A/N: I decided to turn this into a group of humorous one-shots showing just how hard it is to become a Jedi. So instead of just 'sitting still is harder than it looks', it's become 'being a Jedi is harder than it looks.' These are all based off the 'Jedi Shorts' created by me and my cousin Laura on many sleepless nights. If anyone has any ideas about a future 'Jedi Short' or a scene they want to see, let me know!
Part 2: Starry Night Reverie
Stifling a yawn, Anakin shifted from one foot to another. It was late, too late to be up when one had an Engineering exam tomorrow, yet here he was standing dutifully beside his Master. A Master who must have lost his mind.
"I heard that," grumbled Obi-Wan glaring at his young protégé.
"Master, you've asked every one of your friends and they either weren't home or downright laughed at you. Let's face it, no one wants to go to see the dumb meteor shower with you. I don't want to see the dumb meteor shower with you! Let's just call it a night! I have to explain how to disassemble and reassemble a Dresselian-style left-handed .97 laser gun tomorrow."
Obi-Wan decided to lean on the door buzzer as he looked down on his Padawan. He knew Bant was home, he heard her humming before she sensed his presence and stopped. He cocked an eyebrow, slightly impressed with Anakin's little speech.
"Been holding that in for a while, have we?" he asked dryly. Anakin stared at his Master as though he had sprouted large green Yoda ears.
"Ever since you tried Master Garen's apartment 12 doors ago."
"You know, you should have more self-control and patience, Padawan." This coming from the Knight who, as a Padawan, once nearly pre-maturely started and thus ended an outnumbered rebel uprising, because he couldn't wait another moment.
"Master, my self-control went to bed 3 hours ago, and my patience made itself some hot chocolate, watched a documentary holo-vid on the life-cycle of Rodian tube worms, and passed out on the couch 2 ½ hours ago."
The other eyebrow went up.
"While that was highly creative and may be logged away for future use at a Council hearing, it was ineffective for winning your argument. Now plea your complaints to that wall over there and remain until I need you."
Anakin followed the finger to the opposite wall and sat down. "Speak Common, Master. I don't know half of those big words you used and I doubt you do either."
His Master crossed his arms and leaned more heavily against the buzzer. Bant would answer this door if he had to stand there all night. "Your whining and back talk will only win you extra lessons. I may decide you need to learn to disassemble and reassemble every Hapan landspeeder of the past century. Besides, I'll have you know that Master Qui-Gon and I went to this meteor shower the last time it was here. It will be a good learning experience for both of us."
Anakin would have given a grumble of acquiescence if only to silence his Master, but the door opened just then. They were now faced with a sleep-deprived, cranky, and currently armed Calamarian. The terrified Padawan sighed in relief as Bant turned her murderous gaze from him to his Master who was grinning in that way that made most of the female population do whatever he asked. However, Bant's feminine side must have gone to bed not long after Anakin's patience for she immediately growled out, "I hate you, Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Obi-Wan's grin never left his face. "Now, now, Knight Bant, hate leads to suffering, remember?"
"Yes. Your suffering! It's 2 in the morning and my Padawan has an Engineering exam tomorrow." At this, Anakin favored his Master with a glare. "What in the world could possess you to lean on my buzzer at 2 in the morning?!"
"Can't a guy come visit his best friend once in a while? You have a mission tomorrow and I won't see you otherwise."
"Correction. I have a mission to go to in 3 hours. If your Padawan weren't present I would kill you, dump your body that not even Qui-Gon could identify, and blame it on Reeft."
The grin faltered slightly.
"But on my home world it is only mid-day."
She blinked. "You don't even know what your home planet is."
"You do; who's to say I don't?"
The lady Knight switched the tone of her voice to one used when speaking to very young and very slow Initiates. "Obi-Wan, there is only one planet that produces Mon Calimarians. You're a human. That doesn't narrow the search down much. Your species is like a parasite on the galaxy that colonizes where it pleases, uses up every possible resource, and moves on to make more babies, colonize more planets, drink all the water, and breathe all the air."
