Out of the Shadows 29

Commenor - Spaceport

"Skywalker! I'm going to collect Karrde's data." Mara Jade stood at the cockpit door. She'd changed to go out and was wearing another one of her form-fitting jumpsuits - this time in a dark red colour with a matching wrap slung around her shoulders.

"I never realised that red-heads could wear that colour," Luke mumbled after giving her a long comprehensive survey.

"My hair is not red," Mara retorted, slightly unsettled by the way he was staring. A memory of their almost-kiss flashed into her mind despite all her efforts to forget about it. What would it have been like if he'd.?

"No, I suppose it's not truly red.it has strands of gold woven through it," he said thoughtfully. "It's beautiful," he added. "Like a sunset on Tatooine."

She gaped at him in surprise. What had he done with Luke Skywalker? This wasn't the way that he usually talked to her. He normally blushed and stammered awkwardly if her appearance was mentioned. "I can wear any colour I want to!" she exclaimed haughtily. "Sithspawned Jedi!"

The last two words were muttered vehemently under her breath but Luke heard them. "I just meant that you looked good," he muttered apologetically, his face colouring a little. "I've never been very good at saying the right things but the red suits." He shrugged lightly. "You look good in anything."

That was more like it, she thought as Luke dropped his head, staring at his fingers which had taken on some sort of fascination for him. The situation was now back to normal. He was a total enigma to her - so calm and confident - almost cocky at times. Yet there was a shy vulnerability and depths of pain only occasionally glimpsed within blue eyes darkened with memories. "Are you coming with me?" Mara interrupted, unnerved at what he was saying. It was okay for her to use her femininity to distract him but it suddenly struck Mara that the knife was being hidden in the other boot. He was using his Outer Rimworld charm on her. 'And it's working,' the little voice inside her head said mockingly.

Luke shook his head. "No. I'll just wait for you to come back."

"If you're sure?"

"I'm sure," he said.

A mischievous smile crossed her face. "Will you miss me, Skywalker?"

"You know that I will," Luke answered distractedly. "You're a part of me." He was feeling a tug on his senses - it was as if the Force was calling to him. There were things about to happen that he had to see. Patterns and layers in the Force were shifting in unexpected ways. "You always will be."

Mara opened her mouth to administer a stinging put-down and then found that she didn't know what to say. She wasn't part of him and he shouldn't be concerned with the way that she looked. It was a peculiar thing for Skywalker to say and the way that he'd said it... It was almost drawn from deep inside him. Part of him.indeed! She wasn't part of anyone. Mara was alone and that, she told herself, was how she liked it. The Jedi weren't supposed to be interested in things like personal appearance.but then she'd never known another Jedi so she'd nothing to cross-reference him with. Nor, she tried to tell herself, should she be so pleased with the compliment that he'd paid her.

"Be careful," Luke said.

"What!"

"Just that. Be careful."

"Do I need to be?" she asked and when there was no answer added, "I'm always careful." Her voice was brisk. Mara took a step away and then turned back to look at the Jedi still sitting in the co-pilot's chair, his head bowed and his eyes closed. Had he fallen asleep or worse, was he meditating?

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The spaceport was busy. It was the kind of place that never stopped moving even as the day slid reluctantly into night. Mara stood for a moment at the top of the ramp and sniffed the elusive fragrance of engine fumes and spilt fuel with something close to real appreciation, her ears adjusting to the grinding racket of starships launching and landing. If her memory served her right, she'd managed to dock pretty close to where she needed to go. A pile of ramshackle buildings across to her right accommodated bars, machine shops and cheap flop-houses. Running lightly down the ramp, she avoided a couple of droids manning an out of control speeder and headed towards a lop-sided sign which flashed the name of the bar - Spacer's Luck - in rainbow bright colours.

Mara found that the data pickup she had to do for Karrde was an easy one. She spotted the balding middle-aged man as soon as she entered the tapcaf. Despite its run-down appearance, the inside was surprisingly pleasant.

"Seth! Long time no see."

"Jade! Didn't realise that it was you on this run."

"I didn't realise it was to be me myself," Mara replied dryly. "If you understand what I'm saying."

"Yeah, I think I do. Karrde saw that you were in the right area and couldn't wait."

"You got it."

