FicWad

Additional Author's Note: Please keep in mind what lengthy italicized passages generally signify (memories being shared through the Force, the words/thoughts of Force Spirits, etc.).






There are tears in his eyes when Anakin opens them again, but his gaze, when he looks upon Obi-Wan, is tired rather than furious and more sorrowful than upset or disgusted, and Obi-Wan, having feared the worst, finds Anakin’s sad eyes oddly comforting, even if the question that comes next is both hard and painful. "You couldn’t even trust yourself enough to be sure if she liked you, then, could you?" he asks quietly, the pained look in his eyes making the query seem somehow almost rhetorical.

Obi-Wan, though, treats the question seriously, doing his best to answer even though the words hurt him. "I’m sorry, Anakin. I’ve never been very good at discerning other’s emotions, especially when they pertain in some way to me and are not something obvious that will cause disturbances in the Force, like disappointment or pain or anger. You, of all people, should know that. That was the first time I consciously realized that the way Padmé was behaving towards me might possibly indicate more than just appreciation for one who had helped extricate her from a perilous position and thereafter had become committed to guarding her life or even simple respect for one well on the way to becoming a full Jedi Knight, committed to the Order and all that it stands for. I was not used to thinking of myself as appealing, in that way, to other people. Up until then, Siri Tachi had been the only person who had evidenced any interest in me, as a person, blatant enough to be obvious even to me, and she had not seemed overly affected when I had explained to her that, because of the level of commitment I felt was necessary for my training and certain decisions I had made when I was younger, nothing – not even the occasional, purely physical encounters that were technically permissible for the older Padawans and younger Knights, so long as they were discrete and certain that there was nothing but curiosity or necessity driving such encounters, with no stronger emotional overtones or any possibility of actual attachment – could ever be between us except for the comradeship shared by those who share belief systems and are brothers and sisters in arms. I knew essentially from the beginning that Padmé Amidala was a very beautiful, highly intelligent, conscientiously moral, and extremely strong young woman, and though I also realized that such characteristics or at least a combination or sampling thereof are often thought to represent the height of desirability for human females, it simply did not occur to me that such a person might actually find me desirable in turn. Even after her attempts to comfort me, the night after Naboo’s freedom was won and Qui-Gon fell in battle with the Sith, I still wasn’t completely certain that I wasn’t somehow reading her wrong. I wasn’t sure of her attraction until the day we were to leave Naboo. She came to my rooms early enough that morning that I had not risen yet, sat down on the edge of the bed, and told me, in fairly plain terms, that she cared for me a great deal and wished for me to stay on at Theed, as her personal Jedi counselor and protector of Naboo as well as the appointed Jedi Watchman for the Chommell Sector. I had to tell her that my duty to you, as my Padawan, came first and that the Jedi High Council likely would not allow us to remain on Naboo, since they perceived that you had formed a fairly strong attachment to Padmé. She was distraught enough that I finally became sure of her personal interest in me. But even then, I thought that it was only a crush, and that time and distance would cure her of it. It is how I justified agreeing to correspond with her, to advise her as I could without interfering with your apprenticeship. I honestly thought that the correspondence would not only keep her from idealizing me in her mind but would help her to come to see me as a Jedi, as a protector to and servant of all the peoples of the galaxy, instead of as a man she could feel attraction for. If I had known how serious her feelings actually were – "

"It’s alright, Obi-Wan," Anakin declares suddenly, cutting him off, his voice still quiet and sad but also very firm. "It’s not your fault, really. None of this is. You couldn’t control how Padmé felt about you. And I can’t say, with any certainty, that it would have kept me from my folly, even if I had known how deeply she cared for you. I don’t think her love for you ever really lessened or went away. I think she probably just found other reasons to care for me than the ones that made her love you." His eyes, for a moment, go distant and dark as he shifts his gaze from Obi-Wan’s face down to their Padawan braids, both of which are still resting on Obi-Wan’s lap. Then, with a sigh, he adds, his voice very quiet, "She probably would have been a better keeper for your braid than I was. I nearly lost it or got it destroyed dozens of times because I had such a hard time leaving it behind when we went on missions, terrified that if I left it in our quarters someone would find it and take it away. She was a very good keeper, for my braid."

"I can see that she was very serious about taking good care of it, Anakin, though it would seem that she wished to keep it close to her even as you wished to keep mine close to you," Obi-Wan gently replies.

