Thanks again for your faithful reviews! You are wonderful! Great reviews make for flowing muse!

oooooo

Anakin trudged along behind Obi-Wan. They had just captured and tied up the last team of mercenaries. It was late and now very dark. They were finally heading for the research station. It had been a long day and Anakin was exhausted. The last team had been a bit harder to capture than the others were. They had known something was wrong and were extremely alert. After Obi-Wan knocked out the leader, the second guy had been able to fire his blaster with amazing speed. Obi-Wan was able to duck in time to miss the bolt, but just barely. Anakin was just glad that the day was over and he could sleep in a bed tonight.

Obi-Wan was on heightened alert as he walked. This mission was just…weird. He hadn't been able to read the emotions of any of the mercenaries, nor had he been able to use a Force suggestion. Encountering one or even a few with such strong mental shielding was one thing, but all of them? That should be close to impossible. The sensation that all was not as it seemed was stronger than ever.

Obi-Wan kept his senses attuned as they neared the coordinates of the research station. He didn't sense any danger, but slowed his pace anyway. He cautiously crept through the foliage and saw a small building, partly built into and underneath a hill. It was somewhat camouflaged, but not nearly as hidden as Obi-Wan expected. Anyone with two good eyes could spot this place! This mission was getting stranger and stranger! He suddenly sensed a distinctly familiar presence.

Light streamed out as the door to the building opened. A small, green figure with a cane came hobbling out. Obi-Wan gaped as the grunting figure came near. "Master Yoda?" Anakin came up beside his master and joined in the gaping.

There was a twinkle in the Jedi Master's eyes as he took in the filthy appearance of the two before him. "Welcome, Obi-Wan, Padawan."

Obi-Wan called on the Force to clear his now totally befuddled mind. "Master, would you care to enlighten me as to what is going on?"

"Come. Go inside we will." Yoda turned and headed back through the open door. Anakin looked up at his master in total confusion. Obi-Wan just shrugged his shoulders and followed Yoda into the building.

Yoda turned, again eyeing their disheveled appearance. "Interesting representatives for the Jedi Order you make."

"Well, it's been an interesting mission thus far, to say the least." Obi-Wan knelt down to get eye-level with the little Master. "Now, if I may ask again, what is going on here?"

Yoda decided to just get right to the point. "Tested you and your padawan have been."

"TESTED?" Obi-Wan and Anakin spoke in unison.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and called out to the Force. At the moment, he needed some serious help with emotional control. He took a deep breath. "Anakin, why don't you go get some rest?"

"But, Master…" Anakin didn't want to go to bed now! He wanted to know what in the galaxy was going on!

"Padawan, I promise I will give you the full story tomorrow." When I've had ample time to cool off. "Now go, take advantage of a full night's sleep on a real bed."

"Yes, Master," Anakin replied begrudgingly.

"Take you to your room, I will." Yoda led the way down the hall and stopped in front of a door. "Yours, this room is. A snack inside is waiting for you."

That brightened Anakin's mood. He was starving! "Thank you, Master Yoda. Good night, Master."

Obi-Wan smiled at his apprentice. "Good night, Anakin." /We'll talk in the morning, Padawan./

/Okay, Master./ Anakin went into his room, suddenly very hungry and very tired.

Yoda started down the hall again. "Knew you were on your way. Tea is waiting for us." He led Obi-Wan into a comfortable sitting area. "Talk you, Master Windu and I will." Obi-Wan sat down on the sofa, steaming mug in hand. Yoda joined him a moment later. He turned on the holocom on the table. "We are here, Master Windu."

An image of Mace Windu flickered to life. He nodded at the two of them. "Master Yoda, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan nodded at Mace. "Master Windu." He looked down into his mug as he gathered his thoughts. After a moment, he looked up again. "Why, Masters?"

"Felt it important to test the two of you the Council did, before giving you more consequential missions."

"Is this standard procedure? Because I don't remember this kind of test being given to me and Qui-Gon."

