Disclaimer: My writing this does not change the fact that I don't own anything besides Midori.
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Chapter 3
Darth Maul had not planned to spare anybody- especially a wimpy Twi'lek. But out of the whole group, she was the least threatening to him. He couldn't have spared Zell Orin for he was the one Maul was sent to kill. The guards were trained in military tactics it appeared. They wouldn't be able to hurt him, but they would be trouble. The pilot-- well, Maul just didn't like the pilot. But Midori was impressionable. He could control Midori. The Sith could see the fear in her eyes when she attempted to defend her master. She wasn't a fighter and she knew nothing of the operation of ships. She was just a rich servant. However he never expected a servant to be so annoying.
In the end, though, it would all be worth it. Maul had everything worked out: When Midori was rescued, she would spread the story of a mysterious attacker wielding a lightsaber. Everyone would assume a rogue Jedi assassinated Orin. But the real Jedi would start to suspect. Sith. By the time the story would reach them, it would only be a rumor whispered. No doubt it would be altered in places as it was retold by people and then it would lose a lot of substantial facts. Facts the Jedi would need to determine if it was indeed a Sith. Without those, the rumor would just be an unproveable rumor. But as Darth Maul knew quite well, rumors often cause more panic than actual stories. And the Sith loved to see fearful aliens.
A devilish grin crept across his face as he imagined how the inhabitants back on Coruscant would act. They would immediately begin to doubt the Jedi. They would check over their shoulders every few minutes to make sure no mysterious lightsaber wielder was following them. And those few who remembered the tale of the Sith would be even more afraid.
His master, Darth Sidious, did not want their presence to be announced just yet. But a little rumor wouldn't hurt. It would just create a nagging fear in the back of people's minds. A fear and distrust of the Jedi.
Of course, for all this to happen, he would have to keep Midori alive. The Twi'lek was probably afraid of her own shadow and on this planet, keeping her alive would prove to be more challenging than Maul anticipated.
He paused and listened. It was completely quiet. That would've been a welcome change after having to listen to the girl ramble on, but figuring Midori, being silent for so long was not a good thing. The Sith sensed she was near and he found her sitting on top the boarding ramp, wrapped in his cloak.
"What are you doing with that?" he growled. The Twi'lek started at the sudden outburst, then jumped to her feet. She still held the garment tightly around her.
"With what?" asked Midori, feeling dwarfed by his glare. Quickly he grabbed it and ripped it out of her grasp.
"Why are you wearing my cloak? Now it's bloodied," Maul hissed. The green skinned girl cringed at his sharp tone.
"I... I just wanted to try to hid the smell," she whimpered, staring intently at the floor.
Now I'll have to burn it, he thought with a snort. Without another word, the Sith marched down the boarding ramp and headed for the woods. By the time Midori realized where he was going, he was at the forest line.
"Wait for me!" she called frantically, dashing after him.
The woods seemed more menacing now that the afternoon was slowly slipping into evening. The shadows played tricks on her, making her believe creatures were creeping along the forest floor, winding around trees and plants, carefully watching the two walk by. As they continued deeper into the woods, Midori became more unsure if the shadows were just shadows or actual stalking beasts. She could've sworn she heard a low, threatening growl and saw blinking eyes stare back from behind a tree.
The Twi'lek was as close to Darth Maul as she dared to be. If she was actually more afraid of the forest shadows than the Sith, she would've been clinging to his arm. The Sith sensed her apprehensiveness.
"There are no creatures that are threats to us in the immediate area," he commented. She was somewhat comforted but her paranoia would not go away. She curled her lekku protectively around herself as she eyed the shadows warily.
Midori would've been relieved to reach the clearing except she saw a few bodies were missing. Creatures had dragged off a few guards and the pilot. The Twi'lek realized she was probably safer back in the forest instead of out in the open for any beast to see.
Once they entered the Orin 1, Maul headed for the engine room.
"If you collect everything you need before I return, will you wait for me?" questioned the green-skinned girl.
"No," he replied, walking forward at a steady pace.
"You'll just leave me here by myself?"
"It is your ship," replied the Sith, his voice echoing off the corridor walls.
"But... I'll be alone!" she squeaked. Maul didn't reply. With a huff, the Twi'lek chased after him.
