(oops) None of Us Perfect 6/9

Sorry about the blank post...hit return instead of the tab key. {{looking embarrassed}}

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None of Us Perfect Part Six
Elismor July 2002



Obi-Wan entered the last of his calculations into the hyperdrive
computer and sat back, watching them process across the screen. When
he was satisfied that all was well he swiveled in his chair, turning
to face his companion.

"We have some time before we reach Naboo space," he said. "Why don't
you go rest?"

Eliel spared him a somewhat sour glance, then returned to her
analysis of the ship's systems. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," he responded as casually as he could muster.

She refused to look at him, choosing instead to stare out the
viewscreen at the streaks of light streaming by. "If one more person
tells me I am not well, I swear?"

"You're not well, though," he countered.

True, her most recent treatment, ordered by Master Yoda himself, had
done her a world of good. Eliel's complexion was closer to its
normal, healthy shade than he'd seen it in days and she was moving
far more freely than she had on Tatooine. But she wasn't completely
healed. Not yet.

"I told you, I'm fine."

She wasn't fine, of course. Her lung capacity was still severely
compromised, despite Ando's ministrations, and her right hand was
weak; too weak, even, to grip the weapon that was as much a part of
Eliel Jensei as her own arms. Every trip to the bacta tank brought
her closer to wellness. Every potion that Ando slathered on her
scarred skin loosened damaged muscles and made it easier to control
her digits. Every day and every breath carried with it more strength
and stamina. And every moment was tainted by the fact that she was
healing while her Padawan was dead.

He frowned, but thought it better to refrain from responding. It was
clear from both her tone and years of experience interacting with her
that Eliel was more than done with the conversation. A change in
topic was the only way to avoid a very long and very silent trip to
Naboo.

"What made you decide to come?" he asked.

Obi-Wan watched as a flicker of jocundity ran across her face and he
guessed that she was about to make a wise remark in reply, but Eliel
swallowed the expression suddenly.

"If someone really is interested in Anakin, it seems a safe bet that
a good place to find him would be somewhere in the vicinity of your
Padawan," she said.

"You don't think that's a little?obvious?"

She shrugged. "If they're desperate enough to hire bounty hunters to
kill two Jedi in broad daylight?"

Obi-Wan grunted, conceding the point. "Is that all?"

Eliel turned in her chair, fixing him with a curious gaze. "What
else would there be?"

He spun back to the controls, affecting a need to examine the stream
of data that their R4 unit had just sent. Some things were easier to
say without eye contact. "When Qui-Gon died, the last place I wanted
to be was in the temple."

Eliel swallowed suddenly, clearly displaying the fact that he'd
struck a raw nerve. She turned back to her own display, but wound up
staring blankly into the space between her body and the console. He
left her alone for a few minutes, knowing that the potential for
things to get ugly was very great. Finally, when he was convinced
that she wasn't going to leave the cockpit all together, Obi-Wan
spoke.

"Do you remember," he asked, "what you said to me about him?"

"I said a lot of things."

"You said that none of us can control the moment when another's work
becomes complete."

Eliel shot a glance his way, then buried herself in a second run
through of the diagnostic program for the weapons system. "It's not
the same."

"It is."

She looked up sharply, allowing an edge to creep into her voice.
"Qui-Gon was a grown man who lived a long and useful life. Nerilu
was just a girl."

"Perhaps," he offered, still studying the viewscreen, "her work was
to save you on that day."

Eliel snorted derisively. "You give my place in things entirely too
much weight."