Archive: By Master & Apprentice, my site, WWOMB and
SithChicks
Pairing: O/Other, Q/Other, O/Q
Category: Alternate Universe
Rating: NC-17 for the series; this episode R
Disclaimer: George, you want me, come get me. I'm probably a
better writer than you anyway (not that that's saying much luv,
sorry...).
Warning: None for this episode.
Summary: Follows canon. Qui is dead, and in building a new
lightsaber Obi accidentally finds a way to move to different
realities, where he discovers many strange and wondrous things
in his quest to be with his beloved Master again.
Notes: I'm paying homage to the great SF author, L. Sprague
DeCamp with this story. Back in the 30's-40's he wrote the
definitive AU novel called "The Wheels of If", which conceit
I'm borrowing here. Thanks (as always) to Beta Readers Par
Excellence Fox, HiperBunny and Emrin Alexander. Thank you,
ladies, my cup runneth over with your support.
For a moment, Obi-Wan couldn't even tell he had transferred,
aside from the usual nausea. He leaned back against the warm
marble of the Temple and waited for the reaction to pass while
he looked around.
Just after noon in the statuary garden. The fountain chuckled,
the muted roar of air traffic droned overhead, children played
in the distance, their happy cries echoing against the tall,
sturdy walls. After a moment to regain his equilibrium, Obi-Wan
walked a few paces to the right and opened the gardener's shed
door, remembering with a smile how he had used it in the past.
Slipping inside, he removed his backpack and secured it under a
large, very dusty tarp that obviously hadn't been moved in
years. After a moment's thought, he pulled it back out and
exchanged his 'saber for his master's, then tucked it away
again.
Pulling up his hood, he strode confidently into the Temple,
just another Jedi blending in well with the other residents.
The Grand Concourse was much the way he remembered it, and
calling up personnel information the matter of a few moments
only. Qui-Gon Jinn (he closed his eyes and sighed) still lived
on the third level. He had no Padawan.
// Well, there's the first part, // he thought wryly, then
looked up his own name. No Obi-Wan Kenobi existed in the
records. Blinking for a moment, he checked the archives. No
such name existed in the archives either. // Hmmmm...//
The next step was Master Yoda, whom he called. To his surprise
he got a canned reply that Master Yoda was off-planet, at a
three-month retreat to Dagobah. // Damn. //
Stilling himself, he thought for a moment. The first hour chime
startled him - he hadn't realized it was still that early. //
Master always ate late at lunch, // he thought, // perhaps I
could see him? //
Quickly he strode up to the commissary on the third level, the
one both he and his Master had always preferred. At the late
hour it was only half-filled, and sitting by himself at the end
of a long table, reading a datapad, was Qui-Gon Jinn.
His stomach fluttering, Obi-Wan got a tray with a little fruit
and water, never taking his eyes from Qui-Gon. The big man
looked much like he did before dying in Obi-Wan's home reality,
silvering hair pulled back away from his (thankfully) bearded
face and prominent laugh lines outlining his eyes. He was
absently nibbling at a sandwich and drinking tea as he read.
Obi-Wan took several deep, cleansing breaths as he carried his
tray over to the long table. He set it down in the middle of
the table, on the other side of Qui-Gon, who looked up briefly,
his face neutral. "I'm sorry," Obi-Wan said, "May I?"
"Oh, certainly. No problem," Qui-Gon answered, then did a slow
double-take. "Forgive me, I don't recognize you, Knight...?"
"Kenobi. Call me Obi-Wan," the younger man said, pleased there
was no tremor in his voice.
"Master Jinn," his elder replied, reaching across the table to
grasp Obi-Wan's arm firmly. The touch was electrifying to the
young Knight, and he hoped Qui-Gon wouldn't notice. "Qui-Gon. I
haven't seen you around, I don't think. Have I?"
"No," Obi-Wan thought frantically. "I've - I've been on
Dantooine. Since I was a senior Padawan. Just got rotated back
to Coruscant to start taking missions finally."
