Part I

"Let go of your feelings, Kayla..." The words floated through the air, seeming to wind around the columns encircling the moss-covered flagstones. Kayla Tor frowned, as a single bead of sweat dripped off her forehead and down through her hair. She took a sharp breath as the topmost rock teetered precariously on top of the other two.

Let go of your feelings.easy for him to say. All he had to do was sit there and dispense Jedi wisdom, while she was busy keeping herself and those three damn rocks aloft. It didn't help that she kept hearing Master Yoda’s mantra in her head over and over again - "Do or do not, there is no try..." Well, she’d been doing this for three months now. When would floating upside-down while levitating rocks ever come in handy?

"It teaches you control..." came the inevitable reply. She hated it when he did that.

"Master Sah-Jen?" she said suddenly.

"Mmmm?" he asked, distracted.

"Do you...hear something?"

Sah-Jen glanced at her sharply. "Footsteps? Conversations in the corridor? No, I don't. And neither do you. Concentrate."

Mace Windu glanced at the young Jedi master walking next to him.

"...and so Queen Amidala will be joining us here on Coruscant. We want you to ensure she has a safe stay while she's here," he said, attempting to judge Obi-Wan’s reaction to the news. He did not seem very pleased, but he nevertheless bowed his head and replied softly,

"Yes, Master, of course." Obi-Wan was indeed not pleased. He glanced back at his young apprentice. Anakin had been following their conversation as closely as he'd been following at their heels. He seemed happy enough at the news. And that, Obi-Wan decided, was the problem. He suppressed an urge to sigh as they entered the temple courtyard.

Something had caught Master Mace’s attention. Obi-Wan followed his gaze. Master Sah-Jen and his padawan seemed to be using the courtyard as a training ground. Master Sah-Jen himself was seated comfortably in the grass, reclining against a large boulder. His padawan Kayla meanwhile was sitting upside-down and cross-legged, levitating both herself and three precariously balanced rocks. Obi-Wan stared at her for a moment. She hadn’t noticed him walk in. Good. He didn’t want another incident like the one in the dining hall yesterday.

Kayla closed her eyes and tried to focus on the task at hand.

Master Sah-Jen was always saying she was too easily distracted. She was determined to prove him wrong. But still...she was curious. Maybe she could just reach out through the Force a little, see who was out there. This was going to require a delicate touch, she decided. She needed to keep both herself and the rocks aloft while at the same time shielding her more inquisitive actions from Master Sah-Jen. She reached out tentatively through the Force...

Hmmmmm. Now there was a familiar presence. Anakin. But there were two other Jedi with him, and one of them felt suspiciously like...She opened her eyes. Kayla opened her eyes and met his. Damn. She’d definitely seen him this time. Well, as long as...

He left the thought unfinished as Kayla and the three rather large rocks she’d been levitating fell to the earth in a rather undignified fashion. Master Mace took in the scene with a quick glance, a rare bemused smile spreading across his face. "It seems you have quite the effect on Master Sah-Jen's young padawan, Obi-Wan..."

Obi-Wan caught Master Mace’s expression, and turned back to the scene in the courtyard with a frown.

Sah-Jen glanced at Obi-Wan and then back at his young apprentice.

"So that's the one, is it? I knew it was one of them." He sighed.

Kayla decided that this was the perfect opportunity to examine her feet. Really quite interesting things, feet. Of course, she’d have had an easier time examining them if she wasn’t also desperately trying to not turn bright red. She nodded.

Master Sah-Jen sighed again. He studied Kayla for a moment. No good could come of these feelings she had for the young Jedi master. Obi-Wan was a serious, brooding sort of man who rarely showed affection even towards his own padawan. He’d come a long way from the impulsive young man he’d been before his own master had died. Kayla’s feelings for him would only cause her pain.

"Kayla, Kayla, Kayla - we've been over this before. Your feelings make you weak. They cloud your judgment, distract you, make you lose control. They could be used against you. For goodness sake, Kayla, why do you think I'm making you do these infernal parlor tricks day after day? Control, Kayla - you lack control..."

Kayla nodded again, and glanced up. She watched the three Jedi as they made their way across the other side of the courtyard. "Yes, Master," she sighed.

