17/12/29 edited Version

Chapter 1

Qui-Gon was in high spirits as he strolled through the hallways of the Jedi Temple, returning to his quarters. The Council had given him an assignment as sparring teacher for the Senior Padawans to provide him and Obi-Wan with rest for a certain amount of time. Qui-Gon was more than happy about this as they had been on missions without a break for the last two standard years. He had to admit that Obi-Wan had learned a great deal while being in the field, but the time for studies had come for his young Padawan if he wanted to become a Jedi Knight. There wasn't much that Obi-Wan couldn't do when being on missions, but he admittedly lacked a certain amount of background knowledge and the Jedi Master felt relieved that the Council had permitted them a break.

He entered their quarters eager to inform his Padawan about this. "Obi-Wan?" he called, trying to locate the younger man through the Force. He felt him on the balcony where he had left him hours ago to meditate. He had to smile as he remembered the irritated expression on his Padawan's face, Obi-Wan wasn't keen on meditation. One more reason to stay here for a while. The opportunity for proper reflection certainly lacked most of the time in the field.

"Oh come on, Padawan, you won't tell me you've been meditating for five hours." he bantered over their training bond but was met with silence.

"Obi-Wan?" he tried once more. Under normal circumstances, his Padawan would eagerly respond, relieved to have a reason to finish this exercise, but on the other hand, he wouldn't have meditated longer than one hour anyway.

Alarmed, he rushed to the younger man's side, not believing his eyes at the sight of Obi-Wan on his knees deep in a meditative state, the Force swirling around him in a manner Qui-Gon had never seen before. The Master had to catch his breath at the overwhelming energy in the Living Force. Concerned, he knelt down beside him, gently placing his hand on the Padawan's shoulder, carefully trying to shake him out of his trance.

"Padawan, I think you have meditated long enough for today," he tried to reach the younger man's consciousness and was met with massive walls.

Surprised by the strength of the shields he gave his best to get through them and saw a glimpse of a fight. He and Obi-Wan were engaged in a fierce lightsaber battle. What was the meaning of this? Then he felt the young man tremble as if he knew what would happen next. Qui-Gon reached deeper but suddenly was knocked over as another wall was slammed up in his apprentice's mind.

"What are you doing, Padawan?" Shocked he attempted once more to get through to Obi-Wan, but now he felt nothing. The younger man had clouded his Force Signature in a thick fog. It was unsettling not to sense him, and Qui-Gon recognized the technique, but even he wasn't able to perform this level of shielding. He knew just a handful of Jedi with this ability, most of them assigned to the Council. How would his twenty-two-year-old apprentice perform such a skill?

He stood up realizing he wouldn't be able to get Obi-Wan out of his meditation right now. He had no other choice than to wait.

An hour later Qui-Gon still sat on the couch not letting the young man on the balcony out of his sight. He had tried to meditate several times but hadn't been able to reach the necessary state of mind. From time to time flickers of Obi-Wan's emotions could be felt over the bond, but mainly there was nothing other than silence. The tiny bits he could detect didn't do much to reassure him; there was hurt, pain and a great deal of despair.

Getting impatient he stood up and paced back and forth when he suddenly felt another presence; his friend Mace Windu was at the door. Frustrated, Qui-Gon waved his hand to open it, and Mace entered.

"Qui, I missed you in the dining hall today. What is it?" Realizing something was amiss Mace moved to his side, concern in his eyes.

"Oh, I was distracted, Mace," Qui-Gon replied, trying to add some humor to his voice. "You see my Padawan is sitting on the balcony, meditating, and he has been doing this for several hours now."

Mace couldn't help but smile. "And you don't want to disturb him, so you decided to neglect your need for food? To do what? Watch him meditating?"

The moment he had finished he saw the trouble in his friend's eyes. "What's wrong, Qui?" he asked with worry in his voice.

Qui-Gon stood up clenching his fists. "I don't know, Mace. He never had a thing for meditation, and suddenly he does it for such a long time. But what alarms me most is that I can't reach him. I tried to, but his shields are too strong, and now he's even hiding his Force Signature."

"Oh Qui, don't tell me that. You are his Master; there should be no shield you can't get through. And hiding his Signature? That's not possible!" Mace shook his head in disbelief.

"Go and see for yourself then, Mace!" Qui-Gon snapped, opening the door to the balcony and leading the Korun-Master to his Padawan.

The Councilor raised an eyebrow. Something was wrong. He had never seen his friend upset like this. He crouched and thoroughly examined the young man kneeling on the floor.

"You're right, I can't feel him," he said, with shock in his voice. "He's making his presence in the Force invisible, Qui. How. . ." his voice trailed off.

"I don't know how he's doing it, Mace. I mean, nobody besides a few Masters on the Council should be able to do it. I am at a loss at what to do. I can't reach him, and he performs skills I didn't teach him, and he wouldn't end his meditation." With rising panic in his voice, Qui-Gon turned around, unable to look at the peaceful form of his apprentice any longer.

Mace moved behind him, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. "Please Qui, calm down. I'm sure there will be an explanation for this."

But Qui-Gon wasn't able to calm down. He began to pace back and forth in the living room. "Calm down? The flickers I can feel from him over the bond don't do much to comfort me. And before he has clouded himself in the Force I could reach him briefly and saw a lightsaber battle. Our opponent held a red lightsaber, Mace, and it wasn't Xanatos. And I felt his despair as if he knew how this fight is going to end. . ." He paused, breathing in and out to regain his composure, ". . . I felt the fear of loss as if he was feeling I was going to die. And I felt guilt." Desperately he turned to his friend "It didn't feel like a vision, Mace; it felt like he actually lived through it."

Before Mace could give him a reply, they felt a ripple in the Force. The Korun-Master rushed back on the balcony and was met with the gray-blue eyes of Obi-Wan Kenobi. "Thank the Force you're back, Padawan Kenobi. Your Master has been very concerned about you." He couldn't help but smile at the quizzical expression on the young man's face.

"Padawan," Qui-Gon practically yelled, "What the Sith happened to you?" He moved to Obi-Wan's side and was met with a shocked expression.

"M. . .Master?" the apprentice stuttered as if he couldn't believe his own eyes. Then he was mouthing something, his eyes locked with Qui-Gon's, and after a moment he pushed himself up and shook his head a little. He reached out then, his hand stretching slowly towards the Master, who frowned a little.

Obi-Wan jerked before he could get very far and suddenly collapsed. "Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon caught his Padawan and rolled him over, frowning deeply. This time it seemed he'd fainted as his eyes were closed.

Mace saw the panic in Qui-Gon's eyes and pulled his comlink out to call a healer, then he crouched down and placed a hand on Qui-Gon's shoulder. "Master Tahl will be arriving in a few minutes. We need to move him to his bed, Qui," he said in a soothing tone.

Qui-Gon nodded in acceptance, and together they took the young man to his bed, waiting for their friend Tahl, who oversaw the healer's wing.