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Cassie followed Anikan around all-day, silent and speaking only when spoken too. Anikan barely noticed she was there. He made her known to all the clones so they all knew she was supposed to be there and was not trespassing. Finally, he had things he had to attend too so he broke off and told her to go wherever she wanted. Cassie nodded and trotted slowly away.

She didn't really know what she particularly wanted to do. She sat down, as a dog, squaring her haunches and watching the activity progress around her. Atlas lay down beside her and licked her ear.

Anikan came back later, looking for his apprentice. He didn't know where she was, or what she was doing. He hoped she hadn't eaten anyone, or was causing any trouble. He saw her dog lying down next to a gray cat, which was watching a bird with interested amber eyes, tail twitching. Anikan walked over to the strange pair.

"Where did you come from?" he asked to the gray cat absentmindedly.

"I've been here all day master", it said mildly, and Anikan practically jumped a foot. He looked down at the gray cat, which was looking up at him in a humble sort of way, the bird now gone.

"Cassandra?" he asked almost cautiously.

The cat nodded and said, "I can change my form, but you'll always know me by my collar." She stood up and let the diamonds catch the sunlight.

"Do all Necorians wear those?" Anikan asked.

"Some do", Cassie replied subtly. Then, she stood up on her hind legs and turned into a girl. My dog can change his form as well. He too wears a collar so you'll know him from me. Anikan nodded.

"Very well then", he said with a clipping business like tone. "The sun's going down so I suggest you find a place to sleep." Cassie inclined her head to him in a gesture of placid respect and slapped her hip, summoning Atlas who got up and followed her. She whispered softly to him in Necorian and as her tunic shifted, Anikan saw several large bruises on her delicate back. "Just one more thing adding to the mystery that is Cassandra", said Anikan softly to himself. Then, he went back to Obi-wan's tent to talk over the battle plans for later. The subject strayed lightly over Cassie.

"She's interesting master", said Anikan, "at the very least. I'd kill to know her story." Obi-wan nodded.

"I agree", he said, "I do believe she's been beaten. She's in poor physical shape at best. She's easily malnourished and has obviously been hurt."

"She's got like these weird bruises on her back", said Anikan, "some of them almost look like burns from a training lightsaber. She doesn't seem like she could hurt a fly right now."

"You still don't trust her Anikan", Obi-wan asked. Anikan shook his head. "Ohh well, said Obi-wan I suppose that will come in time. You better go and get some rest." Anikan nodded and walked out of the tent. As he was walking to his tent, he saw Cassandra, silent as a wisp of smoke, slowly lowering herself to the ground beneath a tree. As a dog, he could see rubbed off patched of fur on her hips, as if she had spent most of her time sleeping, lying on hard surfaces.

Cassie rotated her hips so that she could find a more comfortable place to lay them and finally settled down, heaving a big sigh. Atlas came over and put his head on her neck.

"You know", said Anikan, squatting down next to her, "I could maybe try and find you a better place to sleep." She looked at him with deep, intelligent eyes and swiveled a hip to reposition it on the ground.

"I am fine", she said, bowing her head at him. "This place is fine."

"Well", said Anikan, "What about those." He pointed at the bald patches on her hips. Cassie touched one almost sheepishly with her pointed nose.

"From sleeping on concrete", she murmured, "The earth is soft." Anikan didn't quite agree with her on that one, but he let her have her way and got up.

The next day, Anikan woke up early feeling restless. He went over to the tree and saw that Cassie wasn't there. He found the place where she had lain and felt the grass was soft and springy. It was pretty comfortable, he supposed, if you were a dog. Then, Anikan decided to take a walk in the nearby, where he saw Cassie's tracks leading. He followed them through the tall grass, but lost them in the thick jungle foliage.

Then, Anikan saw a large sandy colored shape. The glint of an ice blue collar told him it was Cassie. He wondered what she was doing. He saw her muscles flex beneath her thin, flawless hide. She was crouched down and Anikan saw one of the local red deer eating not ten feet away from her. Cassie had not an ounce of fat on her. Her body was sinew, bone and muscle.

