Title: Hidden Underneath
Author: Jedikma
Rated: G
Summary: Obi-Wan helps Siri settle into her new quarters in the Temple and they find something that belonged to a former occupant of the room. This story takes place right after my story "A Night on the Town" but you don't have to read that to follow this one. It also takes place shortly after Siri returns from her undercover mission as a pirate. (Approximately 3 ½ years after TPM)
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but I think you know that already. I'm just here for fun and hope that I will bring enjoyment to someone else.
Hidden Underneath
At Siri's invitation, Obi-Wan entered into the room that was now her quarters in the Temple, only to be surprised at what greeted him. There were several large boxes open and the contents of each seemed to be spread out all over the room. The couch was covered with items; tunics, a cape, the weapons belt Siri had worn when she had been undercover as Zora. On a nearby table was another box that was open with items that spilled over its sides and onto the tabletop. On the floor lay various books, data pads and a number of other odds and ends.
"Did you have a problem with a thermal detonator going off in here?" Obi- Wan couldn't help but rib Siri as he took in the view of her, half submerged into the room's built-in cabinet of shelves.
A sarcastic 'no' issued from inside the cabinet. Then Siri emerged to face him and she raised an eyebrow in an attempt to act irritated. "Actually, there is a good reason the place looks like this."
"You can't just now be moving in? You've been back a couple of weeks, already."
Siri stood up from where she was sitting and brushed her hands on her thighs. "Master Adi finally found my things that I left behind. She had my old room packed up, of course, but knowing I was undercover she saved everything and found some obscure storage place in the Temple for them. It took her this long to find everything and it was all delivered this morning." Siri continued to explain as she let out a sigh, "So here I am trying to find a place for everything."
Obi-Wan looked into the open box on the table. "You know, Siri, you have a lot of possessions for a Jedi." A grin spread across his face.
"Funny." Siri rolled her eyes at him.
Obi-Wan reached into the box, a look of interest registering on his face as he picked up a soft cloth doll with blue button eyes and yellow yarn hair. "You, Siri Tachi, own a doll?"
Siri stared at him blankly. "Apparently it came to the Temple with me. Actually, I'm surprised I was allowed to keep it, but yes, I own a doll." She made a face at her ginger haired friend as she rescued it from his hands.
Obi-Wan looked again into the same box and noticed a pair of child size black shoes tied together with a ribbon. He looped the ribbon through his index finger and raised the shoes out of the box. On closer inspection he realized there were taps on the bottom of the shoes. "These are yours?"
Siri gave a little huff and again rolled her eyes. "Yes," she said in exaggeration. "You know, Obi-Wan, it's very rude to dig through a girl's things."
"Dig through? They are right here in the open for me to view!" Obi-Wan countered defensively.
Siri snatched the shoes off his finger and threw them back into the box. She carefully replaced the doll as well and lifted the box from the table. She brushed past Obi-Wan and took the box into the adjoining room to place it on her sleep couch.
"Come on, Siri. You don't have to be so guarded. What are you afraid of anyway? That I might actually discover that you are quite feminine underneath that tough façade of yours?" His lips sported a smile bigger than any Siri had ever seen grace Obi-Wan's face and there was a devilish glint in his eye.
"Honestly, you act like you have just uncovered the secret of the century, Obi-Wan!"
"And you simply can't stand it! You even wear pink underneath it all."
"How do you know that?" Siri sputtered in disbelief.
Obi-Wan moved over to the couch and leaned down. With one finger he lifted up a soft pink undergarment by it's thin shoulder strap and held it aloft. "I'm just sure this is yours."
"You are just loving this, aren't you?" Siri grimaced as she reached for the camisole.
Obi-Wan snatched it back from her grasped. "Maybe I should take this as proof when I try to tell everyone who the real Siri Tachi is."
"You do that, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and I'll tell everyone it's in your possession because you wanted to borrow it."
Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows and tisked at her. "Now, now, Siri. Anger leads to the dark side."
"And so does blackmail. Now if you would please return that to me." Siri held out her hand.
Obi-Wan returned the garment and she tossed it into the adjoining room and closed the door. She once again turned on her heel and walked past him and he simply watched her expressionless.
Siri stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. "What?" she asked with slight irritation sensing he wanted to say something more, but what he asked instead surprised her.
"Can you actually use those shoes?"
