Part One
"I'm not sure if I should be pleased we're fending for ourselves, or nervous." Ket'al shifted on his broad bed, producing a discontented sigh from Mathius, whose head was pillowed on his stomach. "From what you've told us, that little display in the courtyard today was...very interesting."
"Daro, didn't you say the Sith Lord touched you?" Mathius turned his face and lifted up, staring sleepily over at the young slave.
"Yes." Daro's green eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "He's no friend of the Regent's; that much is obvious. He has cruel hands."
"Well, he should suit you fine, then," Mathius teased.
Daro didn't respond to the barb, and as Ket'al watched him, Daro's gaze grew distant. "There's no kindness in him, no sport," Daro said thoughtfully. "Not my kind of adventure."
"He's right. You should have seen the way the Sith touched him," Leyran said. "It was like Daro was already his property."
Ket'al snorted softly. He pushed gently at Mathius' shoulders until his lover sat up and rolled to one side. "You all should recognize by now that there's more going on here than a simple power play. Whoever comes out on top will claim every symbol of power the Regent has. Including every being in this harem."
"I don't think he wants us," Daro said. "He wants Xanatos."
Mathius scowled. "Xanatos isn't so different from the rest of us. He's no more special than-"
"You didn't see it. We did," Leyran interrupted, swatting at his brother's foot. "He wants Xanatos."
"Then why didn't he just take him? Kenobi has never refused a guest before. We've all had to earn our keep in the beds of diplomats." Mathius kicked at Leyran's hand in annoyance.
"I think he will take him. But that comes later," Leyran said softly. "No one here will be sorry to see his reign over Kenobi end."
"Kenobi spends all his time with Jinn. The Jedi has already put an end to Xan's influence," Mathius countered.
"No, he hasn't. Kenobi spends time with the Jedi, but..." Ket'al broke off, musing quietly for a moment.
"What you're trying to say is, Xan's influence doesn't start and end with his cock and his lips any longer," Daro supplied helpfully.
Ket'al smiled. "That's one way to put it." He swung his legs off the bed and sighed. "I don't like Xanatos' tactics, or his tricks, or the way he wields his influence. But I don't think any of that will come to an end simply because he spends a night or two in the Sith's bed."
"Oh, it won't." Daro dropped down to the plush carpet and draped his arms over Ket'al's knees. "And the silver-haired Sith knows it. It's easy to see; it was in his eyes. That's why he wants him. It isn't about desire, you know."
Mathius sat up on his knees and wrapped his arms around Ket'al, pressing a kiss to the nape of his neck. "For once, I'm grateful none of us is the favorite," he said, squeezing Ket'al's shoulders.
Ket'al allowed his head to drop back against Mathius' chest, a silent gesture of worried agreement.
*****
"It doesn't fit."
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and sprawled comfortably across the bed, examining the evidence. His gaze traveled slowly down the gray and black lines of Qui-Gon's clothing, which was too tight, form-fitting, and gave a good glimpse of the muscled, disciplined body beneath. "You have become a slave to fashion since your arrival here, Jedi. Not everything can reveal your body to its best advantage."
Slowly, one tiny notch at a time, Obi-Wan was becoming used to the presence of the bond between them. It no longer hummed at the back of his neck like an irritating sand fly; it was more like static now, a kind of white noise he could turn down, sublimating the input when necessary. Stray emotions crept in from time to time, his own and Jinn's, but he recognized the other man's discipline, his efforts to keep the link from being flooded with their individual reactions.
It was not easy for either of them, but it could not be undone.
Qui-Gon tugged at the uniform of the Regency Guard, yanking it into place. "It's simply not an efficient uniform, Highness. It...creeps."
With a chuckle, Obi-Wan answered, "You're too tall. We haven't anything in the uniform stock to fit you. Something will have to be custom-made."
"I could wear my tunics..." Qui-Gon began, but Obi-Wan stopped the argument with a wave of his hand.
"Obviously, you have a death wish. Chun will have you soon enough. I see no need to send you headlong into your execution."
"An obedient bodyguard will not arouse suspicion," Qui-Gon said, straightening his collar.
"No. But the Ambassador will certainly react to your presence, even if the others do not, and there will be questions, and the Sith will know the lie." Xanatos' voice emerged from the corner of the room, sharp, edged with urgency. Qui-Gon turned, surprise evident in his features, and looked at his former apprentice as Xan moved closer to the Regent.
"Don't be too sure of that." Obi-Wan sat up. "After all, he could be accused of complicity in hiding the Jedi's identity. Windu is not stupid, but he's not quite clever enough to have thought of a way around this just yet. I'll have to take this one step at a time."
