Redemption on Bandomeer
by TJPart 1
Obi-Wan sighed as he walked into his quarters. He was tired. More tired than he could remember being in a very long time. And for the life of him, he could not seem to make these sterile rooms feel like home. Home was his master's quarters. Or at least it was when the man had still been his master. Now, he was a Knight with quarters of his own. And his master had a new padawan staying in the room that used to be his.
The young Knight sighed again and pitched his robe over the back of the chair. He was too damn tired for this right now. As soon as Qui-Gon had been released from the infirmary he had sought out his former padawan. Not really feeling up to a confrontation at the time, Obi-Wan had done his best to avoid the man. In his weakened condition, it had taken Qui-Gon three days to track down his elusive apprentice. And the only reason he had managed it then was due to Yoda's intervention.
So there, in the middle of the Council Chambers, in front of both his master and his padawan, Qui-Gon apologized. He said how sorry he was for both his ill-timed words and callous disregard. He even went so far as to get down on one knee and beg for Obi-Wan's forgiveness.
What else could the young Knight do? Had they been in private, perhaps he would have spoken of his pain, but not here, not with these others looking on. Best to preserve as much of his former master's dignity as possible. So he had said that yes, of course he forgave him. And Qui-Gon had accepted that, even if the tips of Yoda's ears did turn down just a bit.
With a growl, Obi-Wan forced those thoughts to the back of his mind. Dwelling on them served no useful purpose. Best to just let it go and get on with his life. Such that it was. The young man moved into the kitchen area intending to prepare a late meal when the message waiting light caught his eye. He groaned as he wondered who he could possibly have a message from. Well, the only way to find out was to read it, he supposed.
Qui-Gon Jinn entered the Council Chamber with his padawan in tow. He was surprised to find Obi-Wan already there and deep in discussion. All conversation stopped as he and his padawan stepped forward. Qui-Gon could feel the nervousness coming off of his young padawan and sent a wave of reassurance to the boy.
"Council Members," Qui-Gon greeted with a slight bow before turning to his former apprentice and repeating the gesture. "Obi-Wan."
"Master Jinn," Obi-Wan responded formally. Qui-Gon stiffened as the overly formal address sent a wave of pain through him, but said nothing. This was neither the time nor place to discuss such things.
"Come to us, Knight Kenobi has," Yoda broke in. "Problem there is on Bandomeer. Specifically requested, you both were."
"I received a message from Si Treemba," Obi-Wan began when Yoda motioned for him to continue the brief. "It seems there's some kind of trouble at one of the mines."
"What kind of trouble?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Apparently the miners have stumbled across something buried in one of the shafts," Obi-Wan answered. "Some people have died rather mysteriously and quite a few more have gone missing. He's asked for us to come and see if we can find out what's going on."
"Does he think Offworld could be involved somehow?" Qui-Gon asked. Perhaps Xanatos had decided to come back.
"He's not sure, but he thinks it's a possibility," the young Knight answered.
"Go there you will," Yoda said.
"Find out what the cause of the disturbance is and see if you can put a stop to it," Mace Windu instructed as the other Council Members nodded their agreement. "Innocent lives are at stake."
"Leave in the morning, you will," Yoda said.
"Yes, Master," both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan replied causing Anakin to smile to himself.
"Knight Kenobi, take Padawan Skywalker back to his quarters, you will," Yoda said. "Talk to Master Jinn, we wish to."
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said again before reaching out a hand to Anakin. "Come, Ani. You can show me what improvements you've made on the place."
"Yes, Sir," the boy replied enthusiastically. He bowed quickly to his master then took Obi-Wan's hand. Together they left the Council Chambers and a very concerned Jedi master behind.
"He still does not forgive me," Qui-Gon said softly, knowing why they had asked him to remain behind.
"Hurt him badly, you did," Yoda admonished.
"Yet he is kind to the boy," the Jedi master replied.
"Kind, Obi-Wan has always been. Taught well, he was," Yoda said. He could see that his padawan was in pain but there was little he could do about it. The only one who could soothe this pain was a rather stubborn young knight with a pain of his own.
"You have tonight, Qui-Gon," Mace said. "Try to talk to him. See if you can put some of this behind you."
