The Mark of the Crown Read online

  "Moonstruck Pass!" Elan called. She reversed her engines, hovering in midair as another cannon blast missed her by a hair. Then she zoomed down, heading down the mountain but constantly zigzagging from right to left, up and down. Qui-Gon followed the dizzying trail.

  The tanks found it hard to keep up. Qui-Gon imagined that they had thought the battle would be simple. They would train their massive guns on the camp, destroy it, then capture the survivors. They did not expect the hill people to lead them on a chase down a mountain. If they were smart, they wouldn't follow. But the royal forces were rusty. They hadn't fought a tactical battle in generations. Most of their job had been putting down minor insurrections in the cities. They were long on strength and short on tactics.

  But Qui-Gon knew better than to underestimate those tanks. Once they caught Elan and the hill people, their firepower would eventually win the day. How could bowcasters and a few blasters - and one lightsaber - hold out against such weaponry?

  Qui-Gon stayed at the rear of the swoops, trying to draw ion cannon fire from the speeding tanks. He had no idea where he was heading. The mountains on either side began to close in. He began to worry. Soon, the swoops would be unable to maneuver freely, and that was their only tactical advantage.

  Sunlight hit the snow ahead, blinding him. Suddenly, the swoops in front of him slowed down. Qui-Gon quickly scaled back, drifting uncomfortably close to the tank at his rear. The Force surged around him, warning him, and he swung to his left. Cannon fire missed him by inches. He felt the hot breath of it sear his back.

  Qui-Gon zoomed forward to catch up to the other swoops. The sun was so bright on the snow that he could hardly see. He used the Force to guide him. He realized that the trail he was following narrowed even further, the canyon ahead curved back in on itself from above, forming a kind of bowl. They would surely be trapped there, he thought. Had Elan lost her way? Or did she have a plan in mind? He just wished he knew what it was.

  He caught up to the other swoops, who were now hovering high above the pass into the canyon. Qui-Gon joined them. When the tanks arrived, the swoops would be cut to pieces.

  Jedi are ready to meet death at any moment. But did Elan have to invite it?

  The tanks roared ahead, picking up speed as the royal guard realized they were about to trap the hill people. Ion cannons boomed now, more in triumph than according to plan. The tanks rolled into the canyon. The first maneuvered to fire on the hovering swoops...

  And it suddenly sank into an enormous drift. Snow and ice caved in over the top. The second tank crashed through a skin of ice and was swallowed up. It was too late for the others to retreat. One by one, they crashed through the top of the ice-crusted snow and were swallowed up as well. In just moments, the tanks had completely disappeared.

  Elan zoomed up next to Qui-Gon. The cold wind had turned her cheeks pink. Her navy eyes sparkled.

  "I don't think you'll be needing that lightsaber, Jedi," she said.

  Elan had known that with a northeast wind, the canyon would acquire drifts hundreds of meters deep. The lack of morning sunlight would cause ice to form a crust on the top. She had gambled that the tanks would roll in, anxious to capture the hill people.

  Her gamble had paid off. The hill people had won the battle without one casualty. They could have left the royal guard buried alive in the snow. Qui-Gon could not have prevented it. He could not have dug the tanks out himself. But to his surprise, Elan organized a rescue operation. Using snow-borers that hovered only inches above the surface, the hill people dug tunnels into the snow, deep below to the tank entrances. They led the surprised and grateful battle soldiers to the surface, where they were flown back to the camp on swoops.

  They were housed in the largest dome and brought blankets. Guards were posted at the dome door, but none of the soldiers wanted to escape. They were grateful for the warm shelter. Bandages and ointments were given to those who needed them. The crash into the snow had bruised a few. One soldier had sprained his wrist. The tank that had slid over into the ravine produced one woman warrior with a bruised temple. That was the extent of the injuries.

  Qui-Gon tried to raise Obi-Wan on the com-link. He needed to find out what was going on at the palace. Who had ordered the attack? Prince Beju? Qui-Gon knew one thing: Desperation had fueled the attack. That meant the situation could be volatile back at the capital.

  Obi-Wan didn't answer. Qui-Gon pushed his worry away for the moment. He headed to Elan's dome.

  "Now I have a problem," Elan grumbled when Qui-Gon entered. She was busy tending to an elder who had been grazed by a branch as he flew on his swoop. "What am I going to do with all of them? I can't set them loose in the mountains. Maybe you could lead them back."

