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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❶Leia hesitated outside the sliding door.
A few meters away, Luke stretched on an exercise mat as the sun broke through the clouds. The breeze whipped strands of hair into his face, but he didn't bother to brush them away.
She took a deep breath as the plasglass door whooshed open.
"Leia?" Luke turned his head but did not change from his extended grovel on the mat, his knees tucked under his thighs and his arms outstretched on the wood decking.
"Are you meditating? I can come back." She gave a wan smile.
He inhaled sharply and grinned. "No, just stretching."
The pregnant princess waddled to the chair and table and lowered herself into the deep cushion. "Naluma's headed over to the quartermaster at HQ for supplies."
Luke settled back on his heels and swiveled to his sister on his knees. "Han and Chewie left already?" He moved into the lothcat stretch on all fours, flexing his spine while grinning at her.
"About an hour ago." She sighed as she placed a datapad on the table beside her.
He tilted his head. "Everything okay?"
She shuddered and ground her teeth together, willing the tears away. "Nothing. Just hormones."
He shook his head and creeped to the chair beside her. He gazed at her intently. She felt him scanning her with the Force, but he did not press her further. He wove his fingers between hers, sending pulses of love along their bond.
After a few silent moments, he asked, "What's this?" He lifted the datapad on the table.
Leia pulled her hand away from him. "That book I've been working on about the Clone War. Almost done. I was wondering ..."
Luke raised an eyebrow.
"Wondering if you'd have time to read it, give me some feedback?" Instantly, a burst of insecurity threaten to spill tears down her cheeks.
"Sure, I'd be happy to. It'll give me something to do during recovery." He narrowed his gaze at her. "That's not why you came here, though. Leia, tell me what's wrong."
She hesitated a few seconds and stared out at the hills behind him. "I've le-e-arned some things ... in my studies ... those recordings from R2 you sent me." She bit her lip and took a deep breath. "About our father." She whispered that last word.
He leaned in, resting his arm on the table.
"It scares me." She scrunched her face up. "How can he go from an intensely loyal, talented, loving man and willingly become that monster?" Tears welled in her eyes.