"On Bandomeer, your bond was forged," Yoda intoned. "Perhaps on Bandomeer, it can be healed."
"Were the lives of others not at stake..." Master Windu began.
"I understand," Qui-Gon replied. "And I thank you for the time you've given me. I will make the best of it."
"See that you do," was Yoda's only reply.
"I had thought the meeting would last longer," Obi-Wan said when Qui-Gon walked through the door. Qui-Gon got the idea that the young man would not have been here had he known the master would return so quickly.
"I'm glad you're still here," he said. "We need to talk."
"Can't it wait, Master Jinn?" Obi-Wan asked as he stood to leave. "We both have a mission to prepare for and you have a padawan to attend to as well."
"Please, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said softly, imploringly. "Please, let me just talk to you."
Obi-Wan paused for long moments and Qui-Gon thought the young man was going to leave despite his pleading. But again the knight surprised him.
"Ani, why don't you take that comp pad into your room," Obi-Wan said quietly. "Master Jinn and I need to talk."
"Yes, Sir," Anakin replied and moved swiftly to obey.
"Thank you."
"Oh, Obi-Wan?" the young boy called out as he entered his room.
"Yes, Ani?"
"Remember what we talked about. Okay?" Fierce blue eyes met sad green ones. The boy was compelled to look away, but he refused to. This was too important to them all. Obi-Wan nodded once and that was good enough for Ani. He walked into his room and let the door slide shut behind him.
Obi-Wan sighed and walked back into the kitchen. He sat back down in front of his cooling tea and took deep calming breaths. Qui-Gon followed mutely behind. He sat down in Ani's vacated seat and stared at the man who had stood by his side for over a decade. A man who no longer wished to even know his name.
"How do I make amends to you, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon blurted out, not knowing what else to say. "How do I show you how sorry I am for the way I treated you? I was a blind, stupid fool and I'm paying for my folly now. I pay for it every time I look at you and you refuse to look back. I pay for it every time I try to reach out to you only to be turned away. Please, Obi-Wan, tell me what I can do?"
"Does it really matter, Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan asked back after a moment. "You have the Chosen One now. What difference could my presence possibly make?"
"I see, " Qui-Gon said, his voice brittle. "I will request that the Council find another master for Anakin. For if you truly believe that, then I am more of a failure as a master than even I suspected."
"Qui-Gon?"
"Do you know what it's been like?" the master went on. "I woke up in that damn infirmary and everything was different. My padawan was now a knight. I had a new padawan waiting for me. And you. You who once cared so much for me, enough to anchor me to this world, no longer seemed to care if I was in it or not."
"I care if you are in the world or not, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan shot back, his anger peaking. "If I had not, I would have left you to rot on Naboo."
Qui-Gon stood then and rounded the table to stand before Obi-Wan. His heart ached to reach out to the younger man, but he could not. Slowly, he sank to his knees before his former padawan and bent forward until his head rested against Obi-Wan's boots.
"Forgive me," he whispered. "There was a time, not too long ago when I had your respect. We trusted each other completely. We were far more than master and apprentice. We were friends. I believe I would rather have died on Naboo than to lose what we once shared."
"Don't say that!" Obi-Wan shouted as he reached down and grasped the trembling shoulders. He pulled Qui-Gon up until he was resting on his knees and able to look him in the face. "Don't you ever say that again! I once believed we were far more than master and apprentice, too."
"And now?" Qui-Gon asked, steeling himself for the worst.
"Now? Now I no longer know what we are," Obi-Wan replied truthfully. "I want to trust you. I want to believe you. Everything inside me is screaming at me to. But I keep wondering if you'll find someone better and caste me aside again."
"I will not, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said quickly. "I swear it on my honor."
Obi-Wan sat back and regarded the man before him. He could sense no deception, no lies coming from him. The man radiated pain, misery, and a sincere desire to make things right again. Oh, how easy it would be to just let it all go. But at what cost to him?
"I had been planning on giving you something special for your naming day next month," Obi-Wan said suddenly. "But after all that's happened, I don't think it's something you would want."
"I would cherish anything you chose to give me," Qui-Gon replied. He did not understand the sudden change of subject, especially not to something as trivial as a naming day present. But he had trained his padawan well, so maybe this was not so trivial after all.
