Author's Notes: I have met Christopher Lee! Only briefly, but I got his autograph, and spoke as best as I could (I was nervous as Hell!), but it still counts! He's so great! Was in a queue of about five hundred people to see him – and was near-er the front! ^_^ LOL
OK, so this chapter is so-so, but should be satisfactory. Sorry for the delay, but besides going to meet Christopher Lee, I have actually been very busy – broke up for the X-mas hols today, though, which is great! Merry Sithmas everyone!
WDCain: Hmm… great insight into the future, you have… ^_~ LOL. Thanks – I'm glad you enjoy my fics! Indeed, Dooku is from an aristocratic family, but that would have had little effect on his character for he would have been taken in by the Jedi corps when young. His strong will is mainly a part of his character. And you're right, he's no snob, he's just confident in his own view on this situation.
Sinister Papaya Fondue: 'Mirozan'… nice! I guess Serenn kinda does contradict his character – it's quite a serene name, isn't it?
Jedi: I made the change – I do proof read my own fics, but an author often misses their own mistakes! Glad you're enjoying the fic!
T/F Alpha: Cheers! I think Dooku is a marvellous character, and I love him! He deserves more attention than he gets!
NB: Edited 5-4-03 - Jurious
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A Test of Faith
Chapter 3
The fated dawn arrived.
The sun slowly began to peep above the horizon, claiming the tall towers of the Jedi Temple with its glorious, golden rays. Dooku and Jinn walked side-by-side, on their way to the Jedi Council chamber at the peak of the temple. Master and Apprentice said nothing to one another: Serenn stared solemnly forward, his head held high, his spirits energised, but not ecstatic, whilst Jinn walked as nobly as he could, though a combination of excitement and wariness toward his master's austerity kicked in, and made him slightly nervous.
Qui-Gon looked out of the large windows as he past them, watching the traffic zoom by, the sunlight glittering off of their metallic exteriors. He had trained hard yesterday, with his Master having insisted upon teaching him some particularly sharp defensive moves. He knew his Master was concerned about their safety upon this planet - if it was anything as bad as his research in the archives had suggested from the other day, then they weren't in for an easy ride.
The two ascended a flight of steps, and took a right corner about a large, metallic pillar, before continuing on down a hallway. A couple of other Jedi past them, one groaning from an obvious lightsabre wound down his arm. Jinn eyed the Jedi carefully - it was an unfortunate Ithorian Padawan; he'd seemingly been too confident with his sabre for his own good in his last exercise.
"Never run before you can walk," Dooku suddenly said as they continued on their way.
Jinn was startled a little by his Master's voice, and abruptly turned back to look at him. It appeared, however, as though his Master hadn't addressed him at all, for Dooku still held his head high, and continued to stare ahead - he hadn't even turned to look at him! As was the assertive nature of Master Dooku...
Qui-Gon silently nodded in response – he had been rebuked before for his overconfidence. It wasn't often Jedi did hurt themselves in sabre practises, but it did just prove how overconfidence could be an undoing.
They entered into a lift, and rose up the shaft to the higher levels of the Jedi tower; as the doors of the lift opened at the top, Jinn jumped suddenly – Allyaah was stood there waiting for them!
"What time do you call this, Master Dooku?" Jiao asked him whimsically, folding her arms.
Jinn looked up to his Master, and saw the first vague smile rise upon his face for the past 24 hours. He gave Jiao a little nod of greeting, "Master Jiao," he smiled, "I call this the right time."
Jinn smirked, looking from his Master to the other Jedi.
She shook her head back at him in a kind dismissal, "You can talk your way out of anything," she sighed, "Well, are we ready?"
"I am!" Jinn said certainly, the majority of him still raring to go.
Dooku frowned a little toward him, "Qui-Gon," he groaned with a slight warning in his tone.
"Master, I know about all the dangers, but I am ready to get off this planet!" he replied honestly.
"Agreed," Dooku nodded swiftly, "But you're not ready to be thrown into the face of certain death."
"Don't scare him, Serenn," Allyaah warned him discreetly "We've got to at least go in positive. There is still chance that things are a big misunderstanding."
