Bed Balls
by ardavenport
–o(((O))) Part 4 (((O)))o–
Master Qui-Gon Jinn opened one deep blue eye.
The bridge of Obi-Wan's nose crinkled with concentration. Qui-Gon sighed.
"You are trying too hard, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan guiltily opened his blue-gray eyes. A crinkle of disappointment remained on his otherwise smooth and youthful face.
"I'm sorry, Master. I feel...distracted."
"That is quite understandable, my young Padawan." After the previous day's successes, Obi-Wan had failed to produce any visions at all, either in himself, or projecting any to Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan had remarkable patience, when he applied himself, but Qui-Gon could sense the frustration creeping into his latest efforts.
It was afternoon. They sat together on a flat, cracked plasti-stone floor next to the remains of a vine-covered wall. The sky overhead was gray and gloomy with clouds.
"Visions do not behave by the ordinary rules that Jedi come to expect when using the Force." Qui-Gon extended his hand. A round pebble on ground lifted up and floated into his waiting palm. "The Force guides our actions as we use it." The small stone rose again. "But it contains many mysteries that cannot be comprehended. Or controlled."
Obi-Wan raised his hand and the pebble floated to him. He snatched the pebble out of the air, holding it tightly in his fist. Then his hand relaxed and opened. The pebble rose in the air again. Qui-Gon watched as his apprentice turned pebble over in a subtle exercise of control. Qui-Gon felt Obi-Wan's thoughts calm, reassured that the Force was still with him in some way.
Qui-Gon smiled as he recalled his own first frustrations with visions. He had demanded of his own Master why Jedi needed to learn such things.
"Because they're there," had been Dooku's stern reply.
That had been the only response he could get from him. Unsatisfied, Qui-Gon had applied himself to studying visions in the Jedi Archives in the Temple, but after many days and nights of searching and respectfully seeking wisdom from several older Masters, Qui-Gon had learned that there really wasn't any better reason for visions than what Dooku had told him.
Visions were simply there in the Force. So, Jedi studied them. And possibly learned from them. Possibly not.
Obi-Wan plucked the pebble from the air with thumb and forefinger. He flicked it away. It bounced off the wall and ticked on the rocks before coming to rest in a patch of tall grass.
"We learn about visions because they are part of the Force. There is no other reason." Obi-Wan nodded, but he did not look happy about the lack of any results for the whole day. Qui-Gon wondered which was worse, when visions came with their hints of cruel self-revelation, or when they didn't, when their absence could be just as disturbing.
Qui-Gon placed his hands on his knees and stood.
"That is all for today," he announced.
Obi-Wan stood. He didn't speak, but Qui-Gon could see that he was relieved. They both bent to pick up their robes, lying in a lump of browns where they'd put them. They shook out the bits of leaves and dirt that inevitably got into the folds before putting them on to go.
–o(((O)))oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo(((O)))o–
Obi-Wan piloted the rented speeder bike into the covered parking area of the hostel. Qui-Gon sat in the passenger seat immediately behind him. It was a modest rental, painted dull gold, not too fast for a speeder bike, but sturdy and good for traveling over rough ground. The simple task of driving it had given Obi-Wan some welcome distraction from the day's failures.
He parked in a reserved space and Qui-Gon took their room ID chit from a pouch and flashed it before an attendant droid that flashed back a yellow affirmative to them. They exited the gray parking enclosure through an open, round door. Rough, woven mats muffled their footsteps in the corridors of the hostel. Lush, green and yellow plants decorated the bases of the pillars; displays of ancient, metal weapons decorated the walls between them. They passed by several rooms with gatherings of guests in them.
Qui-Gon stopped in the lobby as they crossed toward the stairs. He looked about. Obi-Wan followed his gaze around the spacious room, up toward the balconies and the plants hanging from the ceiling. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary.
"Hmm." Qui-Gon seemed to settle on a direction and headed toward an exit that led toward the hostel exercise grounds. Obi-Wan followed. After passing through several corridors, Qui-Gon led him to a wide, double door. The sign over them designated it as the entrance to the hostel fountains. A green-painted droid, that blended in remarkably well with the plants, informed them that the area had been reserved by a hostel guest. It was Touski.
"We are staying together," Qui-Gon told the droid, producing their room ID as confirmation. The droid let them pass. The double doors slid aside and closed behind them.
They entered a spacious courtyard of very wide paths that passed through yellow-flowered, orange plants. Taller green ones with purple and white trumpets grew among them. The area was dominated by as huge, pale plasti-stone hill of slanting, smooth curves. Qui-Gon went to it and began climbing. When they both reached the top, Obi-Wan saw that the hill was actually a bowl with a huge, round pool of blue water in the middle.
