The Seduction

by Nicole D'Annais ([email protected])

***

"Padawan...are you happy being a Jedi?"

Xanatos looked up from the chair, the boot he had just pulled off his foot dangling from his hand in mid-air. "Of course, Master. Why wouldn't I be?"

Qui-Gon sat down on the bed, the doubts he'd had during the day first in his mind. "I've watched you today, and you seem so much happier here than you have been in recent months. It made me wonder if you were questioning your decision to be a Jedi."

"I never decided to be a Jedi; I have simply always been one. It is who I am," he replied, removing the other boot and joining his master on the bed. "If I am happier here, then it is because of you. Our new relationship gives me a peace that I have never known before."

"You're sure that is all it is?"

Xanatos smiled. "Shall I convince you?" he asked as he leaned in to kiss his master deeply. Qui-Gon gave in and let himself be distracted, but as he lay there in the dark, long after Xanatos had fallen asleep, he realized that he may have been seduced, but he was still not convinced.

It was a long time before he managed to find sleep.

***

All through the morning meal, Qui-Gon listened to the easy conversation between Crion and Xanatos without really hearing the words. The tone was enough, and if it hadn't been, the similarities in the voices, combined with the thickening of Xanatos' accent would have been telling all on their own.

The young man fit in without an effort here. He was accepted, admired, waited on. It would be so easy for him to give up everything he'd worked for and stay.

"Master?"

Qui-Gon shook himself out of his thoughts. "Yes, Padawan?"

"Father was asking if I would like to see my mother's hometown, as it's not far from here. We'd only be gone a couple of hours. May I go?"

"Certainly. I'll see you both at the midday meal then?"

"Yes, of course. Thank you." Xanatos stood as his father did, bowed to his master, and they left.

Qui-Gon stared down at the mostly uneaten food on his plate. He was being foolish. He could do nothing to alter Xanatos' path. It was his padawan's choice, and Qui-Gon could not choose for him. If he decided to leave the Jedi, then so be it.

Best to focus on something he could affect. That thought in mind, he left the table in search of the kitchens, and the servant he thought might know more than she was telling.

A few questions in the kitchen had him more concerned about the incident. Merlena had never been assigned there. One of the other kitchen workers said she'd been assigned to a kitchen at one of the offices in the middle of the city.

More curious than ever, Qui-Gon strolled the streets, careful to appear as though he was any other visitor to the city. He was convinced Crion was behind the incident, and if he was right, the Governor would likely have him followed.

He quickly identified his two watchers and lost them before making his way to the office building where Merlena was supposed to be working. It was easy enough to get into the kitchen; he'd made a habit of using kitchens as his entry to buildings. They were busy and generally had numerous entrances, which made slipping in unnoticed a simple feat.

Once inside, he quickly located the woman was standing over an oven, her face flushed. She looked less than happy. He stepped up to her, looking around for anyone who might be paying too much attention to them. When he found no one, he called out her name.

She turned, startled, then bowed. "Master Jinn! I did not expect to see you again. What brings you to this place?"

"I was looking for you. After what happened yesterday, I was concerned. Are you all right?"

She held out her hands, palms up, glanced down at her sweat-dampened dress, and lifted her limp hair. "Do I look all right?"

"Then you are not happy here?"

Merlena laughed. "Only a fool would be happy here. No, I am not happy, sir, and I have my own stupidity to thank for it. I should have known better."

"So you did know what your actions would do to the negotiations if you were caught?"

"Of course. But *he* put me up to it. Came to my room that afternoon and told me it was my duty to Telos, and that there'd be a big, fat promotion in it if I just went in there and played my part. And then when it was over, the Governor banished me to this place."

"The Governor talked you into framing the Councilman?"

She laughed again, the sound more harsh this time. "The Governor, be seen talking to a servant in her room? Ha! No, sir, it was his son that came to me about it."

"His son?" Qui-Gon barely managed to force the words out. "Xanatos?"

She nodded. "Yes, sir," she said, then held up her arm, pointing at four fading bruises. "Shook me so hard he left these as a reminder to keep my mouth shut. And I would have, if he'd done as he'd promised."

"You're sure it was Xanatos?"

"No one in that household could mistake anyone else for that one. His arrival was heralded as some kind of miracle. The entire staff was ordered to treat him like royalty."

She'd lied the morning before. Was she lying now? The idea that Xanatos....

"Who knows about this?"

