"Eyes up, they must be. Focus on the droid, you must. Center your mind." There was so much going on around her, it made it hard for 9-year-old Kate to focus like Master Yoda instructed. She closes her eyes and tries to block out the dozen other Younglings in the room.
She has been taught to focus on one thing at a time, distinguishing them from each other until she finds her target, but there is so much noise. The sound of speeders outside the window, the nervous footsteps of her classmates, their breathing, her breathing, the whir of the training sphere. There. Focus. Home in on it. Kate forces her eyes shut even tighter and focuses on the training sphere.
She waits several seconds, her lightsaber ignited and following the training sphere's path based on pure instinct. It could strike at any minute or not at all. The training sphere was meant to be unpredictable in its patterns and approach. You are taught to not rely on what you think your opponent will do, but what it is doing. You never know when your opponent is going to strike, especially when you are facing a person or species you have never encountered before.
Bang! A searing pain hits her hand and her eyes shoot open, her lightsaber automatically switching off in the process. A small red welt has grown, and she looks up to glare at the training sphere. There is a small train of smoke rising from one of the craters where the sting beams are stored.
Embarrassed, Kate does her best to recover and hide her disappointment from the other younglings. It does not work, and she can hear several snickers behind her. Rather than facing them, she turns to Master Yoda, hoping for some reassurance.
"Much work you still have." Kate's heart falls and, clipping her lightsaber to her belt, she turns around and joins the other younglings after a silent que from the Grand Master.
In the last several months, she has spent more time training than she has in the past 2 years all together. She has always been behind in her training but as she gets older, the gap becomes more apparent. Her skills in swordsmanship never grow in the way they should, no matter how hard she tries.
The one thing she can always count on is embarrassing herself. Everyone in the temple has heard about 'The False Jedi' by now, or at least something along those lines. People such as Master Yoda and Master Windu have tried to snuff out the rumors but once they were out there, they never went away. Some days, it is so bad she is convinced it is true: she is the false Jedi, incapable of being who she was raised to be. This is one of those days.
It takes her several moments to realize that Master Yoda had dismissed the Younglings and they are slowly filing out of the room. By the time she does, Yoda is standing directly in front of her, waiting to be noticed. The sweet smile that Kate loves is present, and she smiles back. At least someone believes in her.
"Forgive me, Master. I could not do what you asked of me." He grows suddenly serious and turns to head out the door.
"Good at other things, you are. Focus on that, you must." Kate smiles and hurries to follow him.
"Thank you, Master. I will try my best." He stops suddenly and turns to stare straight into her eyes.
"Do, or do not. There is no try." This is something she had heard several times, not only when it was directed at her. Still, it always gives her a boost of confidence for some reason, like there was a deeper meaning behind it.
"Of course, Master." Master Yoda smiles and continues walking. It being nearly 1 in the afternoon, there are dozens of other Jedi walking the halls. Billowing cloaks flow behind every single one, giving the illusion of wind blowing through the building. Walking in the opposite direction of her, an older Jedi and what she can only assume is his apprentice, are nearly jogging down the hallway, no doubt on their way to a mission judging by the excitement radiating off the Padawan. She recognizes another Jedi from a lesson that she attended a week ago, although their name evades her. A third Jedi is walking straight towards her.
"Master Windu!" Kate sprints down the hall to meet her Master, nearly jumping up and down when she reaches his side. Master Windu stops walking to look down at the Youngling, one eyebrow raised in amusement. He shares a look with Yoda before he continues his march towards their Grand Master. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices several surprised looks from the others in the hall and regains her composure.
"Master Windu. Good morning?" Master Windu stays silent for several moments as he turns to stand next to Yoda, both men looking straight at her.
"Indeed, Kate. I assume you just finished a lesson?" Sadness fills her again and she can only nod. Looking down at the floor and shuffling her feet, she misses the silent message that passes between the two masters.
"Then why do you look sad? You have always enjoyed your lessons in the past." Master Windu asks and Kate raises her head.
