Chapter Thirty-Five: Count Dooku

Dooku paced towards me, his eyes dark and his face grim. Obi-Wan was barely regaining consciousness across the room, his eyes dazed and unfocused as he lifted his head. The clones and I raised our blasters at the count, but were never able to fire. Dooku swept his hand sideways, the Force surging at me and slamming me backwards into the Commander.

We all tumbled to the floor, our weapons clattering with us. As we struggled to rise, my fist grabbing my pistol and raising it once more. And then...electricity shot through us. I clenched my teeth against the scream that wanted to erupt from my throat. I'd been electrocuted before, whether it was a taser or a mishap with fixing my ship...but this was something else entirely. I could feel the sheer Force power behind it. The darkness and anger that sent it through the air and into my body. It made my muscles convulse and seared my skin, my entire body trying to shut down. I fought it, letting out a groan of relief when he stopped. I fell to my knees, my blurry vision looking sideways to see the clones all sprawled on the floor.

I glanced at Rex, seeing his sweating face, pain splayed across his features. I looking back to see Dooku glaring at me, his hand stretching out again. Pain blossomed across my chest as I was struck with more lightning, my body tipping sideways to fall into Rex's body. I panted as the burning stopped, leftover electricity bouncing between our bodies. My hand rested over Rex's chest, my own force sensitivity feeling him struggle. It was too much. It was killing him.

Some of the other clones had already lost consciousness. I reached out for Cody in the Force, feeling him struggle as Rex was.

If this continued, they'd all die...as I would.

I could feel Dooku's rage ripple towards me with the next onslaught of lightning. I wasn't going down from the pain, my own determination and stubbornness fueling me to stay upright and awake. Should I go down to save the clones? They couldn't take much more of Dooku's anger. Then again...would Dooku stop if I fell?

I slumped slightly as the lightning stopped again, Obi-Wan's voice barely audible past the pounding in my ears. "Enough, Dooku!" he was trying to stand, his body battered and worn out. "Your quarrel is with me."

"Obi-wan," Anakin said faintly, obviously struggling against his own pains as well.

My body made the decision before my mind did, finding its way back to its knees. My eyes lifted to glare angrily at Dooku, letting my anger seep from me. He sensed it, his dark eyes turning to watch me sit up again, my body placed between Rex, Cody, and the Count. Obi-Wan slumped again, struggling to defend us, the desperation clear on his face.

"Do you wish to die, child?" Dooku finally spoke directly to me.

I pressed my lips into a line, clenching my jaw as I fought against the pain in my limbs. I'm going to get myself killed, aren't I? I watched as Dooku raised his hand again, electricity dancing for a moment on his fingers before jumping towards me. I grit my teeth and lunged forward towards it, my hands lifting in a desperate attempt to save myself and the soldiers behind me.

To the shock of the room, the lightning stopped in a rippling pool before my palms. The searing heat pushed against me, but I collected my resolve, finding my own connection to the Force and drawing from it. The room shook slightly, but I couldn't tell if that was just for me or if the others felt it too. Dooku increased his power, something he seemed to have an endless well of.

"I feel your anger, child," he spoke over the popping of electricity between us. Sweat beaded across my forehead as I struggled to keep his rage away from the clones. "Your power," he continued. "You need a teacher."

I grit my teeth, knowing only some of the differing teachings between the jedi and the sith. I knew what Obi-wan had told me. I knew what the voice in my visions had whispered. What Qui-Gon had warned me about. None of it made sense. I didn't know what I believed.

Yet...I knew in that moment that Dooku was evil. Not for his beliefs about the Force or which side of the war he was one. He was the enemy simply for the fact that he would kill Obi-wan and Anakin. That he would kill Rex and Cody and the rest of the men.

He would kill those I cared for.

"What I need," I growled, pushing a bit harder against his lightning. "Is for you to shut up!" I let out a yell, pushing as hard as I could with the force. A wave of power shot across the room, throwing both Dooku and Obi-Wan backwards. My body felt drained, but I forced myself to stand, breathing heavily. Obi-Wan was still fighting unconsciousness, struggling to reach out for his lightsaber, which I saw resting beside Anakin's atop a console on the far end of the room. Dooku found his feet, drawing his own red blade in anger.

"I'll teach you your place, child," he hissed, striding towards me. I reached out my hand, feeling the Force shift around my appendages like water rippling in a pond. I could practically feel my fingers wrapping around the lightsaber across the room. In a final tug of power that buzzed in my ears, Obi-Wan's lightsaber met my palm swiftly.

I'd only ever held one once before, but this was different. It was lighter, the kyber crystal inside filled with a noble quality that I could only connect to Obi-Wan. The one I'd held before was of a much darker essence.

