Title: Ultimate Drabble Challenge 7 Week 1

Genre: Drabbles

Characters: Dooku and Qui-Gon

Summary: Dooku's perspective of Qui-Gon growing up and dying.

Author's Notes: UDC is a writer's challenge over on the JC Forums. 5 one hundred word drabbles a week for 20 weeks.

Baby

The first time he had met Qui-Gon, he had been eleven. He had gotten into trouble again and Master Naki assigned him to the creche to care for the infants. Dooku curled his lip at the sight of the children, "I am not changing them."

"Yes you will," commanded Naki sternly. "You will do what Madame Yoo'nik tells you." She then left and Dooku, drawn to a child, gave in to his fate.

"Qui-Gon Jinn," he read the nameplate on the crib. The baby looked up and gurgled a laugh. "You don't seem too bad."

Child

The next time he had seen Qui-Gon, it was a year before his own Knighthood. The baby he had cared for a week had grown into a lanky child. But that mattered not to Dooku, he was interested in his lightsaber technique.

"His Shii-Cho is perfected," he commented quietly to himself as he observed the boy spar with a dark skinned Initiate. "But he likes Ataru... Wait? He knows the Way of the Ysalamiri?" Dooku was impressed and as he probed the child's aura in the Force, he knew that this Qui-Gon Jinn would be his future Padawan.

Teenager

Dooku was twenty-six when his teenage Padawan snuck out of their apartment. Curious as to where his student could be off to, the Master quietly followed the boy through the quiet halls. He was impressed at how well Qui-Gon avoided the nocturnal Jedi but confused as to why he went to the gardens.

He had thought his Padawan was up to no good. What he found instead should have been obvious.

"How is he?" asked Tahl. Cradled in Qui-Gon's hands was a tiny animal that Dooku had somehow missed. The master shook his head and let the friends be.

Adult

Ten years to the day since he had taken Qui-Gon as his Padawan, he had proudly watched as the eleven year old boy grew from a child into a man, a Padawan into a Knight.

"Congratulations, my Padawan," he praised with a rare smile. "I hope you plan on taking a Padawan soon to join me as a Master?"

Qui-Gon shook his head, "No, I am not as eager to teach so soon like you were."

"Pish-posh," Dooku replied. "You are more than capable. Force knows, you will at least know what not to do."

Elderly

Dooku was old and he regretted deeply that he had lived for so long while another died far too soon. Qui-Gon should have reached a ripe old age and not himself, but the Force decided otherwise.

No, the Council chose his fate, he bitterly denied. They killed him by sending them alone.

He blamed the old fools that sat in the tower. If they had just listened, had believed Qui-Gon that the Sith had returned, his Padawan would be alive and he would not be seeking the Sith.

I will have revenge, he vowed before greeting another friend. "Chancellor."