"I wouldn't linger too long," Seth remarked grimly as he handed over a small box which Mara assumed to be the data cards her boss wanted. "I've been speaking to some of the guys that are haulin' cargo around here on a regular basis. The natives and the spacers haven't been too friendly to one another recently. I'm sure it will settle down but it may take some time yet. This area where the cheap doss houses and bars are located seems to be some kinda flash point. 'Specially after dark."

"Why?"

"This area's been collectin' scum for some time. Corellia doesn't want them - the Dictat's been flexing their muscles again. No matter how good a Corellian pirate spacer is, he's still on the shady side of the law and that's something the Dictat can't control. They're thrown out of there and end up here. Possibly the new owner on Coruscant is making his presence felt."

"The new owner?" Mara echoed. "Oh, of course. The government of the New Republic."

"Yeah, them. This spaceport has always been a good point for moving out to the Rim." Seth took a long draught of his lum. "But there's more riff-raff here than there normally is. Added to that there's word of a treaty between the New Republic and the Geloss. The Geloss are a strange lot."

"I had heard."

"The spaceport authorities have increased the landing fees and other taxes because they reckon that they will be getting an awful lot more business once the treaty is signed. Geloss isn't too far away and as yet it lacks resources. Their spaceport is so small that snub fighters would have a problem landing."

Mara wasn't surprised at Seth's knowledge. "I've never been there - Karrde doesn't like it - but I thought it was a haven for smuggling activities."

"The smugglers don't use the spaceport, Jade, and the right term is 'was'. Some of the New Republic - like the Mon Cal's - are not too keen on smugglers."

"Typical." Mara took a sip of her own drink and shuddered. "Why didn't you warn me about the lomin ale?"

"Why do you think I'm on the lum?" Seth took another swallow and smacked his lips appreciatively.

"You could have warned me," Mara muttered.

Seth grinned and placed his tankard down on the table with a loud clunk. "I gotta go." He pulled a gold-coloured pocket chrono on a chain from his pocket. "Stang! Would you look at the time? I've got a departure slot booked within the next hour. I've business in the Arkanis Sector."

"That's a long way from here."

"It's a long way from everywhere," Seth quipped. "Not exactly the centre of the galaxy."

Mara frowned. "Tatooine's in the Arkanis Sector, isn't it?" It wasn't a question she needed the answer for. The planet and one of its former inhabitants could be her special topic on one of the holonet's most famous quiz shows.

"Yeah! But I'm heading to Ryloth on this trip. I may stop off at Tatooine if I have time. The crystal goods market has really taken off. Some seriously high-quality items coming out of there. The kinda stuff people pay good credits for."

When it came to Tatooine, Mara could only think about Skywalker and sand. She supposed that 'quality' was the right word for him. She was starting to consider that he was certainly above the ordinary. She wasn't sure if she liked the way she'd changed her opinion of the blue-eyed Jedi. She wasn't thinking like the Emperor's hand any more, her once unshakeable loyalty to her dead master gone. Mara Jade did not like being wrong. She cleared her throat and returned her mind to what she currently did best - business. "If you are in that particular vicinity and the Twi'lek Clans are selling any weaponry, I'm quite sure Karrde would be more than willing to purchase."

"I'll keep that in mind." He winked at her. "Always happy to do business with Talon Karrde." Seth stood up and pulled on a bulky overcoat. "Clear skies, Jade."

"You too." She stiffened. "Do you hear that?" The normal inescapable spaceport noise had become louder and more intrusive into the dark coolness of the smoky bar. She could hear voices shouting and what could only be blaster fire.

"Yeah! I hear it."

All of a sudden, there was a loud crash and a young man came barrelling backwards through the tapcaf door, landing in a heap against a couple of chairs. With a shocked and embarrassed glance around him at the suddenly silent patrons, he picked himself up and limped carefully out of the door, his shaking hands fumbling for something attached to his waist.

Probably his blaster, Mara concluded. Stupid fool wouldn't last long by the look of him. "What was that all about?"

"Don't know. But it's happening all the time around here these days. The littlest thing sets them off. Poor kid, he looked dazed. Probably all he did wrong was look at someone the wrong way and bam! Some folks don't seem to need any excuse for a punch-up." He gave her a nod and took a step towards the door before changing his mind. "I think I'll take the back exit. I'm not in the mood to brawl today. Security will break it up eventually."

"Yeah!" Mara pushed her chair back and stood up. "I'd better get going too."

