Rating: NC-17

Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Star Wars. Now, bugger off!

Summary: Forced to leave his partner behind on a dangerous mission, Obi-Wan
finds her while on another assignment and can't leave her again.

*Author's Note* This is a semi-sequel to Lyssa's "Never Been Kissed." You
don't really need to read it to get this, but I will allude to events that
took place in that fic.

Abandon
=============
I made my way through the den of theives, trying to find my man. Xander
Falcon was the operator of over forty illegal pleasure houses on Tatooine.
As I entered this one, I was trying to look nonchalant and glanced up at one
of the dancers. Her eyes met mine, and everything came swirling back to me.

Cerie. Gods, I hadn't wanted to leave her, but the mission was in peril.
It was over three years ago, but my heart ached daily. We'd been
investigating this same pleasure ring, only Cerie was on the inside and I
was working surveillance. Having gotten the information, it would blow our
cover to rescue her. As much as I hated it, I'd had to leave her behind,
abandon her.

Her normally-bright eyes were dull and lifeless. Her spirit was broken. I
let my eyes travel over her body, noticing the Force-inhibiting collar they
had placed around her slender neck. As my eyes traveled along her once-full
curves, I noticed just how little they were feeding her now. She was a mere
shadow of the woman I once knew.

I tossed a few credits to her and she came down, playing along with my ruse.
She crawled into my lap and began to dance, and up close I could see the
diamond-like tears welling in her eyes.

"Why did you leave me, Kenobi? I fought at first, you know. Wouldn't let
him take me without a fight. I thought you were coming for me..I..I.." She
broke into tears and then quickly regained her composure as Xander walked
by.

"Ah, I see you've found one of our special treats, Mr. Elbereth." I turned
to face him, wrapping my arms around Cerie's waist suggestively. I had to
keep our cover so I could try and get her out. I slid my hands up into her
slip of a dress, feeling soft skin beneath my fingertips. I remembered the
feel of her from all those years ago, when she'd first showed me how to
love.

"She's quite the draw here. Most submissive too. Men can bed her quite
easily." I was repulsed, but tried not to show it. My Cerie, subjected to
this because I was fool enough to leave her behind for the sake of the
mission. I cleared my throat, and decided to take my chances.

"Mind if I have a go at her tonight? I'd like to know what I was investing
in." I fondled her breast gently, wanting desparately to apologize to her
as I did so. She seemed to understand, and let me run my hands over her
soft body. Xander smiled and dismissed us, and I brought Cerie upstairs
into the spacious guest suite. I checked for bugs and when I had removed
them all, I took her Force-inhibitor off.

"Thank you. I missed the Force so much." Then, she promptly slapped me
across the face.

"Why the hell did you leave me, Kenobi? And, I was in your lap tonight..you
enjoyed your ruse too much in my opinion. Do you honestly think that after
leaving me in this hellhole for three fuckin years that I'm just going to
melt at your touch?" Cerie pulled her tiny dress off and pulled on one of
my robes to feel more dressed. The sleeves flopped comically and we both
shared a well-deserved laugh.

"Obi, I was hurt when you thought the mission was more important than my
life and freedom." Cerie's eyes teared up again, and I scooted closer to
her on the large bed.

"I know, Cerie. I know. I'm so sorry. If I had it to do all over again, I
would rescue you. But, while I can't take away what has happened, I can
change the future. We're going to get out of here as soon as I get the
information I need. As it is, they probably have guards outside. Can you
fake an orgasm or do I have to give you one?" Cerie smiled again, the
second time in five minutes. She hadn't had anything to smile about since
the mission that went bad those three years ago.

"I haven't had a real orgasm since I was left in this hellhole." With that,
she launched into a set of incredibly-believable screams. I heard muffled
footsteps as the guards belted down the hallway. I handed Cerie an old
undertunic of mine and she stripped and put it on, crawling into the large
bed next to me. She dropped off into a sound sleep, and I was content to
just watch her. I stroked her now-shoulder length hair, remembering when it
was long and thick. I had to get her out of here.

=====================

----------------------------------
I rose early, Cerie still twined in the covers of my bed. She snored
lightly, and I had the distinct feeling that this was the best sleep she'd
had in quite some time. I heard her mumble under her breath, and leaned in
to listen more carefully.

"Obi..Obi...that just means you're doing something right..oh.." She
thrashed about on the bed, sweat breaking out on her forehead. I felt
guilty for being privy to her dreams..she couldn't help what she dreamed.
Most likely, I was the only positive memory of sex she ever had, and she
held on to that dream in order to survive her hellish days.

Still, the sight of her thrashing around on my bed, calling my name, was
more than I could bear. I brushed a kiss along her forehead, trying to wake
her gently. Her eyes popped open, wild and scared.

"Wha? Where am I? Kenobi! What the hell?!" Cerie popped out of bed and
tried to gain her bearings, thinking that I'd taken advantage of her the
night before. As much as I would have liked to, I wouldn't dare. I would
never take advantage of a lady, no matter her status. Cerie was a fellow
Jedi..my equal in all things.

"I've done nothing to you, Cerie. Don't you trust your best friend? The
moment you asked my trust, you had it. You can't tell me you don't remember
that night." Cerie glared at me, but I knew she was thinking of that night.
Our night.

It had been years ago, when I was eighteen. I'd been repulsed by the
thought of sex, and Cerie cured me of that. We'd been watching a silly,
romantic play for a class when she leaned over and kissed me. While I once
thought it repulsive, the feel of her soft lips gliding across mine was more
than I could bear. One thing led to another, and she was showing me the
intricacies of her body while we lay sprawled across Master Yaddle's couch.

After that, however, Cerie withdrew into her shell, becoming nothing more
than a friend to me. The intimacy of our relationship dwindled over the
years, nearly splitting off completely when I took my padawan, Anakin. We
were nothing more than casual acquaintances until a mission to Tatooine.

It had been three years ago, and I was to accompany Cerie to the desert
planet in order to infiltrate a drug ring being run through the front of a
pleasure house. Deathsticks were a high-going trade throughout the galaxy,
and highly prevalent in the Outer Rim territories, where they were often
sanctioned by the local governments.

Cerie was to pose as a dancer, and work her way into the lead man, Xander
Falcon's bed. She didn't count on his owning a Force-inhibition collar, or
being slightly Force sensitive himself. While I had all the information I
needed, rescuing Cerie would ruin all our efforts. Being bound to the Code,
I left her behind, cursing the day I did so. While our relationship had
become more distant, I still felt a special kinship to the woman who had
first taken my heart and never truly let it go.

