Chapter One

Obi-Wan Kenobi entered the small kitchenette, smiling fondly when he saw who was seated at the table. It was his master, Qui-Gon Jinn, and he was glaring straight into the dregs of tea at the base of his mug as if they had offended him somehow. Chances are, they had.

"Master, what's wrong?" the thirteen-year-old asked amusedly.

Qui-Gon snapped his gaze from the mug and gazed at Obi-Wan, blinking owlishly for a moment, before the expression was covered by one of indifference.

"Nothing, Padawan," dismissed Qui-Gon, rising from the table to place the dirty mug in the sink. "Just a disturbance, is all."

"So it is something then," said Obi-Wan, grinning.

Qui-Gon glared at him, though he was smiling. "Cheeky little brat."

"I know. But, what kind of disturbance are we dealing with? Centered around anyone in particular?"

"You probably won't believe me," sighed the master, running a hand through his hair wearily.

"Really, master?" asked Obi-Wan incredulously. "I'm your Padawan! I'd believe you if you told me the Council had assigned me a job as a herder of pink and lime green-spotted zebras!"

"Zebras?" questioned Qui-Gon. "Who or what is a zebra?"

"Nothing, master," said Obi-Wan, bowing his head.

"Delusional, Padawan," said Qui-Gon, giving Obi-Wan a playful slap atop the head.

"You're sidestepping my question, master," reminded Obi-Wan.

"Oh, all right," sighed Qui-Gon. "I don't know how, or why, exactly, but for some reason, these disturbances are centered around you."

Three weeks later, it happened.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were meditating. It was a usual, normal afternoon.

Qui-Gon suddenly bolted from his spot on the floor, hand making for the lightsaber hilt at his waist. Obi-Wan stayed put on the floor.

How does the child not sense it? It's as if a thousand howler monkeys are screaming in my ear...

He mentally corrected himself. He had no idea what a howler monkey was, but apparently his apprentice's delusions about a faraway planet filled with wildlife that was called Earth had rubbed off onto him.

"Obi-Wan."

The boy didn't stir.

"Obi-Wan!" He yanked on the braid dangling behind his ear.

The boy's eyes slowly fluttered open, and he gazed around with a dazed, confused expression. Then his eyes snapped shut, and he was gone.

Obi-Wan's eyes snapped open. He was not in his quarters, or any room familiar to him. The room was extremely reminiscent of a Jedi's, and probably did belong to a Jedi, but not one familiar to him, for that matter.

The door opened.

The next thing Obi-Wan knew, he was on the floor with a knee in his gut and a deactivated lightsaber at his throat.

"Who are you?" a voice growled. He looked up and saw a blonde-haired, blue-eyed man glaring down at him. A freshly minted Knight with some anger issues to solve, by the looks of him.

The man blinked for a moment, and then he said, "Sorry, I thought you were..."

Obi-Wan nodded. "No explanation needed."

"I'm Anakin Skywalker," said the man. "Jedi Knight, as of last week." He helped the Padawan to his feet before scrutinizing him carefully, both physically and with the Force.

Obi-Wan shifted awkwardly on his feet as the electric blue eyes scanned him. Noticing his discomfort, the Knight said,

"Sorry. You just reminded me of someone. Perhaps we can get you to your Master. Who is he?"

"Master Jinn is my Master."

The Knight frowned briefly. "That's impossible, Padawan. Master Jinn was killed on Naboo nearly eleven years ago."

"How is that possible? I just spoke with him, what, ten minutes ago?"

The blonde Knight's face twisted into a pensive frown.

"That can't be, because my former Master has pretty much been grieving subtly for the past eleven years. So unless- what year is it, again?"

"That's a funny question to ask," said Obi-Wan, slightly suspicious.

"Humor me."

Obi-Wan told him the year.

"Oh, Force," said Skywalker as his eyes widened to the size of saucers. "My former Master needs to come. This is going to be fun to watch."

Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi was pacing his quarters uselessly when a mental transmission from his former Padawan registered in his mind.

/Master, I need you to come to my quarters. Now. There is a child... Well, a Padawan... And I think you should handle this one./

/Why me, Anakin?/

/Because this is extremely urgent and he's being rather... Difficult. A lot like you, really. So much like you it's completely unnerving./

/I'm going to take that as a compliment./

He stopped pacing and left for Anakin's temporary living space.