21.

Location: Courscant

"Anakin! What happened? Where have you been? I've been looking for you," exclaimed Master Qui-Gon.

The Jedi Master was not pleased when he had an odd feeling suddenly rose him from his sleep. He went to check on his newly-knighted former-Padawn to discover that he was missing. He used to Force to track him. Their training bond was still strong and he found him in the heart of the city. He was perched on a dark roof-top. The dizzy speeders whizzed by them from below. Anakin was cased in shadow and leaning heavily against the side of a dark building.

"Go away, Master. I wish to be alone."

Qui-Gon paused. He sensed that something was wrong. Anakin didn't seem like himself. He slowly approached him and placed his hand on his shoulder to turn him around. As he turned to the light, Qui-Gon saw a gash over the young man's left cheek. It was clear he'd been beaten.

"Oh, Anakin. Who did this?"

The young man lowered his gaze. He knew Master Qui-Gon would never understand. He couldn't tell him what had happened.

"It's nothing, Master. You don't have to worry."

Anakin turned back to the shadows, but Qui-Gon would not let the matter go. He placed his hand over his chest to stop his retreat and accidently applied pressure against the slash against his chest. Anakin winced. Qui-Gon noticed and when he took his hand away it was covered in blood.

"My god, Ani. What happened?"

The young man shoved him away and shouted, "It's nothing!"

Qui-Gon sternly said, "Anakin, this isn't nothing. It's clear that you were in a fight, but what I fail to understand is why you aren't telling me."

"You wouldn't understand."

Qui-Gon was exasperated. He knew Anakin was still young and prone to his emotions and softly said, "I want to understand. Anakin, you mean a great deal to me. Please, I want to help you if I can, but first you must tell me what's wrong."

Anakin leaned against the dark building. He wanted to trust Qui-Gon, but knew he was against attachments. He would never approve of his love for Padme, but he was also his friend. Master Qui-Gon was like a father to him. He cared about him. He cared about his destiny. He believed in him and took him as his Padawn when others doubted him. He had his support. He needed his support. He needed it now more than ever.

In a cracked voice, he said, "She was with him."

Qui-Gon narrowed his brow. "She?"

"I saw her. Laying in bed with him. My Angel. He took my Angel away from me."

Qui-Gon closed his eyes in understanding. "Padme."

Raged boiled up inside him. He glared at his former-Master with yellow eyes full of hate. The air crackled with his Force-energy.

"She betrayed me! She said she'd wait for me. Lies!"

Suddenly, his raged dissipated to grief. He covered his face with his hands and sank down to his keens. His back began to heave as sobs made his body quake. Qui-Gon went to him and pried his hands away.

"Anakin!"

The young man gripped the robes of his former-Master tightly. He clung to him like the world was falling apart at the seams. "Why, Master? Why didn't she wait for me? Why did she betray me? Why did she betray me with another Jedi?"

Qui-Gon was shocked. "Another Jedi?"

Anakin pulled back and met his former-Master's gaze and said, "Yes, she was with him. She was with Jinn."

The elder-man was floored. Padme was having an affair with Jinn Kenobi. Jinn might be rough around the edges but he was a Jedi at his core. He had a hard time believing that he'd risk his own future for a love affair. Yet, Anakin's state was proof enough that the affair was real. However, Qui-Gon knew that some times lessons had to be learned the hard way. He thought that this unfortunate discovery would help set Anakin on the right path. Perhaps this incident would finally help him to do away with attachments.

He patted Anakin on the back and said, "Come, Anakin." He helped the young man back onto his feet and against the wall. "Maybe it's for the best. Jedi are not permitted to form attachments for this very reason. You can't allow yourself to sink into despair. Don't succumb to your hate."

Anakin angrily replied, "I'm not a droid, Master! I can't just switch off my emotions. I'm sure he tricked her somehow. Maybe a Jedi-mind trick. There's no way Padme would ever sleep with him of her own free will. He has be to be punished."

Qui-Gon was disturbed by the malicious tone in his former-apprentice's voice. He folded his hands into his sleeves and said, "I don't think he tricked her. Padme is highly intelligent. You know that intelligent beings cannot be fooled by a Jedi-mind trick."

"Then have him expelled!"

"He can't be expelled. Jinn isn't a member of the Order."

"You're letting him get away with this!"

"I have no reason to stop him and neither do you. Anakin, you gave me your word that you'd end whatever was between you and Padme and you lied to me. You know attachments are forbidden and yet you not only disobeyed me, but you fought in a duel over her. If anyone is at risk of being expelled it's you."

Anakin snarled and turned away from him as he replied, "I knew you'd never understand. If I am the Chosen One than why shouldn't I be the exception? Why is it that Jinn and Obi-Wan get what they want and I never do? Why do you let them have what they want and not me?"

Qui-Gon said, "Anakin, being the Chosen One isn't about entitlement. It's about being able to do what others cannot."

"If I can do more than anyone else, if I'm better than anyone else, than why can't I have what I want?"

The elder-Jedi could not believe his ears. He shook his head and said, "Anakin, it isn't about what you want. It's about the good of the galaxy."

"I don't care about the galaxy. I care about my Angel."

