Disclaimer: I don't own 'em. Who does? Why, George Lucas, of
course! Also kudos to Dave Wolverton and Jude Watson for the JA
universe, which I adore.
Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Pumpkin for the terrific
beta, the great title, and the encouragement to try to make
this into a series!
Qui-Gon Jinn leaned against the white railing overlooking the
swimming pool at the influential Dryssan family's estate. He
and his apprentice had been invited as representatives for the
Republic to attend the wedding of Elis and Veda Dryssan's
eldest son. A decent cover story, at any rate. Truth be told,
Qui-Gon was a long time friend of Veda and her husband, and the
motivation behind his invitation had been purely social. The
ceremony had been yesterday, but the transport scheduled to
return the Jedi to Coruscant had been delayed. They would be
spending at least an additional day on the planet Thyferra.
Not that either of them were complaining. The planet was
beautiful despite its rather oppressive humidity, and the
estate was serene. It was rare for the Jedi to have such quiet
time for relaxation.
Obi-Wan's idea of relaxation, or "down-time" as he tended to
refer to it, always seemed to involve activity. It was
difficult for Qui-Gon's energetic and restless young padawan to
sit still for long, despite his Jedi training. As soon as
Obi-Wan had heard they would be staying longer, he'd wanted to
spend the morning swimming. He'd accompanied the younger
Dryssan sons into the pool after finishing his breakfast and
the morning meditation his Master had insisted upon.
Qui-Gon leaned farther over the railing as he saw his padawan
begin to ascend one of the pool's taller diving towers.
The boy stopped at the tower's apex to compose himself. He
closed his eyes and breathed deeply, seeming to be reveling in
his connection to the Living Force around him. He was the
perfect picture of tranquility to the untrained eye, but
Qui-Gon knew his padawan and his accompanying Force signature
well enough to detect the small amount of apprehension that
tensed the smooth muscles of the boy's back. The tower was
quite high, and Qui-Gon could not recall ever seeing Obi-Wan
dive from such a height.
He was about to call out to the boy, to remind him to remain
focused, or perhaps to convince him that he needn't complete
the dive if he was uncertain of his ability. But suddenly it
was too late. Qui-Gon watched as the young, lithe body dove
from the tower, perfect in its descent. Obi-Wan sluiced into
the deep water with barely a splash to announce his entry.
The sunlight glistened off the faint ripples of the pool for
long moments measured in heart beats. Qui-Gon was just
beginning to become worried when the boy finally broke surface.
In a quiet rush, the Jedi Master let out the breath he had been
holding.
Obi-Wan shook his head like a wet Selonian, and water droplets
went flying in multifaceted prisms of light. He grinned as he
caught sight of his master and waved a quick salutation. He
began to swim toward the pool exit when one of the young
Dryssan boys stopped him, dunking him under. The younger boy
splashed water at him as Obi-Wan reemerged, then took off in
the other direction.
Obi-Wan looked up at his master, seeking permission before
remaining in the water for something so self-gratifying as
simple play. Diving could remotely be considered training, and
swimming was surely exercise. But if he followed the other boy,
it was purely play-time; a luxury the Jedi did not usually
indulge in when away from the confines of the Temple.
Qui-Gon smiled briefly at the questioning but hopeful
expression his padawan wore and then nodded his approval. The
boys' face broke into a breath-taking smile and he nodded back
in thanks before rejoining his friends. Qui-Gon continued to
watch for a few more moments, enjoying the sight of his
apprentice's joy, as well as the way the feeling resonated
through the bond they shared.
His padawan was a promising young Jedi, but Qui-Gon often
despaired at Obi-Wan's sometimes emotional isolation and
detachment from others besides his master. That in mind, it was
wonderful to see him like this; giving freely of himself and
remaining open to the Living Force.
Qui-Gon found himself relaxing in the warm sunlight, the sounds
of the pool's cascading waterfall and of the young people
playing soothing his mind and spirit.
//Live in the moment// he'd often reminded his padawan. Today
was an example of how that focus could be such a glorious
connection to the Living Force; a pathway to living life to its
fullest. It was obvious that today, at least, Obi-Wan was
embracing his master's point of view. For that Qui-Gon was
grateful. It was best to focus on the moment, as one could
never know what the future might bring.
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