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“What? Pull a bunch of oxygen molecules up here from Yag’Dhul, seal up the station, and repressurize it?”

“Hey, at least I’m trying to think of something.”

“So am I,” Anakin said, his voice rising a little. “If you have an idea, let’s hear it.”

“You know very well I don’t have an idea,” Tahiri snapped back. “You’d feel it if I did.”

“Tahiri—”

“Oh, just shut up.”

Anakin suddenly understood. Tahiri was frightened, as frightened as he had ever known her to be.

“I’m scared, too, Tahiri.”

“No, you’re not. You’re never scared. Even when you are, you aren’t by normal standards.”

“I was scared when I thought I’d lost you on Yavin Four.”

She was silent, and Anakin lost his read on her, but he suddenly felt her shoulders quivering and knew she was crying.

Reluctantly, he reached his arm around her.

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I got you into this. Corran’s right—I keep thinking I can be like you, and I’m not. You always win, and I always screw up. If it weren’t for me, you’d be back on the Errant Venture right now.”

“But I’d rather be here with you,” he said.

He couldn’t see her face turn toward him or see the widening emeralds of her eyes, but he knew they were there.

“Don’t say things like that,” she murmured. “I know you think I’m still a little kid. I—”

She stopped, very suddenly, when he found her face with his fingers. Her cheek was smooth and cold. He found a stray lock of hair across her eyebrow and traced lightly over the raised scars on her forehead.

Anakin rarely did things he didn’t know he was going to do. But it had never occurred to him that he was going to kiss Tahiri until his lips were already touching hers. They were cold, and she pulled back.

“Oh,” she said.

“Oh?”

“That was a surprise.”

“Sorry.”

“No—c’mere.” She took his face in both hands and pressed her lips against his. It wasn’t a big kiss, but it was sweet and warm, and it jolted through him like ten g forces.

“Your timing is perfect,” she breathed. “Wait until we’re doomed to give me my first kiss.”

“Mine, too,” he said, his face warming despite the cold. “Umm …”

“How was it?” Tahiri said, answering his unverbalized question. “Kind of weird.” She kissed him again. “Nice.”

She took his hand and put her cheek against his. “If we survive, we’ll have to figure this out, you know,” she said.

“Yeah.”

“I mean, I’m not the kind of girl who’ll kiss just anyone on a first-time-to-be-stuck-in-a-locker-on-an-airless-space-station.”

“Might be simpler if we don’t make it,” Anakin remarked.

“Yeah. Are you sorry?”

“No. No, not even a little.”

“Good.”

“So let’s survive,” Anakin said, “so we get a chance to figure this out, okay? Do you think you can manage a hibernation trance? Our air will last a lot longer that way.”

“I’m not sure. I’ve never done it.”

“I’ll help. Just clear your mind—”

“Maybe you don’t know very much about girls. You just kissed me, and now you want me to clear my mind? It’s like there’s a tribe of Ewoks dancing in there.”

He squeezed her hand. “C’mon. Try.”

Something clanked outside.

“Did you hear that?” Tahiri whispered.

“Yeah. But how? There shouldn’t be any air to carry the sound.” He reached for his lightsaber.

Something started working at the locker door. It swung open, and Corran was crouched there, an expression of extreme concern on his face. He still had a vac suit on, but without the helmet.

“You’re okay,” he breathed.

“We’re okay,” Anakin acknowledged. “Where did the air come from?” He started crawling out of the cramped space.

“I remembered there was a modular backup system. I was afraid the Givin had taken it out, but they haven’t. I sealed up the room and pumped air in. It probably won’t last long, so get into those, quick.” He gestured toward a pair of smaller vac suits.

As they were scrambling into them, Corran shot Anakin a peculiar look.

“What?” Anakin said.

“Should I have left you two unchaperoned?”

Vaping Moffs! Does it show? Anakin wondered.

Just once, he wished most of the people he knew weren’t Jedi.

“You fools,