[AN]: This is literally my first try at writing any of these characters since I was about 15 or 16 years old. That was over a decade ago now and I would believe it would be safe to say that I'm just a bit really rusty. I hope not too rusty that it distracts from the story, however.

Qui-Gon Jinn has always been a dear character to me. It's only more recently that I've had any interest in writing his Padawan.

Constructive criticism is more than welcome!

"You aren't ready, my young Padawan." Qui-Gon's words stung worse than Obi-Wan had been prepared for. He'd been hoping for a more favorable reply this time. He'd been trying so very hard to prove himself. He'd been doing so since he'd come to the Jedi Temple as a small child. Too old, always too old and never good enough. Nothing he did was ever to the satisfaction of the Jedi Council, but his master?

Obi-Wan snuck a sidelong glance at his master, who was pretending to be interested in a droid that was slowly making its way up the outside of the temple, cleaning the windows as it went.

"That's what you said last time," he replied with a sigh as he turned his attention back to the sprawling city. "I've grown up. I'm no longer a child."

The older man casually looked him up and down and he chuckled, eliciting a scowl from the younger man. "You still have much to learn and much growing to do, Obi-Wan. When you are ready, you'll know."

"But—"

"When you're ready, you'll know." The placid smile on his master's face infuriated Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon turned away from the balcony and stepped back inside, leaving the younger man alone with his thoughts.

When he heard the hiss of the door sliding shut behind his master, Obi-Wan kicked the railing of the balcony, grunting with frustration. He was nineteen years old now, but to anyone watching he might've looked about fifteen or sixteen— especially with the tantrum he was in the midst of throwing. He'd yet to have his final growth spurt— at least, he hoped one more was coming. He still barely came up to his master's shoulder.

In six years with his master he'd seen more of the galaxy than most Jedi did in their entire lives. Being Qui-Gon's apprentice had never been easy, but Obi-Wan was much wiser for the difficulty. He was ready to take the Trials and become a Jedi Knight. He knew he was.

He sighed and kicked the railing again before turning and heading inside. The sun was just sinking behind the impossible Coruscant skyline as he headed back to his quarters. A shower would do him some good.

As he stepped into his quarters and the door hissed shut behind him, he felt a ripple in the Force. It was familiar, like an old friend announcing himself after a long absence. In this case, it was unwelcome. He shut out his master's intrusion into his mind and he locked his door.

It was more for show than anything. His master could easily enter his quarters any time he so chose. Qui-Gon Jinn rarely asserted that authority. It was one of the things Obi-Wan most appreciated about his master.

He pulled off his boots and stepped into the refresher, closing the door behind him. Once again he felt that familiar ripple in the Force, but he didn't allow it to get as close this time or feel as familiar. Can't you see that I just want to be alone right now?

It was hard enough to cope with the fact that his emotions betrayed him without having to go through of it with his master feeling what he felt. Some Jedi I am, he thought with a sigh as he disrobed, casually letting his clothes pool on the floor. Qui-Gon's right. The Council's right. I'm not ready. At this rate I'll never be ready.

He stepped into the sonic shower and turned it on. He stood in the shower for a long time, long after he was clean, long after the shower turned off automatically.

Stood there even after hearing the familiar hiss of his door unlocking and opening. Stood there even as his master stepped into his quarters and waited expectantly outside the refresher door. It was only as he felt his master reaching out to him through the Force once more that he finally relented and got out of the shower. He dropped his soiled clothes down the laundry chute and pulled on a fresh pair of pants.

Once he was sufficiently clothed, he stepped out of the refresher, crossed the room, and sat down on the edge of his bunk. Qui-Gon didn't turn to face him, merely folded his arms across his chest. Neither man said anything for a long time.

"What do you want, Master?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Pack a bag," Qui-Gon said finally. "We are going on a mission."

"Another mission? We just returned from Ploo yesterday… Doesn't the Council—"

"This mission isn't one given to us by the Council." Obi-Wan raised an intrigued eyebrow.

"If it's not—"

Qui-Gon turned around to face his apprentice then. There was a strange fire in his eyes that Obi-Wan had never seen before. What sort of game is he playing?

"I will be waiting at the landing pad, Obi-Wan. Make haste." With that, he turned and left the younger man's quarters. Obi-Wan sat staring at the spot where his master had stood just moments before, dazed. He tried to reach out to his master with the force, but it was as though he'd hit a brick wall.

Have I offended my master? He wondered as he pulled on a fresh tunic and packed a small bag. Qui-Gon hadn't told him what to bring, hadn't even told him where they were going, so he had no idea what to prepare for.

By the time he was ready to leave his quarters, his bag had the strangest assortment of preparedness tools in addition to a single clean tunic. He grabbed his cloak as he stepped out into the corridor, which he found to be deserted. Odd, he thought. It's never so quiet around here.

Qui-Gon was rather proud of himself for how quickly he'd managed to throw together this latest lesson that his Padawan needed to learn. The boy's own words had betrayed him when he'd insisted that he was ready for the Trials. Humility, he thought, is the only way Obi-Wan is going to remain on the path to becoming a Jedi Knight.

With the go-ahead given by the Council, even with Master Yoda's vocal disapproval of his plan, Qui-Gon set off to make it a reality. He'd told Obi-Wan what little he planned to tell him of their 'mission' and now he was off to secure a ship for the two of them.

As he walked, he could feel Obi-Wan reaching out to him through the Force. Though he welcomed the contact from the boy— he was still but a child, after all, no matter what his age might be— he felt it necessary to cut him off.

He could feel his Padawan's confusion at being shut out of his mind, but he didn't allow that to sway him into relenting. Perhaps he could teach the boy two lessons with the same 'mission.'

Of course, Qui-Gon also knew that there was a chance he could cause his Padawan harm. He hoped that Obi-Wan was as strong as he assumed himself to be.

He managed to secure a ship for them just moments before his Padawan stepped out onto the landing pad. Qui-Gon motioned for him to follow him and headed toward the ship they would be taking. He looked up at it as they approached. It was one of the oldest ships still in the possession of the Jedi. It was the ship he'd first learned to fly.

"We're going in that?" Obi-Wan asked as he approached. Qui-Gon couldn't suppress the grin that formed on his face. He turned around to face his Padawan.

"It's our ship, Obi-Wan."

"It's a fossil, Master."

"It may not be shiny and new," Qui-Gon admitted, "but it'll still get us where we're going."

"And where are we going, Master?" Obi-Wan looked up at him hopefully. Qui-Gon merely smiled and shook his head.

"You'll find out soon enough," he replied.

"Isn't it generally considered bad form to keep someone in the dark about a mission they're going on?" Obi-Wan pressed. Qui-Gon said nothing, simply motioned for Obi-Wan to board.