Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Star Wars. They are the rightful property of one George Lucas, who fortunately decided to share them with the world through his films. I'm merely borrowing them in the most respectful way to have some more fun. That is all.
AN; Dear readers! Glad to see you're still with me. Things take time, but it can sometimes take too long. And believe me, I'd love to write more, but I just have little time for it. But whatever time I do find, I try to use, and it has resulted in another Moments chapter! This one centers on Obi-wan's promotion to Council member. Did anyone ever wonder how that came to be? Well I have, and I think it would have taken some trials at least. So, I made some up. Here's the first. Enjoy.

Moments – series

First trial

It was slightly out of character for him to hum, but he was humming none the less today. Why? He couldn't honestly say. There were both very positive and negative things going on at the moment, so it wasn't all peace and joy. But he focused more and more on the positive side of things lately, something he wasn't known for in his days as a padawan. Things change, he thought. People change. If only for a little.

Obi-wan was just reaching for his cup of tea without taking his eyes off the novel he was reading, when the door chimed. He stopped his humming, set down his book, and stood up. On the way he collected his cloak and lightsaber, knowing he would need them. With a gentle push of his thumb the door opened and the sight of Master Yoda greeted him. He made a short respectful bow.

"Master Yoda. A pleasure to see you, it is."

This brought a smile to Yoda's face. "Good morning Obi-wan. Practising your impression, you have?"

Obi-wan smiled in return. "Imitate you, nobody can."

Yoda lifted and pointed his walking cane at him. "Too right you are." With a soft tick the cane set down on the floor again. "But for imitations, I have not come."

"I thought not. Can I invite you for tea?"

"Mm, next time we will. Now, a different appointment we have."

Quite used to Yoda's lack of information, Obi-wan knew just to go with the flow. "Very well, master."

Yoda nodded, turned and hobbled down the hallway. Obi-wan smiled slightly at the sight, before stepping out, closing the door behind him, and walking up to the elder jedi's side. In silence they walked to the east wing of the temple, the learning center. Yoda waved open one of the classrooms and entered. With some surprise and confusion Obi-wan stepped in behind him and closed the door. The Master jedi stood facing the room, resting on his cane.

"Good morning class."

"Good morning, Master Yoda," the room echoed.

Obi-wan took in the room. Like all the classrooms it was equipped with all the items needed to teach and accommodate students. In the middle of the room 24 children of 4, 5 years old stood, small training sabers in their hands and practise helmets perched on their heads.

"Class, say good morning to Master Kenobi."

"Good morning, Master Kenobi," the room resounded.

Obi-wan smiled a genuine smile and bowed an inch or so. "Good morning, children." Like Qui-gon he shared an affinity for the young. It was the innocence and open honesty that he found very refreshing, especially after having sat through some lengthy political or diplomatic talks. He never did go meditate in the nurseries or playrooms like his old master, but he enjoyed helping out where he could with the younglings. Unfortunately, Anakin had the habit of tying up all his time, and lately he hadn't been able to do anything with the young padawans. So the sight of a room full of them was a pleasant surprise, but still somewhat confusing to him. He would normally help out with saber practise or physical training, but never with the youngest ones, that was Yoda's chosen area. So why was he here?

Yoda shook him out of his reverie. "Master Kenobi today is here, children, teach you about using the Force, he will."

He could feel his eyebrows lift slightly. 'I will?'

The green skinned jedi turned and look at him. "Here to tell you about actively using the Force, he will."

His eyebrows settled again. 'Guess I will.'

Yoda hobbled to the side of the room and sat down on a small cushion, most likely his own. Obi-wan took a deep breath and regarded the group again. The clan as it was called, consisted of a few different species, but they all shone brightly in the Force. But they were mostly untrained, their light honest and naïve, and unaccustomed to the conscious manipulation of the Force. They could feel the Force clearly, and have practised to listen to it with their saber practise, but actually wielding the Force was something quite new for them. For an instant Qui-gon's tale of him and Obi-wan in the crèche with the small wooden block flashed through his mind, but he put it aside. At that age children instinctively use the Force. The children before him however needed to learn the conscious use.

