And for the first time since his arrival to the past, Dooku felt the cruel sensation of fear towards the approaching hooded figure.

It was as though the entire room darkened, the light from the stained glass behind the Count not enough to penetrate the cold blackness enamating from the uninvited Sith. Immediately Dooku's right hand brushed over the hilt of his lightsaber, hidden within the cape, for justified precaution. But even so, the Sith Lord advanced, clearly undeterred.

But instead of displaying fear, Dooku held on his mask of composure and civilty, frowning at the hooded figure, "You are not welcome here, Sith."

At that blunt address, the figure paused, as though not expecting that kind of welcome. Dooku refrained from smirking at keeping Sidious offguard, albeit temporarily. No, he will not fall for this man's machinations once again.

"Not quite the welcoming I expected." The Sith Lord rasped, his cold voice echoing the chamber with an air of significance, "From one who shares a common goal."

Unlikely.

Dooku responded calmly, his cloaked hand twitching over the curved hilt, "If you have come to seek an alliance, know that I am not so foolish as to listen to your false sympathies." Not anymore. "If you want to continue living, then I'd recommend you leave immediately, Sith, before some acqauintences of mine arrive."

It would be beneficial to have Sifo-Dyas and Ky Narec by his side before engaging Sidious. Dooku couldn't just charge recklessly at his opponent. Komari was in the medical wing being treated, Ventress would stand no chance against the manipulative Dark Lord, and Jango was on Slave I, awaiting his next assignment.

Slowly stepping down, brown eyes locking on the hooded yellow orbs, conviction versus deceit. Sidious hardly seemed threatened by the evident warning, "You are mistaken, my friend, for we do in fact share something in common; our concerns and interests for the galaxy at large. The rotten Republic and its failing Jedi Order, leeching away at the innocents and storming the worlds with their pathetic ideals and corruption. I know you, Count Dooku, just as you know me."

Any moment now...

"The dark side is strong in you." Sidious continued, voice cackling curisoity and glee, "It holds you as one of its own. Tell me... Was it always there... Or did you recieve some help in using its power...?"

Dooku briefly tensed, brown eyes narrowing further.

And that confirmed the Sith's suspicions enough, Sidious always noticing subtle movements in others, "I can teach you much more." The Dark Lord then said slyly, advancing much further now towards the Serennian. "Imagine, how much power can be granted to you; aiding you in ridding the sickening Republic, and all who oppose you. Let us work together, Dooku, and we can build a brighter future for the galaxy."

There was sincerity, but Dooku knew it to be a fabrication. Nothing this man said could convince him now. Treachery was the way of the Sith, and Dooku was only reminded of that crucial lesosn much too late.

If only Obi-Wan had joined him...

Qui-Gon!

Remembering one of the few he was doing this for, Dooku stood tall and proud, the darkness within him pouring out inw aves, clashing against the blacker hues of his enemy in a sea of power. Those yellow orbs, the only visible feature benetah the hood save for the aged mouth and chin, narrowed at the display of power.

"I will not enslave myself to the likes of you." Dooku began, hidden hand de-clipping the hilt from his belt, ready to strike. "Nor will I submit myself to the false promises of the dark side. It is mine to command, not the other way around. Not only will I save the galaxy from the senate's corruption, but the Force from your existence. Be gone, Darth Sidious, while I am briefly considering this act of mercy."

Silence.

Those sickly eyes narrowed at the knowledge towards his own name, his title of power, before Sidious mused softly, "So, Plagueis wasn't as predictable as I thought." Plagueis? Dooku frowned heavily, but kept his stance firm. The Sith Lord then sighed, as though in regret, "So be it."

It took Dooku a split-second to react; red meeting red as the elder Sith immediatley blocked at the vertical strike, as quick as lightning. Forced to step back. the already-struggling Count met the red-illuminated face of the grinning Chancellor Palpatine.

"I can't have another rival challenging my rule."

Followed by more blocked assults, Dooku having only a margin of time to successfuly deflect the impossibly-fast attacks and Force Pushing the Sith away. Hurled back, Sidious landed on the floor without fault, a second hilt slipping from his cloaked sleeve. Two lightsaber blades, glowing blood and promising death, waited eagerly in their master's hands.

