Before - Legends Getting to Know You (AU, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, OCs)-Complete

Thanks all! I appreciate the feedback.

Um...yeah. I think we would all like to see that. Unfortunately, our almost perfect padawan isn't about to confess his feelings any time soon because Jedi don't fall in love.

I think K'Tai is hoping that is the case. Somewhere in the back of her head she's thinking, "If I can get De'vona involved with Donal's business publically, there will be less oposition when I ask to go train at the Temple." Of course this presupposes that they make it off Unagin.

We aim to please. You might just be on to something. Although if De'vona admits to enjoying the self-defense training what else is she going to do to annoy her sister?

Without further ado, the next installment in which our padawan shows his feelings and yet remains blissfully unaware of them. Men! Let me know if you want me to add or remove you from the tags.
Tags: Findswoman, Gemma

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963:01:05

Hi K'Tai,

Viral neuropathy, as in a cold that makes your nerves not work? That sounds bad depending on what nerves it affects. I can imagine that it's a pretty tense situation if entire cities are under quarantine. Please be careful. I might have an opportunity to get to Kress in the next couple of months. It would be nice if you were also back and in one piece by then.

I've passed your message to Kur-Cot. He asked me to relay this, word for word, "Raptors hunt ever vigilant. Tread softly." I assume that you or one of the adepts will know what it means, as I have no clue. He was actually going to have me relay in M'bantu but I kept butchering the pronunciation so badly that he thought it best that I convey it in Basic. You will have to tell me the next time we see each other just what I was saying. He had a very hard time keeping a straight face.

He wants a full report on death toll, disease severity, and anything else you can think of that might be important. You are to continue to focus on helping the adepts and guarding Donal. Kur-Cot also had me pass on your message to the Healers at the Temple. I haven't heard back from them yet.

He did talk to De'vona, and she has assumed her role well. She also asked me to give you a message. "Be careful and bring the two people I care about most home safely. You have another to live for so don't go being stupidly heroic." Again, when we're in the same place you can tell me who this other person is. I didn't think, given the whole betrothal thing, that you had interest in anyone else...

In response to your question they were all on route to Unagin on the way to their final destination...I think I see where you are going with that question. Not quite sure why that didn't occur to me earlier. I'm going to be spending a lot of time with shipping manifests in the next couple of days. I'll keep you informed about what we find.

I mean it about being careful. Sick people can be unreasonable. I know this from personal experience. Healthy people afraid of becoming sick can be even more dangerous. Stay safe.

May the Force be with you.

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963:01:15
Jedi Emergency Channel

Hi Obi.

I'm going to strangle De'vona when I get home. I can't believe she said that to you...I'm not entirely sure of what she is talking about, but I can guess. Anyway, rest assured that if I had an interest in another, you'd know about it. You are one of my closest friends. As for what you were saying, there are a couple of options that spring to mind, both of which are, shall we say, more suited to a bar or brothel than the Jedi Temple. I'll know when I hear you say it...and I'm going to enjoy seeing your face when you find out what you said because you will have said it to me. I'll be living the dream of many girls across the galaxy - having a Jedi give her a pick up line. I made you blush. My mission here is accomplished.

All kidding aside, this will be short and sweet because I have just enough time to record about a minute and then go grab something to eat before going back to the House of Healing. I can take care of myself, thanks. Security is the least of my problems right now. The entire planet is now under quarantine. The virus, if that is indeed what this thing is, seems to have different symptoms depending on a person's midichlorian count. Those with higher counts seem to be hit harder with more central nervous symptoms including dementia. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. Would you do me a favor? Can you find out who the Jedi at the conference were? I want to make sure I know who they are in case they end up here. It will save us precious time in getting them stabilized. We're having better results if we are aggressive from the outset in our treatment, but for some reason using Force techniques on those who are Force-sensitive makes things worse, not better. I want to avoid delirious lightsaber-wielding Jedi if I can. I deflect blaster bolts, but a lightsaber? That would be difficult. I would definitely want to practice with you before I had to try it in a real situation.

Tell both De'vona and Kur-Cot that Donal took a turn for the worse, but he's stable now and starting to recover. Luckily the weakness only progressed to partial paralysis. I'm hopeful that he will be able to walk with help in the next week or so.

Talk to you soon. Safe paths and steady travels, my friend.

