Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update. Thanks for the reviews! :D And for adding to alerts and favorites. You guys are awesome!

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars and the movie quotes used from Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones and references to one of the scenes in Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith are obviously not my own work and belong to George Lucas!

Chapter 11

When Zekaloph awoke…his whole body hurt, like he'd been trampled by a herd of angry Banthas. He groaned, not at all happy that he returned to the world of the living. Once his vision cleared, he was surprised to find that he was not still lying on the cold, hard, training room floor but rather on his soft bed. Someone had been tending to his injuries. There were both hot and cold compresses gently bandaged on the areas of his body that were bruised. One of his arms was wrapped in soft gauze. A soft, white bandage roll was wrapped firmly around his torso and his back. He searched the room for the healer in question and his golden yellow eyes landed on the silver form of his protocol droid he had yet to name. He cracked a small smile.

"Uhh…hi there."

The droid turned from where he had been sorting through medical supplies to look at him.

"Master Zekaloph, you have sustained multiple injuries but none of them are life threatening."

The child was so glad he was already propped up against his pillows so he didn't have to strain his body to sit up.

"Did you do this?" The child gestured towards the bandages covering his extremities.

"Yes, Master Zekaloph. How do you feel?"

This was most peculiar… a protocol droid that was also programmed with medi-droid functions? He tried to sit up and sharp pain lanced through his chest, forcing him to lie back down with his eyes tightly closed. He hissed in pain and when he opened his eyes again the droid was standing right next to him with a needled syringe filled with yellow liquid. Zekaloph tried squirming away.

"W-what are you doing?! What is that?!"

"This is to help relieve your pain, Master. It will help you to rest and will speed up the healing process."

"Wouldn't bacta patches be better?"

"They would indeed. However, Count Dooku will not allow it. He wanted me to deliver this message to you once you finally regained consciousness…"

The droid activated a hand-held recording device and played the message. The child suppressed a savage snarl when he heard the old man's voice and felt the hot rage and hate building up in his chest.

"My apprentice, I trust you have learned a valuable lesson today. Know this—you must learn to overcome your suffering. A true Sith fears neither death nor pain. You must focus and use your aggressive feelings, your anger, your hate, and your rage to conquer the agony you must be feeling. Our next lesson begins tomorrow. Rest assured it will not be physical. However, should you choose to express your pain by any means, you will suffer for it. Rest now, my apprentice. There is much you need to learn. I will summon you in the morning. Do not be late."

The recording ended with a brief hiss of static. Zekaloph rolled his eyes in severe annoyance and released a pent up growl. He had been tempted to use the force to rip the recording device from the droid's hand and crush it in one fist once the message began to play, but knew there would be severely negative consequences should he remain oblivious to what his master had said. There was no telling if the Count would try to surprise him with a pop quiz during tomorrow's lesson.

Zekaloph was too hurt and tired, to offer up any more resistance when the droid approached him again with the syringe. He suppressed a flinch when the needle pierced his scaly skin and punctured a vein, pumping the yellow substance within him. The child felt an immediate change. The pain that had been viciously throbbing through his aching extremities and through his torso lessened considerably. He released a sigh of relief and felt his body sink further into the soft bedding and into the plush cushions.

This was all very odd to him. He had paranoid suspicions about the droid currently tending to him. The Kaleesh boy really needed answers… but he wasn't going to attempt to carry on a long conversation with his droid until he finally had a name! His reptilian eyes focused on the serial number engraved on the droid's left shoulder plating. He knew that most droids were named based on their serial numbers but that was way too boring. Let's see, what could he name him? The droid wasn't a warrior or a soldier but for some reason the word "Sentinel" kept coming to mind, seeing as how the droid always seemed to watch him. The child thought about it for a few minutes and finally settled on a suitable name.

"I'm going to call you Senti-7. How does that sound?"

The protocol droid nodded in acceptance.

"Very well, master."

