Master Apprentice
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Feedback: very much appreciated, to evermore@tiac.net
Archive: MA.
Category: Qui/Obi
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Fun in the snow leads to more than Obi-Wan could have ever dreamed.
Disclaimer: This work, as well as all other rights available under the law, is owned by the author, and may not be reprinted without the author's express written permission. The Star Wars franchise is owned by George Lucas, LucasFilm Ltd., and 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. No copyright infringement is intended. Copyright June 1999.
Many thanks to Orithain for the beta.
Note: I am intentionally ignoring canon here. I know that Yoda was Dooku's master, and that Dooku was Qui-Gon's master. See how much I don't care. :)
Trudging in knee-deep snow, Obi-Wan Kenobi wondered exactly why it was that his master insisted on this trip. There was nothing out this way on Cyrene, nothing but trees, snow, animals, snow, mountains, and more snow. He hadn't been here in years, not since he was just out of the Temple creche, and not much seemed to have changed since then. Cyrene was well-known as a resort planet, attracting beings from all over the Republic with its violet-blue seas, pale white sands, and luxurious accommodations of all kinds. Its terrain ranged the gamut from lowlands and beaches to mountain summits.
Naturally, his master would send them to the mountains.
And in winter, yet.
While winter on Cyrene was not as horrific as on other planets -- Hoth, for example -- the snow was plentiful, and frostbite was always a distinct possibility. On the other hand, he had noticed more animals than usual on this outing. Perhaps the fauna this far north were not as used to visitors as were the ones whose territories lay nearer to the resort areas. And yet --
Obi-Wan stopped thinking when he realized what was standing near him.
Snarling again, in obvious warning, the snow-cat waited a moment before darting into the thick forest. Just like that, it was gone.
Obi-Wan was stunned. When he was a child at Temple, studying other worlds in his classes, he had dreamed of traveling to exotic worlds like Arctura IV, seeing exotic creatures like the snow-cat. Of course, he'd not realized at the time that Jedi didn't usually have time to sight-see on the planets they visited. "That is the first snow-cat I have ever seen."
"A first for me, also." His master also sounded awed by the experience, but Obi-Wan was able to detect a bit of smug pleasure in his voice. "It seems the snow-cats are breeding well, so we will see more of them." He continued walking along, forging a path in the snow that Obi-Wan dutifully followed.
"If the cats continue to breed, will they not quickly overrun the area?" He was a bit concerned about that. While he wanted the species to be protected, he also wanted it to be a strong one and to have a proper niche in the local ecology. That meant someone, somewhere, should be taking care to look after the welfare of the whole ecosystem.
"No, Padawan," his master assured him. "The Jedi are very careful with the species they choose to bring here to Cyrene. Each species is carefully monitored for genetic stability to be certain they will continue to thrive. When an area -- this area, for example -- reaches a maximum quota for snow-cats, the monitors will remove some of them to some other suitable place or even to Arctura IV."
"Oh." That made sense.
"Do you know why we came here today?"
"No, Master." It was always best to be truthful, Obi-Wan had learned. He didn't understand why they were there, so it was the truth, even if what he wanted to say was something else. Something flippant that would undoubtedly get him extra hours of comparative xenophilosophy and the study as it related to diplomacy and the Jedi.
Obi-Wan hated comparative xenophilosophy.
He'd rather kiss a Hutt.
His master smiled faintly. "We are here to rest, to not be Jedi for a time. To be simply Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, just men ... like everyone else."
"We couldn't have rested back at the resort?" Bantha dung. He might as well plan those hours of study into his schedule right now.
But maybe not, since his master laughed. "There is more privacy here than at the resort." His eyes twinkled. "Had you not noticed that we are the only Jedi at the resort?"
Well, no, he hadn't. Which was strange because they had arrived on a Jedi transport simply brimming with others.
"Had you not noticed that, in fact, many of our Jedi brethren are staying in the Eastern Hemisphere?"
Cyrene's Western Hemisphere was open to tourists and was where all the resorts were located. On the other hand, the Eastern Hemisphere was not. "Privacy," his master continued, "is one thing Jedi crave and are rarely allowed."
"Master Yoda says Jedi should not crave things."
His master chuckled again. "I know, he said much the same to me many times when he was my Master." For a moment, he seemed lost in the memories. Obi-Wan could picture what the pair might have been like back then: a tall and lanky human male padawan trailing after a diminutive green alien master -- one calm and unruffled but set in his ways from centuries of habits, the other quick-tempered and prone to breaking rules whenever the opportunity presented itself. He could just imagine how full Master Yoda must have had his hands. No wonder he was so fast with that gimer stick. He must have gotten a great deal of practice with Padawan Jinn. The thought made him snicker.
