Disclaimer: We all know that Star Wars belongs entirely to George Lucas & Co. As always, I only borrow the characters for my own amusement. (This story more than usual. ;))

Humor is by far the most significant activity of the human brain. – Edward De Bono

Shintaree Days

Chapter 1

"You've got to be kidding!" Jaina regarded her brother. "That sounds too good to be true."

Jacen shook his head. "Not according to the Holocron. Shintaree Days was a celebrated every year by the Jedi. Apparently, it was a celebration of life renewed. And it starts tomorrow."

"Are you telling me that the Jedi knights have celebrated what is in essence an opportunity to play practical jokes on everyone for three whole days?" Jacen nodded.

"For a thousand years, up till Vader killed most of them. Hasn't been celebrated since, or at least I've never heard of it till this morning."

"When you think about it, if you were Uncle Luke, would you want to bring that little tradition up?"

"I guess not."

"You know, Uncle Luke makes such a big deal 'bout preserving traditions and all that, it would be a shame to let this one die out, don't you think?"

" I guess so. Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Yep."

"This'll be fun. See you tomorrow?"

"Count on it."

* * * * *

"You're not serious? This has to be some sort of joke, right? Luke?"

Luke Skywalker grinned at his astonished student. Kyp Durron wasn't surprised easily, and the look of shock on his face was a rare, memorable event, something to savor.

"I am perfectly serious. The council has recently become concerned about the economic state of the smaller, less developed members of the Republic. The time will come soon to act on the matter, and they've asked me to give them a firsthand account of the problems these worlds face. It's a perfectly reasonable request, and one that I can't, in good conscience, refuse." Kyp stopped pacing back and forth long enough to give a disbelieving snort.

"Good conscience, my…" He muttered. At a warning look from Luke, he continued, "…word. You and I both know what this is really about."

"And here I thought you'd jump at the chance to take over for me here." Luke's voice was deceptively mild. "I have complete trust in your abilities and judgement. And after all, I'll only be gone for a few days." Kyp strode up to him and planted a finger squarely in the middle of his chest.

"Do you think I'm dense? You know as well as I do that Shintaree days begin tomorrow."

"Relax, Kyp. This batch of students knows nothing about this particular holiday. The next week is simply an ordinary week for them. The only other person here who knows about Shintaree is Tionne, and she has sworn not to tell a soul." Luke watched Kyp pace some more.

"I will not relax. You know as well as I do that they always find out about it somehow. Do you remember when we found out? It was a week of absolute chaos. I am not going to be anywhere near here this week. Don't you dare drop this on my shoulders while you go off sightseeing. No, I won't do it. Leave Tionne in charge. She's a much better teacher that me, anyways." Kyp pleaded with Luke, desperate. Luke shook his head.

"No, a batch of old Jedi holorecords recently discovered has just arrived in less than stellar shape. Tionne will be quite busy cataloging them and saving the information they contain before they disintegrate completely. I'm afraid you're the only other person available to take my place."

"But…" Kyp sputtered.

"Cheer up, Kyp." Luke smiled. "Think of this as a learning experience. I seem to remember a certain hotheaded young man who dyed his master's hair red one Shintaree. This will give you a little perspective. And if you have any trouble, Chewbacca will be here all week, performing maintenance on the academy's vehicles. Even Jedi are wary of full-grown Wookies." The sound of a ship landing outside distracted him momentarily. "There's Han now. He's offered to escort me on the council's mission. Don't worry, Kyp, I'm sure you'll have a very uneventful time of it."

* * * * *

As Jaina watched her uncle board the Falcon, her gaze rested on Kyp. He stared daggers at the Falcon as it lifted off, then turned and trudged off into the temple, an unhappy and anxious look on his face. Remembering her uncle's orders to heed Kyp as she would himself, she wrinkled her nose. She hoped Kyp…Master Durron, would be in a better mood soon or the next week would be no fun at all. Shrugging, she turned on her heels and walked back to her room. After all, she had plans of her own to work out before tomorrow.