The droid turned his back on the child and began to clean the mess he had made while tending to the Kaleesh boy's injuries. Soon the pain reliever that had been administered began to take powerful hold of Zekaloph and before the child could protest or resist, was pulled into a deep slumber. Once the droid was certain the boy was unconscious and had swept the area with his scanners to ensure that they were indeed alone and undetected, placed a small communications disk on the floor that soon projected the holographic image of General Grievous who had been awaiting the droid's report. The General was able to see what his droid could and saw the prone, unconscious form of his son laying on a bed wrapped in medical bandages. His holographic image turned to look at Senti-7 and he growled softly.

"What happened? Tell me everything…"

The droid reported what had occurred during Zekaloph's first combat training session with the Count. The Kaleesh cyborg knew something like this would occur and hated the old man for it.

"What injuries has the boy sustained?"

Senti-7 emotionlessly responded. He did not go into explicit medical detail unless his creator gave the order and gave a simple, very general, analytic overview.

"Master Zekaloph has sustained two cracked ribs, a fractured left arm, a sprained right ankle, mild internal trauma, damaged nerve endings, heavy bruising to all extremities, and a strained back."

The volatile hate and deep loathing that Grievous already felt for Dooku tripled at this news. He was just itching, to wrap his duranium clawed hands around the old man's throat and both choke and crush the life out of him! Daydreaming about murdering the Count did make him feel a little better but it unfortunately did not change the present circumstances surrounding his youngest child.

"See to it that my son has a rapid recovery by any means necessary! Dooku will show the boy no mercy and will not hesitate to kill him if he is weak."

"As you wish, General."

Grievous turned his holographic head for a moment and stared almost wistfully at the unconscious form of his son for a moment, looking for a brief second, as if he was contemplating if he would ever see him again. The look of regret within his reptilian eyes was lost behind his mask. He turned his attention back to his droid.

"Do not fail me, Sentinel," the Kaleesh cyborg pointed a holographic claw at the highly advanced robotic AI in warning.

"I understand, Sir."

"You know what fate awaits you if you do…" Grievous's eyes narrowed at that last statement as a growl escaped his throat.

"Order received and acknowledged."

"I will be awaiting your next report. Until that time, initiate complete com-link silence unless it is a dire emergency."

Senti-7 nodded his robotic head in silent acknowledgment. The transmission was severed, flooding the room with soft quiet. An almost human like sigh escaped the droid's vocalizer. He finished putting the medical supplies away and made sure young Zekaloph was comfortable. If Zekaloph's condition worsened, he would have to buy the Kaleesh child more time to heal. The devious droid had just the idea if that worse case scenario were to occur. For now, the droid was going to return to his primary duties as one of Dooku's mechanized slaves, all the while, engaging in another one of his primary functions…namely, spying on the Count and reporting all of his activities to the General. He had recently come across valuable information regarding the possible location of Grievous's family. It soon became invalid and a complete dead end after Senti-7 learned that it had all been a ploy and a false lead for the Jedi to follow in order to get them off the Separatist's trail. The Jedi followed it all too eagerly, most likely believing young Zekaloph would be amongst Grievous's other family members, placed there into hiding by Dooku himself. What the Jedi found at the coordinates supplied to them, was a dead moon and remnants of a civilization long past.

While the Jedi were busy chasing false leads, Dooku himself was planning his next big move. The Sith lord was overseeing a massive droid production, namely the assembly lines at Geonosis. That planet was a crown jewel to the Separatist cause. It was one of the largest manufacturing plants in Separatist controlled space and cranked out over 700,000 droids per day. The plant had been in business for the last three weeks. The newly assembled droids that came fresh off of the assembly lines were shipped out to reinforce planetary systems weakened by Republic assaults. If word got out concerning the work they were doing there, Count Dooku knew it was only a matter of time before Geonosis became the Republic's new primary target.

Which is why Dooku needed the child to assist him. Zekaloph could see the future… Dooku could not. He would train Grievous's son the next couple of weeks and help the boy master his force visions and hopefully teach him how to purposefully use his foresight. Foresight was the first step towards actual Battle Meditation. It was most promising that this Kaleesh child already had an aptitude for this gift at such a young age. With any luck, the boy would help the Separatist's win the war. After which, the boy would have outlived his usefulness and would then be disposed of. That was his Master Sidious's wish.

