* Category. Please list any and all of the following categories
which best fit your story:
Non Q/O
Hurt/Comfort
Angst
Action/Adventure
First-Time
Romance
* Rating: NC-17
* Warnings: This is a crossover story, dealing with a slash
romance between Walter Skinner from the X Files, and ObiWan
Kenobi! Yeah, I know! Try it and see what ya think!
* Spoilers: Well, QG is dead. I'm sorry, but if you've seen the
film you know that already!
* Summary: A grieving Obi-Wan, unable to get over the death of
his lover, makes a journey to a new land, and finds a new love
as he battles with the dark side.
Feedback would be great. If you want to see pics illustrating
this story, please visit my site:
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/min/
The planet of Irudan was nothing but a giant dustbowl. Nothing
grew here, and the only movement was the wild flurrying of the
light, grainy soil as the wind ripped through it. Obi-Wan
landed his small ship somewhat clumsily, thinking wistfully
that Anakin had made a much better landing on their last trip
here. There was no space-port on this world, nothing but one
old hut, wherein lived the strange Azhari woman - the last
representative of her race, or so she claimed. Obi-Wan wasn't
so sure. He sensed she didn't lie, but then again, neither did
she speak the whole truth.
Obi-Wan covered his face with the corner of his robe, lowered
the ramp, and walked out into the dust storm. He ran towards
the hut, and found the door open, and the woman waiting for
him.
"Obi-Wan." She didn't seem surprised to see him. He felt she
should be. It had surprised him that he had decided to return
to this place.
"Azhari." He bowed. He thought it strange that she chose to
call herself by the name of her race, and he wondered again at
the mystery of her people. She smiled at him, her deep grey
eyes calm and clear. "You were expecting me." It was a
statement rather than a question.
"Yes, Obi-Wan. You have not been at peace since you found me
here last year. I knew you would return. Here, let me take your
cloak."
"At peace?" Obi-Wan mused, handing her his cloak, and crouching
for a moment beside her fire. "No, Honored Azhari, I think that
it has been many years since I knew peace."
"Agreed." Azhari hung up his cloak, and poured him a glass of
water from a large pitcher. Obi-Wan had no idea where she found
food and water on this arid desert. How did she manage to
survive on such an inhospitable world? He had asked her this
question once, and she had merely smiled, and replied that the
Azhari were a resourceful people.
They were silent for a long while. Obi-Wan gazed into the fire,
and Azhari gazed at Obi-Wan. After many long hours, the woman
spoke.
"You have come here seeking the Gate."
Obi-Wan hesitated. Was that why he was here? Objectively he
knew that it was, that it had to be, but why? He had so much in
this universe - the fellowship of his Jedi comrades, the
friendship of his brilliant young padawan, and yet?
"You miss him still." Azhari murmured.
Obi-Wan looked up, startled. "How did you??" He began, then
shook his head. "He was my everything. I find I miss him more,
not less with each day that passes."
"I understand. It was thus with me, when my people died."
Azhari said, her clear, deep voice, echoing like a mellow flute
in the small hut.
"To lose a whole race?" Obi-Wan could not begin to conceive of
her loss.
"To lose one, or many?grief is grief." Azhari shook her head.
"It's been seven years." Obi-Wan got to his feet angrily. "I'm
a Jedi - I should be able to move beyond my own feelings."
"You can, and you do. From what I see, you do very well, Master
Kenobi." Azhari told him.
Her blonde hair shone in the firelight. She wasn't beautiful,
but there was an ageless, timeless quality to her. He couldn't
begin to guess how old she was. She had, he sensed, always been
here, always this age, since the universe began, and she would
always be here, unchanging, until it ended. It was a mystery he
could not hope to understand.
"You and Qui-Gon were pair bonded, a fusion of flesh and spirit
so deep as to form one being. No wonder you still mourn his
loss, Obi-Wan," she murmured softly.
"Yes." Obi-Wan plucked sadly at the hem of his tunic,
remembering his master, the feel of the other man's long hair
beneath his fingers, and the exquisite sensation of his
master's lean, powerful body moving against his as they made
love. He could hear Qui-Gon's voice whispering to him in the
privacy of their rooms, speaking of a love more true than
either of them had ever hoped to know.
"You're lonely." Azhari gently stroked his hair, and he looked
up into her eyes and saw himself reflected in them - lost and
sad.
"Yes. People tell me there will be others, that I'm young, that
I should look for someone else, but?"
"Nobody is like Qui-Gon," she finished for him.
"How could they be?" He asked in despair. "He was a good man,
the best. How could I ever find another with a heart as noble
and true?"
"Ah." Azhari held his head between her pale fingers, and he
trembled at the power of the force within her. This was not his
force though, nor any power he knew or understood - it was
something utterly different, completely alien, and it made him
feel dizzy. "There are many worlds out there, Obi-Wan. Many
times, many places, and many people. I'm sure there must be one
person with as good a heart as your lost love."
He knew she was mocking him, although her tone was gentle.
"Maybe." Obi-Wan didn't want to hear her words.
"I seem to recall also that Master Jinn was an obstinate man,
and headstrong. Wilful and sometimes lacking in the proper
attention to his masters," she murmured, a wry smile playing
around her lips.
Obi-Wan looked up angrily, then had to laugh. "I agree he
wasn't perfect," he acknowledged, "but I loved him."
"And can you truly find no purpose in your life since he died?"
She asked him. "What of your padawan?"
"Anakin? He's very much his own person. At his age I followed
my master around like a puppy, but Anakin can't wait to be free
of me."
"That's not true," Azhari reprimanded gently. "He is a free
spirit that one." Her eyes became dreamy for a moment, and she
gazed into space for several seconds. "Someone will tame him,"
she murmured, stoking the fire, "but it will not be you, Obi-
Wan."
"I wouldn't want to!" Obi-Wan retorted. "That isn't the Jedi
way."
"No." Azhari gave a sad smile. "Where is your young apprentice
now?"
"Visiting his friend, the Queen Amidala." Obi-Wan shrugged. "It
does us both good to have a few weeks apart each year, and he
always goes eagerly enough."
"I see - and you are at a loose end." Azhari observed.
"I want my own destiny!" Obi-Wan cried. "I agreed to train
Anakin because my master laid an oath upon me, but the boy
doesn't need me any more. Master Yoda could finish his
training. I need, I want?to find myself again."
"And you thought to use the Gate to do that?" Azhari asked.
Obi-Wan looked up. Had he been that transparent? "I warned you
when you were here before - the Gate is not to be used
lightly." Azhari's voice was firm. "Many of those who go, never
return."
There was silence for a moment, then Obi-Wan looked up and said
what was in his heart.
"I'm not sure that I want to return."
Azhari shook her head. "I'm not convinced, Master Kenobi. Those
who use the Gate out of grief, or to escape their sorrows,
rarely find what they seek. Sorrow and grief go with you,
wherever you journey."
"Please?" Obi-Wan was surprised by the force of his plea. "I'll
take my chances, Azhari, but please, please let me go."
"The Gate has been here since the beginning of time, and will
be here until the end - and beyond." Azhari said the words as
if intoning a prayer. "I could not sanction its misuse. Only
the pure of heart may pass through."
"You find me lacking?" Obi-Wan asked.
"No." Azhari shrugged. "Listen to me though, Obi-Wan. This
galaxy is a huge place - there is so much in the here and now
that you haven't explored. Why do you think that you would fare
better throwing yourself into the unknown? I have no control
over your destination - you could literally end up anywhere."
"I know." Obi-Wan assured her.
"And anywhen," she emphasised.
His eyes widened, and he knew that she saw what he had tried to
keep secret since his arrival - the hope he had kept in his
heart since he and Anakin had discovered this planet and its
mysterious Gateway months ago.
"Oh, Obi-Wan! It is unlikely you'll find your master in the
past!" Azhari exclaimed, her gray eyes glowing in distress.
"But I can feel it!" Obi-Wan got up excitedly, and paced
around. " Before I came into Qui-Gon's life there were decades
when he was alone. I could find him then, when he was young. We
could be together in the past, as we cannot be in the present."
"Obi-Wan." Azhari raised her hand. "It's not likely, my dear."
"But worth a try," Obi-Wan insisted stubbornly.
"To give up your life here, to abandon your oath, and your
padawan, and chase a hope borne out of grief and loneliness?"
Azhari chided gently.
"Yes!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "You do not know what Qui-Gon meant
to me!"
"I think I do."
"And you said before - that if someone is truly pure of heart,
if they go through the Gate full of hope for what they will
find there, then their deepest wish might be granted them!"
"I have heard oftentimes that people find this is not what they
thought it might be," Azhari told him, looking at him keenly.
"Give this up, Obi-Wan. Return to Coruscant, to your padawan,
and your friends. Learn to be happy with what you have, and
stop chasing after ghosts."
Obi-Wan shook his head and they locked gazes for what felt like
an eternity. Finally she broke the eye contact, and chuckled
ruefully. "I see that Master Jinn was not the only one who is
headstrong," she murmured.
"Does that mean you'll help me?" He asked her.
"No," she replied. "Will that stop you?" She inquired.
He thought about it for a moment. "No," he answered.
She nodded. "Farewell then, Obi-Wan. I will keep a watch for
your return, and pray that you may find whatever you seek on
your journey."
"Thank you." He stood, and bowed before her, then looked around
uncertainly.
"There is no great secret." She shrugged, handing him his
cloak. "I will give you no aid, but neither will I stop you."
She held open the door to the hut, and he gave her a determined
smile, raised his hood, then stepped out into the howling
dust-storm.
Obi-Wan staggered across the plain towards the rock that marked
the Gateway. There was no altar here, no statues, no temple -
nothing to show that this was a place of such immense power and
purpose. The keeper of this sacred place held the mysteries of
the universe in her hand, and yet she lived alone in a tiny
hut, condemned to spend an eternity on this ravaged world.
Obi-Wan stopped beside the rock, and knelt in the dust. He
tried to clear his mind, to ignore the swirling dirt, and to
bring himself to a state of purity. After several long minutes,
he found himself calm in purpose and intent. He held the wish
of his heart deep within, and asked the blessing of the
Guardians of this place as he stepped across the sacred portal.
Then he stood, took one step forward?and disappeared.
Azhari stood in the doorway of her hut, and watched the young
man go. She offered up a prayer as he passed between the
portals of time and space. Of the many travelers she had seen,
she held him dearest in her heart. She had never seen one more
good and true, more deserving of seeing his hopes realised. And
yet?Azhari crouched down and scooped up a handful of sand, then
watched as it trickled through her fingers.
"It is unlikely that he will find what he seeks," a voice said.
"I know," she smiled at the unseen speaker, "but he might find
something else." Or someone else?
"We must be hopeful."
"Is it fated?" Azhari asked.
"It is always fated," the voice replied. "Whether for good or
ill, remains to be seen."
Azhari nodded, then turned back to her hut, and her lonely
vigil, and waited to see if her traveller would return.
There was a screech that rent the air, as if the fabric of time
itself had been torn, and then he was thrown forward, onto
something hard and unyielding. Obi-Wan felt a pain rip through
his leg, and then he was knocked backwards, onto the hard
ground, hitting his head. He lay there for a moment, winded,
unable to take in the images that assaulted his senses.
"Are you all right?" A pair of anxious brown eyes filled his
vision, flashing their concern from behind a pair of
spectacles. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you?where did you come
from? You just seemed to appear out of nowhere. Shit, are you
okay?"
The man crouched down beside him. He was dressed in strange
clothing, which barely concealed his solid, muscled form. Obi-
Wan nodded, feeling nauseous, and unable to focus. "I?" He
began, then his vision blurred, and he started to sway. "My
leg?" he whispered. The big man nodded, and began rolling back
his trouser leg.
"There's some blood - it's a nasty gash, but not serious," the
man told him. His large hands brushed against Obi-Wan's head,
and fingered the bump there. His fingers were surprisingly
gentle, and soft, like big cat's paws. "It's not too bad, just
a bruise, but you might have a concussion. I think I should
take you to the hospital. Are you able to walk? It'd be quicker
than calling for the paramedics, and besides?I kind of feel
responsible for you seeing as it was my car you walked into,"
the man said.
Obi-Wan managed a weak smile. He was all at sea in this place,
on this world, in this time, wherever and whenever it was, but
this man was offering him kindness, and he needed a friend
right now.
"Thank-you," he whispered. "This hospital?is it a place of
healing?"
"Uh, you could call it that," the man replied, looking puzzled.
"I would?is it necessary that I go there?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I think so, yes," the stranger replied firmly, in the tone of
one used to being obeyed. Obi-Wan nodded, and his head
protested the movement.
The big man pulled him up, and half-walked, half-carried him to
the vehicle that had knocked Obi-Wan down, helping him to sit
inside, and fastening a cord around him to keep him safe. Obi-
Wan leaned back in the seat and felt his head lolling to one
side, as if he had no control over it.
"I'm Walter Skinner. What's your name?" His new friend asked.
Obi-Wan had to think about it for several seconds.
"O?B?en?o?b" He whispered, clutching onto the cord as the
vehicle began to spin.
"Sorry - I didn't catch that. Was it?Ben?" Walter Skinner
leaned towards him, frowning. Obi-Wan gave him a faint smile,
and then lost consciousness.
Obi-Wan awoke to find himself lying on a bed. A woman was
leaning over him.
"Ben? Are you awake? I'm just going to clean up your leg wound.
Hold tight - this might sting a little."
Obi-Wan closed his eyes, and concentrated on helping his body
to heal. He had suffered far worse injuries in his time, and he
guessed that the journey through the Gateway had caused a large
part of the disorientation he was currently experiencing. "I've
put a couple of stitches in it, and a dressing. You'll need to
have the stitches out in a few days," the woman told him. He
nodded, although he wasn't entirely sure what she meant. Had
she been mending his clothes? He sat up, slowly, and glanced
around, searching for the man who had taken care of him, and
brought him here.
"Walter Skinner. Where is he?" He asked the lady in white. She
smiled, and nodded her head towards the door.
"He's waiting outside. He was a bit concerned when you blacked
out."