Xanatos left his place by the window, where he had been standing in silence since Obi-Wan summoned him, and dropped to one knee in front of Obi-Wan. His eyes sparkled indigo as he cast his most persuasive look at the Regent. "Forgive me, my master, but you might have been killed in the attack on the classroom. And the solution you have found to address that problem holds danger for you as well."
"Not as much danger as Qui-Gon faces, once Chun is aware of his true...calling." Obi-Wan glanced at Qui-Gon once again. The gray uniform was ill-fitting, and not simply because of the cut and size of the cloth. His gaze returned to Xanatos. "There is no solution to this, Xan. At least, none the Sith will permit. From the beginning, Chun was determined to overthrow me here, to take control. This was never meant to be a fair evaluation of my skill, or of what Anakin has learned under my tutelage. The Emperor has been influenced, made to believe I am traitor to the Empire. It has never made a difference what my response is, or how well I have ruled. My reign here will come to an end."
The candor of Obi-Wan's statement startled Xan; it was evident in the way his body tensed, every muscle becoming taut. "I don't believe that," Xan said fiercely. "The Emperor sent you here. He trusts you. He wouldn't abandon you to Chun." There was a bitter desperation in the words, a denial born of need.
Obi-Wan leaned forward, captured Xan's face between his hands. He brushed his fingertips over the smooth skin, lingering over the scar, and traced the open circle slowly, deliberately. "I am not the kind of man who gives things away," he said softly, breathing the words against Xan's lips. "And I won't abandon this world, or its heir, unless there is no other option."
Xanatos inhaled a slow breath, and Obi-Wan let himself be drawn in on the whisper of air, closing his mouth over Xan's in a lingering kiss. Gently, without the punishing haste of lust, he possessed Xan's lips, pausing to kiss the corner of his mouth. His heart quickened at the low, precious sound of wanting that trembled in the throat beneath his traveling kisses, and he groaned softly. "There's no time," he said, speaking into the shell of Xan's ear.
"I know, my master." Xan shuddered beneath his hands, and Obi-Wan held him there a moment more before releasing him with regret.
Qui-Gon's eyes burned into him, but Obi-Wan looked at Xan. He averted his gaze, choosing not to see the pain he could clearly feel, through a bond he had stopped trying to deny. "Qui-Gon," he said softly, without taking his eyes from Xan's. "Wait in the corridor."
A moment later, the door slid open, then closed.
"Master," Xan said, an affirmation, and their bodies tangled together, hands moving, marking, taking.
Obi-Wan closed his eyes and surrendered to the feeling of being worshipped, of his body being beyond his control, as Xan reached unerringly for the source of his desire and stopped his heart with savage skill. Fingers worked him with urgent passion, and he permitted himself the small luxury of accepting that gift, something offered freely and not compelled by ownership.
"Look at me," Xan murmured, an echo of the master's past directives.
Obi-Wan smiled and opened his eyes, to favor Xan with a seductive gaze. Satisfaction settled over him, as he saw his passion mirrored in Xan's eyes. His hands grappled for position, and he wrestled his way back to control, turning Xan, pinning him, holding him fast as he devoured his mouth, swallowing his gasps and cries of pleasure.
"Excellency."
Some dim, responsible part of Obi-Wan's mind responded, tuning in to the hesitant sound of Valorum's voice. He lifted his head from his task. "Valorum," he rasped. "What is it?"
"I must speak with you. Privately."
"Now?"
"There is little time before dinner, Excellency. You will be expected to arrive as soon as Chun and his entourage are seated."
Obi-Wan licked at Xan's lips, touching the tip of his outstretched tongue before pushing away. He rose from the bed and offered Xan a hand up, grinning at him. "Return to your quarters and wait for me."
"Yes, my master." Xan grinned in return, and for the first time, he did not kneel. Instead, he bowed, and with a mischievous smile at Valorum, he was gone.
Obi-Wan gave brief acknowledgment to the spark of joy in his heart before turning to his most trusted advisor. "I know, Chancellor, that you have a compelling reason for disrupting my...dinner preparations."
Valorum's eyebrows climbed immediately to the middle of his forehead. "Most certainly. It has to do with Xanatos."
"What do you mean?"
"While you were under attack this afternoon, Chun paid a visit to the harem. He saw Xanatos. He understands the nature of your relationship."
So it had come to this. A surge of anger burned through Obi-Wan; he had known he should be careful, that he must take precautions, but this.... "Explain."
"He is quite intuitive, Excellency. I would not be at all surprised if he asked for Xan's company in his bed."
"Do you understand what you're saying?" Obi-Wan stared at Valorum. "What you're implying?"
