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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?” theprincess 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 speakingcasually now, almost