Happy New Year!

Oh, right. I've also been MIA for the past 3 months without warning. I'll explain that later. For now, enjoy the chapter!

The next few days passed by in a blur. The Headmaster of the Academy had been very understanding of Count Dooku's situation. While the Force user concealed the fact that he came from another planet, he was still a stranded noble in another land, betrayed by his comrades and left with nothing to his name. Headmaster Osmond had offered to send him to the capital, where he would have an opportunity to enlist his services to the Crown Princess so he could regain a semblance of his station, but Dooku had politely refused the offer.

"I was a politician and a warrior for many years, but I have no allies here, I can barely use my hands, and I am far in my years," Dooku had said. "There is no point in recreating the life I once lived. If I were to offer my services somewhere, there is a promising young noble here who deserves it the most."

Understanding the man's feelings, Osmond had been gracious enough to let Dooku stay as a distinguished guest at the Academy. He would have access to all of the academy's facilities, and a room in the Wind Tower had been prepared for him once he was back on his feet. Once the count had recovered enough strength, he finally took his first steps outside.

To walk outdoors freely was a liberating feeling, but Dooku still felt unsettled. There was a trembling to his limbs. The doctors, or whatever they had called themselves, theorized that he was having muscle spasms due to the trauma of his injury. Dooku knew it was more than that. His body had once flourished with the light side of the Force before he had switched to the dark side. Now, neither side was in full control. His soul was torn, and his body's current state was a reflection of that. While he could still feel the Force, his connection to it was weaker now than it had been at any prior point in his life. Was this how his former friend Lorian had felt when he had been cast from the Jedi order? Unable to properly connect with the Force? Would he too, never be able to reconnect?

"Count Dooku?"

The count paused his musings to turn and greet the person who addressed him. "Miss Louise, a fine day, isn't it?"

"It is indeed," Louise said politely.

Dooku could see the girl practically vibrating in place, eyes burning with desire. "Do you need something from me?" he asked pointedly, but not unkindly.

The girl blushed at being called out, but answered promptly in reply, "I wanted to know what your plans were."

"Oh?"

"I heard that the Headmaster offered you a chance to speak with the Princess, but you turned him down."

"And you wish to know why I did that, and what I plan to do instead?" Dooku asked.

"If I may be so bold," the girl said politely.

"Bold, you are," Dooku agreed, causing Louise to flush yet again. "Asking about the personal matters of a noble is a breach of social etiquette. In most circumstances, that is."

Louise looked confused at his change of tone.

"However, you are asking not in a play for power or a probe for weakness, as most nobles in your position would," Dooku continued. "You are curious and forthright. Never be ashamed of that. Those who do not ask questions will never receive answers. And as for your question, I informed the headmaster that my talents were best applied elsewhere."

"B-but Princess Henrietta is the crown princess!" Louise exclaimed.

A crown princess of a tiny country on a backwater planet would be more accurate—Dooku had seen the limited map of the world and noted that they hadn't even properly explored the entire continent—but the count doubted Louise would appreciate the disparaging words against her country and its upcoming ruler. Instead, he replied with, "I have no interest in returning to that life. It is a task for the younger generation. Your generation. You will be the one to stand at the Princess's side, if you so desire."

"It is my dream to be of service to her highness!" Louise declared excitedly. But then her eyes clouded, and her body slumped. "I have a long way to go to make that dream a reality."

"Have you given up before you even started?"

"No!" Louise insisted with startling volume. "It's just… you know that my magic doesn't work properly."

"So you have said," Dooku replied. During his time in the infirmary, he had learned that the society of the continent was a magocracy, which explained the surprisingly high quality of life despite the lack of technology. "However, I question what your people consider 'proper' magic. Creating explosions on command is a talent many would like to have."

