Eos

Rating: Rating: NC-17. This story contains graphic sexual acts between men and women as well as between men and men. If this is not your cup of tea, I suggest you not read this story.
Summary: Obi-Wan is joined by two of his life-long friends, Calyx and Nio, as the three of them enter into a dangerous mission that will have an unforeseen effect on their relationship.
Pairings: O/N, O/C, N/C, O/C/N
Category: AU, Slash, Adventure, Romance, Sammich
Spoilers: Uh, you HAVE seen TPM, right?
Archive: Yes to the JediPrudes and OKEB. Anyone else, please ask.
Feedback: Always, so long as it's constructive in some manner (fawning praise, is, of course, always welcome). ladywitch79@hotmail.com
Notes: Nio is an AU character that Hypatia and I invented a while back, and he and Ben come by my place late at night, feed me chocolate, give me full-body massages, and tell me the most interesting stories from their lives. Nio looks a lot like the most recent Zorro, if you catch my drift. Ben and Nio are lovers, and have been for some time, but that doesn't mean they belong to an all boys club or anything...

Calyx is also a product of our over-active imagination. As of the beginning of this story, her relationship with the guys is purely platonic.

I follow canon: Qui-Gon died on Naboo, and Anakin is Obi's Padawan (we've just stashed him at the Temple for the duration of this story).

Special Author's Note: A huge thank you to Hypatia for all her love and support and ideas for this story. Without her, it wouldn't be half as good as it is now, and she truly deserves the credit for her work on it.
Disclaimer: Obi-Wan and the Jedi are all Uncle George's. I make no money from this, nor would I want to. Fan fiction is a labor of love, including this 40-page monstrosity. Niobal Daedalus and all his hot, sexy, Spanish-like beauty belong to me and Tia. Callistos Rhea is ours too, though in a non-sexual way. If Uncle George were just a bit more approachable, I'd ask for permission first, but he isn't, so I don't, but that doesn't mean you can get away with using Nio and Calyx without our saying so. =-) Failure to abide by these rules will be dealt with swiftly and efficiently, as soon as we can find a wet noodle strong enough for 20 lashes.
Beta: Lynxie, kenobichick, and Jedi Ciara. They're a sharp-eyed group, what with catching all my goofs and all, and they have been invaluable for their insight and suggestions. Thanks, girls, for fixing my mistakes, and pushing me to do better.
:: Denotes telepathic communication :: / Denotes italics /

~*~*~
Chapter One
~*~*~

Callistos Rhea quickly strode down the hall of the YT-1400 that had been commandeered for the mission that she and her two oldest friends, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Niobal Daedalus, were about to begin. The objective was simple: Find the cloning facility on the planet if there was one and promptly sabotage it, bringing back as much intel as possible.

They had just arrived at Ognarock, the location of their top-secret mission.

According to their brief, this was a planet of roughs and toughs, where the outlaws were strong, the slaves were pretty and the crime rate was above average.

Callistos twisted her long red curls back into a tail, only to have it flop out again. She had met Obi-Wan and Niobal when they were still in the crèche, and had grown up together. Niobal was the eldest, and Callistos the youngest. Both men grew to be Jedi Knights, and Ben had become a General while Nio was renowned for his mind - a true lover of learning, Nio was. Early on, Callistos had realized that her true calling was in Healing. But, due to the nature of this mission, the three childhood friends were re-united.

The trip over had been like old times. What was it about the boys that when they got together they turned twelve again? Callistos wondered. The sheer number of pranks and games they played during the weeklong trip would have put most Initiates to shame. Even in the most serious of times, when conversations were very mature and adult, she could only think of Obi-Wan and Niobal as WingNut and Tall, Dark, and Gangly. And Callistos would always be PocketRocket; small, portable, fit into most overhead storage bins, and able to tackle almost anyone in Zoneball.

Ben and Nio, as Callistos called them, were like night and day. Ben was always the one with a smart remark, and he fairly glowed with energy at all times. Nio was studious and calm, but had always been the one to plan the pranks that Ben was so eager to pull off. They even looked opposite; Ben was somewhat short for a man, but taller than Callistos - which wasn't saying much, since most third year Padawans were taller than her - with dark blond hair falling to his shoulders, laughing, changeable eyes and a smile that just wouldn't quit, and Nio was tall, with thick, black hair that fell in loose curls, dark chocolate-brown eyes and rich, caramel-colored skin.

That the two men were lovers as well only seemed to compliment their many differences. They got together shortly after Nio had been made a Knight, and have been the Order's darling couple ever since. They had made sure, from the very beginning, that their relationship was a loving and balanced one. In fact, their biggest worry had been Callistos' reaction; they didn't want her to feel alienated. Actually, she had been rather relieved that they had finally seen that they belonged together.

Callistos approached the room that Ben and Nio were sharing, and pounded on the door. The door slid open, and Callistos could see that both men were just finished dressing. Apparently, Ben had decided to be the 'dirty-the-hands-working-on-the-ship' type with the dark brown and black jump suit, while Nio had decided to be the 'fashionable-brains-of-the-outfit' type with long, flowing robes in various shades of deep blue.

However, that was not why Callistos was there.

"All right..." she fumed.

"Hmmm?" Ben asked.

"Which one of you did it?" she demanded, rather peeved.

Both men turned around to look at the outfit she held. It was a typical harem girl outfit, since Callistos was to play the slave they shared between them. The flowing green silks were translucent over the dark green bikini. However, someone had cut the bra right in two, leaving the outfit topless.

Ben shrugged, but he couldn't stop the smirk. "Not me. Wish I'd thought of it," he said, but Callistos wasn't paying any attention.

She was focused on Nio, who politely shrugged. "You must have received a defective garment in error," he said.

She strode over to her lifelong friend, grabbed a fistful of his long black hair, and pulled until he was bent over and eye-level with her.

"Niobal Daedalus..." she hissed.

He let loose a small grin. "Callistos Rhea..." he said.

She stared at him for a while, before the smile pushed up the corners of her mouth. When she couldn't stop herself anymore, she let go of his hair, and started laughing. It was pretty funny, after all.

Nio chuckled, and Ben shook his head. "I'm sorry, Calyx," Nio said. "I just couldn't help myself. Am I forgiven?"   Calyx smiled and hugged Nio. "On the condition you buy me a new top. This was my favorite one!"

Ben came over, and joined them in their hug. "Come on, children. We have a mission to get to," he said.

Calyx kissed both men on their chins, since that was the easiest place for her to reach, and grinned up at them. "Hey, did you guys get to see my collar? I think I could have fun with this whole slave routine; it's kind of kinky."

~*~*~

Calyx crept on soft feet between all the men who lounged on floor cushions as they discussed business while combining it with the pleasures from their slaves. The entire room was covered in silk draperies that hung from the high arched ceiling and walls, creating a slightly dim atmosphere - just the place to go if someone didn't want others watching too closely as he partook in his vice of choice.

It was the place to be if you were a smuggler, and a successful one at that. Nio had simply walked the three of them in and sat right next to the host, Gulgan, a Hutt that dominated the entire room.

Rule number one about criminals: If you act like you belong there, they will accept you.

Calyx served Ben his drink, and giggled inanely as he pulled her to warm his lap while his 'partner' talked business. While both men were able to communicate telepathically, Calyx needed physical contact in order to share thoughts. As a Healer, she had developed different skills than Ben and Nio had with their classic Temple training.

::How are you holding up?:: Ben asked, his mind tinged faintly with concern. He had seen how the other men had ogled and pawed as Calyx had walked by. She was the one of only a few human slaves there; most of the others were Twi'lek.

::As well as can be expected. Damn, now I know why I wear briefs instead of bikinis! These things can really ride up on you. I have one hell of a wedgie,:: Calyx replied with what amounted to a mental smirk.

Calyx could hear Nio through the boys' conjoined link. ::Oh, she is holding up just fine. Ben, do something about her problem.::

::Certainly.::

"OOOH!" Calyx squealed, and started when Ben took care of her wedgie problem, his hand brushing over several sensitive places on her bottom to do it, too.

He gave Calyx a wink and a pinch. She frowned and smacked his chest, but he simply snuggled her closer.

"Bushuda nadum Takitti!" the Hutt declared.

::What did he say?:: Calyx asked.

::He wants a dance from a slave... specifically you.:: Ben told her. ::Can... Do you...?::

She simply smirked and got up to walk to the center of the circle.

As the music started, Calyx began the Mating Dance of Othel. Othel was a world of tropical islands, and they loved dancing with swaying hips and provocative poses. The mating dance was one step below actually leaping into someone and screwing him or her in public.

She twisted, turned, and dropped veils one at a time. Finally, at the end, Calyx landed on her knees, laying on her back and sprawled in a pose that simply screamed 'TAKE ME.'

The applause and hooting started after a few stunned seconds.

Ben and Nio were obviously throwing themselves into the role of being new slave owners. Although they were known by many to be the Jedi kings of the Sabacc face, they were now staring at Calyx with open lust and wonder. She stood, bowed to the Hutt, and prowled her way back to her 'masters.'

Nio reached out, and pulled Calyx into his lap when she walked by.

::Where does a Healer learn to dance like that?:: He sent as he nuzzled her neck.

::You think Knights are the only ones who get to travel?:: she shot back just before Ben gripped her chin and pulled her into a soft kiss.

"Nice dance," he whispered.

Calyx was pretty sure her brain would short-circuit if one of both of her friends didn't stop soon. Friendship or no, there was only so much pawing a girl could take from two such beautiful men.

::Thank you.:: they both sent. Ben smirked as he stood up. Nio helped Calyx stand, and she saw sincerity in his chocolate brown eyes.

All around them, the other men and their slaves were standing to leave as well. Apparently, it was time for bed.

"Whom shall I serve tonight, my masters?" Calyx asked. Only Ben and Nio would have caught the sarcasm in her tone.

The men looked at each other, and then flanked her. "Both of us," Ben answered.

But before they could leave, their path was blocked by a sweaty, blue-skinned humanoid. He was short and paunchy, with a few oily wisps of black hair on the top of his head. The man cast an avaricious look to Calyx before fixing his beady gaze on Ben and Nio.

"Gentlemen," he said, his voice slightly wheezy from having nearly run to intercept them, "I represent a small number of businessmen who are interested in an extended sabacc game, and I would like to invite you two to join in on our little group."

Ben and Nio exchanged glances, and then Nio spoke for the both of them. "We are certainly interested; however, I doubt we have enough immediate funds to meet the ante. Much of our money is currently tied up in an upcoming... shipping expedition."

