Title: Defending Honor
* * * * * Jade Blood walked slowly down the dark corridors of the Temple behind her Master, Cher-Ryll Sejam. It was the middle of the night when the pair finally returned to Coruscant, after having spent nearly six months hammering out the still-very delicate peace treaty between the two warring factions on Geldar Prime. Jade was extremely thankful that the halls were empty. She didn’t want anyone to see her so exhausted. She walked a few paces behind her Master with her head bowed and shoulders slumped. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep her life away. She allowed herself a small smile at that thought as she turned to enter the apartment she and her Master shared, but stopped short of slamming into the door. She stared questioningly at it, wondering why her Master hadn’t opened it, then turned to see she was still walking down the hall. “Master?” Cher-Ryll stopped and turned back to regard her Padawan. She suppressed a smile when she noticed that Jade looked as bad as she felt. “Yes, young one?” “Where are you going? Our quarters are right here,” Jade said, lazily gesturing to the door in front of her. “I know, dear,” Cher-Ryll chuckled, “but Master Yoda asked to speak with me once we returned.” “This late?” “Yes, Jade, even this late. Now, go on inside and get ready for bed. I shouldn’t be long.” “All right. Goodnight, Master,” Jade yawned as she punched in the code to open the door. “Goodnight, little one. Sleep well.” Jade watched her Master until she was out of sight, then stepped inside the apartment. She made her way through the dark living room by memory and a little help from the Force. As she made her way between the couch and dining table, a sweet smell caught her attention. With a wave of her hand, the kitchen lights sprang to life, revealing a large bouquet of violet stemmed Alderaanian sweet blossoms. The pedals of the flowers were a very light shade of pink, with the same violet as the stems accenting the edges. Jade grinned broadly as she walked over to them and, leaning over to steal a sniff, picked up the note that was attached.
Welcome home! -Obi Tears of joy began to sting her eyes as she clutched the note to her heart. “Oh, Lion,” she breathed, leaning in for another sniff. She picked up the vase and carried the flowers into her room. She placed them and the note on the table next to her bed, then stepped in the ‘fresher to change. Once that task was done, she leaned into the flowers for one last sniff, crawled into bed, and fell asleep with a smile. * * * * * She awoke the next morning with a start when her alarm clock went off. She was still exhausted, but, after pressing the snooze button almost one too many times, she got up and attempted to push her fatigue to the back of her mind. Despite the long, grueling mission, she had to resume her classes today. And tell Obi, “Thank you!,” she thought as she made her way to the ‘fresher. Once again dressed in her robes, Jade grabbed the note from her bedside table and carried it out along with the books she would need for her first class. She smiled as she walked into the kitchen, once again being bombarded by wonderful smells. Not from flowers, however, but from breakfast. Sitting on the table, next to her plate of toast and eggs, was a datapad with a note from her Master, telling her that she had another early meeting, this time with Master Mundi, and would see her after her classes. Jade inhaled her breakfast so that she wouldn’t be late to her Political Mechanics class. Normally she was the most attentive student in the room, but not today. She couldn’t concentrate. She kept sneaking peaks at the note, smiling to herself, and trying to think of what to say to Obi-Wan when she saw him at lunch. Which couldn’t come soon enough. Despite having sat halfway to the back of the class, she was the first one out of the room when Master Koon dismissed them for the lunch hour. She knew that Obi-Wan always liked to get to the dining hall early, so he didn’t have to worry about being late to his next class, and Jade wanted to catch him before he went in. She paced by the entry with her class books pressed against her chest and the note from Obi-Wan on top of them. Her heart began to race when she finally caught sight of him. He was strutting down the hall, chatting with four of his friends. “Hey, Obi!” He turned to see Jade standing by the dining hall doors, and his face lit up with a lopsided grin. “Jade!” He quickened his pace and scooped both her and her books into a bear hug. “Welcome home. I missed you,” he said against her hair. Jade beamed as he put her back on her feet. “Boy, between that and your wonderful surprise