"Making it into a necklace like that was clever of her, though, wasn’t it?" Anakin finally asks after several long moments of silence, his smile wistful and his gaze still a little uncertain as he looks up at Obi-Wan.

"Very clever, indeed," Obi-Wan agrees, smiles warmly and reassuringly back. "In fact – hold on a moment, love, while I look at your braid. There’s been something done to this, to treat it and preserve it from harm while it was being worn, correct?" he asks, picking up the beatified braid and running it thoughtfully between his fingers. "I wonder if I could . . . ah. Yes. Here." Frowning slightly, he reaches out with the Force, feeling his way delicately around the necklace that has been made out of Anakin’s braid and then turning his attention, in turn, to his own longer Padawan braid, plucking at the flows of the Force to turn them onto the braid, concentrating and twisting at the flows of power until is finally aligns itself to his purpose, coating the entirety of the braid as though it has been dipped and then rolled within it, concentrating only a moment more to set the flows, and then –

– then his Padawan braid seems to shimmer, for a moment, and when the light has gone it has been permanently coated with an application of the Force, its length glimmering now with a delicate tracery of what appears to be perfectly normal diamond-strung gold, the pattern clearly based on but also slightly different from the clever framework of diamond-strung gold fitted about Anakin’s Padawan braid. Beaming proudly, Obi-Wan holds up the necklace of his Padawan braid, eliciting a startled but genuinely happy laugh from Anakin, his melancholy falling away as he mutters something that sounds remarkably like an affectionate, if somewhat startled, grousing of, "Show off!"

Obi-Wan, choosing for the moment to ignore whatever Anakin might have said, admires his handiwork for a few more moments before turning his attention back to Anakin. His face growing serious, he asks, again, "You said that you wanted to exchange braids properly, now. I think being able to wear them, like this, will made that exchange more meaningful. But are you quite certain that you want to do this, Anakin?"

Anakin merely looks at Obi-Wan for a moment before telling him, his voice deceptively conversational, "Padawans guard their braids closely as a mark of their rite of passage. I know that, Obi-Wan. Each individual’s braid is as important as that being’s lightsaber and just as much a symbol of his or her or its status. I know you think that I am too careless with my lightsaber, but it is only that I care less for the actual lightsaber than I do for your safety, Obi-Wan. I treasure my lightsaber and I would not sacrifice it unless I believed there was actual need. I guarded my braid for years, hoping to one day be able to give it to you, knowing full well that a Padawan’s braid is only given away when and if a Jedi has found someone more worthy of guarding that braid and all its represents than even himself. I wanted to give my braid to you as a sign that I was willingly entrusting you with a part of my identity, a part of my heart, a part of my soul. A Padawan’s braid represents years of work, of dedication, of service . . . of commitment/, which is just about as close as any of the old-style Jedi ever allowed themselves to get to love. There was never anyone else I seriously considered when I thought of giving away my Padawan braid. I never tried to think of anyone else to whom I might want to entrust my braid because I was certain, from the moment you first gave me the start of that braid in the first place, that a person I could love more than Obi-Wan Kenobi simply did not and could never exist. The braid began under your hands, Obi-Wan, and I never dreamed of the day when it would leave me but that it would be at your hands. And I planned, always, to present the braid that you had severed to you, with my little box, in the hopes that you would understand what I was trying to say without any need for words, accept my gift, and, if I were very, very, /very good, and very, very, /very /lucky, perhaps, just possibly, you might also be moved to present me with a gift of your own, in turn."

With a small, silent bow of his head, Obi-Wan acknowledges both Anakin’s words, the unspoken lingering regret that Anakin’s dream could not have come true in the manner and time in which he had always hoped, and the very real emotion that has driven him to try to allow at least some version of that dream to still become reality. "I am honored beyond words to receive your Padawan braid, Anakin Skywalker. And I would be honored beyond all expectation if you would accept the gift of my own Padawan braid, in return."

With a small, gentle, smile, Anakin accepts his offering, his hands filling with the shining length of Obi-Wan’s Padawan braid only bare heartbeats after they have emptied themselves of Anakin’s own Padawan braid. Then, leaning forward, he claims a long, slow, and exceedingly thorough kiss from Obi-Wan, for his efforts.

Only a few moments later, after carefully fastening their respective gifts proudly around their throats, they gather themselves up out of the floor, Anakin places the empty and resealed puzzle box safely on the kitchen table, and then they are on their way out of the Temple, still in plenty of time to make it to the landing deck before they have scheduled their goodbyes with their new, shared Padawan learner – who will, unfortunately, have to wait a little while longer for his own Padawan braid, for enough time and quiet for them to all decide whether or not they want to follow through on that particular tradition.

