Dooku straightens his robes as he stands, brushing out the wrinkles so that he looks presentable. His hands subconsciously drift to his saber hilts, double checking that they are safely secured and hidden at his hips. He glances out the viewport, taking in the planet outside his shuttle.
Dohbar is a place Dooku has only ever heard of, he's never seen its beauty for himself. Ever since he'd heard about it years ago, he's always longed to have a reason to make the journey over. Unfortunately, his duties with the Jedi Order never allowed him the chance. But now, Darth Sideous has asked him to make a diplomatic mission to the mysterious and unaligned planet and convince the rulers to join the Separatists.
The planet holds many secrets, including the one his former Padawan safely kept here. Qui-Gon had not even trusted his former master with knowing anything of his child, only that they exist. No name, no family, only that they had been raised here on Dohbar. But Dooku is not here to find this child, he is here to try and win over a new member of the Separatist Alliance.
He waves a hand, pushing the button for the ramp to lower. A chill runs through his core as he takes a step towards the outside. Glancing over his shoulder, a quiet comment escapes from him.
"If that is you, Qui-Gon, know that I am very sorry for who I've become. I am not here to hunt your child, I am here on peaceful terms." The chill leaves, and he shudders as warmth refills his core. Taking a steadying breath, he again begins his descent.
The empty hangar around him spurs curiosity within Dooku. Slight offense briefly runs through him as well. Surely a diplomat deserves a security detail when at an unknown location.
"Perhaps they've grown too comfortable with their lack of infiltration," Dooku mumbles. A door suddenly swings open, and a young man and young Twi'lek woman walk into the hangar.
"Our apologies, Count Dooku," the woman says, "we meant to already be here when you arrived."
"That is quite alright, miss...?"
"Caree. Senator Ahnimaka Caree," she replies. "And this is my husband, King Kwol Barren."
"Senator..." Dooku repeats, keeping the sour tone from reaching his words. So Dohbar has already sided with the Republic. Perhaps he can change that. "And King Barren. A pleasure to meet you."
"Our Queen should be here soon," Kwol says, "she's recently been at Coruscant. But please, let's head somewhere more proper." Dooku nods and walks through the door behind Ahni, Kwol after him.
"So, Count Dooku, I'm not entirely sure of what you have come here to discuss today," Ahni says, pouring a cup of tea and handing it to Dooku. He takes it and nods, sipping briefly before responding.
"I am here to discuss where Dohbar's loyalties are going to lie in the war between the Galactic Republic and the Separatist Alliance. Specifically, I am here to present you an offer of a position within the Separatist Alliance."
"Ah, well, with my being a senator, I am not sure I should be a part of this conversation, as my bias will certainly lead me to want to side with the Republic. You can understand, I'm sure."
"Yes, of course, Senator Caree. If you would feel more comfortable, I can talk with the king and queen without you present."
"Yes, I think that would be the better option," Ahni says, rising from her seat. "I will make sure that when she arrives, the queen will come straight here."
"Thank you, Ahni," Kwol says, a smile on his lips as her hand briefly touches his cheek before she leaves. "Shall we get started, then?"
"I would prefer to wait until all parties are present," Dooku responds, setting his cup down on the table.
"Uh, well, I don't want to keep you waiting for too long," Kwol says, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "You see, with Queen Monako, you never really know when she'll get here."
"That is alright, King Barren. I have no other tasks planned for the day, I do not mind waiting."
"If you say so. Is there anything you would like to discuss? Perhaps something you were curious about?"
"Yes, actually. Your planet is a mystery to many of those outside of it. Not much is known about it, other than the tragedy that befell the royal family years ago when the rumored sith attacked."
"It isn't just a rumored sith, it is a real one."
Dooku turned to look at the new voice, and in the doorway stood a woman he'd never seen or heard of before, but instantly knew who she was. This isn't just Queen Monako. There's more to her than royalty.
"King and Queen Monako were killed by a sith lord. I saw his red saber with my own eyes. I was trapped on a balcony, forced to watch them slain before my eyes. When I finally was able to go to them, there was nothing left to do other than prepare the funeral and ascend to the throne."
"Queen Monako," Dooku says quietly, "it is an honor to finally meet you."
"Count Dooku, I presume," you say, moving over to your seat. There is something strange about Dooku, a familiar yet dangerous sense creeps from him to you through the force.
"Well, since we are all here, finally," Kwol says, throwing you a side eye, "shall we get started with our meeting?"
"Of course," Dooku replies, sitting up a bit straighter. "I am here on behalf of the Confederacy of Independent Systems-"
"You mean the Separatist Alliance?" you interrupt, raising a brow in question.
"Some call it that, yes, but it gives a negative air to our cause."
"You mean disunion and anarchy?"
"Far from it, actually. The systems within CIS only want equal and fair representation, and to be heard. Most of them were abandoned by the Republic, only to pay heavy taxes and have none of their needs met."
You stare at Dooku in silence, because you know he isn't entirely wrong. The Republic isn't fair, and doesn't treat all of its members equally or justly. But the CIS is just another form of government and treaty that will eventually be revealed as corrupt.
"I come today with an offer," Dooku proceeds, cutting to the chase. Something inside him is telling him that this is a fight he won't win. "Join the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and we will protect you from the corruption of the Republic, high taxes, and unfair treatment."
"Dohbar is historically an independent system. We have never, and will never, align with an outside government to rule over us."
