Master Apprentice Archive Transgressions
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Transgressions

by TJ (TazzyJan@aol.com)



Archive: Yes to M-A

Pair: Q/O

Category: H/C, Angst

Rating: NC-17

Feedback: Please!!

Warnings: Some violence and also some NON-CONSENSUAL stuff (again).

Summary: Can Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's relationship survive the stress of betrayal?



"Was it worth it?" Obi-Wan asked after the door closed behind Qui-Gon. He had been sitting in the chair facing the door, waiting for his master to return from his little rendezvous. The stricken look on his master's face told him that it was, indeed, true.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon began, unsure what to say. What do you say to your lover when you've just come from another man's bed and he knows it?

"Was he good, Master?" The acid tone in his lover's voice cut Qui-Gon deeper than any blade ever could. "Did he make you cry out his name when you came? Did he cry out yours?"

"Please, Obi-Wan, let me explain," Qui-Gon implored, fear gripping his insides and twisting mercilessly.

"By all means, Master, explain. I can't wait to hear what you have to say." Obi-Wan motioned for Qui-Gon to sit down in the opposite chair. Instead, the Jedi master walked forward and knelt down before his apprentice, head bowed. It was much more humiliating if one begged from one's knees.

"It wasn't supposed to happen," he began, his voice soft but easily heard in the still room. "Mace and I were just sharing a drink for old times sake and reminiscing. I guess we shared a few too many. He... he kissed me and I let him. Then he asked me to come back to his quarters with him, so we could talk about what just happened. But when we got back to his rooms, we did... more... than just talk."

The memory of what had just happened in those rooms burned through Qui-Gon. Mace had done things to him that had never been done before. He had been brutal in his assault, forcing Qui-Gon to his knees and thrusting his long, dark penis into the man's mouth. Qui-Gon had loved every minute of it. And when Mace had thrown him bodily across the bed and thrust inside him, the Jedi master had all but howled at the pleasure. It had never been like this with Obi-Wan.

"We started kissing again and we ended up in bed," Qui-Gon finished, not wanting to share anymore detail than that. "Oh, by the Force, Obi, I'm so sorry."

"So, you're saying he seduced you?" Obi-Wan asked as he looked at his master. His, oh so proud master was on his knees, head bowed, tears streaming unchecked down his face. The perfect picture of contrition. It made Obi-Wan want to puke, or kick him in the head.

"Yes and no," Qui-Gon choked through his tears. "He may have seduced me, but I allowed it to happen."

Obi-Wan just stared at him, taking in the slump of the shoulders that trembled slightly as he wept. He supposed he should feel some sympathy for the man, but all he could feel right now was pain and anger and betrayal. The silence stretched on as the apprentice continued to watch his master. Finally, Qui-Gon could stand it no more.

"Please, Obi-Wan, forgive me," he begged.

"No," Obi-Wan said calmly. Qui-Gon's head snapped up and he looked into the eyes of his lover for the first time. The pain he saw there tore at his heart.

"Obi?"

"I really believed you when you said you loved me, Master. What a fool I was! What we had together meant so little to you that you could throw it away for a single night. I hope it was worth it, Master." Obi-Wan stood and without looking back, walked past Qui-Gon and out the door.

Qui-Gon was too shocked to move. A single thought ran through his head like a mantra. Obi-Wan had left him. OBI-WAN HAD LEFT HIM!

"Nonononono," he wailed as the crushing reality set in. Everything that was important to him had just walked out the door. And was not coming back.



A few hours later, Obi-Wan found himself in Master Yoda's quarters. He had felt Qui-Gon's pain earlier, but refused to offer any comfort. His master had brought this on himself. His own pain was a cold, aching pit inside him, leaving him nothing to spare for his lover.

Yoda observed the young apprentice as he knelt before him. His anguish was clear to see and it saddened the ancient master to know his own padawan was the cause.

"I would like permission to leave the Temple for awhile," Obi-Wan said.

"Hurt you, he has," Yoda replied thoughtfully. "Time you need to heal. A place to stay, you have?"

"Yes, Master. I have a friend who will take me in."

"Near, you will be?" It would be dangerous for the young man to be too far from his master right now.

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan answered. "Here on Coruscant, not far from the Temple, in fact."

"Check in daily, you will." It was not a question.

"Yes, Master." Yoda's concern brought a ghost of a smile to the young man's face, but it faded all too quickly.

"Have you all you need?"

"Yes, Master."

"Go, you may," Yoda finally said. "Tell your master, I will."

"Thank you, Master." Obi-Wan rose to his feet then bowed to his master's master.

Yoda watched as the young man took his leave. He was not looking forward to informing Qui-Gon of Obi-Wan's request. He could feel his former padawan's pain through the remnants of their training bond. The news of Obi-Wan's departure from the Temple would only serve to intensify that pain and the overwhelming certainty that what was, was no more. Yoda hoped with all of his heart that was not the case, but only time would tell.

He waited until Obi-Wan was gone before approaching Qui-Gon. The last thing either of them needed was another confrontation this evening. With his burden weighing heavily upon him, the diminutive master made his way to his padawan's rooms.

It was a very red-eyed Qui-Gon Jinn that opened the door when Yoda knocked. Yoda was glad to see that his student had managed to regain some of his composure. Pain still rolled off him in waves, but at least his eyes were dry. Yoda just hoped he would be able to maintain that composure once he heard what his master had to say.

"What can I do for you, my Master?" Qui-Gon asked after he motioned Yoda inside.

"Come to talk, I have," he said gravely. "Sit down, we should."

"Yes, my Master," Qui-Gon replied obediently. He moved to bring a cushion for Yoda to sit on, then sat down on the floor facing him.

"Left the Temple, he has," Yoda finally said, knowing no easy way around it.

"Oh, no. Please," Qui-Gon choked out, his throat suddenly constricting. Not only had he driven Obi-Wan from his arms, but from the Jedi Order as well.

"Time, he needs," Yoda hastened on. "When better is he, back he will come."

"This is all my fault. Oh, Master, what have I done?" The tears came again, tears of shame and regret.

"Hurt him, you have. Badly. Trusted you, he did. Now, betrayed he feels. Time, you must give him. And yourself." Yoda spoke as gently as he could, knowing his words were tearing his padawan apart but knowing they had to be said. Finally, Qui-Gon seemed to regain some of his composure. It was paper thin, but it was there.

"Did he say where he was going?" he asked, ashamed and hopeful at the same time.

"Say, he did not. Ask, I did not. Close, he is," Yoda replied. Even if Obi-Wan had said where he was staying, he would not have shared that information. The boy needed time away and Yoda was determined that he get it.

"What if something happens?" Qui-Gon protested. To not know where his padawan was went against the very essence of their Master-Apprentice bond.

"Check in daily, he will," Yoda answered sternly. "If this time you can not give him, send you away, I will be forced to."

"That will not be necessary, my Master," Qui-Gon said as convincingly as he could. "I will give Obi-Wan whatever he needs. I owe him that much."

"Good." Yoda stood up and placed a calming hand on Qui-Gon's trembling shoulder.

"I've lost him, haven't I?" The sheer misery on Qui-Gon's face was more than Yoda could bear. He quickly put his arms around the distraught man and held him.

"Certain, it is not, my Padawan. Time, you must give."



Azalea awoke to the sound of someone knocking on her door. She wondered who in the world would be calling on her at this time of night. Cautiously, she moved to the door, a blaster held loosely by her side. Just in case. One could never be - too - careful these days. She was quite surprised to see the young Jedi standing outside her door, looking rather forlorn.

"By the Force, Obi, what are you doing here at this time of night?" she exclaimed as she hurriedly ushered him inside.

"I need a place to stay," he said quietly.

"You've got one," she replied. "But what's happened?"

"He... he cheated on me, Zale," he stammered. "I had to get away. I couldn't stay there. It hurts too much."

"Oh, Obi," she said, tears stinging her eyes. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you like. You know you have a home here."

"Thank you." Obi-Wan reached for her and pulled her into his arms. Azalea quickly returned the embrace, holding him as the tears finally came.

"I hope the bastard's cock rots off!" she said fiercely and tightened her grip. Obi-Wan chuckled through his tears. Azalea Githran was nothing if not protective of those she cared about.

"So where's Jonas?" Obi asked when he found his voice again.

"Off on a cargo run. He'll be gone for at least three more weeks. At least when he finds out you're here, he'll stop worrying about me so much."

"Glad to be of help." And he was. He knew that Jonas would rest a lot easier knowing his wife was not alone.

"Sure. You say that now, but just wait until I put your scrawny butt to work!" Obi-Wan did not know whether to laugh or groan and ended up doing a combination of the two. Zale's idea of work could be anything from making breakfast to overhauling a freighter.

"So," Azalea said as she eyed her friend. "You want to sleep or you want to talk?"

"I sincerely doubt if I could sleep right now," Obi-Wan replied. "But you should go back to bed. It's late and you need your rest."

"I can rest later," she said and moved into the kitchen to make them some tea. "Talk to me, my friend. How did you find out?"

"A friend saw him and Master Windu together," Obi-Wan began. "I didn't think anything about it. Until I felt his intoxication through our bond. I brushed that off, too, at first. Then I felt his surprise and his mental shields slammed into place."

"What was he so surprised about?" Azalea asked and handed him his mug.

"Windu kissed him."

"No wonder he brought his shields up."

"Well," he continued. "That got my curiosity going, so I started to poke around a bit. He'd had quite a lot to drink so it was pretty easy to slip past his defenses. And Windu had him so off guard he didn't even notice."

"Were you in his mind for the whole thing?"

"No. Once they started going at it in Windu's quarters, I left. I couldn't watch it. It hurt too much." She could hear the tears in his voice but he refused to let them fall.

"I waited in our quarters for him to come home," he went on. "Then I confronted him with it."

"What happened when he found out you knew?"

"Oh, you would have loved it." The disgust in Obi-Wan's tone of voice gave Azalea pause. He had never spoken so about his master. But then again, his master had never cheated on him before. "He got down on his knees and confessed, like a good little Jedi. I wanted to kick him in the face."

"Why didn't you?"

"Maybe if he'd come to me like a man, I would have. But sniveling on his knees like a mongrel dog? It wasn't worth the effort."

"He really pissed you off with that begging bit, huh?" Azalea tried to keep her smile to herself, but it was useless. She had seen Qui-Gon Jinn before and it was hard to picture that proud man on his knees before his own padawan. And she could see why it had pissed Obi-Wan off as much as it had.

"Why did he have to do it, Zale?" Obi-Wan asked suddenly, the pain once more overshadowing the anger. "Why did he have to throw away everything we had for one night?"

"I don't know," she said softly. "But, maybe the real question should be what did this Windu guy give him that you didn't?"

"Excuse me?"

"Now don't get me wrong, Sweetie," she said quickly. "You are definitely the injured party here and I think Qui-Gon should have to suffer for what he did for a long, long time. But from everything you've told me about him, I doubt it was just a case of too much to drink."

"I didn't think about it like that," Obi-Wan replied, thinking about what his friend had just said.

"I know. It's hard to when your heart's just been ripped out. But think about it."

"I will," he promised.



Despite his doubts, Obi-Wan did manage to fall asleep around dawn. At his insistence, his friend had gone to bed a few hours earlier, leaving the young Jedi alone with his thoughts. It was early afternoon before Obi-Wan roused, amused to find himself tucked in on the couch. Apparently, Zale had gotten up to check on him.

Slowly, Obi-Wan rose from the couch and made his way first to the fresher, then to the kitchen. A data pad was lying on the counter next to a tray of still-warm food. The red indicator light was blinking, signaling that Zale had left him a message. Picking up a piece of fruit in one hand, he punched up the message. 

     Obi,

     There's breakfast on the counter for you.  Eat it.  I had an
appointment with Healer Narou I had to go to.  Take a break and   relax for
awhile.  If you really feel the need to do something,
     the cooling unit could stand a bit of maintenance.  Be home soon.

     Love,
     Zale.




Obi-Wan swallowed hard, the words - Healer Narou - jumping out at him. He wondered what could be so wrong that his friend would seek out a healer? Zale did not seem sick. She seemed exactly like she always did. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Whatever it was, Zale would tell him when she got home. Until then, there was nothing he could do about it. However, there was something he could do about a certain cooling unit.

Two hours later, Obi-Wan was just finishing up with his repairs when he felt Zale's presence at the front door. With Jedi speed, he moved to open it, surprising his friend.

"Sorry," he said a bit sheepishly.

"That's all right," she laughed. "You always move that fast?"

"When I want to," he replied then decided to cut right to the chase. "So what did the Healer have to say?"

"I'm sorry, Sweetie," Zale soothed, she could read the worry on his face and in his voice. "I didn't mean to worry you."

"Is there something I need to worry about?"

"No. Not unless you call a little Azalea or Jonas running around something to worry about." The smile that broke out on her face was almost blinding. She squealed aloud as she suddenly found herself engulfed in a pair of strong arms.

"Congratulations, my friend. How far along are you?" he asked, the smile on his own face matching hers. His friends had been trying for a long time to have a child. He was glad that dream was finally coming true for them.

"About three weeks. I can't wait to tell Jonas!"

"I'm sure he'll be doubly pleased that I'm here once he finds out the news," Obi-Wan said, thoughtfully. "I will let Master Yoda know that I intend to stay here at least until Jonas returns."

"Obi, you don't have to do that," Zale countered. "But, just so you know, you are welcome to stay here for three days, three weeks, or three decades. You have a home here, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Never forget that."

"I thank you, and I will not forget."

Zale busied herself in the garden while Obi-Wan checked in with Master Yoda. He explained the situation and his intentions to the Jedi master. Yoda nodded thoughtfully as he expressed his desire to remain with his friend during this time.

"Permission, you have," Yoda said, pleased with the young apprentice's loyalty and devotion. "Check in daily, you will."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan replied.

"Next week, the Spring Festival is," Yoda reminded him. "Expect to see you there, I do. Bring your friend, you may."

"Yes, Master. Thank you, Master." With that, the comm link was severed. Obi-Wan could not help but smile at Master Yoda's antics. One of these days it really was going to get the Jedi master in trouble.

"You know that's just going to start the rumor mill, don't you," she said from behind him. She had come in at the part about the Festival.

"I don't really care. They can think what they want," he replied truthfully.

"As you wish, Obi," she said simply. "But I think you're pushing it."



Once again Yoda found himself in his ex-Padawan's quarters. Before he left last night he had promised Qui-Gon that he would let him know each day when Obi-Wan checked in. He hoped that the knowledge that his padawan was safe would help ease some of the man's fears. He had his doubts.

"As long as he's safe here on Coruscant, there's still a chance for us," Qui-Gon confessed to Yoda, a tiny spark of hope shining in his eyes. By outward appearances, Qui-Gon was much better today, his emotions under tight control. But Yoda had raised this man. He could see the turmoil beneath the surface calm, the guilt that was eating him alive.

"Meditate, you should," Yoda counseled him. "To the Force, give this pain."

"I have no wish to surrender my pain to the Force, my Master," Qui-Gon replied softly.

"Why?" The ancient Master could not keep the bewilderment from his voice.

"It is all I have left," the anguished man replied. "If I give it up, I have nothing. Sometimes... sometimes, I think it's all that holds me together..."

A knock at the door interrupted Qui-Gon. Both men turned to look at the door in surprise, neither was expecting company.

"Enter!" Yoda snapped out when Qui-Gon made no move. He was more than a little unhappy with the intrusion.

The door opened carefully and Mace Windu walked in. He had not missed the harshness in Master Yoda's voice, but he would not be backed down now. As it was, it had taken him all day to settle himself enough to face Qui-Gon.

"Welcome, you are not, Master Windu," Yoda said almost angrily. "Here, you should not be!"

"I am sorry, Master Yoda," Mace said warily. "I only wished to see how Master Jinn was. And to apologize."

"Humph. The one you should be apologizing to, he is not," Yoda said.

"Perhaps, but I have been unable to locate Padawan Kenobi within the Temple," Mace came back, making sure to keep his voice smooth. It would not do to upset Yoda any more than he already was.

"Here, he is not. Seek him, you will NOT!" Master Yoda's tone of voice left no room for argument. Master Windu bowed his head in compliance before turning to face Qui-Gon.

