TITLE: A Bond of Friendship: Sad Days (4) Author: Angel5000 Feedback: Please!! All is welcome! Summary: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are supposed to receive their new mission but something goes wrong and they get stuck at the Temple for several more days. Obi-Wan is suffering from cabin fever, resulting in several disagreements between the two. Disclaimer: All these characters belong to George Lucas, except that I made up Bash'ta, Padawan Kami, and Master Kith. I'm not making any money off this story and I don't mean to break any copyright rules. Thanks A Bond of Friendship Series: A Bond of Friendship (1) A Bond of Friendship: A Temple Visit (2) A Bond of Friendship: Deaths Door (3) A Bond of Friendship: Sad Days (4) A Bond of Friendship: A Birthday Forgotten (5) A Bond of Friendship: Everything Will Be Alright (6) A Bond of Friendship: A Fight For Life (7) A Bond of Friendship: A New Beginning (8) *A Bond of Friendship:  9 <currently under construction>* MORE TO COME!!! Note:  words with // // are telepathic thoughts and words with ~ ~  are personal thoughts. *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *     "It shouldn't take you two hours to pack what little you have Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon said in his usually quiet voice.      "Yes, Master, I know that but I am not just packing. I had to finish reading the books on the planet Valderaan that you gave me. This planet is one of the most boring planets I've had to read about yet! Why do they need a Guardian of the Peace anyway?" Qui-Gon's apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi asked.     Qui-Gon shook his head, "I don't know Obi-Wan. We will find out when we get there. Even the Jedi Counsel didn't know why they requested a Guardian. If they had I'm sure that they would have told us when we were briefed about the mission." He paused to pull on his cloak. "Just pack the books in the bag Padawan, you can read them while we are travelling. It should take us at least three days to get to Valderaan and the transport leaves in seventy-five minutes. I thought you wanted to say goodbye to your friends before you left."     Obi-Wan quickly shoved the books into a small bag and then flung it over his shoulder with a smile, "There. I'm all ready to go. Besides Master, seventy-five minutes is plenty of time to say good-bye. Is there anything else that I need to do before I meet Bant?" he asked.     "Actually Padawan, there is. I want to take advantage of the training devices here at the temple for one last lesson. It will take about forty minutes to complete your training for today so I suggest you make sure everything is ready to go. Contact Bant on her comlink and let her know she needs to meet you in the gymnasium in fifty-five minutes. I'll go on ahead and get everything ready. I expect you to be there in ten minutes." Qui-Gon looked at Obi-Wan hard, the lasttime that he had told Obi-Wan to meet him for a training lesson he had been fifteen minutes late. "And I mean it Obi-Wan. I don't want to have to cut your good bye time short to finish your lesson."    Obi-Wan nodded, "Yes Master. I won't be late this time." Previously when he had been late, his Master had made him do extra lightsaber training with the remotes. It was one of his least favorite activities because the remotes would shoot blaster fire at him and he had to block it. Even though the remotes were set on low and the blaster bolts didn't do any real damage it still hurt when he missed.     Qui-Gon headed towards the door. He was pretty sure that Obi-Wan wouldn't risk being late again. "Oh, I almost forgot." Qui-Gon said, turning around quickly, "Healer Bash'ta wants to examine you one last time before we leave. You gave us all quite a scare when you suddenly got sick like you did. It shouldn't take her more than five minutes to examine you so I don't think you'll have any problems with being late." He shuddered inside as he thought about the incident that had happened just three days before...     Obi-Wan had not been sleeping well, tossing and turning all night, until he woke up around 0300. When he woke up he had felt disorientated, and he kept having feelings of panic and uneasiness wash over him in giant waves. Qui-Gon had used a Jedi calming technique to send calming thoughts to his Padawan and help him go back to sleep. It had worked, although it had used much more of Qui-Gon's energy then it should have. The next morning the boy had woken up with a serious headache and when he tried to walk he suddenly blacked out. For around twenty-four hours he had been unconscious. In a desperate attempt to lower his Padawan's fever Qui-Gon had gone to Bandomeer in search of a tiny blue herb that only grows in the deepest levels of the azurite mines. It helped to increase the forces power to heal Obi-Wan. In the end everything worked out okay and Obi-Wan survived without any brain damage or serious injuries but still no one knew what the cause of his strange illness was. Before Obi-Wan left the temple Bash'ta wanted to examine him again to make sure that he was completely healed.     "Yes Master." Obi-Wan said as he hurried past his master towards the door and headed down the hall to the clinic. As he walked he activated his comlink to call Bant, "Bant?"    "Obi-Wan! When are you leaving?" She exclaimed when she heard his voice.     "I leave in seventy-five minutes but I have to first stop by the clinic for another one of Bash'ta tests and then my Master has another one of his training lessons for me. Master Qui-Gon told me to tell you that you can meet me in the gymnasium in fifty-five minutes. Is that okay?" He asked.     "Yes, that'll be fine. Oh, Obi-Wan! I'm going to miss you so much! What will I do when you're gone?" Bant said, fighting back tears.     "You'll be fine Bant. But, I'm about at the clinic; we will have twenty minutes to talk after my lesson. I've got to go." He interrupted her.     "Okay. I'll see you in fifty-five minutes Obi-Wan." Bant said before cutting off the transmission. *            *            *            *            *            *     Obi-Wan sat on the cot in the middle of the clinic and waited while Bash'ta went over the results of the test. She had used a small hand-held scanner to scan his body for any signs of damage. Then she scanned his head to check for brain damage. The whole procedure had taken less than two minutes.     "Well, Obi-Wan it looks as though there is nothing wrong with you. I don't understand how you survived that high of a fever without any damage at all." Bash'ta said as she signed the medical release form that would allow Obi-Wan to leave the planet.     "Do you know what it is that caused me to go unconscious?" Obi-Wan asked. He was worried. A number of things could have caused it and he was afraid that it might happen again. Perhaps on a planet that didn't have the right ointments to lower his fever and bring him back to consciousness. A chill ran through him at the next thought: Qui-Gon had had to travel to Bandomeer to get the plant that had been used to save Obi-Wan's life. What if it happened again while they were on Valderaan and the healers there didn't have the right healing devises? Valderaan was a two-five day journey from Coruscant, depending on the transport used. It would take nearly four days to travel from Valderaan to Bandomeer on the fastest transport made. The thought made chills run through Obi-Wan.     "No, we don't know what caused it. I wish you weren't leaving on this mission. If you could stay at the temple for a few weeks then I could run some more tests and perhaps find out. But, you have a mission and I cannot prevent you from going on your mission just because I want to run some tests. Only if your health is in danger can I prevent you from going. And, fortunately for you, your health is just fine." Bash'ta paused as she pushed a button on the wall. A door opened on the other side of the room and Bruck Chun, Bash'ta apprentice, walked into the clinic from the adjoining room where he slept. The Healers at the temple lived in rooms off the clinic. This way they were available at all times.      "Bruck, I want you to file these results away in the Holographic File. Put them under Obi-Wan's name."     "Yes Master." Bruck said. He had become a Healer's Apprentice so that he would not be sent to be a farmer. There were times when he loved it and other times when he detested it. This was one of the latter. Filing was just not something that Bruck enjoyed doing.     "Can I go yet Bash'ta? Master Qui-Gon has some more training for me before we leave and I'd rather not be late." Obi-Wan said as he stood up.     "Yes, you can go. There's no reason for me to keep you here any longer. Tell Qui-Gon that I didn't find anything wrong with you. Although whenever you get to come back to Coruscant tell him I do want to run a couple other tests." She sighed as she stood. There was so much she wanted to do yet so little time to do it in.     Obi-Wan nodded as he hurried towards the door. *            *            *            *            *            *     Qui-Gon stood in the middle of the gymnasium, watching his apprentice. For some unknown reason Obi-Wan was hanging back. He didn't seem to be very comfortable. They had only been training for five minutes but already Obi-Wan was having trouble concentrating. Qui-Gon crossed over to where Obi-Wan stood and placed his hand on the boys shoulder. Obi-Wan winced at his Master's touch. "What is wrong Padawan? You seem to be hanging back. What is bothering you?" Qui-Gon asked in his quiet voice.     "It is nothing Master. I think I am just distracted because we are leaving today." Obi-Wan lied.     "Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said sternly, "It is against the Jedi code for a Padawan to lie to a Master. You have been my apprentice for almost two years now. Don't think that I don't know when something is bothering you." Qui-Gon looked closely at Obi-Wan before continuing, "The longer you wait to tell me the longer it will take to finish your training Padawan."     Obi-Wan repressed a sigh. Qui-Gon knew him well, maybe to well. "I am worried Master. They still do not know what caused me to black out. It could happen again, perhaps while we are on Valderaan. If they cannot heal me and they don't have that blue herb then you will have to travel to Bandomeer to get some. By the time you got back...." Obi-Wan's voice trailed off. He didn't want to finish the sentence.     Qui-Gon looked at his Padawan with compassion. The boy was clearly worried about this. His training could wait for a few minutes. "Obi-Wan I do not think that it will reoccur. I am quite sure that you just had an allergic reaction to something. Perhaps you had an infection and the plant helped cure that as well as the fever.We do not know what it was but I do not think you should continue to let it bother you. For now you need to concentrate on your training and the upcoming mission. If you have to worry about anything at all then worry about whether or not you're going to make it through this training session without any more blaster stings. The remotes have learned your strategy and getting better at defending themselves from your lightsaber."     Obi-Wan smiled a tentative smile and put his blind fold back on. "I'm ready now Master. You can turn on the remotes." He said as he activated his lightsaber. *            *            *            *            *            *     Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were walking down the hall towards loading bay three when suddenly the red light on Qui-Gon's comlink started to blink rapidly.     "Qui-Gon you and your apprentice are to report to the Jedi Counsel immediately." A strange droid said.     "Who is this, and could you please explain to me why we have been called before the Counsel? Our transport leaves in five minuets." Qui-Gon asked, slightly confused.     "This is M4J3. I have been asked by Master Windu to contact you and tell you to report to the Counsel immediately. They gave me no other information." The droid said in a monotone voice.     "Fine. We will be there in a few minutes." Qui-Gon said. He was surprised at this strange call but M4J3 was Master Windu's personal droid, this had to be very important.     "Master, I do not understand why the Counsel is asking us to appear before them. We already have our mission and they know that our transport leaves in just a few minutes." Obi-Wan said, confused.     "I am sure that they will tell us when we get there, Padawan. You must have patience." Qui-Gon said. He talked about having patience to his Padawan although he was just as impatient as Obi-Wan to find out the reason behind the strange call.     A few minutes later the two Jedi were entering the Council room. They walked to the center of the room, bowed respectfully, and waited until the Masters spoke. Though it was hard for Obi-Wan to keep from asking why they were here he succeeded in keeping quiet. It would not do for him to be rude, the Masters would think he had no patience or respect at all and Qui-Gon would most likely be greatly disappointed in him.     "Qui-Gon we have just received a message from the planet Valderaan about your mission. It has been cancelled." Mace Windu stated matter-of-factly.     "Why has our mission been cancelled Master Windu? We just received it a few hours ago, what could have happened in two hours time that would change the previous orders?" Qui-Gon asked with concern.     "We received word from the Valderaan officials that their request for a Guardian of the Peace is to be cancelled and they are requesting that no Jedi come onto their planet. There was no reason given but none the less we must honor their request, you cannot go to Valderaan." Master Windu finished.     The words hit Obi-Wan hard. He couldn't believe that they weren't going to go on the mission after all. //So I did all that reading on Valderaan for nothing Master?// Obi-Wan asked silently.     //No Obi-Wan, it wasn't for nothing. Someday that information may be of use.// His Master responded, sending his message to Obi-Wan's mind.     "Then if we not to go to Valderaan what is our mission Masters?" Qui-Gon asked.     "You will stay here at the temple. We could use you, Qui-Gon, to help with some negotiations taking place on the other side of Coruscant." Master Ki-Adi-Mundi said.     "There are plenty of Jedi Masters here at the temple capable of negotiating. Why not send them and let my Apprentice and I leave?" Qui-Gon asked respectfully, he was getting impatient with the counsel members. ~Why don't they just let us go?~ Qui-Gon asked himself, ~What is the real reason behind making us stay?~     "You have been chosen to handle the negotiations Qui-Gon. One of the representatives is from another planet, she has personally requested that you attend, whether as a negotiator or as a Guardian during the negotiations she doesn't care. She just wants you to be the one there. I believe she has worked with you before," this just confused Qui-Gon even more "and as for letting you and your apprentice leave, do you think it would be wise to take your apprentice away from the temple?" Master Windu asked.     Before Qui-Gon could reply Obi-Wan's comlink blinked. He looked at his Master with a questioning look, //should I answer it?// Obi-Wan silently asked him.     But the answer didn't come from Qui-Gon. Yoda too had seen the comlink's flash, "Dismissed you are, young Kenobi. Wait outside you should." Obi-Wan bowed before the Masters. He was grateful that Yoda had come to his rescue, although he did wish to know why Master Windu thought he should not leave the temple.     Once outside Obi-Wan quickly answered the blinking comlink. "Obi-Wan!" Bant's voice came through the static. "Obi-Wan where are you? The transport just left without you and your master! What are you thinking? Qui-Gon's going to be awfully mad at you when he finds out that you made him late and the transport left without you two." She said, worry in her voice. Bant had always been one to worry about Obi-Wan.     "Calm down Bant. I didn't make us late, and Qui-Gon won't be mad at me. The Jedi Counsel asked us to meet with them. Apparently the officials of Valderaan don't want any Jedi there anymore. The counsel wants us to stay here on Coruscant. I don't have any details because you called just as they were getting ready to explain. Master Yoda dismissed me from the meeting to answer your call." Obi-Wan responded. He was just a little bit angry with Bant for calling, but she hadn't known they were with the Council.     "Oh, Obi-Wan, I'm sorry! I'll wait for you in the Garden. When you get some free time meet me there and we can talk. I've got to go now, classes you know." Bant said before cutting off the transmission. She had a way of doing that, making sure she got the last word in and then suddenly turning off the comlink.     A few moments later Qui-Gon came out of the Counsel room. He didn't appear to be very happy about the reassignment but he didn't seem angry either. As usual his face was unreadable, "Come Padawan. We have to move into our new room."     "New room Master? We have a perfectly good room already!" Obi-Wan said. It wasn't that he objected to getting a new room, he was just upset at not being able to stay in the counsel room and was acting very sullen.     "We are getting a new living area. It is more than just a room. There are two separate rooms for each of us, and a sitting room. You'll see it when we get there, Padawan. Do you have all your stuff with you?"     "Yes, Master. We were about to leave on a mission and so I packed everything. Or did you forget already?" Obi-Wan asked. The moment the words left his mouth he knew it was the wrong thing to say.     Qui-Gon stopped walking and turned to face his Padawan, "Obi-Wan, that was out of line. Just because you are upset about being sent out of the Counsel room gives you no right to speak to me like that. Do you understand me?" he asked in a voice that Obi-Wan had never heard before. Apparently he had definitely said the wrong thing.     "Yes, Master. I'm sorry, you are right, I should speak to you with respect, not the way I just did." Obi-Wan said, although at the moment the only reason he felt sorry was because he had been reprimanded.     Qui-Gon looked at Obi-Wan for a few seconds before nodding, "Come Padawan, we need to move in and then we need to talk about our mission here on Coruscant." *            *            *            *            *            *     "*This is our new quarters?" Obi-Wan asked in disbelief. It was much bigger than the single room they had previously had. To his right was a large desk, in front of him were a couch and two chairs and to the left were two doorways. The doorways each led into a small room. In each room was a bed, a closet, a set of shelves, and in the one room a desk. On the right hand wall there were two other doorways. Only one had a door. The room with the door was the refresher and the other was a small kitchen.     "Yes, Obi-Wan this is our new quarters. You take the room with the desk, I'll take the other." Qui-Gon replied. Obi-Wan set his bag down on his bed and looked around for a few minutes before Qui-Gon called him back into the sitting room "Come sit down Padawan, we need to talk."     "Yes Master." Obi-Wan said as he walked into the spacious room and sat on the couch, "Master, why is it that there is a desk in my room?" He asked, afraid of what his Master's reply would be.     "That's what we need to talk about Obi-Wan. Since you cannot come with me to negotiations," He held up his hand to stop Obi-Wan before he could object, "Let me finish Padawan, since you cannot come with me the Masters think you ought to attend some of the classes here at the temple, and I agreed with them."     "But Master!" Obi-Wan objected, "I am no longer a student at the temple! I'm an apprentice. I have already taken these classes and besides, why can't I go with you?" Obi-Wan ended sulkily. He didn't see why he couldn't go to the negotiations with his Master. It would be good experience for him.     "There are classes that you have never taken before that are being offered to senior students and other Apprentices who are here with their Masters. You aren't the only one; there are five other Padawan's who will be enrolled in the classes too. And you can't come with me because the negotiations are restricted to the Planet Representatives and a Guard. I am going as the representative of Coruscant and Master Kith Chi'yo will be going as the guard. His apprentice, Kami Ten'Muyo will be in the classes with you."    "Master, when do I have to start taking these classes?" Obi-Wan spat out the last word as though it were a poisonous piece of fruit given him.     Qui-Gon's face went from compassionate to stern; "Obi-Wan I don't want you to be talking that way about these classes. I will not have you acting as though they are a punishment. Do you understand?"     Obi-Wan hung his head, he was acting childish but why classes? He would almost rather practice with the remotes all day then be stuck doing schoolwork! "Yes Master. I understand." He lifted his head, almost afraid to look at his Master. Obi-Wan didn't want to see disappointment; it hurt to much when his master was disappointed in him.     "Obi-Wan you should never be afraid to look at me," Qui-Gon said quietly, reading his Padawan's thoughts, "You start tomorrow morning. I believe your first class is navigation. They have some simulators that you fly until they are sure you can navigate and then you get to do the real thing. I believe they have scheduled you with two morning classes and three in the afternoon. Navigation, Meditation, History, Patience, and I believe the last one is a type of cooking class."     "Cooking class? Master why am I taking a cooking class?" Obi-Wan asked.     "Because Padawan, we are not going to be eating in the cafeteria for all of our meals, you're not a student anymore you know, and so you're going to have to learn how to cook your own food and keep things clean. It's not like you have a free ride while you're at the Temple, although things are pretty easy for the Padawans during this training time."    "Master, what do you mean by this training time? Are you telling me that all Padawans have to do this, you know...stay at the temple, and take classes?" Qui-Gon nodded and Obi-Wan continued, "So, are you really going to some negotiations or are you just going to disappear for a few hours while I go to class as part of my training." Obi-Wan was getting angry again. He knew he ought to watch what he said, already he wasn't on the best of terms with his Master but he couldn't resist the sarcastic remark.     "I've had enough of this Padawan," Qui-Gon said. He stood up and pulled Obi-Wan up by his Padawan braid "I will not tolerate your disrespect any longer. I have spoken with you about this already today, and I don't think I should have had to do even that. You are almost fifteen Obi-Wan, why are you acting like a ten year old?" Obi-Wan lowered his eyes, mostly out of habit, but partly because he didn't want to see anger there. Qui-Gon pulled on the braid that he was still holding, forcing Obi-Wan to look at him, "Obi-Wan where is your Jedi training? You should always look at me, even when being reprimanded. Now, I want you to tell me what's going to happen to you for your disrespect." Qui-Gon said.     Obi-Wan looked at his Master in surprise; Qui-Gon was going to let him pick out his own punishment? Suddenly it hit him what was going on, or so he thought. Obi-Wan would have to pick out a punishment that would fit the "crime". In other words, a punishment that would be harsh enough for disrespect but not to harsh. If he picked one that wasn't enough then his Master would think that he felt he didn't deserve a punishment and would have to pick one out himself. If, on the other hand, he picked a punishment that was too harsh Qui-Gon would think that Obi-Wan felt guiltier than he really did and then he would want to know if there was something else Obi-Wan had done. "Master, I do not feel I could pick out a suitable punishment that would please you." Obi-Wan said in his most respectful voice, he didn't want any more trouble then he was already in.     "I'm sorry Padawan that you feel I would be that hard to please. If you cannot choose a suitable punishment then how am I supposed to pick one? Only you know how deep your disrespect was. Perhaps you need time alone in your room to meditate and think about what to do." Qui-Gon said, with only the slightest tone of reprimand. It wasn't a suggestion.     "Yes Master." Obi-Wan said quietly. ~Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut?~ Obi-Wan asked himself silently as he sat on his bed. ~I am probably one of the stupidest Padawan's in the whole galaxy!~     "Obi-Wan I thought you were supposed to be mediating, not beating yourself up about what you did. You cannot change the past Padawan."     "Yes Master." Obi-Wan said, apparently his Master knew him better than he thought. He sat there, meditating for an hour before he fell asleep, to upset to really concentrate.     Qui-Gon looked at the clock on the wall, it was nearly eleven. He should have heard from the boy by now. Quietly he walked into Obi-Wan's room and smiled with relief at what he saw. His Padawan had just fallen asleep, nothing serious. Gently he covered him with a blanket and went back to his own room where he too fell asleep on his bed. *            *            *            *            *            *     When Obi-Wan awoke the next morning he was uncertain about what to do. He didn't really want to have to face his Master about last night. The meditation had not done any good. Still he didn't know what to do. Besides, if he went out he'd have to get ready for his Navigation class. It seemed so stupid that he had to take this class. He knew how to navigate a transport already. But if he stayed in his room Qui-Gon might think that he was sulking or stalling for more time. There was nothing to do but go out there and face Qui-Gon. Maybe he had forgotten about last night...     Obi-Wan quickly dressed and walked into the sitting room. Qui-Gon looked up from where he was seated at his desk. "Good morning Padawan. Did you sleep well?" Obi-Wan only nodded, maybe Qui-Gon did forget, but that wasn't possible. There was no way his master would forget the way he had spoken to him last night. That was just wasn't like him. But so far Qui-Gon hadn't made any mention of it. "Good, I'm glad you got some sleep. There is some fruit on the table. After you eat we need to talk." Qui-Gon continued.     Obi-Wan's heart dropped, so his Master had remembered and now he was going to want to know what Obi-Wan had decided. Slowly he ate the fruit, stalling for as long as he could. Maybe he could stall long enough so that he would have to go to classes and wouldn't have time to talk with his Master. At least that would give him more time to think.     "Why don't you bring the fruit in here and we can talk while you eat." Qui-Gon said. He could tell his Padawan was stalling for time and it was getting just a little bit annoying.     "Yes Master." Obi-Wan said. He walked into the sitting room and sat down on the couch. It was obvious he wasn't going to be able to avoid this conversation.     "Obi-Wan I realize that last night I was a little bit short with you and there are a few things that I think I should explain. First of all although all Padawans spend time at the temple the time lengths vary. Some are here only a couple days and others months. Our mission to Valderaan wasn't made up; it was real. I know that you think the Council Members may have made up the mission and the negotiations to make you spend time here, but it is not true. For some reason the officials of Valderaan cancelled their want for a Guardian. I do not know why, and neither do the Council Members.  Although you were wrong to speak as you did I should have tried to understand why you were acting as you were.  Padawan, I am sorry for what I said last night, you were not acting like a ten year old. Instead you were acting as a confused fifteen year old would, and there is nothing wrong with being confused." Qui-Gon said. He was truly worried that he might have hurt his Padawan the night before with his words. True, Obi-Wan had been very disrespectful and deserved some sort of punishment he had to make sure the boy knew that he had had nothing to do with their mission being cancelled.     "Master, please don't apologize. It was wrong for me to speak to you that way. I was angry about taking the classes. I should be the one apologizing." Obi-Wan lowered his eyes, hoping his Master would see that he was truly sorry. Perhaps Qui-Gon wouldn't punish him, although the idea was quite unlikely.        "I accept your apology Padawan." Qui-Gon said with a smile.     "That doesn't mean, however, that you won't be punished for your actions." Qui-Gon continued. "But I won't make you decide on your punishment alone. We will discuss this later. Right now you need to go to class." Qui-Gon smiled at the look on Obi-Wan's face. "Do not worry Padawan, it will not be that bad. The negotiations don't start until tomorrow so I'll be here today when you get back. I expect you to come back to our room directly after your classes."     "Yes Master." Obi-Wan said. He wasn't looking forward to the discussion that would take place but it would be better to get it over with than continue to feel like he was now. *            *            *            *            *            *     Obi-Wan hurried down the hall towards the room. He had finished his classes and now all he wanted to do was get some sleep. The classes hadn't been very hard. Navigation was the easiest, he thought. Already Obi-Wan was further along than most of the other students. While they were familiarizing themselves with the controls he was already learning how to operate the simulator. There was one person, however, that was even more advanced than Obi-Wan. Kami, Master Kith's Apprentice, had flown many times with her Master while on missions.     