Title: Bearing the Bondage

Author: tarotgal

Fandom: Star Wars

Rating: NC-17 (or at least R), forced het sex

Parings: Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan

Disclaimer: None of this universe or its characters are mine. The Star Wars universe, concept, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon all belong to Lucas. Siri and Adi belong to Jude Watson's Jedi Apprentice (official) book series. This is just a creation by a humble fan who gets nothing but entertainment from this (and maybe a little squickage, but that's her own fault).

Summary: As part of a mission to take down a cartel, Obi-Wan becomes a sex slave. And though he knows full well that his position there is not permanent, it none the less takes a toll on him physically.

Notes: Much different than my usual, and I was actually very reluctant to write it. I purposely change tones and writing styles in the different "stages" of the story. And I have never read the Jedi Apprentice series so I apologize if my characterizations of Siri and Adi are way off.

 

 

 

Bearing the Bondage

 

     Obi-Wan winced slightly at the sting of the whip tore across his back. It pushed him down against the red silk mattress which was already flecked with blood. Some was his, but most belonged to the other sex slaves that had come before him. And they had come quite literally, too, if the stench of the sheets told anything. The noise of the crowd rang in his ears as he desperately tried to pick out conversations that would be of help to the mission. His particular drivers were of the loud-mouthed, obnoxiously blunt variety, and he hoped to gain just a little insight of their motives and movements before he was sold away to someone else. Anything at all, at this point, would be useful.

 

     It had been two days since being bought by this current master. And he longed to be sold to another. He wanted to get deeper into it. He had to get deeper for their plan to work... they were all counting on him. Obi-Wan felt a hand on the back of his head and his face was forced further into the wretched sheets. He felt fortunate to have developed a bit of a sniffle the day before and couldn't smell quite as clearly as normal through his stuffy nose.

 

     He felt a warm rush of the force and looked up at the crowd. He received another slash across the back for it, but continued to search through the milling bodies until he saw the familiar faces he had been looking for.

 

     Siri looked weary, nearly naked apart from a rather flashy bikini. Her normally beautiful hair was weighted down heavily by sweat so that it looked dark brown. She appeared to be led and controlled by her master, but the hand on her shoulder was there to keep her steady more than anything else. Obi-Wan looked up from her face to her master's and repressed all pleasant emotions he felt to see it. The soft beard, the gentle eyes, those kissable lips. It was Qui-Gon Jinn, playing the part of a minor level slave trader. Qui-Gon Jinn looking ultimately too sexy in his leather outfit.

 

     Obi-Wan went erect immediately at the sight of his master. But his bulge was noticed almost immediately and he was swiftly punished for it with several hard slashes across his back. It was worth it however, Obi felt, just to have seen Qui-Gon again before being sold off.

 

     Qui-Gon, sensing his Padawan nearby, looked around casually. He let his gaze stray to the wares on display. They traveled over the beaten but beautiful bodies to meet Obi-Wan's gaze. Their eyes locked for an instant, but the Jedi Master conveyed nothing to his Padawan apart from the soft word //Patience.// Then he tugged Siri forward by the collar and led her to the room where the woman slaves were showcased. Obi-Wan hoped that she would have better luck at being sold and bought than he was having at present.

 

     "Yes, I'll take that one. He looks fit and yet submissive enough not to put up a fight." Obi-Wan looked over to see a N'barian man standing there with four slaves in chains in tow. Apparently, Obi-Wan was to be the fifth. Obi-Wan was forced to his feet and a sweaty palm ran from his cheek, down his chest, and cupped his crotch through the measly shorts he had been given. "Yes... very nice. I'll take him."

 

     Obi-Wan's chains shook as locks were undone, then transferred from one hand to another. He found himself bunched together with the other boys, all of whom seemed to be obediently following only because they were so dazed. Obi-Wan had a strong suspicion that they had all been drugged. Before he could decide how, he felt a prick on the back of his neck and was tossed into the back of a transport, with several armed men to keep them from leaving. That was the last thing he remembered seeing before passing out.

