Luke Skywalker, the Last Jedi, faces his toughest challenge yet. After taking his Jedi vows, he assumes the misbelief that love has no place in his life. As a result, he denies the love he craves in order to establish the New Jedi Order and maintain...
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❶ As they exited the base headquarters, Luke frowned at his new Padawan's discordant attitude. Naluma Fau, kit bag and rifle slung across her back, strutted ahead of the Jedi Master on the packed clay.
Halfway down the road bisecting the base headquarters, Luke yelled, "Stop."
Naluma increased her gait and adjusted the rifle slung across her back. She glanced back and huffed.
Luke waved his hands and flicked his wrists. A white-blue energy field surged from the ground, encompassing her. The birds in the nearby trees stopped chirping.
She pushed forward, only to be tossed backward, held in place by the Force-wall. She couldn't breach it's defenses.
"I said 'Stop,' Padawan."
Naluma whipped around and shot laser bolts at him with her eyes, her fists clenched.
Skywalker put his hands on his hips and planted his legs apart.
Fau dropped her kit bag. "My rank is specialist."
"And mine is master," Luke said in a hushed tone.
"Which means you have no authority over me," she said through clenched teeth, her voice rising an octave. Grabbing her rifle off her back, she held it not-so-nonchalantly with the butt on the ground.
Luke grinned at her and shook his head. His eyes softened, contradicting his words. "I do. In the Fleet, I'm also known as 'Commander Skywalker.'" He raised his eyebrows at her. "Commanders outrank specialists, last I checked."
Naluma snapped to attention, bringing her rifle in front of her and holding perpendicular to the ground with her left hand while saluting with her right. "Sir. Commander Skywalker, sir. I'm sorry ... I ... uh ... didn't know." She straightened even further. "Sir, Specialist Fau reporting for duty, sir."
The wall dissipated, the energy zooming into the ground once more in a roaring torrent like a waterfall and then—silence.
Luke halved the distance between them. "As you were, Padawan."
She slumped but maintained her distance. "Where are we headed?"
"To my shuttle for the time being."
"I'm not leaving the planet with you." With feigned nonchalance, she pulled her rifle from her back and rested the butt on the ground.
You think you're fooling me with that move? Luke sighed and then soothed, "I didn't say we were, at least not for a while."
"Well," she drawled while squinting at him. "What do you want with me?"
He exhaled and pursed his lips. "You really don't know?"
