Homepage: http://adult.dencity.com/ndannais/
Paring: Q/O
Rating: NC-17
Category: Angst, Drama, First Time
Archive: Master and Apprentice--anyone else ask please
Summary: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are sent on a mission to Qui-Gon's
home planet, but the mission gets overshadowed by Qui-Gon's
history.
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, much less these fine
characters--although I own a couple of action figures of them,
does that count? Probably not. Oh well, at any rate I refuse to
make any money off them.
Feedback: Please? I crave feedback as much as Obi-Wan craves
Qui-Gon and vice versa.
Author's Notes: Blame this one on Destina and Rina for getting me
started on Depeche Mode again with their "Twilight
Burning" series. The idea for the story was inspired by the
DM song "A Question of Time." Thanks to the lurking
Becky for the fabulous beta, and for dragging me into slashdom in
the first place--I guess that means you take part of the blame
for this too?
Qui-Gon frowned at the screen in front of him. He was the logical
choice for the assignment, given his background, but he wished
there was someone else. And if he had to go, he would prefer
going alone. Not that Obi-Wan would agree to that.
But then Obi-Wan didn't know the full story.
He pushed a button, and the assignment disappeared from view.
Perhaps the Council could be persuaded to change their minds.
Surely his former master would understand.
That faint hope in the front of his mind, he stood, straightened
his robes, and headed for the Council chambers.
The Council did not change their minds. "Individual concerns
matter not," Yoda had said. "The needs of many, far
more important."
Qui-Gon had clamped his mouth shut tightly, nodded, bowed, and
left the room before he could get himself in trouble. He already
had enough to deal with on this mission without worrying about
censure from the Council.
He walked through the halls of the Temple slower than usual,
wishing to delay telling his Padawan about the mission until he
could compose himself enough not to give away his feelings on the
matter. But luck was not with him, and he nearly ran into Obi-Wan
as he rounded a corner.
"Master!" Obi-Wan said as he stopped short. "I'm
sorry, I should have sensed you were--"
"It's all right, Obi-Wan. I was lost in thought and did not
realize you were there either. We shall both have to endeavor to
be more aware of our surroundings."
"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed. "Do we
have a mission?"
Qui-Gon gave him a surprised look. "Why would you think
that?"
"Because there are very few things that distract you."
"Very observant. And yes, we do have a mission."
Obi-Wan almost succeeded in hiding his excitement as he fell into
step beside Qui-Gon and they headed for their quarters.
"When do we leave?"
"Two hours."
"That doesn't give us much time. Where are we going?"
Qui-Gon took a deep breath before answering, "Barrat."
"Isn't that your home planet?"
"Yes," Qui-Gon answered as he lengthened his stride.
"You'll have to read up on it on the way there, since there
is no time to study before we leave."
"Can't you just tell me about it?"
"I haven't lived there in a very long time," Qui-Gon
said as he opened the door to their quarters. "You'll have
to read what the database has; I barely remember the place."
Barely remember the place, Qui-Gon thought as they boarded
the ship to leave. He remembered it all too well. That was the
problem. He knew things about Barrat that the Republic did not.
Which was why he was being sent there now.
"Master?"
Qui-Gon turned to his student as they entered the ship's main
room. "Yes?"
"What's the mission about?"
"It's on the datapad." Obi-Wan flinched at the
sharpness of his master's voice, so Qui-Gon elaborated, this time
in a more neutral tone. "Several cargo ships have gone
missing near the planet. The senate suspects a group of pirates,
and there are indications they may be working from a headquarters
somewhere on Barrat."
Obi-Wan frowned. "But Barrat is supposed to be a peaceful
world. Surely they would not tolerate pirates."
Peaceful, indeed. "It's true they do not generally
perpetuate feuds with other planets. However, that doesn't mean
they won't look the other way over a bit of piracy."
Obi-Wan opened his mouth to ask another question, but Qui-Gon cut
him off. "Read your datapad. I must go speak to the
pilot." Before he could be waylaid, he turned and hurried
out of the room.
Qui-Gon made his way to the cockpit and asked the pilot how long
the flight would take, then went in search of a solitary room. He
knew the time of the flight; he hadn't needed to ask. He'd just
needed a convenient excuse to leave.
And now he needed a good place to hide. Obi-Wan was no fool; even
without the Force he knew something was wrong. And he wouldn't
stop until he found out what it was. It was a trait that served
his student well on missions. And one that drove Qui-Gon to
extreme irritation when it was turned on him.
He found a small room near the sleeping quarters. The room was
empty except for some shelving and a few empty boxes that
suggested it was used for supplies at times. Qui-Gon shut the
door firmly behind him, kneeled down on the floor and raised his
shields, shutting his Padawan out before sinking slowly into
meditation, his thoughts starting to drift.
Five hours to Barrat. Five hours to prepare.
Maybe he should go back and ask the pilot to slow down.
Qui-Gon rose stiffly, his legs protesting the movement after over
four hours of kneeling. He could tell they were nearing the
planet. Obi-Wan would be looking for him.
Of course, Obi-Wan would have been wondering where he was for the
last four hours. But he was too much the polite and proper
Padawan to search his master out when it was obvious Qui-Gon
wanted privacy. Still, now that they were close to landing,
Obi-Wan would have a reason to search.
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. "Master?"
Obi-Wan called through the door, his voice muffled. "We'll
be landing soon."
"I'll be right out." He wondered briefly if Obi-Wan had
known which room he was in all along, or only when he'd gone
looking, then decided it didn't matter.
A few minutes later, Qui-Gon entered the main room of the ship.
He could see the questions in Obi-Wan's eyes, but he wasn't ready
to answer them. Force willing he wouldn't have to. If he was
lucky, they would find the pirates quickly and be on their way
back to the safety of Coruscant in no time.
Unfortunately, luck hadn't exactly been his friend of late.
"Master?"
Qui-Gon turned to his apprentice. "Yes, Obi-Wan?"
He saw the hesitation, and felt a certain pride mixed with
irritation when Obi-Wan asked the question anyway. "Do you
have any family on Barrat?"
The pride dissolved, turning into complete irritation. Not with
Obi-Wan, but with the Council, fate, the Force, whoever or
whatever was responsible for sending them on this mission.
"No." None to speak of. It wasn't exactly a lie.
Truth, after all, is in the eye of the beholder.
Obi-Wan studied his master closely. He'd never been this
completely shut out on a mission, not since Bandomeer, before
Qui-Gon had taken him as his Padawan. In the seven years since,
Qui-Gon had generally been very forthcoming with information. And
if there were things he could not disclose, he simply said so. He
didn't shut down like this.
As they landed, he noticed his master became more withdrawn. The
shields he had kept up the whole trip had grown so strong Obi-Wan
wasn't sure even Master Yoda could penetrate them. And anyone,
Force sensitive or not, could see that the man was not open for
questions.
Still..."Master, what is it about this planet that
you--"
"We must be on our way," Qui-Gon interrupted. He
hurried toward the exit, not waiting to see if Obi-Wan bothered
to follow.
