Author: TemporaryUniverse
Summary: Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Boga take a vacation to a very special place and get a chance at some more healing. Plus a chance to play in the snow.
Character(s): Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Boga the Varactyl
Word Count: 2,720
A.N. An unexpected sequel to This Will End, and Soldier, Poet, King. Dai Bendu translations at the end.
"Jaiehhhhh, how much f-farther?" Obi-Wan whined, not caring that it was childish.
He thought he had a right to be a bit childish, because they had been hiking through knee deep snow for over an hour now, and he was cold, and tired, and Qui-Gon wouldn't even tell him where they were going, which was quite unfair.
Nevermind that he was nearly fifteen, and hardly a crècheling anymore.
Boga, next to him, with her large, wide footpads, was having a much easier time in the snow than he was, even though she was heavier, her weight was more evenly distributed, and she could stay on top of the snow. Obi-Wan had to step in Jaieh Qui-Gon's footsteps, which was difficult due to his Jaieh's longer stride.
Which was to say, Obi-Wan was struggling to keep up with his Jaieh and his varactyl companion and was very irritated by this fact. His knee was also starting to hurt.
"Not much further," Qui-Gon called over his shoulder.
"You said th-that half an hour a-ago," Obi-Wan muttered, wisely quiet enough so Qui-Gon wouldn't hear.
"I heard that."
Obi-Wan stuck his tongue out at his Jaieh's back. So, maybe he'd said it a little too loud. He wasn't wearing his hearing aid so judging his own volume was difficult.
Qui-Gon suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned, and Obi-Wan quickly made his face as innocent and guileless as possible. His Jaieh raised an eyebrow, then shook his head and turned to continue on.
Obi-Wan sighed silently, hefted the pack on his back, and followed, Boga bounding forward to take the lead.
How did she know where they were going?
Finally, they crested a ridge, and Obi-Wan's jaw dropped. Before them lay a massive caldera, the bluest lake he'd ever seen filling its bowl, crystal water reflecting the cerulean of the sky and the scuttering clouds in stunning detail. Snow-dusted trees lined the rim and shimmered in the water's mirror. In the center, there was an island, rising out of the blue like a monument.
"Woah," Obi-Wan breathed.
"Padawan, welcome to Deleko Lake."
"It's beau-beautiful."
"I came here as a Padawan to connect with the nature of my birth planet."
"Wait, this is your birth pl-planet?"
"It is." Qui-Gon gave him a smile, and then started down the slope.
Obi-Wan followed, much more enthused now, despite still being cold and tired. Despite that he was all bundled up in multiple layers of tunics, thermal coat and pants, hat, and gloves, the cold bit at his exposed face, and seeped through his clothing to settle into his bones.
Qui-Gon didn't seem bothered, but then, he knew how to warm himself using the Force, and while Obi-Wan tried to do the same, every time he lost focus, the technique failed him.
Boga didn't seem bothered either, in fact she seemed to be enjoying the snow. Varactyls were warm-blooded, thankfully, but Boga was still wearing a coat and booties for her feet, to help protect her from the cold and ice.
Currently, she was choosing to slide down the slope on her belly, shoving herself along with her front paws and crowing happily. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan slipped and slid after her, making their way down the hill rather gracelessly. At least, Obi-Wan didn't think he looked graceful. Qui-Gon always did, even now.
Obi-Wan didn't always understand his Jaieh, and Qui-Gon didn't make it easy. This had caused no small amount of strife and tension between them, that had culminated a year and a half ago on a war-torn planet called Melida/Daan. After Obi-Wan had returned to Anohrah, broken in body and mind, it had been the start of a long journey of healing between them, and they were beginning to find their way. But Obi-Wan would have no one else as his Jaieh. There was still so much he could learn from Qui-Gon about being a Jedi.
And Qui-Gon had brought him to his birth planet, and that surely meant something, right?
After another half hour, they finally reached the edge of the lake, the clear water lapping gently at the rocks on the shore, and at the dock extending out into the water. A wooden boat was tethered at its far end.
It was to this boat that Qui-Gon led them, and then climbed into.
"Come, Padawan."
"You wa-want us to get in the b-boat?"
"Yes."
Obi-Wan exchanged a glance with Boga, who somehow managed to make a skeptical expression with only varactyl features. Obi-Wan quite agreed.
"What if we c-capsize?" He didn't fancy getting submerged in what was likely freezing cold water. He was well aware of dangers like cold shock, and drowning, and hypothermia. Plus, he could swim, but he didn't know if Boga could.
"We won't capsize." Jaieh Qui-Gon sounded so sure that Obi-Wan couldn't help but trust him.
He got in the boat.
Boga whined and tossed her head, stamping her feet.
"It's alright, Boga Woga. Come on."
She trilled a question, her amber eyes staring at him unblinkingly.
"It's al-alright, Boga, it's just a b-boat."
