So, this is the first chapter of the rewrite. There have been some major changes to the story, but a lot of the original will remain. The other chapters are coming as soon as I am satisfied with them. Now, for fans of my other story, Unexpected Awakening, I have the next chapter of that written as well. It'll be up as I am finished twinking it.

I'm settled into to college now (In my third or so week) and have to go to my night class now. But I'm really hoping I'll be able to update more efficiently, so be on the look out. Writing Obi-Wan is for some reason hard for me. Not because I find that is a difficult character but because I have to be in a…mood to write him to my liking. Sometimes, and I know you writers know what I am talking about, that mood just isn't there. And I refuse to force writing. When I try it's harsh, hollow and without a feeling of fluidness.

As always, my apologizes on mistakes. I usually go back at some point and fix them. That can be soon or really far away depending on my laziness. Thank you so much for your reviews and support. If it was for those of you that reviewed via Fanfic and my personal e-mail (I encourage anyone who wants to do that) I would not have gotten the inspiration to edit this fic enough to make me want to continue it.

Sincerely and humbly yours,

Rhiw

Yeah, so don't ask how it happened, because I'm still unsure (glares at sibling) but somehow like almost all the chapters got deleted, so I'm reposting them.

Sleepless

Chapter 1

Of Wandering

Obi-Wan wasn't quite sure why he was wandering around the temple in his sleep clothes. Yet he was. His feet carried him down unfamiliar halls, his left hand trailing across the wall.

He had no idea where he was.

That in itself was a rare thing for Obi-Wan. He'd come to know the temple like an extension of himself over the past few years, so the fact that he had finally wandered into a wing he didn't recognize most likely meant he wasn't supposed to be there. He figured he'd get in trouble if he was caught, yet he didn't want to go back to his room.

Tonight – like almost every night – his room was too confining. Obi-Wan padded the halls softly, barely bothering to send scans in front of him. He doubted anyone would be up at this hour. The smooth walls of the Temple caused his finger tips to tingle and he drew invisible patterns against the blocks. He let his mind drift into an empty state, watching with bored interest as each corner revealed a new yet semi-identical hallway.

He stilled as his hand met air, turning to glance at the open door before him in surprise. It led to a neatly decorated viewing room. Obi-Wan hesitated before entering, the logical part of his mind quickly labeling the posh interior as a selective rank lounge. Glancing around the seemingly empty room Obi-Wan took a cautious step in. When nothing of any consequence happened he wandered in deeper.

A window spread the length of the forward wall, displaying a small balcony and the ever-busy skyline of Coruscant. The room was clearly used mainly for meetings and a series of chairs were placed directly in the middle of the room, forming a circle. Against the sides of the walls were a series of sitting enclaves – dark now with their overhang lights deactivated. Obi-Wan let his hand stroke the soft velvet of the meeting chairs as he stared out at the busy city.

As he watched the traffic lanes Obi-Wan felt the fear and anxiety he had so carefully avoided growing. He let out a sigh that seemed to echo harshly around the deserted room. He had to face the facts, Obi-Wan decided, setting his face grimly. No Master was going to take him. His birthday was approaching swifter then he would have liked and still no one showed interest in him. He would not be a Jedi.

Obi-Wan felt his heart contract with pain and his hand reflexively gripped the back of the chair. No! He had trained his whole life to become this! They couldn't just end it all!

Could they?

Shaking his head he kicked off his slippers, the cold of the temple floor shocking his feet for a moment. He wiggled his toes against the silver floor tiles and noted miserably that he needed to cut his toe nails. He trudged towards the balcony door and palmed it open. Almost instantly the wind of the Coruscant night filled the room, whipping his sleep clothes around his body. He stepped out onto the balcony, shivering as the cold night air caused long lines of goose bumps to prickle up and down the length of his arms. It was cold, especially when only clad in thin night clothes, but Obi-Wan enjoyed being it. Enjoyed the way it made his body shudder and twitch, as if it was a physical manifestation of the feelings wound so tightly in his chest. A light push with the Force and the door slid shut behind him. He walked over to the railing and leaned against it, staring down at the traffic below. It was such a waste to end it now. He bowed his head, resting his chin against the cold metal. He reached out to the Force and tugged at it gently; taking what comfort he could from its presence.

