Eyes of Naboo

by Sue

Feedback: swanage@rocketmail.com

Archive: master_apprentice, CKoS, others please ask

Category: angst

Rating: NC17

Spoilers: SW:TPM plus hints of SW:ANH

Summary: In the forests of Naboo our heroes prepare for the fight of their lives against the Trade Federation and the Darkside of the Force.

Notes: First published, May 2000, in Dark Fantasies 7 edited by Jo Ann McCoy (jmmccoy@qwest.net) Issues of this zine are still available. Please contact Jo Ann if you're interested in purchasing it. I can answer questions about fandoms/authors included.

Web page: My fiction, from a variety of fandoms, can be found at The Pest House http://www.tifling.demon.co.uk/Zsue/zsue.htm hosted by Pollyanna Direct story URL: http://www.tifling.demon.co.uk/Zsue/eyes.htm

Enjoy!

affectionately
Sue

Naboo burned.

Elsewhere Senate politicians bickered and bureaucrats blindly followed procedure.

And still Naboo burned.

Elected, yet merely a token figurehead for the pacifist Naboo, Queen Amidala floundered in a quicksilver world of shadowy alliances and Janus-deceit. The Queen pondered her options. It did not take long. Fight and risk a bloodbath of planetary proportions, or stand by and witness her people's enslavement by traitorous galactic forces.

In truth it was no choice.

Her assets were few: beleaguered security forces, a Jedi Knight and his apprentice, and an untried alliance with the Gungan. The Knight, stern and deeply enmeshed in the ways of the Force, offered her counsel. He advised a momentary tactical retreat.

The Queen acquiesced and fled with her dwindling forces to the ancient forests of Naboo.

Arms folded protectively across his chest, Obi-Wan Kenobi leant, shoulder first, into the trunk of a wide-girthed tree. He watched ceremonial palace guards struggle with the tools of war to transform themselves into warriors. Watched disarray and confusion gain succour from the fear gnawing at the minds of those around him. Watched as the Naboo and Gungan trod uneasily around each other's suspicions. Watched as the Queen's meagre forces, depleted by battle fatigue and desertion, prepared to battle the relentless droid troops of the Trade Federation.

One nightfall was all that was left to them.

He swung back, rested the width of his shoulders against the thousand year old gnarled bark. Its weathered exterior testified to its long struggle for life against the elements. Empires had risen and fallen, galactic wars and internecine strife had ravaged a multitude of planetary systems, all in the span of one long life. This ancient life form had withstood all its foes, so to life would continue in the universe, the Force would still be, regardless of the outcome of their struggle.

Her finery disposed of in favour of a plain, black tunic, the Queen strode by deep in conversation, planning and plotting with her chief advisor. Outwardly confident, he could still sense her trepidation. She hid it well, yet .... Yet she was inexperienced in the ravages of war. One so young and untested should not be forced to contemplate a bloody insurrection such as this. Now was her time for youthful indiscretion and exuberance. She should be seeking adventure and pleasure with those of her own age. He grinned. Youthful indiscretion was something he was well acquainted with, much to his Master's chagrin.

Could she unite all these peoples with their divergent interests and contrary attitudes and rally them in the defence of an entire planet? Doubt sprang up within him. Swiftly he smothered the germinating seed. Their forces would have to be sufficient. There was no room for failure; the Jedi Council would expect nothing less than success from their ambassadors. He willed the doubt away. Hope was all they could trust in.

A growl from his belly brought Obi-Wan's attention back to more mundane concerns. Abandoning his perch, he set off in search of sustenance. As he wended his way through the camp snippets of conversation caught his attention. He sensed ripples of emotion, roiling like eddies in a stream, clashing discordantly with the air of confidence that he saw about him. He struggled to project an aura of serenity, to calm and soothe those around him. His Master had wryly observed that serenity was forever a battlefield on which Obi-Wan died. His only success had come with solitude, distanced from the distractions to which he continually weakened.

He persisted in his search for serenity nonetheless.