I'd seen the blade wielded a few times, its glowing black energy striking fear into more than just the slaves. Even members of Death Watch tensed in its presence. I usually did my best to avoid their leader, his cold blue eyes constantly searching for someone to find fault with. There was only once that I sought out the displays of the Darksaber's punishments. A member of Death Watch, one of the many that had violated me in my short time there, was particularly vile. His twisted mind took pleasure in mutilation, going so far as to carve a line from my right temple, straight down to my chin.

With the crude bandage adhered to my still-smarting skin, I'd found my way to the part of the camp I usually avoided- Vizsla's tent. I peered around the various boxes and tents that stood there, watching my abuser kneel before his leader. He begged for mercy, my nose scrunching in response. Vizsla, his armor proud and shining, his blond hair pushed back from his sharp face, mimicked my own scowl. He drew his lightsaber, the blade dark and intimidating, pointing it towards his victims face.

"Don't you know the rule?" Vizsla spit, swinging his blade through the open air angrily. "Never touch the face of a pleasure slave! That's merchandise!"

My scowl deepened as Vizsla continued his rant, explaining how a pleasure slave could only be hurt where clothing could hide. I wanted to steal the blade and kill them both. I swallowed thickly, but refused to look away as Vizsla finally finished his speech, swiftly bringing the blade down to kill my abuser. All the while, his victim pleaded for mercy until his last breath.

"Hu'tuun," I growled lowly, having picked up the rough Mando'a language in my short time there. It seemed I was a bit too loud in my anger, Vizsla's head snapping sideways to see me glaring at the corpse before him.

My heart skipped, the sick pleasure at my abuser's death fleeting as it was replaced by fear. Vizsla strode to me, his hand reaching between the cracks in my hiding spot and wrenching me into the open. Still waiting in the courtyard stood a woman I'd learned was called Bo-Katan. I'd avoided her, hearing she had a brutal streak, being the leader of an inner circle group called the Nite Owls. Her sharp-edged mask hid her face from me, but I knew the pale face, red hair, and striking green eyes that hid beneath it.

I was thrown down beside the decapitated corpse of my abuser, immediately feeling a twinge of guilt. Of course, he deserved it, but being beside a dead body worked well in bringing someone back to reality. I looked up fearfully at the leader of Death Watch, but could feel a smidge of curiosity beneath his anger.

"You call this man a coward, yet hide in the shadows," he spoke at me, pacing as he had before the previous execution. I breathed heavily for a moment, closing my eyes and mustering my courage. Or maybe it was stupidity. "You say-"

"He was," I cut him off, barely keeping the shake out of my voice. Both Vizsla and Katan seemed taken aback, their heads tilting slightly. I urged myself on. "He was a coward because he pleaded for his life. And he was stupid enough to think you'd give it to him."

Vizsla was silent for a moment before igniting his blade again, the energy hot as it drew near my face. "Are you a coward?"

I lifted my gaze from the blade to his steely eyes, my jaw clenching. "Am I begging?" I asked rhetorically.

Despite his best efforts, an amused smile twitched along the sides of his lips. He glanced quickly to Bo-Katan before staring at me again. "Who are you?" When I hesitated to respond, Katan jumped in.

"She's one of the slaves we picked up from the Hutt transport, sir," she said curtly.

"The Hutts," Vizsla mused, looking me over. "What did you do for the Almighty Jabba?" he asked sarcastically.

"I was a translator."

"And now?"

I didn't answer again, glaring at him past his blade. "She's a pleasure slave, sir," Katan answered for me, but I could hear the distaste in her voice.

Vizsla's eyes scanned over my ragged, malnourished body, landing on the bandages on my face. "You're the one he scarred," he put together, still looking me over. "It's strange. You're not like the others he liked." Bile wanted to jump up my throat, but I pushed it down, still glaring at the Death Watch leader. The blade found its way closer to my skin, the heat beginning to sting. "I should just kill you," he mused aloud. "We'll never fetch a good price for you now. Who would want you like this?"

I breathed deeply, watching him, but didn't respond.

"What good are you to me?" he asked, trying to get me to say something. To plead for my life. "Is there some purpose you could serve? I don't need a translator."

As he continued, my resolve settled. I wasn't afraid to die. In reality, it didn't even feel like I was living anymore. I was likely going to die no matter what, so why die with a plea on my tongue? I'd prefer to get the last snide remark and go with some dignity.

"If you're going to kill me, stop stalling and get it over with," I spit. Vizsla seemed shocked, but I continued. "You think I'm going to cetar when you're just going to kill me? I'm not that stupid."

