Chapter 4: Sweet Nothings
At that comment, Cassiopeia finally looked at Dooku. "What do you mean?" But she was afraid of the answer, knowing him the way she did.
Dooku smiled slyly. "I know you have feelings for him, this Jedi," he paused as she began to protest. "Do not deny it, Cassi." It killed her to hear him say her name. "I know you and your obsession with the Jedi. Besides that, I can sense it." He looked at her and Cassiopeia dropped her gaze. In that instant, Dooku sensed the extent of her love for Obi Wan. It was not a school-girl crush or a brief fling as he had thought, Cassiopeia truly loved him. If Obi Wan loves her as well..Dooku let the thought trail off, not wanting to finish it. His face suddenly clouded with anger, he turned away from her, stood up and began pacing.
Cassiopeia turned and watched him. She knew he was upset, she had hoped to be able to keep her love for Obi Wan from him. She didn't feel badly for him, she just hoped that in his anger he wouldn't act too rashly, possibly taking it out on Obi Wan or herself.
"When are you going to release us?" Cassiopeia ventured at last.
Dooku turned to look at her. "Release you?" he asked, incredulous. He laughed. "Release a Jedi Knight of the Republic and a head advisor for a senator of the Republic? You were found trespassing on land of the newly- formed Galactic Empire for reasons you will not disclose. I can only suppose that you and Master Kenobi are to be tried by the Geonosians on the grounds of espionage."
"What?" Cassiopeia asked, disbelieving. "The Galactic Empire? You cannot be serious. The Republic will not stand for this. You have no right to hold us. We have committed no crime. The Republic."
"The Republic is dead!" Dooku shouted at her. "Soon the Republic will be in tatters. You know it. You have seen it coming, Cassi, I know you have. You are too intelligent to not have foreseen that the end of the Republic is coming quickly."
Cassiopeia tried to stand up. Her vision blurred and her head swam from the after-effects of the medication he had given her and she sat back down heavily on the bed. She shook her head to clear it. "No, Dooku. You're wrong. The Republic has its faults and shortcomings, but all democracies do. That does not mean that it should be dismantled. All beings deserve basic freedoms. All beings deserve to have their voices heard."
Dooku strode to the bed and sat down next to her. He took her hand, she tried to pull it away but he held it steadfast. "When was the last time the Republic listened to you? When was the last time your voice was heard, Cassi?"
"That's not the point," Cassiopeia shook her head.
"I know you are having problems right now, Cassi. I know there is a lot of tension in your life, I see it in your face, I hear it in your tone of voice, and I sense it through the Force," he paused. "The Republic is not living up to your expectations anymore. It hasn't for a long time. It is failing its citizens."
"I hate it when you do this," Cassiopeia sighed. "You're taking an aspect of my life and you're attaching very broad generalizations to it that are completely inappropriate." She looked at him. "Yes, I'm having difficulties in my professional life right now as an advisor. But to take those difficulties and to convert them into the massive problems the Republic has right now is unfair."
Dooku stroked her cheek. "No, it isn't unfair. It is a minute detail of a massive problem. It is typical of what the Republic has become."
"Okay, okay, enough of this. I refuse to be drawn into a debate with you over the Republic," Cassiopeia ran her hand through her hair, tried to stand up again, was able to retain her footing, and walked to look out the window. She dreaded asking this next question but she knew she must. "Now, back to Obi Wan's safety. What do I need to do to get his release secured?" She looked directly at him.
"I'm not going to force you into anything, Cassi, I never have. You know that. The truth is there may indeed be nothing that you can do for him. I must speak with Obi Wan to see what his intentions are." Dooku replied.
"He will never cooperate with you, Dooku."
Dooku smiled and moved to stand behind her. "I love to hear you say my name, dear."
Cassiopeia lowered her gaze. "Please don't," she said. "Not now." She turned away from him to gaze out the window again.
"Stay with me, Cassi," Dooku whispered in her ear. "I can give you everything your heart desires."
Cassiopeia smiled ruefully. "No, you cannot give me the one thing I want the most." She looked back at him again. "You cannot give me Obi Wan."
Dooku breathed in deeply, attempting to control the anger that suddenly again coursed through him. "And does Obi Wan share your feelings? Does he love you unconditionally?"
"No," Cassiopeia admitted. "He can't. He is a Jedi and he refuses to turn his back on his commitments. I admire him for that." She sighed. "He did love me once, a long time ago. But our lives do not allow us to be together."
