Sorry this is a short chapter, but another one will be up soon.
Thank you for reviewing and reading.
Guest: You wonder if Syfo-Dyas is light or dark, I think he was lead just like all that were manipulated by Sidious.
Obi-Wan has Sidious memories that may include Kamino. Glad your enjoying the story.
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000
Dooku's frustration rose as he hurried through the halls to his meeting with Master Syfo-Dyas, his long time friend.
Earlier while he'd been meditating, he sensed an emotional disruption in the temple, but it was gone before he could pinpoint where it originated from, and now it seemed that he, a man who prided himself in knowing the intricate nature of the force, was perplexed.
Up until a few days ago, he was certain that his future in the order had ended. He'd followed the code for over sixty years, and in that time continued to see the crumbling republic losing control and sliding deeper into the clutches of corruption.
Feelings of dissatisfaction with the council and their outdated ways, including their insistence that the order was impenetrable by outside forces, gave him pause to believe that the order had fallen to far under the grip of a republic that no longer stood for rights of the people.
His intention was to return to Serenno to take control of, accept his inheritance and titles to a vast fortune, and turn his expertise into the political arena.
Entering their meeting place, he took in the sight of Syfo-Dyas, gazing across the horizon toward the senate building, deep in thought.
There was a time not long ago when Syfo-Dyas was a member of the council however, his beliefs were too extreme for them and his removal happened not long before the Naboo incident. He'd taken his premonitions seriously, but the council didn't agree with his findings.
Dooku felt Syfo's words had merit when he tried to convince the council of impending danger and was adamant that somewhere, someone was brewing trouble in the galaxy and if they didn't squash it soon whoever it was would destroy the republic and the Jedi.
In hindsight Syfo had been correct in his assumptions, but even he had underestimated how close the danger was.
That's why he'd agreed in essence, to a proposed plan to rescue the republic and prevent the Jedi order being dragged into a war they couldn't win.
Both he and Syfo were invited to a meeting months before attended by Hego Damask and of all people Palpatine.
It was put to them that factions in the senate, a breakaway group calling themselves the Separatist movement, opposed certain aspects of a republic ruled galaxy and were threatening full-scale war if their demands to form their own government weren't met.
Palpatine and Damask stressed the possibility that in the future, the republic may fall and it was imperative that they looked into acquiring a larger army to control any dissent.
They discussed the upheaval and the problems the Jedi order were having keeping the peace and Palpatine even knew that Jedi numbers were declining.
It was Palpatine's suggestion to acquire a clone army for the republic and he convinced Syfo to initiate the procurement.
Now in light of the chaos of recent days, those meetings with Palpatine may have been deliberately deceptive.
As Dooku closed the door, Syfo, turned to greet him.
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"Ah Dooku, I see it on your face, my friend. You are wondering as I am if we have been duped and have been playing into the hands of the sith?"
"When you say it like that Syfo, my embarrassment rises."
"It seems that we were as blind as the council, and yet we blamed them for not recognising the evil surrounding us."
"I was convinced that Damask and Palpatine were genuinely interested in helping the republic and the Jedi order, so sure that I was prepared to follow their lead and give up my place as a Jedi and turn to politics myself!"
Syfo nodded at this news. "What about Damask, he seemed very close with Palpatine and he did say he trusted Palpatine because he'd known him for many years. I'm thinking now perhaps Damask may have been a sith too Dooku."
"In light of the fiasco with Palpatine, my suspicions were peaked and I've spent the entire day in the archives investigating him and Hego Damask. Did you know that the night Palpatine won the vote, Damask was murdered?"
"No, I didn't know that."
"Records are scant about Hego Damask's personal life, but his company has been at the root of all discontent in the outer rims for a long time and when I delved deeper I found that Palpatine was to inherit Damask's holdings."
"That would have made Palpatine very rich and powerful and to be the Chancellor as well, I shudder to think what their real plan was for us and the Jedi order."
"Do you know Syfo, I trusted Palpatine, and he convinced me of his sincerity. I am ashamed to admit that he manipulated me."
"I suppose that was his plan, to convince us all of his sincerity." Syfo said in agreement.
