EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE
By Jemmiah
*********
"Look," Jemmiah was saying to Obi-Wan, back peddling out of her bedroom towards the main door of Evla's apartment, "You don't have to come with me. Really you don't. Evla already said goodbye to me this morning before she left for the crèche and I'd really rather not have to go through any unnecessary emotional scenes…"
Obi-Wan, twenty years old, stubborn and resolute, refused to even listen to what she was saying.
"Look, I'd prefer to see you safely to the spaceport." He began.
"There's no point…"
"Or at least to the launch pad."
"Ben, that's only on the other side of the temple!" Jemmiah threw back her head and laughed, hooking her fingers into the belt of her tight, black trouser pants. "Nothing is going to happen to me on the roof of the temple!"
The padawan shook his head, not wanting to cause a scene when one was not needed but unwilling to back down. She was going for four months! To Corellia of all places! Every time she went, even before they had started seeing each other, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon both found themselves feeling anxious as to how her stay with her aunt and uncle might affect her on the girl's return. Would she have turned into a spoiled, rich kid? Would she have made new friends - acquaintances that perhaps she might be better off never forming in the first place? Would she somehow feel less affection for her jedi protectors on arriving home? And now, to top it all, Obi-Wan had to suffer the indignity of wondering whether he would have any Corellian competition over the next four months! Not that he'd ever find out…
//I must accept it all with good jedi grace.// Obi-Wan shrugged mentally, hoping that Jemmiah was mature enough not to let herself be swayed by any boyish swoop-jockeys she should happen across on her home planet. She'd always had a soft spot for swoop racers. //The force bids that we should part for the time being, and besides I have to concentrate on the mission to Ylix. I have to focus on that and that alone…there's no time for an addle-headed padawan.//
"It would make me happy." Obi-Wan insisted. "Please? Indulge me this once. Four months is a long time and I should like to feel that I have at least done my duty in seeing you safely onboard. And Qui-Gon would prefer it too, wouldn't you master?"
Qui-Gon, who had been watching the battle of wills in amused silence finally voiced an opinion.
"Jemmiah…let him do it, please?" He asked diplomatically. "Because if you don't you'll never catch your transport in time."
The Corellian's face contorted in disgust at the way her so-called ally had folded, siding with her boyfriend. So much for support! Qui-Gon knew how much she hated goodbyes and emotional scenes. It was ridiculous, having to put herself through this annual ritual torture, made worse by the fact that she and Obi-Wan were now seeing each other on a rather uncommitted basis.
"Fine." She eyed Qui-Gon balefully. "Let's get going then. Although there's no point. It's only a five-minute journey in the turbo-lift…"
Obi-Wan smiled, delighted that he had actually managed to get her to see his side of things for a change.
"I'll carry your luggage." He said gallantly, looking round the room for any sign of it. "Where is it?"
"There's no need…"
"Don't be silly," Obi-Wan said briskly, perceivably puffing out his chest - much to Qui-Gon's mirth, "You can't carry everything by yourself."
"Ben, I said there's no need…Master J, tell him I'm right!" Jemmiah urged Qui-Gon, who simply smiled and shrugged loosely with his broad shoulders.
"I never interfere in other people's private affairs." Qui-Gon lied sweetly.
She could tell by the way that Obi-Wan had inflated himself with importance that the padawan was not going to be gainsaid. Typical male! It was an unnecessary show of male pride and gallantry…all very well and good but so wasted in this instance. Did it really make him feel big, she wondered, offering to carry her bags? Equality worked both ways - besides she was quite capable of carrying her stuff herself. She wasn't a weakling!
"I insist." Kenobi smiled calmly at her…almost patronisingly so, Jemmiah thought.
"Ben…"
"Where are your cases?" Obi-Wan repeated, already heading towards her bedroom, with Qui-Gon's eyes following his every move.
Jemmiah raised a single, pointed eyebrow. Fine. That was how he wanted to play it, was it? So be it.
"They're on the floor, next to the wardrobe."
Obi-Wan positively swaggered into her room, and Jemmiah waited, counting to ten before she finally heard the strangulated cry of disbelief she'd been waiting on.
"You DON'T mean these???" Obi-Wan's voice soared incredulously.
"I thought you said you wanted to carry my cases?" Jemmiah replied, inspecting her fingernails.
"But I didn't think that you meant…" started Obi-Wan.
"If you don't want to then I'll understand." Jemmiah replied in a tone that implied that not only would she NOT understand, she wouldn't be very happy if he didn't. "I mean…they're as light as a feather and I expect I can carry them. I mean, if it's beyond your humble male pride." She waited a further five seconds before adding, "I can always get Jay to carry them. I'm sure he'd help…"
"There's no problem." Obi-Wan answered a little too rapidly to sound unconcerned by the mild threat left hanging in the air. This time it was left for Qui-Gon to question Jemmiah's motives with an exaggerated furrow of his brow: the Corellian seemed to be finding this far too amusing by half for his liking.
When Obi-Wan finally appeared again it was at a far more sober, sedate pace than the one he had exited the room at, the swagger all but gone from his stride. It was fairly easy to see why.