last night, I’d think you were becoming attached,” she teased. Obi-Wan looked at her blankly. “Surprise?” He chuckled. “What are you talking about, Jade?” She furrowed her eyebrows as she stared at him for a moment, then chuckled nervously. “C’mon, Obi. Quite joking. You know exactly what I’m talking about.” Her nervousness grew as he simply stared at her. “The flowers…” she said, hoping that would jog his memory. His brow furrowed with concern as he shrugged. “Jade,” he said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder and looking deeper into her eyes, “I’ve no clue what you’re talking about.” Now, Jade was flat-out scared. She felt a slight burn behind her eyes, and her breathing became short and ragged. She looked back into Obi-Wan’s eyes, noting how he took a step back when he saw the pain her own eyes conveyed. “B-but,” she stammered. “There was a note.” As she handed him the note, she silently prayed that he was just playing a trick. He took the note from her and held it with both hands as he read it. After a moment, he looked back at her with a pained expression. “Jade, I’m sorry, but I didn’t right this.” She could feel her tears begging to fall, but she blinked them back, determined not to make a scene. “But Obi-Wan,” she whispered, unable to look him in the eye anymore. “It looks like your handwriting. You signed it. You….” “No, Jade. I didn’t write this.” He could see the pain his words were causing, and it tore at his heart. He hated what he was doing, but he knew there was no other way. He tried to pull her into his arms again, to comfort her. “Jade….” He was stopped short by a hard slap to his face. “Don’t touch me,” she choked out through gritted teeth. She glared hard at him as he rubbed at his already bruising cheek, her look pure acid. “Just don’t.” She snatched the note from his hand and took off at a run towards her quarters. “Jade!” He moved to take off after her, but was stopped by a hand on his arm. He turned to look into the hollow green eyes of his friend, Drogan Varrick. Drogan was about the same age as Obi-Wan, but with a stockier build. His hair was as red as fire and his face was hard and angular. Not at all the type of face a 16-year-old should have. He and Obi-Wan had been rivals when they were younglings, always trying to out-do the other, the conflicts so heated at times that both usually ended up in the Healer’s Wing. That relationship gradually grew into a not-so-steady friendship, each still trying to out-do the other with various pranks. “Let her go, man,” he laughed. “She’ll come around, eventually.” He laughed again as Obi-Wan pulled his arm away and stalked into the dining hall. “It’s not funny, Drogan,” he said as he and his friends made their way to the food line. “Are you kidding?” Drogan bawled. “It was hilarious!” He turned to address the others in the group, who seemed to be keeping a wary distance from he and Obi-Wan. “I mean, I knew I could write like him, but that must’ve been pretty damn convincing!” Obi-Wan stopped dead in his tracks, causing Drogan to slam into his back. He never even flinched. “Hey, Kenobi, what gives?” Drogan glared at the back of his friend’s head. “Food’s getting cold. Let’s go!” “You wrote that?” His voice was barely above a whisper and held an icy edge that surprised him. He turned slowly to glare at Drogan. The look of pure fury that swam in the other Padawan’s eyes was enough to make Drogan step back a pace. “Yeah,” he said after a long moment. “Sure did.” He continued to speak to Obi-Wan, but was unable to look him directly in the eye. It seemed easier to boast that way. “Man, that was the greatest gag ever. The look on your face was priceless! I mean, you were all like….” His boasting was interrupted by a hard fist connecting with his face, causing him to fall back into the other Padawans behind him, taking a few to the ground with him as he fell. “Sith Hell, Kenobi! Were you trying to break my nose?” Obi-Wan stood in a slight crouch with his hands balled into fists at his side, ready to pounce. “You just forced me to make my best friend look like a fool!” He stalked over to where Drogan lay and reached down to grab the other by his collar. Obi-Wan found that he was actually pleased to see fear dance across Drogan’s features as he brought his face within mere inches of his own. “By the time I’m through with you, more than just your nose will be broken.” He reared back and threw another hard right hook into Drogan’s face, and was satisfied to hear a liquid crack. Drogan fell back again, barely getting his hands in front of his face to block more of Obi-Wan’s punches. The other Padawan straddled him, pinning him to the floor. Between