by Jude Watson
She was going to die today.
The old woman was still strong. At first she appeared to greet the stranger with respect. She even offered him tea, which he refused. Malorum hadn’t received the title of Inquisitor for nothing. He knew when even the most skillful being was holding back.
No matter. He would find out. He had come to the end of his journey. He had no more time to waste.
“I know about Naboo rituals,” he said. “I know that you were in charge of your granddaughter’s funeral.”
The woman, small and sturdy, her white hair coiled in back of her head, smiled in a condescending way that made Malorum’s vision go red for a moment. “No one is ‘in charge’ in our funeral rites. I was there to support our grieving family. Naboo, you see, is not hierarchical like your system. Yes, we have a queen, but we elect her, as well as her advisors.”
Malorum felt his teeth grind. “I don’t need a lesson on Naboo political philosophy.”
She inclined her head, but he could see its meaning. She thought him a pompous fool.
She would learn.
“The grandmother is there to make sure everything runs smoothly. This can be quite complicated in a state funeral,” she continued.
“Senator Amidala died of what, would you say?”
“We don’t know.”
“Were there marks on her body?”
He saw her flinch. She pressed her lips together and shook her head.
“Who brought her to Theed?”
“I don’t know. I was summoned after she’d arrived.”
“She couldn’t have come on her own,” Malorum said dryly. “She was dead when she got here.”
The grandmother’s cheeks suddenly flushed with anger. She didn’t like the casual way he spoke of her beloved granddaughter. Yet he was choosing his words with great care. The only way he would get anything out of this woman was to anger her.
“Whoever brought her to us did so with great care and gentleness, and that was all that concerned us at the time,” she answered.
“She was pregnant.”
Her lips pressed together.
“Did the family know who the father of her child was?”
“That is a private matter.”
“Would you like to spend some time in an Imperial prison?”
“No, not really,” the woman said. “But if you think threatening me with it will give you the answers you want, you’re mistaken.”
She looked at him. Her eyes were dark gray dusted with gold. Unusual eyes. He was almost mesmerized for a moment, seeing himself reflected in them, seeing all the contempt she felt. He got a sudden flash of what she was inside, what she was feeling.
Love. Great love.
Strength. Courage.
He pushed those irrelevancies aside and looked beneath.
Something she’d suspected, something only she suspected…
“Padmé did not share with us the father’s name,” she said. He could see perspiration around her hairline. She was nervous. “We didn’t ask. Such things are private matters on Naboo. Because of the Clone Wars we hadn’t seen her in several months. She was the light of our lives, and our sorrow and grief is more than you could possibly know. Why you think you have a right to come here and question me is beyond my understanding.”
“I do have a right,” Malorum said. “The Emperor has given me that right. I am his personal representative.”
He was talking, but the words were too familiar, he had said them so many times. He was listening now. He was hearing what she was feeling, not what she was saying.
“Did you know Anakin Skywalker?” he suddenly barked.
“He was a friend of my granddaughter’s,” the old woman said.
“Did you ever suspect that he was the father of her unborn child?”
Something flashed in her eyes, not anger this time. Something…it was the key.
She knew something.
No…suspected.
He thought of the intuition inside him, what he thought of as his “river.” It had always been there. When he was younger he believed he was just smarter than anybody else. Now he knew it wasn’t intelligence, it was another sense, bigger than he was. His frustration was that he couldn’t control it the way he wanted to.
But it was here now, and he could focus it on Ryoo Thule.
His gaze must have unnerved her, for she looked away. He felt something rise in her, some hope, something she was grasping even as she battled against his will. Something she did not want him to know, and would never betray.
The knowledge ripped through his brain like a rip in fabric, tearing away his misconceptions. He almost leaped with the exaltation of it. Only the most strict discipline, the habit of years of interrogations, kept him standing, with the same expressionless face.
The child was alive.
