Part 2
"Oh…M...Master Yoda" Siri stammered, "We didn't see you!"
"Know this, I do!" Yoda answered them. "Always in the force, be attuned, then sneak up on you, no one can!"
"Yes, Master Yoda," both of them said. Obi-Wan's feet slipped a little out of their hands and he shifted a little. Garen frantically grasped his legs more tightly, and Siri grabbed his boots. They found it nearly impossible to retain their composure before the little Jedi Master in such a position, but they made an effort. Both turned toward Yoda, bowing their heads respectfully and tried to look relaxed and casual with their arms wrapped around their friend's legs as though it was an everyday occurrence, just another evening in the Temple.
Yoda looked at them with his wizened old eyes, his ears twitching like antenna, attuned to the waves of the force and glanced at the booted feet the two Padawans held desperately onto. He nodded slightly.
"Hmmph, pull young Kenobi out, you will. Then follow me, you will," he said, beginning to walk back down the hall.
"What's going on out there?" a hollow voice called out. "The sound is kind of muffled in here! Are you talking to someone? "
Siri called down "Hush!" then she and Garen set about tugging on Obi-Wan, their efforts accompanied by Obi-Wan's "ooomphs" and grunts and "Ow! Wait, my sleeve is caught!" Finally he was standing in the hall, brushing dust and dirt off of his tunic and mussed hair. He stood facing his friends, unaware that anyone else was near.
"What's going on here?" he softly demanded. "Why didn't you let me go down there? I could have found the stick!" Siri and Garen vigorously shook their heads at Obi-Wan, Siri making a "be quiet" gesture with her hands.
Yoda had turned again when he heard the commotion.
"You should have let me go down there! I could have found Master Yoda's gimer stick! How are we going to get it back now?"
The two rolled their eyes and stared pointedly at him as Obi-Wan suddenly stopped, understanding dawning on him.
"He's right behind me, isn't he?"
Siri and Garen helplessly nodded yes. Obi-Wan slowly turned around, looked at Yoda who glared at him, his gimer stick in his hand. Obi-Wan's jaw dropped when he saw it.
"How did you get...!" he stopped suddenly, then straightened up and bowed stiffly. "Good evening, Master Yoda."
"Good evening, Padawan Kenobi. Follow me, you three will." He turned and headed back to his apartment, the three padawans dejectedly following.
Obi-Wan glanced as his two companions. "How does he have his….ow!" as both of his friends sharply elbowed him. "Hush!" Siri hissed.
They reached Yoda's apartment where he opened his door, which squeaked a little, and allowed the padawans to enter.
"Hmph, get this squeak fixed, I must," Yoda murmured to himself.
The padawans stood in the center of Yoda's main room, waiting quietly. The ceiling was low, but they could stand in it. They looked at Yoda, and wondered why he didn't say anything. They nervously glanced at each other. Obi-Wan glanced at Yoda's bedroom door and shuddered slightly, remembering the moments he had spent here just a little while ago. He had hoped not to see the inside of Yoda's apartment again for a long, long time. He sighed as Siri inched a little closer to him in support.
Soon there was a soft knock on Yoda's door, and when Yoda said, "Enter!" the door opened, and in walked Qui-Gon, Adi Gallia and Clee Rhara, Garen's master.
All three teens stood astonished; their jaws dropped.
"Close your mouths, you will, young ones!" Yoda said sternly.
Three jaws snapped shut. The masters faced their padawans, arms folded and impassive looks on their faces. Obi-Wan looked at Qui-Gon curiously.
"Isn't he going to say anything?" Obi-Wan wondered to himself. "He told me to do this!"
He knew what his Master had told him about getting caught, but he had hoped Qui-Gon would have said something to help him.
Qui-Gon just stood there with the other masters, looking as though he knew nothing about this escapade. Obi-Wan inwardly nodded his acceptance of the situation. Just like Qui-Gon had said, if they were caught, they must accept whatever punishment Yoda saw fit. He calmly awaited his fate, ready to defend his friends if needed. This wasn't their fault, he reasoned, he pulled them into this. He thought he saw his Master look at him with a hint of approval, but his face remained passive and unreadable. Obi-Wan sighed again.
Adi Gallia spoke first. "Would one of you mind telling us who is responsible for this?"
Two fingers pointed at Obi-Wan. He glanced at them and muttered, "Thanks guys."
Yoda quietly hobbled over to the vent at his ceiling, all eyes following him. He studied it for a moment, and then lowered his head, shaking it sadly. He then slowly walked over to his bedroom door and just stood there a moment, looking in.
Everyone else stood silently, watching him.
Finally he walked up to Obi-Wan, looked at him with ears drooping, eyes sad. Obi-Wan couldn't stand to see Yoda looking at him like that. In spite of the fact that Qui-Gon had put him up to this, he felt ashamed.
"Disappointed in you, I am, young Obi-Wan," Yoda finally said, shaking his head sadly. Obi-Wan's head dropped.
Obi-Wan blushed in shame. "I'm so sorry, Master Yoda..." but Yoda cut him off.
