The Seeds of Doubt
by epithree

Genre: drama, action

Characters: Dooku, Sidious, Maul, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Mace, Jango

Timeline: pre-TPM

Summary: Darth Sidious has recruited Count Dooku as an apprentice long before he's finished utilizing Darth Maul.

While planning the blockade of Naboo, the dark lord sends Maul to Coruscant disguised as Jedi Master Sifo-Dias. Darth Maul's mission is to erase Kamino from the Jedi archives.

Wanting this honor himself, Dooku becomes jealous and plans to ruin Maul's task by leaking the information to his former padawan, Qui-Gon Jinn. This ensures a confrontation between Maul and the Jedi.

As Darth Tyranus, Dooku's lust for power causes him to employ a team of bounty hunters to assist with capturing Darth Maul. The count hides his actions from Sidious as Maul attempts to discover who is responsible for the sabotage.

Dooku also hopes to be sent to Naboo during the forthcoming blockade affair, but Sidious has already enlisted Maul for that duty. The count wants Maul out of the picture sooner than the eventual replacement planned by Sidious.

Each of the three Sith has his own agenda, and this story explores the outcome.

Disclaimer: Star Wars is not mine. Just playing with the sand.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

The Seeds of Doubt

The galactic republic, which has stood for countless generations, has become weak and corrupt. Damaged by shady, crooked politicians, the senate is crumbling. Those who sought to protect the republic, the heroic Jedi Knights, have become disillusioned. Seizing upon this unexpected opportunity, numerous crime syndicates have started to increase their activity. Disorder and chaos now rule the galaxy, beckoning a Sith to take action.

Eager to take advantage of the situation, Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith, has employed the proper steps to ensure a future blockade of the planet Naboo. This bold move shall lead to the fruition of his ultimate plan, which requires that the existence of a planet known as Kamino be kept secret from the Jedi Order. The dark lord's apprentice, Darth Maul, has been sent to handle the matter.

Acting against harsh Sith tradition, Darth Sidious has recruited a new student to eventually replace Maul. Amongst wild space, the dark lord and this new apprentice are to meet at an unknown system...

Prologue

Unknown System, Wild Space

A unique spacecraft drifted slowly towards the nearest star, an orange dwarf sun that would burn for another five billion standard years. Positioned directly ahead and precisely at the center of the viewport, the giant ball of plasma was halfway through its evolutionary cycle. Oddly enough, no system of planets revolved around this sun.

The only other visible wonder in the uncharted system was a tiny, brown, useless planetoid. Not quite spherical, the heavily cratered body was now at opposition to the craft. Once the ship's orbital sequence began, the vantage point would change, allowing the floating rock to be seen. No longer blocked by the system's orange star, the bumpy planetoid would show itself emerging from behind the corona.

A backdrop of distant stars could be seen in all directions. The near barren system was uncharted for the usual reasons. It had no known resources and nothing to offer the galactic community. This unknown system represented the far out suburbs of the galaxy, and it did not have any nearby neighbors. That is precisely why the newest member of the Sith Order, Count Dooku, chose it.

Dooku came here to have important discussions with his new mentor via subspace transmissions, for they could not yet risk an actual meeting. Their unlikely relationship could not be revealed, and the count had received strict orders to do it this way. So that's exactly what he did.

The system's brilliant dwarf sun, which was only a few light minutes away, glimmered brightly off the reflective panels of Count Dooku's impressive solar sailer. The long durasteel beams that secured the ship extended way ahead of the actual cockpit, which was glowing orange-white due to the starshine.

The cockpit's transparisteel bubble contained no pilot, for the vessel's only occupants were a droid and Count Dooku himself, who was off awaiting a transmission near the galley.

Dooku entered a dark, secret corridor and stopped just before a holoprojector protruding out from the bulkhead. The image of a hooded Darth Sidious crackled into existence precisely at that moment. The Dark Lord of the Sith kept his reptilian eyes hidden well behind his drooping hood, and the pale blue of the holo's projection was strongly ominous.

