The galaxy swirled in a background of darkness. A single red blade ignited and struck at the galaxy but it was pushed back. The red blade shifted forma and became two blades. They struck at the spiral of stars that was the galaxy and this time caused it to crack and fissure. Now in a final act of anger, the red blades shifted again and formed a whole legion of red blades. The sea of red struck with malevolent animosity and this time the galaxy shattered and fell to pieces, each precious little star winked out of existence with a sad cry. Now nothing but darkness and red showed, nothing but evil, nothing but the end of all creation…
Count Dooku's eyes burst open after his dream concluded with sweat dripping down his forehead. Never had he been so relieved to find himself sleeping in his chambers. The dream had been so real with a deeper meaning to it. No it hadn't been a dream, it was a vision.
The vision meant the end of everything. He, his power, even the galaxy itself was destroyed by something that seemed to go beyond the darkside of the Force. What could have caused such destruction? He was a Sith Lord and yet even he wouldn't wish such destruction. What's the point of ruling the galaxy when it no longer existed? Whatever this darkness is it must be stopped.
A sudden flicker of Force sense brought him back to reality. He felt danger approaching and he reached over to his lightsaber on the pedestal next to his bed. A second after the lightsaber came to his hand the mosaic skyline behind his bed shattered into a thousand pieces with a blue blur hurling towards him. The Count's well-honed reflexes allowed him to escape and vault across the room and well away from the blue blade that was held by his own assassin.
"Asimi," The old man frowned. "I did not expect you to attack me for some time. Why the sudden urge for blood?"
Under her mask and hood the young Nightsister had tears in her eyes. "You monster you know what you did!" She yelled and pointed her lightsaber at the Count. "You murdered my sisters. All of them and I felt it through the Force. I agreed to serve you in order to ensure their safety. And now…" A wave of rage spilled off her with her only purpose in life being revenge. "And now you will die! Ezer borotva szilankok!"
The shards of glass that once made up the window all floated upwards, spinning on their axis in a violent twirl. With a scream from Asimi, the glass shards rained down upon Dooku in a furious hail. The Count's smirk grew as he waved a hand at the shards, throwing them aside harmlessly and shattering against the wall. He then ignited his lightsaber to pare the crashing charge made by Asimi. The two glared at each other for a split second before breaking off and ramming into each other again.
The Count insisted on using only one arm in fighting Asimi, like during the first fight they had. He was more than a match for her in terms of swordsmanship. Asimi though wasn't thinking clearly as she was blinded by rage. She swung wildly, forgetting the saber lessons she's learned in the past month and using broad and ungraceful strikes.
The Count played with her for several minutes, testing her every step of the way. The power that came from her anger was great but not impressive. It made her wild and unpredictable which was apparent in her poorly planned assassination attempt. A true assassin would not have attacked like she had which defeated her ultimate purpose of being his assassin. She needed to be taught a lesson.
"Enough," He used both hands to knock the lightsaber at of her hand, slicing the weapon it in two. Asimi recoiled and stumbled with bolts of lightning slamming into her chest at pointblank range. She screamed in pain as the lightning trickled throughout her body.
"Your anger is great but you cannot harness it." Dooku circled around Asimi who was still on the ground with smoke hissing from her burnt clothing. "If only you could use it. You would make a proper assassin."
Asimi struggled to move and failed. None of her muscles were functioning as they should be. "Kill… me…" She whispered weakly with nothing left in her to fight with.
Dooku stopped his circling and glared down at her. "No," He said. "I am now in need of your skills more than ever." He closed his eyes to glimpse back at the vision he saw. "I have foreseen a greater evil destroying the very galaxy itself. Nothing will survive. My plans do not include such level of destruction so you will live and you will listen."
The Count lifted Asimi from the ground with a wave of the hand and set her on her feet. "You will follow me."
Dooku's influence was too much for the weakened Nightsister. Her legs moved without her permission and she began to walk behind the Count into the next room. They entered an office and the Count sat behind his desk with Asimi standing before him on shacking legs. "I did not kill off the Nightsisters clan out of mindless anger. There was a reason behind it." He flicked a button on his desk and a hologram came to life. It showed a row of people, innocent villagers, lined up with their heads down. A sinister looking Zabrak cycled around them, spitting out a challenge to a Jedi named Obi-wan Kenobi. Out of nowhere the Zabrak lit a lightsaber and decapitated all the villagers. Asimi grimaced at the sight.
"This is Darth Maul," Dooku said from behind the hologram. "He is a Sith Lord, like I, who was supposed to have died ten years ago. It was because of your Nightbrother, Savage Oppress, that he was found and restored to his former power." The old man glared at the hologram with burning furry. "And I suspect Mother Talzin had a hand in his resurrection." He killed the hologram and set his glare upon Asimi. "If I had killed the clan off sooner this threat would not have ever existed."
