Darth Tyranus, better known as Count Dooku, walked throughout the halls in his over sixteen meters long ship known as a solar sailer. Moments ago he had just permitted entry of a much smaller ally ship into the hangar space of his solar sailer. There was a delivery that awaited him…
An important event to Count Dooku had occurred very recently, and he was both curious and excited to witness the aftermath of his orders. It was a strange and sudden opportunity for the Sith Lord, but one that oozed great potential. Mere days ago he had been contacted by San Hill who was the Chairman of the InterGalactic Banking Clan. The Chairman reported the acquisition of a new enforcer he had employed to the clan. This particular enforcer had gained the keen interest of Count Dooku for several reasons surrounding actions the enforcer was associated with around his homeworld named Kalee.
The Kaleesh had been at war with the Yam'rii, a sentient insectoid species native to Huk. The violence that came as a result of the conflict had gained a key interest from Dooku, who cared enough to keep track of the news about the war. One Kaleesh warlord in particular had interested Dooku for his bloody reputation after slaughtering countless Yam'rii. His birth name was Qymaen jai Sheelal, but the former warlord had taken up a new alias after the loss of the person closest to him during the war. They then went by the name Grievous and became even more fearsome than ever before, even conquering Huk. The Yam'rii retaliated to this loss by making a corrupt alliance with the Galactic Republic who helped in forcing the Kaleesh with the aid of Jedi to send the invaders back to their homeworld as well as giving severe punishments to those native to Kalee, while the Yam'rii were portrayed as innocent victims who suffered no sanction for the war. Grievous held a grudge against the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order, motivating him to join the InterGalactic Banking Clan which was a group which the Republic had tension with due to their neutrality and also aiding the opposing Separatists but were too crucial to the Galactic Republic to risk ruining their alliance with.
San Hill reported that Grievous had broken his contract with the InterGalactic Banking Clan as the enraged warrior attempted to return to Kalee and restart the war with the Yam'rii. A previous discussion San Hill had with Dooku and alongside the additional input of the Archduke of Geonosis called Poggle the Lesser with the three agreeing on a plan to sabotage Grievous' shuttle with Count Dooku having plans of transforming the infamous warrior into a subservient tool for the benefit of the Separatist Council. Taking extreme measures, they orchestrated the planting of an ion bomb within Grievous' personal shuttle named the Martyr and when Grievous' defiance of the clan, the signal to detonate the explosive was given…
The ion bomb going off immediately broke all of the Martyr's operations as well as blowing up the majority of Grievous' Kaleesh elite guard with any survivors of the explosion certainly not outlasting the incoming crash landing of their own homeworld. Grievous' entire body was crippled, but he lived. Count Dooku ordered for the remnants of both him and his ship to be taken with Grievous spending the past few days undergoing a terrifying and gruesome cyberisation process to replace his broken body and create the ideal weapon that Dooku had dreamed of. Today he got to meet Grievous and in his new complete cybernetic self thanks to the work of a variety of competent surgery droids.
Count Dooku reached the hangar and gazed down at the weapon he held in his hand; a lightsaber. It was not his crimson crystal curved hilt lightsaber, but one from a Jedi… an old friend. Sifo Dyas. Dooku sulked as he recalled memories of their friendship and its tragic end, but soon composed himself as he approached San Hill as he stepped out of his ship.
"Count Dooku," San Hill greeted. "Are you ready to see… it?"
"Indeed I am," Count Dooku confirmed. "I've been looking forward to this."
San Hill nodded before deploying a platform at the front of the shuttle he had arrived in. Emerging from the ship were a group of B2 Super Battle Droids, an upgraded model to the typical B1 Battle Droids. At this point in time, they were yet to have been used in conflict and serving as guards like in this scenario was an excellent way to test them in preparation for their usage in a future war…
Dooku had organised this shuttle for San Hill with the Super Battle Droids as necessary protection of the Chairman. Due to how already unstable Grievous seemed to be, he knew it was likely that he could be hostile to those around him. Paired with restraints, this made sure that Grievous couldn't possibly harm the banker. One more Super Battle Droid stepped out, escorting Grievous himself for Count Dooku to set his eyes upon for the first time.