"Yes."
"I can't. I...he won't demand it..."
"He will. I saw his face, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan's eyes slowly fluttered closed. After a moment, Valorum's voice reached him, brought him back from the sickening array of images in his mind. "Excellency, he knows you have no other choice."
"Does he?" The Regent of Taganor turned, casting his glance outside the windows, watching the perpetual storms as they gathered and tossed in the vast sky. "He may understand what little he knows, but there are other choices I could make, Valorum. The time comes closer every day."
"There is still no way to be sure, Excellency." Valorum took a step toward Obi-Wan, then stopped. "The boy...the assassin...it's all tied together. You must be certain beyond all doubt."
"Bruck is forcing my hand. He's shortening the time I might have had to obtain the objective. There's not going to be any second chance." Obi-Wan sighed. "I'm not sure I'll be able to make the decision, when the time comes."
"Of course you will. You could not have come this far if you were not the kind of man who can make those decisions."
Obi-Wan smiled grimly. "Things are getting out of hand too quickly. I hadn't counted on Chun being the one. If anything, I expected one of the Emperor's advisors - someone who would be less focused on my removal. Someone more easily influenced."
"You have known since the beginning - since before the beginning - that it might happen this way." Valorum hesitated, then added, "And you have been distracted by personal concerns."
With his silence, Obi-Wan lent his agreement to Valorum's assessment.
Valorum bowed. "Shall I send in your guard, Excellency?"
"No. Have Jinn wait outside."
"As you wish."
Obi-Wan stared after Valorum as the doors closed behind him. His senior advisor, the only person he had relied on for many years, was entirely correct. The time was near when there could be no retreat from any position he took. The weight of that responsibility made him feel tired, older than his years.
Slowly, he made his way to the comm console on the far wall. With a few keystrokes, he disabled the holocamera recording his official communications for posterity, as well as the new devices the Sith had installed to keep track of his correspondence. Obi-Wan reached deep, drawing upon memory, calling forth a sequence of words buried in the past, and began to type.
A few sentences later, he sat back, waiting.
Words appeared on the small screen, encrypted in a code long embedded in his mind. He tapped in the key, allowing the encryption to unwind.
*Do what you think best. Careful you must be.*
He read the sentence several times, taking strength from it. His fingers moved across the digipad, entering commands, until the words disappeared from the screen, completely obliterated.
With a small gesture, he opened himself to the Force, summoning the small piece of crystal beside his bed. It flew into his open hand, a steadfast reminder of the past, of duty. He closed his hand around it, gripping hard, tightening his grasp until he felt the cool pulse of blood from his cut skin.
He would do what must be done.
*****
"A most enticing menu, Obi-Wan. My compliments to your staff." Chun gestured broadly at a tray filled with leafy vegetation and dense meats, and waited for the servants to fill his plate. Half-empty platters of colorful imported fruits were scattered about the long table, alongside native foods especially prepared for the meal.
"We have perfected the art of hospitality, my lord. All are welcomed here." Obi-Wan picked up his glass and drank a deep swallow of native wine. "Have you tried the roast bantha? Domesticated bantha are most popular these days. I don't find them particularly appetizing; it requires too much effort to remove the sand particles...and the teeth."
"Yes, the teeth." Chun crossed his hands across his belly, fingers laced together, and grinned. "Pity about those teeth. The meat is quite appealing, otherwise."
"Another product we have had little opportunity to sell," Windu interjected.
The dinner was progressing exactly as expected. Banter, negotiation, barbs, and fear. No one dealt openly; all hands were held close, examined, picked over for weaknesses and potential strengths. Obi-Wan fought the feeling of dread that shivered at the base of his spine. He did not dare to show any weakness, but nothing good could come of any part of their discussions.
"I'm certain, Ambassador, that you don't mean to imply the Empire has restricted your commerce in this area." Chun smiled broadly. "The Emperor is determined that all worlds will succeed in their attempts to trade freely."
Obi-Wan laughed softly. "Forgive me, my lord, but you seem to have forgotten the embargo against Tatooine. It was put in place by the Emperor to restrict trade routes and ensure the Empire receives its fair share of all sector cargo passing through Mos Eisley."
"The Emperor has lifted many restrictions where your world is concerned, Kenobi. Too many. He's made it far too simple for you to take what you want, instead of what's needed." Chun's smile had acquired the unpleasant aftertaste of flavored medicine.
"This world is no longer the hiding place of smugglers and pirates, Lord Chun." Obi-Wan's smile evaporated.
Chun's smile vanished as well. "No. Now you merely hide criminals, enemies of the Imperial Edict!"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that your sympathies for the Jedi are well known, Kenobi. You have harbored fugitives."
