“Can’t you just wiggle your fingers or something?”

“Not without everything slipping. Can you?”

“Don’t be facetious,” Klerin snapped. “What was Mann thinking?”

“He was trying to help.”

“By burying us alive?”

“Stand back.”

The sudden change of tack took the Kuranu by surprise.

“What?”

“Step back from the rubble!”

“Why?”

An amethyst blade burst through the blocks, slicing down and almost catching Klerin who threw herself aside, barging into Indeera.

Dirt streamed down from above their heads.

“Careful!” Klerin screamed.

The block suddenly jerked away, a head appearing in the gap, silver tendrils framed by a silver crown.

“Can you hold it?” Ty Yorrick asked. Her fellow Tholothian was still pretty much an unknown quantity to Indeera, but at this juncture she was happy to accept any help she could get.

“Not for long. Could you—?” The rest of the request was lost as the rubble shifted, Indeera grunting with the effort of holding it all in place.

Yorrick’s hand shot up, her own face creasing. “I’ll try, but it’s never been one of my talents.”

“Then what good are you?” Klerin said, trying to shove Yorrick out of the way.

The mercenary showed her by headbutting the girl between her eyes.

“That wasn’t very Jedi,” Indeera said as the woman dragged the unconscious Kuranu out of the rubble.

“There’s a reason for that,” Yorrick responded. “Think you can make it through this gap without being trapped?”

“If you can help take the strain. On three?”

“You’ve got it. One.”

“Two.”

“Three!”

Indeera jumped forward.

The Vector pulled up, streaming over the huge ship, but Bell could only watch Loden plummet toward him. This was no training exercise and Loden wasn’t controlling his descent. The older Jedi was in free fall, but Bell wasn’t about to let him die, not now, not after Bell had found him again.

Bell raised his free hand, reaching out with the Force.

Loden slowed.

Behind him, feet were running and a blaster fired. Bell twisted at the waist, his lightsaber coming about. The bolt met plasma and shot harmlessly away, Bell’s eyes never leaving his Master. The Nihil kept firing and Bell kept blocking, drawing Loden toward himself all the while. There was no way Bell could keep up this defense, not without letting Loden fall, even with Ember protecting their position with streams of scarlet flame. Soon a bolt would find its target. Soon the Nihil would get lucky.

Maybe not.

Above them, the Vector came about and raked its weapons along the ground.

The Nihil fell silent; no more footfalls, no more blaster bolts, his weapon skidding on the wet rockcrete. Bell sheathed his saber and broke into a run, both hands raised toward Loden. He could do this. He would do it.

Bell, a voice echoed in his mind.

Master, he replied.