Saga - PT Master

Chapter 7: Celebration

Obi-Wan Kenobi was at loss. Throughout the last months he had handled a sad padawan, a lonely padawan, a mischievous padawan (too often) and sometimes even a disappeared padawan. He had (unfortunately) at some occasions also had to handle an angry padawan, but those incidents were less frequent now. What he hadn't yet experienced was a quiet padawan.

Until now.

It had started two days ago when Anakin had come home after classes and a miracle had happened: the boy had entered their apartment walking, not running. Under normal circumstances Obi-Wan would have been overjoyed, but as the behaviour was followed by a un-Anakin'ish silence where all his questions were fended off like water droplets hitting a Kaminoan leaf plant he felt less and less happy. It was like the boy had been transformed into a questionrepellent substance.

It was worrisome, to say the least.

The following day the unusual quiet behaviour continued. At first meal Anakin just looked at him over the table with huge puppy eyes, looking every bit a forlorn akkdog pup. Puppy eyes and Anakin was just a totally wrong combination which made small chills run down Obi-Wan's spine. The only time he had seen something like that was the one time Anakin had wanted an extra serving of ice-cream in the refectory. And now the padawan just stirred the contents of his cereal bowl and sipped some muja juice before leaving, so he concluded that 'food' was not the issue right now.

It was a mystery. And at that one which needed to be solved, quickly.

I cannot fathom what's wrong with him. Every time I ask him what's the matter he just look at me with those big blue eyes and answers 'nothing Master'. I could of course pull rank on him and command him to tell me what's going on but if so I guess I would kill the growing trust he has in me for a long time, so that's not really an option. Yesterday I asked his teacher if he knew about something that was bothering Anakin, but the answer was negative. Actually he has begun, well maybe not befriending his classmates but at least he's coming to terms with them and they speak to him - and vice versa. So things seem to be going better. He's even got something that resembles a friend, his teacher said. Since he's excelled so quickly in his mechanics class he was moved to a group with more of his age mates and he seems to be on good terms with this Teevan boy called Tru Veld… Now, wait a minute. I may have my solution there.

And with that Obi-Wan left the apartment.

He found Tru Veld outside the dojos where the boy had just finished his 'Ligthsaber for beginners' class, and nodded politely.

"Good morning. I presume you are Anakin's friend, Tru Veld?" he asked gently.

"Uh, well, yes, Master Kenobi. We have been talking together during the mechanics class. Anakin has made a droid and I was allowed to test my programming with it. It worked quite well, at least until the program went into a loop and we had to hunt down the droid which tried to escape out the window."

The boy snickered by the memory of the mess the droid had created in the workshop.

"That sounds like a real Anakin-project," Obi-Wan nodded.

"Is Anakin in trouble?" Tru asked.

"Not that I know of," Obi-Wan answered sincerely. "Actually I was hoping you could help me to find out if anything is wrong. For the last couple of days Anakin has been more…quiet than I'm used to, and he won't tell me what's wrong."

Tru bit his lower lip, contemplating the Master's word.

"No, I'm sorry Master Kenobi, I cannot think of anything. Except from the droid incident I don't know about anything out of the ordinary. And even that shouldn't mean trouble. Actually Master Grreind had a good laugh. He said it wasn't the first time a student's project went wild."

Obi-Wan sighed. He'd had a small hope that Tru Veld could help him discover the background for Anakin's uncharacteristic behaviour but it seemed like the hope was in vain.

"Thank you for your time, Initiate Veld. You have been most helpful," he said with a light bow which made the initiate blush slightly, and turned to leave the way he had come. He didn't come far. He was just about to enter the galley overlooking the Grand Hall when he heard quick footsteps behind him.

"Master Kenobi?"

He turned and saw a slightly nervous Tru Veld catching up with him.

"Yes, Initiate?"

"I…I'm not sure….I mean…I came to think of something, but it may not be important," Tru said shyly.

"Whatever it is, I'm glad to hear what you have to say," Obi-Wan assured him.

"Well, I just came to think about that two days ago, when we were cleaning up the workshop after the droid incident Initiate Ylan mentioned that she had her lifeday the very same day. And then Anakin became quiet and afterwards he told me that in three days it would be his lifeday and that his mother always had made a cake for his lifeday and that his friends had visited him in the evening."

"Three days , you said? That means that Anakin's lifeday is tomorrow?" Obi-Wan said.

"Yes, Master Kenobi. Didn't you know?"

"No, I'm afraid I didn't. We've never talked about those things before. I didn't think about it."

"Oh…"

Obi-Wan stroke his chin pensively.

"I assume I have to make up for my ignorance somehow," he said thoughtfully. "I keep forgetting that Anakin has a different background than most jedi. Such a thing as a lifeday may mean more to him than it does to those who grew up in the creche. I wonder…Tru, you and Anakin seem to get along quite well. Would you like to step by for a small 'celebration' tomorrow at 18th hour? I cannot promise a big party, but at least there would be some cake."

He grinned: "After all cake seldom fails when it comes to growing boys."

….

The following day Obi-Wan went into 'busy mode' as soon as Anakin had left for classes, even more quiet and subdued than he'd been the last days. His first stop was down in the hangar where he managed to persuade the Hangar Chief to give him a small tool kit. He knew that Anakin was well known there and when he told that Anakin might need some tools for all his tinkering projects the Chief grinned and gave him a small, almost new, toolkit.

"I may need the boy's advice sometime. He's a natural born genius when it comes to mechanical parts," he grinned.

His next stop was "Dex's".

"Three Bantha Burgers with fried tubers," he ordered, "and make them so they can be heated easily in the microwave."

Dex' rumbling laughter followed the serving: "Don't tell me that you jedi have begun living on takeaway. Or rather do tell me if it's so, then I would have my income secured for the rest of my lifetime."

Obi-Wan shook his head, smiling: "No, I'm sorry to say that this will not be a habit, but my young Padawan and I have something to celebrate tonight and even jedi need food."

The third part of his errands implicated the purchase of Ophuchian choc, some flour and sweet roots from Verroth and for good measure some sweet karea milk. If he only could find the recipe for the choc cake which had been Tahl's trademark for celebrations it would be a nice dessert.

To avoid Anakin coming home too early he'd met him after class and gone directly to a dojo for some basic lightsaber training while the cake was cooling down. The bantha burgers were waiting in the cooling unit and now he just needed to keep Anakin occupied until 18th hour. He succeeded and noticed that the 'saber training had made Anakin brighten up considerably so ten minutes before the 18th hour he ordered Anakin to take a shower ("No, Anakin, I do not want you coming in smelling like a Wampa on Tatooine") and hurried home to get the food ready.

He'd barely managed to get the burgers ready before Tru Veld chimed the doorbell and a few minutes later Anakin came in, just as quietly as he'd done for the last couple of days. The boy stopped abruptly, eyes huge from confusion.

"What's this? Tru, what are you doing here? Are we in trouble for something I don't even know about?"

Tru shook his head: "No!"

"But…what's up, then?"

Obi-Wan could see a faint hope shining in his Padawan's eyes.

"Happy lifeday, Padawan," he said, and pulled the tool kit from behind his back and handed it over to Anakin.

Anakin's face transformed into an astonished mien, his mouth forming an almost perfect 'o' in surprise.

"But…Master…I…how did you know. And why. I mean…jedi don't celebrate lifedays, do they. I mean - do we?"

"We don't," Obi-Wan confirmed, "but there is no jedi rule against eating and having a good time with friends. Come sit, boys. We need to dig into the burgers before they turn cold."

And with that they went into action. As if by a miracle Anakin's appetite had returned and the burgers were soon consumed, in-between eager chatting about katas and electronics.

The boys' eyes got even bigger and rounder by the sight of the cake.

"Master, did you really make this one by yourself?" Anakin asked incredulously.

Obi-Wan nodded. "I did. I learned it from…an old friend many years ago. She served it to me when I was a fresh Padawan, so I found it quite suitable to serve it tonight."

…

The door had closed after Tru and Anakin and Obi-Wan were once more alone in the apartment. The dishes had been washed and put back in the cupboard and the remaining of the cake safely placed in the cooling unit.

