Chapter 3
It had been three days and the infamous Jedi knight was showing signs of waking. He moved around in the tank restlessly looking as if he was struggling to escape from a bad dream. Corla had said that as soon as he emerged from the healing trance, they would remove him from the tank.
The thought of his bond-mate waking filled Anakin with both fear and excitement. He was now sure that Obi-Wan would resist the life-bond. He had read all the mission reports, as well as all the news reports he could find that mentioned the young knight and soon discovered that he was bonded to an amazing man.
The mission reports also revealed that Obi-Wan was brooding, arrogant and reckless to the point of being suicidal. He had resisted every attempt by the Jedi Council to give him a partner or a padawan. The mission reports were heavily censored for highly secretive material, but they still told the story of an extremely strong Jedi who had virtually destroyed the Sith single-handedly.
Anakin was awed by such power and strength, but he was also terrified by the amount of anger and rage that drove that power. He had been able to glean from some of the notes that many of the Council members felt that Obi-Wan was *tainted*, but chose to overlook his straying from the Light because he was the only one who could get the job done. In other words they used him and his rage to kill the Sith while turning a blind eye to the dangerous tightrope he walked.
Anakin knew he would need to tread carefully and not let Obi-Wan know how badly he wanted this bond. And Force, did he want it. Sitting here for three days watching the naked form of Obi-Wan floating in a tank had driven home quite decisively how strongly Anakin was attracted to his new bond-mate.
Anakin's knees were sore from all the meditation as he vainly tried to control his desire and sort out his muddled and confused feelings. He was in a constant state of arousal and his repeated cold showers had left his fingers permanently pruned, although the talk with Corla regarding the bonding and his sexual drives had helped.
When Corla ordered him to report to her office, he had groaned irritably, knowing that he was about to get one of her lectures. He'd been grateful when instead he received an almost clinical explanation of how bonding effected humans. Well as clinical as Corla could be with him. He smiled with affection and amusement thinking back on that conversation.
"Anakin you must realize that you are not yourself right now. The bond is straining you emotionally, but also physically and psychically. Your mind is actually transforming as we speak."
"I know that Corla. I am not an initiate healer you know. Fuck! You treat me like I'm an idiot," he shot back, brushing his fingers through his hair angrily.
"Anakin, this is what I'm talking about. Your emotions are running away with you. Look at you pacing like a caged animal."
Anakin stopped his pacing self-consciously and realized she was right; this wasn't like him. He was always in control. He hadn't yelled at Corla in years, since – well since he'd been fifteen when they'd fought over him taking a vow of celibacy that she'd vehemently opposed.
"Don't you see? The bond is scrambling your emotions. I know you know this intellectually, but have you stopped to consider what is going on in your head right now? Your circadian rhythms and neurotransmitters are synchronizing with your bond-mate's causing vast amounts of physical and emotional strain. That is why a bond if not properly monitored and controlled can cause psychic shock even death."
Anakin flopped down on the nearest chair. "Yes, I knew that. I just don't know why I forgot it."
Corla smiled, "Probably because you haven't been thinking with your brain lately."
Anakin looked up in confusion then smiled shyly as he realized what she meant. "Yes, I think my other brain is going to fall off if I don't leave it alone or get relief soon."
"That's normal. The bond is pushing for completion the most direct way it can, which happens to be through that part of your body. That and you are nineteen years old and nineteen year old boys —men -- normally think of nothing but sex anyway. You are just getting a double dose; bonding and hormones at the same time."
"Force, Corla I want him so bad that I think I'll die if I don't touch him soon. Not just the sex, I mean in every way. It scares me; it reminds me of when my mother died. I felt so close to the darkness then, like it was just hovering over me, waiting. I've been so careful to keep tight control over my emotions since then, but now my control is shot. I don't know if I can handle this."
Corla walked over to him and pulled him roughly into her arms. "You are a good and wise man, wiser than I will ever be. I know you can do this."
Anakin fiercely hugged the slender woman against him, hoping she was right.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Obi-Wan woke to bright light and whiteness. That and the overpowering smell of bacta told him exactly where he was: the healer's ward. Force, how he hated healers, poking and probing both body and mind every chance they got. He had spent more time in the healer's ward than he cared to remember, not to mention his time at the "Convalescent Center", which was just a nice term for the Jedi nuthouse.
As he struggled to sit up he felt a pair of strong arms surrounding him. He pushed them away angrily, but they stubbornly returned. Damn healers, he thought, reluctantly opening his eyes, ready to give the Sith-spawned attendant an earful. He stopped fighting when he saw that those comforting arms belonged to a handsome young Jedi rather than a healer.
"Who are you and what do you think you are doing?" he asked sharply.
