"I know I told you I wanted waha, Tascama, but the smell of wilted greens is churning my stomach. How about a meilooron?"

The server, Padawan Tascama, shook her dark ponytail and smiled at her teacher. "Master Naluma, you know we've been out of those for weeks now."

Master Fau winced as her unborn son kicked. So much for maternity leave. Covering that advanced lightsaber class for Master Kalder was not what I had in mind.  She kneaded her knuckles over her lower spine. I hope he's back in time to teach battle tactics. I just want to get off my swollen feet, rest my aching back, and feed this hungry boy in my womb.

Tascama cleared her throat and nodded toward the dinner queue stretching beyond the dining hall entrance like a Krayyt Dragon undulating on the dunes of Tatooine.

"How about some of that nerf strip." Naluma pointed to the orange strips of meat marinating in a tangy sauce.

The Padawan piled a few strips of lean nerf steak onto the Jedi Master's plate with a few steamed vegetables and tubers.

"More."

Two more strips joined the growing mound.

"More than that." She gave a wan smile. "Sorry."

The Padawan smiled. "Mum was just like this when she was carrying my brother." The girl reached below the counter. "While we don't have any meiloorons, I do have . . ." She pulled out a plate with a triangle of dark cake. ". . . this."

Master Fau's eyes brightened at the treat. Her mouth broke into a wide smile.

"Last piece."

Tascama handed the Jedi Master a large slice of seven-layer lishi cake. Lishi frosting, lishi shavings, and lishi cake all in a slender wedge on white porcelain. The icing dribbled across the plate, leaving long streaks of dark ecstasy.

Naluma ran her finger through the icing and sucked the creamy lishi from her fingertips. "How did you know I've been cra—" 

Boisterous cries behind her interrupted her. "Master Luke! Master Luke!"

She whipped her head around toward the entrance. Sure enough, Luke had arrived with Jedi Master Kalder Flo'et and his twin sister Jedi Knight Kallay Flo'et—a few glorious hours earlier than expected. 

"Let me through. Urgent Jedi business." With a warm smile on his face, Luke pushed his way through the crowd to the front of the line.

All eyes focused on him as he wrapped his arms around his gravid wife. With gentleness, he took her head in his hands and planted his lips firmly on hers. "I've missed you so much, Luma." The longing in his voice stretched out the nickname.

"Missed. You. More." She wrapped her hands around his head and settled in for a long kiss that not only spoke of long nights without him but also of the agony of a Force-bond long separated. 

She just hoped he would be around for the next few weeks. Her Death Star was ready to fire its cannon.

He ran his hand over her abdomen. "Hello, Anakin." He palpated different spots across her midsection as a smile lit up his face. "He's kicking."

"Yeah. He does that a lot when you're around." 

Luke smiled and massaged her stomach once more. "Hey, Little Boy, time to stop this. Let Mommy have some peace." 

Naluma nodded. "I don't know how you do that, but he sure does respond to your voice."

Luke moved his hands to her lower back and kneaded her tense muscles.

She sighed in relief. "You have until tomorrow to quit that."

The Padawan near them shifted their weight.

Kalder yelled from the other side of the room, "Hey, quit holding up the line. These Jedi just might turn Sith if you don't feed them."

Luke grabbed the tray from Naluma. She snatched it back. "Hey, give me that."

"You're going to eat all that?"

"I'm eating for two."

"Two what? Banthas?"

Naluma elbowed him in the stomach and glared at him. "You're going to be bantha fodder if you don't watch it."

When he stretched out his lips and crossed his eyes at her, she burst into a giggle. "You goofball."

"That's 'Master Goofball' to you." He winked and smirked at her. "Tascama, load me up. Same as Master Naluma."

The girl loaded up his plate with the strips of nerf and vegetables.

"And the cake."

"Sorry, we're all out, Master Luke."

He turned to Naluma's gigantic slab. "Guess you'll just have to share."

His wife swiveled her tray from him as he swiped a fingerful of frosting. "Hands off, or I'll slice the other one off." She grazed her hand on the lightsaber swinging at her hip.

"You wouldn't dare."

Naluma winked at him. "Don't get between a pregnant woman and her lishi."

Turning her head toward the window while leaning into Luke, the sunset gleaming through the massive evergreen trees beyond the tall windows captivated her, setting her instantly at peace. The gigantic granite cliffs burnished in the twilight, casting a beautiful glow across the snow-covered mountains. 

As Luke escorted her into the massive room with vaulted ceilings, he said, "So, how about we get away for a few weeks before the baby comes?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Where?"

"Soaring trees, a babbling river and ... Ewoks?"

"Sounds lovely." The thought of Endor transported Naluma to the week they spent on the forest moon on their honeymoon. Except for one small incident with the Ewoks, the trip had been perfect. At least this time they wouldn't greet her with the wrong end of a spear.

She sighed. Like on Khalkha, the Force swelled among the trees there, filling her to overflowing. And it won't be winter there. I think Bright Tree Village is in summer right now. Warmth. Blessed warmth.

She narrowed her eyes when she felt a prickling in the Force. "What aren't you telling me?"

Luke cleared his throat and looked down at his feet. "Uh, well, Republic Independence Day is coming up."

She narrowed her eyes and sighed.

"The Ewoks have invited the Senate to hold their convocation on Endor."

