Playlist:

❶ "The Jedi Steps and Finale" 0.01-2.11—The Force Awakens OST

⊘ Silence

❷ "The Southern Delegation and the Dream"—Lincoln OST

❶ A week later, the Jedi Order landed on Zaxyn. Luke bunked with the Padawan in the crew quarters while Naluma recovered from her leg injury in the captain's quarters. During the last few days of the trip, the Jedi were down to MREs and emergency water conservation protocol.

The Padawan stank. The shuttle stank. Everything stank. 

Once the shuttle had landed the tarmac at the military base, Artoo scurried around, connecting water and fuel hoses. While the Padawan visited the quartermaster for food, Luke ran over to the base headquarters to submit the reimbursement requests. Since the Jedi stipends had transferred to accounts that same day, they were all breathing easier.

Luke had drained his and Naluma's accounts to zero balances for her medical care, while the Padawan had used up most of their savings for the last supply run. Luke hoped the reimbursements would clear soon.

As for obtaining a med tech for the academy, Madine would not assign one unless Luke divulged the location of this new academy. Luke, out of security concerns, refused. Even though the general was not happy with the refusal, he did arrange for the entire company to take all four levels of field medicine. Naluma would join them during the last course to recertify her skills.

Three weeks after her accident, Naluma declared war on the incessant cabin fever and hobbled outside. She lowered herself to the grass with care and took deep breaths. The fresh air vibrated the Force through her entire being.

Ensconced in the core of nature, she reveled in the Force stirring through her, energizing her. To Naluma, each minute she spent here turned a valve of the Force wider. She felt at peace for the first time since the accident.

The nightmares had returned the night before, disrupting her sleep. She had stopped taking her pain meds for a few days to prevent them, but to no avail. Between the agony and the dreams, she returned to the meds to alleviate at least one of her afflictions. 

As for her dreams, they differed from the ones at the med center. Meditation was the only way she would get to the bottom of them.

Luke's mental touch pulled her from her musings. Approaching.

She felt around her and relished his brilliant blue aura. Who's with you?

A new Padawan, he informed with joy in his thought. Young rascal, really. He'd give Han a run for his money. He chuckled. Cabin fever again, huh? Luke then pushed through the tall grasses to appear in the clearing with a young human male.

The boy could not have been older than twelve. He was stocky with dark hair, pale skin, and intense blue eyes.

"Jedi Knight Naluma Fau," Luke said with his hand extended, "I would like you to meet our new Padawan, Zeke Leer."

She nodded. "Welcome, Zeke. Sorry, I can't stand."

Zeke blushed. "That's okay, ma'am."

She cocked her head and scrunched her face. "Are you Colonel Leer's son?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thought I recognized you. I served under her a few years back. So, you want to be a Jedi, huh?"

"I guess."

"Well, it's not all lightsabers and Force-pushes. We've got a code to follow."

"Yes, ma'am."

Luke interrupted. "I think you should start with Jedi ethics." Caught him using the Force to win at a ball game. Was even placing bets on himself to win.

The boy's thoughts hammered at her shields.

Oh, great. Naluma hid her smile beneath her hand. Maybe we should pair him with Kalder.

Good idea.

"All right, ethics it is. But, first, let me teach you how to shield. You're almost breaking through my shields right now. Go stow your gear and come back."

He looked around at the shuttle, not sure what to do.

Luke smiled at the boy's bashfulness. "At the aft of the shuttle, take the starboard hatch and find the empty gear locker. Store your gear in there."

As Zeke decamped, Naluma said, "We have a full house now. Seven in one cabin."

Luke shrugged. "I'll sleep on the main deck."

"If you're going to sleep on the deck anyway, why not with me?"

He sat down beside her and played with a blade of grass. "Probably not prudent."

"We could leave the hatch open and make Kalder our watchdog." She pressed her lips together. "Please, Luke. The dreams came back last night."

"I know. I was there." He dropped the grass blade and stared at her with his intense eyes. "Your screaming woke everyone up, Naluma. I had a hard time easing you out of it. Was it the same? Were you back on Felucia?"

"No. Not Felucia. I don't know where I was." She shook her head as the memory flooded her consciousness. "It was dark, raining. I was on a hill with many knights and Padawan—a hill of black shale and turf. Then those creatures we encountered on Telti came—I needed you, and I couldn't find you."