"Thank you, Master," Anakin said quietly, "I was a bit scared of this day because I miss mom and my friends back home. I didn't even know that you knew about my lifeday. And thank you so much for the toolkit too. I didn't want to mention it 'cause jedi don't celebrate and I want to be a jedi."

"You're very welcome, Padawan," Obi-Wan said. "Even though jedi aren't the best at celebrating, it doesn't mean that we can't do it every once in a while. I'm sure the Force doesn't mind us having nice evenings with friends."

"Am I your friend, Master?"

"Yes, Padawan. You're both my apprentice and my friend," Obi-Wan answered, and somewhere deep inside he knew that somewhere along the way through the last challenging months that had become the truth.

 

Oh, Cara! SWEEET! SWEET! Literally and otherwise. The thoughtfulness of Obi-Wan making a spontaneous celebration when Anakin was missing mom and home and expecting no "fuss"...

 

Almost qualified for MMM, maybe? Oh, well, definitely less sweetness in the next chapter.

 

Chapter 8: The First Mission

"Anakin!"

"Anakin!"

Obi-Wan Kenobi was as close to shouting as his calm and quiet personality allowed when he entered the doors to their apartment, and a blond spiky head peeked out the door to the right.

"Stars, Master. What is going on? You're being louder than Jira when a storm was coming in."

Anakin had stepped out from his room and stood in front of his Master, both legs planted firmly on the floor and arms crossed over his chest. The sight would have made Obi-Wan laugh if he hadn't been in such a hurry.

"Pull on your boots and come with me. We shall meet before the Council as soon as possible."

Anakin's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Before the Council? Now? Why? I haven't done anything recently…" His voice trailed off.

"No, you haven't. And neither have I," his Master answered. "Come now. Hurry. Where's your other boot?"

They found the forlorn boot just inside the 'fresher door. Obi-Wan didn't even want to know how or why it had ended up there. Certain things were best forgotten.

Shortly after they stood in front of the High Council and bowed in unison.

"Master Kenobi," Master Windu intoned,"for about 8 months now you and your Padawan have been staying in the Temple, as you have been given time to adapt to the Temples routines and each other. The Council has now deemed you clear for going on light missions and we have one now that may be suitable as a first mission for the two of you."

Obi-Wan could almost feel an enthusiastic 'Wizard' coming through the training bond from his Padawan.

"If the Council have a mission for us, we are ready to go," he said formally.

"Good," Master Windu said, "the mission is going to be a purely diplomatic mission. You are going to the planet of Lazerian IV. The Kingdom of Devit is celebrating it's centennial anniversary after becoming a kingdom and as Jedi were present when the kingdom was re-established after years of civil war, the Order has been invited to send representatives."

Obi-Wan bowed again: "We accept the mission, but why us? Wouldn't it have been more natural to send a couple of older Jedi?"

A frown flew over Mace Windu's face.

"Well, actually we had assigned this mission to the Knights Mithrial and Aroon, but as Knight Aroon is confined to the Healer's Ward with a bruised ankle and Knight Mithrial simultaneously got a nasty stomach flu, we had to find a reserve."

Obi-Wan and Anakin bowed again and left the Council Chamber. The doors had barely closed behind them before a waterfall of questions poured out of Anakin's mouth.

"Wizard! I'm going on my first mission. I mean we are… But why us, Master? They could have found someone else still. But I'm glad they didn't. Can I pilot the ship when we're going there? Can I? How long will it take to get there? And will we have to stay long? Will there be a huge party and lot's of food?"

"Whoa…stop…wait…you are allowed to breathe, Padawan," Obi-Wan admonished his charge. "I have no idea why we were chosen for this particular task, we will see about piloting when we're in open space and I believe the journey will take a couple of days, but I will leave to you to make that calculation this evening. And, yes, I assume a party and food will be involved, and you will behave like a well-behaved Padawan and taste some of the food in an extremely polite manner."

Anakin frowned. He could accept 'polite' but taking it to the extreme when nice food was involved was a completely different matter.

Obi-Wan chuckled.

"Come on, let's get home. We have information about the mission waiting on our reading pads and you have a calculation to do before we call it a day."

….

Lazerian IV was a truly beautiful planet, especially seen from orbit. Green plains and not overly tall mountain ranges were patched with green lush forests. Up close it was less green as the City of Devit was highly industrialised. It seemed clean and well organised but on the other hand it was somehow dull and grey.

"It looked better from above," Anakin grumbled as he descended the ramp one step behind and to the right of Obi-Wan.

"Shhh, Anakin. Manners. Behave yourself."

"But they can't hear us yet!"

"Behave!"

The two Jedi stopped in front of two officials who stood by the end of the ramp.

"Welcome to our capital city," the taller of them said. "I am Gelan and this is Moran. We will be at your service during your stay."

Obi-Wan sensed that his Padawan was about to burst in laugher and gave him a nudge through their training bond ('behave'), before giving a polite bow to the two liaisons.

"It's a pleasure to be here and the Jedi Order is grateful for your invitation," he said. "I am Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and this is my Padawan, my apprentice, Anakin Skywalker."

Anakin stifled his laughter and gave his best Padawan-bow.

"Pleased to meet you both," Gelan said. "We will show you to the guest house where you will stay tonight. Tomorrow you will meet the King and be among his guests of honour when the parade is passing by the Castle. Later that evening there will be a formal dinner where you will be sitting at the main table with the King. After the fireworks at midnight tomorrow you are welcome to stay as long as you wish without any formal obligations."

Obi-Wan bowed again.

"There is really a lot of bowing present in these diplomatic missions," Anakin thought with the mental equivalent to a sigh.

Their rooms were magnificent. They had been giving a large suite with two adjacent bedrooms. A common living room occupied the area outside their bedrooms and they found a small dining table set for two.

"We assumed you would like something to eat, and maybe rest after your long journey. We will meet you here at 9th hour tomorrow," Moran said, and Anakin did his best to keep a serene expression on his face. As soon as the door closed behind the two liaisons he burst out with the long time suppressed laughter.

"Padawan, "Obi-Wan admonished. "What is it?"

"He…his….did he really say that his name was Moron? " Anakin hiccuped.

Obi-Wan glanced at him in shocked silence for a moment and then he burst into a laughter too.

"No. Absolutely not. His name is Moran, with an A not an O," he explained when he was able to talk again. "Was that the reason why you almost were exploding behind me on our way into the city?"

Anakin nodded, slightly ashamed: "Yes…"

"We really have to improve your diplomatic skills," Obi-Wan sighed. "Laughing at people is reallynot very diplomatic."

…

They were picked up at ninth hour as promised. Both Jedi had brought a set of new clothes to be worn during the ceremony and the following dinner, and were dressed in their finest clothing. By joining mutual forces and with the help of comb and water they had even managed to get Anakin's hair tamed so he was the image of a Perfect Padawan when they entered the balcony.

They both bowed deeply for the King.

"It's a pleasure to have you here," he intoned, "it was by the help of the Jedi that the Kingdom of Devit was reestablished a century ago, and thus it is a great honour to have some of your kind here with us today."

"The Jedi Order was honoured by your invitation, your Majesty," Obi-Wan said smoothly, casting a warning glance to his Padawan. The glance gave a very clear message: Do NOT comment on his 'your kind' comment.

And from that minute on the day went in a dignified and organised whirlwind.

Anakin did not contribute to the 'dignified' part…

It began during the main parade.

"Master, look at those costumes!" he exclaimed when the first riders passed by the balcony where the King stood waving down to the cheering crowd below.

"It is NOT costumes, Anakin. It's ceremonial clothing from a century ago."

"That's basically what I said, Master. It's costumes."

"Anakin, shhhh…."

The next scene from the parade turned out to be on the verge of a diplomatic catastrophe.

"Master! They are in chains. Do these people have slaves?"

"They are not slaves, Anakin."

"But they are in chains. We have to free them. You can do it, Master. I know you can."

The King cast a very disapproving glance at Anakin, and then turned his focus towards the parade again.

"They are not slaves. They are actorshired to play prisoners."

Anakin looked suspiciously at his Master. "Are you sure, Master?"

"I am. Did you not read the briefing document on your pad before we arrived?"

