The First Order left Luke alone for most of the next day. Luke wondered if they were going to leave him there to rot or if they were planning something worse.

A rap on the cell door echoed in the tiny room, startling Luke from his meditation. A muffled voice crackled over the intercom. "Open up."

"No."

"Food and water."

"Leave it in front of the door. I'll get it when you have left the deck." Luke heard them set the tray down, but he did not sense them leave the brig. "I'm still waiting."

After what seemed at least a half hour, the knights moved beyond Luke's senses.

They might still be in the room, but beyond that shield I can't breach. Well, if I can't breach it, they surely can't. They aren't that powerful.

He found the detention area empty when he opened the door. He caught the outline of stormtrooper armor beyond the detention center blastdoor, but the knights and the guards in this intermediary room were gone.

Luke grabbed the tray. He sniffed both the water and the food. He dipped his tongue into the cup, counting to one hundred and running through the symptoms of poisoning. No tingling, no hallucinations, no odd flavors. He sipped again and then chugged the rest of the glass, his parched throat welcoming the musty water.

The Jedi stared at the food, longing for it, but not willing to take the risk. There was no way to judge its safety. Guess it's meditation and water for a few days. Not the first time. Won't be the last, I'm sure.

A few hours—or maybe even the next day, as time was difficult to judge in the cell—the Knights of Ren appeared with another tray and an announcement. "The Supreme Leader has requested your presence."

Leaving the manacles on his bunk, Luke opened the blastdoor. He presented himself to his captors, ignoring the water and the sustenance. "Let's not keep him waiting."

Confused again at their captive's actions, the Knights of Ren encircled him with lightsabers drawn, points mere centimeters from his tender flesh.

"Those won't be necessary." Luke waved his hand, thrusting their sabers out of their hands.

He grinned as the Knights scrambled to retrieve the extinguished blades. 

When one of the knights attempted to reignite his saber, Luke raised his eyebrows and shook his head. The knight returned the hilt to his belt.

Force-dreams about Luke had assaulted Naluma each night since he left. The last few nights she had tossed and turned, troubled by the dark visions she had seen.

The third day after his deployment, she clutched her chest as their Force-bond severed. The shock of it sent Naluma stumbling into a chair as she taught advanced mechanics. She reached out, but nothing. He simply was not there anymore.

Lekoh placed his hand on the Jedi Master's back. "Master Naluma, you okay?"

She took in a deep breath and pushed her emotions to the back of her consciousness. She initiated her relaxation exercises and refused to think about Luke. "Yes, I'm fine. Something in the Force." She sniffed back a tear as she pulled the Force within her, filling her with peace. "It's gone now, though."

Lekoh tilted his head. "You sure?"

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking." Naluma stood and returned to her lecture. It's not like when Dashka died. Not the fading, just a quick severing. Luke could still be alive. Don't give up hope. Regardless, she could not let even a hint of Luke's death leak out unless she knew for certain.

Two weeks passed. Two weeks not daring to think the worst. Two weeks of despair.

With Naluma snapping at small infractions, the Padawan stayed out of her way. One moment she was on the verge of tears. The next moment she was berating a Padawan for getting in her way.

When the secure link interrupted Naluma's dinner, she sprinted from the dining hall to the study. She slowed her breathing and picked up the communicator, hoping Luke was on the other end.

"Jedi Master Naluma Fau, Jedi Academy," she said with marked tenseness in her voice.

"Master Naluma, this is Jannah."

"Jannah." The dejection in Naluma's voice was unmistakable.

"Naluma ..." Jannah said, smothering a sob. "Master Skywalker ..."

The tears that Naluma had tried to hold back for the last two weeks, tried and failed on many occasions, flooded her face. "Where is he, Jannah?"

"We don't have confirmation. He's either captured or—"

"How long?" Naluma asked as she sniffed the tears away. Should I have told her before she left? No. Luke was certain someone was listening in on our communications.

"The Senate has known for a week. The distress signal came in on sublight. Maybe another week before that," Jannah said with a worried tone. "I am disobeying direct orders to inform you. I'll be charged with treason, Master."

"Jannah, I—" Naluma broke off as she collapsed into tears. "Come home." The secure link alarm activated.

"Yes, Mast—"Jannah said as the link broke.

