"Trained well by Dooku, Grievous was," Yoda said.
He and Mace Windu were in Yoda's chambers in the Jedi Temple, each atop a meditation dais. The grandmaster had since arrived on Coruscant and detailed the importance of his findings to the Jedi Council. Captain Dyne was currently at work trying to decode the transmission that Gunray received from Sidious. The notion that Sidious was a myth was shattered after one single discovery proved his existence. It was enough to cause Yoda and Mace to recognize the current state of affairs.
"Entrapped, they strike at the weakest. They force us to choose between sacrifice and victory. Grimmer, the storm grows. No longer certain that one ever wins a war. Only survive it, we can."
Yoda recalled his duel with Dooku in the solar sailer's docking bay on Geonosis. Dooku bested, left with no alternative but to distract and flee…Yoda, left to choose between saving his friends and conquering the Sith...
"Representatives from Belderone have expressed their gratitude to the Senate," Mace said. "Despite the losses. If we didn't find this lead, that entire planet could have been seized before we could do anything. Even so, they suffered anyway."
Yoda shook his head sadly. "More than ten thousand killed."
The muscles in Mace's jaw bunched. "Billions have died in this war. At this point we need to start counting what victories we can. Belderone was saved, and, more important, we kept Grievous on the run."
"Know where he escaped, we do. Defeated, he will be."
"We'll chase him to the ends of known space, if we have to."
Yoda fell silent for a moment, then said: "Speak with the Supreme Chancellor, we must."
"Without apology," Mace said bluntly rising to his feet. "Our deference to him has to end."
"With the war's end, it will." Yoda turned slightly to regard Mace." Belderone has become a terrible warning. Increasing, the power of the dark side is. Rooted out, Sidious must be."
Mace nodded gravely. "Rooted out and eliminated."
Opening the reflectors that blocked out light, Yoda's chambers were flooded with light and both masters looked out at the cityscape of Coruscant. The ominous atmosphere was lifted briefly and Yoda interacted with Mace not as a master, but a friend.
"War goes on but shine the sun does. Always in motion, the way of the universe. The way of the Force."
"I can't remember the last time we left this temple without being seen as Generals" Mace sighed. "It'll be a great day when we can."
"Fond memories you hope to make, hmmm?" Yoda grinned. "Master Windu, looking for nostalgia" he continued, laughing gleefully as he stepped down.
"It is a nice planet" Mace smiled. "I'll fight to the end to keep it like this."
"Yes yes, Jedi we are" Yoda nodded. "Knights and guardians of the Republic. To the chancellor, we will go. But first, we must have tea. Come, make good tea you do."
"Well if you don't mind, I prefer my tea cold."
"Compromise, you can" Yoda smiled, jabbing Mace gently with his gaffer stick. "Cold comes before hot, yes?"
The two masters chuckled lightly as they exited the temple to meet with the Chancellor of the Republic and discuss the importance of their newfound mission.
"Your contact has left the docking bay," a Trade Federation lieutenant relayed to Gunray in his lavish quarters in the core ship's port-side command tower.
"Which docking bay?" Gunray said toward the cornlink's audio pickup. "Below, or in the tower?"
"The shuttle availed itself of the tower docking ring, Viceroy."
Gunray swung around to face Rune Haako. "That means than San Hill will be here any moment."
He turned to a large circular screen that displayed a realtime view of the antechamber outside his suite. The Neimoidian guards stationed there had also been alerted to chairman's arrival. Armed with blaster rifles taller than they were, the four wore bulky torso and lower-leg armor, and pot-shaped helmets that left their red eyes and green faces exposed. Gunray subconsciously suspected that something was wrong and was taking precautions. The chairman's request to see him was unusual.
This whole ordeal was unusual. It was Shu Mai who had informed him of the Belderone rendezvous, only to find that the fleet was being relocated to new coordinates in empty Separatist territory just before entering hyperspace.