Anakin pursed his lips and shook his head, slightly ashamed, but his subdued mien didn't last long.

"Master! There are Jedi. Why are we here when there already were Jedi here?"

"Anakin, they are actors too!"

By the end of the parade Obi-Wan felt his migraine rising, stronger than it had been in several months. He had a feeling that this would be one of the longest days in his life. He'd been to enough similar events in his own time as Padawan to know that it would be an exhausting day, but as the hours passed by he realised that not preparing Anakin for the long waiting time had been a huge mistake. The first hour he had to tolerate Anakin's questions, but as the hours passed by he could see his Padawan becoming utterly restless and was almost bouncing on his toes.

"Master…I have to…I have to go to the 'fresher."

"Not now, Anakin."

"But I really, really have to."

"Be quick then."

The parade finally ended with a lot of happy children representing the celebration of the peace and the restoration of the monarchy.

"Ooooh, they are so happy," Anakin beamed. This time Obi-Wan did not find it worth mentioning that the children played their roles in the parade too.

They got a couple of hours break before the dinner began.

When the procession entered the dining hall they were three steps behind the King and Queen, one on each side. As they sat down by the table Obi-Wan relaxed slightly. Hopefully nothing could go wrong during the dinner. Anakin enjoyed food so the only thing that might go wrong was probably that he would eat too much, and the effects of that was something they would have to deal with after the dinner was over.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

The first dish was served and Anakin scrunched his nose.

"Master," he whispered, "we cannot eat this. I cannot eat this…"

"Behave, Anakin, at least you have to eat some of it."

"But it's raw!"

"Many people eat raw meat, it's tasty. Try it,"

Obi-Wan took a bite and silently agreed with Anakin. The taste was really something…different. He cast a glance around the table and saw the other guests digging in with good appetite so he decided to copy their behaviour. Anakin didn't. His plate was still untouched when the waiter came to remove it.

The next dish was obviously based on some kind of fish. It almost seemed like jelly on the plate and Obi-Wan concluded that Anakin actually had a point. This was hardly food for human beings.

Anakin's plate remained untouched.

"Master Kenobi, your young apprentice does not like our food, no?" the Queen asked.

"Your Majesty, I must admit he's young still and he has not refined his taste yet," Obi-Wan answered politely, well aware of Anakin glaring daggers at him.

The Queen nodded knowingly.

"Such are children," she declared, "Waiter, serve the child something more suitable."

And with that Anakin was saved from further culinary explorations.

Obi-Wan was less lucky. He had been trained to eat various dishes from his early days as Padawan. So that's what he did. The fermented meat in the main course tasted like something that had been fetched from a garbage dump. The bouillon served in-between the starter and the main dish could easily be compared to waste water. Actually, if given a choice he might have preferred the waste water. And the dessert wasn't much better. He loved sweets and liked fruits, but the unknown fruit had a remarkably resemblance to something rotten. The sauce that accompanied it surely had to be based on sour…something.

By the end of the meal he felt slightly queasy.

By the time they had bid the King and Queen politely farewell he felt rather…sick.

By the time they entered their suite he was longing for the 'fresher facilities. And that was basically where he spent most of the night.

When morning dawned he didn't feel much better. Actually he had't felt that bad since he had the Corellian flu at the age of fifteen.

"Let's get back home as soon as we can, Anakin," he said weakly.

"Are you still feeling ill, Master?" Anakin asked with a concerned look in his eyes. "Maybe we should ask for a healer?"

"No!" Obi-Wan said more brusquely than intended, "When they serve food like that, Force alone knows how their healers will be."

"Master!" Anakin admonished.

By the time they were in their ship, Obi-Wan had achieved a slightly green complexion, admittedly not a good match to his light copper red hair.

By the time they left orbit his greenish colour had been accompanied by cold sweat and shivers.

"Master, are you sure you will manage flying home?" Anakin asked in an anxious voice.

"Of course, Padawan. I feel fine, just a little queasy after yesterday's slightly…unaccustomed food," Obi-Wan said with more certainty than he really felt.

"But Master, you are really, really green…"

"I'm not. I may be a little pale though. I didn't sleep very well last night."

"Master, if you want to lay down for a little while I can supervise the autopilot," Anakin said eagerly. "Please Master, you really don't look too good right now."

"Oh, well… If you're absolutely certain I may find a bunk and lay down for a little while. I'm not going to sleep though, so please alarm me if something unusual happens."

"I will, Master," Anakin promised and sat proudly down behind the controls.

By the time they were well into hyperspace, Obi-Wan was asleep.

Anakin checked that he was still breathing. Truth be told he felt a bit worried about his Master's condition."

By the time they approached Coruscanti orbit, Obi-Wan was deeply unconscious.

 

LOL on the commentary about the whole proceedings from Anakin. But Obi-Wan seems to have caught something - very like the stomach flu that laid the other Knight low.

 

I cant believe I missed this update!!! Sorry for being late. The, uh, dog ate my homework!



What he hadn't yet experienced was a quiet padawan.

Until now.

Uh-oh. I think I'm worried now.


'Ligthsaber for beginners'

Like lightsabers for Dummies!


in three days it would be his lifeday and that his mother always had made a cake

Ah, now we see the reason for Mr. Sadface. He wants his mom to pop out of a cake or something.


Are we in trouble for something I don't even know about?"

I'm sure you know why you'd be in trouble, Anakin.


I haven't caught all the way up, time limited this evening. But I'll read chapter 8 soon.

 

Chapter 8

Why? I haven't done anything recently…"

Sure Anakin.


The Council has now deemed you clear for going on light missions

I love it how authorities 'give you time' to adjust, but then abruptly decide when your time is up.


and you will behave like a well-behaved Padawan and taste some of the food in an extremely polite manner."

You haven't known Anakin for very long have you, Kenobi?


"Laughing at people is reallynot very diplomatic."

It isn't? I guess I'm not as much of a diplomat as I thought I was.


with the help of comb and water they had even managed to get Anakin's hair tamed

This made me chuckle. I've always had a terrible cowlick in front and back. Now I shave my head, so problem solved.


"Anakin, they are actors too!"

He comes from a desert where, in order to survive, most people had to be genuine. Except scoundrels who lied, instead of acting, which is similar, but not the same thing. Anakin just doesn't get it, but that makes sense. Well reasoned and done.


He couldn't have been more wrong.

Uh-oh.


"Many people eat raw meat, it's tasty. Try it,"

Mmm, I love raw hamburger. I like it a bit warmed up, rather than cold, but as close to raw as possible.


It almost seemed like jelly on the plate




By the end of the meal he felt slightly queasy

By the end of reading about the meal I feel queasy.


Very well done. Can't wait for more.

 

Actually this dish was inspired by the Norwegian dish "Lutefisk" which sometimes seems quite "jelly'ish". It's considered to be a delicacy.

 

I'm VERY much not a fish fan. Give me raw beef, or give me death!

Of course, I also say, 'to each, their own' so if you like it, @CaraJinn then you can have my portion of it.

 

I'm hooked!

 

Uh-uh, this smells fishy. No thanks! I may be Norwegian, but not that much Norwegian.

*wanting desperately to find a good comment about fishing hooks *
*failing just as desperately *

I'm really appreciating new happy readers.

 

Chapter 9: Returning

The small ship shot out of hyperspace and entered Coruscanti orbit. It's minuscule pilot was working frantically with buttons and switches. He wasn't too worried about piloting the ship or the approaching landing. No, the real problem was Coruscant Space Control and the steadily increasing traffic. He could fly the supersize can. And he was almost sure he could get it down in one piece too, if just the ships surrounding him could stay away.

"Incoming ship TCL342-684C to Space Control," he sent, "my Master is very ill and I need clear route to the Jedi Temple. Please confirm."

The communication on the ship crackled to life.

"Get off the comm unit, kid. We have work do to and any disturbances may endanger the traffic."

"This is TCL342-684C. I have a very ill person on board. I need free way to the Jedi Temple," Anakin tried again, "there is much traffic in that direction and I'm not used to this ship so I could really need some more space."

"Get away from the comm. This is an official channel for Coruscant Space Control and communication is restricted to messages related to inbound ships only."

