A/N Hello/Guest, thank you very much for reviewing again! It is greatly appreciated. :)

As far as addressing your new inquiries, like I said before, I plan on keeping Padme's age the same as I said it was. BUT, I don't plan on adding too much romance until much later chapters, so you don't have to worry about that if you feel uncomfortable with the age-difference between her and Maul.

And yes, Padme was brave to ask Maul questions about himself (I mean seriously, who asks a personal question to someone who looks like they want to take your head off? XD), but to tell you the truth, I myself am so inquisitive when it comes to people that I probably would've been so tempted that I'd have to ask too.

As for what Sidious wants with Padme? IT'S TOP SECRET!

I Can't tell you yet, it's a surprise! Haha!

...Actually...to tell you the truth, I'm still trying to think of a reason for it.

I already have several different ideas I'm going through in my head, but if you have any good ideas, let me know because I'd love to read your input.

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Star Wars.

Chapter 10: Efficient ~

(Darth Maul's POV)

She didn't listen to me.

Didn't take heed to my warning.

She bolted out of the cave, searching for the source of the obnoxiously loud screeching sound.

I jump to my feet and sprint after her. Though I can usually sense a creature's next move, I actually find it hard to predict what this girl will do next. There's so much going on in her little head, that it is a little taxing to keep track of everything at once. I had not expected her to be such a problem.

I know what that sound is, if I am not mistaken.

I follow her through the soft sand.

She manages to make her way around the cave and into the rest of the canyon. The sheer cliff walls tower over us, and create long, blue shadows.

My eyes cautiously scan the canyon overhead.

It's empty.

All I can see is the wide sky.

The wind sweeps through the canyon, sending sand pattering against my clothes.

The girl stops dead in her tracks, only a few feet ahead of me.

"There's nothing here..." She says, disappointed.

There is an unsettling silence.

Something is wrong.

If I were not a Sith Lord, but an ordinary being, I would feel trapped.

But I am not trapped.

Am I meant to be?

Suddenly, a riderless bantha lurches into sight around a canyon wall.

The young queen clings to my arm in fright, completely ignoring the fact that I could shove her away if I wanted to.

But I don't. Although I'm not fond of physical contact in the least (unless it involves tearing a creature's head off), I don't mind letting her soft, slender finger tips grip my arm.

My concentration is broken for only a mere second. And in that second, a Tusken Raider takes shape from a shadow under the cliff, and races towards us, brandishing his gaderfii stick.

Tuskan Raiders are aggressive, fierce attackers. Well adapted to the desert, they wear sand-colored robes, breath masks, and eye protectors. Locals call them Sand People. Their weapon of choice, the gaderfii, is double-ended like my lightsaber, and glints with metal sharpened to a lethal edge. The local people fear them. They merely bore me.

I activate one end of my lightsaber, waiting for the Raider to reach me.

The girl hides behind me.

I am almost weary at the prospect of this battle. Really, if one has to fight, it's more interesting to have a challenge.

He rushes at me, all aggression without finesse, honking an odd battle cry. With one deft stroke, I cut his gaderfii in two. The tiresome creature roars and shakes the half that is left.

He charges me again.

Instead of attacking, I follow his every move with my lightsaber, and block it.

I can tell which way he will move before he even strikes. He tips it off in so many feeble ways- -by his balance, the position of his shoulders, his posture.

He roars even louder in frustration at my game.

It is time to finish this.

But as I gather myself for a combination move that will strike him down, several other Sand People suddenly appear out of nowhere.

They spill out from behind dunes, and underneath sand, from what appear to be mere cracks in the cliff face.

It is then that I recall another thing about the Sand People: they travel in single file to hide their numbers.

There are now at least thirty of them.

All heading towards us.

The Sand People advance on us angrily. In their breath masks and goggles they are protected from the sand that now stings my eyes and clogs my mouth.

The howling intensifies.

The Raiders shake their gaderfii and begin to surround us.

I protectively push the the girl further behind me, and command her to stay put.

