(Note - more NC-17 stuff, but not Q/O. If you need a "face" to
visualize Jezrael, I suggest actor Corbin Bensen (LA Law, was
the other Q in a ST:TNG ep.))
The woman thought the man more comely than most, at least
compared to the usual rabble that wandered into the Public Hair
Cantina in Sub-Region 5 of Coruscant City. Not young, his blond
hair thinning on top, forty-five-ish perhaps? Nevertheless, he
was well-favored, and might have more than a couple credits to
rub together. His accent marked him as an Outer Rim-dweller,
which meant he was likely dangerous or crazy or both. Still,
money was money...
When he told her he wanted male companionship, she didn't bat
an eye. "Go on, pirate, sounds like you got something specific
in mind..."
In another circumstance the man might have gotten indignant
about being called a pirate, but this time it suited him to be
thought as such. "Tall," he said, sorting through a bag of
credit chits. "Long hair."
"Mmmm, fine, let me see what I've got..." She checked her book,
then grinned. "You're in luck, pirate, Yagi is in. You'll like
him. He's not one of my usuals, but a contractor. Here's his
databit..."
She tossed him a small square disk, which he put into his
handheld datapad. Quickly he perused "Yagi's" medical reports
and health validation, checking the dates. Satisfied, he gave
the disk back. "He'll do. How much?"
Over by the door slumped a woman wearing a dark blue cloak, the
hood partially covering her face. She listened to and
surreptitiously watched the negotiations. She'd been following
the man for a couple of hours, ever since he'd emerged from the
underbelly of the Jedi Temple. He carried himself like a Jedi,
though she'd never known one to prowl the Sub-regions of
Coruscant City like this, searching for a good lay.
She, too, was a contractor, though she had no idea who she was
working for... and rarely did. If the credits were good and no
one was being killed, she didn't care where it came from.
Usually she worked as a bounty hunter, but this time on
Coruscant she had a different game, the prey unusually
valuable. Jedi Knights... she was charged with tracking any who
wandered down into the lower regions of the city. There had
been damn few, and not a one had gone anywhere near the sleazy
cantinas and shops down here in the Sub-regions. When she noted
this one swerve unerringly for the Public Hair Cantina, she
knew she'd struck gold at last.
Her orders were simple: track any Jedi Knight who was not
acting very Knightly, i.e. spending money, drinking to excess,
purchasing a pleasure contract, that sort of thing. There was a
chance he or she might actually be on some sort of undercover
mission down here... but she was told it was an acceptable
risk. There was nothing illegal about a Jedi Knight doing those
things, of course. It was merely... out of character. And her
employer was interested in that alone.
The bounty hunter noted what room downstairs the Knight was
sent to, then left the cantina to call her contact on her
comlink...
Jezrael Rima looked over the half-nude man sprawled on the bed
waiting for him... but he didn't see him, not really. Yagi was
a tool, no more, an apparatus to be used in this experiment...
to release his Force sense from its prison. "You like it
rough?" he inquired, pacing before the bed. Jez had eschewed
his usual Jedi garb of homespun tan tunic and pants and his
slightly darker tan robe for a shorter blue tunic with rich
silver piping and gray leggings.
Yagi regarded the older man curiously. The man obviously was
someone important - why come all the way down here? "We talking
blood-letting?" he asked casually.
"Nothing life-threatening," Jez sighed as he slowly removed his
tunic. He gestured to the man's pants. "Take those off... and
you did not answer my question."
"Rough is fine... in the right hands." Yagi slipped his pants
off and leaned back against the headboard, opening his legs a
bit to display himself. He saw the slight flare of the other's
nostrils. [Good, he likes what he sees... and he's not so bad
himself. I might actually enjoy this...] "You've paid well
enough," he added, smiling.
"Don't fuck with me... I take it that's a 'yes'," the Jedi
snapped. Within he had already begun his terrible task... to
summon the forbidden emotions within himself: the anger at what
had been done to him at Poothradin, the fear of having to
resort to this extreme, and lust... Yagi had a hard, taut body,
and he would be fine taking indeed. Jezrael Rima was playing
with the Dark to reintegrate his Force-sense... and already he
was sensing, feeling danger swirl around him seductively.
