bouncing off the walls of the small training room. The young Padawan quickly ceased her movements, turning her head to see the neutral expression her master had etched on her pale face. Layna pursed her lips, deactivating her purple lightsaber and bowed her head as her master made her way towards her.

Sola Drenall narrowed her eyes at the eight year old girl, her light green eyes piercing through the small girl's head. Layna lowered her head even more, furrowing her eyebrows as she waited for her master's displeased comment about how sloppy or how reckless she was being. But instead of the lecture she thought she was going to receive, she heard one thing she didn't think she'd hear from her master's lips today. "You are improving, my Padawan. Good work."

The brunette girl raised her head, her dark brown eyes twinkling as a rush of happiness and a sense of achievement washed over her. Layna has been training extremely hard under the Jedi Master Sola Drenall ever since she was chosen by the platinum haired woman almost two years ago, after she passed the Initiate Trials. Although she only began her training six months prior to the trial, she showed natural talent with the training lightsaber and control of the Force, as she was a prodigy and she possessed her mother's natural talent with the Force.

She could still remember the way Master Sola sized her up, her light green eyes scanning her up and down to see if the girl was fit to be called her Padawan. Despite being reluctant to choose her at first, Master Sola felt that the girl could become a very powerful Jedi, one that might even surpass her if trained properly. And so, Master Sola decided to take Layna under her wing, and the young girl always did her very best when it came to training.

"Thank you, Master. It was all thanks to your training," the young girl smiled, a tiny dimple appearing on her left cheek as she looked up at the pale young woman. A chuckle escaped Sola's lips, and she raised her head, eyes narrowing once more as she felt two presences she hasn't felt in quite a while. The platinum haired woman turned to the small girl, who had a knowing look on her face, as she also sensed the presences of the newcomers. "C-can I take my leave now, Master?"

Sola waved her hand dismissively, the corner of her pink lips tugging upwards. "Of course. Now go, you wouldn't want to miss those two before they leave again," Layna nodded, bowing to her master once more before scurrying outside to meet the two men who brought her in the world of the Jedi.

"Strong, young Hale has become." Master Sola heard the voice of the Jedi Grand Master from behind her, and she turned to face the oldest member of the Jedi Council with a small smile. "She definitely has, Master Yoda. She really is so much like her mother, she could control the Force just as well as she could at a young age."

Sola opened her mouth ever so slightly, memories of her Padawan's mother invading her mind. "Even stronger than her mother, you feel she is, hm?" The wise old Jedi asked, nodding his head at the door which the young Padawan used to leave.

"I don't just feel that she is, Master. I know she is."

+

The young girl raced to the Jedi Council Chamber, her heart thumping wildly in her chest as she made her way towards the two men who brought her into this life. The truth was that Layna hasn't seen Qui-Gon nor Obi-Wan since the day she was assigned to be Master Sola's Padawan.

She considered these two people very important, as they were the two who found her in the streets of Corellia, revealing her true identity as well as her mother's, then brought into the world of the Jedi. Layna always thought that it was thanks to Obi and Qui-Gon that she could train to become a Jedi, because in a way, these two saved her from a life that she did not want to live.

Layna didn't want to live in the streets of Corellia forever, making it by with only spare change and stolen food. Even if she did rely on her best friend to clothe and feed her sometimes, it just was not enough for Layna to live like that. She always believed that she was meant to become something greater than just a street thief, and this was her chance to prove that she was more than just a petty pickpocket. It was thanks to them that she received a chance to prove herself to her best friend, as well as her mother and father, who she believed were watching over her every single day.

Layna stopped as soon as she reached the entrance to the Chamber, huffing and puffing as she struggled to catch her breath. The eight year old could hear faint voices coming from the other side of the door, and she was extremely tempted to just barge in but she of course knew that this was highly inappropriate. She would get a scolding from every single Master in that room, and not just her own Master this time. She didn't want any more trouble as she was already being watched by the Jedi Masters due to her rash and reckless behavior, paired with her mischievous streak.

