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Between the Darkness and the Light

by MrsHamill (thamill@cox.net)

Back to the beginning

PART SIX: Obi-Wan

"Wow, I didn't even know any of this was here," Obi-Wan said, looking around at the dusty, moldy-smelling maze of rooms. They were carved deep into the mountain, and if Bail hadn't known exactly where they were going he would have been hopelessly lost.

"Yeah, it's like that down here. It's a regular warren," Bail said, shining the lamp he carried around into the cubbyholes and scaring some small animal into skittering away. "I think some of it's natural, but my ancestors obviously expanded on it. Old Foramus was just barking mad, you know. Thought the whole world was out to get him."

"Was it?" Obi-Wan asked idly, shining his own light around.

"Nah, just the part in the palace." They grinned at each other. "So, you think this is good?"

"It'll need some work, obviously," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully. "We can set the older padawans to cleaning it out, and we'll need to install repeaters for communications. But yeah, it's probably deep enough, and it's easy enough to install that special shielding." He kicked at a rock and sent it flying down the crooked hallway. "It really bothers me that we need a bunker like this though... and shielded? I mean, why?"

"We don't know what Dooku is going to do, Obi," Bail said seriously. "He's at least as mad as Foramus was. We have to plan for every contingency."

Obi-Wan flashed him a crooked smile. "Listen to you, sounding like some sort of prince or something. You're going to get a swelled head."

"Because of you? One of 'em anyway," Bail replied and Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Look who's talking, Padawan Kenobi." He reached out and fluffed his hand through Obi-Wan's new brush cut.

"Hey, watch the hair there, Your Highness," Obi-Wan laughed, ducking.

"Why?" Bail replied. "There's not enough there to watch -- except for here." He tugged gently on Obi-Wan's new padawan braid.

"Aww, you're just jealous," Obi-Wan said, continuing to walk deeper into the maze.

"Yeah, I guess I am a bit," Bail replied, and Obi-Wan turned to look at him in surprise. "Well, I mean, you're a padawan now, you'll get to see the galaxy -- eventually, anyway. I'm not even allowed to leave Alderaan to go back to Coruscant, now."

"Bail," Obi-Wan said, touching his friend's arm. "You'll get back to Coruscant. We'll all get back to Coruscant, once we get rid of Dooku. Besides, you know you're going to be a senator some day, Prince Bail." Bail rolled his eyes and shook his head. "And senators do get to go out and see the galaxy. The only difference is that you don't have people trying to shoot you when you do," he added wryly.

"Well, there is that," Bail agreed with a chuckle. They moved deeper, still exploring. "So tell me," Bail said after a short silence, "how's the great romance going?'

"Bail!"

"You are just so easy, Kenobi," Bail laughed. "You think no one else notices the way you're mooning after Jinn? Come on."

"I am not mooning," Obi-Wan said with some asperity. Then he stopped to think, becoming mildly horrified. "I'm not, am I?"

"Yes, you are," Bail replied with a mischievous grin. "It's cute."

With a groan, Obi-Wan walked to the wall and began banging his forehead on it gently. "Oh, come on," Bail said, laughing. "It's not that big of a deal." He fell silent, and when Obi-Wan turned to look at him, he was frowning. "It's not, is it? I mean, now that he's your master?"

"Oh," Obi-Wan said, blinking. "I don't think so. Siri didn't seem to think so either," he added, and he could feel his face heat. Good thing they were mostly in the dark. "But I don't know how he feels about me, Bail! I know he loved Xanatos -- loves Xan -- but as a father, you know? What if that's all he feels for me? I mean, I'm his padawan now, what if he just doesn't..."

"Give me a break," Bail replied, laughing. "He watches you like you're some kind of feast and he's starving. All you have to do is that slinky, sexy walk you have -- anywhere near him -- and he starts drooling."

"He does not!" Obi-Wan was aghast. "Master Qui-Gon is a fine Jedi, a great master, and he would... would... He would never do that."

Even in the dim light of their torches, Obi-Wan could see Bail roll his eyes. "And here you told me before that he's not your type. Now you sound like a nervous virgin on his first night!"

"Fuck you! I'm not a virgin... and you know it!" Obi-Wan punched Bail in the upper arm and the man groaned, clutching the spot theatrically.

"Now you're abusing me! Yeesh, what a way to treat a former boyfriend," Bail bemoaned.

"Oh stop it. You'll always be my friend, Bail," Obi-Wan said, slinging a companionable arm around Bail. "And anyway, we outgrew each other long before Qui-Gon came into the picture."

"You really are a Jedi, aren't you," Bail said, shaking his head in wonderment. "A born diplomat."

"You want me to give you lessons?" Obi-Wan said wryly. Bail just gave him a rude hand gesture in reply and they both laughed.

Turning a corner in the dank, rock-hewn corridor revealed yet more cubbyholes and rooms, and Obi-Wan shook his head. "They go on for miles," he said, awed. "You know, I think some of these could be used as storerooms, or maybe when they're shielded--"

"Wait," Bail suddenly interrupted him, holding up his hand. "You hear that?"

Obi-Wan cocked his head and was about to say no, when he heard a faint sound, not unlike an animal. "What the... It's coming from down here."

"Be careful," Bail warned.

Obi-Wan shook his head and grinned. "I've got my 'saber, I'll protect you. Come on."

The sound grew only slightly stronger as they moved down the hallway cautiously, shining their lights into each open doorway as they passed. Finally, in one deep room, a pair of eyes reflected their light back. When they entered, they found themselves facing the tiniest feline kit Obi-Wan had ever seen. "Oh, Force," he whispered, carefully moving to the shivering creature. "What is it?"

"It's a chervan, I think," Bail replied, equally softly. He did not, however, approach. "Haven't you ever seen one?"

"I grew up on the run, Your Highness. I didn't have time for zoos." Gently, he moved closer, making soothing, cooing noises to the tiny, orange-furred animal.

"They're like wild felines in this part of the world," Bail said, not rising to his bait. "It must be a newborn, which makes me wonder about its mother..."

"Wild?" Obi-Wan asked. He had reached the tiny thing and was carefully extending his fingers for it to sniff. "Are they ever domesticated?"

"Sometimes, they make good farm... Obi-Wan," Bail interrupted himself, looking around nervously. "The mother could be anywhere..."

"Relax, Bail, I think I know where its mother is," Obi-Wan said softly. The kit was nuzzling and nipping at his fingers, and allowing him to stroke its soft, wet nose. It 'Eeeeped' at him plaintively but didn't otherwise object when Obi-Wan picked it up and tucked it gently into his tunic. "I smell something, further in the room."

"Smell?" Bail looked distinctly uncomfortable, and Obi-Wan grinned.

"Smell, as in, something dead." he clarified. "Come on."

The room went much further back than others they had investigated, and most of it appeared natural rather than hewn. The ceiling lowered until they were bending, and that's where they found what had to be the kit's mother. She was orange, like her kit, but striped with darker bars. She was also dead, and looked pitifully thin.

"Definitely a chervan," Bail said with a sigh.

"Cause of death looks like the open wound on her neck," Obi-Wan said sadly, not coming closer to the corpse. "She probably had just enough strength to get in here and give birth before dying."

"But how did she get in?" Bail asked. He crouched next to the dead animal and shined his light deeper into the low tunnel.

"Do you feel that?" Obi-Wan asked, licking a finger and holding it up. "There's a breeze -- faint, but it's there. Must be a slide or something at the end of the tunnel giving way to the outside." He crouched next to Bail and peered into the darkness. The kit in his tunic didn't like that, and eeped in protest. "It's all right, little squeaker, I'm not going to hurt you." The shivering was getting worse, and Obi-Wan could tell the creature needed care now. "We'd better get back with this baby before he -- well, he, she or it, whatever it is -- gets any weaker."

"Obi-Wan, this could be a good bolt-hole," Bail said soberly, following Obi-Wan back out of the room and into the corridor. "We need to mark it."

"Her body will mark it," Obi-Wan said seriously. "And you're right. Xan always told me to make sure I have at least two escape routes out of every place. The thought of being trapped down here does nothing for me, particularly."

The kit eeped, as if in agreement.

Obi-Wan and Bail wasted no time coming back out of the depths of the mountain, and Obi-Wan commed Qui-Gon as soon as he could get a signal, leaving a message for his master to meet them in the healers' area. Every other step they took was punctuated with a plaintive 'eeep!' which got progressively tinier until the kit finally fell asleep, nestled against Obi-Wan's heart.

When they made it to the area that had been designated the healers' wing of the building, they found Qui-Gon waiting for them, pacing furiously, fear and worry rolling off him in waves. "Are you all right?" he demanded at once of Obi-Wan, who blinked.

"Yes, I'm fine, why?" Obi-Wan asked blankly.

"Prince Bail? Are you all right?" Qui-Gon asked, and Bail grinned and nodded. Qui-Gon sighed with some frustration. "You commed me to meet you in the Healer's Hall, Obi-Wan, so I thought... What the..." The kit took that moment to stick its nose out of Obi-Wan's tunic and 'eeep!' at Qui-Gon, as if in rebuke for waking it. "What is that?" Qui-Gon asked quietly.

"Bail says it's a chervan," Obi-Wan explained. "We found it in a room with a rockslide. Its mother is dead. It needed me; I could hardly leave it," he added defensively.

He wasn't prepared for the tender look that immediately came into Qui-Gon's eyes. "That's why you commed," he said softly. "Next time, padawan, please take the time to explain -- you had me so worried. Now, little one, let's take a look at you."

With a start, Obi-Wan realized why Qui-Gon was so upset, and he flushed. "I'm sorry, Master Qui-Gon," he said softly as he helped Qui-Gon pull the kit from his tunic. "I didn't realize..."

"It's all right, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said with a gentle smile, "no harm was done. This time, anyway. This is the tiniest feline I've ever seen."

The kit was shivering again but huddled readily in Qui-Gon big hands, licking his fingers. "Eeep!" it said softly, and Obi-Wan smiled. "Little squeaker, we need to get some food into you, I think." A healer was finally coming their way -- since the Coruscant Temple healers so rarely traveled, only a few had made their way to the Alderaan Temple, and they were all terribly overworked.

Despite her workload, the healer who approached them, Morran, smiled when she saw the kit. She was Alderaani by birth, and immediately recognized it. "A chervan kit! And so small... where did you find it?"

"Deep in the tunnels, Healer," Obi-Wan explained. "Its mother is dead. Can you help?"

"I don't think I have any nursing bottles for such a tiny mouth, but let's see what we can do." She waved the group into a side room, but Bail held Obi-Wan back.

"I'm going to make the report for us; tell Jinn what we found, all right?" Bail said with a smile.

"Thanks, Bail," Obi-Wan replied. "I'll join you as soon as I can."

When he entered the room, he found the healer and his master huddled over the kit, which was on a table. Qui-Gon smiled at him and made room. "I think your little girlfriend missed you," he said, dropping his arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders.

Obi-Wan leaned into the embrace, shamelessly enjoying it. "Wait -- girlfriend? It's a female?"

"Yes," the healer replied. She was doing something with a small latex glove and a pin. "And I don't think she's more than a day or two old. Here, hold this," she said, handing the glove to Obi-Wan, who took it curiously. The kit was still making her little squeaking noises, and shivering hard.

"We don't have the right kind of milk for her, but this should do for now," the healer said, mixing some ingredients in a bowl. "She'll have to be weaned early, since it won't be good for her to be on this stuff for very long, but it should provide the proper nutrients for now." Carefully, she filled the glove half-way with the nasty-smelling mixture and twisted the top of it closed. "There."

She had made a pinhole in one of the fingers of the glove, and the liquid was seeping out of it. Qui-Gon dipped one of his own fingers in the liquid, then smeared it gently across the kit's face. "Ah, I see you're familiar with the process," the healer said approvingly.

"I've raised a few orphans in my time," Qui-Gon said, watching as the kit licked the mess off her face. He smeared some more on, which was licked off more eagerly. Shortly, he had the kit nursing at the finger of the glove, pulling the fluid into herself avidly. "That's better."

"You know she'll need to nurse about every two to three hours for the next several days, then," the healer said. "And you'll need to rub her tummy afterwards, to--"

"To stimulate digestion, yes," Qui-Gon said, smiling. "I do believe this is the smallest and most exquisite creature I've ever been associated with," he said. "She's beautiful. Thank you, Obi-Wan."

"You mean we can keep her?" Obi-Wan asked, his voice as eager and happy as his face undoubtedly was.

"You may not be so eager when you have to get up in the middle of the night to feed her," the healer warned with a laugh. "But your master has obviously got a handle on things. Let me give you a formula for her, and you can mix it up in your quarters."

"Thank you, Healer Morran, and yes, of course, Obi-Wan. I would never turn away such a helpless animal," Qui-Gon said with a smile.

"Thank you, Master," Obi-Wan murmured, suddenly feeling shy for some reason. The smile and look that Qui-Gon gave him heated him right down to his toes, made him want to take the man by that wonderful mane of hair and kiss him senseless... and oddly, Qui-Gon looked almost as if he felt the same way about him. Things were definitely heading somewhere with them, and Obi-Wan thought if it took too much longer, he might not last from the strain on his libido.

Luckily -- or unluckily -- the healer turned back with a datacube at that moment, and Obi-Wan took it from her, breaking eye-contact with Qui-Gon. "I'm not an animal specialist, but this should do until you can get a better reference on her," she said. "Here's an extra glove. Good luck!"

News of the kit in the Jinn/Kenobi quarters spread like wildfire, and they had a steady stream of visitors to see her. The kit herself was supremely disinterested, though, and spent her first day with them either nursing, sleeping, or voiding -- from the front or the rear, sometimes simultaneously. After a fairly nasty accident on Qui-Gon's tunics, they learned to keep an old towel under her.

Xanatos was one of the first to stop by, to ask Obi-Wan about Bail's report. He just shook his head sadly as he watched Qui-Gon rub the kit's full belly briskly and gently. "Another one, Master?"

