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Help Me Obi-Wan Kenobi, You're My Only Ho - continued

(continued from part 3)

Daylight shone through the narrow window in Qui-Gon's bedchamber, giving the room an oddly bisected look. It had been a long day and a late night before he'd finally fallen asleep, so he didn't feel at all embarrassed that he had slept in. Jedi rarely had such luxurious opportunity, and one must enjoy the moment while it lasted. Since the other being confined to his quarters would no doubt sleep all day, what did it matter?

The Council had decided to punish him by forcing him to look after Kenobi, so far the only witness who could substantiate his claim that someone was smuggling fertile Kleranoms off Kleran. Qui-Gon considered babysitting the Force-sensitive whore and general nuisance to be a criminal misuse of his skill, but perhaps Yoda was correct. It wouldn't be the first time Master Yoda had given him an assignment purely to test his serenity.

It would most likely be hours before the young pleasure worker emerged from the padawan room, so Master Jinn decided to make the most of the peace while he had it. He left his bedchamber intending to make some tea before his morning meditation, but he didn't get that far.

The door from the common room to the quarters' small balcony was open, its filmy draperies floating in the breeze.

Qui-Gon rushed to the balcony, fearing for a moment that the reckless lad had tried to escape his confinement that way, despite the tremendous height.

The truth was almost as startling as he had feared. Kenobi hung backwards over the railing from his bent knees; the only thing anchoring him was the slight curve of his ankles around two supports. He wore nothing but the same ragged sleep pants he'd worn last night.

Qui-Gon's breath caught in his throat. The golden light played over the planes of his chest, long, lean arms stretched out beside him like wings. The currents of unpredictable Coruscanti wind lifted his quiescent body and then dropped it just as suddenly. Qui-Gon fought the urge to rush over and drag the young man back into his quarters -- if he acted too rashly, Kenobi might fall.

He reached out to the Force, hoping he could stabilize the young man before the winds whipped him off the railing to his death. What he found in the Force really did take his breath away. The Living Force swam around Kenobi, its currents bright and strong, caressing him. He was meditating. Not performing some advanced Force manipulation, but merely surrendering himself to its light.

Qui-Gon had never seen a braver, more beautiful thing in all his days at the Temple. It was reckless, irresponsible… perfect. Kenobi's eyes were closed, head thrown back, lips moist and parted as if in ecstasy. His fingers seemed to dip into the currents of the Force, carding through the strands of it like a lover's hair.

Kenobi laughed, a joyful gurgling from deep within him, not caring that the wind had whipped his hair against his face until it glowed pink. "I had no idea…"

Qui-Gon released the breath he had been holding as he realized Kenobi was now aware of his presence. He opened his eyes, and though he didn't look at Qui-Gon, the Jedi Master knew he sensed him. Face bright and eyes glistening, he spoke again.

"Master Jedi, is this what you meant? This Force that you serve… is this what it's like?" The joy bubbled out of him so strongly that Qui-Gon had to smile. He moved closer to Kenobi, slowly, concerned that his presence would distract him. He didn't want to cause Kenobi to slip, but he wanted to be close enough to grab him if he did.

"Sometimes," Qui-Gon answered. "Though Jedi seldom experience it with such reckless disregard for their own safety."

Kenobi's hands grasped the railing, and his jubilation subsided a bit. He sat up, and Qui-Gon placed his large hands over Kenobi's, ready to pull him to safety if he faltered.

"Is it that you're naturally a joyless bastard, or is it something you develop as a Jedi?" Kenobi smiled when he asked it, a broad, pleasant smile, only slightly mocking.

"Joylessness is required study for all initiates," Qui-Gon answered with his usual Jedi neutrality. "I may end up teaching it if they assign me to Temple for very long."

Kenobi considered this, evidently deciding that Qui-Gon was teasing him. He laughed again, and it sent a wave of pleasure through Qui-Gon. He tingled from the tips of his toes to every follicle on his head. The tension was pleasant, though not unlike the electricity one sometimes felt in the air before a storm.

Kenobi suddenly wrapped his legs around Qui-Gon's waist, hooking his ankles behind the Jedi Master's back. Qui-Gon managed not to dump him off the balcony in his surprise, but it was a near thing. Kenobi flung his arms around Qui-Gon's neck and held on tightly, pulling his hair.

Qui-Gon stumbled back, laughing at the absurdity of it as he fell through the balcony doors and landed squarely on his behind.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Kenobi asked after coming to rest on Qui-Gon's lap. His pale fingers stroked and twisted through the Jedi Master's disarrayed hair. His face was close enough that Qui-Gon could feel his breath stirring his eyelashes. The laughter died in Qui-Gon's throat.

"You could have been hurt, Kenobi. Very badly."

"I wasn't." Kenobi continued to smile, but his voice was softer now. His cool hands continued to stroke through Qui-Gon's hair, caressing his scalp. "I love your hair."

Qui-Gon started to extricate himself, but the younger man was not cooperating. "I'm responsible for you, Kenobi."

"So if I'd fallen you'd have lost your whore-sitting merit badge?" Kenobi was still amused, but a bit cooler. His hands moved from Qui-Gon's hair to his neck. The Jedi master captured them in his own before they could make any more mischief.

"I am supposed to protect you, even if it is from your own recklessness."

"You could use a little recklessness in your life, Master Jinn." The smile was back, full force. Qui-Gon took the boy's hands away from his neck and placed them on Kenobi's knees. "And you could benefit from some lessons in control."

Kenobi regarded him silently, looking serious for the first time that morning. "Are you offering to be my teacher, Master Jinn?"

"Yes, Kenobi." Qui-Gon began struggling to stand with Kenobi still half sitting on him. "We're going to be stuck with each other for a while. Might as well make the best of it… Will you please get off." Kenobi raised an eyebrow and smiled down at him. "I would, but I still owe you one, Master Jinn."