Fine, Obi-Wan thought. He'd simply have to do some side
investigating on his own. He would figure out what Qui-Gon was
hiding. He'd managed to do it once, on Bandomeer; with the
experience and training he'd had since then, it shouldn't be too
hard.
They had only made it a hundred yards from the ship before the
first clue landed in Obi-Wan's lap. "Qui-Gon Jinn! Is that
you?"
Qui-Gon stiffened, then turned in the direction of the voice.
"Abala Dnye," he replied. "And Chratos Jarl. What
a surprise to find you here."
Obi-Wan divided his attention between the two newcomers and his
master. Qui-Gon didn't seem to be surprised at all. And despite
his polite tone, Obi-Wan could sense that his teacher was less
than pleased to see these two men.
"It has been a long time," the taller of the two, whom
Obi-Wan assumed was Abala Dnye, said with a smile.
"Indeed it has," Qui-Gon agreed. "If you'll excuse
us--"
"Wait, Jinn," the shorter man, who appeared to be about
Qui-Gon's age, put his hand briefly on Qui-Gon's arm to stop him.
"You haven't introduced us to your companion."
Qui-Gon's mouth tightened--a spectacular feat, since it looked
like his lips were about to fuse together when they got off the
ship. "This is my apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Ah, another Jedi," Jarl said, looking Obi-Wan up and
down as if he were a specimen to be studied. "We don't get
many of your kind on Barrat. I'd love to talk with you sometime
about the Jedi."
"He will be busy," Qui-Gon said shortly. "Come
along, Padawan," he added as he turned and hurried away from
the two men.
Obi-Wan followed his master, his mind busy trying to fit the
conversation into what little he already knew. This was a very
large puzzle. It would take a lot of work to figure it out. But
he knew he could do it.
He hadn't studied under Qui-Gon Jinn all these years for nothing.
Qui-Gon held back a sigh of relief as they made it to their
assigned quarters without running into anyone else he knew. He
didn't know that many people here anymore, but with his recent
luck, he'd half expected to run into all of them. Running into
Dnye and Jarl had been bad enough.
He turned his thoughts away from those two before his anger
spilled out past his shields. "Obi-Wan, I have a few
contacts here I'd like to talk to right away."
Obi-Wan had been in the process of taking off his robe.
"Yes, Master," he replied, shrugging the robe back on
his shoulders. "Where first?"
"I think they will speak more freely if I go alone. You may
have dinner here on your own. I should be back before it gets too
late."
His apprentice eyed him quizzically, but said only, "Yes,
Master."
"I will return soon," Qui-Gon said as he walked out
into the fading sun, closing the door behind him. Once the door
shut, he looked around, taking in familiar sights almost
forgotten. Or blocked out.
What am I doing here? He shook his head, trying to clear
it. Pirates. Find the pirates, get away from this place. That was
the plan.
His goal fixed firmly in his mind, he started in the direction of
the hangar, avoiding eye contact and hoping he didn't run into
anyone else.
After Qui-Gon left, Obi-Wan discarded his robe and inspected
their quarters. The room was comfortable, with a soft couch and
chairs to match, all the furnishings color-coordinated with the
wall hangings. Definitely a step up from their usual quarters on
missions.
A bookshelf held several books on local geography. Obi-Wan passed
those over with a wrinkle of his nose. He'd had more than enough
of Barrat geography from the datapad. Books on local customs also
received little attention, as did an entertainment guide. "The
Qyrate," he read the title on the next book. "Now
that looks interesting."
As he reached for the book, there was a knock at the door. Maybe
Qui-Gon ordered food. He opened the door, surprised to find
Abala Dnye and Chratos Jarl on the other side. "I'm sorry,
but Master Qui-Gon isn't here."
The two men exchanged a look, then Dnye said, "That's a
shame. We were hoping to have dinner with him."
"Perhaps tomorrow, if we are still here."
"Is he due back soon?"
"He said he would not be too long."
"Say," Jarl cut in, "maybe you could go with us,
and when your Master gets back, he can join us."
"I'm not sure...." Obi-Wan knew there was something
about these two Qui-Gon didn't like. Of course, that meant they
probably had valuable information for his own investigation. Even
more reason he was fairly sure his master wouldn't like him
having dinner with them.
Then again, he didn't like being completely shut out. "Where
were you planning to have dinner?"
Jarl jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "There's a
restaurant a few blocks from here. Qui-Gon should remember it;
it's been here for ages. It's called 'Sarla's.'"
Surely a public place would be safe. After all, he was a Jedi, or
at least he had enough command of the Force to take care of
himself in public against two men with no Force powers to speak
of. And he could leave a message for Qui-Gon to join them.
Perfectly innocent.
"All right. I'll join you." The pair waited at the door
while he left the message on his datapad, set it to alert Qui-Gon
when he returned, and gathered his robe. "Let's go," he
said as he shut the door behind him.
Qui-Gon returned to their quarters several hours later with
little more than a headache to show for his efforts. His contact
at the hangar had given him a few small leads that might help,
but beyond that no one else could offer anything useful.
And yet he was sure the pirates were here. Or maybe it was just
that Barrat was such an evil place he had no trouble believing
that pirates could thrive on the planet.
The rooms were dark when he walked in. He noticed the blinking
light on the datapad as he switched on the overhead lighting. His
jaw tightened as he read the message, then tried to decide what
action to take.
Obi-Wan could take care of himself.
Obi-Wan didn't know what he was getting himself into.
And if the situation went a certain way, Obi-Wan wouldn't
be able to take care of himself.
Muttering a curse, Qui-Gon turned and headed back out into the
night, intent on getting to Sarla's as quickly as possible.
"So then big-shot Qui-Gon pulled his lightsaber, only to
find it wouldn't work because he'd left it on when the Wookie
pushed him in the lake!" Jarl laughed as he finished the
story.
Obi-Wan couldn't help but laugh as well. He'd had that same
problem often enough, it was nice to know his Master hadn't been
infallible. "How old was he then?"
"Sixteen, I think. Home visiting his family and eager to
show how much better he was than the rest of us."
"So what happened to his family?" Obi-Wan asked as he
took another drink.
Jarl and Dnye looked at each other. "Well..." Dnye
responded after a moment, "his father died a while back. And
his mother--"
"Obi-Wan."
Uh-oh. Obi-Wan was familiar with that tone in his master's
voice. And it never meant anything good. "Yes, Master?"
"It's time we went back to our quarters."
"Now hang on a minute, Qui-Gon," Jarl said. "We
were in the middle of a conversation here."
"And the conversation is finished." Obi-Wan's eyes
widened. He felt the Force Qui-Gon had employed with that
sentence.
"The conversation is finished," Jarl repeated.
Qui-Gon looked at both men. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," they both echoed. Obi-Wan was left with no
choice but to follow his master out of the restaurant and back to
their rooms. Luckily the trip was rather short, because with each
step his anger grew.
He waited until they were safely inside their quarters before
asking, "What was that about?"
Although his tone had been carefully controlled, Qui-Gon seemed
to sense the emotion behind the question. "Nothing you need
to get so upset about."
Obi-Wan could feel his control slipping. And he did not
want to start any kind of argument with his master. The few
they'd had over the years had been explosive, and that would not
help him gather information to find out just what was going on.
