The (Continuing) Adventures of Basky The Temple Cat
by Anne Carr and Emrin Alexander (njtucker@yahoo.com)
ARCHIVE: MA - anyone else, please ask.
CATEGORY:AU, Eventually FirstTime, Short Story Series, Humor
RATING: G to NC-17 (eventually) - these first ones are
basically G
PAIRING:(eventually) Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon
SUMMARY: This is the continuation of the first adventure of
Baskajett, the only cat to be allowed free run of the Jedi
Temple, is a member of the Clan, who serve the Sacred Greater
Purpose. This is Part 2, in which Basky meets Master Yoda and
discovers he hates lifts?
DISCLAIMERS: George owns the Temple and the Jedi; We own the
Cat (Really, we do. We just let Basky thinks he runs us...)
FEEDBACK: Lovely and very much appreciated, (especially by RL
Basky).
BASKY
The tall man carried me in one hand tucked close to his warm
chest. He smelled quite interesting, spicy and off-world
scents, and I enjoyed the deep rumble sound of his voice as he
talked to me.
"Well, little one, what were you doing all alone in the space
port? No claws, kitling, that's right. Oh, you like having your
ears rubbed...and I'll bet you're hungry, too. It will have to
wait until I go to the Council."
He paused on the walkway and gently pulled me loose from his
tunic, then held me up to view my new home. It was huge, with
five towers reaching as high as I could see. Yes, I thought
immediately, I could own this. It was beautiful and somehow
mysterious, and befitting a cat of the Clan. Again my whiskers
twitched, this time with excitement.
He tucked me back under his chin and strode forward. Now some
humans walk in jerky motions, nothing connected, appendages all
over the place. This man moved with such smoothness, I was
proud to be his owner. I purred and he chuckled. We went inside
the Temple where it was just cool enough, with light and smooth
floors. I wiggled my nose -- no other felinoid lived here.
Staircases led in all directions, but the man went to a lift
and stepped inside.
I'd never been in a lift before, though Grandfather had
explained about them. It took us up and up and I will admit
that I was just a little frightened as my senses got all
muddled. When we arrived, I found that I was on top his head,
my laws tight in his hair, my tail dragging over his face,
curling around his nose. He stepped off the lift and reached
up, and I felt a strange buzzing go through me, soothing and
reassurring, and I was moved into his hands.
"Poor little one, you aren't used to lifts, are you?" He said
in my ear. "We're up with the Council now. You must behave. Be
good and I'll take you to meet my Padawan. Perhaps you would
like to fit in here." So saying, he placed me in a pocket of
his robe and for a short period I was unable to see or hear
what was going on.
That, of course, was unacceptable. I turned a few somersaults
until I was upright, and stuck out my head. I was surrounded by
darkness, as this was an inner robe pocket. My tall man was
speaking and I could smell at least ten other sentients. One
scent was stronger even than my man. Such an intriguing odor!
I left the pocket, which had finally given way to my efforts,
and mindful of my claws, I gradually lowered myself to the
floor.
QUI-GON
He felt the kitling wriggling around in the inner pocket of his
cloak. Using a tendril of the Force to calm the little one, he
strode into the Council Chamber and bowed gravely at the three
members present: Mace Windu, Master Yoda, and Adi Gallia.
"Grave, the situation on Belandria is, I think." Trust Yoda to
make a statement of fact.
"Yes, my Master. The planet is, as you know, controlled by
seven ruling families. All are," He paused as the kitling in
his pocket dug in its claws rather forcefully, "ah, competing
for planetary dominance. They care little what happens to their
people or to Belandria itself. Ouch!" The kitling
apologetically licked the area around Qui's waist where his
back paw had dug in too deeply.
Yoda?s ears wriggled. "All right are you, Padawan?"
"Yes, Master, I am fine.? Qui-Gon took a deep breath and
continued, ?The Hutts are interested in the system due to its
proximity to middle rim smuggler's routes."
The kitling was getting more and more active. And no amount of
judicious Force use was quieting it, either, much to Qui-Gon's
dismay. Of course, a kitling getting loose in the Council
Chamber was rather mild by Jinn standards. In fact, it wasn't
much at all, compared, say, to that awful incident when he was
Yoda's Padawan - he would never forget the look on
then-Chancellor Tanirin's face when the Corellian Flying Spyder
had decided it liked the view from the Chancellor's nose better
than Padawan Jinn's cloak hood.
"Then it is as we feared - the Hutts will take control of that
system as well." Mace Windu was solemn. But then, he always was
solemn and quite used to ignoring odd behavior from Master
Qui-Gon Jinn.
Qui-Gon was about to concur, when the kitling did a flip-flop
worthy of a senior Senator. The lining of his capacious inner
pocket finally proved unequal to the force of a determined
object. The kitling escaped and shinnied carefully down his
leg. It emerged on the toe of his boot, and then moved with
what looked like Force Enhanced speed across the marble floor.
Straight up into Yoda's lap.
There was silence except for the sound of sniffing. Which was
coming from the kitling. Initial examinaiton of Yoda completed,
his ears up, tail waving, nose moving at a great clip, the
kitling was, calmly, moving from chair to chair, checking out
each of the three Senior Jedi Council Members over with grave
thoroughness. Both Adi and Mace were far too well-mannered to
push the little kit aside; Qui-Gon could have sworn the
felinoid viewed both with very amused looks. Then it gracefully
lept back into Master Yoda's lap and began rubbing its head
over his chest.
Yoda sat very still and allowed it. "Ah, a new pet, you have,
my former Padawan?"
Only the fact that he was a Jedi Master of may years standing
allowed Qui-Gon to beat down the flush that threatened to turn
his ears red. "Yes, Master."
"Hmm..."
"You will be giving this away to a suitable party, I hope?"
Mace Windu never changed expression, but Qui-Gon was certain
the Council member would've frowned if he could ever so far
forget himself.
At that, the kitling left off marking Master Yoda, turned
around and stared hard at Qui-Gon.
The Jedi Master shook his head. "No, Master Windu. I believe
this little one will staying with Obi-Wan and I."
Did felinoids smile? This one certainly appeared to be doing
so.
"Good, needs to learn more of the Living Force, does Obi-Wan.
Teach him much, I think this one will." Master Yoda and the
kitling exchanged understanding glances. Then the kitling went
to sit on the arm of Yoda's chair, wrapping its tiny tail
around its feet and looking down its nose at the room in
general.
"I think so too, Master."
"Now," Yoda said as he began massaging the kitling's ears,
"more to tell us about Belandria, I think you have, hmm,
Padawan mine?"
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