"A hope amongst hopes," Dooku rejoined, one eyebrow rising in gesture.
Allyaah decided not to reply, and turned about, accompanying the two as they walked toward the Jedi Council chambers; "So, Qui-Gon," she said, "I heard your master had you researching the Colicoids the other day?"
Jinn nodded, "Yes, he did Master Jiao."
"Would you like to tell me about them?" she asked him.
Dooku remained quiet, watching how Jinn reacted to his fellow Jedi; after being under his tutelage - a tall, dark and deep-voiced male - it was possibly a nice change to be spoken to by a female Jedi, who had a slightly milder way of dealing with Padawans.
"Well," Jinn began, "The Colicoids are beetles, or Coleoptera. They are, as a standard, 2 metres tall, and communicate through use of stridulation - sounds - though they communicate through pheromones as well when still young. They travel about by rolling in general - they curl up into a ball-like shape, and roll along the ground at speeds of up to 60 miles an hour. They can rapidly unfurl from this position, and leap into attack mode, standing upon their three, sturdy legs and using their sharp-edged forearm shells for weapons.
"The Colicoids are strange amongst the sentient beings of the known universe for the simple fact that they are coleopteran - most sentient beings are mammals or amphibious. They are also, however, amongst the most deadly intelligent creatures in the galaxies, armed with a highly potent venom, which is inserted into their victim's flesh through the sharp tips of their forearm shields. Once the venom enters the bloodstream, it can be a matter of hours, or even minutes, depending upon the strength of the victim's immune system, before the victim dies. Symptoms of Colicoid poisoning include cramps, sweating and nausea, and eventually paralysis and death.
"Should the Colicoids join the Republic, however, this kind of deadly weapon has been asked to be 'removed' from them - amputated - so no longer a threat. It is not something considered an asset in a 'civilised' society, though we should respect the diversity of cultures, and consider how much these natural weapons mean to them. They are known for their wishes to remain isolationist, and, alike the Geonosis system, their society is divided by class; it is ruled by the Queen, and continues down through drones to workers."
"My goodness, Qui-Gon," Jiao smiled at him, "Did your Master make you memorise all that, too?"
"Knowledge is power," Jinn smiled, "It could save my life."
Dooku nodded to him, "True, my boy," he said, "Though knowledge isn't wisdom."
Jinn frowned, looking up to his lofty Master unsurely, "I don't understand..." he admitted.
Jiao shook her head, the statement infamous of Serenn, "He just means, Qui-Gon, that just because you know about something doesn't mean you are clever; to have knowledge is one thing, but to know how to use it to the greatest affect is the truest test of wisdom. You see?"
"I think so," Jinn dithered.
Allyaah smiled at him, "You'll learn, Qui-Gon," she said kindly, patting him on the shoulder, then looking up to Dooku with a gentle smirk. He looked back at her for a moment before he gave her a brief smile of acknowledgement in return.
They continued on until they reached the Jedi Council chamber, and entered solemnly, filing along before the Council once again. They stood in a row, Dooku to the far right, Qui-Gon centre, and Allyaah at the row's end.
There was a moment of silence – no greeting bar the barely distinguishable nods of the three entering Jedi; they were at the mercy of their peers now.
Syfo-Dias shifted in his seat, leaning toward the trio of Jedi, "Master Dooku," he said, addressing Serenn solely and immediately, "Your objective is simple: discover the fate of the late Jedi ambassadors. And remember, subtlety is the key – do not in anyway offend the Colicoids, or tread on dangerous ground."
Jinn felt a certain bitterness in Dias' tone again, picking up on its cold edge that he'd registered before, when the Council member had addressed his Master; he was even more confident that his Master and Syfo-Dias had a history now, and not a pleasant one. Glancing up to his mentor, he noticed Dooku's face go a little taut as he, in turn, registered the delicate acrimony of Dias' words, feeling almost as though the other was teasing him.
"You know, my friend, that your subordinates will suffer for your idiocy if you make a critical error this time," Syfo added sharply, slowly sitting back in his seat.
