| Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were sparring, sharpening their lightsaber skills,
when they felt a great disturbance in the Force. Or, rather, not a disturbance
but a concentration. Qui-Gon, sensing no danger, quickly brought the bout
to an end and turned to face a presence that was so strong in the Force
it seemed there was nothing more to it. Obi- Wan mirrored his Master's movements
and saw a man, his hair snow white, dressed in unfamiliar robes. "You are skilled warriors," the man said, his eyes resting first on Qui-Gon and then on Obi-Wan. "And who are you?" the Jedi Master asked. "I am Rayden, God of thunder and lightning." Seeing their skeptical but tolerant expressions, Rayden shrugged a little. "Or, if you prefer, merely a representation of the Force you serve." He paused a little for dramatic effect. "I am here because your realm is in grave danger." The Jedi merely waited for him to elaborate, and he sighed. "An Emperor from another realm seeks to take over this one. To do this, he must win 10 straight victories in a tournament called Mortal Kombat." "And he's won nine," Qui-Gon said calmly. "Yes," Rayden confirmed, surprised. "How did you know?" "Well, the danger wouldn't be nearly so grave if he'd only won two or three, now would it?" Obi-Wan asked, his tone reasonable, though he was smiling a little. "Well, in any case," Rayden continued, "I've come to tell you that you have been chosen to compete in the tournament this year. The fate of bill...trill...everyone in the galaxy depends on you!" "We gathered that," Qui-Gon said, eyes twinkling. Rayden glared at him and seemed about to say something when the air next to him crackled with blue electricity and spit out a young man with blond hair and blue eyes. "You're late," Rayden griped. "And you're in a bad mood," the young man replied. He turned to Qui-Gon and stuck out his hand. "Johnny Cage, at your service," he introduced himself brightly. Qui-Gon looked at the offered hand for a moment before tentatively reaching out to clasp it. "I am Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Master, and this is my apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi." "Johnny is here to tell you about the tournament," Rayden explained. "He competed in the Mortal Kombat that decided the fate of his world." "I take it you won?" Obi-Wan asked. "Of course!" Johnny said. He caught Rayden's reproving glance and added, "Well, I won all the bouts I took part in..." "Lu Kang won the tournament," Rayden explained. "But he remained on Outworld with Princess Kitana to help rebuild." "Perhaps we should retire to a different setting to have this discussion," Qui-Gon said diplomatically, glancing around at the practice ring. "There isn't time for that," Rayden interrupted. "The boat...ship will be arriving soon. We must be at the dock...spaceport to meet it. Follow me!" Obi-Wan exchanged an amused glance with his Master as they followed Rayden and Johnny. The God...or whatever...could be heard muttering, "I'm not supposed to handle this world, but noooo, I had to do a favor for a friend..." "So, Qui, Obi-" Johnny began. "That's Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan," Obi-Wan corrected. "Right. Whatever. What, exactly, does a Jedi do?" "We are the guardians of peace and justice throughout the galaxy," Qui-Gon said solemnly. "Oh. So I guess this saving the world thing isn't new to you? Let me tell you, when I had to do it, I was just blown away. I mean, I was just a movie star at the time..." Obi-Wan suppressed a grin and exchanged a glance with his Master as Johnny rambled on about his role in saving his world - Earth - from the evil Emperor. Taking a couple of quick steps, Obi-Wan moved to stand beside Rayden and asked, "Why have the Jedi not been called upon to participate in Mortal Kombat before?" "They have," Rayden answered. "None survived to tell the tale." Obi-Wan was still contemplating that when they arrived at the shuttle that would take them to the ship that would carry them to the battleground of Mortal Kombat. The journey was relatively short and, of itself, uneventful. Johnny engaged himself in telling stories of his home planet and the Mortal Kombat that had saved it. Obi-Wan listened as politely as he could while Qui- Gon