Things That Never Happened to Dooku, Unfortunately: Sith Lords Are My Specialty

[persephone_kore]

Title: Things That Never Happened to Dooku, Unfortunately
Authors: Persephone_Kore, Dreagoddess
Characters: Dooku, Obi-Wan
Genre: AU, drama
Summary: Several ways Dooku's life could have gone differently. Thing three: Dooku invites himself to Naboo with Qui-Gon.
Notes: To clear up any confusion, Dooku has had a lousy couple of years but is still a Jedi at this point.



Sith Lords Are My Specialty

Qui-Gon Jinn could feel his apprentice's eyes burning into him as they left the Council chamber. Obi-Wan had handled his surprise well, stepping up to back up his master's decision even while Qui-Gon could feel the shock radiating through their bond. He would make it up to him, Qui-Gon decided firmly. Obi-Wan was an intelligent young man, and the Force was strong with him. He would realize how important this small boy was to their future.

But for now, Qui-Gon thought with a purely internal sigh, their future lay on Naboo, protecting the queen and hoping to draw out the strange Sith warrior from Tatooine. He patted Anakin's shoulders reassuringly and turned back to look at his padawan. "Obi-Wan, we should--"

But a glimpse of movement drew his attention and he found himself smiling. "I should've known you'd show up."

"I very nearly didn't," his old master retorted, the deep voice acerbic. "First, I wasn't scheduled to be back until tomorrow; second, by all reports you are rivaling the High Council at the moment for talking nonsense; and third, I wasn't expecting you to be on your way so quickly."

"We are in something of a hurry," Qui-Gon conceded with a nod of his head and a smile. "Perhaps you could walk with us? Anakin, this is Master Dooku. He is the one who trained me when I was a boy. Master, this is Anakin Skywalker." A sardonic lift of his eyebrow and a hint of challenge in his voice. "The Chosen One."

"So I hear. An interesting conclusion." Dooku looked down at Anakin. "And a strange burden for a child."

Anakin looked back at Dooku and narrowed his eyes. "I'm not a child, and my name is Anakin."

Dooku arched one dark eyebrow. "You're what, ten years old? I believe that's still generally considered childhood for our species, Anakin."

"Maybe for you. I've been working since I was four."

"Anakin was a slave on Tatooine," Qui-Gon said quietly. "I don't believe there's much time for childhood there. But regardless...we are in something of a hurry, Master, so if you'd like to chat I'm afraid you're going to have to walk with us to the landing pad." He gestured for Obi-Wan to walk ahead with Anakin so he could speak with Dooku behind.

Dooku fell in alongside him readily enough. "He's assertive, at least. I don't suppose this means the Council will stop waiting for him to show up and change things?"

Qui-Gon's jaw tightened. "The Council believes he is too old to be trained."

"By current practice, he is. I suppose it was too much to hope they'd bestir themselves."

"There are exceptions to every rule." Qui-Gon cast an amused sideways glance at his former master. "As you taught me. He should be trained. I offered to myself, but they put it off until after we return from Naboo."

"Oh, you finally got around to recommending Obi-Wan for his Trials, then?" Dooku reached forward to tap the lad lightly on the shoulder. "Congratulations."

"I, ah, just recommended him today, actually," Qui-Gon explained, not quite looking at either of them.

Dooku paused, and Qui-Gon could see him putting things together. After a moment the older man heaved a long sigh. "Qui-Gon," he said, not unkindly, "have you ever considered that living too much in the moment can make for some excessively crowded moments? Obi-Wan, congratulations on your incipient Knighting. Qui-Gon tells me you've been capable of passing the Trials for a few years now, though he felt you would benefit more from continuing your apprenticeship a little longer."

Obi-Wan blinked at him a few times, then turned to look at Qui-Gon. "I thought you were just saying that for the Council."

