Anakin's first thought when he awoke was that it was too cold. He pulled his blanket tighter around him before realizing he was lying on the floor. He must have gone back to sleep after falling out of his bunk. He looked up at the ceiling, seeing a shape silhouetted above his head. He frowned at it for a few moments before realizing it was a foot. He followed the foot to an ankle, and then to a leg hanging over the edge of the bunk directly above him. The foot twitched and withdrew under the blankets.
A tousled head appeared and Obi-Wan squinted groggily at him.
"You make me cold just looking at you," yawned Obi-Wan. "What are you doing down there?"
Anakin shrugged, "Bad dream."
Anakin stood up and perched on the edge of Obi-Wan's bunk. Obi-Wan scooted over so that the two of them could squeeze in. They lay next to each other for a minute, both gradually realizing that they weren't going back to sleep.
"What was it about?" asked Obi-Wan finally, yawning again.
"Complicated but, apparently, I have trouble telling the women in my life apart," said Anakin. "Do you ever have bad dreams, Obi?"
"Sometimes," said Obi-Wan. "But not as many as you seem to."
"What do you dream about?"
"I dream... about all kinds of things," said Obi-Wan evasively.
"Do you dream about the past?"
Obi-Wan was silent for awhile, and Anakin was about to ask again when the other Padawan answered.
"Sometimes I dream I'm back in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant," said Obi-Wan softly. "With all my friends - Bant, Garen, Siri. There were so many of us. We were ready to take on the galaxy."
"Sounds like a nice dream," said Anakin wistfully, trying to imagine the seasoned Jedi Knights he had known as eager young Padawans.
"A sad dream," said Obi-Wan, gaze locked on the roof of the bunk. "But I like those ones better than... the dreams where I wake up in the temple and I'm all alone. There's not another living soul in the entire temple."
Anakin twined his braid around his fingers and sighed.
"Have you tried asking your Master about your dreams?" asked Obi-Wan.
"Yes," said Anakin. "He simply said it was part of the grieving process and that I would eventually move past them."
"You don't believe it?"
Anakin shrugged and unwound the braid from around his fingers.
"You could always ask Qui-Gon's opinion."
Whatever response Obi-Wan was expecting, it clearly wasn't the disbelieving snort that Anakin gave. Obi-Wan sat up abruptly and Anakin wished he had kept quiet.
"What's wrong with asking Qui-Gon?" asked Obi-Wan fiercely, staring at the side of Anakin's face.
Anakin found he didn't want to turn and meet Obi-Wan's gaze. Their moment of peace was gone.
"I don't think Qui-Gon likes me very much," said Anakin, talking to the bottom of the bunk above them. "I don't think he likes Emalda very much either."
One of Obi-Wan's eyebrows rose challengingly and Anakin risked only a brief glance before averting his gaze again.
"I can't say why," said Anakin. "It's just a feeling."
"I think you're imagining things," said Obi-Wan. "I mean, he wasn't happy about what happened on Escopju..."
"His reaction was completely out of proportion," said Anakin grumpily. "I was chasing a thief!"
"And because you chased him over a quarantine line, we all got stranded there for three months," pointed out Obi-Wan. "And that was after Ben explicitly warned you not to."
"Yes, well," said Anakin irritably, rolling out of the bunk. "It wasn't Qui-Gon's order I disobeyed so I don't know why he was so angry."
Anakin activated the lights, Obi-Wan blinking at the sudden brightness and wiping sleep from his eyes with one hand.
"Qui-Gon is very reserved," offered Obi-Wan. "Maybe you're just misreading him."
"Sometimes I think I'm imagining it but other times, he seems so..." Anakin shrugged and found his boots. "It's like he looks for reasons to disapprove of me. He's always giving advice and studying how I receive it - as if he expects me to disagree or argue with him."
"He's a Jedi Master," said Obi-Wan, shaking his head and finding his own boots. "He's already in the habit of teaching. He probably doesn't even realize he's doing it."
