pronker

Part Fifty

Obi-Wan left the very last of Ry-Gaul's change with the inn's clerk to pay for "a defective dejarik table near the docks, terribly sorry we damaged it further," but the clerk was distracted by doodling a detailed drawing of a Jedi cruiser on the register, waving them off with no questions as he took the money.

The party left overturned tumblers and sticky floors and since it was the very first Alliance Day celebration, the last thing Strenghis said to the clerk as he walked out arm-in-arm with Kuki past the returning Jedi was, "Leave it till tomorrow. It's not going anywhere!" Anakin gathered their uniforms from the downstairs 'fresher closet and they mounted the stairs. The room seemed a haven. Anakin removed his mechno-hand to examine it for splinters from the crushed gaming table. He dropped the hand on the chair after inspecting it and left it off for his shower.

After showering separately, the two reclined against the side of the bed, sitting amidst a nest of pillows and mattresses and ruched sheets. It was easy to slip into evening meditation with the glowglobe extinguished and sleep on their horizon. Anakin winced when he attempted a cross-legged pose and switched to a kneeling one. Obi-Wan kissed Anakin's fading hickey in apology. They looked into each other's eyes deeply and began their meditation. Moonslight filtered through cracks in the shutters and the inn was completely quiet.

For the longest time, alternating thoughts of past and present flooded Anakin: of satiation, of peaceful Temple nursery nights with someone crooning a melodic lullaby near a cradle, of naynabo branches brushing his brow, of befriending a shy, slight Bant Eerin ... These thoughts didn't bother him, even though he knew they came from Obi-Wan's memories. Anakin squeezed down his training bond until only a trickle of communion dribbled through. My shields are stronger than before because we made love without me leaking any other secrets, but we're in a bind if I can't control this on my end of our bond. Must be the 'closeness' I wanted, stars' end, I did want it, but this close? He was able to halt the stream of consciousness from an oblivious Master before actual words passed through their altered bond, if that's what it was. In the inn, Obi-Wan's voicing Anakin's ideas sounded ominous, but Anakin had put off examining the phenomenon. There were telepaths in the Order, Plo Koon in particular. Anakin found that being around them in the past year drained his mental fortitude. The Tusken incident, combined with his secret marriage, rested deep within his psyche as shameful secrets. He might deny it to himself, but in his darkest thoughts he was ashamed not only of his losing control on Tatooine, but of his marriage. I wanted a traditional family after Mom died. Not even Master or the Order was enough. I was weak, and Padmé was so beautiful ... It was difficult to block out someone as powerful as Master Plo without the telepath noticing the masking. If this new closeness with Master Obi-Wan brought about a changed brand of training bond, how could he continue their physical intimacy without eventually leaking news of his secret wife? Padmé would be devastated to leave her position as Senator due to scandal. It was her life, meaning even more than her marriage to him. Anakin knew that Padmé placed him a close second to her career; close, but still second. She was his angel and she didn't compare at all to those sprites on Iego, viciously luring spacers into their orbit. He knew she didn't. And then Jar-Jar would become the senior representative from Naboo. Anakin shuddered.

Obi-Wan came laughing out of his meditation. "My Padawan-Darling, I had a strange time in the Force. It showed me you and I were bound by cords back to back and we were blindfolded. I could not peek out from the blindfold, but you could and you shuffled us upright from our seats on the floor. We were on an enemy destroyer, but I did not feel apprehensive at all. I knew you would save me. The gravity cut out and we floated, bouncing faster and faster between the brig's bulkheads until we hit the door and burst it open. That somehow loosened our bonds and we were able to wriggle free. The funny thing is, is that I was completely happy, absolutely giddy in fact, even though we were in mortal danger. I can't explain it. I feel happy even now."

For Master to say that, the experience must have been ecstatic. Anakin was nonplused. "That's good to know, Master. We've had some trying times on this mission."

Obi-Wan rubbed Anakin's knee and then pulled him into a hug. "The crash, the mold, the mud ... "

"... the Festival ... " They both looked away, even though they couldn't see each other's faces. "And now here we are. Where we haven't been before." Obi-Wan wrapped both arms around Anakin and lay them both down on the rumpled sheets, carefully drawing the coverings over Anakin's stump. "Young one, let's rest." He kissed Anakin's bristly hair and closed his eyes, enfolding Anakin's legs with his. The something's presence was no more. Obi-Wan began to fade, but Anakin pulled his hand free and rubbed Obi-Wan's hair, slicking it back from his forehead. It was still damp from his shower.