Qui-Gon smiled up at him. "Isn't she beautiful, Xan?" he asked.

"You and your animals," Xanatos said with a sigh.

Obi-Wan objected to that. "Hey," he said, indignantly, "Squeaker is mine too! I found her, you know."

"Squeaker?" Xan asked, looking between them.

Qui-Gon shrugged. "It suits her."

Xanatos just shook his head. "Yes, Obi, I know you found her. Bail just finished giving us a report. What did you think of the area... will it make a good escape hatch?'

"It's hard to say, Xan," Obi-Wan said seriously, as he turned their cleaned 'nursing glove' inside out to let it dry. "I could feel a definite breeze, but Squeaker's mother wasn't very big. It might not be more than a crack. It'll have to be investigated -- and be prepared to let a droid do it. That area is tight."

"All right, we'll do that," Xanatos said, smiling as he watched the kit curl up to sleep on Qui-Gon's lap. "Anything else?"

"It's pretty deep too," Obi-Wan mused thoughtfully. "Maybe you could get some soundings from the outside, figure where it comes out and maybe create a shortcut to it? It wouldn't help us much if we had to wind through klicks of caverns just to get out."

"Good point," Xanatos said, nodding. "We'll get a droid to map the warren completely too."

"Did I miss anything this afternoon, Xan?" Qui-Gon asked, gently shifting the sleeping kit and her towel to a basket warmed by a heating pad.

"After your precipitous departure?" Xanatos grinned at Obi-Wan, who winced and felt his face heat. "Not much, aside from Bail's report. But you've got Obi-Wan here to give it to you as well. Should I tell the rest of the Council not to expect you tomorrow either?"

"I see that becoming a knight hasn't lowered your impudence level much," Qui-Gon said dryly, and Xanatos laughed. "Actually, yes. I've got to help Obi-Wan feed Squeaker here all night, and I don't know what her first night will be like. I'd prefer not to have to come to the chamber tomorrow, but I'll be on comm should you need me."

"We'll make do," Xanatos said with something suspiciously like a smirk.

There was something quite magical about being up late at night, when the rest of your world was asleep, Obi-Wan mused. Squeaker surprised them by being able to sleep longer than she should have, which made Qui-Gon think she might have been a bit older than originally thought, but malnourished.

Nonetheless, deep in the silence of the night, it was Obi-Wan's turn to feed Squeaker, who suddenly decided she was absolutely starving, and in fact refused to quit telling him about it even though she was nursing. Her squeaking noises were decidedly chiding, and Obi-Wan grinned as he carefully held their 'nursing glove' over her to let her suckle.

"Padawan?" Obi-Wan heard the deep, sexy rumble behind him and shivered.

"Sorry, Master Qui-Gon, did we wake you?"

"Not really," Qui-Gon replied. He was wearing his robe, but not much else, and he gently sat down next to Obi-Wan on the sofa. "I was keeping half an ear out anyway. Someone sounds less than happy."

"Suddenly, she's starving to death and it's all my fault," Obi-Wan said with a smile.

Qui-Gon chuckled. "Ungrateful wretch," he said fondly. Squeaker paused long enough in her nursing to 'Eeeep!' indignantly before latching back on. Obi-Wan smiled at Qui-Gon, who smiled back and casually dropped one of his long arms around Obi-Wan's shoulders.

They watched the kit nurse in companionable silence for a while, until her sucking became less frenzied and more relaxed. Just before finishing the last of the formula, she stopped altogether and yawned enormously. "I think you're done, little girl," Obi-Wan said softly. By now used to the process, he turned her over and began to gently rub her tummy, stimulating her digestive tract and in the process turning her into a limp noodle. After a moment, a weak purr started up, and Obi-Wan let his hand slowly stop.

He sat in the dark with Qui-Gon for some time, letting the slumbering kit be, enjoying the closeness with his master and wondering why Qui-Gon didn't go back to bed. Finally, after clearing his throat lightly, Qui-Gon spoke. "We haven't had a lot of time together, just the two of us, over the last few weeks," he said softly.

"It's been a little busy," Obi-Wan said uncertainly.

"Yes, but that doesn't excuse me from not taking time to be with you," Qui-Gon replied. "You're my padawan now, Obi-Wan, and it's customary to work on a... a bond, between the master and the padawan, in the first few weeks of their joining." Qui-Gon made a frustrated noise. "Between them dragooning me to the Council and the influx of new knights and masters here, I haven't had enough time to do much more than assess the progress you made with Xan."

Obi-Wan smiled. "That's all right," he said. "Xan did teach me, but I know I have a long way to go, especially on the schooling part. He had me reading a lot, but there wasn't much he could do about tests and things like that."

"You'll catch up quickly, assuming we ever get this place completely wired for datasets," Qui-Gon said. "I don't have any worries there. You have the practical information, the rest is merely theory."

"And I have my 'saber working now, thanks to you and Xan," Obi-Wan said, glad the dim light hid his flushing face. "I need more work on my forms, especially the sixth--"

"It's a hard one, but you'll get it," Qui-Gon interjected with a smile.

"But... a bond? I'm not quite sure I know what you mean." Obi-Wan kept his eyes on the sleeping kit on his lap, uncertain what he would do if he looked up and saw Qui-Gon looking at him.

"We already have the beginnings of one, though I'm not sure how that happened," Qui-Gon said quietly. "There are many kinds of bonds -- training bonds, family bonds, even... even bonds between lovers. It's a way, an easier way, for people to become empathic with each other. To sense each other more fully."

"Oh," Obi-Wan said. "I... know, a few times, I've kind of felt you, after a fashion. I thought it was my imagination, but... maybe not?"

"In what way?" Qui-Gon asked, his voice sinking lower in pitch and volume.

"When you cut my hair and braided my braid for the first time," Obi-Wan said, equally quiet. "And when I managed to finally finish my 'saber successfully... both times, it felt like I was getting this... this incredibly warm feeling, not from myself, but from outside. From you."

"It would have been from me," Qui-Gon said, and Obi-Wan could hear the smile in his voice. "I was very proud of you, both times. Proud, and... glad, that I was your master."

"I'm very glad you're my master as well," Obi-Wan said. "I love Xan, and he did a terrific job teaching me. But he told me once, back when all this started, that he hoped you would be my master, because you could teach me so much more than he could. I didn't think he was right then, but, well, he was."

"Xan is the kind of padawan a master thinks can only come around once in his life," Qui-Gon mused. "It's very wonderful to know I can be so very lucky, twice in a row. The Force has been kind to me."

Now Obi-Wan knew he was blushing. "Thank you," he mumbled. A sudden thought occurred to him, and he asked, "How would we go about working on our bond, then?"

"There are several ways to do that," Qui-Gon said. The arm he still had around Obi-Wan's shoulders tightened fractionally. "The most common would be shared meditation, or guided meditation, if you weren't already adept at it."

"Ah." Suddenly, Obi-Wan knew -- just knew -- that there were other ways of strengthening a bond, ways he wanted to find out about. Ways he wanted to utilize. He swallowed and carefully lifted Squeaker from his lap and deposited her in her basket. "What are some of the other ways?" he asked, and as he sat back on the sofa, he nestled his hip closer to Qui-Gon's.

Qui-Gon stilled. "Other ways?" he asked, and Obi-Wan heard him swallow.

"You said there are several ways to do it," Obi-Wan pointed out. He turned, still within the circle of Qui-Gon's arm, and cocked his knee on the sofa cushion between them. In the darkness, he could just barely make out Qui-Gon's face -- his eyes were deep, dark pools. "What are some of the other ways?"

"Meditation is usually the most accepted way," Qui-Gon said, and Obi-Wan could hear the hesitation in his voice. "But any way that... gets the bonded pair physically... close... generally works..."

Qui-Gon's breathing was becoming erratic, there was a flash of tongue where he licked his lips and suddenly, Obi-Wan realized Qui-Gon felt the same way about him as he did about Qui-Gon. Whether that revelation came from within or without made no difference. He knew.

"Physically close?" Obi-Wan whispered. He seemed incapable of speaking in a louder voice. "Like... this, maybe?" His heart in his mouth, Obi-Wan leaned up slowly and touched his lips to Qui-Gon's. It was a soft kiss, a lingering kiss, a kiss of promise but very little passion... yet. Qui-Gon inhaled sharply but didn't pull away. In fact, he started trembling very slightly.

Then again, Obi-Wan could have been feeling his own trembling.

"Obi-Wan, be very sure," Qui-Gon said in a thick, husky voice. "This is not a game."

"No," Obi-Wan agreed. "It's not a game. Not a game at all. And I am very, very sure."

"You're also very, very young," Qui-Gon said, still unmoving.

"Not so young as that," Obi-Wan replied. "And you're not nearly as old as I once thought you were."

"I'm not?" Was he mistaken, or was there a hint of humor in that?

"Oh, no," Obi-Wan breathed. "Not at all." This time, he put his hand on Qui-Gon's bearded cheek when he leaned up for another kiss, and this time, he let his tongue trace the outline of those full lips under his. He had not been mistaken; Qui-Gon was trembling.

They stared at each other in the darkness for some time, before Obi-Wan realized there was a much nicer way to sit. With no hesitation, he lifted himself and swung one of his legs over Qui-Gon's, straddling his lap. Then he reached out with both hands to frame that noble, leonine face, and, tilting his head just so, leaned in for a proper kiss.

As their lips met, Qui-Gon groaned softly and his hands -- big, warm hands that Obi-Wan had been just dying to feel -- came up and clutched at Obi-Wan's hips, drawing him closer. Qui-Gon's mouth opened under Obi-Wan's seeking tongue, and they were off, flying on a cloud of sensation.

Quite possibly a long while later -- he had lost all sense of time -- Obi-Wan realized he was on his back on the couch, and Qui-Gon was spread out on top of him. They were still kissing -- wet, delicious, surprisingly indecent kisses that were driving Obi-Wan slowly out of his mind. The warm and heavy weight of Qui-Gon's big body lying on top of his felt so good and so hot and he was so aroused that he didn't know how much longer he could take it without exploding.

He arched, or tried to, tried to rub his body against Qui-Gon's, wrapped one of his legs around Qui-Gon's hips and squeezed tightly. When Qui-Gon's mouth left his momentarily -- for a side trip to his neck, one of many -- he gasped. "Oh, more... please..."

Qui-Gon pulled back, raising himself on his hands over Obi-Wan. There was just enough light to see the dazed blue gleam in his eyes as he looked down on his padawan. "We..." he swallowed and took a deep breath. "We should take this slower, Obi-Wan, there's no hurry..."

"No," Obi-Wan moaned, reaching for Qui-Gon and encountering warm flesh. He let his hands burrow under Qui-Gon's robe and tried to pull him back down again. "Don't want to go slow," he said, sighing when Qui-Gon's arms unlocked and he came back down. "We've been heading towards this for weeks, and I want it. Badly. Need it, need you," Obi-Wan whispered as Qui-Gon's mouth once more mated with his.

"Want you," Qui-Gon replied an eternity later. His substantial want was, indeed, digging a hole into Obi-Wan's hip, just as Obi-Wan's was nestled deliciously just above his master's groin. Obi-Wan ran his hands down the silken skin on top of him, tracing the rippling muscles of Qui-Gon's back while his lips kissed and tasted the man's equally corded neck.

With an inarticulate sound of desire and frustration, Qui-Gon lifted himself just far enough off Obi-Wan to get one hand between them and shove the shorts Obi-Wan wore down and off his hips, then did the same with his own shorts, wiggling until he was free of them. He buried his face in Obi-Wan's neck, kissing and sucking and drawing the most embarrassing noises out of Obi-Wan, while that same warm hand began exploring Obi-Wan's skin and leaving flame behind.

"Oh!" Obi-Wan gasped as Qui-Gon's fingernails scraped over his nipples with a delicious sensation he'd never felt before. Qui-Gon nuzzled his Adam's apple and the feeling of his beard on Obi-Wan's skin made Obi-Wan shiver. Moving slowly lower, Qui-Gon pushed Obi-Wan's gaping tunic wider and began to explore his chest, lapping at the hard points of his nipples like a cat, then biting gently. Obi-Wan began to pant with the strain of holding back -- he thought it was possible he had never been so hard in his life.

Qui-Gon seemed determined to take his time, and wandered over the undiscovered country of his padawan's skin like a man obsessed with seeing everything, touching everything, tasting everything, leaving nothing unconquered. And Obi-Wan knew that he wanted no reciprocation from his padawan, wanted to just experience without the burden of receiving as well. The tickle in the back of Obi-Wan's head -- the strange thoughts and ideas that he had wondered about -- was becoming stronger by the moment, until Qui-Gon reached his straining need and swallowed him whole in one move.

The orgasm that erupted from Obi-Wan was as sudden as it was shocking, intense and burning far beyond what he had ever experienced. It was as if he were feeling it doubled, folded back in on itself and increased exponentially. If he'd been able to use his voice, his scream would have rocked the mountain and woken every being in and around it. As it was, the strain on his vocal cords affected him for hours afterwards, though his shriek had been silent.

Still gently suckling on Obi-Wan's fading erection, Qui-Gon finally released him, resting his head on Obi-Wan's hip. He was panting as hard as his padawan was, and his hands, where he still caressed Obi-Wan's skin, were trembling violently. They lay together like that for a long time until Qui-Gon finally lifted his head and, with a deep groan, raised his body to once again drape partially on top of Obi-Wan.

It took Obi-Wan a moment to realize that the hard length that had been branding him with its heat earlier was no longer evident. It took him longer to manage to articulate a question over it, but the only thing that came out -- a croak -- was, "Master?"

"I'm afraid I've made a mess on the sofa, Padawan," Qui-Gon said. His voice sounded so languorous and sated that Obi-Wan had to smile. He sounded exactly like Obi-Wan felt.

"Was that working on our bond?" Obi-Wan asked a while later, before he could fall asleep. Qui-Gon was just so warm and comfortable.