"I'm Anakin Skywalker, Jedi knight. I'm the one that deflected the blaster bolt that shot you."
"So I take it that you're trying to finish the job."
"No, no. I'm just trying to help."
"You can help by getting away; I can do this myself."
"Oh--." Anakin said uncertainly, stepping back to the foot of the bed.
Obi-Wan stubbornly fought his way into a sitting position only to fall back against the pillows, panting heavily. He automatically reached for the Force in order to push back the pain and then gasped in surprise when he realized that the young Jedi was sending healing Force into his mind.
His eyes popped open in fury, "Stop it! I don't need your help. I'm perfectly capable of healing myself."
"Having someone help you can only speed the process," Anakin answered evenly.
"Look, if you want to help, leave," Obi-Wan said angrily. What the fuck was the boy doing here anyway, relieving a guilty conscience or something? Not a very good Jedi if that was the case. Jedi didn't waste time or energy on guilt.
"I-- I'm supposed to stay. The healer said to." Anakin replied hesitantly.
"Why, for Force sake? I don't need a nursemaid. Get out and leave me alone. If I need something, I'll call the healer." Seeing that the young knight was preparing to argue, he interrupted. "Look, I know it was accidental and you didn't know who I was. There's nothing to feel bad about. Shit happens. So really, I would prefer to be left alone. You'd be doing me a great favor. Trust me."
Anakin just shook his head stubbornly.
Obi-Wan grunted in frustration. Something was wrong; he felt it, but couldn't pinpoint the cause. The boy had something to do with it, of that he was sure. Instead of arguing further, he pushed the call button.
The healer who had first treated him rushed in. "Is everything okay?" Corla asked looking at Anakin rather than Obi-Wan.
"I'm the one that called. I want this person removed and a com unit provided to me immediately," he said angrily, indicating the corner where Anakin was standing.
"I'm sorry Knight Kenobi, but I can't fulfill either of those requests right now."
"Why the fuck not?" Obi-Wan was quickly losing all patience with these people.
Corla sighed. "Knight Kenobi, I'll be glad to explain, but let me call Councilor Tidor. I would like him to be here."
"Yes, you do that and I'll try to explain to the Jedi High Council why your ineptitude and unnecessary delay has caused me to lose the trail of the last Sith."
Corla's face turned a bright red as she retorted angrily, "And I'll explain how your obstinacy and irrational behavior has delayed your release from the infirmary by another week."
Obi-Wan shook his head, fighting back the anger and frustration that was boiling up in him. This colony of Jedi was proving to be a bunch of backwater morons who knew nothing of galactic politics and more importantly didn't appreciate the importance of his mission. "I don't have time for your empty threats so either get me someone in charge or else I'll personally remove you and this kid from my presence."
Anakin broke in, nervously glancing between the knight and the healer, "Corla please com Vic and ask him to come here. He'll explain everything."
Corla glared at him. "Fine!" she snapped and stalked out.
"You can go with her."
"No, I can't. I am here on Master Tidor's orders, the High Councilor of the Elskin Temple."
"And I am Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi on a secret Level Five mission at the orders of Master Yoda, the Supreme High Councilor of the Jedi Order. So get out and bring me a com unit!" he yelled.
Anakin shook his head and crossed his arms.
Obi-Wan reached out with the Force and grasped Anakin in a vice of energy, levitating him a few inches off the floor and carrying him towards the door. Anakin gasped and then began fighting the invisible bonds that surrounded him. He quickly regained his composure and focused all his Force energy towards Obi-Wan. The effect was that all that power rebounded back at Obi-Wan and zapped him unconscious.
Anakin rushed over to the bed.
"What happened?" Vic asked loudly from the doorway.
"I -- he tried to force me out so I pushed back."
"Damn Anakin, the man almost died. Don't use all your power on him," Corla scolded.
"I had to, he was too strong. I didn't want him to suffer psychic shock."
"Oh yeah, zap him with the Force. Good plan. Look, someone needs to just tell him already, though I don't know if being bonded to this is such a bargain," Corla said gesturing toward Obi-Wan. "Maybe you should just cut the bond now before it settles in," she suggested disgustedly.
"No!" Anakin yelled. "We are meant to be together. Anyway it's too late. The bond has taken."
"He's right. That last little Force exchange did it. The bond has taken. The only way to stop it now is to try and suppress it," Vic replied.
Corla shook her head. "That's impossible. Life-bonds take a long time to form. They don't develop this fast."
"This kind does," Vic explained. "It's Force selected. I've never see one before, but I've read about them. The Force has been behind this from the beginning; it won't allow anything but completion. I don't even think suppression would work."
Anakin couldn't keep the smile from breaking out on his face.
