Live no longer knew what to expect, there were new surprises around every corner, and Master Yalmara was always coming up with new lessons, when least expected. He wasn't sure what direction she was going at, he had become better at doing many of the exercises she had taught, the first 6 months had been educational to say the least. Leila was learning how to do things incredibly fast, even faster than Live ever could imagine, he didn't understand how such a young girl, now 5, could learn so quickly. She was like a blur to him now during the exercises she made it up to, while Live was still on the twentieth stage. His frustration was growing, and he was talking to his master alone.

"Don't feel so inferior, we all learn at different rates, but it doesn't say how powerful we will become. You are learning much faster than I ever did, it took me a year to learn what you had learned. You have many talents, you will be a Jedi knight before long." Sara looked on with her kind motherly eyes, they never changed. Her eyes were always looking kindly upon him and Leila.

"Thank you Sara. I wont fail you." Live smiled back at her reassuringly.

"I know you wont let me down." She told him, and a fire shone in her eyes, however briefly.

Live shivered.

The lessons continued for some time. There were many things to learn, and Leila wanted to know everything there was to know. Her small lightsaber staff that she was constructing in her room wasn't quite complete yet. There were still minor adjustments to be made, and she should have it running within a few weeks. Training had been difficult lately; she felt that she was slowing down, that she wasn't learning as quickly as she could be. Three years had gone by, and she still hadn't been allowed to go on the missions for the Jedi counsel. At seven she was more powerful than some of the older Jedi Knights, and she hadn't even been granted the rank of Padawan learner yet. She was still simply and Initiate. All that would change soon. She knew that it had to, after she proven herself in a duel with her Master. Just when her lightsaber was completed. She would prove the better of her and Live. But Live was getting more powerful. He could nearly match her for abilities in lightsaber combat. Her best friend since arriving, she wouldn't let the Jedi to separate them for more than a few minutes. In her room, alone, she had taught him some of the more interesting abilities. The lightning bolts were weak, but very effective at immobilizing a target. She often practiced with Live. He was getting quite good at hitting her with the bolt. He was immobilizing her much more often. She was glad that he took to these abilities well. The other Jedi had taught her that such abilities were unnatural. She would need Live to help her in the future, and they would be together forever. She had foreseen it.

Master Yalmara had set up the sparing course, in which Leila and Live would both prove their worth in saber dueling. They would face off in the first round, simply to prove their strength in defense, and after a victor was decided, they would work together to get through an obstacle course blocked by weak blaster armed druids, with a final leg of the course containing many lightsaber wielding druids. The course was equipped with disable only weapons, but it would test their abilities like they never had before, there were also a couple surprises in store for them. This would also test their reactions to a spontaneous environment. Sarah looked at the course she had set up, and took in hand a special lightsaber. She wondered how they would fare in the course. They both should be there at any moment.

Leila arrived just before the appointed time, she wanted to be perfect, to leave a good impression. Sarah had hinted that getting through this course would see them raised as Padawan learners. Her and Live would finally be allowed to go on some real missions, with assistance of their master of course.

"Good Leila, you arrived earlier than expected. Now we just have to wait for Live." Master Yalmara complimented.

"Live hasn't arrived yet? He's usually earlier than I am. He has grown quite powerful the last two months." Leila said, her voice sounded distant, or disembodied.

Sarah frowned, "You recognized that as well? I wouldn't have expected that from one as young as you." Her frown turned into a warm smile. "But you are always exceeding our expectations. I trust your lightsaber is nearly complete?" Sarah laughed at Leila's frightened look, "Yes I know about it, you think I don't look over you to see your progress every so often? You wont get in trouble, everybody bends the rules in some way, construction of a lightsaber in secret is very common. Especially in one as strong as you are."

"Well, since you already know… It's almost ready, I just need to get the blade to last longer, it only lasts for about three or four seconds."

"You need a crystal, when you're ready, I'll take you to the mines where they are found. It will be a test of your detection abilities, you shouldn't have any trouble however." Sara smiled at Leila, "You've grown so much in so short a time, I am proud to be your teacher."

"Thank you Sara." Leila bowed formally, "Master Yalmara."

"You may rise my Apprentice." When Leila looked at her, she was smiling at her. "You will grow very strong, you have barely tapped your true potential, only life can bring you to reveal your true talents, both the light and dark sides will be opened up to you. I hope that you will have learned enough from me to make the right decisions in life."

"I wont fail you mas…" Sara held out her hand to silence her, "Sara."

Live walked in at that moment, looking quite flustered, his dark hair hanging in front of his eyes, his dark clothing hanging loosely from his skin. He was breathing heavy, and he was carrying his practice saber in his hands.

"I'm sorry Sara I'm late. I had some trouble gathering my things." He continued panting between words.

"I'll give you a moment to rest, we have time to kill yet." Sara sat down and began to meditate. Live did the same, and Leila decided to do so as well.

Minutes passed in silence, and Leila took the opportunity to clear her mind and embrace the force. She channeled the energy into herself, and she felt her muscles relax, and her mind activate itself. Healing with the force did more than heal wounds, it energized body and mind. She felt full of energy that she never knew that she had. The effects were familiar and she could sense that Live was doing a similar exercise with the force.

"Leila, what was that, that you were just doing?" Sara's voice startled Leila.

