Chapter 3 - Serenno

Author's Note: Enjoy the interactions with Qui-Gon and Dooku! ;)

~ Amina Gila

Qui-Gon Jinn

I sit in silence in the public transport ship, keeping a hood pulled up over my head in case, in the unlikely chance that someone might recognize me. It's unlikely since I'm not in Jedi robes anymore, and unlike Anakin and my former padawans, I'm not well known because of the war, but there's still a very small chance.

Ignoring the people moving about, I think over the decision again. Most of all, I'm worried about how Anakin and Aniya are going to handle it, right after losing their padawans. Hopefully the message I left for them will be enough, though. I may have preferred not to go right now when they're so unstable, but I can't continue to wait either. It's not as though my staying at the Temple will help them regardless when they're on the front lines.

Everything that happened with the whole Temple bombing incident has completely shaken my faith in the Order again. But this time, I know it's nothing that will ever fade. The Order is failing, has already failed. They've reached a point that... I'm not sure it's something they could actually change or come back from.

I'm still furious with the Council for throwing out Aniya like that, but there's more than my own personal feelings involved in this. I can feel in the Force, too. It was wrong, and that they didn't sense it is proof of how far they've fallen. It might not be too late for everyone in the Order, but as a whole, it is.

It's hard to have to admit it, but I know it's true now. It's too late.

And it hardly helps that the more I think about it, the more I'm starting to question how much of the Jedi's current beliefs is what's lead them to this point. I know there's always been things that I've had questions about, and now it's resurfacing all over again.

I can understand again, why Dooku left. That doesn't mean I support what he's done, though. The familiar mixed feel of betrayal, and too many other emotions surges through me when I think about him again.

Betraying the Jedi and the Republic to build something he thought was better I can understand. But completely unnecessarily hurting the twins, not so much.

In the end, though, Dooku is the only person I can go to at this point. I'll talk to him and see where things go from there. I can... ignore relatively unimportant personal feelings on the matter for now. Probably.

**w**

Seeing as I'd prefer not to announce my presence to anyone more than I have to, I make my way to the castle on Serenno about as discreetly as possible. I don't think there's actually any good way to announce my abrupt arrival to Dooku, and while I'm still contemplating which route to take, a group of droids approach.

I'm not really surprised – okay it was half-intentional – when I end up arrested in about five seconds for trespassing. I know Dooku can sense me here, and he's going to come. Hopefully without mentioning anything to his master about it.

At least I'm not left in a Force field, since the droids were too stupid to realize that I'm a Jedi. A regular cell is a great deal more... hospitable, and I can break out if I need to.

Time to wait for my former master's arrival.

As it turns out, I don't have to wait for long. It can't have been more than a couple hours when the door opens, Dooku himself appearing in the doorway. He has an odd and unreadable expression on his face. "Qui-Gon," he states.

"Dooku," I reply almost stiffly, inclining my head a little. The last time I saw him was almost three years ago back on Geonosis. It was the last time we talked since... that day he was in the middle of trying to send me a message, before he disappeared completely. What even happened? For as much as I want to know, I know now is hardly the time to get into any of that. "I was expecting you'd show up, eventually."

"What are you doing here?" he asks, expression mostly unreadable. Probably because he still has no idea of my intentions and he's definitely taken by surprise this time.

"I'm here to talk to you," I answer, simply. It's the truth.

"Of your own volition?"

"Do you really think that the Council would agree to something like this?"

"No," Dooku replies, "But after Geonosis, I wouldn't have expected you to come here so suddenly." It's awkward now, talking to him like this. He literally raised me, but it's been so many years and so many things have changed. (Now that I'm here in front of him, though, I can't fully ignore the part of me that's definitely missed him.)

"Things have changed," I respond, after a moment of consideration, "I can't go along with the Council anymore, after what they did."

Dooku's expression darkens ever so slightly. "If you're referring to their actions regarding the Temple bombing, I was surprised as well that they would do something of that nature. I would have expected them to have more faith in your padawan."

