First Knight - Part Eleven
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Anakin stood from his chair. Lady Tsara looked up at him. She had awoken and returned to her knitting.
"It's not yet dawn," she said sharply.
Anakin frowned. "I know. I'm not going anywhere. Just trying to get the kinks out of my legs."
He did a couple of quick stretches to loosen up his muscles, then sat down. As he did he was suddenly struck by a disturbance through the Force. But it was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. A warm flush spread over his body. He gasped, his eyes widening, as he realized what the source of the disturbance was. It was coming from Obi-Wan. He and Onara were...were.. Anakin swallowed in a tight throat.
He looked over at Lady Tsara. Her head was down, her attention focused on her knitting. He saw she had no idea as to what was happening in the chamber. But, she had assumed Obi-Wan and Onara had been making love from the very beginning. But they hadn't. But now they were.
Anakin squirmed in his chair. Although he wasn't privy to the particulars of what was happening in the chamber, his master's feelings, deep and powerful emotions of joy and ecstasy, were being transmitted to him through the Force. Anakin closed his eyes. As he let himself be swept away on the waves of his master's happiness, he suddenly saw a face in his mind. A face he had not seen in years. The hauntingly beautiful face of a fourteen-year old girl.
The girl had dark eyes, dark hair and a smile that both healed and scarred Anakin's heart. She was smiling at him as they stood together on the dais in the city of Theed, celebrating their victory over the Trade Federation. The girl was dressed in white and looked exactly like the angel he had first mistook her for in Watto's dark, dusty shop on Tatooine. Padme Amidala Naberrie. Anakin sighed, then struggled to suppress a moan as another wave of elation from Obi-Wan flowed through him.
He opened his eyes, swallowing heavily. Maybe he should leave and get as far away from the bridal chamber as possible because, unfortunately, his body was starting to respond to what he was sensing from Obi-Wan. Anakin glanced over at Tsara. She paid him no mind as she focused on her knitting. He was about to get up, then realized he couldn't. Not without possibly embarrassing himself. He gritted his teeth, then decided to distract himself by talking with the dragon lady.
"Lady Tsara?"
"What?" she snapped, not looking up from her needles as they clicked in her hands.
"What if..." Anakin cleared his throat. "What if my Master and Onara aren't...well, aren't done with...with the blessing ceremony at dawn?"
Lady Tsara lowered her knitting as she raised her head, her black eyes razor sharp as she stared at him.
"Humph," she snorted as she took up her knitting again. "You seem to have a lot of faith in your master. I doubt even a Jedi could last all night."
She tilted her head as she pursed her thin, wrinkled lips.
"However, if by chance your master proves to be so vigorous, when dawn comes he may no longer touch Onara for at that moment she will legitimately be Edress's wife. For her to be touched by any man, other than her father, of course, without her husband's permission would be grounds for adultery. She could be put to death."
"What?" Anakin cried.
Lady Tsara stopped her knitting and looked over at him.
"Don't worry, young one. You and I will make certain that doesn't happen."
She gave him a sly smile and went back to her knitting. Anakin shook his head. What a crazy planet this was. The sooner he and his Master got off it, the better.
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"Are you all right, love?" Obi-Wan asked softly as he stroked the damp strands of Onara's hair.
"Yes," she replied, her breath coming quick and fast as she lay in his arms. "Oh, Obi-Wan, that was wonderful! I never, ever imagined it would be like that."
Obi-Wan smiled and kissed her.
"It is done," he said softly as he pulled away from the kiss and caressed her cheek.
Onara smiled up at him. "Yes, it is done."
He gazed down at her, his blue-gray eyes brimming with warmth. Then his expression darkened.
"Onara! I didn't think to ask...it's been so long since I..."
"Obi-Wan, what's the matter? What's wrong?"
"Were you protected?" he asked anxiously.
"What a time to ask," Onara said with a sly smile. "But, do not worry, Obi- Wan. Grandmother gave me a potion before I came to the bridal chamber. I must only have children by my husband."
Obi-Wan released a deep breath. Onara laughed again.
"Feel better now?"
"Much."
"Feel better enough to...?" And she tilted her head winsomely.
"Onara!" Obi-Wan cried in a shocked voice, but he was also smiling. "If I'm not mistaken, aren't you the same young woman who, just a few hours ago, made it very clear, in no uncertain terms, that under no circumstances was she going through with the blessing ceremony?"
"But that was then, Obi-Wan. When I didn't know any better. This is now."
She then gave him a soft, seductive smile as she slowly stroked his arm. Obi-Wan shook his head as he smiled down at her. Edress was a fool. He had assumed because Onara was a virgin she would be unexciting as a lover. But Obi-Wan had discovered she had a naturally passionate nature. Then the thought of the Dynast made him frown.
