Lucia's life despite being freshly pistol-whipped:and despite the fact that Lucia had stuck a gun in her face only minutes earlier.
Lucia owed her life to the young healer, and from that day forward she had vowed to keep Serra safe, no matter where she went or what she did. It wasn't easy. Before marrying Gerran, Serra had moved around a lot. Never content to stay in the same place, she seemed to travel to a different world every few weeks. It was as if she was searching for something she could never find, or running from something she could never escape.
At first the healer had been reluctant to have someone constantly watching over her, but she couldn't stop Lucia from following her as she moved from planet to planet. Eventually, she came to appreciate the value of having a trained bodyguard on hand. Serra was willing to go anywhere and try to help anybody, and the Outer Rim could be a violent and dangerous place.
Over the years, however, Lucia had become more than just the princess's protector: she was her confidante and friend. And when Gerran had proposed to Serra, she accepted his offer only on the condition that Lucia still be allowed to serve at her side.
The king hadn't liked it, but in the end he had relented and made Lucia an official member of the Doan Royal Guard. But though she had sworn an oath to protect and serve the king and all his family, her true loyalty would always be to Serra.
That was why she was so nervous as they approached the throne room. Though she hadn't admitted anything to the princess, she had a pretty good idea of why the king wanted to see them.
When they reached the entrance Lucia was required to hand over her blaster; by custom only the king's personal guard could possess weapons in his presence. Though she did so without comment or protest, she always felt uneasy when she didn't have a weapon within easy reach.
She had accompanied the princess to enough audiences with the king to become accustomed to the magnificent blue-and-gold decorations of the throne room. But it looked different this morning: larger and more imposing. The typical crowd of retainers, servants, dignitaries, and honored guests were nowhere to be found. Except for Serra's father-in-law and four of his personal guards, the room was empty-what was said in this meeting was not meant to go beyond these walls.
If the yawning chasm of the strangely empty throne room bothered Serra, she gave no outward sign as she approached the raised dais where the king was seated on his throne. Lucia followed a respectful three steps behind.
Physically, the king resembled an older version of his dead son-tall and broad-shouldered, with strong features, golden shoulder-length hair, and a closely trimmed beard that was slightly darker in color. But while Lucia had come to know Gerran during his marriage o Serra, she knew little of his father's personality. She only saw him from a distance at official functions, and in these settings he had always been formal and reserved.
At the foot of the blue-carpeted stairs Serra stopped and dropped to one knee, bowing her head. Lucia remained standing at attention behind her.
'You sent for me, Your Majesty?'
'The terrorists who orchestrated the attack on my son's airspeeder were killed last night.'
'Are you certain?' she asked, looking up at the king seated in his throne above her.
'A security patrol responding to an anonymous tip found their bodies this morning in an old cave they were using for their headquarters.'
'This is glorious news,' Serra exclaimed, her face lighting up as she rose to her feet.
She took a half step toward the throne, perhaps to embrace the king. But her father-in-law stayed in his seat, unmoving. Puzzled, Serra pulled back as his guards glared at her with suspicion.
Seeing the king's reaction toward the princess, Lucia felt her stomach twist into a knot. She hoped none of the others could sense her anxiety.
'Is there something you're not telling me, Sire?' the princess asked. 'Is something wrong? Are they sure it was Gelba?'
'They've positively identified her body. Two of her bodyguards and three of her top lieutenants were also killed:along with a Cerean named Medd Tandar.'
'A Cerean?'
'He was a Jedi.'
Serra shook her head, unable to make sense of the information. 'What was a Jedi doing on Doan?'
'A member of the Council contacted me and asked that I allow one of their people to make contact with the rebels,' the king informed her. 'I agreed to their request.'
The princess blinked in surprise. Still standing rigidly at attention, Lucia gave no outward reaction, though she was just as stunned as her mistress.
'We've always tried to keep the Jedi and the Senate out of our business on Doan,' Serra protested.
'The politics of our world are under attack,' the king explained. 'Support for the rebels is building within the galactic community. We need allies if we want to preserve the Doan way of life. Working with the Jedi will make them and the Senate less willing to take action against us.'
'What did he come here for?' Serra demanded, her voice cold.
The king scowled; Lucia realized he didn't like being interrogated in his own throne room. But, possibly out of respect for his lost son, he didn't take the princess to task.
'The Jedi had news that the rebels may have uncovered a cache of ancient talismans-objects imbued with the power of the dark side. The Cerean was sent to investigate these claims and, if true, bring the talismans back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant where they could do no harm.'
Lucia could see the logic behind the king's decision to grant the Jedi leave for their mission on Doan. The last thing the nobility wanted was for their enemies to gain possession of potentially devastating weapons. If the reports were true, the best way to nullify the threat would be to have the Jedi deal with it. Unfortunately, the death of the Cerean was not part of the plan.
'You think the Jedi will blame you for Medd's death,' the princess noted, her sharp mind putting all the pieces together. 'You knew he was making contact with the rebels; it will look like you hired the assassin to follow him to their hideout.'
The king gave a solemn nod.
'Gelba's death has dealt a great blow to our enemy, but others will surely rise to take her place. Terrorists breed like insects, and our war with them is far from over.
'So far the Senate has not interfered in our efforts to cleanse our world of these criminals. But if they believe I used the Jedi to further my personal desire for vengeance, they will not sit idly by.'
The king rose from his throne, standing up to his full height. He towered over Serra where she stood on the steps below the dais.
'But this assassin was not acting on my orders!' he pronounced in a voice that echoed off the throne room walls. 'This was done without my knowledge or consent:a clear violation of Doan law that may cost us everything!'
'Is that why you brought me here, Sire?' Serra asked, refusing to be cowed by his anger. 'To accuse me of betraying you?'
There was a long silence as they stared at each other before the king spoke again.
'When my son first declared his intention to marry you, I opposed the union,' he replied. He was speaking casually now, almost as if they were chatting over a meal. But Lucia could see his eyes were fixed on the princess, studying her intently. 'Yes, Sire,' Serra answered, giving away no hint of emotion. 'He told me as much.'
'You have secrets,' the king continued. 'All my efforts to learn about your parents or your family turned up nothing. Your past is well hidden.'
'My past is of no consequence, Sire. Your son accepted that.'
'I have watched you these past three years,' the king admitted. 'I could see that you loved my son. I could see you were devastated by his death.'
Serra didn't say anything, but Lucia could see moist tears beginning to form in her eyes as she thought back on memories of her husband.
'Over the years I have come to appreciate those qualities my son saw in you. Your strength. Your intelligence. Your loyalty to our House.
'But now my son is dead, and I cannot help but wonder where your true loyalties lie.'