Boga whuffed and tilted her head, examining the boat. Then, she gingerly set one foot in, then the other, and slithered in the rest of the way, ending up half in Obi-Wan's lap. The boat barely rocked, to Obi-Wan's immense surprise, although it sunk a little more into the water. He glanced at his Jaieh, who gave him a knowing smile.
Qui-Gon reached out a hand and untethered the boat, then gently pushed them away from the dock. He grabbed the oars and began to row them out onto the lake with strong, steady strokes, headed toward the island.
A glance over the edge filled him with amazement. Even twenty meters out from shore, the water was so clear that he could see all the way to the bottom, and he could see where the lakebed suddenly dropped off into nothingness further out.
"This used to be a mountain, once upon a time," Jaieh Qui-Gon said. "But then a devastating volcanic eruption seven thousand years ago turned it into a crater, and it filled with water to make the lake. The volcano hasn't been active in over four thousand years."
"How deep is it?"
"At it's deepest? Nearly six hundred meters."
"Wow," Obi-Wan murmured. Boga nudged his hand, and he absently petted her faceplate.
They finally reached the island and tethered onto a small wooden dock. Qui-Gon got out and helped first Boga, and then Obi-Wan out as well.
He led them up the hill, through the trees until they reached a small, log cabin.
"Here we are."
The door was locked with a complicated looking mechanism, but Qui-Gon opened it easily and swung the door open so they could enter.
Inside was a fairly humble looking abode; a single room with a bed, a couch, a table and two chairs, a stone fireplace, and a small kitchenette.
"Boots off, and then go ahead and get a fire going."
"Haj Dai, Jaieh," Obi-Wan replied, shucking off his pack, and leaning down to undo the straps of his boots. He pulled them off, setting them on the shoe mat by the door.
Boga waited patiently while he took off her booties and coat, lifting each paw for him one at a time.
"Good g-girl, Boga," he enthused. "Release." And then, of course, she shook her head once she was clear, sending droplets of water and snow scattering across the entryway from her crest. "Aw, Boga, shet."
She nuzzled him in the stomach. He sighed and took off his gloves to give her chin scritches. Her tail wagged happily as she chirped.
"Al-alright, enough." Boga gave him the most pitiful look when he stopped scratching her, but he was unmoved. He'd had six months to become immune to her pleading face, and even then, he still fell for it most of the time. But right now, he had a task.
He dug in the pack for the starter kit, eyeing the bundle at the bottom that Jaieh Qui-Gon had told him not to open without his say-so. The suspense had been killing him the whole flight here.
His Jaieh was looking through the cabinets, but Obi-Wan knew he would notice, so he left the package alone. Instead, he headed over to the fireplace with the firepaste in hand, Boga at his side. There was a pile of wood to the side, and he began to stack a few pieces neatly on the rack inside the stone recess, leaving space for proper ventilation. He spread the paste on one of the logs and ignited it, and within seconds the flames were licking the air. The paste would burn long enough for the fire to catch, and the wood would do the rest.
Hopefully, it would help the cabin feel not so chilly.
Boga seemed fascinated by the crackling flames, peering into the fire intently.
"Careful, girl. You don't want to get bur-burned."
Her tail swished and she backed away.
"C-c'mon, Boogie, let's go sit down."
His knee cracked as he stood up and he winced, putting a hand on Boga's back to steady himself as he limped over to the couch. The trek through the cold and snow had done the joint no favors. He hoped they had a heat pack somewhere to wrap it. He was pretty sure he'd packed one.
"Boga, fetch my pack, please," he commanded, pointing towards said pack.
Boga perked up, and skittered over to it, grabbing it by the handle and trotting back over to him with it swinging proudly in her beak.
"Good girl, th-thank you." Obi-Wan rubbed her scutes. He patted the couch and she clambered up, laying her head in his lap.
He rifled through his pack again, and luckily found his heat pack, once more eyeing the package at the bottom. This time, he couldn't help but take it out and set it on the couch beside him.
Boga sniffed at it, then licked the plain, brown paper.
"Boga, no, leave it." He pushed her nose away and she pouted. As much as a varactyl could pout, anyway, which was quite a bit more than expected. "Haj Dai, I kn-know, it's very u-un-unfair. Now, move your head."
He shucked off his outer layer of thermal wear, leaving him in just his leggings and tunics, then unstrapped the brace from his knee and replaced it with the heat pack, relaxing as the warmth seeped into the sore joint.
"Is your knee alright?" Jaieh Qui-Gon asked, approaching him from behind.
"A little sore," Obi-Wan replied, craning his head back to see him. "But i-it's fine."
"I'm sorry we couldn't land any closer."
"I don't mind. Really."
"That's not what you were saying thirty minutes ago," Qui-Gon said, and Obi-Wan felt a momentary clench of anxiety in his stomach before he realized his Jaieh was teasing him. He found it hard to tell sometimes. There was still a pocket of fear in him that whispered Qui-Gon would abandon him if he was anything less than the perfect padawan.
