YOUNG BLOOD ( A. SKYWALKER ) [1]

VIII.

Layna was seated on a table, a blank look on her face as she stared at nothing particular. She was absentmindedly playing with a grey sphere about the size of her hand, using the Force to keep the sphere floating in the air.

The sphere was what Master Sola gave the young Hale for her to use whenever she had to practice using the Force, and controlling it, bending the power to her will. She found herself bringing it along with her on the trip, keeping it in a small pouch on her utility belt as she could shrink it or enlarge it with one press of a button.

Layna was not using the sphere as a means to practice using the Force now, but rather, as a distraction. The parts they had acquired from winning the bet with Watto had arrived earlier today, which meant that the time to depart Tatooine was very close and that meant that Layna might not be able to see her friend anymore.

Despite only knowing the boy for a few days, she truly did grow attached to the young boy who would put others before himself, helping them out of his kindness without asking for anything in return. He truly was a force of nature, a boy whose impact was so great on her that she grew a bit sad knowing they had to part with him.

Anakin was nothing but kind to her and her friends, which is why the girl had opened her heart to him immediately. She found a friend in such a planet, that she used to despise so much. Anakin made her like the planet Tatooine - as she knew that whenever someone would mention the planet's name, her thoughts would immediately drift to the young boy whose eyes are as blue as the sky itself.

She still hated the sand and the weather, but due to his impact on her, she guessed that she wouldn't think that this planet was so bad after all.

"Layna? Are you okay?"

Layna was pulled out of her trance by Padmé, who entered the room to find her friend spaced out on the table, a grey sphere floating around her as she presumably used the Force to move it around. She stopped using the power for a brief moment when she was caught off guard, but quickly reached her hand out to stop the falling sphere from hitting the ground.

Placing it back onto the palm of her hand slowly, she pressed the button on the sphere to make it shrink once more and put it inside the small pouch attached to her utility belt. "Yes, Padmé? Did you need something?"

The handmaiden looked towards her friend in concern, her plump lips curling outward into a pout. Layna could sense the worry radiating off of Padmé, who approached the young girl silently. Her light brown eyes flickered to Layna's, and the young girl let out a small sigh. "Why are you feeling this way?"

"You're gonna miss him, aren't you?" Padmé saw the flicker of emotion in her eyes, but the girl immediately swallowed, shaking her head as she tried her best to hide the feelings she was feeling in that moment.

"No, I will not. He's just a little boy we met on a mission--"

"Layna," the handmaiden cut her off, placing her hand on Layna's own as she grasped the younger girl's tiny hand in hers. "You can drop the Jedi act, you can tear down that strong front when you're around me. Just... let go, and be honest with yourself."

Layna breathed out a sigh of relief, and she felt the walls she built crash back down again. She felt her chest loosen immensely, as the choking sensation she had felt was no longer there, all because she decided to break free of the facade. "I'm going to miss him dearly, Padmé. He's such a great friend."

Padmé gave her a knowing smile, placing her arms around the young girl's shoulders as she pulled Layna into a comforting hug. The older girl knew just how much it hurts to leave a friend behind, she understood how her friend felt this very moment. "I'm going to miss him too, Layna."