"Don't make me use force."

"Force or Force?"

"Either. Both." Qui-Gon muttered. "Let me up, please."

The broad smile returned to Kenobi's face. "Since you asked so nicely."

To Qui-Gon's surprise, the young man let him up, seeming fairly contrite. Something in his bearing was different -- -almost shy, deferential. The Jedi master glanced at him, mildly suspicious.

"Did you mean what you said about teaching me?" Kenobi looked up at him, guileless hope shining through his large eyes.

"Yes." Qui-Gon smiled slightly as he nodded at the young man. One minute he was trying keep Kenobi from knocking them both over the balcony, the next he was quietly encouraging him as if he were some strange, tiny seedling in the Temple gardens. "First, though, we should eat something, put in an order for you at Temple Supply and stop by the healers to make sure you are indeed fully recovered from … your illness."

"I'm not ashamed that I was drugged, Master Jinn. No need to be wary of my feelings in that regard." Kenobi's tone was clear, matter-of-fact.

Qui-Gon nodded, understanding. Whatever Kenobi's whoremaster had given him had resulted in an addiction of sorts, but it had been entirely out of Kenobi's control. If his body was truly cleansed, then the matter was hopefully behind him.

"Will it be a problem for me, here?" Kenobi looked wary, but he didn't seem upset. He merely wanted to know how Jedi society would view him, or so it seemed to Qui-Gon.

"You had no control over whatever drug Cragin forced on you. No one will judge you based on that, as long as you don't try to use while you're here."

"I never wanted it before, and I'm not going to start now." Kenobi glared at Qui-Gon, suddenly sullen and possibly offended. At least he wasn't screaming.

"I never meant to imply that you would."

Kenobi seemed to want to argue that point, but didn't. He nodded, and that seemed the end of the matter. His moods seemed to be less erratic than they had been. Qui-Gon didn't know if it was some latent effect of the drug or simply that Kenobi was attempting to control himself. He suspected it was the latter.

There were more problems than Qui-Gon expected at Temple Supply, since Kenobi was neither a Jedi nor an official visitor. Finally, Qui-Gon managed to get the young prostitute qualified for a clothing allotment as a refugee. When all was said and done, Qui-Gon felt rather embarrassed about the level of inane bureaucracy within the Jedi organization. Kenobi seemed to find it rather more amusing than annoying, for which Qui-Gon was grateful. He sent most of the allotment back to his quarters, along with the cast-offs Kenobi had been wearing, while the younger man changed into something that suited him better than Jedi robes.

Midday meal in the Temple dining hall was more disconcerting than Qui-Gon had expected. Guests were not unusual here, so Qui-Gon wondered why so many initiates, Padawans and even Masters seemed to take special note of the two of them.

"Why are they looking at us that way?" Kenobi asked.

"I don't know what you mean."

Kenobi put down his utensil and glared at Qui-Gon, evidently not impressed with the Jedi Master's evasiveness.

"Yes you do, Jinn. Don't give me that…" A line appeared between the young man's brows as he struggled not to curse. Qui-Gon took pity on him.

"I apologize, Kenobi. I should not have tried to deceive you. I really don't know why my fellow Jedi seem so interested, though you are looking rather fetching in your new clothes." Qui-Gon couldn't help but grin as he playfully reminded Kenobi of the words they'd had last night.

Kenobi looked down at his black leggings and dark blue tunic, both very plain and practical. He grimaced. "I'm cute, Jinn, but not that cute."

Qui-Gon would have liked to disagree, but it hardly seemed appropriate under the circumstances. The whispers and sidelong glances continued, until a group of senior padawans was less-than-discreet in their conversation as they passed by where Qui-Gon and Kenobi sat.

Qui-Gon heard the word "whore" and subsequent giggling. Kenobi gave no outward sign that he had heard, but Qui-Gon was certain that he had. The younger man calmly wiped his lips with a napkin and pushed back from his half-eaten meal. His eyelids were heavy with affected boredom, a mask that he had no doubt worn often in Cragin's brothel. Qui-Gon was surprised by how much it hurt him to see that look on Kenobi's face. Here, where he should be safe. Where the people should know better.

The knot of padawans was gone by the time he'd released his anger into the Force, but he would talk to Yoda about this. Whatever Kenobi had been, he was their guest here and now. This was not acceptable. Qui-Gon tensed, ready to go after the group of young people, but Kenobi stopped him.

"You don't have to defend my honor, Master Jinn." Kenobi spoke tonelessly. "I haven't any worth mentioning."

Perhaps he'd meant it as a joke, but it struck Qui-Gon to the heart. Those young people were probably Kenobi's age. Except for the vagaries of fate, he might have been their peer. "They should know better," Qui-Gon whispered. "This is not the end of it, I promise you."

"They said nothing that wasn't true."

"You are a guest here, and all Jedi should treat guests with courtesy. I apologize for their behavior."

Kenobi did not seem comforted, but let it go.

They left the dining hall by mutual, unspoken agreement. Qui-Gon had lost his appetite. In any case, finishing their meal would have made them late, since it had taken so long to get Kenobi decent clothing. They had just enough time to make it to the Healer's before Kenobi's appointment.

They walked fairly slowly through the corridors of the Temple complex. Qui-Gon watched as Kenobi glanced up at the high domes and layers of walkways arching up over the courtyard that separated the Healer's dome from the rest of the Temple. The young man was clearly impressed, but seemed to be making a conscious effort not to gawk.

"I'll take you on a tour later, Kenobi." Qui-Gon said quietly. "If you're interested."

A group of initiates grew quiet as they walked past, looking at them with wide eyes and open mouths. Kenobi sighed. "Maybe when it isn't so crowded."

"It isn't just you, you know," Qui-Gon said softly as the entered the Healer's dome. He knew where they were going and led the way. "I have something of a reputation for unorthodoxy, with or without you."

