Series: Simple Questions
Pairing: QG/OW
Category: Humor
Rating: G
Archive: Yes, to MA and anyone else who wishes it. Just let me
know.
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
Summary: A strange planet, a familiar celebration
Feedback: Yes, please. Always! [g]
Disclaimer: These characters are so not mine. They belong to
Lucas That Is. I make nary a cent.
Note: This is my first written-for-a-holiday story. It came
knocking two days ago and would not hush! And though I prefer
not to post a story this quickly, I think it's okay...
[g] Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving! Of any kind! :-) (PS It helps
to know the tune for Over the River and Through the Woods!)
(PPS Obi-Wan is fifteen.)
"Are you sure this is the right place, Master?"
The corridor was long and dim and Obi-Wan was sorely tempted
to stop where they were and rethink their course of action.
"Patience, Padawan. I'm sure we took all of the correct turns.
Our directions were quite specific."
Obi-Wan let his eyes roam the walls. They were covered in
patterns of swirls and zigzags of what would have been bright
colors if more lighting had been present. He sighed. The Squill
were not only different from any race he'd ever heard of, they
were really, really different. No taller than his waist,
they darted here and there at top speed, stopping to stare at
you before laughing hysterically and driving funny little round
vehicles up and down long winding roads with no apparent
traffic system. He'd almost had his feet run over twice. And
they never seemed to care what the Jedi thought, said or did.
He sighed again, his worry factor up several points. Ahead now
was a wide double door, fashioned out of some type of dark
wood. For a wonder, it was at least tall enough so that Qui-
Gon would only need to stoop a little. Fingering his
lightsaber, Obi- Wan looked warily around.
One last chance to be prepared.
"May I see the invitation again, Master?"
Qui-Gon slipped it out of an inner pocket as they stopped
before the door. Obi-Wan focused keen eyes on the small print.
"Do you think it could be a trap?"
Chuckling gently, Qui-Gon smiled and plucked the small card
out of Obi-Wan's hand. "No, I don't. The Squill may lead lives
both frenetic and preoccupied, but they possess both ethics and
candor, and as such, appear to care neither one way or another
about the Republic or, for that matter, the Jedi. To plan a
trap in this manner would probably never occur to them." He
reached for the doorknob. "I admit I am somewhat surprised at
this invitation. They hardly seemed to know we were here." He
studied Obi-Wan's serious face. "A word of ambassadorial
advice, Padawan. When invited to someone's party, be prepared
to quite possibly enjoy yourself."
Obi-Wan frowned. "Do you think we'll have to dance? I don't
think I can move that fast."
Smiling, Qui-Gon opened the door.
One step into the room, Master and Padawan stopped and stared.
They were in some sort of huge hall whose lofty ceiling was
strung with colored pennants and brights lights. It was also
full, almost to bursting, with Squill. Big and little, young
and old, all of them actually standing still. And smiling,
grinning, giggling and waving, topknots whirling madly.
Master and Padawan looked at each other and back at the crowd.
It was then that they saw the banner hanging at the back of the
room, over a table laden with food. It read, 'Hoppy Thanks
Giving May the Froce Be Wit You'. Obi-Wan bit back a snort of
laughter as the crowd settled into silence.
An older Squill, yellow eyes slowly spinning above his soft
smile, stepped forward and bowed. His little bass squeak
sounded clearly through the room.
"Honored Jedi." His long topknot spun once around and settled
with feathery lightness around his ears as he grinned. "We
really do know you are here. But you are so big and so slow, we
had to have some fun." He laughed at the expressions on their
faces. "We have decided we like you. And we would like to honor
you by celebrating one of your favorite days."
Every topknot in the room popped up to spin with multicolored
abandon as the crowd moved to surround the two befuddled Jedi
and herd them gently into the center of the room. There, the
crowd parted and three young Squill were shoved forward to
stand in a shaky line in front of them. Their little topknots,
still the brilliant orange of childhood, sat waving merrily
above their grinning little button mouths. The middle one, just
a hair taller, stepped forward and spoke, his squeak a rather
pleasing tenor.
"We represent the Holy Squill Guild and in the name of the
Holy Squill Guild, we wish to sing for you a, a...holiday song,
that will, will..."
"...cheer..." a voice squeaked from the back.
"...cheer you way up." His grin grew impossibly wide as he
stepped back into the semblance of a line.
Somewhere in the room, someone banged a chord on some sort of
stringed instrument and, as Obi-Wan watched, eyes wide with
wonder, the little chorus of Squill broke into the song that
every Creche babe learned from the time they could talk.
"Start up the scooter and stow the food, To Coruscant, here we
go. I'll show you the way to carry the day With cup and lifted
elbow.
Start up the scooter and stow the food, I see the landing bay.
Come add on a pound to your middle mound. We're thanking the
Force today."
With a shout of laughter, Obi-Wan joined in at the next verse
as the young Squill broke their line to spin and dance around
him, hands clapping and waving. Soon the entire room was
jigging and singing, passing food and drink from hand to hand
and having the finest kind of time.
Several hours later, two very tired but happy Jedi were shown
back to their quarters with parting yodels and hoots of
laughter. Standing in the doorway, watching the young Squill
hurtle off in all directions, Obi-Wan yawned and smiled.
"Do you still have that invitation, Master?"
Qui-Gon looked up from pulling his boots off, one eyebrow
lifted. "Yes, it's still in my pocket. But why...?"
Obi-Wan sighed, his belly full of good food, his mind and
spirit full of good fellowship. "I would like it for a
keepsake. A lesson learned. In misreading the Squill, I
misjudged them." He leaned against the door and looked around
with remade eyes. "I take back what I said on the way to the
party." He grinned, glancing back at his Master. "I think this
was just exactly the right place to be."
Qui-Gon laughed. "Well, then. How about one more chorus?"
To no one's surprise, it was dawn before they actually went to
bed.
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