 

Wow, what a scary thing that's going around when Force users are more susceptible and Force-aided techniques make things worse. Amused by the messages from others transmitted between K'Tai and Obi-Wan. They seem oblivious to the reasons if not the words behind them.

 

Thanks for the continued feedback!

Nyota's Heart: Obi-Wan is definitely oblivious, or at least trying to feign it. Kind of reminds me of playing hide and seek with a 2 year old when they stand in the middle of the room "hiding" with their eyes closed because if they can't see you, you can't see them. If Obi-Wan doesn't acknoweldge that he has feelings for her then they will go away, right? K'Tai is playing along for his sake for now.

Findswoman: I'm going to have to give Kur-Cot's message a bit more thought. I had an idea originally when I put it in, but I don't know if it still works. I won't leave you hanging though.

Tags: Findswoman, Gemma

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963:01:25

Hi K'Tai.

I don't deliver pick up lines, so you're going to be out of luck there. If you want to hear pick-up lines from a Jedi, I should have you talk to Garren. He's acquired a few as he trains with some of the Republic fighter pilots. He seems to get a kick out of watching his squad mates crash and burn with the ladies, and he's convinced the pick up lines have a lot to do with it.

I asked at the Temple about Jedi on planet. There are two officially, both Twi'lek. I've attached their pictures and vital scans. The Council would also like you to keep an eye out for a Laren Deboisnesque and her uncle, Jordan. The Council didn't say why, just that they want to talk to them. Apparently she's some technology mogul who might have some insight into the current situation.

I finished cross-referencing the shipping manifests. Shipments arrived at their intended destination with nothing missing according to the shipping manifest at the destination. However the Unagin and destination manifests didn't match, with the destination manifests more often than not being off by a little bit here and there, both over and under, so it just looked like lax record keeping. However, I looked at what wasn't received. There were many more vaccines than I had previously appreciated. The most notable are ones to Blue Shadow, Candorian plague, and Troli-X. There was also a lot of anti-viral medications and several antibiotics. I also found lab supplies and the aforementioned mining equipment to be under at the destination as well. If this is tied to your situation, and I really think it is, optimistically you are looking at some official research project gone horribly wrong. I'm not feeling optimistic.

Please be careful, K'Tai. I'm scared for you, and I have a really bad feeling about your situation. Take care of yourself.

May the Force be with you.

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963:01:32

Jedi Emergency Channel

Hi Obi.

I wish I could say that your bad feeling was misplaced but I don't think it is. Things have gotten steadily worse. We still can't get messages to Kress. The government here has its hands full with trying to keep the population from all out panicking. They don't see the wisdom in keeping the Houses on Kress informed of what is going on. According to them, Republic scientists are working on the problem. However, I've done some digging and there are no Republic science labs on Unagin and none of the local hospitals are equipped to do the type of research that needs to be done. The Republic has sent aid, but none of it has been what we would need to get at the source of the infection. We're starting to see shortages, not because relief supplies aren't getting to us, but because there just aren't enough healthy individuals to get them distributed. I'm shifting more toward security detail in anticipation that we will soon see issues there. If I'm right, communication is going to become iffy at best with you. I'm using an official comm station near the House of Healing. I don't suppose you could get someone to put a ship or two in orbit so we can get messages out? I think I can rig the holocube to have enough power to transmit that far.

We're now facing the third week of a planetary pandemic. I've heard reports that this thing may have spread off planet before the quarantine went into effect. I hope that's not true. The death toll thus far has been mercifully low, but that is about the only upside right now, and it could just be we aren't far enough into this yet. I suspect it might tick up as secondary infections hit, particularly among those who suffered compromised lung function. Let Kur-Cot know that those who suffered only peripheral paralysis, like Donal, are recovering the fastest and with the best outcomes. However, at least 30% of the population is now infected across all sentient species, and some of the indigenous animal life as well.

I'm relying heavily on my empathy rather than the Force. It is out of balance, but not just a dichotomy...it has been twisted and warped into something that I think is making Force-users sick, but that's just a theory. I mentioned it to the senior adept here and got "the look" - the one that says that I've just gone off into the wilds of speculation, and I need to work on my differential. I hate that look. Why do elders always think they know more? Ok, scratch that. Why do they always think that by virtue of knowing more they are automatically wiser and therefore correct? The senior adept even admitted that he hadn't ever felt the Force as off as it is here.