The image of that loathsome old man wrapping his withered arms around Onara and enjoying her favors sent a bolt of heat surging through Obi-Wan's brain. And, to his dismay, he recognized the feeling. It was jealously. Then he felt Onara's hand on his face. Her touch immediately wiped away all the darkness and he felt nothing but light and happiness.
"Am I dreaming, Obi-Wan?" she whispered as she gazed up at him, her dark eyes full of passion and happiness. "Nothing this wonderful could be real."
Obi-Wan hugged her tight. "If it is a dream, love, I hope I never awaken."
Onara sighed and returned his hug.
"I hope I never awaken too. Now, shall we continue with the blessing ceremony, Master Kenobi?" she asked, her eyes dancing.
Obi-Wan smiled and lowered his face to hers.
"Your wish is my command, milady," he whispered against her lips.
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Anakin squirmed in his chair. He uncrossed, then re-crossed his arms. All right, he thought, this was getting just a little ridiculous. There had been a lull in the sensations he had been experiencing through the Force from the chamber, but they had started up again and were now even stronger and more intense than before. Anakin clenched his fists as he desperately concentrated on a meditation Obi-Wan had taught him when he had turned thirteen. It was supposed to counteract one of the more embarrassing physical manifestations of his burgeoning adolescence.
"It is time."
Anakin jumped, his concentration broken, and looked over at Lady Tsara.
"Excuse me?" he said.
She glanced at him, a look of irritation on her face.
"Nothing, young one. It is almost dawn. Remain here."
She stood, her knitting firmly in hand. Anakin narrowed his eyes as he watched her leave, her black robes trailing behind her. Good! He was glad the old hag was gone. Then he bit his lip as another wave of elation washed over him. He had never imagined that his master, who was always so stoic, so self-possessed, could ever have such feelings.
But, he was having them and it felt to Anakin as if Obi-Wan had been a prisoner in some dank, dark cell but now, after years of incarceration, was finally able to stand in the glorious blessing that was freedom and light. Anakin had known the Jedi Knight for nearly nine years now, but he was beginning to suspect there were depths to his master he had yet to comprehend.
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"Keep your eyes closed, love. No peeking."
Onara giggled, then pressed her hands tight over her eyes. "How's this?"
"Better."
Onara was sitting up in bed, her dark hair flowing over her bare shoulders, a sheet wrapped securely about her. Although Obi-Wan was now familiar with every centimeter of her lovely body, she had not only re-clothed herself back in the sheet but, when he had gotten out of bed to use the 'fresher, insisted he put his pants on. Which, he had discovered, were still damp, but he put them on anyway. He smiled. He found Onara's maidenly, if somewhat misplaced, modesty charming. Then he focused his attention back on what he was doing. When he was done, he looked over at her.
"All right. On the count of three, you can open your eyes. Ready?"
"Ready," she cried and Obi-Wan could hear the barely suppressed excitement in her voice.
"One, two, three!"
Onara lowered her hands and opened her eyes. She gasped. Then she laughed and clapped her hands. Obi-Wan laughed with her. Dozens and dozens of green and gold flower petals were floating about the chamber. Obi-Wan had plucked the gold petals off the honeyroses and the green ones off another flower, the name of which he knew not.
When he'd had enough, he had placed the piles on the floor. Using the Force, he had then lifted the flower petals up into the air, duplicating the mating dance of the Katarra. The gold and green petals now darted and danced about the chamber, just as the male and female Katarra had done in the glade. His hands raised, Obi-Wan moved the petals towards Onara. She was soon the center of a vortex of green and gold. She laughed joyfully.
"It's beautiful," she cried as she lifted her arms into the cloud of petals whirling around her.
Obi-Wan chuckled. "I'm glad Anakin isn't a witness to this. Ancients know, I've scolded him enough times about his frivolous uses of the Force."
"Oh, Obi-Wan," Onara cried, her face glowing through the petals surrounding her, "this isn't frivolous. Giving someone happiness isn't frivolous."
Obi-Wan frowned at her words. Now that he thought about it, the times when he had reprimanded Anakin about using the Force in such a manner the boy had, by and large, been doing something to make someone laugh, and usually at a time when laughter had been at a premium. One such occasion had been on their mission to Jerrol.
He and Anakin had been assisting the planetary authorities in the evacuation of its population after a massive solar flare had made the planet uninhabitable. While walking through one of the hundreds of evacuation ships, most of which had been nothing more than old, rundown freighters, Obi-Wan had heard laughter. Turning a corner he had come upon Anakin sitting on the floor in one of the larger storage areas with the children of the evacuees. He had been floating a number of brightly colored metallic balls in the air.
Obi-Wan grimaced as he recalled what happened next. He had admonished Anakin in front of the children, lecturing him on what was and was not a proper use of the Force. Obi-Wan's chest tightened. Even now he could still see the hurt look on his Padawan's face.
