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“What are we going to do?” Miko asks him.

“I don’t know,” Illan replies. “We’ll have to wait until he’s off the ship, then we’ll see.”

Meliana’s father keeps James locked up in the cabin with only brief respites out to answer the call of nature and to get some fresh air. It was during one such time when Meliana comes to him with something in her hands. As she draws close, he realizes it’s the ceramic dolphin figurine he had shipped to her during their brief stopover at Maradan when they left Corillian.

He smiles at her and says, “I see you got it.”

“Yes,” she replies with a smile. “You can’t imagine how surprised I was when Miriam came over and gave it to me. How did you know I liked these?”

“I didn’t,” he admits. “I just liked them too, and I wanted you to have something to remember me by.”

She comes close to him and he slips his arm around her. They stand by the rail watching the waves roll by. “What’s going to happen?” she asks him.

“What do you mean?” he replies.

“My father meant what he said,” she tells him. “At the next port we visit in the Empire, he will hand you over to the authorities.”

“I know,” he says. “I harbor him no ill will, he’s just trying to protect his house…and you.”

She lays her head on his shoulder as they stand there in silence, simply enjoying each other’s company.

“James,” an annoying voice interrupts this peaceful scene.

Turning, he sees Dave standing there. “What?” he asks.

“Can I talk to you?”

Sighing, he says, “Sure.” Then to Meliana, he asks, “Will you excuse me for a moment?”

“Of course,” she says though in her heart she wanted to say no.

He and Dave move a little ways from her, the two sailors who are set to watch him follow. Like her father said, the guards are more for show. If James wanted to kill them all there’s little any of them could do about it.

“What?” he asks when they reach a spot of relative privacy.

“Let’s get out of here,” he says. “I know you can do it, they’ve told me enough tales about you.”

“I can’t,” James tells him.

“Why?” he asks. Pointing to Meliana he says, “Is it because of her?”

“Partly,” he admits.

“You and me go way back,” Dave says. “We’ve been friends a long time.”

Holding up his hand to forestall any further comments, he says, “I know, Dave. Your friendship has always meant the most to me. But no matter what, I have to do what I feel is right. You know that.”

True, throughout his friendship with James, he’s always known him for doing what he felt was right. No matter what the consequences were. “Yeah, I know,” he says. “But this could be your life we’re talking about. Not to mention mine. You’re all I have in this crazy world.” He looks into James’ eyes a moment and then says quietly, “I just want to go home.”

“I know you do,” he says. “So do I. But right now we can’t and are simply going to have to do the best we can.”

One of the sailors comes up and says, “It’s time to return to the cabin.”

“Everything will be alright,” he assures his friend.

“I hope so,” he replies.

Meliana comes and walks with him back to the cabin and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek before they put him in and lock the door. Once the door is closed, she turns around and sees her father there looking at her. She gives him a look of betrayal and then turns around and goes the opposite direction.

Later that afternoon, they make a course change and land begins to appear on the horizon. Shortly after that, a major port city comes into view ahead of them.

Illan is standing next to Kendrick, Meliana’s father. “So,” he says, “you still plan to hand him over when we dock?”

“Here?” he asks. Shaking his head, he says, “Not here. That’s Westerlyn, a port city still within the borders of Cardri. If I were to take him ashore here and he got away, I wouldn’t very well be able to take him on into the Empire, now would I?”

Illan’s eyes move to his and they lock for a moment before he says, “No, you wouldn’t.”

“There’s some trading we will be doing here before returning to the Empire,” he tells him. “Probably won’t be staying more than the night. Should have our business