Saga Shield: Qui/Obi/Ani AU: Part III 3.1

[image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v673/LuvEwan/blacksquare.jpg]


PG

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. Written in response to a challenge from the Obi-Wan Character Workshop thread.

Some are born to protect, no matter what.

Endless, heartfelt thanks goes out to o_e for her lovely advice and help.

--

The storm was coming.

Qui-Gon Jinn stared out the window, peering between the old scratches and scuffs. He saw the horizon, a crisp layering of sand and sky, beginning to swirl into a pale mélange, invigorated by the winds.

And something inside him twisted, and he frowned. Through the distorted lens of the kitchen window, the man watched two silhouetted figures run across the sands. The larger of the pair suddenly caught the other around the middle, struggling for a moment before throwing the diminutive, shadow-swathed form into the air. For a moment, the little energized figure was flying, short arms flung above the head, legs sprawling out. And then the form was falling into the waiting arms of the other.

The ensuing laughter was brilliant, for it was the combination of two young, strong voices, one as pure as the pale azure heavens, the other soft with the slightest hint of grate.

The grip of disconcertment within him loosened. Qui-Gon smiled, setting aside the grime-soaked rag he had been using to clean the eternally rusty, dirt-caked sink unit, and walked outside.

The strengthening winds immediately buffeted his unbound hair, but he didn?t notice, eyes sewn to the young man and boy who wrestled, though each seemed to have more trouble controlling fits of giggles than besting their quasi-opponent. For long moments, he was content to stand there, only distantly aware of the burgeoning tempest, his bearded mouth curling in an amused smirk as the roughhousing continued.

This life rarely permitted lapses in work, and for Obi-Wan and Anakin to be freed from their separate labors-albeit temporarily-was a treasured event. The approach of the sand storm had sent the bedraggled inhabitants of Mos Eisely ducking for shelter, and even the most hardened of Masters had dismissed their slaves to the crumbling hovels for the remaining hours of the day.

There was nothing to do while the winds swirled, for they funneled sand so quickly every grain became a razor, and an unlucky person could be blinded in the onslaught. Yet, it was in these pockets of time that the slaves of Tatooine existed for; the twisters were reprieve from the grinding routine of sweat and ache and fear. Children were allowed to huddle in the arms of their mothers, knowing that there would be no task or whip to divide them?and a father could spend the dwindling seconds before the storm observing the sons of his soul play, their sun-bronzed faces lit with utter abandon.

But the moment vanished faster than rain on the dunes. Too soon, he was compelled to take a few steps forward, and call over the air?s sharp whistle, ?Come on, you two! It?s picking up!?

Obi-Wan stood, dragging a visibly reluctant Anakin up with him. The frown on the small lips was short-lived, however, and the child ran ahead, grinning. ?I beat Obi-Wan!?

Qui-Gon laughed. His eyes flickered from a proud face to an exasperated one. ?Hiiljo, you were really bested by this whelp??

Obi-Wan dusted himself off, faux crossness stitching his brows. If Qui-Gon didn?t know him better, he would have believed the man was truly disgruntled by the outcome of the skirmish. But he did know Obi-Wan, perhaps deeper than he knew himself. For all the intense gazes and crossed arms, Obi-Wan Kenobi was hardly ever angry. When he was, the mood was unmistakable.

Predictably, the lines faded from the twenty-five year old?s countenance. ?Ah, but you forget that this whelp is a crafty one. I wasn?t prepared for his tricks,? The final word was a hiss, and Obi-Wan glanced down at Anakin with twinkling-eyed accusation.

?It wasn?t a trick!? Anakin insisted, hands moving to his hips. He looked pleadingly to the older ma

 

I loved it, of course. You certainly know how to drag emotions out of me and make me want to cry for them all. Loved the setup and how Obi-Wan was always given the raw deal from denial as a Jedi to slavery to freedom and slavery again to losing his family. Horrible! Horrible!

Great job. This was depressing as hell.

 

Wow, I loved that

 

Oh, you made me cry with that. You had those touches of humor (I liked the joke with Qui asking the force to send a slimy bug) towards the begining and then such sweetness in parts that the rest was even more incredibly heartwrenching. Very sad and beautiful.

 

I have to finish reading this when I get back from taking the kids to school, but WOW!

Obi-Wan dusted himself off, faux crossness stitching his brows. If Qui-Gon didn?t know him better, he would have believed the man was truly disgruntled by the outcome of the skirmish. But he did know Obi-Wan, perhaps deeper than he knew himself. For all the intense gazes and crossed arms, Obi-Wan Kenobi was hardly ever angry. When he was, the mood was unmistakable.


Oh, how true!

