Chapter 21
The meditation gardens have always been a source of peace for the Jedi for centuries, the way the trees provided comfort for those who are on the edge and slipping towards conflict, the ways where the leaves themselves fill them with serenity. The gardens are lush meditative retreats that members of the Jedi Order could visit at any time of the day or night while at the Temple.
Among all of the Jedi, Siri Tachi sits in a small secluded location, allowing the peace that has been severely lacking since the arrival of the individual who walked through the Temple and out despite his close connection with the dark side and should have been apprehended before he could put them all in danger.
The peaceful aura of the gardens wouldn't last after she leaves. The only reason why she came here was simple; because like many within the Order, they need to decide what to do with someone like Vader roaming about and potentially corrupting a young Padawan like Obi-Wan and even his Master to his side.
What would the Order do when it comes to Vader? Bring him to the Jedi Temple and try to teach him their ways while learning the knowledge they can from him. Should they throw him into a cell and keep a close eye on him to assure escape is all but impossible? Cut him down before he could become a major threat to all of them? Or bring him to a cell within the Republic and allow the courts to decide what is to be his fate?
The fact that Vader was never a Jedi also raises problems. They cannot even use the fact that he was a former one even should they arrest him which means, from the common person's perspective such as the Queen of Naboo and her servants, Vader would be nothing but someone who has different views of the Force and the Jedi seeking to arrest him because they dislike what he thinks, which is partly true but also with the seductive nature of the dark side that clings to him.
Siri likes to think differently, but not even she can deny the reality that Vader only brings all that they have thought about the Jedi Order into question.
That is the reason why Siri is meditating now instead of being at her quarters and waiting for whatever is next. Sadness and anxiousness for what the Jedi could become due to someone like Vader as well as the doubt he could raise in the Republic. There is also rage too at what the damage Vader could do against their Jedi Order, and Siri Tachi knows that such emotions, even against her worst enemy, would lead to the dark side, causing her to dabble into the gardens and stay grounded in the light.
What were they thinking of not stopping Jinn and Obi-Wan from traveling off-world with Vader? How could she have allowed one of her classmates and a friend from so young to be placed around someone like Vader without placing up an argument when his entire beliefs could be brought into question by the Sith Lord?
A distinct stab of anger thrust through the Jedi's senses, stunning her briefly, but she is also successful in regaining her control and focusing inwards. Through the currents of the dark side, she focuses on Obi-Wan, hoping that one of her deepest fears hasn't come true.
Eventually, she is able to track down Obi-Wan, unlike many times before, his emotions unstable and uncontrolled, something that is not like Obi-Wan for who he is as a whole, making the young Jedi wonder what Vader has done to her old friend. She attempts to push through the darkness that has been built up around the Jedi.
The young Jedi is unable to reach her friend through the mess of emotions that has filled him. However, she is able to see from his point of view, vibrant that extends to her senses. It is almost enough to make her smell the darkness but she would not allow it to consume her, fighting against the temptations with years of her Jedi learning.
Two orbs of gold staring outwards, daring to consume all that attempts to control them, appearing fully dark without restrictions of the light - as well another two which appear less intense but still have a certain coldness.
The Zabrak turns around, swinging a double-bladed crimson lightsaber, both hands wielding the blade as he attempts to fight the predator of the dark, charging at the predator of the darkness whose glee is painfully obvious with each swing, as if coming more and more understanding into the new emotions which have never been touched before.
The vision shifts again. Siri turns to see the Zabrak from earlier, growing more and more horrified at the presence that is beginning to overwhelm him, a green lightsaber cornering him more and more, wielded by a youthful hand that is beginning to drive him back throughout the battle. Two lightsabers - both ignited, one emerald and the other crimson, positioned over that of a defeated rival. The head of the Zabrak onto the floor, pouring blood that goes down to her boot seemingly. Once, an amber of hope in the Jedi Order, now's presence is darkening and becoming almost different as entirely.
The visions continue to hunt through the presence of Siri Tachi, the torture that she feels through the Force at her friend's despair and uncontrolled emotions. She can hardly believe that the same man who has always been a great loyalist of the Jedi Order could have fallen to the dark side of the Force.
Obi-Wan is lost now, becoming another threat that the Order would have to bring into custody like Jinn's former Padawan. Siri Tachi has to do what must be done. She knows that allowing Obi-Wan to continue to do this and become someone who is out of control would only lead to the death of the Jedi and many innocent people.
If there is any chance of helping her old friend, the others will have to know.
The female Jedi stands, attempting to control herself, before dashing out. The Masters would know what to do with these new revelations.
Chancellor Palpatine's death had a fair share of impact on the Republic.
Suffice to say, the news of his death has passed fairly quickly among Coruscant and the other Inner Core planets, filling many with unease as well as suspicion at how this could have happened, why this happened, and who could have done this. While Palpatine's election was supported by most within the Republic, his political opponents who also fought to win the election are currently being investigated.