Unsurprisingly, though they arrive with plenty of time to spare before their scheduled time for takeoff, Dooku and Qui-Gon are already present, as is Commander Cody. After exchanging greetings with the Grand Masters, Anakin claims another quick but nevertheless thorough kiss from Obi-Wan and drifts off to the side, hailing Cody and quickly involving him in a discussion about how many troopers are accompanying them to Utapau and probable tactics for their assault against Grievous, once they reach the planet. Obi-Wan, knowing that Anakin has pulled aside to give him some privacy to explain both the instructions that he’s coded into the datapad for their Padawan and a few similar requests he needs to make of the Grand Masters (marching orders for all, as Anakin had laughingly referred to them on their way down to the landing deck) briskly but unhurriedly presents the datapad to the two waiting Grand Masters.

"Since Bail needs to be here, to help guide the Senate, and we won’t always be available to him, should he try to contact us for advice, I’ve tried to record some instructions and pointers for him here, given certain situations. Thanks to the far-sight visions I’ve had, there are a few things that I know for sure will happen, irregardless of anything else that might come, and Bail will need to know what is expected of him. Plus, I am hoping that this will help him become more used to waiting for the input of others, before acting. Otherwise, it may be difficult for Bail to acclimate himself to the necessity of accepting and obeying orders," Obi-Wan quietly explains.

"A wise decision," Dooku nods, his voice pitched so that it will not carry far. "Queen Apailana has yet to contact either the Order or the Senate directly, but Master Lo-Jad and Knight Sia-Lan Wezz have sent word from Theed, and it is now widely known, on the planet, that Senator Amidala was slain during the Battle for Coruscant. If an official communication or statement is not issued before the end of the day, I shall be greatly surprised."

"Our Gungan friend seems to be acting as the interim Senator for all of Naboo, in the meantime," Qui-Gon adds, his voice a soft rumble.

"That is as it should be. Jar Jar Binks knows exactly how badly he was used by Palpatine, in the matter of the clone armies, and, though it may seem impossible to those of us who know him from his youth, that knowledge will steady him and serve to make him surprisingly wise. Since the beginning of the Clone Wars, three of Padmé Amidala’s former handmaidens – Rabé, Eirtaé, and Dormé – have been attached to the Gungan’s personal staff, and between their calm wisdom and experience and the loss of Jar Jar’s dangerous naiveté, they will do well, for both Naboo and the Republic. When the rest of what would have been Padmé’s term as Senator is up, Queen Apailana will ask him to serve the next full term. For himself, as a Representative of the Gungans, Jar Jar will agree to continue on as the junior Senator for Naboo. But for the position of the senior Senator, he will nominate another of Padmé’s former handmaidens – Dormé, who has long been Padmé’s friend and confident, as well as acting as her head handmaid and body-double for both the first part of Padmé’s term as the senior Senator and most of the eight years in which Padmé served as Queen of Naboo, due to Sabé’s appointment as first the interim and then the duly elected and appointed Senator, after Palpatine’s election as Supreme Chancellor. Dormé is semi-retired from her position with Padmé’s staff because of injuries she took defending Padmé during a failed assassination attempt, but she’s been helping to train new handmaids and advising Jar Jar’s staff since then. She will accept both the nomination and the position because she will know that it’s what Padmé would have wanted. In the meantime, others will come to understand how powerful and wise Sabé has grown, in the time she’s served as Padmé’s head handmaid and body-double, the senior Senator for Naboo and the Chommel Sector, and an advisor first to Queen Jamillia and then to Queen Apailana. When the next election comes, after Apailana has served her term, Sabé will be elected Queen of Naboo, and Padmé Amidala’s other surviving handmaidens – including Ellé and Moteé, who have worked very hard to keep Amidala’s unexpected pregnancy a secret and will faithfully continue to hide the nature of her relationship with Anakin, and also Saché and Yané, who’ve mostly been serving within the courts of Queen Jamillia and Queen Apailana since Padmé’s appointment to the Senate – will form the core of Sabé’s and of Dormé’s handmaidens. As fair trade and a wider program of cultural exchange are established and Naboo becomes popular as a vacation site for the elite of the galaxy, Naboo will become a gem of the New Alliance of the Republic, serving as a model example of what can come of closer ties between the Core Worlds and the Mid Rim and doing much to lay to rest the lingering political tensions between the traditionally more powerful and politically privileged areas of the Core, Colonies, and Inner Rim, and the far too long neglected areas of the Expansion Region, Mid Rim, and even the long under-represented Outer Rim Territories. What’s more, Queen Apailana will support the establishment of an initially small but vigorously thriving Jedi chapterhouse out near the Lake Country – one of the first of many such chapterhouses that will root itself firmly in its surrounding community and establish schools and med-centers open to the general public as well as to transfers from out of system – and it should more than double its size before its first year is over. Before ten years is up, it will be sending out outliers of its own to other systems whose residents have heard tales of the healers and teachers among the Jedi of Naboo and wish both to partake of and to help foster their wisdom, in that way helping the New Jedi Bendu Order to spread its light among the outlying regions of space," Obi-Wan quietly explains, his eyes once again oddly distant, though this time his attention is turned inwards, towards memory, rather than both inward and outwards, towards the changing timewinds.