  She dabbed ointment on the elder's forehead, then gently bandaged it. "You should have gone with the rest of the elders, Domi," she scolded.

  "I'm too young to be an elder," Domi said.

  Elan sighed as she rinsed her hands. "Now we have to feed them all. We're going to be out of supplies in a week."

  Still grumbling, Elan headed off. Domi grinned at Qui-Gon.

  "She's got a soft heart, our Elan," Domi said.

  "And a tough bite," Qui-Gon said.

  Domi laughed. "True." He touched his bandage gingerly. "She has healing hands, like her father."

  "You knew her father?" Qui-Gon asked curiously.

  "Rowi's memory is still cherished by our people," Domi answered. "He knew every herb in the mountains. He passed on his potions to Elan. And her mother Tema was known for her spirit. She was one of the few to leave us. She was restless, wanted to see the world outside. But she returned. Hill people always return." Domi slid off the stool.

  "Where did Tema go?" Qui-Gon asked.

  "To Galu, where they all go," Domi answered. "And they all return. Tema was an artisan, and she heard the palace needed workers. She wanted to see life outside the hills. She never spoke of what she found there. I never had an inclination to go, myself. I would miss the mountains."

  Smiling, Domi headed out. Qui-Gon frowned. So Elan had lied to him. Her mother had traveled to Galu, after all. And she had worked at the palace. Elan must be afraid, he realized. He had shattered her world, her belief in where she came from. She might push his words away. But she would not be able to forget them.

  Elan had been to the kitchen dome, but had already left when he arrived. Food preparation was under control. Qui-Gon headed to the dome where the prisoners were kept, hoping to find her there. He nodded at the posted guard and went in. The soldiers had gathered in small groups, talking quietly. Elan wasn't present. Qui-Gon saw an officer sitting alone by the heating unit. His tunic was stained, and his hand was bandaged. He stared dully at the glowing bars of the heating unit.

  Qui-Gon sat next to him. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly. "Do you need a medic?"

  "He said they were barbarians," the officer said numbly. "He said they killed for sport and would attack the city next. Instead, they rescued us from suffocation and starvation. He said they must be annihilated to save Galu. He said they had no mercy. Instead, they gave us blankets."

  "Who said this?" Qui-Gon asked. "Prince Beju?"

  "Take orders from that pup?" The officer shook his head. "It is Giba who gives us the orders. And he deceived us."

  Qui-Gon had to talk to Obi-Wan. Giba had to be stopped. If he was willing to destroy the hill people to kill Elan, he was no doubt engineering some sort of takeover of the government. Once again, Obi-Wan did not answer his call. Now Qui-Gon was truly worried. Something was wrong. His Padawan knew the importance of keeping in touch.

  Suddenly, Qui-Gon felt a disturbance in the Force, a ripple of distress. It could only be from Obi-Wan. He must return to Galu immediately.

  He searched for Elan, finally locating her as she was leaving the children's dome. He quickly told her that Giba had been behind the attack.

  "What is it to me?" she asked, avoiding his gaze.

  "This attack was planne
d in order to destroy you," Qui-Gon said. "If he had to destroy your people, he would do it. Doesn't that tell you how desperate he is? You will not be safe until Gala elects a governor. And that governor will no doubt be under his control, so you will not be safe even then. Giba will go to any lengths to get what he wants. We think he is poisoning Queen Veda."

  Elan paled. Qui-Gon's belief in her surged again. She looked shaken. "I told you, the Queen is nothing to me," she murmured.

  "I know you lied about your mother," Qui-Gon said quietly. "She worked at the palace. Can't you admit the possibility that the Queen is telling the truth? I fear she is being punished because she shared that truth with me, and with you."

  Elan turned her face away. She stared at the trees.

  "Gala will fall without you," he said. "I must return. Come with me. Take a stand."

  Elan's eyes were stormy as she turned back to face him. "I will not be a princess," she warned.

  "Nor should you be," Qui-Gon replied. "Elan is enough."

  He couldn't feel his feet. Obi-Wan slipped off his boots and rubbed them to restore circulation. He had been locked inside the freezer for hours now. He had kept walking continuously in order to keep warm. He had called on the Force and visualized it as heat as well as light.

