"Ah, General? You wanted to see . . . ah, me . . . ?"

"I did," Madine said, voice heavy. He gestured to the chair next to the one in which Commander Skywalker was seated. "Come in and sit down, Harvan. We need to talk to you."

He did as instructed, somewhat cautiously. Skywalker gave him an encouraging smile that quickly evaporated into an air of quiet concern. Madine frowned at him before rapping his knuckles gently against his desk a couple of times. "I think I'll let the Commander explain this," he decided.

Harvan looked sideways at Skywalker, who took a deep breath before meeting his eyes. "My father would like to speak to you again, if that would be possible."

Cold shock ran straight down Harvan's spine. Dumbfounded, he was quite unable to respond before the Commander went on.

"He wants . . . he would like to complete the work, as it were. To go into the reasons for his actions since being taken prisoner. I know you've finished your report but he . . . he wants to give a full account even so." Skywalker licked his lips. "He doesn't want to somehow prove he has changed, although you may interpret it like that. I think . . . I believe he feels this is . . . necessary. I'm not sure."

Madine made a dismissive noise and rolled his eyes to the opposite wall.

"He would like to talk to you again, Mr Sahtou," the Commander persisted, "He's asking if you would be the one to put this last part of his testimony on record. If you are willing."

"This is in no way an order," Madine broke in, "No one will blame you for saying no. I agreed to let the request be put to you. Nothing more."

"Absolutely," Skywalker agreed without hesitation, nodding emphatically, "I don't mean to imply that this is anything other than a request, one you are perfectly entitled to turn down. I . . . I'd understand if you did."

"I see . . ." Harvan said this more or less because he did not know what else he could say.

Grim-faced, Madine leant forward in his seat. "If you want to do this, if you think it would be valuable to the Alliance, I am willing to give you the time. But I want to express my deepest reservations about the whole idea of sending you back in with Vader when it is not absolutely necessary."

"There is no danger, General."

"With the greatest respect for your abilities and insight, Skywalker, unless you are planning on standing right next to him during the entire thing, I am never going to believe that Darth Vader constitutes 'no danger' to anyone."

"Would he be prepared to talk to anyone else?" Harvan asked, forestalling any debate on the issue.

The Commander rubbed at the inside of his right wrist. "He won't talk to me about it. At least, he won't let me be the one to put it on record. Which to be fair, I couldn't with any neutrality. And I think he's comfortable talking to you in a way he isn't with the other people who have interviewed him for the Alliance. He . . . well, he trusts your motivation."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I don't imagine he will speak to anyone," Skywalker said with a shrug, "Not about this."

Leaving a gap in the record. One that it was not Harvan's official responsibility to fill, not in the slightest. This was not a task that the Alliance wanted undertaken. It would not play any part in decisions that, after all, had already been taken. No one, not even the man communicating the request, seemed to expect him to agree. Hadn't he been relieved to leave the cell behind? Hadn't he been overjoyed to escape being sealed in with the rasping husk of one of the most hated men in the galaxy?

"I will document whatever he wishes to say," Harvan told the Commander, trying not to stammer or choke on the words. "If there are any details that need to be cross-checked and I am allowed the time, I will endeavour to do so. General, sir, would I be expected to submit a formal report of what I record?"

Madine blinked and began to shake his head. "No, I – hm. I suppose if you really want to do this, you might as well do it properly. I will see that anything you submit is appended as supplementary to your previous report."

"Thank you, sir."

Commander Skywalker's face was a picture of relief. "Mr Sahtou . . . thank you." He managed a smile, tremulous but sincere and heartfelt. "Thank you."

Harvan nodded to him, not trusting himself to do more, and wondered what in the stars he was doing.

Something that needed to be done, most likely.