Now, she lay before me, innocent and trusting just as she'd been those years
ago. I could hardly believe, gazing at her now, that I'd ever been fool
enough to pursue Master Windu's padawan, Ilyiana. Sure, Ilyiana had been
tall, leggy, and beautiful, but she had absolutely no brains. She was the
antithesis of Cerie...Cerie who thought that I'd forsaken her for physical
beauty. Little did she know that she herself was the standard by which I
chose every woman. The standard by which I gauged their sexual prowess. It
may sound simple and stupid, but I believe my first time was the only time
it felt purely magical.

As I waxed poetic on the woman before me, she had begun to dress in her
dancer's costume. She held up the inhibitor, asking me what to do with it.
Shaken from my reverie, I re-wired the collar to make it appear as if it
functioned without it actually doing so. She put it on gingerly, not ready
for her all-too-brief taste of the living Force to go away as quickly as
she'd found it.

She plastered a silly grin on her face, and when I asked, she explained that
she had to appear as if she'd gotten laid. I shook at the thought,
wondering what it would be like to sleep with her again. She glared,
apparently picking up on my thought. She left the room in a huff, angry
that I was looking at her as a sexual object and little more. She had to
understand that clothed in barely-there attire, swinging her delicious
little hips, and glancing with those bedroom eyes of hers could awaken
desire in a tree stump.

Before she was gone a few seconds, she darted her head back inside, asking
if I'd invite her to sleep with me again. I smiled then, glad that she felt
safe with me.

"It's not that I feel safe with you so much as that you're so by-the-book
you'd rather search the Code for six hours before deciding who gets to be
on top than take your chances with the spontaneous." She left then, hips
swaying. Gods, this woman was even more desirous than the girl she'd once
been and I hadn't been able to resist the girl at all.

=========================
I threw on some clothes and headed out into the main room to meet with
Xander again. As required for my ruse, I dressed in the stylish black
clothes so popular on Alderaan now, "Mr. Elbereth"'s home planet. My
ultimate goal was to get Xander to reveal his source for deathsticks, so
that I could bust the entire ring and never have to come back to this desert
wasteland.

Cerie caught my eye surrestiously from behind Xander's desk. She stood
behind his shoulders, close enough that he could grope her at will. I felt
bile rise in my throat, but tried to contain my emotion. Falling in love
with her wasn't going to help me save her, rather it would become a
hindrance.

She peered at me through lowered lashes, her soft blue-green eyes showing a
hint of forgiveness. While she was still incredibly angry with me for
leaving her behind, she knew I wouldn't do so again. Force help me, I was
getting her out of here, even if I had to take her place myself.

Xander said something and laughed, shaking me from my thoughts.

"Enjoying the view, eh Elbie?" Xander punched me softly, as was customary
between men when discussing women. I thought it tasteless to discuss poor
Cerie as if she were a prime cut of meat, but it couldn't be helped. My
character would act in this rough, crude manner.

"Oh yeah, gorgeous. She's got one sweet ass, Xander. Better keep her under
wraps." I sent her a message telepathically, apologizing.

//Sorry, Cerie. You do have a sweet ass, though.//

//Oh, I'm so impressed. Obi-Wan Kenobi said I had a sweet ass.// Cerie
laughed in my head, but kept her composure admirably, merely looking
downward in that shy manner she had.

"Want her again tonight? I trust she was talented enough for your
impeccable tastes?" Xander leaned forward, and smiled. His mouth gaped
open almost maliciously, and I knew that if I didn't accept this offer, he'd
take Cerie for himself, and he'd be far from gentle. Sex with a woman
wasn't about your pleasure, no, it was all about hers. You were just
blessed to give that woman pleasure. Now, if that pleasure involved a
little of your own, that was your own priority.

"Yes, I'd be honored if I could have her again. Perhaps we could discuss
this more lucrative market of yours. I want to invest in your pleasure
houses, but I want to know how you're bringing in so much revenue. You
can't be this sucessful in skin trade alone." Xander smiled again, and I
knew he wasn't going to give up that easily. Cerie groaned in my brain,
chastising me for being too forward. Sorry, but I couldn't be as subtle as
she.

"Ah, I never discuss business on a weekend. Tell you what, stay here for
this weekend, enjoy Cerie there, and we'll discuss this Monday afternoon.
Deal?" I shook his hand and left, Cerie tailing me close behind.

"So, how's Anakin? He must be a heartbreaker by now." I smiled, glad she
was back to her old self. Anakin certainly was a heartbreaker in the
Temple, but not by his own accord.

"Oh, he's grown into quite a gentleman. All the ladies want him, but he
only has eyes for Queen Amidala." Cerie smiled then, and fluttered her
lashes a bit. She only did that when she was about to turn on the charm,
and she was quite the charmer.

"How many hearts have YOU broken, Master Kenobi? Ten? Twenty?" I laughed.
I hadn't been with more than three women since I left Cerie on Tatooine.
Sure, my reputation was exaggerated, but any man's would be, especially a
Jedi.

"None that I know of. All have been mutual splits." Cerie grew quiet then,
and plucked at the comforter.

"You always had my heart, you know. From the moment we were paired up for
that literature assignment. You have no idea how excited I was..knowing
that this was my chance to be with you one on one." She brightened a
little, trying to mitigate her deep statement.

"Can you give it back? I'm having a little trouble with my blood pressure."
I threw a pillow at her and the heavy mood was lightened considerably.

"Cerulean Blue! That has to be the worst joke I've ever heard." Cerie
laughed hysterically, clutching her sides in a vain attempt to stop. I
reached over and tickled her, remembering all her ticklish places. Behind
her knees, her sides, and the one place that made her writhe and beg for
mercy. Her inner thigh.

However, as soon as I touched her there, she froze, her eyes wide. She
opened and closed her mouth several times, unable to speak. Finally, she
swallowed and took a deep breath, finally speaking.

"Wh..why did you do that?" I realized my hand was still between her legs
and snatched it away quickly, as if it had been burned.

"You're ticklish there, Cerie. You know that." I gazed at her, concerned
and confused. I hadn't meant to overstep my bounds, truly. I'd never
intentionally take advantage of her, and she knew that. I hope.

She didn't speak, merely pulled her thick black stockings down. She hiked
up her skirt and then I saw it. Several thick scars twined around her
thighs, curling around in several patterns. One was a calligraphic "X" and
I knew what it meant. Xander. Marking his territory..his property.