Dooku, however, wasn't deterred, and a voice sounding suspiciously like Qui-Gon's own was tleling him to trust in the Force, prompting a small smile. Typical, now that that man was alive once more, there will porbably be more speeches towards the Count about trusting and believing in the Living Force.

But even so, the fact that Qui-Gon lives, and will train Skywalker to become a better Jedi than the sloppy mess Kenobi produced, incited a sensation Dooku had never turly felt before purely. An emotion so strong that he had only marginally sensed since becoming a Sith Lord, with the promises to save the galaxy, and when his firtst student was knighted decades ago. It pushed away the darkness, only briefly, and pledged itself to help Dooku survive this fight.

Hope.

With the Makashi Salute, Dooku charged into the battle, and his snarling opponent following.

Having never sparred with Sidious before in the other timeline, Dooku wasn't quite sure what to anticipate. But even so, he didn't lower your guard in the slightest, engaging in this twsited dance with the other Sith Lord. Sidious' moves were blurry, as fast as lightning, swinging and maunevearing masterfully. It was as if he expected every move Dooku would make, effortlessly deflecting and derailing while attempting to counterattack, barely giving the man room to breathe.

But even so, Dooku pushed on. This manipulative scum wouldn't kill him, and the aged Sith refused to die once more at the hands of Sidious' machinations. Red blades danced and parried, Makashi against what appears to be a mixture of the classic form along with Juyo, which would make sense in this man's case.

Dabbler in all, master of none.

Despite his foe's usage of Jar'Kai, and that Makashi wasn't well aimed to blocking multiple assaults at once, Dooku wasn't deterred in the slightest, having not only mastered but improved the faults over the dueling lightsaber form. Any advantage Sidious had hoped to take would be squashed in a millisecond, forced to step back to the classic strike and parry, even if his body twirled all over the place, his red blades spinning menacingly, slicing up the floor, rug and many landing supports as the duel took all over the place.

Sidious may be a master of darkness, but Tyranus was the master of the blade.

A jab here, defence there, light twirls of the lightsaber combined with a few feints, yet Sidious continued blocking every move Makashi had at its arsenal, clearly knowing much more of Dooku's techniques than he let on. Of course. As feral and deadly as Maul's style had been.

Except this time, Sidious wasn't sloppy.

Beads of sweat were already falling down Dooku's resolved face, his aged body beginning to grow weary at the relentlessness of his opponent. Even seven years before the Clone Wars, he wasn't in his prime. And Sidious knew this, judging from the sickening grin spreading on his hooded face as he advanced, now beginning to take the lead of this dance.

It didn't help that the darkness was practically suffocating him. Dooku couldn't inhale properly, exhaling sharply as he focused with all his might on the duel at hand. Not even Master Yoda pushed him to such limits, nor that Skywalker brat. Small seeds of fear were now planting themselves in the Count's mind, and for once, he briefly wondered if he might possibly lose, even when given a second chance.

He'd fail everyone. The galaxy at large. His Padawan...

Then a familiar voice, as gentle and stern, wisphere din his fatigued mind: Focus on the here and now, father.

Tch. Even when not here, his old Padawan still had a sentimental effect on the aged Sith Lord.

But even so, Dooku felt his adrenline rush, a sense of resolve flowing over his tired state, the Force aiding his exhuasted limbs as he fought back against the hooded enemy, his lightsaber more vicious and eager than before. Sidious, obviously taken aback by the new assaults, was temporarily forced back, blocking the jabbing and twirling blade and seemingly considering his options.

Well, too little too late. Dooku gave him the oppoturnity to live moments ago, and he wasn't about to take back his word now, now that the manipulative man wa sin his grasp.

The viper snapped at the snake.

And, with mixtures of light and darkness empowering him, Dooku, at last, managed to disarm his stunned foe with one of his hands, forcing Sidious to leap backwards. Yellow eyes glared at the lightsaber pointing towards his chest, and Dooku allowed himself a smug smile. Some satisfaction had to be taken when managed to disarm one of a Sith Lord's blades.

