We stop a few times along the way, but we keep our pace brisk. By the time we exit the cover of the trees, dawn is starting to break over the horizon. The spaceport is already bustling with activity. Ships that are landing slowly make their decent. Others take off, venturing back into space.

“I didn’t expect it to be so busy,” Willow says. I glance back at her and she’s looking around in fascination but at the same time she looks exhausted. It is an impressive sight to see. The spaceports located in the colonies with arenas are always bigger. They draw a lot of crowds.

“There are always many people coming and going,” I say. “My ship, Nightfall, is this way.” I start heading in that direction, hoping she’ll follow without putting up a fight. “I think it’s best if we leave quickly. Yhm will not be happy when he discovers his guards are dead.”

“Yes, I do want to get out of here, but I want to go home. If you can’t take me to Earth, can you direct me to a ship that would be able to?”

Bantoo speaks up, too. “I also wish to return to my people, if you will keep your word and give me my freedom.”

“Yes,” Kayne says. “Bantoo, we can take you home. Let’s check in with the crew and see when we’ll be ready.” He motions for her to go with him but she hesitates, looking at Willow.

My stomach churns inside of me. We have come to the moment of truth faster than I expected. Willow stands before me with Bear, looking so out of place. In the back of my mind I worry that at any moment, more guards will be on us, wanting to reclaim what we have stolen.

“Are you coming, Willow?” Bantoo asks.

Before she can answer the faint sound of a siren floats through the air. “That isn’t good,” I say. Seconds later the engines on the Nightfall roar to life.

“I don’t want to stay,” Willow says, suddenly in a panic. “But there must be someone here that could take me to Earth.”

“Willow,” I say, “No one would know what you’re talking about. Earth isn’t a place that anyone is familiar with here.”

We’re all getting restless, Bear included. The sirens are making her pace and whimper.

“Come with us, Willow,” Bantoo says. “The master is coming, with the Baslors this time. The sirens will alert all of his guards. We must go.”

She looks at me this time, uncertainty written clearly on her face, as if she needs me to tell her what she should do.

“Bantoo is right … come with us, Willow. You have my word that you will be given your freedom. But we need to get out of here before more guards arrive.”

She hesitates, but I can tell I’m close to convincing her. At this point, there’s no way we can leave her behind. Yhm’s men would recapture her without a doubt. I’m almost to the point of picking her up and throwing her over my shoulder when she finally agrees.

“Okay, I’ll go,” she says.

As soon as the words are out of her mouth, I grab her hand and we’re running toward the Nightfall. Kayne and Bantoo reach the ship first, running up the ramp and disappearing into the ship. We reach the ramp next but before Willow goes on board, she turns around, looking for Bear. She’s right behind us, not wanting to be left behind.

Before I hit the button to close the ramp, I scan the spaceport. The siren sounds louder now, causing the crowds to disperse. I hit the button and the ramp begins to close. We made it, now it’s time to get out of here before we have to engage with Yhm’s guards.

We’re nearing the Gensian Colony so we can deliver Bantoo back to her people. I glance back to where Willow is huddled in the corner of the bridge with Bear. Flying in the ship is terrifying her and I don’t know what to do to help her. Maybe she’s having flashbacks to when she was first abducted and forced to travel on a spaceship. I’m sure the experience hasn’t been pleasant for her, causing a lot of painful memories. I want to go to her to give her comfort but I don’t know how. Bantoo has remained close to her side, checking in on her and bringing her water to drink. I’m eager to deliver Bantoo back to her people so I can take over the job of caring for Willow.

“Prepare to land over the Gensian Colony,” I tell the others, trying to clear my mind and focus. Delivering Bantoo back to her people is a quick stop on our journey. And it feels good to have a win against the slave trade.

We begin our descent and Bantoo stands on the bridge, watching her homeland below through the large, main window.

“I never thought I’d see my home again,” she says.

We land in a small field just outside of her village. The Gensi tribe remains more primitive compared to others on Terran. They live in simple, wooden huts and live off of the land, providing their people basic necessities. This simplicity is one of the reasons so many of their women have been captured and used in the slave trade. The males of the tribe have very limited resources to recover those that have been taken from them.

As the engines power down and the ramp lowers, Willow gets up on shaky legs and makes her way outside, moving faster than Bantoo down the ramp. She stands on the ground outside taking long, deep breaths with her arms over her chest. Bantoo rushes ahead, eager to see her people again. I stop next to Willow and gently put my hand on her back. “Are you okay?” I ask.

“I hate space travel,” she says. “I’m just happy to be on solid ground.”

I stand quietly with her while the rest of the crew disembarks, ready to greet the members of the tribe. Bear runs around in the field, clearly excited to have space to move and be free.

“Come,” I say, “Let’s greet the tribe and bid farewell to Bantoo.”

She steps forward and my hand falls from her back. There’s the strangest feeling inside of me, growing from my chest and spreading through my limbs. Unsure what to do about it, I simply follow along. The sun is shining down on her, lightening the shades of brown in her hair, which falls softly down her back, so long it tangles in the breeze of the afternoon. I’ve never taken the time to consider a female since I have joined the Force, but Willow’s beauty is striking. Thoughts of her are twisting their way into my mind, making it impossible for me to ignore them no matter how hard I try.