Chapter 34

30 BBY

With everything in place, the Outer Rim Alliance was all but ready to launch its invasion of Phindar. The extra time they had taken to get an agreement from Botajef had allowed them to fully restock and repair all five of Serenno’s cruisers. The Hammerheads and the Corona’s were now crewed and ready to fly, though the crews hadn’t got nearly as much chance to practice with the Corona’s. 

Surveying his small fleet from his office window, Dooku couldn’t keep the scowl from his lips. The ships themselves weren’t anything special, merely standard for their size and class. They could be expected to meet the average, not exceed it, and worse still was their numbers. Five ships. Five! If the Sith had committed the entire Black Sun fleet against Serenno, they would have been almost helpless to stop it. He didn’t know what kind of game Sidious was playing, but Serenno had to grow. The alliance had to grow.

He had to grow as well.

As it was now, he couldn’t defeat the fools on Coruscant, let alone the Sith. 

Botajef would be a serious addition to the Alliance. Its shipyards hadn’t been fully activated in centuries, but they were there and far easier to restore to working order than the ancient ones on Raxus Prime. Unfortunately, Botajef hadn’t fully joined yet. So far, Duke Donner had only agreed to allow the invasion of Phindar if he was allowed to occupy it afterwards. It was an agreement that cost him very little, and promised him much if it succeeded. A shrewd negotiator that Donner, who had intrinsically understood the power he held over the alliance when first approached. 

Still, a foot in the door was something by itself. If Duke Donner wasn’t willing to commit himself fully to the ORA’s cause, then one of his family members might be more amenable. 

Plans to consider later.

Right now, Dooku was confident that he should be able to win the coming battle. Normally, coordinating two fleets across a large distance would be difficult, but he would be commanding one half and Asajj the other. Through the Force, he and his former Padawan would easily be able to converge on the enemy at the same time. Duke Harrad had been able to provide twenty ships, and though Duchess Satine didn’t have a standing defence fleet, she did provide him with contact information for a number of Mandalorian clans who were willing to work as mercenaries.

With the Mandalorian mercenaries on their side, that brought the fleet’s total size to thirty five ships. Meanwhile, the enemy fleet was an estimated thirty ships, at least according to Tanya’s scouts. The members of the House Guard had been able to get surprisingly close to the target, landing on Phindar and talking to pirates who’d gone ashore for a few drinks. They’d even done a flyby of Deep Space Demolitions and Removals, to confirm the number of ships it had docked.

The Space Station itself was the most significant problem. Though not particularly mobile, it had deployed a flight of long range bombers to attack Raxus. Dooku was planning on relying on the New Temple’s Long Range Patrol fighters to neutralise the bombers. Demolitions and Removals didn’t have any serious armaments beyond some basic point defence systems, so once the bombers were dealt with, it would be a non factor.

That left just one threat to be considered before they went ahead with the attack.

“Where did Asajj get this from?” Dooku asked, looking up from his datapad to his daughter. 

She stood in front of his desk, arms folded by her back, and mind shielded. “It was provided to her by Quinlan Vos.”

Dooku’s nose wrinkled with distaste, before he looked back down at the face of the zabrak sith assassin. Neither Asajj or Tanya knew his name yet, or Vos for that matter, but Dooku had already suffered the displeasure of meeting Maul in person once. “Why is she speaking with Vos?”

“She was gathering intelligence about the enemy.” Tanya answered. “Which I see as commendable. Jedi Knight Prialla told her about some minor Black Sun interference in the investigation into Master Sifo’s death, and so she took the initiative to go to Vos for more information. Very prudent given that they are our current foe.”

“And so the Coruscant Temple has advanced much further into the investigation than the New Temple, but never saw fit to tell us.”

“It appears that way, Father.”

With a disgusted sight, Dooku put the Datapad away. If Vos was right, Deep Space Demolitions and Removals was the former headquarters of the Blacksun. It seemed that Maul had completely taken over the organisation, explaining why it was working with the Trade Federation. Both organisations were merely catspaws of the Sith.

“Well, it’s good to have confirmation that all our enemies are working together.” Dooku muttered.

“Being X has been very busy.” Tanya said. “Then she asked. Do you think you’ll be able to handle the Sith?”