Speaking of empathy, I believe Laren and her uncle have found their way to the Temple. I'm not entirely sure it is them, but that is what their identification said. There was something off about them, like they were hiding something. But I can't tell what it might be. They are both in bad shape, much worse than I would expect from their Force-signature. On a hunch, we've been treating them without Force techniques. One of the adepts is trying to do some analysis here and there as she can. I'll pass your information to her. I'll send along results as soon as she has something. I have hope between the Jedi and the Tal'shari there is something in the archives somewhere that can help us.

I could use a distraction, so when you reply, tell me about your favorite place to meditate in the galaxy as well as your most memorable lightsaber match against any other master besides Qui-Gon.

Steady paths and safe travels, Obi-Wan.

 

Sounds like a well-structured, multi-layered bio-terrorism scheme. Like genocide indiscriminately.

 

Starting point for all of this and the correct chronology to read it in? For us with cheaper tickets, y'know. Please, and thank you.

 

Thank you all for the feedback!

I'm not sure I understand what exactly you're asking for, so I'll take a crack at it, and if it doesn't answer your questions, let me know. This takes place pre-TPM and starts when Obi-Wan is 16-17 years old and K'Tai is about 14-15 years old. The AU is based on that established in the Ultra-Stressed Jedi series of round robins (see here and search Ultra-Stressed or USJS). The events leading up to this story are briefly described in "Bits and Pieces" (link in my signature). That series drabbles is a bit disjointed in terms of timeline but gives sort of a broad painting of the characters here. I'm working on the OC descriptions for the OC database thread.

You nailed it.

Who indeed and is it really targeted to Kress? Only time will tell...
Tags: Findswoman Gemma

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963:02:05

Hi K'Tai,

Ok, I'm really not all that fond of this. The Force not feeling like the Force sounds dangerous. I know you are a Healer, and this is what you do. I know that I go into situations that are just as dangerous. I know that you can take care of yourself. I am also well aware that worrying about you is a sign of improper attachment...I seem to be having trouble with that as of late. But right now I don't care. I just woke up in a cold sweat from a dream. It involved you, deathly still and pale, in a bed. You are not supposed to be torturing me in my dreams, ok? Save it for the infirmary. I'd ask how things are going, but you asked me to distract you, so I'll do that instead.

My favorite place to meditate in the entire galaxy? It is going to sound corny, but The Room with a Thousand Waterfalls or the high plane of this one planet...I can picture it but I can't remember the name...anyway the Force there flows with currents that are oceanic in their depth. It is the one place where I have felt the embodiment of the Unifying Force. When this is all over, I'll see if I can't work it out to take you there. I think you would like it.

As for my most memorable sparing match not against my master, it would have to be the time I spared against Master Windu and Master Billaba at the same time, only she wasn't a master then, she was still his padawan. They practice a lightsaber form called Vaapad. It walks a razor fine line right up to the Dark side, and the only form that can hold its own against it is Soresu, unless you are Yoda and then Arturu does perfectly fine. I didn't last very long, but it was longer than anyone, myself included, expected. The best part was after I lost the first match, Qui-Gon joined. There is something cathartic about letting lose in a sparing match and just having a good time. Master Windu is not one to do that much, but he did that day. It was amazing.

Unfortunately, we can't park ourselves in orbit as much as I would like. We have a lead that we need to track down. The Council is working to get a ship into orbit, but it is going to take some time. Keep sending messages like this until they do. I did get the transmission from the adept you spoke of. Kur-Cot and An-Paj both asked if you can get a sample from someone who is Force-sensitive and infected as well as one from Laren. If the Jedi show up, they would be good subjects, but any of the Tal'shari that fall ill will do as well. They think they are close to some sort of treatment and maybe a vaccine, but they need a before and after example to check some of their findings against.

Take care of yourself and May the Force be with you.

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963:02:15
Jedi Emergency Channel

Hi Obi.

<Yawn>. I can barely stand, I'm so tired. Your dreams are the only place I might even remotely have the energy to torture you. We've been under order to do daily healing trances for ourselves, and I think that has kept things at bay, but I don't know how long that will hold out. I can't heal, guard Donal, take a turn on security watch, and manage the energy for a healing trance, not when the Force is polluted like it is here. There is no Unity. And it isn't the dichotomy of light and dark or unified and living. The Force has been fractured and warped. I'm scared, Obi-Wan. I don't know how long I can keep this up. If I get sick, who is going to guard Donal? I wish I were back with you on Kress. I'd much rather just sit with you in the healing garden like we did when you first broke your leg than try to find the energy to heal the patient in the next bed.

