"Our meeting was not a coincidence. There are no accidents in the Force." Qui-Gon
Qui-Gon hurried away from the boy but no matter how many corners he turned or how much time he put between himself and the initiate he couldn't get the face out of his head.
He's too expressive. Qui-Gon thought suddenly. Jedi learned at an early age how not to express emotion. It was important not to let an opponent know when a comment stuck. Obi-Wan obviously hadn't been taught this. And his face….
He was hurt. Qui-Gon shook his head, though his mind kept coming back to that. He had hurt the boy with his words. He remembered what it was like trying to earn an apprenticeship, though he'd never had to wait until almost his thirteenth birthday. For a second, he tried to imagine the panic the boy must have felt, thinking that he had only weeks left to become a padawan before joining AgriCorps.
Lost in thought, the Jedi didn't pay attention as he entered the turbolift. He had just jabbed his floor button when he looked around the compartment. "Hello, Mace." He said, a little surprised he had missed the tall Jedi when he entered.
Mace Windu nodded to Qui-Gon, his face completely impassive. "Did you see an initiate you liked?"
Qui-Gon could only shrug, though every fiber of his being told him that Mace must already know Yoda's plan to get him an apprentice. His suspicions were confirmed by the man's next words. "Obi-Wan Kenobi shows knowledge of the Force that far surpasses his years."
Qui-Gon allowed himself a small smile. He had known that this was a plan to get him an apprentice. "I do not want another apprentice. Not yet."
"Not ever." The lift doors opened and the Master stepped onto the landing. "You are this boy's last hope, Qui-Gon." The he lift doors shut, and Mace Windu disappeared from sight.
Qui-Gon could not have known -- would not have known -- that Obi-Wan had left the tournament and proceeded straight to his favorite meditation spot. Qui-Gon could not have known that Obi-Wan's favorite spot for meditation was the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He could not have known that he would run into Obi-Wan in this room.
Qui-Gon Jinn folded himself on the edge of a fountain. It was not a large fountain, in fact, it was small compared to the others, and it was in a corner of the room rarely visited by loud initiates. It was only here that he allowed himself to uncoil and strip away at the shields he always held tightly in place. It was only here that he could feel the Force truly speak to him.
Time did not pass while meditating. You could discover the one fact you were overlooking on a mission, know exactly how to fix it, how long it would take…everything…and look up to find barely ten minutes have passed. You could spend time thinking about a small exchange between a…master and student, for example…and pass hours in the company of the pulsating Force.
Qui-Gon thought of Obi-Wan. He thought of the way the boy had fought -- unselfishly, without a trace of want to show off. He fought in the presence of the Force. And that was why he won. For a moment, Qui-Gon wondered whether he could have done that at thirteen. Whether he could have put aside all thoughts of a petty exchange between himself and another and fight without thoughts of revenge or self-righteousness.
As he was thinking this, he felt some thing brush by his consciousness. In a second the shields were snapped back in place, the music of the Force interrupted by this unexpected attack on his mind. He was standing, completely alert, looking for any sign of a threat.
He felt the thing brush his mind again and pull away sharply as if it had just realized who he was. Looking around, he saw the only one who could have done that. "Initiate…" It was only the fact that he was in a meditation room that kept Qui-Gon from shouting. "Obi-Wan, please come over here." He was almost shaking with rage. No one touched his mind. No one had even tried since his last training bond had been severed, irreparably broken.
Obi-Wan had been sitting on a fountain near him, not meditating, just thinking. He stood and came over to Qui-Gon, his eyes looking toward the ground. His cheeks were red, his clothes still heavy with the sweat of the battle he had fought.
He lifted his head towards Qui-Gon, his unseeing eyes pointing just over his left shoulder. Qui-Gon noticed tear tracks down Obi-Wan's grimy face and something…sadness and fear. Written plainly in his face.
"I'm sorry, sir." Obi-Wan said quietly, his voice just barely above a whisper. "I…I…"
Qui-Gon brought himself up to his full, impressive height, a gesture which he knew Obi-Wan noticed, even if he couldn't see it. "You probed my consciousness. Why?" It was all he could do to control his voice, though there was something about this boy's eyes that made him want to stop this line of questioning.
"I…" He seemed to be struggling to explain, his face burning crimson with embarrassment. "In order to…see. To know where I am. I sometimes send out a…wave?...with the Force. It just tells me the location of objects and people so I don't run into them." He seemed to sense Qui-Gon's rage because he moved on hurriedly, tripping over the words. "I almost have no control over it. When I'm really tired, I can't really listen to things around me. It's like my brain knows, or something, and just uses the Force to make sure I don't fall." He tried to smile, though his ears stayed a flaming red. "I still hold the record for most staircases fallen down as an initiate, though."
Qui-Gon relaxed a little. He had known that no thirteen-year-old could attack the mind of another using the Force and do any damage. "You --" Another wave brushed his consciousness and he instinctively lashed out, pinning the source under a mental attack so strong it would make anyone retreat.
Obi-Wan cringed, his head turning away from Qui-Gon in an attempt to get away from the pain that ripped into his brain. He put his hands over his head, a precaution to protect himself while his senses couldn't allow him to be aware of his surroundings. He had retracted his consciousness as soon as he realized he had brushed against Qui-Gon again, but that didn't make the pain dissipate.
Qui-Gon finally stopped his attack, realizing that the victim stood in front of him. He looked down at the boy, cringing in pain from an unwarranted attack. "Child…Obi-Wan…" Qui-Gon extended a hand towards the boy only to have him get up and run out of the room, tripping twice in his haste to get away from the master who now stood in the middle of the room, completely alone.
A little shorter, I know, but I want to get to the good parts (unfortunately, that'll take another chapter. God, this is taking longer than I thought, but I want to do it right.)
So, please review.