When the students in the class had first introduced themselves Obi-Wan had cringed when he had seen Kami, she looked so much like his old friend Sulana. They must have been from the same planet. Kami had long silvery hair that was worn in a single braid down her back, and her skin was moonlight blue. When asked to introduce herself she had spoken with a soft voice. Although Kami spoke quietly her words were clear and already the other Padawans were admiring her. She didn't speak very often but when she did people listened and her words had a meaning.     There were four other Padawans besides Kami and Obi-Wan in the classes, two girls and two boys. The two other girls had known each other for a long time and were great friends. The boys were from the same planet and had been best friends from the day they had met, back as Temple students. Kami, like Obi-Wan didn't know the other four Padawans. She had been chosen as an Apprentice when she was eleven and had always been far ahead in classes as an initiate. Because of this most of her interaction had been with older children. Now that she was back on Coruscant, Kith wanted her to get more involved with other Initiates her age and had placed her in classes with those of her age.     Obi-Wan stopped as he reached the door to his quarters. He reached out with the Force to try and feel what kind of a mood his Master was in. As usual it was impossible for him to figure out what his Master was feeling although he could sense that his Master was quite busy. Quietly he opened the door. Qui-Gon was sitting at his desk reading the information on a datapad. Not wanting to disturb him Obi-Wan walked quietly into his room and sat at his desk to complete some homework.     "How did they go Padawan?" Qui-Gon called to him from the common room.    Obi-Wan sighed quietly before going back into the room where his Master waited for him. "They were fine Master. I met the other Padawans who are here at the temple." He stopped; he didn't really feel like talking about them right now. For some reason he didn't seem to fit in with them. The other four seemed to be inseparable, they were best friends, and Kami and him both happened to be loners. Qui-Gon sensed his Padawan's discomfort and decided not to ask about the other Apprentices just yet.    "Master, if it is all right I would like to take a nap. I am quite tired and I think it would do me good." Obi-Wan said hopefully. Perhaps Qui-Gon would let him go and it would give him time to think of a way out of this mess.     Qui-Gon looked at him for a few moments before answering, "You can take a nap Padawan after we discuss what is to be done for your lack of respect."     Obi-Wan nodded, he was afraid that would be the answer. Qui-Gon continued, "Padawan I don't think that we need to be too harsh about this. I don't want you to think that I am being cruel and yet at the same time I don't want you to think I'm being to lenient." Obi-Wan nodded "and so, I've decided that you will be given a week of Restriction. You are to remain in our quarters unless you're at class, with me or I give you special permission to leave. After classes you need to check in with me, especially if you wish to go anywhere. Do you understand your limitations Padawan?" Qui-Gon asked. He was afraid that he was being too harsh or, even worse, to lenient.    "Yes Master. I understand fully the extent of my punishment and I thank you for not forcing me to decide the consequences on my own." Obi-Wan said. He was thankful that he hadn't had to decide on his own but he was also upset that he was on restriction already, he had only been at the Temple a couple of days!    Qui-Gon smiled, he was glad Obi-Wan hadn't protested. He wasn't in the mood right now to deal with another one of the boy's outbursts. These negotiations were going to be more complicated then he had previously thought. "Obi-Wan you can go take your nap now if you wish. I'm going to be reviewing some information for the negotiations."    Obi-Wan nodded. He really didn't feel like a nap right now, he had asked mostly to delay the conversation, but now that it was over maybe he could finish his homework, he grimaced at the thought, it reminded him too much of his days as an Initiate. A few minutes later there was a timid knock at the door. Obi-Wan came out of his room just as Qui-Gon was answering the door.     "Hello Master Jinn," Bant said with a small bow "I was wondering if Obi-Wan could come with me to the Room of a Thousand Fountains. It's been a long time since we've just sat and talked."     "Come on in Bant," Qui-Gon said, closing the door behind her. Bant seemed a little nervous about being in the room of this great Jedi Knight but she did a good job of keeping it under control. Obi-Wan watched Qui-Gon with pleading eyes, he knew he had no right to ask to go but he wanted to all the same.     //What do you think about it Obi-Wan?// Qui-Gon asked through their bond.     // I...I do not feel it would be right for me to go. It would probably be best for me to stay here.// Obi-Wan responded the same way, it was hard for him to say but he knew it was the right thing.    // I am proud of you Padawan// Qui-Gon said. While they were communicating Bant stood there watching and waiting patiently. She was pretty sure they that they were talking, though she didn't know about what.     "Obi-Wan you can go with Bant to the Fountains but you need to be back in one hour. No later." Qui-Gon said. He was proud of the way Obi-Wan had responded to his question. The boy knew that had he said he wished to go Qui-Gon would have allowed him, but he had been responsible and chose the right decision. Because of that Qui-Gon was willing to allow him some extra freedom.     