Kyansuru Ai

by Katrinka (katrinka@flash.net)

Part of the Vaartuslik universe

Archive: master_apprentice, OKEB, and my homepage only. Anyone else, just ask.

Rating: R (part 4, NC_17)

Category: Angst, Drama, A/U

Warnings: Angst, this is another universe, some rules of the Jedi's won't be consistent with regular cannon, but will be with cannon of the series!

Notes: Other Vaar stories can be found at secret homepage: http://members.tripod.com/~katrinkak/secret.html

Spoilers: None for this part

Summary: Obi-Wan pays for mistakes made on mission.

Feedback: I beg and plead for Feedback. Please, oh pretty please!

Thanks to: Marnee for Beta'ing this!

Obi-Wan Kenobi sat in his cell. It had happened so quickly. He had been arrested soon after his arrival on Coruscant and brought to the cell. He had been informed that a trial would be held in a few days. The cell was simple, more like a waiting room, a few chairs, a cot. There wasn't much need for a regular jail for the Jedi. His belt had been taken away from him and there was a forcefield, which meant that he couldn't escape.

The trip to Coruscant seemed like a dream to him. He had finally gotten back with his Master, and the trip had been spent mostly in bed. He thought he had known every inch of his Master; he didn't know how wrong he had been. It felt as if he had just met the man. His mind kept drifting to his Master, the presence of the Vaar comforting him.

The Force told him that they would have troubles in the future. That he should appreciate the Vaar as long as he could. He couldn't see the future clearly, but he knew that he might lose his lover. A guard came in, followed by Qui-Gon. The guard turned off the forcefield and left.

"Obi-Wan, there isn't a lot of time." Qui-Gon looked around the cell. Through the Vaar, Obi-Wan could feel his Master trying to hide his worry.

"You're going to get me out of here." Obi-Wan got to his feet.

Qui-Gon went to him and touched Obi-Wan's cheek. He kissed his Padawan gently. "Beloved, I can't do that."

"Why?" Obi-Wan demanded. "What's stopping us? We've gotten out of spots tighter than this."

"If you run, they will assume you are guilty," Qui-Gon pointed out. "The Council would treat you more severely than if you stayed."

"You're right." Obi-Wan couldn't keep the despair out of his voice. "Why is Windu insisting on the trial?"

"It isn't Windu who wants the trial, it's Speilban who pressed the charges."

//The Academy's director of Younger Children.// Obi-Wan tried to put the picture of the Director out of his mind. He reminded Obi-Wan of someone in his subconscious, but he couldn't put his finger on who. Speilban was tall, with gray hair and with eyes that had always shown disapproval of his actions. //I should have known he wouldn't understand my leaving.//

Obi-Wan fought back his anger. "I wish you could be at the trial."

"I do too, beloved." Qui-Gon was holding something back, the younger man could feel it. He knew something that Obi-Wan didn't.

Obi-Wan held the questions he had. His Master always told him he questioned too much. "Yes, Master."

"You have questions. I could answer them," Qui-Gon offered.

The first question came out in a rush. "Why would the Council press charges against me?"

"We are only to protect, we are not to fight wars," Qui-Gon reminded him. "You know that part of the Code as well as I do."

"Master, what will happen to me if I am found guilty?"

"The worst that can happen is that they send you to work at the Agri-Corps."

"Then we will be apart." Obi-Wan looked away from his Master.

"We have a Vaar. If you go anywhere, I will follow you," Qui-Gon vowed. He put a hand on each side of Obi-Wan's face. He leaned forward, kissing his Padawan softly on the lips. //Trust me, please.//

//I'll always trust you!//

Qui-Gon could hear the voices of his parents arguing. They did this often, mostly about him. He envied the other students at the Academy; they didn't know their parents. Not him -- his parents were Jedi who worked at the Academy. They had gotten special permission for him to live with them.

"Yun-Yan is like you," Meng-Fei said.

"How could Yun-Yan ever be like me?" Qui-Gon could feel the waves of hatred coming from his father. For the first time, the boy realized that his father hated him.

"He was just like you when I picked you as a Padawan. Never the best grade-wise, but good in the things that count as a Jedi." Meng-Fei's voice remained calm.

"If only we didn't have him! I could have been a Master by now," Speilban said.

"Having a child didn't prevent you from having an apprentice. It is just an excuse," she pointed out. "Just as being bonded to a Master didn't prevent you from taking an apprentice."

"Tonight I'm going to stay in the hostel. I need some time to meditate."

A few minutes passed, and the door to his room opened. Meng-Fei came in. "Yan-Yun, are you all right?"

Qui-Gon nodded and wiped away the tears. His mother sat down beside him on the bed. "What's bothering you?"

"Father hates me."

"Why do you think that?"

"I can feel it from him."

"Your father's frustrated. He doesn't hate you." Meng-Fei reached out, stroking Qui-Gon's hair. "He thought that you wouldn't have to go through the struggles he did with school."

Qui-Gon couldn't believe his ears. "Father wasn't a good student?"

"He was like you. He had troubles. The masters believed he would have to go to the Agri-Corps. But I saw something different, a pure soul. You have the same type of soul." She looked him up and down. "I promised you a celebration, and we will have one! I contacted the dorm Master and got permission for Mace to spend the night. You two can do anything you want."

Qui-Gon hugged his mother. "Thank you."

Qui-Gon formally requested that he be allowed to talk to Speilban. He was surprised when his request was granted. His father was always too busy training others to give his son what he needed. Especially time; his father would rather spend his time off alone, instead of with his child. So Qui-Gon always felt his father was a stranger to him.

He went to his father's office. The man was as tall as Qui-Gon, he had the same piercing gray eyes, but his silver hair was short and he had no beard. "I was expecting you to come by."

"Can I come in, Father?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Please." Speilban opened the door wider. "Come, have a seat."

Qui-Gon came in and sat on the couch. He always wondered, since he looked so much like his father, why their personalities were so different. Why his father was so attached to rigidly following the Code. Why he had always disapproved of his son.

Speilban shut the door and sat on the other end of the couch. "How was your trip?"

"It was good," Qui-Gon said. "Obi-Wan was an admirable leader during our mission."

