, and a young Padawan who goes by the name of Layna Hale was now eleven years of age. The said girl was standing in the center of the training at the moment, her eyes closed as she channeled the power of the Force, drawing it to her in order to deepen her understanding of it.

Her Master, the stern platinum haired woman who was now approaching her thirtieth year, was the only one overseeing her Padawan's training for the day as she stood in one corner of the room, her emerald green eyes trained on the girl who was standing in the room's center. She had her hands folded behind her back as she could feel the girl's now calm state, and she was very well aware that it was almost time.

"Begin!"

The young girl's breath hitched as her eyes shot open, and as soon as the platinum haired woman had seen her Padawan's reaction, she threw the remote she had hidden underneath her robes and activated it. The Padawan girl had sensed her Master's movements almost immediately, and her fingers gripped the hilt of her lightsaber and pressed the button to activate it causing a beam of purple to extend from the silver hilt.

"Concentrate, my young Padawan!" The Jedi Knight yelled at the Padawan, who had her dark brown eyes solely on the floating remote in front of her. Sola could feel the girl's determination as the young girl had sensed the droid's laser fire and lifted her lightsaber to deflect it.

Layna was itching to move, and she found it extremely hard to just wait for something to happen. She knew what the purpose of this exercise was, and it was so that the young girl could practice her lightsaber skills as well as her patience. Her Master was very well-aware of the young girl's lack of patience as she was impulsive and reckless, and she knew that her Padawan preferred being on the offensive rather than the defensive. But that was not what a Jedi is supposed to be.

A Jedi only uses his or her power in defense, and will only use their powers to defend the people and all that is good in the galaxy. Sola needed to get that through the girl's head, knowing that the girl tended to act rather impulsive then think of how her actions would affect the mission.

The remote fired three consecutive shots and the girl's eyes widened, struggling to keep up as she deflected the first two that had been shot on her left then her right, but missed the last one which hit the girl's thigh. "Ow," the brunette girl hissed in pain, glowering at the droid who had just shot her thigh.

"Mind your emotions, Layna," the green eyed woman reminded her Padawan, who had begun to take deep breaths in order to calm herself down. One, two, three, the girl counted in her head as her breathing began to slow and her frustration dissipating.

The young girl had always struggled to control her emotions, she did not know how to balance these emotions as there were times when she'd let herself go but there are also times when she stubbornly refused to let anything show. There had been times when the girl had thought that not having emotions would cure her of this problem, but she knew that this much was impossible as she was only still a human. She had to feel, even if she didn't want to. She could feel, even though she knew she shouldn't.

Master Sola walked over to the remote to deactivate it, placing the remote back on one of the shelves in the corner. She nodded as soon as she felt calm envelop the girl once more, and her Padawan deactivated her lightsaber when she saw the look of approval on her Master's face. "Good, you're learning. I expect you to meditate later on as it will help you find peace," she placed her hand on the young girl's shoulder. "You're doing well, Layna."

Layna felt warmth rush to her cheeks as her Master complimented her, and she nodded, deactivating her lightsaber and placing the hilt of her laser sword back on her utility belt. She heard the all too familiar sound of the training doors opening, and she turned to see who had just entered.

Her eyes soon widened at the sight of her Padawan friend along with his Master, standing in the door way of the training room. She hasn't been expecting neither one of her friends, as they have been away on a mission somewhere in the mid rim.

In fact, she hasn't seen Anakin at all since the day he left with Obi-Wan after the seventh month of his Padawan training. The two kept on missing one another, as their Masters had missions to accomplish on various star systems scattered all around the galaxy and they had to come along wherever their Master was assigned to. This was the pair's first meeting ever since that day, and their eyes were both wide as they stared at one another in shock and disbelief.

"Master Kenobi," the platinum haired woman regarding one of her old friends, running her hand through her short hair as she chuckled in amusement at the sight of the two Padawan staring at each other agape. "A pleasure to see you, as well as your young Padawan."

A laugh left Obi-Wan's lips as he nudged his Padawan, who finally snapped out of his daze and looked up at his Master in confusion. This caused the young girl to snap out of it as well, clearing her throat as she stood with her back straight, her eyes still trained on the young boy standing in the door way. "Well, what are you waiting for, you two?"

Anakin and Layna both flashed each other huge grins before racing toward one another, wrapping their arms around each other when the boy crashed into the younger girl. They fell down onto the floor in a heap, overjoyed laughs echoing around the training room as they held each other for the first time in three years.

The two Jedi Knights watched their Padawan with smiles on their faces, and they exchanged a knowing look, sensing the emotions radiating off of the children hugging one another on the floor.

"I can't believe you're really here," the young girl whispered, looking into the bright blue eyes of the boy she had missed so badly for years. The blonde boy laughed, staring down at the girl underneath him with a cheeky smile.

"I can't believe that you're here either," he breathed out slowly, taking in the sight of the slightly more mature looking girl. The young boy noted every small detail of the girl, quickly noticing every single thing about her that changed over the past few years. "I missed you."

