A/N: To anyone still reading, I am SO SORRY for this, what, four months hiatus? AOL stopped letting me access the document manager, so I had to wait till I got a LAN connection and Internet Explorer started working. If you're here, thank you so much for sticking with me. I love you all.
To anyone standing in the obscure caverns below, the three darkly clad figures slowly making their way down through the canyons would have looked like an odd funeral procession. Dooku kept his distance a few feet ahead, and Obi-Wan silently supported Padme, all the time closely watching his surroundings. The darkness brought about an unshakable sense of self-awareness in him, and he felt constantly on guard. One never knows what is lurking in the shadows.
Padme, for her part, entrusted her well being to her companion as she was barely able to support herself otherwise. She found it quite odd that fear could bring people together. At any other time she would have been arguing with Obi-Wan.
The Jedi and the politician felt very out of place here. Peacekeeping and justice were all but lost in the shadows, and certainly these tyrants did little for diplomacy. Below them was a world of mystery. Neither knew how much farther down they would have to descend, but they continued forward, not daring to glance down for fear of what they might see. They merely kept their eyes on Dooku's back. In times of uncertainty, the future can be quite frightening.
Dooku paused suddenly. "We are approaching the council chambers," he announced solemnly. "I have explained your situation, but do not expect a warm welcome by any means."
As another door hidden by rock opened in front of them, Obi-Wan tightened his grip on Padme when he felt fear rush through her. Even with his senses dimmed, fright came through loud and clear. It always seemed to be the strongest emotion of all.
As the pair awkwardly entered the room, they looked confusedly at the strangely diverse Sith council sitting before them. Obi-Wan could account for at least ten races he knew, and some were obviously from planets the Jedis did not even have on record. They spoke in incomprehensible languages with harsh undertones. Obi-Wan could sense nothing from them. It was almost as if the Force was an entirely different entity for these beings. They had found a whole other side of it and twisted it to make it unrecognizable to the rest of the universe. In this sick world of manipulation and treachery, Obi-Wan glimpsed at a feeling of foreboding.
Suddenly an alien from a race Obi-Wan did not recognize approached him and yelled in some native language. Obi-Wan thought it perhaps best not to respond and merely met the creatures' cold, angry stare with one of equal intensity. The Sith grabbed Obi-Wan by the front of his robes and threw him to the floor, consequently forcing Padme with him. Before he turned to walk irritably away, he spit at them, muttering something strictly under his breath. Obi-Wan merely caught the word "Jedi". Possibly followed by "scum".
Obi-Wan slowly helped Padme up, choosing pointedly to ignore this incident and stand tall. Dooku was in a heated argument with the assaulter and clearly winning. As Obi-Wan watched him debate, he knew the man stood strongly for what he believed in. He wondered, somewhat sadly, how the Jedi ever managed to lose such a man.
Suddenly there was a light in the darkness. However, this light provided little hope for the lost. It came from a hologram, emanating from a small projector on the table at which the council sat. Obi-Wan studied it, not understanding a word said about it from anyone else. It looked like a small moon. A small, metallic moon, that could possibly retain quite a bit of fire power.
"More fire power than anyone has ever though possible," Dooku responded with a smile to Obi-Wan's thoughts. "Enough to destroy a planet, so I hear. Do you know, all it would take is one order from a commander aboard that station, and a world of people would be completely gone, within a matter of seconds? Fascinating, isn't it?"
Obi-Wan found Dooku's sadistic smile even more disconcerting than his words. How could the Sith plan to even use such a weapon? No one, not even the Force, had that much power over life and death. In his amazement, Obi-Wan was careful to keep his thoughts free of sadness, hoping silently that Padme would do the same.
Obi-Wan was well prepared, for Dooku had been listening. "This, old friend, will not be a weapon, but the starting of a new order. A new universe, free of the republic and the senate, free to use the power given to it. Power can be such a wonderful tool in the hands of the strong. However, the weak tend to fall when faced with this strength."
He leaned in closer to Obi-Wan. "That, Kenobi, is what we intend to do. Eliminate the cowards. We play strictly by rules of instinct - survival of the fittest. A revolution is coming. You will be a part of it."
