![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianDisclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: Just got back from a long day at college. Anyway, I really like this chapter. I definitely think it ups the jeopardy in terms of Obi-Wan having to face Dooku alone. I'm thinking Lucas didn't go that route because he didn't want Anakin to look irresponsible leaving his Master to face Dooku by himself, but I think it's an intriguing possibility nonetheless.
Obi-Wan could have killed his apprentice.
All right, to be fair, not really. But even now, he was close to it. Did Anakin think he didn’t care about Satine? He did. But duty...duty came first. Satine would understand that. She would more than understand. And yet even now, something in him could not help but rebuke himself for such a thing.
He had fouled up similarly with Siri. He only hoped he would not do the same with Satine.
Dooku was here. Obi-Wan could sense him. He did not draw his lightsaber just yet -- he had to first negotiate. Anakin had jokingly called him “the negotiator” on more than one occasion, but in all honesty? That was what Jedi did. They did not wantonly slaughter, like the Sith, or exact vigilante justice like others would have no doubt wanted them to. They merely tried to negotiate. Fight only if they absolutely needed to.
After all, Jedi were keepers of the peace, not soldiers.
And yet even now...
“Dooku,” Obi-Wan said; he could practically hear his voice echoing in the hangar. “Count Dooku. I know you are here.”
A low, scornful chuckle from the shadows. “Are you going to kill me, Kenobi?”
“I certainly hope not. I do hope we can resolve this peacefully. If you cooperate, we can take you back to Coruscant in chains without bloodshed.”
“Chains? For what? Mere disagreement with the Republic?”
Frustration was already starting to build in Obi-Wan. “For attempted murder, for example. Multiple counts.”
Silence.
“Dooku,” Obi-Wan said, calmly, “Surely we can settle this like civilized gentlemen.”
“Perhaps.”
Dooku stepped out of the shadows, lightsaber drawn.
“That,” Obi-Wan said, keeping his voice level, “Is not what I meant by ‘civilized’.”
“From your point of view.”
Silence.
“Dooku, please,” Obi-Wan said, “You don’t want to start a war, do you?”
“If the Republic refuses to listen, yes.” A pause. “You have skills with a blade, Kenobi. The Battle of Naboo made that plain enough to see. Now I suppose it’s best to put them to work.”
“I will do what I must.”
“I am sure you will.”
Obi-Wan drew his lightsaber, drew on the Light Side of the Force to give him strength. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no death, there is the Force.
And even now, those words seemed to steady him. There is no death...
Dooku did not frighten him. He would not frighten him.
And then the duel began.
Even now, Obi-Wan had dealt with being all but outclassed. The Zabrak on Naboo was one example -- Obi-Wan could still remember the Zabrak all but tossing him around like a rag doll, hanging on the edge, about to fall into the bottomless pit that was Naboo’s reactor core, paying a price for his moment of anger charging at the Zabrak like that --
But this...this was a whole other league. Even now, Obi-Wan’s Soresu seemed woefully clumsy against Dooku’s Makashi, and Dooku’s skill with the Force was enough to keep Obi-Wan on edge. He managed to land in a few blows against Dooku, of course, but Dooku knocked him off his feet with a Force push, forcing him to land into a wall.
Force, it hurt. Even stumbling to his feet, stars flashing in front of his eyes, he could see Dooku practically gloating at his situation. And by creation itself, he hated it.
“Master Kenobi, you disappoint me.” Dooku’s voice bore the sickly mock-sympathy that was enough to give Obi-Wan the urge to retch -- or perhaps that was just the impact of being slammed into a wall. Probably the latter, really, Obi-Wan mused. “Yoda holds you in such high esteem. I assume he must be a fool then.”
“Don’t,” Obi-Wan snapped, “Talk about Master Yoda that way.”
“Indeed? Are you so frightened of the idea of your beloved mentor’s pedestal being shattered? He’s given you nothing, Kenobi. Come with me. I could give you everything you ever wanted.”
“I’m afraid,” Obi-Wan said, “I’m going to have to decline.”
“Very well then. Such a pity. You threw away a promising career.”
“Consider it my highest honor, Count.”
They continued to duel, and even now, one of many thoughts that flooded through Obi-Wan’s mind was that, not for the first time, he was going to kill his Padawan when this was all over. Damn Anakin and his hero complex...
It would almost be sweet if it didn’t --
Obi-Wan was jarred back to the present by Dooku’s saber tangling with his, nearly severing his hand. It was only reminding himself to focus on the present and not the future (why did Anakin have to make him so angry?) that he was able to get back to the battle at hand.
Eventually, Dooku seemed to get bored with the ordinary lightsaber combat. “You have determination, I will give you that,” he said. “But that will not be enough to save you.”
“How fascinating,” Obi-Wan said, “I would say the same thing of you.”
“It seems to be that whoever is the victor shall be decided with the skills in the Force...not a lightsaber.”
Even as he spoke, something behind Dooku seemed to detach. A bit of metal. Obi-Wan steadied his mind, took a deep breath, before turning to focus on the metal in question.
This, he mused, was going to be a long fight.
