『The Varykino』
Later that night, Moore's body oddly enough still hadn't been discovered, no alert had been raised. Ento didn't question it, he sensed that someone must have cleaned up after the incident, but didn't quite know who it was. His suspicions fell on that Muun, but he still had no idea who the person was. Still, there had been no premonitions of the future or visions disclosing the stranger's identity.
Ento and Vaylin, along with Dooku, were being escorted by the Queen and her entourage of Royal Security Forces to the Villa in the Lake Country of Naboo. Their choice of transportation was an elongated limousine landspeeder.
It was long, tan and had a green roof. Its color scheme emulated the architecture of the Naboo City of Theed's base materials. It however was sleek and energy shielding to protect ranged attacks.
Ento's R2 Unit, with the cloaking device active, moved the Scimitar from the Naboo Hangar; following them from above.
No longer dressed in her pink frilled dress, Padmé was dressed in a light blue pleated under-dress with a darker blue star-shaped poncho over it. It was decorated in golden floral shapes on the sleeves while there was an intricate circular pattern on the part of the poncho covering her abdomen.
Compared to her typical regal attire, her current choice of clothes was much more simple. Though this was also shown by the lack of headdress, and flamboyant styling of her hair.
Without the styling of her hair, it was straight dark brown and semi-wavy near the ends, her locks reached down to the tops of her shoulders. She sat amongst her handmaidens, their seats facing the trio.
While ti was evident her face was no longer painted a pale white, she still had the red scar of remembrance painted over her lower lip. She kept a warm disposition towards the Jedi and Vaylin.
"Your Majesty, we will be arriving any moment now," Quarsh Panaka was in the co-pilots seat as he reported to the Queen who sat behind him.
"Thank you Captain," Padmé turned her head to the side slightly, before smiling once more, her attention moving towards mainly Vaylin. "You're going to enjoy staying at Varykino, I've been coming to the estate since I was little... I always enjoyed swimming to the various Islands."
Hearing her speak of swimming, Vaylin smiled shallowly, she had never swam before. However it did sound relaxing to be around water and surprisingly away from people.
The fact that Ento was a target of the person from earlier left her rather unsettled, though was hopeful that there wouldn't be too many of these instances so close together timewise.
Dooku could sense the young girl's unease, and hesitantly placed a hand on the top of her head. Despite his age, he had never had any children of his own. Though he had never really saw himself ever siring one or two. The old man let out a deep sigh as the thoughts of leaving the Order resurfaced.
Ento glanced over towards his Master hearing the sigh, and raised a brow. "Are you alright Master?" The boy inquired as he leaned forward in his seat. The limo was rather comfy, but too soft to remain in one spot for so long.
"Ah... Yes, I find myself thinking about the unpleasant corruption of the Senate, I had sensed that the Senate was going to turn on the Naboo..." The Jedi Master's dark eyes wandered towards the tinted windows towards the Lakes outside. "The Republic is severely lost."
Padmé though hopeful that the Republic would restore itself and its functionality, had the same dark thoughts in the back of her own mind. The Republic hadn't been able to protect their planet from corporate greed, and had almost let it fall into the hands of the Sith.
"With the New Supreme Chancellor, I am sure things will become better, especially should he get two terms in office." The young Queen informed them, replying to Dooku's statements.
Ento knew all too well that in a Democracy or a Republic, with an elected leader, their changes could all be undone by the leader that succeeds them. It was the same with all her reforms.
"In all due respect your Majesty, but stability and political liberties, are all temporary. What is done by one strong ruler, will be undone by another incompetent," Dooku spoke out as if reading into Ento's mind, though he surely didn't. "It is the same with the senate... Even if Antilles clears the Senate of Corruption, it'll just take another leader to bring it back into being."
Hope could be still seen in Padmé's eyes as she wasn't easily dissuaded from what she hoped to see in the future. Her gaze rested on Ento, who only gave her a soft smile in return.
She felt as if her fighting for peace and liberty would be eternal.
Vaylin though seemed to remain smiling at the thought of their little 'vacation' here. However she was pretty sure they were going to begin their training the moment the Queen left their presence.
Dooku moved to keep his hands rested in his lap, shifting in the seat slightly.
"...Did you three enjoy the parade?" Padmé was obviously trying to keep a conversation going, even though Dooku's response was more so killer to any mood that had existed.
Both Ento and Vaylin looked at one another when asked the question, before facing her and nodding in unison. "There was some really good Nuna drumsticks," the boy would respond.
Dooku crossed his arms, "Everything went as expected."
