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Jailbait

by KatBear (katbear@cox.net)

Archive: MA, QJEB, BIC. Any others please ask.
Category: angst, non-con, h/c, first time (sort of)
Rating: NC17
Pairing: O/other, Q/O
Feedback: Appreciated, especially constructive criticism. Grammar, plotline, characters, continuity or whatever - if you think something could be improved please let me know.
Thanks to the beta readers - for help with comments and encouragement, Thalia for the first draft, Tem-Ve and Gloriana for plowing through the monster final draft, and especially Emu for putting up with so many iterations of the story and letting me know honestly when things sucked (which is really only fair since it was her little bunny that grew up into this ravening beast). All mistakes are definitely my own since I can't resist tweaking.
Summary: A mission goes wrong, Obi-Wan ends up in prison and gets a new cellmate. Serious issues ensue.
Warnings: If you don't like male-male relationships you are in the wrong place. Language, a fair bit of Obi-abuse and noncon sex.
Spoilers: None, pre-TPM.
Disclaimer: The boys belong to George Lucas, I'm just playing with them. No profit is intended or made.

~ ~ Character internal thoughts
* * emphasis

Back to the beginning

Obi-Wan woke slowly, enjoying the warmth of the bed in contrast to the cold air he felt on his face. He started to burrow a little deeper in the pleasant nest until he became pointedly aware of the pain within pain in his nether regions when he moved. The sudden intrusion of a hard hot cock into the crack of his ass brought the memories of previous events flooding back in nauseating detail. He yelped and tried to scramble away but found himself pinned in place between a hard body and the wall, a big hand across his mouth and an arm wrapped tightly around his belly. Naked skin was hot against his back. A warm mouth next to his ear breathed a single word almost inaudibly.

"Ben."

The Jedi immediately froze. This was the first time the clansman had spoken his name since they had been thrown together. He felt his heart racing and tried to calm himself. He turned his head slightly as he felt the hand across his mouth loosen.

"Yes, Mazhten," whispered Obi-Wan.

"You are sore?"

"Yes, Mazhten, very sore."

There was a muffled grunt. Obi-Wan felt the hard heat at his ass move lower as the hand across his belly shifted lower to caress his cock.

"Mazhten -" The hand closed over his mouth again.

"Silence. Open your legs a little more."

Fearful of the consequences of refusal but dreading the result of complying, Obi-Wan obeyed. A few moments later, however, he was puzzled to feel the hot cock slide between his legs and up against his balls instead of the painful intrusion he had expected.

"It looks the same to the camera." Obi-Wan could almost hear the wolfish grin of a minor victory over authority in the heavy whisper as he realized what the clansman was doing and smiled in relief as the hand was again removed from his mouth.

"Thank you, Mazhten," whispered the Jedi as he felt Maogg begin to slowly hump against his sore ass. His own cock was rapidly firming in the clansman's hand.

"This is still a very dangerous place, young Jedi, and I fear we will be here many tendays before I can try to get us out. There is something strange happening here, and we must be very careful until I understand and know what to do about it."

"I don't understand, Mazhten."

"Moan a little, they will expect you to be in pain so soon after being taken." Obi-Wan complied, an easy task as his own cock was now erect and throbbing whether he wanted it to or not. Maogg continued softly, "Many of my people have been put in southern prisons, many have died. They seem to take pleasure in putting us in dark places where we cannot see the Father or Mother, in tormenting us when we fight back to escape or putting us in with other prisoners to see us fight. I had expected to be sent to such a place." Obi-Wan felt the rhythm of the hard cock between his legs quicken. "Instead, I am here. There is a window, I have my own clothes, I have you. Southerners may be superstitious animals, but that does not mean they are stupid. They want something from us and I must learn what it is."

Obi-Wan moaned a little louder and began moving his hips in counterpoint to the thrusts from behind. The sweat between his balls and the juncture of his legs made a slick tunnel for the clansman's pumping cock as his large hand tightened on the Jedi's own organ.

Maogg was breathing heavily by now. "It is more important than ever that you serve and obey. They expect to see a Jedi bitch and that is what they will get. As long as we are in here, you can never be Ben, only boy. Do you understand?"

Obi-Wan swallowed hard. He understood the reasoning, but knew it was going to be hard and miserable. Finally he sighed and whispered resignedly, "Yes, Mazhten."

The only further sounds from the end cell were the moans and grunts of the Jedi bitch and his owner.

Life gradually settled into a pattern over the next tenday. Maogg had refastened the cloth strip around Obi-Wan's cock, indicating it would have to do since he didn't have the proper markers. He had also decided that his charge should be barechested, allowing him to wear his tunic only when they were outside the cell. Obi-Wan's protest that it was cold in the cell and getting colder every day earned him a dozen swats on the ass and an extra hour of calisthenics. Each morning the Jedi was responsible for cleaning the cell and any other required work. Maogg set aside an hour in the morning to begin teaching the young man the language of the clans, starting with simple everyday words and the shorter chants. An hour in the evening was devoted to history and culture of the clans, learning about their seasonal migrations, family relationships, warrior traditions, the fighting ways, and the hunting ways. Obi-Wan found that Maogg was exceptionally vigilant and swiftly quashed any signs of rebellion, so he fell in with the schedule and obedience soon became a habit.

The rest of the day was usually divided between periods of exercise and periods of rest and contemplation. The clansman pushed hard every day during exercise periods, putting in as much if not more work as he demanded from the younger man. Obi-Wan had not been able to determine just what Maogg did during the rest periods; he did not seem to be doing conventional meditation nor did he seem to be completely asleep. Finally deciding it wasn't worth worrying about, he devoted his efforts to his own meditations and trying not to think about Qui-Gon and home.

There were more elements to their routine. Maogg was cultivating quite a relationship with the early morning guard who kept him supplied with oil, but he would not discuss what he provided in return. Between the two cellmates, they had determined which of their fellow prisoners were the most disliked and Maogg concentrated most of his food snatching efforts on those men, which seemed to please both the guards and the rest of the prisoners. There were few challenges any more in the exercise yard after Maogg and Obi-Wan put down another group of six, although Obi-Wan's support of his owner earned him a lot of disgusted sneers. At night or after the moon singing, sometimes both, Obi-Wan was required to provide sexual services. Maogg instructed him in the finer points of how he liked to have fellatio performed, and became less tolerant of mistakes. The clansman was particularly fond of having the sensitive area just behind the crown of his cock licked but any hint of teeth earned a swift backhand. The first time the apprentice managed to get the entire cock down his throat without gagging he earned a beaming smile of approval and an enthusiastic jacking off from Maogg and was allowed to sleep in an extra hour. Obi-Wan soon noticed that he was invariably fucked from behind, whether it be on his hands and knees, bent over the bunk or in bed; he was certain that it was done to reinforce his sense of submission, but decided it was just as well so he didn't have to actually watch while he was being mounted. Whether or not Obi-Wan was required or allowed to achieve release seemed to depend partly on how well he had done that day and partly on Maogg's mood.

Occasionally there would be a break in the routine. Every four or five days mail was brought in for prisoners; although neither man in the end cell expected any, it did make for some changes in the conversations that floated up and down the hall. About once each eight to ten days a section of cells was greentagged; all clothes, towels, sheets, blankets and mattresses were exchanged for clean ones smelling of soap and disinfectant. A prisoner trustee work detail dropped off cleaning supplies while other trustees from the low security section handled the exchange. The inmates, in this case Obi-Wan, were expected to wash down every surface in the cell they could reach with the hot soapy disinfectant solution. After the cell was clean, the naked inmates were chained together and taken down the hall to the shower room next to the dining facility. In there their hair was cut or trimmed, they were thoroughly soaped down and then hosed off. There was almost a fight when one of the trustees wanted to take Maogg's native clothes but a guard intervened; he had to take them off for the shower but was allowed to keep them in the cell.

Obi-Wan became grateful for the routine. Resigned to his role, the routine allowed him to slip into a numb emotional retreat and bury much of the constant humiliation and anxiety out of sight. He still had trouble disengaging himself when he was being fucked, but within the bounds of their relationship he found that Maogg, although a ruthless disciplinarian, could be almost affectionate when they were mostly hidden from the camera and guards under their blankets in the darkness. He seldom kissed, but his hands could be surprisingly gentle and Obi-Wan found he actually enjoyed the occasional belly rubs with which Maogg rewarded him. At first this troubled the young man, but he soon realized that the clansman was the only person in the entire prison who treated him with any sort of kindness at all. Amidst the constant stream of abuse from guards and prisoners, Obi-Wan found himself almost pathetically grateful for the bits of affection and praise he was able to win from his owner, even though he loathed himself for yielding to the need to seek them.

Under the cover of darkness Obi-Wan could also occasionally entice the clansman into talking; he was fascinated by the contrast between the intelligent and sometimes acerbic wit the man displayed in private and the stoic, semi-intelligent façade he maintained during the day. Maogg was also living up to his promise to take care of the Jedi. The twice daily inspections revealed that Obi-Wan was regaining all of the weight he had lost; he was feeling physically better and was making good progress in regaining his former muscle tone and endurance. Although becoming more emotionally withdrawn, his physical condition and his knowledge of Maogg's people was improving. Obi-Wan could now carry on a simple conversation in the native tongue and was beginning to gain an appreciation for the complexity of relationships in and among the clans. Also, despite the frequency of sexual activity, the clansman was usually very careful to ensure that he did not actually damage his property, at least not significantly.

The eleventh day after his taking, which was how Obi-Wan was beginning to measure time, saw a major break in the monotony and the answer to Maogg's puzzle. After the morning feeding, two guards came to their cell.

"Alright, assholes. On yur feet at the front of the cell."

Both men moved to the front of the cell, stopping about a foot from the bars.

The senior guard held up his control rod. "Listen real careful. The warden is gonna be here in a couple of minutes with the Board of Governors. We're gonna be watching ya real close and the rod is cranked up to level 6 out of 10. Don't do anything stupid and make sure ya address the warden as `sir'. Got it?"

Both men nodded and were very careful to stand still as a group of well dressed men and women came trooping down the corridor almost like a tour group. A tall, distinguished looking man led the group, occasionally pointing out something in a cell as they went. When they arrived at the end cell, the group gathered around the door.

"This, ladies and gentleman, is my most successful experiment to date. As you know, I run a clean, well disciplined prison and we haven't had an uprising or a successful escape in over twelve years. Unfortunately, there are a few problem types of prisoners that no one has had much success with, mostly clansman from up north, and too many have died without serving out their sentence. I've been studying these people, learning their customs and ways." He turned around and glanced admiringly at Maogg. "They are truly magnificent warriors and hunters, and have a rather high level of cunning despite their superstitions and their primitive way of life. I had a unique opportunity come up recently to attack two problems at once. A Jedi scumbag arrived here and then a fresh highlander. I decided to use their own natures to bring them into a natural symbiosis so both would be stable prisoners and serve out their sentences. I have to say that the results so far have surpassed even my fondest hopes, and they have been remarkably trouble free. I present our two prisoners, Ben, a Jedi sentenced for baby stealing, and Maogg, a clansman put here for spying and killing a soldier." He paused as the group looked over the two cellmates.

