Oct 2002
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, all the characters (Except for Tasha) are property of Lucasfilm etc etc.
Hide Your Love Away
Chapter 25
Obi-Wan pushed himself to his feet and out of the sticky mess he'd fallen into. Shaking his hands in disgust, droplets of the sticky mass flew every which way as he flexed his fingers. The stuff was disgusting and he fought back the urge to retch as the smell assailed him. Yuck. He idly mourned the death of another cloak; he'd never get it clean after the punishment it'd been though today. What a day. He reached out with the Force, searching for anyone else in the vicinity. Pearl's signature wasn't around, but then, he hadn't really expected it. She was far too good at hiding her Force trail. The Skywalker's were a ways away, their signatures faint, but steady. No help from that quarter. He flexed his fingers again. It looked like he was on his own.
Taking stock of his surroundings, he found himself in another large cavern. Big shock. His gaze traveled in a circle and stopped suddenly. There, in the distance, was a faint amber glow. Amber? Pearl's lightsaber was amber. He remembered when she'd built it. A half smile crossed his lips. She'd tried to kill her Master directly afterwards, and when that had failed, quit the temple and disappeared.
Carefully setting his feet, his clothing dripping with the noxious substance, he made his way towards the light source. The uneven ground made walking difficult but he was finally becoming accustomed to the feel. He frowned as he approached the glow. Hallways. Proper hallways with duracrete walls and ceilings, not to mention polished floors. Why would there be a hallway like this leading into a cavern full of unpleasant surprises? Oh right, Palpatine was hiding down here.
He stepped into the hallway, the sticky substance adhering his feet to the smooth surfaces. He peeked around the nearest corner, the glow having become much brighter with his advances. A young woman with curly blonde hair and a dancer's figure that gave away her identity was in the process of carefully cutting through a reinforce durasteel blast door.
He stepped out behind her. "Pearl."
She spun, blade in hand and held at the ready, her eyes widening. "Obi-Wan! How did you find me?"
He waved at her lightsaber. "You're kind of inconspicuous wielding that thing in the darkness, don't you think?"
A ghost of a smile crossed her features. "Cute. What do you want?"
He looked at her, glancing down at himself and suppressed a grimace. He supposed this was as good a time as any for this confrontation. Not the ideal situation, but he'd take what he could get where she was concerned. "I'd like to talk to you."
She turned her back on him, obviously finding him harmless, and began working her way through the blast door again. "So talk, but that doesn't mean I have to listen."
"Fine, be difficult, you always had a talent for getting on my nerves."
She laughed, slanting a look at him over her shoulder, her green eyes suddenly dancing with mirth. "I did? Such flattery."
"So you do know how to laugh."
She turned back to her task. "You're not funny as a rule, Obi-Wan. You're much too serious."
"You bring out the worst in me, Pearl. Why did you leave the temple?"
"Why do you think? I'll be no man's prisoner, especially yours. Why do you think I left? I have a job to do."
"In what respect? Anakin is here, you've done your damage, why keep running?"
She turned back to him, her eyes narrowed. "You gave me no choice. You and your blasted crusade. I didn't need to be freed and you insisted anyway. You're the reason I am where I am now. Does that make you proud, Jedi?"
He flexed his fingers, having trouble opening them as the sticky liquid began to gel. "I'm sorry I hurt you. That wasn't my intention. My question still stands. Why run? What are you going back to now that you've seen what your loyalty means to him? He's tried to eliminate you, Pearl. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
She swallowed hard. "I failed him, I expected to be punished."
"Is our daughter included in that deal?"
She didn't answer, just watched him steadily. He tried again. "What's he after, besides Anakin?"
"He's not after Anakin."
He blinked. "Pardon?"
"He's not after Anakin. He doesn't want him because he knows he'll never turn. With Skywalker's wife still living and under his protection, my Master knows he doesn't have a hope of bending the man to his will."
"Then what's he after by bringing us all down here?"
Her smile was faint. "You came willingly, Obi-Wan. All three of you."
"He sent instructions to have us all come. We couldn't very well just let Anakin come alone."
Her expression turned scathing. "In doing so you've fallen into his trap. He wants you, Jedi Kenobi. The most noble of the Jedi."