"Please - I would like to thank him," Obi-Wan told her. She
smiled again, and nodded. A few seconds later, the door opened
and the big man walked in. He looked awkward.
"I'm sorry about this, Ben. I really didn't see you. You seemed
to appear from nowhere," Skinner said.
"Please - the fault was mine." Obi-Wan inclined his head.
Skinner looked surprised. "You don't want to make a big deal
out of this? Claim on the insurance?" He asked.
Obi-Wan struggled with these concepts for a moment, then gave
up. "I bear no ill will. As I said - the fault was mine. I am
sorry for having inconvenienced you on your journey, and I'm
grateful for your kindness," Obi-Wan told the other man
sincerely.
Skinner shook his head, as if slightly stunned.
"Well, I'm glad you're okay," he muttered. "Look, the doctor
says you can leave. Can I give you a ride somewhere?"
Obi-Wan shook his head. "I?have nowhere to go," he murmured.
Skinner frowned. "You're dressed strangely, but you don't
exactly look like a homeless guy," he observed. "Ben, I hope
you don't mind, but when you were unconscious, I went through
your pockets looking for some ID. You don't have any - you
don't have any cash either. Is there anyone I can contact
who'll be worried about you?"
"Worried about me?" Obi-Wan echoed, a feeling of desolation
sweeping through him. He suddenly realised that he was alone
here, and injured, in a strange place and time. Yet his own
foolishness had led him down this path, and he was a Jedi - the
sense of adventure ran strong in him. Somehow he knew he'd
survive, even if he had to learn new skills in order to do so
in this strange world. "No," he answered at last, unable to
keep the sadness out of his voice. "There is nobody. I'm
not?I'm not from this place."
Skinner laughed. "Well, I figured that out from your accent.
You're from England right?"
"England?" Obi-Wan echoed. "No, that's not my home planet."
Skinner rocked back on his heels, looking slightly exasperated,
and Obi-Wan wondered what he had said that was wrong. "You're
sounding like Mulder on one of his bad days," he muttered.
"Mulder?"
"A colleague." Skinner said brusquely, but his face had clouded
over, as if the subject of this Mulder caused him some
distress. "Do you at least have a change of clothing?" He
gestured at Obi-Wan's torn pants.
"Regretfully, no." Obi-Wan sighed. "I was ill-equipped for the
journey I took, and now, I fear, I'm suffering the
consequences."
"Well, look?I probably have some old sweat pants that will fit
you, and then I could take you to a shelter, get you some help
from the authorities." Skinner said, then he clamped his jaw
shut tightly, as if regretting the offer.
"I would be most grateful," Obi-Wan told him sincerely. He
sensed that this man didn't find it easy to trust, so his offer
of aid wasn't easy for him. He wondered what had happened in
this man's life, to cause him to be in so torn about offering
hospitality.
Skinner turned abruptly on his heel, and Obi-Wan ran to catch
up with him. Skinner's long, dark coat flapped around his
ankles as he strode ahead - he was a tall man, Obi-Wan only
came up to his shoulders. Qui-Gon had been tall... Obi-Wan
fought back the memories of walking beside his master,
Qui-Gon's cloak billowing out around him. They were
comfortable, familiar memories, and Obi-Wan felt the pain of
his loss stabbing deep inside him. He didn't know where this
place was, but he sensed that his old master, his one true
love, was not here. This was a very different time and place
altogether. Azharia had warned him, but he had not listened.
"Too much the impatient one, you are." Master Yoda's familiar
admonition echoed in his mind. "Act first, you do. Think later.
Learn to consider things more carefully, you must."
Too late, Yoda. Too late?
Obi-Wan stared out on this new world with wonder, as they drove
through a city that Walter Skinner called "Washington." Obi-Wan
had seen many places and planets in his life, with varying
levels of technology, although most had space travel. It soon
became clear to him that the primitive level of technological
advancement on this world made space travel an unlikely
possibility. His heart sank as he realised that he was even
more stuck than he had at first thought. If he disliked this
world, and what it offered him, then there was no way to escape
to the next world, or the next star system, to start again.
Maybe that was the challenge - to be satisfied with just one
world, to make the most of it, discover and explore it, to
fully get to know it, and the many wonders it would surely
contain. Obi- Wan tried, as always, to seek out the future with
an open heart. He felt sure that he was here for a reason,
whether that reason was clear to him or not. One way or
another, he was needed here, and he would do his best to live
up to his destiny, whatever it might be.
Walter Skinner lived in a tall building, which reminded him a
little of Coruscant, though wrought on a miniature scale. The
big man had been silent during the drive, and he looked
troubled. Obi-Wan wasn't sure whether it was his presence that
bothered Skinner or something else, but he had no wish to cause
his new friend any discomfort.
Skinner ushered him into his apartment, and then winced. Obi-
Wan surveyed the clutter of empty bottles of alcohol, and
discarded socks impassively, although he was somewhat
surprised. Walter Skinner's clothing seemed so precise and
ordered that he had imagined that his dwelling would be the
same. Judging by the other man's reaction, he assumed that was
generally the case - and this current state of mess was an
aberration.
"Sorry." Skinner muttered gruffly. "I, uh, haven't had time?"
He trailed off, strode over to a primitive message-recording
device, and retrieved his messages. Obi-Wan wandered over to
the balcony, and stepped outside. The cool air felt good
against his skin, and beneath him the bright lights of the city
twinkled and winked. It wasn't home, but it had its own kind of
beauty.
"Here." Skinner stepped out onto the balcony behind him, and
handed him a pair of soft grey trousers. He gestured to Obi-
Wan's torn, blood-stained pants. "Those should probably be
chucked," he said.
"I could wash and mend them," Obi-Wan told him. "If you have
needle and thread."
"Well, to be honest?" Skinner hesitated, then ploughed on. "I
don't mean to criticise but people don't tend to wear stuff
like this on the streets of DC."
"DC?" Obi-Wan frowned.
"Washington." Skinner clarified. "Look, I could dig you out a
tee shirt and sweater as well. If you want to take a shower, or
a bath, or something?" he trailed off again. Obi-Wan studied
him, finding the big man interesting. This was the first time
he'd really had a chance to look at his new friend. Skinner was
almost bald, with a wide forehead, and expressive dark eyes.
There was a depth and sadness to those eyes that Obi-Wan wanted
to understand.
"I would like that, thank you." Obi-Wan bowed slightly. "I'm
grateful for your kindness." He took the proffered garment and
followed Skinner back into the apartment.
The bath soothed away the aches and pains of the day, and
allowed Obi-Wan time for meditation and reflection. He examined
the wound on his leg, and decided it wasn't serious. The people
on this world had sewed it together with thread, which was a
primitive practice, but one which worked well enough with this
particular kind of injury, although it would undoubtedly leave
him with a slight scar.
Obi-Wan allowed the warm water to caress his body, and wash
away the grime and sweat. The dust from Irudan had permeated
his very pores, and he even found some between his toes and in
his ears. It felt good to be clean. He thought about Walter
Skinner. The man was uneasy - he didn't like having a stranger
in his home, and yet he felt obligated to him because it was
his vehicle that had caused Obi-Wan injury.
Obi-Wan allowed his senses to wander?he could sense the force
on this world. It was strong, flowing through all living
things. Obi-Wan gasped, as an icy sensation washed over him -
the dark side was strong here too, and close. Too close. He
allowed his mind to reach out and brush that nearest to him,
but he was relieved to find that Walter Skinner was not the
source of the coldness. The big man had many things on his mind
- he was deeply troubled, and he walked on the edge of an
abyss, balancing precariously on the treacherous tightrope
between the light and dark. Obi-Wan looked deep into the man's
soul, and feared for him?then he came to with a start,
shivering in the cool bath water.
"Ben!" Skinner was knocking on the door. "Are you okay? You've
been in there for a long time."
"I fell asleep," Obi-Wan called, getting up hurriedly. He dried
himself, and then dressed in the garments Walter Skinner had
left for him. They felt comfortable against his skin, although
he missed his familiar clothing, and there was nowhere to keep
his light-sabre. He settled for pushing it into the large
pocket in his pants, hoping it wouldn't fall out. The pants
were far too long for him, and he folded up the hem carefully.
He was reminded of a mission many years ago, when circumstances
had forced him to wear Qui-Gon's clothing. His master's pants
had also been too long. Obi-Wan looked at himself briefly in
the mirror, to ensure that he had dressed himself properly in
this unfamiliar garb. His hair was still wet, and he looked
younger than he liked to think of himself. He was, after all, a
fully-fledged Jedi knight with a grown apprentice. There was a
dark bruise on his forehead, and his face was pale. He traced
his image with his finger, startled by his changed appearance,
and wondered how Qui-Gon would have looked in this clothing. It
would have fitted him better, with his longer limbs. He touched
his wet hair, and remembered how he would comb his master's
hair, and play with it, enjoying its scent, freshly washed.
Then he pulled himself back to the present. In trying to find a
way to get closer to Qui-Gon, he had merely succeeded in
pushing himself even further away. It would do him no good to
dwell on such thoughts.
Walter Skinner smiled at him as he returned to the living room.
It was, Obi-Wan thought, a nice smile, and he wondered why the
big man used it so rarely.
"I've made a fresh pot of coffee." Skinner handed him a cup
full of a dark, aromatic liquid. Obi-Wan sniffed at it
cautiously, and then took a sip. It was strong, and full of
stimulants, but frankly, he could do with that right now.
Skinner also slapped a loaf of bread and some cheese on the
table. "I don't have much food in the house," he said
apologetically. Obi-Wan smiled and shook his head.
"Thank you. You're very kind," he murmured, cutting the bread
and taking a bite.
"It's pretty late." Skinner leaned in the kitchen doorway,
sipping his coffee. He had discarded his long coat, and removed
the strange strip of fabric from around his neck. "I have to be
at work early tomorrow. Look?" He hesitated. "I don't want to
throw you out, Ben, but I work in a highly sensitive area. I,
uh, well, let's just say that the last unsolicited house guest
I had caused me some problems."
"I understand," Obi-Wan told him. "You have no obligation to
me, Walter Skinner. Besides - I can take care of myself." He
gave the other man a confident smile. He had taken care of
himself in far worse situations that this, after all.
"Good. Well, I was going to say, you can spend the night in the
spare room, as it's so late. Then tomorrow?"
"I'll leave." Obi-Wan assured him.
"You really don't have anywhere to go?" Skinner asked.
"No, Walter Skinner. As I said, I am not from this place, but I
will make it my home. In time."
"Walter. Or Skinner. Not Walter Skinner. It sounds?odd."
Skinner told him, with a frown that was both amused and puzzled
at the same time.
"Walter then." Obi-Wan nodded.
"I never caught your last name."
"Kenobi." Obi-Wan briefly considered enlightening Walter as to
his first name as well, then decided against it. Ben was
clearly a name the other man was familiar with, and it was a
good, plain name.
"Right. Okay, let me show you the spare room."
Obi-Wan slept deeply, but his dreams were dark and intense. He
saw his master, seated by a fountain, his hand trailing through
the water, and he saw Walter Skinner, seated next to him,
surrounded by darkness, the water rising around him. <Help
him, Obi-Wan,> Qui-Gon's voice whispered in his mind.
<The dark side is marshalling its forces. The battle between
dark and light is strong here. Help him?>
<Yes, Master,> he replied, as automatically as always,
waking up with a start.
When Skinner came to knock on his door the following morning,
Obi-Wan was already dressed.
"I can give you a ride to the homeless shelter and?" Skinner
paused, and blinked, as Obi-Wan raised his hand.
"I think it would be better if you stayed here a while longer,"
Obi-Wan told him.
"I think it would be better if you stayed here a while longer,"
Skinner repeated, looking bemused.
"My belongings will be safe. There's no need to worry."
"My belongings will be safe. There's no need to worry." Skinner
nodded, looking satisfied. He turned to go, then glanced back,
his brown eyes still puzzled.
"Go." Obi-Wan said encouragingly. Skinner gave a half smile,
then left.
Obi-Wan went downstairs, and glanced around the living room.
There were several books, which he flicked through briefly,
making a pile of the ones he wished to examine in more detail.
Then he glanced at the empty bottles on the coffee table. He
picked one up and sniffed at it: alcohol. He wondered what
darkness Walter was trying to escape from that he took refuge
in the temporary respite of drink. Obi-Wan opened the drawers
in Walter's desk. He felt a small amount of guilt, rifling
through the man's belongings, but Qui-Gon had instructed him to
help, and he couldn't do that if he didn't understand what he
was supposed to be doing, and why.
Walter was a tidy man - his papers were all in neat bundles,
clearly labelled. Obi-Wan found two photographs, and examined
them carefully. One was of a woman - quite a beauty too. She
was smiling, her eyes full of love. Turning it over, Obi-Wan
read the writing on the back: Sharon, July 1989. The other
photograph seemed to have been taken without the knowledge of
the two people in it - a woman and a man. They were standing
side by side, clearly arguing, and yet Obi-Wan could tell, even
from the photograph, that the two shared a deep bond. He
frowned, wondering who they were, and what they meant to Walter
- they were too old to be the other man's children.
Obi-Wan found a primitive device that he guessed functioned as
some kind of information resource. He turned it on, and quickly
accessed a basic network that linked Walter's machines to
others on this planet. He explored as fast as the machine would
allow and then sat back with a sigh.
"Well at least you know where you are, Obi-Wan, if not when,"
he murmured to himself. "Not that it's any use to you. You're
about as far from home as can be."
This galaxy was at the opposite end of the universe to his own.
It would take even the fastest of the Republic's ships over a
million light years to journey to the planet Earth, which was
where he was now stranded. Obi-Wan fought down the fear that
rose inside him.
"Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to the
Dark Side," he intoned, calming himself. He sat for a moment,
puzzling the huge distances involved in his dislocation to this
small, uncharted reach of the universe, but his mind refused to
process the information. He sent his thoughts out, searching
for someone, anyone that he knew, looking for Anakin's bright,
shining, mental signature, and for Master Yoda's deceptively
light resonance, but found nothing. Somehow he knew, deep
inside, that they were long dead, and whatever part they had
played in the history of the universe, was now buried under the
weight of time. He was about to give up his search, when he
sensed something else?Azharia still lived. Her distinctive
mental echo was still there, chiming like an undercurrent
beneath the many clamouring voices he could hear. He couldn't
speak to her, but he drew comfort from knowing that she was
there.