"...Ah." No wonder it had come as such an unpleasant shock, then. "No, Obi-Wan, I did mean it. I would like to keep you longer as my padawan learner, but since you are prepared, I can't justify doing that and permitting the Council to dismiss Anakin."

"I didn't mean to be so much trouble, Master Qui-Gon sir," Anakin said quietly, his eyes downcast.

"I assure you," Dooku told the boy dryly, "you are not responsible for the idiocy the Council is capable of these days."

"It's a long-running argument," Qui-Gon explained, squeezing Anakin's shoulder briefly. "It is true -- as Obi-Wan would normally point out -- that some rules are necessary, and that the Council is concerned with general rules and keeping order in the, ah, Order, as well as with individual decisions. Sometimes, however, the Council can be too strict about rules that may have their uses in the current function of the Jedi, but are not really essential to being a Jedi."

"Stars," Dooku murmured, a light appearing faintly in his eyes that Qui-Gon had not seen in far too long. "You actually listened to me."

"Obi-Wan would tell you I listened a little too well, my master."

Obi-Wan abruptly assumed a serene and innocent expression. Qui-Gon snorted. Dooku allowed a very small smile. "Still, I think sending you back to Naboo is a bit extreme just to stop you from arguing. Isn't this a political matter?" His voice hardened. "Let the Senate clean up its own messes."

"We have ulterior motives for escorting Queen Amidala, actually. We hope to draw out a strange warrior I faced on Tatooine, who seemed to be targeting her." Qui-Gon faced forward. "As you may have heard, I believe him to have been a Sith."

Dooku actually stopped walking, then strode forward again abruptly. "No, I never heard that part. Of all things to leave out! They never mention the important points." He shook his head. "I'm coming with you."

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan both stared at him. Anakin just looked excited at the thought of another Jedi to watch (and interrogate, if Qui-Gon was any judge -- though quizzing Dooku would take some nerve). Qui-Gon lifted an eyebrow and asked dryly, "Is this one of the times I'm just supposed to nod and say 'yes, Master'?"

Dooku eyed him. "Yes."

"Yes, Master." Qui-Gon laughed softly and shook his head. "Not that we wouldn't appreciate the help, but I believe Obi-Wan and I are more than capable of handling him."

"Perhaps." Dooku spread his hands. "Still, Sith lords are my specialty."

Qui-Gon laughed. "Well, how can I argue with that? In that case--" He inclined his head graciously to his old master. "You are very welcome to join us."

"Thank you, Qui-Gon." Dooku bowed his head in return, a definite sense of satisfaction underlying the solemnity.

"Just remember," Qui-Gon advised as they continued on to the ship, a smile in his voice if not on his face, "I'm in charge!"

"Force help us all," Dooku murmured.

Qui-Gon's laughter rang out on the landing pad.


*****

The battle was over. Anakin had been hugged by the Queen of Naboo; Qui-Gon thought Dooku looked relieved when this enthusiasm was not extended to the rest of the Jedi. The boy was the hero of the day... and night... and a few more days of festival were planned, Naboo and Gungans rejoicing together for perhaps the first time. The Jedi were being celebrated as well, to the point that it would have been rude to rush away, but Anakin had been the one to take out the army.

Now the three Jedi stood in a quiet room in the palace, explaining whatever small details were left after their formal report to the ancient green Jedi who'd trained them all. When they were finished, Yoda hrmed thoughtfully and stared at his wrinkled green hands for a long moment.

"Always two, there are," he said finally. "A master and an apprentice. But which this was...guess that, I cannot. Alert we must be for the second." He looked up at his former students and smiled. "But a celebration time this is. Freed, Naboo has been, and defeated a Sith Lord you have! Very well you all have done." He laughed softly. "Right Qui-Gon was, young Obi-Wan, though better his timing could have been. Confer upon you the rank of Jedi Knight, the Council does."

Obi-Wan blinked, taken entirely off guard by this announcement. "I -- thought I still had to take my Trials."