“If he wasn’t a match for Padawan Kenobi, I doubt he’ll be much of a threat to me.” Dooku scoffed. “Especially not with a dozen more Jedi at my back.”

Tanya nodded. “Do you plan to capture him?”

Dooku shook his head. “No. A sith is far too dangerous to hold.” Not to mention what he might reveal if given the chance. Dooku didn’t even plan to bring support with him to kill Maul, lest the assassin reveal something he shouldn’t during the fight.

Tanya nodded, not looking displeased.

“Thank you for this, daughter.” Dooku said, at last. “I will let Asajj know she’s done well. Is there anything else?”

“Yes, Father. Two more things. If you’re taking our fleet with you, what will we do if another Pirate fleet attacks in your absence?”

“Botajef has agreed to provide us with a small defence picket to prevent that.”

“How small?”

“Two ships.” Dooku answered.

“Battle Cruisers?”

“Light cruisers.”

“...It seems like they’re getting a lot from this deal and risking almost nothing.”

Dooku nodded in agreement. “We’ll simply have to do our best to not advertise its size. It will simply have to be enough for any potential attackers to know that Serenno will still be defended.”

Tanya nodded, though she looked unhappy with it. 

“And your other concern?” Dooku asked.

“Not a concern, Father. A gift of sorts.”

Dooku blinked at that, surprised. After a moment he couldn’t help the small smile that touched his lips.

She smiled back at him as well. “It’s in the armoury, if you want to see it.”

“We shall go together.” Dooku decided, standing up. Together the two of them passed through the Palace, taking the stairs to the armoury with Tanya leading the way. Amused, Dooku followed behind her to the bottom of the steps where the smell of burnt steel and ozone merged with blaster polish and sweat.

Dooku rarely came down here, trusting his daughter to manage the House Guard. Every Guardsmen they passed stopped to salute the pair, even the ones who were off duty in the break room, standing over their cups of cafstim. 

After the two passed, Dooku heard murmurs starting behind them. He didn’t speak any of the Serennoan languages, or even Outer Rim Basic for that matter, but he recognised one word among the others. It seemed that his real name was difficult for them to pronounce, or perhaps strange in their tongue, so they had named him Rider in their own language. They believed he’d ridden the Tirra’Taka into battle, even though no such thing had ever happened.

A new word was mixed in, one he didn’t recognise. It took him a moment to realise it was probably their name for his daughter, though he couldn’t discern any great meaning from it. Tan’ya had been teaching them to shield their minds in the Force, but from the few who let strong emotion slip through, he felt an overriding sense of awe and reverence. It wasn’t aimed at him, though. Most of it was directed to his daughter.

He supposed that she had spent more time with them then he had, so it made sense they would be loyal to her personally. Though the strength of their emotions seemed strange even for a beloved commanding officer. 

Once inside the armoury, his daughter presented to him an armoured Mandalorian with a hammer at his belt, who turned to regard the Count from behind his mirrored visor, mind caught between curiosity and annoyance at the interruption.

“Father, meet the Armourer. I don’t know what his real name is, but he was willing to craft a dozen sets of sacanium armour for us on short notice.”

“Short notice indeed.” The man muttered. “I have worked from dawn till dusk every day, eating nothing but smoked meat for breakfast and dinner, and drinking nothing but water by the forge. Even with the blundering assistants you provided, there was scarcely time for me to complete my work.”

Tanya gave her father an apologetic look. “Armourer is from a peculiar clan that doesn't remove their helmets for outsiders. He’s been complaining about the quality of our materials with every breath.”

“I will be grateful to return to beskar.” The Armourer spat, turning his head towards Tanya in a motion that looked almost like a glare.

“I see.” Dooku said. “Will the armour work?”

“Of course!” The Armourer then seemed to shoot Dooku with his glare as well. “I wouldn’t craft anything that could not offer protection, even if it's not sacred beskar and your blood is not sacred either.” 

What an unpleasant fellow.

“We’ve done ballistic tests.” Tanya said, turning to her father. “It will stop a blaster bolt, even from a rifle. But multiple direct hits will warp and destroy the metal.”

