**Chapter 572**
**Scene 1**
**Felucia – Commerce Guild Command Center**
**Shu Mai POV**
Shu Mai stood in the dimly lit command center deep within one of Felucia's fungal forests, the holographic form of Count Dooku flickering before her. The Gossam Presidente of the Commerce Guild adjusted her ornate robes, her multifaceted eyes gleaming with cold calculation as she reviewed the final preparations.
"Are you certain you have collected and prepared everything?" Dooku's hologram asked, his voice sharp with impatience.
"Yes, I am," Shu Mai replied smoothly. "The charges and instructions are set. Just in case Dagon takes this world, the canisters will be detonated and the water supply of Felucia will be poisoned. No half-measures like Wat Tambor's failed attempt on Ryloth."
Dooku studied her for a long moment, his aristocratic features showing a hint of surprise. "But still — to poison your own world, even when you convinced the native Felucians to fight for you… Are you sure you could be that cruel?"
Shu Mai's lips curled into a thin, humorless smile. "This world is just a small vacation home for the Commerce Guild. It's not that important. Besides, only some bacta grows here. I don't think the Confederacy needs much of it anyway."
Dooku nodded slowly, accepting her pragmatism. "Very well. Once the Republic destroys the blockade around your world, you will escape and leave the tactical droid with instructions. Don't trust the locals, and make sure you leave no evidence. An act like this will certainly work against us with the neutral systems."
"It will be done, Count," Shu Mai said, bowing her head slightly.
The hologram of Dooku faded, leaving Shu Mai alone in the command center. She turned toward the large window overlooking the bioluminescent jungle of Felucia. The planet was beautiful in its own deadly way — massive fungi, vibrant colors, and hidden dangers. But beauty meant nothing to her. Only profit and power mattered.
She activated a secure comm to her tactical droid. "Begin final preparations. If the Republic breaks through, detonate the canisters. Leave nothing for them to use."
The droid's mechanical voice confirmed the order. Shu Mai allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. Dagon Marek might win the battle, but she would ensure his victory tasted of ash.
**Scene 2**
**Felucia Village – Southern Mushroom Forest**
**Militia Leader Candor POV**
The village nestled among the towering fungal spires of Felucia's southern mushroom forest was alive with quiet activity. Felucians moved between their homes — small, dome-shaped structures grown from the planet's own organic material. They were a short-statured species, with thick legs and four-fingered hands. Their reptilian features shared some characteristics with tortoises, including an elongated neck and sturdy limbs. Beady eyes, often hidden behind protective goggles, scanned their surroundings with cautious intelligence. Their skin varied in tone from vibrant orange to soft light green. They were distantly related to the Gossam, though few outsiders ever made that connection.
Candor, one of the village's militia leaders, stood on a raised platform overlooking the central square. He watched as young Felucians practiced with the blaster rifles the Commerce Guild had provided. The weapons felt heavy and unnatural in their hands, but they trained anyway.
They had been peaceful farmers for generations — cultivating rare medicinal fungi, harvesting natural bacta deposits, and living in harmony with Felucia's dangerous ecosystem. But when the war started last year, everything changed. The Commerce Guild had arrived in force, setting up training camps and arming the population. They spoke of protecting Felucia from Republic exploitation — of how the Jedi and their clone armies would steal their crops, their resources, and their way of life.
Candor believed them.
He had seen the holofeeds. Republic forces conquering world after world. General Dagon Marek's fleets burning through Separatist defenses. The stories of Ryloth's liberation — which the Guild claimed was actually an invasion that left the planet in ruins. If the Republic came here, they would take everything.
So Candor trained. So his people trained.
A young Felucian approached him, clutching a blaster rifle awkwardly. "Leader Candor, when will the Republic come? Are we truly ready?"
Candor placed a four-fingered hand on the youth's shoulder. "They will come soon. The Guild says their fleet is already on the way. But we will fight. This is our world. Our homes. Our future. We will not let them take it from us."
The villagers around him murmured in agreement, their beady eyes filled with determination. They had lived peacefully for so long. Now, they would fight to protect what was theirs.
Unseen in the shadows of the fungal canopy, a Commerce Guild tactical droid watched the scene with cold mechanical eyes. Its hidden programming waited for the signal — the order that would doom Felucia's water supply if the Republic won.
The trap was already set.