When Walter returned home, he stopped in the doorway looking
surprised.
"You've cleaned the place up," he commented, surveying the tidy
apartment. The bottles had all been placed in one of the sacks
Obi-Wan had found in a cupboard beneath the sink, and the whole
place had been cleaned with various implements he had
discovered. It had taken him a while to figure them all out,
but he was pretty pleased with the job he'd done.
Obi-Wan smiled. "You've been very kind to me. It is not the
custom of my people to take without offering something in
return, however small."
"Your people?I just love the way you talk!" Walter exclaimed,
shaking his head wryly and shrugging his coat off. "Is that
dinner I smell?"
"Yes. Despite your words last night, I found some food in your
cupboards. I'm not a great cook, but I hope you'll find my
efforts appetising." Obi-Wan grinned, remembering Qui-Gon's
admonition on one of their early missions, that if he was going
to be his padawan, he'd have to damn well learn how not to
poison his master. Many of the items in Walter's cupboards had
been unfamiliar to him, but he'd proceeded by a method of trial
and error and was satisfied with the result. He set the dish
down in front of Skinner, and ladled some of the broth into a
bowl for him, watching the other man. Walter seemed to sense
the scrutiny, lifted the spoon cautiously to his lips, and took
a sip.
"Hmm?banana, ginger, and?macaroni?Interesting." Walter said
neutrally.
"But nice?" Obi-Wan picked up his own spoon, and began to eat.
"Actually?yes." Walter sounded surprised. "I've been wondering
about you, Ben," he said, glancing up. His dark brown gaze
seemed to lance straight into Obi-Wan's soul, as if searching
for something.
"You mean, who am I? Where do I come from? And why the hell did
you agree to let me stay here?" Obi-Wan offered, with a grin.
"Something like that, yes." Walter broke off a piece of bread,
and dipped it in the broth.
"Well, I'm a traveller?"
"And what do you do for a living?" Walter interrupted.
"I suppose that you could say I'm a teacher." Obi-Wan chose his
words carefully. "I've lived in many places, and seen many
things."
"Hmm, that doesn't tell me much." Walter snorted.
"My master always said that I could talk for hours without
saying anything when I tried." Obi-Wan laughed.
"Your master?" Walter raised any eyebrow.
"My?tutor?" Obi-Wan suggested. "His name was Qui-Gon. He was a
good man."
"Was? He's dead?"
"Yes." Obi-Wan looked straight into Walter's eyes, and knew
that his expression made it clear how much saying that one word
hurt him. Walter grunted, and looked away. "Your turn now. Tell
me about yourself," Obi-Wan urged.
"I'm 47 years old, I work for the FBI..." Walter paused,
looking at Obi-Wan keenly, as if that information required some
reaction.
"Ah." Obi-Wan said. "And who is Sharon?"
There was silence for a moment, then Walter got up.
"You've been going through my belongings. I want you to leave,"
he said, his whole body shaking, although whether in anger or
distress, Obi-Wan couldn't tell.
"I'm sorry. I found her photograph. She's very beautiful," he
whispered.
"Was beautiful. Was. She's dead." Skinner snapped savagely.
"The only damn woman I ever loved, and she's dead. I killed
her."
"I don't believe that," Obi-Wan said softly.
Skinner leaned over the table, his body solid, and
overwhelming, and fixed Obi-Wan with a cold, deadly gaze.
Another man might have flinched, but Obi-Wan merely held
Skinner's gaze with his own cool, steady look, searching the
other man's face for the truth.
"Believe it." Skinner hissed. "She died because of me, and my
work - because of Mulder and his damn crusade, a crusade
that'll get us all damn well killed in the end."
"Tell me." Obi-Wan said, his calm leeching the sting from
Skinner's angry words.
Skinner hesitated, then stepped back. "No. I told you to go."
"I can't leave yet. My work here isn't done," Obi-Wan told him.
"Oh, what the fuck are you? Some kind of angel sent here to do
good deeds?" Skinner sneered.
"No, I came though a Gate in time and space, from a galaxy far,
far away. My real name is Obi-Wan, and I'm a Jedi knight."
Obi-Wan waited impassively to see what the reaction to that
piece of news would be.
Skinner rocked back on his heels, and shook his head. "Is it
me?" he asked the heavens despairingly. "Do I attract wackos
obsessed by little green men? Isn't life on this earth
complicated enough without inventing new galaxies, and a host
of extra- terrestrial crazies hell bent on taking over the
planet?"
Obi-Wan laughed. He couldn't stop himself. Walter looked so
comical, standing there, his wide forehead creased into a
puzzled frown, his arms open wide as if in supplication.
"I'm sorry. It must sound far-fetched to you. Please, tell me,
who else amuses you with such tales?" He asked.
"Mulder." Skinner winced. He was about to say something else,
when there was a knock at the door.
Obi-Wan noticed that Skinner drew his weapon as he went to
answer it. He didn't know much about this world, or its
customs, but all the same, the gesture seemed strange to him.
He watched as Skinner opened the door.
"I've been expecting you." Skinner murmured to the unseen
visitor.
"Good. I hope that means you've got what I asked for," the man
replied. Obi-Wan froze. He had never heard that voice before,
but he recognised the dark side in all its forms. "Well, aren't
you going to let me in?" The voice asked mockingly. "Or do I
have to insist?"
"Be my guest, Krycek." Skinner opened the door, and admitted a
handsome, slender man, with sharp green eyes. The newcomer took
one look at Obi-Wan, and stiffened. Some ancient instinct arose
in both of them, as dark and light met, and silently declared
its allegiance and intent.
"Well, what have we here?" Krycek murmured, slinking stealthily
across the room to stand in front of him. Obi-Wan's hand went
to the light-sabre in his pocket, and rested there.
"Leave him out of this - he has nothing to do with it," Skinner
snapped. Krycek ignored him, his eyes never leaving those of
the Jedi knight.
"Oh, but I think he does." Krycek hissed.
Obi-Wan didn't say a word, but his eyes spoke for him. He never
allowed his gaze to drop, and he left the intruder in no doubt
as to who and what he was. Finally Krycek's face crumpled into
something resembling a snarl.
"Do you have what I asked for, Skinner?" He demanded, turning
back to the big man. Obi-Wan watched Skinner's face, wondering
what deal could possibly exist between these two, and hoping
that Skinner was not somehow entangled with the dark purpose
this man worked towards. Skinner's reluctance was almost
tangible, as he reached into his briefcase, drew out a parcel,
and handed it to Krycek.
"Thank you. You'll be hearing from me." Krycek took the parcel,
and as he did so, Obi-Wan noticed that he wore a prosthetic
arm. He felt time stand still, and an old evil, and one yet not
come to pass merged in that moment, causing a shiver of
foreboding to run up his spine.
Krycek patted Skinner on the cheek, a humiliation that the big
man bore with a resigned and desperate stoicism. "I'll let
myself out. I'll leave you and your?boyfriend," the dark haired
man sneered that word, "to enjoy your little tryst."
Skinner's roar of sheer rage echoed in Obi-Wan's ears, and the
big man slammed the door shut after his unwelcome guest.
"I'm sorry." Skinner spat. "You shouldn't have been involved in
that."
"But I am." Obi-Wan shrugged. "I think I was sent here for that
purpose."
"Don't start all that crap again," Skinner snapped irritably,
pacing the room like a caged tiger.
Obi-Wan sat cross-legged on the floor, and surveyed him for
several minutes.
"I don't need to warn you of the danger you're in," Obi-Wan
said at last. "That man, Krycek, has been seduced by the dark
side of the force."
"The dark side? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Skinner growled.
Obi-Wan considered the matter for a moment, then got up, and
placed his hands gently on Skinner's shoulders. At first the
big man stiffened, and Obi-Wan wondered if he was going to
strike, then he calmed down, as the Jedi poured a sense of calm
reassurance into the light touch.
"The force is all around you, in every living thing - with some
it is stronger than others, but we can all feel it." Obi-Wan
said softly, moving his fingers gently over Skinner's tautly
muscled back, softly caressing him. "In my galaxy we can train
to become Jedi knights, and learn how to observe the rules of
the light side of the force, in order to maintain harmony with
ourselves, and the universe around us." He walked around the
big man, his fingers still lightly touching those tense
shoulders. "However, there are those who are seduced by the
dark side of the force - and they are a warning to all of us."
He looked up into Skinner's dark eyes, and gently touched the
front of his shoulders, his fingers sending sparks of healing,
calming power deep into Skinner's body. "Krycek, has gone over
to the dark side, and you, Walter?you are a pawn between light
and dark, moved back and forth between them for a purpose you
do not even fully comprehend."
"Yes." Walter moved his shoulders, rolling them back, and
closed his eyes helplessly for a moment. When he opened them
again, they were bleak with despair. "I'm doing my best to
fight him, the only way I know how," he admitted. "But that
means playing a waiting game, and?"
"You're not very good at that," Obi-Wan supplied with a wry
smile. "You're more of a man of action, Walter."
"Yes." Skinner looked into his eyes, and shook his head. "I
don't understand you, Ben," he whispered.
"I know." Obi-Wan nodded. "I'm not entirely sure that matters,"
he replied. "The question is - do you trust me?"
Skinner thought about it for a moment, then finally,
hesitantly, he nodded. "Yes. God knows why, but for some reason
I do."
"Good. Then that is enough, for now," Obi-Wan murmured. "A word
of warning though, Walter. Krycek is not the sum of your
problems. There are always two - a master and an apprentice.
Which is he? Do you know?"
"Oh yeah." Skinner gave a wry shake of his head. "Krycek's
the?apprentice." He inclined his head in Obi-Wan's direction at
the use of the unfamiliar word in this context.
"And the master?" Obi-Wan watched Walter keenly.
"I don't know his name. I'm not sure anybody does." Skinner
shrugged. "He's a mean SOB though. I don't know what he wants,
or even what he expects to achieve, but I do know he's evil.
The bastard gives me the creeps whenever I see him."
"That's because the force is strong in you, Walter." Obi-Wan
laid his hand over Skinner's heart, and the big man started in
surprise as Obi-Wan amplified the force he felt flowing through
him, making it beat strongly in time to Skinner's heart, until
the thrumming sound filled the room with its roar. "You
recognise it in others. That's why you seek to protect
this?Mulder. I expect the force is strong in him as well."
"Yes," Skinner whispered. Then he moved, unexpectedly, and took
Obi-Wan's face between his hands, holding him too tight. "Who
are you?" He asked, his eyes searching for an answer. Obi-Wan
could have easily broken the grip, but found himself caught up
in that sweeping gaze. He felt known, seen in a way he had not
experienced since?since Qui-Gonn died.
"I told you," he said softly. "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, I'm a
Jedi knight. I come from a galaxy on the other side of the
universe?"
"Yes, but who are you?" Skinner interrupted him. Obi-Wan felt
the other man's soul reach out and envelop him, and he gave
himself up to that dark eyed gaze.
"I'm Ben," he whispered. The name you gave me?
Obi-Wan slept fitfully that night, disturbed by his encounter
with Skinner. He tried to meditate, to calm himself, but when
he slept, his dreams were jumbled, and disturbed. He saw
Qui-Gon fighting Krycek, watched the dark haired man wielding a
light- sabre like an expert, and then saw the flash of the
sword as it pierced his Master's heart. He let out a cry,
feeling the hopelessness, having to watch, unable to help. He
saw his master wrap himself in his cloak, and run down a dark
winding corridor. He ran after him, his breath catching in his
throat. When he finally caught up with him, he almost wept with
relief, and placed a hand on the other man's shoulder. Qui-Gonn
turned, and removed his hood - to reveal that he was Walter
Skinner. Obi-Wan woke up, the cry still echoing on his lips. A
light snapped on, and Skinner loomed over him.
"Ben? Are you okay? You were screaming your head off?"
"I'm fine." Obi-Wan sat up, feeling his heart beating too fast.
Skinner was dressed only in a pair of shorts, and it was
impossible not to notice some of the fine scars on his torso.
"I'm sorry I disturbed you," Obi-Wan murmured.
"No need. After 'Nam I woke up screaming every night for 3
years." Skinner told him with a wry shrug. "Sometimes I still
do," he confided, flushing.
"'Nam?" Obi-Wan questioned.
Skinner hesitated. "I never know whether you're kidding me with
all this far away galaxy crap, but I guess I'll take you at
face value for now. You don't seem to mean any harm by it. I
was in a war in Vietnam. I was 18. It, uh, had a big effect on
me."
"Yes. I understand." Obi-Wan nodded, suspecting that Skinner's
admission was a huge understatement. "You had to kill?"
"Yes - or be killed." Skinner shrugged.
"It's the same for me," Obi-Wan told him.
"That's what you were dreaming about? A war?" Skinner asked
him.
"No." Obi-Wan considered it for a moment. "I dreamed about
Qui-Gon."
"Your master?"
"And my lover - my bonded mate," Obi-Wan said with a nod.
Skinner froze, looking uncomfortable, and Obi-Wan wondered what
he had said that could have caused offence.
"Okay, this just keeps getting more and more way out," Skinner
muttered at last. "Forgive me, Ben, I'm sure you mean well, but
it's one weird revelation after another right now, and I'm not
sure I can handle any more." He got up, passed a weary,
disbelieving hand over his forehead, and left the room. Obi-Wan
stared after him in surprise. What on earth had he said that
could have confused and upset the other man in this way?
Skinner was already gone when he got up the next day. Obi- Wan
settled down to meditate but his thoughts were interrupted by
an angry knock on the door. He opened it, to admit a man he
recognised from the photograph in Walter's desk - a man who at
this moment in time was hopping mad. Obi-Wan knew instinctively
that this was Mulder. The force ran through him so powerfully
that it was almost visible, and yet it was unchannelled, and
uncontrolled - which was hardly surprising on a world without
Jedi masters to teach the talented.