Kenobi cut his eyes up at Qui-Gon, just the trace of a smile dimpling his cheek. "I'll bet you do."

Qui-Gon palmed open the door to the non-emergency section of the Healing dome. They had arrived as scheduled, if the Healers' readiness was any indication.

"Hello, Master Jinn! And you must be Obi-Wan Kenobi." A smallish humanoid Healer greeted them both with an air of professional warmth. "I am Master Healer Guin Phol, and this is my apprentice, Kahl Li."

The human apprentice bowed respectfully, a faint blush spreading over her pale cheek. "We have been expecting you."

Healer Phol had slightly bluish cast to her skin, and her rust-colored hair was neatly knotted out of the way of her sharp, slanted eyes. Qui-Gon bowed slightly in greeting. "I don't believe we have met before, Healer Phol."

"Nonsense," she muttered without looking up from her datapad. "I was on the team that helped put you back together after the LoKrii incident." She led them both into a smaller examining room, talking continuously. "I was only an apprentice at the time, though, so don't feel badly for not remembering. Quite a job that was, too. You field operatives have no sense of self-preservation. Start to believe the Jedi mythos, think you're indestructible, the lot of you.

"All right, then. Kenobi, I will need a full medical history before we begin the exam. The data you sent over was spotty at best, Master Jinn."

"I'll give you some privacy," Qui-Gon said by way of excusing himself. Kenobi looked a little distressed but said nothing. He did not seem entirely at ease with the energetically talkative Healer. "I'll be close, if you need me."

Qui-Gon wasn't sure if he was comforting Kenobi or warning Healer Phol. The boy's behavior had been less unpredictable today, but who could tell for certain how he would react to anything?

Kahl Li bowed to him again as the door closed between them. Qui-Gon found himself wondering how she fared, apprenticed to a Healer with such a forceful personality. Still, he was confident that Kenobi was in good hands.

Perhaps it would be difficult for the boy to divulge details of his past to strangers. Perhaps he should have stayed with Kenobi. Qui-Gon finally decided that it was best he was not with the young man, considering what had gone on between them on the Furlan.

Kenobi obviously had felt somehow betrayed, though Qui-Gon wasn't sure exactly what he'd done that had made the younger man so angry. He had wanted help easing the suffering of his withdrawal, and Qui-Gon had offered what comfort he could, asking nothing in return. Considering how complicated the aftermath of their encounter had become, Qui-Gon was more certain than ever that he should be celibate. What sort of things might the boy have accused him of had he actually had sex with him? Qui-Gon shuddered. At least Kenobi had finally told Yoda the truth.

Qui-Gon made his way back to the waiting area. He had just settled himself to wait when the door opened. A young Jedi with a very smooth, aristocratic bearing walked up to the reception droid and gave his name. When the droid announced that he was early and would need to wait, he took a seat across from Qui-Gon. He wore his white hair short, like a Padawan cut minus the braid, but his honey-colored skin was smooth as a child's. Surely he was too young to be a Knight.

The young man looked somewhat lost in thought, despite the fact that he seemed to be staring at Qui-Gon. He thought for a moment, trying to decide on a name that went with the face. "Padawan Chun?"

The young man started as if he had been sleeping with his eyes open. He raised a hand and smoothed the hair above his ear. The movement was unusually delicate -- hesitant, as if touching an open wound. The pale eyes focused on Qui-Gon and some dark emotion seemed to cross them before he spoke. "Yes, Master Jinn. Though it's ‘Knight Chun' now, I'm afraid."

The boy didn't sound very pleased about it, though perhaps it was just because he was ill. "Congratulations, then. Master Leem must be very proud."

The new Knight swallowed hard, and a wave of sadness spread out from him. He breathed deeply. Qui-Gon noted the young man's clenched fists, and wondered what he had said to cause such a reaction. Knight Chun mastered himself quickly, and answered Qui-Gon's unspoken question in a tone so emotionless that it grated.

"My master joined the Force day before yesterday. His pyre ceremony is at dusk this evening, if you wish to attend."

Qui-Gon began to wonder why he ever bothered speaking if the outcome was so consistently horrid. He felt a pang of sadness at the loss of such a wonderful Jedi. He had not known Master Leem well, but he was one of only six Lentrebi Jedi in the history of the Order. His Force aura had been unique and impressive. It was a shame that so few sentient vegetative lifeforms existed and fewer still were Force sensitive in the traditional sense.

"I am sorry for your loss, Knight Chun," Qui-Gon whispered, uncertain why it was suddenly so hard to speak. Jedi entered into the Force every day, and he had not known Master Leem very well. Yet it grieved him that the Order had lost such a unique perspective.

The honesty of his sentiment must have reached the young Knight. He looked up at Qui-Gon with moist eyes. The Jedi Master could feel the Knight's struggle for control of his grief, yet he spoke with no discernable emotion.

"Thank you, Master Jinn. The Order will not see his like again."

Qui-Gon nodded. There was nothing he could say to that, though the manner in which Knight Chun spoke was most disconcerting. The young man's voice was toneless enough to pass for prophecy, had he been a known prescient. Surely it was no more than an overstatement spoken in grief. So why did Qui-Gon feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise, as if a chill had passed through the room?

He had barely registered the sensation through the Force when Knight Chun made a quiet, surprised noise, as if he had been stung unexpectedly by an insect. The young man pressed the heel of his hand against his head, features pinched in pain.

Qui-Gon was on his feet when the young man tried to stand. The new Knight's eyes rolled white, and Qui-Gon was there to catch him when he fainted. "Knight Chun?"

Knight Chun moaned as his head fell limply against Qui-Gon. He felt something warm and wet trickle down his chest. Blood poured from the young Knight's nose, staining both their tunics with streaks of crimson. He turned to the reception droid and barked, "Get a Healer now."

