A/N This fic is now the first in the One with the Force verse series. For the updated series order, I have listed the fics in order on my profile.
Obi-Wan shifted slightly on his feet as craned his head back so he could watch as his best friend Quinlan was somersaulting through the air as he completed the lower aerial obstacle course. The class of fifteen Padawans were gathered in the biggest training room in the Temple, which was so high you could not see the ceiling, high above their heads was an array of platforms attached to the walls of the room that ranged from the size of a small starship to the size of half of a single bed. The course was designed to make them utilise the Force to help them make their way around the circumference of the room. Obi-Wan smiled when Quinlan landed on the last platform and then used the Force to jump back down to the wooden floor, a wide grin on his face.
"Padawan Kenobi, you may take your place," stated Master Jaro Tapal. The Lasat Master indicated with his head for Obi-Wan to jump up to the first platform. Obi-Wan nodded back at the Master and sucked in a deep breath as he jumped. This would be the first time he would complete the course without a safety harness. He had only been a Padawan for six months and felt relieved that he was finally allowed to forgo the safety harness, he was the youngest of the class and so the last Padawan to have to use the harness, until today.
As he landed on the platform softly, happy with his Force enhanced jump. He looked down to Master Tapal and his classmates, who were gathered sixty-two feet below him, the average height for a four-story building. His eyes flickered upwards where Obi-Wan observed a Senior Padawan completing the one hundred feet obstacle course. He gulped, his legs shaking slightly at just the mere thought of having to complete that course. Thankfully Obi-Wan would have to wait until he was promoted to a Senior Padawan until he could attempt that course, but there were the courses in-between, their platforms also attached to the walls of the training room.
Obi-Wan shook himself and nodded again at Master Tapal, indicating to the Jedi Master that he was ready. He noticed Garen, Reeft and Quinlan all smiling up at him in encouragement. He felt a flare of slight annoyance from his training bond with his Master and sniggered to himself, knowing his Master was currently having a meeting with the Council.
Master, I know you do not like having meetings with the Council. But I am about to complete the aerial course without a harness and would appreciate not being distracted. He directed down the training bond, also sending his amusement to his Master.
My apologies Padawan. I will endeavour to do better at shielding my thoughts, quipped Master Qui-Gon. His own feelings of amusement being sent back to Obi-Wan. However, I do wish you were here instead. The meetings feel less intrusive when you are here with me.
That's only because Master Yoda and Master Windu like me more than you, smirked Obi-Wan.
Little imp, retorted Master Qui-Gon. He felt his Master silence their bond, but as he did so, Obi-Wan felt a soft brush of the Force against his forehead. Knowing it was his Master's doing, to soften the otherwise harsh act of silencing a training bond.
"You may begin Padawan Kenobi," commented Master Tapal as he outstretched his left arm in the direction of the course.
Sucking in one more steadying breath, Obi-Wan then leapt from the starting platform to the next platform. The leap was not difficult, as it was the easiest course, the platforms at the beginning were spaced not far apart. So, Obi-Wan was able to complete the first half of the course with no problems. The spacing between platforms only increasing by half a metre at a time. But once he reached the middle of the course, Obi-Wan paused and re-centred himself in the Force, sensing if he had acted impatiently, he would have mistimed his jump.
"Good Padawan Kenobi," praised Master Tapal from his position in the centre of the room, where he was stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Obi-Wan felt himself smile at the praise, he then jumped when an older Padawan, completing the course above his leaped over him. Once he calmed his nerves down, he observed the bigger gap between his platform and the next one. He let the Force well up around him and let it guide him, he leaned back on one of his legs and then propelled himself forwards and somersaulted over the gap between the platforms. As he landed, he let himself roll forwards on the platform and then sprung up into a standing position.
He completed two more jumps and after each jump felt himself grow more confident. Of course, that was when things were bound to go wrong. Just as he had launched himself into the air, another Padawan flew above him, making him flinch away from the blur of movement. However, this cost him. His flinch had changed his trajectory and Obi-Wan's feet caught the edge of the platform, he tried to twist his body so he could roll onto the platform. However, instead, his boots slipped on the wooden edge and he felt himself tumble through the air. He closed his eyes and pulled on the Force to slow his decent, which he was able to do, but he was still falling too fast for his limited ability to soften his landing completely. His eyes flew open just as his legs landed heavily on the wooden floor of the training room. He heard a loud crack and he couldn't have stopped his pain-filled scream even if he tried.