"Who the hell are you, and where's Skinner?" Mulder demanded
rudely.
"I am Ben, and Walter isn't here," Obi-Wan replied calmly.
"Would you like coffee?"
"No, I damn well wouldn't. You just give him a message for me,
will you?" Mulder snapped.
"That will depend on the message," Obi-Wan said, pouring a cup
of coffee for himself.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Mulder demanded.
"It means that there are some messages that should be given in
person. I would not presume to pass such a message onto
Walter," Obi-Wan replied, unruffled by Mulder's petulance.
"Well you just tell him this - tell him that I know he's
working for that smoking bastard, and that I know he's been
spying on me. He asked me once if we're done, and you can tell
him from me, that we are now. We are. We're done. Through."
Mulder finished with a vicious shake of his head.
"Is that any way to speak to your master, Mulder?" Obi-Wan
inquired.
"My master? What are you talking about? You're not my master."
"No, I'm not, but Walter is."
Mulder stopped pacing, and stood, with his hands on his hips,
looking utterly confused. "Now what the hell is that supposed
to mean? Listen, Ben, whoever you are, whatever kinky games you
get up to with Skinner are your affair, but he sure as hell
isn't my master."
"Of course he is." Obi-Wan shrugged. "I will give him your
message, Mulder, but I'd advise you to search your heart.
Walter isn't your enemy. You must know that."
"No, I don't know that. And I don't damn well know you," Mulder
said pointedly. "Just give him the message."
"Very well." Obi-Wan agreed. "A word of advice though, Mulder."
He put a firm hand on Mulder's neck, and squeezed. Mulder went
still, like a stunned rabbit, his will utterly overwhelmed by
Obi-Wan's power. "Trust your instincts," Obi- Wan told the
other man. "You know Walter would never willingly betray you."
Mulder opened his mouth, and tried to say something, but the
force of Obi-Wan's tightly controlled will was too much for
him, and he only managed a choking gasp. Obi- Wan smiled at him
sweetly, and escorted him to the door, still holding his neck
tightly in his grasp.
"You have great gifts, but much to learn," he told Mulder with
a regretful sigh, "and you should have had the coffee. It's
nice. I'm getting quite a taste for it." He opened the door,
and shooed Mulder out as if he were an unwanted kitten. Mulder
gaped at him for a moment, then, with a puzzled look, turned on
his heel and left.
Skinner returned earlier than Obi-Wan had expected - and he
wasn't alone. Trailing along behind him was a boy, about the
same age as Anakin had been when they'd found him - or a little
older.
"This is Gibson Praise," Skinner told him tersely. "He's?oh
god, it's too complicated to explain. He's going to be staying
here for a while."
"He means that Krycek has asked him to keep me out of the way
for a few hours," Gibson said, walking over to Obi-Wan, and
looking him straight in the eye. "You're different." Gibson
stated.
"So are you." Obi-Wan replied, looking down at the boy, and
sensing that the force was greatly disrupted around him - so
badly disrupted as to be almost something else. "Something was
done to you," he said.
"Yes." Gibson shrugged, seating himself on the couch. "And to
you?" He asked.
"No." Obi-Wan managed a faint smile.
"You're appalled by me." Gibson told him, without
embarrassment.
"No, I'm appalled by what's been done to you. And sorry." Obi-
Wan reached out a finger to touch Gibson's scarred head, and
imparted the gesture with as much healing as he possessed.
Healing had never been his strong subject at the Temple, but he
sensed this boy was in need of it, and longed to help him in
some way.
Gibson moved his head away. "It's too late for me."
"I don't believe that." Obi-Wan looked up at Walter. "What was
done to him?" He asked.
"I don't know." Skinner shook his head wearily. Obi-Wan felt
anger and grief for both these people - both victims of the
dark side of the force in ways he could not comprehend.
"I have a message for you." Obi-Wan drew Skinner away from the
couch to speak to him privately. "From your padawan."
"My what?" Skinner frowned.
"Your apprentice," Obi-Wan supplied. "Mulder," he added, and
the light finally dawned.
"Mulder? My apprentice!" Skinner snorted.
"Yes." Obi-Wan nodded. "Of course he is."
"Don't let him hear you say that!" Skinner gave a grim chuckle.
"I already did." Obi-Wan smiled. "I'm surprised you don't see
it. The force is strong in both of you. You have learned to
control it within yourself to a degree, through experience and
some hard lessons, but Mulder's talent is prodigious - and
wild. You've tried to teach him patience, and the value of
knowledge and training."
"Well, yes, in a manner of speaking." Skinner mused.
"Well then, these were lessons I learned from my master, and he
from his master before him." Obi-Wan told him. "I was the
apprentice, as Mulder is to you."
"And his message?" Skinner pressed, glancing at Gibson.
"Was hasty and ill thought out. I said something similar to my
own master once, in anger and self-pity. It still grieves me."
"What did Mulder say?" Skinner's face had assumed a hard mask,
as if to protect himself from the pain he saw coming a mile
away.
"He said that he was aware that you are working for the
"smoking bastard", and that you and he are through."
Obi-Wan watched as Skinner's jaw tightened, and the lines
around his eyes seemed to deepen with sadness, combined with
anger.
"It was inevitable." Skinner shrugged, after several long
minutes during which the Jedi knight saw him struggling with a
kaleidoscope of emotions. It was a fascinating sight, and Obi-
Wan was intrigued by the array of feelings that Skinner
revealed only through a twitching of the nerve in his neck, the
slight movement of his jaw, and the intense charcoal depths of
his eyes.
"Can't you tell him the truth - whatever it may be?" Obi-Wan
asked, placing a hand on Skinner's shoulder.
"No." Skinner looked up, his tone firm. "This is the only way
to protect him."
"I understand." Obi-Wan nodded. He returned to the couch, to
give Skinner some time alone.
Obi-Wan found it necessary to keep a firm clamp on his thoughts
in the presence of Gibson Praise. He guessed that the boy's
talents had arisen more by physical intervention, than by any
naturally arising power of the force within him, but the end
result was much the same. It wasn't too late for him though -
Obi-Wan was sure of that. In time, with a good master, he could
learn to control the power within him, and to use it for good.
In the wrong hands though?Obi-Wan shuddered. In the wrong hands
it was almost inevitable that the boy would turn to the dark
side, and Obi-Wan didn't like to think of the chaos that would
be wreaked on this unsuspecting world if a boy as talented as
this one were to be turned. The fate of the whole world
depended on this damaged child. It was terrifying.
There was a knock on the door shortly after midnight, and
Krycek appeared.
"He's come for me," Gibson told Obi-Wan.
"You don't want to go with him, do you?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I don't care any more." Gibson shrugged.
"After all that's been done to you, I don't blame you."
"You though?you're not like any of the others. I?maybe I could
stay with you." Gibson bit on his lip.
"Do you trust me?" Obi-Wan asked. Gibson nodded, thoughtfully.
<Good. Maybe one day I can deserve that trust,> Obi-Wan
said silently. Gibson looked at him in surprise. <Forgive me
for now?> He asked.
<Yes.> The boy nodded again, and limped over to where
Krycek stood, waiting.
Skinner handed over the boy with even more strain showing in
his face than had been evident the previous evening. Krycek
smiled a triumphant, evil smile, and Obi-Wan watched as the
anger and hatred rose inside the big man, until it almost
spilled over, and threatened to disrupt his tightly controlled
facade. As soon as Krycek had gone, taking Gibson with him,
Skinner slammed his fist into the wall, pounding it hard, over
and over again.
"That isn't the way," Obi-Wan told him softly. "Anger, and
hatred, cloud your mind. You need to be at peace in order to
see the way forward."
Skinner looked at him, and laughed out loud - a bitter, ironic
sound. "I told Scully something similar once. I know the truth
of what you're saying, Ben, but there are times when it just
hurts too much."
"Yes. I know. When Qui-Gon was killed?I pursued his killer,
Darth Maul, with vengeance in my heart. I could feel the power
of the dark side in that moment."
"Did you kill him?" Skinner's dark eyes were curious, and
sympathetic.
"Darth Maul? Yes. I cut him in two." Obi-Wan said with some
degree of satisfaction but no great sense of pride.
"Good." Skinner grunted. "Don't get me wrong - I'm not a great
believer in people taking justice into their own hands, but
there are times when natural justice just seems?fitting."
"I agree." Obi-Wan saw the deep sense of dejection in the other
man, and wished he could help him in some way.
"Look, Ben, I need to get away," Skinner said. He strode up to
his bedroom, and slung some clothes into a bag. Obi-Wan
followed him.
"You want to come to a decision - about what to do?" He
predicted.
"Yes." Skinner paused for a moment. "Not that I exactly have a
lot of options," he muttered. Obi-Wan felt a wave of anxiety at
those words. "I would like to come with you," he said quickly.
"I'd prefer to be alone." Skinner snapped.
"And I would prefer that you were not," Obi-Wan replied
forcefully.
Skinner looked up in surprise. "Ben, this is my life. Butt out.
Or are you going to pull that weird mind trick on me again?"
Obi- Wan looked at him in surprise. "Yeah, I figured that one
out," Skinner said. "Trust me - the last person I left on their
own in my apartment was Krycek - and that turned out very
badly. There's no way I'd have agreed to leaving you here
alone. I've been trying to figure out why I did, and all I can
think of is that thing you did with your hand."
"Like this." Obi-Wan waved his hand in the air. "Come with me,
Ben, I need your help."
Skinner looked at him for a moment, his eyes glazing over. He
opened his mouth, then closed it again. "Nice try," he said,
with a snort. "But I think I'm getting the hang of this force
of yours."
"I think that maybe you are," Obi-Wan said with a smile. "I
said the force was strong with you. You would have made a fine
Jedi knight, Walter."
"Yeah. Right." Skinner finished packing. "You can stay here,
Ben. I know you don't have anywhere else to go."
"On the contrary, I'm coming with you," Obi-Wan said
insistently. "No mind tricks." He held out his hands. "But you
need a friend right now, Walter, and I'm going to make sure
that's me. I don't care what you've done in the past, I'm here
to see you don't make an?irrevocable mistake in the future."
"You think I'm going to kill myself?" Skinner paused in the
doorway.
"Are you saying it isn't on your list of options?" Obi-Wan
demanded.
Skinner put his bag down, and ran a hand over his head. "Okay,"
he said at last, wearily. "It's on the list. I just need time
and space to think it through. You can come - but if I decide
it's for the best, I need you to honour that, and not try and
stop me."
Obi-Wan thought about it for a moment then nodded. "Agreed," he
said.
This world, this "Earth" was so very beautiful, Obi-Wan
thought, as Skinner drove them through the mountains in his
jeep. It was a long drive, and Obi-Wan was surprised when they
stopped in the middle of nowhere, somewhere deep in the hills.
"We have to walk it from here," Skinner told him. "I hope
you're fit."
"I am." Obi-Wan suppressed a smile. Apart from his healing leg,
he suspected he was a good deal fitter than most people he had
encountered thus far on this planet - including Walter, who had
clearly been allowing his health to suffer recently, if those
bottles of alcohol were anything to judge by.
Skinner handed him a pack, which Obi-Wan shouldered without
complaint, and then he strode off. Obi-Wan followed him. It was
a nice day, the sun was shining, and the scenery was
spectacular. Obi-Wan couldn't help humming. Despite the
bleakness of their situation, there was always something to
appreciate, and the beauty of his surroundings seeped into his
weary heart. He watched Walter move in front of him, with all
the pent-up aggression of a tiger searching for prey. His
muscles were bunched tight, and his movements were sharp and
staccato, not free flowing and easy. Obi-Wan longed to place a
hand on the other man's shoulder, to smile into his eyes and
soothe him, as he used to with his master when the weight of
his burdens grew too heavy.
"You always know the right things to say, my padawan." Qui- Gon
would smile, and allow himself to be distracted, even if just
for a moment. Obi-Wan enjoyed making his master relax, taking
the other man's face between his hands, and soothing his brow
with kisses. Qui-Gon had always been a driven man. He found it
hard to switch off - and Obi-Wan always knew a way past his
defences. He wished he knew such a way with Walter. The other
man had removed his sweater, and was now only wearing a black
vest, tucked into blue denim jeans, with sturdy walking boots
on his feet. His neck and shoulders glistened with sweat, and
there was something about the raw grace of his stance that made
Obi-Wan stop short. Skinner wasn't like Qui-Gon - his master
had walked with the flowing ease of a Jedi knight, and
yet?walking behind him, watching him, Obi-Wan had, for a
moment, experienced a sense of deja-vu. Trust your instincts,
he had told Mulder, and his instincts told him that being with
this man felt right. Obi-Wan felt as if he had been struck by
some great revelation. He was unable to move, and instead just
kept watching as Walter walked, his long legs eating up the
ground. Finally the big man turned, a frown of concern creasing
his wide forehead.
"Ben? Was I going too fast? Is your leg hurting you?" Walter
asked.
"No. I was?nothing."
Obi-Wan gazed into those quizzical brown eyes for a long
moment, wondering what was happening. He had been so sure that
he had been sent to this world in order to assist these people
in the battle between the dark and light sides of the force
that was clearly brewing here. He hadn't expected to find
another person to love as much as he had loved his old master.
His heart quickened, and he clung to the memory of Qui-Gon,
unwilling to relinquish it even after all these years.
The sun glanced through the trees, surrounding Walter in a
glowing halo, and Obi-Wan took a sharp intake of breath.
Standing behind Walter, with one hand on his shoulder, stood
Qui-Gon. His master was smiling, and looked younger and happier
than Obi-Wan could ever remember seeing him. Obi- Wan blinked,
and the vision was gone, as quickly as it had arrived.
"Ben? What's the matter? You look like you just saw a ghost."
Walter said, starting to climb back down towards him.
"Maybe I did." Obi-Wan managed a faint smile.
He resumed walking, stealing little glances at Walter as he
went. Was this really why he had been sent here? To meet this
man? To fall in love again? Could anybody really take Qui-
Gon's place? And if so, could it possibly be this grim, tense
man, who was at this moment contemplating suicide as the
solution to problems so dark and twisted that Obi-Wan could
hardly begin to understand them? He heard the unsteady beat of
Walter's heart, and sensed the fear and anger inside him. He
was so close to the dark side, and yet fought it so hard.