"I gave you the chance to leave, now I shall give you another option." Dooku said, spinning his lightsaber once. "Painless, or suffering?"

Sidious snarled maliciously, evidently not intimidated, "As if you would gain the chance."

Without looking over the Sith, the Count of Serenno's smile grew, sensing the other's presences now, the heat of their duel distracting him from other Force user signatures. "Either I or them. I'd suggest you select carefully."

Followed by further sounds of activated lightsaber blades, and Sidious glanced over his shoudler cautiously. Master Sifo-Dyas and Master Ky Narec, with blue and green illuminating their grim stony features, aimed their weapons towards the more dangerous Sith Lord, ready to fight against the threat which plagued the Republic, their order and the entire galaxy.

"Stay back Asajj." Ah yes, Ky's apprentice obviously followed them here, having sensed the darkness too. The Dathomirian nodded dumbly to her mentor's orders, regarding the hooded Sith with apprehension and fear.

"Surrender, Sith." Sifo-Dyas then commanded, his wepaon pinting towards the back neck of Sidious. "Lay down your weapon, and we shall bring you to justice."

Though to Dooku, their ideas of "justice" might just be different.

"What took you so long, old friend?"

Despite his focused expression, Sifo-Dyas responded with dry humour, "As if I would let you face this monster alone."

Sidious, meanwhile, regarded all his opponents carefully, as though considering his options; whether to attack or flee. Or both. Dooku raised his blade cautiously, and the Jedi followed his movements. Three masters, one of dark and two of light, opposing the greatest threat of all. Surely even Sidious wouldn't be foolish enough to try and-

"Look out!" His old friend suddenly called, and Dooku barely had time to react at the spinning lightsaber, the one he wrenched from the Sith's grasp earlier, hurled his way through the Force.

Delfecting it came with a cost, as Dooku then experienced pain, forcing him to hiss sharply and step back, free hand clutching the burned wound and other deactivating his lightsaber out of shock, giving Sidious the oppotunity he needed. The Sith Lord leapt over the wounded Count, and Dooku could react little in time as Sidious then threw himself out the stained window, falling ot the wilderness below. As Ky Narec immediately rushed towards the now broken piece of art, Dooku felt a strong hand of comfort on the safe side of his shoulders.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded slowly. The pain wasn't quite as intense as the time he lost his hands to that brat. Facin the concerned Sifo-Dyas, he replied while swallowing, "It'll take more than a mere shoulder wound to stop me." Before noticing the Dathomirian standing a few feet away, regarding him with curiosity and wariness, and Dooku felt the urge to look away, as the memories of Ventress' charred corpse rose in his mind at the sight of the much younger Nightsister before him.

"Dooku?" Sifo-Dyas evidenly picked up on his guilt, and Dooku quickly recomposed himself. Before the sounds of footsteps incited them to face the approaching Jedi, who had deactivated his blade was now appraising Dooku, his arms folded.

A few seconds of silence passed, hard stares meeting one another. It had been a long time since Dooku had interacted with Narec, passing by and greeting him with either a nod or vocally in the tmeple years ago, long before he seemingly disappeared during an envoy mission. But the Count knew this Jedi Master enough to know when he was being scrutinized by the obviously wary man.

"Master Sifo-Dyas was right, the dark side is strong in you." Though the voice expressed observation, the stern eyes clearly reflected suspicion. Dooku didn't reply, refusing to yield to this man's silent intimidation tactics, yet wincing slightly at the burning pain on his right shoulder. "I was told you wish to save the galaxy from the plight that is the Sith."

Dooku nodded, at least, at the statement.

And Narec returned the gesture. "Even though you have fallen, there's a tendril of light I sense in you." Dooku frowned at the absurd notion, but the Jedi then fixed his gaze on the other Master. "You completely trust this man?"

"With my life." Sifo-Dyas replied without hesitation, and despite the pain, Dooku felt a urge of pride and... Flattery at the loyalty of his old friend. Despite what he'd done with Sifo-Dyas in the other timeline, the man here trusted the Sith he grew up with.

