Trust Your Instincts
by Kat
Rating: PG
Feedback: Yes please
Archive: Sure, just let me know
Summary: Obi-Wan is being a brat. Qui-Gon finds a
solution.
Acknowledgements: This story is based on one of
Cheshire Cat's plot bunnies that she put up for
adoption on the PadPun archive, the 'last line
challenge'. I hope I did it justice. :)
Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to
George Lucas, and I definitely didn't make any money
from this.
Qui-Gon had been deep in conversation with one of the
Mirvani diplomats, but despite his concentration on
what was being said, a corner of his mind was always
aware of his Padawan. The reception, celebrating the
successful election of a new government on Mirvan, had
been going on for some time and while Obi-Wan had
stayed close to Qui-Gon in the beginning, he had
eventually got bored and wandered off to find more
stimulating entertainment.
He had not been exactly *obvious* about his
boredom...but he hadn't made much of an effort to hide
it either.
Qui-Gon fully intended to talk with Obi-Wan about his
rudeness when the reception was over.
Obi-Wan's behaviour of late had been slipping in
several areas, actually. Qui-Gon was trying to be
sympathetic; Obi-Wan was only just fifteen, and he
knew what a difficult age that could be. However, the
boy had started to be quite cheeky to him, and some of
that cheek was now edging dangerously close to real
insolence.
And as sympathetic as Qui-Gon might be to teenage
hormones, he was not going to tolerate disrespect from
his Padawan.
Qui-Gon thought back to the response he had received
just three days ago, when he had been called to a very
late emergency meeting to deal with a few last minute
glitches in the election process. The problems did
need to be dealt with quickly, but in themselves they
were fairly minor issues and Qui-Gon had not seen the
point in both of them losing sleep. Obi-Wan was
currently in the middle of a growth spurt and had been
needing more and more sleep lately--and if he didn't
get it he was less than pleasant to live with.
However, Obi-Wan had been convinced that he should go
with his Master to the meeting. He had first tried
reasoning with Qui-Gon; "What if you need me, Master?
What if something happens?" And when that didn't work
he had turned to frustrated pleading, and then finally
to whining.
Qui-Gon hated whining.
He had lost patience at that point, and had reminded
Obi-Wan rather strongly about the obedience that he
owed his Master before telling him to go to bed.
Obi-Wan had responded by pouting unattractively and
snapping "Oh, all *right*!", and then stamping off
into his room in a huff. It had taken disrespect to a
new level for the usually well-mannered Padawan, and
Qui-Gon's hand had itched with the desire to slap the
boy.
But he had restrained himself, reminding himself and
his itching palm that Obi-Wan was suffering through
the throes of teenage hormones and did not really
intend to be disrespectful. It was just a phase he was
going through.
However, the boy had better get through it soon,
Qui-Gon thought. There were limits to his patience.
"Master Jinn?"
Called back to the present, Qui-Gon realised to his
chagrin that he had not heard a word of what the
Mirvani Senator had said for the past few minutes. He
hoped it would not be taken as an insult.
But the Senator was smiling at him. "A Jedi
daydreaming? Now I have seen it all!"
Qui-Gon inclined his head in apology. "I do apologise,
Senator Vas'chek. I'm afraid I am a little preoccupied
tonight."
"Something to do with your young apprentice over
there, by any chance?" Vas'chek asked shrewdly,
nodding in the direction of the small group of young
people that now included Obi-Wan.
Qui-Gon nodded, one eyebrow arching in surprise. Was
he that transparent? Force, he hoped not!
"You've been keeping a close eye on him," Vas'chek
said with a smile. "I'm a politician, Master Jinn -
I've learned to notice these things."
"Of course," Qui-Gon agreed politely.
"Well, why don't you invite him over? I'd like to meet
him - I haven't had the opportunity to meet many
Jedi."
"Certainly, Senator." Qui-Gon sent a brief mental push
through their bond, and when Obi-Wan looked up, he
beckoned to him.
Obi-Wan hesitated for a long moment, glancing between
his Master and the girl he had been talking to.
// *Now*, Padawan, // Qui-Gon told the boy sternly
through the bond. He saw Obi-Wan sigh and excuse
himself from the small group he had joined, then head
in their direction.
As the boy came up to them, Qui-Gon noticed a
distinctly sulky look on his face and sighed inwardly.
Obi-Wan bowed politely to his Master and the Senator,
but the pout remained in place.
"Obi-Wan, this is Senator Vas'chek, the Republic
representative for the Mirvani. Senator, my apprentice
Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Pleased to meet you, Obi-Wan," Vas'chek said warmly.
"Likewise, Senator Vas'chek." Obi-Wan's tone was
acceptably polite, and Qui-Gon's hopes rose just a
little.
"I see you were making friends with Jianna - she is
the daughter of one of our new heads of government,
you know," the Senator continued.
"Yes, sir, she mentioned that," Obi-Wan replied.
Vas'chek winked at him. "Pretty, isn't she? But she
might be a bit old for you, lad - how old are you,
fourteen?"
Obi-Wan's eyes flashed, and his jaw tightened. "I'm
fifteen, *sir*," he ground out.