"Qui-Gon, my friend, I am so sorry," he said, putting as much sincerity as he could into his words. "I did not mean for this to happen. Any of this. If there is anything I can do to help you during this time, please, my friend, come to me."

"Thank you, Mace," Qui-Gon said, seemingly at a loss as to how to respond to his friend.

"You are welcome, my friend." Bowing to Master Yoda, Mace turned and left Qui-Gon's quarters.

"Wrong, this is," Yoda said, breaking the silence. "Trust him in this, I do not."

"Master?" Qui-Gon was stunned. He had felt no deception from his old friend. But then again, he had not been looking for any.

"Be wary, Qui-Gon!" Yoda cautioned. "All is not as it seems."

"Yes, my Master."

"Now, tell me you will, all that transpired," the master quietly demanded. "Nothing, will you omit."

"Yes, my Master," Qui-Gon replied weakly, shame making him unable to meet the eyes of his master.

"To humiliate you, this is not. Understanding only, do I seek."

"Yes, my Master." The reply was stronger this time and Qui-Gon raised his eyes to meet his master's. The kindness he saw there lent him strength to continue.

"It all started out innocently enough," he began. "Mace wanted to share a drink for old time's sake. I agreed. Obi was working on something with Bant so I didn't see any harm in it. One drink turned into two, then three. I stopped counting around five. The next thing I knew, Mace leaned over and kissed me. I was so surprised, I don't even remember if I kissed him back or not. I did have the presence of mind to throw up my shields, though. The last thing I wanted was Obi to see me being kissed by another man."

Qui-Gon could remember that first kiss. He had been so shocked by it. But he had also felt a small rush of desire and that knowledge shamed him greatly.

"Mace just pulled back and looked at me for a moment. I guess the look on my face was sufficiently horrified that he suggested we go back to his quarters to talk about what just happened. Maybe it was the alcohol, but for some reason, that seemed like a perfectly good idea to me," he continued, his voice soft and subdued at the painful memories of betrayal.

Master Yoda watched as his padawan seemed to curl further and further inward as he talked. He longed to reach out to the man, but did not. Qui-Gon had to tell his story, no matter how painful. Yoda hoped that in the telling of it, the man would be able to make some sort of peace with what he had done.

"We got back to his rooms without running into anybody and embarrassing ourselves. Mace offered me another drink, but I declined. I was drunk enough. Mace walked into his bedroom and I followed him. When he sat down on the bed, I did the same, even though there was a perfectly good chair a few feet away." The words were leaving a bitter taste in his mouth as he spoke. Qui-Gon could not seem to get his mind to stop chanting 'WHY?' at him.

"The next thing I knew, he was grabbing me and pulling me against him. I tried to pull away at first, but when his lips touched mine, it was like my will was gone. I wanted him more than I've ever wanted anyone before. Even Obi-Wan."

The Jedi master flushed with shame at this revelation to his own master. How could he have betrayed his lover like that? Was he so weak in the flesh that he would allow anyone to take him?

"We kissed for what seemed like forever. Kissed and touched while the fire inside me grew hotter, harder to control," Qui-Gon fairly spat those words out, angered by his loss of control and all it had cost him. "When he told me to take off my clothes, I did so gladly. Happy to be rid of the restriction. He undressed at the same time I did. Once we were both naked, he grabbed me again. He clenched his fist in my hair and kissed me. Hard. Then he pulled his mouth away and started pulling my head downward. I think he used the Force to buckle my knees, but I can't be sure anymore."

Yoda could see where this was going and felt something he had not felt in a very long time. Rage. Pure unadulterated rage. Qui-Gon's next words shook him even more.

"The next thing I knew, he was holding my head back and thrusting his... thrusting his cock into my mouth. He shoved it into me as deep as he could, gagging me with it. He grip was like steel on my head as he held me in place and... and fucked my mouth. And I was so hard I thought I would explode."

Qui-Gon's self-loathing and disgust were evident in his words and in the way he said them. He had behaved like a bitch in heat! He was no better than the lower level street sluts.

"He took his pleasure in my mouth a little longer, before throwing me across his bed on my belly. I knew what was coming, but he fell on me before I could move. He pulled my cheeks apart and rammed into me. He hadn't... well, done anything... to prepare me at all. It hurt, but I just lay there and took it. The pain just seemed to add to my pleasure. I felt myself tear, but it didn't seem to matter. To either of us."

At this Yoda had to use an old meditation exercise to rein in his feelings. He may be centuries old, but this was his padawan! He could feel the man's pain and humiliation, the horrible disgust. When he got his little green hands on the ones responsible for this...

"He pulled me up onto my knees at one point, so he could reach my cock," Qui-Gon continued, interrupting Yoda's train of thought. "He grabbed it roughly, squeezing hard and I thrust into his hand, begging for more. I came about a half-second before he did. Both of us almost screaming."

"When he was finished, he pulled out of me and... and had me lick him clean. He told me to lick my own blood from his cock. And I did." Qui-Gon could hold back the tears no longer. They poured down his face as he remembered what he had done, how he had acted, what he had allowed to be done to him. "Once I had him cleaned to his satisfaction, he suggested we get dressed and that I return to my quarters as Obi-Wan was probably looking for me by now. I didn't say a word, just dressed and left."

Finally, Qui-Gon fell silent. Hot tears ran down his face as he began to sob, all of his vaunted control deserting him. How could he have done those things? How could he have behaved like that? How could he have thrown away the only thing he really cared about for a few hours of rutting?

"Treat Obi-Wan this way, you do?" Yoda asked, his eyes boring into his padawan, his rage barely controlled though Qui-Gon seemed oblivious to it in his distress.

"Never!" Qui-Gon replied vehemently through his tears.

"Many times, you have done this? Behaved thi
"What has happened to me, my Master?" Qui-Gon questioned, hoping Yoda could shed some light on things.

"Know, I do not," his master replied solemnly. "But find out, we will." And when we do... Yoda thought to himself.



Qui-Gon spent the next few days in almost constant meditation. He took his meals in his rooms with Yoda. He did his best to avoid the common areas of the Temple as much as possible. He knew he was hiding but he did not want to run into Mace. He did not truly believe that Mace was responsible for what happened, but his master had said to be wary. All was definitely not as it seemed.

He kept going over that night in his head trying to find some reason for his apparent insanity. The drink he had was one he had consumed before with no ill effects. He had had quite a few, but it was not a first time for that either. It had almost been as if he had been unable to refuse Mace's suggestions. Almost as if he had been influenced. But he knew that was not the case. He would have known if the Force had been used to coerce him into behaving as he had. And Master Yoda would have known it as well.

The other thing that bothered him about the whole incident was his own pleasure in the way he was treated. He did not understand why he would enjoy being manhandled and hurt. He resolved to speak with Yoda about that particular issue tonight. It would be a most humiliating conversation but he had no choice. He was not coming up with any answers on his own and it was interfering with his search for answers about everything else.

Qui-Gon looked forward to his dinners with his master. The ancient Jedi made it a point to come by to have each meal with his former apprentice. He refused to allow the man to eat in solitude. And though he insisted that it was not necessary, Qui-Gon was glad for the company. He could imagine how lonely it would be to try to eat in these rooms with no company save his own guilt.

But dinners were his favorite time because afterward they could spend as long as they liked together without his master having to return to his council duties. It was also the time when Yoda brought him Obi-Wan's message for the day. Each day he hoped his lover would send some small word to him, and each day Yoda informed him that while Obi-Wan was fine, he had sent no word. Still, it eased his mind to know his padawan was safe. Besides, the Spring Festival was in a few days and Yoda had assured him that Obi-Wan would be in attendance. Qui-Gon hoped to be able to speak to his beloved but Yoda had gently informed him that Obi-Wan would be bringing a - friend - with him.

Qui-Gon's thoughts were interrupted by a small knock at the door. Rising swiftly, the Jedi master opened the door to let his master in. A padawan would be by shortly to bring them their dinner so they had time to talk for a bit before it arrived.

Qui-Gon waited until Yoda had seated himself on the soft cushion he left out now. He sat down on the floor himself, crossing his legs, so he could look at his master face to face. Yoda knew what the man was waiting for. It was what he waited for each evening when he came to visit. Yet still the master made him wait. When it looked as though Qui-Gon would be able to contain himself no longer, Yoda spoke.

"Talked to him, I have," he said softly, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth in spite of himself. "Fine, he is. To the Spring Festival, he looks forward."

"Did he... did he mention me?" Qui-Gon asked when Yoda paused. His pride screamed at him, demanding to know where his dignity was. He ignored it, as he had ignored it every evening since Obi-Wan had left him.

"Mention you, he did," Yoda confirmed and paused again. Qui-Gon did not know to be happy or terrified. He found himself holding his breath as he waited for his master to continue. "Wishes to speak to you, he does. Said to tell you, at the Festival, see you he will."

"He's leaving me, isn't he, Master?" Qui-Gon whispered as tears filled his eyes. Why else would Obi-Wan want to talk with him face to face?

"Certain, it is not," Yoda said. "Give up, you should not. Unless, worth the pain, it no longer is."

"It is worth it, my Master. Obi-Wan is more than worth any amount of pain."

"Then give up, you should not," Yoda admonished. "If come to him with expectations, you do, fulfilled you might find them."

"Yes, my Master," came the soft reply. The door chimed then and Qui-Gon got quickly to his feet. It seemed their dinner had arrived.

They ate in silence, each lost in his own thoughts. This, too, had become a bit of a ritual for them. They each ate thinking about what they wanted to discuss or work on afterward. Only when the meal was finished and the dishes piled neatly to be picked up did they return to their talk.

"Troubled you are, I think," Yoda observed neutrally.

"Yes, Master. I am having a difficult time with a certain aspect of what happened. My inability to come to grips with it is interfering with finding the answers that we seek," Qui-Gon confessed. He had always hated confessing his failings to his master.

"Um. Yes. Sense this, I did," Yoda replied.

"Why did I enjoy it, Master?" Qui-Gon asked bluntly, deciding the best approach was head on. "Why did I enjoy the way he treated me? The things he did to me, the pain he caused me, I... I loved it. And I can not understand why?"

"Many reasons, there could be," Yoda said thoughtfully. "Perhaps has something to do with why allow it, you did? Perhaps the master too long you have been? Perhaps needed for another to master you again? Or perhaps just a new side of yourself, this is?"

"A new side of myself?" Qui-Gon repeated in disgust. "If this new side of myself enjoys being thrown down and fucked like a pig, then perhaps it is a new side of myself best left hidden."

"No," Yoda said flatly. "Examine it, you MUST, if conquer this you will. Not a pretty side, I will admit, but not one to be ashamed of, either, my Padawan."

"Master?"

"So horrified you would be, if Obi-Wan the one to master you so?" Yoda asked, trying a new tactic.

"Yes!" Qui-Gon said emphatically, then... "No... I don't know."

"Know, you do!" came the sharp reply. "Admit it, you do not wish to. Now, refuse you would, if on your knees Obi-Wan put you?"

"No," Qui-Gon admitted softly.

"Refuse you would, if hold you down Obi-Wan wished to?"

"No."

"Refuse you would, if hurt you Obi-Wan wished to?"

"He would never hurt me," Qui-Gon replied, his voice firm and sure. "Not like that. Even if he wanted it... rough... he wouldn't hurt me. He'd make sure I was... ready."

"No harm it does to not wish to be master all the time," Yoda said. "Especially if have your trust, the other does. Explored this with Obi-Wan, have you?"

"No, my Master," Qui-Gon replied. "I had never considered it before."

"Consider it now, you must. Perhaps part of the reason, it is?"

Both men fell silent as they contemplated all that was said. Could part of the reason he did it be because he wanted to be taken like that? Could that be the reason he had done what Mace wanted?

"No," Qui-Gon said finally. "That may be part of why I enjoyed it, the need to be mastered, to not be the one in control, but it was NOT the reason I did it."

"Wise, you are, my Padawan," Yoda said, with no small amount of pride in his voice.

"I don't know about that, Master," Qui-Gon replied, a smile touching his lips at his Master's praise. "I still am no closer to the answer than I was before."

"If farther from the wrong answer you are, closer to right answer you must be."



Obi-Wan tossed and turned, unable to find sleep. He had asked of his master today and Yoda had told him truthfully how Qui-Gon was fairing. Obi-Wan told himself that he should not feel guilty but he did. Master Yoda had told him then of Qui-Gon's question each night - did he mention me?

Obi-Wan had a hard time picturing his proud master asking another if his own padawan had mentioned him. It upset the young man tremendously. First he had felt guilty, then saddened, then pissed, then back to guilty again. Yoda had waited patiently through it all and Obi-Wan had given him a message to give to Qui-Gon. He would talk with him at the Spring Festival. It was more than likely that they would run into each other there anyway, why not get it over with. He just wished he had a clue what he was going to say to the man.

As he turned over yet again, trying in vain to chase the thoughts from his head, he heard a soft knock at the door. He raised up as the door swung open and Zale walked in. In her hands were two cups of tea. She shook her head as she walked over to the bed and sat down, handing one steaming mug to her friend.

"You think too damn loud," she said with a snort and Obi-Wan burst out laughing.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly after a moment.

"That's okay. Want to talk about it?" He looked at his friend for long seconds, wondering why he had never noticed how beautiful she was before. Her blue eyes shown in the soft moonlight coming through the window and her long dark hair shimmered. Slowly, he set the cup down on the night stand and drew her forward into a kiss.

Zale did not resist as he pulled her forward and closed his mouth over hers. When his tongue sought entrance she granted it, letting it taste her deeply. She had been expecting this, now all she had to do was not screw up.

Obi-Wan groaned as his tongue mapped out the inside of her mouth. The hot, soft depths flowered open under his ministrations and he felt himself grow flushed with desire. He pulled her closer, until their chests were touching, never breaking the soft, sweet kiss. Oh, how he wanted this woman right now!

They pulled back at last to breath and Obi-Wan looked into her eyes, searching for an answer to his unspoken question. He could see all the love she felt for him in those twin blue pools and started to pull her closer once more. Her hand on his chest stopped him.

"Obi-Wan," she began, "if this is truly what you wish, I will not refuse you. I care for you deeply. Love you, in fact. But think well, love. Some things, once done, can never be forgotten."

He pulled her forward then, into a deep and hungry kiss. She returned it with the same hunger and quickly found herself pulled down on the bed onto her back. Obi-Wan loomed over her, his breath coming in short panting burst, his face flushed. She could feel the evidence of his arousal pressing into her thigh.

"I can't," he said suddenly. "I'm so sorry, Zale. I just can't. Forgive me, please."

"There is nothing to forgive, my friend. I understand," she said as he moved off of her to allow her to sit up. "I'm glad you made the right choice. I would never turn you from my bed, love. But..."

"I have to make my peace with Qui-Gon first," he finished. "I have to decide if it's really over between us or not."

"And no matter what you decide, I'll still be here for you." Zale started to get up but Obi-Wan stopped her.

"Stay. Please. I do not wish to be alone tonight."

"Gladly, my friend," she said as she lay back down on the bed, pulling Obi-Wan down to lay beside her. He looked down at her again then kissed her lightly on the mouth before laying his head down on her shoulder.



The day of the Spring Festival arrived to find both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. Obi-Wan still did not know what he was going to say to his lover when he saw him. He was still incredibly hurt by Qui-Gon's betrayal.

Obi-Wan spent the morning meditating, trying to decide what he would say to his lover when he saw him. The thing that troubled him the most was why Qui-Gon had done it. He had thought he was meeting his lover's needs, apparently that was not the case. He decided then that he would put the question to the one person he hoped could answer it. He would ask Qui-Gon why. And hope he could find some healing in the answer. As things stood now, he did not know if he would ever return to the Temple.

Qui-Gon spent the better part of the morning in meditation as well. But whereas Obi-Wan sought a path, Qui-Gon merely sought peace. He was terrified that his lover was coming to tell him that it was over between them. Qui-Gon did not know if he had the strength to watch Obi-Wan on the arm of another. And he was still no closer to the answer of why.

Mace kept a careful eye on the preparations for the Festival. He wanted everything to go perfectly. Thanks to Yoda's interference, Qui-Gon had been avoiding him, all but shutting himself up in his rooms and refusing to come out. But he would have no choice tonight. And rumor had it that Obi-Wan was bringing someone else to the celebration. If things went the way he hoped, he would have the good Jedi back in his bed this very night, begging to be fucked like the slut he was.