"Coming this way?" Seth pointed to the exit.

"The ship's in the other direction. I'll risk it - it's close. I'll be okay." She slid her sleeve up to reveal a wicked looking blaster in a wrist holster.

Seth looked sceptical and pointed to his more obvious hardware strapped against his pudgy thighs. "I'm never unprepared."

"Neither am I," Mara's voice was deadly but with obvious enjoyment. "This little beauty could take your head off and severely maim the rest of you."

Seth chuckled. "I would still wait."

Mara gave a wry grin. "Don't have time. The current cargo needs delivering fast and it won't keep."

"Have you tried refrigeration? I would have thought that Karrde had fitted his ships with all the top equipment necessary. You could just flash-freeze it."

"Now there's a thought," Mara said, grinning. "But it won't work with this one unfortunately. The cargo's live and extremely unpredictable."

"Then I won't keep you any longer and tell Karrde I'll be in touch. If I hear anything about those weapons you would like to test..."

"You'll inform Karrde." Mara nodded at him.

"You'll inform Karrde." Mara nodded at him. With a wink and a jaunty wave, Seth vanished through the densely-packed tables and disappeared out of the back door. Mara hoped that the fight hadn't progressed that far but the commotion outside the main entrance appeared to be getting louder. How bad could a spaceport brawl get? Shaking her head derisively at the bad judgement security were showing by letting the situation get so out of hand, she moved to the door and cautiously pulled it open, peering through the crack and gazing into what could have rivalled the famed battle on Hoth.if there had been snow and imperial walkers.

"Kreth!" she swore in frustration. She was trapped for the time being. Security should have waded in and got the whole thing locked down in minutes. She turned to head out the back way only to see Seth sidle sheepishly back into the tapcaf. He shook his head.

Okay, that way didn't look good either. She would have to make a run for it. She cracked open the door again and spotted a pile of packing crates stacked just metres away. If she could make it to there then she had less of a distance to get to the ship. The Lucky Strike's docking bay wasn't far away. If she squinted through the gap in the door she could almost make out the start of the cargo ramp.

Slipping from the tapcaf, Mara made it to the relative sanctuary of the crates in seconds but there was no way she was going any further and Mara, by now, just wanted to be gone from this dreary spaceport. With another muttered expletive, she flicked on her comlink. "Skywalker!"

"Mara?"

"You don't happen to have any amazing Jedi solutions for ending a battle?"

"Battle!" he echoed vaguely.

"Yes, a battle," she snapped, ducking down further as a stray blaster shot pinged inches above her head.

"I was watching an altercation," Luke murmured. "I told you to be careful. It's quite interesting."

"Interesting!" Mara shrieked. "I'll give you interesting. Let me spell it out to you in words you might just manage to understand. I'm on one side of the concourse, the ship is on the other and I need to get to the ship without being blown full of holes."

"I'll think about it," he assured her.

"Think quickly," she shouted, wincing as several innocent bystanders got drawn into the fight. Why did something like this happen every time she and Skywalker hit civilisation at the same point? She ignored the fact that the first time they hadn't been together and had merely bumped into one another - a coincidence that Skywalker claimed was the Force at work.

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After they had finished refuelling the ship, Kam and Tionne left to find somewhere suitable to procure a meal and perhaps some fresh provisions. Jedi senses on full alert, Kam pulled his hood over his greying hair. He felt uneasy - tensions were high and emotions fluctuated wildly in the air around the port.

Tionne clutched her instrument case tighter against her body. She too, felt the restless emotions whirling around her. Her grandmother had always said that Tionne was sensitive to the feelings of others around her but she'd thought she was just being kind to her granddaughter. What if this was the Force within Tionne at work. Her escort talked about listening to the Force and trusting its guidance. Perhaps it was time to begin. "Kam," she murmured softly. "I don't think it is a good idea after all to eat a meal in this place. Perhaps I do not need to earn extra credits here and we have enough provisions to see us to Coruscant."

"You sense it too?"

"It?"

"Whatever's in the air.change.conflict."

"I feel uneasy," she confessed. "It's as if I'm playing a melody but the strings are untuned and the harmony is dissonant and my fingers stumble. Something here is discordant.the tune falters and the chords do not fit."

"That is your danger sense warning you." Kam slipped into the role he had decided to play with Tionne for the time being - that of teacher.

"Oh!"

