"We have a problem," Dooku informs Anakin not long after they arrive on Serenno. His expression is grave. "My master saw you. He'll recognize you, and he knows I know you. If he even suspects that I'm plotting against him, he'll probably kill me. And if he thinks that Vader was once Anakin Skywalker, the trouble only increases double fold."
"So, what do we do?" asks Anakin shifting with concern.
Dooku frowns out the window. "I think I'll wait until I hear he's been released from the med center before I contact him. He's going to be paranoid, but I'll try to assuage his mind."
"Do you know what you'll tell him?" Anakin pushes.
"I'll tell him you're a dark Jedi who wants to ally with me, and I wanted to see how you handle situations first. After attacking Sidious, I killed you," Dooku answers after a moment.
"Will it work?" Anakin wants to know.
Dooku's silence is as much an answer as his words are. "I don't know," he replies finally, "I hope so. Sidious can be excessively paranoid, which will be only increased after the attack."
Nice. Well, Anakin really doesn't care. He doesn't even know what he wants anymore. Nothing. Everything. Mainly just for everything to be over. He's tired of fighting against the Sith and the Separatists. He's tired of war. He's tired of dealing with so much pain. He's tired of life.
Anakin slumps further into his chair, ignoring the faint concern on the Count's face. Perhaps he could go to his room and stay there. "If you don't need me, I'd like to go to my room."
A sigh escapes Dooku. "Go ahead," he replies, his reluctance obvious.
Without letting him say anything else, Anakin slips out of the room. He doesn't want any pity or sympathy. He doesn't want any of it. None of it will change the facts. None of it will take his pain away. None if it will make him any more inclined to face the galaxy. When he thought Obi-Wan was dead, he could throw himself into something to honor his brother's memory. That's not possible when he betrayed him.
As soon as he gets into his room, Anakin locks the door behind him, sliding down it to the floor. Drawing his knees up, he puts his arms across them, resting his head on his arms. Now that his entire world has been destroyed, what's left for him to do? What can he do? What does he even have left to fight for? An Order that didn't care one iota for his emotions? Certainly not. A corrupt Republic headed by a Sith Lord? Absolutely not.
And if he succeeds in helping Dooku destroy Sidious, what then? What's left for him? Nothing. Well, there's always Padme. Maybe he could convince her to leave politics so they can go somewhere and be completely alone. Just him and her. Perhaps, but that thought no longer excites him the way it used to. And what of Ahsoka? Surely, he can't abandon her, but could he even bear to return to an Order that doesn't care about him? No. He loathes that thought.
Nothing can ever fill the gaping hole that Obi-Wan tore inside him. He knows it, just as surely as he knows that life no longer holds any meaning for him. If the person he'd cared for most could do that to him, what about everyone else? What could they do to him? Just as in the beginning, he's completely alone. He doesn't try to stop his tears when they come.
***
Anakin has been expecting Dooku to come to his door for the past two days, but that doesn't mean he is looking forwards to it. When he hears someone knocking firmly on the door, he doesn't need to reach out to feel who's there.
"Open the door, Skywalker," the Sith Lord's muffled, demanding voice brooks no refusal.
Groaning, Anakin rolls over in his bed, using the Force to unlock the door. Dooku opens it, stepping inside, a determined expression on his face. "You need to get up and do something," states the Count, "You've been in here for the past three days."
Anakin just glares at him, not responding. He has no desire to move even though he knows Dooku is right. "Until Sidious is dead, no one will be safe," Dooku reminds him.
"Do you have some brilliant plan to help destroy Sidious?" demands Anakin sarcastically.
"The only way we can get him is by going to Coruscant," returns Dooku, "I want you in my office in fifteen minutes." With those words, he turns and strides out of the room.
Heaving an exasperated sigh, Anakin slides out of bed. It's true. He has been brooding in his room for three days since their return to Serenno, and he'd known Dooku wouldn't let him get away with it forever. Until they destroy Sidious, he'll be expected to help. That's not what troubles him. It's what happens afterwards.
