Part 21 (1/2)

Jaina recognized it from her approach path to Salis D'aar: a ma.s.sive amphitheater whose walls were bedecked with multicolored streamers and pennants bearing the P'w'eck and Bakuran emblems. Banners scrawled with greetings for the visiting aliens stretched between huge stone pillars around the outside, while overhead floated an enormous canopy that offered cover for the central arena, its underside painted with Bakura's flag. The sun was rising into the sky behind the point of view of the holocam, casting a golden glow across the stone steps and pillars. People were already filing into the seats, with guards in dark green uniforms making sure n.o.body strayed into a circular area in the center of the stadium - easily the most decorated section in view.

”The ceremony,” Jaina said.

Blaine Harris nodded. ”It'll be under way within the hour. From what I understand, it's supposed to be quite impressive, too.”

”You're going to try to stop it?” Harris glanced momentarily away from the holo to cast her a scornful look. ”Don't be a fool, girl,” he said with obvious contempt, and then turned back to the image. ”My intentions are far more complex than that.” Jaina tried to force herself to think. Something was going on, but what? ”You said 'farce,' ” she prompted.

”I wasn't referring to the ceremony, if that's what you're thinking.” In the holo, a squad of P'w'eck guards appeared. With powerful muscles gliding smoothly beneath dull scales, they spread out to inspect the circle at the center of the stadium where, Jaina presumed, the ceremony itself would take place.

”They're keeping tight-lipped about the ceremony,” Harris went on thoughtfully, still staring at the events unfolding. ”I guess that's their prerogative. It's a privilege for us to be part of it.”

”I thought the people on Bakura were only meant to be spectators.”

”Oh, we are. But our planet is becoming sacred, and that's not something that happens every day.”

”You really believe in this stuff?” Jaina asked.

He found this amusing. ”Of course I don't believe in it. But the P'w'eck do, and that's enough for me.” He turned back to Jaina. ”Have you ever noticed the similarities between the Ssi-ruuk and the Yuuzhan Vong?

Both cultures are xenophobic, stratified, religious, and expansionist.

Both express these tendencies in violent methodologies. Both are, or have been, potent enemies of the New Republic.”

”Just like the Yevetha,” Jaina said.

Harris frowned. ”What do they have to do with this?” She shook her head. ”Perhaps nothing.” Or everything, she added to herself. ”Go on.”

”Both the Ssi-ruuk and the Yuuzhan Vong use defeated foes as slaves-an ugly practice that I'm pleased to see the P'w'eck abandon.

That's one of two ways they've learned from their old masters.”

”The second being?...”

”No more xenophobia, of course,” he said, as though stating the obvious. ”I'm hoping we can make it three ways. By allowing them their ritual, they might also learn to turn their religion into a nonviolent activity. Then we'll work on their caste system and see if we can't make the slave mentality a little more flexible. Acceptance, you see, can be as effective a tool for change as domination and force.” She frowned, understanding what he was saying but not getting the context. ”I'm sorry but I think I'm missing the point you're trying to make.” He moved away from the holo with a sigh and began to pace. ”My point, Jaina, is that we don't need the New Republic telling us what to do here on Bakura. We can make our own decisions, and you breathing down our neck only makes things more complicated.”

”But we're not here to do that,” she protested. ”We're just trying to make sure that everything is okay with-”

”Really?” he cut in. ”I find that very hard to believe.” He stopped a few steps away from her, staring fiercely down into her eyes. ”On the eve of our greatest moment - alliance with the heirs of our old enemy-you turn up to sow the seeds of dissent. Coincidence? I don't think so.”

”Wait a minute. We were called to Bakura by someone who was concerned that something bad was going on.”

”And who was that exactly?” She glanced away. ”An informant,” she said, unable to be more precise.

He snorted. ”If there's one thing I learned in the military, it's that an ill-informed informant can do more damage than a convincing double agent. The only way to be certain of anything, my dear girl, is to see it with your own eyes. And even then...” He turned back to the projection, sentence unfinished. When he spoke again, his tone was softer, the subject changed. ”I never thought I'd see this day. After all the years of fear and doubt, Bakura has finally found a means to become what we have always wanted it to be: independent and safe. From this day forward, Bakura will be a world in its own right-not one shackled to the Empire or the Republic or the Ssi-ruuk. With the P'w'eck, we can forge a new alliance-an alliance of our own choosing, not one forced upon us by circ.u.mstance. Peace will never again be ripped out from under us by powers from afar. It is time for us to be strong, at last.” Remembering the stories she'd been told of riots and disturbances, Jaina said, ”I take it not everyone feels the same way about this as you do.”

”That is only to be expected. It can take people time to realize what is good for them. ” An apologetic smile flickered across his angular features. ”I am self-aware enough to understand that I am betraying some of my own principles here. But as those who believe in the Cosmic Balance might say, sometimes it takes a great evil to bring about the greatest good.”

