once she stepped onto Corellian lands for the first time since she had left around nine years ago. She hasn't been to her home planet ever since the day Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan found her in the streets, sensing just how strong the Force was within the young street thief and decided to take them under their wing to train as a Jedi apprentice, just like her mother once was.

Layna was sent to the planet of Corellia along with her Master Sola to meet with one of the many supporters of the Jedi, as this supporter had information vital to the Council. She wasn't informed what the Council plans to do with this information, or whatever this information is supposed to be about, but she doesn't dare question the orders given to her.

Layna wasn't the same girl she was years ago, she was already growing into a mature Padawan whose skills are fine-tuned to perfection. She knew that she was nearing the end of her training, and it might be at most four years until she is ready to take the trials to become a full-fledged Jedi Knight. Becoming a Jedi Knight has been her dream for a while now, and she is almost ready to finally make that dream come true, for her sake and her mother's.

"Layna, stay close," Master Sola had instructed the girl, who nodded in response to her Master's words. Although she finally grew out of her mischievous self during her transition to a lady, she never could find herself to rid of her adventurous side. She's always loved going to new places and exploring them, and she craves all the action and the thrills in every mission.

"Yes, Master," the fifteen year old replied, as the two females began to made their way through the town in order to get to the supporter's home. Her Master told her that this meeting will be done in the supporter's home, as it would be far more convenient for them and they could get the privacy they needed. She wasn't informed about the supporter's address, nor their identity, but she didn't need to ask. She would just see for herself when they got there.

The young girl took in all of the new sights around town, noting the places and the structures that have changed and those that haven't in the past nine years she was absent from the planet. Even though she knew that this was a mission, she couldn't help the ever curious side of her study every little thing about her surroundings.

She took notice of the various beings whose heads would turn as they pass by, knowing that she and her Master were indeed Jedi. She kept her head held high, smirking as she sensed the awe, the curiosity and the fear instilled in each being they passed. She never would have imagined that she could ever have this effect on people, because the last time she was ever in the streets of Corellia, she was frowned upon and everyone saw her as a scoundrel and a rascal. She was always looked down on as a thief back then, but now she commanded different emotions in people and no one could ever look down on her again. It made her feel good, knowing that she managed to get the respect of quite a few Corellians thanks to Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

"Mind your emotions, young one. I understand how it feels to be above those who used to look down on you, but please do control your pride," she heard her Master say, and she mumbled a reply under her breath, lowering her head slightly as she followed her Master silently through the streets of Corellia.

After a few turns and about fifteen minutes of walking around, the teenage girl found herself in the area of her old home. This was the area where she used to live as a thief, in a small, abandoned structure that was destroyed ages ago by some kind of conflict between two aliens. She looked around warily, her dark eyes studying her surroundings as she walked through the streets.

Seeing as she grew up in this particular area, which was fairly close to the Corellian market (since she also needed a place to steal her food after all), she was very aware just how dangerous this part of town is. If one wasn't careful when passing through here, they would end up beaten to a pulp by one of the gangs located near here ot you lose money from the loitering thieves like she used to be.

"Keep up, Layna," Master Sola glanced over her shoulder when she noticed that her Padawan was falling behind a little bit. Layna's head whipped towards her Master, flashing the woman a sheepish smile before jogging over towards the platinum haired woman.

Layna continued to study her surroundings as they continued to make their way through the familiar streets of Corellia. When Master Sola made a right turn towards a residence that was very familiar to the young girl, Layna quickly realized where they were headed. "Master, are we going where I think we're going?"

Master Sola chuckled in amusement as she walked towards the large building owned by their supporter, the lone structure that housed a very prestigious family of pilots. "I believe so, Layna."

The platinum haired woman stopped as soon as she reached the entrance to the residence of their supporter, her emerald green eyes scanning the surroundings to make sure that it is safe to enter, in case there were any spies or suspicious people lurking around. Once she was sure that it was safe to enter, she pulled up the sleeve of her the cloak she was wearing and pulled out a comlink from her utility belt. She grabbed the comlink from her pocket and held it up to her mouth, activating it so she could talk to the supporter through the device. "We have made it to your residence, sir. I guarantee that it is safe and not a single soul followed us."

There was silence for a while and Layna didn't think that whoever was on the other end of the line didn't receive their message, but she was soon proven wrong when the doors to the structure had begun to open and revealed a rather familiar raven haired girl waiting on the other side.

"Layna!" The raven haired girl squealed as soon as her eyes locked with the young Padawan, and Layna found herself engulfed in a huge embrace by the only other person she managed to care about in this planet other than her mother. She quickly wrapped her arms around the older girl's waist as she buried her head into the crook of the raven haired girl's neck.

Layna felt the familiar warmth seep into her chest, quickly spreading all throughout her body as she held her best friend for the first time in nine years. Layna couldn't help but choke out a sob, as she was finally reunited with Aria, the girl who saved her life and the girl who gave her purpose, a reason to live after Layna lost her mother. She didn't even try to suppress the joy and the excitement of seeing her friend well and alive after the nine years they have been apart.

