by Джуд Уотсон
They made no sound as they moved forward, but one of the kidnappers awoke. They froze, but he casually looked down as he stretched. He stopped in the middle of a yawn, his eyes wide.
"Invasion! To your weapons!" he shouted.
Chapter 12
The Senalis were armed with the common weapon of their world, dart shooters. Qui-Gon guessed that the darts contained a paralyzing agent. Leed might have some paralysis once they managed to free him.
The darts rained down on them from above. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan kept their backs to each other in order to cover a complete circle. Their lightsabers whirled above their heads in a blur of blue and green as they deflected dart after dart, even as they made their steady way toward Leed.
The branches of the trees were thickly clustered. The tree where Leed was held would not be difficult to climb. But could they climb, deflect darts, and get Leed down the tree, all at the same time? It would be a challenge, Obi-Wan thought grimly.
"We need to get them down here," Qui-Gon said to him tersely. "If we can fight them on the ground, Drenna can rescue Leed."
"I'll get them down," Drenna said. She hoisted her crossbow to her shoulder and began to fire a rapid volley of laser arrows into the trees. She was a blur of motion, firing off five arrows at a time and barely pausing to reload before firing again. The kidnappers began to drop from the trees to escape the arrows falling on their heads.
"Cover me," she called to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, and started for Leed.
The enemy was now all around them, and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan kept up a constant dance of movement, deflecting the poison darts and keeping the Senalis away from Drenna as she swiftly made her way up the tree. She removed a small fusioncutter from her utility belt and carefully cut away the carbon wire binding Leed's wrists and ankles. He slumped against her, but when she helped him to his feet he was able make his way down the branch toward the trunk. His legs seemed stiff, but he could walk.
Qui-Gon drifted closer to Obi-Wan. "Gather them underneath that tree," he said, indicating one close to them.
Working together, they whirled and attacked, driving the Senalis together as they evaded the darts. They managed to get them in a rough circle where Qui-Gon had indicated.
Qui-Gon leaped into the air and grabbed a high branch. As he swung, he aimed his light-saber at the net holding the boat aloft. With a series of rapid cuts he sliced through the thick netting. The boat, along with supplies, began to tip. With a final thrust he cut the last cords, and the boat crashed to the ground below.
The kidnappers saw it coming and dropped flat to the ground. The boat reversed in the air and fell over them, forming a solid cage. Supplies rained down on the boat — food, breathing tubes, utility packs, and medpacs.
"Stay under there or we'll blast you," Drenna warned in a loud voice. She raised an eyebrow at Qui-Gon.
He jerked his head toward the beach, and they took off. Most likely the kidnappers would be afraid to follow — at least for a while.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan supported Leed as they ran to the shoreline. They dove into the warm sea. Leed gained strength as he swam, with Drenna helping him along.
Drenna pointed to land in the distance. "There," she said. "That's the mainland. We can get to a main road from there."
They struck out toward land. Leed flagged as they got nearer, and Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had to tow him ashore. He collapsed on the sand and took deep breaths.
"Thank you," he said when he could speak. "I could not have escaped on my own." He gave them a weak smile. "As I'm sure you can see."
"Do you know who the kidnappers were?" Qui-Gon asked.
He shook his head. "They did not speak. They would not answer my questions. I don't know why they took me, or what they were planning to do."
"I am glad you're safe," Drenna told him, gazing at him anxiously. "But you're so weak."
"It's the paralyzing dart," he said. "I'll be better soon."
"We must get to a main road and find a way back to the main city and our transport," Qui-Gon said. He turned to Leed. "Your father is threatening to invade Senali. He means it this time, I fear."
"Taroon is furious," Drenna put in, her eyes flashing. "He thinks you and I arranged the kidnapping. No doubt he will tell his father this."
Leed's eyes were clear. "I must return," he said.
"We are close to a road that often runs supplies to the city," Drenna told the Jedi. "We can hitch a ride from a passing transport."
"Then let's go," Qui-Gon said.
Luck was with them. They flagged down a transport, and the driver quickly agreed to take them back to the floating city. There, they hurried to the Jedi's starship. Leaving word for Meenon that Leed was safe, they took off for Rutan.
"I'm glad you are coming with me," Leed told Drenna. "This won't be a pleasant trip."
"I wouldn't let you go alone," Drenna said gently. "You need care."
"I'd better contact your father," Qui-Gon told Leed. "There's no time to lose." Quickly, he accessed the comm unit and contacted King Frane. He told him that they were on their way to Rutan.
"I'll believe it when I face him on his own royal land," King Frane said, brusquely cutting the connection.
"So much for thank-yous," Obi-Wan muttered.
"He is still worried about his son," Qui-Gon said gently. "He hides his fear well."
"He hides his manners better," Obi-Wan replied.
They landed the craft on the palace grounds and made their way to see the king. He was pacing anxiously outside the Great Hall. When he saw Leed, his forbidding expression gave way to one of delight.
