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I found the Second Impertum. You found the Diversity Alliance."

"I didn't realize," Lusa said. I am sorry. I thought I was the only one who had experienced such things... but we each have darkness in our past.

I offer no excuse for the things I did: I put my trust in the wrong people and tried to ignore my conscience. I was a fool."

Zekk nodded. "And it's not easy to start a new life once you've been the enemy. I was a fool, too."

Master Skywalker smiled wryly. "Well, now that we've got that settled, we all have information we need to share. First, I'll explain why Tionne left so quickly today. While I was on Coruscant, Leia got a report that a band of musicians sympathetic to Nolaa Tarkona were using their engagements as a cover to smuggle weapons for the Diversity Alliance.

Tionne isn't entirely human and, because she's an excellent musician, she volunteered to check out the story.

It could be a dangerous assignment, so as an added precaution, I asked her to take the Shadow Chaser and Artoo. That's all we know so far."

Zekk spoke next. He stumbled over his words at first, not sure how to explain what he had learned. He told about his initial interest in Bornan Thul as a means to gain fame as a bounty hunter, his assignment to find the scavenger Fonterrat, and what he had learned about Gammalin and the plague. Zekk concluded by describing his encounters with Bornan Thul and his certainty that Raynar's father must be protected from Nolaa Tarkona at all costs.

"Did you hear anything about this plague while you were working for the Diversity Alliance?"

Master Skywalker asked Lusa.

The centaur girl shook her head, tossing her glossy cinnamon mane. "I did know Nolaa Tarkona was always searching for power. She made it clear that she would pay well for powerful weapons--or for information on where she could get them. She was even willing to sacrifice a follower or two if it meant getting the resources she needed. At first I thought her noble. Now I know she was merely ruthless."

Zekk SUppressed a shudder "I'm pretty sure that Bornan Thul has the key to where Fonterrat found the plague. But I can't understand why he didn't just turn over the infoaation to the New Republic."

"He probably guessed the Diversity Alliance had infiltrated the New Republic," Lusa said.

"The Bothan assassin just proved that to us."

"Shouldn't we put everyone on alert, then?"

Zekk said. %Ve can't trust anybody."

A worried frown creased Master Skywalker's forehead. "That's not as simple as it sounds.

It could lead to panic and false accusations. We can't let faithful members of the New Republic come under suspicion just because they're non-humans."

"That may be exactly what Nolaa Tarkona intends," Lusa said. "If humans in the New Republic start turning on aliens, she can point to it as proof that humans will betray their own allies. It would be the perfect tool to persuade more aliens to join the Diversity Alliance."

"That's why Chief of State Organa Solo and I agreed not to spread the word too widely for nowwat least until she's had a chance to question that Bothan guard," Master Skywalker said.

"It's a tricky situation," Zekk agreed. "It could be just as dangerous to distrust the right person as to trust the wrong one. Maybe Bornan Thul wasn't wrong to keep his information to himself."

"Or maybe Raynar's father believed he could destroy the source of the plague himself without telling anyone," Lusa said.

"Whatever his reason," Zekk said, "I came here because I thought Raynar could persuade his father to trust us. Thul is going to need help. I know how to find him now: I have a tracer beacon on his ship. Do you understand why it's so important for Raynar to come back from wherever he went? I need him with me when I go to find his father."

Lusa's eyes filled with tears. "I promised not to tell where they went,"

she said, 'qut they were supposed to have been back days ago.

They were all willing to risk their lives because they were afraid for Lowie and his sister."

Zekk sucked in a sharp breath. Master Sky-walker sat up straight.