"The Jedi are sensitive to emotional change and sensing danger can be a heightened ability amongst our kind. I am certain that this is a skill you possess." Kam looked at Tionne clutching the box containing her instrument to her and was concerned for her slender beauty. She was not trained to fight no matter how many times she protested that she could look after herself. He had been failing in his duties and should have been tutoring her in basic combat. He would rectify that omission as soon as he could. It was nothing more than his duty. "It can be useful to heed such warnings."

Tionne's eyes widened a little nervously. "Then I suggest we both heed that warning and return to my ship."

The angry sounds of the uproar ahead of them reached their ears. "A good idea." Kam turned, placed his arm around Tionne's shoulders and steered her back in the direction of the Lore Seeker, all the time keeping his senses on total alert. He knew unfriendly eyes were watching them. He would escort her back to the ship and then see if there was anything he could do to help stop the altercation. He was a Jedi and that was what they did.wasn't it?

Neither of them spotted the blue-eyed, black-clad young man watching them with interest from the top of the ramp of one of the more dilapidated looking tramp freighters lining the route back to the Lore Seeker.

Luke had felt the undeniable presence of a Force-strong individual as soon as he and Mara had landed on Commenor. The Force was all around him and Luke knew that there could be more than one being on any world that was strong in the Force but this was different. This signature was controlled which had to mean that he - it was a masculine presence - had power that wasn't raw and untapped. It had been harnessed and strengthened through training but there was a hint of darkness in its depths. This man had been touched by the dark side at one time. Whether he was still influenced by its treacherous and seductive depths was another thing altogether. Luke concentrated and searched for the good and found it shining strongly.

The man was tall and kept his features hidden under a black hooded cloak but there was no hiding his powerful presence in the Force. Luke tried a gentle probe and noted that the man had immediately stiffened and turned his head, seeking the source of the probe. This was interesting and Luke's first real proof, apart from Mara and Leia, that the Jedi were still alive in the universe. Only a Jedi would know that there was another Force sentient present - only a Jedi would have sensed Luke's probe.

His companion was another story. Luke could sense a pure and shining heart and a thirst to learn. She also had some Force potential but it was much weaker than her companion. Still, the ability was there and could be nurtured. A tiny thrill shot through him. This was really going to happen. She would and could make up in dedication what she lacked in ability.

But it wasn't yet time for him to act with regards to these potential recruits. Luke decided that he would watch for a little while longer and see how things unfolded. He had also sensed a third presence close by, one that was more familiar to him from an earlier vision. The Force presence of the young grief-stricken man, his story so similar to Luke's own, was close.

Yes, Luke had some important decisions to make very soon but he had learned many lessons during his isolation from the galaxy and would not rush into things. The Force would guide his actions and he would trust in that absolutely.

Kam whirled around, all his Jedi senses on full alert, balancing lightly on the balls of his feet as if he was ready to spring into action. His hand automatically went to the hilt of the lightsaber at his waist. Someone out there was watching him. But more than that, his keen ears picked up a familiar sound. Someone close by had ignited a lightsaber. Was it the same person that was watching him? Kam decided that it wasn't. He could sense two distinct presences and the energy raced through the layers of the Force hitting him in the chest with the impact of a blow. It made him feel alive again - he wasn't alone.

He checked to see how far they had to go to get back to the Lore Seeker and he could just see her graceful shape ahead. A feeling of urgency came to him and he frowned. "Tionne, get back to the ship right now - you're close enough," he ordered abruptly. "I need to go and check out something."

"I'll come with."

"No!" His grey eyes pleaded with her to do as he said and he gave a relieved sigh when she nodded.

"What is it?"

"I heard the sound of a lightsaber," he said. "It can't be.We're all dead. The Jedi are gone. I have to." He rubbed a hand across his forehead.

"Then you must go. Take care," she whispered pressing his arm gently, then turned and ran towards her ship.

Kam immediately began to run in the direction of the noise and confusion. He sensed the being wielding the lightsaber was located in its centre.

Luke, too, noted the shifting layers in the Force and smiled. He wouldn't need to interfere.yet. Things were coming together as they should.

