KAYWANTHA
by Vicki Vance
Summary: A light mission for Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan turns out to require more involvement than originally planned. Ranges from deep drama to quip humor.
Rated PG-13
Disclaimer: I own nothing, so I am making no profit from this.
Author's note: You get a golden balloon if you can tell me what the meaning of a certain planet's name is. Here's a clue: it has nothing to do with Star Wars.
Obi-Wan wasn't sure if he liked the smell of hospitals. It was definitely clean and germ-free, which he liked, but sometimes the stink of death tainted the lovely scent of antibiotics.
Rushed footsteps fell upon his ears and he looked up at Roemohn's flushed face as he dashed through the hallways. Qui-Gon smiled assuringly at him but it didn't seem to calm him at all.
"My baby," he huffed. "I heard she'd been shot. Is she all right?"
"She's completely fine," Qui-Gon said, patting his arm soothingly. "She's had a dip in bacta, her wounds are healing well."
"Oh, my dear," he said distractedly. He gestured to the shaded window near the door they stood by. "Is she in there?"
"Yes," Qui-Gon said. "I assume you want to see her?"
"Oh, yes, more than anything," he said, pushing open the door. Qui-Gon grabbed his elbow and Obi-Wan's sharp eyes noticed he used more force than necessary.
"She is unstable however," he said quietly. "Emotionally. Why don't you let her talk to you a little bit? And why don't you actually listen to what your daughter has to say?"
Roemohn stared at him in shock and Obi-Wan had a strong suspicion no one had ever told him to do this. Qui-Gon released him and eased open the door.
Obi-Wan followed Qui-Gon who followed Roemohn into the room. Obi-Wan thought that Qui-Gon suspected Roemohn wouldn't really do what he should so the Jedi presence would be that of a mediator.
Pikinel was lying in her bed, sour-faced at seeing her father. Although she looked fairly healthy after the bacta dip, her father hovered over her and he began to fuss.
"My pretty little Pinknose," he said. "What have those awful men done to you? Are you feeling all right? Do you need some cream of ice? Or a shake? Or a-"
Qui-Gon had been meaning to interrupt and had almost at this point but he and the senator were efficiently stopped.
"Shut up!" Pikinel yelled. Her father blinked and stopped. Qui-Gon had been half-expecting it and looked away awkwardly. Obi-Wan jumped. What a violent girl.
"You have got your priorities all wrong, you crazy old man," she cried. "Why do you care about my petty material body when my soul is being ripped apart by what you do?
"I hate you! I hate you, you stupid, brainless man!
"You should have known that when you became a senator that you have a bigger commitment to your people than your family. You should have done everything in your power to ensure that they were happy, well-kept and satisfied. Well, guess what? You didn't.
"You should have never doubted whether Kaywantha was genuine or not. It isn't just a stupid rock. It is a symbol of peace for our people. It was given from one side to the other after the great civil war. Men have died defending it and you have disgraced it! Infected it with your doubts! Our people are doubting themselves! What kind of senator are you, dammit?
"Peace has been destroyed because you are too concerned with material objects. Peace itself has been killed! Do you know what peace is?!"
Silence suffocated the air. Roemohn stared at his daughter, wheels turning in his head. Qui-Gon was relieved the truth had finally come out of the girl. Now if only her father understood...
"I..." he said, not meeting his daughter's burning gaze. "I suppose I don't, Pikinel."
Obi-Wan didn't understand. How could he not know what peace was?
"I mean, I- I know what it is, but don't. I don't understand feelings," he said irregularly. Qui-Gon could tell he was a confused man and this was very hard for him to say. "I don't understand much of anything, except for physical, er, material things. I don't understand what's inside..."
"You understand love, senator," Obi-Wan said suddenly, stepping forward. Three pairs of surprised eyes turned on him. "You have tried so hard to please your daughter, and you never lost hope, even when she rejected you. True, you may not have gone about the best way of doing it, but you tried with all your heart. If only there were more people like you in the galaxy... We'd all be better off."
"I think I see what you mean," Roemohn said. He turned to his daughter. "I- I will return Kaywantha. And I will resign from my senatorial duties."
"No, daddy," Pikinel said. "You're good at being a senator."
"No, darling," Roemohn said. "There is too much I don't understand. Too much I've forgotten about being a person. I need to go home and learn it all over again. And I want you to come home, too."
There was no hesitation.
"Oh, daddy," she said, reaching out for a hug. "I'll go with you wherever you go!"
The sky was red and orange as the sun slunk below the ragged horizon of Mebyl. It was a lovely, soothing sight for sore eyes. Eyes that had witnessed a girl approaching or going through her menstrual cycle. Or so Obi-Wan believed.
But the rogue or most perhaps the most Human part of Obi-Wan didn't believe that fluxuating hormones was the reason for her radical emotional shifts. But, it had been strange to watch as she went from completely angry and rebellious with her father to being loving and passive as a grazer. And one could easily point the finger at girl stuff that should best go unmentioned.
But her change was good, unhindered and pure. As Obi-Wan watched the sunset with his Master, he found himself pondering about whether such a change was in order for him.
He shifted his weight onto his left foot and asked, "Did Roemohn ever discover whether or not the jewel was real?"
Qui-Gon smiled dryly. "It's as false as a Twi'lek's implants."
Obi-Wan chuckled. "All that trouble for nothing."
"I wouldn't say that," came Pikinel's voice from behind them. Obi-Wan turned around and if it wasn't for the railing on the balcony behind him, he would have fallen off.
Wow.