He glanced over at Onara who, laughing merrily, was now trying to catch the flower petals as they floated around her. He moved his hands slightly to kept them out of her reach. Was she right, he wondered, as he watched her continue to try and catch the petals. Had the Jedi become so isolated, so cocooned within their hundreds of thousands of years of tradition and beliefs that they were out of touch with the common, everyday joys and sorrows of the beings whose lives and happiness they had swore to protect?
His master would not have scolded Anakin, Obi-Wan suddenly realized. Knowing Qui-Gon, he would have sat down, taken one of the children into his lap and floated a few balls of his own. The children had been afraid, Obi- Wan now remembered. Anakin had merely been distracting them from their fears. But Obi-Wan had not sat down.
Instead, he had taken Anakin away from the children and put him to work helping the engineers keep the old freighter going. Yes, Anakin had been needed in engineering, but not so urgently that he couldn't have been spared for a few moments. Would it have hurt, Obi-Wan now wondered, to have let him float the balls for the children just a little longer? And would it have hurt if Obi-Wan had sat down and joined him?
He sighed heavily and slowly lowered the petals until all of them were on the bed. Onara stopped laughing.
"Obi-Wan? What's wrong?" she asked.
Obi-Wan looked over at her. What could he say? That perhaps he had been mistaken all these years regarding his training of Anakin? He yearned to talk to her about it, unburden his fears and doubts regarding his apprentice, just as he had done with what had happened between him and Silia. But Onara had her own worries. He would not burden her with his.
Then he watched, his heart turning over, as Onara lifted her arms and beckoned him to her, her face full of understanding and compassion. Obi-Wan stared at her. This had nothing to do with the blessing ceremony. What was supposed to happen to her had. She was no longer a virgin. To enjoy her now would go beyond the mandate of what had been required of him as a participant in the ceremony. And yet, hadn't he already gone beyond the mandate of the ceremony?
Obi-Wan went over to the bed and, climbing upon the soft, fragrant petals which were now scattered about it, tenderly pulled Onara into his arms and let himself, at least for awhile, deal with his uncertainties about Anakin in this way. By forgetting them.
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Anakin was getting antsy. Not only had Lady Tsara had been gone for nearly an hour, leaving him to wonder where she had got off to and why, but Onara and his master had been at it again. Then he heard the sound of heavy, booted feet pounding towards the anteroom. He sprang out of his chair, his eyes widening.
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Onara sighed as she snuggled against Obi-Wan's chest. Never had she felt so content, so happy, so loved. If only time would stop so dawn would never come. But, she was painfully aware that dawn was fast approaching. Through the chamber window the dark sky tinted toward a soft dove gray near the horizon. The candles in the room had burned down to stumps, and the fire had gone out long ago. She lifted her head. Obi-Wan's eyes were closed. She reached up and gently stroked his face, not wanting to wake him.
"I'm not asleep," he murmured.
He opened his eyes which, at first, had appeared so strange to her, but now were the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Obi-Wan gazed warmly down at her.
"But you should be," he gently scolded as he stroked her hair.
Onara shook her head. "I don't want to sleep. I want to stay awake so I can be conscious of every minute I'm with you."
Obi-Wan touched her cheek. "Onara---"
"I know what you're going to say. But I don't care. I love you, Obi-Wan. I love you with all my heart."
"Onara---"
"I know it's an impossible love," she said quickly. "You're a Jedi Knight and must return to your life among the stars and I..."
She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. "I am now Edress's wife. But none of that changes how I feel. I love you, and I will always love you."
However, before Obi-Wan could answer, the bridal chamber door slammed open. Onara sat up, gasping. She quickly drew the bed cover over her as her grandmother and Edress marched into the room. Two heavy-set, armed men, whom she recognized as Edress's personal guard, flanked the Dynast and, standing behind them, his mouth open, his eyes wide, was Obi-Wan's apprentice.
"I've come for my wife, Master Jedi," Edress said with a sneer
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Anakin quickly rose from his chair as Dynast Edress, along with two armed men and Lady Tsara, came into the anteroom.
"What's going on?" he asked, sensing through the Force a great deal of anger and tension coming from the group. He instinctively moved in front of the door to the bridal chamber.
"Stand aside," Edress snarled. "I've come for my wife."
"You're not going to just march in there without warning, are you?" Anakin cried.
Edress walked over until he was standing right in front of Anakin. The top of his bald, sweating head came only to the young Jedi's chin. He looked up, his dark eyes burning.
"I'm not going to tell you again, boy," he said in a low, dangerous voice. "Stand aside."
Anakin was now picking up very distinct feelings of hostility and anger from Edress and he was confused about it. The Dynast had agreed to the blessing ceremony and, apparently, it was an accepted part of Ahjane culture, but Edress was acting more like a man who suspected his wife was cheating and was desperate to catch her in the act.
