Chapter Six

Luke sat on the bank of a lazy river, watching the blurred figures of the students as they lounged in the sun or swam in the water. Taller figures were aiding smaller ones in swimming lessons, correcting posture or holding them up while they practiced their breaststrokes.

He smiled at the camaraderie between the different groups of students. There was no fighting, no one claiming to be better than another. Just pure fellowship and trust.

Standing, he brushed unnecessarily at his trousers since the grass he’d been sitting on wasn’t entirely real. He walked along the riverbank and to the valley where the buildings were constructed.

More students were milling about, some gathered in groups and others opting for individual study. If they were studying – one young girl on a boulder was scribbling on a tablet, and at the moment Luke couldn’t think of anything he’d be teaching that would require such furious note-taking.

Luke watched the girl as she paused in her writing, peered closely at the tablet, nodded to herself, and then continued scribbling. Intrigued, he stepped closer to try to see what it was that she was writing with such fervor.

The stylus slowed, and the girl paused – just for a moment – and looked around as if sensing Luke’s presence. Her eyes passed over his position a few times; he didn’t move, but reached out through the Force.

Her head tilted, seemingly sensing him but still not looking in his direction. A noise from nearer to the buildings drew both of their attentions; they turned and saw two of the students – one on the ground and the other kneeling at their side.

Both the girl and Luke went to investigate, she holding her tablet in a way that made it seem like she was going to write an incident report. He couldn’t make out the exact conversation, but he somehow knew they were discussing an exercise that had been performed incorrectly. The student kneeling had accidentally knocked the other down and was now in the process of finding out if they were injured and, upon learning that they were unhurt, they apologized and were asking permission to help them up.

Luke smiled, feeling warm all over. The girl wrote on her tablet, and the other two students stood and walked over to another group. Another noise sounded across the field, and he and the girl walked to the location.

It was another couple of students, but this time it seemed as if one was having a panic attack. More students responded to the surge of emotion, but they kept their distance respectfully because Luke could sense they knew not to crowd a panicking person.

Again, Luke couldn’t decipher the words, but he could sense the student helping ground the panicking one, much like…

Like Lisa does with me… he thought, grinning. This technique was definitely something she would teach at the school.

Emotional grounding…how to love a Jedi…

This school…this Academy…would work because of the both of them.

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