"Nobody. I haven't been allowed to talk to any of my friends, and I don't trust the people around here not to turn me in. But you, you might be able to help me. The Jedi are known for helping people, that no-good son of the Governor aside, and I don't want to spend the rest of my life working in this place."

He ignored her comment about Xanatos for the moment. He had to think, to see if he even believed it could be possible. "I'll see what I can do. Thank you for telling me."

"I'll testify, if you want--if you can get me off the planet after."

"I don't think it will come to that." He wasn't anxious for her accusations to become public, true or not. "Thank you again."

Qui-Gon slipped out of the kitchen as easily as he'd slipped in. He wandered the streets, ending up on a bench in one of the perfectly planned parks Thani was known for. He'd known Xanatos was getting along with his father, but could Crion really have talked him into doing this?

How badly would Xanatos have to want his father's approval, to be driven to cooperating in such a nasty scheme? It would mean he'd gone against the code, against his training, lied to his master....

It couldn't be true. The woman was lying; it was that simple. He would go back to the Governor's quarters, tell his padawan about it, and they would uncover the real truth together. Xanatos would open his eyes and see his father for what he really was--a greedy, power-hungry manipulator. And then they could turn this mission over to someone else and leave.

His mind made up, Qui-Gon rose and headed for the Governor's quarters.

***

Qui-Gon checked his room first, but Xanatos wasn't there. He wandered through the maze of hallways toward the exercise room, when he passed by the door to Crion's study. The door was slightly open, and he could hear Crion speaking. Perhaps the governor knew where Xanatos was.

He reached the door and raised his hand to knock, but the next words he heard stopped him. "We'll have to bide our time until the army arrives." That was definitely Crion. But who was he talking to? Qui-Gon pulled out his comlink and flicked the setting to record. It was usually used for notes on a report, but it would work for this as well. "It'll be a close call, but I think we can manage."

"When does the army arrive?" Xanatos. Qui-Gon nearly dropped the comlink. So it was true. The logical part of his mind accepted the fact, even as the rest of him rejected it. It made sense--he was taken by his father and his father's power, and he'd been led astray. There was still hope for him.

With a strength he hadn't known he possessed, Qui-Gon shoved his emotional reactions to the revelation aside and paid attention to the conversation again.

"That was the soonest they could be here," Crion said.

"You should have hired someone closer."

Something was slammed down on wood. "Perhaps you would have liked to handle that little arrangement as well? You handled everything else so nicely. With the exception of your 'master'."

"What?"

"Jinn is suspicious."

"He knows nothing. Just leave that to me. Now, do you think your announcement will make the people angry enough for war?"

Qui-Gon stifled a sigh that was more of a half-sob. His padawan was in there, calmly discussing a war he was in the middle of instigating. This couldn't be real. He would have known before now if it were really happening. It had to be a dream.

"...announcement on camera. Once I do that, the people will be straining to go to war. Telos will have the science, the resources, and the factories, and the people will be rich. The fools will love me for it, and they'll never realize how much wealth I gain from it."

"We gain, Father. We."

"Of course. Assuming your master doesn't mess this up."

"I told you to leave him to me. I can handle him. I've handled him so far, haven't I?"

Handled? Now Qui-Gon was past upset and he could feel the anger building up inside. He struggled to keep his mind clear of the muddying power of the anger as he listened to Crion respond. "You never mentioned that 'handling' him involved sleeping with him."

At least that hadn't been part of the plan. Or not a part ordered by Crion at any rate. Satisfaction coursed through him at the hurt he could hear in the Governor's voice. The man was upset that his son had been sleeping with his master. Good.

"Whatever it takes," Xanatos answered coldly. "Speaking of which, I should go find him."

Footsteps grew louder as Xanatos headed toward the door. Qui-Gon turned off the recorder on the comlink and ducked into the nearest room, waiting until the footsteps faded away down the hall before he ventured out.

So, Xanatos was in league with his father. Qui-Gon could try to deny it all he liked, he could reason, rationalize, make excuses, but in the end, the result was the same. The young man had given into the lure of power and money. It might not be possible to save him.

But he had to try.

He would play along, pretend like nothing happened, and then tomorrow, during the broadcast, he would strike. Qui-Gon glanced down at the comlink, still in his hand, and put it away carefully. The words it contained would ensure that Crion damned himself in front of his own people tomorrow. Until then, all he could do was wait. And shut himself off from emotion. The slightest hint that he knew what was going on and there was no telling what would happen.

It was going to be a long day.