To my great surprise, Vizsla laughed. His head flung backwards as he sheathed his blade, his blond hair flopping slightly. When he relaxed, he looked down at me with amusement before twirling the hilt of his lightsaber and offering it to me. My heart froze in my chest, glancing between the hilt and his waiting gaze.

"Take it. I know you want to hold it."

Slowly, I lifted the hilt from his palm, Katan's tension rippling behind me. Vizsla nodded to me, my thumb dusting over a button before the blade ignited. It surged with energy, its power dark and lusting for blood. Despite not knowing too much about the Force at the time, I'd heard enough from those around me that I could control my senses a bit. The blade practically spoke, trying to tell a long story with sorrow, betrayal, and death. But beneath it, there was a hopeful nature. One of unison and harmony. But it was buried deep below the dark influence of its current master.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Vizsla broke into my thoughts, pacing before me. "It's called the Darksaber. Do you know its origins?" I shook my head, my eyes still dancing over the curved black blade. "It was built by the only Mandalorian Jetii. After his death, the saber was kept in the temple on Coruscant. But my clan took it back many years ago, using it to keep Mandalore united."

I felt the blade obey me as it found its balance in my hand, twisting it slowly. I glanced up, encouraged by the fact that I held the weapon. "It doesn't seem to be working."

Vizsla didn't respond, but I felt his mood darken. "Do you know what we're called in Mandalorian?"

"Kyr'tsad," I responded immediately, the blade raising slowly to be held in both my hands.

"You learn fast. Let's see how fast," he said with a smirk. "Prove to me your worth."

"I already said I wouldn't do tha-" I started before he lunged at me. Not thinking, I merely dodged instead of trying to use the Darksaber. I composed myself again, having gotten into some scuffs in my varying street jobs as a child. My legs spread and my knees bent to give myself a better stance, the blade rising to be gripped by both hands beside my head.

Vizsla was upright, examining me. "Good stance. Weak, though." He ducked swiftly, his heel whipping around to sweep out my ankle. My tired, sore, and malnourished body fell easily to his hit, the blade disengaging and falling with me. "Pleasure slave," he spit.

I growled, gritting my teeth and scooping up the blade again. I raced towards Vizsla angrily, the blade igniting again as I let out an enraged scream. I couldn't think of anything but how I wanted him dead. I swung wildly, feeling the Force ripple around me and guide the blade. Vizsla ducked, but barely, his striking blue eyes expressing his surprise. His mouth curled in the slightest of smiles as I rounded again, the hilt growing hot in my hand, my anger channeling into it.

Vizsla caught my wrist on the next swing, but wasn't expecting my angry cry and a kick to the chest. In my rage, something dark inside of me woke up. It urged me to kill him. To kill everyone in the camp. To torture those that had dared to touch me. To defile me.

I agreed with the whispering voice in my head, swinging with wild abandon at the leader of Death Watch. He ducked and dodged all of my attacks, but even his cool facade couldn't mask the slight worry blooming in his hard stare. My rage was even surprising to me, in those moments.

He leapt over my next swing, using his jetpack to give him an extra boost.

We were both pretty shocked when I didn't turn with him, swinging the blade behind me deftly to strike the rocket pack as he landed. He rolled away, discarding the damaged pack as it sizzled and smarted.

I looked at him over my shoulder, the blade hot in my hands. It begged for more blood...its insatiable lust for death. I sensed that somewhere deep down, that wasn't it's true nature. But it had seen so much...killed so many.

Vizsla was angry now. Any amusement he'd taken in our little altercation drifted away with the next chilled breeze through the encampment. In addition, the sound of the blade hitting the pack was loud-it drew attention. Other members of Death Watch were beginning to appear, watching carefully from behind their masks.

They likely knew it wasn't a challenge. Still...a young pleasure slave was holding her own against their grown leader-a warrior with an impeccable record.

Vizsla wasn't about to let our little show go on any longer.

My rage was tapering off, being replaced by fear. I couldn't take all of them, even if I could down Vizsla. I wasn't a Mandalorian, nor had I challenged him. If I defeated him-or stars forbid, killed him-I would be given no honor. No reward.

They'd just kill the child who murdered their leader...before spitting on his cowardly corpse.

That thought alone almost stirred me to continue fighting and kill him. Knowing that his name would be forgotten due to his defeat.

But then he drew his pistols and fired. My nerves came to life in a string of fire across my skin. My arms titled, somehow using the blade to deflect the shots. That was certainly surprising to everyone present.

Vizsla charged, still firing. I ducked below his shots, sweeping the blade at his legs. He dove over my attack, landing a hard kick to my right hip. I fell forward harshly, the Darksaber disengaging so it didn't slice me in half.

When my fatigued and malnourished body found its back, Vizsla was standing over me, holstering his pistols. In a last-ditch effort filled with anger and desperation, I swung my legs up so I was on my knees, ignited the blade, and thrust forward.