Though he's no where near as broken as when he'd discovered Obi-Wan's betrayal, he's still hurting. Slowly, he's healing. Too slowly. But he hasn't been alone. Artoo has been with him, offering comfort in the way only a droid can. It's too bad humans can't be more like that little astromech. He often seems to be more caring than sentients.
Muttering under his breath, Anakin makes himself presentable, pulling on a black cloak and putting the hood up over his head. He simply doesn't have the energy to put on his armor. For that matter, he doesn't really have the energy to do anything. He heads straight to Dooku's office. No sense in making the Sith Lord angry at him.
Dooku looks pleased when he appears. "Sit," he invites, and Anakin readily sinks into a chair. "We need to discuss our next move."
"So, what's the plan?" asks Anakin, letting his hood fall back. He runs a hand through his hair, considering their options. Attacking the Chancellor in the Senate could be very risky. The security there is immensely strong. It would take a carefully laid plan to succeed.
"We have no choice but to go after Sidious on Coruscant, however, we will need further assistance," Dooku explains.
Uh oh. For some reason, Anakin doesn't like the sound of that. Dooku's expression hints that he won't accept any arguments, and whatever he's planning to say won't be well received. No. He can't be planning to choose – He couldn't be that cruel, could he?
"I understand," Anakin says carefully, narrowing his eyes.
"I know this might be hard, but I think we should enlist the help of Master Kenobi." There's a tinge of sympathy in his blue eyes as he looks at Anakin.
"No!" Anakin explodes, "Absolutely not!" There's no way he can possibly be expected to see, much less work with, Obi-Wan after only a few short days. He knows he couldn't handle it emotionally.
"Skywalker –" begins Dooku, sounding somewhat regretful.
"No!" yells Anakin, interrupting him. An anger he didn't realize he had ignites, and he clenches his fists. Obi-Wan hurt him. Terribly. There's no way Dooku can be expecting him to get over it in so short a time.
The Count sighs, looking somewhat exasperated, but Anakin doesn't really care. He can't talk to Obi-Wan. Not right now. Everything is still too raw. Dooku looks as though he's about to continue the argument further when the sound of beeping interrupts, signaling an incoming transmission.
In an instant, Dooku's expression becomes grave. "It's Sidious," he warns, "If you want to remain in the room, stay on the side and shield your presence."
Anakin stiffens imperceptibly, nodding silently. He rises, stepping to a corner of the room, where he pulls his hood back up and leans against the wall, crossing him arms. Reaching out to the Force, he draws it close, cloaking himself. Seemingly satisfied, Dooku receives the transmission after shifting his position and dropping to one knee submissively.
"Lord Tyrannus," Sidious' dark voice rasps, "I have heard rumors that Skywalker has killed himself, but I know he still lives." Right now, he sounds nothing like what Anakin remembered. The darkness in his voice is enough to send shivers down Anakin's spine. Even though he knows Sidious can't see him, he still presses further away from the transmission. The last thing he wants is to accidently alert the Sith to his presence.
"I have heard nothing," Dooku replies quietly.
"I do not know where he has gone," Sidious continues, almost as through he never heard his apprentice's comment, "But I want you to find him. Do not fail me, Lord Tyannus. I want you to capture Skywalker at any cost. If necessary, you can use Kenobi to draw him out of hiding. That man has been a thorn in my side since the beginning, and I would not be upset if he met... an unfortunate fate."
"I understand, my Master," answers Dooku, bowing his head.
"Good," chuckles Sidious, "See to it, my apprentice." With those words, he disconnects the transmission.
With the call is over, Anakin can't restrain the snarl that escapes him. He's inexplicably furious that Sidious has such a callous attitude towards Obi-Wan and wants him dead, even though Anakin's still angry at his brother. He starts pacing back and forth, completely ignoring Dooku.
"Skywalker, we need a new strategy," Dooku interrupts Anakin's pacing, "We're running out of time." His expression conveys how troubled he is.
"You don't say," mutters Anakin throwing himself into a chair and pretending he doesn't notice the Count's reproving expression. Groaning, he runs a hand through his hair. Yes, something must be done and fast.