***

With the use of Force-enhanced speed, Qui-Gon just managed to beat Xanatos to the bedroom. He hurried into the bathroom, only to came right back out as his apprentice entered. "Good afternoon, Padawan." The normal, even tones of his own voice surprised him.

"Good afternoon, Master," Xanatos replied with a bow. "Did you enjoy your walk?"

"It was certainly interesting." He met his padawan in the center of the room, leaning down for a kiss. "How was your trip with your father?"

"It was wonderful! I feel like I have more of a sense of my history now. I've always had the tradition of the Jedi to ground me, but adding this to it is almost like having a whole new life."

Or exactly like it. Qui-Gon wondered if they'd really even gone to his mother's birthplace. More likely they'd gone off somewhere to plan their war. Anger and betrayal threatened to overtake his sense of duty, but he ruthlessly squashed them. Time enough later to feel the pain, plenty of time when he was either helping Xanatos break away from the dark, or....

No. He wouldn't consider the alternatives. For now, he had to act his part. And if he'd learned anything as a Jedi, it was how to act. The skill had come in handy often on missions. If he pulled this one off, he should get an award.

"Master?" Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no. I was just thinking about midday meal. I haven't eaten today." Nor did he want to, but he had to keep up appearances.

"Neither have I. Shall we see if we can raid the kitchen?"

Qui-Gon forced a smile. "Excellent idea."

They ate together at a table in the kitchen, discussing the differences between Telos and some of the other planets they'd been to. Qui-Gon could almost believe the conversation he'd heard earlier was a sick dream, and that this was any other mission. Xanatos acted as if nothing had changed. Of course, to him, nothing had changed. To him, Qui-Gon was still a fool, following along wherever his apprentice chose to lead him.

Once again, he shoved those thoughts out of his mind. He couldn't afford the distraction and pain they would cause. Xanatos would sense his emotions, and it was imperative that Xanatos not realize his master knew his plans. Or at least part of them.

"Do you know if Crion has heard from Nardir?"

"He has not, and it worries him," Xanatos answered. "He thinks they are stalling in hopes that he will call the negotiations off." A hard note entered his voice as he added, "If they are, they'll be disappointed."

"Padawan..." Qui-Gon reprimanded. The young man's feelings came as no surprise, but the fact that he'd allowed them to show indicated just how confident he was he'd fooled his master. However, under normal circumstances, he would chastise his apprentice for such a comment, so he had to say something.

The young man frowned. "I am simply commenting on my father's actions, Master."

"It is not the words I have a problem with, but the tone. We are supposed to be neutral parties here."

"He's my father. Do you really think the Nardirians will believe I'm completely neutral if they find out?"

With a sigh, Qui-Gon rose from the table. "If they find out you are his son, we will deal with it. I'm sure Master Yoda thought about that before he sent us here." Privately, he wondered if his master had thought any of this out. If he'd known what was going to happen, why hadn't he at least said something?

Again he pushed the questions aside. If his plan failed--not that he had any intention of letting that happen--then this would be the last day he would spend with his padawan. That thought was quickly buried. If all went as he intended, then he would need a strong relationship with Xanatos to get through to him and help him back to the right path.

With that in mind, he resolved to spend the rest of the afternoon with his padawan. It would be a solid memory for the two of them to build on afterwards.

And he could keep an eye on the young man.

"Master?"

Qui-Gon shook his head faintly. He needed a switch to turn off his emotions. "I was just thinking about what we should do for the rest of the day."

"Well, I was hoping to show you something later, but not until after evening meal."

Suspicion reared its ugly head, but this time he distanced himself from his emotions enough to keep from feeling anything his apprentice would notice. He examined the possibilities. It was doubtful Xanatos would give him advance notice if he were planning to spring some sort of trap. Whatever plan the young man had for the evening was probably relatively harmless.

Not that he intended to let his guard down for a moment.

"Perhaps we should spar a while then?" Qui-Gon suggested. Xanatos relied a great deal on his connection through the Force to his master when they sparred, using it when possible to gain advantages by reading Qui-Gon's moves ahead of time. The connection that method required between them often made his apprentice easier to read; perhaps he could learn more about Xanatos' plans.

"I like that idea." A smile lit up Xanatos' face. Qui-Gon noticed how quickly his apprentice could smile when the sentiment didn't reach his eyes. Only the smiles that emerged slowly seemed to be genuine.

Assuming, of course, that any smile Xanatos gave him was real.

Qui-Gon began gathering up his empty plates and cups, raising an eyebrow at Xanatos when he did not follow suit. The young man sighed, but picked up his mess and took it to the sink before following his master out of the kitchen.