"Are you certain?" Obi-Wan asked, his eyes going hard and calculating as he spoke.
"Ye...yes," Qui-Gon answered, dismayed at the lack of strength in his reply.
"Perhaps," came the non-committal reply.
"You could give it to me now, if you like," Qui-Gon suggested.
"Are you sure you want me to, Master?" Obi-Wan prompted. "Because I'm fairly certain this will make or break us, one way or the other."
"Yes," Qui-Gon said, more firmly this time. He could not for the life of him imagine how a simple gift could be so important, but he trusted his padawan's judgement.
"Very well," Obi-Wan whispered.
He reached out then and grasped the back of Qui-Gon's head. His master started at the sudden movement but made no move to pull away. Very slowly, Obi-Wan leaned forward until his face was mere inches from the other man's. He paused for a second as if gripped by indecision, then leaned forward the rest of the way and lay his lips gently on those of his master.
Qui-Gon froze at the sudden feel of those soft, lush lips on his own. He had fantasized for years about just what those succulent lips would taste like. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would ever find out. For what in all the worlds would his beautiful, vibrant, sexy padawan want with a dusty old relic like him.
Obi-Wan felt his master's shock and held them where they were. He would give the man time enough to recover before making any movements. Let him be the one to decide to pull away or not. Long seconds ticked by when suddenly Qui-Gon's mouth flowered open with a groan and he pulled his beautiful padawan forward.
Tongues met and dueled as each gave in to the fire inside. At last, Obi-Wan pulled back. Qui-Gon let him go with a reluctant moan. Both men knelt staring at each other and panting on the kitchen floor. But long years of Jedi training served them well and their run away emotions were quickly brought to heel.
"That was...that was my gift?" Qui-Gon asked in amazed wonder.
"Yes, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan replied. "I was also going to tell you that I loved you. That I had been in love with you for some time."
"Had, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon questioned, not wanting to hear the answer.
"I...I'm not sure anymore," the young knight answered honestly. "I need some time to think. To adjust to everything."
"To get over the hurt I put you through," Qui-Gon supplied. Obi-Wan simply nodded. "Please, love, don't throw us away before giving us a chance. I..."
"I know," Obi-Wan cut him off. "Just give me a little time."
"I will give you all the time you need, Obi-Wan. This is too important to risk a mistake."
They arrived at the transport just before dawn the next morning. Yoda and Mace were waiting to send them off. Both masters could tell by the aura surrounding Qui-Gon that things were better, if not altogether resolved. They hoped Bandomeer would bring both men the peace they sought.
"Greetings, Masters," Qui-Gon said as he and his padawan bowed to the two Council members. "Good morning, Obi-Wan."
"Good morning, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan said. He could see that Qui-Gon was both relieved and pleased to no longer be addressed as Master Jinn. "Good morning, Anakin."
"Come to see you off, we have," Yoda said.
"Be wary on Bandomeer," Mace cautioned. "We do not know what the problem might be."
"We will watch out for one another," Qui-Gon said, his eyes darting to the knight beside him.
"Count on it," Obi-Wan said firmly. He and his former master may be a bit estranged at the moment, but there was no way he was going to let anything happen to the man.
"Off with you then," Yoda said. "And may the Force be with you."
For once the transport was a rather large one with each Jedi having a room to himself. As soon as Qui-Gon let him, Anakin ensconced himself in the cockpit. Luckily for the young boy, the captain was a tolerant man and never tired of his seemingly endless questions.
Qui-Gon settled himself into his room quickly. There was really very little to do. They would reach Bandomeer in a few days. Until then, his time was basically his own. His mind turned back to the gift Obi-Wan had given him last night. He tried once again to reach out along their old training bond, but found the path as barricaded as ever. It hurt to know his former padawan was blocking him out, refusing to let him in. Well, Mace and Yoda had told him to make the most of their time together. And what better place to corner his padawan than on a starship.
His mind made up, Qui-Gon made his way to Obi-Wan's quarters. They were along the same corridor as his own, with only Anakin's room between them. The Jedi master had been hoping for closer quarters, but maybe it was best if Obi-Wan had his own space right now. Sometimes it was best not to tempt fate. With that thought firmly in his mind, Qui-Gon knocked on the door and waited for Obi-Wan to admit him.