The man cast a second, appraising glance a Calyx. "I'm sure we can come to an agreement," he said, and then looked back to Ben and Nio. "There will, of course, be an area for the women to be, out of the way, while we are busy."

And near enough that a man could use one of his slaves to up a bet, all three Jedi correctly assumed. It would also be an excellent chance for them to look for the information they had been sent to find.

Nio smiled broadly at the prospect of things going so well. "Excellent!" he said. "Then count us in. This game sounds most... fascinating."

~*~*~
Chapter Two
~*~*~

The room that the slaves were kept in to keep them from interfering in the sabacc game was surprisingly nice. Considering how most slave owners cared little for their slaves' comfort or pleasure, nearly all of the half dozen female slaves were shocked to be shown into a room nearly as opulent as, if less than a fraction of the size of, Gulgan the Hutt's throne room. Large cushions, made of the galaxy's finest fabrics and just the right size for a humanoid to recline on, were all around, and each had a small bowl of fruit to nibble from as one idled away the hours.

"Well," Calyx said after a moment of standing near the doorway, "this is different."

"No kidding," a Twi'lek girl standing next to her said. "Well, we might as well enjoy this while we can!"

"I, for one," the only human other than Calyx said, and headed straight for a large burgundy pillow, "intend to use this time to forget that I have to sleep chained to the bed of a smelly, impotent man who thinks it's my fault he can't keep it up."

The others followed the young woman's example, and they settled into a loose circle, facing each other.

"Not like our red-headed friend here has that problem, of course," the Twi'lek grinned at Calyx. "I'm Sharie," she said.

Calyx giggled. "I'm Calyx. And you're right. My problem is getting sleep at all - you'd think those two hadn't had sex with a woman before! I count myself lucky to get a half nights' sleep before I'm awakened by one or another of them." Actually, that was true. Calyx had discovered that the wall between her bedroom and the guys' was rather thin.

"How big are they?" one girl asked.

"Well, one is just under two meters, and the other is somewhat shorter."

"No, not there..."

"Oh. There. Well, let's just say that their egos are bigger and more justified."

The girls broke into helpless giggles, and someone threw a small piece of fruit at Calyx.

"So they keep you awake, but there's not much there, huh?"

Calyx shrugged. "It's not like there's nothing there... it's just that my last owner was a Wookiee. It's a rather unfair comparison."

~*~*~

Over the next week, Calyx managed to form friendships with the other slaves, but didn't get any new information. The boys had been likewise unlucky, and the sabacc game was drawing to a close. If they didn't get a break soon, the mission was going to end with nothing new other than Calyx's tan lines.

With a resolution to hustle as much intel as they could, all three Jedi went to their respective positions for the last day of the game. They were Jedi, trained in the art of peering into the minds of hundreds of species - certainly they would be able to glean at least a few pieces of information.

Calyx walked into the sitting room, ignoring the now-familiar sound of the door locking behind her. Immediately sensing that something was wrong, Calyx affected a slumped and mildly defeated attitude and walked to the circle of women in the middle of the room. It was then she noticed someone missing.

"Where's Sharie?" Calyx asked, noting the tight, pensive expressions around her.

"Sold," Mayia, the other human, bit off. Calyx caught the mental image of the young Twi'lek girl being heavily sedated and then carried away. Mayia was fairly leaking distress and worry that she would be next.

"Who bought her?" Calyx asked casually.

There was a heavy silence, and all the women avoided eye contact with Calyx.   Finally Mayia spoke again.

"No one special," she said, and then looked up at Calyx, the fire in her eyes belying the casual tone in her voice. "Just make sure to keep your boys happy, Calyx."

The conversation soon turned to other things, but Calyx was occupied reading the thoughts, feelings and images that went through the minds of her friends as they spoke. And the more she saw and pieced together, the angrier she got.

~*~*~

Calyx walked onto the ship, keeping her gait steady and calm. She marched straight to the common area, sat down, picked up a knife and started stabbing the cutting board on the table repeatedly.

"Bad day?" Ben asked casually.

"Yes," she said, leaning back and tossing the knife across the room so it landed with a *thunk* in the doorframe.

Nio was currently walking through said doorframe.

Nio turned his head to see the quivering knife and immediately said, "I admit it Calyx; I turned your veils into the kind that would be see-through in a certain light. I'm sorry."

Calyx's eyes went wide in shock. "WHAT?!"

Nio blinked. "That's not what you are mad about?"

"NO!"

"Then what are you mad at?" Ben asked, sitting next to Calyx, gently rubbing her back in a calming motion.

"Niobal... what was this about my veils?" Calyx asked.

"Never mind," Nio replied. "Now, what vexes thee?"

Calyx sighed heavily. "I am mad, because I just found out where the cloning facility is..."

~*~*~

Ben sat back and stared at the wall, nearly seething with rage.

Nio was gripping the table so hard there would be an imprint of his fingers in the metal.

Calyx had found the cloning facility, all right. Through the bits and pieces each of the other slaves knew, Calyx had managed to uncover that the cloning facility had been up and running for nearly a decade, experiment and working on perfecting techniques. Female slaves were bought and then had their wombs used to host the growing clone embryos. The scientists at the facility had, at one point, tried only using each woman once to host a clone, and then selling her off as damaged goods. But once the techniques improved, they had found that a woman could host as many as half a dozen clones before her fragile body gave up. However, because of budget cuts, the clone would be ripped out of the woman's body... without anesthetic. This was done to any female owned by the facility. Those too old or young to sustain a clone embryo were given hormones.

Once the clone reached a certain point in development, they were placed in maturation tanks, which consisted of nothing more than a specialized bacta.

The result: Soulless, thoughtless drones with only one mission... Kill.

Many female slaves died as a result of the procedure - not that many really cared very much about what the facility did to its own property. The operators of the facility paid very well for female slaves, not caring if they were difficult, or ugly, or boring. All in all, it was a great deal for any master looking to unload any bothersome slaves.

"Do you know where the facility itself is located?" Ben asked.

Calyx shook her head in despair. "No. No one knows. Only those sold to the facility even go there."

There was a moment of heavy silence, and all three looked at each other.

"No, Calyx, we won't let you," Nio said firmly.

"It's the only way."

"Then we'll think of another way," Ben said.

Calyx sighed. She knew there was no other hope, and was about to say as much, when the comm buzzer went off. Nio stood, and answered the screen.

"Yes?" He said.

"Gulgan the Hutt requests your presence at a performance tonight," the officious servant intoned. "An escort will arrive within the hour."

Nio's hands balled into fists at this badly timed interruption, but he smiled and nodded anyway. As soon as the screen was off, he turned back to us. "It would seem we are going out tonight," he said.

"Offer to sell me tonight," Calyx pushed. "Claim that I can't keep up with you two. Claim I bore you."

"No. We won't do it," Ben said, squeezing her hand.

"It's the only way," she repeated.

"Maybe not," Niobal said.

Quickly, he shared his idea. They would go to the party tonight, and both men would rave about how much better Calyx met their needs, much better than their "other slave." They would make it clear that the mythical other slave was for sale for the right price. Once they were approached, they would decide where to go from there.

~*~*~
Chapter Three
~*~*~

Calyx cautiously sipped her drink. She had immediately identified the toxic aphrodisiac in it, but hadn't had the chance to warn her friends. Ben stalked towards her, and Calyx could tell by the barely banked fire in his eyes that a warning would be too late. With a smile plastered on her face, she let him pull her into a tight embrace.

::I think Nio's having too much fun tonight,:: Calyx sent as Obi-Wan nuzzled her hair.

Nio was currently in the midst of a very elaborate tale involving him, Calyx, and a jar of honey. Needless to say, his audience was alternating between staring at Nio and Ben with envy, and at Calyx with pure lust.

"La nabba de takki. E foo de ga," The Hutt said.

Nio froze, and Ben's arms tightened around Calyx. The audience started to grin.

::I'm sorry,:: Ben sent softly. ::He says he wants to watch you... perform. See if Nio's boasting is correct.::

::Ah:: Calyx replied, and wrapped her arms around him.

::I... would think of another way, but I...:: he trailed off. Evidence of the drug's effects was pressing firmly into Calyx's belly.

::Ben, Nio, you must listen to me VERY carefully,:: Calyx sent urgently. ::You have been drugged. It's an aphrodisiac, and very potent with humans. If you don't do something about it soon, you will collapse in a heart attack. There are only two options: the antidote, which we don't have. Or release, which I can give you.::

::Calyx...:: Nio said warningly. ::We won't use you like that.::

::This is my JOB! I am a healer, and I am to see to your health. I will not have the two of you dying because you want to be idiotically noble. Gah, you Knights are all alike!::

To emphasize her point, Calyx quickly reached into Ben's pants, and cupped said evidence. ::I can help purge the drug faster than if you just went and screwed something. Please... let me heal you.::

Ben groaned, which vibrated his chest under Calyx's ear. Involuntarily, she shivered; Calyx was pretty sure she would be able to keep this merely professional, but she did have a niggling of worry. Calyx was being overwhelmed by all sorts of powerful, strange emotions; they were still WingNut and Tall, Dark, and Gangly, but all she could think of was how badly she wanted to do this. How badly she wanted them.

His hands stayed firmly on her shoulders, but the fingers clenched convulsively as Calyx quickly pushed his pants to the floor, leaving him in the floor-length robe that could be unbuckled and pushed aside, allowing them to perform with at least a modicum of privacy.

Calyx stood on her toes, and kissed Ben with all the passion she was suddenly feeling. Then, she slid down his body, unfastening and pushing his robe open as she knelt in front of him.

Gently, Calyx took him in her hand, well aware that Ben's eyes slid shut when her cool fingers curled around his heated part. She leaned forward, and placed a chaste kiss on him. Ben groaned, and Calyx shuddered in response as she opened her mouth just enough to accept only the tip.

She swirled her tongue over the taut, smooth skin, tasting a few salty drops. Then she began to work him further and further into her mouth, until her nose rested against his curls.

"Cal..." he moaned, and Calyx pulled back to suckle on his tip again. ::So good...:: he sent.

Calyx moaned as she took his full length in again, the vibrations causing Ben to give a half-strangled shout. ::Please...:: he sent her.

Calyx began to bob her head up and down, aware only of the salty taste of Ben, her own arousal, and Ben's impending orgasm. Ben's fists found his robe, and he grabbed at that, rather that onto Calyx. She could sense that he suddenly wanted to replace her mouth with something tighter and further south on her body.