"Nevertheless," his master continued, "we are Jedi, living beings, part of the Force. We are not machines. It is only natural for us, as living beings, to crave things. What that exact thing is, differs. It depends on what matters to the individual."
That made sense to Obi-Wan.
At least, he thought it did.
"And even Jedi need to play once in a while. To have a chance to be free of the restrictions placed on them by others and by themselves. To have a chance to be ordinary."
Obi-Wan wasn't sure about that. Why would anyone want to be ordinary? And weren't restrictions a good thing? Perhaps this was something he would need to meditate on in order to understand completely. After all, he had been in Temple from the time he was an infant. He knew where he had been born, of course, and had paid special attention to that planet in his studies, but he had no memories of it or of his family. He had never even considered being anything other than a Jedi. Didn't everyone want to be a Jedi?
Yes, this question was going to require some thought. At least he now had plenty of time and privacy in which to do so, even if it was freezing cold and snowy.
And his master wanted him to play.
Hmmm. This had possibilities.
"I know what I'm going to do first," decided Obi-Wan. If my master said this was a chance to relax, then that is exactly what I'm going to do.
"And what is that?"
Obi-Wan turned to face his master and allowed a broad smile to spread across his face. "I'm going to build a snow cat." He spread his arms wide before him in supplication. "I'm going to build it in honor of seeing my first snow-cat, and in honor of the species' tenacity." The apprentice considered a moment, and then added, "And then a snow Jedi to stand guard over it."
"A worthy occupation of your time," said the master, deadpan but with a sparkle glinting in his eyes. He clearly approved of his padawan's plan. "I, however, will be examining the winter flora."
Watching his master stride easily through the drifts, there was little Obi-Wan could say in response to that. He knew quite well that his master kept himself apprised of the endangered species that inhabited the planet. After all, Cyrene was held in trust by the Jedi Order for these endangered species, some of which were semi-sentient; in fact, Cyrene was one of several other such trust-held planets that the Jedi kept seeded with rare and endangered creatures. It was merely a Jedi's duty to keep watch on the delicate balance of this precious planet's biosphere. Even though his master was no longer posted here, the need to protect the area had not left his spirit.
Obi-Wan hoped that the need to protect those things important to him never left his master's spirit. Being protected was a very nice feeling indeed.
A few hours later, he looked with what he hoped was deserved pride at his accomplishments. A big feline built of snow stood in a stalking pose, its head lowered, its fangs bared, and one strong foreleg extended, paw out in a reaching gesture. Nearby, a tall humanoid Jedi Master watched without fear but caution was evident in his pose. One hand calmly shifted aside the heavy cloak to grasp the lightsaber at his waist. His other hand was stretched out, as if to scold the cat for its behavior. Oddly enough, the snow statue's form looked a little like his master.
Obi-Wan had recognized several months before that his feelings for his master were no longer the innocent crush he had believed them to be a few years prior, but now he was eighteen years old and of an age to make his own decisions. Still, he dared not voice his love, lest the knowledge force them apart. He could not help but wonder whether his master felt the same way ... and knew he could never ask the question that haunted his dreams.
The Jedi Order had very strict rules regarding fraternization. Bonded Jedi did not go out in the field; it was believed that the emotional ties made them unfit for diplomatic duty. Jedi were not allowed to engage in any kind of sexual relationship (or anything approximating that, depending on species) if they also had a working relationship. Again, the problem was one of emotional ties.
And worry about falling to the Dark Side was always a concern.
Hence the two rules which the Council enforced. If there was any suspicion about whether or not a master and padawan pair were charging up each other's lightsabers, well, the Council wouldn't hesitate to call a Formal Hearing to investigate whether or not anything 'improper' had occurred.
And, if it had, well. Most masters, knights, and padawans toed the line.
Obi-Wan had only heard of one incident in his lifetime about a Master who was disciplined for having sexual relations with her padawan, and her first ever, at that. It had been quite a while ago, shortly before he had turned ten years old. The padawan had only been thirteen standard years old - far too young by most species' standards to make adult decisions -- at the time of the relations, and the Master was severely disciplined. So much so that she was dismissed from Diplomatic Corps and sent down to Agri-Corps on permanent detail with a rotating shift. She would never stay on another planet longer than a few days at a time. She would never be allowed to take another student, which meant she would never regain the rank of Master.
Some had said that the knight should have been cast out of the Order altogether. Master Yoda had replied, 'Change nothing it would.'
He was right.
The Jedi handled it. The padawan was re-assigned to another master, and provided plenty of time with the Healers. She lost nothing, and was assured that she was not at fault in any way for anything that happened.
It was enough just to be with him. It would have to be. Forcing the unreachable dreams out of his mind, Obi-Wan turned his gaze again to his snowy creations. He hoped they might stand, not forever ... that would be foolish, but perhaps for the larger part of the season as a love totem.
