(Jayden's PoV)
Well, everything was set on our end, and I believe that everything was set too on the side of the Sith-backed Trade Federation.
I have a feeling that things won't go as they did in the movie that I remembered. With my addition to the story, deviations began to appear, though not significant enough to disrupt the broader picture, but that would happen sooner or later, which I had known for a long time, and I believe that time is now.
Palpatine felt me. He felt my power personally.
Before, he might have heard about me, about my Midichlorian count, which was close to Master Yoda, and when we arrived with Anakin and Queen Padme, he was able to observe me personally, through his own eyes and senses.
He might have marked Anakin as his probable Apprentice in the future, but he was someone who revelled in plans behind plans. Nothing would be easy with him.
I am sure he might have started plans for me, too, in case Plan Anakin fails.
He would surely try to turn me to the Dark Side, and unlike Anakin, who had only a mother and then a wife, maybe his Padawan and Master, whose deaths could have turned him, I have a lot more.
I have my parents, my master, and friends in the Order.
Anakin, being older than younglings, didn't make good connections wth any other Jedi. He only became famous because of his recklessness and the Force favouring his victory streak, which made him an Idol among the young Jedi, who would act before thinking.
He did not have many that he cared about, but he was reckless. So, turning him to the dark side is as difficult as it was easy.
I, on the other hand, have many that I care about, and anyone's death could turn me to the dark side.
Of course, this was just a speculation.
There was another choice. He can get rid of me, especially now that I am on Naboo, where we would face Maul. If he wanted to eliminate me, Maul is the perfect way to do so.
With the increased number of Jedi, Maul and the Trade Federation might have increased their security and precautions. They would be ready for us.
Additionally, I wanted to make a change in this set of events, specifically to reduce the likelihood of Anakin turning to the dark side and increase the chances of the Jedi Order's survival.
I won't accept the order just as it is now. There are many old coots that are stagnant and corrupted that need to be removed, and that would be possible if you had allies who would think similarly to yours.
Master Jinn may not accept my ideas of eliminating them, but during the clone wars, many died, especially the ones who had no political power.
The Council members, most of whom died during the final scenes. Fighting with Sidious or when Vader attacked the Temple.
This was not because they were all strong enough to survive till then. Palpatine would have ended them long before if he got a chance, as that would make his plan to destroy the Order easy, and his plan wouldn't fail.
I mean, even with so much preparation, a minor incident could cause it to falter, and the members of the council could cause more than a minor incident.
They survived because they were relegated most of the time. They entered direct battles very few times and mostly when there was need for them to step in or something they care for was in danger, else they would spend time on Coruscant, away from the battle.
If I can throw them down from the council seats or any seat of power in the order, then I can just send them to the frontlines, where many good fellows died due to their policies, what I would get to have would be ones who aren't overtly stagnant or corrupted.
I can make do with them from then on. For that, I have to start from somewhere, and this is the best time to do so.
---
(Third PoV)
As predicted, the Trade Federation sent a lot of droids to the battle with the Gungans. They knew that Queen had made a treaty with them. If not, the battle would have been fought at sea, which was their domain, not on land.
Nevertheless, they didn't fear the battle. All are droids, who wouldn't run away when morale is low, as morale doesn't exist. They would fight to the last, but with the huge numbers they deployed, it should be more than enough to take care of the Gungans.
At the same time, Maul made a seat along the pathway that led to the throne room. This is the direct path to the throne room that they needed to take to reach it. There are other paths, but he had a feeling that the Jedi and the Queen would take this path first.
When the Jedi see him, they would stop here, while the Queen and her members would take other paths, which were fully covered by the droids.
"The Jedi would die by my hands, and the Queen, she would be captured, and Naboo would fall into the hands of those puppets as the master devised. Once that was done, the Clone Wars would happen soon, which would end the Jedi and the Republic, once and forever", Maul muttered as he patiently waited.
There was no patience with his stand, but to him, that was him showing restraint and being patient for the Jedi to arrive and get divided.
