CoS 39

29 BBY

The demon was waiting outside the window, and if Madalee looked at it, it would get her. Red skinned, and covered in spikes, the demon sneered at her, unlatching the window slowly. It was coming through the window, creeping up to her bed, but if she screamed it would hurt her again.

She tried not to move or make a sound, but the snot in her nose made her breath whistle and bubble each time she exhaled. The demon was coming through the window, and it was going to see she was awake and it was going to get her. It was standing over her bed now, and she was too scared to turn or look at it, and she knew it would hurt her again. She wanted to call for mommy, but was too scared to move. If mommy came the demon was just going to get her too. 

The demon touched her shoulder, and Madalee couldn’t stop herself. She screamed and thrashed, working her sheets into a bundle as warm fluid ran down her leg. “Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me! Mommy! Mommy!”

The demon's hands grabbed her, pulling her close, and Madalee couldn’t fight it. It was so strong, pulling her to it, and crushing her to its chest. She screamed, and screamed, until finally she gave up. She trembled in the demon's arms, until slowly she heard her own name.

“Madalee, it’s okay. I’m here, it’s okay.”

She rubbed at her eyes, clearing her gaze just enough to see that it wasn’t the demon holding her, but daddy. A sob escaped her, then she clung to him, burying her head in his chest. “It was the demon. He came back.”

“...It wasn’t the demon, it was just me.” Daddy said, but he was wrong. It was the demon, standing over her bed, every night.

“He’s coming back. The demon’s coming back.” She drew in a long shuddering breath. “He always comes back.”

He stroked the back of her head, until finally the trembling stopped. “Are you ready to get changed? You’re wet.”

Madalee swallowed. “Can you stay here?”

Daddy looked down at her again, he looked unhappy. Angry, but Madalee didn’t think he was angry at her. “Yes, I can stay here while you get changed.”

Madalee changed her pajama’s and underwear, then watched as her father lifted the bedsheets up with the Force, and replaced them with fresh ones from the closet. He took the wet clothes and sheets, and passed them to a droid waiting in the hallway.

“Can you stay here?” She asked again.

“You need to go back to bed, Madalee.” 

“The demon will come back.” She sniffled. “I want to stay with you.”

“...I can take you to your mother.”

Madalee shook her head. “...Mommy can’t fight the demon.” She didn’t know how she knew that, but somehow she could just tell. “Please, daddy.”

He stared at her for a long time, before finally sighing. “Alright. You can stay with me, but tonight only.”

Her breath caught with excitement, and he scooped her up to rest her against his hip. He carried her down the hall, past a pair of armoured House Guard. They both stopped to salute her father, and Madalee copied the gesture back to them.

Out one of the windows they passed, Madalee saw the increased numbers patrol the grounds beyond the window, illuminating the hall in the glow of speeder headlights. She swallowed, pulling closer to her father as she imaged the demon crawling over the side of the palace again.

The spare bedroom her father was using was simple, with a large single bed, and no decorations. His sheets were made of the same shiny, smooth cloth as his pajamas, and he lay her down before laying on his back next to her. 

“Comfortable?” He asked.

She nodded.

“Good. Now close your eyes.” He instructed her, and when she did she felt him lay back down as well.

Slowly she began to drift to sleep, and as she did she felt Ideon’s mind with hers, just as sleepy. He must have woken up as well, because right now he was going to sleep with Mommy. They both drifted off around the same time. The last thing she felt was her father shifting slightly, the tension leaving his muscles as he finally relaxed as well.

———

If nothing else, Tan’ya was at least glad the trip to the New Temple had left her with a lightsaber she could legally use. The ancient sith’s saber was at last locked away in her father’s vault. Maybe one day it would find a place as part of a history museum exhibit when suspicion towards her family had died down.

The ship that she and Asajj shared had only just landed last night, well past midnight, so the two of them went to bed straight away. When Tan’ya woke up in the morning, she immediately felt her father in the force, out in the Palace grounds, working on his forms. Tan’ya poked her head out her window to look, and realised she was mistaken. He wasn’t working on them, he was demonstrating them for Madalee. Her sister was standing there in a very small set of training robes, clutching the young Tirra’taka to her chest.

Well, Tan’ya supposed now was as good of a time as any to talk to her father. She ducked into her bathroom to wash her face, and for a moment she was about to jump from her window, but caught herself before doing it. So soon after Maul’s failed assassination the House Guard were on high alert. Jumping from the window might save her a few minutes of walking, but it was a foolish way to get shot.

