Master Apprentice Archive Bonds of Light Quick search:

Bonds of Light

by Susan Anthony

Title: Bonds of Light
Series: Forged Bonds
Author: Susan Anthony (LdyGossamer@aol.com)
Pairing: Obi-Wan/Bruck, Qui-Gon/Bruck, OW/GQ/B
Archive: Master_Apprentice, The Equally Worthwhile Adventures of Bruck Chun if they want it, my site at http://www.geocities.com/area51/keep/8613/artists.html, anyone else, just ask
Category: AU, Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Q/O, future Q/Bruck, future O/Bruck
Rating: PG-13 now, NC-17 eventually
Spoilers: none
Summary: Padawan Chun finds his place in the Light
Feedback: Very welcome.
Warnings: M/M/M relationship eventually, mention and memory of rape and abuse
Notes: Thanks to Maig for her patient and belligerent beta. This started as a PWP because I wanted a Bruck story for the Bruck archive. Unfortunately for me, PWP means 'really long story that takes forever to write'.

More Notes: This story is in three parts. The second is complete and in beta and the third is almost complete and also in beta. (Again, thanks Maig)

Disclaimer: The Boyz aren't mine. More's the pity. This story is for the pleasure of the readers only. I don't make a thing.

Padawan Bruck Chun finished drying his hair and tossed the damp towel onto his bed before he turned to the mirror. He briefly glanced at his face while he ran his hands through the short, white hair. His fingers curled around the longer strands that hung just above his shoulder and he sighed.

Quickly, he braided the strands, making the symbol of his apprenticeship that much shorter. Bruck felt his lips quirk for a moment as he studied his reflection.

At least the beads of his accomplishments held the short braid down so it didn't stick out like a first-year padawan's braid.

The young Jedi sighed again as he studied his braid in the mirror. Of all the things the T'chtzans had done to him last year, ripping out his braid had been the worst. He'd learned to ignore the scars on his body but the braid he saw every time he looked in a reflecting surface and he couldn't help but sigh.

His hair had always grown fast and it was quickly growing back but his braid had been the longest of the padawans in their fifth year. Now it barely touched his shoulder. His master had reassured him constantly those first few weeks back from that horrific mission that it made no difference, that the braid did not make the padawan, but now, even half a year later, Bruck was still regretting the loss.

Absently, he petted the short, white braid hanging behind his ear as he reminded himself that he was lucky to have even that. He had come so close to the Dark...so close.

His blue eyes dropped to the reflection of the thin, white scars that raked across his chest. The Jedi healers had done their best but by the time he and his master had been returned to Coruscant, infection had set in and not even total immersion in bacta had erased them. The set of scars he had on his back were even wider but at least he didn't have to see them.

The door behind him slid open and in the mirror, Bruck saw his master peek around the doorway.

"You're brooding again, Padawan," she noted with a determined look in her gray eyes. Bruck met her gaze in the mirror with a smirk.

"Master, you know I set aside the sixth morning of every week for brooding purposes," he stated as grabbed his tunic and pulled it over his head.

"Well enough of it for today," she replied. "I've a lot to do and you're scheduled for sparring this morning, in case you forgot."

Bruck froze. "Sith Damn! Kenobi!" A moment later, he jumped across his bed and grabbed his gym bag and his saber.

His master sighed. "Language, Bruck."

He brushed past his master with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Master," he said as he headed for the door.

"And don't get caught running in the halls again! I don't want another embarrassing call from Master Windu after you plow him down," she called as the door to their apartment slid open. Bruck acknowledged her words with a wave before he disappeared down the hallway at top speed heading towards the gyms. After all, his master didn't say not to run in the halls, just don't get caught doing it.

He managed to get to the gyms without incident and quickly glanced over the salle terminal to see which room this morning's sparring partner had chosen. He hadn't seen Kenobi in months and when Obi-Wan had called last night to see if he was available for a sparring match, Bruck had been surprised. Though their last several meetings had been cordial and even friendly, their history was certainly not a happy one.

But he hadn't had a partner for his morning workout and Bruck had accepted Obi-Wan's offer. Now he found himself jogging through the hallways looking for salle 423. Eventually, he found it; 423 being one of the last training rooms in this section. He palmed the keypad open and stepped in, spotting Kenobi already warming up across the room.

"You're late, Chun," was the padawan's opening volley.

"Stow it, Kenobi," Bruck stated as he dropped his bag to the floor. "I saw when you checked in. You've only been here a few minutes."

The other padawan laughed as he stretched a final time and then watched as his partner began his own warm ups. "My Master asks if you would mind him as a spectator this morning. I strained a muscle in my leg on our last mission and he wants to be certain it's not affecting my saber training."

Bruck eyed his yearmate as he continued stretching. He'd heard that Obi-Wan had been injured on their last mission but he hadn't heard that there were any lasting effects. He briefly wondered if that were the real reason for Master Jinn wanting to watch them this morning. Since the incident on T'tcht, Bruck had noted many masters taking time out of their schedule to watch him spar with their padawans. Did they still think he would Turn? Was that why he felt as though he were under constant surveillance? He had been under the impression that the mind healers were happy with his progress.

"I don't mind, Kenobi," he finally replied in a neutral tone. "Just let me know if your injury starts paining you."

The other padawan nodded and his eyes became unfocused as he mentally conversed with his master. Bruck just concentrated on his warm ups as he strove to release his worry to the Force. If the Jedi still had concerns about him Turning, he'd just have to let them worry over it. He knew he wouldn't Turn and that was all he had to know.

The padawan stretched a final time and straightened just as the door to their training room slid open to admit Master Qui-Gon Jinn. The big man spared his padawan a brief smile before he turned to Bruck.

"Master Jinn," he greeted the man with a bow before calling his saber to hand.

"Padawan Chun," the master replied with a nod.

There'd been a time when Bruck had envied Obi-Wan his master. Qui-Gon Jinn was a legendary warrior/diplomat and many initiates had wanted him as a master. Bruck had been enraged when he'd heard that skinny little Oafy-Wan had been chosen as Jinn's padawan.

But that had been a lifetime ago and Padawan Chun had since learned that there were bigger things in the galaxy to worry about than someone else's master. Besides, in his completely unbiased opinion, Kenzi Zath was the Master of Choice in the Jedi order. As he thumbed on his saber and the amber blade flared to life, he smiled briefly, seeing that the color of his blade echoed his master's.

"Ready Kenobi?" he called as he dropped into stance. His sparring partner nodded with a brief grin and the match began.

Bruck relaxed into the Force with an ease he'd never known until the last year. Before, he'd almost fought against the Force, willing it to do what he wanted; to be what he needed. But he had since learned that to truly utilize his talents to their fullest, he had to be what the Force needed and not the other way around. It had been one of the most painful and revealing moments of his life and one of the most profound. Sometimes he wanted to kick himself for not seeing something so simple and spending five years as a blind padawan. His master had laughed when he'd told her that. She'd said he was lucky because some padawans and even some knights never really did see the difference.

Now, as he sparred with his childhood nemesis, Bruck opened himself up willingly and allowed himself to sink into the Force. He almost felt as if he were dancing with Obi-Wan following a set of steps he already knew. It was not an effortless task and the padawan felt his muscles stretch and burn as the level of skill they were fighting at slowly increased. But he wasn't panicked and aggressive as he used to be either. He wasn't worried about who would win or lose. He was sparring with a companion, someone who had lately almost become a friend and this was merely a sharing of knowledge. Obi-Wan Kenobi was widely acknowledged the best in their class when it came to wielding a lightsaber and Bruck had hoped that he would learn some new skills in this match.

So, it came as a complete surprise to Padawan Chun when it was Kenobi against the wall with an amber blade at his throat. Bruck wasn't the only one surprised. Obi-Wan's mouth hung open for a moment before he shut it with a snap.

