The Visitor Cheshire Cat and Mystery Jedi Parts 1, 2, 3 This is dual-authored piece. I hope you have as much fun reading it as we did writing it. -The Cheshire Cat and Mystery Jedi Title: The Visitor Authors: Cheshire Cat and Mystery Jedi Authors' email: cheshire_cat78@yahoo.com and mystery_jedi@yahoo.com Rating: so far, PG Timing: pre-TMP, Obi-Wan is 13 Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are the property of George Lucas and LucasFilm entertainment. We make no money whatsoever. The Visitor Chapter 1 "Obi-Wan, I want you to clean up your quarters. We're having a guest come for a few weeks." "A guest?" "Yes, an old friend of mine, Master Finnae, is going away on a diplomatic assignment to a planet that has very strict rules regarding the display of females. His Padawan is a girl about your age and he is understandably reluctant to take her along. Her name is B'Jara. She'll be staying with us." "A girl?" Obi-Wan's voice nearly cracked with incredulity. He was nearly fourteen and his voice was still in that awkward, transitional phase. Qui-Gon chuckled knowingly. "Lay one hand on her, Padawan, and I'll have your hide." "Yes, Master." _*_*_ "What?! Why do *I* have to be the one to sleep on the couch? I live here for Sith's sake!" Qui-Gon frowned at his Apprentice's use of language. "You will keep a civil tongue in your head, Padawan." "Sorry, Master," Obi-Wan said contritely. "But it's not fair. How come I have to give up my room?" "Because you're gracious and chivalrous." Obi-Wan was about to come up with an impudent remark to the contrary, but thought better of it. Qui-Gon chuckled faintly. "Or at least I'm raising you to be. This will be good practice, Padawan." Obi-Wan scowled darkly at his Master, but said nothing. B'Jara would be arriving the following morning and Master and Apprentice were having a heated debate regarding accommodation. Obi-Wan was furious at being put out of his room, especially since it meant he had to be rather creative at hiding some of his more *personal* belongings. Qui-Gon tended to turn a blind eye to the needs of an adolescent boy, having been one himself year ago. Chapter 2 "Greetings Master Jinn. I bring the gratitude of my Master with me." The voice belonged to fifteen year old B'Jara. She bowed respectfully to Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon smiled at her. "Be welcome, Padawan B'Jara. This is my Apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi." Qui-Gon nudged the reluctant boy forwards. Obi-Wan's first impression of B'Jara had already been sullied by the fact that he had to give up his room. He put on a polite front, however. Apparently some of Qui-Gon's diplomacy training was paying off. Obi-Wan bowed slightly. By virtue of her age, she was his senior and he had to respect that. But he'd be damned if he was going to give her a single drop more than he had to. Qui-Gon turned to his somewhat reluctant Apprentice. "Obi-Wan, I think it would be a good idea if you showed B'Jara to her quarters and then took her to the dining hall." Obi-Wan's eyes opened wide and a frantic, panic stricken look fluttered briefly across his features. "Yes, Master," he managed to choke out. Five minutes later found the two Padawans walking side by side down the hall. "So, Obi-Wan," B'Jara began, "What do the people around here do for fun?" "Fun?" "Yeah. You *do* know what fun is, don't you?" "Of course I know what fun is," Obi-Wan said irritably. "But you live here too, don't you?" "Master Finnae and I have been working on a settlement on Donis Tertius for the past four years. So, no, I don't live here. Not really. I was chosen at eleven. We didn't get out much at eleven." "Yeah," said Obi-Wan noncommittally. "You never answered my question, Obi-Wan. What do you like to do for fun?" "Well," Obi-Wan began slowly. "There's the river that runs through the compound. My friends and I go swimming sometimes when we've finished our studies." "Studies? You mean like real classes?" "Mm hmm." "So you have to turn stuff in on deadlines and all?" "Mm hmm." "Wow." Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. She was annoying the Sith out of him. "What happens if you don't turn it in on time?" B'Jara asked, eyes wide. "Well, if you and your Master are away on a mission or something, you're supposed to turn it in when you get back. But some of the missions don't allow for study time, so as long as you have a good excuse, it's okay." "But if you're still here?" "Then you get points taken off. Or sometimes if it's not in on time you don't get credit at all. It depends on who's teaching," Obi-Wan answered. She looked shocked. "But...but what about a social life?" Obi-Wan sighed. He'd never met so vapid a Jedi before. "I don't really have one," he answered honestly. "I mean, I have friends and all, but it's been ages since I left the Temple to do anything other than for a mission." "Well," said B'Jara with a gleam in her eyes, "We'll just have to rectify that little problem." _*_*_ Chapter 3 Obi-Wan was glad to have reached the dining hall when they did. Maybe now B'Jara could finally do something else with her mouth now besides talk his ear off. Spotting a place to sit, Obi-Wan and B'Jara made their way through the thick crowd. Obi-Wan was about to sit down, when suddenly his tray went flying up at him, nearly spilling over. "Watch it, Kenobi!" Bruck fumed at him, passing by. "Great." Obi-Wan mumbled, "What else can go wrong today?" "Are you going to let him get away with that?" B'Jara challenged. "Get away with what? It was an accident." Obi-Wan grumbled, setting his tray down. "Is he always that way?" "Yeah, that's Bruck for ya." B'Jara smiled, picking up a spoonful of her pudding. "What'd you say his name was again?" "Bruck." He said a little more loudly. At that moment, Bruck turned towards Obi-Wan as B'Jara sent her spoonful of pudding flying, landing directly on its target's face. "KENOBI!" Bruck fumed, picking up his salad and walking over to Obi-Wan. "B'Jara!" Obi-Wan hissed, "what did you do that for?" Bruck suddenly came up behind Obi-Wan, his salad balancing in his left hand. "Think that's funny do ya?" Then poured the salad on top of Obi-Wan. "Hey!" Obi-Wan objected, standing up. "You know Obi-Wan you were right, this dickweed really is lame." B'Jara announced loudly. Obi-Wan's eyes went wide at B'Jara's comment, as Bruck glared at Obi-Wan. He picked up Obi-Wan's piece of pie, tossing it at his enemy. Obi-Wan saw what was coming and ducked in time for the pie to fly by, but landing on the back of another Padawan's head. The boy glared throwing an apple back. Bruck dodged it easily as the apple hit a female Padawan on the head and landing in her soup. Obi-Wan sat down in a daze as soon food began flying all over the place, aimed at other Padawans. B'Jara smiled, folding her arms in satisfaction. "Now that's how you have some fun." She grinned. **** "ENOUGH!" A loud shout sent the room into a silent hush, as food stopped in mid-air with the help of the Force. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn stood, wearing a stern expression, his hands on his hips at the suddenly frozen Padawans before him. "Alright, who started this?" He demanded. All fingers suddenly pointed to Obi-Wan. The Jedi Master strode over to his padawan, grabbing him by the elbow and leading him out the door. "We need to have ourselves a little chat, *Padawan*." B'Jara, of course, was right behind them, not wanting to miss out on anything. **** "Now Obi-Wan, do you want to tell me what exactly happened?" Qui-Gon asked. "Master, before you say anything, I didn't start it! I didn't even throw anything." "Oh? Then who did?" "Well..." Obi-Wan started, fumbling for words, "B'Jara did." "OBI-WAN KENOBI!" The Jedi Master boomed at him. B'Jara looked at Obi-Wan in a mock hurt expression. "She is our guest Obi-Wan, how could you even think of blaming her?" "But.... Master..." Qui-Gon held up a warning finger, silencing his Padawan. "You, young man, will march right back into that dining hall and begin cleaning up the entire mess. Is that understood?" He asked with a dour expression. Obi-Wan started to say something but thought better of it. "Yes, Master." He apologized, slowly walking out. "Sorry Master Qui-Gon, I wasn't sure what to do when everyone started throwing all that food." She told him innocently. "I'm not used to such behavior." "It's all right B'Jara. I'm sorry you had to have been caught in the middle of all that." **** Later that evening B'Jara snuck out into the living room, waking up Obi-Wan. "Huh?" He asked sleepily. "Hey, sorry about today. I didn't mean to get you into trouble." Obi-Wan grumbled something unintelligible, turning angrily away from her. "Come on. I really am sorry." "It's all right don't worry about it." He said, trying to get back to sleep. "Come on. Get up." She told him. He looked at her strangely a moment. "What?" "Come on, I'm going to make it up to you, now get up and get dressed." "And just why should I trust you?" "Look, you won't get into any trouble. I promise." Obi-Wan thought a moment, trying to decide what to do. "All right." He said, getting up. And together they headed out into the night. TBC~~