"But my spells aren't supposed to explode. They're failures…"

"Consistent results are not failures, even if they are not what you intend," Dooku rebutted. "Rather than dismiss your results because they are unfavorable, you should examine them further." Dooku raised forward his hand and slowly started clenching it, feeling traces of the force Flow through the air. "Discover the power you have inside of you, and dominate it." He slammed his fist shut, letting the Force release in a small wave that blew his and Louise's robes and hair.

"How did you do that?" Louise asked in shock. "Did you cast a wind spell without a wand?"

"Don't look so surprised, that was only a basic use of the Force," Dooku said. "Soon, you will be able to do so much more than that."

"But… how?"

"First, by harnessing the power you already have. Show me your magic," Dooku instructed.

Louise pulled out her wand, but looked hesitant. "It's nothing impressive," she warned.

"I will be the judge of that."

The young mage still looked reluctant, but she followed through. She pointed her wand into the empty courtyard and chanted, "Gust."

Boom!

A small explosion formed a few feet away from the tip of her wand, leaving behind a thin screen of ashy smoke that quickly dissipated in the wind.

"Hmm… indeed, that was unimpressive."

Louise hung her head.

"Especially since I can recall there being a much stronger effect when you summoned me," Dooku continued. His words caused Louise to perk up her head in his direction. "What was the difference between then and now?"

"Well, I was attempting to summon a familiar using the Founder's ritual when I summoned you by mistake," Louise said. "This time, I was trying a basic wind spell."

"I'm assuming that the ritual is much more powerful than a basic spell, correct?"

"Very much so."

"Then cast a spell equivalent to the summoning ritual."

Louise stared at him, an incredulous expression on her face. "The Familiar Summoning Ritual was created by the Founder with Void Magic, which only he could use," she explained. "There's no spell that compares to the Founder's magic! Let alone a spell I can use!"

While Dooku was dubious of Louise's blatant reverence of the Founder, he couldn't deny that the summoning was on an entirely different tier of power compared to standard magic and Force techniques. "Very well then. Cast the most powerful spell you know."

"But all my knowledge is theoretical—"

"Louise," Dooku interrupted. "Do you wish to gain power, or not?"

"I—" Louise swallowed and nodded. "I can try."

"Do, or do not. There is no try." It was a saying from Yoda, his former Jedi master, and it was something Dooku kept with him despite the wayward path he took in life. [RS1] Dooku didn't go as far as yelling, but his voice rang out strong. "Giving something a try gives an excuse for failure. Don't act half-heartedly! Seize that power within you. Make it yours. The only limits are the ones you place on yourself!"

The words struck Louise hard. She nodded slowly, her eyes shining with a new sense of confidence. "Yes, sir!" She pointed her wand forward and closed her eyes.

Dooku watched her, letting an ironic smile slip through his stern visage. As a Padawan, many times he had been told by his teachers that his pride would be his undoing. Indeed, his pride had caused a great deal of trouble over the course of his life. And yet, here he was, training one individual who had all the reason in the world to be proud, and instead she was plagued with doubts of her own adequacy.

Louise delved deep within her. She drew out the depths of her Willpower, trying to replicate the same feeling she had during her summoning of Dooku. Power, unbridled power, surged from her core. She let it travel through her body as she pictured the most powerful spell she had ever witnessed.

Then, she spoke.

"Heavy Wind!"

CRACK!

BOOM!

"I most deeply and humbly apologize!"

Dooku could picture the Jedi Council drooling and fighting to have Louise as a padawan. Noble and strong-willed, yet extremely differential to authority. The perfect balance of a reliable independent agent and a loyally serving pawn. Too bad for them. They would never get their corrupt hands on her. And if he had his way, she would rise to be beyond anyone's ability to control. "Raise your head, young Louise," he said. "You have no reason to blame yourself for this."

"I blew you up and now you're in the infirmary. Again."

