Suddenly Obi-Wan sensed danger. This is a public landing platform. Why is it deserted? he wondered.
He and Qui-Gon activated their lightsabers in one simultaneous motion. Qui-Gon pushed Yaana toward a stack of container boxes. “Get behind them,” he ordered crisply.
In the next split second, blaster fire erupted from around the corner of a tech shed. The ship was peppered with blasts.
They rushed forward, lightsabers activated. A row of guard droids was emptying weaponry into the transport. Blaster fire hit the fuel tank, and it went up in an explosion.
Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Drenna, and Leed went after the droids. Drenna’s exceptional crossbow aim sent three of the droids smoking within seconds. Leed fired just as rapidly with his own crossbow, taking down two droids. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon leaped and tumbled as one unit, lightsabers a blur of motion, to behead the rest.
“Well done,” a familiar voice said.
They turned to see King Frane standing with the royal guard. “A pleasure to watch, in fact.” He glanced at Drenna with admiration. “I’ve never seen such good shooting. Who would think a Senali could be such a good shot?”
One of King Frane’s nek battle dogs suddenly leaped forward, barking, with its long, deadly teeth bared.
“Back!” the king called to the ferocious dog.
Drenna stepped forward before anyone could stop her. She held out a hand, and the dog quieted, then sniffed her. Qui-Gon had never seen a nek battle dog react in a friendly fashion. By the look on his face, neither had King Frane. Drenna scratched the nek behind the ears.
“You’re not a killer. Just misunderstood,” she cooed.
“Tell that to a kudana,” King Frane said. “Now, where is Meenon’s daughter?”
Qui-Gon stepped in front of Yaana, who had emerged from behind the boxes. “We will not let you take her again,” he told King Frane. “The Jedi are here at your request. They will not stand by and watch you violate diplomatic law.”
King Frane stared him down. “Foolish words. I decide the law on Rutan.”
“No, Father.” Leed stepped forward. “There is no need to threaten my friends the Jedi. I see I have no choice. I will stay on Rutan.”
“At last you see your duty,” King Frane said, satisfied.
“Are you sure, Leed?” Qui-Gon asked. “I promised you that we would not allow your father to force you to remain here.”
Leed shook his head. “I am not forced. I see now that my legacy is a burden I must accept. Not to do so would be selfish. Perhaps my father was right about that.”
“Perhaps?” King Frane asked irritably. “Of course I’m right!”
“And you will allow us to take Yaana back to Senali?” Qui-Gon asked the king.
King Frane shook his head. “Then I will have no Senalis here. I need leverage with Meenon. No. She remains.”
“Meenon has set his conditions to avoid war,” Qui-Gon said. “One of them is the return of his daughter. I do not think Leed remaining here will change that. Once you threw his daughter in prison, he ceased trusting you.”
“Let him attack! What do I care? We will pulverize them!” King Frane cried angrily.
Drenna stepped forward. “Send Yaana home. I will remain.”
King Frane looked at her curiously. “And who are you, besides being such a good shot?”
“I am Drenna, Meenon’s niece,” Drenna said. “I am loved by him, too. If I remain, he will not attack Rutan.”
“I am not afraid of his attack,” King Frane said scornfully. He eyed her. “Still, it is a solution. All right. I accept.”
“You will not imprison her?” Qui-Gon asked warningly.
“No. She will live on the royal grounds, where I can keep an eye on her,” King Frane said with satisfaction, turning back to Drenna. “I will install you in the hunting lodge. You’ll be under my watchful eye, unable to escape, but not imprisoned. Maybe you will teach my royal guard how to aim. And take care of my neks. Taroon was in charge of care of all my trackers. He was afraid of the neks and never could fix the droids. I’m sure you can’t be worse. I will call Taroon from school and send him back to Senali.” King Franc stamped his foot. “There, we have a trade once more. Are you satisfied, Jedi?”
“Taroon goes to Senali?” Drenna asked. “But he hates it there!”
King Franc shrugged. “Good. Then I know he will return.”
He turned abruptly. “All is over. Now, it’s time for the hunt. Come, Leed.”
Leed walked closer to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. He placed a hand on each of their forearms. Sadness was on his face, but he nodded at them in a dignified way. “I will never forget all you tried to do for me.”
“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.”
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?”