Danger not to himself, but within him... danger to this willing
and well-paid participant.
"Oh, yes," Yagi murmured as the other man finished stripping.
No soft administrative type, this... his client possessed the
body of a warrior, rangy and hard, scarred in places, but
despite the man's evident age, he was handsome, the mouth
sensual, the eyes a bit cold yet burning with lust.
A two-edged dagger was produced and with a flick of a wrist,
was imbedded into the bed's headboard... for later use. "I'm
ready," Jezrael muttered, then took the man's pants and used
them to roughly tie Yagi's wrists to the headboard.
"Oooh, bondage, I can get into this," the prostitute murmured
seductively, but there was no sweet-talking his client.
"Shut up," Jezrael muttered, then took the sash from his tunic
and gagged the other man. "I'm not paying for talky," he added
as he tightened a knot painfully tight. "Now pull your legs up,
let me get at your ass."
Feeling the Force at last rich and thick in his mind, darkly
swirling, Jezrael then indulged in his new favorite fantasy in
order to keep feeding that dark fire. He was back in the
Temple, but had two very different beautiful men in his
service. One, very tall and stately, possessing a hard,
sculptured body, and it was him, Qui-Gon Jinn, chained to the
bed, wrists and feet. Jezrael imagined the elder watching in
silent fury - gagged, too, of course - as the luscious young
Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi, took Jez's member into his mouth,
sucking avidly and expertly.
[So good, so fucking good,] Jezrael moaned, straddling Yagi's
chest as the man sucked on him. [Pretty Kenobi, oh, thank you
so much, Qui-Gon, shall I fuck you next?]
Upstairs, the bounty hunter met her assistants at the door. "No
reason why we can't enjoy the show," she said to them,
snickering, then moved in on the cantina's owner. Sticking a
blaster in the woman's side, she said in a low voice, "We have
business with one of your clients. Be nice now, hey? But first,
we wanna watch. The rooms have eyes, right?"
Startled, the woman gulped and nodded hastily. "Through here...
you know we only record to protect ourselves. It ain't
illegal."
The bounty hunter followed with her three very large
assistants, her "muscle". "Hell, everything's illegal. Who
cares? We just want a good show, then we're going to take him
out of here nice and easy. Drugs, no blood, promise."
The five settled down to watch...
Downstairs, Jezrael had let the Dark consume him, reveling in
the fevered lust he allowed himself as he fucked the man tied
to the bed, pumping madly and with brutal force. As he did so,
he gave into his anger that the Light was denied him now,
slapping his victim's face and thighs, a low growl escaping.
When he took up the dagger, his observers vaulted into action.
"Whup, better get down there!" the bounty hunter exclaimed
hastily, gesturing to her assistants.
When they burst into the room, surprising the now-spent Jedi
with a ready hypospray of knockout, Jezrael had already used
the knife. Not deeply... but Yagi would ever bear a curious
scar on his chest in the shape of the letter Q...
The Jedi Master never got to the gardens. Instead, he abruptly
found himself in the deserted Jedi Council Chamber. But not
deserted... sensing more than one presence, Qui-Gon whirled
around, looking... then saw as they approached.
One Force-entity, his own... four. Yoda's, of course, and he
recognized the shadow-images of Ki-Adi-Mundi and Depa Billaba.
[Qui-Gon Jinn,] spoke the Yoda-entity to him, [we would speak
to you.]
Qui-Gon looked first at his own Guardian. [I need to talk to
you alone,] he said.
But the Force-entity, arms folded in his dark brown Jedi robe,
merely gazed back, raising his chin a bit. [There is no
'alone', beloved. We are all One. When you speak to us in this
form, you speak to all. Telepathically each collective entity
is connected to every other one. We are in constant contact
with all Force collectives.]
[A new species!] Qui-Gon thought, even though he knew his
thoughts would be read. To his own symbiont he thought, [How
many collectives are there?]