"Toppling a Tanaka doesn't sound like a successful diplomatic mission." A note of disapproval in his voice. "He is acting too much like you."

//I am no longer a child,// Qui-Gon reminded himself. //He'll want me to fight with him again. I refuse to do that.//

Qui-Gon tried to ignore that slam towards him. "Obi-Wan saved many lives. The Tanaka used Sith collars. We had to stop the use of Sith technology."

His father's eyes narrowed. "No one reported to the Council the use of Sith collars on Amponia."

"It will be a part of Obi-Wan's report. If you let him out of jail to allow him to give it."

Speilban ignored the dig. "You will write the report."

"From what Obi-Wan told me, Windu gave him permission to go after me. So why the arrest?"

"Obi-Wan Kenobi was a teacher. He left without telling anyone where he was going. He didn't even tell me. His students expected him to instruct them. His not showing up was very wrong!" His father's voice was angry. "If you had trained him properly, he wouldn't act this way!"

//Control,// Qui-Gon reminded himself. //If you blow up, he'll win!//

"He can't go off like you when something bothers him. He can't just run. He has responsibilities." His father thought for a second. "You are a very good Jedi. The problem is that you are too impulsive. That impulsiveness has rubbed off on your apprentice."

"What do you have planned?"

"Obi-Wan will be forced to take responsibility for his actions." He paused. "There will be a trial."

"I should be there."

"No, you are not allowed to attend the trial."

"I am Obi-Wan's Master," Qui-Gon insisted.

Speilban met his gaze. "You know the Code as well as I do. Windu never granted him formal leave, so he cannot be your Padawan."

"So I am expected to sit there and do nothing while Obi-Wan is on trial?"

"If you care at all for Obi-Wan, you will." His father stood up. "You have a report to prepare. I suggest you get to work on it."

"May I make one request?"

"Go ahead." Speilban sighed.

"Who is standing for Obi-Wan?"

"Ming-Fei Jiani," was the answer.

"Mother? How can the two of you be on opposite sides?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Because your mother believes in your Padawan's innocence. I don't." His father opened the office door. "I have another appointment."

//Ming-Fei, why did Obi-Wan's lawyer have to be Ming-Fei?// Qui-Gon asked himself.

He stood in front of the residence of Ming-Fei. She was there, he could feel her presence. He wondered what would happen if his Padawan knew that Qui-Gon's mother was on the Council. It was best that Obi-Wan didn't know.

//You didn't know who your parents were. You're lucky.//

Qui-Gon reached out to ring the bell. The door opened. A woman in her early hundreds stood looking at him. If Qui-Gon had gotten his looks from his father, he had gotten his soul from his mother. Because of the lifespan of her race, she wasn't even considered middle-aged. "I've been expecting you."

//Does she still know me that well?//

"May I come in, Mother?" he asked formally.

"You're always welcome here." The woman let Qui-Gon into the apartment. The apartment was sparsely furnished, with just a couch and several chairs, all of it issued from Academy housing. There was a hologram of him on one wall; he had been twelve in that picture. It was taken the day he found out that Hayata would be his Master.

Meng-Fei gestured to the couch. "Sit down."

Qui-Gon sat. His mother looked him over as she sat on the other end of the sofa. "You wonder why I have chosen to stand for Obi-Wan."

//Why does she always have to read my mind?//

"Yes, I do wonder," he admitted. "Since Father is the claimant."

"Because my choice is the right one. From all the evidence I've seen, your Padawan is being set up."

Questions flowed out of Qui-Gon like a brook. "Set up? Are you sure? Do you have concrete evidence?"

"Those who want Obi-Wan punished have worked hard to hide their tracks," she admitted. "Windu has helped me gather evidence towards condemning the accusers."

"Can I see the evidence?"

"It's best if we leave it for the trial." She smiled. " With any luck, we will make sure those who accused Obi-Wan are punished."

"I've been told that I cannot attend the trial," Qui-Gon said.

"That is at your father's request." Her eyes met his. "He doesn't want to see you hurt, Yun-Yan."

//Yun-Yan! When will Mother stop calling me by that name? I haven't gone by it since I was eighteen!//

"My name is Qui-Gon," he reminded his mother.

"You never told my why you changed your name."

"Everyone knew I was the son of a Jedi. The only way I could have a fresh start was to change my name," Qui-Gon said. "Besides, Qui-Gon was the name of your father."

"True, it was." Ming-Fei smiled.

"When will Father stop seeing me as a child?" Qui-Gon sighed.

"You're only sixty-five," she pointed out.

"Even on your home planet, I would no longer be a child," Qui-Gon countered.

Meng-Fei reached out, touching Qui-Gon's hair. "Your father won't think of you as an adult until you gray more."

"Yes, your planet's traditions."

"It's your planet, too.'

"I was born on Coruscant, I was raised here. I haven't spent more then three months at a time on your world." Qui-Gon decided to change the subject. "This deals with Obi-Wan, not me. He needs my support."

"Why does it mean so much to you?" she asked.

"If you must know, I have formed a Vaar with Obi-Wan."

The woman looked him up and down and smiled. "A Vaar. You've finally trusted someone enough to love."

"Yes, Mother."

Suddenly, he could hear Obi-Wan's mind cry out to him, then horrible pain shot through him. Through the Vaar Qui-Gon could feel Obi-Wan's mind being turned inside out, as if it was being forced through a sieve. //Help me, Master!//

He searched the Force for his Padawan, but couldn't find him. //Where are you?//

Obi-Wan telepathically screamed so loud that Qui-Gon could feel it shake his soul. He gripped the edge of the couch. Memories of Obi-Wan Kenobi's life began to flood his mind. Each memory brought more pain from the Padawan.

"Yun-Yan, what is it?" his mother asked, touching his arm.

"Obi-Wan," he gasped, the agony beginning to overcome everything.

"What do you feel? It's very important that I know."

Through the agony, Qui-Gon said, "Mindrape, he's being mindraped."

Meng-Fei slapped Qui-Gon hard across the face, breaking the contact with Obi-Wan. He wiped the tears from his eyes. His Padawan was being hurt, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Jedi do not mindrape. It is against the Code," his mother finally said.

"I know what I felt." He felt weak from the shock, and his fingers began to tremble.