He twisted around my attack, grabbing my wrist and wrenching my arm sideways. I screamed, ready to drop the blade, but his gloved fingers wrapped around my own, forcing me to keep it in my grasp. His other hand came up to close around my throat, my free fingers clawing at the gaps in his armor desperately.

His face was close to mine, his usually kept hair falling into his angry eyes. The Darksaber was between us, the man pushing it towards my face, his mouth curled into a sneer.

"Are you going to beg?" he growled as the black blade came closer to the skin of my left cheek, making it burn.

I winced, but forced myself to return his hard gaze. Through my terror, I gathered saliva in my mouth before spitting it into his face. He grew very still, my spit sitting on his cheekbone. If it were possible, his blue eyes got even colder, his jaw tensing.

I still pushed hopelessly in his grip, trying to free either the Darksaber or my throat. Preferably both.

And then he moved.

It was sudden, taking me by surprise and knocking me over. The hand on my throat pushed me back so I was arching backwards, struggling to keep my legs beneath me to offer some form of leverage.

He growled through clenched teeth, the first around the Darksaber pushing it closer to my cheek. "You have courage, slave," he hissed. "But you are nothing to me. And you'll remember this day for the rest of your life."

The blade kissed the skin of my cheekbone, my eyes squinting shut against the burn, my voice crying out as best as it could with the hand clamped around my neck.

"Your emotions betray you, girl," Dooku said in a small grunt. Our lightsabers were interlocked, pushing against the other.

When had we started fighting?

I remembered the whole fight until that moment as if it was a blur. The way my feet danced and circled as if they were trained to do that. The heavy force of his blade crashing against mine. But I'd been so immersed in my terrible memory, I'd barely noticed.

"You're unfocused," Dooku continued, giving my blade a hard shove and separating us to pace sideways. "Unbalanced."

I didn't answer, despite knowing he was right. More memories started to spring up in my mind.

Flashes of my time with the Zygerrians. Mines and the flashes of wips. The auction, where a crowd of thousands roared bids for different slaves. The feel of the Death Watch warrior's blade as it raked down the side of my face. The way his scarred skin felt too hot when he pushed it against me.

But most of all...pain. Anger. Fear.

"Don't listen to him, Kida," Anakin yelled from his restraints. "He's trying to distract you!" I breathed deeply, listening to Skywalker's voice. Focusing on his energy. His connection to the Force pulsed like a steady heartbeat. Sure. Firm. Strong.

Dooku was guiding my thoughts. Trying to get into my mind to deter me. I pushed back mentally, a brief look of surprise crossing his features as I put a wall around my thoughts, blocking him as I had to Obi-wan.

"Stay out of my head," I growled. My fingers curled around the hilt of the lightsaber, lifting it to my side in a ready stance. I remembered what Vizsla had said, all those years ago.

"Good stance. Weak, though."

I wasn't weak anymore. I steadied myself, like I did before taking a shot with a sniper. It was like I could see Dooku's moves before he made them. It was easy to sidestep his next attack, parrying my blue blade against his.

I thought back to how Vizsla had fought me. Mandalorian warriors were well versed in fighting jedi. They were jedi killers, with tools made specifically to counter the abilities of the Force.

My memories, though filled with darkness, were tools to teach.

I ducked Dooku's next attack, stepping back easily. My feet followed the path Vizsla had when he avoided my attacks, my body following with ease.

Dooku got angry, thrusting out his hand and sending me flying backwards into one of the metal pillars that climbed the arching wall. My body protested the abuse as I crumpled to the floor, Obi-wan's lightsaber falling beside me.

"You are weak, girl," Dooku chuckled, sending lightning flying from his fingertips. I rolled to the side, scooping up the lightsaber and igniting it in time to deflect the onslaught. Still, it pushed against me as any force would, shoving me back into the wall.

"Leave her alone," Obi-wan tried again, but his body was far too weak. Across the room, the clones were regaining consciousness, only to see me locked in a lightsaber battle with a sith lord.

I guess more than Cody and Rex would know now. My secret was out entirely.

What would the Jedi Council do now?

Dooku stopped his lightning, detecting my train of thought shifting. I slumped, the exertion in the Force taking its toll on me. I could fight physical battles, as I was trained to do. But using the Force like I was?

It was a new form of fighting that I was only just scraping the surface of. My stamina was complete osik.

"You're afraid. Afraid of what the Council will do with you. Afraid of what your friends will think." He sneered the word 'friends' like it was sour on his tongue. His blade fell to his side as he paced, looking between the clones and jedi that were sprawled around him. "The jedi cannot be trusted. They will fear you, girl."