[We are the only active ones,] the Yoda-entity replied. [There
are many more just now beginning to develop. It is the need
that is coming, that calls us forth. War is ahead for the Jedi,
a fierce struggle with the Dark.]
[I feel it,] Qui-Gon admitted with dismay, nodding. He realized
belatedly that the Yoda-entity did not adopt his host's speech
patterns, another sign of what he was dealing with. [Why did
you want to talk to me? Where are your hosts?]
The Qui-Gon-entity replied, [Your involvement, beloved, is
critical, more than the others. You see, there is one very
powerful Sith Lord out there, a Master who has amassed skills
and powers unheard of for millennia... powers once thought
safely lost forever, powers that will unleash unspeakable
horrors upon the galaxy.]
Qui-Gon had folded his arms in his robe like his symbiont,
unconsciously imaging the other. [The prophecy... that is the
power that Anakin Skywalker will balance...]
[The potential is there, yes,] the Ki-Adi-entity spoke up,
nodding gravely. [That is one path that the child may follow...
to become a matching power for the Light, a Jedi Lord...]
The Yoda-entity broke in, gesturing negatively. [Just as
possible is the path to the Dark... that the Sith will draw him
to the Dark, harness his powers. Which is why we need you,
Qui-Gon Jinn.]
[I will see to it, with all the power in me, that the boy will
never turn to the Dark,] Qui-Gon swore fervently. [Obi-Wan and
I love him, will care for him. Upon that foundation, we will
build you a Jedi Lord of Light.]
To his shock, the Yoda-entity again gestured in the negative.
[We cannot wait for that. The Sith appeared much earlier than
expected. We feel certain that your presence on Tatooine drew
the Sith to you like a fasil moth to a candle flame. The planet
is an unusual concentrator of Force energy. When you met Anakin
Skywalker, the Dark could see the power on the planet like a
beacon. You see, Qui-Gon Jinn, Anakin is too young for the task
before him. If he is kept in the Light, he will become that
Jedi Lord of Light... eventually. Much good will come, if that
is to be... but we are far more concerned with NOW. The Sith
have returned in this time. We have need of you now.]
[You have need of me...] Qui-Gon repeated, his mouth gone dry.
[Not just to train the boy.]
The Depa-entity replied, [The Light has one powerful advantage
over the Dark, but rarely has this advantage ever been fully
utilized. We who comprise the Light Side of the Force cannot
speak to or clearly see the Dark, but we understand it... you
corporeal beings feel the draw all the time, understand what it
means to feel anger, greed, lust... but the Dark Side is
incapable of understanding compassion... or love. It is blind
to it. The Jedi must use this against the Dark, using love to
amass power that will disarm the Dark so that it may never rise
up stronger than the Light for thousands of years to come.]
The Qui-Gon-entity took up the explanation. [Beloved, the love
between two Jedi is an awesome power in itself... amplified and
harnessed to the Force, it can become vast indeed.]
[Obi-Wan,] Qui-Gon sighed, and his heart welled full of love
for his beautiful, young lover, his beloved Obi-Wan Kenobi. The
love seemed to stretch his very being, fill the room... and
more. He hugged his arms to himself, closing his eyes.
[Obi-love...] he sent, opening up his mind to his lover.
Within the J'ranst, Obi-Wan Kenobi had stilled abruptly in his
performance of the j'hiddna (flight), the sixth of the Jehadra
forms. Lightsaber held vertical before him, breathing deeply,
he closed his eyes as his beloved touched his mind. [Qui-love,
my beloved Master,] he returned, letting his ardor flow forth
into their bond.
The Force surged strong...
The Qui-Gon-entity ignited his lightsaber, held it aloft in the
center of the Council chamber, then knelt before his host. [We
shield this power from all except Obi-Wan Kenobi and those of
the Jedi Council and my host,] he told them. [The Dark must not
know of this too soon. Much needs to be done first.]
Another lightsaber flared in the chamber, the energy blade
glowing violet, wielded by the Ki-Adi-entity. [We will harness
this power to strengthen all Jedi for the ordeal ahead,] he
swore, kneeling beside his brother collective.
