Chapter Three

Together Launa and Luke stepped out into the glaring light of Cantina Row. Luke still wasn't certain whether or not he could trust Launa. She kept to herself so much that he couldn't make out much of her character. He tried to sense out her intentions through the Force and found himself surprised by how much of the Force ran through her, she could have been a Jedi for the strength of the Force in her. This made him even more curious about her, and her lightsaber.

As they turned a corner, Launa halted and put her hand on Luke's shoulder.

"There are some things you need to know Luke. The first is that Connosten knows you are on Tatooine, and has no doubt sent several troops to ambush you as you leave the Cantina Bounteous, which is where the Imperials will be meeting in…" Launa checked her electro timekeeper. "Half an hour. Second every bar on Cantina Row is teeming with bounty hunters who have been promised an astronomical reward for ending your existence. My accompanying you should however deter their attacking you anywhere. Also if you remain incognito you should manage fine. Thirdly Connosten is expecting that you will act in a rash manner and simply strike down these Imperial decoys and go home thinking that your mission is complete. And Fourth the two Imperials have no knowledge of this whatsoever and actually think that they are meeting here for a legitimate meeting. I have already found the ship belonging to the Imperials and installed a homing device on it. And last but not least what Connosten doesn't know is that I am on your side." Launa laughed. "If he did," she added to herself. "He would have sent every able bodied man under his command here."

"I don't understand, why would Connosten just sacrifice two of his men for no reason."

"By the suns you are an innocent. I would think that a man with your battle experience would know that evil men never count their dead unless the number is in thousands. Mackoveen Connosten is a heartless dictator who wouldn't care if it were his wife and two children he was sending on this futile mission. Moff Connosten lives by the maxim 'The ends justify the means'."

Luke stared at her, she had seen a worse side of war than he had known. In his experience there was very little betrayal. It had been simpler in his battles he had been told who to fight and fought them, he hadnt thought about the fact that the men whose lives he taken had been cruelly sent to this fate without a second thought on the part of their masters.

"Don't underestimate the men he's sending though; there's nothing Connosten would rather see than notices of our deaths, he'd think his side had won if he had killed us both. So believe me when I tell you these men will be skilled fighters, they may even carry lightsabers, but not likely. You see Connosten has somehow obtained a meager familiarity with the Dark Side of the Force and is training some of his military commanders with lightsabers. "

"How do you know all this?" Luke asked in amazement.

"I've been defending my home planet from Connosten's oppression for over ten years, I know my enemy!"

Luke paused for a moment struggling to comprehend and compartmentalize the information Launa had just shared with him.

"The most important thing is that we don't get noticed and don't interfere with these Imperials. If we just do a little covert spying and observe the homing device reader we should be able to figure out where, precisely, these Imperial Loyalist will be holding their 'actual' meeting." Launa said these words in a cheery but distant tone of voice. She then started down the steps that lead into one of the cantinas.

"You cant go in there!" Luke exclaimed in horror.

She simply turned and stared at him as if he had gone mad.

"Why not?" She asked in dismay.

"Because… because you're a woman and women just don't go into places like these, unless they're… they're…"

Luke blushed and was saved from having to say what he was stammering over by an interruption from Launa.

She laughed lightly.

"Luke, I may have a reputation but its not one like that, I am a fighter and as such I am driven to enter some of the most daunting and filthy establishments on Tatooine. This doesn't mean I am a lady of ill repute, I just have to go into places like these, and believe me this is one of the nicer bars on Cantina Row." Launa took another step down towards the sunken door.

"Just because you have risked the censure of others on previous occasions does not mean you should have to do so more often then you find absolutely necessary." Luke said in a caring tone, he really didn't want to see this girl needlessly risk her reputation.

"And how do you suppose I found out which bar the Imperials were going to be meeting at?"

"Your noble sacrifice is appreciated but if you wish to aid me do not come in with me."