Surely this was not what the Force had in plain for him. Even if it was...he would still have the Force. That wouldn't leave Obi-Wan simply because he hadn't made Jedi. Would it?

Qui-Gon Jinn was stewing in his seat. He tried to read the political reports for his next mission but found his irritation and yes, anger even, towards a certain green troll making it hard to concentrate. Sighing he brought his hands to rub his forehead. He shut off the data pad he was reading and the pale white light that was illuminating the small area left.

Despite every intention to avoid them, thoughts of Xanatos filled his mind and his jaw clenched. He forced himself to take a drink of his tea as his jaw muscles began to ache. Qui-Gon could not stanch the flow the thoughts of pain, disappointment and betrayal that encircled his mind. This was why he hated it here. This place always did this to him. Made it impossible to pretend that -

The Force flickered briefly, breaking the Jedi Master out his loathsome thoughts and grey eyes flickered to the open door in surprise as they took in the figure the stood there. Not many were awake and in this wing at this hour. And an Initiate shouldn't even be in this corridor.

Qui-Gon drifted further back into the shadows, not wanting to have to speak to anyone. The softest command to the Force masked his signature and he watched the boy in annoyance. He seemed old – Qui-Gon guessed he was most likely a member of the Wolf Clan by the partially hidden badge on the hem of the boy's sleep shirt. Even so, he thought in disapproval, a twelve year old should not be out and about at this time of night.

The Initiate's face was stoically blank as he stared out of the viewing window yet Qui-Gon could easily see the turmoil racing within the boy. The Jedi Master fought the urge to click his tongue at the amount of fear and frustration he felt in the boy. It was most likely due to the closeness of the selection deadline, as Qui-Gon knew that most of the Wolf Clan had already been apprenticed. He was not so old that he could not remember the anxieties of that time, but if the boy had not been picked already than there was clearly a reason. The Initiate moved with a lanky grace as he went onto the balcony, a feat he would not have been able to accomplish if Qui-Gon had not unlocked it earlier.

As the Initiate leaned against the railing Qui-Gon gathered his things. It would be easy to slip out unnoticed with the boy outside. He was certainly in no mood to deal with an unruly child. The Master moved to leave, sparing the boy one last glance and froze, eyes widening in pure disbelief. Fool! The boy was standing easily on the rail; head pulled back and up, watching the busy night sky in blank interest. The wind tore violently at his clothes and the Initiate rocked precariously on the ledge - but he did not fall, stance shifting to regain his balance.

Qui-Gon was moving towards the door and out onto the balcony with swift, furious steps before he'd even processed the impressive act of acrobatics. He reached a hand out and caught the back of the boy's nightshirt and pulled. The Initiate gasped and tumbled violently backwards, landing on the balcony floor in a heap, hissing as his forearm slammed against a railing support with an audible thump.

"What did you think you were doing?" Qui-Gon demanded harshly. The Initiate stared up at him with wide eyes, clutching his forearm against his chest.

"I'm sorry – I was – I mean I-" The boy's stuttering died off as Qui-Gon raised his hand in a sharp, silencing gesture.

"Do you realize how dangerous that little stunt was? Is it not clear to you how long a fall that would be? Never the mind that this is a restricted floor." The Initiate stared at Qui-Gon's boots intensely. "An Initiate of your age should be obeying the rules – not breaking them. How did you suppose this would look on your record?" He bit back the rest of his words immediately as the boy visibly flinched.

Qui-Gon sighed and brought a hand to his forehead. He should not have said that. He had not meant to take his irritation out on the boy. Worse, he thought sourly, he had knowingly struck at a deep fear. He glanced down at the Initiate.

