"Please, Master."
"How many?"
"Twenty-seven."
Obi-Wan eagerly anticipated each intimate crack of the lash, relishing how the bursts of pain seemed to countermand some of his guilt over the twenty-seven sentient lives he'd ended earlier that day.
Clearly what Qui-Gon looked forward to, though, was being able to banish the whip immediately after the final punishing blow.
Obi-Wan kissed Qui-Gon's thigh, thanking him for caring enough – despite his reticence – to do as Obi-Wan had begged.
"Those deaths were not your fault."
In the aftermath of his self-imposed atonement, hearing his Master's unwavering compassion and certainty, Obi-Wan almost even believed it.