A symbol of unspoken emotion.
"Very lifelike, Obi-Wan."
Startled out of his musings, the apprentice wondered just how it was that his master could always sneak up on him but never vice-versa. He supposed it had to be experience.
Or treachery.
"If I may ask, how did your explorations go?"
"Quite well." Obi-Wan could hear smug satisfaction in his master's voice. "I found something very interesting."
"What?" Obi-Wan began to turn around, wondering what could have brought his master so much glee. He supposed it could have been anything, even a new subspecies of --
WHUMP!
As soon as the snowball smacked into the side of his head, the thought vanished, and the apprentice fell backward to land on his rump in a snowdrift. Another snowball quickly followed the first, then another, both of which hit Obi-Wan square in the face.
His master had to be using the Force to throw these, which seemed dreadfully unfair to him. It then occurred to Obi-Wan that he must look pretty silly sitting there in the snow with his mouth hanging open and snow all over his face. Then he realized how cold the snow really was and that it was getting into some rather uncomfortable places.
Next Obi-Wan concluded that if his master wanted a snowball fight, then he would get a snowball fight. Things deteriorated from there.
Much of the snow he would have otherwise had available for attack had gone into his building projects, and because of that, he had few defenses. Obi-Wan found himself hiding behind one or another of the snow sculptures, and he was loath to destroy them.
Even if it was for such a good cause as flinging it at his master.
Obi-Wan managed the best he could, a snowball here, a snowball there, but his position became more and more indefensible. His clothing became more and more sodden, and he couldn't help but marvel at it. Who knew his master had such a great throwing arm? Unless, he qualified, he really was using the Force to cheat. Something his master was not above doing in the past ... if he thought he could get away with it.
He was trying to sneak around to where he could sense his master's presence in the Force, hoping to get there unobserved and launch a surprise attack, but his master was suddenly there. The attack came in a blur of mid-flight, knocking both of them to roll over and over in the snow in a grip so fierce that Obi-Wan feared for a moment that the snow-cat from earlier had returned. Both of them covered in snow, they rolled about, struggling for dominance, struggling for an intangible something that Obi-Wan couldn't quite identify.
Something sweet, spicy, and sad, all at the same time. Something he knew would break his heart, but was nevertheless a something he could not deny to his soul.
Obi-Wan did what he felt was right. He looked his master in the eyes, seized both hands behind his master's head, curled his fingers into that wonderful silken hair, and kissed his master deeply on the lips. Kissed him fiercely for all he was worth, like his life depended on it.
Perhaps it did.
Then his master returned the kiss, his own desire showing, his passion easily equaling or even overflowing anything Obi-Wan might have shown. He could barely believe it. How had his master hidden this ... this need from him?
"I concede the match, Obi-Wan." He kissed the apprentice again, this time with such passion that when it ended, Obi-Wan was amazed to realize that his eyes were closed. He had no idea when that had happened.
Then he felt cold.
Not from the snow, but from the cruel reality of what they were doing. What they had done already. If anyone saw them ... if anyone even suspected ....
"Master, "Obi-Wan whispered, his voice little more than a broken sob. "We can't, the Council ... the Rules ...." He hoped his master would understand what he was trying to say. He wasn't sure he understood what he was trying to say. His heart hurt too much to speak.
His master held him tightly, stroked him, and made soothing noises. "Obi-Wan, dear heart, beloved. We are not in trouble with the Council, nor will we be."
"I don't understand." Obi-Wan could barely form words through his tears. They were beginning to freeze on his cheeks, and that made him even colder.
His master snuggled him closer, wrapped his cloak around them both, and gently brushed some of the tears away with the heel of one hand. "Do you not recall what I said earlier today?" He smiled faintly. "Here and now, we are not Jedi, not master and not padawan. I am Qui-Gon Jinn, you are Obi-Wan Kenobi."
And it was true, he realized. His master had not called him 'padawan' -- which he did very frequently -- since he'd explained that earlier.
Obi-Wan wasn't certain whether this rationalization made everything all fine. He rather doubted it, and suspected this was his master's way of thumbing his nose at the Council yet again. It definitely took 'following the letter of the law' to a new low, however.
On the other hand, he didn't want to argue, either. Especially not if he would get more of those kisses. And more, besides, later.
The very thought sent tremors everywhere.
"Ah, Obi-Wan, I would gladly warm you right here if not for all this snow. You are cold, I am cold. Let's go back to the resort --"
No, thought Obi-Wan desperately.
"--And get our packs, so that we might set out for the Eastern Hemisphere --"
Where we won't be disturbed, thought Obi-Wan, not by tourists and not by other Jedi. Where we won't be Jedi.
Where we will just be men.
"--And I will warm you there."
THE END