"Initiate," The boy looked up at him and Qui-Gon almost winced at the look of utter fear in his eyes, "Go to bed."

He nodded quickly and stood, bowing before all but running out of the room.

Qui-Gon stared after the Initiate for a long moment before sighing, slumping slightly against the metal safety bar. The cold of it bit into his lower back and the night air traveled easily through the folds of his coat. So, am I a bully now? He brought a hand up to his face, rubbing at his eyes tiredly, guilt flaring so strongly the Jedi Master could almost taste it.

Obi-Wan leaned against the back of the door to his quarters. He had been staring at the same spot of color on his carpet for hours. His knees ached from being locked in one position for so long, but Obi-Wan ignored it. The words of the unknown Master echoed through his head.

"Well," He said darkly, "There's one that definitely won't take me." The Initiate sighed, bringing his hands to cover his eyes. He rubbed them with a vengeance, making little spots of light explode behind his closed lids. Obi-Wan glanced at the clock. Two hours before his first class. He straightened himself and groaned as he cracked his back sourly.

The unknown Master was right in any case. Obi-Wan shouldn't be making himself look any worse than he apparently already did to the Masters. Every night he meant to go to sleep, but every time he laid himself down he found that he just wanted to get up again. And so Obi-Wan wandered the hallways. Every night he tried to visit as much as the Temple as he could without being caught. It had become a contest of boredom with himself; how far could he get tonight without running into anyone else?

He headed into his fresher and sighed at his appearance. Soft grey circles were under his eyes and his face had the dull look one gets when they hardly sleep. A shower would fix that though. Obi-Wan stripped quickly, pausing only to stare at the rather large grey-blue bruise that was forming. It ran in a nearly vertical slant across the smooth skin of the bottom of his forearm, the tip just grazing his elbow and ending just under his wrist. The unknown Master had scared him witless. Obi-Wan scolded himself as he climbed into the shower. Next time he would have to be more aware of his surroundings. He snorted as he started the shower. If he did become a Jedi he'd probably get himself killed.

The hot water of the shower soothed Obi-Wan's aching muscles. His back relaxed under the steaming water and his shoulders visibly dropped a few inches. He was so tense nowadays, Bant was always telling him he needed to relax more. Obi-Wan wondered once again why he couldn't sleep. It had started when he was young - he had early memories of being in the Crèche and being the last to sleep and first to rise. Over the years it had just grown worse. But it had only been this year that he had taken up wondering the halls. Once he realized how fast it made the dull nights go he'd quickly become addicted.

Obi-Wan flexed his knees; satisfied to find the pain was reduced to a small ache. He twisted his stiff back and nodded. Much better.

He turned the shower off and stepped out, wrapping himself in his towel. Luck alone allowed Obi-Wan to see the glowing numbers of his clock from the corner of his eye. It was five minutes past the start of his first class. He'd been in the shower longer then he'd thought. Groaning he pulled on his tunics. Undoubtedly he would be assigned a mass of homework as punishment.

Of Worries

The early morning light illuminated the Jedi temple in a soft glow of gold. The hallways were abandoned of Initiates, making it seem eerily quiet after the noise of the class change. Knights and Masters alike wandered down the hallway at a leisurely pace, yawning and talking in soft tones.

Yet the laid back feeling of the Temple's mornings did not seem to calm Qui-Gon. He walked stiffly, his impassive air causing people to do double takes as they walked by. At his side was Master Mace Windu, technical leader and speaker of the Jedi Council. The famously strict Master himself was intimidating enough yet as he walked besides the fuming Qui-Gon he seemed the perpetual image of Jedi sensibilities, radiating calmness and docility.

The two Master's made their way silently to the nearest lift in silence. The doors slid open and the previous occupants, startled at the sight of the irritated maverick and Jedi leader, quickly stepped out of the lift, bowing deeply to the two prestigious Jedi. As the doors slid shut Qui-Gon found he could no longer keep his emotions in check.