Makeup that had previously been ineptly applied in the wrong colors was now the complete opposite. Subtle, pastel pink shaded her eyelids and pearly white accented and highlighted the area just below her recently re-shaped eyebrows. Her full lips were a deep crimson and appeared as wet as water. Her skin was no longer powdered and the red of her face shone through with an exotic beauty. Her clothes were regal but sporty, a sort of tomboyish style for the impossibly rich.
She was beautiful.
And she was smiling.
Obi-Wan grinned like a brainless idiot right back at her.
Qui-Gon, observing with his sharp eyes, missed nothing
"I needed to come home," she continued, a little embarrassed at revealing her emotions to Jedi. "And dad needed to come home, too."
"The new senator will fulfill his duties, I'm sure," Qui-Gon said.
"He won't have dad's love, though," Pikinel said. "I'm sure no one will ever match his determination."
"It's fatherly love that drives him, Miss Roemohn," Qui-Gon said. "That love is blind, and it often crashes into things," he said as an afterthought.
Pikinel laughed.
Obi-Wan stared.
Wow.
She was so pretty.
Why hadn't he noticed before?
"I must thank you again," Pikinel continued, carefully ignoring Obi-Wan. "You've given me back my happiness."
"You are most welcome," Qui-Gon said, bowing to her. Obi-Wan followed in suit and Pikinel curtsied. Rebine can bumbling toward them, extending a hand to the Jedi Master and the handshake was so hearty it might have chattered Qui-Gon's teeth together. He escorted him to the shuttle and Pikinel fell in step behind them with Obi-Wan.
"You're an amazing person, Obi-Wan," she said so only the two of them could hear. "I can't believe how mature you are."
If he could hear it, Obi-Wan was certain Qui-Gon would have laughed in his face.
"I thank you," she continued. "The galaxy could use more teenagers like you."
"Thank you for the compliment," he said. His nerves were as hard to hang onto as a red-hot lightsaber. He could think of nothing original to say. "I think the galaxy could use more teenagers like you."
"Thank you," Pikinel said. They had reached the ship that would take them back to Coruscant. It was a time for goodbyes, proven by Rebine Roemohn who, despite his slender, fragile appearing form, engulfed Qui-Gon in a bear hug. Then he shook Obi-Wan's hand with the ferocity of a charging gundark.
"Thank you, thank you, my Jedi friends," he said, puffing out his chest with joy.
Qui-Gon started to ascend the walkway. "Come, Padawan," he called to Obi-Wan.
"Wait," Pikinel said quickly. She fumbled with something from her pocket and then pressed a recording rod into his hands, smiling shyly for the first time at him. "Listen to this when you can."
She stepped closer to him and kissed him on the cheek. Fighting the urge to conk her on the head with his club and drag her off to his cave, Obi-Wan maintained his composed features and smiled politely to her. "I will."
Despite his stoic features, Obi-Wan knew his eyes were betraying him because Pikinel's were.
Then he turned and left, ascending the rampway into the ship, up to Qui-Gon who stood waiting. As the ship blasted off, they watched Pikinel and Rebine waving to them until the rest of the planet swallowed them up.
"Well handled, Padawan," Qui-Gon said.
"Thank you, Master," Obi-Wan said. His cheek was still warm from where the muse had kissed him.
Which reminded him...
He took a datapad from the glove compartment of the ship's lounge area and plugged in the recording rod. The sound fuzzled for a moment, then came the oddball sound of the plucking and whiny tuning of a guitar.
"Hey, Obi-Wan," came Pikinel's voice over the gentle sounds. "This is my first, last and only recording and I won't autograph it. Sorry about that.
"Ready guys?"
"Ready!" came a few voices in Basic.
"RARRGRRRRGARGGGHHH!" came the Wookiee.
"One, two, three, four!"
Music like a war blared from the datapad's tiny speakers. Obi-Wan grinned, jerking his head in rhythm to the bass beat.
"You'll hurt yourself," Qui-Gon warned.
"Screw your parents/ screw your teacher/ screw the parking droid that gives you a fee/ screw the boys/ screw the girls/ screw the entire friggin' galaxy! Yeah yeah yeah!"
"Yeah yeah yeah!" Obi-Wan repeated.
"Feminine, isn't she?" Qui-Gon commented.
"Hey girls, tighten your bra/ you need the support you, lack it/ hey boys, loosen up/ take off your pants and jacket."
"Dearie dear me."
Obi-Wan giggled.
"No more of this, young man," his Master warned.
"What, are you worried I'll learn naughty things, Master?"
"I'm afraid you'll learn stupid things, Padawan."
"I couldn't! I'm a Jedi!"
"That doesn't protect you from the stupidity of being Human and a teenager. Your hormones have gotten all riled up because of a kiss, Padawan. Find your center of focus again. And turn it down please."
Pikinel's voice came over the speakers as Obi-Wan turned it down.
"And now, I'll slow things down a little because it seems like a Jedi-ish thing to do.
"Oh Obi/ you rescued me from the bad guys/ who had lice/ oh Obi/ you had your lightsaber a-blazing/ while I was crazin'/ oh Obi/ your Master is really really tall/ he'll trip and fall/ oh Obi/ you are my one and only Jedi/ my head guy/ oh Obi/ la la la la I don't know what to say now/ don't have a cow/ oh Obi/ do good and save the galaxy/ especially me/ oh Obi/ I could keep on going forever/ I'm so clever/ oh Obi/ I gotta admit you're very sweet/ you have big feet/ oh Obi/ your name is Obi/ Wan Kenobi/ oh... O... BEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"
Her voice cracked on purpose.
"She's worse than you," Qui-Gon said, a smile escaping.
"He-ey!" his voice cracked. And he started to laugh. And so did Qui-Gon.
On the recording, Pikinel Roemohn was laughing too.
"Thank you very much! Ahh... my headphones fell off!"
The End