Jaina wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Your babies?”
“They’re the Ducha’s favorite hunting murgs,” Zar said. “I’m their handler.”
Zekk deactivated his lightsaber. “Don’t worry,” he said. “We’re not going to hurt…”
“As long as you help us,” Jaina interrupted. She sensed Zekk’s immediate disapproval, but stepped closer to Zar anyway. Sometimes Zekk was just too kriffing honorable for his own good. “Why is the Ducha hiding from us?”
“She’s not hiding,” Zar said. “I told you. She was so offended by your arrival that she decided to leave.”
“She decided to leave after we arrived?” Zekk asked. “You’re sure?”
“Of course I’m sure.” Zar continued to hold her arms out protectively. “After your sonic booms intruded on her serenity, she summoned me to say that she and the rest of the household would be departing. I was to stay and care for my babies-the murgs-and see to it that you didn’t steal anything,”
“Steal anything?” Jaina began to have a sinking feeling. “Did the Ducha know who we were?”
“She said ‘the Jedi.’” Zar’s arms began to tremble, and her gaze fell on Jaina’s still-ignited lightsaber. “Please don’t hurt my babies. It’s not their fault.”
“Nobody’s going to hurt your murgs,” Zekk said. He frowned at Jaina. “Right?”
Jaina deactivated her blade. “I guess.” To Zar, she said, “But you’ve got to show us how to reach the hang…”
A low rumble sounded from deep inside the hill. An instant later the almond-shaped silhouette of a Hapan luxury yacht shot into view and began to climb skyward on a pillar of blue efflux. Jaina stretched her Force-awareness into the hangar and felt only emptiness.
“Zar,” she asked, “is it customary for the Ducha to take the entire household when she departs Villa Solis?”
“Not at all,” Zar replied. “About twenty of us stay here all the time. There’s a lot to care for besides the murgs.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.” Jaina uttered a silent curse, then asked, “Have you noticed the fleet orbiting Terephon?”
“A good pilot always keeps one eye on the sky,” Zar said indignantly. “Besides, they’ve been sending fighter squadrons down to be refitted all week.”
“All week?” Zekk repeated.
Zar frowned and started to count days on her fingers. “Yes, all…”
“Never mind,” Jaina said. She turned to Zekk. “Before she could know about the coup attempt.”
“There was a coup attempt?” Zar asked. “We never hear anything on Terephon.”
Zekk put a hand on her shoulder and turned her toward the nearest tower. “Go. Find someplace safe.”
Jaina frowned. “You think the Ducha is going to hit her own villa?”
“I know she is.” Zekk tipped his head toward Zar, who had so far refused to leave. “If you needed to leave a decoy behind, who would it be?”
“Me?” Zar shook her head emphatically. “Never. I’m the Ducha’s favorite riding companion!”
Jaina ignored Zar’s protest and nodded to Zekk. “I see your point,” she said. The Ducha had started to mobilize her fleet before the coup attempt, which meant she had been one of its architects, and that was clearly a secret worth protecting-especially since Tenel Ka still seemed to think the Galney family was loyal. “But I don’t know that she’d level her own hunting villa just to get us.”
“We’re Jedi” Zekk countered. “And you know what it would mean to her if we get away. She has to be sure.”
“Okay.” Jaina had only to recall a few HoloNet accounts of miraculous Jedi escapes to know Zekk was right. The Ducha would be terrified that if they survived any attempts to kill them, they would warn Tenel Ka of her involvement in the coup. She turned to go. “Let’s get back to the…”
Jaina stopped when two hulking forms stepped out from behind a dwelling. They had wedge-shaped torsos, massive systems-packed arms, and gray laminanium armor. With red photoreceptors gleaming from the socket mountings of their distinctive death’s-head faces, there was no mistaking the droids’ make.
“Why-Vees!” Jaina’s heart leapt into her throat. Even Jedi were a poor match for the accuracy and ferocious firepower of YVH battle droids. She and Zekk ignited their lightsabers. “Uncle Luke better have a talk with Lando about who he’s selling those things to.”