"We did, Master," Obi-Wan said.

She shook her head in rebuke. "Careless, you are." The slave said something to Depa.

"This one says that this temple and the city are linked by underground tunnels. Some of the tunnels lead to the structures that surround the main plaza--the landing platform. Apparently, the plaza is lightly guarded, and this one believes that we could easily seize the starfighters parked there." Yaddle's eyes narrowed somewhat. "Clearly what we are meant to do," she said. "Less certain, I am, about our chances of leaving Asmeru." Tiin nodded decisively. "We'll defer any decision until that option is in hand." In single file they moved through the hidden doorway into a cold and dank corridor. At the bottom of a steep flight of stairs, two more slaves, all but identical to the first, were waiting. Oily black and acrid smoke curled from the torches they carried.

The wide tunnel beyond the stairway was constructed of un - mortared but precisely cut stones, some of which were perfectly curved to form vaulted supports.

Shifts in the land had wrought damage to the ancients' work. Lake water dripped through formerly solid joints and puddled on the stone floor. In several places, the walls were entirely encrusted in salt.

Depa continued to converse with the slave as they began to descend beneath the shallow lake.

"When the Nebula Front first arrived on Asmeru, they asked the slaves for shelter, and made no demands of them," she explained. "But the later arrivals--the members this one calls "the soldiers"--forced the slaves to surrender their homes and provide food. The soldiers are as cruel as the Senex Lords, and they frequently clash with the Front's more nonviolent founders about how things should be done. Fortunately, there are few commanding soldiers onworld just now."

"Few soldiers," Qui-Gon said to Obi-Wan.

"That's odd."

"How so, Master?"

"Where are they, while we are here?" The tunnel began to angle up and the dripping ceased, indicating that they had reached the mainland. Smaller tunnels branched off in all directions, and there were visible signs that the pa.s.sageways were used on a regular basis for moving about the ancient city.

Crude sconces were affixed to the walls, and the edges of stones at the tunnel intersections had been polished to a gloss by the caresses of countless hands.

"We're close to the landing platform," Depa announced quietly.

The central tunnel debouched into a large rectangular cavern, with stairways leading up at the center of each wall. Depa pointed to the nearest one.

"This will take us into the northern pyramid. The starfighters are parked near the structure that houses the tractor beam generator."

"That's a good distance away," Qui-Gon said.

Depa nodded. "Most of the guards are quartered in the tractor beam pyramid. We're certain to encounter resistance." The slave led them up the stairs and guided them through a series of small rooms to a ma.s.sive portal that looked out on the plaza. Several CloakShapes could be seen, along with the Hawk - Bat, resting on a trio of landing pads.

In the middle distance, a few armed guards traded remarks in Basic.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan led everyone but the slaves out into the plaza, most of which lay in deep morning shadow. They weren't even halfway to the closest starfighter when a voice called out.

"I'm glad to see that you've decided to join us." Seven lightsabers igniting in a rush, the Jedi formed a protective circle, with their energy blades poised for deflection. At the center of the circle, the judicials crouched with drawn blasters.

The human who had spoken to them from the hover vessel stepped out onto the balcony of a palatial structure that overlooked the plaza. Then, to all sides of the plaza, appeared Nebula Front soldiers brandishing all styles of blaster weapons.

Behind the terrorists gathered a curious but wary audience of slaves.

"Again, we are betrayed," Ki-Adi-Mundi said.

Depa looked back at the pyramid doorway.

Quaking with primitive fear, the three slaves were being shoved forward by two armed terrorists.

"Only by our predictability," she said.

"Master, who is our enemy here?" Obi-Wan asked quietly.

Qui-Gon shook his head. "I've been wondering that since Dorvalla, Padawan. There is more to all this than we know." The terrorists'

spokesman followed an exterior stairway down into the plaza, where he was joined by a second member--a Bith.

Obi-Wan glanced briefly at Qui-Gon.

"Master, isn't that--was "Quiet, Padawan," Qui-Gon cut him off.

The human and the Bith stopped while they were still some distance from the ominous circle the Jedi had formed.

"We have two choices here," the human began. "Of course, we could fight.

Ultimately, you would certainly emerge the victors.

But some of you might die in the process, and those who don't will be forced to kill all of us. Or--was He paused briefly. his-comwe could all lower our weapons." Qui-Gon looked to Yaddle and Tiin, who nodded curtly and deactivated their lightsabers. At a signal from the spokesman, the terrorists began to holster their blasters. Qui-Gon and the other Jedi followed suit, dousing their lightsaber blades but keeping the hilts at ready.

