It's all Greek to me

by Little Owl (grinning_little_owl@yahoo.de)

Archive: M_A
Category: Q/O, First-Time
Rating: NC-17 (no explicit sex scenes, but mention of underage)
Disclaimer: Yes, it's all George's, except the ancient Greek's ideas of course.
Warnings: Mention of chan
Summary: Sports and education, Greek and Jedi style
Remarks: Seen Wolfgang Petersen's Troy and pissed off, too, about all the changes--concerning the role of Patroklos especially? Sick about all the radio and TV chatter about the Olympics that even haven't started yet? There's to much about old Greece now...
Feedback: yes, please
Notes: Many owlish thanks to Sabrina (soggyfurbtmn@yahoo.com) for the beta reading. All mistakes left are mine!

"Well, we simply don't."

To Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon's uneasiness was palpable. For their hosts, it was a polite answer.

"But who introduces your boys into love if not their teachers?" asked the ruler of the planet Athens.

"We leave it up to our apprentices to make their experiences within their peer group." Qui-Gon told himself he should be happy to have a topic other than the war between the planets Athens and Persia. He wasn't. He knew this part of the mission was the easier one. The Persian king had driven them away at once, not even willing to hear the Republic's plea of leaving the interstellar transport routes free of spaceship mines during their war with Athens. The ruler of Athens had invited the delegates at least for dinner before they had to leave the planet. The dinner was called a symposium; a meeting of several guests, dedicated to discussion and drinking. The ruler also wished no Republic interference in his war, too, but he was curious about the Jedi and proposed education as the topic of discussion.

And now this: The question if Jedi Masters had sex with their Padawans. No, their host explained, no explicit intercourse, but kissing and petting allowed.

Obi-Wan secretly enjoyed how his master squirmed with embarrassment. Well, squirming was not the right word, because Qui-Gon looked totally serene. However, his shields were completely shut, a clear sign of his uneasiness. Obi-Wan took a sip of the slightly watered wine.

"But don't you think your apprentices would be better informed when introduced into sex by their teachers than having to find out everything by themselves?" asked Phryne, the only woman in the circle. She was a beauty and had introduced herself as a Hetaera, a rank which was not explained in their mission briefing about the government system of Athens.

"Well, our system worked fine for me once and--as far as I am informed--for my Padawan as well." Qui-Gon smiled at her. "In our culture I would commit a crime to have a, however sexually coloured, relationship with a fifteen year old. You said it has to stop when the boys grow a beard. As adults we are only allowed to have sex with people older than eighteen, and that would be too old by your rules."

The ruler looked at the Jedi condescendingly. Phryne smiled. "And your opinion, young man?" Her smile was mischievous, but meant no harm. "Would you have liked it to be introduced into sex by your teacher?"

"As my Master said, our system works well for us." Obi-Wan said with a polite nod in her direction. Of course he would have liked it! But unfortunately, when it came to the topic of sex, Qui-Gon Jinn acted as puritan as a Code-adoring council member. Obi-Wan didn't know why. His Master was no virgin. Obi-Wan remembered how often in his earlier Padawan years Master Jinn had stayed away over night, sitting in the morning in the Temple's canteen close to Master Windu, both looking at each other with sated, affectionate smiles. The relationship had stopped some years ago, leaving behind a grumpy and frustrated Qui-Gon with Master Windu overly critical of his former lover's actions and notions.

"Sex is not regarded as of high value among the Jedi." he said to support his Master, "We appreciate being able to control our passion. Therefore, love affairs are something you shouldn't make some fuss about. You have a sex life, but it is regarded as something that doesn't need a Master's attention." He looked at Qui-Gon and saw assent in his eyes.

"Not regarded as of high value?!" Phryne was a little shocked. "Boy, what kind of life do you lead?"

"A Jedi's." Obi-Wan smiled, "Imagine: If my Master would indulge in a love affair with me, he probably would prefer to stay in bed with me instead of get me out of bed before dawn to do my meditation and two hours of sports before breakfast. That would be nice for me, but a violation of our order's training rules."

//The Force beware me to ever break this rule!// he heard Qui-Gon over their training bond. There was the equivalent of a chuckle in it.

"Regarding sports," the ruler said, "As I understood you, Jedi are faster than other people?"

"Yes." Qui-Gon stated, "The connection with the Force allows us to move with higher speed."

"I would like to see that." the ruler said. "My idea behind that is as follows...," he explained to the other guests, "As you all know, athlete Astylos is still hurt, and we could really use someone who beats those damned Spartans in the sprint disciplines."

"That would be cheating." His son said with a smile.

"Yes, but when it helps to dampen the Spartans spirits..." another man smirked, and Phryne seemed also to be intrigued by the idea: "Would you show us how fast you can run, Obi-Wan?"

"Yes, why not?"

"Take care, she only wants to see you naked!" the ruler's son teased.

Obi-Wan gave him a quizzical look. "Why naked?"

"Is that supposed to mean that you do sports dressed?" the young man asked bewildered.

Obi-Wan gave the pictures on the vases in the room a second glance. "Yes." he said cautiously, "It's obviously not as hot on our planet as on yours."

"The whole idea is ridiculous!" A white bearded man interfered sternly. "You can't let a boy who isn't a citizen of Athens start in the games of Zeus, may said boy run as fast as a horse or the winds themselves. Look at him: Does he look like an Athenian? No. Everyone would think he's a slave from barbarian planets! You consider the Olympics as a sports event, but it is a celebration for the gods, and the sportsmen should be worthy to please our highest deity!"