"Standard procedure this is not. But standard master/padawan team you are not. Training the Chosen One is no small task."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes for a moment and steadied his breathing. When he opened his eyes again, he found Yoda studying him intently. "Does the Council have that little faith in my abilities as a teacher?" All of Obi-Wan's insecurities had come flooding back.

Yoda sighed and shook his head. "Knew you would think that I did."

Mace spoke up. "The Council does not doubt you, Obi-Wan. But we do feel that great care is needed in Anakin's training. We still have some concerns about him. He is too emotional and too confident in his abilities."

Obi-Wan felt relief at Mace's words, but also protectiveness for his padawan. "Anakin is progressing well. He's only been in training for three years. With time, he'll learn not to let his emotions rule him."

"Protect him, you need not, young one. Want him to become a great Jedi Knight the Council does." Yoda poked his clawed hand into Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Remember, reservations about Anakin you have as well."

Obi-Wan rubbed his hand down his face. "Yes, I do. I'm trying to work through those reservations. I don't like having them. It's not fair to Anakin. I keep them buried deep under heavy shielding. The last thing he needs is to feel that from me!"

Mace looked at Obi-Wan thoughtfully. "We understand that, Obi-Wan. But the fact that you still have reservations means that you should take them seriously and heed them."

Yoda nodded. "Watched you two I have, and not just on this mission. On a pedestal your apprentice has placed you."

Obi-Wan sighed as he leaned back into the cushion. "I know. That's what worries me. The higher the pedestal, the harder the fall. What also concerns me is that he seems to take it as a personal affront every time I correct him."

"Yes, he does." Mace sounded grave. "He desperately wants your approval. But you handled the situation today very well."

Obi-Wan turned sharply. "You heard that? About his thinking I didn't have any faith in him?"

Yoda nodded. "Heard it and saw it. Heard and saw everything that went on here the Council did."

Oh, lovely. Obi-Wan tried not to look worried. "How did I not sense any spy droids?"

Mace smiled. "Obi-Wan, we do this all the time. El Abrell is where most padawans take the Trials."

"Well, that explains why I don't know about it." A thought struck Obi-Wan as he sipped his tea. "Wait a minute! Who are all those people we captured today?"

Yoda smiled. "Jedi, Obi-Wan. Specialize they do in this sort of thing."

"No wonder I couldn't read them. Was everything that happened on this mission part of the test?"

Amusement shone out of Yoda's eyes. "Make your padawan forget to secure transport and get a garbage scow we did not. Enlist a snake and leeches in our test we did not."

Mace looked equally amused. "We didn't coerce Anakin to snore and accost you in his sleep. And we didn't arrange your muddy trek down the hill." Mace's eyes sparkled with mirth. "The Force was not entirely with you on this trip."

"Tell me about it!" Obi-Wan couldn't help but laugh. Thinking back on all that happened – it bordered on the absurd! Obi-Wan smirked wickedly. "What about all the Jedi I left tied up?"

"Making their way here they should be by now."

Obi-Wan leaned forward a bit. "How did you know to set this up the way you did? I mean, in a way where no one would really get hurt and I wouldn't find out find out too soon that this was a test?"

Mace's lips turned up in an ironic smile. "I'm not sure the Jedi you kicked into unconsciousness would agree that no one was hurt."

Obi-Wan looked embarrassed. "Oh, yes…um…"

"Know you well, we do." Yoda's sleepy gaze was fixed on the young man beside him. "Knew we did, that avoid violence if at all possible you would."

Mace nodded in agreement. "We knew you wouldn't go in with lightsaber or blaster blazing. We also trusted that you would make sure Anakin did likewise."

"If you already knew how I was going to handle this test, then what was the point?"

"The point, Obi-Wan, was not to test you, but to test your relationship with your padawan, and to test Anakin himself." Mace spoke patiently, wanting the young knight to understand that the Council did not doubt him.

Obi-Wan sighed heavily. "Explaining this to Anakin should prove interesting."

Yoda placed a claw on Obi-Wan's arm. "Trust you to make him understand, we do."