Warning: The following story contains explicit depictions of a
homoerotic context. If you are easily offended by
homosexuality, please delete the entire thing from your memory.
Disclaimer: all hail the mighty Lucasworld. I don't earn any
profit from my writing because I am not a Ferengi.
Archive: personal homepage, the M_A archive.
Pairing: Qui/Obi.
Categories: violence, m/m, part of a series.
Warnings: DARK imagery. Blood, gore and general violence.
Brief outline: "Prelude to A Storm" begins the second half of
the series. It was a moment of peace and tranquility in the
Republic and the lives of the Jedi. But was it going to last?
The Beast within seemed to have returned, stronger than ever.
The two men had given a new mission. "Observations From Afar"
sees Mace Windu pondering on his friendship with Qui-Gon. The
Jedi Master and senior councilor has misgivings.
Summary: The Beast draws nearer as the Jedi begin their mission
on Lupen VII. (Knowledge of the Lycanthrope series will be
helpful here).
Rating: NC-17.
The strong male loped across the damp field, his paws digging
into the soft mud. The wind sang in his ears and he rejoiced,
feeling the adrenaline pump in his veins. Behind him, his pack
followed and he could hear their voices. They too relished the
sensations and the experience of the hunt. They had waited for
a long time for this day where they could be themselves,
hunting down prey and eating the sweet sweet flesh of a Ferrin
antelope. Oh, how they wanted to hear the panicky squeals and
frightened whimpers of a cornered animal.
A familiar scent wafted across the strong male's nose and he
grinned. It was his mate. She was emitting a pleasant nectary
odor. She was entering her period of heat soon. As if she had
read his thoughts, she moved close to him without missing a
beat in her stride. She was beautiful, all silver fur and dark
eyes. He found himself getting aroused by the way she moved.
Soon, after the hunt was done, he would mate with her.
Suddenly, she gave a sharp warning yip. She had spotted their
quarry: a young antelope fawn quivering with fear, the dappled
hide awash under the moonlight. The rest of the pack moved
quickly into their hunting positions. The strong male felt a
surge of immense pride: they had become a cohesive team,
effective and efficient enough. He glanced at the fawn who had
lowered its horned head in defense. Fool, he mused as he
crouched, ready to pounce. But he kept his distance. A
frightened antelope fawn could still inflict a deep gash in the
body.
There was a blur of silver fur and his mate had attached
herself to the fawn, sinking her long fangs into the vulnerable
throat. The fawn screamed a high-pitched bird-like cry that
would summon the rest of its herd to its aid. Then, it did an
impossible thing: it swung its head and its horns caught his
mate...his mate... in the chest, throwing her off. She sailed
across the air, landing a few feet away from the fawn.
Everyone could hear the snap of bone as her back broke.
The strong male roared with fury and launched himself at the
fawn. His large claws grabbed the neck, twisted it and with a
low guttural curse, ripped it off. Red metallic blood sprayed
outward, coating his face, his muzzle and his coat. But he
didn't care; the hunting rage had taken hold of him. In a blind
fury, he tore at the belly, tasting the vital organs exposed by
his claws. The pack joined him at this point and they indulged
themselves in a frenzy fuelled by blood, hunger and sorrow.
They consumed everything. Nothing was left uneaten.
At last, they turned to the fallen female. The strong male
nuzzled her cold form tenderly. She was a lovely woman but cold
evil Death had taken her soul away. There was nothing he could
do now, except to honor her spirit.
With a choking sob, he plunged his fangs into her belly.
The cruiser Radiant V touched down at dawn, sending flurries of
wind and leaves into the sky. It bore the Jedi ambassadors, two
Masters and their apprentice. Their mission had begun.
Sai'rr, Speaker of the First Seat, waited patiently for them to
disembark. The Lupen representative smoothed her robes and
straightened her back.
He was back. The Jedi Master was back. Sai'rr smiled to
herself. Perhaps he would be able to help them in their current
crisis. With his sharp diplomatic skills and his added
...abilities, he could aid the Lupen in their hour of need.
The air was suddenly filled with a melange of smells. She could
recognize two of them: the Jedi Master and the younger Knight.
Another lighter sweeter scent: their apprentice, a young boy by
the name of Anakin Skywalker. She did her readings the night
before. Things had changed in the space of a few years. The
Master and his apprentice had mated. They had taken a new
apprentice.
Isba meena. Things were never static.
The prospect of dealing with three Jedi was quite tasty and
Sai'rr smiled again, bowing politely as the Jedi approached
her. The young boy eyed her cautiously, his blue eyes missing
nothing.