 

 

 

     Obi-Wan woke later, feeling groggy and disoriented. He couldn't tell exactly what time it was, or where he was. The something they had been given was dulling his senses. What he could tell, however, was that he was completely naked and freezing cold. One of the other boys there, a much younger blond lad, saw that he was awake and clung to him for warmth, his whole body shivering. Obi-Wan did not push him off and instead rubbed a hand up and down his back soothingly. He didn't want to tell the boy that everything would be all right because he was sure it wasn't. But he did want to make him feel a little better if he could.

 

     Slowly, the others stirred and woke, and soon they were all caught in something like a big hug of inter-laced arms and legs and shaking bodies as they fought to stay as warm as they could. Obi-Wan's nose ran from the cold and he sniffled terribly, though none of the boys seemed to notice or care.

 

     The transport stopped abruptly, throwing them all down hard against the metal floor. They were pulled out by their chains and taken to another showcase, this one seemingly more exclusive and less public. Just a few men and women were around, looking at the wares casually as though not wanting to appear as interested as they really were in front of the sellers.

 

     Obi-Wan, like most of the others, was trying to hide his endowment as he sat there, shivering and completely naked. It seemed that the buyers found the fact that they were touching themselves to be an added, alluring bonus. And it seemed that most of the buyers preferred the ones who looked like they were feeling the worst about the cold or the pain they were in. Obi-Wan wondered what sort of exclusive club this was and started feeling a fresh wave of sorrow for his fellow captives.

 

     The cold which had gripped so viciously in the ship was still upon them, and Obi-Wan's nose was still reacting badly to it. He sniffed back a runny nose as quietly as possible, but every so often it was too much for him and he felt he had to sneeze. "hihChhhh!" He would bury his nose in his shoulder to try and keep it quiet, but his sneezes were normally strong and wet and he received many lashings for letting them out.

 

     It was after one such sneeze and resulting whipping that three women seemed to take notice of him. The middle one, with jet black hair and piercing eyes, seemed especially taken by him, with a dreamy but hungry look in her eyes. The woman on her left seemed hesitant and kept asking why she insisted on this one. The woman on her right looked maniacal and seemed to not care which one they purchased so long as it functioned properly. They purchased him in the end and took turns touching Obi-Wan on the way home or else ganging up on him at the same time, not being able to wait for the privacy of their own home. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and endured it, only wishing that there weren't more women waiting at home.

 

     

*          *          *

 

     The tickle in his nose started up again at practically the moment he jerked out of his meditative trance. He had tried to sleep at first, but his body had been too raw and sore to allow him peace enough to relax. And his mind had raced from the anguish and stress he had been under since his arrival a week ago in the women's sex dungeon. So he resorted to meditating, long and deep, lulling himself into a forced peaceful existence which was excruciatingly difficult considering he was nearly naked and chained upright to a wall.

 

     'Go away,' Obi-Wan thought to himself, trying to convince the urge to sneeze to leave him be, at least until he could get out of there. But the mild sniffle he had possessed when leaving for this part of the mission had taken advantage of his wet, cold surroundings and his tired, weakened body, and developed into something that resembled the sort of head cold he should have otherwise been able to fight off with a good healing trance. 'Of all the inconvenient times!' he tried to tell himself, but the tickle did not listen.

 

     His nose twitched and his jaw went slack. "ehhhPiffffff!" he sneezed freely, trying his best to keep the noise from traveling out of the room and up the stairs to the women. The last thing he needed was to rouse them from their sleep and direct their attention back to him. His crotch hurt just thinking about it. His resulting sniffles were just as loud, if not louder, and he closed his eyes, trying to use the force to sense if any of them had been woken or called to him.

 

     Most fortunately, there were no sickly-sweet voices calling down to him, nor any footsteps sounding on the stair, nor any creak of a bedframe as its occupant stirred. Obi-Wan sighed silently and tried to control his nose long enough to slip back into meditation. But his head pounded and his wrists hurt where the chains cut into them. And every attempt at movement made him both shudder in pain and in pleasure.