"Jar Jar Binks will settle down and grow wise," Qui-Gon merely repeats, shaking his head bemusedly. "That is indeed difficult to believe, though the enthusiastic young Gungan has certainly always meant well."

"This is . . . a very detailed prediction, young one. Are you entirely sure – ?"

"The far-sight visions are clear. Only the survival of Grievous will be able to change any of these things, and Anakin and I are determined that this will not happen. It is the reaction of the Naberries – specifically, of Sola Naberrie – to Padmé’s death and what will happen after Sabé becomes Queen that is less certain," Obi-Wan replies, cutting Dooku off before he can finish his question. "Those details are mostly obscured, still, but I can see that Sola Naberrie’s reaction to her sister’s death potentially has the power to affect and perhaps even eventually change a great many things, on Naboo and elsewhere. However, none of those things will have sufficient power to either keep Sabé from becoming Naboo’s next Queen, after Apailana has served the rest of her term, or to stop Dormé from becoming the next senior Senator for Naboo and the Chommell Sector, after Jar Jar has served out the rest of Padmé’s current term. And it is the fate of those two young women – who will both be approximately thirty, by the time of their elections – that is particularly important, in regards to the future of Naboo. Due to the relatively recent upsurge in popularity of the ancient Naboo ideal of valuing inner purity and innocence over age, experience, and proven ability, during most the past century there has been a fairly steady increase in the number of individuals who have been elected to various political positions – both on the planet itself and as representatives of the human population of Naboo in the Republic Senate – that are far beyond the level of skill and even actual competence of those elected. Naboo has been extremely lucky, in Amidala and Apailana, and, though the people of Naboo may not wish to admit so now, they have also been lucky in Jamillia, who had sense enough to see to it that Amidala became the senior Senator for Naboo when her second term as Queen of Naboo was up. That is not a luck that can be counted on to hold. The election of Dormé as Naboo’s next senior Senator and of Sabé as Naboo’s next Queen should put a stop to this dangerous trend, since, as I’ve said, both young ladies will be in their early thirties when elected – young enough, true, but not so young as to still be considered innocent and pure by the populace, and not nearly so dangerously young as to actually be inexperienced – and yet both will prove to be as utterly devoted to Naboo and the ideals of the Republic and as brilliant and compassionate and brave as Amidala and Apailana combined. Of course, I have only been shown the high points of their careers, but then, that has given me all the information that I need. The point is, the future of these two young ladies will ensure the peace and prosperity of Naboo – even though there are dangerous storms coming. And so Bail needs to know that he should support Jar Jar as the interim Senator for Naboo. Morever, he needs to know that when word finally comes to Coruscant from Queen Apailana, he needs to offer to act as part of the honor guard escorting Padmé Amidala’s body home," Obi-Wan adds, his voice dropping almost to a whisper.

"Ah." The noise of understanding that Dooku makes is almost soundless. "Of course. It shall be thus, then. Qui-Gon and I will see to it."