Obi-Wan smiled slightly, and took another sip of wine.
"I don't know why the Emperor doesn't just lift the embargo," Anakin said sulkily. His chair was pressed into the small open space at the top corner of the table, next to Obi-Wan and to the side of Chun.
Chun immediately focused his attention on Anakin. "Don't you? Think it through. If you have learned your lessons well, Excellency, you should be able to reason it out."
"The Emperor isn't sure all the worlds will do what he wants, so he keeps things they want and gives them things when they do what he wants them to," Anakin said slowly, after a moment.
"Very good, Excellency. Yes, the Emperor rewards those who show their loyalty, over time."
"He also has them brutally executed for the slightest infractions," came a voice from across the table. Chun swiveled in his chair to look at Ki-Adi-Mundi, who met his gaze with a neutral expression. "Understand, Lord Chun, I do not question the Emperor's prerogative to do as he chooses with his subjects, but he reigns through terror. Not always an effective or desirable method of leadership."
"It has served its purpose." Chun paused. "I admire a man who speaks his mind, Councilor. But one wonders, where have you developed these convictions of yours? Hardly the attitude one would expect from a senior advisor to the man who is Regent here."
"The inhabitants of this world think for themselves, my lord." Obi-Wan captured the thread of the conversation.
"All men are guided by the prevailing opinion. It would seem that here, the prevailing opinion is somewhat more...liberal...than elsewhere in the galaxy."
"Our Regent has shown his tolerance for many beings during his reign," Windu said, and not in a complimentary way.
Chun turned his sharp gaze back to Anakin. "The Regent represents your interests, Anakin. His policies should be an extension of what you believe. Unless, of course, he thinks you are too young to be trusted to express your opinions."
Anakin frowned. "Obi-Wan asks me my opinion."
"And does it match his own? Is it your opinion that the policy of this world should be that all can be free here, even criminals and scum?"
"Anakin does not rule, because he has not yet learned all the political ramifications-" Obi-Wan began.
"My question was for Anakin," Chun interrupted smoothly. "Well, Excellency?"
"I am loyal to the Emperor," Anakin said, with a look at Obi-Wan.
"Well, then. It would appear you have learned at least some of your political lessons, young man." Chun chuckled. "It has been a very long day, and I feel the need for entertainment. I found a particularly attractive possession of yours in the harem today, Kenobi. I think perhaps I will experiment with it tonight."
Kenobi locked eyes with him. "I may have need of that...possession...myself this evening. Choose another."
"So you've heard of my visit to your harem, then? For how else could you know which of your treasures I desire?" Chun's eyes gleamed wickedly.
"Your movements in my fortress are reported to me, yes. It is, after all, *my* fortress, my lord. My security personnel are merely...cautious."
"Yes. Well, choose another plaything tonight. I'll be using yours."
Obi-Wan caught the objection rising from somewhere near his heart and crushed it down. If Chun were certain how much of a sacrifice this was, Xan would not survive until morning. And he would be placed in an intolerable position.
He reminded himself that Xanatos was merely a slave, bought and sold and trained for pleasure. He had shared the other man before, and this was no different. There was duty to consider, and obligation.
"Shall I have him delivered to your quarters, my lord?" Kenobi asked, making his face into a bland reflection of nothing, like the calm surface of a lake, as Chun scrutinized him.
"I'll have my guards fetch him." Chun waited a beat. "Tomorrow, you will turn over all port documents and shipping records from the major cities of Taganor, and we will examine the cargo and passenger lists. I'm most curious to see what's there."
"Once again, you infer wrongdoing, Chun." Obi-Wan let loose a bit of his anger; it tightened his throat, lowered his voice. "This world remains loyal to the Empire."
"Except when it isn't." Chun smiled. "Except when your personal agenda conflicts with Imperial doctrine. Don't pretend, Kenobi. I'm tired of the charade."
Like lightning, both men were on their feet. From the edges of the room, guards stepped forward, hands on their weapons. Seemingly from nowhere, a tall man appeared just behind Kenobi, dressed in the distinctive gray and black of the Regent's personal guard. Chun glanced at his face, and at Kenobi, and his smile widened. He gestured to his own guards with a flicker of one finger, and they withdrew. Kenobi nodded, and his own men melted back into the shadows.
"It would seem our pleasant dinner is at an end," Chun said mildly. "Good night, Excellency." Chun bowed to the still-seated Anakin and left the table with a flourish, guards clicking along behind him in measured columns.
Obi-Wan watched him go, conscious of Qui-Gon once again stepping close, also watching. It was going to be a very long night.
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