"I can't stay here- I'll be a sitting rycrit!" exclaimed Midori, her lekku wriggling with frustration.
"Just close up the ship. Then nothing can get in," replied the Sith.
"But I... I don't know how to operate the boarding ramp," she said meekly. Maul turned to look at her, his expression showing he thought she was truly an air head.
"You've got to be joking." The girl slowly shook her head, her shoulders shrugging up in embarrassment. A long pause followed, Midori too embarrassed to speak and Maul wondering if it was really worth it to keep her alive. He could have others start different rumors, but none would be as famous as the one about the assassination of Zell Orin. The Sith sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He should've spared the pilot instead.
"So... can I stay with you?" Midori softly asked. Maul rolled his yellow eyes.
"If you can get back to my ship by yourself," he stated flatly. Of course he knew she would be far too scared to make her way through the forest. And if she did summon enough courage to trek into the woods, she would most likely get lost.
"Really?" she asked with a smile. The Sith motioned for her to be silent, cautiously looking around and listening intently for any strange sound.
"Something's in here," he said at last. Midori searched wildly about.
"Where?" Maul didn't reply but stole down the corridor, lightsaber hilt in hand.
"You're not going to kill it in here, are you?" the Twi'lek called after him in a whisper. When again he didn't answer, she followed him. She'd make sure her possessions would be safe from becoming blood-splattered.
As they turned down another corridor, they started to hear muffled snarling sounds, like multiple beasts behind one of the closed doors farther down the hall. Soon Maul stopped in front of a decorated door and Midori whined.
"That's my room," she sighed, stomping a foot. The Sith ignored her and pressed the button to open the door. Nothing happened.
"They locked me out of my room?!" gasped Midori, her voice choking.
"Quiet," Maul hissed, glaring at her. At first he didn't think it possible, but Midori was steadily growing even more annoying as the day dragged on. He should've spared the pilot. The Sith raised his hand up and obediently the door followed almost silently. The two peered in to see three beasts. They resembled the one that had chased the Twi'lek earlier. One creature was lying on the bed and two were fighting over a mutilated body which Midori thought was one of the guards. Suddenly the furry creature on the bed noticed the two staring in and began growling. It jumped into an attacking stance as the others noticed the intruders as well. Maul stepped into the room, igniting his lightsaber. At that Midori gave a shriek, ran in and pulled him back by his shirt.
"What are you doing, woman?!" he snapped, fixing his shirt.
"Don't kill them in my room! Are you insane?!"
"Either they die in here or you die in here," replied Maul. Then the beast jumped off the bed and sprinted for the two, snarling ferociously. Midori screamed and covered her head.
"Okay, but in the hallway, not in my room!" The Sith disregarded the statement and killed the beast in the doorway. The other two lunged for him but they suffered the same fate as well. The Twi'lek peeked out through her fingers.
"Did you get them?"
"Yes." When she removed her hands, she gave another whine.
"That's the doorway! They're all in the doorway! Not the hall- but my room! How can I get in there now?" Midori eyed the pile of creatures with repulsion.
"Just push them out of the way," Maul replied simply, hanging the lightsaber on his belt and walking off.
By the time Midori was cleaned up and had more appropriate clothes to be hiking around the forest in, the Sith was nowhere to be found. Outside the orange sky was quickly fading into night. If those strange beasts she kept running into were what prowled the planet during the day, then she most certainly did not want to wait around and see what stalked the area during the night. And with all those carcasses in her room, beasts would be swarming around the ship in no time.
Midori figured the Sith wouldn't share any of his food, so she filled an expensive bag with all the edible things she came across. Also, she would have to save as much from her wardrobe as was possible because she probably wouldn't be able to come back. She hated to part with any of her clothes, but there was only so much she could carry. As she thought about it, she realized she might need to defend herself, so she found the weapons locker and took a blaster. Food, clothes, and a gun were all heaped in her arms. What more could she need? They were all piled almost higher than her head, completely blocking everything in front of her from view. The Twi'lek had nowhere near the extraordinary senses Maul had and ended up stepping on a few bodies.
