36. It Begins

Naboo, Maul POV

My former Master is here. Sidious. I can feel him in the castle. I know not why he has returned to his home-world, and I am unsure whether to confront him or not. He all but abandoned me to the Queen's Mercy.

Lucky me, she spared me. No matter. I am Hers. I never thought this much, nor about such things, before she found me. Maybe that conditioning agent increased my intelligence? Hmm... I suppose it's possible. Regardless, I'm a lot less impulsive now. More cautious.

A sound. A thin tree branch was stepped on. I open my eyes, and turn to look in the direction, only to find Dooku.

"What news, Count?"

"It is time, Maul. Sidious is getting anxious, wanting to start the war. Order 66 has been changed from 'kill' to 'capture' in regards to Jedi, on Her orders. After all, we are all Chosen by the Force, are we not?"

Indeed. All force users are sacred. A valuable commodity.

"Does she intend to infect them, as she did me?"

"Who can say, Dooku, what goes on in the minds of those species that are so long lived as to be functionally immortal? How the heck should I know what she is thinking?"

I had all but hissed at him, squatting on my tree branch, looking down to him on the forest floor as I was.

"True. We don't exactly think like you single-minded organisms. How do you put up with being so alone all the time?" A third voice spoke up. My head whipped to the side.

Kerex. One of Ashla's newest experiments. His domain is poison. Please, let him be here on business! If Kerex is here for pleasure... Well, let's just say he sometimes will try to test out his newest creations without considering whether or not we have agents in the area. He has stingers in place of finger-claw, a large scorpion tail and is the only general who does not fly.

It's not that he can't, he just... doesn't.

"Kerex. Why are you here? For Business? Or pleasure?" I asked.

"Business. Queen-Mother recently discovered Shaak meat. Wants many farms on Naboo. Not too mention... With Inventory, we can store meats, eggs, plants and minerals. Hides. Leathers. Ships."

Yes, the Queen is quite unusual, as she has near unlimited storage space. Those modified GS-100 ships, more commonly referred to as a Trandoshan Scavenger, the Queen has continue to search and salvage, collecting even the smallest bits of scrap, separating the different metals and materials, melting them down and turning them into ingots and sheets of glass and plastic.

"Regardless, Queen-Mother desires a stock of goods in reserve in case of the worst happening." -Kerex

"The worst? Did Hoden see something?" - Dooku

"War. The same war your previous owner wished to start. It begins soon. I don't know how soon, but she is getting anxious. And it all starts on Geonosis." - Kerex

[Yes. It starts soon. I can feel it] - Ashla

We all instinctively bowed out heads submissively.

[Dooku. Hoden has seen that your hired hunter will fail. This will lead Kenobi to investigate the weapon used to kill the changeling, ultimately leading him to Kamino, discovering the armies your former Master had made. He will chase the original to Geonosis, were you will have him executed. This will also fail. It is acceptable.]

"Your Will is my Command, my Lady Ashla." - Dooku

[Maul. Continue observing Sidious. See to it the Boy's crush is unharmed by him.] - Ashla

"Understood." I said.

[Kerex... No testing new toys without my express permission, understood? I really don't think you would like the consequences.]

"Yes, Queen-Mother. I understand completely." - Kerex

A discomfort, a disconnect. She had turned her attention elsewhere. No matter. We had our tasks. And we would carry them out, faithfully.

"I must be off. Be wary, brothers. May the Force be with you in these troubling times."

"And with you, Brothers Dooku, Maul."

I grunt in the affirmative, showing that I shared the sentiment.

Anikin POV

I was dreaming again. The surroundings seemed to swim in and out of focus. A voice.

"Hello, old friend. It is good to see you are well, my Prince."

"Ashla. You've come for another visit? or to teach me more of the Force? Are you well?"

"I am indeed well, my friend."

"And yet, something troubles you." I gesture to my side, only to find a table with chairs and refreshments had appeared out of nowhere. "That's new. Anyway, tell me about it?"

A hissy clicking. Laughter. "We are currently in a dream, dear Prince. It is only natural for the dream to supply what is needed. But... in answer to your question, I must also ask you one. Do Jedi still receive visions?"

"Some do. Most don't." We were sitting now, enjoying the food and drink the dream had provided. "Why do you ask?"

"Keep this quiet, but one of my generals, Hoden, is a Tarsho. He Sees things. Visions, the Jedi tend to call them."

"And what did Hoden see?"

"War. Men in white carapace, fighting machines. Death. So many innocent lives... men... women... children... even infants! Betrayal. The death of a planet."

"Is there nothing that can be done?"

"No... Every plan we came up with, Hoden would see the same thing. War. Death. Destruction. Everywhere. It's tearing him apart, Anikin."

To call me by name... She isn't playing. She is being deadly serious right now. I couldn't help it. I swore.

The misty walls of the dream began to close in.

"It would seem I'm waking up soon."

"My advice? Study up on military tactics. Earn the trust and faith of your men, when you get them. Never forget, they are people as well. They live and think, feel love and hate, bleed and die. Just. Like. You. Understand?"

"Right."

"And remember this, above all else: Try as you might, you can't save everyone, my Prince. Because war never changes."