After taking the long way down the central staircase to the ground floor and out to the garden, Tan’ya strolled over to where her Father just finished explaining Form 1. From the expression on Madalee’s face, Tan’ya found herself doubting the child had really understood. 

“Perhaps Madalee needs another year or two before she starts her Jedi training?” Tan’ya suggested.

“No, I want to!” Madalee interrupted, insistent.

“She’s been unsettled lately.” Dooku explained. “I thought that at the very least with something to work on, she might regain some confidence.” 

Somehow, Tan’ya doubted that it would work, but she also doubted her father had much experience with toddlers. For that matter, she didn’t either, so maybe it would prove to be exactly what Madalee would need?

“Don’t keep us in suspense.” Dooku continued, looking to Tan’ya’s new lightsaber.

She took the weapon out, holding it out for her father to see. Unusually for a lightsaber, it had a circular guard, and was coloured black with sacanium durasteel to help represent her connection to her homeworld. It had a curved handle, like her father’s saber, and when she ignited the blade, it burned with a bright golden light.

“It’s a fine weapon.” Dooku said, gazing upon it. 

“Can I hold it?” Madalee asked, eyes wide. The scars on her face were less prominent after being treated with bacta, but only slightly so. Her left cheek and chin were peppered with burns, cuts from the surgery to remove the pellets, and pock like bullet wounds. Worse still, she was noticeably missing teeth. Even at her young age, Madalee noticed Tan’ya staring at her scars, and turned away sharply. Marmaidu the dragon seemed to immediately realise what was wrong, and wiggled up her neck to lay flat again her cheek, blocking Tan’ya’s view. 

Swallowing sharply, Tan’ya looked away, and when she glanced she saw that her father’s guilty expression matched her own. 

“I’m sorry, Madalee.” Tan’ya said. “I didn’t mean to stare.”

Madalee nodded once, but didn’t answer, running her hand down Marmaidu’s ridged spine. 

“Uh…” With a few movements, Tan’ya removed the powerpack from her lightsaber, and handed the deactivated blade to her sister. “You wanted to look at this?”

The hands that had been stroking the dragon stopped, and Madalee reached out to hold the lightsaber. For a brief moment she seemed to struggle with the weight, and the dragon had to crawl out of her hand and curl around her neck so she could hold the weapon with both arms. After a few moments of examining it, Madalee practiced swinging it in a clumsy replication of the forms her father had just shown her. After a few swings a smile crept over her face, and even if it was gap toothed, Tan’ya was happy to see it.

“Very good.” Dooku said after a moment, watching his daughter play with the weapon. He turned to look at Tan’ya. “She’s been having severe nightmares for some time.”

“Can’t you calm her mind with the Force?”

There was a long awkward pause, and Tan’ya only briefly glimpsed a pained expression on her father’s face. “I have been unable to.” At last he admitted. 

It took Tan’ya a moment to puzzle out why. If his own mind was unsettled by fear for his daughter’s wellbeing or hate and anger towards Sidious, then he would only be adding fuel to the fire by linking their feelings. 

“The power of the Dark Side comes with a high price.” Dooku rumbled at last.

To that, Tan’ya didn’t know what to say. She had used the Dark Side herself in the battle against Maul, but the subtle power it had to change your own thoughts and perceptions overtime was clearly dangerous. Tan’ya had already concluded that like the Type 95, it was to be used sparingly if it was to be used at all. 

They practiced together outside for the next hour. Neither Dooku nor Tan’ya got much done individually, mostly focussed on helping Madalee grasp the basics. At least she seemed to enjoy it, especially when she got a chance to play with a real lightsaber. Shortly after they started Commander Hoves arrived, and waited nearby for a pause in the lesson to speak with Tan’ya and Dooku.

When the Count waved him over, Hoves approached and made a deep bow. “Your Majesty, it’s a relief to see Madalee doing well.”

“It is.” Dooku agreed. “Did you have something for me? Normally issues concerning the House Guard would be handled by my daughter.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Hoves paused, before adding. “I approach you, seeking to speak openly about a matter of some concern to your people… though it may be a sensitive issue.”

That got Tan’ya feeling curious. Normally, if there was anything like a sensitive issue, she would be the first one informed, and then she would be the one to bring it to Dooku. 

“Go ahead.” Dooku said.

