CHAPTER 1: THE VISION

Slash. Parry. Duck.

Slash. Parry. Duck.

The Force swirled around him in confusion as his body moved against his will. He was unaware of anything other than the screams that piercingly invaded his mind and horror built in his chest as panic made itself a home in his heart.

He looked to the right to see an armored man pointing his gun straight at Obi-Wan's head. He couldn't stop himself; with the single stroke of his lightsaber, blood began pouring and spraying from the empty socket that once contained his enemy's now-dismembered head. Obi-Wan looked down at his hands in shock and noticed splotches of rich, vibrant red.

I killed someone. I just chopped off that guy's head. Dear Force.

Obi-Wan looked around, dazed from the act he committed, and realized he was in the middle of a battlefield. Surrounding him were dozens, hundreds of men that looked identical to the one he killed, all in similar suits of armor.

A warning from the Force made him swing his blade in front of his face to block a laser-bullet and battle instincts kicked in as he attacked his would-be shooter. He sliced downward in the middle of a jump and the man's right arm – the one holding the blaster – fell to his feet as he screamed in pain.

Obi-Wan whipped around to meet yet another blaster shot and couldn't restrain his body from launching forward and injuring the man. Suddenly, he felt a lightning bolt of fear flash across his mind.

OBI-WAN!

He didn't have time to think about how someone else's voice was inside his head before he felt a strong force strike the side of his head and he fell to the ground, the world suddenly black.

Obi-Wan woke up with a start, all too aware of the pounding in his chest and the ringing in his ears. Mutedly he realized it had just been a dream – a vision – and did his best to adjust to the real world. He sluggishly noted that the room was dark, so it must have been some time before the lights faded on. He groaned. Sweat covered his torso, making his clothes stick to him in a rather unappealing manner.

He looked over to his roommate and noticed Reeft on his cot sleeping soundly, his slight snores echoing in the small space.

Breathe. Closing his eyes to center himself, he realized just how flustered he was. His heart beat quickly, breaths short and shallow from the panic. He held his head in his hands as he calmed down, curling into a tight ball amidst the mess of his sheets. He opened his eyes. The light of the chrono invaded his vision as his awareness of the room returned.

5:13 a.m.

He sighed. Too early to get up, too late to go back to sleep. Convenient.

Throwing the blankets off his lower half, Obi-Wan swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Lightheaded by the simple act, he took a deep breath, focusing on the feeling of the air filling his lungs and permeating his blood with necessary oxygen.

Once the fuzziness in his brain faded away, he stretched a moment, running his hand hands through his hair as he mentally braced himself for the day.

He walked over to the fresher and finally got a look at himself.

Dear Force, I look like a wreck!

His eyes were sunken in and darker than usual, the sweat glistened upon his pale, sickly skin, and his hair spiked up to the left in a bed-head manner. He vigorously rubbed his face in an attempt to rid himself of the apparent dead-inside look, and it helped a little. As he took in more and more air, some of the color returned to his face.

It's been a while since a vision has affected me this much. They usually aren't so…realistic.

He decided to jump in the shower to quickly rinse off before he began his day. After returning to his room to grab a towel and his tunic, he stripped and turned the knob to warm up the water. Once it reached an acceptable temperature he stepped in and immediately felt his tense muscles relaxing from the hot water beating down on him.

Now that he'd calmed down a little, he took this quiet time to think over what happened in the vision.

What was that? Why was I fighting those guys? Who were they? Why did they all look the same? That wasn't the Temple. It must have been in the far future then, there's no reason for me to leave home so soon. Am I going to die?

The questions ran through his head with amazing speed, and he took a moment to center himself before delving further into what the vision meant. He deeply breathed in the rich, warm air of the shower and let it out slowly.

That voice. Who was that? It wasn't at all familiar. I have yet to meet them then? Wracking his brain for the specifics of the vision, he remembered that the voice had been spoken through the Force and not said out loud.

A bond. It was said through a Force bond. Well that certainly adds an interesting spin.