"If you would tell me what's going on here, maybe I would
realize for myself that I have nothing to be upset about."
"Obi-Wan...." Qui-Gon looked at him for a long moment.
"There are things about Barrat that you only know if you
live here."
"Such as?"
"Nothing that you need worry about. We'll be gone soon
enough, and most likely we'll never have to come back."
Obi-Wan could almost hear the silent 'I'll make sure of it,' at
the end of that speech.
"And whatever I don't know won't hurt me, yet it was enough
for you to come charging after me like some over-zealous
protector?" Great. Brilliant move. It appeared as
though they were headed for an argument whether he liked it or
not.
"Padawan." The word held a warning. "Perhaps we
should both get some sleep--"
"No." It seemed he'd gone from not wanting an argument
to charging into one in mere seconds. "You've been keeping
secrets since we were assigned to this mission. I want to know
what's going on."
Qui-Gon glared at him. "It is not a Padawan's place to
question a Master."
"Bantha! You question authority at every turn--I learned it
from the best."
"I have earned the right--"
"And so have I! I have served at your side for seven years.
I think I deserve your trust." He moved forward a few steps
until he was inches away from his master. "If you can't
tell me, then say so. Otherwise, admit that you flat out won't
tell me and at least I'll know where I stand."
Qui-Gon stared, his attention focused somewhere around Obi-Wan's
mouth. And he said absolutely nothing. After several minutes, it
became obvious he wasn't going to respond at all.
"Fine." Obi-Wan grated out before turning on his heel
and going to his room, closing the door firmly behind him.
Qui-Gon let out a shaky breath after his padawan left the room.
He had to get off this planet. If he didn't find those damned
pirates soon, there would be trouble. And not just for the
criminals.
A bitter laugh escaped his lips. If they didn't get off the
planet soon, he might just be a criminal.
That thought was enough to make him move. He headed straight for
the shower. A shower and meditation. That was what he needed.
That and to find those pirates. Now.
Qui-Gon spent most of the night meditating, stopping a couple of
times to attempt to sleep, but always returning to meditation
when sleep proved impossible. By morning he was still no closer
to solving any of his problems. He rose from the floor with
difficulty, his knees protesting the amount of time he'd spent on
them in the last two days.
Once he was dressed, he entered the living room, eyeing Obi-Wan's
door. He didn't want to take his padawan with him. The less time
Obi-Wan spent outside with the natives, the better. But he
couldn't be sure his apprentice would stay inside. And he
couldn't quite bring himself to order him to do so. An order like
that would demand answers when he returned. Answers he didn't
want to give.
He settled on a quick datapad message with a list of assignments
and exercises that would hopefully keep Obi-Wan busy the rest of
the day. If not...well, he'd just have to be sure he was back as
early as possible.
It was probably too much to ask that he return with the pirates
in custody.
Obi-Wan was surprised at the lateness of the hour when he awoke.
Usually Qui-Gon woke him much earlier than this, if he didn't
wake up on his own first. The trouble he'd had sleeping the night
before would account for his own body not waking him up. But not
for Qui-Gon's sudden departure from routine.
Then again, everything Qui-Gon had done concerning this mission
had been out of character. And maybe if he dragged himself out of
bed, Obi-Wan might have a chance to find out why.
He dressed and opened his door, already sensing his master wasn't
in their quarters. As he'd expected, his datapad was on the
table, signaling a message. He read the list of things he was
supposed to do with a combination of anger and amusement. Anger
at Qui-Gon for seeking to exhaust his student in order to keep
him from finding out the truth. Amusement at his
methods--straight out orders would have been too easy.
Obi-Wan sighed. Fortunately, he rarely finished assignments with
the speed he could employ when he was truly motivated. He could
finish these tasks much faster than his master imagined. As for
the physical exercises that were left...well, it was a beautiful
day. And Qui-Gon hadn't specifically said he had to stay indoors.
Surely there was a place outside where he could exercise. Where
he could be in touch with the living Force.
Where he might run into someone with another piece of the puzzle.
That thought foremost in his mind, Obi-Wan rushed through the
assignments, then picked up his lightsaber and set out in search
of an area to do his exercises.
By the time Qui-Gon returned to their quarters, night had fallen.
He was hot, tired and in desperate need of food, a shower and
sleep. When he walked in and found the rooms once again dark, he
had a feeling he wouldn't get any of those things anytime soon.
The datapad held a message. He read it with the sinking feeling
that he already knew what he would find. He was right.
"Finished everything. At Sarla's with Jarl and Dnye."
Qui-Gon blinked when he realized the message had been left four
hours ago. Obi-Wan must have risen right after he left to get
everything done by then. And four hours at Sarla's....
Qui-Gon dropped the datapad onto the table and hurried back out
the door for Sarla's, hoping this wouldn't become a nightly habit
for the duration of their stay on this planet.
Obi-Wan was enjoying that pleasantly warm feeling he always got
after having about one too many drinks. He'd have to remember not
to order another one, or he could forget about acting normal when
he walked into their quarters and Qui-Gon was there.
"Obi-Wan."
Oops. The tone was even worse than last night, and Obi-Wan
couldn't stifle a giggle. He knew it only made things worse, but
he couldn't stop himself.
"Qui-Gon," Jarl said amiably. "Don't spoil all the
fun. Sit down and have a drink with us."
"I'm sorry, but we have to get an early start
tomorrow."
Jarl waved a hand at him. "You're such a stick in the
mud!"
Qui-Gon fixed a glare on Jarl that would have had Obi-Wan
cringing. "I'll thank you to take your arm off my student's
shoulders and let him out of that booth so we can be on our
way."
There was no Force behind that command; it wasn't necessary. Jarl
moved his arm immediately and stood, allowing Obi-Wan room to
leave.
Obi-Wan, however, wasn't so accommodating. "I'm having
fun."
"It's time to leave," Qui-Gon said, imitating patience.
He glanced at his wrist. "I don't have my chronometer, but
it doesn't feel like it's time to leave."
"Padawan." It wasn't yelled, or shouted. It wasn't even
that loud. But it was forceful enough to have Obi-Wan on his feet
and following his master out the door. He did spare a backwards
glance and a shrug of his shoulders to the other two men before
focusing his attention back on his anger at Qui-Gon.
This time he didn't even cloak his question in a polite form.
"What is wrong with you?"
"Excuse me?"
Normally he would have heeded the warning in Qui-Gon's tone. But
the combination of alcohol and days of frustration had taken
their toll. "You handle this whole mission without me, leave
me with nothing to do, and take exception to everything I find to
fill my time."
"I rather thought I'd left you with plenty to do."
"And why is that? If you wanted me to stay put, you could
have just ordered me to do so." Qui-Gon didn't flinch as
Obi-Wan leaned in closer with each word. "But ordering me
would have brought up too many questions, wouldn't it? That's not
like you, Master. You're a lot of things, but a coward has never
been one of them."
Qui-Gon clenched his jaw so tight, Obi-Wan would swear he heard
the man's teeth grinding. "You've had too much to drink. So
turn around and go to bed right now, and I'll forget this
happened."
"Fine. I'll go. But you don't have to forget. I won't."
