"Master, you're hurting me," Anakin whimpered as he writhed beneath Obi-wan, the one who bared down on him.
Obi-wan could feel his hands clutching and pinning the young man down with an iron grip as a pulse of warm pleasure swelled between his thighs.
None of it made sense.
He could hear grunts and moans escape his throat. He could feel the faint reverberation of them through his body. Though all of it felt deadened, distant.
His mind was racing, horrified at what was happening.
"Master…" Anakin croaked out as his body quit resisting the assault. Obi-wan could feel they boy's body tremble, he could feel the heartache, the confusion in his aura. Obi-wan wanted to make it all stop, but he was stuck.
Every limb that moved, every moan and cry was beyond his reach. He was paralyzed inside himself unable to move, speak or act. But in spite of this his hands clutched his Padawan's hips desperately, chasing a crest of pleasure that grew brighter with each thrust.
And there was only one name on his lips.
"Anakin…" Obi-wan moaned and shuddered as a burst of pleasure surged, lighting up his entire body. The phantom echos of orgasm filled every cell in his being with warmth and serenity as an equally powerful stark and harrowing darkness filled his chest with shame and guilt.
Shocked and confused, Obi-wan wrenched his eyes open to find his Padawan lying in his arms asleep. He took a deep breath of relief, though completely disturbed.
He couldn't shake the feeling of Anakin beneath him fighting against his hold on him. It sent a nausea through his stomach in an instant. A nausea that was strong and unyielding.
Quickly Obi-wan rushed up out of the conjoined sleeping bags and into the small campsite they had created. Falling to his knees he began to wretch the contents of his stomach. The likes of which were unimpressive since he had hiked all day then not even eaten dinner.
How could he ever imagine hurting Anakin in such a way? Obi-wan's eyes stung with tears at the thought of his Padawan being treated so mercilessly. It tore his heart in half to remember how small and scared his voice had sounded.
Master, you're hurting me…
Another wave of nausea. This time a bout of dry heaves shook his weak frame. He was a monster. How could he ever take such pleasure in hurting his own Padawan?
No, it was this place. The Sith and their artifacts. Obi-wan knew they would be tested and tormented in all possible ways. Only he hadn't imagined it would involve such lewd and horrid night visions involving his Padawan.
A pit grew in his stomach as he suddenly became aware of the mess he had made of himself. He could feel the slick fluid in his sleep pants growing cold in the morning air. In that very instant shame devoured every ounce of self esteem like a rancorous beast. Something was wrong with him if he could become so easily aroused and finished by such a horrific scene.
No, he would never hurt anyone in such a way. The least of which being his own Padawan. It was the Sith and their devices. They were meant to turn one against oneself.
"Finally, time to pack up and move out." Anakin said as he emerged from the tent, breaking Obi-wan's train of thought. Though it was a welcome distraction.
Still catching his breath and calming his stomach, Obi-wan only had the strength to nod his head.
"Feeling alright?" Anakin asked, stepping closer to see the small puddle of bile Obi-wan had expelled only moments before.
Another nod. "I'm fine, just need to drink some water then i'll be good to go." Obi-wan said, injecting a false sense of strength in his voice.
Anakin needed him at his best. He deserved his whole presence and attention. It wasn't often they were sent on missions as dire as this one, and Obi-wan didn't intend on squandering the opportunity to bond with his Padawan. Of course the Sith would twist that intention and pervert it. The more Obi-wan thought on it, the more it made sense. By the time they had hit the trail again, he had settled the matter in his mind.
It was just a Sith induced vision. Nothing to write home about. Nothing to sweat over. It was over. The sun was up. Anakin's spirits had significantly improved from the previous day. In general, things were looking to be headed in a positive direction.
"How are your feet feeling today, better I hope?" Obi-wan asked in a conversational tone.
"Yeah, actually. They're mostly better and my boots are much more worn in today than they were yesterday." Anakin remarked in good spirits. "So, do you think we will reach the temple today?" He followed up in the same bright tone. "I don't like the idea of spending another night on this rock."