He reached for the bottle to wash his hair. This was not the first disturbing vision he'd ever had; the Force has sent him many images of death, of war, and over time he became less sensitive towards it. But this vision was one of only a few that had been realistic. Normally he saw incoherent scenes that, while horrifying, were clearly visions.

This didn't feel like a vision. It felt like I was actually there. That I actually killed that man.

Feeling that he had spent long enough brooding in the shower, Obi-Wan made to actually start his day. He finished washing his hair and body and wrapped a towel around his waist. Ruffling his hair on the way out of the fresher to make himself more presentable, he looked in the mirror to make sure he appeared somewhat less disheveled.

Satisfied by his reflection, he walked into the room to check the chrono. His stomach growled and he prayed to the Force that it was late enough that he could go to the cafeteria and get some breakfast.

6:35 a.m. He had taken a long shower.

Well, guess I'd better get going then. Hopefully Bant will be up this early.

He made his way through the entrance of the cafeteria and started as he heard a familiar voice cut through the white noise of Initiates, Padawans, and Masters chattering.

"Obi-Wan!"

His face immediately lit up in a faint smile as he spotted the source of the voice. Walking towards his best friend of five years, he noticed a comforting brightness in the eyes that had always made him feel at peace. She had a table picked out for them.

"Good morning Bant. How has your morning been?" he inquired as he took his seat.

"Pretty good! I'm honestly surprised you're up this early." She slowly moved forward to scoot closer to the table. "Did you sleep well last night?" Her voice was soft and tone light, but Obi-Wan could tell her question meant more than it would seem. The corners of his mouth upturned slightly at her kind gesture - it's very much like Bant to mother over his sleep schedule. Just as he thought: she not only noticed, but questioned him about it.

"I'm quite surprised myself. I had an unsettling vision and woke up around five this morning, but I'll meditate on it after classes tonight," Obi-Wan explained.

There's no point in lying or hiding the truth from her, that would only hurt their friendship and the trust they've built. He noticed that her eyes narrowed at that statement and her body slightly bent towards him. While he was grateful for her concern, in the back of his mind he hoped she wouldn't take it too far and decide to make sure he gets a good night's rest.

"Really, I'm alright. Thank you Bant," he responded to her unasked question. She didn't seem satisfied with his answer, but thankfully he knew she wouldn't push further as he had given her no reason to suspect his health was compromised.

"Well," she began, straightening in her seat, "the tournament starts in a week. Do you think they're ready?" The tournament: it's a series of battles performed every standard year where Initiates fight each other in order to grow and, in the case of the older Initiates, hopefully gain the attention of a potential Master. This year, Obi-Wan's friends Reeft and Garen were participating.

"Aw, Bant, you're doubting me! I thought we were better friends than that. Your betrayal hurts me, you know." Obi-Wan looked up to meet the face of the voice and found Garen standing behind Bant. Smirking, the boy sat down next to his female comrade. Likewise, Reeft took a seat across from Bant and Garen, next to Obi-Wan.

"I am not doubting you, Garen. I just wanted to see what Obi's thoughts were," Bant replied, face flushed at being caught talking behind his back.

At her response, Garen's eyes sparkled with mischief and he turned his torso to face her. Obi-Wan recognized that sparkle; it had many times led to him being in some pretty sticky situations with Master Yoda.

"Well I for one am confident in my abilities. If you have such concerns over my fighting skills, how about you and I go a round after classes today? I'd kick your butt any day!" Obi-Wan could easily detect the offence in Garen's tone but it was so slight that he doubted either Bant or Reeft noticed.

"Oh, stuff it Garen! You know I want to be a medic anyway! When I work in the Healing Ward and you get injured I'm the one who's going to be saving you. But since you're so concerned about my abilities, I'll take you on," Bant's face strained in an almost-smile as she defended her opinion and Garen rolled his eyes.

"But, just for that, now I'm rooting for Reeft to win in the tournament," she turned to face their Dressellian friend. "Reeft, you'd better win for me!" That only caused Garen to smile wider.

Alright, it's time to calm them down. I don't want this to get out of hand.

