The Warrior's Heart (Star Wars TPM series)

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Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan Fanfiction
Title: The Warrior's Heart
Author(s): Writestuff
Date(s): 19 July 1999 - 20 October 2020
Length:
Genre: slash fanfiction
Fandom: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
External Links: located at AO3; (The Warrior's Heart (The Warrior's Heart website archived)
The Warrior s Heart.png

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The Warrior's Heart is a Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan series by Writestuff.

The stories were originally posted to the Master & Apprentice mailing list and archived at the Master & Apprentice archive.

The author also had a website where these stories, as well as other stories, were posted. See The Warrior's Heart.

It was also published as a series of print zines by Two Vixens Press between 2002 and 2005. See The Warrior's Heart. The author wrote in the first issue of the zine that the online stories were edited, sometimes heavily, before being included in print:

I've added a new story or two, and completely reworked others so that they might as well be new. I decided to re-edit and, in some cases, largely rewrite the stories before print production for two reasons: First, because in the process of writing the twenty-some stories that comprise the Warrior’s Heart series, I learned an awful lot about writing short stories— though it may not look like it; second, because I'm a slave to canon.

All are now available, presumably in the print zine versions, on AO3.

Regarding the Title

The order of the stories changed several times as they were written out of order and the series originally didn't have a title. When Ecstasies was posted, the author was still looking for a title, when "Give and Take" was posted a month later, the series was officially called "The Warrior's Heart." This final title was a suggestion by Devo.

Author's Description

Early Days won the TPM Best Zine Sizzler award at ConneXions. Trials and Errors won the TPM Best Novel Sizzler at ConneXions as well as a Mediawest 2003 Fan Q Award. "Masquerade" won a Sizzler award for TPM Best Story, and the story "Master Class" won for Best Short Story, in What Was Old Is New Again. The standalone TPM story "Creature Comforts" also appears in the Two Vixens multimedia zine La Chair.

The Warrior's Heart series, like most of Writestuff's stories, deviates drastically from canon, both Legends and EU (her tagline for the original fic website was "Fixing George's Mistakes").

The major deviation is #Qui-GonLives, and from there it veers wildly into original fic with somebody else's characters.

The first three volumes of The Warrior's Heart are mostly concerned with the power differential between Master and Padawan and how that shifts when the two become lovers. The theme is explored explicitly in the two stories "The Anger Exercises" and "The Fear Exercises" where both apprentice and master are challenged to face their own shortcomings as Jedi in the face of the shifts in their relationship. Some of this power differential is further explored in the introduction of BDSM elements into the characters' relationship, and the introduction of Bruck Chun's non-Jedi dominatrix friend into the mix as another sort of training master. From almost the beginning, the lovers' relationship becomes an open one, including Bruck Chun who has helped precipitate Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's new relationship. The open nature is entirely one-sided, with Obi-Wan free to explore relationships with others, while Qui-Gon is more than content with his new lover. This becomes an off and on source of friction from Obi-Wan's point of view. Once Obi-Wan is "emancipated" after his knighting, the relationship shifts yet again, and Obi-Wan tries to find his place outside his master's "Long Shadow."

The fourth volume, The Long Shadow, explores Obi-Wan's development as an independent knight, and a special project that Qui-Gon has been given in secret by the Council. Obi-Wan's career is nearly derailed in "Auto da Fé" when a mission goes badly wrong and results in possibly permanently crippling injuries. But it also brings Obi-Wan a padawan of his own who is not Anakin, meaning that Anakin will clearly be Qui-Gon's padawan. That also sets the stage for the culmination of Qui-Gon's mission. At the end of the volume, Obi-Wan finds himself forced out of Qui-Gon's shadow the hard way.

The fifth Volume, The New Temple, is only four stories long at this writing (6/15/2022). Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan have been separated for seven years when it opens, and Obi-Wan is not the man Qui-Gon knew.

There is a sixth volume planned, covering the Clone Wars years.

Series

Volume I: Early Days

  • Rightful Owner - Qui-Gon and his apprentice go undercover to investigate slave trading in the Outer Rim Territories. Their roles fit them both a little too well. R - 64 k - 22-Aug-1999
  • Crime and Punishment - Prequel to "Master & Apprentice" and an expansion of a briefly described scene in it. NC-17 - 75 k - 19-Jul-1999
  • Ecstasies - Qui-Gon learns to receive and not just take. Author's notes: "This is now officially a series, though with no formal title to it (suggestions welcome). Qui-Gon's failed apprentice, Xanatos, from the YA Jedi Apprentice series is mentioned here." NC-17 - 32 k - 31-Aug-1999
  • The Anger Exercises - Obi-Wan takes his punishment like a Jedi—up to a point. NC-17 - 58 k - 26-Jul-1999
  • The Geometry of Desire - Qui-Gon wonders what the heck hit him. PG - 18 k - 10-Aug-1999
  • Close Shave - Qui-Gon snaps his apprentice out of his funk. With a razor. 5210 words. Published:2001-12-17 on AO3
  • But For Grace - Qui-Gon's & Obi-Wan's relationship sets a bad example at the Temple. NC-17 - 88 k - 6-Oct-1999
  • Give and Take - Our Boyz wake in the Temple gardens with very different takes on how they spent the night. NC-17 - 22 k - 24-Sep-1999 Bruck Chun, a character from the YA Jedi Apprentice series (great stuff!) is mentioned here."
  • Meditations - Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan contemplate a sudden change in their relationship. NC-17 - 34 k - 23-Nov-1999
  • Master and Apprentice AO3 link - Angst, POV, a little very mild S&M. NC-17 - 56 k - 22-Nov-1999
  • Nomenclature - Obi-Wan contemplates the meaning of the word "master. NC-17 - 16 k - 21-Aug-1999