"I won't turn."
"You don't have to. With me as his apprentice, and you to sire my children, why would he have need of you to turn." She took a step towards him. "You know I can seduce you, who needs to turn you?"
"And you've agreed to this?"
"No. It's why he's trying to kill me." She turned her back on him, going back to the doors. "I want nothing more to do with you. I carry one of your bastards, why should I feel inclined to have more?"
Her words stung, hitting him like an arrow. Spiteful woman, didn't she know a thing about his pride. "Why seduce me in the first place if you didn't intend to go along with this plan?"
She shrugged, continuing to melt the durasteel.
"Were you ordered to, Tasha? Is that why you did it?"
She spun, lunging at him with her lightsaber. His jumped into his hand as he stepped to the side, igniting his blade and crossing it with hers and holding her blade towards the ground.
"What are you going to do, kill me?"
"If I have to," she yanked her blade free and slashed at him repeatedly, her frustration growing as he parried the quick blows, even venturing to attack her back. She screamed at him, "You've ruined my life for the last time, Kenobi!"
"Then let me make it up to you! Don't go back to him." He parried a series of sharp cuts at his face.
"He's all I have left."
He caught her blade on his as he stepped back to the wall, suddenly caught. Their blades were crossed in front of them at chest level as she stared at him, her eyes blazing. "You have me, Pearl. If you'll let me, I'll make sure nothing ever hurts you again."
The fire in her eyes died and she blinked, confusion written on her features. "You're the one who hurt me, why would I ever go for that deal?"
His smile was lopsided, uncertain. "Because for all Palpatine can give you, he can't give you acceptance."
Her jaw dropped as she stared at him. "You're wrong."
He leaned forward, daring the lethal blades and bent towards her face. His eyes searched hers. "I'm right. You know I'm right. I love you, Tasha Jade."
Her eyes widened in shock as his lips settled onto hers in a soft kiss, giving her the ability to break it. Confusion, longing and something more warred within her. With a confused cry, she tore her mouth away and backed off.
Obi-Wan watched her silently. They stared at one another, the tension thick between them, neither one speaking. But, eventually, someone would have to give.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, all the characters (Except for Tasha) are property of Lucasfilm etc etc.
Hide Your Love Away
Chapter 25
Obi-Wan pushed himself to his feet and out of the sticky mess he'd fallen into. Shaking his hands in disgust, droplets of the sticky mass flew every which way as he flexed his fingers. The stuff was disgusting and he fought back the urge to retch as the smell assailed him. Yuck. He idly mourned the death of another cloak; he'd never get it clean after the punishment it'd been though today. What a day. He reached out with the Force, searching for anyone else in the vicinity. Pearl's signature wasn't around, but then, he hadn't really expected it. She was far too good at hiding her Force trail. The Skywalker's were a ways away, their signatures faint, but steady. No help from that quarter. He flexed his fingers again. It looked like he was on his own.
Taking stock of his surroundings, he found himself in another large cavern. Big shock. His gaze traveled in a circle and stopped suddenly. There, in the distance, was a faint amber glow. Amber? Pearl's lightsaber was amber. He remembered when she'd built it. A half smile crossed his lips. She'd tried to kill her Master directly afterwards, and when that had failed, quit the temple and disappeared.
Carefully setting his feet, his clothing dripping with the noxious substance, he made his way towards the light source. The uneven ground made walking difficult but he was finally becoming accustomed to the feel. He frowned as he approached the glow. Hallways. Proper hallways with duracrete walls and ceilings, not to mention polished floors. Why would there be a hallway like this leading into a cavern full of unpleasant surprises? Oh right, Palpatine was hiding down here.
He stepped into the hallway, the sticky substance adhering his feet to the smooth surfaces. He peeked around the nearest corner, the glow having become much brighter with his advances. A young woman with curly blonde hair and a dancer's figure that gave away her identity was in the process of carefully cutting through a reinforce durasteel blast door.
He stepped out behind her. "Pearl."
She spun, blade in hand and held at the ready, her eyes widening. "Obi-Wan! How did you find me?"
He waved at her lightsaber. "You're kind of inconspicuous wielding that thing in the darkness, don't you think?"
A ghost of a smile crossed her features. "Cute. What do you want?"