So tight was their link that Calyx could see every fantasy as they flitted through Ben's lust-fogged brain. The most prominent one was of her, beneath him, her face flushed as she panted his name.

Calyx moaned again, Ben fully in her mouth, and that was all he needed to find his release.

She swallowed his seed, and licked Ben clean before he knelt to face her. ::Oh Calyx...:: he sent as Nio called her name.

"Calyx. Come here," he said, his normally soft voice tight with need. "I am still awaiting my turn."

Nio was sitting on a nest of cushions nearby. She crawled over, and removed Nio's dark blue pants. Calyx bent to give him the same treatment as Ben, but Nio had a different idea.

::Calyx, do I have your consent?:: he begged her. ::Do I?::

::Yes.:: Even her mental voice was breathless as Nio pushed Calyx's bikini bottom to the side, and slid two fingers inside her. He groaned at how moist he found her to be, then lifted Calyx up, and set her down to slowly sheathe him.

The breath left Calyx's lungs in a shuddering moan, and she gripped onto Nio's shoulders as she started moving up and down his length. Nio in turn grabbed hold of her hips. Calyx was pretty certain that she would have bruises there in the morning, but didn't care about that, as Nio took over the movements, pushing her away and pulling her back in an ever-increasing pace.

Calyx threw her head back, keening softly in the back of her throat as she felt her orgasm building. Nio was groaning with each thrust deep inside of her.

::Oh sweet Calyx,:: he sent. ::Sweet Calyx. Sweet Calyx.::

Calyx's eyesight grew dim, and her muscles began to clench around him. Nio shouted something in his home language as he seemed to explode within her.

Some time later, Calyx was dimly of Ben lifting her up as Nio stood and redressed. When they were safely on board their ship, Nio followed Ben as he carried Calyx to the room the men shared, and all three curled up on the large bed together. They would have to be more careful in their roles now that they knew they were being watched.

At least, that's what Calyx told herself as she fell asleep, flanked by Ben and Nio.

~*~*~
Chapter Four
~*~*~

She awoke before they did.

Stretching a bit, Calyx sent the two men back to sleep so they wouldn't wake when she left the bed. She walked to the shower and stood under a freezing cold spray, trying to calm her mind.

::Why did I do that?:: Calyx asked herself. ::It wasn't just for their health, that's for sure.::

She leaned back against the smooth shower wall, and closed her eyes. Calyx knew, deep down, why she had done it. She had done it because they weren't just WingNut and Tall, Dark, and Gangly, and she had become more than just PocketRocket. They were Obi-Wan, Niobal, and Callistos. Three adults who had done some very adult things together.

And, more than anything, Calyx wanted to do more of those 'adult things.' Not just a couple more times, but on a regular basis, for the next 40 or 50 years.

It was too bad that Ben and Nio had already spoken for each other's hearts. Calyx still remembered when she first really saw it with her own two eyes. The three of them had gone on a vacation to celebrate her completing Healer's training. There had been a time when they had each privately wondered if Calyx would make it that far, or if all the problems she had early on would resurface.

Which is why they had taken off for two weeks or sun, surf, and sand.

Their first night there started off the same for Calyx as any other time she went away...

Calyx thumped the pillow and rolled over. Nope... was no use. She never slept well the first night in a new bed.

She needed at least two solid hours of absolute quiet to fall asleep. The boys understood that, so they had gone off to find their own entertainment, saying they would be quiet when they came back.

After one last frustrated *thwap* to the offensive bedding, Calyx got up and strolled to the porch that overlooked the pool and the garden, hoping some fresh air would help.

She heard splashes and a soft laugh. Calyx smiled. The pool was officially closed for the evening. But those two Jedi had often said some rules were made to be broken.

Calyx looked over to the pool, ready to call out some tease or other... then she saw them in the glow of the underwater lights. Their clothing was in a haphazard pile near the pool, and from what Calyx could see, they were naked.

Ben's hair, still in his Padawan cut, was plastered against his skull, and Nio was trying to duck his friend under water, only to have Ben come back up... latch onto his lips... and sink back underwater with him.

Calyx's heart skipped a beat, and started back up, double-time.

The water was chest-deep on them when they came back up for air, and leaned against the edge of the pool. Still kissing each other.

Calyx couldn't have looked away even if she had wanted to. And she certainly didn't want to.

With a laugh, Ben broke away, and swam to shallower waters with Nio close behind him. When the water was only a few feet deep, Ben backed up against the wall of the pool, his back to Calyx.

She could almost imagine that she saw a peek of his backside, too.

Nio swam all the way up to Ben, even though he could have easily walked. He stopped in front of his friend, and then Calyx couldn't see what was going on.

But from the low moan that Ben gave, she could guess.

Calyx stood there in the shadows, watching and listening to her two best friends make love to each other.

She knew that she should go back inside. She should give them their privacy, and then apologize for spying in the morning.

But Calyx also knew she wouldn't...

Blinking rapidly as she remembered one of the most erotic moments she had ever witnessed, Calyx wondered if the boys had ever figured out that she had seen them that night. Either way, she would be damned before she came between them and their love.

Then Calyx recalled Ben's cries and Nio's feel from the night before. She couldn't begin to imagine how guilty they felt now, for supposedly 'using' their friend. Hard dance she was going to have to do when she got out; convince them it was all right, without revealing why she wasn't hurt.

Once Calyx's skin was at the temperature of sleet, she finally got out of the shower and pulled on the first set of harem clothes she could find.

Calyx walked into the dinning area, and saw that both men were already awake and drinking the strongest Caff they could get out of the machine. Ben was bare foot, and Nio wasn't wearing a shirt, but the both were wearing identical expressions of guilt.

Well, when all else fails, Calyx thought, play dumb.

"Good morning boys," she said, and punched up a steaming cup of herbal tea.

There is a silence behind her that at any other time would have been comfortable. This morning however, it was downright agonizing.

Calyx forced herself to finish making the tea, adding the lemon and honey. She took a sip to sooth her jangled nerves and turned to look at the two men.

"What?" she asked flatly.

Then... she looked down.

Nio HAD replaced a set of clothes with ones that were nearly transparent in a certain light. And apparently, this was the aforementioned set. And this was the lighting. Calyx glanced back up, feeling her cheeks burn with shame. Of all the dumb things to do in a situation like this! Guilt crushed at her heart; she was supposed to make them feel better.

"E... excuse me," Calyx whispered, and dashed right back into her rooms.

~*~*~
Chapter Five
~*~*~

When Calyx had first been given her wardrobe for the mission, she had made a comment along the lines of how she wouldn't be dressed modestly for a long time. But when she got back to her rooms, the first thing Calyx did was prove herself wrong.

It's amazing what layers and layers underneath a loose dress will do, Calyx thought. Then she looked at herself in the mirror and realized that she looked like she was about to go on a weeklong expedition on Hoth.

With a sigh, she removed most of her layers, except for a short dress under a floor-length see-through wrap. Not exactly prudish, but it was a far sight better than parading around in harem silks.

Calyx decided to lie down for a while, and maybe catch a nap.

After half an hour of staring at all 342 bolts in the ceiling, she decided the time for avoiding the guys was over.

With a deep breath, she opened the door.

They were both standing in the hallway.

Without a second thought, she closed the door in their faces.

It took Calyx another five minutes to get up the courage to open the door again. This time, though, the hallway was empty. So back she went to the kitchen, where she knew they would be waiting.

Calyx could easily remember back when the three of them had been young children, finishing each other's sentences frequently. There had just been something that had connected the three of them instantly, and they had frequently relied on it during trying times when words couldn't be enough. Even during the happy times, their bond had remained, like when Calyx would tease Ben about her relationship with his master.

"Ben, your master has the softest-"

"Don't you dare say it, Calyx!"

"Hair. He has such soft hair for a man. And then of course there would be the fact that he has the most enormous... well, I'm sure you and Nio have noticed his enormous..."

"...lightsaber grip, I've notice Ben's master has a rather large lightsaber grip as well. It's fascinating, really."

"Argh! You two are tormenting me! Stop it! I don't ever want to imagine Calyx and my master... ever again."

"Well, Ben, then I suggest you start knocking on your master's bedroom door if you want to keep the belief that your master is a eunuch."

"CALYX!"

With a sigh, Calyx wished that they could go back to those carefree days once more. It was a futile wish, she knew; going back is impossible. All that remained was for her to go forward, no matter how scared she was.

With a deep breath, Calyx entered the kitchen; Ben and Nio had resumed their seats, this time fully dressed. Steeling herself, Calyx sat down at the table with them.

The first words out of her mouth were, "I forgive you." Though honestly she thought there was nothing to forgive.

But then again, Calyx was dealing with two men who still liked to activate doors for women.

"Calyx," Ben said, his eyes a stormy blue-gray, "we need to talk."

"Alright then, talk."

"Last night..." Nio said, avoiding meeting her eyes. "Last night..."

Calyx sighed. "Last night was last night. I know you two. You wouldn't willingly hurt me if you could avoid it. We did what we had to do. I accept it, and so should you."

"We used you," Ben said.

Nio nodded. "In the worst way possible."

"To possibly save a few thousand lives and countless suffering. I think my so-called honor is worth that," Calyx countered. "Besides," she added, "I wasn't exactly a virgin, as you could no doubt tell."

Ben looked firmly at his cup of Caff. Nio shook his head. "That is beside the point."

"True... but let me ask you this: If our roles were reversed, and such a thing was required of you... would you do it?"

"Would you let us?" Ben shot back.

"Did you have a choice?" Calyx asked, raising an eyebrow.

Nio sighed. "Not really, no."

"Then what is all the anguish about?" she asked them. "Consider it the much-needed cure it was. Unorthodox, hell yes, but a cure nonetheless." Calyx took a deep breath. "Look, I didn't save both your lives to ruin our friendship. I am unwilling to let that come between us. What about you two?"

Ben glanced at Nio, and both turned to meet Calyx's gaze. "I... I still wish for us to be friends..."

"So do I," Nio whispered. Nio and Ben seemed to have a rapid-fire mental conversation.

Calyx could sense the 'but' in that sentence.

Ben let go of what was behind his teeth and settled back, resigned... or was it waiting?

"Then we are." Calyx smiled brightly. "So, what's on the docket for today?"

Nio's deep brown gaze flickered between Calyx and Ben. He finally seemed to come to at least a temporary decision. "We need to go off planet," he said, "and get someone to play the part of our other slave."

He had a point. They couldn't claim they had another slave, one that was for sale, and not show her off.

"Who?" Ben asked.

