Walk Across the Stars

Walk Across the Stars

An AU Star Wars Fan Fiction

by Jedi Daystar (jedi_daystar@graffiti.net)

Rating: PG-13 for implied sex and situations

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. The characters, places, etc belong to Lucas and his empire. I don't make money, I just spend what little I have renting Ewan films and drooling. I promise I'll put the toys back in the box when I'm done!

~*~

Ten-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi poked his head into the room where the youngest of the Jedi initiates slept. The Jedi Knight that was on bedtime duty for the week should have been in there, putting the infants to bed, but he was outside, talking to his friends and one of the infants was whimpering pitifully. Cautiously, since the older children weren't allowed to play with the babies unsupervised, Obi-Wan crept to the edge of the crib where the little one lay, fussing about. Her eyes latched onto him, but before it could let out a full-blown wail, he had picked the infant up and was crooning to it softly. He checked the name on the edge of the crib: Brookari R'tarn, a human girl from Corellia. She had stopped whimpering and was tugging at his lengthy hair with her small fingers, cooing happily.

"You just wanted attention, didn't you little one?" Obi asked, smiling as he pulled her away from his hair to get a better look at little Brook in the dim moonlight. She gurgled something at him, then he found himself heading for the small unit where the baby's bottles were kept. He stopped just short of the unit and found a small fist in his face, and heard the beginnings of a full-blown tantrum.

"Alright, alright, I get the picture!" Obi-Wan grinned as he grabbed a bottle from the unit and began to feed the little girl. Something like a sense of calm washed over him as he sat down in a nearby chair, cradling the girl in his arms. It didn't take her long to finish the bottle, and soon she was whimpering at him again. Belatedly, he grabbed a small towel and began to burp her, as he had seen the Knights do. A little sound, like a soft hiccup and she was cooing in his arms again. Throwing the towel in with the other laundry, Obi smiled gently at the girl and found himself staring into her eyes. A deep sea green, she regarded him solemnly and something brushed against his mind. It didn't feel like the trained power of a Knight or even a Padawan. It was raw and untamed, and instinctively he grasped at it. Something warm and soft like the baby in his arms, unfolded in his mind and he stared down at Brook, who was fast asleep now.

Has she...? No, she couldn't have. Babies, even Force-sensitive ones, didn't have that sort of raw power to play with. Besides, they wouldn't even know how if they did. Satisfied, Obi pressed a kiss to the small one's temple and placed her back in her crib before tiptoeing back to his own bed.

~*~

Five years later...

"Obi! Obi wait up!"

Obi-Wan groaned as he halted in the corridor. A few short moments later, a brown and tan blur slowed to a stop in front of him and frowned.

"You weren't going to say goodbye?" Brook asked, her face forming into a perfect pout. Obi squirmed: he hadn't wanted to say goodbye to the five-year-old girl. In fact, he had been hoping she wouldn't notice that he was missing.

"Obi-Wan, we're going to miss our transport." His master, Qui-Gon Jinn, was a few feet ahead, watching the pair with some amusement, which made Obi squirm even more.

"Brook, I've got to go away for a while. I'm going to be late if you don't let me go." he pleaded. The girl's pout deepened and tears welled up in her sea-colored eyes.

"You weren't going to say goodbye!" she accused, a fat tear slipping down her cheek.

"Oh, Brooky..." Obi dropped to one knee and drew the girl into a hug. She sniffled against his shoulder. "I didn't want you to miss me. I was hoping you wouldn't miss me if I didn't say goodbye. Forgive me?"

"Uh-huh." she said, brightening. Obi gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and stood, letting the girl go.

"Be a good girl for the masters while I'm gone, alright?"

"'Alright!" Brook quipped, her tears forgotten now. Obi grinned and threw her a little salute before jogging to catch up with Qui-Gon and their transport.

~*~

Two days later, Obi lay in his bunk, thoroughly exhausted. A day of negotiations had left him drained, and even his seemingly ever-serene master was grumpy and had retired early.