"Then he doesn't really love you, dear," Dooku whispered. "If he truly loved you, he would give it all up to be with you."
She turned to face him. "Like you did?" she spat out. "And see what it has brought us to?" She shook her head. "Even if Obi Wan was willing to walk away from the Order for me, I wouldn't allow him to. I would not be willing to take the chance that he would follow your path. I love him too much to risk losing him to the dark side of the Force."
"You didn't lose me, love, you left me."
"I didn't know you anymore. You turned into a cold, unfeeling, ruthless man. You wanted things for the galaxy that I could never agree with." She paused. "I could not live with myself or you knowing of the atrocities you commit."
"Atrocities?" Dooku asked. "What atrocities? I am a governmental leader of the Galactic Empire. I have done nothing that would cause you anguish."
Cassiopeia scoffed. "I don't believe you. The last time we spoke, years ago, you described your dream of this galaxy ruled over by a heavy- handed dictator, a dictator who would force beings into submission through the use of his army. And now Obi Wan and I find you here, scheming with your fellow separatist cohorts, establishing some 'Galactic Empire', building an army to assist in your agenda to overthrow the Republic so you alone can rule the galaxy. Maybe you haven't spilled innocent blood yet, but I know you, I know its coming. I know from personal experience that you will stop at nothing to get what you want." Cassi paused and looked out the window. "Blast, this is exactly what I knew would happen. This is what I've been telling Padme for the last several years." Tears began to form in Cassiopeia's eyes at the thought of her employer, her friend completely disregarding her."
Dooku sensed her thoughts. "And yet, she hasn't listened to you. She thinks she's above you, that she knows better." Dooku looked into her eyes. "This is the problem with the Republic, it has become a gaggle of beings that think they know what is best for the galaxy as a whole. But they never stop to ask the beings they supposedly serve what they really want and need." He paused. "I will do that, Cassi. I will make the galaxy better for all." He stroked her cheek again. "But it would all be for nothing without you by my side. You must know that I would never disregard you, not the way Padme has.not the way the Republic has...not the way Obi Wan has."
Those final words broke her heart. Cassiopeia held Dooku's gaze. "I don't know where I belong anymore." She whispered, tears now falling down her cheeks.
"You belong with me," he bent down and whispered closely in her ear. "You always have." He paused. "I've missed you terribly, my darling wife."
At that comment, Cassiopeia finally looked at Dooku. "What do you mean?" But she was afraid of the answer, knowing him the way she did.
Dooku smiled slyly. "I know you have feelings for him, this Jedi," he paused as she began to protest. "Do not deny it, Cassi." It killed her to hear him say her name. "I know you and your obsession with the Jedi. Besides that, I can sense it." He looked at her and Cassiopeia dropped her gaze. In that instant, Dooku sensed the extent of her love for Obi Wan. It was not a school-girl crush or a brief fling as he had thought, Cassiopeia truly loved him. If Obi Wan loves her as well..Dooku let the thought trail off, not wanting to finish it. His face suddenly clouded with anger, he turned away from her, stood up and began pacing.
Cassiopeia turned and watched him. She knew he was upset, she had hoped to be able to keep her love for Obi Wan from him. She didn't feel badly for him, she just hoped that in his anger he wouldn't act too rashly, possibly taking it out on Obi Wan or herself.
"When are you going to release us?" Cassiopeia ventured at last.
Dooku turned to look at her. "Release you?" he asked, incredulous. He laughed. "Release a Jedi Knight of the Republic and a head advisor for a senator of the Republic? You were found trespassing on land of the newly- formed Galactic Empire for reasons you will not disclose. I can only suppose that you and Master Kenobi are to be tried by the Geonosians on the grounds of espionage."
"What?" Cassiopeia asked, disbelieving. "The Galactic Empire? You cannot be serious. The Republic will not stand for this. You have no right to hold us. We have committed no crime. The Republic."
"The Republic is dead!" Dooku shouted at her. "Soon the Republic will be in tatters. You know it. You have seen it coming, Cassi, I know you have. You are too intelligent to not have foreseen that the end of the Republic is coming quickly."
Cassiopeia tried to stand up. Her vision blurred and her head swam from the after-effects of the medication he had given her and she sat back down heavily on the bed. She shook her head to clear it. "No, Dooku. You're wrong. The Republic has its faults and shortcomings, but all democracies do. That does not mean that it should be dismantled. All beings deserve basic freedoms. All beings deserve to have their voices heard."
Dooku strode to the bed and sat down next to her. He took her hand, she tried to pull it away but he held it steadfast. "When was the last time the Republic listened to you? When was the last time your voice was heard, Cassi?"
