Obi-wan was restless. To say that Elena Hillard had given him a great deal to think about would have been an understatement. Ever since she had appeared on that Force-forsaken planet, she had been a source of great curiosity and unease. Obi-wan had lived his entire life knowing his place in the universe, serving and protecting the galaxy, as was his duty as a Jedi. Now, he found himself struggling to comprehend the sudden shift his reality had taken. A foreign galaxy, and a non-unified one at that, had the potential to change the very foundations of their existence, though whether that change was for good or ill remained to be seen.
He had never expected to be granted access to her mind, and Obi-wan had to release his excitement at the idea into the Force. It was a privilege he had not expected, but was no less grateful for. To see a new galaxy, even if it was through the memories of another, would be a treat.
Obi-wan led the younger woman through the halls of the cruiser to the residential wing of the ship, turning right, then left, then left again until they reached the spare room he had converted into a meditation chamber some months previous. Even with a wall of duratsteel dividing his and Anakin's respective rooms, Obi-wan found that his former padawan's thunderous snores were still audible through the sturdy metal. After three consecutive nights of trying, and failing, to achieve the serenity required for meditation, Obi-wan conceded defeat and was forced to procure an alternative solution.
The room he had converted was by no means spacious. It had originally been listed as a storage unit, but after shoving all of the bins and crates against the far wall, there had been just enough space for two meditation tuffets. There was even a window to view the stars from.
"It's not much, but I believe it should suffice," Obi-wan said, gesturing for Elena to take a seat on one of the tuffets, as the pneumatic door hissed shut behind them. "To be quite honest, I've never encountered a person outside the Jedi who willingly let me into his or her mind before, so comfort has never been an issue."
"You make it sound as though you invade people's minds quite frequently," Elena replied somewhat stiffly, her apprehension taking over as she arranged herself comfortably atop the low, cushioned seat.
"Jedi typically avoid tampering with the minds of others whenever possible, though I admit there are times when it has the ability to be quite useful."
Elena was quite as Obi-wan sat upon his own tuffet and crossed his legs in front of him. She wasn't sure what to think about that pronouncement, and instead opted to change the subject.
"Where are the others? Won't your friends be concerned that I'll corrupt your mind or something if we're left alone?"
"Oh, we're hardly alone," Obi-wan said dismissively. "I can sense Anakin standing guard just outside the door."
Elena gave the door a quizzical look. "Seriously?"
"Anakin is very protective, but he won't disturb us without cause."
Shrugging, Elena refocused on the task at hand, her attitude businesslike. "Well then, how would you like to go about this?"
"If you have no objections, I will enter your mind first." When Elena remained silent he continued. "Please try and relax your mind and lower any barriers. Do you have any experience with meditation?"
"I attended a yoga class a few times in college."
At Kenobi's bemused expression, Elena elaborated, "It's like a stretching and muscle control class that—you know what? Never mind. The point is I know the basics."
Kenobi nodded, "Very well then. Let us begin."
He closed his eyes and Elena followed suit, shifting to fold her own legs in front of her as she did. Meditation was not a skill she practiced often. More often than not, the relaxed state required for it would send her straight to sleep. Inhaling slowly through her nose, Elena counted to four before exhaling for another count of four. Inhale for four, exhale for four. Minutes passed with only the sound of her and Kenobi's breathing disturbing the quiet of the room as Elena focused on removing the fortifications surrounding her thoughts.
When the last of the barriers had been carefully lifted away, Elena could not help but feel exposed, her skin beginning to itch at the very thought.
She felt the word more than heard it as a strange sensation filled her mind.
"Relax," the quiet voice ordered softly. Elena immediately felt her shouldn't droop, bereft of their prior tension, as a calming influence seeped into her very bones. The voice continued murmuring inside her head, and Elena felt her mind drift into the peaceful silence of meditation.
Minutes or hours could have passed and Elena would have been none the wiser. The outside world had drifted away, leaving on a sensation of absolute tranquility, and all she could do was bask in the quietude and stillness of her mind.
Too soon, Elena felt a nudge against her consciousness and an accompanying flash of annoyance from herself. Perhaps if she just ignored it, she could return to the tranquil waves of nothingness. The foreign presence nudged her mind again, this time more insistently.
Loosing her frustration, Elena prepared to send a mental barb back towards the invading presence, when an image of a man filled her mind. A copper-haired man with steady blue eyes. Obi-wan, her mind supplied. Elena felt a flush of embarrassment for having lost herself so wholly in the meditation, and again Kenobi's presence brushed her consciousness, this time in a soothing fashion. Elena acknowledged the gesture and projected two words into the serene void, "I'm ready."
Having never before opened her mind so completely to anyone before, Elena did not know what to expect from the experience. She welcomed Kenobi's presence into her own consciousness and let go of her control until she was merely riding shotgun in a tour of her own mind.
As Kenobi perused her childhood memories, images of her home in Texas flashed before her eyes. Some were vivid, as if she could simply reach out her hand and touch the rough wood of the pecan tree that stood in her family's backyard. When they were young, she and her twin brother would climb that tree and toss the nuts down for their younger sister to gather in her little blue bucket for the three of them to feast on later. Others were barely discernable, as if a veil had been placed over the memory, obscuring and distorting it, leaving behind on a faint trace of color and emotions long past.
The images continued to come as Kenobi's examination moved on to her time at Hogwarts. Here he spent more time observing her memories of the magic school and the rest of the Wizarding World, seemingly fascinated with what he saw. Memories of quidditch games Elena had attended were scrutinized, and class lectures were closely examined. No detail was too insignificant, and the Jedi seemed to delight in each new aspect of the foreign world he witnessed through her mind.
The images were coming faster now as her captivated guest continued his exploration. While Kenobi's presence was as gentle as he could make it, Elena could not help the onslaught of emotions that resurfaced with each remembrance.
She was 13 and had accidentally set her potions essay on fire when she touched it.
She was 16 and nervous as she stood watching the champions of the Triwizard Tournament ready themselves for the Second Task, the dark waves of the lake in turmoil as they reacted to her anxiety.
She was 18, staring down at the mutilated body of Mad-Eye Moody as the horrific reality of Voldemort's continued rise came crashing down upon her.
Panic began to rise in Elena's stomach as this final series of images streaked across her mind's eye. She knew what came next. Recoiling, her mind instinctively attempted to protect itself from the memories, not wanting to bring them forward.
They were coming too fast, her control was broken, and there was no stopping them.
She was 20, and there was only pain.