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She folded her legs to kneel beside him, then spoke gently. "I am...

offering."

Jacen breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well then," Jaina said, "what are we waiting for?"

It took the companions nearly two hours to get back through the jungles to the Jedi academy.

Jaina and Lusa took Raynar into the Great Temple so that the medical droids could examine him, while Tenel Ka and Jacen headed directly toward the landing field.

An armored Hapan vessel hovered overhead. A couple of New Republic guardian ships had apparently accompanied it down from orbit, and the guards stood awkwardly on the stubbly grass, gazing up at the cruiser.

At Tenel Ka and Jacen's approach, the ship finally descended onto the field. When the exit hatch opened, two dozen armored Hapan soldiers scrambled down the ramp and arrayed themselves around the vessel to form a barrier against anyone who might try to come close to the former Queen of Hapes. Only then did Ta'a Chume herself appear. The aristocratic old woman glided down the ramp, waved an imperious hand to summon her granddaughter and Jacen, and disappeared again into the ship.

Jacen felt nervous as he and Tenel Ka walked toward the ring of guards, who parted to let them pass. The warrior girl led the way into the ship without hesitation.

In the centermost chamber, Ta'a Chume waited for them. She perched regally on a repulsor-bench, looking every centimeter the queen that she had once been.

Tenel Ka stopped directly in front of her grandmother.

"I assume you have brought information about the Diversity Alliance," she said without preamble.

Ta'a Chume sighed. "Such a beautiful child.

And such a shame about the loss of your arm in that lightsaber accident.

If you would only reconsider about that prosthetic limb..."

Jacen saw Tenel Ka stiffen.. "Grandmother, you did not come to Yavin to discuss my arm."

Jacen was surprised that the former queen did not seem offended by her granddaughter's abrupt answer, and instead merely shrugged and smiled faintly. "No, but you can't blame a grandmother for trying. I did some research for you....

Tenel Ka nodded. "What have you learned about Nolaa Tarkona?"

Her grandmother's smile grew warmer. Your instincts about the Diversity Alliance are quite correct. It's more than a simple political movement.

The conspiracies and intrigues are almost worthy of the Hapan government."

Tenel Ka scowled. This was not good news.

Jacen leaned forward to hear what Ta'a Chume would say next.

"My spies have only begun to uncover a particular truth that the Diversity Alliance hides, even from some of its most dedicated followers.

But first, let me warn you: although they preach unity and equality for all alien species, the Alliance itself is as intolerant, in its way, as the Empire ever was. I'd even venture to say that the Diversity Alliance was founded more on hatred of humans than on the ideal of unity."

"Yeah, we kind of got that impression, too," Jacen said.

Tenel Ka's grandmother glanced at him and continued. "You probably know that the Diver-sityAlliance's headquarLers are on Ryloth, home-world of the Twilek race."

Tenel Ka nodded impatiently. "Yes, their leader is a Twilek. It was only logical that she would base her headquarters--"

"But what you don't know," Ta'a Chume interrupted, "is that all of the profits from ryll spice--the most lucrative of all Ryloth's exports--have for the past two years been siphoned off to fund the Diversity Alliance."

Jacen listened with interest. His father, Han Solo, had told him about his adventures with glitterstim spice from the planet Kessel, but · lacen knew relatively little about ryll.

"And," Ta'a Chume went on, "those profits have built the Diversity Alliance into a formidable power indeed. The funds have been used to purchase weapons-both legal and illegal--to hire bounty hunters to track down enemies, and to hire assassins to ensure the silence of... former friends."

Iacen gave a low whistle.

The ersvhile queen's expression turned frosty.

"Apparently, this Nolaa Tarkona is rather more