The Shattered Peace Page 10

  quickly those droids could track.

  Drenna looked up and saw the transport. She shaded her eyes from the

  sun, but could not see inside. She headed for the kennels.

  "No!" Taroon shouted. The transport wobbled as his hands shook.

  Qui-Gon vaulted forward. He took the controls from Taroon and in a

  series of swift, practiced moves, landed the craft in the field adjoining

  the kennels. He activated the landing ramp.

  "Hurry, Padawan," he urged.

  They raced down the ramp, their lightsabers activated and ready.

  Drenna was almost to the door of the kennels. The seeker droids

  flashed as they zoomed toward the target.

  "Drenna!" Qui-Gon shouted. "Overhead! Watch out!"

  Drenna's reflexes were keen. She turned, already looking overhead.

  She barely paused to register the threat before sweeping her arm back to

  bring her crossbow to her shoulder.

  Qui-Gon took a dazzling leap into the air, his lightsaber a bright

  green glow against the gray sky. He smashed at the lowest seeker droid. The

  lightsaber sailed through it, cutting it in half. A small explosion sent a

  puff of smoke rising in the air. As long as the seeker droids did not hit

  the ground, they would not emit a full explosion.

  Obi-Wan followed Qui-Gon with his own leap. He could not get the same

  height as Qui-Gon, and his first swipe met empty air. But Drenna had

  already loaded her crossbow and let the first laser arrow fly. It

  connected, and another droid smoked and sizzled as it crashed to the

  ground.

  Qui-Gon leaped up on the low flat roof of the entrance to the

  kennels. From here he could move from side to side, taking down the droids

  as they honed in on the kennel. He could hear the dogs snarling in the open

  kennels as the droids came closer.

  Obi-Wan leaped up to join him. Drenna stayed on the ground, her

  crossbow at her shoulder, firing so fast her arm was a blur as she fitted

  arrow after arrow against the bow. Obi-Wan leaped and brought a droid down

  in a sky-to-ground sweep, then reversed direction and brought down another.

  The noise of galloping huds came to them, and Obi-Wan saw the king

  and the royal party racing toward them. He ignored them, returning his

  attention to the droids overhead. They were relentless machines, honing in

  on their target.

  One by one, the Jedi and Drenna brought down the droids. There was

  only one left, diving and spinning toward the kennels. They heard a pop,

  and the droid began to smoke. Taroon had brought it down with a blaster.

  The four of them dropped their weapons to their sides. Drenna wiped

  the sweat off her forehead with the sleeve of her tunic.

  "Would you mind telling me what that was about? And what are you

  doing here?" she asked Taroon.

  "I should ask the same question!" King Frane cried, leaping off his

  hud and stamping toward them. "Why are my droids here instead of tracking

  kudana? And why did you destroy them?" His fierce eyes raked the Jedi. "I

  forgave you once. What makes you think I would do so again?"

  "I think it's time you explained, Taroon," Qui-Gon said, giving him a

  meaningful glance.

  "I was very angry," Taroon said to his father. "And I thought... if

  Leed throws away what I want so much, why shouldn't I have it? Why should

  he be forced to take a prize I covet?"

  "You want to rule?" King Frane asked, dumbfounded.

  "Yes, Father, I want to rule," Taroon said. "Even though I am the

  younger brother, and clumsy and weak in your eyes. Even though I am not

  nearly as good at everything as your firstborn. I knew the only way to get

  what I wanted was to make it happen. So when Leed began to hint that he

  wanted to stay on Senali, I saw what would happen. I knew he was heading

  for a clash of wills. I knew he would not break down, that you would

  underestimate his stubbornness. So I gathered a group of supporters and

  sent them to Senali to pose as a fringe clan. My plan was that both

  Rutanians and Senalis would think that Leed led this fringe clan. I planned

  the attack with the seeker droids so that all would think that Leed was

  responsible. War would be threatened, but I did not think it would occur.

  Leed would stay on Senali. That was before the Jedi got involved." Taroon

  gave a weak smile at Qui-Gon. "They spoiled all my plans."

  King Frane stared at his son in disbelief. "You planned to attack

  your own planet?"

  "No lives would be lost," Taroon insisted. "Only nek battle dogs, and

  they are of no consequence."

