Author: Hyyp Chick
Pairing: Anakin/Obi-Wan
Rating: NC-17 for the story as a whole.
Disclaimer: Star Wars and all its affiliations are owned by George Lucas, I'm merely using for fun and do not intend to make money from this.
Summary: The Clone Wars have begun and Obi-Wan and Anakin are in the thick of it. Non-canon.

The fuzzy blue holo-image of Master Yoda faded out and Obi-Wan tried to smother a beaming smile as he stared for a long moment at where the projection had been. Finally he lifted his head and gazed around the camp they'd made on the southern cliff of the island. His crack squad of clone troopers were either on guard duty, discussing mission tactics, or running designated 'fetch and carry' duties.

The cliff was the highest point of the island and covered in a dense thicket of trees and bushes which provided the unit with both vantage point and cover to shield them from possible enemy recon or attack. However the team had arrived by sea under cover of darkness and with the clone troopers in camouflage armour General Kenobi was fairly confident that their presence would remain undetected. Their mission brief was to capture Count Dooku and intelligence had led them here where it was believed he was running operations from an ancient palace on this the largest of the six island group.

The Clone Wars had been raging for eight months, ever since Obi-Wan had been captured on Geonosis following a lead and the assembled Jedi of Coruscant had rushed to his rescue. There, in the execution arena, the Jedi had met battle droids and battle droids had met clone troopers and the fighting had continued ever since.

Dooku had escaped Geonosis and supposed to be the Sith Lord controlling the separatist arm of the war the Jedi had immediately dispatched its best offensive to apprehend him; the newly militarised General Kenobi and Commander Skywalker, and their search over the past few months had led them here.

But some things that should have been taken care of first had now long been over-sighted by the Jedi Council; Anakin was still a Padawan and it had been weighing heavily on him and Obi-Wan. Anakin had been born to fight it seemed and his efforts in the war thus far were already becoming the stuff of legend. He was a warrior among men, Herculean in prowess, death defying, as quick and deadly as his blade and, it seemed, truly chosen. Invincible.

Back home the Holonet had dubbed him 'the Hero with No Fear' yet a Council that remained locked up in the towers of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, far from the killing fields, had not seen fit to Knight him. And it wasn't just Anakin that wanted it, Obi-Wan knew he was ready and he wanted his boy, his love, to be treated with the respect he's earned and deserved and he wanted Anakin to be his equal.

So for weeks as they trailed across the galaxy he'd pushed and pleaded in his regular communications to the Temple for Anakin to be returned to Coruscant for the traditional knighting ceremony, and whether because they'd seen the error of their ways or whether they'd just got sick of Obi-Wan asking the Council had reached upon a compromise.

In the transmission Obi-Wan had just received from Yoda he had found himself promoted to the rank of Master and offered a coveted seat on the Council itself, and even the modest Obi-Wan had to admit that he deserved the honour. Yoda had then added that with the position came certain privileges, namely that with the agreement of the rest of the Council Obi-Wan could now knight Anakin himself.

Forget Dooku, Obi-Wan thought, this night was going to be one of celebration and one they would both remember for a very long time. Snapping out of his reverie he caught one of his troopers on the shoulder as he passed him in his duties and the trooper halted immediately.

"Have you seen Commander Skywalker?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yeah tall guy, pouts a lot, carries a lightsaber; I've seen him" the trooper jested, his voice mechanically distorted as it came through his helmet. Obi-Wan chuckled; glad they had been able to develop this camaraderie with the clones.

"Recently?" He added.

"I think he went to recon the beach Sir" the trooper replied, and Obi-Wan thanked him.

A treacherously steep path led from the camp to the beach where golden sands glistened in the sunlight and calm waters that shimmered from green to the deepest blue lapped at the shore with the slightest of waves. The sound was hypnotic against the birdsong and busy troops. Obi-Wan looked over the edge of the cliff briefly for Anakin but couldn't see him, and shielding his eyes from the blazing sun as he lifted his head to the horizon where sea met sky he turned back to the darkened greenery of the camp to make preparations for the evening to come.

***

Anakin returned a couple of hours later as the brilliant afternoon sun was waning to cast a more subtle orange glow over the island. Obi-Wan was preparing a stew as best he could with limited access to any fresh ingredients.

"Mmm that smells delicious" Anakin complimented as he strolled into camp brushing sand off his hands on to his sash. He walked up behind Obi-Wan and bent low over him peppering his hair and the back of his neck with sweet kisses. "How come we're making the break from protein bars?" He inquired as he stepped away from his Master to find a rock to knock the sand off his boots with.

