For the Greater Good

A/N A hearty cheer for the much needed beta-ing from General Tacticus and Light of Ahrnell. You guys rock! The action sequence was much shorter and much more boring before you guys came along. Thanks to Miraea Starr for her input as well. I got the idea from the Disciple thread in the forums, specifically from something Frandarts said. Thanks, you guys!

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In the dim light of early morning, I slid my hand across the bed, seeking my husband's warmth and strength. His side of the bed was cold and empty, and I sighed. He'd left for Coruscant only yesterday, a fact that had slipped my sleep-fuzzed mind. Sometimes it was hard, being a Senator's wife. My disappointment and loneliness melted away a moment later as the soft sound of padding feet and dragging blanket caught my ears.

"Mama?" queried a soft voice. "Me eat?"

I rolled over to find luminous blue eyes only inches from my own. My heart swelled as dimpled fingers reached out and touched my face, as if to make sure I was there.

I smiled at my little visitor. "Good morning, Sweetheart, how did you sleep?" I pulled him up into bed with me and he snuggled down in my arms between the soft sheets.

"Good," he yawned, and asked again, "Me eat?"

"Yes, I'll get up in a minute. What should we have?" I breathed in the clean scent of his cornsilk hair, and hugged him close. Although Mical was fast approaching his third lifeday, his belly still had its sweet baby roundness.

"Eggs," he responded automatically, and then squirmed. "Too tight, Mama," he complained. I let him go, and he slid off the bed with a thump.

As he toddled off to the kitchen to tell our Twi'lek cook about the eggs, I braided my hair and slid into a robe. Relishing the thick white carpet between my toes, I decided against slippers and went barefoot after my precious son.

When I reached the kitchen, Cook handed me my daily cup of chokoa and a newsholo. I smiled at Mical, who was washing his little hands while standing on a stool at the sink. He was up to his elbows in suds, bubbles taking flight all around him. Normally a serious child, bubbles delighted him and his rare dimpled grin adorned his chubby face. "Don't forget to rinse, Sweetheart," I reminded him as I sat at the kitchen table.

Breathing in the sweet heat of my chokoa, I took a cautious sip before I scanned the newsholo. Sometimes, there were stories about the Republic Senate in the holo, and I could show Mical pictures of his Daddy. The first few entries were about celebrities and galactic crime, but no Senate stories. The last entry, however, caught my eye, and my hand flew to my mouth.

"The Jedi have arrived! Oh, Cook, I knew this would happen while Jett was gone!" The calm joy of the morning was shattered. Breakfast forgotten, I scanned the story frantically, looking for the details of their whereabouts and plans for recruitment. My heart pounded when I read they would be setting up locally. It would be up to Cook and I to keep Mical safe from their searching eyes.

"Be calm, Mistress El'ine," Cook chided gently, her fat lekku resting on her substantial shoulders. "We have a plan, everything will be okay." Cook was a valuable presence in our household. Her pink, jolly face and quick mind were a great comfort. She wiped her hands on the expanse of her apron and dished up Mical's eggs.

I watched him eat with my heart in my throat. Mical chewed solemnly and neatly, leaving no crumbs. Some of my friends thought he was eerily quiet for a toddler, but I reveled in his calm brightness. He was a great foil for my quick emotions, bringing me greater inner peace than I had known before his birth. I knew Mical would be a great help to me as he grew up, with the large family Jett and I had planned. All our hopes for the future would be dashed if the Jedi got their hands on my Force-sensitive son.

In between bites, Mical looked at me and asked, "Mama, what a Jed-i?"

I sighed. "You don't miss much, do you, Sweetheart? A Jedi is a person who has great power, and uses it to help people." I kept to myself my opinions that they were baby-snatchers and home wreckers, as well. Before becoming a mother, I'd loved the Jedi and all they stood for. Now I just feared them. "Daddy works with the Jedi, sometimes, when he's on Coruscant."

"Grapes?" Mical looked to Cook to supplement his breakfast.

"How do we ask?" I prompted.

