Undone

Weak Stomachs and Waning Appetites

First, he had allowed the boy to walk to their quarters when clearly the teen had not recovered enough strength to attempt such a task. Then he had allowed his dinner plans with Tahl to utterly slip his mind only remembering them half an hour prior to the agreed upon dinner hour. And now... now the old master's thoughtlessness had reached new and dizzying heights. Qui-Gon had all but sent the boy into a blind panic. How could he have been so foolish as to forget that the last time Obi-Wan was in their quarters his master had left him alone and, subsequently, the boy had been abducted, abused, disfigured... broken. The old master inwardly shuddered. He was being careless when what his padawan needed most from his was care. Obi-Wan needed his master to be in the moment, fully. It would be his attentive guidance and support that would be the key to navigating the child through the over three-month long nightmare.

Qui-Gon closed his eyes for a moment and silently made a solemn vow to the Force that he would not fail this child again. Just as he opened his eyes, the door chime sounded. Qui-Gon opened the door with a wave of his hand and in stepped Tahl; her dark hair pulled tightly behind her, her gold and green stripped eyes flashing brightly as they locked with his. She held several neatly stacked boxes in her hands.

"Dinner has arrived," she opened with a smile as she walked to the small dining table and began to unload the steaming portions. The door to the fresher slid open and out stepped an auburn-haired apprentice. Qui-Gon watched as the teen drifted over to the table pulled almost magnetically to the feast being laid out before him.

"Ah, there's my other handsome Jedi. I forgot that food is always the best bait to catch a padawan... and the occasional master," she smiled with a wink to Obi-Wan. Just as the master planned, her teasing words instantly disarmed the boy and put him at ease.

"Good evening, Master Tahl," he greeted with a slight bow. He sat down and hungrily stared at the food in front of him, but made no move towards it. Tahl regarded him thoughtfully then looked to Qui-Gon.

"Well, your padawan has impeccable manners, though I suspect that has little to do with your influence, Qui," she laughed. Qui-Gon made his best attempt at appearing wounded by her jest as she turned her attention back to Obi-Wan. "No need to stand on ceremony with me, Obi-Wan. Dig in."

Qui-Gon's apprentice needed no further prompting as he indeed began to "dig in" heaping mountains of spicy la'tan noodles on to his plate. The two masters took their seats and moved to fix their plates as well.

"You would not believe who comm.'d me today," Tahl said as she spooned out a serving of parilap bar-b-que onto her plate.

"Who?" Qui-Gon asked as he shoveled in a mouthful of salad greens.

"Oman Ralote."

"No," the master answered with an incredulous, but slightly mischievous smile.

"My hand to the stars. He messaged me completely out of the blue."

Finally, Jinn's poor padawan could take it no longer.

"Who is Oman Ralote?" he asked hoping desperately that he was not overstepping his bounds. Tahl turned to him with a smirk.

"Oman Ralote is a rather officious merona from Apri VI."

"Merona?" Obi-Wan asked between mouthfuls. Qui-Gon turned to his apprentice.

"An official of diplomatic standing somewhere between a barrister and a,"

"Serrellian chuc lizard," Tahl supplied. The old master quirked an eyebrow at his friend.

"I was going to say senator, but I suppose chuc lizard will do," he replied in his typical diplomatic tones. Obi-Wan couldn't help but grin at the friendly banter of the two masters.