The man turned around to address the prisoners, a pleasant smile on his face. "Maogg, I am Warden Herev. I know damn well that you're a lot brighter than you let on to the guards, so I expect you've been wondering why you've been treated so differently from most of the highlanders we get in here." He paused expectantly.

Maogg looked at him warily before quietly answering, "Yes, sir."

"What do you think of your cellmate, Maogg?"

The clansman put a possessive hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Mine."

The warden turned his head, raising an "I told you so" eyebrow at the group, before replying. "Would you like to keep him for a long time?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. I put you in with the Jedi scum because, despite his sick perversions and moral cowardice, he was a little too much for any one prisoner to tame, and I didn't want to throw him in with a group because they'd just end up killing him too quickly. No, I want the piece of shit to live a long time but not enjoy it. Your people are strong and know how to tame an asshole like that, put him in his place and keep him there without killing him, and so far you have done just that." The man stepped up very close to the bars. "Now then, Maogg, you understand that you were sentenced to many years in here."

"Yes, sir."

"I know how important it is to your people to pay proper respects to the Father and Mother, to stay strong, to be able to feel the wind. I'm willing to let you stay in this cell, take care of your little Jedi, make your prayers, if you just do a couple of things for me."

"What do you want, sir?"

"The first is that you stay out of trouble, the other is that you keep that perverted piece of shit in line, keep him in his place and well fucked so he knows he is well and truly owned, and keep him alive. Can you do that?"

It required only a few moments of consideration before the clansman responded, "Yes, sir. I will do that."

"Good." He turned to the guards. "Open the door." Despite skeptical miens, the guards hastened to obey.

The warden walked into the cell, then casually circled the two prisoners as if he were inspecting livestock at the market. He stopped in front of Obi-Wan, then began speaking in a pleasant tone which belied the gleam of hatred in his eyes.

"You Jedi are about the most disgusting assholes I know of. You prance around the galaxy acting all high and mighty and mysterious, but really you're no better than the rest of the scum in this place. We know all about you perverts, fornicating with children and animals, stealing babies for your secret rituals, using that Force stuff to kill good people. But you know, take away your fancy little toys and your precious Force, and you're just another variety of disgusting criminal. I've been waiting to get my hands on one of you animals for a long time."

Pursing his lips, the warden tried to spit on Obi-Wan, but the Jedi raised his arm defensively and started to turn away. Before either the guard or Obi-Wan could react, Maogg swiftly punched the Jedi, sending him crashing into the cell wall with the force of the blow. He then deliberately walked over to the stunned young man, ripped off his pants, then pushed him onto his knees in front of the warden. "Apologize," he commanded gruffly.

Tasting blood, Obi-Wan knew his only recourse was exact obedience. Keeping his eyes down, he addressed the warden, "I'm sorry, sir. I should not have moved."

"Tell the warden what you are, boy."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Obi-Wan obeyed again. "I am the Jedi bitch of Maogg of the White Panther clan, sir." He heard the excited whispers from the group and the humiliating epithets they were using to describe him, but could do nothing except endure it.

The warden beamed as Maogg stood silently beside the Jedi. "Very good, Maogg of the White Panther clan," he said. "I think we understand each other very well, very well indeed."

"Yes, sir."

The warden turned back to the kneeling Obi-Wan with a cruel smile. "Actually, Jedi, I have something that will probably interest you." He turned to an assistant, then held a flat picture in front of Obi-Wan. "This image was taken while you were being held at the courthouse for your trial. Recognize anyone?"

Obi-Wan looked at the large colored picture. In a brilliantly floodlit courtyard outside the courthouse, a lone man was trying to fight off a squad of police. He was tall, with long hair, a neatly trimmed beard and was wielding a brilliant green lightsaber. It was also evident that he was bleeding heavily from his left shoulder; the dark robe was half torn off and the cream tunic had turned bright red across half its surface. Feeling his heart plummeting, Obi-Wan slowly answered, "Yes, sir. He...he is a Jedi Master from Coruscant."

"*Was* a Jedi Master from Coruscant, I believe is the proper tense. Fell right into our trap, he did," boasted the warden proudly. "We knew someone would probably try to come after you, and we installed every Force detector we could get our hands on around the courthouse. Worth every penny, I assure you, to catch the bastard. He killed three of the guards but we got him, alright. Idiot tried to run to the river and we blasted him with a couple dozen grenades. I'll bet you recognize these also, don't you?"

The assistant stepped forward and opened a large flat box. Inside were the remnants of a bloodstained robe and tunic. Nestled on top were two badly scorched and battered lightsabers.

Until now, Obi-Wan wouldn't have thought it possible to feel any worse than he already did. Seeing the lightsabers, though, tore his heart out. His mouth opened to scream, but nothing came out. He felt frozen inside as he stared mindlessly at the two broken handles for what felt like an agonizing eternity. A cuff from Maogg jolted him back to the present, and he realized he was expected to answer.

"Uh, yes, sir. That one...it was my lightsaber, sir," he mumbled. "The other one ..." Obi-Wan had to stop and take a ragged breath before continuing. "I...it must have belonged to the other Jedi, sir."

"Well, they belong to me, now, and I have them prominently displayed in my office. I'll tell you something else, boy. We've had Force monitors in place here since you arrived, my little Jedi, and there has not been one little flicker of the needles. Not the teeniest, tiniest, little indication at all. All your so-called friends have left you here to rot, you worthless piece of shit. So you can give up any notions you ever had of being rescued." Everyone seemed to think this was a fine joke and there was a great deal of laughter at Obi-Wan's expense as he knelt there, shivering, staring helplessly at the grisly trophies in their bloody nest.

As the laughter died down, the warden turned to the clansman. "Maogg, we've been looking at the tapes from the monitors and it's been quite impressive how you handled your bitch. I promised the Board members that you would give us a live demonstration of how you keep him in line."

"A demonstration?" A shadow of disgust flashed over his face, a cloud in the blue eyes.

A voice called out from the group, "You know, keeping him in his proper place." Another voice chimed in, "Yeah, fuck him already." There was a brief titter of embarrassed laughter, mostly from the women.

"Do a good job, Maogg, and I'll get you some proper markers for your bitch," the warden said.

"Yes, sir. Silver ones, please, sir," rumbled Maogg, well aware that he didn't really have a choice in the matter of what was to happen next.

The warden nodded and stepped back by the cell door. The group outside crowded in closer to the bars as Maogg turned to the silent, kneeling Jedi. There was an eager gleam of anticipation in their eyes.

"Boy, prepare me."

Obi-Wan turned dully and watched as Maogg unlaced his pants. He wasn't quite numb enough to overcome his revulsion to being put on display like an animal, but he was vaguely aware that he should be appreciative of the fact that Maogg evidently intended to provide an opportunity for Obi-Wan to get some saliva on the big cock instead of just dry fucking him. He began trying to work up some spit in his cottony mouth.

Maogg stroked his cock, bringing it rapidly erect, as the Jedi shuffled forward resignedly on his knees. Obi-Wan recognized the clansman's short chant as a plea to the Mother for forgiveness before he grabbed the padawan's braid and jerked him forward, shoving his cock in the young man's mouth. For several minutes the Jedi dutifully sucked, licked and fondled, finally taking the hard organ deep into his mouth and throat as he had been taught, trying to get as much moisture on the cock as possible. Maogg face fucked him for a while before jerking the braid up again. He then gave the command, "Down," pointing to the center of the cell.

Obi-Wan crawled to the designated spot and crouched on his knees and forearms, ass high in the air, and waited. He shut out the buzz of excited conversation, shut out his own emotions, let his body simply relax so it could absorb the abuse as best it could. He flinched as he felt the clansman kneel behind him and slide his organ down the crack of his ass. Large hands gripped his hips as he tried to loosen his muscles and open up. His efforts mattered little, however, as the huge cock positioned at his opening suddenly thrust forward, half its length buried in one tremendous shove that ripped a scream from his throat. The Jedi had barely recovered from the first impact when another brutal push caused him to scream again, a cry of agony that echoed up and down the long corridor and out the window, drawing even the attention of the hardened guards in the watch towers. Tears flowed freely as the hard cock withdrew, then began punching in and out in long strokes, pulling out almost all the way and then plunging back in. Obi-Wan felt like his guts were being ripped out through his ass, but could only cry out helplessly as he was mercilessly impaled on the driving cock. The pounding seemed to go on forever, though in reality the clansman was working hard and fast toward a swift conclusion. There was no diversion today; Maogg didn't touch Obi-Wan's cock and any contact with his prostate was purely accidental. With a final grunt, the clansman pulled out and sprayed a stream of hot semen over the pale ass and lower back, then pushed himself up, going to the sink to wash his blood streaked cock as the visitors took their last shot at the collapsed Jedi. Many ventured inside the cell far enough to spit on Obi-Wan as they unleashed their venomous tongues on the `perverted animal'. Finally they had had enough, the door clanged shut, and the congratulatory speeches spilled down the corridor as the tawdry gaggle clattered toward the exit.

Maogg waited, eyes hard, until the place was silent except for the muted sibilance of inmate conversations. He drew a very deep breath and let it out slowly, releasing his anger, before going to the silent, fallen Jedi. Very carefully he picked him up and deposited him on the bunk, then checked him for injuries, frowning at what he found. The clansman gently cleaned the battered body, then let Obi-Wan sleep, putting a blanket over him as he curled up into a fetal position. He sat beside the young man for several hours, praying to the Father for strength for his little Jedi to survive this place and to the Mother to seek her help with the gift of healing. Maogg stroked the cloth-covered arm as he thoughtfully tried to understand what impact the death of Obi-Wan's obviously beloved master was going to have. Behind the stoic facade he maintained for the guards, he was worried more than he cared to admit.

The afternoon sun was peering in when two guards came to the cell door.

"Alright, asshole, listen good. The doctor's comin' to look at your bitch in a couple of minutes. Warden sent him down special. This is the real doctor, not the trustee, so mind yer manners or you'll wake up on the floor. Ya got that?"

"Yes," grunted Maogg.

"Well then, wake up the little pervert and make sure he understands it too."

Maogg did not answer. He gently shook Obi-Wan's shoulder until the eyes opened, though there was little light of comprehension in them.

"Wake up, boy. The doctor is coming to see you."

There was no verbal response, but at least the eyes stayed open.

"Be good for the doctor, understand?" Maogg almost felt like he was talking to the wall, and repeated his command, at last getting a faint nod from the Jedi.