"Threepio is technically still a part of Padmé Amidala’s household, and so naturally he will accompany the body to Naboo, along with Amidala’s current handmaidens, Moteé and Ellé. Bail must go with them. Senator Mon Mothma may go with them if she wishes, but it is not necessary. Jar Jar will accompany the body as part of the honor guard, and will take Dormé, Rabé, and Eirtaé with him. Saché and Yané are, coincidentally, currently on Coruscant visiting Dormé, so they will also be able to act as a part of the honor guard escorting Amidala’s body home. There are four new handmaids attached to Padmé’s household who’ve been finishing their training by completing a mission on Naboo. They’ll be coming with Sabé and Jamillia, who are already in route to Coruscant to offer their services as honor guards. Jamillia should be allowed to help escort Padmé’s body home, in spite of the fact that Padmé helped see to it that Jamillia was replaced by Apailana as Naboo’s reigning Queen, for fear that Jamillia was becoming too sympathetic with the Separatists. Jamillia, too, will grow wiser than she has been, in the wake of the revelation that Palpatine is the Sith Lord Sidious, and she deserves the chance to make her peace with Amidala’s spirit. If Senator Mon Mothma decides to accompany Bail to Naboo, then Bail must take also his aide, Sheltay Retrac, with him, so that the escort will consist of an even number. When the time comes, if either one of you can think of a way to help reassure Mon Mothma that things will keep here long enough for her to accompany Padmé’s body home and attend her state funeral, then your efforts will be greatly appreciated. However, although it would be good if Sheltay and Mon Mothma were to accompany Bail to Naboo, as closer ties between Naboo, Alderaan, and Chandrila would inevitably result, it is not essential that they go," Obi-Wan quietly adds. "The peoples of these planets are already growing closer and will continue to do so, as relations between the Core Worlds and the Mid Rim and even the Outer Rim begin to improve, regardless of who attends Padmé’s funeral. It’s just that Sheltay’s presence on Naboo might possibly be able to influence Padmé’s family’s reaction to her death, helping them to come to terms with what has happened – and to accept the fact that Anakin and I are together, now, as the Force has always intended us to be – more quickly that they would otherwise."

"I understand, Obi-Wan. I will see to it that Mon Mothma feels safe to go," Qui-Gon promises. "Have you seen if Mon Mothma will be elected to one of the consular positions?"

"Senator Meena Tills of Mon Calamari and Senator Fang Zar of Sern Prime will most likely be elected to the positions of the two senior Consuls. Either Senator Giddean Danu of Kuat and Senator Grebleips of Brodo Asogi or else Mon Mothma and Senator Grebleips will be elected to the junior Consul positions. It depends on what Senator Danu decides to do – if he decides to run or not. And that, unfortunately, depends on what the remains of the CIS Leadership Council decides to do within the next seventy-two hours," Obi-Wan admits. "Danu is a good man and strictly just, but Mon Mothma would better be able to serve the New Alliance of the Republic."

"Then I suppose we shall just have to hope that the remnants of that alliance will choose to react to the news of Palpatine’s death and his identity as Darth Sidious in a more rational manner than they have behaved, thus far," Qui-Gon observes with a pragmatic shrug of his broad shoulders. "There is little else that we can do, at this point."

"We will trust in the Force, Obi-Wan. Never fear. These things have a way of working themselves out," Dooku adds, his voice quietly reassuring. "Is there aught else that we should know, young one?"

"There is one other matter that you should be aware of, Grand Masters," Obi-Wan begins, his voice suddenly oddly hesitant. "Master Billaba should finally begin healing, now that the taint upon the Force has been destroyed and the darkening Force-aura within the Temple itself has also been cleansed of the taint of fear and anger that has long been staining and darkening it. I am . . . concerned about how Master Windu will react, when she begins to show signs of stirring."

"Will this be happening soon, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asks, a worried furrow forming between his eyes.

"I cannot be certain how long it will take Master Billaba to begin to surface – too much depends on how badly she wishes to wake and heal herself. The lines of probability are just too tangled for me to be able to tell which possibility will become reality – but while she will need some support from those who have been close to her, those whose happiness means something to her, like Mace, she is also going to need time and room for herself. I am . . . concerned that Mace will smother her, with his concern. I would feel better if I knew that someone else, someone I know will be here, regardless of when Depa may begin to wake, will be keeping an eye on him."

"Mace Windu was a student of mine within the Temple. I believe he will listen to me, if it becomes necessary to remind him that some healing can be accomplished only at its own pace and cannot be hurried or brought about by any other than the one who is healing," Dooku promises, his voice reassuringly calm and certain. "Do not worry yourself, young one. I will keep an eye on both individuals."

"And I will help him, if it becomes necessary," Qui-Gon adds quickly. "You have enough to worry about, without taking this on as well. Is there something else, Obi-Wan? You have that look in your eyes that, when you were my Padawan, usually meant that there was something on your mind that you wished to speak of but was uncertain as to the reception you might receive," he adds, his eyes narrowing slightly in consideration.