"Nor do I," Obi-wan agreed as he pulled out his data pad to examine the map. "At our current pace, I'd say we should reach the temple within the next few hours." He said with tangible relief.
"Once we find the cache, we can call for the transport to air lift us along with the holocrons out of this cursed place." Obi-wan said, feeling good about their odds of knocking out the task and being rid of the place for good.
"You make it all sound so simple." Anakin said in an impressed tone.
"It may or may not be. All the same I have a bad feeling about this place. We should be on our guard. We may not be alone." Obi-wan said, reminding himself as much as his Padawan the dangers of being complacent.
"Of course, Master." Anakin said heartily in agreeance, not an ounce of sarcasm to be detected. A rare and welcome change to his typical demeanor with his Master.
The two of them continued on, trekking through the dense forest as they headed towards the temple. As the hour drug on the temperature of the forest increased drastically, quickly becoming hotter than the day prior causing both men to shed a few layers during their journey.
"I don't remember it being this hot yesterday, Master." Anakin remarked, wiping the sweat off his brow with one of the tunics he had taken off moments ago.
"I don't recall it being quite like this either. Though this planet is known to have tropical temperature variations." Obi-wan remarked as he shuffled through the repertoire of information he had scrounged up before they had left the temple.
Then suddenly, Anakin jumped in alarm.
"Master did you see that?" Anakin asked, his voice hushed. Obi-wan spun on his heel to see his Padawan crouched down in the brush as his eyes scanned the tree canopy.
"Did I see what?" Obi-wan asked in concern.
"There it is again," Anakin added again in an even quieter tone.
"I don't see anything." Obi-wan announced after scanning their surroundings to find nothing out of place.
But Anakin's eyes continued to follow a mysterious invisible figure, the likes of which must have drawn closer to their physical location. Dropping the backpack to the ground in an instant, Anakin drew his lightsaber up and quickly poised himself into an offensive stance.
Obi-wan turned again to look in the direction where Anakin starred, but found nothing but empty space between thickets of green foliage.
"Anakin, holster your saber at once. Come to your senses, there's nothing there." Obi-wan scolded.
But Anakin only deepened his pose, pressing back on his heels before he struck out. Spiraling past his Master only missing his limbs by near millimeters, Anakin whirled his saber out wide, slashing at the trees and brush that surrounded them.
Suddenly whipping around to face his Master, Anakin pointed as his eyes widened with horror. "Master, behind you!" He screamed, just before a sharp tearing pain lanced through Obi-wan's shoulder. Looking over he saw a sinewy decrepit figure sink its teeth down into his flesh. Taken aback by the sudden appearance of the hostile force, Obi-wan froze.
Anakin took the opportunity to slice the monster's head clean off it's shoulders, grazing Obi-wan's flesh only slightly as he did. Immediately the creature fell to the ground with a thud, freeing Obi-wan from its hold.
Obi-wan braced his injured shoulder as he stared down at the creature who had attacked him. The one he managed not to see until it was far too late. And what a ghastly sight it was.
It was a lanky looking humanoid figure. The body was eroded, nearly decayed out of existence. Gray torn flesh hung loosely on it's exposed skeletal structure and rotting musculature. On the face where eyes might have once been, were two empty black sockets. It's hands and feet were mangled gnarled claws. It's mouth was bristling with razor sharp teeth, all of which were bloodied by Obi-wan's flesh.
"M-master, your arm," Anakin said in shock as he dropped to his knees, quickly rummaging through his backpack to find a med kit.
"I'm alright," Obi-wan said in shock, not feeling the extent of his injury quite yet. Then suddenly a crashing sensation came over him. It felt as if a force had slammed into the back of his head sending him tumbling to the ground beside the slain creature.
"Obi-wan!" Anakin cried out as he rushed over to his side, not knowing what quite to do in his panic.