It was very nice, but Obi-Wan didn't see anything that looked like a fountain. There was no running water at all. Qui-Gon descended over the curves and bumps of plasti-stone to the edge of the water.
"Very cozy for a Yurthak, though it might be a bit small for a group," Qui-Gon commented as he looked all around. Then he turned and began climbing back up.
"I suggest you get out of the way, Obi-Wan," he said over his shoulder.
"Master? Where's Touski?" Obi-Wan asked, confused. Qui-Gon had reached the top of the bowl again; he raised his eyebrows and pointed upward. Obi-Wan looked.
There was Touski, high above them, purple against the early evening sky, on top of the roof of the hostel, on the end of a platform that extended over the center of the pool.
Suddenly realizing what was about to happen, Obi-Wan leaped up into the air with the Force, flipped over and landed, sure-footed, next to Qui-Gon just as Touski's massive bulk descended and hit the pool.
Even high up above the pool, they were still splattered by a few fat drops from the colossal splash, but the bowl caught the rest of the water, which harmlessly flowed back down the curves into the pool again. Touski popped up with a huge grin on her face. Big waves spread outward from her as she neatly turned over to float on her backside.
"Oh, that felt sssoooooo gooooood!" Touski warbled, her voice thick with pleasure. Her long arms were spread out, keeping her stable as her short legs paddled, her big feet easily propelling her. When she reached the edge of the pool, she just bounced off it with her head and then used one arm to push herself in another direction. She was naked for swimming, but her mottled purple body was as featureless as rest of her as far as Obi-Wan could tell, and he didn't know enough about Yurthak anatomy to know what to look for even if he cared to.
Qui-Gon folded his arms before him and smiled down at their traveling companion as she swam about. Even Obi-Wan was pleased to see her enjoying herself after hearing about the problems with her cousin. Touski was smothering and intrusive, but otherwise a pleasant person and Obi-Wan could almost comprehend why Qui-Gon liked her company.
"We were hoping that you could join us for dinner tonight," Qui-Gon shouted down to her when she'd settled down to simply floating in the pool. Obi-Wan mentally moaned to himself, accepting another meal punctuated with Touski's algae-scented exclamations.
"That would be wonderful," she replied, sighing up at them. She paddled to the edge of the pool and dragged herself up and out with her great, long arms. Then she shook herself dry. It was fascinating to watch. Her body didn't shake, but the muscles under her skin briskly flung the water away in a vibrating wave that went from her head down to her feet. Sighing, she walked up one of the ramp-like curves around the pool.
"Just let me get dressed, and I'll join you," she told them, disappearing over the top. They climbed down from the plasti-stone bowl. Touski came around to them, tucking the thin straps of her green dress into the creases over her arms.
"You look well," Qui-Gon said. "I trust your day went better?"
She stopped before them. Her whole body heaved with a great sigh and then turned from side to side.
"No. It was worse. Yoloski is dying. He wouldn't even survive the trip back to Yurth," she told them, her cheerful voice gone flat. Her whole posture instantly changed from carefree to care worn. Her great, green eye sadly looked down at the ground. Her long arms, normally tucked up next to her body, drooped, nearly touching the ground.
Qui-Gon closed his eyes and bowed his head to her. Respectfully Obi-Wan did the same.
"I am sorry for your loss," Qui-Gon replied.
"Thank-you." Touski rubbed at the base of her eye before slowly proceeding down the path. Obi-Wan expected to be seized in a hug at any moment, but nothing happened as they walked with her.
"Yoloski has a heart infection; it's too advanced to do anything about. The droids were amazed that Yoloski gave the police so much trouble yesterday, but he was always tough. They can only make him comfortable, but he hates the droids and I spent the whole morning finding nurses that he wouldn't try to attack. And who could handle him in case he did."
They exited and Touski released the reserve on the fountain courtyard with the attendant droid outside.
"Then I had to send an emergency com back to my cousins. I got Yumy in person and she'll have to tell all the others. They'd better stop fighting long enough to pick a proper custodian. If Yoloski dies before they sign the papers, most of his estate will go to taxes." Touski spoke of solicitors and the mass of local laws and authorities that she had been negotiating with. Yoloski's assets were apparently scattered over several financial institutions and she hadn't found them all.
Obi-Wan didn't really understand the details, but he listened with sympathy. Touski's tone was so weary that he could not help feeling sorry for her. Qui-Gon laid his hand on her arm as they walked to the dining room.