Nio shrugged. "Kissandra is in the area. Perhaps she will help."

Calyx did her damnedest not to wince.

Calyx and Kissandra had been in competition since they were Initiates at the Temple. Kissandra was prettier, leggier, and beat Calyx by two cup sizes. Every boyfriend Calyx had, or any boy she was interested in, spent most of their time drooling over Kissandra, and eventually going to the tall blonde girl.

And Kissandra loved to lord it over Calyx; the fact that she was more the classical beauty then Calyx; the fact that SHE was a Jedi Knight, and Calyx was a mere Healer, because Calyx had left the Temple to become a Healer because she couldn't take Knight training.

As if Calyx's Force mastery was somehow less than Kissandra's.

Nio and Ben were the only two men she hadn't had vying to be in her bed. Usually that was because they were either away or taken when Kissandra was around.

Calyx sighed, trying desperately not to look unhappy, and thought about the situation rationally. She was the best person for the job. She could act the part of a pleasure slave; hell, she might even enjoy the bit. She was also a fierce fighter, one of the best at hand-to-hand combat, which was what she'd need to protect herself.

Calyx stared at her mug of tea. Oh boy, the three-day journey back here with Her Majesty Kassy was going to be a long one, she thought.

But then... Calyx smirked; Calyx was the slave who apparently outshone her in bed. For once, she would be seen and treated as the better one.

Immature, but there you had it.

"Ok, let's do it," Calyx said, with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

~*~*~

From the moment Kissandra stepped on board, Calyx began to regret their plan.

Kissandra was five foot six of golden blonde perfection, full of enthusiasm and life, and bounding straight for the two men in the galaxy Calyx would have given just about anything to keep Kissandra from.

"Obi-Wan! By the Force, I haven't seen you in AGES. And Niobal! Wow, you two have really got yourselves into a mess haven't you?" she said, leaving her bags near Calyx, yet somehow managing to ignore her at the same time.

Calyx sighed and waited.

"Kassy, you remember Calyx," Ben said, gesturing to his friend.

"Oh," she said, her enthusiasm dropping to just this side of bored. "Little Callistos. Hello."

"Hello, Kassy." Calyx was sure she didn't imagine her emphasizing little.

"So, I see you are doing much better in Healers than in Knights. Well, as Yoda said, not everyone was meant to be a Knight."

Calyx smiled. "True."

"So, I read what you found out, Obi." She started heading for the conference room, while Niobal piloted the ship back into hyperspace.

"I didn't find it, Calyx did," Ben corrected her.

She plastered a smile on her face. "Oh, so I see that you didn't forget everything they taught you as an initiate."

Calyx bowed slightly before she pulled her chair out to sit next to Ben. Kassy took that as her chair and sat before Calyx could so much as blink. That left only the chair on the other side of Kassy.

Leaving Calyx out.

Calyx decided that now would be a good time to have a cup of tea. At least that would be doing something useful. On her way out, she saw Niobal in the hall and motioned to the conference room without so much as pausing. She was too angry and frustrated to even say Kassy's name already, and Calyx didn't want to start problems when they needed Kassy's help so desperately.

~*~*~

Calyx knelt on the meditation mat, surrounded by the sweet silence of her bedroom. Kassy had been talking almost non-stop since boarding, from flirting with Ben and Nio, to taking every opportunity to cut Calyx down.

And it was only day two of the three-day trip back to Ognarock.

At least Calyx was getting plenty of practice in meditation. It was either that, or literally tear Kassy's perfect head from her perfect body.

Calyx remembered, back when they were all kids, Ben had had a problem with a fellow Initiate, Bruck Chun. He and Bruck had fought in anger, with words and fists more often in a single year than most Jedi do in their entire lives. Calyx had understood Ben's frustration with the situation, and had even delayed her departure to the Healers' Temple until Qui-Gon finally came to his senses and took Ben on as his Padawan.

And that only made it even more frustrating that the guys didn't seem to see what Kassy was doing.

Normally, Calyx would have gone to them, and complained bitterly until Nio started playing with her hair and Ben started tickling her. But she just couldn't bring herself to do it anymore. No matter what they had said about staying friends, that night was like a gulf between the three of them. Things had changed, and Calyx couldn't bring them back.

Since she was alone, Calyx let the tears that she had been holding back finally fall.

~*~*~
Chapter Six
~*~*~

"Ben, dear," Kassy said as she modeled her harem outfit that looked made for her. "No one is going to believe that she is better at her job than I am."

Calyx blinked.

Nio cocked his head. "How so? It's a matter of skill, not necessarily looks."

Kassy shook her head at him. "Dear, you -obviously- haven't been out lately. Pleasure slaves are bred like race animals and are put in training since birth. I look like one of those kinds, and she simply doesn't."

Calyx bit her tongue. She was right. Calyx hated it, but she was right.

"Just what are you saying, Kassy?" Ben asked quietly.

Kassy looked at him innocently. "Why... send her in of course. She looks like someone's slave who just happened to get lucky and land this cushy position. Now that you have acquired a REAL pleasure slave, why keep her? Besides, the danger she's to encounter is all medical-based from what you tell me. As a healer, that is her province."

That, Calyx believed, was the first time Kassy had ever given Calyx credit for any skill.

"She's right," Calyx croaked out softly.

Ben and Nio's heads swiveled to look at her. It was the first time Calyx had spoken two words strung together since Kassy was on board.

"As a Healer, I can make sure the fetus doesn't place in me. As a Healer, I can repair damage done to me faster than she could. You could place a tracking chip inside me and find where I am. All I need to do is make sure that the body part containing said chip doesn't leave the premises."

Calyx saw Nio's throat convulse in a heavy swallow. "Kassy," he said, "we'll be right back."

He and Ben gently but firmly gripped Calyx by the elbows, turned her around, propelled her out of the room, down the hall, and into Ben and Nio's bedroom. Once the door close behind them, Calyx shrugged out of their touch, and turned to face both of them.

"There is nothing to discuss here, boys," she said. "As much as I hate to admit it, Kassy is right."

"'Nothing to discuss?'" Ben burst out and paced away. "You are going to risk your life and you say there is nothing to discuss?!"

Calyx held her head high. "Yes."

"I think there is something we need to discuss," Nio said quietly but firmly.

"Oh, really? What would that be?" she demanded, hands on her hips.

"What happened our last night on Ognarock," he said.

"I thought we already discussed that," Calyx said testily.

"No," Ben said. "Not really."

"Sure as heck had me fooled. I thought we were friends again."

"We were -- are -- friends," Ben said. "But there is something else."

Nio nodded. "Something very important."

Calyx sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Beg your pardon?" Nio asked, genuinely confused.

She lowered her eyes to the floor. "I'm sorry. I really hoped to keep it under wraps or that it would fade away."

"Calyx..." Ben said, and he tilted her chin up. "What are you talking about?"

She turned and faced the wall. She just couldn't do this while looking at those eyes...

"You know, when we were young, I loved and trusted you both as my best friends in the whole world... I kinda got stuck there. When we would get together, I would be reminded of that happy time." Calyx laughed, mostly at herself. "I guess I just kept thinking of you as WingNut and Tall, Dark, and Gangly..."

She found her shoes fascinating, having spent enough time staring at the wall. "I never really let myself realize you two had grown up.... and it came to me rather abruptly that night you HAD. You weren't just a couple of guys... you were ... well... MALE. You grew up, and I guess in that moment my feelings for you did as well.

"It's foolish, I know. But... I really hope you will still let me have your friendship now that you know this. It's a damn sight better than nothing..." Calyx couldn't go on. She choked on her own words and tears, staring at her shoes while she stood facing the corner of the room.

There was a moment of silence, and Calyx knew that Ben and Nio were having one of their rapid-fire talks again.

And then they both pulled her into a hug, nearly squeezing the breath out of her.

"That's wonderful to hear," Ben said.

"But what we wanted to tell you," Nio said, "was that it wasn't just the drug that night."

"Huh?" Calyx's brain wasn't functioning at top speed. "What... um..."

"We wanted you," Ben whispered as he kissed her on the temple. "Badly."

Again, Calyx saw the same images she had seen that night...

Her and Ben sprawled out, sweaty from making love.

"Also," Nio added, "we were forced to see our feelings had grown up as well."

Calyx gave a little start as what they were saying sunk in.

"You want m-m-m-me?" she stammered.

"Yes," Ben breathed into her ear. "Can we?"

Like anyone would really say no, Calyx thought giddily.

She shook her head, and made a try for rationality. "We... we said to Kassy... we would be out..."

Ben frowned for a second. "She seems rather put out about something."

"Gee... I wonder what?" Calyx said laconically -- or as laconically as she could with Ben's tongue suddenly tracing her ear.

Nio, not wanting to be outdone, ran his hands over Calyx's clothed body and started nipping at her neck. "Yes... she did seem extremely put out."

There was the sound of a crash from the other room. Most likely her favorite teacup against the wall, Calyx though.

It was worth it, Calyx decided as Nio kissed her.

"Kassy can wait," she said breathlessly between kisses.

Calyx melted into Nio's touch. His lips softly tugged at hers, seeking, questioning, asking, begging.

Ben captured her chin when she drew away from Nio for fresh air and gave her a kiss of his own. Calyx lifted her arms, and wound them around his neck. That left her sides exposed to Nio's questing hands.

A girl could get used to this, Calyx thought just before Ben lifted her up and carried her over to the large bed. He lay her down, but instead of joining her, he and Nio slowly divested Calyx of her harem girl outfit, until she lay completely naked in front of them both.

The air coolant system came on then, and Calyx shivered slightly in the breeze.

"Cold?" Nio asked, and she nodded, thinking that his eyes alone could warm her.

"We'll warm you," Ben offered, and he and Nio removed their shirts before climbing on to the bed, flanking her.

Ben turned Calyx's face to his and kissed her. If Nio's kiss was soft and tender, then Ben's kiss threatened to devour her whole.

And here Calyx never thought she would understand the roots of cannibalism.

Ben's hands roamed over her body in a manner Calyx could only think of as possessive. This wasn't a sweet lover; this is a mate marking his territory. When Ben finally let her up for air, Calyx felt a second pair of hands join the first in wandering. This one was sensual, slow and soft to the extreme.

She shivered; every girl always had the fantasy of having a feral possessive lover, or one that was slow and sensual.

Calyx could say with some authority that having both at once risked sending her body into shock. And she was getting both.

What it did, however, was shock some sense into her.

"Guys, I really don't want to come between you two," she breathed as soon as Ben's lips broke from Calyx's to let her suck in some air.