The count performed a bow to revere the dark lord. Then, he broke the eerie silence. "How can I serve you, my lord?"

The dark lord responded. "Lord Tyranus." Sidious spoke slowly and softly, but with an unimaginable amount of power. "An urgent matter has arisen that must interrupt your training."

Dooku cocked an eyebrow due to curiosity, but didn't allow the dark lord to witness it, for he was still bowed. "Master?"

"Our acquaintances, the Kaminoans, require a host." The dark lord's words commanded Dooku's absolute attention.

Now Dooku risked a raised glance to see his authoritative master. This caused his cape to flutter, making him an intimidating sight as well. "Then it is time for me to find our template for the clones?" The count experienced a tinge of excitement that even his dark powers could not suppress.

"Yes, my apprentice," Darth Sidious answered as one of his gnarled hands came into view and pointed to accentuate the importance. "But you must first meet with these cloners to resolve the matter of Sifo-Dias and payment."

"Ah," Dooku said. He expressed his interest. The mention of Sifo-Dias brought the count's attention and thoughts to another matter. "Then I take it that this Maul has done his job successfully?" Count Dooku emphasized the name Maul so that his aversion to the other apprentice would be duly noted.

"It is of no concern to you," the dark lord explained to Dooku in a reassuring manner. Dooku had expected a berating tone, and was surprised that Sidious hadn't used one. "You are to go to Kamino and perform your duty without error." Sidious accentuated 'without error' to reestablish Dooku's place as a mere servant to the dark lord. "Lord Maul shall access the data as planned. His place in my design is predetermined. I have foreseen his potential for the Naboo affair, and when the time is upon us, he shall handle the matter there."

Dooku's eyes expanded from shock. Even his place amongst the corridor shifted slightly, and Count Dooku was a man who rarely lost his composure. "My lord, you know that my padawan might very well be selected to negotiate and-"

Darth Sidious stopped the count as his deranged smirk bended into a thin line of hatred. "You have no padawan," the dark lord stated more loudly now. "You are a Sith, and I expect you to act accordingly."

Dooku realigned his posture and bowed again. "I apologize, my lord." Sidious did not respond, so the count broke the silence once more. "And what of this Maul after the blockade?" Dooku had always made it a point to never use the name Darth together with Maul, out of pure jealousy.

Now Dooku was treading along a thin line. He had just realized that he'd neglected to drop the subject even after being sternly warned by his dark master.

Luckily, for Count Dooku, rather than becoming angered, Sidious let it go. "It is of no consequence."

Dooku sighed to himself, knowing he had been afforded an extra chance to avoid the dark lord's wrath. "And what of your plans for the clone army?"

Sidious' original smirk returned. "It can wait until after Naboo." The words dripped of malice. "The queen is far too unstable for us to employ that piece of the plan yet."

"Yes." Dooku was done taking chances. He simply agreed.

"We have much to do before the blockade affair." The sentence was hissed.

"Yes, my lord." Dooku bowed once more. "All is going according to plan," the count stated, attempting to satiate Darth Sidious even further, and it worked.

"Yes, my apprentice. I look forward to completing your training." And with that being said, the holotransmission crackled out of existence.

Dooku regained his composure and then stood. He walked back through the galley and entered the bubble-dome cockpit. His piloting droid was now there, making system adjustments in preparation for a hyperspace jump.

The count sat at the controls in his most regal of fashions, staring out at the bright star of the system. He noticed that the tiny desolate planetoid had now emerged from behind the sun along its orbit. Yet he knew no one populated the rocky world and his devious transmissions with Sidious would stay a secret for today.

Dooku turned to his droid and simply said "Kamino."

A raspy electronic voice answered. "Yes, sir."

As Dooku's solar sailer transformed into the sleek vessel used for hyperspace jumps, the count stared at the barren world once more. And then, in an instant, the ship shot out of realspace and disappeared.

The system was unknown once more, desolate, and with a lone planetoid. The nearest sentient being was light years away. Therefore, no one knew of the corruption and injustice that had come to transpire there.

Next: Dooku chats with a bounty hunter.