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"We should go, anyway," Leia said. "It's time for us to leave this place."

Far past time. But a part of her wished she could stay.

Ferus waited for Leia at the spaceport, needing to say goodbye. As soon as she spotted him, she sent Luke off to help Han and Elad with some final repairs, then greeted him warmly. Ever since the rescue, it was as if she'd been trying to make up for the way she'd treated him in the past. Ferus wished that he could enjoy it, finally having her respect after all these years. But he knew it wouldn't last. Not when she heard what he had to say.

"I've been thinking about your offer," Fess said. After thanking him for his part in the rescue, Leia had urged him to throw in his lot with the Rebellion. "I'm afraid I can't join your fight."

"If it's because of the way I've treated you—" Leia smiled ruefully. "Seems like I'm doing a lot of apologizing today. One more can't hurt."

"You've treated me as I deserved," Ferus said.

"I'm beginning to suspect you're not the man I thought you were, Fess. The Rebellion needs all the help it can get—you should join us."

Ferus wanted to. And not just because he missed the days when he could protect her at every turn.

He had turned it over and over in his mind. Obi-Wan had been no help. Search inside yourself, he said. Know the answer, you do.

Even in his frustration, Ferus had smiled, remembering better days when he and the other Padawans had made a game of imitating Jedi Master Yoda's odd speech patterns.

And, frustrated or not, Ferus had followed the older man's advice.

For whatever reason, Vader had taken a special interest in Leia. If he learned about his connection to the princess, or to Luke, nothing would stop him until they were both destroyed.

Or worse, Ferus thought. Until he reclaims his children.

Luke wasn't ready to be trained as a Jedi yet. He needed to grow stronger on his own before he learned how to access such great power. And Leia…Ferus suspected Leia was strong enough. But training her in the Jedi ways would only make her more of a target.

The stronger she grew, the greater the chance that Vader would sense the Force within her.

Just as he would sense Ferus, if Ferus stayed by her side.

Ferus had been watching and waiting for a long time. He had a new job now: Finding out what Darth Vader was up to.

And stopping him.

But how could he explain any of that to Leia?

"I don't put much faith in groups," he told her instead. "Eventually someone you trust will betray you."

She laughed bitterly. "You sound like Han. Afraid to believe in anything."

"I can't speak to whether Captain Solo is afraid, but I can assure you, I'm not."

Is that true? he wondered. Or do I still fear repeating the mistakes of my past? It felt like he was finally taking action; but was he just running away?

He missed the certainty of his youth with the Jedi, that rock solid knowledge that his choices were right. He saw it in Luke.

Of course, he'd seen it in Anakin, too.

"I support the Rebellion, but I have other priorities right now," he said.

"What could be more important?" she asked angrily.

"You'd be surprised."

"Then go," she spit out. "Don't let me stop you."

"There are other ways to fight the Empire," Ferus pointed out. "I'm told that Kiro Chen—"

"Kiro's choice is not based on cowardice," she snapped. "Yours is."

Ferus told himself she was wrong. "I can't ask you not to be angry with me."

She crossed her arms. "I don't care enough to be angry."

"I can only ask that you trust me. This is the right thing." If it wasn't, if he left her alone and something happened…

He'd forgiven himself so much, but there would be no forgiveness for letting Leia die.

"You should go," she said harshly. "Minister Manaa is meeting me here, and then I'm getting off this planet. The Alliance needs me."

"One more thing, Leia," he said. This was probably a mistake, he knew that. But he couldn't help himself. She was the closest thing he had to a daughter—and she didn't know him at all. "Ferus."