The explanation seemed to satisfy the Master, for he sat back
nodding. "I have vague memories of being a young Knight, the
galaxy at my feet. Wait until you're a cynical old man like
me... it won't seem so glamorous."
Smiling, Obi-Wan said, "You don't seem that old to me, Master
Jinn. Qui-Gon. More like in the prime of life."
To his surprise, Qui-Gon's ears reddened slightly. // He thinks
I'm flirting with him! // Obi-Wan thought, then realized, with
some surprise, that he was.
"Well, tell that to my aches and pains in the morning. I'm
sorry to say I'm not a young, beautiful Knight any longer."
Now it was Obi-Wan's turn to blush slightly. "Well..." he
paused briefly, searching for something to say, "perhaps then
an experienced, established field Master. Would you have any
words of wisdom to share with such as me?"
Qui-Gon laughed. "Let's see. Keep your head down. Never trust a
Hutt. And always pay cash!"
They chuckled together, and Obi-Wan replied, "You forgot one;
always bring soap."
Blinking at him, Qui-Gon said, "Yes! That's what I've always
told my Padawans. How did you know?"
A bit flustered at his error, Obi-Wan said, "Th-that's funny.
That's what my Master always said too."
Eyes twinkling, Qui-Gon said, "Your Master is wise indeed,
then."
"Yes," Obi-Wan agreed, somewhat sadly, "he was."
"Ah." Qui-Gon could hear the sadness and change in tense
clearly. This handsome young Knight had lost someone dear to
him not that long ago. Now that he knew that, he could see the
lines of stress and sadness that aged the young man
prematurely. He cocked his head. "Did I perhaps know your
Master?"
"No, I'm sure not," Obi-Wan said, a faint smile on his face as
he studied his tray. "We were often off-planet, on one mission
or another."
"One of those," Qui-Gon said, nodding. "Like me. Only had time
for two Padawans, I was off-planet so much. Of course, that
didn't prevent the Council from nagging me..."
"Qui!" the jolly, familiar voice came from the doorway, and
Qui-Gon looked up over Obi-Wan's shoulder. The sudden smile
that bloomed on the older man's face - a combination of
happiness and love - just about made the young Knight melt in
his pants. He turned, both eager and dreading to see who could
make his beloved Master look like that...
Xanatos was rapidly approaching their table.
Obi-Wan caught his breath and froze. The last time he had seen
Xanatos he had been quite insane, literally frothing at the
mouth as he tried desperately to kill the man he both loved and
hated. Now, he wore the cream and brown of the Jedi, and walked
with a smile and easy assurance to Qui-Gon, who was standing to
greet him. They kissed, briefly but deeply, as Obi-Wan watched
in fascinated horror.
"Thought I'd find you still here, lazybones," Xanatos was
laughing gently.
"Oh Force, Xani, am I that late?" Qui-Gon asked, looking at the
chrono on the wall.
"No, love, no, just teasing," the dark-haired man grinned, then
glanced down to the younger man seated at the table who was
watching them with a strange expression on his face.
"Oh, here," Qui-Gon said, motioning towards Obi-Wan. "Knight
Obi-Wan Kenobi, this is Knight Xanatos duTelos, my lifemate."
Even as he stood to take Xanatos' hand, even as he mouthed
greetings and pleasantries, somewhere deep inside of Obi-Wan he
was screaming, crying. This monster was his Qui-Gon's LIFEMATE?
It couldn't be...
"Actually, Qui," Xanatos was saying, turning back to Qui-Gon,
"I needed to tell you I can't make it. Knight Borget sprained
her ankle last night and she's asked me to cover for her in
Initiate hall this afternoon. Can you find someone else to spar
with?"
"Oh, I'm sure I can, Xani-love," Qui-Gon said easily. "Do you
need help with the little monsters?"
Laughing, Xanatos said, "Oh, I'll be all right. I've got my
whip and my chair. They don't scare me!"
