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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When Luke exited his cabin, Naluma had already dressed in a dark-gray, camouflage uniform. She had washed all evidence of her tears away, now eager for combat practice. After attaching a sidearm holster to her left leg, she hefted her rifle onto her shoulder and double-checked the dagger her right boot.
With his lightsaber swinging on his belt, the brawny Jedi Master grabbed an E‑11 blaster rifle from the locker before closing it. "Ready?"
"You're taking a blaster? I thought Jedi only used lightsabers."
"I'm changing the rules. Lightsabers are great during close combat, but I'd rather avoid that as much as possible. With a blaster, I can hit the enemy at a distance," Luke said with a wink. "And I could definitely use the practice. Come on."
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When they reached the simulator, they encountered some of Naluma's former comrades exiting the facility. The press of their thoughts strained her mentally, but her shields held.
Luke entered the facility and addressed the aide at the controls. He selected the program and set his blaster to stun. Naluma did the same to her blaster and rifle. He selected a helmet with a comm link and heads-up data display, tossing one to Naluma as well. Luke also grabbed a few extra charges and slid them into his pockets.
As they both adjusted their sensor vests, the Jedi Master said, "There's no one else in the arena right now. Because these are simulations, you won't sense the enemy with the Force. But you can use the Force in other ways—to aim your shot, to foresee the future, to perfect your timing. Use this time for trial and error."
Luke keyed the wristband the aide had given him, and the sim began. Dozens of stormtroopers emerged from behind the corners fifty meters down the hall of the narrow range. Several doors opened on either side giving a sense of staring down the corridor of a starship being infiltrated by enemy soldiers.