The news of the dead body shocks many as signs of lightsabers wounds are obvious. Many begin to suspect that this is the work of the Jedi, caused by them because they disagreed with Valorum being voted out and someone else like Palpatine being voted in, someone who would have changed the Republic.
The Jedi Order has been called to answer questions, and their representatives selected adamantly by the Jedi Council such as Master Coleman Trebor and Master Yaddle, are attempting to dismiss those many suspicions and providing alibis for every single Jedi. Even so, public trust against the Jedi has been difficult to sustain as the Republic has been wounded greatly. On top of this, casualties on Naboo have been terrible with mostly everyone involved being wiped out except for the Queen and her closest advisors.
The only reason why Vader wasn't brought in for questioning just yet was because there are multiple witnesses that Vader have been on Naboo during the time. Many Jedi have thought otherwise but wouldn't attempt to apprehend Vader out of risk of him fighting back and claiming self-defense. They would have to search through Republic laws and find one he breaks before arresting him.
Suffice to say, the Jedi Council is discussing the recent events. While they are most certain Vader isn't the one who performed the killing blow, they can't ever shrug off the potentiality that someone among his allies wasn't involved.
Through the Force, there was nothing but the brush of the dark side, coming from the Chancellor. Only one resolution is decided through that. Palpatine has been the Sith Lord that has managed to slip past their scopes, the Master of the Assassin that has gone after two within their Order. But given there was another dark presence, someone who they knew fondly and someone.
And one of them is the Master and the other is the Apprentice. They have to find the Sith who survived in the form of Hego Damask and bring him into their custody but they would have to deal with yet another potential Sith in the form of Vader. How many Sith are spreading through the galaxy under their notice?
"How can we be certain that Vader isn't involved?" Master Windu voices his distaste at the situation, allowing Vader off so easily after his arrival to the galaxy has caused many Jedi to be disturbed. "We need to be certain that Vader didn't murder the Chancellor."
"We are not liars, Master Windu," Ki-Adi-Mundi replies, having his own hostility towards Vader but not willing to allow their code to be called into question because of mere disagreements with him. "While I don't trust in him, the Queen could testify as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn that Vader was off the planet while the Chancellor was murdered thus clearing him immediately out of default."
"How do we not know it was one of Vader's Acolyte with the Master intent onto gaining control of the Republic?" Windu counters, placing both hands against one another.
"We would have to decide what to do with him soon," Saesee Tiin, one of the fiercest Jedi who believed all Force Users that touch the dark side should be apprehended, speaks up in complete agreement. "Us allowing someone like Vader to roam across the galaxy would not be a wise idea. He hasn't committed any crime but there is the possibility that he could become a powerful threat for us to contain. Already Obi-Wan Kenobi is calling into question our codes and Qui-Gon always has been a maverick. The least we need is for Vader to corrupt a few within our Order."
Before they can even think about what they can do, the door slams open, revealing Siri Tachi. Surrounding the Jedi Padawan is nothing but panic emotions ranging from fear to outrage as well as a protectiveness that clings around the woman.
"Masters! We have to stop him!" Siri yells, almost out of breath completely.
"Siri!" Gallia scolds.
"Master," Siri retorts, realizing that the stares of the Council are on her. "Obi-Wan have been corrupted by the dark side! His presence through the Force is dark! I have sensed it in the gardens! He has murdered that Sith, not because he was left with little choice but when he had him disarmed! I have sensed it through our bond. Obi-Wan is no longer the same man who he has been!"
They appear to be staring through her, and she lowers her shields, allowing them to access her mind and see the vision from earlier. After minutes of them probing through the Padawan, at last, they pull away from her barriers.
"It is too late then," Mundi speaks grimly, staring around at the fellow Jedi Masters within the Council. "I was hoping that there was still hope for him but we are going to have imprisoned him permanently so he wouldn't become a threat."
"Doing so would only make Vader come after his Acolyte," Tiin spats, his disdain in the last word is clear for all to see. "We would have to stop him too."
"And we will," Windu replies, turning to stare back at Tachi, piercing glare through the Jedi Padawan, emotionless eyes unreadable. "Thank you, Padawan Tachi, you may leave now. We can take it from here."
Tachi nods and turns away, hoping that she hasn't just made the wrong choice and that the Council would help her fallen friend before he becomes too attuned to the dark side.
"We should at least attempt to understand him," Kit Fisto speaks after the Padawan is gone, sounding displeased at the situation entirely. "Vader has information, and I highly doubt we would receive any opportunity to be able to contain someone like him. His connection with the Force is enough to match that of the boy."
Mace Windu scoffs, leaning forward. "Speaking of that subject, we cannot allow Vader to access the boy and bring him over to the dark side. The threat he would pose in the future of the Jedi Order is something that we would have to prevent before he becomes another Revan, or worse, another Darth Malgus."
