Knights and Eros Bound
Chapter 13
The young Jedi Knights, the made their way to the galley, leaving
their robes and other accouterments aside, trying to blend in with
the other passengers as much as possible. With the initial awkwardness
of Anakin's revelation behind them, the three of them were laughing
and joking like the close companions they had always been. Schurke
and Anakin joined the queue for the dinner line while Kampher found
them a small table in a discreet corner where they could discuss
things in some semblance of privacy.
Schurke wrinkled his nose at Anakin's selection of ground shaak flank
for himself and Kampher.
"I swear, Toboo," he sighed. "I'll never understand how you and Kam
can stand to eat that. I mean. it's just barbaric!"
"Oh please Schurke," Anakin grumbled playfully. "We all know the only
way you'll eat something is if it will reciprocate."
Schurke grinned but before he could retort, a piece of barabell fruit
was shoved into his mouth. Anakin laughed, happy to be a step ahead
of Schurke for a change. "Come on, Kam is waiting."
When they reached the table, conversation came to a temporary end as
they began to eat. Being used to both the short rations of the battle
field, and the bare basics of Temple fare, what was merely simple food
to the rest of the passengers was a veritable feast for the Jedi.
Anakin however; still only picked at his food, his stomach in knots.
Had he told them too much? Not enough? And what of Gris? The Bonding?
"Anakin," Schurke suddenly broke in, sensing Anakin's discomfort. "Do
you remember the lecture we had with Master Aliéné? The one where he
brought in the Falleen?"
Kampher began to giggle, obviously sharing in the moment.
"Gods, how could I not?" Anakin replied, beginning to laugh himself.
"We were all of what? Fifteen? Sixteen years old?"
"Well, you were fifteen Toboo." Schurke reminded him. "The rest of us
were approaching our twenties. I guess Master Aliéné thought you were
precocious...."
"Master Aliéné was always interested in effective attacks against the
Jedi," Kampher interjected. "He thought that the best defense was
exposing his students to the various means, no matter how
unconventional... Every male became putty in her hands. Schurke, you
and the Rodian Padawan... Nur-ko were practically stripping your
robes off right there... "
"Falleen use their pheromones to either seduce or subdue their
intended," Anakin added. "Even a Jedi can find their influence hard to
resist."
"But it was worth it in the end!" Schurke interjected. "As I recall,
you, Kamph I mean, and Gris and I."
Anakin raised his eyebrows. He knew they had been lovers at one point,
but this?
"It was a dream[,] Schurke." Kampher interrupted him, laughing.
Schurke looked puzzled, and then indignant. "No it wasn't! I remember
it distinctly! Anakin and you and Gris took me back to my quarters,
Anakin left and the three of us."
Kampher burst out laughing. "It was Gris's idea. You were under the
Falleen's influence to the point that Anakin had to carry you back to
your quarters before you tried to leave with the Falleen. She'd made
you so damned susceptible to suggestion that Gris thought you should
at least have some happy memories instead of realizing what an ass
you'd made of yourself. I induced a sleep trance and Gris added the
memory."
Schurke frowned and blushed, feeling wholly embarrassed. "But. but. it
seemed so. so real!"
"All the male Padawans were in the same state to one extent or
another." Kampher reassured him. Then it suddenly hit her. "All the
male Padawans except. Anakin."
The both looked at Anakin, incredulous.
"How?" Asked Kampher.
"WHY?" added Schurke.
Anakin shrugged, it had been a long time ago,, and it really hadn't
seemed as important as the exercise itself. As in all the lessons at
the Temple, the memory seemed far away. He remembered feeling. happy.
compliant. yet in the end, even then the one thing seemed stronger,
more important. Self control. and Padmé.
"Anakin." Kampher prompted softly. "How did you resist?"
"I thought of Padmé." Anakin replied just as quietly. "The Falleen's.
the feelings it prompted. I only wanted. I mean. even then." he
trailed off, unsure how to continue.
"Again, the Senator." Schurke nodded, glad to have the attention shift
from his own fallibilities. "You really had a thing for her, even as a
teen?"
Anakin nodded wordlessly, it was now or never.
"Even before then." he began, once again watching them intently for
any trace of disapproval. When he saw none, he continued. "From the
day she walked into Watto's shop. I just knew."
For nearly the next hour, he told them everything. From the first
meeting to their secret marriage, even to the clandestine meetings
they so desperately tried to have. For once, he told them everything.
even about the fear of loosing her.
When he was finished, Anakin hung his head. He felt. purged. cleaned,
relieved. As if the dark hole that often festered in his soul had
found a temporary abeyance, yet once again, he felt like he was
sitting in judgment from the Jedi and their ways..
Kampher gently reached up and touched his cheek, and Anakin raised his
head. She was smiling, her eyes shining with a love and understanding
that he had only seen in the eyes of Padmé and his mother. Schurke too
was smiling, but the puzzlement still remained. It just wasn't in his
friend's power to comprehend Anakin's feelings, yet his acceptance
would be enough.
"We should go back to our quarters." Kampher said at last. "If we want
to do this tonight, we should do it soon.."
Schurke nodded, his face reflective. "I'll return the trays and meet
you there." Without another word, he rose and took their plates.
Anakin watched him nervously.
"Don't worry Toboo." said Kampher tenderly, using the nickname for
the first time that night. "Schurke is trying. this is just such an
alien concept to him, it's not in his nature and he just can't
understand just yet. He will. that's part of the Bonding process."
Anakin pursed his lips nervously. He knew now that for better or worse
he was committed to this act to the very end. He could only pray to
the gods that it was the right one.