When Luke arrived in the communication room, Snoke's holographic image glowed. The man seemed impatient.

"Glad you could join us, Master Skywalker. I hope you found your accommodations to your liking."

Luke refused to respond.

"Hmm. I guess not. A pity you are not humble enough to appreciate my modest hospitality."

Luke studied his enemy in silence.

"This is not a Republic system. Why are you here? What are your intentions ?"

With nonchalance, Luke answered, "Same as always—maintain freedom in the galaxy."

"You mean in Republic systems."

"No, I mean all systems in the galaxy."

"But your budget is paid by the Republic Senate," Snoke insinuated as he twisted a gnarled hand. "That in itself indicates the Jedi are their pawn."

"You're wrong. The Republic Senate is paying a flat-rate fee for services rendered. Trust me, they couldn't afford our itemized bills," Luke said with the authority of the Force backing up his voice. "We have not sworn allegiance to any government, and we serve all beings."

"Including the First Order?"

"We do not agree on exploiting worlds of their precious resources and converting their people to any cause by force or by offering strawman arguments. That's why the Jedi serve all citizens of the galaxy, even those in the First Order. Most have been given no choice in their—allegiance."

"Forgive me, Master Skywalker, but I find such altruism difficult to believe." Snoke played with the hem of his sleeve as he spoke.

Luke stood in silence, observing his opponent. Appearing as a hologram, it was impossible to perceive Snoke with the Force. He was not on this ship. The immediate evil he felt smothered him

"We've said all that needs to be said. If you'll excuse me." Pivoting on his heel, Luke paralyzed the Knights of Ren and exited the communication room.

As he passed through the door, stormtroopers fired on him. Luke stopped the blasts with the Force and sent the blasters flying across the room. "That won't be necessary. I'll show myself back to my cell."

As far as Luke could tell, two more days passed before Snoke summoned him again. The man was never satisfied.

"Tell me, what are the Republic plans for the First Order?"

"You are asking the wrong person. I haven't been in the Senate in months." Luke stood at peace with his arms crossed in front of his chest and his legs spread apart.

"I could strip the information from your mind."

"You have no such power over me."

Snoke reached out toward Luke in vain. Luke's shields remained solid, as Snoke's Force hand passed over his mind like it was failing to grab a slippery ball.

Luke smirked at him with smugness. "I would reconsider your tactics. You hide behind a hologram. What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of a two-bit Jedi Master." Snoke spat on the ground below his throne. "I have responsibilities elsewhere at the present." Snoke reached out to Luke again.

"You're like a neezí, merely annoying and in danger of being swatted."

"Nevertheless, you are still my prisoner, Master Skywalker."

"If that's what you want to believe."

"What game are you playing, Jedi?"

"The same one you are."

"Ah, but soon you will see that it is not a game at all, but nonetheless, you will lose," he said with a hiss. Snoke cackled as the hologram terminated.

As the Knights of Ren grabbed his arms, Luke pushed them into the metal bulkheads with the Force, holding them there until he had left the chamber.

Three days later, Jannah arrived on Khalkha near midnight. She had pushed the hyperdrive on her A-wing beyond recommended limits. It trailed smoke as she landed it at the academy.

Naluma met her at the landing field. "You're safe." Naluma hugged her.

"Yes."

Jannah's astromech beeped something at the Jedi.

"Let it cool down, R9. We'll get it in the morning."

The droid beeped a reply as it rolled across the landing field to the repair shack.

Jannah asked, "What are we going to do?"

"We'll get it sorted out," Naluma said. "The Jedi Order is not subject to the Senate."

"I hope you're right," the younger woman said with a sigh. "Any more news from Master Luke?"

Naluma shook her head.

"When I left, I heard the Freedom had attacked the Finalizer. Battle had already lasted a few days at that time," Jannah said. "Captain Antilles will face a court martial when he returns."

Naluma gaped in silence as she absorbed the information. Kriff, Wedge shouldn't have gotten involved. I wish Luke had told him.

"Does anyone else know he's gone?" Jannah asked.

"No. Not until we know something definite, one way or the other." Naluma bit her lip as the tears threatened to fall again. Not everything had gone according to plan. Her voice caught as she said, "I never felt him die, but our Force-bond's gone. Jannah, I can't feel him."

Jannah wrapped her arms around Naluma and pulled her to her shoulder.

