You activate the airlock cycling mechinism and the airlock opens for you. Cargo Hold - Starry Ice(#2278RtF) -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Luke => Cargo Computer: Starry Ice -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- ut leads to Corridor - Starry Ice. Karrde enters Cargo Hold - Starry Ice Karrde steps through the airlock as it opens, glancing directly to where he left his guest last. Luke is indeed just where he was left. He glances up, blinking at the sudden change in light intensity. Karrde smiles, letting the airlock close behind him, and he says, walking over to you, "I hope you haven't been to uncomfortable." "I'll manage." Luke says lowly, "Heard anything new?" he adds in a new attempt to get his bindings loosened. "I'd like to send a message. And.. get cleaned up." Karrde pauses before you and says quietly, "No, but I have a proposal for you. It doesn't include sending any messages right now, but it does involve getting cleaned up and untied." Luke raises his head and straightens, "I'm listening." he answers placidly. Karrde's manner remains distanced, as he explains in his carefully modulated tone, "My problem, in essense, is the Empire. If they attacked you and took Miss Valios, then they most certainly would recognize my ship, and draw conclusions from that. I cannot afford that, nor will I draw the wrath of the Empire upon my people from this." He lowers his chin, mild gaze on you, guaging reaction. "They don't know for certain that you have me. Like I said, I think they thought I was dead back there." Luke answers. Karrde smiles. "Granted, they may not have the cunning to put it together, but I prefer the safe side. I think, though, that there is a way to resolve this well enough to please all sides." Luke blinks reactively, "What do you have in mind?" Karrde replies, "The galaxy reacts on pretense, and the image doesn't always have to match the facts. It's a rule I live by, and one I'm certain you understand as well. I propose, if you will cooperate, staging your escape." Luke inhales a thoughtful breath, "You surprise me Karrde. I'm impressed." It's evident too by his features that he is in fact sincere. "I'll cooperate sure." Karrde grins, no little relief there, and comments, "One of the more tricky situations I've had to think through, I assure you. The weight of the possibilities required time to think." He steps forward, adding, "And if Jade hasn't knotted you up, I think I can get you free." Pause. "If your word holds true still. You can't fly this ship without certain codes, and we're far from where we were before." Luke looks over his shoulder at his tied hands, "I won't double cross you. I'm a Jedi." he says shrugging, "It's important to us." Karrde nods, accepting this as yet another fact, and works on the ropes. After a moment of tugging, he asks, "What would cause Jade, whom I've known to be a very strong woman, to react so at the mention of a Dark Lord?" He continues working tight rope free. Luke cranes his neck to watch your progress, remarking off hand, "Mara Jade is sensitive to the Force. She was a pupil of Palpatines or something." He looks at the man's face while he works the ropes, "Something bad happened, I don't know what.." lowly now, "..she's messed up somehow. Haunted." he adds, searching for the word for the thought that he is trying to wrap his mind around. "That's all I know about her." Once again, checking on the ropes, moving his arms to give Karrde slack. Karrde's composure is nearly prefected, the expression he wears while you look at him calm and difficult to visually read. "I see." He gains headway, and pulls a long bit of rope free, releasing much of the mess, from the sudden slack. "And she has a special hatred of you, it seems." He steps back, turning intent attention on you as his untying is done. "Have you hurt her before?" Luke lets the ropes drop around his booted heels and rubs his wrists, in particular the left one which has a gash on it as well. Another shrug, tone conversational, "She told me she wanted to kill me. I don't know why." He bends his knees, they pop loudly and he groans, sighing, "I've never harmed her. But my presence seems to illicit some strange responses from her." Karrde says wryly, without humor, "So I've noticed." He inspects you curiously now, as though by releasing his prisoner, he's been given a green light in accepting them as a person and not unwelcome cargo. "I'll explain what I have planned to her before she sees you wandering around, for your sake." He moves, finally, to another compartment, and digs out a sealed case. Walking back, he offers it to you. "Bandages and bacta patches. It's all I'm equipped for." Luke takes the case, "Thanks." He stretches out with his senses to survey his body, noting the wounds, some of which he will need more than bacta patches for, like the concussion. He rubs his eye, pushing the Force toward the errant areas, his forehead, the gashes on his back and wrist. "Do you have any clothes?" he asks