"Train the boy against Vader, you are recommending," Yaddle replies slightly curtly, though it isn't clear if it is directed at her fellow Masters. "Highly doubt we would be successful, I do. The bond between them, we have all felt it, and now the boy would be more interested in Vader. Initially refused him, we did, which means he would only turn to Vader for any hope of training in the ways of the Force."
"That said, what should we do about Kenobi and Jinn?" Tiin replies, evidently concerned for the future of the Jedi Order. "We cannot allow Vader to shatter our Order further, not when we could stop him."
"Revan once did precisely the same," Windu adds, his disgust evidence for all to see. "He managed to gather up Jedi such as the Jedi Exile, following in that madman's footsteps. Kenobi and Jinn could follow down similar paths if we are not careful. There must be laws of the Republic that could allow us to bring Vader into custody."
Yoda grunts. "Detain them, we must." Small green ears bow. "Our responsibility, it is to stop the fallen of the Force."
"I agree," Windu responds, his voice ringing with conviction. "We would have to keep those within our Order far away from him. We should have brought Vader into custody before he corrupted Obi-Wan and now he is going to make about another Jedi Civil War if we don't do something shortly! He's following down the path of Revan!"
"I highly doubt that would be a wise course of action," Yarael Poof replies, sounding horrified at what the others are insisting they should do about the fallen Jedi. "They have shown an unswaggering devotion and loyalty to our Code. Us imprisoning them... is not right. It would only prove what Vader said those days prior when we encountered him was correct to not only them but to the eyes of other Jedi among this Order."
"We cannot allow our Order to fracture," Master Windu replies sternly. "Vader has an interest in Kenobi that we all felt, and if I wasn't mistaken, there was a bond between them, something that appears to have been born throughout the course of their journey. The same can be said for Qui-Gon."
Plo Koon also appears doubtful. "Obi-Wan is an extremely loyal Jedi. Us doing that to him-"
"Would help him in the long run," Mundi replies matter-of-factly. "We have to observe if there is any taint of Vader on either Kenobi and Jinn and exterminate it if there is. Vader has been here for such little time and already the galaxy is spinning out of control. This isn't good if we hope to keep our students in check in the near future."
Windu clears his throat in a clear dramatical tone, his tone struck with determination. For the first time in a long time, the Jedi Order is concerned about the fate of one of their students who could eventually become another dark side user.
They may not be able to do something against Vader since he was someone who is not under the Jedi Order, but Kenobi is still under Jedi jurisdiction as is Jinn if he has fallen.
The threat that each of them could be dangerous to the extreme.
"We'll take a vote."
In a quarter of the building far from the palace that is currently being scanned from the ground up, Obi-Wan meditates to himself in silence, eyes clenched close as he trembles, recalling the violent natures of the dark side, the power that he felt, how he forsook all of his teachings. He will be exiled from the Jedi Order, and have to be stopped before he eventually lashes out again, would fall, and succumb to the dark side. He would be disgraced by the Order should they ever discover the truth.
Flashes of him engage the dark warrior with all of his worst fears, hate, rage, and suffering. Flashes of him claiming the monster's power and exploiting it against others. Flashes of him clutching a crimson lightsaber and slaying innocent people. Flashes of him harboring dark robes and being a form lost in the power of the dark side with crimson eyes. All brought to the light of his mind.
Obi-Wan slump back to the nearby wall and begins to sob, hoping that no one would hear him and come in to investigate, only to find a Jedi Padawan giving into his feelings instead of releasing his feelings to the Force.
Unbeknownst to him, Vader has been watching from the shadows, observing Obi-Wan for what he would do, and now seeing him sobbing only makes Vader feel remorse within his soul. He has done this much pain to Obi-Wan, but he would have to fix it. He wouldn't make the same mistake as he did before, nor would Obi-Wan be driven into a life of depression and fear, plagued by the dark side.
At this point in time, the Jedi would have voted him out and led him to their prism where he would be helpless and abandoned, perhaps forgotten. Vader would have to assure that the Jedi don't imprison him, but he would have to also make sure that events don't lead to Obi-Wan falling sometime after this. He would never give up on him.
There is evidence that events are changing; such as Palpatine perishing instead of Plagueis, Maul's fall being completely different, and Naboo losing many innocents more than in the original timeline. For kark sake, the galaxy is changing as it is, and Sidious's death is not an outcome that even he was unable to consider, but the Jedi still stand in his way.
Vader, leaning forward, wraps his arms around the Jedi, startling him as he emerges from the shadows. Still, Obi-Wan cries on his side, hoping to find a way for the hole in his heart to be healed when all appears lost. It is only a matter of time before Obi-Wan falls under the ignorance of the Jedi which is why Vader would have to intervene.
