Catching Smoke

She was shivering badly as I helped her from the ship. She was pale and frigidly cold. The power was settling but it would take hours yet before it settled and cemented. Sort of like sculpting really. Her lips were almost tinged blue with cold. We finally got to the main hall whenever we had been cornered by an unwelcome source.

A consistant bane to those who were diffrent than the normal, Samantha Harris.

I supported Phobia as the two exchanged rather petty insults. Without actually realizing it, Fafnir and I melded minds. I removed a block in the force for Phobia. A simple thought sent Samantha crashing into the wall. A crater sized dent where her head and hit the solid stone. I couldn't believe what I had just done. I raced over to check her pulse. But there was no point. she had been killed with a single blow.

The power was too much. I ran to catch Phobia as she fell, almost in slow motion towards the floor. My mind raced. I had NEVER lost control of Fafnir like that before. I hurried to our apartment on the upper floors, carrying her like a limp marionette doll. The color was begining to return to her face a little but her lips were still startlingly blue.

Once we were inside I got her to bed and went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea for her whenever the doorbell rang. I hurried to answer it.Outside were Master Windu and Master Yoda.." Come in" I said stepping aisde and going back to the tea kettle . I poured out some orange black tea into one of her favroite cups. " Would either of you like tea? She's got a wide variety as I had found out before"

They shook their heads" where is she?" Master Windu asked.

" In bed. She is rather ill at the moment, hence the tea. Back here" I carried the tea back to her room and opened the door carefully. As soon as Mace, Yoda and I had settled around her bed she began to wake" here" I said pressing the cup into her hands" careful it's hot"

" Tell what happened you will" Yoda said looking from one of us to the other.
She took a long sip of her tea before recounting what happened on the Black Widow, how she came to have Catia trapped within her and the eventual release and return of a good deal of her power.

" Why did you not tell the council of what you had done?" he asked her, but my mind was elsewhere.

Mace pulled me aside" You care for her , greatly don't you?"

There wasn't a use lying to him. I'm a terrible liar . I nodded.

He looked from Phobia back to me. " I know of the provision your father instituted before you came to be a Jedi.. Should you use it.. Treat her right or you'll find yourself on the wrong end of a blade" he said half joking half deadly serious. " I might not agree with some of the things she does, or the company she keeps but she and Belda are the angels of this temple in my eyes. the only reason why this war is bearable is because they are here" he said quietly.

I nodded" I know, more than you realize"
We turned back to the others.

Then it was Yoda who cornered me. What was this the Inquisition?
" Just a freind she is?"

I debated on telling them everything then and there. I didn't think they would mind as much as we had feared, but I couldn't. Not with Pho in this condition.It would upset her too badly.

" Yes, just a freind. for now" I responded with a calm voice, but I think the blush around my ears betrayed me. Damn I have to stop doing that.
"Speak to Master Windu I will about this. Rest you both should now" He turned and let himself out of the apartment with a small sigh.

Once both the masters were gone I was going to strip out of my shirt and see if holding onto Pho for a while would help warm her up any.but naturally the com goes off again.
It was Bail, there was a meeting down in the gardens which I had to attend.. Typical..

" I'm so sorry hon but I have to meet Bail downstairsfor a meeting. I will be back as fast as I can okay?"
She nodded " Just make it quick.. maybe once you get back we can find out the good uses for these new powers.." she fixed me with the look that never fails to make my knees turn to jello.

" I'll be back before you can even say quicksilver" Okay I need to stop reading those comics from Earth.. I gave her a quick kiss and hurried off to my meeting, hoping she could be okay for about a half hour on her own.

About a half hour into the meeting I was listing to Mon Mothma with feigned intrest. All I wanted to do was hurry back to Pho's side. All of a sudden a splitting pain in my skull made me collapse off the bench clawing the ground. It wasn't my fingers, it was Fafnir's talons.

" Godfrey what's wrong? Bail asked me helping me to my feet. I was dizzy and felt slightly sick. I heard a scream from the temple and took off running. It was Pho.. something was terribly wrong.

I ran clear back up to the apartment, not pausing for a moment to even consider what I might find. Fafnir was pushing my power higher. A defense mechanisim should I need to protect her. I think he had been trying to warn me of something all morning.
A flicker of a dark force signature Catia.. must kill... Fafnir was enraged. I had to find a way to placate him but not now.

As I took the last set of steps to the upper floors my mind raced. Had Catia broken into the temple and hurt Phobia? What about the twins? was Belda okay? I reached the door of the apartment at last and stopped.

Phobia was sprawled out on the floor, unconcious. Inches from her left hand was the head of the woman whom I had just seen earlier that afternoon. I didn't bother with the head.. someone else could deal with it. I picked her up and hurried to the healers.

It was late that night before she finally woke. Mace, Yoda and Cin were all seated at her bedside. On the table was a small holo transmitter with the image of Anakin in his starfighter. Cin had thought it best to call him to inform him of these new devlopements" After all " he had said" He has the most experience in dealing with sith lords " Which really meant" He can handle the weird stuff. And besides Pho is his freind. He should know."

Belda was seated next to me. I hadn't left Phobia's side except to get her from her classes and deal with only nesscary things.
"Pho? Pho? you have to wake up.."I rubbed her hand in both of mine. I was the first person she saw, then belda, then Cin and MAce and yoda. She didn't even notice the hologram until he spoke.
" Took you long enough to wake up slowpoke"

That caught her attention, her head whipped around but the movement did nothing to help and she leaned back against the pillows.
" It's good to hear your voice again Anakin. I've missed you"

Mace cleared his throat" um.. as much as I hate to break up a reunion here. there are more important matters at hand. "
Anakin smiled apologetically through the holo. I saw he had his headset on for his fighter. He must've been en route.

"Phobia tell us what happened" Mace said quietly, eyes searching .
She retold her story bit by bit to the miniature crowd by her bed. then Cin spoke. I debated on strangling him

"How can we be sure she didn't have something to do with this? " Cin asked suddenly, the whole room fell silent.Tenshion was thick. I could tell this had been on everyone's minds. Well most everyone.

"Search the force Cin, Phobia would not do something like this. No matter how much she and Harris might not have gotten along. " Anakin snapped , glaring up at Cin from the holo.

" We need to let her rest. Godfrey will you stay with her?" I nodded. How could I not? She was my wife! But I wasn't about to tell them that.

Anakin smiled sadly" Bunch of nutters the lot of them. But I'm glad they aren't trying to pin this on you. I'll see you as soon as I can" With that the holo clicked off.
I turned to her as she posed the question I knew she would. Too smart for her own good at times.
.
" You know I wouldn't do this but you know who would?"she asked me in a quiet voice.

" Catia, no question" I said staring out the window. Where was she now? What evil was she planning?

She was more dangerous than Sidious. I would have to speak to grandfather. If the full power of the DaiShujo was put behind bringing Catia down as well as the power of the Jedi council there wasnt much place she could have left to hide.

But maybe I 'm underestimating her.
TBC