Author's note:  Please forgive the long delay in posting.  I have been besieged with work this last semester, and have not had the time to write anything but reports and papers.  Thanks to all of my reviewers, I truly appreciate your responses.

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Obi-Wan sat quietly by the silver stream where Natira had left him.  His eyes stared unfocused into the depths of the musically burbling water, as his mind wandered.  He understood what Natira meant, on some level, but so much of his very being was devoted toward serving others that he couldn't imagine doing something solely for himself.  He wasn't even sure how to do something solely for himself.  It seemed as if every possible date he came up with to relive had some kind of significance toward preventing the rise of the empire.

He thought about going back to the time when Qui-Gon had chosen him as a Padawan.  Maybe if someone else picked him instead, or if he'd ended up in the Agri-Corps, things would have been better?  Or maybe he should go back to the first time he ever met Anakin.  Maybe if he'd been nicer, and not so sure of his own superiority and place within the Jedi Order, things would have been different.  Or he could go back to when Amidala was first elected Queen, and influence her to replace Palpatine as Naboo's intergalactic representative.

As his mind poured over all of the different things he could have and should have done differently, the quiet rhythm of the stream seemed to change.  It was only as the gentle burbling clearly became a melody that he surfaced from his thoughts.  Listening to the soft whispers of the stream, he began to smile.  Making his decision before he had the chance to second-guess himself, Obi-Wan called for Natira.

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The air hanger was filled with people, sounds and the exotic smells that visibly represented the diversity of the galaxy.  Among the hustle and bustle of the station, the unmoving figure of the lone Jedi stood out.  The young Padawan stood quietly along the outer edge, an oddly serene smile on his face as he looked over the masses of people.  Those that passed him by often hesitated, pausing to take another look.  To see a Jedi was a rare occurrence, but to see one with an emotion and not just a blank expression was unheard of.

Those that had paused at his smile, nearly gasped as the serene smile became a blazing grin as another figure appeared in front of him.  As the elder Jedi approached, the young Padawan seemed to almost vibrate in place with his obvious excitement.  The odd rhythm to the chaos of the hanger was completely disrupted as the younger Jedi threw himself into the arms of the older one with a shout of delight.  The entire station seemed to freeze at the joyous sound, but instead of frustration at the disruption, the harried passengers began to relax, and a few even smiled at the happy sounds. 

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Qui-Gon had entered the hanger hoping to quickly retrieve his Padawan and return immediately to the Temple.  The situation on Carhos IV was quickly becoming unstable, and it was almost certain that he would be sent to mediate within the next few cycles.  Although he had spent several months on the planet in the past, the elaborate rituals and gestures required that he review his memories and refresh his skills.  One wrong signal could easily lead to warfare.

As he cut easily through the waves of people exiting the hanger, Qui-Gon began to surreptitiously scan for his apprentice.  Even those patrons standing nearest to him would not be able to tell that he was not absolutely certain as to where he was going.  It was one of the marks of the Jedi Order, and a great part of their mystique.  With the raised hoods and billowing sleeves, the placid expressions and the unerring sense of direction, the Jedi seemed almost to be an entirely different kind of being.  Although he often wondered if such an image didn't lead to fear within some people, Qui-Gon had to admit that it did seem to assist in mediation and negotiation.

Unable to see the cowled figure of his apprentice, the Jedi Master reached out across the bond they shared.  A strange sort of dissonance seemed to echo through the link, almost as if a great distance separated the two.  Along the very edges of the link, Qui-Gon almost heard a light lilting laughter.  The image of a silvery stream and an ethereal paradise seemed to flicker through his mind before the bond once more solidified.

/Padawan?/ he questioned softly.

/Master!/ the young voice answered back joyfully. 

Tracing the link, Qui-Gon angled slightly to his right toward an edge of the hanger where a collection of musicians seemed to have set up a temporary display.  Scanning the many patrons listening to the improvised concert, the Jedi Master felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he spotted his 14 year old apprentice.  The light of the midday sun filtered through the high windows of the hanger, seeming to caress the golden spiked hair of the young boy.  Although normally he would have reprimanded his apprentice for not having his hood properly raised as a Jedi should, the sheer unabashed joy on his Padawan's face prevented him from doing so.

As he drew nearer to his apprentice, almost as if pulled, Qui-Gon could no longer contain his own answering smile.  Although it had only been a few weeks since they had least seen each other, Obi-Wan's absolute delight was contagious.  Before he could open his mouth to greet his apprentice properly, Qui-Gon found himself embraced wholeheartedly by the younger Jedi.

"Master! I've missed you!" Obi-Wan had cried as he flung his arms around the Jedi Master.

Returning the embrace in kind, Qui-Gon smiled.