Bruck was light for his size, Qui-Gon discovered. He met Healer Phol at the door to the waiting area, with Kahl Li following behind her.

"What happened?" The Master Healer asked as she led Qui-Gon into a large examining room.

"He just collapsed." Qui-Gon laid the young Knight on the padded table so the Healers could reach him.

"His training bond was severed violently three days ago," Kahl Li said, looking up from a data screen. "He was here to have it checked."

Healer Phol grunted. Qui-Gon could feel her focusing healing energy to stop the bleeding. "We should have seen him sooner."

Qui-Gon noticed that Kenobi had followed the Healers and was now peeking around the open door. Healer Phol saw him, too.

"Master Jinn, wait with Kenobi until we finish here." The little humanoid motioned toward the door without looking up, confident that she would be obeyed. "Khal, comm Healer Tand. Tell them we'll bring Knight Chun over as soon as I'm certain he's stable."

Qui-Gon collected Kenobi and took him back to the room where he had first left him with Healer Phol.

"Never a dull moment around here, is there?" Kenobi hopped up on the examining table, bringing his face almost even with Qui-Gon's.

"I doubt it's always this dramatic." The Jedi Master still felt uneasy, though he could not say why. His Force-sense felt soiled somehow, like fingers dipped in heavy oil, smearing it over everything they touched.

Kenobi looked thoughtful. "Do I know him?"

"I doubt it," Qui-Gon answered after thinking it over. "Why?"

"Something familiar about him, is all."

"I suppose it is possible. He may have visited Iptura at some point."

"I don't know." Kenobi bit his lip. A flush crept over his pale skin. "If he'd been a customer, I would remember him."

Qui-Gon frowned. "What is it, then?"

"Probably nothing. Never mind."

The Jedi Master let it go. Kenobi did have an amazing Force aura and strong instinctive Force-use, but he was young and in a new place where everything was different for him. It was normal to be a little jumpy.

"Did the Healers have time to examine you before you were interrupted?"

"They took some blood for analysis." Kenobi sighed. "This is really uncomfortable for me."

"Tell me, and I will help you if I am able."

"It's just…" Kenobi bit his lip again, looking around the small room as if searching the walls for the words he needed. "Will I need to take off my clothes?"

Qui-Gon's eyebrows inched up toward his hairline. That was not something he thought would be a problem for Kenobi. "Sometimes it is necessary, though most scans can be done through clothing."

"What if I…" Kenobi hopped off the examining table and began to pace. Qui-Gon waited in puzzled silence for him to continue. "I'm not used to seeing Healers."

"Cragin didn't see to your medical care?" Iptura's pleasure districts were supposed to be the best regulated in the Republic. Qui-Gon found it hard to believe that even Cragin would ignore his employees' health.

Kenobi blushed thoroughly. Qui-Gon thought it strange that a pleasure worker would be so easily embarrassed, though the color in Kenobi's cheeks charmed him.

"We saw a Healer every quarter, but… Cragin hated to part with his credits, so he paid the Healer in trade."

"These Healers are Jedi -- they will not accept payment. You know that." Qui-Gon still wasn't sure what Kenobi was getting at. "They won't expect you to perform."

"I know!" Kenobi hissed. "But what if he doesn't?" Kenobi gestured vaguely toward his leggings.

Qui-Gon tried not smile. It wouldn't be nice of him to find his guest's concerns amusing. "Padawan Li is quite adorable…"

"Not helping."

Kenobi looked genuinely mortified at the prospect, and Qui-Gon immediately felt guilty for teasing him. "Sorry. I thought the hyper-sensuality of pleasure workers was a myth."

"Generally, it is," Kenobi muttered, brows knit in irritation. "That's why Cragin forced the drugs on us. Not that I blame him, really. It made things easier for everyone."

That statement didn't settle well with the Jedi Master, but he listened without interrupting.

"The trouble is, I don't know if the drugs are out of my system or not, and I don't know if I might… even without them." Kenobi paced, wrapping his arms around himself. "On Iptura, it didn't matter. We were all the same. I don't know how to act here. I don't know the rules." He leaned against the examining table and frowned down at the supple leather of his refugee-class shoes. "I just don't want to embarrass myself."

Qui-Gon nodded his understanding and sighed. It was difficult to be young and have people look at you like some sort of novelty, the way the padawans had in the dining hall. He put a comforting arm around Kenobi.

The young man stiffened under the simple touch, and looked up at Qui-Gon. "Not helping."

Qui-Gon released him, weathering his own embarrassment as well as he could. "I can teach you to control it, through the Force."

Skepticism gleamed in Kenobi's grey-green eyes, but his smirk was more amused than sarcastic. "Oh, really?"

"Yes. You can use meditation to release those tensions, of course, but you can also use the Force to manipulate … certain pressure points."

Kenobi seemed to consider this for a moment, and then shook his head.

"I saw you use the Force to push Orima, and this morning you used it to keep from falling," Qui-Gon said.

"That's different." Kenobi crossed his arms over his chest and gave his new shoes a good frowning. "There's no way you could do that with this Force thingy -- not there. It's too delicate."

"You have used the Force to interact with the physical world." Qui-Gon had used a very similar tactic when he first began to teach Xanatos fine Force manipulation. His tone was the same, calm and Masterly. "Same principle."

"I couldn't --"

"It requires discipline. Control that you do not currently have, but it can be done." Qui-Gon chuckled low in his chest. "How do you think I managed to control myself on the Furlan?"

Kenobi turned the frown on him, searching his face for deception. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again and smiled.

Qui-Gon smiled back, careful to keep his tone casual, masterly. "We should start with simple Force-manipulation exercises, but eventually…"

Kenobi's smile faded. "That won't help me now."