In each hand there were two huge suitcases: not something out of the ordinary perhaps, however the source of Obi-Wan's discomfort was not in the physical carrying of the cases but more embarrassment at being seen handling such…such…ghastly luggage! What price his manly ego now?
"They're pink!" Obi-Wan remarked distastefully.
"So? Pink's in fashion." Shrugged Jemmiah, not caring in the least.
"With yellow ducks???" Challenged the apprentice, his eyes filled with wounded pride. "I can't be seen carrying pink cases with yellow ducks! Do you know what people will think?"
"Yeah," Jemmy nodded casually, "They'll say 'look at that fool' carrying the girlie baggage.' He looks a bit odd, doesn't he? Still," Jemmiah flicked back her hair with a casual sweep of her painted nails, "if it's too much for your sensitive, male feelings then I'll carry…"
"No!" Obi-Wan huffed, not prepared to give in for a second. Especially not now. "I'll carry them."
"Fine." Jemmy gave everything a last look around, slinging her simple canvas bag over her shoulder and beckoning Qui-Gon out of the room with a nod of her head. "Let's get going, shall we?"
*************
Qui-Gon knew she was up to something. He could always tell. The problem with Jemmiah was that you never seemed to know precisely what it was until it hit you in the face - sometimes literally…
"…I mean, they're not even REAL ducks." His padawan was in the middle of his latest round of complaining. Truth to tell, Qui-Gon hadn't really been paying attention to Obi-Wan's gripes: he'd sort of switched off after the first couple of minutes in the turbo-lift. "They're yellow circles on a garish pink background that have been hand painted to look like ducks!"
"I did that." Jemmy answered, deadpan. "I didn't like the yellow spots. It looked like my cases had some kind of disease, so I changed them into mini-Snordles instead. Did it when I was eleven."
"What on Coruscant possessed you to get them in the first place?" Obi-Wan dared to challenge Jemmiah's taste, something he wouldn't normally attempt unless he wanted a verbal laceration with her razor sharp Corellian tongue. "It's hideous!"
"I like pink!" Retorted Jemmy with a warning growl. "Is that a problem?"
Obi-Wan took a deep breath and calmed himself by degrees, reminding himself that he was doing this for his girlfriend…that he had (like a nerf-brain) volunteered to carry her cases. Now was not the time to argue. He would soon be saying farewell. Four months seemed like such a long time! Being able to say goodbye on the landing pad would be well worth the price he'd paid already in snickers and pointed fingers aimed in his direction as they'd walked through the temple. Even when Dex Berlingside had got in the turbo lift his unusual silence had managed to speak volumes…
"No problem." Obi-Wan conceded, setting his face firmly ahead to where the transport sat, waiting to take Jemmiah into the heart to Coruscant to catch her flight to Corellia. His heart sank slightly as he remembered why they were there. A fond farewell, a chaste kiss from Jemmiah - under Qui-Gon's ever-watchful eye - and then they would be parted for what seemed like a lifetime…
The aircab sat patiently on the temple platform, ramp down.
"I suppose this is it then." Obi-Wan smiled hesitantly, glad to put the luggage down on the ground so that he might enfold Jemmy in his arms for an all to brief hug.
Jemmiah looked at him as if he had offered to drink slug-slime.
"What do you mean?" She demanded. "I thought you said you wanted to see me safely to the spaceport?"
Qui-Gon raised his eyes to the heavens, refusing to smile.
"…To…to the…s-spaceport?" Stammered the padawan as if he had somehow misheard. "But Jemmiah…I can't be seen carrying these 'things' through the busy crowds in the city! Have you any idea how awful that will make me look?!?"
Qui-Gon was about to mention something to the effect that Jemmiah had known right from the word go how bad it would look, but refrained with patience that would have made a saint weep with envy. Obi-Wan looked to his master, and realised - just as Jemmiah had earlier - that he could expect no support from the man whatsoever.
"If it's too much trouble for you I'll just do it myself." Jemmiah pretended to look thoroughly aggrieved, reaching over to snatch the nearest one away. "I guess saying goodbye wasn't as important as you said it was. But as I say, it doesn't matter…" She finished with a heartbreaking sigh.
"N-no…wait!" Obi-Wan protested, hoping that nobody around could see him making an absolute fool of himself, other than his ever-observant master. "Of course I care! It's just that I…" He dropped his eyes to the hideous, badly painted suitcases. He could well imagine the looks he would get, carrying those things about amongst the hardened spacers and well-travelled businesspersons and holidaymakers. Ohhhh…the humiliation! He closed his eyes: knowing fine well that either choice would cause him a whole lot of grief.
"I'll carry them." Obi-Wan decided, forcing a rather weak, lacklustre smile onto his lips.
"You sure?" Jemmy blinked, evidently surprised by his decision.
"Of course." The padawan nodded rigorously as if trying to bolster his own mind. "Master, are you travelling with us?"
Qui-Gon's face remained serene. "Oh, I assure you I would not miss this for the galaxy!"
***********
It had, all in all, amounted to three of the most humiliating hours of Obi-Wan's life.