"Grapes, please," he corrected. "Me go 'Scant with Daddy," Mical informed me then, as he did once a day when Jett was gone. "Maybe see Jed-i."

"Someday, Mical. Finish up, we're going on a little trip today," I said, carefully keeping my fears out of my voice. I didn't want to worry Mical; he picked up on my feelings too easily sometimes. Glancing over at him, I had to stifle a laugh. He had a grape in each cheek, making his round face even rounder. Life as the mother of a toddler was full of conflicting emotions. I became even more determined to keep my son.

Leaving Cook to put together some food for the trip, Mical and I went to the sleeping quarters so I could pack our things. My mind raced as I threw clothes and toys and other necessities in a bag to take with us. I debated calling to cancel my daily appointments, but I did not want to alert my friends to our flight. Many of the other diplomat's wives were good women, but the less they knew, the less they'd be able to tell the Jedi when they came looking for Mical and other children like him.

Jett and I knew Mical was different from other children the moment he was born. He did not cry, he rarely fussed, and he took everything in with large, bright eyes that revealed great intelligence. Mical reached his baby milestones months ahead of other children his age. We were not aware of his affinity to the Force, however, until he was nearly a year. At that time, he stopped crawling or toddling to an object he wanted, and began calling the objects to him. It was startling to find blankets or lidded cups moving ponderously through the air to his chubby, outstretched arms. My husband especially loved to watch Mical build fantastic block buildings without ever picking up a block.

It was about this time that I had to learn to control my emotions better. If I was upset about Jett leaving, or if I argued with my mother, or even got angry at an incompetent speeder mechanic, Mical would pick up quickly on my feelings. He would either become distressed himself, or try to make me feel better.

I came out of my reverie when Mical tugged on my robe. "Me help."

"Okay, Sweetheart," I smiled, hugging him. "What would you like to do?"

"Bring books?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Yes," I replied. Ancient family heirlooms, the non-automated, bound-paper volumes were very precious. Mical pored endlessly over the stationary pictures, and often asked me to read them to him. Reading would be a good diversion while we waited out the Jedi "invasion" at our summer retreat in the countryside.

Gently Mical brought me his favorite books, calling one to his hand that he'd forgotten on the shelf. "Maybe you should stop doing that, Mical," I said. "Other people shouldn't see you use the Force."

"Why?" he asked, startled.

I looked at him helplessly, not having a good answer. "People wouldn't understand," I said lamely.

"Me like Force," he frowned. Mical never had typical toddler tantrums, but he could be very stubborn. "Do it myself."

It was true, he could use his abilities to do things he didn't have the motor skills or limb length to do otherwise. It really made him very independent. My heart fell a little at the thought of taking that away from him. "Okay, Sweetheart," I gave in, "but only if there's no strangers around."

He nodded, the frown melting away. Climbing into my lap, he asked, "Where we going?"

"To the woods house," I answered, stroking his wheat-gold hair. "Remember in the summer, we went there? With the flowers, and bugs, and rocks?"

"And aminals," he added, brightening. "Me make broken nuna better."

"Yes, you did," I answered proudly. Two months ago, Mical had healed an infection on the leg of a baby nuna that had wandered away from its swamp. We hadn't let him keep it, but Jett and I had marveled at Mical's healing instincts.

Finished with the packing, I took Mical back to Cook so I could dress. Free from Mical's astute little presence, I stood in the shower, finally allowing the tears I'd been holding back all morning to fall. Fear and apprehension washed over me as surely as the waves of the sonic shower, and futilely I wished for Jett's strong presence to anchor me.

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As Cook and I loaded the speeder, I gave her instructions to contact Jett on a private line, and to tell inquiring callers that Mical and I were suffering from a case of Bonadan cough. Hopefully, that would give us a few days before our absence was noticed by our friends and neighbors. Then the jolly Twi'lek went back in to get Mical. He came out to our family's landing pad, pulling his blanket, and I lifted him up into his safety seat. His pudgy legs dangled and he settled back into his seat with a happy little look on his face. I hoped our impromptu flight would turn out to be a short, fun getaway.