With that, Obi-Wan stalked off to his room, not bothering to keep
himself from slamming the door.
The main door to their quarters woke Obi-Wan the next morning.
His mild headache objected to the sound, but his brain was happy
to hear it. It likely meant that Qui-Gon had left for the day and
it was safe to get up and move around.
He dressed, not bothering with his boots just yet, and went out
to the living room, stopping in surprise when he saw his master
on the couch. "I heard the door," he said in confusion.
"Yes, I just got back. I thought I would get us both some
breakfast before leaving."
"You're going out alone again, I take it?"
"I told you the first day, Obi-Wan, most of these people
will only talk to me."
Obi-Wan sat down on a chair next to the couch and picked up a
piece of fruit. "That doesn't explain why you're keeping
things from me," he said point blank.
Qui-Gon sighed. "There are things I would rather not talk
about. I'm sorry if you feel slighted by that. But I will tell
you what I can when I can."
"You can tell me now. You just choose not to."
"Obi-Wan. I don't force you to tell me something if you're
not ready to talk about it."
He couldn't argue with that. "So how long is my list of
things to do today?"
"It's on your datapad. I think you'll find it a bit more
manageable than yesterday." Qui-Gon rose, dusting crumbs off
his fingers. "After you finish, you are free to do as you
wish, as long as you aren't out too late."
Obi-Wan blinked, then his eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right.
"I can go wherever I want?"
"Yes."
"Even to Sarla's?"
"If you wish."
His eyes were practically slits. "What's the catch?"
Qui-Gon reached into the folds of his robes. "Wear
this."
Obi-Wan took the gold object from his master and turned it over,
studying it. It was a pin. One plain gold circle. "Why? Is
it a tracking device?"
"No. It will show you are protected by me. No harm will come
to you."
"I can take care of myself."
"Maybe. However, with that, you won't have to. And I can
uncover information without worrying about what's happening to
you."
Obi-Wan glanced at the pin again. "I wear this, and I can
really go wherever I want?"
"As long as you wear it where it's visible to everyone,
yes."
He studied the pin again, then put it on. "Fine."
"Thank you," Qui-Gon said as he headed for the door.
"Be careful," Obi-Wan called after him. His master
nodded before he disappeared and the door closed behind him.
Obi-Wan took one more look at the pin, then shook his head and
went to his room to get his boots.
Some days he was sure he'd never understand his master.
By the time Obi-Wan finished the short list of assignments, it
was time for lunch. He put on his robe, taking care to place the
pin where it could be seen, lest he run into his master, and
headed out in search of food.
It didn't take long for him to realize that most of the citizens
of Barrat were not nearly as friendly to him today as they had
been. Before he'd been greeted with smiles and nods, but today,
people were mostly glancing at him, then looking away as if they
had much better things to do.
Could word have gotten around that the Jedi were investigating?
Were the pirates right under their noses? Qui-Gon had said these
people might be willing to look the other way if they knew--could
he have been right?
Obi-Wan walked into Sarla's and scanned the room. He found the
pair he was looking for almost immediately. "Jarl! Dnye!
Good to see you," he said with a smile as he approached
their table.
"Obi-Wan. This is a surprise." Jarl stared at him for a
moment, then looked at Dnye, who did the same. "Must have
been some night after you left here. I'm surprised Qui-Gon let
you out so soon."
"It was touch and go there for a while, but this morning he
was like a different person."
Both men laughed. "I bet," Jarl managed as he stood and
placed some money on the table. Dnye did the same.
"You're leaving?"
"We have to get back to work," Dnye said.
"Oh. Perhaps dinner then?"
Both men looked at him oddly for a few seconds. "We'll
see," Jarl answered finally. They walked out with a casual
wave.
Obi-Wan frowned after them. If this day gets any weirder....
He ordered food to take back to his room, unwilling to stay in
the restaurant in case someone else found him offensive.
After lunch, he wandered aimlessly around the living room. He
didn't particularly want to go back outside, and there wasn't
much for him to do inside. He didn't feel like studying, and most
of his favorite stories were back on Coruscant, in his room.
Then he remembered the book he'd seen their first day on Barrat.
He went to the shelf and found it again. "The Qyrate."
He sat down on the couch and opened the book. "A guide to
living Barratrian life to the fullest."
Obi-Wan sighed. Apparently despite the exotic sounding name, it
really was just another guide book. Since he had nothing better
to do, he skimmed the pages. Maybe there would be a suggestion on
how to spend his time. He stopped short at an illustration that
looked familiar. Very familiar.
He glanced down at the pin on his robe, then back at the picture.
He hadn't imagined it; it was the same pin. Anxious to discover
the meaning of the pin he wore, he quickly found the first line
of that section.
"The Patha is given to a lover for the duration of the
relationship."
"WHAT?" He read the line again, just to make sure he
hadn't seen it wrong. No, it definitely said 'lover.' His anger
began to rise as he read on. "As long as the partner wears
the Patha, he or she will be strictly left alone by all others.
Once the relationship has ended and the Patha has been returned,
he or she is once again eligible for the game."
Game? What game? None of this made any sense. Why would
Qui-Gon give him a pin that branded him as his lover? The idea of
such a relationship...well, it didn't exactly displease him, but
Obi-Wan much preferred his loud declarations to have some truth
behind them. And that pin was definitely a loud declaration. Then
there was the sneaky, underhanded way his master had gone about
getting him to wear it...as if Obi-Wan wasn't capable of finding
out what it meant?
Qui-Gon had deceived him. Worse--the man had sent him out there
marked like some kind of branded sex toy. Something had to be
done. It was time for the master to learn a valuable lesson.
There would be hell to pay. And heaven too, if he had anything to
say about it.
When Qui-Gon arrived an hour later, Obi-Wan was waiting. His
anger had simmered near the boiling point the whole time, but he
carefully hid it as he greeted his master. "Did you have any
luck?"
"Possibly. There's a new lead I want to explore in the
morning."
"Good." Obi-Wan rose from the couch and wandered over
to where Qui-Gon was emptying the pockets in his robe onto a
table. "I learned a few interesting things today."
"Oh?"
Qui-Gon's face didn't change, but Obi-Wan felt the heightening of
his senses. You should be on alert... he thought.
"Yes. I went to lunch, and you were right. The pin had the
most amazing affect on everyone I met. No one even attempted to
speak to me, let alone harm me."
Now Qui-Gon turned away and headed for his room. "I'm glad
it worked."
"Oh, it definitely worked," Obi-Wan said, following
close on his master's heels. "What I'm wondering is why
it worked?"
"I told you. It shows you are under my protection."
"But these people are not unfamiliar with the Jedi. They
must know that as your student I am protected by you.
"That didn't seem to be working," Qui-Gon answered as
he shed his robe and laid it on a chair.
Obi-Wan frowned. "How exactly am I in danger if people talk
to me?"
"Padawan, can we please finish this conversation after I've
had a shower?"
"Certainly," Obi-Wan agreed.
After a moment, Qui-Gon added, "I'd like to take that shower
now."
"Fine."
Another moment passed. "Obi-Wan, you can wait in the living
room."