"Master, why did you grow your hair long?" If he had been told the reason before, he had forgotten.

"Why? Mmmm, bedtime story. You haven't wanted one of those in some years. All right." His rich voice stirred Anakin's heart. "I hadn't been a Knight for long when I had an epiphany --- you're not the only one to have them --- that said I should concentrate on my inner life and to eliminate everything that did not foster that inner life, that was a distraction. The time spent getting a haircut and shave could be used for a meditation on the Living Force, particularly. So I cut out trimming my hair and beard to a large degree and did just that."

"Why not cut out bathing, too?"

"Everything has limits, Padawan. Social contact with others precluded letting myself go completely."

Something tickled the back of Anakin's mind. "Not like Master Qui-Gon did sometimes."

"Um, yes, Master Qui-Gon went for weeks at a time without bathing, rapturously intent on some aspect of the Force that I'll never grasp." Obi-Wan laughed again. Anakin had never heard him this lighthearted. "I used to push him in the pool 'accidentally' or 'playfully' on purpose, you know. And rainstorms were a blessing a few times."

"And Master Qui-Gon let his hair grow long, too," Anakin said softly.

"I know." Obi-Wan tenderly touched the spot on Anakin's right arm where the interface to his mechno-hand was. Anakin felt a flutter from his implants. "I know," Obi-Wan repeated. "Good night, Anakin."

The river reflected.

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Part Fifty-One

Obi-Wan woke up to a glorious sensation: Anakin's breath in his ear. His Padawan had explored the depths of the dream-purpose with him, just as Anakin had explained that they would. He does know more than I do, about some things anyway. And he's sensitive to the Force in ways that I am not. And he has remarkable lips. And he makes me happy. There didn't seem to be anymore to think, so Obi-Wan closed his eyes again and listened to Anakin's snuffles in his ear. He was nearly asleep when Anakin awoke, arose and reattached his arm. Obi-Wan heard the tssh of closing circuits in the hush of the room. Somewhere in the inn, a baby cried and was comforted. The clanging of breakfast preparation in the kitchen echoed in his head. The clamor of the Living Force was overwhelming this morning and he supposed the lowering of his shields was due to his new status with his powerful Padawan. He had heard that opening new sensual doors for Jedi could be as much a trial as any assigned to those seeking Knighthood. For some reason, Depa Billaba sprang to mind. Her status as Councilmember, Jedi Master, and Chalactan Adept had not saved her mind from shredding under her experiences on Haruun Kal six months ago. The last time Obi-Wan had seen her during his rounds of visiting the sick in the infirmary, he had gazed incomprehensibly at her catatonic form. How could her training have deserted her so? The Chalactan Adepts taught resistance to mental manipulation and the gold bead of their Greater Mark of Illumination that Depa had earned attested to her mastery of their teachings. But she had carved away her bead from her head, her permanent Merit Bead that was not so permanent after all. Was it that her sensitivity to aspects of the Living Force had been swamped by the Summertime War events on Mace's home world? The same sensitivity that had helped her earn her gold bead acted against her when war's crassness eroded her sanity. Obi-Wan, sitting in his seat on the Council one day last month and listening to one of Palpatine's speeches, wished that he had had in-depth training in overcoming mental manipulation. But he had never had it.

Anakin came out of the shower, wrapped himself in his lavalava and handed Obi-Wan's to him. They could play at being a citizen of Trow for a while longer. "Master, what do you think will happen on Trow after we leave?" He rebraided his plait while Obi-Wan watched, handing him his Merit Beads as needed.

"What with Strenghis' plan revealed to the Cabinet by Ry-Gaul's evidence and his conversation with us yesterday, the Congress most likely will keep him, but reprimand or censure him. He's guilty of non-disclosure to his advisors and of loving his world; Congress will not want to lose the goodwill he has engendered. He's going ahead with his plan, the only difference is that we will have Trow as an ally and a base for defending this sector. Perhaps Senator Amidala would have made a better envoy; if you had stayed on Coruscant to finish your exams as you would have if the galaxy were sane and I had escorted her here, for example, we would not have had to perform as we did for Qikal." Obi-Wan bent to don his sandals and so missed Anakin's speculative look.

