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Natua was nowhere to be seen.

All the lights went out. And the screaming started.

IT HAD HAPPENED SO FAST NATUA COULDN’T BELIEVE IT.

“Any emergency exits?” Han had asked, holding on to the frightened Amelia. “I’d just as soon get out of here.”

“There’s one next to every pen,” Natua said. “At the end of the crosswalk.” Her eyes flickered to the exit, judging how long it would take for them to make their way through the crowds to it, and then back to Amelia.

No. Not Amelia.

An imposter.

All along, Valin, Jysella, Seff—they had been right.

Her hand dropped to her lightsaber and she looked quickly at Jedi Leia Organa Solo, at her husband, her daughter.

“You know, we just might trade you in for a chitlik,” Not-Han said. “They’re a lot easier than little girls.”

Natua stared as the false Amelia giggled. A child? How could they—whoever they were—impersonate a child? And why? “But not nearly as cute, right?”

All imposters. All of them, even Radd. She scanned the crowd. Was every being here one? How deep did it go? All the way through the Masters, through the GA?

Natua dropped back, letting her pheromones activate, exuding a feeling of calm toward those crowd members close to her, and began to think about how she was going to get out—and find those who were still their true selves. What had been done with the real Leia, Han, Amelia, Jaina?

It was her duty as a Jedi Knight to find out—and stop the imposters any way she could. Her gaze fell to the pens below her and the creatures they contained. It was a desperate, dark measure, but it was one she was willing to take. The imposters’ voices floated back to her as she moved toward the exits she herself had pointed out.

The fake Han’s quip was lost in the murmur of the crowd as Natua opened the door and slipped through.

This area was bare-bones utilitarian in contrast with the theatrical décor in the pen area. She could see ducts, wiring, and unpainted duracrete as she glanced around. Next to the door was a uniformed human male with his feet on his desk, reading a holozine. He did a double take at her, the feet came down, and he hurried toward her.

“Good afternoon, ma’am, I hope our exhibition of dangerous animals wasn’t too intense for you. Are you in need of medical attention? Feeling faint perhaps?”

Natua would have rolled her eyes had the situation not been so dire. They kept up the charade even in the back areas, it would seem.

Something was wrong with him, too. She could not put her finger on it, but even though she had never met him before, she knew that he, like the others, was not who he pretended to be. She wanted to simply Force-hurl him against the wall, but she needed him. She stepped forward, her skin reddening as she exuded pheromones and moved two fingers very gently.

“Jedi. There’s an emergency. You have to take me to the control room immediately. Lives are at stake!”

His skin, too, reddened as he blushed slightly in reaction. “I—lives are at stake out there. Come with me at once! I’ll take you to the control room.”

LEIA ACTIVATED HER LIGHTSABER AT ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME INSTANT as Radd. The pale blue glow of her weapon gave her enough light to see the panic on their faces that she could already hear in the screaming voices. Allana’s, right beside her, was the loudest. The only other illumination came from several tiny rows of light below them that outlined each pen and marked where the force fields were erected. The crowd, already unnerved by the sudden leap of the rancor, was now pressing toward the exit doors.

“They’re locked!” someone yelled.

“Blast it,” Leia murmured under her breath, then, more loudly, using the Force to augment her voice, she shouted, “Everyone remain calm! I’m certain it’s just a glitch and will be remedied soon. We’re in no danger.”

She caught Radd’s eye and jerked her head in the direction of the nearest exit. He nodded and began to push his way through the crowds.

“I’ll get the one over by the rancor pen,