Yoda was worried. He was worried for his padawan. He was worried for his padawan's padawan. And he was worried for the young woman that was getting dragged into the middle of all this. From what young Obi-Wan had told him, she was more than capable of taking care of herself, but the ancient master worried none the less. Something evil was going on, of that he was sure. Now all he had to do was find out just what that was and put a stop to it before it destroyed his padawan completely.

Obi-Wan made arrangements with Master Yoda to arrive at the Temple early. Yoda had taken the young man's dress tunics from the rooms he shared with Qui-Gon so that he could change before the celebration began. Qui-Gon had remained silent as his master removed his padawan's formal attire. He had foolishly hoped Obi-Wan would come there to change. He tried not to let his disappointment show, remembering Yoda's words from days before about expectations.

Obi-Wan introduced Zale to Yoda then excused himself to change. The young woman was not what he had expected. She was just a few years older than Obi-Wan with long black hair and crystalline blue eyes. She was, as humans go, quite lovely. A fact that would do nothing for his own padawan's self-confidence right now.

"Indebted we are to you," Yoda said softly as they waited.

"What ever for?" Zale asked, a bit surprised by the statement.

"Good care of him, you have taken," he replied, his eyes twinkling with some unspoken amusement.

"He is my friend," Zale said, trying to gauge her words carefully before giving up and getting straight to the point. "I love him. Always have. I've told him that he does not have to come back here if he doesn't want to. He will always have a home with me and mine."

"And what says your mate to this?" Yoda asked, eyes still shining mischief.

"Jonas loves Obi like a brother. He would be thrilled if he came to stay with us on a permanent basis," Zale replied truthfully. Well, almost truthfully. Jonas might love Obi like a brother, but he would certainly never turn his - brother - from his bed, if the man so desired.

"And happy he would be, if took him for your lover you did?" Yoda countered. Zale decided that two could play at that game.

"As long as he got to join us, I don't think Jonas would mind a bit." Their conversation was interrupted by Obi-Wan's emergence. Dressed in his Jedi finery, he made quite a stunning picture.

"Well," Obi-Wan said, "do I look okay?"

"You look breath-taking, love," Zale replied. She had thrown that little endearment on for Yoda's sake. She did not doubt that the little troll knew it, but she did it anyway.

Yoda shook his head, conceding the battle for now. It was obvious that the woman cared a great deal for Obi-Wan. He just hoped she did not care too much.

"Come, to the celebration, we should go." Yoda walked away, leaving the two young people to follow. With a smile, Obi-Wan offered his arm and Zale wrapped her hand around it as he escorted her to the Festival.

The Festival was being held in the largest of the Temple rooms, the Grand Hall. The trio made their way slowly with Obi-Wan introducing Zale here and there to people he knew. They had been there but a short time, when Obi-Wan spied Qui-Gon across the room. Zale spotted the tall, charismatic Jedi master at almost the same time Obi-Wan did. The sudden tension of his arm under her hand alerted her that he had seen the man as well. He paused, taking a deep breath, before moving through the crowd toward his master and lover. Zale moved with him, seeming to flow beside him as if she floated on air rather than walked on ground.

Qui-Gon stiffened, attempting to school his features, as he watched his lover approach. The beautiful young woman on his arm did nothing to assuage the fear he held that Obi-Wan was about to sever their relationship entirely. He looked about quickly for any sign of Yoda, but his master was nowhere to be seen. It looked like he was on his own for this.

"Master," Obi-Wan greeted him. "May I present the Lady Githran. Zale, this is my master, Qui-Gon Jinn."

"M'Lady," Qui-Gon said, bowing slightly to her. He was surprised by Obi-Wan's rather formal use of a title rather than the lady's first name.

"Master Jinn," she responded, inclining her own head in deference and moving closer. "Obi has told me - so - much about you. It is a pleasure to finally meet the man who ripped his heart out and stomped on it." Her pleasant tone belayed the acid of her words and it was a moment before Qui-Gon realized what she had actually said to him.

"Zale..." Obi-Wan urged softly. He did NOT want a scene here, in the midst of the celebration.

"My apologies. Perhaps we should take this someplace a bit more private?" she suggested.

"I believe that would be a good idea," Obi-Wan said. "I need to speak with you, Qui-Gon, and I would like to do so without being interrupted a dozen times. Any suggestions?"

"Our... my quarters?" he asked. With a nod, Obi-Wan agreed and the three began to make their way out of the Grand Hall. Unbeknownst to them, they were being carefully watched.

The walk to Qui-Gon's quarters was silent. Both men were grateful that the halls were currently empty. It was easy to see that something was amiss between them and neither felt up to any explanations at the moment.

Qui-Gon ushered the two inside and keyed the privacy lock so that no one could enter save Yoda. He motioned for the couple to sit down in the common room before disappearing into the kitchen. A moment later, he returned with three glasses of Corellian brandy. Obi-Wan took the glasses for both himself and Zale and sat them down beside him.

"She's pregnant," Obi-Wan said to the question in his eyes. It was as if he had been kicked in the stomach. He felt the ground shift under his feet and sat down heavily in the chair. Well, he no longer had to wonder where he stood with his lover.

"Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan called, alarmed by the man's sudden loss of color and collapse. It was a moment before the cause dawned on him. "QUI-GON!"

"Yes?" the Jedi master said softly.

"It's not mine," came the straightforward reply.

"What?"

"It's not mine," Obi-Wan said again. "I'm not the father. It's nice to know you think so much of me, my Master."

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon began, not sure what to say. "I... I'm afraid I don't know what to think anymore. I... What can I do? Please, what can I do to make this up to you? To show you how sorry I am?"

"You can start by answering a simple question," Obi-Wan said, his voice going cold. "Why?"

"I don't know," he answered. "I've been trying to figure that out ever since you left. I just don't know."

"You don't know," Obi-Wan echoed in disbelief. What kind of bantha fodder answer was that!

"My Master and I have been trying to figure that out, but as of yet we have been unable to."

"Master Yoda has been helping you?" The confusion in Obi-Wan's voice was evident. Why would Yoda need to help him figure out why he broke his vow?

"Forgive me for interrupting, gentlemen, but for some reason, I don't think we're all on the same page," Zale said. Something was very wrong here.

"And perhaps it would be best if you stayed out of this," Qui-Gon snapped, unable to hold back.

"If you can not treat her with respect, we will leave," Obi-Wan said menacingly.

"Enough! Both of you," Zale broke in. "First of all, Qui-Gon, I'm not your replacement, nor am I your enemy. But you need to understand that Obi has a place with me, both in my home and in my bed, if he so chooses. And he knows it. However, unlike some people, he chose not to dishonor his vows."

Qui-Gon had to look away as her words tore into him. Daggers of pain sliced into his heart as he understood her implications. He had no doubt that if she truly tried, this woman could take his lover from him right now and he would never get him back. Only their own honor kept the two young people from being together.

"Now," she continued. "You say you and your master have been unable to figure out why you slept with another man?"

"Yes," Qui-Gon replied softly.

"I find that a bit difficult to believe," she retorted dourly. "However, I have met Master Yoda and he does not strike me as particularly stupid, even if you do. So let's start at the top and work our way down, shall we?"

"What do you have in mind, Zale?" Obi-Wan asked, curious to see where she was going with this.

"He says they can't figure out why, well then we will try to help him," she answered before turning her attention back to Qui-Gon. "Were you just horny?"

"No!" came the indignant reply.

"Lonely?"

"No."

"Bored?"

"No."

"Angry?"

"Angry? No," he replied, surprised by the question.

"Drunk?" this one she knew the answer to, or at least Obi's version. She wanted to see what Qui-Gon had to say, though.

"Not really."

"Sorry, I'm looking more for a yes or no response. Not really doesn't tell me poodoo." She did not even try to keep the sarcasm from her voice.

"I had been drinking but was not drunk. It was a drink I'd had many times before and even though I did have several of them, it normally takes a good deal more than that to get me drunk," he replied.

"Sounds like you've gone over this particular path," she said.

"Yes, Master Yoda and I discussed it at length. I was not drunk."

"All right," she said slowly. She was about out of options. She had truly believed the man would use the excuse of being intoxicated. It would have been a convenient out, but he had not taken it, which led her to believe he was telling the truth. A sick thought suddenly occurred to her.

"Drugged?" she asked finally.

"No," he replied. Who would have drugged him? And when?

"Let me rephrase the question. Would you have known if you had been drugged?"

"I should have, yes," he answered. He was a Jedi master, after all.

"Even if you were slightly inebriated?" she prompted.

"What are you getting at, Zale?" Obi-Wan asked, not liking where this was going at all.

"Well, with all the help Yoda's given you, I tend to see him as a neutral party in this. I can't picture him helping Qui-Gon to deceive you. So if Qui-Gon says that the two of them can't figure out why he did it, then I have to say it was not for the obvious reasons."

Obi-Wan began to interrupt her but she put her hand up to forestall him.

"Let me finish," she said. "Now, he could have taken the easy out with the drunk bit, but he didn't. And that tends to make me believe him a bit more than I did before. So, about the only things left are drugs or mind control. And I think even a drunk Jedi could tell if someone were using mind control on him."

"You have a point," Obi-Wan said.

"I'm going to ask you a very personal question, Master Jinn, and I would like a very truthful answer. Was what went on between you and Master Windu that night just run of the mill sex or was it more than that?" They watched as the color drained from Qui-Gon's face once more. Obi-Wan got the feeling that he really did not want to know.

"No, it was not," he answered, his voice breaking.

"What happened?" Zale asked. So he told them. He owed Obi-Wan that much at least. Let the truth show him just what kind of man his master was. Just as he had with Yoda, Qui-Gon spared no detail including those of his own enjoyment. By the time he finished, tears ran down his face and he could no longer bring himself to meet his lover's eyes.

"I will kill that Sith-spawned son of a whore," Obi-Wan roared as his lover's words sank in. Mace Windu had all but raped the man and had somehow convinced him it had been consensual.

"No," Qui-Gon cried. "Please, Obi-Wan, don't."

"He's right, Obi," Zale said in the hopes of getting through to her enraged friend. Obi-Wan stared at her, not believing what she was saying. Had she not just heard what Qui-Gon had said. A sob tore its way past the Jedi master's trembling lips and Obi-Wan forgot all about vengeance as he rushed to his lover's side.

Kneeling down in front of Qui-Gon, he took his lover into his arms and held him, rocking gently back and forth. Qui-Gon shook as he began to sob in earnest. He had convinced himself that he would never again feel his love's arms around him. Now, he felt himself held and blanketed by strong feelings of love, understanding, and forgiveness. Qui-Gon pulled back then, needing to hear the words.

"Forgive me," he begged through his tears. "Please, forgive me."

"Hush, love," Obi-Wan said as tears ran down his own face.

Oh Force, what had he done! How could he have thought that Qui-Gon would cheat on him, would dishonor their vows? And where was he when his master, his lover, needed him most? Trying to seduce his very married and very pregnant best friend.

"I forgive you," Obi-Wan said softly, shame burning through him. "I forgive you. I'm so sorry. I should never have left. I should have known you would never do that to me, to us. I'm so sorry, Qui-Gon."

"It's alright. You're here now. That's all that matters," Qui-Gon replied softly.

"Well, gentlemen, I really hate to interrupt this touching moment," Zale said, her voice tinged with sarcasm.

Obi-Wan threw back his head and laughed at her droll delivery. Even Qui-Gon smiled as he took in his love's laughing features. He was amazed at how close Obi-Wan seemed to be to this woman. A woman that, up until a short time ago, he had not even known existed. The Jedi master filed that thought away for later. There were more pressing matters to be concerned about right now.

"I take it you're not normally into being dominated, Master Jinn?" Zale asked. She wanted to be very clear about what had happened. Master Jinn's dignity would just have to take a walk for a bit.

"No," he replied, blushing furiously.

"Do you normally like it rough?" she pressed on, enjoying making him squirm a bit.

"No," he replied again. This was even worse than talking with Yoda about it. How could this girl just sit there and ask him things like that?

"Obi, he ever hint he wanted you to treat him like that? Be that rough with him?" she asked, turning her attention to Obi-Wan for a moment.

"No," came the flat, rather angry, reply.

"Would you if he did?" she slipped the question in and carefully took in the reactions of both men. Obviously this was something neither of them had discussed, or even thought much about, before. Perhaps they should.

"How can you be so sure of that?" Obi-Wan asked. He could see how uncomfortable his lover was with this, but it needed to be discussed if they were to find out the truth.

"Because he didn't know he liked it until it happened," she responded. "Don't get me wrong. I think whatever he was given, assuming of course that he was drugged and is not making this up, helped to enhance his enjoyment. I don't believe he would enjoy being hurt by anyone, based on what you've told me of him."

"So if the drug enhanced his enjoyment of it, wouldn't that be the reason he enjoyed it at all?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I don't think so," Zale replied. "At least not to the degree he did. I think he would have had to enjoy the inherent act to some degree for the drug to be able to make him enjoy the pain."

"You've been awfully quiet, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan observed. "Care to add anything?"

"What is there to add?" the Jedi master said softly, his voice tight, almost strangled. "I let him... let him fuck me... like... like some back alley whore."

"Stop that right now!" Obi-Wan demanded. "You did not LET him do anything. You were not in control of yourself. How can there be consent where there is no control?"

Seeing the genuine anguish on the man's face touched Zale's heart. At first, she had her doubts about this whole thing. But the more they discussed it, the more convinced she became that someone really had drugged this man and used him.

"I really don't think there was much you could have done, Master Jinn," she said softly. "Not if this person used what I think they did."

"What do you think they used?" Obi-Wan demanded. "And why are you referring to this person as if you don't know who it is. It was Mace Windu."

"We don't know that," she admonished gently. "He may be a pawn in all of this. Or he very well could be the mastermind. We just don't know yet. And as for what was used, I believe it was an extract of LaTyrice Root. It's known to relieve people of their sexual inhibitions. And it also tends to dampen pain receptors, which would explain why the pain wasn't a problem."

"So now what do we do?" Obi-Wan asked.

"It's getting late," she said. "I think we should go home."

"Agreed," Obi-Wan said as he stood up. The stricken look on his lover's face stopped him cold.

"I understand," Qui-Gon whispered.

"No, my Master, you do not," came Obi-Wan's guilt-ridden reply. "I have a duty. Until Jonas returns, I will stay with the lady and see to her needs. I also think it would be wise to guard our new knowledge closely. As Zale pointed out, we do not know who is enemy and who is friend right now."

"Alright," Qui-Gon said. He still did not like it, but he would not protest. "I will inform Master Yoda of what we have discussed. Perhaps he could add some additional insight."

"Take heart, Master Jinn," Zale said as they stood at the door. "Apparently you have not lost your lover after all. I pray that you realize your fortune."

"I do, M'Lady," he replied as he bowed low. "I do."

Mace Windu sat back and smiled into the darkness, glad he had had the forethought to bug Qui-Gon's quarters. That stupid little bitch had figured out that Jinn had been drugged. He supposed he had best let his associate know of this development. Perhaps they could do something about her. According to Kenobi, she was with child. Maybe a little accident could be arranged.

He knew he would have to move carefully. Yoda suspected him, as did Kenobi. The girl was giving him the benefit of the doubt for now, but there was no guarantee how long that would last. He longed to arrange another 'session' with Jinn, but did not dare. Not yet, anyway. Soon he would have the man kneeling at his feet, begging for it. All he had to do was wait.

Mace reached down to caress his hardening cock. The thought of Jinn on his knees, servicing him again, was making him ache. Oh, how he wanted to fuck that tight, hot little hole again. He promised himself that the next time, he would use less of the drug. He wanted Jinn to really feel it when he fucked him, wanted to hear him pleading for him to stop.

The Jedi master shook himself out of his daydream reluctantly. There would be time for that soon enough. Right now he needed to talk to his associate and see what arrangements could be made to get the woman out of the way.



Obi-Wan remained silent as they returned home. The guilt he felt over walking out on his lover was horrendous. He thought of Qui-Gon going through this alone and his heart hurt. Leaving him alone tonight had been the hardest thing he had ever done.