"You beat me," he stated in a shocked tone.

"Umm, so I did," Bruck replied in a voice that carried its own disbelief. He stepped back with an almost apologetic look on his face as he powered down his saber and then ran his fingers through his sweaty hair.

"And very handily, Padawan Chun, though it was a near thing," Master Jinn's deep voice added and Bruck nearly jumped. He had completely forgotten the presence of Obi-Wan's master. "That was an excellent match. You both did exceedingly well."

"Thank you, Master Jinn," Bruck replied in a faint tone as he looked up into Jinn's intense blue eyes. The padawan was stunned to find approval there and perhaps a touch of respect. He didn't think he'd ever seen Master Jinn direct such a glance his way.

"Well, I demand a rematch!" Obi-Wan stated, pulling Bruck's attention away from Master Jinn's gaze. The other student's arms were crossed and his expression close to pouting though Bruck thought Obi-Wan didn't truly seem upset. "My best-in-class title is at stake here!"

Bruck smiled briefly. "I believe we have this room for a while longer, Kenobi," he said wiping sweat from his brow. "Perhaps you would care to try again?"

"Damn right we will!"

Master Jinn chuckled quietly as he moved towards the doorway. "Unfortunately, I must be going," he said as the door slid open. He glanced back at the two apprentices, his eyes moving briefly over Bruck with a half-smile before he nodded at his own padawan. "See you this evening, Obi-Wan."

Bruck watched the door slide shut behind the departing master before he turned back to his opponent. "I don't think I've ever heard him laugh before," he noted. Obi-Wan merely grinned again.

"He was really pleased with that match," the padawan said as he leaned down to massage his right thigh. Bruck's eyes tracked the movement with concern.

"How's the leg?" he asked.

"Achy," Obi-Wan replied. "But other than that fine." He brought up his saber and ignited it. "And I'm perfectly able to run you around this room for the next match."

Bruck looked doubtful for a moment and then shrugged as he fired up his own blade. He would just have to trust that Kenobi knew his own limits.

Three matches later, the pair sat against the wall panting. Neither was inclined to stand for the moment.

"Two for you and two for me, Kenobi," Bruck noted smugly.

"Rub it in, Chun," Obi-Wan grated as his head thunked against the wall. "I had no idea your skills had improved so much."

"Until today, neither did I," the white-haired padawan replied.

"Why haven't you been re-ranked?" Kenobi asked curiously.

Bruck rubbed his chest absently. He knew there was no medical reason for it but sometimes his scars ached. "I think they're waiting to see if I backslide."

Obi-Wan gave him a quick, searching glance. "Have you actually been told that?"

"No," Bruck replied calmly. "It's just a feeling I have."

The shorter padawan leaned his head against the wall again. "You've changed a lot, Bruck," Obi-Wan finally stated quietly.

"Have I, Oafy-Wan?" The tone was almost teasing.

"You have," came the reply. "I don't even know you anymore."

Bruck released a long, slow breath as he stared at his boots. "You're not alone. Most of our yearmates don't know what to do with me."

"Do they shun you?" Obi-Wan asked with a thin ribbon of unexpected anxiety threaded through his tone.

"No," the white-haired padawan assured his companion. "I see more of them than I used to. Being grounded at the Temple for the past half-year, I'm the only one who consistently gets to go to classes." Bruck looked thoughtful. "They're just...uncomfortable around me." He rubbed his chest again. "Sometimes I catch them giving me funny looks like they're trying to figure me out but no one ever says anything. Litz and A'rubio don't even speak to me anymore."

Obi-Wan snorted. "No big loss there, Chun," he pointed out. "It amazes me that they were even chosen as padawans sometimes."

"The same thing was said about me," Bruck said and Obi-Wan glanced away.

"No one is saying that now."

The words were firm but Bruck just shrugged. Sometimes he had wondered himself what his master had seen in him to choose him. It bothered him that his former friends hardly acknowledged him these days, but then he would see them in the hallway, hassling some junior padawan and he wondered why he'd ever been a friend with them to begin with. Whenever he was around them now, he felt almost a sense of wrongness about them and though he'd not spoken of it to anyone, he thought that they would never be knighted.

"Why did your master come here this morning, Obi-Wan?" Bruck suddenly asked as he turned to his companion. The question seemed to catch Obi-Wan by surprise. "I know you injured your leg and perhaps Master Jinn did want to test you but there was another reason as well, wasn't there?"

Kenobi met Bruck's eyes for a long moment before he glanced down at his lightsaber.

"Master Windu mentioned to my master that you had come a long way in the last six months with your training." Obi-Wan's lips curled in something of a self-mocking smile. "He mentioned that Master Zath was beaming with unbearable pride in her padawan and she could hardly be silent on the subject. Then he said in that subtle smug way of his that Padawan Chun would probably present quite a challenge to Padawan Kenobi these days and wasn't it a shame that Master Jinn's padawan seldom got the chance to spar with his own yearmates?"

Bruck stared at Obi-Wan. "Master Windu set me up?"

"So it would seem," his sparring partner said. "Of course, nothing would do for my master but that I should spend some down time at the Temple, catching up on things I had missed while out on missions."

"One of those things being sparring with me?"

"Apparently so," Obi-Wan replied with a grin. Then he noticed the look on his partner's face before the younger padawan glanced away.

Obi-Wan eyed the other apprentice thoughtfully as Bruck climbed to his feet. In all the years he had known Bruck, growing up with him and fighting with him, Obi-Wan had never seen that flash of vulnerability cross Bruck Chun's face.

"Bruck?"

"Good to see you again, Kenobi, but I need to go shower," the white-haired apprentice said as he stooped to pick up his towel and blotted the sweat from his face. "I hope your master learned what he wanted to know."

"I'm sure he did," Obi-Wan responded as he stood and moved across the room to retrieve his own towel. "Think you'll be able to spar again tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.

Bruck was silent for a moment. "I don't know. I'll have to check my schedule."

"Come on, Bruck!" Obi-Wan said in a cajoling tone. "I can't let it stand at two for you and two for me!"

"So it's a competition now and not an observation?" the younger student asked in what he hoped was a bland tone.

Master Jinn's padawan looked at him in surprise. "It's always been about competition between us, Bruck," he replied.

Bruck made his fingers loosen their white knuckled grip on his towel. He really didn't want to think about why he should feel hurt that Oafy-Wan hadn't wanted to spar with him before his master asked him to. He supposed he'd have to meditate on that tonight. Damn.

His blue gaze touched Obi-Wan for a moment before he moved toward the doorway. "Thank you but no, I don't believe I'll be able to spar with you tomorrow. I'm certain Padawan T'fel has an opening on his sparring schedule though," he replied, mentally making a note to cancel his sparring session with Reeft.

Obi-Wan stepped in front of the taller padawan and Bruck stopped to look at him with a serene expression Obi-Wan was not used to seeing on that tanned face. He wasn't sure what to say to Bruck. He'd never thought he'd have to worry about what the other young man thought of him.

"I...don't know what I've done to offend you, Bruck," he said uncertainly as he met his partner's eyes. "But whatever if was, I truly had no intention of hurting your feelings."

Bruck didn't reply for a long moment but his gaze dropped to the towel his fingers were tightly wrapped around. He felt his yearmate's sincerity without even trying.

"I'm sure you didn't, Obi-Wan," he finally replied quietly. "Before...T'tcht," Bruck stumbled over the name of the planet and then took a deep breath. "Before, I wouldn't have cared even if you had meant it as a slight much less an outright insult. I would have blown you off as just another minor irritant in the day." He met Obi-Wan's hazel eyes - more green today than usual, Bruck noted briefly - before he looked away again. His hand absently came to rest on his chest and rubbed carefully. "Now I find even the smallest slight cuts deeply, especially from those with whom I could've been close friends." He gave a deprecating half-smile. "As you can imagine, my first forays back into our yearmates' company were rather traumatic considering the general opinion of me."