Pulling the man in for another kiss, Qui-Gon said, "Very well..
make sure they know where to send the remains. Have fun, love.
I'll see you later this afternoon." With a jaunty wave, Xanatos
left the room, and left his lifemate with a happy smile on his
face as he looked down at Obi-Wan. "Seem's I've been abandoned
by my lover, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said. "And I've got a spot in
the Little Gym for three hours. Would you care to spar?"
Obi-Wan's brain was completely fried. The last time he had seen
Xanatos... and now he was Qui-Gon's lifemate. This was not
something he could tolerate for long, he thought. Time - and
past - to leave this reality. Then he realized what Qui-Gon had
said.
"Spar?" Qui-Gon cocked his head and gave the younger man a
puzzled look. "Oh. Well. Yes, I would be delighted, Master
Jinn."
The beautiful young man looked quite green around the gills all
of a sudden, Qui-Gon thought, and he glanced down at his tray
and the lack of food thereon. "Are you up to it, Obi-Wan?" he
asked. "You... look a bit upset."
"No... no. I do have an appointment in a few hours, but I would
love to spar with the great Qui-Gon Jinn," he said, swallowing
his vast disappointment. He would indulge himself in a couple
of hours with his beloved Master, then escape this reality.
What could it hurt?
"Well, I don't know about 'great'," Qui-Gon laughed, carrying
his tray to the return slot. "But I know I could use the
exercise. Shall we?"
They made their way through the Temple to the Little Gym - a
misnamed place as any, as it was the second largest in the
Temple - Qui-Gon talking and Obi-Wan listening to his misery,
making monosyllabic responses where he thought appropriate. As
they rounded the last corner, a shout from behind them made
them turn. It was Mace Windu, calling for Qui-Gon.
"Qui-Gon!" he said, hurrying up to the bigger man. "We've just
got confirmation that the talks broke down on Luvon. Can you
leave first thing tomorrow morning?"
"Certainly, Mace," Qui-Gon said. "Go on, Obi-Wan, I'll meet you
there in a moment," he added, smiling at the Knight. Obi-Wan
was too caught up in his own reflections to notice the frown
Mace Windu shot him as he walked away.
He entered the Little Gym, noting on the sign up sheet which
salle Qui-Gon had reserved, then began his warm-ups. // This is
ridiculous, // he thought, // I should just leave now. It's
obvious this reality is not going to be for me. // After a
moment, he sadly added to himself, // I wish I had had a chance
to make him smile like that. //
At that moment, Qui-Gon strode into the gym, nodding and
smiling to those who greeted him, and Obi-Wan was caught.
Qui-Gon looked so happy, so content, that he actually
looked younger. // Perhaps this Xanatos is good for him, //
Obi-Wan thought, forcing a smile on his face as he greeted the
big man.
Obi-Wan was soon lost in sparring. He had always enjoyed moving
with his Master, and this time was no different. He found
himself losing himself in the moment, grinning fiercely as the
advantage in their mock battle moved back and forth. Twice they
battled to a standstill; the first time to Obi-Wan's favor, the
second to Qui-Gon's. Two hours flew by, before Qui-Gon called a
halt. He threw one towel to Obi-Wan and used another on
himself, wiping off sweat.
"Well fought, young Knight," Qui-Gon said, smiling broadly.
"Your Master was a formidable teacher. You've done proud by
him."
Using the towel to hide his expression, Obi-Wan let out a
muffled "Thank you."
"You're sure I wouldn't know him?" Qui-Gon was asking, and
Obi-Wan had a moment of panic before hearing Xanatos' voice
again.
"Qui? Could you come here for a moment?" The cultured voice was
soft and concerned, and Obi-Wan dropped the towel to see why.
The Little Gym was empty except for them, Xanatos, Mace Windu
and four Knights wearing the red armbands of Temple Security.
Obi-Wan blinked at the thunderous expression on Mace Windu's
face.