He sounded so sure of himself. A part of me believed him.

"Do you hear the darkness calling to you?" he asked, his expression stern. Yet, his voice was somehow softer. Not gentle, per say, but not as booming. I felt him nudging at the wall that I'd built around my mind. Still, I'm sure he could feel the same darkness I was feeling in the room.

But that darkness was him...right?

"You do," he reasoned, glancing at Obi-wan, who was looking at me with wide, worried eyes. "Kenobi already knows this. I feel his concern. I'm sure he told you that he trusts you, yes?"

My eyes darted back to him at his words as I slowly found my feet again, Obi-wan's blue saber held loosely at my side.

Dooku chuckled. "Yes, I know he has. You don't believe that, do you? Bringing you into the Republic was only a means to keep an eye on a threat that they could use. You were useful. But now you'll be too powerful. You're beyond control, aren't you, girl? You hear the darkness. It calls to you, even now."

"Stop it," I whispered, curling my hand around the hilt of my saber.

"Don't deny it," Dooku pushed. He wasn't attacking me. He was baiting me. Trying to get a reaction from me. It was working. "You've felt this power inside you, but suppressed it out of fear. You're not the one who should be afraid. They are." He gestured to the jedi. "You see things for how they truly are. You see how the jedi are flawed."

That wasn't a conclusion I'd come to yet. I'd hesitated at some of their customs, sure...but who was I to judge an entire religion?

"Their fate is not mine to decide," I tried, pulling the blade up to a defensive position before me, hoping Dooku would attack. Fighting was better than this talk of temptation. Anything was.

"But it can be," Dooku smirked, lifting his hand. He pointed it at me and I prepared to block more lightning. But he turned at the last moment, electrifying the clones who were struggling to find their feet. They screamed, their fear rising in my mind like a tidal wave. Through the cries, I heard Rex whisper my name. Was it a plea? Or a goodbye?

Peace is a lie.

"No!" I screamed, throwing my lightsaber at Dooku. He deflected it, but the attack on the clones ended as I charged towards the sith lord. Energy burst through my muscles, my strength revitalized with a desperation I couldn't explain.

There is only passion.

I ignored the hissing voice I'd begun to recognize from my dreams and visions. Something about the voice's presence though...it gave me power. I sensed it was dark. Qui-Gon had warned me against it.

But I had no training in the Force aside from Obi-wan's brief discussions of control. I didn't need control in that moment. Control wouldn't save my friends.

Power would.

Through passion, the voice hissed in my mind as I rushed towards Dooku with no weapon. I gain strength.

I leapt in the air, my hand flying out to draw Obi-wan's saber to me. It met my palm obediently, igniting as I crashed down onto Dooku. Our blades collided with a spray of angry sparks, the older man stumbling back slightly. Still, he seemed smug, despite the power shift.

"It calls to you even now," Dooku chuckled, blocking my next ferocious attacks. "Can you feel the power your anger gives you? You're angry because I've hurt your friends. Because I've hurt you. Because I'm right."

I screamed, slashing as hard as I could to push his blade back before sticking out my hands. It was like a wave rising up from my gut and out through my arms. Dooku was forced backwards, his cape fluttering as he rolled.

Through strength, I gain power.

Something deep inside me screamed that what I was doing was wrong. This power I was tapping into-a well of incredibly abilities-was dark and dangerous. I shouldn't be doing it. But something drove me. The voice was melodic in my head as it spoke words I could only define as a creed.

I didn't know what for, but it gave me the ability to win.

Through power, I gain victory. The voice sounded proud. Confident. Strong.

I reached out my other hand, beckoning Anakin's lightsaber to my free hand. Armed with two blue blades, I advanced on Dooku slowly. Even he looked a little worried right now.

I attacked with a fury I didn't know I had. I was a good fighter, but I never fought with swords, nonetheless lightsabers, apart from the one time with Vizsla. But they were light in my hand, humming with the Force. The kyber crystals, alive within the sabers, seemed disturbed by my anger. Hurt, even. It put them under immense stress.

"You need a teacher," Dooku insisted again as we fought. Despite both of my blades, Dooku still parried and fought easily. He was graceful, especially considering his old age.

I backed out of his next attack, trying to keep myself from getting too tired too fast. "I don't need anything from you," I huffed, crossing the sabers to catch his blade between mine.

His face got close to mine, his yellowish eyes gleaming over the light of the lightsabers. "Don't be a slave to the Republic."

"I'm not a slave to anyone," I growled, pushing against him to no avail.

"You are," he insisted darkly, his eyes glinting.

Through victory, the voice started in my mind, the room seeming to darken. The cavern shook slightly again, and this time, I wasn't the only one who noticed it. Behind Dooku, Obi-wan and Anakin looked up at the ceiling where dust was falling from before sharing a concerned look.

