3. Ryshcate Day
"Easy, easy―watch out for the jumpspeeder!"
Obi-Wan just barely refrained from rolling his eyes. "Yes, Master, I see them." He waited for the bike to pass ahead, before merging into the next lane, as directed by their airspeeder's navigation system, and exiting into the approaching skyway.
When Master Skywalker had barred him from attending any of his padawan courses earlier that morning, Obi-Wan had expected that they'd finally been assigned their first mission together. Instead, his master had decided it was time for him to learn how to pilot an airspeeder. Obi-Wan wasn't sure why he had to miss classes for this, but he certainly wasn't complaining.
The same could not be said for Master Skywalker.
"You have to speed up, Obi-Wan!"
Obi-Wan frowned. "But the speed limit―"
"Kriff the speed limit!"
Obi-Wan scowled, but accelerated forward, much to his master's apparent relief. "If I get a speeding ticket―"
Master Skywalker rolled his eyes. "You're not going to get a ticket. We're on official Jedi business."
Obi-Wan's eyebrows arched high in disbelief. Was his master seriously suggesting that they use their status as Jedi to get away with breaking air traffic law? And since when was teaching a padawan learner how to pilot an airspeeder 'official Jedi business?'
"Besides, you shouldn't be going the speed limit if everyone else is speeding around you. You're going to cause a crash."
"I'm going to cause a crash?! They're going to cause a crash!"
His master muffled what sounded like a laugh. "Obi-Wan―"
The rest of his words were stolen by the sharp wind as Obi-Wan slammed the throttle forward, jerking around a metrocab and weaving through a series of cargo transports.
Whoa. This is actually kind of fun.
Caught up in his own exhilaration, Obi-Wan easily ignored his master's shouted protests as he sped around the sparse, late morning traffic. A few angry curses were sent his way, but Obi-Wan hardly took note of them, testing how fast he could twist through the transit ahead without upending them over the side.
When the navigation system indicated that they were above the commercial district his master had keyed in as their destination, Obi-Wan tipped their airspeeder dangerously forward and careened down. With a jubilant whoop, Obi-Wan allowed gravity to pull them down at even greater speeds, backs pressed flat against their seats, hair whipping back, and stomachs swooping as they plunged hazardously closer to street level―
―they jolted up, Obi-Wan hitting the brakes at only the last second, before they could smear across duracrete.
Obi-Wan maneuvered the airspeeder with a delighted grin, pulling forward to park near a place called 'Dex's Diner.' When he turned to his master, it was to find him still gripping the door and center console respectively, face whiter than Obi-Wan's old initiate robes, muttering something that sounded like, this is all wrong and I thought he hated flying and he's supposed to be the responsible one.
Obi-Wan reached over and tentatively gripped the edge of his sleeve. "Master?"
His master quieted and turned, offering him a guarded smile. "…From now on, just go ahead and follow the speed limit."
Obi-Wan frowned, pasting on an expression of concern. "But Master Skywalker, I could cause a crash."
Master Skywalker stared at him in disbelief, before snorting an incredulous laugh. "Yeah, I earned that one," he huffed and leaped out of the speeder. "Come on, let's go grab a bite."
Obi-Wan hurried to jump out and follow after him. "We're eating here?"
Master Skywalker shot him a look over his shoulder. "Would you rather eat back at the temple?"
"Uh, I've never eaten anywhere else," Obi-Wan admitted as he was lead inside the diner. It was nothing like the temple refectories. The space was claustrophobic in comparison, crammed with red vinyl booths on either side of the entrance, bisected by a long counter lined with matching red stools, a low ceiling overhead. Jaunty music played from some invisible speaker, echoing strangely across the sparsely-filled diner, still too early for the anticipated meal rush.
"Skywalker! Welcome back!" a large, Besalisk male greeted them from behind the counter.
"Heya, Dex," his master said, reaching over to pull Obi-Wan forward by his shoulder. "Meet Obi-Wan."
Dex offered him a friendly smile. "Nice to finally meet you kid. I'm Dex."
"A pleasure to meet you, sir," Obi-Wan said, hurrying to bow forward in greeting.
Dex laughed uproariously, causing Obi-Wan to straighten up with a jump. "He sure could teach you a few manners, Skywalker."
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," his master said, though he didn't appear all that irritated. "Get us two of the usual, will ya?"
"Sure," Dex said, still chuckling as he turned and ducked through a backdoor leading into the kitchen.
At his master's direction, Obi-Wan slid into one of the booths and sat across from him. "What's 'the usual?'"
Master Skywalker grinned. "Nothing too exotic. But seeing as you've been ingesting temple-made food your entire life, I'm confident this'll be preferable."
Obi-Wan frowned. "The food at the temple isn't bad."
His master shrugged, his typical, self-assured expression firmly in place. "It's not good."
Because Obi-Wan had nothing else to compare it to, he could not debate the validity of his master's opinion.
Soon, a server droid rolled up to their table and set down their food. "Two Nerfburgers and two Fizzroot shakes. Can I get you anything else?"
"No, thanks Flo," his master said, pushing a plate of food in his direction. "Eat."
