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“Injured? Who is this?” came a suspicious voice.

“Just get here.” Leia did not have time for further conversation. She needed to find and stop Natua before she injured—or killed—any more.

The voice came from just around the corner. Natua was taunting her. “Oh, of course it isn’t. You’re Leia Organa, Jedi Knight, Princess and former Senator, loving mother.” Scorn, anger, and a dreadful sense of betrayal laced the words.

Leia moved carefully toward the sound of the voice. Natua was most assuredly not in her right mind. Further conversation was not going to convince her, not if the way Seff, Valin, and Jysella had behaved was any indication. The best thing to do would be to incapacitate the Falleen as quickly and painlessly as possible.

She extended her senses but could not pick up on Natua’s presence in the Force. Could Natua, too, hide herself from detection in the Force? If so, it was becoming altogether too common an ability and far too annoying for Leia.

“You’re not an imposter who’s stolen the real Leia away.” The voice dripped sarcasm. “And Amelia? A child? How could you do it?”

The voice was coming from right around the corner. Leia turned the corner and, lightsaber lit, sprang—on nothing.

JAINA REALIZED SHE WAS GOING TO BE LATE IN PICKING UP HER FATHER and niece. She was going to be late because she was a Jedi, and people were in trouble, and she could stop it, and so she would.

Security was now coming into the main hall and firing on the loose creatures. Jaina winced as the hall was filled with the sounds of blaster-fire and animals in pain on top of the screaming of the terrified patrons. It was grimly necessary; there were far too many animals running free, and the lives of sentient beings were at stake. But there were some that she could help.

Jaina closed her eyes for an instant, calming and centering herself. This was a challenge for her at the best of times, and now it was almost impossible, but she managed it. Opening her eyes, she stretched out each hand toward the nearest frightened beasts. One was a dewback, agitated at the press of people. The other was a kybuck, leaping about frantically.

It’s all right. You don’t need to be afraid. No one will hurt you. Come back to the safety of the corral. Follow me.

The dewback bellowed, but after a few moments trundled toward Jaina. The kybuck came even more swiftly, and Jaina patted its soft flank. When the dewback lowered its head to her, Jaina smiled at it and stroked it as well. She leapt onto its back and reached out again, and again, until there was a small cluster of animals pressed close to her.

Jaina planted suggestions in the milling throng right in front of her. Some were stronger-willed than others, but they were all looking for direction and guidance, and in the end they parted for her and her little parade. Jaina burned to go faster, but that would agitate the animals, and it was more important that they stay calm than that they get to the pen two minutes faster. After what seemed an eternity, they came to one of the corrals. Its elaborate security system had been shorted out, but there was still a basic gate with a bar that fell down into place, and that would suffice. Jaina herded the beasts through, gave them one final thought of You’re calm, go ahead and sleep, and turned around.

Right into a familiar and disliked face.

“You!” Jaina shrieked, pointing at Javis Tyrr. The sleemo was filming her! She marched up to him, placed her hand over the cam droid’s lens, and pushed her face into his.

“Jaina Solo, can you verify that Jedi Natua Wan has succumbed to the same mental illness that—”

Jaina reached out with her other hand and gripped his shirt. “You saw her? Where?”

Faced with the prospect of imminent bodily harm, the calm, professional journalistic demeanor bled away. “Just a minute ago. She was opening up all the corrals. I have it all recorded.”

“Where did she go?”

He pointed to the side of the exhibition hall. The corrals went all the way