an: Gonna use some quotes from Dooku Captured and The Gungan General episodes, aw yeah. Season 1 espidodes 11 and 12. Don't own anything, etc.
Anakin didn't see many people when he was on Coruscant. True to his mother's suspicions, he was kept away from people who would have informed him of the illegal status of slavery, and was too happy to not be treated as a slave around the rest that it never occurred to him that something was wrong.
One person the master loved to parade him around was the Count. The count was an appropriately imposing figure, his regal features crowned by his shining white hair and framed by his neatly trimmed beard, while he dressed himself in well-cut black clothes. Anakin wanted to touch his short-cape, held by a simple chain, but mostly he wanted to ask about the laser-sword hanging off his belt. But he was rarely alone with the Count. The master would clutch Anakin's shoulder while listing his virtues to the Count, who would politely listen, and always state at the end in his deep and powerful voice, "Splendid. I will make sure to keep an eye on him."
Anakin was conflicted concerning the Count. The man always seemed to be appraising him, those times that the Count actually paid attention to him. It made Anakin uncomfortable. But the stately human had a laser-sword, so he must be a Jedi, and wise and strong. But Anakin had always thought a Jedi would free him from slavery. Although Master Palpatine was the best master so far, Anakin longed to be free.
The Count didn't act like a Jedi, but it was he that stirred Anakin's rebellious emotions with cryptic comments about slavery and the Outer Rim. Anakin would scowl at this, but keep his silence. When he was younger he didn't trust the Count, and when he was older he didn't want to ask the Master outright. Anakin always skirted the issue and left conversations dissatisfied. For that alone, Anakin disliked the Count.
"Look how the mighty Sith have fallen." Count Dooku looked up to see Obi-Wan Kenobi crowing at him, which was hardly a surprise. Being Jinn's padawan hadn't curbed Kenobi's cynics. It was a pity Kenobi wouldn't join him. Dooku saw a lot of Jinn in him. Dooku had hoped that this latest attempt by the Jedi order to capture him on his own ship would be the opportunity to convince Kenobi, but instead it had deteriorated into this debacle of Dooku strung up by pirates on a back-water planet while Kenobi assessed him. A pity, all of it. At least the Jedi Council and Senate had sent Kenobi, the Negotiator.
"Suits you, count." The second voice was a surprise, and Dooku's glower deepened as he recognized it. A young man dressed in unassuming clothes trailed Kenobi into the chamber, strutting where Kenobi glided. Anakin.
"It wasn't so long ago that you yourself were in similar surroundings," Dooku prodded pointedly in his bass voice, straining at his wrist restraints to keep an eye on the erstwhile apprentice. Of course Darth Sidious would send this whelp to extricate Dooku, further fueling the rivalry that the boy still did not understand. Dooku understood, pointless taunt that it was. The slave was not a threat. But one question burned through Dooku's mind-what had the boy told Kenobi? "I do hope you two know each other?"
"Getting senile in your old age, Count?" Anakin teased, finally ceasing to circle Dooku. Kenobi followed suit, thankfully. "And here I thought we saw each other too much."
"Now now, Lars, you should be polite to the Count. He is after all, one of your elders," Kenobi admonished, and Dooku almost growled. Dooku should have known that the two would get along. Kenobi frowned and crossed his arms. "Somehow the Separatists got wind of your capture, Count. You should hope that Lars's ransom gets here before the Senate's, elsewise you'll be in a cell similar to this for a much longer period."
Ah, so Kenobi was suspicious of the boy. Dooku felt a flutter of hope that this would be his chance to rid himself of the nuisance. "I will be sure to thank you properly for the ransom, boy," he paused to glare at Lars, "if it comes through. And if you two don't join me in this cell. These pirates are crafty creatures."
"Everything's under control." Anakin returned his glare, warning him to mind his tongue. Dooku smirked and watched him squirm, and almost laughed when the two exited the cell, Anakin warily watching him. The day this mindless maggot was gone would be a glorious day.
Unfortunately for Dooku, the two would-be ransomers were captured within the night. Worse, they were tied directly to him, three strung force-users in a row. Kenobi was the closest to him, so after unsuccessful attempts to untie them all Dooku nudged Kenobi awake.
The young Jedi shifted and blearily blinked his eyes. "Count? Weren't you..." Kenobi sat up fully and looked around, rubbing his head. "The drinks."
"I warned you." Dooku leaned back against the wall. The benefit of this situation was getting out of that containment field. His arms and shoulders were still sore, and he did not want to hear another age joke because of it. "Now, you have reaped your reward."
"Charming as always, Count." Kenobi grimaced. "I see Lars has yet to wake."
"Yes, Lars." Dooku felt along his belt where his lightsaber should be, annoyed to be unarmed. The pirates would pay for these indignities, all of them. They weren't part of his master's inscrutable plans. They could be dealt with openly, or as openly as the Count ever did such deeds. "I find it unusual that a Jedi master would work with a Separatist."
