LIVING HISTORY
by ardavenport
= = = Part 29
Their song over, the guards and servants now loudly harrassed their new prisoner, who had recovered enough to stand on his own though his arms were still pinned. They accused him of sabotague, stealing and making their animals infertile. Minigan jauntily denied having ever had a relationship with any of their twugars.
A scream from off stage startled them. More guards entered, carrying on their shoulders a flat with Hulus's body on it. They laid it on a table that they pushed to the center of the stage where people had only moments ago been dancing. After getting over the shock, the guards dragged their captured Jedi forward to view the damage and demanded that he confess to the crime. Minigan told them that he wasn't sure if this one was his, but he had a way to tell for sure. The guards and servants all fell silent, suddenly entranced by his words.
"If you can just give me that lightsaber, I can check it against the wound on this poor fellow and we can find out if I'm the one who did it." That got a laugh. The audience clearly liked Minigan.
The guard holding the lightsaber looked up, slack-faced and started toward the prisoner with it.
Obi-Wan hunched his shoulders. Influencing the mind of one person or even a few was simple enough for a Knight, but a whole room full of people would take exceptional focus.
Another guard shouted, knocked the saber aside, and cuffed Minigan. The stage crowd shouted accusations and dragged him off, calling for justice from their Lord.
The lights dimmed, the backdrop turning dark. The furnishings floated back, but Hulus's body remained, a light shining down on it.
A figure emerged from the darkness at the back of the stage, the lights slowly going up and the audience murmured as they recognized the black, white and red mask of Darth Yarr.
The costume, with heavy boots and filled out in the shoulders and arms gave her an imposing body shape. Adie Tykon-Tuzie's motions and hand gestures were uttery different from her appearance before as Nirid. Obi-Wan did not think it likely that anyone would guess that the same performer played both parts.
The orchestra started a slow somber tune as Yarr touched Hulus's face.
. . .
"You weren't ready to fight two Jedi
I know you loved me, but you had to die.
You were not worthy because now here you lie
But I . . . . "
. . .
Yarr stepped away from the body, eyes pointed upward toward the Jedi in the audience. Obi-Wan glanced toward Qui-Gon, who remained motionless.
. . .
"I've found another to take your place,
Since you died so easy in such disgrace,
And he's already felt the heat of my embrace,
And I . . . . "
. . .
Crossing the stage, Yarr spread her arms out as if to embrace the glory she envisioned, face turned upward.
. . .
"I will make him my apprentice,
A Dark Lord I'll adore.
I will enflame his passions,
Just as I have before.
We will rule this world,
And live forevermore,
With the Dark binding our love."
. . .
The song turned into a musical interlude as a troop of guards entered, dragging Minigan among them. The Sith and Jedi figures appeared on their floaters, the Jedi with hands bound, the Sith entreating as if pulling him in. Masked and fully covered, they were just as likely to be male or female.
Arms held behind his back Minigan stiffened and tried to pull away as Yarr freely ran her hands over his body.
. . .
"You swore to destroy me, but you didn't know
The power, the darkness are not your foe.
It is the Jedi ways that you need to let go.
And I . . . .
. . .
"I will love you and teach you,
The love the Sith can bring.
The all consuming passion,
Better than anything,
The ecstacy. . . . "
. . .
Grimacing, Minigan turned his head away as Yarr pressed herself next to him, one hand fondling his crotch. The Jedi figure went to his knees as the Sith figure caressed the air with long sinuous arms.
. . .
"Will make your sore heart sing,
When you surrender to the Dark,
When you surrender to the Dark."
. . .
The music died down, the figures above withdrew. Yarr, roughly grasping Minigan's lower regions, led her prisoner and the guards holding him off the dark stage. The music diminished to the last few high notes.
Hulus's body, still center stage on its table suddenly burst into flame. It was holo-flame, but satisfactorily bright and brought a gasp from the audience. The flames faded down, the stage going dark again, the table and remains pulling back off the stage as a light slowly came up on the right side on a cell with a bare rock wall, a narrow cot. Nirid sat forward on a small wooden stool, next to Keth, loosely covered with a ragged blanket, the bandages on his head blotched red.
He stirred. She gave him water. When he demanded to know what happened to Minigan, she reluctantly told him that his fellow Jedi was held prisoner in the deepest dungeon of the Castle that could not be reached. Keth struggled to sit up. She begged him to rest, that the danger was too great. But she gave in and helped him sit up. A single floating platform with two figures in neutral grays and tans drifted above. They roughly mirrored the motions of the primary performers.