“It’s too conductive.” The Armourer sniffed. “Each shot is partly deflected, but much of the heat is absorbed. Without a layer of plastoid beneath it, the user would be roasted alive.”

“As a result, the armour is a blend of Saccanium plates and plastoids.” Tan’ya explained. “Future versions will have more sophisticated cooling systems, but as long as the user isn’t shot so repeatedly that the armour turns to slag and melts off of him, it will offer a much greater level of protection then anything available on the market.”

“Your tailor was able to provide correct measurements.” The Armourer said. “It will fit you well.”

So this was his daughter’s gift to him. The sacanium was black, and running his hand over it, he found it had a rough texture, like rust or sandpaper. His particular set had a Chain of Office emblem printed into its neck, made of Serenno Silver, and it had a similar mark around the head. The cape at its back was a dark shade of blue, while the plastoid plating the metal was embedded into was grey.

“This armour isn’t quite as fitting for your station as it could be, Father, but for short notice it will provide excellent protection.”

Dooku was no historian, but he did remember from his time in the academy reading about Jedi Lord Valenthyne Farfalla, whose lightsabers were still on display in the Tower of Knowledge. To the Jedi of today, the last great Jedi Lord surrendering his armour for the robes of a Jedi was a symbolic moment, marking the end of the New Sith Wars and the Dark Age of the Republic. Now it seemed that Dooku was to do the opposite.

He’d always known that launching a full scale invasion of another system would be a provocative act, one that would set the Jedi Council howling with outrage. Somehow, he hadn’t understood quite what it would mean until this exact moment, when he was presented with a set of armour for battle. He was going to fight, so of course he should wear armour. This time it would be clear he wouldn’t be acting as a liberator, but as a conqueror. 

After the silence dragged on for a moment too long, he realised his daughter was looking at him expectantly.

“Thank you, daughter.” He finally said. “It’s a great gift.”

With the help of the Armourer, Dooku stripped off his cape, boots, and belt, before fastening the cuirass on over his shirt. Piece by piece, the Armourer instructed him on how to affix the greaves, the gauntlets, the pauldrons, and many others until finally only the helmet remained. The helmet itself fit perfectly, and had an internal display that could be synced up with his compad. 

“Finally, there’s this.” The Armourer said, presenting to Dooku a leather hip holster. “I have crafted these to go with each set. For you and your daughter, there’s room for a lightsaber and a pistol.” 

“I have no need for a blaster.” Dooku said.

“Which is why your lightsaber will go on the dominant side, and your blaster on the left. This is the way.” Without asking Dooku’s permission or waiting, he reached down to secure the leather buckles around Dooku’s hips. “A very mighty seventy year old.” He murmured, briefly squeezing the Count. “Are all Jedi so blessed?”

Dooku didn’t answer.

“When you have the chance, I recommend finding a form fitting undersuit to replace your civilian clothes. They are of fine make, and such craftsmanship should not be wasted in battle.” At last the Armourer stood up right, surveying his work. He stared for a long moment, obviously dissatisfied in the Force before murmuring. “If I had but more time, perhaps I could have done better.”

Dooku emerged from the armoury, to find most of the House Guard waiting for him, along with Tan’ya, Kai the Mandalorian child, and his wife. There was a pause after he stepped out, before excited murmuring broke out among the House Guard. The Palace servants that surrounded his wife also seemed quite taken aback, but Athemeene just looked worried more than anything. She’d forgotten her mental exercises for the moment, and in her mind she was relieved that he was going armored, but worried that he was going to war at all.

“You look… fiersome.” Athemeene finally said.

Dooku chuckled. “Thank you, Meene.” 

“I know you're busy now, but there’s something I wanted to show you, before you leave.” 

“Very good, father.” Tan’ya said. “I’ll go try on my own now.” She went into the armoury with the Armourer, closing the door behind her.

Dooku followed his wife upstairs to the Palace grounds, and was surprised to see a number of poor, wretched looking people lingering in the garden. Many of them were barefoot, while a few had beastly tattoos and strange spikes lodged in their ears and noses. All of them wore some shade of white, even if the colour had been stained by sweat and mud to a light tan. Athemeene had ordered the servants to bring out sandwiches and fruit juice, and many of the guests had been enjoying the food and drink on the grass until they caught sight of the Count.