"Gods, Cerie. I didn't know. I'm so sorry." I leaned down and brushed a
kiss along the scars, breathing lightly over her clothed mound. She might
not want to admit it, but I could smell her arousal, and it was making me
wild. I lifted my head and replaced the skirt and stockings, drawing her
into my arms. I was such a bastard for leaving her there.

She crawled into bed beside me, her hand idly drawing patterns over my bare
chest. She popped up a bit and looked me in the eyes, and I knew she was
about to ask me a pointed question.

"Did you love her? Ilyiana?" I knew this was going to come up. Ilyiana
had been the love of my padawan life. Cerie herself had been crushed, but
seemed to understand. It would only be normal for the best looking people
in the Temple to gravitate towards one another out of mutual attraction, but
love? I think not. Love wasn't a pair of endless legs and shiny blonde
hair. Love was short and curvy, with dark hair and misty blue-green eyes.
Love had a laugh that would make a Gungan run in horror, and a smile that
could melt even a Wampa's heart.

"No, Cerie. I didn't love her. She didn't have any intelligence
whatsoever. You're much better company." Cerie smiled a little and turned
away, ready to sleep at last. I watched her for a moment, her dark lashes
making crescents beneath her eyes. She was beautiful, but not in the
traditional sense. Cerie was anything but ordinary.

I dreamed then, feeling Cerie's soft breath on my ear, her wet lips trailing
down my naked chest. She was naked too, her nipples pointed and her eyes
wide with ecstasy. She nibbled at my neck, her teeth marking her claim as
she made her way down my body. She slid her dewy folds across my stomach,
and then traced the path with her finger. She rubbed my lips with it, and I
suckled her finger just as she danced around my cock. Her thighs squeezed
me, the taut muscles rippling as she teased the head of my cock with her
dripping body. She finally whispered in my ear.

"Do you want me, Obi-Wan Kenobi?" I growled a feral assertion and she slid
onto me, her steaming folds caressing my body and burning me with the raw
desire. I growled then, and felt a soft hand at my shoulder.

"Obi? Obi? Are you having a nightmare?" I awoke to find Cerie above me,
her eyes filled with concern. I pushed her away slightly, opting instead to
cradle her against my chest, her perfect ass settled into my crotch.

"Kenobi, why do you sleep with your lightsaber? That thing could go off at
any moment." I laughed and picked up my belt, showing her the lightsaber
still attached. Her eyes grew wide at first, overwhelmed, and then she
laughed.

"Horny Jedi. What's a girl to do?" She didn't move as I dreaded she would,
but merely snuggled in closer. It should be illegal for a woman to smell as
good as she did. I drifted off to sleep again, the smell of Cerie wafting
into my nose as I dreamed of her below me, writhing in ecstasy.

===========================================
I believe Cerie and I are the most infuriating people in the galaxy. One
moment she's warm and accomodating, the next she's trying to push me away
from her. Sure, I understand that she's been through a lot, but would it be
so much to ask for her to just talk to me?

If she'd tell me, I'm sure I could help her. Although, I know I don't look
like a likely source for comfort, I could try. When Qui-Gon died, I had no
one. Cerie had withdrawn herself from me years beforehand, trying to keep
her distance from the "Temple's most eligible bachelor." Something about me
being a ladies' man rubbed her the wrong way, although I don't know why.
Unless...no, she couldn't have been. She'd never be in love with someone
like me.

Now, she's snuggled against my chest, snoring softly. I think that's
hillarious, that she's so unconcerned with appearances. Normally, women
with snoring problems turn me off, but the soft snuffling noises coming from
this woman are endearing.

I remember teasing her in saber practice, goading her into attacking me with
all her strength. I used to say that she was destined for the ag corps, or
at best, the Healing ward. She'd come running at me headlong, using the
Force to disarm me and use her signature move: the double saber swirl. I
even taught it to Anakin, the advantages of two free lightsabers numerous.
An opponent faced with that sort of combat would not know which way to
attack first, leaving them open for a fatal blow.

Of course, while in battle Cerie was formidable, in life she was a big
sweetheart. She was often chastised by the Council for going out of her way
to help children and the less fortunate. Cerie was a great Jedi, but would
forsake a mission to save one life-form. It broke my heart to leave her on
Tatooine, but I'd had to for the mission.

Damn the mission! I shouldn't have left her. This woman was traumatized,
all because I had to complete the Force-forsaken mission. Cerie is shifting
now, her slender thigh slung over my hips and her face inches from mine.
It's time. I need to show this woman what she means to me.

"Cerie, Cerie." She awakens, her eyes sleepy and hooded with desire.

"Mmmm..Obi. Love you." I kiss her then, working my hands into her thick
hair. My lips move over her soft skin, tasting all the places that I'd
forgotten in all these years. I remember her teaching me, how she told me
to caress her softly, fleetingly. I do this now, and she groans. I reach
down to pull up her tunic, and her eyes suddenly pop open.

"OBI-WAN KENOBI! WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE FORCE ARE YOU DOING?!" Cerie
wrestles herself from my grasp and I realize now that she was still more
than half-asleep. I'm such an idiot. I let my hormones take over, and
Cerie is still a bit delicate in the sex department.

"Cerie, gods, calm down. Talk to me, please? I want to help you. Please,
tell me." She shakes her head, tears coming to her eyes. She can't speak
it.

"Let me in, then. Let down your shields." She nods, and I'm inside her
mind, images whirring through my brain. Images of me in the Temple, before
and after my "kissing lesson." Images of me with Ilyiana, tainted with
jealousy and hurt. Images of being left on Tatooine, being abused nightly
by various men. I saw it through her mind's eye, the moment she finally
gave up.

<<< "Give it up you whore..you know you like it. Stop crying." Cerie
choked on her tears, giving up her spirit, finally defeated. Her final cry,
released as he roughly thrust into her, was full of anger and sorrow.
"OBIIIIIIIIIII">>>

She was crying now, and I held her, trying to take the pain. She'd held
onto me throughout her ordeal, trying to remember that sex wasn't always
abusive and painful. Memories of that one time in her apartment were enough
to keep her sane..she cherished those few stolen moments more than anything
else in her life at this point. I was determined to make her feel that way
again.
==================

Elleran was a thin man, his hook-like nose protruding from a face that
looked as if he'd spent his life sucking on Malastarean lemons. He had a
grin that looked like nothing even closely resembling a smile, but rather a
maw of jagged teeth and putrid breath. He tended to lean close when
speaking, blowing his foul breath into the listener's airspace.

