X
Dooku's
Puzzle
Dooku sat before the computer screen of the data terminal, a frown disfiguring his leonine features. He had come to a dead end in his search to learn more about the prophecies of the Chosen One.
After overhearing the conversation between the two bounty hunters several weeks before, he had felt that it was necessary that he learn more about what the Old Books said about the Chosen One's coming.
His search was merely a personal curiosity that he wanted to fulfill. He did not think that what the bounty hunters had said about his Padawan was true. It seemed very unlikely that Padmé could be the Chosen One when Anakin Skywalker had been heralded as the prophesied savior of the Force then years earlier. If Padmé was the Chosen One, Dooku thought that someone would have recognized her as what she was a long time ago.
Now, however, he was having trouble finding anything in the Jedi Archives that related to the Chosen One. The Chosen One was spoken of often among the Jedi, but it seemed that little was written about what the Chosen One would be like. From what he knew, it seemed that the Council was basing their definition of the Chosen One on Anakin's actions. It seemed that the only records of the prophecy of the Chosen One were oral 'legends' that were passed down through the ranks of the Jedi, which confused him greatly, as he thought that there should have been some sort of recorded evidence of the prophecy of the Chosen One.
Yoda had spoken of a Master who had been the last surviving Jedi of the last Sith War who had prophesied the coming of the Chosen One – the selected Jedi that would bring 'balance' to the Force. As he refined his search further, Dooku was only more puzzled because he could not find any information whatsoever as to this 'last Master' or the Chosen One.
Hitting the button on his keyboard that would call the Archivist, Jocasta Nu, Dooku leaned back in his chair, wondering what had happened to the information concerning the prophecy of the Chosen One. Hopefully Madame Nu would have more information than what he had been able to find perusing the Jedi database.
"You called for assistance?" Jocasta Nu said primly as she approached Dooku.
"Yes," he said. "Yes, I did."
"Are you having a problem Master Dooku?" she asked.
"Indeed," he replied. "I can't find something that I am looking for in the archives."
"If something does not appear in our records," she said, "it does not exist. The Jedi Archives are the most complete source of information anywhere in the known galaxy."
"Could the Archives be incomplete?" he asked.
"That is not possible," the Archivist replied curtly. "Now, if you will excuse me, she said, "I have other matters to attend to."
Madame Nu left in a swirl of her drab robes, leaving Dooku more puzzled than when he had first begun his search for information several hours ago.
Deciding he needed to consult a higher authority, Dooku left the Archive rooms in search of Master Yoda.
He was sure that Yoda would know something about why there were no references to the Chosen One in the Archives.
Dooku found Yoda leading a group of Younglings in lightsaber practice on a balcony that overlooked the main courtyard of the Temple, ten stories below.
Tapping his gnarled wooden can on a flagstone, Yoda signaled for the Younglings to stop what they were doing.
"Younglings! Younglings!" he said. "A visitor we have."
"Master," Dooku said, "I have a puzzle and I need your help."
"How can I be of service, Yan?" Yoda asked.
Walking off to an empty edge of the balcony, the two Masters began talking in low tones. Dooku watched droids in the courtyards below, carrying things back and forth across the grounds, and for a fleeting instant, he wished that his life was that simple, and that he didn't have to worry about anything that had happened in the past weeks – the death of his apprentice, the assassination attempt on Padmé, and now his frustrating search for information in the Jedi archives.
"I have been searching for information regarding the Chosen," Dooku began, "because after hearing the conversation between those bounty hunters my interest has been piqued, and I want to re-familiarize myself with what the Old Books said about the coming of the Chosen One.
"See, I do," Yoda acknowledged. "Your problem is what, then?"
"I have not been unable to find any mention of the Chosen One, anywhere in the Archives," Dooku said, "and I have been wondering if that information was erased."
"Strange and mysterious this is," Yoda said, crinkling his brow. "Erased those files, only a Jedi could have."
"That was what I suspected," Dooku said. "But who would empty information from the archives?"
"Know that I do not," the small Master said. "Meditate on this I will."
"Thank-you, Master," Dooku said, bowing.
Dooku made his way back the archive rooms, entering a small, hardly used chamber that held the paper texts of many of the Jedi Order's most precious books. It was certain to contain a copy of the Book of Prophecy, even the book was for some reason not contained in the Jedi Archives.
He moved to the shelves that lined the room and began to browse their contents. He passed texts detailing the history of the dark purges…which had eliminated from the galaxy all the dark Jedi that had risen up against the ideals the Jedi Order supported. All but one had been terminated. Their were rumors that on Sith warrior had escaped, but they were only rumors, and the man was assumed dead. After all, no one could live for three thousand years, correct?
Finding the book he was looking for, he pulled it off the shelf and began reading. The pages were brittle and yellowed; some were falling out of the binding. Turning the frail pieces of parchment carefully, he found the section of the book that he hoped would be the answer to his puzzle.