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Mara rolled to the side as a stray shot whistled past her ear. "I should have stayed in the cantina even though the lum was horrible," she muttered. Now she was effectively trapped behind the pile of crates and she didn't fancy having to shoot her way clear. This fight was nothing to do with her and she didn't want to risk hurting some innocent bystander. Could this be Skywalker's influence? Across from Mara's location she could see the young man whose impromptu entrance into the tapcaf had silenced the patrons so effectively hiding behind a low wall, his face white and frightened. It was his next action which had Mara reaching for her blaster. The young man fumbled at his waist and she could see his fingers wrapped around some kind of silver cylinder.

"Vader's bones!" Mara swore. It had to be some type of detonator.

Taking a deep breath, Kelt began inching to his feet, an expression of fearful determination on his face, and raised his right hand.

"No!" Mara screamed, but her voice was lost in the noise and commotion of the fracas. Then she froze. It wasn't an explosive - it was something far rarer. She should have known. The man was holding a lightsaber and it was obvious that he didn't have a clue what to do with it or even how to hold it. He gripped it awkwardly, thumbed it on and dashed out into the fray.

"He's going to get himself killed," she moaned as she watched the silvery white blade act like a beacon. "And Skywalker wouldn't want that to happen - not if he's Force-strong. Blasted Jedi will want to train him." She was going to have to do something and quickly. Pulling out her comlink, she flipped it on.

"Skywalker! What the hell are you doing? Can't you feel what's happening out here? There's been a development that you in particular may find interesting."

"I know."

"You know?" Mara sighed. How could he know?

"I read the Force, Mara. That's how I know."

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Someone had just set off a smoke grenade making it almost impossible for Kam to see where he was going but just ahead he spotted the glowing blade of the lightsaber. Who else had survived the Jedi purge? He skirted around the edge of the smoke and reached out to touch the other Jedi, sensing no darkness but perceiving fear and the erratic Force-sense of the wielder. Whoever it was, he was terrified and a complete novice. This one had no training but there was strength in him. How had he come to be in possession of a lightsaber?

"Let me through!" a voice shouted frantically. "I need to get out of here."

Kam watched worriedly as the blade flickered and wobbled as it shook in the young man's grasp. "Shut that off before you kill someone or, worse, yourself," he bellowed. His voice was hoarse with the strain of trying to make himself heard across the noise but someone in the throes of blind panic does not often listen to reason.

"Let me through! Please, I need to get out of here."

Kam swore loudly and reached out to grab his quarry.

"What!" Kelt suddenly felt an iron grip fasten around his upper arm, yanking him out of the line of fire. The saber fell from his trembling grasp, the shimmering blade cutting out. "No!" With a cry of panic Kelt tried to dive after the weapon as it rolled away from him. The smoke, noise and confusion were making his head ache. With a tug he tried to get away from the man gripping his arm. "Let go of me," he gritted between clenched teeth. "It was my grandmother's. She trusted me."

"Hang on." Without letting go of Kelt, Kam held out his other hand and the saber flew from the ground into it. "I've got it. Now, let's get out of here."

The smoke was thinning and, as he hustled Kelt away, out of the corner of his eye he spotted a red-haired young woman watching him from behind a set of packing crates with a shocked expression on her face. He didn't have time to react - she'd probably never seen a lightsaber before. Well, if Kam had his way, she and everyone else in the galaxy would soon see them regularly.

"Come on," he said to Kelt and continued to drag the struggling young man who was no match for Kam's Jedi enhanced strength.

It was like magic. The saber had flown from its position on the ground into this man's hand. It wasn't possible. "Let me go," he repeated.

"Later," he snapped.

Kam was mulling over the images he had just seen as he made his way to where the Lore Seeker was docked. The smoke had thinned for a moment and he'd seen this woman watching him. She'd stared at him with a strange look in her green eyes and as he sifted through the memory, he realised that the intent look in her eyes was not one of confusion but of recognition. She knew what a lightsaber was and also who he was? But that was impossible. No one could know what he was.what he had been. No one.

But as Kam sifted through his memories he wondered if he had recognised her from somewhere too, only he had no recollection of where. He saw her draped in dark green shimmersilk, emerald durindfire gems sparkling at her ears and against her smooth throat. The vision was a long way from her practical garb in a run-down area of Commenor's spaceport. One thing was inescapable even in the short time he'd seen her - she was Force-strong. Who was she?

With a muffled oath, he tightened his grip on Kelt's arm even more, trying to ignore the younger man's cry of pain, and flipped open his comlink with the other hand. "Tionne! We have to get out of here now. Start the pre-flight systems check. We could have problems and, oh, I'm bringing an extra passenger."