"I'm delighted that we could reach an understanding," the human said in what sounded like genuine relief.

Qui-Gon's gaze roamed over the terrorists in front of him. "Where is Captain Cohl?" He asked after a moment.

The question took the human off his guard. "Ah, of course," he replied, after a moment. "You recognized his ship."

"Where is he?" Qui-Gon repeated.

The human shook his head. "I'm sorry to report that Captain Cohl is no longer with us. I believe he retired. But back to matters at hand, do we have a truce here?"

"A temporary one, at best," Tiin cautioned.

"One piece of business first," the terrorist said, then turned to the soldiers who had herded the three slaves into the plaza.

Without warning, blasters discharged and the slaves fell to the ground.

Depa broke from the circle and hurried over to them, going down on one knee as she reached the slave who had guided them out of the pyramid. She touched the slave's neck, then glanced up at Yaddle and gave her head a mournful shake.

"That's what happens to traitors," the human was shouting to the slaves who had gathered round the plaza.

Qui-Gon exchanged brief looks with Yaddle and Tiin.

Seven lightsabers reignited.

"We're annulling the truce," Tiin announced.

The hologram showed a diplomatic cruiser attempting to maneuver through a field of asteroidlike s.p.a.ce mines, grazing one then another, and another, losing pieces of itself with each encounter, and in the end vanishing in a brief-lived tempest of expanding fire.

"That was the Ecliptic" Valorum explained to Senators Bail Antilles, Horox Ryyder, and Palpatine, in his office in the Republic Executive Building. "The images were relayed to Coruscant by the Famulus, one of the ships of House Vandron that led our mission into the Senex sector.

All twenty judicials aboard the Ecliptic are presumed dead." Valorum switched off the holoprojector and lowered himself into his soft chair.

"Has there been further word from the Prominence?"" Antilles asked.

Valorum shook his head. "We know only that those aboard-- seven Jedi and five judicials--survived the crash. By now they could be in captivity."

"Is there any evidence to suggest that House Vandron was involved in this?" Senator Ryyder asked.

He was exceptionally tall, even for an Anx, with a long, bearded head that rose like a mountain spire from his curved neck. His skin was a variegated yellow-green, and his fingers were elongated spindles.

He favored bright red robes, with high round collars.

"No evidence whatever," Valorum said. "Lord Crueya maintains that the commanders of their ships were ordered beforehand to avoid engagement, no matter what occurred."

"I don't accept that for a moment," Antilles said.

Valorum blew out his breath. "I'm not certain that I do, either. Master Yoda was right about the rulers of the Senex. They are no better than the Nebula Front terrorists."

"Has the Front issued any demands?" Palpatine asked mildly.

"Not yet. But I suspect we can sense what's coming: demands that the Trade Federation be disbanded, or that the Republic guarantee reduced tariffs for the outlying systems. I will not consent to those, but, if nothing else, we should at least postpone the trade summit until this crisis is settled."

"I respectfully disagree," Palpatine said.

"I'm certain that is precisely what the Nebula Front wishes us to do."

Valorum's forehead furrowed. "They could be holding the survivors hostage, Senator. And I'm responsible for having sent them into danger."

"All the more reason to stand firm." Palpatine glanced around the room.

"Supreme Chancellor, if I may say so, the moment is ripe to demonstrate the far-reaching authority of the Republic, and thus ensure Senate approval of taxation of the trade routes. Moreover, with the Nebula Front eliminated, the Trade Federation will be more inclined to accept taxation." Valorum frowned at him. "Need I remind you that the Senex sector is not Republic s.p.a.ce?

Sending additional forces to As - meru would const.i.tute a violation of Senex sovereignty. The senate would never sanction such action."

Palpatine remained calm. "Again, I beg to disagree. The senate will sanction it because Republic interests are at stake." Again he glanced at Antilles and Ryyder. "a.s.suming for the moment that the Jedi have failed in their diplomatic mission, the Nebula Front is free to disrupt the Eriadu summit, and thus broaden the existing conflict to include not only the Trade Federation, but also the Commerce Guild and the Corporate Alliance. Supreme Chancellor, you yourself said that the summit should, under no circ.u.mstances, be jeopardized. That was your paramount reason for dispatching the Jedi to Asmeru."

"Yes," Valorum conceded, "you're right."

"And what of the Senex Houses?" Ryyder asked Palpatine.