"Wow, thanks for being a friend," he grumbled. Yet, unable to retort to such a scientific find, Obi-Wan resorted to another mode of argument. He changed the subject completely. "Alright, Bant, you win. I really wanted to see if you and Yana wanted to observe the Betius Meteor Shower with Anakin and I in the South Observatory."
For a moment, Anakin thought Bant would turn on the lightsaber in her hand and kill his Master whether he was present or not. But then to his total amazement and horror, her fiery silver glare slowly softened and her snarl widened into a smile. No, not a smile, a full fledged grin. Oh Force, not her too.
"Oh Force, not you too," Obi-Wan grumbled, resigned to his fate.
"But Obi-Wan, really!" she couldn't keep in her giggles any longer. "Qui-Gon's expression! And the whole set-up! Your delivery! Who else did you ask? Tell me you asked the others!"
The humiliated Knight sighed. "I asked Garen, Fa'lyn, Char'nea, Aarmandas, and Sahkie as well as their respective Padawans. Happy?"
Apparently she was. Bant fairly floated with happiness and mirth. "Wait right there!" Then she disappeared.
Obi-Wan and Anakin glanced at each other in confusion and obeyed the suddenly exuberant Jedi Calimarian. Within moments, a Bant glowing with the emotional high she was on bounced out of her quarters, a bleary eyes 13 year old blue Twi'lek girl stumbling behind her.
"Well then, shall we?" she asked rhetorically before leading the way to the South Tower. At the top of the tower was a panoramic view of the night sky. Yana blinked once, then twice, at her Master. She looked over to Obi-Wan and then to Anakin who shrugged.
"Don't ask me."
"But isn't this your fault in some way?" she asked, yawning. He frowned at the assumption.
"Hey, it wasn't my idea to go star gazing 4 hours before our test. Ask one of our wise and venerable Masters."
Deciding that her own Master had lost her mind, Yana turned to Obi-Wan, who also happened to be her favorite lightsaber instructor. "Master Obi-Wan, why is Master Bant so…"
"Chipper? Well I really don't…"
"Oh come now, Kenobi! Don't be so shy!" Bant chirped. "This is half of the learning experience. If our Padawans don't learn from our mistakes, they are doomed to repeat them. Well, I doubt anyone could repeat a performance like yours…"
"So there's no need in boring them with the story, is there?" he pleaded hopefully. Anakin felt waves of sympathy coming from Yana through the Force. He rolled his eyes. Honestly, he didn't know what the female population of the Temple went all starry-eyed for when it came to his old, cranky, overly serious, anal, strict, evil dictator of a…
-Anakin, thank you for offering to mop the floor tomorrow after your exam.- Obi-Wan muttered over their bond. -And I'll have you know that 27 is not old!-
"Please, Master Bant," pleaded Anakin. "Tell us the story. I love to hear stories of my Master's childhood." Said Master shot a deadly glare at his Padawan who tried not to cringe. The boy knew he was in for it, but by the Force, if he was going down, he was taking Obi-Wan with him! Anything to make his sleep deprivation worth it.
"Whatever happened to your 'support, honor, and obey your Master' vow?" his Master demanded testily.
"What greater honor is there than having tales told about your grand adventures to inspire and teach younger generations?"
Bant smirked. "Anakin can bull about as well as you can, Obi." The older Knight's glare at the nickname and remark only encouraged her further. "Now then, my little Padawans, at the last Betius Meteor Shower…"
10 years ago
"But, Master, it's 2 in the…" the 17 year old's objection died on his lips as they entered the observatory of the South Tower.
Dozens of Jedi, from Initiates in an Astronomy lesson up the ranks to Master Yoda stood or sat in the giant room. Due to the meteor shower, all of Coruscant's air traffic ceased for a 24 hour period. That, coupled with the height of the tower that dwarfed any of the lower levels of the city, made the night sky clear and without obstruction.
The meteor shower certainly was worth the traffic halt and even the 2 a.m. wake up call. Thousands of shooting stars fell down at once, making it seem like the very heavens were crashing down on them.