"I'm alright," Obi-wan said again, trying to reassure his Padawan. He attempted to push himself back up but was stopped by a terrible pain that lanced through his shoulder. Obi-wan gasped as all breath was forced from his lungs from the sheer immensity of it. Promptly he collapsed again, pinned by the weight of his backpack.
It took him a second to be able to breathe again but this time even the motion of his ribs expanding and contracting sent pulses of lightning down his arm. Past the edge of panic Anakin took his saber shakily in hand and cut the straps of his Master's backpack so that he could remove the weight from the man without causing any undue discomfort.
"I'm going to flip you over, okay?" Anakin said, his voice shallow and trembling.
"I don't know if that's such a wise idea," Obi-wan said in uncertainty.
"Alright on three." Anakin ordered, ignoring his Master's reservations. "One… two…" The next thing Obi-wan felt was a wall of searing fire burning through the site of his injury as Anakin pulled him to lie face up.
"Oh force," Obi-wan gasped. "Let's not do that again," he whispered out as involuntary tears leaked out the corners of his eyes.
"I'm going to bandage you up." Anakin said as the pupils of his eyes were pulled tight with fear. Obi-wan could see the boy's arms shaking as he tore the bacta pack open and dispensed gel onto the wound.
"What was that thing?" Anakin asked, scanning their surroundings for any other threats.
"I… don't know." Obi-wan answered with great effort as he eyed the beast in question. "Some sort of defense system, I suspect."
"There's bound to be more of them then," Anakin said, not masking the terror in his voice.
"I don't know why I couldn't see it," Obi-wan said, disturbed by being at such a disadvantage. "I couldn't even sense it. Thank the force you could."
"Not that it seemed to do you any favors." Anakin retorted grimly as he finished applying the ointment.
"Alright, i'm going to have you sit up now so I can bandage your shoulder, okay?" Anakin said as he wrapped his arm around Obi-wan's uninjured shoulder and pulled him up. Obi-wan felt relieved when Anakin's voice became more stable along with his movements as he worked on mending his injury. Anakin was always a fixer and never did well while feeling helpless.
Obi-wan was surprised and equally thankful for how well the bacta was working. Already the pain was beginning to lessen. Of course he had been trained to focus on healing any injuries he received on the field. As a Padawan he had practiced it often while on missions with his own Master. Now, it had become a reflex.
Obi-wan chuckled as Anakin began to bandage the wound. "What's so funny?" Anakin asked, irritated. Clearly he was on edge, and rightly so after such a confrontation.
"I did tell you I was clumsy, didn't I?" Obi-wan laughed, wincing as his shoulder jostled.
"I would say this doesn't have much to do with whether or not your clumsy." Anakin said with raised brows in a tempered tone.
"Yet i'm injured all the same. See? No one's impervious to danger." Obi-wan said in a more serious tone than he intended.
"Well i'm not letting anything else happen to you." Anakin stated matter-of-factly.
"I'm afraid it's not always that simple. We can't control everything that happens, not even if we want to. Especially if we want to." Obi-wan said, searching out Anakin's eyes as the young man finished bandaging the wound. "It just doesn't work that way."
"I'm going to make it work that way." Anakin said stubbornly as his eyes glossed over.
….
Anakin could see his master begin to formulate a rebuttal to his insistence, but he didn't voice it. It was just as well that he didn't say any more. Because Anakin felt resolute in his conviction. He wasn't going to let his Master get hurt again. It was already bad enough he hadn't been quick enough to catch the beast before it was able to strike.
He had seen the thing before it lashed out. It's speed was clearly bolstered with force ability. Though it had seemed to be dead, nothing more than an implement of the one who drove it. Whoever or whatever it may have been. Obi-wan suggested it was some sort of security measure, and perhaps he was right. It would make sense since they were nearing the location of the temple. They were only a few hours out. How many more defense mechanisms would they trigger before they reached their destination? Anakin didn't want to think about it.
"Well at any rate," Obi-wan spoke in the midst of the growing silence. "We need to get moving. If we rig up that backpack as a shoulder bag, I should be able to carry it on my good side." He said, rising up to his feet.