However, Count Dooku had his own personal vendetta and was patient to wait for the opportune moment to gain the mantel of Sith Master. He planned to use Zekaloph to help him achieve that feat. If he succeeded in assassinating his master Sidious, he would then be sure to remove any liabilities that might have the potential of spoiling his future plans concerning complete galactic conquest. General Grievous had the potential of being a possible such liability. Time would tell. If need be he would have his new apprentice remove Grievous from the equation. It would be most entertaining to watch father and son duel each other to the death. The victor would be his loyal subject for the remainder of his supreme rule as Separatist Overlord once the Republic was defeated. He had his credit chips betting on his apprentice. Dooku recognized that General Grievous had a soft spot for his son—though the General denied it—and knew that the cyborg Kaleesh wouldn't want to kill him. That would give Zekaloph the upper hand, in addition to possessing the most powerful thing his father was devoid of—the force. The son would soon become more powerful and far stronger than the father. Dooku planned on slaying his apprentice once Zekaloph began to exhibit signs of becoming more powerful than the Count himself, once his main agenda was complete. It was the Sith way after all…for either the master or the apprentice to destroy the other. Zekaloph would one day learn this and it would only be a matter of time before his apprentice turned on him. The Count had some countermeasures in place should that happen in the future, in all likelihood.

The Count took care of other affairs and then retired for the night.

-3 hours later-

Zekaloph was caught in yet another vivid dream. In his dream he saw a large planet that he knew to be Geonosis. He remembered that he and his father had gone to a refueling station not far from it in the past before he was sent into Dooku's care. He felt and saw himself whiz through the atmosphere, almost like he was piloting a one-man craft. He looked down at the controls to see, not his scaly, child-sized Kaleesh hands… but large human hands. He heard a man's voice speaking and soon learned it was the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was the same Jedi that had been in his other vision when he and the other two Jedi were in space searching for him.

The Jedi known as Obi-Wan landed his one-man fighter craft down onto the dust ball of a planet and got out to adjust something. This version of Obi-Wan looked slightly older than the one from his previous vision. He spoke with his R-4 unit after tinkering with a communications array aboard the star-fighter and then hopped back inside the cockpit, leaving the canopy open.

"I'm going to try to contact Anakin on Naboo…it's much closer. Anakin…Anakin do you copy? This is Obi-Wan Kenobi."

After a moment of silence the human man sighed.

"He's not on Naboo, R-4. I'm going to try to widen the range…"

The Jedi tinkered a bit more with his communication array. And then looked extremely baffled.

"I found Anakin's tracking beacon…but it's coming from Tatooine! What in the blazes is he doing there? I told him to stay on Naboo."

The Jedi left his cockpit and began to walk away.

Then the dream changed again. The boy saw Obi-Wan and the younger Jedi known as Anakin, along with some other human girl get chained up in the middle of an arena. They were going to be executed.

Events in the dream skipped a lot and time seemed to fast forward.

He saw a vast number of clone troopers and a large array of Jedi invading Geonosis. The factories there were decimated and the Separatist droid armies were destroyed along with many of the fleeing battle cruisers. He watched in fascinated awe as he witnessed the destruction of the Separatist armada. Much of which, was in great detail. It was almost like watching a holo-movie.

He saw Obi-Wan and Anakin escape and chase after Count Dooku where they engaged in a vicious lightsaber duel. The Jedi apprentice got his arm sliced off by one of the Sith's red lightsabers and Obi-Wan was also badly wounded. Then he saw the little green Jedi Master knows as Yoda…the one that appeared in that other vision from before. He fought Dooku and came to learn that Dooku had once been a Jedi…he had once been Yoda's student. The Count fled the scene and escaped.

His dreams of foresight soon turned into a nightmare. He dreamt that his father, General Grievous was engaged in a lightsaber duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi to the death on some other planet that was obviously not Geonosis. The clones soon invaded, prompting Grievous to make another daring getaway. After Zekaloph saw the chase between Obi-Wan on some kind of creature and his father piloting some other kind of ground vehicle, watched helplessly on the sidelines as his father, now devoid of any lightsabers or electrostaffs, take on the Jedi bare handed. He seemed to be doing rather well. Zekaloph jumped up and down in excitement.