Midori stopped at the forest line. The sky was dark now, the wind was chillier, and even more unfamiliar sounds came from the forest. Faintly she saw a light somewhere beyond the trees. Maul must've started a fire. The Twi'lek discovered that if she turned sideways, she could see in front of her. It was an awkward way to walk, but it was better than crashing into every tree.
About halfway there, Midori got the unmistakable feeling that she was being watched. After seeing the kinds of inhabitants earlier, the Twi'lek imagined something much worse. That was enough to send her running straight ahead, screaming at the top of her lungs.
Darth Maul was sitting by the fire when he heard an irritating shrieking. At first he thought it was a dying animal, but after listening to it he realized it was Midori. The Sith vented a groan and slid a hand down his face.
She may be stupid, but she's got guts... somewhat, he thought. Then he saw her break into the clearing, looking like she was carrying all her possessions. Suddenly she tripped over a log, dropping everything and falling to the damp ground. He stopped a rolling food can with his foot.
"Why didn't you just bring the whole ship over?" Maul commented dryly. "Looks like you brought everything else."
"If I knew how to fly it, I would've," replied the Twi'lek, gathering everything back into a pile. "So which room is mine?" The Sith arched a brow and tossed her the food cartridge.
"Where?"
"In your ship," she said, kneeling next to the fire and rubbing her arms.
"Your room is back there," replied Maul as he guestered to the clearing she had come from.
"I can't go back there!"
"Why? Trees?" he asked, a cruel tone to his voice. He picked up a piece of wood and tossed it into the fire, watching the flames blaze higher with the extra fuel. The light danced across his face, making him look even more terrible than before.
"No. It's been taken over by those nasty things. I will never enter my room again!" she exclaimed, shuddering at the thought of the three dead creatures in her doorway.
"Then it seems you have no room."
"So then where am I supposed to sleep?" whined Midori. Maul waved his hand over the clearing.
"Take your pick."
"Out here? But this is outside! I've never slept outside before!" she cried. The Sith just shook his head. He decided to ignore her and focus on the meat that was roasting over the fire, occasionally being licked by the flames.
"What are you cooking?" Midori asked after a long silence.
"What I killed in my ship."
"Ew," hissed the Twi'lek, cringing at the memory.
"Why does it matter? You won't be eating it," he stated, taking it from over the fire. Maul let it cool off a few seconds before taking a bite. She could hear the crunch of the skin from all the way where she was kneeling. Her face was a mask of disgust as she watched him eat. The Twi'lek couldn't believe something so repulsive could be edible.
"How does it taste?" The Sith shrugged a bit.
"Doesn't taste like anything," he said and took another bite. During his training, Darth Sidious rarely gave his apprentice flavorful food. As long as it was nutritious and gave him energy, that's all that mattered. No need to nitpick about taste.
To Midori, that was an invitation to help. She searched through her small pile of belongings, looking for the spices and seasonings. The food brought along on the Orin 1 was substantial, but not very flavorful. So the Twi'lek was always mixing in different seasonings and concocting new tastes.
When she found what she was looking for, she walked to the opposite side of the fire, grabbed the meat from Maul's hand and began pouring different seasonings onto it.
"What are you doing? Mess with your own dinner," the Sith said. He reached for his food but Midori slapped his hand away.
"Just wait," she replied, almost to herself. She was staring intently at the job she was doing. A moment later the Twi'lek handed the food back to him. Maul eyed it suspiciously before slowly taking a bite. Not being used to flavorful food, this tasted amazing. Of course he'd never let Midori know that.
"It's good," he commented with a shrug. Maybe she wasn't completely useless after all. The green skinned girl crawled closer to him on her knees.
"If I make your meals, will you give me a room?"
"No." With an aggravated growl, she dropped onto her backside.
"Can't you be nice for once?"
"No."
"But you were nice when you let me live," the girl began with big eyes. "And I don't know why you're being so mean now." Her lower lip extended as she produced the best pout she knew. Whenever she wanted something and Zell wouldn't buy it for her, she could immediately change his mind with her pout. Practically no one was safe from it.
But her charms were lost on Darth Maul. He didn't care for beautiful things. He wasn't supposed to care at all. He just kept eating his dinner.
"I think I know why you spared me," she suddenly spoke up. The Sith rolled his eyes, wondering what brilliant conclusion she had come to.