Zale kept quiet as she watched Obi-Wan wrestling with his inner demons. Her heart went out to the young man. She knew the guilt he felt over his treatment of Qui-Gon was tearing him up inside. He had completely forgiven his lover for his indiscretion, and maybe he was right to. The man seemed remorseful. And if what they had discussed was indeed true, then the man was not at fault.

"You want to talk about it?" Zale asked once they made it home.

"How could I have just walked out on him like that, Zale?" Obi-Wan moaned.

"Well, Obi, it's not like the man gave you any reason to think anything more went on than just a one-night stand," she said. "Maybe if he'd have been completely honest with you at the beginning, you'd have known something was wrong. Then again, maybe not."

"He needed me and I wasn't there," he said softly.

"No, you weren't. But you're there for him now. He says it's enough for him. Maybe you should let it be enough for you, too." He looked up at her as she spoke, his eyes filled with painful tears.

She could not resist those watery green eyes and closed the short distance between them to take him in her arms. She brought her mouth down to kiss him on the forehead. Obi-Wan chose that moment to turn his face up and the soft touch of her lips landed on his own. He groaned at the delicate touch and soon found himself holding her tightly, kissing her for all he was worth.

"Oh, Force, what am I doing?" he gasped as he broke off the sudden kiss.

"Shhh," Zale cooed softly. "It's all right."

"I'm so sorry," he said brokenly.

"Don't be," Zale replied as she led him over to the couch. "Is it so wrong to want to draw comfort from another? You did not betray him. You stopped before it went that far."

"But I keep leading you on," he lamented, ashamed at his behavior.

"Oh, Obi. For you to lead me on, I'd have to think that this was actually going somewhere." The soft laughter in her eyes made him smile in return. He really did love this woman and counted himself lucky to call her friend.

"You mean you're not just dying to spend the night in my bed?" he teased, letting go of his earlier mortification.

"Well... maybe. But only if you throw your master in, too." The disbelieving look on his face made her shake her head. Sometimes the boy could be so wonderfully naive.



Qui-Gon and Yoda spent long hours going over what they had discussed. Yoda was relieved that the two lovers had reconciled. Now maybe they could concentrate their efforts on finding out who was behind this insidious plot and why.

As they talked, Yoda found himself still bothered by the girl's participation in this. The nagging feeling that she was in danger would not leave him. He wished Obi-Wan had stayed here at the Temple, but understood the wisdom in his decision. Besides, he had given his word that he would look after his friend until her mate could return. He would not shirk his responsibilities, even for his master. Qui-Gon had taught him well.

Finally, the two masters called it a night. They would talk again in the morning once they had both had time to rest and reflect on all they had learned. Yoda cautioned Qui-Gon to be wary and told him he would do the same when Obi-Wan checked in. Taking his warning to heart, Qui-Gon keyed in his extra security codes. The only ones who would be able to open the door would be himself, Obi-Wan, and Yoda. Satisfied that he had done as much as he could, the Jedi master drew himself a hot bath and settled in to think.

Qui-Gon himself was finally at peace. Or as at peace as he could get with his lover still absent. At least he no longer had to fear that he had lost everything he held dear. He was confident that together they could rebuild what had been damaged. Once this was over, he planned to take his lover away for a nice long vacation. If his new friend would allow it, that is. Qui-Gon pushed that thought away abruptly. He needed to get over this petty jealousy. This woman was helping them. And Obi-Wan had already made it clear that he would be more than displeased if he did not treat her with respect.

Qui-Gon thought about the Lady Githran, as Obi-Wan had introduced her. She was quite a contradiction. She was young, only a few years older than his padawan, and quite beautiful. She was also quite petite considering the strong will she possessed. Obi-Wan practically dwarfed her and he himself towered over her. Yet she was neither impressed nor intimidated. He wondered how his padawan had come to know her, what exactly their relationship was. She was another man's woman, pregnant in fact, yet she had admitted to being willing to share her bed with Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon found himself wondering just what kind of husband this woman had, to allow such a thing.

Abruptly, Qui-Gon broke off that train of thought. Force willing, he would have all of the time in the universe to unravel the mysteries that this girl contained. Maybe, one day, they could even be friends, though he knew he would have to work long and hard to earn her trust, let alone her affections. It was clear that Obi-Wan was very important to her, and he had hurt Obi-Wan badly.

With a sigh, the Jedi master sank down into the fragrant water and let his worries drift away. One thing at a time, he thought as he let his mind wander. For now, he was content to know that Obi-Wan was still his and his alone. The rest they would work out together.



The next day Obi-Wan awoke to the sound of his comm link chirping. With a groan he rolled over and grabbed the offending device. He grimaced at the bright sunlight that seared his eyes as he thumbed the thing on.

"Kenobi," he said, his voice rusty with sleep.

"Up you should be," came Yoda's voice. Obi-Wan had to bite his tongue to keep from moaning at the impossibly cheerful voice.

"Yes, Master," he said dutifully as he sat up on the bed.

"Come to the Temple, you can?" the master asked.

"Is anything wrong?" Obi-Wan asked, concern bringing him wide-awake.

"No. All is well. Accompany you, your friend can?" he pressed.

"Just a moment, let me check," he said into the comm link. He turned his head to call for Zale but she was already standing in the doorway.

"When does he want us there?" she asked, her own voice still deep with sleep.

"For noon meal, you can come?" Yoda said.

"We'll be there," Obi-Wan replied at Zale's nod.

"Good," Yoda replied. "Wish to speak to you now, your master does."

"I'll get dressed," Zale said and moved out of the room, giving her friend his privacy.

"She... she did not have to go," came Qui-Gon's voice over the comm.

"I believe she wanted to give us some privacy," Obi-Wan replied.

"I just wanted to tell you that I love you and I miss you," Qui-Gon said softly. Obi-Wan's grip tightened on the small device. He wanted so badly to see his lover right now. He took a deep breath to calm himself. It would not do to have Qui-Gon sense his emotional turmoil right now.

"I miss you, as well," he replied as calmly as he could manage.

"I spent last night thinking about a lot of things..." A huge explosion cut off Qui-Gon's words in mid sentence. The Jedi master froze at the sound as fear gripped his heart.

"OBI-WAN!" he cried into the comm link.

"Master... come quickly," Obi-Wan said after long seconds. It was all Qui-Gon needed to hear. He was up and moving before the words were fully spoken. Yoda was waiting for him outside the door. He, too, knew something terrible had happened. As fast as their Jedi abilities would allow them, the two masters headed for the nearest transport.

It took only a few minutes to reach the house where Obi-Wan was staying. A small part of Qui-Gon was surprised that he had gone to ground so close to the Temple. The rest of his mind was gibbering in panic. Obi-Wan had not sounded too badly hurt over the comm link, but he of all people knew how well his padawan could hide pain when he wanted to.

As they came to a halt in front of the house, Qui-Gon's breath caught. Where there used to be a small house, there was now only scattered debris. Whatever had happened here had been devastating in its intensity. He scanned the area quickly, looking for any sign of his lover.

In what he assumed was once the far corner of the house, he saw him. He was on his knees, leaning over something. Force, no, Qui-Gon thought, as he realized that it was not something his lover was leaning over, but someone.

Qui-Gon raced to Obi-Wan's side. From what he could see, his lover appeared to be unharmed. The same could not be said for the woman lying on the ground before him. Obi-Wan's hands were covering a horrific wound and Qui-Gon could see he was using all of his energy to try and keep his friend alive. They were soon joined by Yoda and they began sending healing energies into the young woman.

They spent almost an hour laboring over her. Her heart stopped twice only to be stubbornly restarted by the young man who refused to let her go. At long last, the trio managed to stabilize her enough to transport her back to the Temple. Obi-Wan carried her in his arms, refusing to be parted from her. Both Qui-Gon and Yoda could tell the young man was in a state of shock but neither had the heart to take the woman from his arms. They let him find what comfort he could in her physical presence.

The three men waited while the healers worked on Zale. Qui-Gon had tried to get Obi-Wan to return to their quarters, but he had refused. He knew his robes were soaked in his friend's blood, but he wanted to be here, just in case. Yoda stayed with them as well. He was rather fond of the girl and he knew his presence would help ground both master and apprentice.

Long hours later, the healers pronounced that she would live, though she had lost the child. Obi-Wan almost swooned under the relief. Yet it was short-lived. He was not looking forward to informing Jonas that his wife had been grievously injured and that his unborn child had been killed.

Qui-Gon offered to bear the burden for him, but again, Obi-Wan refused. It was his responsibility. As Zale had been his responsibility. Never had a failure tasted so bitter or bore such a personal cost. With a heavy heart, Obi-Wan went to inform his friend that he failed in his duty to protect his wife and child. Force help him when Jonas got his hands on him.

Obi-Wan returned to Qui-Gon's quarters after sending the message. He was bothered by the fact that he had not been able to raise Jonas on the comm, but he was too wrung out to worry about that now. He had left word that he was to be contacted as soon as Jonas replied to the message.

The young man was not surprised to find both Qui-Gon and Yoda waiting for him when he entered. He held up his hand before either of them could speak and headed straight to the fresher. He needed to get out of his blood-soaked robes. Maybe then he could stop seeing his friend lying in a pool of her own blood.

The two masters waited patiently for Obi-Wan to clean up and join them. Qui-Gon ached to pull his love into his arms but held back. He would let Obi-Wan come to him when he was ready. In the meantime, he would offer what support and understanding he could and hope it was enough.

Obi-Wan emerged from the fresher feeling a bit more human. He threw the soiled robes in the disposal unit. He would never be able to put them back on without seeing Zale's blood on them. He walked over to the table where Qui-Gon and Yoda sat and joined them. Qui-Gon handed him a cup of tea and Obi-Wan sipped at it, not saying anything.

"Obi-Wan..." Qui-Gon began, the silence getting to him at last.

"I am all right, my Master," he said, cutting the man off.

"Live, she does," Yoda said gently.

"Barely," Obi-Wan came back, his voice bitter with guilt. "And her child does not."

"Nothing could you have done," Yoda said.

"I could have done what I was there to do," Obi-Wan argued. "I could have protected her."

"I do not think so, beloved," Qui-Gon countered. "I doubt if there was anything you could have done other than be blown up with her."

"Then perhaps I should have been," the young man snapped.

"Then dead, you both would be." Yoda's words hung in the air.

Obi-Wan knew he was right. If he had been with her when the blast occurred, he would have been in the same shape she was and they both would have bled to death long before help arrived. In actuality, he had saved her life. But then why did he feel so hollow inside?

"Do you have any idea what happened?" Qui-Gon asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from Obi-Wan's guilt.

"No," the young man replied firmly. "But I intend to find out. That was no accident."

"Sure you are of this?" Yoda asked.

"Yes. There was nothing in that house that could have caused an explosion of that magnitude," Obi-Wan said.

"Investigated, this will be," Yoda assured him. "Coincidence, this is NOT."

"You think this has something to do with what happened to Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Believe it, I do," the master replied. "But prove it, I can not."

Their conversation was interrupted by a messenger for Obi-Wan. Someone was waiting to speak with him about Jonas Githran. The three men quickly made their way to the communications room. Obi-Wan stopped short at the holo of a grim faced magistrate.

"Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi?" the holo image asked.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, stepping forward.

"I am Magistrate Dagga of Corellia. I received your transmission directed to Captain Jonas Githran," the man said. He paused for a moment before plunging forward. "I regret to inform you that Captain Githran was killed in an explosion earlier today. I am sorry."

"An explosion?" Obi-Wan repeated, not wanting to believe what he was hearing.

"Yes," the magistrate replied. "His ship was just leaving the upper atmosphere when it simply... exploded. There were no survivors."

"No..." Obi-Wan cried, backing away from the holo.

"Was there any evidence of sabotage?" Qui-Gon asked, stepping forward himself and placing a steadying hand on his apprentice.

"And you are?" the magistrate inquired.

"Master Qui-Gon Jinn," he responded, his face instantly smoothing into his 'I am in authority here' look.

"None that we could find, Sir Jedi," the magistrate replied. "We did manage to recover some of the ships logs. I can have them forwarded to you, if you would like."

"That would be most appreciated," Qui-Gon responded. "We have every reason to believe that this was not an accident."

"I quite agree with you there, Sir. I have known Captain Githran for years, he was always a very careful man. I do not see how something large enough to destroy his entire ship could have gone without his notice."

"Will you be conducting an investigation there?" Qui-Gon asked. What he was really saying was do I need to send the Jedi to do it.

"Yes, we will be conducting a thorough investigation," the magistrate replied. "As I said, Captain Githran was a friend. I will, of course, keep you informed."

"Thank you, Magistrate," Qui-Gon said and turned to leave.

"One more thing," the magistrate said, calling the Jedi back. "I have been unable to reach the Lady Githran. Have you any word of her?"

"I am afraid the Lady was injured today, as well," Qui-Gon said. He felt Obi-Wan flinch under his hand and pressed on quickly. "She is resting here. I will inform her of the news."

"Very well, Sir." The holo image winked out and the three Jedi were left alone in the large room.

"This is my fault," Obi-Wan whispered. "None of this would have happened if I hadn't gone to her. If I hadn't brought her into all this."

"Your fault, it is not," Yoda admonished gently. "Your friends, they were. Help you, they would have."

"Yet because of me, her child is dead, her husband is dead, and she lies fighting for her life," Obi-Wan replied, his voice breaking.

"No, not because of you, love," Qui-Gon said and pulled the young man into his arms. "We will find out who is behind this. And I promise you, they will pay for what they have done."

"Yes," Yoda put in, surprising both men by the vehemence in his normally soft voice. "Pay they will for what they have done."

It was two days before the healers allowed Zale to regain consciousness. Obi-Wan sat by her bedside as she slowly came awake. Qui-Gon and Yoda hovered just outside the door. What Obi-Wan had to tell her would not be easy.

"O... Obi," Zale breathed, her voice strained.

"Here, drink this," Obi-Wan said as he helped her to sip some water.

Zale let the cool water do its work on her throat as she took in her surroundings. She had no idea where she was. The last thing she remembered was going into the fresher to get ready and give Obi some privacy. She stole a glance at her friend and the haunted look in his eyes told her something was very wrong.

"Tell me," she whispered.

"There was an explosion," he began and found himself unable to continue. Hot tears ran down his face as he held her hand in his.

"The baby?" she asked, already knowing the answer. She could no longer feel the small life growing inside of her.

"I'm sorry, Zale," he said through his tears. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

"Not... not your fault," Zale replied as tears filled her own eyes. Oh, Force, how was she supposed to deal with this? "Did... did you tell Jonas?"

Obi-Wan's head shot up and the raw pain reflected back at her was like a knife in her heart. She shook her head in denial, not needing to hear the words.

"His ship... there was an accident... on Corellia..."

"Is he dead?" she asked simply.

"Yes," Obi-Wan answered and suddenly he could not hold back the sobs any longer. It was too much. Without a word, Zale pulled him toward her. He practically threw himself into her open arms and they cried together.

Qui-Gon and Yoda watched from the doorway as the two young people held each other in their grief. Qui-Gon had been worried that the girl would blame Obi-Wan for what had happened. He realized he should have known better. Even through the grief, he could feel the love flow back and forth between the two of them.

A healer tried to move past them into the room, but Yoda told her to come back later. They needed to grieve and he would not have that interrupted. The girl was in no immediate danger.

"What now, Master?" Qui-Gon asked, pulling his attention away from the room.

"Heal she must," Yoda said. "Grow strong again. Over, this is not. Protected, she must be. Or used to destroy him, she will be."

"Yes, Master," Qui-Gon agreed. "As soon as she's able to leave the infirmary, I'll have her brought to my quarters. We'll work out sleeping arrangements, but I want her close by."

"Agreed," Yoda said. "Good for all concerned, it will be. Guard her, we must, until dealt with this threat is."

"Yes, my Master," Qui-Gon said.

"With her at all times, one of us will be," Yoda said firmly. "To this, trust no other."



"The girl lived," Mace said into the comm link.

"That is unfortunate," a voice replied.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Now we wait," the voice said. "How fairs young Obi-Wan?"

"You should see him," Mace sneered. "He walks around like his whole world's just collapsed. Or been blown up."

"Then all is going according to plan," the voice laughed.

"I want him to watch while I fuck his master. I want him to watch while I throw Jinn on his belly and fuck him till he screams." Mace whispered.

