Chapter 1: Realisation

NOW

" I must note, while the mind subjugation was successful in erasing any humanity he once had...he is still plagued with Vanity. I have noted a number of custom modifications to his faceplate and armour."

The tall white haired Sith Lord held a familiar look of superiority upon his aging face as he spoke.

A shrouded figure looked back at him in the form of a holoprojection,

"Yes...yes"

The almost spectre like projection began to reply in a clear precise tone,

"Be mindful of any problems the experiment may breed, this bionic technology may prove to be a useful tool for the dark side in the years to come"

The figure remained deathly still now, only the static interference in the transmission would make the projection jolt from time to time.

The white haired Sith Lord inclined his head slightly in what could be seen to be a small bow like gesture.

" As you wish, my master"

The holonet projection now fizzled out in a haze of static noise as suddenly as it had appeared to him.

Yes, Dooku would be mindful of the problems his new experiment would breed, mindful indeed.

THEN:

General Grievous, once commander of sentient beings, his many victories against his peoples enemy, the Huk, unparalleled by any other, now lay relatively helpless on a specially constructed operating table. The pain he had felt up until now, paled in significance to the sudden rush of information that ran up what remained of his spinal cord.

Muffled voices became clearer until he could recognise them as belonging to Genosians, and he was acutely aware of someone placing something over what remained of his face, it's cool surface resting on what little skin he had left.

It was then he found himself able to open his eyes. The sudden influx of light making him squint until his vision cleared.

The chattering and clicking noises of the Genosians stopped suddenly, the silence only being broken by the sound of the fluttering of many wings as the Genosians wisely kept their distance high up in the alcoves that littered the walls of the room Grievous lay in.

For a long moment, Grievous was confused, he remembered the crash, waking up in that force forsaken bacta tank feeling nothing but humiliation at the thought of being denied a warriors death. He could even remember the deal he had made with IBC chairman San Hill, his so called chance to redeem himself.

But before that?

He remembered little or nothing before that, save for the fact he had once been a respected warrior of his home world.

Not only was the fact he could not remember even a flicker of the life he had before the crash disturbing...even more distressing, was the fact his brain was sending signals to his spinal cord indicating he could now move limbs he had most certainly lost in the crash.

It took a moments concentration, his golden eyes narrowing again in the bright light, and in one fluid movement, a white armourplast plated droid hand crossed his line of vision. For a split second, Grievous moved his head and looked to one side to see who, or what, the arm belonged to.

His gaze trailed down the armourplast plated forearm, and then up until he could see where the arm was fused to a mechanical shoulder joint, covered by another off white armourplast plate.

In that one moment, realisation hit him harder than any impact of any shuttle crash could have...the arm was his?

Flexing his skeletal fingers as if to confirm his new discovery to him, the sound of small whirs met his hearing sensors, as the wire like tendons that were housed inside his arm, moved back and forth accordingly.

If Grievous could have felt sick, he would have. Instead, all he felt was a burning anger, increasing in potency every moment since he had woken.

"You will have to surrender even more than you have now, you will no longer know the pleasures of the flesh" Hills words came back to haunt him.

" Flesh is weak, you only need to gaze upon me to see that" He repeated his own words aloud, his voice, though mostly synthesized, indeed sounded like his own..even down to the accent. Little touches like that did nothing to appease the anger within him, nor did it answer the question that was the cause of all this anger, pain and humiliation. Who, had caused the shuttle crash? He had checked that ship over himself.

The Kaleesh General sat bolt upright, catching a brief glimpse of now mechanical legs before his attention was drawn towards a door on the far side of the room. Standing in the doorway, as the panels slid back, was a tall platinum-white haired human male.

Grievous noted, by the way this human dressed, and held himself, there was a certain air of superiority about him. Even before the human opened his mouth to speak, he knew he would not like him.

Dooku was regarding the Genosians work with some surprise, it seemed they had indeed surpassed themselves this time.

" Ah good, you are awake.." Dooku almost crooned, giving no real sound of surprise.

Grievous, who had been sitting on the edge of the table, was already stalking towards the old man with intent to harm. What had they done to him? What had he so stupidly agreed to?

Dooku had already anticipated the Generals move, and with one simple gesture of his hand, a large blue raysheild was activated between himself and the cyborg.

Grievous' cybernetic fist impacted hard on the rayshield, causing him to grunt in anger. The fiery rage not quenched any when he eyed the old mans particularly smug expression.

" Now, lets not be too hasty General...you have not heard what I have to say, what 'information' I have that may...interest you."

Grievous' golden eyes narrowed more so,

"Who are you?"

Information could come later, first he needed to know who he was dealing with.

"My name?" The old man sounded surprised now, giving a slight over confident smile, he continued.

"I am Count Dooku, political leader of the CIS...I understand some of my affiliates recovered you from the Jenuwaa sea?"

Arching a brow at the now still cyborg, his rage upon entering having pleased Dooku, now all he need do was direct that rage in the right place. That, he thought, would be all too easy. He could already see the anger and humiliation the former Kaleesh General was feeling, his thoughts betrayed him.

" A most unfortunate event I must say, and it seems during their investigations my affiliates carried out, they discerned one thing."

Pausing, Dooku wanted his next words to have impact, he could see the Generals eyes narrowed to mere slits now, he had his attention.

" There was no malfunction of your ships onboard systems, no...It seems your ship had been sabotaged."

Grievous had never for a second doubted it, there had been the hint of a suggestion from San Hill that it had been sabotage, but this brought it all to light.

" And do you know who did this?" Grievous asked in a low threatening tone, he guessed this little conversation must be going somewhere.

Turning his back on Dooku, he stalked back towards the table, placing his hands flat down on the shiny metallic surface. He could now clearly see the reflection of the white bone-like face plate that covered his charred face, a crude imitation of the mask he once wore as a Kaleesh warlord. The faceplate minus the ceremonial paint and markings. To him, he looked more like a droid himself than a would be leader of droid armies.

The anger within boiled up again, and before Dooku could reply he had slammed his fists down into the tables surface, where he had seen the reflection of himself, leaving behind deep, knuckle sized imprints.

" WHO, did THIS?" He demanded, turning sharply to face the count, his magnetic clawed feet making an ear piercing screech as they moved with him.

Dooku had not lost his air of superiority in the slightest, nor had he failed to produce another cruel smirk,

" Why, the very same who sided with your enemies, who brought terrible consequences upon your people, those who work with, and for the republic."

And now it was Grievous' chance to answer his own question. As he stilled, his voice lost none of the anger contained within,

" The Jedi."