"Enter," Obi-Wan called out after a moment. He had checked to make sure it was Qui-Gon at his door, then hastily shed his tunic leaving him bare chested.
"I hope I'm not dist..." Qui-Gon began only to falter in mid sentence as his eyes fell on the man before him.
To say Obi-Wan was beautiful was to say the ocean was wet. Golden skin glistened over lean, sculpted muscle. The light dusting of fair curls covering the dusty nipples only added to the picture of male virility he presented. And while they had each been naked in the presence of the other before, it seemed to Qui-Gon that he had never seen this man before. At least not like this.
"Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan said, concern in his voice as the man just stopped talking and stared at him. "Are you unwell?"
"I...I am fine, Pad...Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon managed to reply. "Forgive me. I found myself suddenly lost in thought."
"That's alright," he assured him. "It happens."
"What I started to say was that I hoped I wasn't disturbing you," Qui-Gon said, trying desperately to tear his eyes away from the site of the half naked knight.
"Not at all. I was just going to relax for a bit," Obi-Wan said. He stretched then, bringing his arms high above his head and rippling his torso. From the look on Qui-Gon's face, he was making a rather wanton display. That was fine by him.
"Um...perhaps I should come back later then," Qui-Gon said hastily.
"Nonsense," came the quick reply. There was no way Obi-Wan was going to let him get away that quickly. "Sit down. Have some tea with me."
"Tea, um...tea would be lovely," he managed to say as he sat down and watched Obi-Wan prepare their tea.
The Jedi master wondered if the young man was ever going to put on a tunic as he continued to watch the play of muscles under the golden skin. What he would not give right now to be able to reach out and touch that skin. But he knew he could not. Obi-Wan had asked for time and he would get it. He would not take a chance on losing him due to his own impatience.
In almost no time, the tea was ready. Obi-Wan served them both then sat down beside him. The two men sipped their tea in silence. The knight knew there was something his master wanted to say, but the man seemed afraid to speak. Obi-Wan found he did not like that at all.
"Was there something you wished to say, Master?" he asked softly, his voice far kinder than it had been since Qui-Gon was injured.
"Only that I am sorry," he said. "Very rarely in my life have I wished to redo something. I have been taught to live in the moment. To accept what is. I find I am having a rather difficult time where you are concerned."
Obi-Wan started to speak but Qui-Gon quickly cut him off. "I know. You asked for time and I intend to give it to you. But that does not make the waiting any easier."
They finished their tea in silence. Qui-Gon was happy just to be able to sit beside the man again and not feel those incredible waves of anger and pain from him. He wanted to test their bond again, but knew Obi-Wan would feel it if he did. He took strength in knowing that the bond was still there. Perhaps on Bandomeer...
"Thank you for the tea, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said as he stood to leave. "I had better go and corral my padawan before he wears out his welcome."
"A good idea," Obi-Wan said with a soft smile. "I think I shall take a nap before dinner."
"Would you care to share evening meal with Anakin and I?" Qui-Gon asked. Obi-Wan thought about declining but the look of hope in the man's eyes was too much for him.
"That would be nice," he said instead. "I really do hate to eat alone."
"Until dinner then."
Obi-Wan smiled as the door closed behind Qui-Gon. He knew revenge was beneath a Jedi, but he could not help himself. He planned on making his master pay for what he did. And if this encounter was any indication, it would be easier than he thought.
The young knight flopped down unceremoniously on the small bed. He knew he still loved Qui-Gon. He even knew he still wanted to have a relationship with the man. But Sith take him before he would let Qui-Gon know it. At least not yet. He wanted his master to feel just a bit of what he had felt. Let him be the one to think himself unwanted for once.
He was not surprised to find his own cock was hard from teasing the other man. He knew the stretching bit was a bit much, but it had worked well. He had felt the arousal coming off the older man. He had particularly enjoyed the way Qui-Gon's eyes had roamed his body, taking in every curve and dimple. It helped to assuage some of his pain, this knowledge that he really was wanted, really was desired.
With thoughts of an aroused and begging Qui-Gon Jinn dancing in his head, Obi-Wan drifted off to sleep. The smile on his face one of absolute devilment.
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