"You have a lot more ability than any untrained Force-sensitive I've ever seen." Qui-Gon did not want to discourage Kenobi. "But if you attempted something like that without training, you could cause yourself injury."

"Well, since you put it that way …" Kenobi began to laugh, and Qui-Gon joined him. The tension fell away from them, sliding out of the room as if through a drain in the floor. When their laughter subsided, Qui-Gon found himself looking down into Kenobi's large eyes. He looked innocent and shy, and though the Jedi Master knew he was neither, his heart clenched at the sight.

Kenobi's gaze dropped from his eyes, but not far. Kenobi stared at his lips like a hungry man looking at a five-course meal. A flash of tongue as Kenobi licked his lips sent a shock of lust through Qui-Gon. The young man moved closer, slowly rising on his toes to close the distance between them.

Qui-Gon turned his head and stared into the middle distance, waiting for Kenobi to ease back down on his heels before clearing his throat to speak. It was harder than he thought it would be.

"I will be more than happy to teach you anything I can during your time at the Temple, but you must understand that I do this freely. You owe me nothing."

Kenobi stared forward, arms crossed over his chest.

"Nothing except my life." His voice was quiet. Qui-Gon wanted to protest, to say it was his duty as a Jedi to protect those who could not protect themselves, but he knew that was hardly what Kenobi needed to hear. He wasn't helpless.

"I can teach you to use the Force to defend yourself, Kenobi. A little training and you won't need a Jedi Master to come to your rescue." Qui-Gon managed to make his tone playful, which was not something he was accustomed to doing. Kenobi snorted and smiled up at him again.

"Where's the fun in that?" The smile was teasing, but with an edge of sensuality that made Qui-Gon's mouth go dry. Luckily, the door opened before he could respond.

Healer Phol entered in a flurry of cream robes. Qui-Gon noted that she had managed to keep them clean, whereas his were streaked with Knight Chun's blood. Her apprentice followed her into the room.

"How is he?" Qui-Gon asked.

The Healer looked at her datapad. "His blood work is clear, no sign of drugs, disease or infection of any kind. We would still like to run a scan, just to be sure the Kleranom sting caused no permanent damage internally."

"Knight Chun?"

Guin Phol looked up from her datapad, smirking just enough to make her dark, slanted eyes twinkle. "Why don't you go see for yourself? Kahl Li will take you. I'll finish up with Kenobi."

Qui-Gon glanced uncomfortably at Kenobi. He seemed content to be left with Healer Phol. Perhaps it would be best if both he and Kahl Li were not around for the scan, to spare Kenobi the audience. Qui-Gon turned and nodded at the Healer's apprentice. "Lead the way."

Kahl Li flushed deeply before sketching a curt bow and leaving the room. As soon as the door shut behind them, she walked quickly toward another wing of the Healer's Dome. "He's been taken to the Mind Healer's section, per Healer Tand's instructions. They have Force-shielded rooms."

"How was he? I take it you and Healer Phol managed to stabilize him?"

"The bleeding was simple enough to stop. Other than that… well, the situation with the severed bond was a bit out of my depth, I'm afraid." Kahl Li blushed bright pink all the way to the tips of her ears, smiling shyly. "I'm sorry, Master Jinn, but I must say that having you rush in with him like that was the most exciting thing that's happened here in a long time."

Qui-Gon gave her a closed smile, realizing for the first time that the girl was flirting with him. "I'm sure anyone would have done the same."

"Well, here we are." She smiled up at him again.

"I thank you, Padawan Li."

The Healer's Apprentice blushed again and hurried on her way. Qui-Gon had not managed to get much out of her about Knight Chun's condition, but he supposed that if it were still serious, he would not be allowed to visit. He opened the door quietly, so as not to disturb a resting patient.

He need not have bothered.

"Nonsense!" The white-haired Knight shouted, sitting up very straight on the side of the bed. "I am perfectly well, and you cannot keep me here."

Healer Tand stood with his back to the door, but Qui-Gon recognized the man's rigid posture and flaming red hair. "You are NOT well, and I CAN keep you here, even if I must restrain you to do so."

Qui-Gon cleared his throat softly, and the young Knight's cool eyes met his over Healer Tand's shoulder.

"Hello, Master Jinn." Chun smiled at Qui-Gon, no doubt pleased to change the subject. "I hear that I owe you my thanks."

"I am surprised to see you looking so well, Knight Chun."

"Looks can be deceiving, Master Jinn," Tand said. "I wish I could impress upon this young man how serious his condition could be."

"'Could be' he says." Knight Chun spoke to Qui-Gon as if the healer was not standing between them. "He cannot say that it is serious, yet he wants to lock me in some Force-shielded room for the gods know how long."

"Lentrebi-human bonds are very rare, Knight Chun. Your training bond with Master Leem was the first one in the recorded history of the Order. Until you became his padawan learner, most Jedi believed such a bond was not possible. I simply cannot be certain how having the bond broken by death will affect you."

"I'll tell you, then," Knight Chun sneered. "Dizziness, nausea, a bloody awful headache and profuse bleeding from the nose. Shouldn't you be taking notes?"

"You insufferable…" Tand muttered, "No wonder it took a Master with the patience of a tree to raise you."

"Ooo, your indignation rather tickles." The young Knight smirked at the Healer, laughing quietly under his breath. "Perhaps you should be more careful, as I'm rather sensitive at the moment."

"That is exactly my point, Chun." Tand sighed and rubbed his eyes with the thumb and forefinger of one hand. "You should be Force-shielded and observed until we understand the condition of your broken bond more fully. Even with the sudden death of the Master, a Padawan's training bond should have begun to close by now. Yours has not."

Knight Chun glared at the Healer, and stood. He straightened his bloody tunics with determined dignity. "I will stand by Master Leem's pyre, as is my right."

Healer Tand sighed. "I sympathize, Knight Chun. I honestly do. But I cannot allow you around other Jedi until I can be sure what has caused your extreme sensitivity."