Yet another... a pulsing crimson laser held aloft beside the
others. [We will use this power against the Dark, striking into
its heart so that its pus and poison may flow free and be
cleansed,] vowed the Depa-entity as she knelt beside her
brothers.
Blue flared brightly - the Yoda-entity joined the others. [We
will transform Dark into Light, healing and recovering those
who will be lost to us for a time.]
Sinking to his knees, Qui-Gon Jinn, wrapped in the love of his
former apprentice and the love of four Force-entities, took his
own lightsaber up in trembling hands. With the flash of
foresight, he knew what was going to happen. Gasping, he
ignited the laser and held it up before him. [Yes, I will yield
to this,] he told them, [I must, for the love I bear Obi-wan
Kenobi and the Light...]
Blue... green... crimson... violet... four pulsing wands of
energy met at the tips to form a white-hot vortex of
Force-power. The vortex in turn touched the green laser of
Qui-Gon Jinn's lightsaber...
Not energy... not power... not electricity... not fire coursed
through the lightsaber and descended down the grip to enter its
wielder. That was impossible. Instead, the Jedi Master was
ignited with pure ecstasy, the love of the Force for the living
beings that breathed it, were animated by it.
No living being could bear this long. Qui-Gon cried out even as
his lightsaber was extinguished, and was plunged into
unconsciousness. He slumped to the floor, alone in the Council
chamber, the grip of his lightsaber falling from his hands to
roll away from him. Then it was quiet.
Obi-Wan was stunned for a moment, then deactivated his
lightsaber, already on a dead run out of the J'ranst to rush to
his beloved's side.
The first Jedi Lord of Light... had just been born.
Most of the Jedi High Council arrived at the Council room
before Obi-Wan Kenobi. When Obi-Wan arrived, he found some of
them - Koth, Yoda, Depa Billaba, and Ki-Adi-Mundi - surrounding
his still unconscious master. Immediately they parted for him
and Obi-Wan went to his knees beside Qui-Gon.
"Master?" he queried aloud, adding a mental query as well. He
pulled Qui-Gon's head and shoulders onto his lap, brushing
strands of his long hair away from his face. Abruptly he
flashed back to the Naboo vision where he held his beloved like
this after being struck down by the Sith only to have him die
in his arms. As soon as the image formed, Obi-Wan thrust it
away from him. [No, no, he is not dying! Qui-love?]
But the powerful mind of the Jedi Master was quiet and empty,
his face serene and composed. "Where is he?" Obi-Wan heard
himself ask, his voice rough with emotion.
Caring hands touched his head, shoulders. "Fear not, he will
return," Ki-Adi-Mundi said to him softly.
"Guardian..." Obi-Wan murmured, swiping at his moist eyes with
his sleeve. "Where's the Guardian?" He still gazed into his
master's face, watching for a sign of life.
"The Force-entities and Master Jinn are... elsewhere," Eeth
Koth murmured, his fingers lightly touching Obi-Wan's head in a
gesture of support. "We of the Council were all witness to...
this... as were you. Do you understand what has happened here,
Obi-Wan?"
The Knight shook his head, stroking Qui-Gon's face. "No, Master
Koth," he replied, confused.
"Chosen him, the Force has," Yoda commented, tapping his gimmer
stick absently on the chamber floor. "The will of the Force has
made itself known to the Council. Ignore this mandate, we may
not." The tiny, ancient master looked as determined as Obi-Wan
had ever seen him. "The first of the Jedi Lords of Light,
Qui-Gon Jinn is. Follow him along this path, we shall, all of
us in this room. Coming soon, the Dark is. Ready... we must
be."
"I... I thought that Anakin was the Chosen One," the Knight
murmured.
"The Chosen One he is," Yoda explained softly. "But too young
he is. Against us the Dark will move long before Anakin
Skywalker will be ready. Balance he will bring. But need of his
powers we have now. The Force has chosen another for a time."
Obi-Wan pressed his cheek against his beloved's forehead, not
understanding. All he knew was that something immense had
happened to his lover, something that the Force did to him.