[Obi-Obi!]

He sat bolt upright in bed, staring wide eyed at the sleepcouch where his master lay, fast asleep. Who had called to him through the Force?

[Obi-Obi, tell me a story! I can't sleep!]

Oh, he knew that voice alright. The question was, how?

[Brookari R'tarn, how in the name of Master Yoda's Gimer stick did you manage this?]

[I didn't!] she protested. Obi-Wan 'saw' her pout. [Always been like this.]

[And why didn't I know about it?]

[Cuz, silly, I started it!] This seemed to make perfect sense to Brook. However, Obi-Wan was confused and made no attempt to hide it.

[Brook, I don't know how this happened, but you are going to sleep and we will talk when I get back to Coruscant. Understand?]

[No. I want a story now!]

Obi glanced at the chrono on the wall. There were a few hours until dawn, which meant it was just barely bedtime for the initiates on Coruscant.

[Fine. What do you want to hear?]

[Something about you. And me]

Sighing, Obi-Wan began relating the tale of how he had met Brook as a very small baby and how she'd been so happy to see him. Finally, he realized that Brook had fallen asleep and he sighed in relief. Just as he closed his eyes, he felt a hand shake him.

"Obi-Wan, it's time to get up. We have a long day ahead of us."

Groaning, Obi mentally promised that he would indeed have a very long talk with Brook once they returned to Coruscant. A talk with his master wouldn't hurt matters either.

~*~

"So, you and Brooklyn have formed a bond of some sort that allows you telepathic communication?" Qui-Gon asked as they came out of hyperspace above Coruscant a few days later.

"Yes, Master. And I can't for the life of me figure out how. I certainly didn't try to form one." There was a tickling in the back of his mind, which could only mean one thing; someone was trying to breach the mental shields he'd put up shortly after his conversation with Brook. And he could guess without doubt who that someone was.

[Brook, can you not wait one more hour to talk to me?] he asked, exasperated.

[Sorry.] She didn't sound sorry in the slightest. [Wanted to make sure you didn't forget 'bout me.]

[How could I?] he asked bitterly. Big mistake. He felt Brook recoil and pull away from the bond violently. He gasped and fell to the deck, clutching his head in pain. Suddenly, her presence was there again, searching in panic for him.

[Obi! It hurts!] she cried as he sent a mental image of the two of them snuggling under the big mu'tara tree in the children's gardens. It seemed to calm her somewhat and her crying ceased; but she continued to hold tight to his mind.

He was dimly aware that Qui-Gon had moved him back to his bed and was trying to talk to him. He sounds worried, Obi thought, forcing himself to listen.

"I'm alright, Master." His voice sounded hoarse, like he'd been screaming.

Qui-Gon visibly relaxed. "Something happened?"

"I said something to Brook and she pulled away from the bond." he winced at the memory, as well as the headache left by the experience. "It wasn't pleasant."

"I see." Qui-Gon said, the beginning of a frown forming on his face. "We'll have to take you both to the healers immediately. I suspect the Council will want to see you as well."

Obi groaned, resting his face in his hands. This was just getting worse and worse.

~*~

They stepped off the transport, tucked serenely into their Jedi cloaks. It took less than five seconds for the small figure in brown waiting with a larger figure in brown to run across the space between them and threw herself into Obi-Wan's arms, sobbing.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" Brook whispered tearfully as she snuggled into Obi-Wan's embrace. Obi felt his tension and slight headache drain away at her touch, and sighed. Calm washed over him and it took Brook only a few moments to stop her crying, though she refused to let go of him. Obi hardly minded, Brook was still light enough to be carried and she entertained him with stories of finger painting and games of chase in the gardens while they walked to the healers.

Once inside, the chief healer held out his arms to Obi, a slight frown on his face. "Hand me the Initiate and we can begin the tests."

