She stood, only the Force keeping her from flying away. Debris from odd corners of the room still flew past every now and again.

Vernestra looked up toward the bulkhead again and saw what Master Douglas had meant. A chair had lodged in the bottom edge of the track, and in order for the bulkhead to close it would have to be removed.

She pulled out her lightsaber, took a deep breath, and released her hold on the Force, letting herself be sucked out toward space.

Vernestra could not catch her breath as she was pulled along by the current of air exiting the dining room. A plate flew past her head and she leaned back to avoid it, which sent her into an end-over-end tumble. A brief second of panic, and then Vernestra twisted and corrected her flight, only to slam into the edge of the bulkhead as she did, scrabbling for purchase as she tried to stand.

Flying was much, much easier in theory than practice.

“You’re doing great, Vern,” called Avon, and Vernestra glanced down at the people below. Avon looked so small and scared, and the boy Honesty was not much better. Vernestra felt a surge of motivation.

She was a Jedi, and the Jedi protected all life. She could do this.

Her faith in her abilities brought forth a fresh burst of energy, and the Force was there, all around her. It filled her and flowed through her as she ran across the bulkhead, lightsaber drawn, the lavender light as steady as her intent. There was not a shred of doubt in her now, and she slashed at the chair blocking the track, shaving off a bit of the bulkhead in the process.

As the metal began to move, Vernestra ran along the shutter, using her lightsaber to liberally slice through any other debris that threatened to jam up the shield. She remained a few centimeters above the metal, and when it finally slammed close, silencing the roaring wind and sealing the breach, she did a backflip and slowly lowered herself to the ground. By the time her boots hit the floor everyone was talking at once.


Star Wars The High Republic A Test of Courage Chapter 4