Obi-Wan had a sudden mental image of this big man, lying on his
side in a cage, his arms and feet bound, while he continued to
roar his outrage, his defiance, even in the face of his
captivity.
"I'll set you free," he whispered.
"What's that?" Skinner turned to look down at him.
"We'll find a solution to your problem - together," Obi-Wan
told him. "I believe that's why I'm here."
Skinner opened his mouth, then closed it again, and shook his
head wryly. "You know, Ben, I wouldn't be surprised if you
believed that," he said.
Obi-Wan grinned, and was rewarded by the ghost of a smile that
tugged at Walter's lips.
They pressed on through the hills, passed through a ridge of
rocky scree, and arrived on the other side, beside a wide,
glistening lake, that shone like a circle of pure silver.
"Walter?this is beautiful." Obi-Wan exclaimed, loosening his
pack, and running down to the water's edge. He knelt beside it,
and ran his fingers through the cool, almost glacial water.
"Yeah. It's kind of a secret place." Skinner grunted. "I trust
you not to tell anyone," he muttered. Obi-Wan suppressed a
smile.
"Do we camp here?" He asked.
Skinner nodded. "I know it's basic, but it makes me feel free -
no buildings, just me and the sky. I can think out here. If you
want to go back, then be my guest."
"I've camped out before, Walter. I'm sure I'll survive."
Obi-Wan grinned. "Now, that water looks pretty good. Time for a
swim, I think." He stripped off his clothing and dived
headfirst into the lake, his body tingling as the icy water
enveloped him. It felt so good to be able to stretch his limbs,
to kick and shout, beneath the bright blue sky. Walter grinned
at him, making a campfire. Obi-Wan wanted the big man to join
him in the water, but sensed a resistance from him, so he
didn't invite him in. Finally, feeling cleansed after the long,
sweaty walk, he pulled himself out of the lake, and quickly got
dressed to warm himself up. Skinner had dinner cooking over the
fire when he returned to their small camp, and the sun was
already fading. They ate in companionable silence, watching the
magnificent sunset casting crimson rays over the water.
"Did you bring Sharon up here?" Obi-Wan asked, sensing Walter's
melancholy.
"Yeah." Skinner shrugged. "She was always a country girl at
heart. She never got the hang of the big city - power dressing,
politicking, all that crap. My career kept me in DC, but I
should have seen that Sharon wasn't really happy there. We grew
apart?" His voice faded.
"And you're more of a chameleon? At home in the city, and in
the wilderness?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I'm not sure. Sometimes my job makes me feel?cramped," Skinner
admitted. "I'm locked up in a room all day, sitting behind my
big desk, and I get restless. I need to get out, stretch my
legs."
"Qui-Gon was the same. He hated to be still - he always had to
be on the move." Obi-Wan smiled. "He was the sort of man who
made things happen, whether for good or ill."
"Sounds like Mulder." Skinner commented with a grunt. "He could
never leave things alone either."
Obi-Wan laughed out loud. "There are similarities, yes. Mulder
- why does he think you've betrayed him?"
"Because I have?" Skinner's tone was lightly ironic, but there
was no mistaking the savage bite of his jaw as he said the
words.
"In order to save him from some greater harm?" Obi-Wan probed.
"I tell myself that." Skinner sighed, and stretched, his long
body. "Or maybe because I'm too afraid to die."
"I don't believe that." Obi-Wan watched Skinner absently rub
his shoulders, as if trying to loosen a tight ache. "Truly."
Obi- Wan leaned forward, so the fire illuminated his face. "I
see many things in you, Walter, but I don't see a coward."
Skinner looked at him for a long moment, then gave a brief,
haunted smile that tugged at Obi-Wan's heart.
"Thank you, Ben. You're a good person," he muttered, in the
embarrassed tone of one unused to receiving praise. He rolled
his neck again.
"Here. Your shoulders are stiff. Let me." Obi-Wan stood up and
went to kneel behind Walter, his firm, strong hands soon
finding the deep tension knots in the other man's shoulders. He
loved the feel of Skinner's taut muscles beneath his fingers,
and the way the fire cast an orange glow over his tanned flesh.
"I have some salve I use on injuries. If you take off your
shirt, I could rub it into your back," Obi-Wan told the big
man, reaching into his pack to retrieve the salve. Skinner
hesitated for a moment, then did as he was told, removing the
vest top to reveal his muscled torso, covered in fine curls of
wiry hair. Obi-Wan felt his mouth go dry - a sensation he
remembered experiencing for the first time on a freighter en
route to Coruscant after a long, exhausting mission. He and
Qui-Gon had just finished eating, and his master had placed the
bowl to one side, and asked him if there was dessert, because
if there was, perhaps it should wait until "after." When he had
naively asked "after what?" Qui-Gon had groaned, and covered
his mouth with his own, and Obi-Wan's knees had given way so
Qui-Gon had been forced to swing him up into his arms, and
carry him to bed that first time - a fact he never let Obi-Wan
forget.
Obi-Wan straddled Skinner's body, and warmed the salve between
his hands, then smoothed it onto the other man's broad back. He
lost himself in the moment, in the feel of Skinner's flesh
beneath his fingers, and the scent of the man - the dried sweat
from the afternoon's walk still clung to him. Obi-Wan kneaded
the flesh, his fingers dancing their homage to his new found
love, wondering if the other man was oblivious to the chemistry
between them, that sent sparks through his fingertips.
Finally he knelt to one side, and Skinner rolled over.
"Thanks. That was good." Walter told him, his voice deep and
gruff.
"You're welcome." Obi-Wan wiped his hands on the grass. Skinner
was sitting, his face dappled by the dying embers of the fire,
and he looked so lost that Obi-Wan couldn't stop himself. He
found himself moving forward, and his lips touched against
Skinner's for one brief second. The other man froze, but didn't
pull away. Obi-Wan drew back.
"Ben?" Skinner cleared his throat. "I'm, uh?look, I'm not gay."
Obi-Wan considered this for a moment, trying to look at it from
all angles to see its relevance. Finally he gave up with a
sigh.
"You certainly don't have much to be cheerful about right now,
Walter?" he began.
Skinner gave him a quizzical look. "What the hell??" Then he
burst out laughing. "Ben, you're a constant source of delight.
I don't know if you're making all this stuff up, but what the
hell - it's made me laugh and I didn't think anything could do
that right now. What I meant is?there's only ever been women
for me. Do you understand?"
Obi-Wan shook his head. "There have been women for me too," he
said.
"Hmm, but then you decided you were gay, and you took up with
this Qui-Gon who meant so much to you," Skinner commented.
"Qui-Gon and I were bonded - from the soul." Obi-Wan stumbled
with this conversation, feeling sure they were coming from two
such different viewpoints that there couldn't be any common
understanding. "I loved the person, Walter," he said, the light
finally dawning. "That isn't the way of your people? You love
the gender, not the person?" He asked.
"Yes. I mean, no. I mean?" Skinner floundered. "Shit, Ben, you
make it sound like there's something wrong with that," he
exclaimed at last.
"Not wrong?" Obi-Wan mused. "Just very different to what I'm
used to. Where I come from it just isn't relevant - a soul bond
doesn't take age or gender into account, it just?is. Nobody
thinks anything of it. I can see that your society doesn't
approve of such bonds?"
"Well, we're more enlightened than we used to be." Skinner gave
a wry smile. "But I don't think we've gone quite as far as you
people. Hell, Ben, you've even got me believing these delusions
of yours now!" He smiled ruefully.
"Not delusions, Walter." Obi-Wan sighed. "We're very real, I
can assure you. Or at least we were once, a long time ago. When
I left my galaxy, I did so hoping to find Qui-Gon, in a
different time. Instead I found you. I don't believe such
things happen by chance."
"Ah, you believe in fate?" Skinner's gaze was dark and intense
in the firelight.
"In destiny - yes." Obi-Wan nodded.
"Destiny." Skinner shook his head. "I don't believe in that
crap. All I can say is that you must have really pissed someone
off if your destiny is to get involved in my problems. I'm on
the last bus to nowhere, Ben. There's no future for me."
"I don't believe that." Obi-Wan told him.
"You're always damn well saying that!" Skinner snapped. "What
the hell do you believe then, Ben?"
"I believe in you." Obi-Wan shrugged. He got up and rolled out
his blanket, and then lay down, and pulled it around him. He
lay awake for a long time, watching as Walter stared morosely
into the fire. Then, when the big man thought Obi-Wan was
asleep, he turned to stare at him. Obi-Wan closed his eyes, and
feigned sleep, but he was aware, through his closed eyelids of
that intense scrutiny, combined with something else - an
emotion - regret maybe?
It was almost dawn when Obi-Wan was awakened by the intruders.
He opened his eyes blearily, and tried to scramble to his feet,
only to find his arms pinned roughly behind his back. He shook
his head, coming to his full level of alertness in time to see
Walter being savagely punched in the gut by two unknown
assailants. One was holding the big man, while the other laid
into him. Obi-Wan let out a wordless cry of distress, and then
kicked out at the two men holding him, landing a graceful blow
to the legs of one, which freed his arms to easily dispose of
the other. He glanced at his bag - his light-sabre was in
there, and he needed it.
"Run!" Walter shouted. His face was bleeding, and he was
struggling with his captors. "It's me they want, Ben, just go."
Walter commanded.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "Your fight, is my fight, Walter," he
said, jumping high in the air and landing with unerring
accuracy on top of the man standing in front of Skinner. The
man gave a startled cry of surprise, and raised his fist, but
was far to slow against a Jedi. Obi-Wan drop-kicked him to the
ground with no great effort, then turned his attention to the
fourth man. The man hesitated, then flung Walter forward, and
drew a gun. Obi- Wan stopped.
"Not so fucking fast now, are you?" The man gave a vicious
grin, and waved the gun at Obi-Wan, who glanced again at his
pack. He could see his light-sabre peeping from the top, and he
closed his eyes, and concentrated. Walter gaped in surprise as
the light-sabre suddenly zipped through the air, landing
unerringly in Obi-Wan's outstretched hand. Obi-Wan activated
it, which drew a hiss from the man holding the gun.
"A big flashlight? What the hell use is that?" the man growled.
Obi-Wan smiled. "You're about to find out," he replied,
advancing on their attacker. The man hesitated, then lifted the
gun higher, aimed deliberately at Obi-Wan's chest, and fired.
"Ben!" Walter ran forward, but Obi-Wan had easily deflected the
bullet. He continued his slow advance, and their attacker was
looking distinctly nervous now. He emptied his entire magazine
straight at Obi-Wan from point blank range. Obi-Wan dismissed
each bullet with a disdainful flourish of his wrist, and kept
advancing. Finally, the man raised his gun, and charged at
Obi-Wan, aiming to hit him across the side of the face with the
weapon. Obi-Wan flashed the light-sabre through the air, and
the man howled in pain, huddling over his bloodied wrist and
gazing at his severed hand in disbelief.
"Take your comrades with you, and return to your master." Obi-
Wan told him, picking up the hand and tucking it tidily in the
man's jacket pocket. He waved his light-sabre at the other men,
and they scrambled past him hastily, helping their stricken
comrade to his feet, and hurrying him away. When he was sure
they had gone, Obi-Wan deactivated his light-sabre, and ran to
Walter's side.
"Walter? Hold still." Obi-Wan ran to the lake, and dipped his
shirt in the cool water, then returned to the big man, and
gently wiped the blood from his face.
"Ben - what the hell was that thing?and how did you make it??"
Walter's dark eyes were wide with astonishment.
"I told you, Walter - I'm from a different time and place. I
have some special?talents." Obi-Wan smiled, softly caressing
the side of Walter's face. "Here, lean back - let me check your
ribs." He ran his fingers carefully over Skinner's torso, and
the other man hissed in pain, and stopped his fingers with a
big hand, holding them tight.
"Ben - thanks," he said, his tone sincere. "I owe you. You
risked your life for me."
"I was protecting someone I care about." Obi-Wan replied,
finishing his examination and finding Skinner bruised, but
otherwise not greatly hurt. He noted the flush of confusion
that rose to Skinner's face, and smiled. "There's no
obligation, Walter. You're a good man. It's easy to care about
you. You cared about me when we had barely met. I haven't
forgotten your kindness in taking me to the hospital, and then
into your home. I was merely repaying the debt."
"Ben." Skinner cleared his throat. "I think?I can hardly
believe I'm saying this, but hell, I always told Mulder I'd
believe him if he could show me the evidence, and you sure as
hell showed me something just now?.I think I believe your
story." He said it as it were a great admission, and maybe, for
this man, it was.
"Thank you, Walter." Obi-Wan grinned.
"Mulder is going to be so pissed." Skinner returned the grin.
"If anyone deserved to meet ET, it was him, not me. And you
sure as hell know how to fight," Skinner grimaced. "They took
me by surprise. I should have known that bastard Krycek would
have me followed."
"Those men??"
"Were sent to remind me who I belong to, and who I should have
checked in with before disappearing to my little hideaway.
Yeah." Skinner's eyes registered his anger at having his
movements so curtailed.
"An object lesson." Obi-Wan sighed. He got to his feet, and
helped Skinner up. "Here. I can tell you're fascinated by
this." He placed the light-sabre carefully in Skinner's hand,
then activated it on its lowest setting. Skinner almost dropped
it in surprise, but then clenched his fist hard around it.
"It's okay - even if it touches you it won't do more than burn
- it's not set for anything higher," Obi-Wan informed him.
"Don't squeeze it like that - just hold it loosely." He stood
behind the big man, and placed his arms around him, and his
hands over Skinner's big paws. "Now close your eyes," he
instructed. Skinner hesitated, then did as he was told. "Now
feel the force flowing through you?" Obi-Wan concentrated,
finding the jumbled eddies of the force inside Skinner.
"Imagine that you're a conduit, Walter. You do not control the
force, but neither does it control you - it's a thing of
harmony. You can channel it, but first you need to trust
yourself, to feel the force sweep through you. Focus?" He
slowed his breathing and felt Walter do the same, until they
were in synch, and then he felt a great sense of peace wash
over the other man.
