The Padawan

The Padawan

The Padawan

by

Cactus Jack

Disclaimer: This is an unofficial Star Wars story. Neither George Lucas nor any of his companies have authorised the author's use of his characters.

Also the story will focus on a blossoming romantic relationship between a man and a minor boy within the context of a master/apprentice relationship. The man and boy also happen to be cousins. If the concept of a relationship like this offends you, please save us both the aggravation and don't read it.

Chapter 1

Jacen Solo awoke to the sound of heavy rain falling on the roof of his home. That sound had greeted Jacen many mornings over the past few years. He found the sound strangely soothing and comforting. After all, rain was a large part of life when you chose to live on a swamp planet, like Dagobah.

Jacen had originally come here for a sabbatical. He had been burned out after the war with the Yuhzon Vong. He was questioning everything about his life, especially his place in the Force. Jacen knew he had come very close to the Dark Side, such had been the threat provided by the Vong. Added to that was the fact that the war had cost him two beings he had loved very much, Chewbacca the Wookie, and his brother, Anakin. Jacen originally supposed to have returned to galactic life after two years, but six years had now passed.

Jacen missed his family terribly, especially his young cousin Ben. But Ben was part of the reason he was still on Dagobah. He didn't trust his feelings around the boy. He loved Ben, but not in the way a man was supposed to love a boy. This was further complicated by the fact that he knew that his aunt and uncle wanted him to be Ben's Master when the boy became eligible to become a Padawan at age ten. Jacen was afraid that he would take advantage of that relationship and hurt Ben. He just wished he could tell his uncle why he kept refusing.

His holonet communication device beeped to indicate an in coming message. Jacen was sure that it was his Uncle Luke again and what he wanted. So he let the computer record it and he'd watch it later. He drifted off into another round of fitful sleep.

Ever since age four, ten year old Ben Skywalker had been sad everyday. He missed Jacen, his big buddy. He thought back to the last time he had seen Jacen. He remembered wrestling with his bigger cousin and his penis getting hard. Ben hadn't given it much thought at the time, being a small boy; he got erections just about anytime. But he now knew that when he was wrestling with cousin Jacen, his erection had been harder than any before and any since, except when he thought about Jacen. It hadn't taken Ben very long to realize that he was in love with Jacen.

Ben knew now that Jacen had feelings for him as well. He remembered that at one point his leg brushed against the front of Jacen clothes where Ben noticed that Jacen penis being stiff as well. So Ben had a pretty good idea why Jacen was ignoring him. Jacen was afraid of his feelings for Ben, afraid that he would be tempted to act on them. Truth be told, Ben hoped he would. Ben had known he was interested in other males from the moment he entered the Academy. But he had never acted on his desires, although he knew that there were plenty other boys and men that would have given anything to initiate Ben Skywalker.

Who wouldn't want that privelage. Ben was simply the most beautiful boy in the universe. He had his mother's red hair and he had the innocent farm-boy looks of his father. Ben was small for his age as both his father and grandfather had been. But as is often the case, appearances can be deceiving. Ben was a very powerful boy, both physically and in the Force.

But Ben refused all propositions, whether from men or boys. Ben Skywalker was saving himself for a man, a very special man, a man who Ben loved very much and wanted to love him, his cousin, Jacen Solo.

Ben knew why Jacen was afraid. He'd one some research about man-boy relationships. He'd discovered that on a planet called Earth in a distant galaxy, this issue had been debated for many, many years. The cultures of the Ancient Greece and Rome as well as many primitive cultures accepted and even encouraged sexual relationships between men and boys. But after a while in many societies, this became frowned upon even when the boy(s) desired such a relationship, because sex became seen as being always negative when between adults and children. Men were even put in prisons for having these relationships.

Jacen must feel that the same climate would exist in this universe. Ben could understand why Jacen had been worried when it had first happened and not acted on it. Ben was glad he hadn't because he hadn't been old enough then to understand.

"But I'm ten now, dammit, and I am old enough to know what I want. And what I want is Jacen."