What could this possibly be about?
Facing his aide, Haako was suddenly overtaken by an unrestrained fear. He stared at a display screen in a terrified trance before getting to his feet and hastily making his way towards the rear hatch. Gunray had asked for him to stop but Haako didn't respond to his commands. Looking at the display screen himself, Gunray found himself speechless.
San Hill wasn't there at all. Instead, the figure that was marching towards the bridge was General Grievous! It was a ruse! The general had arrived and was going to speak to him personally! What could he possibly be-
"The mechnochair!" Gunray quivered under his breath.
Gunray saw that Grievous was accompanied by four of his elite MagnaGuards. Fearsome bipedal battle droids built to exacting specifications, they stood as tall as the general and were armed with combat staffs tipped with electromagnetic pulse generators. Armorweave capes fell diagonally across their broad-shouldered bodies, swathing the crowns of their heads and lower faces. Benefiting from Grievous's own programming, as well as from the instruction Grievous had received from Dooku, the elite were trained in the Jedi arts, and more than a match for most.
The four Neimoidians stood their ground, bringing their rifles across their chests in a gesture of warning.
Grievous's elite didn't even slow down. Mirroring the Neimoidians, they raised their double-tipped electroshock batons, then swung them forward with such speed and precision that Gunray's sentinels were literally swept off their feet, as if they were children.
Grievous glared into the lens of the holocam mounted outside the hatch.
"Admit us, Viceroy. Or shall I instruct my elite to lay waste to everything that stands between me and you?"
Haako had his back against the wall and was waiting for the rear hatch to open.
"Haako, wait!" Gunray yelled. "Running will only make us appear guilty!"
"We are guilty!" Haako hoarsed back.
"He doesn't know that. He can't!"
"Viceroy!" Grievous rasped with barely contained fury.
Haako stood in the open hatch. "We're all going to die!" And disappeared through it.
Gunray stared at the closed hatch for a moment, wringing his hands. Straightening robes and miter and pulling his shoulders back, he pressed a fat finger to the hatch release.
The general swept into the suite, the four MagnaGuards in his angry wake spreading out to both sides, ready for violence.
"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" Gunray said from the center of the main room, attempting to display authority over the general. "Your Masters will not tolerate such ill treatment of me."
Grievous glowered at him. "Oh really, Viceroy? They will when they learn what you've done."
Gunray touched himself in the chest. "What are you talking about, you… abomination. When Lord Sidious hears that you promised us a world you could not deliver-"
Stepping forward, a MagnaGuard thrust his staff to within a millimeter of Gunray's face.
"Lord Sidious's alloy puppet," Gunray said, his voice quavering as he lowered the Magnaguard's weapon. "If not for the Trade Federation, you would have no army to command."
Grievous raised his right claw and pointed to Gunray. "The mechno-chair. I want to see it."
Gunray gulped. "You're brain dead, Grievous! But if you must know, I had it destroyed and purged from the ship in a fit of anger."
"You're lying" Grievous spoke menacingly, laughing into Viceroy's face. "For one, you can't feel anger, only disgust and fear. Furthermore, there was no problem with my transmission to the mechnochair. Do you want to know why?"
Before Gunray could speak a green lightsaber was ignited in front of his face.
"Because I spoke to Obi Wan Kenobi instead of you!" Grievous roared at maximum intensity. "You lost the chair to the enemy and forced us to find a new planet to conquer!"
"Y-yo-you wouldn't!" Viceroy screamed. "You can't!"
"Can't I?" Grievous beckoned, seizing Gunray's throat with his free hand. "Before I leave here, you will tell me everything I wish to know. You'll answer me or I'll start slicing through your flesh one millimeter at a time. Start explaining your failure, Gunray."
The first thing to reach Grievous' audioreceptors as he began his interrogation was the screams of agonizing pains as his lightsaber began to scorch through Gunray's skin. The screams were music.