"Your Vaar will tell you what happened."

Qui-Gon closed his eyes; a picture formed inside his mind. "The guards took Obi-Wan from his cell. I can hear him think, 'I won't fight, Master told me not to.' They took him to a room. There was a machine in it. He was forced to lie down. Obi-Wan's head was put inside the machine. Then it was turned on, and I felt pain."

"The mindsifter. Only the Council is permitted to order the use of the mind sifter."

"Wouldn't you be informed before a vote?"

"I am supposed to be, yes," she agreed. "The Council isn't what it used to be. The new leader is Metze, she believes in strict interpretation of the codified law."

"I've always wondered why Yoda hasn't become leader of the Council."

"He says it's not time. We can't force him into leading."

There was a pounding on the door. Qui-Gon had a brief flash of who it was. The guards.

"I could give you time to escape," his mother offered.

"No, Mother. My fate should be the same as my Padawan's," Qui-Gon vowed.

Stripped of his lightsaber and anything he could use to escape, Qui-Gon was brought to a cell. There was a lump on the cot, a small huddling body, its face covered with blankets. As he moved closer, through the Vaar he could feel that the body was Obi-Wan. He knelt down beside the cot, moving the blanket away from the head. Obi-Wan looked at him, his eyes bruised, unseeing. There were purple welts along his forehead and bruises that lined his face. Qui-Gon reached out, touching his Padawan's matted hair.

"Obi-Wan, I'm so sorry," he said out loud.

Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed until they were two dark slits. "Master?"

"Yes, it's me."

The Padawan reached a hand out, touching him. "Are you real? Are you part of the illusion?"

"What illusion?" Qui-Gon asked.

"He made me see an illusion of you, it demanded I answer questions." The fingers shook. "I know you would trust me enough not to cross examine my choices. Then when I didn't answer his questions, they put me in the machine."

"I'm sorry, beloved,"

"Not your fault," Obi-Wan said softly. "Don't blame yourself."

"Do you remember what happened in the machine?"

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. "It hurts to remember."

"Then try not to," he told his Padawan.

//Sleep,// he commanded his lover. Obi-Wan's eyes flickered shut.

//My father, how could he do this? How could he make you see me?// He looked down to his Padawan. The welts bothered him. If he wasn't careful in the way he healed his lover, there would be scars. Before the mindsifter had been banned, there had been plenty of cases permanent scarring, marking the victim for life. Qui-Gon vowed that his father would pay for each scar Obi-Wan received from the mindsifter.

Qui-Gon tore a strip of material from the sheet on the bed. Then he went to the tap and soaked it with water. He went back and gently began to wash Obi-Wan's wounds.

"That feels good," Obi-Wan murmured, smiling a bit.

"I thought I told you to sleep." He tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

"I can't."

"Yes, you can." Qui-Gon gathered the Force around him, then willed his lover to sleep.

Obi-Wan Kenobi woke. His mind felt disjointed, and there was a throbbing in his skull, as if he had drunk way too much and was still recovering from the effects. Hung-over, that's what he was, hung-over. It was a rare thing when he drank enough to be drunk. But when he did, he always had the hangover from hell. The only problem was, he couldn't remember drinking.

He couldn't remember much of anything, like how he got into this room. His Master sat beside the bed, meditating. He tried to reach his hand out, but he couldn't.

//Why is Master here?// he thought. //Move hand, move!// He tried to use the Force to move his hand, but instead a drinking cup flew across the room, crashing into the wall.

Qui-Gon's eyes popped open. "How was your sleep?"

"I feel strange," he admitted. "My mind doesn't obey me. I didn't mean to throw that cup...."

"Your controls will come back in time," Qui-Gon tried to soothe.

"What did I drink?" His tongue felt too large for his mouth.

"Nothing."

"Then why do I feel so strange? Why does my head hurt?"

"It's from the mindsifter."

"Mindsifter?" Obi-Wan's thoughts began to swim. He had heard that term before, but where? He couldn't remember. "What is that?"

"Your prosecutor wanted to get your side of the story," Qui-Gon explained. "He used a machine that could make you reveal your thoughts."

Obi-Wan felt helpless. "Why couldn't they just ask me?"

"I don't know." His Master looked off in the distance. "The mindsifter is banned on Coruscant. There is supposed to be an unanimous vote of the Council before it is used."

"And they didn't for me," he guessed. "Master, why are you here?"

"I've been arrested."

"How? There was no evidence against you." Then the answer came to Obi-Wan. "They took the evidence from me, didn't they?"

"It wasn't your fault," Qui-Gon told him.

"Then why do I feel like it is?" He felt filthy, dirty. His own memories had been used against his lover. "Master, how can you stand to look at me?"

Qui-Gon began to gently wash Obi-Wan's face. "Because I trust you."

"How can you trust me? I just betrayed you!" Tears stung his eyes. He hated himself for betraying his Master.

Qui-Gon reached out, stroking his hair. "If the same thing happened to me, would you still trust me?"

Obi-Wan didn't have to think. "I would. I trust you with my soul."

"Even if my memories betrayed you?"

Obi-Wan didn't have to think about the question. "Of course I would."

"Then how can I do any less for you?" The words were like silk. "Sleep, beloved,"

Even though Obi-Wan fought sleep, he felt his eyes close.

A guard came in, lowering the force field. He talked into a communicator. Mace Windu entered the cell area, his dark eyes surveying the room and settling on Qui-Gon. "Leave us,"

"My orders...."

Windu glared at the guard, who beat a hasty retreat.

Qui-Gon instinctively put a hand on his Padawan's sleeping form. Had his old friend come to take Obi-Wan away from him? "What do you want?"

"We need to talk." The Jedi Master looked them up and down.

"Just to talk?" Qui-Gon tried not to sound bitter. "Not to take down more evidence for the prosecution?"

"I wanted you to know that I didn't agree with the Speilban bringing charges against Obi-Wan." There was conviction in his voice. "If it were up to me, both of you would be free."

"Thank you." He glanced back down to Obi-Wan who was moving restlessly on the cot. The Padawan was having yet another nightmare.

"What happened to him?"