Qui-Gon watched uncomfortably as Bruck Chun regarded the Healer. The young man's pale eyes seemed to bore into Tand like drills made of ice. He smiled, and it was not a friendly smile. Not in the least. "You're afraid this thing in my head might hurt someone." The smile broadened. "You're afraid of me."

It was true; Qui-Gon could sense the Healer's fear. Perhaps it was prompting from the Force, or merely the instincts of an accomplished negotiator that led him to speak at that moment, but the words were out of Qui-Gon's mouth before the idea behind them had fully formed.

"What if he was Force-inhibited?"

Knight Chun turned his solemn gaze to Qui-Gon, but said nothing. Healer Tand let out a breath and managed a steady voice. "That might work, Master Jinn, but only temporarily. The Force currents around the severed bond are tangled and murky. None of us could make sense of it, but whatever it is seems to be growing."

"Would it work long enough to allow Knight Chun to attend his Master's pyre?" Qui-Gon asked. The young Knight's pale eyes cut toward the Healer. He looked suspicious, but Qui-Gon would have sworn that he felt hope stir the air around him. "I think that is the real issue here. Isn't it, Knight Chun?"

The young man inclined his head in answer, as if he did not trust his voice.

"I can give him some Force-inhibiting drugs, but I'm not sure what dosage it would take to be effective in a situation like this." Tand looked at Qui-Gon steadily. "I couldn't allow him to leave without supervision, even with drug therapy."

"I will accept responsibility for him," Qui-Gon answered calmly. "We will come directly here from the pyre, won't we, Knight Chun?"

The young Knight swallowed hard. "Yes. Yes, of course."

The negotiations that ensued were a bit more tense than Qui-Gon would have liked. Healer Tand's concern for Knight Chun's condition extended beyond the usual care for a patient's well-being -- he seemed truly nervous around the Knight. Among the conditions the Healer imposed to allow Chun out of the Healer's dome was a promise from Qui-Gon that he would never leave the Knight's side, even for a moment. Qui-Gon could still taste Tand's anxiety like a bitter lump in his throat.

As he made his way, Knight Chun in tow, to pick up Kenobi, Qui-Gon began to think that perhaps he had somewhat overcommitted. He was now responsible for two young Force sensitives, each of them likely to be unpredictable in his own way.

"Thank you, Master Jinn," Chun said with all the calm and serenity expected of his rank. "I will not give you cause to regret the kindness you have shown me."

Qui-Gon nodded to the young Knight, though a thrill of uneasiness passed through him. Chun could not have sensed his thoughts through the Force, could he? Tand had just given him a dose of Force-inhibitors strong enough to separate Master Yoda from the Force for a ten-day.

By the time they had collected Kenobi from Healer Phol, it was only a few hours until sunset marked the beginning of the pyre ceremony. Kenobi looked a bit startled to see Knight Chun, and Qui-Gon wasted no time in offering an explanation.

"We will be accompanying Knight Chun to his master's funeral pyre this evening."

"Given you someone else to look after, have they?" Kenobi looked at the young Knight, though his words were aimed at Qui-Gon. Chun returned his gaze without the least sign of discomfort; he actually appeared a little bored.

"If you don't mind, Master Jinn, I would like to go by my quarters for a change of clothing." Bruck addressed him formally, though not with the deferential tone of a padawan speaking to a master. Qui-Gon reminded himself that Chun was a Knight, despite his improbable youth.

"Of course." Qui-Gon had almost forgotten the darkening stains on their tunics; Chun carried himself in a way that lent dignity to any attire. Qui-Gon wondered briefly if Chun had been heir to some vast fortune, as Xanatos had been. "Lead the way."

Kenobi fell into step between the two Jedi as they left the Healer's Dome. "Pleased to meet you, Knight Chun," he said. "I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Chun inclined his head ever so slightly in Kenobi's direction and offered a closed smile. "I know who you are."

They traveled the remainder of the way in silence.

Qui-Gon was surprised to see that Knight Chun's quarters were in the Master's wing; he supposed there had not been time to assign him knight's quarters. The rooms themselves were a pleasant shock to Qui-Gon. The common room had a large skylight comprising most of the ceiling, and green, growing things surrounded them. Moss and lichen covered most of the walls and the sunken center of the room was filled with soil.

Knight Chun pulled off his boots and walked barefoot across the soil. Qui-Gon glanced at Kenobi as they both watched the Knight's unusual ritual unfold. Chun moved to the far wall, where water dripped slowly down the rocks to pool in a broad, shallow bowl. He lifted the stone basin into a sunbeam slanting in from the west. Softly, Knight Chun spoke; Qui-Gon did not attempt to hear the words -- it felt private, somehow. He watched the young man bring the basin to his lips and drink. Chun did not stop until he had consumed every drop. He then replaced the bowl.

Knight Chun stood and faced them again, acknowledging their presence in the room for the first time since they had entered. His face was calm, graced with a small, closed smile. He addressed Qui-Gon. "I still feel him here."

Qui-Gon nodded. He, too, could feel the lingering Force signature of the late Lentrebi Master, powerful and utterly unique among Jedi. Kenobi took in a long, shaky breath, but made no comment until Chun entered the padawan room to change his clothing. His voice was hushed, almost awed, though his words were pure Kenobi.

"And I thought you were strange."

Qui-Gon looked at the younger man and wondered if he felt the ancient, wise presence as profoundly as a Jedi. The thought was interrupted when Knight Chun emerged from his room with a small satchel thrown over his shoulder.

"I expect to be locked away in a Force-shielded room while these quarters are processed. I thought it best to take anything of personal significance with me now," he explained.

Qui-Gon nodded and the group turned to go.

"Will they preserve it that way?" Kenobi's voice still came softly, as if speaking in a holy place. "I mean, for another Jedi of that species?"