My eyes narrow. He said that because he actually believes it, I can tell, because he truly is upset with the actions that the Council took regarding that. And that actually angers me, because it's not as though he hasn't hurt the twins a lot, too, even if it can't compare to what the Council did. "How are you any different than that?"

Dooku clearly knows what specifically I'm upset about, without my having to explain. "I... regret that my actions have harmed them," he replies, "But we are on opposing sides of the conflict."

I know it's the truth, but it doesn't stop my flare of bitterness. It doesn't mean he had to literally cut off Anakin's arm. But if I'm going to start arguing with him about this, we aren't going to be getting anywhere. "Yes, I can understand your reasoning, to an extent," I reply, unable to quite conceal the icy note in my voice.

Dooku is quiet for a few moments. "You see them like your children," he states, at last.

I blink. That's not what I was expecting him to say, and it's... strange to hear put into words. But it is the truth. "I do," I admit, "What of it?"

"You are more attached to them than the Jedi would ever allow."

What's his point? "My beliefs don't entirely align with those of the Jedi anymore, or I wouldn't be here," I tell him, finally.

"Why exactly is it that you are here?" Dooku inquires.

I eye him for a moment, considering my words. "You left the Order to find the Sith, and it seems you... did, but I'm sure you know that you aren't either of the two Sith. They're just using you for their plans."

"I am well aware of that," Dooku reply, dryly, "You're hoping there's something I can tell you about the Sith?"

"The war must end. And the Sith masters – whoever they are – need to be stopped. I know the war won't end until we find them," I reply, "I assume you want the same, from what you told me on Geonosis, but I don't see how your actions are leading to that."

I can only hope that... despite the obvious tension, we'll be able to actually do something together. (I can't say why, after everything, I trust him enough to think that he might actually agree to help me, without double-crossing me.)

"The Sith do need to be stopped," Dooku agrees, "The war was Sidious' idea, not mine, but it was bound to happen regardless. The galaxy was too fractured to remain united under the Republic, and the only way to repair it is through beginning something new."

"How do you intend to do that when you're under Sidious' control?" I ask, bluntly.

Dooku's expression is a little grimmer now, and I think he might actually be planning to truthfully answer. He knows I won't tell anyone, I suppose, and it's not as if I could if I had a reason to, considering that I'll be here on Serenno until he agrees to let me leave. Which I have no intention of doing right now anyways. "At this point, it is too late to stop Sidious' plans," he replies, "We can only wait until the right moment to destroy him and prepare to rebuild the galaxy out of what he is attempting to create."

I stiffen. I don't like the way he's saying that, or the fact that I can't think I can disagree. The galaxy is a complete mess, and I know the Sith are taking advantage of all of it. "What is his plan?"

"He wants a Sith Empire," Dooku answers, simply.

I already suspected as much, but it's still disturbing to hear. If he succeeds, it will be the will of the Force, but that doesn't mean the thought isn't concerning. "You're helping him go through with that?" I clarify, instead.

"The idea of a Sith Empire is not the problem," Dooku replies, "It is the only way to restore the galaxy. But Sidious and his master cannot be allowed to lead it, and at this point, I do not know where his master is."

"I assume you intend to lead this... Empire," I deduce.

Dooku doesn't answer the question which I take to be an affirmative. "It will be the only way to unite the galaxy. Even if Sidious stopped interfering with the Republic and the Separatists now, they would not stop fighting. When the war ended, there would be too much strife among the systems for them to work together willingly. And the Republic itself will not last much longer without splintering and shattering the galaxy entirely."

I stay silent for a moment, considering his words. In all honesty, I have to say I know what he means. The galaxy itself is too far gone to be fixed without something drastic changing, without someone forcing the sides to stop fighting and work together, and that won't happen with the current power structures. Maybe in this regard, Dooku is right, even if I still don't approve of the whole "starting a war because it will happen anyway" thing.

"I can use your help, Qui-Gon," Dooku says.

"That is why I'm here," I reply, "Who is this Sidious?"

