Another chapter for you, thanks once again for commenting everyone, it's nice to know people are still reading this. This chapter continues right on from the end of Chapter 12, and concludes Obi-Wan's little story. The next chapter will mark the beginning of a new phase of Obi-Wan and Chloe's story.

If anyone is interested, the story of the Blossoming was inspired by the flowering of the Bamboo forests in Yunnan province, China.

Chapter Thirteen

The Blossoming

Obi-Wan paused and then yawned, stretching his arms above his head.

"And…?" Chloe sat up. "What did she tell you?"

"Patience, patience…" Obi-Wan smiled, but it was a wistful, sad smile. He rubbed his forehead with the finger and thumb of one hand, then got up and crossed to the apartment's kitchen. "Would you like another drink?"

"No thanks," Chloe said, wriggling to get comfortable on the sofa.

When Obi-Wan returned with a glass of water she shuffled over to him, dragging the quilt with her. He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm cold."

Obi-Wan took a few gulps of water and placed the glass on the table. "Hmm. Okay. But don't distract me. I'm not going through this whole story again."

"Promise. I want to know how this ends." She snuggled into his chest. He wrapped an arm, outside the quilt, around her body, and then continued.

"Inevitably, the end of the moon cycle approached. Over the final two days, all women were summoned to the palace to give a sample of their blood. The official reason was to test for disease or contamination caused by the prospectors. In reality the blood was tested for pregnancy hormones. All those women who tested positive were instructed to report to the palace at noon on the first day of the new cycle. Only those who were pregnant would be allowed to make the journey to the refuge.

"On the final evening, I found Gaia in her usual place in the garden. She didn't look up at me, just down to where my hand rested on my knee. She placed her hand over it. Her fingers seemed so thin, so much smaller than mine, and so much paler. With my other hand I turned her face towards me, forcing her to meet my eyes. But my throat was dry. I couldn't ask her the question I needed to.

"I didn't need to ask. She answered before I had chance to speak, with a shake of her head. Then she removed my hand from her face. 'Please don't look at me like that,' she said, resting her head against my shoulder. 'There is cause for great celebration. The queen is with child. We had feared she was too old to conceive.'

"But I didn't care, at that point, what state the wretched queen was in. I was too preoccupied with the unfairness of Gaia's situation, and the knowledge that it was partially, if not entirely, my fault. If I hadn't filled her evenings with my pointless chatter, if I hadn't used her to escape something I was too stubborn to accept as a natural part of the Jamini's existence, she might have been pregnant."

Obi-Wan kissed the top of Chloe's head. When he continued, his voice was softer.

"Because, you see, the sting in the tail of this story, the terrible secret that the royal family had to conceal from the rest of the population, was that the blossoming of the Jamini was not just superficially similar to the blossoming of the forest."

"They were synchronised?" Chloe said.

"Yes. The forest always blossomed first. After the blossoming, the forest died. And after their blossoming…"

Chloe looked up at him. "The Jamini died?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Those women fortunate enough to become pregnant survived to care for their babies, but all the men, together with the unfertilised women, died. Cruelly, it was the forest itself that was responsible. Even when Qui-Gon and I arrived, the pollen from the blossom was already starting to poison them. Pregnant women became immune upon conception. But, as Gaia had explained that night in my room, within the first week of the new moon, everyone else would be returned, spiritually and corporally, to the forest.

"With the forest in a state of rapid decay, the bodies would quickly disintegrate, ready to fertilise the soil as the forest re-grew. And when the women emerged from the refuge with their children, the new forest would be there to provide them with food and shelter."

"But what about the rest of the population…" Chloe interrupted. "Were they just left to die?"

"Yes, and they could not even expect a dignified death. A sort of madness would take hold of them during the twenty-four hours before the end. The effect was particularly pronounced in men, and in the chaos some of the population would probably be killed before they could die naturally.