Obi-Wan looked exceedingly uncomfortable at his classmate's honest appraisal of himself. "Bruck, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean-"

The younger padawan raised his hand to cut off Obi-Wan's apology. "I didn't tell you that to make you feel guilty, Obi-Wan," Bruck stated. "I just wanted you to know why sometimes I seem like a moody wuss."

"You are not a moody wuss!" Obi-Wan objected.

Bruck just snorted. "What my master dragged back to the Temple from T'tcht was not the same padawan she'd taken out there."

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. "No, that padawan could never have beaten me two out of four times this morning."

"Maybe not, but he sure would have given you hell about it."

"And that's a good thing?" Obi-Wan asked skeptically. Bruck felt an unfamiliar grin stretch across his lips.

"You deserve it, Kenobi," he stated as he stepped past the other padawan. "And now, I really do need to get to the showers."

Obi-Wan fell into step beside his sparring partner as they moved towards the padawan changing rooms. "So about tomorrow?" he prompted.

"I'm scheduled to spar with Reeft if you want to meet us." Bruck slid a smug glance to his companion. "Maybe he could help you out."

"Funny, Chun. Very funny," Jinn's padawan sniffed.

"I thought so," Bruck agreed as they moved into the changing rooms and headed for the showers.

"So you're sparring with Reeft?" Obi-Wan asked with a curious glance. He hadn't thought Bruck and Reeft were even friends, much less sparring partners.

The white-haired padawan gave a slight smile. "Not really sparring. We try to get together whenever he is on-planet. He is determined to teach me the proper way to do the Solar Wind."

"The Solar Wind?" Obi-Wan was stunned. "But that's a knight level kata."

Bruck nodded. "Reeft has a special talent for katas. His master has started teaching him the advanced levels and Reeft wants to teach that one to me." Bruck smiled as he glanced down. "He says there is a lot of inner strength in that kata and that it reminded him of me."

There was silence for a moment. "Reeft said that?" Obi-Wan asked in a disbelieving tone. "I thought he only waxed poetic over food."

Bruck chuckled gently. "Yes, who would have thought he had even a little bit of the philosopher in him."

The taller padawan's faintly playful expression dropped away, however, as the pair approached the showers. Obi-Wan was already dropping his bag and his clothing in a pile just outside the shared showering area and moving with a sigh under the cool spray. Reluctantly, Bruck pulled his own sweaty clothing off and carefully dropped it beside his gym bag before he moved into the shower area.

Fortunately, there was only he and Obi-Wan present. He hated showering when the bathing rooms were crowded. He dreaded the stares that slanted away from his gaze when he turned to meet them and he dreaded the apprehensive, vulnerable feeling he got when there were so many people around him, behind him when he had nothing, not even clothes, to hide behind. His master said that he would become used to the communal showers again, that the feelings would pass but not if he continued to return to their quarters to shower privately. So every day after sparring he came here and every day he grit his teeth and waited for the feelings to fade. So far it wasn't working.

The light touch of fingertips running the length of one of the thick scars on his back were a total shock and made Bruck stiffen, whirl, and back away, panic written on his face. Obi-Wan stood there, his gray eyes wide with anguish as he focused at the scars that ran along Bruck's chest.

The padawan had the intense urge to cover his chest, to flee the showers and Kenobi's gaze. But he made himself stand there. He had no way to hide the ruin of his formerly flawless skin. He merely let his sparring partner look his fill. At least he was staring openly. Most of the padawans glanced away guiltily when he caught them looking at his scars.

Finally, Obi-Wan met Bruck's eyes.

"What did they do to you?" he whispered. Bruck could barely hear the question over the running water.

"It was the standard 'torture the padawan to gain the master's cooperation' scenario, Kenobi," Bruck replied, trying for a neutral tone. "The healers were able to correct most of the damage."

'If this was what was left, what was most of the damage?' The question shone in Obi-Wan's eyes. "What else...I mean, did they...?" The words faded as Bruck glanced away.

"The T'chtzans were very thorough," he said stonily.

"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan breathed after a long moment of silence.

Bruck didn't say anything before he turned back to his shower and Obi-Wan did the same. After a minute of just standing under the water, the white-haired padawan spoke again.

"My master got me out," he said in a tone that was completely neutral. "I know that it's Dark of me but I'm glad she had to kill them to do so." The taller padawan stared at the ceiling and concentrated on the water sliding down his face. "The healers say that's a normal reaction."

Obi-Wan glanced at his companion as he idly finished washing the soap from his body. "I would think it abnormal if you didn't feel that way, Bruck," he said quietly.

A minute more of shared silence and then Bruck stepped away from the shower. The water automatically shut off as he turned to pick up the towel he had brought with him. Obi-Wan finished a moment later and they both headed to their lockers. Obi-Wan did notice that several of their yearmates glanced their way and then hastily looked away. If Bruck noticed, he didn't give any sign.

Obi-Wan's locker was several down from his sparring partner but Bruck wasn't in any hurry so Obi-Wan was able to dress and finish redoing his padawan braid before the taller padawan got his boots on.

"Any plans for lunch?" Obi-Wan asked, surprising himself and his companion.

"No, I don't usually have much time for it," Bruck replied as he finger combed the short hair behind his ear and started to carefully braid it. "I have an appointment in a little more than an hour."

Obi-Wan watched as Bruck carefully threaded the colored beads his master had presented him onto the short, slender braid.

"What did they do to your braid, Bruck?" he asked, not really knowing why he asked only that he had to.

Bruck's fingers suddenly clenched around the short braid before he forcibly relaxed them and finished tying off the strands. He fingered the short hair a final time.

"I don't think I have time for lunch, Kenobi," he began but Obi-Wan was suddenly beside him.

"Have lunch with me, Bruck," he asked catching the taller padawan's ice blue eyes. "I won't ask any more questions and I promise I won't make you uncomfortable again." Bruck hesitated. "You need to eat anyway," Obi-Wan continued persuasively. "Might as well be with me."

Obi-Wan looked hopefully at Bruck and the white-haired apprentice snorted.

"You always could talk your way into getting whatever you wanted, Kenobi," he said in a tone that was half-annoyed, half-amused.

The shorter padawan looked innocent. "I don't know what you're talking about, Padawan Chun."

"Huh. I'm sure you don't." Bruck's expression turned completely serious. "Look, Kenobi, if this is your brand of pity - the sparring, the questions -I want nothing of it. I'm coping perfectly fine on my own. Don't feel like you have to do anything for me."

The other apprentice considered Bruck's words as he shrugged into his brown robe. He settled the folds of his garment for a moment.

"Has it occurred to you that I might be enjoying your company, Padawan Chun?" he finally asked and Bruck looked a bit startled before he smoothed his expression again.

"Oh." A brief, almost shy smile passed over his features as he stood. "I...no, that had not occurred to me," he replied as he pulled on his own robe and carefully attached his saber to his belt. When he glanced up Obi-Wan was grinning.

"We'd better hurry then or Reeft will eat all the best desserts."

###

That evening, in their quarters, Obi-Wan Kenobi sat quietly beside his master at dinner. While the padawan generally enjoyed eating in the main dining hall with his friends, tonight he needed the peace and comfort only his master could offer him when he was disturbed. His eyes were glued to the thick, fragrant soup he was absently stirring but his thoughts were obviously light years away.

Qui-Gon watched his padawan with concern as Obi-Wan spent a great deal of time stirring his soup and almost no time eating it. Considering his apprentice's usual appetite, this was cause for worry.

