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...
❸ "The Death Star - The Stormtroopers (Medley)"—A New Hope OST
⊘ Silence
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The next day, more quickly than expected, General Rieekan provided a freighter and some food for barter. Luke and Naluma spent a tedious morning with the Bureau of Identification sorting out her ID. After a day of fighting with the bureaucracy, the accelerated departure date brightened their moods.
Luke stayed one more night with Leia and took her to dinner at the planet's one restaurant, the Mimbanite restaurant Threepio had ordered from the previous night. Afterward, they watched a touring theatrical troupe perform a randy comedy that left both twins blushing as they left the theater. Overall, it capped off a wonderful visit with his sister over the last few days. But duty called.
❶ Leia escorted him to the landing bay holding the long freighter. The massive spacecraft consumed most of the hangar. Multiple octahedrons formed the odd structure of the ship and could be rearranged or removed to alter its configuration. The four behemoth compartments currently linked together would require every gram of boost from the engines to lift it from the planet's surface and past the atmosphere.
"You sure you can fly this thing?" Leia asked with raised eyebrows.
"I can fly anything," he boasted with an impudent grin.
She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. "Come back soon. I won't be able to rest until I see you again."
"Will do, Princess," he said as he kissed her on the forehead. "Say 'Hi' to Han and Chewie for me when they return."
Luke cantered up the loading ramp, closed the hatch, and entered the cockpit of the freighter. It was bigger on the inside than he had first imagined. "Got her warmed?" He halted in the middle of the cockpit.
"She's coming up." Naluma's black trousers hugged her hips in just the right way and concealed her knee-high boots.
Luke sucked in a breath at the sight of the dark-blue top that revealed more of her cleavage than he'd seen in a while. The fabric shimmered beneath the waist-length black jacket, its even darker blue trim snugging tight along the V-neck and lapel.
She grinned at his reaction and snapped the two nickel-plated latches on the jacket. She stuck a thumb into her matching black belt.
I ought to relax the uniform requirements more often. He could not take his eyes off of her. Maybe not. Must not violate her trust.
He brushed his yellow jacket and tugged on the brown Corellian trousers before sitting in the pilot's seat.