"You like me, don't you?"
Maul practically choked on the food. He stood up, threw the meat into the fire and looked at Midori with hateful disgust. He grabbed her lekku and forcefully dragged her to her feet, all the while she was screaming in pain.
"My plans are far more complex and you are but one pawn in them. Don't think for a second that you know what I am up to for, believe me, this is beyond your pitiful grasp on intelligence. Your being spared is only because Zell Orin was your master and I only need one survivor to tell the tale. And I have no need for affection. All a Sith needs to know is hatred and if you weren't needed you would be dead!" he shouted. "Now what do you have to say?" Midori was too terrified to say anything. His tight grasp on her lekku was immensely painful, and it also hurt where her lekku connected to her head as he was pulling so hard. After his words she was whimpering and crying uncontrollably, as she was always an emotional Twi'lek. She was trembling all over for fear he would hurt her further.
When it was obvious she wouldn't reply, Maul pushed her to the ground and stormed over to his ship. He had tolerated her for hours, but he had just snapped when she said that. The sooner the search ship came, the better, else he might just forget the plan and strangle her to death. He should've spared the pilot.
The Sith stomped up the ramp and didn't bother with the controls that operated it. With a forceful jerk of his arm, the boarding ramp slammed shut.
Midori had tried not to make a sound before, but now that he was gone she started bawling. No one had ever spoken like that to her with such a cruel tone before. She tried to steady her hand enough to spread her clothes out in a makeshift bed, but it was hard for she was sobbing uncontrollably. It was difficult for her to even breathe. She gave up on spreading out her garments and just crawled under the pile, hoping to hide from the Sith's view if he should return.
Again Midori had the feeling that she was being watched, but she disregarded that as she continued to weep.
Just behind the first trees and bushes next to the clearing hid furry little creatures, armed with weapons and watching the campsite with curiosity. They were unsure of sneaking closer when the man was there, but now that only one was left in the clearing, they were ready to make their move. Their territory had been invaded and they were going to reclaim it by getting rid of the aliens, one way or another.
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End of chapter three. Longer than usual. Poor Midori... oh well, she had it coming. LoL Hope you liked. =)
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Chapter 3
Darth Maul had not planned to spare anybody- especially a wimpy Twi'lek. But out of the whole group, she was the least threatening to him. He couldn't have spared Zell Orin for he was the one Maul was sent to kill. The guards were trained in military tactics it appeared. They wouldn't be able to hurt him, but they would be trouble. The pilot-- well, Maul just didn't like the pilot. But Midori was impressionable. He could control Midori. The Sith could see the fear in her eyes when she attempted to defend her master. She wasn't a fighter and she knew nothing of the operation of ships. She was just a rich servant. However he never expected a servant to be so annoying.
In the end, though, it would all be worth it. Maul had everything worked out: When Midori was rescued, she would spread the story of a mysterious attacker wielding a lightsaber. Everyone would assume a rogue Jedi assassinated Orin. But the real Jedi would start to suspect. Sith. By the time the story would reach them, it would only be a rumor whispered. No doubt it would be altered in places as it was retold by people and then it would lose a lot of substantial facts. Facts the Jedi would need to determine if it was indeed a Sith. Without those, the rumor would just be an unproveable rumor. But as Darth Maul knew quite well, rumors often cause more panic than actual stories. And the Sith loved to see fearful aliens.
A devilish grin crept across his face as he imagined how the inhabitants back on Coruscant would act. They would immediately begin to doubt the Jedi. They would check over their shoulders every few minutes to make sure no mysterious lightsaber wielder was following them. And those few who remembered the tale of the Sith would be even more afraid.
His master, Darth Sidious, did not want their presence to be announced just yet. But a little rumor wouldn't hurt. It would just create a nagging fear in the back of people's minds. A fear and distrust of the Jedi.
Of course, for all this to happen, he would have to keep Midori alive. The Twi'lek was probably afraid of her own shadow and on this planet, keeping her alive would prove to be more challenging than Maul anticipated.
He paused and listened. It was completely quiet. That would've been a welcome change after having to listen to the girl ramble on, but figuring Midori, being silent for so long was not a good thing. The Sith sensed she was near and he found her sitting on top the boarding ramp, wrapped in his cloak.