"It is hard for me to keep up with the other Younglings, Master. My skills with a lightsaber are lacking next to theirs." Master Windu raises his head thoughtfully, pretending to absorb this information regardless of the fact that he has known for some time.
"And what are you going to do about it?" Kate cocks her head to the side, a million thoughts racing through her mind. Yoda watches the two, a ghost of a smile on his face as he leans against his cane for support.
"I do not know, sir." Kate seems genuinely surprised by own her confusion which earns another smile from Master Windu, although he would undoubtedly deny it if he was ever asked.
"Perhaps you could visit the library. I hear the Lore Keepers have recently received new books." Joy immediately lights up Kate's eyes and she has to refrain from not bouncing up and down again.
"Thank you, Master! I will go right away!" Without waiting for a response but after a slight bow, Kate turns and sprints down the hall in the direction of the library. Swerving and ducking under and around other Jedi's limbs, she does her best to contain her excitement but somewhere deep down knows it is impossible. Quickly, she glances behind her to catch a glimpse of her masters and goes to raise her hand to wave. She runs into someone before she can.
"Woah. You ok?" Clutching her forehead where it had hit the person, she looks up into an unfamiliar Jedi's eyes. Their unique grey-blue color is complimented by their shoulder-length auburn hair. Kate laughs to herself.
"Your hair is funny." The man takes a step back, startled by what just occurred.
"I'm sorry?" The man says and Kate smiles.
"I said your hair is funny!" Kate emphasizes her words and repeats them a lot slower than she has to. At a loss for words, the man simply stares at her, mouth open.
"Who are you?" Kate's face becomes serious.
"My parents told me not to talk to strangers." Kate teases, knowing the man is well aware that she has not seen her parents since she was a toddler, as is tradition with Younglings.
"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. There, now we are no longer strangers." Kate considers this fact and after a moment, sticks her hand out in front of her.
"The name's Kate. Kate Gracelyn." Hesitantly, Obi-Wan Kenobi shakes hands with the Youngling, confusion clouding his thoughts. The one thing that is clear to him, is that he will have to ask about her later. Arms now resting by her sides, Kate smiles.
"Got to go! See you later!" Without another word, Kate takes off in the direction she was originally heading, making sure not to run into any more strange people.
"Wait? Where are you going?" Kate does not stop running even after she rounds the corner and is out of his line of sight. Unsure of what to do for what seems like the first time ever, Obi-Wan simply stands in the middle of the hall alone. Standing not even twenty yards from them, Master Windu and Master Yoda watched the conversation unfold.
"Talented, she is, in areas other than swordsmanship." Yoda comments after Kate runs off. Windu nods in agreement. In front of them, Obi-Wan continues to stand still, gaping at the place where Kate had disappeared.
"Her ability to take in not only historical knowledge, but tactical and military ideas is beyond anything I have ever seen." Yoda nods.
"Recognize this, the other masters do not." Master Windu turns to look down at his short friend.
"You are afraid she will not be chosen as a Padawan." It is not a question.
"Look past her physical abilities, they will not." Master Windu nods and he gets the feeling that Yoda is planning something.
"I assume you have a plan, then?" Master Yoda nods, his smile returning.
"Take her as his Padawan, Obi-Wan will." As Yoda says this, Obi-Wan seems to snap out of his state of shock and turns to walk back the way he came. As he too disappears from view, Master Windu replies.
"Kenobi already took Skywalker as his apprentice. Do you think he would take another?" Master Yoda sighs, deep in thought.
"Train her, no one else will. Her only hope, Kenobi is." With that, both Master Yoda and Master Windu continue down the hall, the many possibilities of Kate's fate in the front of their minds. If her potential was tapped into, she could be the most brilliant Jedi mind the galaxy has even seen. If not, she could be tempted to turn to others for guidance, a fate that could lead to much worse things than an embarrassed Youngling. A fate that could lead to the Dark Side.