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

looking for information on the Intellex Four designer—”
    “Han, she couldn’t have overheard that,” Luke said. “She was already gone. We were in flight control when Ghent told us about his disappearance, remember?”
    “That doesn’t mean she didn’t leave bugs all over the place,” Han pointed out.
    “We didn’t—as we are sure your eavesdropping sweeps have already revealed.” Alema continued to stare at Luke. “Do you want to find out more about your mother, or not?”
    Luke and Leia had long ago guessed the woman in the records R2-D2 had sequestered—Padmé—might be their mother, but hearing someone else say it sent a jolt of elation through him … even if he
did
feel certain that the Dark Nest was counting on exactly that reaction.
    Han was more cynical. “So Anakin Skywalker was making holorecordings of his girlfriend—I know a lot of guys who used to do the same thing. It doesn’t mean she’s Luke’s mother.”
    “But it means she
could
be—and we can help Master Skywalker learn the truth.” Alema shot Luke a sardonic smile. “Unless you prefer ignorance to knowing that Mara has been deceiving you. Daxar Ies was no accountant. He was the one being who could have helped you unlock the secret of your mother’s past.”
    “Nice story,” Han said. “Hangs together real well—until you get to the part where Daxar Ies is the Intellex Four designer. Why would the Emperor have his best droid-brain designer
killed
?”
    Alema’s face grew enigmatic and empty. “Who knows? Revenge, perhaps, or merely to keep him from defecting to the Rebels, too. That is not as important as the reason Mara lied to you about who he is.”
    “I’m listening.” Even saying the words made Luke feel hollow and sick inside, as though he were betraying Mara by hearing the Twi’lek out. “For now.”
    Alema wagged her finger. “First, what
we
want.”
    “That does it,” Han said. He thumbed the selector switch on his blaster to full power. “I’m tired of being played. I’m just going to blast her now.”
    Alema’s gaze went automatically to Luke.
    Luke shrugged and stepped out of the line of fire. “Okay, if you have to.”
    “Please …,” Alema said sarcastically. She flicked a finger, and the selector switch on Han’s blaster flipped itself back to stun. “If you were really going to blast me, you wouldn’t stand here discussing it.”
    “You’re right.” Han flicked the selector switch back to full power. “We’re done dis—”
    “Perhaps you will be more inclined to hear us out after we have proved that we can access the records,” Alema said to Luke. She gestured at R2-D2. “May we?”
    Luke motioned Han to wait. “May you what?”
    “Display one of the holos, of course,” Alema said. When Luke did not automatically grant permission, she glanced up and added, “If we wished to harm him, Master Skywalker, we would already have sprinkled him with froth.”
    Luke looked up at growing blister on the ceiling, then let out a breath. Alema was telling the truth about that much, at least—it would have been a simple matter to use the Force to pull some of the gray froth down on them. He nodded and stepped aside.
    As the Twi’lek approached, R2-D2 let out a fearful squeal and began to retreat as fast as his wheels would carry him. Alema simply reached out with the Force and floated him back over to her.
    “Artoo, please show …” She paused and turned to Luke. “What would you like to see?”
    Luke’s heart began to pound. He was half afraid that Alema’s claims would prove hollow—and half afraid they would not. While he was extremely eager to find some way to retrieve the data that did not involve reprogramming R2-D2’s personality, Luke was also keenly aware that theDark Nest was trying to manipulate him to ends he did not yet understand.
    “You choose.”
    Alema let out a series of throat-clicks. “Hmmm … what would
we
want to know if we had been raised without