the pain of his broken nose, and the shock from this sudden attack, Drogan couldn’t think straight to fight back. He heaved a sigh when he felt Obi-Wan being lifted off of him, kicking and screaming, but his relief quickly melted when he saw who his rescuer was. “What’s going on here?” Mace Windu bellowed. He glared first at Drogan, still lying on the floor and bleeding, then to Obi-Wan, who was being restrained by his Master. “He started it,” Drogan cried, pointing past Mace to Obi-Wan as he stood. “I don’t care who started it,” Mace said in a low tone, moving to tower over Drogan as he spoke. “All I want to know is why you two were fighting in the dining hall.” “Don’t look at me,” Drogan blurted defiantly. His bravado quickly dissolved when Mace narrowed his eyes in warning. “I didn’t do anything,” he finished quietly, his attention suddenly fixed on the floor. “Liar,” Obi-Wan yelled, lunging at Drogan once again; however, he was stopped short by Qui-Gon. He took his charge by the arm and backed him up a few paces, then bent low until his face was level with Obi-Wan’s. “Calm yourself,” he instructed quietly, placing his hands on Obi-Wan’s arms to gain the younger man’s attention. “Your anger will not help the situation.” “But he….” “I know he hurt you, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said, trying to soothe his Padawan. “But you are already in trouble because of your anger, and another outburst will only make things worse.” Obi-Wan stared at his Master for a moment, wanting to disagree with him, to lash out at Drogan again. His mind was telling him not to listen to his Master, but his heart was screaming at him that his Master was right. After a long moment, he quietly nodded his head and lowered his gaze to the floor. Qui-Gon smiled softly in approval and squeezed his Padawan’s arms to convey his support before letting go and returning to his full height. “What happened, Obi-Wan” Mace Windu asked from his place beside Drogan. Obi-Wan blinked up at the taller Jedi a few times, not used to being addressed so casually by the senior Council member. After a moment, he was able to respond. “He used me,” he said simply. “Used you?” Mace echoed. “How?” “To hurt Jade.” “That’s not it,” Drogan yelled, glaring hard at Obi-Wan. He moved as if he were going to charge the other Padawan, until Mace’s heavy hand landed on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. “It was a joke,” he said, looking up into Mace’s face. His eyes begged the older man to understand things from his point of view, but the empty look he received in return didn’t calm his nerves. “I just wanted….” “Quiet, Padawan,” Mace snapped, his patience beginning to grow thin. “Now is the time for you to be silent. You’ll get your turn, eventually.” He turned his attention back to Obi-Wan, his features softening as he did. “Go on, Obi-Wan.” Obi-Wan glanced briefly at Drogan, who, despite hanging his head, was glaring at him through shadowed lids. He narrowed his eyes briefly, causing Drogan to look back down at his feet, before looking back up at Mace. “There was a letter,” he said softly. “It had my name on it, but I didn’t write it.” “But Jade didn’t know,” Qui-Gon said, the pieces falling into place in his mind. “No, and now she hates me,” Obi-Wan said, barely above a whisper. He felt empty and cold as he lowered his gaze to the ground again. He could feel tears stinging the backs of his eyes, but he blinked hard, forcing them to stay back. He didn’t want to give Drogan the satisfaction of knowing he was hurt that badly. Qui-Gon could feel his student’s anguish over their bond, and knew he was struggling to keep control over himself. He placed his hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder and squeezed, again showing the boy that he understood. He turned his attention to Mace. “If you’ll excuse us, my old friend, Obi-Wan and I will retire to our quarters to discuss what has happened.” Mace nodded absently, his attention fixed on Drogan and what he would do with him. Qui-Gon finally looked down at Drogan then. He noted that the boy was glaring at Obi-Wan with a frightening amount of anger in his eyes. He had said that it was only a joke, but could he have been lying? Did he pull this prank to truly hurt those he considered friends? And why? Was it out of jealousy, or did he simply not think of the consequences? Whatever the reason, coupled with the anger in his eyes, the boy reminded Qui-Gon too much of Xanatos, and it sent a shiver down his spine. “Don’t be too harsh on that one, Mace,” he said, placing his other hand on his friend’s shoulder to gain his attention. “I fear he is simply misguided.” “Don’t worry,” Mace