"I can't put my finger on what feels wrong about it," said Anakin. "But I think Ben's noticed."
"Well," said Obi-Wan, pulling on his outer tunic. "I still think you're imagining things."
Obi-Wan slid out of bed to finish dressing.
Anakin shook his head, wishing he was able to better explain his feelings. There were too many things that felt unfinished, too many loose ends clattering about in his head while he slept. He supposed that being dragged more than thirty years into the future could do that to people.
"Breakfast?" suggested Anakin, changing the subject.
Obi-Wan nodded and turned to make up the bunk with quick and efficient movements. Anakin repressed the urge to roll his eyes. He could clearly see how Obi-Wan had grown into the man they were calling 'Ben' Kenobi. Much as he valued Obi-Wan as a friend, he sometimes could be exasperated by his seriousness and attention to duty. Still, Obi-Wan seemed to know the way to gain Qui-Gon's approval. Learning that trick would definitely make Anakin's life easier, so he swept his blanket off the floor and climbed up to straighten the bedding on his own bunk.
Obi-Wan was waiting for him by the door, and they entered the cargo bay together. Several pieces of equipment had been set up on a makeshift table. Qui-Gon was perched on the edge of a low crate with his long legs planted firmly on the floor and his hands resting on his knees. His eyes still had the same kindness that Anakin had seen when he was nine - now Anakin saw through older eyes, he also saw an imposing and formidable Jedi Master, and he marveled at the audacity of his younger self. Qui-Gon was facing them as they entered and the smallest flicker of a frown crossed his features. Anakin faltered mid-step but Obi-Wan was there to move him on with a gentle push.
Ben was sitting with his back to them, one leg crossed casually across the other. His attention was focused on the datapad in his hand.
"Let's hope we don't run into any unexpected trouble," Ben was saying to Qui-Gon. "We won't be able to afford any new parts for a very long time..."
Ben paused and turned to greet the Padawans with a smile.
"I trust the two of you slept well," said Ben.
"Well enough, Master," Anakin nodded.
Ben frowned at his answer but did not press him further. He held up the datapad and was about to speak when Qui-Gon interrupted.
"Anakin, we cannot help if we don't know the problem," said Qui-Gon pointedly.
"There is no problem, Master Qui-Gon," said Anakin stiffly.
An uncomfortable silence lasted for a moment before Ben spoke, looking irritable in a way that usually only Anakin caused.
"And you, young Obi-Wan," said Ben. "How did you sleep?"
"Very well, Master Ben," said Obi-Wan, eyes darting briefly to Qui-Gon. "Thank you for asking."
"Somebody had to," muttered Ben.
Qui-Gon frowned at the exchange, but said nothing about it.
Qui-Gon moved to activate the holographic projector on the table. The projection was a holographic map of the spaceport and the surrounding city of Cahbun. The flickering city looked like a maze of tunnels, with each area branching away from central spines. Anakin and Obi-Wan moved closer to get a better look.
"That's interesting," said Obi-Wan, eyes riveted to the hologram.
"I'll say," said Anakin enthusiastically. "They sure have improved holographic resolution in the last thirty years."
"I meant the layout of the city," said Obi-Wan, gesturing with his finger. "Their urban development branches like a shrub or plant."
"Well, I suppose that's interesting too..." conceded Anakin.
"The Kuhd consider potential building sites based on qualities such as scent and soil composition," explained Qui-Gon.
"They're lucky to have a population small enough to be so particular," said Obi-Wan.
"They'd never build like that on Coruscant," agreed Anakin.
"Which is quite possibly why the missing Dr Colash was here," said Qui-Gon. "I can imagine a botanical scientist would appreciate their selectiveness. The same plan as previous planets - we contact all local nurseries and gardening shops. Hopefully, we'll be able to pick up the trail again."
"Assuming she hasn't moved on to the next planet already," sighed Ben. "Anakin and I will work our way south from the spaceport."
"In that case, Obi-Wan and I will move northwards," said Qui-Gon, leaning forward to study the northern portion of the map in more detail.