Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Part 5 - ON THE EDGE OF CHANGE


PART I - PART II - PART III - PART IV

WARNING: Contains some sexual content. Nothing graphic!

Ten days later Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon returned from their mission. Obi-Wan was in a highly agitated state, telling Traelyn the story of their narrow escapes and battles, but without the usual calm, focused frame of mind he usually possessed. Finally he confided that his Master seemed to have lost his mind and his good sense somewhere in the Outer Rim.

"Obi-Wan, if he wants to take this child on as his Padawan, he must be certain that you are ready to face your trials," she commented.

"Oh yes, he told the council that, and I do feel ready, but I don't understand him, always defying the council's wishes. The boy is far too old to be trained, and there's something dangerous and dark about him. They all sense it, even I do. So, why can't Qui-Gon?"

"Once you pass your trials it will no longer be your concern."

"I behaved rudely to him, I will have to apologize," he sighed.

"Master Qui-Gon loves you, Obi-Wan, you've been like a son to him for twelve years, he will forgive you. Now come to bed." She sent soothing and enticing tendrils of Force energy his way, but they didn't seem to make an impact.

"We can't, Traelyn, what if the council finds out? We could be expelled!"

"Three years we've been sleeping together and now you're going to lecture me on the rules?"

"You need to start thinking with your brain and not your passions!" He said shortly.

Traelyn was both embarrassed and hurt. "Get out of my room!" She said angrily.

* * *

Traelyn fumed for a while, and then changed her clothes and headed for the training room, gripping her lightsaber tightly in her hand, she made no sound as she entered the room in her soft-soled boots.

She was not surprised to find Obi-Wan there, sparring with a remote. She was mildly surprised that he sensed her soundless entry since his feelings were in turmoil, although he was oblivious to her agitated state of mind.

"You want to spar with me?" He asked.

"Sure," she replied, and stood in the center of the room.

He faced off with her, igniting his saber and taking a defensive stance. She lit her blade and attacked, first to the right, then the left. She circled him like a feline on the prowl, taking jabs at his middle with the point of her saber.

Taking a small step back, she drove in towards him, slashing at his lightsaber blade with ferocity. She backed him across the room, but remembering their duel six years earlier, when she'd nearly killed him in a jealous rage, he avoided the corners of the room, somersaulting over her and forcing her to whirl around and fight him back towards the center of the room.

But she was relentless, dominating him in each exchange of slashes and parries. Only his superior knowledge of defensive tactics and the gymnastic moves that went with them allowed him to keep her at bay.

As he fought, his mind began to clear and he sensed the hurt and anger he had caused her with his careless words. Silently he berated himself for speaking so harshly to her. Damn his Master for stirring up his resentments!

Traelyn took advantage of his momentary distraction and swung her blade low, and as he leaped over it she stepped back, gathered the Force around her and pushed him to the floor. His lightsaber flew into her left hand, and she stood over him waving both of the shimmering blue blades in his face.

She was grimacing in triumph. The Force seemed to sparkle around her, and tendrils of energy escaped her body as her anger abated into the satisfaction of victory. He lay there and stared at her. She looked terrible, her face covered in sweat, her eyes cold, wisps of dark side energy flaring from her mind. She was terrifying, and he'd never wanted her so much in his life.

She clicked off the sabers and tossed his to the floor beside him. "Goodnight, Obi-Wan," she said. She turned and left the room.

* * *

A half-hour later he slipped into her room in his bathrobe, and found her sitting on her bunk wearing only a nightdress and caressing her face with her lightsaber. An empty wine glass sat on her night table.

He pulled her up from the bed, and she resisted, but he took her saber and dropped it to the floor, along with her nightgown. He gathered her naked body into his arms, and kissed her, inhaling the sweet smell of soap and bath powder, and feeling the silky strands of her hair in his hands.

She started to speak, but he shushed her with another kiss, and gathered her up and tossed her onto the bunk. Shedding his robe, he fell on top of her, kissing her deeply, and spreading her hair out around her.

Touching, tasting, teasing, and tantalizing her with touches of the Force, he dominated her the way she'd dominated him in their duel and soon she was soft and malleable in his hands, bending to his will, gasping for breath and begging for more.

He brought her to the edge of climax and then held back, over and over, until she was desperate for his touch, and she threw her legs around him, grabbing his Padawan braid and pulling him into her, and they muffled their cries of pleasure in the pillows and in each other's kisses.

With a deep, satisfied sigh, he rolled onto his side and pulled her into his embrace, cradling her head on his shoulder in the place she most like to be. He could feel her tears on his bare skin.

"Traelyn, I'm so sorry about..."

"No," she interrupted with a finger on his lips, "You were right."

"I hurt you with my words, and I didn't mean to. Now your feelings are so confused, happy and sad, I can't tell if those are tears of pleasure or pain."

"All of those things. I love and want you so much, and as long as we are both Padawans, we have only our masters to answer to, and both of them have chosen to look the other way. But when you become a Knight, you will have to answer to the council. I won't let you risk censure because of me. We will have to stop."

"No! We will find a way, we'll just have to be more cautious."

"You'll be moving upstairs, and Padawans are not permitted to wander the halls there in our nightclothes!" She said with a wan smile.

"I'll be sick every night and call for you to tend to me!" He chuckled. "Ah, Traelyn, I can't give you up. I won't. There are at least a thousand casual affairs going on in the Temple at any time."

"No one on the council would believe this was casual, least of all Master Yoda."

"We will have to behave as if it is. I'm afraid we won't be seeing as much of each other. I could be sent anywhere at any time."

"And so could I, " she replied. "Master Jeran wants to send me on more mercy missions; he thinks I need more real life experience. I have been rather sheltered," she said wryly.

"Perhaps I can be your escort. And, you won't always be a Padawan, you know."

"Hmmm," she said sleepily, "When we're both Masters we'll do as we please."

"I have to go get ready to leave, we are going to Naboo at first light. We're protecting the Queen, you know," he said with mock seriousness.

He slipped out of bed, and tucked the blankets around her. He leaned over and kissed her gently.

"May the Force be with you, my love," she mumbled, and she curled up and fell asleep before his warmth could fade away.

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