Vol. II: Trials and Errors

Vol. III: What was Old is New Again

Vol. IV: The Long Shadow

Vol. IV: The New Temple

Recs and Reviews

Unknown Date

The Warrior's Heart Series (WriteStuff) - A series on the evolution of a relationship, and how rank and respect figure. The entire thing is just excellent!. (NC-17) [1]

1999

I was going to wait until it's finished, but it's already a strong series, even though written a bit out of order (and I fear it shows). Writestuff's got some interesting things to say about power and relationships and hero worship and self esteem. This unnamed series starts with Rightful Owner and ends with Master and Apprentice, but there are a number of important stories in the middle you won't want to miss. The easiest way to find them is probably search for Writestuff's name on Valdemar.[2]

2000

PWPs: Ecstasies and Silk By Writestuff. Two wonderful extremely hot stories. Both are brain-melting in their intensity.[3]

2002

Untitled Series by WriteStuff - The stories in this series will knock your socks off. WriteStuff has captured a relationship between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan which is in flux, as they find their way with each other. It ranges from urgent tenderness to a slightly dark power struggle for dominance. The quality and grace of the writing is wonderful. I've read the series several times, for inspiration and just because the stories are irresistable. Highly recommended. The stories, in order, are: Rightful Owner"; "Crime and Punishment"; "Ecstasies"; "The Anger Exercises"; "The Geometry of Desire"; "But For Grace"; "Nomenclature"; and "Master & Apprentice." ("Ecstasies" and "But For Grace" are my faves.) [4]

2006

Writestuff's Warrior Hearts series, listed in order bellow. (Also: Obi/Bruck Chun, Rating: NC-17)
"Rightful Owner"
"Crime and Punishment"
"Ecstasies"
"The Anger Exercises"
"The Geometry of Desire"
"But For Grace"
"Give and Take"
"Meditations"
"Master & Apprentice"
"Nomenclature"
"The Fear Exercises"
"Willing Vessels"
"An Accident Waiting"
"Bruck's Turn" (Fic by Pamela)
"Cold Feet"
"The Sweet Science of Bruising"
"From a High Place"
"Artifacts"
"Silk"
"Birthday Suite"
"Being Obi-Wan" (Fic by Master Ruth)
"A Simple Twist of Fate (Not a Songfic)"
"Ligature"
"Ceremonials"
"Emancipation"
God this was a long, drawn out, suck-you-in-and-never-let-you-go epic. Writestuff has a beautiful style and a griping tale to tell. Above is the final order of the fics, so don't pay attention to the order on earlier chapters she has posted, because it changes. Yes, I did find that out the hard way. *still grumbling about reading "Silk" 5 parts too early* It's a fabulous story and you should at least read a few bits of it. Rightful Owner and Silk are my favorites, as well as "Master and Apprentice" and "Anger Exercises." and, well, the entire series. ^___^[5]

2010

[Schism]: As I'm sure has happened to many of you, a scene from a fic had been driving me crazy because I couldn't remember what it was from. When I finally tracked it down, it turned out to be from WriteStuff's "The Warrior's Heart" series which, since I read it long ago, had grown by leaps and bounds. I was most particularly impressed with the most recent installment, which is the biggest shakeup of their own universe that I think I've ever seen fanfic author perform. However, if you're not familiar with the series, you'll need to do some back reading... [6]

2014

This incredible series has followed our heroes from their pre-slash relationship as Master-Senior Padawan, through their first time as lovers when Obi-Wan is still an apprentice, through all of the different flavors of their sexual appetites, through Obi-Wan's Knighting and beyond. Each stage of their professional relationship is mirrored in their lovemaking.

During it all, they are Jedi first, as Master Jinn insists, and both grow together in their vocation and as men. WriteStuff shows us their love and respect for each other, and you can feel them resonating throughout the stories.

Her descriptions of their loveplay are phenomenal. My favorites in this regard:

Ecstasies
Silk
Birthday Suite
Master Class
A Glimpse of Paradise[7]

References

  1. ^ TPod's Wings. Recommendations, via Wayback: 23 April 2001. (Accessed 22 December 2015)
  2. ^ Sandy Herrold. All Jewels Have Flaws: Older recs: 1999 and before, 30 September 1999. (Accessed 24 April 2015)
  3. ^ Amy Fortuna's Recs Page, Wayback: 04 October 2000 (Accessed 12 June 2020)
  4. ^ Destina. Worlds Without Boundaries: Star Wars Fiction Recommendations, updated June 13, 2002. (Accessed 11 April 2015)
  5. ^ isolabela in: homology_cubed. Happy Birthday, Homology!, 02 January 2006. (Accessed 28 December 2015)
  6. ^ from kew121 at Weekly Recs 10/15/10 ()
  7. ^ Merry Amelie in quiobisupport. Fic rec: Warrior's Heart series Q/O (NC-17) , 12 September 2014. (Accessed 27 April 2015)
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