Poor Gunray, Dooku thought. Pitiful creature.
But for having left the mechno-chair behind on Cato Neimoidia, he deserved all the fear Grievous had put into him. And if Grievous harmed Gunray, then it would be a permanent reminder to fear his masters. An acceptable consequence to ensure continued stability, so long as he didn't kill him.
Secluded in his castle on Serenno, Dooku had just spoken with the general and was pondering how best to handle the situation. If general's report was to be believed and that the Jedi made contact with Grievous using the transmissions normally sent to Gunray, it was conclusive proof that the Republic had managed to decrypt the Separatist code. Gunray's story was not to be believed, and even if for some miracle it was, the count saw it prudent to assume that the Jedi had uncovered a major lead. Dooku had already ordered the general to refrain from using the code for the time being. But the matter of the expropriated hyperwave transceiver was cause for added concern. The very fact that the Republic had tipped its hand at Belderone, declaring the success of its snatching of Separatist transmissions, implied that the mechno-chair had furnished more than intelligence. Clues to secrets that would astonish even Grievous.
The general was not accustomed to losing in battle. Retreating tactically, yes, but not losing outright. The incident at Belderone was nearly such a scenario. Even when a general among his own species, he had suffered few defeats. That was originally what had brought him to the attention of Sidious. After the Sith Lord had expressed interest in Grievous to Dooku, Dooku, in turn, had expressed interest in Grievous to Chairman San Hill, of the InterGalactic Banking Clan.
Poor Grievous, Dooku thought, Pitiful creature...
During the Huk War, and later, while in the employ of the IBC, Grievous had survived numerous attempts on his life, so an assassination attempt was ruled out almost immediately. Hill himself had come up with the idea of a shuttle crash, though that, too, presented risks.
What is Grievous should actually die in the crash?
Then the Separatists would simply have to look elsewhere for a commander, Dooku had told Hill. But Grievous had survived, and only too well. In fact, most of the life-threatening injuries he sustained had occurred after he had been pulled from the flaming shuttle wreck, and with great calculation.
When at last he had agreed to be rebuilt, promises were made that no critical alterations would be made to his mind. But the Geonosians had ways of modifying the mind without a patient ever being aware that he had been tampered with. Grievous certainly believed that he had always been the cold-blooded conqueror he was now , when in truth his cruelty and prowess owed much to his rebuilding.
Sidious and Dooku couldn't have been more pleased with the result. Dooku, especially, since he had no interest in commanding an army of droids, and already had his hands full nursemaiding the likes of Nute Gunray, Shu Mai, and the hive-minded others who eventually would form the Council of Separatists.
Grievous had been a delight to train, as well. No need to coax him to release his anger and rage, as Dooku had been forced to do during the training of his so-called Dark Jedi disciples. The Geonosians had arranged for Grievous to be nothing but anger and rage. And as to the general 's combat skills, few, if any, Jedi would be capable of defeating him. There had been moments during the extensive combat sessions when even Dooku had been hard-pressed to outduel the cyborg. But then, Dooku had kept some secrets to himself.
Just in case.
Manipulation of the sort that had gone into the transformation of Grievous went to the heart of what it meant to be a Sith, if, indeed, the words heart and Sith could be used together. The essence of the dark side lay in a willingness to use any means possible to arrive at a desired end, which, in the case of Lord Sidious, meant a galaxy brought under the dominion of a single, brilliant mind.
The current war had been the result of a thousand years of careful planning by the Sith, generations of bequeathing knowledge of the dark side from mentor to apprentice. Rarely more than two in each generation, from Darth Bane forward, Master and apprentice would devote themselves to harnessing the strength that flowed from the dark side, and to making the most of every opportunity to allow darkness to wax. Facilitating war, murder, corruption, injustice, and avarice when, and wherever possible.