"What is bothering you, padawan?" he finally asked. Usually, he would wait for Obi-Wan to discuss whatever was worrying him but tonight, Qui-Gon felt the need to speak first.

Obi-Wan looked up at him, surprised that he had become so lost in thought. Carefully, he set the spoon on the table and pushed the bowl of soup away. For a moment, he marshaled his thoughts.

"Master, do you know what happened to Bruck and his master on T'tcht?" he finally asked. Qui-Gon studied his padawan for a moment and then nodded slowly.

"Padawan Chun was taken by a militant faction that wanted Master Zath to use her influence to sway a parliament vote in their favor," he said quietly. "He was a prisoner for five days before Kenzi was able to get to him and by then the faction knew that they would not be able to win that vote. They had tortured him, probably for the entire time they had been holding him. I understand that it was another day before Kenzi was able to get to the nearest healing facility capable of treating Padawan Chun."

Qui-Gon stopped for a moment and looked at his padawan, wondering exactly how he might have felt if it had been Obi-Wan in Bruck's place. He would have felt every pain, every violation of his padawan through their strong link. A shiver of rage stiffened his body before he could release it to the Force.

While many in the Temple were amazed that Padawan Chun had not fallen to the Dark, Qui-Gon wondered at the strength of his master. That Kenzi had confined herself to killing only those who got between her and her student rather than blowing the whole building to the outer rim was something he greatly respected. He wondered if he would have handled things in the same way.

And then there was Bruck himself. Qui-Gon and his padawan had not been on-planet when Master Zath and her student returned but the master had been informed by various colleagues about the situation as soon as he had gotten back to Coruscant. When he had heard what had happened, he visited the infirmary himself to speak with Master Zath. Even then, a week after Kenzi had gotten her padawan home Bruck was still fully immersed in bacta, healing the damage the T'chtzans had done.

The master sighed as he leaned back in his chair. He respected Kenzi but he'd often wondered why she, such a promising, strong knight, had chosen Bruck Chun as her apprentice. Before the last six months, he had never shown any promise and there had been suggestions that perhaps he should be sent on to Pilot Corps. Kenzi had vehemently denied even the suggestion and this morning, watching the lithe young man sparring so skillfully with his own padawan, so obviously in tune with the Light, Qui-Gon had finally understood why.

Conscious of his padawan's gaze, Qui-Gon took a deep breath and set his thoughts aside for a deep meditation later in the evening before he continued.

"The T'chtzans are not a peaceful people nor are they very technologically advanced. Why the Senate even considered their request for membership was a mystery."

Obi-Wan studied his master, trying to understand what he was saying as well as what he was not.

"Does the Council still fear Bruck will Turn?" the young man asked quietly and Qui-Gon's gaze sharpened on his padawan.

"Did you sense anything of the Dark while you were sparring with him?" the master asked.

"No," Obi-Wan responded instantly. "No, Master, not at all. But Bruck is aware that he is being watched." The padawan absently rubbed his chest. For some reason, it ached. "I asked him why he hadn't been re-ranked and he said he thought that they were waiting to see if he was going to backslide."

Qui-Gon absently sipped the warm chi as he considered his apprentice's words. "Actually I believe, from what I saw today and from things I've heard, that they are waiting to see how far he progresses before they rank him simply to keep from having to do it again in a few months when the ranks are updated."

The padawan looked at his master and then slowly nodded. "He has changed much in the past half-year, Master," he agreed. "I wouldn't know him for the boy I grew up with in the cr?che."

Qui-Gon gave his padawan a brief smile. "Kenzi has a right to be proud of her padawan. During his time with the T'chtzans, he came very close to the Dark - so close as to make little difference, I have heard - but all on his own he pulled himself back to the Light."

Obi-Wan fiddled with his braid, absently brushing the tip against his cheek as he considered that bit of news. Of all their classmates, all the padawans Obi-Wan currently knew in the Temple, he'd have though Bruck would be the first to Fall.

"He certainly stands strong in the Light now," Obi-Wan murmured as he remembered their morning sparring session.

The master sipped his chi again. "It will not be long before the Council declares him fit for light field duties and sends Master Zath out again."

"Do you think he is ready?" Obi-Wan asked. Qui-Gon studied his chi mug thoughtfully as he considered the bright young man who had sparred with his apprentice.

"From what I saw this morning, Bruck is physically well enough to take his place at his master's side again," he replied. "As to his mental state, I could not say."

Obi-Wan nodded as he absently pulled his soup bowl towards him and started eating.

Bruck stood alone in the showers; for once no one else was present to make him nervous. He luxuriated in the feel of the hot water soothing his muscles. Kenobi had run him hard today. He'd barely stayed ahead of his yearmate as they sparred, Obi-Wan's blue saber flashing against his own amber blade.

Now alone, Bruck sighed at the thought of Kenobi, his strong, agile body and his bright hazel eyes - more green today than usual - sparring across the floor. Bruck's fingers carefully touched his erection in wonder as the water cascaded down his body. It had been so long since he'd been aroused by someone, so long since he could even bear the thought of someone touching him intimately. And now it had to be Kenobi...Obi-Wan who was able to arouse him. The Force must truly have a sense of humor.

His thoughts were distracted by the light, unexpected touch of fingers on his back, tracing the scars without flinching.

Obi-Wan he thought, turning with a shy smile only to find the hulking form of a T'chtzan soldier leering at him, grabbing at his long braid and yanking him closer even as he unbuckled his belt.

"Aye but yer're a tight bit o'heat, ye Jedi slut!" the man growled as he slammed Bruck against the wall.

"NO!" Bruck screamed. He tried to fight but the soldier was leaning into him. Pain exploded in his head as the man backhanded him against the stone wall. Screaming denials, Bruck pushed away from the man even as he yanked at the Force inhibiting collar that they'd welded around his neck. "Master!" he screamed. MASTER!

"Know yer master, d'ye?" the solder leered as he crushed the young man against the wall. "Aye, we'll keep ye here t'enterain us I'm believin'."

"NONONONONONONO!" OBI-WAN!

"Padawan, wake up!"

The padawan shuddered and screamed again.

PADAWAN!

Bruck snapped open his eyes to find himself standing on his bed, backed against the wall, hands yanking at the ripped collar of his sleep shirt. His breath was coming in heavy gasps as he slowly focused on his master, standing at the foot of his bed, her long black hair in messy braids. There was a worried expression on her face as she looked up at her student.

"You're safe, padawan," she said, her voice deep and soothing as she slowly held up her hand and brought up the lights. "You're safe, you're home; you're within the Temple guarded by the Force. I am here; you are safe. You're surrounded by those who love and care for you."

Bruck struggled to slow his breathing as he slid down the wall and huddled against his headboard. He lowered his face against his knees and tried to focus on the here and now. Without thought, his hand continued to tug gently against the collar of his shirt.

Master Zath approached him slowly, knowing after a nightmare, he might or might not want someone close. She continued to croon reassurances as she carefully sat on the bed. She did not reach for her apprentice but let him know she was there, keeping him focused in the now. She was somewhat surprised when he lunged for her and buried his face in her neck, sobbing as he hadn't for many weeks, a broken and despairing sound that made her want to cry herself.

She wrapped her arms around him tightly, still murmuring reassurances, doubting if he heard anything more than the tone. She stroked his soft, white hair and held him as he cried. Eventually, the sobs died away, leaving Bruck silent and holding her tightly.

Finally, he started loosening his grip around her waist and he leaned back a few inches, his eyes downcast and his face blotched from tears.

"I'm sorry, Master," he said, his voice harsh. Kenzi merely reached up to wipe the tears away from his face.

"You have no need to be, Padawan," she said gently. "I am the one who is sorry I was not able to get to you sooner."

Bruck looked up at her words. They had been said before and he always denied them. She had pulled him out and he survived. That was what mattered. Before he could speak, however, she laid her fingers over his lips.