 

     He was chained to the wall, yes, but bound there in multiple cruel and ingenious ways. His hands and feet were locked in shackles attached to chains that went straight into the stone wall. The chains gave just enough for him to lean forward and pull back but every movement he made was channeled through a device at his waist. It wrapped around his waist, secured to the wall as well but with an elastic sort of bounce that gave him freedom of movement around his middle while still being confined. The device embraced his cock at the base and had a rod which ran down his shaft, the purpose of which was to provide stimulating jolts which would eventually make him erect even if he were not in the mental or emotional capacity to feel aroused. The pleasurable stimulations were only given off when an equally intense shot of pain was as well, either pain he felt on his own or that which punished him for straining in his bonds.

 

     There was, of course, no escape. For his part in this all had been voluntary. There was no escape for the voluntarily tortured.

 

     At least, there wasn't supposed to be. What they hadn't, but Obi-Wan had, counted on of course was Qui-Gon.

 

 

     He had to sneeze again. Had to sneeze. Had to sneeze badly. He wiggled his nose and the rest of his face with it. He sniffed and flared his nostrils. He held his breath and gritted his teeth. He willed the force to soothe the sensation. But nothing worked and he sneezed again, freely, spraying a bit in front of him rather than against his bare shoulder or chest or, Force forbid, down below. "huh-Pffshhhh!" His body seized with sensations and he held back a cry, choking back how good it felt to his cock to be in pain.

 

     He needn't have bothered covering it up, for the sneeze had woken someone who was moving upstairs now. He heard the boards creak and give beneath her footfalls, and heard the scraping of her shoes against the cold stone stairs as she descended.

 

For someone who had supposedly just awoken, she looked unnaturally perfect. Her black hair fell from her head in bouncy curls that sprung up and down as she came closer. Her skin was a creamy pale against her equally black negligee which reveled far more than it left to be desired. "Hello there," she said softly, walking from the light of the staircase to the dark corner Obi-Wan was chained beside. Her voice penetrated the darkness as well as her eyes, but where the rest of her was, Obi-Wan could not tell. Her hands could be anywhere, reaching for anything. He braced himself. "Come down with the sniffles, have we?" she said in such a sweet tone that Obi-Wan hard a hard time defining it as mocking or truly caring. "I shouldn't wonder," she purred in a song-like tone. "It's so chilly and damp down here." Her fingers gently brushed Obi-Wan's already scratched cheek on its way to feeling the damp stone wall behind him.

 

She was so close now that Obi-Wan could feel her breath on his face, warm, sweet. But nothing like as sweet as to be favorable. "Tell me, Love," she whispered as though she feared the others might hear. Perhaps she did not want them to join in and spoil her solo experience. "Must you move when you sneeze?" She reached down and brushed her fingertips across his balls, which retracted unfavorably in reaction. "Do you feel that surge of pain?" Her breathing was racing, and her voice quivered as though trying to contain great excitement. "And do you feel that burst of pleasure?"

 

     Obi-Wan could not answer. Even had he wanted to. The gag in his mouth kept any answer h might have given from being understood. The woman's hands traveled down his sides, making him shiver and sending bursts through his body. "I was listening to you sneeze," she admitted, even more softly. "And my curiosity won me over." Her hands rested on his waist where the device was attached. Then she rubbed the shaft of his penis gently, alluringly. He found it not the least bit alluring, and it still lay limp in her hands. But she seemed to enjoy the prospect of putting in more effort. With one hand, she reached up and tickled the tip of his nose.

 

     Immediately, it began to bother him again. No matter how many sniffs he gave, to her enjoyment, no matter how hard he held his breath, the urge did not back down. So he sneezed, unable to cover, unable to move his head enough to the side to direct it away. "ihhPuffshhhh! Uhffshhh!"

 

     She giggled with delight, kissing his nose gently. "Ohhh, a double."

 

     Yes, a double. Two jerks forward, which meant two searing, stabbing jolts of pain. And two resulting bursts of intense pleasure which made him stand despite his wishes. This was why she had giggled.

 

     "I suppose that answers my question then, doesn't it?" she asked with a smiled. Obi-Wan hoped this meant she would leave him alone now. But it did not. Instead, she continued to rub him, pushing past everything else to the physical contact that would allow him to stay as hard as she needed him to be.

