Author's Note: Here's a big part with lots of battling! :D
~Arvanna's POV~
The ship hovers over a planet as Arvanna is briefed over the mission.
"Jedi will be here?" Arvanna asked.
"They will not want the Sith Holocron getting into our hands," Dooku replied.
"Right," Arvanna stated.
The ship landed on a platform where there were speeders. Arvanna headed to the one in front but Dooku grabbed her arm.
"You'll be taking up the back, Grievous and Ventress will lead in so you may charge in," Dooku told her.
"Oh, of course Master," Arvanna answered.
Grievous grabbed the first speeder and headed forward, and then Ventress grabbed the other and headed in. Arvanna jumped onto the last one and Dooku jumped onto the back.
"Hold on Master!" Arvanna yelled as she put it to the highest speed and charged forward.
Grievous and Ventress are holding the Clones attacks as Arvanna and Dooku jump off their speeder and land safely on the ground. Arvanna stands and sees a battle before her. There are droids and clones fighting, shooting at each other. Arvanna is shocked to no movement, awed and frozen on the battlefield.
"Let's get moving," Dooku replied. "We'd best get there fast!"
"Yes Master!" Arvanna replied as she charged forward, her Master behind her.
The two charged through the clone troopers, Arvanna merely knocked them away.
"Do not be soft on them!" Dooku commanded.
Arvanna winced as she came face to face with a clone. He managed to knock her off balance.
"Just a minute, Sith!" the clone said to her.
'Sith?' Arvanna thought. 'Do they really think I'm Sith? Am I? I'm… so confused..'
"Kill him now!" Dooku commanded.
Arvanna hesitated, and then she kicked the clone back off balance a moment, then used an upper cut to knock him out. Dooku was disappointed she didn't kill him. She unsheathed her red saber and blocked the incoming blaster bolts.
She charged forward more, blocking the gunfire coming her way and towards her master. The two came upon a building and stop.
"Head inside, that's where the Holocron is, I will hold our position," Dooku commanded.
"Yes Master!" Arvanna exclaimed.
Dooku grabbed her wrist before she ran in.
"Do not fail me," his words fell heavily on her.
"I won't!"
And with that she darted inside the building and up the stairs, there were clones everywhere, but she knocked them out easily, afraid to to hurt them for some reason. Arvanna turned to look back and no one was following her when she smashed right into someone. The two bodies flew back off balance. The two jumped up, sabers drawn. Arvanna saw the blue glow of the opponents saber and began to lunge forward as did the figure.
The two quickly gasped and stopped and looked at each other. It was the long lost sisters, met once again at last.
"ARVANNA!" Kikyo exclaimed and lunged forward and hugged Arvanna.
"Kikyo!" Arvanna exclaimed back, "Sister it's you!" she smiled big.
There were droids closing in on the two shooting at Kikyo, Arvanna blocked their attacks and looked at Kikyo.
"This way!" Arvanna smiled at her sister.
"Okay!" Kikyo grinned back, running up the flight of stairs with her.
The two conversed as they ran up the stairs from clones and droids, doing everything not to destroy each other's forces. Finally they came to a room. It was locked.
"Together we can open this Kikyo," Arvanna stated.
"How?" she asked.
"You cut one side of the door open and I'll get the other," Arvanna answered.
"Right! Good idea!" Kikyo giggled happily.
The two began to cut the door open. They heard noises behind them, and then saw two people fighting with sabers. It was Anakin and Grievous. They were locked in a deadly battle.
Arvanna stared at Grievous, amazed by his power and how well he handled himself. Kikyo watched Anakin proudly; happy Master Kenobi trained someone so strong. The two sisters smiled at each other, then continued. Eventually they got the door open and went inside. It was filled with light and sound, so strange and relaxing. In the middle of the room was a red floating box; the Sith Holocron!
The two ran up to it and stared.
"So this is a Holocron?" Kikyo stated, awed by its power and knowledge.
"Not just any, a Sith Holocron," Arvanna replied, just as amazed. She felt it calling out to her somehow.
Kikyo was the one to pick it up and hold it in her hand. Arvanna smiled as the two ran out of the building and leaped through a window, breaking it. They used the force to land and they landed right next to Master Mace Windu, Kenobi, as well as by Count Dooku and Asajj Ventress. The girls stood back to back, staring at each other's masters. Panic filled Kikyo's heart and Arvanna could feel it. Something bad was to happen, and she felt the same panic grow in her.
"Very good my Apprentice," Dooku said to Arvanna, smirking. "You've retrieved the Sith Holocron."
"Apprentice?" Windu exclaimed, "How dare you turn a young girl to the Dark Side!"
Arvanna noticed Dooku was staring intensely at her, as she stared back.
"Bring me the Holocron, Arvanna."
Both Arvanna and Kikyo were frozen in place.
"Hurry Kikyo! Get away from her! She's Dooku's Apprentice! You've got to get that to us! Now!" Master Obi-Wan yelled.
Again it's like calls fell on deaf ears. The girls just stood together.
"Sister…" Arvanna mumbled.
"Yes?" Kikyo answered, finally looking at her sister.
"This was Dooku's plan all along. To make me prove myself to him…" Arvanna trailed off.
"Ahhh!" Ventress yelled, charging at Obi-Wan. The two clashed light sabers and were stuck in a battle.
Windu charged at Dooku and unsheathed his purple light saber and attacked. Dooku easily blocked his attack and laughed.
The sisters stood staring at each other.
"I don't know what to do…" Kikyo mumbled.
"Neither do I sister…" Arvanna mumbled back.