"It's a special occasion, I have a surprise for you" Obi-Wan replied coyly, stirring the stew occasionally.

"Oh yes" Anakin winked suggestively.

"Not that kind of surprise" Obi-Wan admonished light-heartedly.

Anakin sauntered back over to where Obi-Wan sat and straddled his legs, sliding his whole body down the other man like a hustler looking for a pay cheque. Obi-Wan's breath hitched in his throat as Anakin descended on his mouth with a lustful and passionate kiss and he positively moaned when the boy slipped his hand between them, caressing purposely as he rubbed his body against his Master's.

"General Kenobi…sorry Sir, I didn't realise you were" He coughed theatrically "In the middle of something". The trooper made an effort to sound professional but both Jedi could hear the smirk in his voice. Anakin dropped his head with a grin and placed both of his hands on his thighs whilst Obi-Wan appeared flustered and embarrassed at being caught like two barely pubescent Padawans in the speeder bay. He wanted to get up but Anakin's weight pressed against him wouldn't allow it.

"Changing the guard Sir, nothing to report, if you need me General I'll be in my quarters"

"Thank you commander" Obi-Wan mumbled politely, wishing the clone would just disappear already.

" And we estimate that an 0600 start will get us to the citadel before nightfall if that works for you General, then you and Commander Skywalker can do what you do best Sir"

Obi-Wan was about to reply that it was fine but the trooper carried on talking.

"Or you can storm the palace and catch Count Dooku, whichever takes your fancy tomorrow evening" He jibed and the Jedi could swear he was winking beneath that faceless helmet.

"You are relieved commander" Obi-Wan ordered with a severe blush to his cheeks and obediently the clone trooper left.

"They are getting cheeky" Anakin remarked as Obi-Wan lifted him off to serve dinner.

"I just hope they don't talk. Even with the other troopers it could be dangerous, gossip spreads like a wild fire and if any of the other Jedi found out…"

"They won't" Anakin assured "You gave them a direct order Obi-Wan and they can't disobey their Jedi command, it's in their programming".

"You have more faith in technology than I do" Obi-Wan mused as he served up two bowls of the stew. He passed one to Anakin and took a seat opposite the Padawan, pouring a shot of brandy into each of their tin mugs before settling to eat his food.

"Wow this surprise must be really, really good if you're breaking out the brandy for it" Anakin teased as he chewed a mouthful of stew. "Either that or you're just trying to get me drunk to soften a blow". He shovelled another laden spoonful into his mouth hurriedly as if someone would be along any minute to steal it away from him. Obi-Wan assumed it was a remnant of his life as a slave because he'd always eaten this way since he'd known him.

"You'll like it, I hope" He replied, savouring each mouthful of the lovingly prepared meal.

He gazed at Anakin for a long moment as the boy returned to eating at breakneck speed. His braid was flipped over his shoulder so it wouldn't drag in the stew. He didn't know it yet but in an hour or less he wouldn't even have it and he'd be a man, or more than a man he'd be a Jedi Knight; both of their dreams realised in an instant.

For most Masters who took a Padawan to Knighthood the pride in their ascension came tinged with the sadness of their loss. The Knight would leave to walk their own path and the Master left alone on his, free to take another charge if he desired.

But it wouldn't be like that for Obi-Wan. He couldn't even envisage taking a second Padawan, Anakin was his all, his everything, his life and he would always be so. Anakin would never leave his side and he would never have to come to terms with his own loneliness, and Obi-Wan took comfort in the attachment he was never meant to have had.

"Have I got something on my face?" Anakin asked self consciously, checking around his mouth with his fingers as he saw Obi-Wan staring.

"No" Obi-Wan reassured with a slight chuckle "I was just thinking about how much you've grown up" He smiled.

"Not like I had a choice" Anakin countered, stubbing his toe into the dirt as he sipped at the brandy, coughing with the initial shock of the strength of it.

"It's not just the war, it's more than that" Obi-Wan replied "You're certainly not that mummy's boy from Tatooine anymore" He teased.

"I'd take offence at that if it wasn't so true" Anakin conceded with a grin "And if anything else has made me grow up, it's you" He flushed embarrassed.

"I'm very proud of you" Obi-Wan praised.

Anakin couldn't hide his beaming smile at the compliment. It meant the world and more to hear Obi-Wan say that to him and he would never disappoint his love again, of that he promised himself. He tipped the remainder of the brandy in his mug down his throat in a single shot feeling light-headed with the warming after burn as he sauntered over to where Obi-Wan sat, slid back into his lap, and tore the bowl from his fingers assertively.