"Yes, actually," Qui-Gon said, his voice thoughtful. "Did you... feel anything unusual?"

Obi-Wan grinned in the darkness. Unusual? Well, yes, that was one way to put it. "Like an echo effect," he said dreamily. "It was you, wasn't it? And you were feeling me."

"Yes," Qui-Gon replied. He nuzzled the side of Obi-Wan's face, then kissed his temple gently. "The bond is much stronger than I thought, and it will continue to get stronger, the more we work on it."

"I'd like to work on it some more," Obi-Wan said, his hands again digging under Qui-Gon's robe to feel the soft-on-hard skin of his master. "Soon..."

Qui-Gon chuckled softly. "While I may not be as old as you thought I was," he said wryly, "I am not so young as you either. Tomorrow will be time enough, my wonderful padawan."

A sleepy, plaintive 'eeep!' from the basket made both of them smile. "Plus, it's just about time to feed my lady's greedy gut again," Qui-Gon added. Lifting himself, he looked down at Obi-Wan, and in the darkness, Obi-Wan couldn't clearly see his face. But when he came back down to give Obi-Wan another kiss -- another one of those wet, sloppy, wonderful kisses -- Obi-Wan was certain that he tasted something more than just himself in Qui-Gon's mouth.

In fact, he was almost positive it tasted like love.

PART SEVEN: Qui-Gon

Qui-Gon came awake slowly, feeling more relaxed, sated and content than he had in years. It had been nearly a dozen years, actually, or more, since he had felt this good, this warm, this happy. And it seemed to be due to the fact that he was wrapped around the most amazing young man in the galaxy. Qui-Gon sent a silent and sincere 'thank you' to the Force even as he tightened his hold.

Obi-Wan snuffled slightly in his arms and snuggled deeper against him. Their legs were twined together and one of Obi-Wan's arms was trapped under Qui-Gon -- and probably dead asleep -- and there was something hard poking at Qui-Gon at about groin level. He smiled. A very, very good morning. And Squeaker had let them sleep. After the second feeding, she had passed out and they had moved her into Qui-Gon's -- their -- bedroom, just in case.

He kissed the top of Obi-Wan's head and settled back to sleep some more; it was very early by the dim gray light seeping around the window covering. Obi-Wan, apparently, had other ideas. Qui-Gon couldn't quite tell if he was still asleep or very slowly wakening, but he began to nuzzle and kiss Qui-Gon's chest, a pleasurable, if maddening, sensation.

Finally, Qui-Gon couldn't take it any more. "Obi-Wan," he whispered. When the kisses and gentle licks didn't pause, he tried a little more firmly. "Obi-Wan, Padawan, are you awake?"

"'M busy," Obi-Wan managed to mumble.

"I know," Qui-Gon said, beginning to twitch from the arousal Obi-Wan was creating in him. "I--"

"'M busy," Obi-Wan repeated. "Have to taste you all over..."

Qui-Gon groaned. "I... I don't..."

Obi-Wan pushed gently on his chest, and with another heartfelt groan, Qui-Gon rolled over to his back, arching just enough so that Obi-Wan could pull his arm out from under. Still without opening his eyes, Obi-Wan moved up enough to reach Qui-Gon's mouth and kiss him 'hello' and 'good morning' and 'I want you' -- then began his kisses and licks and delicate nips up and down Qui-Gon's face and neck.

"Must work on our bond," Obi-Wan whispered, and Qui-Gon closed his eyes in surrender.

By the time Obi-Wan reached Qui-Gon's straining phallus, Qui-Gon knew he was close to exploding. Though he had not used his hands until then, he reached for Obi-Wan, urging him to turn, sending the image of what he wanted through their fledgling connection. After a moment, Obi-Wan's eyes flew open and he shuddered before turning himself the way Qui-Gon wanted him -- splayed across the bed, his own manhood level with Qui-Gon's face as Qui-Gon's was with him.

This was something that Qui-Gon loved to do... and the taste of Obi-Wan on his tongue was exquisite, better than any of his other lovers' had ever been. It was clear to him that though Obi-Wan wasn't a virgin, he wasn't terribly practiced either. He went about fellating Qui-Gon with enthusiasm and heat, though, more than making up for that inexperience. Tentatively, he also tried sending his feelings along the bond, increasing Qui-Gon's pleasure. Before long, they were both coming, whimpering as the pleasure exploded in their brains like laser fire.

With a gasp, Qui-Gon released Obi-Wan's softening penis and rested his head on his padawan's bent leg. "It's never felt like this," he heard Obi-Wan mumble. Obi-Wan was in much the same position on his leg.

"It just gets better, my padawan," Qui-Gon said, still struggling to get his breath under control.

"Eeep!" Qui-Gon looked up and saw a furry, orange blob delicately picking her way across the bedding towards them. "How did you get out of your basket, little one?" he asked, raising himself up enough to lift her in his hand.

Obi-Wan shifted so that he was lying across Qui-Gon's legs. "She looks better," he said, gently rubbing Squeaker's head. With a soft purr, she nuzzled his hand. "Eeep!" she demanded again, looking between them.

"I think it's time for breakfast," Qui-Gon said dryly.

"I'll fetch the formula," Obi-Wan replied, sitting up with a sigh.

Qui-Gon wouldn't let him go yet, though, and reached out one hand to caress the back of his neck. "Good morning," he murmured, then drew Obi-Wan in for another kiss. Obi-Wan's mouth opened immediately under his, and the kiss deepened deliciously, letting them taste each other. It might have gone on for some time had not an imperious 'Eeeep!' broken them apart with a chuckle.

"All right, all right, I'm going, your highness," Obi-Wan grumbled good-naturedly.

Qui-Gon really hated being on the Council. He understood the reason for it -- he was one of the senior-ranking masters in the New Temple, as they had come to call it -- but that didn't lessen his dislike of the position.

He imagined most of his irritation at being on the Council stemmed from how bloody boring it was most of the time. Things at the New Temple weren't much different from the one on Coruscant -- the issues just had different names. There were still arguments over curriculum -- despite the fact that the place wasn't completely wired for datasets yet -- and debates over the cost of food and clothing and that wiring job too; there were petitions to contemplate and requests to honor. Or not.

Of course, there were other matters that were very interesting -- a little too interesting, actually. The prime one being the matter of Dooku, and why he had done absolutely nothing about the New Temple. The last of the deserters from Coruscant reported that while the whispers about the New Temple were everywhere, no one was trying to stop them, or the ones who wanted to leave. No one, not even the few Seekers who were left, appeared to be interested in it. The Council on Coruscant was not bringing the matter up for debate, despite the fact that two Council members were still absent. Instead, they were busy negotiating with the Hutts for Force-sensitive slaves -- something that made Qui-Gon ill thinking about.

The Council in the New Temple was also busy negotiating: sending out carefully-chosen spies to try and ferret out Dooku's intentions as well as sending out contacts to the various member governments of the Republic Senate, informing them of the split and asking for their patience while the new Jedi Order was established. Most of the Republic seemed to be relieved that Dooku was out of the picture and grateful that Alderaan and Kashyyyk would be rejoining because of it, and immediately began requesting the Jedi in the New Temple for missions.

The spies, however, had a harder time of it. Dooku wasn't stopping them, wasn't trying to discredit them, he didn't seem concerned over their pre-emptive move in the Senate. He wasn't doing anything much, except buying up Force-sensitive slaves, and no one could figure out why.

It was beginning to keep several people up at night, including Qui-Gon.

There was also the matter of the seven knights from the Starwind still in 'captivity'. Most of them had been quiet and fairly well-behaved, and it was hoped they would eventually come around. Two, however, were troublemakers and had already tried to escape -- and to contact Coruscant -- twice. One of them, Knight Chun, appeared to be a bully as well as a troublemaker, and was now in permanent confinement. No one wanted to think about them, much less decide what to do with them, but it was a problem that wouldn't go away by itself.

Fortunately, after endless debate and argument on the Council, Qui-Gon had something, and someone, good to go home to. Obi-Wan spent his mornings studying what few texts were available with the teaching masters who had made it to Alderaan. By the afternoon, Qui-Gon usually managed to escape and they worked on sparring and forms, and Obi-Wan was increasing his proficiency at both in leaps and bounds. At night, they worked on their bond -- generally, very late into the night. After taking care of Squeaker, that is.

The little kit had made herself quite at home in the New Temple, and in fact, was fast turning into the Temple mascot. Everyone from the tiniest crecheling to the most wizened master knew her name and had received her uncritical review. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were pleased, as it meant that others took over her feeding during the day when they weren't as available. She was growing rapidly.

Oddly enough, the person she spent the most time with during the day was Jocasta Nu. The ex-Council member spent her days in the garden off the initiates' wing, sitting in the sun and listening to the children at play and lessons. No one was sure whether Squeaker's fondness was for the sun that Jocasta sat in, for the woman's lap and gentle fingers, or for some other reason not clear. If Squeaker knew, she wasn't telling.

The New Temple had been established for roughly two months when the children in the creche began waking up with nightmares. At first, the knights who were on rotation in the nursery and initiates' barracks dismissed the dreams -- after all, they were all unsettled by the thought of what Dooku might be planning. But then, the older padawans began to have similar dreams, and word began to spread. Finally, it reached the Council.

"How long, then?" Mace asked the knight who stood before the Council. He was one of the knights who was often on rotation among the younger children of the Temple.

"About a week, I'd say," he replied thoughtfully. "The littlest ones were the first, now that I think of it. But some of them were incapable of describing what they dreamed, so we dismissed it."

"Understandable," Eeth Koth murmured.

"And do you have any kind of coherent description now?" Adi Gallia asked, leaning forward with a frown.

"A general feeling of darkness," the knight replied promptly. "In some of the children, it's preceded by a sound like heavy breathing. Some of the older ones reported being chased by a huge, dark figure, who wielded a red lightsaber." He smiled without mirth. "That's when we began taking the situation a little more seriously."

"But it's a dark figure," Mace asked insistently. "Not Dooku? Not a figure in blue, or one with white hair?"

"No," the knight confirmed. "Of course, we couldn't grill any of the younger children. But Master Groone and his padawan shared meditation once she had the dream, and he confirms; it was definitely not Dooku."

Mace turned and gave a pointed look at Qui-Gon, who blinked. Mace had shared with him how Groone's padawan, a young human girl, had foreseen his arrival at the New Temple. As Qui-Gon recalled, she had not tested positive for prescience... but she was now having these dreams, along with the other youngsters.

"Thank you, Knight Stonne," Adi Gallia was saying when Qui-Gon returned his attention to the chamber. "If you hear anything else, please let us know."

Knight Stonne bowed. He left the chamber in a profound silence, one that was finally broken by Xanatos. "Now do you believe me?" he asked with a heavy sigh.

"It hasn't been a question of belief, Xan," Depa replied. She had been one of the last to make it to the New Temple, and had been welcomed back to the Council with relief. "It's been a question of what Dooku is thinking. We still don't know that."

"It wasn't him," Adi said thoughtfully, her eyes focused on nothing as she thought. "It wasn't Dooku, but who was it? Does it have something to do with whatever Dooku is planning? Something with the slaves he's buying from the Hutts? The only thing we know for sure is that the Sith are gone. That's one good thing we can lay at Dooku's feet, at least."

"Are they?" Everyone in the room turned to look at Saesee, who so rarely spoke. "There are always two, according to our records. A master and an apprentice is how we've always interpreted that. What if our interpretation is wrong, and there was another? Another master?"

"For that matter," Qui-Gon said, a shiver going down his spine, "Palpatine was the only one who we knew was -- with irrefutable evidence -- a Sith. There were no others that showed any Force sensitivity in his cadre of followers. If it is a master and apprentice, then where was the apprentice?"

"You think we could still be facing a Sith?" Mace asked quietly. "Even after all this time?"

"All this time? It's only been fifteen years. But... Oh, I don't know what I'm suggesting," Qui-Gon replied with angry frustration. "I just know that something is happening. The Force is trying to tell us something. We'd better figure out what it is -- and soon."

Left unsaid was the logical conclusion to all their fears regarding the Sith and Dooku. No one needed to say it -- they all felt it.

The Council was too unsettled to continue meeting that day and they broke up early. Qui-Gon went looking for his padawan when he discovered that Obi-Wan wasn't in their quarters, and, to his surprise, found him sitting in the garden with Squeaker and Jocasta Nu.

Master Nu still had not spoken to anyone that Qui-Gon was aware of, and the fact that he heard her voice as he approached caused him pause. After a moment, he decided to just eavesdrop -- and see what she was saying to Obi-Wan. He had a feeling that, if she knew he was there, she would stop talking, and he wanted to hear what she had to say. He stepped behind a tree that was to her back. It wasn't out of sight of his padawan since Obi-Wan was sitting on the ground at her feet, and Obi-Wan would know Qui-Gon was there from the bond they shared, but Qui-Gon knew his padawan would be discreet.

"...the Sith War," Obi-Wan was saying. "I've read what we have here, and it isn't much."

"No," Jocasta agreed. "You'd need the library on Coruscant for that."

"I know," Obi-Wan said morosely. "Siri says that the library there is amazing, that you can't see one end from the other, it's so big."

"It's not quite that big," Jocasta replied dryly. "But it does contain a lot of reference material."

"I wish I could see it," Obi-Wan said wistfully, and Qui-Gon frowned.

Jocasta didn't say anything for a bit, and when she did, her voice was completely devoid of inflection. "It's not safe for the likes of you on Coruscant right now, boy."

Obi-Wan cocked his head as he regarded her. Jocasta's hand was moving and Qui-Gon realized Squeaker was on her lap. "Because of the Seekers," Obi-Wan said.

"That... and more," Jocasta replied.

This time, they were both silent.

"So," Obi-Wan finally said, "would you tell me what it was like during the war?"

"Hasn't your master given you that information?" Jocasta asked acidly.

