Chapter Text
Hurry up and wait. That was the mood between battles. There would be stretches of time during the war when Anakin would long for something like the comfort of a bed or the warmth of prepared food. Those unending sieges, drawn-out battles, and sporadic incursions could feel like a lifetime. However, the same could also be said for the downtime.
The wait for the next mission could stretch the feeling of time so that even the most tempered Jedi would lose his composure to boredom. And Anakin was hardly the most tempered Jedi. Even Anakin’s beloved former Master, Obi-Wan had recently taken to spending days locked in his private quarters engrossed in meditation to stave off the between battle tedium.
While Anakin missed his ship and crew during these combined trips, he found his second home to be aboard the Negotiator with the 212th. Kenobi’s men adored their general and rightfully so. He had turned out to be as great a military leader as he had been a Jedi mentor. Anakin was wandering the Negotiator’s corridors as he passed a barracks hall. He couldn’t help but overhear the conversation of the clone troopers within. They seemed to be lamenting having to leave Coruscant for the unknowns of space.
“I’m telling you, she was looking right at me,” one of the clones announced in a jovial boast. His fellow vod jeered and laughed.
“You were payin’ her. Of course, she was lookin’ at you!” One of the others countered.
“Nah, this was different. She wanted me. Really wanted me. I could tell. We coulda had something,” the first trooper insisted.
His brothers laughed heartily again. Anakin, who normally wouldn’t stoop to eavesdropping on troopers on break, remained simply for the entertainment and hid behind the doorway. Besides, stories and rumors coming directly from the troopers themselves always proved useful for gauging morale.
“Take those chances when you get ‘em. You’re not likely to see much action out here unless another vod strikes your fancy,” a different trooper added.
The troopers sighed and some groaned in resignation. Anakin grimaced, having never spared a moment to think about the sex lives of clones. He especially never considered they would engage in relationships among themselves. Still, his curiosity kept him listening.
“Is it really that bad?” another trooper asked. "Coruscant had clubs and people everywhere."
“Aw, you poor Shiny. You have no idea, do ya?” One answered with a taunt, gaining the laughter of the others.
The new recruit replied, “Really? All we get are each other and folks we meet on leave? What about Republic officers or Jedi?”
Another round of laughter filled the room. “If you could possibly find a Republic officer you’d want to fuck, then, by all means, go for it. Knowing those stuck up pricks, you’d have a better chance with a protocol droid.”
“What about Jedi?” the Shiny persisted.
“Who you got your eye on? Is it Kenobi?” The soldier must have blushed or nodded because the others responded with delighted laughter. Anakin brought a hand to his mouth to stifle his shout of shock and disgust.
“Get in line, kid. I don’t know if it’s in our DNA but every clone has it bad for General Kenobi,” the older trooper answered. The other clones moaned in agreement.
“It’s his hair,” one posited.
“Nah, it’s his eyes,” another suggested.
“His voice,” yet another added. Several murmured their agreement with that.
“I’d give anything for a night with him,” one lamented.
“A night? I’d settle for an hour in a supply room.”
“I’d settle for a handjob in the fresher,” a third man countered.
The men seemed to all take a moment to think about their specific Obi-Wan based desire and Anakin struggled to keep down his lunch. He loved his former Master like a brother but never once thought of him in a sexual way. Like he did all the Jedi, he considered Obi-Wan a sexless monk devoted solely to the order. Anakin had always assumed he was the only Jedi with any sort of lust or romantic capabilities.
“So has anyone ever tried? He seems like he’d be game for some fun,” the recruit asked.
“Yeah, I’d say he would be, only you’d be risking your neck tryin’,” another clone answered.
“What do you mean?”
“You lay one finger on Kenobi and his Zabrak lover will literally rip you limb from limb,” the trooper answered and his vod grumbled in agreement.
“Oh shit, a Zabrak? Like with the horns and everything?”
“Horns and orange, glowing eyes, and bloody claws on his hands. His skin is bright red and covered in black tattoos. He’ll kill ya, just as soon as look at ya. See him in the corridor, you look the look other way and pretend nothing happened.”
“I heard he used to be a . . . sith. They was enemies at some point but then things, you know, got sexual. The Zabrak's obsessed with Kenobi. Follows him, keeps watch, sometimes even jumps into battles.”
“I ain't complain'. That thing can fight. He's got a great big, double red lightsaber. Pray he never turns it on us."
"Just know that if General Kenobi asks to be left alone in his room, good chance that Zabrak is in there with him. Anyone from the Republic or the Council calls in asking for him, you say the General is deep in meditation. You understand?”
“Isn’t this against some rules or Jedi code or something?”
“Probably, but Kenobi’s our general and he’s the best the Republic has. We don’t rat out one of our own.”
“That Jedi Council probably knows anyway. Nothing gets past them. They just can’t get rid of him in the middle a big bloody war. Once the war’s over, he’ll probably leave and go off with his Zabrak somewhere. Right now, it’s all hands-on deck.”
“If he left now, we’d all be reassigned to different generals. Force help us if it’s Skywalker.”
Anakin couldn’t help but rankle at that comment.
“Don’t get me wrong, the lad’s brave, but he’s reckless.”
The men murmured in agreement and quieted down. Anakin pushed off from the wall and silently scurried down the corridor, his thoughts racing.
What Anakin missed was the continued gossip from the troopers, “The Council knows about Skywalker and that senator from Naboo, right?”
“They’d have to be bloody blind not to.”