 

     Obi-Wan tried to hold out for as long as he could, but the urges were too much. He yearned to rock forward, to be fucked, to get her off so he could get it over with. She dug one hand into his side, her nails leaving deep scratches on his side which made him shake with pain and feel more pleasure surge with blood into his cock. When he was sufficiently hard, she mounted him, climbing upon the device, slipping feet into holders and hands resting on his shoulders. She slid onto him with no assistance. Apparently the sneezes had done more to her than alert her curiosity. "Sneeze again for me," she moaned in but a whisper.

 

     And though he did not need to sneeze at first, she bucked on him, her hair brushing against his face, and the problem was solved. "heh..." he started. She slid up and down him eagerly, touching him, touching herself, but forcing pain into his side or his shoulder so that he felt pleasure through the device as well. "hehChffshhh! Pifffshuhhhhhh!" And with those two sneezes, as quickly as she had begun on him, she was finished. Through the sneezes, she bucked and moaned and tensed with violent shakes. Then she dismounted with a satisfied look on her face.

 

     She took a moment to collect herself. She tore off a part of her outfit to first wipe his nose dry, and second wipe his cock dry. He was still erect and waiting, but terribly glad he had not joined her in her feat of pleasure. "Thank you," she said, leaning over and kissing his nose. "I'll be back for more of this later. Don't let that cold get away from you now."

 

     "hehSHufffff!" Obi-Wan sneezed again from her touch. He was most glad when she did not lose herself and mount him again, but instead climbed back up the stairs.

 

     Obi-Wan sighed, wincing as his cocked throbbed and begged for the release he did not wish for it. If he remained perfectly still, there would be no need for pain, and thus no need for the pleasurable stimulating. He only hoped he did not need to sneeze again for long enough.

 

*          *          *

 

The days were long and the nights longer which, rough and imprecise as it was, was the only way Obi-Wan could keep track of exactly how many days had passed. His treats to water and food were sporadic compared to his torturous moments of the women impaling themselves upon him. Pain shot through his body from simply hanging on the wall, suspended but supported well enough. Pain gripped his wrists whenever he moved them even a little in their shackles, sending the pleasurable waves through his crotch. And soon his cock itself hurt so much that it nearly pleasured itself.

 

     But just when he was certain he could no longer slip into meditation to center and calm himself... just when he was sure he could stand no more of this... just then, he heard the screams and the buzz of the light saber. And then came Qui-Gon's familiar footsteps on the stairs and knew that his part to play was over at last. He closed his eyes, not wishing for his master to see him this way. He felt the warmth and heard the comforting hum of the Jedi's light saber as it cut right through his bindings. And he felt the rough fingers gently pull him free of the device and the restraints. He nearly collapsed onto the floor, but fell back against the wall, using all the strength he possessed to keep his legs locked at the knees and himself upright.

 

     //Obi-Wan,// Qui-Gon said through their bond before realizing that Obi-Wan might not be in a very receptive state. "Obi-Wan?" he tried again, quietly. Obi-Wan pulled his eyes open and nodded, glad to find no sensations whatsoever forced upon him as he did so.

 

     Qui-Gon undid the gag and could not restrain a small gasp now that Obi-Wan was free, though still leaning back against the wall for support. The young man looked terrible. He was covered in bruises and scratches, and cuts had formed and scabbed over at the corners of his mouth. While Qui-Gon looked rather beaten up as well, with a black eye and a limp which indicated possibly broken ribs, he certainly looked in better overall form than Obi-Wan. "Oh, my Obi," he breathed, as though not quite ready to believe his senses about Obi-Wan's condition. "We tried to find you as soon as we could," he assured the young man. "But even with the beacon and our false identities it was difficult to penetrate the heart of the cartel." He ran the back of his hand against Obi-Wan's cheek. Obi-Wan shuddered and winced at the touch. "I am so sorry I could not get to you sooner." Qui-Gon sounded close to guilty tears, his voice cracking at the end of his statement as he took in his Padawan's full condition.

 

     Obi-Wan opened his mouth wider, breathing heavily through it as his nose was severely stuffed. One of the cuts at the side of his mouth opened, trickling blood down his chin. "Bet..." his voice was weak, harsh, not used to being used. But with his master's presence, he now felt he could do anything. And this was something he had to do for his master. "Bet you stopped... for ice cream... on the way," he joked.

