LEILANI SERENNO bridged the past and the present, born into a family of cruelty and then groomed to fulfil a role in the grand scheme of things. She was a puppet manipulated by her brother, ensnared in a larger narrative orchestrated by the Force. Y...
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The jungle stretched endlessly ahead, dense and unrelenting. The air was thick, humid, and alive with the sounds of unseen creatures. Each step was a battle against tangled roots and damp foliage, the terrain shifting between soft earth and treacherous, moss-covered stones. The deeper they went, the more it felt as if the jungle itself was watching, waiting.
And yet— all anyone could focus on was the fluffball.
"Okay, okay," Ahsoka said, adjusting her pack as she kept pace with Leilani, who still held the small, round creature against her chest. "We need to name him."
"We do not need to name him," Obi-Wan countered, stepping over a fallen branch. "He's not a pet."
"Speak for yourself," Nia muttered, arms crossed as she trudged through the undergrowth. "I, for one, welcome our new tiny overlord."
The creature let out a delighted chirp, as if in agreement.
Anakin scowled at it. "I still don't trust him."
"You don't trust anyone," Ahsoka shot back.
"That's because most things try to kill us," Anakin argued. "This thing shows up out of nowhere, and suddenly we're adopting it?"
"Look at him," Ahsoka said, gesturing dramatically to the small, wide-eyed creature now nibbling on the edge of Leilani's sleeve. "Does that look like a murderous predator to you?"
Anakin narrowed his eyes at the creature. It blinked up at him, wiggled its ears, and let out the softest, most innocent squeak imaginable.
Anakin groaned. "I hate that it's cute."
Nia snorted. "Admit it, Skywalker. He's growing on you."
"I will do no such thing."
Leilani, who had been silent up until this point, finally sighed, adjusting the little fluffball in her arms. "If it's coming with us, it will need a name."
Ahsoka beamed. "Yes! Okay, I vote for 'Puff.'"
Anakin looked pained. "That is not a name."
"Puff?" Obi-Wan repeated dryly. "You named a dangerous creature Puff?"
"We don't know that he's dangerous!" Ahsoka argued.
"Exactly," Nia cut in. "Which is why we should name him something more fitting. Like Phantom."
Anakin raised an eyebrow. "Because he... what? Appeared out of nowhere?"
"Exactly."
Leilani arched a brow. "That logic would also justify calling him Surprise."
Ahsoka gasped. "I love that."
Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose. "You cannot name him 'Surprise.'"
