Without a doubt, it saved the ship as well as our lives," Captain Panaka remarked, his brown eyes settling on the young lady seated on the throne, which was obviously crafted especially for the Queen.

The brunette girl clad in Padawan robes cocked her head to the side, her chocolate brown eyes trained on the dirty-looking R2 unit beside the Captain. She was amazed to see that this tiny droid managed to survive, as he was the only remaining droid out of the three brought out. She was also extremely grateful for the droid managed to saved their skins from the attack of the Federation. If it weren't for this R2 unit, everyone in this room would probably be dead by now, or captured.

"It is to be commended, what is it's number?"

The tiny blue and white droid let out a series of beeps, its head rotating as the Captain scraped off some of the grime on its body. He squinted for a moment, then proceeded to read out the droid's number. "R2-D2, your highness."

Queen Amidala nodded her head at the droid, thanking R2 and the droid responded happily through its droid language. "Padmé."

One of the Queen's handmaidens step forward, approaching the small droid. If Layna wasn't mistaken, this was the same handmaiden the Queen addressed earlier before she came to a decision to leave with the Jedi. So, her name was Padmé, the younger Padawan thought as she silently observed the girl - she looked a few years older than Layna, that was for sure, and if anyone looked a little closer, they could see the slight resemblance between the girl and the Queen.

"Clean this droid up the best you can," the Queen instructed her handmaiden. A ghost of a smile appears on the Queen's painted face as she gazes upon the tiny droid. "It deserves our gratitude."

Artoo let out a whistle, obviously happy with the Queen's words. "Continue, Captain."

Captain Panaka silently approached his Queen, turning his head to the Jedi standing quietly at the back. The eldest of the three stepped forwards, seeing as it was his turn to speak now. "Your Highness, with your permission, we're heading for a remote planet called Tatooine. It's a system far beyond the reach of the Trade Federation."

Layna's eyes went wide and her head whipped towards her Master. She was not informed of their decision to land in Tatooine, but she was familiar with the planet. Tatooine was not a planet she particularly liked, mainly due to the scorching heat beating down from its two suns to the endless view of sand as far as the eye could see. If she were to put it bluntly, she doesn't like Tatooine and she doesn't want to go there. But she guessed that it couldn't be helped, if her Master feels the need to go to such a planet to hide from the Federation.

"I do not agree with the Jedi on this," Captain Panaka voiced out his opinion, glancing towards the older man and his companions. You're not the only one, Layna pursed her pink lips and swallowed her words.

"You must trust my judgment, Your Highness."

+

The young Padawan sat on the metallic table placed in the center of the room, swinging her legs back and forth as she got lost in her own thoughts once more. The spacecraft was already set for Tatooine, and it was going take quite a bit of time before they reached the desert planet.

No matter how much she disliked visiting Tatooine, she had no choice seeing as they needed to stay low for a bit. This was for the sake of the mission, and she was to be a Jedi - she was not supposed to abandon a mission just because she disliked the planet they needed to visit.

She hasn't been to Tatooine since the first time she visited with her Master around seven months ago. When she heard that her Master had to head to the faraway planet called Tatooine, she was absolutely ecstatic as it meant another adventure, and even more sights to see as opposed to the usual view of Coruscant from the Jedi Temple.

But she definitely did not expect to see such a barren planet, filled with sand and only sand. She wondered how people manage to survive in such a humid planet, and how people actually like living there. Thankfully, her Master finished her mission to negotiate with one of the Hutts in the planet, and the twosome left the planet immediately, with the young Padawan thinking that she didn't want to come back to this planet again.

And yet, here she was, aboard a Naboo spacecraft on its way to the planet Tatooine. It wasn't like she could do anything about it, she had to keep all her complaints to herself and she wasn't going to show how she truly felt about her return to Tatooine. Jedi should not show emotion, after all.

"Um, you're a Jedi, right?"

Layna was pulled out of her own mind as a small voice rang from across the room. She turned her head to see the handmaiden the Queen had assigned to clean up the R2 unit. The young girl clad in orange was looking at the younger brunette with curiosity, and it wasn't a look she hasn't seen before. Not many people encounter Jedi of course, but seeing someone as young as she with the status of a Jedi apprentice did cause questions to arise in some people. She was already used to their questions and she was used to feeling their doubt about the young girl. "No, not yet. But I'm training to become one."

Padmé nodded her head, smiling slightly as she continued to clean the grime off Artoo. "You-you're pretty strong," she mused, wiping off some of the dirt on Artoo's head. "It's very admirable to see someone as young as you fight like that."