This hope was dashed before I could even get our speeder off the landing pad. A city government transport landed next to us, and a stern, middle-aged man in simple robes emerged. My stomach twisted with fear as I spotted the lightsaber at his belt, but I faced him calmly.

"May I help you, sir?" I asked with a steady voice. I kept my hands out of sight so he would not see them shake.

"Are you Mistress Kels, the wife of Senator Jett Kels?" the Jedi asked, frowning. He looked around at our lovely neighborhood with barely concealed disdain.

"Yes, I am. Pardon me, but I am in somewhat of a hurry to make an appointment. Is there anything I can do for you before I go?" I asked, feigning patience.

"I am Jedi Master Vrook, Mistress Kels. We both know why I am here. Can we go inside for a few moments?" He looked me pointedly in the eye.

My heart sank when he spoke the word 'Master'. I would not be able to hold him off for long. "I'm afraid not, sir. I really must go. Senator Kels is on Coruscant for the rest of the week. Perhaps you can come back when he is here," I stated firmly. My heart was pounding, and perspiration began to gather at the nape of my neck.

Master Vrook frowned, stepping around behind the speeder, blocking a hasty escape. "I timed my visit very deliberately, Mistress Kels. This will only take a few moments. Let us go inside."

"No. I have urgent business elsewhere." I narrowed my eyes at him, hoping he wouldn't notice that I was really beginning to sweat.

"This goes easier if the child's parents co-operate, Mistress Kels."

"Child? What are you talking about?" I put on my best puzzled look, shielding my eyes from the sun and tilting my head.

Master Vrook did not show any impatience or frustration with me, only firm resolve. "You cannot fool me, Ma'am. Senator Kels shows off holos of your son at every opportunity."

I gave up all futile pretenses, dropping my arms to my sides. "You cannot have him, Master Vrook," I said, heart in my throat. "He's my only son, my baby."

"Mama?" Mical called from his seat. He must have registered my emotions and become frightened. I turned to him then, heart wrenching at the tears that stood out in his clear eyes. "You 'kay, Mama?"

"Yes, Sweetheart, I'll be fine. Mama just needs to talk to this man for a moment," I tried to reassure him. Digging through a bag on the pilot's seat, I pulled out a chokoa ration bar and handed it to Mical. Master Vrook stood by silently. He seemed to be impressed with Mical's empathic abilities, and was not showing any sign of giving up.

"If you will not step inside, Mistress Kels, we can conduct this interview out here. I am here on Alderaan solely for your son and one other. I will not leave until you hear me out."

I thought for a moment, desperate for a plan. The sun was getting hotter, and the older lady in the house across the way was watching our exchange out the window. Hopefully she wouldn't report the scene to the rest of the neighbors. "Very well, we'll discuss this inside. However, it would only be fair to inform you that I have no intention of capitulating." Adrenaline pumped through my veins as though I were wearing an implant, turning my fear into a fight-or-flight response.

The Jedi Master nodded curtly, and stepped to the front porch. Seeing my chance, I quickly slipped into the speeder, pushing the supply bag into the other seat. Blood pounding in my already aching head, I threw the speeder into gear and backed out without looking into the neighborhood lanes and sped away; leaving Master Vrook cursing loudly in my wake. Just before I turned the corner, I saw the Jedi Master jump into the government transport.

I continued to sweat as my fingers fumbled at the controls of the speeder. The posh neighborhoods flew by in a blur as I tried to put as much distance between myself and Master Vrook as possible.

"What doin', Mama?" Mical's frightened little voice floated from the back seat. "We go fast?"

Carefully keeping an eye out for the government transport Vrook had been using, I stepped up the speed even more. "Yes, Mical, we're going fast." My voice shook. "Is it fun to go fast?" I asked, hoping to distract him from his fear.