"It's easy to see why the pregnant women needed to be taken away to safety in such a situation. I could see the logic, but the idea that the others in the population were considered worthless, and were simply left to die, was difficult to accept. And the prospect of the fate that awaited Gaia, who seemed so fragile and yet so full of life, and whom I felt an almost overwhelming urge to protect… well, it was unbearable."

Chloe snuggled more tightly against Obi-Wan's chest, feeling a strange sort of kinship with this girl from his past. What had he done? Had he fought for her? He was Obi-Wan Kenobi, after all, wasn't he? A legendary Jedi. Surely he would have found a way to save her?

"So what did you do?"

"On the evening before I was expected to escort the women to the refuge, I sat there with Gaia in the garden, held her in my arms and stroked her hair. And then, I'm ashamed to say, I did something that went against all of my training.

"I told her that I wouldn't leave her. I told her I would stay with her to the end, or, if she wanted me to, I would take her way, right then, into orbit, hoping that the effects of the blossom would be reversible when she was removed from the forest. I would save her."

Chloe remained silent, wondering how Obi-Wan could be ashamed of just acting as any decent man in his situation would.

"It was her," he continued, "who reminded me how I should be behaving. 'They need you,' she said, 'more than I do. Your duty is to my people, not to me.'

"I protested, but she covered my mouth with her hand. 'No,' she said. 'Don't say it again. I couldn't live with myself if I asked for your help.'

"She was right, of course. After all my arrogance, she was the one reminding me of the principles I had so proudly explained to her. A Jedi should respect the traditions and civilisation of the people whom he is sent to help. A Jedi should not become attached to any single person. A Jedi should not put the welfare of one person above the needs of the many."

"Wasn't she afraid?" Chloe asked.

"She was terrified. I could feel it. But she was also right. The royal women grew up knowing this fate may await them. She had always known her duty would be to stay, if she were not pregnant. I didn't insult her by protesting; it was a courageous enough act to insist I leave her.

"We agreed that, the next day, I would set off as planned with the party of women, and Qui-Gon, to the refuge. But I reassured Gaia that as soon as the mission was complete, I would return to the forest city. If the blossoming had been triggered by the prospectors, who knew if the rest of the process would follow its normal course? There was a chance I would still be able to save her, along with any other surviving members of the population, before it was too late.

"After that, there seemed to be little left to say. It was still the middle of the night; I didn't want to leave her, and yet anything we could talk about seemed trivial considering what she was about to face. But she remained there, her head against my chest, so I continued to hold her, silently. If she needed comfort, tonight, the very least I could do was provide it."

Chloe placed her hand against Obi-Wan's chest, feeling his heart beating, and imagining for a moment that she was in the same situation as Gaia. Imagining that tomorrow, she might die. What would it be like to give him up in the same of duty? And to give up her own life? She was sure she wouldn't be strong enough. She would probably beg him to take her way.

"And that's when it happened," Obi-Wan said. "Later that night."

"What?" Chloe had genuinely forgotten what this story was supposed to be about.

"I asked her if there was anything I could do," Obi-Wan said, not seeming to notice her question. "If there was anything else she wanted. 'There's only one thing I can think of,' she said, 'and it's something you don't want to give.' Then she brushed her finger over my mouth. And…" Obi-Wan hesitated.

"Go on," Chloe whispered, remembering where this was leading, the scene now clear in her head. "Don't stop."

Obi-Wan coughed, and spoke quickly. "She said, 'such a waste that these lips will never be kissed.' "

Chloe smiled at his embarrassment. But Gaia had been right. It would have been a terrible waste.

"Then," Obi-Wan continued, "she turned away and took a handkerchief from her pocket: it was her token of choice to request a sexual liaison. She ripped it in half and tossed it into the herbs behind us. Then she kissed me on the cheek, stood up and walked away.