"So you wouldn't have honored the Mother with h-her?" They gave each other some adjustments on the lavalavas' draping, accustomed to its intricacies by now.

Obi-Wan snorted. "She would never have agreed to it. We would have had a parley, Qikal would not have, not have p-pawed her visually or physically and he would have been intimidated by my lightsaber and her blaster. He would have shuffled us along to Nepsa for Strenghis to handle the whole thing. Granted, we would not have honored the Mother and he was adamant that everyone should on his watch, but I think that the good Senator could have talked him into special dispensation or something. She is remarkably persuasive."

Anakin thought about her proposing marriage to him as he lay in the Temple infirmary after Geonosis, with Master Luminara down the hallway and Master Obi-Wan due to visit after his own muscle-rebuilding therapy session with Barriss ended, and had to agree. What would Padmé be like with the Force empowering her? Obi-Wan hesitated, then entered the 'fresher and closed the door a moment. After a minute, Anakin saw Obi-Wan emerge and give the 'fresher one last look for anything left behind. Anakin smiled. "Master, you've forgotten one thing."

"Eh?"

"Qikal would have been interested in you."

"Pish, Anakin. You're the good-looking one, not me. We're through here; let's go say our farewells to Trow." Obi-Wan led the way out the door.

It's no use. Master will never value himself the way that I value him. Anakin hefted their folded uniforms and boots and followed.

xxxxx

As a President, Strenghis was accustomed to lobbyists, as the two Jedi discovered upon admittance to his office.

"You'll take us with you, then?" The inn's teen maitre d', Beebar Nek, blinked big aloas eyes at Obi-Wan, ignoring Anakin. "We've covered our jobs here with some friends' help," he added. "Please, Master? We can be helpful to you on the long trip. We're not afraid of work."

Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "You've no attachments?"

"None, Master," Egdim "Dimmie" Reppiks stated. She was a cheerful maid/server on Trow, she should do well on Coruscant if she decided to stay and work. "Me folks have more kiddies than they can handle. They said I could be first one of theirs away offplanet, be a good example, y'see."

President Strenghis broke in. "There is room on the shuttle for four passengers. A four-day trip, long, I agree, but surely you can find it in your hearts to take them with you, Master Jedi? The first Billaqori in your Republic's program."

Mr. President had a smug look on his usually stern face. Anakin rolled the pot of sunburn cream in his front waistline pocket and tapped a finger against it in a certain attention-getting rhythm. He was about to tap 'no' in Jedi cypher when Obi-Wan said, "Certainly you may come. Good example it is, too. The teachers will be coming to Trow in one week, approximately, and you may return with them if it suits you. Gather your things then and we'll meet you at the shuttle in one, no, make that two, hours."

Dimmie's and Beebar's auras glowed with delight. "We came prepared, Master," they chirped. They pointed to two bedrolls in one far corner. Anakin could see flowery lavalava material sticking up from where he stood in the Padawan's position. I came prepared, too, he thought as he tapped an annoyed "Masterrrr --- " on the ceramic container.

"Ah, I see. One thing, don't call me 'Master,'" Obi-Wan said to the teens. "On this trip, only my Padawan may call me that. I'd prefer you call me 'Knight Kenobi."

"Yes, Knight Kenobi."

Strenghis rose to embrace the two Jedi. He seems to lack vigor this morning. Obi-Wan considered. And do I detect a satisfied air about him? Kuki looked glowing last night, didn't she ... Kuki and Qikal, the entire Cabinet and one third of Congress, along with Trow's president, saw them off.

Anakin, put your actions where your principles are. You thought of this program, after all. At the spaceport, the old man allowed the teen helper to give them coordinates for takeoff, record their destination and time of arrival and smiled the while. Anakin presumed that the old man discerned that his helper would be on an outbound flight for Coruscant soon. The old man seemed too wise not to know. They lifted off, and Trow faded from green scramball to atmosphere-covered marble to streaks of hyperspace. "We're off," Anakin said. "Coruscant in four and-a-half days."

The river groaned.

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