Busy or not, biting or not, the words cut Luke to the core. Later, he would look back on what had been said and acknowledge that he had opened himself up to exactly this type of comment. That she was right, at least inasmuch as he could not use that as an argument if he was not willing to hear the corollary.

But what he heard was simply an echo of his own failure, the double-blow of having been the instrument of evil in the galaxy as well as having given up. There was no way to win. And yet, winning hadn't really been the goal, had it?

He stood up abruptly. "The lesson is done for today," he said shortly, gazing sightlessly at the sky before turning and making his way back down the path.