Luke Skywalker, the Last Jedi, faces his toughest challenge yet. To rebuild the Jedi Order, he must give up his personal hopes and dreams. Every move is critiqued by not only the New Republic Senate but also the Force-ghost Jedi Council of the past...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
❶ As Master Luke hiked across the meadow, Naluma took the datapad and a canteen of water to a sunny patch of grass. After adjusting the brightness on the device, she initiated the diagnostic tests.
Let's start with Galactic Basic—always my best subject in school.
Her fingers flicked over the touchscreen at lightning speed until she finished the exam. I've still got it. As for the one I missed, who has ever heard of a retained object? Wouldn't you rewrite the sentence in active voice?
She continued with history, cultures, sciences, and mathematics. She scowled when she saw her scores. What did I expect? Haven't studied these topics in quite a few years—and I don't even remember learning half it.
Next came the vocational tests. She started with the one for survival skills, finding it was not a question-and-answer test, but a live-action game that tested application of her knowledge. She scored high marks in that area.
After reviewing the remaining categories, she selected the field medicine module. This should be easy. Just recertified two rotations ago.
The next test covered weapons, from identification and usage to maintenance and disarmament. Eh, guess it could have been worse. Just so many non-Republic weapons.
Four tests remained: navigation, programming, political protocol, and electronics/mechanics.
She marked off navigation as no prior experience. Master Luke already knows I can't fly. And is driving a speeder really navigation?
She was tempted to mark off the other two as well. Better not. I should at least attempt the others.
Throughout the etiquette test she shook her head awake and answered blindly. This is such a boring subject. I hope Master Skywalker doesn't expect me to spend weeks learning this nonsense.
She barely passed the programming segment. 'Bout what I thought. Haven't coded in years. Languages have changed.
❷ The electronics and mechanics test remained. She closed her eyes and settled herself with the Force. She expected this exam to be an emotional roller coaster. During her military career she had avoided these areas—too many painful memories from her apprenticeship.
Naluma froze, unable to tap the test open. Naluma, you can do this. No one's around.
When the datapad shook in her hands, she meandered around the field until she found a shady spot. Except for the dropping cones, the evergreen provided the perfect location. It supported her back and provided some shade for the display. But, best of all, no one was going to creep up on her here.