A short, balding man stood at the cell door, bag in hand, light blue working overtunic fraying at the sleeves. He looked at the occupants of the cell.

"Are you sure this is safe? I don't normally make house calls, you know."

"Yes, sir. These two will be alright. The big one's the warden's special pet project, and he ain't gonna risk losing that."

"Well, if you say so." The doctor looked doubtfully at Maogg, then shrugged. "Alright, let's get this over with. Open the door."

The man stepped inside as the door and stepped briskly to the bunk. "You're the clansman Maogg?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'm Doctor Trawvon, the prison medical officer." He drew a small leather bag from his pocket and tossed it at Maogg. "The warden says you need markers for your boy. Pick out what you want while I take care of him."

"Yes, sir." Maogg set the bag aside, then turned to remove the blanket. "He's only partly awake, sir. The warden wanted a good show for his guests."

"Hmph," grunted the doctor. "I'll just bet he did." He pulled on a pair of medical gloves, then, with Maogg's help, uncurled the semi-conscious body. After a quick but surprisingly gentle examination, he rummaged in his bag.

"This," he said, holding up an injector, "is a wide spectrum antibiotic. It will take care of any general infections." He pressed the device against Obi-Wan's arm.

"Now, I need to clean out his rectum and anal area. There's some tearing that needs to be treated." He pulled out a bag of clear solution with a small plastic nozzle attached to the bottom, which he inserted into Obi-Wan's anus after applying a local anaesthetic. He squeezed the bag until most of the liquid had been inserted, leaving the nozzle in place as a plug. There was an uncomfortable ten minutes of silence while the medicine did its work. Obi-Wan hardly stirred during the procedure, and in the end Maogg had to lift him and quickly deposit him on the toilet, holding him upright as the liquid was expelled. He then put the Jedi back down on the bed face down.

"Can I trust you with his medicine?" asked the doctor as he pulled a handful of suppositories from his bag.

"Yes, sir. I understand what those are for."

"Good." He inserted the slender lozenge into the Jedi's anus. "Insert another one before you go to bed, then one more in the morning, at midday and tomorrow night. That should take care of any lingering infections." He paused and looked at the highlander with distaste. "That is, if you can leave him alone for a few days without tearing him apart again."

"Yes, sir. I won't hurt him."

"Right. Well then, let's get the rest of this done. Turn him over." He waited until Obi-Wan was turned face up. "You decided what you want put on him?"

"Yes, sir. Only these, sir." Maogg held out three silver rings, one large and two small, and held back a thick flat ring with an adjustable binder.

"Going in for the simple style, eh. No tattoos?"

"No, sir. He has to earn those later."

"Fine." The doctor turned to Obi-Wan, who was finally taking a vague interest in the proceedings. "You see these, boy?" he said, holding up the rings.

Obi-Wan focused on the twinkling silver for a moment, a small frown momentarily creasing his forehead. "Yessir," he whispered.

"I'm going to put these on you, and it's going to be sore for a few days, so don't play with them. Got it?"

"Yessir."

"You, hold him down." Maogg sat at the head of the bed, pulling the Jedi up into his embrace, then wrapped his legs around the naked belly. The doctor applied antiseptic to both nipples, tweaking them into hard nubs. With speed born of long practice, he plunged a sterilized needle through each nipple and swiftly placed the small silver rings, using a heating rod to permanently close the rings. Obi-Wan yelped and tried to jerk away, but Maogg held him close. Moving quickly, the doctor used a bigger needle to open a path through the end of the Jedi's cock, inserted the large silver ring and sealed it closed. He sprayed both nipples and the cock with more antiseptic and a bit of anesthetic. "There, that should do it."

The doctor took off the gloves with a snap and threw them in the bag before closing it. "Any questions?"

"No, sir."

"He'll be tired and sore for a while. Let him sleep the rest of the day."

"Yes, sir."

The doctor stepped out of the cell and headed down the corridor with the guards.

Maogg untangled himself from the naked Jedi and laid him back down. Obi-Wan curled up again, whimpering a little, a protective hand over his genitals.

"It hurts, Mazhten," moaned Obi-Wan.

"I know. You will be sore for a while, but don't touch." He covered Obi-Wan with the blanket. "Go back to sleep."

For a long while the clansman sat beside the apprentice, stroking his covered back.

~ The boy is soft, and has strange ideas, ~ Maogg sighed as he watched the slow breathing of his young charge. ~ He is smart, though, and looks nice. With the proper training, he will be a good addition to the clan. I shall pray again to the Mother to help him. ~

Maogg carefully ran a finger down Obi-Wan's cheek, then settled down next to him to rest.

The wall in front of Obi-Wan slowly drifted into focus as the harsh clang of the lights out bell sounded in the corridor. He blinked his eyes several times as he tried to figure out why the paint in his room had turned from blue to white. Yawning, he started to stretch, but the sudden pain when he moved brought the day's memories crashing back. With a wordless scream, he tried to retreat, burying his face in the pillow, but the image of two burnt and broken lightsabers was painted inside his eyelids. ~ Qui-Gon ~ was the single thought running mercilessly through his head.

The motion brought Maogg to his feet. He got the bread and cheese he had saved from midday and drew a cup of water. Kneeling beside the bunk, he gently touched the Jedi's shoulder.

"Wake up. You need to eat."

" `m not hungry," was the muffled reply.

"You need to eat to keep up your strength."

Obi-Wan did not reply, instead trying to bury his face even deeper.

Maogg sighed and set the food aside. He waited until the cell lights were out, the corridor dimmed and the guards had finished their initial round before taking his boots and clothes off and carefully climbing into bed. He felt the young Jedi cringe away from the hand on his hip and heard the muffled moan of pain as he moved.

"Listen to me," whispered the clansman. "I have to put your medicine in. I am going to use the oil to make it easier for your medicine. I will try not to hurt you. Do you understand?"

There was no reply, but Maogg felt the trembling when he poured a little oil on his finger and carefully massaged it into the area around Obi-Wan's anus. Even more carefully he dipped the oily digit just barely into the opening.

Obi-Wan jerked away as he felt the invading flesh. "Please, Mazhten, please don't," he cried out.

"I'm only going to put your medicine in. You have Maogg's word," replied the clansman, continuing the oily massage, but he could feel that the trembling had abated only slightly. He put one hand on the Jedi's hip as he slowly inserted the suppository, pushing it in as far as he could without inflicting too much pain.

"Finished," he whispered, slowly stroking the soft flank. "You may stay in bed tonight when I sing. I will pray for the Mother to help heal you."

"Why?" Obi-Wan asked bitterly, "so you can do it again sooner?"

"No." The large hand stilled. "I did not enjoy hurting you, that is not our way. Now you must get strong again."

"I don't want to be strong. I hate this place, I hate the bastards that killed my master, and I hate you." Obi-Wan clutched the pillow to his chest, fists white with pain and anger. "I don't understand why you keep pretending we're going to get out of here." His voice was rising almost hysterically. "Keep your damned gods and your stupid games. We're going to die in this miserable fucking hole so just leave me alone." A broken sob. "Please...just...leave me alone," he whispered dully.

Maogg gathered the limp body into his arms and held him close. He could feel the pain radiating in waves from the wounded soul and simply held him silently, praying to the Mother to help them both, sending healing thoughts to try to help body and mind. Before the young man could sink too much further into an apathetic stupor, though, he knew he had to speak.

Leaning very close, mouth next to the delicate ear, he whispered, "You are a Jedi."

There was no reaction, only the susurration of ragged breathing.

"Is this the way of the Jedi, to give up, to let evil win?"

"There's nothing left to fight for. There is no Force, I've lost my master, and this is not living."

Maogg carefully considered his next words. He was guardian of secrets he had sworn to protect, but he could not let this Jedi give up. "You are not alone. There are people who care for you, who believe the Jedi are honorable. They will help us."

"I don't believe you."

"What if I told you that I know your real name?"

The Jedi went completely still. "Even if you did, it wouldn't matter."

"If I tell you your name, you must promise to get better, to get strong."

"It doesn't matter," repeated the Jedi despairingly, trying to turn his head away. "We'll never get out of here."

"We *will* get out here, Obi-Wan Kenobi. And you know that Master Jinn would not want you to give up like this."

Obi-Wan twisted around, ignoring the sharp pain in his lower body, and grabbed Maogg by the metal control collar. "How do you know my name," he whispered fiercely, "and what do you know about Qui-Gon Jinn?"

"I met Master Jinn when he was looking for orphans that were strong with the Mother's gifts. Our clan gave him one such as he was seeking. He seemed a very honorable warrior, and around the fire at night he spoke fondly of a young warrior named Kenobi."

"When?" pleaded Obi-Wan desperately. "When did you see him last?"

"He left our camp with another Jedi who came seeking him. I think it was right after you were captured." He looked down sadly into the hopeful eyes before continuing softly. "I left shortly after that myself for my mission. I am sorry, I did not see him again."

Obi-Wan released his stranglehold on the clansman's collar and fell back onto the bed, the flicker of light dying stillborn in his eyes.

Maogg gathered the young man in his arms again. "He was very proud of you. He said that you would be a great Jedi knight some day, that you would help many people."

"But he's dead now."

"If he is, then does his memory, his training, mean so little to you that you would give up, lay down and die?"

"No...I loved him...." Obi-Wan swallowed past the lump in his throat. He whispered, "It's just so hard."

"All life is hard, but with the Father and Mother's help, we survive, we live. Continue to serve me, and I will get us both out of here, or we shall die honorably trying."

"You seem so damned certain, but I don't know how long I can take it here."

"There is a plan and we are not alone, but we must wait until the big storms come. Winter comes swift and hard here, but it could be many tens before the right storm comes. I can not tell you more, and have told you more than was allowed. You must trust me, and be strong."

For several minutes Obi-Wan was still in the clansman's arms. He finally spoke, resignation in his voice. "Alright, for Qui-Gon's sake, I will serve you."

"When the proper time comes, all will be well. You will see," said Maogg, embracing Obi-Wan as tightly as he dared without hurting him. "You have the word of Maogg of the White Panther clan."

"Yes, Mazhten."

The dawn light revealed a greatly improved Jedi and a very tired clansman. Obi-Wan had had his suspicions for a while about what some of the `Mother's gifts' really were, and this episode confirmed his belief that Maogg had at least some version of a healing force, although he adamantly refused to discuss it. Obi-Wan was able to get up and walk around in the cold cell that day. Maogg also felt his ward was sufficiently recovered to receive the last ring. The flat ring was placed around the base of Obi-Wan's cock and snugged up sufficiently that it would prevent ejaculation except when Maogg released it.

