When we returned to Joma and Sionnach, Qui-Gon
had joined them; Ferriling and Inayouk had regained
consciousness; both Anders Delvins were dead; and
several healers had arrived to deal with them and
with us. I had insisted that Anakin let me take over
carrying Organa once we were clear of the
dangerous secured wing; his face was pale as he
handed the senator over without a fight. The
adrenaline was rapidly wearing off, and the shock of
his injury was taking its toll.
I had signalled to Qui-Gon on the commlink that we
had recovered the senator and were on our way
back; I had told him nothing of what we'd had to do
to get him. He'd worry until he saw us. He was
probably worrying already, because there was no
way Sionnach had missed the pain Anakin had felt
when the blast tore through his hand.
I could hear their voices from halfway down the
corridor; Qui-Gon and Joma were arguing. "...
should have left it until we
knew which was
which!"
"
I knew, Jinn, and I acted accordingly. When
you're in the same position, fine, but until then,
don't speak to me in theories."
Anakin glanced at me and smiled weakly. Boosting
Organa up on my shoulder, I followed Anakin the
rest of the way back to our party.
Predictably, Qui-Gon was the first to notice us.
"Padawan! Obi-Wan!" he exclaimed, spinning
away from Joma and shoving a healer in my
direction, and I found that I couldn't speak. The
healer took Organa from me just as my knees gave
out. Qui-Gon was at my side in an instant, but I
waved him toward Anakin and slumped on the
floor. Sionnach came to help me sit up, and I gave
her an exhausted smile.
Anakin had knelt before Qui-Gon and shown him
his mutilated hand. Another healer scurried over
and wrapped the stump in a bacta cuff; it couldn't
save the hand, but it would prevent infection. As
Sionnach and Joma helped me on to a stretcher,
Anakin insisted that he could walk perfectly well on
his own and didn't need medical attention for
anything except his hand. I smiled wearily. He was
so young. He wasn't in as bad shape as Organa,
around whose stretcher three healers were buzzing
and fussing, but he hadn't yet learned that no face
was lost by accepting an offer of assistance. We
started toward a docking area where a shuttle could
take us to the temple and the healers' wing, but only
when Anakin stumbled the second time did he
concede to be borne on a stretcher the rest of the
way. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Anakin," I told
him as his stretcher floated next to mine. "The
shock and the pain will affect you more than most.
And many of us would be unconscious right now."
"I don't want them to postpone my trials," Anakin
whispered.
I smiled to myself. "I don't think there's any danger
of that, Anakin," I told him. "You'll get a new hand,
and you'll be a knight before you know it."
In fact, Anakin was knighted almost immediately.
"Earned it, you have," Yoda said when he came to
visit us in the infirmary. "Consider the rescue of
Senator Organa to be your greatest trial, the Council
will. Confer on you the level of Jedi Knight, the
Council does." Anakin had sat up too quickly in his
bed, and had lain back down dizzily. "Grateful to
you are the people of Alderaan as well," Yoda went
on. "Kenobi, an honorary General they wish to
make you."
"And you won't even have to get used to answering
to it," Organa rasped from his bed on the other side
of Anakin.
At my side, Qui-Gon squeezed my hand. "Well
done, Padawan," he said, and I knew he meant both
of us.
The ceremony was three days later. I stood with
Sionnach and Joma, since Qui-Gon as Anakin's
master had to participate in the ritual that raised a
padawan to knighthood. Amidala was with us also,
beaming. The Council was arrayed in a semicircle
behind Yoda and Master Windu. Qui-Gon stepped
up to them and knelt. "My masters," he said, "I
come to present to you my padawan, Anakin
Skywalker, an ally of the Force. I ask that you grant
him the status of Knight of the Jedi Order."
"Padawan Skywalker, what say you?"
Anakin spoke from where he stood, his head bowed.
"If it is the will of the Force, masters, it is my wish."
"Master Jinn, bring us your padawan," Yoda said.