"But I aman inbound ship," Anakin muttered, "kriffin' stupid nerfheads."

"What?"

"Requesting free lane for incoming vessel TCL342-684C to the Jedi Temple," he tried for the third time.

"Get away from the comm, boy!" The voice from the control centre was getting increasingly impatient now. So was Anakin.

"Well, if I have to do this the difficult way," he growled, "so be it."

And with that he switched off the entire comm unit. He assumed there would be a lot of noise when he began zigzagging among the other ships in the air above Coruscant and he really didn't want to be disturbed.

"Hang on there, Master, we're going in and I'm gonna get you home alive, but it may be a bit bumpy."

It wouldn't be so bad really. It would be Bontha Eve all over again, but instead of a maneuverable pod he would have a large, well relatively large ship, to manoeuvre and instead of the canyon walls he would have to avoid other ships which also were moving.

Well, the principle was the same. Find the goal and avoid the hindrances. Easy as that. He swallowed hard and focused on the spot where he knew the Jedi Temple would be.

"Use your feelings, Anakin."

He almost jumped in the seat when he heard the deep baritone voice of Qui-Gon Jinn in his ear and for a moment he felt the comfort of having an older, more experienced Jedi by his side, and then he realised that Master Qui-Gon was dead so there was no way he could be in the cockpit and what he'd heard was a memory of the admonishments from Bontha Eve. He dived into the busy traffic lanes above the city planet.

He reached the Temple without any mishaps. It had been a couple of close encounters and very abrupt turns and twists, and he assumed that the droid in charge of the Jedi's maintenance department would be less than happy about the slightly crumbled plates in the stern of the ship. That hulk of a transport ship had too high speed for such low altitudes anyway. But the hull had withstood the pressure and was still intact. Basically.

The ship screeched to a halt at docking pod 39z in hangar 3, and Anakin jumped out, leaving several confused maintenance droids in his wake. He wasn't totally sure of where to go, but while running he decided that the Healer's Wing would be his best bet. Master Obi-Wan needed help now.

Master Healer Shan was on duty when Anakin burst in through the double doors of the Healer's Wing.

"Hello, young one. What's your emergency?" he asked gently.

"My Master…" Anakin panted, "my Master is terribly, terribly ill and I'm afraid he's dying. Help him. Now! Please."

Healer Shan grabbed a commlink and commanded : "Show me."

So they ran. In the opposite direction of the one Anakin had just come from.

"Who is your Master and what has happened?" he asked, while running through the Temple Halls.

"It's Master Obi-Wan. And he's very very sick. I suggested he should see the healers on Lazerian IV before we left 'cause he'd been puking all night, but he wouldn't go and said he was just fine, so I couldn't force him and then he became more and more sick and he fell asleep while we were in hyperspace and I didn't know what to do so I just wanted to go home. So we came right here."

The explanation was given almost without breathing but Shan believed he'd got the essence.

"Obi-Wan as in Obi-Wan Kenobi?" he asked as they were heading up the landing ramp of the ship.

"Yep," Anakin confirmed. "Hurry Master, he's in the bunk bed behind that door."

Obi-Wan was not in the bunkbed. He was beside it. Anakin's evasive manoeuvres on his way through the traffic lanes had thrown him off the bed and down upon the floor. His breathing was weak, almost inaudible, and some droplets of blood had trickled from his right temple. Obviously his meeting with the floor had been unkind.

Shan bent down and checked for breathing and pulse. The pulse was sky high for a human, but yet his skin was terrifyingly pale.

"Send two padawans with a hooverstretch to hangar 3," Shan ordered through his commlink. "I have a very ill patient here."

"Where is the pilot, young one? You must have had company here?"

"I'm the pilot," Anakin stated and for a moment his pride shone through his worries for his Master. "I took her in. Space Control wasn't very helpful so I had to do everything by myself."

Master Shan raised a quizzical eyebrow but in the same moment the two padawans from the Healers Ward entered the hangar.

"Over here. This ship," he shouted.

….

The Healer's Ward was one of the places in the Temple which Obi-Wan really despised. Even as a youngling he had almost panicked whenever the place was even mentioned. Right now he didn't mind. If he had been conscious he most certainly would. Admittedly he was confined to a bed, which was an improvement from the ship's cold and unforgiving floor, but thin tubes were channeling strange liquids to and fro his body. Obi-Wan didn't like to be perforated.

Anakin didn't like him to be either.

Master didn't look like…well…Master.

He should be calm and reserved and dignified, and yet have a twinkle in his eyes and be strong and sometimes sarcastic and sometimes just a friend.

There were nothing dignified by the tubes. Nor were there any twinkling eyes. Master was eerily pale and still, as he had been ever since they were in hyperspace.

"Padawan Skywalker," a voice sounded behind him, "you should go home and get some rest."

"I'm resting, Master Windu."

"But you would rest better in your own bed." The Korun Master's voice was friendlier than Anakin had ever heard it.

"No. Home is not home without Master," Anakin explained. "I'd rather stay here."

Mace Windu sighed: "Stubborn Padawan, just as your Master and his Master before him. You all run like rabbits when it comes to getting away from this place, but when the other is here not even a herd of banthas would be able to drag you out."

Anakin sighed: "I want Master Obi-Wan to get well."

"We all do," Mace assured him. "What happened?"

"We were on this mission and Master was totally fine until after the dinner. They served us …weird food. I couldn't eat it, but they gave me something else since I was so young. But Master Obi-Wan ate, and then he had to spend the night in the 'fresher, but he wouldn't see a healer."

Mace Windu nodded. That was the true Kenobi spirit all right.

"And then, when we were in hyperspace, I asked him to rest a bit, and he fell asleep and I couldn't wake him up. I wasn't sure if I could find my way back to Lazerian IV so I decided to take us home. The autopilot did most of it, I just had to land," Anakin explained.

"You know you're not old enough to pilot a ship?" Master Windu tried.

Anakin was close to rolling his eyes: "Well, it wasn't like there was anyone there to take over. Master wasn't conscious so I just had to get us down so I could get help for my Master."

With a sigh he looked up at the Master of the Order: "He will be fine again, won't he? Master Shan and Bant can fix him?"

"I hope so, Anakin. I will stay here with you. If you want to you can lay down here and I will wake you if there are any news. I promise."

Anakin looked up at him. Kriff, he was really tired.

"'kay Master Windu," he said and laid down on the bench. A few minutes later he was sound asleep.

…

Silence. The soft humming of the spaceship's engines had stopped and Obi-Wan's eyes shot open in a minor panic attack. He regretted his action immediately and closed them again. Everything was so blasted white. Their spaceships hadn't been white. Not the least. It had been a grey, dull hull also on the inside.

It took him a moment to gather his wits, then he opened one eye slowly.

Definitely white.

And not only white. It was kriffing healerward'ishly white. He'd seen those walls and that ceiling far too often for his own likings. The question which really mattered was 'Which healing ward'? Somehow his brain felt a bit blurred but he was almost certain that he'd been on a mission with Anakin when…what…had happened. Thus he should not be home. But these walls seemed eerily familiar. And if this was home, how in all the nine sith hells had he arrived there. From the looks of all the tubes attached to his arm he'd not been in a very good condition and if he'd flown the ship home in a state like that he must have been the most irresponsible pilot ever. And if someone had had to extract him and his Padawan from Lazerian IV on their first mission ever he probably was the most imbecile Master in history too.

Either choice did not make him feel any better.

The mystery was solved a few minutes later, when Master Healer Shan peeped in and immediately registered the change in Obi-Wan's Force signature.

"Ah, so we are finally awake, Master Kenobi?" he asked.

A new groan came from the bed.

"'We' are not only awake, but intending to get out of here as soon as possible," came the grumpy reply. "What am I doing here anyway?"

"You are recovering from a good mixture of food poisoning and Tastiged flu," Shan explained. "And you're going to stay here until you are not contagious anymore. Since I was the healer on duty when you came in I have been confined to this part of the ward for almost two days now. It took us a while to figure out the reason why you were so ill but we managed to find traces of the nasty little bugs."

