Before - Legends Where Faith Is--A Qui-Gon/OC Jemmiah Chronicles long story--Author's note, 9/21

She was probably thinking that it wouldn't act that fast or that they'd find a cure by then, but I'll say that she was using it as motivation to get the job done, albeit foolishly.

And Karina, heehee, yes...

 

I know I seem to say great story every time, but I really mean it. Thanks for keeping me updated on this fic too, keep up the good work

 

I don't mind the "great stories" at all. Thanks for reading and commenting.

 

oh, your welcome

 

Eeeek! Leona! And now, having processed the fact that everyone's favorite pint-sized lady healer is near to death's door poor Quiggy finds himself on the receiving end of an introduction he'd never have seen coming a mile off! Can't wait to see his reaction!

 

LOL, yeah, when Leona pitched that part of the idea to me, I went "Um..." and then started laughing a lot because it was so unexpected.

 

Here's an interesting bit of trivia:

I went to a grocery store the other day with DantanaSkywalker and we were helped by a person who looked remarkably like the picture of Leona at http://www.hellschancecantina.com/C-Leona.html . I thought that was amusing and then glanced at her nametag. It said Karina! I almost wanted to say "what are you doing here while you're mother's in a coma and the Padawans are dying?!" Instead, I turned to dana and went "Uh-oh. Better get out of here before the rest of my characters show up."

A post is coming tonight.

 

"I'm Dr. P'lila. Karina P'lila."

Oh, this is going to be very interesting down the road. Can't wait to see Leona's reaction.

 

It's going to be very interesting, yes. I'm looking forward to writing the two of them.

No prob, don't sweat it. I liked the idea of a doctor acting on a plague in a literally "do or die" mentality and it seemed that Leona, in that context, might have that mentality. And Karina's going to be fun.

 

I had a feeling Leona had done something like that. Can't wait to see what Qui-Gon makes of Karina.
-K'Tai

 

Yeah, me too.

 

"You know," he guessed.

"That I was born to her, yes," she admitted. "She was not my mother, however."

Qui-Gon didn't comment, only regarded her frankly, inviting explanation.

"I am Dr. P'lila, but I spent too many years as an orphan and a slave before being rescued to set much store by my name."

You don't know how she has been a slave to your memory, to how she had to give up hope on ever finding you.

I'd explain to you the corresponding word for you being an orphan, but there is no word for a parent who loses a child.

"And yet you're here," he observed.

"By assignment," she reminded.

"By the will of the Force."

She snorted none-too-gently, setting down her bag. "If any of this were the will of the Force, Healer P'lila would be in stable condition."

"We cannot blame the foolishness of mortals..."

"Then you're calling her a fool?"

Her tone was not accusatory so much as curious, but the eyes had the same calculating cynicism that Leona could display when she smelled a lie.

"I didn't," he rejoined, "but her current condition is neither my wish nor my doing."

She nodded curtly, then glanced over her shoulder into the room. "It's not the best situation for any of us," she admitted.

"She knew you were coming," he interjected, surprising himself.

"Then, she's been lucid?"

If you can call it that.

"In a manner of speaking," he corrected. "She was awake enough to say that Karina was coming and that she wanted to see her."

The eyes softened and the young woman's shoulders hunched inwards, but she did not comment on that.

"I've gone over all of the data on the disease," she said instead. "If we could find a place more private to converse..."

"Certainly," Qui-Gon said. "Leona's room should do nicely."

She closed her eyes in a gesture of genuine exasperation. "You seem to be missing the point, Master Jinn."

"What do you think the point is?"

"She's already too involved in this," Karina protested. "The last thing a dying woman needs..."

"She's not going to die."

"Are you simply fond of arguing with me and interrupting everything I say," Karina snapped, "or has your Force told you something I should know about?"

I wish you took more after your mother.

Of course, we can't blame everything on genetics, so I'll assume that you learned this attitude from your captors.

"It's more of a hope than anything," he admitted, "but when I meditate on this, she appears in the future."

"Well," she huffed, though there was a distinct note of scorn in her voice, "that's a place for you to start hoping."

 

Despite the utter lack of response to this, I'll be posting either late tonight or Thursday evening. It's finals week, so I have a more limited schedule.

 

My apologies Ish. This has already been a busy week with my oldest starting school as well as the fact were considering moving. My computer time has been limited.

At the moment I'm not liking Karina all that much. Yes I understand that she doesn't feel anything for Leona because they don't know each other, but it wasn't Leona's fault so don't blame her for it. I'm sure she searched through the rubble until her fingers bled looking for Karina.

Now if Qui-Gon can just keep chipping away at that cold exterior...

Excellent post Ish!

 

Ah, back to the frenzy of school. Good luck with that. Keep me updated on the moving. At the moment, you're not supposed to like Karina much. She's bitter and unyielding, but there's always the hope for a change of heart. Thanks for reading.

He's very stubborn, isn't he? ::Hugs Quigon::

 

They returned from questioning medical distribution workers on the third day to find that Leona had apparently regained consciousness for a few moments and had been asking for him.

"It was only for a few minutes," the medic supplied, "but it's a good sign. Her body is now allowing her to control her rest, so she'll be able to take control of other things."

"I thought you were going to put her in stasis," Qui-Gon protested.