"I thought that was the point," Ben chuckled as he nibbled an earlobe.

Calyx gave up.

She was naked.

On a big, soft, comfy bed.

Two highly attractive men who she trusted with her very soul were there, bound and determined to show that she was wanted.

What girl would say no to that?

Calyx sighed contentedly and decided that she wanted to explore.

She rolled Nio onto his back and sat astride him. "Where do I begin?"

Ben rolled onto his side and propped himself up with one elbow near Nio's head. "His neck -- he really likes that."

Ain't nothing like getting live pointers.

Calyx laid her hands on Nio's chest and bent down to nip and suck at Nio's neck. Nio gasped and then started making pretty crooning noises.

Then those noises were muffled. Ben had decided that he wanted to tease Nio as well and had take possession of Nio's mouth.

Calyx began to slowly to slide down Nio's body, nipping here and there, making sure Ben and he were distracted. Using a bit of the Force, she managed to open Nio's pants without his noticing. But when she blew a puff of warm air over the newly exposed flesh, Nio broke away from Ben with a gasp.

Calyx allowed herself a small grin of triumph as she proceeded to do her level best to drive the air from Nio's lungs and keep it that way.

The first thing she did, was lick and nibble all around that sensitive area, but not where Nio wanted it the most.

"For a Healer," Nio panted out, "you sure are a teasing little -- AH!"

She stopped him mid sentence by taking him into her mouth. Quickly, Calyx released him, and shimmied back up his body. "I'm sorry," she said, smiling sweetly, "were you saying something?"

Ben laughed, and pulled her off of Nio. "Now, now, Calyx," he said as he pinned her to the mattress, "that wasn't very nice."

"Oh yeah?" she challenged him. "What are you going to do about it?"

Calyx had her answer a moment later.

Apparently, Ben's idea of punishment was to have Nio hold her down with his hands and kisses, while Ben moved down, parted her legs, and gently blew upon a *very* sensitive place. Nio's mouth smothered any noises Calyx made as Ben began to give the kind of treatment that she thought only existed in romance novels.

What choice did she have, but to claw at the sheets and take it like a Jedi?

Just as Calyx thought she would trip over the edge, she felt Ben and Nio move away, leaving her a whimpering pile of greedy nerves.

"She tastes nice," Ben observed mildly.

"Really?" Nio replied just as conversationally. "May I see?"

Nio didn't give Ben a chance to answer since Nio decided to smother Ben with a deep kiss. From her vantage point, Calyx could see their tongues battling.

Since they were all in physical contact, Calyx could hear Ben and Nio playfully arguing.

::Ben!:: Nio sent, ::You are hogging it all!::

::Can you blame me?:: Was the only response he received

Calyx blinked, in a daze at watching those two men who were obviously in love start to prove it to each other. She watched Nio's hands make short work of Ben's pants. Ben in turn tipped Nio back onto the bed. Their hands and mouths were everywhere on each other and their hips were moving in tandem.

Ben gasped for breath as Nio nibbled on his neck. Then Ben turned and looked at Calyx, lying on the bed alone.

To her surprise, the spell wasn't broken.

Ben simply reached out and caressed her face, and Calyx heard his voice in her head. ::Calyx, come here.::

She also heard all the over tones. He didn't want her to be alone anymore. He truly wanted her to join them. Calyx felt as Nio sent a wave of the same emotion.

Ben pulled Calyx's lips to his and kissed her again. Oh boy, he could assassinate people with that.

She pulled back, frowning slightly. "The mechanics of this leave me puzzled."

Ben chuckled. "Well, I don't think you are quite ready for the really exotic things. So I guess... Nio: Heads or tails?"

Nio smiled. "You first."

"Oh, so it's like that?" Ben grinned.

"Let's keep to what she knows for now."

Calyx decided to interject at that point. "Huh?"

Only to find herself once again pinned by Ben on the bed with her head resting on Nio's shoulder.

Ben softly touched his lips to hers, and held them there as he slipped inside Calyx's tight sheath with a groan.

She lay still, trying to catch her suddenly missing breath. Nio continuously ran his hands along both Ben and Calyx, as Ben began to rock.

Calyx shivered with delight as the familiar sense of need built to fever pitch. Both she and Ben were panting heavily and about to fall over the edge when Nio turned Ben's head and kissed him.

For some reason, the sight of that was all Calyx needed to send her over the edge screaming like a banshee.

When her vision cleared and revealed that she had not, in fact, gone blind, she saw Nio cradling her tenderly in his arms while Ben stroked her back.

Nio kissed the top of Calyx's head. "Ready?"

~*~*~

When her vision cleared and revealed that she had not, in fact, gone blind, she saw Nio cradling her tenderly in his arms while Ben stroked her back.

Nio kissed the top of Calyx's head. "Ready?"

~*~*~

To her intense surprise, she was.

This time, Nio flipped her onto all fours, with Ben lying on his back, looking up at her.

Calyx was staring into Ben's eyes when Nio entered her slowly, stretching and filling and pressing against her at angles only that position could reach. As he began to move in and out, the tension in Calyx's body began swiftly rebuilding itself. Ben leaned up to kiss Calyx, and caressed her breasts as Nio began to pick up speed and Calyx's moans grew in volume.

How she survived that second orgasm, Calyx was sure she would never know. But when she felt and heard Nio's release, she went flying gladly into oblivion.

When she could string together a coherent thought, Calyx opened her eyes again. She was sandwiched between both men, and the three of them were lying on their sides, spooning each other. Nio was behind Calyx, and had one arm draped over both Calyx and Ben's hips.

They were still panting.

Calyx could tell they we were still panting, because she could see the white puffs as their breath condensed in the cold air.

"20 dataries says," she mumbled, "that Kassy-bitch turned on the air."

Ben chuckled. "I must admit, making it freezing is a bit of a prank, but I don't see how that warrants the title of bitch."

"No?" Calyx said, her voice matching the room temperature. "How does cutting me down at every turn and implying I am inferior to her?"

"Is it really that bad?" Nio asked, and brushed some of Calyx's hair out of her face.

"Didn't I just say that?"

"Tell us how you really feel," Ben said, and she couldn't help cracking a smile.

"Come on you two. We need to go finish planning," Calyx said, and tickled Ben along the ribs. "And I want to rub this under Kassy's nose."

"Do you now?" Nio said, and tickled Calyx until she had tears running down her face.

There is nothing like rolling around a big bed, being tickled by two beautiful, naked men, Calyx decided.

Once the miniature tickle war ended in a tie, they dressed and kissed each other again. Calyx couldn't have wiped the grin off her face if she had wanted to.

And she didn't want to.

When they walked out to the hall, Calyx noticed that Kassy looked... a little flushed.

As a healer, Calyx was a powerful empath, and more powerful than most. When under any kind of stress, or a powerful emotion, it is the natural reflex of an empath to project on a subconscious level. It made it easier for an injured Knight to find a Healer on the battlefield. Apparently, though, Kassy wasn't aware of how powerful of an empath Calyx really was.

Calyx at least had the good graces to blush. She bowed deeply to Kassy. "I´m sorry, Kassy," she said, "I should I warned you about my excessive empathy. Please forgive me any inconvenience I caused you."

Kassy took a deep breath, and looked at Calyx for a long moment. "No problem," she said. "Now let's get back to planning, shall we?"

~*~*~

Several hours later, Calyx walked into the ship's kitchen, looking for Ben and Nio. Instead, she found Kassy, reading from a datapad as she sipped from a steaming mug of herbal tea.

"Have you seen the guys?" Calyx asked.

Kassy shrugged. "I think they're in their room. They said something about needing to talk."

Calyx suppressed a grin; she knew what that meant. She was about to go join them in their 'talk,' when Kassy's voice stopped her.

"Calyx," she said.

Calyx responded to something in Kassy's voice that she couldn't identify. Calyx sat in the other chair, facing Kassy across the table.

"I... I'm sorry," Kassy began.

"Beg your pardon?"

"I have been acting ridiculously immature for this whole mission," she said.   "Actually, for our whole lives."

"Kass..." Calyx started to say, but Kassy held up a hand, stopping the words.

"I was jealous, and angry," she said. "I was jealous because of the rare friendship you three had... and then I was angry because my pride was hurt that Ben and Nio had both rejected me for you... several times."

Calyx was literally shocked beyond words. "Kass, I don't know what to say."   It was all she could manage.

"Just say we're friends," she said.

Calyx stood, walked over, and hugged her. Now it was Kassy's turn to be shocked.

Calyx sighed deeply as she pulled back. "Thank you. To tell the truth, I have always been jealous of how you always seemed to have everything handed to you because of your looks."

"Funny that, I have always been jealous of you."

"For Ben and Nio?"

"No."

"No?"

"No, for your Force sensitivity. I could study all my life, but I won't understand a quarter of what you do. After... after you left the academy of your own free will, Yoda praised you, saying you were wiser than any of your peers."

"I guess we all have our little secrets," Calyx smiled.

Kassy laughed. "And two of your secrets are waiting for you in the other room. Go to them, and I'll buzz you three when we drop out of hyperspace."

She didn't have to tell her twice...

Especially considering the fact they had a full day more in hyperspace.

~*~*~
Chapter Seven
~*~*~

Kassy danced and preened before the Hutt, drawing lustful, glassy-eyed stares from the patrons of the small, private slave market. Calyx sat by, looking sad and dejected as the out-classed one. Ben lounged and gazed up at Kassy as if enchanted by her skills, but Calyx could tell by his blank eyes that he was actually bored stiff.

It was Nio who had the hard task of striking a bargain. He called Calyx over, and she went willingly and sat on his knee, frowning at Kassy. ::Don't worry, love, we are almost there,:: he assured her. ::Keep looking sour like that, and our only buyer will be the one who wants to impregnate you.::

Calyx snuggled against Nio, but he frowned, making like her attentions didn't mean anything to him. But she could feel evidence to the contrary.

::Oh for crying out LOUD!:: Kassy chuckled. ::Can't you men calm your raging hormones for five minutes?::

Calyx giggled as she continued to nip at Nio's neck, despite his half-hearted attempts to stop her. Ben gave a small pinch to Calyx's butt, and she was hard put not to squeal.

::Ah, new lovers!:: Kassy said, coloring her voice with humor.

Eventually, the sale was made. The man who bought Calyx was the same slimy, blue-skinned humanoid who had hosted the sabacc game, and they recognized him as the one who had also bought girls that not many others had shown much interest in, regardless of age or disposition. In three days' time, he would come to collect Calyx, once the paperwork was filled out and the credits were transferred.

