“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.”
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 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.”