Keth took Nirid's hands.
. . .
"Will you help me rescue him?
The Sith will surely hurt him,
I'll do all the saber work,
Before all hope can grow dim.
You stay safe . . . .I could not bear to see you hurt."
. . .
She wiped her eyes and agreed to help him. But she begged him to hide and rest until she could learn more about how the might free Minigan. He thanked her and promised her he would, but begged her to be quick. Still clasping his hands, she leaned over and kissed him as the lights went down again on that end of the stage, simultaneously coming up on the opposite side. Stripped of belt and tabbards, his outer tunic ripped in places, Minigan was chained to an enormous black frame, his arms spread wide over his head.
Leaning forward, Obi-Wan immediately focused on ways that he might escape. The bindings on his wrists and ankles glowed, so that likely meant that the locks on them also interfered with the tactile senses. No mere mechanism could ever keep out the Force, but scrambling the perceptions of the Jedi would cut off access to it. Even thousands of years ago, a Sith would know about the energy bindings needed to incapacitate either Jedi or Sith.
More battered and bruised, his pants ripped as well, Minigan made a minor show of testing his bonds to a slowly rising accompaniment from the archestra. Some of his smaller movements and dramatic expressions got some chuckles from the audience at first; they definitely liked him. But his testings and the music became more and more earnest. A dark figure crossed behind the frame holding him. Above the stage, two figures on shadowed platforms drifted forward on either side of the black frame.
The lights suddenly came up on the symbolic Sith and Jedi figures above and on Yarr as she tore her hood off, revealing her mask and throwing the black robe off behind her. Minigan froze, his expression fearful for the first time.
. . .
"You won't get away,
From within my lair.
Why don't you stay and play?
And maybe take up my dare?
I have mastered the Force's Dark Side,
If you're good I could get you in on the inside
So, what d'you say?
Ask for it and I'll share."
. . .
Yarr moved in, freely running her hands over his body. Minigan gasped, eyes wide. The figures above, though on separate platforms, mimed the action below much more explicitly.
. . .
"It's the hottest thing
Lust and passion shout,
When you gotta sing,
When you gotta
Let it out.
. . .
"I can tell that you do enjoy it,
I'll bring the power on
I bring the dark in.
Now we're partyin',
That's what it's all about."
. . .
Yarr slid her gloved hands through the holes in his pants and pushed her body up and down against him. Breathing hard, Minigan's head fell back and Yarr continued singing.
. . .
"'Cause, I know what you feeee-eeeel.
I know just what you feeee-eeeel."
. . .
Minigan's head snapped up. The figures above froze.
. . .
"No you don't. You've got the wrong Knight."
. . .
Yarr caressed his face then seized his throat, leapt back and then pulled her hand back slowly. Still choking, he gasped for breath.
. . .
"Try to hold it back, hold it in too long.
Then, that energy starts to come on,
Nice and strong."
. . .
She released her Force grip and then moved in again. Minigan's resolve faultered and the figures above resumed their distant but surprisingly intimate and graphic dance.
. . .
"Let the Dark in, you know you want to,
Let loose your passion and taste the taboo.
What do Jedi know? They haven't got a clue.
. . .
"I can sense your fear, that I turn you here.
You'll be all you can be,
The Jedi don't know where passion can go,
But I can make you see.
. . .
"'Cause I know what you feeeee-eeel."
. . .
Above, the figures slid out of their clothes and their bodies were completely androgenous, all features smoothed down to medium brown lumps and curves. Minigan resisted Yarr, but bound to the frame he could not avoid her and he was failing.
. . .
Minigan: "She's does not know me,
I am only her play-thing."
Darth Yarr: "I'll make it reeee-eeal!"
Minigan: "But the pain is so real,
And my lust, it is rising."
Darth Yarr: "I'll bring you to the edge of ruin,
You'll be mine when you let the Dark Side in."
Minigan: "Yes, my hate, it is great,
Have a care what you wish for!"
. . .
Minigan snapped at his tormenter, but she just grabbed and squeezed his flesh with more enthusiasm. Hands on his shoulders and fully clothed and armored, Yarr mounted him, legs wrapped around his hips. Above, the figures on either end of the scene moved together back and forth in a highly stylized dance of their own.