"You have my words mistaken, Queen Monako. The CIS does not intend to rule over its members-"
"But it wishes to have them in an alliance that is secretly in control of them. It is actually very clear in the agreement and treaty documents, but only if you know what to look for. The wording is tricky, but it's intended to hide the true meaning. I may not be a very well known diplomat, but ever since I could walk I was sitting in on political meetings, and since I could form coherent sentences, I was trained and taught how to speak in tricks and read them out of any document." When you finish speaking, you see something flicker in Dooku's eyes. It almost resembled pride, and internally you wonder what could he possibly be proud of. "I'm sorry, Count Dooku, but if your only point to discuss with us was to join the CIS, our answer is no. If Dohbar is forced to align with a power, we will align with the Republic."
"I am very sorry to hear that, I was hoping we could get more acquainted with each other."
"You're welcome to stay and chat, but this meeting is over, as I have given our answer."
"And do you agree with this answer, King Barren?"
"Yes. It is the tradition of Dohbar's independence that has kept us from major conflict and war. As both the King and the Commanding General of the Dohbarian military, I agree with Queen Monako that it is in our best interests to remain unaligned, and if ever forced, to align with the Republic."
"Very well then," Dooku says.
"If you stay around, Ahni makes amazing dinners. I'm sure she'd be happy to make something for you."
"That sounds lovely, thank you, King Barren."
"Please, call me Kwol."
Dooku nods, a small smile coming to his lips. He glances over at you. It fades, however, as he notices your strange expression. It looks as though you're trying to figure him out. Perhaps you feel the flow of the force moving through him as he feels it move through you. And perhaps you sense the similar dark force that flowed through the sith who killed the King and Queen flowing through himself. But before any more analysis of your expression can be done, you get up and exit the room without a word.
"She is quite the mystery," Dooku comments, and Kwol lets out a laugh.
"Yeah, she's pretty secretive with strangers. She also doesn't really trust politicians."
"And how does she feel about you and your wife?"
"Well, I'm a royal, not a politician. And she grew up with us both. We're all best friends, really, so she trusts us fully."
"A privilege it must be."
"In a way, I guess," Kwol says before standing, "if you'd like, I can show you around the palace. I have nothing more on my schedule today."
"That would be lovely," Dooku replies, standing from his seat as well. Kwol smiles and leads him from the room, beginning his tour of the palace.
~~~
Something about the Count feels highly off to you. The way he had looked at you had sent a shiver down your spine. It's almost as if he knows who you really are, and had figured it out after only seeing you for a second. You can sense the darkness in him as well, and it has you feeling unsettled. But there's also a strange familiarity about him, something reminiscent of what you had felt when you'd met Qui-Gon.
After you leave the meeting room, you head out to the palace grounds. Sitting under your meditative tree, you try to clear your head of all your mixed feelings. You and the men of the 17th battalion have been on near constant missions with your newly assigned position in the war. You hadn't anticipated it to be so tiring, but perhaps it was clouding your judgment and how you perceive others through the force.
"I must admit, your presence was a surprise to me when I felt it." The words float to you, through the small passage you had left open in your mind for Dooku. "And then when I saw your face...it was as though I was looking into his eyes again."
"Former Jedi Master Dooku, the mentor of my father, Qui-Gon."
"Yes, and you are his secret child, y/n Jinn."
"You knew of me?"
"Only of you, and what planet you were born on. I never knew who you were, or what you looked like. I often desired to come here and search for you, and that desire only grew when Qui-Gon was slain."
"By another dark-force user, like you." You open your eyes then, and watch as Dooku opens his, but they remain lowered at his hands.
"Qui-Gon's death is what truly pushed me to the dark side. Had he survived, had I known what my involvement would lead to..." He takes a breath, moving his eyes up to meet yours. "Had I known you, perhaps things would be different."
"I can't save you, Dooku," you reply, "and I can't be the one thing that holds you to the light. Because in the end, that attachment will only keep you in the dark."
"A wise girl, I see. And I sense you are a very strong Jedi."
"I am. I trained most of my life with Codo Daawa, and then when the war began, I moved to Coruscant, where I am the general of the 17th clone battalion."
"Tell me, y/n," Dooku says, "would it be possible for us to be acquaintances, or possibly friends? I am sure there is much you would like to know about your fathers youth and training."
You see the small bit of hope swirling in his gaze. You see a man who lost someone who was like a child to him, someone he felt love for. A man lost to his emotions and ambitions. But war surrounds the both of you, and you're on opposite sides of the battlefield.
"There is much I would love to know and hear about my dad," you begin, and you see the brief flash of delight fade away to realization, "but I cannot accept your offer, Dooku. I am a Jedi Knight, I have a duty to the Order and to the Republic. I cannot risk my position or the safety of those that I fight with for a friendship with you. I'm sorry."
"I understand," Dooku replies, and you watch as he stands. He holds his hand out to you, and you take it gently. He pulls you to your feet, and bows to you. "It would have been an honor to hold a position in your life."
"In another life, you will."
Dooku straightens up, and you hold eye contact for a second before he reaches into his cloak. You wait and watch as he holds a closed fist out towards you.
"I visited your mother, your birth mother, after Qui-Gon's death. I retrieved this from her. She asked me to promise that I would give it to you someday, as a way to keep a piece of your father with you, always. I have kept it with me since, waiting until I could hand it off to you." When Dooku opens his hand, a single braid falls into your waiting palm. The hair is intricately weaved together, with a bead at each end. It reminds you of how you'd had your Padawan braid, except yours had had two beads at each end instead of just one.
"Thank you, Count Dooku," you reply.
"Of course, young Jinn."
You look up and smile at him softly, the most emotion you've allowed him to receive from you since meeting. Something in your chest tells you that the next time you meet, it will be on the battlefield, and it won't be pretty. You can feel the darkness in him, the hatred. But it isn't towards you, it's towards the galaxy, the war. The evil that surrounds everyone. As he walks away, you feel inside that you understand him more than anyone else. He wants a pure galaxy for everyone to live in harmony, but he has no idea how to achieve it.