"Let it out, Obi-Wan, let it out," Vader says gently, helping the Jedi Padawan up - if he can really call him that anymore - and leading him over to a nearby bench. "It was just a Sith, someone who would have harmed you in the future along with your Master and the Order. As regrettable as you may think this course of action is, you would eventually see that you have saved countless lives with this deed. Children would have been massacred. And innocent people would be killed."
Obi-Wan's orbs dance off of that with Vader's, appearing horrified and afraid. "How could you just shrug off the death of someone like that? How could you make me commit a sin against the Jedi Order?"
"Make you commit a sin against the Jedi Order?" Vader repeats. "The choice was all yours, Obi-Wan, not mine. You were the one who chose to kill that Zabrak, not me. I have granted you an opportunity and warranted you a possible future of what may happen should you spared him, but at the end of the day, the choice was all yours. I just advised you of the consequences."
Obi-Wan's orbs darken into a dark golden. "He was going to kill my Master. I had no choice." The dark orbs evaporate in a second, being replaced by the light ones once more, terrified at the immense pressure of the dark side crashing against him once more. "No, that was not me."
"The dark side," Vader replies grimly, sounding displeased as he rubs his shoulders like he is giving him a massage, "wants you to taste off these bitter emotions. Do not allow it to control you. I can teach you to return to the light side, Obi-Wan, if you allow it."
'I would not become a Sith," Obi-Wan responds tenaciously.
"I'm not asking you to be one. You could be someone in the middle like me. The Jedi would only see you for what you truly are, and if we are not careful, our rivals would exploit your feelings against you. Join with me, and at last I can teach you balance, how to make you know and understand your emotions for what they are, and allow you to control the dark side within your soul." Vader replies, seeing that leaving his former Master as a Padawan would be a mistake.
Obi-Wan shivers, staring at the ground, away from Vader's looming eyes which appear to be regarding him with softness and affection. How can he be so damn gentle and manipulative in his words? How can he make Obi-Wan feel like this like he has no other choice but to join someone like him?
Vader is a monster, surely, he has to be. He has to be manipulating him, has to be deceiving him, and trying to turn him against the Jedi. After all, the Sith of the old Republic have used similar tactics to troubled Jedi and unstable ones to cause them to doubt themselves, and Vader appears to be doing the exact same thing.
But Obi-Wan is a monster too. Vader is correct at the end. It was him who chose that choice to start down the dark path, and now he would have to live with those echoes. He would never be a Jedi again because he has already broken one of the greatest tenants within their codes, but he doesn't have to be a Sith either.
"When I killed him, it felt right! Why does it feel so karking liberating to kill that-that animal?!" Obi-Wan shouts, his teeth ground together, his emotions without control in a way that the Jedi Masters would have surely disciplined him for.
"Because it was the right choice at the end," Vader responds, rubbing his hand between the strands of the Jedi Padawan, brushing his hand over the braid that has been there for so long. "You only have to come to terms, but once you realize that what I have granted you was a reward and saved not only the lives of innocents, but your friends, the Queen, and all others such as the Jedi among your Order, you would understand."
"Then why do I feel conflicted inside just as much?!" Obi-Wan exclaims, coughing as if he has just consumed some deathsticks for the first time and is not used to the prospect of the strain down his throat. "Why do my emotions appear to be out of place?!"
"That's the dark side wrapping its hands around you. It allows you to feel emotions of all time, to relish in others suffering, and allow you to feel satisfied at moments that you would come to loathe on a later date. Of course, this action you may not but the next one you create, you would. The dark side, if left unchecked, poses a great danger and would seek to corrupt you more and more."
There is a truth that Vader has been hiding for so long. It wasn't Darth Vader who murdered those younglings and countless Jedi. It wasn't Darth Vader who murdered the Confederates on Mustafar. It wasn't Darth Vader who choked Padmé or attempted to kill Obi-Wan in the different timeline.
It was all Anakin Skywalker who was broken by the manipulations of Sidious and by the dark side provoking him to continue his bloodlust and continue to gain power. While Anakin Skywalker is not dead, at least not the one within this timeline, it is best that the crimes Skywalker would create would be avoided entirely by the same one who committed those atrocities.
Obi-Wan, while he had many flaws during his teachings of Anakin, is not the same Obi-Wan of that timeline. Not that Vader would kill him even if it was the same one given it was Obi-Wan who rewarded him when he didn't have to with the gift of accomplishing the Force as a whole. Obi-Wan has made mistakes, like Anakin, and now Vader would have to fix both of their futures.
When Vader was the puppet of Sidious, he'd attempted to conceive of methods where he would be able to overthrow his Sith Master. The contradictions of following the Rule of Two can be written on a simple datapad, especially since there was never given a chance for the Sith Order to rule with an iron fist. Vader hardly couldn't wait for overthrowing the old man and ruling the galaxy. But when that Apprentice by his side who would have aided him in power like his son and daughter. Or his bigger brother, Obi-Wan? The idea loses all of its appeals. An Apprentice destroying their Master is one thing, should their powers prove to be counterproductive and their corruption is bringing down the Sith, but becoming a mad animal is another thing.
