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❶ "The Hologram/Binary Sunset" 0.09-4.08—A New Hope OST

Luke awoke the next morning with his ankle throbbing and the rest of his body aching. After he had opened the hatch with a wave of his hand, he levitated the pain meds and some water to himself.

Then he hobbled to his gear locker for a fresh uniform, grateful that he had showered the night before while Naluma was gone. He could feel her sleeping in her cabin. It took all his effort not to wake her up and yield to his emotions.

After meditating for an hour, Luke made a decision that would solve one of their problems. He just wanted to make sure it was the right decision and not one he was making to suit his own needs. He needed a second opinion.

He also needed to get his things from Han and Leia's now that he was living on the shuttle again. They could be the second and third opinions. He would even welcome Chewie's insight. A two-hundred-year-old Wookiee interpreted situations from a different perspective than humans.

Luke felt Naluma stirring, about to wake up. He scrawled a hasty note to let her know where he was and left it by the brewing stimcaf. Then he limped out of the shuttle as he felt her awake.

❶ The Jedi Master hobbled on his compression boot for two clicks through the Senatorial Complex to Han and Leia's suite. When Han opened the door, Threepio bustled behind him with two breakfast plates stacked with steaming food.

"Luke, come on in. I heard about all the excitement yesterday. Sure glad you and Naluma were there." Han ushered him in.

Chewie sat at the kitchen table, rumbling a greeting as he plowed into his breakfast of a thick, rare nerf steak and golden zered eggs.

"Leia wasn't so bad herself. She was the first to take one of those guys out," Luke said with a smile of pride.

Leia exited the bedroom, her hair braided in an Alderaanian traditional crown for her senatorial duties. She kissed him on the cheek. "Good morning, Luke. Want some breakfast?"

As she passed into the kitchen, she kissed Han and rumpled Chewie's hair. Chewie gave her a Wookiee hug before she passed into the kitchen.

Luke sat at the table, elevating his foot on a chair. "Sure. I could eat a bantha. Sorry to barge in on you guys like this, but I need your advice."

Leia tilted her head as she took the spatula from See-Threepio and flipped the sizzling nerf steak. "Go ahead."

Luke played with a fork in his fingers. "Well, it's about Naluma."

Han wiggled his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Easy, Han. It's not about that." Luke set the fork back on the table.

Han raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

Chewie growled a response indicating he did not buy it, either.

Luke leaned back in his chair and gestured with his left hand. "You've all seen her in action, and I wanted to know what you think about her abilities. Give her a review, if you would."

Han pursed his lips together before replying. "She's clear-headed, skillful in all forms of combat, professional in her dealings with the higher-ups, and not bad with a lightsaber."

Chewie added something as well with a few barks. Threepio translated, "Chewbacca says that Padawan Fau is one of the best warriors he knows and wonders if she might be part Wookiee." The droid tilted his head in confusion.

Leia stepped closer to her brother. "Luke, are you asking us if she's ready to graduate from Padawan to Jedi Knight?"

"Exactly," he said. "Sometimes when you're right in the mix of it all, face-to-face with someone, you don't see the short-comings. You don't see the improvement areas."

Leia put her spatula down and glared at him. "Luke, she was ready months ago. I honestly don't know what you've been waiting for."

"I don't want to rush this. Her flying skills are atrocious."

While drying her hands on a towel, Leia said, "But everything else is where it should be. And she can't be that bad of a pilot. She did pass her licensing last rotation."

"Barely," Luke said with a snort.

She cast the towel aside on the counter. "Besides, are you ever going to send her on a mission by herself?"

Luke whined without conviction, "It took me years to become a Jedi."

"And what were you when you started, Luke? A farmboy? From a backwater planet? Naluma is years older than you were and a seasoned military veteran. Many of the things you had to learn with Master Yoda she already knew when you met her."

Luke mulled over that statement for a few seconds, thinking about how Naluma had come to him well-trained in the physical aspects.

With her hands on her hips, Leia said, "Luke, if you don't promote her after yesterday, the Senate will. Do you really want the Senate dictating the affairs of the Jedi Order?"

Luke pondered that news for a minute. "No, of course not." He then asked Leia, "Wanna plan a graduation ceremony?"

"What did they do in the past?" she asked, sitting down next to him.

"I remember a few things from my ceremony, but not too many details."

Leia crinkled her brow at him. "What ceremony?"

He gently shook his head. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you. I might have been hallucinating."

"Well, I have an old friend from Alderaan who is a cleric of the Force. I'll see if he remembers anything." Leia patted his hand and left for the Senate.

Did you know . . . 

● Luke received no more than a few weeks' training from Yoda on Dagobah (and maybe only a few days, since we don't know how long the Falcon was in hyperspace between Hoth the asteroid field and Bespin). He received two more months' training from the Force-ghosts shortly after Endor. Naluma has actually had seven months of training with Luke (at least four months more than he had).

Tell me what you think . . .

● Who do you think is the cleric of the Force?

● Why is Luke reluctant to promote Naluma to knight?

● Would you promote Naluma at this point, or do you think she needs more training? Why?