The ruler nodded. "I'm sorry, Phryne. I fear you won't have the pleasure of seeing our guest among the competitors."

"Yes, and as a woman you have to stay away from the games, too!" the older man growled.

"I am not married, and therefore I can watch them, if I want. Even a priest like you can not send me away!" Phryne said with determination.

The older man grumbled something about women who should be married and stay at home. Qui-Gon felt a hard conflict between to young woman and the priest, but another feeling of his own was much stronger.

Obi-Wan registered it, too. Anger. Pure, dark anger--coming from his Master. He looked at his teacher. Qui-Gon's shields slammed shut again.

Back on their ship and in space again Qui-Gon Jinn started to write the mission report at once. Obi-Wan made them a strong tea to overcome the influence of the wine.

His Master radiated such a displeasure that Obi-Wan tried to soothe him down. "Compared with other missions when the Chancellor has sent us to meditate among parties who wished no 'help' from the Republic, this mission went considerably smoother." he said, putting the cup next to Qui-Gon's data pad, "At the beginning I feared we would wind up under blaster fire or in a dungeon again."

His Master snorted. "I always admire your ability to see the good in the mess, Padawan." he said, sitting back from the data pad and taking the cup in both hands as if he wanted to warm up himself. "But the mission was a complete failure nevertheless. The transport routes have to be changed and will be endangered by the Hutts. True, we were not under fire this time--that's an advancement indeed."

"But?" Obi-Wan prodded.

"To be insulted all the time shows their disregard for the Republic they are part of. I fear those people predicting the decline of the Republic to be right." Qui-Gon sipped at his tea.

Obi-Wan didn't like it when his master changed into the Decline-of-the-Republic mode. It meant that Qui-Gon would quarrel with the Council over their politics for days. "Well," he started to chatter, "I fully preferred being insulted by the Athenians. At least they only wanted to undress me and considered me a barbarian. The Persian king called us ... what are these animals called?"

"Scowlrats." Qui-Gon said, pressed some buttons on the data pad and handed the device to his padawan, "That's how they look like..."

"Ugh!" Obi-Wan returned the data pad without a second glance.

"The colour of it's fur has a resemblance of our robes colour, that much is true." The Jedi Master stared at the scowlrat as if he could make it less ugly by glowering at it.

"But why were you so angry about the priest?" Obi-Wan asked not willing to let their conversation die with a remark about the nastiest member of the middle rim planet's fauna.

"I was not angry." His Master put the data pad away.

"Master, your anger was almost up to the standard of a Sith Lord's, and honestly, it still is!"

Qui-Gon Jinn gave him a stern look that didn't impress the Padawan much, because Qui-Gon's anger was not directed against him. "I don't like to hear that my Padawan isn't good enough for something." the Master admitted at last. "That's, of course, a clear sign of arrogance. As you see again, even a Master isn't perfectly serene. But..." he raised his hand "there is no need at all to puff up about my admission of this weakness."

Obi-Wan smiled. "I'm only intrigued about the fact that you take this so personally."

Qui-Gon Jinn snorted and looked into his tea.

"What do you think of their concept of introducing teenagers into sex?" Obi-Wan asked to change the topic and out of curiosity.

"Rubbish! I'd prefer to be a scowlrat than touching a junior padawan like this!" His Master's voice had now the don't-ask-further-or-you'll-regret-it undertone Obi-Wan dreaded in his younger years.

"But what about a senior Padawan?" Obi-Wan cocked his head and gave his master an example of his best seductive smile. The rest of the alcohol in his system helped him to muster the courage for his next question: "What about a gods-unworthy twenty two year old barbarian longing for you since half a decade?"

"What?" His master stared at him in shock.

"What about me, Master?"

Qui-Gon Jinn swallowed. Hard. "If I believe only the less spectacular rumours about your abilities as a lover," he said reluctantly "there's nothing I could teach you anymore."

Obi-Wan was amazed that his Master was willing to discuss that topic at all and didn't cut him off with a cynical remark.

"But I lack knowledge in one crucial thing, Master." he said with a little bow like a polite Padawan asking for a favour.

"And that is?"

"How it is to make love with you, Master."

Qui-Gon Jinn became pale. He stood up.

Force help me! Obi-Wan thought, this was too much! His Master had never slapped him across the face, but now would be the first time for sure.

He stood his ground. He would not flinch. He would not complain.

He held Qui-Gon's gaze.

"That's a joke, Padawan, isn't it?!"

"No, Master, it isn't."

"Force help me!" His Master murmured.

His hand touched Obi-Wan's face: very tenderly it caressed his cheek. Obi-Wan turned his head to kiss it's palm, looked into his Master's eyes. He could hardly believe the expression of despair he saw there.

He took Qui-Gon's hand in his hands, drew it to his lips, kissed the fingers. "I promise, Master, I won't complain about getting up still before dawn."

"Obi-Wan!"

Then he was kissed. With all the need his Master felt for years. Half a decade probably.

"Master Jinn, there's an incoming... oh my!" the pilot hastily switched the internal comm unit screen back to black.

"What's the matter?" her co-pilot asked.

She tried to hide her blushing by controlling some instruments at the other side of the cockpit. "Tell the Chancellor they're busy with ... uh, meditation ... at the moment and will contact him later."

--end--