True, he had been enjoying his brief moment of freedom before being confined to a bed, but perhaps that was what the Force willed. When Dooku had felt how much power Louise had managed to put into the explosion, he had instinctively summoned the most powerful barrier he could muster to shield them both from the impact. However, it had been ripped apart as easily as wet paper. The blast had thrown him hard onto his back. Louise, despite being closer to the blast radius, had only had her clothes damaged. It was rather he was weaker than a girl on the cusp on womanhood, which spoke more to her strength than his weakness, or, more likely, she had subconsciously used the Force to fend off the worst of the explosion.

Regardless, being stuck in the infirmary again was only a minor inconvenience. It was Louise's current attitude that was troubling him. Her head was still bowed as her fists were clenched on the hem of her freshly replaced skirt.

"An apprentice's faults fall on their master, especially when their actions are the result of a direct order."

Louise slightly raised her head. "Apprentice?" she echoed.

"Of course," Dooku stated matter-of-factly. "No one else on this planet seems to recognize the power you wield. Naturally, I take full responsibility in awakening the potential within you. It would be a waste of talent otherwise." He gave a hard look. "Are you saying that you don't wish to learn what you are truly capable of?"

"I do!" Louise insisted. "It's just… Tristan has the highest quality mages in all of Halkegenia, and no one else has been able to help me with my magic studies."

"Well then, it's a good thing I'm not from Halkegenia," Dooku responded. "I have traveled to places far beyond what you could imagine. Every apprentice I have taken under my wing has never failed to realize their potential. Let me assure you, young Louise." He leaned forward, resisting the pain in his back as he did so. "You can be so much more than anyone else in this academy. But to get there, you must cast aside the barriers in your mind. Just as you did early today. Let the Force be one with you."

"The Force? You mean Willpower?

The count harrumphed. "What a gross oversimplification. The Force is not just the power within you that you use for your magic. It is the essence of the universe itself!" Dooku could tell by the blank expression on Louise's face that he was losing her. He decided to keep the explanation simple. "It is a power few can harness properly. You, Miss Louise, are one of those few."

Louise looked skeptical. "How can you tell?"

"I have spent years developing my connection to the Force," Dooku replied. "Even as a mere apprentice, I was at the top of my class. In time, my power became unmatched by all but the most elite Force wielders." Dooku stretched out his hand, feeling the faint whispers of the Force flee his fingers. "My control has waned, but I can still sense it all the same."

Dooku lowered his arm and looked at Louise. "That is why I know you have this power. And I will train you in how to use it. That is, if you are willing to learn." Even while sitting down, his presence towered over Louise, filling the girl with awe as he gave her the option, "Do you wish to be my apprentice?"

Louise stood quietly for several moments. A pensive expression rested on her face. Dooku could see the gears of her mind turning behind her eyes. At first there was skepticism, which gradually shifted to relief, then desire, and lastly, conviction. Finally, she bowed her head towards him and gave her response.

"I would be honored to be your apprentice, Count Dooku de Serenno. Please, teach me everything you know."

Dooku took a deep breath of the outdoors to celebrate his second release from the infirmary. It felt good to be on his feet again. This time, however, he noticed that his departure had attracted a small crowd of onlookers. Judging from their ages and the robes they wore, he deduced that most of them were from Louise's class.

"Yes?" he asked them. "What do you want?"

The crowd took a collective step back at his words. He hadn't been trying to intimidate them, but he supposed that they could sense his superiority.

One from the crowd, a tall, redhead young lady, had the courage to speak up. "We heard the Zero exploded you again."

"The Zero?" the count echoed. His face hardened as he remembered who the unflattering nickname referred to.

"Kirche the Ardent," the redhead replied. She puffed out her chest with pride, bringing attention to how the top part her blouse was left unbuttoned, revealing a very deep valley view.

Dooku looked thoroughly unimpressed. He had seen many cultures where exposed skin was perfectly normal, but that clearly wasn't the case here. The girl was purposefully flaunting her body. It was only a matter of whether or not it was for him specifically, but regardless, it cast a poor light on her first impression.

"What business do you have with me?" Count Dooku asked.