"No!" Brook screamed, clinging tighter to Obi. "Won't go!"

Obi felt the same reluctance to let the little girl go. "Don't...please." he said, throwing a pleading look to his master, who nodded.

"You best leave them together, Healer Wushar. It's for the best."

Wushar did not look pleased, but he reluctantly agreed, gesturing for Obi and Brook to seat themselves on the examination table. As they settled, two other Jedi in healer blue joined Wushar, various instruments in their hands. Brook gulped and buried her face in Obi's tunic as the Padawan murmured reassurances to his small friend despite his own uneasiness.

For over two hours, the pair were poked, scanned, prodded, pinched and pricked as the healers did every test they could on them. Finally, Wushar set his scanner down and sighed.

"All that's left is for Master Yoda to examine the bond himself and then you can go."

Brook yawned in Obi's arms, looking as disgruntled as a six year old could look. Obi belatedly stroked her hair as Master Yoda entered the room, leaning heavily on his stick.

"Have a look, we will." he said, poking Obi's shin with the stick. "Hurt you I won't."

"Yes, Master." Obi said, hugging Brook closer. Yoda cackled with amusement and then poked Brook's side, making the little girl giggle despite her exhaustion.

"Start now I will. Close your eyes and let me in."

Obi did as told, showing Brook how to do the same. She was a quick learner and they let Master Yoda probe their bond, shifting uncomfortably every so often as his touch became a little too rough. Finally, Yoda stopped, stepping back with a slight frown.

"Bonded they certainly are. No way to sever it without severe damage."

Obi tensed, annoyed at the news. He was supposed to live with a girl nine years his junior babbling in his head all the time? What about when he wished for privacy? What was he supposed to do when he started dating, for Sith's sake?

"But they can shield from each other, right?" Qui-Gon asked, putting a comforting hand on his Padawan's shoulder.

"Shield they can, just like normally bonded people." Yoda blinked slowly, giving the pair a smile. "Lifelong friend you both have now. Outlive each other, you will not."

Obi was rocked by this news. Brook didn't understand the significance, but she had picked up on her bondmate's distress and had begun to cry silently again. Obi gently soothed her as he threw a panicked look at his master. Qui-Gon was frowning, clearly unhappy with the whole situation.

"We will continue to function as an active field team." It was not a question.

Yoda nodded. "Limit your work, the bond will not. Spend more time on Coruscant, you must, but go on missions you can."

Qui-Gon nodded, satisfied with that answer. "And the Master-Padawan bond?"

"Unaffected for the most part. Hear Brook, you will, but rarely. Talk to you through Obi-Wan, she can, but not without him." Yoda smiled, laying a clawed hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder, then on Brook's. "Happy you both will be when grown-up Brookari is."

Obi was vaguely confused and said so, making both his master and Yoda laugh.

"You'll understand someday, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon told him, smiling. "When you're older."

~*~

For the most part, the bond was a pleasant thing to have. Obi continued his training with Qui-Gon, excelling in everything he learned. Brook was moving up in the Initiate ranks almost as fast as Obi was moving up the Padawan ranks, and they spent most of Obi's time on Coruscant together. However, just as Obi had feared, Brook was only nine when he took his first lover, and it was a very trying experience for both him and the young initiate.

Padawan Y'via Lessant was a beautiful young woman that Obi had befriended on one of his many visits to Coruscant, and it wasn't long before they had entered a physical relationship with one another. Every Jedi knew about Obi-Wan's bond to Brook, so Y'via was not surprised when she often encountered Brook following Obi everywhere. It didn't take them much time to consumate their relationship, much to their mutual delight.

Afterwards, they were lying together in Obi's bed when a smug voice said to him [You know, you need to work on your shielding, Obi-mine.]

Obi-Wan sat up, swearing fluently. Y'via looked at him, then paled. "Brook knows, doesn't she?"

Obi nodded even as his eyes took on the vacant look they always did when he was talking to his bondmate. [Brook, how much did you...]

