Chapter 48: 48. Chapter

In the meantime, in a different part of the palace, a large door opens as a man in dark clothes and a dark cloak draped over his shoulders marches into the wide throne room in the company of several super battle droids. 

The Queen of the palace, of course, already knew of this man's sudden arrival. Yet, it was still much more unexpected than she would have liked to. After all, she did not get any kind of notice of this guest beforehand. Such rude behavior always put her in a bad mood.

She was a kind natured ruler, but having to be surprised like this in her own palace, was a bit too much. There were even battle droids brought into her throne room. This felt just like an inspection...

The queen froze for a second at that thought.

Wait, was this truly an inspection? Outrageous!  How does this decrepit old man think to humiliate her. Yet however she would like to, she simply couldn't raise a voice against one of the most powerful leaders of the separatist droid army. However, she knew, that Count Dooku was not exactly the man who would act unnecessarily. There must be a reason behind this sudden move, and she needs to know what it is. 

Therefore, she laid back on her throne slightly and welcomed the Count with a warm smile. 

-It is a true pleasure to see you visit me in my humble palace. Count Dooku.

-It is far to be a pleasure for me, Queen of Zygerria. Let us leave the niceties behind. There are urgent matters waiting for me, many concerning this war and the inevitable fall of the corrupt republic. 

-Then please share with me the reason of your sudden visit. ~ Stated the queen in a somewhat annoyed tone. 

-I came here, because of an unfortunate realization. Your palace had been infiltrated by Jedi spies. It is likely an attempt to assassinate you as the current leader of the New Zygerrian slave empire. 

-What?! Jedi infiltrated my castle? HOW! And more importantly who?

-I see, that the zygerrian's ability to find jedi's has not improved much since the last war, which your people had lost, pathetically, if I may add. 

-We are yet to see, if your Separatist coalition will do better in this regard; Count. ~Said the queen with obvious bile. 

-My Separatist coalition, which you are a member of, do not forget about that fact. ~Answered Dooku in the same way. ~ Be that as it may, troublesome information has come to my attention, which led me to come here personally. It seems, that you recently began to keep jedi slaves as your handmaidens none the less? A wanted girl, named Nizzal, more specifically. Bring her before me, right now. 

The queen's eyes grow large from hearing that statement, and the ordering way it was given to her. As if she was a slave to order around. With that thought, her mind was completely engulfed with rage. She stood up and shouted at the gray-haired bastard. 

-You will not order me around in my own palace Count! How do you even dare to question my actions in such a way? Since when do I need to explain my actions to you in an internal matter of my own palace!? 

-Since the moment you decided to ally yourself with the Separatist Systems. Should I remind you, who's armies are currently defending your miserable planet from the republic armies, or the reason why you are able to openly build a system and economy on the shoulders of slaves? You should have known better to... ~ Dooku's eyes suddenly widened as he uncharacteristically rolled to the right in the middle of his emotional speech. 

The very next second a series of laserbeams hit the ground where he had just stood, and one also managed to hit Dooku on his left calf, making him cry out in pain and surprise. He also began to limp slightly. He could not place that much weight on his left leg anymore. The Queen was completely frozen at this moment. She reflexively looked to see for the source of those shots. What she found was even more confusing. The attack came from one of her new guard droids. Did it malfunction? 

On the other hand, Count Dooku was so enraged at this outcome, that the edges of his eyes began to turn yellow. He looked around, surprised, as the four super battle droids he used as his escort were slowly destroyed by these six-weird droids, this type he had never seen before. He immediately ignited his lightsaber, blocking a few laser beams redirecting them back to the two specific droids that were injured by his own droids. They were immediately taken out, lessening their numbers to four.

He then made a quick pirouette holding the majority of his weight with his good leg, and cut down a droid that dared to come too close.

The other three reacting to this, immediately jumped back slightly. They even stopped firing, then he realized something. They were waiting for him to leave an opening. These damn droids, were programed to fight with force sensitives. He smirked, as he looked towards the queen while never letting down his own guard. 

-I see, that I may have judged you too hastily. Your droids are created with the purpose of hunting jedi. Now, I see, that the Zygerrian empire, has much more value than I thought previously, your majesty. But you have gone way too far with this presentation. Order your droids to stop, and we will speak of negotiations about your... clearly priced slave. I am willing to buy it, I may also forget your attempt to kill me, if you share the battle program of your bodyguard droids. 

The queen was not exactly sure at this moment, what had triggered her droids to attack. But it, in some miraculous way have solved her current problem, and also taught the Count a lesson. Therefore, she seemlessly hid her initial surprise and walked back to her throne while telling the droids to stand down. It was only when she sat down and finelly turned around that she realized the fact, that the tense situation hadn't changed. The droids were still in battle mode, and they were aiming at the Count. 

-Stand down! ~She shouted again, now much louder. Yet, nothing changed.