"What? I find you exceedingly puzzling sir, I have always went where the Imperials were and no one has hindered me before or even quibbled with me over these matters of propriety as you do now."

"Then I regret to be the one to cross you for the first time but its time someone told you that a woman of moral standard doesn't go into a bar."

Launa's temper flared.

"I go where I please and no one dares to question my moral character."

"And I choose what partners I please" Luke retorted.

The embers of their tempers had been stoked, and Launa was ready for an all out assaulting argument. Luke's desire was simply to resolve matters the way he saw fit without hurting or angering Launa. They stood and stared for a moment. Launa could see it in Luke's eyes, he was not going to back down from his morals demanded. She sighed, for the sake of others and a hope that had been given her she would tolerate his decorous way of doing things.

"Fine!" she said. "I'll meet you halfway. You see there is no way you're going to get in there without having to give your name and we don't want your cover blown, so I'll get you in the door and then wait out back and keep an eye out for any Imperials or rogue bounty hunters."

Luke stood still and reflected for a moment. Launa was sincere and this was a pretty even way of satisfying them both while still retaining their temporary partnership.

"Pull the hood of your cape further down over your face and follow me." Launa said as she pulled up the hood of her own cape.

Luke hid his face deeper in the shadows of his cowl and followed Launa into the rugged looking building. The noxious odor of various items being smoked by the Cantina's clientele assailed Luke's nostrils upon entering the cantina. Luke noticed that at least half of the customers were involved in imbibing various mind altering substances nearly all of which were illegal throughout the rest of the galaxy.

Launa made her way to the bar, Luke cocked his head and eyed her suspiciously, was she going back on their bargain and staying when she had promised to leave? The bartender walked up to the counter carrying some sort of drink in a dark opaque mug, which he placed in front of Launa.

"Mondo" Launa said as she sidled up to the bar.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" he said in his professional tone.

"What table do you recommend for me and my friend this evening?"

"22"

"Thank you" she said as she flipped him a coin, credits didn't qualify as currency out here in the Outer Rim planetary systems. Launa lead Luke to a table with a card that had the number 17 on it.

"But Launa the man said 22"

"I know, it's a code. Quiet!" Launa insisted. She looked around her and saw about half a dozen patrons were staring their way. "If anyone asks how you know me say that I just met you on the street and offered to buy you a drink." She said in a quiet whisper as she forced the mug into Luke's hand. "I'd better go now," and with that Launa walked to the back of the cantina and disappeared behind an orange colored tapestry.

Luke sat down at the table. His brain was working hard trying to sort out everything, confusion wasn't an intense enough word to describe the depths of his puzzlement. He leaned back in his chair and took several deep breaths; he noticed that many of the customers at the bar were staring at him. He tried to sort out his thoughts and those of the other people in the cantina by using the Force. He sensed nothing alarming; the other customers seemed to be either paying him no notice or just trying to deduce who he was. He took a sip of the drink and then it occurred to him that the reason for Launa's strength in the Force might be that one, or even both of her parents may have been among the countless number of Jedi that the Emperor had had executed.

'That would explain her not wanting to trust anyone very much' Luke mused. Being the child of a Jedi was a very precarious position to hold. If the wrong people found out your life would be in constant jeopardy, he knew. Hardly a month passed that some assassin seeking his life was found and incarcerated. It seemed that if your parent was a Jedi, it didn't matter how peaceful a life they had lead they pinned the blame on you. In Luke's case it was worse because both those who supported the Jedi and those who didn't both had grievances against his father, and in some cases him personally. The remaining Hutts in the galaxy sent bounty hunter after bounty hunter trying to take Leia and his lives. But there was no guarantee that her Force endowed parent had been a Jedi. A slain Sith was equally as likely, for it was not common practice for Jedi to marry, and according to the Laws of the Sith marriage was not prohibited. Luke didn't really agree with the anti-marriage policy of the Jedi either. How could he? It had been that commandment that had ultimately driven his father to the Dark Side.