"I sat there for a while, thinking about everything that had happened on Jamin. Wishing there was someone to tell me what to do. I wanted to follow her. What about everything I thought I believed in? I had looked down on Qui-Gon and his sexual liaisons. But a few minutes ago I had suggested to Gaia that I abandon my mission to save her, going back on some of the core principles of the Jedi Order. In comparison my prudishness seemed pathetic. But who could advise me? Qui-Gon and I had argued about this too much; I didn't feel comfortable going to him.

"Under the circumstances, I could only rely on my instincts. So I scrabbled around in the bushes until I found the torn bits of handkerchief, and then made my way to Gaia's apartments.

"Her door was ajar. I knocked softly, but when there was no reply, went inside. The windows to the terrace were open and I found her there, leaning on the railing looking out over the forest. She had been crying, I think, and she looked up in confusion when she heard me.

" 'What makes you so sure I've never been kissed?' I said, attempting a smile. She shrugged, and smiled back, trying to brush the tears from her cheeks so I wouldn't see them.

"I crossed the terrace to stand by her side, and we both turned to face the forest again. I brushed my fingers against hers. 'When we were fifteen, I said, 'my friend Siri Tachi pinned me down to the sparring room floor and kissed me until I couldn't breathe.'

" 'And that put you off for life?' she asked.

" 'Perhaps. I was mortified.' She had to laugh at that.

"Then I took her hand, and put the torn handkerchief in her palm. I was nervous, because I had no idea what I was doing. But I remembered what she had said in the garden, and I hoped she would forgive my clumsiness. So I kissed her.

"When I pulled away, she asked me if I was sure I wanted this. I said yes, and so she led me inside, to her bedroom, and to her bed.

"So, that was when it happened. I wasn't how I expected at all. I never expected to enjoy it. But she never made me feel awkward for a second. Once she had convinced me to relax, forget her expectations, and rely on my instinct, it felt completely natural. She taught me many things, in that short night, about how my own body could respond to a woman, and how to touch her to give her the pleasure." Obi-Wan paused.

"But wasn't it difficult, with what you knew was to come?" Chloe said.

"I think – or at least I'd like to believe – that it distracted her. Whilst it remained dark outside, we forgot who we were, and focused solely on each other. But once dawn broke, I couldn't help think about the days ahead. She wouldn't let me stop, though. I think she was terrified that we might fall asleep and lose the last few hours we had together.

"Eventually the sun was perilously high in the sky, and it was close to the time I would have to leave. Reluctantly, I dressed, then checked over her rooms, and located a small windowless room off her bedroom that would be the safest place to hide from the potential horrors outside. I went to order food to be brought up from the kitchens, and when I returned she had fallen asleep.

"I had to wake her up to say goodbye. Selfishly, I would not let her get out of the bed. I wanted to remember her like that, her skin flushed with sleep, radiant in the morning light. I made her promise me to secure herself in the safe room with food and water, and wait for me to return. Neither of us mentioned how remote the chance of that happening might be.

"I kissed her one last time. And she thanked me, then, for giving me the gift of sharing my first time with her. 'At least now,' she said, with a small smile, 'you won't forget me.'

"It was only when I rose to leave that she did not let go of my hand. She held it tightly, as if trying to draw on the strength of the connection between us. 'I don't want you to go,' she whispered.

" 'You know I have to,' I said, and kissed her hand.

" 'I'm scared,' she said. She fumbled with her pendant, unclasping it and offering it to me.

I closed her fingers back around it. 'Wait for me,' was all I could think to say. Then, with the clock tower striking noon, I left.

"As agreed, Qui-Gon and I met at the palace gates to await the party of pregnant women. I didn't tell him about the previous night, and if he had noticed my absence he did not mention it. When the women arrived I noticed immediately that all of the royal women, including all the elders, must have managed to conceive. Although she was the oldest by at least ten years, the queen was there too, her neatly-rounded belly already sticking out from her thin body.

