The Shattered Peace Page 9

  "You may call on us again if you need us," Qui-Gon said.

  "I am sorry, Leed," Obi-Wan said.

  "Duty is more important than feelings," Leed said. "That is what I

  must learn. I wish you ease and serenity."

  He left them to join his father. With a sad glance of good-bye at the

  Jedi, Drenna joined them. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stood watching them go.

  "At least Drenna will be here for a time," Obi-Wan observed. "That

  will give Leed great comfort. The mission hasn't ended as I thought it

  would. Somehow I thought Leed would be allowed to remain on Senali."

  "Is that what you hoped would happen, Padawan?" Qui-Gon asked. "This

  time you must tell me the truth."

  So Qui-Gon had known he had evaded his question back on Senali. "At

  first I did not want to tell you that I sympathized with Leed," Obi-Wan

  admitted. "I thought it would remind you of my decision to stay on

  Melida/Daan and leave the Jedi. I thought it might give you pause about my

  commitment to you."

  "We have put that matter behind us, Padawan," Qui-Gon said. "Do not

  be afraid to share your feelings with me. I would never hold them against

  you."

  "My feelings seemed to change from day to day," Obi-Wan admitted.

  "When King Franc spoke to Ibis son, I was moved by his argument, too."

  "That is because there is no clear answer," Qui-Gon said. "Emotions

  are tangled, as I said in the beginning."

  "Well, there won't be a war," Obi-Wan said in conclusion. "I'm sorry

  for Leed. But at least the planets remain peaceful."

  "You are wrong, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said, his eyes on the king's

  transport as it rose in the air. "The mission is not over. And I fear the

  two worlds are closer to war than ever."

  CHAPTER 15

  Obi-Wan hurried to catch up to Qui-Gon's long stride. The tall Jedi

  moved purposefully through the crowded streets of Testa.

  "But I don't understand," Obi-Wan said. "Why are we close to war?

  Both leaders got their children back. There is no reason for them to fight.

  "

  "It is not them who still wants war," Qui-Gon said. "It was a

  Rutanian force that kidnapped Leed."

  "How do you know?"

  "Think back, Padawan," Qui-Gon said as he skirted a food seller. "Was

  there anything in their camp that could tell you where they came from?"

  Obi-Wan focused his mind. He remembered the kidnappers sleeping in

  the trees. He had immediately assumed they were Senali because of their

  silvery skin and coral necklaces and headpieces. Except they didn't have

  silvery skin. He had just assumed that they did.

  "Their skin was smeared with clay," he said. "I thought it was

  because they wanted to look fierce. But it could conceal the fact that they

  didn't have tiny scales on their skin."

  "Good," Qui-Gon approved. "Anything else?"

  Obi-Wan thought back to the battle. The kidnappers had fought well,

  but there was nothing to indicate whether they were Senali or Rutanians.

  Both groups used crossbows and dart shooters as weapons.

  He turned his attention to the boat. It had looked like many other

  boats he'd seen on Senali. It was fashioned from the trunk of one of the

  native trees. He remembered the supplies raining down from it

  "The breathing tubes," he exclaimed. "Senali don't use them. Why

  didn't I think of that before?"

  "We have not had much time for reflection," Qui-Gon said kindly. "I

  noticed it, but I had already questioned why they had smeared their skin

  with that white clay."

  "But if you knew they were Rutanians, why didn't you say something?"

  Obi-Wan asked.

  "Because I didn't know who was behind the kidnapping yet," Qui-Gon

  said. "Until I did, I thought it better to seem to think what I was meant

  to think."

  "So who is behind it?" Obi-Wan asked, frustrated. "And where are we

  going now?"

  "We are going to see Taroon," Qui-Gon said.

  "But he is probably on his way to Senali," Obi-Wan pointed out.

  "Not yet. He will find a reason to delay."

  Obi-Wan still felt confused. "You think Taroon was behind the

  kidnapping of his brother? But why? He came to persuade him to return to

  Rutan for good. He was angry and hurt when Leed refused."

  "Or so he seemed. But Padawan, what beings say and what they feel are

  not necessarily the same. Jedi are different that way."

  "Are you afraid that Taroon is planning an attack?" Obi-Wan asked.

  Qui-Gon nodded. "I saw something else in the supplies at the

  kidnappers' camp. Seeker droids. They had the royal crest of Rutan on them.

  And King Frane just told us that Taroon was keeper of his trackers,

  remember? Only one person could have had access to those droids and the

  power to gather supporters for a secret invasion of Senali."

  "Why would Taroon steal the royal seeker droids?" Obi-Wan asked. He

  was growing frustrated.