"Xani? I thought you were with the initiates," Qui-Gon said,
wrapping the towel around his neck.
"I was. Master Windu came and got me to find out where you
were. I guess there's a problem."
"What...?" Qui-Gon looked from Xanatos to Windu, confusion and
puzzlement on his face.
"Who is this you're sparring with, Qui-Gon?" Windu asked, his
voice low and menacing.
"It's Obi-Wan. Knight Kenobi. Why?"
Nodding at the security men, who immediately bracketed Obi-Wan,
their 'sabers drawn, Windu said, "There is no such Knight. I
know everyone in the Temple, by sight if not by name. I heard
you say his name, didn't recognize it, and when I sought out
Xanatos he gave me the full name." He turned to Obi-Wan, who
had a shocked, animal-in-a-spotlight look about his face.
"You're not a Knight of the Jedi. Who are you?"
"Now wait just a minute, Mace," Qui-Gon said, puzzlement and a
bit of anger touching his voice. "I just spent two hours
sparring with this young man and I can assure you, he's a
Jedi."
"Trained as a Jedi, maybe," Mace conceded, not taking his hard
stare off the young Knight. "But not a Jedi. Not one of ours.
Please surrender your lightsaber."
Finally finding his voice, Obi-Wan said, "Look. I can explain.
I am a Knight. Master Yoda can confirm it..."
"Master Yoda is off-planet for three months," Windu said
harshly. "Now surrender your 'saber or be disarmed. I place you
in custody of Temple Security. You can attempt to explain once
you've been secured."
"What? Mace, he's a Jedi..." Qui-Gon was appalled as he watched
Obi-Wan reluctantly surrender his 'saber to one of the security
guards, who secured his hands behind his back with Force
binders.
"Qui-Gon, this is none of your concern. You know we've
had hints the Sith are active again. This young man could
easily have been plotting to wipe out the Temple."
"Oh, please," Qui-Gon argued scornfully. "If he had wanted to
kill me, he had ample opportunity over the last two hours. At
least let him explain!"
"He'll have his chance. Come along." As he was pulled from the
room, Obi-Wan shot Qui-Gon a look of pure anguish and
helplessness, which caused the big man to almost speak again.
Xanatos' hand on his arm restrained him.
"Qui, don't," the younger man murmured. "You'll only antagonize
Windu more. Let's go see if we can find out what's going on."
Nodding, Qui-Gon took his lifemate's hand in his and together
they left the gym.
They were not allowed into the hearing room. They spent a few
frustrating hours trying to breach Temple protocol to determine
the fate of the young Knight before giving up and getting a
hurried, late dinner. Qui-Gon went back to their quarters to
shower and pack while Xanatos tried some other contacts.
Qui-Gon was in bed, going over the mission briefing when his
lifemate entered the apartment. It was a subdued, puzzled
Xanatos that stripped down and climbed into bed next to him.
Qui-Gon could sense he would talk when he was ready, so just
held him, setting the datapad aside as he snuggled under the
covers.
"This is very odd, Qui," he finally said, obviously still going
over the situation in his mind.
"What did you find out, my heart?" Qui-Gon asked, kissing the
wealth of dark hair that was becoming lightly frosted with
silver.
"Well, I talked to Sanfa, you remember, he was a yearmate,"
Xanatos started. "He's been assigned to Security for the last
rotation... he loves it for some reason. He said the first
thing the guy asked for was Yoda, that Yoda would be able to
vouchsafe him. Then, he just kept claiming to be a Knight, and
here's the weird thing, a Knight from a different dimension. He
said he's been traveling among the dimensions, and that in his
world, you were his Master."
"What?" Qui-Gon was incredulous. "He sounds... I mean. Xani, do
they think he's insane? He certainly didn't act it!"
"They've remanded him over to the healers, but put a Force
collar on him. I caught a glimpse of him, Qui. He looked so...
defeated. Broken." Xanatos shuddered. "Did he seem deranged at
all to you? Did he mention any of that to you while you were
sparring?"