He paces half-way across the room, before turning to face me again. "That, I can't tell you," he replies, at last, "I need you rational if we are going to work together."

I glare at him. "Rational?"

"And it is possible that telling anyone could cause a ripple effect in the Force, and he would sense his plans have been compromised."

"I understand," I concede, grudgingly. Then another thought hits me. "How is Sidious planning to create an Empire with the Jedi?" Because he isn't. Somehow, he's planning to –

The sinking realization hits me. "He's planning to destroy them, isn't he?" I don't know how to feel about that. I've already expected it, that the Jedi are past the point of being fixed, but the Sith way of dealing with them isn't going to be something like being "disbanded". I don't know what to think about that.

"The Jedi are corrupt," Dooku replies, "You yourself have seen this."

"I have," I agree, slowly I get the feeling that... this might be one of the aspects of Sidious' plan that he isn't completely opposed to. Maybe.

"And after their latest actions, I can see again that they are beyond a point at which they can change."

"You're planning to let the Order be destroyed?" I demand. If Sidious' plans work, of course. I can't imagine what they might be, because continuing the war until all the older Jedi are dead isn't going to happen. No, it's something else. Something a lot more sinister.

"Even if I wanted to, there is nothing I could do for them," Dooku admits, "It is a part of Sidious' plans that will happen before I can stop him."

I don't really know what to say in response to that, so I let it drop for the moment. I need time to meditate on this. I can't imagine the Order being gone, but at the same time, I can't shake the feeling in the Force that... that might actually be what needs to happen. Maybe. It's hard to tell, with everything so shrouded by the Dark Side.

"What are you planning to do?" I inquire.

"I have been working on finding those who are specifically loyal to me," Dooku answers, "And preparing a network for a rebellion. I am hoping that we will be able to overthrow Sidious without starting another major war, but that may not be possible."

The planning is brilliant, I admit grudgingly. Evidently, this is something he's put much thought into, and hopefully,has been able to avoid any suspicion from Sidious. Well, I'm sure the Sith Master does know that he's up to something, seeing that Sith always betray each other, inevitably.

"I assume if I help you it would make that easier?" I still don't know for certain if that's what I'm going to do.

"It would," Dooku confirms, "So long as you were able to avoid anyone discovering your identity. If my master gets any inkling that you might be here, all of our plans could be ruined." When did it become "our" plans?

"No one knows where I went," I assure him, "I only left a message with the twins that I was... looking for an alternative way to end the war."

Dooku frowns. "That could prove to be a problem."

"Why?"

"My master has an interest in them," Dooku replies, "As I'm sure you know from previously."

As if I could possibly have forgotten. Obi-Wan and I had spent so long helping the twins recover from all of that, coupled with the problems they'd already had at the time from being slaves and missing their mother.

"Yes, I do," I confirm, "But how is that relevant?"

"The Sith has... continued his plans of trying to get them to join him, unbeknownst to all of you."

The words freeze me in place for a moment. "How?" I demand, desperately wishing I could believe that this is nothing but a lie, but somehow, I know it's the truth. He hasn't lied, and there's no reason that would change now. And it feels too true in the Force.

"He has... access to them," Dooku answers, carefully.

"And you never thought to tell me this sooner?" I demand, sharply. Of course, we were on opposite sides, but really, something like this? "Who is he?" I ask, again. If he really has access to the twins, I need to know. This isn't something I can let go.

"This is what I meant about needing you rational, Qui-Gon," Dooku says, giving me a pointed look.

"I am being rational," I retort, "I'm not having them near the Sith if I can stop it!"

"There isn't anything you can do to stop it, or he will know," Dooku replies, somehow managing to stay calm as ever.

I draw in a breath, reaching out with the Force, trying to let its currents calm me, but it's hard, right now. I don't know how this could have happened, but I definitely can't sit back and do nothing. It's a good thing I came to talk to Dooku.