That morning started another very long round of monotonous days. Maogg pushed harder than ever in their exercise sessions, and, despite the steadily dropping temperatures, began refusing to allow Obi-Wan to wear his tunic even when they went out to the exercise yard, insisting that the Jedi must learn to tolerate the cold. Of course, Obi-Wan's new adornments did not go unremarked by either guards or fellow inmates, and after the first time they were taken to the showers on a greentag day it seemed everyone got the word about his southern jewelry and did not hesitate to add more lewd comments. After the initial soreness was gone, though, Obi-Wan was able to ignore the presence of the rings except when Maogg played with them.

Occasionally the sameness of the days would be broken by the departure or arrival of a prisoner. One such incident reinforced both Obi-Wan's status and his understanding of his owner's ruthless drive for survival. A handsome, scared-looking young man was brought in one day and put into a four man cell. Within an hour the sounds of fists thudding into flesh were followed by several screams as the prisoner was put into his place by his new owners. The next day was an exercise day, and the four were included in the same group as Maogg and Obi-Wan. Near the end of the period there were still several minutes left after their workout, so Obi-Wan ventured over to the bench where the new prisoner lay huddled on the ground near his cellmates. The new prisoner reminded him of a young apprentice he had known at the Temple, and he felt sorry for him. Keeping a wary eye on the others, the apprentice knelt down and put his hand on the young man's shoulder.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Obi-Wan quietly asked.

"Thanks, but I don't think so," the new prisoner started to answer as he turned over. When he saw who was beside him, though, his eyes hardened and he thrust the apprentice's hand away. "You're that fucking Jedi bitch." He eyed the silver nipple rings gleaming in the pale sunlight. "I heard about you." He spat in Obi-Wan's face. "Get the fuck away from me, you piece of shit."

Before Obi-Wan could reply he found himself face down, his mouth full of grit, blood running from his nose. Maogg hauled him to his knees by his collars and backhanded him again.

On his hands and knees, Obi-Wan shook his head. Behind him he heard laughter from other prisoners. He looked up at the furious clansman standing over him. "I just wanted to help, Mazhten," he whispered.

Maogg grabbed the apprentice by his collars again, dragged him to his feet and pulled him close. "The other prisoners are no business of yours. All of your effort belongs to me. The rest of them are only good for what I can get from them. They can all die here for all I care."

Obi-Wan's protest was cut off by another blow. When they returned to their cell, Maogg assigned him two extra hours of exercises. His lesson learned, Obi-Wan tried to quash any further charitable impulses.

The almost constant cold, humiliation and tedium did little to improve the Jedi's temper, but Maogg was also beginning to show signs of wear from the long confinement which was so foreign to his nature. The clansman spent more and more time staring out the window and developed a tic in his right cheek. Except for the continuing tutorials, the two men spoke less and less, even under cover of darkness. Obi-Wan found he could no longer bear to look at the blue eyes that reminded him so painfully of his lost master. Maogg's flourishing friendship with the morning guard, however, did eventually win them an additional blanket in return for a special exhibition of milking the Jedi bitch with Obi-Wan tied spread-eagle on the front bars. By this time the apprentice was past caring about any new humiliations and the blanket was a welcome addition in the freezing night temperatures.

For the most part, the routine changed little. Obi-Wan kept the cell meticulously clean, exercised, practiced his language lessons, and became quite expert at fellatio. Maogg fucked him so often that his ass no longer needed stretching preparation, although they continued liberal applications of oil. During this time they both came to agree on two things: their hatred of the warden and the need to stay together. Maogg despised being manipulated, but was certain his best chance of escape was to stay in the relatively lenient conditions of the end cell. Obi-Wan loathed the sessions with the warden, but had no illusions about how long he would last if he was thrown back among the other prisoners. The Jedi had come to accept his relationship with the clansman as the lesser of two evils; although he despised himself for doing so, he was so starved for any touch of humanity in the brutal environment he often found himself working just as hard to earn the occasional bit of approval or kindness from his owner as he did to avoid punishment. The sexual services he provided for Maogg were simply part of the price he paid for Maogg's protection; when Maogg also chose to reward him with sexual release he accepted the pleasure as a bitterly won respite from his gray existence.

When the warden began bringing visitors around every six or seven days, the two prisoners developed a little routine for him. As soon as the guards appeared to announce the visit, Obi-Wan would strip and would be kneeling next to Maogg, head down, when the warden arrived. The warden would give his little spiel, which seemed to emphasize his own cleverness and mastery of prisoner psychology more each time, pour some venomous abuse out, spit on Obi-Wan, and watch gleefully as Maogg `forced' the Jedi to crawl forward and kiss the warden's boots, occasionally adding a loud smack on the bare ass if Obi-Wan was too slow. Obi-Wan would then suck Maogg's cock for a while until it was good and wet, then Maogg would fuck him long and slow with lots of vocals from both men. The warden would usually finish up by encouraging his visitors to heap their verbal abuse on the `Jedi scum' before they left. Although it was a humiliating experience, especially for Obi-Wan, it was worth it if the warden thought it was his idea and let them stay together. At this point, the longer they were in prison, the more willing Obi-Wan was to put up with almost anything if he believed it would help them eventually escape.

The first snowfall arrived almost three tendays later on a gray afternoon. Obi-Wan decided to hoist himself up and look out the window, something he had not had an opportunity to do in quite a while since Maogg had begun monopolizing the opening. Standing on his bunk, he grabbed the two middle bars and began to pull. He was surprised to find the bars turning in his hands and started to exclaim, but suddenly Maogg was behind him, pushing him hard into the wall, holding him up.

"What's going on, Mazhten?" hissed Obi-Wan.

"Stay away from the window," growled Maogg, pulling Obi-Wan away and pushing him down on the other bunk. He silenced the Jedi's protest with a ferocious kiss, something he seldom liked to do. Finishing the kiss, he groped the semi-naked body, playing with the nipple rings, making sure the camera had a good view. He leaned down and whispered in Obi-Wan's ears. "The Mother has been helping me to loosen the bars each night. Leave them alone or you will ruin everything."

Tired of being kept in the dark, Obi-Wan angrily whispered back. "When are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on?"

"When the time is right and it is needful."

"Would you stop giving me that bantha shit! I'm really tired of-" Obi-Wan stopped abruptly when he felt a cold hand reach inside his pants and grasp his testicles.

"When the time is right," whispered Maogg slowly, a warning tone in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Mazhten. It's...the waiting is difficult." He paused, his tongue flicking out to wet his lower lip. "Can't you tell me about anything at all that is going to happen?" he pleaded.

"If you paid more attention when I sing to the Mother, you might learn something," growled Maogg. "Now be quiet."

Maogg flipped him over, pulled his pants off, oiled him, then leisurely fucked him while they waited for the evening meal. To emphasize his displeasure, he stimulated the Jedi's cock to a full erection, then snugged the cock ring even tighter than usual as he slowly plowed him. Later, lying beside the sated clansman, Obi-Wan silently digested his latest bit of information to try to take his mind off his throbbing cock and the hot semen seeping from his sore ass.

Most nights Obi-Wan had simply crouched and shivered on the cold floor during Maogg's devotions to the Mother, his only intention to endure long enough to scramble back into their warm bed. He had become quite good at tuning out the sounds of pain and passion that always hung in the corridor as well as Maogg's voice, sometimes not even fully waking during the proceedings. After Maogg's comment, however, he began to actually listen to what Maogg was singing and tried to translate it into the common language they used together. Putting some of his Jedi training to use, he memorized the passages on several succeeding nights, then analyzed the results during his morning free time.

Puzzling through each of the sessions, he found that the first four minutes or so were exactly the same and seemed to be a set prayer praising the Mother and promising faithful obedience. The last two or three minutes seemed to have variations, however, and he found a variety of requests such as wisdom to succeed, understanding of her guidance and repeated references which seemed to translate as `we are ready for your coming' and `we await' followed by several words he could not yet understand. Remembering how the lyrical tenor seemed ideally suited to carry across the empty miles surrounding the prison, he began to realize that it would be quite possible to insert coded messages in the nightly devotions and wondered if there was really anyone out there to hear the words.

A light but steady snowfall began the next day. That night, Obi-Wan was again listening carefully and was startled to hear what seemed to be an answer to Maogg's song. A high keening wail drifted across the countryside, carrying on for several minutes after Maogg had stopped.

A guard had lingered outside their cell to listen. Obi-Wan heard him muttering as he left, "Shit, the fuckin' sherdons are already down from the mountains. Must be shapin' for a hard winter."

Thinking back to his mission research, an event that seemed a lifetime ago, Obi-Wan remembered that sherdons were fierce canid predators that ran in packs in the high mountains until the weather drove them to lower climes. As they climbed back into bed, he noticed that Maogg seemed to be more restless than usual. He decided to take a chance on the clansman's communicativeness.

"Mazhten, may I ask a question?" asked Obi-Wan quietly.

An affirmative grunt was the response.

"That wasn't really a sherdon, was it?"

There was a very long silence before Maogg moved his mouth next to the Jedi's ear. "No."

For the first time in months, Obi-Wan allowed himself a small flicker of hope that he might actually get out of this awful place.

The light snow continued on and off for the next two days; every night there was an answering chorus of sherdon howls after Maogg's songs to the Mother. During lulls in the snow, groups of high security prisoners were allowed out in the exercise yard for an hour. Obi-Wan was glad that Maogg finally allowed him to wear his tunic when they went out, but he noticed that as they ran around the slippery perimeter the clansman seemed to be more preoccupied than usual with studying the watchtowers and outer walls. Late afternoon of the third day the weather took a drastic turn for the worse; snow began pouring down steadily in a moaning wind. Soon visibility outside was reduced to a few feet. At the evening meal both prisoners and guards were on edge. Maogg took Obi-Wan straight to bed at lights out without requiring any service. They lay quietly for a while until the guards had finished their initial round.

Putting one hand over Obi-Wan's mouth, Maogg leaned in close to whisper in his ear. "Be silent and listen." Obi-Wan nodded, so Maogg removed his hand before continuing. "The storm will run for at least three days. Tonight we leave so we will have maximum cover for the escape. There will be diversions at the other end of the prison. When you hear the fire alarms, begin tearing the blankets and sheets and tie them into a rope. I will be removing the bars. We will go out the window on the rope and drop the last several feet. In the maintenance building we will get tools and uniforms. After we remove the control collars, we are going to the lower level to retrieve another prisoner. When we have him, we are going to the outer wall. My people will open the wall from outside. We will leave with the other prisoner while other groups provide more diversions. Once we are outside we will go cross-country to rejoin my clan."

Obi-Wan avidly absorbed the information he had wanted for so long. When he started to digest it, however, he caught the added complication. "Are you crazy?" he whispered urgently. "It's going to be difficult enough just to get us out! How in the Force are we supposed to snatch another prisoner and take him with us?"