I closed my eyes, desperate. Afraid. Angry. I focused on the voice, letting it inside my mind. My muscles burned with power, my nerves aflame, sensing everything in the room.

When I opened my eyes again, the sureness melted from Dooku's face. "My chains are broken," I finished for the voice only I heard. I knew the rest, despite it not whispering it to me. Instead, it planted in my mind. I stopped straining, gaining more strength with our blades interlocked. "The Force shall free me."

Said Force exploded from my chest, sending Dooku flying past Anakin and over Obi-wan towards the far door. I was aflame with energy, my blood hot in my veins, my eyes wide and searching for blood. I felt like I had when we'd faced members of Death Watch.

I could feel my finger squeezing the trigger to kill Duchess Satine's traitorous senator friend. It felt...good.

I felt my back straighten, my shoulders curling slightly as I dipped my head to watch Dooku struggle to his feet. "You say I'm afraid?" I asked, my voice suddenly loud in the quiet room. I pointed one of the blue lightsabers at Dooku. "It seems like you're the only one who's afraid here."

My strides were sure. Powerful. I'd never felt so free in my life, even when I was saved from slavery. I felt in control of every factor. I could achieve anything I wanted to. I always knew I had the ability...but now, I knew no one would be able to stop me.

I walked past Obi-wan's prone form...and nearly fell over my own feet.

I risked a glance down at him, feeling the look he was giving me before actually seeing it. His bright blue eyes were wide. He wasn't afraid...he was sad. Shocked, maybe. But mostly sad. I stopped in my tracks, the blue blades falling to hand at my sides while I allowed my senses to touch his.

He was scared for me, not of me. I became suddenly aware of how cold the room felt, and how hot my skin felt against the cool air. I was aware of how tense my legs and back were, the muscles coiling and flexing to a point of discomfort. My fingers were curled so tight around the lightsabers, that my knuckles were white beneath my torn up gloves, pins and needles erupting along the skin when I loosened them.

The red in my vision faded away, my mind clearing of the darkness that was accumulating there.

I suddenly felt incredibly tired, as if all my energy had been drained in that moment of immense power. Of immense darkness.

I mentally shoved away the guilt and fear over what had just happened...of what I'd just allowed to happen. I swung one of the blue blades to my left, slicing through the console beneath Skywalker. He was released from his suspension, falling to the ground in a heap. Obi-wan was more or less out of the game-a fact I determined as the clones finally found their feet again, Cody gently touching his general's shoulder to try and get him up.

I met Rex's gaze for the briefest of moments. He was afraid. For me. Of me. I stared at him like I was memorizing his features. I was about to face Dooku...without whatever dark power had just given me an advantage. I didn't know if I'd ever see Rex again.

"Get them out of here," I commanded to the clones, none of whom seemed to argue with my newly gained authority. I tossed down Anakin's lightsaber, watching it land near the kneeling jedi. He grabbed it slowly, looking weak, but determined.

I turned towards Dooku again as Rex stopped at his general's side. The dark lord had found his feet again, looking anxiously between the group that opposed him. As I advanced, however, his face contorted in a sneer.

"Lost your nerve, have you girl?" he asked, igniting his blood red blade again. "Only cowards run from the Dark Side."

The voice that was buried deep in my moon stirred angrily, but I forced it back into submission. I didn't understand it, nor the power it gave me. I wasn't a fool. I wouldn't use it until I understood all that it could do and how to control it.

"I'm not the one who's backing towards the door," I countered, slowing my approach to raise my saber in a defensive hold.

Dooku stopped as if he hadn't noticed he'd been edging towards an escape, his gaze dark. He didn't speak, but his swift jab was enough of a response as any. I countered it, but I could already feel that I was moving slower now. My friends were safe, the clones trying to coax the jedi towards the other exit and to where the rest of the squads were holding a position. Where they could escape when reinforcements arrived.

I just had to hold Dooku until then.

I didn't really think about what I would do. Maybe I'd die. It wasn't ideal, but it would sure solve a lot of my problems at once. If I somehow survived both Dooku and the eventual likely decimation of the facility, I'd have to escape. The Jedi Council wouldn't allow me any freedom anymore, knowing what I'd done.

Would they have me killed? Or would they lock me up on Coruscant? Surely they'd know I could find a way to escape...so death?

What was the jedi's form of punishment anyway?

Or maybe I'd be turned over to the Republic. To the Chancellor. That thought made me shudder slightly, barely dodging Dooku's next attack.

"You're weakening, girl," Dooku growled, crashing his lightsaber against mine. I stumbled back a few paces, lifting my blade again to clash with his. They crossed, searing hot and sparking against my exposed skin.