"We were curious why you were staying in the academy instead of transferring to the castle," Kirche began. The students behind her nodded their heads in agreement.

Dooku refrained from sighing in exasperation. Did everyone and their mothers want to pry into his personal matters?

"Then we heard a little rumor from Little Louise that you took her as an apprentice due to her potential," Kirche continued.

"Make your point," Dooku demanded.

"Why train the Zero?" Kirche asked plainly. "She's got a fighting spirit, I'll give her that, but she's hopeless when it comes to magic. Her only spell that did anything more than blow up summoned you instead of a familiar. She's not worth the effort."

"Is that what you think?" Dooku asked in a measured tone, refined from years of practice of dealing with egotistically ballooned buffoons with more blueblood than brains.

"She's right."

"The Zero is a failure."

"You're wasting your time on her."

"She can't do magic."

"I see," Dooku said to the crowd calmly. He turned his attention back to Kirche. "Your moniker was 'The Ardent', correct?"

"Indeed!" Kirche replied proudly.

"Hmph. 'The Fool' is a more apt title," the count remarked.

Kirche looked taken aback. "I'm a triangle class fire mage!"

"You also have the audacity to insult my apprentice to my face," Dooku continued in the same even, dignified tone. "Have you no shame? No sense of propriety?"

"Sir, we're not insulting her," one of the students—a blonde boy who also seemed to have forgotten what buttons were for—interjected. "Louise can't cast spells. Everyone knows this."

"Then everyone on this backwater planet is a fool," Dooku declared. His volume did not rise a single iota, but everyone could feel the rage that laced his voice. "You can use magic, yet you have no greater connection to the Force. You are willfully ignorant to the power that lies before you." He leered over them in disgust. "Louise de la Valliere has more potential than the lot of you put together. To think that you cretins dare venture to dictate the hierarchy. Even Jedi children have more sense than you."

"But we—"

"Enough!" Dooku cut off Kirche, this time raising his voice to do so. "I have heard enough of your foolishness. Leave me in peace, and that goes for my apprentice as well. I do not want her growth to be stunted by your blathering."

"Stunt her growth?" the blond boy questioned. "She's always been that short."

Dooku glared at the boy, unable to determine if he was being clever, or truly was that stupid. "Leave."

The students did so, scattering to the four winds like field mice to a cat. Two lingered longer than the others: the redhead and a petite bluenette girl who stood by her side. They both gave him evaluating looks as they left. He could only assume that his words had actually managed to pierce their thick skulls.

The count's attention turned to a familiar sense of the Force coming the stone hallways that connected the outer towers to the central one. Louise peeked her head out from one of the stone arches, watching as the other students retreated.

"I must be losing my touch," Dooku remarked. "Until those buffoons left, I couldn't even tell you were there."

Louise approached him silently, still half-turned to where her classmates were filtering into the main tower. "Did you… really mean what you said to them?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you need to ask?" he responded rhetorically. "Those fools were delusional and ill-mannered. It's about time someone put them in their place."

Louise said nothing, but slowly, a satisfied smile slid onto her face.

A pebble sat on a flimsy wooden stand.

"Levitate!"

BOOM!

Now there was no pebble, only a splintered bar of wood flying across the grass.

"Levitate!"

BOOM!

An identical set up, just mere feet to the right from the former, met the same treatment.

"Levitate!"

BOOM!

"Levitate!"

BOOM!

"Levitate!"

BOOM!

"Levi—" Louise canceled the spell when she realized that there were no targets left in the row. She instead took a moment to gaze at the dozen or so blackened stakes of wood that were flung about the courtyard.

"You're making progress," Dooku remarked as he surveyed the destruction from the comfort of his padded garden chair. All the damage was above ground level, which meant repairs would be done much quicker.

"I'm not," Louise replied in frustration. "Everything still explodes!"

"A controlled explosion is an improvement nevertheless," Dooku stated.

"It's not enough."