Tears ran down Naluma's face as Jannah held Naluma through her grief. She whispered, "Luke ... he set a trap ... but he didn't plan on—"

"Getting killed?"

"I think ... I hope he's alive. It didn't feel like Dashka." She stared in the young blonde's blue eyes filled with tears. "Not a word. Not a hint. To anyone. Jedi or otherwise. Or this mission really will fail."

Luke awoke on his tenth day in the holding cell. The Knights of Ren had brought him before Snoke's hologram each day. The two leaders traded barbs, but learned little, if anything, from the other.

During his confinement, the Knights of Ren learning they were powerless against him. After taking a chance with the subsistence rations that they gave him a few days into his ordeal, Luke prepared himself for this day's interview.

When the cell door opened, the Knights of Ren surrounded him with two stormtroopers. The knights had activated their lightsabers and stood in a defensive mode. Luke allowed them to lead him out of the detention center and through the corridors of the Finalizer.

They passed through a TIE fighter bay, not quite deserted. A few TIE fighters sat in the loading slots, awaiting launch. Luke saw through the open landing bay a New Republic cruiser attacking the Finalizer. Snub fighters engaged TIE fighters, between both ships as well. He also identified Vestun and Zakhasun spacecraft attacking the Republic.

All at once, Luke used the Force to disarm the knights, sending their lightsabers across the landing bay. When the stormtroopers fired, Luke froze their shots in the air. He grabbed their blasters and placed them all in trances. He paralyzed the Knights of Ren, shoving them across the landing bay against the bulkheads. He sprinted to the nearest TIE fighter before they could recover.

Jumping into the cockpit, Luke warmed up the craft and disconnected the umbilical cable. He released the Jedi trances he held on the stormtroopers so that he could use mind control with space traffic control.

The controller's voice came out of the cockpit speaker. "TIE 1571, power down. No authorization to launch."

Luke said into the headset, "Control, I have authorization to launch."

"TIE 1571, power down."

As the stormtroopers opened fire with their blasters on his small, unshielded craft, Luke pulled in the Force. Once at peace, he tried the method again. "You are mistaken. I am authorized to launch."

"I—I made a mistake. Launch, launch, launch."

Luke lifted the TIE fighter from the launch slide and sped through the landing bay field. He found himself in the middle of the snub fighter battle, as Republic X-wings, A-wings, and B-wings fired at him.

Naluma continued in her duties while keeping Luke's disappearance a secret. Each day grew harder. Each day she wanted to abandon the academy and go find him. Each day she realized she would leave the academy vulnerable if she did so. 

Kalder, Kallay, Tandolleau, Zeke, and Benea were on missions, and neither Wei'ahtt nor Jannah could control Ben. Besides, Naluma dreaded the idea of flying again, but she would if she knew where to start. She was stuck.

After a few more days of agony, not knowing whether he was dead or alive, Jannah pulled her out of class one morning for a secure communicator call. "It's the Senate."

"Take my class." Naluma hurried to the study, dreading the call.

"Jedi Master Naluma Fau," she said with a flat voice. "Yes, Senator ... No, Senator. You have forgotten, the Jedi Order has not sworn allegiance to the Republic. Jedi Witerspah was following standing orders ... There's nothing more to discuss, Senator." Naluma disconnected the call and broke down in tears.

Luke, where are you?

Did you know . . .

● Luke's ability with the Force now surpasses Anakin's during The Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith. Unlike Anakin, though, Luke can maintain his peace and use the light side to his full advantage without resorting to dark techniques.

● Denis Lawson was offered to revise his role of Wedge Antilles in The Force Awakens. However, he felt the part was so minimal, there would be nothing for him to do. He declined. That left a question in the minds of Wedge fans everywhere (relistichwofbow, included). What happened to Wedge? While the main purpose of this sequence was not to explain Wedge's disappearance, I did make use of it to give him a hero's exit without killing him off. And it still works with his cameo in The Rise of Skywalker.

Tell me what you think . . .

● This is the second time Naluma has thought Luke to be dead. This time she has been through the training and knows how to lead not only the Jedi Academy but also the Jedi Order. If you were in her shoes, would you have given up yet and told the Order that Luke was dead?

● We're seeing more friction between the Republic and the Jedi Order. What do you think is on the horizon for the two entities as time progresses?