Hello guys, now I want to say a few things before we begin we story time.

First off, thank you to all those who are following this story and favoriting this story, it means a lot to someone who literally just started writing a couple of months ago so, again thanks. The same goes to the guys and gals who leave reviews, they help a lot too.

Second is that I am going to try and get a new chapter out each month so you guys don't have to wait too long for an update so hopefully that will work out ok.

So with all that out of the way our story begins a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away

Where there is a person who looks a LOT like Samuel L. Jackson.

Chapter 4: A call from a Count

Anakin reeled back quickly, taking a few steps before one of his hands went to his now aching jaw, rubbing it slightly. 'Would it kill you to be slightly less intense when we train? Seriously, I think I end up with more bruises from you then I do from everyone we've met on missions.'

'If I did then you would get too cocky and then pirates or any of the other unsavoury characters we meet would take advantage of that and would either shot you or stab you.' Qui-Gon rebuked softly, remaining in his fighting stance, hands held loose but ready. 'And I think that I heard from somewhere that those can hurt quite a bit more than a punch. Besides, your 15 years old now, I'm sure that you can take some hand to hand combat training.'

'I still prefer using my lightsaber though.' Anakin mumbled, remembering what he had to go through four years ago to get the crystal needed to make his lightsaber. He had been able to make it once he had arrived back on Coruscant and after he had given his account of events in the crystal caves to the council, causing some of the member of the council to gasp slightly at the mention of the new Sith apprentice and when he mentioned that he had a master, the councils arguments started to rise. After that, Yoda said that Anakin could leave so that he could get started on his lightsaber while the council and his master discussed about what to do with the new knowledge of the latest interaction with the Sith.

It didn't take long for him to find the old droid Professor Huyang in one of temples workshops where he went over how to make a fully functioning lightsaber and how Anakin should use the force to chose which pieces would serve him best. He ended up choosing a simple design with thick ridges for the handle and slightly bulky controls for its ignition, once the parts had been laid out before him, Anakin started to work immediately while the droid professor started his lecture on how to correctly build a lightsaber with the help of a diagram. But it hadn't even been 5 minutes before Anakin sounded off his triumph of success that cause the droid to turn and look at the assembled lightsaber.

'I'm finished.' He had said.

'I will be the judge of that young one.' Huyang said in its strangely echoing synthetic voice as it picked up the lightsaber and began to inspect it more closely, partially removing the casing to see the circuitry inside. It had been slightly amusing to Anakin when he saw the Professors surprised reaction when it found that the lightsaber before it was built to perfection. It couldn't even see a single component that was out of place even by the smallest degree. Normally it would take a youngling a couple of tries to build a lightsaber before it was built correctly.

It was around the same time that Qui-Gon had entered the room, seeing his apprentices with a look of satisfaction on his face.

'If I didn't know any better, I would say that you have finished already Anakin.' He had said.

'Yep.' Anakin had replied with. 'I mean, I am pretty gifted with tinkering so are you really that surprised that I finished so quickly master?'

'What did I say young Skywalker? I will say when you are done.' Huyang electronic voice had said in a slight annoyed voice. 'For all you know, you could have made the containment field faulty or you could have inverted the direction of the focusing lens.'

'Oh, well have I?'

The professor had taken a moment before giving a slight sigh, a strange action to take for a being with no lungs, and saying 'No.'

'May I have a look?' Qui-Gon had asked. Huyang obliged and gave Anakin's first lightsaber to the Jedi master who, once the weapon was in hand, let his senses flow through the lightsaber. He wasn't surprised in the least when his senses told him that Anakin's weapon was perfectly created and considering that Anakin had created a pod racer while he was back on Tatooine, this must have been something as an afterthought for his apprentice.

'Well done Anakin.' He had said as he passed it back to its creator. 'But don't let your pride cloud your sight too much. Someone can easily manipulate that to their advantage in any situation.'

'You know master,' Anakin had responded. 'You could have just let me have this one for once.'

'Well if I did then I wouldn't be a good teacher for you now would I?'

'Anakin, focus.' Qui-Gon said which snapped Anakin out of the past and into the present. 'And while a lot of Jedi are more comfortable with their blade, there have been situations where such Jedi have lost their saber in combat and have been forced into hand-to-hand combat where they were extremely unfamiliar with it and died because of it. You must understand that in our occupation, it is best to be prepared and not need it then be unprepared and need it.'