"No, Mama. Scared," he said, his little voice edging closer to tears. I wished I could turn around and comfort him, but pushed the thought away as I dodged traffic. Turning around right now was a bad idea; traffic seemed to be getting thicker as we flew closer to the center of town.

We passed the government center and my stomach flipped each time we passed a government transport. Surely Master Vrook was not here alone; any one of these transports could hold a Jedi Knight or another Master. Would they know us by the sight of the speeder? If we did pass too close to another Jedi, would they feel my son through the Force? I cursed my lack of knowledge on the subject, vowing to learn all I could about the Force at some later, safer date.

I continued my mad dash through the city, never slowing. Mical whimpered in the back seat. Time seemed to slow even as the scenery flew by, bringing my fear into sharp focus. The sound of my heartbeat roared in my ears; only to be replaced by the alarming din of police sirens.

Glancing at the rear-view display, I counted three police speeders and Vrook's government transport. Now I was running from the law as well as the Order. I poured on the speed.

The route to the woods house cut directly across town, with noon traffic, shoppers, and construction work between me and my safe haven. I made several false turns, hoping to lose the police or at least put some distance between us.

Businesses and shops flew by. I moved further up into the topmost lanes of traffic, putting freight transports and hoverboats between my baby and our pursuers. My jaw ached from clenching my teeth. My fuel meter showed red and began to beep.

In the corner of the perimeter display, a dim, unused alley caught my eye. I turned at the last moment, hoping I could finally slow down and comfort my sobbing son if we were no longer in traffic. I would worry about the fuel levels later.

I breathed a sigh of relief as the police units fell off my radar. Before I could relax any further, a construction crane swung its deadly arm into my path. Mical and I both screamed, and I banked hard to the right, the bright yellow arm filling the front window. We narrowly missed the crane, but I plowed directly through a pack of drone construction droids moving between the buildings forming the alley.

The noise was terrific, debris flying everywhere. Screaming, I realized one of the drones was being manned by a Rodian worker. I braked immediately. I watched helplessly, my own troubles momentarily forgotten, as the ill-fated Rodian hurtled through the air toward the hard ground below.

Suddenly, the Rodian stopped in mid-air and glided gently downward, landing on his feet. I couldn't see his expression from my vantage point high above him, but my own eyes were wide, disbelieving. I glanced back at Mical in surprise. His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed; one pudgy hand was thrown out in front of him. Had he saved the worker from certain death?

This question troubled me as I continued on, hunting for a hidden place to stop and gather my shattered nerves. Was I keeping my son from a great destiny? We were at the edge of town, only a few kilometers away from the main thoroughfare to the countryside. With my goal in sight and my resolve being tested, my head swam and my hands shook at the controls.

I flew out of the alley, following the lane and finally able to go at a reasonable speed. I glanced back at my baby again, filled with wonder. "Mical, did you just use the Force?"

"Sorry, Mama." His brow furrowed again, and he looked very guilty.

"I'm sorry I told you not to, Mical. The Force is a wonder--"

I should never have taken my eyes off the road. Too late, I saw a speeder coming from the side and tried to swerve.

"Mical!" I screamed as the other speeder hit us in the side, sending us in a spiral drop to the surface of the cityscape below. Mical's frightened cries were drowned out in the crunch of metal and transparisteel. The last thing I saw was his terrified face in the rear-view display.

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In the dim light, I slid my hand across the bed, seeking my husband's warmth and strength. Far too soon, my hand dropped off the side, and I sat up, startled. It was a mistake. My head swirled, and the vertigo and resulting nausea were enough to send me flopping back onto the single, useless pillow. A shyrack beat its nasty wings in my head. I gasped for breath, receiving an acerbic whiff of kolto and cleaning fluid.

"Please remain calm, Mistress Kels," a metallic voice grated next to me. "I am MD-99, the medical droid assigned to you. You have been in a speeder accident, and have sustained some head injuries."

Groaning, I rubbed my eyes. That would explain the errant shyrack. "Where is my son? Is he okay? Can you turn a light on in here?"