Frowning, Qui-Gon thought back. "I-I didn't talk to him very
long, actually. He said he was from the Temple on Dantooine,
and I didn't think anything of it. Actually..." here he quirked
a smile at his lover, "I think he was flirting with me a bit.
As odd as that sounds."
"You silly old man," Xanatos said fondly. "How many times do I
have to tell you how gorgeous you are?"
Smiling slyly, Qui-Gon said, "You could show me..."
Temporarily shoving his concerns and worry over the young
Knight aside, Xanatos laughed, heaved up and managed to pin
Qui-Gon under him. "And how would I do that, my ancient,
doddering, antique, decrepit, beautiful love?" he asked,
punctuating each word with a kiss, a lick or a nip until
Qui-Gon was gasping.
"Oh, I'm sure...Ah!... you could find a way..." His words
degenerated into inarticulate moans as Xanatos dove under the
covers, his hot mouth swallowing Qui-Gon whole.
They proceeded to make love for hours before Qui-Gon finally
fell asleep in his lover's arms. Xanatos, however, remained
awake a while longer, something about the look of despair on
the alleged Jedi Knight's face haunting him.
Qui-Gon left for Luvon early the next morning, his lifemate
seeing him off with a kiss and a reminder to be careful. Then
Xanatos turned and went directly to the healer's ward, to put
in a petition to see the so-called Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was
referred to the Council, specifically Mace Windu.
It took most of the day to get an appointment with Windu, who
was not receptive to the Knight's request.
"Out of the question," was his initial answer. "The man could
be a Sith. He could be insane. I will not put any Jedi's life
in danger just to satisfy a whim of curiosity."
Fighting to maintain his control, Xanatos continued to speak in
a reasonable tone of voice. "It's not just a whim, Master
Windu. The man spent two hours with my lifemate yesterday, and
not only did he not harm him, but he sought to make friends
with him. I'd like to know why. I'd like to... to talk to him.
To listen to what he has to say. Perhaps a friendly ear could
find out more about him."
Windu sat back and frowned at the younger man. Absurdly,
Xanatos suddenly recalled all the times Qui-Gon had made fun of
that very expression, and had to bite back a laugh. That would
definitely NOT have furthered his request.
"I don't like it," the dark man finally said, reluctantly. "But
your point is valid. He won't allow a mind probe without Yoda
present, and anyway, Plo Koon isn't here either. I'd hate to
have someone less adept try and possibly ruin any information
we could use."
"Makes sense," Xanatos smiled outwardly while inwardly he
seethed. The man was so COLD. He never had liked the big
Councilor, and this did nothing to change his mind. "Let me
talk to him for a while. He's got a Force collar on, I'm sure
he wouldn't be able to hurt me."
Very, very reluctantly, Windu finally acquiesced, stipulating
that the interaction be monitored electronically and by
witness. Xanatos readily agreed, and finally was escorted to
the small room where Obi-Wan Kenobi was being held.
The Jedi Temple was not designed to hold prisoners.
Occasionally, they would have contact with dangerous persons,
persons who were deranged or who presented a danger to
themselves, and so the Healer's section had several small rooms
that could be locked and monitored easily. In one of these,
Obi-Wan Kenobi stood, a Force collar winking at his throat,
staring out the window. He had a lovely view - of the Temple's
HVAC towers and a corner of the loading dock.
When the door hissed open, he turned with dim curiosity, to be
faced with the one man he didn't want to see - Xanatos. He
sighed and turned back away.
"Um, Knight Kenobi?" Xanatos said haltingly.
"You're one I didn't expect," Obi-Wan murmured. "I was hoping
Qui-Gon would come, though..."
"He's off-planet. Called away this morning. I'm sorry," Xanatos
continued, as he saw the younger man's shoulders slump. He
stood just inside the door, one of the Temple guards standing
behind him in the doorway. "May... may I come in?"