  He slipped his boots back on. He reached into the inner pocket of his tunic for the river stone Qui-Gon had given him on his thirteenth birthday, when he had officially become his Padawan. The stone felt warm and he rubbed it between his palms.

  He knew he was growing exhausted. He could not keep walking forever. He closed his eyes, sending a Force-amplified message to Qui-Gon. I am in trouble, Master. Come back.

  What was Deca Brun planning? Did he realize that he was in league with a corrupt corporation that would plunder his planet? Did he know how evil Xanatos truly was?

  Obi-Wan's biggest worry was that Deca would contact Xanatos and tell him he had a Jedi locked in his freezer. Once Xanatos heard Obi-Wan's name, he would know that Qui-Gon was near. And once Xanatos knew that, he would try to trap Qui-Gon. He had sworn to destroy him.

  Obi-Wan had to escape. He had to warn Qui-Gon that Xanatos was involved. He heard faint noises outside the freezer door. Perhaps someone was coming to release him! Obi-Wan sprang to his feet. He pressed his ear against the door, ignoring its coldness.

  The voices came to him dimly. He used the Force to help him screen out the other noises: the constant hum of the freezer, his own breathing. He focused on what was happening outside.

  "I don't care," someone said. A boy's voice. "I've got my job, too. I've got a turbo cart full of meat here to deliver. It's already paid for. There will be no meals for a week if I don't get it in that freezer. You can answer to Deca Brun. I won't."

  "No one goes in or out," the guard answered gruffly.

  Obi-Wan focused the Force like a laser. Then again, we all need to eat.

  "Then again, we all need to eat," the guard said. "Don't move, there! I'll push it inside."

  Obi-Wan heard the lock fall away. He stepped away from the door. It opened, and a cart began to roll toward him, completely filling the doorway. Obi-Wan sprang forward. He pushed against the cart with all his strength, again using the Force to help him. The heavy cart shot back, straight into the guard.

  The delivery boy gave the cart an extra shove as it flew by. It slammed against the wall, pinning the guard. He let out a cry of anger and pushed against the heavy cart. It didn't move.

  The delivery boy took off his long-billed cap. It was Jono.

  "Nothing like teamwork," he told Obi-Wan, grinning.

  "Thanks for the rescue," Obi-Wan said gratefully.

  They ran down the hall and burst into a deserted office. The faint streaks of a rising sun filtered through the window. Obi-Wan hesitated.

  "My lightsaber," he said. "And my comlink -"

  "We can't search now," Jono interrupted. "They'll all be here soon." He tugged at Obi-Wan's elbow. "Prince Beju has jailed the Queen. She's refused all food. I'm worried, Obi-Wan. I think she's dying. Come on!"

  An early-morning hush lay over the city. The gray light was tinged with pink. Galacians were beginning to stir. Cafes were beginning to open along the main boulevard as they hurried by.

  "I spoke to the other Council members," Jono told Obi-Wan. "It was a risk I had to take. They want you to meet with them to discuss what to do about Giba. They've formed an alliance against him. Imprisoning the Queen was a mistake. Giba and Prince Beju have gone too far."

  "First I have to see someone," Obi-Wan told Jono.

  Jono shot him an incredulous look. "But there's no time to lose. Today is election day, Obi-Wan!"

  "This is important, Jono," Obi-Wan said firmly. "I have to stop at the substance analyzer's. If he's identified the agent, we'll have proof that the Queen is being poisoned. We need that proof."

  Jono shook his head. "We can't, Obi-Wan. The Council Ministers are waiting. I promised to bring you there immediately."

  "If we know what is poisoning the Queen, there might be an antidote," Obi-Wan argued.

  Jono bit his lip. "But-"

  "It's this way," Obi-Wan said, pointing down a side street. He turned the corner, knowing Jono would follow.

  It was only a few quick minutes to Mali Errat's lab. It was shuttered and dark, but Obi-Wan pounded on the door. Mali stuck his head out of a window on the second story. His fringe of white hair made a wispy halo around his head.

  "Who is it?" he roared. "Who comes so early in the morning!"

  "It's me, Mali !" Obi-Wan called. He stepped out into the street so that the technician could get a good look at him.