"Do you think you can sleep again, Padawan?" she asked softly. Bruck shook his head sharply. "Then come into the kitchen and I will make some honeyed chi."

Bruck nodded and stood to follow his master. He made a detour through the fresher to wash his face but very carefully did not look in the mirror. Sometimes his dreams left bruises on his skin, marks that were gone by morning but still held the power to terrify him.

A few minutes later, he was seated at the table across from his master, sipping her special brand of imported chi.

"It has been a while since you had a dream this intense, Bruck," Kenzi finally ventured after several minutes of silence. Her apprentice nodded slightly, staring down at his mug. "Do you know if something triggered it this time?"

Bruck wrapped his fingers around the warm mug and then nodded. "I...think it was Kenobi," he admitted.

Kenzi didn't visibly move but her presence within the Force became suddenly blade sharp. "Did he do something that caused this?" she asked in a casual tone and Bruck hastily shook his head.

"No, Master," he stammered. "I...that is, he...in the showers...." His words faded as he looked down.

"What did he do, Padawan?" Master Kenzi asked her apprentice.

Bruck took a deep breath and focused on his words. They came out slow but distinct. "He t-t-touched one of the scars on my back. He hadn't seen them yet. He asked me about what happened. I told him. Then he said he was sorry. Then we had lunch before I had to go to the soul healers."

Kenzi considered Bruck's words. "Did he make you feel uncomfortable or ashamed?" she asked gently.

"No, Master," he replied, sinking further into his seat. "No more so than any of the padawans who stare and murmur but say nothing to my face."

The Master nodded. Bruck still had to work on meditations of resentment directed at those who stared at his scars but it hadn't affected him like this for many months.

"What did Kenobi do that bothered you so?" she asked. She began to worry when her apprentice took another deep breath, obviously striving for control.

"In the dream-" he began his voice very low, "-in the dream, I...wanted Obi-Wan to touch me," he admitted. "It's been so long, Master. So long since I wanted..." He glanced up at her with tears pooling in his eyes and she reached out to grip his wrist. "I knew it was him. The touch was the same. And then I turned and it-it was -" his voice wavered and his jaw clenched around the words. "-it was one of them !" he finished, his voice filled with loathing as he buried his head in his arms on the table. "It was one of them !" he sobbed.

Kenzi pulled her chair beside her apprentice and took him in her arms. She gently rocked him back and forth as he cried, her voice soothing as she mentally cursed every T'chtzan in the galaxy and regretted again that she hadn't just retrieved her padawan and then blown the whole building where she'd found him to the outer rim.

OBI-WAN!

Obi-Wan slammed awake, sitting up in bed with a scream that roused his master. Beside him, Qui-Gon bolted up, immediately moving to encircle his lover in his arms. While this was the master's usual response to one of his padawan's nightmares, this time it made Obi-Wan jerk away with another scream, jumping from the bed and scrambling against the far wall. His hands were jerking at the collar of his sleep shirt as he stared at his master with frightened, unseeing eyes.

"Padawan!" There was no response from his apprentice as Qui-Gon slowly moved across the bed. "Padawan," he called again, projecting calming waves of the Force. "Obi-Wan, it's all right, you're safe, nothing will harm you, I am here. Padawan."

Obi-Wan's eyes slowly focused on his master as his hands pulled a final time at his now ripped collar. He took a deep breath as he held onto his master's blue gaze like a lifeline before he slid to the floor and covered his face. Qui-Gon was beside him almost before Obi-Wan was on the floor. Hesitantly, he put his arms around his padawan and Obi-Wan immediately leaned into them.

"Obi-Wan," his master said in a low tone as his apprentice shivered against him. "Let it go, let it go."

"Master," Obi-Wan choked out, before he began taking long, deep breaths, striving for calm. After several minutes, the young man made himself loosen his hold on his master's sleep shirt though he didn't move an inch away from Qui-Gon's arms.

"Do you want to talk about it?" his master asked in a low, soothing tone. Obi-Wan's breath hitched for a moment before he forced himself to take long, slow breaths.

"I dreamed about Bruck, about what happened to him," Obi-Wan explained slowly. His hands gripped Qui-Gon's shirt for a moment. "It was so real. It was like I was Bruck and there was a s-s-soldier...." The padawan stopped to take a deep breath. "I knew what was going to happen and I kept trying to get the damn collar off so I could defend myself, run, get away but he kept coming, kept t-t-touching...." The padawan's words faded as his body began shuddering again.

"Collar?" Qui-Gon's words were quiet but his eyes narrowed.

"Force restraining collar, hurt really bad," One of Obi-Wan's hands reached up to touch his neck, as if he thought the collar might still be there. "Felt like I couldn't breathe."

Qui-Gon gently touched his apprentice's neck. Obi-Wan flinched away but his master touched him again, his fingertips skimmed his lover's neck, showing Obi-Wan that he had nothing to fear.

"I was so afraid, Qui-Gon," the younger Jedi said as he leaned farther into his lover's embrace. "So much fear and pain and...despair that I was going to die in that place, torn apart from the inside." Obi-Wan turned his face into his master's chest. "Gods, how did he not Turn?"

The master tightened his arms around his young lover. "It was a dream, Obi-Wan," the older Jedi said. "Let it go."

"It was so real," came the whispered reply.

"Let it go."

Obi-Wan was quiet and rather subdued as he trudged towards the sparring salles. He stopped briefly to check which room had been reserved for them and quickly found Reeft's name. With a sigh, he noted it was the same room he and Bruck had sparred in yesterday.

Rubbing his eyes briefly and centering himself, Obi-Wan activated the door and entered the large, airy room. Reeft was there already, pacing across the floor towards him. The padawan was caught by complete surprise when his friend slammed him against the door he'd just entered.

"What the hells did you do to Bruck yesterday, Kenobi?" the padawan snarled as he got in Obi-Wan's face. The new arrival was stunned into silence. Reeft just glared at him. "Well?" he demanded.

"I didn't do anything to him," Obi-Wan stated after he gathered his serenity around him. His eyes narrowed. "Why? Where is he?"

Reeft considered his friend for a long moment, his mouth pressed into a thin, angry line. Then he dropped his hands and stepped back a pace, his gray eyes raking over his friend. "His master called to let me know he wouldn't be able to spar with me. Apparently he needed to visit the soul healers this morning."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened for a moment before he settled his expression again. "What happened?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Reeft ground out, his eyes unusually hard as he stared at his friend. "I know you sparred with him yesterday and I also know how much you both hate each other," the padawan ran his fingers through his hair. "Though you seemed to be getting along fine at lunch yesterday. Bruck doesn't even usually do lunch with us. I don't know how you got him to come."

"Bruck and I don't hate each other," Obi-Wan said as he allowed himself to relax when his friend moved away from him. He sat down on the floor and he looked up at Reeft. "I'd like to think we've grown past that. All that happened yesterday was that we sparred together. He beat me twice." Reeft looked at Obi-Wan with a stunned expression and the older padawan chuckled. "Yeah, that's how I felt."

"Bruck beat you?" the other young man asked, his voice surprised.

"Two out of four times," Obi-Wan acknowledged. "He seemed as surprised as I was about it."

Reeft rubbed the back of his neck for a moment before he sat down next to his companion. "I knew he was improving but I never guessed...." His voice trailed off as he glanced at Obi-Wan with a narrow gaze. "So what happened after you sparred?"

Obi-Wan shrugged as he leaned against the wall. He was trying to maintain his serenity but he had never been questioned so by any of his yearmates...his friends.

"We took a quick shower." Obi-Wan glanced down at his boots, remembering the patchwork of thick scarring on Bruck's back. "I hadn't seen what they did to him before, Reeft," he admitted, his voice low and angry as he gently rubbed the vague ache on his chest.

