ladyofleithian: (anakin vader contrast)
[personal profile] ladyofleithian
In which Obi-Wan has a vision, and Count Dooku tries to convert Anakin to "the cause".

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Notes: This is actually one of my favorite chapters. Especially in terms of Anakin and Dooku's interaction. It helps that Dooku's one of my favorite characters. What can I say; I'm a sucker for Well-Intentioned Extremists. ;-) Not to mention I think Anakin and Dooku should have gotten more interaction in canon. I really do.

Also, a quick warning for mentions of violence. Just in case.



It was the next morning that Satine emerged from her bedroom to notice Obi-Wan, still in his sleepwear, meditating on the balcony. He turned to look at her. “Satine. Are you all right?”

“I am.” Even now, she could not help but look over him in fascination. “And you?”

“I’m merely meditating.” Obi-Wan was vainly trying to sound light hearted, or at least casual. “Nothing more.” Then he grew more serious. “I believe Anakin may be in trouble.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have a feeling that he may have walked into a trap. On Geonosis.”

“Then we have to go."

“We can’t.”

Even now, Satine looked at him in disbelief. “Can’t? He’s your Padawan -- ’’

“I know, Satine,” Obi-Wan said, “But I have a duty to the Jedi Council, and to you. I can’t simply abandon it -- ’’

“Then I’ll go with you.”

Even now, Obi-Wan could not help but be surprised. He didn’t doubt Satine’s heart, but even so...

“They’re searching for you.”

“Then it is time I brought the fight to them. So to speak.”

Even now, Obi-Wan merely nodded. Satine was more than competent, after all. Wonderfully competent. And if they worked together -- not necessarily fighting, but other methods -- perhaps they could --

“All right,” he said, “Then we have no time to waste.”

***

“Anakin!” Even now, his mother’s voice was barely audible, pained through the crack of a Tusken’s whip, through the slice of a staff, through the smacking of a fist. “Anakin – you need to help me – Anakin – Annie ’’

The Zabrak from Naboo, the beast who had killed Qui-Gon, his face a mess of black, almost lightning-shaped scars, yellow eyes glaring out at Anakin, his mouth a horrible rictus grin…

The girl from Naboo – beautiful and small, yet with the fighting power of a hurricane. An apprentice who would prefer more to strategize than fight, but when she fought, few could match her.

And a man cloaked in black on a mysterious dark throne, with a serpentine, wrinkled face, ravaged by the Dark Side, his face bearing a horrible, evil grin as he laughed, delighted with the carnage before him: a father and a son, one dressed in black armor, the other with hair almost like Obi-Wan’s, dueling one another to the death. And it seemed the son was winning.

Eventually, Anakin came back to himself, snapped back to reality, only to realize where he was. He was in some damned Geonosian prison cell, trapped in some sort of force field, and his hands were bound. And he didn’t know where his lightsaber was either. He tried to reach out through the Force, but found himself blocked. He could have groaned in frustration.

He only hoped that they hadn’t hurt R4 as well. If they hurt Arfour, they’ll have hell to pay. At the very least, if I can get out of this.

Then again, he had a feeling he would. He had been in worse situations before – the nest of gundarks, for example. Though Obi-Wan had tried to say that no, Anakin had fallen in there, in truth, neither of them could say how exactly they had ended up in that situation. But they had both gotten out alive after that, and after moments of shock – especially on Obi-Wan’s part; “We’re still alive?!” was probably putting it mildly, regarding the look on his poor Master’s face – they had managed to have some degree of a laugh about it.

Hopefully, he would find a way out of this as well. But in between the chains, the lack of the Force, and everything else, he would have to sit tight for now.

Perhaps he could negotiate a bit with Dooku to let him go. Try the old, “If you let me go, I won’t tell anyone” trick. No, Dooku wouldn’t fall for that one. He was ruthless, no doubt, and smart. You would have to be to have a job like this.

All right, “I know there is still good in you”? No, Dooku wouldn’t fall for that one either. And even the idea of using it – he didn’t know Dooku. He had heard that Dooku was once a great Jedi and a respected Master, only leaving the Order if only because he feared that it had become corrupt – which was foolish, really. The Order was the farthest thing from corrupt one could get. They were keepers of the peace, not trying to cozy up to the greedy idiots in the Senate – but other than that, he didn’t know much about him.