"After speaking to An-Paj, he thinks increasing the levels of the hormone-suppressant should be sufficient for the time being."

"Long enough to get her back to Coruscant?" Karina interrupted.

"He refuses to let her come back until she requests it," the other man said grimly. "We can keep here to a certain point, but we can't hold her against her will."

"But you can sedate her?"

"That would be unwise," came the reply.

"What's unwise," Qui-Gon snapped, "is the idea of her being allowed out of that bed."

"She's stable," the man reminded, "and the hormone-suppressants were working well until she became negligent. That will not happen again."

Qui-Gon sighed. "I wish I had your confidence."
*****
"Mmm, you're finally awake."

Leona's groggy observation brought his head up sharply. Her eyes were open, but obviously not focusing well on him. He reached out to clasp her fingers gently.

"I haven't gotten much sleep," he admitted, "since you collapsed on me."

"Always..."

She sucked in a long breath, then let it out in a keening sigh.

"I'm not usually one for dramatics," she said quietly. "Maybe I've been associating too closely to Dex Berlingside."

"I'll be sure to note that in your medical records," he teased.

"You do that," she muttered. "I've been looking for an excuse for years. Any new developments?"

"Dr. P'lila and I have been investigating the source of the contaminated vaccinations, but nothing has led us to believe that it's a pattern."

"It was intentional," she insisted. "The challenge is simply narrowing down the list of potential enemies."

 

Leona allowed herself to 'malinger' for exactly eight hours after the release from the medcenter, then insisted on at least contributing to the research side of the investigation from a spot on the repulsorcouch. Qui-Gon, of course, threatened to use the medpack's strongest sedatives on her, but she glowered demurely and suggested that he back off if he wanted to keep all his bits and pieces in working order.

Karina had gone on a routine tour of one of the major pharmaceutical manufacturing plants on the world that morning, but neither she nor her report had arrived by the time Leona managed to get back on her feet for a few minutes.

"My guess," she postulated over a bowl of soup, "is that we won't get any progress made by looking at their records. This could be a simple matter of contaminated vaccinations..."

"I've never heard of contaminations targeting so specifically," Qui-Gon countered. "I've heard of them affecting certain species or a particular gender..."

"But there seems to be no exception," Leona agreed, "which is a sure sign that this is anything but an accidental contamination."

"Which means we won't find any records to help us," he echoed. "Black market is more likely, since there's a wide appeal for biological weapons."

There was no question of that and Corellia had been the most likely suspect, since most smuggling groups and crime rings used the trade routes in the sector to do their business at one time or another.

"I don't suppose you've considered something rather disturbing," Leona queried.

"I'm looking for people who murder children," Qui-Gon shot back. "THere's little that I consider that isn't rather disturbing."

She grimaced. "Point taken," she conceded. "But you know the nature of the disease."

"Activated by hormones," he recited, "incubation of two days at the most, pulmonary hemmhoraging..."

"Jemmiah was vaccinated on the same day," Leona interrupted.

His stomach twisted at that, since he had seen her name on the list of potential victims and had expected a comm at every moment to notify him that she was afflicted as well. Thus far, however, she seemed to be having a rare reprieve from illness.

"She is just as susceptible as any person there, except she has been immune to it thus far," Leona finished. "Why?"

His eyes flicked up to meet hers. "Tailored to midichlorian counts," he guessed.

"Exactly," she confirmed, "but there isn't much known beyond Temple walls about our particular biochemical natures. It's the reason why most diseases can be treated by the Force--they do not affect our symbiont relationship with the Force."

"Which means," he completed the thought, "that whoever decided to commit this atrocity was one of us at some time."

 

I will be updating this on Wednesday, but bear with me, if there's anyone still out there to care. I've just started a new job and have wanted to sleep and do nothing else with my life every time I get off work since I started last week. It's really frustrating, but I'm easing back into normal posting again.

 

I will catch up. I promise!

 

Wonderful. I just worried after two unanswered story posts. I'll finish this, regardless.

 

I'm still reading Ish! My apologies for not replying earlier. RL was trying to do a number on me.

"Which means," he completed the thought, "that whoever decided to commit this atrocity was one of us at some time."

And atrocity is the correct word to use there too. I can't wait to see what happens to him/her when they find out who caused this.

 

Caught up..

Eegads, Leona! Giving it to yourself... *shakes head*

Oooh... At first I thought of Rufus, but it didn't affect Jem... Interesting developments!

Good job, Ish.

 

mouse2--I'm still reading Ish! My apologies for not replying earlier. RL was trying to do a number on me.

Yeah, me too. Thanks for coming back to read despite my neurotic tendencies. I've finally settled into my new job and am going to move this weekend. My commute, however, has been 5 hours a day, so I haven't been able to write much.

"Which means," he completed the thought, "that whoever decided to commit this atrocity was one of us at some time."

And atrocity is the correct word to use there too. I can't wait to see what happens to him/her when they find out who caused this.

Heehee, me too.

Miana Kenobi--Caught up..

Yay!

Eegads, Leona! Giving it to yourself... *shakes head*

That was one of the first things that I came up with independent of Leona's suggestions.

Oooh... At first I thought of Rufus, but it didn't affect Jem... Interesting developments!

Good job, Ish.

I hadn't thought of Rufus. More interesting, still!