"-dispatched by Supreme Chancellor Valorum?"

Layna's ears perked up at the mention of the Supreme Chancellor, and curiosity started to build up inside of the girl. There was no doubt that this would be a rather important mission, if there were Jedi dispatched by the Supreme Chancellor himself. An important mission? The young girl thought, feeling excitement combine with curiosity at the thought of being dispatched along with the assigned Jedi to this mission. She wondered if Master Sola would agree to it, seeing as she had to be by her Master's side during the duration of her entire Padawan training.

Probably not, the girl nodded with a frown. "Yes, Master Windu. We have received word of this from the Supreme Chancellor himself, and he wants us to leave immediately." Layna's dark brown eyes went wide when she heard the response come from Master Qui-Gon himself. The young girl pieced the puzzle together, and realized that the reason behind Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's return was not because of a report to the Council or leisure at all, but it was for an extremely important mission given by the Supreme Chancellor.

Layna wondered if she could convince Master Qui-Gon to let her come along, as it would be killing two birds with one stone. Layna could get some hands-on Jedi training by going on this mission with Master Qui-Gon, and she could satisfying her heart's craving for a good adventure. This was an opportunity the young Padawan was not willing to pass by, she definitely had to go.

She pressed her left ear against the door to listen to the Council's discussion, wanting to know the details of this mission assigned to her informal Master. "And what is the objective of this mission, Master Qui-Gon?"

"To negotiate with the Trade Federation, who has stopped all shipping to Naboo." She heard Qui-Gon reply, along with a few murmurs by the members of the Jedi Council. "He believes that negotiating with them will settle this conflict."

There were no words uttered for a few moments, but this was soon disrupted by the sound of Master Windu's voice cutting through the silence. "I see. If the Supreme Chancellor believes that settling this dispute would bring peace back to the Galaxy, then I don't see any reason not to send you two to Naboo." Layna concluded that Obi-Wan would be the one to accompany his Master on this mission, and she found herself growing envious of the young man. "May the Force be with you, Master Qui-Gon."

Upon hearing those words, the brunette girl pushed herself off of the door and took several steps back, so that she wouldn't get caught eavesdropping by any of the Jedi who would take their leave. There were muffled voices, followed by footsteps coming from the other side of the door and soon enough, the large doors opened to reveal the bearded man who brought Layna back to Coruscant.

"Master!"

The female Padawan launched herself into an unsuspecting Qui-Gon, who let out a laugh as the small girl embraced his hips. Obi-Wan followed soon after, closing the door behind him and peered over his master's shoulder to see a small girl clad in Padawan robes hugging the man.

"It's nice to see you too, Layna." Qui-Gon pulled himself away from the child's embrace, and was greeted by a rather toothy smile as soon as he locked eyes with the young Padawan.

"Hello, young Layna." Layna's dark brown eyes flickered towards Qui-Gon's young apprentice, and she, too, wrapped her arms around him. If Qui-Gon was like a father to the young girl, then Obi-Wan was like an older brother.

Layna could still remember the way Obi-Wan stood by her during her presentation to the Jedi Council. He had the small girl enveloped in his warmth, a strong arm around her shoulder as she stood with trembling legs. She feared that she would not be accepted, and the way the Council's scrutinizing gaze bore into her made her fear the worst. It was he who comforted her and reassured her that it will all be alright.

Layna pushed herself away slowly, nodding at the older Padawan as she did so. "What are you two doing in Coruscant?" the young Hale asked, despite knowing the real reason behind their return. She wanted to see if they trust her enough to inform her of this mission, and she hoped that they would ask to accompany them on their mission to further her training, even if it wasn't with her true Master.

Obi-Wan exchanged glances with his master, and the older man nodded his head at his Padawan. Fixing his gray-blue eyes back onto the young child, he placed his hand on top of Layna's head. "We're just here to report a mission given to us by the Supreme Chancellor."