"They will support whatever actions we take, if only on the chance that we will rescind the restrictions that have prevented them from trading directly with the Republic." Valorum considered Palpatine's remarks, then shook his head. "Even if we are successful in securing Senate approval to proceed as you suggest, a show of force at Asmeru could provoke the Nebula Front to kill their hostages." Palpatine smiled tolerantly.

"Supreme Chancellor, the hostages are Jedi Knights."

"Even Jedi can be killed," Antilles argued.

"Then perhaps we should leave it to the Jedi High Council to decide a course of action." Valorum stretched the baggy skin under his eyes.

"I concur. I will attend to the matter personally." The lean air of the plateau was sibilant with the hiss of laser bolts, resonant with the thrum of lightsabers, energized by detonations of artificial light.

Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Ki-Adi-Mundi stood with their backs pressed to one another, deflecting a hail of blaster bolts the terrorists poured into the plaza. The blades of their lightsabers - comgreen, blue, and purple--moved faster than the eye could follow, blazing bright as novas as they sent the bolts caroming from the ancient stone walls and ricocheting off the sloping faces of the pyramids.

Elsewhere, standing tall on her extended legs, Vergere led a fleet a.s.sault up the staircase of an adjacent structure, her gleaming emerald blade raised above her downy head. Two of the judicials followed in her long stride, discharging their weapons as they ran.

Not far away, Saesee Tiin led another pair of judicials in a charge against a half a dozen terrorists entrenched in a narrow alley between two of the pyramids, his blade a blur of cobalt as it parried bolts and sent blasters flying from outstretched hands.

Yaddle and Depa remained with the injured cruiser captain near the entrance to the northern pyramid.

Pinned down by a torrent of fire from the summit of the ion cannon bunker, they swung and windmilled their lightsabers, repulsing bolts as if in some crazed sports contest.

Most of the slaves had scattered with the first bolts fired after the brutal execution of the three who had helped the Jedi. But several of the bioengineered bipeds were being used as living shields.

Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Ki-Adi-Mundi began to work their way deeper into the plaza, intent on reaching the grounded CloakShape fighters, or perhaps even the gunship, before any of the terrorists could get to the crafts.

Qui-Gon advanced with determination, scarcely aware of the thrum of his blade, or the chaotic fusillade of blaster bolts. His mind turned with each and every action of his adversaries, whirling right, left, or wherever needed. He left no traces of himself in any particular place or direction, focusing only on what lay ahead, with the past smoothing out behind him like the wake of a settling boat.

He remained subtle and imperceptible, invisible in his detachment, never lingering to watch, or clinging to thoughts of what he might have done.

Wounded by deflected bolts, terrorists fell in his path, though he had yet to meet any of them head-on, and by the looks of things wouldn't.

Already they were retreating fast for the fighters.

"If they launch, we'll really have our hands full," he told Obi-Wan in a moment of quiet.

Then a new sound whipped up the frigid air.

Around the sharp edge of the southern pyramid came two of the repulsorlift vessels the Jedi had last seen on the lake.

Bolts from the crafts' repeating blasters lanced into the plaza, carbonizing the cut stones where they hit. In unison, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan leapt for cover, while Ki-Adi-Mundi parried a stream of fire that nearly spun him completely around.

The vessels came about for another run, firing wildly.

Momentarily overwhelmed, the trio of Jedi were forced to fall back. Qui-Gon saw that Vergere's and Tiin's teams were also being driven back down the steps and into the plaza. First to hit level ground, Vergere directed the judicials to race for the shelter of the northern pyramid, but only one of the men made it. The other was cut down by fire from a nearby tower.

The two judicials who had fought beside Tiin were wounded. The Iktotchi carried one of them under his left arm, while he continued to divert bolts with the lightsaber clutched in his right hand. The other judicial scampered backwards, covering their retreat amid a storm of fire from the gunboats.

In a blur of motion, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan hurried to Tiin's aid, spinning and leaping in the face of the onslaught.

The gunboats had completed their pa.s.s and were swooping in for another strafing run. At a nod from Qui-Gon, he and Obi - Wan leapt ten meters into the air with their swords raised, ripping the repulsorlift engine from the lead craft.

Sparks showered down on them as they landed and rolled for cover.

Overhead, the gunboat careened out of control and struck the upper story of the palace, exploding into white-hot fragments and loosing an avalanche of stone onto the plaza.

Tiin and the judicials reached the safety of the pyramid entrance just ahead of the rockslide.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan followed them inside, as bolts from the second gunboat's repeater blaster rained against the portal's engraved columns and monolithic lintel.

Yaddle and the others were ma.s.sed in the rear of the corridor.