"I could. But I don't see the point in leaving when everyone
on the planet already thinks we're lovers."
Qui-Gon froze. "What?"
"This." Obi-Wan held up the pin. "Did you think I
wouldn't find out what it meant?"
What little color was left in the older man's face disappeared.
"Who told you?"
"No one."
"Then how did you find out?"
"Does it really matter?"
"Yes."
"Why?" Obi-Wan shouted as the anger he'd kept inside
bubbled to the surface. "Because you want to know who to
blame for spoiling your little deception? What are you going to
do, make them wear one too?"
Qui-Gon held up his hands. "You don't understand--"
"You're damn right I don't understand! Of all the things I
would have ever expected from you, deception like this would
never have been one of them."
"How did you find out?"
Obi-Wan sighed. "The Qyrate. Recognize it? It's on
the shelf in the living room. Standard reading materials for all
Barratrian living quarters, is it?"
"How much did you read?"
"Just enough to know what the pin means. I didn't really
feel like a little light reading after that revelation."
Qui-Gon took a deep breath. "Obi-Wan, listen to me--"
"Why should I? You lied to me, Qui-Gon. Lied! Why
should I believe whatever excuse you're about to come up with
now?"
"I didn't lie. The pin was for your protection."
"Fine. You deliberately deceived me then. That's supposed to
be better than lying?"
"You don't understand this planet--"
"You're right about that one. I don't understand it. And I
don't really care to."
"That's enough!" Qui-Gon roared. "You will listen
to my explanation!"
Obi-Wan glared. "Why should I?"
"Because in seven years I've never steered you wrong. Isn't
that cause to think I might have a reasonable explanation for
this?"
"Fine," Obi-Wan said after a moment. "I'm
listening."
"Did your reading cover the legal age of adulthood on
Barrat?" Obi-Wan shook his head. "It's 21. High by any
other standards. But then it has to be."
After a moment, Obi-Wan prompted, "Why?"
"The Qyrate outlines a game. It's been a part of
Barrat society since before recorded history. The game
is...." Qui-Gon turned away, staring at a blank spot on the
wall. "The game is to prey on innocents. To see how many you
can bed before they reach the age of consent."
Obiwan blinked, but his surprise quickly gave way to more
questions. "Is that why the age was raised, to make the game
last longer?"
"No. It was raised rather recently, when a few of the
Council members grew consciences. They raised the age to protect
innocent children. Gradually the game has moved to the older
ranks, but as it has the rules have changed. It's not as easy to
prey on the older ones. New tricks have been devised. Drugs, mind
tricks--anything goes when it comes to adding another pin to your
collection."
The mention of the pin brought Obi-Wan's anger back into focus.
"So that's what it was? You needed to save face and keep up
appearances back home?"
"No! You are only 20. Still underage. And the fact that you
are a Jedi only makes you far more attractive prey. Jarl and Dnye
were after you."
"You keep forgetting I can take care of myself."
Qui-Gon whirled around to face him. "Not against them! You
don't know what they would do!"
"I can handle anything they throw at me. I'm a trained
Jedi--I may still be a Padawan, but I can handle those two. Or
have you so little faith in my abilities?"
"You think you can handle them."
"I know I can handle them!" Qui-Gon shook his
head. "What? There's more going on here than you're
telling--not that that's a surprise." He moved closer, his
face only inches from Qui-Gon's as it suddenly hit him.
"They did something, didn't they? Something specific. That's
what you're hiding. Who was it? Who did they hurt?"
"Does there have to be a specific example?"
There didn't have to be, but there was. He could see it in his
master's eyes. "Who was it?" No reply. "Answer
me!"
"Fine!" Qui-Gon snapped. "You want the whole
story? You want to know about how I came home for a visit on my
sister's eighteenth birthday to find her lying on the steps of
our house? You want the details of how she'd been used? Or would
you rather I skip straight to the part where Jarl was sitting at
Sarla's, a shiny new Patha on the table, bragging about how she
hadn't even been good enough to give it to?"
Obi-Wan took several steps backwards, his jaw hanging open for a
second before he remembered to close it. "Your sister...I
had no idea. I--what happened to her?"
"She couldn't handle what they'd done. Jarl and Dnye had
drugged her. She'd thought she could handle them, but they
drugged her, and they didn't even have the decency to knock her
out. She was forced to lie there, conscious, but paralyzed,
unable to do anything about it."
"Where is she now?"
"She tried. She tried very hard, but it was too much for
her. She had a breakdown a month after it happened, and she's
been in an institution on the other side of the planet ever
since."
"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan said softly. And he was sorry. But
that didn't excuse everything. Or explain it. "But why
didn't you tell me? Not all of it," he added quickly, before
Qui-Gon could interrupt. "You could have warned me about the
game, about Jarl and Dnye, without telling me about her."
"I didn't want to have to answer any questions. I didn't
even want to have to think about it, much less admit to you what
kind of place this planet is."
Obi-Wan moved closer again. "Then you could have ordered me
to stay away from them. You didn't have to go about this the way
you did."
"Yes. I did." Obi-Wan shook his head. "It was the
only way."
"No. But you thought it was. Why?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"You do. Why the pin?"
"Because it would protect you."
"There were other ways to do that. Why the pin?"
"It was the best option."
"Why?"
Qui-Gon shook his head. "I don't know what you want me to
say."
"Tell me you wanted to see me wearing the pin. Admit
it."
"No."
"Yes."
"That's absurd."
"Is it? Let's see." With no more warning than that,
Obi-Wan leaned up and kissed his master.
For a moment, Qui-Gon didn't resist. Then he pushed the younger
man away. "No. I will not do this."
"Why not?" Obi-Wan held up the pin. "You put this
on me. Everyone here thinks we're lovers now." He leaned in,
his lips almost touching his masters. "Make the reputation
worth it."
"NO!" Qui-Gon backed off. "You are too
young--"
Obi-Wan cursed as he advanced on his master, making up distance
even as the other man backed further away. "You're no more a
Barratrian at heart than I am! The age restriction doesn't bind
us. I'm over the age of 18, that's all that matters. And I know
what I want, so don't you dare say I'm not old enough for that
either."
"I. Will. Not. Do. This."
"What? This?" Obi-Wan had his master backed against a
wall, now he trapped him against it and covered his lips in a
bruising kiss, forcing his mouth open, his tongue plunging
inside. He ground his hips against Qui-Gon's leg, letting him
feel his arousal.
Qui-Gon finally managed to get his hands on Obi-Wan's shoulders
and pry him off, but he didn't let go. "This is
madness," he gasped.
"Is it?" More sure of himself now that Qui-Gon wasn't
able to completely push him away, Obi-Wan reached down and
grabbed Qui-Gon's erection through his trousers. "Your body
doesn't seem to mind."
"My body doesn't have to sort out the consequences
after."
Obi-Wan silenced him with another kiss, this one less brutal,
more seductive. His hand reached down inside Qui-Gon's trousers,
working its way up and down the stiff cock. When Qui-Gon started
responding, Obi-Wan's lips left his mouth and began working their
way down his neck, removing his sash and belt, then moving the
fabric of his tunic aside to place soft, teasing kisses on his
chest and stomach.