He'd been winked at in the streets…jeered at by little boys on the way to the spaceport. One rather dubious looking woman - if indeed she had been a woman - had stopped and blown a kiss in his direction! From behind him he could hear the tittering and almost visualise the pointing going on to his back, whilst he continued to lug the sith-awful pink objects around, almost wishing his hands would melt so that he could no longer carry them! Part of him was tempted to tell Jemmiah that he'd had enough…that she could carry her own cases…but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Having made such a song and dance about it earlier there would be no way of retaining any credulity in Jemmy's eyes. That was what it seemed to be all about, after all. Why else had she insisted that they accompany her when she had been so dead set against it to start with? Evidently it was some kind of bizarre Corellian test of loyalty - and it was one the padawan intended to pass with flying colors.
So long as they weren't pink and yellow colors, that was.
Keeping strides with Qui-Gon was difficult but at least Obi-Wan felt suitably motivated. The faster he walked the sooner they got to the docking bay and the sooner he could get rid of the fearful objects! Jemmiah, he noted, seemed somewhat preoccupied these last few minutes, and the force began to cause his skin to prickle uncertainly, as if heralding some as yet unseen catastrophe. A silent Jemmiah, as Qui-Gon had often observed in the past, was very often a bad sign…
"I'll say goodbye here, if that's okay." Jemmy suddenly planted herself before the doors to the departure lounge and reaching out to give Qui-Gon a large bear hug. "No need to follow me any further. I'll be fine, I'm sure."
"Are you certain?" Qui-Gon looked cautiously down at her, returning the hug. "It's no trouble to wait until your flight is ready to depart…"
"No, that's okay." She smiled, genuinely touched by his offer. Qui-Gon knew how she felt about her personal security, and how nervous she sometimes got at having to travel alone - for reasons she didn't want to dredge up. "You two go home."
She turned to Obi-Wan and wrapped him up in a similar, if longer lasting embrace - wondering if Qui-Gon would offer any sort of a comment.
"I'll miss you both." She whispered, although speaking to Obi-Wan as she did so. "Take care of yourselves whilst I'm away. No looking at the lady padawans and knights whist I'm gone or I'll set Rela on you!"
"As if I would!" Obi-Wan smiled fondly, wondering if he could dare sneak a quick kiss.
"You'd better start back then. Oh, and if you could drop my cases off at the recycling store on the way back I'd be most obliged." Jemmy extricated herself from his grasp, watching his puzzled expression grow with every passing second.
Obi-Wan blinked. "Sorry?"
"My cases." Jemmy tagged them with the toe of her boots. "Just drop 'em off on the way back home. You don't mind, do you?"
"I don't understand." Obi-Wan's face twisted into downright bewilderment. "Your cases? Aren't you taking them with you to Corellia?"
Jemmiah treated him to a look that suggested Obi-Wan had lumpy porridge for brains.
"You must be joking!" She replied with a scornful laugh, as if the idea was somehow scandalous to her. "Me? Be seen carrying these? What do you take me for? I DO have some taste you know!"
"But your luggage…" Obi-Wan continued.
"I'm travelling light! All I need is in my shoulder bag, here." She nodded at the strap over her arm. "It's got all my essentials in it. Uncle Kelik says he'll just buy me new stuff when I get there so he said not to bother lugging heavy cases around. The spaceport droids only end up losing it anyway or sending it to a different planet…"
Qui-Gon could have sworn he'd heard his padawan's jaw hitting the floor with shock…but then he had rather walked into it. Every day brought new lessons to learn. This day it seemed was no exception. Quite what that lesson was he couldn't at that moment say, unless it was 'Beware Corellians bearing suitcases'.
"But these…" Obi-Wan looked down at the candy pink and sick yellow cases. "You made me go all the way through Coruscant carrying them! For nothing???"
"You said you wanted to carry my cases." Jemmy shrugged. "I did tell you that it didn't matter but you refused to listen to me, so I didn't want to disappoint you. If you could just drop them off in the recycling depot on the way home, that would be perfect." She reached up and playfully tweaked his nose. "Thanks Ben! See you in four months."
And with a final kiss to the padawan's forehead and a wink at Qui-Gon, Jemmy hoisted her bag over her shoulder, walked through the doors to the departure lounge and disappeared out of sight.
Obi-Wan stood looking down at the cases on the floor in silence.
"You've learned the hard way, padawan." Qui-Gon offered sympathetically. "Never let your pride get in the way."
"But I'll have to carry these back through the streets - in full view of every body!" Obi-Wan replied in total dismay.
"Yes."
"I don't suppose," Obi-Wan looked hopefully at his master, "that you would like to share in the luggage hauling this time?"
"Not really." Qui-Gon admitted, clapping his padawan lightly on the shoulder.
Obi-Wan eyed the baggage with unbridled contempt.
"Is it too late to tell Jemmy what to do with her stuff?" He growled.
The master nodded slowly.
"Well, I don't know if that would be advisable."
Qui-Gon smiled as he looked from the baggage to his padawan and then back again.
"But I'd say you've put forward a colorful case!"