 

     Qui-Gon cracked a smile. If his Padawan could make jokes, he couldn't be as badly off as he looked. Physically broken, perhaps, but broken in no other ways. "That's exactly it. You know how Adi gets." He ran a hand gently over the back of Obi-Wan's head, feeling the untidiness of hair that had not been trimmed in weeks. "Come, Love. Let me help you." He made to pull Obi-Wan away from the wall, but the Padawan remained a moment.

 

     He did not want to move until he got it. For all the fucks and jerks and all, what he really wanted was within his reach and he refused to go on with anything until it was his. "Kiss?" he begged softly, coughing afterwards from the combined congestion and strain to his voice. After waiting for the coughing to subside, Qui-Gon nodded and obliged. He leaned forward and embraced Obi-Wan with the sweetest, most passionate kiss the Padawan could ever remember receiving. He felt rushes of the force surge through him at their renewed bond, renewed closeness. And felt himself grow aroused easily at it all. Qui-Gon did not make it quick, preferring instead to linger upon Obi-Wan's lips, as though to send as much comfort and love as possible through the simple touch. This seemed to work, for as he pulled back, Obi-Wan was smiling, though it looked like even smiling was painful to him.

 

     Qui-Gon, who was wearing black leathers from head to toe, stripped off his jacket and draped it over Obi-Wan's shoulders. "Lightsaber?" Obi-Wan managed, with another cough.

 

     Qui-Gon shook his head. "There are many others to do that now. Your part in this all is done. I've come to take you home." Qui-Gon sensed Obi-Wan's thoughts and shook his head. "No, not back to the headquarters but to a ship and straight home. Straight home and straight to bed. Adi is waiting for us as we speak."

 

     Obi-Wan smiled at the thought of their bed, soft and comfortable, with Qui-Gon to keep it warm. He stepped forward and one leg gave way. He stumbled and was caught by Qui-Gon before he fell. But there was no way he could walk, let alone manage stairs. "It's all right, Padawan," Qui-Gon soothed, straightening him up as best as he could. "I've got you now." And though Qui-Gon was as careful as possible as he scooped up his padawan, the young man still grunted with pain at it. But he quickly curled into his master's chest, unable to move at all otherwise and taking instantly to the warm leathers. Before Qui-Gon could make it across the cold dungeon room, Obi-Wan was had passed out in his master's arms.

 

 

 

     Obi-Wan woke as Qui-Gon set him down on the floor of the ship, behind the pilot and navigator seats. It was a small ship, allowing for little extra room for anything, and Obi-Wan curled up against a metal wall of the ship, shivering violently. Qui-Gon gave his forehead a gentle kiss before jumping into the navigator's seat. Jedi Master Adi Gallia was already at the controls, speeding the ship up and away.

 

     "ihhHeshhhh! hehCheshhhh!" Obi-Wan sneezed freely. His arms hugged his chest and held the jacket tightly around himself, preserving what little warmth he had in him and he was not about to lose that just to cover a few sneezes. Qui-Gon looked back at him, concerned.

 

     "Qui-Gon, I need those codes," Adi reminded him, and he whipped back around, entering the codes into the keypad quickly. He finished in more than enough time and looked back at his Padawan in his few free moments.

 

     Obi-Wan sat there, naked, cold, and hurt, with nothing but the jacket to keep his torso warm. He sounded much more sniffley than he had at their departure and Qui-Gon knew that whatever he had been through, it certainly had not involved any caring for his health.

 

     As the ship broke away from the planet, it headed misleadingly deeper into wild space before they could safely change courses and head back to Coruscant. Adi gave Qui-Gon an approving nod, and the Jedi Master tore from his seat, racing at once to the floor and Obi-Wan's side. He pulled the emergency medical kit out from beneath his seat and rifled through it. He tore open a small package that consisted of the emergency blanket, which was not much more than thin Mylar foil but nonetheless would hold in his body heat enough to keep him warm. He took Obi-Wan in his arms, wrapping the thin blanket around him, then hugging the young man tightly to his chest. "I'm so proud of what you did, my Obi," he whispered for Obi-Wan's ears only. "You helped take down a terrible slave trade ring that has infiltrated the republic and many planets beyond for years now."