"The other prisoner is the reason I am in here. I volunteered to get him out; being put in here with you was a gift from the Mother, so we changed the plan. If you want out, you will help me get the other prisoner." Maogg jabbed a finger in Obi-Wan's chest. "I thought Jedi were supposed to help others," he growled, a hint of contempt coloring his voice.

There was a long silence

"You're all a bunch of crazy Sithspawn, you know," Obi-Wan finally whispered resignedly. He sighed heavily. "Alright, I'll do whatever we have to do to get out of this fucking hole. Your friend goes with us."

A few hours later the harsh bell in the corridor began ringing in spaced triplets as the lights came up. All along the corridor prisoners began yelling and screaming as the guards ran out the door. "Fire! Fire!" "Let us out!" "Get us the fuck out!"

Both men scrambled out of bed and pulled on their clothes. Maogg jumped up on the other bunk and began ripping out the weakened bars while Obi-Wan quickly tore blankets and sheets into long strips. With the bars gone, Maogg helped finish the rope and tied it off to the one bar he had left in place. Within minutes both men had squeezed out the window, let themselves down and were hugging the wall in the driving snow as they felt their way along to the maintenance building.

Obi-Wan was too hyped to notice the cold as they broke into the other building by the simple expedient of Maogg kicking in the door. Maogg swiftly oriented himself, then turned to the right and searched along a row of metal lockers until he found one with dark tape along the top edge. He ripped off the flimsy lock and forced the door open. Inside were heavy duty cutters; grabbing the tool he worked on Obi-Wan's control collar, after three tries finally severing it. Obi-Wan then took the cutters and sawed away at the clansman's collar. His heart raced as the minutes passed too swiftly. The collar was finally mangled enough that Maogg was able to pull it off, gashing his neck in the process. Inside the locker were uniforms that could pass as a guard's outfit and they pulled them on over their prison clothes. Maogg grabbed a small ring of keys and a black box, then urged them back out into the storm.

As they worked their way back along the wall, more alarms began going off from a different direction. At the ground level door near the exercise yard, Maogg inserted a key while holding the black box over the electronic print block. When he pressed a button on the box, there was a bright flash and the smell of burnt panels. The door swung open to reveal a surprised guard. Obi-Wan knocked him out while Maogg opened the inner door. They pulled the guard's key ring, unlocked the doors at the end of a short corridor and headed down a ramp. The duo knocked out two more guards who were unable to react defensively when the control rods failed to have any effect, again pulling their key rings and also their neuron whips. The shrill fire alarms still filled the air. The two men ran down another long corridor of frenzied prisoners, stopping finally near an end cell. Maogg ran through a series of keys until he found one that unlocked the cell. The prisoner inside had not stirred despite the tremendous racket.

Maogg stepped inside and began wrapping the prisoner in his blankets while Obi-Wan kept watch with both whips. Having secured their objective, they started back down the corridor. The cameras and internal communication must have still been working properly; the next guards they encountered came straight at them with their neuron whips instead of trying the control rods. Obi-Wan took out one with a flying kick and the other with the whip, leaving him lying on the ground screaming. They headed back up the ramp to the ground level, but ran into a group of guards at the doorway. Maogg put down his burden; staying back to back they fought savagely, giving no quarter until they had downed the opposition. The clansman once more picked up the comatose prisoner and they made it out of the building into the storm.

They felt their way along the outside of the exercise yard until they reached the electrified wire fence. Maogg handed his burden to Obi-Wan, then stood for several moments as if gathering himself. He took two neuron whips, activated them at full power, and swiftly slashed through several wires, which spat and sparkled as they shorted out under the extra power surge from the whips. Maogg shook himself, then led his companion on toward the outer wall. It was impossible to see more than a foot in front of them, but Obi-Wan thought he recognized the jutting brick surface as being directly underneath one of the towers where it would be impossible for the guards to fire on them, even with heat seekers, without leaning out dangerously from the tower. Obi-Wan heard a new type of alarm begin keening a high pitched wail.

"What next?" Obi-Wan shouted, leaning in close.

"They are cutting in from the other side," Maogg shouted back.

"What's that other alarm?"

Maogg looked at him for a moment, then shouted back, "Force monitors."

Obi-Wan wasn't sure he had heard right. Force monitors? A wild hope sprang up in his breast; could it possibly be?

A block of bricks came tumbling down, followed by the sweeping strokes of a lightsaber enlarging the hole. Obi-Wan started forward eagerly. It was definitely a lightsaber; he'd recognize that sound anywhere. Coming closer, he briefly stopped in dismay, an impossible hope dashed. It was a lightsaber, a brilliant blue-white blaze in the swirling snow. He had to admit it was a welcome sight even if it wasn't the green blade he had dreamed of. Obi-Wan swallowed his disappointment as they quickly moved into the hole; at least the Jedi had sent someone for him and he had not been totally abandoned.

Outside the wall the escapees were met by a group of six people, all heavily clothed and cloaked against the weather. Except for the lightsaber the Jedi was indistinguishable from the rest, but he stood apart, eyes closed, facing the watchtower. The extra prisoner was quickly wrapped in layer after layer of blankets and furs, then carefully secured in a traveling stretcher with straps at each end for carrying. Another clansman pulled two sets of heavy clothing and boots from a hide bag and thrust them at Maogg and Obi-Wan. Suddenly there was a series of explosions from the five watchtowers along this wall, followed rapidly by more explosions inside the prison. The Jedi stumbled and was caught by a companion; Obi-Wan knew he must have used a great deal of Force energy to cause that many diversions. He started to go to the Jedi but was roughly pulled back by Maogg.

"We go now," he shouted, urging the young man to finish pulling on his boots and gloves. The group split into two teams of four; the team with the Jedi headed off rapidly into the storm before Obi-Wan could react. In the remaining group, Obi-Wan was pushed into position at the back of the stretcher and the straps were fastened around his shoulders. Maogg took the front of the rack, and the newcomers took up positions at front and rear. They headed off into the night at a quick trot.

Over the next few days Obi-Wan gained a thorough understanding of why Maogg had constantly pushed him so hard to stay in top physical shape and get hardened to the cold. They slogged steadily through the storm, changing off on the stretcher every few hours, chewing on dried meat for sustenance. There was a brief stop about twenty hours in when they reached the scrub forest. The stop was primarily for the benefit of the fifth member of the group; they unwrapped him and massaged his limbs, then rewrapped him. Obi-Wan caught a few glimpses of a young man, dirty brown hair framing a pale, thin face. The other members took advantage of the stop to relieve themselves, drink some water, and redistribute their scant supplies.

Starting off again, they pushed steadily for another twenty four hours, across valleys, streams, forests and rocks. Obi-Wan had long since lost any sense of direction in the snow as they turned, twisted and doubled back to throw off any pursuit; the only thing that was clear was that they were going steadily higher up into the foothills he had seen from the cell. At their next stop they lit a tiny fire and heated soup. The man in the stretcher seemed to be finally gaining consciousness and they were able to get some hot soup into him. Obi-Wan gathered from the limited conversation that he was somebody important and had probably been heavily drugged while in the prison. They pushed on again; Obi-Wan forced himself to keep up, one step at time, determined not to be left behind or slow the group down.

On the third day they reached a cave high up in the hills and rendezvoused with another team on foot as well as two others who were already there with a group of ghiphnen, sturdy four legged riding beasts. Another brief stop for more hot soup, then everyone was mounted, the stretcher was slung between two shaggy ghiphnen, and off they went. The storm finally died down on the fourth day, but they traveled on for six more, higher into the mountains, through a pass, then far down the other side to a protected valley lined with caves and thick-walled long houses. Obi-Wan was exhausted and had only brief memories of arriving, falling off the ghiphnen, and being bundled off to a warm spring for a thorough washing.

Obi-Wan stretched extravagantly in the warm bed, soft blankets pleasant against his naked skin. The light was dim and there was a light smoky odor in the air. He stretched again, content to bask in the warmth as his mind slowly tried to wrap itself around the puzzle of where he was.

"Good morning," came a low rumble as the figure beside him propped its head up on one hand. Maogg grinned at him lazily.

"Good morning, Mazhten," Obi-Wan said, putting his hands behind his head. "May I ask where we are?"

"We are in the White Panther winter camp," replied Maogg. "You are safe from the southerners."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out very slowly as a smile lit up his face. ~ Thank the Force, ~ he thought dreamily. The apprentice rested quietly for several moments, savoring the feeling of freedom.

"Thank you for getting me out of the prison," Obi-Wan said as he finally looked around with more interest. They seemed to be in a partitioned area consisting of the bed, several shelves on the back wall filled mostly with tools, weapons, clothes, and personal sundries, and a bench running the length of the opposite wall. Above the bench hung a superbly finished short sword, a heavy scabbard of polished dark wood, an unstrung bow and a fringed hide quiver covered in an exquisite pattern of colored beads. The fourth wall was a heavy blanket on rings stretched across the opening. "I suppose I should also be thanking several others of your clan as well."

"You are welcome. You will have an opportunity to meet the other clan members this evening. We are having a clan gathering to recognize those who helped in the rescue."

At that point Obi-Wan's bladder made an urgent request for attention. Seeing the expression on the Jedi's face, Maogg smiled again and suggested it was time they both arose. He provided a pair of soft leather pants and boots for the young man, then pulled back the curtain that opened to the central common area. At the end of the building two rooms had been set aside for men and women with quite efficient indoor plumbing. After they had taken care of their immediate need, Maogg showed his charge around the empty common area, explaining briefly that most of the adults were out working while youngsters were in schooling. Partitioned areas of various sizes lined both long walls. One end of the building was the sanitary facilities and the other end was cooking facilities. Maogg got them bowls of thick porridge from a large pot and they sat at one of the tables in the center to eat. While they ate, Maogg talked about more of the clan history and how they lived, expanding on the lessons he had given in prison. Maogg started to explain more about the customs related to ownership; it was much more complex than Obi-Wan had originally understood. Obi-Wan was struggling to understand the complicated rules when two newcomers entered the building.

Maogg's face lit up in a huge smile as he stood up. He spared a glance for his companion. "Stand up and be silent until you are recognized," Maogg said quietly before leaving the table.

Obi-Wan stood and watched quietly as Maogg exchanged hugs and excited greetings first with an elderly, silver haired woman, then with a pale young man. They spoke too quickly for the apprentice to follow although Obi-Wan got the general impression that they were related. Finally they slowed down and walked back to the table.

"Grandmother, Laregg, this is the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi," Maogg said in the common tongue, pointing at the apprentice. "This is my grandmother, Nimaral, and my cousin, Laregg."

Obi-Wan bowed and attempted a reply in the clan's language. "I am very pleased to meet you...," he paused as he realized he wasn't sure of the appropriate title, "uh, grandmother of Maogg?"

"Nimaral is fine, young one," she said with a laugh. "Titles are of no interest to me at my age."

