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 space 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 space?
Sending additional forces to As — meru would constitute 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.
'Assuming 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 circumstances, 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 assault 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.