"The journey to the refuge was not uneventful. The Jamini had been right in their fears; the forest was no longer safe, without our protection many of the women could quite easily have been injured by the variety dangerous situations we encountered. Wild beasts tracked us for hours, then crept up silently to attack. Thick vines twisted around some of the women when they slept, and held them fast. In one area, deep fissures had opened in the rock of the forest floor, but were concealed by thin layers of foliage and leaves. Without our guidance it would have been easy for women to have fallen to their deaths.

"But we reached the refuge without any casualties. I didn't stay for long enough to examine the place. As soon as the first women began entering the stone archway that appeared to lead right into the centre of the mountain itself, I turned and set off back for forest city, leaving Qui-Gon to protect the women while they settled in.

"I raced back, completing the three-day trek in just under two days, not stopping to eat or rest, drawing on the Force for my strength. When I arrived, the streets of the city were almost deserted, but I barely noticed. I headed straight for the palace, and for her apartment. It had been four days, and Gaia had said the typical time limit for the remaining population was a week. I was convinced there was a chance she might have survived."

"And she had," Chloe interrupted, not wanting to believe what she knew from his voice and his body language must be the real end of the story. "You found her."

Obi-Wan stroked her cheek, and pressed his mouth against her hair. "No."

Chloe looked up at him. "No?"

"I… I searched every room in the palace but I could find no trace of her. Her door had been broken down, and so had the door to the safe room. The sheets of her bed were ripped." He paused and reached for the glass on the table. Chloe moved away so he could sit up, and waited in silence for him to speak again.

"I found her pendant and one of her shoes in the corridor that led to the palace throne room," he continued. "The truth is that I don't know what happened to her. I'll never find out how she died, only that it was almost certainly in fear and pain, knowing that no one was going to come and save her."

Chloe didn't know what to say. It didn't seem right. She had started all this by teasing Obi-Wan, thinking that in comparison to her very ordinary encounter with her neighbour, his first sexual experience would probably be part of a glamorous story of rescue and glory, or some fairytale involving royal princesses and exotic locations. But Gaia's story was far more tragedy than fairytale. And although Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had rescued the pregnant women, this story did not match up with the image of chivalrous knights and damsels in distress. Perhaps she had watched too many holomovies.

"What's wrong?" Obi-Wan said. "You look puzzled."

"It just… well, it just doesn't quite fit with the image I had of you."

"You expected me to have rescued her."

Chloe looked down. Although she didn't want to admit it, if she had been in Gaia's position, she would have wanted Obi-Wan to rescue her.

Obi-Wan reached for her hand. "I'm not a hero, Chloe," he said, gently. "The media like to promote that image, especially now we are at war, but every day I take decisions which condemn some people to death or terrible pain at for the sake of what we consider to be best for the majority. I do what I think is right, but it never makes the decisions any easier."

She looked up. "Welcome to the real world."

"Exactly."

"You think the media misrepresent you?"

"All the time. And we Jedi are guilty of allowing it to continue. It's fine for morale, but I worry what might happen if we fail."

"Lose the war? But we can't! You can't!"

"I assure you we can. And we may. Selling unrealistic impressions of our power will only hurt the long-term prospects of the Jedi Order."

She raised a hand to his cheek, wanting to smooth away the concern in his expression. "You worry too much."

"Someone has to."

"But back on Jamin," Chloe said, wanting to change the subject, "you did your duty. You did exactly what was right."

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, "it is easier now, to see that. And I only found out later, when we preparing the final report to the Jedi Council, that the queen had deceived us all."

"How?"

"The prospectors had not responded to a random probe. They had responded to an invitation. After Dalion's departure, the queen had somehow formulated the notion that, if she coupled with a Jedi, she might manage to conceive in spite of her age. She had risked extinction of her people for the chance to survive.

"Of course, Qui-Gon could not have fertilised her, since he would have been taking dietary supplements to prevent that from happening. But I suppose the Jamini did not know about contraception. A Jamini male must have been the father of the queen's child. Presumably the Royal Council all managed to conceive by having the pick of the menfolk. Ironically, of course, I would have been able to fertilise either the queen or Gaia, since I was not taking the supplements."

