LOST KINGDOM ─ star wars

XXIX. The Cave

Chapter Twenty-Nine
Jayce

"Did my dad have to do this during his training?" I inquire through panted breaths, flipping over another giant root.

"Yes. A Jedi's strength flows through the force, to master it, one must master their body."

"My dad just always made me meditate."

"Only part of it, meditation is. Much to learn you still have."

I huff out a laugh. "So you've been telling me."

I've been running through the swamp for the past half an hour. More specifically, through the long stretch of forest next to Master Yoda's small dwelling. It only has one room and it's only big enough to fit him, or one of us if we crawl on our hands and knees. We slept outside his little hut last night on a bed of blankets he provided. Luke and Holly cuddled in each other's arms the whole night while I was left shivering and alone. I barely got any sleep.

Yoda woke us at dawn and said we needed to run laps with him. Little did we know that meant with him on our backs. Of course I was picked to go first, Luke has been sitting on a log chatting with Holly while I suffer.

Such a bastard.

"Luke's turn it is." Yoda informs me once we make it back to them. I heave in a couple deep breaths and nod to him, unable to reply. I set him down on the ground and grab onto Luke's shoulder, shoving him towards our new master.

"It's your turn to be tortured." I wheeze out.

Luke rolls his eyes. "Bet I can finish the lap faster than you did."

"You say that now." I mumble.

Yoda sighs, rolling his eyes. "Much like your fathers, you are. They too turned missions into trivial competitions and games."

Luke smiles to himself, clearly taking this as a good thing. "Ben told me all the time that I reminded him of my father."

Yoda's expression suddenly turns grave. "For better and for worse, that is true."

The smile is wiped from Luke's face, and though he clearly wants to, he doesn't ask any questions. He picks Yoda up and secures him to his back, then runs in the direction I did, with Yoda already giving him lessons.

I sit down on the log next to Holly and she offers me a canteen of water, which I accept with relief, downing half of it.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I miss simpler times when my dad taught us lightsaber stances and meditating in my backyard on Tatooine."

Holly chuckles, taking the canteen back. "I know what you mean. Sometimes I miss when times were simpler too, when I was back home at the flight academy."

I remember Leia mentioning that Holly went to the flight academy on Naboo, that the two of them met there. Curiosity gets the best of me and I ask: "People going to the flight academy train to become members of the Naboo army, right? How did you end up on the rebellion instead?"

"My father is apart of the royal council of Naboo. He's been advising queens since Queen Jamilla was on the throne. Aiden, after he moved to Naboo with Padmé, served as captain of the royal guard. The two of them became good friends. I was sent to the academy at a young age, and the academy is right next to the Legislative Youth Program Department, which Leia went to. Because our father's were friends, we became friends as well."