Anything in italics is a direct quote from Jedi Apprentice Number 1 – The Rising Force.

Chapter 3

Obi-Wan was terrified and he wasn't afraid to admit it. All around him Arconans were dieing and he knew that it was his entire fault. All this was happening because Qui-Gon needed to teach him a lesson on how to handle delicate situations. The Jedi master was taking time to punish him, at the cost of innocent lives, and he wasn't even the man's apprentice. And at this moment he certainly didn't want to be. It was his darkest moment.

Darkest moment…

A memory stirred in Obi-Wan. He remembered a twilight conference with Yoda. "What is my limit and how will I know when I find it?" Obi-Wan had asked. "And if I am pushed to my last, where can I turn for help?"

That was when Yoda had told him that in moments of extreme danger, when he had done everything he could, he could use the Force to call another Jedi. "Close you must be," Yoda had said. "Connected."

Then and there Obi-Wan knew what he had to do. He had to call to Qui-Gon. The man might ignore him, but he had to try! He couldn't just sit here and do nothing as a friend was slowly dieing. Obi-Wan couldn't control the Force properly yet, and he doubted he ever would, since he was never going to be an apprentice. Yet still, he gathered all his strength, but what to call out to Qui-Gon? He wanted to cry out that he was sorry, that he had learnt his lesson and he would take any other punishment than this. But he knew that that sounded weak and pathetic and he could still vividly remember the look on Qui-Gon's face in his nightmare, when he had started to cry. And he did not want to see that look again! So instead he simply called: Qui-Gon! Come back now! The Arconans will die soon without dactyl. He hoped that Qui-Gon would remember that there were innocent lives at stake, after all, the man had to have some sense of compassion, right? Even if Obi-Wan had never and would never see it. He was a Jedi Knight after all.

Obi-Wan was ready to groan in dismay when Jemba began his tricks again. And right now he didn't care that he was a "reject from the Temple" as Jemba called him, thank you very much! Being a farmer was certainly a lot better than being Qui-Gon Jinn's Jedi Apprentice, anyway.

He was so busy concentrating on keeping his anger in check, if Qui-Gon found out about this encounter at all he would be in trouble, but if he lost his temper as well… Obi-Wan didn't even want to think about that, that he jumped when he felt Qui-Gon calling to him. Did that mean they were connected? That they had a bond? Obi-Wan hoped not, because it meant that his chances of becoming the man's apprentice were a lot higher.

Obi-Wan was desperate to answer Qui-Gon's called and do as the man wanted – he was not going to disobey! He got frustrated when Jemba tried to stop him, he was wasting time. Obi-Wan somersaulted once in the air, and landed in front of Jemba. Then using the momentum of his landing, he sprang over the Hutt's head. Obi-Wan landed on Jemba's back and the Hutt howled. Obi-Wan hoped Qui-Gon didn't find out about what he had just done, he didn't think that the man would approve and he raced towards the mouth of the cave.

One Whiphid fired his blaster at Obi-Wan's retreating form, but Obi-Wan managed to bring his lightsaber over his back and deflect the blow. He raced through the tunnels, past the startled Hutts and Whiphids. His need to find Qui-Gon was overpowering. He was astonished to feel the Jedi Knight's warning call, to feel his connection. A connection that Obi-Wan didn't want, but there was no way that he was going to deliberately disobey Qui-Gon. He would do anything the man asked to avoid another punishment, nothing could be worse than another punishment. He shuddered, whilst he ran, at the thought of becoming Qui-Gon Jinn's apprentice. Surely, if he were the man's apprentice, the punishments would be twice as bad?

Obi-Wan ran from the cave only to stop short. He stared up at the sky in horror.

At first, he'd thought it was just dark clouds. But now he realised that scores of draigons were blocking the sun. And they were all winging towards the caves. What was Qui-Gon up to now? This couldn't be another punishment, could it? The man wasn't that evil, was he? Yes… Obi-Wan answered his own question. Yes, he is evil for doing this to me, not strict, well, he's that as well, but he's also evil, these are punishments! But where was Qui-Gon? The Jedi surely wouldn't leave him to handle this alone? The point of a punishment was to teach him a lesson, right? Well, there wasn't going to be much point if Qui-Gon managed to kill him was there? What was the lesson in that?

Never in his young life had he imagined such terror. His legs went weak, and his mind was suddenly blank. He didn't know what to do. Surely Qui-Gon had punished him enough, had taught him how to handle delicate situations by now? He didn't need this lesson, punishment, whatever Qui-Gon wanted to call it. Surely the Jedi knew that by now? And where was he? He wasn't going to leave him to handle this alone?

Then he saw Qui-Gon heading toward him. Relief flooded him. The Jedi looked battered and bloody, and was holding one shoulder stiffly. Still, he was alive. Which was more than Obi-Wan would be if Qui-Gon let him handle the situation alone. Still, Obi-Wan didn't want to head back into the cave and face Jemba again.

"Did you get the dactyl?" Obi-Wan called.
Qui-Gon nodded. "The Arconans?"

"Still alive, but barely. Go, Qui-Gon. I'll hold the mouth of the cave." Qui-Gon! Qui-Gon! Why did I call him by his given name? Obi-Wan panicked. He's never given me leave to call him that! I should be calling him Sir, or Master Jinn, not Qui-Gon!

Obi-Wan expected Qui-Gon to argue, to send him back into the cave with the cave with the dactyl. After all, surely if I'm around, I'll be one doing all the tasks which are above him. The Jedi Master merely gazed at him for a tenth of a second. In the Master's eyes, Obi-Wan saw respect and acceptance. Why is he looking at me like that? How can he respect me when he keeps giving me all these horrible punishments? How can he respect me for taking them, when I deserve them? And he knows I deserve them.

"I will return," Qui-Gon promised, and rushed into the caves. So he is going to help me with this lesson, Obi-Wan mused. Just like a Master would help an Apprentice, yet I'm not his Apprentice, I don't want to be his Apprentice – he's evil! – but the chances of me becoming his Apprentice are looking a lot higher.

In seconds, the draigons were on Obi-Wan. His lightsaber slashed and burned, sizzled and shrieked. Draigons roared in pain and fell before him. He was fighting better and stronger than he ever had, ever thought he could.

But he knew he could not hold the draigons for long.

Qui-Gon! Obi-Wan cried silently in his mind, careful not to reach out with the Force. I'm sorry, I've learnt the lesson you're trying to teach me, but what's the point in a lesson if it's going to kill me? Surely that defeats the object of the lesson?

Obi-Wan was not happy or impressed when Jemba came to taunt him and he had only just managed to dodge a blaster bolt that came out of nowhere and had hit Jemba. His tormentor was dead, and Obi-Wan didn't know what to feel about it, he was shocked.

A draigon's cry wrenched Obi-Wan's attention back to his situation. He barely had time to thrust his lightsaber at the huge attacking mouth, then jump back.

"That was a little too close, I'd say," Qui-Gon remarked from behind hid. His lightsaber powered up and glowed green. "I think you could use some help." Great, Obi-Wan thought with an internal groan. Another lesson he has to teach me and another punishment to endure!