"I would advise you to do as he says, young one," Lady Tsara said.
"But...but, Onara and my master are...are," Anakin frowned, his thoughts whirling.
He hadn't really given any thought as to how the blessing ceremony was supposed to end, but it didn't feel right for the husband of the bride to just barge into the bridal chamber with not so much as a by your leave. But, what did he know about Ahjane customs. Just because they didn't make sense to him didn't mean they were wrong. Master Obi-Wan had drilled into him since he was a boy that he must respect other world's cultures and customs. Perhaps this was the way it was done. Yet, it still didn't feel right.
Anakin reluctantly stepped away from the door, but he didn't go far for he was distrustful of the anger he sensed from Edress. And, also, the presence of the armed guards made him equally ill at ease. He relaxed his body in the way Obi-Wan had taught him when preparing for possible battle.
Edress slammed open the door and, with Lady Tsara, his guards and Anakin in tow, stomped into the bridal chamber. At first Anakin could see nothing. All the candles had burned down to stumps, there had been a fire in the fireplace but it had long since died, and the sun was not yet up. Then, he heard a soft gasp.
He saw Onara rise from the bed and, for a moment, which was burned for a long time into Anakin's brain, he saw her bare breasts. Then she quickly pulled a sheet up and covered them. Her thick, dark hair was tousled about her slender shoulders and her eyes were wide as she looked over at them.
Obi-Wan, who had also sat up, was bare-chested. Anakin's face warmed and he felt like someone who had walked into his parent's bedroom and caught them making love. Then he noted the bed was covered in green and gold flower petals.
"I've come for my wife, Master Jedi," Edress sneered.
"Grandmother," Onara cried. "What's going on?"
"The blessing ceremony is over," Lady Tsara snapped. "It is time for you to go with your husband."
"But, but," Onara stammered.
She stopped and looked helplessly over at Obi-Wan. Anakin saw them exchange a look that made his breath catch in his throat.
"Come, Onara," Edress commanded. "You belong to me now."
Onara clutched the sheet, her hands fisting tightly about the material. She shook her head no. Edress muttered a curse. He gestured to his guards. The two men went over to the bed. One of them grabbed Onara by the arm and jerked off the bed.
"Let me go," she cried.
Anakin couldn't believe what was happening. Now he was certain this wasn't the way it was supposed to be. The guard pulled Onara to her feet. The sheet she had wrapped about herself in order to hide her nakedness fell to the floor and, even as Anakin gazed stupefied at her lovely body, he moved towards her, wanting to protect her from these brutes. However, before he could get to her, he saw a blur of movement.
Obi-Wan leapt across the bed. He grabbed the guard who was pulling Onara and forcefully twisted his arm. The guard bellowed, but released Onara, who cried out and fell to the floor. Anakin saw the second guard draw his blaster to take aim at Obi-Wan. Anakin raised his hand and, using the Force, knocked the blaster out of the man's hand.
"My wrist," the guard screamed, as he held his arm to his chest. "You broke my humpin' wrist!"
Anakin hadn't meant to use the Force that powerfully, but he also didn't regret having done so. As far as he was concerned, the goon deserved it. He turned away from the screaming guard and saw Obi-Wan reaching down to help Onara to her feet.
"No, Master. Don't touch her!"
Obi-Wan turned towards Anakin, the shock evident on his face, his hand inches from her shoulder. Anakin went over and stood next to him.
"If you touch her, Master," he said quickly, "Dynast Edress can have her put to death."
Obi-Wan's eyes widened. He looked over at Edress. The Dynast nodded, a nasty smile on his face.
"Your apprentice is quite correct, Master Jedi. You may no longer touch Onara without my permission. She belongs to me now."
Obi-Wan slowly moved his hand away, but Anakin saw it took all his willpower to do so. Anakin looked down at Onara who was cowering on the floor, trying to conceal her nakedness. He ached to cover her with something, but he didn't want to risk touching her. He glanced over at Lady Tsara, expecting her to help Onara, but she only stared coldly down at her granddaughter.
"Cover yourself, child," she barked. "Have you no shame!"
Onara slowly stood. Anakin looked away, his cheeks burning. He didn't want to embarrass her further by gawking at her. However, before he turned away he noted she had a bruise on her cheek. He knew there was no way in Sith hell his master would have harmed her, so he wondered what had happened.
Obi-Wan picked the bed sheet off the floor and handed it to Onara, careful not to touch her. She took it from him, thanking him with her eyes as she wrapped it around herself. Obi-Wan smiled warmly at her.
Then Anakin noted his master appeared completely oblivious to the fact he was stark naked. Anakin felt a lump of pride in his throat. Dynast Edress was dressed in layers of luxurious robes but Obi-Wan, without a stitch on, carried himself with far more dignity than Edress would ever possess.
"What in the name of the seven gods is going on here?" a voice cried.
