The New Adventures of Nomi Darklighter

Chapter 20 - Nothing has changed

When Dash Jr. entered his parents' quarters a day later in the evening, Nomi was already waiting for him. Dash and Nien Nunb had gone to the mess hall to play sabacc, and it would be late by the time Dash returned. This meant they had enough time to put their plan into action.
"Good evening, Mama."
"Good evening, Junior," Nomi replied, smiling at her son.
The Jedi could sense her son's nervousness as he stood before her, digging the lightsaber out of his satchel that hung from his left shoulder. When he tried to activate it, she raised her hand to stop him.
"Not here, Junior. I know a better place."

She took her backpack and walked ahead. Neither of them spoke a word on the way there. Dash Jr.'s tension was clearly noticeable. Nomi was aware of the risk of training her son in the clearing. She had known that since her encounter with Poe, but she saw no alternative. It was her duty to help her son lose his fear and regain confidence in his abilities as a Jedi. When they reached the clearing, Nomi set her backpack down next to a tree and sat cross-legged on the cool ground.
"Sit down, Dash," she urged her son. "You're too nervous to start your training."
Her son sat down opposite her, took his lightsaber out of his satchel, placed it right next to him and closed his eyes. His chest rose and fell as he used the breathing technique Luke Skywalker had taught him to find his inner peace.
It took a while, but then Nomi sensed that her son was slowly calming down and was ready to practice. His eyes were still closed.

While keeping an eye on her son, Nomi reached into her backpack and pulled out the training remote.
She programmed it for an immediate attack, as well as the intensity of the laser beams and the duration of the exercise. Then she threw the remote into the air. It approached her son and circled the young man.
At the same moment, the young Jedi summoned his lightsaber, activated it in one flowing movement and jumped up. He still had his eyes firmly closed as he fended off the laser beam from the remote.
His mother smiled with satisfaction when she saw that his bionic arm responded flawlessly to the nerve impulses.
Dash Jr. breathed evenly and calmly as he waited for the next attack. And it came quickly.
The training device changed direction and attacked from behind on the right. The young Jedi spun in the blink of an eye, leapt high into the air and came to a halt behind the remote.
As the remote was unable to react to the target's sudden change of direction, the attack failed. It circled the Jedi, whose ice-blue lightsaber blade cast a bright glow across the clearing, then fired a beam at his left shoulder.
Nomi's eldest son did not hesitate, turned around and deflected the beam. The Jedi clearly sensed the harmony between her son and his lightsaber in the Force.
The remote doubled its speed as it circled Dash Jr., spinning around itself and attacking again and again. But every attack either failed or was successfully repelled by the young Jedi.

Eventually, the programmed exercise time was over and the remote sank to the ground next to Nomi.
Dash Jr. opened his eyes, deactivated his lightsaber and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Breathing heavily, he sat down on the ground next to his mother.
Nomi raised her hand and stroked his sweaty curls lovingly. This time he just let it happen.
"You see, you can still do it," his mother said quietly. "I'm glad you've overcome your fear. You are a Jedi and you will be a Jedi as long as you live, Dash. The ability to use the Force is a gift. Never forget that."
Leaning his head against her shoulder, Dash Jr. gently stroked her hand.
"I felt the Force, Mama. It was like when both my arms were flesh and blood. Before Kylo Ren did this to me."
This time he could talk about it without getting angry. He only felt the inner peace that the Force gave him. For the first time in a long time, he was happy again.