* * * * *

Chapter2

The next day dawned bright and early for Jacen, who was not a morning person. Sitting up, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and staggered over to the refresher and into the shower. The cold water did little in the way of waking him up. Feeling somewhat human, he dressed and left his room, heading to the communal dining area to get some breakfast. As he entered the room, the students close by turned and stared, some making small coughing noises. Still only semi-conscious, Jacen shook his head and got a tray of food. By the time he arrived at the table and sat down next to Tenel-Ka, every person in the room was staring at him and snickering. Embarrassed, he turned to Tenel-Ka and shrugged. "What? Did I forget to comb my hair or something?" he asked, running a hand through his still-wet hair. He stopped in shock and stared at his hand. It was pink. "What?" he sputtered, waking up entirely. His mouth opened and closed several times, and all that came out was "Pink?!!"

"Actually, it's more of a fuscia, I think." Tenel-Ka was, as always, astute. Jacen turned to her, close to panic.

"Please tell me it's only my hands." At the shake of her head, he hesitantly touched his damp face and moaned. "But how…" Narrowing his eyes, he looked around for his sister, who was normally there before him. Today, though, she was conspicuously absent. "The shower… She must have put the dye in the showerhead," he muttered, "What else could I expect from a mechanical genius? But to her own flesh and blood? Just wait… I'll show her…" Breakfast forgotten, he rose and exited the room, still muttering to himself, oblivious to the titters and barely restrained laughter of the students.

Tenel-Ka turned to Lowie and shrugged. "Score: Jaina one, Jacen zero. This should prove to be a very interesting week, indeed."

In a corner of the room, hidden by stacks of unused tables and chairs, Jaina Solo smiled. This had proved to be most entertaining. She could hardly wait for her next plan to fall into place. "Better be careful, though," she thought. The look on Jacen's face as well as the anger she felt from him promised retribution.

* * * * *

Later that morning, the four friends had gathered around Lowie's speeder, talking and laughing. Jaina, as usual, could not keep her hands to herself and was tinkering with the craft, tightening this and that bolt and making miniscule adjustments to the systems.

"You say it's been veering off and accelerating in jumps instead of smoothly?" she asked the lanky Wookie. Lowie nodded in agreement. "Sounds like there's something lodged in the outtake valve." She leaned in for a closer inspection. "Start it up, Lowie," she called. Her friend complied.

With a loud glop, a huge mass of mud came out of the valve opening, straight towards Jaina, who was peering into the valve. With a startled "Oomph," she fell backward, covered with the slimy, pungent mud. Globs of it had attached to her arms, and her face and upper torso were one gigantic mudball. Gingerly wiping her face with her equally dirty arms, she stood and took in the spectacle before her. Tenel-Ka was, as usual, unaffected, but Jacen was rolling on the ground with laughter, and Lowie was whuffing where he stood. Gasping for breath, Jacen grinned at her.

"You should have seen the look on your face when the mud came out of the valve…" he dissolved into laughter again. Jaina glared at him for a moment, then stomped off to clean up before Tionne's afternoon lecture. The others watched her go. Tene-Ka regarded Jacen a moment before turning to Lowie.

"You realize that your assisting Jacen makes you fair game for revenge, do you not?" Lowie nodded, his amusement somewhat tempered by the possible consequences of his actions. "Thus far, the score is even. I predict that will not last long, though."

* * * * *

That afternoon, the students gathered by the river. Jacen was the last to arrive; he snuck in and stayed in the back, hoping no one would notice him. Just as he spotted Lowie and Tenel-Ka sitting in the front, Jaina spotted him.

"Jacen, over here," she shouted, waving at him. The students turned in his direction.

"Gee, thanks, sis," he muttered, then, head held high, he went to join her. The students parted before him, giggling. As he sat down next to her, Tionne and Kyp entered the clearing. Kyp cleared his throat and the students quieted. Kyp gazed over the crowd; when he came to Jacen, he blinked and stared. Jacen thought he could hear a groan coming from the interim Master. Kyp massaged his temples, then began speaking to the assembled students.