"Have you ever been back?"

He shook his head. "We have never heard any more from Jamin, and I don't think I would want to be the one to go back if we did. I still think of Gaia sometimes though. I'm glad I could share her story with you. I think she would have liked you." He smiled, and squeezed her hand. "Are you tired? It seems like I've been talking for hours."

Chloe nodded, and raised herself on her knees so she could kiss him. "You go on in. I'll be there in a minute."

Three candles on the bedside table flickered as Chloe entered the bedroom, their shifting glow reflecting from the gold-red of Obi-Wan's hair. The light fell too on the skin of his chest, on the crisp sheet which rested low across his hips, and it fell on his hand and arm which lay outstretched towards her, his fingers gently curling upwards. And the light cast shadows across the noble features of his face, relaxed and peaceful as he lay before her soundly, and deeply asleep.

She edged towards the bed, a sudden urge to touch him driven not by desire but a need to confirm he was really there. The story about Gaia had been unsettling, and Chloe had spent a few minutes in the refresher convincing herself to take it for what it was – an anecdote from many years ago. He had clearly changed since then; grown into his role, become confident that the difficult choice would often be the right one. No doubt Obi-Wan had countless more stories, as equally as tragic as Gaia's. Perhaps he had happy stories too. She must remember to ask him.

Chloe's eyes traced a fading bruise on his forehead, and then moved lower to his neck, then his chest, pausing at the scar bisecting his abdomen; very real evidence of the warrior she had personally witnessed so little of.

How close had he come, on his last mission, to not returning? How many lives had he taken? How many comrades had he seen fall? She didn't know the answer to any of those questions. In fact Chloe realised there was much about Obi-Wan she still did not know. And she would never know what it was really like to be a Jedi, to shoulder the responsibility he did.

She sat down on the bed and slid carefully to his side, moving quietly so as not to disturb him. She lay in a mirror of his position, her head resting on the pillow opposite his. Tentatively, she lifted a hand to stroke his cheek. It was rough under her fingers, blonde stubble glinting in the light. Then she took his hand between both of her own, raised it to her lips and kissed calloused fingers gently. Their time together had been laughably brief, so far. She wondered, how many other woman loved him, before her? How did they cope with the unthinkable? The risks he took each time he went away, the very real possibility that he might not come back… how could anyone live like that?

For endless minutes she simply lay and watched the patterns formed by the candle light flickering over his skin. She studied every feature of his face: the long eyelashes curving from his lids, the beauty spot on his right cheek, the short beard framing slightly parted lips. At rest, he looked younger, the frown too often found on his brow erased save for a shadow of a line in its place. She listened to the slow, steady rhythm of his breathing and noticed the light glinting off the sprinkling of hair covering his chest as it rose and fell, the tiny throb of pulse in his neck which she felt simultaneously under her fingers as they lightly caressed his wrist.

Eventually, she found herself shivering, and realised that she was cold, and, feeling the softness of the bed beneath her, incredibly tired. As if unconsciously responding to her, the sleeping Obi-Wan sighed, shifted on to his side, and slipped an arm around her waist. Chloe smiled.

She stretched and turned her head to blow out the candles, then snuggled back against him, arranging the covers carefully over them both. Sleepily, she breathed in his scent and traced patterns on his chest.

Tomorrow she would deal with this mess inside her head, these forbidden feelings that at the moment felt too right to be denied. Tomorrow she would let herself contemplate his principles, the values he had upheld for long enough to be considered an example to the next generation of Jedi. The values that left so little space for her. And tomorrow she would let her thoughts turn towards the next mission, and the next, and she would battle with anxiety, not for his feelings but for the loss of him.

For now, she had tonight. For tonight, Obi-Wan was here, and he was hers.

Feeling the comforting weight of the arm across her, together with the warmth of the body just a few inches away, Chloe closed her eyes, and let her mind drift towards sleep.