Saberplay

all the usual disclaimers, only for fun, not for money, George Lucas owns his characters. enjoy!

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It was among the first lessons taught in Jedi training. A Master's light saber may never be touched without permission. But it was the middle of the night and the boy couldn't sleep. The quiet only amplified the thought he had earlier. The boy pulled himself out of bed and padded to the common living quarters. He dragged a chair over to the tall bookcase that dominated the room.

He could just about reach the knob of the polished glass case that housed his master's most treasured possession. It sat alongside heavy volumes of Jedi literature, framed by a wild assortment of art pieces collected from all over the universe. The boy admired the weapon's sleek black outline which gleamed from many careful cleanings. Reaching out his tiny hand, he clicked open the door and slipped the handle off its perch. He flicked the small door shut and backed away from the bookcase. With cautious steps, he walked to the middle of the room, his eyes never leaving the precious handle in his grip. Running his hand over its hard smooth shell, he splayed his fingers over its worn grooves. It had looked so natural in his master's hands. In his, it just felt awkward and huge and, whoops, it almost slipped out of his hand as he attempted to brandish it, as he had seen his master wield it. He wrapped both hands around it.

"As a Jedi Knight, I promise I will fight all the Sith Lords in the universe for you," he growled in his most threatening voice. Hmm, that didn't sound right. He scratched his head. Jedi don't say such sappy things. He caught a glimpse of himself in the hallway mirror and strode over, a fierce scowl creasing his face.

"Surrender your weapon!" he barked at the boy in the mirror. The boy blinked back at him and sneered.

As he shifted his grip, his thumb traced around the red activator button. Dare he? Just one swing with the laser blade on, that's all he wanted. Well, maybe two. Who would ever know? Master was on an off world visit, leaving the boy under Master Windu's care. With his busy schedule, Windu seemed to trust the boy to amuse himself. And behave himself.

Suddenly the blade flashed to life, its green radiance bathing the boy's astonished face in its bright light. With a surprised yell, he dropped it, the clatter of the handle sounding loud throughout the chamber. The boy knew he had not touched the button yet the weapon seemed to flare out on its own, its metallic hum electrifying the air. Then the deadly blade disappeared just as it came. Shaking his head, the boy picked up the handle and held it firmer. Swallowing down the lump of nervousness lodged in his throat, he held his breath and pressed the button.

Nothing happened.

Muttering a curse, the boy squinted at the button and pressed harder. With a soft hiss, the blade blazed into form and the boy smiled at its welcoming glow. The handle emitted a soft tingle that caressed the boy's hand and creeped over his entire body until he felt wired with its energy. He could barely contain his excitement as he raised it in the air and swung it in a mighty arc. A trail of light followed its path, mesmerising the boy. He swung again, this time really high, to impress the boy in the mirror.

So high that he knocked out a prized crystalline sculpture that had been draped from the ceiling.

"Ooops."

He stared in horror as the shiny pieces rained to the ground, a slight acrid smell permeating the air. He was dead meat. He knew it. As ugly as it was, the sculpture was Master's favorite. Panicking, he frantically scooped the broken shards in a pile and tried to fit them back together.

"Hey, Obi-Wan, what are you doing?!"

Obi-Wan jumped at the sharp voice in his ear. He turned away from watching a frantic Anakin to face a smiling Queen Amidala, clad in her handmaiden disguise. He thought for a moment and remembered that she was on a diplomatic visit to Coruscant.

"Shhh, this is getting interesting," he waved her to the monitor. They were standing just outside the entrance to the living quarters Obi-Wan shared with Anakin Skywalker. The wall panel next to the door held a security unit that linked a two-way camera system so that with a code, the occupants could see what was happening outside and inside the quarters.

They watched as Anakin darted out of view and skidded back in onto the floor with a bottle in his hand. He proceeded to pour its contents on the pieces.

"Does he know you're watching? Obviously not. Aren't you supposed to be on Anteriaa anyway, moderating some conference on Sith fighting tactics?" Amidala leaned against the wall.

"Got back just in time to see this. "

"What's he doing with your light saber anyway? He can really hurt himself, you know. I bet he's never held one before."

"I've got it under control. You should've see his face when it came on the first time. These mind tricks come in pretty handy."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, that's no way to teach the boy. You stop spying on him at once! You should be ashamed!" Amidala tried to look stern but could only giggle as she watched Anakin slap his face in frustration after he inadvertently crushed one of the bigger pieces.

"Just a few more minutes." Obi-wan chuckled as he watched a haphazard structure rise from the broken pieces. As Anakin gingerly slipped a big piece into a space, the whole thing collapsed and they could hear his curses through the door as he hurled the bottle of glue across the room.

"I've always hated that sculpture anyway. Ugliest piece of work that could be found on Vaxxon." Obi-Wan switched off the monitor and closed the panel.

"Time for Anakin to meet his punishment," he winked at Amidala.

"What are you going to do, make him go to bed? I hear tell you're a real softie, Obi-Wan. But then you're enjoying being a Master, aren't you?"

"Every bit. Good night, Your Highness." Obi-Wan pressed his passcode into the key pad.

Amidala rolled her eyes and waved her good night as she walked down the hall. The entrance door swooshed open and Obi-wan stepped in just as a crash of glass echoed through the room.

"Anakin!"

"Sorry, Master."

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