"As you all know, Master Skywalker is on a very…important mission and has left me in charge." There was much resignation in his voice. "The most important thing is that his absence not interrupt your training, therefore Tionne and I will try to keep things running smoothly. That is all for now, Tionne will be working you this afternoon, I will see you for the evening meal." He stared at Jacen and was about to add something, but thought the better of it and walked off, still rubbing his temples and muttering.

"What did he say?"

"All I heard was something about a headache and perspective."

"Oh."

* * * * *

Tionne led them to the river for the training exercise. Pointing to several boulders that were in the middle of the stream, she instructed them to jump out to them using the Force to augment their strength. Most of the students were able to make the seemingly prodigious leaps to the boulders. The ones that didn't fell into the water, incentive for future success, Tionne assured them.

"Now," she instructed, "I know most of you have practiced using the Force to move objects, often heavy objects. This excersise is a little more difficult. Lifting a boulder is a crude but effective use of the Force. Now you will learn a more refined technique. The water of the river flows in a continuous stream. Each drop, miniscule on it's own, together makes a substantial body of water." She opened her left hand, revealing a stone. "This stone has a beginning and an end, easily defined boundaries." She bent down and, cupping her hand, dipped it into the stream. "Water has no boundaries, no edges. It is not a solid, crude object." The water leaked through her hand, dripping to the ground. "Today, you must learn how to use the Force to lift the water, to shape it." She gestured and a tiny stream of water flowed into the air and shaped itself into a miniature tree, then flowed back into the river. "Reach through the Force and grasp the water, shape it above your heads. It is not as easy as it seems, I assure you. And remember, the objective is to stay dry."

Jacen concentrated, reaching out through the Force. Tionne was right; this was a lot harder than it looked. The water eluded his grasp, and all his efforts produced were small ripples in the moving water. There! He had found a grip and the water was forming, somewhat reluctantly, into a mass above his head. His grip on it was so tentative, though, that he was unsure of his ability to shape it. He decided on a lightsaber, mostly for it's simplicity. At his sister's triumphant yell, he looked over at her and saw that she had succeeded in creating a miniature version of the Falcon, complete with gun turrets.

"Show off," he muttered, then turned his concentration to his own sculpture. He was so caught up in shaping the elusive water that at first he failed to notice the shifting of the boulder under him. With all of his concentration focused on the water over him, he struggled to keep the boulder steady. As far as he could tell no one was moving the rock with the Force, or he would have sensed it. As the boulder continued to shift, it took all of his effort to keep himself balanced, and his sculpture began to leak all over him. Soon, he gave up on it and tried to keep balanced on the boulder as it began rolling faster and faster downstream. Not sure what was causing it to roll, he didn't know how to stop it. His foot slipped on the wet surface and he lost his balance completely, pitching headfirst into the river.

He came to the surface sputtering, just in time to see the errant boulder crash head-on into another boulder, the one on which Lowie was standing. Facing downstream, and concentrating on his intricate sculpture of Em-tee-dee, the Wookie was caught unawares and found himself airborne. His yowl of surprise was cut short as he hit the water with a huge splash. He came to the surface, a dazed look on his soggy face.

Treading water, Jacen looked back toward his sister, who was still shaping the water above her, seemingly oblivious to the spectacle downstream. But Jacen caught the glint in her eyes and felt the amusement bubbling within her. Suddenly, it dawned on him. Jaina had not moved the boulder itself, she had moved the dirt and gravel underneath it, causing it to roll. He shook his head and swam to shore, meeting Lowie as the Wookie climbed onto the bank. He shrugged. In one fell swoop, Jaina had exacted her revenge on them both. As they walked upstream to meet the others, Jacen was already planning the next move.

"Okay, Lowie, here's what we'll do…" He stopped as a growl emanated from his soggy friend. "What do you mean, what do you mean, we? We're in this together, right?" His friend's reply, when translated, amounted to "Count me out!"