"I know you guys have been practicing but now isn't the time to get arrogant and slack off. The tournament isn't something to scoff at, you can't so easily win." Obi-Wan looked from one to the other with a scrutinizing face. He knew his friends all too well – Garen was often overconfident and Reeft was sometimes lazy.

"That's easy for you to say, Obi! You could take us all and not even break a sweat!" Garen might be proud of his own abilities (sometimes too proud), but he's more proud of his friends.

Rolling his eyes with a slight smile on his face, Obi-Wan turned to look at Garen directly.

"That may be true, but I'm not participating this year. You and Reeft are. You especially need to focus Garen; you are more than capable of winning this tournament and gaining the attention of a Master with your skills, but your overconfidence could drive them away. Pride is not the way of a Jedi."

Garen's face flushed in slight embarrassment at the scolding, but Obi-Wan knew he needed to hear this. At twelve years old, he must be chosen to be a Padawan soon, before his thirteenth birthday. This is his last tournament and Obi-Wan would hate to see his good friend leave the Order; not only because he cared about him, but he knew that Garen had serious talent and potential to become a great Knight.

"Okay, okay, you're right, Obi," Garen admitted before straightening up and looking around at his friends. "Hey, why don't we all meet up after lunch break and have a sparring session? It'd be great practice!"

Reeft, despite his tendencies to be lazy, smiled fondly at the idea. "Sure, Garen. I'll beat you though. For Bant!"

Bant smiled and nodded her agreement. "Now you've got two enemies, Garen, I'd watch my back if I were you!"

Garen snickered good-naturedly and turned to Obi-Wan. "How about you, Obi? You going to join us?" Obi-Wan smiled inwardly at his friends' inclusiveness. He's always been a quiet person but that never stopped any of them from inviting him along.

"Thanks for the invite Gare, but unfortunately I have a date with the Room of a Thousand Fountains. I'll join you guys next time for sure though."

Just as Garen was about to respond, the bell that signified the end of breakfast rang and Initiates from all around the cafeteria got up to dispose of their food. Obi-Wan looked up from his friends to see a certain green Master standing in the distance. They made eye contact.

Why would Master Yoda care about our conversation?

Yoda smiled at Obi-Wan, eyes bright, and turned to disappear in the darkness.

"Hey Obi! Force to Obi!" He snapped his head to the left and met the eyes of Reeft. "Ready to go to Astrophysics?"

Obi-Wan's eyes widened in excitement as he realized it was already time for classes. He turned to Garen and Bant, who were returning from putting their dishes away.

"We'll see you guys at lunch. Good luck with your morning classes," he told the two before he and Reeft left to face the day.

Astrophysics had always come naturally to Obi-Wan; he kept alert with interest through the lecture and flew through every question on the assignment with ease. It wasn't so simple for Reeft, but luckily Obi-Wan was an amazing tutor.

Obi-Wan went through his next two classes, Galactic History and Communications, alone without seeing any of his friends. The last class he had before going to lunch was Combat Training, which he shared with Garen.

"Obi!" He looked up from his Galactic History notes to see Garen all but running towards him in excitement. "We get to spar today!" Garen exclaimed, with a tint of glee shining brightly in his eyes.

Sparring wasn't a regular occurrence in Combat Training class. Cin Drallig, their instructor, taught his students general defensive moves with an emphasis on protection, as Jedi aren't expected to fight trained men all that often.

"Alright class settle down, get in your seats!" Drallig walked through the doors with confidence in his step. He was a strict man, and it showed in his mannerisms.

The two boys, not wanting to aggravate their easily irritated instructor, listened to the command and headed towards their spots. There was an excitement buzzing in the Force. While the class may have looked to an outsider to be the pinnacle of peace and serenity, as is expected of the budding Jedi, Obi-Wan could tell that each student's anticipation was barely contained. He could sense amusement from the Force as they struggled to sit still and await their instructions.

Their teacher quickly got into reading off names of who will go against who after the students sat down. Finally, he called out a familiar name.