"Did Jin beat you at Dejarik?" Ento looked up to his Master, asking him inquisitively.
The Jedi Master looked down to Ento with cold black stone eyes, before looking forward, "There are always alternatives to victory."
"Like defeat?" Vaylin joined as she leaned forward, peering passed Ento who she wa seated beside.
Dooku closed his eyes as he shook his head lightly, letting his chest decompress. "Strategic withdrawal," the man had said, though he had actually won against his old padawan.
"You ruined his meditation, didn't you?" Ento narrowed his eyes on the older man, a grin forming over his lips. One that almost seemed to be asking for an enthusiastic response.
"No... I simply made him think harder," Dooku seemed amused with the boy's question.
+ + +
About ten minutes later they pulled up to the Varykino, House Naberrie's villa. As the occupants of the limousine unloaded from the vehicle, the Scimitar would land. Its choice of location to park was directly between the buildings primary entrance and the tall trees on the flat elevated land over the lake behind the villa.
The R2 Unit then uncloaked the ship, as to avoid its Master and company from walking into it.
"This is the Varykino~" Padmé gestured towards the villa that overlooked the lake and the various islands that spotted the Lake Country. It was large enough for a family to live in, an entire family and servants at that.
Ento starred off in the direction of the countryside residence, the Scimitar blocking a small portion of the house from being seen. He didn't really mind at all.
Dooku looked over the area from where he stood, the place almost feeling tranquil. However off in the distance was House Palpatine's ancestral home and he was getting a strange feeling.
"This residence is secure, Your Majesty?" Dooku asked as he turned to look towards the young Queen.
Padmé blinked at the question, "Yes. I assure you Master Jedi, since the beginning of the Trade Federations transgressions against the Naboo people and the emergence of the Sith, our patrols have increased."
Slowly nodding to this, Dooku caressed his chin lightly, feeling at the neatness of his beard.
To Dooku's knowledge the Royal Forces weren't necessary all that large, and the fact that they were easily suppressed by the Trade Federation, which meant they were in no shape to defend themselves.
"Then I bid you all goodnight," Padmé's gaze turned towards Vaylin and Ento, a soft smile across her lips as she gave them a once over. "And don't push yourselves too hard..."
As pleasantries went down, the Queen would leave in the next thirty minutes along with the Head of Security and her Handmaidens. This left the three alone at the new place, they were to be staying and training in, as they were stationed here on Naboo with the Queen.
Walking into the Varykino, Dooku entered first through the large doors. They eventually made it down to a wide open room with a baloney view of the Lake.
"This is a perfect area for sparing," Dooku exclaimed aloud as Ento and Vaylin watched on. His eyes then moved towards the two teens with a brow raised slightly. "The second saber, would you mind letting me see it?"
Ento acknowledged the request from his Master, placing his pack down on the ground and taking out the extendable saber that could turn into a pike.
Vaylin narrowed her eyes on the weapon, it looked oddly similar to the ones the people of Zakuul often used, though more specifically her mother. However its exterior was of a different design and showed far more artistic value due to there being vine-like engravings all over the hilt itself.
"Huh..." Dooku huffed in a exquisitely curious manner, as he took the item into his hand when Ento finally offered it forward. "This weapon..." His thumb activated the saber, and it crackled to life like electricity, appearing to be a wild flaming semi-translucent blade. "Is very deadly." The Jedi Master expertly whirred the blade side to side in one hand, guiding it about before disengaging the saber.
"Though its hilt isn't as brilliant as the other you've been using, this one is its polar opposite." He held the hilt back towards Ento to take.
Accepting the weapon back into his grasp, he looked over the weapon before peering over to Vaylin. After a few seconds, he held the weapon out for her to take.
Dooku showed a faint smile seeing this gesture and nodded.
Vaylin looked to the weapon, to the boy, and then back to the weapon. She reached out and cautiously raised it with the force and into her hand. "You're... Giving it to me?"
Ento nodded lightly, "If I am going to have a second lightsaber, it will be one that I made myself." His gaze moved towards the one he took out from his sleeve and gave the hilt a gander. "Or perhaps cannibalize this one... I'm rather fond of a thin concentrated blade and the cosmetic effect can be rather intimidating..."
Dooku looked out towards the Lake and stepped into the moonlight as he soon rested on the rail of the balcony. They were minutes away from training and his mind was going back to the things he had seen when he first met this boy.
The things he could do to further the ambitions that Ento had yet to share, were numerous. He only wondered when the best time would be. Master Dooku rested his fist under his jaw and his elbow on the rail.