 

     Obi-Wan knew this of course, which had been his entire point of volunteering. But it was good to hear that their months of planning and all of his effort had resulted in a favorable outcome. Though he now found it difficult to remember the details of the beginning of their mission. Of the nights of reconnaissance. Of intercepting and sorting through thousands of communications. Of worrying about Qui-Gon every time he set out to establish himself as a slave dealer. Of worrying about the sort of people who would eventually be taking Obi-Wan as a sex slave. He sniffled, trying to remember that the abuse and torture had been the final bit only, that his suffering had been a necessary evil for their final step.

 

     His runny nose tickled again, desperately, as his body warmed beneath the blanket and his face stayed cold. Obi-Wan's eyes looked imploringly at Qui-Gon before they shut tightly. His lower lip quivered as his jaw went slack. "hehShehhhhh! huhChuhhhhh! hehCheshhhh1 Chishooo!"

 

     "Bless you!" called Adi.

 

     "Yes, bless you," Qui-Gon murmured, rifling through the emergency medical kit for something Obi-Wan could have to make his nose feel better. He finally located a small pack of tissues and extracted one, rubbing it against Obi-Wan's nose. "There now, Love. Give us a good blow." Obi-Wan gave him several before the painful congestion in his nose lifted a little. His head throbbed slightly less as well. "You let me know when you feel the need to sneeze again, all right?" Qui-Gon said with a kiss to Obi-Wan's temple. "I'll take care of it, no need for you to move from your warmth."

 

     Obi-Wan nodded, sniffling, knowing full well that his Jedi Master could handle a few sniffles and sneezes as well as he could handle the downfall of a sex slave ring. Still, it brought back memories of that black-haired woman's obsession with him and his sneezes. A warm wave of the force embraced him, both from his own master and Master Adi, and it was enough to drive the thoughts of his torture out from the front of his mind. "H-how is Siri?" Obi-Wan asked loudly, hoping that the reason they had not told him was simply because there was nothing terrible to tell.

 

     "Siri's fine," Adi said with a smile and a glance back at the Padawan ball, shivering in his master's arms. "But she's worried about you. I told her we'd send a communication as soon as we were within range."

 

     Obi-Wan was most relieved to hear this news and looked forward to seeing another friendly, familiar face after weeks of being locked in a dark dungeon, unable half the time to see even the faces of the women forcing themselves upon him.

 

     When Obi-Wan stopped shaking with cold, Qui-Gon reached for the med kit again. "Let me have a look at you now," he said softly, picking up a handful of bandages and a bottle of disinfectant. Painstakingly, he set to work cleaning and bandaging Obi-Wan's many wounds while still trying to keep the young man warmed and his nose tended to.

 

     Qui-Gon made sure Obi-Wan was warmly wrapped in the blanket before taking care of the wounds on his face. Both cuts at the corners of his mouth had opened up now and stung worse than any other when Qui-Gon dabbed the disinfectant against them. Obi-Wan gasped and winced but did not cry out. When all done, Obi-Wan curled up, fitting onto as much of his master's lap and chest as possible, his head on Qui-Gon's shoulder. Qui-Gon rubbed his arm and side gently, the foil blanket making loud sounds as he did so. Adi continued to look back to be sure all was okay.

 

     "Master?" he whispered, lifting his head. He wiggled his face around his nose in a valiant effort to hold off the tickle a little longer. "Need to-heh-sneeze-hih-ehh­-" Qui-Gon got a tissue in place while holding Obi-Wan tightly from behind to keep him steady. "hihEhshhhh! hehEptshhhhh! HihChhhhhh!" Qui-Gon wiped his nose roughly to get it as dry as possible, then let Obi-Wan fall back against the warmth of his chest.

 

     "They should let you wear this sort of thing more often," Obi-Wan remarked as his cheek rubbed against Qui-Gon's black leather vest. "You look so sexy in it." True enough, the leather pants slimmed Qui-Gon quite a bit, and the brilliant maroon shirt he wore beneath the vest worked well with his skin tone and brought out his eyes. All the little metal chains and zippers and things shimmered in Obi-Wan's eyes which were still not yet used to so much light.

