None of this is something Luke can really take lightly. Taking life, even in war, is not something he ever takes lightly.
At the same time, the target is a military one, filled with what are from his perspective, enemy combatants and he could feasibly consider them agents of the Dark Side. Death cults are one of the hallmarks of early Sith society, and the Third Party is seemingly blinded by single-minded hatred for life. And they are bound and determined to bring harm to Luceti and the people he cares about. That is not something acceptable. And it will happen in two years, according to the information gathered.
The Malnosso have failed, time and time again to protect Luceti and it's own interests, and they've proven they are not allies. They are still, at the heart of things, captors. Yes, it's supposedly to protect the residents from the Third Party, but that doesn't make it any less wrong. They are also incompetant. The fact that the war is going as badly as it is is proof of that. This is punctuated by the recent invasion of the enclosure. An invasion that let the cultists overrun two others so completely that they're done for. Unless something changes. This? Will change things. Big time.
In war, you have to do things that you don't always approve of. Luke can't say that his hands aren't stained. He's destroyed a Death Star, which according to some makes him a murderer, a fact that he's reminded of constantly. But the Shift Bomb, in Luke's perspective isn't quite the same as a Death Star or a Sun Crusher. Upon reflection, learning what it will do, he's a little more willing to gamble on this. He's taken riskier bets before, and the destructive force of this weapon isn't nearly the scale he's used to. This he can equate more to orbital bombardment, which he's ordered done several times against military targets. He never likes it, but in light of the lack of civilians and other personnel in the area this makes the Cultist City a military target and therefore something that should be destroyed at all costs.
He stuck his neck out against the Malnosso to protect Bil before, and Bil made a promise (in his own way) to make it so droids could be disabled. Bil delivered. That too is something that weighs on his mind. He's fairly certain the blue man recognized him snooping, but didn't turn him in, either. He didn't risk testing that, but it does seem that Bil, while untrustworthy, is not doing anything that will actively be to the detriment of the Luceti village. Which Luke will selfishly admit to anyone that asks, is his only real concern.
And then there's the Iron Eye to consider. They aren't exactly heroes, but they're certainly a force in their own right. Luke feels that they could be potential (and potent) allies. His conversations with them show them to be more in line with the Mandalorians of old rather than bounty hunters and the dirtbags typically hired by the Empire. Turning them in would be against everything Luke believed as a Rebel Agent before the Republic was founded. And it's a step towards some sort of alliance, at least.
The future is murky, and the answers are...unclear. But it's an opportunity to do something that will strike a blow against a powerful enemy that keeps coming back. Whatever the consequences, Luke believes the chance is too good to pass up. He doesn't like it, but then...he doesn't want to see his friends and family hurt. As bad as this is, it's for the good of Luceti. Maybe it's a trait from his father, maybe it's something leftover from Palpatine's teachings, and he knows it'll be the subject of a lot of reflection. But in the end, it needs to be done.
Re: OPTION ONE
At the same time, the target is a military one, filled with what are from his perspective, enemy combatants and he could feasibly consider them agents of the Dark Side. Death cults are one of the hallmarks of early Sith society, and the Third Party is seemingly blinded by single-minded hatred for life. And they are bound and determined to bring harm to Luceti and the people he cares about. That is not something acceptable. And it will happen in two years, according to the information gathered.
The Malnosso have failed, time and time again to protect Luceti and it's own interests, and they've proven they are not allies. They are still, at the heart of things, captors. Yes, it's supposedly to protect the residents from the Third Party, but that doesn't make it any less wrong. They are also incompetant. The fact that the war is going as badly as it is is proof of that. This is punctuated by the recent invasion of the enclosure. An invasion that let the cultists overrun two others so completely that they're done for. Unless something changes. This? Will change things. Big time.
In war, you have to do things that you don't always approve of. Luke can't say that his hands aren't stained. He's destroyed a Death Star, which according to some makes him a murderer, a fact that he's reminded of constantly. But the Shift Bomb, in Luke's perspective isn't quite the same as a Death Star or a Sun Crusher. Upon reflection, learning what it will do, he's a little more willing to gamble on this. He's taken riskier bets before, and the destructive force of this weapon isn't nearly the scale he's used to. This he can equate more to orbital bombardment, which he's ordered done several times against military targets. He never likes it, but in light of the lack of civilians and other personnel in the area this makes the Cultist City a military target and therefore something that should be destroyed at all costs.
He stuck his neck out against the Malnosso to protect Bil before, and Bil made a promise (in his own way) to make it so droids could be disabled. Bil delivered. That too is something that weighs on his mind. He's fairly certain the blue man recognized him snooping, but didn't turn him in, either. He didn't risk testing that, but it does seem that Bil, while untrustworthy, is not doing anything that will actively be to the detriment of the Luceti village. Which Luke will selfishly admit to anyone that asks, is his only real concern.
And then there's the Iron Eye to consider. They aren't exactly heroes, but they're certainly a force in their own right. Luke feels that they could be potential (and potent) allies. His conversations with them show them to be more in line with the Mandalorians of old rather than bounty hunters and the dirtbags typically hired by the Empire. Turning them in would be against everything Luke believed as a Rebel Agent before the Republic was founded. And it's a step towards some sort of alliance, at least.
The future is murky, and the answers are...unclear. But it's an opportunity to do something that will strike a blow against a powerful enemy that keeps coming back. Whatever the consequences, Luke believes the chance is too good to pass up. He doesn't like it, but then...he doesn't want to see his friends and family hurt. As bad as this is, it's for the good of Luceti. Maybe it's a trait from his father, maybe it's something leftover from Palpatine's teachings, and he knows it'll be the subject of a lot of reflection. But in the end, it needs to be done.