39 BBY
Being the eldest daughter from a minor noble family on the Outer Rim, Athemeene had been raised with the terrible burden of knowing the exact course of her life from a young age. Ever since she was eleven and her mother gave her "The Talk'' she knew everything would end in marriage to someone of her father's choosing. If possible he would choose a good man for her, someone he could trust to look after her, but in the end his desire for her to be safe and happy would be weighed against the potential benefits any partner could bring. A husband could be influential and awful, and if her father weighed the former more important than the latter he wouldn't be the one who had to live with the consequences.
Like any girl from the Outer Rim, she'd always dreamed of Coruscant. The silver center of the republic, the beating heart of the galaxy, the glitz, the glamor, the place where people mattered. All the holovids she watched as a child were produced there, all the songs she listened to, all the flimsy rags she had read. Athemeene had wanted to go there so badly for so long.
Well, that dream had died when she was married to a sixty year old former jedi. A few months before the wedding her father and mother had called her into the family parlor and locked the door, before breaking the news to her as gently as they could. Count Dooku was in charge of the family now, and he would need an heir and a spare at the very least. It was a great chance for the Raxus Serennos to rise among the wider House Serenno, and the new Count was a former jedi with a stellar record and a lot of influence on Coruscant. Didn't she love Coruscant? So they'd have lots to talk about. Of course she would be taken care of, and even get to live in the Serenno Palace! Wouldn't that be nice? Wouldn't it?
The wedding had been a large affair, despite how quickly it was arranged. Almost the entire extended Serenno family had come for the ceremony, all barons and lesser counts from Antar, Kooriva, Murkhana and other places she'd barely heard of. That wasn't surprising. What really shocked her was seeing some truly powerful men mingling among the guests, figures like the Duke of Raxus himself, the insectoid Archduke of Geonosis, senators from the Republic and even the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order! Athemeene even recognised some more infamous figures, like the Viceroy of the Trade Federation, a man named Gaton Vizla who wore polished armor and insisted his rightful title was Mand'alor, and a tattooed Hutt named Sleheyron.
Whatever Athemeene had wanted, her marriage had become a subject of galactic diplomacy, drawing eyes from as far as away as Coruscant, and with many of the most powerful figures of the entire Outer Rim arriving in person.
At least she had been dressed for the occasion.
Her first impression of the Count had been… much better than the expectations she had set. Despite his age he was still tastefully handsome. Regal, tall, with a proud bearing and clear, calm brown eyes. It was only as she was standing with him at the altar, waiting to exchange vows that she realized he was hardly paying attention to her. As they were there, together, at her actual wedding, with all the most powerful men in the galaxy watching them exchange vows, his mind was somewhere else.
It was more of a disappointment to her than she could have expected. To Athemeene, her marriage to Dooku was a terrifying, unavoidable event that would completely change her life forever; in contrast he barely thought of her at all. After the reception they flew away together in Dooku's personal ship, the Count hardly even glancing at her. Sitting there with his head held high, a silver chain holding his cloak to his back and the natural imperiousness of his presence, for the first time in her life Athemeene felt utterly dwarfed by someone.
She had been nervous about when they would lay together for the first time. Athemeene had given away her maidenhood in secret years ago in a fling with a household guard, who was quietly let go when her parents found out. If Count Dooku was surprised by her lack of virginity or even cared, Athemeene didn't know. What she did know was that of the two, the Count was by far the better lover.
The feelings of that night were indescribable. Despite barely knowing each other the Count seemed to understand exactly what she wanted and when, he left her breathless and shuddering. Some kind of energy was flowing between them, that was the only way Athemeene could conceive of it. There was a primal, ancient binding that connected them, and a potent crackling of something in the air. For those hours it felt like the entire galaxy hinged on this moment, that the two of them were crafting the future right then and there. At the end of it, Athemeene just… knew that the efforts were not for nought, with no further tries needed.
As she lay next to him, his large hands cradling her protectively she found herself unafraid of him for the first time. Maybe, just maybe, this marriage could work.
Then morning had come and the Count was gone. By the time she saw him again he was as cold, aloof and distant as he'd seemed before. He strode through the halls of his palace, not seeming to notice Athemeene was there. All they ever talked about was their schedules, and when it would be a good time for them to sleep together once more. Otherwise he offered her a personal budget, gave her permission to travel freely, and ignored her.