My mind flashed with the heat of Vizsla's blade against my cheek. I shoved Dooku off with a hard push, but found no help from the Force. I ducked below his next swing, coming up with my blade aimed at his chest.

Pain erupted across my face, bouncing down my neck, as Dooku's other hand lifted and shot electricity from his fingers. I was thrown backwards with a scream, crumpling hard on the stone.

Dooku felt confident now, striding forward as I struggled to find Obi-wan's lightsaber, which had flown from my grasp. I was acutely aware of the clones lifting their weapons, but Anakin, pushing them away and encouraging them to help Obi-wan. But apart from the smallest of hints of where they were in the room, it was hard enough to focus on staying conscious as was.

Dooku was above me now, my eyes finding the fallen lightsaber a few feet away, just out of reach. As the sith raised his red blade, I reached out my hand, willing Obi-wan's blade to me. And then it flew past me, nearly whacking me in the head as I lost focus from the pain of Dooku burning my shoulder. The red laser sword sizzled when it contacted my skin between armor plates.

"Pity," Dooku clicked his tongue at me. "I sense great potential in you. Great potential for darkness. But now, you are only an ant...trying to stand in my way." He lifted his blade and brought it crashing down over me.

I wish I could say that I'd faced the end with some dignity. That I stared Dooku in the eyes as he killed me.

I didn't. I screamed. I turned my face away in terror, not wanting to see my end coming.

But it never came. I briefly heard the sound of another lightsaber igniting before hearing two crash together, a flurry of sparks falling over me.

When I looked back, Anakin was standing over me, glaring at Dooku, their blades crossed over my prone form. He'd saved my life, despite whatever darkness I'd just unleashed in the room a few moments prior.

With a determined shove, Anakin pulled out of the crosslock and pushed Dooku away with the Force. The jedi looked down at me, his scar somehow looking deeper within his face in his barely concealed anger.

"Help them get Obi-wan out of here."

"I can help you," I protested weakly. But we both felt my fear. And my growing weakness. Skywalker gave me a stern look as he stepped away, advancing on Dooku. I resigned myself, forcing my way back to my feet. Skywalker ignited a second blue blade-Obi-wan's-as he clashed with Dooku, the two fighting with such speed that I could barely keep up.

I knew now...Dooku had been toying with me. I held no real power over him.

You could.

I shook away the dark voice, hurrying over to join the clones as they tried to get Obi-wan out the door. Rex's golden eyes glanced over me, but I could feel his nerves. He didn't understand what I'd done. Maybe he couldn't feel the Force, but I was sure everyone knew something dark had happened.

A cry made me look over my shoulder as Cody and Rex tried to usher us all from the room. Anakin...was losing.

"Kida, don't," Rex said under his breath, practically hissing the words. His hand came up and grabbed my right shoulder, making me wince and pull back. He muttered out an apology, but still looked like he wanted to grab me and drag me from the room, any pain he caused me aside.

I watched for a moment as Dooku pushed Skywalker back, the already bruised jedi barely blocking a stream of lightning. The two crashed together again, Dooku gaining the upper hand.

"Don't, Kida." The voice was frail, but it was firm. I glanced back at Obi-wan, seeing the jedi held up between Cody and another clone I didn't know. He was barely awake, not to mention, standing, but his Force presence remained. Stoic. Powerful. Intimidating.

"He needs help," I argued, feeling some of my anger boil again. He didn't trust me. Was what Dooku said true? Had Obi-wan ever really trusted me? Ever really believed in me?

Or was it all a ploy to control me?

"I can feel your thoughts, Kida," Obi-wan said, his voice getting stronger now. "You've lost control once already. I won't allow it to happen again."

"Anakin could die," I growled. "Is that what you want?"

"Anakin will-" Obi-wan was cut off as Skywalker yelled, lightning enveloping his body as Dooku threw him backwards. Both lightsabers tumbled from his grasp and skittered across the floor towards us.

I steeled myself in my decision. I yanked away from Rex's grasping fingers and strode towards the lightsabers. As I scooped them up, Dooku chuckling from his place near his exit, I felt the first blossom of anger from Obi-wan.

"Kida," he called, barely containing his frustration and fear. "I gave you an order."

I stood, lightsabers in hand, and looked back at the older jedi. "Don't try and tell me that I'll still be allowed in the GAR after all this, Obi-wan." His blue eyes were pained, but I could feel his acknowledgement of the truth through the Force.

"Kida," he started, but tapered off to the confused looks of the clones.

I gave him a small smile. "I'm sorry Obi-wan, but I can't obey your orders this time."