"Ha! I was afraid something would go wrong!
My son, my son!" King Frane hurried forward and hugged Leed. He let him go and mopped at his streaming eyes with the edge of his tunic. "How I missed you. Thank the stars you have come home."
"I came home to talk to you, Father," Leed said. "Not to stay."
Instantly, King Frane's face grew red. "Not to stay?" he shouted. "That's impossible! You are here. You will stay!"
"Father, can we talk without shouting?" Leed asked.
"I am not shouting!" King Frane bellowed. Then he lowered his voice. "It's just that I must speak up, because apparently nobody listens to me."
"I have listened to everything you and Taroon have said," Leed responded steadily. "I have tried to find a way to do my duty. But Father, I know that if I return it will break my heart. I can't rule this world — I don't know it. I don't love it the way I love Senali. You sent me there and made sure I was taken care of. You succeeded. I made a new family there. I belong there. But I assure you I don't mean to be a stranger to my blood family or to Rutan. Senali is close —"
"It's close, but who wants to go there?" King Frane said furiously. "Obviously, you have been swayed by forces on Senali. I'm sure if you spend time on Rutan you will forget these foolish ideas."
"I will not forget them," Leed said, exasperated. "They are part of me."
King Frane visibly calmed himself, dropping his hands to his sides and taking a breath. "Leed, I must speak to you as a king as well as a father," he said in a voice that struggled to be steady. "I do not want to bully you into doing your duty. That is an option that is open to me as king. But as your father I prefer a more reasoned way. You will break my heart if you do this. You will kill my love for you."
"This is your way of reason?" Leed asked in astonishment.
"Hear me," King Frane said, holding up a hand. "Our family line has ruled for a hundred years. The firstborn child of the king or queen has taken his or her place without fail. Do you realize what you do when you break that chain? Do you take your responsibility to your family and your world so lightly? How can you decide at this young age what is right for the rest of your life?"
King Frane's words struck Obi-Wan as none had before. When he'd left the Jedi, he had not fully realized that he'd not only broken a bond between himself and Qui-Gon, but had violated a deep tradition between all Masters and P
adawans. He had come to see how important his place in that tradition was.
Should Leed return to Senali and turn his back on generations who had prepared the way for him? Suddenly, Obi-Wan wasn't sure.
"You expect me to rule a year from now," Leed countered. "I will have to make such important decisions for all Rutanians. If you trust me to do that, you should trust my own mind now."
King Frane's temper grew, no matter how he tried to suppress it. "You turn your back on those Rutanians you speak of so lightly."
"No," Leed said firmly. "I cannot be a good ruler. This I know. So I turn the honor aside to one more worthy."
"Your brother?" King Frane asked in disbelief. "Taroon is soft. He has no head for leadership. Who would follow him? As soon as he was picked up from that awful planet, I sent him back to school, where he belongs."
"You do not give him a chance," Leed said.
"I don't have to!" King Frane said, his voice rising again. "I am king! I choose! And I choose my firstborn, as my mother chose me, as my grandfather chose her!"
Leed did not answer. His mouth set stubbornly.
King Frane did not speak for a moment. Father and son faced each other. Neither flinched.
Obi-Wan glanced at Qui-Gon, but as usual the Jedi gave no clue as to what he was thinking. He was merely waiting for the situation to resolve itself as it would. He was so calm! Obi-Wan could feel the tension coiling inside him. He sought for the Jedi composure and could not find it. He could only find confusion.
At last King Frane spoke. "This discussion is over," he said stiffly. "I will not accept disloyalty and betrayal. You must take up your legacy. My son must rule after me. I am doing what is right for you."
"You can't make me do this," Leed said firmly.
King Frane's laughter had a harsh sound. Obi-Wan tried to listen as Qui-Gon would. He realized that the laughter was fueled by bewilderment and hurt, not contempt. "Of course I can! I am king!"
"What about Yaana?" Qui-Gon spoke up. "We have brought Leed to you. Now you must deliver your part of the bargain and free her."
"I made no bargain," King Frane said, his eyes glinting dangerously.
"But you did," Qui-Gon said steadily.
"Well, perhaps I did, but I am breaking it," King Frane said, watching Qui-Gon warily.
"Yaana stays in custody until Leed agrees to begin royal training."
"So that is how you'll force me!" Leed cried. "You'll hold an innocent girl hostage! You are no better than a bully!"
King Frane's expression instantly changed to rage. "Yes, I will do this," he bellowed furiously. "Have you not been listening, you fool? I am king! I can do what I want. I know what is best for Rutan!"
King Frane stalked off, followed by his cluster of advisors and guards. Leed gazed after him, a look of disgust on his face.
"You see why I did not want to return?" he said. "He has found a way to keep me here against my will."
"So it appears," Qui-Gon said neutrally. "What do you mean?" Drenna asked.