  "They are living creatures!" Drenna broke in angrily.

  "They eat their own kind! They are bred to destroy," Taroon said. "A

  few less of them won't make a difference."

  "Would you destroy any creature to get your own way?" Drenna asked

  scornfully. "Is that why you almost destroyed me?"

  "I am truly sorry for that," Taroon said, turning to her. "The

  hunting lodge has been uninhabited for fifteen years. I had no idea you

  were here."

  "Your apology would not mean much to me if I were dead," Drenna shot

  back.

  "Will you two stop?" King Frane roared. "I am the injured party here!

  My kennels were almost destroyed! And you," he said to Taroon. "Do you mean

  to tell me that you recruited a squad, invaded a planet, and formed a plan

  to incriminate your brother in order to rule?"

  Taroon nodded.

  King Frane froze for a moment. Then he tossed back his head and

  suddenly broke into a shout of laughter. "How do you like that! He is a

  leader! Such treachery! Such wiles! You will make a fine ruler. Am I not

  wise, to raise such a son?" He pounded Taroon on the back. "All you lack is

  a queen who will fight with you every day, as your beloved mother did with

  me. What a warrior she was!" He eyed Drenna. "Well, perhaps if you are

  lucky you will find such a queen nearby."

  Drenna looked away, her cheeks flaming as her blue skin flushed with

  pink. Taroon was equally red. Leed looked from one to the other, a look of

  surprise on his face. Then, slowly, he smiled.

  "Perhaps there will someday be a way for Senalis and Rutanians to be

  at peace, after all," he said.

  "And us, brother?" Taroon asked, turning to Leed. "Are we at peace?

  Do you forgive me?"

  Leed grasped both of Taroon's forearms in a gesture of affection. "I

  understand and forgive you, brother."

  King Frane's eyes misted, and he cleared his throat noisily. "I, too,

  would like peace. Already I am tired of these threats and counter threats

  with Meenon. It interferes with hunting and feasting. I say Leed will be

  the first ambassador for both worlds. He will foster understanding and

  trade between the two of us."

  "That is a wonderful idea, Father," Leed said, joy entering his

  voice. "And you will allow me to leave Rutan?"

  King Frane waved his hand dismissively. "I am also weary of your

  sighing and your constant sorrow. It has been very depressing to have you

  around." He beamed at his two sons. "Now I see that I have two sons who are

  growing to manhood unafraid of taking what they want. I have done well." He

  t
urned to the Jedi. "I forgive you for destroying my droids. Again! Am I

  not generous? And I invite you to my feast."

  Qui-Gon bowed. "We would be honored."

  The next day, the Jedi took off with Leed in a transport that King

  Frane insisted on giving them to replace the starship he had destroyed.

  The blue-green world of Senali glittered as they flew closer. They

  landed and walked with Leed back to his home. The Banoosh-Walore clan

  spilled out of their home and raced toward Leed, crying out their love and

  welcome. He instantly disappeared in a flurry of hugs and embraces.

  "I thought I had already learned what I needed to know about how

  personal happiness can conflict with duty," Obi-Wan said, watching Leed.

  "At first I thought Leed should remain here. Then I thought just as

  strongly that he should return to his own world. And now I feel that he

  belongs here after all." Obi-Wan sighed. "I spent much of this mission in a

  state of confusion."

  "That is good, Padawan," Qui-Gon said. "It means you are learning."

  "When I think about how I left the Jedi order, the memory is so

  painful," Obi-Wan said slowly. "It's hard not to feel discouraged that I

  have so much more to learn."

  "It should not be cause for discouragement," Qui-Gon said gently.

  "Life is both learning and relearning. You can confront the same issue over

  and over, and find a deeper meaning each time. The learning deepens, and

  that is what nourishes us. You should take comfort in the fact that life

  will always surprise you. You taught me after Melida/Daan that my own ideas

  needed to expand. I have my own lessons to learn."

  "Well, it is good to hear that you don't know everything," Obi-Wan

  told his Master with a smile.

  "Not nearly, Padawan," Qui-Gon said. "Not nearly enough, I suspect.

  Even with sureness, there must be doubt. It is the Jedi way."