'Now concentrate.' Anakin's master instructed. 'Unless you wish to be hit again?' He said in slight sarcasm as he approached his padawan to restart the fight. Immediately afterwards Anakin had to block a swing that was barrelling towards his stomach, then he managed to deflect another aiming towards his head where he pushed his master's attack away from him. Anakin took the moment where his master was slightly unbalanced because of the block, and began to attack his master body, trying to knock the breath out of his body to gain an upper hand. Qui-Gon managed to block the attacks but ended up losing ground which literally had his back up against a wall. While in any other situation, this would normally make the Jedi master slightly more cautious in the fight and nothing more, he found that pride had also risen for his apprentices level of skill as a fighter at such a young age, he had no doubt that he will become a strong warrior that would be feared as an opponent.

During the next attack that Anakin throw, Qui-Gon went to grapple his arm to try and gain a new advantage over his padawan by throwing him, but Anakin anticipated the move and held onto him and turned it into a game to see who could kick the others feet from under them. Qui-Gon tried to release himself from the grip but Anakin's grip was like iron and before he knew it, Anakin had kicked his legs out from under him and flung him over his shoulder where Qui-Gon continued to slam onto the temples cold stone floor. He had turned around on the floor just in time to see Anakin standing over him, ready to deliver the punch that would win him the fight.

'Looks like I win master.' Anakin said slyly just before he began the final attack. Anakin was surprised to say the least when he discovered that instead of throwing a punch and stopping midway and winning the fight against his master, he instead was thrown onto the floor next to Qui-Gon, who had grabbed his padawan's hand, kicked his legs from under him and pulled him down, where he proceeded to pin Anakin down with his leg and hand while the other hand was thrown towards his face before it stopped an inch from his nose.

'It looks like that you still need to stop gloating before you actually win a fight.' Qui-Gon said to his apprentice in a slightly humours voice with a smile. 'If you do, then your opponent can take advantage of you and make you look like a fool, like I have.' With that said Qui-Gon stood up and held out his hand to help Anakin back up.

Once Anakin was back on his feet, he looked back at his master. 'Well if that's true about me then so is the fact that you show off whenever you can.' He replied with the same amount of humour that his master had.

'Non-sense Anakin. I merely use my great experience for any needed situation that arises which suits the rank of a Jedi master.'

Anakin gave his master a questioning look. 'That still sounds like showing off.'

'Oh,' Qui-Gon replied with. 'Then it probably is. But I can get away with it.'

Before Anakin could form a comeback to continue with his masters joking, Obi-Wan entered the room with a serious face. 'Master, Anakin. The council have asked for our presence immediately.'

Anakin, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan made their way through the corridors of the temple with some urgency in their step, heading straight towards the elevator that would take them to the High Council Chamber at the top of the High Council Tower. While they were hurrying, Anakin remembered the first time that he had approached the council of master Jedi's when his master had first found him, still wearing his tattered, sand dirtied clothes, standing before the collected masters questioning gazes. He had learned as soon as he entered the Jedi's ranks that being summoned by the council normally meant something big has happened or they needed Jedi to be sent to handle a serious situation.

And with all this in mind, Anakin found that he was asking himself. What's so important that we need to be involved?

As they drew closer to the elevator doors that would take them to the top of the tower, Anakin saw another Jedi, leaning patiently against the wall next to the metal doors who started to stand up straight once they had noticed that they were coming. It didn't take long for Anakin to recognise who the Jedi was. The long copper ponytail, the dark eyes and the way that she held herself with nothing but confidence only coming from being the best in class.

'Hey Liza, how are you?' Anakin asked his fellow Padawan.

'Fine.' She said simply, which compared with a couple of years ago when she couldn't stand Anakin, was a much friendlier greeting than he would have expected back then. But ever since their little run in with that Sith lord during the Gathering, she had started to show a gradual acceptance towards him and he was grateful that he didn't have to deal with any of the sly comments that were so common back then. She had also gained a lightsaber after the Gathering, like everyone else, and she wore it proudly on her belt. Its design was slightly different compared with others, instead of a straight hilt; it curved slightly in the middle to accommodate a better grip than a normal blade which helped her with her preferred style of form II, Makashi, its smooth exterior made from an obsidian that was darker than a midnight sky on the darkest of planets. 'So what have you done this time Anakin?'

Anakin sighed slightly in annoyance, maybe he did have to deal with some sly comments now and again. 'Why do you assume that I have done something? I haven't done anything wrong.'

