Well, that was fatalistic. He’d do everything he could to save every life on that ship. But the innocents would have priority, and the line between innocent and guilty had been drawn very clearly when the Nihil chose to throw a young child out the air lock.

He keyed on his comm. “Bell, do you read me?”

“Master!” came the immediate response.

“Did you…”

“I did,” Bell said. “I caught her, and we came down safely. Her name is Bee. She’s afraid for her brother and father, but she’s all right.”

Loden grinned.

“I knew you could do it, kid,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, nothing the Council could come up with for your trials would beat what you just pulled off. I’m going to put you in for elevation to Jedi Knight as soon as this all gets wrapped up.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. You heard me, right, Indeera?”

“Absolutely, Loden,” came Indeera Stokes across the comm.

“See, Bell? All set,” Loden said. “But you need to get Bee back to the outpost. Her mother’s there, with Porter Engle. Tell her we’ll have the rest of her family with her before she knows it. Have Porter give her some stew.”

“I thought I’d introduce her to Ember, too,” Bell said.

“Perfect. I’m going to sign off, Bell. Indeera and I have some work to do. I look forward to celebrating your elevation, Jedi Knight Zettifar.”

“Master…thank you.”

“I’m not your master anymore, Bell. You’re a Jedi Knight.”

“Not until the Council declares it, and I want you there when it happens. May the Force be with you.”

“It is, Bell. Don’t worry. See you soon.”

Loden flipped off his comm and brought his focus back to the Nihil ship. They were within laser range, and sure enough a few bolts whipped back at them from the vessel’s aft cannon.

He and Indeera each dodged to the side, their Vectors moving as one, easily avoiding the blasts. His comm crackled to life.

“How do we do this, Loden?” Indeera said.

“We both have room for one passenger, and there are two Blythes left on that ship. I’ll slow them down, then you’ll get the first one, and I’ll get the second.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it. I don’t want to overthink this.”

“Fair enough. I’ll follow your lead.”

Loden accelerated, pushing his Vector to a speed that rapidly overtook the Nihil ship.

“Get ready,” he said—both to Indeera and, at least to some extent, to himself.

He shoved his control sticks forward and to the side, simultaneously reaching out with the Force and taking the Vector’s reactive control surfaces and boosting them, allowing him to perform a maneuver impossible for any pilot but a Jedi to pull off. Over the comm, he heard Indeera gasp, and despite himself, he found himself smiling.