He wanted to see what the prophecies really said about the Chosen One. If what had surmised was true, then the Jedi Order had had the fleece pulled over its eyes for quite a long time.
After several hours of reading, the librarian, Jocasta Nu, happened upon him again.
"Master Dooku!" she exclaimed. "You know you aren't allowed to be in here without the Council's permission. These texts are ancient – precious – and they are to be handled with the utmost care. Did you even go through de-contamination before coming in here?"
"Madame Nu," he said evenly. "I seek the answer to a personal puzzle, something that the computer database is incapable of helping me with. I will only be here a short time longer."
The Master and the Archivist stood there, staring each other down. Dooku made use of his height to look more intimidating. Eventually, the librarian left with a 'hmph' and a swirl of her robes.
She had walked in on him when he was almost finished. According to what he had read, there was a lot that the Jedi at large didn't know about the Chosen One. First, the prophecies said that the Chosen One would not be hailed as the great being that they were. The Books said that the Chosen One would live for years in the shadow of one who purported to be the acclaimed savior of the Jedi Order.
Having finished reading, Dooku closed the book and just out of orneriness towards Jocasta Nu, he left it on a table, instead of restoring it to its place in a glass case on the shelf with the rest of the old books.
He departed, heading to the Analysis labs that were located on the other side of the Temple.
He had another puzzle that needed to be solved.
Palpatine reclined in his high-backed chair, repulsed. He had just returned from his inspection the Sith army he was forming which he would eventually use to eradicate the Jedi, and bring the entire galaxy under his control. Now however, he had to be content with leading the Galactic Senate. Before him now was a small assembly of Jedi.
Palpatine hated the Jedi with a passion, although he acted like he appreciated them when he was under public scrutiny, and since he was under public scrutiny all the time, he had to act like he liked them all the time. Deep down in his soul there burned a fire of hatred for the Jedi, a fire that would someday be allowed to burn freely and destroy the Jedi for all time.
"What is it my friends?" he asked, smiling in a placating manner.
Mace Windu stepped forward to address him. "We are dealing with a bit of a puzzle here, and we would like your assistance."
"Very well, my friends," the Chancellor said. "What is your problem?"
"It has been brought to our attention that there seems to have been some information has been emptied from our archives," Windu stated, almost noncommittally.
"Hmm…" Palpatine mused. "May I ask what information was lost?"
"Some of our prophecy records have been emptied, specifically those that pertain to the Chosen One," Mace said.
Palpatine had guessed that the Jedi would someday notice that their archives were missing information. He had had the files that related to their prophecies of the Chosen One deleted years ago, knowing that if they had had access to the files when his impostor Chosen One – Anakin Skywalker – showed up, they might not have accepted him as their Chosen One. And if the Jedi had access to the prophecies to compare with the up-and-coming Naberrié, they might have realized their mistake, and rejected Skywalker, which would have totally crushed his plans for the Galaxy.
One day, when the Jedi Order was no longer a threat, Palpatine thought that he might allow the pitiful scholars access to the prophecies of the Chosen One…just to show them what gullible fools they had been when they though that Skywalker was the Chosen One. For now however, those files had to remain secret.
"I will do what I can to trace any possible hackers and the like," Palpatine said, "but I don't know how successful this venture may be. After all, your own methods of information gathering are far superior to anything the Republic has – that's why we send all our data queries through you."
"Very well," Windu said resignedly.
The Jedi turned and left.
For the moment, he had satisfied them which would give him more time to attend to darker, more important matters…such as making sure that the request that the Jedi had made to send a task force to Naboo with a pair of Jedi would not be granted.
"Please set the item you wish to have analyzed in the processing tray," the analysis droid said in its tinny voice. "Watch your hands."
"I need you to tell me where that dart came from, and who made it," Dooku said.
Removing the dart that had ended the bounty hunter's life from his pocket, Dooku put it in the tray, which immediately slid back to pass through the glass wall that separated him from the droid.
The droid took the dart from the tray and positioned it under a scanner. After several moments, there was a definitively negative beep, and the droid returned the dart to him.
"I am sorry," it said, "but this item does not appear in any Archive files. It was probably made by a rogue warrior, not associated with any known culture."
Taking the dart, Dooku left.
Perhaps the analysis droids didn't know where the dart came from, but he thought he knew of someone who did – an old friend.
Walking the halls, Dooku met his Padawan leaving a classroom.
"Hello Master," Padmé greeted cheerfully, winding her Padawan's braid around her finger.
"Hello," Dooku greeted in return. "I am going to see an old friend, would you like to join me?"
"You mean that we are actually leaving the Temple?" Padmé asked, incredulous.
Dooku realized that since she had been a Youngling for so long, she had never set foot outside the Temple's walls, not since she had been a little girl on Naboo.
"Yes," he confirmed.
Padmé emanated an air of excitement as they made their way to the vehicle bay.