"Perfect," Nio agreed, "that should give us enough time to go off planet and purchase some supplies."

Translation: Give a -highly- edited version of what they were going to do to the Jedi Council. They would need into hyperspace for a while -- long enough to make sure their communications couldn't be monitored.

Calyx had been sold for twenty five thousand dataries.

::You are worth much more than that,:: Ben fumed.

::Yeah, I should have gone for fifty,:: Calyx snorted back.

::We are to turn you over in three days,:: Nio somehow managed to grumble telepathically, ::that gives time for the fake papers to go through and full ownership license to transfer. It's frightening how... official this sounds.::

Calyx nuzzled his neck. ::It has to be, in order to keep the peace within the ranks of thieves. Just think, I have three days to make sure you boys don't forget me while I'm gone!::

Ben took that as the signal to toss Kassy over his shoulder and run off while Nio led a rather sad-looking Calyx away by the collar.

~*~*~

"What did the council have to say about your plan?" Kassy asked as she did a few final checks on the tracking device. The device was a small disk that used the wearer's body as an antenna. Small and made from an extremely durable plastic, it was virtually undetectable.

"They weren't very pleased that we felt it necessary to take things so far," Nio said, his forehead crinkling with thought. "Especially since Calyx is one of the most talented Healers we have."

"But after Calyx gave them her reasoning," Ben sighed, "they agreed with only a few reservations."

Calyx sat heavily, muttering something about Yoda and lectures on safety. She looked across the table to Kassy. "Are we set to go? We have to head back to Ognarock soon, and I want to make sure the incision is fully healed before they take possession of me."

A muscle along the side of Nio's jaw began to jump slightly, and Ben frowned so hard, Calyx was sure the only thing keeping his eyebrows separate was the deep crease between them that only appeared when something was bothering him.

"I just want to say one more time what a bad idea I think this is," Ben muttered.

"Ben, darling," Kassy said as she stood and handed Calyx the tracking device, "it's the only choice we have. Now stop fussing, and start spending some quality time. I have my daily meditations to do."

Calyx smiled gratefully at her newfound friend as Kassy left the room. With a steady hand, Calyx then made a small cut on the back of her left hand in the fleshy part between her thumb and forefinger. Then she slid the small disk through the incision, made a few adjustments, and closed the cut with a Bacta bandage and a touch of the Force. As small as she had made it, Calyx knew that within a matter of hours there would be no external evidence of the procedure.

Pleased with herself, Calyx began to put away her tools, acutely aware that the men were still in the room, and both were staring at her. She tried ignoring them, hoping they would get the hint and go away, but that had about as much effect as flower petals thrown at an oncoming freighter.

Finally, Calyx slammed her med kit on the tabletop. "What?" she demanded. "Just say it already, whatever it is that you two are so bothered by -- just say it!"

"We're worried for your safety," Nio said, his soft voice laced with defeat, "and we know there isn't even the slightest chance we could do anything to change your mind."

"It's just that," Ben added, "we've only just started on this new path, and Nio and I are terrified something will happen to you, and you'll die, never having heard us say that we--"

"Stop." Calyx held up her bandaged hand. "Don't say it; not like this. When all this is over, and we have saved the day, we can talk about it all you like, but for now... for now, I just need my two best friends in the entire universe to hold me, because you guys aren't the only ones who are scared."

Without a word, both men went to Calyx. Nio scooped her up into his arms, and Ben deactivated the lights behind them as they went to the cabin that all three now shared. Once in bed, Ben and Nio tucked her in between their bodies, and held her tightly until all three of them fell into restless sleep.

~*~*~

They weren't supposed to come for her for another hour, Ben fumed as he watched the three men approach the ship. Two of the men were so large and hulking, they could be nothing but guards to watch the slave they had come to collect. His face and body betraying none of his distress, Ben shimmied out from under the ship, wiping his hands. He smiled broadly, and called for Nio, both on the ship's comm system and through their mental link.

::They're early,:: Ben sent. ::Better make sure Calyx is ready.::

::Damn. I'll be right out.::

"Gentlemen!" Nio called from the top of the ramp. "How good to see you! How can we help you?"

"We are here for the slave," the smallest man in the group said. It was the blue man who had struck the actual deal for Calyx's change of 'ownership.'

"You are early," Nio said with a grin that masked his internal turmoil, "good. We can leave for our next stops that much earlier. I will be just a moment." He bobbed his head to the men, and went to get Calyx, who was performing a last-minute check on her transmitter.

"It's time," Nio said, his voice tight.

Calyx's lips compressed into a thin line, and she nodded. "Let's go."

Kassy gave Calyx's hand a reassuring squeeze. "We'll come for you as soon as we can."

"I know." Calyx avoided looking at Nio, out of fear she would burst into tears. She was a slave, and needed to act like one; she wasn't supposed to care who owned her. Nio understood Calyx's behavior, and only allowed himself one last kiss on the crown of her head before walking her down to her new owners.

As soon as she was passed over, Calyx was injected with a sedative, and immediately fell asleep. The muscle on the side of Nio's jaw began to jump again, and Ben spoke before his 'partner' could say or do anything to blow their cover.

"Was that really necessary?" Ben demanded, gesturing to the empty hypospray.

"They can't run away if they don't know where they are," the blue man said with a disturbing smile.

~*~*~
Chapter Eight
~*~*~

When Calyx woke, she first checked to see if the Force was still with her; it was. Her internal directional and spatial senses told her she was in the city. Under Gulgan the Hutt's palace, in fact.

She frowned deeply as she rubbed her head and tried to run an internal sense check. Something was wrong, and Calyx thought maybe not all the drugs were out of her system yet. But no, the drugs were completely gone.

There was something else.

Calyx felt her heart skip a beat as she quickly placed her hand over her bare belly and concentrated. She breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed. They had just run internal tests to see when she was fertile.

Relaxing against the wall, Calyx stared into the ceiling and concentrated on keeping her breathing calm. Standing up, she decided to give the wall a kick and ended up stubbing her toe.

Yep, she was in a cell. Naked.

And with no way to get out; there didn't seem to be any way to get at the locking mechanism, so a breakout was looking very unlikely. Besides, the walls were smooth -- she had no idea where the door was.

Doors were good things.

So was the sun.

Calyx sat down back onto her warm spot in the center of the metal floor and dropped into a trance to try and stay calm, despite the fact that she was in what appeared to be a seamless, metal box.

Now she knew why she had become a Healer. Being a Warrior was waiting.

And she was impatient.

::Come on Ben, Nio, find me so we can help these people and go home,:: she mentally whispered as her mind connected with her first fellow prisoner in pain. Quick as a wink Calyx did what she could long distance, easing the contractions of the birth.

::Come soon,:: she half-prayed as she moved onto the next woman.

~*~*~

Nio sat and glared at the monitor.

It wasn't helping any more than it had for the past three hours, when Calyx had first disappeared from their scans.

Ben walked in, and saw Nio frowning. "Any luck?" he asked, wrapping his arms around Nio's shoulders.

"We need to find a way to boost our scans," Nio mulled over. "Any suggestions?"

"I've been going through the on-board library," Ben said. "I haven't had any luck yet, but the looking will go faster if you help me. Now stop glowering at the monitor and let's find Calyx."

~*~*~

Calyx had lost track of time long hours ago. Only her lifetime of training kept her from dissolving into a shivering, sniveling mass in the middle of the floor.

She was cold and hungry, and inwardly trembling at the death cry that still echoed in her head. Her neighbor, the one who had been in labor when Calyx first woke, had died shortly after the clone was born. To anyone else, the slave had hardly more than whimpered before dying, but to Calyx, there had been a heart-wrenching scream of pure soul-based pain that had echoed across the Force.

Where were they? Calyx though. Ben and Nio should have been there already.   Something had gone wrong; she knew it. Quickly, she checked the tracking device.

It was still imbedded in her hand, and still active. All she could do was continue to wait.

~*~*~

Nio and Ben each had different reactions when they were angry, Kassy notice as she stood in the corner, sipping tea.

Nio had the tendency to sit still and glower at an inanimate object until it melted or shattered.

Right now, there were precisely three mugs left on the ship.

Ben had a tendency to pace and attempt to put his fist through something.

Thank the Force that the hull had only been dented.

Both Nio and Ben were growling low in their throats.

"Let's think; the have obviously put her in a place that blocks devices," Kassy said.

Ben whipped out his lightsaber and sliced through a table.

"What are you doing?!" Kassy demanded.

"I'm THINKING!" Ben said, glaring.

"I think we need to calm down here..." Kassy began.

"Yes," Ben nodded, "Calm. I will calmly rip their hearts out and feed them to a felix if anything has happened to her."

"Now that's taking things a bit overboard, don't you think?" Kassy reasoned.

"Then I will shove them overboard, off this ship right in the middle of space..." Nio muttered.

Kassy sighed and rolled her eyes. "Men, bunch of ninnies every single one of you. No wonder I decided I wanted to date women."

That brought both men to a screeching halt as their trains of thought were derailed, killing all passenger ideas aboard. Kassy simply righted a chair that didn't look too mangled and sat down, continuing to sip her tea.

"Pardon?" Ben asked, lightsaber still glowing.

Kassy waved for him to shut it off. "Hadn't you guessed? Men are fun - I have slept with them and all - but I fall in love with women."

Ben blinked, putting the pieces of the puzzle together. "Calyx..."

Kassy blushed bright scarlet. "Well, she was my first crush. One never really gets over it. Believe me, if she ever crooked a finger in invitation, I'd prove to her that you men are no fun. But that's past. Now, let's figure out how to save her, shall we?"

~*~*~

Calyx sat in the center of her cell, meditating. It was the best form of defense she could think of to use against the constant onslaught of mental and physical agony than surrounded her. She had already gone through every meditation technique they had taught her at the Healer's Temple, and had moved on to some of the ones that Master Jinn had taught her during their 'saber lessons, years earlier.

Qui-Gon had been so patient and gentle with her, and had shown her dozens of ways to find her center during those weeks before they became lovers. After that, Calyx had found her center within him. But he had died only a few short years later, taking Calyx's center, and heart, with him.

Calyx had thought that she would never find another person who could make her feel as Qui-Gon had. She had thought that while she might be able to find her center within, she would never find another without. She thought that she would never find love as strong again.

She had been wrong, Calyx realized now. And she had to tell Ben and Nio -- which meant staying alive and in one piece until they found her.