 

     "Maybe I'll wear it sometime for you then," Qui-Gon mused, looking himself over. "But I must say I prefer a proper tunic and robes to this. A much better range of motion. And I don't keep making odd sounds when I move and walk." Qui-Gon sighed. The clothes would remind him of this mission, and it was certainly one he would not look back on with fondness. Not with Obi-Wan coming out of it in such a condition. "Obi," he said softly, resting his chin on his Padawan's head. "If you need to talk about any of this, about what happened... I am here for you, any time."

 

     Obi-Wan felt a warm wave of the force go between their bond, though he was quite thankful his master still chose to communicate verbally. He did not feel that he had the strength yet for wielding the force again in that way. "Thank you, Master. I realize that. But I am all right. There was physical pain only. I was lucky, Master. I knew my position would only be temporary. I knew that soon you and the others would come and free me. They could do with me whatever they liked, but my mind was still with the force and my heart was still with you."

 

     Qui-Gon snuggled him closer. "I love you, my Obi-Wan."

 

     "Mmm, I love you too." He sniffled and shivered. "Master?" Qui-Gon had another tissue ready for him. "huhChuhhhh! heh-Cheshhhhh!"

 

     "Blesses," Qui-Gon murmured, wiping his nose. "Are you tired, Love? I will hold you as you sleep," Qui-Gon offered.

 

     But Obi-Wan shook his head. "There was nothing much to do there apart from meditate and sleep. Now that I am back in your arms I wish to do nothing more than enjoy your company." He sniffled and closed his eyes against the light that flooded the cabin, finding it still too bright. "Tell me about everything that has happened since I was sold?" It sounded odd, as a request, but Qui-Gon understood his Padawan's need to know about the success of the entire mission. So he started his explanation.

 

     Qui-Gon was roughly halfway through when Obi-Wan launched into a fit of coughs from which he did not easily recover. It wasn't until Qui-Gon forced a drink of water down his throat past the coughs that they eased somewhat. "S-sorry," Obi-Wan sputtered as Qui-Gon wiped his face dry of the spilled water.

 

     "Nothing to apologize for," Qui-Gon told him, forcing the water bottle into his hands, beneath the blanket. He tenderly caressed Obi-Wan's cheek. "I think it's time to give my voice a rest, too."

 

     Obi-Wan nodded, realizing that his master looked much more tired than normal and suddenly feeling guilty for not picking up on such after repeated hints about sleep. "I think there's room enough beneath this blanket for us both if we snuggle, Master," he said with a soft smile. It took a bit of adjusting to get then both to fit and not allow any wisps of cold air in from the sides. And it took even more adjusting to get Obi-Wan in a position where his body was not in pain and his head was not throbbing from congestion. They finally settled on Qui-Gon sleeping on his back with Obi-Wan's head on his chest, their arms wrapped lovingly around each other. Not exactly tired enough to sleep, Obi-Wan lay still, trying to match his master's slow, deep breaths the way he did when they were at home, falling asleep for the night. "Thank you, Master," Obi-Wan whispered just as the man was falling to sleep, causing a slight smile to cross the Jedi Master's face.

 

     Obi-Wan let himself fall in and out of sleep as well, caught in warmth and comforted by Qui-Gon's hold. And at least asleep his nose did not tickle so badly that the sneezes risked waking Qui-Gon. He was more aware now of the passage of time, able to use the force and sense his surroundings much more readily now. Even with his eyes closed he was able to tell which direction they were traveling and even how far from Coruscant they were.

 

     Obi-Wan could tell when they were back in communications range of the planet even before the com-link chirped with an incoming message. Master Adi turned it off quickly to contain the noise, but Obi-Wan was already awake. "Is it from Siri?" he asked hopefully, sitting up and shivering as the cold air hit the part of his back that the jacket did not cover.

 

     Adi looked back at him and nodded. "Would you like to wait a while before you speak to her?" Obi-Wan shook his head and sniffed hard to clear his nose a little. He wasn't entirely sure why he felt such a pressing need to talk with her but he knew he wanted to see her as soon as possible.