"This is ridiculous, Mace." Qui-Gon growled quietly. "There was absolutely no reason to remove me from the mission."

The older Jedi only nodded, his expression similar to that of a parent waiting out a child's temper tantrum. "My friend-"

"I am a Jedi Master!" He interrupted harshly. "Not a child to be banished to my room!"

"The Jedi Temple is hardly a room, Qui-Gon. I would think that you of all people would wish to rest after your last mission." Qui-Gon crossed his arms, folding them so his hands slipped inside the sleeves, and decided to not even grace that ridiculous statement with a comment. While Mace claimed that his grounding was due to his need for non-combat time, they both knew the real reason. Yoda wanted him to be present to watch the Initiate fights.

"I am fine, Mace. Return me to the field."

"Qui-Gon," Mace chided, his voice taking a gentle tone to it. A large hand came to rest on Qui-Gon's shoulder. "You've been going from mission-to-mission since Xanatos-"

"Don't!" The Master's hand withdrew, surprised by the fury in his voice. Qui-Gon sighed when he heard it himself. "Don't say that name." He finished quietly.

By his side Mace was rubbing his hands together, the fingers of his right slowly dragging across the thumb joint of the left in a practiced movement. He had severely broken his left hand as a padawan and though it had healed completely it often ached. Qui-Gon also knew it served as a tell for the Council Member. Mace was thinking hard and the taller Jedi Master was sure whatever it was about he wasn't going to enjoy.

"It's only for a week or so Qui-Gon, until the Initiate matches."

"I will not take another apprentice."

Mace sent him a crippling glare and when Windu spoke again it was from his position and no longer as his friend.

"You will stay here, Qui-Gon. You have gathered a lot of anger and grief over losing him. I suggest you spend your time here meditating." He held up his hand to stop Qui-Gon from interrupting. "I will be the first to say that you have come far from that first day." Again Qui-Gon moved to speak but Mace's sharp tone silenced him as he spoke on. "But if you cannot learn to come to peace with what has happened I will ground you until you do so. You of all people know where those emotions lead you. I will not allow you to seethe in them until you lash out and cause harm – to yourself or otherwise."

The remark bit deeper than Mace could ever know as the face of the boy from last night flashed across the disgruntled Jedi Master's mind. Had he not done exactly what Mace had said? Lashed out in his own distress and placed it on the shoulders of an innocent child? He would try and calm his emotions; even Qui-Gon could admit that they were running amuck inside him.

But when he was here in the Temple he was surrounded by memories of his former padawan and Qui-Gon found himself at a loss of how to deal with it. Xanatos was certainly not the first padawan to leave the Order, but he was the first to…to…fall like that in a very, very long time. How could Mace possibly know what he was going through right now?

The lift halted its ascent upwards on one of the residential floors and the doors hissed open. Mace placed a brief hand once again to his shoulder before stepping out.

"Visit Master Yoda. I mean it, Qui-Gon." The doors slid shut to find him strolling away, leaving a freshly annoyed Qui-Gon in his wake. A visit to Yoda meant one thing. When would the ancient Master accept that he had no interest in taking a padawan?

The lift slowed to a stop again. When its doors opened again it revealed a half dressed Initiate. The Initiate stepped into the lift blindly as he hastily pulled on a undershirt over his bare chest. A muffled floor call escaped from behind the fabric as he pulled the shirt down and froze.

It was a draw to find who was more shocked, Qui-Gon or the boy.

He felt his mouth go dry as he recognized the Initiate from last night – or rather the very large bruise that had seemingly taken over his right forearm - and that terrible guilt reared it's head once more.

Obi-Wan doubted it was possible for the moment to get anymore awkward then it already was. The rest of his over robes laid still in his hands and Obi-Wan was keenly aware of the fact that he only half dressed. The unknown Master from the night before was simply staring at him and Obi-Wan felt himself begin to sweat under the intense glare. As the silence reigned on Obi-Wan forced himself to step to the opposite side of the lift and continue dressing. Great, he thought bitterly as he pulled the last few layers on, of course. Him of all people.

