Unpledged Allegiance

Obi-Wan emerged from his day of secret meetings with an uneasy feeling. He knew now in greater detail, some things that he had either been unaware of or had mentally blocked. Azkara was indeed involved with the Sith, though to what extent, they were not sure. It seemed she had also taken on an apprentice of sorts, someone who she wanted to lure down the same dark path she had followed for so many years. These new findings about Azkara were not the only things weighing heavily on his mind, however; there were other things he learned from these meetings that left him with a sense of impending doom. Questions were brought up about his Master and the relationship he had had with Azkara long ago. Obi-Wan had been forced to answer very personal questions; questions about Qui-Gon, about Azkara and about their relationships, both combined and separate. Obi-Wan was sure now that they had been in an intimate relationship, and that perhaps there had been even more behind their secret affair.

He realized that the day was nearly gone and that there was a dinner invitation to tend to. He sent a probing thought to Anakin as a reminder that they were to go to Azkara's soon, though he found no presence of him. An unsettling sensation flowed through him, a disruption in the Force that made him shudder. There was much to be concerned with about Anakin, He knew that together Azkara and his Padawan, The Chosen One, could be, and would be disastrous. He suddenly realized that Anakin hadn't been spending all of his time with Padme.

Obi-Wan made his way effortlessly to Azkara's luxurious accommodations, an upscale apartment that the Senate sometimes lent to the Jedi when they had the need. He knew it was where she would be; they used to joke about it years before and often wondered what kind of people did stay there. He put out a fist to knock on the door, but found it opened before he ever made contact.

"Come in, Obi-Wan. I was beginning to think you were going to stand me up and that I was going to have dinner with just your young friend over there." Azkara pointed to the large, overstuffed sofa where Anakin sat, a drink held hastily in his hand. Obi-Wan glanced over to where Anakin sat, trying all the while to hold back what he was thinking, what he was feeling at the sight of him already there. He turned his gaze back to Azkara and again found himself trying to shield his inappropriate thoughts. She was stunning in her form fitting silver slip of a dress that dipped low enough to reveal the soft curve of her breasts and hugged tightly enough to pull slightly at her full hips.


"Obi-Wan, my old friend, I sense you are trying to hide something." She said in an amused voice.

"What's to hide, really? You must know how attractive you are, tonight in particular," he said, matching her wit with his own. "Surely, my trusted Padawan has clued you in to that?" he asked, redirecting his gaze to Anakin, who was now walking toward them.

"Master," Anakin said as he tipped his head slightly. "Of course I told the lovely lady how stunning she looks, though if she really needs to know, all she has to do is look in your eyes," Anakin said in a low, hoarse voice as he stared at Obi-Wan with a smoldering look in his eyes.

"Anakin, are you drunk? How long have you been here? And how did you know where to find her? I have been looking for you all day," Obi-Wan said, meeting the smoldering look with equal intensity.

"Obi-Wan, please, let's start the night off the right way, now shall we? Anakin has been here for over an hour now, but of course, you are late, or perhaps you didn't notice that? And yes, he has been drinking, after all a lady does not drink alone," Azkara interjected before Anakin could answer.

"I see. Though I am still at a loss as to how he found you, milady," Obi-Wan said to Azkara, though his eyes never left Anakin. He continued to stare at Anakin, looking at him as if he had never seen him before, seeing something behind those eyes he had never noticed before.

"You told me many times, Master, of how you and Qui-Gon used to wonder about this place. I just figured since she was friends with him as well as you, that this would be where she would come," Anakin said almost shyly.

Obi-Wan had to take the chance that he could connect with Anakin without Azkara's knowledge.

*Anakin. It has nothing to do with your connection to her? It has nothing to do with your bond? *

*Master?*

"Boys. Now really, let's all play nice, shall we?" Azkara said, not missing a beat, though Obi-Wan knew that she picked up on what he had said to Anakin.

"Nice. I can do that." Obi-Wan said as he took the glass from Anakin's hand and put it to his lips. "So what is for dinner? Did you somehow spend your time away from us learning how to prepare a meal?"

"Of course not, a woman should never know how to cook, Obi-Wan. That is what droids are for," she said as she summoned the droids from the kitchen. They brought out glorious mounds of food, meats and cheeses and sinful looking deserts.

"Planning on feeding the whole Jedi Council Azkara?" Obi-Wan asked feeling his belly warmed by the strong potion he had just taken from Anakin's hands.

She moved closer toward Obi-Wan and lightly wrapped her hand around the glass he was holding, entangling her fingers with his. She moved her lips close to his ear and softly licked it before she whispered, "Has it been so long for you, Obi-Wan, that you don't remember how ravenous you get after a night of passion?" Obi-Wan closed his eyes and drank in the alluring sound of her rapturous whisper. He opened them only when he felt another body press itself against his back and heard the warm, breathy whisper of another voice in his other ear.

"Master." The voice whispered and Obi-Wan felt the room start to spin.