. . .
Darth Yarr: "Oh, don't tell me, that you don't love this,
You're just dying for my lips and my kiss."
Minigan: "Yes, I'm hot, but I'm not,
Going to beg for your favor."
. . .
The music crested and everyone froze for a moment. The Jedi and Sith figures went limp and Yarr climbed off of Minigan.
. . .
"Now you're partying,
That's what the Dark is for."
. . .
The lights went down, the music strumming to an end. A few seconds later the audience erupted in loud applause and cheers. The normal room lights came on. Surprised, Obi-Wan looked down at his Play roster; it flashed that the intermission had started with a countdown clock for when the Play would resume.
Judging by the length of time that the applause and cheering lasted, the audience was well pleased with the Play so far. Floating platforms had already arrived at the Chancellor's and Custodian Tykon's viewing platforms. Obi-Wan stood.
"Master?" he asked. Qui-Gon had not moved when their floater platform arrived. Standing at the edge, Obi-Wan looked from Master to platform and back. Suddenly, the older man exhaled and stood and they both stepped onto the platform. It whisked them back to the gallery. One of Custodian Tykon's senior assistants, Temba, waited and escorted them to the end of the gallery and around a corner, away from the other honored guests.
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"Well, I wasn't expecting them to use so much of what Sebo told them." Custodian Tykon blushed over her plate of refreshments with her senior assistants; they all laughed. They generally agreed that the Play was going extremely well and that it would be quite popular. Qui-Gon did not join them. The room was small, but not crowded for their small, elite group and everyone took turns with the two freshers.
Holding his own plate, Obi-Wan stood next to him. At first, he had been uncertain about where to stand, but after he helped himself to some of the food and tea, he took his place with his Master, two anti-social Jedi in robes, hoods up.
Qui-Gon was not sure what he would tell Obi-Wan, even if they could speak in private. Despite Custodian Tykon's blushing, the erotic scenes were highly stylized, though violent in intent. The most worrisome scenes were the ones that blatantly glorified the Sith in song and dance. Qui-Gon was quite certain that it would never be shown to any younger Padawans in the Temple and he was not sure that, at xixteen standard years of age, Obi-Wan was really old enough to watch it, either. His eyes flicked toward his apprentice who shoved a crunchy snack in his mouth. Qui-Gon sighed; Obi-Wan already knew the Mystery and was reasonably mature.
Qui-Gon was not entirely sure if he was ready to see the rest of it. With no explanation for why he had attacked Sebo, he had feared that whatever dark influence that triggered that episode would return. It wasn't the holocron or any of the Sith artifacts. They were cold and dead. He was sure of that. It couldn't be Sebo, she had no extraordinary connection to the Force. It was possible that it was the site of the Castle itself, but if so, its influence was too subtle for him to discern.
The lights in the room blinked, the first warning that the Play would resume soon. Obi-Wan ate his food faster.
Qui-Gon wondered if he should simply refuse to go back. They could not force him, though his absence would be noted and possibly cause some diplomatic upset. But could he risk another episode when red clouded his vision and he wanted to grasp the Force and feel it course through his whole body and - - ?
"Master Qui-Gon, it's time to return."
He turned, looking down at Custodian Tykon; the white-haired older woman held up a hand, but refrained from touching him. He dreaded going back, sitting through erotic Sith scenes, singers and dancers praising the power of the Dark Side.
He drew in a sharp breath and stared over Tykon's head.
Of course. That was his mistake.
He was afraid.
Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, letting go of the fear with it. Fear was the path to the Dark Side.
"Master Qui-Gon, are you well? You're not ill again, are you? Should I call the Healers?"
A moment ago, he would have welcomed the excuse to leave. But now he did not need it. He might or might not feel the touch of the Dark Side again, but he would not fear it. If it came, he would push it away like he had before, or the blue cold would take it. Whatever was to happen, would happen.
He shook his head and smiled. "No, I am fine." Next to him, his Padawan looked up with concern. He laid a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "I am fine."
= = = End Part 29
'Surrender to the Sith' is roughly filked from 'Standing in the Way' from Once More with Feeling - - Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
'Will You Help' is roughly filked from 'Caring Hands' from Doctor Horrible's Sing-Slong-Blog.
'Torture Song' is roughly filked from 'Sweet's Song' from Once More with Feeling - - Buffy the Vampire Slayer.