Qui-Gon rose, turned, and held out a hand, and
Anakin -- extending his brand-new right hand to
meet Qui-Gon's -- came obediently to his side.
"Accept him we do."
Qui-Gon smiled. "Kneel, Padawan Skywalker," he
said. Anakin knelt and bowed his head. Qui-Gon
drew a gleaming silver knife from his belt and
sliced Anakin's braid from behind his ear with one
smooth motion. "Rise, Knight Skywalker," he said
with an even bigger smile. "Rise and join the ranks
of your fellows, guardians of peace and justice in
the galaxy." Anakin stood, his eyes wide with a
disbelieving joy he seemed to be having trouble
processing. Qui-Gon pressed the braid into his
hand. "Never forget your training," he finished.
"All who teach were once learners themselves."
Anakin bowed to Qui-Gon, turned and bowed to the
Council, turned again and bowed to the spectators --
and then seemed to be at a bit of a loss. I cupped
my hands around my mouth and called, "Knight
Skywalker!" Joma and Sionnach followed suit.
Soon the whole place was cheering and applauding,
and Anakin was grinning like an idiot and being
slapped on the back, as was Qui-Gon, and I was
leading Amidala through the crowd to her fiance's
side.
And the following day they were married. "Anakin
Skywalker and Padme Amidala Naberrie have come
before me to ask that I bind them in marriage," Qui-
Gon told the assembled guests, "and, knowing no
objections, I have agreed to do so. We shall
integrate a Jedi bonding ceremony with a Naboo
wedding, so that Anakin and Amidala may be
known to all as husband, wife, and bondmates." He
beamed. "Padme Amidala Naberrie," he went on,
turning to her. "Will you, in the witness of this
assembly, become the wife of Anakin Skywalker
and take him for your husband, forsaking all others
for as long as you both may live?"
"I will," Amidala said, smiling.
"Anakin Skywalker, will you, in the witness of this
assembly, become the husband of Padme Amidala
Naberrie and take her for your wife, forsaking all
others for as long as you both may live?"
"I will," Anakin said, smiling even more broadly.
"In the witness of this assembly, will you both
covenant to love and protect each other?"
"We will," they said together.
"Will you both covenant to honor and serve each
other?"
"We will."
"Will you both covenant to comfort and keep each
other and any children you may have, for as long as
you may live?"
"We will."
Normally, at this point, Qui-Gon would have
declared that Anakin and Amidala were married.
Instead, he switched to the bonding ceremony with
which we were more familiar. "Who will stand for
this couple and swear to protect them, should the
need arise, and to protect their children when and
while those children have need?"
I stepped forward. "I will."
"Then swear."
I bowed to Anakin and Amidala. "I, Obi-Wan
Kenobi, Jedi Knight and ally of the Force, swear to
you now that I will do what is in my power to
protect you. Your children will have my protection
when and while they have need, for as long as I
have breath. I swear to love them, to protect them,
and to get between them and danger."
Qui-Gon gave me a special smile and turned back to
Anakin and Amidala. "Do you accept Obi-Wan
Kenobi as your children's protector?"
"We do."
"Then face each other, and be bonded in the Force."
They turned, and faced each other, and joined
hands. I saw that both of them held tight; they must
have been far more nervous than either of them was
letting on. Amidala spoke first. I could see her eyes
shining as she allowed the Force to bind her to
Anakin, but I knew she couldn't feel it. At my side,
Sionnach drew a hitching breath. Qui-Gon's gaze
locked on to mine; there was no need to keep an eye
on Anakin and Amidala any longer. They were
certainly oblivious to the crowd around them.
When it was Anakin's turn to speak, the sincerity in
his voice sounded like a thirsty man asking for
water. "Padme Amidala Naberrie," he said, "I love
you with my whole heart, and your love strengthens
me. As the Force is willing, I would live my life as
your bondmate, and with you as mine; therefore,
with all that I am, and all that I have, I pledge my
soul to you."
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