Qui-Gon tried to keep the emotion out of his voice. "They put Obi-Wan through the mindsifter."

Anger flickered over Windu's face. "Who did this?"

"Who do you think?" Qui-Gon reached out, stroking Obi-Wan's hair. He gathered the Force around him, making his Padawan fall into a deeper sleep. "Sleep, beloved."

"I don't understand why your father is so zealous about having you convicted." Windu began to pace.

"We were best friends at the Academy. You know how my father was. Nothing I ever did was perfect enough for him."

"Now that you're a Master, it's worse," Windu guessed.

"I think he would have disapproved if I hadn't become a Master," Qui-Gon admitted. "No matter what I do, it's never the right thing."

"I think you should know that your father is trying to blackmail me into testifying for the prosecution."

Qui-Gon's mind raced. If Speilban was stooping low enough to blackmail Windu, it could only mean one thing. "What does he have against you?"

"He still has the holo of us together. I've seen it, it's graphic."

"We were only children," Qui-Gon gasped. "I know carnality between Academy students is forbidden, but it was so long ago."

"I wouldn't trade those memories for the world." Windu reached out, touching Qui-Gon. "The only time I have seen the old Yun-Yan that I loved was when you're with Obi-Wan."

"Yun-Yan is dead," Qui-Gon insisted.

"No, he's still alive within you. All you have to do is ask him to come back."

"I wish it were that easy." He reached out, touching his Padawan again. "I would have liked Obi- Wan to meet my innocent self."

"I will refuse to testify if you want."

Qui-Gon met Windu's eyes. "Tell the truth when Speilban gets you on the stand."

"Are you sure?"

"The truth might help Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon pointed out.

Qui-Gon came home to find his parents gone. This wasn't unusual; his parents were away often. They were always busy on Academy duties.

The only difference today was that Mace was with him. His best friend, who had crossed the line of being 'simply friends' several months ago. They usually met at Qui-Gon's apartment. Windu dropped his knapsack on a chair and turned to Qui-Gon, a mischievous look in his eyes. "We better get to studying."

"Studying is very important." He set his own backpack down. They had played this game many times before. As always, Qui-Gon looked forward to the ending of the game.

"You can't get anywhere without studying." Mace moved closer to Qui-Gon, taking off his belt and tossing it on the ground. Then he took off his tunic, the entire time looking into his friend's eyes.

Qui-Gon took off his own tunic and belt, then walked backward until his back hit the wall. Mace stood in front of him, putting his hands on the wall so that if Qui-Gon moved his head, his face would have ran into Mace's arm.

Qui-Gon looked into his best friend's deep, dark eyes. He couldn't help but smile at the desire he found there. "So you recommend we study?"

"At every possible moment." Mace kissed Qui-Gon so hard that it sucked his breath out of him. Qui-Gon put his arms around his best friend, pulling him closer, letting his tongue battle his friend's for domination.

Suddenly, Mace Windu was flying across the room. Qui-Gon's father walked up to his son and punched him in the face. Qui-Gon could hear the bone in his nose breaking. He sank down onto the floor; he could feel the blood pouring down his face.

Then Speilban turned to Mace. "If you don't want me to tell the dorm Master, I suggest you leave! NOW!"

'There is nothing wrong with kissing!" Mace said. "I love Yan-Yun! Love isn't wrong!"

"Father, please, leave Mace alone," Qui-Gon said. "I love him!"

Speilban bodily picked up Mace Windu and carried him outside the quarters. Qui-Gon could hear the thud as his friend was thrown against a wall. Then his father came in and locked the door.

The gray eyes looked down at him disapprovingly. "Carnality between Academy students is against the codified law!"

"It's not carnality. I love Mace."

"Love? What do you know about love? You're too young to love!" his father yelled. "The son of a Jedi committing acts of carnality is even a worse transgression. You might want to know that I have surveillance film of your room. I know well that what you have been doing with Windu isn't just a kiss! I saw what you let him do to you! I should go and tell the Council the kind of person my son is! I should get you and your boyfriend thrown out of the Academy."

Qui-Gon began to cry as the blood ran down his face. His father knew of the love he shared with Mace. Not only that, but his father could get him thrown out of the Jedi program.

They would be tried by the Council. Not in the Council room, but in a special Trial room. There were many Jedi in attendance -- not just Knights and Masters, but also many Padawans. //A learning experience. I'm going to be a learning experience.//

Before the latest leadership, there would have been ordinary Knights on the jury. The new leadership was firm in keeping the codified law in place, which meant the jury was the Council, as ancient traditions dictated.

Obi-Wan watched Qui-Gon being taken into the room by guards. The man looked straight ahead, not worrying about the stares of the audience. His Master still had a dignity to him that the handcuffs couldn't take away.

Then the Master was taken to Meng-Fei, who was reviewing evidence. The woman was dressed in her best robes, beautiful in their simplicity. Her hair was also well styled. She nodded, and Qui-Gon sat down on the bench beside Obi-Wan. Then the handcuffs were taken off.

A trial. Obi-Wan had hoped his Master would be at the trial, but not like this. Not as a defendant. He had caused this, his memories had damned his Master.

//How are you feeling?// Qui-Gon asked, concerned.

//I've been better,// he admitted.

Qui-Gon ran his finger down his Padawan's arm. //Are you sure you can handle this trial?//

//Do I get a choice?//

//You could have Meng-Fei request you be excused.//

//I can't do that.// Obi-Wan looked into his Master's eyes. //I have a right to be here. This trial deals with our future.//

//No matter what happens, I will still trust you.//

//I trust you, too.//

Qui-Gon smiled a bit. //No matter what happens, we will always have our Vaar.//

//I won't let them take that away from us,// Obi-Wan promised.

Speilban looked Qui-Gon up and down. There was a smugness in his eyes. In that look, Obi-Wan knew the prosecutor was sure of conviction.

// I feel as if something is wrong,// he telepathed.

//What?//

//I have a feeling that the verdict has already been made. That this trial is only for show.//

//The Council wouldn't do that, you must be wrong.// Qui-Gon didn't look at him. //Concentrate your mind.//

Qui-Gon looked at Meng-Fei, and an electricity went between them. They shared a mental bond! Obi-Wan wondered how there could be a connection between the two. //Why couldn't I feel their bond through the Vaar?//

"Please rise for the Leader of the Jedi council," a guard ordered.

