a minute.�There was a rustling sound, and then An-Paj stepped over Ben�s arm and squatted down near his head. He was holding a blue-stained cloth to his nose, and after a moment, Ben realised that the indigo liquid was his blood. It made him feel faintly sick, and he looked away.

"Obi-Wan, I�m not going to hurt you. All I want to do is examine you through the Force. Now. When Qui-Gon lets go of you, I want you to get back on the table and let me finish. It will not hurt. You have my word as a Jedi. You might feel a little something in your mind as I work, but it won�t be nearly as bad as you are imagining. I�m just going to have a quick look for infection or anything else that might interfere with the treatment. You can even stay seated if laying down makes you nervous. It won�t take long and it won�t hurt.�

"I don�t believe you.�

"The pain you felt with Qui-Gon was him breaking down your shields. And now that they�re down, there�s nothing more to be broken. It won�t hurt, Obi-Wan, believe me. Just get back on the table and see for yourself, all right?�

"No.�

"Obi-Wan, we�re only trying to help you.�

"I don�t want your help! I want to go home! I just want to go home!�Ben cried, turning his head to the other side so that he didn�t have to see An-Paj. He only wanted to feel safe, safe from fear and pain and uncertainty, and the Maethum home was the safest place he knew.

"If you let us recover your memories, you�ll discover that you are home,�said Qui-Gon.�I know it�s hard for you to trust us after all you�ve been through, but give us the benefit of a doubt. Why would we want to hurt you? I can�t think of any reason. You don�t have any information that we need. We�re not trying to punish you for kidnapping anybody here. On the contrary, we�re trying to help you, and why? Because you�re my apprentice, my Padawan, and I care about you as though you were my son.�

Ben was silent, recognising that he had been caught in yet another logic trap. How did the Jedi always manage to do that?

"I�m going to let you up now. Don�t try to run away again.�

"Or you�ll handcuff me to the table, I know,�Ben muttered.

"I hope that�s not necessary, but I would do it for your own good, Ben.�Qui-Gon stood up, and Ben drew in a deep breath as soon as the crushing weight had been removed from his chest, then got up as well. Sighing, resigned to his fate, he sat down again on the table, gripping the edge of it nervously with his hands and staring down at the floor.

An-Paj sat down on one of the chairs in the room and closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, only a few moments later, his nose had stopped bleeding. He got up and went to the sink in the corner of the room to wash his face and hands, then came back and stood in front of Ben.�There, that�s better. Now. Do you remember the Force at all?�

Ben shook his head, watching the man intently.

"The Force is what gives the Jedi his power,�said An-Paj. Catching sight of movement behind him, Ben realised that Qui-Gon was now standing in front of the door, ready to intercept him if he bolted again. Sullenly, he lowered his eyes.

"It�s a kind of energy field that surrounds us and binds us together,�the Healer continued, placing one hand on Ben�s shoulder.�Some people can sense it better than others; they�re generally the ones who become Jedi. We let it flow through us and it guides our actions. When we�re in tune with it, it warns us of danger or tells us when something is wrong. Sometimes it can help us see the future, or the past. We can also tap into it like an energy source and use it to help us heal ourselves, or others, or give us strength when we feel weak. There. All done. You�re fine.�

Ben glanced up in amazement. Aside from a bit of tingling, he�d scarcely felt anything. Smiling, the blue-skinned Healer gave him a friendly nudge in the arm.�I told you it wouldn�t hurt, didn�t I? Next time maybe you�ll believe me.�

He checked Ben�s reflexes, then took a blood sample before measuring and weighing him.�Hmmph, looks like you�ve gained a few pounds since the last time you�ve been here. We�ll just do a brain scan next and then you�ll be finished.�

"How long has it been since the, ah, torture?�the Get-tro-wen doctor asked.

"About six days,�Qui-Gon answered.

"Hmm. We can check for any residual damage that might interfere with the treatment. After so many days, there shouldn�t be any, but on the other hand, it looks like they used quite a few of those things on him.�

"The scanner�s in the other room. I�ll be right back.�An-Paj went out and returned a few minutes later with a metal box. It opened into two unequal halves, one of which turned out to be a computer screen, and the other a control panel. In the middle there was room for a helmet attached to a bundle of wires.�This won�t hurt, either, Obi-Wan. Just sit still for a moment.�

He placed the helmet over Ben�s head, effectively blocking his vision and much of his hearing. Ben was aware of a series of regular clicks, broken only by muffled comments and questions from Dr. Ra-sek-mun and An-Paj. At length, the helmet was taken from his head and the doctor smiled.�The computer will analyse the images over night and we�ll look at them in detail in the morning. All right, Obi-Wan, you can get dressed and go home. Come back to-morrow morning after breakfast and we�ll discuss the treatment then.�

Part 10
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