His hand stilled, eliciting a harsh sound from Qui-Gon's throat.
Before he could protest further, Obi-Wan shoved his master's
trousers to the floor as he dropped to his knees. He touched the
tip of his tongue to Qui-Gon's cock, smiling at the groan that
vibrated through the other man's body.
His smile disappeared as he used his tongue to slowly circle the
tip of Qui-Gon's erection. Qui-Gon shuddered, his hands clawing
at the wall behind him, searching for something to hold onto.
Obi-Wan savored the knowledge of what he could do to this man
with barely a touch. He closed his mouth over the tip of
Qui-Gon's cock, teased it with his tongue, then pulled back,
breaking off all contact.
Before Qui-Gon's hands could reach Obi-Wan's head to move him
closer, he blew a cool stream of air over the area he'd just wet.
Qui-Gon reached for the wall as he struggled to remain on his
feet. Obi-Wan closed his mouth over his master's shaft again,
this time easing his mouth down the length of it until his nose
touched Qui-Gon's body. He swallowed around the tip of Qui-Gon's
cock, that action drawing a loud shout out of the man.
He pulled back, then slowly lowered his mouth back down over the
rock-hard length repeatedly, refusing to speed up, regardless of
Qui-Gon's pleas. Just when he could feel Qui-Gon was about to
explode, he released him, his hands flying up to keep Qui-Gon
from pulling his head back down. After a moment, he leaned in and
placed a soft kiss on the tip of Qui-Gon's cock. He almost
laughed at the renewed attempts to reach for his hair, but
instead he drew his tongue across the tip of Qui-Gon's erection.
Satisfied with the sounds of frustration coming from the other
man, Obi-Wan once again took Qui-Gon fully in his mouth,
swallowing hard. Qui-Gon exploded with a roar, sending pulsating
waves down Obi-Wan's throat. When he was finished, he sank to the
floor, reaching out to kiss Obi-Wan with a thoroughness that left
the younger man dizzy. "That was...."
"Good?" Obi-Wan supplied.
"Torture," Qui-Gon amended. "But good, yes. Very,
very good." He kissed Obi-Wan again.
"I'm glad I meet your standards," Obi-Wan said with a
grin.
"Don't look so smug," Qui-Gon replied.
"Why shouldn't I?"
"Because now it's my turn."
Obi-Wan's grin widened until Qui-Gon erased it with his own lips,
his hunger apparent in the strength of the kiss alone. When
Obi-Wan would have pulled him back onto the floor, Qui-Gon
struggled, using the Force along with his physical strength to
drag both of them up onto the bed and make Obi-Wan's clothes
practically disappear.
Once they were both settled on the bed, Qui-Gon returned his lips
to Obi-Wan's briefly before they began to travel over his chin
down to his neck. He took his time, tasting every inch of skin
covering his apprentice's throat. Obi-Wan nearly jumped off the
bed when his master nipped at the spot where his neck met his
shoulder. A chuckle was his only warning before the teeth sunk in
again, stopping just short of where pain outweighed pleasure.
Minutes later, Obi-Wan was almost regretting having teased his
master, but the agonizingly slow trip Qui-Gon was taking down his
body with his lips, tongue and teeth felt too good to completely
regret it. No matter how much torture it put him through.
However, he was sure he would go crazy very soon if the man
didn't--
Coherent thought disappeared for a moment as Qui-Gon lowered his
mouth down over his hardened shaft. "Master!" Obi-Wan
managed to say before he quickly realized his mistake.
"Yes?" Qui-Gon inquired. In order to do so, however, he
had to free his mouth.
"More," he ground out, his hips wriggling. Luckily,
Qui-Gon didn't seem inclined to torture him too far. His mouth
returned to Obi-Wan's cock, the wet heat causing him to thrust
forward before Qui-Gon's hands came to rest on his padawan's
hips, holding them in place. Obi-Wan knotted his hands in the
sheets, sure that if he reached for his master to hurry him, the
man would find it yet another reason to prolong the agony.
The slow pace of Qui-Gon's mouth as it moved up and down his cock
seemed to be moving light-years slower than Obi-Wan himself had
moved. One had to admire his patience, unless one happened to be
slowly going insane because of it. As if he could read Obi-Wan's
mind--which, given his powers, might not be too far from the
truth--Qui-Gon quickened his pace, adding suction to his
movements.
Obi-Wan closed his eyes, but the image of Qui-Gon, his mouth
closed around Obi-Wan's shaft, intent on giving him pleasure,
remained as he struggled against the hands that held him, the
need to move overwhelming. Finally he broke free--or was let
go--and thrust forward as he came. He could feel Qui-Gon's throat
swallowing around the tip of his cock, the constricting movement
causing more sparks of pleasure.
Several minutes passed before Obi-Wan once again became aware of
his surroundings. Qui-Gon had moved so that he was lying beside
him, holding him close. He turned to look his master--better yet,
lover in the eyes and was surprised to find sadness there.
"What's wrong?" he asked, surprised at the hoarseness
in his own voice.
"What could possibly be wrong?" Qui-Gon answered his
question with a question.
"That's what I'd like to know."
Qui-Gon shook his head. "We'll talk later. For now,
sleep."
Obi-Wan recognized the Force behind that last word and had one
brief moment to be angry about it before blackness overtook him.
The next morning, Obi-Wan awoke alone. He was confused as to why
that surprised him until he realized he was in Qui-Gon's bed, not
his own. The events of the previous evening came back to him in a
rush. A rush that went straight to his groin.
He sat up and looked around the room, but his master was nowhere
to be found. He gathered his clothes and dressed, then went into
the living room. Qui-Gon was kneeling on the floor, meditating.
There was a bowl of fresh fruit on the table, so Qui-Gon must
have gone out already. Obi-Wan picked up a piece of the fruit,
then put it back, deciding he wasn't really hungry.
"Padawan."
He barely managed to keep himself from jumping at the unexpected
voice. "Yes, Master?"
"We need to leave for Daruda in an hour. If all goes well we
won't be coming back here."
Obi-Wan turned around. "Master..." he began, but as he
met Qui-Gon's eyes, he couldn't finish.
"We need to leave," Qui-Gon repeated. "There'll be
time enough to talk later."
That's what you said last night. But he didn't argue.
"Yes, Master," he said instead, then turned toward his
own room to pack.
It didn't take long for Obi-Wan to gather his things; Jedi
carried very little with them. In no time he was back in the
living room, staring out the window. Despite the fact that
Qui-Gon carried even less than Obi-Wan, it was time to leave when
his master finally emerged from his room. "Let's go,"
he said as he headed for the door. Obi-Wan sighed, shook his
head, and followed.
The trip to Daruda was short, and Qui-Gon spent the time in the
cockpit. Keeping watch for sign of the pirates, he said. Right.
Either he thought his student was an idiot, or he didn't care
that Obi-Wan knew he was being avoided. No matter. They had a
mission to complete; he would drop it for now. Letting what
happened interfere with their mission would just give his master
another excuse to say the whole thing was best forgotten.
But Obi-Wan didn't want to forget. And he was more than willing
to make sure Qui-Gon didn't forget either.