Chapter 13
The young Jedi Knights, the made their way to the galley, leaving
their robes and other accouterments aside, trying to blend in with
the other passengers as much as possible. With the initial awkwardness
of Anakin's revelation behind them, the three of them were laughing
and joking like the close companions they had always been. Schurke
and Anakin joined the queue for the dinner line while Kampher found
them a small table in a discreet corner where they could discuss
things in some semblance of privacy.
Schurke wrinkled his nose at Anakin's selection of ground shaak flank
for himself and Kampher.
"I swear, Toboo," he sighed. "I'll never understand how you and Kam
can stand to eat that. I mean. it's just barbaric!"
"Oh please Schurke," Anakin grumbled playfully. "We all know the only
way you'll eat something is if it will reciprocate."
Schurke grinned but before he could retort, a piece of barabell fruit
was shoved into his mouth. Anakin laughed, happy to be a step ahead
of Schurke for a change. "Come on, Kam is waiting."
When they reached the table, conversation came to a temporary end as
they began to eat. Being used to both the short rations of the battle
field, and the bare basics of Temple fare, what was merely simple food
to the rest of the passengers was a veritable feast for the Jedi.
Anakin however; still only picked at his food, his stomach in knots.
Had he told them too much? Not enough? And what of Gris? The Bonding?
"Anakin," Schurke suddenly broke in, sensing Anakin's discomfort. "Do
you remember the lecture we had with Master Aliéné? The one where he
brought in the Falleen?"
Kampher began to giggle, obviously sharing in the moment.
"Gods, how could I not?" Anakin replied, beginning to laugh himself.
"We were all of what? Fifteen? Sixteen years old?"
"Well, you were fifteen Toboo." Schurke reminded him. "The rest of us
were approaching our twenties. I guess Master Aliéné thought you were
precocious...."
"Master Aliéné was always interested in effective attacks against the
Jedi," Kampher interjected. "He thought that the best defense was
exposing his students to the various means, no matter how
unconventional... Every male became putty in her hands. Schurke, you
and the Rodian Padawan... Nur-ko were practically stripping your
robes off right there... "
"Falleen use their pheromones to either seduce or subdue their
intended," Anakin added. "Even a Jedi can find their influence hard to
resist."
"But it was worth it in the end!" Schurke interjected. "As I recall,
you, Kamph I mean, and Gris and I."
Anakin raised his eyebrows. He knew they had been lovers at one point,
but this?
"It was a dream[,] Schurke." Kampher interrupted him, laughing.
Schurke looked puzzled, and then indignant. "No it wasn't! I remember
it distinctly! Anakin and you and Gris took me back to my quarters,
Anakin left and the three of us."
Kampher burst out laughing. "It was Gris's idea. You were under the
Falleen's influence to the point that Anakin had to carry you back to
your quarters before you tried to leave with the Falleen. She'd made
you so damned susceptible to suggestion that Gris thought you should
at least have some happy memories instead of realizing what an ass
you'd made of yourself. I induced a sleep trance and Gris added the
memory."
Schurke frowned and blushed, feeling wholly embarrassed. "But. but. it
seemed so. so real!"
"All the male Padawans were in the same state to one extent or
another." Kampher reassured him. Then it suddenly hit her. "All the
male Padawans except. Anakin."
The both looked at Anakin, incredulous.
"How?" Asked Kampher.
"WHY?" added Schurke.
Anakin shrugged, it had been a long time ago,, and it really hadn't
seemed as important as the exercise itself. As in all the lessons at
the Temple, the memory seemed far away. He remembered feeling. happy.
compliant. yet in the end, even then the one thing seemed stronger,
more important. Self control. and Padmé.
"Anakin." Kampher prompted softly. "How did you resist?"
"I thought of Padmé." Anakin replied just as quietly. "The Falleen's.
the feelings it prompted. I only wanted. I mean. even then." he
trailed off, unsure how to continue.
"Again, the Senator." Schurke nodded, glad to have the attention shift
from his own fallibilities. "You really had a thing for her, even as a
teen?"
Anakin nodded wordlessly, it was now or never.
"Even before then." he began, once again watching them intently for
any trace of disapproval. When he saw none, he continued. "From the
day she walked into Watto's shop. I just knew."
For nearly the next hour, he told them everything. From the first
meeting to their secret marriage, even to the clandestine meetings
they so desperately tried to have. For once, he told them everything.
even about the fear of loosing her.
When he was finished, Anakin hung his head. He felt. purged. cleaned,
relieved. As if the dark hole that often festered in his soul had
found a temporary abeyance, yet once again, he felt like he was
sitting in judgment from the Jedi and their ways..
Kampher gently reached up and touched his cheek, and Anakin raised his
head. She was smiling, her eyes shining with a love and understanding
that he had only seen in the eyes of Padmé and his mother. Schurke too
was smiling, but the puzzlement still remained. It just wasn't in his
friend's power to comprehend Anakin's feelings, yet his acceptance
would be enough.
"We should go back to our quarters." Kampher said at last. "If we want
to do this tonight, we should do it soon.."
Schurke nodded, his face reflective. "I'll return the trays and meet
you there." Without another word, he rose and took their plates.
Anakin watched him nervously.
"Don't worry Toboo." said Kampher tenderly, using the nickname for
the first time that night. "Schurke is trying. this is just such an
alien concept to him, it's not in his nature and he just can't
understand just yet. He will. that's part of the Bonding process."
Anakin pursed his lips nervously. He knew now that for better or worse
he was committed to this act to the very end. He could only pray to
the gods that it was the right one.