They went back to Qui-Gon's room and changed before heading to the exercise room. The spacious room held only a few pieces of equipment that were easily moved aside to leave them plenty of space to maneuver.

After defeating Xanatos twice, Qui-Gon realized he was not going to learn anything more from his apprentice's mind. When had the young man's shields become so strong? How much had he been hiding from his master--and for how long?

Fine, so he couldn't learn anything about the plans. He could still learn, however, and prepare himself for possibilities he wouldn't have even considered just a day earlier. He had to prepare himself for any eventuality. So he studied Xanatos' fighting style, looking for weaknesses, and further distanced himself from the pain such precautions would have caused if he'd allowed himself to feel it.

Two more matches, one of the victories nearly going to Xanatos as Qui-Gon intentionally gave the young man openings. It allowed him to see how his apprentice would react to various approaches, and at the same time it gave the young man more confidence, a false sense of security that could work to Qui-Gon's advantage if, Force forbid, he had to face his padawan in a real fight.

"Enough," Qui-Gon panted as he helped his apprentice up from his narrow defeat.

"Afraid I will defeat you if we spar again?" The teasing comment held a note of pride.

"Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate--"

"--hate leads to suffering. I know, Master. Still, I've found that sometimes a little fear is a good thing; it makes you careful. Under the right circumstances, it can keep you alive."

Qui-Gon reached for a towel and wiped his face. "Perhaps." Another piece of insight to file away for the future. "There is such a thing as being too careful, however. Sometimes you have to take a few risks to achieve your objectives."

"You can't achieve anything if you're dead."

"There is no death, there is only the Force." It was a debate they'd had more than once since Xanatos had stopped deferring to everything his master said and begun expressing his own point of view. Given his new view of his apprentice, however, the argument took on new layers of meaning. "Your thoughts on the subject have some merit. On the other hand, sometimes death is the only way to achieve your goal. What then?"

"Then I'd say it depends on whose death achieves the goal."

The comment was callous, something a master should definitely take his apprentice to task for, but Qui-Gon didn't particularly care to do so. Still, appearances must be kept. "I think we both need time to meditate," he said sharply. "You should think about your feelings on that subject, and how they fit into the Jedi code."

"Yes, Master." A stiff bow followed the reluctant response. "Shall we meditate here?"

"Have you a better place in mind?"

"The gardens. I don't believe you've seen much of them since our arrival. They're very beautiful."

Qui-Gon nodded, fairly certain Xanatos wouldn't try anything in the gardens in broad daylight, despite the new confidence he now noticed. "Very well, the gardens it is."

***

The gardens were indeed beautiful, a mass of riotous colors that probably made orderly designs when viewed from the air. Viewed from the ground, however, the perfection of design was less obvious here than in the other parks of Thani. The flowers made nothing more than a jumble of color, as if someone had thrown various paints on the greenery. The smell they created was overpowering.

Qui-Gon closed his eyes and breathed deeply, pushing aside the cloying smell and opening himself up to the Force. It was strong here amidst so much life; perhaps if he had come here sooner to meditate he would have felt the warnings from the Force about his apprentice's plans.

No, it would do him no good to agonize over everything he had missed, and how he had almost failed his student and the Jedi order. He hadn't missed it entirely, and there was still time to stop what had not yet occurred.

He reached out through the Force for his padawan's presence, sensed the calm contentment the young man was projecting as he meditated beside his master. Was he truly feeling that way in his meditation, or had he progressed so far in his control of the Force that he could project any feeling he desired? Either ability only served to underline his strength in the Force. Xanatos was more than ready to be a knight, if Force ability were the only requirement. There were areas in which he actually surpassed his own master.

However, Xanatos lacked that which mattered most in many situations--experience. Mastery of the Force mattered very little if you did not know when and how to use it to your best advantage. Qui-Gon knew his student's weaknesses, had seen many of them reinforced when they'd sparred earlier. Unless, of course, Xanatos had been holding back, giving a deliberately inferior performance to lull his master into a false sense of security.

All right, so Qui-Gon would have to go into whatever happened expecting Xanatos to be weaker, but not counting on it. He could make that adjustment in his plans. He could do just about anything if it meant stopping Crion's plans and saving his padawan.

Enough thinking. He deepened his breathing more and let go of conscious thought, drifting along in the Force, recharging himself for whatever lay ahead. He would need all his strength.

He only hoped all his strength would be enough.

END PART 9

~ proceed to Part 10 ~