"Oh, Ani, I missed you too," Layna giggled as she tilted her head to the side. "I know that you're glad to see me, but it would be really nice if you kindly get off of me."

The Tatooine boy's cheeks flushed at his friend's words, and he hurriedly pushed himself off of the girl he's wished to see for so long. He stood up in one swift motion, offering his hand out for the girl to take and she gave him a grateful smile, taking his hand in hers. He pulled his best friend up and she dusted her robes, peering up at the man he considered her brother.

"Hello, Obi, it's so good to see you again," she cracked a smile, which was soon returned by the Jedi Knight who had managed to grown facial hair now. "Ah, sorry, I meant Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan still had the amused smile plastered on his face, his gray blue eyes twinkling as his eyes found those of the girl he also considered a sister. "It's quite alright, Layna. You know you can call me Obi whenever you want."

Layna sent Obi-Wan an amused look, laughing as she shook her head at him. "I would, but Master Sola would probably have my head if I did. You know, seeing as you're now a Master and all, I need to respect you and all that."

Master Sola rolled her eyes at her Padawan, although playfully as she turned to the Jedi Knight beside her this time. "I have heard the news from Master Yoda, Obi. Are we to leave as soon as possible?"

Layna's eyebrows met in confusion, switching her attention to her Master. She had not heard of the news her Master spoke of, and her Master didn't even bother to report this to her. She knew that Master Sola would only tell her things when she was required to be in the know, but if her Master was going to leave on a mission, she would have told informed her. "What news? What are you talking about, Master?"

Master Kenobi folded his arms across his chest, exchanging glances with the platinum haired woman who pursed her lips in thought. He knew that the woman purposely left out details of the mission, but he didn't expect to hear that she didn't tell her Padawan of the mission at all. It was typical of her, after all, the man thought as he regarded the Jedi Knight's Padawan. "Master Yoda sent your Master and I on a mission, Layna. But he specifically said that the only ones who will be allowed to embark on this mission are Sola and I," he sighed slowly, gauging the young girl's reaction. "He asked that you and Anakin stay here, where it's safe, as the two of us go to Bespin for a few days."

Layna's dark gaze flickered over to her Master, who just smiled at the young girl apologetically. The brunette girl was already used to her Master hiding things from her, knowing her Master wasn't exactly good at expressing herself, and things like this don't even affect her anymore. And her Master going to yet another planet without her wasn't new, as she had done this a few times prior due to the level of danger they could encounter in the said mission.

The young girl was only disappointed for the most part, as she knew that she was going to miss out yet another adventure, but she couldn't do anything about it this time. It was dangerous, she knew that, and she promised not to get into any more trouble after what she did during the battle of Naboo. The Council will probably have her head if she attempted anything as reckless as that once more.

"I understand," her dark brown eyes trailed over to her best friend, and she wrapped her arm around the boy's shoulder with a huge grin on her face. She felt the boy's hand reach up to touch the arm wrapped around him and he turned to look at her with a rather amused expression plastered on his face. "I'll just stay here with Ani, then."

Master Sola's green eyes studied the young girl, nodding curtly seeing as she didn't have to convince her Padawan to listen to her this time, knowing she hardly ever does, and turned to the man who was to be her only company for the duration of this mission. "Now, Master Kenobi, shall we report to the Council before we leave?"

Master Kenobi nodded, glancing over at Anakin and Layna with kind eyes. "Be good, Anakin. Please take care of him for me, will you, Layna?" Obi-Wan asked the young girl, who sent her friend a smug smile upon hearing those words from Obi.

"Of course, Master. Do take care, both of you!" She called after them as Master Sola exited the room along with Master Kenobi, the doors closing soon after the female Master had gone.

There was silence in the room for just a moment, but was soon disrupted when the young brunette turned to her friend, her chocolate colored eyes twinkling. "So, Ani, do you want to hang out in my room?"

+

The young girl pulled her friend by the hand leading him through the various twists and turns to get to her room, which was on the third floor in of the living quarters located in the Temple. She remembered how she used to sneak into her room with Anakin trailing right behind whenever they didn't want to go to bed when it was already lights out. She missed the thrill of the possibility of getting caught, the feeling of adrenaline rushing through her whenever she saw a shadow on the wall or murmured voices nearby.

She peered over her shoulder to check on the Padawan boy, who had his eyes on the floors of the hall. She knew that Anakin himself hasn't been in his room since he left for the planet Chandrila in the Core Worlds around three months ago, and during that time, Layna was in Ilum with her Master as she was being taught how to create her own lightsaber using kyber crystals found in that planet.

The young girl stopped in front of her door, using her free hand to twist the knob and push the door open so that the duo could enter the young girl's room. She kept the door open, of course, and led the blonde boy over to take a seat on her bed.

Anakin plopped down on the edge of the girl's bed, feeling a tad awkward as it has been a while since he's been in her room. The brunette could sense her friend's uneasiness, and reached out to put her hand on top of his.

