"Park." Vanech ordered as Luke slid the speeder into the hotel lot.

Luke pulled into a space but he was too distracted to wonder about Vanech's intentions.

"Come inside." Vanech told him, and he climbed out.

Luke didn't feel like doing anymore training right now. Part of him wanted to get back to the picnic so he could step in the way in case the attraction between Wedge and Kess was at risk of becoming something more. Part of him wanted to go drive to nowhere alone so he could think this through and meditate away this jealousy. He wasn't worried, not really. He trusted Wedge with his life. He trusted Wedge with her life. And he trusted her with both of the same. It was attraction. Nothing more. At least she had good taste.

But Luke had duties. He turned off the speeder and climbed out, reminding himself to take every opportunity to bring Vanech back into the fold where he belonged. He scratched the back of his neck and directed his mind back to business as Vanech led the way into his private room and locked the door behind them both.

"Drink?" Vanech offered as he stepped to the little kitchenette.

"No, thanks," Luke murmured and sat down on the couch. He rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the tabletop. He tried to get his mind off of it.

Vanech came over and sat down in the chair with a tumbler in hand. He lounged back, kicking his feet up on the table with a thud. "When are you going to ask me?"

Luke looked over. "About what?"

"About the Temple underworks." Vanech fished out a death stick and lit it up. He squinted through his own smoke at the man. "That's why you brought me Yavin."

Luke shook his head at the table and closed his eyes with a sigh.

"It's soon, isn't it?" Vanech said. "Those soldiers out there today, they all know they're about to die."

Luke shook his head again and met the man's gaze—

"Don't try to lie to me," Vanech instructed.

Luke closed his mouth. He thought for a moment, then, "Are you willing to give me that information?"

"Not for free."

Luke shrugged his hands. "What do you want?"

The man eyed him hard for a beat, sucking a new drag and blowing it out again. He didn't say anything. He only reached over for an ashtray and pulled it over to the armrest so he could use it.

Luke shrugged again and lounged back in the couch. "It's too bad we don't have the power to bring people back to life, isn't it?"

"Quit guessing," his voice was rough.

"Tell me my guesses are wrong."

Vanech eyed him hard.

"And don't try to lie to me." Luke almost grinned.

Vanech grinned back this time. But he settled back and cleared his throat. "They killed her to get to me."

"Is that why you want the Empire to end? Revenge?"

"I want the Empire to end for the same reasons everyone else does."

"So how is that not already the biggest possible payment?"

"Because what I want is more obscure than that."

Luke shrugged his hands from his lap again.

Vanech took in a breath. "I have 323 people in my employ. If the Alliance takes over, they are at risk of losing the legitimacy of their careers."

Luke smacked in dismay but he hesitated before insulting Vanech with his opinions.

"And you have no right to judge the careers they've chosen."

"But did they really choose it? Or did they just 'end up' in it?"

"They come in all flavors," Vanech worded with a grin.

Luke wasn't sure what to say to that.

"It's interesting. You disapprove, but your woman isn't so pure."

This only reminded Luke of what he witnessed between Kess and Wedge. He murmured in defeat. "Yeah, I know."

"She certainly seemed to know what she was doing when I had my hands on her," Vanech commented.

Luke's eyes sliced over. Vanech watched him through slits, studying for a reaction. The man seemed pleased. Smugly, he sucked a new drag and blew it away.

"What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to see how weak you really are." He gestured with his death stick. "Everyone writes you up as the ultimate bad ass but you've got an Achilles heel. I'm wondering how many people know about it."

Luke's eyes drifted away, looking for clues in the air. Vanech was right. It was a weakness. But Luke was slowing learning how to take care of it. Wasn't he? "I guess we're going to have to find some way to keep it from being a weakness." He looked over again and shrugged. "That's your business, isn't it? Exploiting that weakness in people so you can profit from it?"

"I don't exploit anybody. They come for the care they need. My staff provides it."

Luke hitched. "You make it sound like medical care."

"It's not far from it, if you think about it."

Eyes searched the air again, seeing into his memory. While he didn't entirely agree, he understood the comparison.

"Not everyone can have what you do. Some people need to hire it."

"And what is that exactly?"

Vanech hitched a new grin. "Do you have any idea how much men are willing to pay just to get a woman to look at them the way that woman looks at you?"

Luke pressed his mouth.

"And you're sitting here moping like a schoolboy because she was flirting with that other guy." He shook his head and laughed. "Luke Skywalker has a weakness." He reached over and rubbed the ash from his stick with a grinning croon. "News at eleven."

Luke chuckled at this. He scooted sideways and dropped his elbow on the back of the couch. "Fine." He lifted his brows at the man. "Do you have any recommendations?"

Vanech smiled the elementary answer. "Trust her."

"I do." Luke nodded at his lap.

"No, you don't."

Luke glanced up.

"Or you wouldn't be worried."

Luke couldn't argue that logic, so he said instead, "Are you trying to be my Master now?"

"You're not my Master," Vanech corrected simply.

"Where are you going with this?"

"I'm testing you."

"Testing me?"

"To see if I can trust you."

"Trust me with what?"

"323 people."

Luke lifted his chin with new understanding. He struggled for an offer he could give. "I'm sure we can find them new jobs."

"What if they don't want new jobs?"

Luke shrugged his hand for a full circle in the air. "Zach, I have no power over what the Alliance is going to decide is legal."

Vanech didn't seem to like that answer.

Luke added, "But the Alliance is only going to have local power over the Capital anyway. I'm sure it'll remain legal in other systems."

Vanech sat up and set his elbows on his knees, considering this heavily as he stared at the air.

"But I say give them the choice. I'm guessing much of your staff would choose something else if they had the chance."

"You don't know them."

"Like I said, it's just a guess. But you should still give them the choice."

Vanech glanced up.

"Do they have the choice now?"

Vanech stuck a tongue to his molar to think on that. His eyes came back. "How do I know I can trust you with your new 'weakness'."

Luke shook his head at the air, uncertain how to answer that. "It's not her; it's me. I've never been in love like this before. That's the weakness. I'm just . . . still learning. That's all."

"What do you think she's doing right now?"

"Probably just having a good time with our friends. You were right. Most of them know full well they might lose their lives soon. It's part of the job."

"You don't think she's diving in a dark corner with that guy?"

Luke thought about that, and he smiled at it. "I know she's not."

This was part of his test. Luke understood that. That's why he was giving these answers so freely. Vanech needed assurances that Luke wasn't compromised by jealousy. Based on Luke's uncharacteristic reaction during the mission, Vanech had every right to question it.

"I never claimed to have all the answers," Luke pointed out. "But I'm determined figure them out."

Vanech stared.

"The old code was broken. How? Why? I don't know. But I'm glad for all the help I can get to write a new one."

Vanech seemed to consider that for a long time. Luke was about to say something else when the man rose from his chair and moved to the com station in the corner of the room. He came back with a sketchpad and a stylus and sat down again.

He looked hard at Luke as he pointed down at it. "I accept that the details of this payment can't be defined yet. But you understand the nature of what I'm asking. Right?"

"323 people." Luke nodded. "We'll figure it out."

With that, Vanech took another full drag and crushed out his death stick, then hunched over the pad with the stylus and began to draw.