Dooku sat down on the couch. "I told Palpatine that I knew the senate was corrupt and he laughed. He said that he'd known that for many years and he inferred that it would take someone of great wealth and power to turn the tide and root out the insurgents in the Republic."
"As a sith his main objective would be to destroy the Jedi. Were we the insurgents he was referring too?"
Dooku raised an eyebrow and poured himself a drink. "Logic would say so, my friend."
Taking a sip of the fine Corellian brandy he leant back on the couch to ponder all that had transpired.
"Dooku, have you felt a change in the Force since Palpatine died?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact I have and just today I felt a disruption, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. I can't explain the feeling that is within me but it's as if the Force has risen to new heights. There is a strange aura encompassing the temple and I'm certain the council and Qui-Gon, know more about it, than they are letting on."
Syfo smiled. "Oh I am certain of that my friend, I was in the map room earlier, my attention was focused on Kamino, I was going to delete it , but I had a feeling that something was wrong about my decision to go there and place the order. I was staring at the planet when I felt him, for a moment I was taken back by the radiant aura in the room and I turned to find Padawan Kenobi just inside the doorway."
"Kenobi? You saw Qui-Gon's padawan; I thought he was in the healers ward, Qui-Gon said he was injured."
Dooku's brows rose. "What do you mean radiant?"
"Something strange has occurred to his presence in the Force. His internal brilliance filled the room and I felt like I was in the presence of the Force itself."
Dooku folded his hands across his chest. "You sensed this aura coming from young Kenobi. No wonder the council have been secretive; Qui-Gon has been evasive as well."
"When they brought a badly injured Qui-Gon back from Naboo, the Council confirmed the re-emergence of the sith on Naboo and that Padawan Kenobi killed him, but he didn't return with his master. He arrived a day later and then the next I heard was that he'd been injured in a battle with Palpatine." Syfo explained.
"Well then, it seems there is more to Padawan Kenobi than we've been led to believe. How did he know Palpatine was a sith?"
"All I know is what I told you before that there was a disturbance and some of the councillors went over to the senate building. Apparently, Yoda and Kenobi were already over there. However, they are keeping quiet about the circumstances surrounding Palpatine's death. Obi-Wan looked drained and seemed confused when I asked him questions, he seemed unaware of what happened in the senate building and genuinely shocked when I said he killed the sith master."
"Did he say that he did?"
"He didn't have a chance to say anything as Qui-Gon and Master Ba'han arrived and Qui-Gon put a force bubble around him making an excuse to whisk him away. He didn't look at all well."
"This is a surprise, under normal circumstances the boy is barely on the cusp of knighthood, and now there's a possibility that he's killed two sith."
"You were on the council Syfo, did it ever come up that Kenobi was different or had a high midi-chlorians count?"
"No never, as far as Kenobi's records show, he is a capable apprentice, who had to work hard to prove to Qui-Gon that he was a worthy learner. Nothing was flagged regarding his midi-chlorians. However, one of the mantras in Jedi teachings that nothing is impossible with the Force has a new meaning for me. His Force aura has been enhanced, and after seeing him today, and speaking to him, there is definitely something extraordinarily different about him."
"Dooku, didn't you mention years ago that Qui-Gon was obsessed with finding the Chosen one if he existed?"
Yes, Qui-Gon had been obsessed with prophesy before he took Obi-Wan as his apprentice and he spent a great deal of his spare time in research when he should have been preparing Kenobi." He gazed at Syfo. "You believe that Obi-Wan could be the fabled one?"
"I do, but the Force has seen fit to keep his power hidden until the time was right, and that time has come.
"I tend to agree with you Syfo." Dooku said rubbing his chin.
"This changes everything; I accepted my family inheritance and title on Serenno, mostly because Palpatine convinced me I would have more power to help the order from out side, than if I remained one of them."
"What are you going to do Dooku? Have you resigned yet?"
"No, I must speak with Yoda and tell him what I know about Damask and Palpatine and if the chosen one is my grand-padawan it is my duty to remain in the order and support him"
"Yoda will not be happy with us, but I will come with you". Syfo said.
Tbc…