"Some," Obi-Wan replied, ignoring her tone completely. "But he always says, you can't see history from just one set of eyes. And he's right; one person can only see a small portion."

"Well, yes," Jocasta said grudgingly. "But my own role in the affair was minor."

That's not true, Qui-Gon thought to himself with a frown.

"It actually started several years before the actual war began," Jocasta said, beginning the story slowly. "There had been an abnormal number of deaths in the field and I remember the Council was beginning to get nervous about it." She was still stroking Squeaker as she spoke, and her voice became steadier. "When Jedi started getting sick on top of it, the real panic began. Yoda--" she sighed heavily. "Yoda had a vision, and that helped the healers narrow down the cause of the contagion." She paused again and her head came up; she was obviously looking at Obi-Wan. "It hit everyone, but the only ones who died were those with higher-than-average midi-chlorian counts. It was tailored specifically for Force users, you see."

"The plague?" Obi-Wan sounded horrified. "It was manufactured?"

"Oh, yes," Jocasta replied harshly. "They don't like to advertise that little fact, lest it cause more panic, but Palpatine did it. He wanted to decimate the ranks of Jedi so that he'd have an easy path to dominating the Republic. Yoda managed to thwart that... well, a little, anyway."

"I wish he were still around," Obi-Wan said sadly. "I would have liked to meet him."

"He was an irascible, short-tempered, meddling little frog," Jocasta said sharply. Then, more gently, she added, "And I miss him desperately."

"He killed Palpatine," Obi-Wan said, looking up at her for confirmation.

"Yes," Jocasta said slowly. "He did. He... and Dooku did."

Obi-Wan looked like he wanted to ask a million questions, but finally, all he said was, "What happened?"

"Palpatine had a dozen trained assassins out after the Jedi," Jocasta said. Qui-Gon could tell she was falling into 'story-teller mode' and smiled. "Between them and the plague, we were halved in strength, maybe more. The assassins were horrifying, trained to take out Force users who might sense them coming. We finally managed to get one of them, a merciless killer named Fett, and both Yarael and Yoda kept him alive until we got the information we needed out of him. That pinpointed someone named Darth Sidious, and eventually we found that he and Palpatine were one and the same."

She shook her head. "But by then, it was almost too late. The healers had managed to synthesize an antidote to the contagion, but there were several assassins still out there. I remember the arguments over what we should do. They were vicious." She fell silent. Obi-Wan let her take her time and didn't speak. "Most of us wanted to go get the damn creature, face him in his lair, as it were," she finally continued. "A few saner heads, Dooku among them, argued against that, since we'd be leaving ourselves wide open to attack from the assassins if we did. We just didn't know what kind of traps he'd have waiting for us -- we might have been heading for mass suicide. He was obviously strong in the Dark Side of the Force, and would be ready for anything we threw at him.

" Dooku and Yoda's fights were angry and bitter. At one point, I remember, Dooku almost left the Order altogether. He didn't think we had a chance in hell if we attacked, weakened as we were." Jocasta stilled completely for a moment, and Qui-Gon heard a plaintive 'eeep!' and smiled. Jocasta looked down at her lap. "You really are a greedy little thing, aren't you? Anyway, Dooku finally gave in and helped plan the attack. Hundreds more of us died that day on Naboo. Palpatine thought himself invincible, I think, which is how Dooku and Yoda managed to get the drop on him. The battle must have been horrific. Dooku was a mess when we finally found him, with Palpatine's and Yoda's bodies near at hand."

"I thought it was just Yoda who killed Palpatine," Obi-Wan said, his voice puzzled. Silently, Qui-Gon seconded that thought.

"That's what a lot of people think," Jocasta said sharply. "Dooku didn't want it to get around; he said that Yoda had been the real hero there. I was one of the few people who found him and hustled him off to the healers. He almost died. Actually," Jocasta said thoughtfully, "it's a good thing you did ask me. I think I'm the only one left who knows the truth about what happened -- the other two have joined the Force. He shouldn't hide the good he's done. If everyone else knew the story, they'd realize what a good man he really is. We wouldn't have this ridiculous split in the Jedi. It only makes us weaker."

"You're probably right," Obi-Wan said softly, and Qui-Gon smiled to hear his padawan be so diplomatic when he knew that Obi-Wan's sentiments lay in the other direction. "But no one understands why he won't talk to us, why he won't even try to see our point. Do you know?"

Jocasta was silent for such a long time, Qui-Gon was afraid she had reached the end of her patience with Obi-Wan. Finally, she spoke, very softly. "He's a proud man, Obi-Wan," she said. "He's only done what he thought was best for the Order. He always places the Order first. Always, even above his own feelings and desires. I'm sure that this terrible reb-- split is causing him great pain." She looked down. "I'm sure he doesn't feel it's up to him to make the first move here."

"Pride... that isn't an emotion a Jedi should have," Obi-Wan pointed out gently.

"You think we don't know that?" Jocasta replied with some bitterness. "Don't teach your elders how to meditate, pup. When you reach my age, you'll understand it better. There are some emotions that one can never, ever purge. Pride is one of them. Anger, sometimes too, when it's hot enough and justified enough." After a long pause she added, so softly Qui-Gon almost didn't hear it, "Love."

Turning, Qui-Gon walked back to his quarters slowly, his thoughts a heavy weight on his shoulders.

Qui-Gon mentioned to Obi-Wan that he had overheard the story later that day, when they were practicing in the gym. Obi-Wan allowed that he had seen Qui-Gon, and realized his master wanted to listen without being seen. "I like her," Obi-Wan said as he cooled down from his exertions. "Squeaker seems to have helped her open up a bit, but I wish she'd stop being so alone."

"I like her too, Padawan," Qui-Gon said sadly. "Her exile is of her own making. We'd welcome her with open arms if she so wished it."

"I know," Obi-Wan said. "I think she knows too. She's just..."

"Too proud and too stubborn," Qui-Gon finished for him with a sad smile, and Obi-Wan nodded. "Go and get your shower, Obi-Wan," he continued. "I've invited Mace and Xanatos over for supper tonight. Would you mind helping me cook?"

"Depends on what you're cooking," Obi-Wan said with a grin.

Qui-Gon just cuffed him affectionately and pushed him toward the locker rooms.

Despite Obi-Wan's words, the two men enjoyed cooking together. They didn't do anything elaborate but their simple fare was delicious. Xanatos and Mace enjoyed dinner and cheerfully helped clean up. Obi-Wan retired to his room to read a book Bail Organa had brought him while the three Council members talked.

"Did you know that Dooku was with Yoda when Palpatine was killed?" Qui-Gon began without preamble.

Mace froze in the act of raising his glass of ale. "What?" he asked.

"Between Obi-Wan and Squeaker, Jocasta is beginning to open up," Qui-Gon explained. "I eavesdropped on their conversation this afternoon after the Council session. Obi-Wan was asking about the Sith War."

"I thought Yoda killed Palpatine," Xanatos said in confusion.

"So did I," Mace growled. "What did she allege?"

"She said that she and a couple others got there first, and found Dooku near death with Yoda's body and Palpatine's body close at hand," Qui-Gon said. "They hurried Dooku to the infirmary and left the other bodies. Later, Dooku asked them not to tell anyone that he had been there; she further said he told them the reason was because Yoda was the real hero, and Dooku didn't want any credit."

Carefully, Mace set his glass down on the table in front of him. "I don't believe that," he said in a hard voice. "How could something like that be kept quiet in such a tight-knit community like the Temple?"

"I did some checking," Qui-Gon replied, not looking at either of his guests. "We've got some limited access to the med records -- the older ones, anyway, through the other temples. I looked up the admission records from that time. I remember that Dooku was in the infirmary once all the fighting was over..."

"I remember that too," Xanatos confirmed. "We went to see him."

"Right," Qui-Gon nodded but didn't look up. "He told me that he'd been wounded fighting that one assassin, the albino-looking humanoid fem, do you remember her name?" Both Mace and Xanatos shook their heads in the negative. "Anyway, according to the records, he was brought in about the time we were discovering Yoda's body -- by Jocasta Nu, Anselm Worthle and Lei-Ana Schon." Finally, he did look up, glancing at both their faces.

"The only one still alive is Jo," Mace said softly.

"Right," Qui-Gon confirmed. "The other two died in accidents less than a year later."

"You... This... This is incredible," Mace finally got out. "How is it that he could know what went on between Palpatine and Yoda and yet not tell anyone!" he raged. "It doesn't make any sense."

"No, it doesn't," Xanatos said thoughtfully. He looked up to find Qui-Gon staring at him, and nodded slightly. "And it makes me even more nervous about his motivations, here."

"Xan," Mace began in an exasperated voice, but Xanatos interrupted him.

"No, wait, just listen," he said earnestly, leaning across the table. "It took Dooku over a month to leave the healers', yes?" Qui-Gon nodded and Mace motioned for him to continue. "No one much felt like doing anything of any importance during that time. We'd lost our heart, I remember one of my teaching masters saying." Xanatos' eyes and voice were ineffably sad. "When Dooku emerged, he immediately took control of the Council--"

"No one else wanted to," Mace said tightly. "He took over because--"

"Because he could," Xanatos said, interrupting Mace as Mace had interrupted him. "Because no one would oppose him. He wasn't the senior Council member, though, was he?"

"No," Qui-Gon said thoughtfully. "Yarael was."

"Yarael Poof -- and Plo Koon -- died of their injuries less than a week after Dooku came out of the healers'," Mace said, then he choked.

"After Yarael, Ki-Adi Mundi was senior," Qui-Gon went on, implacably.

"And he had no objection to Dooku taking over." Xanatos said. "You were ranking senior right after Ki-Adi Mundi, Master Windu," he continued formally. "You were senior to Dooku. Why did you allow him to pull rank?"

"I didn't want it," Mace said softly. "Yoda was our leader, and he was dead. How could I hope to take his place?"

"And yet, you trusted Dooku to do that?" Qui-Gon's voice was soft but the question was clear.

"No one else wanted it," Mace repeated. "No one... but Dooku."

"And when Dooku started the Seekers?" Xanatos asked. "You've already admitted how vile you found that. Why--"

"It wasn't like that at the beginning," Mace interjected, frantically looking between Qui-Gon and Xanatos. "You know that, Qui. It wasn't like that. It made sense to find all the Force-sensitive beings we could, to keep them from descending to the Dark Side."

"But the Sith were dead," Qui-Gon said, grabbing Mace's forearm in a hard grip. "I thought that too, but the more I remember that time, the more I wonder what I was thinking. The Sith were dead... why did we begin to assume that anyone who didn't come to the Temple was an enemy? When did we start believing him when he said that?"

"I..." Mace's face was stricken. "I don't know."

Qui-Gon and Xanatos sat back in their chairs. Xanatos' expression, Qui-Gon knew, mirrored his own;- troubled and worried. This line of thought made him distinctly uncomfortable -- Dooku was his former master, for Force's sake.

Mace seemed to be incapable of sitting down, oddly enough. The normally unflappable Council member stood and roamed the small, narrow apartment, his arms wrapped tightly around himself. He ended up at a small, roughly-hewn table under the apartment's lone window. Frowning, he picked up a holocube. "What is this?" he asked.

"It's Obi-Wan's," Qui-Gon replied. "Xan finally got some of their things out of storage at the Organa's palace."

"It's his family," Xanatos said, with a glance to Qui-Gon. "Mother, father and sister -- his parents are both dead now."

"Sister?" If Mace's coloring hadn't been so dark, his face would have been chalk white. "Oh... gods... that's where..."

"Mace?" Qui-Gon got to his feet and walked slowly to his friend. "What's wrong?"

"Look at it, Qui-Gon, look at her!" Mace thrust the 'cube at Qui-Gon, who was surprised to see unshed tears in Mace's dark eyes. "His sister. She's his sister! That's where I heard that name before!"

Uncomprehending, Qui-Gon said, "Yes, Sal-Yin Kenobi," then he looked down at the 'cube. Sudden realization made him stagger and nearly fall. "Oh, dear Force," he muttered through a dry throat.

He finally remembered the last time he had seen that face. She had been pregnant, and was being dragged into the Temple by three Seekers.

Obi-Wan did not take the news well.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" were his first raging words, as he flung his anger and terror at the most convenient target, Qui-Gon. Mace and Xanatos had already left. "How long has it been?!"

"I didn't know you then, and I never knew her name," Qui-Gon said, as softly and calmly as he could, given that he was nearly as upset as Obi-Wan. "The day I first met you was the day she was taken to the Temple. It was months ago, Obi-Wan, months."

"How much longer does she have?" Obi-Wan demanded through his frantic pacing.

"About another week or two, Mace thinks," Qui-Gon replied, not pretending to misunderstand. "Obi-Wan, calm down. We're going to get her--"

"I'm going to Coruscant," Obi-Wan suddenly said, grabbing a duffel from the closet and throwing it on their bed. "I have to get her out of there before she has the baby and that walking nightmare kills her!"

"You are NOT going to Coruscant!" Qui-Gon roared, startling them both. "It is out of the question," he continued, forcing himself to speak at a more normal level of voice, shoving down the frisson of panic he felt at the thought that Obi-Wan might leave. "You'll be caught and killed the moment you step off the transport. How will that help your sister?"

"I don't know!" Obi-Wan yelled, still pacing the length of their room frantically. He was broadcasting emotions all over the place. "I just... I've got to get her out of there. I've got to!" He paused and glared up at Qui-Gon. "Don't even think about trying to stop me."

"Stop. Stop right now. You're forgetting something important here, Obi-Wan. You're not just my lover, you're my padawan," Qui-Gon said, still fighting to keep his voice level and calm. Qui-Gon's emotions were also trying to break free of their restraints, but he ruthlessly tightened his hold on them. "I know you weren't raised in the Temple, but you're a padawan now, dammit. You have to remember that it is a padawan's duty to obey his master, and as your master, I cannot allow you to go to Coruscant. Obi-Wan -- no!"

