Star Wars: Not Quite A Shadow (WIP)

Chapter 1

"Petra, you really should eat something," Stass said. "You didn't touch your breakfast or your midday meal."

Petra shrugged in response and stirred her food absentmindedly. Stass eyed her before probing. "You're worried about them, aren't you?" Petra glanced up and nodded. "I know it's hard to be separated from Anakin, but this is his life now. And Obi-Wan will watch over him. He's one of the best Jedi Knights I know."

"Even the best Jedi can't stop death," Petra replied. Her food was now cold and she didn't care to eat anything anyway. "I'll eat tomorrow. I promise."

The dining hall was buzzing with the low hum of conversation between Jedi Masters, Knights, Padawans, and younglings. There was no segregation amongst the sexes-since Jedi were forbidden to form emotional attachments to one another, there was no concern for keeping males and females separate. Younglings ate alongside their teachers, and padawans stayed close to their Masters. Even the highest ranking members of the Jedi Council sat and ate among those who were new Knights, or even those who didn't yet have a Jedi Master assigned to oversee their training. It was a way to generate respect and tolerance across all age and experience levels within the Order, leading to unity and harmony. Petra had never really seen this at play before, and while most times in the dining hall she could be described as intrigued by the whole thing, tonight she really just wanted to be alone.

"Did you know that Obi-Wan showed me your midichlorian level before he left?" Stass asked.

Petra shook her head. "Midichlorians are the things that enable a person to use the Force, right?"

Stass laughed. "Well, in summary, yes. Technically they are symbionts; they infuse all living things. The amount of midichlorians in a person's bloodstream dictates how strong of a Force user they will be. Your brother's is exceptionally high, which is why Qui-Gon insisted he be trained."

Petra nodded. Is this actually going somewhere? She wondered. Stass continued, "Anyway, Obi-Wan showed me yours before he left because he had briefly discussed with me about training you. Your midichlorian levels are high for a non-Force user; not as high as your brother's, but you have great potential."

"I don't want to be trained as a Jedi, Stass" Petra said, leaning back in her chair. "I don't have the temperament or desire for it."

Stass shook her head and held her hands up in front of her. "I don't mean trained as a full Jedi, like myself or Obi-Wan. I mean, I want to train you to be a Jedi Healer in the Temple infirmary."

Petra's brows knitted together in confusion. "What in the world is a Jedi Healer?"

Stass smiled. "I'm really glad you asked."

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Obi-Wan's frustrations grew with each passing day. The leaders of each faction couldn't seem to come to any sort of compromise, and his arguments for what he believed were fair terms didn't set well with either side. Anakin, too, was growing restless, bored with the political bickering that was being drawn out and wanting to go back to Coruscant. Obi-Wan, too, was feeling restless, but he wanted to return to Coruscant for an entirely different reason. Sure, he longed for the familiarity of the Temple and his own quarters, but more than that he longed to lay eyes on Petra again. Gods, stop thinking that way, he chided himself. Anakin seemed to miss his sister also; no surprise, mused Obi-Wan, since he had spent the last 10 years always around her and never apart for any length of time.

Petra, though, had seemed to hold him at arms' length following Qui-Gon's death. She had always seemed a little guarded around him even before then, so he suspected that she was afraid of being hurt. He couldn't blame her; he didn't know much about her past, but hurt must have been a constant companion and she'd said at one point that she thought she had loved someone who had then betrayed her.. He didn't know how to reach out to her, especially considering how he now felt towards her. He cared a great deal for her, more than she would probably ever realize. She had already made it clear when they were on Naboo that she had no intentions of getting romantically involved with anyone again. He sighed. No, he would have to satisfy himself with her friendship, if even that. He must seek to preserve that aspect of their relationship if nothing else. It was his responsibility to look after her, as he promised to Qui-Gon. He wondered if Stass had approached her with the idea of training Petra to be a Jedi Healer. Obi-Wan had seen the midichlorian scans himself and had shown them to Stass, who seemed rather disappointed that someone with such potential had not been identified early on. Had she been born in the Republic she would have been raised as a Jedi. Obi-Wan chuckled to himself. He had a hard time imagining Petra being a full-fledged Jedi-she was far too independent for that sort of thing. In fact, he wondered if her training even as a healer would be a good idea. She was headstrong, stubborn, opinionated...again he smiled. He seemed to always be attracted to that type.

"Master Kenobi, your presence is requested in the Deciding Room," said a representative of Aria Minor, a neutral planet in the system that had been chosen to help arbitrate the discussion. "They believe they have reached a compromise."

Thank the gods, thought Obi-Wan. Now, maybe we can go home.

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"Stass, I really do not think that training her is a good idea," Mace Windu said as the Council debated on granting Stass' request to train Petra as a healer. Petra herself was present, but not in the midst of the Council. She was glad to be somewhat hidden by the shadows in the room, and she wondered if this was how Anakin felt when he had been presented to the Council just a few months before.

"So you have said, Master Windu" Stass replied. "I am not asking that she be fully trained. We do need more help in the Jedi Infirmary, and we desperately need more of those who are skilled in Force healing. I believe she could be a valuable help to us."

Mace sighed and glanced at the other Masters. Master Yoda seemed especially deep in thought and it was a few moments before he or anyone else spoke. "Train her, you should," Yoda said slowly. "If agree with it my fellow Masters, do."

Another pause before anyone spoke, each Master glancing to one another. Ki-Adi was the first to break the silence. "I agree. Obi-Wan Kenobi spoke to me briefly before he left for Aria Prime. He wished to see her trained, and he showed me her midichlorian levels. I believe that this would be for the best."

Slowly, the other Masters nodded their agreement, and Petra let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Stass turned to her and smiled, yet Petra couldn't stop the fluttering in her stomach. What exactly had she now gotten herself into?

(Sorry y'all. I'm a perfectionist and I added a bit onto this chapter because I thought it needed a little more.)