Luke took her face in his hands and wiped the tear from her cheek. "I will never leave you, Naluma. I promise. You need to let go of these thoughts."

⊘ He jumped when he felt Zeke waiting for him in the shuttle. he changed the topic with haste. "Jedi Fau is a great teacher. You'll be shielding in no time. But no more using the Force to win at games, you hear me?"

"Yes, Master Skywalker."

"Shielding and ethics—I'm on it." Naluma gave a wan smile as she shunted her dream. "Come on over and have a seat."

That evening, as the Padawan bedded down for the night, Jannah asked, "Where's Zeke going to sleep?"

Master Skywalker grabbed his things from the bunk. "In here with you guys. I'll sack out on the deck somewhere else. That reminds me, Kalder, could you join me in Jedi Fau's quarters for a minute? Jannah, change the sheets on my bunk for Zeke."

When they reached her quarters, they found Naluma resting on the bed but awake. Dressed in a tank top and PT shorts, she elevated her splinted leg on a stack of pillows. She sat up as Luke entered.

Luke lifted her leg onto his lap, pushing the pillows behind him as he motioned for Kalder to sit on the crate. He said with a knowing look, "Kalder, we know that you are skillful at intelligence gathering."

The young man squirmed a bit. "I'm sorry, Master Skywalker. Old habits die hard. I'll stop."

Luke held his hand up to stop him. "No, that's not why I asked you in here. We know that you have been spying on everything and everyone, including us. But we've been pleased with your discretion." The Jedi Master nodded with encouragement. "We actually want to enlist your skills."

Kalder nodded.

"You see, with Zeke joining us, we're getting a little cramped on board." Luke grimaced at the thought. "I'm going to sack out in here on the floor until we return to Khalkha. We want you to monitor us while we're together in here." Luke motioned around the cabin. "Not that we would violate the Jedi Mandate, but we want to have a witness if it is ever questioned."

The Padawan thought about it for a minute. "How confidential do I have to keep it?"

Naluma said, "If the topic comes up with the other Padawan, state the truth."

"What if you do violate the Jedi Mandate? Am I to take action?" His brows furrowed with concern.

Luke said, "Immediately, but I doubt you ever will have to interfere. We just want a set of 'eyes,' so to say, to verify our actions."

Naluma snorted. "Keep us honest."

"Well, I guess I could do it. I've already seen everything you guys do anyway," Kalder said with a sheepish grin.

The Jedi Master smirked. "Thanks. Knew you were the right person."

When Kalder did not leave, Naluma tilted her head toward the door. "Why don't you try spying on us now ... from your own quarters?"

Kalder winked at them and headed out.

Luke bedded down for the night on the floor beneath Naluma, leaving the hatch open. She fell asleep before he had finished laying out his bedroll. He kissed her goodnight and stroked her face before climbing into his sack.

❷ Less than an hour later, Luke awoke with a jolt as Naluma moaned and whimpered—another nightmare. He could feel the terror penetrating the Force-bond between them. He tried to control the projection before it spilled over into the bonds that were developing between them and their Padawan.

As he sat on the edge of her bunk and stroked her face to calm her down, Kalder ran into the cabin. "Master Luke, what's wrong?"

"You feel it, too?"

"Yes! Make it stop," the Padawan begged while holding his head in his hands.

"I'm trying. She's having a nightmare, Kalder. Just go back to bed and try to shield the best you can."

As the Padawan left, Luke inserted his mind into hers to see what was disturbing her. He gasped. Force-sight! He shook her gently to wake her up, but she just resisted him.

She called out, "Luke! Where are you? Luke!"

"I'm here, Naluma. Wake up. You're having a nightmare. I'm here."

Her eyes popped wide open. "Oh, Luke!" He held her as she cried. "It was so real. You weren't there. The kids—they were dying. Wei'ahtt. Kalder. Even Zeke. Ones I've never seen before, too."

"I'm here. I'm here." He stroked her hair and rubbed her back as he held her. "Sh, it's only a bad dream. I'm here." He only hoped the future would change so that it would remain a bad dream.

Did you know ...

● Zeke is technically a Youngling, not a Padawan, but Luke and Naluma are unaware that there is a different term for younger Jedi learner.

Tell me what you think ...

● What can we tell about Kalder since he is the only Padawan disturbed by Naluma's vision?

● What can we tell about Naluma's reaction to watching the Padawan die in her vision?