attempted to worm more information out of Rayden. They quickly learned that the rules of Mortal Kombat varied slightly from realm to realm. In Johnny Cage's 'Earth' it had been hand to hand. Here, they would fight with swords. "I take it we will not be permitted the use of our lightsabers," Qui-Gon commented. Rayden opened his mouth on a question, shut it quickly and said, "The duelists will be armed with weapons of equal strength," instead. "That means no, Master," Obi-Wan said, interrupting Johnny and suppressing a grin. Johnny blinked in startlement. Then his expression cleared. "I get it. He," he pointed to Qui-Gon, "is a Jedi Master and you're his apprentice, so you address him as 'Master'." "Of course," Obi-Wan commented, his brow wrinkling. "The title 'Master' just brought an entirely different relationship to mind, that's all," Johnny said casually, a mischievous glint lighting his eyes. Obi-Wan fought down a blush and, glancing at Qui-Gon, he could see the older man suppressing a chuckle. Rayden interrupted the moment. "Behold!" he said, waving his hand towards the viewport theatrically, "the site of Mortal Kombat!" Johnny rose from his seat and placed a gentle hand on the god's shoulder. "Give up the melodrama, Rayden," he said, not unkindly, "they aren't impressed." "I'm used to doing this for inexperienced young Mortals," Rayden said to the young man. "They are far too jaded to be any fun." Johnny leaned over to whisper in Rayden's ear. "Yeah, but think what fun you're going to have when you make them face their fears." Master and apprentice wondered why Rayden's mood brightened so suddenly. The 'site of Mortal Kombat' was a good-sized space station floating out in the middle of nowhere. Obi-Wan could see that there were already a number of ships docked at the various airlocks. Their own ship pulled up to a free airlock and attached itself, seemingly of its own will. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, accustomed to many strange forms of technology, folded their hands inside their sleeves and disembarked calmly. Rayden sighed and Johnny patted him sympathetically on the shoulder as they followed the Jedi. As it turned out, the space station was little more than a series of battle platforms joined by walkways. There was no apparent place to accommodate the competitors, so Obi-Wan assumed that they would be sleeping on their ship. If the apprentice was perfectly honest, the battleground was rather impressive. Dozens of circular, silver platforms were arrayed at several different heights, connected by arching silver walkways. A mesh of the same silver metal, which must have been supporting a forcefield to maintain an atmosphere, enclosed the whole. Despite the fact that the setting impressed him, Obi-Wan forced a bland expression onto his face. It was far too much fun watching Rayden's reaction to their absolute Jedi serenity in the face of all the god had thrown at them. Qui-Gon must have sensed that thought, for Obi- Wan could feel restrained amusement through their bond. After surveying the proposed battleground, the Jedi returned to the ship to meditate. Johnny rolled his eyes at them when they informed him of this, and they left him bickering with Rayden about the variations in Mortal Kombats in different realms. "Master," Obi-Wan said when they reached the single private cabin in the ship. "The title of this competition - Mortal Kombat - has been troubling me." "In what way?" Qui-Gon asked, kneeling and gesturing for his apprentice to do the same. "It implies that we will be expected to fight to the death..." Obi-Wan explained and trailed off. Qui-Gon nodded his understanding. "You've never been forced to kill before, have you?" The Padawan confirmed this with a shake of his head. "Killing is stain upon the soul of any Jedi," Qui-Gon went on, his expression darkening, "but it is, at times, necessary to preserve the greater good. When you must, make the kill quick and clean. And seek counsel afterwards if you need it. This is not a thing that will accommodate pride." He smiled a little then and placed a supportive hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. Obi-Wan smiled gratefully at his Master and leaned into the touch the tiniest bit. It was not long before one of the other participants