She contracted her shoulders, her eyes fixed hungrily on the deer. Anikan took a step foreword in anticipation, but accidentally cracked a twig. The deer lifted its head and Cassandra pounced, but the deer was already away. Cassie could never hope to catch it now that it was running. She gave a roar of frustration and tore at the ground. She snorted and slashed her ivory claws into the nearest tree, leaving inch deep gashes.

Anikan decided he probably didn't want to be found as the spoiler of her hunt, so he started to back away. But, he suddenly cracked another twig and Cassandra spun around, pulling herself up to full stance, her ears twitching and swiveling. She stared right at where Anikan was, her eyes narrowing.

She lowered herself to the ground almost in a stalk position and started to move on her belly towards him in full hunting mode. Anikan stood perfectly still, and Cassie got up, cocked her head and then trotted off in the other direction. Anikan heaved a sigh of relief when suddenly, Cassie spun around, her large body crushing him to the ground in an instant.

At first, her face was a mask of cold fury and he could see her full intentions of his death. Then, she looked at him and gave a little gasp. She jumped off and stood a little ways off, looking at him confused.

"I'm so sorry master", she said, "I didn't know it was you. I just thought it was some stupid monkey."

"That's basically what I am", said Anikan whimsically, picking himself up. Cassie lowered her head and gazed up at him meekly. Anikan could see the fear in her eyes. This giant cat that would have killed him in an instant was now looking at him as if her world would end of his accord. She shied furiously when he lifted his hand and her tail went between her legs. "It's ok", said Anikan, "You didn't hurt me." Then, he heard another twig snap behind him. Cassie looked at him with her head cocked but he shook his head and stayed perfectly still. Cassie lowered her body to the ground, in hunting mode. Her jaws twitched with anticipation and she crept foreword on her belly.

Then, she launched herself into the brush. Anikan heard a squeal and a snarl and turned to watch Cassie. She had her jaws around the deer's jugular and blood was spurting all over her face and paws. She latched one of her paws in the deer's leg and flipped over on her back. The deer struggled to get up, but was held down by the dead weight of Cassie on its neck.

Then, Cassie lifted a paw and with a swift stroke, broke the deer's neck. The beast sank to its knees and stopped struggling. As soon as Cassie was sure it was dead, she jumped off it and grinned happily. She tossed back her head and made a series of odd sounds that Anikan decided must be joy.

Cassie sunk one paw's front claws into the meaty shoulder of the big deer and said something quietly in Necorian before taking them out and starting to tear open carcass. Anikan watched her with something close to morbid fascination. Cassie noticed him and backed up.

"I'm sorry", she said, "Did you want any?" Anikan took one look at her filthy paws and fur sticking on end with dried blood and decided.

"No", he said, "We humans aren't really in the habit of eating raw meat. You enjoy it." Anikan felt like puking when he saw a bloody entrail drop out of her mouth half way before she sucked it back in and cocked her head in surprise, as if the thought had never occurred to her in the slightest.

"Ok", she said, "but are you sure?"

Yes," said Anikan. Cassie nodded her head and sunk her claws into a nearby tree and she dragged her kill up it.

"Be back to camp soon", Anikan yelled up to her from beneath the tree.

"Ok", Cassie replied, but as she spoke, something long, slimy and bloody dropped out of her mouth and onto Anikan's head. "Oops", she said, "Sorry master, but you should eat that, it really is the best part."

"What is it", Anikan asked.

"Beats me", said Cassie, "but its good. Try it." Anikan lifted it off his head with his two fingers and threw it on the ground. Then he ran off before any other internal structures could drop on his head. Cassie watched him go, confused. It was a perfectly good whatever and she wondered why he was so afraid of a little slimy whatever. He could always just wash his fur. Then, she shrugged her shoulders and continued eating, too hungry to contemplate the mysteries of humans.

Anikan spent ten minutes throwing up spectacularly into a bush when he got back to camp and got some water to wash his blood covered hair.

Cassie came back a little bit later, her paws and face still spattered with blood. She settled down in a corner and began the task of cleaning her face. Rex walked by Anikan.

"Who'd she kill sir", he asked, "not one of the 501's I hope."

"No", said Anikan, "just a very unfortunate deer."