With some effort he ignored Yoda's gaze on his back as he walked up to the group. He took another moment to collect his thoughts and decide on his approach. It was clear he couldn't talk to them like he did to Anakin now, but it was the first real grown-up subject they had to learn. With a better glance at the children he could see they were a little tired from their saber practise, and an idea struck. He shrugged off his cloak and placed it behind him. He then smiled and looked at the group.

"I think your practise has tired you all a little. Why don't we take off those helmets and sit down, children?"

He could feel the relief and surprise in the kids and he smiled a little wider as he sat down on his cloak. All the children swiftly followed his example. When they settled down Obi-wan lowered his voice in timbre, to what he preferred to call his teaching voice.

"All of you have practised with your training sabers, feeling out the Force to anticipate where the training droid would strike. To be good at this you need to be open and silent, to hear everything the Force is telling you. But often a jedi will come across situations where listening to the Force will not be enough to accomplish his goal or mission. He or she will need to actively reach into the Force and steer it into an action of his choosing, thereby resolving the situation at hand."

Instantly he realized he had started all wrong, as blank faces met him. It wasn't that they couldn't understand his point, but they just couldn't understand all his words in the first place to do that. With a small sigh Obi-wan conceded his mistake. As he feared, this was completely different to teaching Anakin or the other padawans. These children did not have the vocabulary yet to understand his way of thinking. He refused to look back at Yoda for help, rather fearing the amused smile he knew the old master must be wearing at his elementary mistake.

On instinct he pulled back the memory of him and Qui-gon. It was the only thing he could think of that would be helpful. But how to use it? He looked around the room and spotted a small portable map-reader on one of the desks. He nodded to himself.

"I'm sorry, children. It has been a while since I've done any teaching. I'm sorry if I sounded…funny."

This brought back the smile they had lost and he was pleased to feel them focusing on him again. Now keep them focused on a simple thing and they'll follow Kenobi, he thought.

"Why don't we form a circle so we can all see each other better?"

He had to hand it to Yoda. The younglings quickly and without and hesitation shuffled around until they were all seated around him in a neat circle. Obi-wan turned to the young boy to his right.

"What's your name?"

The boy's eyes grew a little wider but he quickly responded. "Firso, master."

Obi-wan nodded and looked at the boy next to Firso. "And you?"

The surprise still lingered, but again the kid quickly responded. "Samu, master."

With a small gesture of his hand Obi-wan pointed at the girl next to Samu. "And you?"

"Janna, master."

With a smile Obi-wan gave his understanding and turned to the next child in line. But apparently his intentions had become quite clear.

"Hoanne-ji, master."

"Botthana, master."

"Giran, master."

And so one by one the children announced their names. Quickly Obi-wan memorized them. When the last one, directly to his left, finished, he nodded to the all. "Well my name is Obi-wan, Master Kenobi makes me feel old."

The silent giggling told him they were warming up to him, and were quite ready to listen to him with rapt attention when he showed the necessary authority. So, on to the next bit, he thought. He extended his right arm, over Firso's head, and pointed his fingers in the direction of the desk. The small map-reader lifted off its surface and slowly but steadily sailed through the air and into his awaiting hand. He placed the item in front of him and looked at the group. They had all watched his action with interest. Good, he thought, good.

"Let me tell you a story, children. A long time ago, when I was even younger than you are now, my old master came to visit me and the other children in the crèche. He always said we could make him feel better. He sat down, closed his eyes and meditated. This is what the jedi do to listen to the Force, we meditate. Now because I was so young and small, my master seemed like a mountain, a giant jedi. I crawled over to him and I could feel the Force flowing through us, around us, between us. It made me very happy indeed. When he finished his meditation I wanted to thank him for making me happy, so I gave one of my playing blocks to him. And do you know how I did that?"

All tiny shakes of heads told him they were quite interested at the answer.

"The Force helped me, and together we lifted the block into the air, so high that the giant jedi could grab it. Then he smiled at me, thanked me for this gift, and left."

With a smile Obi-wan crossed his arms and leaned back a little. "Several years later, when I was bigger and older, the same jedi became my master. Qui-gon, that was his name, always kept the block in his quarters, to remind him how wonderful the Force and life can be."

He gave the children a moment to process the story before going on. "Now I want you to open your feelings, just like in saber training. But this time, don't feel what the Force is telling you. This time, look at me and feel what I am doing."