The court rose. Obi-Wan tried to stand, but fell to the floor. Without saying anything, Qui-Gon helped Obi-Wan to his feet. Metze came into the room and stood behind the judges seat. She was a tall Xiadoanian with long dark hair. "I hereby call the trial of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yun-Yan Wu, also known as Qui-Gon Jinn, into order." She lifted a stone and slammed it down.

"You may be seated," a guard said.

"A trial of a Jedi Master and a Padawan is a very grave thing, one that must be taken seriously. Bailiff, read the charges."

"The main charges for Obi-Wan Kenobi are desertion of duty for walking out on his class. Breaking the non-interference rule of the Code, in pertaining to the Amponian revolution. As the Code states, the Jedi use their powers to defend and protect, never to attack. Helping to overthrow a leader is a severe infraction against this rule," the bailiff recited. "Also, the charge of forming a mindbond with a person who is part of the Dark Side is levied." The bailiff sat down.

"What about the charges against Qui-Gon Jinn?"

The bailiff went to the jury. Yaddle handed the bailiff a flimsy. "Yan-Yun Wu, also known as Qui-Gon Jinn, is charged with aiding and abetting Obi-Wan Kenobi in the previous charges." "Prosecutor, will you plead your case?" Metze asked.

"My case is given in the documentation that was submitted in yesterday's hearing," Speilban said.

"Objection!" Meng-Fei jumped to her feet.

"What objection is that?" the judge almost sighed.

"The defense was not notified of the hearing."

"Objection denied."

"The Code states....."

"I said, objection was denied!" Metze yelled. "You are warned, interrupting the judge is a cause for me to rule without defense evidence being heard."

"I call my first witness, Mace Windu," Speilban said.

Windu was brought into the room, and the bailiff motioned to a chair. Windu sat down and looked at Qui-Gon. Again, electricity went between Qui-Gon and Windu.

//Is there anyone Master isn't bonded to?// Obi-Wan felt a tinge of jealousy.

"Windu, I want to ask you about Obi-Wan Kenobi's haircut. Describe to me why he wears his hair in that fashion." Speilban began to pace.

"Obi-Wan told me that he was wearing his hair in that style because he went through the Jedi Rite of Cleansing." Windu explained.

"Why did he perform the rite?"

"He refused to tell me."

"See, jury, the defendant refused to answer his Master's question!" He turned back to Windu. "What did you say to him?"

"I ordered Obi-Wan to grow his hair back. A thing that he refused to do."

"I am finished with the witness," Speilban said with a wave of his hand and sat back down.

"Meng-Fei, would you like to cross examine the witness? Remember, you can only ask questions in reference to the questions asked by the prosecution," The judge warned.

Meng-Fei got to her feet. "Master Windu, can you please give the court the part of the Code that refers to apprentices having to have long hair?"

"There is nothing in the Code that addresses the hair style of a Padawan," Windu admitted.

"Master Windu, can you tell the court what kind of hairstyle you had when you were a Padawan learner?"

"Objection!" Speilban lept to his feet.

"Overruled," Metze said.

"I had the same hairstyle that I have now, except that I wore the traditional small braid," Windu admitted. "Obi-Wan was a good Padawan to me. He did disobey, but I know he had a good reason. It wasn't my idea for the charges to be brought against Obi-Wan. I told him it was all right to go after Qui-Gon. I believe that they belong together as Master and Padawan. He will be a good Jedi Knight, if he is given the chance. I hereby formally release him, so that he can return to Qui-Gon Jinn."

"Objection!" Speilban yelled. "Windu gave a speech had nothing to do with the question!"

"On the contrary, Master Speilban. My speech gave the truth to the charges. I disagree with this trial taking place!" Windu said firmly. "There are ways to discipline Obi-Wan without having a show trial. A trial where the verdict has already been arranged ahead of time!"

"The blatant disobedience of a Master is a grave offense," Metze finally said. "Even you can agree that a trial must be held!"

"This hearing is not fair. Last night you had the real trial! Admit it! I was there." Windu was very angry. "You've all ready voted on the verdict. You found both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon guilty! Why? Why must we have a show trial?"

"Because a Vaar cannot be terminated against the will of the participants without a trial. You know the law," Metze said.

Qui-Gon reached out and took Obi-Wan's hand. Their Vaar. It would be taken. He tried to fight down the panic that he felt. He wanted scream that they couldn't do this to him!

//They might take away our Vaar, but I will always love you,// Qui-Gon said.

"Where is Yoda? He is the one that most strongly disagreed with this trial!" Windu demanded.

"Yoda boycotted the trial," Metze said. "Now that the truth is told, the court finds Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn guilty of all charges."

"I object, your honor!" Meng-Fei said.

"No, you cannot object. The verdict has already been given."

"Then there is only one thing left." The woman got to her feet. "I will not be a party to an organization who goes against the codified laws simply because they are afraid of the truth. "

"What is the point of all this?" The judge asked.

"The point is this: If the Jedi Council is so entrenched in going against everything I believe the Force wants" -- she looked around -- "then I publicly resign my post on the Jedi Council. I cannot stand by and watch you break the Code so that you can convict Obi-Wan Kenobi and his bonded."

"The only thing left is the sentence," the judge said. "The Vaar that is between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn will be dissolved as soon as the verdict is given. Obi-Wan, you have lost the right to be called by your Jedi name. >From now on you will be known as Ben Kenobi. Kenobi will be sentenced to work in the Medi-Corps as a healer until the Council believes that he is rehabilitated."

"Qui-Gon Jinn, because of the high regard we have for your mother we will grant you leniency. You will work at the Jedi Academy until Obi-Wan Kenobi is dully rehabilitated."

//Qui-Gon's mother?// Obi-Wan thought. //What does Master's mother have to do with this?//

"Your honor, may I speak?" Qui-Gon got to his feet.

"Make it brief."

"I request that I have the same penalty as Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Life with the Medi-Corps is not an easy one."

"I know that. I am Obi-Wan Kenobi's Master; my place is with him."

"You will no longer have your Vaar."