[Everything.] There was a slightly awed tone to Brook's voice and Obi began to curse again. This just made Brook giggle and he was given the mental equivalent of a hug. [It's alright, I won't tell.]

[That is not what I'm worried about, Brooky.] he replied, sighing both mentally and aloud. He felt Brook withdraw slightly, putting up her own shields, and Obi felt the vague sense of wrongness between them as he pulled himself back to the real world.

"Is she upset?" Y'via leaned over and touched her lover's face with her hand, stroking him softly.

Obi relaxed slightly under her touch. "Surprisingly, no. But she did get a rather uncensored view of everything we did."

"Oh." Y'via pulled her hand away and stared up at the ceiling, her face expressionless.

"It bothers you, doesn't it? Having to share me with Brook." Obi asked, pulling her into his arms again.

"No." Y'via said, but Obi found himself not believing her statement and sighed as his lover snuggled up to him, going to sleep almost instantly.

~*~

Brook was almost totally unaffected by her unedited view into human sexuality, though every so often she'd give Obi a knowing look that would unnerve him for hours. Qui-Gon heard all about it from both ends of the bond and was just as amused as he was upset. Over the years since the bond had been discovered, Qui-Gon had learned to love Brook almost as much as Obi did and if Obi was unavailable, Brook could often be found with the Jedi Master, happily listening to stories and playing catch-me with him in the gardens. It was on one such night, when Obi was out with Y'via, when Brook suddenly halted in the middle of a game of catch-me and was almost run over by Qui-Gon.

"Brook, what is it?" Qui-Gon asked, frowning. Instinctively, he reached for the teaching bond he shared with Obi and found it blocked by a heavy mental shield. Worried, he looked down at Brook, who had begun to cry.

"He won't talk to me!" she said, looking like she was five again instead of almost eleven. Qui-Gon pulled the girl into his arms, but she stiffened and pulled away. There was a fire in her eyes that worried Qui-Gon as much as it awed him.

"I have to find him. Obi's hurting and he won't say why!" Without another word, the girl was gone and Qui-Gon resisted the urge to follow. This was something the two bondmates needed to deal with on their own. Forcing himself to be patient, the Jedi Master returned to his quarters to keep vigil until the return of his Padawan.

~*~

Brook ran through the Temple halls at full speed, trying to find her bondmate despite the heavy shield that lay between their minds.

[Obi!] she called again, terrified. [Obi-Wan, please!]

A soft whisper rolled across their bond, like a hint of a flavor. The flavor of her bondmate. Brook latched onto it like a lost child and found herself outside a practice room, fingers working the lock on the door until she gave up and pushed, blowing the locking mechanism appart. She opened the door and halted, eyes wide.

Obi-Wan was sitting on the practice mat, barefoot and bare chested, his eyes bright with tears. On the mat beside him, a very still Y'via lay, similarly attired in practice clothing. It didn't take Brook long to realize that her bondmate's lover was very, very dead. Her breath hitching, the young girl made it to Obi-Wan's side in the blink of an eye, pulling him into a tight embrace. That was where Master Yoda and the healers found them, wrapped tightly in each others arms.

~*~

It was determined that Y'via had been harboring a heart problem for quite some time, neglecting to tell anyone about it, even her own master. The stress of the sparring match she'd been having with Obi-Wan had finally burst her heart and she had died instantly. Obi-Wan's mind had shut down when she passed to the Force, instinctively raising a shield between him and everyone he'd ever bonded to. The other Jedi had felt Y'via pass into the Force, but no one had known that Obi-Wan was with her at the time.

During the first month, Brook never left her bondmate's side, even in sleep, but Obi rarely acknowledged her and pushed her away most of the time. Finally, he locked himself in his room and refused to leave. He wouldn't talk to Qui-Gon, or even Master Yoda, and Brook began to wander around the quarters Obi shared with Qui-Gon like her soul was missing. Which, in all reality, was true.