As she guided them to their guest quarters, she tossed a glance
over her shoulders. The darkened mountain ranges worried her
for some strange reason.
"Qui-Gon? How do you feel?"
The question, uttered the third time in the entire morning, was
beginning to irritate Qui-Gon. At first, it was amusing and he
had smiled, shaking his head. But he found his patience wearing
thin.
"I feel fine," he said and Obi-Wan frowned at him, the line
between his brows deepening. He wasn't satisfied with the
answer.
In fact, Qui-Gon had never felt better. The fresh clean air,
the sounds of the leaves and running water revitalized him. He
felt as if he had come home. Something in him was rejoicing and
delighting in the feel of earth beneath, the kiss of the wind
on skin. That something had been kept within, restrained and
caged up by a combination of strenuous meditation and urban
life. Coming back to Lupen was a total blessing for...
He rubbed his face. Instead, he stretched out the Force,
feeling for any discrepancies.
There was something...
Something...
Qui-Gon opened his eyes and turned to regard Obi-Wan who had
stripped off his robe. "Where's Anakin?"
"He's outside, talking to a few of the Lupen children."
"Get him inside. Now." His tone demanded no question. Obi-Wan
nodded and went outside to fetch the boy. A few moments later,
Obi-Wan returned with Anakin.
"I want you to meditate," Qui-Gon said quietly, drawing a
curious look from his bondmate. Anakin opened his mouth to
reply. But he gave up immediately when he saw the steely blue
eyes of his Master.
The Force rippled slightly. With an undercurrent of darkness.
Even Anakin glanced up, shocked.
"There's someone or something associated with the Dark here on
the planet," Qui-Gon said, kneeling down.
Inside him, the beast snarled and flexed its claws. This time,
it wanted to be released and hunt down the darkness.
But instead, it contented itself by sitting down patiently in a
corner of the mind. Besides, patience was a hunter's
prerogative.
The pack assembled near the thundering waterfall. Most of them
had left their homes and headed straight for their traditional
meeting point. The leader's call was imperative and they had to
obey. So, they abandoned their external skins and chose the
purity of their true forms.
There were mainly adults in this pack. In their true shapes,
they were huge and muscular beasts, with fanged mouths and grey
bodies. Muscles rippled in their bunched-up hindquarters. Their
ancestors, bless their hunting souls, used to leap great
lengths with powerful hind legs. The legends talked about
Leaders and their Seconds jumping across ravines in search of
their prey. These hind legs ended with sharp-tipped talons,
hooked like scythes for better gripping and tearing effect. In
a full killing frenzy, both legs and front-claws would be used.
Most of them resembled the snow-wolves of Hoth. But the
resemblance was only superficial. The snow-wolves were not as
intelligent as them. Huge fur-lined ears twitched spasmodically
as the adults listened to the leader, a heavily built male with
grey fur and wickedly curved fangs.
"We have to be present at the Meeting Hall," the leader said.
Their language, without the fetters of culture and linguistics,
was composed of guttural growls, snarls and ear-twitches. "The
off-world ones are here."
At this, the males in the pack responded with raised hackles.
They hated off-worlders for they brought impurity to the race.
Many of their brethren had already tainted the bloodlines by
mating with other species.
"I have received a message from him," the leader continued and
his ear twitched once. "Our prey is here."
"We will hunt once more," declared a young female with youthful
bravado. She was relatively new to the pack: a sleek-looking
creature with light grey, like the color of the sky when there
was a hint of rain.
The leader glared at her and she lowered her head in an act of
submission.
"True, we will hunt once more," he growled out. "But we have to
act according to his plan."
The pack agreed, nodding and snarling. The opportunity to hunt
again was great. They hadn't gotten over the euphoria yet.
They amused themselves by hunting down a Diz'k, a small bovine
creature that grazed on low-hanging leaves. There was great
pleasure in the rending of flesh and the taste of warm blood.
Of course, the youths in the pack fought over the pulsating
heart and the leader watched with grim amusement. For most of
the young pups, this would be their first great hunt. Worthy
enough to become a Legend or Myth.
Soon, it was time to disperse. They washed away the blood and
wore back their original skins.
No one said a word as they went to their ordinary lives as
housewives, farmers, students and workers.
