The Book of Trials and Tribulations Part 1

A soft moan echoed throughout the dark, cavernous chamber. The air was chill and damp leaving a thin sheen of moisture against the smooth stone. A series of small, shuddering breaths echoed from one end to another.

The padawan rolled onto his side and curled up into a tight ball. The cold stone floor robbed the warmth from Bali's small form. He was cold and reached for his cloak and grasped only air. A spike of panic raced through him as he quickly searched his clothing and discovered he was dressed in only his sleep clothes and was barefooted.

The nine-year-old sat up slowly, his heart rushed while he struggled with the panic that was quickly engulfing him. He was surrounded in near darkness but at the far end of the vast room, there was a pool of white light beckoned.

Gaining a little control of the bubbling terror, Bali carefully turned his attention to the mildly throbbing headache the fuzzed his thoughts. His first instinct was to reach for the Force but he froze the moment he realized what the strange sensation was.

The Force was gone.

Again, the young Jedi reached for the ancient power source and found nothing. He grasped for the training bond and found it non-existent. "Master?" he asked timidly. "Master?" The tremble of the child's voice echoed through the chamber as if mocking him.

The distant white light gave little illumination to the sitting apprentice. Sadness laced his features as he looked around at the massive chamber for signs of anything or anyone.

How did he get there, wherever there was?

He remembered sitting in the Solum lounge with his master watching the distant ribbons of light that the never-ending traffic made up. Then they went back to their apartment. Master had been quieter than usual but that was it. He went to bed promising his master he wouldn't let Awar talk him into helping with anymore pranks. He really didn't consider the exploding soufflé in the cafeteria a prank. They didn't plan on it exploding. It wouldn't have if that slimy gairbite lizard hadn't wiggled its way out of his grip and landed in the middle of the dish.

Master wasn't too upset about being called from his meeting with Master Lorus. But Bali was pretty sure that this was not his punishment.

He hoped.

Bali stared at his toes that were barely illuminated in the pale light. He wiggled them but did little else.

"Master?"

Answered only by the echo of his own voice.

Master will come and save me. Master promised he would protect me and he will come and save me.

Bali frowned, wondering if Obi-Wan even knew where he was.

"I was in the Temple," Bali said softly. He relaxed and tried to reach out again but still found the Force absent. Curling up a little so he could wrap his arms around his knees Bali always knew he was small compared to the universe but without the Force, he felt so much smaller.

Why couldn't he hear it?

He looked up again and focused on the white light that seemed so far away and wondered if it was warm in the pool of white. It couldn't hurt to go over there. It was just one big room; his master wouldn't have too much trouble finding him in there.

Carefully standing up, Bali reached for physical support but found none. Everything felt just a little off without the Force. It was as if the floor beneath him was harder than it would have been if he had felt the Force.

After a few tremulous steps, he sped up and raced toward the beckoning pool of light. At least it would be safe there.

Slamming into something very solid, the padawan tumbled backward smashing into the solid floor with a winded oomph!

From where he lay flat on his back, Bali raised his aching head slightly. His face hurt where he had slammed intothin air?

* * *

Obi-Wan Kenobi sat on the floor in a gently curving corridor. His knees were drawn to his chest and his arms folded across them. The brown of his cloak protectively sheltered him from the cool stone floor and wall his back was pressed too.

"Look so worried you do," Yoda's voice and gravelly laughter echoed through the corridor as the whir of a small hover chair filled it.

The young master looked up, but did not offer to stand and greet the arrival. "Bali is too young to undergo this test."

Yoda's chair hovered momentarily as the little green master studied the lines of worry etched into Obi-Wan's brow. "Assume too much you do, Master Kenobi," Yoda quickly admonished as he directed the hover chair to settle on the stone floor.

Obi-Wan straightened, eyeing the elder master.

Ignoring the look, Yoda spoke, "Base your opinions on your own training."

"Of course–"

Large eyes narrowed in a warning gaze. "Older you were when became a padawan, older you were to take the test."

"Bali's nine.

Yoda shook his head slowly and slipped from the hover chair hobbling toward the sitting knight. "Happened differently for you, things did," he began. "Sent from the Temple, then found a mission and a master." The little master studied Obi-Wan for a time, all too aware of the subtle shift in Obi-Wan's pale eyes at the memory. "Face this test first, you should have before leaving the Temple with a new master. Work this way, it did not." The master turned his attention to the stone wall and shook his head. "If pass this, the boy does, ready to attend missions he will be."

"You're letting us leave the Temple?"

"If pass this test Bali does."

* * * * *

The padawan walked slowly over the cool stone floor causing a chill to race up through him from his bare feet. Small hands reached forward searching for the unseen object he had run into.

It did not take long before his fingers touched something impassive. He pressed his hands to it. It was invisible but completely solid. Bali frowned as he moved along the gently curving edge searching for some way to pass through the barrier. He had walked nearly a complete circle when he came across an opening in the invisible wall. Stumbling forward the nine-year-old moved forward until meeting another unseen barrier. He tried to move along the wall but did not get very far before he met a dead end. Struggling to keep his frustration down he reached for the Force again but still found nothing. If only he had it, he could find an easier way–

Stopping the thought, Bali knew that he didn't and that wasn't going to change until he figured a way out of the mess. He hoped his master was okay and looking for him. He had never been lost before. He had never been out of the Temple before.

* * * * *

"He's growing frustrated," Obi-Wan said softly.

"Designed to frustrate the maze was," Yoda said knowingly. "Keep his head clear under stress, we want to see."

Obi-Wan smiled. "He made it to the first row."

"Guessing you are," Yoda admonished.

"No, Master. Bali's run into a dead end and is trying to work it out."

Yoda stared at Obi-Wan curiously. "Know this you do not. Force barrier this it." The little master pressed a clawed hand to the stone wall. "Cut off from the Force and you is a part of the boy's lesson." Large eyes studied the sitting Jedi. "Sense this you cannot."

"He's found the next ring," Obi-Wan said plainly.

* * * * *

Since the barrier was invisible, Bali slid his hands across the strangely solid surface seeking another opening. All the while searching, his mind was running through the events of the night before.

His master had to have another talk with him about not doing everything Awar does. Bali shook his head sadly. He never understood how his master always knew he was up to no good. It wasn't like they blew up a bottle of berry juice outside the girl's locker room on the student level. He had too clean up his mess and then some for punishment but he wasn't locked away in a big dark room before.

A frustrated cry escaped the padawan as he hit another dead in. Fighting back the fear that was building in him, he turned and tried to trace his path but ran into another barrier. Terror laced through him realizing the way he came was now blocked. "No!" Small hands pressed to the walls that seemed to be boxing him in. He pushed at the barrier but could not get through.

He turned staring back at the safety of the white light and all he wanted to do was get to it. He was still imprisoned, pressing wildly at the invisible surfaces.

"Master," he began to whimper as he slid down the wall to the cold stone floor.