Entry tags:

30 somethings, anakin and obi-wan, pre-slash, shorts, star wars

Flawed Design 1/3 (Star Wars, Ani & Obi, 783 Words)
Fandom: Star Wars
Title: Flawed Design - Part 1 of 3 (783 Words)
Author: jarkai_fic on LJ/jarkai everywhere else
Beta: legolad
Theme(s): (For 30_somethings on Insanejournal, Nights: #6, Forest)
Pairing/Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker
Rating: Mature for horrific images.
Disclaimer/claimer: Characters owned by George Lucas. Story will be updated a minimum of once a week.
Critiques: Yes.
Summary: Not all gifts are graciously accepted.

Hitting Ground


I narrowed my eyes, straining to see. The waist-thick branches of the trees all around me were nothing but silhouettes in the thin moonlight, the canopy above so dense that it might have been a dome of filigreed durasteel. Somewhere close by, leaves shifted. I could only hope it was Obi-Wan.

I pressed against the trunk of the tree I clung to, just in case it was another of those... things. In all my travels, I'd seen a lot of non-humanoid beings, but these were nearly impossible to look at. Not that I really could get a look at them. Something about the sight of them made my mind rebel. Still, when they fixed their three red eyes on me, all they saw was dinner. I was convinced of it.

"Master, is that you?" I shouted over the rustle of leaves.

Obi-Wan grunted. It sounded like he was throwing rocks down at the things, though I had no clue where he'd found the stones. Was he calling them up from the ground?

This whole situation was my fault. My Master had tried to warn me about the turning radius of our new Fighters, but I hadn't listened. When I crashed on this gods' forsaken planet, Obi-Wan descended to give me a hand as any teacher would and lost control of his fighter, too. So much for 'teacher knows best.' We ended up in two different trees, with a half dozen of these creatures constantly circling. They never left the two of us alone.

"They have to sleep sometime," I called out.

"So do we!"

I could easily hear the frustration in his voice. Not just frustration, but exhaustion. Each time I inhaled, I smelled blood. He wouldn't tell me, but I was sure that he'd been injured in his crash. Holding on to a tree was starting to get the better of him.

There was a loud thud, and Obi-Wan cried out in the inky night. Immediately I was on my feet, reaching through the Force for him. With a second crash, I sensed it: one of the creatures was battering his tree, Obi-Wan hanging on for dear life.

Beneath Obi-Wan's, the monster's Force signature swelled and shrank. If only I could just... I imagined fingers wrapping around this silent pulse and squeezed. Hard. Something inside of the creature popped. Instantly the battering stopped and the beast fell to the ground. I sank back into my tree, retching in my throat. The sound of ripping flesh was unmistakable. Even though I couldn't see it through the black of the night, I knew the other monsters were feeding, tearing their fallen comrade apart.

Through our bond, I spoke to him. Are you all right?

Never been better. The sarcasm dripped from his thoughts.

Within moments, the battering at Obi-Wan's tree began again. The blood of their brother had not been enough, not when My Master's still dripped. Without thinking, I reached again and again, squeezing as hard as I could until there was no more noise. The forest floor was finally quiet.

I sagged against the tree, almost toppling. I hadn't realized that killing them that way would take so much out of me too.


+++


The sun rose slowly, peeking through the leaves above. I blinked groggily, coming awake.

"Oh gods," Obi-Wan's choked, his voice carried by the wind. A hand covered his mouth as he peered down at the ground below.

Entrails hung on every one of the lowest branches. Dark red blood pooled in the sunlight, flies buzzing about its surface, happy for the treat.

I took what felt like years to climb down. At last I leaned hard against the tree that had been my home, willing it to hold me up. Obi-Wan came to my side, his movements stilted and his eyes full of shadows.

"What have you done?" he whispered so softly that I almost missed it.

"Saved your life!" I barked. "Saved us," I added, quieter this time.

Obi-Wan sucked air between his teeth. He clutched at his side, fingers splayed over a growing rust-colored stain. I reached out to help steady him, and he jerked himself away.

"Don't touch me. I'm fine," he gasped, clearly anything but.

I reached again, and he actually stumbled back to avoid my touch. "You're wounded, let me..."

"I said don't!" he coughed, gripping his side. He put his other hand up to stop me.

My cheeks burned, every ounce of pride I might have felt draining out of me. He had only raised a hand to keep me in my place, but why did I feel like I'd been slapped?


[END PART ONE]