"Kill him father! You can take him!"

His father had to win…he just had too!

His father picked up a blaster pistol and in an act of desperation tried to shoot Obi-Wan. The Jedi managed to pry open Grievous's chest armor. He knocked Obi-Wan away from him and seemingly threw the Jedi off the edge of the hangar they were in. The General of the droid armies picked up one of the Magna Guards electrostaffs and twirled it, ready to end the fight as he stalked towards the edge where his foe had fallen. Obi-Wan reappeared, barely hanging on and used the force to pull Grievous's discarded blaster pistol into his awaiting palm. He witnessed his father's cruel murder at the Jedi's hands and screamed in agony and with rage when he saw Obi-Wan use the blaster pistol to savagely shoot his father's exposed organ sack beneath his duranium armor plating multiple times. The Jedi showed no mercy and shot his father repeatedly. His father shrieked in agony before he erupted into a ball of flame as he exploded from the inside out, soon falling to the ground with a heavy thud still on fire, his insides melting and burning.

"FATHER! NOOOOO!"

Zekaloph felt the most rage and hate he'd ever felt in his entire existence for the Jedi-scum, especially when he heard Obi-Wan's last remark as he stared down at his father's corpse.

"So uncivilized…" The Jedi threw the blaster pistol aside. Zekaloph stood, now crying over his father's broken body. He snarled as his normally yellow-hewn, reptilian irises began to change to a Sith red.

"I HATE YOU OBI-WAN KENOBI! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!"

He watched the Jedi walk calmly away, leaving Zekaloph alone with what was left of his father's still smoldering remains. His emotions built as his fear, rage, hatred, grief, and agony all swirled together in a roaring maelstrom within him.

He threw his head back and looked up at the rocky ceiling of the cavern and screamed.

"FATHER!"

Zekaloph bolted awake in bed, feeling sweaty and clammy. He ignored the pain the sudden movement caused him and placed a hand over his racing heart. He shuddered as he attempted to breathe more slowly in order to calm his rapidly beating heart that felt like it was going to pound right out of his chest. He reached for the glass of water on the nightstand beside the bed that Senti-7 had left him and took a sip. The cool, sweet, purified water slid gently down his throat and helped to calm his frazzled nerves.

The child knew for certain, without any doubt whatsoever…that the nightmare he just had, was the future. He didn't have a clue when all of those events were going to occur but he could feel it in his soul…that the destruction of the Separatist army and the death, no…murder of his father at the Jedi's hands was going to happen. He was eager to tell Count Dooku all about it. He felt deep down, instinctively…to keep the details concerning his father's future death a secret from his new master. He would of course tell him everything concerning the fall of Geonosis and about Dooku's victory over Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin. He grinned sardonically when he decided he would leave the part out about Yoda arriving on the scene to beat him into a hasty retreat...

The Kaleesh boy used a remote beside his bed to call his droid back to him. Senti-7 entered his room about thirty seconds later and approached his bedside.

"Is everything alright, master?"

Unbeknownst to the Kaleesh youngling, Senti-7 had a hidden monitor installed within the headboard of the bedframe that he had a direct uplink with that alerted him to any abnormal changes in Zekaloph's vital signs while the boy was sleeping. He had been instantly alerted when the child exhibited accelerated heart rate, abnormal breathing rhythm, and other such stress indicators. He stood by his master's side and awaited an explanation.

Zekaloph shivered and pulled the blankets up and looked at him.

"I…I had a nightmare."

"What was it about?"

Zekaloph looked uncertain, unsure if he should tell this droid or not. After all, didn't this droid work for Dooku?

"Will you keep a secret Senti-7? You have to promise not to tell anyone. Especially Dooku," he frowned deeply in disgust.

"I promise, Master," the droid nodded his head slowly.

Zekaloph looked down at his still bandaged torso and then back up at the droid.

