Chapter 63

I was sitting down entertaining Count Dooku with cookies and tea. A repurposed B1 battle droid from the war on Naboo was pouring tea and offering a piece of cake to the Count.

Count Dooku was no longer a Jedi Master at this point, he had lost his faith in the Jedi traditions and hated the Galactic Republic's corruption and the fact that the republic senate used Jedis like disposable weapons.

There were probably many other reasons to hate the republic like the tax collection they practised on the outer rim without offering any protection. If you lived in the outer rim you were alone, unless you refused to pay the republic, then they moved as fast as light. In my opinion, it was a nice racketeering job for a protection fee. That's why the Hutt never joined the Senate, they were old hands in the protection racket and knew a bad deal when they saw one.

And that was why Count Dooku was at my table. As a rep for the Gove Collection, I was part of the galactic senate and part of the outer rim. The Count was looking for support to strengthen his Confederacy of Independent Systems.

As I was slurping tea through my big shaggy beard, I paused, slapping my lips with the joy that came with being old. I had disguised myself as an old man. Wrinkles covered my face, and my bent back hunched over my table. The art of disguise was second nature to me, not just in the use of force abilities but also with cosmetic surgery and the much simpler fake beard and skin.

I looked at Count Dooku and asked him why should the Gove Collection join their side of the war that was to come. After all, the Gove Collection and its assets were the most protected part of the galaxy. To join a war would only mean being attacked and losing out on trade.

The Count went on to give a nice speech on doing the right thing, on cutting the bad parts of the republic greed and corruption out.

I cleared my throat "Absolute power corrupts absolutely"

Strangely enough, I didn't expect Count Dooku to be stunned by what I just said. It was like this small quote had given him a lot to think about. I was saying that it didn't matter who was in charge of the Galaxy, that amount of power would lead to corruption.

"The Grove Collection knows how to play the game of politics and corruption, we aren't distressed about the man who takes bribes and will sell his people for a few credits, we wonder what evil an incorruptible man will do to see their vision completed," I said to the quite Dooku.

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Count Dooku cleared his throat "I believe it is in our best collective interest if..."

I interrupt him "Who is your master". The stumped silence that came with the conversation about corruption was nothing after this question. The Count's hand twisted, and the old man was rattled.

"You have Wat Tambor foreman of the Techno Union, San Hill the Chairman of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, Poggle the Lesser Archduke of Geonosis and lots of money supporting you, you don't have enough muscle to command a galaxy-sized war, who is your master"

"How do you know about the CIS members" Anger creeps in Count Dooku's eyes.

"Corruption is a useful tool, especially against powerful corrupt people" I answer.

I took another long loud slurp from my tea and slapped my lips together "Don't try to persuade the Grove Collection with promises of justice and honour, we heard every tune that particular song has to offer and it all ends the same way, with two tired legs"

Count Dooku stood up and knocked the cake from the droid's hands. The dark look in his eyes was terrifying and would make any normal person wet themself.

"Is it true that you are a Sith, Count Dooku" As I asked the question a bright red lightsaber came to life.

"I guess you are. Isn't there always two, a master and an apprentice, who is your master" I asked knowing fully the answer.

"What makes you think that I'm not the master" demanded Count Dooku

It was my turn to stand "You talk about corruption like it's foreign to you but the Sith are old buddies with corruption, pain and fear. You want to convince the Grove Collection to join a murderous group that will kill us at the drop of a hat if it benefits them, sometimes even if they just feel like killing, you are definitely not the master."

"Those are just rumours spread by the Jedi to diminish the CIS reputation" answered Dooku

"Says the Sith standing over an old defenceless man with his weapon drawn and ready to cut me down"

There was a strange silence only broken apart with the sound of droids cleaning up the spilt cake.

"I don't sense any fear in you Senator" Dooku mentioned

"I'm not a senator just an expendable old man with his life connected to a shit ton of explosives that will detonate at my death. Why else do you think the Grove Collection would sit with such a powerful, murderous Sith member" I lied, there were no explosives but I didn't want to show my ability at the start of the Clone War when Palpatine had all the cards. A missing Count Dooku would cause the complete attention of Palpatine on to the Grove.

"So, who is your master and what can he offer us" I asked again

"I am my own master," said Dooku "And I can foresee the day when you rue the day you didn't join us"

"So, you're not offering anything substantial, a promise of freedom and justice is like a fart in the wind" I did think about allying myself with Count Dooku but while he had good reason to try and start the CIS he was being controlled by Palpatine as an apprentice. The worst thing was that Count Dooku must have known Palpatine was the leader of the republic and also Darth Sidious. Count Dooku was an apprentice to his dark master who was playing both sides of the galaxy against each other and Dooku still mentioned justice and corruption with a straight face when he was the cause of such things.

I usually liked it when my opponents underestimated me, it made it so much easier to steal and take advantage of them but it was a different story when a smart man didn't even try hard to cover the lies he was telling. Count Dooku was a lazy liar who thought I was going to agree to his token speeches and give everything up to fight the good fight despite being a Sith. How very stupid did he think I was? That's okay I could always do with more droids and it was better if someone else took the effort and time to make them.