"Oh…" Somehow Obi-Wan felt like his head was swimming in some of that awful soup he'd been served on Lazerian IV, but there was one more question he had to ask before passing out again.

"How's Anakin?" he asked weakly. "And where in the blazes did I get this flu?"

"Your Padawan is fine. He seems to be resistant to the virus. Probably his immune defence is strong after being raised on Tatooine. He's been pestering us almost since you came in. This morning Master Windu finally overpowered him with a sleep suggestion and brought him to his own quarters so the boy could get some decent sleep. When it comes to how you were contaminated with the flu, my best bet is the ship itself. It had been to a mission to Tastige right before you borrowed it. Most likely the virus was present in the ventilation system. The Tastiged flu is highly contagious, and the virus tends to survive for days. By the way, we had to confine Master Windu to his quarters as well since he'd been spending some time with your Padawan in the waiting area. "

By the end of the explanation he realised he was talking to deaf ears. Obi-Wan had retreated into a deep slumber again.

"Oh, well. At least you won't attempt to escape yet so we may still have a chance to keep the flu from reaching the rest of the Temple," he sighed. "Thank the stars for small blessings."

 

Wow! Anakin sure took things into his own hands when it came to piloting, but of course he had no choice. He spent a long vigil at Kenobi's bedside surprisingly supported by Windu Glad they figured out what the infection was and hopefully it has been contained and won't spread.

 

@CaraJinn lovely series. I get a very clear sense of the relationship in every detail. You write Obi-Wan and Anakin wonderfully.

The dinner at the Queens felt very real. That the fish was based on Lutefisk () really captured that moment. Jellyfish give me the heebie jeebies as well.

I wanted to comment after each chapter, but bless your muse you posted new ones very quickly. Very much enjoying this thread.

 

This is an official channel for Coruscant Space Control

Perhaps this disgruntled fellow isn't getting the message. Maybe a Force choke would liven things up?


but it may be a bit bumpy.

And the Understatement of the Year Award goes to...


But the hull had withstood the pressure and was still intact. Basically.

Young Anakin Skywalker!


Where is the pilot, young one? You must have had company here?

Well, that's an interesting story...


Obi-Wan didn't like to be perforated.

Who does?


"You know you're not old enough to pilot a ship?" Master Windu tried.

So, just let it crash, boy, is the lesson to be learned here.


he probably was the most imbecile Master in history too.

That's where I cast my vote.


"Thank the stars for small blessings."

Amen.


Great update!

 

Yep, Anakin is nothing but self confident.

Thank you so much. I really hope I can keep Anakin in character.

Too long distance and too bright Anakin....

 

Chapter 10: Reunion and Repercussions

The next time Obi-Wan woke up he felt definitely better. The world was still blasted white but at least he knew where he was. And the queasiness that had bothered him last time he woke (and not to mention during and after the disastrous dinner at Lazerian IV) was totally gone. Actually he felt slightly hungry and a bucket of sapir tea would have been wonderful.

What was even more wonderful was the sight of his Padawan's face as he woke.

"Master! You're alive!"

The grin that accompanied the comment could have made a fair competition with Tatooine's twin suns.

"Of course I'm alive," he answered, "shouldn't I be?"

Then a thought struck him.

"Speaking of which, what are you doing here? I thought you were confined to avoid spreading the flu virus within the Temple?"

Anakin's little nose scrunched in dismay: "I was. I was stuck with Master Windu for two days, but since neither of us has any sym…symp…..symptoms we were allowed to leave his apartment again. Do you know that Master Windu has a padawan's room but no padawan?"

"I know," Obi-Wan confirmed, "he used to have a padawan, but she was knighted long time ago."

"Oh…"

"Oh, maybe you can keep my room too when I'm knighted, then. Then I could come and visit you and take care of you when I've saved your life and…"

"Anakin, what are you talking about? You're ten years old and won't be knighted in many many years yet. And I assume I will be the life saving one for the next years to come."

"Well, I saved yours this time so it's one count for me," Anakin grinned.

"You didn't. I just got a flu," Obi-Wan protested.

"Yeah, but I got you home to the healers…"

Obi-Wan's brain snapped into gears. It was something about the boy's demeanour, and frankly he didn't quite understand how they had managed to get back to Coruscant. The last thing he remembered was boarding the ship when they left Lazerian IV and then his memory was a huge black hole. Could it really be that… ?

"What happened?" he said plainly.

"You passed out when we were in hyperspace and I didn't know what to do at first so I decided to let the autopilot take us back and I did the landing myself."

Anakin was beaming with a well-deserved and very un-Jedi'sh pride.

"You did? No, you didn't'. Did you?"

"I did! The Space Control thought that I was just a little kid playing and they were terribly insisting and then I decided that they would just disturb me and we had to get down so I switched them off and landed. It was just like pod racing…just bigger!"

Obi-Wan could feel the familiar headache growing again.

"I…well, I have to thank you for getting us back here, Padawan. But don't you ever do that again, at least not until you're old enough to fly a spaceship."

A slightly mischievous grin appeared on the boy's face: "I won't, as long as you don't go down like that and leave to me to rescue us, Master."

….

The following afternoon Obi-Wan was released and allowed to return to their apartment on the strict condition that he should stay inside it for another three days, before going out into public again.

"You shouldn't be contagious anymore," Healer Shan proclaimed, "but we want to be 110% certain."

"I will do as you say," Obi-Wan confirmed, knowing very well that the alternative would be to stay in the Healer's Ward for the same amount of time. After all he had a padawan to look after. On his way out he almost collided with a Knight entering the ward. To his surprise the Knight blushed and looked away before limping into one of the inner rooms of the Ward.

"What was that about? Did I insult anyone while I was unconscious?"

Healer Shan shook his head: "No, you were admirable quiet. I guess he may feel bad about your pale and ragged looks. Didn't you recognise him?"

"No?" Obi-Wan was still confused.

"It was Knight Aroon. He was originally assigned to the mission you've been to," Shan explained.

"Oh," Obi-Wan suddenly remembered the explanation that had been given during the mission briefing in the Council Chamber. "The one with the ankle?"

Shan just smiled.

"Oh, right. You're not allowed to tell."

A faint suspicion began to form in his mind. Could it be that…? No, a Jedi Knight wouldn't do that, would he? But on the other hand, anyone that knew about the Kingdom of Devit's ceremonial dinners would most likely do anything to stay away.

"I see," he said neutrally, "I hope Knight Mithrial has recovered well from his stomach flu as well."

Shan smiled and arced an eyebrow.

"Well, then, I'll be on my way and I promise to stay indoors in our apartment for the next three days. Thanks again Master Shan."

And with that Obi-Wan left the Healer's Ward in deep thoughts.

He spent the next couple of days digging into files which he managed to acquire from the Temple's main computer. Knight Aroon's ankle must have recovered with an impressive speed, because two days after he and Anakin had left for the mission he'd been hurt in a duel i dojo #7 and this time he'd come to the healers' with a strained ligament. The miraculous healing seemed to be contagious indeed because his opponent had been Knight Mithrial whom should have been too weak after several days of stomach flu to put up such a formidable match in the duel.

He almost chuckled when he realised how thoroughly fooled both he and the Council had been. Mostly the Council actually.

By the third day he was released from his grounding and was allowed to move freely in the Temple again as Healer Shan declared him free of any potential remaining Tastige flu virus.

"Now you're allowed to walk around without being a public threat," Shan said with a smirk. "Just be careful the first couple of days when you are in the dojos. The food poisoning has drained your strength, so you still have some recovery to do before you're up to full speed again."

"Yes, Master Healer," Obi-Wan sighed. He would never admit it but the rather short walk from the hooverlift to the Healers' Ward had taken his toll on him.

As he was about to leave, he was once more almost colliding with not only one, but two beings, who were entering the Ward on rather wobbly legs. Both beings had a most interesting green complexion, which would have been all good if they were Twi-Lek. But they were in fact human. Instinctively Obi-Wan pulled away. That colour didn't bide well for the surroundings.

"I think I've got a really nasty stomach flu," one of them groaned, "please Master Healer, do you have some antidote? I've spent most of the night in the 'fresher."

Healer Shan raised both eyebrows quizzically: "But Knight Mithrial, you seem even worse for wear now than you did when you had the last stomach flu?"