We're getting slammed. The local hospitals can no longer accept patients, and our wards are also over-flowing. I'm one of only a few Tal'shari still functional. We lost one of the adepts to Unity two days ago. The other two adepts are spending as much time doing neighborhood rounds as they are on the wards. Laren and Jordan have recovered enough to run security detail for them when they go out and are helping maintain security at the House as well. Thank the Force for small miracles. Luckily the Jedi who were on the planet have made it to us, but one of them isn't in very good shape. The younger of the two is helping me in the House proper. They were able to get a message out to the Temple that they had gotten here so now there is a ship in orbit. A good thing too because communications are touch and go. The population is too sick to panic any more, but the infrastructure took a beating before that set in. Laren managed to cobble together a transmitter that theoretically can reach the relay (the transmitter is how I'm getting this to you), so I'm hoping a ship in orbit is closer to a sure thing.

I was able to get samples from Laren and both of the Jedi. I'm sending the scan readout with this message. Please get it to An-Paj and Kur-Cot. I think whatever this is has almost run its course, but I need someone to confirm that. If there is a second wave of this, we're in bantha poodoo.

I hope I get a chance to come to Coruscant and the Temple soon. The Room with a Thousand Waterfalls sounds impressive. I'd like to meet Garren and Bant and see Master Windu and Master Bilba spar. Vaapad sounds like a very interesting form. Donal would like you to pass a message to De'vona that he is almost recovered and is looking forward to getting back to her.

How goes the investigation? Did Master Jinn quit trying to stuff you into smaller containers? Have you been able to track down whether the missing cargo is part of this whole mess and who is behind it?

Safe travels and steady paths, my friend.

 

That sparring match sounds cool!!! Glad that they now have samples to work from to get a vaccine or a treatment. Wow, it's bad when the healers succum and the rest of the staff is stretched! But I hope they are nearing the end and that there isn't a second wave.

That is a good question if the cargo discrepancy is tied up and how. That trail will definitely lead somewhere, if the two are connected.

 

I hope I didn't get you into too much work for this. The OC Index thread seems to feature a chronology that could help me make sense of this; so yes, that is what I wanted. When there are more stories on the same subject, I want to read them from the very beginning.

 

I still want to see these two get together. I am a hopeless romantic.

 

Yeah, even if it happens in a "sequel" to the letters or a parallel thread, i.e., the times they can see each other during this time period.

 

I (finally, at last, with a lot more delay than is acceptable ) caught up with this fic. Reading Obi-Wan as a slightly awkward-clumsy teenage boy is delightful -- I enjoyed in particular the way he speaks about Qui-Gon and his unorthodox teaching methods But K'tai... I just fell in love with her. There's this fine balance of naivety and maturity in her that's just so endearing.

I also love the way you built the relationship between K'tai and Obi-Wan through their messages, how they get to experience all these different emotions because of things that are half-said or unsaid. Watching the relationship evolve and blossom is simply adorable. I need to catch up on "Bits and Pieces" at some point, but for now I'll go and read "Recall" so that I can congratulate you for your award nominations there too

 

Thank you all for the great comments!
Nyota's Heart: You are great at planting suggestions. The sequel, at least the juicy part of it, is written but needs some very serious beta before it's ready. And I'm intrigued by the idea of writing a parallel story focusing on the interludes between letters where they have gotten to see each other. I just have to make time to write it.
Findswoman: I'd love to know how the mists would feel to Gand Findsman (or Findswoman) with this virus. I suspect that they wouldn't be as affected, but I don't know. I like the idea that not all Force-users would be affected in the same way.
Ewok Poet: You didn't cause too much work at all. I had already put together the post for the OC Index. I just hadn't gotten it posted, and your request spurred me on.
Gemma: Have patience. I promise it will be rewarded...just maybe not in this story. However, things are definitely moving in that direction.
Chyntuck: Ah shucks. Glad to have you here.

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963:02:20

Hi K'Tai.