said, returning his attention to Drogan, who shyly glanced up at him before focusing on the ground again. “I only intend to be hard enough to ensure this won’t happen again.” He placed a strong hand on Drogan’s shoulder, who flinched at the touch. “Isn’t that right, young one?” Drogan didn’t dare look Mace in the face; he was too frightened for that. Instead, he nodded his head in silent agreement, never taking his eyes off the floor. Mace glared at him a moment longer before removing his hand and looking past Qui-Gon to Obi-Wan. He couldn’t help but notice how both boys stood in the exact same position; shoulders slumped, feet shuffling, and heads hanging low. The only difference between the two was that Drogan’s head was hung in shame and guilt, while Obi-Wan’s was from pain and betrayal. He knew that Obi-Wan would survive this day, and be stronger and wiser for it. He wished the same could be said for Drogan. He looked back into Qui-Gon’s eyes with a solemn expression. “Go easy on him. He only did what he thought was right.” Qui-Gon looked down at Obi-Wan’s seemingly defeated form, and couldn’t help but smile. “No,” he said, squeezing his Padawan’s shoulder once more before pulling the boy to his side in a half-hug. “He did exactly what I would have done.” Obi-Wan looked up into his Master’s eyes, his own trying to well up with hot tears. Qui-Gon smiled at him then, and he returned the smile as best he could, despite the pain he felt in his heart. “Yes,” Mace agreed. It didn’t escape him that the younger man seemed to stand a bit taller and prouder at the pride in his Master’s words and the affection he received, and it made him smile. “That’s all we need,” he said with a laugh. “Another Qui-Gon Jinn!” He said goodbye to the pair then, and walked toward the dining hall doors, Drogan following silently behind. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan watched until they were out of sight. Then, with the Master’s arm still resting on his Padawan’s shoulders, the pair walked silently back to their quarters. * * * * * Cher-Ryll Sejam dropped her cloak over the back of the sofa as she swiftly entered the quarters she shared with her Padawan. She felt a tremendous amount of sadness coming from the younger woman as she entered the apartment, and it troubled her. As she came around the sofa, she heard a sharp cry coming from Jade’s room. She closed the gap in three long strides. “Jade?” She leaned into the door as she tapped on it lightly. She could hear some movement, followed by muffled sobs. “Jade, can I come in?” No answer. She stood outside Jade’s door, trying to figure out whether she should give Jade time and space, or if she should go in, uninvited, and demand a response. When she heard another hard, yet muffled cry, her instincts told her this needed to be solved, now. “Jade, I’m coming in.” The door swooshed open at her command, and the scene that greeted her was not what she expected. Jade was lying on her side on her bed, with her back to the door and clutching her spare pillow. On the floor next to the bed were tiny bits of paper. Across the room, in a huge wet spot, tattered flowers and a broken vase spread across the floor by the wall. On that wall, there were water stains, and a chunk of it was missing, clearly marking where the vase had hit. “Jade,” Cher-Ryll breathed. She watched as her Padawan curled tighter around her pillow, and it nearly broke her heart. “Jade, what happened?” “Nothing,” came the muffled reply. Cher-Ryll wasn’t about to back down. She walked over to the bed and sat carefully on the edge. She reached out and put a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder, feeling her pain both over their bond and through her apprentice’s trembling. “Jade, does this have to do with what happened in the dining hall?” Jade stayed silent for a moment, then slowly moved to sit up, pulling her pillow against her chest defensively as she did. She nodded her head slowly, not able to meet her Master’s gaze. She feared that, if she did, she wouldn’t be able to stop the torrent of tears still threatening to fall. Cher-Ryll moved to sit cross-legged in front of her, pulling one of her small, trembling hands into hers. She sat there for a moment, softly stroking the hand she held. She finally moved her hand to lift Jade’s face as the silence stretched out over several minutes. Jade looked into Cher-Ryll’s eyes rather reluctantly, her own welling up with fresh tears, though they did not fall. “Tell me what happened?” “He lied to me,” Jade said, her voice so low, Cher-Ryll almost didn’t hear her. “Who, Jade?” she asked, not exactly sure of whom Jade was referring. “Obi-Wan,” she said, though