“To be frank, the people of Serenno are worried about the… assassin. Rumor has escaped about his dark powers, and it's feared that if his soul isn’t dealt with properly, he could menace Serenno for some time.”

“That’s it?” Dooku’s brows came together. 

“Normally I would just have the body taken from the morgue without bothering either of you.” Hoves said, quickly. “But in this case, the body of the assassin is being used as evidence in diplomatic affairs. I didn’t want to remove it without first being certain that it was no longer of concern to you.”

Dooku stared at the man, clearly somewhat annoyed. “I’m not inclined to give the monster a proper burial.”

“Oh, no, of course, your Majesty. The most powerful of the Voidkin, don’t truly die the way they should.” Hoves explained. “The fear is that if allowed to go free, his soul might haunt this world for generations to come. He is to be imprisoned in the Cold Grove.” Those last two words were said in Serenoan, and it took Tan’ya a moment to parse out their meaning.

Tan’ya spoke up. “What is the Cold Grove?”

It turned out to be almost exactly what was described. More than a hundred kilometres beyond the Capital, nestled deep in a lush mountain valley, was a grove of reek trees. Tan’ya only vaguely remembered hearing about the species from her excursion to a lumber yard in the jungle years prior, but as the speeder landed, she saw the twisted, knotted trunks of countless trees contorted into damaged forms, with golden brown leaves clustered in fan like bunches on warped branches. There was a distinctive chill in the air, that had brought up a thin layer of fog which gave the grove an eerie atmosphere, and it took Tan’ya a moment to realise the trees were active in the Force.

Each tree was crying out in agony, as they had been tapped like a sugar maple to slowly drip their sap into buckets set to hang below the weeping wounds. The air reeked like a mixture of licorice and pus that was absolutely nauseating. She quickly took the small tab of lozenge that one of the guards offered her, and soon her sense of taste and smell faded away, numbed by the medicine.

“These are Uneti trees. I recognise them from the tree on Coruscant.” Dooku said, looking around at the grove. “Or at least, they’re some variety of them.”

“We call them reek trees.” Hoves explained. 

“Stinky trees.” Madalee said, pinching her nose. 

“That’s a good translation.” Hoves agreed with a nod. “We don’t know their exact origin, but they were brought here by the voidkin in our ancient history. The wood is strong, and valuable, but we would never allow the Cold Grove to be cut down.” He led the way forward, and Tan’ya’s family followed behind him. It wasn’t just the three of them, Athemeene, Ideon and Kenth were all present. Kenth was on the planet because Dooku had recalled him to Serenno to make sure that all would understand the family’s new rule.

‘No one of the House of Serenno is to be without a Jedi Guardian, going forward.’ Not even their homeworld, surrounded by the House Guard, had been shown to be safe. Every single member of the family was to be with a Jedi from now on. Travelling with Kenth had been three Jedi from the New Temple. Because Ideon was too young to be by himself, he and Athemeene would share one guardian, while Kenth and Madalee would each get one of their own. Asajj was charged with Tan’ya’s safety.

Most surprising of all was that Vai, the Mandalorian girl, was with them now as well, following along awkwardly behind Dooku, who had charged her with remaining by his side. There was something strange about how Dooku was treating her. At first Tan’ya had thought Vai was going to be adopted into the family as a reward for saving Athemeene’s life, but now it seemed like something else was afoot. 

At the base of the oldest and largest of the trees, Hoves bent down to rub some dirt away from a bronze plate that had been embossed into the base of the tree. Tan’ya lent forward to read it, seeing Serennoan writing. 

“Addmerra Darmahss.” She read aloud, confused. None of the words had any meaning in any language she knew. “Is it a name?” She asked.

“Yes. You know him as Darth Malus.” Hoves answered. “Admiral of the Black Knights.”

He was the Sith who first conquered Serenno, one and a half thousand years ago. In the history of the Galaxy, he wasn’t even a footnote, a mere admiral in the service of the much more famous Underking, who Tan’ya was pretty sure never actually led a fleet into battle. Even to the short lived Sith Order of the Black Knights, the conquest and subjugation of a medieval world like Serenno wouldn’t even be worth more than a mention.

“So he’s buried here.” Tan’ya said.

“Yes.” Hoves agreed. “To keep the whisper of the vile-ones from tormenting the innocent, they are imprisoned here. When Darth Maul is buried, he will be placed here with a sprig of stinky tree in his heart. The tree will feed off his soul for all eternity, punishing him, and keeping him from doing harm to the innocent ever again.”