Obi-Wan simply regards Qui-Gon for a few moments, silently, before finally admitting, "Master, I don’t know how closely you were able to keep a watch on Anakin and I, so I’m not certain how much you know about the past thirteen years. And since I am also not sure how much or how openly you and Master Dooku have been able to speak with Master Yoda and the other former members of the High Council about the Order’s current resources. I hesitate to bring this up because it is a complex matter and I’ve no real sense of how much you may already know about it. I know for a fact that Master Dooku did not and could not have known of it, only a few days ago, because we went to great lengths to keep it a secret from everyone, including most of the members of the Order and even the Senate and the Supreme Chancellor. The information was simply deemed too valuable and too sensitive to risk speaking of it to those who might, whether unwittingly or purposefully, carry tales of it to those who would report that information to the Separatists or even the Sith Lord Sidious, himself. I am speaking of the bota, and if you do not yet know what I am referring to, please, tell me now so that wait until such a time that you are better prepared to understand and share in my concerns and hopes for the fungous plant."

"I know what you are referring to, Obi-Wan. I was with you when you went to Drongar, though you did not know it. In truth, I was following you so closely that the reverberations in the Force from what you and the others accomplished broke over me so powerfully that I was nearly washed out of myself and into the Force, completely. One of my . . . teachers had to catch hold of me and help to anchor me, until the strongest of the disturbances had subsided," Qui-Gon explains in turn, a slightly abashed look in his eyes.

"Master Yoda touched on this briefly, two days ago; Qui-Gon explained the rest, though I must admit that I am still astonished, not only at what you accomplished but at the fact that the Order chose to and succeeded in keeping such an amazing a secret. Some day, young one, if you would permit it, I should like to view the entire occurrence, through your memory," Dooku adds, his voice thoughtful. "I have never experienced what it feels like to purposefully and successfully adapt a living object that is strong in the Force at its molecular structure. I imagine it would be a source both of great enlightenment and curiosity."

"I was not the only one responsible for adapting some of the bota so that it would not all mutate and lose it adaptogenic properties, Masters," Obi-Wan politely but very firmly points out. "Barriss Offee, Luminara Unduli, Bant Eerin, and Stass Allie all volunteered for the same bota treatment that I agreed to receive and they all aided in the effort to not only stabilize and fix the plant’s specific properties, in a few specific specimens, but also to force those particular plants to adapt into a more hardy and robust strain, one that would not only be able to survive transport off-planet as a living specimen but that would also continue to thrive once it had reached another planetary environment. It could not have been done if we had not all agreed to work together on the project. However, it is precisely because of the success of our joint effort that I need to speak to you now about the bota that has been already harvested and processed from those specimens and their offspring as well as the many plants currently growing in the Temple’s medicinal gardens," he quickly elaborates.

"It is my understanding that, because of the accelerated growth cycle that you instilled in the new, stabler strain at the last moment," Qui-Gon replies, his voice mild but his unwavering expression telling, "our Healers have, with the aid of a few select individuals either strong in the Living Force or adept in the ways of science, already been able to grow, harvest, and process several metric tons of viable bota since the virtual abandonment of Drongar by both the Republic and the Separatists. I was also given to understand that our Healers have been quietly shipping out, on all missions related to the war, with substantial quantities of processed bota, for use on the injured and ill."

