Playlist:

❶ "The Supremacy"—The Last Jedi OST

⊘ Silence

❶ "You are weak." Ben leaned over Jedi Fau, the purple saber grazing her neck as Luke pushed back with his green. "It's a wonder you're still alive, Master Skywalker."

Their eyes locked. As Ben's eyes turned from brown to amber, the boy growled and shoved the saber against Luke. The Jedi Master, waiting for the outburst of anger, disarmed the boy with a flick of his wrist and tossed him on the sofa with the Force. The boy's head smacked the window behind him with a thud.

As Luke's battle fever consumed him, he raised his hand to choke his opponent.

Naluma interceded, holding her hand up to Luke to stop him. "No! Luke! He's just a scared kid." She lifted her other hand to her saber burn, wiping the weeping fluid from her neck as the blister burst.

"He tried to kill you." He glared at the boy, feeling the anger welling within himself. 

Don't. You're a Jedi Master, Luke. Don't give into this. How will you ever lead him to the light?

⊘ Luke clenched his hand, looking at it in remorse, realizing what he had almost done. He took a deep breath as he lowered his hand and deactivated his saber. He hurt you. He—

No. Naluma reached out with the Force to grab her saber back from the corner where it had rolled. She rubbed her backside while she stood. I've had worse in sparring. He only hurt my pride.

After extinguishing his saber, Luke tossed his hilt at her. "Take these to our quarters while I deal with this."

Naluma nodded as she hurried out of the room with both sabers.

As Ben rubbed his head and closed his eyes, he said with a petulant whine, "You—what did you do?"

"I kept you from making the biggest mistake of your life. If you ever threaten a Jedi again, you will answer to me," Luke whispered. He breathed heavily and clenched his fists.

Ben's eyes widened as he comprehended his uncle's words and intentions. He whined, "You hurt me."

"Every choice has a consequence, Ben. And those consequences reach far into the future." As Luke relaxed the tension in his body, he sat beside his nephew and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

Ben shrugged off the embrace.

"If you continue down that path, Ben, you will bring more pain upon yourself and your family—even the galaxy—more than you can possibly imagine. You won't even recognize who you are anymore."

The boy's resolve softened a fraction.

"Do you want your mother to suffer? Because that's where this will lead. I've seen it."

As tears rushed to the boy's eyes, he said, "No. I want my mother. Please, I don't want to be here. Take me back to her."

"I can't."

"You won't."

"I can't." Luke shook his head and took a deep breath. "Ben, she sent you here. She can't train you. Only the Jedi can."

"You lie. My mother would never abandon—" Ben thrust his hands down and bit back the tears. "My mother abandoned me? She abandoned me." As he hyperventilated, he screamed, "I hate her. I hate her. I hate her!"

With anger seething, his eyes burned darker, morphing from brown to hazel to a color Luke could not even describe, almost an amber. "She abandoned me. Just like my father did. And you are no different."

As Naluma returned to the study, Ben's voice dropped in pitch, unusual in a youth of ten. "Yeah, I can read your thoughts. Neither of you wants me here. Compassionate Jedi—yeah, right. Fine. I don't want to be here either. Just take me someplace everyone will leave me alone."

Luke looked at Naluma. He's bluffing. He didn't get past my shields.

Nor mine. But what does he hope to gain?  

"Is that what you truly want? Exile?" Luke asked as Naluma gathered the spilled food off the floor. "I can arrange that."

"You'd really exile a ten-year-old?"

"A droid would watch you until you could care for yourself. No one else will ever bother you or even find you."

The boy mumbled, "I guess not."

"Then, since you have made your decision to stay, I would eat your food with manners befitting a senator's son."

When Naluma handed him the plate of reclaimed food, Ben said, "I can't eat this. It's been all over the floor."

"You can eat this. And until you do, it is the only meal that will be offered to you." With his hands on his hips, Luke's mellow voice betrayed a hint of annoyance.

"Well, I'm not hungry." Ben crossed his arms and sat on the couch again.

"Jedi Fau, please remove the tray and place it in the cooling unit until Ben's appetite has returned."

"Yes, Master Skywalker." She picked up the tray and turned to Luke with a sly smile. Would you like our meal in here tonight?

Yes, if you wouldn't mind bringing it in. And, please, make it something we can tempt him with. 

Gladly.

And grab some bacta gel. You don't want that burn infected. He lowered his eyelids. I can feel your pain. Take care of that first. I'm so sorry.

She nodded and headed out the door.

Ben spent the intervening minutes glaring at Luke and darting furtive glances around the room, like a caged bantha searching for an escape from his Tusken Raider captors.

Luke sighed and rubbed his forehead while he contemplated the quandary his nephew represented and how this boy might turn the academy upside-down. Even now, he could see the edges of Ben's darkness encroaching on the light of the academy.

Naluma returned in a few minutes with two trays and an ice pack for Ben's head. She tossed the ice to Ben. "For your head."

The boy glared at her but took the pack and applied it to his rapidly growing lump.

Naluma set the trays down on the desk, lit a candle, and spread out the place settings. Thick slices of nerf roast smothered in gravy with white tubers lathered in butter steamed on the platters. A crisp salad of greens and a couple of glasses of sparkling saft complemented the entree. 

Luke held her chair before sitting in his own. He kept one eye on the boy while devouring the delectable food before him. The Jedi spent the meal in silent conversation.

Ben wandered around the room and poked and prodded in every corner. Every time he swiped something off the shelf, Naluma or Luke put it back with the Force before he broke it. Finally, Ben took a printed volume of the History of the Clone War from a shelf.

As Naluma was about to grab it out of his hands, Luke winked at her. Let him be. He can't hurt that too much, and maybe he'll learn something.

She leaned in toward him and cocked her head. What changed your father, Luke?

He stared in the distance for a bit. Faith that he could change. Love. I don't think anyone had loved him in decades.

Maybe you're right then. Maybe that's what Ben really needs.

Luke bit his lip and shook his head. It wasn't my love that changed him. It was his love for me.

Naluma reached across the table and took Luke's hand. How do we teach him that?

I don't know, 'Luma. I'm not even sure he knows what real love is. His parents ...

Ben's stomach grumbled loudly enough for Luke to hear across the room. However, the boy turned his back and moved further away.

Oh, you know Han and Leia love each other.

Yeah, but the way they play their games, I doubt he does.

I think it's worse than that, Luke. I think all his channels for love are warped. Look.

He ran his Force-sight over his nephew, lightly touching his psyche, trying not to alert the darkness. Kriff. How do we fix this?

I don't know. Naluma blinked the tears from her eyes. But the Force does. The Force hasn't given up on him yet.

And we won't either.

Naluma nodded. Nothing's ever easy with you, Skywalker.

He grinned at her. I know. But it's always worth it in the end. 

Finished? She stood and took the plates. 

I'll stay here with him tonight. Maybe tomorrow we can assign him quarters.

We can always hope. With the trays in her hands, she kissed him on the cheek and left the study.

Love you, 'Luma.

Love you more.

Did you know ...

● A doctor friend of mine identified Ben with Reactive Attachment Disorder after reading the book. Check out the syndrome and tell me if he's right. [I didn't plan it that way, but there may be some truth in the outcome.]

Tell me what you think ...

● Why did Naluma not intervene and take over the situation when Luke didn't know how to handle it?

● What do you feel about Ben's punishment? Is it enough or too much? Do you think he will obey in the future because of the threat of consequences?