Obi-Wan looked at Qui-Gon in surprise, "Thank you Master. I'll be back on time. I promise." Qui-Gon nodded and sat back down to finish his reading as Obi-Wan hurried out the door with Bant. *            *            *            *            *            *     Bant and Obi-Wan were in the Room of A Thousand Fountains for what seemed like only five minutes. In reality it was seventy minutes before either one thought to look at the time…     "Obi-Wan..." Bant began, her voice slightly nervous, "Obi-Wan we've been here for an hour and ten minutes already..." Obi-Wan looked up at her quickly, "Will Qui-Gon be very mad at you?" She asked tentatively. She had heard about what had happened earlier.     "I don't know," Obi-Wan said quietly as he stood up, "and I wish I didn't have to find out." He muttered under his breath.     "What did you say?" Bant asked. Obi-Wan didn't bother to answer, he was pretty sure that she had used the Force to hear him and if she hadn't, well, he didn't want to worry her.     "I think I'd better get back," Obi-Wan said instead, "I'll see you tomorrow." And he hurried down the hall. Bant watched him go and tried to decide whether or not she should follow but decided against it. It would only make things worse she figured, so she headed back to her room.     When Obi-Wan reached the door to their quarters he noticed he was trembling slightly. It hadn't occurred to him before how afraid he was of his Master's disapproval. He had no reason to be afraid, but just the thought of seeing the disapproval in his Master's eyes made him tremble inside. Slowly he opened the door; Qui-Gon glanced at him but didn't say anything until he reached the door to his room. It was then that he spoke. *            *            *            *            *            *     Qui-Gon had been reading his datapad when he felt Obi-Wan's presence outside the door. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It showed that the boy was twenty minutes late getting back. The Master shook his head, he could feel Obi-Wan's apprehension. ~Good ~Qui-Gon thought, ~At least he knows what he's done wrong. ~     When Obi-Wan entered Qui-Gon glanced at him before returning to the datapad. He didn't trust himself to speak yet. If he spoke now there would be anger in his voice that he didn't want there. It wasn't until his Padawanwas at the door of his bedroom that Qui-Gon could trust himself to speak calmly.     "You are late Padawan." Qui-Gon said. Slowly Obi-Wan turned around.     "Yes Master." Was all he said. Qui-Gon noticed he didn't give a reason.     "Did one of the Master's stop to talk with you?" Qui-Gon asked.     "No Master." Obi-Wan responded quietly. His eyes were glued on, what seemed to be, a very interesting spot on the floor.     "Was there a problem that detained you from getting back?" Qui-Gon tried again.     "No Master." This answer a little quieter than the one before. Still his eyes remained rooted to the same place.     "Did you stop in to see one of the instructors before returning?"     "No Master." Obi-Wan's voice was barely audible this time.     "I'm sorry Padawan, I couldn't make out what you said. Could you please speak a little louder?"     This was all Obi-Wan could take, and something inside him snapped, "YOU KNOW VERY WELL WHAT I SAID MASTER! WHY DON'T YOU QUIT PLAYING WITH ME? I WAS WITH BANT AND WE LOST TRACK OF TIME!!! YOU KNOW THIS! WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO ASK??" It was about this time that Obi-Wan muttered a few choice words under his breath. Any normal being wouldn't have been able to make out what he said but Qui-Gon, with the help of the Force, heard it quite clearly. Now it was his turn to snap. He would not allow such language as this to be used by his Apprentice, especially if it was directed toward him!     Qui-Gon stood up, his green eyes flashing, "Come with me Obi-Wan." He said. There was no anger in his voice, despite the anger that seemed to be in his eyes. It was said quietly and neutrally but Obi-Wan could see that he was angry. The boy cringed at the thought of what his Master might do to him but he had no choice but to follow. When they finally stopped Obi-Wan looked up to see where they were and was surprised to see that they were in the gymnasium! What were they doing here?     "Get out your lightsaber Padawan." Was all Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan looked at him in surprise but he obeyed. Qui-Gon began to turn on the remotes. He didn't stop until all twelve of them were on. They immediately began to shoot at Obi-Wan. Quickly he began to deflect their blaster bolts but it was hard, and there were to many of them. Slowly the young Jedi began to work his way toward the remotes and began to destroy them, one at a time. It was hard and agonizing work. The last time that Obi-Wan had fought the remotes Qui-Gon had turned them on slowly, allowing him to adjust to their shooting methods. This time he had turned them all on at the same time.        The entire time that Obi-Wan was battling he had to fight to keep his mind concentrated. Each time he was stung by a stray bolt he beathimself up, telling him how stupid he was for being rude and how he should have paid more attention to the time etc. In short he was spending the majority of the time beating himself up.     "Concentrate Obi-Wan. Don't spend so much time thinking about what you should have done but instead about what you're going to do." Qui-Gon said from the sides. He could tell his Padawan was tiring but although he wished to turn off the remotes and allow the boy to return to his room and sleep he wouldn't permit himself to be so kind. The boy needed to understand that he was to speak with respect to the Masters and swearing didn't help any.     Finally, around midnight, Obi-Wan had defeated all of the remotes. When he defeated the last one he deactivated his lightsaber and had to concentrate extremely hard to keep his legs from buckling. Qui-Gon took his arm and slowly walked his exhausted Apprentice back to their room.     "Master I..." Obi-Wan began, he wanted to tell his Master that he was sorry but before he could even get three words out of his mouth Qui-Gon interrupted him.     "Do not say anything Obi-Wan. I know that you are sorry and I feel your remorse. Don't bother apologizing, right now all you need is sleep."     