"I couldn't say for certain," Qui-Gon answered. A moment passed before Knight Chun answered, as well.

"They shouldn't," he said. "I doubt there will be any others."

"Why do you say that, Knight Chun?" Qui-Gon found the finality of the young man's words a bit disturbing.

"Force sensitivity has become rarer and rarer among the Lentrebi over the last three or four millennia. Do you know why that is, Master Jinn?"

"No."

"It's because they are so valuable to the Jedi. The Lentrebi consider it a tremendous honor to send their younglings to the Jedi, essentially removing them from their gene pool. Master Leem had asked for permission to return to Lentrebi Prime to pollinate, but the Council always had something else for him to do when the season came. It only happens every hundred years or so, I'm told."

"So it's the Jedi's fault," Kenobi said, sounding a little more pleased by the idea than was strictly polite.

Qui-Gon nudged the conversation in a more comfortable direction.

"How many padawans did he raise?" He was sure the number must be high, for Master Leem was already ancient when Yoda was a crecheling.

"I have no idea," Chun answered. "He rarely spoke of them to me. Everything has its time and place, and the past wasn't … now. Such things were not important to him -- the passing of time, the passing of friends. He existed more fully in the Moment than anyone I have ever known. It's hard to explain."

"But you were his only human padawan?"

"I have no reason to doubt Healer Tand," Chun responded evenly. "Do you, Master Jinn?"

Qui-Gon chuckled. This time with Chun was certain to be interesting; a human raised by a Lentrebi would have a unique perspective.

"This is my quarters," Qui-Gon said as he palmed open the door. "The ‘fresher is through there if you'd like to wash up before you change, Knight Chun."

Kenobi threw himself into Qui-Gon's favorite chair, as soon as Chun left the room. "You Jedi are all fucking insane." He sighed, moving only those clear, gray-green eyes to watch Qui-Gon, who was looking over a stack of packages beside the door.

"This from a man who has lived among drug-addicted prostitutes for nearly his entire life."

"Exactly my point," Kenobi chuckled.

"It looks as if your clothing has arrived," Qui-Gon said. "Perhaps you should choose something to wear to the ceremony." Kenobi pulled a face, managing to look pouty and disgusted at the same time. "Unless you'd rather stay here?"

"Locked in these quarters, alone?" Kenobi frowned, standing up and reluctantly looking through the packages. "Fuck that."

Qui-Gon went to change his clothes to Kenobi's mumbled chorus of curses.

When he returned to the common room dressed in his formal tunics, he found Kenobi had already changed. He looked surprisingly reputable in somber gray tunics with black leggings. He had even fastened his hair back into a neat tail.

"I'm impressed, Kenobi." Qui-Gon soon discovered that this was entirely the wrong thing to say. Kenobi glared at him and began muttering just loud enough for him to hear.

"Oh, yes. Look at the clever little whore! Where do you think he learned to dress himself? And faster than a pair of Jedi, too."

Knight Chun saved Qui-Gon from having to address Kenobi's tirade by emerging from the ‘fresher clad in dark green and black dress tunics and tall black boots. "Are we ready, then?"

Qui-Gon nodded, but Kenobi turned back to the stack of packages. "I saw a package for Master Jinn mixed in with the others. It's marked ‘Urgent'." He tossed the small box in Qui-Gon's general direction.

The Jedi Master caught it one-handed and opened it. Inside he found a quantity of sexual barriers, a data chip and another small package. He put the chip into the wall-mounted reader and carefully closed the box. Xanatos' face appeared on the screen before him.

"Sorry I couldn't say farewell in person, Qui, but this mission is time-sensitive. I hope you enjoy the small gift I have enclosed, and I look forward to seeing you at mission's end. We have much to discuss."

Knight Chun began to move towards the door, eyes carefully downcast. Qui-Gon assumed he was affording him a semblance of privacy. Kenobi merely stood there, staring at the screen with interest.

"I have also included something that I hope you will deliver for me. The smaller package I have enclosed is a gift for Knight Bruck Chun. His Master became one with the Force recently; his pyre is this evening. I hope you won't mind delivering the package for me, along with my condolences, as I only had access to the one delivery droid at the moment, and time is short." Chun did not turn to look but stood perfectly still, facing the closed door.

"Besides, you know how horrible I am at handling such things. I'm sure you'll know the right thing to say. Preflight is finished -- time to go. May the Force be with you."

Xanatos' image disappeared, and then reappeared immediately as the message began to replay. Qui-Gon shut down the data reader a little more forcefully than necessary, and retrieved the smaller package from amidst the barriers. His former Padawan could not have known that Knight Chun would be present to hear his message, but Qui-Gon allowed himself a measure of annoyance with him anyway. Why the cheeky bastard felt it necessary to send him a varied assortment of sexual barriers when he knew that Qui-Gon had chosen to be celibate… but now was not the time.

"I apologize, Knight Chun," Qui-Gon proffered the small, covered box in the still serenely blank-faced Knight's direction. "I didn't know that you and my former padawan were acquainted."

"Acquainted." Chun spoke tonelessly, as if repeating a new word to commit it to memory. "I suppose we are."

"Come along, Kenobi," Qui-Gon said. "We should give Knight Chun some privacy to open his gift."

Before they could move, Chun opened thee small box and lifted out a shiny black braid, fixed with beads on either end.

"He gave him hair?" Kenobi cast an incredulous look at Qui-Gon as he stalked over and fell into a casual sprawl in a reading chair. "That is so whack."

"I thought this would be yours, Master Jinn." Knight Chun whispered, never taking his eyes off the gift dangling in front of him. Qui-Gon's stomach clenched; it had been his, once. His Jedi training helped him maintain his calm, and he answered the question that Knight Chun had not quite asked.

