Oblivious to the altercation, Luke stood frozen in the middle of the hold. He

held an activated lightsaber in position over his head. A low hum came from the

ancient instrument while Luke lunged and parried under Ben Kenobi's instructive

gaze. As Solo glanced from time to time at Luke's awkward movements, his lean

features were sprinkled with smugness.

"No, Luke, you cuts should flow, not be so choppy," Kenobi instructed gently.

"Remember, the force is omnipresent. It envelops you as it radiates from you. A

Jedi warrior can actually feel the force as a physical thing."

"It is an energy field, then?" Luke inquired.

"It's an energy field and something more," Kenobi went on, almost mystically.

"An aura that at once controls and obeys. It is a nothingness that can accomplish

miracles." He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"No one, not even the Jedi scientists, were able to truly define the force.

Possibly no one ever will. Sometimes there is as much magic as science in the

explanations of the force. Yet what is a magician but a practicing theorist? Now,

let's try again."

The old man was hefting a silvery globe about the size of a man's fist. It was

covered with fine antennae, some as delicate as those of a moth. He flipped it

toward Luke and watched as it halted a couple of meters away from the boy's face.

Luke readied himself as the ball circled him slowly, turning to face it as it

assumed a new position. Abruptly it executed a lightning-swift lunge, only to freeze

about a meter away. Luke failed to succumb to the feint, and the balls soon backed

off.

Moving slowly to one side in an effort to get around the ball's fore sensors, Luke

drew the saber back preparatory to striking. As he did so the ball darted in behind

him. A thin pencil of red light jumped from one of the antennae to the back of

Luke's thigh, knocking him to the deck even as he was bringing his saber around—

too late.

Rubbing at his tingling, sleeping leg, Luke tried to ignore the burst of accusing

laughter from Solo. "Hocus-pocus religions and archaic weapons are no substitute

for a good blaster at your side," the pilot sneered.

"You don't believe in the force?" asked Luke, struggling back to his feet. The

numbing effect of the beam wore off quickly.

"I've been from one end of this galaxy to the other," the pilot boasted, "and I've

seen a lot of strange things. To many to believe there couldn't be something like this

'force.' Too many to think that there could be some such controlling one's actions.

I determine my destiny—not some half-mystical energy field." He gestured toward

Kenobi. "I wouldn't follow him so blindly, if I were you. He's a clever old man,

full of simple tricks and mischief. He might be using you for his own ends."

Kenobi only smiled gently, then turned back to face Luke. "I suggest you try it

again, Luke," he said soothingly. "You must try to divorce your actions from

conscious control. Try not to focus on anything concrete, visually or mentally. You

must let your mind drift, drift; only then can you use the force. You have to enter a

state in which you act on what you sense, not on what you think beforehand. You

must cease cogitation, relax, stop thinking…let yourself drift…free…free…"

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