"Can I tap dance? It's been years since I have done it, but I had quite a routine down before I stopped." Siri's blue eyes twinkled at the memory.
"Why did you stop dancing?"
The twinkle in her eyes dulled a little at the memory. "I outgrew the shoes."
"You couldn't get another pair?"
"The Masters thought my time would be better spent on learning my saber moves. Of course, it didn't help that I continually defied them."
Obi-wan was curious about this revelation. "What do you mean?"
Siri let out a small sigh before explaining. "You know the Great Hall with the big staircase here in the Temple?" Obi-Wan nodded as she continued. "It's the perfect floor for tapping. I used to sneak out late at night and tap there. It was the first time I can remember feeling the Force flow through me and I danced for no one but the Force and myself. I loved it, but the Masters didn't and told me more than once that if I didn't stop they would take the shoes away from me. They needn't have bothered. I outgrew the shoes quickly enough and they simply didn't get me another pair." Siri gave him a sad smile. "And thus ended my tapping career."
"That does explain one thing, though." Obi-Wan pointed out thoughtfully as Siri tilted back her blonde head and raised her eyebrows. "That must be why your footwork is so outstanding. Better than any other saber opponent I've ever faced."
"Thank you, Obi-Wan. I never gave it much thought before, really, but maybe so." Siri began to trail off, and then changed the subject. "Now, if you have satisfied your curiosity about my hidden life, I could use your help."
Obi-Wan drew his attention to the present. "Don't tell me. You need to adjust a shelf. I recognized the symptom when I first walked in here and saw you half inside the built-in. Let me take a look."
Obi-Wan sat down on the floor in front of the cabinet and placed both hands on the shelf he had seen Siri struggling with earlier. "This the one?"
"Yes, I really want it down two inches," she informed him as she glanced at his broad shoulders from behind.
Obi-Wan tugged but the shelf didn't budge. "Have you considered just living with it?"
"You're some help, Kenobi! You haven't even tried and I'm surprised you don't want to impress your newly discovered feminine friend with your manliness." The tone in Siri's voice was teasing, but laced with a hint of sarcasm.
"Right," Obi-Wan chuckled as he gave the shelf another tug, but still no budge.
Siri sat down next to him and placed her hands on the shelf alongside his. "Maybe a little teamwork. Do you think we can remember how?" she challenged.
Together they drew on the Force to pull the shelf out of its stubborn position and the shelf began to move. As they attempted to maneuver it, however, it tipped dropping one end into the bottom of the cabinet. The flooring of the built-in tipped up revealing a space underneath.
"I didn't know this was here." Siri looked puzzled at Obi-Wan. She reached down to remove the false bottom only to find something hidden underneath it. "What do you suppose this is?" she questioned as she lifted a rectangular object, covered with a cloth, out of the space.
Siri sat back on the floor and crossed her legs. She gave Obi-Wan another glance and he shrugged his shoulders questioningly as she moved the dusty cloth off the object she was holding. Obi-Wan moved close to her to watch as a wooden box was revealed. It was crudely carved with curling designs and in the middle of the lid was a leather inlay embossed with the name 'Jedi Tahl' and under the name was the word 'padawan' followed by a date.
"Tahl," Siri muttered. "That's right! I remember her. These used to be her quarters at one time." She gave Obi-Wan an excited look. "This box looks like it was carved by a padawan. A gift from a friend, maybe, when she became a padawan." Siri continued to muse as she ran her hands over the top of the box. She looked again at Obi-Wan. He seemed strangely silent, but intent on the box, nonetheless.
"I'm opening it," Siri announced as she lifted the hinged lid of the box. Inside she found a stack of durasheet letters tied with a ribbon, a carved wooden pendant with a leather neck strap and a metal disc perhaps three inches in diameter. Siri picked up the necklace and ran her thumb over the smooth carving. "How pretty," she observed as she showed it to Obi-Wan. "You know, I think this is the Jedi symbol for friendship." She turned it over in her hand and noted the words carved on the back,'Qui to Knight Tahl' followed by a date.
"Look! It's from Qui-Gon Jinn! He must have carved this for her. Maybe he carved the box, too." Siri picked up the stack of durasheet letters and began to untie the ribbon.
Obi-Wan suddenly jerked to life. "You aren't going to read those?" He asked in shock.