It did not take long to find the hastily erected field kitchen. The air was heady with exotic spices as an ancient Gungan stooped over a pot, mumbling incantations as he stirred. Obi-Wan grabbed a bowl, filled it, and devoured the stew ravenously. A second bowl followed swiftly on the heels of the first. Bowing his thanks to the cook, he stepped to the well to quench his thirst. Water splashed on his tunic as he ladled it from the bucket to his cup. He brought the cup to his lips and drank deeply of the crisp, refreshing liquid, wiping his mouth on his sleeve when he was done. Now, his belly full, his hunger sated, he carefully surveyed the encampment.

A boy's laugh cracked through his veneer of calm.

He froze. All his senses focused in on his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, as he knelt on one knee in front of the boy, animatedly explaining something. The boy slowly turned his head and stared with piercing, knowing eyes straight into the soul of a disconcerted and uncertain Padawan, reviving memories of their introduction.

"I'm Anakin Skywalker." The boy held out his hand with all the confidence of one three times his age.

Obi-Wan took it cautiously. As his fingers tightened about the boy's he knew with every cell of his being that he was teetering on the cusp of some great divide. His life was linked inexorably with that of this boy. At the periphery of the Force a momentary flash of an untold future jangled discordantly, yet the boy's innocent smile quieted the warning and placated Obi-Wan's fears.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi." He dipped his head respectfully.

"I'm going to be a Jedi too."

"So I understand."

"Now, now," Qui-Gon interrupted, "we must talk with the Council first."

"Oh they'll agree," the boy asserted confidently.

"They will?" Obi-Wan feigned surprise.

"Yes, they will."

The smile died on Obi-Wan's lips as the icy-cold strength in the boy's words sliced through him. This one was not to be crossed warned some inner voice. Obi-Wan reached tentatively through the Force toward his Master, trying to gauge his reaction to the boy. Qui-Gon appeared oblivious and was clearly already smitten. His withdrawal from Obi-Wan had begun as his focus shifted from his current Padawan's needs to this child who might be the Chosen One. Obi-Wan reassured himself that it was only natural that his Master should want a new Padawan. The Trials, after all, were soon to be faced and when he passed it would be time to move on.

The boy stared at Obi-Wan as if ... as if he understood every thought perfectly.

Obi-Wan shook himself. No that wasn't possible in one so young and untutored in the ways of the Force.

As he glanced away, a shiver skittered up his spine. He took a deep calming breath. His own fears for the future were clearly getting out of control when they warped his view of so young a child. A moment's self-reflection and he regained his equilibrium. He glanced back to where Qui-Gon now stood alone with the Queen. A gesture of summons from his Master and Obi-Wan moved to his side in a couple of strides.

"Obi-Wan please escort the Queen as we discussed."

"Yes, Master." He bowed politely.

"Master Jinn?" The Queen's voice, while questioning, carried quiet confidence.

"We were sent to protect you," Qui-Gon stated baldly.

She nodded her agreement.

Qui-Gon stepped away and gestured that the Queen should follow him. She took her place by his side and they headed away from the bustling activity, making their way deeper into the forest. As they walked, Obi-Wan took his place a few steps behind the two of them. Waiting to be of service.

"Please trust my judgment and go with my Padawan."

She glanced back. What she made of him, Obi-Wan was unable to discern. Her face remained placid and quiet, so he merely bowed in acknowledgement.

"He will ensure you live to see another sunrise."

A protest rose to her lips.

Qui-Gon halted and turned to her, his face stern and unyielding. The argument clearly lost before it could be made, the Queen acknowledged defeat graciously, nodded with a slight courteous bow. With outward equanimity, she permitted Obi-Wan to lead her away from her entourage and bodyguards.

Each step took them further and further from the familiar world of the Naboo and deeper into the unknown, until all trace of their comrades was no more than the distant murmur of a babbling stream. The light was fading too, yielding to darkness' thrall. Obi-Wan wove a path, surefooted and purposeful, guiding his charge's every step.

The Queen broke the silence that had lasted between them since they left the encampment. "Isn't there greater safety in numbers?"

"Sometimes."

They continued on a few more strides.

"Why are we ..."

In the half-light he pressed a finger to her lips and scanned the horizon purposefully. In a whisper he explained, "Assassins are everywhere. An attempt on your life was made earlier today in camp."