"I can feel it?" Skinner said in an awe-struck tone.
"That's right. Don't do anything?just allow yourself to be?"
Obi-Wan whispered. He savoured the moment, his cheek pressed
against Walter's, his body pressed tight against the other
man's back, his hands covering Walter's hands. Then he moved
back, and picked up a rock from beside the lake. "Now, keep
your eyes closed, Walter, and act on instinct?" He threw the
rock towards the big man, and Skinner hesitated, then sliced
the sabre through the air, cutting the stone in two with a
clean swipe. He opened his eyes and looked down in disbelief at
the shattered rock.
"I did that?" He asked, his face widening into a grin.
"Yes, Walter." Obi-Wan laughed. "I told you, the force is
strong with you."
"I thought you said this "force" is in everybody." Skinner
frowned.
"It is, but in some it is like the faint whisper of a
heartbeat, and in others it is much louder - like a drum. On
this world, its power is mostly locked up - unfocused. Your
people have no Jedi teachers, and you don't know how to get in
touch with the force. You?there is something that happened to
you that makes you different. Sometimes those who have
experienced some profound event find they are able to access
the power of the force. Is this true of you?"
Skinner thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "I've been
declared technically dead on two separate occasions. After each
one, I?felt different." He shrugged. "It scared me. I didn't
like to examine it more closely."
"Ah." Obi-Wan smiled. "One day, Walter, you will. I hope when
that day comes, you will allow me to take the journey with you
- as your guide." Then he burst out laughing.
"What?" Skinner asked with a confused frown. "What's so funny?"
"For a man who doesn't believe in destiny, did it never strike
you as strange that you have cheated death not once, but twice?
I would have said, Walter, that there is still something very
specific that you have to do. Why else would they keep sending
you back?"
"Ben, you're so crazy you make Mulder look sane." Skinner
laughed.
"Mulder." Obi-Wan sighed. "He also keeps avoiding his destiny."
"Which is?" Skinner raised an eyebrow.
Obi-Wan smiled, and shook his head. "I'm hungry. I think we
missed breakfast," he said mildly.
After breakfast, Obi-Wan took another swim. He felt wild, and
free, slipping through the water like a fish. He was pleased
when Walter finally stripped off his clothing, and joined him
in the cold lake. The dark bruises on the other man's torso
were livid on his golden flesh as he walked naked towards the
water's edge. Obi-Wan watched, wanting to tear his eyes away,
but too transfixed by those long limbs. He loved the way
Skinner's muscles moved beneath his skin, as the sunlight beat
down on his bald head, as if anointing him with its blessing.
If Obi-Wan felt like a fish, then Skinner was like a sea lion,
his bald head bulldozing through the water, pugnacious and
graceful at one and the same time.
"Sharon used to love it in here." Skinner said, emerging beside
Obi-Wan, the water lacing his eyelashes, making him seem very
young, and curiously innocent.
"It's cold, but so refreshing." Obi-Wan agreed. "The scars on
your chest??"
"From the war. And later, the FBI." Skinner replied.
"I saw the warrior in you, the moment we first met." Obi-Wan
smiled. "Qui-Gon had a similar soul."
"What did he look like?" Skinner dived under the surface of the
water, eating up the distance with strong strokes of his arms,
to resurface behind Obi-Wan.
"Tall, slender?handsome." Obi-Wan grinned.
"When she'd finished her swim, Sharon used to lie out naked in
the sun to dry off, and I'd comb her wet hair. She had long
hair," Skinner remembered.
"As did Qui-Gon." Obi-Wan recalled. "How long since Sharon
died?"
"Nearly three years," Skinner replied. "And Qui-Gon?"
"Seven years. Has there been another for you since then?"
"No." Skinner shivered. "It's cold - time to dry off." He
pulled himself out of the water, and went to lie down in the
sun. Obi- Wan joined him. "You?" Skinner asked.
"Since Qui-Gon died? No. Nobody else." Obi-Wan shook his head.
"Seven years is a long time to be lonely." Skinner mused.
"As is three." Obi-Wan shrugged. "There was never anybody to
compare with Qui-Gon, and I thought there never could be again.
Until now." Obi-Wan looked straight into Skinner's dark eyes,
and the big man flushed, and dropped his gaze.
"Ben, there have been times?when I've felt attracted?that is?I
had to fight it. It was disapproved of, but that doesn't mean I
didn't want to?I mean?"
"The taboo is strong among your people, Walter. I understand
that." Obi-Wan shrugged. "Your friendship is enough. I don't
ask for any more."
"I do."
Obi-Wan looked up to find Walter gazing at him uncertainly, his
eyes confused - part desire, part fear reflected in their
charcoal depths.
Obi-Wan reached out a careful hand, and gently stroked the side
of Skinner's face. The other man closed his eyes, and Obi- Wan
deposited a tender kiss on his lips. Skinner didn't move, but
his lips parted a little, and, thus encouraged, Obi-Wan dipped
his head forward again, and kissed the other man with greater
passion. Skinner's mouth opened under his, and his big hands
came up, and tangled in Obi-Wan's hair. Obi-Wan's fingers
played over Skinner's naked head, learning its curves and
contours.
"I guess we both have to get used to missing hair." Skinner
said, with a wry smile, as the kiss finished.
"I'm not unhappy with the difference. I do not look for you to
be Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan replied, pressing his lips against
Skinner's head. "And I think I could find this," he kissed the
naked scalp again, "to be quite as arousing as the feel of
Qui-Gon's hair beneath my fingers."
"You speak as if we have time together." Skinner shook his head
sadly, his hand drawing Obi-Wan's lithe body close, so that the
Jedi could feel the hardness of the big man's erection against
his thigh.
"One thing I learned from the loss of Qui-Gon, is that you must
make the most of however long you have with someone you love,"
Obi-Wan murmured.
He traced gentle lips over Skinner's bruised ribs, then ended
his caress at the other man's hard, broad cock, sliding his
mouth over the crown, and taking it within him, warming the
flesh with his tongue. Skinner moaned and rocked forward, and
Obi-Wan released him, and returned to his mouth for another
deep kiss, that left the Jedi breathless, his head spinning. If
anything could have convinced him that he had found someone who
could mean as much to him as his lost love, it was the power of
that kiss. Skinner seemed to gain confidence from the embrace,
and he wrapped Obi-Wan in his muscled arms. The big man
devoured the Jedi master with his mouth, his large body
covering the slighter man, making him moan, as they thrust
against each other, flesh warming flesh, naked under the blue
sky and the hot rays of the sun.
Obi-Wan surrendered to those caresses, and cried out as Skinner
took his hard cock in his hand, and thumbed it along its entire
length. When he was on the verge of coming, he stopped Walter,
with a smile.
"Lie down. I want to explore you," he whispered. Skinner looked
uncertain, so Obi-Wan touched his lips with his own, in a
brief, reassuring kiss.
"Trust me, Walter," he whispered. Skinner nodded, and did as
instructed, and Obi-Wan straddled the big man's back, and
sucked a trail down his spine. He inspected the grey fringe of
hair around Skinner's head, and the fleshy lobes of his ears,
then licked his way down one solid, muscled arm, turned, and
did the same to the other, going up, until he was at the neck
again, tickling it with his tongue. He continued down, ending
at Skinner's taut, golden buttocks, and dipped his nose a
little way inside the other man's crack, before thrusting his
tongue inside, making Skinner moan out loud. Obi-Wan made no
comparisons between his new love, and the old. Skinner's body
was as pleasing to him as Qui-Gon's had been, and he took his
time enjoying the new sensations, loving the feel of sunlight
on naked flesh, and skin against skin. Finally he turned Walter
over, and reached for the salve in his bag.
"I want you inside me. Hush." He placed a finger over Skinner's
lips. "Let me do this." He rubbed the salve on his hands, and
then used the slippery stuff to anoint Skinner's cock, sliding
the hard length between his fingers, until it glistened,
upright and proud in his palm. Then he turned his attention to
his own body. Sitting astride Skinner, he pushed his lubricated
fingers inside himself, opening himself up, his tongue wetting
his lips as he looked down on the man he was preparing himself
for, in anticipation. Skinner seemed to find the preparation
intensely arousing, and his cock hardened even more, and he
reached out and grasped Obi-Wan's penis, caressing it with a
firm touch that made the younger man shiver on the brink of
coming. Finally, he was ready. He positioned himself over
Skinner, and looked down into the other man's dark eyes, then
carefully lowered himself onto him, parting his own flesh, so
that Skinner's hard length could slip into him easily.
Skinner's hips bucked up to meet him, and clenched tightly
around him, as Obi-Wan moved rhythmically on top of him. His
body exploded into a series of delicious ripples of pure
pleasure as Skinner filled him. He felt the other man's hands
clutch his thighs, warm and sweaty against his flesh, and
smiled down on his lover. Skinner smiled back - the first truly
relaxed, genuine smile that Obi-Wan had ever seen on the other
man. For a moment they were both caught up in the intensity of
their coupling, and then Skinner came inside him with a shout
of release, and Obi-Wan looked up to the sky, the sweat running
down his face.
Obi-Wan stayed straddling his lover for a long time, his hands
resting on Skinner's chest as he felt the other man's cock
soften inside him. Skinner was smiling, and he reached up and
pushed a lock of sweaty hair from Obi-Wan's forehead.
"You looked as if you really enjoyed that," Skinner murmured.
"Didn't you?" Obi-Wan teased.
"Oh yeah." Skinner chuckled. "But you?" he gestured with his
hand, and wrapped it around Obi-Wan's still hard cock, but Obi-
Wan stopped him.
"We could do this another way, if you wish to," he suggested.
Skinner hesitated, then nodded.
"Trust me." Obi-Wan kissed him firmly on the lips, then moved
back. He pressed Skinner's legs open, and applied more salve to
his fingers, then gently inserted them inside the other man,
rubbing softly. Skinner was tight, and his muscles clenched
hard around Obi-Wan's fingers.
"Relax." Obi-Wan ran his free hand over Skinner's thigh, gently
caressing him, and fraction, by fraction, the tension left the
other man's body. Obi-Wan leaned forwards and bestowed a kiss
on Skinner's balls, licking them, and softly caressing his
inner thigh. Skinner's whole body opened up beneath him, and
Obi-Wan carefully inserted another finger, and then another
searching for the spot that he knew would send Skinner into a
tidal wave of ecstasy. He found it, and Skinner gasped out
loud, his whole body convulsing. Obi-Wan smiled, and calmed him
with more soothing strokes along his thigh. "Are you ready,
Walter?" He asked, removing his fingers from inside the big
man's body, and coaxing his own erection back into full
hardness. Skinner nodded, and Obi-Wan took his face between his
hands, and kissed him again. Then he lifted Skinner's hips, and
eased himself inside. For a moment, Skinner panicked, and
Obi-Wan soothed him again, gently running his hands over the
big man's body. Finally, when Skinner nodded to him, he resumed
his gentle thrusting, until he was buried to the hilt in his
lover's willing warmth. He angled his thrust with precision,
and Skinner gasped, and clutched his thighs in surprise.
"Good?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Shit?yes. Damn good." Skinner put his head back, the muscles
in his neck straining as his body exploded with the pleasure of
Obi-Wan's hard cock rubbing his prostate. "Harder?"
Skinner pulled Obi-Wan's thighs again, bucking up to meet Obi-
Wan's thrusts, over and over again, until the Jedi couldn't
hold on any more, and he came with a satisfied sigh.
Obi-Wan withdrew, and threw himself down beside Skinner,
enveloped the big man in his arms, and kissed him, pressing his
head against his chest. They lay there, panting, for a long
time, as the sun lulled them into a pleasant, relaxed doze.
It was evening when Obi-Wan awoke. He was covered in a blanket,
and he could see the last rays of the sun casting a crimson
glow over the lake. There was no sign of Skinner. Obi- Wan got
up, and went to the lake to clean himself, before dressing
quickly to ward off the chilly night air.
He wandered along the lake a little way, until he found the big
man seated on a large, flat rock, looking out into nothing, his
expression sad. Skinner looked up, but didn't speak. Instead he
reached out a hand, and pulled Obi-Wan up in front of him,
nestling him between his legs. Then he lifted the blanket he
was wrapped in, and held Obi-Wan close, snuggling them both
within it. Obi-Wan sat with his back pressed against Skinner's
chest, the big man's arms clasped tight around his shoulders,
his lover's chin resting on Obi-Wan's head, and they were
silent for a long time. Then Skinner cleared his throat.
"You've made your decision." Obi-Wan pre-empted him.
"Yes." Skinner whispered, his breath tickling Obi-Wan's ear.
"It's the wrong one." Obi-Wan stated.
"How did you?? Never mind." Skinner chuckled. "I think I owe
you an explanation, Ben. You've never asked for one, but I
think you deserve one."
Obi-Wan made no reply, just sank back deeper into the warm
depths of his lover's arms.
"Krycek has infected me with some kind of nano-technology. If I
don't do as he says, then he can just press a switch and I
become ill. Or worse. He made me die once before, then brought
me back to life," Skinner said. Obi-Wan nodded, and heard
Skinner take a deep breath before continuing. "I'm going along
with him for now, because I'm no use to Mulder dead. Mulder has
so many enemies. I'm the only friend he has in a position of
any power in the FBI. Without me to protect him?" Skinner
trailed off.
"Have you told Mulder about this?" Obi-Wan asked.
"No." Skinner said softly. "If he knew, he'd go after Krycek."
"And you don't think he could win?" Obi-Wan looked up. "There
comes a time when the master has to let the apprentice go,
Walter."
"I know, but?Mulder has so many battles to fight. I don't want
him fighting mine," Skinner told him. "I suppose
that?protecting him has become a way of life for me. I thought
that I could use Krycek as he was using me?that I could use him
to find out more information about the Consortium, and their
plans, but it's not that simple."
"I understand." Obi-Wan nodded. "But Walter - if you kill
yourself, your death won't count for anything."
"At least I won't be a pawn in someone else's game any more - a
pawn they use to get at Mulder, and destroy him." Skinner
snapped.
