Star Wars_ I, Jedi - Michael A. Stackpole [204]
“Accepted but unnecessary.” Luke gave me a nod. “I didn’t make it easy for you. I’ve got to remember that parallel tracks are not better or worse, just different. We’re still heading in the same direction.”
“True, but that still doesn’t mean I’m entirely comfortable with things like Kyp’s track. Tavira has it all worked out that Kyp killed the Carida system on orders from the New Republic, and there are going to be a whole bunch of folks who believe her.”
“I know, and I understand how you feel.” Luke drank for a moment, then licked away a blue liquid bead forming at the corner of his mouth. “It could be suggested, though, that the deal we offered Jacob Nive and his Survivors is really a lot like the chance Kyp has been given. In dedicating his life to being a Jedi you know Kyp is really under something of a life sentence.”
“I know, and it’ll be hard labor, too. Killing him wouldn’t make the galaxy any better, so this is likely the best solution.” I drank, leaned my head back and closed my eyes for a moment. “Doesn’t mean I like it and doesn’t mean my inability to come up with a better solution isn’t frustrating.”
“All we can do is our best.” Luke laughed wearily. “So, tell me, did you ever figure you’d be hurtling through hyperspace planning to assault an Imperial Governor’s palace, which is now the stronghold for a renegade Imperial admiral and her crew?”
I opened one eye and screwed it around to look at him. “Tatooine must have been really, really bad if that was the kind of fantasy life you created for yourself.”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“Right, I was there once. On any other world the Jawas would be the size of Hutts, but on Tatooine, they shrink.”
“Good thing, too, or imagine what they’d cart off.” Luke smiled. “Actually, I have good memories of Tatooine, more than bad.”
“But you wanted off that rock.”
“In the worst way.” His smile died. “And I got it.”
I reached over and grabbed him by the back of the neck. “Yeah, but it brought out the best in you, and that means the rest of the galaxy gets a shot at realizing its best. Losing your uncle and aunt had to hurt, but I bet they are happy with the return the investment of their lives got through you.”
“Think so?”
“Yeah, no doubt.” I smiled at him. Here, within the ysalamiri bubble, Luke seemed to lose some of the brooding oppression that settled on him when he remained aware of the universe around him. The optimism and uncertainty he had known as a boy shone through. “You had no brothers and sisters, right—I mean, you grew up alone?”
“ ’Cept for friends, yeah.”
“Me, too.” I smiled. “And, no, I never imagined I’d be heading out to an Imperial Governor’s palace to face down a renegade Imperial admiral.”
“Oh.”
“For me it was racing off to Nal Hutta to face down a Hutt crimelord in his own den.”
“Talk about stacking the odds against you.”
I laughed. “I’m Corellian, remember?”
“Right, forget I said anything about odds.” Luke finished his drink and crushed the container. “I guess all of us get dealt cards we don’t want in life.”
“True enough. The trick is in how you play them. Some people have the greatest cards in the world and still lose.” I nodded at him. “For a farm boy growing up on dust and dreams, you’ve not done half bad.”
“From a Corellian, that’s quite a concession.”
The bridge-comm squawked. “Ooryl says we have five minutes to reversion, then about an hour to transit to Susevfi. Better get ready lest our reception be hotter than intended.”
I slapped the transmit button. “We copy, Elegos. We’ll be set.”
Luke got up, crossed to the shelf where he’d plugged his lightsaber into a recharger, freed the weapon and clipped it to his belt. He likewise unplugged mine and looked it over. “Nice work. Dual-phase?”
I frowned. “Tried to repeat Gantoris’ feat of engineering. Right now only one phase works. Gotta find