'So it wasn't you who took so many of the spare parts from Jedi Starfighters and then add them to yours and your master own ship to improve it?'

Anakin went silent for a moment. 'That happened once ok. I get my parts normally now.'

'Wasn't that because of the two months you spent cleaning the temple afterwards?' Obi-Wan said with a slight smile.

Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan with a slight annoyed expression. 'I thought Jedi didn't take sides master Kenobi.'

'Well considering that Liza is my Padawan it does seem prudent that I do so.' He replied simply. Anakin remembered when Liza became his master's former apprentice's padawan. It had only been a month or two after the gathering when Obi-Wan had approach the young Jedi and offered to take her under his wing, training her and taking her out on missions when they needed to. It was because of this and the relationship that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had that lead them to join on missions together with their apprentices meaning that Anakin and Liza meet somewhat regularly. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Frey when he became the Padawan of Lania Morrow. It wasn't like they don't meet at all; on the contrary, he and Frey met up as much as they could when they were both on Coruscant in the form of training together or simply talking about recent missions that they have done with their respected masters. They have, on some rare occasions, been on missions together before where they along with their masters have completed missions with very little difficulty and in a sort amount of time, something Anakin had always said that it was due to the pair of them working together.

'Now, enough wasting time.' Obi-Wan said which moved Anakin's focus from the past and to the present. 'We have left the council waiting long enough.'

'Yes master.' Liza replied respectfully as she followed her master into the waiting elevator along with Anakin and Qui-Gon, where the metal doors closed in front of them with a soft click. The ride up was spent mostly in silence as the view of the outside, filled as always with all sorts of speeders zooming along air lanes was seen through the glass walls of the elevator. It didn't take long until the elevator stopped at the top of the tower softy where the doors opened showing the occupants the large doors at the end of the corridor that was the entrance to the awaiting council members. They didn't have to wait long before the doors opened and they were granted entry to see all the council seated in the round room, leaving the centre free for them to stand in front of the council. They all took their place in the middle of the room, the sunlight lighting their face from the sun that could be seen through the large window walls of the room, but even at this height Anakin could still see vehicles flying towards their destination.

'Masters.' Qui-Gon said respectfully as he bowed, an action that the others followed. 'You summoned us?'

'Yes we did.' Mace Windu replied in a voice that, to Anakin, seemed that he was always slightly angry at something, but he knew that he could get more so, all he had to do was think about all the times that his master went to the council to change the rule about emotional connection. 'we have received a transmission that we want you to see.' After he had said that, he proceeded to hit a button that was on the arm of his chair and a hologram of a man appeared before them. From what Anakin could see, he was obviously an important political figure or of someone of great wealth judging by his clothes and cloak, which were made from a high quality material. But he must have also been a Jedi since he could clearly see a curved lightsaber attached firmly to his belt, but that didn't make any sense to Anakin since he knew that no Jedi were supposed to have any titles or worldly processions, so what made him different? His hair was mostly snow white with the exception of a few grey hairs that lined them, his aged dark brown eyes showed that he held a great amount of experience but they also showed concern. The hologram didn't provide his surroundings, but the message, as soon as it had started, rang out an alarm that was clearly part of a ships warning system which made the man look to his right before looking back towards them and spoke.

'Greetings Jedi masters of the high council.' He spoke in a deep, rich voice. 'This is Count Dooku of Serenno and I am in need of assistance. I am on my Providence carrier returning to Serenno from a political meeting and my ship is currently being attacked by an unknown ship and it seems to be both determined to stop me and possess the necessary firepower to do so.' As he said this, sparks sprung from somewhere to his side, causing him to shield his eyes with his raised arm. Dooku looked back at them, or the recording device from his perspective, taking a moment before speaking again. 'I know that I have had... my own opinions before I left the order, but Serenno is too far away to send reinforcements in time and Coruscant is much closer to my position.'

'Sir!' another voice shot out from somewhere behind the Count. 'They are coming around for another attack!'

'Hurry.' Dooku continued after his latest update of his situation. 'Time is of the essence.'

The holographic message blinked out of existence and the room was silent for a moment. Anakin looked towards his master to see his reaction, if any other person had looked at his master at that point, they would have only seen a neutral face, never showing any emotions, keeping his features completely stoic. But for Anakin, he could see the subtle little clues that his master made. The slight frown with his eyebrows, the more focused look in his eyes, the slight curve of his mouth, they all pointed towards one thing, concern.