 

     So Adi patched it through and adjusted the camera so that it would pick up Obi-Wan where he sat on the floor, shivering in the leather jacket and otherwise naked from the waist-down beneath the blanket. "Obi?"

 

     Obi-Wan grinned widely, his mouth hurting from doing so. "Siri," he greeted her. "How are you?"

 

     She looked nearly as terrible as Obi-Wan himself. She had a large bandage covering one cheek and a black eye on the other side of her face that looked slightly worse than Qui-Gon's. But her smile was as bright as ever, happiness showing in her eyes. "I'll be fine. Nothing so bad as the draconian school, that's for certain. And I learned a lot about the slave trade. So how are you?"

 

     Obi-Wan shrugged. "Just a little cold," he sniffed to demonstrate.

 

     "I'm sorry," she said kindly, though she had been a good friend of Obi's for years and knew well of his tendency for sniffles to develop into full-blown, miserable colds. "I wish I could have been there to fight for you, but Master Adi sent me right home."

 

     Adi leaned over so that her head was visible by the camera, her tentacle headdress swaying behind her. "You could barely stand. I wasn't about to allow you to take up your saber and join us in battle."

 

     Siri pouted. "I just needed a short sleep. I would have been fine."

 

     Adi rolled her eyes and pulled back, shaking her head and sighing now that she could not be seen or heard by her Padawan.

 

     Obi wished she had remained there for a few moments more, for another sneeze was upon him. He cupped one hand to his nose and mouth. "huhCHHHhhhhh!" He sniffled and dragged his hand beneath his nose.

 

A warm hand fell on Obi-Wan's shoulder, squeezing it and his neck comfortingly. Qui-Gon was awake now, as well. He suppressed a yawn as he moved close against Obi-Wan both to keep him warm and to be seen by the projector. "Siri, would you kindly ask for a healer to meet us in my quarters when we arrive?"

 

     Obi-Wan's heart sunk. "Master, I'm not that badly off," he insisted in a hiss, not wishing for Siri to look like the stronger of the two Padawans.

 

     "It's for me, Padawan" Qui-Gon said sternly, subtly reminding Obi-Wan that it was not his place to speak against his master's request. "I think I may have some broken ribs that need more than a simple healing trance to fix." It was clear to all that, since broken ribs were really no match for a strong Jedi, Qui-Gon did indeed want the healer to look after Obi-Wan as well. But it was as good an excuse as any.

 

     "Of course, Master Qui-Gon," Siri said with a nod. "I'll see you all back here soon. Safe journey. May the force be with you."

 

     "And with you," Obi-Wan replied, while his master nodded the sentiment. When the transmission ended, Obi-Wan hung his head. "I'm sorry, Master." He shook with a gasp and found a tissue at his nose before he could even request one. "hehUhshhh! hehIhshhhhh! hehChushhhhhhh!" Obi-Wan was helped to blow his nose, but returned to feeling sorry as soon as it was all over.

 

     Qui-Gon wrapped his arms around the Padawan from behind, hugging tightly. "It's all right. We're none of us feeling quite like ourselves yet. I'm just glad you're safe and back in my arms." He kissed Obi-Wan's cheek.

 

     Obi-Wan nodded. "I look forward to putting on some real clothes again," he admitted. There was nothing like spending weeks as a sex slave to make one appreciate the simple things in life.

 

     Qui-Gon pretended to look disappointed at this. "But Obi, I so enjoy seeing you this naked all the time."

 

     With a roll of his eyes, Obi-Wan joked back. "Master, I love you to death, but after the time I've just had, it's going to be a while until my parts are in full working order again, let alone look well enough for me to want to display them."

 

     Qui-Gon hugged him tightly from behind, resting his chin on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "I can wait as long as you need, my Love. So long as you have no objections to my holding and kissing you."

 

     Obi-Wan closed his eyes as he felt a soft kiss caress his neck, then another touch his jaw.  The strong arms drew him close in a promise to never let him be hurt like this again. "My only complaint is wanting more."

 

     With a grin, Qui-Gon pulled Obi-Wan back against the floor, wrapping his body and the blanket back around Obi-Wan. "I will set to work on that right away, then," he said, squeezing in a gentle hug and craning his neck to place another kiss on Obi-Wan's lips.