Year Two – Day 170

The scenery is different this time. Instead of the cot and spartan room that was Dooku's personal bedroom, the area is open with mats on the floor and benches along the wall. Training equipment also adorn the walls beneath the large, elongated windows that illuminated the chamber. In the center of the room is Master Yoda waiting on the boy as he finishes setting up the recorder.

Dooku talks in a quiet whisper, giving Yoda a furtive glance.

Master Yoda kept his promise and is going to train me in lightsaber techniques. I am eager to learn and glad for the privacy. I'm the only one here, so I don't have to listen to Denton make fun of me. Not like he could without making himself look stupid anyway. He still cannot do the katas right.

"Have all day, Master Yoda does not," commented the little master with amusement rather than impatience. Dooku finishes with the recorder and quickly trots over to stand off to the side and waits for the Jedi Master to begin.

"Your life, your lightsaber is," began the venerable master, his green weapon ignited and slowly weaving a pattern through the air. In his other hand is a spherical object. "An extension of your arm as well as who you are. Revere the weapon you should, for it will serve you well. Dishonor it and dishonor yourself you do. Understand what I say, do you Dooku?"

The boy nodded as he examined the practice saber he had been given on his Naming Day. "I think so, Master."

"Then begin your training we shall." Yoda disengaged his weapon and returned it to his side before pressing something on the sphere. He tossed it into the air and immediately it began to float with a hiss. "A remote, this is. Teach you how to defend yourself, it will. Control your anger, you will learn too."

"I thought you were going to teach me how to use this?" Dooku raised the unignited weapon.

"Teach you, I am. Essential control is. Without it, cut an arm or leg off you would." Yoda smiled a little as he gestured at the boy. "Face your Sith Lord you would not be able to then, yes?"

Dooku scowled a little but nodded and ignited the gold blade of his saber. The remote responded immediately to the threat and began hovering around him, jerking back and forth and spinning on its axis as if it were looking for the perfect spot to attack. "What do I do?"

"Feel in the Force the remote, let go of your emotions and guide you the Force will."

The remote suddenly attacked, its ruby bolt stinging the boy on the hand. Dooku bit his lip to stifle the cry he wanted to express. He would not cry, not in front of Master Yoda. His face turns to a look of deep concentration as his dark eyes follow the remote. Yoda hobbles over and closer to the recorder and sits down next to it while he watches his new student.

Proud you are, Initiate Dooku. Angry too, you are. So much pride and anger, for so young of a mind. Wonder I do, what has shaped you this way. Know you were old, older than most children who come here. Know you remember of home, I do, and know you still wish to go home. But home the Temple is for you now. For taking you away, angry at old Yoda you are not. So where comes from this anger does? Hmm.

"Ow!" came a cry from Dooku and he retaliates against the remote and tries to hack at it. The remote deftly avoids his strike and zaps him in the rear. Smarting and rubbing his sore behind, the boy glares at the thing offending him so much.

"Let go, youngling. No place does your anger have. Only cloud your mind and unbalance you it will."

"I can't do it, Master," said a defeated Dooku, disengaging his weapon and looking over at the green alien. He's trying his best not to look upset or break out crying. Yoda stood up and stepped out of sight of the recorder. The sound of his cane echoing grew fainter before it stopped and then grew louder again as he returned into view with something in his hand.

"See too much, you do," the master said and placed a visor shielded helm over the boy's head. "See you shall no more."

"But how am I suppose to fight if I cannot see?"

"Deceive you, your eyes do. Learn to trust them, you shall not. Let the Force guide this time. Again, youngling." Yoda stepped back and out of the way, but not far, as Dooku hesitantly reignited the lightsaber. The remote hovered once more and again it scored twice more against the boy.

A curse he should not have learned at so young of an age escaped his lips. "Learn such language you have, Yoda knows not how. Teach you better etiquette, I will."

"Sorry, Master," Dooku said distractedly. The remote struck him again and his grip on the lightsaber hilt tightened for a few seconds before he relaxed. His posture loosened and Yoda smiled, easily recognizing the signs as the boy let go of his anger finally. As soon as he did, the gold blade was a blur as Dooku brought it around in time to block the next two shots.

"I did it! Ow!" A third shot nipped him in the arm and Dooku rubbed at it. "No fair!"

"Fair, the remote is. Distracted you were, took a shot it did." Yoda chuckled from where he stood, leaning against his cane. "But did well you have. Repeat it again you shall until you block all the shots."

"Yes, Master Yoda."

Dooku grinned under the helm as he faced the remote again. The recorder continued to document his lesson over the next hour, capturing Dooku missing and succeeding until he did what Yoda wanted him to do and it wasn't blocking all the shots. When it was over and Yoda stepped out to let the boy gather his things before he would return him to the creche, Dooku looked tired and sore as he approached the recorder.

That was fun, even if it did hurt a little.

He rubbed at his right hand where the remote seemed to have taken pleasure in striking at him the most.

It took me a while to see what Master Yoda wanted me to do, but I learned it. I think. I could see the remote even though the helmet blinded me. It was just there and I could... I could feel when it was going to shoot again and from where. When I wasn't angry at it that is. I mean, as soon as I stopped being angry, I could do it. Block the shots, that is.

He reaches down to pick up the recorder and the scene jostles about as he lifts it.

Master Yoda says I won't move to the katas of Shii-Cho again until he feels I am ready. He says I have to work on my control first. I don't understand why, I could do the katas easily enough. I have no trouble controlling the lightsaber.

He's thoughtful for a moment.

Maybe he wants me to control my anger first? I did say I couldn't do the lesson when I was angry.

Dooku purses his lips before he shuts the recorder off.