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Luke tapped his chin thoughtfully and withdrew from the light trance he was in. He could still absorb what was happening and yet, be alert if any danger came his way. Leia had used to sigh and say that he and Han attracted danger far too easily for her peace of mind. What could he say but that it was a gift? No doubt Mara would be in contact again and soon.

The older, cloaked man had walked into the fight, located the source of the little Force explosion and removed him from the danger. Luke likened it to pockets of lava ready to burst. The younger man's sense had dampened down; he was more frightened now than anything else but he wasn't in any danger.

'Go with him,' Luke sent. 'He will do you no harm.' Whether or not the younger man was able to receive him Luke wasn't sure but he trusted the tall stranger to keep.Kelt.yes, that was his name.to keep Kelt safe. There was good in him.

Now to deal with his other Force charge. He stretched out with the Force seeking to pinpoint her location and winced. She didn't feel too happy. "Emperor's bones," he muttered and switched on his comlink again. She was not going to be happy with him at all and he thought he'd been doing so well. Perhaps it was time that he did something about this fracas.

"Skywalker!" Mara's disembodied voice screeched through the com. "What the hell have you been doing since I contacted you mere minutes ago?"

"Just people watching," he admitted. "And thinking."

"Well, stop doing that and help me get back to the ship. There's an all out fight going on or haven't you noticed and I'm on the wrong side of it. You'd better not have been meditating. Ow!"

"Mara?" Luke's pulse quickened with worry at the sudden silence.

There was a momentary silence and then her voice came through the comlink again. "I'm all right. A shot just grazed my shoulder."

"You're hurt!" Luke's voice rose worriedly, immediately reaching out for her presence within the Force. "Is it bad?"

"No, I'm fine. It's just a scratch.just a graze. I've had worse. There's no sign of any security. I just wondered if you could maybe give me some help in getting out of here...or would that be difficult?"

"Stay where you are," he entreated. "I'm on my way." He swiftly thumbed off his comlink. Mara had asked him for help! Luke galvanised himself into action. He reached out towards her again and realised that she was telling the truth - the injury was a minor one. Still, he thought, maybe she was beginning to trust him after all. She was hurt and she needed him. The old rescue mania came flaring back into life. The Jedi of old had mediated in conflicts hadn't they? Luke took a deep breath and walked into the middle of the battle with his hands held up in front of him.

With a little Force-enhanced push, he batted away a couple of thugs that ran towards him waving blasters in a threatening fashion. "I have nothing against you," Luke said mildly and kept walking. "I suggest you return to your ships."

"We will return."

Luke nodded and just hoped that he didn't get caught in the cross fire. He had the feeling that nobody knew why they were fighting. It was as if the negative energies of the dark side had come together and everyone was reacting to that. Most of his focus remained concentrated on Mara's location. He had to get to her.

Ducking back behind the crates, one hand over the shoulder wound, Mara closed her eyes in disbelief. By Vader's bones, what was Skywalker doing? She peered out from behind her impromptu shelter and wondered at the strange feeling in her gut when she couldn't see him. "But he was just there," she whispered reaching out to see if he'd been hit or worse.

She drew back suddenly as a shot pinged off the wall behind her missing her by inches. "Where is he?" she muttered. "Luke!"

"Looking for someone?"

Mara jerked around to face him, her blaster pointing into his chest. "You do that again, Skywalker and I will kill you. This." she pressed the muzzle into Luke's chest, ".is not a toy."

Luke slid in behind the packing crates to join her. "So you keep saying and I'm sure it's a very fine weapon. But a lightsaber has more finesse."

"I left the lightsaber on board the ship," Mara said.

"You could have managed fine with the lightsaber but I understand that you are more confident with your blaster. Just be careful you are not tempted to use your weapon when it is not required."

"Not required!" Mara clenched her jaw in irritation. She'd been shot at for no apparent reason and he had decided that she didn't need to be able to defend herself properly.

"Besides, you don't really want to kill me."

"No?" Mara scowled. "The idea is extremely tempting and if you continue to push me, you will find that I mean what I say."

"You've said that before; pardon me if I have a hard time believing you." Luke bared his teeth in a semblance of a smile. "Didn't you just ask for my help?"

"Arrogant, insufferable."