The Unseen Queen by Troy Denning Read Free Book Online Page A

power.”
    Luke shook his head in dismay, then used the Force to turn the weapon’s barrel away from Alema. “Sometimes I wonder if I still know you, Han. She’s defenseless.”
    “She’s a Jedi,” Han said. “She’s
never
defenseless.”
    Still, he flicked the selector switch back to stun, then stood behind the Twi’lek and pointed the barrel at her head. Luke removed her lightsaber from her belt, then squatted on the floor in front of her and waited until she started to come around—which was incredibly quickly, even for a Jedi.
    “Sorry about that,” Luke said. “Han’s still a little sore about what you did to the
Falcon
.”
    Alema opened one eye. “He always did carry a grudge.” She struggled to bring Luke into focus, then said, “But perhaps you should make something clear to him. We are not at
your
mercy.”
    A tremendous clamor rumbled through the hangar asnearby insects began to drop their loads and scurry toward the Star Barge.
    “You are at
ours
.”
    Luke began to slap Alema’s lightsaber against his palm, allowing his frustration to pass, trying to remind himself that the Twi’lek was not in control of herself, that it was impossible for her to separate her own thoughts from those of the Dark Nest. But Jaina and Zekk had found themselves in a similar situation, and they had not turned their backs on the Jedi. The difference was, they had
tried
to resist.
    Finally, Luke tucked Alema’s lightsaber into his belt and stood. “You could have fought this,” he said. “Maybe you still can. Jaina and Zekk became Joiners, and yet they remained true to their duty.”
    “You place too much faith in others, Master Skywalker.” Alema braced her good arm on the floor and pushed off, then brought her feet up beneath her. “That has always been your weakness—and soon it will be your downfall.”
    A cold shiver of danger sense raced up Luke’s spine, and he resisted the temptation to ask Alema’s meaning. This
was
the reason she had come to the hangar, he felt certain. She was trying to trap him, to draw him into some dark and twisted maze where he would become as lost as she was.
    Unfortunately, Han did not have Jedi danger sense. “Too much faith? What’s
that
supposed to mean? If something’s going on with Jaina—”
    Alema glanced over her shoulder at Han, pouting at the blaster still pointed at her back, then said, “We didn’t mean to alarm you, Han. Jaina and Zekk are fine, as far as we know.” She looked back to Luke. “We were talking about Mara. She has been dishonest with Master Skywalker.”
    “I doubt that very much.” Luke saw what the Dark Nestwas attempting, and he could not believe they would be foolish enough to try such a thing. Nobody was going to drive a wedge between him and Mara. “And even if I didn’t, I would hardly take the Dark Nest’s word over that of a Jedi Master.”
    “We have proof,” Alema said.
    “And I doubt
that
.” Han glanced at her skintight bodysuit. “You don’t have a place to put it.”
    “We’re glad you’re not too old to notice,” Alema said. “Thank you.”
    “It wasn’t a compliment.”
    The smile Alema flashed Han was both knowing and genuine. “Sure it was.” She turned back to Luke, then glanced at R2-D2. “But we should have said
you
have proof.”
    Luke shook his head. “I really don’t think so. If that’s all you have to say—”
    “Daxar Ies wasn’t the Emperor’s
accountant
,” she interrupted. “He was an Imperial droid-brain designer.” She glanced again at R2-D2. “He designed the Intellex Four, as a matter of fact.”
    Luke’s mind raced back to the year before, to his discovery of the sequestered sector in R2-D2’s deep-reserve memory, trying to remember just how much Alema might have learned about those events before fleeing the academy.
    “Nice try.” Han had clearly noticed her glance toward the droid as well. “But we’re not buying it. Just because you heard someone say that Luke was