"But ..." Her surprise was clear

"Listen to me!" He took hold of her shoulder and pulled her face close to his. "Qui-Gon dealt with the assassin but he was difficult to unmask. His intentions were obscured by the thoughts of others contemplating the coming battle. Qui-Gon believes there are others in the camp who wish ill for you. Out here the approach of an assassin will be easier to read."

The Queen shook herself loose and twisted away from him. After a moment's consideration she quietly stated, "I will do as you ask."

They continued on again, in silence.

Finally, Obi-Wan found that which he sought. "This will do. We'll sleep here tonight." He gestured to the ground and waited.

The Queen glanced around nervously.

"We'll be safe here," he reassured with a gentle touch on her arm.

She nodded and lowered herself to the ground. Once his charge was comfortably settled, Obi-Wan found a place for himself nearby.

Sleep evaded Obi-Wan. He had always found that the heart of a forest was a quiet, restful place, soothing to both body and soul but here in the star-broken dark he could hear every creak, snap and rustle. The bustle of Coruscant would have been less tumultuous. And there was something else too. Far off to be sure, a little beyond his ability to discern with clarity, but gaining on them, darkening the future's horizon.

"Obi-Wan?" The Queen's whisper broke his focus.

"Yes?" A single word that he weighted with quiet reassurance.

"You've been a Jedi a long time haven't you?"

Obi-Wan smiled. "Yes."

"Do you not miss your family?"

"The Jedi are my family." The well-worn phrase came automatically to his lips.

"How much longer will you be an apprentice?"

Obi-Wan laughed. "So many questions." He sensed the reddening of her blush.

"Please pardon my curiosity but you Jedi are a mystery. All I know about your order I've learned from rumours, half-heard whispers and illicit innuendo. I want to know the truth, to understand, to ..."

"Okay, okay." Obi-Wan surrendered. "I don't know how much longer I'll be an apprentice. Master Jinn thinks I'm ready but ..." His words ebbed as he considered his Master and the discord that had come to their relationship. The boy's presence had forced him to face the thought of a future without his Master.

He sensed the Queen shift uncomfortably. His silence perplexed her. Before she could voice another question he sent a wave of tiredness through the Force to envelop her and she surrendered to sleep.

Flames of red heat, entwined with tentacles of death-black, licked at the stone walls as he ran. Dark forces gathered and railed forward in deadly pursuit. The temple walls shuddered with the battering. Obi-Wan fled deeper as the thunderous footsteps closed on him.

"Your powers are weak," bellowed the pursuer.

He twisted about, jumping like a puppet controlled by a sinister Master hidden in the depths of the Force.

Fear goaded him, driving him forever forward, seeking he knew not what. He knew he would fail again though. Fail to be a true Jedi. Fail to live up to his Master's expectations.

"You should not have come back," a voice taunted him.

Empty room after empty room discovered and abandoned. He had to flee, escape the pursuer's deadly embrace. "Fear leads to the Dark Side." He trembled with the remembrance of Yoda's words.

"I've been waiting for you Obi-Wan."

Hands clutched at him. He twisted and flailed under their grasp but they tightened their grip. Nails dug into his flesh, piercing his skin. He drew his lightsaber and lashed out blindly. A ripple in the Force knocked it easily from his hand. "I am the Master now," reverberated through his soul as he was shoved face first against a stone wall. Arms encircled him and he was drawn, close into an intimate dark embrace, tight against a chest clothed in body armour. A cloak of black swirled about him and concealed them from eager, depraved eyes.

"Don't run from me Padawan, I will give you what you want." The words were followed by a mechanical inhalation.

"But Master, there is much danger, can you not feel it?" Obi-Wan dared not turn, frightened what he might see in his Master's eyes.

Shards of dark energy sliced through him where their bodies made contact. Tendrils of pain spiked deep in his flesh, searing him with desire.

"Have no fear, Obi-Wan. Trust me."

Hands explored under his tunic, slithering across his chest, twisting his nipples painfully before descending and roughly pawing his hard cock and heavy wanting balls. His trousers were ripped open, torn seam from seam. Hands grasped his hips and rocked him against the stone, chafing his cock whilst bites were interspersed with hard, sucking kisses against his neck.

