It was a good day to sell cabbages.

The cabbage merchant happily strolled down the city's streets, pushing his cart of cabbage as if it were a stroller for his children. Not that he had any children, presently. Or flesh and blood ones that is. His leafy treasures were more than enough to demand his attention for the moment.

He parked his cart in the shade of a nearby stand and located the seller he needed to talk to about purchasing some fertilizer for his budding beauties back home.

"Don't get into any trouble now," he sternly warned the cabbages, wagging his finger at the pile of leaves on his cart. The cabbages remained silent. The merchant smiled. They were good cabbages.

Stepping away, he greeted the seller and began to haggle over the price of the fertilizer.

"Hello there, Mirk, how are you?" said the cabbage merchant.

Mirk grunted. "You here for your fertilizer?"

The cabbage merchant nodded. "You know which blend. Only the best for my cabbages, you know."

Mirk grunted again. "Yeah, yeah, give me one sec while I grab your baby food. Just got a new shipment this morning."

The cabbage merchant merely inclined his head and leaned against the stall, glancing over at his cabbages. He smiled.

It was indeed a good day to sell cabbages.

"Master, why are we still here? I thought the negotiations were over."

Obi-Wan Kenobi looked down at his impatient 11 year-old apprentice. "A job well-done is all the more reason to grab lunch is it not, my Padawan? Besides, our transport doesn't depart for another two hours."

Anakin wrinkled his nose and huffed. "Yeah, but all the food here is so… gross. And vegetably."

Obi-Wan sighed. "This region's cuisine is completely based on plant-life. I'm afraid we'll have to respect their customs and forgo the meat and sweets for a moment." He quirked an eyebrow. "You can finally make up for all the vegetables you've thrown away over the years when you thought I wasn't looking."

"How did you know-"

"Where do you think all of your 'random' extra meditation sets came from?"

"Master!"

Obi-Wan gave his apprentice a rare smile. "Although I suppose I should almost be grateful you don't eat your vegetables."

Anakin looked at his master curiously. "How come?"

"Well, not eating your vegetables affects your growth doesn't it? After years of quite literally standing in Master Qui-Gon's shadow, I must say it's rather nice to be the taller of the pair." His eyes softened suddenly as they often did when he recalled his beloved master. Two years later and he still wished that he come ask the wise man advice on how to deal with his unruly padawan. Well. At least Anakin still kept the spark of reckless adventure in his life that Qui-Gon used to generate.

Anakin watched as his master lapsed into the strange silence that often accompanied mentions of Qui-Gon. He knew how hard Obi-Wan tried to hide it, but it was clear to Anakin how much his mentor still missed the older man. Pulling on Obi-Wan's sleeve he tried to shake the Jedi out of his thoughts.

"Well tough luck, Master. I'm gonna eat all my vegetables now and then you'll be in my shadow!"

Obi-Wan chuckled. "In more ways than one I'm sure, my padawan."

Anakin grinned and looked around, eager to make good on his new resolution. He spotted a cart overflowing with strange green, leafy vegetables that looked quite promising. "Look master! How about those?"

Anakin began to sprint to the cart, failing to notice the pack animal trotting down the market street with cart of fruit.

"Anakin! Wait!" called Obi-Wan as he tumbled into his apprentice, tucking him against his body and rolling out of the way before the animal could trample the small boy. Rolling out, he set Anakin on the ground as he quickly scanned the boy for injuries. "Anakin, you could've been hurt, you must be more mindful-"

A sudden crash erupted beside them. The animal, startled by the quick action of the Jedi Knight, had reared on its back legs, its driver losing control of the beast. The animal thrashed around the street letting out scared groans and smashing its cargo and nearby carts.

Grabbing Anakin, Obi-Wan crouched behind a stand and did his best to shield himself and the boy from the debris of the animal's rampage.

After a few minutes, the animal's owner managed to soothe the beast, calming the animal enough to stop it from wreaking further havoc. Peeking out from beneath the stand, Obi-Wan took in the sight of the damage. Thankfully, the stands the animal had hit has sustained no irreparable damage, although all nearby surfaces, as well Obi-Wan's robe were covered in leaves from-

"MY CABBAGES!"

The cabbage merchant was distraught. No, he was beyond distraught; he was inconsolable, unbelieving, and incredible of the morbid scene that lay before him. His cabbages, his precious cabbages, strewn over the market street as if they were nothing but common lettuce.

He had watched, in horror, as the small boy and his friend scared the rampaging monster, watching, as if in slow motion, the massacre of his treasures unfolded.

When the carnage had finished, he ran to his cart, clutching the remains of the leaves in his hands.

Obi-Wan walked over, and placed a hand on cabbage merchant's shoulder. He frowned. The poor man looked like he was about to cry. "Excuse me sir-"

"You!" cried the cabbage merchant. "You did this to my babies!"

Obi-Wan blinked. "Your-?"

"How could you!" cried the merchant. He sniffed. "They were so young."

Anakin walked up beside the merchant. "I'm really sorry sir. But I'm sure you can grow new ones."

The cabbage merchant scowled at him. "Oh sure. Why don't I just cut off your toes, I'm sure you can grow new ones!"

Anakin frowned and opened his mouth to protest when Obi-Wan silenced him with a disapproving look. "I apologize to you sir. We never meant to damage your… babies. If there is some way that we can compensate you-"

"No!" howled the cabbage merchant. "You can just leave!"

"Are you sure there's nothing else we-"

"Nothing!"

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan, who shrugged slightly before placing a hand on his padawan's shoulder and walking away.

The cabbage merchant watched them go before turning back to cabbages.

He sniffed. This had not been a good day to sell cabbages.