"What are you doing with that?" he growled. The Twi'lek started at the sudden outburst, then jumped to her feet. She still held the garment tightly around her.
"With what?" asked Midori, feeling dwarfed by his glare. Quickly he grabbed it and ripped it out of her grasp.
"Why are you wearing my cloak? Now it's bloodied," Maul hissed. The green skinned girl cringed at his sharp tone.
"I... I just wanted to try to hid the smell," she whimpered, staring intently at the floor.
Now I'll have to burn it, he thought with a snort. Without another word, the Sith marched down the boarding ramp and headed for the woods. By the time Midori realized where he was going, he was at the forest line.
"Wait for me!" she called frantically, dashing after him.
The woods seemed more menacing now that the afternoon was slowly slipping into evening. The shadows played tricks on her, making her believe creatures were creeping along the forest floor, winding around trees and plants, carefully watching the two walk by. As they continued deeper into the woods, Midori became more unsure if the shadows were just shadows or actual stalking beasts. She could've sworn she heard a low, threatening growl and saw blinking eyes stare back from behind a tree.
The Twi'lek was as close to Darth Maul as she dared to be. If she was actually more afraid of the forest shadows than the Sith, she would've been clinging to his arm. The Sith sensed her apprehensiveness.
"There are no creatures that are threats to us in the immediate area," he commented. She was somewhat comforted but her paranoia would not go away. She curled her lekku protectively around herself as she eyed the shadows warily.
Midori would've been relieved to reach the clearing except she saw a few bodies were missing. Creatures had dragged off a few guards and the pilot. The Twi'lek realized she was probably safer back in the forest instead of out in the open for any beast to see.
Once they entered the Orin 1, Maul headed for the engine room.
"If you collect everything you need before I return, will you wait for me?" questioned the green-skinned girl.
"No," he replied, walking forward at a steady pace.
"You'll just leave me here by myself?"
"It is your ship," replied the Sith, his voice echoing off the corridor walls.
"But... I'll be alone!" she squeaked. Maul didn't reply. With a huff, the Twi'lek chased after him.
"I can't stay here- I'll be a sitting rycrit!" exclaimed Midori, her lekku wriggling with frustration.
"Just close up the ship. Then nothing can get in," replied the Sith.
"But I... I don't know how to operate the boarding ramp," she said meekly. Maul turned to look at her, his expression showing he thought she was truly an air head.
"You've got to be joking." The girl slowly shook her head, her shoulders shrugging up in embarrassment. A long pause followed, Midori too embarrassed to speak and Maul wondering if it was really worth it to keep her alive. He could have others start different rumors, but none would be as famous as the one about the assassination of Zell Orin. The Sith sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He should've spared the pilot instead.
"So... can I stay with you?" Midori softly asked. Maul rolled his yellow eyes.
"If you can get back to my ship by yourself," he stated flatly. Of course he knew she would be far too scared to make her way through the forest. And if she did summon enough courage to trek into the woods, she would most likely get lost.
"Really?" she asked with a smile. The Sith motioned for her to be silent, cautiously looking around and listening intently for any strange sound.
"Something's in here," he said at last. Midori searched wildly about.
"Where?" Maul didn't reply but stole down the corridor, lightsaber hilt in hand.
"You're not going to kill it in here, are you?" the Twi'lek called after him in a whisper. When again he didn't answer, she followed him. She'd make sure her possessions would be safe from becoming blood-splattered.
As they turned down another corridor, they started to hear muffled snarling sounds, like multiple beasts behind one of the closed doors farther down the hall. Soon Maul stopped in front of a decorated door and Midori whined.
"That's my room," she sighed, stomping a foot. The Sith ignored her and pressed the button to open the door. Nothing happened.
"They locked me out of my room?!" gasped Midori, her voice choking.
"Quiet," Maul hissed, glaring at her. At first he didn't think it possible, but Midori was steadily growing even more annoying as the day dragged on. He should've spared the pilot. The Sith raised his hand up and obediently the door followed almost silently. The two peered in to see three beasts. They resembled the one that had chased the Twi'lek earlier. One creature was lying on the bed and two were fighting over a mutilated body which Midori thought was one of the guards. Suddenly the furry creature on the bed noticed the two staring in and began growling. It jumped into an attacking stance as the others noticed the intruders as well. Maul stepped into the room, igniting his lightsaber. At that Midori gave a shriek, ran in and pulled him back by his shirt.