The only answer he got was a new groan and with surprising speed the Knight bolted towards the 'fresher door. Almost simultaneously the other Knight whom Obi-Wan now recognised as Knight Aroon set a steady course for the second 'fresher door.

With a shrug he left the Healers' Ward, hoping fervently that the bugs the two knights had wouldn't decide that his body was a perfect new home. He'd seen more than enough of the 'freshers inside recently.

…

His intention was to get a nap before Anakin had finished his classes for the day. He never came that far. When entering the small living room his glance fell onto the reading pad. Had he really closed it down and activated the locking code two days earlier? And hadn't he left it on top of the table in the living room but found it on the desk the morning after?

He surely had.

By the time Anakin bolted through the door he had the most certain feeling of what had happened and he was not impressed. He really had some work to do by teaching his Padawan about ethics.

"Master! You're home!"

"Yes, of course. Where else should I be?"

"Dunno'. Weren't you to see Master Healer Shan today? Are you deemed well? How do you feel?"

"Yes, Anakin. I went to see him and I'm officially free of the Tastige flu virus. However, I was told not to overexert for the upcoming couple of days as the food poisoning was quite rough. Actually, I believe some food would be nice now, so I was waiting for you to come home so we could go to the refectory and have a small celebration that we've experienced our first mission. I feel a bit hungry."

"Yes, Master," Anakin beamed.

The refectory was quite crowded when the two of them entered but they managed to find a small table for themselves and sat down with their loaded trays. Anakin's definitely carrying a heavier load than Obi-Wan's.

By the time they had finished the main course Obi-Wan cast a thoughtful glance a this Padawan.

"Anakin, since this is a celebration of sorts, you have my permission for today to dig into whatever desserts may be on the menu today."

"Really, Master? Thank you."

Anakin came back with a tray almost as full as the regular dinner tray had been.

"You want some, Master?"

"No thanks, Padawan. And I believe you should be careful as well. So many sweets may be tough to your stomach when you're not used to it," Obi-Wan admonished.

"I'll be fine, Master," Anakin retorted with the natural self-confidence of a ten year old.

It didn't take him long to polish off the plates.

"Thanks, Master. I'm really stuffed now. But it was soooo worth it."

Obi-Wan nodded, hiding a smirk.

"My pleasure, Padawan. Let's get home and have some rest. Or at least I will. I assume you have some assignments to do."

"Yes, Master."

The side effects didn't take long to occur.

Half an hour later Obi-Wan heard hurried steps towards the 'fresher door. A few minutes later a pale padawan came out.

"Master, I'm not feeling very well," he complained.

"You don't?"

"No. I think maybe I ate too much as you said."

"You're sure of that? I heard that Knights Aroon and Mithrial have got a new stomach flu. You haven't happened to be close to them recently?"

Anakins complexion changed from delay pale to deep crimson.

"I…no….Master. I….they….no, I haven't," he stuttered.

Obi-Wan met his Padawan's glance with a mild, but stern expression.

"How did you do it?" he said plainly.

Anakin's face turned almost purple.

"You know?"

"I guessed it. My reading pad had moved from the table to the desk and it doesn't move by itself."

Anakin hung his head, mortified.

"I wasn't spying, but when you went to bed you forgot to switch it off so I was going to do it, and then I saw what you've been reading. They fooled us, Master. Didn't they?"

"I guess they had learned about the celebrations in the Kingdom of Devit," Obi-Wan admitted.

"So…yesterday when I went to the refectory they were sitting by a table when I passed by. I…had some of the leafs from a Malastarian Birch in my pocket so I levitated them into their salads. I knew from the preceding class in botanics that those leaves would cause some…uhm…digestion problems for humans. You almost died,Master."

"No, I didn't. I was just very ill from a combination of food poisoning and flu. None could have foreseen that," Obi-Wan said mildly. "You are aware that what you did to them actually is a revenge?"

"I…yes, Master. But I still think they deserved it," Anakin said meekly.

"And you are aware that Jedi do not seek revenge?" Obi-Wan's voice was more stern now.

"I…," Anakin's voice trembled for a moment and then he turned towards the 'fresher again.

The next time he emerged he was more subdued.

"You did it on purpose, didn't you?" he asked.

"Yes," Obi-Wan admitted. "I was fairly certain that you'd done something to them, but I didn't know what. So I allowed you to eat as much dessert as you wanted, and I did expect something like this to happen. After all, I've done the same mistake myself," he added. "I assumed that feeling a bit of what they have to go through would remind you of your emphatic skills in a way that my words couldn't. However, when this is done with -probably later in the evening, I want you to learn one thing, and learn it well: A Jedi never, ever seek revenge. That's one of the things that make us Jedi. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Master!"

And with that Anakin bolted for the 'fresher for the third time.

 

Superb lessons, some learned the hard way! Repercussions indeed!

 

Actually he felt slightly hungry and a bucket of sapir tea would have been wonderful.

That's how my parents used to wake me up: only it was a bucket of ice water they dumped on me.


Do you know that Master Windu has a padawan's room but no padawan?

Pfft. Next you'll be telling me he puts his pants on one leg at a time. Silly padawan.


"Well, I saved yours this time so it's one count for me," Anakin grinned.

Ha! Gotcha.


Obi-Wan could feel the familiar headache growing again




"I won't, as long as you don't go down like that and leave to me to rescue us, Master."

Anakin 2 Obi-Wan -1


But on the other hand, anyone that knew about the Kingdom of Devit's ceremonial dinners would most likely do anything to stay away.

And now Obi-Wan has some time to come up with how he's going to get out of going next year.


The miraculous healing seemed to be contagious indeed because his opponent had been Knight Mithrial whom should have been too weak after several days of stomach flu to put up such a formidable match in the duel.

Uh-huh, Obi-Wan. If that helps you sleep at night, you can keep telling yourself that.


The only answer he got was a new groan and with surprising speed the Knight bolted towards the 'fresher door.

Methinks Anakin is probably responsible.


"I…no….Master. I….they….no, I haven't," he stuttered.

I KNEW it!


But I still think they deserved it,"

Yes, they did, but that's beside the point. What you did was... pretty darn funny.

However, now it's Anakin 2 Obi-Wan 0.

Great update.

 

I was a little bit in doubt whether I should let Obi-Wan be so unkind to Anakin, but hey - he did give him a warning.

Well, sort of. I aimed for getting the start of their "saving each other's ass" count in this story.

 

Chapter 11: The Winter Festival I

"What is it?"

The slightly frustrated voice of Padawan Anakin Skywalker rang through the apartment as he entered and his Master looked up from the pad he'd been reading.

"What is…what?" he wanted to know.

"Winter Festival," Anakin explained, "all the other padawans and initiates are talking about it and I don't have the faintest idea of what it is."

Obi-Wan creased his brow. "You don't? No, of course you don't. I'm sorry Anakin, I haven't even thought about explaining it to you."

"Well, but whatisit?" Anakin's patience was wearing thinner by every minute.

"It's a festival," his Master explained and was rewarded with an annoyed glare from the ten year old in front of him.

"Duh, I could have figured out that myself," Anakin frowned and Obi-Wan bursted in laughter.

"I'm sorry - again. It was just too tempting," he grinned, "now sit down and I'll explain it to you."

Anakin nodded and sat down, knowing fully well that now they were talking business.

"You know that every planet, or at least most of them have some kind of cycles?" Obi-Wan asked rhetorically.

Anakin nodded.

"Most planets also have one cycle determined by the time it takes for the planet to circumference the sun or stare it's orbiting. Coruscant doesn't have such a thing per se, or rather we don't notice it due to the artificial climate control we have. But of course there used to be visual cycles here as well, before the planet was fully inhabited."

Anakin nodded again. Now they were getting somewhere.

"So, once a year the settings of the artificial climate control is altered so for three days it's giving us a winter climate with snow and less daylight to celebrate the end of a cycle and the start of a new one. Over the time the Coruscantii have adapted to this and they have created a celebration which is meant to be a replica of how the celebrations were done before the climate control was established. Very few people really know what it was like so I assume that if we had been able to compare the historical celebration with the one we have today it would have been quite a lot of differences."

