Part 7 - THE HAPPIEST YEAR

PART I - PART II - PART III - PART IV - PART V - PART VI


Over the next year, Master Jeran was true to his word, and sent Traelyn around the galaxy on various missions. Supplying emergency medical support to outlying colonies, administering vaccinations to children and taking newly discovered medicines to the poorer planets outside the core region. Often she was sent to do her most satisfying service, treating neurological or systemic disorders that only Jedi healers could cure.

Jedi rules required a healer to be accompanied by a Knight on such missions, for the healer's protection. Often it was Obi-Wan who accompanied Traelyn, although he laughed at her need for protection.

"You're as good with a lightsaber as I am," he remarked.

"Yes, but you are better with words than I am," she replied with a smile. "Who knows what sort of diplomatic incident I could cause without you along to keep my mouth from overrunning my brain."

Usually, young Anakin did not accompany them, for he was studying at the Temple with other the other younglings his age. Traelyn and Obi-Wan had never enjoyed so much privacy or freedom in their lives. Often the missions involved a layover of several days while they waited for transport, and they put their time to good use.

While Traelyn learned new and unusual healing practices from the people she went to serve, Obi-Wan enjoyed learning the customs and politics of the different worlds. It didn't take long for him to develop a deep mistrust of politicians.

"You don't have to be a Jedi to know when a politician is lying, you know," he said to her one night at dinner. "You only have to hear that he is speaking!"

They were treated with kindness and respect wherever they went. They ate in exotic restaurants and slept in fine hotels and resorts, or had their meals with local families and slept on pallets on the floors of farmhouses. Every experience added to their education as Jedi, for everyone they met had something to offer.

And most nights, they had each other.

* * *

First there was Dantooine, where the work took a only few hours but they had two days to wait for transport, and decided to visit the lush forests surrounding the port city.

They camped out beside a thermal waterfall, swimming in the clear, warm water, laughing and splashing about like younglings. They'd made love beneath shooting stars and in the pale light of the twin moons as they set just before dawn.

It was there that Obi-Wan finally found the courage to try to link his mind with hers during sex, a lesson he'd learned from Qui-Gon years before, but had never had the nerve to try. The results were astounding. The blending of their emotions was like melting two metals together, forging the whole of the experience into something stronger than the two halves.

Traelyn had wept with joy as she clung to him, and he felt as if a star had gone supernova inside his body.

"How?" She'd whispered.

"Qui-Gon told me about it, but I couldn't believe it was true."

"I think we caused a ripple in the Force," she said with a giggle.

* * *

They spent nearly a week on Chandrila, when Traelyn's patient needed multiple treatments. Obi-Wan had brought Anakin along, and they spent their days exploring Obi-Wan's home planet. Even though he had no memory of ever having lived there, he was naturally curious about the culture of his family's planet.

"Aren't you going to look for your mom?" Anakin asked.

"No," Obi-Wan replied, "There would be no purpose to that, she would be a stranger to me."

"But she would remember you," Anakin said.

Obi-Wan had no answer.

At dinner that night, Anakin asked Traelyn about her family. "The Jedi are my family, Anakin," she said. "I've lived at the Temple since I was a little baby."

"Traelyn and I had the same caregiver when we were tiny younglings," Obi-Wan says. "She doesn't remember, but I do. When we were older we were in the same clan, so we are like siblings, you might say." Traelyn hid her smile behind her wine glass.

"Is that why you both talk funny?" Anakin asked.

"Well, I suppose that is true," Obi-Wan replied with a chuckle.

"Your mom probably misses you," Anakin said innocently.

Traelyn laughed. "I don't think so."

"Leave it, Anakin," Obi-Wan said with a quelling look.

Later that night, after Anakin had gone to sleep, Obi-Wan and Traelyn sat on the balcony of her hotel room and shared a bottle of wine. The night breezes were warm, and smelled of sweet flowers.

"I don't know what to say to Anakin when he is missing his mother."

"Digeeta cared for us like a mother would," Traelyn said thoughtfully. "Think how you might feel if you were not certain that she was safe and happy back at the Temple. The Jedi care for our own, it is our way. But it is not the way of Anakin's people."

"I have tried to teach him to put her out of his mind, but there are nights he cries for her. He thinks I don't hear him."

"I sense he misses her very much. And he has great concern for her well-being. I could feel his worry during dinner tonight. I think you should go to the Council and ask them to... improve her situation." Traelyn sipped at her wine and gazed at the stars.