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said obediently and frowned in confusion when he could not spot any eating utensils. "Master, they forgot to bring us a fork and knife."
"It's a Nerfburger, Obi-Wan. You eat it with your hands," his master explained, scooping up his own burger between his palms.
"Yes, I've had Nerfburgers before," Obi-Wan grumbled, but copied his master's gestures all the same. He'd have to rinse his hands before they left.
Obi-Wan took a bite, and then chewed through it faster than was considered polite.
"Good, huh?"
Obi-Wan, still knowing better than to speak with his mouth full, nodded eagerly instead, barely pausing to swallow before taking a second bite.
His master laughed, though Obi-Wan knew it was not intended to ridicule him. From the beginning, Master Skywalker seemed to delight in every little thing Obi-Wan did. If it were not for the Force, Obi-Wan would have never believed it; he'd lived his entire life at the temple and had never met anyone like Master Skywalker. Sure, there had been some, like Grand Master Yoda or his Crèche Masters, that had expressed fondness towards him, but none had ever been so explicitly affectionate. And now that he had it, Obi-Wan was hard pressed to ever let it go.
"Breathe, Obi-Wan."
A little embarrassed, Obi-Wan set his Nerburger down and finished chewing through his next bite before swallowing and offering a, "Sorry, Master."
"Try your shake," his master said instead, pushing one of the bright, purple-colored drinks forward.
Now knowing better than to question his master's taste in food, Obi-Wan took the shake between his hands and eagerly sipped from the straw. The sweet flavor exploded across his mouth and Obi-Wan kept drinking until he was forced to breathe again.
"So? What have we learned today, my young padawan?"
Dutifully, Obi-Wan set his shake down and recited, "Kriff the speed limit so we don't cause a speeder crash, and temple food is mediocre at best."
Master Skywalker choked down a laugh and managed to say, "Ah. Close enough."
Obi-Wan enthusiastically ate the remainder of his Nerfburger, though he was designful to pace himself this time. After this, he wasn't sure he'd be able to go back to regularly eating at the temple.
Then again, he'd been a tad eager in signing up for a heavy courseload; between classes and attending lessons with his master, Obi-Wan doubted there would be much time to fly out into the city for a simple meal, though it would surely be worth it if they all tasted like this. He'd have to be diligent in catching up on what he'd missed for the day once they returned to the temple. Fortunately, padawan courses were devised to work around missions and training expeditions, so Obi-Wan doubted it would be too much of a hassle.
"What are you thinking so hard about?"
"Huh?" Obi-Wan blinked as he picked a napkin from the dispenser and thoroughly wiped his hands clean of burger grease. "Oh, nothing. I just remembered I have an exam coming up next week in my intragalactic relations course."
His master stared at him in disbelief. "You're seriously thinking of coursework right now?"
Obi-Wan flushed, wondering why he felt as though he should be embarrassed. "Is today a bad day to do so?"
Master Skywalker pushed aside his food and braced his forearms against the table, leaning forward and eyeing him skeptically. "Obi-Wan, do you remember what today is?"
"Um, Taungsday?"
His master dropped his head, his disappointment practically tangible in the Force, making Obi-Wan feel like the worst padawan in existence as he scrambled to figure what he'd missed. But before he could apologize for failing to remember, Master Skywalker heaved a sigh and lifted his head, gazing at him with a fond sort of bemusement. "No, Obi-Wan, today is your lifeday."
It took a moment for the words to register in his brain.
"Huh?!" Obi-Wan gaped at him. "It's…it's my lifeday?!"
"Yes, Obi-Wan." His master huffed a laugh. "Happy thirteenth lifeday."
"T-thanks," Obi-Wan stammered.
It was funny; only a few weeks ago, he'd been dreading the arrival of this day, knowing it marked the end of his time at the temple were he to fail in finding an apprenticeship. But then, Master Skywalker had come along and chosen him at the last minute, and it had been a flurry of settling into his new quarters, signing up for padawan courses, and soaking up every moment of learning with his new master ever since.
Now, Obi-Wan was looking at the day's events through new lenses. His master hadn't pulled him out of classes on a mere whim, he had been intentional―taking him out into the city for the first time, teaching him how to pilot an airspeeder, buying him his first meal―to make sure Obi-Wan could have a memorable day.
Obi-Wan smiled happily, his heart readily swelling with warm affection. "Thank you for today, Master."
"Eh? It's not over yet," Master Skywalker said, leaning against the backrest of the booth and crossing his arms, a smirk playing on his lips. "We haven't even gotten to the best part yet."
Obi-Wan tilted his head curiously, wondering what more he could possibly have planned for them. "What else are we doing?"
"There's a podrace tonight down in Jrade District and I scored us tickets," his master announced with a triumphant grin.
"Hm," Obi-Wan hummed thoughtfully, and after a sip of his shake, asked, "what's podracing?"
For the umpteenth time that day, his master stared at him with an expression of disbelieving horror.
A/N: Here, have more fluff because I say so. And I don't actually plan on writing the podracing scene, but feel free to imagine little Obi-Wan observing just how absolutely unhinged Anakin "The Champion Podracer" Skywalker is about it.