the name was more mouthed than spoken. Her tears finally fell, and she buried her head in her pillow again. Her shoulders shook slightly with each muffled cry. “But he didn’t, Jade,” Cher-Ryll said. She moved to comfort her Padawan, but stopped short when Jade’s head shot up from her pillow. The pain that had been in her eyes since Cher-Ryll entered the room was now replaced with anger and frustration. “You don’t know that!” she blurted. She ignored the anger that flashed across her Master’s features. She knew she wasn’t acting properly, but at the moment, she didn’t care. “It was his writing. He signed it. Then he made me look like an idiot in front of everyone!” “I do know that he did not lie, Jade,” she countered. “And if you’ll give me a moment, I’ll explain.” She paused then, waiting for a reply. Jade lowered her gaze to her bed, feeling slightly ashamed of her outburst, as well as slightly stung by the verbal reprimand. She took a moment to try to calm herself. Though she wasn’t able to drive away the pain, she was at least able to control her tears. She quietly apologized, and was comforted by a soft hand on her shoulder. “It’s all right, young one. Consider it forgotten.” Jade could hear the smile in her Master’s voice, and it made her smile in return. She held that smile as she looked back into her Master’s face. “I spoke with Qui-Gon on my way back from my meeting with Master Mundi,” she began. “Obi-Wan was with him, and I was curious as to why he wasn’t in class. He told me briefly of the note to you that Obi-Wan had been suspected of writing.” Jade’s smile faded, and she made a disapproving sound as she returned her gaze to her bed. Cher-Ryll squeezed the shoulder she still held before continuing: “Jade, Padawan Varrick was the one who wrote that note. Though I hadn’t known that flowers were involved as well,” she said, looking across the room at the mess on the floor. “Drogan?” Jade breathed. “Yes, Drogan.” Cher-Ryll returned her gaze to Jade. “It was a prank,” she said, not bothering to hide the contempt she felt. “And a rather ruthless one at that. So much so in fact, it made Obi-Wan do something very uncharacteristic of him.” When her Master didn’t continue, Jade looked up at her. “What?” Cher-Ryll smiled, taking Jade’s hand in hers again. “He punched him!” “He what!?” “Yes,” Cher-Ryll said, chuckling softly at Jade’s reaction. “According to Qui-Gon, he did it because he was furious at what Drogan’s prank made him do to you.” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She had never thought Obi-Wan capable of striking another being without cause, and the thought that defending her was his cause made her smile. After a long moment, she asked, “Is he in trouble?” “I don’t believe so. Qui-Gon kept him out of his afternoon classes to meditate on what had happened and why he reacted the way he did.” She laughed again, almost to herself. “I think he secretly approves of Obi-Wan’s actions!” Jade’s smile grew at her Master’s words, but quickly faded as she remembered her earlier confrontation with him. “He must hate me,” she whispered. Cher-Ryll could see pain returning to Jade’s eyes, so she cupped her face to gain her attention. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “He can’t blame you for the way you reacted. After all, you didn’t know then that it was Drogan. No one did.” She used her thumbs to wipe at the new tears falling from Jade’s eyes. “Actually,” she continued softly, “I think he’s more upset with himself for how he made you feel.” Jade sighed quietly as Cher-Ryll removed her hands. “I suppose I should probably go and apologize.” “He would like that, I think,” she said, smiling warmly at her Padawan. “And don’t worry about the mess,” she said, surveying the room once more. “You can clean it up later!” Jade laughed, then threw her arms around her Master’s neck. “Thank you, Master,” she said. “For everything!” “My pleasure,” she said, returning Jade’s hug. * * * * * Freedom. That’s what meditation felt like for Obi-Wan Kenobi. Freedom from responsibility, from duty, but above all, freedom from emotion. Which, at the moment, was exactly what he wanted. He was supposed to be meditating on the events of the day, but every time he tried, it broke his heart and filled it with grief. So instead, he allowed his mind to black out, to enter into the most basic of meditative states. He thought of nothing while he opened his mind to the Force, letting its current carry him away. After what seemed like hours, he felt himself being pulled back to reality by a knock on his door. He slowly and reluctantly blinked his eyes open, noticing that he had indeed been meditating for several hours. He could