I have good news. An-Paj looked at your report and sent a team of Jedi Healers with a treatment to help. Kur-Cot has also sent more Tal'shari adepts as well, so you should have some relief soon. You were right about there being something strange about the strain. Neither An-Paj or Kur-Cot would tell me what it was. An-Paj did mention that he was amazed that any of the Tal'shari or Jedi were still standing. That has me a bit worried. The reinforcements should be there within a day of you getting this. Hang in there just a little longer. Help is coming.

We are very close to finding the people behind this bioweapon. It shouldn't require any more stealth trips in shipping containers thankfully. I've had my fill of them. I don't like flying as it is. Flying cooped up in a shipping container leaves a lot to be desired.

I hope you get to come to the Temple soon too. I'd like to show you the Room with a Thousand Waterfalls and take you Dex's Diner. The food is good and Dex is someone you should meet. You would like both Garren and Bant, but you have to remember to take everything Garren says skeptically. He's been known to tell tales that, shall we say, come from an embellished point of view, particularly when it relates to our escapades as Initiates. I was not nearly as impulsive as he makes me out to be.

I had that dream again, only this time it felt more like a vision. I'm worried about you. You sounded exhausted and defeated the last time. Have you been able to get time to center?

May the Force be with you, K'Tai.

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963:02:34

Hi K'Tai.

Ok, it's been a two weeks and you haven't gotten back to me. Even if you don't have time for a note, please at least ping the relay and let me know you are ok.

We are still in the sector. We found the people behind the bioweapon, or rather we found their bodies. It looks like the goal was to create a virus that would only target Force-sensitives, but they had a lab containment breach, and the virus escaped before they could finish engineering it. We aren't sure who is behind this. There is some evidence that points to the rebel group on Kress, but I get the sense that this is bigger than just civil strife on Kress. I hope we have a chance to talk in person because I suspect you might be able to provide some insight, and I'd really like to have your perspective.

You weren't that far off when you said you thought the virus made Force-users particularly sick. The virus was designed to interfere with midichlorian function and alter how we connect to the Force. It appears that it affected the Tal'shari more than the Jedi because of the way you use the Force. I guess only touching the Light had an advantage in this case. According to the Jedi on Unagin, the Force wasn't gone or warped per se; it just wasn't as easy to touch. The senior one said it reminded him of being on the edge of a ysalmari bubble. The Light wasn't gone, but it wasn't fully present either.

Anyway, all of the known stocks and plans have been disposed of. The Tal'shari created a vaccine and have distributed it to all of the Houses and the Jedi. We're headed to Kress now to get our doses and discuss "things." I'm not sure what those "things" are, but I've been told to be prepared for a meeting with the Council of Elders. I'm hoping I can convince Qui-Gon that we should come to Unagin to wrap up the final bits of our investigation after that, but I suspect he will see that request for what it is: a chance to come check up on you in person. I really have the sense that I need to do that. I hope my dreams didn't turn out to be visions. You know that healers aren't allowed to get sick.

May the Force be with you.

 

Absolutely relieved to read of the successful untangling of the motivations and the perpetrators and a viable vaccine. Interesting facets there about Force perceptiveness etc. Ominous thing that that Obi-Wan keeps having this recurring dream/vision and that K'Tai is not in a position to answer any of his transmissions. It's the worse kind of yuck when you're supposedly on the upside of an epidemic and you as a healer come down with it.

 

Nice update! Like Ny (and Obi-Wan) I'm a bit worried about the fact that K'tai isn't replying. I have a baaaad feeling about this.

One element I didn't mention in my comment yesterday was how much I enjoyed the fact that, despite being this awkward teenager, your Obi-Wan already has his trademark sense of humour.

Oh, and this also caught my attention. I have a good feeling about this one but first I need to know that K'tai is okay

 

Again, thank you all for the continued comments and feedback. You make me think and laugh. I thoroughly enjoy them.

Nyota's Heart: Yes...it would have nothing to do with a certain author's fondness for Obi-torture.

Chyntuck: I'm glad his trademark wit is coming through. Obi-Wan's humor is something I enjoy, but it is much more dry and cutting than my own. It's one aspect of writing him that I find particularly challenging.

Findswoman: No neither Council is dumb, but the Force isn't exactly being forthcoming about exactly why they have the friendship they do. It's a race to see which one wises up first.

Tags: Findswoman, Gemma

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/hr]
[b]963:3:15[/b]

Hi K'Tai,

Kur-Cot promised he would play this message for you and not listen, so I'm taking him at his word. I'm not sure where to start. These past two weeks have been difficult.