hesitantly as he sets the case down, letting his slashed jacket fall from his shoulders. Karrde ahhs carefully, and replies, "Yes, in the interm. I'm afraid you will have to don your..." He eyes the clothing, "...attire for the deception. Mara brought a few things from the desert, I'll get them for you." Luke nods as he flips open the case, "That makes sense." He manages to get his shirt off, applying bacta patches like they're going out of style. By the time he's done, it appears that he's wearing an entire shirt made out of the stuff. "My Lightsaber." he says, remembering it's disappearance during his stupor. He looks up at Karrde, "Where is it?" Karrde frowns, the question bringing him out of the thoughtful, distracted silence during your patching. "I don't know. Possibly taken, or in the packs. You should likely rest before worrying about your possessions. If it's not on this ship, it's likely out of our immediate reach." Luke pulls on the bloody shirt once more, then the jacket. He applies one last bacta patch to his forehead after he swabbed away the blood. "Well." he says standing, "Let's talk about your plan." Karrde nods, and says conversationally, "Quite easy. I inform certain Imperial contacts that I have a personage they would like. I won't say who, but they'll be interested. However, before they can collect, you escape." He pauses, and adds, "I'm afraid it has to be fairly convincing. You can use my weapon on me and my associate." Luke nods, "But will they believe you?" Karrde shrugs, replying, "They'll have to, won't they? I don't have many options. If they come into the ship at the arranged meeting time to find two wounded people, what can they believe." He smiles faintly. "Besides, Jedi aren't easy to contain in the first place." "I won't shoot you. And they might not believe that I would." Luke says intently, "Not unless it was in self defense. Lord Sabbath would _know_." Karrde pauses, and admits, "Perhaps not. You have a better suggestion?" Luke rubs at the back of his neck, "Well." he grunts, "Sabbath would believe an escape. You could say you were taking me to them, that they would believe. But they might suspect something if you aren't injured, like I said, I _won't_ shoot you even to set it up. Unlikely they would believe it unless something was damaged." He looks around the cargo hold, "Not much here either. I could possibly jimmy the lock.. getting anywhere after that would be the big problem." He paces the room considering, "Realistically, I'd put you both out of commission in other ways, or make you help me. I have powers Sabbath would assume I'd use in a situation like this." he snorts, "Well, I tried actually.." another groan at his back. Karrde watches you pace, and comments quietly, "Mara will not be the other associate in this. Would it be easier that way?" Luke frowns, "Meaning, she won't help?" Karrde shakes his head. "I won't allow her to. I saw enough of her feelings on this to know what risk she thinks she is in. The further she is from this, the better." "Agreed." Luke answers, "I'd still like to talk to her, but that isn't the crucial issue right now." Karrde nods in agreement. "You mentioned a number of way to make this plausible. Injury works with the Empire, they almost expect it in these cases." Luke nods, letting out a breath, "They'd execute you if something wasn't damaged or you were unharmed." Karrde nods, his voice low, "Yes. You understand my difficulties." Luke begins slowly, "If I had my Lightsaber, we could make this look plausible with minimal damage to you. Nothing bacta wouldn't heal, but it would prove to them that it happened." He sighs once again, turning this over in his mind. "I might have to injure you." he says regretfully. Karrde's smile is sardonic. "Compared to what could happen if this doesn't work, I think I would be taking the best option I have. I have other obligations to take into account, Skywalker." Luke smiles wanly, "A prudent businessman. I admire your calmness." "Tradecraft," he corrects with a chuckle. "I could say I shot myself in the foot allowing you on board. At any rate, rest a bit, you'll need it. I'll make other arrangements, such as explaining how we found you without Mara in the picture." Luke nods as he finds a corner to settle into, "If I could only get a message.. or.. get back to Tatooine." he says yawning, "I have friends coming there soon." Karrde mmms. "This wouldn't be a military force, would it?" Luke shakes his head smiling, "No not really. Friends of mine." Karrde perks an eyebrow at the smile, but lets it pass. "We have little in the way of comforts on this vessel, aside from the cockpit chairs. I'll put the packs in here, but will you need anything else?" Luke stifles another yawn, "Yeah, my Lightsaber.." he says as he curls up in the corner, falling almost immediately to sleep. Karrde watches a moment, perhaps unable to believe he's gone ot sleep that fast, or worried that he's passed out, before turning to the airlock with a troubled expression.