Playlist:

❶ "In Orbit"—Space Camp OST

❷ "Scherzo for X-Wings"—The Force Awakens OST

❸ "Padmé's Ruminations"—Revenge of the Sith OST

❶ Naluma flicked her hands over the control panel, charging the engines and opening the thrusters. She pressed a button on the center console and spoke into her headset. A quick sideways glance to Luke in the copilot's seat encouraged her. Here goes nothing.

"D'Qar Tower, this is Jedi Starbird Elenium requesting permission to launch."

A female voice crackled over the intercom. "Elenium, what is your flight plan?"

"Atmospheric flight training."

"Copy that, Elenium. Steer clear of Sectors 4 and 7. Munitions testing in those regions."

"Copy that, Tower."

"Launch granted. And may the Force be with you."

Those words sent a chill up her spine. I don't think I'll ever get over hearing that.

"Elenium out." She disengaged the connection.

Luke leaned toward her. "Now just rev the throttle and pull back on the yoke smoothly."

"DrruurRRP tanaNDuh?" Artoo chirped from the rear of the cockpit.

"Not the time, Artoo." He narrowed his eyes at the droid before returning his attention to his trainee. "Ignore him. Just concentrate."

"Weeyoh BURRUP vrrrBRaum."

She craned her head and swiped her hand across the display, inadvertently jerking the craft out of alignment.

"Artoo, cut it out. There are no mynocks on our power cables." Luke pointed to a control on her left side. "Now lower the stabilizers."

When she pressed a button, the gears whined as the wings lowered into position. That doesn't sound good. Doesn't Artoo maintain this thing? "When's the last time you had her up?"

He stared at the ceiling as he calculated the date. "Not since before my master trials. Maybe four rotations ago."

"Not good for any bird to sit idle that long. I'll check her out tomorrow."

"Don't worry. Once she's warmed, she'll be okay." Luke stared out the window. "Level off at one kilometer."

Within a few seconds, she eased off on the yoke and brought the shuttle parallel with the planet. The small vessel shook in the wind.

"Just a bit of turbulence. Ride it out."

She smiled. "It's pretty fun."

"But dangerous." He grew silent for a moment before continuing. "Use the Force."

Lowering her gates, she opened herself to the power. "I feel it. See it. Just a hint before."

"Yes, instead of reacting to the wind, we can move with it." He grinned at her. "You're a natural, Naluma."

"Trust me, there's nothing natural about this, master."

"Coast across that canyon, about a hundred meters above the gorge."

She guided the graceful craft above the gully.

"The winds up here are entirely different from inside the crevice. When you're ready, slip into it."

As the craft dropped into the arroyo, it bounced and shifted.

"Watch those crosswinds."

"I'm trying."

"Do or—"

"Hush!" She clenched her teeth together. Give me a break.

With a jerk to the right and a slide to the left, she brought the shuttle under control.

"See, you can do it." Luke's mouth broke into a wide smile. "Now, thread the canyon and come up on the other side."

"But, Master, we're enter—"

"Just do it."

She steered the shuttle further into the canyon where limestone rose on either side. For the next hour, Luke directed her up and down, raising the stabilizers when the canyon narrowed, and lowering them when the turbulence increased.

At the mouth of the crevice, Naluma pulled back on the yoke, and the shuttle shot into the atmosphere.

❷ Klaxons rang out through the ship as they leveled off. "What's going on?" Her voice strained while her hands shook. "What did I do?"

"Blast it!" Luke grabbed his controls. "We've got missile lock. Must have gotten too close to that munitions test." He punched a series of buttons, transferring control of the shuttle over to him. "Artoo, release the countermeasures. Naluma, fire up the aft blaster cannons. See if you can hit it before—"

He jerked the craft to the left and plunged it into a dive. The sleek rocket followed them into the canyon. The Jedi banked left and turned down a branching arroyo. Rocks jutted from the cliffside, threatening to tear into the belly of the craft.

"Vrrt dit dweet!"

"What do you mean countermeasures failed?"

"Cannon's up." Bracing herself against the bulkhead, she staggered to the rear gunner position at the back of the cockpit while Luke maneuvered the craft through the tightening throat of the gorge.

Luke bore the shuttle toward the canyon's floor and pulled up with meters to spare.

But the missile followed. Closing in.

He steered the shuttle into a series of tight turns, pushing the fuselage to its limit, creaking, groaning, and moaning from the main cabin.

Naluma landed on the floor, bruised and battered.

Luke threaded the craft between spires of time-worn rocks and pinnacles, pushing through a tiny wedge barely enough to fit.

With a pull of the Force, she collapsed into the gunner's seat and buckled her harness.

The left wing clipped one of the outcroppings and set off a new set of alarms throughout the shuttle.

With the missile closing the distance, she aimed the firing grip and squeezed.

The first shot went wide.

She relaxed, becoming part of the weapon. She sensed the missile, lurching first one way and then another.

Naluma let Luke's awareness combine with hers. The Force sprang between them, arcing and binding them together. His presence wrapped around hers, and she braced instinctively the second before he banked starboard.

With a premonition of the rocket's next move, she hovered over the trigger in anticipation. Luke's jockeying brought the projectile into range, and she fired again.

The vessel bobbed in the blast, shrapnel flying everywhere and the fireball scorching the aft fuselage.

