Chapter 2
Obi-Wan woke to two realizations: he was in a healer's ward and someone was stabbing his temples with a sharp object. He reached up to shove the hands away that were causing him so much pain, but was surprised to find only smooth skin. The pain seemed to increase with each passing second; a steady shooting pain that ripped through each temple simultaneously.
A human female pushed his hands down. "You must lie still. I'm trying to fix the blaster hole in your chest. Please."
"My head hurts," he croaked out. He clawed at his head to tear the skin away, needing to get at the pain. The healer called for help and that was the last conscious thought he had as she quickly knocked him out with a powerful force suggestion.
Corla shook her head. Force, Anakin had really done it now. She wondered what Vic was going to say about this. Force help Anakin, the boy would likely receive a reprimand from Coruscant. Forging a corporal bond was taken very seriously even when consensual and sanctioned, but forging one by over-healing was considered grievous incompetence in most non-healer's minds.
They didn't understand how easily a healing bond could intensify into a corporal bond, though she'd never heard of a healer accidentally forging a life-bond before. Corla pushed her worry aside; she was confident that the Council was knowledgeable enough in psychic bonding to take the exceptional circumstances into consideration. Anyway, this was obviously the will of the Force. After all, Anakin was powerful, but not that powerful.
The real problem wasn't the bond, but who he had life-bonded with -- the Sith-killer; though she had to admit he had good taste. The knight was a glorious sight to behold. She would never have guessed he was a Jedi; he looked to be one of the pleasure-workers that came here in the season to make fast money. Not that any of the pleasure- workers that came to this sand box ever looked this good.
She had actually blushed when they brought him in clad only in tight leather pants, tall boots and a strappy-looking thing on his chest, replete with pierced nipples. It had been disconcerting to cut him out of those pants and see all that beautiful maleness spread out before her. She had to send two of the padawan assistants away due to their unfocused thoughts and nervous fumbling.
She now knew that he was a Jedi, quite a famous Jedi in fact. Obi-Wan Kenobi, the first person to kill a Sith in a thousand years. He had reportedly been here searching for more Sith and found one in that demon-looking thing that was sitting in the morgue.
She didn't know who was going to be more upset about the life-bond, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin or Vic. Her guess was this one; he didn't look like someone who wanted an inexperienced back-world life-mate hanging around. Of course Vic was sure to be upset as well. Anakin was a promising healer with exceptional power, Vic's pride and joy and his legacy.
She had finally finished cleaning the wound, Force-healing the arteries and burnt flesh around the area from the inside out. Much more healing still needed to take place, but thankfully the life- threatening wound had been repaired in time. Now it was just a matter of a week in the bacta tank and the handsome Jedi would be as good as new.
"How is he?"
Corla turned and smiled. "He's going to be fine. You did a good job stopping the loss of blood and keeping him alive long enough for me to fix the hole in his chest. I'm proud of you."
"Don't be too proud. I'm the one that caused his injury after all," Anakin said sadly.
"You were defending yourself. These things happen."
Anakin just nodded and stared down at the unconscious knight. "He's so - beautiful."
Corla laughed, "Well, I'm not sure if he'd appreciate that description, but I must agree. I never knew Sith-killers looked like this. You are a very lucky man."
Anakin looked up with a beaming smile. "I know. I feel like everything all the sudden makes sense and that I know why I was born." Anakin looked away, trying to hide the hot blush that stained his cheeks.
"Force, you have it bad, don't you?" Corla hesitated momentarily, knowing how much he disliked it when she offered an opinion on his love life, or lack of one. "Look Anakin, I know you must be over the moon right now and it all seems wondrously romantic, but please don't expect too much. Take it slow."
"This from the woman who demanded I see a mind healer because I took a vow of celibacy?" Anakin asked angrily.
Corla bristled at the ferocity in his voice. She really wanted to avoid one of their "sibling spats"; what Vic called the heated arguments they often engaged in, usually arising from Corla offering advice and Anakin rejecting it. This was too important for that. She sighed and responded as calmly as she could. "Don't take it wrong. He is very handsome and I know he's supposed to be one of the most renowned knights but --"
"But what?" Anakin demanded.
"I just think someone who goes around chasing after Sith his whole life and dealing with that type of scum is going to be jaded. It might make someone - bitter, cynical. I don't think he's going to be as thrilled over this bonding as you are. He may see it as a hindrance to his career, his life."