There we go, Layna mentally cheered as her dark brown eyes lit up with anticipation. "A mission? Could I come along, Master?"

"It's too dangerous," Qui-Gon quickly said, frowning as the young girl visibly deflated upon hearing words of rejection from his lips. "I'm sorry, young one, but you have to stay here with your master."

Layna's teeth caught her bottom lip, and a thousand thoughts raced through her head. She did want to accompany Master Qui-Gon in this mission, and she wasn't as defenseless as he thinks. She has been training these past one and a half years under Master Sola to hone her powers and skills, she knew how to handle a lightsaber and she knew how to at least control the Force. She's gotten stronger, she was now a Padawan. She wasn't the thief he remembered her to be, back in Corellia.

"But master, I've gotten stronger! I can protect myself," the girl told the older man, but she was turned down once again as Qui-Gon shook his head at the small child.

"I do know that you have gotten stronger, Layna. But this mission is too much for a beginner like you, I cannot risk it, as much as I want you to come along." Layna smiled a little bit at the fact that Qui-Gon acknowledges her new strength. Layna wasn't dumb, she knew that she wasn't ready for a mission like this but the thought of an adventure was overpowering her. But she wasn't going anywhere with this, she needed to think of something else.

Her dark brown eyes widened, glinting with mischief as she fought to fight the grin that was beginning to form on her lips. She bowed slightly, surprising the two men as they would think she'd push a little bit harder to get them to take her with them. "I... understand, Master. I truly hope that you can be successful in the mission."

Obi-Wan could sense the sudden change in the young girl's demeanor, as much as she thinks that she could control her emotions and her thoughts, she hasn't mastered it completely. He could feel that she was going to do something incredibly reckless, and he doesn't like it. "Layna --"

"May the Force be with you." And with that, the young girl turned to leave, her brown hair flowing behind her as she walked away from the two men.

"I sense it, too, young Padawan." Qui-Gon spoke, causing the Padawan to turn to his master. "Let's just hope she won't get into any more trouble with the Council with what she's planning to do."

+

The young girl held her breath as the space cruiser began its ascent, soaring into the Coruscant sky as the two Jedi, along with the crew, head to the green planet of Naboo. She took a look around, taking in her surroundings as she did her best to hide her presence from the people on board. Especially the Force-sensitive men.

Layna knew very well that her actions will not sit well with her Master, or for the Council, for that matter. But the girl did think this through, and the desire for adventure along with that gut feeling outweighed the punishment she was probably going to receive when she gets back. She decided to make this adventure worthwhile if she was going to push through with whatever punishment the Council has in store for her.

The young Padawan decided to sneak aboard the space cruiser which was to take Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon to Naboo, and the feat was accomplished easily due to her previous status as a thief. A thief was silent, sneaky and subtle - she was all three of these things. But one thing she didn't know how to do was disguise her presence from the two Jedi, seeing as she wasn't as well-trained as they were. She must have been doing something right if they haven't sensed her yet, and it's been round ten minutes since the space cruiser left the landing pad.

"You can come out now, young Layna." Layna let out a groan, pushing herself up to make her appearance. Of course they knew she was here.

"Master, I can explain-" Qui-Gon held up a hand, exchanging glances with his Padawan who had a small smile on his face. "See, I told you she was going to do something like this."

"So you did, Master." Obi-Wan agreed, and the young girl let out an exasperated groan this time. She didn't think that they expected her to do this in the first place. It was no wonder that sneaking onto the cruiser was too easy for the Padawan to accomplish. They must have known her plan from the moment she made her exit back then.

"Now, young Layna." Layna turned to the older man, her bottom lip sticking out into a whiny pout. "I trust that you will be on your best behavior in this mission. Please do not do anything that would endanger any of us."

Nodding once, the young girl swallowed as she hurriedly erased the childish expression she had previously worn. "I promise, master. I will not let you down."

+++