Rain stared up at the ceiling of her room, counting the minutes as they passed. Her thoughts tormented her, preventing her from sleeping. Every time she closed her eyes, she was back in the Jedi Temple, surrounded by the people she had tried so hard to get away from. And Mira was there, her eyes full of cold, unspoken accusation.

"Why did you leave?" she would say over and over, joined by the voices of the Order.

When will you stop plaguing me?!

Rain sat up abruptly. There was no point in staying here. She didn't care what time of night it was. She needed some fresh air. Throwing off her sheets, she got up and looked through her wardrobe before picking out a tight-fitting one-piece garment with wide sleeves, a black hue, and a matching belt. The material was thick but breathable, designed for combat. Rain hooked her recently acquired dual sabers onto the belt before throwing on her knee-high boots and walking out the door. She headed down to the entrance, sitting cross-legged between the rows of obelisks and breathing in the cool night air. She could see the first signs of dawn on the horizon.

I guess it wasn't that early after all. I would have had to be up in an hour or two anyway.

Rain sighed, closing her eyes and trying to clear her mind. But as her eyelids slid shut, the haunting images came rushing back. Rain's brow furrowed as she attempted to push the thoughts away, but they persisted. Finally she opened her eyes, soaking in the sight of the sun peeking up at her. She focused on that instead.

I can't keep going like this. It seems even when we're so many worlds apart, I still can't leave them behind. I shouldn't feel guilty. I've only ever done what I had to.

"Why did you leave?"

Rain bit her lip, climbing to her feet and drawing a deep breath.

I just need a distraction.

Unhooking her lightsabers, she started walking herself through the forms over and over.

Because she was ambidextrous and accustomed to using a lightsaber in either hand, it had taken no effort adjusting to her twin blades, and they had done wonders for her balance. Because of Rain's physique, in most battles she was forced to rely on her speed and agility. Due to this reason, the extra balance was a huge advantage for her. The dual blades also allowed her to strike twice as fast and with much more force than before, as well as giving her a wider reach and a greater advantage in both defence and offense. And personally, she thought the red color suited her.

She had always favoured Forms II and VII, which relied more on controlled strikes and a balance of lightsaber combat and use of the force. Dooku had seemed to approve of this choice; after all, his own chosen form was Form II. But for good measure, he had taught her more of Form VIII, which was the most aggressive and unpredictable of all the lightsaber forms. It was also the form most favoured by the Sith.

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Rain swung again before stopping dead in her tracks at the sound of the Count's voice.

"Up rather early, aren't you, apprentice?"

Rain deactivated her sabers, letting her arms fall to her sides.

"Couldn't sleep," she explained.

"I sensed your inner turmoil," Dooku said, "It would seem your sister consumes your thoughts yet again."

Rain hung her head, "Yes, Master."

"You're leaving yourself wide open," Dooku scolded, "I hope she won't continue to prove too distracting for you."

"No, Master."

"I'll hold you to your word."

There was a slight pause.

"Um, Master, when will you teach me new force abilities?"

So far, the Count had failed to delve into that subject.

"You were expecting things to go differently." It was more of a statement than a question. "Had I been teaching you from scratch, they would have. But since you've spent your life learning from the Jedi, my job was merely to correct your basic thinking concerning physical combat. In truth, you already have everything you need."

"What?" Rain demanded, "But surely you don't intend to keep me here for much longer. Shouldn't I be prepared for when I leave here on my own?"

"You are prepared."

"More prepared?" Rain said exasperatedly.

"It is up to the master to decide what he passes to his apprentice and when."

"Isn't that a little unfair considering the Sith's distaste toward any sign of weakness? So the Master could just decide not to teach his apprentice anything and then he could kill off his apprentice whenever he wants and get away with it, except of course that'd be breaking the Rule of Two." Rain paused, then realized, "Wait. Aren't I breaking the Rule of Two just by being here?"

"No. There is much you lack that would be required to fit that category. When you are ready to leave here, your title will be Sith assassin."

"Ah, like Ventress. So what's the difference between Sith assassins and true Sith?"

"Secrets," Dooku answered briefly.

"Secrets?" Rain echoed.

"True Sith hold powerful, dangerous secrets. Assassins are trained solely in combat rather than in the ways of the force."

"But using the force is part of combat," Rain insisted.

"You are correct," Dooku relented, "But the Rule of Two cannot be broken, and thus, some secrets cannot be shared."

"Seems rather counterintuitive that Darth Bane's solution for all the infighting among the Sith was to have them keep right on killing each other off until there were just two of them left."

Dooku raised one eyebrow slightly, "You are familiar with Sith lore."

"I was fond of reading, and we had an extensive library and a colourful history."

"A wise pastime."

"Well, they do say knowledge is power. So does this mean I'd never be able to surpass the rank of assassin?"

"Yes."

For claiming to be sworn enemies of the Jedi, the Sith seem to have as much of an affinity for rules as they do. Maybe they're more alike than they think.

"Master, I have one more question. When will I be able to meet Lord Sidious?"

The Count raised an eyebrow in surprise, "My Master only meets with those he trusts most. I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to meet him in person unless he specifically required an audience with you."

Dooku said the Sith hold powerful, dangerous secrets. So if the very identity of the man on top is so jealously guarded—

"Now that you are finished with your questions, are you ready to begin the lesson, apprentice?" Dooku asked, cutting into her thoughts.

"Yes, Master. Thank you for your patience."

I'll figure this all out eventually.