THE SHATTERED PEACE(27)

“Why do you ask?” Qui-Gon queried.

Taroon shrugged, but his eyes were wary. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“Your father has sent an order for you to leave for Senali immediately,” Qui-Gon said. “Why do you remain?”

“I had left some equipment here,” Taroon said quickly. “I need to include it in my packing so I can be on my way.”

“You weren’t packing when we came in,” Obi-Wan pointed out.

Taroon gave him a haughty look. “Who are you to question a prince?”

“He is a Jedi,” Qui-Gon said firmly. “Your father called us here to help settle this matter. It is not settled, is it, Taroon?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” the young man said nervously.

“Taroon, we don’t have time for evasions,” Qui-Gon said. “I think you were behind your brother’s kidnapping on Senali.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Taroon cried. “Why would I arrange such a thing? I love my brother. I am a patriot!”

“Both of those things are true,” Qui-Gon said. “You love your brother, but you are also angry at him for turning his back on you. You are a patriot, but you would arrange an attack on Rutan in hopes Leed would be blamed. But Leed is here, Taroon. I doubt the king will blame him. He will blame Meenon. Maybe he will retaliate, and a war will result. But perhaps you don’t care about that. Perhaps you think such an event would tear Lead in two. Perhaps you want this.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I do know there will not be a war,” Taroon said. “My father talks and talks, but he will not attack. Anyway, I had nothing to do with any of this.”

“You know your father will not attack Senali for sure? You are willing to gamble lives on it?” Qui-Gon questioned, his tone growing in intensity. Obi-Wan did not think he could have withstood such a piercing gaze.

Taroon’s glance slid away. “You can’t talk to me this way.”

Qui-Gon strolled farther into the room. “Let me tell you what I think happened,” he said. “You enlisted a small group of Rutanians. Perhaps they are friends of yours at school, a mix of those who are close to you and those who hope to benefit should you become king instead of Leed. While you remained on Rutan, this group secretly traveled to Senali and established a ghostly identity, just enough to alert Meenon of their presence. They smeared themselves with clay so that no one would be able to see that their skin wasn’t scaled. They stole things or violated sacred places so that different clans would grow angry with one another. They fostered unrest to gain attention and dislike among Senali. All of this you planned.”

Sweat beaded up on Taroon’s forehead. “You can’t prove anything.”

“You arranged to kidnap Leed because during his disappearance you would arrange an attack on Rutan. You wanted him as the leader of the Ghost Ones to be blamed. Even though Leed escaped, you decided to continue with the plan. Evidence will point to Leed as the one who orchestrated the attack. This will serve to banish Leed from Rutan forever - and won’t make him terribly popular on Senali, either, as the Ghost Ones will suddenly disappear. The Senalis will blame Leed, too. He will be left with no world at all. No supporters. And you will become king. Isn’t that right, Taroon? You betrayed your brother for your own ambition.”

“Not ambition! Love for my planet!” Taroon burst out. “Leed is right. He is not the true ruler of Rutan. Doesn’t he deserve what will happen? He turned his back on us long ago! He is my brother. He should have thought of his family. He should have thought about me. I grew up without him. I had to withstand the rages of our father. He grew up with care and love. I grew up with neglect!”

“Your father is many things, but you cannot say he does not love his sons,” Qui-Gon said gravely. “Perhaps he does not see you as the strong young man you are.”

“He does not see me at all,” Taroon muttered.

“It must be hard to be called a fool by your father,” Qui-Gon said. “Your anger is understandable. But you are feeding your anger instead of seeking to conquer it. If you faced your father and spoke your truth to him, the situation could change. Instead, you strike out like a child. The difference is that you are a prince, and the result of your anger will be war.”

“There won’t be a war. Just an attack. No lives will be lost,” Taroon said sullenly. “I picked a symbolic target.”

“How will it occur?” Qui-Gon asked urgently. _ “Is it the seeker droids?”