"I don't see how I could stop you," Obi-Wan replied dully. He
flicked his fingernail over the metal of the collar he wore.
"Can't even sense you with this on. Or anything else for that
matter."
Frowning, Xanatos pulled a chair away from the wall and sat,
straddling it from behind. "That's... I'm sorry. I think what
they've done is ridiculously barbaric. We're Jedi, for Force's
sake... not animals."
Clasping his hands behind his back, Obi-Wan remained at the
window. "Ah. But I'm an unknown quantity... someone with Jedi
training who is not a Jedi. Not here, anyhow," he finished,
muttering.
Xanatos cocked his head to one side. "I-I heard about that.
Something about you being a Jedi in another dimension. What's
that all about anyway?"
Snorting, Obi-Wan said, "Ah, that. It's just a delusion, you
see. I'm quite mad."
"I find that hard to believe," Xanatos said wryly. "Not that
I've met many madmen, you understand. But you aren't one."
Obi-Wan shook his head. Xanatos sighed and tried again. "I'm
willing to listen. Doesn't that count for anything?"
Slowly the sandy-haired young man turned. He leaned against the
window's bars and folded his arms across his chest, his face
enigmatic. "I don't know. Are you? It's a long tale."
Indicating the other chair in the room, Xanatos said, "So tell
me a story. Make me believe you."
Almost reluctantly, Obi-Wan sat, and began to speak, slowly.
"It all began with Naboo..."
Xanatos finally left over an hour later, chased out by the
healers who wanted to run more tests. He went to his apartment
and fixed himself a small dinner, his head whirling. The young
Knight's tale was strangely compelling, and he found himself
wanting more of it, to learn more about Obi-Wan's world,
his Qui-Gon, and why he, Xanatos, was not there. The
idea that Qui-Gon had been killed by a Sith, that someone could
travel across realities to others where things had happened
differently... it was all a bit much. But he wanted to hear
more; Obi-Wan indicated he had been to other realities before
coming to this one, and had the healers not interrupted them,
they might have talked all night.
As he was cleaning up and preparing for bed, his dataset
chimed, Mace Windu calling him.
"Thank you for allowing me to talk with him, Master Windu,"
Xanatos said, after putting on his 'game-face'. "If I might,
I'd like to talk to him some more. He was really opening up at
the end."
"I've read the transcript of your conversation," Windu said
brusquely. "You don't seem to have found out anything new or
useful."
"Well, no," Xanatos reluctantly agreed. "Not yet anyway. But we
didn't have that long to talk. May I have permission to
continue to visit him? I-I feel sorry for him."
Frowning thunderously ( // Doesn't he have any other
expression? // Xanatos wondered), Windu agreed
unenthusiastically. "Very well. The healers tell me he'll be
available after tenth hour. Try to get something useful out of
him."
Xanatos inclined his head, cutting the transmission before
letting loose with a string of curse words that would have made
his lifemate raise both eyebrows. // Cold, heartless, noisome,
vicious, slimy bastard, // he finished up, pacing to drain the
tension he felt. After a moment, he went to his mat, knelt and
meditated, trying to release the inappropriate feelings into
the Force before sleeping.
The next morning, that's how he found Obi-Wan Kenobi:
meditating in a stream of light from the window. He didn't
appear to be having much success. His eyes were sunken and
bruised shadows in his pale face, eyes that opened when Xanatos
came into the room.
"You came back," he said softly, a puzzled expression on his
face.
"Well, yes," Xanatos said, once again sitting in the same
chair. "I had to get permission, but Master Windu said it would
be fine."
"He's... crueler here," Obi-Wan said softly. "In the third
reality, he was a very nice man, and I liked him. He and Yoda
helped me."
"Is that why you asked for Yoda?" Xanatos wondered.
"Well, partially. In the last one, Yoda told me to seek him out
first, that he would probably be the one to understand where
others might not. Just my luck that he's gone. I guess I'm
stuck here for another few months until he gets back."
