Playlist:

❶ "The Falcon"—The Force Awakens OST

When the Senate convened the next day, senators lobbed barbs at one another, not even waiting to be acknowledged. In the Visitors' Galley beside Luke, Naluma closed her eyes as she watched the government pull itself apart from within.

Some wanted the refugees to stay. Some wanted them shipped off planet. Some wanted them exterminated.

After chiming the intercom, Mon Mothma said, "Gentle beings, I suggest we be gentle with each other for once. The refugees are here to stay. We need to address their needs since they are citizens of the New Republic."

Observing from the Visitors' Gallery, Han cleared his throat. After Mon Mothma acknowledged him, he said, "Chancellor, I recommend that we move in some pre-fab housing for them. That tent city is going to breed disease, and that won't bode well for any of us."

Leia looked at her husband with admiration.

The Chancellor said, "I'll take your recommendation under advisement, Solo. Senators, do we have any discussion on this matter?"

A few hours of spirited debate frustrated everyone. However, at the end of the session, the Senate placed Han in charge of the project.

The next day, while Han and Chewbacca scouted a site for the installation, Luke and Naluma reported to the Senate about continuing the evacuation process. Luke pleaded with the stodgy bureaucrats. "We left so many people back there. We need to go back, Senators."

Can't they see he hasn't slept all night? Those deaths are taking a toll on him. They've got to let us do something. Naluma clenched her hands and bit her lip.

Mon Mothma said, "Master Skywalker, you said it yourself, with the amount of radiation poisoning they have sustained, they're dead already. We already have more refugees than we can actuall—"

❶ Three figures in black entered the chamber, igniting lightsabers and standing in the portal. Naluma gazed behind them at the guards on the floor—more dead.

She sent to Luke, I guess I missed some.

He looked back at her. Don't blame yourself. It was bound to happen. He looked at his sister. Leia, on my mark, break left. Go! He threw his lightsaber at the dark figure closest to her.

She jumped and rolled out of her opponent's way, holding her hand out to grab Luke's lightsaber. The compact powerhouse marked the first one on his arm and then lunged at him with the point. She stood, looking at the lightsaber sticking through him.

Naluma advanced on the other two. Why do these guys always come in threes, master?

Focus, apprentice. Luke broke off different objects in the room to hurl at the two remaining figures as he and Naluma squeezed their opponents in a V. The senators hid under their desks as sparks flew everywhere.

He glanced over at Leia and gave her the briefest of warnings before grabbing his saber back from her. Leia fell to the ground, the impaled figure on top of her. She pushed him off and crawled under the holotable for a blaster or anything she could use as a weapon.

Luke leaped into the fray with Naluma. They matched their strokes, fighting as one unit, side-by-side. He drew his opponent to the other side of the room for maneuverability. The battle raged on. Stroke after stroke, well-matched in saber skills, but not in control of the Force.

The Padawan's opponent slashed across her left upper arm. Naluma barely turned in time to avoid a severed limb. Blood trickled down her torn sleeve, as his erratic saber failed to cauterize her wound.

Her opponent hammered against her, knocking her down and scattering her lightsaber across the floor. The masked figure lunged for the kill.

Luke yelled, "Never!" as he leaped through the air over the holotable in a tumble, placing himself between her and the death blow. His lightsaber blocked the blow just in time, giving Naluma time to crawl to safety and retrieve her weapon.

However, Luke's original opponent prowled, pulling himself up from the floor and attacking Naluma. She engaged the enemy, stroke after stroke, drawing more and more power from the Force, until she had vanquished her opponent, slicing him in two at the waist.

The Jedi Master's second opponent was stronger and more skilled than the one she had just dispatched, she realized. Luke lost ground and then his footing as his new opponent tossed him against the wall with a Force-push. The Jedi Master returned with his own Force-push, grabbing his rolling saber from the floor.

About to join Luke in his battle, Naluma caught movement in the corner of her eye. Hundreds of refugees swarmed in, taking the senators hostage. But these were regular troops, not these creatures—"Knights of Ren"—she picked up from one of them.

She had two choices—save her master or save the Republic. She did not have time for both. Naluma looked at Luke and gasped as she knew that duty came first. Biting her lip to hold back the threatening tears, she sent, I'm sorry, master.

Then Naluma reached out to the entire chamber with a Force-push, knocking everyone in the Senators' Gallery to a wall or the floor, sending them unconscious. She did not have the time to aim the blow—the wave spread out like a concussion missile, taking out any and all in the way.

Senators and refugees fell in a heap. Only the four behind her remained standing in the room—Senator Organa, Master Skywalker, and the Knights of Ren locked in battle at the other end of the chamber. The reaction headache sent Naluma to the floor, blinding her in pain.

Her concussion blast provided a diversion for Luke to stand and riposte. He attacked, step-by-step, forcing his opponent back—eclipses outside and inside, swipes back and forth, until he had worked his opponent into a corner. With his lightsaber holding his opponent's saber above his head against the wall, Luke asked, "Who do you serve?"

His opponent spat back, "Snoke!" as he pushed Luke off.

The man rushed him. Luke waved his hand, pushing the adversary against the corrugated metal wall with a Force-push that cracked the man's skull. As blood oozed out of the man's helmet, Luke grabbed the man's saber and deactivated it.

Did you know ...

● Throughout The Clone Wars series, both Anakin and Ahsoka Force-pushed the enemy against the walls in great numbers.

● This is the first indication in my story of Snoke. Notice, the knight only calls him by his name, not with the title "Supreme Leader." This may indicate that Snoke is operating separately from the Imperial remnants at this time.

● By the way, I know that Luke should have said "Whom do you serve," but I don't think he knows that. ;-)

Tell me what you think ...

● What clues can you find regarding Han's character and desires?

● What does Luke's saving Naluma tell us?