challenged one of them. Qui-Gon went to the match calmly, one with the Force. Obi-Wan watched the fight, brief as it was. His Master returned to the ship equally serene, to any other but his Padawan. To Obi-Wan, the familiar aura of his Master was a little unsettled, his frame a little tense. It did not feel right to comfort with words. So Obi-Wan set his concerns over his own privacy aside and, preparing to sleep for the night, settled himself with his head on Qui-Gon's shoulder. After a moment, the older man's hand came up to gently stroke Obi-Wan's neck. The Padawan could feel that the gesture was more comforting to Qui-Gon than to himself, as much as it relaxed him. When Obi-Wan woke the next morning he found himself in almost exactly the same position, and he allowed himself to enjoy the closeness for a moment. Arising at last, Obi-Wan found a challenge waiting for him. Feeling a stab of apprehension, Obi-Wan cleaned himself up, dressed, and took a moment to compose himself before going to meet the challenger. Qui-Gon rose as he was meditating, and once again words seemed inappropriate. Instead, Obi-Wan accepted a wave of reassurance through their bond as he left for the challenge. Johnny and Rayden, most of their work done, wished Obi-Wan luck as he went to his fight. The young Jedi privately felt that luck had nothing to do with it, but accepted their well wishes just the same. The battle was hardly a challenge for the Jedi. The hardest part came when he actually had to kill his opponent. It wasn't done in the heat of battle, it was more like an execution. But it had to be done. Untold lives depended upon it. Obi-Wan returned to the ship, head bowed, mourning his opponent. Qui-Gon gave him a brief hug for comfort, and led him inside to meditate. Rayden watched, his eyes narrowed, and nodded slightly to himself. The bouts continued in much the same way for two more days. The warriors the Jedi faced slowly grew more skilled, but Master and apprentice always triumphed. However, their victories took their toll. Both men slowly grew more bleak, more weighed down with the lives they took. Finally, Rayden appeared in their shared quarters to confront them as he had done Johnny, Lu Kang, and Sonya Blade. "You are growing weak," he said, confident here. "You must face your fears if you are going to win against the Emperor's champion. No!" he stopped Obi-Wan's objection. "Face your fear. Not push it aside. Not release it. Confront it and be strengthened by it." "What is this fear we must face?" Qui-Gon asked, tired. "You are each other's strength," Rayden observed, smirking a little. "You fear losing that strength. And so you fear confronting your true feelings for one another." Obi-Wan raised an inquiring eyebrow. "Fine, I'll be blunt! You fear loving each other." With that, Rayden turned on his heel and left their rooms. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon regarded the closed door with bemused surprise before turning to each other. Then Obi-Wan felt the fear Rayden had spoken of...yet he also felt hope. "Master?" he asked, aware that his hope was in his voice. Bracing himself, he stepped closer to Qui-Gon and reached up to touch his cheek hesitantly. "Do you...?" he broke off, unable to finish the question. In answer Qui-Gon smiled down at his Padawan and lowered his mental shields. A flood of warmth and love that Obi-Wan had never thought would be directed at him flowed forth. The words, when Qui-Gon spoke them, were almost secondary. "I love you, Obi-Wan. My Padawan...my beloved." There was nothing that Obi-Wan could do but cast aside his own shields. Where their love met and mingled, joy was born. They fear that had each had felt was washed away by it. Qui-Gon tilted his Padawan's head up and placed a kiss on his lips. Obi-Wan reached up and pulled his Master in for a deeper, more heated caress. Unwilling to break the kiss, they two Jedi held their breath as they had been trained to do. Obi-Wan laughed mentally at the passing thought that he doubted this was what that training had been meant for... Finally their lips parted, not for breath, but to taste other places. The younger man pushed Qui-Gon's robes off his shoulders and, nosing aside the silky hair, nibbled gently at his neck. Smiling, Qui-Gon enjoyed