Week Two Challenge: Write a story between 400 and 800 words using third-person omniscient POV in which a character teaches another character something.

On the Matter of Siblings (Mara Jade Skywalker, Nakari Skywalker, Kaela Skywalker; 22 ABY)

Which aspects of life can be truly considered as constant is a subject of ongoing debate within the private ponderings of philosophers and the group discourses found in during after hours in tapcafs alike; yet few would deny that among the contenders is this truism: no matter the level of affection between them, any set of siblings will find something to argue about.

It was a lesson that Mara Jade Skywalker had learned later in life than she really should have, but had the discovery of her own siblings not been enough to convince her, certainly her daughters were currently doing their level best to make up for any deficit.

"No, not like that," Nakari huffed as she sat back on her heels and watched her sister gleefully wave a long string high over the heads of the four transfixed kittens.

"They like it," Kaela said, her defiance fueled by the deeply held opinion that just because Nakari was older didn't mean she knew everything. "See?" The kittens' heads swiveled to watch the still swaying string with undisguised fascination. One, bolder than the others, sat back on her own heels and stretched high with a determined paw.

Thus encouraged, Kaela swung it even higher. The kitten, suddenly unbalanced, toppled over into one of her siblings. Aggrieved, her brother promptly avenged himself by biting his sister's paw. She in her turn caught him in a headlock and bit his ear, and the other two, seeing an opportunity for more fun than an out of reach string could offer, joined in with every evidence of delight.

The other set of children was scarcely more harmonious. "You're doing it wrong," Nakari informed her sister crossly. "How would you like it if I took one of your toys and held it so far away that you couldn't play with it?"

"I'm not doing it wrong!"

"You are too," Nakari insisted, and grabbed for the string.

"Don't," Kaela all but screeched, yanking it away. "Mommy! She's not being fair!"

Upon such an outburst, Mara could no longer even pretend to be absorbed by the contents of her datapad. She cast her gaze over the bedlam before her with a sigh, then directed her attention toward the kittens' mother—a distinguished-looking lady possessed of a white coat dappled with black, gray, and orange, upon whom Nakari had inexplicably but insistently bestowed the name of Tallulah (though everyone else had a tendency to follow Kaela's example in shortening it to Lula)—who was lounging beside her on the sofa and calmly washing her face. "I would point out," Mara told her seriously, "that although mine are noisier, they're at least not biting each other."

Lula paused in her bath to chirrup in response, and Mara could only tilt her head in grudging agreement. "You're right. They're not biting each other yet. Girls, stop yelling. You'll scare the babies."

The babies, currently preoccupied with their own melee, showed no signs of caring what their human companions might or might not do—that is, until Nakari lifted one from the fray to hold her close. "You're not playing with my kitten like that!"

"She's not yours!"

"She is! I found Starlight, she's mine!"

Such provocation could only provoke a similar retort from Kaela, and she dropped the string to grab for another kitten and hold her similarly close. "Well, Soup is mine! And you can't play with her!"

"That's it," Mara said firmly, rising to her feet. "They're not things, they're living creatures with minds and preferences of their own, and you'll treat them as such or they won't be staying here. They can go to Jacen, or with their brother and sister to Rylan and Valeria, or with Lula to Grandma and Grandpa."

"No!" cried the sisters, of one opinion at last.

"Then you'll have to be kinder, won't you?" Mara sat on the floor beside them and took up the string. "Now put them down and let me show you how to play with them nicely."

Her daughters obeyed with obvious reluctance, and Starlight and Soup, somewhat rumpled but otherwise none the worse for wear after their brief abduction, settled their fur with a slight ripple and rejoined their siblings. Mara trailed the string slowly before them, and all four kittens perked up. Little Starlight was the first to pounce. "Gently, like this," Mara said. "So they can have the fun of actually catching it. Now you try."

She handed the string back to Kaela, then returned to the sofa. Lula, having finished with her bath, rested her chin on folded paws and granted Mara an approving slow blink.

"Thank you," Mara told her, as she once again took up her datapad. "But next time, it's your turn."

Lula could only chirp contented agreement as the children played on.