Obi-Wan tried to make a break for the door, but Qui-Gon grabbed one of his arms and hauled him back, literally throwing him on their bed, landing partially on top of him. When Obi-Wan began to fight him, Qui-Gon met each hysterical blow with a block, struggling to get the upper hand, terrified that if he lost this fight, his padawan -- his lover -- would be gone forever.

They rolled around on the bed, punching and blocking wildly, wrestling each other for dominance. With his superior weight and strength, Qui-Gon was finally able to pin Obi-Wan to the bed, holding his hands above his head and locking his legs between his own. Obi-Wan's face was red and twisted in anger and panic as he struggled to free himself. "No!" Obi-Wan managed to choke out as he fought. "Stop... Please! Let me go! I have to..."

"I can't! You can't!" Qui-Gon whispered brokenly, maintaining his hold, his face hovering inches above Obi-Wan's. "Obi-Wan, please... listen to me. Please."

The body under his went still, but Qui-Gon didn't loosen his hold. Obi-Wan's jaw and fists were clenched as he stared at Qui-Gon with anger and desperation. "You know nothing about the Temple on Coruscant," Qui-Gon said, his voice still a murmur in the hopes that gentle reason would get through where orders had not. He had to remember: Obi-Wan was not raised as an initiate. Things had to be explained to him, he had to be told why rather than just told do. "How often have you been on Coruscant -- twice, three times? You have no contacts, no weaponry aside from your 'saber, and you're a mere padawan whereas Dooku, and the people he has with him, are knights and masters. All you would succeed in doing is getting yourself caught." Swallowing heavily, Qui-Gon added, "And then where would your sister be? Where... where would I be?"

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and gasped, a sound that was almost a sob. "You don't understand," he whispered. "I know you're my master, I know what I'm supposed to do, but... she needs me, she's my sister..."

"I know how much you love her," Qui-Gon said, relaxing his hold on Obi-Wan. "I know you need to get her out of there. I do know! And we will, Obi-Wan, we will... You need to give us time to come up with a plan, all of us together. I just..." Qui-Gon swallowed again, hard. He suddenly realized he was reacting to this whole situation as Obi-Wan's lover, not as his master, and it was crippling his ability to stay detached. "I can't lose you, Obi-Wan. I can't."

Obi-Wan inhaled sharply. His eyes flew open and grew wide as he stared up at Qui-Gon. For a moment, their gazes locked and neither one breathed. Abruptly, their mouths came together, in a kiss as desperate as their wrestling had been. They began to struggle again; but this time, they were fighting to bring themselves closer together, rather than farther apart.

They rolled, shoving at their clothing in their haste to feel hot skin. Never breaking their heated, passionate kiss, they almost tore each other out of their tunics. Their kisses became rougher, harder, devouring each other in the anguish and fear of the moment, seeking something, anything, to alleviate the pain they both felt.

Gaining the upper hand by ending on top of Qui-Gon for the moment, Obi-Wan let his mouth move to Qui-Gon's neck, where he bit and sucked hard. Qui-Gon bucked into the body holding him down, hissing with heightened arousal. Sliding down Qui-Gon's long body, Obi-Wan settled between his spread legs, hastily stuck two fingers in his mouth, then thrust them into his master's body as he swallowed Qui-Gon's hardness. Qui-Gon arched, his face contorted in concentration, then he fell back, panting, his orgasm held off by the merest thread of will.

With a shaking hand, Qui-Gon called the tube of sexual lubricant from their bedside table to his hand. "Here," he said roughly, ripping off the cap and squeezing a large amount on the fingers Obi-Wan presented. "Do it."

Without hesitation, Obi-Wan slicked up his erection and, after propping Qui-Gon's legs on his shoulders, drove home. Qui-Gon arched again and shouted at the mingled pain and pleasure he was feeling. Obi-Wan didn't wait for him to adjust, but set up a brutal rhythm immediately, pistoning in and out of Qui-Gon's body.

Their moans and cries grew louder and louder. Qui-Gon clutched the bedspread under his hands and held on for dear life as his padawan and lover gasped above him, fucking him wildly. Bent almost double, Qui-Gon's vision began to gray out as he felt his climax burn through him, boiling up through his testicles and out, jetting up and spraying them both with his hot essence.

Obi-Wan didn't even notice. He was still fucking, still thrusting, sobbing as his movements became more and more erratic, apparently incapable of completion. With one shaking hand, Qui-Gon managed to pull Obi-Wan's head down for a kiss, one that was gentle instead of hard, loving instead of angry. And that did it: with one last gasping, keening wail, Obi-Wan came, tucking his head into Qui-Gon's neck and almost shaking himself apart.

They collapsed, Qui-Gon under Obi-Wan, both men bathed in sweat and semen. Obi-Wan was still sobbing and trembling, and Qui-Gon did his best to wrap his arms around his love in comfort and sympathy.

"Love you," Obi-Wan managed to gasp as he calmed, and Qui-Gon found himself near tears as well.

"It'll be all right, Obi-Wan, I swear it," he said again. His intense orgasm and emotions were beginning to take a toll, and his eyelids began to droop, no matter how hard he fought it. "I promise. Give us time to think of something. Trust me, please."

"Don't want to leave you," Obi-Wan mumbled into his neck.

"Don't have to," Qui-Gon tried to insist through his sudden exhaustion. "Just... stay here. Here, with me..." he managed to get out before sleep overcame him.

When he woke, he was cleaned off, under a blanket and alone. Obi-Wan had gone.

PART EIGHT: Xanatos

After the bombshell of Obi-Wan's sister came out, Xanatos returned to his quarters to do some heavy thinking. He knew what Obi-Wan would do -- he had lived with the boy for five years, after all, and had taught him everything he knew -- but he thought he could head off Obi-Wan's plans if he got to the launch pads before Obi could.

But Obi-Wan had gotten there first, which surprised Xanatos. He figured that Qui-Gon would have argued longer, fought harder than he apparently did... either that, or Obi-Wan had somehow knocked him out. When Xanatos checked on his former master, he found the man deeply under a Force-assisted sleep, covered by a blanket and his room reeking of sex. Tellingly, the holocube of Obi-Wan's family was sitting on the table next to the bed. Swallowing his sadness, thinking he knew what had happened, Xanatos backed silently out, returned to his rooms and called Mace Windu.

The Council had been meeting in emergency session for several hours by the time Qui-Gon stormed in. "Why the hell have you locked me out of all the ships?!" were his first -- shouted -- words, predictably.

"Shut up and sit down, Jinn," Mace growled. If the situation hadn't been so dire, Xanatos might have smiled at the look of shock on Qui-Gon's face. "You're late."

As Qui-Gon slowly took his accustomed seat, Mace addressed the rest of the Council, picking up where they had left off. "Since Obi-Wan has forced our hand, we don't have much of a choice," he said gravely. "But we've been leaning towards this action for some time, and considering the evidence Xan and I presented to the rest of you earlier tonight -- this morning -- it may be for the best anyway. A direct attack... he's not going to expect that. Do we have a consensus?"

He glanced around the room, noting the nodding Council members, many of whom wore expressions of extreme sadness. Qui-Gon just looked confused and angry.

"Thanks to the Organas and our other friends," Xanatos said, glancing at a datapad, "we have enough ships. I haven't heard back from the resistance leaders on Coruscant yet, but I'm bound to shortly. I'll comm again after we finish here. They can set up a diversion for us while we get in."

"Dooku has, at most, two hundred knights and masters with him at the Temple," Mace said, nodding at Depa who had provided that information. "We can match that and more, and most of his knights are green. Ours are not."

"Not to mention that many of his knights will come to our side once we start," Xanatos said, picking up the thread. "I believe our best course would be to get a diversion at the front gates. If we can get the protesters to storm the front, Dooku will pull manpower off the lesser doors to compensate. Which means we can get in by those means, with hopefully minimal resistance."

"I think a judicious use of some explosives might not be amiss," Eeth Koth said. "Make sure they know how serious the threat is."

Both Xanatos and Mace were nodding. "We're going to need to leave soon," Mace said. "I'd like to put out a general call for volunteers within the hour. Objections?"

"Don't say anything about Obi-Wan," Adi cautioned. "He's a popular young man. I'd rather have volunteers who are going for the right reasons -- taking back our Temple -- rather than to revenge a friend."

"Agreed," Mace said after a glance at Qui-Gon and Xanatos. "Adi, would you and Eeth handle that? I'd like to wait here until Xanatos gets through to his contacts on Coruscant." As the two Council members nodded their agreement, Mace continued. "We also need to stress, as hard as possible, that we are not going to war here. These are not Sith warriors. They're our Jedi brethren. They may be misguided and in the wrong, but they are still Jedi, just as we are. There will be no killing unless it is absolutely necessary and unavoidable. Any knight or master who wishes to leave Dooku's service should be welcomed openly."

There was a murmur of agreement at that, and the Council broke up. Xanatos immediately went to the dataset to try and reach Coruscant again. He heard Mace approach Qui-Gon as he waited for the comm to go through.

"Well?" Xanatos had to hand it to Mace, he was a bloody miracle of understatement.

"How long have you been meeting?" Qui-Gon asked. His voice sounded hoarse and rough.

"Part of the night," Mace said. "Xan called me as soon as he was sure that Obi-Wan had taken off, and we started doing research and hacking. We both thought we had enough time before he tried something. We were wrong, unfortunately."

Xanatos turned and saw Qui-Gon slump in his seat. The expression on his face carried so much pain it was a miracle he was still upright. "I... I couldn't keep him here," he said so softly Xanatos almost couldn't hear him. "I tried..."

"I know, Qui-Gon," Mace said softly, and to Xanatos' surprise, drew Qui-Gon into an embrace. "We'll get him back."

"I'm going with you," Qui-Gon said as he gently pulled away from Mace's hug.

"And this is supposed to surprise me?" Mace gave Qui-Gon a little shake and started to say something else, but the connection finally went through and Xanatos had to give it his attention.

The situation on Coruscant was getting grimmer instead of easier. News of the split among the Jedi had spread like wildfire, causing even more demonstrations before the main gates of the Temple and the Senate as well. Dooku apparently was ready to use force as well as the Force on the rioters, and had declared a state of emergency on Coruscant in the Temple District. But precious few SkyCops would come to the aid of the Temple any more.

Xanatos' friends in the underground resistance movement against the Jedi were more than willing to help in the plan, not that Xanatos told them much about it. He merely planted the suggestion that a concentrated attack on the Temple's front gates, perhaps using a small amount of explosives, might be a good idea when a certain signal was received. He hated using his friends like that, despite the fact that they would approve of it. However, he was a pragmatic man: the ends, in this case, absolutely justified the means. Especially if it meant rescuing Obi-Wan.

In a remarkably short time they were ready. Almost three hundred knights, masters and senior padawans -- most of the New Temple's complement who were not out on various missions or at other auxiliary Temples -- were prepared to take ship and take back the Coruscant Temple. It would leave the Alderaan Temple virtually empty, but others were on their way from far outposts and the Organa family had promised to protect the ones staying behind.

The City of Keles once again acted as their base of operations and Bail Organa once again piloted. It was just over two days to Coruscant, and they spent it frantically preparing and planning. To Xanatos' shock, both Mace and Adi approached him early in the flight and requested he take charge of the overall operation.

"You're good at thinking outside the norm," Mace explained to him when he tried to turn the honor down. "We need a plan that Dooku might not be able to anticipate. We're too hidebound, too traditional in our approach; you've proven you don't have that problem."

"Just take it, Xan," Adi laughed when he turned pleading eyes on her. "You'll be fine. We all trust you."

"You didn't think that being the youngest Councilor in history would be a stroll now, did you?" Mace added, raising one eyebrow sardonically.

Taking a deep, centering breath and trying to release his almost-overwhelming terror to the Force, Xanatos acquiesced. "I guess I'd better get started then," he said, trying to sound normal and not certain if he was succeeding.

The plan he came up with was bold and swift, which, he thought, was probably their best bet. The City of Keles put down at a private, Organa family-controlled pad about three klicks from the Temple. A small strike force consisting of Xanatos, Qui-Gon, Mace, Depa and four experienced knights debarked and took a ground transport to the Temple. While en route, Xanatos contacted the resistance and gave them their signal. By the time the transport reached the front of the Temple, the riot was in full swing, complete with explosives attached to the big gates.

They headed for one of the lower gates in the hopes it wouldn't be heavily-guarded. Once inside, the plan was to split up; Mace, Depa and two of the knights would head for the security control room to deactivate the shield around the landing pads. Once that was accomplished, the other Jedi would attack en masse, hopefully subduing the opposition by sheer force of numbers. In the meantime, Xan, Qui-Gon and the other two knights would be reconnoitering, hopefully locating Obi-Wan, and Dooku as well, but Obi-Wan was their top priority.

Qui-Gon could feel him through their bond, which was far stronger than Xanatos had imagined. But the bond was muted, as though he were asleep or blocked somehow. Qui-Gon was becoming frantic that he couldn't feel Obi-Wan any better now that he was closer.

The plan went well. They made it to the lower east door unobserved, and burst through quickly. There were two knights stationed there, both of whom drew their 'sabers and met the attackers.

"Put down your weapons," Mace said, his voice hard. "We have no intentions of hurting you or letting any of that mob in. You know who we are; don't fight us and we won't have to fight you."

One of the knights, an older man Xanatos thought was vaguely familiar, lowered his 'saber and thumbed it off. But the other one... "What are you doing?" he demanded of his compatriot.

"That's Master Windu," the first knight said, frowning at the other one. "He's on the Council."

"Not any more, he isn't," the second knight growled. He had not turned off his 'saber and took a ready stance. "I was told to guard this door, and that's what I'm going to do."

"Don't be an idiot, Chas!" the first knight said sharply. He drew the attention of the second one, Chas, long enough for Xanatos to get close enough to crack him on the head with his 'saber hilt. Knight Chas dropped like a stone.

"Sorry," Xanatos winced. "But we don't have time to argue."

