Read Online The Unseen Queen by Troy Denning - Free Book Online Page A

control over the Force at his age than any person Jacen had ever known—enough to shut himself off from it whenever he wished, enough to prevent even Jacen from sensing just how strong in the Force he really might be. “What else do you feel?”
    “Two people.” Ben pointed through a door in the back of the room. “I think one’s a kid.”
    “Because one has a smaller presence in the Force?” Jacen asked. “That’s not always a guide. Sometimes, children have—”
    “Not that,” Ben interrupted. “I think one’s holding the other, and she feels all … mushy.”
    “Fair enough.” Jacen would have chuckled, save that he had already sensed through the Force that Ben was right, and he could not understand what Tenel Ka was doing alone in her chambers with a child. It had been nearly a year since their last meeting, but they had spoken several times since—whenever they could arrange a secure HoloNet connection—and Jacen felt certain that she would have told
him
if she had decided to take a husband. “But we shouldn’t make assumptions. They can be misleading.”
    “Right.” Ben rolled his eyes. “Shouldn’t we get out of here? If a security droid catches us in here, this place is gonna be dust.”
    “It’s all right,” Jacen said. “The Queen Mother invited us.”
    “Then how come you used your memory rub on the guards?” Ben asked. “And why do you keep Force-flashing the surveillance cams?”
    “Her message asked me to come in secret,” Jacen explained.
    “Asked
you
?” Ben furrowed his brow for a moment. “Does she know
I’m
coming?”
    “I’m sure she has sensed your presence by now,” Jacen said. Spies were so pervasive in the Hapes Cluster that Tenel Ka had asked him not to acknowledge her message, so there had been no opportunity to warn her that he would have to bring Ben along. They were supposed to be on a camping trip to Endor, and a sudden change in plans would have aroused suspicion. “But I know Tenel Ka will be happy to see you.”
    “Great.” Ben cast a longing glance toward the security door behind them. “I’ll be the one the security droid blasts.”
    A motherly voice spoke from the next room. “And why would I do that?”
    A large droid with the cherubic face and padded, synth-skin chest of a Tendrando Arms Defender Droid—similar to the one who guarded Ben when he was not with Jacen or his parents—stepped into the room. Her massive frame and systems-packed limbs were still close enough to the YVH war droids from which she had been adapted to give her an intimidating appearance.
    “Have you been causing any trouble?”
    “Not me.” Ben glanced up at Jacen. “This was
his
idea.”
    “Good, then we’ll get along just fine.” The corners of the droid’s mouth rose into a mechanical smile, then she turned her photoreceptors on Jacen. “Jedi Solo, welcome. I am DeDe One-one-A, a Tendrando Arms Defender—”
    “Thank you, I’m familiar with your model,” Jacen said. “What I don’t understand is what Queen Tenel Ka needs with a child protection droid.”
    The smile vanished from DD-11A’s synthskin face. “You don’t?” She stepped aside and waved him forward. “Perhaps I should let the Queen Mother explain. She is expecting you in her dressing chamber.”
    The droid led them into an extravagant bedchamber dominated by a huge bed covered by a crown-shaped canopy. Around it were more couches, armchairs, and writing desks than ten queens could use. Again, the chamber smelled of cleanser and polish, and there was no indentation to suggest that the bed, pillows, or chairs had ever been used.
    “Creepier and creepier,” Ben said.
    “Just be ready.” Until Jacen knew what was causing the cold knot between his shoulder blades, he would have preferredto leave Ben somewhere safe—except he had no idea where ‘safe’ might be, or even if they were the ones in danger. That was the trouble with danger sense—it was just so blasted vague. “You