The younger padawan sighed at his friend's tone. "It took Bruck a long time to come back to the community showers," he noted softly. "We knew what had happened was bad, that Bruck had been in isolation with his master for weeks after they had come back, but he'd been coming to classes for awhile at that point and we thought things would be going back to normal. Normal being Bruck as an obnoxious, annoying bastard." Reeft gave a short, harsh sigh. "But that didn't happen. He was quiet, skittish, and you could easily tell he was uncomfortable in crowds. People who had despised him before found him a completely different person."

"You being one of those?" Obi-Wan asked.

Reeft gave his friend a long look.

"And obviously you, Kenobi." Obi-Wan didn't respond and the taller padawan ran his fingers through his short hair. "I would be the last person to have said I'd ever be friends with Bruck Chun but there was just something about him, something that said he'd suffered more than enough to make up for all the insults, tricks and slanders. Inside class, he studied hard and he was always willing to help padawans who had gotten behind for whatever reason. Outside of class, he sparred with his master and that was it. He'd disappear back to his rooms. It was a rare event to see him in the dining hall and then he was always with his master."

Reeft didn't say anything for a moment and Obi-Wan waited patiently. His friend was obviously lost in unpleasant memories.

"Then one day after he and his master had sparred, he came to the showers to clean up. He walked in, undressed and stepped under the water." The apprentice sighed as he remembered. "It was so quiet, you could have heard a saber crystal crack but Bruck just ignored all the stares, rinsed off and left." The padawan turned to his companion, his gray eyes intense. "After that, we understood so much more about what had happened to him. Our yearmates didn't even discuss it, we just closed ranks around Bruck. No one said anything about him or bothered him without getting one of us in their face."

Obi-Wan looked over at his friend thoughtfully. "Bruck mentioned that Litz and A'rubio don't speak to him anymore."

"They'd better not," the padawan replied with venom, his hand fisting around his lightsaber hilt. "They were his best friends, Obi," Reeft ground out in a disbelieving tone. "His best friends and what did they do? After they saw him leave the showers that day, they laughed about it, like those scars Bruck wore were a joke. That afternoon, they were informed that should they do so again, or even go near Bruck again that they would find out just how unpleasant life could be."

Master Jinn's padawan considered his friend's words and then let out a long breath. "I asked him about his scars, Reeft," Obi-Wan admitted in a low tone. "And his braid."

His companion gave him a sharp look. "Force, Obi! What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking about how horrible it was that anyone should have to suffer such pain," Obi-Wan replied softly as he caught his companion's eyes. "He said the healers had been able to restore most of the damage."

"Gods!" Reeft inhaled a sharp breath, his gray eyes wide.

"He did talk a little about what happened after I asked," the older apprentice said, his words concerned as he fingered his own treasured braid. "They tore out his braid, Reeft," Obi-Wan breathed. Then he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. "Maybe it was because I asked him about it. Maybe that was why he had to go to the soul healers this morning." Obi-Wan's words trailed off as his head lowered.

"None of us ever asked him about it, Obi," the young apprentice beside him said. "We tiptoe around him like he's a fragile glass sculpture. It's not the best way to deal with it but none of us really knew how to approach him." Reeft studied his yearmate for a long moment before he leaned his head back against the wall. "Maybe it was time someone did. If he told you anything about what happened, it was because he wanted to."

Obi-Wan was silent a long time before he suddenly flowed to his feet and opened the door. Reeft looked up at him in surprise.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to make sure he's all right," Padawan Kenobi stated as he picked up his gym bag. Then he was gone, leaving his friend staring at a closed door.

Obi-Wan knocked twice and then stood respectfully outside the door leading to the suite of rooms that Bruck called home. He could feel that Bruck wasn't inside but he felt the strong presence of his friend's master and he hoped that she would be able to tell him where her padawan was.

A moment later, the door slid open and Obi-Wan found himself facing the stern expression of the small but formidable Master Kenzi Zath, who, if rumor was correct, had decimated a good portion of the T'chtzan rebels to retrieve her padawan and bring him home alive.

"Padawan Kenobi," she greeted him with a neutral tone and he bowed.

"Master Zath," he returned her words quietly. "I'm looking for Bruck."

"Are you?" she asked, one eyebrow rising slightly. Obi-Wan didn't know quite how to respond to that question so he merely nodded and the master Jedi stepped back and gestured for him to enter. "Bruck should be returning from the soul healers soon. You may wait for him here," she said, her words almost an order.

"Thank you," Obi-Wan murmured and stepped through the doorway. He walked over to the couch and sat down, very aware that Master Zath followed him. The Jedi master seated herself in a large chair across from Obi-Wan but said nothing as she watched him.

Normally, Obi-Wan didn't feel nervous around his fellow Jedi but sitting here, with Bruck's master watching him with her narrow, gray eyes, he was quite unnerved.

"Is Bruck all right?" he finally asked, his eyes flickering up to meet Master Zath's.

Kenzi glanced over the nervous young man on her couch and then sighed inwardly. Bruck would take her to task for deliberately making the boy uneasy but she wanted Kenobi to know that any deliberate action on his part that caused her padawan pain would be dealt with severely.

"He is doing far better than expected," she finally answered in a neutral tone.

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, a thoughtful look on his face. "Reeft said that Bruck had to go to the Soul Healers this morning instead of sparring with us," the padawan continued, his tone shaded with concern. "I just wanted to be sure he was all right." Kenzi just blinked at him and Obi-Wan briefly rubbed his eyes. "I mean...I just wanted to be certain that I ...that it was nothing that I did that upset him."

The master Jedi studied him for a long, silent moment.

"That is something you'll have to discuss with my padawan," she finally said, her voice gentle as she stood and glanced across the room at the door. Obi-Wan followed her gaze and saw the door slide open before Bruck walked slowly into the room. Kenzi moved forward immediately and the white-haired apprentice absently gave his master a rather weary smile. Then his expression changed into surprise as he looked past Kenzi and saw Obi-Wan slowly stand.

"Obi-Wan?"

The name seemed to slip from his lips as his eyes returned to his master with a questioning look.

"Obi-Wan came to see if you were all right, Padawan," she said as she reached out to touch his cheek. She could always gauge his mood better by touch than by sight or sometimes even through their bond. He seemed calm but tired. His sessions with the soul healers were never easy and after last night, she was not surprised by his weariness.

"That was nice," Bruck replied faintly as his gaze moved past her again and caught Kenobi's green eyes.

Kenzi watched as her padawan's blue eyes softened and his expression lightened a bit. After last night's dreams, her padawan had haltingly spoken of his feelings for Kenobi, feelings he had always had but had always pushed aside. As far as Bruck was concerned, Kenobi hated him and the feeling was mutual.

But now those feelings were slowly making themselves known again and after Bruck's encounter with Obi-Wan yesterday, they became another issue that he was going to have to deal with.

Master Zath sighed inwardly. It seemed her padawan would vault one hurdle and then slam into the next and stumble backwards. But she knew her Bruck would just keep going until he was able to face the problem head on.

She worried that now was not the time for a confrontation with Obi-Wan but after a few seconds had ticked by and Bruck quietly held Obi-Wan's gaze she had to wonder. Neither seemed particularly inclined to speak but they were quite willing to stand there and stare at each other. With a raised brow, Kenzi looked Obi-Wan over again and wondered what Bruck was seeing in Master Jinn's padawan.

Then she felt the Force...quiver...was the best word she could use to describe the feeling, or perhaps vibrate would be better. Whatever the feeling was, it strengthened quickly and flowed between the two Jedi apprentices, wrapping around them and then cresting with an almost visible brightness in the air before settling into a low, inaudible thrum between them.