He looked at her, glancing down at himself and suppressed a grimace. He supposed this was as good a time as any for this confrontation. Not the ideal situation, but he'd take what he could get where she was concerned. "I'd like to talk to you."
She turned her back on him, obviously finding him harmless, and began working her way through the blast door again. "So talk, but that doesn't mean I have to listen."
"Fine, be difficult, you always had a talent for getting on my nerves."
She laughed, slanting a look at him over her shoulder, her green eyes suddenly dancing with mirth. "I did? Such flattery."
"So you do know how to laugh."
She turned back to her task. "You're not funny as a rule, Obi-Wan. You're much too serious."
"You bring out the worst in me, Pearl. Why did you leave the temple?"
"Why do you think? I'll be no man's prisoner, especially yours. Why do you think I left? I have a job to do."
"In what respect? Anakin is here, you've done your damage, why keep running?"
She turned back to him, her eyes narrowed. "You gave me no choice. You and your blasted crusade. I didn't need to be freed and you insisted anyway. You're the reason I am where I am now. Does that make you proud, Jedi?"
He flexed his fingers, having trouble opening them as the sticky liquid began to gel. "I'm sorry I hurt you. That wasn't my intention. My question still stands. Why run? What are you going back to now that you've seen what your loyalty means to him? He's tried to eliminate you, Pearl. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
She swallowed hard. "I failed him, I expected to be punished."
"Is our daughter included in that deal?"
She didn't answer, just watched him steadily. He tried again. "What's he after, besides Anakin?"
"He's not after Anakin."
He blinked. "Pardon?"
"He's not after Anakin. He doesn't want him because he knows he'll never turn. With Skywalker's wife still living and under his protection, my Master knows he doesn't have a hope of bending the man to his will."
"Then what's he after by bringing us all down here?"
Her smile was faint. "You came willingly, Obi-Wan. All three of you."
"He sent instructions to have us all come. We couldn't very well just let Anakin come alone."
Her expression turned scathing. "In doing so you've fallen into his trap. He wants you, Jedi Kenobi. The most noble of the Jedi."
"I won't turn."
"You don't have to. With me as his apprentice, and you to sire my children, why would he have need of you to turn." She took a step towards him. "You know I can seduce you, who needs to turn you?"
"And you've agreed to this?"
"No. It's why he's trying to kill me." She turned her back on him, going back to the doors. "I want nothing more to do with you. I carry one of your bastards, why should I feel inclined to have more?"
Her words stung, hitting him like an arrow. Spiteful woman, didn't she know a thing about his pride. "Why seduce me in the first place if you didn't intend to go along with this plan?"
She shrugged, continuing to melt the durasteel.
"Were you ordered to, Tasha? Is that why you did it?"
She spun, lunging at him with her lightsaber. His jumped into his hand as he stepped to the side, igniting his blade and crossing it with hers and holding her blade towards the ground.
"What are you going to do, kill me?"
"If I have to," she yanked her blade free and slashed at him repeatedly, her frustration growing as he parried the quick blows, even venturing to attack her back. She screamed at him, "You've ruined my life for the last time, Kenobi!"
"Then let me make it up to you! Don't go back to him." He parried a series of sharp cuts at his face.
"He's all I have left."
He caught her blade on his as he stepped back to the wall, suddenly caught. Their blades were crossed in front of them at chest level as she stared at him, her eyes blazing. "You have me, Pearl. If you'll let me, I'll make sure nothing ever hurts you again."
The fire in her eyes died and she blinked, confusion written on her features. "You're the one who hurt me, why would I ever go for that deal?"
His smile was lopsided, uncertain. "Because for all Palpatine can give you, he can't give you acceptance."
Her jaw dropped as she stared at him. "You're wrong."
He leaned forward, daring the lethal blades and bent towards her face. His eyes searched hers. "I'm right. You know I'm right. I love you, Tasha Jade."
Her eyes widened in shock as his lips settled onto hers in a soft kiss, giving her the ability to break it. Confusion, longing and something more warred within her. With a confused cry, she tore her mouth away and backed off.
Obi-Wan watched her silently. They stared at one another, the tension thick between them, neither one speaking. But, eventually, someone would have to give.