To be continued...
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Anakin stood from his chair. Lady Tsara looked up at him. She had awoken and returned to her knitting.
"It's not yet dawn," she said sharply.
Anakin frowned. "I know. I'm not going anywhere. Just trying to get the kinks out of my legs."
He did a couple of quick stretches to loosen up his muscles, then sat down. As he did he was suddenly struck by a disturbance through the Force. But it was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. A warm flush spread over his body. He gasped, his eyes widening, as he realized what the source of the disturbance was. It was coming from Obi-Wan. He and Onara were...were.. Anakin swallowed in a tight throat.
He looked over at Lady Tsara. Her head was down, her attention focused on her knitting. He saw she had no idea as to what was happening in the chamber. But, she had assumed Obi-Wan and Onara had been making love from the very beginning. But they hadn't. But now they were.
Anakin squirmed in his chair. Although he wasn't privy to the particulars of what was happening in the chamber, his master's feelings, deep and powerful emotions of joy and ecstasy, were being transmitted to him through the Force. Anakin closed his eyes. As he let himself be swept away on the waves of his master's happiness, he suddenly saw a face in his mind. A face he had not seen in years. The hauntingly beautiful face of a fourteen-year old girl.
The girl had dark eyes, dark hair and a smile that both healed and scarred Anakin's heart. She was smiling at him as they stood together on the dais in the city of Theed, celebrating their victory over the Trade Federation. The girl was dressed in white and looked exactly like the angel he had first mistook her for in Watto's dark, dusty shop on Tatooine. Padme Amidala Naberrie. Anakin sighed, then struggled to suppress a moan as another wave of elation from Obi-Wan flowed through him.
He opened his eyes, swallowing heavily. Maybe he should leave and get as far away from the bridal chamber as possible because, unfortunately, his body was starting to respond to what he was sensing from Obi-Wan. Anakin glanced over at Tsara. She paid him no mind as she focused on her knitting. He was about to get up, then realized he couldn't. Not without possibly embarrassing himself. He gritted his teeth, then decided to distract himself by talking with the dragon lady.
"Lady Tsara?"
"What?" she snapped, not looking up from her needles as they clicked in her hands.
"What if..." Anakin cleared his throat. "What if my Master and Onara aren't...well, aren't done with...with the blessing ceremony at dawn?"
Lady Tsara lowered her knitting as she raised her head, her black eyes razor sharp as she stared at him.
"Humph," she snorted as she took up her knitting again. "You seem to have a lot of faith in your master. I doubt even a Jedi could last all night."
She tilted her head as she pursed her thin, wrinkled lips.
"However, if by chance your master proves to be so vigorous, when dawn comes he may no longer touch Onara for at that moment she will legitimately be Edress's wife. For her to be touched by any man, other than her father, of course, without her husband's permission would be grounds for adultery. She could be put to death."
"What?" Anakin cried.
Lady Tsara stopped her knitting and looked over at him.
"Don't worry, young one. You and I will make certain that doesn't happen."
She gave him a sly smile and went back to her knitting. Anakin shook his head. What a crazy planet this was. The sooner he and his Master got off it, the better.
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"Are you all right, love?" Obi-Wan asked softly as he stroked the damp strands of Onara's hair.
"Yes," she replied, her breath coming quick and fast as she lay in his arms. "Oh, Obi-Wan, that was wonderful! I never, ever imagined it would be like that."
Obi-Wan smiled and kissed her.
"It is done," he said softly as he pulled away from the kiss and caressed her cheek.
Onara smiled up at him. "Yes, it is done."
He gazed down at her, his blue-gray eyes brimming with warmth. Then his expression darkened.
"Onara! I didn't think to ask...it's been so long since I..."
"Obi-Wan, what's the matter? What's wrong?"
"Were you protected?" he asked anxiously.
"What a time to ask," Onara said with a sly smile. "But, do not worry, Obi- Wan. Grandmother gave me a potion before I came to the bridal chamber. I must only have children by my husband."
Obi-Wan released a deep breath. Onara laughed again.
"Feel better now?"
"Much."
"Feel better enough to...?" And she tilted her head winsomely.
"Onara!" Obi-Wan cried in a shocked voice, but he was also smiling. "If I'm not mistaken, aren't you the same young woman who, just a few hours ago, made it very clear, in no uncertain terms, that under no circumstances was she going through with the blessing ceremony?"
"But that was then, Obi-Wan. When I didn't know any better. This is now."
She then gave him a soft, seductive smile as she slowly stroked his arm. Obi-Wan shook his head as he smiled down at her. Edress was a fool. He had assumed because Onara was a virgin she would be unexciting as a lover. But Obi-Wan had discovered she had a naturally passionate nature. Then the thought of the Dynast made him frown.