"I missed you," the brunette girl murmured in her best friend's ear, and the older girl breathed out a sigh, pulling away from the embrace after a little while. Layna pulled her arms away from the now nineteen year old girl, a huge grin creeping up on the younger girl's face as she stared at her raven haired friend, whose grin was just as huge as hers was.

"Excuse me, I know that you two haven't seen each other in a while and I'm sure you two would like to catch up with one another. But I believe we still have a job to do, and a very important mission to accomplish," Master Sola's words had broken the two girls from their state of overwhelming joy, and they soon straightened their backs and begun to focus on the task at hand. Aria cleared her throat, taking a step to the side and gesturing for the two female Jedi to enter her home.

"Please come in, my father is waiting for the two of you in the living room," the raven haired girl pressed the button to close the front doors of her home once more, turning her attention to the two Jedi as soon as the doors shut.

Although Layna has been friends with Aria when she was a child, she has never stepped foot in the Alistair girl's home as she always has been too shy to come. The young girl remembered the countless times her best friend had invited her to her home for dinner, and for her to meet her family, but Layna always ended up declining as she was too embarrassed to show her face to the Alistair family. She didn't think she was worth mentioning to Aria's family, as her family grew up with wealth and fame and status, while she always had nothing. She always feared that her social status and differences in lifestyle would tear their friendship apart, but Layna was glad that this wasn't the case at all.

The Alistair girl led the two Jedi to the living room, where she claimed her father was and all Layna could do while she passed the hallways of the home was stare and study every single detail, just how she always does when she goes to a new place filled with wonder. She didn't know when she could visit her friend again, seeing as it took her nine years to visit her home planet again, so she wanted to burn as much sights into her mind as possible.

Once they have made it to the entrance of the living room, Master Sola suddenly held up a hand and stopped abruptly, causing the Padawan to freeze in her tracks behind her Master and the older girl to turn to see what was holding the two Jedi up.

Master Sola turned to her Padawan, her emerald colored eyes piercing into the young girl's chocolate brown ones as she peered over her shoulder to glance at Aria for a brief moment, before turning her attention back onto Layna. "I was informed that the information Mr. Alistair will be giving is confidential, and therefore asked that I should be the only one present in the room when he tells me the information."

Layna narrowed her eyes at her Master in confusion, her gaze flickering towards the concerned looking girl behind her Master briefly before focusing on the woman in front of her. "Wait, so, are you asking me to just wait here?"

Master Sola suppressed a smirk as she clasped her hands together, "I'm asking you to stay behind here with Aria. Your father is giving you two this opportunity to catch up with one another, my dear."

The two teenage girls immediately turned to one another, wearing the same huge grins that they forced away earlier. Layna wrapped her arms around her Master, not even caring if her friend was watching or if her Master would push her away due to the sudden sign of affection. She was just so overjoyed at the thought of being able to talk to her friend for a little while longer, and spend some time with her before she was going to leave the planet once more. "Thank you, Master."

Master Sola shook her head with a small smile on her pale face, placing her hands on her Padawan's shoulders before pushing her away gently so she could escape her embrace. Master Sola reached up to ruffle the young girl's hair, before leaning in to whisper to her Padawan. "Now go, Layna."

+

Loud laughter escaped the two friends as they shared their memories of certain events that neither could forget about their lives, and the younger girl could feel her stomach ache from all the laughing she has done this past hour. She couldn't remember when was the last time she ever laughed this hard, seeing as she always had to suppress emotion due to her occupation as a Jedi apprentice. And it wasn't like the people around her in the Temple had very good sense of humor, none of them could appreciate her jokes and all her pranks back when she was a child.

Only Anakin could, but he was almost never there when she was.

"I can't believe that he still kept pushing the issue when everyone knows that he messed it up," the older girl let out another laugh, doubling over from how hard she was laughing and the younger girl couldn't help but laugh even harder seeing her friend like that. The two girls continued to laugh to their hearts' content, until the moment came when they finally stopped and the two had calmed down from their seemingly never-ending gales of laughter.

Layna wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, her lips pulled into a huge smile as her dark gaze connected with the older girl's much darker eyes. She noticed just how intensely she was looking at the young girl, and her light mood quickly shifted into a rather serious one, to match the flow of the conversation with Aria.

"What's wrong?"

Aria caught her bottom lip in between her teeth as she tore her gaze away from her best friend, and Layna felt the raging battle of emotions in the girl's heart, consisting mostly of sadness and longing for a single person. Layna couldn't understand what exactly her friend was thinking of, or what she was feeling right now as this feeling was incredibly foreign to the fifteen year old Padawan.

"I-Nothing," Aria chuckled, shaking her head with a small sigh. Layna's eyebrows rose upon hearing her best friend's dismissal of the topic, as she herself knew that it wasn't just nothing. "It's just... I kinda miss Aerron."

"Aerron?" Layna found herself repeating, brows furrowed as she shot her best friend a questioning look. Her best friend, in turn, blushed a bright red when the name left Layna's lips and the younger girl grew even more confused just by seeing her friend's reaction to the name. "Who's that?"