"Uhhh!" Obi-Wan groaned drawing the trio's attention away from their discussion. "Fuck, what the hell did I ever do to you? You ARE trying to kill me".
Anakin stepped up. "No, I'm not. I'm sorry, but I can't leave you."
"Why the fuck not?" Obi-Wan asked in a strained voice. He again struggled to sit up and didn't argue when Anakin put his arms around him to help pull him into a sitting position. The embrace actually seemed to relieve some of the pressure in his head. Just then a tall burly man with piercing black eyes and a Force signature that resonated with wisdom and kindness stepped up to the other side of the bed.
"I'm Master Vic Tidor, Councilor of Elskin. As you know you were very badly hurt and were brought here for healing. However there have been a few complications that we need to discuss."
Obi-Wan rubbed his aching temples and asked disgustedly, "Like what?"
"It seems you were brought here by the Force for a very important purpose other than killing a Sith, who by the way, is dead and laying in our morgue."
Obi-Wan looked up quickly. "Thank goodness. What other purpose?"
"I believe that you were brought here to create a life-bond with Knight Skywalker," Vic said as he gestured toward Anakin.
"What?" Obi-Wan turned to look at Anakin and started laughing bitterly. "You're crazy. If we created a bond, it isn't a life-bond, I assure you." Obi-Wan looked away worriedly. "Besides, if you are right, we will dissolve it immediately before it takes. I don't want a bond, and will not be bonded under any circumstances."
Vic smiled sadly. "I'm afraid it has already taken. In fact it is quite strong, though it is still unstable."
Obi-Wan looked at Vic as if he had grown two heads and then over to Corla and Anakin. "Then we'll suppress it."
Corla answered his callousness angrily, "You can't, not a life-bond. Life-bonds are too strong and such an attempt could drive both of you insane. You know that."
"No, I don't know that. It can be done and it will be. Anyway it`s not a life-bond."
"It cannot be done. I know this may come as a shock to you, but a life-bond is a gift and should be honored and embraced as a miracle from the Force," Corla snapped back.
"It can be done, because I've done it," Obi-Wan barked.
"What?" Corla exclaimed incredulously. "You're crazy."
"I had a life-bond with my master, Qui-Gon Jinn, when he died. The only reason I'm alive now is because we suppressed it long enough for it to go dormant before his death."
"You had another life-bond? That cannot be. Surely it must have been only a strong training bond." Vic replied, concern clearly present in his voice.
"No, it was a life-bond. You can check my health records from eight years ago. It's all there."
"Impossible, no one can have two life-bonds at the same time. Even if this other one were dormant, it wouldn't allow for another one to take. Unless…" Corla got a very strange look on her face and turned away.
Obi-Wan didn't know why, but that look struck fear in his chest. "Unless what?"
Vic turned back from looking at Corla and said in a tight voice, "We should end this conversation until I can check your records."
"No! I want to know now what you two are hiding. Unless what?" Obi- Wan demanded.
Anakin, who was standing in the corner, piped in, "Our bond was built on the other one. It supplanted the original life-bond."
Obi-Wan felt as if he had been hit in the stomach. "No!"
"I used what I thought was an old training bond as an anchor when I was trying to save you. I didn't know this was going to happen," Anakin said defensively.
Obi-Wan closed his eyes and reached for the bond that had been with him since he was thirteen years old; the bond that even after death had still carried the beautiful, loving, serene essence of Qui-Gon's Force signature. What he felt instead was Anakin Skywalker; strong, powerful, pulsing with a desire and need so deep that it was frightening.
As the desolation hit, he vaguely became aware of sobs echoing throughout the room. It took him several seconds to realize that the heartbreaking sounds were his own. In an attempt to hold himself together he pulled his body into a tight ball, but despite his best efforts he found himself crying for the first time in eight years. It wasn't fair. The bond was all he had left of the man he loved and this needy boy had stolen it. He had no right. It would have been better to die, he screamed in his head.
Anakin sensed Obi-Wan reaching out for the bond and immediately fell to his knees overwhelmed by the intense power of the man suddenly pulsing in his body? Anakin heard Obi-Wan's sobs, but couldn't control his own moans of pleasure and soon succumbed to the ecstasy caressing his every nerve until the orgasm swept through his body in one long wave of pleasure.
The room was full of an erotic pulsing energy that had both Vic and Corla shaking uncontrollably. The two healers put both men to sleep and rushed out of the Force-infused room, desperate to escape the intense energy pressing on their emotions. "Wow! That was strong," Corla said roughly.
"Yes, the Force is playing for keeps here. I'm going to call Masters Yoda and Mace. This is getting more complicated than I first thought. I truly don't understand how this could happen - two life-bonds in one man."