"Garen. Today you will be fighting Obi-Wan."

Garen turned to Obi-Wan excitedly, and he smiled genuinely back at his friend. This will be good practice, for both of us. They were two of the strongest fighters in the class, so it's no surprise to Obi-Wan that they were paired against one another. The only other student who came close is Bruck Chun. At least I'm not stuck with him.

Bruck had a history of tormenting Obi-Wan and his group of friends. His easiest target was Bant, who all three of the boys became easily protective over. But his favorite of the group to pick on was Obi-Wan, though he had no idea why. He had never done anything to hurt the boy.

Drallig finished reading off the names and the class scrambled to their spots. They only had half an hour standard at this point and they didn't want to waste any more time.

Garen and Obi-Wan stood directly across one another and gave their respective bows. They locked eyes as they gripped their training sabers.

The fight began.

Garen sped forward, a grin on his face because he got the first move. A little cocky, aren't we my friend? Their sabers locked as Obi-Wan brought his weapon up to defend himself, but he quickly twisted around and ducked under Garen's saber.

Garen immediately turned around to meet his opponent and slashed as he moved. Obi-Wan swiftly jumped and the blade barely missed his feet, but he back-flipped away before the swipe could hurt him.

Slash. Parry. Duck.

Slash. Parry. Duck.

Feeling the heat of a lightsaber approach his face, Obi-Wan ducked and barely escaped defeat. He rolled away swiftly behind his friend and assumed a defensive stance.

Garen's face morphed into that of a familiar helmet and Obi-Wan's heart began to race as he felt the adrenaline of battle crawling through his veins. He gripped his lightsaber tightly.

What is going on? Why is this happening?

He shook his head, trying to regain his bearings. Focus on the here and now. I'll deal with that vision later.

Garen launched himself towards Obi-Wan, not realizing what was going on inside the mind of his opponent.

"Come on Obi! Don't hold back, fight me for real!" He shouted as their blades collided vigorously in front of their faces. The ends of Obi-Wan's mouth turned upward slightly and he pushed Garen back despite his shorter size.

"Alright. But don't say you didn't ask for it!"

Obi-Wan rolled to the right and immediately Garen attempted to swipe at his feet. This again? So repetitive. He jumped to attack his friend from above.

Suddenly a wave of static ran through his limbs and he lost control of his body.

He sliced downward in the middle of a jump –

No, stop this! I can't let this vision control me!

The attack missed. He stumbled to his right, fighting off the images flashing through his mind. He could still hear the screams, he could still smell the blood.

Garen stopped for a moment to stare at him quizzically before taking the opportunity to gain the upper hand. He dashed forward, blade out front, and struck Obi-Wan with all his strength.

Obi-Wan deflected.

A warning from the Force made him swing his blade in front of his face to block a laser-bullet –

Not a blaster shot, a lightsaber. I am at the Temple. I am safe here; no one is trying to kill me or hurt me. I am safe.

He repeated the mantra in his head and slowly felt control of his body return to him. What finally brought him out of his daze was Garen's voice.

"Are you alright Obi?" Worry graced his friend's features at his strange behavior, and it struck Obi-Wan's heart.

I can't scare him with this, the vision is mine to deal with.

"Oh, worried about the opponent are we? You know, not everyone will go easy on you like I've been Gare! I'm not going to hold back anymore," he taunted the older boy, knowing that he would rise to the challenge.

"You're on Obi!" Garen exclaimed, the adrenaline making his moves jittery. He dashed towards Obi-Wan, excitement sparkling in his eyes as he brought his blade closer to the boy.

Obi-Wan side stepped and gently swung his lightsaber.

There was a still in the Force as the blade lightly made contact with Garen's neck. A win and a loss, though they both gained something. Experience. What they learned today would come in handy should they become Jedi Knights - the goal of all Initiate training.

The boys turned off their training sabers and clipped them onto their belts, smiles on both faces. The loser was not bitter, the winner not arrogant. It was a good match.

