Obi-Wan sat silently by himself, listening to the soft birdcalls and the gentle rustle of the wind. How exactly does one meditate with the Force, when one is IN the Force? he wondered idly as he worked to calm his mind and explore his options. It was a certainty that he would take the opportunity offered to him, but he wanted to make sure that he picked the three days in which he had the best chance of having an influence. Even if he would only actually "live" one of those three alternate lives, he wanted the chance to choose the best of the best, rather than settling for the least horrid outcome as it seemed he had done all of his life.

There were so many days of his life that had been important to him, but he had to wonder which ones were important to the galaxy as a whole. Did the day that he decided to leave the Jedi matter to the timeline as much as it had mattered to him? What would happen if he went back and chose to leave Melida/Daan with Master Jinn as he had been expected to? Would Qui-Gon then have trusted and loved him more, thereby preventing the Master from pushing him aside for young Anakin? Even if it did change his Master's opinion of him, would that influence the future of Anakin Skywalker for the best or for the worst?

Debating all of the pros and cons of all of the days of his life had proved to be a futile and impossible task and he soon found himself simply sitting quietly and listening to the soft sounds of the Living Force. He knew that he was expected to make a decision, but he did not know how to make such an important choice without the input of the Force. All of his life, he had reached to it for guidance and wisdom, and now in the moment he needed it most, he was left on his own.

"You are not alone," Natira corrected as she stepped into the small clearing where he rested. "The Force is always with you, and will always be with you."

"Then why isn't it telling me what to do?" Obi-Wan complained, aware that he might have sounded petulant but too frustrated to worry about it.

"This is your choice, Obi-Wan. It is a chance for you to decide how you would want your life to be lived. The first time, you accepted the guidance of the Force in all things, and though you did succeed in bringing balance, your life was an unhappy and desolate one, even for a Jedi."

"But how am I to know what to change? How do I know how my choice might impact the rest of the galaxy?" he asked softly, his stormy blue-green gaze settling unfocused on the stream that ran burbling through the clearing.

"Your selflessness is a becoming trait, young Jedi," Natira sighed, "but it is a hindrance when it comes to your own happiness."

"I cannot allow my own personal happiness to cause anyone else pain or suffering," Obi-Wan argued. "That is something I could never do."

Settling to the ground beside the meditative posture of the Jedi, Natira turned her own indigo gaze to the flowing stream. Allowing a few moments to pass in silence she finally spoke again. "The stream is quite beautiful isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," he answered softly. If he was confused by the change of subject, he showed no indication of it.

"It's sad, however, isn't it?" she asked.

"Sad?" he questioned, turning to gaze upon her serene features.

"It is quite sad the damage the stream causes when the rain falls heavily. So many animals are killed in its raging waters, and many of the younger trees within the forest do not survive the flooding season. I wonder if perhaps we would not be better off without it," she commented, her gaze still on the distant water.

"The stream is a necessity to the trees, even when it does flood," Obi-Wan countered. "And the flood is necessary as it helps the river to overturn the soil and gain more nutrients for the species that thrive within it. Without the river, the trees and animals would die just as surely and as swiftly as any have during the floods."

"Do you suppose the river feels guilty for what it does?" Natira questioned, turning to regard the young Jedi. As she saw the expression on his face, she smiled. "And so why is it that you feel guilty for your actions? Did your actions not help to remove the inefficient and corrupt government of the Republic? Did you not help revise the Jedi Order, returning it a brotherhood where love and service are not mutually exclusive?"

"But couldn't it have been done without so many dying and so many years of suffering?"

"Well, that is what you are being the given the opportunity to find out," she grinned. "Don't concern yourself with the ultimate effects of your actions. You cannot control what might happen anymore than the river can control whether or not it floods. As long as you act in love, you remain true to yourself, and you don't attempt to cause too much change all at once, I think you will find that the ultimate outcome of your choices will be for the good of all."

Silently assimilating all that she had told him, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and reached deep within his own mind. Allowing all of his memories and dreams and wishes to flow freely, he quickly found the first day that he had always desperately hoped to change. Opening his eyes once again, he found Natira's wise indigo gaze focused solely on him.

"You have made your choice?" she asked, though it was apparent that she already knew.

"Yes," he answered softly.

"Then I wish you luck young Obi-Wan, and remember, the Force will always be with you." As she finished speaking she rose to her feet and moved swiftly and silently back toward where she had entered the clearing.

Watching until she was out of sight, Obi-Wan took a deep breath. Now how exactly am I supposed to do this? he wondered. Closing his eyes and centering himself, he focused his mind on the memory of the one day he had chosen to relive. When he reopened his stormy gaze, he found that the edges of the clearing had begun to change, and the colors were much more muted. In fascination, he watched as all of the scenery surrounding him began to fade and a soft white light replaced the verdant fields and forest. As the light grew brighter and brighter, he began to squint until finally he had no choice but to shut his eyes.

As the golden-brown lashes fluttered over his shining eyes, Obi-Wan swore that he saw Natira standing before him, a gentle smile uplifting the edges of her rosy lips. Giving her his own grin in return, Obi-Wan Kenobi shut his eyes from the vision of the Force, reopening them seconds later to find himself standing on soil he had neither seen nor touched in over thirty years.