A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews.

Jedi Kay-Kenobi: I've always seen Obi-Wan as trying very hard to be a good jedi. While he may do some questionable things, he will stay true to his beliefs. So no Sith Obi-Wan.

Dioussis : Dooku's not Light but not entirely Dark either, he is a living contradiction, and he has a plan.

LadySaxophone : Yes, Dooku is certainly smarter here than in canon, smart enough to be wary of Sidious, but he isn't really Light, more like Grey.

Angel of Darkness Forever : Thanks, I'll try to update every couple days.

AndrossKenobi : Yeah, I really liked the convo between Obi and Dooku in Ep II and disliked that it was never brought up again.

Chapter 2

Varykino was beautiful at night, thought Anakin Skywalker. He looked down at the golden wedding band on his callused right hand, the physical symbol of his marriage to Padme. He knew he'd have to remove it once he returned to Coruscant; it would be awkward if Obi-Wan noticed it and asked questions.

Obi-Wan

He could sense that his Master was alive, somewhere in the galaxy, no doubt Dooku's prisoner. Yoda had told him that he had arrived just as Dooku's ship had departed, and that the ancient master had sensed both Obi-Wan and Dooku aboard the craft.

A cold wave of guilt surged through Anakin, it was all his fault. If he hadn't rushed recklessly at Dooku, they could have taken him together, as Obi-Wan had planned.

If he had only listened, then Obi-Wan would still be here, and the Council wouldn't be assigning him to another master upon his return. His hands shook with rage, as he recalled the meeting he'd had with the Jedi Council before his departure.

"Your performance on Geonosis was very impressive, Padawan Anakin, as was your performance against Count Dooku." Shaak Ti's montrals swayed, her tone sympathetic.

"However, you did disobey a direct order from us," said Mace Windu "I commanded you to stay with Senator Amidala and protect her."

Anakin's jaw tightened, "All due respect, Master, I did stay with the senator, and I wanted to stay on Tatooine. She insisted on going to rescue Master Obi-Wan, and in order to fulfill my mandate, I had to accompany her."

'Disputing that, we are not," said Yoda, "Of more importance is your status, a Master you currently lack."

"Master Obi-Wan isn't dead," shouted Anakin, "I can sense he's still alive."

"Skywalker," said Plo Koon gruffly, "Dooku has shown that the lives of Jedi mean nothing to him. It is very likely that Master Kenobi is no longer alive."

"And even if he is alive, he is not available to be the master of Skywalker at the moment," said Ki-Adi-Mundi.

"Of importance, a new Master is," commented Yoda, "But Senator Amidala's safety, of equal importance it is."

"Skywalker," commanded Mace Windu, "You will escort Senator Amidala back to Naboo, where she can be guarded by her own people. Once you have seen to her safety, return to Coruscant. We shall have a new Master for you by then."

Anakin wanted to say something else, to argue that Obi-Wan was alive, that he needed to search for him. Instead, he simply said "As you wish, my Masters." He bowed and left the room, his heart leaping with joy, he was going be with Padme again!

"Anakin?"

Padme's soft voice brought Anakin out of the fog of angry memories and he turned to face his bride. She looked as beautiful as ever, her long auburn hair unbraided, falling to the small of her back, her brown eyes shimmering with concern.

"Come back to bed, Ani. It's our last night together."

Anakin stepped away from the balcony and kissed his wife. His wife. He still found it impossible to believe at times. He was a Jedi, sworn to forgo any attachment, and yet he had married.

Anakin Skywalker had broken one of the greatest tenets of the Jedi code. And he couldn't care less. He was married to the most beautiful woman in the galaxy, the woman he had loved for ten long years.

There was nothing else that mattered now; there was only him and Padme. Her love was all he needed. He broke the kiss and felt her soft hand grasp his, with a smile, he let her guide him back into the villa, putting all thoughts of Obi-Wan Kenobi out of his mind.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was going out of his mind, captivity driving him mad.

With soft Kuati rugs, shimmering crystal chandeliers, and an opulent refresher, his jail resembled the rooms of a merchant prince, not a prisoner. If not for the fact that all furniture was welded to the floor and that the doors and walls were made of a turadium alloy Obi-Wan hadn't been able to so much as dent, the suite did not resemble a prison at all.

He had been in these rooms for almost a week, ever since the dinner he had had with Dooku. The chambers were well appointed, but there was nothing to draw Obi-Wan's attention, and meals came infrequently. In addition, rest and meditation was hard to come by, the floor would electrify randomly, and ear-splitting screeches would blast every hour. Obi-Wan understood that this was all part of Dooku's game, to keep Obi-Wan isolated and hungry, so that he would be more malleable to the Sith Lord's ideas.

And it was working. Deprived of food, companionship and rest, Obi-Wan's thoughts had dwelled solely on the Sith Lord Dooku had claimed controlled the Republic, Darth Sidious. Obi-Wan was torn between believing Dooku's words and dismissing them as a Sith ploy. He didn't want to believe Dooku, the Count had shown his true colors on Geonosis, when he had stood by and let nearly two hundred Jedi die and when he had used Sith lightning on Anakin and Obi-Wan. Dooku had fallen to the Dark side; there was no question about that.

But, in spite of that, could Obi-Wan still believe him. If this Darth Sidious truly existed, if he was the mastermind behind the war that had broken out, could Obi-Wan turn down the chance to learn his identity? To hunt him down with Dooku's help and end the menace of the Sith forever.

And kill the man who had Qui-Gon murdered.

The last thought flashed through Obi-Wan's mind like a laser blast. He had put his anger and despair about Qui-Gon's death behind him, but Dooku's words had opened the old wound and had rekindled the flame of fury.

The true killer of Qui-Gon Jinn is still free

It is his goal to destroy all of the Jedi in existence

You must join me Obi-Wan and together, we shall destroy the Sith!

His hands began to shake and he rose from the hand-carved chair, anger and sorrow beginning to fill his mind. If only he'd been faster, if only he'd been stronger. If Obi-Wan had not been so angry at Qui-Gon before their duel with Darth Maul, the Jedi Master might have lived. The man who had been Obi-Wan's father would still be alive and he would have known what to do.

Qui-Gon Jinn would have known what to do. The Jedi Master had been centered in the living Force. He had understood that in order to follow the Force, a Jedi sometimes had to disobey the rules of the Jedi Council, had to go against the decrees of the Republic.

Qui-Gon Jinn would never join you.

Or would he?

Dooku had claimed that Qui-Gon would have gladly joined him in his efforts to destroy the Sith, if he had known the truth about the Sith controlling the Senate. Could Obi-Wan trust the Count's words and turn against the Jedi Council to eradicate the Sith forever?

An ear-splitting screech shattered Obi-Wan's musings and he clutched at his ears in agony. The sound was tearing into his skull like a hydraulic hammer. Gasping in pain, he felt a very real rage beginning to boil in his veins; he had had enough of these games!

"Dooku!" Obi-Wan bellowed, "I have come to a decision. I believe what you say."

He paused, expecting the Count to come barrelling in; his aged features alight with triumph. Instead the polished turadium doors remained closed, and the room was silent.

Obi-Wan let out a sigh of exasperation and collapsed back onto the luxurious divan. If Dooku wasn't waiting for Obi-Wan to come around to his side, what was the point of his captivity?

A/N: If you liked this, please review.