Obi-Wan tried to muffle his pained screams in his left hand as he was lying on his left side, his eyes brimming with tears as he outstretched his right hand to rest on his right leg. A fiery pain blazed between his ankle and knee, Obi-Wan titled his head back against the wooden floor, smacking his head on the floor. The pain in his head was nothing to the agonising pain emitting from his leg. He blinked his eyes and felt salty tears stream down his face, just as he looked up to find the imposing figure of Master Tapal leaning over him.
Master Tapal's green gaze flickered from Obi-Wan's face, to his leg and back to his face. The Lasat Master rested a hand on Obi-Wan's forehead and Obi-Wan felt his eyes begin to flicker shut as the pain subsided a little. "It will be alright Padawan, just rest," soothed Master Tapal. As Obi-Wan let his eyes shut and felt himself slipping into a comforting darkness, he distantly heard Master Tapal order Garen to contact the Healers in the Halls of Healing. Obi-Wan also thought he should inform his Master about his accident through their bond, but his thoughts were already muddled and just let himself drift off.
Healer Corra had just administered some pain relief to Padawan Kenobi, and the twi'lek Healer smiled softly at the young child who was still unconscious on the medical bed. The cooper hair stood out starkly against the white bed sheets. While the young Padawan always looked pale, as did most humans to her, his complexion was almost grey, due to the pain from his injury. She carded her hand through the cooper strands of his hair comfortingly while she checked with her eyes the bacta cast on the boy's leg was secure and then quietly left the room, knowing by now the boy's Master would have been informed of his Padawan's injury.
She closed the door to the private room with a soft click and just as she turned to begin walking towards the waiting area, presuming that's where she would find Master Jinn. She was proven wrong when the usually calm and composed Jedi Master was jogging down the corridor towards her. His brown robe billowing out behind him, his midnight blue eyes were wide in alarm and his hair looked windswept, suggesting the man had run from the Council room to the Halls of Healing.
"How is he?" demanded Jinn, not sounding out of breath from his running. But his eyes looked over Healer Corra's shoulder to the door of the room his Padawan was situated in.
Healer Corra held out her hands placatingly. "He is asleep, between the painkillers I have given him and Master Tapal's sleep suggestion, he should stay that way for some time. I have put a bacta cast on his right leg, that should be able to come off this evening and then he will need to rest for a few days while his leg finishes healing."
Jinn frowned at her in confusion. "But after a bacta cast has been applied, a being does not need to rest their injured limb for a few days afterwards."
Hearing the Jedi Master's unasked question, Healer Corra nodded. "You are correct, that is when a being has suffered one break in their limb. However, Obi-Wan has suffered from three breaks in his right leg."
"By the Force," murmured Jinn as he winced in sympathy for his Padawan as he raked a hand through his slightly greying hair. After he had absorbed the news, Jinn looked up so they could look each other in the eye. "May I see him?"
"Of course, you can" smiled Healer Corra. She knew many Jedi tried to avoid the Halls as long as they could, but she would not allow a young Padawan to be treated alone in the Halls. She had only treated Kenobi without Jinn present because she wanted the twelve-year-old out of pain as soon as possible.
She opened the door to the medical room and gestured for Master Jinn to enter the room. Believing that the other Jedi would immediately feel calm at the sight of his Padawan resting. She was severely wrong, because when she and Jinn entered the room, it was to find the medical bed empty, the white sheet tumbling off the bed to the floor and a pair of Padawan brown boots toppling over each other at the foot of the bed. But no Padawan.
"Obi-Wan!" exclaimed Jinn in shock. "Where could he have gone with a leg broken in three places?!"
That was a question Healer Corra wanted answered. The painkillers should have kept Kenobi unconscious for at least another three hours. She sighed as she turned on her commlink, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "To the Healer on duty at reception. Please be aware we have an escaped drugged up Padawan with a broken leg on the loose."
"We have a what?! I must have misheard you Healer Corra," came the surprised response.
"You heard me clearly," sighed Healer Corra as she observed the panicked state Master Jinn was currently in at the sight of a missing injured Padawan. She sighed to herself again, Master Yoda's lineage was giving her grief yet again.
Mace was sitting in Yoda's quarters with the smaller Jedi Master, they were discussing a group of Junior Padawans whose Masters had recommended them for promotion to Senior Padawans. He leaned back in the only human sized chair Yoda kept in his quarters for Masters to sit in, something the older Jedi only thought to consider when he took Dooku on as Padawan and when a teenaged, Dooku had complained about not having a chair big enough for him. How Yoda could be so knowledgeable about the Force but not consider a chair sized for his Padawan was beyond Mace.
