Star Wars: The Last Qymaili | ✔

48 | A Harsh Whine

Song: "The Imperial Suite" from Rogue One OST

He returned to the younglings, clasping his hands behind his back. "I have decided to spare you," he said, pacing the circle of children. "You will use your talents and become warriors."

The girl, having been cradling Bindi's head in her lap, leapt to her feet. "We know what you speak of!" she exclaimed, balling her fists. "And we will never serve the Sith!"

"Shut up before you get us all killed, Allara," Banz whispered beside her.

Grievous narrowed his eyes and neared the twelve-year-old, scrutinizing her dark eyes. "Defiant in the face of impossible odds," he observed.

Instead of responding, Allara held out her hand, and Grievous felt a lightsaber detach from his hip. She ignited it. "I have nothing to fear from a machine," she said, and sliced two of the battle droids around her.

Infuriated, he seized her wrist, squeezing it until she cried out. Machine. The words echoed in his head, along with the memory of Kummar calling him an it when they'd met. Let this fool die in her ignorance that he had once been a father himself. It was the fault of her religion that his whole family was gone. "A diverting entertainment," he said with a bark of a laugh.

Allara struggled against his grip as she was lifted from the floor. "You'll—" gasp— "find me stronger than most."

Grievous brought an icy finger to her lips. "Allow me to show you something." He dangled her over the edge of the citadel building, letting her see the dome in which he'd caged the planet's population.

He brought her fleshy cheek to touch the side of his mask with the other hand. "I hold control over the life of every being in this system," he said, softness in his voice. "If I command, every inhabitant on this planet dies."

She gasped. "You're a monster," she said. "I heard what you did in the Kalee system. The inhabitants are still alive. Why kill these people?"

"The Kaleesh remain alive only as long as I wish for them to." He spoke into his com-link. "Fire."

A slew of blaster bolts rained upon the dome, sending it up in a cloud of smoke. Grievous threw Allara—with care—back onto the platform.

He bent down and took her chin in a claw. "Do you understand now, youngling?"

She merely scowled and flicked her face away.

✺✺✺

He tossed the younglings in a small, cramped room until they could get passage to Geonosis, then wandered down the lower corridors of Ugnaught, studying their own metalwork against his own. The image of Kummar's hands and foot, which he'd glimpsed as he'd studied her in that cell, came to mind. What sort of accident would compel a Kaleesh to choose metal, as he had? And how had she become khagan in spite of it?

Perhaps they assumed outward appearance makes a good leader.

But even he had to admit that they were not wrong about her beauty.

A buzz sounded in his com-link, and an unfamiliar human voice spoke. "I am Commander Vulpus, under the aid of Count Dooku. Submitting access codes."

He covered his vocabulator just before he coughed. So Dooku had sent an inspector to check on his progress with the younglings. Well, other than the girl being a rebellious snob, he'll hear only good things.

Grievous walked to the bay, hunching his back to meet the inspector. "May I inquire of the reason for your visit?"

"I am an observer," Vulpus said, scrunching his pug-nose. His skin was the same beet-red shade as D'oon's had been.