Vader does not intend on restarting the rule of two, despite how much he wishes to borrow from the Sith's power base. He wants a new path for the Order that is to come, outside of both the Jedi and the Sith.
"What's wrong with me?! Why am I broken like this?!" Obi-Wan stands up from the bench, beginning to pace, his hands clawing at his head which is vibrant with temptations to lust for more. "Why do I feel like I need to trust you?! Why does it feel like you are the only one who would be able to help me?!"
"There's nothing wrong with either of us, Obi-Wan. You are merely understanding the true side of the Force instead of one side of it for what it is. While it doesn't control me, it takes years for it to be controlled, but there are ways to find an outlet." Vader replies, coming forward and placing his hand on Obi-Wan's head, allowing peace and calmness to enter within the Jedi Padawan's mind, giving him comfort which helps his current emotions at the moment. "Otherwise, you would only become an instrument of what the Jedi rightfully teach you, for all their flaws, of not following. They are correct about not becoming like those animals, who seek the death of many without care, but you don't have to become a monster."
Obi-Wan listens attentively, his head turned away, as he begins to gain control of his emotions. The tears slowly fade, his heartbeat coming to a stop, his eyes opening, revealing two golden hues. Vader would not allow him to fall forever, but it is a good start to allow Obi-Wan to taste that power of the dark side for now, unless he would be oblivious of what the Force is until the end like before.
Years later, in Vader's own timeline, when Obi-Wan lacked an understanding of the dark side, many times did the man nearly fall, including that of the incident surrounding the demise of Qui-Gon Jinn, surrounding Siri Tachi being assassinated by that bounty hunter, and surrounding Duchess Satine from Mandalore's demise.
Anakin Skywalker himself has foreseen the effect, the times when Obi-Wan would pace the halls of the Temple with him feeling helpless at the time to do anything about it. Of course, the man eventually recovered, but there were still shadows of the dark side that was vibrant around him that had only been left unaddressed mainly due to the occurring war and the Jedi desperate for a victory at the time of the Clone Wars.
Now that Obi-Wan has fallen to the dark side, the Jedi would wish to bring him into custody and try to convince him that Vader is their enemy. The link between Obi-Wan and Vader that has been formed wouldn't allow for such an outcome to happen. Obi-Wan's fear and what happened to Maul have shaken him immensely.
Vader briefly muses; now that Sidious is destroyed, how would the war between the esteemed master of the dark side and the Jedi go? Plagueis was always suspected to be something more by the Jedi, but it is only a matter of time before the dark side makes noticeable holes that would allow the Jedi to lead back to him, and on top of this, Damask's influence on the Republic is nowhere as strong as Sheev Palpatine's.
The time of planning is for later, but right now, is assuring his future brother doesn't fall into the dark side. Obi-Wan falling to the dark side is something that Vader hasn't ever imagined in a million years. Obi-Wan was such a calm and compassionate being, someone who believed in the codes of the Jedi to the completion.
Obi-Wan's knees buckle almost out of instinct, almost as if he is kneeling before Vader. He would have no other choice but to kneel before Vader and learn whatever lessons in the Force that he has, to become his apprentice and learn more about the Force, to stop the calls of the dark side that is begging for him to fall forever.
"What do you wish for me to do?"
Vader never expected this when he time traveled, and never expected to draw his Master from another timeline away from the Jedi this soon. Obi-Wan has always been the strictest Jedi of Jedi, and now he is leaning over to Vader, as means of comfort and to learn his knowledge.
"First," Vader replies, helping him up with hands on his shoulder, "stand up. You are not my apprentice, for you a being with feelings as well. You are not going to regard me as Master, nor would you be a creature who would be devoid of emotions. Freely touch the Force and freely touch your attachments, for they are the only way you can sustain your sanity."
Obi-Wan breathes, feeling a brief doubt about what is going to do, before standing up and following behind Vader, both knowing that they need each other.
Besides, what other choice does Obi-Wan has now? At the very least, he can learn and walk down a different path.
It has been little more than three days since the battle of Naboo, a battle that ended in tragedy with the deaths of many people who assisted the Queen. The Queen of Naboo survived alongside several of her handmaidens and they ensured there were funerals for each of the people whose lives were lost. Politically speaking, the Senate has been driven into disarray with the incident on Naboo, many calling out the Trade Federation and Naboo even going as far as demanding Nute Gunray be turned over to them for trial.
Count Dooku of Serenno however remains out of the battles between those fools and the once Order he served loyally. The Republic is just a lost cause at this point.
However, it appears as if the Force doesn't wish to allow the former Jedi peace, for he can sense the immediate power crashing fully down on the planet he now rules. Who is this being of the dark side?
Vader?
Or a Sith?