[Another sacrifice?] he couldn't help but wonder. Where was it
all going to end? But he knew... it had only started, the
changes. Qui-Gon was going to be developing more and more
powers through his symbiosis with the Force-entity.
Depa Billaba spoke up, her smooth, strong voice clear and deep
in the Council chamber. "The Light Side of the Force, our
constant guide and our source of power, has spoken. Master
Qui-Gon Jinn, in becoming our first Jedi Lord, is now
effectively our leader. May the Force be ever with him and with
the Jedi."
There was a rumble of uncertainly... resistance... protest...
from those of the Council who did not possess Force-entities as
yet. But the rumble was minor and died down. Acceptance of the
will of the Force was yet to come, but it would. What had been
done here was too obvious to ignore, and too obviously a sign
of a direct intervention by the Force to disobey.
[Qui-Gon... leader of the Council?] Obi-Wan could hardly
believe what he was hearing, but he sensed through the Force
the rightness of it, knew now that it was the Council, not his
master, who had been straying from the true spirit of the Code
while adhering to its letters. Their resistance to Anakin was
proof of that. It seemed that what had been going on in the
Jedi Council - the complacency, the rigidity in following the
Code - was an echo of the universal discord that now seemed to
infect the Republic at large. The invasion of Naboo was clearly
the work of the Sith... and there would be far worse ignominies
presenting themselves soon.
[Anakin...] Hastily Obi-Wan touched upon his link with the
padawan. To his relief, the boy was still studying with Chre in
their quarters, unaware of any of this. The Guardian...
A soft grunt came from the man in his arms, and the head
against his shoulder moved. "Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan murmured with
relief, stroking his cheek. "Beloved, come back to me..."
The new Jedi Lord came awake all at once, as was his habit, his
dark blue eyes flying open to gaze up at the Jedi Knight.
"Obi-Wan," he whispered, then Qui-Gon sat up, holding on to his
beloved's arm as he looked around. "Guardians," he added,
meeting the gazes of the other three Force-entity hosts.
As if called, the four entities materialized. As one, they
bowed to the Jedi Lord, raising their lightsabers in salute.
Qui-Gon glowered at them for a moment, then got to his feet,
drawing Obi-Wan up with him, a hand on his shoulder. He looked
around at the other Council members who watched him silently.
"You know me, all of you," he addressed them. They could hear
the Force in his voice and in his conviction. "You know I have
never sought a seat on this Council nor aspired to it. You know
I have never sought after power of any kind. You know...
this..." and he gestured at the Guardians, "is not from
me."
"Indeed, Lord Jinn," Mace Windu spoke up for the first time,
"yet this patently is, though I confess I do not trust
these entities. The Force is Dark and Light... how can an
entity born purely of the Force be one or the other?"
Obi-Wan could see the sudden flash of anger in his lover's eyes
at being addressed as "Lord Jinn", but relaxed when Qui-Gon
immediately let it go. "Ask them, Master Windu. I have no
idea."
"The sudden appearance of the Sith, the discovery of Anakin
Skywalker, and the revelation of the Force-entities have all
occurred within the span of a single week," Ki-Adi-Mundi
murmured, glancing at Windu. "We have been set upon a path
leading toward a major confrontation with the Dark. If one of
us has been given special powers to deal with the Dark, should
we not be eager to help him? Just because Qui-Gon Jinn has not
been one of us..."
"For good reason," Windu broke in, frowning.
"There is NO reason why any one of us, any Jedi could
not have been selected to bear these powers and this
responsibility," Ki-Adi-Mundi finished smoothly. "Are you
saying that the Force's own selection is to be challenged?"
Windu glared back. "I only challenge that the entities are
purely beings of the Light. The Dark may have infiltrated us
deeper than we think. I sense..." But the man halted, glancing
back at Qui-Gon Jinn.
"What do you sense, Mace?" Qui-Gon asked quietly.
"I sense that danger is desperately close..."
"In this room? Is the Dark present in this room?"