Analogous to introducing a covert malignancy to the body politic of the Republic, then monitoring its spread from one organ to another until the mass reached such size that it began to disrupt vital systems…
The Sith had learned from their own internecine struggles that systems were often brought down from within when power became their reason for being. The greater the threat to that power, the tighter the threatened would cling.
That had been the case with the Jedi Order.
For two hundred years before the coming of Darth Sidious the power of the dark side had been gaining strength, and yet the Jedi had made only minimal efforts to thwart it. The Sith were pleased by the fact that the Jedi, too, had been allowed to grow so powerful, because, in the end, their sense of entitlement would blind them to what was occurring in their midst.
So, let them be placed on a pedestal. Let them grow soft and set in their ways. Let them forget that good and evil coexist. Let them look no farther than their vaunted Temple, so that they would fail to see the proverbial forest for the trees. And, by all means, let them grow possessive of the power they had gained, so that they might be that much easier to topple.
Not that all of them were blind, of course.
Many Jedi were aware of the changes, the drift toward darkness. None, perhaps, more than aged Yoda. But the Masters who made up the Jedi Council were enslaved to the inevitability of that drift. Instead of attempting to get to the root of the coming darkness, they merely did their best to contain it. They waited for the Chosen One to be born, mistakenly believing that only he or she would be capable of restoring balance.
Such was the danger of prophesy.
It was into such times that Dooku had been born, placed because of a strong connection to the Force among an Order that had grown complacent, self-involved, arrogant about the power they wielded in the name of the Republic. Turning a blind eye to injustices the Republic had little interest in eradicating, because of profitable deals forged among those who held the reins of command.
While midichlorians determined to some degree a Jedi's ability to use the Force other inherited characteristics also played a part-notwithstanding the Temple's best efforts to eradicate them. Having hailed from nobility and great wealth, Dooku yearned for prestige. Even as a youngster, he had been obsessed with learning all he could about the Sith and the dark side of the Force. He had toed the Jedi line; become the Temple's most agile swordmaster and instructor. And yet the makings of his eventual transformation had been there from the start. Without the Jedi ever realizing it, Dooku had been as disruptive to the Order as would be a young boy raised in slavery on Tatooine.
His discontent had continued to grow and fester; his frustration with the Republic Senate, with ineffectual Supreme Chancellor Valorum, with the shortsightedness of the Jedi Council members themselves. A Trade Federation blockade of Naboo, rumors of a Chosen One found on a desert world, the death of Qui-Gon Jinn at the hands of a Sith… How could the Council members not see what was happening? How could they continue to claim that the dark side obscured all?
Dooku had said as much to anyone who would listen. He wore his discontent on the sleeve of his robes. Though they hadn't enjoyed the smoothest of student-teacher relationships, he and Yoda had spoken openly of the portents. But Yoda was living proof of a conservatism that came with extended life. Dooku's true confidant had been Master Sifo-Dyas, who, while also disturbed by what was occurring, was too weak to take action.
The Battle of Naboo had revealed that the Sith were back in the open, and that a Sith Lord was at work somewhere.
The Sith Lord: the one born with the power needed to take the final step.
Dooku had given thought to seeking him out, perhaps killing him . But even what little faith he placed in the prophecy was enough to raise doubt that the death of a Sith could halt the advance of the dark side.
Another would come, and another.
As it happened, there had been no need to hunt for Sidious, for it was Sidious who had approached him. Sidious's boldness surprised him at first, but it hadn't taken long for Dooku to become fascinated by the Sith. Instead of a lightsaber duel to the death, there had been much discussion, and a gradual understanding that their separate visions for how the galaxy might be rescued from depravity were not so different after all.
But partnership with a Sith didn't make one a Sith.
As the Jedi arts had to be taught, so, too, did the power of the dark side. And so began his long apprenticeship. The Jedi warned that anger was the quickest path to the dark side, but anger was nothing more than raw emotion. To know the dark side one had to be willing to rise above all morality, to throw love and compassion aside, and to do whatever was necessary to bring about the vision of a world brought under control, even if that meant taking lives.