Anakin's blue eyes darted to the tanned girl's face, and she gave him a sweet smile. She plopped down on the spot beside him, pulling her legs up to her chest as she turned to face the boy, resting her chin on her knees without ever letting go of her friend's hand. "So Ani, tell me all about your most unforgettable adventures," the girl's chocolate eyes peered into those of the blonde's in front of her. "I do want to know what you've seen and heard these past few years."

The Padawan boy scrunched up his nose, memories of the various adventures he had in the past three years running through his mind until they meshed together. Shaking his head with a slight frown, he shrugged his shoulders as he withdrew his hand from underneath hers. He then used his now free hand to take Layna's smaller one, playing with her tiny fingers. "I don't wanna talk about me, I wanna talk about you," the blue eyed boy admitted, smiling at her shyly.

Layna was slightly taken aback by what Anakin said, her eyebrows furrowing as she stared back at her friend in confusion. She had no idea why Anakin would want to talk about her, nothing much happened these past few years and although she had quite a bit of adventures, she didn't think there were any adventures worth telling. "Me? Why do you want to talk about me?"

"Because I want to," Anakin answered, clearing his throat as he bit down on his bottom lip nervously. "So... I never got the chance to tell you this before, but I've been hearing what the other Padawans are saying about you."

Layna raised her eyebrows, curiosity sparking inside of her as she wondered what exactly Anakin had heard from her fellow Padawans. She's never really the type to listen in on other people's conversations just so she could learn of whatever was happening in the Jedi Temple, or in another star systems, for that matter. She never cared, as the only things she cared about were her adventures and her training. "What have they been saying about me?"

"Well, most of the boys have been talking about how pretty you are," the young boy began, knowing that Layna's charm and pretty face has been the subject of the other boy Padawans for a while now.

"What?" Layna blurted out in disbelief, her wide eyes staring at her friend in confusion. Layna did not once think of herself as attractive, the thought never passed her mind. She has never stopped to look at her reflection in the mirror and ask if she liked what she sees, as she never cared about it before. "No, that can't be true. No way."

"Well, I agree with you. I don't think you're pretty," Anakin's grin widened, his light eyes sparkling as he kept them on Layna's dark ones. "I think you're beautiful."

The memory of her first meeting with Anakin resurfaced in her mind, and the familiar feeling of the blood rushing to her cheeks made her pout slightly. She doesn't really know how to react to Anakin's words, as she wasn't the type of girl most people would relate to the word beautiful. She wasn't the traditional type of girl, as she was a Jedi apprentice, she didn't wear dresses or gowns or any of the like. She wasn't graceful or elegant, she was reckless and unrefined. She didn't understand why anyone would find her attractive, or anything close to what people think the definition of attractive is.

She never saw the beauty others did see in her, maybe it was because she herself did not know what the standards for beauty are or maybe it was because she never cared about what she looked like.

The brunette furrowed her brows together, pulling her hand away from the boy's grasp, immediately losing the warmth she had felt in her hand as she did. She wrapped her arms around her knees, her dark gaze fixated on Anakin's light blue eyes which shone as he stared at her. "I honestly don't understand, Ani. Why would you think I'm beautiful? I don't think I am," she admitted, the boy raising an eyebrow at the younger girl.

Anakin tilted his head to the side, his expression contorting into one of confusion as he blinked a few times at the girl, as if to say that he doesn't understand what she doesn't understand. He shut his eyes, the beautiful sea of blue in his eyes disappearing as he took a deep breath.

Layna could feel the boy attempt to calm himself down, all other emotions fading inside of the boy fading as only one remained dominant out of all of his other emotions. Determination.

She watched as the boy's eyes fluttered open, his expression turned gravely serious and his eyes that are pools of blue looked into her endless pit of dark brown ones, opening his mouth to finally answer the question she had asked just a few moments prior. "Layna, I--"

"Young Hale, come with me, you must." The two Padawan heard a familiar voice call out to them from the entrance to Layna's room, and their heads whipped towards the door to look at the green skinned Master who was standing by the girl's doorway.

Layna felt a bit disappointed that her time was Anakin was cut short by Master Yoda's arrival, but her mood instantly lightened when she remembered that she could spend the next few days with Anakin as his Master was still in the planet of Bespin, accompanied by her own Master, Sola.

The Padawan girl pushed herself off her bed, shooting her best friend an apologetic smile. "I'm really sorry I have to cut this short, Ani, but Master Yoda is calling me," she caught the disappointed look in her best friend's face before he masked it with a false smile, one that did not reach his eyes at all. "I promise we can catch up more tomorrow. We will be seeing a lot more of each other these next few days, after all."

"Don't worry about it," Anakin nodded, hopping off the young girl's bed. Once he was standing right in front of her again, the false smile turned into a genuine one, as his bright blue eyes met hers. "I'll see you tomorrow, Layna."

"See you tomorrow, Ani." The Padawan girl flashed her friend yet another sweet smile, before heading outside the door, following the tiny green Jedi Master to see whatever business he had to speak of with the young girl.

+++