He leaned forward and picked up the map-reader. By extending his arm and holding it with his palm open they could all see it clearly. Then he calmly and slowly dipped into the Force. He could tell they were all feeling their way, as tiny tendrils lightly twisted around him. Making sure he was drawing on the Force as clearly and slowly as he could he wrapped it around the map-reader, and lifted it two inches into the air. Keeping his palm open and in place Obi-wan slowly rotated the item, making it dance leisurely in front of him.

Next he tilted his palm and the map-reader slowly drifted to a girl on his left, Sianna. It hovered in front of her face for a moment, before slowly floating down. "Open your hands, Sianna."

She quickly did so, showing a happy surprise he remembered her name correctly. The map-reader gently set down on her hand and Obi-wan pulled away the Force, letting it flow back.

"Now, who wants to tell me what that felt like?"

Instantly everybody but one held up their hand to be heard. Sianna was still looking down at the map-reader in her hands with a silent wonder that endeared Obi-wan to no end. He waved his hand around to get all the hands down. "Why don't we ask Sianna how it felt?"

The little girl looked up, surprised again he remembered her name and a little startled at her sudden turn to speak to the rest of the class. Obi-wan gave her a soft, reassuring smile. "Tell me, Sianna, what did it feel like?"

Sianna blinked a few times, looking for a way to express herself. She opened her mouth twice without speaking, before finally getting something out.

"It was…blue."

This made Obi-wan blink in return. "Blue?"

A little more confident now she nodded. "Blue. And green. Oh, and silver. But only a little."

This certainly wasn't the answer he was expecting. Come to think of it, he didn't even get it at all.

"Okay…what about the rest of you? What did it feel like to you?"

Again hands shot up into the air. Obi-wan nodded to Hoanne-ji.

"Warm, master."

"Warm?"

The boy nodded enthusiastically. Still quite amazed by it Obi-wan pointed at the rest and one by one they gave him their answers. Some had felt the colour blue like Sianna, others thought it was warm, or funny, or just nice. With a grin Obi-wan wondered about their observations. Perhaps there is something to it for us elder jedi too, he thought.

"All right children, that's good. We know what it feels like when I do it. But what if one of you did it? Mmm? Who would want to try?"

The second he said it he knew he was going to be corrected, and surely enough he was.

"Master, there is no try, only do. Master Yoda always tells us so."

Suppressing a sigh Obi-wan laid his hand on Firso's shoulder. "Right you are, Firso, right you are." He lifted his left hand and retrieved the map-reader from Sianna, who looked a little sad to have it taken from her. "There is no try, only do or do not. Who wants to do it?"

Again hands raised into the air. Obi-wan Force lifted the object to them and asked them to return it. They diligently tried with varying results, and he found himself often helping them to get it fully into the air and back to him, but as time passed on everybody got more enthusiastic about it and without realizing an hour came and went. Obi-wan had just sent the map-reader back to a happy Sianna when a discrete cough behind him pulled him away from this quite enjoyable exercise with the children. With a quick look at his timepiece he figured the children were due for their lunch.

"All right children, that's enough for today. I'm very proud of all of you, and I think you all did very well with this exercise. Now I believe it's time for lunch, so off you go."

They all scrambled off the floor. Master Yoda had also left his cushion and was standing next to Obi-wan.

"Younglings, let us thank Master Obi-wan for his lesson. Good, it was."

"Thank you Master Obi-wan," the class happily repeated.

Obi-wan couldn't help but smile affectionately. "You are very welcome."

"Off to lunch, you go, time it is."

Happily chatting amongst each other the children left to the lunchroom. Obi-wan picked up his cloak and put it back on. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at Yoda.

"Now could you tell me why you had me give this lesson?"

Yoda chuckled. "Lesson needed given, and test you needed do."

His eyebrow rose in surprise without conscious effort. "Test? You mean…this was part of the trials?"

The old master nodded. "And well you did. Takes wisdom to teach a good lesson, and interest children. Very well, you did."

Obi-wan bowed deeply. "Thank you, my Master."

Yoda turned and headed for the door. "Now tea and lunch we will have. Your offer, still stands does it?"

All he could do was smile and fall into step with the enigmatic old master again. "Of course, Master."

"Good, good. With my tea, cookie I would like."

He let out a short laugh at that. "As would I, as would I."

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