The image of that loathsome old man wrapping his withered arms around Onara and enjoying her favors sent a bolt of heat surging through Obi-Wan's brain. And, to his dismay, he recognized the feeling. It was jealously. Then he felt Onara's hand on his face. Her touch immediately wiped away all the darkness and he felt nothing but light and happiness.
"Am I dreaming, Obi-Wan?" she whispered as she gazed up at him, her dark eyes full of passion and happiness. "Nothing this wonderful could be real."
Obi-Wan hugged her tight. "If it is a dream, love, I hope I never awaken."
Onara sighed and returned his hug.
"I hope I never awaken too. Now, shall we continue with the blessing ceremony, Master Kenobi?" she asked, her eyes dancing.
Obi-Wan smiled and lowered his face to hers.
"Your wish is my command, milady," he whispered against her lips.
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Anakin squirmed in his chair. He uncrossed, then re-crossed his arms. All right, he thought, this was getting just a little ridiculous. There had been a lull in the sensations he had been experiencing through the Force from the chamber, but they had started up again and were now even stronger and more intense than before. Anakin clenched his fists as he desperately concentrated on a meditation Obi-Wan had taught him when he had turned thirteen. It was supposed to counteract one of the more embarrassing physical manifestations of his burgeoning adolescence.
"It is time."
Anakin jumped, his concentration broken, and looked over at Lady Tsara.
"Excuse me?" he said.
She glanced at him, a look of irritation on her face.
"Nothing, young one. It is almost dawn. Remain here."
She stood, her knitting firmly in hand. Anakin narrowed his eyes as he watched her leave, her black robes trailing behind her. Good! He was glad the old hag was gone. Then he bit his lip as another wave of elation washed over him. He had never imagined that his master, who was always so stoic, so self-possessed, could ever have such feelings.
But, he was having them and it felt to Anakin as if Obi-Wan had been a prisoner in some dank, dark cell but now, after years of incarceration, was finally able to stand in the glorious blessing that was freedom and light. Anakin had known the Jedi Knight for nearly nine years now, but he was beginning to suspect there were depths to his master he had yet to comprehend.
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"Keep your eyes closed, love. No peeking."
Onara giggled, then pressed her hands tight over her eyes. "How's this?"
"Better."
Onara was sitting up in bed, her dark hair flowing over her bare shoulders, a sheet wrapped securely about her. Although Obi-Wan was now familiar with every centimeter of her lovely body, she had not only re-clothed herself back in the sheet but, when he had gotten out of bed to use the 'fresher, insisted he put his pants on. Which, he had discovered, were still damp, but he put them on anyway. He smiled. He found Onara's maidenly, if somewhat misplaced, modesty charming. Then he focused his attention back on what he was doing. When he was done, he looked over at her.
"All right. On the count of three, you can open your eyes. Ready?"
"Ready," she cried and Obi-Wan could hear the barely suppressed excitement in her voice.
"One, two, three!"
Onara lowered her hands and opened her eyes. She gasped. Then she laughed and clapped her hands. Obi-Wan laughed with her. Dozens and dozens of green and gold flower petals were floating about the chamber. Obi-Wan had plucked the gold petals off the honeyroses and the green ones off another flower, the name of which he knew not.
When he'd had enough, he had placed the piles on the floor. Using the Force, he had then lifted the flower petals up into the air, duplicating the mating dance of the Katarra. The gold and green petals now darted and danced about the chamber, just as the male and female Katarra had done in the glade. His hands raised, Obi-Wan moved the petals towards Onara. She was soon the center of a vortex of green and gold. She laughed joyfully.
"It's beautiful," she cried as she lifted her arms into the cloud of petals whirling around her.
Obi-Wan chuckled. "I'm glad Anakin isn't a witness to this. Ancients know, I've scolded him enough times about his frivolous uses of the Force."
"Oh, Obi-Wan," Onara cried, her face glowing through the petals surrounding her, "this isn't frivolous. Giving someone happiness isn't frivolous."
Obi-Wan frowned at her words. Now that he thought about it, the times when he had reprimanded Anakin about using the Force in such a manner the boy had, by and large, been doing something to make someone laugh, and usually at a time when laughter had been at a premium. One such occasion had been on their mission to Jerrol.
He and Anakin had been assisting the planetary authorities in the evacuation of its population after a massive solar flare had made the planet uninhabitable. While walking through one of the hundreds of evacuation ships, most of which had been nothing more than old, rundown freighters, Obi-Wan had heard laughter. Turning a corner he had come upon Anakin sitting on the floor in one of the larger storage areas with the children of the evacuees. He had been floating a number of brightly colored metallic balls in the air.
Obi-Wan grimaced as he recalled what happened next. He had admonished Anakin in front of the children, lecturing him on what was and was not a proper use of the Force. Obi-Wan's chest tightened. Even now he could still see the hurt look on his Padawan's face.