Asimi demanded her body to lunge forward and strangle the life out of him but it did not listen. Dooku had her in his grasp. "Lies…" She whimpered. "Mother Talzin would never…"
"You only fool yourself." He rose from his chair and circled around the desk so he was now face to face with Asimi. "As the last of the Nightsisters this is your responsibility to bear. Only two Sith Lords can rein and Maul plans to usurp that rule and take the galaxy into permanent darkness. I have foreseen it."
"I won't serve you… you will betray me like you did with my sisters…" Her eyes narrowed under the hood. "I will not rest until your very spirit disintegrates into ash…"
The Sith Lord actually smiled at this. "Good," He began with a pleased tone. "I expect nothing less from my apprentice."
She blinked. "Apprentice? What makes you think I…" She lost her breath as Dooku placed pressure around her thought with the Force.
"I alone cannot stop Maul. Together, though, we stand a better chance at defeating him. It is my responsibility as a Sith Lord and yours as a Nightsister to end him and the threat he represents. I have power and you have great potential, with a mere thought I could kill you but I won't so long as you become my Sith apprentice." He grinned. "If you want my power than you will have to learn it. I am old and soon you will have the advantage over me." He let go of Asimi's neck and let her drop to her knees.
She was so confused. The man who slaughtered her family was practically offering power to her and even inviting her to try to kill him in the future. He also had a point. Maul was back because of Savage, her clan's creation and Mother Talzin had a hand in that as well, not to mention Asaji. Her clan may practice darkside magic but never would they seek to cause pain and suffering. If she behaved and if she grew stronger than not only will she atone for her clan's sins but also gain revenge by killing her new… master.
"I accept," She removed her hood and mask so that the count could see her face. "Teach me the ways of the darkside and I will pledge myself to defeating your enemies. Whoever they may be,"
The Count nodded and activated his lightsaber. He brought it close to her shoulder and moved it to the other. Asimi felt the heat from it and savored it as it meant the beginning of a new life. "I, Darth Tyranus, take you as my apprentice. Learn the ways of the darkside and use the knowledge to crush every enemy underfoot. Use your emotions to strike down any obstacle. The Force itself is your servant. Now rise as a Sith, young Asimi."
The young Sith girl rose with renewed strength. "Yes my master," She said obediently.
"Tend to your wounds and rebuild your lightsaber. We leave tomorrow." He waved his hand and the two pieces that were once her lightsaber floated over to her.
Asimi bowed deeply and left the office. Dooku felt a smile still lingering on his lips even after she left. What he did was in direct defiance of Darth Sidious. Asaji had been his secret apprentice for a time before Sidious became paranoid and ordered her execution. It won't take the man long to feel the same about Asimi. That is if he ever discovers her. He had an entire Confederacy under his control, he was no longer afraid of Sidous' reach, even though it extends farther than he could imagine. To kill Maul would be but a step toward ultimate victory against the Republic, the Jedi and Darth Sidious himself…
Asimi sat down at the desk in the room Dooku had given her to rest in. Before her was what was left of her lightsaber. Despite being cut in half most of the components were salvageable. The casing that held everything together was useless now. She needed something new to put the guts of the weapon into. She then remembered the Rancor tooth knife she always kept. Its handle was roughly the size of a lightsaber's and it had a slight curve to it like Dooku's. She took the knife from its sheath and removed the metal blade. Then she hollowed at the tooth and placed all of the components into it with delicate precision. Lastly she placed the blue blade crystal into the middle of it all before closing the saber up. The Rancor tooth looked like a regular carnivores tooth except for the blade emitter that pocked out of the flat end. She picked up the weapon and thumbed it on. The new lightsaber came to live with a gratifying hum.
"With this blade I will avenge you sisters. I swear it."…
The next morning came faster than expected. Asimi wore a new set of clothes because her tribal garb had been burned into uselessness by Dooku's lightning. She now wore a red Shimmer Silk robe top with a hood and gold lining going down it, black leggings tipped with gold color as well and shoes that exposed her ankles and were strapped firmly up her forelegs. On her hands were fingerless gloves and a wristband with a built in comlink. The outfit was simple and comfortable and wouldn't fall apart in combat. She wondered how the Count guessed her size and how the clothes were made so quickly. That was something she wouldn't think too hard on. A Sith Lord seemed to know everything.
She hooked her Rancor tooth lightsaber to a holster on her left thigh and left for the courtyard were, not surprisingly, Count Dooku was already waiting.
"I see you've rebuilt your lightsaber properly." Dooku eyed the weapon. "You will need it soon enough." He turned and stepped aboard his solar sailor with Asimi right behind him.
"Where are we going master?" Asimi said as she took the copilots chair with Dooku sitting in a more comfortable chair that was positioned right behind the pilot droid that operated the controls.
"To Tatooine, where we will find an old acquaintance," His voice went real dark then. It sent a chill through Asimi. The message she got from him was that they were going out for blood. It didn't matter who they killed just as long it led to Maul's demise and that of anyone else who opposed them. She was Sith now and if Dooku thrived, so did she. A good Sith apprentice always followed her master's orders to the letter… that is until she can strike him down…