"Tell me about your journeys, Obi-Wan," Xanatos invited,
settling back to listen.
For most of the day, Obi-Wan described his adventures to
Xanatos. They spent a lot of time on the Temple that had been
fighting the Sith, and Xanatos blinked when Palpatine's name
came up. "I-I think I recognize that name," he said slowly.
"He's in the Senate. Qui is the diplomat, I'm the teacher, I
train the younger Padawans," he explained. "My Master wasn't
out in the field as much as Qui-Gon was, so..."
"Wait," Obi-Wan interrupted, raising a hand. "Qui-Gon wasn't
your Master?"
Blinking, Xanatos said, "Of course not! We're lifemates. That
would have been forbidden." After examining the stunned
expression on Obi-Wan's face, he continued. "I take it... we
WERE... where you come from?"
"And more..." Obi-Wan whispered. He stood and began pacing by
the bed - three steps to the wall, three steps to the chair.
"You were Qui-Gon's Padawan before me, you see. You - you
turned. To the dark. And Qui-Gon had to kill you. It made him
swear off taking a Padawan for a while, and he almost didn't
choose me because of it."
Now it was Xanatos' turn to blanch. "That's... that's
incredible," he whispered.
"Oh, it gets better," Obi-Wan almost snarled, finally coming
back to rest in his chair. He began to tell Xanatos the story
of the fourth reality he had visited, and who had been
responsible for the destruction of the Temple... and for
Qui-Gon's mind. By the time he finished, Xanatos was almost
weeping from shock and pity.
"Oh Force," he whispered, his hand over his mouth and tears in
his eyes. "Poor Qui." Then he looked up to Obi-Wan, who sat
across from him, breathing hard, his eyes focused on the floor.
"And you... finally finding the one you love only to lose him
again. I'm so sorry."
Obi-Wan's eyes snapped up in shock. "You... you feel sorry...
for me?" He blinked several times to clear his vision.
Greatly daring, Xanatos reached across and took Obi-Wan's hand.
"I love Qui-Gon Jinn. I can only imagine what it would be like
to love someone as special as him.. and to lose him. And worse,
not to know whether he loved me back." Obi-Wan's throat was
closed from a rising lump and his chin was quivering with the
strain of holding back tears. "I'm so sorry, Obi-Wan. You've...
you've been through a lot."
"You believe me then," Obi-Wan whispered harshly, and Xanatos
slowly nodded.
"I'm beginning to," the dark-eyed man murmured in reply. "I
find it hard to believe someone could make something like this
up."
Snorting in derisive laughter, Obi-Wan gently removed his hand
from Xanatos' and said, "Oh, I haven't told you about all of
them yet."
Xanatos spread his hands. "Well, I'm not going anywhere." Then
he stretched in his chair, his hand on the small of his back.
"Though perhaps I should. Would..." he looked somewhat shyly
across at the other man. "Would you like to do some katas? Work
the kinks out?"
Touching the band at his throat self-consciously, Obi-Wan said,
"I-I don't know how well... but yes. It would be welcome."
They cleared the chairs out of the way, and under the watchful
eye of the guard, stood and stretched, then bowed to each
other. "Which one?" Xanatos asked diffidently. "The twelfth?"
"I could use a little serenity," Obi-Wan agreed, sadly, and
moved into the beginning pose. They proceeded from the twelfth
into a few others, Obi-Wan's movements stiff since he could not
touch the Force, but nonetheless graceful for all that. He had
obviously been performing katas for a long, long time, Xanatos
thought to himself, allowing this fact to convince him more of
the man's sincerity.
Xanatos spent the next two days in Obi-Wan's company, telling
him about life in this Temple and listening to stories about
life in the Temples Obi-Wan had visited. Often, they would do
katas together, and every day Xanatos found himself less
willing to believe the young Knight was delusional. He often
felt Obi-Wan wanted to tell him other things, but was
constrained by the guard at the door and the monitoring device
on the wall.