"The lights are all on, Mistress Kels. You are experiencing vision disturbances due to your concussion." MD-99's cold, clinical voice made my headache worse.

"Where is my son?" The droid's avoidance of my questions about Mical bothered me more than the news about my eyes. A flutter of fear entered my heart. "Is Mical okay?"

"Someone will be here shortly to answer your questions. My functionality encompasses diagnosing injuries and dispensing medication; compassion and empathy are best left to sentient organic beings." With a whir of servo-motors, the annoying droid left the room.

I felt around the bed for a comlink or alert button, panicking more the longer it took me to find it. Finally my fumbling, jelly-like fingers found the call-button, and I pressed it with all the strength left to me. By the time someone answered, I was hysterical.

"Help!" I sobbed. "Where's my son? Where's my baby?"

"Shhh." A calm, kind voice and a warm, firm hand in my own went a long way toward calming me down. "I'm Jon, the medic here. I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up, I was on break."

Gasping for breath again, I managed to croak out again, "Where's my son?"

"Mical is fine, he's in the nursery with his father. He's quite a remarkable little guy, Mistress Kels. Not a scratch on him."

I gripped Jon's reassuring hand even harder in my relief. "Please, I must see him!" Then, the full weight of what he'd said hit me. "His father? Senator Kels is off-planet."

"He caught the very next transport off Coruscant when we called him. He arrived only a moment ago." The medic hesitated. "You were out for a couple of days, Mistress Kels."

"Please, will you tell them to come and visit me?" Now that I could relax about Mical, I strained to look around. Gentle thumbs moved my eyelids around and turned my head, but a fuzzy grey dimness was all that registered. The throbbing pain in my head had lessened, but was still a definite presence.

"Tell you what," Jon said after he finished his examinations. "I'll go get your test results from the lab, and on my way I'll send your family in."

"Thank you."

The medic left, closing the door softly behind him. I settled down into the uncomfortable sheets and closed my eyes, but kept my ears alert for the sound of footsteps near my room.

I must have fallen asleep waiting, for I awoke to the sound of soft voices, and a little body climbed up onto me. I was happy to feel Mical with me, even though his movements brought my headache into focus.

"Welcome to the land of the living, El'ine," quipped Jett. His jolly voice was quite welcome, and I smiled. "You gave us quite a scare, Sweetheart!"

I was alert enough to feel some guilt; I could have gotten us both killed. "I'm sorry," I said lamely. "I guess I just panicked."

"Scary, Mama," echoed Mical. I could not see him, but his reassuring weight and warmth were all I needed. "You 'kay, Mama?"

"Yes, Mical, I'm okay. Are you?"

"Me drink chokoa shake!"

The adults in the room laughed, and I wished I could see Mical's face. Jett came and sat on the edge of the bed, making a cozy family circle. I sighed, realizing it would probably be awhile before the scene would be replayed at our own home.

"Who else is here?" I asked, recalling the soft voices I'd heard as I woke.

"I'm here, Mistress Kels," replied Jon, the medic. 'I've been telling Senator Kels about your test results."

Jett took my free hand and squeezed it. I looked in the direction I thought he was in, but saw only thick, varying shades of grey. Would I ever see my husband's handsome face again? Would I be able to see my darling son as he grew?

"I'm afraid the tests are inconclusive. Normally with a head injury such as yours, there's only a field of vision loss. That means you would have little to no peripheral vision, but you'd be able to see straight ahead. We don't know why you've lost most of your vision, to tell you the truth, and the technology needed to restore your vision is still in its early stages."

'So I'm blind,' I stated numbly.

'For now. We'll run some more tests of course...' The medic trailed off, hesitating.

'Is there anything else we can do?' Jett asked Jon, his voice full of concern. 'Money is no object, of course.'

There was silence for the space of several minutes. Then, 'I saw a Jedi in the waiting room. It is rumored they have incredible healing techniques.'

My headache roared as I sat up in fright. 'NO! He's here for Mical! He's the whole reason we're--'

Jett cut me off, voice kind but firm. 'Calm down, Sweetheart. Maybe we should give him a chance.'

