Star Wars by Zoraida Córdova

Author:Zoraida Córdova [Córdova, Zoraida]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Published: 2022-11-22T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

—

“Is this what you call protection?” Queen Adrialla asked.

Though her question was pointed toward the Monarch, Gella couldn’t help but feel her tone suggested all parties involved.

After being shuttled back to the Rook’s palace, they’d filed into a cavernous dining hall. Eiram’s queen and her consort sat on the left, along with the Jedi, though Phan-tu doubled back and took a seat beside Xiri A’lbaran.

Marble sconces dotted the stone walls, and silent attendants hurried to set the table with goblets of a weak, bitter ale, which Gella understood had become popular, if necessary, during droughts. Gella felt the heightened nerves from a redheaded young woman as she spilled some of the drink and quickly apologized before wiping down the surface and scurrying out of the room.

The Monarch, who’d gazed off into the distance in silence, did not respond to the queen’s question.

“No one was hurt,” Phan-tu said, though he averted his eyes from his mother’s gaze.

“First it’s rocks,” the queen pressed on. “Then it’ll be thermal detonators. Then what? Perhaps—”

“Perhaps we need to move faster,” Captain A’lbaran said tensely.

“Perhaps,” the queen bit back, “we should not have spent so much time celebrating a man who was going to try to hurt my son.”

Captain A’lbaran rested her hands on the table, as if she was gathering patience. “I will not argue with you, Queen Adrialla. We do not know why Captain Segaru was there, or if that is the place where he was killed. You forget, both of our lives have been threatened in so many days. Right now, we must provide relief and quell any more fighting across both our worlds.”

“Captain A’lbaran brings up an important point,” Master Roy said, his deep, assertive voice turning everyone’s attention toward him, even the Monarch’s. “We have reason to believe, now more than ever, that someone is working to make certain that your great worlds remain in a state of disruption.”

Master Sun set a holoprojector on the table. The projection showed a rotating image of the jamming beacon Gella had destroyed. “We uncovered this on your Timekeeper moon.”

“Was this when you found that unfortunate soldier?” the queen prodded. “On Eirie, you mean. That is our name for the moon.”

“No,” Master Sun said, clearly understanding that even the shared moon between worlds was not without its claims. “Shortly after the collision that began all of this.”

The Monarch made a sound of disgust. “And you did not think it pertinent to inform us? You Jedi like your secret ways, don’t you?”

“I do not know what you mean by that, Monarch A’lbaran,” Master Roy said, leveling that stare that made even younglings stand at attention. “At the time, we thought it best to gather as much information as possible before being a source of disruption ourselves.”

“And what did you find?” Xiri asked eagerly.

“A rudimentary thing, assembled from junk and salvage.” The Cerean master paused before continuing. “Traces of dust from E’ronoh in the wiring.”

The queen started to get up, but her consort placed a gentle hand on her regent’s.

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