Anakin straightened his back. "You don't know what you're talking about. Vic says that for a life-bond to form spontaneously like this means that it must be exceptionally strong." Anakin turned back to the Jedi, reached out and brushed the red-gold hair back from the knight's forehead. "Don't you have something to do?" he asked over his shoulder curtly.
Corla shook her head in frustration, recognizing her friend's dismissal of her and the discussion. She watched Anakin smooth back the handsome knight's hair with a look of such longing on his face that it frightened her.
"Anakin, stay here and keep him unconscious. I need to supervise the bacta formula preparations."
Anakin nodded absently.
Corla went to the lab and instructed her assistant to give her the bacta analysis report as soon as it was done and to start preparing the bacta tank. She sat in her chair, tapping her chin thoughtfully. She still remembered the day Vic had brought the six year old and his mother to the Jedi ship on Tattoine. He had been a bright and precocious child, totally devoted to his mother. Master Unquin had pulled Vic aside and demanded to know what he thought he was doing. Corla remembered his words as if they were spoken yesterday; "I'm making a difference one slave at a time."
After her master's death she had practically lived at Vic and Anakin's apartment, as much from the need for Vic's guidance through the final steps of her trials as her own loneliness. During that time she had become extremely close to the fourteen year old prodigy, though it had taken a while to break through the aloofness he used to protect himself. When he'd finally trusted her enough to let down his defenses, she'd been shocked to find a lonely and insecure boy who wanted desperately to be loved.
These past five years she'd come to admire his complete and utter devotion to becoming the best Jedi and healer in the Order almost as much she hated his fear of attachment. She believed that fear was what had motivated him to take a vow of celibacy at the ripe old age of fifteen. Since then his intensity and single-minded determination to be a knight had precluded him from participating in social activities or establishing a non-professional relationship with anyone besides her or Vic. Since he was totally inexperienced in regards to intimate relationships, they needed to at least try and prepare him for what lay ahead.
Her mind made up, she quickly commed Vic and as soon as he answered began her tirade. "You need to get down here and speak to your padawan!"
"I have spoken to him, what is the problem?"
"He has some foolish romantic ideas about this bonding. He doesn't seem to understand the volatile nature of new life-bonds. He's already showing symptoms of bonding syndrome. We both know how impulsive he can be, it's imperative that he stay focused and calm if he is going to get through this in one piece. You need to keep him under control, Vic."
"What signs are you speaking of?" Vic asked calmly.
"Intense emotions and aggressive behavior. Have you forgotten when Shmi died? He cried off and on for weeks and would barely eat. He almost died! Nothing you did worked, until he just got out of bed one day like nothing happened. But it did happen and he's never fully addressed it." Corla paused, bringing her emotions back under control. "I can't believe you are taking this so lightly."
"I haven't forgotten. But Corla, you forget that these feelings are normal. As Jedi, we are just not accustomed to dealing with them. I am keeping an eye on him, but I can't prevent this from being painful or joyful. Bonding is always a test. He must deal with this in his own way."
"I hope you know what you are doing. He's a fucking virgin, for Force sake. Thanks to that damned vow of celibacy you allowed him to take, he`s never felt this sexual intensity before; he`s always been too focused on becoming a knight. What happens now that his need for intimacy has finally broken free? What if he is rejected?"
"And as I told you then, Anakin knows his needs and desires better than either of us. He needed to choose his own path then, just as he does now," Vic said sadly. "This will be the greatest challenge he will face in his life and because of that he must find his own way. You and I cannot interfere in this."
Corla nodded, suddenly even more frightened for her friend. "Well, he's practically salivating all over the Sith-killer now. You need to at least explain a few facts of life to him."
"I think that might come better from you Corla. He looks up to you as an older sister and will relate to you better regarding sexual issues."
"Oh yeah, drop this in my lap, why don't you." Corla huffed in annoyance, but knew that Anakin would be too embarrassed to discuss sex with Vic. "Fine, I'll try having one of those talks, but I think man-to-man would be better."
"Let me know how it goes. I'm going to contact the Jedi High Council and see how they wish us to proceed in this matter."
"Force Vic, is it that big of a deal that the High Council has to get involved?"
"Yes, our boy seems to have bonded with a very important person."