Notes: The gawans cage is loosely designed from the HabiTrail
system for Hamsters and Gerbils. Anyone who's every owned a
hamster will probably relate to this one.
I sat still in my cage, my eyes calculating as they shifted
attention to different locations in the cage. I turned to look
at a small clip that had been placed over a hole in the cage
where I recognised that an addition could be added. I smiled
and squeaked.
//That's it! Freedom? Here I come!//
Moving over to the spot, I sat back on my hind legs, raised my
front paws and gave a little rodent sigh as I cracked my little
rodent knuckles. I grabbed hold of the clip and slid my fingers
through the holes. With the closes thing to a grunt that
rodents can make I started to heave upward.
//Damn. Son of a Sith. What hell hole did they put me in?//
Letting go with a pant, I fell backward into my bedding.
Staring up at the top of the domed cage I chattered to myself.
Had they glued that thing on? I looked back over at the clip
and my whiskers twitched. Flipping around to crawl on all fours
I slipped up on it then bounced myself off it. The clip popped
out.
//Huh?//
I stared at it in disbelief. Nope, not glued. It just went out,
not up. Laughing inwardly, I jumped out of the cage. I landed
on the floor with a soft 'plop'. Glancing about, I noticed a
crack under the bedroom door and squeezed beneath it.
//Freedom!//
Qui-Gon had been sleeping peacefully until he felt me under his
chin. He shot straight up, almost screaming at the pin pricks
my nails sent out as he did so.
//Oh shit. Here we go again. I did not send you another
nightmare.//
Obi-Wan opened his eyes and looked over at Qui-Gon, then fell
back on the bed in giggles.
//Thank god that someone has a sense of humour.//
Qui-Gon regarded his Padawan oddly a moment, then plucked me
from his neck. "And just how did you get out?" He stood up
determined to take me back to my cage.
//Forget it, buster, I'm not going back in that thing.//
I squirmed just enough to get a good shot and sank my teeth
into Qui-Gon's thumb. I heard the resultant shout and felt
myself in freefall.
//Geronimo!//
Wincing as I hit the ground, I took off for the door,
scrambling under it as I had come in. I heard the shouts from
behind the door and winced, my whiskers twitching. Maybe this
hadn't been such a good idea.
Heading for the only safe place, I ducked under the sofa to
hide. I caught my breath and watched as two pairs of feet
trampled into the room. One pair stepped on the abandoned clip
and almost tripped.
Allowing a satisfied smile, I could tell from the voices that
it was Qui-Gon who had nearly gone head over heels. I sat back
and waited for them to open the main door. I half listened to
what they were saying.
//Serves you right.//
"We have to find him. Fast."
"I know, Obi-Wan."
"That cat you brought in last night would kill him."
Cat? My ears perked up as I started sniffing the air. I turned
slowly to look behind me, and into the slitted eyes of a cat.
//Fuck! I hate these things! Savages!//
With a bloodcurdling squeak, I lunged toward the cat, sinking
my teeth into the cat's nose before dashing out from under the
sofa.
The cat was hot on my stubby tail. I heard shouts of 'No' and
'Down' as I ran for my life. Climbing up the closest thing
possible, I didn't even notice that it was Qui-Gon's leg until
I heard the shouts of 'get it off me' and 'keep that cat away'.
I stopped about midway up, my whiskers tickling the back of
Qui-Gon's knee.
The cat didn't stop, or even slow down as it leapt for Qui-Gon,
teeth bared. I closed my eyes.
//So this is it. This is how I die.//
I flattened my ears, wishing I could be back in that damned
cage, away from that cat.
"Got her," came the triumphant cry from the Padawan.
"Good."
I felt myself plucked from my place and cradled in calloused
hands. Slowly I opened one eye and looked at Qui-Gon. The other
eye opened as I breathed a sigh of relief.
//Are you okay?//
//Shut up and put me in my home.//
The clip was replaced on the cage and the top opened. I was
deposited in the cage. The first thing I did was urinate on my
bedding.
I looked up and saw Qui-Gon shake his head. "Poor thing was
probably scared to death."
All I could do was glare at Qui-Gon.
//You try having a ten pound cat on your tail! Now gimme my
nutribar!//
Qui-Gon gave no sign that he heard. I sighed and looked over at
the telepathic inhibitor just outside my cage.
//Next time you die.//
I moved to the side as my soiled bedding was removed and fresh
was placed in. I waited patiently for the nutribar that I knew
was coming. As soon as a hand invaded my cage with the treat I
scurried over and rubbed my nose against the hand. I was
rewarded by a gentle little scratch on my head.
"You stay in here. It is for your own good."
//Yeah, right.//
"Obi-Wan? About that cat?"
"Yes Master?"
"Would you mind if we took her to the Creche?"
//Oh, please, say you don't mind.//
"I wouldn't mind, no."
I squeaked and jumped into the air, punching the air with a
fist in victory.
//Rodent? One! Feline? Loser!//
"Would you take care of it?"
"Of course."
Footsteps moved away and I could hear a plaintive 'meow'.
//Serves you right you brute.//
I curled up in my new bedding and started to doze off, nutribar
tucked securely under me.
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