"All that remains besides the cybernetics is parts of the head, brain included, and some vital organs to ensure his survival," San Hill reported as Dooku was stunned by the sight of the terrifying cyborg. His golden eyes glared angrily at San Hill and then at Count Dooku himself, as he struggled to remove his restraints.
Grievous' entire body was built up by a metal body which was further protected by white plating in several parts across his entire body. Most appealing to Count Dooku was the extra set of arms Grievous had that sprung out of his back as he flailed them wildly. Dooku had personally requested for the additional pair of arms when his allies were designing a robotic body for him. Dooku quietly observed the uniqueness of Grievous' entire body from a distance for a few moments while Grievous growled with a metallic echo emitting from his covered up mouth as he made the disturbing noises.
"Anything else?" Dooku asked for any further statistics.
"My droids recorded that he is precisely seven foot one inch tall, weighs one hundred and fifty nine kilograms," San Hill listed the information, "and his cybernetics ensure that he can execute lightning fast strikes and devastatingly powerful blows."
"Excellent," Dooku praised. "Allow me to unbind you, friend."
Using the Force, Count Dooku immediately unlocked the restraints that bound Grievous' legs together as well as his lower pair of arms. As soon as he was freed, Grievous began to savagely attack the Super Battle Droids that surrounded him. A single clubbing blow to the head of one droid left a massive dent as it pushed their head further down into their body, making it unfunctional. The others reacted by attempting to fire at the cyborg with their built in arm cannons, but Grievous sprung into the air when they attacked and latched onto the ship he had been escorted on. Dooku had not anticipated this, but smirked at the impressive feats of physical strength and agility regardless of the state of the droids that attempted to stop him. San Hill meanwhile, was petrified by the inhumane cyborg and cowarded behind Dooku in hopes of receiving the Sith Lord's protection.
Grievous crawled like a spider on the sides of the ship before springing off and landing atop one droid and quickly hurling their huge body into another as if they weighed nothing. Grievous lunged forth, ruthlessly tackling the final Super Battle Droid and pummelling them with furious fists that punched several holes into the droid's shell. Once he finished his assault on the droids, Grievous' imposing gaze fell upon San Hill. He sprung to his feet, shoving Count Dooku aside before grabbing San Hill by his collar.
"Mercy, I beg you!" San Hill pleaded for his own life. "I am merely a banker!"
"Enough!" Dooku yelled as he got up and sent a sudden but brief blast of Force Lightning that struck Grievous in the back.
The cyborg immediately collapsed to their knees from the electricity that surged throughout his metallic body as he felt immense pain from the shock. Grievous began coughing violently and uncontrollably as a result, but he soon fought through the pain and got to his feet after clearing his throat.
"Compose yourself, Grievous," Count Dooku advised as the cyborg stared him down. "We mean you no harm, friend."
"What did your banker do to my body?!" Grievous finally spoke, the cyborg was clearly confused by all the recent events that had been happening.
"The cybernetics saved your life," Dooku clarified as he spoke over another coughing fit that the cyborg was suffering from. "You had a nasty accident."
"Somebody rigged my ship with explosives!" Grievous yelled angrily.
"And fortunately Mr. Hill managed to come to your aid," Dooku explained.
"The incident technically counts as a work related accident," San Hill elaborated as he reminded Grievous of who he had been contracted to. "As Chairman of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, it is my responsibility to offer the medical services necessary."
"Then why this?!" Grievous wondered as he flailed his extra set of arms around. "This body was your idea of a fix for my injuries?!"
"There was little left to save your old body, sir," San Hill explained to him. "Scientists from Geonosis performed what was necessary."