'Did he send anything else with the transmission?' Qui-Gon said after a little while.

'Besides his ships coordinates,' Plo Koon responded, his muffled voice the first to be heard before the other masters. 'next to nothing. We don't know who is attacking Dooku, their numbers, the type of ship they are using or their weapons.'

'In other words this is a 'going in blind' type of mission.' Eeth Koth said, summing up the situation in simplicity.

'Like this I do not.' The old, wise master Yoda said with a frown. 'Too much unknown there is. But leave him in need we cannot.'

'So how do you propose we enter his ship then?' Obi-Wan asked, finally joining the conversation. 'If we get close to Dooku's ship, then whoever is attacking him can easily turn their attention towards us and take out our ship before we even had the chance to help.'

'That is precisely the reason why we are taking one of the Republic's ships instead of our own.' Windu answered Obi-Wan's question in his always serious voice. 'Granted, our own ships are more manoeuvrable and faster, but theirs are better armed and fortified so that should give you an edge against them. You will also be going with a security detail that will give some extra firepower if needed.'

Qui-Gon took a moment, thinking over the information that was given to him and who it was that needed help, before answering. 'Ok, we will ready ourselves and leave immediately; we have no idea of what has happened since that message has been sent.'

Mace nodded his head in agreement. 'I will inform the security team to expect you all. May the force be with you.'

'May it be with you all as well.' Qui-Gon said before he turned around and started walking out of the room which caused Anakin, Liza and Obi-Wan to walk quickly after him.

Once they had all entered the elevator, Anakin asked the question that had risen as soon as the message had played. 'Master, who was that?'

But before Qui-Gon spoke, another voice belonging to Liza cut in with annoyance. 'Anakin, how could you not know? Seriously it's like you don't pay attention unless it's physical training. That was Count Dooku of Serenno, a former Jedi master. He was one of the orders finest swordsman, only being match by the likes of master Yoda and Windu.'

'Thanks, but I wasn't asking you was I?' Anakin responded

'Well you wouldn't need to ask if you actually listen and read some of the Jedi history in the archives when you were supposed to.'

'You two, stop it.' Obi-Wan said in a stern voice. 'Honestly, I have never heard two beings argue like you two.'

'What? No we don't.' Anakin said defensively.

'Yes you do.' Qui-Gon said firmly. 'But in answer to your question Anakin, what Liza said is true. Dooku was a former member of the Jedi order and, incidentally, he was my master when I was a Padawan. Were it not for him then I don't think that I would have the same views or be the Jedi that I am today.' As he finished, the elevators door opened and they all walked out and made their way to their personal quarters to ready themselves for the mission. Both masters and their apprentices were reasonably close to one another so once they had acquired the needed things from their rooms, they met back up and made their way towards the hanger where the ship would be waiting to take them to Dooku's location, or where his ships last known co-ordinates were.

As they made their way through the temples corridors, sometimes catching the sounds of younglings training with instructors, Anakin asked a question that had started to occupy his mind while he thought about the mission that they were about to take. 'Master, why did Dooku leave the Jedi order? Honestly I didn't think that that could happen with a Jedi.'

Qui-Gon looked at his apprentice before taking a moment to think of how to reply to the question. 'Anakin, if I did know why he decided to leave the order then I would tell you but as it stands, I honestly have no idea why he did. After I had gained my Knighthood we had next to none communications with each other. He would either be on a mission or training privately by himself while I was at the temple after missions. It could have been due to his views on the Jedi order and the Republic but that would be speculation based on next to nothing facts.'

Anakin frowned slightly at his master's response. 'What did he think about the order and the Republic before he left? I mean he did say something about it during his transmission but were they really that bad?'

Before his master replied, Anakin could see from the corner of his eye that Liza and Obi-Wan were leaning ever so slightly towards them, clearly just as interested in the questions response as he was. 'Well, his views on them were and are still considered... controversial. He believed that the Republic had become corrupt while the Jedi order became lax and arrogant because of how things have been peaceful for hundreds of years. While I cannot agree wholeheartedly with his views, I can see why he saw things that way. There are people out there who's only goal in live is to gain as much power as possible for their own selfish gains, like the Sith or greedy politicians, and as much as people deny it they do still happen. And he was not completely wrong when he said that the Jedi have become laxed and have become so used to how things were that they are not used to change and there by reject it. You saw yourself how the council reacted to the reappearance of the Sith, they thought it was impossible because they would have sensed it otherwise, but they still returned without raising a single eyebrow.'

