Star Wars: Hidden Fates

Chapter 18: Tick-Tock

"Your force powers are outstanding." Bastila put her lightsaber away after a training session with Leilani that involved combat and non combat parts. "You are a prodigy, I can't say that I am not jealous."

"My force capabilities have manifested abnormally fast since I was four." Leilani guzzled down water from her canister. "But I do suck at controlling my confidence."

Bastila drank from her water canister. "Maybe we have been focusing too much on combat and using the force in it. Perhaps we should switch to diplomacy and espionage."

Leilani looked confused. "Isn't that what a Sentinel does?" She looked at her chronometer she kept in a pocket for the time, which always made a tick-tock sound when she took a look.

She nodded in agreement with Leilani. "Indeed it is. Frankly though, I am surprised you didn't know I was a Sentinel. I assumed you would have figured it out by now. Anyway, I think the Sentinel path might be more beneficial to you."

Leilani's eyes furrowed in disappointment. "Is this because I am small enough to sneak into air vents?"

Bastila giggled a bit, remembering that Leilani was short. She shook her head and put a hand on Leilani's shoulder. "I think your potential can lead you to not just be a skilled fighter but also skilled at healing, espionage and specifically slicing tech and fixing tech. It will help focus your energy on other areas other than combat. My area of speciality is less on combat. I won't force you to be a Sentinel instead of a Guardian but at least I want you exposed to the work."

Leilani's eyes looked down at the ground. "Is this because you think I will become a Sith or a Dark Jedi if I remain following the Guardian subcategory?"

Bastila gave Leilani a warm smile. "No, that is incorrect. You're one of the strongest female Padawans recorded in Jedi history. As your Master, my duty is to help you grow in knowledge in the force and help reach your potential with the force as your ally."

Her face lit up with pride. "Thank you." Then she started coughing. Leilani was recovering from a throat infection. She was not contagious nor did she have a fever anymore, her coughing was just annoying to others.

She nodded in return to her Padawan. "I think you will enjoy what I do as a Sentinel. It will help you learn more about the force." Bastila cleared her throat. "I think we both deserve a break. Meet me back in a meditation chamber in two hours. Enjoy your break, time is going tick-tock."

Leilani went to a recreational room on the second floor of the Temple. There were younglings, padawans, and Temple workers all playing some sort of games. Her best friend, Damian, was there. She loved how strong and tall he was with his fair skin, short black hair, and green eyes.

He gestured to Leilani to play table-tennis with him. She happily went over and coughed a lot and grabbed a paddle. Several younglings that were human and various alien species watched the two of them go back and forth.

"Yay!" A little girl clapped. "One point for Damian. Leilani has zero."

Leilani gently bounced the table tennis ball on her paddle. "I-I am just warming up."

Damian and Leilani went back and forth for some time. At some point, Leilani accidentally smacked the ball too hard and it bounced out of the recreational room, and through a gap in the 2nd floor balcony. Everyone could hear the bouncing resonate around– that was a problem.

A little boy stood up. "The score is Damian 5 and Leilani 1."

Damian put his paddle down. He did not want to celebrate. "Forget the score, does anyone notice we heard the ball drop? It is too quiet out there."