AN: I don't know what came over me when I wrote this, so here's a fair warning. It may be a bit AU and out-of-character (if you don't like that, read the last few sentences of the last chapter first, then decide). It started out as my first ever attempt at light humour, then I couldn't resist adding some Obi-angst followed (naturally) by some Master-Padawan bonding. I'm not sure what to think of the result. You tell me :-)

AN2: Naturally, I don't own Star Wars or the Jedi Apprentice series. All hail goes to George Lucas, Jude Watson, Dave Wolverton & co. I'm just dabbling in this wonderful sandbox. Making no profit whatsoever.

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A disturbance in the Force

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"I have a bad feeling about this…"

Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn softly whispered his Padawan's trademark phrase.

Well, the feeling was not exactly bad. Just awkward. Upon closer examination, it wasn't even a real feeling. Actually, it was more a the lack thereof.

Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Master extraordinaire, renowned for his amazing affinity with the Living Force, suddenly felt very much like a snotty Padawan of 9 years old…

The vibrant Force that he could always so effortlessly access, now seemed mute, its usually swirling exotic colours now grey and dull.

It wasn't a bad feeling in the Force, but the absence of the normal feeling of the Force.

That didn't make sense at all, did it?

Was that a bead of perspiration that had just rolled down his brow?

Was he developing a fever, perhaps?

Now that he thought of it, he had been feeling decidedly different ever since returning from their lastest mission.

He had got the first suggestion something was slightly off during their customary post-mission briefing before the Jedi Council. He hadn't dwelled on the feeling there and then, but over the past three days, his unease had grown considerably. He had tried meditating on it, but even that usually so liberating act now seemed unexplainably awkward.

The Force, it seemed, would not provide an answer to his questions - yet.

A vigorous sparring session with Obi-Wan might have provided an excellent opportunity to release and maybe even temporarily forget about the strange feeling, but his padawan had proved to be quite elusive during the past days.

Apparently, Master Yoda had enlisted Obi-Wan's help with another one of the tiny master's obscure projects, probably pertaining to the one-day trip the padawans had left for this very morning.

Although Master Yoda busied the term 'field trip', Mace Windu preferred the word 'survival camp'. Then again, it had been Mace who had boosted the survival part during their own 'field trip', when he and Qui-Gon had been junior padawans themselves.

Qui-Gon snorted at the very memory of Mace grabbing a liana and swinging skilfully across quite deep a gap, meanwhile roaring impressively. He had, Qui-Gon chuckled silently, screamed even louder and a tad differently when the liana had suddenly broken, dropping the adventurous, overexcited and by then absolutely terrified Padawan into a long, nasty fall.

Of course, at the moment it had not been very funny. But when it turned out Mace had only suffered some broken ribs and a dislocated elbow, not to mention a lot of cuts and bruises and the lowest self-esteem possible, his fellow padawans had taken great pleasure in taunting the unfortunate jungle hero on their way back to the ship.

But not even the fond memories of Mace's antics could keep his mind of his 'bad feeling' for long. It was as if the Force tried to whisper something important to him, but it was just below sensory level.

Qui-Gon let out a frustrated sigh.

Then, he mentally berated himself (for what had to be the fourth time in the last hour alone) to take his own often uttered admonishing to heart: Don't centre on your anxieties, keep your concentration here and now where it belongs…"

Force knows, maybe if he repeated it enough times, he might start to believe it himself…