"It was wrong for us to leave her in slavery, but we had no other choice," Obi-Wan mused.

"Then, but something could be done now. Surely our treasury can afford to free a slave and set her up in some better living situation. It would ease Anakin's mind a great deal."

"Or he could learn to live with it," Obi-Wan said. "If he really wants to be a Jedi, he has to put that behind him."

'Perhaps," she replied, but she did not share her unease about the boy. She still felt a peculiar grayness about him, but Obi-Wan had enough to worry about without her adding that to his thoughts.

Obi-Wan hopped across the balcony railing to his own room to check on Anakin. He returned with a smile. "He's fast asleep, and peacefully this time."

"He should be, I slipped some sleep enhancing waves into his thoughts at dinner," she grinned.

Obi-Wan held out his hand, and led her into her room, leaving the doors open so they could smell the sweet breezes and hear the night birds singing while they shared a gentle reminder of their affection for each other.

* * *

There several trips when Obi-Wan did not accompany her, and she made friends with other Jedi during the voyages and enjoyed the company of people from other worlds. Without classes to study for, she had time to enjoy holonovels, and she finally learned to play dejarik and sabaac.

There would be many times in the future that Traelyn would look back and consider that except for her lingering grief for Qui-Gon, that year was the happiest time of her life.

* * *

One day Traelyn returned from a trip to find her Master gravely ill. The other healers were baffled by his condition, as all the scanners registered nothing, and none of their Force techniques found anything wrong.

"Why didn't you send for me?" She asked Master Porgon.

"Why should I have? You are only a Padawan, after all," he replied crankily.

"Yes, but I'm HIS Padawan. Don't you think I have any feelings for him?"

She fumed at the other healers, although they outranked her, it was no excuse for such thoughtlessness.

She sat with Master Jeran for several hours, holding his hand and poking around in his mind. She opened up her empathic abilities, reaching out towards his unconscious body.

Suddenly, she caught the feeling of something dark, something out of place. She placed her hand on the back of his head and opened herself further to her emotions and to the Force. She called for Master Porgon.

"He's got a blood clot in the left rear quarter of his brain," she said.

"That's impossible, the scanner would have picked it up," he said.

"It's right here," she replied, taking his hand placing it on the spot. Porgon's eyes went blank for a moment as he reached into the Force.

"Blast, you're right, there is something there!"

* * *

When Master Jeran had recovered, he suggested it was time for Traelyn to take her trials. "You've proven yourself medically, my Padawan, it is time for you to face the council."

Traelyn smiled. "Yes, Master."

When the day came, Traelyn was first sent to the training area, where she demonstrated her physical fitness. Swimming, climbing, running, acrobatic leaps and jumps were all part of the test.

Then she moved on to the swordmaster. "Good Morning, Master Drallig," her Master said as they entered his domain.

Master Drallig turned and looked at Traelyn. "Oh, my favorite remote destroyer!" He said with a chuckle. "I have something here for you." He reached into a cabinet and pulled out a gleaming new remote. "Ten emitters, a thousand random intervals, and a transparisteel lens."

"Oh, shiny," Traelyn said, her eyes glittering with anticipation.

The remote followed her into the center of the training room, hovering just above her head. She turned to face it, and the swordmaster clicked it to life. The first few shots it took at her were predictable, and she deflected them away with ease. But, the faster she moved, the faster the remote reacted.

It backed her up, almost against a wall, but she tumbled away and landed on her feet behind the seeker, which fired a shot as it rotated around and she deflected it directly back into its emitter, frying it.

The remote continued shooting at her randomly, but it seemed to be following her movements. She sent a backhanded slash towards it, searing an emitter with the tip of her saber blade, pushing the melted metal towards the remote's eye.

As she fought the remote, she was only slightly aware of the group of people who had gathered to watch. Not only were the council masters there, but a large group of Padawans, and Obi-Wan and Anakin.

She took out two more emitters with deflected shots, and then scored a glancing blow to the side of the hovering orb, sending it spinning out of control. Master Drallig caught the ball and adjusted a few knobs on it, and sent it back after Traelyn, but before he re-started its firing sequence, he tied a blindfold around Traelyn's head.

She grinned at the challenge, and took her stance. As the remote hummed to life, she went deep into the Force, letting it guide her hands and feet back and forth across the room. She twirled and dodged the energy bolts, deflecting them away and scoring two more hits on the globe. It was down to less than half its emitters, but it was a machine and wasn't programmed for surrender.