Kenzi had always been highly sensitive to even the minutest currents of the Force and what just happened left her mental 'ears' ringing. She glanced quickly back at Kenobi and found the young man staring back at her student, a somewhat bewildered expression on his face.

"What was...?" Obi-Wan began.

"I don't know...." Bruck responded, his eyes wide.

"It was almost as if...."

"Yes, but, kind of like...."

"Yes, exactly," Obi-Wan breathed.

And then they stared at each other again, their expressions still confused but...happy, filled with wonder.

Without another word, Bruck drifted by his gaping master over to the couch where Obi-Wan had been sitting and sank onto the cushions, his eyes never leaving his friend's gaze as the other apprentice settled silently beside him. Then, after several more moments of silent contemplation, Kenzi decided enough was enough.

"Padawan Kenobi? Didn't you have something to say to Bruck?" she asked gently and the pair of learners blinked at each other.

"Oh. Yes," he replied in a slightly confused tone before he blinked again and leaned forward. "Bruck, I...wanted to make sure you were all right," he finally said. "That I didn't do anything to hurt you."

Bruck slowly shook his head. "It wasn't anything you did, Obi-Wan," the taller padawan stated firmly. Then he reconsidered and looked away almost sheepishly. "At least not on purpose."

"Then it was something I did?" Padawan Kenobi asked, his tone worried.

"Not...exactly," Bruck replied, his fingers absently playing with the stub of a braid behind his ear. "You see...." he said as he glanced up. When he met Obi-Wan's worried gaze, he blushed and stammered, "I...that is..." Finally, he stuttered to a stop with a sigh. "It's complicated."

Obi-Wan considered his words as he absently moved closer. "Bruck," he began carefully. "How can I avoid doing whatever it was that upset you if you don't tell me what it was?" he asked reasonably.

The white-haired padawan just looked at his companion with a wistful expression before he glanced away. "It's not you, Kenobi," he said, "It's me. I should probably just...keep my distance from you," he finished in a sad tone.

"No!" Obi-Wan snapped out before he reached out to grip his friend's shoulder. "No, Bruck," he said again in a calmer voice. "I just found your friendship again. I don't want to lose it."

Bruck looked a bit stunned and then smiled and moved a little closer to Obi-Wan. They went back to staring at each other.

Across the room, Master Zath finally closed her mouth as she felt the Force rise between the oblivious pair again and strengthen, wrapping around them like the lovers they soon would be to each other.

Kenzi took a deep breath before she sank into the nearest chair. She sighed at the radiance sparkling in the air. It was a joy to behold such an event. While not exactly rare, bonds between Jedi were unusual and were always, always welcome.

But...a bond? Between her padawan and one of the brightest, and in her opinion, the most danger-prone apprentice in the Temple. After all her padawan had been through, why would the Force tie these two together? Kenobi was a walking trouble magnet.

And it wasn't like his master tried to rein him in. Oh no!. Master Jinn and his padawan habitually came tumbling back to the Temple with blaster burns and torn ligaments and stolen space ships. The only reason that the pair hadn't been reprimanded was because they always accomplished their missions before having to fight their way out of some government office or spaceport. Or, in one memorable mission, a brothel.

And then the huge rumpus when word hit the Temple that the pair had become lovers....

Kenzi blinked at that thought and then glanced over at the pair on her couch. Their expressions were radiant but still a bit confused. They didn't realize yet that they shared a...love bond? Mate bond? It was hard to say at this stage but whatever it was, it was already strong and gleaming.

But Obi-Wan was Qui-Gon Jinn's lover. What in all the holy stars was she going to do about this?

Her worrisome thoughts were interrupted by the pleasant ping of their door chime. With a weary, very put upon sigh for a Jedi Master, Kenzi rose to her feet and went to answer the door.

The moment it slid open, she wished that she had queried the visitor first.

"Master Zath," Qui-Gon Jinn greeted her with a pleasant smile and a half bow.

Kenzi looked with wide eyes at the tall master who, truth be known, she'd always been a little in awe of despite the fact that he was...well...insanely reckless. And now he was looming in her doorway. Then she glanced back at the pair of newly-bonded, besotted padawans on her couch and for the first time in more than a decade, Master Kenzi Zath said the first thing that popped into her mind.

"I had nothing to do with it!"

Qui-Gon Jinn blinked. "I didn't think you did," he assured her calmly, his tone the epitome of a Jedi Master. He noted that the younger master looked immensely relieved before he continued. "With what?"

Master Zath's relieved expression slid away before she took a long, silent breath and pulled her serenity around her, shoring up for what promised to be an...interesting afternoon's conversation.

"Please come in, Master Jinn," she said, stepping back.

"I was just looking for my padawan," Qui-Gon said as he stepped into the room. "He seems to have misplaced his comm and I couldn't reach him." It was then that his blue eyes arrowed across the suite to the two learners seated close together, their gazes locked silently on each other's face.

With a questioning look, he turned to his host.

"As you can see, we have a few things to discuss. About our padawans," she said with a resigned tone.

"How did this happen?" Councilor Windu asked, his tone plainly annoyed. He glanced around at the other occupants of the table who all returned his stare blankly. Two Jedi masters and three senior soul healers and not a single one had any idea how such a thing could happen. Mace resisted the urge to rub his temples. Jedi Councilors didn't get frustration headaches.

"So," he started again, trusting his serene expression to hide his intense need to smack some answers out of someone. "A bond. Between Kenobi and Chun?"

Again, the silence but at least Master Zath nodded slowly this time.

Normally, a pair bond wasn't something the Council worried over. If a couple wanted to bond, all they had to do was get the approval of the soul healers and then bond. It was rather unusual but allowed for Jedi Knights and Masters. It was not something that padawans were allowed to do. Should not be able to do.

But sometimes it happened. Mace knew the Force had almost as sick a sense of humor as Head Councilor Yoda and it sometimes brought together mates who seemed more likely to drown each other than form a bond.

This pairing seemed to be in the former category a far as Mace was concerned.

Padawan Kenobi, a bright and wily soon-to-be knight whose Master had made it plain that he expected to be partnered with his student as soon as Obi-Wan was knighted.

And Chun, a padawan whose potential had been shadowed until tragic circumstance showed him to be an unexpectedly strong source of Light. He seemed to be growing stronger each day but was still 'fragile' according to the soul healers.

Mace's eyes narrowed as he considered.

"Is it possible that Padawan Chun has fastened onto Kenobi as a means of safety and security?" he asked and was surprised as Master Zath, usually quite a serene knight of some countenance, jerked in her chair and glared.

"Certainly not!" she snapped.

Mace's non-existent brows rose at her tone and he rather suspected Kenzi Zath would have had more to say to him had the soul healer sitting next to her not laid his hand soothingly on her arm. She glared at him for a moment before she subsided and stared at the table. Then Knight Sath'ki turned his silver eyes to him.

"We have checked over the two padawans and their bond," Sath'ki said, his voice a firm tenor. "What we have found is that the bond is not a new thing. Its formation began years ago; we think when the boys were still in the crèche, possibly at five or six years of age."

The dark-skinned Councilor leaned forward. "Then why didn't it complete when they were younger?" It was rare but a bond could create itself between children and then mature as they did.

Sath'ki glanced across the table at his own master, Obarth, an old Jedi of skill and insight. Obarth leaned forward and tapped the table, his very form almost vibrating with anger.

"Because of the competition between them, the pushing of the initiates to prove themselves best for a master," his stated flatly, his words hissing against his large canid teeth. "It pushed these two destined souls away from each other as they competed to win a master. We have warned repeatedly over the years that the culling of children in this way is harmful, not only for the children but the Order itself. Now we have proof."