"Sure. Why not?"
"They could be private." Obi –Wan was suddenly defensive.
"You mean like all the things in my boxes?" Siri countered with a mock tone in her voice. "Come on Obi-Wan. They are one with the Force and not here to care anyway. Besides, since he was your Master, maybe we were meant to find this."
Siri unfolded the top letter in the stack and read the date. It was the same date carved on the top of the box. Siri continued to read, "Dear Tahl, Congratulations on becoming a padawan. I had no doubt that you would be chosen. Now that we are both padawans maybe we will have some missions together. I made this box just for you in case you find little treasures along the way and need a place to put them. May the Force be with you. Qui-Gon Jinn."
"I hope these letters get more exciting than this," Siri joked as she noticed Obi-Wan shift a little nervously.
Siri's gazed locked onto Obi-Wan's blue-gray eyes momentarily and then a thought struck her. "There was something going on between these two!" Siri suddenly blurted out in the blunt way only Siri could.
"What makes you say that?" Obi-Wan quickly responded.
"Oh come on, Obi-Wan," she said in exasperation, "First of all, Tahl had this little box hidden and you hide things you don't want people to find. Second, you are very edgy and defensive. I can see that without even using the Force. I can only attribute that to the fact you know something and in your loyalty to your Master, you are trying to cover it up."
"They were just good friends. That's all."
"You are a terrible liar, Obi-Wan Kenobi. They loved each other, didn't they?"
"Of course they did. They were best friends since they were eight years old."
Siri narrowed her eyes as she focused on him. "You know what I mean. Their friendship became something deeper. You know it's not the worst thing in the galaxy that could happen to two beings."
"It is if you are a Jedi."
"Says who? The Council?"
"Attachment is forbidden, Siri, or have you been away so long that you've forgotten?"
"I'm well aware of the Code, Obi-Wan, but the Code cannot stop two people from finding love. It only stops them from acting on it. I can promise you that Qui-Gon and Tahl were not the first Knights to love each other and they definitely won't be the last. There are probably two in this Temple right now that love each other. There are probably even two poor saps that are in love but aren't aware of it because they can't allow themselves to even consider such a thing."
"Love is a complex emotion and a Jedi would be wise to hold it at bay," Obi- Wan espoused.
Siri rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. "Obi-Wan, do you honestly think that after all the years Qui-Gon and Tahl knew each other that they wouldn't be able to handle the 'complex emotion' of love? Certainly any mature Knight would be able to do so since we are trained to handle many complex emotions. It's actually very sweet that they realized they loved each other after being friends for so long. Maybe that's the way it should be."
"But they wouldn't have been able to do much about it. Attachment is still forbidden." Obi-Wan said sympathetically, with a hint of sadness in his voice.
"There are a few Jedi that are bonded. It is allowed on occasion. Maybe it would have been allowed for them especially since they were so much older," Siri tried to reason. "Did they approach the Council?"
"Tahl died before they even got the chance, so I guess we will never know," Obi-wan remembered. "Her death was very hard on Qui-Gon and even he almost lost his way on the Jedi path."
"If you're trying to say that because he loved her he almost lost his way, you're still not convincing me that love is a bad thing. A Jedi can lose his or her way for many different reasons," Siri debated. "Love is a matter of control, just like everything else and Qui-Gon, in the end, didn't lose his way. The Code is as much for practical reasons as it is for emotional ones."
Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he looked at her. "Even so, it doesn't need to be common knowledge about Qui-Gon and Tahl."
"Obi-Wan, I'm not in the habit of blabbing." Siri shook her head as she began to remove another letter in the stack.
Obi-Wan quickly plucked the letter from her fingers and moved to put it back in the box. "It's none of our business, Siri. Maybe I should take the box."
"What?! You're not taking the box, it's mine!" Siri said indignantly as she snapped the lid shut and held on to it tightly.
"The box doesn't belong to you!" Obi-Wan argued as he placed his hands on the item in question.
"It was in my room. Finders, keepers." Siri pulled on the box as she spoke through clenched teeth.
"Possession is forbidden, Siri Tachi." Obi-Wan counter tugged.
Siri huffed, "Let go Obi-Wan Kenobi!"
"Tachi, you are the most maddening person I know!"
"You are not behaving like a Jedi, Kenobi!"
"Only you are able to have this effect on me!"