The pirates turned out to be easier to catch than the Jedi had
expected. They were almost to Daruda when they were attacked. The
three members of the pirate group who attacked their transport
were quickly disarmed, and were just as quickly persuaded to tell
them where the rest of their band was. Within hours the whole
group was locked up awaiting a justice transport that would have
them on Coruscant by the end of the day.
"It's not very often we wrap up a mission that easily,
Master," Obi-Wan said as they waited for the justice
transport.
"No, it isn't."
After several minutes, Obi-Wan tried again. "When do you
think the transport will arrive?"
"They should be here soon."
Neither of them said another word until the ship arrived. Qui-Gon
dealt with the guard in charge, and soon they were all on board
the transport heading back to Coruscant. Back to the structured
life they were comfortable with. A place where Qui-Gon could
easily distance himself from what happened on Barrat, if Obi-Wan
let him.
But Obi-Wan had no intention of letting him.
After three days back at the Temple, Obi-Wan still wasn't sure
exactly how he would stop Qui-Gon from pretending Barrat
never happened. He just knew he had to come up with a way, and
soon. With each day, Qui-Gon grew more distant, Obi-Wan grew more
frustrated, until the bond between them as master and apprentice
was strained as tight as it could go without breaking.
Three days with practically no sleep, too many drills, too much
work to do and too little time to meditate to even attempt to
relieve the hurt, anger and frustration.
Something had to be done. And clearly Qui-Gon was not going to be
the one to do it. Which leaves it up to me, he thought.
Attempts to get his master alone for more than a minute hadn't
worked. Attempts to draw him into physical combat in hopes of
gaining a reaction hadn't worked either. And trying to pick
fights with him got him more assignments than he could finish.
There was one thing he hadn't tried yet. The direct approach.
Well, a sort of ambush version of the direct approach. The sneaky
way of being straightforward. It was something Qui-Gon wouldn't
expect from a student who generally followed the rules.
Which was why it had a chance of succeeding.
Obi-Wan heard the main door to their quarters open and shut. He
could hear his master moving around in the outer room, trying to
be quiet, but not masking his presence. If Obi-Wan had been
sleeping, he wouldn't have noticed Qui-Gon's arrival.
But Obi-Wan wasn't sleeping. He lay in bed, listening, waiting
silently for the right moment. He heard the door to Qui-Gon's
bedroom open. He knew the routine of the past three days. His
master wouldn't bother with the lights. He'd stayed out so late
each night, trying to avoid his own student, that he just tossed
off his clothing on the way to the bed, crawled in, and went to
sleep.
Only this time, he crawled into bed, then let out a yell.
"What the--!" Qui-Gon reached through the Force and the
lights came on. "Obi-Wan!"
"Yes, Master?"
"What the--" Qui-Gon stopped and took a deep breath.
"What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you, Master."
Qui-Gon suddenly seemed to realize that neither one of them was
wearing any clothes. He jumped out of the bed and grabbed the
robe he'd tossed to the floor, wrapping it around him
protectively. "Why?"
"You said on Barrat we'd talk later. I was waiting to
talk."
"Naked?"
"Well, actually, I'm under the covers, but if you
prefer...." Obi-Wan threw the cover aside and climbed out of
bed, approaching the older man.
Qui-Gon turned his back on him. "For the love of--put some
clothes on!"
"Why? It's not as if you haven't seen me naked. As a matter
of fact," he added, standing so close to Qui-Gon's back he
was almost touching him, "you've done a lot more than just
look."
"And now you're out to torture me for it, is that it?"
Obi-Wan frowned. "I was rather hoping for a repeat
performance." Qui-Gon didn't respond. "Master?" he
asked, placing his hand on the other man's shoulder.
"Don't!" Qui-Gon shook him off, moving several steps
away.
"That's not what you said a few nights ago," Obi-Wan
growled. He clamped a lid down on his anger and hurt and forced
himself to continue in a calmer tone. "You seemed fine with
this then."
"Even the strongest of wills can break under the right
pressure."
Obi-Wan moved to stand in front of his master, in his direct line
of sight. "For days I've had to make my own guess as to
what's going on here. Obviously I've misread something."
"What happened on Barrat shouldn't have happened. I'm
sorry--"
"Why? I'm not."
"I took advantage of you--"
"What?" Obi-Wan laughed. "As I recall I took
advantage of you first."
"Because I let you. And I shouldn't have."
Obi-Wan stared. He really believes what he's saying.
"Qui-Gon," he said, deliberately avoiding the man's
title, "let me assure you, I was very determined to seduce
you. You had no chance of resisting."
"You're that sure of your abilities?"
"I was until a few minutes ago." He moved a step
closer. "It was obvious then you wanted me. And I'd go so
far as to bet a Hutt that there's proof under that robe that you
want me now. So I fail to see what the problem is."
"You're my apprentice. This isn't right."
"That's your objection? I can name you three other padawans
who are sleeping with their masters without even having to think
about it. It's not as if it doesn't happen."
"Perhaps it does, when the padawans are old enough to make
up their minds about such things."
The look on Obi-Wan's face might have scared someone who didn't
know him. "If you are trying to imply that I'm too
young--" The glare dissolved into a look of understanding.
"I'm a fool."
"I'm glad you've realized your error," Qui-Gon said as
he took a step back and reached for his trousers on the floor.
"Oh I have, but not in the way you mean. This is about that
game."
Qui-Gon froze, the pants forgotten. "What?"
"That game. The Qyrate. The Patha. This is about you
having some silly idea that you're not supposed to touch me
because I'm six months from being what that amoral culture deems
too old to chase." He grabbed the trousers and held them
behind his back.
"Give those to me," Qui-Gon ordered, moving toward him,
hand outstretched.
"No." Obi-Wan continued to back away until he reached
the wall. He tucked the pants between the wall and his back, then
laid his arms flat against the wall, rendering the pants
virtually impossible to reach.
"Padawan, either you give me those pants, or I will have you
cleaning the Temple gardens for the next month."
"I'd like to see you explaining your reasons for that one to
Master Yoda."
Qui-Gon stopped inches from his student. "You
wouldn't."
"If what you did on Barrat was so wrong, it's only right you
tell him, and perhaps the Council and await their judgment."
"I--we did not go against the Code."
"Which is what I've been trying to point out to you, you
rock-headed masochist!"
Qui-Gon stared at his apprentice. "What did you call
me?"
"You heard me! You're the most stubborn, thick-headed Jedi
Master that ever lived. And you seem to delight in torturing
yourself."
Qui-Gon moved toward him again, but Obi-Wan slid along the wall
until he reached the door. The knob prevented him from sliding
further. Qui-Gon placed both hands on either side of the door,
glowering down at his student. "You're trying to provoke me
into an argument. It won't work."
Obi-Wan shrugged. "It was worth a try."
"You didn't have a back-up plan?"
Without warning, Obi-Wan leaned forward, dislodging his master,
pulled open the door and shoved the pants into the outer room,
then shut the door again. "You taught me, what do you
think?" he said before he sealed his lips to Qui-Gon's with
a bruising pressure, his hands gripping the back of his Master's
head, holding him there.