"Louise."

The girl stilled. Dooku didn't raise his voice, but he didn't have to for a chill to run down her back. His presence reminded Louise of her mother at times. Cold and commanding.

"Sit. Rest," he motioned to the chair beside him. "We'll have the servants clear the field while you recover."

Louise obediently sat down as Dooku waved over a few of the servants were on standby outside of the testing range. Still, the girl fidgeted at the end of her seat, rolling her wand in her fingers.

"I could do more targets," she said.

"If you wanted to burn yourself out within an hour, yes," Dooku responded drily. "The country wasn't built in a day."

"But I'm running out of time."

The count raised an eyebrow. "I was under the impression that you had almost two years before graduation."

"I am," Louise confirmed. "But… the Familiar Exhibition is coming up."

Dooku waited for her to explain further. When she continued to gaze out into the horizon, he asked, "And what event would that be?"

"Oh!" Louise blushed. "Of course, I hadn't mentioned it before, had I? Every year, the second-year students have an event to show off their newly summoned familiar. Since I summoned you instead of a familiar, I was hoping to show off some magic I've learned instead."

"Why bother?" Dooku asked. "You have nothing to prove to them."

"Well… since I technically failed the exam, my status as a mage is tentative," Louise revealed. "Everyone from my year is expected to attend. If I don't have something to show, my nobility might be put into question."

"Petty politics," Dooku grumbled. "Exactly what I did not want to involve myself in." He sighed. "Regardless, your family status should hold at least until your graduation. So there's no need to worry about a silly contest."

"The princess will also be attending."

That provided a spark of interest for Dooku. "Oh?"

"The princess and I… have a history," Louise said softly. "It's been years since we've met face to face. When I heard that she was going to visit this year, I was ecstatic. Then I realized that I had nothing to show her. For all the years I wanted to prove myself worthy of serving her, but now that she's coming, I still have no accomplishments to my name. Aside from summoning you, of course," she added.

"I see." Dooku carefully considered his next words. "Tell me, Louise, when you think of the Princess, what do you feel?"

"Happy. Eager to serve," Louise responded without hesitation.

"And how do you feel about magic?"

This response came slower. "Frustrated," she admitted. "I want to do it, but there's always something wrong. I need to get it. I will get it."

"There's anger, isn't there?" Dooku said knowingly. "You feel entitled to its power, but it eludes you."

Louise frowned. "That makes me sound arrogant and childish."

"Maybe so, but can you say that I am wrong?"

The girl shook her head, blushing slightly in embarrassment.

"You remember what I've said about the dark and light sides of the Force?"

"Darkness feeds off anger, fear, and greed," Louise recited. "Light flows from calmness, peace, and tranquility. Neither is right or wrong, but going fully in either direction will destroy you, as will shifting between them. Balance is needed."

"And where does your balance stand right now?" Dooku asked.

"I feel… angry. More than usual," Louise admitted hesitantly. "Does—does this mean I'm losing myself to the dark side?"

Dooku chuckled in the face of apprentice's despair. "If you were losing yourself, we would not be having this conversation right now," he replied, which did little to assuage her fears. "Your connection to the Force is growing, and you lean more toward the dark side because it suits you better. You desire power, fear being without it, and hate those who look down on you."

"So what do I do?" Louise asked.

Dooku leaned forward in his chair. "Find the part of you that leans towards the light side of the Force," he said. "Embrace that part of you. Make it an equal partner to the negative emotions bottled inside of you."

"What if I can't?" Louise whispered. "What if I never learn how to use the Force? Or I lose control of myself?"

"That will not happen."

"But—"

"It. Will. Not. Happen," Dooku emphasized. "I have walked both roads and found the monsters that lie in wait at the ends of each. I will not have my final apprentice lose herself while under my tutelage."

Louise was taken aback. "Final apprentice?" she echoed.