"Do you approve, Padawan?" Qui-Gon asked almost hesitantly. He knew his student, while highly in tune with the Unifying Force, lacked much when it came to the Living Force. And this was certainly a feel-the-moment type of experience.
"This is amazing, Master!" Obi-Wan breathed, taking in the sight. His Master sighed in relief and a bit of surprise. Xanatos had hated it. He was bored to tears and then fell asleep halfway through the legends behind the shower.
Obi-Wan's blue-green eyes drank in the sight of the cascading meteors. His lethargy a thing of the past. "Thank you for bringing me, Master."
Qui-Gon chuckled. "Of course, Obi-Wan. Now let's find your friends and their Masters. I believe I heard they would also be dragged out of bed for this."
They wandered around the room, Obi-Wan constantly bumping into the odd Padawan or Knight since his focus was on the sky rather than on where he was going. Finally a hand caught his arm, dragging his attention away.
"Good evening, Master Jinn. Hey, Obi-Wan! We thought you'd never get here!" Bant smiled at her best friend. "Isn't it great?"
"Yeah," he agreed. "I've never seen anything like it."
"You were too young to go the last time it occurred," Qui-Gon explained. "7 and 5 year olds would last all of 5 minutes before falling asleep or going stir-crazy." He smiled in memory. "Especially you, young Padawan. I seem to remember a little Initiate crashing into nearly every Jedi in the Temple because he was late to class."
Obi-Wan blushed at Bant's snickers. "I accidentally knocked you and Master Windu into the pond in the garden once, didn't I?"
His Master let out an uncharacteristic snort. "I'll never forget the look on Mace's face when he had to pull a Shimmering Bahli fish out of his boot."
Bant giggled again. "Well you certainly take your sweet time now, don't you, Kenobi? The others were wondering if you had fallen asleep in the lift." With that, she dragged Obi-Wan and his following Master to a spot in the middle where many of his friends and their Masters were sitting.
"Well well, look what the Sith dragged in," remarked a black haired Hapan girl who was laying on her back. She cocked her head to the side so she could see him fully with her remaining good eye. "If it isn't Obi-Wan Kenobi." Obi-Wan grinned. They hadn't seen each other in about a year with both of their busy lives. In fact, it seemed that most of his childhood friends were here in what had to be the first time since they were Initiates.
"Hey, Char'nea! How did your mission go?"
"Fine," she replied. "But my glass eye fell into the Prince's punch at the feast afterwards." Her Master sighed in exasperation.
"I thought he would have a heart attack and then we would have to mediate another war to get a new one in office."
"Well that's better than what happened to us," said Garen Muln as he made a free spot for Obi-Wan and his Master. "I got shot in the arm by the paranoid Senator we were protecting. He thought I was a Changeling enemy spy."
Sahkie snickered at the thought of Garen a Changeling. The boy was half Changeling and half human, yet he still had all the powers given to him by his alien mother. He was currently in his human form which he could hold with little difficulty or concentration.
The next half hour composed of the young friends getting reacquainted as they watched the marvelous meteor shower rain down from the heavens. The Masters let the students talk as they themselves spoke of past missions. Since their Padawans were so close, the Masters had also become close acquaintances out of default.
After a while, Master Tahl got everyone's attention. "Padawans, does anyone know of the Jedi legend behind the Betius Meteor Shower?"
When she got no response, she fell into teaching mode easily. "You all know that the Jedi Temple was first built over 2,000 years ago. Well, when the Temple was first built, the Jedi were a weak Order composed mostly of monks who were born with unusually high midichlorian counts. The Force had just been harnessed by these monks and they decided to form one place where those gifted with exceptional powers could come and learn. Not for another 200 years would the Jedi become an Order of warriors. But one day, the leader of these monks, Master Betius, was killed by a group of protesters who feared the Jedi.
"After he died, a comet appeared in the sky which was named by the remaining Jedi. Comet Betius stayed in the sky for the rest of the week, lighting up the days and nights so the Temple could be finished on time. 10 years later the comet reappeared. After the comet came and went, there was a great meteor shower that lit up the heavens much like the shower you see now. It is said that the Force allowed Master Betius to come back as a comet every 10 years to light the way for those who are lost. The meteor shower you see now is the form of every Jedi to pass through our ranks. They follow Master Betius who guides them to the Force. They shower down upon us to bless us and watch over us. It is said that watching the meteor shower will make your path clear to you."