Anakin crossed the roof-top and mounted his speeder. He knew it was pointless to talk to his former-Master any farther. He didn't understand. He didn't know that the galaxy was nothing without his Angel. He didn't know how or when, but he knew he had to get stronger. He had to beat Jinn and prove to Padme that he was the better man.

"Anakin! Where are you going?"

"Good-bye, Master."

Without another word, Anakin speed off into the night. He knew Qui-Gon wouldn't understand. Qui-Gon didn't know love like he did. He never wanted anything as badly as he felt. There was one person who seemed to understand him. And if Jinn lied to the Council to get him out of the way so he could have Padme for himself than there was no doubt in his mind that he was lying about Palpatine as well.

XXX

"Ouch!"

Padme looked up at the back of the amber-Jedi's head and shook her head. She had to wonder how he managed to fight at all if he complained over the littlest touch of pain. They were seated in her kitchen or what was left of her kitchen. The duel had overturned nearly everything inside her apartment. She had C3P0 and R2 help organize some house-droids to help clean up the mess, but frankly it would be easier to move.

Jinn took a deep breath as Padme dabbed at his burns. It reminder her of the last time she treated Jinn's wounds. It was back when they first met back on Tatooine. When she was pretending to be a handmaiden and Jinn had fought Darth Maul.

The amber-Jedi flinched when her hand applied ointment onto his burns. He failed to noticed that every time he winced she was wincing too. The link between them was still there. It buzzed in the air and in her fingertips. Her fingers tingled every time she brushed her hand across his skin.

Old and new scars were etched across his broad muscular back. He had the body of a fighter, strong and hard. And even though it was improper, a part of her was thrilled that he fought for her. She felt it-the blood-the rush-the thrall. She could feel his power coursing through her veins. She could feel his emotions. Through the link-she was there. She was there when he pressed the hard cold lightsaber against the soft pallet under Anakin's throat. It so easy. It felt so easy to kill.

The jar of ointment dropped onto the floor with a clank. Her hands were trembling. Jinn turned around and caught her wrists.

"I'm sorry. I never meant for you to see that part of me."

She shook her head and said, "No. It's all right. You didn't do anything wrong."

He lowered his gaze and said, "Yes, but I could have."

"But you didn't. You're a good man, Jinn."

"Being a good man isn't my concern, my dear. It's the consequences of my actions that worries me."

Padme frowned and said, "Are you worried about being expelled from the Order?"

He let out a short laugh and said, "Hardly! I'm not a member of the Order. I'm worried about what Anakin has planned for us after he's done licking his wounds. It's bad enough I have a Sith to slay." He then narrowed his brow and said, "You should know, Palpatine is the Sith. I recommend staying away from him until he is dealt with properly."

"What!" shouted the brown-eyed beauty. "Palpatine is the Sith! But-how?"

"Trust me. He is without a doubt a Sith. I plan to gather proof and present it to the High Council. Something that will force him out of the Senate."

Jinn moved to Padme's bedroom and began to get dressed. He dismissed his under tunic. It was ruined in the duel. He picked up some bandages and began wrapping his chest to cover the burn on his back. It was clear that he had experience treating wounds with the quick and efficient way he dressed the burn. He then put on his off white outer tunic, obi and belt. He shook his head when he passed the mirror on Padme's vanity. He was dressed in traditional Jedi robes thanks to his own clothes being ruined a while back and his hair was in dire need of a trim. He looked too much like his blasted father.

"Wait. Where are you going?"

He stopped and said, "To speak with Lord Blackswan."

"Why are you going to speak to Lord Blackswan?"

"I can't wait around for something unfortunate to happen for the High Council to get off their backsides and do something about the Sith. It may be too late if we wait any longer."

When he left the room she felt hallow inside. She paused for a moment and placed her hand against the wall. There was a lightsaber burn along the smooth surface where it had been damaged during the duel. She traced her fingers along scorch mark. She tingled with sensation.

Jinn's feelings hummed in the back of her mind. They were somehow more real-more vivid-than anything she had ever felt before. His powers awoken something inside her. Being with him and feeling what he felt was raw and empowering. She felt the world spin and she heard the cosmos sing.

Yet, the duel was different. It was blood. It was rage. She was losing herself in his feelings. They consumed her. Even now she could still feel it. It frightened her. She had no control. Right and wrong didn't matter. She hadn't been thinking. She had only been feeling and it felt good. It had felt good to kill. If Jinn hadn't stopped, she wasn't sure if she was capable of stopping him. She suddenly felt sick. She covered her mouth in disgust. She didn't know what was happening to her, but one thing was certain, she didn't like it.

"We're not compatible."

Padme gasped when she heard his voice. She thought Jinn had left. He paused at the open threshold. He felt her disgust through the Force. He had read her thoughts.

He silently closed his eyes and shut himself off from her through the Force. The power he shared with her was only temporary. It would have faded on its own over time, but he didn't want to subject her to his feelings again.

Padme shuttered as Jinn's feelings suddenly disappeared. Relief filled her as the power she felt was abruptly gone.

Jinn didn't wait for her response. He'd been a fool to think they had a chance. They were truly from two different worlds and not just literately, but figuratively as well. There was a darker side to him. A black madness that was as dark as the black sword at his side.

He made up his mind to never speak of their affair again. He could accept her rejection towards his darker feelings, but he couldn't accept her looked of disgust.

XXX

TBC

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