"Master…." They both spoke.
Obi-Wan was easily fending off Ventress as Dooku was easily fending off Mace Windu.
"Kikyo! Why are you just standing there? Let's go! Hurry!" Windu called to her.
Obi-Wan thought, 'That girl… That must be her sister… and she can't bring herself to strike against her… as it seems neither can her sister.'
Dooku and Ventress both shoved back Obi-Wan and Windu.
"Time to prove yourself, my Apprentice," Dooku said. "Attack her!"
Arvanna looked at Kikyo horrified. Kikyo stared back, and then smiled slightly.
"We know what we must do…" Kikyo mumbled so only they heard.
"Yes…" Arvanna mumbled back.
"Do it!" Dooku commanded.
Arvanna quickly snatched the Sith Holocron from her sister's hands and shoved her away. Kikyo quickly drew her saber, but was hesitant to attack. Arvanna unsheathed her red light saber again and attacked one-handed like her Master. Kikyo blocked it, then shoved her back and charged at her.
'No! How can Dooku do this? How can he put two sisters together!' Obi-Wan thought. 'Only I and Dooku must know the truth, it seems Master Yoda as well as Mace Windu do not.'
The two locked sabers and sparks flew. Arvanna smirked and shoved her sister back, then used the force to let sparks of lightning escape her fingertips. Kikyo fell to the ground as Arvanna did a flip and landed in front of Dooku.
"Very well done, my Apprentice," Dooku praised.
"Kikyo!" Windu ran over to see if she was alright.
Ventress jumped back on her speeder and left. Arvanna and Dooku jumped on the other and sped around them twice. Kikyo and Arvanna locked eyes for the moment that felt like it lasted a lifetime. Arvanna give Kikyo a big smirk and blew a silly raspberry at her, closing her one eye. Dooku and Arvanna sped away, leaving the Jedi on the field.
"Kikyo are you alright?" Windu called, helping her up.
She had her head down, for there was a big smile on her face. She knew her sister would never harm her just from that, and she was grateful for the challenge. Her sister being on the other side would prove to make her stronger, and Kikyo knew Arvanna knew that as well.
"Yeah, I'm alright," she said and looked up at Windu.
"Let's get back to the Temple and withdraw our forces," Obi-Wan stated.
Dooku was looking at Arvanna appraisingly as they sped back to the ship. Everyone met back at the rendezvous point, then got on the ship and left back to the Sith main base.
Grievous was thoroughly happy for the outcome of the mission and looked at Arvanna.
"You did quite the amazing operation young one," Grievous said to Arvanna. "You are strong."
Arvanna smiled, very pleased the General gave her such a compliment. "It helps to have great help like you, my General."
Grievous laughed and left. Ventress looked very jealous and angered by Arvanna surpassing her greatly, and left without a comment. Only Dooku and Arvanna stood.
"You did a great job," Dooku praised her. "I didn't think you had the guts in you to do it, but I underestimated you. You are officially my Apprentice now, young one."
Dooku smiled at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. So much happiness surged through her, to make her master so happy. And to know her sister was alright and understood the plan the whole time. Kikyo knew that was Dooku's plan, to place them against each other to see if Arvanna would prove herself or not.
"Master Sidious will be very happy to hear of your success in gaining us a Sith Holocron," Dooku said.
Just as he said that, Sidious came on the communication array.
"Have you recovered the Holocron?" Sidious asked.
Arvanna held up the prize proudly.
Sidious smiled darkly, "I'm very pleased by your new Apprentice Dooku. She surpasses your other in so many ways. You'd be best if she were your only apprentice."
Dooku stayed silent and looked at him.
"Girl, I need you to do something," Sidious turned to Arvanna.
"Y-Yes?" Arvanna stammered, a bit nervous.
"You are the only one who can open that Holocron, I want you to open it, and see what is inside, then report to me. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Master Sidious," Arvanna bowed. "But why me?"
"That Sith Holocron is linked to your energy somehow, I can sense it. Only you can open it and reveal it's secrets."
"I understand…"
Sidious's image faded and disappeared, leaving Dooku and Arvanna alone again.
"Whenever you are ready, you may open it," Dooku said.
"I want to wait until we get back to the Separatists main base," Arvanna replied.
"Very well," Dooku accepted.
The ship finally reached the base as everyone unloaded and Arvanna and Dooku were walking together.
"You're room is finally ready, my young one," Dooku commented. "It's right next to my living quarters should you need me."
"Thank you Master, that is much appreciated," Arvanna smiled.
He walked her to her new quarters and she stepped inside. It was very nice, the sheets on the bed were a metallic yellow as well as some of the decorations on the walls.
"How did you know yellow was my favorite color?" Arvanna asked curiously.
"I had the feeling from your other light saber," Dooku answered.
"Thank you, this room is beautiful," Arvanna looked around, and then her eyes fell on her Master.
Feelings welled up inside Arvanna, one's she didn't understand. They made her feel dizzy and her stomach was tossing. It felt strange, but she pushed it away, unsure what it was.
"Allow me to see this by myself Master," Arvanna asked, for the first time not meekly.
"As you wish," Dooku replied. "Remember, I'm only a room away. Or-"
He placed a communicator in her hand and showed her the other one he had, "-a call away."
She smiled as her master turned and began to walk away. Arvanna decided to go into her room and looked around. She saw her bed was as huge as Dooku's, but possessed his sheet from his room. Probably to help her sleep at night. She jumped up onto her bed and kicked off her shoes, then crossed her legs. She sighed and looked at the dark Holocron that glowed red, wondering what was inside and what secrets it held.