The lift shook slightly as it climbed towards the top most levels of the Jedi Temple. At this point Obi-Wan almost begged for the lift to reach the exercise floor and release him, even if it meant facing the wrath of his Master Instructor.

The silence unnerved him. He glanced out of the corner of his eye to find the Master staring directly at the lift doors. Sensing his glance the unknown Master looked over at him. Quickly Obi-Wan stared ahead, fighting the urge to swallow under the Master's renewed stare. He could almost feel the force of his gaze burning into him. The unknown Master turned away and once again glared at the closed doors. The lift slowed and slid open at his floor and Obi-Wan quickly excused himself, turning to bow only once he was outside of the lift. As he rose he found intense grey eyes staring at him even as the doors slid shut.

Obi-Wan couldn't help but shuddered slightly as he trotted off to class. The soberness of the Master unnerved him. He felt as if the unknown Master was looking straight through him, had somehow seen every flaw that he had.

Those eyes haunted him throughout the day, making Obi-Wan more jumpy then normal and serving to irritate both his classmates and instructors alike. Night once again found him roaming the hallways. It was already late – later than Obi-Wan normally would have left for a walk. The words of the unknown Master had kept him inside, staring at the model starships that zipped about his ceiling in absolute boredom. But his habit was like a beast itself and would not be denied and before too long had passed Obi-Wan found himself creeping cautiously through deserted hallways.

The halls were silent as always, the only noise being the gentle hum from the power generators that penetrated everything. Obi-Wan walked down the center of the hallway, staring with some mild fascination the contrast his slippers made against the floor tile.

His birthday was in four weeks. That was something that haunted him again and again. No matter what he thought or did, in the back of his mind that fact was constantly screaming for attention. It was almost as if there was a digital clock counting down the minutes until the deadline in bold, neon numbers. More and more of his fellow age mates were being picked by Masters and disappearing off to start their duties.

Not me, Obi-Wan thought bitterly, maybe never me. Obi-Wan often wondered what would happen to him if he was not chosen as a Padawan. He'd stay in the Order, he knew that at least. The young boy knew nothing else – the thought of starting out on a new path without its guiding hand seemed unreasonable. At least that's what he told himself.

Truth be told, Obi-Wan didn't have a clue what he would do if no Jedi claimed him. Finding his birth parents was an option. It wasn't one he had really thought out but it was one that kept resurfacing. He wondered how one would go about obtaining their birth records. Would his family even want him after all these years? What, a shudder ran down Obi-Wan's back, if his family was dead? Then he truly would be all alone in the universe. The Initiate sighed heavily and let his footsteps fall even slower, his hand once again finding its way to the nearest wall and dragging across it.

The fact that his birthday was as close as it was seemed unreal to him. His thirteenth birthday always seemed mythical – a goal that was far off in the distance. How quickly it seemed to overtake him.

He would miss his friends so much, but more than that he would just miss the presence of the Jedi. That was what Obi-Wan was aware of the most. They were his family. He didn't have a single memory in it without a Jedi foster parent or sibling in it. They taught him everything; they'd taught him how to be Obi-Wan. The idea of being denied their comforting presence and guiding strength - to be told in not so subtle terms he wasn't good enough to stay in their immediate family - would be disastrous.

Obi-Wan forced himself to swallow against the lump that had formed in his throat. He had to be picked as an apprentice. He just had to be. His whole life had been building up to this point. He couldn't fail now.

"Well, what have we here?" Laughter filled the hall behind him as Obi-Wan all but jumped out of his skin. He spun around to find two cheery looking Knights. "Isn't it a bit late for an Initiate?"

