Bez tytułu

“I am unsure.” Fear rushed through the Guard. “It attacked… Something attacked. Our kin battled it back. Kept it from following him to an exit point.”

“Oh…. You saw this?”

“It is a blur to my memory. I must meditate and cleanse this grime from me before I can do anything to assist our kin. It sticks to his wounds.”

“Thank you. See the Healers.”

The Guard shook their head. “If I seek their assistance, they will be unfit to tend to him. I will alert them of the potential complication.” They gave a shallow bow before gliding quickly towards the Temple Guard’s wing. And its medical alcove. Feemor adjusted his grip on Obi-Wan for the continued march home. 

Other Temple Guards, hastily dressed in only their training gear and mask approached to assist. No one felt comfortable using the Force around Obi-Wan. Together they lifted their kindred onto a stretcher. Feemor having to reassure Obi-Wan that this was for the best and did not mean Obi-Wan failed anything. 

Finally safe within their sanctuary, Feemor removed Obi-Wan’s mask. He blinked when he did not recognize his kindred. Obi-Wan’s face was exactly the same as Feemor remembered yet the Dark influences distorted everything. The blood soaking one side of his face did not help. Obi-Wan’s gray-blue eyes faded under this intense gloom. Wiping away the blood stained hair, Feemor froze at a chill against his fingers.

A thin lock of hair gleamed stark white amid the dirty auburn hair. He isolated it, lightly running his fingers through the ice cold strands. Obi-Wan shivered. Feemor hated causing his brother pain, but he needed to know. All he found was an absence of Obi-Wan in those strands. He released a careful breath to avoid spooking anyone and backed away. 

The Healers stepped in and did their work. It was a process, protocols to keep the identity of masked Temple Guards protected. Obi-Wan would be in the Halls of Healing within the hour and in a bacta tank soon after. 

Feemor had an important message to relay. “Master Drallig?” His voice shook with just those few words. “You need to come to the Sanctuary.” The Battlemaster did not ask useless questions. He confirmed he was on the way. That was all Feemor needed finally take a seat, removing his mask only to bury his tears into his arms.

He couldn’t be sure how long it took until Cin settled next to him on the bench. A warm presence filled the space and Feemor simply turned into the leader of the Temple Guards. “He will recover,” Cin said quietly. 

“I know,” Feemor muttered. “But he’s too young to be lost.”

“We do not know what he is being sent to accomplish. I got the report of what the Guard saw when erasing the Echos from that ship. We can only do as the Force wills. And be there for him when he struggles. Same as we do for any Guard.”

“It’s not fair.”

“It never is. Demanding it to change will only increase your grief.” Cin rested an arm across Feemor’s back and pulled him into a side hug. “It will not change what Obi-Wan will continue to do.”

“Is their anything we can do to help?”

“I honestly do not know, Feemor. Keep an eye on him. Do not treat him any differently. Giving him a reason to remain is the only thing that has kept so many among us. They are still Temple Guards who know their purpose. It is not a phenomenon isolated to the Guards either. Many Jedi Masters have become lost in the Force. Ones who slip into meditation and never wake.” Cin frowned. “Obi-Wan has you and Quinlan. You’ll both help him remember who he is beyond being an instrument of the Force.”

Feemor finally nodded, wiping away the dried tears. “How long do they think he will need in the bacta tank?”

“The Healers determined he didn’t need it. Just bacta infusions and assisted healing trance. He was more exhausted than injured.”

“But he was bleeding.”

“Most of it was not his. The rest had been treated in the field. Someone is looking out for him… where… when… ever he goes. The darkness is troubling. That is seldom something the Guard must deal with alone. Which I believe is increasing the stresses.”

“The white hair did not feel like him.” Feemor explained. “It felt.. absent of him. Like pieces of him was taken.”

“We can only monitor it. Anymore and it will interfere with what he is doing. It is not something we’ll be able to control, no matter how much we desire it.” Cin patted Feemor’s back. “Go sit with him. Familiar presences will help. Perhaps not Quinlan yet. That boy is too honest and would scare Obi-Wan at this point in time.”