see through the window in front of him that it was completely dark out, aside from the constant glow emanating from the surrounding buildings. He rubbed his hands over his face, trying to fight off the grogginess creeping into his mind. “Come in,” he said, his voice as gruff as if he had awoke from a nap. Jade moved silently into the room, shutting the door behind her. She noted that he did not turn around from his perch by the window when she entered, and the thought that he may never want to look at her again briefly entered her mind. She pushed the pain this caused to the back of her mind, not willing to let it frighten her. “Obi?” she called quietly. He tensed slightly at the sound of her voice. Without turning, he said, “I thought you were angry with me.” “I was,” she said, moving to sit at the foot of his bed. “But Master Sejam told me what happened.” “Jade,” he said, finally turning to look at her. “I didn’t want to hurt you,” he pleaded. “I know,” she said, smiling as he moved to sit beside her. “At least, not intentionally,” she teased. She leaned into him and nudged him with her shoulder. “I know it was Drogan.” “I’m finished with him,” he sighed, glaring at the floor with an exasperated expression. “I’m sorry, Obi,” she said, putting her arm around his waist and leaning into him a bit more. As she gazed at his face, she noticed that his cheek still held a light bruise from where she had slapped him earlier that day. “But,” she said, wincing at the dark spot as she touched it lightly with her free hand, “I’m even more sorry for this.” The feel of her fingers on his face sent an excitement through him he could neither explain, nor wanted to end. He looked into her eyes, and felt, for the first time, the Force pushing him toward her. When he spoke again, his voice had taken on a deeper tone than he had expected. “How many times do I have to tell you? Kitten scratches.” The deep resonance of his voice sent a shiver down her spine, and the look of…longing? Yes, that was the only word she could find to describe it. The longing in his eyes made her heart race. “Lion,” she breathed. He turned on the bed to face her directly, pulling her much smaller hands into his larger ones as he did. For a moment, they simply stared into each other’s eyes. Then, slowly, the distance between them shrunk. Their faces were only a few inches apart, and they could feel the other’s breath on their skin. There was a sudden, loud knock on the door, causing both to jump back in alarm. “It’s getting late, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said. “And Jade needs to be back with her Master before curfew.” “All right, Master,” Obi-Wan called. He wished he and Jade could have had a few more minutes before being disturbed, but he knew whatever would have happened was lost now as Jade rose from the bed. “Well,” she said, her voice a little shaky from the intensity of the last few moments. “I guess that’s my cue.” “I guess so,” he said quietly as he stood in front of her. “Good night, Kitten.” He smiled down at her as he took her hands in his again. “Good night, Lion,” she said, smiling and squeezing his hands. She gazed at him for a moment before standing on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek she had slapped. She felt him lean into her lips, and allowed herself to hold them there a moment longer before pulling away. “See you tomorrow,” she whispered, felling too shy all of a sudden to look into his eyes. He simply nodded as her hands slipped from his. He watched as she backed slowly out of his room, unable to stop the disappointment he felt as the door closed, cutting her off from him. He stood there a moment, trying to figure out what these new and unusual feelings meant. He sighed as he realized that it would take far longer than a few moments to sort through it all. Calmed in the fact that the Force would reveal its intentions in time, he made his way to the ‘fresher to prepare himself for bed. * * * * * The next morning, Jade awoke to the sweet smell of flowers. They can’t be the false ones Drogan sent, she thought as her mind tried to fight its way to wakefulness. I threw those out last night! She turned onto her side and slowly opened her eyes. What she saw surprised her. On her night table sat a large vase packed full of bright pink snapdragons. She knew that they had once covered Coruscant, along with all other sorts of plant life, but that they now only grew in the Temple gardens. Sitting next to the vase was a piece of paper with her name on it. What was written inside made her eyes well up, her mouth smile, and her heart swell.
Love, Lion The End
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