~*~*~

"You want to what?" Nio looked at Kassy like she had just sprouted an alien symbiont.

"Scan the city for Force users. Do you have any better ideas?"

"How will finding every being with a semi-decent midichlorian count help Calyx?"

"I didn't say Force sensitives, Ben darling, I said Force users. As in people using large amounts of the Force to, say, heal injured slaves, for example."

"And just how would we go about doing this?" Nio asked, afraid to let the hope grow just yet.

"There are machines," Kassy explained, "that can track energy fluxes. Since using the Force is as reflexive to us as breathing, I've been working on a handheld device that can trace use of the Force -- for finding missing Jedi in the field and such. It's still in the experimental stages, mind you, but it just might work."

Ben and Nio looked at each other for a moment, then stood, and sandwiched Kassy in a tight hug. She was pretty sure that if they squeezed her much tighter, she wouldn't be able to breathe any more.

"Okay guys, let me go already," she said. "I can't work if you don't."

They let go of her so fast, that Kassy more fell than sat back in her chair.

~*~*~
Chapter Nine
~*~*~

"We have to leave."

Nio arched any eyebrow, and looked up from the shoulder rub he was giving himself in an attempt to calm down. Ben's forehead furrowed, and the crease between his eyebrows formed. Kassy waited for a response from either of them.

"I beg your pardon?" Nio asked slowly, standing up.

"I said 'We have to leave,'" Kassy repeated. "I need components from my ship, and we left my ship a system and a half away. I hadn't expected to be working so much, so I only brought the bare essentials. Hence, we have to leave."

"We'll be leaving Calyx behind if we go," Ben said.

"And we'll be wasting our time and hers if we don't," Kassy insisted. "I know you two are worried about her; so am I. But I can't do anything if I don't have my supplies. So before we go out, trying to mind whammy everyone we encounter, I suggest we take the logical route and go to my ship."

They really had no argument, the two men realized. Leaving Calyx behind was the only way they could have a chance of finding her. Nio nodded.

"All right. We will depart as soon as we can. I'll begin the pre-flight preparations in a moment," he said.

Kassy, sensing that he and Ben needed time alone to discuss this new move, left the room quietly. She had a need for meditation if she was going to be working with electronics, which was her specialty. She didn't want to make any mistakes, not when it was Calyx's life hanging in the balance.

Ben sighed, and wrapped his arms around Nio's waist, resting his head on the taller man's shoulder.

"I can't help feeling..." Ben began.

"...that we're abandoning her," Nio finished, resting his cheek against Ben's soft hair. "I know."

They stood there in silence for a few moments, just holding each other, giving and receiving the comfort they both needed. Ben eventually pulled away enough to look into Nio's eyes. There was a familiar emotion there, one that was strong in both of their hearts.

"I love you," Ben said, a touch of desperation in his voice. "I love you."

Nio smiled, and rubbed Ben's back soothingly. He understood what Ben was really saying. "I love you, too. We'll save her, I promise. And then the three of us will talk, and we'll convince her that she belongs with us. Then we'll all be together, in love, and happy. We won't fail her."

Ben relaxed a bit, but unsaid words echoed through his head.

Not like I failed Qui-Gon.

~*~*~

Calyx reached out with the Force, trying to see if her promised rescue party would be there any time soon. It had been the better part of a week, and there had been no indication that Calyx could so much as hope for anything to change in the near future. Master Windu had always told her she would have to learn patience one day.

To occupy her mind, Calyx shifted her consciousness to check on Sharie. She had located her friend a few days earlier. The Twi'lek girl was several cells over, and Calyx had spent much of her time trying to project feelings of calm to the poor young woman. It had been working, but only a small amount, and Calyx knew that the best thing for Sharie was to get her out and away from the hell they were both trapped in.

At least it was something to do while she waited, Calyx thought. And then her mind was assaulted by waves of pain.

Breaking her tenuous link to Sharie, Calyx collapsed to the floor with a small scream. The pain gradually subsided, and Calyx realized that one of the women she had been trying to help over the past few days had gone into labor. Silently, Calyx berated herself for not ensuring that the link between her and this woman had been properly severed; she knew better.

But she knew, as she shared the pain of yet another contraction, that she would maintain her empathic link until the end, if there were even the slightest chance that she could help someone in pain.

***

This segment needs a special disclaimer: Calyx has a clone implanted in vitro, and she terminates the pregnancy through the Force before it has a chance to progress. Anyone who is offended by this imagery should not read this section.

~*~*~
Chapter Ten
~*~*~

They had come for Calyx right after dinner.

An earlier scan of the environment had shown Calyx a low-level poison was in the air; lethal only in large doses, it acted as a sedative for the slaves in the minute amount that was in the air. Long-term effects were likely unpleasant though, judging by the breather masks all the staff wore.

Even the doctor wore a breather mask as he strapped Calyx to the table, her legs spread wide. It took only a moment to insert the clone embryo into Calyx's womb, but with her Healer's eye, she could tell that the process was actually still in the experimental stages. At least that would make it easier for her to seem innocent when the embryo didn't take hold, Calyx thought.

Immediately after, the two guards took Calyx to another cell, locking her in before she could get a look at the door mechanism for future reference. Loathing what she was about to do, Calyx sat on the floor, let herself slip into a light trance, and with a brief, bright flare of the Force, she killed the embryo housed in her body.

As a Jedi, a Healer, and a woman, Calyx found all life, no matter what form it took, to be precious. She knew that if the clone had been allowed to grow within her body, not only would she likely die, but it would be a soulless thing with the single purpose of destroying life -- but Calyx also knew that she might never again have the chance to create a life. Such was the life of the Jedi; going from one planet to the next, solving the problems of the Galaxy, they rarely had chances to start families.

With a sigh, she slipped deeper into the trance, telling herself that it was to conserve energy, and not to escape.

~*~*~

The trio of Jedi Knights slipped through the hidden door they had located. Kassy's quickly built machine had led them right to Gulgan the Hutt's palace, and it was only a matter of detective work to find the entrance to the underground facility.

Actually, what had happened was Ben and Nio had joined forces to whammy Gulgan's assistant into leading them there and telling them everything he knew about the facility.

Once in the passageway, Kassy was hard put to keep up with the men. What had drawn them to Gulgan's palace had been a sudden spike in Force activity -- and it almost immediately cut off to a dangerously low hum. Not to mention they couldn't seem to get a more specific fix on Calyx since whatever technology that was in use to scramble tracking devices seemed to be wreaking havoc with Kassy's machine.

::Nio, we have to find her,:: Ben sent urgently as they rounded a corner to find half a dozen armed guards waiting for them.

::I know, Ben,:: Nio replied as he blocked several blaster bolts with his red lightsaber, sending them back to the men who fired them.

::I'll never forgive myself,:: Ben continued as he spin-kicked one guard into another, ::if we're too late. We promised her we'd be there, and that was more than a day ago. We have to find her...::

::We'll find her, I promise,:: Nio sent as he knocked out the last guard. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a piece of machinery that might be useful.

"Kassy!" he called. Kassy turned to him, her deep purple blade still glowing. "Can you use that console to find Calyx's exact location?" he asked.

"I can try," she said. "Cover me for a minute?"

Both men flanked her as she deactivated her saber, clipped it to her belt, and set to work at the console. After a few moments, Kassy spoke.

"Found her. She's in recovery room 3-C. Follow me!"

Kassy took off down the hall at a Force-enhanced speed with Ben and Nio hot on her heels. A second group of security personnel stopped their progress at the entrance to the recovery ward, though. Before the Jedi had the chance to react, the guards had opened fire on them, and the three intruders jumped behind a corner.

"Sith!" Kassy hissed, gripping her upper arm. Smoke curled up between her fingers, and the men could smell smoldered fabric and flesh.

"Are you alright?" Nio asked, moving Kassy's hand to check the wound.

The blonde woman nodded tersely. "It only clipped me. Let's go get 'em."

'Sabers held at the ready, the three rounded the corner again and immediately began deflecting the blaster bolts coming in their direction. Instinctively, Ben and Nio put Kassy to the back, leaving her to defend herself against only the occasional stray bolt that got through their defenses. Rapidly, they advanced on the security detail, incapacitating as many as they could with the deflected bolts.

Only two guards were left by the time they had got within hand-to-hand range. Ben and Nio each took one, and Kassy headed down the corridor to find Calyx. It didn't take much looking before she reached Calyx's room, but it was locked with a keypad and palm-plate. Kassy knew it was going to take her a while to get past this security...

Her thoughts were stopped when Ben's 'saber cut completely through the lock, and Nio started to force the door open with his bare hands. Almost immediately, the alarm began to sound. Kassy shook her head in exasperation.

"We won't have much time now," she said. "Get her out of here, and then come help me with the others. Let's save as many of these women as we can!"

As soon the door was open wide enough, Ben and Nio ran in to find Calyx lying on the cold metal floor, naked and unconscious, but alive. Both men instinctively reached out with the Force, and found that Calyx had put herself in a deep trance; she would be fine once she woke. Nio lifted her slight weight easily, and followed Ben out and back into the hallway. Kassy was already returning with three naked women following behind her.

"Ladies, if you'll follow me," Nio said, putting on a smile for the sake of their frightened states, "we'll be leaving very shortly."

::Take care of her, Nio,:: Ben sent as he dashed down a hallway to check for more women. ::I'll see you back on the ship.::

Nio almost managed to get the still-unconscious Calyx and the three terrified women out of the facility without a problem. Only a few yards from the exit, they encountered yet more of the very well armed guards. Leaving the three women safely around a corner, Nio went to face the two who stood in his way.

Reluctant to set Calyx down even for a moment, Nio instead flung her over his shoulder as he unclipped his 'saber from his belt, ignited it, and held it in one hand as he deflected blaster bolts, hitting one man in the shoulder and incapacitating him. When Nio got within hand-to-hand range, he leapt in the air, still holding Calyx, and landed a firm kick to the side of the guard's face, shattering the breathing mask. The guard dropped to the ground, and Nio quickly led the women through the exit and to the nearby hangar where their ship was waiting.

~*~*~
Chapter Eleven
~*~*~

"How is she?" Ben asked Nio.

"Sleeping, for now," Nio said. "She must have shut down in self-defense. The atmosphere of that place was so full of pain and fear... She needs rest, but she'll be fine."

Ben let out a relieved breath. "Thank the Force. I was so scared. I've failed one person I love, costing him his life, and I'd rather not repeat that again, thank you very much."