"What are you doing, woman?!" he snapped, fixing his shirt.
"Don't kill them in my room! Are you insane?!"
"Either they die in here or you die in here," replied Maul. Then the beast jumped off the bed and sprinted for the two, snarling ferociously. Midori screamed and covered her head.
"Okay, but in the hallway, not in my room!" The Sith disregarded the statement and killed the beast in the doorway. The other two lunged for him but they suffered the same fate as well. The Twi'lek peeked out through her fingers.
"Did you get them?"
"Yes." When she removed her hands, she gave another whine.
"That's the doorway! They're all in the doorway! Not the hall- but my room! How can I get in there now?" Midori eyed the pile of creatures with repulsion.
"Just push them out of the way," Maul replied simply, hanging the lightsaber on his belt and walking off.
By the time Midori was cleaned up and had more appropriate clothes to be hiking around the forest in, the Sith was nowhere to be found. Outside the orange sky was quickly fading into night. If those strange beasts she kept running into were what prowled the planet during the day, then she most certainly did not want to wait around and see what stalked the area during the night. And with all those carcasses in her room, beasts would be swarming around the ship in no time.
Midori figured the Sith wouldn't share any of his food, so she filled an expensive bag with all the edible things she came across. Also, she would have to save as much from her wardrobe as was possible because she probably wouldn't be able to come back. She hated to part with any of her clothes, but there was only so much she could carry. As she thought about it, she realized she might need to defend herself, so she found the weapons locker and took a blaster. Food, clothes, and a gun were all heaped in her arms. What more could she need? They were all piled almost higher than her head, completely blocking everything in front of her from view. The Twi'lek had nowhere near the extraordinary senses Maul had and ended up stepping on a few bodies.
Midori stopped at the forest line. The sky was dark now, the wind was chillier, and even more unfamiliar sounds came from the forest. Faintly she saw a light somewhere beyond the trees. Maul must've started a fire. The Twi'lek discovered that if she turned sideways, she could see in front of her. It was an awkward way to walk, but it was better than crashing into every tree.
About halfway there, Midori got the unmistakable feeling that she was being watched. After seeing the kinds of inhabitants earlier, the Twi'lek imagined something much worse. That was enough to send her running straight ahead, screaming at the top of her lungs.
Darth Maul was sitting by the fire when he heard an irritating shrieking. At first he thought it was a dying animal, but after listening to it he realized it was Midori. The Sith vented a groan and slid a hand down his face.
She may be stupid, but she's got guts... somewhat, he thought. Then he saw her break into the clearing, looking like she was carrying all her possessions. Suddenly she tripped over a log, dropping everything and falling to the damp ground. He stopped a rolling food can with his foot.
"Why didn't you just bring the whole ship over?" Maul commented dryly. "Looks like you brought everything else."
"If I knew how to fly it, I would've," replied the Twi'lek, gathering everything back into a pile. "So which room is mine?" The Sith arched a brow and tossed her the food cartridge.
"Where?"
"In your ship," she said, kneeling next to the fire and rubbing her arms.
"Your room is back there," replied Maul as he guestered to the clearing she had come from.
"I can't go back there!"
"Why? Trees?" he asked, a cruel tone to his voice. He picked up a piece of wood and tossed it into the fire, watching the flames blaze higher with the extra fuel. The light danced across his face, making him look even more terrible than before.
"No. It's been taken over by those nasty things. I will never enter my room again!" she exclaimed, shuddering at the thought of the three dead creatures in her doorway.
"Then it seems you have no room."
"So then where am I supposed to sleep?" whined Midori. Maul waved his hand over the clearing.
"Take your pick."
"Out here? But this is outside! I've never slept outside before!" she cried. The Sith just shook his head. He decided to ignore her and focus on the meat that was roasting over the fire, occasionally being licked by the flames.
"What are you cooking?" Midori asked after a long silence.
"What I killed in my ship."
"Ew," hissed the Twi'lek, cringing at the memory.