As long as she doesn't get in the way, I can take them out quickly.

Frustration boils inside me. All these interruptions are deflecting me from my mission.

One fierce Raider is the first to come at me, racing forward with his stick held high.

I elbow him in the head, and stab him in the chest with my saber. He staggers backwards and falls hard on the ground, spraying sand everywhere. This gratifies me, but it does not please his companions.

Another Raider comes forth to take his place, and lunges at me with his gaderfii stick.

I dodge his attack easily, and take off his head with one slice of my lightsaber.

It falls to the ground with a 'thud'.

The other Sand People try closing in from all sides all at once.

I push the girl even further behind me, causing us to be backed into one of the canyon's walls.

We are not trapped. A Sith is never trapped.

I can get us out of this, I've been in worse situations.

I spring forward on my right foot, and begin ferociously attacking them.

Using my anger as fuel for my internal fire, I begin cutting them into ribbons.

Watching as each creature falls limply to the ground.

My lightsaber is a blur of light and motion.

One after another, they are dismembered and dismantled.

But even with as quick and efficient as I am, one of them manages to sneak up beside me, and kick sand into my eyes.

Momentarily blinded, I lose my focus.

I am in the middle of a vertical sweep when he grunts, rolls, and comes up on my other side.

I jump away from his attack, but the gaderfii catches me on the leg.

I feel the blade slice into my torn flesh.

The pain shoots through me like a syringe, but I bare my teeth at him in contempt.

I cannot let my enemy see me hurt.

Master would never allow it.

My rage is a torrent, burning river. I leap, and twist, keeping my weight on my good leg.

My lightsaber is part of my body now; merciless, hard, cruel.

I dance around him, slicing his arms, chest, shoulders. I want a thousand cuts to kill him.

He falls face down without a cry.

I pant heavily.

That was the last of them.

Beads of sweat roll down my forehead, and I swipe them off with the back of my sleeve.

I stare at the bodies before me, reveling in their defeat.

The girl peeks over my shoulder, and slowly comes out from behind me.

She looks down at the bodies and their scattered parts with a horrified expression.

The anger quickly drains from me when my eyes meet her hurt ones.

"Why did you do that?" She asks, voice cracking.

I stare back at her, baffled.

Hadn't she seen what they were doing? Didn't she know what their intentions were?

"They were going to kill us." I say matter-of-factly.

"I know that!" She says, raising her voice and swiping the air with one of her hands.

I blink once in surprise.

I guess even queen's are subject to outbursts.

"But you didn't have to kill them," She cries. "at least, not like that..." She trails off.

She wraps her arms around herself, and stares at the ground.

I tilt my head and look at her.

"What do you mean 'like that'?" I ask curiously.

I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. I simply did what I always do when faced with enemies of great numbers; I killed them.

She lifts her head up to face me, her eyes sparkling with tears.

"Like what you did." she chokes. "You could've taken them out painlessly, I know you could have. But instead you chose to toy with them, and slowly pick them apart, piece by piece."

I keep my eyes on her as she takes a step closer to me.

"And for what?" She asks, "Some sick, inner rage?"

Though I've never felt guilty of killing another creature before (and still don't actually), I kind of feel like I should feel guilty.

But for what reason? I'm not sure.

Like usual, I feel a deep satisfaction for being able to wipe out as many of them as I did. I don't feel remorse for any of my actions. I was never in the wrong. They were just unfortunate beings who happened to come across a more experienced fighter. It wasn't like I intentionally sought them out to kill them.

This time, anyway.

I don't understand why a human would feel so passionate about treating other species with some form of respect. It doesn't make any sense.

Some species kill others, it's just what we do.

It's the natural order of things. Without beings like me, there would be no order.

I side-step her figure, and begin walking away.

Pain shoots through my leg with every step, but I choose to ignore it.

To show pain is to show weakness.

And I am not weak. Therefore, I shall not show any pain.

"You may think I am evil," I say, stepping in between two bodies on the ground. "I am not."

I look over my shoulder to face her.

"I am efficient."