"If we return Yaana to her father, King Frane has nothing to bargain with. He will have to face Leed as father to son, not king to subject."
"But she's in prison," Drenna objected.
"That is the difficulty," Qui-Gon agreed.
"Not necessarily," Leed said slowly. "I think I know how to break her out."
Chapter 13
"I'll explain on the way," Leed said. "I know where Yaana is being held. Can we take your transport?"
Qui-Gon nodded. "Let's go."
"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Obi-Wan murmured to Qui-Gon as Leed and Drenna hurried ahead. "We're not supposed to break the laws of a planet."
"Well, we're with the prince," Qui-Gon observed. "Officially, he's now in royal training. We have his permission."
"But if we help Leed, we'll be taking sides," Obi-Wan pointed out.
"No, we're rescuing a hostage," Qui-Gon corrected. "King Frane has no right to hold Yaana in prison. She's only ten years old."
Obi-Wan fell silent. There were times when he had to struggle with Qui-Gon's decisions. His caution would lead him to choose a different way. But it was at such times that he was learning to let go and trust his Master. He knew that it was unjust to hold the girl.
"Don't worry, Padawan," Qui-Gon told him. "I am beginning to see how this situation can be resolved." He smiled. "We just have to break someone out of prison first."
"That's all?" Obi-Wan said. He returned Qui-Gon's smile. Whenever they got out of rhythm, Qui-Gon managed to get them together again, either with a small joke or a gentle correction.
Obi-Wan jumped into the pilot seat of the starship. On Leed's direction, he punched in the coordinates for the landing platform on the outskirts of the city, close to the prison.
"So tell us why you think you have a way to rescue Yaana," Qui-Gon said to Leed as soon as they were under way.
"It was last summer on my visit," Leed began. "I was already trying to tell my father that I preferred Senali to Rutan. Of course he wouldn't listen. There was a grand hunt that day, and I refused to participate. So he threw me in prison."
Qui-Gon looked at him, startled. Drenna gasped.
Leed gave a faint smile. "Just for a day. He said it was for my royal training. So that I would know how Rutan treated its prisoners. It wasn't too bad. Of course everyone knew who I was, so I was given the best cell and no one mistreated me. But an interesting thing happened while I was there. A bird got into the exhaust system and began to fly around the place. It kept tripping the sensors. The guards could not seem to catch it or shoot it, and the sensors kept alerting the main system that a massive prison breakout was in progress. It took them awhile to figure out it was the bird — at first they thought the system had been triggered by a prisoner. But every time they checked out a sensor and did a cell check, everything was fine. The problem was that the system calls for an automatic notification to the king's guard when there is trouble at the prison. My father kept getting notification that a major breakout was going on, and then was told that it was nothing. The hunt was disrupted, and he was furious. They finally had to confess a bird was tripping it. He told the prison to turn off the system and catch the bird, or he'd fire every single one of them."
Drenna laughed. "I like the idea of one tiny creature causing all that trouble."
Leed grinned at her. "I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it myself. They turned off the system until they caught the bird. Everyone forgot about me — I was in the warden's office, since they were about to release me. That's when I noticed something. When the guards change shifts, they remove their weapons belts if they are leaving and the guards on the new shift buckle on their own weapons belts. They do this in the weapons supply room, which is kept locked. When they shut the system down, the weapons supply room goes into automatic lockdown. That's in case there's a real breakout. They don't want the prisoners to get access to weapons."
Qui-Gon had already reached Leed's conclusion. "So if the system was shut down during a changeover, there would only be a reduced guard staff on duty with no access to additional weapons."
"Three guards per block, to be exact," Leed said, nodding. "It's a flaw in the system. I tried to tell my father upon my return, but… well, let's just say he wasn't in the mood to listen."
"I don't understand," Drenna said. "How can we get a bird to invade the system?"
Qui-Gon smiled. "We don't need a bird. I think Leed has an idea."
"When I arrived, they pretended I was a lawbreaker, just as my father wanted," Leed said, leaning forward with his excitement. "I was led to the booking area, then the holding cell. I had to pass at least ten to fifteen sensors during the whole process." Leed looked at Drenna. "Who has the best aim on Senali?"
"You do," she said promptly.
He shook his head, smiling. "Who tied for first place with me last year in the All-World Games?"
"I did," she said with a grin. "Almost beat you, too."
"You'll be our bird," he said. "All you need is this." He handed her a tiny dart shooter. "With some Jedi help, and a bit of bluffing on my part, I think we can bring this off. You can shoot darts at the sensors as you move through the hallways." He reached in a pocket of his tunic and withdrew some darts. They were tiny and made of transparent material. "These will stick in the wall, but no one will be able to see them."
"But how will we all get inside?" Drenna wondered.
Qui-Gon's eyes shone bright. "That's the easy part. We'll get arrested."