Tranquility Through the Force

by Ceryndip

First two paragraphs written by Obi, Used with permission, thanks!

Obi-Wan Kenobi approached his master quietly. The older Jedi had been in deep meditation for some time now, and Obi-Wan did not wish to disturb him, but he yearned to find that same feeling of peace that Qui-Gon had. The last mission had been harrowing, leaving both Jedi with rattled nerves.

Despite the depth of the his meditation, Qui-Gon sensed his padawan coming closer. He followed the familiar force signature until the boy had come to rest himself next to his master.

Qui-Gon considered his options. He had meditated with Obi-Wan many times before, always guiding him towards the Living Force. The boy summoned the force and manipulated it with ever increasing skill. Obi-Wan had tried to understand that the force was something more than a tool but he was not yet ready to let go of the conscious world and fully embrace it, thus beginning a lifetime exploring it’s subtle nuances. Qui-Gon knew that when his padawan was ready to take that step into a larger world, it would happen. The master had only to remain patient.

Without breaking his own meditation, Qui-Gon reached out and pulled Obi-Wan closer. Sitting across from each other, their knees nearly touching, the Master drew his Apprentice into his meditative realm.

Obi-Wan gazed around in amazement. The forest was thick and almost jungle-like in it’s lush, leafy greens and blues. A waterfall cascaded from level to level from a high cliff, filling a pool that was so crystal clear Obi-Wan could see the pebbles and moss on the bottom many feet deep. The ground was covered in a thick carpet of grass, sun dappled by the light passing through the canopy of leaves above.

His master sat under a tree at the edge of the pond. One foot gently disturbed the glassy surface with tiny ripples as it drew circles in the water. Obi-Wan joined him, his starving soul drinking in the serenity that permeated this place. He sat back relishing the feel of the rough bark against his back. He closed his eyes listening to the trickle of the water against the rocks, the breeze ruffling the leaves above. He wiggled his toes in the cool grass. His eyes popped open, where were his boots? He had just realized that they were gone. Then, he heard his master chuckling and noticed that his feet were bare as well.

“I never wear them here, Padawan,” he explained, “The grass feels too good.”

Obi-Wan agreed. He sighed and relaxed content to simply enjoy the life around him. That’s it. That’s what he felt here, life. The living force flowed from everything. He had felt the living force emanating from single entities before but never had he experienced it so strongly, never on such a vast scale. Is this what his master was always talking about? How had he never sensed it like this before? Obi-Wan felt he could happily drown in the light. Then, he did just that. He closed his eyes and allowed the force to fill him.

He floated in a tranquil sea of energy that buoyed him up and carried him along. He sunk into the tree at his back and understood what it was to be the tree; to stand tall and give shade and shelter, to exhale the oxygen needed by other living things, to be permanently stationary yet completely connected to the universe. He was a part of the tree and it was part of him. It was the same with the grass, the rocks, every single water drop in the pond and the gentle white clouds in the sky. Obi-Wan Kenobi was the universe and it was him and it was wonderful.

“Padawan?”

Abruptly, Obi-Wan found himself back inside the confines of his own body, alone and confused.

“Obi-Wan?”

He opened his eyes to see his master smiling down at him.

“Welcome back, you’ve been gone awhile.”

“How long?” When had Qui-Gon left the glade? Obi-Wan hadn’t noticed his departure.

“Several hours longer than you’ve ever stayed in meditation before. You had better start moving around or you are going to be stiff.”

Obi-Wan slipped his legs out from under himself and realized that he already was stiff.

Qui-Gon offered him a hand up which he gratefully accepted.

“Feeling better, Padawan?” His master asked.

“Yes, Master. I feel...at peace. Is meditation always like that for you?”

“No, Obi-Wan, only when I need to renew myself, when I need to heal my soul.

“I’ve never experienced anything like that in meditation before.”

Again, Qui-Gon smiled and Obi-Wan could feel the pleasure trickling through their bond, “Yes, the first time you give yourself completely to the Living Force is a special moment.”

“Will you take me there again sometime, Master?”

“You don’t need me, Padawan. The Living Force is inside you and always has been. Now that you know how to find it, you have but to calm yourself and let go of the physical world. With practice, it will eventually become second nature to you.”

By sharing it with him in this way, Qui-Gon had given the universe to him. Obi-Wan was speechless at the magnitude of the gift.

“Th...thank you, Master.”

“No thanks are necessary, Padawan. The Living Force is a gift we give each other. Someday we will share it together forever.”

End
7-23-02

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