  "That is a very good question, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said. "Why, since

  seeker droids are so readily available? It only makes sense if Taroon

  modified the droids in some way. Then he planned to send them back to

  Rutan."

  "And what happens then?"

  "That is something Taroon must tell us," Qui-Gon answered gravely.

  Obi-Wan saw that they had stopped outside the gates of an impressive

  structure. ROYAL SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP was carved in stone over the archway.

  Qui-Gon strode through the archway and pushed open the door to the

  school. The hallway was empty except for a teacher hurrying past, his arms

  filled with datapads and readout screens.

  "Excuse me," Qui-Gon said politely. "We are looking for Taroon."

  The teacher frowned. "He is on his way to Senali, most likely. His

  father gave the order to leave immediately. Pity. He is a popular student.

  He'll be missed."

  "We have reason to believe he has not left yet," Qui-Gon said. "Is

  there anyplace you can think of that he might be?"

  "That's easy," the teacher said with a smile. "Taroon is usually in

  the tech room with his friends, tinkering with program boards. It's down

  that hall, up the ramp, second door on the right."

  Qui-Gon thanked him and they moved quickly in the direction the

  teacher had indicated.

  "If you're right, what makes you think Taroon will confess to you?"

  Obi-Wan asked Qui-Gon.

  "Because he is not bad," Qui-Gon said. "Merely hurt. He is like his

  father - he turns his hurt to anger."

  They came to the tech room and activated the door. Taroon sat on a

  long bench against the wall. He looked up at the Jedi nervously and jumped

  to his feet.

  "Has anything happened?" he asked.

  "Why do you ask?" Qui-Gon queried.

  Taroon shrugged, but his eyes were wary. "I'm surprised to see you

  here."

  "Your father has sent an order for you to leave for Senali

  immediately," Qui-Gon said. "Why do you remain?"

  "I had left some equipment here," Taroon said quickly. "I need to

  include it in my packing so I can be on my way."

  "You weren't packing when we came in," Obi-Wan pointed out.

  Taroon gave him a haughty look. "Who are you to question a prince?"


  "He is a Jedi," Qui-Gon said firmly. "Your father called us here to

  help settle this matter. It is not settled, is it, Taroon?"

  "I don't know what you mean," the young man said nervously.

  "Taroon, we don't have time for evasions," Qui-Gon said. "I think you

  were behind your brother's kidnapping on Senali."

  "That's ridiculous!" Taroon cried. "Why would I arrange such a thing?

  I love my brother. I am a patriot!"

  "Both of those things are true," Qui-Gon said. "You love your

  brother, but you are also angry at him for turning his back on you. You are

  a patriot, but you would arrange an attack on Rutan in hopes Leed would be

  blamed. But Leed is here, Taroon. I doubt the king will blame him. He will

  blame Meenon. Maybe he will retaliate, and a war will result. But perhaps

  you don't care about that. Perhaps you think such an event would tear Lead

  in two. Perhaps you want this."

  "I don't know what you're talking about, but I do know there will not

  be a war," Taroon said. "My father talks and talks, but he will not attack.

  Anyway, I had nothing to do with any of this."

  "You know your father will not attack Senali for sure? You are

  willing to gamble lives on it?" Qui-Gon questioned, his tone growing in

  intensity. Obi-Wan did not think he could have withstood such a piercing

  gaze.

  Taroon's glance slid away. "You can't talk to me this way."

  Qui-Gon strolled farther into the room. "Let me tell you what I think

  happened," he said. "You enlisted a small group of Rutanians. Perhaps they

  are friends of yours at school, a mix of those who are close to you and

  those who hope to benefit should you become king instead of Leed. While you

  remained on Rutan, this group secretly traveled to Senali and established a

  ghostly identity, just enough to alert Meenon of their presence. They

  smeared themselves with clay so that no one would be able to see that their

  skin wasn't scaled. They stole things or violated sacred places so that

  different clans would grow angry with one another. They fostered unrest to

  gain attention and dislike among Senali. All of this you planned."

  Sweat beaded up on Taroon's forehead. "You can't prove anything."

  "You arranged to kidnap Leed because during his disappearance you

  would arrange an attack on Rutan. You wanted him as the leader of the Ghost

  Ones to be blamed. Even though Leed escaped, you decided to continue with

  the plan. Evidence will point to Leed as the one who orchestrated the

  attack. This will serve to banish Leed from Rutan forever - and won't make

  him terribly popular on Senali, either, as the Ghost Ones will suddenly

  disappear. The Senalis will blame Leed, too. He will be left with no world

  at all. No supporters. And you will become king. Isn't that right, Taroon?

  You betrayed your brother for your own ambition."