Those nine months were incredibly lonely, sometimes she wondered if anyone would even notice if she died. The empty halls of the Serenno palace were populated only by basic service droids, who rushed about their assigned duties with only the occasional beep of communication. In the face of boredom and isolation, Athemeene spent her time calling her family, getting to know her new homeworld and reading up for her impending motherhood.
Once her pregnancy started to show, even sex with the Count stopped. The Holocalls to her family became an almost daily occurrence, until she started to hear the annoyance in her parents and siblings voices and Athemeene decided to stop bothering them so much. Her journey's across Planet Serenno became an excuse just to spend time with anyone, even a stranger who just happened to be offering museum tours. Athemeene spent much of her personal budget on pointless things like old artifacts and handmade wood carvings. She even spent a day at a boutique blaster range just so the salesmen would spend time with her. A whole array of hobbies were picked up and dropped, from flower arranging and tea ceremonies to handicrafts and cooking.
Eventually the only thing she still felt truly connected to was her unborn child. Feeling the baby kick and squirm inside her became her greatest comfort. When time came for the delivery, Athemeene was frightened, but also excited. She had been preparing for it for a long time, feverishly reading guides to motherhood that contained all sorts of scientific language describing the stages of development, dietary and psychological needs, recommended practices and more.
One thing that her reading made clear was the absolute importance of both parents to a child. Without a father and a mother actively involved in their life, growing children faced a wide array of social and emotional problems, and even scored lower on average in tests related to mathematics. Almost any behavioral illness you could think of, from violence, to spice abuse, to thrill seeking and other forms of self harm, the common thread that linked many of them was the absence of a father, or a mother, or both. For her new baby to grow correctly, Athemeene would need Dooku.
The birth went exactly as she expected. The nurse droid that Dooku had purchased solely for this moment was well up to the task. The whole process lasted from late in the afternoon until just before midnight. Athemeene strained, and groaned, and resented that her husband wasn't here to help her, but in the end her baby girl was born in good health. The nurse droid cut the umbilical cord, and Athemeene held her child for the first time, while the machine wheeled away to inform the Count of the good news.
Athemeene's girl was small, and wrinkled. The birthing fluids had dyed her skin a strange color, and she looked up at her mother with cloudy blue eyes before scrunching them shut again and beginning to wail. Athemeene had managed to shush her daughter by the time her husband arrived.
Whatever expression she had expected to see, Athemeene wasn't prepared for the sadness in the count's gaze as he looked upon his daughter. "Well done, now our line is secure."
Athemeene nearly screamed at him. Underneath the sheets her palm clenched and for a moment she wanted to reach across the bed and scratch his eyes out.
Then came the news that her daughter was force sensitive, like a bucket of freezing water dumped over her head. Shortly after that, for the first time, Athemeene felt grateful for who her husband was when he destroyed the nurse droid and promised to train the child. Tan'ya slept in her arms, and with her husband by her side offering warmth and protection, it wasn't long until Athemeene fell into an exhausted sleep as well.
When she woke up she was surprised to find that Count Dooku was still there, watching over his wife and child. He noticed she was awake right away, and called for a droid to bring her a meal.
A jolt of panic ran through Athemeene. She was supposed to feed the baby! Oh no, she was a terrible mother. Quickly she lifted up the front of her tunic, and pulled it over her head. Once Tanya saw her mother's exposed breasts, she seemed to know what to do immediately and sucked at her nipple with vigor.
Count Dooku raised an eyebrow. "Why are you panicking?"
"I was supposed to feed the baby in the first hour." Athemeene whined, relieved that her child seemed to be okay. "How long was I asleep?"
"Not long." The Count said. "I'm sure it will be fine."
"No, Tan'ya needs colostrum in her first few days, and I only make it for those days." Atheeme corrected him. "It's important for her growth and immune system."
"I… see." No, obviously he didn't.
As Athemeene nursed her child, she discovered that breast feeding was actually quite uncomfortable. The feeling of fluids moving through her breast was almost like how her stomach would flip if she suddenly fell, and there was some pinching pressure slowly building up in her nipples. Eventually the droid returned with a warm meal, which was set aside until Tan'ya finished feeding. Once the babe had finished feeding, she burped, closed her eyes and went back to sleep, exhausted already.
"I'll hold her while you eat." Dooku said, reaching for Tan'ya.