Palms travelled further while his hips continued their rhythm unprompted. Slivering down the crease between torso and leg, fingers teased as they traversed back and forth, avoiding his balls but encouraging their ache. Drawn back into an embrace, his buttocks felt the press of the divining rod that would soon part them. Obi-Wan shivered, a low moan echoing in his chest. He was ready.

"Spread." His Master's voice, laced with wanton lust, panted hard at his ear.

Obi-Wan splayed his legs wide, leant forward and rested one shoulder and the side of his face against the rough hewn wall, welcoming the cool respite and gaining strength from it. Oily fingers pried between his buttocks, sought entrance to his body and forced their way inside. Fear flowed freely through him as he was stretched to his breaking point then ebbed as pleasure crashed behind in its wake.

He closed his eyes and waited, wanting. Wanting to be possessed, to be taken, to have all questions and doubt driven from him. A mask rasped the nape of his neck and an artificial exhalation grazed the curve of his ear as a voice echoed, "Now the circle is complete." Fear rose as bile, then receded as the image of his Master's bowed head suffused his mind's eye. The head lifted free from the shadows, faced up into the light and lips whispered a silent incantation.

"Take a breath, Obi-Wan." His Master's words whispered hoarsely against his ear.

Dread rose again from within as hardness butted at his asshole, demanding entrance, whilst gloved hands regrasped his hips. Another mechanical breath, fingers tightened, and a dark, demanding voice commanded, "Do it!"

He surrendered, obeyed his Master, and his ass was filled. Panic rose, then abated as a fist distracted him with firm, swift strokes on his cock. His Master's murmuring hum brushed against his neck as he steadied his breath. His cheek pressed to cold stone, Obi-Wan silently prayed.

"Say it out loud, Padawan," his Master commanded.

The litany raced through his mind.

The invader retreated. Slowly. Obi-Wan's cock was released, left to hang in the wind, abandoned.

"Say it." His Master demanded his tribute.

Obi-Wan swallowed hard. "Fuck me."

"What was that?"

"Fuck me, Master!"

"I didn't hear you."

Desperate, Obi-Wan bellowed, "Fuck me, Master!"

A searing burn of pleasure ripped through Obi-Wan's ass and spiked to his groin as his possessor's hips thrust violently back and forth. Ecstasy arose from within, flooding him with a tumult of sensation. Unleashed, years of repressed emotion were summoned as his Master finally fucked him. Battered by his Master's lust, his own was driven from its chained prison until he could deny it no longer. His seed pulsed forth, splattering the wall, declaring his devotion.

Obi-Wan woke with a start, sweat beaded on his forehead, disorientated as the first light of a new day spun dappled patterns of shade and light through the breeze brushed trees. It had been several months since he had last had the dream. His cock throbbed hard with need and leaked profusely. The vision had never been this powerful before.

He reached out to the Force but his connection was tenuous. A suffocating fog enveloped him, damp and cold gathered around him. He needed to meditate, to dampen the wanting, to clear the fog, break through the grayness that was isolating him. The Queen slept on, fitfully to be sure, but still oblivious to his confusion. He stripped off his outer clothes and stood, keeping only enough covering to maintain his modesty. The cold morning air felt good against his skin as it blanched the feverish warmth of his dream. He stood quietly, head bowed and opened himself to the will of the Force.

A tremor in the Force warned of Qui-Gon's imminent arrival. Obi-Wan withdrew from his meditative state. Head raised, he waited. As his Master came close, he bowed deeply.

Qui-Gon halted several meters away. "The forest has eyes."

Obi-Wan closed the distance between them. "Let them watch if they must."

Qui-Gon spoke more softly, "The Jedi Council would not approve, my Padawan."

"When did that ever concern you?" shot back Obi-Wan, a cocky grin playing upon his lips.

Qui-Gon laughed. "You know me well, Obi-Wan."

"Not as well as I'd like, Master."

"You'd like to know me better, Padawan?"

"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan bowed again.

Tentatively, Qui-Gon reached out and let his fingertips skitter lightly across Obi-Wan's chest, before catching hold of his braid. Tensing the plait, he brushed it back and forth across a nipple, causing the dark flesh to stiffen and wrinkle.