I tried to keep a respectful distance between myself and Elleran, sharp
pains shooting through my head everytime he opened his mouth and drawled in
a laconic Corellian accent. He leaned forward, poking a bony finger into my
shoulder, and asked if I'd like to see his shipment. Glad of an opportunity
to put some distance between him and myself, I gladly agreed, and we headed
out to a small landing platform.

Sitting inside the hangar were over two thousand kilos of powdered
deathsticks. Not being a drug expert, I couldn't tell the exact quality,
but it looked to be top-notch stuff. I surreptiously slipped my holocamera
from my pocket and took photos as Xander and the drug lord spoke. I was
thankful for the Force in times like these, allowing me to focus the camera
while looking completely nonchalant.

Their conversation began to dwindle and Xander looked to me, questions
dancing in his coal-black eyes.

"So, Elbie? Whatcha think? You gonna invest?" I declined politely, saying
that I was impressed with the product but wanted to sleep on the deal for a
night. Xander laughed and made a crude comment about me "not getting much
sleep when that Cerie was around." I restrained my urge to slam him against
the wall using the Force and castrating him, deciding that subtlety was what
was going to get both Cerie and I off this planet. I bowed, and, taking my
camera, I bolted back to Cerie's chambers, eager to show her the information
I'd obtained.

"Gods, Kenobi! How can you READ this? It's so.....good Force. You wrote
this. Oh..gods...it's...for..me..shit." I'd reduced the ever-witty Cerie
to one syllable words. I just hoped it wasn't what I thought it was. Oh
gods, it was.

Wise men say, only Fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love
With you
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
if I can't help falling in love
with you?
Like a river flows to the sea
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand
Take my whole life too
For I can't help
Falling in love
with you

I'd written that when she was asleep that first night. I'd written poetry a
lot when I was younger, but I was rarely inspired anymore. Cerie had
sparked a rare inspiration in my heart and I ran with it..glad to be writing
again. She got a silly smile on her face and threw herself into my lap,
arms clasped around my neck.

"Sing it, Kenobi." I eyed her suspiciously. Qui-Gon had often told me to
never sing in the shower, as it bothered other patrons on our floor. I
didn't exactly have a beautiful voice, and didn't want to express my love
with a set of frog-like vocal cords. Cerie winked at me and grabbed a spare
datapad.

She wrote furiously for a moment, and then showed me what she'd written.
Music. She'd put my words to music. She sang for a moment, then tossed the
pad aside.

"Time to make more interesting music, eh Kenobi?" I stared at her,
dumbfounded. She ripped my shirt in one fluid movement, the buttons flying
everywhere. I was stuttering, trying to understand this sudden change of
heart.

"Simple, Kenobi. I've wanted you since you waltzed back into my life, and,
I feel you've suffered enough. Unless you get off on suffering. If that's
the case, this is all you'll get." She swiftly grasped my cock, and even
through my pants it was unbelieveable. She pulled the pants off, carefully
placing my lightsaber in a chair near the window. She ripped the boxers,
and smiled a little when she saw my cock jumping at the sight of her staring
at me.

She used the Force to float me over to the bed, looking rather like some
sort of Sith Mistress. It was unbelieveably hot. She once again used the
Force to tie my arms and legs to the bed, so that I was spread-eagle and
helpless. Suddenly, I felt a fleeting touch..almost like a feather trailing
across my body. Cerie still stood across the room, slowly peeling her
undertunic off as if it were one of her stripping acts. I could see how a
man would be panting at the sight of her..she was tantalizing. Once
stripped, she came to my side and used her tongue to trail a hot path down
my chest. I tried to shift into her touch and she forced my eyes closed
with the Force.

"Uh uh uh Kenobi. I want to touch you. Don't you dare try to move again."
She scraped her nails along the length of my cock, denying it anything more
than a fleeting touch. I writhed, feeling sweat beading up on my forehead.
She had no idea what she was doing to me..I longed to be in control when
making love to a woman, and she had denied me that pleasure. Soon, her
nails were replaced with her warm mouth, milking me for all I was worth. I
was about to come, and didn't want to do it in her mouth. I tried to pull
away from her, but she apparently knew what she was doing.

She moved up, straddling me. She made a lazy circle around my cock with her
hips, tracing my crotch with her wetness. She was dripping. She finally
slammed onto me, the tip of my cock pushing against her cervix almost
painfully. Over and over, she rode me with a viscious passion, taking from
me what she wanted..what she'd been denied for years. There would be time
for slow, passionate sex later. Tonight, Cerie wanted to be fucked..and
hard. I raised my hips as best I could to reach her thrusts, finally unable
to hold on any longer. Cerie came as well, not an explosive orgasm like
mine, but pretty damn good for not getting any foreplay. She rolled off of
me, leaving me in my bonds.

"Hey, aren't you going to untie me?" She cocked her head and looked at me
playfully, an evil gleam in her eyes.

"It's a good look on you, Ben. But, since you insist." She flicked her
hand and I was released. I hauled her over to me, pulling her onto my chest
so I could stare into her eyes.

"I love you. You know that, don't you?" I brushed a stray strand of hair
from her eyes and waited on her to speak. She seemed a little shocked, but
quickly recovered.

"I know now."
===============

I'm watching her now, the rise and fall of her chest as she dreams lightly.
Her shields are lowered somewhat and I see images floating through. She's
dreaming of me in a field of wild flowers..Naboo, I think. As far as I can
remember, she's never been to Naboo. As I look closer, I see it isn't us in
the field, rather my padawan and Padmé. She must be seeing the future.
Later, I see me fighting my padawan on the volcanic planet of Draipel X. We
duel, Anakin falling into the molten lava and being burned. I see him being
healed in the Healing ward, Cerie by my side, arms thrown around my waist.

And finally, I see Cerie, eyes wide in panic, as the blood red of a Sith
lightsaber comes down in a vicious arc. She fends it off for a moment, with
the help of Master Yoda, but soon she tells him to run..that she'll be glad
to make a sacrifice for the cause. I cringe as I see the saber pierce her
abdomen, much the way my Master's was. I see myself holding her at the
Sith's feet, yelling at him in rage. She tells me to go on..to think of
Luke. Who is Luke? Why must I think of him? I look up, seeing the Sith
lord finally. It's a rangy body that I recongnize all too well: Anakin,
only now more machine than man.

