Round one (Qui-gon and Tahl)
Summary: Qui-gon comes home to an old friend.
She was waiting for him when he arrived. Not in due at all to a call that the venerable and prudent Jedi had made to her earlier, announcing his imminent arrival…
Or, that is what he planned on saying to Mace should the stern Jedi find them roving the halls after the council meeting. He hadn't yet made up an excuse of why he was dragging his apprentice along. He trusted Obi-wan's quick tongue would come up with an excuse fast enough. For some reason, the boy had become quite the linguist.
One thing I do not loathe him is his position on the council, Qui-gon continued in thought blearily, going back to the subject of his old friend. He took into account that the council members had to be ready to convene with any (or, if the situation demanded it, which quite often it did, every) Jedi team and ruminate on the problems of the galaxy at any time day or night.
And if the chrono had read correctly last time he checked it, it was three o clock in the morning about now.
He had not slept in three days, but he had no intention of sleeping quite yet, foolish as it may have been. He had quite the reputation amongst the temple for being foolish with his actions. Obi-wan was the cautious one…At times. He glanced at his Padawan, walking next to him.
The grave and steady look the still young child's eyes gave him away. He was about to keel over from exhaustion. Obi-wan did not show it, he was seventeen after all, and trained well in self-control and outer imagery.
Qui-gon knew his apprentice would be caught dead before he was caught looking as exhausted as he felt. It would be unfair to drag him along. All the same, Qui-gon was proud of him, Obi-wan had acquitted himself well on this mission, as well as always. He deserved the rest.
Qui-gon Jinn banished his Padawan to exile in the land of sleep with a mere proud glance. The stumbling child, still trying in vain to recover from their hard-won mission, nodded without question.
Years as Qui-gon's apprentice had taught him that at times, he just did not need to know what Qui-gon was doing or where he was going. He had grown wise. With a near flawless bow, he vanished down the opposite corridor, and they took separate paths.
The apprentice walking down the dimly lit halls of the temple towards their quarters while Qui-gon took a detour. Leisurely, the aging Jedi Master continued down the deserted halls.
The pale golden lights that sat snug upon the sterilized white walls of the Temple cast an eerie glow all around, staining everything into golden light. It reminded him of Tahl. Her own tawny skin was this same hue of golden silk.
Qui-gon smiled dully, remembering the explanation that young initiates learned about what the gold of these night lights represented. There was always an explanation of why within the Temple, forever a story, never a gap left. He only wished that at times the why made as much sense as the how and who. The Jedi Order was a stoic lot, dedicated, proud and ultimately, very, very strict.
It was why he, the rebel of old, was always on the move according to his about to be host. At last, he came upon the one door he had been looking for in the expansive labyrinth called his home. The doors to his destination slid open before he had even fully reached them to chime. He stepped in without hesitation, and smiled at the scene that assembled before him.
Through the Force's currents, he felt her, and his heart gladdened. It had been far too long since he had seen his childhood friend. "Its about time you got here," Tahl said, brushing past him from the kitchen to the living area, where she sat elegantly on the ground. His favorite cup of tea lay steaming on the table before the Sabbacc board.
"Where's Obi? Has that child hurt himself again?" Tahl asked softly. Qui-gon snorted at the allusion. Tahl was not a quiet person by nature, though some might have called her coy, the only reasons he lowered her voice low was because of the late hour…And him.
All the same, he was not surprised that her first concern was for Obi-wan. That boy was the one subject of which they could always agree. She being the one who had introduced him to his current apprentice, she took a staunch interest in Obi-wan's welfare. And took any injury he sustained out on Qui-gon's head.
She had known him before Qui-gon after all, a tool which they used to tease Obi-wan unmercifully. Often, they would conduct games to see who knew the child best, it never ceased to make him blush and stammer with embarrassed pleasure.
"He's fine," he replied calmly, striding over to deftly land on his knees at the table. He ignored the creak in his bones. Being a peacekeeper did not lessen the effect of time's wheel, as he was coming to find.
The only light within the room came from two candles. One was behind Tahl, setting a small glow around beautiful auburn locks and large dark eyes. He stared, mesmerized by such angelic beauty, the halo that the Force as well cast from her inner being.
The Living Force sang with natural harmony. He inhaled deeply, feeling his bones ease. A non-Jedi, one who knew such things better, would have called the atmosphere romantic. And in retrospect Qui-gon would have been forced to agree. Tahl possessed such appealing simple beauty that it somehow made him loose his hard-fought self-control and focus, especially at this angle and while he were so fuzzy.
Yet, that image was not to be. They were Jedi. He shifted on his knees, releasing frustration, regret, into the Force. What was not to be was not something he wanted to dwell upon. What was happened to be of more importance. It always was.
He glanced down at the Sabbacc board. They would have to play blind. That was fine with him. He had not beheld Tahl in candlelight in years. Her slim neck caught his attention, the way her skin glowed within the light, or perhaps that was the light glowing within her….
"He sustained no injury, thankfully. But the child is exhausted. I sent him to bed," a pause. "And I faired no harm, either, thanks for asking," he ended. "Oh, I didn't particularly care about you," Tahl lied smoothly, sipping her tea. He cocked a brow at that.
"A Jedi does not tell untruths," he lightly stated. "Nor do they pester their comrades at all hours of the day or night. Really, Qui, one might think you need a babysitter," she quipped with all the dry humor of the aforementioned boy. Qui-gon felt this chuckles vibrate through his body rather than hearing them. Tahl had that affect, and the sweet incense of the candles did little to hinder the situation.
It was a good night for them, those of old friends who had been apart for much too long. And it was leading up to be even better. He could sense it. "That's what Yoda is for, no?" He inquired, Tahl glared at him with open affection. "I'm going to make sure he hears you said that," she threatened.
Qui-gon made a great show of looking unworried, stimulating a laugh from the fair damsel. "Alright, brave man," she continued, shaking her head at him. Her eyes strayed coyly to his tunic and cloak. "Get comfortable," she purred, leaning forward.
"Round one begins now."
Hey guys, I know I haven't been around for awhile! Trust me, it has been hurting me much more than it has hurting you. Thankfully, I have a set date for the release of my newest Jedi Legends installment. Tune in on June 16, 2014 for the start of my new fic, its huge! And to celebrate my hitting the eight hundred page mark, I've posted this. These are just some cute one-shots of various characters that started out as stories but never made it past a few chapters.
~Queen Yoda.