Through the recording previously, he watched with deep satisfaction as this Vader verbally cut down the Jedi Council, calling them out boldly before charging out, expressing a display the Count of Serenno has never witnessed before with the power of the Force at his back, but even he has to admit that he is amused with Vader as well as agreeing with him.
Ever since Vader has chosen to resign from Naboo, apparently without any motive or threatening the Jedi which obviously only further incenses most of the Jedi since Naboo worships the ground he walks among, he would be seen as a warrior willing to defend Naboo and have apparently gained the favor of the Queen.
Not yet in the past days did he answer questions of the public and can disappear from the public's eye very easily, that being proven when he always had Amidala's handmaidens answering the questions asked such as where did he come from, why did he help Naboo, and why do the Jedi appear extremely cautious in the proximity of him.
No one catches good footage of him, not even when he's beside the Queen, who must have become a confidant of his. He would even dare to call the Queen and her handmaidens friends of the Sith which admittedly even shock the man himself. How can such a Sith ever form a friendship with someone who many of their ancestors considered under them and considered just as pitiful?
Vader - who must be a Sith and not a Jedi - is different, not a Sith right out of a book like many of them before his was, and would have even challenged Darth Revan in the arts of surprise and caught many people, Jedi and even himself included, in an unguarded moment. It must be a talent of his that he mastered in his years of traveling the galaxy without notice of the Jedi.
Dooku will freely admit he was surprised for the first time in many years when he found out that Vader was working alongside his former apprentice and his apprentice after him. He wonders if Vader intends to corrupt his lineage now.
The opposition between the Sith and the Jedi is a bit more than "disagreements on how to deal with their emotions". It's more like one side values peace, freedom, compassion, letting yourself be guided by the Force, and so on, while the other is driven by hatred, anger, paranoia, lust for power, and cruelty. Individual Sith may vary in their personalities, strategies, and goals but there's a general tendency to try to expand their area of control by whatever means are most effective.
It is said in the Jedi Temple that as long as the Sith exists, the Force is "out of balance" and Jedi believe this means Sith must be done accordingly and fundamentally by the Jedi.
That doesn't mean it's not possible for a balance of power to exist, where neither side feels it's strong enough to risk 'hot' war. An exaggerated view of the Cold War is not a bad comparison - one side is ideologically committed to worldwide communism, the other to worldwide capitalism. The two cannot coexist peacefully without either changing their core beliefs or having a balance of power that makes war too risky. They'll also be constantly in conflict over their influence on other states.
His musings are interrupted abruptly as a tall figure walk in, both doors opening and shutting dramatically. At his side are two armored men who could be mistaken for guards, blasters wielded in their arms.
"Hego Damask."
Dooku is shocked to see the Muun of the Intergalactic banking clans present, a hood draped over him, and something surrounding him that makes Dooku feel something like a twinge in his gut, something that twists right into the back of his soul, making the Count, for his 70 years of knowledge, appear a lot smaller. He can only come down to one conclusion; Damask is Force Sensitive.
That doesn't shock him as much as it should. While not outright villainous, Damask is at best pretty shady. He is in charge of a clandestine financial firm that dealt with everyone from organized crime bosses and Hutts to local politicians on worlds they hoped to make a buck off. Damask is known for being fairly reclusive and shadowy, holding highly secret gatherings on his personal moon of the most powerful elites in the galaxy, where he brokered deals, made alliances, and openly mocks the Republic. He isn't actually working for the IBC, which gave him more freedom from moral or professional constraints and more control of his company; but it's pretty clear he doesn't mess around and makes no secret of this. He openly threatens and then kidnaps three mining executives at his public gathering on Sojourn, and later casually orders his right-hand Muun to have them executed while he's at the races on Malastare. He also openly utilizes the Ichani guard, which is essentially a cult of personal bodyguards, servants, and mercenaries. They protect his fortress, kill his enemies and act as security for his business partners at Damask Holdings.
So, all in all, he is known for being up to his neck in dodgy deals with criminals, and for being a successful if questionable financier. He is moral to the point of ruthless and openly employed cult warriors to do his dirty work. He is happy to exploit worlds for all they were worth and to take revenge on anyone who crossed him, and he has a good deal of influence in the Senate, which he used for his own gain and that of his clients.
Of course, Dooku knew that and so did each of the Jedi Masters but he has connections as well as the power of Palpatine's power in the Senate.
"Count Dooku, how much of a pleasure it is to finally see you for yourself," Damask greets, bowing his head downwards towards the form of Dooku, though the mockery in his voice resembles the fact that he doesn't take him as seriously as he should. "You did an impressive job to standing up for your beliefs, and that is something that should be commended."
"What are you doing here?" Dooku demands, molding his face to be impassive as always, motioning for the Muun to take a seat across from him.
Without argument, Damask does.
"It is not every day that you meet someone who share similar share points to myself," Dooku continues, his eyebrows arching.
"No," Damask replies. "The Jedi have done a great work to that."