She had spoken of her granddaughter, but never of the child she carried. That she did not was in itself a signal.
“The child is alive,” he said. He could see on her face that she believed it.
Now the questions came quickly as he advanced upon her, as she shrank before him.
“Have you ever seen the child?”
“Has anyone contacted you about the child?”
“Has anyone visited the child?”
“Did Padmé know the child was living before she died?”
“Did she give the child to someone?”
“Is someone hiding the child?”
“Where is the child?”
The questions kept coming. The old woman threw up her hands as if to ward them off like blows.
When she regained control and lifted her face, it was filled with defiance. She knew little, he could see, and she would tell him nothing.
So he killed her.
The beauty of the lake was astonishing. Varykino perfectly fitted into the landscape, turrets and domes rising from the rocks and water as they sped toward it, so close to the lake that their Naboo water craft, a gondola speeder, kicked up a wake.
Ferus barely noticed the deep jewel color of the lake, the arcing sky overhead. Before the gondola speeder had come to a halt he vaulted off it. He was filled with foreboding.
He and Solace left the others behind as they Force-leaped up the cliffs, finding toeholds and handholds while in midair. The others charged up the path.
The door to the graceful villa was wide open. He charged inside, his lightsaber held aloft.
Ryoo Thule lay crumpled on the stone floor. He leaned down and with great gentleness touched her cheek. It was warm.
Suddenly her eyes opened, giving him a shock. He’d thought she was dead. Her life force was almost extinguished.
Her eyes widened just slightly when she saw his lightsaber. He felt her fear dissolve and she looked at him with something like friendship. With that one glance he knew Padmé’s family did not blame the Jedi for her death.
“He suspects,” she whispered.
“Malorum?”
A nod. Then suddenly she seemed to gather strength. Strength enough to grab his tunic. “He can’t tell anyone what he knows. You must protect…”
She lost her breath. Her fingers opened and she fell back.
“Protect what?” Ferus felt the urgency. He was lost in implication and mystery and everything he didn’t know.
“For Padmé,” she whispered. “For Padmé.”
Life left her then.
He turned. Solace sat behind him on her haunches as easily as if on a chair.
“Want to tell me what’s going on?” she asked.
Ferus looked at her helplessly. “I can’t. I don’t even know. I just know there’s a secret that threatens the galaxy. Ryoo knew it, and now Malorum does, and we have to stop him. Obi-Wan Kenobi warned me.”
She rose smoothly, quickly. She didn’t need any more information. What he said was enough. “Kenobi? Then let’s do it.”
They ran out the door. The others were just hitting the top step.
“It’
s too late,” Ferus said. “He’s gone. But I think he’s around here—we would have seen him take off.”
“He must have hidden his craft,” Oryon said.
“This flaming coastline is full of coves,” Clive said. “But we should send the signal now!”
As soon as that was done, Ferus said, “Let’s split up into twos. Malorum is a handful. Stay here, Trever.”
“No.”
Clive whistled. “It’s so inspiring how he follows orders.”
Ferus couldn’t wait to straighten it out, so he took off alone. He knew Trever would follow, and he also knew the boy would stay undercover. His heartbeat drummed inside him with urgency. The future of the galaxy is at stake, Obi-Wan had said. The secret can’t get out.
Luckily the communications were being jammed, so Malorum couldn’t share his information.
Until the hour was up.
Ferus leaped to a spot on the steep side of the cliff, then jumped again. His boots landed in soft sand.
He heard the lapping of the blue water. The song of a bird. He felt the Force gather and now he could not only hear everything with crystal clarity but feel it as well, pulsating through him.
The Living Force was near. The dark side of the Force pulsed. He raced down the beach in that direction. A cluster of large rocks was scattered in the bay, and he Force-leaped onto the first, leap-frogging from one to the other until he was past the point of the land. Now he could see Malorum in a speeder gondola, ready to take off. Malorum looked over and saw him and the craft shot forward over the lake.