If only Jacen would agree to be his Master, Ben knew he would eventually convince Jacen not to be afraid anymore, and they would share their love in whatever way they wished, other people's opinions be damned.

Ben had an idea. He wasn't supposed to know where Jacen was but he knew how to listen and knew that the planet Jacen was on had played a large part in his dad's training at one time. The only planet he could remember hearing about in that way was Dagobah.

Ben headed for his computer terminal. It was a simple process to discover how to contact Jacen's holonet. So he did. Jacen didn't answer but the machine recorded it and he would probably watch it later.

Jacen got up finally about two hours after he had fallen back to sleep. "I better see what Uncle Luke wants now, although I have a pretty good idea what it is already." He went to the holonet and accessed his message. Expecting to see his uncle's image, he was unprepared when the image that appeared was Ben's. "Wow," Jacen thought. "He's even more gorgeous now than when I saw him last." and was immediately ashamed of the thought. His reverie was interrupted by the boy's voice.

"Hi Jacen, I know that I'm not supposed to know where you are, but I'm a Skywalker, with all that it implies. I just wanted to send you a message and have you hear my feelings about what has happened over the last six years." He paused.

"God," Jacen thought, "Even his voice is a turn on."

Ben's image continued. "It has been six years since I have seen you and I miss you a whole lot. You were my big buddy and I have been sad everyday since the last time I saw you." The voice paused again and then continued. "Jacen, I know the reason why you left so quickly and haven't come to see me in six years."

Jacen was stunned. "No," he thought. "He can't possibly know."

"When we were wrestling that time when I was four, my penis got hard and I discovered that yours was too. I now know that meant that we were attracted to each other and I know that it scared you because you think that most people think it's wrong for a man and a boy to have those feelings for each other. I know that you were afraid then and still are afraid today that you will try to act on those feelings. I'm glad that you didn't act on them then because I was only four and wouldn't have understood, but I'm ten now and I know a little more. I know that I love you, I know what I want and what I want is you."

"Jacen, I'm gay, I like other males and I think you do to. You know what goes on at the academy because Kieran Horn has told me about what you, Valin and Anakin used to do together. Look, I know I look good, okay. I've had boys and men trying to get into my pants from the moment I arrived on Yavin 4. Other than looking, I have done nothing with any male because I'm saving myself in hopes that my first time will be with you. As you know, it is almost time for me to become a Padawan. I would like nothing better than for you to be my Master. Please say yes."

Jacen was stunned and confused. Could it be true? If Ben wanted it to happen, as it seems he does, is it necessarily wrong? He knew one thing, he would never even consider it until he knew what Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara thought. But for now, he needed to let Ben know that he was no longer shutting the door on the idea. Not wanting to risk a holonet recording, Jacen reached for the keypad to send a text message to Ben.

Ben was almost going crazy, he was so anxious. Had Jacen gotten his message? What did he think? Would he respond? He hoped that Jacen would send a holonet message so Ben could see what he looked like now.

His message centre beeped. Ben walked over to it and to his disappointment saw that there was only a text message and it was one line, but that one line filled Ben with hope for him and Jacen.

It said:

I'll consider it.

Now that he had gotten that far, Ben now knew that there were two people that Ben wanted to and needed to talk to: his parents. Luke and Mara Jade-Skywalker had cultivated their son's trust to such a level that Ben felt that he could tell his folks anything, so he headed to find them.

He found them in their training room, practising with their lightsabres. Ben knew that they rarely practised with anyone else because they were both so good that they spurred each other on to get better. He sat down to watch without disturbing them. There were few things that Ben Skywalker was punished for, but interrupting his parents while they were sparring was the chief of those, the big NO-NO. They'd explained to him that if he distracted one of them at the wrong time then he would end up minus a mom or a dad or one of them would get hurt. He had only done it once and the punishment ensured that he would never do it again. So he waited patiently for them to finish. Actually, he loved watching them do this, as they were the best in the galaxy. Ben knew that he would learn more from ten minutes of watching his parents than in two months of private lessons from any other teacher. Besides, he knew that they knew he was there.

