Title: Mother Love

Author: Jane Streeter

Fandom: The Phantom Menace

Rating: PG-14

Archive: Yes

Category: AU/GEN

Pairing: N/A

Warning: NON-CANON: This is set after Obi Wan was transported to Bandomeer, but before Qui finally accepted him.

Summary: Healer-Empath Laria Sinclair, a fellow traveler sees the constant rejections, and being a strong Healer-Empath feels them as well. The Empath is a mother of four and her chosen vocation is the treatment of children who have undergone severe emotional upheaval. On the strength of her Office, she takes custody of young Obi Wan, requesting and receiving custody via the Child Welfare Court, of the Inter-Galactic Public Health Department Office where she works. Obi Wan is not the first child she has removed from what she has deemed an unsuitable situation. He is, however, the first Jedi-reared child she has done so with. Her action has the unfortunate result of causing the Inter-Galactic Public Health Department to issue orders for the Jedi raised under-age children to be evaluated for emotional and mental health. All underage padawans in the field were also recalled with their masters, so as to be in compliance.

In this universe, even though the Jedi are raising and training the children, the State has custody…and therefore the right to demand such evaluations with or without notice. In this case, there was NO notice. The evaluators descended on the Temple with the court orders in hand and proceeded to turn the Temple upside down.

Mother Love
By Jane Streeter

To: The Jedi High Council at Coruscant
From: The Inter-Galactic Department of Public Health

RE: Child Welfare Court

Councilors,

Children are not considered adults in this Republic until at a minimum age of 18, and can be considered children after that age until they can prove that they are capable of providing the things needed for daily life for themselves, by themselves. As you know, there are tests given by the Civilian State to evaluate a child's ability to do this, over the course of a child's life beginning at age 10 to judge his/her/its development.

This is done to insure well adjusted adults. Healer-Empaths Sinclair work under contract to our Department to monitor child development and prevent such things as serial killers, rapists, and such from developing in society as a whole.

It was therefore disturbing in the extreme for Healer-Empath Laria Sinclair to discover an emotionally traumatized child amongst the Force Sensitive children raised by the Jedi Temple, currently enroute to the Agri-Corps. More disturbing for Laria, was the lack of resistance the boy showed at the time of his removal.

Due to this incident, the child has been placed in Foster Care, in her home and the Jedi as a whole are forbidden to contact the child.

The Child's name is Obi Wan Kenobi.

Furthermore, this letter authorizes the Mental, Emotional and Physical Evaluation of Health, Growth, and General Development by Non- Jedi Healer-Empaths employed by this Department, of all children currently under Jedi care. All padawans in the Field with their Masters are to be recalled upon the receipt of this notice, to participate in the Evaluation.

I remind you that the Civilian State has actual custody of all children of the Jedi Temple.

END INTRO