With a dismissive movement of his right hand clearly meant to downplay his former Master’s entirely truthful words about his crucial contribution both to stabilizing and improving the bota, Obi-Wan shrugs slightly and says, "That is true, insofar as it goes. But Masters, we are amassing what amounts to stockpiles of the processed bota. The Temple already houses far more processed bota than all of our Healers all working round the clock at major hospital facilities or even battlefield surgical units for a year solid could conceivably use. The original plant was surprisingly delicate and degenerated easily, so we increased its overall hardiness and the natural productivity of its spores, in the process increasing its potency a little, as well as shortening its overall growth cycle. Plants require harvesting and processing every four to five days. There are growers, tenders, harvesters, and processors who are kept working constantly in order to keep up with plant growth and production. Though Anakin did not know for what duty he was helping to rebuild and reprogram legions of captured Separatist droid units, during our brief periods of downtime in the Temple, he and others like him helped to create enormous forces of specialized worker droids so that the Order would be able to keep up with the increasing amount of bota plants needing to be tended to, harvested, and then rendered into liquid form, despite the decreasing amount of Jedi on hand to see to or even oversee the process. Given the altered plant strain, the ingenuity and dedication of our Healers and scientists, and a rather creative use of resources made available to us by the war, the Temple’s medicinal gardens alone could now, in one year’s time, produce greater and more potent quantities of fully processed bota than could have been safely harvested and transported intact, encased in carbonite blocks for processing at their eventual points of destination, off of the planet of Drongar, even had the entire world been an uncontested, unmolested, and highly efficiently-run agricultural planet of the Republic. In short, Masters, we are accumulated vast quantities of bota and those quantities will only continue to increase as more time passes. Processed bota can boost a Force-sensitive’s connection to the Force and can vastly increase the amount of sheer power which that being will be able to channel, but only those who are either in need of irrefutable proof of their ability to both sense and use the Force or who are mentally disciplined enough to be able to use the bota without being in danger of becoming addicted to its Force-enhancing effects will have either sufficient need or adequate reason to use the bota for that particular effect instead of for its healing properties. Or in other words, our Temple is producing far more bota than the Jedi can conceivably use in a reasonable amount of time. As I have said, bota is highly adaptogenic in its effects. Thus, many species could benefit from its use: humans, near-humans, and many humanoid species are able to use it as a potent broad-based antibiotic, antiviral, antiparasitical, and antifungal medicine; Neimoidians, Durosians, and several other amphibious and reptiloid species can use it as a strong narcotic painkiller; Hutts, near-Hutts, and, or so I have been informed, several insectoid and avian species are all able to utilize it as a valuable stimulant almost as powerful as glitterstim spice; and many other species still also find it useful for various other functions. Since bota has virtually no known side effects – other than the boosting of one’s Force abilities, for those who are Force-sensitive – it is truly a wonder drug. I believe our duty, in the matter, is clear," Obi-Wan explains.

"If you are referring to disseminating our excess quantities of the processed drug, I am afraid that I don’t see how it could be done without eventually resulting in the creation of yet organization of smugglers, thieves, and illegal privateers who would criminally acquire and then sell quantities of bota on the black market," Dooku admits after several moments of shocked silence, a deep frown furrowing his brow as he glances questioningly at Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon, with a shrug, simply says, "I thought that the decision was made to keep the Jedi’s success at adapting, transplanting, and then growing, harvesting, and processing bota in order to avoid precisely that kind of surge in black market smuggling. With the bota growing in the Temple, I believe it is safe to say that we no longer need to fear the bota’s source becoming a point of endless conflict between the galactic government and its would-be enemies. However, I must admit that I am also at a loss as to how it might be possible to distribute our bota stockpiles without also reintroducing yet another overpriced commodity for trade on the black market."

"Which is precisely why I wanted to speak to you about it," Obi-Wan merely notes with a small smile and slightly wry tilt to his head. "There is a young doctor from Tatooine by the name of Kornell Divini, an extremely skilled surgeon with whom Barriss Offee established a strong rapport during the later half of her solo mission to Drongar. This young man, who answers to the nickname of Uli, comes from a fairly long and diversified line of doctors – including general practitioners, researchers, surgeons, specialists, and even minders – and, despite his relative youth, is, like most of his family, both well-known and well-respected in the medical community. Between him, his extended family, and all their closest colleagues, there exists an extensive and ready-made network of ties, including contacts in essentially all of the various different medical fields, that extends all throughout the known galaxy. Barriss is currently attached to the forces that have been seeking to finish uprooting the Separatists from Felucia, where the headquarters of the Commerce Guild have been established. Uli recently asked for a transfer to the RMSU or Republic Mobile Surgical Unit responsible for treating those forces. When you issue the General Recall Order, I would like to request that you also please send a personal request inviting 'Uli' Kornell Divini to the Coruscanti Jedi Temple for a medical problem requiring outside consultation that is relevant to his experience on Drongar. This young man resides at the heart of the solution to our dilemma. By contracting directly with the medical personnel who will be using the bota, we should be able to eliminate the threat of a black market operation springing back into existence around the bota. Working together, Barriss and Uli should be able to organize the entire operation. I have great faith in their ability, as a team."

Qui-Gon simply looks at Obi-Wan for a few moments, eyes wide, expression downright flabbergasted, before finally exclaiming, "Obi-Wan Kenobi, are you /matchmaking/, or do my senses deceive me?"