"Uh…" Force! This was the second day he'd been caught. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from groaning. The two burst into laughter at his response and Obi-Wan came to the startling realization that they were drunk. The smell of some kind of liquor permeated the area around them. The Human Knight who had spoken chuckled and wrapped an arm around the smaller, yet equally inebriated Twi'lek Knight. The Twi'lek at his side snorted and waved a blue hand at him.

"Listen, listen!" She gestured for him to come forward. Not quite sure what to do, but ever the obedient child, Obi-Wan did. She gripped his shoulder and leaned in real close. The act seemed to throw off her balance and she began to fall forward.

"Whoa there buddy!" The Human Knight shouted, pulling her backwards.

"You're the best pal in the world man! No, no!" The Twi'lek did her best to look serious, "I mean that!" She giggled and patted his cheek. Without warning they fell over, the Human Knight taking the Twi'lek with him, their laughter reaching a ridiculous level. Obi-Wan shifted uncomfortably in front of the drunken Knights, not quite sure what he was supposed to do. A part of his mind was embarrassed for them as they rolled on the ground. Another wondered if Knights were allowed to get drunk.

"Listen, kid." The Human Knight gestured to him from the ground. "I don't know if you've noticed, but my friend and I have had a teensy weensy too much to drink tonight."

"Maybe just a little." The Twi'lek at his side agreed solemnly. They pulled themselves into a standing position. The Human Knight gestured to him as they swayed.

"Like I was saying kiddo, do us a favor and not tell nobody 'bought this, eh?" Not waiting for his response the two Knights stumbled off and turned down a corridor. Obi-Wan shook his head as he watched them disappear.

The things he saw sometimes.

Perhaps he ought to call it a night. Obi-Wan watched the lights outside of the lift as it descended, allowing his mind to drift into a strange, empty trance. Instinctively his feet turned and traced their way back to his quarters. He palmed his door open and kicked his slippers off, climbing into bed. Obi-Wan stared at the ceiling, his thoughts still failing to take shape. It was in this mock sleep that he passed the rest of the night.

Obi-Wan rose as the morning light cycle begun and his room began to fill with a gentle yellow-white light. He turned and made his bed, crisping it so that each side was even and the fabric unwrinkled.

Another night without sleep. Obi-Wan didn't even want to think about how many days in a row that was. Usually he managed at least an hour or two. Obi-Wan shook his head as he stripped and quickly showered. He left his room an hour before classes started – he had no intentions of being late today.

The hallways were mostly empty in the Initiate residential section. Obi-Wan stretched as he walked, thinking about the lessons ahead. Today was a rather light day for him, and besides his political science class he rather enjoyed the day's class schedule. The cafeteria was near deserted; a few students ate in small huddled groups. Obi-Wan's own friends knew well enough not expect him in the mornings. While they had no idea of his inability to sleep or his nightly walks they knew he was an early riser.

He grabbed a few slices of toast and some eclectic looking fruit and headed out of the cafeteria. Just across the hall and a few corridors to the left was an excellent place to watch the morning shipping lanes. Obi-Wan enjoyed observing the traffic as it flew just outside the Temple's air space.

With little effort he squeezed into his favorite spot to eat, a small corner boxed in on three sides by the wall, window and an oversized potted plant. He found here he could eat in peace and quiet yet still hear the sounds of the cafeteria. It was a transition time for him. Obi-Wan found that the noise of the morning class change extra jarring after the quiet of the night. Here he could give himself time to adjust to the different sounds before being forced to be social.

The morning seemed to go quick enough. His Political Science class passed quicker than normally, mainly because they spent the period watching the holonet news channels. His next class was Advanced Meditation Thoughts, Theories, and Practices. It was a daily two hour class offered to children over ten, consisting solely of learning the proper way to meditate and center yourself so the Force could easiest flow through them. It was a very peaceful class, held in a small classroom with three out of the four walls covered with fountains. The soft sound of the water was what Obi-Wan liked the most about the class. He found the white noise very soothing.

Most of his classmates enjoyed it because it was a good nap time.