-What is the meaning of this? ~ She spoke aloud from her genuine surprise. 

-I see. ~ Stated the Count. ~ I guess I was too quick with the praise, as you are not even capable of controlling your own droids.

His eyes narrowed suddenly. 

-Then I have no other way, but to make my own presentation, of the immense power of the dark side. ~ With that he, raised up one of his arms slightly, and at the same time all three of the droids froze. Then soon they also began to raise up to the air, simultaneously with the Count's hand movement. The droids were already a few meters high, when the Count suddenly dropped down his arm, and the droids followed the motion, crashing into the floor, breaking into hundreds of different parts. Some of them even hit the queen, causing her to flinch in pain. 

At that moment, the doors burst open with the thrown body of a zygerrian palace guard. Soon after that, more droids began to rush into the throne room. Commando droids, the queen immediately realized. The palace was under attack, by the very droids that were guarding it until now. There was not enough zygerrian palace guard to defend against such an attack. She looked back at the still limping form of the Count. For the first time in her life, she felt fear between the walls of her own palace. In the place that until now, was a safe heaven for her. A sardonic thought appeared in her mind as the commando droids continuously flooded into her throneroom. Was she a slave all this time to the Separatists? Was this all a cruel illusion, all the power, her voice held, her authority? Everything?

-I have given you a chance to redeem yourself. ~ Stated the Count. She looked down at him, and while she was still sitting on her throne, that was raised to a higher position, making her always look down on the people and slaves brought before her.

No, that can't be the truth. She thought, these droids must have come to her rescue. Yes, that must be the case. She is still the queen, nothing really changed.

She raised her voice in the same confident way she had done so many times before.

-Droids, arrest him immediately! ~Not even one of the droids moved. There was complete silence and stillness.

-What are you waiting for, arrest him, I said! Your queen orders! ~ Still nothing happened.

-I am afraid. ~ Said the Count in an apathetic voice. ~ That you have missed your chance. There are other pawns at my master's disposal who will happily take your place at the first chance. 

-What? I am not that easily replacable. I am the rightful Queen. My people will never accept anybody else! 

-Your people? Ha! You must be joking. The aristocracy of your world will jump on the first chance to take on the royal line! Tell me, dear, who else will stand up for you? Your slaves? My droids? All of your money and wealth becomes useless in front of the unbending power of the darkside. 

Dooku slowly began to raise, this time, both of his hands in front of him.

-And now, you will suffer my punishment for your insurgency. 

-Insurgency? ~ Asked the queen in a weak and surprised voice as blue lighting lashed out of Dooku's fingers, directly hitting her in the chest. 

Her eyesight turned completely white as she fell out of her throne onto the cold marble floor, she felt as her body rolled down the stairs that were leading to her elevated throne. She felt intense pain in every part of her body. Her heart was beating erratically. Her blood was boiling in her veins. She was lying on her back, now, on the floor. She couldn't see anything, but somehow she was able to hear a dreadful voice, as if it was speaking directly into her mind. 

-How far, the mighty have fallen, Queen of Zygerria. Your delusion of power, ends here.

Another lightning strike struck the body of the Queen. The once powerful and feared woman, now was sprawled out on the marble stairs in front of a Darth Lord of the Sith in her own palace resembling nothing of the sort anymore. She was howling with an animalistic scream as the lighting slowly cooked her alive. After a few minutes of this, she finally stopped moving. She was dead. The smell of burned hair and burned flesh lingering in the room was the only reminder of her existence. 

The Count, turned away from the slightly charred body, and ordered the droids to search the castle for the girl, and for Anakin Skywalker. He wanted both of them alive, since his master had planes for Skywalker, and he couldn't go against such clear orders. Yet the girl was different. He wanted to figure out, why his master wanted to kill this twi'lek kid so much. What threat could this mere child hold against the most powerful being in the galaxy? This he needed to know, and if possible harness it, and with time use it against his own master. But, first of all, he needs to find her. Unfortunately, he got a nasty injury on his left leg, but the droids should be up to this task on their own. Even if Skywalker escapes, that girl should be easy to capture. 

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While those dire circumstances have played out in the throne room, a palace-wide battle began between the droids and the guards. While most of the slaves were caught in the middle of this battle. 

 Nizzal and Ahsoka were on their way to meet up with Anakin when they ran into a scared Eqomu, who immediately told them that a battle had begun in the palace, between the battle droids and the zyggerian palace guards. They decided to take Eqomu with them and run towards Anakin's room. 

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Soon they managed to reach the place, but the firefight was already closing on them. The sounds of fired blaster guns were echoing through the corridors.

They practically burst into Anakin's room, immediately closing the door behind them. Eqomu even pushed a nearby wardrobe in front of the door. After all, Ahsoka had already informed him, that they would come over to talk out an important matter.