"What is snow?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow and looked at his Padawan.

"It's frozen water, basically."

"Yuck," Anakin grimaced. "Sounds too cold to me."

Obi-Wan chuckled and his eyes got a dreamy expression: "Yes, you may find that part a bit cold, Padawan, but the physical chill is overcome by the warmth in each beings hearts."

"What do you mean, Master?"

"It's the time of the year when everyone strives to be the best they can be," Obi-Wan explained. "You will see that decorations are hung up and there are even more lights than normal. But most beings also focus on being kind to each other."

"Do the Jedi, I mean we, decorate too?"

"Yes, we do. The Temple will be decorated with lights and there will be festoons hung up all over the place. Sometimes they even decorate a tree out in the Grand Hall."

"A tree?" Anakin asked incredulously.

"A tree," Obi-Wan confirmed, "I believe they borrow it from The Garden of Many Fountains and plant it back when the festival is over."

"But…you said that people should be kind to each other. We should be kind all year round, right Master?"

"You're absolutely right, Padawan. But during the Winter Festival it becomes more visual."

"How so?"

Obi-Wan blushed slightly.

"It's…well…it's hard to explain, but people do extra nice things to each other during the festival."

"What do you mean by 'extra nice things', Master?"

Obi-Wan sighed softly.

"My first Winter Festival came a few months after I'd been apprenticed by Master Qui-Gon. It took a long time before he accepted me as his apprentice and in the beginning I felt very insecure about the whole thing. I knew in my heart that the Force wanted me to be his Padawan but I wasn't too sure about his feelings in that matter. So when the Winter Festival approached I didn't know what to expect. When I was an initiate the dorms were always decorated and we got some extra treats with the meals. And we gave small presents to our best friends.

As it was, I didn't have a clue of how the festival would be for an apprentice. My relationship with my Master had improved tremendously after his best …friend, Tahl, intervened."

"Who is Tahl?" Anakin asked.

A glimpse of sorrow flashed over Obi-Wan's face and disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.

"She was a friend of Qui-Gon's and later a friend of mine too," he explained. "She became the closest to a mother I ever had."

"Where is she now? I have never met her."

A new flash of sorrow appeared and was effectively drained into the Force.

"She…died many years ago."

Before Anakin could come up with the next inevitable question, Obi-Wan continued his tale: "Well, anyways, the night before Winter Festival started I went to bed as usual. There were no signs of any decorations coming up and everything seemed to be normal. I felt disappointed, but did my best to hide it. After all I was exactly where I wanted to be and if there would be no celebration of the Festival in our home I could live with that.

I fell to sleep and didn't think anymore until my Master woke me up in the middle of the night and told me to get dressed. I was rather groggy from the sleep so I obeyed the requirement without any comments. It was highly unusual but I didn't have time to ponder about it. And, if so, well so be it. My Master wasn't a very ordinary man either. So I dressed quickly and followed him out into the turbolift. I was a bit surprised when he pushed the 'up' button instead of the 'down' which would have made more sense to me.

We stopped several levels up and exited the lift. Master Qui-Gon lead me through the dark corridors in the upper part of the Temple until we came to a place which obviously was in one of the towers with an overview over the main entrance. There he stopped.

'What are we doing here, Master?' I asked. I was still a bit sleepy but the tower was chilly and I felt something like excitement crawling up my spine. This was indeed not our regular habit.

'We wait,' he answered cryptically.

'For what?' I tried.

'Patience, my Padawan,' he chuckled and laid a large hand on my shoulder, 'patience.'

And then I saw it. Tiny white flakes began falling from the sky. First a few, then some more, and more and more until the night sky was a white-grey haze. It was the first snow of the Winter Festival. And then Coruscant burst into colors. I knew that there were even more lights and colours during the Winter Festival than through the rest of the year, but I had never had such an overview over it before. It was spectacular, indeed.

And the snow kept falling.

We stood there a long time without speaking, mesmerised by the sight of the white layers that slowly covered the roofs of the Temple below us. Finally Qui-Gon moved.

'I always love coming up here at this time of the year,' he said softly. 'There is no better view over the city than from here.'

I just nodded. I was dumbfounded.

'Thank you, Master, for letting me see this,' I said.

The only answer I got was a tight squeeze of my shoulder.

'Come, Padawan, we have something else to do.'

Now I was wide awake and I soon realised where we were heading. Master had a steady course towards the upper garden. The one that is basically on top of the Temple. I just didn't know why. I soon learned it.

We tread out into the garden and it was a beautiful sight. The heavy snow was covering the ground and the trees that surround the garden area. It was almost silent up there, at least as silent as Coruscant can possibly be. It was a new, white, peaceful world.

The peace didn't last long. I was in the middle of the open space just outside the door when something wet and cold hit the back of my head. Instinctively I grabbed it and felt it melt away. And I heard my Master's rumbling laughter behind me.

'One of the true joys in this world is a snowball fight during the Winter Festival,' he said, and with that a new snowball came flying through the air. This time I was partly prepared so I managed to dive before it hit me. And then I understood. I grabbed a handful snow and made a loose snowball and threw it towards Qui-Gon. It developed into a full scale snow war in the garden. Master was more precise than me in his throws, but I was young and quick and more able to hide behind trees and bushes. The fight ended about twenty minutes later when he finally captured me and pinched me to the ground. By then we were both laughing so hard that it was a wonder we didn't wake the entire Temple.

'I yield,' I gasped and Master let me go.

We were both a sight. The snow stuck to our clothes and Master resembled a wampa pup. I assume I was no better myself. We were drained partly by sweat after the exercise and partly by snow that had melted on our clothes and soaked us.

'We'd better go home and find some dry clothes,' Master Qui-Gon concluded, and even though I felt like I could have stayed there forever laughing and having fun I realised he had a valid point. Going down with a flu during the Winter Festival was not desirable.

So we returned.

I didn't notice at first that someone was in our apartment, but as soon as I came in the door I just froze - pretty much like the snow man I had resembled some minutes earlier. Candles were lit in the entire apartment, festoons hung over the window and above the doors and in the living room section a tall plant had been decorated by a cascade of tiny lights.

I just gaped.

'Welcome back, boys,' Tahl greeted us. 'Now, off you go and clean up a bit and put on dry clothes. The choc is almost heated.'

We both knew that when Master Tahl spoke it was wise to abide so we disappeared into our respective bedrooms to change into dry clothes. I came out in my sleeping pants and a clean tunic while Master Qui-Gon had found a pair of comfortable leggings and a crisp new tunic.

Master Tahl was waiting with three large mugs of steaming hot choc. I don't know what she had done to it but it was a special spicy aftertaste that was different from every other hot choc I had ever tasted before, and it tasted wonderfully together with the spicy biscuits that she'd placed on a plate in the living room.

'Happy Winter Festival,' she said.

And it was. I then realised that my fears about not celebrating the Festival properly had been totally crushed and it seemed to be the best Winter Festival I'd ever had."

 

Sweet recollection of a beautiful time shared with Qui-Gon and the wonderful Tahl Uvain

 

"It's a festival," his Master explained

The Winter Festival is a festival? I have the cleverest master ever, said Anakin. Not.


"Yuck," Anakin grimaced. "Sounds too cold to me."

He's a smart one, that Anakin.


"What do you mean by 'extra nice things', Master?"

You'll learn of some of those when you get older.


so I obeyed the requirement without any comments. It was highly unusual

Highly unusual for Obi-Wan to obey without any comments. Yep, I can see that.


It developed into a full scale snow war in the garden.

It'd be interesting for the Jedi to have snowball fights, because they could use the Force to toss them at each other and never know from which direction one might come.


'Now, off you go and clean up a bit and put on dry clothes.

I'm sure Tahl was more than willing to help Qui-Gon get changed.

Great update. Can't wait for more.

 

I seem to be in the 'awww' section of the year now. The fierce lightsaber duels are really missing

Christmas present chapter coming up. Warning: No Sithly contents.

 

Chapter 12: The Present

"Can we do the same?"

Anakin Skywalker's voice was filled with hope. The tale Obi-Wan had told him about earlier days' Winter Festival had ignited a spark in him. He wanted to experience the warm, comforting feelings of…well…having fun that had shone through his Master's story.

