(A/N) Of characters who don't get enough credit in the Star Wards universe, my top three are Count Dooku, Bail Organa, and Wedge Antilles. Count Dooku is one of the most interesting, multi-dimensional people in the saga, and I appreciated the exploration of him in both the Clone Wars and in the comic series. So, anywho, here's my view on Dooku's fixation with turning Obi-Wan to the dark side, the things that caused him to leave the Order, and his unstable relationship with Ventress. Lead up to the battle of Jabiim, and the events on Rattatak, which will start in the next chapter. Planning on a three part series if people are receptive! Please R and R so I know what you think!
There were few things beyond his comprehension. He had always been, and always considered himself, highly intelligent. Not just through extensive knowledge, but the ability to see potential problems and eradicate them, to see people's desires and play them against them. He was as manipulative as he was intelligent, but low, there was once thing that stayed outside of his comprehension.
Sidious' obsession with the Skywalker boy was not something he could grasp easily. The boy had raw power, and a strong constraint over the working of the force, but he was dangerously unstable. And arrogant. And, judging by some of his more recent actions, somewhat of an idiot.
Dooku had defeated him far too easily. He had run full at him on Geonosis like he was some kind of wild animal, bent on vengeance. That was not the fighting style of a Jedi, Padawan or otherwise. In the end he had left Kenobi to fight Dooku alone, then in turn had to fight the Sith Apprentice himself, resulting in serious injuries for both and lost arm. Yoda had saved them, of course; but Skywalker's mistakes had cost him a limb, and almost cost him his master and his life.
It was not something Dooku could see the value of having on your side. Clearly, from all he had seen, Skywalker had been a detriment to Kenobi. He had observed them quietly through the lens of the Holo-Net for years. Skywalker was irrational and dangerous, and Kenobi too young and hard-headed to deal with it.
No. Skywalker he would never understand. Kenobi, on the other hand, he had begun to pay attention to more carefully.
He had seen him as a youngling, and again as a Padawan. Though Dooku had never considered Qui-Gon and himself to be particularly close, he had watched his former apprentice excel in all manners of being a Jedi after their departure as master and apprentice. He saw much of himself in Qui-Gon, knowing that the only reason he had never been promoted to master was his individualistic ideas about the Jedi teachings, something that had led Dooku to abandon the order altogether. When he had taken Kenobi as an apprentice, Dooku had been slightly surprised.
After Qui-Gon, he had no interest in other apprentices, so he had not visited the youngling area in quite some time. Such was not expected of masters, and to Dooku's knowledge, Yoda was the only one who made an effort to do it. He had been out of touch with them when Kenobi had been selected, and only learned that Qui-Gon had taken him days later when Kit Fisto mentioned it in passing.
He had watched him then, trying to observe his talents and skills. He was stubborn, more vocative thatn Qui-Gon had ever thought to be. They were an odd pair, with his former apprentice towering at over six feet tall, silent and confident, and Kenobi, a thirteen year old boy, speaking next to him. Dooku had never reached out to him, spending as much time away from the temple as he did in it.
In time, the corruption present had become clear to him. The Jedi were pawns in a game of money and power, and he no longer had a desire to be a part of it. He was absentee royalty on Serreno, and considered returning for many years. He had heard of Skywalker's coming to the temple, and the council's rejection of him at first. He had been away then, but had returned as Qui-Gon, Kenobi, and the boy again left for Naboo.
He had felt the dark side of the force surrounding their decision to return, a plot that he sensed went unnoticed by the other Jedi, too distracted by this boy. Dooku was unimpressed with him, focusing more on the undercurrent of danger he could hint. He had spoken with others, but that had not heeded his words as having any merit, citing his recent trip to Korriban as reasoning behind it.
Days later, news arrived that Qui-Gon had been killed, and Kenobi, still a Padawan, had in turn killed the Sith responsible. It was both a breaking point and a revelation, he had departed the temple that same day, leaving a life and image he had constructed behind, not waiting for the memorial of his old apprentice. Their blindness to their own faults, their willingness to sacrifice Jedi when it could have so easily have been prevented was something he could no longer overlook.
However, then had his fixation on Kenobi started. He wouldn't say that, when his master spoke of slaughtering Kenobi, bringing Skywalker to their side, he voiced his agreement in as few words as possible. In te back of his mind, he wanted Kenobi as his own apprentice. He seemed on the surface to be an average Jedi, but Dooku knew differently.
To be capable of killing a Sith as a Padawan was an extraordinary skill, and as he monitored Kenobi's pursuits through the years, Dooku observed what he saw as a powerfully unique command of the force. He was brilliant, now that they had divulged into war, he was the Grand Republic's most successful general; and in a short span of only a few months, had earned his own title as the Negotiator. Not that Dooku cared much for titles, he had had several in his long life and they had meant very little to him.
He knew that Yoda had realized Kenobi's potential as well. The small green Jedi held the young knight in high esteem, and had given him an almost insurmountable task in the discovery of the clone army and capture of Jango Fett who had killed another young Jedi only a few years before. When he had instead ended up in Dooku's prison, he finally felt that it was the time to draw Kenobi in, use his strength, his power to overtake Sidious.
But he had not listened. He, as others, had not understood. Dooku had not lied to him, he had told him of the secret identity of the Sith, practically feed him everything he wanted, and still, he had rejected his offer. Anger had consumed him then, arranging for Kenobi's death, and even after his escape, he had arranged for a new apprentice to fill the void he had in the power struggle against his own Master. Ventress was strong, she was powerful in the force and trained in combat.
But she was not what he wanted. And he could tell, every time she spoke ill of Kenobi or Skywalker, or talked of Jedi, that she was aware of it. She knew who he wanted at his side, and he could feel the cold hatred boiling inside of her. Btu there was little she could do about it, until now.
He had decided to let her prove herself. Or let Kenobi prove himself again to Dooku's power. He had sent her, along with a full battalion of droids, to Jabiim, where she could face Kenobi and his clones. Her task had nothing to do with the battle, she was to kill Kenobi, or take him alive to her citadel on Rattatak. Failure was non-optional.
Dooku didn't expect success from her. He expected Kenobi to kill her as he had killed Maul all those years ago on Naboo. Another step closer to the dark side then, another step closer to the Sith.