Jai looked up at her brother, who at the moment blocked her lightsaber with a shorter, less powerful one of his own.
"You always win!" she complained as, with a flick of his wrist, he sent her lightsaber flying across the room. She put her hands on her hips, summoned all of the defiance she had in her two-year-old body, and glared up at Obi-Wan.
"I'm just better, that's all. You'll never be as good as me," he taunted her. He backed slowly out of the room. She took the bait.
"Yes I will! Yes I will!" she yelled, and started to run after him. Jai toddled as fast as she could, but could only see a bit of his braid as he turned corners. She could hear him laughing as he ran down the hall, then suddenly, he stopped. Jai ran face-first into the back of his boot and fell. He bent to pick her up.
"Hello, Master," Obi-Wan said, embarrassed. Jai reached up and climbed into a more comfortable position, on his shoulders. Qui-Gon regarded them both as she climbed, then spoke when she had finished.
"We're going on a mission, Padawan. Be ready to leave in a half hour." He took Jai off of Obi-Wan. "No distractions, hm?"
"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan turned and left, looking abashed. Jai looked up at Qui-Gon, who kind of intimidated her, but she liked him anyway.
"Come along, little one," he told her, setting her down. "How's your sparring practice going?" They walked back towards the youngling's wing, where he left her. Jai stared after him, wanting to play with Obi-Wan some more. But she was distracted by her friends Ran and Thad. Ran was a small Human, smaller than the normal two-year-old. Thad was a Rodian. The three of them had already become close friends.
"Why'd Master Jinn bring you back, Jai?" asked Thad as soon as he was close enough to be heard. He was the most curious of the three.
"'Cause Obi's going somewhere!" she answered. "Want to spar?" Just then, Yoda's backwards voice echoed through the hall.
"Go, you will, younglings, to the targets room!" The three turned and saw him walking slowly down the hall. They followed him.
When they arrived at the target room, they were outfitted in helmets that blocked their vision.
"Master Yoda, I can't see!" One of the younglings had panicked. A whirring noise distracted the younglings.
"Younglings, flow through everything, the Force does. Use it to see, you can, even when blinded. Sting, the targets will, if you do not block its lasers in time." A collective gasp echoed through the room. The younglings had only ever battled while being able to see.
Jai could hear her target, but the ability of seeing was beyond her. She felt a hot whoosh of air as a laser barely missed her. She whirled around to slice the target.
"Where you were facing, you will stay, youngling," Yoda's voice reprimanded her. She turned back to the front. A sting hit her hand, making her yelp. Finally, after an hour of stings and near misses, she succeeded in hitting a target. She wasn't the only on, it seemed. Excited voices seemed to echo throughout the room.
"Enough for today, younglings. To your rooms, go." The children hurried out of the dark room. Ran was telling Jai about her stings and Jai was answering with her own on the way back.
"This one hurted! It hit me on the arm!" Ran told her. She rolled up her sleeve, and Jai looked. A very small reddish welt was on her arm.
"Yeah, I got hit on my hand lots. See?" She held out her hand, and it was covered in little marks and welts. They parted at the entrance to their rooms. Jai fell asleep almost immediately, exhausted.