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Автор Джуд Уотсон
The Fight for Truth
The darkness was total. Not even a hint of light penetrated the hood.
Sound was muffled. Obi-Wan Kenobi balanced on his feet, kept his lightsaber in a defensive position, and concentrated. Without sight or clear sound, he had to rely completely on the Force.
He moved to the left, whirled, and struck with his lightsaber. It slashed through empty air. Yet he knew he'd been close.
Off to his right, he heard a buzzing sound, and the clatter of metal hitting the floor.
"Point, Siri," Obi-Wan's Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, said quietly.
Obi-Wan felt a trickle of sweat move down his neck. The hood was hot from his warm breath. He gripped his lightsaber harder. His opponent in this training exercise was Siri, another Jedi apprentice. She had already destroyed two seeker droids. He hadn't felled one.
"Remember your purpose, Obi-Wan. "
He heard Qui-Gon's steady counsel. Even though Qui-Gon couldn't see his Padawan's face, he knew that Obi-Wan had lost his focus. The purpose of the exercise, Obi-Wan knew, was cooperation. It did not matter how many seeker droids he destroyed or how many were taken down by Siri. They would be judged on how they worked together. They would have to read each other's intentions through movement, instinct, and the Force. They would have to be generous, reaching out to each other to reveal their intentions.
But how could he reach out to someone who fought only for herself?
Siri focused on the enemy and ignored Obi-Wan. A skilled, graceful fighter, she was single-minded in her purpose. Every particle of her being was focused on victory. It made her one of the best lightsaber fighters in the Temple.
Even though she was eleven — two years younger than Obi-Wan — she had fought in his classes.Faintly, he heard Siri's soft footsteps behind him, and heard her foot slide as she lunged. Another buzz, another clatter of metal.
"Good footwork, Siri," Adi Gallia called.
Obi-Wan gritted his teeth. Adi had only recently taken Siri as her Padawan. She had chosen Siri because of the girl's extraordinary promise.
Now Siri was proving her value, showing up a more experienced Padawan — Obi-Wan.
Frustration and irritation surged inside him, driving out his connection to the Force. Obi-Wan listened intently for the slight stir in the air that the seeker droid caused. He heard the sound, whirled to his left, and collided with Siri.
"Opposite corners," Adi rapped out. "Begin again. "
Obi-Wan moved back to his corner. He rubbed his palm along his tunic.
His hands were perspiring, and his lightsaber almost slipped. Dropping it while fighting alongside Siri would be humiliating.
He wished he had Qui-Gon's patience. He still had so much to learn. Try as he might, he could not penetrate Siri's devotion to the exercise. It was her battle, her challenge. There was no room for him.
They started forward again. Obi-Wan moved slowly, reaching out to the Force to tell him where the seeker droids were flying. He heard another clang as a seeker droid hit the floor.