"I am doing nothing of the sort, Master," Obi-Wan replies, his voice smooth and his face calmly innocent. "If the two young persons are meant to be a couple, then they will be and it will be so according to the will of the Force. Uli Divini just happens to be key to the safe, legal, and thorough dissemination of the Temple’s excess processed bota. The fact that he is also a good friend of Knight Offee is simply an added bonus. I would have requested that you invite Dr. Jos Vondar, but unfortunately he is currently on somewhat uncertain and shaky terms with a great many of his family contacts and personal friends in the medical field, due to the fact that he has chosen to violate a rather xenophobic, speciesist, elitist practice of his home system by marrying a Lorridan nurse by the name of Tolk le Trene in lieu of a woman from his own system. At the moment, Uli is simply the wiser choice, and, since we cannot afford to delay long in making a decision if we wish to avoid converting entire wings of the Temple into storage facilities for bota, it is my considered opinion that you should send word to the young doctor inviting him to the Temple so that he can be recruited and set to organizing the logistics and lining up the contacts necessary to solve our little bota problem. Hmm. Which reminds me: you may want to mention to him that a new name, for our strain of the bota and its processed product, may be called for, to ensure that others will not catch on to the fact that the Jedi managed to save and transplant some of the bota plants. And when you are issuing the General Recall and inviting Dr. Divini here to the Temple to aid Barriss on the bota project, you also need to contact a young Jedi Knight by the name of Etain Tur-Mukan, who is currently on assignment with Sergeant Kal Skirata and Omega Squad, detailed to the on-going mission to find and retrieve Ko Sai, the Kaminoan former Chief Scientist and overseer on the project responsible for the creation of our clone soldiers, who sought to defect to the Separatists about a year and a half ago and has been on the run ever since because her specialized knowledge of the various cloning procedures as well as the genetic template used for the creation of the core of the Grand Army of the Republic simply made her too potentially dangerous to our soldiers to risk allowing that knowledge to fall into the hands of our enemies. Though she has had no formal Healer training, over the course of the war Etain has shown a strong affinity for the healing arts and a vested interest in seeing to it that these arts are available to all beings who need them, not just those who might be able to pay for them. I need you to tell Etain that she is being asked to return to the Temple now specifically to work on a project that, under the guidance of Jedi Healer and Master Stass Allie, will research ways to reverse the accelerated aging process that the genetic modifications of the Kaminoans programmed into all of the various generations and specialized types of clone soldiers to cause them to age roughly twice as quickly as they should and so make them available to the Republic for its armies more rapidly. The two projects are not unrelated, and I will rest easier knowing that the necessary preliminaries are being seen to. Additionally, Etain and one of her Omega Squad escorts, Darman, will end up bringing with them a certain sign of the many changes that the Order is undergoing that I believe will prove to be most helpful, in the long run."

Qui-Gon is still staring at Obi-Wan with such an unabashed look of shock that one might have easily imagined that he felt the need to watch Obi-Wan closely, just in case he were about to sprout a second head to go along with this new and frankly startling willingness to speak of others in terms of Force-ordained couples, and so, after a few moments of silence, Dooku finally says, "I will see to it personally, young one. You need not worry about it. If you believe that this Dr. Uli is the being best-suited for this task, then that is good enough for me. I will speak to Knight Offee after she returns to see to it that she understands the situation and then I will place the project jointly under her control as well as Dr. Divini’s. I will also personally see to it that young Knight Tur-Mukan and her comrades are invited to and made welcome at the Temple. I assume that it will be acceptable to simply wait upon Master Allie’s return?"

"Stass and I have discussed the need for just such an effort several times before. She finds the Republic’s entirely too negligent attitude towards the clones and such things as their shortened life spans as reprehensible as I do. With the full support of the others in the Jedi Circle of Healers, she has been petitioning the High Council for close to three years, now, for the right to initiate just such a project, and I am certain that she will be thrilled to have a chance to finally get started on it, now," Obi-Wan explains with a pleased looking smile.

Inclining his head in acknowledgment, Dooku assures him, "Then it shall be done as soon as we are certain that the war is over and are able to issue the General Recall. If there is nothing else then, young one, I believe we are about out of time," he adds as his head turns towards the left, away from the controlled chaos surrounding the loading of their assault cruiser. "Unless I am mistaken, that approaching speeder is carrying your new Padawan."

"Thank you, Masters. Yes, that will be him, without a doubt. Bail tries very hard to be prompt," Obi-Wan agrees with a small and relieved smile. Squaring his shoulders, he takes a deep, steadying breath, and then carefully slips the datapad into one of the pockets of his robe, hoping to prolong what little time left he has with his Padawan and perhaps even simply enjoy Bail’s company for awhile before they are forced to part ways again.

***