He glanced over at Onara who, laughing merrily, was now trying to catch the flower petals as they floated around her. He moved his hands slightly to kept them out of her reach. Was she right, he wondered, as he watched her continue to try and catch the petals. Had the Jedi become so isolated, so cocooned within their hundreds of thousands of years of tradition and beliefs that they were out of touch with the common, everyday joys and sorrows of the beings whose lives and happiness they had swore to protect?
His master would not have scolded Anakin, Obi-Wan suddenly realized. Knowing Qui-Gon, he would have sat down, taken one of the children into his lap and floated a few balls of his own. The children had been afraid, Obi- Wan now remembered. Anakin had merely been distracting them from their fears. But Obi-Wan had not sat down.
Instead, he had taken Anakin away from the children and put him to work helping the engineers keep the old freighter going. Yes, Anakin had been needed in engineering, but not so urgently that he couldn't have been spared for a few moments. Would it have hurt, Obi-Wan now wondered, to have let him float the balls for the children just a little longer? And would it have hurt if Obi-Wan had sat down and joined him?
He sighed heavily and slowly lowered the petals until all of them were on the bed. Onara stopped laughing.
"Obi-Wan? What's wrong?" she asked.
Obi-Wan looked over at her. What could he say? That perhaps he had been mistaken all these years regarding his training of Anakin? He yearned to talk to her about it, unburden his fears and doubts regarding his apprentice, just as he had done with what had happened between him and Silia. But Onara had her own worries. He would not burden her with his.
Then he watched, his heart turning over, as Onara lifted her arms and beckoned him to her, her face full of understanding and compassion. Obi-Wan stared at her. This had nothing to do with the blessing ceremony. What was supposed to happen to her had. She was no longer a virgin. To enjoy her now would go beyond the mandate of what had been required of him as a participant in the ceremony. And yet, hadn't he already gone beyond the mandate of the ceremony?
Obi-Wan went over to the bed and, climbing upon the soft, fragrant petals which were now scattered about it, tenderly pulled Onara into his arms and let himself, at least for awhile, deal with his uncertainties about Anakin in this way. By forgetting them.
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Anakin was getting antsy. Not only had Lady Tsara had been gone for nearly an hour, leaving him to wonder where she had got off to and why, but Onara and his master had been at it again. Then he heard the sound of heavy, booted feet pounding towards the anteroom. He sprang out of his chair, his eyes widening.
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Onara sighed as she snuggled against Obi-Wan's chest. Never had she felt so content, so happy, so loved. If only time would stop so dawn would never come. But, she was painfully aware that dawn was fast approaching. Through the chamber window the dark sky tinted toward a soft dove gray near the horizon. The candles in the room had burned down to stumps, and the fire had gone out long ago. She lifted her head. Obi-Wan's eyes were closed. She reached up and gently stroked his face, not wanting to wake him.
"I'm not asleep," he murmured.
He opened his eyes which, at first, had appeared so strange to her, but now were the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Obi-Wan gazed warmly down at her.
"But you should be," he gently scolded as he stroked her hair.
Onara shook her head. "I don't want to sleep. I want to stay awake so I can be conscious of every minute I'm with you."
Obi-Wan touched her cheek. "Onara---"
"I know what you're going to say. But I don't care. I love you, Obi-Wan. I love you with all my heart."
"Onara---"
"I know it's an impossible love," she said quickly. "You're a Jedi Knight and must return to your life among the stars and I..."
She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. "I am now Edress's wife. But none of that changes how I feel. I love you, and I will always love you."
However, before Obi-Wan could answer, the bridal chamber door slammed open. Onara sat up, gasping. She quickly drew the bed cover over her as her grandmother and Edress marched into the room. Two heavy-set, armed men, whom she recognized as Edress's personal guard, flanked the Dynast and, standing behind them, his mouth open, his eyes wide, was Obi-Wan's apprentice.
"I've come for my wife, Master Jedi," Edress said with a sneer
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Anakin quickly rose from his chair as Dynast Edress, along with two armed men and Lady Tsara, came into the anteroom.
"What's going on?" he asked, sensing through the Force a great deal of anger and tension coming from the group. He instinctively moved in front of the door to the bridal chamber.
"Stand aside," Edress snarled. "I've come for my wife."
"You're not going to just march in there without warning, are you?" Anakin cried.
Edress walked over until he was standing right in front of Anakin. The top of his bald, sweating head came only to the young Jedi's chin. He looked up, his dark eyes burning.
"I'm not going to tell you again, boy," he said in a low, dangerous voice. "Stand aside."
Anakin was now picking up very distinct feelings of hostility and anger from Edress and he was confused about it. The Dynast had agreed to the blessing ceremony and, apparently, it was an accepted part of Ahjane culture, but Edress was acting more like a man who suspected his wife was cheating and was desperate to catch her in the act.
