Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 10_ Jedi Bounty - Kevin J. Anderson [34]
With a menacing growl, he asked if his friends were also on Ryloth.
She flashed him a look of irritation. Of course they were here, she snapped. Unfortunately, they had been under some sort of misguided impression that Lowie needed to leave the Diversity Alliance immediately.
They had actually managed to sneak into Nolaa Tarkona's headquarters, no doubt with some sabotage in mind, or perhaps intending to kidnap Lowie.
Raaba's voice filled with derision. Nolaa Tarkona herself had pointed out to the foolish young Jedi that she could not allow them to steal Lowie away from his true friends. Humans were so arrogant! By breaking into her stronghold, they had proven themselves a threat to security.
Lowie interrupted Raaba. Then why hadn't Nolaa Tarkona simply sent his friends away?
Why was their ship still here? Where were his friends?
Raaba could not meet Lowie's eyes. She cringed at each question, as if it were a physical blow.
Couldn't Lowie see that they were just humans? she demanded. They hadn't been hurt in any way, if that was what was bothering him. But surely he understood that Nolaa Tarkona couldn't just let them leave.
Jacen, Jaina, Tenel Ka, and Raynar had broken into the Diversity Alliance headquarters, a deliberately antagonistic act. To let them go unpunished would be sheer folly. And, more important, Nolaa Tarkona couldn't allow anyone to try to shake the convictions of her loyal followers.
But his friends had come for him, Lowie bellowed.
And he had not joined the Diversity Alliance! Nolaa Tarkona had no right to imprison anyone who came to see him.
With genuine fear in her eyes, Raaba glanced around in alarm, as if afraid that someone might have overheard him. She adjusted her tattered red headband and urged Lowie to keep his voice down.
Growling quietly, he demanded in no uncertain terms to know where his friends were.
Raaba hunched her shoulders and looked at the floor. Nothing could help the humans now, she explained. He had to accept that. She had already done everything she could to mitigate the severity of their sentence. At least they were still alive; considering their obvious offenses, mining ryll was the least punishment they might have expected. Nolaa Tarkona had said that it was only fitting--since humans had enslaved so many species over the centuries--that they should now work to support the Diversity Alliance as it struggled to help all oppressed species.
Lowie gave a sharp bark of reproof. By such logic, had not humans now become a downtrodden species under the Diversity Alliance? It was obvious that humans were not the only species known for their cruelty to others.
Again, Raaba refused to meet his eyes, but she bristled with indignation.
Humans had been users and enslavers as long as history could remember; it was only fair that they now reap the crop they had so bountifully planted.
Lowie raised his voice again, not caring anymore who might hear him.
Such practices were no more correct now than they had ever been!
Jacen, Jaina, Tenel Ka, and Raynar were his friends. Those humans in the ryll mines had risked their lives to come here for him! He was going to pounds d a way to set them free--and if Raaba had ever been his friend, she had better not try to stop him.
When Raaba made no answer, Lowie stormed out of the room as abruptly as he had entered.
AS HE ANGRILY traced his way through the Diversity Alliance computers, Lowie uncovered false file names, broke passwords, and tracked down all the records he needed to see. With each discovery, he grew more and more outraged over the secrets Nolaa Tarkona had kept from him--and from many of her followers.
His friends had come here to see him, to talk to him... but the supposedly compassionate Diversity Alliance had thrown them into the spice mines. As slaves!
All the while, Raaba had continued her sweet words to Lowie, trying to persuade him to join the Diversity Alliance.