Layna swung herself off the table, approaching the crouching handmaiden. "Well, thank you. It's not everyday I get praised for that," the young girl admitted, her heart warming up to the handmaiden ever so slightly.

"I'm Padmé," the young handmaiden grinned at the girl looming above her. "I'd shake your hand but I'm kind of dirty at the moment."

The brunette girl chuckled, shaking her head from side to side. "It's alright. It's nice to meet you Padmé, my name is Layna."

Padmé nodded back at the girl, as if to say likewise and glanced over at Artoo. "So, how long have you been training?"

"Around one and a half years now, as an official Padawan. Two years all in all though," the Padawan answered, her dark brown eyes meeting Padmé's light ones when she turned back to her.

"Just two years? I thought you have trained longer, you're very skilled with that," Padmé gestured to Layna's lightsaber, which was hanging on her utility belt. The young handmaiden's eyes twinkled as she looked at the hilt of the sword, as if mystified by the weapon used by the protectors of peace.

Layna flushed slightly upon hearing yet another compliment from the gorgeous girl's lips. She tucked a few loose strands of her light brown hair, which almost looked blonde, behind her ear. "The Council thinks that I got all of my prowess from my mother."

"Oh?" Padmé's lighter brown eyes widened a bit. "She must be really good."

Layna's eyes faltered slightly, as thoughts of her deceased mother began to rush in waves through her mind. She always heard words of how skilled her mother was with the Force and the lightsaber back in the Temple, and there were times when she'd feel proud that she could be as good as her mother once was. But most of the time, she would remember that her mother was no longer of this world, and she would remember that couldn't see her mother's face as she trained hard every single day to become what she was before Layna was born. She missed her mother, she truly did. "She used to be."

Padmé sensed the younger girl's change in demeanor, and immediately caught onto what she was implying. The handmaiden sent the girl a sympathetic look, worry etched onto her fair face. "I'm so sorry."

Layna felt a tears brimming in her eyes, but she quickly turned away so that the handmaiden wouldn't see her moment of weakness. Don't feel, she told herself, Jedi don't show emotion. She swiped her fingers across her eyes to wipe the tears away, and repeated the same phrase in her head over and over. Don't feel.

"Please don't cry," she heard Padmé say, and the Padawan whipped around to look at the girl with wide eyes.

"Jedi don't cry," the Padawan girl's voice broke as she said that, a stray tear falling from her left eye and onto her cheek. "Jedi aren't supposed to show emotion."

Padmé gave the girl a tender smile, wiping her hands on a clean piece of cloth before setting it down gently on the table nearby. Layna clenched her fist, pressing it onto her mouth as she struggled to keep her emotions in check.

"But you can, with me. It will be our little secret," she felt Padmé's warm hand on her shoulder, and the young handmaiden had such a kind look in her eyes that Layna's walls immediately crashed down upon seeing it. Layna wrapped her arms around a girl she barely met, and the dam she built to hold her emotions back crashed down.

The young Padawan buried her head into the fourteen year old's shoulder, silent sobs escaping her lips as all the pain she kept bottled inside broke free, and she could feel so many different emotions all at once. Padmé said absolutely nothing as she held the young girl in her arms, stroking her head as she comforted the weeping girl. "I-I miss her, Padmé."

Padmé smiled slightly, shushing the girl as she rubbed her back this time. "Just let it all out, just this once." Layna said nothing as she did as Padmé said, her emotions flying out all at once and overwhelming the young girl.

+

Layna fixed herself as she waited for her Master outside the spacecraft. She frowned upon seeing the familiar sandy land of Tatooine, displeasure radiating off of her in that instant. She was glad that neither Master Qui-Gon nor Obi-Wan were here to sense her emotions, as they would call her out on it.

Layna recalled what had happened with Padmé just around an hour before, and a smile found its way onto the girl's face. She didn't really know why she trusted the handmaiden like she did, there was just something about her that made the girl feel at ease. She showed Padmé a side of her she never showed anyone else, and she was the only person she showed her weakness to.

She was thankful for the girl's kindness, and her willingness to lend an ear as well as a shoulder to cry on. Now that Layna finally released all of those bottled up feelings inside of her, she didn't feel as heavy as she used to before. She felt better, and she was noticeably feeling lighter in both body and mind.

Master Qui-Gon descended the spacecraft after a few moments, his eyes locking with the eyes of the eight year old. He nodded, placing a hand on the young girl's shoulder before turning to their two other companions. Jar Jar and Artoo were to accompany the Jedi and the younger Padawan to the city of Mos Espa, which wasn't that far away from the spacecraft.