"That's funny, I thought you were a Jedi master and a Separatist," Kenobi quipped dryly, fiddling with their bonds.
"Amusing to the last, Kenobi." Dooku felt the rope tugging between them at Kenobi's attempts. "I simply want to know why you trust him not to betray you. You underestimate him at your own peril."
Kenobi frowned. "Why do I get the feeling that you two don't like each other? You're on the same side, he's hardly your enemy," he said, and gestured at Anakin, curled on the floor.
"Is he?" Dooku questioned, looking meaningfully into Kenobi's eyes. For all the hints he gave Kenobi, Kenobi should have unraveled everything by now! Why was he so blind to the truths before him, when he was so clever in everything else? Dooku could almost see the gears in Kenobi's head, churning uselessly. His Master's cloaking of the Force was powerful indeed.
"Afraid the Republic will buy you first, Dooku?" The boy was awake, stretching luxuriously and tugging on the cord as he did so.
Dooku scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. No one will buy me."
"You could've fooled me."
"Pardon my intrusion, but now that we're all awake perhaps we could focus on escaping?" Kenobi suggested innocently.
"A fine idea." Dooku stood deliberately, allowing the others to stand with him. "Lars," he growled out, "why don't you use that mechanical skill your master always lauds you for?"
Their various attempts at escape scraped Dooku's nerves raw, but when it ended with him alone in a cell and the other two at the pirate Hondo's mercy he found he didn't mind as much. Their constant banter, generally at his expense, reminded him small chattering creatures, like the Kowakian monkey-lizard that had stolen his lightsaber for the pirate, Hondo. Foul creature with a foul master.
When the power went out a few hours later Dooku took it for the boon it was, exiting his cell and slipping through the pirates compound, and retrieving his lightsaber from where the pirate had stowed it. Outside were a few ships, the majority the round saucers of the pirates, but two stuck out. One was obviously Kenobi's, a sleek Delta Star-fighter, which meant that the other clunky ship had to be the Anakin's. Dooku smiled.
A crash and a shot made him turn around. Behind him a pirate with outstretched blaster crumpled to the ground, revealing the ship's owner.
"You're finally catching up," Dooku stated as he offered Anakin a tight smile. A pity it couldn't have been Kenobi, they could have stolen the slave's bigger ship together.
"Get in the ship, we're leaving." The boy brushed past him, and Dooku followed after.
"You're lucky that the power went out." Dooku settled into the copilot seat as Anakin took the helm.
"Luck had nothing to do with it," Anakin said, patting his right arm around where a communicator would be. Dooku wondered who Anakin could possibly have as a contact on this forsaken planet.
"I suppose I should be impressed." It was more likely that their Master had a contact already prepared for Anakin. He coddled Anakin too much, in Dooku's opinion.
"Stow it, Count." Shortly thereafter the ship thrummed with life and they ascended. For a moment they were able to see ground vehicles approaching the pirates' lair, Republic by the look of them, but Anakin angled the ship up through the atmosphere and they left the planet Florrum behind. Dooku had been saved from being taken prisoner by the Republic, which was a relief. He didn't want to know if his Master would orchestrate a desperate escape for him, or let him find his own way out. However, that was no longer a problem.
There were a number of things to do once he got back to Serenno, and Dooku was grateful that Anakin entered that destination into the navicomputer without a word. The stars streaked until only hyperspace was left, and Dooku mused to himself. Dooku would have to properly thank the pirates, but he had weapon tests to review, planets to subdue, an apprentice of his own who was growing too strong too fast, and someone investigating Kamino again. Ensuring that his master's plan came to fruition was quite the task, and Dooku strove to move his pieces of the puzzle accordingly. And concerning that Kamino business, who was to say he couldn't use his master's set as well?
"A thank you would be nice," the boy griped next to him. Perfect timing, if annoying.
"Thank you." Anakin's gaze shot over, and Dooku smiled pleasantly. "It seems our master has managed to make you adequate. Adequate enough that I need your services."
"This wouldn't be like the last time?" the boy jeered. Ah, his arm. Dooku was lucky the Master forgave that particular incident. Terrible training accident. Dooku smiled wider.
"No, it would not." He exhaled soundly and tapped the control board. "It seems people are poking around where they should not. A Rodian discovered some unfortunate facts about the clones, and was duly taken care of. However, someone else overheard the meeting and got away."
"And you want me to..." Anakin trailed off, waiting for Dooku.
"To track down any spies, yes," Dooku finished for him.
"But our master-"
"Does not require your services day and night," Dooku interrupted again abruptly. "Do not inflate your own importance."
Anakin rolled his eyes, but nodded in acquiescence. Really, Dooku didn't know why their master hadn't asked the boy to take care of this in the first place, he was perfectly positioned on Coruscant. It was about time the boy started being of more practical use, and make up for his mixed results on Mustafar.