"Just wait a minute." Anakin said in dissent. "We should be getting out of here. You're injured, and who knows how many more of those things or worse, are waiting for us out there. If it really is a defense mechanism, we're bound to meet with more resistance as we get closer."
"In spite of my shoulder, I'm more than capable of carrying out the rest of our mission. We just need to be on our guard." Obi-wan insisted. "Jedi don't just retreat at the first sign of trouble. We need to retrieve those Holocrons."
"But if they are really so well guarded, why do we need to get them at all? Wouldn't it just be safer to leave them here?" Anakin said, still disgruntled by his Master's stubbornness.
"And what if the Sith were to retrieve them? They would more than likely walk past any safeguards in place. They would have the easiest access. That, we cannot allow." Obi-wan said seriously. "You know as well as I do that the Sith are alive and well."
"Well, we could return with more Jedi. Then maybe we would stand a chance." Anakin said with crossed arms.
"You and I are more than capable of finishing the mission. Besides. I was unable to see or sense anything until it was too late. For whatever reason, you were able to see it. Who says if any other Jedi would even be able to see what you can?" Obi-wan said in a quieter, hesitant voice.
Anakin didn't like the idea, but he did see his Master's point. He was right. "I still don't like it." He said, resistant to admitting his Master was probably right.
"You can take the lead, keep your saber in hand. At the first sign of trouble, tell me where to defend from. You can be my eyes." Obi-wan said. There was a certain gravity in his stare that told Anakin he knew how serious the task was.
Anakin didn't know how to feel. The fact that his Master was trusting him with such a thing both made him feel elated and terrified. He couldn't afford to let his Master down. He wasn't going to let anything bad happen. He wouldn't allow it.
But somehow his Master's confidence in him felt misplaced. He couldn't help but remember how he had tried to rescue his Mother from those two brutes. He wanted to save her, but he couldn't. He was too small, not powerful enough. Both he and his Mother suffered terribly for his shortcomings.
"I can't. You don't know what you're asking." Anakin said, his face turning sheet white.
Obi-wan stepped closer to his Padawan and placed a warm hand on his shoulder. "You can. And I am well aware of what I'm asking. It's not about protecting me. It's about finishing our mission, for the good of the Galaxy. You have to check your attachments, Anakin. Don't let them cloud your judgement."
But Anakin couldn't help it. He was terrified of losing his Master. He couldn't stand the thought of it. After all Obi-wan was great, wise and powerful and even he couldn't save his own Master. How was Anakin supposed to protect him? How could it not be about protecting him? Anakin didn't think he could separate those feelings from the situation.
Check your attachments.
An interesting sentiment. Anakin knew he ought to have been more careful with attachments but it was difficult. He didn't have friends, he wasn't even slightly popular back at the temple. Others simply tolerated him in the same manner he tolerated everyone else treating him as if he were broken and underskilled. When in all reality, he surpassed most others his age including Jedi knights. Not that Anakin thought himself truly ready for knighthood though he thought himself competent enough for the title. Any recognition would have been enough. Just acknowledgement of his existence and understanding of his path and his struggles. But no one understood him or even acknowledged him. He was different, an outcast.
So it was hard to not cling to the ones who did accept him. For as rocky as their relationship had been, for how most times he felt his Master didn't truly understand him and oftentimes would undervalue his skill as well, his Master was the only one who invested in him. Really, truly invested in him. He tried to meet him where he was. And here, now, he was quite literally trusting him with his life.
His Master, whose arms had somehow been the salve to a heartache that had scarred his soul for too long. Whose touch felt like the only thing that could center his mind, quiet his rouge emotions and troubled thoughts.
Losing him would be losing everything.
"You don't understand Master," Anakin shook his head, for the first time coming aware of just how dependant on Obi-wan he really was. How was he supposed to explain any of this to his Master? It was embarrassing, shameful. Childish.
"We do what we must. I believe in you. Believe in yourself, and trust in the Force." Obi-wan said reassuringly.
