Obi-Wan chewed a particularly tough and flavorless bite of whatever food was in his bowl. "What do you do in the evenings, to entertain yourselves?" he asked, still hoping to spark some conversation. Though he was getting the feeling that the endeavor was useless, he felt he had to try.

Bryn looked up from her food, a confused expression on her face. "We read instructuals to better our work," she replied, as if it were obvious.

Suddenly, Obi-Wan wondered if Grath chose to work late to avoid the evening meal. He found it hard to imagine that the young people on Vorzyd 4 were as work-driven as their parents. In some ways, he thought, it was similar to life at the Temple. There, children and adults were completely dedicated to learning the ways of the Force. The path of the Jedi was fascinating, of course. Far more fascinating than anything Obi-Wan had seen here. But Obi-Wan had to admit that sometimes, at the Temple, he just wanted some time off — to take a break.

Looking up from his bowl, Obi-Wan noticed Qui-Gon staring at him. He felt his face redden. More than once Qui-Gon had seemed able to read his mind, and he hoped this was not one of those times.

Obi-Wan had felt frustrated lately, yes. But he did not wish to leave the Jedi path. He had done that once — and it had turned out to be the biggest mistake of his life. Still, there were times — especially when he felt he was not progressing — that he wondered where all of this hard work was leading him.

Chapter 4

Chairman Port led the Jedi into a building a short distance from his house. "This is our retirement complex. My mother lived here after she retired. Now she is dead. The room is empty," he said. His voice registered no feeling.

"I'm sorry to hear of your mother's passing," Qui-Gon said gently.