"Fine, be that way!" Tionne eyed them as they joined her on the shore.

"I believe the objective was to avoid getting wet." At a growl from Lowie, she refrained from saying more, instead telling the two to head back and change for the evening meal.

From her boulder, Tenel-Ka watched with curiosity. It seemed that Jaina had more than made up for Jacen's trick earlier. Lowie was right to avoid taking sides. She had a feeling that before Shintaree was over, this prank would seem minor in comparison.

* * * * *

Kyp Durron stared out the window of the temple. From this room, he had an unobstructed view of the river. As he watched first Jacen, then Lowie fall into the water, a small grin flashed across his face. Earlier, he had been walking outside and had seen Jaina, covered with mud, trudge into her room. It seemed that, once again, Shintaree would be celebrated. He didn't know whether to laugh or commit suicide. Memories of his Shintaree days as a student only served to heighten his anxiety. Jedi had the capacity for some truly creative pranks. And if the "wondertwins," as he called Jacen and Jaina, were involved, then there was no knowing what to expect.

* * * * *

Chapter 3

Jaina peered around the door of the dining hall. As far as she could tell, almost everyone was there already, seated at tables and eating contentedly. Her gaze settled on Jacen as he sat with Tenel Ka and Lowie, laughing and chewing. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and, grabbing a tray, joined her friends. Sitting down, she studied her brother carefully. He seemed normal enough. She couldn't tell whether he was up to something or simply Jacen. Oh well, she thought. Might as well take my chances. To her surprise, she was suddenly hungry.

When she was halfway finished and nothing had happened, she relaxed confidant that if Jacen had planned something, it would have happened already. Thirsty, she filled her glass from the pitcher that had been placed at their table. As she drank the cool, refreshing fruit juice, Tionne stood up from the table she was sharing with Kyp Durron and the other instructors. In deference to her, the students quieted and waited for her announcement. Her curiosity piqued, Jaina listened carefully.

"As most of you know, the recent ionic storms in the upper atmosphere have been wreaking havoc with some of the power systems around here. They were minor glitches, but the shield generator station has been experiencing several problems. I feel that it is in your best interest to inform you of what we can expect from now until the storms subside. My knowledge of such devices being minimal, I will now ask one of your fellow students to speak briefly on what is widely considered her area of expertise. Jaina Solo, if you would be so kind?"

At Tionne's gesture, Jaina stood, nervously shifting from foot to foot. She had been totally unprepared for such a request, and her head was spinning. As she cleared her throat before the patient students, a tingling sensation spread from the back of her throat to her mouth and tongue. Licking her suddenly numb lips, she began to speak. To her horror, all that came out was "aruugh ahh." She stood dumbfounded and drooling. Across the room, Tionne frowned.

"Speak up, please Jaina."

"Bla blouhh." Spinning around, Jaina confronted her brother, who was laughing hysterically. "Wha ha youu duh t'bla blouhh?" She realized she was drooling uncontrollably. Shaking her fist at Jacen, she turned and stalked out of the room, leaving in her wake a very amused audience. Tionne was the first to regain her composure.

"I believe that that presentation can wait until tomorrow. Please, continue eating." With that, she sat down and picked up her fork. Across the table from her, Kyp was staring at Jacen Solo, who had just fallen out of his chair and was rolling around on the ground, gasping for air. Closing his eyes, he wondered if that muscle spasm around his eye had could be considered a nervous twitch.

Sitting next to Jacen, Tenel Ka smiled. Reaching up to help her still-chuckling friend back to his seat, she shook her head.

"What did you do to her, my friend?" she asked. Jacen grinned.

"When I was looking for my crystal snake, I accidentally brushed against a purple bush. The place on my hand where I had touched the leaves went totally numb for a couple of hours. I dried a few of the leaves, crushed them, and put a little of the powder in her cup." Noticing the concern on her face, he shrugged. "She'll be fine in the morning." Having finished his meal, he cleaned his place and left the room, still laughing. Lowie growled something at the warrior girl. She nodded.