Obi-Wan remained motionless and gave no reply. He wasn't sure what kind of reply was expected to a comment like that one. Excitement? Praise? Anger? Fear? His feelings were to mixed to clearly express just one. All he knew is that he did not want to be on the wrong side of this Revolution. But he stood in a room with a great deal of that side now. This mission had disturbed him from the start, but there was no going back now. He would have to find out what the Sith were planning and somehow report it back to the Jedi Council. He felt that the Force asked the impossible of him.
"And what part of it will I be?" Obi-Wan asked meekly, eyes downcast and voice softened. He probably sounded less like a Sith then than he ever had.
Dooku's face took on an expression Obi-Wan had not seen on it for many years. Almost sympathy? Empathy? Something. Obi-Wan couldn't place it, but whatever emotion that was, it was very out of place here among nothing but hatred and corruption. Dooku put up mental barriers around them, so as not to be eavesdropped on by everyone else. "Kenobi…I know what you are feeling. But I also know you have come to the right side. You belong here. You are strong enough for us, too strong for the Jedi. We are not evil. We fight for what we believe in, just as they do. There is really very little difference."
Obi-Wan looked shocked, wanting to scream out that there was a world of difference, but fortunately restraining himself. He vaguely wondered where Dooku had retained these beliefs. At the temple, everyone was taught to see the universe in black and white. Good and evil. Nothing in between. Gray matter was an entirely new concept to him.
The barriers went down. "And as for your part," Dooku said, louder than before, allowing everyone else back into the conversation, "Well, we need a spy. And I'm sure the Jedi will be expecting you to denounce your newfound beliefs and come crawling back to them. Their arrogance will be their downfall. We need layouts, locations, battle plans. We plan one massive invasion of the Temple. You're going to stage it. Perhaps you can even bring down Yoda, old friend."
Obi-Wan felt like he was going to be sick. Padme, who had been sitting on the ground beside him for most of this time, instinctively grasped the bottom of his robes, looking up at him in alarm. He was sorry that she had to be a part of this.
Dooku continued, apparently not seeing the furtive fearful glance that passed between the two victims. "Of course, you won't go unaided. We've had someone working with us for quite a while now. Gathering information, and in fact, training to be an apprentice to our Master himself."
Obi-Wan gasped as a familiar figure appeared in the doorway. He simply looked down at Padme with an expression asking, "Why us?"
To anyone standing in the obscure caverns below, the three darkly clad figures slowly making their way down through the canyons would have looked like an odd funeral procession. Dooku kept his distance a few feet ahead, and Obi-Wan silently supported Padme, all the time closely watching his surroundings. The darkness brought about an unshakable sense of self-awareness in him, and he felt constantly on guard. One never knows what is lurking in the shadows.
Padme, for her part, entrusted her well being to her companion as she was barely able to support herself otherwise. She found it quite odd that fear could bring people together. At any other time she would have been arguing with Obi-Wan.
The Jedi and the politician felt very out of place here. Peacekeeping and justice were all but lost in the shadows, and certainly these tyrants did little for diplomacy. Below them was a world of mystery. Neither knew how much farther down they would have to descend, but they continued forward, not daring to glance down for fear of what they might see. They merely kept their eyes on Dooku's back. In times of uncertainty, the future can be quite frightening.
Dooku paused suddenly. "We are approaching the council chambers," he announced solemnly. "I have explained your situation, but do not expect a warm welcome by any means."
As another door hidden by rock opened in front of them, Obi-Wan tightened his grip on Padme when he felt fear rush through her. Even with his senses dimmed, fright came through loud and clear. It always seemed to be the strongest emotion of all.
As the pair awkwardly entered the room, they looked confusedly at the strangely diverse Sith council sitting before them. Obi-Wan could account for at least ten races he knew, and some were obviously from planets the Jedis did not even have on record. They spoke in incomprehensible languages with harsh undertones. Obi-Wan could sense nothing from them. It was almost as if the Force was an entirely different entity for these beings. They had found a whole other side of it and twisted it to make it unrecognizable to the rest of the universe. In this sick world of manipulation and treachery, Obi-Wan glimpsed at a feeling of foreboding.