The old Jedi leaned back, his eyes unfocused as he continued. "We think the break came somewhere in their ninth year and their initiate records reflect as much." Obarth focused again on the surprised expressions around the table. "Neither child was pleasant to be around. It was amazing they were able to secure masters at all. They were lucky to have attracted the attention of masters especially sensitive to the living Force who had the patience of a sun. Who knows how many bondmates were not so lucky and weren't chosen because of this?"

Mace sighed as he realized the weapon that had been given to Obarth. The old healer was a strong advocate against the current method of shipping off unchosen padawans at thirteen and had been since he began specializing in soul healing as a young knight.

"At least they would have been together if neither had been chosen," he noted, trying to calm the old master only to have Master Zath speak up in a low tone.

"No, Bruck was going to Pilot Corps had I not chosen him," she noted.

"Obi-Wan was going to Agri Corps," Master Jinn added. His blue eyes were sad as he continued to the obvious conclusion. "They likely never would have seen each other again."

There was another long silence before Sath'ki ventured to speak again. "I know you might not wish to hear this, Master Jinn, but we think...." His eyes glanced to Obarth, who nodded sharply. "Now that we know what to look for, we think that Xan...that your second padawan, Xanatos, might have not have suffered the Darkness if the one who might have balanced him been chosen as a padawan and not sent off planet." Sath'ki's silver eyes were immensely sad as he considered. "Had he never encountered his potential bond mate in the crèche, perhaps he wouldn't have known, even subconsciously, what he was missing.

Mace groaned inwardly as Qui-Gon gave the soul healer a long, intense look. Obarth had just made the strongest ally he could possibly want.

"It was Thiari, wasn't it?" the master finally asked and Sath'ki nodded slowly.

"We can't know for sure, there are many factors to be looked at when a Jedi Turns," the healer stated. "But...the cases are similar, in the initiate records at least."

"How are they similar?" Mace asked. "How can you be certain?

"Master Windu, Xanatos was my yearmate. We were...friends throughout our apprenticeships. But I remember Thiari. He and Xanatos were close from the time Xan first came to the crèche. But then...."

"I chose Xanatos and Thiari was sent away." Jinn looked away from the earnest soul healer's gaze, his expression completely neutral. "I thank you for the information, Knight Sath'ki."

"That doesn't prove there was a bond," Mace insisted, his dark eyes narrowed at Sath'ki. But it was Obarth who answered.

"I've made a lifetime's study of bonds, Mace," the old healer stated. "And the type of bond between these two padawans is rather specific. They share their thoughts and feelings; it forges an unbreakable bond of trust between them. Imagine having someone you know you can trust completely, implicitly, who believes in you and won't let you fall." The healer leaned back and tapped the arms of his chair with slow, steady fingertips. "It always - always -happens between a Force user who seems completely unable to Fall to the Darkness and one who is destined to be touched by it. It almost could be considered as the Force's failsafe against a Knight's fall."

"Forgive me, Master Jinn, for asking this," Kenzi suddenly entered the conversation with an apologetic glance at the older master, "but why would Bruck need such a link? He stood alone against the Darkness and brought himself back to the Light. Padawan Chiyari...did not."

"Because the link was established and even if he didn't know it consciously, Padawan Chun knew that Padawan Kenobi was still a potential bondmate." Sath'ki sighed. "I don't think it is breaking patient confidentiality too badly at this point to note that this is not the first time Obi-Wan Kenobi has come up in Bruck's healing sessions."

"So you're saying that had Thiari still been in the Temple that Xanatos wouldn't have fallen?" Mace asked his tone threaded with disbelief.

"I'm saying that Padawan Chiyari might have made different decisions had he been bonded with his Lightmate," the soul healer stated, his tone resolute, "and not taken the path he ended on."

There was silence again until Mace nodded slowly. "So the bond between Kenobi and Chun was not something deliberate," the Councilor asked, "On either of their parts," he finished as he saw Master Zath's glare.

"Honestly, Councilor, I don't think they even now know the extent of the bond," Sath'ki agreed before he turned to Master Jinn. "I'm going to tell you now, Master Jinn, in the interest of the padawans and yourself that Obi-Wan's feelings for you are deep and honest and continue even with the bond fully formed. It is something you and Obi-Wan will need to address with Padawan Chun."

Qui-Gon looked surprised. "I assumed that the bond would preclude other associations," he said.

"That would be the case with most bonds. But, depending on the species, this type doesn't always result in a physically intimate relationship though with these two being of the same race and the closeness they now share, it would be hard not to." The soul healer gave the master Jedi a long look. "But the bond does not cause existing feelings or needs to change. It is something you will need to work out between the three of you. I have forwarded all information we have on the Light bond to your comp."

"When will Kenobi be able to go on missions again?" Mace asked, getting back to his main concern. "Will the bond need them to stay together?"

Sath'ki hesitated on his answer. "They can go on separate missions but I wouldn't separate them for more than two weeks or so. While this isn't a soul bond, it is still a very strong connection between them. I would give it at least a month to stabilize and then consider missions carefully. If it's going to be an extended one (and Sath'ki's silver eyes seemed to say that all of the Jinn/Kenobi missions turned out to be extended), they will need to go together."

The brief grimace that passed over the dark Councilor's face indicated that was not what he wanted to hear but understood the necessity.

"Very well, I will alert the Assignments team to take Jinn/Kenobi off the roster for the next month," he said. "Knight Sath'ki, I would like another report on Padawans Kenobi and Chun's mission readiness a month from today."

A nod from the soul healer was the only acknowledgement Mace needed and he stood.

"Councilor, you know I'm going to be bringing up the issue of padawan selection with the Council again now that we have confirmation of these bonds and the harm that the current mode of selection causes, don't you?" Obarth fired off before Mace could leave the room and the Councilor turned back. He studied the old soul healer with a thoughtful gaze.

"You may even find some support on the Council this time, my old friend," Mace said in a soft tone before he nodded and then left.

Obarth was flummoxed for a moment before his neutral expression asserted itself. Even still, he looked quite pleased as he watched the two Jedi masters also stand. Master Kenzi nodded respectfully at the trio of soul healers before she followed Mace out the door. Master Jinn, however, glanced over the soul healers before his blue gaze stopped on Sath'ki. The two stared at each other for a long moment before Qui-Gon nodded and the knight bowed. Then Master Jinn too was gone.

Sath'ki watched the older master go with a sad gaze. After the door shut behind him, he turned to his own master. "I'm sorry for Master Jinn. I know how it feels to have the Force itself cut you off from your lovemate."

"Ah, Sath'Ki, you've found a much deeper love since that time, have you not?" the third soul healer stated, speaking for the first time in the meeting.

The youngest healer blushed slightly but nodded. Beside him, Master Obarth smirked. It had been entertaining to watch his own master, Xing, pursue his own newly knighted yet still quite naive student.

"But still it hurt badly at the time," Sath'Ki continued quietly. "I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone."

Xing just smiled as he stood and picked up his datapad. "My'Ki, you don't need to spare any sorrow for Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Of all of us, he will need it the least."

Sath'ki looked at his lover curiously. The tall, slender Hessian male looked hardly old enough to be a master but he was in charge of all Soul healers in the Temple and had been for decades despite the fact that he had been blind since birth. The fact that this male had chosen him as a mate still boggled his mind sometimes.

"Why, Xing?" he asked warily. "Have you Seen something?"

Xing had a rare combination of talents. His immense gift at soul healing was almost matched by his gift of prescience. Unfortunately, both his gifts were dwarfed by his keen sense of mischief. A Master Jedi with prescience and love of practical jokes was not someone the Council messed with. Ever.

In this case, the Master Soul Healer just gave his lover and his former padawan a benign smile. They both started to worry.

"Let us just say that Master Jinn will not be brooding around the Temple's meditation gardens for very long," Xing stated with an almost impish mischief.

To be continued in Bonds of Change