"Disappointed that failed your mission, you have." His eyes glinted at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan looked with surprise at Yoda, who twitched his ears and grinned slyly. Obi-Wan looked up to his Master, whose expression remained unchanged. He looked again at Master Yoda.
"Fail…failed my mission?"
"Failed you did, young one. Failed to take my gimer stick, you did, without waking me," Yoda said.
Obi-Wan looked wide eyed at him, then at Qui-Gon who seemed to be intensely interested in some activity outside Yoda's window, then back down to Yoda, "But, ..but..I didn't wake you Master, you were sound asleep!" Obi-Wan protested.
"Yes, sleeping I was, but aware of your presence I was," Yoda answered him as he tapped Obi-Wan chest with his gimer stick.
"But I was soundless! ..I was..." he looked to Siri for help, who just looked at him sympathetically. Qui-Gon shifted his feet slightly, but remained quiet.
"Like a herd of banthas you were, traipsing around in my apartment, young one," Yoda insisted, tapping a little harder on his chest. Obi-Wan put his hand on the spot where Yoda tapped it, rubbing where it was beginning to hurt.
"But I thought..."
"Thought you say? Hm? No, "Thought" you must not, "Know" you must. Only by knowing will you succeed." Yoda looked at him wisely, a spark of humor beginning to light his eyes. He grinned again. The three teens looked at their Masters' questioningly.
Adi cleared her throat and covered her mouth to hide the grin trying to break free. Clee Rhara began blinking and staring at the ceiling as her eyes crinkled with hidden amusement. Qui-Gon stood with his hands behind his back, the impassive mask finally cracking as his mouth twitched and his eyes sparkled with pent up humor.
The three astonished friends slowly realized they were not about to be killed.
Yoda looked again at Obi-Wan and said, "Stealthy you were not, but stealth you will learn, young one."
Obi-Wan humbly bowed his head. "Yes, Master."
"Master Yoda, how did you know Garen and Siri were also involved?" Obi-Wan asked softly.
"Right in front of me, they are, hmm?" Yoda looked at Obi-Wan incredulously.
Obi-Wan blushed and felt like kicking himself, he felt so foolish. "What a stupid question!" he berated himself silently.
"Hmph. Felt them also, I did," Yoda added. He looked at the Masters. "Teach them better to shield, you should!" He warned them.
All the masters cleared their throats and answered, "Yes, Master."
The three Padawans looked at each other and grinned.
Yoda tapped Obi-Wan again, and he looked at him expectantly.
"Now, show you something I must, Young Obi-Wan. Follow me, you will."
Yoda turned and headed for his bedroom, Obi-Wan followed with Garen and Siri behind him, and the Masters coming last.
Yoda went to his closet door near his night table and stood, looking at Obi-Wan.
"Open it, you will."
Obi-Wan opened the door, and gimer sticks began raining on his head. He shouted, jumped out of the way and caught one in his hand. He looked up at the shelf. The upper shelf of Yoda's closet was stocked with enough gimer sticks to smack every Jedi ankle in the Temple simultaneously. He looked at Yoda quizzically.
"A closet full of gimer sticks?"
"Hmph" Yoda chuckled. "Think you were the first Padawan to go on this mission, do you, hmm?" He chuckled again. "No. Attempted this many Padawans have. Failed, all have. Attempted this as a Padawan your own master did. Failed also, he did."
Obi-Wan looked with surprise at Qui-Gon who glanced at the other masters standing with him. Smiles finally broke free and soon they, including the ever serious Master Adi Gallia, began to chuckle quietly, then laughed harder when they saw the totally confused looks on the teens' faces. The teens looked at them astonished, and suddenly felt as if they had been the butt of some kind of joke.
Siri nudged Obi-Wan and murmured, "This is all your fault, Kenobi. I've never seen my Master act like this!"
"Neither have I," agreed Obi-Wan.
He looked at his friends and shrugged helplessly, a surprised, hopeful grin beginning on his face. He watched his Master expectantly and waited till he and the others' laughter had subsided.
After they gained control, Qui-Gon began to explain.
"Every generation for the last several years..."
"Hundreds of years, hmm?" Yoda intoned.
"Yes, you're right, Master Yoda. For hundreds of years there have been some masters who sent their Padawans on this...er…quest...if you will, as an exercise in stealth to see if they can successfully take Yoda's gimer stick while he's sleeping without disturbing him. No one has been successful to date."
"But what about the reward?" Obi-Wan asked his Master.
"There is no reward, Padawan. No Padawan has ever succeeded. No one can get past Yoda." He laughed again.
Yoda spoke up again. "Hmmph. Much source of entertainment for masters, it is."
"Yes, I can tell," Obi-Wan replied sardonically, glancing again at the masters who by this time had pretty much regained control. Siri and Garen nodded in agreement.
Yoda continued, glancing up at his closet shelf still full of gimer stick. "Failed this mission and lost my gimer sticks, many Padawans have. Learned to keep extras, I did." He smiled impishly at Obi-Wan.
As if to emphasize the point, a gimer stick fell out and hit Obi-Wan on the head.
"Ow!" Obi-Wan said, rubbing his head. His friends snickered. He glared at them, and then looked at his Master, "Why did you send me on this mission if it can't be done?" he asked.