As usual, the formal dinner was long and boring, interspersed
with speeches and songs. The food was the same as Obi-Wan had
remembered: rich and spicy. Red meat seemed to be the dominant
staple and the Lupen tucked in with apparent relish, while
their Jedi quests nibbled and ate little. Then, there was the
after-dinner wine where everyone drank, laughing and chatting
amongst themselves. Anakin had a startled expression on his
face all the time. Born and bred on Tatooine, he found the
amount of food consumed too extravagant. Slaves didn't afford
such luxuries.
Other than that, the apprentice sat through, barely keeping his
eyes open. He had a long day. He glanced over to his two
Masters. Obi-Wan was silent but his eyes were alert. Qui-Gon
was leaning towards Sai'rr, their heads inclined in serious
conversation.
The moonlight was spilling right into the sleeping quarters
when the two men returned. Obi-Wan sighed, rubbing his
shoulders ruefully. Sitting at the same place for a prolonged
period of time was bad for the posture.
Nearby, Qui-Gon was pulling off the dark-brown Jedi robe with
obvious relief. Soon, he draped it over the back of the chair
and started to remove his boots. He felt Obi-Wan's warm gaze on
his body and he smiled with pleasure, pretending to ignore it,
tossing the boots under the bed. He stretched, trying to loosen
the tense knots in his back; he winced at the throbbing pain.
"Lie down on your front," Obi-Wan said, sitting down next to
him. Qui-Gon looked at the young man, remarking how he had
grown. The padawan braid was shorn off, but Obi-Wan was still
the same youth he had known for years. There were lines on
Obi-Wan's face, and Qui-Gon sighed, reaching out a hand and
touching the cheeks.
"Lie down," his bondmate repeated and Qui-Gon chuckled,
complying. He rested his head on the soft pillow, smelling the
light fragrance of flower petals coating the pillow cover. He
let out a soft 'mmm' as Obi-Wan begun to massage his shoulders.
The deft fingers pressed into resisting flesh, kneaded at them
until they became soft and compliant. Qui-Gon began to relax as
the fingers wove circles on his shoulders and stroked his back.
The movements were so hypnotic that the older man almost didn't
mind the sensation of drowsiness descending upon him.
He was awakened up by a slap on his back. Obi-Wan grinned at
him, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
"On your back," he ordered. Qui-Gon mock-frowned.
"You are rather bold today, young padawan..."
"Am I?" Obi-Wan chuckled and patted his lover's belly gently.
Don't complain so much, Qui-Gon.
Complaining? Qui-Gon shot back even as he managed to
flip himself over. "I am not complaining. Merely a comment from
me, that's all."
Obi-Wan didn't say anything. He only loosened the front of
Qui-Gon's tunic, sliding his hands under the fabric. He began
to massage, eliciting groans of pleasure. His palm tickled the
nipples and Qui-Gon cried out, feeling them stiffening. Then,
the fingers were rubbing his belly and moving slowly to his
midriff. In a haze of warm arousal, Qui-Gon could feel Obi-Wan
removing his belt.
"Obi-Wan?" was what Qui-Gon was able to say before fingers
encircled his organ. He gasped and lost himself in the
sensations washing over and surging through him like mild
electrical currents. Those fingers alternately stroked and
caressed, constantly driving him to the brink and back again.
He tried to hang on to sanity, to lucid consciousness. Yet,
Obi-Wan's fingers were merciless, giving him no respite, no
rest. There were moments when he thought it would stop and he
felt at once relieved and disappointed. The fingers would
return once more, plunging himself back into the pleasure and
agony.
There was a split-second when he felt as if he was going to
burst. Then, the dam broke, rushing through him like an
avalanche.
Cocooned in the delicious glow, Qui-Gon watched his beautiful
partner undress, slipping off the tunic and pants. The
moonlight kissed Obi-Wan's skin, making it shimmer slightly
with illumination. They had to cherish this moment of borrowed
time.
Obi-Wan was the first to fall asleep and Qui-Gon envied the
young man's ability to rest so easily. It was difficult for
him. There were a million things in his mind and they swirled
around, demanding attention.
It was not going to be easy for him. He sensed it. There was
danger in the air. Sai'rr's calm tone belied her inner anxiety
and he had seen it, in her eyes.
He realized that he was afraid for the lives of his loved ones.
Outside their quarters, the wind carried the echo of some great
animal's cry.
He was there, the Beast with blue eyes. His eyes.
The creature was still waiting, sitting down on his haunches
with a nonchalance born of power and brute strength.
"Time to hunt," the Beast said matter-of-factly.
"No."
The refusal fell flat. The Beast only curled his lips, in a
ghastly imitation of a human grin.
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