Thanks for reading and reviewing, everyone! By the way, I have already finished this story, so updates will be regular.

Quick note: I'm almost finished with my current story, and will be starting on The Field Guide To Field Trips soon.

Chapter 2

"You'd better stay close to us, Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan glanced at Knight Rahn. "Very well," he agreed reluctantly. Having found the white vest of a non-combatant and no weapon in his kit, Obi-Wan had resigned himself to playing a minimal role in the exercise. At least, he could make an effort not to get in the way by getting taken as a hostage, and sticking close to the defenders was the best way to do that. Everyone in the food dispensary had been assigned the role of defender in this exercise – everyone but him, that is. They had quickly decided to split up into four small groups and search for the enemies. Though Obi-Wan wouldn't be any help in capturing them, it had been decided that he should go along with one of the groups anyway to avoid being taken as a hostage.

Obi-Wan followed the rest of the group, consisting of Knight Rahn, Master Drii, and Padawan Katarn, out of the dispensary. Knight Rahn, a slender Mon Calimarian, followed after Master Drii, a tall, sinewey older woman. Padawan Katarn, a gangly and amicable young man, trotted behind them with Obi-Wan. They made their way down the long, twisting corridors swiftly and stealthily, with everyone but Obi-Wan holding their mock 'sabers ready.

Cocking his head to one side, Obi-Wan slowed and looked around as he heard a small, nearly undetectable noise. Taking a left where the others went right, he followed the sound until it led him to the grate of a maintenance tunnel. He probably should have been wary, though somehow he sensed that there was no danger here. He pulled off the grate and peered inside, and right into a pair of large blue eyes that belonged to a little girl. Obi-Wan blinked in surprise. Of all the things he had expected to find during a training exercise, a small child was not one of them.

"Hello there," he said softly. The child, a small human girl that looked about five, scooted backwards as he spoke.

"Come here, little one, I'm not going to hurt you," he said with a smile as he held out his hand.

Hesitantly, the child stepped out of the maintenance tunnel and grasped Obi-Wan's hand.

"My name is Obi-Wan, what is yours?" he asked gently.

The child did not reply, however, and simply shook her head as she glanced around nervously. Obi-Wan patted her hand reassuringly and he was rewarded with a shy smile.

Before Obi-Wan could think of what to do next, he was interrupted by the appearance of the rest of his group. Seeing their approach, the child's eyes widened and she ducked behind him.

"Master Kenobi! What are you doing? You're going the wrong way." came the perturbed voice of Master Drii.

"I thought I heard something," he replied easily.

"Did you find anything?" Padawan Katarn inquired eagerly.

Obi-Wan stepped aside to reveal the child, who clutched at his robes tightly. "Indeed," he replied wryly.

"Oh!" exclaimed Master Drii. "It looks like we've found our 'surprise element', anyway." turning to the child, she asked kindly, "What's your name, sweetie?"

The child only stared at her silently and clung tighter to Obi-Wan's robes.

"She doesn't seem very talkative." Obi-Wan commented.

"So I see," Master Drii replied uncertainly. "Well, I suppose we'll have to take her along with us. Master Kenobi, would you . . . ?" She motioned towards the child, and looked at Obi-Wan expectantly.

Realizing that he had just been designated babysitter, Obi-Wan nodded in agreement and pulled the child along as they continued on their search.

ooOooOoo

Anakin bit back a curse and dove behind the corner as yet another group of defenders appeared to block his path. He needed to get to the computer terminals in Room D-1034, but so far all the routes he had tried had been blocked by groups of defenders. Cautiously reaching out with the force while maintaining his own shields, he grinned as he sensed only three Force signatures. All this sneaking around wasn't bad, but what Anakin really wanted was some action. It would be risky, but he could probably take on a group of three if he caught them by surprise, especially since at least one was likely to be a Padawan.

Standing tense against the wall, weapon in hand, Anakin waited until the small group had passed him and then leaped out behind them. He took one of them down immediately with a quick slash across the back, which marked him clearly as 'dead' in the exercise. Thrusting at the other two, he scored a killing hit against the Padawan, but jumped away as the remaining Master's blade came dangerously close to his chest.

"So you're an enemy, Padawan Skywalker?" the Master said as they circled each other. "Hmm."

"That I am. Is there a problem?" Anakin challenged as he parried forward, not recognizing her even though she seemed to know him.

"Not at all," she said with a smirk, as she stepped to the side to avoid his powerful blow. "You're pretty good, for a Padawan." Suddenly, she brought her leg up in a roundhouse kick, knocking Anakin's saber from his hands as she pointed hers at his throat. Relaxing, she said nonchalantly, "Now, before I 'kill' you, would you mind telling me where you're headed?"

"Not at all." Dropping to the ground, he swept his feet out from under her and called both sabers to him with the Force. Activating his, he swiftly brought it down in a killing blow across her chest. "I'm headed to the D-section."

She gaped at him for a moment, and then laughed. "Oh, what a handful you must be for your Master. Good to see that one of you is enjoying yourself though, anyway." She picked herself up off the floor and went to sit down with Knight Rahn and Padawan Katarn, as they were no longer allowed to participate.

Anakin just gave her a strange look before continuing back the way that they had come from. If he'd known it would have been so easy, he would've tried to take on the other groups he'd come across.

He continued down the hall triumphantly and turned the corner into the D-section. But he sensed . . . something . . . nearby. Slowing his pace, he looked around carefully, though didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He thought that maybe he was just being jumpy, but then he heard it. A quiet, muffled whimper that sounded like it came from directly above him.

Puzzled, Anakin looked up at the high ceiling, searching for any hint of movement. Not finding any, he made as though to walk away, but then turned and leaped up onto the ceiling's arches so that he could see the enclosed maintenance tubes.

There, sitting not ten meters away, was his Master, wearing the white vest of a non-combatant. A slow smile spread across Anakin's face.

"Hello, Master." Anakin greeted him pleasantly, moving towards him like a panther closing in on its prey.

"Hello to you as well, Anakin." he replied, eying his Padawan's colored vest uneasily. "I see you've gotten one of the more active roles in this exercise."

"That I have, Master. Being an enemy and all though, I'm afraid I'll have to take you hostage now. Nothing personal, you understand," he said, not sounding the least bit apologetic.

"Of course, Padawan," Obi-Wan replied graciously. "If you think that's a good idea, of course."

Anakin raised a brow, "I do think its a good idea, so . . ." he trailed off as he caught sight of a small figure peering out from behind Obi-Wan's robes.

"Master, what is that?" he said, looking at the child disbelievingly. "No, wait, don't tell me: she's the 'surprise element'. Though somehow I'm not surprised that you're the one who managed to find her." he snorted.

"Presumably so," Obi-wan replied. "We found her in one of the maintenance droid tunnels in the A-section. She doesn't seem to talk." he paused. "Speaking of my group, I take it you've defeated them?"

"Yes, Master, I killed them all." he said proudly. "And now I have two hostages!"

"Yes, Padawan, it seems that you're doing very well so far. But don't you think we should get moving? You haven't completed this exercise yet." he chided.

"Yes, Master." he replied, leaping gracefully down to the floor after checking to make sure it was clear. Obi-Wan took the frightened little girl in his arms as he jumped down after.