At the very least, he could –

Footsteps cut off Anakin’s train of thought. Dooku was here. Even now, as he strode into the room, it seemed that he almost cast a shadow on the room. He was a tall man, clad in rich clothing, with a short yet full white beard and equally short pale hair. Even now, it was his eyes that chilled Anakin to the bone – even now, he felt almost as if he were looking into the eyes of a crazed animal.

A very articulate crazed animal, to boot.

“Anakin Skywalker.” The Count’s voice was cold, clinical, detached. “I expected someone of your reputation to be a little…older.”

Don’t respond to the bait. He’s mostly doing this to provoke you. Even now, listening to Dooku, Anakin could have sworn he could hear Obi-Wan telling him how to handle the situation. Not that Anakin had met many Sith or Dark Jedi before, of course.

“I am dreadfully sorry you were captured in this fashion. They have gone too far. It is madness!”

Even now, Anakin had to suppress a snort at the claim. “I think you should have started thinking that when you tried to assassinate Duchess Satine.”

“I bear Satine Kryze no ill will. However, she is naïve – she would never accept the sacrifices being made in the name of a stabler Republic.”

“What could you possibly have to achieve by this?”

“Padawan Skywalker,” Dooku said, “We merely staged a peaceful protest at first. We merely said we disliked what the Republic was doing, what the Order was doing. And how do the Order respond? Trying to restrain us in the Republic.”

“They just want to keep the peace.”

“Perhaps,” Dooku said, “But I do not believe that they understand what keeping the peace means. They seem more concerned about their image to the public than keeping the peace.”

“They would never – ’’

“Indeed? I can hear Obi-Wan Kenobi resonate in your words, young Padawan. What do you, personally, think?”

“They aren’t perfect,” Anakin said, “But they do what they can.”

Silence.

“What are you really here for, Dooku?”

“To merely warn you, young Skywalker. I believe the Sith have taken a, shall we say, interest in you. And your mother. The Republic is also in danger.”

“Really?”

“What if I told you that the Republic was under the control of a Dark Lord of the Sith?”

Even now, even as Dooku said that, Anakin felt as if an airlock had opened in his stomach. “You…you’re a liar.”

“Believe of me what you will. But even so, it is the truth. The Republic is under the control of a Sith Lord known as Darth Sidious. The Viceroy of the Trade Federation was once in league with this Darth Sidious, but when he was betrayed by him at the Battle of Mandalore, he ultimately went to me for help.”

“I can imagine,” Anakin said, wryly. “Couldn’t risk his dignity, could he?”

Dooku ignored him. “And I believe, as the Chosen One, you may be able to help us.”

“What?”

“Yes,” Dooku said, “I was wondering if you would consider an alliance with us. To destroy the Sith.”

Even now, Anakin was torn. On the one hand, if the Republic was in danger, he had to do whatever he could to save it. If Satine and Obi-Wan were in danger as well, perhaps allying himself with Dooku was the most desirable possibility. And yet, even now…

“I can’t.”

“You can’t?” Dooku arched an eyebrow.

“I do appreciate your…trying to save the Republic, Count,” Anakin said, even now feeling the anger bubble up – how could he speak of the Republic that way? And yet something in Anakin was already whispering that maybe the Count was right and he was just fooling himself by refusing to acknowledge it. “But I can’t betray my friends.”

“A pity.” Dooku sighed. “I did think you would break away from the Order and do what was right. But it seems that it will…take a while to get you to come around.”

And he walked away, leaving Anakin alone in the darkness.



Date: 2012-09-13 04:31 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] imhilien.livejournal.com
A good chapter... if Anakin had said, 'I know there is still good in you', it would have been funny in a black humour sort of way.

Date: 2012-09-13 10:41 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com
Thanks. :) And yeah, wouldn't it? :)

Date: 2012-09-14 12:32 pm (UTC)
ext_399534: (MERLINMorganaSnow)
From: [identity profile] angel-in-tears.livejournal.com
I love the maturity of Anakin in this story. None of the whiny Anakin, yay! Lol.

Date: 2012-09-14 03:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com
Thank you! :D And that's definitely good to know. :)

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