"You win, Obi. Force, I know I could've won. Some day I'll beat you!" Obi-Wan grinned at his friend, his face flushed and body sore from exertion. The Force was humming with pride at his success.

"Today isn't that day, not yet. Meet you outside the fresher?" Garen nodded and they headed towards the showers together.

Obi-Wan stepped in the shower, feeling the relief of the hot water pouring onto his sore muscles. He methodically lathered his body with soap, but there was something on his mind.

That vision….it's not normal. I can't believe that I actually saw it while sparring with Garen. I think I need to talk to someone about this.

He rinsed off his body and reached for the shampoo to put on his short cropped hair. Rubbing it in, he closed his eyes and was quickly bombarded with flashes from the vision. The soldiers. His saber. The voice through a Force bond. The last blow before darkness.

I'll meditate on this first and if I can't resolve it then I'll go see Master Yoda. He should know what to do about this. The Force offered no comfort, elusively seeming like a brick wall.

He shut off the water and got out of the fresher, putting on his tunic so that he could meet Garen on the other side.

As he walked out he overheard a couple of voices, one of which he recognized as Cin Drallig. The other was a woman but she didn't sound familiar to him.

He peaked around the corner to see who his instructor was talking to and saw Master Clee Rhara. She was well-known to everyone who lived at the Temple as the woman who began the famous starfighter training facility. A master pilot and Master Jedi, she was revered by the Initiates and known as a legend to those who wished to become a pilot.

"You want to know about Garen Muln? A rowdy one, but promising. He shows potential in fighting and piloting though I've heard he somewhat lacks in his studies. You'd have to ask the other instructors about that, however."

"Oh I've already talked to them. You're the last one I wanted to speak to. How is his connection with the Force?"

"It is decently strong. Immature. He is young though and that is to be expected. I think he'd do well under your guidance."

Having heard enough, Obi-Wan ducked away to meet his friend. He pondered over the new information as happiness bubbled within him.

Master Clee Rhara, the Master Clee Rhara, is interested in Garen for apprenticeship. He'd be so excited to hear about this!

Stopping in his tracks after catching sight of the other boy, he realized what he just thought. No, he can't let Garen know about this. It wasn't his information to share.

He thought about his friend and what he knew about Rhara. She was kind, wise, strong, bold, and risky. An amazing pilot. Rarely assigned to diplomatic missions, and hardly ever engaged in combat. Garen was impulsive, brash, caring, strong, and bright.

They'd make a good match. Garen has always wanted to be in the heat of the battle but I think he's better suited for being a pilot. Flying any kind of ship is easy for him. I hope he accepts her if she asks him to be her Padawan.

A faint smile was on Obi-Wan's face as he meets up with his fellow Initiate and they both walked towards the cafeteria. The Force settled, content for now.

After he and his friends finished their meals and go about their business, Obi-Wan left the hustle of the cafeteria to find solace in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He entered the room and the sight took his breath away; the Living Force was alive and almost tangible in the air surrounding the beautiful plants and rushing of the falls.

He looked over to his usual spot only to find someone already sitting there: an older humanoid man with long ash-brown hair in a tunic. A Master, he assumed.

As if he felt the gaze of the boy on him, the mystery man turned around and locked eyes with Obi-Wan. The Force swirled around them in anticipation, unable to contain its excitement and all but pulling their souls together. Neither one could look away.

The silence was overly apparent to Obi-Wan, but he wasn't sure what to say or do. I should honestly probably walk away. I can easily find somewhere else to meditate, and I don't want to bother him. He turned to leave when a strangely familiar voice broke the quiet.

"Come here, Initiate."

He had no trouble complying and quickly moved to the right of the man. Sitting next to him, Obi-Wan could feel a deep sorrow seeping through his mental shields, as well as a collection of other, weaker emotions that he couldn't identify.

"What brought you to the Room of a Thousand Fountains, young one?" He could feel the curiosity emanating from the Master. This room was not frequently visited by Initiates or even Padawans, so it's no wonder he asked that question.

"I came here to meditate, Master…" Obi-Wan trailed off, as he didn't know his name.