"He's a moron," the first knight said with a grimace, then held out his hand to Xanatos. "Knight Forgal. Jamisou. You're from the other Temple -- the one we're not supposed to talk about, yes?"

"Yes," Xanatos replied, taking his hand. "Xanatos Chiyari."

"Where do you stand on that, Forgal?" Mace asked, not relaxing his guard.

"Are you planning on destroying the Temple, or letting that crowd out front in?" Forgal demanded, looking Mace in the eye. "Because if you were, then I'd have to oppose you. But if you're here to take us back to how we should be, then I'd have to say I never saw you come in."

Finally standing down, Mace nodded shortly. "Very well then, Knight Forgal. I think you'll have to say your companion had a hard time running into a door, then."

"He's clumsy like that." He cocked his head. "Why now? There's only a few of us left in this Temple. If you had waited a bit longer, there would have been even fewer -- we were getting close to making a break for it."

"We're looking for someone who came here within the last day or two," Xanatos said. "A padawan. A bit shorter than me, red-gold hair, name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. We think Dooku might have him."

Forgal shook his head. "He didn't come by me, and doesn't sound familiar. Check the Healers'; that's where Dooku keeps his... projects." His voice was hard and his jaw was clenched as he spoke. "He's also got most of the healers locked up in the hall. He doesn't let them out or they'd all be gone and he knows it."

Two of the knights with the party had been running reconnaissance down the hallway to either side of the anteroom around the door, and returned. "No one's around; I think they're all at the front," one of them said.

"They would be," Forgal said. "Do you have reinforcements?"

"We're on our way to disable the force field," Xanatos said. "You're welcome to come with us or stay on the door... I doubt anyone will come through."

"I'd best stay," Forgal said. "I've got to keep an eye on Chas anyway. I'll stay here. What comm frequency are you on...? I'd like to come with you when you leave."

They spent a couple of minutes filling in the knight on their plans then helped him drag his unconscious partner into a corner. Qui-Gon was nearly dancing with impatience by that time, and Xanatos put his hand on the man's arm. "Calm, Master," he said softly. "We're nearly there."

"I can barely feel him, Xan," Qui-Gon muttered.

"We'll head directly for the Healers'," Xanatos said to Mace. "You go on."

"We'll meet you there when we get the force field down." Mace, Depa and their two knights jogged down the hall in one direction, while Xanatos, Qui-Gon and the two remaining knights with them, Bergand and Ruz, went off in the other.

The Temple was eerily quiet, save for the far-off cacophony of the riot out front. Normally, there would be knights, masters and padawans roaming the hallways at all hours; now it was empty and echoing with the memory of those gone. The four of them moved as carefully and swiftly as they could, feeling their Force-sense prickle at the backs of their neck at the strangely vacant halls.

The Healer's Hall was deep in the heart of the Temple, far from the outside world. A retreat, a place of quiet serenity and beauty, it had its own sheltered garden and beautifully-appointed rooms. That area, though, was also devoid of life -- the once-bustling halls were dead silent.

Xanatos felt the Force nudge him and came to a sudden stop, frowning down a side corridor. "Something..." he said to Qui-Gon, who turned with a grimace.

Ignoring Qui-Gon's impatience, Xanatos carefully walked down the short hall and put his hand on a closed, locked and Force-shielded door. "In here," he said, looking for the locking mechanism. Qui-Gon simply ignited his 'saber, fried through the magnetic lock and shoved it open.

It was a suite of rooms that was obviously designed to be a lounge of some sort for the healers to rest in -- between shifts, perhaps. Now, it was crowded with a couple dozen Jedi healers, all of whom were looking at the door in astonishment.

"Healer Sythia?" Qui-Gon asked from behind Xanatos, and an Iktotchi woman came forward, her face smiling and wondrous.

"Qui-Gon Jinn!" she said, taking his arm. "And this is little Xanatos! We'd heard all about your new Temple! Are you here to get us out?"

"What were you doing in here?" Xanatos asked, confused.

They all started talking at once, but Healer Sythia waved them all down. "Dooku put us here, when he found out we were planning on leaving for Alderaan," she explained. "He can't do without us -- not that he likes to admit it -- so he kept us locked up in here except when we're most needed. None of us would leave the others behind, and we have patients..."

"One of your patients, an Alderaani woman who was pregnant," Qui-Gon said urgently. "Is she still here? Has the baby come?"

"Yes, and no," Sythia said. "Why do you ask? Dooku is waiting for her to go into labor, he seems very interested in her baby..."

"Her brother, Qui-Gon's padawan -- his name is Obi-Wan Kenobi -- he got away from us and came here to rescue her. Have you seen him?" Xanatos asked. "Human, about twenty, a little shorter than I am, red-gold hair?"

The healers were looking among themselves and shaking their heads. "I've been checking on Sal-Yin the last couple of days," one young Mon Calamari said, "and I haven't seen anyone except Dooku."

Xanatos and Qui-Gon exchanged long glances. Qui-Gon's face was set and pale, and there was an anger in his eyes that Xanatos had never seen before. "I know where he would be," Sythia volunteered, "if Dooku has him." They turned to look at her. "I can take you there. It's his private laboratory. I know the way."

"All right," Xanatos said. "The rest of you, make your way to the landing pads. As soon as our other party gets the force field down, there'll be a mass landing of Jedi from our Temple. They'll be glad to get you off-planet. Bergand, go with them and guard them, but stay out of trouble."

"Wait," Qui-Gon said suddenly. Xanatos turned to him in surprise. "Can some of you help Sal-Yin get to the pads as well?"

There were two healers who volunteered, and the rest of them made haste to get to their other patients and then leave. Beeping from their comm told Xanatos that Mace and Depa had been successful in getting the field lowered, and that they should be heading towards the Healer's Hall now.

Sythia and the other two healers showed them to Sal-Yin. She was reclining on a biobed; her eyes were glassy and her belly was huge. Sythia did something to the monitoring equipment and removed a small Force-enhancement device from the skin of her temple, and she slowly began to wake from her enforced daze. The young Mon Calamari healer -- one of the two volunteers -- leaned over her and touched her face.

"Sala?" she said, gently patting the woman's cheeks. "Can you hear me?"

"Bant?" Sal-Yin's voice was slurry and rough. "Wha...?"

"We're finally getting you out of here," the padawan healer, Bant, replied. "I need you to help me, though. Can you walk?"

"To ge' out o' here?" Sal-Yin said, her voice firming slowly. "I c'n run..." she said, and Bant giggled.

"We don't need you to do that, silly. Just walk to the landing pads." With help from Bant and the other healers, Sal-Yin gained her feet and stood, wobbly.

Looking around, she caught sight of Xanatos, Qui-Gon and Ruz, and frowned. "Jedi?" she said, blinking at Qui-Gon as though her eyes were bothering her.

"Real Jedi," Qui-Gon answered with a nod, half-afraid she might recognize him. "We're going to get you home, then rescue Obi-Wan."

"Obi?" She stopped and gaped at them. "Obi's here?"

"Don't worry about that now, Sala," Bant said. "They've come to release all of us and get Dooku. We need to get you and the baby out of the Temple now."

Sal-Yin swallowed and looked back at Xanatos and Qui-Gon. "Help Obi, please," she whispered, then let herself be tugged out of the room and down the hall.

"Go with them, and be careful," Xanatos told Ruz. "We don't know who's roaming the halls."

They watched her off for a moment, then Sythia said, "It's this way."

Dooku's 'private laboratory' was nominally in the Healer's Hall -- or, more specifically, under it. Sythia led them down steps and around labyrinthine passageways until they were deep in the bowels of the Temple. At the bottom of a flight of steps, there was a dark passageway ending in an eerie blue light, and Sythia hesitated.

"It's down there?" Xanatos breathed. Asking was really unnecessary; he could feel the rolling waves of Darkness flowing from the room at the end of the hall.

Sythia nodded, and Xanatos put his hand on her arm. "Go back up. Mace Windu and Depa Billaba should be coming into the Healer's Hall at any moment, if they're not there already. Guide them here for us, please? Then get out of the Temple."

Swallowing, the healer darted back up the steps. Xanatos and Qui-Gon began slowly, carefully walking down the hall, as tightly shielded as they'd ever been.

The room at the end of the hall was a large, open one, filled with datasets and other equipment. Over the loud hum of the machinery, they heard voices speaking. Crouching low, they peered into the room, trying to pinpoint their adversary. In the center of the room stood Dooku, thoughtfully examining some kind of brilliant blue force field device. Floating somehow, suspended in the middle of the blue light, was Obi-Wan.

Xanatos heard Qui-Gon inhale sharply and he grabbed his former master. "Don't!" he whispered insistently, heading off Qui-Gon's incipient attack. "Wait," he urged. Obi-Wan didn't look to be in any immediate danger, for all that he was tunic-less, and they could see the bruises on him from the doorway.

"...don't know how you could think that, young padawan," Dooku was saying in a thoughtful, wounded voice. "Yoda killed Palpatine. Everyone knows that."

"You were there with him," Obi-Wan grated out. Looking carefully, Xanatos could see faint crackles of electricity at Obi-Wan's wrists and ankles, and figured that the field must be magnetic somehow.

"And who told you that, hmm?" Dooku asked. He began to leisurely pace around the blue column that imprisoned Obi-Wan.

"Master Nu." Obi-Wan's voice was firm but raw-sounding, as if he'd been straining it.

"Ah. Jocasta." Dooku crossed his arms and tapped his lips with his fingers. "She's quite insane, you know. Seems to think that she's in love with me. We all know that Jedi are forbidden such attachments."

"That's not true," Obi-Wan said firmly.

"Ah," Dooku said again, this time smiling wryly. "My padawan has already bedded you then. Tell me, young man, was he any good?"

Both Obi-Wan's and Qui-Gon's fists clenched in rage. "That's none of your business," Obi-Wan said, and Xanatos was proud of the way his voice stayed level. "What you should be doing is thinking about releasing me, since when they come--"

"They're not coming for you, Padawan," Dooku said, his voice filled with false sadness. "You're just a padawan. Why should they risk their entire, pitiful rebellion for the likes of you? What makes you think you're that important?"

"I know they're coming," Obi-Wan said with surety. "You know it too. The Force has abandoned you, Dooku. Give it up."

Dooku chuckled. "Oh, my. I'd forgotten about the resilience of youth. Young Kenobi, your master was my padawan. Do you really think he's against me? Could you, for example, turn against him?"

"Qui-Gon would never, ever countenance the things you've done," Obi-Wan said firmly. "There is no comparison, since he is as firmly in the Light as you are in the Dark. You are alone, Dooku. All alone."

For an instant, the room filled with roiling anger, and Xanatos gasped. "Not for long, young man," Dooku finally said, his voice normal. "There's a powerful baby upstairs waiting to be born that will be mine--"

"Never!" Obi-Wan shouted suddenly.

"--And I've already got a new apprentice, newly bought and paid for," Dooku continued as if he'd never been interrupted. "I don't need these pathetic Jedi anymore, not for anything." He leaned in. "But you, I could use you. You're young enough still, and the Force is so strong in your anger..."

"Dooku!" A sudden shout from the opposite side of the room nearly made Xanatos tumble into Qui-Gon. It was Ki-Adi Mundi. "They've taken the pads and started a general landing. We're outnumbered. It's time to leave."

Dooku did not look happy at being interrupted. "Where is that idiot Piell?" he demanded.

"He threw in with them," Mundi said, shaking his head. "I told you he would."

Furious, Dooku snarled, "Traitor." He gave Obi-Wan another glance. "Fine. Stay here, I'll go ready the transport. Bring him when I signal -- and be careful, he bites."

"I know how to handle him," Mundi said placidly, but with a dark look to Obi-Wan.

"I don't want him harmed," Dooku said quietly, but with significant menace. "It sounds as if I've lost my chance at the baby -- pity, that -- but at least I'll have him along with my new apprentice. I'll signal you shortly. Be ready, his precious master may be coming after him."

"Jinn? I know how to handle him as well," Mundi called after Dooku, who had already left through the same door Mundi had entered through.

That was enough for Qui-Gon, who stood and, shaking off Xanatos' restraining hand, stomped into the room. "You think you can handle me, Ki?" he said, his voice low and dangerous. "I think you'd better come try."

"Qui-Gon!" Mundi said in surprise. "How long..."

"Long enough, you Sith-bastard traitor," Qui-Gon replied, igniting his 'saber. "Get away from Obi-Wan."

Igniting his own blue 'saber, Mundi took a ready stance. "I don't think so, Qui-Gon. Do you dare test yourself against me?"

As they launched themselves at each other and began a furious battle, Xanatos squashed down on his worry for Qui-Gon and maneuvered himself through the room, around the combatants to Obi-Wan's strange prison. "Obi?" he said softly, taking Obi-Wan's attention from the fight.

"Xan? Get me out of here!" Obi-Wan hissed, glancing down before the battle drew his eyes out again.

"How?" Xanatos asked, looking at the control panel with its myriad unfamiliar and unmarked buttons and sensors. "Which button?"

"I'm not sure," Obi-Wan replied softly. He was slowly revolving in his prison, craning his neck and trying to see everything at once. A crash drew both their attentions: Mundi had levitated a huge piece of equipment and launched it at Qui-Gon, who easily deflected it away from him into the wall. "I think... the controls are on the right," Obi-Wan said, his voice shaky. "I think..."

Frantically, Xanatos examined the unfamiliar equipment, trying to determine which button did what while the sounds of battle raged on around him. "Fuck this!" he finally choked. "Hang on, Obi!" With one swift move, he ignited his 'saber directly over the panel and destroyed it in a shower of sparks. Obi-Wan yelped as the force field holding him shorted out and pitched him forward and down. He managed to catch himself on the edge of the field's generator pad and rolled off heavily to the floor. Xanatos snatched him under his arms and dragged him out of the way of the combatants.

"Are you all right?" Xanatos asked, leaning Obi-Wan against a convenient piece of machinery and crouching next to him.