"Oh, I think that can be arranged," the voice replied, growing husky. "I wouldn't mind seeing the look on Qui-Gon's face while I bend his little padawan over, myself."

"What about Yoda?" Mace brought up. "He's suspicious of me. And he's connected the incident with Qui-Gon with the *accidents*."

"Leave Yoda to me," came the reply. "And he was supposed to make the connection. After all, how is young Kenobi supposed to blame himself if he thinks it's just a random series of events?"

"Good point. So what are your plans for the girl?"

"Once we get them away from the Temple, I thought I'd give Kenobi a choice - his master or his woman."

"And if he chooses the woman over Jinn?" Mace asked. This could fuck up his plans.

"Then Jinn will know that his lover chose another over him and I'll hand him over to you," the voice responded. "Then I'll kill Kenobi's woman in front of him anyway. And if he chooses his master, then he watches his woman die. Either way, the girl dies. I think that should be enough to break him, don't you?"

"Oh, yes," Mace replied. "I think that will do it quite nicely."



Some time later, Zale awoke to find Obi-Wan sitting the chair beside her bed. His pale, drawn features hurt her to look at and they confirmed her worst nightmare. Her husband was dead. She may not be a Jedi but she did share a bit of a bond with the young man beside her. She could feel the guilt rolling off him in waves. His pain was almost palpable in the small room and she longed to ease it.

"Hi," Obi-Wan whispered when he noticed she was awake.

"Please, Obi-Wan. If you care for me at all, tell me this was just a dream," she begged, her voice raspy and tears filling her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he gasped as fresh tears ran down his face for what seemed the hundredth time. "This is all my fault."

"No, oh please, no," she sobbed. Obi-Wan reached to comfort her and she pushed him away as hard as she could. How dare he touch her? How dare he think he could console her? How was she supposed to go on without Jonas?

Obi-Wan felt like he had been slapped when she pushed him away. His guilt raged through him, confirmed by his friend's refusal of him. A horrible sobbing wail tore its way up from her lungs and Obi-Wan reached for her again. Even as she fought him, he pulled her into his arms and held her, rocking back and forth. Tears ran down his face as they poured out their grief.

"Please, forgive me," he choked as he rocked. "I'm so sorry."

"HeÖ he can't beÖ can't be gone," she sobbed. "He was all I had. He was my life. Please, Obi, please. You have to be wrong. HE. CAN'T. BE. DEAD."

"This is all my fault. I'm so sorry, Zale," Obi-Wan said, his own voice choked with tears. He was responsible for this. He was the reason Jonas was dead.

"Not... not your fault," Zale whispered through her tears as she tried to rein in her rampaging emotions. She knew Obi-Wan hurt as well and forced herself not to give in Sweetie, it's not your fault."

Not for the first time, Zale wished she could use the Force. Oh, she could a little bit. She could sort of communicate with Obi sometimes. But what she needed right now was a way to call to Master Jinn. His lover needed him and she doubted if the young man was allowing that need to be known.

//Master Jinn, come now. Obi needs you.// Zale thought as fiercely as she could manage. She knew it was probably a waste, but it was worth a try.

"Who's fault is it, if not mine?" Obi-Wan asked, oblivious to her mental cry. He pulled away from her and looked at her. The haunted look in his eyes was painful to see.

"I don't know yet," she replied. "But I do know that... that Jonas would have gladly... died... for you. He loved you... very... very much."

Zale was about to pull the young man into her arms again when Qui-Gon came bursting through the door. The look on his face was one of pure panic as he raced to his lover's side. Oops, Zale thought as she realized just how upset she had made the Jedi master.

"Are you all right?" he demanded as he grabbed the young man and pulled him into his arms.

"Ye... yes," Obi-Wan lied. He did not understand what his master was doing here. He was not due to relieve him for another three hours, but he was glad none the less.

"As you can see, M'Lady, I got your message," Qui-Gon said a bit more sharply than he meant to. But the girl had scared him half to death. One look at the pale and tear-streaked face made him regret his harsh tone, though.

"You called him?" Obi-Wan asked, his eyes going wide.

"You were pretty upset," Zale reasoned, slightly embarrassed. "I was worried about you. Still am."

"What were you upset about, love?" Qui-Gon asked as he released his padawan and took a step back. He knew full well what his lover was upset about, but wanted to hear the man put it into words himself. The over bright, red-rimmed eyes had not escaped his notice. He was glad the girl had called him, even if she had taken a few years off his life.

"I know you say it's not, but I can't help believing this is all my fault," he replied brokenly. The empty void in his soul felt like it would never be filled again.

"Problem, there is?" Yoda asked, shuffling into the room as quickly as possible.

"No, my Master," Qui-Gon said.

"Came to me, healer did. Almost knocked her down, you did, in your haste to get here."

"I am sorry, my Master," the Jedi master said, chagrined. "I will apologize to the healer."

"What has happened?" Yoda persisted.

"I woke up," Zale said, too mentally exhausted to watch them dance around each other any more. "I got upset. Obi got upset. I got scared. I called Master Jinn. He came. The end."

"How called him you did?" Yoda asked.

"In my head," the girl replied.

"Ahh," Yoda responded. Zale just looked at him. How in the world was she supposed to take that?

"I can call to Obi," she explained tiredly. "I had no idea if I could call to Master Jinn or not, but I figured it was worth a try."

"Interesting, this is," Yoda said. "Sit with you, I will. Qui-Gon, take the boy home."

"Yes, Master," Qui-Gon replied. He pulled an unresisting Obi-Wan to him and let the young man from the infirmary.

Zale closed her eyes as Yoda levitated onto the bedside chair. She really did not feel much like talking right now. Fresh tears were leaking from her eyes again. She really hated crying in front of people. It made her look so damn weak. She was surprised when she felt a small hand gently squeeze her shoulder.

"Rest now, you should," Yoda said. "Time later, there will be, to talk of these things." A sad smile played at the ancient master's lips as he watched the young woman succumb to sleep. She offered nothing but love and support to those she cared about. But at what cost to her? And what would become of her now that everything she loved, save Obi-Wan, had been destroyed?

Zale awoke again some hours later to find Qui-Gon Jinn quietly reading by her bedside. She tried to hide her surprise at seeing him here. She would have thought this was the last place he would want to be. Perhaps Obi-Wan was with him...

"Obi-Wan is not here," he said softly as he laid the data pad aside. "He's resting. Or attempting to at any rate."

"Forgive me, Master Jinn," Zale said, "but I am a bit surprised to see you here." Qui-Gon let out a deep sigh. He let his elbows rest on his knees and dropped his head into his hands.

"Am I that poor an excuse for a Jedi?" he asked humbly.

"Master Jinn..."

"You take my padawan into your home," he went on. "You care for him. Shelter him. Feed him. Love him. You stand by him when he needs someone. And when that very loyalty sees you almost dead, sees almost everyone you love dead, you are shocked to find that I would care enough to sit vigil beside your bed."

"Master Jinn, I did not mean..." she began, but he cut her off.

"Of course you did not," he said, his words almost bitter, but the bitterness was directed at himself. "You would not. Not when I am less than able to defend myself, anyway."

"Master Jinn, you're scaring me just a bit here," Zale said, wondering if she should call Obi to come for his master. She really was not up to another emotional scene right now. She barely had her own emotions under control.

"I am sorry, M'Lady," he said, his head bowed.

Zale looked at the Jedi master and all at once she could see how he had looked to Obi-Wan that night. No wonder Obi had been so angry. She tried to push herself upright and grimaced at the pain that lanced through her side.

Qui-Gon was there in an instant, gently lifting her upright while sending healing energies to combat the pain. Once she was resting comfortably, leaned back against the pillows, he sat back down. He tried to look away, but she refused to let him, locking her eyes with his own.

"You should not try to move too much," he said to break the silence.

"How long do I have to stay here?" Zale asked as she finally looked away from him.

"Only another day or so," he answered. "After that I would like to move you into my quarters for a bit."

"Excuse me?" she said.

"It would be safer there," he said quickly. "And Obi-Wan would rest easier for it."

"I was unaware Jedi quarters were so large as to house guests," she said dryly. What she really wanted to know was if the two men were sleeping together again.

"You may have my bedroom," the Jedi master said, his face blushing a bit.

"And where will you be?" she asked.

"I will take the couch," he replied.

"And Obi-Wan?"

"There are two bedrooms," Qui-Gon explained lamely. "I have mine and he... has his."

"You do not sleep together?" Zale asked, bluntly.

"No," came the quiet reply.

"You beg so prettily to get him back, then just disregard him?" she said the words with as much venom as she could muster. Even in her weakened state it was enough to make the man flinch.

"I did not want to push," he explained.

"Master Jinn," she began softly. "Push. He needs you right now."

"I... Are you sure about this?" he questioned. He could not afford another misstep where Obi-Wan was concerned and was not altogether certain the girl was in any condition to offer sane advice.

"Yes."

"Very well, M'Lady," he replied. He sat back in the chair and picked up the data pad again. He did not look at it, though. His mind was elsewhere, mulling over what all she had just told him.

"Master Jinn?" Zale called as she sank back down under the covers to sleep again.

"Yes?"

"Why do you not use my name?" she asked, her voice heavy with sleep.

"I... I was not given it to use," he said truthfully. Even though he knew her name, she had been introduced to him by her title. It would be disrespectful to address her in any other way. And he knew how Obi-Wan felt about treating his friend with respect.

Hours later Yoda came in to relieve Qui-Gon. They spoke briefly, Qui-Gon telling his master what the young woman had said to him. Yoda smiled at his padawan, agreeing with the girl's assessment of the situation.

"Come back, you will not, until after noon meal," Yoda said as he shooed Qui-Gon out of the room.

"Master?"

"Time together, you both need," Yoda answered. "Watch over the girl, I will. Strengthened, the bond between you must be."

"Yes, my Master," Qui-Gon said as he bowed. "Thank you."



Obi-Wan was sitting on the couch when Qui-Gon walked in. He looked up at the sound of the door and Qui-Gon could see the fear on his face. He quickly reassured him that his friend was resting, with Master Yoda watching over her.

"Shall I prepare you some dinner, Master?" Obi-Wan asked, his voice soft and distant.

"No, Padawan," Qui-Gon said, walking over to Obi-Wan and sitting down beside him. "What I would like, is to talk."

"What do you wish to talk about, Master?" the voice almost dead.

"Do you still love me, Obi-Wan? Or has all that has happened soured that somehow?" Qui-Gon asked. He was quite proud that his voice did not break as he said it.

"Of course I still love you," Obi-Wan replied, his eyes settling on the man beside him. "Nothing that has... happened... has changed the way I feel for you."

"And what is it that you feel for me?" Qui-Gon asked. He needed to hear the words.

"I love you," he said simply. "You're the only thing that keeps me going some times. Certainly the only thing that has kept me sane these last few days. I do not believe I could do this without you by my side."

"Then let me in," Qui-Gon pleaded, pride be damned. "Let me in again. You've closed yourself off to me. Please, Obi-Wan, let me love you."

"Qui..." Obi-Wan began, not sure what to say or if he had any right to say what he wanted to.

"Yes?"

"Can I... can we... sleep in your bed tonight?" The furious blush that accompanied those words sent a little slice of pain through the Jedi master. Oh, that his lover thought he even had to ask.

"Oh, that would please me so," Qui-Gon whispered.

"Qui?" Obi-Wan questioned. Qui-Gon's response troubling him.

"I was convinced that was someplace you never wanted to be again," the master confessed. Obi-Wan looked at him for long seconds before standing and holding out his hand.

Qui-Gon took it and Obi-Wan pulled the older man to his feet. Without letting go, he led his master from the common room to their bedroom. No words were said as Obi-Wan pulled him down onto the bed, kissing him deeply.

Both men were too exhausted to do more than kiss and hold one another, but it was enough. It was more than Qui-Gon thought he would ever have again with his young lover and he was thankful for it. Obi-Wan basked in the love and understanding that lying in his lover's arms conveyed. He had needed this so badly, but had been unable to ask for it. Now, he no longer had to.

They slept then, each lost in the other's embrace. All of their problems would still be there in the morning, but for now all that mattered was each other.



It was almost a week before the healers released Zale. During that time, they held a small memorial service for Jonas Githran in the gardens. They did it late at night, with only the four of them and two healers in attendance. Obi-Wan stood apart from his lover during the service, his arm wrapped tightly around his friend's waist. Qui-Gon ruthlessly pushed down his jealousy as the two friends clung to each other in their grief. By the time the short Ceremony of Passing was finished, the only thing keeping the young widow on her feet was Obi-Wan.

Qui-Gon felt the guilt begin to eat at him again as he watched Obi-Wan and his friend grieve. Tears ran freely down their faces as they mourned the loss of husband and friend. Tears stung his own eyes as he realized that the man they mourned would be alive today if not for his actions with Mace. And though the fault may not be his, the responsibility surely was.

Obi-Wan tried to hold back his tears as he held tightly to his friend but it was no use. Jonas had been a good friend to him. He had loved the man greatly, as Jonas had loved him. And how did he repay that love? By getting the man killed, by getting his unborn child killed, and by damn near getting his wife killed as well. He wondered when Zale would begin to curse the day she had ever laid eyes on him.

The young Jedi tightened his grip a bit more as Zale began to tremble. Tears ran down her face but she grimly refused to let the sobs inside her surface. Jonas had always admired her strength. She would not disappoint her husband this one final time. But, oh how it hurt. The aching empty pit inside her threatened to consume her. She felt her legs give out, but Obi-Wan held on, not letting her fall. The Ceremony was almost over. All she had to do was hold on for a little bit longer.

Finally, it was done. Without a word, Obi-Wan lifted his friend and carried her back to the infirmary. The others followed silently as well. They could feel the raw pain flowing off of the both of them. As gently as he could, Obi-Wan tucked her back into bed. Almost as soon as pulled the blanket up a healer came and put her to sleep again. In the morning, a councilor would come and try to help her deal with her loss. Until then, her body needed healing sleep more than anything.

For the next six days, the three men kept her constant company, almost to the point of annoyance. She met with a healer every day and slowly began to accept what had happened. She was pleased to see Obi-Wan looking better, too. She knew he still blamed himself, but he was no longer wallowing in it. And while she was not altogether pleased about the upcoming living arrangements, she did recognize the necessity of them. She just wondered how in all the hells she and Master Jinn were going to live together without killing each other.

Deep in the night the three Jedi walked the young woman to her new accommodations. She actually made it half way before her strength began to ebb. Gritting her teeth, she refused to acknowledge the fatigue setting in on her. Pride demanded that she not appear weak. Not here. Not in front of Jinn.

Obi-Wan let her walk, even as everything in him cried out that he should help her. He knew how his friend could be some times and sensed that this was one of those times. He could also feel the underlying tension between her and his master. He wished there was something he could do about it. He knew he was partly to blame for it, having set them up as adversaries at the Spring Festival.

Finally, Zale stopped and leaned against a nearby wall. Obi-Wan was at her side in an instant, as was Qui-Gon. She was a bit startled by the look of concern on the man's face, but let it go. She was much too tired to puzzle it out right now.

"Let me help you," Obi-Wan said as he gently lifted her into his arms. The fact that she did not fight him was a good indication of how drained she really was. Luckily, they were not far from their quarters.

Once inside, Qui-Gon keyed in the extra security codes while Obi-Wan carried Zale toward his bedroom. A mischievous light came into her eyes as she thought of a way to make her friend relax a bit. She looked over Obi-Wan's shoulder and caught Qui-Gon's eye.

"I thought I was sleeping in your bed, Master Jinn," she said as innocuously as possible. Obi-Wan immediately stiffened and Zale quickly tapped his hand lightly. It was an old signal she and Jonas had shared, indicating that the other should play along for now.

"Really, Master?" Obi-Wan said and turned to face Qui-Gon. "Should I tuck her into your bed instead?" He took a half step forward and Qui-Gon held his hand up to stop him.

"No, Padawan," the Jedi master said hurriedly. "It's not what you think. Really."

"Really?" Obi-Wan replied. It was everything he could do to keep the smile off his face and his tone serious. Oh, it felt good to tease someone like this again. "Perhaps you would care to explain how the lady came to the assumption that she would be sharing a bed with you?"

"It's not like that," Qui-Gon insisted. "M'Lady, there has been a change of plans. You will take Obi-Wan's room."

