All right, the next section will be a continuation of this part.
******
Troublemaker, Part 4: Reluctant Parting
"Hey, Obi, Master Jinn's here," Garen said, pointing to the door.
Obi-Wan turned to look, then put down the blocks he was playing with and ran over. "Master!"
Qui-Gon knelt down to talk to him wearing the big smile Obi-Wan always brought out on him. "Hello, Obi-Wan," he said. Seeing Obi-Wan excited always made him so happy, but he was worried he would have to crush that excitement. "I didn't come here to take you with me, Obi-Wan."
"Oh," the little boy said. Qui-Gon's smile faded as he watched Obi-Wan's face fall.
"I came to tell you that I am going away tomorrow."
Obi-Wan's eyes got suddenly large as he looked at Qui-Gon with what might almost have been terror. "Going away?! Why?"
"There are people who need my help, Obi-Wan. It is my duty to give it to them."
"Where are you going?"
"A planet called Nelsa III."
"Are you coming back?" Obi-Wan inquired almost desperately.
Obi-Wan's string of questions evoked a small grin to return. "Of course I will."
The eager questions continued. "How long will you be gone?"
"About a week."
"Oh." Obi-Wan seemed to ponder that for a moment before looking back up. "Is that a long time?"
"No, it isn't. I will come see you when I get back."
"Can I come with you?" Obi-Wan asked hopefully.
Qui-Gon laughed merrily. "I'm afraid you can't."
"Why not?"
"It's too dangerous for little ones."
Obi-Wan pouted. "I'm not little! I'm a big boy!"
"You certainly are," Qui-Gon said with a big grin.
"Will you tell me what happened when you get back?"
"Sure I will. Now you better get back to your friends. I'll see you when I return, in one week. Good-bye, Obi-Wan."
"Bye, Master," Obi-Wan said sadly. Qui-Gon stood, and Obi-Wan turned and reluctantly rejoined the other children. Qui-Gon did not notice the boy watching him leave.
******
The next morning, Bant and Garen sat eating breakfast and talking. Beside them Obi-Wan sat quietly poking at his food. Suddenly he jumped up, drawing Bant's attention. "Obi?"
"I gotta go," he said and ran off, looking very upset.
"Where you goin'?" she called after him, but he was gone. She turned back to Garen, but he just shrugged. "You're a big help!" she said and punched him in the arm. They both giggled.
******
Meanwhile, in the landing bay, Mace and Qui-Gon, a bag hanging from his shoulder, stood next to the ship Qui-Gon would be piloting to Nelsa.
"Are you sure you're ready for this, Jinn? It has been quite a while," Mace said.
Qui-Gon nodded. "More than ready. It's been too long. I've got to get out there again. I'm a Jedi; I have to do my job."
"What about Obi-Wan?"
Qui-Gon smiled at the mention of the child. "He's a big boy. I explained it to him. He won't even notice I'm gone."
Mace gave him a dubious look, but said, "That's good to hear. Well, you'd better be getting along. This mission isn't going to complete itself."
Laughing Qui-Gon headed for the ship until a little voice called out to him.
"Master! You come back here right this minute!"
The laughter died on Qui-Gon's lips when he saw Obi-Wan standing in the bay entrance with tears on his face. He dropped his bag and knelt as Obi-Wan ran to him. "What's wrong, Obi-Wan?"
"Don't go!" he cried.
Qui-Gon gently wiped his tears away. "I have to. People need me."
"What about me?" Obi-Wan whimpered so gloomily that Qui-Gon found it hard not to cry also.
"What about you?"
"I need you. Don't leave me!"
"Obi-Wan, I told you I will come back. I'll always come back to you," Qui-Gon promised. "Always. Do you hear me?"
Obi-Wan wiped his face and sniffled. "Mm hm."
"Now, while I'm gone, I want you to do something for me. I want you to work on your multiplication tables, and when I get back I want to hear them recited perfectly. Will you do that?" Qui-Gon knew Obi-Wan had been having trouble with his times tables, and he needed a task for him to focus on.
"But, Master, it's so hard," the little one protested.
"I know you can do it, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan gathered his confidence together. "Yes, Master. I'll work really hard, for you, Master."
Qui-Gon gave him a big smile. "I know you'll make me proud. Now give me a hug." Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around the Master's neck, and Qui-Gon held him close. "That's my boy." Releasing him from the embrace, Qui-Gon held him firmly by the shoulders. "Now, I want you to go with Master Windu, and I'll see you in a week."
Obi-Wan's face had brightened with the chance to make his Master happy. "Mace, will you take him back, please?"
"Oh, yes, of course, Master Jinn. Come along, Obi-Wan."
Qui-Gon watched for a moment as Mace took Obi-Wan's hand and headed off. Sighing he boarded his transport, his thoughts still centered on Obi-Wan.