Nio sighed. "Ben, how many times do I have to tell you that you didn't fail Qui-Gon -- if you had been with him, you likely would have died as well, and I rather fancy you alive."

Ben grumbled, and waved his hand dismissively in the air.

"How are our refugees?" Nio asked, changing the subject for the time being.

"Malnourished, emotionally and physically scarred," Ben said, "and only just starting to come down from terrified beyond reason. Kassy has taken them to find something to wear from hers and Calyx's wardrobes. It would seem that the people who run this facility don't care too much about bothering to clothe these women. One of them, a Twi'lek girl, has been asking about Calyx. It appears they are friends."

Nio cursed quietly. "I wish we'd found them sooner, and saved them some pain. As it is, no one will be held responsible for the facility -- it'll likely be completely gone by the time the official Senate observer gets back out here."

"True," Ben said, and picked up one of Nio's hands, lacing their fingers together, "but we managed to save not only Calyx, but nine other women who likely have never known freedom, as well as countless others who will never be bought by those people. Now come along, let's go see if Calyx is awake yet."

~*~*~

Calyx was sprawled across the middle of the large bed. When the door opened, she lifted her head and blinked sleepily at Ben and Nio.

"'Lo," she said.

"Hello there," Nio beamed.

"Safe now?" she asked.

"Yes, love. We're safe now," Ben said, brushing an unruly curl away from her face.

"Good," she nodded. "'Night." She managed to roll to the far side of the bed before falling back into a deep slumber. With identical smiles, the men stood there, watching Calyx sleep.

After a moment or two, Nio pulled Ben into an embrace from behind. Slowly, Nio ran his tanned hands up and down Ben's sides in what might have been a calming motion, but it only served to ignite the leftover adrenaline in Ben's body. When that combined with the knowledge that he was in the room with the two people he loved most, heat went surging through his veins. Slowly, he turned in Nio's arms, and gazed deeply into his lover's deep brown eyes.

"I love you," Ben said. "I want you."

"We don't want to wake Calyx," Nio murmured.

"We won't," Ben assured him, and then kissed him hotly.

Driven by the same urge that opened their mouths and caressed their tongues together, Ben and Nio's hands moved swiftly to divest each other of their clothing. When they stood there naked, the need seemed to level out, and their hands slowed, and drew quiet moans from one another.

Their kiss eased as well, and then broke. Nio looked at Ben, love shining brightly in his eyes. Ben traced the line of Nio's jaw with the back of his hand, and opened his heart for Nio to see equal love there. Then he reached into the bedside drawer, and pulled out a small container of lubricant.

"My turn this time," he said with a smile, and then kissed Nio, gently tugging him towards the floor. Nio followed, keeping their lips lightly touching. They knelt upon a makeshift pallet of their clothes, still kissing. Ben ended the kiss, went exploring along Nio's clavicle with little kisses and nips, worked his way up to Nio's shoulders, and then finally made his way around to kneel behind his lover.

Ben brushed Nio's locks out of the way, and placed a soft kiss to the nape of the taller man's neck, while pressing one lubricated finger against Nio's entrance at the same time. Nio groaned as softly as he could, and relaxed to Ben's touch, welcoming the feel of being prepared by the man he loved. A second and then a third finger joined in the gentle stretching before Ben decided to withdraw his hand, and replace it with his lubricated erection. Slowly, carefully, Nio sat back, impaling himself upon Ben.

Unable to shout their pleasure, both men let loose identical hisses of pleasure as Ben worked his way fully into Nio's body. For a moment, Nio just sat back on Ben's lap, until the urge to move overtook them. They began to rock back and forth, both knowing that this was not a loving meant to be long and drawn out.

To muffle their cries, Nio craned his neck around, and captured Ben's mouth with his own. Their tongues slid over each other, and Nio moaned into Ben's mouth when Ben brushed against that sensitive place within Nio's body. Ben shuddered against Nio, feeling his orgasm swiftly approaching, and reached around to grasp Nio's shaft. He wrapped his hand around Nio's weeping erection, and began to pump his lover in time to their thrusts.

Ben cried out into Nio's mouth when he felt his whole body seem to contract for a moment before exploding in a soul-shaking orgasm that put bright spots of color behind Ben's closed lids. Nio groaned in response, and then began shaking as his own orgasm went supernova beneath the skin.

They separated slowly, and lay on the floor for a few moments, trying to catch their breath. Eventually, Nio stood, and helped Ben up. They made their way to the shower, washed each other clean, put on sleep pants, and came back to the bed.

Calyx was still asleep when Ben climbed into the bed, followed by Nio, and both men joined her in slumber.

~*~*~
Chapter Twelve
~*~*~

She really didn't want to wake up, Calyx decided. She was quite warm and comfy and settled between the two softest walls in the galaxy...

She woke with a start, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the familiar surroundings of Ben and Nio's bedroom, as well as the familiar sight of Ben and Nio flanking her, holding her in bed. No more cells, experiments, or suffering women surrounding her. She was warm, clothed, and safely locked between the two men who had managed to awaken her lonely heart after years of hibernation.

Beside her, Nio stirred, and Calyx looked at Ben to see he was already awake and leaning over her. His eyes were deep blue with concern as he cupped Calyx's still too-pale cheek. Nio reached up to brush a few stray red hairs from Calyx's face.

"Sweet Calyx," Nio murmured.

"We thought we had lost you," Ben said, not caring that a tear escaped his eye and rolled down his face to splash onto Calyx's cheek.

"You can't lose me," Calyx replied, matter-of-factly. "I'm your punishment."

Both men laughed quietly. Calyx was going to be just fine, if she was making flippant remarks already. As one, they sandwiched Calyx between them in a gentle hug.

"Calyx..." Ben said, "we..."

"...love..." Nio added.

"...you two idiots," Calyx finished, grinning proudly.

Nio and Ben then proceeded to tickle the sense out of Calyx until the three of them lay in a tangle on the sheets. Calyx sighed deeply, still exhausted from her ordeal, and all of her recent energy spent on the tickle war she had just lost. She poked Nio's shoulder, forcing him to break off from a kiss that Ben had somehow managed to pull him into.

"Guys... hey guys?" she said. "Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I've had a rather long day or five, what with being used as a lab rat and all, and I was wondering if you could give me some more time to sleep before you two start in on that again."

Ben pretended to be hurt, and Nio managed to look passably innocent. "Calyx, are you saying you want us to leave you alone?" Nio asked.

"Force, yes!" Calyx said. "How else do you guys expect me to get some sleep? If you're not all over me, then you're all over each other," she gave them both pointed looks, "so scoot!"

They at least had the good graces to look repentant as they left the room, leaving Calyx alone to catch more much-needed sleep.

~*~*~

Ben smiled lazily as he traced Calyx's sleeping features with a finger. Nio was sleeping and was curled up at his back and still attempting to find his chew toy of several years. When Ben was still a padawan, Nio had always chewed on the end of Ben's braid, but since Ben had been raised to a Knight, there was no more Padawan Braid for Nio to chew on. As a result, Nio often unconsciously suckled or chewed a place on Ben's body.

Calyx was sleeping more soundly, however, lying utterly still. The only evidence she lived was the small smile on her face and the slow rise and fall of her chest. Ben brushed the hair out of her face and kissed her temple. She muttered in her sleep and rolled over to sleep closer to him.

"Hmmm?" she asked without opening her eyes.

"You awake?"

"Mmmhmmm."

He chuckled as he pulled her closer kissing her lips. "Are you rested?"

She blinked awake at that. "What?"

"Are you rested?"

"Yes, why?" she asked, looking at him with sleep-filled eyes.

Ben simply pressed her against him as he rolled her under him and kissed her. With that movement, Nio woke up, being denied his chew toy.

"Hey..." he whispered, voice heavily accented, "when was I going to be invited to this party?

Calyx came up for air and Ben simply started to work at her neck and shoulders. "Nio," she asked, voice somewhat unsteady, "is Ben always like this?"

Ben chuckled around a mouthful of her neck. "Nio's worse."

"What have I gotten myself into?" Calyx laughed as she reached to pull Nio to join them.

~*~*~
Epilogue
~*~*~

Calyx dreamed that she was walking.

She walked through a forest, recognizing it as the Temple coniferous preserve. Qui-Gon had often brought her there when he was courting her. Long after they admitted how they felt, Qui-Gon still courted her the old fashioned way. She had found it incredibly touching. Unlike the whirlwind romance of Nio and Ben that left her knees trembling, her romance with Qui-Gon had always filled her with a sense of peace.

She smiled fondly in memory as she wandered the forest. It seemed so real; she could feel the cold breath of wind that blew past, could smell the pine needles as they crushed under her feet, could hear the babbling brook nearby, could see Qui-Gon standing there his arms open in welcome...

Qui-Gon?

Calyx felt her breath come up short when she saw him, standing there healthy, smiling, and happy, looking a few years younger then his death. She immediately ran up to him but stopped short a few feet away, as thoughts of what she had just done with his Padawan and her best friend came to mind.

"Took you long enough to get here, love," he laughed. Oh how she loved those warm baritones and missed them with an ache that hurt!

"What's wrong, love?" he asked, concerned as he stepped to her and took her face in his hands. Calyx looked into those deep, deep, impossibly blue eyes.

"Well... I..." She didn't know where to start. "I'm sorry."

An eyebrow shot up his forehead, nearly to the hairline. "For what? Finding people to love who love you?"

"But... I love you," she whispered balefully.

He chuckled and pulled her into an embrace. "I know. Love comes in many forms. It's a different sensation each time. It's like food, in a way. Just because you've experienced the best pie in the world doesn't mean you shouldn't try cake or a tart."

"What is it with you constantly trying to feed me?" she asked, laughing a bit. Her fears about betraying him seemed rather foolish now.

"In hopes that you will grow," he grinned unrepentantly. "I think my apprentice is so short because I didn't feed him properly as a Padawan."

"He misses you," she whispered into his tunic.

"I know. I am just happy that you and he both found someone to love. The fact you all love each other is just an added bonus. Now it's time for you to head back now, love. I'll be here, should you need me. I love you," he whispered, and pressed one kiss to her lips.

Calyx woke up to a soft "...love you" being whispered in her ear from nowhere and everywhere at once. She smiled as she settled back into the covers. Ben's leg was over hers, cutting off circulation, and Nio was chewing on a few strands of her hair, soaking copious amounts of drool into it.

She gave a tolerant sigh, lifted Ben's leg, removed her hair from Nio´s mouth, and fell back to sleep. At least for now, everything was right with the universe, and she was at peace.

~~~*~~~

~Fin~