"Oh?" she said, feigning ignorance. "So Obi will be sleeping on the couch? That hardly seems fair. You can share the bed with me, Obi. I'm sure there's more than enough room. It's not much smaller than the bed we shared at my place."

"What?" Qui-Gon practically shouted, his jealousy flaring to life. "No! Um. Obi-Wan will be sleeping in my bed. We'll be sleeping there together!"

"Calm yourself, Padawan," Yoda said, trying his best not to laugh. "Teasing you, the children are. Know full well she does, where Obi-Wan is sleeping. And with whom."

"I'm sorry, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan said as his master stood there at a loss. "We were only teasing you a bit. Let me get Zale settled and we'll talk."

"All right," Qui-Gon said a bit uncertainly. "Do you need any help?"

"See to the girl himself, he can," Yoda said before Obi-Wan could reply. "Talk to you, I wish to."

Knowing a dismissal when he heard one, Obi-Wan carried Zale from the room leaving master and padawan alone. Qui-Gon looked away from his master, not wanting to meet his eyes. Yoda was having none of that.

"Look at me you will, when I speak to you," he demanded.

"Yes, Master," Qui-Gon replied and brought his eyes to bare on the small form before him.

"Care for the boy at all, do you?" Yoda asked kindly. "Teasing you only, they were. No harm was meant. Lost so much she has. Begrudge her not the little she still clings to."

Qui-Gon looked away then. A fresh wave of shame washed over him. She had lost everything and here he was being jealous over the fact that she still had Obi-Wan. Where he should have been thankful that the girl had still been able to smile about anything, he had been petty and resentful.

"Go to him, you should," Yoda advised as he moved toward the door. "Understand, he does. This time."

Qui-Gon watched as Yoda left. His insides felt like they were tied in knots. Wearily, he went in search of his lover. Not for the first time, Qui-Gon thought he should just turn himself over to the creche master for a good beating. Maybe it would knock some sense into him. He had his doubts.



Obi-Wan signed and laid Zale as carefully as he could on the bed. He sat down to help her undress and flinched at the sight of the wound on her stomach. A soft hand on his arm urged him on and he soon had her dressed in one of his old sleep shirts and tucked securely under the covers.

"Now what?" Zale asked.

"I wait, I guess," Obi-Wan said.

"You can sleep here if you want," she offered.

"No," he said. "You need to rest. Besides, I'm pretty sure he'll be coming for me in just a bit."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he replied with more conviction than he felt. Where his lover was concerned he was at a loss more often than not these days. "I need to think about some stuff anyway. Try to meditate. You get some sleep. Okay?"

"There is something I think we need to talk about, Obi," she said a bit timidly. This was not a conversation she was really looking forward to. But that did not change the necessity of it.

"About what?"

"Master Jinn," she replied. "And your relationship. What he might be missing."

"Oh..."

"I think it's something you need to explore with him," she began tentatively. She knew she was probably the only one he could talk to about this, but it was still a touchy subject.

"So do I," he admitted. "I'm just not sure where to begin. I mean, I want to meet his needs. I - thought - I was meeting them. Guess not."

"How do you meet a need you don't know exists?" Zale offered. "It's as much his fault as yours. As for where to start, well, the first thing you need to do is find out just what it is he's wanting. Is it the forcefulness, the humiliation, or a combination of the two?"

"I could hope it's just him wanting me to be more aggressive, but it's probably a combination of the two," Obi-Wan said. "The, um, forceful part, I can manage easily enough. I have some ideas for the humiliation, but I'd like your help."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Zale asked, surprised. "Jinn and I don't exactly get along as it is."

"Can you think of a better person to debase himself in front of than someone he sees as a potential threat?" Obi-Wan said dryly.

"Remind me never to piss you off," she laughed. "I'll help you, but Force help us both if this backfires on us."

"It won't," Obi-Wan assured her. "Now, you need to get some sleep and I need to meditate."

"Yes, Obi."



He hesitated outside the door to Obi-Wan's room. He thought he should probably knock, but did not want to take a chance on waking the girl if she was asleep. Her body needed all the rest it could get right now. He edged the door open silently. He was greeted by the sight of his lover kneeling on the floor attempting to meditate. The young man's eyes snapped open and he jerked his head indicating that his master should wait outside. Qui-Gon nodded and stepped back into the common room.

Obi-Wan slipped from the bedroom and closed the door behind him. He would know if Zale awoke and he did not want their voices to disturb her. Taking a deep and supposedly calming breath, the young man walked over to the couch and sat down beside his master.

"I am sorry," Qui-Gon said.

"That's all right," Obi-Wan replied. "We shouldn't have teased you like that."

"No. I should not have let it bother me. I should have taken it as what it was and not let my insecurities twist it into something else."

"Now, that sounds like the man I fell in love with," Obi-Wan said softly. He closed the distance between them and brought his lips to cover Qui-Gon's. Even though the kiss was rather chaste, it spoke volumes to them.

"I'm going to shower." The young man stood up and moved toward the fresher. Qui-Gon watched him go, wanting to go with him, but unsure of his welcome.

"Would you like to join me, love?" Obi-Wan asked softly, his back to his master.

"Oh, yes," Qui-Gon breathed. Relief, love and lust all rushing through him at once.

Qui-Gon followed his apprentice into the fresher and was pulled into a bruising kiss as soon as the door slid shut behind them. The Jedi master could tell his lover was using the Force to augment his strength as he held him in place and ravaged his mouth.

By the time Obi-Wan released him from the kiss, Qui-Gon's cock was hard in his pants. With a smoldering look, Obi-Wan began to undress. Qui-Gon watched him as piece by piece that beautiful body was laid bare for him.

"Aren't you going to join me?" the young man asked huskily. Qui-Gon looked down and realized he was still fully dressed. Quickly, he shed his own clothing, leaving them in a heap on the floor, and joined his lover in the shower stall.

Hot water began to rain down on them when Qui-Gon found himself roughly turned around and pushed forward. He threw his hands up against the wall, bracing himself and looked questioningly over his shoulder.

Qui-Gon cried out as two slick fingers suddenly plunged into his body. A strong hand pushed his shoulders back down when he started to raise up. A tremor of fear ran through him before he realized that this was Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan would never hurt him. Secure in that knowledge, Qui-Gon let his body relax. Two fingers were replaced with three as his lover felt his body give in to the sensations.

Obi-Wan thrust his fingers in hard and fast, trying to give his master what he wanted, but refusing to risk hurting the man. From the sounds coming from his lover, Obi-Wan thought he was doing a pretty good job of it. And much to his surprise, he found his own body was on fire as well.

When Qui-Gon began to thrust back on his hand, begging for more, Obi-Wan knew he was ready. He pulled his hand from the loosened hole and replaced them with the head of his cock. Steeling himself and using a bit of the Force, Obi-Wan thrust in hard, burying himself halfway at once.

Qui-Gon screamed at the unexpected invasion. Obi-Wan quickly checked to make sure the man was not in pain, or at least not too much pain. Satisfied, he pulled back slightly and thrust forward again. In two quick thrusts he was buried to the hilt in his lover's tight, hot body.

Gripping the hips hard enough to bruise, he began to thrust. His master felt tighter than he ever had before and Obi-Wan knew he could not last long. But from the harsh, needy sounds coming from his master, he did not think he would have to.

"Stroke yourself," he growled in Qui-Gon's ear as he thrust forward as hard as he could. Qui-Gon jerked as his lover's cock rammed into his prostate and snaked his own hand down to grasp his aching penis.

It was over all too soon for both men. With a groan, Qui-Gon came, spilling his seed over his hand as Obi-Wan continued to thrust into him. Obi-Wan felt his lover's orgasm as the muscles surrounding his cock began to clench. He thrust hard again and came himself, spilling his own seed deep inside his lover.

When Qui-Gon's legs would have given out, strong hands gripped his waist, holding him up. Obi-Wan helped his master upright and gently washed the older man. Once he had them both clean and dry he led Qui-Gon to the bed.

"Was it what you needed, love?" Obi-Wan asked as he held his master in his arms.

"Yes," Qui-Gon answered softly, his head still spinning from the experience. "But what about you?"

"I came, didn't I?" Obi-Wan responded. "And I found that I enjoyed my part a bit more than I thought I would. If this is something you need, for me to play this part with you, I am more than able to, my love."

"But is it something you want?" Qui-Gon asked. He did not want to put this burden on his lover if he did not wish it.

"While I don't think it's something I would ever have explored on my own, I did enjoy it," Obi-Wan explained carefully. "You are not forcing me to do something I do not wish to do. Rest assured of that."



Zale woke early the next morning. She had always been an early riser and after having spent so much time in bed of late, she was eager to be up. She pulled Obi's robe from the back of the door and slipped it on.

Stepping out of the small room, she was surprised by the sight before her. The couch was moved aside and the two men were doing a kata together. Both were dressed in nothing but loose sleep pants and the early morning sun glinted off their bare chests. She watched them silently as they went through the moves, each mirroring the other. She felt a bit the voyeur as she took in the play of strong muscles in the Jedi master's back as he arched and flowed with the exercise. Obi-Wan did much the same, though his muscles were a bit smaller and less defined than those of his much larger master.

As they brought the kata to an end, the two men turned to face her. They had felt her presence when she entered the room, but wanted to finish their exercise. It was not much, but it would have to do for now. Qui-Gon would not risk taking Zale to the training hall with them, nor was he willing to leave the girl alone for that long.

"Good morning," Obi-Wan said as he kissedher and Zale could tell there was something he wanted to say.

"Why don't you just spit it out already?" Zale prompted finally. Qui-Gon gave a short laugh in reply and decided to do just that.

"I owe you an apology," he said. "Again. I behaved like a spoiled brat yesterday. I know you and Obi were just teasing me. I responded poorly, to say the least."

"Yes, you did," Zale agreed readily. "Do you have any idea how hard this is on him? Do you? Jonas... Jonas was like a brother to him. They... they loved one another very much."

"They knew each other well?" Qui-Gon asked, needing to know how he knew these people.

"Yes," Zale said. "Jonas was his first, you know."

"His first?" Qui-Gon repeated, not understanding.

"First lover," Zale supplied. "Obi and I have known each other since we were children. He's the one who introduced Jonas and I. He even gave me away at our bonding." She could not hold back the tears then as memories flooded her. Her bonding day. Jonas and Obi both looking insufferably pleased with themselves. The first time she and Jonas made love. It was too much and she wept bitterly for everything she would never have again.

Qui-Gon pulled the crying woman into his arms and held her. He expected her to pull away but she was too lost in her grief to care. The Jedi master felt like bantha fodder right then. He had not even considered the fact that the late Captain Githran could be more to Obi-Wan than a casual friend.

Obi-Wan walked back into the room to see Zale crying in Qui-Gon's arms. His green eyes narrowed but he fought back his anger. He knew Zale was emotional right now and the fact that she lay in Qui-Gon's arms meant he probably was not the cause of the tears.

"Is everything all right?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yeah," Zale replied as she moved away from Qui-Gon. "Just memories. It hurts, you know. To know I'll never see him again. Never hear his voice. Never see him smile."

"I know," Obi-Wan replied and Qui-Gon knew then that everything this woman was feeling, his lover was feeling as well. Had been all along, actually. He had just been too blind to see it.

"Go back and finish breakfast, Obi," Zale said after a minute. "We're not finished here yet." Without a word, Obi-Wan nodded and returned to the kitchen leaving the two alone once more.

"I didn't know," Qui-Gon whispered.

"I know you didn't," Zale said. "I probably shouldn't have told you, but he's hurting, too. Like I said, he loved Jonas."

"I am so sorry, M'Lady. If I could change things, believe me when I say I would. I can understand if you blame me. If I had not... not betrayed Obi-Wan, none of this would have happened." Qui-Gon looked away, unable to meet her eyes until a small hand wrapped around his chin and pulled his face back around.

"You did not betray him and I do not blame you, Master Jinn," she said slowly. "If I blamed you for this, I would have to lay blame at Obi's feet as well. And that, I will never do."

He started to reply but she cut him off. Her blue eyes turned hard and cold as she spoke.

"There are, however, things I do blame you for," she continued. "And if you insist on hurting him, on causing him pain, I swear to you I will make you wish you had never been born. Do we understand one another, Master Jinn?"

"Yes, M'Lady," he said humbly. "We do."

"Excellent," she replied. "Then I trust we shall not have to have this conversation again."



"Our plans are in motion," the voice came through the comm link.

"When?" Mace asked, his impatience clear.

"Next week, during Palpatine's visit," the voice replied. "He had assured me a suitable diversion will be provided. Are you certain you can get the girl out of the Temple?"

"As long as you can guarantee Jinn and Kenobi will be otherwise occupied," Mace answered. "I have my escape route all planned out."

"Make sure you don't kill her," the voice warned. "I want the pleasure of watching Kenobi's face while she dies."

"Are you sure that's all you want her for?" Mace leered. He could imagine how much pain it would cause the brat to watch his woman being taken.

"Perhaps," the voice laughed. "The image you sent of her was quite comely. I imagine she would make a decent pleasure slave."

"You plan on sharing?" Mace asked, the dark lust in his voice apparent.

"You plan on sharing Jinn?" the voice countered.

"Feel free to fuck the good master all you want," he laughed quietly. "Just as long as you remember, he belongs to me."

"You can have him, my friend. I just want the use of him for a bit. I'll contact you in a few days to check in. May the Force be with you."

The comm link went dead and Mace stared at it for a moment before laughing loudly. The Force was with them all right. All they had to do was trust the Darkness to guide them.



Days passed and they all began to grow restless. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan still insisted on practicing in their quarters and the enforced restrictions were driving Zale insane. She and Obi were at ease with one another and it was no hardship to be trapped in the small rooms with him. Master Jinn, however, was another story. There was still a bit of a strain between them and it made the closeness uncomfortable. Sometimes, it was almost unbearable.

For his part, Qui-Gon did his best to leave the girl as much room as he could. He knew the situation was stifling, but there was little to be done. Nothing more had been found out about their enemy and Qui-Gon refused to let the girl put herself at risk. They had no choice but to wait for him (or her) to make their next move. He just hoped he would live long enough to see it. The way things were going, he was not so sure of that.

Yoda came by daily to keep them abreast of happenings in the Temple. His visits also allowed Qui-Gon to leave for short periods of time. Obi-Wan did not like his lover moving about alone, but the man was a full Jedi master and much more able to defend himself than his friend was. Besides that, no attempt had been made on Qui-Gon's life, his virtue maybe, but not his life.

"So, how did things go the other night?" Zale asked. Yoda was sitting in the center of the room, seemingly meditating. Qui-Gon had left a few minutes ago to run some errands, or perhaps to just get away for a bit. That left Obi and Zale virtually alone.

"Better than I had thought, actually," Obi-Wan responded. "He liked it. A lot. And I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would."

"Did you still want my help with the other?" she asked, really hoping her friend would say no.

"Yes. If you don't mind, that is." He knew full well that she was uncomfortable around Qui-Gon and what he had planned was not going to help.

"Oh, of course not, Obi-Wan," Zale quipped sarcastically. "I live to humiliate Jedi masters that can eviscerate me with a thought."

"Excellent, because he probably could if he really wanted to."

"Eviscerate young females, Qui-Gon does not," Yoda said, making the two young people jump.

"I thought you were meditating," Obi-Wan said sheepishly, wondering just how much the master had heard.

"Meditating, I was," Yoda said. "But deaf, I am not."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan replied, not sure what else to say.

"Careful, you must be," Yoda cautioned. "Revenge becomes a Jedi not, but give in to it Qui-Gon has. Warned, you have been."

"Um... Yes, Master." Yoda smiled at Obi-Wan's reply as he went back to his meditations. He really did not want to know what the children had planned. Some things were best left alone.

Qui-Gon returned to his quarters a few hours later. He had been away longer than usual and still found himself reluctant to return. He really needed to work this out with the girl. Force alone knew how long they were going to be stuck with one another.

As he approached his rooms, he was surprised to see his master waiting for him outside the door. Yoda merely nodded to him and left. Qui-Gon wondered exactly what he was in for if even Yoda had been chased from the confines of the shared quarters.

Opening the door slowly, he found Obi-Wan sitting alone on the couch. The door to his padawan's room was closed and the Jedi master assumed Zale was resting. Or hiding. Either way, it was nice to have his lover to himself for a little while.