"The Vaar doesn't matter, as long as I am with him," Qui-Gon vowed.

"What does your mother say about this?" Metze asked.

Meng-Fei walked closer to the stand several steps. "I agree with my son. He belongs with his bonded."

//Ming-Fei's your mother?// Obi-Wan gasped.

//Yes, she is,// Qui-Gon told him.

Obi-Wan looked at Shaider. If Ming-Fei was his mother, it meant was Shaider was his father. The man looked so much like Qui-Gon. //Why hadn't I seen it before?//

"Very well, you will be permitted to travel with Obi-Wan. To prove his worthiness, Obi-Wan will spend the first two months of the sentence without you. You may return to Coruscant at any time." The judge picked up the rock, and slammed it down again. "This trial is at an end!"

Obi-Wan sat in a small waiting area, surrounded by guards. His master had been taken out of the room several minutes before. Their Vaar would be taken. Qui-Gon had tried to do it once before. He was of a mistaken belief that the presence of the Vaar would hurt Obi-Wan. His master had worked hard to try and have Obi-Wan forgive him. Their relationship had finally gotten back to normal.

He looked towards the other two in the room. Ming-Fei and Speilban. Seeing them fight, he could feel that his wasn't the only Vaar that would be desolved.

"How can you help that woman desolve the Vaar of Yun-Yan?" Obi-Wan could hear Ming-Fei yell at her bonded. "He's your son! He deserves to be with his lover."

"My son!" there was scorn in Speilban's voice. "He is a dangerous element. He has never followed the Jedi code to the letter. It is better that he loose the bond!"

"Why punish him?"

"It's for the good of the Jedi's." was all that Speilban said.

"How can destroying a Vaar be good for the Jedi's?"

"Simple, Yun-Yan has taught Obi-Wan to be like him. So much like him, that the Padawan helped turn over a planet's government." the man's voice rose. "That kind of radilism cannot be accepted! He must be punished!"

"Obi-Wan had a good reason!"

"Nonsense! Our duty is to serve, not to lead. Obi-Wan, under Yun-Yan's guidance broke that rule. An example must be made!"

"If you insist on going through this ceremony, I will ask for our own Vaar to be desovled." Ming-Fei threatened.

"Fine! Ask for it to be desolved. I was planning to ask for the same thing! I've found another, who has believes like mine."

"Metze," Ming-Fei breathed.

"You know me well." The man smiled. "As soon as this ceremony is conducted, we will conduct our own. Then I can bond with Metze."

"Fine, bond with her. You deserve each other!"

The Balif came into the room. "It is time."

Two guards grabbed Obi-Wan's arms, and pulled him to his feet. Obi-Wan pulled away. "I can walk on my own."

The guards grabbed the Padawan again. Meng-Fei stepped between them. "Give him his dignity. Let him walk on his own."

The guards looked at Speilban, who nodded. They let go of Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan was taken to the Council chamber. Qui-Gon was already standing in front of the Council. Obi-Wan looked at his master, their minds touched, a caress between lovers. Perhaps the last time their minds would touch.

//I don't want this.// Obi-Wan telepathed. //I want our Vaar.//

//The Vaar will be gone, but you will still be in my heart.// Qui-Gon told him. //They can't take away our love for each other.//

//I love you,//

//I love you, beloved.//

Metze stood up. "The time has come to break a Vaar. What was once one, will become two."

Qui-Gon looked at his Padawan. //We will always be one in my heart.//

"The bond that was once there, will be gone. The lovers will seek out others. No longer will a Vaar be permitted between the lovers. If another bond is attempted, then it too will be broken by the council." Metze lifted a stone, and dropped it. "Let the Vaar be broken!" The council closed their eyes in concentration.

A wall pushed between the Vaar, a clear wall, that Obi-wan could still see through. Obi-Wan mentally pushed against the wall. The wall pushed back harder. The tentacles went into his mind, taking over everything, pushing their way past all of his barriers. The breaking of the bond seemed so much like mindrape, the total intrusion of someone else in his mind, shoving the two lovers apart. He sank to the floor, gasping. //Master!//

//Beloved!//

The wall became stronger, until Obi-Wan could no longer see through it. He could no longer feel his Master's presence in his mind. All that was there was a vast loneliness. There wasn't even a small hint of what was once there. Despair overcame the Padawan, he began to sob.

"Take them out of here!" Metze commanded.

Obi-Wan felt hands on his body. They picked him up, and carried him out of the chamber. It no longer mattered where he was taken. He was alone.

"I'm sorry Yun-Yan," Meng-Fei told him as they entered her residence. "I tried...."

"You did all you could, Mother." There was now a void in his mind. He felt as if half of his soul had been wrenched away. For the first time in several months, he felt truly alone. No longer did his lover live in his mind. He couldn't just think of him and hear his Padawan's answer. He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to reach out to Obi-Wan telepathically. He could no longer contact his Padawan.

//I must be strong. Obi-Wan will need me.//

Meng-Fei put a hand on the side of his face. "The last time I saw that look in your eyes, you had just been taken away from Hayata."

"That was different. Father wouldn't let me return home, I was being sent to the Agri-Corps. None of that has happened." He fought the emptiness in his mind. "I have lost the one thing that meant the most to me."

"You thought your life was over, just like you do now."

"Isn't it? I no longer have Obi-Wan."

"Don't say that! You still have him."

"He's no longer in my mind, no longer a part of my soul." Tears stung at his eyes.

"But he's in your heart!" she said firmly. "As long as he lives there, the Council can never take him away from you!"

It was the end. Obi-Wan might be his Padawan, but they would no longer share a love. Morosely he said, "We were the same soul. We were bonded!" Tears started pouring down his cheek. He didn't try to stop them.

"You will be again,"

"It won't be the same!"

Ming-Fei wiped the tears from his eyes. "Reforming a Vaar is possible."

Qui-Gon looked into his mother's eyes. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. It won't be as easy this time, but it is possible. If you're willing to work at it."

"Obi-Wan is worth the time and effort," he vowed. "I wish they would let me see him."

"You will in time."

"May I ask you something, Mother?" Qui-Gon asked.

"You know you can ask me anything."

"Mother, why did you stay with Father?" he finally asked. "The two of you fight half the time."