Obi-Wan bowed again. He noticed the strong family resemblance; tall, bright blue eyes, long limbs and square faces. Looking closer, he thought he recognized the young man. "Laregg? Weren't you at the prison?"

"You have a good memory," Laregg replied with a smile. "Yes, I was, and you have my thanks for helping me to get out of that terrible place." He turned to Maogg. "And you too, of course, old friend. I am in your debt."

Maogg laughed slyly as he dug an elbow into the young man's ribs. "Don't worry, I'm sure your father will find a suitable reward." At Obi-Wan's puzzled look, the clansman continued. "Laregg is too modest to mention it himself, but his father is Luthej, clan chief, son of Nimaral and Janek. Laregg's rescue was the reason I went into the prison." He hugged the young man and ruffled his hair. "The rescue is what we all worked on and we are all happy to have him back." Laregg blushed as he weakly protested.

Nimaral shepherded them back to the table. "Sit, sit. You two should finish eating," she said with a mild glare at the grinning Maogg. "What are you planning to do today, Masha?"

Maogg grimaced at the diminutive while Laregg grinned. "I thought I would take Obi-Wan around the camp and then, of course, to the gathering tonight. He still has much to learn of our ways."

"Very much to learn, I suspect, if you were the teacher," Nimaral said. She waved aside the mumbled protest. "You were always better at doing than telling. The poor boy is probably more confused than enlightened." She ignored Laregg's snicker as she turned to Obi-Wan. "What nonsense has my geph-footed clod of a grandson been filling you with today?"

"Maogg was explaining about the different relationships and types of ownerships, about masters, and, uh, ranshurr," Obi-Wan said. He looked hesitantly at the clansman before continuing. "It does seem awfully confusing though."

"I suppose to an outsider it might appear so," said the matriarch thoughtfully. She leaned over the table. "You know of the Mother and Father?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Maogg explained many of the customs and teachings. The clan is very important if I understood correctly?"

"Yes, the most basic teaching of the Mother is that the clan is more important than any one person; everyone must serve and contribute to the best of their ability. The young are nurtured and taught, the old and infirm are cared for. There are family relationships and there are many types of owning relationships. The council rules the clan."

"Your council sounds very similar to our Jedi Council, as does your system of masters and apprentices," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully.

"Again you are correct, although our council members are partly hereditary and partly elected. We rely more on our elders to guide the clan. Our masters are very skilled or learned in one or more areas and our seniors are like your Jedi rank of knight. Our young people serve and learn as do your apprentices. A person in service is a ranshurr, and the person they are serving is their mazhten, regardless of whatever other ranks or seniority they may hold."

"But you seem to have a lot of rules about how all this works," Obi-Wan said, "and Jedi don't own each other."

"You must remember that we all belong to the Mother and Father, and to the clan. Ownership is really just a dedication to the concept of obedience and service on the part of the owned and responsibility for care and teaching on the part of the owner." Nimoral folded graceful hands on the table. "Some of the traditions are quite simple. Young people work at basic tasks such as herding or cleaning when they are not in schooling. Before they turn eighteen they have the option of offering themselves to a master or senior they particularly admire or want to learn from, even if they are in a different clan. At eighteen, if they are still uncommitted, they are given to a master or senior to serve for a term of at least three years; if they object to the assignment they can challenge but few do. The oldest son in a family must work at some skill but is exempt from ranshurr if he wishes; most prefer to learn from older family members."

"But I had the impression that you fought for ownership?" Obi-Wan said, a puzzled frown creasing his forehead as he finished his breakfast.

Nimaral laughed, a light pleasant chuckle. "Men are like the Father Sun, brave and blustery. They do challenge and fight for many things, but women are usually content to follow the Mother's ways. Women are also masters of many crafts and some are even hunters or warriors, but most are more interested in teaching and in the welfare of the clan." She leaned forward. "Do not mistake quiet for meekness, young Jedi. Life is hard, and our women are tough. They enforce obedience and service just as quickly as the loudest warrior."

"And swing a belt just as hard," interjected Maogg with a mock shudder. Laregg grinned in agreement.

Pointedly ignoring the two grinning men, Nimaral continued. "Family is also very important. After they turn twenty-one young men and women are eligible to marry, either within or outside the clan. If they marry, they can either leave their mazhten or continue as part of their owner's family if it is mutually agreeable. Once they have sufficient years and skill, they can be adjudged a senior and be assigned an apprentice of their own. Masters and seniors can have as many apprentices as they can support and teach. Youngsters and oldsters without family or masters live together and serve the clan under the guidance of clan elders."

"I don't fit into any of those situations. I belong to the Jedi, not to anyone on this planet."

"All clans recognize that young unassigned or unmarried males, especially those caught on raids or away from their clans without protection of a trade peace, may be challenged by masters or seniors." She reached over and patted the Jedi's hand. "In the prison you had no clan. Therefore, when you lost in combat to Maogg, you became his property."

"We're not in prison any more," Obi-Wan said stubbornly. "I want to go home. My master may be dead, but it is my duty to return to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant."

"You wear the marks of Maogg," Nimaral said quietly.

"But, I am a Jedi -"

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," she interrupted firmly, "this is your home and White Panther is now your clan. You submitted to Maogg and agreed to serve him; therefore you are ranshurr. You may discuss it further with your fellow Jedi when he returns, but he understands our customs. We have known of the Jedi for many lifetimes, and always they have been honorable warriors. I expect you to do your duty also, young Jedi. You will serve and Maogg will take care of you. There is nothing further to talk about." Nimaral stood up, smiling to take some of the sting out of her words. She nodded to her kinsmen. "I shall see you at the gathering tonight."

All three men automatically stood up as Nimaral turned away and left. Obi-Wan stood staring blankly after her, shoulders slumped, hands hanging loosely at his side.

~ Force, I thought everything would be fine if I could get out of that prison. ~ Obi-Wan closed his eyes, shook his head slightly. ~ I can't believe this is really happening. ~

A heavy clout on the shoulder jarred the young Jedi from his thoughts.

"Come," growled Maogg as he threw a cloak at the apprentice. "We will visit the camp." He and Laregg headed for the door without looking back.

Obi-Wan stared after him, eyes hard, jaw clenching. ~ I should just tell the son of a bantha to go to hell, but then he'd probably beat me just to remind me he can do it. ~ He sighed. ~ Since I'm here, I suppose I should find out as much as I can about this place. ~ Obi-Wan wrapped the cloak around himself and started after the two clansmen. ~ Nimaral did say the other Jedi would be back tonight and I could talk to him. Maybe he can get this ranshurr thing straightened out. ~ Cheered a little by that thought, he hurried to catch up.

Their first stop was a plateau halfway up the side of a high hill which gave them an excellent view of the secluded valley. The far side of the long basin was heavily forested as were the hills immediately surrounding them. The mountains and taller hills behind them were covered in snow, but Maogg explained that this low down they would not expect heavy snow for another two or three tendays, and that it normally lasted only a few months. The floor was mostly tall grass, still green despite the lateness of the season. Obi-Wan saw several large corrals, a half dozen long buildings similar to the one in which he had awakened, a few smaller buildings and one long, low building which Maogg indicated was the gathering house. The buildings were connected by well worn paths with overhead cover. Laregg pointed out the pass at the far end of the valley; the herds of ghiphnen would be brought up from lower pastures later that day. Each tenday the ghiphnen, who provided meat, milk, hides, fur and riding animals, were rotated back to the valley for a few days. While assembled in the valley and corrals, they could be checked for health, a few slaughtered for fresh meat, and their dung collected for additional fuel.

Maogg and Laregg took Obi-Wan on a tour of the buildings, the outer corrals, and an extensive cave system with warm springs for bathing, caves for storage and for livestock. Further back in the caves were two very cold springs fed by an underground river which provided drinking and cooking water. Obi-Wan was struck by the mix of modern efficiencies such as indoor plumbing and solar lighting with the prevalence of low technology such as leather clothing, hand woven blankets, edged weapons and open fires for cooking. Maogg just shrugged and said they used what suited the Mother and allowed them to live a lifestyle close to nature but still protect themselves from predators human and animal. Many of the people they saw during the day worked shirtless, enjoying the relatively benign weather; most had tattoos and many also had piercings of various sorts. As midday approached, they were touring a series of caves set up as workshops for many different crafts such as weaving, sewing, carving, leatherworking and fine jewelry. In between Maogg's explanations and chats with friends, Laregg spent time asking questions about the Jedi and his life on Coruscant. Obi-Wan quickly found himself developing a liking for the quiet young clansman.

"Good day, Laregg, Maogg," called a brawny elder as the visitors entered a large workplace set up as a smithy. There were five different fires of various sizes which were vented to the outside and several work tables, anvils and a large assortment of tools. The tall man wiped the sweat from his face, then retied the cloth that held his long silver hair out of the way. Red stone studs gleamed in both ears. "It is good to have both of you back."

"Good day, Futroj," Maogg said. "It is very good to be back." He patted Obi-Wan's shoulder proudly. "This is Obi-Wan Kenobi, my Jedi. He helped us to get out of prison." He nodded at the elder and began introductions. "Futroj is the senior Master Smith, Vanok is a Master Smith, Goniv and Velaj are senior Smiths." Maogg waved his hand vaguely at several younger men and a young woman. "Those are the ranshurr who work for the different smiths."

Obi-Wan bowed to the various men as he was introduced. Looking at the neatly hung tools, he turned to Maogg. "Mazhten, there are some very good cutting tools here. Can we take this collar off?"

Futroj came close, leaning down to finger the Force inhibitor. "Hmmm, odd sort of metal there, but we should be able to get it off if you want," he said.

"It is not a normal collar," Maogg said, shaking his head. "The other Jedi left word that removing this kind of collar after so long a time may not be safe without a special Jedi healer present. He said the sudden return to the Mother's presence can cause mind sickness." He looked at Obi-Wan. "Do you know of such things?"

Although disappointed, Obi-Wan had to admit it was possible. "I have heard of cases of what our healers call psychic shock among recovered hostages and prisoners who had had Force dampeners on for a long time."

"Best to leave it on for now, I think," Maogg said. "Perhaps we can ask the Jedi about it when he returns."

"Yes, Mazhten," Obi-Wan replied, resigned to patience for the moment. "You know, I have heard several people refer to the other Jedi, but no one ever says his name. Surely someone here can tell me who he is?"

"I asked the same question," Laregg said with a smile, "but he said there are evil people seeking him, and he asked that his name not be used and his presence not be discussed."

"Aye, he did, and the council agreed to honor the request," Futroj said with a shrug. "It was the least we could do for his help." He smiled as two young men came in, one balancing a large pot and the other carrying a large basket. "Would you like to join us for midmeal?"

"Thank you," Maogg said. "Obi-Wan, you will help the other ranshurr, then you may eat with them."

