Read Online Trapped by Alex Wheeler - Free Book Online

it,” Div said finally. “You can’t possibly expect that—”
    â€œI do,” Ferus said. “I’m sorry.”
    Div struggled to control his temper. Ferus obviously thought that Div hated him. But that wasn’t the case. It was just that seeing Ferus again hurt, and it was a pain he’d tried long and hard to forget. For years, he’d asked himself, Why couldn’t I protect them? And he’d wondered whether Ferus could have saved them.
    But he hadn’t been there. And yes, part of him hated Ferus for that. But not as much as he hated himself. For failing.
    â€œI suppose you’re going to tell me it’s the only option,” Div said sourly.
    â€œNo.” Ferus paused. “Just the best option.”
    Div exploded. “How is it the best anything to abuse Trever’s memory like that? And you honestly expect me to go along with it? For what? To help them ?” He jerked his head at the path that led back to the Rebel barracks. “You think Trever would want that?”
    Ferus tilted his head. “Trever risked his life for this cause, time and time again. He died for it.” He swallowed hard. “Using his identity in this way...it could give his death meaning.”
    â€œNothing can give his death meaning,” Div shot back angrily. “All death is meaningless.”
    â€œAnd all life?” Ferus asked mildly. “Is that the next logical conclusion?”
    Div didn’t respond. He remembered this from his childhood, the Jedi way—small, innocent questions designed to guide you to one big answer. Ferus always liked to claim he wasn’t a real Jedi—after all, he’d left the order as a teenager, before becoming a Jedi Master. He’d given up that life and spent nearly a decade living as an ordinary man. But from where Div was sitting, Ferus was just like the rest of them—sure of his own wisdom, sure he was right. Full of secrets. Whatever the technicalities, Div thought, Ferus was a Jedi.
    It wasn’t a compliment.
    â€œThis won’t work without your cooperation,” Ferus said. “But I didn’t come out here to convince you.” He stood up, brushing the dirt off his clothes. He’d borrowed the ill-fitting shirt from General Dodonna. It was strange to see him dressed as a Rebel soldier—nearly as strange as it had been to see him in Imperial garb. “The choice is yours, Div.” He patted Div on the shoulder. And as much as he wanted to, Div didn’t squirm away. “I trust you. I always have.”
    Maybe you shouldn’t, Div thought as Ferus left him. You trusted me to look after Trever, and look how that worked out.
    It had been a long time since anyone had trusted him, and since he’d dared trust anyone else. Trusting people was the kind of thing that got you dead in a hurry. And letting other people trust you was nearly as dangerous. It meant their lives were your responsibility—and so were their deaths. It was easier to be alone.
    But once Ferus was gone, Div grew disgusted by his own company. He started back toward the Rebel camp. Midway, Luke appeared, his little astromech droid in tow.
    Luke waved, grinning. “Glad I found you!”
    â€œYou were looking for me?” Div asked, instantly cautious. The Rebels seemed to have lost interest in locking him up now that they had all the information they needed on this X-7. But Div hadn’t forgotten that before that day, he’d been a prisoner on this moon.
    And he suspected that Luke hadn’t forgotten that Div had once tried to kill him.
    Luke drew his lightsaber and activated the beam.
    Div tensed, ready to leap out of the way. He’d seen Luke handle the weapon. His efforts were clumsy, hesitant. Div could disarm him. Probably.
    â€œI come out here to practice sometimes,” Luke said. “More privacy, you know?”
    â€œUh, yeah.” Div felt like a fool.
    â€œBack on