Star Wars: Daughter of the Dark Force

Chapter 18: Amnesia

Hey everyone, sorry for not updating since February. Thanks so much for the positive feedback!!! Sorry if it seemed like I was ignoring you guys, I promise that I wasn't! I read all your comments and it makes me so happy to see that everyone likes my story so much. I really appreciate it guys, I really do. Thanks to you Daughter of the Dark Force is almost at 10,000 reads! 

Oh and thanks for the construcitve criticism, I appreciate it. Can't have a good story without some advice on how to make it even better, right? :)

Enjoy the chapter, I'll be updating soon (sooner than later :P).

Kimmy (AKA DarthKemberli)

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CHAPTER 18: AMNESIA

“She certainly doesn’t talk as much as Ahsoka, but it’s clear that she cares for us just as much as General Skywalker does.”

 - Rex, clone captain of the 501st Legion

Obi-Wan rubbed a hand over his beard. He was standing outside Master Vokura Che's main healing chamber, staring through the transparisteel walls to where Master Che held her glowing hands over Kemberli's still body. He still didn't know what was going on, or what exactly had happened to his Padawan. He was worried; her Force presence was weak, the weakest he had ever felt from her, and it seemed... altered. Like she wasn't the same person anymore. True, there was still that unmistakable "Kemberli-ness" about her, but aside from that... she was almost unrecognizable.

He sighed. The war had been dragging on for too long. Sooner or later it was bound to have an adverse effect on those Jedi who had been fighting the hardest. And Kemberli definitely counted among those. Though she was only a Padawan, her skills were far above average, and her mastery of the Force rivalled even Anakin's at that age. Her late master, Riü Lockstiyr, had been a general, so Kemberli had spent much time on the front lines with him. But now Lockstiyr was gone... So Yoda had assigned her to Obi-Wan back on Christophsis. Kemberli had done much good, but she had worked so hard and refused to rest. No Jedi could continue for very long like that.

Obi-Wan shook himself and turned to Anakin, who was standing silently beside him. "What happened? I want the details."

Anakin stirred. "I'm not sure. She came up behind me and said, 'Master!' I told her I wasn't her master. She looked really confused, and after that, she fell. She couldn't reply to anything I said."

"You probably should tell that to Master Che," advised Obi-Wan. "It might help."

"I will, once she lets me in. She'd flog me if I tried to walk in right now."

"Ha. Right you are, Anakin." Obi-Wan had to smile. Anakin could always cheer him up, even in the direst of circumstances. And the both of them were well aware of Master Che's protectiveness of her patients. That reminded Obi-Wan that it was truly very difficult to achieve the perfection of no attachments. Really, only Masters like Yoda and Windu seemed to have no attachment whatsoever. Himself, he knew that he was almost unduly attached to Anakin, and Kemberli too, although he would never admit it to their faces. Never; he'd rather fester in a sarlaac's belly for a thousand years. He grinned wryly to himself.

But he wasn't the only Jedi with attachments: no matter how hard he had tried to wean Anakin from his passionate loyalty to others, including himself, Anakin just had never learned. It seemed that Master Che had her attachments too: to her patients, which were all the Jedi in the temple. Of course, he would never dare point that out to her. As Anakin had said, she would flog him.

"Oh, Obi-Wan... Kemberli did something strange."

"What?"

"She knelt to me when she mistook me for you. Does she do that to you, usually?"

"No, never!" Obi-Wan stared, surprised. Had he heard right? "Even if she tried, you know I wouldn't allow it."

"I thought so. You never asked me to kneel to you."

"It's also strange that she didn't recognize you through the Force," frowned Obi-Wan, ignoring Anakin's teasing tone. "You and Ahsoka have been with us for the past month. You would think she'd know you by now. And me."

"She looked really out of it, come to think of it," said Anakin. "Maybe she was meditating?"

"You're right, I'd forgotten. She left me in the Archives. Said she needed to find some balance. She hasn't really meditated since Christophsis. I wonder..."

Obi-Wan trailed off. Something occurred to him, something to do with Lockstiyr's death and Kemberli's stubborn refusal to rest and her neglect of taking the time to meditate deeply. Before he could go any further with his thoughts, though, a movement in the room made him raise his head. Master Che waved him over, impatiently. He glanced at Anakin, then hurried into the healing room.

"I think you should talk to her," Master Che said in a hushed voice. One look at the Twi'Lek Master's concerned face told him everything he needed, and his heart sank. Master Che never looked that grave. He braced himself. Then, stepping forward, he took the floating seat pod that Master Che vacated for him.

Kemberli stared back at him with heavy-lidded eyes, bright with confusion. Her face was flushed. Obi-Wan touched her forehead, shocked to find her burning with fever. He looked at Master Che in alarm.

"The fever came upon her suddenly," she said. Obi-Wan nodded mutely and returned his attention to his Padawan.

"Kemberli, can you hear me?" Obi-Wan asked gently. She mumbled something incoherent, but her eyes flickered vaguely with recognition. Obi-Wan wasn't sure if that was a good sign. Maybe her fever was too strong.

He tried again. "Kemberli?"

This time she made a visible effort to speak clearly. "Master... Kenobi?"

"Yes, it's me. How are you? What happened?"

"I... I don't know..." Kemberli's eyes were distressed. "Where am I?"

"You're with Master Che," Obi-Wan said. "In the Halls of Healing."

Kemberli stirred, a look of alarm coming to her face. She made as if to get up, but Obi-Wan quickly put a hand on her arm.

"No, you have to rest, Padawan. You've been working too hard."

Kemberli's eyes widened, and ignoring Obi-Wan's order, she sat up. "I'm your Padawan?"

Obi-Wan stared, amazed. "Yes, Kemberli."

She put a hand to her head, frowning, feverishness apparently forgotten. Obi-Wan watched, becoming increasingly worried. He looked at Master Che again, questioning. Kemberli's fever didn't seem too bad for her to be delirious... In response to his unspoken question, Mater Che shook her head vigorously, her headtails quivering.

"Her fever is not nearly serious enough to cause delirium," she murmured.

"You said I've been working too hard," Kemberli said suddenly. "What have I been doing?"

This time both Obi-Wan and Master Che stared.

"Kemberli?" said Obi-Wan cautiously. "Don't tell me you've forgotten Christophsis?"

"I was- what- Christophsis?" Kemberli looked genuinely confused. "I... I'm sorry, Master... I don't remember."

"Nothing? You don't remember anything? Not even Teth?" 

"No, Master..." Kemberli shook her head, looking bewildered again.

"Oh, mercy..." said Obi-Wan. Stang, this wasn't good. Not good at all.