I groaned, my heart fluttering fearfully in my chest as I lay back on the pillows. 'He wants to take Mical.'

'El'ine, you don't even know if it's the same man. I'm going to go get him.'

The sounds of two sets of footsteps leaving ensued. Mical snuggled down into bed with me as he had at the beginning of this whole nightmare. I would have given anything to turn time back to that moment and tried all over again.

'What blind, Mama?'

Startled out of my reverie, I didn't know what to say. I settled for, 'It means my eyes are broken. I can't see anymore.'

'Broken, like baby nuna?'

'Kind of like that, a little.'

Mical wriggled out of the circle of my arms and knelt beside my head. He placed his pudgy little hands over my closed eyelids.

'Oh, honey, you don't have to--'

I stopped talking when I felt a rush of warm power flow over me. It was like nothing I'd ever felt before; tingling and gentle and so warm.

At that moment, the door opened, and more shuffling footsteps sounded. I couldn't concentrate on the voices above me because of the continuing wave of power surrounding me. It intensified an hundredfold momentarily, and then ceased.

I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was my son's solemn, beautiful face ringed with a halo of hospital lights.

'Amazing,' I breathed, smiling up at him. 'Thank you, Mical.' Then I looked around at the faces of the others.

My husband came and scooped up our son, dirty baby blanket and all, pride evident on his face. A small man in medic's robes stood next to Jett, a flabbergasted expression on his face. I realized this must be Jon, and I smiled at him to let him know I could, indeed, see him.

Master Vrook stepped over to the bed, pulling a chair with him. He sat down and looked at me almost kindly.

'That was you, at the end, wasn't it?" I asked, a lump in my throat.

He nodded. 'I've rarely seen such a young child with such great affinity with the Force. He seemed to be doing quite well on his own, but I didn't want him to grow too exhausted, or make a mistake.'

'I've been terribly selfish, and reckless,' I said remorsefully, tears welling up in my eyes. 'I should have at least heard you out.'

'It would have been easier that way,' Master Vrook said, somewhat sourly. His expression softened then, and he added, 'I never would have taken Mical against your will. Had we discussed it fully and you still had reservations, I would have left peacefully. The Jedi are not baby-snatchers, Mistress Kels.'

I reddened, remembering that I'd felt just that way about the Jedi only a few days ago. 'Mical is my only son, Master Vrook. I'm just a little crazy about him.' I sighed. 'With his natural talents, he could help a lot of people, couldn't he?'

Master Vrook nodded again. 'With the kind of training he would receive at the Enclave in Dantooine, Mical could be one of the foremost healers in the Order. He would also receive a thorough education in many other matters. I cannot see the future, but younglings like Mical are rare, and often bring light and hope to many across the galaxy.'

Jett came and sat on the edge of my bed, Mical in his arms. 'Would we ever see him again?' he asked cautiously, voice thick with emotion.

'Unlikely,' admitted Master Vrook. 'Family relationships are fraught with emotion. It is usually best to sever ties entirely.'

A tear slid down my cheek, and I ignored it. 'It is a hard thing, to weigh the greatest good for others against one's own hopes and dreams.' I held my arms out to Mical, and he came over to sit on my lap with the usual solemn expression on his face. I hugged him tightly to me. 'I would miss him so much.'

Jett agreed. 'I can't imagine life without him.'

'I can give you more time to think about it, but if Mical is to come with me, it should be soon. If we wait too long, he will be too old to train.' Master Vrook stood to leave.

'Wait, Master Vrook.'

I looked at Jett, and he held my eyes with his own deep blue ones. I could see him-- what a miracle. One I did not deserve after what I'd put my family through. The change in resolve I'd felt when Mical saved the Rodian construction worker turned now into a complete change of heart. Jett nodded at me, answering my unspoken question. It was time.

Tears coursed down my face, but my voice held steady. 'You may take Mical, Master Vrook. For the greater good he will do the galaxy as a Jedi Knight.'