Guilt twinges, but Ezra shakes his head, folding his arms across his chest. "I had to be sure," he repeats stubbornly. "And I had to be sure myself, not because someone else said things were fine. Could you honestly tell me you wouldn't be biased?"

Ezra doesn't think Qui-Gon could be.

"Besides, I didn't want you to get hurt. You..." Some of the stubbornness fades into something more strained, too. "I nearly lost you once." Qui-Gon isn't the only one wrestling with fear.