"O-okay, so I may have-have minded a b-bit." He smiled sheepishly, and his Jaieh smiled back, squeezing his shoulder briefly.
"If you want to open that now, you may."
"Really?"
Jaieh Qui-Gon nodded.
Obi-Wan picked up the package and set it in his lap, examining it. It wasn't that heavy, but it was fairly thick, the edges rounded. It felt… flexible, and squishy in his hands.
He glanced up at Qui-Gon again. His Jaieh was watching him closely.
"Go ahead."
Obi-Wan turned back to the bundle, and undid the string tying it together. He unwrapped the paper, and uncovered a carefully folded wad of teal fabric the same color as Boga's scales.
"It's so soft," he said in awe, stroking the fuzzy cloth. He held it up and let it unfold, and it spooled out larger and larger. "I-it's a blanket?"
He wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, rubbing the hem between his fingers, still wondering at how soft it felt.
"Thank you, Jaieh."
"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said, suddenly serious. He came around to the front of the couch, crouching in front of Obi-Wan and taking his hands in his own. "I know the beginning of our partnership has been… rough. I have made mistakes as your teacher, some of which have had very large consequences for the both of us. I know I am not the Jaieh you wanted—"
"You a-are," Obi-Wan interrupted. "I d-did w-want you. I ju-just…" He didn't know how to finish that thought.
His Jaieh didn't have a tooka, but if he did, the look on his face was as if his tooka had died.
"Oh, Obi-Wan. I do not deserve your loyalty, my padawan, but it is a blessing to have it anyway."
"Jaieh—"
"Let me speak, please?"
Obi-Wan nodded, subsiding.
"As I was saying, I have made many mistakes. I cannot promise to not make any more mistakes, as I would inevitably break that promise, but I can promise that I will try my hardest to be the Jaieh you deserve, and I can promise that unless I am dead, I will see your training through to your Knighthood. Will you accept my promise?"
Tears beading in the corners of his eyes, Obi-Wan nodded vigorously.
"Yes, of cour-course, Jaieh. And… may I say some-something?"
Qui-Gon nodded.
"I… I know I have n-not b-een the best Pa-padawan—" Jaieh Qui-Gon opened his mouth. "—Le-et me say thi-is. I kn-know I ha-have n-not b-been the best P-padawan, and I c-c-c—" he took a deep breath—"can't promise to n-never make an-any mistakes either, but I pro-promise to try and b-be a Pa-pada-wan th-that you can be-be pr-proud of."
"That's where you're wrong, Padawan. I am always proud of you. You have overcome insurmountable odds to be where you are today, and you put in more dedication and effort into being a Jedi than Jehxahs twice your age."
The tears that had been threatening all throughout his speech finally fell and Obi-Wan threw himself forward into his Jaieh's arms. Jaieh Qui-Gon caught him and held him tight.
"I do not need the best Padawan," Qui-Gon murmured in his ear. "I do not need a perfect Padawan. I only need a Padawan who is willing to learn, and you are. I am sorry I did not see it sooner. Heleo, Padawan."
"Qahsreash, Jaieh I f-forgive you."
Obi-Wan slept soundly through the night on the couch, swaddled comfortably and warmly in his blanket, Boga curled up on the rug in front of the fire, and Qui-Gon snoring on the bed, as he was too tall for the couch.
They woke in the morning refreshed and in sound spirits, and Obi-Wan ate his breakfast rations without a word of protest, Boga happily munching on the fruit and meat they had brought and stored in the icebox.
"Come look, Padawan," Jaieh Qui-Gon called, after visiting the outhouse.
Obi-Wan peeked out the door.
"It's snowing!" He exclaimed.
"Get your thermals on."
He hurried to do just that, slipping into his layers and then helping Boga with her own coat and booties. Obi-Wan crammed his feet into his boots, shoved his hat on his head, and stepped out into the cold with Boga at his side.
Qui-Gon was staring up at the sky, a hand held out for the fat, white flakes to land on, while more collected in his hair and beard, melting when they touched his skin. Obi-Wan held out his own hand, watching as a snowflake drifted down and turned to a bead of water on his palm.
Boga chirruped next to him, snapping at the snow as it fell around her.
"Y-you've never seen i-it snow b-before, have you, Boga?" He laughed. Coruscant's climate was tightly controlled. It only snowed once a year, on the Solstice Tide and Boga hadn't been with him then.
The varactyl trilled in response and danced around in a circle, her wagging tail flicking snow everywhere.
Obi-Wan lifted his face to the sky and opened his mouth, sticking out his tongue to catch a snowflake, delighted when one finally did.
He glanced over at his Jaieh, who was copying his example, and felt a warmth and happiness fill him that no cold could touch.
Happy New Year!