Obi-Wan nodded gratefully as he eased himself onto his bed. Before he could say anything else he was asleep. Qui-Gon covered him with a blanket and went back to his own room. He was just starting to fall asleep when his comlink began to blink.     "Qui-Gon are you there?"    "Yes Mace, I'm here, why are you calling me in the middle of the night?" Qui-Gon said slightly irritated. Those Council Members didn't seem to realize that other people needed their sleep too, especially people dealing with troublesome Apprentices.     "I'm glad you're awake," Mace Windu continued, oblivious to the fact that Qui-Gon seemed slightly upset, "I wanted to let you know that you leave tomorrow morning just after dawn to go to the negotiations. Kith will come to get you at the right time."     "Are you sure I need to go tomorrow Mace? I'd rather wait a couple of days. There are some complications I need to clear up." Qui-Gon responded in a neutral tone.     "I'm quite sure that you need to leave tomorrow. Any problems can be fixed when you get back. It shouldn't take you more than three days."     "Three days! My Padawan's birthday is the day after tomorrow! I ought to be here." Qui-Gon protested.     "Tell him before you leave that you're sorry you'll miss his birthday, and then tell him you'll go through the Birthday Meditation Ritual with him when you get back. Besides, you can't ignore an order from the Jedi Council, he knows that."    ~You forget how many times I've ignored them before my friend~, Qui-Gon thought to himself, out loud he only said, "Fine. I will leave tomorrow. Just remember that if something happens, I was against leaving from the start."     "Fine, Fine. I understand. Just make sure you're ready to go. These negotiations are very important." Mace said and then he cut off the transmission. *            *            *            *            *            *     The next morning Obi-Wan was awakened by someone knocking on the door. Hurriedly he dressed as he did so he glanced out the window and noticed that the sun hadn't even risen yet. ~Who would be knocking on the door this early?~      Obi-Wan ran into the main room but stopped short at who he saw. "Master Kith!" He hadn't been prepared to see Kami's Master here, especially at this time. Obi-Wan looked at his Master with a questioning look, //Is there something wrong Master?// He silently asked.     "Obi-Wan, I have to leave for the negotiations today. They will probably last three days. You should try and get some more sleep before you have to go to class. We were up pretty late last night." Qui-Gon responded, somewhat distractedly.     "But Master," Obi-Wan began.     "Not now Obi-Wan. I have to hurry or I'll miss my transport." He glanced up before continuing his search through the papers on his desk, "Obi-Wan do you know where my datapad is?"     "No Master, is it in your room?" Obi-Wan was beginning to wonder what was going on.     "I don't know, would you check please? I need to grab a few things from my desk before I go."     Obi-Wan came out of his Masters room a few minutes later holding the datapad. "Here Master, I found it. Are you...are you really going to be gone three days?"     Qui-Gon took the datapad from his Padawan's hand, "Yes Obi-Wan I'm going to be gone three days." Qui-Gon said, doing his best to keep the irritation out of his voice, "Now please go back to bed.  I don't want to get a call from your instructors informing me that you fell asleep during class."     Obi-Wan opened his mouth to protest but decided against it. "Yes Master." He said as he headed back to his room. *            *            *            *            *            *     A few hours later Qui-Gon and Kith walked toward the large building that was being used for the negotiations. After a few seconds Qui-Gon's head snapped up and he turned to Kith, "Did I tell Obi-Wan that we'd go through the Birthday Meditation Ritual when I got back?" He asked.     Kith shook his head, "No, you were rather short with him and sent him back to bed right away. We were too distracted about finding the information and getting to the transport on time. Why don't you try to contact him on the comlink?" He said, doing his best to be helpful.     Qui-Gon nodded and tried to contact Obi-Wan but he received no answer. "The boy probably just turned it off so he could get some sleep. I suppose I can try later." Qui-Gon said. Kith only nodded.     Just at that moment Clat'ha, the director of a mining corporation on Bandomeer, came out to meet them. "Qui-Gon I'm so glad the Council sent you. I requested you because I know you'll be fair." She said, obviously overjoyed at him being there.     Qui-Gon looked at her in surprise, so it was Clat'ha the Council members were talking about when they said someone had requested him personally. Now he understood, she must be the representative for Bandomeer or for the Arconan Mining Corporation. As he walked into the negotiations he realized how much work this was going to be. For the rest of the time he forgot about everything else and concentrated on the negotiations. He was hoping to be able to get them over with before the three days. *            *            *            *            *            *     Obi-Wan lay in bed for a long time thinking about his Master. ~How could he go and leave? How could he go to the negotiations now? His birthday was in two days and his Master would be at some stupid negotiations instead of with him doing the birthday meditation ritual. It wasn't fair!!! ~     He fought back the tears that threatened to come. Sometimes his Master was so unfair! Qui-Gon had probably forgotten his birthday, Obi-Wan told himself. Otherwise the Jedi Master would have told the Council he couldn't go and they would have postponed it. ~Why does everything bad happen to me?~ Obi-Wan thought miserably. Finally, after several minutes of fighting the salty tears, the boy gave in and quietly this child cried himself to sleep. END

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A Bond Of Frinedship: Story  5