Ferus vaulted into the air and soared toward the craft. Malorum suddenly yanked on the steering mechanism, so the craft was headed straight toward him now at top speed. Ferus reacted as a Jedi. He did not retreat. He used the advance of his enemy to his own advantage.
He stopped his momentum in midair, waiting out the microsecond it took for Malorum to reach him. Then he somersaulted neatly over the craft. He used the updraft to power himself out of harm’s way, then dropped onto the gondola.
Well—not dropped, exactly, in the neat way he could have accomplished even as an apprentice. Rather, he fell awkwardly, sprawling on the hull.
Sometimes the Force worked for him. Sometimes it didn’t.
Malorum yanked the craft to the right, dipping it close to the water. Ferus flipped over, his feet skipping over the surface. At this speed, the water felt like permacrete.
“Ow,” Ferus grunted through his teeth as the gondola bumped along and he hung on for his life. “Ow, ow, ow.”
Using all his strength, he flipped himself back into the boat. This time he was able to access the Force with more precision, pivoting on his hands and delivering a well-placed kick to Malorum’s chest. Malorum was knocked backward, loosening his grip on the controls. The gondola began to spin crazily. Ferus was almost thrown off the craft but reached out and grabbed on to the curved stern to steady himself. He reached for his lightsaber and activated it just as Malorum began to pepper him with blasterfire.
It was impossible for the Inquisitor to aim in these conditions, but he was doing a good job of trying. Ferus used the curved stern as a fulcrum, swinging around it as the gondola bounced, his lightsaber fending off the red and orange blaster streaks.
Off in the distance he saw the other gondolas approaching. Solace piloted one with Oryon hanging on grimly. Curran and Keets were in the other. Where were Trever and Clive?
Malorum pulled back the fabric of his robe on one arm. Ferus felt the warning as propulsion. He leaped at his assailant. In midair he saw the gleam of the rocket launcher on Malorum’s wrist. Malorum surprised him by rolling underneath him and then releasing the rocket.
Solace saw it before the others. She turned her gondola violently, shouting at Curran as she did so. He was too late. Unable to save the ship, he and Keets leaped into the water. The explosion sent shock waves across the lake.
And then Ferus saw Clive and Trever. Of course, he thought. The two thieves had stolen a boat.
It was a fast craft, sleek, with a chromium hull and a repulsorlift engine. Larger than the gondolas, it was still highly maneuverable and tremendously fast. Clive was piloting it straight at Ferus and Malorum.
The gondola was still moving at top speed, but without a pilot it swung in arcs and bounced on air currents and waves. Clive was heading straight for them, no doubt hoping to distract Malorum. It was a good plan. Ferus only hoped he didn’t fall off before it happened.
Suddenly the air was alive with armored Imperial IPV-1 patrol craft. Malorum must have called them in before the Queen had been able to cut off communications.
The water around them exploded as the missiles hit. The missiles were designed to intimidate. They couldn’t risk hitting Malorum. But some of the patrol craft peeled off to attack the other gondolas and Clive and Trever’s boat.
Ferus watched as one patroller dipped toward him. He leaped at Malorum, who shot his blaster at close range in Ferus’s face. Ferus managed to deflect the blaster fire but Malorum dove toward a liquid cable that suddenly appeared above, higher than Ferus imagined he could. Malorum didn’t bother to hook the cable, he just hung on as the IPV-1 took off higher, trailing Malorum behind.
Ferus leaped and managed to grab the tail end of the cable. In midair he saw the missiles heading for Clive’s boat. Clive and Trever leaped off at the last possible second as their vessel was obliterated. At the same moment, two other patrol craft went after Curran and Keets, bobbing in the waves. The remaining Imperial pilots all turned toward Solace in the last gondola.
Ferus looked up into the muzzle of a repeating gun. He saw Malorum’s fervid, triumphant face. He let go of the cable and dropped into the cold blue lake.