Upon hearing this, Anakin started to think his master's words over and how they rang out a certain truth. It was true that people can be corrupt, he need only remember his home world and how it was almost singlehandedly ran by Jabba the Hut, a crime lord who showed the deaths of his enemies as entertainment to his guests in his palace, his power on Tatooine only being match by his anger. Was it possible for the republic to have the same sort of person, hidden within its glorified clothing and makeup? Or even the Jedi order?

'But,' His masters voice said, cutting through Anakin's thoughts like his own blade. 'While there are shadows hiding within this universe, there are those who stand against them, those who do whatever they can to make it a better place for those around them, people who battle the darkness so that others may enjoy the light. It can even be a simple being who does a common kindness for a friend. As long as there are those sort of beings in the universe and they choose to do something, then it can change and become better.'

Anakin smiled lightly. Leave it to his master to turn this into a lecture but that was one of the things that Anakin admired about his master. He didn't try to block out the negatives, he accepted them and saw the good that the bad hides and brings it forth, he knew that things can be bad but he always tries to change it like with the Jedi rule against forming attachments, an argument that he still tries to win each day. He doesn't try to bottle up his emotions but acknowledge them so that when needed, he can control them better, and in Anakin's opinion, he can do it better than most.

If I can even come close to the sort of Jedi that he is, Anakin thought to himself, then I must be doing something right.

It didn't take them long after that to reach the Republican ship on the landing zone outside, it being prepared for their inevitable mission by a small crew of 4 while a small group of 12 or so security member were inside the ship preparing equipment for their 'blind' mission. The ship that they were taking was an Amphibious Interstellar Assault Transport/infantry model, its wingspan of around 30 meters held two massive sunlight engines underneath each wing, it circular form almost blending in with the wing. It had a simple colour scheme of dirty reds and greens were minimalistic over its dirty white metal and from his view, Anakin could make out twin laser turrets above its curved cockpit, facing forward with its short barrels.

One of the crew members turned around from what they were doing and looked directly at them. Finally noticing that they were there, she quickly instructed one of the other crew members to finish off what she was doing, once that had been done she made her way towards them. As she got closer, Anakin started to make out more details about her, such as her blonde hair that was tucked under her Republican uniform hat but a few strands of it had spilled out, her dark grey eyes showed that she had faced conflict before but there was a certain kindness that was there. She looked to be around the same age as his master, late forties or early fifties. As for her clothing, she wore a common captain's uniform which Anakin remembers vaguely from his studies of the Republic's rules and regulations, though he wasn't paying the most amount of attention when receiving that lesson.

'Master Jinn, Knight Kenobi, Padawan's Skywalker and Rendix.' She said formally with a slight nod from her head. 'I am Fiona Polo and I shall be your captain and pilot for this rescue mission.'

'It's a pleasure to meet you captain.' Qui-Gon replied politely. 'I assume you know what sort of mission we are about to take and what it entails.'

She nodded. 'The Jedi council have informed. It's a rescue mission where a political figure has been attacked but we don't know with what sort of ship and by whom, so in other words, it's a 'blind' mission.'

'Unfortunately that is the case, even though I wish it wasn't.'

'Which is why we are taking my ship.' She said with a hint of pride in her voice as she gestured to the ship behind her. 'Lady and gentlemen, may I present to you the Echopoint 4. She is equipped with twin laser turrets, a rear laser turret, concussive missile launchers and a few other goodies to boot.'

Anakin whistled appreciatively. 'Nice. But can it get us there fast enough? I mean we have no idea what's happen over there while we received the message from Dooku.'

She turned towards Anakin with raised eyebrows, as if his question had slightly offended her. 'Don't worry about that Padawan Skywalker; with the class 1.5 hyperdrive engine on there we will get there quite quickly.'

'Sweet.' Anakin replied. 'You know, with a tweaks...'

'Anakin, we want to get there safely. Not blow up half way there.' Liza said with a sly smile.

'Hey.' Anakin responded, annoyed.

'Anakin.' Qui-Gon said firmly, which caused Anakin to stop before he could use a comeback against Liza. 'Now captain Polo, are we ready to go yet?'

'Momentarily. We just need to make a few more preparations.' She replied factually.

'Good' Qui-Gon responded. 'It's time to answer the counts call.'