"That's not the point," Cassiopeia shook her head.
"I know you are having problems right now, Cassi. I know there is a lot of tension in your life, I see it in your face, I hear it in your tone of voice, and I sense it through the Force," he paused. "The Republic is not living up to your expectations anymore. It hasn't for a long time. It is failing its citizens."
"I hate it when you do this," Cassiopeia sighed. "You're taking an aspect of my life and you're attaching very broad generalizations to it that are completely inappropriate." She looked at him. "Yes, I'm having difficulties in my professional life right now as an advisor. But to take those difficulties and to convert them into the massive problems the Republic has right now is unfair."
Dooku stroked her cheek. "No, it isn't unfair. It is a minute detail of a massive problem. It is typical of what the Republic has become."
"Okay, okay, enough of this. I refuse to be drawn into a debate with you over the Republic," Cassiopeia ran her hand through her hair, tried to stand up again, was able to retain her footing, and walked to look out the window. She dreaded asking this next question but she knew she must. "Now, back to Obi Wan's safety. What do I need to do to get his release secured?" She looked directly at him.
"I'm not going to force you into anything, Cassi, I never have. You know that. The truth is there may indeed be nothing that you can do for him. I must speak with Obi Wan to see what his intentions are." Dooku replied.
"He will never cooperate with you, Dooku."
Dooku smiled and moved to stand behind her. "I love to hear you say my name, dear."
Cassiopeia lowered her gaze. "Please don't," she said. "Not now." She turned away from him to gaze out the window again.
"Stay with me, Cassi," Dooku whispered in her ear. "I can give you everything your heart desires."
Cassiopeia smiled ruefully. "No, you cannot give me the one thing I want the most." She looked back at him again. "You cannot give me Obi Wan."
Dooku breathed in deeply, attempting to control the anger that suddenly again coursed through him. "And does Obi Wan share your feelings? Does he love you unconditionally?"
"No," Cassiopeia admitted. "He can't. He is a Jedi and he refuses to turn his back on his commitments. I admire him for that." She sighed. "He did love me once, a long time ago. But our lives do not allow us to be together."
"Then he doesn't really love you, dear," Dooku whispered. "If he truly loved you, he would give it all up to be with you."
She turned to face him. "Like you did?" she spat out. "And see what it has brought us to?" She shook her head. "Even if Obi Wan was willing to walk away from the Order for me, I wouldn't allow him to. I would not be willing to take the chance that he would follow your path. I love him too much to risk losing him to the dark side of the Force."
"You didn't lose me, love, you left me."
"I didn't know you anymore. You turned into a cold, unfeeling, ruthless man. You wanted things for the galaxy that I could never agree with." She paused. "I could not live with myself or you knowing of the atrocities you commit."
"Atrocities?" Dooku asked. "What atrocities? I am a governmental leader of the Galactic Empire. I have done nothing that would cause you anguish."
Cassiopeia scoffed. "I don't believe you. The last time we spoke, years ago, you described your dream of this galaxy ruled over by a heavy- handed dictator, a dictator who would force beings into submission through the use of his army. And now Obi Wan and I find you here, scheming with your fellow separatist cohorts, establishing some 'Galactic Empire', building an army to assist in your agenda to overthrow the Republic so you alone can rule the galaxy. Maybe you haven't spilled innocent blood yet, but I know you, I know its coming. I know from personal experience that you will stop at nothing to get what you want." Cassi paused and looked out the window. "Blast, this is exactly what I knew would happen. This is what I've been telling Padme for the last several years." Tears began to form in Cassiopeia's eyes at the thought of her employer, her friend completely disregarding her."
Dooku sensed her thoughts. "And yet, she hasn't listened to you. She thinks she's above you, that she knows better." Dooku looked into her eyes. "This is the problem with the Republic, it has become a gaggle of beings that think they know what is best for the galaxy as a whole. But they never stop to ask the beings they supposedly serve what they really want and need." He paused. "I will do that, Cassi. I will make the galaxy better for all." He stroked her cheek again. "But it would all be for nothing without you by my side. You must know that I would never disregard you, not the way Padme has.not the way the Republic has...not the way Obi Wan has."
Those final words broke her heart. Cassiopeia held Dooku's gaze. "I don't know where I belong anymore." She whispered, tears now falling down her cheeks.
"You belong with me," he bent down and whispered closely in her ear. "You always have." He paused. "I've missed you terribly, my darling wife."