They continued for about ten minutes after he arrived and then came to sit near him. They both greeted him warmly with hugs and kisses.

"What's up?" Luke asked.

"I need to talk to you guys about something that's real hard to talk about." he paused considering what to say next. He felt the presence in the Force of both his parents caress his to reassure him.

"Do you believe that anyone can fall in love with anyone else, even a boy?" Both parents nodded. "What if the boy was in love with someone that loved him too but most people would say that it's wrong for them to be in love and be together?"

"Ben," Mara said gently. "Are you trying to tell us something?"

Ben started sobbing, and nodded yes. When he could speak again, he blurted out, "I have feelings for someone and have since I was four, but the problem is that it's a man!"

Luke was stunned, "Who is it?" he asked quietly.

Ben's voice got very small and quiet the way it did when he had to say something he really didn't want to. "Jacen."

Luke continued. "Does Jacen share these feelings?" he asked.

"Yes, I think so." Ben said and then broke down once more. "I'm sorry, mommy and daddy, I couldn't help what I felt."

The two parents both took their sobbing son into their arms and held him as he wept. Soon he had cried himself out and could continue.

"Tell me about the first time you felt these feelings and thought Jacen had them to for you."

"Remember when Jacen came to Coruscant for when Aunt Leia became President, how when Jacen came in I jumped on him and we started wrestling. Well, I noticed that my penis was hard. Now I didn't think much of it at the time, because I would get hard over anything but I ALWAYS got one when I touched Jacen or vice versa and those ones were harder than any others. When we were wrestling I also discovered that Jacen was hard as well. And that was why he left again and stayed away, because he was afraid to act on what he was feeling."

Luke looked at Mara and said, "A lot of things just became clearer." He turned his gaze to his son. "Tell me son, do you still want to be Jacen's Padawan?"

"Yes sir,"

"And if we choose to allow that after tonight, what are you planning to do about developing these feelings? And are you sure it's not just about the sex?"

"Dad, mom, I hope that Jacen and I will become lovers as well as Master and Padawan. I want us to make love many times. I want to take his penis into my mouth and my anus and I want him to do the same for me. I'm sorry that I said that so bluntly but that's what I want. Remember that I was getting hard for Jacen before I even knew what sex was. And it's not just about sex." He paused to gather his thoughts. "Dad, you have no idea how much sex is going on at that Academy. I was five when I started there and I had men and boys wanting to get in my pants the first day. I had one of the former instructors ask me to come to his chamber so he could fuck me. One of the members of the Jedi Council has been having sex with his Padawan since the boy was six, every night he's on Yavin 4, he goes to the boys' chamber and we have to listen to them fuck for three hours. My point is that if I was only interested in sex, I could have had it a million times since I started at the academy, but I haven't, because I'm saving myself for Jacen."

The Skywalker's had trouble believing what they were hearing. But they knew one thing, what their son was feeling was very real and so, in that moment they both decided that if Jacen would agree to be Ben Master, they would not oppose it. They both knew that they could trust Jacen to do what was right for Ben. They were looking forward to talking to Jacen next.

Jacen was thinking long and hard about what he should do. For the first time since that day six years before, Jacen Solo began to consider his feelings for his young cousin and he thought about and admitted what he wanted to do with the boy.

Finally, he came to a decision. Why was he so afraid? After all he remembered what went on at that Academy, all the sex that went on and the instructors were the most promiscuous of anyone. With all that going on, why should he worry when he and Ben loved each other? He was going to contact Uncle Luke and tell him that he was coming back and would gladly take Ben as his Padawan. And he was going to tell them the truth that he loved Ben romantically and wanted them to be lovers.

He reached for the holonet relay and spoke into it. "Jacen Solo with a priority message for the attention of Master Luke Skywalker."

Luke was just about to contact Jacen when the message arrived from Dagobah. when he accessed it, Jacen's image sprang to life.