Suddenly an alien from a race Obi-Wan did not recognize approached him and yelled in some native language. Obi-Wan thought it perhaps best not to respond and merely met the creatures' cold, angry stare with one of equal intensity. The Sith grabbed Obi-Wan by the front of his robes and threw him to the floor, consequently forcing Padme with him. Before he turned to walk irritably away, he spit at them, muttering something strictly under his breath. Obi-Wan merely caught the word "Jedi". Possibly followed by "scum".
Obi-Wan slowly helped Padme up, choosing pointedly to ignore this incident and stand tall. Dooku was in a heated argument with the assaulter and clearly winning. As Obi-Wan watched him debate, he knew the man stood strongly for what he believed in. He wondered, somewhat sadly, how the Jedi ever managed to lose such a man.
Suddenly there was a light in the darkness. However, this light provided little hope for the lost. It came from a hologram, emanating from a small projector on the table at which the council sat. Obi-Wan studied it, not understanding a word said about it from anyone else. It looked like a small moon. A small, metallic moon, that could possibly retain quite a bit of fire power.
"More fire power than anyone has ever though possible," Dooku responded with a smile to Obi-Wan's thoughts. "Enough to destroy a planet, so I hear. Do you know, all it would take is one order from a commander aboard that station, and a world of people would be completely gone, within a matter of seconds? Fascinating, isn't it?"
Obi-Wan found Dooku's sadistic smile even more disconcerting than his words. How could the Sith plan to even use such a weapon? No one, not even the Force, had that much power over life and death. In his amazement, Obi-Wan was careful to keep his thoughts free of sadness, hoping silently that Padme would do the same.
Obi-Wan was well prepared, for Dooku had been listening. "This, old friend, will not be a weapon, but the starting of a new order. A new universe, free of the republic and the senate, free to use the power given to it. Power can be such a wonderful tool in the hands of the strong. However, the weak tend to fall when faced with this strength."
He leaned in closer to Obi-Wan. "That, Kenobi, is what we intend to do. Eliminate the cowards. We play strictly by rules of instinct - survival of the fittest. A revolution is coming. You will be a part of it."
Obi-Wan remained motionless and gave no reply. He wasn't sure what kind of reply was expected to a comment like that one. Excitement? Praise? Anger? Fear? His feelings were to mixed to clearly express just one. All he knew is that he did not want to be on the wrong side of this Revolution. But he stood in a room with a great deal of that side now. This mission had disturbed him from the start, but there was no going back now. He would have to find out what the Sith were planning and somehow report it back to the Jedi Council. He felt that the Force asked the impossible of him.
"And what part of it will I be?" Obi-Wan asked meekly, eyes downcast and voice softened. He probably sounded less like a Sith then than he ever had.
Dooku's face took on an expression Obi-Wan had not seen on it for many years. Almost sympathy? Empathy? Something. Obi-Wan couldn't place it, but whatever emotion that was, it was very out of place here among nothing but hatred and corruption. Dooku put up mental barriers around them, so as not to be eavesdropped on by everyone else. "Kenobi…I know what you are feeling. But I also know you have come to the right side. You belong here. You are strong enough for us, too strong for the Jedi. We are not evil. We fight for what we believe in, just as they do. There is really very little difference."
Obi-Wan looked shocked, wanting to scream out that there was a world of difference, but fortunately restraining himself. He vaguely wondered where Dooku had retained these beliefs. At the temple, everyone was taught to see the universe in black and white. Good and evil. Nothing in between. Gray matter was an entirely new concept to him.
The barriers went down. "And as for your part," Dooku said, louder than before, allowing everyone else back into the conversation, "Well, we need a spy. And I'm sure the Jedi will be expecting you to denounce your newfound beliefs and come crawling back to them. Their arrogance will be their downfall. We need layouts, locations, battle plans. We plan one massive invasion of the Temple. You're going to stage it. Perhaps you can even bring down Yoda, old friend."
Obi-Wan felt like he was going to be sick. Padme, who had been sitting on the ground beside him for most of this time, instinctively grasped the bottom of his robes, looking up at him in alarm. He was sorry that she had to be a part of this.
Dooku continued, apparently not seeing the furtive fearful glance that passed between the two victims. "Of course, you won't go unaided. We've had someone working with us for quite a while now. Gathering information, and in fact, training to be an apprentice to our Master himself."
Obi-Wan gasped as a familiar figure appeared in the doorway. He simply looked down at Padme with an expression asking, "Why us?"