"It's a talent! Now let go!"
"No!"
Their exchange continued as each attempted to pull the box from the other's grip. Finally, they both stopped and just glared into each other's eyes. Then, in a throwback to the days they were always trying to out do each other, they simultaneously gave a forceful tug on the box only to have it fly from both their grasps as Siri fell forward on top of Obi-Wan. They both watched as the box fell open, yards away from them, spilling its contents. The three-inch disc that was housed in the box rolled on its side across the floor until it hit the table leg. It bounced off, landed flat on the floor and turned on. Obi-Wan, flat on his back, froze as he heard his Master's voice drift across the room.
"Dearest Tahl," the voice spoke. "I finally found a voice recorder so I could continue to send that occasional letter. As I speak, I am preparing to take Obi-Wan to Ragoon-6 for survival exercises. I think it will be a great experience for the both of us and I believe Obi-Wan will have a good time."
There was a short pause in the recording, but the voice soon went on in a warm and masculine tone. "I want to thank you, Tahl, for encouraging me to take Obi-Wan back after he left the Jedi. I was a stubborn man who could not see beyond myself and could not open my heart. You were right when you said that Obi-Wan's decision was not about me, but a sincere desire to help the Young of Melida/Daan. His heart is true. He is a very intelligent, generous boy. He also has quite a sense of humor. He is a pleasure to have as a student and I wonder sometimes if I have learned more form him than he has from me. I know now that I would have missed out on great gift if I had not taken him back.
"There is more, though. I know that Obi-Wan will one day be a great Jedi Knight, but I can't help but feel that he will be extremely important to the Jedi. I haven't had a vision or even a dream about this, it is just something that keeps re-emerging in my thoughts on a regular basis. Maybe, I have just become the overly proud Master, but there is something very special about Obi-Wan Kenobi."
The voice started to trail off, but once again sounded and it was filled with affection. "So, thank you, my dear friend, for setting me straight. I owe you one. I look forward to tea when I return and maybe a game of sabaac. Until then, May the Force be with you. Love, Qui-Gon."
The recording turned off leaving the two Jedi friends in stunned silence. Siri was laying half across Obi-Wan's chest and she could feel the soft rise and fall of his breathing but could not sense any emotion from him. She did not try to steal a peek at his face, thinking it may be more kind to give him a moment to himself. She attempted to raise herself from her awkward position and felt a pair of warm hands on her waist gently helping her.
"You aren't going to cry are you, Obi-Wan?" she asked as she reached a sitting position.
Obi-Wan raised himself up on his elbows and cleared his throat before he could answer. "Of course not."
"Good, because I think I am," Siri said and gave him a little smile as she patted her hand on her chest, indicating how touching the moment really was.
With that she got up from the floor and went to gather up the box and its contents. She called the silver recording disc to her hand using the Force and also returned it to the box. "You know, you should have this box," she simply conceded as she handed it to him.
Obi-Wan stood and took the box from her hands. He looked gratefully into his friend's eyes and acknowledged her with thanks.
A few days later Siri returned to her quarters after a long and busy day. She entered, gratefully, looking for a restful evening. Her rooms were now orderly since she had found a place for all her belongings and it was a relief to finally feel 'settled in' and home.
Passing through the door she realized someone had been there before her, but using the Force she knew no one was there now. On the table in front of the couch she found a pair of black tap shoes, her size, with note attached to them. "In case you feel like dancing, again. Or perhaps just feel like annoying the Masters."
Siri chuckled at the thought. Then she noticed a leather string hanging out of one of the shoes. She lifted it and pulled up the necklace Qui-Gon had made for Tahl. "It is pretty" she sighed and turned the necklace over. Something had been added to the inscription on the back. Under Qui's name was carved 'Obi' and under Tahl's name was carved 'Siri'. The year of the date was changed to the year that Siri had been knighted. Siri hadn't mentioned it at the time, but when she first saw the necklace she did notice that the day Tahl was knighted was the same day she, too, was knighted. "How did Obi-Wan know that!" she muttered in wonder.
She then put the necklace around her neck and felt the warmth of the piece spread through her. She leaned back on the sofa and hugged the shoes to her chest and smiled. "Obi-Wan Kenobi," she said to no one in particular, "hidden underneath that stoic proper Jedi façade of yours is a big sentimental softy."
FIN