the caress even as he stripped Obi-Wan of his clothes. Obi-Wan stepped out of his garments absently and broke off his nibbling to remove his Master's tunic, returning to suckle at one pebbled nipple. Qui-Gon gasped, arching into the touch, gripping his Padawan's hips tightly. Feeling his knees weaken, Qui- Gon pulled away from Obi-Wan to lead him to the bed. Obi-Wan lay down, legs spread wantonly, smiling invitingly. The older Jedi quickly shucked his pants and boots and joined his beloved on the bed. Obi-Wan smiled up at Qui-Gon and reached for him, drawing his Master down to lie upon him. The two men moaned and arched into each other's touch. The warm smoothness of skin against heated skin sent sparks of pleasure skittering across their nerves. The lovers moved rhymically against each other, pressing into the firmness of thigh and stomach. Then Qui-Gon reached down and closed his hand about Obi-Wan's cock, his strokes hard and fast. Obi-Wan came suddenly, shuddering in his Master's embrace. Qui-Gon lifted a hand slick with Obi-Wan's cream to his mouth and sucked on one finger, his eyes locking with his lover's. Smiling wickedly, Obi-Wan reached for Qui- Gon's hand and drew one of the fingers into his own wet heat. He sucked at it and stroked it with his tongue as if it were Qui-Gon's cock, and the older man moaned. Closing his eyes, Qui-Gon thrust hard against his Padawan and came. Obi-Wan cleaned himself and Qui-Gon up with a corner of the bed sheets. Then he wrapped his arms about his new lover and settled down to sleep for a while, his heart at peace. Rayden returned from speaking with the two Jedi to the quarters he and Johnny were sharing. Johnny glanced up and grinned. "Have fun?" "Definitely," Rayden chuckled. "So...think they'll be distracted enough for the next little while that we can have a little fun ourselves?" the young man's grin turned mischievous. "I expect so," Rayden replied, returning the grin and reaching for Johnny. The next competitor challenged by the Emperor's champion was Qui-Gon. Between the two of them, Obi- Wan and Qui-Gon had defeated nearly all of the warriors fighting on behalf of the Emperor. But neither one of them had yet even witnessed the champion fight. Kissing Qui-Gon and wishing him the support of the Force, Obi- Wan watched his lover walk into battle. Surprisingly, the champion, a human robed in black, wielded a lightsaber. Qui-Gon did not show his startlement, but merely reached for his own weapon, which hung at his belt as always. With a hiss, the 'saber ignited, it's color blood red. Then, the Jedi understood. They faced a Sith lord. The duel began and Obi-Wan watched tensely, worried for his Master but not allowing that worry to slip over into fear. As the fight wore on, far longer than any other in which they had participated, Obi-Wan could see Qui- Gon's strength waning. The Sith sensed it also, and stepped up his attack, burning reserves of Dark energy. Then the red 'saber slipped through Qui-Gon's guard, burning him across one thigh. The pain seared Obi-Wan as if he'd been struck himself, but he was suddenly grateful for it. It reminded him of the new bond he and Qui-Gon had forged. Opening himself to his Master, Obi-Wan sent all his strength along that bond. He sent it with no fear, and no restraint. His student's strength energized the Jedi Master. Qui- Gon's tiredness faded, his movements quickened. The Sith fell back against the suddenly furious attack, all reserves spent. A moment later, Qui-Gon's 'saber sliced through his opponent, bring the match to a quick and merciful end. Obi-Wan grinned broadly at his Master, but did not run to him. He was too exhausted himself, having sent all his energy to Qui-Gon. The older man came to Obi-Wan and they embraced tightly for a moment, eventually turning to see Rayden and Johnny watching them, smiling. Once on their ship and on their way back to Coruscant, Rayden turned to the Jedi with serious eyes. "You can not tell your council of this. You must not tell anyone." "Why?" Obi-Wan asked simply. "Mortal Kombat is not something that should be spoken of. It is...sacred, in a way." "Besides, those are the rules," Johnny interjected. Rayden rolled his eyes at him. "Very well," Qui-Gon agreed. And the two Jedi pledged themselves to secrecy. |