 

Oh, my heart aches afer reading this. So beautiful. Great job, LuvEwan!

 

Wowzers! What an AU!!

Loved it girl!! Truly loved it! What a twist of things there!

Totally liked how Obi told Watto that he was the more important...the more logical choice how sad was that though!

Well done! I truly hope Qui can return to free him... a pity you can't post that lil bit!

 

I have to say that your splendid beginning drew me in. Definitely different in its AU, but still easy to recognize the players. You had me bawling at the end, so sad for all of them at the separation. I can't even imagine their freedom felt good leaving a loved one behind

Good job[/obi voice]

 

There's more, right? You won't stop there, will you? You can't!

This was incredible. It captivated me completely; I simply couldn't stop reading. Extremely original and wonderfully written. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this. So, what about a sequel? They're going to be back for him, aren't they? I mean, this time it's both who want it. I really hope you'll continue the story.

 

It is such a blessing to know that, no matter how rarely I come here, if there is a new LuvEwan fic, it will make the visit worthwhile. You have grown by leaps and bounds - in your confidence, your imagination, your plotting, and your character analysis skills - and your Obi is a classic - pure and innocent and noble and heartbreakingly lovely.

I sincerely hope that - having set the curve here and in this genre - you will eventually branch out, and make the transition to professional writing; I truly believe you have that 'spark of the divine fire' that all great authors need in order to create great prose.

Blessings and best wishes for your future.

CYN

 

Another masterpiece! I'd be crying if I wasn't pretending to work, here at work.

Your characters just jump to life.

There are several writers here - you amongst them - that just awe me.

I'd quote my favorite lines, but then I'd quote the entire story.

 

That was wonderful!

Please say that there will be a sequel?

 

Oh that ending was so heartbreaking! I hope Qui and Anakin get a chance to return for Obi. I loved how their little family echoed Anakin's in Ep I. Beautiful job!

 

a one-post by LE ending like that?!???!!? how purely evil of you, LE! and so depressingly wonderful!

*goes to find tissues*

good work, dear.

 

diane Horrible! Horrible! This was depressing as hell. Now that's what I like to hear. Glad you liked it.

StarryAngel Thanks.

Lovely-In-Orange Thank you for reading!

VL Yes, you can tell when Obi-Wan's angry, can't you? Like on Mustafar, he seemed ticked off about something... Thanks for reading.

Aelan_Greenleaf Thank you.

Kynstar ...a pity you can't post that lil' bit. I was going to add an ending to it, but then I just wanted it to stop there. Thank you for your comments.

TKeira_Lea Everything sounds better in obi voice. Thanks for reading.

Indra You know how to make a girl blush, don't you? I might post a small sequel if the idea for it hits me strong enough. Thank you for you reading and replying. I really appreciate it.

CYN Hey there, good to see you. Original ideas are in my head, but life's been hectic lately...plus, you can't write about Obi-Wan in original fiction. I'm glad to hear you think I've improved in writing, that was a very nice thing to say. Thank you for reading and reviewing! I eagerly anticipate any updates of yours that may come.

Valairy_Scott Pretending to work? Ah yes, a favorite past time we both seem to share. Thanks for reading.

Magenta_Moonshadow I don't know if I'll get the urge to write any more in this AU, but I'm happy to know others might like to see it. Thank you!

Jedi_Tigris I thought their little family was cute, too. Thanks for reading.

Sarka_Vrae how purely evil of you, LE! What a sweet compliment! Thank you kindly.

 

Its such a treat to find such wonderful AUs- thank you so much for a great read!
That is wonderful in terms of ingenious plotlines, but alas for our poor boys! That was heart wrenching!
I loved the qui obi relationship, so much of so much feeling that was there between them (and that wins the worst description prize I know! But its not my fault- it's just too powerful to put words to it!) And obi wan was oh so like obi wan- and you can't top that!

- great job

I, too would love a sequel if ever inspiration hits you, but in the meantime any of your work is a treat!

 

Stella_Ripple And obi wan was oh so like obi wan- and you can't top that! Thank you. That's a lovely compliment. Thanks for reading.

 

First time posting...

I must be truly masochistic because I love you. This killed me.

 

wonderful, sad, haunting, beautiful - you always manage to put my emotions through the wringer (in a good way!). Your fics never fail to amaze. Great job ...

 

whatifisaidno I must be truly masochistic because I love you. This killed me. Well, thank you.

Kestrel_Kenobi Thank you. You're very sweet.

--

I was hoping for this to be a prologue, but I think it's going to end up being as long or longer than the first part. So I'm going to continue it as something of a short story.