Anakin’s head swam with this new information. Obi-Wan had a lover. Obi-Wan Kenobi had a lover. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi was having an ongoing, illicit sexual affair with a lover. A Zabrak lover. Bright red with black tattoos. Then it dawned on him, there was only person they could have meant: Darth Maul. The sith that had killed Qui-Gon Jinn. The monster of the darkside that still haunted Anakin’s nightmares.
He had heard the reports that Obi-Wan had been forced to work together with Ventress when stranded and they discovered Maul alive. Anakin was never sure of details of what happened, but it led to Obi-Wan abandoned on some weird outer rim planet. Obi-wan brought up his concerns with the council. Anakin, being the one that had retrieved him from the strange planet, sat in on the meeting.
“While the existence of this former sith apprentice is worrisome, it does not merit any further time spent away from the duties of war,” Master Windu had concluded.
Obi-Wan was visibly taken aback, something Anakin had rarely seen his former master do in front of the Jedi Council. Eventually, Grand Master Yoda even weighed in, “A personal matter, this appears to be. Your path, Master Kenobi, may yet lead to this Dathomiri. For good or for evil, I cannot tell.”
Obi-Wan had stuttered before asking, “A - are you saying this was destined?”
The ancient and wise Jedi Masters contemplated for several moments, considering the impact of their words. Master Yoda then spoke his final, decisive ruling, “Yes.”
That had been over a year ago. Had Obi-Wan become the sexual puppet of the sith and was it too late to save him?
Once Anakin reached Obi-Wan’s quarters, he was frantic. When his repeated presses of the door’s alarm failed to get a response, he resorted to pounding on the door, yelling, “Obi-Wan! Open this door! Open up, right now!”
His crazed yelling had brought the attention of several clone troopers who apparently called for their commander.
“General Skywalker, sir, is there something I can help you with?”
Anakin turned around to see Commander Cody looking on deeply concerned. Anakin could sense the clone was nervous.
“I need to speak with General Kenobi,” Anakin replied gruffly.
“Ah, well, sir, the General is in meditation and has requested some privacy at this time,” Cody answered, his nervous energy increasing even as his back remained straight and his voice focused. He was Obi-Wan’s most trusted trooper and the clone had nothing but unwavering loyalty in return.
“This is an emergency,” Anakin countered. “I need to speak with him, now.”
“Sir, General Kenobi has authorized me to handle any vital duties while he is occupied. I would be happy to-“
“No! I can only speak with Obi-Wan!” Anakin shouted. The commander hesitated as he struggled with an answer. Anakin would not let him give one, “Commander, open this door right now or I will cut it open myself. That’s an order!”
Cody snapped to attention at the command and stepped up to door. Using the intercom, he announced, “General Kenobi, this is Commander Cody, I am performing a welfare check at the request of General Skywalker. I am using my authorization to open this door.”
The Commander seemed to be taking an inordinate amount of time to enter his override code but the door finally did slide open to Obi-Wan’s modest residence. Anakin scanned the room and noticed the bed, while made up was done so hastily. Unusual for someone as fastidious as Obi-Wan. Upon the desk, Anakin found two glasses. They were empty but when he picked one up, he could detect the faint odor of sweet liquor.
Commander Cody stood awkwardly at the room’s door, not knowing what he was supposed to be doing. Anakin was about to begin yelling again when Obi-Wan emerged from the refresher, his hair damp. A towel around his shoulders.
“Anakin, Cody, this is unexpected. Is there an emergency?”
Anakin reached out with the force and was met with a solid wall from his former master. There was no welcome and there was no warmth. He was hiding something. Anakin despised deceit from Jedi. It hurt all the more coming from someone he trusted as dearly as Obi-Wan. That hurt soon turned to anger.
“Where is he?” Anakin demanded in a low growl.
“What are you on about?” Obi-Wan asked, casually toweling his hair dry.
“Don’t lie to me, Obi-Wan. Don’t you dare try to lie to me right now. Where is he?” Anakin replied, his hand unconsciously grazing his lightsaber.
Kenobi sighed and moved to address the clone trooper, “Commander Cody, this is a personal matter. You can be excused.”
“Yes, sir,” Cody, with relief coming off him in waves, hastily retreated and left the room.
Once the door slid closed, Anakin used the force to hurl one of the glasses from Obi-Wan’s desk into the wall, smashing it to pieces.
Obi-Wan sighed, “Was that really necessary?”
“Don’t try to talk your way out of this and don’t try lying: Obi-Wan, have you been compromised?”
“Compromised? Anakin, I know you have a flare for the dramatic, but this is extreme even for you. Can we please calm down and have a rational discussion?”
“There is no reasoning with the darkside and if that sith has compromised you, I will kill him myself,” Anakin answered, his rage growing hotter by the second.
Obi-Wan sighed once more and tossed his towel onto the bed. He held up his hands in a peaceful gesture and stepped forward, “My old friend, I cannot excuse my conduct but it has nothing to do with the Force nor with the war.”
Anakin, however, did not hear Obi-Wan’s words as his eyes fell onto Obi-Wan’s now exposed collarbone and a fresh bite mark glaring hatefully at him. Rushing forward, Anakin grabbed Obi-Wan’s robe and pulled the fabric down to check for injuries. Before he could get a look at his friend’s skin, he was hurled backward, back of his head hitting the door.
A dark figure emerged from a ceiling alcove and silently landed between Anakin and Obi-Wan. Anakin leapt back to his feet, taking in Darth Maul wearing nothing but a wrapping of black cloth at his waist. The Sith snarled, showing his fangs. When he spoke, an unexpectedly smooth, inner rim accent emerged, “That’s as far as you go, little Jedi. No one touches him.”
Anakin drew his lightsaber and prepared to fight.