I shake my head of the horrible images, feeling badly for Cerie as she
tosses and turns in her sleep. A sheen of sweat breaks out on her forehead
and she whimpers, finally curling into my body. Delving into her mind
again, I see me cradling her against my chest, my lips pressed against her
ears and whispering: "I love you, little one." Her lips curl into a smile
and I pull her closer, hoping against hope that her dream wasn't prophetic,
merely a vivid nightmare.
============

"Morning.." she mumbled, and stretched on top of me. I kissed her forehead
and waited on her to move, so we could both get dressed. She, however, had
a different idea and straddled me.

"Now, now Cerie...you won't be able to walk if we do that again." She
laughed and rolled away, content to run her foot up and down my thigh. She
stroked my chest and lay there, still naked and tousled from the night
before. This was going to be tough to resist.

"Who needs to walk when I have you? You can just carry me, right my big,
strong Jedi knight?" I laughed again, trying to detangle her hair from the
previous night's activities. It was hopeless, but Cerie calmed under my
touch. She was rather like a cat, high-strung and wound tight until the
right person came along to stroke it.

"I'd love to carry you for the rest of your lazy little life, but it's just
not possible now. I wish...I wish it could have been different. I wish
we'd never grown apart in the first place." Cerie let out a contented
snuffle and curled into my body.

"It doesn't matter. I want more of this...more of this feeling." She
traced her fingers along my stomach and then spoke again, this time with a
laugh in her voice.

"When I get back to the Temple, will you carry me for the rest of my lazy
little life?" I smiled, and nodded, rolling her over. I planted kisses
down the front of her body, smiling when she tried to move away.

"You don't have to...it's ok, really. I know I'm not what you're used to
looking at, so you don't have to do this..not in broad daylight at least."
Damnit, she was embarassed. She was beautiful, and she should know it by
now. I didn't care if she was riddled with scars or not..I loved her.

"I do have to...why can't I worship the body of the woman I love?" I kept
my voice low and erotic..I hoped, anyway. Cerie's eyes grew wide, tears
spilling out. Oh sith, I made her cry. Why am I so inept in situations
like this?

"No, no..it's all right Kenobi..I'm..I'm just happy. And overwhelmed.
Nobody's ever felt like this about me before. Especially not someone like
the great Obi-Wan Kenobi." My damn reputation proceeds me. Why is it that
slaying a sith lord makes you untouchable?

"Well, I'm overwhelmed that the beautiful Cerulean Blue wanted to make love
to me." She laughed, but I insist it's true. I don't have an ego like most
people think I do. I looked her in the eyes, my cock poised to enter her.

"Is this alright?" She nodded, and her hands came around to grasp my
shoulders. I loved her, and hopefully she knew it by now.

She moved to the mirror, and looked appalled at what she saw. Several red
bite marks marred her slender neck and rounded shoulders. Moving downward,
my light beard had scraped her all along her stomach and thighs. She had a
small bruise on her breast, and I felt like an idiot. She must be aching.
She smiled again, a quirky grin.

"Hey look Kenobi, I got laid!" I wanted to tackle her for being such an
idiot, but she got me laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. I crumpled up in
the bedcovers, rolling out in a messy cocoon of blankets. I lay sprawled
across the floor while she attempted to make her hair behave somewhat. The
normally-straight locks were tangled and knotted in ways that would frighten
wookiees.

"Don't feel bad, Baby. I bruise easy. Know all that pale skin that you
love so much?" I nodded, smug that she'd given me a pet name. "Yeah, well,
it shows every mark. Trust me, these are WELL worth it. Much better than
banging my thigh on a chair, I can tell you that." I came behind her,
taking the brush from her hand.

"Let me, sweetie." Cerie whipped her head around and gave me a dirty look.
"Now, I KNOW you didn't just call me that. Listen here my little love
slave, I don't do pet names." Cerie placed a hand on her hip and glared at
me indignantly.

"Darling? Honeybun? My little fluffernutter?" I kissed her along her neck
and shoulders to punctuate each increasingly-silly name. "Light of my life?
Joy of the Temple?" She mock-slapped me and I went back to her hair.
Just feeling the silken tendrils curling around my fingers was enough to get
me aroused, remembering how that hair had felt in my hands when I was
kissing her earlier.

"Love, could you turn to the side a bit?" Cerie glanced at me then,
adoration shining in her soft eyes. She let out a little sigh and looked me
straight in the eye.

"Love. It's perfect. And I said I didn't do pet names."

My love. Suddenly the world seemed such a perfect place, all because I had
my love cradled in my arms.
===================================

Apparently, today was some sort of labor holiday on Tatooine and the girls
of Xander's club were rehearsing a special show for the men who normally
would be at work during the day. I cringed, thinking of my love baring her
body before those drunken and lust-crazed men, but tried to shield my
jealousy from her. I already knew she loathed it and didn't want to add to
her remorse.

I stepped into the shower myself, scrubbing quickly in order to catch Cerie
before she went to practice. I hopped out of the shower, wrapping a towel
around my waist and attempting to shake the water out of my hair. When I
was a padawan, it took next to no time to dry my hair: a few scrubs with
the towel and I was good to go. Now, since my hair was nearly touching my
shoulders, it took quite a while for it to dry out. Cerie saw me in the
doorway and came up to me, running her hands through my wet locks.

"Have I ever told you how much I love your hair, Kenobi?" I shook my head
no and she continued. "Yeah, you have the kind of hair that makes women
jealous. It's so thick and shiny..and hell, the color? Force, women pay
tons of credits to get their hair your color and fail." It was then that I
got a good look at her hair. She'd dyed it while in the bathroom this
morning, the fake golden streaks replaced by a rich chestnut brown with
fiery highlights.

"Oh, my hair? You like? I figured I needed a change. Especially since I'm
going to be leaving this planet soon. I need to be non-recognizable by
Xander's henchmen. That's why I'm going to my room today and packing
instead of going to practice. Whenever Xander sends out that huge,
four-system APB for me, I won't match his description." I nodded, surprised
at her logic. Besides, the color was gorgeous on her. I watched as her
blue-green eyes were masked with opaque brown contacts. I understood,
knowing that the sparkling sea-like color was rare...I only knew of one
other person with that eye color and it was me. However, it still pained me
to see those passionate eyes hidden behind the deep brown lenses.

She did her makeup with a light hand, opting for darker tones in order to
further change her appearance. When she turned to face me again, I could
hardly recognize her as the woman I'd made love to just the night before.

"Kenobi, stop gawking and get dressed." Cerie pulled off my towel and
snapped my ass with it playfully, causing me to jump in surprise. We had
such a dysfunctional relationship.
===========================

She had a charm all her own. Of course, it was discovered at an early age
that Cerie had stage presence and a beautiful voice to go along with it.
While she wasn't classically beautiful, something about the way she'd drag
you into her little world and embrace you with her warmth and light...she
was just stunning to me. Of course, I'm biased...completely biased. I was
smitten with her. I am smitten with her.