Plagueis scowls. "You still didn't answer my questions. Why are you here? Why do you seek me out for introductions?"
"Because you have seen what I have seen, Count of Serenno. You have seen the corruption within the Senate and most of all what has filled the halls of the Jedi Temple." the dark being replies, his eyes immediately becoming dark golden, the webs of the dark side of the Force immediately surrounding Damask. "And enough with referring to me as Hego Damask, you may refer to me as Darth Plagueis."
Dooku has never heard such a name, but the shock did give way for his instincts to kick in. He immediately draws his lightsaber and activates it, pointing it in the direction of the looming Sith, not willing to allow him to try anything.
"There is no need for combat," Plagueis continues after a thick silence, waving his hand in a single gesture and causing the Count's blade to fly in his direction. "I simply wish to have a conversation with you. Until a day ago, my former apprentice wished to cause about great pain and destruction to the Jedi Order. However, his attempt to overthrow me have resulted in his failure and so now we are freed to do whatever we wish. You have seen the corruption within the Order, and now is the time to end it."
Dooku comes to a stop just as he is about to offer his own Force Attack. The Sith Lord actually wants to change the Jedi Order for what it is, and make them stronger. Fools like Mundi and Tiin that now populate the Order are only weakening them from the far run, and perhaps this new path would be a wiser choice.
That actually grates his interest more than he admits, but that doesn't mean he is gullible enough to join the Sith!
"Talk with me, Count, about the flaws of the Jedi and the Sith. And I can show you a far better Order than both of those foolish organizations who is nothing but Force Monks who debate about the light and dark. We could be better. For the past years, I have been looking at the Sith and Jedi codes, and it made me realize how full of arrogance and corruption the Jedi are. The Jedi encourage a lack of emotion and strict internal discipline. Just look at their respective codes.
The Jedi Code:
There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force.
The Sith Code:
Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.
Both codes are beyond flaw if I do say so myself." The Sith Lord says, a scowl on his lips, having recognized the flaws in both Orders long ago. At least, however, the Sith understand who they are and don't attempt to conceal it whereas the Jedi are going to fail the galaxy if they continue down the path they are currently walking.
Dooku is unable to help but agree with the Sith Lord despite his dark intent.
"While certain parts of the Jedi Code, specifically lines 2 and 5, are somewhat decent and beneficial, the rest of it is pushing a worldview based on restraint, discipline, and order. Now this in and of itself is imperative, but it accomplishes this by restricting the influence of passion. Passion and emotion are the chief governing factor in Humans. The Sith, on the other hand, encourage passion. They use it, control it, and gain strength and inspiration from it. This is their strength, but also their weakness. Emotion can grant power, but it can also blind you. So, neither the cold, orderly philosophy of the Jedi nor the reckless abandon of restraint of the Sith are necessarily worth following. Passion should never be without restraint, but the abandonment of it by the Jedi is both unrealistic and harmful to its members. So, while I wouldn't endorse the entirety of Sith philosophy, I don't blame those who would certainly endorse leaning into the "dark side" more than the "light"." Dooku replies, earning a nod of agreement from the Sith, both of their views not clashing. "This is the height of their power, and what I have seen troubles me; they're arrogant, hide-bound, and inflexible. Of course, like with Knights and Samurai, not all of them are this way. Qui-Gon certainly is less wrapped up in tradition. Kenobi is halfway between his old Master, and the current orthodoxy. But the point is, at the height of their power, their arrogance and, frankly, misunderstanding of the nature of the Force, is what allowed the Sith to manipulate them into causing their own destruction."
"I believe the Jedi have lost their way during the time of the Old Republic. Even then, the Jedi have always been an impotent organization of do-nothings and hand-wringers ever since antiquity, and usually depend on some small selection of competent mavericks to actually get anything done. They needed Revan to bail them out against Mandalore, they needed Revan to bail them out against… well, Revan, and the Sith lose mostly because of their own self-destructive tendencies rather than because of anything the Jedi actually did. It's not really clear when as an organization they have ever been competent." Plagueis responds heatedly, feeling his anger rise. He cares for the Jedi Order at one point, and as much as the Count wouldn't admit it, he still does, but the Jedi Council is entering an endless abyss that would eventually tip their Order's destruction over the edge.
The Muun pauses for a moment before continuing.
"The Jedi wait until trouble comes towards them instead of seeking it out and stopping their enemies themselves which results in lives being lost. They merely call it the will of the Force. One day they will be extinct due to the Jedi being romanticized, deified. If you strip away the myth and look at their deeds, the legacy of the Jedi is failure. Hypocrisy, hubris. They have failed the galaxy for over thousands of years and continue to do so. The Force itself granted the Jedi many chances for them to seek redemption and all they do is continue to deny it."