Obi-Wan was a mess. His face was bruised and contused and his ribs were coming up with a rainbow of colors. "Fine," he gasped, trying to push Xanatos' hands and body away so he could see the battle. "I'm fine! Go help Qui-Gon!"

Turning, Xanatos assessed the fight as well as he was able. Qui-Gon, apparently knowing that Obi-Wan was safe now, had let go his not-inconsiderable anger and was centered and shining in the Force beautifully. Mundi, on the other hand, was a jumble of emotions crashing all over the room, and had already been burned by Qui-Gon's 'saber.

"Qui-Gon doesn't need my help," Xanatos said, nodding in satisfaction. "Here." He pulled a blaster out of a pocket and gave it to Obi-Wan. "I don't know where your 'saber is..."

"I do, he locked it up over there," Obi-Wan said. "I'll get it."

"Be careful, and stay out of the way of the fighters." Xanatos stood and carefully examined his path to the other entrance.

"Where are you going?" Obi-Wan demanded, gaining his feet with a wince.

"To kill a rat," Xanatos said grimly.

"Xan...!" Obi-Wan called quietly after him, but Xanatos ignored him and made for the door through which Dooku had left.

PART NINE: Obi-Wan

Finding Dooku and six Jedi knights leisurely waiting for him after he managed to sneak into the Coruscant Temple was the most frustrating thing in Obi-Wan's young life. Watching Xanatos disappear through the door that Dooku had just left from was easily the second-most frustrating. Even had Obi-Wan been able to follow Xan, he couldn't -- not without his 'saber and definitely not without Qui-Gon.

He took a deep breath and winced at the pain of his cracked ribs. The knights with Dooku had been enthusiastic, to say the least, but he had managed to get a few licks in -- which might have accounted for the large bruise over his kidney.

Watching Qui-Gon fight was like watching poetry, Obi-Wan thought, and realized again that Xan was right about Qui-Gon being the best teacher for him. He wanted to move -- to fight -- like that. Centered and focused, Qui-Gon moved with deadly accuracy and skill, easily overcoming his opponent, who was, by this time, faltering badly. His face impassive, Qui-Gon pressed Mundi back and then back farther, driving him into a corner from which there was no way out.

Crossing blades with him, Qui-Gon locked his eyes onto the panicked ones of Mundi. "I have no wish to kill you, Ki," he said, his voice level and firm. "But I will, if I have to."

Mundi just snarled in reply, his face twisted up in rage. Obi-Wan couldn't see Qui-Gon's face from his vantage point, but he could feel the regret and sorrow over their bond, and sent a tiny pulse of love to soothe it. Whether or not Qui-Gon felt it, something helped him put on a burst of speed, and the next thing Obi-Wan knew, Ki-Adi Mundi was impaled on Qui-Gon's 'saber, a look of shock on his face that melted into absence as he slid into death.

Qui-Gon thumbed off his 'saber and drooped, panting, over Mundi's body. Obi-Wan managed to get to him and reached out a tentative hand. "He gave you no choice," he murmured, trying to comfort.

Abruptly, Qui-Gon turned and engulfed him in a tight embrace, which hurt his bruises but Obi-Wan didn't care. "Don't ever do that to me again," Qui-Gon said harshly. "I must have died a thousand deaths all the way here."

"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan gasped, trying to hold on as tightly as he was being held. "I'm sorry... I had to, had to..."

Releasing him with obvious reluctance, Qui-Gon cupped his cheek in one big, warm hand. With a start, Obi-Wan realized there were tears in his eyes. "We could have done it together, Obi. We're stronger together."

Fighting back anguished and shamed tears, Obi-Wan nodded. "I know, I know that now. I'm so sorry Qui-Gon." He buried his face in Qui-Gon's tunic and shook while Qui-Gon ran his hands up and down his back, sending soothing and healing Force energy into his abused body. "Xanatos!" Obi-Wan suddenly reared back in panic. "He went after Dooku alone!"

"What?!" Grabbing Obi-Wan's hand, Qui-Gon began to run toward the other door, but Obi-Wan tugged him back.

"Wait..." With the blaster Xanatos had given him, he blew away a cabinet door and pulled his 'saber out. "Now..."

Through the other door was another long, broad corridor, and they could feel a breeze. The two men moved silently down the hallway, hugging one wall, every sense on alert for traps. Obi-Wan wrapped one arm around himself, protecting the ache in his ribs, but concentrating on his master who was just before him. They had to get to Dooku before Xanatos... He couldn't finish the thought. He wouldn't.

At the end of this hallway was a huge room, several stories high, crowded with crates and boxes, and, remarkably enough, a small ship -- a corvette -- resting on a pad. The walls on the other side of the ship obviously opened outward to give it access, and Obi-Wan marveled anew at the sheer size and depth of the Jedi Temple. He'd only seen a small portion of it before he had been captured, but what he had seen had impressed him terribly.

The unmistakable sounds of a lightsaber battle came to them long before they reached the entrance to this hangar bay. As they reached the archway, they saw that Dooku was fighting a furiously-whirling Xanatos.

However, Dooku was not using a normal 'saber. He was using a red 'saber, one with a wickedly-hooked hilt.

Xanatos was holding his own but he was obviously tiring. Dooku, despite being decades older than the knight, was a ferocious fighter; he knew, and didn't hesitate to use hundreds of tricks learned throughout his long life. He was also Xanatos' grand-master -- he had taught the man who had taught Xanatos. There was little chance that Xan could win on his own.

Qui-Gon turned to Obi-Wan, and his eyes were hard. "Stay here," he said, punctuating his order with a gentle shake of Obi-Wan's shoulders. "I need to know you're safe." With no further words than that, Qui-Gon strode into the room.

"But who will keep you safe?" Obi-Wan murmured, his heart in his mouth as he watched his master and lover stalk towards the fighters.

Picking his moment carefully, Qui-Gon interrupted a slashing, downward stroke with his own 'saber and apparently startled Dooku, who raised his eyebrow at his former apprentice. "Two against one, Qui-Gon?" Dooku said in his elegant voice. "I believe I taught you better than that."

"What you taught me was that there is no such thing as a fair fight, when the fight is for your life," Qui-Gon said levelly. "And this is for far more than just our lives."

Breaking the tableau, both Qui-Gon and Xanatos danced away to take up ready positions on either side of Dooku. Xanatos was panting hard and bathed in sweat, and, with a start, Obi-Wan remembered Qui-Gon had just won another difficult battle himself.

"Think you can take us both on?" Qui-Gon asked Dooku, his voice acidic. "It shouldn't be that hard for the man who managed to kill Yoda."

Dooku said nothing in reply, but his eyes were as hard and cold as durasteel. Obi-Wan watched Qui-Gon spare a quick glance and brief smile to Xanatos before Dooku was attacking again.

Incredibly, Dooku's speed actually increased once he began fighting the two of them. His red 'saber was a flashing blur of light as he parried and attacked, never leaving himself open to any vulnerability. Xanatos took a high attack -- jumping and whirling above Dooku's head -- while Qui-Gon's approach was far more traditional, staying low and merely engaging in a relentless advance.

Unfortunately, Dooku's height nearly negated Xanatos' aerials, and there were hardly any moves that Qui-Gon had that Dooku didn't know about. Xan was out of practice and rapidly tiring, taking to the air less and less as the battle raged. After a particularly nasty parry, Xanatos came down wrong and stumbled back. Qui-Gon surged immediately forward to take up the slack, but the damage was done.

Dooku started throwing things at Qui-Gon and Xanatos, even as he continued his assault. Qui-Gon deflected and threw the majority of it back, but Xanatos was simply too tired to concentrate fully. One large crate managed to clip him in the back, and he pitched forward, hitting the floor hard, head-first.

"Xan!" Obi-Wan yelled as he thumbed his 'saber on and prepared to run to his friend's aid. Before he could do so, however, pounding footsteps from behind caused him to whirl and drop into a ready position, trying to protect his injured ribs.

"Thank the Force," he sighed as Mace Windu, Depa Billaba and two other knights charged into view. "In here!" Obi-Wan shouted, indicating the battle, even as he dashed heedlessly into the room.

Qui-Gon had managed to get between Dooku and the injured Xanatos, allowing Obi-Wan to concentrate on the fallen man. It was a strain on his injuries, but he managed to grab Xanatos under his arms and haul him out of the way, propping them both against a large pillar. Kneeling next to the unconscious Xanatos, Obi-Wan watched the confrontation.

Mace's deep purple 'saber was held high in one hand as he backed up Qui-Gon. Master Depa carried her 'saber -- of the same color as Mace's -- point down, in a style Obi-Wan recognized as similar to Master Adi's. The other knights ranged about the room, all with their 'sabers lit and ready. "This hardly seems fair, my friends," Dooku said, and while his voice was as smooth and unctuous as usual, his face was twisted into anger. "I am only one man--"

"One man who almost single-handedly managed to destroy the Jedi Order," Mace snarled.

"And I suppose you want me to thank you that I did not," Dooku snapped, some of his true feelings finally bleeding into his words.

"When did you become a Sith, Dooku?" Qui-Gon asked, trying to regain his breath. "Why? Why kill your own master?"

"My master was killed by Yoda," Dooku said harshly. "And as to why... someday, I think you'll understand why, Qui-Gon. Through sorrow and death and pain... oh, yes. You'll understand."

"Just tell me one thing, Dooku," Depa asked, visibly shaking in her anger, ignoring the words that sent a chill of prescience down Obi-Wan's spine. "Why did you try to kill the children -- our children?"

"I didn't need them anymore," Dooku replied casually, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the Jedi surrounding him. "I have found the One I need. Anything else, like young Kenobi over there, is purely a fortuitous extra." Qui-Gon inhaled sharply and would have charged, but for Mace's hand on his arm. "I don't need any of you anymore," Dooku added contemptuously. "Why should I rely on old-fashioned, 'natural' methods to create my army of the Dark?"

Mace made an impatient noise. "This is ridiculous. Drop your weapon, Dooku," he demanded. "Don't make us have to kill you -- and don't think we wouldn't enjoy doing it if we had to."

"If you do, then you've already taken one step on the road that has led me here," Dooku said, his lips curled in a humorless smile.

"Drop your weapon!"

"I think not." Dooku raised his hand, palm forward. Blue lightning shot from his palm and crashed into the two knights ranging him, tossing them hard, back into the wall. He turned toward Mace with the same gesture, but Mace caught the lightning with his 'saber. Obi-Wan's mouth fell open in surprise and shock.

"Not going to work with us, Dooku," Qui-Gon said in a tired voice. "Drop your weapon!"

His eyes narrowing, Dooku reached into a pocket of his elaborate surcoat and came out with a small glass vial. "I don't think I will," he said in a conversational voice. "And you don't really want me to. Because this weapon is far more destructive than my lightsaber."

Qui-Gon and Mace exchanged a glance, and Qui-Gon spared a look over to the side where Obi-Wan sat with a slowly-recovering Xanatos.

"You have an antidote for the old one, but this isn't the old one," Dooku said in a dangerous voice. He began slowly backing up toward his ship. "And it is far more deadly than the old one was. It's faster-spreading too."

"You wouldn't dare!" Depa cried, horrified.

"Ah, but I would, dear lady," Dooku said. "I, you see, am immune. You, unfortunately, are not. Within minutes, it would spread to the entire Temple -- but you wouldn't know that, you'd already be dead. Shall I throw down my weapon now?"

"You traitor," Qui-Gon gasped. "You're not just a Sith -- you're an abomination. I cannot understand..."

"I don' t care if you can or cannot understand," Dooku interrupted him. "I am getting on that ship and leaving now. If you want to live, you'll let me go."

"NO!" A sudden, shocking cry from behind Dooku surprised them all. Jocasta Nu, who should have been on Alderaan, Obi-Wan thought absurdly, was walking towards them from another entrance on the far side of the room. "You will not do this, Dooku," she said, steadily pacing towards him.

"Jocasta?" Dooku said, his face reflecting his surprise and distaste. "What are you doing here?"

"Saving your reputation!" Jocasta snapped back. "Don't make them think you're some kind of a Sith, Dooku," she urged. "Please, just put down your weapon--"

"You foolish woman!" Dooku snarled. Jocasta stopped and her face melted into confusion and anguish. "I am a Sith! Don't you understand? I didn't help Yoda kill Sidious, I killed Yoda! It's time to open your eyes, Jocasta Nu, and see what's before you. I am not who you think I am."

"No," She whispered, staggering. "You're not... you said... what we had..."

"What we had ended decades ago, Jocasta," Dooku said, his face as hard as his voice. "You never admitted that to yourself, and your blindness has been the only thing that has kept you alive. It won't any longer, as I can no longer afford to indulge it. Get out of my way."

Qui-Gon had been slowly inching up on Dooku as he spoke with Jocasta until he was almost close enough to reach with his 'saber... then Dooku abruptly turned and Force-shoved Qui-Gon away. He staggered and nearly fell, but held himself upright, barely.

As he half-turned from her, Jocasta cried out in rage and pain and threw herself at Dooku. He whirled back even as she did so, and her momentum carried her...

...thrust her forward, in one hideous, nightmarish moment...

...to be impaled on his 'saber.

Her eyes grew wide and she gasped -- a tiny bit of frothy blood appeared on her lips as Dooku's 'saber cauterized her heart. The moment was frozen in time: Dooku gasped, his mouth and eyes gaping in shock and pain, watching Jocasta Nu's death come into her eyes. "No," he whispered. "No, not this way! Why didn't you just leave... Why..."

Clutching at his hands, Jocasta gave one last, breathy moan before collapsing off his 'saber and on to the floor, her robes a puddle around her.

At least as stunned as the others, it was still Obi-Wan who noticed first. "Master! The vial!" It was no longer in Dooku's hand.

Not even Dooku had noticed, apparently, for he gaped at his hand for a moment before looking up and gesturing. There was an ominous creak above Obi-Wan and plaster began to rain down as the huge pillar against which he sat began to lean over and fall on him. With a yelp, he snatched the still-shocky Xanatos and tried to scrabble his way clear as the creaking, groaning mass slowly toppled down.