Every waking moment, I felt the need to be inside her...to be joined with
her in more than the physical sense. If I could crawl inside her heart and
live there the rest of my life, I'd be a happy man. Even with her pale,
refined features brassed up for her disguise, the light in her eyes still
shown through. I needed this woman..I was drunk on her affections.

Of course, Xander thought that he needed her as well. That is where Cerie's
innumerable charms became innumerable curses. Now that she had me, she was
loathe to fulfill Xander's desires. Xander wasn't a man that you angered,
for he could probably have you killed without a trace. I wish that I'd
never left her...so that I could have protected her from the hardships she
endured. I wish I could take her place.
=====================

"Ah, you little Jedi. I wouldn't have figured it out but for the glow Cerie
had. She only sparkles like that when she's been fucked by a
Force-sensitive man." Xander sneered at me and I shuddered, angry that he'd
degraded the wonderful thing I shared with Cerie into mindless fucking. He
flicked his hand and an assistant opened a door behind his chair. The
henchmen forced me through it, ripping off my shirt to make a rudimentary
set of handcuffs.

The room was empty, save a tall, smooth post. In the corner were various
metal instruments and then I knew. Torture. This room was once a Huttese
torture chamber. I'd heard the stories of the hapless individuals who'd had
the unfortunate experience of being tortured and shook. I couldn't imagine
what they did to Cerie, knowing that she endured more than physical torture.
They likely chained her to this very post and raped her
sadistically...ignoring her blood-curdling screams. Somehow I knew that
she'd been strong at first, trying to center herself as best she could
without the Force.

Xander came at me first, a long, leather whip in his hands. He cracked it
once, and brought it down along my chest..right over a bruise Cerie had
left.

"Sleeping with my whore, are you? I'm a jealous man, Jedi. I don't like
other people touching my things." Over and over, the whip whirred around
and stung me, the pain bearable at first but increasingly excruciating.
Blood trickled down my chest, hitting the floor with an audible plop.

I closed my eyes, and didn't expect it when Xander's henchman came to me
with the knife. Xander shouted orders at him as I writhed on the post.

"Cut his tongue out..the one that pleasured her. And his
thighs...and...CASTRATE HIM!" Xander was hysterical now, wanting to destroy
me for touching what he thought was his. However, he never was and never
would be good enough to touch Cerie's soul. Her soul was made of the purest
light, and I'd been blessed to have experienced it. As he cut me, I held
onto her face..her voice..much as she'd done with me.

Cerie would come for me soon, if she hadn't been apprehended. The night
before, in between rounds of "strategic entertainment", I'd helped her to
construct a new lightsaber, a bright green one. She was to keep my saber
and this new one on her person, that way if I ran into trouble she should be
able to take down my captors.

Although she was small, with the Force, Cerie would easily be able to chop
down ten to fifteen men. I shifted against my bonds, wanting to be free and
off this planet for good. I heard the creak of a door and tried to turn my
head to follow the sound. Xander saw me and sent one of his men to the
door, only to see him fly across the room, having caught the business end of
a flashing saber. Cerie came in, her newly-darkened hair flying out behind
her.

She whirled both lightsabers with a deadly precision, the beams of light
swirling in arcs of raw power. Several of Xander's men attempted to disarm
her, only to lose life and limb. Blaster shots rang out over the room,
ricocheting off walls and doors. A particularly-vicious barrage of them
headed my way, but Cerie caught it in the corner of her eye and deflected
them with the Force. I breathed a little easier, knowing that she was quite
a formidable opponent.

Finally she began to circle Xander, now without his entourage, as a tiger
surrounded its prey. She swung the sabers, my blue one dangling loosely
from her long fingers.

"Who's the whore now, Xander? Not me. Looks like I'm in the position to
kill you. Have anything to say?" Cerie inched closer, still keeping her
distance. Even without the Force, she knew that he was an excellent fighter
and didn't want him to get the advantage.

"Please..Cerie...spare me. I never hurt you. I kept you fed and
clothed..."

Cerie flicked her wrist and Force-slapped Xander hard enough to knock
several of his teeth out. As he clutched at his bleeding mouth, she kicked
him, never pausing to see him rise. A swish here, a slice there..she was
methodically cutting him into pieces. It wasn't right for a Jedi to take
revenge, but in Cerie's case I was willing to make an exception. That man
had tortured her and raped her..made her fragile enough that she still had a
hard time being open with those she loved. He deserved anything she gave
him.

Having killed Xander, Cerie flicked off both sabers and ran to me, concern
evident in her eyes despite the dark contacts. Her brow furrowed as she
unchained me and noticed the dislocation in my shoulder. There was no way I
could even limp on my broken leg without leaning on her, and she needed my
shoulders to help her support me. She laid me against the post and pulled
off her shirt. I stared at her soft breasts rising over the cups of her bra
as she mopped up the blood on my chest. She took a clean corner of her
shirt and put it in my mouth, instructing me to bite down and stare at her
nearly-naked chest. I gritted my teeth and tried to hold in my growl as she
cracked my shoulder into place. She took her shirt back and put it on,
trying to help me out of the room.

"Damn, Cerie. You could have warned me." I leaned against her heavily, and
she struggled to support my bulk as we walked to the hangar. Luckily Cerie
had gotten wind of Xander's plan and packed up the ship, making sure that
our mission hadn't been in vain.

"Why do you think I gave you a free show? I don't come cheap!" Cerie
smiled brightly and helped me into bed. I protested, wanting to help her
tend to her own injuries, but she batted my hand away.

"None of that. Let me heal you some and then you sleep. We have about six
days until we get to Coruscant, and you're gonna need to rest as much as
possible until the healers can get ahold of you." She pressed her hands to
my chest and I felt the broken skin knitting together. She couldn't do
anything about my broken bones, but she tried to ease some of my pain. She
put bacta on some of the deeper cuts and brushed her hand against my eyes,
lulling me to sleep with the Force. The last thing I saw were her eyes, now
back to their normally-bright bluish green. She crawled into bed beside me
and we slept, our bruised bodies thankful for the respite.
---------------------------

Cerie hadn't seen the Temple in over three years, and I could tell through
the Force that she was eager to see her family...the other Jedi. We'd all
mourned her loss when she didn't come back with me, but her homecoming would
be all the sweeter for it.