Luke grappled with the controls to clear the canyon. The gravitational forces pressed Naluma against her safety straps. If it weren't for the belt digging into her chest, she'd have been flung across the cockpit deck.

The light craft continued to climb at a seventy-five degree angle until it reached the safety of space above D'Qar.

"Jedi Starbird Elenium, this is D'Qar Tower. What is your position?"

The Jedi Master put on his headset and switched on the communicator. "We're orbiting the planet following the axis."

"You weren't cleared for orbital transition."

"Sorry. Had to take evasive action. Missile destroyed."

"Elenium, High Command requests an incident report upon your return."

"Copy that, Tower. Be advised we're starting our reentry now. En route to the Jedi Enclave." He closed the channel and gazed into the blackness of space.

Naluma unfastened her restraints and returned to the pilot's seat while Luke caught his breath.

Opening her mouth, she closed it just as quickly when her eyes picked up the slight tremors in his hands. His mouth clenched and his breathing labored.

When she reached out her hand to him, he jerked. He shook his head like he was shaking sand from his hair. "Coming up on our window. Start reentry procedures."

Naluma threw a few switches, adjusting the shields to the nose and belly as she pushed the yoke forward. The shuttle zoomed toward the surface.

"Are you all right, master?"

"Bring the nose up a bit so we don't burn up on reentry." Luke braced his hand on his controls, ready to take over. "That's it. Now, as soon as we break through the atmosphere, reduce speed."

"Yes, master." Perspiration streamed down her cheeks and slicked her hands, the controls slipping in her grip.

"Don't worry. I'm right here if something goes wrong."

"I just didn't think I'd be landing on my first flight."

"Be at peace. You've got this. I'll be right here with you." He patted her shoulder.

Confidence she didn't know she had spread through her chest with those words. She straightened and exhaled a breath she didn't realize she held.

"All right, attitude thirty degrees. Stabilizers extended. Nose and ventral shields, check." She inhaled. "Passing through the window now."

The shuttle bucked and shuddered for a few seconds as it passed through the ionization field.

"Starting my approach. Reducing speed. Five hundred knots. Narrowing angle. Twenty-five degrees. Twenty-two degrees."

"Slow it down. We're coming in too fast." Luke clenched his hands around the yoke. "That's it. Ease off on the throttle. Lower the nose a bit."

Naluma's eyes widened as the ground came into focus. No longer a blur of orange streaked with blue, the hard deck now consisted of gorges and gullies set amid prairies and spotted forests.

"Lock in your coordinates."

Her fingers flew over the control panel. "Coordinates locked."

After a few seconds, she adjusted her controls. "Making my approach. Stabilizers up. Target in ten, nine, eight, seven—"

❸ A hand slapped her on the back and hit her head. Luke spasmed in his seat, convulsing. His head knocked against the control panel, banking the shuttle right. A pitiful wail filled the cabin.

"Ah!" Naluma struggled to right the craft. The tops of trees passed the viewport. The right stabilizer caught on a limb, spinning the vessel.

"Artoo! I need you."

While the droid inserted his control rod and took control of the ship, Naluma clutched Luke by his leg and chest, pinning him to his seat. "Master Luke! Master Luke!"

"Father! Please, no! Help me!" His head tossed from side to side while he thrashed against her grip.

Before she knew it, he threw her against the console. He slipped from his seat, crumpled on the deck.

She clasped her hands on the side of his head. Tears ran down her face. "Master, this isn't real."

A chill traveled up her arms. This is what fear brings. Fear with the Force. Don't let the darkness consume you. Luke's words from earlier that day echoed in her head.

"Sh. Don't let the darkness win." She closed her eyes and pulled in the Force. Just like with the bird earlier today, she sent a probing touch from her fingers into the source. A touch was all she could manage. A touch was all she needed.

The convulsions stopped as quickly as a ship coming out of hyperspace.

"Master?"

He shook his head at her and hung it low. She could feel his shame permeating the cabin, assaulting her. His silent tears transformed to wracking sobs.

She lowered herself next to him, but he pushed her away.

"No. Can't you see, I'm no kind of Jedi?"

Stroking his matted hair, she pulled his head to her shoulder. She allowed the healing power of the Force to pass to him. "We'll get through this together, master."

"I can't even control myself." He pushed himself up. "Leave me."

She shook her head. "No." She reached out for him one more time. "You need help, master, and whatever that shrink is doing at the Base Med Center isn't it."

He locked his eyes on her.

"The Force caused this, didn't it?"

He nodded. "Sith lightning."

"The Force can heal it then."

He turned his back on her and gasped. "How can you be so sure?"

She tugged on his shoulder to turn him. "Does the Force guide?"

"Yes, but—"

"Did the Force lead me to you?"

He nodded.

"Does the Force heal?"

"Healing a bird is one thing. Healing me ... it's impossible."

She wrapped her hands around his. "Master, you know nothing is impossible."

Tears dropped from his cheeks onto his boots. "I don't deserve it. I should have died."

"No. I need you." She raised their hands to her chest. "I need a teacher. I need a friend. But most of all, I just need you. And I can't bear to see you hurting like this."

"But the darkness, it consumes me."

"And that is why you can't fight it alone."

They both tensed.

I won't leave you, master.

His eyes widened as he felt the emotion underneath her thoughts. I know.

Did you know ...

● The Imperial Lambda shuttle was not designed for combat flying.

Tell me what you think ...

● Why is Luke so stubborn?