She was on the offensive now, so deep in the Force that her arms moved her lightsaber with the fluidity of a swimmer, and her feet slid across the floor like a dancer. Suddenly, the remote reversed its course and zinged backwards past her head, but it wasn't quick enough.

Traelyn sensed the air moving by her face an instant before it happened, and she swung her lightsaber up and drove it into the remote's transparisteel eye. It fell to the floor, dead.

The younglings cheered and Traelyn removed her blindfold and blinked her eyes to see such a crowd assembled. Master Jeran was grinning happily, and the swordmaster looked annoyed.

"That remote was fresh from the factory! State of the art," he grumbled. "Well, let's see how your defenses are!" He ignited his saber and charged after her.

She blocked and parried his strikes, moving around in circles to stay out of corners, somersaulting and flipping over him and turning the fight the other direction. All that sparring with Obi-Wan paid off, as she remembered his defensive tactics and moved in turn with Master Drallig's attacks.

But as she tired, she grew impatient with the standoff and tried to Force push him down, and he caught her with a wave of his own. She went down, his saber pointed at her neck.

He chuckled and extended his hand and pulled her to her feet. "Well done, Padawan." Traelyn was pleased, for that was high praise from the swordmaster, who rarely complimented anyone.

Traelyn caught site of several of the High Council members leaving the room as Master Jeran approached her. "We're to see the council in one hour." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "This is it, my Padawan. The hardest test of all. But you will become a Jedi Knight today, I feel it in the Force. Now go shower and change, and meet me at the Council chambers."

"Yes, Master."

* * *

Traelyn ran to her room, showered, brushed out and rebraided her hair, pinning it tightly to her head. She smoothed out her Padawan braid, wondering if she was about to part with it. Quickly she dressed in her best tunic, a long brown skirt, indoor boots and her newest cloak.

As she exited the elevator at the top of the Council spire, she took several deep, calming breaths before she approached her Master. "I am ready, Master," she said bravely.

Just then the door opened, and the youngling serving as the Council's helper that day announced solemnly that the Council would see them now.

As always, she was awed by the view from the Council chambers. Without showing any emotion, she stood before Master Yoda and bowed. Master Jeran stood behind her, a reversal of every other time they'd come before the Council.

She stood without moving for two hours while the Council members tested her Force abilities and skills, and questioned her. She moved only to face the Master who was speaking. Questions on diplomacy, fighting styles, healing techniques, the ethics of battlefield medicine and euthanasia. And most of all, the Jedi Code. Anger leads to hate... trust in the Force... wisdom over passion... in trying, one does... believe and you will succeed...

"How feel you?" Asked Master Yoda.

"At peace, Master," she replied.

"Then eye-to-eye face me you must," he said. Master Jeran gently nudged her in the back, and she stepped forward and knelt on one knee before the diminutive master.

"A long time have I waited for this, Padawan Traelyn. A day perhaps never would come, I believed." He chuckled. "Commit your life to the Jedi Order, do you? To serving others, and upholding justice you dedicate yourself? The responsibility of a Jedi Knight do you desire and accept?"

"Yes, Grand Master."

"Then a Jedi Knight you shall be."

Master Jeran stepped forward, and igniting a small laser scalpel, he lifted Traelyn's Padawan braid and severed it, holding it tenderly in his hand for a few moments before taking her hand and placing the thin plait of hair into it.

"Keep this with your most valued treasures, Jedi Traelyn. It will remind you always of the journey you took to get to where you are, to who you are, and it will always be a symbol of your learning and acceptance of our ways." He extended his hand and gracefully she rose her to her feet.

"May the Force be with you both," Master Windu said, gesturing towards the door in an indication that they were dismissed. They bowed to the Council members and left the chamber, Master Jeran's arm around her shoulders.

As the door slid shut behind them, Traelyn caught sight of Obi-Wan, waiting just around the bend of the corridor. Grinning, she held up her braid and ran towards him and he scooped her up in a wampa hug, whirling her around. "We did it!" She cried.

Master Jeran was smiling, but looked a bit puzzled.

"When we were very young, and in trouble with Master Yoda, we swore we'd find a way to become Jedi Knights," she explained.

Jeran grinned at them both. "And so you have. Try not to forget it, either," he said with mock sternness. Slipping a credit chip into Obi-Wan's hand, he whispered in his ear. "Take her out for dinner, and perhaps breakfast, too." He winked, and then strode away, his own emotions threatening to overflow.