What I don't understand is who the Sith could be, that the twins would be around him. They know a lot of people and I don't have any ides. All I know for certainty is that it isn't Padme or Jaufre. (Well probably, right?!)

"I don't want Sidious to get his hands on them either, for their sakes as well as the galaxy's," he continues, and I withhold a retort about how twisted his version of caring for them is, "But there is nothing I can do now. It is... one of Sidious' most important plans, and he'll stop at nothing to get to them. There's little we can do to block him right now."

"What are you planning to do, then? Just let him have what he wants?" I ask, bitterly.

"He wants to turn them," Dooku states, as though I hadn't figured that out already, "If they were... already Fallen but learned balance enough to control themselves, he wouldn't be able to get to them. But I cannot... do that anymore. I considered it before, but they would never be loyal to me over him."

Yes, I wonder why.

"I imagine not. They did trust you once," I point out. And let's not get into where that ended up. But I do find it disturbing that they clearly trust whoever the Sith is, so much. Dooku had mentioned that he was in the Senate, and while the Jedi didn't believe him, now I'm certain it was the truth. The twins know a lot of Senators, though. And I don't even know who all they know, enough to figure out.

Dooku paces across the cell again and doesn't reply immediately. His silence does give me a moment to think though, that that might not have been the... nicest thing to say. I can't just forgive him for what he's done to them, but... he does have somewhat valid points about it. And way inside, I have to admit that I don't think he necessarily wanted to hurt them, even if that doesn't justify what happened.

(And regardless of what he's done, he's still the person who trained me, raised me, and I still care for him – maybe more than I ought to – for as much as things have changed over the years.)

But back to the topic at hand... "You really think them Falling is the only way to protect them from Sidious?"

"I do," he replies, turning to face me again, "Until Sidious is dead – and we have no way of eliminating him right now, without destroying the galaxy in the process – he's going to keep going after them. He will try to get them to Fall on his terms."

I frown, the feeling of foreboding over the future rising in me again. It would be a lie to say that I'm not scared over what's going to happen to Anakin and Aniya. I know things will work out how the Force deems them too, but still.

"I know that is against the Jedi view that once someone starts to use the Dark Side, they are forever doomed down that path, but the Dark Side is not 'evil' the way the Jedi have believed," my former master speaks up.

"I... have begun to question some of the Jedi's beliefs," I concede, after a moment, even if telling a Sith Lord this may not be the best of ideas. Still, he's the only one I can talk oo about any of this, and in the end, whatever decision I make will be whatever the Force tells me.

"With regards to the Force?"

"Among other things," I admit, "For as much as they claim to follow the Force, they don't. More and more, they're doing what's in their own best interests. Or what will make them look good to the Senate and public, in general."

I don't know that I actually have any intention of learning more about the Dark Side myself, but... At the same time, the Force is the Force. The choices a person makes are their own.

"One of the reasons I left was because I did have an interest in learning more about the Force as a whole," Dooku admits, "The Dark Side is more powerful. One merely needs to learn how to control it. It merely relies on emotions, instead of "letting them go" the way the Jedi preach."

I fall silent for a few moments, considering his words. I don't know that I believe the twins Falling is the only way to save them from Sidious, but if someone needs to help the twins with all of this, the only one will be able to is me.

And something like that is definitely not something I'll experiment with only by Dooku's word. The only way to know what to do... would maybe be to learn more about the Dark Side myself.

"Would you be willing to teach me?" I ask, finally, avoiding letting myself dwell on the implications of what this decision could mean.

"If you wish," Dooku replies, and I'm pretty sure he's already followed my line of thinking, not that that's a surprise. He is the one who raised me. "But do not take this decision lightly."

"I need more time to think about all of it," I say.

Dooku nods. "Of course. And we can discuss more of the details about stopping the other part of Sidious' plans at a later time. I am needed elsewhere, right now. I'll give you a room here but stay out of sight of the droids. I don't want reports of anything getting back to my master."

"Shouldn't be a problem," I promise. If this is my only shot at helping the twins and the galaxy, I'm willing to take it.

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