  "Not ambition! Love for my planet!" Taroon burst out. "Leed is right.

  He is not the true ruler of Rutan. Doesn't he deserve what will happen? He

  turned his back on us long ago! He is my brother. He should have thought of

  his family. He should have thought about me. I grew up without him. I had

  to withstand the rages of our father. He grew up with care and love. I grew

  up with neglect!"

  "Your father is many things, but you cannot say he does not love his

  sons," Qui-Gon said gravely. "Perhaps he does not see you as the strong

  young man you are."

  "He does not see me at all," Taroon muttered.

  "It must be hard to be called a fool by your father," Qui-Gon said.

  "Your anger is understandable. But you are feeding your anger instead of

  seeking to conquer it. If you faced your father and spoke your truth to

  him, the situation could change. Instead, you strike out like a child. The

  difference is that you are a prince, and the result of your anger will be

  war."

  "There won't be a war. Just an attack. No lives will be lost," Taroon

  said sullenly. "I picked a symbolic target."

  "How will it occur?" Qui-Gon asked urgently. _ "Is it the seeker

  droids?"

  Taroon nodded reluctantly. "The squad on Senali is returning to

  Rutan. They will release the droids. I have already made sure the droids my

  father will use on the hunt will malfunction. The new droids will take

  their place and no one will notice."

  "And what will the seeker droids do?" Qui-Gon asked.

  "Instead of searching out kudana, they have been programmed to hone

  in on the nek dog kennels. The kennel has no roof and is open to the sky.

  When the droids locate their prey, they are programmed to blow apart. In a

  confined space like the kennels, the dogs will be destroyed."

  Taroon shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny. "What is so

  terrible? The neks are horrible creatures. They attack anything, even their

  own kind."

  "Yes," Qui-Gon said softly. "Attacking one's own kind is truly

  despicable."

  Taroon's blue skin turned an angry red. He understood Qui-Gon's

  point: that he himself had turned against his brother.

  "This attack will be enough to enrage your father," Qui-Gon said.

  "And he will suspect Leed. If he does not, you will plant the idea in his

  head. That's why you remain here and do not leave for Senali. But what

  about Drenna?"

  Taroon looked at him sharply. "What about her? She is back on Senali.

  "

  Qui-Gon shook his head. "She remained on Rutan. Your father has

  installed her in the hunting lodge."

  Taroon jumped up. "But the lodge is next to the kennels!"

  Qui-Gon nodded. "And her job is to take care of the animals. She

  could be in the kennels right now.

  "No!" Taroon cried. "It is too late to bring back the seeker droids!

  We have to stop them!"

  "Yes," Qui-Gon said. "Perhaps we can prevent what you have set in

  motion."

  "We can use my transport," Taroon said. "Follow me."

  CHAPTER 16

  Taroon sat at the console, leaning forward as if he could force the

  transport to go faster. Qui-Gon sat still and calm. As always, Obi-Wan

  admired his Master's ability to locate his own serenity in the middle of a

  tense situation.

  "I'm confused again," Obi-Wan said, leaning closer to Qui-Gon and

  speaking in a low voice. "I thought Taroon hated Drenna. Why should knowing

  she is in danger make a difference to him?"

  Qui-Gon gave a short smile. "Remember what I told you at the start of

  the mission, Padawan. Words do not always echo feelings. You saw two

  enemies. I saw two young beings fighting an attraction they knew was

  inappropriate."

  Obi-Wan shook his head. "I did not see that at all."

  "Do not fret," Qui-Gon said serenely. "Perhaps if you were older, you

  would have. In any event, there are things you see that I do not. Such is

  the nature of the effective Master-Padawan team."

  "I hope we reach Drenna in time," Obi-Wan said.

  "Here we are," Taroon called in a relieved voice. "I don't see

  anything. Maybe the hunt was called off."

  "Just land the ship," Qui-Gon said, his keen eyes searching the area.

  Obi-Wan joined him, scanning the horizon in all directions
as Taroon

  flew lower. Obi-Wan saw a flicker of something in the distant sky.

  "There," he murmured to Qui-Gon.

  "Yes," Qui-Gon said in a low tone. "Set this down quickly, Taroon,"

  he called in a calm tone. Obi-Wan knew he did not want to panic the young

  man.

  "There's Drenna!" Taroon called, momentarily distracted. "She's

  heading out from the woods."

  Drenna strode out from the woods, her crossbow strapped to her back.

  Obi-Wan quickly glanced at the flickering dots to his left. Now he could

  see they were unmistakably seeker droids - perhaps a dozen of them.

  Silently, he pointed them out to Qui-Gon. He knew from experience how