"No, I'm sorry Anakin. We can't." Obi-Wan's answer cut the hope down before it had even began to develop.

"But why…?"

Obi-Wan grinned.

"Actually, we cannot do the same because someone must have seen our ferocious snowball match so the following year the Upper Gardens were thoroughly closed by the beginning of the Winter Festival," he explained. "So our improvised match was a one time experience. That doesn't mean that we cannot have a good time though. We just have to do it in a different way."

And with that the matter was closed.

The following days Anakin tried in several ways to figure out whether his Master had some specific plans for the Winter Festival or not. He soon realised that a secretive Jedi Master was secretive indeed. He heard rumours about something that implied snowball matches but it seemed to be more some kind of tournament than a Master/Padawan thing.

…

Obi-Wan Kenobi on his side was thoughtful. He really wanted to do the same thing for Anakin that Master Qui-Gon and Tahl had done for him. He just didn't know how to do it. The dire truth was that he had no Tahl in his life. Not anymore. What he had was Bant, Reeft and Garen, but neither of those could help him out in this matter. He could not recreate the warm fuzzy feeling Tahl and Qui-Gon's conspiracy had created in himself.

But then again, Anakin wasn't him. Anakin was kind, active and sometimes reckless. Maybe the regular habits of the Temple would be good enough. With a small additive twist to it.

Obi-Wan went to research the lists of active Knights out on missions. Maybe someone would fit his purpose.

The evening before the Festival began, Anakin was basically bouncing on his toes filled with expectations he couldn't put words on. Not even to himself.

Nothing happened.

Not until late that evening.

Obi-Wan knocked on the door to his Padawan's bedroom.

"Anakin, are you awake?"

A muted mumbling on the verge of swearing reached his ears. Like most other growing boys Anakin did not like to be awakened.

"Get up. We have work do do."

A new row of uncomprehendingly sounds came from the bedroom and a very sleepy Padawan opened the door.

"Yes, Master."

The small living room had been transformed into a maze of boxes.

"What…?"

"I said we couldn't celebrate the Winter Festival the same way as Qui-Gon and Tahl and I did, but that doesn't mean we cannot find our own way. Since we have no Tahl, we simply have to do the decoration work ourselves."

Anakin brightened visibly: "You mean…we're gonna celebrate after all?"

"Absolutely," Obi-Wan assured him, "we just have to find our own ways. And decorating our quarters is a good place to start, don't you agree?"

Anakin nodded vigorously. All sleepiness completely gone.

An hour later the small spacings had been over covered with glittering festoons all over the place. A couple of holos with sparkling images of snowfall and dancing wampas were oh-not-so-tastefully placed on the table and in the shelf.

The room looked horrible. The muted earthy colours Obi-Wan was used to (and loved) had been transformed into a glittering cave, almost as shiny as his Padawan's eyes.

"It's wonderful," Anakin declared.

Obi-Wan decided it was worth it. After all the Festival would only last for three days. When he saw the light in Anakin's eyes he would gladly live with the colorful overloaded rooms for that period.

While decorating he'd gone back and forth to the kitchen area and the smell of hot choc sifted out into the spacings.

Anakin looked hopefully up at him: "Can we have some now?"

"Not yet," Obi-Wan explained,"we have a couple of other things we have to do before we can indulge in choc. Put your boots on. And bring the robe too. We're going for a walk. And no, don't peek into the kitchen."

"Oh…"

Anakin looked slightly disappointed but did as he was told. He still hadn't given up hope that the night would imply some kind of snowball fights. He was still curious about the whole snow thing.

They didn't go out. Instead they were climbing stairs and walking through dark abandoned corridors. For a couple of moments Anakin feared that they were lost and would never find their way back to quarters again, but every time Master Obi-Wan seemed to find a new direction.

They didn't stop until they came to a window overlooking the main entrance and with a marvellous view over Coruscant's.

"Master,…is this the place?"

"Yes, Anakin, it is. Even after Tahl died, Master Qui-Gon and I used to go here to see the opening of the Winter Festival when we were on planet. I would very much like to continue that tradition with you, Padawan."

And in that moment Coruscant went black for a few split seconds before it lit up in a full spectre of bright, vibrating colors.

And the snow began to fall.

Anakin was speechless. He had somewhat known what to expect from his Masters story, but seeing it live was something entirely different.

"It's beautiful," he whispered.

"It really is," his Master confirmed while roaming the inner of his robe for something Anakin hadn't noticed. A small bottle and two small mugs came out. Obi-Wan put the mugs on the window sill and poured the steaming dark liquid from the bottle.

"I thought we could have our hot choc up here," he explained, "it sure is cold enough here."

"Happy Festival, Padawan."

"Happy Festival, Master."

They stood in the darkness watching the snow fall and admiring the vibrating colours from the city's closest merchants areas, sipping their choc in quiet contemplation until the peace was disturbed by the quiet buzz of Obi-Wan's comm link. He furrowed his brow and keyed in a couple of words on it after checking his chrono.

"What is it, Master? Is something wrong?"

"No, but we have to continue. There's a place we need to be."

"Where is that?" Anakin demanded to know.

His Master grinned again: "Wait and see."

They returned through the same corridors and stairs they had come, until they were several levels lower then they trailed off and stepped into a turbolift. Then new corridors, brighter ones this time and a new turbolift (up again). Anakin had never seen this part of the Temple before.

"Where are w….?"

"Shhh," Obi-Wan admonished, "this is not an area where we're supposed to be. Usually."

Anakin could see that. The door they had stopped outside clearly declared "No entrance".

Obi-Wan keyed something on his comm and the door opened. A bothan stood inside.

"Knight Kenobi?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan confirmed.

"This is highly unusual but I've been told by my Master that you' and your Padawan are allowed to enter this time only so please do enter before anyone else sees you."

Anakin looked quizzically up at his Master.

"Come, Anakin. Let's follow Padawan San'eeli." Obi-Wan cast another glance to his chrono. "Perfect - we're just in time."

"For what?"

"An incoming call," Obi-Wan explained cryptically. And with that he placed a couple of earphones over his Padawan's ears.

"I believe this conversation requires some discretion," he said, "you have ten minutes before the channel is closed again. Padawan San'eeli and I will wait over there until you're finished."

The last thing he heard before leaving was his Padawan's incredulous voice: "Mom? Is it really you…?"

…

It was a very quiet Padawan who followed his Master back to quarters. Obi-Wan did not initiate any conversation. He had a feeling that Anakin would not like to show too much of the emotions that were rolling through him.

They didn't speak until they were safely inside their apartment again.

By then Anakin had managed to gather some of his composure.

"How did you do that?" he demanded to know. His eyes still glistering with unshed tears but the smile on his face was so wide it almost threatened to reach his ears.

Obi-Wan smiled: "I guessed that talking to your mother for a little while would be a much appreciated Festival Present so I went to the archives and checked with the misson overview list if there were some Knights on not overly complicated missions on or nearby Tatooine. Fortunately Knight Vee was in the vicinity. I managed to contact him and wanted him to find your mother and bring her to the ship so she could net up with the comm center in the Temple. It was just fortunate that Tatooine's day cycle right now is close to the one we have here. It would have been impossible if it was mid-day there. We cannot use our hand held comms for such long distances, but ship to comm center works fine."

"But the slave implant?" Anakin asked.

"Knight Vee is very good at shielding electronics. I was fairly certain he could manage to neutralise the chip for a short period of time until your mother was safely back into it's working range. He was even more sure to it than I. It does also help that Wattoo isn't the most meticulous slave owner on planet."

"She's fine." Anakin said dreamingly. "She's at good health and…I think she's got a friend. She was mentioning someone named Lars…"

Obi-Wan just nodded.

A little while later they were both seated in their living room, this time with a more generous mug of choc. The lights had been dimmed so the sparkling from the decorations was almost bearable. Almost.

Anakin looked up at his Master: "Master Obi-Wan, I think you gave me the most perfect present ever. Thank you so very much."

The answer was a Masterly arm wrapped around his slim shoulders.

"You're very welcome, Padawan."