"Welcome back, Master," Obi-Wan said as he rose from the couch and pulled Qui-Gon into a deep kiss. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to return."

"Never, love," the master replied.

"Come and sit with me, Qui-Gon. There is something I would like to discuss with you." Obi-Wan led his master to the couch and they both sat down. Qui-Gon felt his anxiety increase at his lover's words. Whatever this was, it was serious. At least to Obi-Wan.

"What is it?" Qui-Gon asked bluntly.

"You liked what went on in the shower, correct?" Obi-Wan began.

"You know I did," Qui-Gon responded, not sure where this was going or if he really wanted to go there. Obi-Wan silently regarded his master. He had spent the last hour rehearsing this in his head and he was still having a hard time.

"There is something else I would like to try," he went on. "I want to see if you like it or not. If either of us like it or not."

"What do you want to do, love?" Qui-Gon asked softly. He could tell his lover was having a difficult time with whatever he was trying to say. Perhaps he should do like Zale and tell the young man to spit it out already.

"I want you to do as I say," Obi-Wan blurted out, his face flushing furiously. "I want you to do exactly as I say. Will you do that for me, Qui-Gon?"

Ahh. Qui-Gon understood then. At least partially, anyway. Obi-Wan wanted his obedience. The young man wanted to see if his master could bring himself to obey him, even as he obeyed Mace thanks to the drug.

"Yes, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon answered with a smile. "I can do that for you. When would you care to begin?"

"Now," came the abrupt reply. "You will address me as Master. If at any time you want this to stop, say troll. That will be your safe-word. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Qui-Gon said. The not so soft slap to his face took him by surprise.

"Care to try that again?" Obi-Wan asked, his voice edged.

"Agreed, Master," Qui-Gon amended and felt his cock stir as he said it.

"Strip," Obi-Wan ordered. Silently, Qui-Gon obeyed him. He cast a fleeting glance at Obi-Wan's door, then pushed the thought away. Surely Obi-Wan had told the girl not to come out.

As Qui-Gon undressed, Obi-Wan leaned back on the couch. He took in the sight of his master stripping for his pleasure and felt a surge of desire. Well, so far he was liking this. He hoped Qui-Gon was, too. Once his master was naked, Obi-Wan directed him to stand in front of the couch and face him. The young man looked his master up and down, devouring him with his eyes. Qui-Gon could not help the faint blush that warmed his cheeks. He had never been one for public displays and being eyed by his padawan like this was embarrassing.

"Stroke yourself," Obi-Wan commanded. Qui-Gon's face went from pink to crimson in an instant. He had stroked himself during their lovemaking before, but never like this. Never with Obi-Wan sitting right in front of him watching him like a hawk watches a mouse.

But even as he blushed, his cock began to harden. With a slightly trembling hand, the Jedi master reached down and began to touch himself. He stroked his cock slowly, bringing it to full hardness. He did not recall his own hand ever feeling this good before and attributed it to Obi-Wan's presence. A bead of pre-cum pooled at the tip and he rubbed his thumb over it, working the slick liquid into his flesh. The opening of Obi-Wan's door went unnoticed as he used his other hand to cup his balls. Only when the young girl spoke did Qui-Gon realize she had entered the room.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Zale said softly.

Qui-Gon's hand stopped in mid-stroke. He felt the color drain from his face as he realized the lewd show he was putting on. He quickly turned and headed for his bedroom, but his lover's voice stopped him cold.

"Where do you think you're going?" Obi-Wan demanded, his voice tinged with anger.

"I... " Qui-Gon began, but was cut off.

"Get back here and continue or safe-word," Obi-Wan said. "The choice is yours."

Qui-Gon saw the very neat trap his lover had set up for him then. He was going to force him to continue in front of the girl. Something inside him screamed at him to turn and walk away. He ignored it. Obi-Wan wanted to do this, thought it was important. He knew his lover well enough to know this was not just some new kink he decided to try.

Reluctantly, the master turned back to them. He moved back until he stood in front of the couch again, facing its two occupants. He felt more humiliated than he ever had in his life. His cock was still hard and that seemed to make it even worse. He wondered if he had enough blood to maintain his erection and his fierce blush at the same time. He was about to find out.

"Very nice," Zale muttered loud enough for him to hear as she made a point to look up and down the man's body. She hoped Obi-Wan knew what he was doing because Jinn looked about ready to kill them both. Still, she made sure to leer at the man, trying to make him as ill at ease as possible.

"Yes," Obi-Wan responded, picking up the bait. "I always thought he had a magnificent cock."

Qui-Gon had to bite his lip to keep from moaning as they discussed him like a piece of meat. And to make matters worse, every word they said went straight to his cock. He was achingly hard and on the verge of coming. Obi-Wan noticed how close his master was and nudged Zale lightly. With a grimace, she delivered her lines.

"That's a good boy. Come in your hand for us," she whispered huskily, laying it on thick and heavy.

It was more than enough to push him over the edge. With a strangled shout that was half denial he came, spilling his seed into his cupped hand. Obi-Wan watched with rapt attention as his lover pumped into his own fist. His own cock throbbed in sympathy, but he quickly tamped it down.

"Lick it clean, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan said as his master finally stilled. "Lick it clean for us."

He did not hesitate. Qui-Gon immediately began to lick his own cum from his hand. He tried not to look at the girl sitting on the couch watching him debase himself but he could not help it. For her part, she seemed to be doing her best to look away from him without being obvious about it. Perhaps her part in this was not as voluntary as he had imagined.

Once his hand was cleaned, Zale rose and returned to Obi-Wan's room. Obi-Wan reached forward then and pulled his lover down on the couch with him. He held the man tightly in his arms, his own body trembling both from desire and trepidation. Now it was time to find out if he had gone too far.

"Master?" he questioned.

"Yes, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon responded softly.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I think so," Qui-Gon answered. "Are you?"

"I don't know yet," the hint of a laugh in the young man's voice wiping away some of the worry.

"That was..." Qui-Gon trailed off.

"Intense?" Obi-Wan supplied.

"Very," his master replied as he pulled himself from Obi-Wan's arms. "Is she all right?"

"I think so," Obi-Wan said. "She didn't really want to do this. She's afraid you're going to eviscerate her."

"No," Qui-Gon laughed. "Although I do not know how I will ever manage not to blush in her presence again."

"I haven't made things worse between you two, have I?" Obi-Wan asked, concerned.

"No, love. You have not," Qui-Gon reassured him. "Did you find the answer you sought?"

"That would depend on if you enjoyed it or not," the young man said. "Did you?"

"Truthfully? I'm not sure yet," the master replied. "I'm still working on understanding it right now. I responded to it. Responded more quickly than I ever have before at my own touch, so some part of me enjoyed it."

"Take your time, Master," Obi-Wan whispered as he pulled the man back down to him. "There is no rush."



Zale tossed and turned as she tried to get the picture of a naked and aroused Qui-Gon Jinn out of her mind. Not for the first time, she cursed Obi-Wan and his stupid ideas. All she wanted to do was sleep and all she could see every time she closed her eyes was HIM. She did not even like the man very much. Granted, he had a nice enough body, but still! With a groan and another curse she turned over and tried once again to force her mind into submission. It was going to be a long night.

The next morning, the two lovers awoke to find Zale already up and preparing breakfast. The look she shot Obi-Wan when he said good morning could have frozen half of Tatooine. The young lady was decidedly NOT happy. And Qui-Gon had a good idea as to why. Oh well, he knew the girl would not be able to stay angry at his padawan for long. And it let him out of the hot seat for once. Or so he thought.

By mid afternoon, Zale was exhausted. She had gotten no sleep last night and was falling asleep where she sat. Intending to lay her head down for just a moment, she stretched out on the couch. She was asleep within seconds. The two Jedi emerged from their bedroom to find their guest sound asleep on the couch. She looked so peaceful they decided to leave her there. As carefully as he could, Qui-Gon covered her with a blanket.

They changed their plans for a workout into quiet meditation instead. Even with the enforced solitude, it had been a long time since they spent an afternoon in simple contemplation. And after yesterday, they could both use the time to think and reflect. Neither of them had come to any conclusions about what had occurred. They needed this time to think as much as the girl needed to rest.

*A gentle breeze blew around them as they stood on the landing platform. She wondered how she had gotten there. The last thing she remembered was laying her head down on the couch for a few minutes. She looked about quickly and found Obi-Wan and Master Jinn standing next to Yoda. Another man in Jedi robes stood off to the side. There was something wrong about the dark man, but she did not know what. Two men approached the others, one older with short graying hair and one younger with long black hair to match the black cloak he wore. The Jedi smiled as the two men approached. They were completely unprepared when the young one pulled a long dagger from his robes and thrust it into Master Jinn's chest. *

"QUI-GON!" Zale screamed as she bolted upright on the couch.

The sound of her scream ripped the two Jedi from their meditation. They were by her side in an instant. No one was more shocked than Obi-Wan when his friend pushed him away to grab his master instead. She wrapped the elder Jedi in her arms and held him tightly. Her breath came in harsh gasps as she tried to calm herself. Qui-Gon let her hold him, unsure what had upset her so but not wanting to add to it.

"M'Lady?" he said softly as her breathing finally began to ease. She pulled back then, looking more than a bit embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"What happened?" Obi-Wan asked from the side, concern the only emotion evident in his voice.

"Would you believe I had a bad dream?" Zale asked with a wry smile.

"About me?" Qui-Gon asked, still close to her, his hand resting on her hip.

"Yes," she answered. "You died. I saw... saw a man ki... kill you." She tried to repress the shudder that ran through her body but could not.

"M'Lady?" Qui-Gon questioned again. He did not understand why she was so upset. Perhaps if she had dreamt of Obi-Wan this way, but himself?

"I am sorry, Master Jinn, but I do not believe I can stand to lose any more people in my life right now," she answered his unspoken question. "Even ones I do not particularly care for. And my name is Azalea. You may call me that or you may call me Zale, but if you call me M'Lady one more time I am going to hurt you."

"Yes, Azalea."



The days passed in a blur as the Senator's visit grew closer. Yoda informed the two Jedi that Palpatine had specifically requested that they be in attendance upon his arrival. That left the question of what to do with Zale. Leave her unguarded in their quarters or have her with them out in the open? Neither answer was a very good one.

Obi-Wan suggested that he remain behind with her but Yoda argued that the Senator had requested him and his master by name. There would be no way to avoid going without drawing unwanted attention. In the end, they decided to leave Zale locked safely away in their quarters. With the security codes in place, no one save the three of them would be able to enter unless she opened the door.

"Do not, under any circumstances, open this door," Qui-Gon cautioned. "I don't care if the Temple is burning down. Wait for one of us to come for you. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Qui-Gon," Zale replied, unable to keep the hint of sarcasm from her voice.

"I mean it, Azalea," he said firmly. Things were better between the two of them, but were still prickly with each other sometimes. This was one of those times.

"Besides, I'd hate to see what Obi would make me do if I failed to obey," she whispered. Qui-Gon flushed at her words instantly. He knew full well what she was referring to. Oh, why did his lover have to humiliate him in front of the girl?

"You would do well to keep that in mind," Obi-Wan put in, trying to ease his master's discomfort.

"Yes, Obi-Wan," she replied as meekly as she could. It was all she could do to keep from laughing out loud.

"Enough of this," Yoda said finally. "Play later, you can. Now, work to be done there is. On guard, you will be."

Yoda ushered them from the room making little shooing noises as they went. Qui-Gon made sure to key in the security codes before walking out. He could not stop the small shiver of apprehension that ran through him as the door slid shut behind him.



Mace watched from the shadows as the trio made their way from Jinn's quarters toward the reception area. Now all he had to do was wait for the signal from his associate. He did not have long to wait. A large blast sounded from the reception area followed shortly by shouts and the sound of blaster fire.

Mace glanced quickly down the corridor to ensure he was alone. He moved to the door to Jinn's rooms and placed a small device on the keypad. A moment later, the door slid open and he walked in on the very surprised young woman.

Zale recognized Master Windu from a holo Obi had shown her. She spun on her heels and raced for the bedroom door. She knew she was no match for a Jedi master, but her blaster was in there and she had to try. She never made it to the door.

With a Jedi's grace and speed, Mace intercepted her. She struggled in his arms, trying to get away. He let her struggle for a moment, enjoying the feel of her fear before thrusting himself into her mind and ripping away her consciousness. He lifted her lax body effortlessly and carried her down the corridor and to the docking bay where a ship awaited him.

"Any problems?" his associate asked from the pilot's seat.

"No," Mace replied. "Everything went exactly as we planned it. I just wish I could be there when they find out she's missing."

"That won't be half as good as when they find out who's got her," the other man replied. "Get her secured so we can take off. It would not do for them to discover her missing while we're still here." In no time at all, the Jedi master secured their captive and they were off, leaving Coruscant far behind.



Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan made their way back to their quarters as quickly as possible. The staged attack of the Senator had been a ruse. It was neither well thought out nor well executed and both men feared it had merely been a diversion.

The sight of the open doorway caused both men to break into a run. Long before they reached the rooms, they knew Zale was not inside. Carefully, they made their way inside, using the Force to search for both clues and traps. There were no signs of a struggle. Apparently, she had been taken unaware.

"Master," Obi-Wan said as he picked up a data pad from kitchen table. "Take a look at this."

Qui-Gon took the pad from his lover and keyed up the waiting message. The color drained from his face as he read it. Silently, he handed the pad to Obi-Wan. 

        Qui-Gon,

        Lost something, old friend? Perhaps I can be of
        assistance. Come to the Observatory on Magus Prime.
        Just you and your brat. Anyone else, and she dies. 

        And don't worry.  I'll keep her warm for you.

        Mace.


"Bastard!" Obi-Wan shouted and threw the pad across the room.

"We -will- get her back, Padawan," Qui-Gon said, trying to reassure his lover.

"Before or after he rapes her?" Obi-Wan spat back.

"Trust in the Force, you must," Yoda said as he walked into the room. "Windu, it was?"

"Yes, Master," Qui-Gon confirmed. "Obi-Wan and I are to go to the Observatory on Magus Prime. If we do not come alone, he will kill her."

"Then go you will," Yoda said then turned to Obi-Wan. "Over, this is not. Save her, we will."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said dutifully.

"May the Force be with you both," he said before leaving the two men alone.



They landed the ship on Vespa and carried their still unconscious captive to the rooms they had secured. It would take three days for the two Jedi to reach Magus Prime only to find that those they sought were not there. It would then take them another two days to backtrack to Vespa. That would give them all of the time they needed to make sure they had an appropriate welcome waiting.

Mace carried their captive into one of the bedrooms and tied her to the bed. She did not even twitch as he bound her hand and foot. Looking down at the young woman, he felt himself grow hard.

"Don't even think about it," his associate said from the doorway.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I want her untouched when they get here," he replied.

"You can rape her in front of them regardless," Mace argued. "Besides, she's still out. She won't even know."

"I said no," the man replied, his voice making the threat clear.

"Fine!" Mace relented. Too much was at stake to risk it over a quick fuck. There would be plenty of time to slake his desires once Jinn was his. Mace pushed past his associate and out of the room. There was much to be done before the two Jedi arrived. His friend could deal with the girl.

The man walked over to the sleeping woman and brushed the hair from her face. She seemed almost peaceful in her Force-enduced slumber. He would make sure to keep a careful eye on Windu. The girl would remain untouched, at least for the time being. He wanted the pleasure of taking Kenobi's woman himself.

It was the next morning before Zale regained consciousness. As the fog in her head cleared, she realized three things. She was no longer at the Temple, she was tied to the bed, and the dark-haired man from her dream was standing over her.

"Do not scream, little one," he said. "You are safe. For now."

"Who are you?" she asked.

"For the time beinr /> "Yes," he replied, the matter-of-fact tone of his voice making her blood run cold. "And I will not hesitate to torture and kill you as well."

He turned and walked from the room then, leaving a bewildered Zale behind. Rubbing her sore wrists, she got up and went to use the facilities as her captor had instructed. She looked about the small room and the adjoining 'fresher for anything that could possibly be used as a weapon. Unsurprisingly, she found nothing. Not knowing what else to do, she opened the door to the other room to see about getting something to eat.