"Come," the Jedi Master gave each of his companions a look, and they all began to walk towards the city of Mos Espa. Layna could feel the heat bearing down on her, and she felt her skin burning as they trudged along the planet's desert.

"Dis sun doen murder to mesa skin," she heard the Gungan say from behind her, and she looked over at him with a frown. It hasn't been that long since they landed in Tatooine, but she was already beginning to sweat and she could feel her robes sticking to her skin. "Same here."

"Wait!" There was a voice in the distance calling out to the foursome, and they all turned back to the spacecraft to see Captain Panaka and Padmé, now dressed in peasant's garb. Layna caught the eye of the kind girl, and sent her a smile, which the young handmaiden returned.

"Her Highness commands you to take her handmaiden with you."

Layna felt a feeling of excitement well up within her at the thought of going out into an adventure with her new friend. Tatooine may not have been pleasant, but she was willing to give it a second chance. Padmé may grow to like it.

"No more commands from Her Highness today, Captain. This spaceport is not going to be pleasant," Qui-Gon told the Naboo, and Layna shot her Master a frown, her initial excitement dissipating.

"The Queen wishes it. She is curious about this planet," the Captain's eyes scanned the area, before resting on the wise Jedi Master once more.

Layna tugged on her Master's robe, causing the older man to glance down at the Padawan who seemed keen on catching his attention. "Please let Padmé come, Master. I promise to protect her."

Qui-Gon exhaled, his blue eyes returning to the Captain before landing on the fourteen year old girl. "This is not a good idea," he seemed like he was trying to convince himself of this before continuing, "Stay close to me."

Layna broke into a huge grin as she drew closer to the older girl, wrapping her arm around Padmé's, and the two began to giggle like small children, following the Jedi Master to Mos Espa.

+

Upon reaching the city of Mos Espa, the youngest of the four took in the familiar sight of the spaceport. This was where her Master previously stayed when Master Sola had to negotiate with the Hutts. Her hand hovered close to her lightsaber, as various lifeforms of all shapes and sizes passed them by, each one holding the same dangerous look in their eye.

"Moisture farms, for the most part," Qui-Gon informed the handmaiden, who was looking around the rather new environment, a curious look in those hazel eyes. "Some indigenous tribes and scavengers."

"The few spaceports like this one are havens for those who do not wish to be found," the Padawan added, her eyes locking with the handmaiden's. "Like us."

The three humans along with the droid and the Gungan survey the area, avoiding eye contact with any of the lifeforms present. Qui-Gon's eyes found a small hut nearby, turning to his companions as he announced, "We'll try one of the smaller dealers."

Layna nodded curtly, following close behind Qui-Gon as Padmé, Jar Jar and Artoo continued to walk behind the Jedi. They entered the dingy junk shop, the youngest girl's nose scrunching up as she took in the scene in front of her.

The place was empty, save for the numerous scraps of pile and old parts that used to be attached to something. Her eyes roamed the entire room, as a blue alien with tiny wings began to fly towards the newcomers. The alien spoke in his native language, but considering Layna never learned any Huttese prior to her visit to Tatooine, she had no clue what just came out of this alien's mouth.

Qui-Gon, who seemed to understand quite a little Huttese himself, nodded to the flying blue alien. "I need parts for a J-type 327 Nubian."

"Ah, yes, yes. Nubian! We have lots of that," the blue alien spoke in a language that all of them understood before turning to shout something in Huttese, to something or someone in the back of the store.

"My droid here has a readout of what I need." Qui-Gon gestured towards Artoo, just as Jar Jar left Padmé's side as his eyes found pieces of junk he thought looked interesting. Layna raised an eyebrow as the Gungan continued on, focusing her attention back onto the scene in front of her as a small boy clad in dirty robes scampered inside.

"What took you so long?" the little blue alien asked the child in Huttese, and the child replied something to the alien back in the same language. The alien then said something back to the boy, as the boy began to climb onto the table which had multiple pieces of junk littered on it.

The alien then addressed the only adult human in the room, flashing what seemed to be a business smile before speaking in the language everyone understood once more. "So, let me take the thee out back eh? Ni you'll find what you need," the blue alien began to chuckle as he flew towards the back of the store.

Qui-Gon spotted the Gungan holding a metallic part in his hand, seemingly staring at it in confusion. The Jedi quickly grabbed the part from Jar Jar, causing the Gungan to look at the man in surprise. "Don't touch anything," he told him before turning to leave with Artoo and the blue alien, leaving the three alone with the boy.

+++