Allyaah frowned at Dias, looking briefly to Serenn then back to the Jedi Council members before her; she felt that something was unquestionably amiss, though, knowing that Serenn was often a loner, and preferred that others did not interfere with his life or affairs, knew better than to get involved.
"I understand," Dooku rejoined harshly.
Yoda felt the tension rise between the two yet again, and commanded all presences in the room with his simple, yet reverent tone; "A great responsibility you bear, Master Dooku," he said, deftly putting Dias back in his place, "But confident I am in your ability to, this mission, successfully complete. Find the answers, you will."
Syfo stared at the diminutive Jedi Master unsurely, convinced that Yoda had a certain confidence in Dooku that many others did not share; the tall human male had begun life as his fiery teenage Padawan, though, and it was almost expected.
Yoda wasn't as short-sighted as Syfo-Dias often deemed, however; he knew that Dooku had tremendous potential, but time and again, his ex-Padawan failed to use it properly; his heart often ruled his head, and got him into difficulty.
"Colla IV is not a large planet," Master Odyn announced from behind, "You will be sent to the Colla IV capital of Drykos, and you will begin your investigation from there."
Dooku's frown marginally intensified, but he remained silent. Nevertheless, his saturnine face said it all – he was troubled, and Yoda stared with a certain amount of concern at his old Padawan. Once Serenn realised that his old master's eyes were on him, he raised his line of sight to Yoda, returning the stare.
"Something else to say, have you, Master Dooku?" Yoda queried.
Allyaah looked across to Serenn again, reading his emotive eyes like a book; she looked between him and Yoda slowly, seeing a trace of the old master-apprentice bond still looming. Many masters and Padawans maintained their bonds long after training was complete, though Dooku had never struck her as being one of that nature.
Dooku sighed inaudibly, staring at one of the patterns on the floor for a second, before returning his glance to the Council, "If I may, my masters," he began hoarsely, "I wish to again emphasise that I feel that negotiation – or rather attempted negotiation – with the Colicoids is not the answer to this problem. They have consistently given us the message over the years, as death after death has resulted from our interference, that we are not welcome there. I don't see what progression we are making with this matter if we constantly utilise the same tactic! They long ago closed their ears to us."
The Jedi Council looked to one another, Dooku's open opinion typically controversial. Naturally, it was Dias that retorted first; "Master Dooku, you have already stated this 'opinion' of yours to the Council – we have overruled your close-minded claims and believe in a little something called perseverance. This matter must be dealt with now, before it is too late!"
Serenn glared unwaveringly at Dias, and quietly stated, "It already is too late."
Syfo glowered at him in return, sitting back in his chair once again – he found Dooku's defiance and obstinacy exasperating.
Jinn shifted his weight from one leg to the other, beginning to feel vulnerable – he and Allyaah hadn't even been acknowledged yet by the Council, but he guessed that was just the way they operated; his master was the one in charge.
"Master Dooku," Limaya, the Zabrak, said calmly, "You were selected for this mission on account of your skills with words and with negotiation. We understand your concerns, but ask you now to do as the Council bids – you are a Jedi, and as a Jedi you act as part of a team. None of us works alone. Be mindful of how you treat the Colicoids, and remember, as Master Syfo-Dias has rightly pointed out, subtlety is the key. I am as confident as Master Yoda that you will be successful in your mission."
Dooku nodded, aware of the true futility of his resistance; he was notorious for his oozing charisma, and persuasive banter, but the Colicoids didn't even appreciate talk – and who knows if charisma had even been discovered yet on their world! Placing him against the Colicoids was like asking someone to put out a fire by throwing wood on it.
"You have your Padawan with you, and have also judiciously selected Master Allyaah for aid. Together, I'm confident that you will do well," Dias added half-heartedly, fed up with dealing with his rival.
"Yes, my master," Serenn nodded deprecatingly.
"Allow not your emotions to rule you," Yoda reminded all three cryptically, pointing to each one stood before him, as though he was aware of some future threat befitting them all, "Clear your minds must be."
The three looked to one another, caught off guard by the request, then all in turn acknowledged Master Yoda's advice with gentle nods, Jinn the most bewildered of the three.
Yoda nodded slowly in return; "Then your departure take… and May the Force be with you."
To be continued…