"No - but if you must die, why not do so because you've defied
them?" Obi-Wan said. He got up, and turned to face Skinner,
kneeling between the big man's legs, and looking at him
intently. "Walter - I think I was sent to this world to find
you, but also to help change things here. This battle is stuck,
and it needs someone to alter the pieces, to look at the board
in a different way. You, and your apprentice, are integral to
the fight between the light and dark sides of the force in this
world. I know that you would die before you went over to the
dark side, but give your death meaning, Walter. Use it to fight
the evil that threatens this world."
"How?" Skinner frowned, and Obi-Wan took his face between his
hands, and kissed him on the lips.
"Trust me," he said.
Obi-Wan sat on the couch, with one arm curled negligently
around Skinner's shoulders, as the big man sat cross-legged on
the floor in front of him. The Jedi had changed back into his
tunic, and pants, which had made Skinner raise a questioning
eyebrow.
"If we are to face ordeals, I would rather do so in my own
clothes." Obi-Wan told him.
They had been back in DC for a few hours, and Obi-Wan was
stunned by the change in Skinner's whole demeanour. The idea of
action, of fighting back, had liberated his lover, and Skinner
had spent the entire journey home whistling, talking, and
generally behaving in a more animated way than Obi-Wan would
have believed possible. He tried not to compare Skinner with
Qui-Gon, but there were certain similarities that made him
smile. Both were men who preferred to be doing, rather than
sitting on the sidelines, whatever problems that led them into.
Qui-Gon always hated to be still - only years of rigorous Jedi
training had worked to at least make his pursuit of his quests
less frenetic than they otherwise would have been. Skinner was
also a thinker - and prone to dark doubts, but like Qui-Gon he
rose to whatever the occasion required.
"How long do you think we'll have to wait?" Obi-Wan asked, his
fingers combing through the small fringe of hair at the back of
Skinner's neck.
"Not very long." Skinner shrugged. "I'll imagine that Krycek is
hopping mad. My guess is that he's just itching to get around
here and pull me back into line."
"He'll know you're back?"
"Yeah." Skinner sighed. "He'll know."
He was right. Krycek showed up at the door a few hours later.
Obi-Wan stood back as Skinner let him into the apartment, and
locked the door firmly behind the dark haired man. Krycek
looked at Obi-Wan, then back to Skinner.
"It seems your boyfriend is less of a pansy than he looks," he
remarked. Obi-Wan had no idea what a pansy was, but guessed
that he wasn't being complimented.
"Would you care to take a seat, Mr. Krycek." Obi-Wan gestured
to a chair.
"No. I'm not stopping. I'm just here to give him," he nodded at
Skinner, "a painful little reminder about who pulls his
strings." He reached into his pocket and took out a small box.
Obi-Wan held out his hand, and the box sprang out of Krycek's
grasp, and into his own. Obi-Wan drew his light sabre, threw
the box into the air, then sliced it through. It gave a
sizzling moan, then the lights winked out.
"What the fuck??" Krycek looked at Skinner who shrugged.
"My boyfriend is a man of many talents," the big man grinned.
"You're dead, Skinner. Do you think that's the only control
box?" Krycek hissed.
"No, but I suspect it's the only one you carry around with
you." Skinner drew a gun, put a big hand on Krycek's shoulder
and pressed him down into a chair. Then he retrieved a pair of
handcuffs from his pocket, and fastened Krycek's good hand to
the other man's own ankle, effectively hobbling him. "What the
hell are you playing at?" Krycek demanded. "You are so dead,
Skinner."
"I know. Liberating, isn't it?" Skinner grinned.
"We want information from you." Obi-Wan walked over to Krycek,
and looked deep into those green eyes. They widened for a
moment, as if in recognition of Obi-Wan's power, and then
narrowed.
"You can go to hell." Krycek spat. Obi-Wan ignored him.
"You've already seen what this can do." He raised the light-
sabre. "I'm going to give you another demonstration." He
brought the sabre down on Krycek's prosthetic, severing it from
his body. Krycek's head snapped up, his eyes wide in panic as
he smelled the burning plastic. "The good thing about this
weapon is?" Obi-Wan smiled, "that it cauterises as it cuts.
So?when I cut off your other arm, it's most unlikely that
you'll bleed to death. This means that you'll still be alive to
give us the information we require. Of course, if you refuse,
I'm happy to move on to your legs."
Krycek's green eyes spat an angry fire. "If you want me to tell
you how to cure him," he nodded at Skinner, "forget it. There
isn't a cure, and I don't have the key to the main control
box."
"I understand that. I suspect that only your master has that.
Walter accepts that a cure is unlikely - that isn't the purpose
of our questioning," Obi-Wan told him. "We want to know the
location of the boy, Gibson Praise."
"Gibson?" Krycek looked startled. "What the hell do you want
with him?"
"That's not important," Skinner said. He crossed his arms over
his chest, and leaned against the wall. "I'd advise you to tell
him, though, Krycek. He's very?determined when he wants to be."
He flashed a private grin at Obi-Wan who returned it.
Krycek thought about it for a moment, then gave in, and spat
out the information they required.
"This isn't the end of it though, Skinner," he growled. "This
is just one battle in a big war. I haven't finished with you
yet."
"Understood." Skinner nodded. Obi-Wan handed him the rope, and
gag, and then picked up his cloak and went to the door. "Where
are you going?" Skinner asked, as he began tying Krycek.
"I think that we are going to need help," Obi-Wan replied,
opening the door. He thought about it for a moment, then
turned. "Perhaps you could give me an address?" He asked.
Obi-Wan enjoyed his journey to Alexandria. Skinner's vehicle
was slow, primitive, and basic, but he survived the little
expedition without coming to any harm. He abandoned the jeep
outside Mulder's apartment block, located Mulder's door without
any difficulty, and knocked on it.
"Who is it?" A voice called.
"Ben." Obi-Wan replied, sensing that he was being watched
through the key-hole device in the centre of the door.
"Skinner's weird friend?" Mulder opened the door and allowed
him in, standing back cautiously so that Obi-Wan couldn't get
hold of his neck again.
"I'll come straight to the point." Obi-Wan said, observing
Mulder's defensive body language. "We need your help."
"We?" Mulder frowned.
"Walter is planning on rescuing the boy, Gibson, and we require
your assistance." Obi-Wan said, his eyes never leaving
Mulder's.
"Yeah, right. My trap-o-meter is just about wailing its head
off right now." Mulder told him sourly. "For a start - I don't
even know you, Ben. Secondly, I don't trust Skinner, and
thirdly, this is so damn obvious. You could give me some credit
for having even basic intelligence."
"I would - except for the fact that you don't seem to have the
first clue about the game that's being played here," Obi-Wan
snapped.
"Don't I? Enlighten me, then." Mulder gestured extravagantly.
Obi-Wan moved so fast, that Mulder blinked, and the Jedi was
suddenly in front of him, his eyes burning searing holes in
Mulder's soul.
"This is your moment, Mulder - the one you were born for. All
your life you've been pursuing your destiny and the irony is,
that now it's upon you, you don't even recognise it." Mulder's
eyes widened, but Obi-Wan held him still by the force of his
will alone. "Skinner is giving up his life for you. That's a
sacrifice he's prepared to make. I intend to make sure it's not
one he makes in vain. I'm asking you to make a similar
sacrifice."
"What?" Mulder croaked, his eyes still transfixed by Obi-Wan's
sharp, all-seeing gaze.
"You're on a quest - you must give it up. Walter has told me
that you're searching for your sister. I can understand the
need to find one who is loved, and lost, all too well." Obi-Wan
sighed. "However, it is only a small part of a larger picture.
Finding your sister isn't your destiny. Taking Gibson Praise as
your apprentice, is."
"What?" This time the word was full of shocked lack of
comprehension.
"The boy is the key to the light and the dark sides of the
force that battle for control of this world. Whoever trains
him, and brings him to the fullness of his power, will win that
battle. Gibson's talents far outshine yours, or those of anyone
else on this world. Your task, Mulder, your only one task, your
destiny, is to take care of that child, to make him your
apprentice. He is already badly damaged - if he stays in the
power of the dark side for much longer he will be irrevocably
turned. Then it will be too late. For you, for your sister, for
this whole world." Obi- Wan released the mental hold he had on
Mulder, and the man took several deep breaths.
"Who the hell are you?" Mulder demanded, as soon as he could
speak coherently again.
"I'm what you've been looking for, Mulder," Obi-Wan informed
him. "I'm a?" he paused, remembering something Skinner had said
to him, "little green man," he finished with a smile.
Mulder stared at him, and Obi-Wan sensed the battle he was
fighting inside.
"I know - it's not easy to give up something you've devoted you
whole life to," he said gently, "but your sacrifice is no more
than is being asked of your master. In fact it's considerably
less."
"I don't understand - what danger is Skinner in?" Mulder asked,
and Obi-Wan softened, sensing the other man's genuine concern.
He briefly explained about the nanocytes, and Mulder rocked
back on his heels, a wordless "oh" forming on his lips.
"The stupid bastard." Mulder buried his face in his hands. "I
should have known they'd try to get to me through Skinner
again. They've tried it before - several times. Shit. Why
didn't he tell me?" He demanded.
"He thought he was protecting you." Obi-Wan shrugged. "He also
thought you'd go after Krycek if you knew."
"He's damn right I will. I'll?" Mulder strode towards the door,
but Obi-Wan's Jedi reflexes got him there first.
"Do nothing," he said, closing the door firmly, and standing in
front of it, as if on guard. "I've already told you your task,
Mulder. You have to give all this up - your life here, your
work, your quest, and make sure that you keep Gibson safe for
the time yet to come."
"I?" Mulder searched Obi-Wan's face as if looking for answers.
"Trust - it isn't easy," Obi-Wan said softly. "We all have our
particular faults, Mulder, and this is yours. With me, it was
patience. Master Yoda was always warning me about it. I
learned, but it was hard, very hard." He shook his head. "With
Qui-Gon it was obstinacy, with Walter it's his secrecy - his
need to bear things alone, and with you it's trust."
"Why should I trust you?" Mulder asked. "You come here spouting
all this new age crap. Why should I believe you?"
"Don't trust me - trust your instincts," Obi-Wan told him.
"Learn to listen to them, Mulder." He placed a hand over the
other man's heart, and amplified the force beating there, as he
had with Skinner. Mulder looked at him, his eyes incredulous.
"I know it's hard to sever the ties with the master," Obi-Wan
said gently. "But it's time, Mulder. It's more than time. You
are of age - destiny demands that you move on, and take an
apprentice of your own."
Obi-Wan could sense the battle in Mulder's heart, and hoped the
other man was equal to it. He was sure he was - Skinner
wouldn't be prepared to risk and suffer so much for his
apprentice if he were not worthy.
"All right." Mulder came to his decision. "I don't know who the
hell you are, Ben, but you've convinced me."
"Good." Obi-Wan gave a little bow. "Then come with me. We have
much to accomplish, and little time."
With some judicious use of Obi-Wan's little "mind-trick" as
Skinner called it, it was easy enough for the three men to gain
access to the place where Gibson was being kept. Once inside,
Mulder led the way down the corridor with a jaunty confidence.
"Follow me," he whispered, beckoning. "I've broken in here
before."
Obi-Wan glanced at Walter, who winced.
"It's a hobby of his," he sighed.
Obi-Wan grimaced. "My own padawan is similarly resourceful," he
commiserated. "Trying, isn't it?"
"That's the polite term for it," Skinner grinned.
"Gibson is being held in the west wing." Obi-Wan informed
Mulder, catching up with him.
"How do you know that?" Mulder demanded.
"He just told me," Obi-Wan replied.
"What?" Mulder glanced at Skinner, who shrugged.
"That seems to be your standard response." Obi-Wan observed.
"What?" Mulder grinned.
They had to pass through 2 time-delayed doors made of some kind
of perspex material to reach the west wing.
"Last time I was here, Frohike and Langly hacked into the
computer system and over-rode the mechanism," Mulder informed
Obi-Wan. "Any smart ideas up your sleeve?" He asked hopefully.
"Where is the computer system? I might be able to do something
similar," Obi-Wan said. Mulder led the way to a secure room,
and Obi-Wan easily talked them past the guards.
"I wish I could do that," Mulder murmured wistfully.
"You could, if you tried." Obi-Wan shrugged.
Mulder's eyes lit up. "Will you show me?"
"Yes. Later." Obi-Wan sat down at the console, and accessed the
computer. It was so technologically primitive as to be almost
like using an abacus. He played for a few seconds, and soon
located the door mechanisms, jamming the frequency on "open."
They set off again, and within minutes found the area where
Gibson was being held. Obi-Wan talked them past the guards
again, and they soon had the boy. Gibson looked at Mulder
warily.
"He says I'm to be your apprentice," he stated.
"Yeah, you drew the short straw," Mulder replied.
"Is that okay with you, Gibson?" Skinner asked. The boy thought
about it for a moment, then nodded.
"I don't like these people. They've hurt me. He is scared
though. He doesn't know if he'll live up to your expectations."
He pointed at Mulder.
"Thanks, kid." Mulder sighed, ushering the boy out of the door.
Gibson walked with a limp, and physically his body was a wreck.
It angered Obi-Wan to see the damage these people had wrought
upon the child with their endless experiments.
<No more,> he told Gibson. The boy stared at him blankly,
and for a while Obi-Wan wondered if he was even beyond caring.
Then he gave a shy smile.
<No more,> he replied.
Gibson slowed them down, and somebody must have seen them on
the security cameras, because suddenly an alarm sounded.
"Run!" Skinner commanded, pushing Obi-Wan and Mulder ahead of
him. He picked Gibson up, and tucked him bodily under one arm.
Obi-Wan went ahead, drawing his light-sabre. Security guards
appeared in front of him, and he raised the sabre, and
deflected their bullets, while Mulder looked on in amazement.