"I was using a healing ability I learned." Leila said standing up. "It also helps me to concentrate, gives me an energy boost."

"That was no healing ability. There was something strange about it… it was nothing that I had ever seen before in my life. When have you used it before?"

"I figured it out when I was sick, I used it on myself and I got better." Leila said simply.

"I had never even heard of a self healing ability that could cure illnesses with such efficiency. There are none that give somebody energy the way it does to you. Until I understand more about it I ask that you refrain from using it unless necessary." Sara sounded concerned, and her eyes mirrored that.

"Yes Sara, I will be careful." Leila gave Sara a small bow, and she set off to the other side of the room. "What is our training session to be today?"

"I'm glad you asked Leila. Live, stand right next to her, and I will give you your directions." Live stood next to her, and she looked at him briefly. "In this room you will see a circle in the ground, this is called a sparring area. You two are to face off in a quick duel so I can measure your abilities. If you both pass, you will be able to move on to the next stage. It is a maze and an obstacle course. I can only tell you that there are druids that you must disable when you come across them, they are armed with weak blasters that will only burn you slightly. Depending on the number of burns you incur in this test, you will pass when you reach the end. Expect anything, there will be surprises around every bend. Mind what you have learned, it can save you. Good luck. You may enter the circle."

Leila stood close to the center, and Live took the place exactly opposite her. She smiled, and took the lightsaber in her hand, gave a formal bow, which was returned by Live, and ignited the lightsaber. She readied the blade in the defensive stance and waited for his response. Live ignited his and place his orange blade next to her blue. He gave her a smile and lunged forward one step, the blade coming close to her face, and she calmly stepped back. Leila made the first strike, and he deflected her blow inches from his thigh and retaliated with an upper swing to her shoulders, and she blocked that shot quickly before she gave her own retaliation. Each shot she gave was blocked with precision, and every shot he gave her got closer to a hit. She knew she wasn't being aggressive enough, because she was too weary about harming him. She pushed forward, sending three attacks at him in a row before he retaliated with more intensity than she had seen from him thus far. The fight steadily grew faster, and soon the blades were just blurs of light in her eyes. She no longer saw but she felt. The force moved her hands to guide her to the right path, but she manipulated it, toyed with the power, to make it bend to her will. Live slowed down around her, and his blade moved slowly. She struck as she would normally, and she attacked with much more aggression she had. Somehow, with her moving faster than he was, he managed to block the attacks and moved to strike at her. He began to move faster, and she was losing strength. She blocked his shot and locked his saber to hers. This was an intentional move, and she pushed as much as she could, but his strength was overpowering hers, and she used the force to push him away, he landed on the ground, and she lunged forward, and struck a blow to his neck.

Practice sabers couldn't actually cut, and he was left with a small burn on the side of his neck in what would have been a fatal killing shot.

"Very good, both of you. Congratulations Leila, that looked like a hard earned victory. Live, you were doing incredibly the entire time. You let your guard down, don't become too complacent. But nonetheless, you both are ready for this next test, I will be awaiting you at the finish. Good luck. If you don't find your way back in 6 hours, we will end the test, and all the doors will be unlocked so you may find your way back." Sara headed towards a door leading to a lift which would obviously take her to where she would be waiting.

A door right next to the lift opened, and Leila knew that it was the door that would take her to the course to decide her future. She helped Live steady himself, and she said to him, "I guess we have to work together now."

Live didn't seem to have anything to say; he simply nodded.

They both moved forward together into the doorway. Leila chuckled and thought, A doorway to the future.

Their footsteps echoed through a long narrow corridor. Silvery metal walls rose up on either side ten feet in the air. There was no ceiling, and a Jedi could easily jump the distance, it was impossible to say which way the fork thirty paces ahead of them would lead.

They stopped walking abruptly, and Live suggested, "We could jump up to see where the forks go."

Leila shook her head, "Sara isn't foolish, it wouldn't be that easy. Throw your lightsaber up to where a ceiling should be."

Live looked at her, frowned and threw the lightsaber into the air, it stopped where the ceiling should have been, and emanated a red electrical glow. Leila gave a nod of satisfaction.

"A force field, that was the first test, to expect a surprise like that. We'll have to use sense to figure out the bends." She gave him a self satisfied smile.

"How will sense help us in a maze? Wouldn't it be all random with no pattern?" He asked skeptically.

"Not mind sense, force sense. The ability that Sara taught us. It will let us see things we wouldn't normally see." She sighed and resisted the urge to smack him in the head.

"All right, do you see anything?" He asked.

"No, I don't sense anything nearby, maybe there is some sort of clue somewhere." She started to think as they both continued their trek down the tube.

"Maybe it's just a maze, no clues, just obstacles. Or maybe the obstacles are the clues at the same time. Like the other testing course she put together." Live suggested.

"No, this is a different kind of test. We have to seek these clues; not wait for them to fall onto our laps." She thought privately for a moment and fell into silence… she spoke again, "I don't know, maybe you're right. It's possible that she put something together based on all of our skills, and we will have to work together to get through the course. None of us can do it alone. A test in team cooperation. Without a master to command us."

Live seemed to consider, "Yeah, I guess. It makes a little sense."

They reached the end of the first straightaway, and saw two closed doors.

"All right," Leila said, cracking her knuckles, "Our first obstacle."