"I gave it back to him when we became lovers. I couldn't see myself as his master anymore; it wouldn't have been right."

Chun smiled at that, and it was a different smile than Qui-Gon had yet seen on him. Neither a closed and mirthless grin nor a haughty, knowing smirk, this was genuine, and perhaps a little smug -- the smile of someone who has finally won a long-standing argument. The smile faded, though, before he spoke again. "Do you want it back?"

"It was his to give, and he gave it to you." Qui-Gon smiled down at the young Knight, glad that his former padawan was at last forming close ties to other Jedi.

Chun nodded solemnly and wrapped the braid around his neck before connecting the beads and concealing it in his tunic. "Let's go, then."

"Finally," groaned Kenobi. "Unless some inscrutable Jedi tradition requires that we exchange toenail clippings first."

"You may stay here if you cannot behave yourself." Qui-Gon gave his charge a look that held more disappointment than censure. "I had honestly begun to think better of you than this."

The young man looked abashed and nodded silently.

They arrived at the open tower shortly before the ceremony was to begin. Knight Chun took his place by the head of the pyre, and Qui-Gon found a place to stand behind him. Chun had been subdued since they had left the Healer's, but for all Qui-Gon knew of the fellow that could be his natural state. He must have a very unique mind to have been compatible with a Lentrebi Master. The workings of the Force often produced such curiosities, and Qui-Gon thought it best to acknowledge and appreciate them, rather than try to make sense of them.

Knight Chun stood calmly as the room began to fill up with predominantly non-humanoid Jedi. Qui-Gon watched the young man, amazed at his stillness. If a gust of wind had not stirred in his white hair, he might have passed for a statue. A Mon Calamari Master stepped up beside the young Knight, and Qui-Gon supposed she must have been one of Master Leem's former Padawans. Qui-Gon noticed Chun press his palm to the side of his head as more and more Jedi of exotic species gathered around the pyre. Surely the bond could not be bothering him so soon?

Qui-Gon watched as Chun approached his master's body, running a fingertip over the tough, silvery hide that had once been the Lentrebi's face. His delicate, brown hand moved higher, lightly touching several of the countless twig-like protrusions along the top of Master Leem's head. He paused over one of them, and with a flick of his wrist broke it with a dry-sounding snap.

"From root to branch, there is no life here," the Knight intoned calmly. "Let the dry twig burn."

Chun breathed a little too quickly. His smooth face gleamed with a fine sheen of sweat, but how could Qui-Gon know if he was grieving or in distress from the severed bond?

An exclamation from Kenobi interrupted these thoughts. The younger man stared at the Lentrebi Master laid out on the pyre.

"It's a tree!" Kenobi's eyes were wide, broad mouth hanging open with the threat of laughter. "It's just a tree."

"The Lentrebi are rather like trees, but they aren't actually trees," Qui-Gon hissed, glad that no one around them appeared to have heard. "Haven't you ever seen a Lentrebi?"

"I have seen a lot of strange customers on Iptura, but no." Kenobi shook his head, though he still appeared to be on the verge of laughter. "Never serviced a tree. Never even heard stories about it."

"Be silent, Kenobi," Qui-Gon ordered, keeping his voice low and his tone even. This was no place to explain Lentrebi physiology, even if Kenobi was in the frame of mind to listen.

Relief washed over the Jedi Master as the young man beside him stilled, wearing a solemn face. The ceremony continued in silence. Chun picked up a torch from a brazier to his left and lit the pyre. The flames spread quickly, soon licking at the silvery skin, turning Leem's mossy, hair-like patches into nests of glowing, writhing wire.

The wind picked up, carrying thick swirls of smoke away from the gathered Jedi. They watched in silence, until the burning slowed and the pyre was a jumble of smoldering embers, light enough for the wind to sweep away. Silently, the crowd began to disperse, but Knight Chun stood, letting the mourners break around him like a wave against a stone. Qui-Gon waited behind, giving him what time he could. Tand would grow impatient if they lingered too long.

"So, was the rest of your little bonfire made up of his friends and relations?" Clearly amused, Kenobi spoke without regard for Chun's nearness. The Knight turned on him with a fierce look and had Kenobi's tunics knotted in his fists before Qui-Gon could intervene.

"Don't mock my master," Chun said in a low voice, eyes burning with cold flame. "He was worth a thousand of you!"

"He was a fucking birch," Kenobi shot back, laughing in the Jedi's face.

Qui-Gon tried to put himself between them, but he couldn't break them apart. Something pushed him away from them. The wind picked up, blowing his hair all around him, but Qui-Gon could still see Chun's face as clearly as if it were glowing -- head tilted down, eyes up, wearing a smile as sharp as a knife.

The Knight's white teeth stood out amid the tan of his face, wicked smile shone through the dimness. He didn't say another word to Kenobi, but the whore began to squirm in his grip.

"Ow." Kenobi jerked as if something small had stung him, and began to struggle in earnest. "Ow! Let me go!"

"Knight Chun!" Qui-Gon shouted into the wind. "Release him! He doesn't understand --"

"Ow, OW -- Stop it!" Kenobi grabbed the Knight's arms, trying to break his grip. "Let me go, you crazy git -- oh, fuck it hurts -- "

"Bruck, he's an idiot who spoke out of turn, that's all," Qui-Gon said reasonably. "Master Leem wouldn't want you to hurt him, would he?"

Chun hesitated a moment, then let Kenobi drop. Blood was beginning to drip from his nose. "Get me back to Tand, Master Jinn, while I can still control it."

Qui-Gon tried to lead him, but Knight Chun kept stumbling and he was forced to carry him. "Keep up," he grunted in Kenobi's direction. "But don't get too close."

"'Idiot' am I?" Kenobi muttered the whole way, and Qui-Gon was glad. At least he could tell where the troublesome creature was without having to constantly look behind.

(continued in part 5)