The count sighed wearily. "Is it really that surprising?" he asked. "My near-death experience has taken a lot out of me. I'm not even half the man I was a mere month ago. In the best academy in Halkegenia, you are the only Force-sensitive person I've found. I lack the spryness to go in search of any other apprentices. By the time you graduate, I wonder if I'll even be able to use the Force at all…"

The two sat side by side in silence, watching as the servants finished setting up the last of a fresh row of wooden stands. "Are you ready?" Dooku asked Louise.

"Yes."

Louise rose from her seat, wand firmly clenched in hand. There was more than just her ambitions at stake. She had a duty to her family, to be a proper noble lady. She had a duty to her princess, to be a vassal of value. And she had a duty to her mentor, to be the apprentice who would carry on his teachings and magic to the continent.

With all that on the line, there was no room for failure.

"And for our final exhibitor, Miss Louise de la Valliere!" Professor Colbert announced.

The crowd clapped politely when Louise took the stage, but the applause was much quieter than it had been for the previous students. In part because the crowd had already heard of Louise's infamous reputation, and additionally because she stood before the audience alone, with no familiar at her side.

"Thank you," Louise greeted courteously. "I am Louise de Blanc de la Valliere. As you probably are already aware, instead of summoning a familiar during my Familiar Summoning Exam, I summoned a mage from beyond the continent."

Dooku, from his position in the back corner of the audience, gave a small harrumph at the understatement.

"While he does have spells unknown to our lands, I though it would be rude to have a senior mage perform on stage," Louise continued. "Therefore, I will be demonstrating the magic I learned from him myself."

The crowd watched silently, wondering what was going to happen. A few looked to Dooku to see if he was going to assist her secretly, but the Count sat with his hands visibly resting against the arms of his chair. While the servants had an inkling of what would happen, most of the students only knew that Louise's explosions had become less frequent over the past week. However, none had seen her cast any spell in public.

Louise raised her arm to the air, wand in hand. Then she rotated her wrist, pointing the wand at herself. "Levitate!" she chanted.

Half of the students and faculty gasped in alarm, worried that she would blow herself up. The entire crowd gaped in shock as Louise slowly rose from the ground. Not high, only a foot or so above the stage, but the gentle bobbing of her body in the air was unmistakably levitation. What made it impressive was that levitation was normally used for extremely light objects, such as books or clothes. Basic flight was a line class spell for a reason, while standard levitation was too weak to be even considered dot class.

Louise slowly lowered herself back down, taking a moment to reorient herself. While she had the power to levitate herself, hovering required a constant steady use of the Force, which was very difficult to keep in balance for more than a few seconds. But her next trick, which would look even more spectacular, was much less strenuous on her Willpower control.

Once more, Louise pointed her wand at herself.

"Jump!"

Jaws figuratively thudded against the ground as Louise sprung into the air, sending herself backwards towards the wall of the academy. Against the pull of gravity, she continued to sail up in an arc, until she finally let gravity retake her so she could land on the wall. She stumbled on her landing, but she managed to remain on her feet. With distance between herself and the crowd, she doubted they could notice.

The view was beautiful. An entire sea of eyes was fixed on her. Their expressions showed that they couldn't believe what they were seeing. She could see the faintest trace of a smug grin on Count Dooku's face. And when she looked down at the princess's special seat, she could see the incredulity on Henrietta's face, as well as the broad smile.

Indeed, being literally on top of the world was an excellent feeling. Now it was time to cement it.

"Darkness and Light, answer my call," she chanted. Full chants were not necessary for use of the Force—Louise likened it to the use of raw Willpower, much like the Levitation spell—however, Louise found it much easier to control the spell's effects when she spoke from her heart. "Twin sides of the Force, opposites but not foes, counterparts neither good nor ill, flow through me and show the world your might."

Louise smirked as she felt the power surge. Not just through her, but around her body like an invisible blanket. "EXPLOSION!"

