The confidence in the other’s voice bordered the realm of smugness without quite entering it. "Just a little while ago. I wanted to surprise you, hotshot." He indicated the room. "I thought you’d be here with these other two nightcrawlers."Deak and Windy both smiled. "I certainly didn’t expect you to be out working."He laughed easily, a laugh few people found resistible."The academy didn’t change you much," Luke commented. "But you’re back so soon." His expression grew concerned. "Hey, what happened—didn’t you get your commission?"
There was something evasive about Biggs as he replied, looking slightly away,"Of course I got it. Signed to serve aboard the freighter Rand Ecliptic just last week.
First Mate Biggs Darklighter, at your service." He performed a twisting salute, half serious and half humorous, then grinned that over bearing yet ingratiating grin again.
"I just came back to say good-bye to all you unfortunate landlocked simpletons."They all laughed, until Luke suddenly remembered what had brought him here in suchhurry.
"I almost forgot," he told them, his initial excitement returning, "there’s a battle going on right here in our system. Come and look."
Deak looked disappointed. "Not another one of your epic battles, Luke. Haven’t you dreamed up enough of them? Forget it."Forget it, hell—I’m serious. It’s a battle, all right."With words and shoves he managed to cajole the occupants of the station out into the strong sunlight. Camie in particular looked disgusted."This had better be worth it, Luke," she warned him, shading her eyes against the glare.
Luke already had his macrobinoculars out and was searching the heavens. It took only a moment for him to fix on a particular spot. "I told you," he insisted."There they are."Biggs moved alongside him and reached for the binoculars as the other strained unaided eyes. A slight readjustment provided just enough magnification for Biggs to out two silvery specks against the dark blue."That’s no battle, hotshot," he decided, lowering the binocs and regarding his friend gently. "They’re just sitting there. Two ships, all right—probably a bargeloading a freighter, since Tatooine hasn’t got an orbital station."
"There was a lot of firing—earlier," Luke added. His initial enthusiasm was beginning to falter under the withering assurance of his older friend.
Camie grabbed the binoculars away from Biggs, banging them slightly against a support pillar in the process. Luke took them away from her quickly, inspecting the casing for damage. "Take it easy with those."Don’t worry so much, Wormie." She sneered. Luke took a step toward her,then halted as the huskier mechanic easily interposed himself between them and favored Luke with a warning smile. Luke considered, shrugged the incident away."I keep telling you, Luke," the mechanic said, with the air of a man tired of repeating the same story to no avail, "the rebellion is a long way from here. I doubt if the Empire would fight to keep this system. Believe me, Tatooine is a big hunk of nothing."
His audience began to fade back into the station before Luke could mutter a reply.Fixer had his arm around Camie, and the two of them were chuckling over Luke’s ineptitude. Even Deak and Windy were murmuring among themselves—about him,Luke was certain.
责任编辑：mman
