Series: an addition to the long-neglected Anatomy series
Archive: Master_Apprentice, my page
(http://flame.slashcity.org/index2.html)
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Disclaimer: The Star Wars characters included in this story
are owned by LucasFilm. No profit is made from this
story.
Feedback: Yes, please! On list or off, doesn't matter to me.
Dedication: Dedicated to my former padawan, Knight Calypte
(aka Patti). She has passed a set of real-life trials and
joined a contemplative order. I wish her well.
"I'm going to find the children," Obi-Wan called to his master.
"Fine." Qui-Gon answered without looking up from the water
filtration system he was assembling.
The Jedi padawan trudged along the muddy path that had become
the main thoroughfare of the refugee camp. This was the normal
routine he and Qui-Gon followed on humanitarian missions. After
the team had dealt with the immediate health concerns, and
facilities for dispensing food and clean water had been
deployed, Obi-Wan went looking for the children.
He took a small ball out of a pouch on his utility belt, and
began tossing it in the air as he walked. No matter how
terrible the conditions were - war, starvation, disease - the
children would find a place to play. Obi-Wan never ceased to
marvel at the unbreakable spirit of youth.
By the time the padawan located the small clearing claimed by
the little ones, he had a string of eight ragamuffins in tow,
asking questions and jumping to try to grab the enticing ball.
He was mobbed by a dozen more when those already playing in the
field caught site of the Jedi and his entourage.
"All right, all right," Obi-Wan called out over the din. "What
are the rules?"
Another constant across the universe seemed to be that all
children played some sort of game with a ball. Some hit it with
sticks, some kicked it, some caught it in baskets, but they
all knew the rules of their particular sport.
The young refugees quieted in deference to a small girl with
black hair and remarkable gray eyes. She quickly and precisely
recited the dos and don'ts of a game consisting of throwing,
running and tackling. Obi-Wan listened carefully, recognizing
yet another variant of a standard game played across half the
galaxy.
Good. This exercise would serve his purpose well. The
roughhousing gave the Jedi a chance to evaluate the health of
the youngsters, both mental and physical. As he tumbled with
the children, he could use the Force to gently assess their
condition and even accomplish some minor healing. It was far
less scary to treat already traumatized children in this way
than to line them up for processing through a makeshift clinic.
The ones who needed serious help he would seek out later and
take by the hand to visit the healers.
Obi-Wan nodded at the rule-giver as she spoke with quiet
certainty, noting the respect the others gave her. No one
interrupted. This was the leader, then, the padawan concluded.
Despite being one of the youngest in the group, he could tell
already that they all looked up to her.
"What's your name?" he asked when she concluded.
"Jalien."
"Well, Jalien, why don't you get us started?" He tossed her
the ball.
Teams were picked quickly and the game commenced. Obi-Wan
noticed several of the older children favoring an arm or foot
as they moved, and allowed himself to be tackled by them in
order to determine their problems. He suspected a fracture
afflicting one, and skin disease in the other. He channeled
healing Force into them as he helped them up off the ground.
One or two wastrels tended to watch the action rather than
engage in it, but Jalien found a way to gently sweep them along
in the fun. In fact, one of the interesting requirements in
this particular camp was that a team couldn't score until every
player for that side had caught and passed the ball at least
once. Obi-Wan suspected that rule had been invented by Jalien.
The symptoms he discovered were the ones he commonly found in
such situations. Malnutrition, intestinal parasites,
ulcerations. These were the legacy of war to its children. He
did what he could, sometimes noting a smile of relief as he was
able to take away a bit of the pain. Despite it all, they
played.
The game was fiercely contested, with points scored only at
lengthy intervals. Obi-Wan had managed to evaluate all but a
few of his playmates, with Jalien included in the elusive
bunch. She watched him carefully throughout the game, her
suspicious eyes tracking his movements to be sure he was not
out to hurt any of her friends. Trust was another casualty of
war.
At last he found an opportunity. He caught the ball and ran in
front of the little girl, practically begging her to pounce on
him. She obliged with a flying tackle that left him gasping for
breath as she sat on his chest.
He expected to see a smile on her face, but instead was met by
the visage of an elder, too wise, too soon. She focused her
pale eyes on his, and leaned over so that he could hear her
whisper.
"I know what you're doing."
The words were followed by a burst of unschooled Force energy
that battered Obi-Wan's consciousness. It was raw, but
incredibly powerful. Once again, the Jedi had to catch his
breath.
The grey eyes pierced him. "Take me with you."
Oh, it was tempting. They could easily remove her from these
awful circumstances. Jalien was not yet too old to be taken as
an Initiate. She had the Force sensitivity, of that there was
no doubt. She might one day be a powerful Jedi.
But if they took her away, what would become of those left
behind? She was clearly a leader of the young people in the
camp. Her natural skills and compassion could one day make her
a leader of her people. Maybe Jalien would be the one to bring
peace to a planet ravaged by decades of strife.
Obi-Wan dug his fingers into the girl's ribs, tickling her
until she finally smiled. He clambered up off the ground with
her slim body in his hands, and tossed her in the air. "Let's
play!" he called.
He would discuss the matter with his master, who, he knew,
would discuss it with the others on the team. There would be no
clear answer, but perhaps the Force would guide them.
Obi-Wan only knew that if they left Jalien behind, the memory
of those eyes would haunt him forever.
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