"Why does it matter? You won't be eating it," he stated, taking it from over the fire. Maul let it cool off a few seconds before taking a bite. She could hear the crunch of the skin from all the way where she was kneeling. Her face was a mask of disgust as she watched him eat. The Twi'lek couldn't believe something so repulsive could be edible.
"How does it taste?" The Sith shrugged a bit.
"Doesn't taste like anything," he said and took another bite. During his training, Darth Sidious rarely gave his apprentice flavorful food. As long as it was nutritious and gave him energy, that's all that mattered. No need to nitpick about taste.
To Midori, that was an invitation to help. She searched through her small pile of belongings, looking for the spices and seasonings. The food brought along on the Orin 1 was substantial, but not very flavorful. So the Twi'lek was always mixing in different seasonings and concocting new tastes.
When she found what she was looking for, she walked to the opposite side of the fire, grabbed the meat from Maul's hand and began pouring different seasonings onto it.
"What are you doing? Mess with your own dinner," the Sith said. He reached for his food but Midori slapped his hand away.
"Just wait," she replied, almost to herself. She was staring intently at the job she was doing. A moment later the Twi'lek handed the food back to him. Maul eyed it suspiciously before slowly taking a bite. Not being used to flavorful food, this tasted amazing. Of course he'd never let Midori know that.
"It's good," he commented with a shrug. Maybe she wasn't completely useless after all. The green skinned girl crawled closer to him on her knees.
"If I make your meals, will you give me a room?"
"No." With an aggravated growl, she dropped onto her backside.
"Can't you be nice for once?"
"No."
"But you were nice when you let me live," the girl began with big eyes. "And I don't know why you're being so mean now." Her lower lip extended as she produced the best pout she knew. Whenever she wanted something and Zell wouldn't buy it for her, she could immediately change his mind with her pout. Practically no one was safe from it.
But her charms were lost on Darth Maul. He didn't care for beautiful things. He wasn't supposed to care at all. He just kept eating his dinner.
"I think I know why you spared me," she suddenly spoke up. The Sith rolled his eyes, wondering what brilliant conclusion she had come to.
"You like me, don't you?"
Maul practically choked on the food. He stood up, threw the meat into the fire and looked at Midori with hateful disgust. He grabbed her lekku and forcefully dragged her to her feet, all the while she was screaming in pain.
"My plans are far more complex and you are but one pawn in them. Don't think for a second that you know what I am up to for, believe me, this is beyond your pitiful grasp on intelligence. Your being spared is only because Zell Orin was your master and I only need one survivor to tell the tale. And I have no need for affection. All a Sith needs to know is hatred and if you weren't needed you would be dead!" he shouted. "Now what do you have to say?" Midori was too terrified to say anything. His tight grasp on her lekku was immensely painful, and it also hurt where her lekku connected to her head as he was pulling so hard. After his words she was whimpering and crying uncontrollably, as she was always an emotional Twi'lek. She was trembling all over for fear he would hurt her further.
When it was obvious she wouldn't reply, Maul pushed her to the ground and stormed over to his ship. He had tolerated her for hours, but he had just snapped when she said that. The sooner the search ship came, the better, else he might just forget the plan and strangle her to death. He should've spared the pilot.
The Sith stomped up the ramp and didn't bother with the controls that operated it. With a forceful jerk of his arm, the boarding ramp slammed shut.
Midori had tried not to make a sound before, but now that he was gone she started bawling. No one had ever spoken like that to her with such a cruel tone before. She tried to steady her hand enough to spread her clothes out in a makeshift bed, but it was hard for she was sobbing uncontrollably. It was difficult for her to even breathe. She gave up on spreading out her garments and just crawled under the pile, hoping to hide from the Sith's view if he should return.
Again Midori had the feeling that she was being watched, but she disregarded that as she continued to weep.
Just behind the first trees and bushes next to the clearing hid furry little creatures, armed with weapons and watching the campsite with curiosity. They were unsure of sneaking closer when the man was there, but now that only one was left in the clearing, they were ready to make their move. Their territory had been invaded and they were going to reclaim it by getting rid of the aliens, one way or another.
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End of chapter three. Longer than usual. Poor Midori... oh well, she had it coming. LoL Hope you liked. =)