The digits flashed on the screen, waiting for Luke to make a decision. Or rather, a series of decisions, each of which could get them killed.

Input the Imperial docking codes — and, if the codes were false, risk being blown to bits by a fleet of TIE fighters. Or ignore the Imperial docking codes — and risk being blown to bits by a fleet of TIE fighters.

Even if he did transmit the docking codes and they worked, then what? Attempt to board the Star Destroyer and find out exactly what the Empire wanted from Lune Divinian? Buy themselves enough time to follow their mysterious helper’s instructions and take a hyperspace jump to who-knew-where? Or flee back to Yavin 4, without answers — but with their lives?

“I think we should go for it,” Div said suddenly. “I … I just have a good feeling about this.”

“You want to make a decision based on a hunch?” Luke asked, knowing exactly what Han would have to say about that. And yet Div had put his finger on exactly what Luke was feeling. Was that the Force, telling him that the mysterious TIE fighter was trustworthy?

Or was it just wishful thinking?

Aware that time was running out, Luke closed his eyes, trying to connect with his instincts. But when he did, all he saw was X-7’s sneering face — a cold reminder of what happened when you trusted the wrong person. There were always consequences.

“Trust your instincts,” Div said, and at the sound of his voice, the image of X-7 fell away. “And in the meantime, get ready to fire.”

Trust your feelings, echoed a voice in his head. Ben’s voice.

His feelings were telling him that an ally was nearby. A friend. But was that friend in the TIE fighter, helping him escape — or was the friend a prisoner desperate to be rescued from the Star Destroyer? What if the TIE fighter was just trying to send Luke on a wild-goose chase so he wouldn’t discover the truth?

The seconds were ticking by, and the TIE fighters were powering up their weapons. But Luke had learned something else from Ben: Hasty action could often be more dangerous than inaction. Sometimes it was best to wait until you were sure.

“Luke, make a drokking decision or —”

A spurt of laserfire burst out of the nearest TIE fighter and slammed into the ship, which bucked beneath them. Luke was thrown off his feet. He flew backward, slamming into the rear bulkhead. A sharp pain radiated through his head and down his spine. Div was saying something, but Luke couldn’t take it in. His ears were ringing. Red spots swam across his field of vision. The ship shuddered as Div fired toward the TIE fighters. Smoke billowed from the sensor array. Luke shook his head, trying to clear it. Unsteady but determined, he pulled himself to his feet.

Div was frantically trying to keep them alive. But they were wildly outnumbered, and they’d already used most of their missiles. As for evasive maneuvers, the ship handled about as well as a three-legged dewback.

They were a sitting target.

Laserfire lit up the sky as TIE fighters swarmed. Then, without warning, one of the fighters turned on its own. Its laser cannons fired a blast at the nearest Imperial ship. The ship shattered, sending debris spinning wildly into the rest of the fleet. The renegade TIE fighter was everywhere at once, picking its way through the Imperial fleet, taking them down one by one.

It was all the distraction Luke needed.

He activated the hyperdrive, hoping they wouldn’t end up inside a sun.

They jumped.

Light streamed past the viewscreen as they blazed through hyperspace. Smears of stars streaked across the black of space. And then, after an instant that felt like an eternity, the stars were stars again, points of light in the darkness. Space was silent, still, and empty. They had arrived.

Somewhere.

“I hope you’re right about this,” Luke said nervously.

“Me? You’re the one who powered up the hyperdrive and took a blind jump.”

“You’d rather we sat waiting to be blown out of the sky?” Luke argued, annoyed. He knew that Div would have done the same thing if he’d had the chance. He was obviously just irritated that Luke had moved faster. “Besides, you’re the one who said we could trust this guy.”

“I don’t trust anyone,” Div said.

As he spoke, a TIE fighter appeared out of hyperspace.

“That’s impossible!” Luke exclaimed. “TIE fighters don’t have hyperdrives!”