Yoda chuckled. "That this battle be taken to stand in place of your Trials, Qui-Gon has recommended."

"You were invaluable," Dooku added. "You've more than proven yourself -- if Qui-Gon hadn't suggested it, I would have." A faint smile. "And this is an area where the Council is... not too inflexible."

Yoda hrmphed loudly, but he said nothing as Qui-Gon smiled and said softly, "I am very proud of you, Obi-Wan." Then he assumed a more solemn mien and drew his lightsaber. In a ringing voice, he announced, "Step forward, Padawan."

Obi-Wan still looked bewildered by his good fortune, but he stepped forward and kneeled in front of his former master. "Obi-Wan Kenobi, by the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, I dub thee--" Qui-Gon held his lightsaber over Obi-Wan's right shoulder, then his left, then returned it to the right and very carefully cut through the padawan braid "Jedi Knight of the Republic."

Obi-Wan, stilll looking stunned, recited, "To the best of my ability, I will serve the Balance of the Force, the ideals of the Republic, and the principles of the Jedi Order with my wit, my blade, and my life." He rose, smoothly but a little uncertainly, holding his head as if losing the tiny weight of the braid had put it off balance.

Qui-Gon retrieved the thin braid and presented it to Obi-Wan with a warm smile. Obi-Wan grinned and took it. Once the congratulations were finished, Qui-Gon looked over at Master Yoda and said firmly, "And regardless of the Council's opinion on the matter, I will be taking Anakin Skywalker as my padawan learner."

Yoda's ears lowered as he stared at Qui-Gon through slitted eyes. Finally he hrmphed loudly and pounded his stick on the ground, transferring the glare to Dooku. "Blame you for his defiance, I always have. And still do!"

Dooku bowed deeply. "Indeed. Thank you, Master."

"A compliment that was not," Yoda said dryly. Then his ears raised and he chuckled slightly. "Well, a little one only." He eyed Obi-Wan. "Copy your master in this I hope you will not, Knight Kenobi."

"I don't really feel prepared to offer to train Anakin, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan replied without batting an eye.

Yoda snorted. "More respect for the Council I hope you will have." Then he sighed. "Your padawan Skywalker is, Master Jinn."

"Thank you, Master Yoda." Qui-Gon looked out the window at the celebrations. He couldn't quite see Anakin, but his eyes found the spot where he knew the boy was, drawn by his brightness in the Force. He was all joy, tonight. "I don't believe you'll regret it."

Comments

[lianna-blanca.livejournal.com]

I like this one more than the last - "A compliment, that was not"; priceless, really. That whole section.

I think you could have done with giving a little more detail on the changes in the fight scene - who, exactly, killed Maul, and how much time was saved with three opponants instead of two - but otherwise I can't find any faults. Good on you. I'm more than eager to read things four and five.

[dreagoddess.livejournal.com]

Well, the Things are meant to be vignettes, so we were concentrating more on the big changes than the little. We've toyed with the idea of expanding this one a bit. It's my favorite Thing, really! :) Glad you liked it.

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Yoda is fun. :)

We considered writing out the fight scene, but actually decided that aside from Maul being dead while none of the Jedi were, we didn't have anything very interesting to say in it. (Well, there was a mental image of Dooku yoinking Qui-Gon backward past one of those red barriers before they could get too far separated, but slapstick wasn't quite what we were after. ;)) But perhaps we should have included more about it in the post-combat scene.

[the-little-owl.livejournal.com]

Poor Master Yoda has to cope now with the joint force of Jinn and Dooku! Yay.
But as lianna_blanca said, I'd like to know what exactly happened to Maul, and why Dooku claims that Sith Lords are his speciality.
As nice as the part on their way to the landing pad is, you gave away the most interesting part: Dooku fighting a Sith. I know this is AU, and Dooku isn't the bad guy here, but we're used to see him in a league with Palpatine. Therefore, it would be quite interesting to know how Darth Maul reacted when seeing Master Dooku.