Mace Windu glanced around. The Guardians stood as statues,
their bright laser swords humming softly. His fellow Council
members... their expressions were earnest, open, hopeful. There
could not be dissent on the Council, he knew all too well. Not
that there were no other doubts besides his... he could feel
Yaddle's hesitancy and Adi Gallia's uncertainty... but also
their acceptance, their trust that the Light Side of the Force
was present in all of this.
But... there had NEVER been a "Jedi Lord of Light". It smacked
too much of power, of the obsessive lust for power displayed by
the Sith Lords ages ago. Qui-Gon Jinn said he had no
interest in power, but... how could he help it now? Others
would flock to him, drawn by his Light. Could Qui-Gon resist
taking advantage of the powers forming in him, the power he
would wield over the Jedi? Could any man?
His answer came when he glanced at the young Jedi Knight at
Jinn's side. Obi-Wan had fallen to his knees, adopting almost a
meditative posture, when the Guardians had appeared. Now the
Knight gazed up at his tall lover, the love and trust like
bright lasers themselves in his blue eyes. With a flash of
Force insight, Mace Windu finally saw what he needed to see.
Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi was a strong Jedi in his own right,
no blind follower, young though powerful and well-trained. If
Qui-Gon had this fine young man, this worthy Jedi at his
side...
"No," he finally answered. "There is no Dark in this room. The
Light Side of the Force has indeed spoken... Qui-Gon."
The relief flooded through Qui-Gon and could be felt by all.
Without Windu's full support, the Council would have remained
split and ineffective, for Mace Windu was one of the
senior-most and most powerful members of the Council. Qui-Gon
bowed deeply to his colleague, who returned the bow... and gave
him a small smile.
Qui-Gon faced the rest of the Council. "The Force has seen fit
to make me into this new creature, this Jedi 'Lord of Light' -
yet I ask that you do not consider this a title. I will not be
'Lord Jinn' or 'Lord Qui-Gon'... just Master Qui-Gon Jinn." He
paused to take a deep breath. "I am but the Light's servant in
all of this. May the Force guide us all surely. Now... I
suggest we all spend extended time over the next few days in
deep meditation. We have much... to assimilate." He bowed low
before the Council, held the bow longer than would be usual,
then straightened. "Good night," he murmured, then turned and
swept out of the Council chamber.
The Guardians had disappeared again, or they were reintegrated
with their hosts. Obi-Wan stood and bowed to the Council as
well, then went to follow his master.
The long strides were hard to catch up to, but Obi-Wan soon
realized his beloved's destination. The J'ranst... he found him
in a practice room, entering just as the Jedi Master activated
his lightsaber and assumed the first stance of the j'hevhral
(thought), the seventh form of the Jehadra.
No one ever started with the seventh form. But Qui-Gon
Jinn began the form smoothly and without difficulty, though the
form involved complicated mental maneuvers. Besides an already
difficult routine with an ignited lightsaber, the performer
must also levitate seven objects and perform some other
activity such as reciting something memorized or simply
meditation. Obi-Wan had mastered this a year ago, but could
only perform it after a half day's worth of meditation and
concentration, and by proceeding through at least three other
forms before attempting this. To abruptly leap into the
j'hevhral was incredible!
As in all practice rooms, there was a couple piles of objects
available for levitation, one which was all the same shape and
weight, and the other which included objects of varying weight
and shape. Qui-Gon had chosen the latter. In seconds he had all
seven materials floating in the air, held there merely by his
manipulation of the Force, and none in seeming danger from his
lightsaber, dipping and sliding out of the way as if each on
puppet strings. Then the Master added the third element.
Obi-Wan concentrated on deciphering the subvocal murmurings,
then recognized it as an essay written by a Jedi Master from
ancient times, a Master Thon who had devoted his life four
thousand years ago to keeping Dark spirits imprisoned in a lake
on a desolate, lonely planet. Master Thon had also been a great
teacher of Jedi Knights, including Nomi Sunrider. Qui-Gon was
repeating the essay in its original language, a very archaic
form of Galactic Basic. It spoke of sacrifice and dedication in
the face of terrible odds...
Obi-Wan hung up his robe beside his master's, but made no move
to join him, settling into a meditative posture beside the
door. To watch this beauty was a gift and a treat.
