Stay With Me [L. Skywalker] (REMASTER)

Eight

One unexpected side effect of being back on his home planet was the automatic shift from his regular sleep schedule back to his moisture farming one. Luke awoke right at the peak of blue hour, just before the first of the suns crested the horizon and well before the rest of the team woke up. Old habits really do die hard, he thought to himself as he laid awake for a few moments.

Seeing as he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, he decided to get up and squeeze in some training before everyone else woke up. Luke silently stood from his bedroll, grabbed a meal replacement bar, and headed down to the cellar of the home- Ben Kenobi's old home. He quietly greeted Artoo and picked up a small metal object from a workbench. He turned it over in his hands and observed his handiwork for a moment. A couple months worth of studying, meditating, and trial and error had gone into this. He'd only completed it yesterday. Luke took a breath and pressed a switch on the side of the object and a brilliant green blade shot out from it, bathing the room in green and emitting a droning hum. A small smile came across his face.

He'd taken another step toward becoming a full-fledged Jedi- the construction of his own lightsaber. Up until now he'd been using a yellow blade that he'd recovered from a group of smugglers after he lost his first one on Bespin. Creating one's own lightsaber was a rite of passage for the Jedi before him, so he felt it necessary to follow in their footsteps. Since they'd be on Tatooine to rescue Han, Luke departed the fleet early to come to Ben's home- the only place it truly felt right to take on this task. It's where he'd started his path to becoming a Jedi four years ago, and Ben had the resources and most of the materials available.

He'd passed this test.

Luke closed down the blade and left the cellar as he quickly ate the remainder of his breakfast. He went back to the main level, then ducked outside as the first sun was peeking over the landscape. He headed further from the home and onto one of the ridges of boulders closeby. He stood atop the formation for a moment and took a deep breath to center himself. He ignited the green blade and swung it at his side, testing the weight and feel of it.

Luke then dropped into a defensive stance and paused for a moment. He opened his mind and allowed the Force to flow freely through him, feeling its presence all around him. He began to swing and spin the blade as he moved with the combo, letting the Force guide his strikes. Every move flowed together seamlessly like a choreographed dance.

The lightsaber handled beautifully. It felt natural in his grip; the weight and chassis shape was perfect. Coupled with a sound mental state, a Jedi's weapon was far more than just a laser sword. And Luke's mind was sound alright; entirely serene and in tune with the Force. It was a skill he'd had lots of time to perfect in his months alone. His handling of a lightsaber had improved tenfold since his arrival on Tatooine. His handle on the Force even more so.

But he was still prone to distractions, as every human was.

Luke felt a shift in the Force and stopped practicing his saber handling in order to focus on the feeling. Standing where he was and breathing heavily, he reached out with his senses. He could pinpoint that the sense was coming from the general direction of Ben's home. He could feel that he was being watched and glanced in the direction of it. The sense faded quickly as he scanned the area. It wasn't danger that he picked up, but rather a hint of curiosity. Luke waited another moment and resumed his training.

~ ~ ~

Thirteen awoke to the sun shining right on her face through one of the windows of the home. She squinted in discomfort as she quickly sat up in a brief moment of surprise. It was then that she realized she'd not seen a sunrise in a very long time. She calmed down and made a mental note to move her bedroll the following night to avoid being blinded first thing in the morning. She got her bearings and looked around the small living space. Leia, Lando, and the Wookiee were still sleeping, but there was no sign of the Jedi.