AARGAU

The planet Aargau near coruscant and the corellian run; a major banking centre in the galaxy; a wealthy world rich in precious metals. The planet has three crimes punishable by immediate execution: unlawful removal of precious metals. unlawful possession of weapons by non-citizens (it is unlawful for citizens to be unarmed) conspiring to defraud, discredit or deceive the bank of Aargau. Famous points on Aargau include the dawn pyramid which was constructed before the dawn of the republic by a race called the Sharu, the garden of butterflies in the planet's capital of new escrow, a place where people gather to socialise and conduct business and the IBC arcology. Aargau has high towers and vast pyramidal structures which poke at the sky as if to break through it and fly free in space, hovercars like metal beetles zoom across the roads of the gleaming, shiny world of Aargau.

One pyramid shaped structure in new escrow is the home of count Traynus though his real name known only by a few is Dooku who is thought to be dead by everyone except his most trusted agents. Here he and his apprentice Ahsoka Tano build an army in secret, composed of mercenaries and droids; ready to strike when the time is right.

Ahsoka waited in the garden of butterflies for the latest recruits. She looked at the butterflies flying around the garden and remembered insects of a larger size; the can-cell, which Skywalker had picked her up on to escape ventress on teth. Her thoughts were interrupted by the group of mercenaries walking toward her. 'They must be the recruits' thought Ahsoka; there was rodian carrying a sniper rifle who looked quite skilled, a gran whose three eyes darted about nervously, three fierece looking trandoshans and a herglic who wore a suit of heavy armor from head to toe, he had a wrist rocket on his left wrist and a belt with two modified heavy blaster pistols and an EE-3 carbine rifle on his back. 'Are you the one we need to talk to join this secret army?' asked the herglic. 'If you're up to it' replied ahsoka 'we need the best, not some amateurs.'

'I assure you we're the best in the sector.' replied the herglic.

'traynus will be the judge of that, follow me.'

The group followed the togruta along a walkway through the city.

'I don't like this.' whispered the gran to his companions.

'Quit whining Khraleek.' Said one of the Trandoshans. 'You've a lot to learn about the bounty hunting business.'

'But we don't even know who we're working for, this is reckless.' protested Khraleek.

'The pay is good and I've found out that we'll be forming a new empire.' said the Herglic.

They arrived at a large pyramid shaped building. Two IG100 magnaguard droids stood watch at the doors, when they saw Ahsoka they let them pass through the door. The room was mostly empty except for a holonet and an elevator. Ahsoka pressed a button on the wall and the elevator doors opened.

'Where are we going?' asked the Rodian.

'To meet your employer' answered Ahsoka.

A few parsecs later the doors opened and they stepped out into a dimly lit room; the walls were black and in the room were display cases containing pyramidal shaped objects; sith holocrons. In the middle of the room sat cross legged on the floor with his back toward the group was count Dooku.

The count got up and turned to face them 'I trust these are the new recruits?' he asked.

'Yes master' replied Ahsoka.

'That's Dooku' gasped Khraleek.

'Isn't he dead?' said one of the trandoshans.

'Allow me to explain' said Dooku 'Traynus does not exist; he is simply a fake name to hide my true identity; my apprentice here and I faked death and we are building a new empire in the shadows until the right time to emerge and conquer the galaxy.'

'You will be rewarded well, but first you will have to swear allegiance to darth tyrannus' said Ahsoka.

The bounty hunters all agreed to join the cause and swore to tell no one of traynus's true identity.