The serving droid escorted them up to their table. The dining area was only partially filled; it was a little early for dinner. They gave the droid their orders and it left them. Touski sighed. Qui-Gon sat solemnly. Obi-Wan looked about the dining hall. It was a huge, common room with dark green ceiling plants. The walls were unevenly colored in pale grays and browns with fragments of tiled patterns in places, very similar to the 'primitive' decor of the rest of the converted, ancient fort. All the furnishings were made of heavy, coarsely hewn, polished wood.
Something thumped.
Obi-Wan turned to see Touski pushing herself from the table to get up from her cushion. She went to stand between their chairs. Obi-Wan got his arms up out of the way as she picked both of them up out of their chairs to give them that long delayed hug that he had been dreading.
"I am so glad you are here. This would be so much harder, doing this alone." Her feminine voice wavered with emotion. Obi-Wan could only see part of Qui-Gon past the fleshy purple cheek he was pressed into.
He waited, but after a minute he wondered if he should say something. He wondered why Qui-Gon didn't say anything. He kept still, hoping that she would let him go on her own. He didn't want to hurt her feelings by demanding to be let down. Obi-Wan's feet weren't touching the floor, but since Touski was supporting his weight with her enormous hand, he wasn't uncomfortable. Her velvety skin was as soft as bedding and smelled faintly of the plants outside. He wondered if the pool water had been scented.
After another minute Touski made a little whimpering sound, but she didn't move. Obi-Wan wondered how strong she was. He sensed not a bit of strain in her. He closed his eyes. He had avoided looking too closely at Touski; she was simply one of the many odd, stray beings that his Master befriended at times. Now, he couldn't possibly not look at her. He sensed a great, walking reservoir of living energy; cheerful, bright and, at the moment, comforted by his mere presence.
"Are you feeling better now, Touski?" Qui-Gon finally asked.
"Yes," Touski replied. She held them away from her body; even Qui-Gon's long legs dangled over the floor.
"I am so sorry to bring so much sadness into your trip, Qui-Gon Jinn." she apologized.
"The sadness is amply mitigated by your company, Touski," Qui-Gon replied smoothly.
The ends of Touski's mouth twitched upward. Obi-Wan prepared for another hug.
"But I'm afraid you'll have to let us down now. Our food is arriving." Qui-Gon told her.
"Oh!" Surprised, Touski moved her whole body, taking them with her, to see the droid coming toward them through the tables and chairs in the lower dining area, with laden tray and a lifter with her dinner tank following behind it. Touski gently set them down. "I'm so sorry." Obi-Wan glimpsed a few curious patrons looking away, but Qui-Gon, unaffected by the indignity of being cradled in a public place by a heart-sick Yurthak, appeared not to notice as he calmly straightened his dark brown robe. Obi-Wan could not believe that his Master was not aware that people had been watching them. They all resumed their seats.
"I didn't mean to go on like that," Touski told them.
"It is quite understandable," Qui-Gon said.
"We are sorry for your loss. I'm sure your cousin appreciates your help as well," Obi-Wan added.
"Thank-you, Obi-Wan Kenobi," she replied, picking up her napkin and dabbing at her eye. The droid arrived and set up Touski's tank. Qui-Gon lifted an eyebrow at him.
Touski mostly talked about what her cousin was like when he was younger. Wonderful swimmer, managed a beautiful farm, tried out politics once and failed to get elected to a local planning committee, hated children, but grudgingly tolerated (with his brother's help) the hordes of them that the family sent to his farm for holidays. Yoloski had shut down most of the farm after his brother had gone back to Yurth. The air at the table was soon thick with the odor of algae and water life.
At one point Qui-Gon offered to accompany her when she went to the med-center after dinner. Touski consider it but declined.
"I have to see a probate lawyer and an accountant and interview a caretaker for the farm. I really couldn't bear to drag you to all that, too." She slowly shook her head and then adjusted the hose protruding out of one corner of her mouth.
They finished their meal and while Touski went to the fresher, Obi-Wan went with Qui-Gon through the now crowded the tables and chairs of the dining area. They had promised to see Touski off on her evening errands.
They met her in the lobby and she seized them again, picking them up in another huge hug. Obi-Wan tested the Force. It touched his whole being, like Touski's body heat, but it was inside him. He felt it through Touski, to Qui-Gon. He sensed a flicker of recognition from his Master.
Then Touski set them down again, first Qui-Gon, then him, but she paused as her hand released him.
"Hmm." Touski's green eye looked carefully at him. "You feel more like Qui-Gon Jinn, now," she said before saying her farewells and going. Confused, Obi-Wan looked after the Yurthak as she exited, boarding a hired transport, waiting for her outside.
With a curious look on his face, Qui-Gon raised both eyebrows at him.
–o(((O))) End Part 4 (((O)))o–