"My patience ran out, I want my surprise" Anakin demanded with a confidence he owned. Obi-Wan could be nothing but submissive when Anakin took control.

He parted his lips willingly as Anakin brought the spoon to his mouth and poured the delicious flavours of the stew on to his tongue. A tiny drop trickled from the corner of his mouth but Anakin was quick to seize upon it; flicking his tongue out to devour the morsel with a languorous swipe, the wetness tickling against Obi-Wan's beard before it was replaced with gently nipping teeth and needy licentious kisses.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and lost himself to his lover's ministrations and everything that Anakin meant to him; no war, no Order, just the young boy's delicious lips ghosting a trail from his mouth to his ear then his neck to his shoulder…

"Anakin wait" Obi-Wan halted him reluctantly. His insatiability was part of his attraction but Obi-Wan wanted this night to be about more than the sex and he couldn't keep it from Anakin any longer. The Padawan sat back on his haunches to regard his Master.

"Master Yoda contacted me whilst you were down on the beach" He began, picking nervously at the hem of Anakin's tunic "I have been promoted. The Council has seen fit to grant me the rank of Master and make me one of the duodenary"

"A Master, on the Jedi Council?" Anakin repeated awed "That's, that's amazing! Nobody deserves that honour more than you".

He leant forward and captured Obi-Wan in a congratulatory kiss that conveyed all his pride, adulation, and selfless love between its passion. The Jedi Master was still blown away even after nearly a year of sharing his kisses at how the boy could display such varied and complex emotions through one simple gesture; it was just another thing he loved about Anakin.

"There's more; your surprise" Obi-Wan continued once the Padawan had let him up for air. He couldn't hide his anxious excitement and anticipation. "Now I am on the Jedi Council certain duties are allowed to me. Anakin, Master Yoda – the Council – they've given me their consent to knight you".

It took a moment for the words to sink in and for Anakin to even grasp the enormity of what Obi-Wan had just said, and the reality! The Council had made Obi-Wan a Master and they wanted him to make him a Knight. A Knight! A Knight of the Republic, a real fully fledged Jedi, no longer an apprentice, no longer would he live with doubt and fear. He would be a Jedi Knight, a man amongst men, and free of the shackles that bound him as a child to his lover.

He stood and raked his fingers through his hair fighting for air to fill his lungs and words to reach his mouth. Obi-Wan misinterpreted the shock as disappointment.

"I know it doesn't hold with tradition and I'm sorry you won't be going back to Coruscant for a proper ceremony, of course if you wish to wait I'm sure the Council…" He stood somewhat despondently and was promptly cut off mid-sentence by a searing and impassioned kiss.

"Obi-Wan it's perfect" Anakin assured standing back to look at his Master as he held him in his strong embrace. "I've wanted it for so long, wanted to show you that I could do it and make you proud of me and nothing would make me happier in this whole galaxy than if you were the Jedi to Knight me".

He leant forward and pressed his lips with heartfelt honesty to his lover's, caressing them in a fashion that transcended the mere physical between them to something far greater. Obi-Wan smiled against the kiss with relief and fell comfortably into the Padawan's powerful arms.

***

The orange sun was low on the horizon and would within the hour be swallowed up by the deceptively peaceful sea; the waxing and waning twin moons were already visible awaiting their turn. Anakin followed the surefooted Obi-Wan down the rugged slope to the beach brushing his fingers against the scented purple wallflowers as he passed them.

They paused at the bottom of the path where rock met sand to remove their boots and roll their leggings before stepping out on to the shore. Anakin curled his toes into the soft grain like he'd used to do when he was a child, delighting in the feel of its evening coolness against his skin.

The din of guard duties could still be heard so silently Anakin beckoned his Master to follow him around a rocky outcropping to a place he'd found on his afternoon exploration where nothing existed but beauty and the sound of the gentle ebbing and flowing of the waves.

He stopped where the sands were still wet from a high tide earlier in the day, betwixt ocean and land, white surf lapping at their feet with a hypnotic rhythm.

"Is this ok?" Anakin whispered conscious of not disturbing the ambience.

Obi-Wan nodded trying to settle his nerves for the task ahead of him. He could face and defeat a Sith Lord without even giving it a thought, hells he could take on a battalion of battle droids single handed if needs must as steady as a rock, but he wanted this to be perfect for Anakin, he wanted to be perfect for Anakin and he had to admit that made him more than a little nervous.