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

*grin* Thanks! Poor Master Yoda has been coping with them for decades. He vastly prefers this scenario over Qui-Gon dead and Dooku turned. ;)

Evidently we should have put in a bit more about the course of the fight in the aftermath scene.... At this point in canon, however -- without any AU elements -- Dooku was still a Jedi Master, though he had some points of vehement disagreement with the Council, and didn't even know about Sidious yet. So I don't think Maul's reaction would have been remarkably different.

Heh, the specialty line. For some reason the EU introduced the idea that Dooku was technically not apprenticed to Yoda (who still did a lot of his training :P) but to this other guy who happened to be a historian with an interest in the Sith. Combine that with choosing a lightsaber form suited mainly for dueling other people with lightsabers... in short, Sith Lords are technically more of an academic specialty for him at this point. But it sounded good. ;) Also something we should perhaps have explained more, which is my fault; I've picked up quite a bit of obscure Dooku trivia, some of it secondhand, and tend to underestimate the obscurity and assume everybody else knows more about it than I do.

[the-little-owl.livejournal.com]

All EU stuff I know are some of the comics with Quinlan Vos, therefore I didn't know your premises.

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

Sorry about that.

Dooku's fall occuring after Qui-Gon's death is generally a safe bet with us, though. :)

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

(That said, I can see how if you don't automatically make that assumption, the Sith Lord reference might be misleading.)

[charmisjess.livejournal.com]

*cheeky* *glances at comments above* How the Maul and Dooku confrontation went down? Well, naturally, as Chi said it...





Hahahaha! OWNED!

*whistles*

Okay, I do have a coherent post, too. (I hope the link-code above is good, otherwise this is going to be a really stupid comment altogether) I think I've said a lot of what I thought of this fic on tf.net, but reading it again was such a pleasure. I love how you two's Dooku and Qui-Gon interact. There are so many great little lines between them, and Dooku is the perfect shade of Pre-Naboo, not really dark, but not quite as bright as he is in likkle!Master form. Jaded, perhaps, and it shows, but things are looking up. He and Anakin's little minispat still makes me grin like an idiot.

Good times!

[dreagoddess.livejournal.com]

*snickers at the image* Very cute. And thank you. :) I like dealing with this era Dooku. He's fun.

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

*gigglefits* You know, I really don't think lightning (torturing people with it sure, but not the whole zappiness in general thing) ought to be strictly Dark Side. I'm too fond of van der Graaf generators. And it's not like static electricity is evil. ;)

...Exceedingly frustrating sometimes, but not evil.

And thank you so much for reviewing again. *grin* They were fun to write together, and yeah, Dooku is decidedly jaded at this point, but going along for this mission was something of an improvement.

Ani's a sweet kid at this point, but he got rubbed a bit the wrong way. Glad you liked. :)

[charmisjess.livejournal.com]

In the Vong crisis/Post-NJO, lightsiders use Force-lightning in battle all the time. Of course, they also have been known to Force-choke, maim, render-people-brain-dead, get their girlfriends pregnant, and mind-wipe children.

And they do tend to go darkside rather seasonally, very much like the beautiful yet tempestuous changing of the leaves. :)

So there you go.

*has Master Dooku/kid!Anakin plot bunnies now*

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

In the Vong crisis/Post-NJO, lightsiders use Force-lightning in battle all the time. Of course, they also have been known to Force-choke, maim, render-people-brain-dead, get their girlfriends pregnant, and mind-wipe children.

And they do tend to go darkside rather seasonally, very much like the beautiful yet tempestuous changing of the leaves. :)

So there you go.