Dooku was an eager student, and yet Sidious had continued to hold him at arm's length. Perhaps he had been working with other potential replacements for his earlier apprentice, the ruthless Darth Maul, who, in fact, had been nothing more than a minion, like Durge, Asajj Ventress, Savage Oppress, corrupted Quinlan Vos and of course General Grievous. Sidious had recognized in Dooku the makings of a true accomplice, an equal from the other camp, already trained in the Jedi arts, a master duelist, a political visionary. But he needed to gauge the depth of Dooku's commitment.
One of your former confidants at the Jedi Temple has perceived the coming change, Sidious had told him. This one has contacted a group of cloners, regarding the creation of an army for the Republic. The order for the army can stand, for we will be able to make use of that army someday. But Master Sifo-Dyas cannot stand, for the Jedi cannot learn about the army until we are prepared to have them learn of it.
And so with the murder of Sifo-Dyas, Dooku had embraced the dark side fully, and Sidious had conferred on him the title Darth Tyranus. His final act before leaving the Jedi Order was to erase all mentions of Kamino from the Jedi archives. Then, as Tyranus, he had found Fett on Bogg 4; had instructed the Mandalorian to deliver himself to Kamino; and had arranged for payments to be made to the cloners through circuitous routes…
Ten years passed.
Under its new Supreme Chancellor, the Republic recovered somewhat, then grew more currupt and besit with problems than before. As best they could, Sidious and Tyranus helped things along.
Sidious had the ability to see deep into the future, but there was always the unexpected. With the power of the dark side, however, came flexibility.
Having traced Fett to Kamino, Obi-Wan Kenobi had turned up on Geonosis. All at once, here was Qui-Gon Jinn's former Padawan, right under Dooku's nose. But when he had informed Sidious of Obi-Wan's presence, Sidious had only said, Allow events to play out, Darth Tyranus. For our plans are unfolding exactly as I have foreseen. The Force is very much with us.
And now, a new wrinkle: as a result of Nute Gunray's blunder at Cato Neimoidia, the Republic and the Jedi had chanced on a possible way to trace the whereabouts of Sidious and expose him.
The mechnochair's exceptional transceiver-and others like it, had been created for Sidious by a host of beings a few of whom were still alive. And if agents of the Republic, or the Jedi for that matter, were clever and persistent enough they could succeed in learning more about Sidious than he would want anyone to learn…
He had to be informed, Dooku thought.
Or did he?
For a heartbeat, Dooku hesitated, imagining the power that could be his and the chance to destroy Sidious.
A recent memory resurfaced, a memory of the final encounter Dooku had with Mother Talzin and a nemesis believed to be destroyed: Maul. Talzin had offered promises to Dooku. Many of which could also be seen as omens. Talzin revealed that she was Maul's true mother and that he was stolen from her by Sidious only to be discarded when no longer useful.
"Look at my son, and see your own future! Sidious will betray you, as he betrayed us!"
Talzin had warned him of his future, claiming that Sidious would have Dooku discarded just like all the rest. All his struggles, his victories, would be for nothing as Talzin claimed he was yet another one of Sidious' pawns. But Dooku chose Sidious over Talzin, because Talzin was weak and didn't deserve his ambition and his commitment. Talzin deserved nothing less than to be destroyed; she was a relic of the ancient past and would be nothing but a hindrance. He was the only Sith worthy to lead the galaxy after victory was achieved in the Clone Wars. Sidious chose Tyranus for this task. If any Sith were to fall, it was Sidious himself!
The time would come, but Sidious would have to be his only true ally until such a time came. He went directly to the hyperwave transmitter Sidious had given him, and began his transmission. Until Sidious could strategize with him and decide the best course of action, Dooku and Tyranus alike was forced to face down his demons.
Fear would have to be conquered. Sith have no fear!