They all stood, and came towards him, murmuring, “Rider.” In their own tongue. They crowded around at a distance, waiting for some signal.

None of them seemed to speak any Basic or Standard.

Dooku turned to his wife’s handmaiden. “What are they here for?” He asked her.

She bowed her head respectfully. “They say they are pilgrims, who climbed this mountain to pay their respects to the Master of this world. They thank the Rider for his protection and generosity, and hope that he will accept their visit here. They do not intend any offence, this is their only way to speak to him.”

Dooku considered for a moment, before turning to his wife. “They just came, uninvited?”

She nodded, “I told the House Guard to let them into the Palace grounds while we decided what to do with them.” 

Dooku considered them for a moment, before turning to the handmaiden. “Tell them that their Count can be sought through the advisory. If they’re here as guests, they may enjoy the Palace’s exterior grounds, but should not cause damage or leave a mess. They will be respectful of everyone here, and interrupt no one’s work.”

The handmaiden explained Dooku’s conditions to them, and the Pilgrim’s bowed, before returning to what they were doing.

“Did they really climb the entire mountain?” Athemeene wondered. “It’s twelve kilometres from here to the city, and it’s all uphill.”

“If they cause any trouble, don’t hesitate to get rid of them.” Dooku told her. “If there’s nothing else, I have more work to do.”

“Is Tan’ya going with you?” Athemeene asked, clutching the edge of her dress in obvious worry.

“No.” Dooku answered. “Sending both of us into battle would be courting a potential disaster.”

That didn’t seem to assuage her worries very much. 

“Don’t fear for me.” He told her. “I have every reason to be confident of my victory.”

“She has her own set of armour.” Athemeene said in a low, worried voice. “And she fought up there when those pirates attacked! She’s still a child, you can’t send her into battle again.”

Dooku understood her fears. He would have felt them himself, if he wasn’t so sure that their daughter had such a great destiny ahead of her. Rather than make his wife a promise he had no intention of keeping, he simply told her, “Have faith in her, Meene.” 

---------

A mechanical hand clutched a holocom, barely visible in the unlit room. Only the light of the distant stars in the window offered any illumination, until a button was pressed, and a number was called.

There were a few moments as the device dialled, before finally someone answered. Whoever answered didn’t say anything, and kept their face out of the projection.

“Will you do it?” Maul demanded, his voice almost breaking as the nervousness crept in. “Have you scouted them out?”

“Jedi Temple’s airtight. Hard getting in. Harder getting out.” The voice considered, chewing on something. “And you want a Youngling? Don’t think a Bounty Hunter’s the kind of professional you need.”

“No!” Maul hissed, and the exhalation made him wince as he strained his windpipe. Fighting a cough, he sucked down water to calm his throat, before insisting. “I need it. I need it now. I’m so close, the timing is crucial! I witnessed you work, you’re more than capable of it, Bane! You’re the only one.”

Unimpressed, the Bounty Hunter leaned into the call, his large eyes gleaming dangerously even from the other side of the Galaxy. “No names, or we’re done. Don’t know if someone could be listening.” 

Maul felt his pulse rising, but he forced into down, swallowing his anger. “Can you do it or not?!” He demanded. “I need to know, now!”

Bane didn’t answer right away, chewing on his toothpick as he thought things through. “I’ll take the risk.” He finally decided. “Gonna need an advance, though. Specialty equipment ain’t cheap.”

“You can do it?!” Maul rasped out, excited. “You can do it tonight?!”

“I’ll get you the boy.”

“No!” Maul hissed out before managing to compose himself. “No, don’t bring him to me. Take him here.” His fingers danced across the keypad, and there was a ping as Bane received the coordinates. “You understand? Get the boy from the Temple, and bring him there. I’ll wire you the money now.”

“You better.” Bane warned, leaning back out of the projection again. “Ain’t moving from this spot till it gets here.”

“It’s on its way now.” Maul snarled, then hung up. Once it was done, he looked out the window, eyes narrowing on a small star in the distance. “Just you wait, Jedi. I know you told the old man I was coming, and I will have my revenge.”