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had been evacuated. Gazing north over the chaotic waters, he asked himself where Boss Rugor Nass could be hiding. Then he stormed to the bow of the hovercraft to haul a sodden Boss Ganne onto the forward deck.
    Motioning again with one hand, Maul interrogated him. This time, however, consternation warped the features of the Gungan’s broad face. Even if Ganne wanted to divulge the answers, something inside him was battling the compulsion to betray the Gungans’ most deeply held secret.
    Maul snorted. Maybe not so primitive, after all .
    And from his cummerbund he drew the lightsaber and thumbed it to life.
    Ganne’s disclosures came slowly and painfully, but not without honor.
    OOM-9 waited until Maul had rolled the Gungan’s blistered body into the water to say:
    “Commander, Viceroy Gunray wishes you to be informed that a holotransmission has been received from Coruscant. Queen Amidala and the Jedi are on their way to Naboo.” Maul raced back to Theed, riding low and cutting a livid swath through the grasslands. Gunray and Haako had secreted themselves in the Palace throne room, but the security droids snapped to attention on seeing Maul and allowed him to enter. Instead of being grateful to Darth Sidious for having persuaded Queen Amidala to return to Naboo, the Neimoidians were rueful—sorrier than ever to have been drawn into a conspiracy with a Sith Lord. Maul knew that they would change their tune once the Queen ceded control of Naboo to the Trade Federation, but they lacked vision. Maul had to chase them from the throne room and out into Theed’s deserted central plaza, where he began to advise them on how to prepare for Amidala’s homecoming.
    “You can start by stationing more droids around the Palace,” he said, “and ordering the patrols to sweep the area every five minutes instead of every fifteen.” Haako tried to argue that Theed would be better protected if the patrols were widely dispersed, but Maul refused to sanction it. “You may think you have everyone rounded up in the camps, but you’re wrong. Some of Amidala’s security forces surrendered without resistance, but the rest are at large”—Maul gestured broadly—“hiding in the countryside, waiting for a signal that will recall them to Theed.”
    “A signal?” Gunray said. “That’s not possible.”
    Maul suppressed an urge to wring the viceroy’s neck. “What’s impossible is your luck in occupying this planet despite your bungling. Do you expect Amidala to simply sit down with you two and work out the terms of her surrender?”
    “Isn’t that why she is returning?” Gunray said.
    Maul’s hands clenched in fists of rage. “She’s returning to run you out of the Palace and send your ships scampering toward Neimoidia!”
    Gunray stiffened in panic. “Sweep the plaza every five minutes!” he instructed one of the officer droids.
    “Maintain constant surveillance,” Maul said, “using all spectrums. And increase security at all the detention camps.”
    Gunray had just repeated the commands when his comlink chimed.
    Maul nodded for him to acknowledge the transmission.
    OOM-9’s metallic monotone issued from the comlink’s small speaker. “Viceroy, the Droid Control Ship tracked the course of Queen Amidala’s starship. Only moments ago one of our patrols found it in the swamps.”
    Delight shone in Gunray’s eyes. “Have you arrested her?”
    “Negative, Viceroy. Like the Gungan city of Otoh Gunga, the starship was abandoned.” A faint shriek escaped Gunray.
    Maul regarded him with loathing. “The Queen and the Jedi have returned. And somewhere in the swamps, I suspect that the Gungans are gathering their Grand Army.” He smiled wickedly. “You may yet have an actual war on your hands, Viceroy. You had better be prepared to fight every bit as hard as the natives will.”
    “Find the Queen!” Gunray barked into the comlink. “Make it your top priority to arrest her!” At the end of his rope, Maul snatched the