Playlist:

❶ "Follow Me"—The Force Awakens OST

⊘ Silence

❷ "The Fencing Lesson"—The Mask of Zorro OST

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."

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.

Luke and Naluma split up, both dashing for cover behind the protection of a retracted blast door, each taking a side. They drew their weapons and returned fire as more holographic troopers joined the melee. Luke couldn't help but notice the beaming smile gracing his Padawan's face, inciting his own. Each shot rang true.

❶ After they had completed the exercise, Naluma's muscles ached and a layer of perspiration covered her face and hands while her heart pounded. "I've never felt like this before except on the battlefield."

"When you are in a dangerous situation, you instinctively use the Force. That's what happened in the combat arena the other day, too." They returned their vests to the aide at the equipment desk. "Speaking of which, we have an appointment there at 2000 hours. Let's get moving."

As Naluma entered the familiar building, she took a deep breath, preparing for anything.

Crossing the threshold, Luke glanced at the pitched roof in the dojo. Wood panels interrupted concrete pillars that supported a corrugated steel roof. "Leave your weapons. You won't need them." He dropped his blaster and removed the extra charges from his uniform.

When Naluma glanced toward the surveillance gallery and discovered General Madine and Colonel Kiner observing her lesson, her anxiety increased four-fold. She moved into position for sparring and bowed.

Master Skywalker raised his hand. "No, not hand-to-hand. We're going to start with saber lessons."

"Where's the remote?"

"No remote yet. Basic forms first. The Jedi's approach to battle is one of defense, not attack."

⊘ Luke closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. His entire body spasmed, jerking uncontrollably as he fell to the floor. The aromatic smell of ata from their meal earlier permeated the air as he fought to regain control of the attack.

What did this to him? While Naluma's first instinct was to grab him, she waited, remembering from her military experience not to touch a victim of PTSD to prevent escalation of the attack. She monitored him, looking for any indication that he would harm himself during the episode.

After a long minute, the spasms ceased, and the Jedi Master inhaled deeply, finding his center once again. A few long moments later, he stood and avoided her eyes. "I'm sorry."

She placed her hand lightly on his shoulder. "It's all right. If you need to, we can do this another time." Naluma watched for signs of another attack. "PTSD's the norm on this base."

"No, I'm fine now." His face flushed, and he clenched his teeth before shaking his head. "Let's get started. Come over here in front of me. Turn your back to me. Now, I'm going to give you my lightsaber. Hold it with both hands like this."

Luke put the saber in her right hand and moved her left hand under it on the shaft. He demonstrated the moves while standing behind her.

Naluma rebuffed Luke with her elbow when she sensed him move behind her back. Too close. Just a little too close, master.

Master Skywalker repositioned himself, emanating peace toward her as he continued with the instruction. "This button activates the saber." The green blade snapped and hissed to life. Luke wielded it in front of her, tracing figure eights in the air.

"Six basic parries in Shii-Cho, the first lightsaber form. High outside, high inside, head, low outside, low inside, and prime." The Jedi Master inclined the saber at precise angles. "High outside, high inside, head, low outside, low inside, prime. The other moves are based on these basic six. Now you try them." Luke retreated as he watched her slaughter them.

Naluma blushed after her first attempt and then tried again at his urging. Again. And again. After the ninth time, she nodded at her own progress and straightened with pride as she set into ready position. She blazed through the forms one more time, twice as fast as the last, growing more confident with every swinging motion.

He fetched a training remote from the storage rack and programmed it quickly. "Continue, apprentice. Just as you were."

❷ The training remote danced around the arena in front of her, maintaining the same rhythm.

When the Padawan had run through the exercise five more times, Luke fetched a helmet with the blastshield down. "Now, try it with this," he said as he placed the helmet on her head.

"But with the blastshield down, I can't even see? How am I supposed to fight?"

Luke laughed with gusto.

"What's so funny?"

"Trust me. You can do this. Let the Force move you." He sent the remote flying again.

Naluma performed the exercise better than when her eyes were open.

"Good. Good." He smiled and clapped. "Now, we're going to try it again." He reprogrammed the remote, hiding his movements from view.

On the first pass, Naluma repeated the pattern and then sensed a moment too late. From a jeweled eye on the remote, a laser bolt spat out and struck her. "Ow!" She shook her left arm to reduce the pain from the zap of energy.

"Let go of your will and act on instinct. Use the Force, Naluma." Luke crossed his arms over his chest and gave a thoughtful grunt.

Naluma scowled at Master Luke before she inhaled deeply and raised the saber again.

"Feel the Force running through you."

This time, Naluma perceived it. She foresaw it a fraction of a second before it struck, and she parried every single blast.

She powered down the lightsaber and took off the helmet. "Wow! I could do it."

Luke screamed and gave her a congratulatory hug out of habit. Then he retreated, tripping on the training mat.

"Ready for more?" he asked with a quick glance to their observers.

"Yeah, I feel like I could take on the whole galaxy myself."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Luke said with a lazy smile. "Something a little harder this time ... again with the blastshield." He grinned with her contagious enthusiasm.

Naluma donned the helmet again and started the drill again. This time Luke programmed the remote for an extensive exercise which required the entire arena.

As she ran through the drill, Luke scheduled footwork for tomorrow's lesson. He glanced at the observation gallery as the tall, brown-haired colonel with a piercing gaze pointed something out to Madine. Luke returned his gaze to his Padawan while hiding his beaming smile beneath his hand.

Did you know ...

● While Obi-Wan indicated that a lightsaber was the weapon of a Jedi Knight because it was not as clumsy or random as a blaster, Luke was not opposed to using whichever weapon seemed best at the time throughout all the movies.

● The military had not seen the Jedi in action since the Clone Wars. As the Jedi Order rebuilt from the ground up, catching glimpses of them in action was treasured.

Tell me what you think ...

● What do you think Luke was feeling throughout this scene, since this was the first time he had given a lightsaber lesson?

● Why did Luke want the lesson in the arena and not in the glade outside the shuttle?