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“I’m on it,” Vehn reported from the turret. “Give me a little altitude, that’s all I ask.”

“You’ve got it,” Anakin said. Once more he put the ship in a climb. The E-wing saw its opportunity then, darting in and chewing what was left of the engine to shreds. It coughed off-line, and for an instant the transport seemed to hang suspended a hundred meters above the treetops. In that in-between moment, Vehn needled red lines across the sky, stitching through the E-wing. It spun wildly out of control. Then the transport was falling, and Anakin hit the repulsors, and the sound of tearing metal deafened him.

Anakin came to with the taste of blood on his tongue. He didn’t know if he had been out for seconds or days, and a glance at the controls didn’t help. Through the cockpit transparisteel he could see only crushed vegetation.

“Sannah! Valin!”

“They’re okay,” Remis Vehn said from behind Anakin. “A little battered, but no worse for the wear.”

Anakin twisted in his seat and found himself confronting the muzzle of a blaster. He blinked, then looked up at the young man’s cool gray eyes.

“You want to put that down, don’t you?” Anakin asked, pushing with the Force.

“Well …,” Vehn considered.

“You’ll put it down,” Anakin commanded.

“Sure,” Vehn replied. “I’ll put it down.”

“Great.” Anakin unfastened himself from the flight harness. He took the blaster and stuck it in his belt.

“Vaping moffs!” Vehn swore. “You Jedi are sorcerers.”

“Keep it sealed,” Anakin warned him, turning to Sannah.

Sannah was unconscious but breathing evenly. Valin was awake, but the hull near him had crimped in such a way that Sannah’s harness was stuck. Anakin sliced through it with his lightsaber. The Melodie girl moaned softly.

“Vehn, carry Sannah out,” Anakin told the Peace Brigader. “The ship may have a few surprises for us yet.”

“My ship,” Vehn said. “I can’t believe what you did to my ship.”

“Your buddies did it,” Anakin said. “The same buddies who just murdered a Jedi Master and took my best friend captive. Don’t expect me to cry any tears for you.”

“First of all,” Vehn said, “they aren’t my buddies. I was strictly in this business for the money, and I thought we were taking on adult Jedi, not little kids. Second of all, I don’t expect you to get all weepy, but without my ship, how do you plan to get off this snarly jungle?”

Anakin didn’t answer Vehn, but examined Valin instead. “Are you okay?” he asked. “Can you walk?”

“I’m fine,” Valin answered.

“Good. I want you to go outside and find cover in the trees. Be careful—the jungle isn’t exactly safe, though the crash probably scared most everything off.”

He then examined Sannah. She was bruised, but he didn’t sense anything seriously wrong with her.

“Take Sannah out,” he repeated to Vehn. “I’m right behind you.”

On his way out, he picked up the stun cuffs.

“This isn’t right,” Remis Vehn complained. “You just finished talking about how dangerous the jungle is and you not only won’t give me a weapon, you’ve restrained me. What if something comes along wanting lunch?”

“It would have to be a carrion eater to stomach the likes of you,” Anakin replied.

“Very funny. I helped you.”

“You really think you’re going to get thanks from me?” Anakin snorted. “You were saving your own skin, nothing more. Now, quiet.”

“Is she going to be all right?” Valin asked, staring down at Sannah.

“I think so.” Anakin touched the Melodie girl’s forehead and very lightly brushed her with the Force, strengthening her where she was weak, gently tugging her toward consciousness.

With a faint sigh she opened her eyes, blinked at Anakin, then started violently.

“Tahiri!” she gasped.

“Shh,” Anakin said. “We crashed. You’re banged up, some. How do you feel?”

“Like I’ve been poisoned by a purella and hung up in its web. Is Valin okay?”

“I’m right here,” Valin answered.

“We’re all okay,” Anakin assured her.

Tears started in the girl’s yellow eyes. “No, we’re not. Master Ikrit, and Tahiri …”

“Master Ikrit sacrificed himself for us,” Anakin said, around