Turning Point: A Star Wars Story

Chapter 6

The breeze picked up, releasing a shower of evergreen needles from the cathedral of trees by the river. The campfire crackled and hissed, filling the air with sparks as a plume of smoke wafted high above the tree canopy.

The forest sounds transformed at twilight as the nocturnal animals came to life. Long-haired rodents chittered as they scurried across the rocky river bank. Large avians dived into the river to catch their dinners while screeching their battle cries.

Ben combed the evergreen needles from his hair as the wind blew his fringe back from his face. He pressed a button on his hover chair to weave between the tents and move closer to the fire.

The centralized campfire kept the wildlife at bay while the churi meat gave off its sharp scent. 

Jedi Pilar tied back her auburn hair before flipping the strips of meat. Flailing a knife, she turned to the Padawan who was encroaching on her cooking area. "Ben."

He didn't need any other warning. He wasn't going to argue with the least-skilled swordsman of the Jedi Order while she was waving a knife.

The teen adjusted his chair a few meters out of range of that blade. He observed the Jedi as they changed guard duties and interacted with each other.

Despair pounded. Jealousy raged.

Punching knuckles together in some obscure ritual, Jedi Knights Benae and Zeke grabbed their rifles from the shuttle and swapped watch duty with Wei'ahtt and Tandolleau.

The fear of the recently promoted knights, Benae and Zeke, assaulted his senses.

Pitiful.

Wei'ahtt, the one that the Padawan secretly called "the plushy Wampa," headed to his tent to grab his jacket, while Tandolleau sneaked up behind Jedi Jannah. The blonde woman sat cross-legged on a fallen log while polishing the hilt of her lightsaber.

The thin, dark-skinned man smoothed his wavy hair and flashed a cheeky grin as he wrapped his arms around the woman's waist. The Senate liaison leaned back into his embrace and pulled his head down for a kiss.

Gag. I'd heard rumors about you two. I'm surprised Master Luke hasn't done anything about it. Get a room.

Ben rolled his eyes and swiveled his chair toward Jedi Wei'ahtt Ahhzteen, his torturer—um, physical therapist.

Wei'ahtt smirked while unzipping his tent. "About time you two stopped playing hard to get."

"Oh, hush, Wei'ahtt," Tandolleau murmured. "At least I had the guts to chase her." He snapped his head over to his hulking friend and raised his eyebrows. "Besides, the chase was half the fun."

Ben had no idea what Tandolleau was referring to, but he was pretty sure the Jedi was teasing his friend. Wei'ahtt's cheeks blushed a deep red as he averted his eyes from Jedi Kallay.

He turned his chair once again to watch the river glint in the distance through the forest. The youth liked it out here where the Force moved so strongly among the trees and the wildlife. The Force intertwined with the trees that surrounded them. The roots that twisted together underground gave the Force a new form to follow, and Ben wanted to be part of it all. But not if he had to be with the Jedi around him.

He was never "one of the crowd," especially not with the original knights: Kalder, Kallay, Jannah, Tandolleau, and Wei'ahtt. More than once he had caught Master Fau and Master Skywalker referring to them as "their kids."

But not me. They don't even acknowledge that we're related by blood. To them, I'm not even their nephew, and I'm definitely not their adopted son. I'm nobody.