Troublemaker, Part 10: Monsters and Masters
It was late and as dark out as Coruscant ever got. Master Trajun was checking on the slumbering crechelings when she heard screaming and a young voice calling her name. Before she could get far, a figure ran into the darkened room and hid behind her. Not to the Master's surprise, it was Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"Help me!" he cried.
"What is it, Obi-Wan?"
"There are monsters in my room! They're going to get me!"
Knight Tahl, who had also been watching the younglings, came over and looked down at the shaking boy. "This is what happens when you insist on hearing ghost stories before bed, young man."
"B-but Master Qui-Gon always tells me a bedtime story." One of the children stirred in bed and made a noise. Obi-Wan jumped at the sound. "What was that?"
The women chuckled. "Just one of the babies, trying to sleep, like you ought to be doing," Mola Li said as she made sure the little one was all right.
"I don't think Qui-Gon would allow you to hear about monsters and ghosts, dear little Obi-Wan." Tahl bent and picked him up. "Come on, back where you belong before you wake the whole Temple." He clung to her neck as though his life depended on it, which he felt it did.
"Speaking of Jinn, I'll go call him," Master Trajun said, then left the room.
When Qui-Gon arrived, he met Tahl outside the door to Obi-Wan's shared quarters. She was rocking him to keep him calm. "Mola said Obi-Wan won't sleep. What's wrong?" he asked.
"There are monsters in his room."
Qui-Gon frowned. "Why would he think that? I'll take him now," he said as he reached out.
Tahl pulled away. "I think I can handle an eight-year-old boy. Besides, he's almost asleep."
"Mas... er..." Obi-Wan stirred and reached a little hand for Qui-Gon, who clasped it in his own.
"Don't worry, Obi-Wan, you're safe."
They quietly entered the room, but as soon as Tahl laid his head upon the pillow, Obi-Wan jumped. "No! I'm scared!"
"Do you want me to check for the monsters? If I find any, I'll scare them away."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, pwease."
Qui-Gon checked under the sleepcouch. "Nothing here." He looked under Garen's sleepcouch and under all the others, in the closets, and in the drawers. "All clear, little one. Time to sleep now."
Obi-Wan pulled the covers over his head, and Tahl pulled them down again. "You can't sleep like that."
"But the monsters will get me! Will you stay with me? Please!"
"No, we won't, Obi-Wan. You aren't exactly alone anyway," Qui-Gon said and gestured to the other children.
"But they're asleep... Does that mean the monsters will get them first and I can escape?"
Qui-Gon sat on the sleepcouch and took Obi-Wan's hand. "There is no such thing as monsters, child."
"Uh huh," Obi-Wan said in a doubtful tone.
"Would I lie to you?"
Obi-Wan thought about the question for a moment. "No..." he said half questioningly.
"No, I would not," Qui-Gon affirmed. "Now sleep. We will stay for a moment. Close your eyes."
His Master's gentle voice calmed Obi-Wan and he soon relaxed until sleep washed over him like a cool breeze. Tahl and Qui-Gon slipped out of the room.
They had not gone far, however, when they heard a noise and a cry. Looking back in, they found Obi-Wan with a pillow over him and Garen across the room giggling.
Returning Garen's pillow, they put the two back to sleep.
"At first, I thought I was being attacked by a pillow monster, but it was just Garen," Obi-Wan said.
"Yes, you're both little monsters," Qui-Gon responded. "No pillow fights!"
"Yes, Master," both boys said.
Finally satisfied the night's mischief was over, the Masters exited once again.
"You know, he really takes after you."
"Excuse me?!" Qui-Gon said, raising his eyebrows. "I was never like that."
"Whatever you say, Jinn," Tahl answered laughing.
It was late and as dark out as Coruscant ever got. Master Trajun was checking on the slumbering crechelings when she heard screaming and a young voice calling her name. Before she could get far, a figure ran into the darkened room and hid behind her. Not to the Master's surprise, it was Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"Help me!" he cried.
"What is it, Obi-Wan?"
"There are monsters in my room! They're going to get me!"
Knight Tahl, who had also been watching the younglings, came over and looked down at the shaking boy. "This is what happens when you insist on hearing ghost stories before bed, young man."
"B-but Master Qui-Gon always tells me a bedtime story." One of the children stirred in bed and made a noise. Obi-Wan jumped at the sound. "What was that?"
The women chuckled. "Just one of the babies, trying to sleep, like you ought to be doing," Mola Li said as she made sure the little one was all right.
"I don't think Qui-Gon would allow you to hear about monsters and ghosts, dear little Obi-Wan." Tahl bent and picked him up. "Come on, back where you belong before you wake the whole Temple." He clung to her neck as though his life depended on it, which he felt it did.
"Speaking of Jinn, I'll go call him," Master Trajun said, then left the room.
When Qui-Gon arrived, he met Tahl outside the door to Obi-Wan's shared quarters. She was rocking him to keep him calm. "Mola said Obi-Wan won't sleep. What's wrong?" he asked.
"There are monsters in his room."
Qui-Gon frowned. "Why would he think that? I'll take him now," he said as he reached out.
Tahl pulled away. "I think I can handle an eight-year-old boy. Besides, he's almost asleep."
"Mas... er..." Obi-Wan stirred and reached a little hand for Qui-Gon, who clasped it in his own.
"Don't worry, Obi-Wan, you're safe."
They quietly entered the room, but as soon as Tahl laid his head upon the pillow, Obi-Wan jumped. "No! I'm scared!"
"Do you want me to check for the monsters? If I find any, I'll scare them away."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, pwease."
Qui-Gon checked under the sleepcouch. "Nothing here." He looked under Garen's sleepcouch and under all the others, in the closets, and in the drawers. "All clear, little one. Time to sleep now."
Obi-Wan pulled the covers over his head, and Tahl pulled them down again. "You can't sleep like that."
"But the monsters will get me! Will you stay with me? Please!"
"No, we won't, Obi-Wan. You aren't exactly alone anyway," Qui-Gon said and gestured to the other children.
"But they're asleep... Does that mean the monsters will get them first and I can escape?"
Qui-Gon sat on the sleepcouch and took Obi-Wan's hand. "There is no such thing as monsters, child."
"Uh huh," Obi-Wan said in a doubtful tone.
"Would I lie to you?"
Obi-Wan thought about the question for a moment. "No..." he said half questioningly.
"No, I would not," Qui-Gon affirmed. "Now sleep. We will stay for a moment. Close your eyes."
His Master's gentle voice calmed Obi-Wan and he soon relaxed until sleep washed over him like a cool breeze. Tahl and Qui-Gon slipped out of the room.
They had not gone far, however, when they heard a noise and a cry. Looking back in, they found Obi-Wan with a pillow over him and Garen across the room giggling.
Returning Garen's pillow, they put the two back to sleep.
"At first, I thought I was being attacked by a pillow monster, but it was just Garen," Obi-Wan said.
"Yes, you're both little monsters," Qui-Gon responded. "No pillow fights!"
"Yes, Master," both boys said.
Finally satisfied the night's mischief was over, the Masters exited once again.
"You know, he really takes after you."
"Excuse me?!" Qui-Gon said, raising his eyebrows. "I was never like that."
"Whatever you say, Jinn," Tahl answered laughing.