"How do I know I can trust you? Is it your function to report everything to Dooku concerning what I do and what I say? Are you his spy?"

If Senti-7 could laugh, he would have at that moment. It was rather ironic, really. He was the exact opposite of what the boy feared.

"Rest assured Master Zekaloph, I am not one of Dooku's droids."

Zekaloph's head titled as his expression turned into one of confusion.

"What are you then?"

Senti-7 inclined his head towards the child.

"Will you keep a most treasured secret, master?"

"I swear on my life and by the honor of my people that whatever secret you are about to entrust me with, will remain so."

"I was not assembled on a manufacturing line like the other protocol droids here in Dooku's fortress. It was your father who created me. He is my one true master. Now what secret did you want me to keep for you, Master Zekaloph?"

Zekaloph could only stare at him with a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"This is a joke right? Did Dooku program you to say that?"

"Droids do not lie, Sir."

"Prove that my father made you! That's an order," Zekaloph gingerly crossed his arms over his chest while shooting the droid a defiant look, that in the past had made his father genuinely smile when he was sure his son wasn't looking.

"Can you prove that your father made you, Master?"

Zekaloph was taken aback and just stared at his droid completely stunned and baffled by the sheer complexities surrounding Senti-7's programming. There was more to this protocol droid than met the eye. He was beginning to believe him. Only his father would create a droid with this blatantly cynical personality.

"Uh-huh… Well the less I know about you the better. I don't want Dooku to find out about you if you are telling me the truth. For now I will take you at your word. If you betray me and tell Count Dooku what I'm about to tell you, I swear by my father's name that I will dismember you piece by piece and sell you for spare parts at the nearest spaceport…" The glare he sent Senti-7 was near identical to the one that Grievous had sent the droid hours earlier.

"Your secret is safe with me, Master."

Zekaloph tapped a clawed digit against the water glass he held in his hand as he stared down at it in silent contemplation before speaking again.

"It was about the future…a really bad future."

Senti-7 was secretly recording both audio and visuals of the child to send to Grievous with his next report. The General of the Droid Armies programmed him to report all details surrounding his son's dreams and visions concerning the future.

Zekaloph took in a deep breath and looked away from Senti-7 for a moment as he tried to gather his wits. When he spoke, his voice was soft and thick with emotion though he didn't shed any tears.

"It was about the end of the Separatists…and about the future death… of my father."

Senti-7 nodded.

"What happened?"

Zekaloph went into very long extravagant detail, recounting every bit of memory while it remained fresh within his mind. After he was finished he yawned and shook his head and gave the droid a tired smile.

"I probably should have recorded this in my data-pad or in the very least, had the sense to write all of this down," the boy sighed and relaxed back into his pillows and snuggled beneath his blankets. His eyes drooped tiredly. He gave Senti-7 a soft smile.

"Thanks for listening. At least, I have you for a friend…even if you are just a droid. It's good to know that I'm not as alone as I thought."

"Of course, Master. I will be near if you need me."

The child would have thanked him but had already fallen asleep.

Senti-7 watched him silently for a moment and then stood in a corner of the room and powered down for a while. General Grievous would be very interested in his next report. Until then, both Zekaloph and Senti-7…each had their secrets to keep. The droid was designed to protect his charge and would continue to do so until the end of his function.

Zekaloph on the other hand, upon his last few nanoseconds of consciousness before falling into a dreamless slumber, had sworn within his warrior's heart, that he would not betray his father's newest and most unique creation. He would protect Senti-7 as he would a true friend. The boy knew that in doing so, he was protecting his father. He would die for his father and would do everything in his power to prevent future events from unfolding as had been foreseen.

For now, all the child was going to do was sleep…and dream of happier times before the dawning of a new day. Tomorrow could… quite possibly, change the fortunes of all.

TO BE CONTINUED!

Author's Note: Thanks so much for sticking with this story even though updates are slow. I actually had a little bit of a difficult time closing out this chapter. I had writers block like twice. I made it, though! :D Thanks again for reading, reviewing, and adding to alerts and favorites!