"This is not for we Jedi, Padawan. We must have no family, no place to call our own, nothing that binds our allegiance. Emotional ties blind us to the will of the Force," Qui-Gon explained as if reciting a tired and well used lecture. He released the braid and let his hand drop to his side.

"But, Master ..." Obi-Wan paused before committing the ultimate act of indecency for a Jedi. "Master, you are my family, my home. Everything."

"Give up your calling as a Jedi, would you?"

"No!" A puzzled frown creased Obi-Wan's brow.

Qui-Gon laughed, though his eyes remained untouched and unreadable. "You certainly aim high, my Padawan. Few Jedi have managed the feat you are proposing without surrendering to the Dark Side."

"I ... we can do it."

Conflicting emotions warred within Obi-Wan as he waited, desperately wanting Qui-Gon to choose him.

"How can I refuse you anything?" Qui-Gon mused, his voice a sad whisper.

Obi-Wan's thoughts strayed to the boy.

"Anything but that."

"Master?"

Ignoring Obi-Wan's query, Qui-Gon loosened the fabric that covered Obi-Wan's loins and let it fall to the ground. He took the freed shaft in his hand and stroked it purposefully, eliciting a soft, welcoming moan from his pupil.

"How long?" his words husky as he continued to stroke.

Obi-Wan arched, his hips curving forward toward the hand pleasuring him. Qui-Gon stepped closer, his hand unrelenting, never faltering in its rhythm. Obi-Wan rested his head against Qui-Gon's chest, his breathing erratic, overwhelmed by the scent of his own desperate arousal.

"How long have you wanted this, Obi-Wan?"

"For many years, Master."

A hand ruffled his hair.

"You hid it well, Padawan."

Fingers laced themselves through Obi-Wan's hair and tugged his head back. Lips briefly brushed his, whilst the hand gained in momentum. Qui-Gon knelt, brushing his lips against Obi-Wan's curving belly as he descended.

"Thank ... you ... Master." Obi-Wan could barely speak. Hot breath grazed his cockhead.

"This is now. This is not a promise of things to come."

"Yes, Master," he replied dutifully. Obi-Wan pressed his hands to the crown of Qui-Gon's head and urged the penitent man to take the final step. Let his master think what he would, he'd change his mind later; distract him from the boy.

A screech blared loud, startling them both. Wings blustered and a clutch of unseen animals scampered through the undergrowth, darting away, spreading the panic.

Qui-Gon stood, abandoned his Padawan and rushed towards the sound, hand poised on the hilt of his lightsaber, prepared to fight. "Queen Amidala?" He grabbed hold of her wrist and hoisted her up unceremoniously, scanning the area, trying to sense any other disturbance.

Clothes gathered up in his arms, Obi-Wan hurriedly dressed. He could hear their conversation.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"We should go now and meet up with the others."

Their words faded as Qui-Gon guided Obi-Wan's charge away from him.

A few moments later Obi-Wan caught up. He slowed, out of breath, still rearranging his clothes as he took up position by the Queen's side. She nodded, acknowledging his presence, her face a bland, regal mask.

He nodded back, flushed, surprised at his own embarrassment.

The two men exchanged glances. Qui-Gon was serious once more, in full control, no sign of desire or erotic hunger. "We'll ... talk later Padawan, when Naboo is free and our work here complete."

"Yes, Master," he acquiesced.

They continued on in silence until they reached the Queen's camp and the assembled forces. The battle with the Trade Federation was but a few hours away. There was no more time to prepare. Now they had to defend Naboo.

The pyre blazed hot and Obi-Wan burned with it. Billowing waves of heat brushed his skin, the last tender touch his love would ever bestow on him. Flames consumed Qui-Gon's body, destroying the dead husk, releasing the last of his Life Force back into the universe. Obi-Wan's world incinerated to smoke and ash. Dark forces were gathering around him, closing in. A future littered with pain and death waited to be faced.

He clung to a tiny ember of hope, his only hope: the future of a boy.

His Master's chosen Padawan.

Now his charge.

One by the name of Skywalker.

The End