Finally, Qui-Gon had gotten fed up with seeing Brook slowly drift away from everyone, and locked Obi in his room with him, determined to help his Padawan realize that it was time to move on.

"Obi-Wan, you're killing Brook." he started, crossing his arms.

From the corner, a surprised gasp came, and Qui-Gon found himself staring at a very unkept Obi-Wan sitting there. He hadn't shaved in a long time, and his hair was just as unruly as the beard. The young man's eyes were red-rimmed and swollen from crying, but he was more alert now than ever and was watching his master with an unblinking gaze.

"Brook?" he rasped, his eyes suddenly pleading.

"She's drifting away, Obi-Wan. You're killing her by pushing her away."

"Hurts, Master." The gaze moved from him to the wall, then back to him. "A lot."

"I know, Padawan. Let us help you. Please."

Obi-Wan stared at Qui-Gon for a long moment before he nodded, forcing himself to stand on unsteady legs. Once he was sure of his balance, he let Qui-Gon take his arm and lead him into the main room of their quarters.

Like usual, Brook was seated on the windowsill, staring listlessly out at the skyline of Coruscant. The sound of footsteps drew her out from her trance and she stared, unbelieving, at Obi-Wan for a moment.

"Obi-mine?" she whispered, her eyes wide. When Obi gave her a tentative smile, Brook let out a sob and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist tightly. Qui-Gon watched in relief as Obi relaxed somewhat and put his arms around the girl, stroking her hair. It was a start, but the Master was confident that together, the bondmates would begin to heal.

~*~

By Brook's twelfth birthday, Obi had returned to normal life in the fullest sense. He and Qui-Gon had been put back onto active duty, and the Padawan was preparing for his Trials, which were looming closer and closer.

One day, Qui-Gon returned from a Council meeting to find Obi seated on their couch, Brook snuggled in his lap, watching a holovid. The girl was fast asleep, and Obi pressed a finger to his mouth for silence as Qui-Gon hung up his cloak and sat down in a chair nearby.

"The Council's sending us out, Padawan. The Trade Federation has imposed a blockade around Naboo and they want us to go negotiate a peace treaty to end the blockade." he paused, watching Obi play with a strand of Brook's hair absently. They were perfect for each other, Qui-Gon realized for the hundredth time since the beginning. "We leave in two hours."

"Yes, Master." Reluctantly, Obi detached himself from Brook, who barely stirred as Obi laid her down on the couch. In relative silence, the two men readied for their journey until a soft voice called to Obi-Wan through the bond.

[Obi-mine, what's going on?]

Obi paused in the doorway to his room, smiling sadly at his bondmate. [Qui-Gon and I have to go on a mission, little one.]

[I'm not little.] she protested sourly. [Why do you have to go now?]

[Because the Council said so.] "Come here." Obi dropped to one knee and pulled the girl into his embrace. He heard her sniffle, then the inevitable question reached his ears.

"May I go with you?"

Obi-Wan pulled her far enough away to look her in the eye and shook his head. "No, my Brook, you cannot. This is very dangerous and you need to stay here and keep yourself safe for me."

Brook looked like she wanted to make a smart retort, but she held her tongue and only sighed, hugging him again. [Fine. But you better bring me back a present.]

[I promise, love.] Obi kissed her forehead chastely, making Brook flush. He laughed, but it sounded odd, even to his ears, and he let go of the girl.

"We'll be back soon, Brook. I promise." Qui-Gon said, coming to join them. "But we do have to go now."

"Alright." Brook hugged Qui-Gon as well, putting on her bravest face. Obi smiled at her.

[That's my girl.]

[Obi-mine.]

"Shorty."

"Bantha butt."

"Womprat."

[Love you.]

Obi started, looking at the girl from the doorway of their quarters. She was blushing faintly, but smiling.

[Love you too, Brook.]

And then they were gone.

~*~

End Part One