“Feel free to complain to the Empire,” Div said, manning the missile launchers. “I’m going to get the weapons ready. You know, just in case the impossible TIE fighter decides to blow us out of the sky.”

It seemed likely the TIE fighter was the same ship that had sent them the coordinates, though there was no way to tell. But now it was battle-scarred, deep gashes running up and down its hull. It had clearly taken some heavy fire before jumping, which meant the pilot, whoever he was, must have been good. TIE fighters weren’t built to withstand much fire. Imperial pilots, like their ships, were considered infinitely replaceable.

Of course, the ships also weren’t built to make hyperspace jumps. Obviously this was no ordinary TIE fighter—which meant it was likely no ordinary pilot.

Ignoring them, the ship maneuvered into orbit around a nearby moon and disappeared into the thin atmosphere. A transmission came through, on the same Rebel frequency used before. More coordinates, this time for a landing spot on the face of the moon.

Luke and Div exchanged a glance.

“We’ve come this far,” Luke said, and took the Firespray down to the surface.

The atmosphere was thick enough that they could breathe but thin enough that they could still see the stars. The moon was dead, arid, flat, and small. In the distance, Luke could make out the curve of the horizon. They stayed in the ship, keeping their weapons trained on the TIE fighter. Its hatch opened, and a figure stepped out. He was dressed in the uniform of an Imperial pilot, but an Imperial pilot would never be so out of shape. As the man drew closer to the ship, Luke glimpsed his face. He nearly laughed in relief. “Come on,” he told Div. “It’s okay. He’s a friend.” He flung open the hatch of the Firespray and hurried to meet their rescuer, a man he’d never expected to see again. Ferus Olin.

Div followed slowly.

“Luke,” Ferus said when Luke had reached him. He didn’t seem at all surprised.

“Ferus, I can’t believe it!” Luke said. He’d met Ferus Olin on Delaya, the sister planet to Alderaan. The old man had known Leia when she was a child, and he’d quickly proven himself to be a brave and solid ally. Luke had hoped he would join the Rebel Alliance, but he had refused. He has a mission of his own, Leia had said, sounding skeptical. Or he’s just too cowardly to fight. But Ferus hadn’t seemed like a coward, not to Luke. He’d seemed wise and oddly trustworthy. His very presence was comforting, as if he always knew more than what he was saying, and was ready to face it. Just like Ben, Luke thought, not for the first time.

Ferus was the last person he would have expected to meet on this strange moon, especially piloting a TIE fighter and dressed in Imperial uniform. But there was almost no one else he would rather have seen.

“Div, this is Ferus —” Luke broke off as he spotted Div’s ashen face. He was standing stiffly, like a soldier at attention. His hand twitched toward his holster, as if he was fighting the temptation to draw. “It’s okay,” Luke assured him. “Ferus is a friend.”

“I’m pretty sure you don’t know who this is,” Div said quietly, glaring at Ferus. The older man’s eyes widened.

Luke looked back and forth between them, confused. “Do you two know each other?”

Before anyone could answer, Ferus swept him into a fierce bear hug. “I’ve been worried about you, Luke. Glad to see you’re all right.”

The hug seemed somewhat strange; he didn’t know Ferus that well. But he didn’t want to be rude. “No need to worry,” he told Ferus. “I’m fine.”

Something pricked the back of his neck. He slapped at it. Probably a banda bug, he thought idly. Although this moon looked pretty dead. Not a likely environment for a banda — no food for them to nibble on.

And why was he thinking about bandas?

Why were his thoughts flying in a million directions, like a flock of frightened hawk-bats?

Why did he suddenly feel like the ground was buckling beneath him?

Luke opened his mouth but lacked the strength to speak. In fact, he realized, he lacked the strength to do much of anything.

And then he was on the ground, staring up at the night sky.

I’m so tired, he thought. Why am I so tired?

But he was too tired to wonder for very long.

Instead, he closed his eyes.

And went to sleep.