Anakin watched the children play out their antics for a while, then he rolled his eyes and walked up to the heavily breathing bunch.  Well, mostly this unfamiliar boy was the one who actually seemed really tired. The girls were mostly fine, as they were trained fighters after all.

-So what is this commotion? ~ He asked them. Since none of them answered, he turned to his padawan. 

-Soka, tell me what happened, to make your new friend feel the need to barricade my door? ~ He looked at the mirialan boy, then to the twi'lek girl, who truly hadn't changed at all, only to turn back to his apprentice with a raised brow. 

-The palace is under attack by separatists. Nizzy thinks that Dooku's spies have managed to find her here. They have come to capture or kill her. 

Anakin turned back towards Nizzal, as if he was impressed by her stupidity, also, with her talent to find trouble. 

-Don't give me that look. ~ Said Nizzal, with growing annoyance. 

This was the moment, when Nizzal's collar suddenly began to vibrate. Everyone around immediately turned towards her. Only to see her suddenly pale face with a purely horrified expression. 

She gulped loudly, frozen in place as her life played out before her mental eyes. 

Ahsoka too, realized what might have happened and rushed to the side of her friend, but she couldn't do anything else in her panicked state. Therefore, she simply tried to pull off the damn collar with the force. Yet she only managed to slightly strangle her friend with the pulled collar, so she had to let it go. 

_____________________________

From the perspective of Nizzal. 

The moment the collar began to vibrate, I realized what must have happened. The queen is dead, and the internal mechanism in the collar must have been triggered... She didn't feel any pain, but that doesn't mean that the poison wasn't injected into her already... There are small enough needles to leave no sense of pain behind. 

I watched as Ahsoka tried to help me, to remove this damn device, but if something like that would have been this easy, I would have done it already. I looked at my friend's worried face, and the others confused expressions. Anakin tried to ask Ahsoka the reason for her sudden panic. But she was too confused at the moment, and didn't answer. 

I straightened my back, and looked my friend in the eye. Then I said. 

-It's okay... We need to move. There is no time... 

-But! ~Shouted Ahsoka.

-No but! Move... the... I-I will hold them back... While I can. 

-What the hell are the two of you talking about!? ~ Shouted Anakin as he completely lost his composure from being outright ignored for so long. 

Suddenly a completely new robotic voice joined the discussion. Yet, it was very familiar to Nizzal. 

(Statement) -Connection has been made to the communication device. Processing local data, redirecting information. Information had been received. Began communications. 

-You! Where the hell is your voice coming from? Even if that is my last action, I will blow you up, you cursed droid! 

(Statement) -I can speak with you through the communication device built into your collar. There is also a beacon that sends us signals with your current position. The order's attempt to assassinate Darth Tyrannus has failed. I have sent a rescue team to extract the bait, from your current position. They will arrive through the balcony in a few minutes.

-Well, that makes things easier. ~Said Anakin, with a happy smile. ~I don't really know who this guy is, but if he tried to assassinate a Darth, I like him already. Also, Tyrannus? Is that supposed to be Dooku? What a stupid ass name. Ha! 

I blinked as my mouth fell open slightly. 

-If... if there is a microfon, a speaker, a beacon signal, and who the hell knows what else, built into this damn collar, then, how is there place for twelve different types of poison!? 

(Humorous statement) -Oh, there is no poison. Our agents have removed that long before it was locked onto you. Now it is nothing more than a communicator and a signaler device. 

...

...

...

...

-I will destroy YOU! 

(Sta--ment) -The sign-- is -ost, they m-st ha-- --ga- to disrupt our comm-...

-STOP PRETENDING YOU USELESS JUNK PILE!

-Oh, so that was the problem? ~Asked Anakin. ~ I am gonna say, that this droid definitely managed to get under her skin. Definitely.

Ahsoka was also shocked by this whole outcome. She was happy, yet sour, that all her worries seemed to be wasted right now. She couldn't really react to this completely unexpected outcome, and therefore she instead chose to stand in her place and look at her currently raging friend. 

Eqomu, in the meantime, managed to understand most of the situations by silently listening to this conversation. He also managed to control his erratic breathing. He walked up to Anakin and said. 

-Master Jedi, could you somehow remove my collar? 

-Certainly. ~ Answered Anakin. Then waved his hand over the normal collar, that immediately disassembled itself and fell on the floor in small pieces. 

Eqomu was clearly shocked, seeing how easily his collar fell apart. Yet he still managed to say.

-... Thank you, master jedi! I will go out onto the balcony and watch out for this evacuation team.

-Good, do so, but be careful!

-Yes, Master Jedi!

Then Anakin turned back to the still shouting Nizzal.

-... and who the hell did you call a bait! I will grind you into dust and throw you off of the highest cliff I could ever find, after I have deleted all of your memory copies! I know that you can still hear me!

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