3 hours later, Kayla trudged back to her quarters as if on autopilot. Which was just as well, since her mind was a million light years away..3 hours, she thought. 3 long, tedious hours, just for dropping a few little rocks. And she thought Master Sah-Jen would mellow with age.. It wasn’t as if it were completely her fault. Okay, so it was mostly her fault, but if Master Obi-Wan hadn't distracted her she wouldn't have lost her concentration. Well, probably not anyway... Obi-Wan. Damn that man. He knows. He must know. He does it on purpose. And now, now he probably thought she’s a lousy Jedi. Hell, she couldn’t even keep herself afloat when he was around. Kayla's thoughts were interrupted when she found herself standing still and staring at a door. It took her a full thirty seconds to figure out that it was her own. She tapped in her entry code...1-5-2-1. The door slid up with a hiss. She looked around. The room needed cleaning. It could wait. She sighed as she fell back onto her bed, allowing her cloak to slip from her hand and onto the floor. She stretched, allowing some of the day's tensions to fall away. She let her head loll to the side, and her eyes landed on the bedside clock. Damn. No time to change. This'll have to do, she thought. With a sigh, she slid off the bed and dashed out the door...remembering at the last moment to lock it behind her.

Kayla forced herself to pause outside the dining hall doors. She caught her breath, and then entered, being careful to focus on the buffet table and not the other Jedi seated around the room.

Concentrate. Plate. Food. Seat.

She headed straight for the buffet and grabbed a plate from the stack nearest her. Damn this line, she thought. She felt conspicuous standing by the buffet. Still, it gave her a chance to look around. There was always a chance that he wasn't...damn. There he was. But he hadn't noticed her yet. Good. That was good...She'd been hoping he wouldn't notice her...well, part of her wished he wouldn’t notice her, anyway.

Oh - the line... she was so lost in her thoughts that she'd hardly noticed the line had moved enough for her to actually get some food. She glanced over what was on offer for the evening meal. She picked up some bread and a couple pieces of fruit, but the soup didn't appeal to her. Maybe she wasn't as hungry as she thought. Now, where to sit? Master Obi-Wan was sitting near the far wall, almost directly across from the buffet. It was a wonder that he hadn't seen her yet. Or had he? No, don't get paranoid Kayla. Right. Obviously, she was not going to sit near him. She needed somewhere...inconspicuous. Like that far back corner over there. Nice, dark and relatively deserted. That ought to work. She made her way over to her chosen place, moving as swiftly and quietly as she could. She slumped in her chair, facing away from Master Obi-Wan. At least this way, he might not see her. She sighed and stared at the food on her plate as if it had suddenly grown three heads and started a conversation. She really didn't feel like eating - she had way too many things on her mind. She settled for poking the fruit with a fork a few times. It failed to respond in an interesting manner, and she shoved the plate aside.

Anakin set his fork down. "But Master, why can't I accompany you to the reception for the Queen?" he asked.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath. "Anakin, you're going to have to trust me on this."

Anakin frowned. "But won't you even tell me _why_?"

"There are some things you have yet to learn, my young padawan."

"But Master, I've learned so much," Anakin said, his eyes pleading.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "But not, I'm afraid, how to control your emotions when it comes to Amidala. Beware passion, Anakin...Your emotions can betray you, lead you to the dark side. Passion is a dangerous thing - you must get control of it, before it gets control of you."

"Yes, Master." Anakin sighed and looked up from his soup.

Master Ki-adi-Mundi was sitting across from him, looking fairly bemused by the whole conversation. Anakin frowned again.

Ki-adi-Mundi decided to intervene. "Master Obi-Wan..."

"Yes, Master?"

Ki-adi-Mundi smiled gently at him. "Perhaps you are being a little hard on the boy, Obi-Wan. After all, you too were young once. And, as I recall, you didn't always agree with Master Qui-Gon’s decisions."

Anakin looked on as Obi-Wan tried to defend his actions, his frown slowly turning to a smile. Master Obi-Wan was getting a little of his own medicine today.

Anakin turned his head so that his master wouldn't see him laughing, and noticed Master Sah-Jen's padawan Kayla sitting alone in the corner as he did so. He glanced back at the two Jedi, who were now involved in a friendly disagreement, and decided to leave them to it. He got up and made his way over to Kayla.

Kayla was considering leaving, when a hand appeared on her shoulder out of nowhere.

"Hi."

She looked up, startled. "Um...oh, hi Anakin..."

"Mind if I sit down?" he asked.

"Oh...uh, no, go right ahead," she said, indicating the seat next to her.

"So why are you sitting over here all by yourself? I hope you didn't get in too much trouble with Master Sah-Jen this morning..." Anakin said with a grin.

She smiled back. "Oh, just three itty bitty grueling hours of extra practice...but, no, I didn't get in _too_ much trouble..."

"Sorry about that...Master Obi-Wan has that effect on a lot of people."

