Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars characters. Siri belongs to Jude Watson and the others belong to George Lucas.
AN: Please read and review!
The hallways of the Temple were silent. So silent that Obi-Wan's breathing seemed to echo down the corridors, though it was not heavy or quickened. He was walking back to his room after going to the kitchen. When he and Qui-Gon had returned from their mission, his Master had went to the debriefing, allowing Obi-Wan a chance to rest. He had fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
While the mission had been successful, the seventeen-year-old apprentice had not enjoyed this mission after the first week. When the weather had been cooperative, and he had found himself more in tune with the living Force, he had been thankful for the mission. However, he and Qui-Gon had been camping in survival shelters for a standard month, and when their tents became ruined due to the environment, they had spent the final three days in cold, never ending rain.
He knew he must have slept for quite some time, since the sky was dark and when they had gotten to their quarters, the sun had just been setting. He also couldn't sense Qui-Gon close by, so he was probably still with the Council. He frowned, wondering what had woken him, until his stomach rumbled again. The pair had been living on rations for nearly three weeks, and Obi-Wan quickly made his decision as of what to do.
After pulling on his cloak, he had slipped out of the apartment, going to the smaller of the two kitchens. The larger one was for cooking the meals for all the Jedi during the regular meal times. The second kitchen was used for times such as these. He knew that when nothing was cooking, there was always some food available to the Jedi, even in the middle of the night. That meant that Obi-Wan was certain he would find something to eat.
The young Jedi found sandwiches kept in a refrigerating unit, with a type of meat, cheese and a few vegetables on it. They looked so appetizing that quickly ate two, finishing it with muja juice.
Satisfied, he started back for his quarters, amazed at how quiet it was. After being surrounded by the sounds from the dense forest, which had been full of life, the silence seemed almost painful. He also found himself enjoying not just that, but also the soft carpet under his boots. He knew that Jedi should not want things such as that, but couldn't help it. It seemed more extravagant than it had when he left.
Thoughts going back to his mission, his responses were delayed when he sensed someone else coming around the corner. He paused midstep, then pulled back a bit further into the shadows. It was a familiar signature to him, and caused him to smile slightly.
Wrapping his cloak a bit tighter around himself, he pulled his hood on and waited. He didn't have to wait long though, as a smaller form crept almost silently along the hallway.
At fifteen, the young girl was in the stage between childhood and adulthood. Her blonde hair was longer than he remembered; now it reached her shoulder blades. However, that had been a month ago, so he wasn't surprised to see that small change. The rest of her features were the same. Bright blue eyes, which were usually attentive, had a distant look, as if she had other things on her mind. She was still the same height, which was the usual height for a fifteen-year-old girl. She was dressed in her typical Jedi tunics, and also wore her Jedi robe.
The surprising thing was the knapsack she wore, which was pulled over one shoulder. It wasn't a small one, which might contain a few items that one might usually take if they were going to be gone for the day. It was a bit larger, and from the way it was positioned, he could tell that the added space was necessary for whatever she was carrying.
Curious, Obi-Wan stepped out of the shadows. "You are up late."
His voice caused Siri Tachi to jump as she turned back to face him. She smirked slightly when she saw it was him. "So are you."
"I was getting some food. We just got back. What is your reason?" he asked.
"Just had some stuff to take care of," Siri answered with a small shrug, which caused the bag to move as well.
"Like what?" he questioned carefully. He knew he could push Siri too far, but they were friends. She would let him go further with his questions than she would with most others.
"You sure a nosey," Siri remarked, one hand on her hip.
"Well, it has been a month. A lot can happen in a month," he pointed out matter-of-factly.
"Yes, it can," Siri agreed, but that was all she said. Her blue eyes stayed on him, sparking with the intensity she carried within herself, and the determination she was feeling.
The two Padawans looked at each other, and it was clear to Obi-Wan that whatever Siri had been doing, it was something she wouldn't share. Everything in her posture showed that. He knew he could attempt to probe her mind with the Force, but her shields were strong. It would also break the trust the two of them had slowly been building over the years, and he didn't want to destroy that. Not after working so hard to gain her trust.
"Have a good night, Kenobi," she pulled him out of his thoughts giving him a quick nod of her head. "And welcome back," she added as she started down the hallway to the quarters she shared with her Master, Adi Gallia.
Obi-Wan watched her go; wondering about her behavior when something caught his eye. He squinted for a better look. From her bag, there was a piece of material hanging out. It looked like a ribbon. If that wasn't surprising enough, since Siri had never seemed interested in such frivolous items, the ribbon looked to be made of a nice silk like material, and was soft pink in color. What would Siri be doing with ribbons? Why pink of all colors? And what was in that bag?
With those questions mulling over in his mind, he went back into his quarters. He laid back on the bed with his arms folded behind his head, kicking off his boots while he looked up at the ceiling.
Even as he knew he wanted to think about things and meditate a bit, he knew he had to get some sleep. His body was craving it, and he quickly gave in, falling asleep.
The next day Obi-Wan joined a few of his friends in the advanced lightsaber class. The class was always changing, since Padawans were often joining their masters on missions. Garen and Bant were there, as was Siri.
"It has been small for quite some time," Bant reminded Obi-Wan when he commented on the small size of the class. Garen and Obi-Wan were both stretching to get ready for the exercises. Bant had been the first one there and was already stretched to warm up.
"But that isn't too bad," Garen added, as he reached both hands up as if trying to reach the ceiling.
Obi-Wan nodded, hearing them, but his attention was on Siri. She was standing a short distance away from them, as if in her own world. She was on one of the training mats, and was stretching as well. However, it was a stretch Obi-Wan had never seen before. Certainly not one she had learned in any of their classes. She was using the wall for support as she raised her leg slowly behind her, then moved it to the front all without bending her knee. When she put her foot down and saw Obi-Wan looking at her, Siri's blue eyes dropped to the mat and she sat down, starting to stretch in the ways they had been learning for years.
Something had changed with her. She was acting strange. While worried about his friend, Obi-Wan couldn't help but shake his head at the idea that Siri was involved in something dangerous. She was too dedicated to the Order. Then why did he feel the need to find out what she was up to?