She shifted in her sleep and I heard her sigh. She woke up and kissed me
soundly on the lips. I mumbled, wanting to speak, but she placed two
fingers against my lips. She pulled away my clothes and hers as well,
leaving us both deliciously naked. She slid on top of me, whispering
softly.

"Feel, don't think. Live in the moment." I smiled, realizing that this was
Qui-Gon's influence on her. Of course, I liked hearing that phrase falling
from Cerie's lips much better than I'd liked it from my Master's. Maybe it
was the fact that my master wasn't a beautiful, naked woman who was
straddling me. Cerie kissed my chest fleetingly, trying to absorb all of me
at once. She impaled herself on my cock and rode me and I was powerless to
resist. I came faster than I'd ever done since I was a teenager, and Cerie
rolled away, breathing heavily.

"I'd feared it was all a dream, Kenobi." She twirled a strand of hair with
her finger and I took the soft tendril from her, tucking it behind her ear.
I brushed my thumbs against her temples and leaned my forehead against hers.

"I love you, Cerulean Blue."

The room became still, and Cerie didn't so much as blink. I'd said those
words before, but perhaps not with so much emotion. She had tears at the
corners of her eyes and replied softly.

"I love you too, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Hold me."

"Always."
-----------------

Cerie nodded her head up and down slowly, deliberately. Tendrils of her
hair escaped their utilitarian braid, curling and wisping madly in the
heavier-than-a-bantha humidity. While on Tatooine, her hair would stay
stick straight and limp, but back on Coruscant, her home planet, her hair
bounced and twirled in messy waves.

Mace Windu spoke first, reminding Yaddle of how happy she'd been when she
had been bonded to Yoda. Yaddle pondered it, her great brown eyes reeling
with emotion and thought. I could imagine the things going through her
head, how difficult it would be for Cerie and I if one of us died or was in
pain. However, it pained us to be apart. Since I wasn't fully healed, I
hadn't seen Cerie as often as I'd have liked, and I already felt the
tuggings at my heart. I wanted to be one with her...joined with her heart
and mind for eternity.

Jedi weren't supposed to need..to desire..to posess. However, with Cerie I
felt those forbidden urges. It was almost as if she permeated my entire
being and I was powerless to stop it. Anakin understood, amazingly. He
understood how a man could be consumed by his love for a woman, his woman.
For years he'd pined over Padmé Amidala, a childhood infatuation growing
into all out obsession. He followed her career with an unnatural interest,
and I worried for him. A Jedi was supposed to serve others, not engage in a
selfish quest for love. Of course, with Cerie, I couldn't really talk. I
was ready and willing to engage in a selfish relationship with her. An
exclusive relationship. I rubbed my eyes, the long flight to Coruscant and
my injuries getting the better of me. Mace noticed and dismissed Cerie and
I, allowing her to stay in my hospital room.

"Obi-Wan, calm down. I feel tension thick as theives rolling off your aura.
It's not healthy, especially when you're already injured. Remember the
Code? Master Qui-Gon would be ashamed at his oh-so-perfect Padawan
Kenobi..forgetting the Code. Tsk Tsk." Cerie's eyes sparkled merrily and I
couldn't help but laugh. She'd always been able to make me obey her every
whim.

"There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is
knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no chaos; there
is harmony. There is no death; there is the Force." I recited dutifully.
Cerie smiled and waggled her finger.

"Uh uh uh, Kenobi. You forgot a part." My eyes widened in shock. Had I
forgotten the Code?

"Oh, stop thinking so loud. You just forgot the line that goes, 'There is
no manroot, there is only Cerulean Blue." I laughed loudly then, so much
that my ribs ached. Manroot tea was how I'd met Cerie, back when we were
both initiates. She'd been sent out to fetch some for her Master and had no
idea what it was. She'd run into Master Qui-Gon and me, and promptly asked
where to go about finding it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Master Qui-Gon? Where can I find manroot?" the girl shifted from one foot
to another, the hair that was supposed to be bound in a braid tumbling free
and long in a turbulent mass. I watched, amazed. Being only thirteen
standard years, this was my first real infatuation.

She blinked rapidly, sooty lashes framing blue-green eyes similar to my own.
I knew then that she was of Lylat descent, that eye color being prevalent
in that system. However, she was still asking my master for an herb to make
tea, and I took the time to peruse her beauty.

"Kenobi? Earth to Kenobi? Yo!" Master looked down at the girl with a
twinkle in his eye and harshly rammed my shoulder.

"Ow...whatcha do that for, Master?" I rubbed my shoulder and waited on his
forthcoming explanation.

"I seem to remember that you are supposed to be working on Jedi theory.
Tell me, which part of the Code states that 'There is no manroot, only
Cerulean Blue?" I blushed, embarassed to be dressed down in front of the
beautiful girl. However, I had one thing I didn't before, her name. And
what a beautiful name it was.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brought out of my reverie by Cerie, I kissed her soft hand and asked if she
would work with Anakin while I was convelascing. She agreed and left,
bowing slightly to me as she exited the room. I laughed, knowing now that
she had a higher rank than me. She sent me a thought via the Force.

/No silly, that's my way of saying I submit to you. Haven't you read the
rules? In order to bond, both parties must submit to one another./

Well, that was certainly something to ponder, wasn't it?
-------------------------------

"Life bonding, while an act sanctioned by the Gods and the Force, is not
recommended for most Jedi. Only souls of the purest Force and deepest
submission may be sucessfully bonded. In order to bond, one must pass
numerous blood tests, and perform the Rite of Submission. For the woman, a
simple bow or curtsy will do. However, a male Jedi must separate himself
from the Force for forty days and forty nights, abstaining from all forms of
bonding and meditation, relying solely on his future bondmate's strength to
keep him alive. Should he not completely trust his future mate, this test
will surely bring light to that."

Grand. I had to sequester myself and rely on Cerie's Force-strength to
carry me through. Sure, she was a Jedi master now and a very-capable woman,
but I was weak..injured. Perhaps I could undergo the Rite of Submission
when I was well..feeling at my best. Of course, that kind of healing could
take months. I wanted Cerie now. What was I going to do?

------------

"Sabé, you're a sadist. You know that, right?" She laughed again and I figured that this Sabé was probably somebody's best friend...somebody's source for advice. I decided to ask her opinion on the Rite of Submission.

"Sabé, what's your opinion on the Rite of Submission?" She cocked her head to the side and appraised my healing body. She clucked her tongue disaproovingly and placed a hand on her voluptous hip.

