I stretched out on the floor of the training room, willing my tense muscles to relax and warm up. I rolled my shoulders back, luxuriating in the warm beams of morning sun seeping through the window. It looked to be a beautiful day, and my energy was high. I was raring to get to work and get stuff done.

"Good morning, my young Padawan!" Master Skywalker called, entering the room. I looked up at him and smiled. "Mornin' Master!" I replied with equal enthusiasm.

"You warmed up already?" he extended a black gloved hand. Nodding, I took it, and let him pull me to my feet.

"Good, because today is going to be a long day of training."

"Sparring or calisthenics?" I bounced eagerly from foot to foot, waiting to see what he had in mind.

"Neither."

My face fell, and I looked up at him with an expression of utmost confusion.

"Today's lesson is going to be both fun, and practical, but you have to pay attention, and play by the rules, understood?"

I was instantly wary, but I couldn't refuse. I was too curious to say no, and I didn't have much of a choice.

"Alright, Snips. Today, we're going to play a little game. It's designed to prepare you in the event that you are captured by enemy troops. You'll have to keep calm, and use your brains as well as your brawn to win."

"Sounds like fun." I conceded, letting my guard down a bit. "How do you play?"

He gave a sly smile. "It's very simple. I'll give you a dose of knockout gas."

My jaw dropped. "What?"

He put his finger to his lips. "I'll explain if you let me finish. The gas is harmless, but it will knock you out for about five minutes. When you wake up, you will find yourself in restraints on that side of the room." He gestured with one hand to the far corner.

"Your goal is to successfully free yourself from the restraints, retrieve your utility belt, and cross to the opposite side of the room. Placing both hands on the wall ends the exercise. Make sense?"

I thought it over. It actually sounds fun. You not only have to have the strength to escape, but the mental capacity to figure out how in the first place. I've picked locks before, this ought to be a piece of cake.

"Seems easy enough."

His eyes lit up and he gave another devilish smile. "That's where you're wrong Snips. It does seem easy. There are five levels, and each level gets a little bit harder than the rest. Oh, and there's a catch."

I raised one eyebrow, crossing my arms over my chest. "Oh? What's the catch?"

He grinned. "There is only one rule. Escape and end the exercise in under two minutes, or we reset and start over. Plus, you'll run a lap for every 30 seconds you go over time."

My eyes widened. I remembered him saying that today was going to be a 'long day of training'. What did I get myself into?

"Think you can handle it Snips?"

I had no clue, in fact, I was unsure about this whole 'game' to begin with. But instead of bowing out, I go for the cocky confident approach.

"Bring it on!"

At this, he pulls out a canister and a gas mask. I steel myself as he fits the mask to my face and activates the gas. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart, and I instantly get drowsy. I try to fight it, but eventually I accept that it's futile. I surrender to the drug, and it pulls me under. The last thing I remember hearing is Anakin's voice.

"Let the game begin."