Part Two
To Indra

--

10 Years Later

Obi-Wan stood in the midst of a battered steel tangle, peering down at the various parts. They were corroded with rust, faded ugly in the sun, and worse, scattered over the entire yard. His separating system had been obliterated by another dry sand squall, after which a few kind souls had taken the opportunity to rummage through the piles, taking what they wanted.

The base of his neck burning, hands loosely riding his hips, the slave surveyed his lost work with a heavy sigh.

?How much did I lose, ehhh??

At the raspy, grunting inquiry, Obi-Wan turned.

The scuffed blue face, accented by a drooping, bulbous nose and wide black eyes, was strained. Watto flew slowly towards him, muttering. His wings flitted furiously to support his swollen belly, and the alien Master bobbed up and down like a gnat in a drunken stupor. ?I a told you to get these parts out of the storm!?

?I put the stronger tents up like you said. The wind blasted right through.?

Watto laughed hoarsely. ?I?ve used those tents for years. They weren?t the problem, methinks.?

The contempt that sliced through Obi-Wan was cold and sour as fresh vomit. But he swallowed it, as he always did, and remained silent.

The slaver?s eyes drooped to suspicious slits. ?How come you never backtalk like the others? Or a try and get on my good side, at least. They shovel so much poodoo at me I?m surprised I don?t stink of it!? He chuckled and wheezed at that.

Obi-Wan didn?t reply, mostly because he didn?t agree with his master?s assessment. One whiff of Watto was enough to know that some of the malodorous onslaught was hitting its mark. He glanced at the suns, which were finally showing the pale of approaching dusk, and wiped his palms on his leggings. His anticipation of returning home was sweeter today, for there was a leftover fruit he had stowed with his things. He shared his hovel with so many others; the possession of half-decent food was rare and cherished.

He was drifting to that awaiting taste, and to the tantalizing notion of dark sleep when a blunt kick from Watto knocked him into the present again.

?I swear, sometimes I think you?re missing a cog somewhere in that slave head a?yours.?

Obi-Wan straightened his posture, body conforming to a solemn, vertical line.

Watto?s lips curled and wrestled as though he were chewing on a tough wad of meat. His eyes darted across the mangled yard. ?Eh, can?t have customers seein the place like this, not with the way you usually keep it.?

Obi-Wan felt his bones slide down in his shoulders before the slaver finished.

?Don?t leave here until everything?s the way it was. Eh, you hear me??

?Yes.? Obi-Wan said softly.

Watto dipped in closer, with a sneer, ?And you a watch it with the coughing, huh? You get blood on my merchandise.?

?Alright.?

The bloated creature hesitated a moment, perhaps contemplating a harsher punishment. Then he gave a sharp wave of dismissal with his hand, and Obi-Wan watched him disappear inside the shop, bumbling and cursing and shaking his head.

--

In the dark, his task was far more difficult. He had done as much as he could in the retreating light, but now the scraps melded together in shadow, and he could barely tell the difference between them.

Obi-Wan was leaning forward to grab a runaway screw when he felt his lungs begin to bind. He paused, going rigid, willing himself to stop the wracking heaves before they came.

?I?ll finish this,? He swore, voice a wet scrape in the silence, ?I?ll finish this.?

He pressed forward a moment longer, then his knees hit the ground, jaw slamming and breath deserting

 

You did it! You've just brought a nice end to my otherwise rotten day. I love this and I'm so very glad you've decided to continue it and even turn it into a short story. Although it is of course rather evil of you to leave off there. Can't wait for the next part. I'm enjoying this story so much. Thanks for continuing. More, please?

 

Yay he came back for him!!! Though 10 yrs later... and something is dreadfully wrong with Obi Oh my! I truly hope it's fixable/healable!

Great job! Soooo happy you posted again! Yay!!

 

Yah! Qui-Gon came back for our Obi-Wan. I'm thrilled to see this sequel - can't wait for more. Poor sick Obi.

 

So glad you're continuing - could you please pm me with updates?

Loved this...

?Yes,? Qui-Gon murmured, before pulling the man, his child, against him. Trembling arms wound around him; a warm face was pressed against his chest. ?Far away.?

Abruptly, Obi-Wan withdrew, thin tracks of tears sliding from his eyes. ?Qui-Gon??

Qui-Gon nodded, ?Yes, Obi-Wan.? He found he couldn?t stop touching the face, the shoulders, the hair, ?I?m real. It?s real.?

He was blessed with a brilliant grin, a squeeze of his hand, and then Obi-Wan fainted.

Can't wait for more!

 

Lovely. Just . . . lovely. Your word choice is incredible, and weaves a spell around the reader, drawing them into the world of the story, making it painfully touching and heartbreaking at the same time.

And now I'm really worried, at the same time I'm thrilled. What will happen next? I hope Obi-Wan's all right!