”Exactly what sort of evil are we talking about?” He ignored her question. ”It's odd, you know, that we here on Bakura should defy the will of the Jedi so blatantly. I mean, not just that it was your uncle, Luke Sky-walker, who played such an important part in saving us from the Ssi-ruuk so long ago, but that our beliefs so closely mirror yours. You, too, believe in a cosmic system of checks and balances that, ultimately, ensures life will thrive. I don't know if you're familiar with the beliefs of the native population of the planet, the Kurtzen, but they cling to a faith in a universal life force not dissimilar to your all-pervasive Force. Combine the two, and we might have become you-but there has never been a Jedi from Bakura that I am aware of. I find that strange.”

”You think we're neglecting you, Deputy Prime Minister? Is that it?

There are thousands of worlds out there. It takes time to search them all-time we don't have at the moment with the Yuuzhan Vong-” His laughter cut her off. ”My motive is not one of jealousy! You see-” A buzzing sound came from the door.

Harris glanced at Salkeli, who straightened and raised his blaster.

”This could be it.” The Deputy Prime Minister came back around the desk to check something, and nodded. ”And not a second too soon.” He looked up at Jaina with a smile. ”It would seem that the reinforcements have arrived. Quite unintentionally, I might add, but still...” He gestured to Salkeli, and the Rodian crossed the room to take Jaina by the arm, pressing the blaster into her side. She decided to play along for the moment. The Rodian's will was weak, and it probably wouldn't take much to make him turn the blaster on Harris. However, she thought it would be more prudent to wait for a while to see if she could find out just what Harris's plan was-and whether there was a way to stop it.

Salkeli walked her to a position in the corner of the room, out of sight of the door. He raised the blaster to her neck, pus.h.i.+ng it firmly under her chin as he clamped one leathery hand over her mouth. Then he signaled to Harris, and the Deputy Prime Minister crossed the room and pressed his thumb against the lock.

The double door slid open with a hiss and three people entered in a rush. Jaina didn't recognize them at first - they were hooded and cloaked-but she could tell that it wasn't her parents and Tahiri.

Clearly, they weren't who Harris had meant by the ”reinforcements”

arriving. It wasn't until the door shut behind them and the one in front turned to face Harris that Jaina saw who it was.

”We're in trouble,” Malinza Thanas said. The others pulled back their hoods, revealing Jjorg and Vyram.

Harris looked concerned. ”What happened to Zel?”

”He was shot when we fled the Stack,” Malinza said, her voice caught somewhere between anger and tears. ” They shot him, Blaine!”

”The main thing is that you're safe,” he returned coolly.

”Everything will be all right now.”

”How can you say that? It was all we could do just to get here without being seen! And that's only because security is distracted by the ceremony. We're never going to be able to show our faces again unless you find out who's behind this!”

”Behind what, my dear?”

”Framing me for kidnapping, for one-then letting me escape to make it look like I'm guilty. I'll probably get blamed for Zel's death, as well!” Malinza sounded like she was on the edge of breaking down, but with obvious effort she brought her emotions under control. ”We've lost Salkeli, too. He created a diversion while we got away, but he didn't meet us at the rendezvous. I'm worried that-”

”You should know I'd never let myself be caught or killed, Malinza,” the Rodian said, stepping out from where he'd kept himself hidden and dragging Jaina with him. ”But I guess you didn't know me that well, did you?” Malinza turned, her look of surprise deepening when she saw Jaina. ”I-I don't understand.”

”That is becoming increasingly obvious,” Harris said, producing a blaster of his own from beneath his scarlet robe. ”Your weapons on the floor, if you would be so kind.” Malinza's face was pale as she dropped her small blaster onto the rug in front of her. Jjorg obeyed with a snarl, while Vyram calmly complied, keeping his thoughts to himself.

”What do you intend to do?” Malinza asked, fighting even harder now to keep her emotions in check.

”Do?” Harris waved Salkeli forward, and the Rodian pushed Jaina over to the others. ”The job you set out to do, of course. Why else would I have funded you, Malinza, if our goals weren't the same in the first place? I'm going to unite the people against the Galactic Alliance. With the P'w'eck's help, I will make Bakura as safe as it can possibly be from outside invasion. We will govern our own destiny, forever.” He smiled coldly. ”The only real difference between your plans and my own is that, when mine come to fruition, the people of Bakura will be united behind me, not you. Which is a shame, really, because it will be your tragic death that finally mobilizes them. That and the terrible betrayal of the Jedi who came to enslave us once again.”

” What? ” asked Malinza and Jaina at the same time.

”All will be made clear in due course, I a.s.sure you. Now, Salkeli, if you could bind their hands, please.” The Rodian dragged Jaina to join the others, bolstered his blaster, and produced electronic binders for the four of them from a drawer in Harris's desk. With only the one blaster on them now, Jaina felt a heightened edginess in the Freedom members. She tried to catch Malinza's eye, but the girl was steadfastly ignoring her-although whether from embarra.s.sment or anger, she couldn't tell.

”You're crazy if you think you're going to get away with this,”

Jaina said, trying to divert the burden of rebellion onto her shoulders.

”Get away with what, exactly?” Harris laughed. ”You don't even know what it is I intend to do!” The Deputy Prime Minister was finding the whole thing entirely too amusing for Jaina's liking. That troubled Jaina deeply. That and the cool readiness with which he held the blaster trained on his captives.