"Make sure to support her neck." Athemeene fretted, and once she was satisfied the Count was doing a good job she pulled her tunic back over her head, grabbed the plate of food and began eating. Without really tasting anything, she chewed and swallowed in a rush, washing everything down with a cup of water. As fast as she could, Athemeene finished her meal before taking Tan'ya back.
"So, she's force sensitive." Athemeene looked at her husband. "What does that mean, exactly?"
Dooku looked pensive for a moment. "She's more than just force sensitive, that means she has the potential to commune with and reach out into the Force. Tan'ya is already doing that, and even now her connection to the force is as strong as a grown Jedi."
"Okay." Athemeene swallowed. "Is she at risk?"
"...Yes." Dooku spoke. "It can be very easy to make a mistake with the Force, and harm yourself and others. She may do something simple, like lift something too heavy to carry, and then be startled. If her concentration breaks she could be crushed, or worse." He paused. "There are other risks, but this is an easy one to understand."
Athemeene looked down at her daughter fearfully. "So how do we stop that?"
"She will need constant supervision." Dooku frowned. "Until she's old enough to learn control."
"Okay. That's… we can do that. What do I do if she reaches for the force and you're not around?"
"A simple distraction will do." Dooku replied. "Anything if it keeps her mind away from the force. If she reaches into the force too much, she may accidentally commune with a jedi, who will seek her out."
"And…" Athemeene bit her lip. "How else do we hide her from the Jedi?"
"If her connection to the force is kept quiet, and if the knowledge remains between us, they may never know." Dooku pursed his lips. "However the Temple always has Jedi meditating and searching the galaxy for new minds that touch the force."
"So, even if we're careful, they could find her?"
Dooku nodded once.
"Alright, and… what if they do find her?"
"The Council will see reason."
"...What if they don't?" The imperious scowl that appeared on Count Dooku's face almost made her regret asking the question, but when forced to choose between displeasing her husband and learning more that might save her child, Athemeene knew which she would choose every time. "Please, what if they don't?"
Her husband breathed out and fixed his gaze in the distance. "There are more extreme actions available to us."
"Like defying the Jedi?"
"In a manner of speaking." Dooku turned to look back towards her. "I've long been considering seceding from the Republic entirely."
Athemeene gaped. It wasn't the first time she'd heard secession bandied about. On Raxus in particular there was a growing number of voices calling to leave the Republic, even among the noble houses. She understood why, it was plain for all to see that the Outer Rim was in desperate need of an army, but even so as a girl she'd hoped that things would work out, somehow. She dreamed of Coruscant, after all, but she was a woman now and her priorities were different. If Serenno had to leave the Republic for her to keep her child, then she realized now she was fully willing to go through with it.
Resolved, she nodded at her husband. "Can we really do that?"
"It won't be difficult, many want it already. There are even some worlds I'm sure are ready to join us." Dooku scowled. "The failures of the Republic are apparent to the entire galaxy, it seems. All but the Jedi."
The bitterness underlying his words wasn't exactly surprising, Athemeene knew he'd left the Jedi Order for a reason, but it was the first time the Count had spoken to her and seemed at all vulnerable.
Why did you leave? She wanted to ask, but couldn't, they still barely knew each other. Athemeene knew she trusted him with her child, but not her deepest feelings or secrets. How could she confess to him her deep loneliness? Or her faded dreams of seeing Coruscant? Being honest with herself, Athemeene still didn't even feel like she could ask him to watch a sappy holovid with her!
But even so, she had to do something.
The Count turned his head sharply when she reached for his hand. The expression on his face was almost confused as her fingers approached, but he didn't pull away. She held onto him and smiled, and he met her gaze for a long moment, something in his eyes that Athemeene couldn't quite read.
Then he pulled away, standing up. Athemeene's heart sank, and she looked back down to the sleeping child so he wouldn't see the hurt on her face. She heard Count Dooku draw in breath as if to say something, then stopped himself. He lingered there for a long moment before turning away.
"I will summon a service droid with hot water to clean the child." Then he turned and strode from the room, almost rushing.
Athemeene swallowed the lump in her throat, as the sting of rejection lingered long after the Count left the room. It wasn't until the service droid arrived to help clean her and the baby that she realized the truth.
I made him nervous.
It was from that day forward, Athemeene reminisced, that her relationship with the Count began to slowly improve. Not all at once, their relationship didn't suddenly transform into a storybook romance, but things definitely changed for the better.
For one thing, the two of them actually began to spend some time in each other's company.
