Star Wars PT- "Impulse? What Impulse?" - Obi-Wan Kenobi - G

[seal-girl.livejournal.com]

Title – Impulse? What Impulse?
Author – Sealgirl in seal_girl
Fandom – Star Wars (Prequel Trilogy)
Prompt – “Obi-Wan - Barfight – no need for a lightsabre”
Word Count – 1160
Rating – G
Summary – Obi-wan makes an impulsive stop-off at a bar.
A/N – Written for the starwarsficfest 4^th July 2008.

Impulse? What Impulse?

An impulse had brought him to the bar, and Obi-Wan Kenobi could not understand why he had stayed. Even with the Force there to reassure him, staying was not a wise thing to do. He should finish his drink and leave. Better still, he should just leave then and there, with his drink unfinished.

Careful. Patient: that was how Obi-Wan liked to think of himself.

He was always careful and patient. He didn’t like being impulsive, as experience had taught him that trouble always waited until he was impatient to strike.

And Obi-Wan didn’t like trouble either. He didn’t relish the action and adrenaline rush in the same way that Anakin so obviously did. He liked being calm. He liked knowing what was happening as well. He liked control.

The bar had been one that Qui-Gon used to go to. Obi-Wan rarely went there, except in the few time he wished for a specific form of guidance and to be reminded of the dead.

His Master had been strong with the living Force, and had embraced life with the same unfettered joy that Anakin did, and in a way that Obi-Wan himself found alien and disconcerting. But though they had similar temperaments, Qui-Gon Jinn had been nothing like Anakin. No one in the universe was like Anakin.

At the thought of his Padawan learner, Obi-Wan let out a despondent sigh and took another mouthful of his drink. The boy wasn’t a boy any longer; he was already a young man; and an extremely talented, powerful and arrogant young man as well.

Sometimes he just would not be told. He refused instruction with an effortless ease that nearly drove his Master to distraction. Obi-Wan had never known anyone to be so reckless. He had never known anyone who had taken so many risks and survived them all without any fear or doubt. As his Master, Obi-Wan was swept up in his wake of his triumphs, even though it should have been the other way around.

It was impossible to understand how he got away with it each time, even knowing how impossibly strong the Force was with him.

Anyone less would have died a hundred times over. But not Anakin.

‘Hey, you!’ said a low voice behind him. ‘You’re in my favourite seat.’

Sensing hostility through the Force as much as by the sudden hush round the bar, Ori-Wan turned very slowly to see who was speaking to him, a cold sinking feeling growing inside him. ‘I said, you’re in my favourite seat.’

The speaker was a huge man, perhaps over seven feet and built like a Wookie with pale blue skin and shining eyes. And he looked angry.

Obi-Wan knew what was coming and what the man wanted, but he made no move for the lightsabre that hung at his side under his cloak. He could sense the man’s anger, and the need to take out his frustration on someone else. It would have been a simple matter to Suggest to him that all he needed to do was go home and rethink his life, but Obi-Wan did nothing but look back at the man blankly.

With all his fore-knowledge of what was likely to happen next, Obi-Wan had no desire to fight. He rose, intending to let the man take the seat. At least, he thought that had been his intention.

But instead of moving away, he surprised himself by standing his ground, and crossing his arms over his chest, in a gesture that felt worryingly like something Anakin would do. No good could come of this…

‘It may be your favourite,’ Obi-Wan said politely, ‘but I was sitting in it first.’

He wasn’t even sure why, maybe just to see how far the man would go. He waited.

It felt as if the Force itself were tapping on his shoulder trying to point out the danger and the petty stupidity of his actions. But Obi-Wan ignored it, for reasons that he could hardly even explain to himself.

The huge man struck first, a straight punch that Obi-Wan easily avoided. There was the sound of the other people in the bar scattering to find cover. The next punch was on target to his stomach and he tried to block it, but underestimated the force with which it struck. He staggered back.

The man gave a snarl and lunged again, forcing Obi-Wan to strike back, catching him of the side of the jaw. Obi-Wan himself was so surprised at the pain that burst though his hand that he didn’t see the next punch coming until a fraction too late.

It caught him on the side of his head, and he toppled over, crashing through one of the seats and a table nearby.

The man laughed, and turned to give a mock bow to the cowering patrons. But Obi-Wan kicked out at the back of the man’s knee, and he staggered. Obi-Wan pushed himself up, not using the aid of the Force, but his own physical strength. In a moment he was in a perfect position, and he swung a right hook round at the man’s face with all the power he could muster, sending him to the floor in a dazed heap.

Obi-wan stood looking down at his opponent for a few seconds. He had never been in a fight quite like that before. He hadn’t taken advantage of the Force, and he had won. He felt strangely exhilarated by the experience.

The man on the floor looked up groggily, his gaze falling on the lightsabre as it hung at Obi-Wan’s belt. Obi-Wan reached down and helped him up, guiding him to sit to the disputed seat, and giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

‘A drink for my friend here,’ he called to the barman. ‘He looks like he could use one.’

‘One for you too?’ asked the barman.

Obi-Wan shook his head. He suddenly had no desire to stay. Whatever sensation or need that had drawn him in here had gone. He suddenly felt very foolish; had the Force guided him in here just to get into a fight?

The blow across his cheek was already starting to swell. By the morning his face was going to have a bruise like a purple sunset on it! What Anakin was going to think, he couldn’t even begin to imagine, let alone what Master Yoda or Master Windu!

He reached up and touched it gingerly, hearing Anakin’s voice full of incredulity saying: But why you were in that bar in the first place?

What answer was he going to give? Just for a taste of exhilaration, to try and feel what Anakin felt, every single day of his life? Maybe it would be easier in the long run not to say anything.

