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...
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❶ Naluma awoke to the intense heat scorching her skin bright red. Her parched throat burned, and the reaction headache from the day's activities blinded her.
A lieutenant shook her shoulder. "Ma'am, the drop ship is here."
Ignoring her discomfort, she jumped up and grabbed her rifle. She said to the twins, "Our ride's here, kids. Let's go."
The drop ship was packed to standing room only. Naluma stood in an aisle between rows of jump seats, spreading her legs apart and grabbing onto an overhead bar for support. The twins stood behind her, following her lead.
Beside her in jump seats, two soldiers discussed their kills. A humanoid with gray skin said, "I still don't know how you took out all those stormtroopers, Wei'ahtt. You must have had forty kills."
Wei'ahtt, a large human whose muscles strained his combat uniform, smiled bashfully at the compliment. "Ah, shucks, that was nuttin'. They was hardly movin'."
"Still, I think I'm going to get my rifle checked. I only hit five of them," his mate said.
Another trooper heard their conversation and said, "You're full of hogwash. Nobody hit forty."
Wei'ahtt's friend said, "He did. Here, check out his helmet recording and count 'em yourself." He handed Wei'ahtt's combat helmet to the other soldier.
Wei'ahtt grabbed at the helmet to pull it back, but his friend turned in his jumpseat, moving it out of Wei'ahtt's reach.
"I don't believe it. You didn't miss a single shot," he said with the helmet on his head. "What are you, some sort of sharpshooter?"
Intrigued, Naluma eavesdropped on their conversation. She had taken out over forty troops herself, but she had been using the Force. She had never heard of a mere soldier having a hundred percent kill rate in battle before.
Wei'ahtt grinned. "Ah, that's easy. I see where they're going to be right before they move there."
Naluma pivoted her head. "Wei'ahtt, is it?"
Wei'ahtt stood to attention. "Ma'am, yes, ma'am."
Naluma examined him. He was not as old as she first thought. His size led one to think he was in his late teens, but when she looked into his eyes, she saw he could be no older than fourteen or fifteen. "At ease, Wei'ahtt. Where you from?" she asked.
"A nerf ranch on Ezzell, ma'am."
"Have you always been able to do this?"
"Yes, ma'am," Wei'ahtt said, shuffling his feet. "Honest, ma'am, that's how it always works."
