Year Three – Day 123B
Something is terribly wrong. The camera view is askew and partially blocked by a rolling cabinet. What can be seen, however, is a terrified boy being held by an angry Padawan. A hand covered the boy's mouth while the other held an unlit lightsaber next to his body while the same arm holds him in a tight grip.
"Let the boy go, E'lan," commanded the third figure in the scene. His emerald lightsaber was lit and bathed the darkened medical room in an eerie viridian glow. It was Master Cerulian and his old features held a restrained, righteous fury at the audacity of the Padawan. He was also blocking the only way out of the room. "It is over."
"No! You will let me pass, old man!" spat the Padawan. "I swear I will hurt him if you don't!"
Dooku struggles in the Padwan's grip and whimpers beneath his hand when he tightens his arm grip, squeezing the injured arm inadvertently. The boy's eyes are angry and frightened and seem to plead to Cerulian for help.
"You don't want to hurt him for something he didn't do, boy," warned the older master. The Padawan glowered darkly at him.
"He told all of you what had happened, I warned him what I would do if he did!"
"He said nothing, E'lan. We found out on our own despite your attempts to hide it."
"How?" E'lan inquired venomously. "How could you! I played my part of a mourning student, I erased the recordings! I made sure the only witness didn't say a word!"
"You failed to preconceive that perhaps the boy would make his own recording," Cerulian replied, pointing the tip of his blade in the Padawan's direction. "To cope with what he had seen. He told no one but his own journal."
"You lie!" Tears brimmed in Dooku's eyes and Cerulian narrowed his eyes.
"Dooku," calmly said the Jedi Master, the fury replaced with a determined serenity. "Remember the first time we met?" Dooku nodded as best he could while being held. "How you didn't want Master Ik'e to take your hair and what you did to prevent it? Now would be a good time to behave that way again, youngling."
"What are you talk...ahh!" The Padawan dropped Dooku when the boy had bitten into his hand as hard as he could. Before the youngling could climb to his feet to get away, an unseen force propelled him away from the murderous Jedi just before the blue blade came to life and slashed down where Dooku had been. Dooku clung to Cerulian's robes from behind him as the Padawan recovered, angered at losing his bargaining chip.
"Run, boy! Go get help!" yelled Cerulian as he lunged forward and met the Padawan's angry strikes. Dooku was last seen running out of the room just before something hit the holo-recorder and static replaced the scene.
Year Three – Day 125
Dooku is no longer in the medical ward, but back in the creche with his clanmates. Lorian and Jocasta are with him as are a couple other younglings. Apparently they all had heard of his misadventure and wanted to hear more from him. It is Jocasta who shoos them all away, including Lorian, to give the boy some privacy. Once they were all gone, Dooku turns to the recorder.
The murderer is dead. Master Cerulian killed him back in my room after I had fled to get help. I'm glad it is over, but I still cannot sleep. I keep having this feeling that he'll come back somehow. Master Naki says its natural for me to be like this and a Mind Healer can help me adjust. I'm to see one later this evening. I'm not sure what to expect though. Healer Ioyna says a Mind Healer's talent is to see what bothers a Jedi and tries to find a solution to help them resolve it. Sometimes, she says, they will use the Force to heal the wound in the spirit. I don't really understand it all but she says it can help me cope and let go of what happened.
He pauses and casts his eyes down to his hands. His arm is still in a sling but there is a bit more mobility to it than before. His fingers fiddle with the ends of his tabard.
I killed him, you know. The Jedi Master who's padawan turned against. If I hadn't said a word, he wouldn't have gotten distracted. It's my fault. All my fault. I'm suppose to be a Jedi and help people and all I wanted was for them to stop fighting. Instead I get the master killed and... and... if I hadn't said anything to this stupid thing, the masters wouldn't have found out that it was the Padawan and he would be alive too and getting help. He wouldn't have wanted to punish me for talking.
He grows angry quickly and gets up off the floor to pace around his room.
Its their fault he came back! If they hadn't listened in on me when I spoke to my journal, he wouldn't have come back! They would have caught him later and he'd be alive!
Dooku kicks a piece of machinery he apparently had been working on before the whole incident. It clanked and clunked across the floor, dropping a few screws and bolts along the way. After a moment, he calms down with a shuddering breath before dropping to the floor where he was a few feet away from the recorder.
He wipes at his eyes with his free hand.
I see them in my sleep. They are fighting. The master looks at me, pleading me to go away. Then I see the Padawan accusing me of killing him and his master and he comes at me. Master Cerulian is there to stop him, pulling me away in time. I don't know what to do to make them all stop. If only I had been stronger...
"They might be alive," he barely whispers loud enough for the recorder to pick up.