  "Impatient young man! Where have you been?" Mali cried, pounding excitedly on the windowsill. "I have your results. I'll be right down." Seconds later, the door opened. Mali stood in the doorway in his unisuit. A datasheet fluttered in his hand. "I am a genius!" he proclaimed.

  "What did you find?" Obi-Wan demanded.

  "I searched every record of chemical agents in the galaxy," Mali said. "Every engineered compound, every secret poison, every chemical... and do you know why I could not find your agent?"

  Obi-Wan shook his head impatiently.

  "Because it was a natural agent!" Mali roared.

  "What a surprise! Who uses them anymore? No one! It is dimilatis. An herb! It grows in the sea plains of Gala. A pinch or two is harmless. But the local people know that if it's dried, and used in certain concentrations, it mimics the effect of a wasting illness. Ultimately fatal, of course."

  "If it grows on the sea plains of Gala, it's probably in the palace gardens," Obi-Wan said, thinking.

  "Come on, Obi-Wan, let's go," Jono urged. "We have to tell the Council."

  "Is there an antidote?" Obi-Wan asked.

  Mali held up a vial. "I have made one up. It will cost you-"

  Obi-Wan stuffed all his credits in the elder's hands. He grabbed the vial. Urging Jono to hurry, he raced toward the palace.

  Jono led Obi-Wan to a part of the palace he'd never visited, high in the tower overlooking the gardens.

  "I need to get to the Queen," Obi-Wan said impatiently.

  "They told me I should bring you here," Jono said nervously. "The guards are on the lookout for you. You'd never make it. They will bring you to the Queen."

  Obi-Wan moved to the small window. He looked down at the leafy top of a great lindemor tree. Below it spread the orderly rows of the kitchen gardens.

  "Do you know the gardeners well, Jono?" he asked. "Are there any among them who would plot against the Queen?"

  "I don't know," Jono said.

  "They would have to know a great amount about herbs," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully. "Or what about that council member with the blue-white eyes? He's always in the gardens."

  "Viso is the Queen's staunchest supporter," Jono said.

  "A council member would have access to the Queen's chambers," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully. "But still, it would be strange if he brought food." Access was the key,
he knew. The poison would have to be brought to the Queen by someone above suspicion. . . .

  The thought shot through him like a laser. The green below him became a blur to his eyes. Jono. His friend was the only one who had access to the gardens and to the Queen. Qui-Gon had been right. Sometimes the obvious was the answer.

  Jono had said he missed the sea. The poison had come from the sea plains. He had the daily duty of picking flowers for the Queen's bouquet. Easy to pick a bit of dimilatis, too. And Jono was the one to deliver the Queen's nightly tea, as Qui-Gon had pointed out.

  Obi-Wan turned. Jono backed up a step.

  "What is it, Obi-Wan?" he asked. A look of concern was on his face, but Obi-Wan sensed his nervousness.

  "It was you, wasn't it, Jono," Obi-Wan said gently. "You poisoned the Queen."

  "Poison the Queen? I could not do such a thing!" Jono cried. "You know it could have been anybody!"

  "But it wasn't," Obi-Wan said. "It was you."

  Qui-Gon had often told Obi-Wan that he was often not in touch with the living Force. But now Obi-Wan could read his friend's guilt as clearly as a sensor. He saw desperation and fear in Jono's eyes. And something else: anger. He said nothing, just kept his eyes on Jono.

  Slowly, the mask of innocence dropped from Jono's face. "And why shouldn't it be me?" Jono asked softly. "Thanks to you Jedi, I was almost exiled from the palace!"

  "But to kill the Queen ..." Obi-Wan started slowly.

  "Don't you understand, Obi-Wan?" Jono cried. "This is all I have! The Dunns have been part of the royal family for generations. It is what I was trained for, bred for. The honor of my family depends on me." Jono threw out his hands pleadingly.

  "The Queen depends on you," Obi-Wan countered. "Your job is to protect her!"

  Suddenly, Jono's face flushed with anger. "She would have turned me out into the streets," he said. "Once Deca Brun is elected, he will hire his people as servants. And where will I go? What will I do? Should I have to become like everyone else? Yes, I am a servant. But I live in a palace!" He flung the last word out proudly.

  "Jono," Obi-Wan said sadly. "I trusted you."

  The anger left Jono's face. "Then you made a mistake," he said softly. "You are my friend. I like you, Obi-Wan. But I guess I like living in a palace more."