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The place they were sent wasn’t even named. A moon over a planet called Vartos, it was essentially a rock. An out-of-the-way rock, with a thin but breathable atmosphere. There did not appear to be any native plants or animals, nor was there any water. The specific area to which they had been directed was almost entirely flat, with only a few rock formations dotting the landscape here and there.

The ship landed gently, raising a furious cloud of dust. A second moon and Vartos shone like a pair of eyes in the dark nighttime sky. Madhi was running on adrenaline; she hadn’t slept for two days straight. But she was used to that. Her career had frequently taken her to dangerous places where hot food, a warm bed, and personal safety were not always in abundant supply. And like any journalist, for Madhi, the thought of a good story made everything worth it.

“You sure you won’t let me put a tracking device or a recorder on you?” Tyl asked. Madhi shook her head vigorously.

“Come on, Tyl, who do you think I am, Javis Tyrr?” The laughter broke the tension. “I know the contact said come alone, and I want to show I can be trusted. I’ll take my comlink and bring a recorder, and ask his or her permission before turning it on. That’s how I work.”

Tyl sighed. “I worry about you, Madhi. You take a lot of risks.”

She shrugged into her many-pocketed vest and went to the open hatch. Before jumping down she turned around and gave him a playful smile. “That’s how you get the good stories, Tyl. You should know that by now.”

And then, armed with only a glow rod, she stepped forward into the night.

The glow of the moon and planet cast a significant amount of light in a place utterly bereft of light pollution, and she was able to stride briskly and with confidence. The coordinates were quite specific, and Madhi quickly figured out that her destination was one of the few rock formations they had spotted from the air. She paused after walking for about fifteen minutes and looked back. She could still see the small lights of the ship, and nodded.

Madhi continued forward, until she stood in the shadow of the looming rocks that looked like jagged, broken teeth. She saw nothing, heard or smelled nothing, but just the same, she sensed someone was there.

“I’ve come alone, as you asked,” she said.

“Thank you,” said a voice right by her ear.

Despite herself, she started and turned quickly. A Bothan stood less than a third of a meter away from her. He was dressed in dark clothes, and most of his face was hidden by a cowl. He moved it back, revealing his features, and smiled, teeth flashing white in the moonlight.

“You must do this a lot,” Madhi said, recovering.

“Indeed I do.” He gave her a slight bow. “You handle it better than most.”

“I take it you’re the being who gave me the letter on Vinsoth?” she asked, recovering her professional composure. Her hand slipped down into her pocket. “Mind if I record the conversation?”

“I assumed you were already doing so.”

Madhi shook her head. “I do interviews, not surveillance,” she said.

“I approve,” her contact replied. “You may record it, but only for your personal use. My voice and features must not be broadcast. Beings could die—including me.”

She nodded. “Of course.” Madhi clicked it on. “So … can you give me your name?”

“Not my real name,” the Bothan said. “But you may call me Blink.”

“As in, don’t blink or you’ll be gone?”

“Precisely.”

“Okay, Blink. You are a member of the Freedom Flight. How long has the organization been in existence?”

“Formally? Only about six years. Informally, individuals and small groups have been assisting slaves to escape ever since the institution of slavery began. Always, where there is a hand to hold down and crush, there is another to release and nurture.”

Beautiful words, Madhi thought. Wish I’d thought of them. This guy’s a natural.

“Tell me how you operate.”

“It is a loosely knit organization,” Blink said. “Each chain knows of only a few links. That way, if one of us is caught, there is a finite amount of others we can betray