Count Dooku was careful to remain near them as much as he could, at least for the sake of helping care for Tan'ya. He learned to change Tan'ya's swaddling clothes, even helping to burp their baby. Despite his lack of tact with her he truly put his best foot forward to help raise their child.
In the rare instances the Count had to travel offworld, unlike before he would take his inexperienced wife and infant daughter with him. They never really discussed anything beyond what was best for Tan'ya, but Athemeene felt there was a growing rapport between them. They were slowly coming to know and trust each other.
On one of the Count's visit's to Raxus, he offered to spend some time with Tan'ya while Athemeene visited her parents. That was great, because it gave her a chance to speak with her mother alone for the first time in a very long time.
There were two worlds in the Raxus sector, Prime and Secondus. One, Raxus Secundus, was a beautiful world of forests and plains with spectacular waterways and ancient cities brimming with unique culture and architecture that attracted tourists from all the way in the Core. The other, Raxus Prime, was a literal garbage heap.
Nothing happened of note on Prime, no one chose to stay there, and its tiny diseased population had a reputation for madness, haunted by ghosts of an ancient empire destroyed in the days of the Old Republic. Not even the previous Count of Raxus Prime lived there, he instead had chosen to live with his family in a palace on Raxus Secundus. Say what you will about the man being negligent in his duties, he definitely had built a lovely palace. It was full of water features and stained glass windows, with an array of delightful follies and lovely gardens, located in the rich outskirts of the capital city surrounded by other mansions and palaces. The upkeep was enormous, never mind the up front costs of construction.
It was no surprise that the Count of Prime had been a spendthrift, wracking up massive debts and passing them down to his descendants. That was how House Serenno acquired the palace, about a hundred years ago at well below its real price. House Prime remained on Raxus Secundus, but instead of living in a grand palace they now held court in a respectable, if somewhat middle class, manor.
These days Palace Prime was better known as the Serenno Embassy, and it was where Athemeene grew up. Around a hundred years ago, House Serenno had managed to get their hands on a Raxus Secundus barony through a clever marriage to a bitter widow who was easily convinced to disinherit all her heirs. At the time the Count of Serenno tapped his younger brother to manage the Barony, and ever since then House Serenno has had a permanent foothold in Raxus politics.
The balcony on the south east side of the building had an excellent view of the farm lands beyond the city, and on a nice clear day Athemeene, her mother and her siblings had all enjoyed eating small cakes and sipping sweet drinks in the gentle morning sun. Now that for the first time in a year Athemeene had a chance to speak with her mother, she was relieved to find it was on the southern balcony with a nice table and spread already prepared by the serving droids.
"Oh, look at you!" Yescin Serenno greeted her daughter with a wide hug and a kiss on each cheek. At the age of fifty two, and with five children all now close to adulthood, it was no surprise that Yescin was more than a bit plump, and a little worn. Her cheeks drooped and sagged like much of her body, covered with lines and wrinkles that made her look older than she was. The hug she rose to give her daughter almost seemed to wear her out, as almost immediately she collapsed back into her chair with a relieved sigh.
They chatted for a while about how life had been since they saw each other last, and Athemeene promised to bring her daughter over the next day to meet her grandmother. Athemeene didn't want to worry Mother with how lonely she'd been, but she hoped to get her advice on at least one topic.
"How did you get Father to fall in love with you?" Athemeene asked, looking into her tea. "You also had an arranged marriage, didn't you?"
Yescin leaned back with an amused look on her face. "Oh, Athy, you're still talking like a teenager, with those silly romances."
Athemeene's face burned. "Mother! I don't think it's odd that I want my husband to love me!"
"I didn't say that." Yescin demurred, waving her hand at her daughter. "Just that word is wrong, fall, it's too late for that." The family matriarch leaned forward in her chair. "Falling in love is what happens in holovids and trashy novels. Two people who just can't help but be drawn to each other until nothing else matters, like insects to a flame. If you haven't fallen in love with the Count already, it's just not going to happen."
Athemeene grimaced as she considered her mother's point. Though she wanted to get along better with Dooku, never once did she feel connected like from one of her old holodramas. The thoughts and sensations described in those were nothing like how she felt towards him.
"You can't choose to fall in love, but you can build it." Yescin counseled. "It takes time, and it starts with trust, but if you have those and you just… gently keep building, in time you'll wake up one morning and realize you're scared of the thought of life without him." She nodded firmly. "Time and trust. Slowly, but surely."