I guess I'll start with a course of events. We went to Kress, like I said, to receive our doses of the vaccine. We then met with the Council of Elders. They met with each of us separately. I don't know what they talked with Qui-Gon about, just that it has had him in a pensive mood ever since. They spent most of their time with me asking questions about us - how I feel when I'm with you versus when I'm apart, what I felt right then when I thought about you, why I had chosen to keep in touch in the first place, whether I felt a pull to be with you that I couldn't explain. It was by far the strangest grilling I've had in a long time. And for the record, I told them I enjoy being with you, I find you to be someone I can simply be with, and that was why I chose to keep in touch. I felt a pull to be with you then, but I could explain it (you were likely sick) so I didn't mention that.

After the grilling, I went to find Qui-Gon and see whether I could talk him into going to Unagin, only to find him at our ship waiting for me so we could do just that. His excuse was that Laren and Jordan had some information that was too sensitive to send through the relay. I'm not sure that was the case, but I wasn't going to argue. We got to Unagin and went straight to the House of Healing. I left Qui-Gon to talk to Laren and Jordan and found you instead. I found you in a private room off the main ward. You were (and I suppose maybe still are) still and pale, lying on the bed, just like my dream. And then something strange happened. The Force urged me to sit, hold your hand, and meditate, so I did. The Healer came by after awhile and told me that you had improved significantly and I should keep doing whatever it was I doing. So that's how I came to spend the entire two weeks we were on Unagin sitting vigil in a very un-Jedi like fashion. It will go into the mission report, which will mean that I will be having a discussion about it with the Council once we get back to the Temple. I am not looking forward to that.

Kriff it, K'Tai. I can't really describe how it felt to see you there. I have a lot to think about and meditate on. We're just good friends and yet...I'm not sure I would have had the same reaction if I had seen Bant, Garren, or even Taria in the same situation. I would have been disturbed of course, but this was a visceral reaction, like the wind had been knocked out of me. The only person I can think of that would cause me to have the same reaction is Satine, and well...you are not Satine. Our relationship is completely different. It has me a bit perplexed. I should probably quit corresponding as frequently, just let this kind of die down, but that feels completely wrong. I definitely need to meditate about this more. The Jedi Council are going to have a fit if they discover that I'm having issues with attachment again. Never mind what Qui-Gon is going to do when he finds out. I need to take his advice, focus on the present moment, and trust that the Force will provide some clarity here.

Changing the subject...you never mentioned that the Council chamber on Kress was built over a confluence in the Force. I walked into the room, and wow. It was surreal, almost as if I could feel all of the Force in its totality and yet also recognize distinct aspects of it - light and dark, Unifying and Living - it was quite simply amazing. I hope I get a chance to be there again and feel that. We don't have anything like that at the Temple, or if we do, I haven't been introduced to it. I'll have to ask Qui-Gon about it.

Get well, K'Tai. The Universe needs your bright spirit.

[hr]
963:3:30

Hi Obi-Wan,

This is going to be voice only because I'm not strong enough yet to sit up for any length of time. Don't worry. I'll get there. It's just going to take some time and patience on my part. Besides, a recorded image of me lying in bed in your possession is just what the Council does not need to see, ever. The last thing I want is for our friendship to cause you problems with the Order. If we need to stop corresponding so frequently, then we will. I don't want to. It feels very wrong to even entertain that idea, but I will if it will help you. I hope your interview with the Council went well.

I'm glad to know that I didn't dream you sitting beside my bed. I wondered if maybe I had. The past six weeks has been a jumble of mixed fragments of memory, hallucination, and dreams. I was afraid the comfort of having you there holding my hand was just my imagination. I'm glad it wasn't. The last thing I remember with any clarity is checking on Laren after she came back from escorting one of the adepts. I felt dizzy, went to lay down and it is six weeks later. I have never been sick this long. The idea that there are large fragments of time that I just can't remember and the rest is at best a jumbled mess is really disconcerting. I have a new empathy for my patients. I mean, I have always been able to feel their discomfort, but I never really understood what caused it and why it was so panic inducing at times. I know you said healers aren't supposed to get sick, and generally I would agree, but I think if we did, we might just be better at our jobs.

