The officers watched them with condescending contempt, like they were lower than the red dirt under their boots. Jomaira took a step forward, her fingers twitching by her side. The officer's displeased frown fixed on her.

“I said don't move.” He snapped, cocking his blaster towards her face.

The other officer looked nonchalantly at his pad. “I can't believe I'm stuck here rounding up rats when the others get too lazy around on the deck.” He said, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

The other shrugged. “The orders were clear; catch them, then we can go back to our stations”. He glanced at Yahya and Jomaira. “You think it's them?”

“What does the empire want with them?”

“Don't know, don't care. Let's get this over with. I've had enough of this bullshit.”

Before the other officer could click on his Comm unit, Jomaira's hand shot up. Yahya frantically glanced at her. They were too far, she wouldn't be able to reach them. But instead of reaching for the officers’ hands, her hand hovered between them in mid-air.

Yahya didn't know whether it was the trick of the bright light cracking in the sky, her eyes changed from blue to a kaleidoscope.

“You saw no one.” She whispered briskly. “No one was here.”

For a frightening second, Yahya just stood there, watching, waiting for the officers to put them in cuffs and drag them away. Jomaira has always needed to have physical contact with her target. But as soon as the words left Jomaira's mouth, the two officers tensed up. Instead of the hazy state a mind controlled person should be in, they were lucid, expression sharp.

They looked around, then clicked on their Comms. Yahya waited with bated breath for the officers to report them.

“Clear.” They both announced. Then turned around, and left.

“It worked,” Jomaira whispered. She looked at Yahya and grasped his shoulders, shaking him. “I can't believe it worked!”

“How-”

“I suspected once it had worked against the imperial guard, but to think I managed to do it without a physical link!” She bounced on her heels, eyes bright and a huge smile plastered on her face.

“How many can do it?” Yahya asked.

“Not many.” She puffed her chest proudly. “Even my parents can't.”

“That's amazing.” Yahya smiled. He always knew Jomaira was impressive.

Jomaira grinned and gripped his hand. “This way.” She said as she dragged him away.

“I know where the other officers are positioned.” She said, brows knitted in thought. She paused and looked back at him, the smile not leaving her lips. “I don't know how, but at that second when I convinced them to forget about us, I somehow read their minds.” Her voice tilted up in a question.

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At the voices of approaching officers, she started her trek to the other side of the wall.

She gave him a worried look, speaking in hushed whispers. “They were looking for you. I saw it. They didn't care for me. They were meant to take you alive.” She looked around. “We're still close. We need to get as far away as we can. They might extend their search perimeter.” She looked at the sky. “We should leave the planet.”

Yahya gently dislodged his hand from her grip. There was no ‘we’. He had endangered her enough. If what she said was true, if they were looking for him only, then he knew what he should do. There was no need to drag her further along with him.

“You're right.” He nodded, glancing up at the bright shapes covering the night sky. He looked at Jomaira. “I need you to tell my mom that I'm sorry I disappointed her, that I shouldn't have disobeyed her.” He paused. He had millions and millions of unsaid words and even more regrets. He should have cleaned his room, should have separated his laundry by color instead of dumping them into the laundry room and left them to his mother to sort. He should have cooked her favorite meal. He should have taken the trash out without her asking him.

He should have been a better son.

Jomaira gripped his arm tightly. “No.” She said vehemently. “You're not leaving without me.” Her face was set into a firm expression. “You'll get caught without my help.”

She was right. He had nothing. No powers of his own. A disappointment to his own species. He would be caught before the first rays of sunrise announced the arrival of dawn. Still, he would rather get caught alone than condemn Jomaira to a life of a fugitive. She was already in danger just for being his friend. He didn't want to make it worse by dragging her along.

“It's for the better.” He said quietly. “At least one of us has to make it back alive.”

She gritted her teeth. “If you leave, I'll follow you. and I swear I'll find you.” She glared at him.

Yahya looked at her, helplessly. He only wanted to protect her. Why did she have to be so infuriating about it?

“Huh, do you guys need help?” A small voice said to their right. They both startled. Yahya hadn't even heard the boy walk up to them, and going by Jomaira's wide eyes, she didn't either.

The boy grinned, his teeth crooked and yellow. He was a few inches shorter than Yahya, his eyes a pale gray, his clothes looked like they had seen better days more than a couple years back.

Yahya frowned. Wasn't he the kid that had run into him earlier?

“I can get you somewhere safe,” the boy said, his voice overly cheerful for someone who promised to help a couple strangers get away from imperial soldiers. Wasn't it supposed to be considered treason? From where Yahya hailed, it sure did.

Yahya narrowed his eyes at him. “Why would you help us?”

The boy shrugged. “You're like us aren't you? We stand by each other.” He pulled his cracked lips into a satisfied smile.

Yahya didn't know what he meant by like them, but it was true they needed to get away from there, and fast. He glanced at Jomaira. She put her hand over the boy's shoulder.

“He doesn't seem to be lying,” she whispered. “Also−” She fixed the boy with a narrowed gaze. “Give it back to him,” she said, her hand poised on her hip.

The boy huffed. “Alright, alright. But only because you asked nicely.” he grinned. “I wouldn’t know what to do with it anyway, seems a bit shabby, to be honest.” He shrugged and took out Yahya’s most valued possession out of his dirty pocket.

Yahya’s disk that contained his hand-made ship model.

When did he…?

Yahya snatched it with a glare. The kid lifted his hands up in surrender.

“Can we really trust him?” Yahya hissed.

Jomaira shrugged.

Yahya sighed. Right. It wasn’t like they had another choice.

Without wasting another precious second, they allowed the boy to lead them away.