Athemeene considered Mother's words. "Okay, I think I have a solid foundation of those."
"Good." Yescin smiled. "Also have lots and lots of sex."
Athemeene nearly spat out her tee. "Pardon?"
"He's a man, sweetie. A rich, powerful, and fairly handsome man who travels a lot for his work." Yescin shook her head, disappointed at her daughter's naivety. "How was your first night with him?"
Incredible. Athemeene didn't say it, but Mother hummed knowingly at the expression on her daughter's face.
"Oh Athy, you know it wasn't his first time. He has the same urges every man does, and that's to spread his progeny. If he's not getting satisfaction from you, he'll start looking somewhere else. And being who he is, he'll easily find it."
Athemeene spluttered, "The Count would never-"
"You don't know him!" Yescin interrupted. "Yes, the Jedi are supposed to be celibate, but if they didn't need those rules they wouldn't have them. Sweetie, nothing will poison your slowly budding relationship faster than cheating. He'll be keeping secrets from you, undermining that trust you both desperately need, and believe me, you'll grow to resent him. It's instinctive, you won't be able to help it." Yescin shook her head. "Just think of Count Dooku with another woman, and tell me how that feels."
It felt awful. Athemeene barely had to imagine it in her mind, and she already felt a dull aching in her heart, like her stomach had flipped and she'd been doused in cold water all at once.
"Plus, now that you have an heir, you will need a spare." Yescin added knowingly. "Find out what Dooku likes, seduce him, do it often. The Count is getting a bit older these days, so you don't know how long you'll have left with him."
"So… that's it?" Athemeene considered her mother's advice. "Trust, and time?"
"And sex."
And… that.
Say what you will about Yescin being cynical or crude, her advice proved to be just the thing for Athemeene and her husband's relationship. Under the guise of 'needing a spare', Athemeene was quickly able to convince Count Dooku to resume their sexual relations. Now they were sleeping in the same bed again, and talking! The Count didn't seem to realize it, but he seemed to let his guard down after a productive romp under the sheets, and Athemeene was finally able to learn some things about him.
As a padawan learner, Dooku's Jedi Master was Grandmaster Yoda himself! Even now he still spoke of those days fondly, though there was more than a bit of sadness in his voice. Athemeene heard of places like the room of a thousand fountains, and the dorms where the younglings slept.
"Do you miss it?" She asked, curled up against his side.
"...I do." He admitted, quietly.
"Why did you leave?"
He hesitated for a moment, before sighing. "Though I know many jedi to be wise and incorruptible, as a whole the Jedi Order is less than the sum of its parts. The Order has changed from its purpose of protecting and counseling the galaxy, and now is dedicated almost completely to the protection of the Republic." He said that word with venom.
"What's wrong with the Republic?" Athemeene asked.
Dooku scowled. "The intention of a democracy is to keep the interests of those in power tied to those of the public, and in that regard the Republic is worse than a failure."
Athemeene was sure there was more to it than that, but she didn't want to push too far too fast. For now she understood that he didn't hate the Jedi, he still loved them deeply. Dooku was simply heartbroken.
Tan'ya continued to grow at a safe, healthy rate. Almost every week Athemeene felt her child was passing some new milestone. Thankfully there were very few force related incidents. Only a few times did the young girl start to levitate her toys, but quickly dropped them when her mother scooped them up. On one occasion she seemed to sit there, staring into nothing with large blue eyes, that for a moment almost seemed to draw Athemeene into them, until Dooku slammed the door open, breaking her concentration.
"You have to be more careful." Dooku chided his wife, as he knelt down to the child. "I felt her calling to me from the otherside of the palace. If I can hear her, the Jedi can."
"I'm sorry." Athemeene felt panic begin to flutter up in her. "I didn't mean to, I just- I was staring into her eyes and I forgot where I was."
Dooku hissed and shook his head. He reached out to poke his daughter in the shoulder, who exploded into giggles. A fond smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "A troublesome child."
Tan'ya waved her hands in uncomprehending excitement.
"Master." The voice of a droid interrupted them. Standing in the door frame was one of the service droids, its robotic arms folded behind its back. "There's someone trying to contact you."
The Count stood up and turned to face his droid. "Did they name themselves?"
"Yes Master." The droid lowered its head in an imitation of a proper bow. "They said they were Jedi Grand Master Yoda. They wanted to discuss your child."