The dark-haired man was carrying a tray in from what she guessed was the kitchen. She quickly judged the distance between him, herself, and what she surmised to be the outer door. Knowing she had little to lose, she dashed toward it.

The door opened to her touch and she bolted through it only to run straight into Mace Windu. Laughing, he caught her easily and carried her back inside. He held her tight against him and she could feel his arousal pressing into her back. His hands roamed over her body as he enjoyed her struggles.

The dark-haired man walked up to them, his face hard and angry. With deliberate slowness he pulled back his arm and backhanded her across the face. She cried out at the blow and sagged in the dark master's arms.

"I warned you that if you disobeyed me you would be punished," he whispered fiercely as he gripped her chin and brought her face up to his. "Perhaps Mace and I should have a go at you after all. Maybe that would tame you some."

"No, please," she whimpered as fear shot through her.

"Go tie her back to the bed," the man instructed. "Perhaps a day without food or water will teach her a lesson."

"I know a better way to teach her," Mace said as he ground himself into her backside.

"No," the man said firmly. He turned his attention back to the girl then. "Disobey me again, and we will make you beg for death. Do you understand me?"

"Ye... yes," she stammered.

"See that you do," was his cold reply.



It took them three days to reach Magus Prime. Obi-Wan spent almost every waking moment deep in meditation. He knew he needed to be focused and his anger and fear were interfering with that. For the most part, Qui-Gon let his lover be. He made sure the younger man knew that he was there for him, made sure he ate and slept, but aside from that he let Obi-Wan battle his own demons. He knew more was at stake here than just the girl's fate.

They approached the Observatory cautiously, but both men knew their adversary was not there. All that awaited them was a holo-vid. Steeling themselves for the worst, Qui-Gon played the vid.

Mace's face came into view immediately. In his arms he held a limp Zale. Obi-Wan thought she was dead at first, but the slight rise and fall of her chest assured him she lived. Or had when this was made.

"Good to see you, old friend," Mace's voice said. "Looks like you made it to the Observatory, but as you can see, we're not here."

Qui-Gon cursed at the image before him as Mace began to run his hands over the unconscious woman's body. They had wasted three days coming here and they were no closer to getting Zale back than they were when they left. He could feel rage choking his padawan, but was powerless to do anything about it.

"Come to Vespa," Mace's image said. "We're waiting for you there. Don't worry, I've been keeping her nice and warm for you. Oh, and Qui-Gon, I can't wait to fuck you again."

The image blinked out leaving both Jedi staring at nothing. Qui-Gon turned toward his apprentice and watched as the young man struggled for control. His anger was so great it threatened to overwhelm him. Qui-Gon reached out and laid a gentle hand on his lover's arm. Obi-Wan's eyes shot to him and he reached out and jerked his master forward hard. Strong arms wrapped around the Jedi master desperately as he fought to regain his center.

Qui-Gon returned the embrace and held his lover tightly. Mace's words still rang in his ears. He knew he would rather die than let that man touch him again. But somehow he did not think he would be given much of a choice. Not if things went the way Mace was planning, whatever that was.

"I won't let him take you again," Obi-Wan whispered urgently. "I will protect you, my love."

"And I you," Qui-Gon murmured back.

Reluctantly, the two men pulled back from one another and made their way back to their ship. They set a course for Vespa and were under way immediately. Qui-Gon left Obi-Wan to pilot the ship while he put through a call to Yoda. He quickly informed his master of the new developments and their new destination. If they failed, at least Yoda would have a starting point.



Mace entered the darkened room as quietly as he could. The girl was asleep on the small bed, the thin blanket doing little to conceal her attributes. He walked forward until he stood beside the bed, then sank down to his knees. Reaching out, he grasped her breast with one hand while covering her mouth with the other.

Zale's eyes flew open as she felt a hand on her body. She opened her mouth to scream, but Master Windu's hand covered it quickly. She twisted violently, trying to throw him off, but he held her down easily using the Force to aid him.

Suddenly, Windu was yanked away from her and flung against the far wall. The dark-haired man glanced at her for a moment before turning his furious eyes on his partner.

Mace, still stunned from hitting the wall, took one look at his partner's eyes and knew he had made a mistake. A very big mistake. He quickly brought his hands up in a placating gesture and tried to back even further into the wall behind him.

"I wasn't really going to..." he began only to be cut off by a Force hand gripping his throat.

"Don't," the other man said, his voice hard.

Mace tried to reply, but the grip on his throat tightened cutting off his air supply. He struggled against the crushing grip, pulling furiously at the phantom hand. He tried to bring the Force to bear against it, but the hand continued to tighten.

"If I catch you near her again, I will kill you," he said. "Do you understand me?"

Mace nodded his head in frantic agreement, his sight darkening from lack of oxygen. All at once, the hand was gone. The Jedi master doubled over pulling in great lungfuls of air.

"Get out," his partner spat at him and he was only too happy to comply.

The dark-haired young man stood for long moments staring at the wall before turning to face the young woman who lay bound to the bed. He moved slowly to her side and softly reached out to touch her face.

"He won't come for you again. I promise," he whispered. She stared into his blue eyes, trying to understand.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I want Kenobi to watch while I rape you," he answered then turned and walked away.



The two Jedi had no idea what would be waiting for them when they arrived at Vespa but they were eager to be done with it. Obi-Wan held out precious little hope that his friend still lived. And even if she did, he shuddered to think what Windu would have done to her in the days since she had been taken.

The young man made his peace with that knowledge as best as he could. All he sought now was Windu's death. For only through the fallen master's death would what remained of his family be safe. Obi-Wan knew he would die before he allowed his master, his lover, to be taken again.

For his part, Qui-Gon made his peace as best he could. He knew what they were facing - a full Jedi master turned to the Dark. And like Obi-Wan, he had serious doubts that the Lady Githran still lived. The knowledge that all of this pain, all of this death had been wrought solely for the purpose of breaking him was madness. There had to be more to this than simply Mace's insane delusions of turning him into some sort of sexual slave. Whatever it was, they would find out soon enough.

As they approached, the small ship was given clearance to land on a remote docking bay. Apparently, they were expected as the call had come in even before they had hailed the tower. The lovers stole a last kiss before landing the ship and preparing to walk into battle.

Master and apprentice exited the small craft warily. They scanned the area for any sign of Mace or Zale. They were not disappointed. Master Windu came striding out as they walked off the ship's ramp, but Zale was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is she?" Obi-Wan demanded as the master neared.

"Why with my associate of course," he replied. Just then the dark-haired man stepped out from the shadows. Holding tightly to the young woman's arm, he drug her forward so the Jedi could see.

"Hello, my Master," Xanatos said to Qui-Gon as he threw the girl to the ground. "So good of you to come."

"You!" Qui-Gon cried, his surprise evident. Never would he have imagined Mace Windu in league with his fallen apprentice.

"Yes, Qui-Gon," he laughed. "Now hand over your sabers like good little Jedi and I might just let her live."

Xanatos drew his own saber as he spoke and brought the outstretched blade toward Zale. Qui-Gon realized they had little choice and moved to hand his saber to his enemy. He was more than surprised when the girl twisted in Xanatos' grip and lunged at him. She had already lost her husband and child to these men, she would not lose Obi-Wan as well.

The outstretched light saber cut deeply into her side. She screamed as she felt the blade sizzle into her flesh. Clutching her side, she fell to the ground. All were stunned by the girl's desperate and futile attack. But there was no time to even see if she still lived.

Qui-Gon quickly regained his senses and powered up his own saber. Obi-Wan did the same and brought his blade streaking toward Windu who barely managed to leap back in time to avoid being cut in half.

Qui-Gon brought his own blade slashing down toward his former pupil. Xanatos brought his saber up to defend then quickly leapt away from the enraged master. Qui-Gon stayed with him, engaging him as best he could even as Xanatos tried to dance away from him. The master was quickly wearing his former apprentice down.

A cry from his lover wrenched his attention away. The Jedi master turned to see Obi-Wan holding his left arm. Windu was smiling ferally and advancing on the wounded young man.

With a leap that would have made his padawan proud, Qui-Gon came between the two men. Mace was caught off-guard by the sudden acrobatics and barely managed to parry a set of lightning fast blows.

Obi-Wan, his arm still numb from the earlier blow, crept forward. Patiently he waited, watching the fight between the masters. Carefully, he gathered his strength, pulling the Force around him. He waited until he saw Qui-Gon prepare to lunge forward then used the Force to push Windu as hard as he could.

Qui-Gon's saber plunged into the shocked master. Windu's own blade fell from suddenly nerveless fingers as his body went into shock. Qui-Gon pulled his blade free and watched as his boyhood friend sank to his knees, dying.

Qui-Gon knelt with him. Turned to the Dark or not, he was determined to offer what comfort he could to the dying man. Qui-Gon caught him as he pitched forward and laid him down on the cold, stone floor. He closed the now lifeless eyes and hoped that in death his friend had found some peace.

He looked up to find Obi-Wan kneeling beside Zale's body a few feet away. He could feel the healing energies pouring off of his padawan as he fought for his friend's life yet again. He rushed to his lover's side and offered what help he could. The wound was bad but they soon had her stabilized enough to travel.

Qui-Gon carried her back to their ship as carefully as he could. They brought Master Windu's body on board as well. They would return the fallen master to Coruscant to be mourned as the Jedi he was rather than the one he had become. Qui-Gon did not need to look around to know that Xanatos was gone. And he knew from bitter experience that they had no hope of finding him until Xanatos wanted them to.



Zale spent three days in the infirmary, healing from the saber wound. She and Obi-Wan spent long hours talking. Qui-Gon even came by a time or two to check on her. She talked with a councilor daily, trying to put everything that had happened behind her.

In the end, she decided to return to Veygra. She and Jonas both had family there. Though Obi-Wan hated to see his friend go, he knew it was for the best. Coruscant held too many painful memories now.

They shared a very painful goodbye as she boarded the ship that would take her back to her home world. She promised to write him as soon as she was settled and Obi-Wan promised to keep her informed of how things progressed between him and his lover. Qui-Gon blushed, but said nothing, thinking that maybe this was a new humiliation his rather inventive lover had come up with. Maybe tonight they could finally have that discussion they had been putting off. Assuming Obi felt up to it, of course.

They watched the ship leave and Qui-Gon wrapped his arms around his love, offering what support he could. Obi-Wan returned the embrace and turned to smile at him. The sadness that Qui-Gon expected to see only a shadow.

"It's alright, love," Obi-Wan said. "This is right. She needed to leave this place, and all of its memories, behind."

"Perhaps tonight, we can make some memories of our own?" Qui-Gon asked.

"I think I would like that very much, my love," Obi-Wan said and reached up and kissed his master deeply.



EPILOGUE: 6 months later

"I await your punishment, Master," Qui-Gon said as he knelt naked at his lover's feet. Obi-Wan fisted his hand in his master's hair and pulled the man's head up to look him in the eye.

"You've been a very bad boy, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan said as he stared into his lover's passion filled blue eyes. "I think you need another lesson in humility."

"Yes, Master," came the soft reply. Obi-Wan released his head and sat down on the couch. Qui-Gon watched him warily, waiting to see what his young love would do to humiliate him this time. Though he was loath to admit it, he craved this from his lover, this domination and humiliation.

"Come lie across my lap, little whore," Obi-Wan said silkily. Qui-Gon quickly obeyed the command and lay himself across his lover's lap even as he wondered just what his Obi-Wan had in mind.

"Now what, Master?" Qui-Gon asked feeling strangely vulnerable in this position.

"Now I am going to spank you, little whore," Obi-Wan answered him. The young man ran his hand lightly over his lover's backside as he spoke making Qui-Gon shiver with both anticipation and dread. "I trust you remember your safe word."

"Yes, Master. Troll, Master," Qui-Gon answered quickly.

"You will lay here and you will not move. You will count out each swat and thank me for it," the young man instructed. "If you lose count, I will begin again."

"How many swats, Master?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Twenty, I think," Obi-Wan said and brought his strong right hand crashing down on Qui-Gon's unprotected rear. Qui-Gon yelped before he could stop himself. His lover was not holding back. Qui-Gon could swear the younger man was using the Force to make the blows even harder.

"One, Master. Thank you, Master," Qui-Gon said as soon as he regained his composure. The second hit was no lighter than the first and the Jedi master had to bite his tongue to keep from crying out. At this rate, his ass would be a swollen mass of bruised flesh by the time his lover finished.

"Two, Master. Thank you, Master."

Qui-Gon tried not to squirm as his lover rained blows down on his backside. His cheeks burned almost as much as his ass did. Lying draped over his lover's lap while the young man spanked him was one of the most humiliating punishments Obi-Wan had come up with yet.

"Ten, Master. Thank you, Master," he rasped out. Tears ran freely down his face. His ass was on fire from the repeated blows. He absolutely refused to safe word. He knew his lover would stop immediately, but if Obi-Wan thought he would benefit from this, then he would endure it.

"Fifteen, Master. Thank you, Master," Qui-Gon cried out as Obi-Wan landed a particularly hard blow. He was in real pain now and knew his ass had to be black and blue. But even as his lover's hand slammed down again, his cock twitched. He was rock hard and aching for release. He just hoped that he was pleasing his lover enough with his submission that the younger man would allow him to come when this was done.

"Twenty, Master. Thank you, Master!" Qui-Gon screamed after the final blow. He was shaking, practically convulsing on his lover's lap and Obi-Wan quickly pulled him into a fierce embrace.

"There now," he crooned as he rubbed soothing circles into Qui-Gon's back. "It's over now. You did so well, beloved. You were so beautiful in your pain."

"I... I was?" Qui-Gon stammered through his tears.

"Oh, yes," Obi-Wan replied sincerely as he guided Qui-Gon's hand to his hardness. "Here, feel my cock. Feel how you moved me, beloved. You were exquisite."

"Mas... Master? May I come?" Qui-Gon asked beseechingly.

"Oh yes, my love," Obi-Wan replied. "Tell me, how would you like to come? Would you like me to take you in my mouth? Or perhaps you would like to sheath yourself inside -my- ass?"

"Whatever I want, Master?" Qui-Gon asked, hope, love and trust shining in his eyes.

"Yes, love. You may have whatever you want."

"Take me," Qui-Gon said almost shyly.

"Are you sure, love?" Obi-Wan asked. "You're going to be pretty sore as it is. Are you sure you want me inside you right now?"

"More than anything, Master," Qui-Gon replied honestly. "I want to feel your big cock inside me. I want to know I belong to you, body and soul. I want you to take me. Please, Master."

"Get on the bed," Obi-Wan said, his voice rough with desire. "Hands and knees."

Qui-Gon beamed at him for a moment before hurrying to comply. As instructed, he had lubed himself ahead of time. Obi-Wan always wanted him ready when they began one of their sessions. Sometimes it was needed, other times it was not. Qui-Gon was glad that this time it was.

Obi-Wan grabbed the vial of oil from the bedside table and quickly covered his cock. He moved up behind his kneeling lover and gently spread the abused cheeks apart. They were mottled red and black and Qui-Gon hissed when Obi-Wan's hands came in contact with them.

The young Jedi could have used the Force to heal his lover's bottom, but chose not to. Qui-Gon had wanted this, which meant his lover wanted the edge of pain right now. He would not disappoint the man.

Carefully he pressed his cock to the entrance to his lover's body. He pushed forward slowly, savoring the tight feel of his lover's body accepting him. In a single fluid motion he was buried to the hilt.

He gave his lover a few moments to adjust, then began a slow rhythm. He quickly sped up as he lover thrust back impatiently. Torn between not injuring the man he loved and giving his lover what he wanted, Obi-Wan went with the latter. He set an almost punishing pace and Qui-Gon moaned hotly. To him, there was nothing quite like the feel of his lover claiming him hard and fast.

In no time, the worked up master came, spilling his seed on the bedding. He cried out his lover's name as his cum spurt out of him. The feel of his muscles flexing and clenching on his hard cock proved too much for Obi-Wan and he came, shooting his seed deep within his master's more than willing body.

Drained, both physically and emotionally, the young man pulled his cock out as gently as he could. He cringed at the small stain of blood he found, but the look of utter contentment on his master's face assuaged the worst of his guilt.

Qui-Gon held open his arms and his lover moved into them gratefully. Together the two men rushed toward slumber, each content to be held within the arms of the other.

END.