Luke Skywalker, the Last Jedi, faces his toughest challenge yet. After taking his Jedi vows, he assumes the misbelief that love has no place in his life. As a result, he denies the love he craves in order to establish the New Jedi Order and maintain...
Jannah! Where are you? she sent, hoping the girl was close enough to hear her.
Before Jannah could reply, Naluma met more resistance when she turned a corner. A quartet of soldiers lined the corridor and fired at her. With quick flicks of her lightsaber, she deflected their bolts and ran straight through the guards.
But more soldiers waited around the next corridor. Extending her hand to Force-push them into the corridor, a chilling voice came over the loudspeaker. "Stand down. All troops, stand down. This is Captain Wedge Antilles. All troops, stand down. Jedi Fau, welcome to the Freedom."
Panting from her exertions, Naluma deactivated her lightsaber while the troops shouldered their blasters. "What now?" she asked.
A corporal said, "We wait for further instructions."
Naluma glared at the man. "Sorry. Can't wait." She sped off down the corridor, heading toward Jannah's pulsing aura.
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⊘ After ten minutes of twisting through corridors and climbing ladders, Naluma arrived at sickbay. She smoothed her hair back and retied her chignon before striding into the medical facility.
The single room housed eight beds and one bacta tank. Three soldiers occupied three of the beds, but the bacta tank stood empty.
Naluma felt around her with the Force for Jannah and Tandolleau. They're in the next room. But where's Luke? Are they hurt, too? Ah, must be a private room for officers or something. She headed toward the rear of the medbay, looking for a hatch or opening to enter the other chamber.
After shoving cabinets and beds aside, she discovered the hatch behind a privacy curtain. She waved her hand in front of the panel. When the hatch did not open, Naluma activated her lightsaber to slice through the door.
As she poised her purple blade to cut through the metal hatch, the door slid open to reveal a single gurney holding a blue Luke. Jannah and Tandolleau, as well as Captain Antilles, stood nearby as medical droids and doctors attended the lifeless body. Tubes stuck in and came out of his body as monitors beeped and whirred.
Jannah ran to Naluma as the door opened and enfolded the Jedi in her arms. "Naluma."
The older Jedi hugged the young woman as her eyes held steady on the Jedi Master. "Tell me what happened."
Wedge asked, "You didn't get my message?"
Naluma shook her head. "Colonel Keelu destroyed it before I could hear it."
"That's against regulations."
Naluma squelched the anger rising in her core. Colonel Keelu would have to wait. She moved to the bed, laying her hand on Luke's cold skin. When she touched him, she felt his life-force. He was alive, barely, but alive. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Tell me what happened."