An hour later, the Jedi Lord had exhausted himself and won some
semblance of peace of mind over the proceedings earlier in the
Council chamber. "Come, Obi-love," he said quietly to his lover
when the Knight stood and handed him his robe. He shrugged into
his long, dark brown cloak and wrapped an arm around his
companion. "Time for bed."
In their quarters, they found that Chre siv J'walin had taken
his leave of his friend, and their Padawan had fallen asleep at
the table over his datapad, his arms folded beneath his head.
Obi-Wan had been respectful of his master's silence as well as
his mind, though the elder had not shielded against him. Now,
however, he touched his mind lovingly, just a soft caress. [The
Guardian?]
Qui-Gon, who was already stripping before stepping into the
'fresher, nodded toward the door. As Obi-Wan looked, the shadow
form of the Guardian materialized and turned to gaze at him.
Obi-Wan understood then. The Guardian had not yet reintegrated
with Qui-Gon, but had continued to monitor the psychic
emanations of his host as well as watch over the boy. [You knew
all this was going to happen,] Obi-Wan sent to the entity,
frowning.
The Guardian inclined his head solemnly. [It was the first time
the four collectives had come together. The sealing of the
first Jedi Lord into his destiny was meant to occur then, but
we did not know exactly when that would be. There are many
paths that can be followed...]
The Knight glanced toward the sounds of his beloved in the
'fresher. [You are making him evolve, giving him powers he has
never had before. You know he fears to grow beyond his
colleagues. He doesn't want to be any sort of 'Lord', just a
Jedi.]
[He is not attracted to power.] The eyes of the Force-entity
gazed deep into his until the Knight felt touched deep within
his heart. [You know his humility is a strong reason why he can
do this. He will not lose his center.]
[But he has earned the distrust of the Council in the past for
keeping his own counsel, going his own way,] Obi-Wan returned
worriedly. [Will they even follow him? Yes, he is a humble man,
but also has a streak of arrogance. He can be so
single-minded...]
[We will see that he maintains his perspective... as will you,]
the Guardian replied patiently. [Center yourself, our beautiful
Knight. All is well.]
Obi-Wan closed his eyes for a moment, obediently finding his
center. When he opened them, Anakin was sitting up, looking at
him sleepily and the Guardian was gone. The sounds from the
'fresher had ceased, and in a moment Qui-Gon entered the common
room, still toweling off. The Jedi Lord, as usual comfortable
in his nudity, yawned as he bent to give his lover a kiss on
the cheek, then leaving the towel draped over him, slid into
the chair beside the apprentice. "Finish your studies, Ani?"
Qui-Gon asked, looking over the boy's datapad.
Anakin narrowed his eyes at his younger master, sensing
something... different... in him, a subtle tension that hadn't
been there before. Then he looked over to his elder master,
noting that Qui-Gon, on the other hand, seemed totally relaxed,
a small smile on his face. When Qui-Gon tapped at his datapad
for his attention, Anakin shook himself of his reverie. "Ah,
sorry, Master, yes, Chre and I finished our studies. He had to
go. Do I really get to stay with you tonight?"
Qui-Gon looked on the boy with affection, a hand slipping up to
finger the padawan braid. "Yes, Ani, you will stay with us now.
Actually, I'm glad for that, because our bond is still
developing. The closer you are to us, the easier that will
happen and the faster."
"Then I'm glad, too," Anakin replied, beaming. Then he
impulsively threw his arms around Qui-Gon's neck. "I'll make
you both proud of me!" he exclaimed happily.
"We are... very proud of you already, little padawan," Qui-Gon
murmured huskily, the depth of his love for the child betrayed
in his voice. He closed his eyes, holding Anakin close in a
warm hug, then reached his hand out toward his lover. [Come, my
beloved Obi-Wan, come be with us...]
Obi-Wan unfroze finally, hastily moving over another chair and
sitting so he could wrap his arms around them both. [Master,]
he sent to his lover, his head against Qui-Gon's shoulder, [I
feared you would have changed in ways I would find hard to
accept... becoming what you are now.]