"But these measures," Grievous gazed at his arms. "Why all of this?!"
"I requested additional modifications on top of the typical life saving cyberization protocols," Dooku revealed.
"You did what?!" Grievous couldn't believe why someone would want such a thing from his own body and he aggressively marched towards Dooku only to pause in place when a small burst of Force Lightning emitted from Dooku's right palm.
"You made quite a name for yourself during the Huk War," Dooku elaborated further, "I figured a warlord such as yourself would have appreciated a body fit for combat… perhaps I was mistaken."
"I have not complained about the upgrades," Grievous clarified, "I simply seek answers."
"Ah!" Dooku reacted happily as he was relieved to hear some praise for the work done to his new body, he saw this as a sign that he was already building his bond with Grievous. "Ask anything, Grievous, I would be happy to provide answers."
"Was I the only survivor?" Grievous asked his next query. "I had a cadre of eight elite warriors," he elaborated, "which I named them the Izvoshra."
"Unfortunately you were the only body recovered," Count Dooku answered honestly. "Your ship crashed into the Jenuwaa Sea."
"We recovered pieces of your shuttle," San Hill added onto Dooku's information, "and it is currently under repairs."
"I don't care about the Martyr!" Grievous snapped rudely, the Martyr being the name of his shuttle. "My warriors! My friends… they are…"
"Dead," Dooku finished Grievous' sentence bluntly. "But I can offer you new followers who will loyally obey your every command."
"What do you have to offer?" Grievous sounded intrigued.
"Your new body is the first offering," Dooku said as he pointed at the large cyborg with Sifo Dyas' lightsaber still in his hand, "and now this."
"Hm?" Grievous was at first confused as he took the lightsaber from Count Dooku before scoffing when he realised what it was. "I wouldn't dare use the weapons of Jedi slime!"
"A lightsaber does not necessarily have to represent a Jedi," Count Dooku declared as he revealed his own lightsaber, igniting the red blade as the threatening blood red lit up his face with its glow. "I know what you're thinking too and yes; the Jedi are most likely the culprits to the attack on your shuttle."
Grievous clenched his fists angrily, accidentally igniting Sifo Dyas' blue bladed weapon. "Who did this belong to?" he inquired.
"Another Jedi," Dooku told him the truth. "One who was slain by me noless," he further revealed, "something that I believe we'll have in common very soon."
"I cannot use such a ridiculous weapon!" Grievous claimed.
"You will," Dooku insisted. "With proper training from me."
"So I can hunt down Jedi?" Grievous presumed with Dooku nodding in confirmation.
"In addition to that, perhaps a role as General of the Separatist Droid Army would interest you?" Dooku suggested, referring back to his previous statement regarding having new soldiers to command.
"As in those droids?" Grievous turned to the broken remnants of the five Super Battle Droids he had dismantled with ease.
"Do not underestimate the Droid Army," Count Dooku advised, "for you have not seen the amount that has been manufactured."
"I look forward to seeing more of this Droid Army," Grievous replied.
"So do we have a partnership?" Dooku asked.
"We do, Count Dooku," Grievous confirmed as the pair shook hands to establish their alliance.
"Splendid!" Dooku sounded delighted by the agreement. "Aboard the ship that delivered you once more," he immediately began to give his first orders, "the pilot shall transport you to your shuttle."
"The Martyr," Grievous had almost forgotten everything going on in his life recently.
"It will likely be repaired and upgraded by the time you're reunited with it," Count Dooku promised the cyborg. "Return to me with your shuttle and I shall begin your training with this," he gestured to the lightsaber.
"I shall," Grievous complied and headed off to board the ship, keeping the gifted lightsaber beside him.
"Farewell," Dooku said his goodbyes to his newest ally, he then turned to his other ally and said, "I appreciate your aid, San Hill, perhaps we should discuss our own alliance," he suggested.
"What do you have in mind?" San Hill queried.
"How about an official position within the Separatist Alliance's own council?"