Chapter Text
Obi-Wan scowled at the engine grease stains that stubbornly refused to come out of his tabards. "Master why can't we wear black robes, or at least some darker colours?" He exclaimed, throwing them back into the sink of the shuttle's cramped fresher. "We're Sith for Force sake, it's not natural for us to wear so much damned beige."
Qui-Gon just looked up at him from his datapad. Obi-Wan was certain there were sentients who couldn't say as much with a hundred words as his Master could say with a single eyebrow.
"You are aware of course my Apprentice," He said calmly. "That Temple wardrobe guidelines state that outside of individual cultural practices, black is exclusively worn by Artificers?"
Obi-Wan sighed under his breath. "Yes, my Master."
"Are you an Artificer my young Apprentice, or in training to become an Artificer?"
"No Master."
"Then have I perhaps been mistaken in my understanding of your chosen academic fields, Apprentice?"
Sith hells, he really wasn't letting up on this was he.
Another long sigh. "No Master."
"Then my only conclusion is that I have been neglectful in educating you sufficiently on the traditional practices of the Jedi Order." He continued blandly, returning to his datapad. "Traditions, I might add, which I'm sure you agree are in our best interests to follow to the letter."
He gritted his teeth. "You have not been neglectful of my education Master. I apologise for my outburst."
"Then I would like you to write me an essay extolling the history and virtues of the Jedi dress code Apprentice, just to make sure you are indeed as knowledgeable as I would hope you to be."
Obi-Wan wanted to cry or tear his hair out. Possibly both.
Though two weeks later he ended up having the last laugh, because in addition to the essay on the appropriate way to wear Jedi robes and their history, he also handed his Master one on the historical practices of Stewjon, his homeworld. Apparently many hundreds of years ago when their society had been a lot more agrarian, it had been traditional to wear dark, earthy colours to honour their connection to the rich soil they owed their livelihood too.
Qui-Gon had clearly been torn between being supremely annoyed and grudgingly impressed, but in the end even he had to agree that Obi-Wan could claim darker robes on the basis of cultural reasons. He still didn't let him wear a black over-robe, but from then on his inner tunic and trousers were a deep shade of ochre red, and his outer tunic, tabards and obi were a rich earthy brown. And that still felt like a victory.
And if on his next lifeday Qui-Gon gave him a very dark brown robe subtly lined in black, well that was just because he had grown out of the last one.