When it froze in mid-fall, Obi-Wan didn't pause to wonder why, he just took advantage and headed away, towards Qui-Gon, who materialized at his side, grabbing Xanatos from him and moving them all to safety. With a titanic crash, the pillar was thrown into Dooku's ship, out of the way of all the wounded, and both Depa and Mace slumped in exhaustion.

It wasn't until then that they realized that Dooku was no longer in front of them. Mace snatched his comm out of his belt. "Adi!" he shouted. "Dooku may be on his way out of the Temple -- set up a perimeter!" While he waited for confirmation, he and Depa went to check on the knights who had been tossed aside by Dooku, helping them up.

"Are you all right?" Qui-Gon asked Obi-Wan, then looked at Xanatos before looking again at Obi-Wan.

"What the hell happened?" Xanatos asked in a plaintive voice.

"We don't know where Dooku is," Qui-Gon said with a sigh. "He disappeared while the pillar was falling. Mace alerted Adi and hopefully he'll be caught before he can leave the Temple."

"And since we're not dead yet," Depa said, coming over to them in time to hear Qui-Gon's words, "Jocasta seems to have saved us all."

"Jo!" Qui-Gon said in anguish. Depa helped both Obi-Wan and Xanatos to their feet while Qui-Gon hurried over to the body of his friend. Mace was already there, carefully turning her over, his face reflecting his pain.

She was indeed dead. In one hand, clenched tightly, was the unbroken vial. Mace gently pried it from her fingers.

"We need to get the healers on this now," Qui-Gon said. His voice was thick, and Obi-Wan yearned to comfort him, but his injuries were really starting to make themselves known now; he felt like one huge ache and it was becoming hard to breathe. Qui-Gon slowly walked back to Obi-Wan and supported him tenderly. "I'm sure he's got the formula with him -- wherever he is."

"Yes," Mace replied heavily. He looked at the cradled vial in his hand, then tenderly reached down and closed Jocasta's eyes. "Rest in the Force, my friend," he murmured.

He stood, and the seven living Jedi slowly made their way out of the room, taking the wounded to be tended before coming back for the dead. Obi-Wan glanced helplessly back, and then stopped. A flash of blue drew his eye; he turned and carefully walked back to the partially-crushed ship, ignoring Qui-Gon's questions and the pain in his ribs and back that was clamoring for his attention.

The pillar had landed on the corvette's side, smashing the access doors, buckling one whole side in and ruining one thruster. Sticking out from under the pillar, between the ship and the bulk of the support, was a bit of blue cloth, the same color as Dooku's robe.

Qui-Gon, who had followed Obi-Wan over, inhaled sharply and swallowed. "I think..." Obi-Wan began, gingerly reaching out to touch the fabric.

Gently, Qui-Gon took Obi-Wan's hand and pulled it back. "Mace," he said, his voice thick, "I think you can call off the search for Dooku."

Instead of going off-planet as they had planned, the healers who had been liberated hustled back to their stations and immediately began investigating the new, incredibly lethal contagion that Mace gave them, working feverishly for an antidote or inoculation. They were taking no chances. The technicians in the Temple were working feverishly on Dooku's dataset files, trying to discover who, if anyone, he had been working with, and who else might have the formula for the disease. Of the other healers who had made their way to Alderaan, some returned to help and live in the old Temple, but many more chose to stay in the new one.

Sal-Yin Kenobi was reunited with her brother, and, within a few hours, her husband, Jonas Morells, as well. He had followed her to Coruscant secretly and had been working with the underground movement in the hopes that he would be able to get her out of the Temple. They were given a suite of rooms in the Temple -- one much more luxurious than either was used to -- and decided to stay until the baby was born, something that happened three days later.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan also stayed in the Coruscant Temple. Like many others, they chose new quarters and helped renovate the barracks back to private rooms, the way it had been before. Qui-Gon also helped sort out the almost-hopelessly-jumbled records and met -- as a member of the new Council -- with senators and local members of both the government and the resistance. It would take some time, but the Jedi would eventually have their good name back.

Obi-Wan's task was simple -- get caught up in his studies using the Temple's datasets and libraries. He rarely slept and only ate when his master noticed and nagged him into it, so deep was his concentration and joy at the enormous amount of reference material suddenly available to him. At times, he also acted as a liaison to the Council, for those Jedi who had been against Dooku but too afraid to leave. He became as popular in the Coruscant Temple as he had been on Alderaan.

Slowly, the Coruscant Temple began resembling the Temple it had been fifteen years earlier. Those that had gone to Alderaan began trickling back, helping to set things back to rights and settling out who would be staying in the Jedi Order and who would leave. Most of the knights who had been Seekers decided to leave, and were allowed to do so, after surrendering their 'sabers. The Council followed them closely and determined that most of them went into private or governmental security. However, the two knights who had been confined on Alderaan disappeared during the confusion after Dooku's death, and were not found. There was some speculation that they had found their way to Dooku's compatriots, assuming there were any, but it did no one any good to worry over it. The information was filed away for future reference, but definitely not forgotten.

Jocasta Nu's body was immolated the day after her death, with the reverence as befits a Jedi master. Three days later, after finally digging his crushed body out from under the pillar, Dooku was given the same treatment. When some protested the reverence granted, others reminded them that Dooku once was a great Jedi, for all he hadn't died as one.

When baby Mar-Win Kenobi Morells was two months old, her mother and father decided to return with her to Alderaan and, Qui-Gon insisted, Obi-Wan should go with them.

"You want me to what?" Obi-Wan demanded, appalled to find Qui-Gon already packing for him.

"I want you to go back to Alderaan with your sister, niece and brother-in-law," Qui-Gon replied placidly.

"You're sending me... are you trying to get rid of me?" Obi-Wan asked, stricken.

Qui-Gon looked aghast. "No! Of course not," he replied earnestly, taking Obi-Wan in his arms and hugging him tightly. Obi-Wan squeezed back just as tightly, realizing with a pang that they had both been so busy that there hadn't been much time lately to 'work on their bond'. He missed it.

"You've been working far too hard," Qui-Gon murmured into his hair. "I know you've got a lot of catching up to do, but... Love, you don't need to do it all at once." Obi-Wan smiled at the endearment and relaxed a tiny bit. "This will give you a chance to see your family settled, to get our things from the New Temple, to take a break."

"I'm not the only one working too hard," Obi-Wan mumbled, smiling into Qui-Gon's tunics. "You need a break too."

"I know," Qui-Gon replied with a sigh. "And I intend to take one, as soon as you return. We need to reconnect, I think, and I need to get off the damned Council."

"I think we need to work on our bond a bit too," Obi-Wan said, drawing back just far enough to see Qui-Gon's face.

A slow, sexy smile spread across it as Obi-Wan watched, and Qui-Gon slowly lowered his head until their lips touched. "I have a Council meeting in forty-five minutes," he murmured, kissing Obi-Wan again. "And your family's transport leaves in a bit over two hours."

"No time like the present, then," Obi-Wan said, kissing Qui-Gon back with heat. "Take me?" he whispered, and was rewarded by Qui-Gon's eyes beginning to smolder.

"I think I can be a little late," Qui-Gon replied, his voice throaty and dark.

The duffel he had been packing was abruptly tossed to the floor. Their clothing followed, in record time. The parti-colored bruises that had decorated Obi-Wan's body from the beating he took were gone now, but they both knew all too well where they had been. Qui-Gon stretched Obi-Wan out on the bed and slowly, lovingly kissed every area that had been hurt, taking his time and making sure his feelings were clear over their bond. They were indeed, and they inflamed Obi-Wan even further.

Qui-Gon turned Obi-Wan on his side and spooned up behind him, tucking as much of his padawan's compact body against his as he could, continuing to kiss and caress him gently. The tube of lubricant -- something that hadn't been used very much of late -- came to his hand at his call, and he opened it in one hand with practiced ease. Quickly, carefully, Qui-Gon was pressing deeply inside Obi-Wan, resting his forehead against the back of Obi-Wan's head.

Obi-Wan was gasping and trembling. Qui-Gon held as still as he was able, trying to let him adjust to the feeling of fullness. They fed their feelings back and forth across the ever-deepening bond they shared, reveling in being able to feel each facet of their sexual act from both sides, not sure where one of them left off and the other began.

They floated on a cloud of sensation, nestled closely one into the other like a puzzle box. Obi-Wan reveled in the thought that he fit Qui-Gon in every way, and hummed in appreciation when Qui-Gon sent the same thought back to him.

Finally, the pressure to move became too great. Slowly, Qui-Gon pulled out and just as slowly pushed back in, letting the rhythm of their coupling increase at its own pace, smoothly, naturally. "I have been so proud of you, my padawan," he murmured into Obi-Wan's ear. "It was a joyous day when you entered my life."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, the better to feel. "I love you, my master," he whispered, feeding the words through the bond as well as the air. "You and the Jedi... my life..."

"Intertwined," Qui-Gon said, instinctively understanding his meaning. "One from two."

"Yes... connected. Oh! Everywhere..."

"There is no Darkness we will be unable to conquer," Qui-Gon said, firmly driving into him deeply enough to touch his soul.

"Yes!" Obi-Wan said, arching back against his lover. "Oh, more, please, more!"

"Always..." Qui-Gon replied, tipping his body forward. "Promise me you will never leave me again," he gasped as he increased the power and intensity of his strokes.

"Never..." Obi-Wan gasped. "You, too, never leave me..."

With shocking suddenness, Obi-Wan was caught up in a terrible vision... He saw himself as an old man, living alone in a dirt hovel on the edge of a horrible desert. The vast loneliness and pain in the vision made his throat constrict and his heart stop in his chest.

Then, just as suddenly, the vision changed, and he saw himself with Qui-Gon, both of them old and comfortable, waiting... waiting for something that would change the universe -- for good or ill he could not say -- but they waited, waited together.

Together.

With a strangled scream, Obi-Wan convulsed, his climax ripping through him with the force of an ion storm. Through the bond, faintly through his own intense ecstasy, he could feel Qui-Gon's overwhelming passion and need. Qui-Gon tipped him further over and began pounding into him, engulfing him, holding his body so tightly he felt his newly-healed ribs creak in protest.

When Qui-Gon came, the staggering intensity of it set off another orgasm in Obi-Wan's head, a firestorm of sensation that fed back in on itself until his mere human brain was no longer capable of processing it, and he faded into warm darkness, safe within the circle of Qui-Gon's arms.

EPILOGUE

Dear Sala,

Thank you for your letter, and yes, I made it back to the Temple fine, which you know, you crazy fem! I called you... at quite an expense, I might add!

I'm glad Mari is doing well now, I felt so bad for her on the transport. I know that some people just can't take hyperspace travel, and it sounds like she's one of them. I'm glad her Uncle Obi was able to help some during the trip.

And no, you don't have to bring her to the Temple for testing if you don't want to. Those days are past, all right? But I think you might want to if -- or when! -- she starts levitating furniture around the house...

Qui-Gon and I are hoping that we'll be put on the task force that's trying to find information on Dooku's work and contacts, but until I catch up with my studies, we're kind of stuck here at the Temple. Qui-Gon is pleased with the progress I've made though. I can't tell you how terrific it is to have all this reference material in one place!

I can see your head shaking from here, so just stop it. Just because you're illiterate is no reason to pick on your baby brother.

At least my being on Coruscant means you can't smack me for saying things like that!

Squeaker is settling in nicely here, I'm glad you met her. She's decided that she really likes this Temple, even though there aren't as many places to get into trouble. She's already presented the Council with a dead rat, a small one of course, since she's pretty small herself, but still... I think she's going to earn her keep. Everyone knows her and indulges her a bit too much. Padawan Bay -- you met her, she's the girl who was taking care of Squeaker while we were away -- was really upset that Squeaker was coming back to Coruscant, until her master told her they were coming back too.

There's some talk about making the Alderaan Temple the home for all the initiates, instead of keeping them on Coruscant. I can understand that -- Alderaan just feels so much better. Bail would be happy with that too, even though he'd lose his make-out spot.

And no, it's none of your business what Bail and I have done in the past!

I swear, you're worse than Mother used to be, asking all these personal questions... no, I'm not going to marry Qui-Gon, at least not yet, I'm still a padawan! But yes, we probably will in a few years. We're bonded, sort of like Mari and I. Which reminds me, if you DO bring Mari to the Temple, she'll have a ready-made master waiting for her when she's ready to become a padawan.

And for the millionth time, YES I'm happy I'm a padawan! You'll never understand it, Sala, but it's beyond wonderful for me. I have the best master in the galaxy, and I'm learning to do things I never thought I could. So get off it already!

Xanatos is fine now, he says he's too hard-headed -- and backed! -- to be down for long. All right, you gossip-monger, here's a tidbit -- I think Xan and Siri might be an item. They've been going out together. It's really great, I love them both and want the best for them.

Qui-Gon sends his love, which makes me crazy but there you go. I'll keep writing whenever I can, but truly, don't expect it too often for the next year or so, all right? There's just too much for me to do. But I will write as often as I can, and keep you up-to-date on everything that's happening.

Give my love to Jonas, and give Mari a hug and kiss from her Uncle Obi. You, of course, can just go jump in the lake, like we used to say!

Oh, and by the way, I'm waiting to be an uncle to a little boy, so get cracking!

Love,

PADAWAN Obi-Wan

P.S. My dear Sal-Yin, please don't worry. I love Obi-Wan more than I love my life, and will do everything in my power to see to it that he's safe and well -- always. The life of a Jedi is a hard one, make no mistake, but together, we'll be able to face any trial. We are strongest together.

Your concern for him is hardly wrong -- in fact, it does you credit. Please know that he is as concerned over your well-being as you are for his. Love, my dear, is the strongest force in the universe, and is never in the wrong.

May the Force be with you.

Qui-Gon Jinn

end