"Because the other half the time we don't," she pointed out. "Isn't there time when you and Obi-Wan disagree?"

"Yes, there is," he admitted.

"Your father sees himself in you. He doesn't want you to make the same mistakes as he did."

"Then why can't he accept me?"

"Perhaps it's because you are so much like me," Speilban said from behind him. "I thought if I was hard on you, you could be more like the man I wanted to be." Qui-Gon turned around. His father walked closer to him. "You don't understand why I prosecuted Obi-Wan. I did it because it was what was right."

"Speilban, this isn't a good time." Meng-Fei blocked her former bonded's way.

"I feel that I should make my son's peace before he leaves."

"If you really think this was right, then there is no peace to be made," Qui-Gon said. "Look in your heart, Father. Did you go after Obi-Wan so that you could get to me?"

"You have not been a good Jedi Master," Speilban said. "You had a duty to warn your Padawan to not take needless risks."

Before Qui-Gon could answer, there was a pounding on the door. Meng-Fei went and answered it. Windu stood in the doorway, followed by two guards.

"Are you here to arrest my son?" Ming-Fei asked.

"Can I please come in?" Windu asked.

"Of course."

Windu came into the apartment. He glanced at Speilban. "Just the person I was looking for. You and your family have been requested to appear before the Jedi Council."

//He's smug. The Council wants to see him, and he looks smug!// Qui-Gon thought.

Qui-Gon walked several paces behind his father as they entered the Council chamber. Metze was there standing in the middle of the chamber, her head down. Yoda sat in her chair. Windu went and sat down in the chair beside him. There were four new members of the Council.

"Master Metze and Knight Speilban, we have found conclusive evidence that you tried to take over the Jedi Council," Windu said.

"Hear your side, we would like to," Yoda said.

"What we did was for the good of the Council." Metze's voice was soft. "People like Qui-Gon are a danger to the Jedi."

"Just because Qui-Gon chooses another path to live by, doesn't make him a danger," Windu said.

"Non-conformity poses great dangers!" the woman insisted. "We must have order in the Jedi! If we don't go by our own rules and standards, how can we help others?"

"Qui-Gon Jinn, have you tried to keep the rules of the Jedi?" Windu asked.

"Yes, I have." Qui-Gon stepped forward.

Metze looked around. "Where are the Council members that agree with my cause?"

"Retired they did, when confronted with evidence," Yoda said. "Evidence we have against you."

"You're lying. There is no proof," Speilban said.

"The proof was gathered in the same way you made evidence against Qui-Gon as a child," Windu said. "The same evidence you tried to blackmail me with."

"Making holos of Council members is forbidden!" Metze gasped.

"If you remember the Code, all it takes is vote of four members to authorize a tap," Windu said. "Four members did give their vote."

"I don't believe you have evidence. You're just trying to bluff us into condemning ourselves!" Speilban said.

"We would like to see the this so-called evidence," Metze said.

"Very well." Windu touched a button and the evidence began to play.

Qui-Gon was horrified at what he saw. His father plotting with Metze to throw out all Jedi who didn't follow a strict party line. Metze had promised his father a place on the Council after they threw Windu out of the Jedi.

When the evidence was finally finished playing, Windu said, "Metze, we hereby strip you of the rank of Master. You will never be allowed to train a Padawan learner again. You will be assigned to the child identification program." He then turned to Speilban. "Speilban Wu, you will never be allowed to obtain the rank of Master. You will loose your job as the head of the Younger Ages at the Academy. Instead, you will spend two years in solitary meditation."

The Guards gestured to Metze and Speilban, and they left. Windu looked at Meng-Fei. "We ask that you reconsider your retirement from the Council."

"I am more happy being a teacher," Meng-Fei said. "Can I resume my job at the Academy?"

"If you want, so be it," Yoda said.

"Qui-Gon, the Council took your Vaar. Unfortunately, we cannot bring that back. You will have to work to reform the Vaar with your apprentice," Windu said. "Because the Council has changed members, we decided to reconsider your sentence. You and Obi-Wan will spend six months in the Medi-Corps. After that time, you will be reinstated into the Jedi."

Obi-Wan put his bag on the bunk. A nightmare, all this felt like a nightmare. The Vaar was gone, Windu had released him as an apprentice. He would now do a stint in the Medi-Corps as punishment. If he did well, perhaps he might be able to be forgiven. He knew one thing: his lover was no longer in his mind.

//Master, why did they have to take you away?//

The room had two bunks. That meant he would have a roommate. He hoped that the person would be at least pleasant. It would be two months before he saw Qui-Gon again. Two long months.

The door to his room opened. Qui-Gon came in, throwing a pack on the top bed. "Master, what are you doing here?"

"I've been exiled, too."

"They said you had to be away from me for the first two months."

"I will be -- once we get to our destination," Qui-Gon said softly. "They changed our sentence. If we work hard, we can be paroled at six months."

"They took our Vaar." He couldn't keep the hopelessness out of his voice. "There's nothing between us now!"

"There will always be something between us. It doesn't matter if we have a Vaar or not, our love will be here." Qui-Gon reached out, touching Obi-Wan. "Mother told me that if we worked together, that the wall between us might crumble."

"Do you think it will?" Obi-Wan tired to keep the hope out of his voice.

Qui-Gon stroked the younger man's cheek. There was a fleeting moment of mental touch. "They took the Vaar from us; that doesn't mean we can't try to reform it."

"It won't be easy, will it?"

"Mother told me that it will be harder for us this time. But it can reform." Qui-Gon knelt down, and kissed Obi-Wan. The apprentice put his arms around Qui-Gon, pulling him closer. His master's tongue probed his mouth.

The Qui-Gon pulled away from him. "The ship is monitored."

"I don't care," Obi-Wan said.

Qui-Gon stroked his hair. "Yes, you do."

Obi-Wan could hear his Master showering in the bathroom. It had been too long since they had made love - since before the trial. Now Obi-Wan needed his Master's touch. He wasn't quite sure if his Master wanted him now. The lack of the mental bond made him have to use his instincts. His hardness bothered him. Take care it here, or in the bathroom was his choice. There were monitors, his seduction of his Master would be seen.