"I would advise you to do as he says, young one," Lady Tsara said.
"But...but, Onara and my master are...are," Anakin frowned, his thoughts whirling.
He hadn't really given any thought as to how the blessing ceremony was supposed to end, but it didn't feel right for the husband of the bride to just barge into the bridal chamber with not so much as a by your leave. But, what did he know about Ahjane customs. Just because they didn't make sense to him didn't mean they were wrong. Master Obi-Wan had drilled into him since he was a boy that he must respect other world's cultures and customs. Perhaps this was the way it was done. Yet, it still didn't feel right.
Anakin reluctantly stepped away from the door, but he didn't go far for he was distrustful of the anger he sensed from Edress. And, also, the presence of the armed guards made him equally ill at ease. He relaxed his body in the way Obi-Wan had taught him when preparing for possible battle.
Edress slammed open the door and, with Lady Tsara, his guards and Anakin in tow, stomped into the bridal chamber. At first Anakin could see nothing. All the candles had burned down to stumps, there had been a fire in the fireplace but it had long since died, and the sun was not yet up. Then, he heard a soft gasp.
He saw Onara rise from the bed and, for a moment, which was burned for a long time into Anakin's brain, he saw her bare breasts. Then she quickly pulled a sheet up and covered them. Her thick, dark hair was tousled about her slender shoulders and her eyes were wide as she looked over at them.
Obi-Wan, who had also sat up, was bare-chested. Anakin's face warmed and he felt like someone who had walked into his parent's bedroom and caught them making love. Then he noted the bed was covered in green and gold flower petals.
"I've come for my wife, Master Jedi," Edress sneered.
"Grandmother," Onara cried. "What's going on?"
"The blessing ceremony is over," Lady Tsara snapped. "It is time for you to go with your husband."
"But, but," Onara stammered.
She stopped and looked helplessly over at Obi-Wan. Anakin saw them exchange a look that made his breath catch in his throat.
"Come, Onara," Edress commanded. "You belong to me now."
Onara clutched the sheet, her hands fisting tightly about the material. She shook her head no. Edress muttered a curse. He gestured to his guards. The two men went over to the bed. One of them grabbed Onara by the arm and jerked off the bed.
"Let me go," she cried.
Anakin couldn't believe what was happening. Now he was certain this wasn't the way it was supposed to be. The guard pulled Onara to her feet. The sheet she had wrapped about herself in order to hide her nakedness fell to the floor and, even as Anakin gazed stupefied at her lovely body, he moved towards her, wanting to protect her from these brutes. However, before he could get to her, he saw a blur of movement.
Obi-Wan leapt across the bed. He grabbed the guard who was pulling Onara and forcefully twisted his arm. The guard bellowed, but released Onara, who cried out and fell to the floor. Anakin saw the second guard draw his blaster to take aim at Obi-Wan. Anakin raised his hand and, using the Force, knocked the blaster out of the man's hand.
"My wrist," the guard screamed, as he held his arm to his chest. "You broke my humpin' wrist!"
Anakin hadn't meant to use the Force that powerfully, but he also didn't regret having done so. As far as he was concerned, the goon deserved it. He turned away from the screaming guard and saw Obi-Wan reaching down to help Onara to her feet.
"No, Master. Don't touch her!"
Obi-Wan turned towards Anakin, the shock evident on his face, his hand inches from her shoulder. Anakin went over and stood next to him.
"If you touch her, Master," he said quickly, "Dynast Edress can have her put to death."
Obi-Wan's eyes widened. He looked over at Edress. The Dynast nodded, a nasty smile on his face.
"Your apprentice is quite correct, Master Jedi. You may no longer touch Onara without my permission. She belongs to me now."
Obi-Wan slowly moved his hand away, but Anakin saw it took all his willpower to do so. Anakin looked down at Onara who was cowering on the floor, trying to conceal her nakedness. He ached to cover her with something, but he didn't want to risk touching her. He glanced over at Lady Tsara, expecting her to help Onara, but she only stared coldly down at her granddaughter.
"Cover yourself, child," she barked. "Have you no shame!"
Onara slowly stood. Anakin looked away, his cheeks burning. He didn't want to embarrass her further by gawking at her. However, before he turned away he noted she had a bruise on her cheek. He knew there was no way in Sith hell his master would have harmed her, so he wondered what had happened.
Obi-Wan picked the bed sheet off the floor and handed it to Onara, careful not to touch her. She took it from him, thanking him with her eyes as she wrapped it around herself. Obi-Wan smiled warmly at her.
Then Anakin noted his master appeared completely oblivious to the fact he was stark naked. Anakin felt a lump of pride in his throat. Dynast Edress was dressed in layers of luxurious robes but Obi-Wan, without a stitch on, carried himself with far more dignity than Edress would ever possess.
"What in the name of the seven gods is going on here?" a voice cried.
To be continued...