******
Troublemaker, Part 4: Reluctant Parting
"Hey, Obi, Master Jinn's here," Garen said, pointing to the door.
Obi-Wan turned to look, then put down the blocks he was playing with and ran over. "Master!"
Qui-Gon knelt down to talk to him wearing the big smile Obi-Wan always brought out on him. "Hello, Obi-Wan," he said. Seeing Obi-Wan excited always made him so happy, but he was worried he would have to crush that excitement. "I didn't come here to take you with me, Obi-Wan."
"Oh," the little boy said. Qui-Gon's smile faded as he watched Obi-Wan's face fall.
"I came to tell you that I am going away tomorrow."
Obi-Wan's eyes got suddenly large as he looked at Qui-Gon with what might almost have been terror. "Going away?! Why?"
"There are people who need my help, Obi-Wan. It is my duty to give it to them."
"Where are you going?"
"A planet called Nelsa III."
"Are you coming back?" Obi-Wan inquired almost desperately.
Obi-Wan's string of questions evoked a small grin to return. "Of course I will."
The eager questions continued. "How long will you be gone?"
"About a week."
"Oh." Obi-Wan seemed to ponder that for a moment before looking back up. "Is that a long time?"
"No, it isn't. I will come see you when I get back."
"Can I come with you?" Obi-Wan asked hopefully.
Qui-Gon laughed merrily. "I'm afraid you can't."
"Why not?"
"It's too dangerous for little ones."
Obi-Wan pouted. "I'm not little! I'm a big boy!"
"You certainly are," Qui-Gon said with a big grin.
"Will you tell me what happened when you get back?"
"Sure I will. Now you better get back to your friends. I'll see you when I return, in one week. Good-bye, Obi-Wan."
"Bye, Master," Obi-Wan said sadly. Qui-Gon stood, and Obi-Wan turned and reluctantly rejoined the other children. Qui-Gon did not notice the boy watching him leave.
******
The next morning, Bant and Garen sat eating breakfast and talking. Beside them Obi-Wan sat quietly poking at his food. Suddenly he jumped up, drawing Bant's attention. "Obi?"
"I gotta go," he said and ran off, looking very upset.
"Where you goin'?" she called after him, but he was gone. She turned back to Garen, but he just shrugged. "You're a big help!" she said and punched him in the arm. They both giggled.
******
Meanwhile, in the landing bay, Mace and Qui-Gon, a bag hanging from his shoulder, stood next to the ship Qui-Gon would be piloting to Nelsa.
"Are you sure you're ready for this, Jinn? It has been quite a while," Mace said.
Qui-Gon nodded. "More than ready. It's been too long. I've got to get out there again. I'm a Jedi; I have to do my job."
"What about Obi-Wan?"
Qui-Gon smiled at the mention of the child. "He's a big boy. I explained it to him. He won't even notice I'm gone."
Mace gave him a dubious look, but said, "That's good to hear. Well, you'd better be getting along. This mission isn't going to complete itself."
Laughing Qui-Gon headed for the ship until a little voice called out to him.
"Master! You come back here right this minute!"
The laughter died on Qui-Gon's lips when he saw Obi-Wan standing in the bay entrance with tears on his face. He dropped his bag and knelt as Obi-Wan ran to him. "What's wrong, Obi-Wan?"
"Don't go!" he cried.
Qui-Gon gently wiped his tears away. "I have to. People need me."
"What about me?" Obi-Wan whimpered so gloomily that Qui-Gon found it hard not to cry also.
"What about you?"
"I need you. Don't leave me!"
"Obi-Wan, I told you I will come back. I'll always come back to you," Qui-Gon promised. "Always. Do you hear me?"
Obi-Wan wiped his face and sniffled. "Mm hm."
"Now, while I'm gone, I want you to do something for me. I want you to work on your multiplication tables, and when I get back I want to hear them recited perfectly. Will you do that?" Qui-Gon knew Obi-Wan had been having trouble with his times tables, and he needed a task for him to focus on.
"But, Master, it's so hard," the little one protested.
"I know you can do it, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan gathered his confidence together. "Yes, Master. I'll work really hard, for you, Master."
Qui-Gon gave him a big smile. "I know you'll make me proud. Now give me a hug." Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around the Master's neck, and Qui-Gon held him close. "That's my boy." Releasing him from the embrace, Qui-Gon held him firmly by the shoulders. "Now, I want you to go with Master Windu, and I'll see you in a week."
Obi-Wan's face had brightened with the chance to make his Master happy. "Mace, will you take him back, please?"
"Oh, yes, of course, Master Jinn. Come along, Obi-Wan."
Qui-Gon watched for a moment as Mace took Obi-Wan's hand and headed off. Sighing he boarded his transport, his thoughts still centered on Obi-Wan.