Kayla opened her mouth, thought for a second, and then closed it again."Um, what effect?" she asked, as innocently as possible.

"He intimidates people. The way he goes around frowning and looking so serious all the time," he said, grabbing a piece of bread off her plate and chewing it absentmindedly.

"Oh, that, well...yeah, I mean, right. That's what threw me..." She let her eyebrows drop back into their normal positions above her eyes. That was a little too close. It was bad enough that her Master knew, and that you-know-who probably had a damn good idea as well. She really didn't need every padawan learner at the academy talking behind her back as well.

Anakin swallowed. "Hey, listen, I was wondering..." he began.

"Hmm? What...?" she asked, startled from her thoughts.

"Well, I was just thinking that maybe I could make it up to you," he said, grinning.

"Make it up to me?" she asked.

"Yeah. Maybe you and I could train together sometime."

"Train?" Train? With Anakin?

"Yeah, practice our lightsaber technique or something." His grin widened. "I'll try not to hurt you."

"Hurt _me_?" she laughed. "And just who says that you'd be the one in a position to do the hurting?" she asked, poking him playfully in the arm. It was just then that she heard a voice from behind.

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan said.

Kayla stopped laughing.

Anakin turned in his chair. "Yes, Master?"

Obi-Wan stared at Anakin for a few seconds, as if trying to come to some decision. "You'd better run along, or you won't have time to get ready for the reception."

"The reception, Master?" Anakin asked, not daring to hope.

"That's what I said," Obi-Wan said carefully, as if he were wondering if he was actually saying this.

Anakin examined Obi-Wan's face for about half a second, before his own face spread wide in a grin. "Yes, Master," he said quickly, fearing that Obi-Wan might again change his mind.

"Go on," Obi-Wan said reluctantly. "I'll be along shortly," he added.

"Yes, Master," Anakin called, although he was already halfway across the dining hall.

Kayla took a bite of her bread and tried to work out the easiest escape route.

Obi-Wan turned to her. "Kayla? Do you mind if I sit down?"

She swallowed, hard, and risked a quick glance at him. No, of course I don't mind if you sit down. Hell, I wouldn't mind if you...she squelched the thought, remembering at the last second just how well Master Obi-Wan could read minds.

"Kayla," he said, "I think we need to talk."

"Talk?" she asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Yes."

"About...?"

He studied her for a moment. "I think you know what about."

"Ahh," she said, wondering what he was thinking.

"Yes."

"Well..." she began.

"Go on."

"Oh? Um, that's okay - you can go first," she said, still trying to read his face.

He took a deep breath. "Kayla...I've noticed that you seem...distracted by my presence. Do I intimidate you that much?" he questioned.

"Intimidate?" she asked.

"Yes, do I?"

She paused, caught in his eyes momentarily. "Ummm...no, not really. It's just that...," she paused again, her mind racing, "I mean, I was tired, and I wasn't expecting anyone to be there when I looked up. It just caught me off guard..." Yeah, that was good.

"And that's all there was to it?" he asked.

"Um, yeah, I mean, what else would it be?" she bluffed. She couldn’t keep this up much longer. She was going to have to think of an excuse to get out of there. "Um...you know, I'm still pretty tired," she said. "Would you excuse me? I think I'd better go get some sleep..."

"Of course," he said, standing and allowing her to pass. He watched her as she left. His hypothesis was correct... Kayla did feel something for him. He knew he couldn't just come out and tell her that he knew. But her reaction had a strange effect on him. It was almost like he felt...rejected...?

Kayla headed for the courtyard when she left the dining hall. She needed to think, and that was where she usually went. It was less depressing that secluding herself away in her quarters. She entered the courtyard and made her way over to her favorite bench. She sat down and tucked her legs up beneath her before picking up a small pebble lying next to her and tossing it into the courtyard proper.

That had to be the most embarrassing conversation she'd ever had. This seemed to be her day for embarrassing conversations. She sighed. Well, at least she'd been wrong about him knowing how she'd felt. He actually thought he intimidated her. Not that he didn't do that, too, but still... How could he not know? Maybe it wasn't written large across her forehead as she previously suspected. Maybe things would be okay, as long as she kept her control around him in future... Maybe if she...

Her thoughts were interrupted as she sensed someone approaching. Probably just another padawan. It couldn't possibly be him, right? The odds against it were astronomical... Anyone but him, and she'd be

okay...

She strained to hear the voices in the corridor, but couldn't make them out.

Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no... It isn't. Oh hell. It is. Anakin and Master Obi-Wan. Of course. Welcome to my life, she thought.

But where were they going this time of night? That way led out of the Temple...

She watched them walk past the courtyard archways. They didn’t see her. Good. Just so long as he didn’t turn his...damn. Those eyes... Control. Remember your control, she thought. Why was he looking at her like that? He looked...confused? Why should he be confused? Oh, damn...she'd told him she was going to bed...But...there was something else... she just couldn't put her finger on it. She felt she almost had it when the corridor wall cut him off from view. What had all that been about? And just where were they going? She knew she shouldn't follow them, but the temptation was too great - she just couldn't resist. She could just hear Master Sah-Jen's previous admonition ---"Beware temptation, Kayla. Temptation is the path to the Dark Side." "Don't worry, Master Sah-Jen," she said aloud. "I won't follow the path to the Dark Side...I'm just going to follow the corridor for a little while." she added quietly, poking her head around the corner to make sure the coast was clear.

It had been tricky, and she'd taken the wrong turn and almost lost them twice, but she managed to follow Obi-Wan and Anakin all the way to the main landing platform. They must be waiting for a shuttle, she decided. Or planning to leave. That thought worried her. Were they going to go off-planet now, of all times?

She was distracted from her thoughts by the soft lights of the incoming shuttle's anti-grav units. Well, it seemed the moment of truth was at hand. Was this an arrival, or a departure?

The shuttle's landing ramp slid down with a slight hydraulic hiss. Anakin and Obi-Wan seemed to suddenly stand to attention. This was an arrival reception, then. Amidala took a deep breath as she stepped onto the landing ramp. The Coruscant night air seemed so refreshing after her long trip from Naboo. She paused on the ramp, as Sabe, dressed in full royal regalia, took in the scene, and proceeded down the ramp. Amidala followed with Sache', Yane', Eritae' and Rabe' at her heels. Sabe' was still blocking her view of the reception party. She wondered who they'd sent. She knew who she hoped they'd sent.

"Your Highness, welcome to Coruscant. We are honored by your presence."

Yes! That was Master Obi-Wan's voice, and where Obi-Wan went...

They reached the bottom of the landing ramp, and Sabe' took a half-step to the side. Anakin! He looked...taller...

Sabe' spoke. "Thank-you Master Jedi. I hope our presence here does not inconvenience you."

"Not in the least, Your Highness. If you would please follow me...?"

"Of course."

Amidala noticed that Obi-Wan had gotten slightly older since she last saw him...he looked like a man that had a lot on his mind. But Anakin...Anakin had shot up a good foot since she saw him last. And he was growing more handsome, too. She noticed he was falling back slowly, slowing down so that he'd be walking by her. He caught her eye and smiled. He always did have a nice smile.Kayla peered around the corner at the royal party. So that was what all this was about. A VIP reception. Interesting. Why were they arriving in the middle of the night? Hmm...

"I have a bad feeling about this - and not just because the entire party is headed straight for me." Damn. Time to get the hell out of here...

Obi-Wan glanced back over his shoulder. Anakin had fallen back to keep pace with Amidala. Someone had to, but he wished it'd been him instead of Anakin. They were talking and laughing - Obi-Wan wondered briefly if Anakin would actually be able to provide Amidala any protection if something did happen. He was so distracted by the Queen herself that he was utterly failing to take in his surroundings. Obi-Wan shook his head sadly. That relationship was going to be trouble. But then, relationships always were.

"This way, Your Highness..." Obi-Wan said, leading into the courtyard.

He stole a brief glance at the bench on the far side, and a pair of familiar eyes flickered across his thoughts, unbidden.

Kayla stuck her head around the corner, just in time to see the last of the handmaidens disappearing up ahead. It must have been the will of the Force that they didn't notice her in the side corridor she had ducked into. So, now she had a choice. She could sit here and wait until she was sure the coast was clear, or she could follow them. Well, the decision sort of made itself, really...She could hear voices coming from the corridor down the right. That must've been the way they went. She scurried down the corridor, hoping that none of the other Jedi would wander along and wonder what she was up to. Another junction. Which way? She chose right on a whim. She was rewarded a few seconds later, when she skidded around yet another corner and almost ran into the tail-end of the royal party. They were entering the courtyard. She pressed herself up against the stone archway entrance, and peered in after them.

There was Obi-Wan. He seemed lost in thought. He cocked his head slightly and glanced at the bench against the far wall - the bench she'd been sitting on earlier that evening. The merest hint of a smile seemed to play on his face. Now what did _that_ mean?