The surge of love in their bond shattered his fear. [Obi-love,
my precious one, I have changed. I find I love you even
more than before. Remember, beloved, our love is what makes
this even possible.]
[This is true? The Force chose you to be Jedi Lord because you
love me?] Obi-Wan, feeling moisture in his eyes, could
not believe it.
[You felt what it did to me, beloved,] returned the quiet
answer. [The Force seared me with ecstasy. I am changed... yet
I will always be Qui-Gon, your beloved. Do not fear losing me.]
Obi-Wan felt himself slip to his knees beside them, still with
his arms around his lover. [I trust in the Force, Master. The
will of the Force be done in us all.]
The bounty hunter delivered her package, collected her pay, and
swiftly got the hell out of the building, which in itself
chilled her as it served as an office building for the most
elite of the Senate. If a Senator was up to intergalactic
no-good, she did not want to get drawn into the intergalactic
furor that would surely erupt... especially with the Jedi
involved.
The "package" in fact was transported to yet another building,
the primary headquarters of the Supreme Chancellor himself. It
was taken over by the Chancellor's new Red Guards, who wore the
hooded masks and long cloaks of the old Blue Republic Guard,
but in crimson red. In moments Red Guards had taken the
"package" directly to the office in the high spire, the
Chancellor's himself...
The blindfold was peeled away, but Jezrael Rima was kept on his
knees, his hands cuffed behind his back. He was bruised and
bleeding from the rough treatment he'd been given on the way up
from the lower levels and still foggy from the knock-out drug
he'd been given, but neither the guards assisted him or the
cloaked man in front of whom he'd been unceremoniously dumped.
He glared up at the man who sat watching him impassively. "What
is this all about? I've done nothing wrong," Jezrael gasped.
The man didn't move or speak yet for a moment. His cloak was
black, of a rather homespun material, but hooded, the hood
drawn down and covering all but his mouth. When he spoke, the
voice was low and venomous. "I doubt that you seriously needed
to scrounge around the Sub-regions for a playmate, Jedi."
"For that kind of play... yes," Jez murmured, looking away.
[Center on your Dark, feel the Force,] he told himself.
"Interesting," the man commented dryly. "Your Force sense is
attuned to the Dark. Strange for a Jedi, isn't it?" The
voice dripped with irony.
Jezrael glowered up at him. "The Light doesn't allow me to feel
the Force," he muttered. "Only the Dark. What do you
think I should have done?"
"In your case..." The hooded man trailed off, then added with a
smile, "You were told to seek the help of a Master, but found
an easier path. Your pride has brought you to me..."
A shiver went through the Jedi Knight. "Who are you?"
A casual gesture and the handcuffs popped open and fell away
from his bleeding wrists. "Your salvation. You may call me...
Lord Sidious."
Just then, as the Jedi Lord was on the verge of sleep, he had a
sudden thought. [Jezrael...]
[Master?] inquired the sleepy Knight in his arms as he sensed
something.
[Sleep, beloved. I was just wondering how Jezrael was doing. We
can check on him tomorrow.] Qui-Gon kissed Obi-Wan's ear
tenderly, settling his head back against him.
A last check on their padawan sleeping peacefully in the
makeshift bed in the outer room, then the Jedi Lord of Light
drifted into sleep, sighing.
Before the outer door, invisible to any who might see, the
Guardian stood with lightsaber aloft, facing not the door but a
room several miles away and high above the surrounding city.
The Force-entity's shadow face, if it could be seen, was grim,
watching what took place there. He also saw the myriad paths of
the Force stretching out beyond, the permutations of
possibilities all their futures might take. One such path had
just coalesced into reality.
The End
This concludes the second installation in the "Pulse of the
Force" series. Next will be a shorter story, "Internal
Harmony", more of a PWP and it does contain more sex, promise!
Following that third piece will be another longer one, "The
Dichotomy of the Force", but I'm only JUST starting that one.
I'd like feedback on where you think this series might be
going. Although I have a game plan, I'm open to ideas.
<g>
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