Ferus plunged into the cold water as far down as he could to escape the fire above, inserting his Aquata breather into his mouth as he swam. He pushed forward in the direction he’d last seen Trever. He wasn’t sure how good a swimmer the boy was, or if he could swim at all. He didn’t know if Clive had a breather. Standard equipment for some, but not for others. Thanks to his Jedi training, Ferus was in the habit of having one on his utility belt, even if he was traveling to a desert world.
The water was so clear he should have been able to make out the others, but instead he saw nothing, just endless blue. Ferus fought against disorientation. He’d seen the others dive into the lake—where could they have gone? He swam farther down, feeling the pressure on his ears. He began to feel anxious. He couldn’t abandon his friends, but he had to get back to Theed.
Suddenly he saw a strange sight—a shimmering transparent bubble heading toward him through the water. Was it some strange sea creature?
No—it was a ship. A ship shaped like a creature with a long tail. Inside he could just make out the shapes of beings.
Gungans.
Of course. Gungans ruled the underwater world of Naboo. From all he’d heard, they were friendly beings. Although they could wage a pretty nasty battle if they had to.
Just his type.
The strangely beautiful sub bobbed closer to him. The cockpit seemed to bend as it came closer, and Ferus stopped, motionless in the water, fanning his arms to keep himself in place. He felt no fear, only wonder.
A hand reached out through the cockpit bubble and somehow pulled him in. The rest of the group was crowded inside. Trever gave him a wan smile. Water streaming from his clothes, he dropped into a seat next to Solace.
“Nice rescue,” he panted.
“Meesa welcome you to the bongo on behalf of all Gungans,” their smiling pilot said. His friendly eyes twinkled at Ferus. “Good to stay underwater when the mackineek troopers are above.”
“Where’s Malorum?” Trever asked.
“He escaped,” Ferus said. “I have no doubt he’s on his way to Imperial headquarters at Theed. That’s surely where he left his transport.” He turned to their pilot. “We need your help.”
“Meesa can take you anywhere you want—”
“No,”
Ferus interrupted. “All of you.” He reached quickly for his comlink. After only a few seconds, he was put directly through to Queen Apailana. It was the only channel that had been left open.
“I need to call in another small favor,” he said.
“You ask for much, Jedi Olin.”
“You have no idea.”
Now Trever had seen everything. He couldn’t get over it. The underwater city had suddenly appeared, a series of huge bubbles like illuminated lamps. Inside were wide pathways with shadowy patterns and a murky green light.
And Gungans—he’d never even heard of them. He liked their friendliness and their loose-jointed strides. He felt safe in their underwater city. He would have liked to forget about everything happening above, but of course he was with Ferus-Wan, the owner of a one-track Jedi mind. Ferus asked to be taken immediately to their leader, explaining that he and Solace were Jedi.
Their rescuer, the pilot Yunabana, had been so excited that he’d taken them directly to Boss Nass at a run.
Boss Nass resided in his own series of bubbles. While most of the Gungans were slender, Boss Nass was huge. His green skin had a grayish tinge, and Trever could tell he was an elder. He had three double chins and was wearing an elaborate coat the same color as his skin, so he resembled a giant greenish blob. He sat in a huge chair with waving fronds.
Now the Queen of Naboo was on holoprojector. The Naboo and the Gungans both felt that they owed the Jedi a great debt. They believed that the Jedi had been their only true friends during the Trade Federation blockade and had been responsible for helping them liberate their worlds. They readily agreed to a conference with Ferus.
Trever stood back with Clive, Keets, Curran, and Oryon as Solace and Ferus thanked Boss Nass and the Queen, and Boss Nass thanked the Jedi, and the Queen thanked Boss Nass, and Boss Nass thanked the Queen for what seemed a very long time, and finally everyone was silent.
“What is it that you want from us?” Queen Apailana finally asked.