Kayla watched as the royal party disappeared into the shadows of the far side of the courtyard. Her face settled into the familiar half-frown that she felt she'd been wearing all day. She just couldn't figure that man out. She wandered over to her bench and sat down, hugging her knees to her chest. She really was tired. Maybe she'd just rest her eyes for a minute. She curled up on the bench, resting her head on her arm.

Come morning, Obi-Wan found himself wandering through the Temple corridors, wondering if it really was such a wise idea to let Anakin stand guard outside of Amidala's quarters. He'd personally guarded Amidala throughout the night, and come dawn Anakin had persuaded him that he needed some rest. But sleep was a luxury his thoughts wouldn't allow him.

Obi-Wan looked up to find that his mindless meandering had brought him to the courtyard. Well, it was early, no one should be training there yet. It seemed as good a place as any to try and clear his head..He stepped into the courtyard, his boots making soft clacking noises on the flagstones. The morning air was invigorating, and the whole courtyard smelled of moss. He looked up, his eyes drawn to the far side. Someone was sleeping on the bench there. Odd. He walked over, wondering if one of the Queen's handmaidens had gotten herself lost in the night and decided to make due with the bench. As he got closer, he realized his mistake. Kayla. What was she doing sleeping on a bench in the courtyard? She wasn't there last night when he passed by, he was sure. Perhaps he should just leave her there - she wasn't in any danger, and if she wanted to sleep on a bench in the courtyard that was her own business. But still... the bench couldn't be a terribly comfortable place to sleep. Maybe he should wake her up, lead her back to her quarters...

Funny how the sunlight made the highlights in her red hair look golden. She was wearing her hair down, too - a lock had fallen across her face - almost into her mouth. He reached out and brushed it gently aside. Now what made me do that? he wondered...Maybe he should just let her sleep after all. She did look rather like she could use it. His mind settled, he made his way past her to the corridor archway...

Behind him, Kayla began to stir. She murmured sleepily, "Obi-Wan?"

He froze on the threshold, and turned back to look at her. She wasn't actually addressing him, he decided. She didn't realize he was there. She must've been dreaming....about him.

Time did an odd stopping sort of thing as his heart jumped into his throat seemingly of its own accord. It took him completely by surprise. He decided to leave before some conscious part of him could figure out exactly what that meant.

Kayla saw Obi-Wan standing before her - his eyes locked on hers. He reached out and gently caressed her face. As he leaned in closer, she whispered his name...and he vanished.

Kayla awoke to find herself alone on a cold stone bench and still needing a bath. She tried to push herself upright, only to find that her right arm was full of pins and needles from the way she'd been sleeping. Terrific, she thought. Out of the dream and into the nightmare.She could really use that bath about now.

Obi-Wan decided that maybe he was more tired than he thought. Perhaps Anakin was right. He should get some rest. All the strain of the Queen's visit was finally getting to him. Sleep. Sleep was the answer. He was sure. He reached the door to his quarters and punched in the key-code. He was asleep by the time his head hit his pillow, still wearing his cloak.

When Kayla had finished toweling her hair she began braiding it in her usual style. She stopped for a second, the back of her hand moving to lightly brush her cheek, before continuing. She smiled to herself. She realized she was already late for breakfast with Master Sah-Jen, but this didn't panic her the way it normally would have. The euphoria she felt in her dream this morning was still with her, and she felt like she could tackle the world. Plus the bath had helped.. She took one last look in the mirror, nodded, and set off.

As she expected, Master Sah-Jen was already halfway through his breakfast by the time she arrived. She filled a plate quickly and made her way over to him.

"Ah, the prodigal padawan returns at last, I see."

"Good morning, Master Sah-Jen."

"And how did you sleep last night, Kayla?" he asked.

"Just fine, Master, and you?"

"More comfortably than you, I think, my dear. Stone benches tend to be a bit more firm a sleeping surface than I prefer."

"Ah." She smiled and looked down at her plate, the merest hint of pink creeping into her cheeks. "How'd you..." she began.

Sah-Jen finished her sentence. "...find out? I ran into young Master Obi-Wan this morning as he was heading to his quarters. It seems he found you sleeping there, but decided not to disturb you."

"Ah. Ah-hah. Um..." she stammered, turning several shades of red.

"My dear, please do stop doing that impression of a Coruscant sunset...In my opinion, you've embarrassed yourself enough already."

"Yes, Master," she said quietly.

"And do eat something, child," he chided. "You look as if you're about to faint dead away."

"Yes, Master," Kayla sighed.