"Yes, Mazhten."

Obi-Wan helped a young man and the young woman clear off a worktable, carefully removing several works in progress. They set the table, then served bowls of soup, sandwiches and flagons of cool water to the Masters and Seniors. Most of the ranshurr were then allowed to get food and sit at another table.

"Hi," said a tall, broad shouldered young man with gold nipple rings and a collar of gold and silver chain links. "Are you really a Jedi?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan replied around mouthfuls of soup. "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. I have been a Jedi most of my life."

"I'm Bavod. I've belonged to Futroj since I was seventeen." He pointed proudly to a tattoo of a stylized knife on his right shoulder. "Since my twenty-second birthday I have been allowed to make basic tools on my own."

Another of the young men started to reply when they were interrupted by a flash at a small fire where another ranshurr was still working. Senior Smith Goniv cursed and hurried over to push the young man away. He inspected a crooked piece of cooling iron, cursed again, rapidly pointed out several faults in the piece, then disgustedly threw the ruined piece on a rework pile. The young man knelt as Goniv took off his leather belt, then rapidly administered a dozen lashes. Goniv returned to the work table, dragging the other by his iron collar. The surly young man knelt again as the smith opened his pants and pulled his penis out before sitting down. Everyone continued eating unconcernedly as Goniv was serviced by the youth kneeling between his legs.

"Looks like Kelvat is only getting liquid lunch today," snickered Bavod.

"Does this sort of thing happen often?" Obi-Wan asked, uncomfortable at the public display and some of the memories it brought back.

"Kelvat is lazy and doesn't pay attention to his work. He deserves it," said the young woman quietly. "My name is Muleesa, by the way. I also belong to Master Futroj." She looked fondly toward the other table. "He says if I work hard I will be good enough to test for first level in another year," she added proudly.

"Pleased to meet you," Obi-Wan replied. "Actually, though, doesn't any of this bother you? I mean the whole idea of being owned, of being punished and having sex in public."

"What a strange idea!" Bavod exclaimed. The others nodded in agreement. "We all belong to the Mother and nothing is more important than the clan. We all serve the clan, it is our duty to also serve as ranshurr. It is the mazhten's duty to teach and to discipline." He shrugged. "Sex is just one of the ranshurr's duties, either with your mazhten or for mazhten to trade. It doesn't matter if you like it or not."

"But out in the open? Whenever they want? With whomever they tell you to?" Horror at the thought of being whored out made his stomach tighten.

"Of course," Bavod said with a bewildered expression. "I like being taken by Mazhten, especially when he is in a good mood, but he has three ranshurr and a wife so I don't get to do it as often as I would like." His face brightened a little. "He does sometimes trade us out, though, and if we've been good, Mazhten Futroj lets his ranshurr have sex with other ranshurr, especially for festivals and trade fairs, so it's not so bad. I thought Jedi had their own mazhten? Don't they let you have sex?"

"We have masters, but they never require sex from their apprentices. Those who are of age can have sex with other apprentices if they wish to." Obi-Wan looked around the group. "But nobody here minds being forced to provide sexual services?"

"Well, I suppose Patob minds the sex, but that's because he's in looovve," Muleesa teased.

A gangly young man with curly brown hair blushed bright scarlet. "That doesn't mean I shirk my duties. Besides, Mazhten Vanok has already said he would give his blessing for me to court her at the next spring trading with the Red Sherdon clan," he said with quiet dignity before turning his attention back to his soup.

After general exclaiming and wonder about Jedi sex habits, the conversation turned more general as the two youngest ranshurr were called over to replenish the food and drink at the other table. Mostly Bavod talked about his plans for becoming a master smith, disclosing that Futroj had agreed to allow him to stay on as ranshurr until he could pass the tests to become a senior smith. Muleesa showed off a new set of woven silver and copper nipple rings Master Futroj had given her for her recent birthday. Several of the young men then offered to display the rings in their penises, but Obi-Wan politely declined, much to their puzzlement. After the meal was finished it was almost time for high sun, so the ranshurr cleaned up and everyone headed outside except for one ranshurr whose turn it was to watch the fires.

Clan members of all ages gathered in the grass outside the communal buildings, forming a loose circle. Clan elders moved inside the circle. When the sun reached its highest point, everyone went to one knee. For several minutes the elders led a chant and response in homage to Father Sun. Obi-Wan knelt respectfully, wedged between Maogg and Laregg, as the group continued into the low, sing song chants that he remembered from Maogg's prayers in the prisons. They sang of thanks for the Father's gifts, sang of strength, the hunt, and battle. Swept up in the group song, Obi-Wan was surprised when he realized that almost half an hour had passed without him noticing before the group switched to silent individual prayers. They then began dispersing to return to work.

Stretching after the devotions, Obi-Wan noticed Nimaral and another woman heading slowly toward them. Nimaral's companion had waist-length white hair, her weathered face heavily lined but light blue eyes still clear and bright.

"Laregg," called Nimaral quietly.

The three men waited respectfully.

"Nimaral, Healer Sorola." Laregg nodded in acknowledgement of the two women, a wary expression on his face.

"Take your shirt off," said the healer brusquely.

"I feel fine," Laregg protested.

Both women glared fiercely until the young clansman hastily pulled off his shirt and stood meekly while the healer poked, prodded and hmmm'd. Obi-Wan had to stifle a sympathetic smile at the familiar routine.

"Well, you're not doing too badly," the healer finally said grudgingly. "Those were powerful drugs they used on you, though, and you are not to overexert yourself."

"Yes, Healer Sorola."

The old woman glanced up sharply, not trusting the mild tone. "That includes not overdoing it when the herds come in, and only two dances tonight," she said firmly.

"But that's...." Laregg's protest died under another combined glare. "Yes, Healer Sorola," he sighed.

As the two women walked away, Laregg stood muttering under his breath.

Nimaral paused and looked back. "You're not too big to take a belt to, young man."

"Yes, grandmother," said Laregg, his face flushing.

Waiting until the women were out of sight, Obi-Wan grinned and Maogg laughed and clapped his cousin on the back. "I imagine healers and women are the same everywhere, eh little Jedi?" asked Maogg with another laugh as he dug an elbow into the apprentice's side.

"Yes, Mazhten, especially the healers," Obi-Wan answered, still grinning.

"Hmmpph," grunted Laregg.

"Come on," Maogg said, still smiling as he pulled Obi-Wan away, "he'll get over it."

The big clansman took his ranshurr back to his quarters to explain some of his duties and find a full set of clothing for him. The annoyed Laregg trailed behind but soon regained his good humor. An hour later they went back out after a young boy dashed through the building announcing the arrival of the herds. For the rest of the afternoon they helped the older teens and unoccupied seniors as they joined some thirty mounted herders in slowly sorting out the various ghiphnen into the proper corrals.

By early evening Obi-Wan was more than ready to head to the main assembly hall for the ceremony and meal, hungry both for food and a chance to meet the mysterious missing Jedi. After they entered the hall, they set aside their cloaks and took a seat on one of the long benches in front. When the hall was full, the clan chief stood up and led everyone in prayers of thanks to the Father and Mother, with lots of effusive praise in particular for the Mother and her help in the success of the mission. The chief then presented his rescued son to the assemblage, praising him for risking his life in rescuing several other people. Obi-Wan was not quite certain of the translation, but it seemed that children were involved somehow and it was during the rescue that Laregg was captured after he volunteered to serve as the rear guard. The next stage of the ceremonies involved recognizing, one at a time, each person who had helped in Laregg's recovery. The chief started with praise for the unnamed but undoubtedly valiant inside sources at the prison, then worked his way up through each person who was involved in each stage of the preparation and actual rescue. By the time they got to the people who had actually been on the raid, Obi-Wan's patience was wearing thin and he shifted impatiently, his empty stomach grumbling. Maogg glared at him threateningly.

Maogg was the last clansman to be called forward and there was still no sign of the other Jedi. Maogg brought Obi-Wan with him to the center of the hall and they bowed respectfully to the chief.

The chief raised his arms as he spoke. "I call upon you, the people of the White Panther clan, to honor this man whom the Mother has chosen for her favors. Maogg, kinsman to our son, a mighty hunter, and a valiant warrior, volunteered to go into the darkness where so many people of the clans have dwindled and died, of his own free will to leave the sight of both Father and Mother and strive in the blackness to rescue our son Laregg. This thing he has done, our son has been restored, and we will sing praise to the name of Maogg."

Maogg knelt humbly before the chief, pulling Obi-Wan down also, as the group chanted joyously of sacrifice rewarded, of bravery and of victory. When they were finished the two men stood up again.

"For his actions in rescuing our son, Maogg shall have first choice of the spring foals, a place of honor at the feast tables, and first choice of trade goods in the spring." There was loud cheering as Maogg bowed again. The chief raised his arms again for silence. "There is another thing of which we must also speak. As most of you know, many moons ago we had visitors, strong and honorable warriors of the clan Jedi. They had not our ways, yet were strong with the Mother's gifts, which they call the Force, and sought orphans who were also strong in Her gifts in order to train them. We freely gave such a child to the Jedi when they visited, and the Jedi also took children from the southerners, children who otherwise would be denied the light of the Mother's ways. This was a difficult and dangerous thing to do and our council applauded their courage. A young Jedi was captured on this mission, and was sent to the darkness of the prison. Life was hard for him, for the southerners hate the Jedi far more than they do any clan and deprived him of the Mother's gifts. The Mother intervened, however, and brought our two causes together; our clansman Maogg was put in the same cell as the Jedi. This young Jedi was a formidable warrior but Maogg was able to best him and claimed him; together they sustained each other in the darkness. In the fullness of time, the young Jedi returned the favor of the Mother and played an important role inside the prison in directly rescuing our son and bringing him out of the darkness. My people, let us sing praise to the name of Obi-Wan Kenobi of the clan Jedi."

The two men knelt as the group chanted again. Obi-Wan was beginning to wonder what else they could possibly have to talk about and whether or not the elusive other Jedi was in fact going to appear. He looked around as they stood up but could see only clan members.

Once the room was silent, the chief began again. "There is one more person we must honor this night. A wise and valiant warrior, stronger in the Mother's gifts than any I have ever seen, and a very honorable man. A Jedi Master who came to us from the stars, whose mission became joined to ours, who helped us these many moons, and who used his gifts to make the rescue possible on that wonderful night. Please come forward, Master Jedi, to receive our gratitude."

A figure detached itself from the deep shadows at the far end of the room and slowly glided forward into the light. Tall, with face hidden in the hood of his cloak, he moved with uncanny, silent grace, stopping in front of the king, near the other two honorees. Obi-Wan's stomach was trying to climb up his throat as all sorts of wild hopes dashed through his head like a herd of stampeding ghiphnen. His eyes were fixed on the hood as hands peeking from the deep sleeves slowly rose, grasped the sides of the hood, then suddenly drew it back.