The knighting ceremony was a tradition that had stood for as look as the Jedi Order itself and in better times it had been a venerable sacrament witnessed by the entire Jedi Council in the Hall of Knighthood, with the presiding Grand Jedi Master severing the braid to proclaim the Padawan a Knight.

Not a rookie Master alone on a beach at sundown, on some Force-forgotten island in the middle of nowhere, who only even knew the declaration because it was a game he had played with friends as a youngling! He'd not even had a ceremony himself due to the nature in which he had ascended to knighthood.

He stood opposite Anakin, far enough away so that he didn't have to look up at him and unclipped his lightsaber, ignited it, and held it vertical in front of him so that the brilliance of the blade cast everything else in to darkness.

"Are you ready?" He questioned. Anakin nodded biting down on his bottom lip.

"We are Jedi and the Force speaks through us." He began, tentatively "With the power invested in me today I proclaim the will of the Force" Obi-Wan smiled, his eyes meeting with Anakin's and drowning in their oceanic depths. For a moment he was just a boy again, full of innocence and hope but in the flicker of an eyelid the boy left him and standing in front of Obi-Wan was not even a man but a legend with greatness at his fingertips.

"Anakin Skywalker, by the right of the Council and will of the Force I dub thee-" Obi-Wan dipped the blade over both of Anakin's shoulders in turn before bringing it back over his right and slicing up through the braid with a precise and elegant flow of his saber "-Jedi Knight of the Republic".

The plait fell gracefully into Anakin's reflexive grasp and he stared at it for a long while as if he'd never seen it before. It was done, he'd really made it; a Jedi Knight! He wished there was some way he could tell his mother that everything she had sacrificed in giving him up had all been worthwhile.

Obi-Wan felt an overwhelming sense of pride as he stood watching him. Finally he extinguished the dazzling blade and silence befell them as he clipped the hilt back to his belt. The ashen glow of the blue moons above them gave precious little light as the sun cast its final shadows for the day.

Obi-Wan entwined his fingers with Anakin's; the braid cradled between them, and wrapped his other arm around the boy in a loving embrace as Anakin reciprocated the gesture.

"I love you Anakin Skywalker" He whispered, his voice barely audible above the sea. His mouth closed with a warm wetness around the young
Knight's earlobe and the moan that escaped Anakin was positively pornographic. "May the Force be with you, always".

Anakin pressed his lips to Obi-Wan's in an all consuming expression of his love for the other man, the intensity surging through their Master-Padawan bond that despite Jedi regulations Obi-Wan had no intentions of severing even now as his Padawan stood before him a Knight.

Slowly Anakin pushed Obi-Wan to his knees with a demanding kiss giving the Jedi Master no choice but to yield to him. The sand depressed beneath his weight as Obi-Wan broke the kiss long enough to lay back, unbalancing Anakin sufficiently to pull him down on top of him and resume the embrace albeit with more fervour and passion.

Their fingers were still locked with each other's and the long plait of honey blonde hair as they made love on the beach under moonlight and distant burning stars with the swell of a new tide washing gently around them, it as oblivious to them as they were to it. There was only each other, this moment, the ecstasy, and their love.

***

On the cliff top across a deep canyon from the camp shielded from the trooper's sights by a thicket of Aleudrupe berry bushes a young woman with brutal features that matched her violent nature stood beside the Count as they watched the Jedi consummate their love.

"Oh Obi-Wan wouldn't Qui-Gon Jinn be so proud if he could see you now. All that training just so you could throw it all away on Skywalker" He chuckled mercilessly through his aristocratic lilt.

"So Skywalker's a Knight now. No matter, he still bleeds" The woman hissed, her eyes cold and her heart dead to anything but anger and rage.

"Patience my dear. My Lord is not ready to move against these two just yet, that is why we must leave tonight" He steadied her wrath.

"I hate this idea of running. They are our biggest threat and I can take them out right here and now!" She seethed at being held back from her prey.

"Skywalker is the son of the Sith and Lord Sidious foresees that this boy is the key to destroying the Jedi from the inside. He is the Chosen One and the only one strong enough to defeat them all."

Ventress was not only unconvinced by Anakin's greatness in such matters but she needed to kill something and the urge to run her blades through the unsuspecting Jedi was overwhelming. Her hands twitched over the curvature of the hilts.

"Then what about Kenobi?" She spat, desperate to spill blood.

Dooku turned to face the woman with a grin born of evil scarring his upper-crust features before folding his arms over his chest and regarding the lovingly embraced Jedi once more.

"Kenobi, my dear, Kenobi is the key to unlocking Skywalker's dark side".