Donal went back to Kress. I'm still on Unagin and will be until I get enough strength back to sit in a hover chair. I could probably go back now, but this entire event has unexpectedly united my people. The populace has rallied around Donal and De'vona. The effect of having his body guard and betrothed visibly incapacitated so severely is an unknown risk that the ruling family and the Tal'shari agree isn't worth taking. We still have no idea who is behind the attack. It wasn't the rebel group, although I don't think they would have objected if it had succeeded. And since we appear to have an unknown, very powerful enemy, caution carries the day right now. I don't I mind too much. I am sincerely hoping there is a silver lining in this whole situation and somehow, some way the recent events will lead to betrothal being called off. If everyone is used to see Donal and De'vona together, then when they are officially together, it will just seem natural. Not that I foresee that happening any time soon, but I can dream.

There is one thing I don't understand about this entire situation. Why anyone would go to the trouble of making a bio-weapon that would target Force-users? The ability to use the Force is higher among the M'ban than among other peoples, but I still wouldn't describe it as common. And while we are the choice of healers for particularly difficult cases, we aren't the only healers on Kress. What would be gained by wiping us out? I can see how wiping out the Jedi might cause issues, but us? I don't think it was meant for the Jedi. After all, there were only four of you in the entire sector. However, the Tal'shari have a House on just about every inhabitable planet in the sector...I just don't get it.

Well, I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open. I'll talk to you soon. Safe travels and steady paths, dai'tadiate (that means dear friend).

 

LOL ont he "grilling" and I too share K'Tai's hopes that the betrothal situation will straighten itself out. Yikes, her reasoning on who the enemy is is daunting. The Tal'shari healers are not a big enough target so it must the ruling houses. Love how they each feel pulled together and was happy he was able to keep a vigil. Each of them feels it is totally wrong to stop corresponding.

 

Continued thanks for reading and providing feedback.

Nyota's Heart: That bond is there, even if they don't recognize it (K'Tai) or just want to ignore it (Obi-Wan). As for the attack, the Sith aren't the only purveyors of darkness in the galaxy, and I wouldn't put it past Palpatine to take advantage of that at this stage of the game. Whether the Tal'shari clue into that remains to be seen. As we know, the Jedi don't see it coming.

Findswoman: I'm glad you like Kur-Cot. I think you pegged the Jedi Council just right. I'm not sure that they truly disapprove, or rather they are split about their disapproval. I suspect Mace and Yoda are skeptical about this being more than just misplaced attachment while others, like Master Piel, who are more openly sympathetic to both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, are less so and more willing to consider that it is something more.

Let me know if you want to be added to the tags.
Tags: Findswoman

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963:4:20

Hi K'Tai,

I hope this finds you back on Kress and well on your way to being up to learning a new kata when we are out that way next. The mission debriefing went better than I thought it might, although given I was predicting a slow, painful tortuous experience, the quick, slightly less painful and tortuous exercise that it was is only an upside by comparison. The Council met with Qui-Gon for some time before they called me in. By the time I got in there, they were not in the best mood, and Qui-Gon was smoldering. There were the usual questions about the mission, what did we find and when, what is the current status of Unagin, was there any sign of the virus elsewhere in the sector. This was followed by questions about my time by your bedside, and just what had possessed me to spend two weeks in vigil. To my great surprise, there were very few questions about our relationship specifically. They seemed to be more interested in why my actions helped you heal. That said, I got the stink eye from Master Windu, and Master Yoda made a pointed remark about where my loyalties should lie and the perils of attachment. I was very glad when it was all done. So was Qui-Gon, so much so that he suggested that we relieve some stress in the dojo. We both needed to blow off some steam, so it was just straight up sparing hand to hand, no lightsabers. I was sore for a couple of days, but it this time, I didn't get the worst of it. Qui-Gon is claiming age as an excuse. I prefer to believe my improved technique had something to do with it.

Anyway, the strangeness of the Council meeting only increased when Master Piel found me a couple of days later. He asked a great number of questions about you and about our relationship. And then he did something that still has me thinking. He told me to remember that the mandates of the Force come before the Code. Then he just walked off, as if he had done nothing more than comment on the weather. I don't know what is going on.

I've been giving your question a bit of thought, and I'm coming up empty. I have no idea why someone would target the Tal'shari specifically. You are right. It makes no sense. Maybe Kur-Cot's coded message has some insight. Did you ever figure out what it meant? Or maybe this is larger than Kress. You mentioned that there are Houses of Healing throughout the sector. Are there any worlds on which they are the only healers? If those worlds were left without medical care, what would it do?