~ Qui-Gon! You're alive! ~ Obi-Wan stood transfixed, barely breathing, afraid to move in case it was just a dream brought on by wishful thinking. The tall figure looked straight ahead at the chief, not even a furtive glance at anything else.

"My people, I present the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Let us sing praise to his name."

Qui-Gon knelt as the group began another round of heartfelt chanting. As the songs ended, he stood up, still staring only at the chief.

Obi-Wan could not stand still or be silent any longer. With a joyous cry of "Master!", he started forward, but was stopped abruptly by a heavy hand on his shoulder. He looked back incredulously, then started to snarl.

"Padawan," came the softly spoken command.

Responding instantly to his years of training, Obi-Wan fell silent, then sank to his knees. "Master, it is me, Obi-Wan. We can go home now."

The Master finally turned, two quick steps bringing him close. The blue eyes were clouded with pain, the face sad, as Qui-Gon answered. "No."

The room fell totally silent as the stunned apprentice rocked back on his heels. Hurt and bewilderment spun the gray eyes to almost black. "Master, please...I don't understand."

Qui-Gon took a deep breath as he settled his clenched hands back into the sleeves of his robes. "Padawan, when you were first captured, I tried to rescue you, but was trapped by the police when I tripped their Force monitors. I barely escaped into the river and was saved by clansmen from White Panther. As I recovered, we found that we both had people in prison that we wanted out, and I agreed to work with them. It was the will of the Force that Maogg ended up in your cell due to the warden's scheming." He paused, looked down for a moment. "Obi-Wan, if there had been any way for me to get into the prison myself and get you out, I would have done so, but we found out they had placed Force monitors on the prison perimeters, monitors specifically tuned to detect Jedi use of the Force."

"Yes, Master, I think I understand that," said Obi-Wan uncertainly, a quaver in his voice. "But that's over. I'm here, we're free. Why can't we go home?"

Qui-Gon shifted uncomfortably as the apprentice waited for an answer. He looked around the room, worrying at his lower lip, before letting his gaze return to Obi-Wan. His breathing was shallow, his face uncharacteristically pale.

"I agreed to help with the rescue in return for the clan's help in protecting you and freeing you. If Maogg had not been put in your cell, the clan had already agreed to send another volunteer in to try to help you. This would have been a tremendous sacrifice for a people so attuned to living free. In return for their help, I agreed not only to help with the rescue but to teach them of our ways, of better ways to use the Mother's gifts." He paused, reached out to briefly touch Obi-Wan's shoulder. "I also gave my word that we would abide by their customs."

"Yes, Master. I appreciate the fact that I would not be here without their help," Obi-Wan said impatiently, "but you did a lot for them as well. I still don't understand why we can't leave."

"I agreed that we would abide by *all* of their customs." He paused again, drawing a ragged breath, then looked into Obi-Wan's eyes. "Since Maogg claimed you, and you submitted to his service, you must remain in his service, to obey and serve faithfully, for at least another year before you can challenge him for your release. You are ranshurr, Obi-Wan, and I can not change that."

"What!" exclaimed the apprentice angrily. "But that...that's insane." He looked at Maogg. "That was under duress, surely everyone must see that. I didn't give *my* word to do any of this."

Maogg looked on silently as Qui-Gon spoke again. "Did Maogg best you in personal combat?"

Obi-Wan looked up, eyes raging, jaw clenched. "Yes, Master."

"Did you submit to him, offer your service?"

"I was going to die in that place, Master, he was going to let me freeze to -"

"Answer the question," interrupted Qui-Gon sternly.

"Yes, Master," answered Obi-Wan angrily.

"Then you are ranshurr; you belong to him and must stay." Qui-Gon started to reach out to his apprentice again but abruptly drew his hand back. He swallowed hard before turning to Maogg. "Maogg, Obi-Wan is yours." Obi-Wan stared at his master, mouth open in stunned anger and astonishment. Qui-Gon glanced toward Obi-Wan, started to speak, but stumbled over the words. He took another deep breath and continued, "I acknowledge your claim, Maogg, and I thank you for saving him. Obi-Wan is young, and can be stubborn and wild tempered, and I understand that you will need to discipline him at times. I say to you, however, that he is a good-hearted person, and very precious to me."

Maogg inclined his head gracefully. "I know that he cares deeply for you, and it is clear that he means much to you. I shall take good care of him." He raised his voice to address the chief and the crowd. "I declare before all that I continue my claim on the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, and that Master Jinn is truly an honorable man who honors us and the clan Jedi with his sacrifice."

There was a general round of cheering and stamping of feet. Obi-Wan continued kneeling in sick disbelief. He had come out of a Sithspawned hell of despair to find his dreams come alive again, only to be rejected in favor of duty and honor. Force, his master wouldn't even look at him, was just going to leave him here.

Qui-Gon stood quietly, his expression withdrawn, eyes focused on the ground, until the noise died down again. He looked up to address the chief. "Are you satisfied that honor has been observed, that all obligations have been fulfilled?"

"We are very satisfied, Master Jedi. There are no further claims on either side, but you will always be welcome at our fires as a member of our family."

"I thank you, and I thank the people of the White Panther clan for the help they have given me and my apprentice." He paused again. "There is now another custom I wish to invoke, if I may be allowed. It is an old custom, seldom used, but I believe it is appropriate in this situation."

"Master Jinn, tonight is for celebration, to honor the rescue of Laregg. There will be no new business."

"But it is very important, Chief Luthej," entreated Qui-Gon, "and will not take much time -"

"I'm sorry, but not tonight," the chief replied with an apologetic smile. "We will gather again to sing to the Mother and we can talk then, if you wish, or at the next gathering."

Qui-Gon bowed in acquiescence. "Of course. Thank you for your patience. I shall wait."

The next few hours seemed an eternity of misery for the young Jedi, accentuated by the contrast to the simple enjoyment of the clan members on this festive evening. Obi-Wan sat huddled next to Maogg, keeping him supplied with food and drink in between the singing and dancing. He could see Qui-Gon at the other end of the building, trying to remain unobtrusive in the semi-darkness but occupied by a stream of well wishers.

Twin flutes piped a joyful tune as the drummer kept the dancers moving swiftly to the beat. Nimoral's silvery laugh floated over the room as she led a line of women into a circle dance, the men cheering and clapping appreciatively.

~ How can he just sit there like nothing's wrong? ~ Obi-Wan thought resentfully, staring dully at Qui-Gon. ~ Doesn't it mean anything to him that I'm stuck here with this bastard? ~

Bavod stopped by to invite Obi-Wan to dance, but the young Jedi just shook his head as Bavod was dragged away by two smiling young women. Obi-Wan could see Maogg standing near a fire, smiling, hands gesturing. After several minutes he came back to join Obi-Wan, and they ate while the clansman regaled their nearest companions with hunting stories.

Later Laregg came over to sit with them and tried to keep the glum apprentice occupied while Maogg danced or talked with friends. He was cheerfully trying to point out the benefits of belonging to White Panther clan but not making much headway. The clansman sipped occasionally of the lightly alcoholic fermented brew in his glass.

Returning from another dance, Maogg drained the mug of water Obi-Wan had been holding for him, then sent him off for a mug of ale. As he returned, Obi-Wan saw the two kinsmen whispering, then Maogg nodded.

"Your ale, Mazhten."

"Thank you." Maogg paused, glanced at Laregg. "Do you wish to speak to Master Jinn?"

Obi-Wan's breath froze as he stared at the ground. Without looking up, he finally answered, "Yes, Mazhten."

"Go on then." Maogg jerked his head in Qui-Gon's direction. "I'll be leaving soon. I'll collect you then."

"Thank you, Mazhten."

Obi-Wan slowly made his way across the floor, standing respectfully to one side while Nimaral chatted with Qui-Gon.

"Good evening, Obi-Wan," Nimaral said quietly, acknowledging the young man's presence.

"Good evening, Nimaral," Obi-Wan replied with a bow.

"I'm sure we shall speak again later, Master Jinn," Nimaral said as she rose, smiling. "The gathering will be breaking up soon. Tomorrow is another work day, and there will be more work than usual while the herds are in."

Qui-Gon rose and bowed as the matriarch departed, then returned to his seat. Neither man could feel the training bond while Obi-Wan was still wearing the collar, and there was an awkward silence between the two men for several moments as they tried to determine how to proceed.

"Master," said Obi-Wan formally, "it is good to see you alive and well."

"Thank you, Padawan," Qui-Gon replied. "It is good to see you out of that prison."

Another self-conscious silence.

Finally Obi-Wan could stand it no longer. He knelt down and pressed himself against Qui-Gon's leg. "Master, please tell me you're not really going to leave me here. We are going home, aren't we?" he pleaded.

Qui-Gon reached out and pushed the apprentice back to arm's length. "Padawan," he said firmly, "control yourself. I cannot jeopardize over two hundred years of work that have gone into developing the Jedi's relationship with the clans just for one individual. You must understand that."

"No, I don't. And *you* don't understand what it's like, what I've been through. You've lived with these people, you've seen how they treat the ranshurr. I can't stay here. Don't you care about what is happening to me?"

"Padawan, you will do what you must." The Master's expression softened. "Obi-Wan, I do care, a great deal, and I will get you out if I can. There is at least one more thing I can try, but we have to wait until the singing later. Even if that doesn't work, if you do have to stay, I will see if I can at least get a Healer out here to take that collar off. That is all I can promise."

Obi-Wan leaned angrily into the arm holding him away. "We don't have to wait. I could leave at any time, Master," he whispered urgently. "We could just slip away, head back to the space port - "

"No," hissed Qui-Gon. "Haven't you listened to anything I've been saying? I will get you out legally, in accordance with their customs, or you *will* stay here. For now, you must be patient, give me an opportunity to work on this. Please trust me, Obi-Wan."

"I don't believe this! How can you -" Obi-Wan's outburst was cut short as a heavy hand fell on his shoulder.

"Good evening, Master Jinn," Maogg said. "I hope you have enjoyed the gathering."

"Yes, thank you, Maogg," Qui-Gon replied as he stood up. "It was a good gathering. Everyone has been most kind."

"Good. The next few days will be busy, but after that I am looking forward to teaching Obi-Wan the hunting ways." He riffled the apprentice's hair fondly, ignoring the apprentice's angry expression. "If he can hunt half as well as he fights, he will bring much meat to our tables."

"Obi-Wan is usually a quick learner," replied Qui-Gon stiffly. "I am sure he will do well."

Maogg looked at the Jedi Master, noting the formal posture and hooded eyes. "Don't worry," he said softly, "I will take good care of the boy." Maogg pulled Obi-Wan to his feet. "Good night, Master Jinn."

On to part 3...