"Hello, Uncle Luke. I have called to tell you that I have decided to return to galactic life and that I would be interested in taking your son as my Padawan learner. There is, however, something that you and Aunt Mara should know about. I am romantically and sexually attracted to Ben and have been since he was 4. I refused to act on it then because he was too young. You need to know that if you agree that Ben can be my Padawan, then it is my intention that if Ben so desires, we will become lovers. If you can accept this, fine. If not, well, you will likely have a very disappointed nephew and son."

Luke smiled. "Easy, Jacen, easy. Mara and I already knew. Ben confided in us earlier about it. We would still love to have you as Ben's Master. It would have been easy for you to have taken advantage of Ben when he was four. The fact that you didn't shows us that we can trust you to do only what's right for Ben."

"One thing, don't tell Ben. I want it to be a surprise."

"Okay."

It was two weeks later that the ceremony for the joining of Masters and Padawans was taking place. Ben was feeling very down, he still had not heard from Jacen and now it was too late. It was all Ben could do to keep from sobbing as he watched all the other eligible students matched up with Masters.

Finally, it was Ben's turn to face the council. As with any dealings between the Council and Ben, Kyp Durron assumed temporary leadership of the council. Master Durron felt sorry for Ben, who he liked as a person. He knew it must be hard to be Luke Skywalker's son and Darth Vader's grandson. He knew that so far, no one had yet stepped forward to agree to be the boy's Master. He could understand that. They were all afraid that they would mess up. They all knew the Skywalker family history and no one wanted to chance possibly creating another Darth Vader. Only the dictates of the restored Jedi Code prevented Kyp Durron from making Ben his Padawan. Kyp already had one and the Code was very clear: a Master could have only one Padawan. The only exception had been when Master Skywalker had trained both the Solo boys at the same time, but that was a special case.

Now Kyp had to ask if anyone in the room would take Ben as a Padawan. Kyp knew that wouldn't yield any takers, so Ben would have to wait until one came forward.

"Trainee Skywalker is not yet matched up with a Master? Is there anyone in the room who will agree to take him as a Padawan?"

He waited five minutes and no one spoke. He sighed and said, "Being none, I have no choice but to decree that Ben Skywalker must now wait until a suitable Master comes forward?"

At that moment, there was some commotion at the back of the room and a voice was heard. "With your permission, Master Durron, I would like to address the council."

Ben started. The voice was Jacen's! Jacen was back! He waited nervously to hear what Jacen had to say.

"I would like to announce that I am ending my sabbatical and am returning to galactic life. I request that my Jedi status be changed to active." By this time, he had come to stand right behind Ben and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Furthermore, I take Ben Skywalker as my Padawan learner."

Ben felt a warm feeling go through him. It took all his willpower to keep from exclaiming, "YESSSSS!" But he used a relaxation technique to remain calm.

Kyp Durron looked around the room and asked, "Any objections?" There were none, which made Kyp glad. He was happy for both of them. They would be good for each other. "Seeing none. I hereby announce that Ben Skywalker will be Jacen Solo's apprentice." Then he looked over at Luke Skywalker. "Now that we have dealt with Ben's case, will you return to the chair, Master? I have a motion to make." Luke did so and nodded to Kyp to continue. "I move that not only do we reinstate Jedi Solo to active status but also confer on him the level of Jedi Master and a place on this council. I have come to respect his wisdom, even though we often don't agree and I feel that it is long overdue." He sat down.

Luke glanced at all the members of the council. "You have all heard the question?" All nodded. "All in favour of the motion, say aye."

"AYE!"

"Opposed, say nay."

There were none.

"Jedi Solo, I will hereby carry out the wishes of the council and confer upon you the level of Jedi Master with rights, responsibilities, and privelages thereof. I also hereby appoint you to a place on this council. Both are, as Master Durron pointed out, long overdue and well deserved. Congratulations, Master Solo."

The chamber erupted into cheers and applause. Ben and Jacen had many well wishers and it was a long time before they could leave the chamber.