"Padawan!" Qui-Gon snapped, appalled at Obi-Wan's
rudeness. "Apologise to the Senator at once!"
Obi-Wan glared at his master for a long moment, then
turned to Vas'chek and mumbled, "Sorry."
"That's all right, lad, I apologise for the mistake,"
Vas'chek said calmly.
"It is not all right," Qui-Gon broke in. "A proper
apology, Padawan. Right now."
"But--"
"I said *now*."
Obi-Wan hesitated, pouting, but capitulated under
Qui-Gon's stern gaze. "I apologise for my rudeness,
Senator," he said, sounding as if he were speaking
through clenched teeth.
"No harm done, Obi-Wan," the Senator said quietly,
sensing that there was more going on here than met the
eye.
Obi-Wan turned back to his Master, looking even more
sullen than before. "Can I go now?" he asked rudely.
Qui-Gon could hardly believe his Padawan's behaviour.
"That is enough, Obi-Wan," he said sternly. "What has
got into you?"
"Nothing," Obi-Wan said impudently. "I just want to go
back to my friends."
"You are here as a representative of the Jedi,
Padawan, which means you are officially on duty,"
Qui-Gon said firmly. "You would do well to remember
that."
Obi-Wan turned away, muttering, "As if you would ever
let me forget."
"I beg your pardon, Obi-Wan?"
Obi-Wan turned back to face him, lifting his chin
defiantly. "I said, as if you would ever let me
forget! Can I *go* now?"
Qui-Gon's expression darkened ominously, and when he
spoke his voice was low and stern. "The only place
you're going, Padawan, is with me. I think we need to
talk about some things."
Qui-Gon took his apprentice by the arm and led him
away from the reception, trying to keep a rein on his
temper. Even angry as he was, he saw no need to
humiliate Obi-Wan by reprimanding him in public.
He marched the boy out of the reception hall into the
corridor beyond, and then into a small antechamber,
checking with the Force first to be sure it was empty.
He turned his wayward Padawan to face him, and Obi-Wan
stared up at him defiantly. Clearly he was gearing up
for a fight, and that rebellious expression made
Qui-Gon lose patience entirely. Without a word he
pulled Obi-Wan sideways and delivered a hard swat to
his backside.
Obi-Wan's mouth dropped open in astonishment. "Ow!
Master!"
"Behave like a child, Padawan, and I'll treat you as
one," Qui-Gon said, struggling to keep his tone even.
"You have become an ill-mannered brat lately, and I
will not tolerate any more of it." He took a deep
breath. "Now, you will go back out there and
apologise to Senator Vas'chek, and for the rest of the
evening you will behave in a manner befitting a Jedi
Padawan. Is that understood?"
Speechless, Obi-Wan nodded.
"Good. Because if there are any further instances of
this behaviour I will take you back to our rooms and
give you a lot more than just one swat. Is that quite
clear?"
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan replied quickly. It was the
most respectful answer Qui-Gon had got from the boy in
weeks.
Satisfied that his point had been made, Qui-Gon let go
of Obi-Wan's arm and made his way back out into the
reception hall. Obi-Wan trailed silently along behind
him. Clearly, that little scene had been the last
thing the boy was expecting.
As soon as they rejoined the reception, Obi-Wan went
straight to Senator Vas'chek and humbly apologised for
his earlier insolence. The Senator kindly waved away
the apology and pointed Obi-Wan towards the garden
area where, he said, "the younger people stuck at
these stuffy gatherings usually congregate."
Obi-Wan smiled gratefully, and turned to Qui-Gon.
"Master? May I go out to the gardens?"
Polite. Respectful. The Padawan Qui-Gon had started to
despair of ever seeing again. /By the Force,/ he
thought, /I should have slapped some sense into him
weeks ago!/ He could think of at least a dozen
occasions when he had been tempted - *very* tempted -
to give Obi-Wan a quick physical reminder of exactly
how a Padawan was supposed to behave. /Next time, I'll
take my own advice and trust my instincts,/ he thought
ruefully. He looked back down at Obi-Wan, who was
still waiting for his answer.
"Yes, Obi-Wan, you may. Just be back in our rooms by
midnight; we'll have an early start in the morning."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, Master. Thank you, Senator
Vas'chek." He bowed briefly and hurried off.
Qui-Gon watched him go. Perhaps he shouldn't have let
Obi-Wan off so easily, but since he had now made it
clear to the boy that bad behaviour would be punished,
he also wanted to show that good behaviour would be
rewarded. And his Padawan's behaviour had improved
almost beyond recognition from that of fifteen minutes
before.
/Amazing what a little persuasion will do,/ Qui-Gon
thought in amusement.
A quiet cough brought Qui-Gon out of his musing, and
he glanced over at the Senator, who was regarding him
with admiration. "Well, Master Jinn, I don't know what
you said to him, but it certainly did the trick. I
only wish I could make my two teenagers shape up that
quickly. How did you manage it?"
Qui-Gon smiled slightly. "I've found it's really quite
simple, Senator," he said serenely. "Never
underestimate the power of a well-timed swat."
The End