"And?"

"They want the whole tribe there."

"Wait ..."

"Yeah, you, me ..."

"And Ben." She shook her head. "No way, Luke. I need a break from him."

"Come on, we'll hardly see him. Kalder's playing Lothcat." He tilted his head and winked at her. His smirk battered against her will, as it always did.

"What about Leia and Breha?" she whispered in his ear.

"You know Leia can't say 'no' to Chief Wicket. She'll figure something out." Luke nodded his chin toward a table in the far corner of the dining hall where a lone, dark-haired figure sat in a hover chair. "Let's go tell Ben the good news."

She snorted. "If we must."

"Hey, Ben, these seats taken?" Luke asked.

With a sneer, the scowling youth tossed his dark locks. "Of course, they are. Can't you see the Jedi Council is in session." He motioned to the seats at the round table.

Naluma grimaced at the boy and sat in a chair to his right.

"Master Fau, don't sit there! You're squashing Master Yoda," Ben whined. "For the sake of the Force, show some respect for the dead."

"Pipe down, Ben," Naluma said. "I've had enough of you today."

"Likewise." He huffed and rolled his eyes at her.

The tension between the Naluma and Ben continued to rise until Luke raised both of his hands. "Peace." He pulled his hands together in front of his chest. "Find your center again. Both of you."

Naluma struggled for that inner peace that seemed to evade her these days. Between her hormones raging out of control and Ben pushing her buttons, it was all she could do to rein in her emotions.

After a few moments of tense silence, Luke took a seat to Ben's left. "So, how you feeling these days? Therapy progressing well?"

"A bit. Jedi Ahhzteen nearly killed me in the weight room today, though."

"Why are you still in the chair? I thought you'd be running around by now. It's been five months since the accident."

The boy snarled and slammed his fork onto his plate. "You call it an accident? Being tortured by Snoke is not my idea of an accident." His lip quivered as tears formed in his eyes.

Master Skywalker waited a full minute of silence while the boy composed himself. "Answer the question, Ben."

The teen turned his head and scanned the room before addressing Luke. "I'd rather be in the chair than get laughed at when I stumble. Is that all right with you, Master Skywalker?" He picked his tray up and placed it on his lap before scooting the hover chair backward. "Now, if you'd just leave me alo—"

Luke waved his hand and stopped the chair. "I was just asking a question, Ben. Don't assume everything is an attack." He reached out his hand to the boy.

Naluma could feel the peace emanating from her husband to Ben and even to her.

After a few moments, Master Skywalker said, "The Republic is holding their annual Independence Day memorial and festivities on Endor. The Ewoks sent you this." He pulled a rolled scroll of tanned animal skin from inside his tunic.

Ben untied the leather thong holding the scroll together and read the scrawled writing. He tossed the document onto the table. "They can invite me all they want. I'm not going. I don't want anything to do with them."

His uncle took another long moment before responding. "Your mom will be there."

With a grunt, Ben turned his head. "So? She doesn't care. She abandoned me yet again only five months ago. Hasn't called. Hasn't written. Couldn't even stay long enough for me to get out of the med center. What do I care?"

Luke sighed. "Ben, you know that's not true. She can't call you, but I do know she's sent you many messages—messages you haven't returned."

"Are you censoring my mail now?"

"I never said I read them." 

Naluma envied the serenity Luke maintained when his nephew was trying to provoke him. Where has my control gone? 

Since the med center, Ben's become more withdrawn and even more surly. How much longer is Luke going to put up with this attitude? I wanted to demote him last week, but, no, Luke had to give him another chance. And another. And another.

She sighed. Luke never gives up on anyone, especially not on his own nephew. She knew that. It was one of the reasons she loved him so much. He'd turn to the dark side himself before he ever hurt the boy.

Lowering his voice, Master Skywalker leaned toward him and said, "Well, you're going, even if I have to pull rank on you, Padawan Solo." 

"Where would I sleep? There's no way this chair would make it up the catwalks."

Naluma said, "You can stay on the shuttle. You aren't the only one going with us."

"Fine." Ben almost smiled, but his eyes narrowed and glazed over.

"We leave tomorrow morning. Don't be late." Luke stood and lifted both his and Naluma's trays before escorting her to another table.

Ben murmured, "Good riddance."

Naluma snapped her head back to the boy. "I heard that."

Luke whispered, "Leave him be. You can't reason with him when he's like this, and you'll only end up looking like a fool."

She smarted at the rebuke. Luke's right. I'm a fool. How am I ever going to control Ben if I can't even control myself? She bit her lip and clenched her fists. Oh, what if Anakin turns out like Ben? What am I going to do?

Did you know ...

• Meilooruns are the fruit that Hera sent Ezra and Zeb on a wild goose chase to find in the first season Rebels when they were driving her nuts.

• Lishi is chocolate. When writing my original story, The Jedi Reborn, I researched some of the languages that LFL used for some of the universe languages. Then, using Google Translate with related languages and then simplifying, I created in-universe words for common earthling products and foods.

• In canon, Ben was made a member of the Ewok Bright Tree tribe when he was a toddler and visited the Forest Moon of Endor multiple times as a child.

Tell me what you think ...

• Were the Force-ghosts of the Jedi Council actually sitting at the table? Why or why not?