//Let the monitors be damned.//

Obi-Wan went into the bathroom and stripped off. He looked into the shower. His Master's head was back, the water streaming over his long hair and falling in ripples down his scarred chest, his eyes closed. Qui-Gon's hardness arched towards his belly. His Master was quite a turn on.

Obi-Wan stepped into the shower, almost tripping over the steps that led down to the bottom of the shower. Obi-Wan bit his lip, but that was the only reaction to the fall. He reached out, taking Qui-Gon's hardness in his hand; it was larger then he remembered and it excited him..

His Master groaned in the back of his throat.

"Obi-Wan, you shouldn't. They could see." Qui-Gon's protest was blocked out by his Padawan sinking to his knees.

"You checked this room for bugs. remember?" He began to slowly run his tongue across the length of the cock.

"Yes, I remember. You don't have to do this, we no longer have a Vaar."

"We still have each other. The Council can't take that from us. My trust in you has never changed." Obi-Wan began to flick his tongue across the ridge on the bottom of Qui-Gon's penis. He was thrilled with the noise his lover made with each flick. //He still wants me!//

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon moaned. He put a hand on top of his Padawan's head and slowly began to thrust. "It's been so long...."

Obi-Wan's hands went up, running across Qui-Gon's ass. He found the hole and pushed two fingers inside. That made his lover begin to make little "um" noises.

Qui-Gon pulled himself out of his lover's mouth, then pulled him down to the floor of the shower. He began to nibble on Obi-Wan's neck, making small love bites. As they kissed, his large hand went around the younger man's cock. Obi-Wan arched back, his eyes rolling back in his head. "Master!"

He could feel Qui-Gon smile against his neck. "I'd love to feel that inside me."

Obi-Wan surrendered himself to a kiss. Obi-Wan felt his master's long held-back passions. Qui-Gon pulled away from him, leaned his back across the steps, then straddled his legs. The arch of his stomach, the curve of his ass... it was like a sculpture. If his Master was a turn on before, he was beautiful now. Obi-Wan kissed his Master's knee, then nestled between the older man's legs. He was wet from the shower and Obi-Wan pushed himself slowly inside the warm canal.

"Yesssssssss." The word was like a prayer. Qui-Gon wrapped his legs around Obi-Wan's hips, pushing him forwards.

As he thrust, Obi-Wan bit his lip, the excitement inside of him beginning to rush over his body. He was so close to conclusion. It had been so long. Suddenly, with a gush, the Padawan came.

He pulled out of Qui-Gon and sank beside him. "I'm sorry, I was so excited."

"It's all right." Qui-Gon stroked his hair. His lover's hardness pressed into his thigh, reminding him that their lovemaking wasn't through.

Obi-Wan ran his hand down Qui-Gon's firm chest, making small strokes across the belly. His hands stroked around the cock, but not touching it. Then the hand went down Qui-Gon's inner thigh, stroking it.

Qui-Gon moaned in the back of his throat.

"You like it?"

"You're driving me crazy." His voice was low, throaty.

"What would you like?" His fingers stroked his Master's scrotum, bringing another moan from Qui-Gon.

For a second, there was a brief flash inside Obi-Wan's mind. Qui-Gon making love to Obi-Wan.

"Is that what you want?" Obi-Wan asked.

"We agreed that I would be the bottom." His master tried to pull away from him, but was stopped by the younger man's hand.

"Master, you let me make love to you, but you won't make love to me."

"You've been scared of my penis...."

"What did you tell me about fear? That I should face my fears?" He continued the ministrations on his lover's cock. "Look what happened when I learned to suck you."

"All right, then," Qui-Gon agreed.

Obi-Wan knelt over the steps. He thought that Qui-Gon would push inside of him, the way Obi-Wan had always made love to him. Instead, the Padawan felt a finger rim his hole. Then he felt something else against his hole, something rough, eager. It took him several seconds to realize it was Qui-Gon's tongue. The man raked the tongue around, making love to him with his mouth. It as electrifying. Obi-Wan moaned loudly and felt himself grow hard again.

"Master," he groaned.

The tongue was replaced by a finger entering him slowly. There was a large amount of pain as a second finger joined it. "Stop, Master!"

"Relax, Obi-Wan. Trust me." Qui-Gon voice was like silk.

Obi-Wan tried to relax his sphincter. His master wouldn't hurt him. He trusted him. The pain faded, replaced by a sense of being filled completely. He wanted more of this. "Master, move, please."

The fingers began to thrust inside him, a third, then a fourth finger joined the thrusting. The nails raked against something, something that made feelings of fire go through him. He felt a cry emanate from his lips. He pushed himself back into the fingers, trying to get more of the sensation.

"How does that feel?" There was a sensuality to his Master's voice.

"Master, make love to me," was all that Obi-Wan could say.

The fingers left Obi-Wan, and he sighed in disappointment. Then a hardness brushed his cheek, his Master's cock; it would really hurt if he wasn't prepared, so he relaxed himself. Slowly, very slowly, Qui-Gon entered Obi-Wan. It filled him completely, totally, as if he had been made to hold this penis. Finally there was one more push, and the hardness hit the prostate. He gasped again.

Obi-Wan pushed himself backwards onto the hardness. It felt good, so very good. Slowly Qui-Gon began to thrust; with each thrust, his Master moaned sharply.

Qui-Gon put his hands on either side of Obi-Wan's and began to pump hard. The groans got so loud, that Obi-Wan began to wonder if he would go deaf. The Padawan arched back to meet each thrust, making noise in time to the pumping. Then suddenly, with a cry, Obi-Wan came. It was followed closely by Qui-Gon's orgasm. They collapsed together onto the floor of the shower. The water had turned cold, but neither of them minded.

"I love you." Qui-Gon gave Obi-Wan little kisses on his forehead.

"I love you, too." Obi-Wan looked up, and his Master kissed his lips.

"Thanks for trusting me enough to make love to you." They held each other as they came down from the orgasm. As they touched, Obi-Wan realized that a bit of their mental link had returned. Not much, but enough for now. Enough to give Obi-Wan hope that the Vaar would reform.

Note: again thank you for reading my story. I'm working on a sequel and will post it soon. Please, if you like this, email me!