"You are right, my friend. They seem to be more than a match for each other. I only hope they have sense enough to stay within reasonable limits, or someone will get hurt."

* * * * *

The rest of the night was uneventful. Jacen woke the next morning with a start. Carefully, he sat up and took notice of his surroundings. Nothing seemed amiss with his room. After carefully inspecting the faucets and shower, he cleaned bathed, dressed, and left for breakfast.

When he got to the dining hall, his sister and friends were already present. Grabbing a tray, he sat down beside Tenel Ka. Jaina was almost finished and obviously ignoring him. For a second, Jacen wondered if he had gone too far, then shrugged. She had started it, after all. His conscience assuaged, he turned his attention to the meal before him. A general silence caused him to look up. Tionne had stood and was speaking. After determining that what she was saying had nothing to do with him, Jacen let his mind wander. He grinned in remembrance of yesterday's events.

Suddenly, it felt as if he were sitting on a bed of nails. Gasping, he shot straight up out of his seat, a cry of surprise escaping from his lips. The room had gone silent. All eyes were on him.

"Thank you for volunteering with such enthusiasm, Jacen. I thought I was going to have to assign this task to someone. Report to the food prep area immediately after breakfast." With that, Tionne nodded and sat to finish her meal. The students resumed eating. Jacen remained standing, a confused look on his face.

"B-but I…" Sitting, he turned to Tenel Ka. "What just happened?" She smiled.

"You have just volunteered to spend the entire day peeling half a ton of Iderian onions. The shipment arrived this morning, and they will spoil quickly unless the skin is removed. The cook asked Tionne for some help peeling them, as he has a feast to prepare for." His eyes widened and his face grew pale.

"Iderian onions? But I can't get within five meters of one without my eyes watering up. Besides, those things stink like you wouldn't believe. It takes a long time to get that smell off your skin." He put his head in his hands and groaned. Across from him, Jaina smirked. "You!" As he turned his wrath on her, she laughed and stood to leave.

"Better hurry, Jacen. Wouldn't want to be late for such an important task." She left the room, still chuckling. He watched her go, then sighed.

"I don't know how, but she'll pay for this, somehow, someday." Still talking to himself, he left to report to the kitchen. Tenel Ka and Lowie watched him go, then shared in a burst of laughter.

* * * * *

Later, Jaina stopped by her room long enough to change her clothes for the group session to be held in the jungle. As opened up the door to her closet, a blast of water caught her square in the face. Sputtering, she wiped off with a towel, smiling. "I would have expected more from you, bro." She quickly changed and ran, hoping she wouldn't be late. She barely made it. As she stepped into the clearing where the others had gathered, Kyp and Tionne arrived. She joined her brother and friends, content to listen to her teachers. A soft chirp caught her attention; a small bird had landed on her shirt. She was in the act of gently disengaging it from her hair when a soft whoosh made her look up. A large flock of the same birds were circling directly above her. Curious, she turned to ask her brother about their strange behavior. The wicked smile on his face stopped her dead, and the flock of birds dove straight for her. Stifling a shriek, she turned and ran for the Temple, flailing her arms ineffectively at the birds. Before she was out of sight, several of them had attached themselves to her clothes and hair, cooing contentedly. After staring at his retreating student, Kyp groaned and resumed his lecture, wondering if headaches could be fatal. Tenel Ka turned to a smiling Jacen, a question in her eyes.

"They smelled the nectar on her from kilos away. I hope she stays inside, or she'll attract the entire population for kilometers around."

* * * * *

-Like what you see? Can't get enough? Begging for more? Even if you aren't, if you have any feedback, questions, constructive criticism, flames (not too many, I hope) please let me know. I'm even open to suggestions for further pranks. Fear not, more chapters to follow as soon as I (hopefully) survive finals. Until next time…-