We just returned from a brief stint as election observers in the Tindari system. I'm not quite sure why we were there. The Tindari haven't had an issue with elections for well over 200 years. And yet every election, they request Jedi observers. As Qui-Gon has said, sometimes just being visible is all that is required for us to keep the peace. Our next mission has us headed to Stewjon. I'm hoping for a quick and uneventful trip. Garren says I am ever the optimist.

Talk to you soon.

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963:5:15

Hi Obi-Wan,

The last message did indeed find me back on Kress. I'm still not fully recovered, but I am making steady, if somewhat slow, progress in that direction. I'm able to walk with a cane these days, and I have started working on the katas that you have taught me thus far. I've found them to be a nice change of pace from the more routine physical therapy I've been doing. My aunt, Jen'sai, is overseeing my rehabilitation. It's created some tension with Bus'cai. I'm not entirely sure why, other than Jen'sai has moved most of my sessions to the healing garden by the boulders, and she is very keen on me doing the katas there. I do have to admit that I seem to progress more quickly when we do that. Jen'sai says it is reminiscent of what happened with you on Unagin and that it is important that we explore the phenomena. I suspect that is why Bus'cai isn't happy. I do not know what it is about my friendship with you that bothers her, but it does. Anyway, the katas are always followed by mediation, which lately has focused weirdly on you. I swear I had a vision of you on Stewjon yesterday. You were with Qui-Gon, another man and a boy, both of whom looked enough like you that I had the sense they were related to you. But that can't be right. You've told me repeatedly that Jedi don't know their families. When I mentioned it to Jen'sai, she raised her eyebrow at me and had me describe what I had seen in detail. It was very strange.

Let's see. What other news do I have? Oh, remember the practical exams I was studying for before the economic summit? I don't have to take them or the last set either. The Council of Elders decided that my efforts on Unagin demonstrated that I had mastered the skills of a Tal'shari. I'm being advanced in rank to Healer. The ceremony will be in a little less than a month. It isn't a big affair, but it would mean a lot to me if you can come. Of course, I understand that will depend on your assignment at the time, but I hope you can somehow manage it. It would be nice to see you and be conscious at the same time.

Donal and De'vona are doing well. The political situation has stabilized for now. I think you might be on to something about the rest of the sector. There are definitely a few worlds, sparsely populated but very wealthy in natural resources where the Tal'shari are the only healers or security. That's it. Wealthy worlds where we are the only security. Whoever was behind this wasn't after the healers. They were after the guards! That is what Kur-Cot was referring to. I thought he was just telling all of us to be careful and to assume we were under observation. I didn't think the message was for me in particular. I figured being taken off house call security was because I was more useful in the House proper than on escort duty. But now that I think about it, only the royal guards or Jordan and Laren went out with adepts after Kur-Cot's message came in. I'm going to have to ask Donal about it the next time I see him. Maybe he'll shed some light on it. I'd ask Kur-Cot, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't get an answer.

Oh, one final piece of news. I had the opportunity to meet a friend of yours, T'lor, when she was here recuperating from her last assignment. She said she'd known you for ages, and that contrary to what you said about Garren's tendency to exaggerate, he's usually pretty accurate with the descriptions of your escapades. She mentioned a game you all used to play - truth or dare, I think is what she called it. It sounds like the Temple is no where near as staid and tranquil as you make it out to be.

Take care, dai'tadiate.

 

Ah, so it was the guards they were after. K'Tai is full of great pieces of news and I'm glad she's being promoted to healer. Love the various reactions to their relationship from others.

 

I'm still here, I'm still here... I'm just a little bit late on reading and reviewing, but I finally caught up.

Soooo. The plot thickens with this mysterious attack -- I love how you drop tidbits of information about it in the protagonists' letters to make the story progress. But what I'm really enjoying is how the relationship between these two develops almost in spite of them or at least without them being really aware of it. It's a powerful bond they have, and it's both interesting and funny to see how their respective councils are reacting. Mace Windu giving Obi-Wan the "stink eye" made me giggle -- it was a nice little barb at how the Jedi leadership are missing important things.

Now I hope that K'tai gets well, that the betrothal issue is sorted out and that Obi-Wan can come to her promotion ceremony. And I have the same question as Findswoman (the one behind the spoiler tag)