"This is a settlement I share with myself," Dooku admits, anger slipping through in his tone. "The Jedi should have never dismantled their titles as warriors. It has only made them grow far weaker. But that does not excuse the Sith. The Sith are good at nothing but narcissistic who cares for no one but themselves and their power. It is time for a new Order, one Order that is perfectly balanced and in harmony. I am aware that you have been searching for a resolution. I can see now we must bring the fight towards the Republic. It is inevitable that the Republic must fall. The Galactic Republic is corrupt. Many of its Senators and bureaucrats are corrupt. That became clear when the Senate would not lift a tentacle to save Naboo from attack by the Trade Federation when its people were dying. Surely the Jedi knew the Republic was a democracy in name only, and that it was hopelessly corrupt. It likely had been corrupt centuries before the secret Sith began manipulating the Trade Federation and Naboo towards war. They surely know the Inner Rim becomes wealthy by oppressing the Outer Rim worlds. This oppression led to many outer rim worlds breaking away from the Republic to create the Confederacy of Independent Systems. By supporting it as peacekeepers and negotiators, the Jedi helped prolong the suffering of people affected by corrupt governments and corporations. It is time we begin a new and stronger system as well as a new Order."
"So, you do agree that it is time for a new Order?" The Muun probes.
"While we may have agreements with the state of the Jedi and the Sith, Darth Plagueis, I would not entrust you with the future of the Jedi Order," The Count of Serenno replies, rubbing his hand through his graying beard in deep thought.
"I have prevented them from being wiped out completely," Plagueis responds, knowing that his cunning nature shall seat over the Count soon. "Sidious wanted exactly that, and he wouldn't have stopped at a second thought until he achieved what he wanted. He was nothing but someone who's ambitions never decreased."
"You continue mentioning Sidious, who was he?" Dooku frowns.
Plagueis allows a thick silence to pass through in the room, his eyes narrowing in disgust.
"Sheev Palpatine was Darth Sidious."
And Dooku finds himself stunned. The fact that the Sith Lord was able to escape the senses of thousands of Jedi, speaking to them as if they were allies, and bringing forward ideas that appeared to be good ones at that time, shows how far the Jedi have fallen. Dooku even has fallen at not sensing this deception, at not sensing what he should have from the beginning, and that means he was one who has become just as arrogant. How could the Jedi have been so-so stupid, and so foolish to not investigate into trusting a Senator?
The Jedi Order have fallen so far if they could not sense the dark side and the traitor who planned to overthrow them. While he is standing before a Sith Lord right now, the Count cannot find any reason to be able to view Plagueis as someone who he has to distrust.
"How?" Dooku murmurs, his brown eyes widened, not expecting someone who he spoke and shares his own ideas with to be the ultimate Sith Lord.
"He wanted to see that you would become his next apprentice," the Muun informs the Count, his golden eyes now flickering downwards as if he understands what Dooku is currently going through and the enteral conflict within him. "You were wrapped under his finger for many years now. He wanted to see to it that Jinn was murdered so you were brought to the dark side, thus why he deployed Darth Maul against your apprentice and even his own apprentice. However, in the end Vader was the only one who saved them all in the end."
Turmoil builds up within the Count. He couldn't ever accept the fact that there was a possibility that Qui-Gon could have died let alone with the possibility that he could fall, thus making Vader someone he has a deep respect for as well as some sort of the need to repay him at a later date. Perhaps not now, but there would perhaps be the day that Vader would need them and Dooku would be gladdened to help him.
Plagueis, on the other hand, senses that the older man is beginning to descend more and more. Dooku's descent would have to be calculated and careful, as he has no plans to make him sadistically cold and a person who has little to no control over the dark side. Allowing Sidious to have fallen far and to be a failed Sith now left the Sith nearby in the hands of someone who would have led them to power but their inevitable eventual destruction.
Plagueis's Sith Empire would be different entirely, and now with the only threat to his power eliminated, the Muun has to gain control over the Republic over wars' victories, not with planning from the shadows. Allow the Republic to vote into a feeble system, and allow the Jedi to deploy those to war, but the Muun Sith Lord has no plan to hide as he has been doing. His rise shall be similar to that of the original plan but would also be different in many ways.
He would be able to control the Republic from within but he would not be a coward. The Jedi might have already put the pieces together that Hego Damask was far more than he claimed to be if that had not been decided when the dark side itself was unleashed on the world of the Jedi power populating high.
"What could we do... about this corruption that is filling the Jedi Order?" At last, the dam is coming to a break, and the Count would soon join the Sith. Sidious's apprentices have been a failure, but Plagueis has made a vow not to make that same mistake, especially since he would have to detect when the dark side begin to taste away at the mental shields.
"The Jedi's failure to sense it, and I have saved the Jedi before it was too late. I won't deceive you; Jedi would die, but I would save a small amount of those who are not truly lost and save them from their own self-destruction. All I need is someone as wise as yourself who can think outwardly and not with the simple and foolish mind of a normal Jedi."
And Dooku's choice is already made.
And thus begin the Separatist Alliance.