"I never heard that story, Master Tahl," said Garen. "But it's nice."
"It's very old and not taught often among the students now," she explained. "I think it should be passed on as often as possible, though. A legend like that shouldn't be lost."
A soft tapping noise snapped everyone from their trance-like stare at the stars. The familiar tap of Master Yoda's gimer stick alerted everyone of his presence. "Good evening, Master Yoda," nearly a dozen voices rang out. He smiled gently at the group of Padawans, Masters, and Knights before him.
"Watching the stars, are you? Good, good. Heard you I did, Master Tahl. Told them of the legend of Master Betius and his comet."
"Yes, Master," she said, her sightless eyes turned in the direction of his voice.
"Another such legend is there from my home planet," he said. "A belief there is that if a child is born on a day of a great cosmic event, then blessed his life will be. Born I was at the time of a supernova of a nearby star. Lit the days and nights of my world for weeks it did. It is because of this, they believe, that I was the first discovered of my kind in a century by the Jedi."
"Isn't it strange how people who know very well what is happening in the sky still make up stories to explain it. The monks on Coruscant knew they were seeing a comet passing by that just so happened to coincide with the death of Master Betius," Fa'lyn rationalized. She was an Angel of Iego, yet was oddly logical for her dreamy species.
"A Jedi you are, Padawan Moxian," said Yoda. "Know you do that controls all the Force does. Rarely do things happen with no reason. Believed the monks did that the comet was a manifestation of the Force. See this you do everyday. Why should a comet or supernova be different?"
"Besides," chirped in Bant, "even if you know that the stars are balls are burning gas millions of lightyears away, it's still kind of nice to think of them as a message from the Force or something like that."
"But it's believing a falsity, and Jedi are trained to seek only truth," Fa'lyn countered wisely. "We know the stars are burning balls of gas, so why should we think different of them only because it's more romantic?" Her great wings, white like the rest of her albino body, stretched out for a moment before settling once again below her for an impromptu pillow. The Masters of the Padawans and Yoda let the children debate. It was done with no angry feelings and was good for them to back themselves up logically.
"Jedi are trained to read into occurrences that are simple at first glance," Reeft said, munching on a tala fruit. "We may have been destined to become a group of friends. Or our destines may have laid on different paths and our meeting was only an effect of being brought here around the same time. It could have been fate or coincidence. Who are we to know?"
"We are only to do!" piped back 7 Padawan voices.
"And some beliefs spring from an older tradition," said little Aarmandas. He was only half Iegan, but like Sahkie, he exhibited all the characteristics of his more unusual mother. He grinned, two small venomous fangs poking through. "You can't forget our own traditions on Iego, Fa'lyn. Angels are married on the nights where there are no moons shining. They believed long ago that if they did that, then there would be no problems of the past to mar a new future. They know now that it really wouldn't matter at all which day they married on, because the moons' rays are only reflections of their star. Yet the tradition is still performed today."
"That's so romantic," sighed Bant. Garen and Reeft snickered humorously at the very feminine remark.
"Well it is," she argued. "My people believe that there is one soulmate for each person. When you find that person, it is destiny, and you can never be parted. I've always wondered if the Force chooses people for you to know all your life. Are the Padawans paired with their Masters because of the Master's choice, or does the Force choose the pair before they are even born."
Many of them looked over to Master Yoda for an answer as he usually knew. But he had wandered away once Aarmandas had made his own argument. He was now lecturing some half-asleep Initiates in their 11th Year on the size and velocity of most of the meteors.
"You know what I've always wondered?" came the soft dreamy voice of Obi-Wan. He had lain there for much of the time in a near-meditative trance, lulled by the thousands of meteors. He spoke as he often did when speaking of a vision he had had. All the Padawans and most of the Masters turned to hear what he had to say. He was well-known, even at his young age, for his power in the Unifying Force. Surely he could offer a profound new perspective on the current debate.
