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"He doesn't have to if he doesn't want to," Halle snapped.

"I want to," a young boy's voice said. A familiar voice.

"Good boy," the man said.

"You'll make him soft," Halle complained.

"No softer than you, deep down," the man said. "Even if you won't admit it." There was a long silence. When Halle reappeared, her cheeks were glowing, and her fingers strayed across her lips. But the smile disappeared as soon as she caught Luke watching her. "This is Shell," she said, slinging an arm around a young boy with brown hair and a familiar frown. "I believe you two know each other."

Luke still couldn't believe they'd used a child as bait.

"Sorry I lied to you," the boy said. He looked much less helpless than he had at the T'iil Blossom Homes, but no less miserable. "They weren't gonna hurt you or anything.

They said it was the right thing to do."

"Lying is never the right thing to do," Luke said.

Halle scowled. "The kid's sorry," she spat out. "The least you can do is forgive him."

"I do forgive him," Luke shot back. "He's a child. What's your excuse?"

"Shell, go outside," Halle said tightly. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Halle…" Nahj's voice held a warning. "Maybe you should go, too."

"Maybe you should get on with things," Halle said.

"You don't have to do this," Luke told them. "Let me go, and I'll bring her to you myself. As soon as Leia sees all this, she'll want to help."

"Let you go?" Halle grimaced. "So you can run back to your princess and have us all arrested?"

"Leia will want to help," Luke promised. "Do you really want to teach your son that blackmail and kidnapping is the right way to fix things?"

"My son?"

"Shell is no one's son," Nahj said quietly. "His family was murdered on Alderaan. He was here visiting his grandmother, but the shock of the attack was too much for her and…He's on his own now. We all look after him. Him and the others."

An orphan.

Luke saw the smoking remains of the moisture farm on Tatooine, Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen's skeletons smoldering in the ruins.

Creating orphans was the Empire's specialty.

"I will help, if you let me," Luke said. "But this is not the way."

Nahj tightened his lips and looked away. Halle shook her head in disgust and rubbed a hand across her eyes.

Their gaze was only off him for a moment, but it was enough. Time seemed to draw itself out, slowing to a crawl. Luke twisted his arms around, grasping the hilt of his lightsaber. He activated the blade and, in one smooth, swift chop, sliced through the cords binding his wrists. He leapt to his feet, blade outstretched, its tip centimeters away from J'er Nahj's throat.

"Don't," Nahj said quietly. Luke realized he was speaking to Halle, who was about to lunge at him, despite the fact that she was unarmed.

"One scream," Halle warned Luke in a low voice, "and you're facing ten men with blasters."

"One centimeter," Luke said, glancing toward the lightsaber blade. "Are your men with blasters faster than my blade?" He had no intention of hurting Nahj, or any of them. But Halle had to believe he would.

Nahj shook his head. "We agreed no violence," he said, remarkably calm. He turned to Luke. "So what now?"

"Now?" Luke hesitated—then deactivated the lightsaber. Nahj emitted a barely noticeable sigh as the blue beam disappeared. "Now I contact Leia, and we try to find a way to help your people. Just as I said I would." He held out his hand. "One of your men took my comlink."

"Merely a precaution." Nahj pulled out his own comlink out from beneath his cloak and handed it to Luke. "Use mine."

"J'er!" Halle snapped. "If he calls in the authorities…"

Nahj ignored her. "Please," he told Luke. "If our methods were misguided, you must believe our motives were pure. We knew the princess would only be on Delaya for a short time, and that the government would do anything they could to prevent her from learning about our fate. We were desperate. We are desperate."

Luke flicked on the comlink.

"Luke!" Leia sounded relieved. "We've been looking everywhere for