Anakin felt so transparent before the man. He could probably sense the inner conflict, his true feelings. But he didn't pry. Probably because they simply didn't have the time. Any other day Obi-wan would have had a lengthy lecture prepared on how attachments were the bane of a Jedi's existence. How dangerous they were, how they could lead one to jeopardize the greater good.
Sheepishly Anakin accepted his Master's direction. What else was he to do?
"Alright, I guess." Anakin reluctantly acquiesced.
Obi-wan smiled. "Good. Now let's get a move on, shall we?"
Anakin nodded and Obi-wan retreated to tie the backpack straps into a shoulder bag. He proceeded to sling it over his shoulder and bring his saber to hand as he looked back to Anakin.
"Alright, after you." Obi-wan said as Anakin took a breath, taking his saber up and holding it before him as he sauntered forwards through the brush.
He reached out with the Force, sensing nothing nearby. Not that he had really sensed the other creature, but he had most certainly seen and heard it. Anakin kept moving steadily for the next several minutes in silence. Both of them kept quiet for the sake of hearing any possible threats headed their direction.
….
Obi-wan kept a few paces behind Anakin as he tread through the brush. He kept his eyes open and his mind alert. He could sense his Padawan's focus, his senses trained on the moment. In spite of the young man's reservations he was doing quite well. Obi-wan would have said so were the circumstances any less perilous. But he kept silent for the sake of the moment.
But eventually he began to feel tired. It came on in the form of a fatigue that slowly crept over his frame. Obi-wan thought it to be related to his injury. After suffering such an eventful morning, it was reasonable to think he was suffering the crash of an adrenaline rush.
Though as he began having a difficult time keeping up with his Padawan's pace which had been slower than normal to begin with, Obi-wan began to wonder if something else was amiss. Implications began to drift lazily through his mind as he began to feel his mental faculties tire and dull. It felt like he hadn't slept in weeks.
But he kept pressing on. The mission had to come first. Besides, he didn't want to worry his Padawan. Anakin was already so distraught to begin with. But eventually Obi-wan tumbled over some of the ground cover, unable to lift up his legs enough to pass over the small rooted plants.
Hearing his Master's fall amidst the eerie silence of the planet, Anakin spun around and promptly sprinted to Obi-wan's side. The panic in the young man's face was obvious. It pulled on Obi-wan's heart. He wanted to be what the boy needed. He was falling short of meeting that mark.
"Master!" Anakin called out as he knelt at Obi-wan's side. "What's wrong?"
"I'm fine, I just… need to rest for a moment…" Obi-wan said, feeling his eyes grow heavy as they began to flutter shut.
As he rested on the forest floor, the ground felt soft. He was tired, so tired. Sleep. Sleep felt like a wonderful idea. Just for a moment, then he would get up again.
"Master, open your eyes. We have to keep going." Anakin insisted as he shook his good shoulder.
"Okay, just… one moment." Obi-wan breathed. He could feel a cold hand on his cheek pressing lightly against his skin.
"You're burning up," Anakin remarked anxiously. "You need to drink some water," He added. Obi-wan could hear him rummaging through his backpack for a canteen, and the sloshing of liquid inside the metal container once he found it.
"Lift up your head, Master. Drink." Anakin said, pushing on Obi-wan's shoulder to position him to lie on his side. Anakin pressed the metal mouth of the container against Obi-wan's lips. The metal felt cold to the touch. Suddenly everything was so cold. Too cold.
A small trickle of water poured into his mouth which he greedily drank. But still he was tired, too tired to open his eyes. Too exhausted to say a word.
"I'm going to set up camp here, alright? You need to rest." Anakin said as he pulled the side bag off of his Master's shoulder and began to pull out supplies.
Obi-wan could hear the hum of Anakin's lightsaber, the sizzle and crash as he cleared out a space in the same fashion as Obi-wan had the night prior. The smell of ozone and dense foliage seemed comforting as he drifted from consciousness, into a feaverish sleep.