Read Online Star Wars: The Last of the Jedi, Volume 4 by Jude Watson - Free Book Online

seen.”
    They ordered drinks and food, and Clive ate ravenously while Ferus filled the group in on what had happened to him. They told him about the attack on Solace and her followers. Ferus was grieved
to discover that the Empire had acted so quickly and that the other Erased had been killed.
    “The good news is that we all reactivated our information networks,” Oryon said. “We were able to find out where the Imperial thugs were holding you.”
    “We’re not ready for a real resistance movement—not yet,” Keets said. “But we can see a day where we could link up with other planets.”
    Ferus saw it, too. It was years away, he knew. But someday the pockets of resistance on each planet would communicate with each other and form a network. Maybe even an army. It all had to start
somewhere.
    Ferus nodded. “We just have to begin. And Coruscant is the perfect place to start. The Senate has always been full of informers, people eager for a bribe. Just because the Emperor has
taken over doesn’t mean it isn’t still true.”
    “Yeah, we also heard Malorum is on Naboo on some top-secret mission he concocted for himself,” Keets said. “So you don’t have to worry about him for a while.”
    Naboo.
A warning bell went off in Ferus’s mind. Why?
    Because Obi-Wan told me to be alert to any investigations into the death of Senator Amidala of Naboo. Her funeral had been held there, in the city of Theed.
    He tried to dismiss the importance of Malorum’s visit. There could be any number of reasons for him to go to Naboo. But he could not forget that Obi-Wan had told him that Malorum could
threaten the future of the galaxy if he was allowed to continue his investigations.
    For a moment, he felt a spurt of annoyance at Obi-Wan. The Jedi Master was sitting in exile, giving Ferus a vague order to watch out for something without telling him what was at risk. Ferus
would have preferred a clear-cut mission.
    Yet he couldn’t ignore this.
    He looked around at the table. He would go alone, of course. But he had the feeling that this unusual collection of fighters wouldn’t let him. He wasn’t sure how it had happened or
why, but they shared a bond. Even Clive.
    “I have to go to Naboo,” Ferus said.
    Keets put down the pitcher of grog he was about to pour. “Just when I was starting to relax,” he moaned.
    “I’m not asking you to come,” Ferus said truthfully. “But I have to go.”
    He felt the weight of the moment as they considered his words.
    Clive slammed down his heaping forkful of food. “This place has really gone downhill,” he said. “Let’s go.”

Naboo was a lovely world. Theed was renowned across the galaxy for its natural marvels. The waterfalls kept the air in a state of constant, exhilarating freshness. Flowers and
vines twined on every gracious building. The people of Naboo were known for their warmth and cordiality, their love of peace. There was an art to living, they felt, and their food, their buildings,
and their clothes indicated this. It was a beautiful, ornate world, and Malorum wanted to blast it into space dust.
    Everywhere he turned, he was met with smiles and bows. When he asked questions, he was met with earnest desires to help him, thoughtful frowns, fingers clicking on data keys, careful reviewing
of records.
    But no answers. “Alas and sadly…” the functionary would say with a helpless shrug.
    It was infuriating. No one defied him, no one refused him, but no one gave him what he wanted. As soon as he thought he had grasped something as firm as carbonite, he found he was holding only
air. And there was no way he could threaten them, for they seemed to cooperate fully.
    Why did he get the feeling that behind his back they were delighted to thwart him?
    He could see why the Emperor decided to send an Imperial battalion here despite the objections of Queen Apailana. They hadn’t interfered in the planet’s governance, but their
presence was a necessary reminder of who