“What do you collect the sap for?” Athemeene asked, looking like she didn’t quite approve of the practice. 

“It is used to make a chewable cube that when eaten makes your mouth black.” Hoves explained. “Soldiers use it when going to war. Every village will draw from their own stinky tree.”

Curious, Tan’ya wandered forward alone, looking for plaques in each of the trees. Many of them were names she didn’t recognise at all, on trees that appeared newer and smaller than the one that was feeding on Darth Malus. They bore the names of more recent, secular rulers of Serenno. Finally, at the furthest edge of the grove were the two smallest trees, barely more than saplings. Their name plates read, Kun Gora, and Kun Ramil. Count Gora and Count Ramil. 

When Dooku saw the trees, he turned with an arched eyebrow towards Hoves. “Do you intend to bury me here as well?”

Hoves looked scandalised at the idea. “Of course not, Your Majesty. This is a place for those who have committed grave crimes against our people. You have saved us from tyranny, and brought law and peace.”

It was almost like the ancient Roman practice of damning or deifying each emperor once they died. It was a kind of final justice the people were able to inflict on tyrants after death.

“You say each village has its own tree?”

“Where a murderer or raider is buried.”

Or a bad chieftain, Tan’ya assumed. She shivered, trying to ignore the damp cold feeling of the fog on her cheek. As Tan’ya looked around, she finally saw a name that caused her to raise an eyebrow. Darkymas.

“Look, Darth Chymus.” Tan’ya pointed it out to her father. He was the Sith whose notes she had been able to read, excavated from the old ruins. He had actually been alive, hidden away in a safe room for more than a thousand years until he was killed by Mace Windu. “This must be his body double.” Tan’ya speculated.

Dooku frowned, considering it. “I’ll instruct Narec to petition the Jedi to release his body to us.” When she shot him a surprised look, he added with a wry smile, “We wouldn’t want him to evade our laws.”

Slowly, the family congregated back near the speeder, after satisfying their curiosity. The Cold Grove was beautiful, in its own twisted, and haunted way. As they started to get back into their speeder, Dooku lingered for a moment with Tan’ya as he surveyed the area. His eyes lingered for the longest time on the largest tree in the centre of the grove, before turning towards his children. His gaze went from Ideon in Athemeene’s arms, to Madalee, then Kenth, before finally he made eye contact with Tan’ya.

He swallowed once, before finally looking at his wife. Athemeene gazed at Dooku impassively, showing neither favor nor hatred. 

“...I can’t regret what I’ve done.” Dooku finally said. “Even with all my mistakes, even with the evil I’ve brought upon this family… I wouldn’t have any of you, if I hadn’t made them. Athemeene, I can’t ask you to forgive me, or to ever trust me again, but please. Have faith in this.” He indicated his children. “Have faith in something greater than ourselves.”

The suddenness of Dooku’s passionate words caught Tan’ya completely by surprise. She found herself exchanging an awkward look with Vai, who looked almost equally as uncomfortable.

Tears seemed to well in Athemeene’s eyes, and she tried to wipe them away, but it didn’t seem to work. Not sure what to do, Tan’ya offered her a handkerchief, but found her mother holding her wrist. She didn’t resist as Athemeene pulled her in close and hugged her tight, shuddering. Tan’ya swallowed a strange lump that seemed to appear in her throat, which only grew worse as Ideon started crying as well, and was joined by Madalee and Kenth. Athemeene buried her face in Tan’ya’s shoulder, and began weeping, shuddering and hiccuping. 

The outpouring of emotion even caused the Force to swell. For a moment the mists of the Cold Grove were pushed back, and sunlight broke through from above. 

The whole thing was so melodramatically embarrassing, that Tan’ya couldn’t meet Vai’s gaze. No doubt the stoic Mandalorian was equally mortified.

“I can’t protect you.” Athemeene whispered to Tan’ya. “Not anymore. Even this young, you’re so grown up. Please, just remember. I believe in you. Always.”

Okay, but please get a hold of yourself.

Finally the sappy waterworks were over, and at last the family was ready to leave again. Dooku and Athemeene sat together, leaning into each other as she clung to his arm and rested her head on his shoulder.

All together, the family flew away from the cold graveyard of dead tyrants, back to the warmth of their home where for a time, the pressures of the Galaxy would not rest so heavily on their shoulders. 

End of Episode 1

The Count of Serenno will continue in Episode 2. The Attack of the Clones.