A pause, Narec clearly thougthful for a brief moment before finally nodding, as though making a decision. "I suppose I must repay my gratitude when you sent Master Sifo-Dyas to aid me on Rattatak, Master- Count Dooku. But I shall like to know exactly who I'm working with before agreeing to aid you in your plans." That said, he gestured to the wound. "Escort him to the medical bay. If we hurry, my apprentice and I can catch up to the Sith before he leaves Serenno."

The fallen Huk barely had time to react. Its progress of getting back up on its feet was interrupted by the foot pushing down its throat, its bulged eyes glaring upwards before the attacker twisted its neck in a fatal manner.

Without bother checking if the deed is done - as it clearly was - the lead Kaleesh yelled to his waiting brethren, all standing proudly behind him, "This will be the day the Huk shall realize the pain and suffering they have caused us! Iis time we wipe them from the face of Kalee! Onwards!"

Followed by roars of approval, the army advanced past their leader,into the fray of Huk waiting to meet them head-on, while some hid behind their blasters. Cowards, as usual. Qymaen sneered.

For too long have their world invaded by those contemtible Huk, and now was the time to liberate it, and then the Kallesh have their rertibution by taking over their enemy's world, just to see how THEY like it. No more will they be opprossed by those who deem themselves better. No more will the Huk think to invade Kalee once again. Every single one of those cowards will die at the hands of the Kaleesh, as is appropriate.

And Qymaen Jai Sheelal will lead the fray to victory.

Hm...?

The Kaleesh couldn't help but bark a laugh at the approaching for, clutching his bleeding chest and pointing a small blaster towards the warlord. So, a Huk managed to escape death and thought itself capable of destroying him? Qymaen shall have to rectify that.

But the gods, it seems, have other plans.

Like hellfire from above, the now screaming Huk fell from the blaster onslaught flying onto him, in clear agony before death finally claimed its miserable soul. Eyes lingere don the smoking corpse, before Qymaen curiously looked up. Odd, he didn't recall support from the mountains.

Which he was correct, as the sight that greeted was one the warlord hadn't expected.

Coated in silver, hovering above using some sort of machinery, was a man weilding two tiny blasters, meeting Qymaen's gaze behind the clean helmet. And just looking at the armour, the warlord could tell this flying man before him was some sort of warrior, descending before the Kaleesh at a fair distance. A stare-off commenced.

"My thanks, stranger." Qymaen began calmly, observing the silver armour with interest, "You are clearly not with the Huk. Are you an enemy of theirs?"

"I'm an enemy of many." The stranger replied, obviously male, behind the helmet, "I have been tasked with recruting your services, Qymaen Jal Sheelal."

At his intentions, the warlord sneered, "You think me some kind of mecenary? Out of my way, fool, before you join the trail of bodies I shall leave behind."

Yet the man didn't budge, which both infuriated and intrigued the Kaleesh. Was this man ignorant, or had a death wish? "I have come to offe rmy assistenc ein liberating your homeworld, in exchange for your loyalty to my employer. He is completley capable of making sure the Huk never invade Kalee again."

At this claim, Qymaen raised a brow, some small part of him urging to ignore this man and join his breathren in the bloodshed. Yet the oppotunity wasn't soemthing Qymaen could ignore, "Could this 'employer' also provide the means for us to conquer the Huk's world?"

"That depends on your answer."

Ah... So the gods had favoured him after all.

"Which will depend on your skills." That said, Qymaen raised his rifle triumphantly, his tone rising, "Join us in battle then, if you are truly a warrior! SHow me you are worth someone allying with, and I will consider your employer's offer."

The silver man nodded, riasing his own blasters before turning around to fight in the battlefield. And together, both Kaleesh and Mandalorian joined the battle, the screams of agony and the crise of blood spilt from the pitiful Huk's corpses echoed across the plains. Death and decay rotted against the invading race, and not a single one of these creatures were spared form the Kaleesh's wrath.

Music to Qymaen's ears.