Aria sucked in a breath, her dark eyes twinkling as Layna felt her emotions spiral into one big tornado of positivity. Layna felt overwhelmed by the sudden change and shift in her friend's emotions, but she didn't bother bringing that up.

"Aerron is my first love," Layna watched as Aria's cheeks turned into a bright pink shade, and the adorable nineteen year old hid her face with her hands as she tried to contain herself.

The topic of love felt foreign to the fifteen year old, and hearing her best friend talking about it made Layna curious as she wanted to know what it was like loving someone like her mother loved her father. She never knew what two people in love looked like, seeing as her father died before she was born and her mother never had the time to find someone else to love, she dedicated all her time trying to put some food on the table. She's never truly felt the emotion herself other than the platonic type of love she had for her friends, so she wanted to know a little bit more about this unwitnessed emotion.

Leaning in towards her friend, she rested her chin on the palm of her hand and Aria cracked a huge smile, shaking her head as she peeked at her brunette through the gaps between her fingers. "Please do tell me more about this Aerron person."

Aria took in a huge breath as she began to tell the younger girl about her first love. "Aerron Sunfell is the son of one of my father's old friends, he's a year older than me and he is a very skilled pilot, just like his father. His family wanted him to follow in his father's footsteps, but he didn't want to become a pilot, he wanted to be an author. He always had a brilliant idea for a story, and he'd dedicate so much time and effort into seeing that idea become something other people can enjoy, as he loved seeing the smile on people's faces and the joy his stories bring to those who read his works."

Layna nodded, keeping her eyes on the raven haired girl as she continued to tell her about Aerron Sunfell, the boy who stole her heart, with a smile on her face. Layna didn't think Aria noticed the smile present on her face as she told the story, and the young girl was left to wonder if this was one of the effects of love. "When did you two meet?"

Aria's eyes sparkled upon hearing her best friend's question, and the raven haired girl couldn't lose the smile on her face as she continued to talk about the boy who stole her heart. "We met during one of my family's dinners, and we ended up talking about the adventures we want to have later on in life, and the adventures we've had till that day. I found out that I shared the exact same heart as someone out there that day, and that heart was his, and I swear I just... realized that this was the person I was meant to be with from the very beginning."

Layna could sense the amount of love her best friend had for the boy and just how happy he makes her, and she was left to wonder how exactly does love work. She's never loved anyone other than her friends, but her love for each and every one of them is different compared to how Aria loves Aerron. A million thoughts about this foreign emotion raced through Layna's mind, as her mind grew even more curious about love with every passing moment. She wondered if she could ever feel this way about someone, to love someone like how her best friend loved her first love.

No, she couldn't possibly, she thought as a frown formed on her face. She knew that she shouldn't bother trying to learn all about love, as she is a Padawan and a soon to be Jedi. She was going to dedicate her life to the Jedi Order, and to follow to their Code until the end of her days. Love was just a distraction and a forbidden fruit to those who belong in the Order of the Jedi, she wasn't allowed to love anyone romantically as they have been taught when they were children. Attachment would only lead them to the path of darkness, and Layna could not give up her dream for this silly thing called love. She just couldn't.

"Have you ever felt that way about someone, Layna?"

Layna blinked twice before turning to her friend, who had a curious look on her tanned face. She was looking at the Padawan girl expectantly, awaiting her honest answer to the girl's question. Layna scrunched up her nose, uncertainty washing over her as she did not know how it feels like to be in love. She hasn't felt that way for anyone before, or at least, she thinks she hasn't.

"I-I don't know, I don't really know how you could tell if you love someone," the younger girl admitted, her lack of understanding of the romantic love evident as she confessed the truth to the raven haired girl. "Can you tell me?"

Aria tapped her chin with her finger, squinting as she tried to think of the proper answer to her best friend's question. Layna's fingers drummed on her thigh as she waited for the response to her question, wondering exactly how she could find out if she's ever felt romantic feelings for anyone. She wanted to know if there was anyone out there she's ever grown to love, and if she did, how could she have missed all those signs? How could she have not found out about her feelings? How could she even live with these feelings for anyone?

Layna didn't have to wait very long as Aria straightened up, scooting closer to the Padawan seated beside her. Aria hummed, smiling as she raised her head to look up at the ceiling of her cream colored room. "Well, whenever you're around that person, you could feel really happy even if you aren't doing anything. Like, their mere presence is enough to make you incredibly happy. And when they touch you, you could feel electricity coursing through your veins and sending those jolts all throughout your body, and your heart would start racing like crazy."

Layna frowned upon hearing those symptoms, folding her arms across her chest as she searched her memories for those signs appearing around a certain someone. As she did though, Aria continued to describe the signs of a person in love and didn't seem to notice the change in her friend's expression. "Um, I guess you would also feel this really warm sensation whenever they're around or when you two touch, as well. You would also feel like you'd do anything just so you could see them again, to see their smiling face and their happiness is also pretty contagious."