Mace was just taking a sip from his cup of tea, when a loud clattering sound came from the top of the wall of Yoda's living space. Frowning, Mace looked up at the ventilation shaft opening in the space of wall between the small kitchen and the living space, just to see a copper haired bundle of limbs come crashing out of the ventilation shaft. Mace stared open mouthed, his cup of tea halfway to his lips, as he observed the groaning crumpled heap that, on a closer inspection, turned out to be one Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. Mace flickered his eyes over to Yoda and noted the twitch to Yoda's lips indicating the older Master's amusement.
"New meaning to the phrase 'dropping in' this is," smirked Yoda. The green Master then climbed off his small seat and wandered closer to the prone form of his great Grandpadawan. Mace placed his cup of tea down on the table beside him and turned in his seat to get a better look at Obi-Wan, he was concerned to see the Padawan had not moved and was still lightly groaning. Yoda reached the young Padawan and gently moved his arms and legs so Obi-Wan was lying on the floor straightened out, not curled into a heap. Both Mace and Yoda frowned seeing the bacta cast encasing Obi-Wan's right leg between his knee and ankle. Yoda rested a clawed hand on the crown of Obi-Wan's head and hummed to himself, he then looked up at Mace with a slight frown. "In the Halls young Kenobi should be."
"Is he alright?" asked Mace as he stood up and walked the few steps over to Yoda and Obi-Wan, so he could kneel beside the injured Padawan. He rested a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder, thankful to hear the groaning stop, but looked at the grey tinge to the Padawan's skin with concern.
Yoda nodded, "doing of painkillers this. Disoriented Obi-Wan was." Mace slipped an arm under Obi-Wan's shoulders and lifted the Padawan's head up and rested it on his lap as he rested his other hand on Obi-Wan's forehead while Yoda reached for his commlink. "Lost a Padawan the Halls have, I believe. Fell from the ventilation shaft into the middle of my living space and a meeting with Master Windu, he has." Mace smirked when he heard Healer Corra sigh on the other end of the conversation and the panicked voice of Qui-Gon stating they were on their way to Yoda's quarters.
A few days later
Qui-Gon was stood in his living space, smiling as his Padawan was lying on their sofa with the new blanket Qui-Gon had bought to comfort Obi-Wan through his convalescence tucked around him as he read the latest holo novel Dooku had sent to the injured Padawan. While Obi-Wan seemed to appreciate the softness of the blanket, he hadn't seemed to be taken with the range of colours in the multi-coloured blanket. However, Qui-Gon may have taken a holo of his young Padawan sleeping on the sofa with his face pressed into the edge of the blanket. Obi-Wan didn't need to be aware of the holo's existence.
"Obi-Wan," called Qui-Gon, he smiled as his Padawan looked up at him in question. "Healer Corra has said she is happy with your progress and you can take the assessment for the aerial obstacle course for Master Tapal's class." Qui-Gon had noted his Padawan's downtrodden expression when Garen, Reeft and Quinlan came to visit him and excitedly told him they had passed the assessment for the class. But he was surprised to see a hesitant look pass over his Padawan's face. So, he stepped further into the room and sat on the edge of the sofa, careful not to lean back and squish his Padawan's legs. "What is wrong little one?"
Obi-Wan bit on his lower lip and fiddled with his hands. "I just don't think I am ready to take the assessment."
"Master Tapal thinks you are and said he has some free time this afternoon," stated Qui-Gon. As he reached out with his right hand and rested it against Obi-Wan's cheek, delighted to see his Padawan's complexion had returned to normal and there was no slight fever present.
Obi-Wan sighed as he leaned his head back against the back of the sofa. "I messed up the last time I did the course."
Qui-Gon gently tugged on his Padawan's short stubby braid behind his right ear. "Master Tapal explained to me what happened, and you did not 'mess up' Obi-Wan. In fact, Master Tapal said he was very impressed with how you composed yourself instead of rushing ahead and he was also impressed when you used the Force to slow your fall."
"Didn't slow myself good enough," muttered Obi-Wan as he glared down at his blanket covered right leg. Qui-Gon smiled fondly at his Padawan as he reached forward and hugged the boy close to him.