"I knew this was coming. Your mind is like a sieve, Kenobi. I can hear everything you're thinking about. Besides, it isn't like the whole Temple doesn't know. It's not often that we have a bonding as controversial as yours."

Controversial? Us? Never. We only fell in love under the most dire circumstances, narrowly escaped with life and limb, and did I mention that Cerie took my virginity...yeah, we were controversial.

"But," she continued, "I don't recommend you undergoing the Rites just yet. In my medical opinion, they're barbaric and outdated. But, it does prove you love the girl. I mean, I wouldn't be Force-deprived for just anyone. It would have to be a damn good reason. Ok, you're done for the day. Lyssa and Silvie are going to be checking on you periodically until that anti-inflammatory phoreses into your muscles, ok?"

I nodded my head like I knew what she was talking about and she left, a sweet smile spreading across her face like the first ray of sunshine after a long rain. She pulled my privacy curtain and left me to muse in my dingy hospital gown about just how to undergo the Rite of Submission.
--------------

Cerie came to visit me this afternoon. It was unexpected, and refreshing to
see her face again. She plopped down in a chair next to my bed and took my
hand in both of hers.

"How are you doing, love? Need anything?" I shake my head no and prop up
on my elbows to face her. I studied her face, seeing how she was glowing
with her recent promotion to master. I also see something else...her eyes
are full of concern washed in with intense longing...longing to be with me
again.

"Kenobi, don't even start. You aren't ready. I won't have you die on me
just because you're a stubborn little bastard. Please..Obi.." I stand up,
proving I can, and feel my knees wobble beneath me. I grasp the back of
Cerie's chair and shoo away her helping hands, determined to do this myself.
I walk over to the other side of the room, knowing that my legs are fine,
just weak from lying in bed for over a week.

"I AM ready, Cerie. Call master Yoda. I want to undergo the Rites."
Cerie's eyes fill with passion, then quickly cloud over and fill with anger.
Then, resignation. Cerie's eyes were an open book to her emotions.

"All right. But damnit, I won't lose you. It isn't worth it...can't we
just...just.. Oh hell, I want you, Obi-Wan. Mind and body. I want your
soul joined with mine. I'll be back with Masters Yoda and Windu."

---------------
"Much danger, this path for you holds. Agree with you, I do not." Master Yoda paced in the tiny healing chamber. I cleared my throat to speak and he rewarded me with a sharp rap from his gimer stick.

"Speak not, young one. Not the place nor time for the insousciance of youth, this is. Know I that Jedi Blue is a Master, but strength she has to carry two, I think not. This is not wise." Yoda continued to pace and suddenly the room grew very still.

It seemed as if time had suddenly stopped and become something tangible, the way fog hangs still in the air. It was almost as if I could take it into my hands and mold it..for that one tiny moment. I shook my head clear, certain it was the effects of drugs, when I felt a blinding pain. Master Yoda had his arm outstretched, and it seemed that he was ripping the very life force from me. Soon, however, I felt a calm ripple soothe my pain..something I assume came from Cerie herself. She collapsed, exhausted at first with the sheer power it took to support two people, and finally relegated me to status of a barely-Force sensitive being.

"I...I can't feel the Force, Master. I thought only Obi?" Cerie trailed off as Yoda stretched a gnarled hand towards her.

"Support two now, you must. You do not have the strength to support two Jedi..merely two life-forms. Until the bonding period is over, feel the Force, you will not."

*20 days since the Rite of Submission*

I'd nearly gotten used to being without the Force. Nearly. Cerie and I had
decided to remain celibate until the bonding period was over, because of the
decreased sensations. Cerie just felt as if it wasn't special without
feeling my desire ripple towards her in the Force.

We still shared a bed, however, and our injuries were nearly healed. She
was a bedhog, and I cherished her for it.

"Cerie. Cerie." I nudged her shoulder gently and tried to wake her up.
She'd stolen all the blankets and was sprawled across the bed, her delicate
foot kicking me in the small of my back. As much as I loved her, this
wasn't going to work. First celibacy, and now this? She was trying to
drive me to the end of my patience.

I ran my hand across her breast, pleased when she made a tiny little sigh.
I kissed her on the neck, my tongue snaking out to taste the curve where it
met her collarbone. She turned into my touch and gave me my opening. I
quickly ripped the covers from her and pulled her to my chest, giving myself
more room and some warmth.

She blinked, once, twice. She peered up at me through her lowered lashes
and breathed softly.

"Obi? I love you like this. All cuddly and sweet...." She drifted back
into sleep and I had to smile. She was always funny in her sleep. When we
were padawans, I often picked at her for moaning my name while she was fast
asleep in history. She usually rolled her eyes and said she was trying to
kill me, and that I'd gotten a blow in.

As I looked back through my mind's eye, I realized that I'd given my heart
to Cerie long before she even knew I existed as a man. We were fourteen,
and she'd just returned home from a trip to the island-riddled planet of
Crassalea.

She was slimmer, and had a deep tan. Cerie's parents were from Crassalea,
and while she never knew them, she felt a kinship with the planet. Yaddle
allowed her to visit every four years, and she had been gone for about two
standard months. I felt my jaw drop when she walked into the flat I shared
with Qui-Gon, but she never noticed a thing.

"Obi, are you ok? You look like you just saw Illyiana naked...oh, sith.
You aren't going soft on me, are you?" No, I wasn't going soft on her.
Damn, she was beautiful, even at fourteen. I look at her now, and not much
has changed. Her skin is pale again, and her eyes have tiny crinkles at the
corners. Her hair is shorter, and considerably darker, but she has the same
smile...the same laugh. I love her. Force, how I love her.

"Passed the Rites, you have. Now the ceremony must commence." Master Yoda
waddled up to a low podium while Cerie and I kneeled before him. I took
both of her hands in mine and I'm sure that the pure emotion shining in her
eyes was mirrored in mine.

"Repeat after me, young Kenobi. 'I, Obi-Wan Kenobi, take Cerulean Blue to
be my lifemate in sickness and in health. I will cherish her, and honor
her, until the Force takes her.'" I repeated him, my words merely coming
out with no conscious thought whatsoever. Cerie said her own vows, adding
that she would "never forsake or give my life to another as long as we both
lived." Yoda pronounced us, and we were given a two-month sabbatical leave
in order to consummate the marriage. As soon as my lips touched hers, I
felt the Force surge back through me, the currents of desire from her mind
something I'd missed immensely.

We went back to her chambers, and I was glad that I was able to share my
soul with this wonderful woman for the rest of my life.

------------
THE END!