...Yeah, and I realize Luke and Leia both strangled people a bit in RotJ, but I think the full complementt here might be cause for concern. ;)

*has Master Dooku/kid!Anakin plot bunnies now*

Oh? *brings out carrots*

[dreagoddess.livejournal.com]

*has Master Dooku/kid!Anakin plot bunnies now*

Hah! When we first started trying to plot out this Thing, I tried to talk Kore into having Dooku step into the meeting and say he'd take Anakin if Qui-Gon wouldn't. I think they'd be a hysterical combination. Sure, there might be spontaneous combustion or something, but they'd be adorable. :)

[deralte.livejournal.com]

Wah. Now I want more. *pouts* This was very good and a pleasure to read:)

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

Thank you! We had fun with it.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Dooku paused, and Qui-Gon could see him putting things together. After a moment the older man heaved a long sigh. "Qui-Gon," he said, not unkindly, "have you ever considered that living too much in the moment can make for some excessively crowded moments?

I love how this can be distilled down to "Qui-Gon, you idiot" -- Dooku really is used to Qui-Gon's habit of running over other's emotions in his fevor to do the Force's will.

"I don't really feel prepared to offer to train Anakin, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan replied without batting an eye.

Hee! With all three of them in the room, you can really see how the sass gets passed from Dooku to Qui-Gon to Obi-Wan.

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

I love how this can be distilled down to "Qui-Gon, you idiot" -- Dooku really is used to Qui-Gon's habit of running over other's emotions in his fevor to do the Force's will.

I think Dooku thinks he should have planned ahead a bit more for the Council's possible reactions. ;)

Hee! With all three of them in the room, you can really see how the sass gets passed from Dooku to Qui-Gon to Obi-Wan.

Yes! We've been playing with that idea, that for all the differences there really are marks of the training succession, and some of them just... quirks, turns of phrases and things, as well as the more significant ones. (Can't you imagine Dooku with Obi-Wan's line about 'the fool or the fool who follows him'?)

[dreagoddess.livejournal.com]

I love how this can be distilled down to "Qui-Gon, you idiot" -- Dooku really is used to Qui-Gon's habit of running over other's emotions in his fevor to do the Force's will.

Yes, that's exactly it! He's well-accustomed to Qui-Gon's impulsiveness. *pats him fondly*

Hee! With all three of them in the room, you can really see how the sass gets passed from Dooku to Qui-Gon to Obi-Wan.

We've had great fun playing with Anakin unconsciously quoting Dooku because he repeats things Obi-Wan always said that were Qui-Gon's favorite sayings and so on. :) We love trying to show ways the different Masters influence their padawans.

And I love your icon.

[youngest-one.livejournal.com]

Another fascinating glimpse into what Might Have Been. I liked Dooku, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan's interactions, and Yoda was very well written as well.

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

Thanks! We had a lot of fun writing them; glad you liked it. :)

[polgarawolf.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. I might almost be able to believe this might come to a better ending than the films, if it weren't for the fact that I don't trust Qui-Gon any further than I can throw him (which is to say, not at all). Still. It was nice to see Dooku prod the dunderhead into explaining Obi-Wan's readiness for the Trials, and I do believe he would've been able to help them make short work of Maul (though he probably had his efforts hampered by Qui-Gon). And this reminds me of why I decided in my own overgrown AU to've made Dooku offer Qui-Gon help for the mission (though Qui-Gon refused him), because it is something that Dooku would have wanted to do.

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

Mm. I think it's safe to say we don't share quite the same interpretation of Qui-Gon. :) But it does seem as if Dooku would have been more than willing to help take on Maul. And sometimes you really do need a third party to poke you about voicing the things you think someone else is taking for granted. (We've played with some general not-talking past each other with other characters as well. It does get frustrating if overdone, but we try not to get too carried away. ;))

[polgarawolf.livejournal.com]

*Nods and shrugs* Eh, s'okay. I think I'm one of the few people in the world who really can't stand the puffed up hypocrite guy.

I'm enjoying these little AU takes on Dooku - each one so far has allowed a specific insight to his character that, when added up altogether, will yield a fairly complete picture of Dooku as he was in his prime, before bitterness and disappointment set their hooks in his soul and started dragging him down to his doom.