PART 3: ASTRAY ACOLYTES
CHAPTER 10: VISIONS OF THE FUTURE
Dooku woke in the night at the sound of Anakin calling out. Feeling his heart jump in a way that he was not used to at the sound of another's distress Dooku hurried into the cabin where Anakin slept.
"No, Asajj," he called tossing and turning as if he was attempting to move but in his sleeping state was unable. "No, Ahsoka, no!" he called. Dooku reached a hand down to Anakin's shoulder and gave it a shack. Anakin jumped into wakefulness quickly and was left shaking from the dream.
"You are having a nightmare," Dooku said.
Anakin felt cold sweat and fear trickle down his back. The dream, it had been one of those premonitions of the future. Or more terrifying a fate already accruing. Anakin felt sick. Asajj and Ashoka had been on Coruscant and he'd seen the senate building in smoking flames. That droid creature from the prison ship had been there and Anakin had an overwhelming sense of death. It was all mixed up now but it had been so clear a moment ago. Ahsoka and Asajj were in danger that Anakin was sure of.
"We need to get to Coruscant," Anakin said getting up. He would have headed to the cockpit but Dooku put up a hand stopping him.
"It was a dream nothing more put it from your mind," Dooku said. "The visions you have are only possible futures, you must not give them mind they can deceive you." Dooku placed a hand on Anakin shoulder. A far more comforting hand then he had meant.
"I know what I saw; Ahsoka and Asajj are in danger." Anakin could not stop himself from shaking.
"Are these… friends of yours?" Dooku asked.
"Yes, and right now there in danger, these are not just dreams I have to go to them," Anakin still felt the panic of the dream radiating through him.
"If you are to become truly powerful then you must let these attachments go, these friends of yours must deal with this matter on their own. You must focus on your training if you are ever to gain real power," Dooku said.
Anakin rejected this notion out of hand. He would never let them go, never, not when he could protect them. Dooku's words echoed those of Qui-Gon's which had been spoken to Anakin so long ago. Let go of fear of loss and attachment to others, Qui-Gon had emphasized that so often. But Qui-Gon had never understood, some people were more important than the greater good, more important than anything else at all. Asajj had been right, the Jedi's teachings where not to be trusted.
Unable to do anything until the morning while the ship's power cells were recharging, Anakin nodded to the Count without speaking. Dooku left him and Anakin stayed awake the rest of the night. He reached out through the force and tried to find Ahsoka and Asajj at the moment they felt safe, but for how long?
Dooku had only just returned to his own cabin when his holo-communicator flashed, someone was trying to make contact with him. A moment later Dooku was kneeling before his master.
"Lord Tyranus," Sidious said, his master's voice sounded displeased.
"Yes my master?"
"I have foreseen trouble on Kamino, the Jedi are on their way there to learn the true purpose of the clone army's existence. You are to make sure that the Jedi does not leave the system alive." Sidious' voice cut like a razor as he ordered his servant.
"Of course my master," Dooku said, "it shall be done."
"See that you do not fail me," Sidious said and he cut the transmission.
When Anakin rose the next morning, he discovered that Dooku had left the ship to examine the temple further. He could not shake the feeling the dream had left from last night. Anakin could still feel the fear and it echoed the feelings he'd had in dreams about his mother. This was not just a dream, not a possible future, it was going to happen, Anakin was certain of that. Death, fear, battle, these things would happen and Asajj and Ahsoka would be connected to them, maybe even the target of them. Anakin went into the cockpit and made preparations to take off. The Count would have to be sent for Anakin wasn't waiting any longer. With the power cells fully recharged Anakin made course for Coruscant. He had been a pirate and stealing ships long before he had been a student of Dooku's. Ahsoka and Asajj were far more important than any training he could get from Dooku.
Dooku looked to the sky as he heard the sound of a ship taking off. "The young fool," Dooku said quietly. A few minutes later he could sense when Anakin had left the system. Dooku had been left behind; turning to the scattered ships that appeared to be more or less intact Dooku proceeded to look for a working com or ship with a hyperdrive.