For Obi-Wan that wasn't really a choice. But nevertheless he liked the class, it was a good time to relax and center himself for the back to back saber practices he had scheduled afterwards. His Master Instructor was already in position, her Force signature humming in tune, emitting from her in clam, gentle waves. A few of his classmates had followed suite, their signatures humming a little more out of tune then Master Instructor Merit's.

Quietly Obi-Wan slid into his favorite spot, emptying his mind and following his class into the gentle arms of the Force. He had only been drifting – slang the Initiates used to describe the free feeling that came with meditation without a goal – for a few minutes before he felt the soft, heavily accented voice of his teacher brush across his ear.

"Now ya know better than ta slouch like that, Obi-Wan." Instructor Merit's hands pushed his body into proper form and moved on. "Today, my younglings, we're going ta do another wonderful one of my olden Master's exercises."

A series of groans and shifting clothing filled the air as the students shuffled around. Obi-Wan joined in with a sigh. Master Instructor Merit's 'olden Master' exercises were really hard and left him with a migraine that could take down banthas.

"Ah shut ya traps!" Merit snapped. "It'll be fun."

"I highly doubt that." A student whispered from the back of the room. Obi-Wan fought a snigger as the student let out a whine as Merit tapped him lightly with the Force.

"Do ya want ta teach the class, Culil? Than shut ya trap." There was a flapping sound and a thump as Merit fell back into her meditation pose. "Follow my directions exactly. This exercise is called 'Find the Kuki Fruit'. I'm going ta plant the image of a Kuki fruit in ya minds. I want ya all ta locate the Kuki and tell me where it was. The purpose of this exercise is ta practice retrieving data from the mind. As always, the spot has been picked out of a head of time. So ya can stop squirming, I'm not going ta see anything secret."

There was a few chuckles from the students. Obi-Wan nodded, fighting to hide his irritation. He had been hoping of a simple meditation day. They were sparring in saber and Obi-Wan wanted enough time to prepare. He'd have to find the Kuki quickly so he could move on. Master Instructor Merit circled the room, gently brushing her hand against the heads of her students as she went, the image of the Kuki fruit flowing from her fingers like water.

Obi-Wan got a fleeting glimpse of the orange thing before it seemingly erased itself. He sighed as he did a general scan. Where ever she'd hidden it, she'd done it far down. Obi-Wan let the tenseness of his irritation leave him and concentrated on locating the Kuki fruit.

He shuffled through his memories as Instructor Merit taught him. Minutes flew by and then an hour and Obi-Wan still hadn't found it yet. He stamped down the growing dislike for this exercise and chewed on the dried skin on his bottom lip. She must have really hidden it far. Pulling the Force even further into his mind, Obi-Wan envisioned it as a probe, pushing the levels of his mind aside like giant waves of fabric. As it deviled deeper and deeper he simply allowed himself to fall down after it.

"I found it!" The shout of triumph jolted Obi-Wan out of his meditation immediately and he looked around the room, blinking at the seemingly bright light. Fillip, the youngest in the room at ten, was practically dancing on his mat.

"Quiet now!" Instructor Merit hissed, gesturing for her startled students to return to their mediation. With a sigh Obi-Wan returned to his mind, quieting and allowing himself to fall back in step with his previous thoughts.

Again he was surrounded with the depths of his mind and with a moment of uneasiness Obi-Wan realized he'd never been this deep before. Almost on queue he felt a strange stirring, almost like a stretch, and he felt his throat contract as he quickly pulled himself out of the meditation.

He stared at the water rushing down the walls in confusion, fighting a growing feeling of dread.

What was that?

A definite change in the story this first chapter. A much, a much different meeting between the two than is found in the first version of this story. I am eager to find what you think about it. As always, any type of constructive criticism is welcome – I learned most of my English grammar through the kind reviewers. I will hopefully have not only the second rewritten chapter of Sleepless up tonight or tomorrow but also my next UA chapter.