Chapter 45 - The Point of No Return

180 18 50
                                    


The next day Naluma moved to the study, eager to welcome visitors and leave her quarters

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

The next day Naluma moved to the study, eager to welcome visitors and leave her quarters. While she attended to administrative duties, such as placing orders, scheduling duty rotations, and reviewing student progress, the Padawan and Jedi visited throughout the day.

Not all of the Jedi had reported back yet from their missions, but enough Jedi were present to address the heavy work around the academy. The next afternoon, while Luke was orchestrating the clean-up of the demolished wing that had sat untouched since Naluma's leg was crushed thirteen years earlier.

Taking advantage of distracted attention, Ben cut class and entered the study.

Naluma stood as he entered the open hatch. "What are you doing here, Ben?"

"I just came to ask your forgiveness, Aunt Naluma," he murmured. "Uncle Luke said—"

"Oh, cut it out with the 'Aunt Naluma' and 'Uncle Luke.' You don't believe what you did was wrong, nor would you hesitate to do it again in the same situation," she said crossing to him.

Ben's expression hardened. "It was an accident."

"No way what you did was an accident, Ben. Using the Force to crush—to kill—my child did not happen by accident." She crossed her arms and glared at the boy. Only the Force kept her from choking him.

She watched the darkness swirl around Ben, consuming him, masking him so much she could barely make out his Force-signature.

He said with a deeper voice than usual, "You know that, and I know that, but Master Luke doesn't. And he will never know that. He thinks you are delusional."

"Well, all he has to do is probe your mind, and he'll know for sure that you are a murderer."

"All that he will find in my mind is the truth. But what is truth, Auntie?" He let that hang for a moment. "Truth is what I believe happened—and I believe, and now remember, what truly happened. You weren't feeling well. I overpowered you in training. You collapsed." An evil grin adorned his face as his eyes transformed from brown to yellow. "Go ahead, Auntie. Probe my mind."

Naluma glared back at him before probing. She collapsed to the edge of the desk, her face contorted, as she realized he had developed a false memory. Her mouth dropped, and her eyes narrowed.

"Go ahead. Tell Uncle Luke. I'll just have him probe my mind. He already thinks your hormones have made you loony. This will only prove it. Do you think he would ever trust you again to run the academy or even to handle missions if you are mentally unstable? You think he even wants to have kids now ... now that he knows what you're really like?" Ben circled her. "You are beaten, Aunt Naluma. Admit it."

"Ben, this battle may be won, but the war is not over yet. One day you will bring about your own demise, and I just hope I'm there to see it."

"Aunt Naluma, such uncharitable thoughts from a Jedi Master. Are you sure you haven't turned to the dark side? What would Master Skywalker say?"

Star Wars: The Rise of Ren ✓Where stories live. Discover now