So, with a final glance down to the other man and a rueful smile, Obi-Wan swept out of the bar, back towards the Temple.

= = =

Comments

[pronker]

Just for a taste of exhilaration, to try and feel what Anakin felt, every single day of his life?

A neatly-done character study, as Obi-Wan seems in that bar to rethink his OWN life. At least for the moment. And you managed to bring in Qui-Gon, too!

[seal-girl.livejournal.com]

"Obi-Wan seems in that bar to rethink his OWN life"
Why does that phrase and Obi go so well together ??

I really needed a hint of Qui-Gon in there, as I couldn't think up anotehr reason for Obi to be hanging around a bar!!

And the icon... "glare of death" - *snerk*!

Thanks for the comment!
*replies, eventually, for fish*
Sealgirl

[yinepu.livejournal.com]

Oh very nice! Why shouldn't Obi-Wan still be easily influenced, especially by his powerful Padawan.

[seal-girl.livejournal.com]

Exactly! Bet a lot of Anakin's personality traits rubbed off a little on Obi-Wan!

Thank you for the comment, and I'm glad you enjoyed it.
*replies, eventually, for fish*
Sealgirl

[luminations.livejournal.com]

There certainly were a lot of bar fight prompts to choose from, I noticed. Hee!

You are quite adept at getting into Obi-Wan's head. I like how he ends up buying the douchebag a drink. Ever the gentleman!

*tosses fish*

[seal-girl.livejournal.com]

FISH!!!!!

I had to get a barfight one, just for completeness sake ;)

"Ever the gentleman!" - you wouldn't expect him to act any other way, even when he's fighting.

*replies, eventually, for more fish*
Sealgirl

[luminations.livejournal.com]

*tosses 3 more fish, one for each new comment you left*
*is too lazy to actually respond now though*
^_^

[ring34-ani.livejournal.com]

Very nice story. Obi-Wan trying to understand Anakin but he never really did. I like that he fought without using the Force and then left after buying the other a drink. In many ways, Obi-Wan really wasn't meant for all the war and fighting that went on, he was always kind of a step above all that, but still did it when he thought it was the right thing to do.

[seal-girl.livejournal.com]

As luminations pointed out, he was always a gentleman, and he had his own standards.
I don't think that Obi-Wan and Anakin could ever properly *understand* one another, perhaps that's why they make such interesting people to write fic about!

Thanks for the comment,

*replies, eventually, for fish*
Sealgirl

[emavalexis.livejournal.com]

But though they had similar temperaments, Qui-Gon Jinn had been nothing like Anakin. No one in the universe was like Anakin.

Wonderful observation here, one that rings so bloody true.

Just for a taste of exhilaration, to try and feel what Anakin felt, every single day of his life? Maybe it would be easier in the long run not to say anything.

Obi-Wan's innate dignity in spite of his desire to try and approximate Anakin's experience is beautifully in-character. The fact that he handily trounces his opponent here, without use of his Force abilities, just goes to show that he's more 'naturally' formidable than some might give him credit for. Nice touch with him graciously offering to buy the man a drink after all is said and done. :)

Great job!

[seal-girl.livejournal.com]

Thank you :)

And he was the only Jedi in a thousand years to face and defeat a Sith! Everyone seems to underestimate him, maybe because he was a genuinely good person (with a wild padawan!!).
Glad you enjoyed the fic.

*replies, eventually, for fish*
Sealgirl

[saucysushi.livejournal.com]

Heh. Even Jedi get decked sometimes. I do like how he can handle himself in a bar fight even without the Force - also, buying the other guy a drink is pure class. Great character insight.

[seal-girl.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the comment - Obi-Wan was pure class, wasn't he!

*replies, eventually, for fish*
Sealgirl

[sakurafromjapan.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed reading this one. I really did ! :D

Hmmm ... "to try and feel what Anakin felt" ? Oh, if the fic were set a few years after RotS and about what happened at the Mos Eisley Cantina, I would have had tears in my eyes. ;_;

[seal-girl.livejournal.com]

:)

Mos Eisley... hadn't thought of that! Ah well, it's done now ;)

Thanks for the comment!
*replies, eventually, for fish*
Sealgirl

[archaeologist-d.livejournal.com]

I loved that he got into a fight and didn't even use the Force. Maybe he needed to feel something for a change - other than calm and cool and collected.

I guess his reckless Padawan is rubbing off on him.

Great job.

[seal-girl.livejournal.com]

His reckless Padawan probably *was* rubbing off some character traits!

Thanks for the comment.
*replies, eventually, for fish*
Sealgirl

[gizzi1213.livejournal.com]

I liked this story quite a lot. I thought it was interesting that early in the story Obi-Wan has "the force there to reassure him," yet he gets distracted enough while musing about Anakin that he doesn't feel the approach of the hostile patron until he's addressed.

I have to agree with prior comments, Obi-Wan is much more formidable than he's given credit for. And I also liked the bit about buying his defeated opponent a drink.

Favorite part, however, was the observation that noone in the Universe is like Anakin. How true!!

[seal-girl.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the comment - maybe the Force was playing tricks with him, or he needed to let off a little bit of steam.
And having Anakin as a Padawan must have been such a constant battle of wills - no wonder he needed a break!

*replies, eventually, for fish*
Sealgirl

[mlledefer.livejournal.com]

thanks for sharing:)

[seal-girl.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the comment :)
*replies, eventually, for fish*
Sealgirl

[were-lemur.livejournal.com]

Ooh, neat; a character study wrapped in a barfight! :D

[seal-girl.livejournal.com]

Character study with barfight wrapping - makes it sound like a tasty breakfast snack! ;)

Thanks for the comment - glad you enjoyed it.

*replies, eventually, for fish (and breakfast)*
Sealgirl