"What is that, Padawan?" inquired Qui-Gon gently.
Obi-Wan smiled softly as his gaze was locked only on the heavens above. In a voice so quiet they had to strain to hear it he said, "I've always wondered how they got those ships into those wee little bottles."
There was a moment of complete silence.
Then they all decided to take another moment of silence like the first.
"I mean, those ships are so big, and-"
"Padawan?" forced out Qui-Gon, his face in full wonderment of the non sequitar. The 17 year old tore his blue-green eyes from the ceiling to look over at his Master.
"Yes, Master?"
"Why… what… just… go to sleep, Padawan." He sent a strong Force suggestion over the link that promptly knocked the boy right out.
The giggle started at first from Bant, who was always amused at her friend's antics. Then it slowly spread to Garen, Sahkie, and Fa'lyn. Finally, Char'nea and Reeft joined in with the rest of the Masters. Soon, most of the normally stoic company was doubled over in laughter while Qui-Gon patiently rubbed the bridge of his nose. He felt a headache coming on.
Later on, no one really knew what Obi-Wan had meant by that. There were moments when he really and honestly meant whatever strange thing he said. Other times he had only spaced out for a few minutes and spoke whatever came to mind in order to bring himself back into the conversation. Obi-Wan himself couldn't answer the question as he denied all knowledge of the incident. One thing was for certain, though. It had been a night of deep and profound insights.
Present Day
Bant finished the story with a flourish as they turned the corner into the Southern Observatory. Anakin smiled at the thought of his serious Master who was usually so well put together actually behaving like a normal human being. Ok, so a very silly, very spaced out teenage human being, but one with a pulse anyway. That was a positive change at least.
-You're just dying to clean our whole apartment complex, aren't you?- sent Obi-Wan ushering his Padawan into the room. Bant was much calmer now that she had properly embarrassed her best friend.
The meteor shower was as awe-inspiring as the last time it was here, Obi-Wan decided. True, the Living Force often eluded him, but this was something even he could not miss. His Padawan beside him appreciated the heavens well enough, but couldn't see what it was that had his strange Master so enthralled. Yana yawned again, not looking at the sky. She was too focused on staying awake long enough to follow her Master to a good spot on the floor.
"Obi-Wan! Bant! Over here!"
Many of the old group of friends were already there. Garen waved them over like a young Initiate, never the one to quite act his station. Sahkie and Aarmandas were missing from the group. The former on a mission and the latter stuck doing a report in his quarters. Reeft was also sadly missing, they all noted. He and his Padawan had been killed not a year ago. His ever ready joy and humor would be missed by all who had known him.
Qui-Gon's missing presence was also marked strongly by the young Knight. He should have been here to see the meteor shower.
But it was still good to see so many of his friends again, Obi-Wan knew. Since taking Anakin into his life, he had been unable to do as he would have liked. Raising a boy was hard, especially when he was barely out of boyhood himself. He took it one day at a time, using his own experiences as a guideline. After all, he had learned from the best.
"Master, what are you thinking?" asked Anakin. Obi-Wan had the strangest look on his face as he stared up at the sky. It was sad and searching for something. But his eyes were also happy. Happy to see the meteor shower of course, but for something else as well.
"Not much, Padawan," Obi-Wan answered, a sparkle of mischief in his eyes. The sadness disappeared from his eye as they took their places next to the new generation of Masters and apprentices. "I was just thinking that tonight would be a good night for new perspectives."
"You were always good at that, Obi," teased Garen. Fa'lyn smiled a toothy grin. Her large pink eyes shined.
"Any new deep insights for us tonight, Master Kenobi?" she jibbed.
The Knight stared up at the meteor shower he was so entranced by. He liked to think there were a few more of the meteors up there than last time watching over the Temple. Who cared if they were really burning speeder-sized rocks leftover from an ancient comet that just passed by? Right now, in this moment, they were the souls of Jedi following the first Master. It did not have to be logical to be true.
"Perhaps."
FIN
A/N: Ok, so that wasn't as funny or as short as the original version with Laura, but I like this version better. What do you think?