Sharper than lightning and louder than thunder, the sound ricocheted across the countryside, hammering people's ears and rattling windows. The sky was engulfed in a cloud of darkness. Hammering winds surged down and around, blowing down on the members of the Academy and pushing away all the clouds in the sky. In the seconds it took for people to recover their hearing, the ashy clouds had parted, allowing the brilliant light of the sun to shine unimpeded. Not a cloud could be seen for miles. Nor any bird for that matter.

There were no guesses as to who the winner of the Exhibition was.

In a corner of the Academy, a thief clutched her ears and looked to the sky in terror. This was supposed to be the perfect time to do her heist. With the princess attending the noble's showboating, she would have had plenty of time to summon a golem and break into the vault. Security would prioritize protecting the princess, students, and guests before they would even think of checking on the Vault. And thanks to the loose lips of a lovestruck Colbert, she knew exactly how to break in.

At least, that's how it was supposed to go.

"When did the Valliere girl get as deadly as her mother?" Fouquet hissed. While she needed the heist, there was no point in breaking in with a monster like that nearby. Forget being captured, an explosion that big would probably vaporize her body in an instant.

No, it was better to cut her losses and think of a new plan. Her Miss Longueville identity would have to endure just a little bit longer.

"Fireball!"

"Explosion!"

While the two spells didn't exactly collide—Fireball being a projectile and Explosion being an area of effect—Louise's spell was set off close enough to destabilize the fireball, causing a fiery explosion.

"Your aim as improved," Kirche said cheekily, lowering her wand.

Louise mirrored the action. "Yours as well. I'm surprised you can even aim with those extra weights on your chest."

"Don't worry, if you get yours, you'll have to adjust just like the rest of us."

"Not if, when."

"But then we'll lose a reason to call you Louise the Zero."

Louise glared. "I told you to stop calling me that," she snapped.

"But it still fits, doesn't it?" Kirche teased. "Louise the One Who Reduces Everything to Zero is a little long. So Louise the Zero is perfect! And it matches your body."

"Not for long," Louise grumbled.

"And your relationship experience."

"D-don't bring your salacious ways into this, you harlot!"

"Am I interrupting?" a male voice interjected.

The girls turned to see Count Dooku looking at them with an impassive expression.

"Not at all," Kirche said with a wink. "We could always mix it up."

"Don't add me into your perversions!" Louise protested. "And stop flirting with my mentor!"

Count Dooku shook his head. While he had written off Kirche as a foolish bimbo with beauty and no brains, she had pleasantly surprised him in the past few days. While she engaged in verbal spars with Louise, she was doing an effective job at keeping his apprentice motivated. Despite her teasing, he could see that the redhead had respect for Louise, who returned it in the same two-faced manner.

"I will be reclaiming my apprentice for the time being," he said.

"Fine…" Kirche relented. She stowed her wand away in the infinite recess of her chest. "Don't be a stranger, handsome. Have fun with your mentor, Little Louise!"

"The nerve of that Germanian," Louise growled.

Dooku hummed noncommittally. He knew Louise didn't want an opinion about Kirche, so he wouldn't give it. On a side note, he was originally peeved when Louise referred to him as a mentor and not a master, but he got over it quickly. Reverting back to Sith terms would not be the best way of showing that he had moved on from that life.

"You've been progressing well, Louise," he opened up the conversation.

Louise beamed, a much-improved response for genuine praise. "I've been practicing every day like you instructed," she said. "I never knew that something as simple as levitation could be so powerful. I used to wonder if I would even be able to use it at all," she added wistfully before shaking her head. "I'm going to be the most powerful mage in Halkegenia, thanks to you, Count Dooku."

"You think too small, my apprentice," Dooku replied. "This entire planet will recognize your greatness."

"But what about the elves?" Louise asked. "They're monsters, worth at least a hundred mages!"

"You're more than a mage," Dooku reminded her. "You're a user of the Force. You command not only the power within you, but all the power in the universe comes to your beck and call. You'll be worth more than a thousand of those elves!"