Yoda stepped up to Obi-Wan, drawing his attention.
"Why, say you?" he said, leaning on his gimer stick toward Obi-Wan. "The greatest reward there is, a lesson learned, hmmm?"
"Yes, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said, bowing his head.
"Now, for you and your cohorts, a reward I do have," Yoda said, turning toward his main room again, the others following.
The three teens looked at each other, wondering.
Yoda stopped at his kitchen. "Sit you will. Stew I will give you to eat! Good it is, hmm?"
The teens looked at each other again; distaste clouding their faces for a moment till they saw their masters' stern faces. All three looked at Master Yoda and bowed.
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan spoke for them. "We would be honored. Thank you."
Yoda smiled with satisfaction.
The teens sat at the little table where Yoda served them full bowls of steaming hot stew. They looked at each other, stoic looks on their faces as they took their first bites.
"Told you!" Garen whispered to Obi-Wan, after forcing himself to swallow the foul tasting concoction.
"Told me what?" Obi-Wan asked, stopping to look at his friend, welcoming the brief respite from eating.
"That we were in serious trouble if you were the brains of this operation," Garen answered, smirking.
"Oh? And what would you have done differently?" Obi-Wan wanted to know.
"Me? I wouldn't have attempted it," Garen answered smugly.
"Ah, a padawan with some brains!" Yoda quipped, tapping Garen with his stick. Garen winced, and everyone laughed.
Yoda looked at the masters. "And you, masters, join us for stew you will, hmmm?"
Three laughing masters suddenly became very serious as they tried to make excuses why they couldn't stay.
"This is my Padawan's reward, not mi…" Qui-Gon started to protest, then stopped when he saw Obi-Wan's expectant face and Yoda's stern gaze.
All three masters glanced at each other, and then bowed to Yoda. Qui-Gon said, "Yes, Master, we would be pleased to have some of your stew."
"Hmm. Largest bowl I have for you, Young One," Yoda said, poking Qui-Gon with his gimer stick.
"Ow," Qui-Gon muttered, smiling bravely as he accepted the largest bowl Yoda had. Obi-Wan
snickered and Qui-Gon shot him a look.
"Brat," he murmured. Obi-Wan smiled widely at him.
At that moment there was a knock on Yoda's door. He answered, "Enter, you will, Master Windu."
Mace Windu stepped into the little apartment, took one look at the assembly, and cracked a wide grin. The teens dropped their jaws in amazement again.
Qui-Gon laughed. "One would think they had never seen Master Windu smile before!" he said.
"We haven't," the three teens said at once. This evening was full of surprises.
Master Windu looked at them and said, "Just as I thought. Another attempted gimer stick heist?"
"Another failed attempt it was, yes," Yoda replied.
Mace's gaze swept over the teens, and landed on Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan swallowed nervously.
"Did you get Yoda's gimer stick out of the trash bin, Padawan Kenobi?"
Obi-Wan looked at him in surprise. "No, Master Windu. It was too far down."
"The trash bin?" Qui-Gon asked, eyeing Obi-Wan. He briefly explained what happened to the renewed entertainment of the masters.
Mace chuckled quietly when Obi-Wan finished, then asked, "And has Master Yoda shown you his secret stash?"
Obi-Wan grinned. "Yes Master Windu".
"Good. Now I must return to my duties before I am coerced into staying for dinner." Mace made a hasty retreat, saying goodnight.
After he left, and everyone settled down to Yoda's stew and the enjoyment of each other's company, Siri touched Obi-Wan's elbow.
He turned to her and she whispered, "Well, this was fun. If I had to get into this kind of trouble I'm glad it was with you, Obi-Wan." She nudged him with her shoulder playfully. "You sure know how to show a girl a good time!"
"You think so, huh?" Obi-Wan grinned at her in response and nudged her back. "Just wait till next time. Maybe we'll raid Master Windu's purple sock drawer."
Siri softly answered, "Sounds like fun," and giggled.
At Siri's giggle, Qui-Gon said, "What are those two whispering about over there?"
Garen answered, "Oh, they're just flirting again."
Obi-Wan protested, "We were not! We were just..." He looked around at everyone's' smile and blushed. "Oh, just never mind." Everyone burst out laughing as Obi-Wan put his hand over his eyes, his blush deepening.
Years later, in the far flung reaches of the galaxy, on one of the hundreds of planets torn apart by the Clone Wars, in the middle of a rare quiet, starry night, Obi-Wan Kenobi slipped quietly out of an enemy tent, shields tight, eyes alert, force senses keen to any disturbance around him. He noted the sentry guards nearby, all of which had no knowledge of his presence. He wrapped his robe tightly around him, smiling slightly as he crept silently away, remembering the lessons of a gimer stick from a long time ago.
He reached his campsite, where Anakin and their clone troops rested and watched. Anakin saw Obi-Wan's approach and eagerly asked, "Did you get it, Master?"
Obi-Wan smiled at him, held up the data pad that held the crucial information that would save thousands of lives.
"Piece of sweetcake." he said, quoting his friend Garen. "They never knew I was there."
The End