"The fact that you managed to slow your decent any, when you've only been a Padawan for six months is impressive Obi-Wan," he said as he ran a hand through the copper strands of his Padawan's hair.
"Really?" questioned a small voice from the crook of his neck.
"Really," smiled Qui-Gon. "I know you do not want to fall off the course again, but it is a risk you must take in order to learn. You cannot be perfect all the time little one." His smile grew wider when he felt his Padawan bury himself closer against him.
"Okay. I'll take the assessment," murmured Obi-Wan.
"I'll contact Master Tapal, my brave little Padawan," said Qui-Gon, pride for his Padawan swelling up within him.
Obi-Wan stood in the centre of the aerial obstacle courses training room. He looked up as an older Padawan was completing one of the higher courses and he felt his stomach drop in nervousness. He failed the course last time because he was distracted by a Padawan on a higher course and it could happen again, this time during his assessment. He stared up at the course warily, just watching as the other Padawan was leaping and somersaulting across the platforms.
"We can wait for them to finish Padawan and ask any other Padawans to wait until you have completed your course," Master Qui-Gon stated. Obi-Wan turned to look at the comforting smile on his Master's face and noted Master Tapal nodding in agreement.
Obi-Wan shook his head, "no thank you Master. I need to learn and if there are no other Padawans on the courses I will not learn from my past mistake." He then turned and used the Force to leap onto the first platform, sensing his Master's pride through their training bond.
After sucking in a steadying breath, he took his first jump and slowly, but steadily made his way around the course. He was just one platform away from where he fell last time, and after a pause he squashed down his nerves and trusted in the Force and leapt. From the corner of his eye, he saw a Padawan leap above him and just as he felt his muscles tense at the surprise, he forced himself not to flinch and landed on the platform a little heavier than he would have otherwise done, but at least he didn't fall. He took a moment to steady his breathing and stop his hands from shaking, he then straightened his back and smiled to himself. Confidence rising, as he leaped forward and somersaulted in the air and landed more gracefully onto the platform, he had fallen off last time.
A minute later, Obi-Wan was breathing a sigh of relief as he rolled forward and jumped to his feet on the last platform. He ran a hand through his hair and chuckled to himself in relief, thankful that he had completed his assessment. He then used the Force to jump back to the floor and once he had straightened up, he was met with his Master pulling him into a tight hug.
"Well done Padawan!" grinned Master Qui-Gon.
Obi-Wan leaned back and smiled up at his Master, "thank you Master." He then turned and faced Master Tapal, he fell back into the standard position when facing a teacher, back straight and hands clasped behind his back.
The Lasat Master approached him and Obi-Wan felt himself relax when the taller Master bestowed him with a rare smile. "I am very impressed with your perseverance Padawan Kenobi. You could have waited for all the courses to be empty, just as your Master offered and I would not have faulted you for it after your serious fall. But you faced your nerves and so I am very pleased to say you have passed the assessment and you have also earned this." One his last word, Master Tapal outstretched his hand and resting on the palm of his hand was a small bead.
Obi-Wan took the golden coloured bead with a smile and bowed to Master Tapal. "Thank you Master Tapal." The Lasat Master then nodded his farewell and turned and walked out of the training hall. Obi-Wan then turned back to his Master with a wide smile, gripping his new bead tightly. "I did it!"
"Yes you did!" replied Qui-Gon with a grin, he clasped a hand onto Obi-Wan's shoulder. Obi-Wan then held out his new bead to his Master, silently asking his Master to add the bead to his small Padawan braid that was only just peaking out from behind his ear, that only had two beads on it. This was his first achievement bead, as his two other beads signified him as a Padawan, the first the bead his Master gave him and the second bead was from the Council as a sign of their approval of Obi-Wan's apprenticeship to Master Qui-Gon.
Master Qui-Gon carefully picked up the golden bead and unwound Obi-Wan's small braid collecting the first two beads in his hands. Qui-Gon then re-plaited the braid with the first two beads and then added the newest bead to the braid. Once Master Qui-Gon had tied off the end of his braid with the green tie that signified him as a Junior Padawan, his Master rested both of his hands on Obi-Wan's shoulders and squeezed them gently. "I am very proud of you little one."
"I could not have done this without your guidance Master," smiled Obi-Wan as he leaned against his Master's chest and hugged his Master. He then let his Master guide him out of the training hall, heading back to their quarters where they could celebrate him passing his first assessment as a Padawan, one step closer to Knighthood.