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.

"Trust your partner as well as the Force," Adi called. "Aggression and competitiveness have no place in this exercise."

Obi-Wan felt Siri move slightly nearer to him.

Yet he still felt nothing from her. Another seeker droid hit the floor, and Obi-Wan's irritation crested and drove out his caution. He reached out, ignoring Siri.