I turned away from them and walked up to Skywalker, who was struggling to stand. Holding both lightsabers in one hand, I offered my free one to him. He took it, leaning on me for a moment before finding his own footing.

"You could go to prison for this," he said gently.

"I was in chains for most of my young life, Skywalker," I responded smoothly, handing him his lightsaber before igniting my own. "I don't plan on returning to them any time soon."

To my surprise, he smiled at me and ignited his own blade, joining me as we advanced on the sith lord. Dooku kept up with us easily, considering both Anakin and I each had our own injuries by then. Still, two against one certainly was evening the playing field.

It only got better as Cody and Rex joined the fight. Somewhere behind us, the other clones had removed Obi-wan from the room, getting him to safety. Their commanding officers, however, had elected to not let their other general die.

They rained blaster shots down on the count, giving him one more thing to do. Dooku shot electricity at me, but I blocked it with my blade. Meanwhile, Anakin swiped at the count, who leapt over his attacks.

It seemed like the sith was going to stay and fight-and probably find a way to win-until the entire facility shook. Alarms blared, the lights flashing red.

Attack alarms. The Republic reinforcements had arrived.

It was at that moment that Dooku decided to cut his losses. I felt the energy surge through him before anything happened. I barely held up my blade before electricity burst forward from both of Dooku's palms. I, along with Anakin and the clones, were slapped with a wall of raw Force power, the four of us flying backwards. I was thrown into the base of the contraption that had once held Anakin, my skull colliding with solid metal.

My vision blurred, my head feeling like it'd been split open. When I groggily touched my hand to the top of my skull, I felt something warm and sticky.

That wasn't good.

Through my wavering sight, I saw the far door hiss open, Dooku rushing through it and towards a ship. It looked like a type of solar sailer.

"Cyare," I heard someone whisper, as if it was through water. I tried to turn and look, but nearly fell on my face, my wrists giving out in my sprawled position. Firm arms caught me around my shoulders, making me whimper a rather pathetic noise of pain. "I've got you," Rex muttered to me, his arms encircling my body.

You lost because you didn't use what you could have. You don't understand what you are. How to control your abilities.

I tried to shake away the voice, but had no mental power left. I felt drained. Beaten.

"She doesn't look good, sir," I heard Rex say to Anakin as he and Cody approached. I realized with a start that I could barely make out their forms with my blurry vision. Spots danced at the edges of my eyes as Anakin came into focus.

"We need to get out of here," he commanded.

"Dooku," I managed to mutter. Rex's hands squeezed me just a little bit tighter.

"Gone," Anakin sighed. "For now, we need to get out of here before our rescuers bring the place down on top of us." He seemed mildly amused by that. "Can you stand?"

I think I nodded. Rex helped me to my feet, which was basically him lifting me and setting me on my feet. I wavered slightly, my head pulsing. Rex caught me as I nearly toppled over.

"She's barely conscious, sir," Cody expressed, waving his hand at me, his eyes glancing up at the rumbling ceiling as our reinforcements battled outside.

"I'm fine. I can walk," I said. Or, at least, that's what I intended to say. It came out in an incredibly slurred grumble, making Cody and Anakin lift their eyebrows in mildly amused concern.

Rex, looking more worried than amused, ducked below me and swiped his forearm behind my knees. My legs buckled, a wine of protest spilling from my lips as his other arm caught my back and hefted me into his arms.

I looked up at the bright lighting fixtures that shook in their casings above us. Rex glanced down at me, his golden eyes the only things in focus amongst my blurring vision. I felt him moving, mildly aware of how it felt like I was floating through the room. Cody and Anakin led us out, the sound of a gunfight meeting my ears.

I tried to fight my own body and keep consciousness, but I was coaxed into the darkness slowly. Despite the hellfire raining down outside and the sounds of fighting just around the corner, I felt safe in Rex's arms.

"I've got you, Cyare," I heard him whisper as my eyes closed, my head finally falling against his armored shoulder.

I would have been happy with his voice being the last thing I heard before passing out. I would have loved it, even. It would have been peaceful. A reassurance that if I, for some horrible reason, didn't wake up, my last memory was of someone I-

I cut off that thought as another voice spoke.

You must learn what you are. What you are meant to be. Find me.

I tried to push the voice from my mind. The last thing I wanted to be aware of was Rex. His short breaths as he ran through the halls. The way his fingers curled around my form to keep me safe and in his arms.

The voice didn't like that.

Moraband. Moraband, it whispered like a mantra until I fell asleep.

Moraband. Moraband. Moraband.

MANDO'A

Hu'tuun- coward (worst possible insult)

Cetar- kneel in submission (as in licking someone's boots)

Jetii- jedi

Kyr'tsad- Death Watch

Osik- shit

Cyare- beloved