"Really?"

Dooku raised an eyebrow.

"As you say, Count Dooku," Louise corrected herself.

She still didn't look entirely convinced, which was fine. The elves of her legends were masters of nature magic, monsters of lore who feasted on human children. Dooku assumed the tales to be highly exaggerated. He also suspected that the elves were the proper Force users of the planet, and humans had limited themselves to magic through petty superstition and fanatic devotion to their society's Founder. However, he had yet to confirm that theory.

The count reached into his robe and pulled out a small object. He tossed to Louise, who reached out in a mild panic to catch it. "What is this?" she asked, holding it up and examining it in the light.

It was a crystal, unevenly colored in icy blue. It wasn't polished like a precious gem, but Louise could tell it was more than a random piece of quartz. It glowed brightly in her hand and felt warm to the touch. She could also feel something emanating from it. It was like a foci, but seemed to have its own power as well.

"A souvenir," the Count replied. "I had asked about some rare items and Headmaster Osmond was kind enough to show me the Academy Vault." With the prodding of some mental manipulations, he didn't add. "I found this when I was looking around. It's called a kyber crystal. Every Jedi and Sith uses one to power their lightsabers."

"Lightsabers, the swords that are powered by the force?" Louise recalled.

Dooku nodded. He had given Louise brief descriptions of the basics of Jedi and Sith. It had quickly gotten annoying when he had to explain everything he referenced. However, he had not fully explained the corruption and evils of the Jedi or the Sith. Nor had he explained the parts he had played in the groups' struggle for power. After he had taught her everything he knew, only then would he reveal how much of a monster he truly was.

Maybe she'd execute him. Maybe she'd spare him. Whatever the case, it would be his judgement. For now, his job was to train the best Force user this backwater planet has ever known.

He replied to her, "Now that you have realized your own power, it is time for me to teach you everything I know." He smiled, a grin that was equal parts proud and challenging. "Prepare yourself, my apprentice. Once I am done with you, the world will bend to your will."

Louise froze. There was incredulity in her gaze, as there always was when he gave his grand aspirations for her. However, it wasn't long before a small smile formed on her lips. Her eyes burned with determination.

"I am ready."

Lots of scene jumping here, but I wanted to wrap up as many loose ends as possible. Louise is now Void Mage/Force User with a morally questionable but well-intentioned mentor. With that in mind... I'm not touching Star Wars again. Very fun and detailed world with very interesting characters, but it takes way too long for me to immerse myself and get a story out of it.

This story was sponsored by donation from my Ko-Fi. Which I can't link due to FFN, but my username is universal for my internet profile so search me up if you want to throw some spare change at me. Next one-shot (and it'll probably be an actual one-shot) will feature Grim from The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy!

Again, Happy New Year! And this also doubles as the anniversary of the Louise Summons series. This year I've written 60k+ words... which isn't much compared to the 200k+ words I managed last year. Then again, I also spent half the year in hiatus and generally busier...

*sigh*

Well, I had to come clean at some point.

As it has become painfully obvious, I can't even pretend to upload this series consistently anymore. I'm finishing grad school soon, looking for internships, and trying to set myself up for a job. In the meantime I'm looking for something that'll get me a stable temporary income. When Real Life knocks, writing time scurries away. Oh, and trying to keep myself on a regular schedule eventually migrated from deadline-induced motivation to unnecessary stress.

So until I feel that my life has stabilized, I'll just be uploading whatever whenever. Probably will be better on my mental health, and I won't be making promises I know I won't be able to keep.

...

That came out more depressing than intended. Let me put it this way: I'll take this time to secure my life, and until then, my writing will ebb and flow like the tides on the beach of dreams under the illumination of moon of inspiration.

Much better.

Oh, and always remember. Reviews are food for a writer's soul! Seriously, I have 3 months worth of reviews to munch on. Seriously, y'alls support even when I vamoose gives me reason to always pop back in!