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Leia sighed. "And those other times he wasn't upset over an embarrassing diplomatic dinner, either. Look, he's older than you are, and legally he can come and go as he pleases. But even if we knew for certain that he was missing-which we don't-there's very little we could do about it. The galaxy is a big place. Who knows where he might be?"

"People turn up missing all the time, and we simply don't have the resources to look for everybody. Just this week I've had reports of at least three other teenagers missing in Imperial City alone. Why don't you wait and talk to Peckhum when he gets back tomorrow? Maybe he'll have some ideas." She herded them out of the room so she could get back to work. "Right now I've got to get ready for my next meeting with the Karnak Alphan ambassador. And then I have to see the Howler Tree People again for a musical ceremony this afternoon...." She rubbed her temples as if in anticipation of a headache. "I really do love my job-uh, most of it at least."

As they left Leia's office, Jacen groaned. "Mom doesn't believe there's even a problem."

"Then I guess we'll have to keep searching on our own," Jaina said.

Lowie growled agreement.

"It's all up to us," Jacen said, pounding a determined fist into his palm.

"This is a fact," said Tenel Ka.

11

AFTER WHAT SEEMED like an eternity, Zekk fought his way back to consciousness. He felt as if a million volts had shot through his body, short-circuiting half of his nerves and leaving his muscles tingly and twitching. His head ached. The hard metal floor beneath his body oozed a cruel chill. The harsh white light hurt his eyes.

When he sat up, he had to blink away sparkling, colored spots. Waiting for his vision to focus, Zekk finally realized there was nothing to see-only blank, whitish-gray walls. He found a small speaker grille and the vent for an air-circulation system, but nothing else. He couldn't even find the door. Zekk knew he must be in some kind of cell.

He remembered struggling with the evil-looking people who had captured him in the lower city-a black-haired woman with violet eyes using a strange scanning device, and a dark young man who had stunned him....

"Hey!" he yelled. His voice sounded rough and hoarse. "Hey! Where am I?"

He got to his feet, swaying from dizziness, and made his way to the nearest wall. He hammered on the metal plates, shouting for attention. He worked his way around the small room, but found no door crack. He stumbled to the speaker and shouted into it. "Somebody tell me what's going on. You have no right to take me prisoner!"

But in spite of his brave words, Zekk knew things that Jaina and Jacen, raised within the protective confines of the law and guarded by security forces all their lives, had never understood. Zekk knew that his "rights"

wouldn't be protected if someone had the power to take them away. No one would fight for him. No one would send military fleets to rescue him. If Zekk disappeared, there would be no public outcry. Few people would even notice.

"Hey!" he shouted again, kicking at the wall. "Why am I a prisoner? Why do you want me?"

He whirled as he heard a whishing sound on the opposite side of the room.

A smooth door slid aside to reveal a powerful-looking man flanked by stormtroopers. The man was tall and wore silvery robes. His hair was blond and neat, his face gentle and complacent. His exceedingly handsome features looked as finely made as a sculpture. The man's very presence exuded an aura of peace and calm.

"Aren't you over-reacting a bit?" the man said. His rich voice hummed with power and charisma. "We came as soon as we realized you were awake.

You could have hurt yourself by pounding so hard on the walls."

Zekk did not allow himself to relax. "I want to know why I'm here," he said. "Let me go. My friends will be looking for me."

"No they won't." The man shook his head. "We have enough information about you to know that. But don't worry."

"Don't worry?" Zekk sputtered. "How can you say-" He stopped short, as the man's words struck home. No,