After a moment he realized Qui-Gon wasn't resisting. The pressure
of his hands lessened, and the kiss turned into a gentler
exploration. Seconds later, Qui-Gon struggled free. "I will
not do this again!"
"Why the hell not?" He was too frustrated to care if he
yelled; he'd already gone too far anyway, what difference did it
make now? Qui-Gon backed away, but Obi-Wan followed. "Give
me a reason."
"Because I said so."
Obi-Wan laughed, then pounced as Qui-Gon tripped over the bed and
fell back onto it. "That worked when I was fifteen," he
said as he placed a hand on either side of Qui-Gon's head.
"In case you haven't noticed I'm a long way from
fifteen."
"Let me go."
"Why?" His hips settled on top of Qui-Gon's, finding
proof of his master's attraction, even through the robe.
"It's obvious you want this."
"Obi-Wan...please."
That one single word was evidence that he was about to win. It
also showed how much it was costing his master to lose. They both
knew Qui-Gon wanted this. But apparently Obi-Wan was the only one
who realized why. "Fine," he said, playing his last
card. "I'll get up and leave. If you can do one thing."
"What?" The word was barely above a whisper.
"Tell me you don't love me."
"I--you are my apprentice. Of course I love you."
"That's not what I meant." He placed a feather-light
kiss on Qui-Gon's lips, but refrained from further touches.
"Tell me you don't love me."
"I don't--I can't do this."
"You can't say it, can you?" No response. "You
can't say it because you do. You don't even realize it, do
you?"
"It's wrong."
"Why? When has love ever been wrong?"
"You're too young," Qui-Gon said, his voice almost
desperate. "If I do this, I'm no better than they are,"
he said, then shook his head. "No, I'm already no
better."
How could he have been so blind? He'd been distracted by his own
need, and he'd failed to see the whole picture. Obi-Wan took
several deep breaths, calling on the Force to help him stay calm.
"Do not compare yourself to Jarl and Dnye. They
drugged an innocent. Robbed her of her free will. Did you drug
me?"
He waited, and finally Qui-Gon shook his head. "Did you
force me here?" Again a head shake, this one quicker.
"So I'm here, on Coruscant--not Barrat--of my own free will,
holding you down, begging you to make love to me?" Qui-Gon
nodded slowly. "Then how could you even begin to compare one
to the other?"
"You're so young--"
"I am not. I could have made the decision to try this
two years ago when I first felt an attraction to you, but I
didn't. I wasn't ready. I knew my own mind then and I know it
now. And I am ready."
Qui-Gon stared up at him. "You seem so sure."
"I am sure." He risked another kiss. "Let me show
you." When Qui-Gon offered no resistance, Obi-Wan kissed him
again. This time, the other man responded, his arms coming up
around Obi-Wan and pulling him closer.
Obi-Wan kissed his way down his master's body, remembering
sensitive spots discovered days before, and finding new ones as
well. He didn't waste much time, however, before his mouth
reached Qui-Gon's cock. Determined to show the man as quickly as
possible just how serious he was, Obi-Wan set a driving pace,
working his mouth up and down the length of Qui-Gon's shaft with
an almost brutal intensity.
He found pleasure in the incoherent ramblings he heard as Qui-Gon
thrashed about on the bed. The hand that knotted in his hair
almost hurt, but the possessiveness of the action made pain
nonexistent. When Qui-Gon screamed, his seed flowing down
Obi-Wan's throat, it was the closest Obi-Wan had come to tears in
a long time. He'd all but given up on this possibility over the
past few days. And then almost lost it with his hasty actions.
But he hadn't lost it, he reminded himself as he crawled up
beside his lover and kissed him thoroughly, then lay down beside
him. He was here, where he wanted to be.
After a few moments, Qui-Gon turned and kissed him, his tongue
tracing the outline of Obi-Wan's lips, then delving inside.
Obi-Wan gave a disappointed sigh when Qui-Gon pulled back to
study him. "Now do you believe?" Obi-Wan asked him.
Qui-Gon studied him a few seconds longer. "I want you,"
he said finally, his voice low, a slight hesitation in his tone.
Not an answer, but not a rejection either.
"You have me," Obi-Wan said.
He leaned in for a kiss, but Qui-Gon stopped him. "I want
you. Inside me."
Obi-Wan blinked. "Are you sure?"
"Are you?" he challenged.
Ah, so this was a test. But of who? No matter. Obi-Wan nodded,
then leaned in for the kiss he'd been denied a moment before. One
kiss turned into two, then three before Qui-Gon pulled away and
reached for the drawer by the bed.
He fumbled around for a moment, but finally pulled out a bottle
and presented it to Obi-Wan. "Hand lotion?" Obi-Wan
eyed the bottle dubiously. "What the--oh!"
Obi-Wan opened the lotion, squeezing a generous amount onto his
hand. It was cold, so he let it warm for a moment as he kissed
Qui-Gon again, enjoying the freedom to kiss him at will. He
continued the kiss as he slipped one coated finger into Qui-Gon's
tight passage, swallowing the sound of discomfort, but going no
further until he felt his lover relax.
One finger eventually became two, then three. Finally Obi-Wan
reached for the lotion again and poured a large amount into his
hands, again letting it warm before spreading it across his stiff
cock. He positioned himself between his master's legs, wondering
briefly how he was supposed to enter him from this position.
Qui-Gon answered the wordless question by placing his ankles on
Obi-Wan's shoulders.
Obi-Wan gave him one last questioning look, then on Qui-Gon's
nod, entered him slowly, bit by bit, waiting an eternity until he
was completely surrounded by his master. He closed his eyes, the
feeling unlike anything he'd ever known or even imagined.
He forced himself to open his eyes, checking Qui-Gon's face for
signs of pain, but there were none. There was acceptance, the
beginnings of pleasure, and most of all, love.
He began to move, his eyes open and fixed on his master's face,
the emotions he saw playing across those features heightening the
pleasure he felt with each thrust. His hand reached for Qui-Gon's
growing erection, moving in time with his thrusts. All too
quickly he felt himself beginning to climax. He wanted it, but at
the same time he wanted to make this moment last forever.
It couldn't last forever, of course, but he still wanted it to,
even as Qui-Gon shuddered in the beginnings of an orgasm, his
muscles tightening even further around Obi-Wan, causing the most
incredible sensations. He came in a blinding flash of pleasure so
intense he wasn't sure he was still in one piece when it was
over. And he didn't care enough to open his eyes to find out. He
just lay there, vaguely aware that Qui-Gon was holding him, and
certain that if he wasn't in one piece, his master would hold him
together until he was aware enough to put the pieces back where
they belonged.
Finally Obi-Wan managed to open his eyes. He saw that Qui-Gon's
eyes were closed, but that the doubt and fear he'd seen there
earlier were gone. His master's eyes opened and met his. "Now
do you believe?" Obi-Wan asked again.
"With all my heart," Qui-Gon replied, then pulled him
closer. Obi-Wan gave a sigh of relief, then snuggled into his
lover's side to catch up on the sleep he'd missed.
He had a feeling he would need it.
End
So, what did you think? ndannais@fbi-agent.com