The FBI agent glanced behind them, and let out a hoarse shout
as he saw the guards appear behind Skinner. He began to run
back, and was halfway there when the doors closed, trapping
Obi-Wan down one end of the corridor, and the rest of them at
the other end. Obi-Wan dispatched the guards on his side of the
perspex door, then ran back towards the others. They had slowed
to a halt, and Skinner placed his body between the guards and
Gibson and Mulder, as the security team approached, their
weapons raised. Obi-Wan had a moment of deja vu as he stood,
helpless, separated from his bonded mate, watching as his lover
died.
He slammed his light-sabre into the perspex door, but it was
clearly made from a substance alien in origin - certainly far
beyond the level of technology he had so far witnessed on this
world. The sabre made a dent, and he adjusted the setting, and
pushed it through again. He could slice a hole for himself,
given time, but he didn't have any time. A thought occurred to
Obi- Wan, and he thrust the sabre at the door one last time,
making a crack large enough to pass it through.
"Walter - take it," he hissed, handing the big man the sabre
through the hole in the door. Skinner grabbed it, then
hesitated.
"Ben - I don't think I can?" he began.
"Don't think. Feel." Obi-Wan told him, with an encouraging
smile. "Use your instincts. Feel the force flowing through
you?channel it?remember what I taught you."
Skinner nodded grimly, and turned to face the approaching
guards.
"Stand back," he warned Mulder, and the agent bit on his lip,
and pulled Gibson into the corner, protecting his body with his
own. Skinner carried on walking, waving the light-sabre in the
air, and the guards hesitated - then one of them raised his
weapon and fired. Obi-Wan felt time stand still, and he hardly
dared breathe. He felt Skinner muster his will, and then saw
the light-sabre move as if it flowed from his lover's arm, like
part of his own body. The bullet was easily deflected, and
Skinner kept on walking. More bursts of gunfire followed, but
Skinner's concentration didn't waver as he engaged the enemy in
battle. He thrust the sabre into the chest of one, and the man
screamed. The others didn't hang around, but turned and fled.
Skinner turned back, the expression on his face one of calm
intent. He strode back down the corridor, his long legs
covering the ground, and Obi-Wan found that he could breathe
again. He had a sudden image of Qui-Gon, pacing with his own
long strides, and then it faded, to be replaced by this new
image, of a new love.
It took Skinner a few minutes to hack them a hole through the
door, and then they began to run once more. The guards were in
disarray, and it was Mulder who led them down the side
corridor, and out of a fire exit, into the street. They ran
back to the car, and Skinner drove them away as fast as
possible. They stopped at Skinner's apartment to collect the
passports and paperwork Skinner had arranged for Mulder and
Gibson earlier, and to bundle Krycek into the car, then they
set off again for the safe house Skinner had organised.
"What about him?" Mulder asked when they got there, pointing at
the bound, gagged Krycek. "Will you kill him?" He looked at
Obi-Wan.
"A Jedi doesn't take a life unless there is no other option -
and he never kills in anger. That leads to the dark side,"
Obi-Wan intoned.
"Does he always talk like this?" Mulder asked Skinner.
The big man grinned. "Yeah. You get used to it, and after a
while you actually start to enjoy it. It's endearing. It's what
makes Ben, Ben." He put his hands on the Jedi's shoulders, and
smiled a wide, beaming smile. Obi-Wan basked in the moment,
enjoying both that, and Mulder's look of surprise. "As for
Krycek," Skinner continued, "well, I believe he's a known
felon. I've already made arrangements to hand him over to the
DOD to face trial."
Obi-Wan managed to teach Mulder a few simple skills - enough to
ensure that the agent had at least a fair chance of keeping
ahead of the game during the difficult years ahead.
"Good luck, Mulder. Take good care of your padawan." Obi- Wan
said, as Mulder and Gibson prepared to leave.
"My?? Oh, right. I will." Mulder nodded.
"Teach him well," Obi-Wan instructed.
"Ben - what about my partner, Scully. Would it be safe for me
to involve her in all this?" Mulder asked.
Obi-Wan shrugged. "Nothing is safe, Mulder, but you must use
all the people on the light side that you can find. It isn't
just your battle. This battle is one you fight on behalf of all
your people. If you can find any to aid you, then you must
learn to accept their help - and to trust them." Obi-Wan added
meaningfully. Mulder took a deep breath, and nodded,
understanding the message. He turned to Skinner, and held out
his hand, then pulled the big man into a bear hug.
"I guess this is goodbye. Ben told me - you know?" He bit on
his lip. Skinner gave Obi-Wan a severe frown, and the Jedi
sighed, expecting they would have a long discussion about that
later. "I suppose I've screwed up your life," Mulder said
softly.
"Nah - you made it more exciting." Skinner shrugged. "I'm a big
boy, Mulder. I made my own decisions."
"What happens to you now?" Mulder looked from Obi-Wan to
Skinner, and back again.
"Now, I suppose I wait for them to take their revenge," Skinner
replied, his tone low, and gentle, belying the enormity of what
he was saying.
"I feel I should stay. You shouldn't face this alone?" Mulder
began. Obi-Wan stepped up and stood beside his lover.
"He won't be alone, Mulder," he assured the other man. Mulder
looked from one to the other, then nodded, accepting that
truth.
"Just make it all worthwhile, Mulder," Skinner said, squeezing
Mulder's hand again, his dark eyes intense.
"I will, and?thanks. For all of it." Mulder swallowed hard,
then nodded at them both, before putting an arm around Gibson's
shoulder, and ushering him out of the door.
"You told Mulder?" Skinner glanced at Obi-Wan once they were
alone.
"Um, yes." Obi-Wan sighed. "It was the only way I could think
of making him trust me."
"I see." Skinner advanced on him, and Obi-Wan looked at him
anxiously.
"Now look, Walter, I?" He began, backing away but Skinner
caught him up in a firm embrace, and kissed him soundly. The
big man's fingers tangled in Obi-Wan's clothing, removing it
with passionate haste.
"If I don't have long, I really want to enjoy myself." Skinner
grinned. Obi-Wan laughed, and allowed the big man to wrestle
him to the ground. Skinner held Obi-Wan's arms above his head,
and dipped his head for a long, claiming kiss.
Sometime later, as they both lay nose to nose, butt naked,
their limbs entangled together, Obi-Wan dropped his bombshell.
"You know, I've been thinking about your predicament, Walter,
and I have a suggestion."
"Hmm?" Skinner opened his eyes, and Obi-Wan gently stroked the
side of his face.
"I think I know a way for you to live," Obi-Wan whispered.
Skinner sat up. "Now he tells me." He looked at Obi-Wan in
disbelief.
"I had my mouth full before." Obi-Wan reminded him with a sly
look.
Skinner growled, and pulled the other man close. "Tell me," he
demanded.
"Your devotion to your padawan impressed me," Obi-Wan mused.
"I?I realise I haven't yet fulfilled my duty to my own padawan.
He doesn't have the skills yet, to stand by himself, however
confident he is." Obi-Wan shook his head ruefully. Anakin was
over-confident in his view. "Walter - I have to go back,"
Obi-Wan turned and looked into Skinner's eyes, "and I want you
to come with me."
"Go back?" Skinner repeated incredulously. "I didn't realise
that you could."
"I'm not sure that I can either." Obi-Wan shrugged. "But I can
try. If it's possible - would you come with me?"
Skinner sat up, and started to pull his clothing back on. "What
place is there for me in your world, Ben?" He asked. "Could you
train me to be a Jedi?"
"No. You're too old for that, Walter." Obi-Wan shook his head.
"Then what use am I? What use would I be in your world?"
Skinner asked in despair. "Listen, Ben, here I know what I am,
and what I can do - I have a use. In your galaxy, I'm nothing."
"Not to me. To me you're everything." Obi-Wan pulled Skinner
around to face him. "You're not the sum of your power and
authority in this world, Walter, you're so much more than that.
You're so many things that you haven't discovered yet. If you
stay here, the dark side will surely take its revenge on you.
If you come with me, you have a chance to live. Choose life,
Walter," he urged. "Choose me."
Skinner looked at him, his big hands absently rubbing Obi-Wan's
bare shoulders. "This is all so new to me. You've brought so
many changes into my life. I can't keep up," he murmured. "I
need time. I need air." He turned on his heel, and walked out
the door.
Obi-Wan washed and dressed, feeling a weary tide of sadness
inside him. To find Walter, and then to lose him, was almost as
painful as losing Qui-Gon. True, he had known that it might
come to this, from the beginning of his friendship with the big
man, but even so, that didn't make it any easier. Seeing Walter
with Mulder had intensified his need to go home, to be with
Anakin again, and to fulfil his vow to Qui-Gon that he would
train the boy. He knew in his heart that his task wasn't over
yet. Obi-Wan retrieved his cloak, and put it on, then fastened
his light sabre to his belt. He wandered outside, and found
Walter staring at the night sky.
"Do you know which star is yours?" Walter asked.
"You can't see it from here. It's too far away," Obi-Wan told
him. "Walter, I'll stay here with you until?" he trailed off.
"But you want to get back - to your apprentice."
"I made you a promise. You won't die alone." Obi-Wan threaded
his arm around his lover's waist.
"Ben, I'm sorry. Clinging to what's familiar is just what I
do," Walter sighed. "Knowing you has been so good?" He paused,
bit on his lip. "But I guess I'm more afraid of the unknown
than I am of death. Go." He pressed his lips to Ben's forehead.
"With my blessing."
"No." Obi-Wan shook his head. "I'll stay until?"
"I don't want you to watch me die." Skinner interrupted him.
"I've been there before - it isn't a pretty sight, believe me."
"That doesn't?" Obi-Wan began to protest.
"I mean it. Just go." Skinner kissed Obi-Wan on the lips. "I'm
not very good at long goodbyes, or all this?you know?talk.
Sharon used to despair of me."
"Qui-Gon said I talked enough for both of us when I got going."
Obi-Wan grinned. "Come with me to the Gateway, Walter. Do that
much at least."
"All right." Skinner nodded.
They spent their last night together, making love with a
passionate frenzy that gave way to a tender languor, a haze of
kisses and caresses - neither one of them wanting the love-
making to end. At dawn they returned to the street in
Washington where Obi-Wan had crashed into Skinner's car.
Obi-Wan could see the faint, shimmering disruption in the
force, where the Gateway flickered, and felt a pang of regret -
if it hadn't been here, he could have stayed, without a guilty
conscience.
"Please. Reconsider." He turned, his eyes beseeching. "There
are so many places in my galaxy, so many worlds, so much to
explore. You're a clever man, Walter, and you have that
warrior's soul that first made me love you. There would be a
place for a man such as you anywhere you went."
Skinner hesitated, his eyes plagued by doubt. "You're asking me
to leave everything I know behind." He shook his head.
"And embrace something new." Obi-Wan held out his hand,
stepping close to the Gateway. "Choose life, Walter. Please."
There was a moment of agonised fear in Skinner's eyes, and then
it faded, to be replaced by a grim resolution. He reached out,
and took Obi-Wan's hand, and Obi-Wan smiled so hard he thought
he'd split his face in two. He took one step, then two, and
felt Walter's lean, solid thigh at his side, his lover's tall
body matching his own, step for step, and Obi-Wan felt at peace
for the first time since Qui-Gonn had died. He cleared his
mind, focused his thoughts on the dusty plains of Irudan, and
then, with Walter by his side, they stepped together over the
threshold.
Azharia stood in the doorway to her hut, waiting. It would be
today, she sensed that much, although she wasn't sure when. She
stood there for a long time, the dusty wind billowing through
her hair, and a sudden flurry obscured her vision for a moment.
When it cleared, she saw Obi-Wan's familiar brown cloak, and
she stepped forward, then hesitated. Beside him, stood the one
her dead people had whispered about. She looked at them, as
they walked across the plain towards her, their footsteps
perfectly synchronised as if they belonged at each other's
side.
"Welcome, Obi-Wan." Azharia pulled him into a hug, and then
released him, and looked at the big, solemn man at his side.
"It would seem that I was right - Qui-Gon is not the only man
with a good heart in this universe."
"Are you always right?" Obi-Wan teased.
"Generally speaking, yes." Azharia laughed.
"Azharia, this is Walter." Obi-Wan said, and the big man held
out his hand to her. She looked at it for a moment, then
guessed the greeting, and took it between her hands, warming
the large paw with her fingers, her mind floating hazily.
"I'm pleased to meet you, ma'am." Walter said, in a deep,
sensuous voice.
Azharia smiled at him. "Yes, he'll do very well, Obi-Wan," she
murmured. "Very well indeed."
Azharia ushered them both into her hut, and poured them a
drink. She placed her hands on Walter's shoulders, and he
looked up at her. "It's new - but you'll grow accustomed to
it," she told him, sending him as much reassurance as she
could. He gave an uncertain smile, and Obi-Wan reached for his
lover, and kissed him. "There's no taboo here, Walter," Obi-Wan
said. "We can be openly affectionate."
"I'm not sure it's in my nature." Walter admitted wryly.
"We'll see." Obi-Wan grinned. "Azharia, did you know where I
was? Where the Gateway led me to?"
The blonde woman nodded. "I felt your presence, Obi-Wan - a
look way in the future, and many galaxies away. I'm glad you
found a way back."
"I worried about Anakin," Obi-Wan admitted. Azharia nodded, and
her eyes lost their focus for a second. "What do you see?"
Obi-Wan asked.
"I see you, and Walter, living a long, and happy life together.
I see many troubles - but not between the two of you. He'll
help you through a difficult destiny, Obi-Wan, and he'll die in
your arms of old age." Walter looked stunned by this
revelation. "It's all right." Azharia soothed him. "You've
already performed the most dangerous part of your destiny,
Walter, and performed it well. Now you can enjoy the rewards."
"And Ben? I mean?Obi-Wan?" Walter asked. "What about him?"
"He won't live long after you. A few years," was all Azharia
would say. "Enough of the future - you have the present now."
She looked at Obi-Wan. "You're lucky - you found what you went
looking for."
"I went looking for Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan replied, puzzled. He
knelt down beside the fire, and rested his head against
Walter's knees.
"No," Azharia smiled at both of them, enjoying the look that
passed between them, seeing their lives stretch ahead of them,
full of love. "You went searching for something you'd lost -
and now you've found it," she said softly.
THE END
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