Then one afternoon, while they were doing slow katas, there was
a commotion outside. A transport had crashed and injured
survivors were being shuttled everywhere, including the Temple,
for medical care. The guard was pressed into emergency
stretcher-carrier service, and after a glare at Obi-Wan,
carefully locked the two men inside.
Obi-Wan pivoted gracefully until his back was to the monitoring
device. "The gardener's shed," he murmured.
Not changing his expression Xanatos let his eyes drift over to
the younger man. "Hmmm."
"Statuary garden. Know it?" Obi-Wan's voice was so soft,
Xanatos almost didn't hear him.
"Hmmm."
"Under a tarp. Don't turn on the 'saber."
The only thing that showed Xanatos' sudden comprehension was a
slight widening of his eyes. They finished the kata and bowed,
and Xanatos looked Obi-Wan directly in his eyes and smiled. "I
think I'd best go see if they need more help. It doesn't sound
too good out there."
Smiling ruefully, Obi-Wan agreed. "I'd love to help too, but
somehow I don't think I'd be allowed."
Xanatos was careful to lock the door after him, then sought out
the guard and explained he was leaving. Hurrying to the
statuary garden, he quickly made his way to the gardener's
shed, lifted the dusty tarp and retrieved a backpack. Tucking
it under his robe, he strode back to his apartment.
Late that night, Obi-Wan sat up on his bed and tried to
meditate. He was jittery; not only was he not sure what he had
done was right, he wasn't even sure Xanatos would understand.
If the older man turned on his 'saber...
Unexpectedly, the door hissed open. Framed against the dim
lighting of the hallway, Xanatos stood, holding his backpack
and his - rather, Qui-Gon's - 'saber. Obi-Wan shot a look at
the surveillance device on the wall, not speaking.
Xanatos motioned to him, not coming into the room, waving to
Obi-Wan to come to him, then pressed his lips to the other
man's ear. "The monitor is asleep. Let's go," he whispered.
Obi-Wan didn't hesitate.
The hurried out of the healers' section, down smaller
corridors, towards the outside of the Temple. Xanatos talked
softly as they hurried. "Thank you for trusting me," he
muttered. "Not many would trust their romantic rivals as you
have."
That brought Obi-Wan up short. "You're not angry? You
understand and you're not angry?" he gasped.
"Of course not," Xanatos said, then, looking both ways, pressed
Obi-Wan into an alcove. "Let's get this damn thing off you
here," he said, igniting his 'saber and dialing it down to a
smaller blade. "Hold still."
The collar came off abruptly and Obi-Wan caught it before it
could hit the floor. He gasped and staggered as the Force
suddenly flooded back into his head. Xanatos steadied him for a
moment, then urged him on. "It's not like you were after MY
Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan," Xanatos said, reasonably. "You said it
yourself, you just wanted to get out, but wanted a few minutes
with your Master before you left. How could I begrudge you
that?"
"You-you're so different," Obi-Wan murmured, his voice thick.
"If only Qui-Gon hadn't taken you as his Padawan..."
"Then the Force was with me in this reality, wasn't it?"
Xanatos smiled. They hurried on.
"Are you going to get into trouble for this?" Obi-Wan asked
suddenly.
Xanatos shrugged. "Qui comes home tomorrow. I think I'll be all
right. And they won't be able to find you at all, so..." There
was a sudden shout from behind them and the thud of footsteps.
"Force. I thought I could get you outside... The 'saber is the
key, right?"
"Yes." Roughly, Obi-Wan embraced Xanatos, squeezing him
tightly. "Take care of Qui."
"But of course," Xanatos grinned.
"And don't forget what I told you about the Sith."
"Obi..."
"I know." The younger man grinned and pulled his 'saber. "Thank
you, Xanatos. Stand clear."
Just then, Mace Windu thundered around the bend, six Knights
with him, calling out to the Knight to halt. Obi-Wan saluted
Xanatos, grinning, and ignited his 'saber.
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