"Jinn. Qui-Gon Jinn. And what is your name?"

Qui-Gon Jinn? The infamous rebel Master Jinn? He hasn't been around the Temple in years. What are the chances that I'd run into him here of all places?

"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, Master Jinn. Nice to meet you." As soon as the sentence left his mouth, the Force danced with joy. Obi-Wan had never felt it so enthusiastic before; it was all but singing with happiness. This meeting was no coincidence, there was a purpose in conversing with Master Jinn.

"Nice to meet you as well, Initiate Kenobi. So tell me, what is on your mind?" Jinn's eyes sparkled with wonder, but Obi-Wan didn't detect any negative emotions directed towards him. Maybe this was the someone he was meant to confide in regarding his vision.

"Well, early this morning I was woken up by a rather strange vision. I get visions all the time, maybe once or twice a week, but this one felt different. Most of the time I get flashes of images or emotions, sometimes words, but it's rarely enough to figure out a purpose. But this was personal. It felt like I was actually there. I don't really know what to make of it."

As Obi-Wan recounted what had happened, he could see the wheels in Qui-Gon's mind turning. He could tell the man had once been a teacher to someone not unlike him. Someone with a strong connection to the Unifying Force.

Just as it seemed he wouldn't get his solace from this Master, Jinn began to speak.

"Focus on the here and now, young one. The future is always in motion. It is easy to dwell on what visions are trying to tell us, but you must remain faithful in the Force and let it guide you in the moment."

Obi-Wan paused in his thinking to ponder on what he had been told. The future is always in motion. We never know what will truly happen. The vision was only a peak at what could happen, and it would be foolish of him to base any actions or assumptions off of it.

"Thank you, Master Jinn."

They sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying the swirl of the Living Force that surrounded them both. Obi-Wan could feel the Force compelling him to say something further, so he opened his mouth.

"You are in pain, Master."

He looked over to see Qui-Gon's face contorted in a reflection of the confusion he himself faced. What was that? He studied the man closer, and realized that he's not hurt in the physical sense. No; this type of pain is entirely emotional. It must be the sorrow I feel coming from behind his shields.

"You are mistaken. I have no injuries." The Force shifted in amusement at that. Of course he had no injuries. Bacta couldn't heal this, as easy as that would be.

"No," Obi-Wan reached for the man's chest and covers where his heart should be with his palm, acting solely on the whim of the Force. "You're hurt here." He pulled back quickly so Qui-Gon couldn't react, and before he could control himself, the Force prompted him to speak oce again. The words bubbled up in his throat, though he felt no inclination to stop them from forming.

"The Force is worried about you. It is saying to tell you that it wasn't your fault. You did everything you could, you can rest easy now. Focus on the here and now, let yourself release these long-festered emotions and feel relief."

Obi-Wan was shocked at his own words. Well, not my words. The Force's words. What did all of this mean? He could only hope that whatever that meant, it was of help to the older man.

Qui-Gon stared at him, his mouth slightly agape. He was speechless. The Force hummed in satisfaction at the interaction, and Obi-Wan could feel that it had acquired a victory over the man. He was a simple tool of the Force, using him as a vessel to flow through and interact with those it deems fit and carrying out its Will. Without a word, the Master pat on the boy's shoulder and left him to sit alone in front of the fountains.

I suppose I should meditate now. After all, that is what I came here in the first place to do. He re-positioned himself to sit in the standard meditation form and opened his mind to be at complete mercy of the Force. He could feel it swirl around him, binding him to every living thing enclosed in the Temple walls. He didn't need to lower his shields to let the Force enter his mind anymore; he had a strong enough connection to it that he constantly felt it within him, at times prompting him to think and say certain things.

As he started to lose himself in the Force, he realized why he had recognized Jinn's voice. It is the same one that he heard through the Force bond in his vision.

He didn't notice Jinn had stopped his exit to turn around and watch him begin his meditation, the Master's emotions more flustered than they had been in years. His face was pale as he took in the form of the boy before he left to do some meditation of his own.