Title: The Trumpet's Call

Summary: Dooku is forced to confront his choices when he sees a face from his past. Will the experience force him to consider a new path?

Spoilers: Major spoilers for Episode II, and some small references to the novels "Dark Rendezvous," and "Legacy Of The Jedi."

Disclaimer: It all belongs to George Lucas. But maybe, someday, he'll want to share…? *looks hopeful*

A/N: This fic was inspired by the Quotation Roulette Challenge on the TF.N boards. My quote was number 125, "All murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets." - Voltaire

The Trumpet's Call

Count Dooku was a creature of the shadows. He had learned that long ago, and he accepted it. He had made his choice, and it could not be undone. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. That lesson had been ingrained in his mind since his youth, and now he knew the truth of it. But that did not mean that regrets did not haunt him. When was left to himself, when the dark could not completely fill his spirit, his doubts arose. This was one such moment.

As Dooku walked through what remained of the capitol of Telona, using the Force to sense debris in the darkened streets, he felt a quiet sorrow. Before the war, this world had been beautiful, full of rich green fields and fertile valleys. But now, only ruin remained; a collage of broken dreams, and shattered hopes.

Such a waste, Dooku thought to himself. If anyone had been near enough, they would have noticed the look of disgust on the Count's aristocratic features. But, in time, Dooku reminded himself, things would be made right. This destruction was necessary to make way for the new order, when the Sith would rule and at last the galaxy would be free of corruption.

Still, if there had been some way to reach their goals without such drastic action, Dooku would have preferred it. No, Dooku reminded himself. There is no other way. And in any case, regret was below a Lord of the Sith. Why these thoughts had been entering his mind of late, he was not certain. He tried to draw on the Dark Side to rid himself of this weakness, only to find that images of another time flooded his mind.

Dooku sat on one of the many benches in the Room Of A Thousand Fountains. Normally, it was here that he could find peace. But today, that tranquility eluded him, and in its place he felt only a deep disquiet. It was becoming increasingly clear that the Order he had once been so proud to be part of, was weakening. Secretly, Dooku wondered if he would ever know peace again.

"You seem sad, Master," a small voice said, drawing Dooku from his troubled thoughts. He looked up, annoyed that someone would interrupt him. But his aggravation lessened as he realized who had spoken. In front of him stood a very small youngling. The girl could have been no more than three or four. Still, she needed to know her place, and Dooku opened his mouth to reprimand her. But as he stared at the young girl before him, he found that he didn't have the heart to.

Dooku, slightly puzzled by his own actions, instead took a moment to study the girl more carefully. She had long black hair, and a tan complexion. Some type of tribal tattoo adorned the right side of her face, an obvious reminder of whatever distant world she had come from. But what captured the Jedi Master's attention were her eyes. They were a bright, vivid shade of teal, and seemed to peer into Dooku's own with uncanny awareness.

"Are you sad, Master?" the girl asked again.

"Yes," Dooku answered finally.

"Why?"

The small child tilted her head, a perfect picture of innocent curiosity. For a moment, the Jedi Master almost envied her. It had been far too long since he himself had been innocent in any respect. But he quickly pushed that thought aside, and instead, wondered how he would explain what had caused his melancholy state. After a long moment, he spoke.

"I am sad because I have learned that the light blinds, and only in darkness can I truly see."

The youngling scrunched up her face in confusion, and for a moment, Dooku reflected, the expression caused enough wrinkles to make her look not too unlike Yoda. The serious concentration he sensed from her certainly matched that of the ancient Master's. But in an instant the girl's expression brightened, and she darted behind a nearby bush. Dooku continued to stare in the direction which she had gone, curious as to what the youngling was up to. A few minutes later, the girl returned, carrying something in her hand.

She walked respectfully up to the Jedi Master, and placed the item in his lap. Dooku looked down, and found that the object was a flower; a particularly beautiful Aldeerian rose, in fact.

"Flowers need light to grow," the young girl stated simply. While Dooku attempted to decipher if there was a deeper meaning to the pronouncement, the child moved forward, and placed a kiss on his cheek. Startled, Dooku drew back slightly. The girl only gave him a bright smile in return. He wanted to ask the child what she meant, but in the next instant, the voice of the crèche Master could be heard, calling for his missing charge.

The girl gave a deep bow to the elder Jedi, then waved goodbye as she rejoined her clan. Dooku was left alone, staring at the flower which still sat in his lap.

Already, he noticed, the flower was beginning to wilt.

As the memory faded, the Sith Lord found himself wishing that he had been able to ask that young girl what she had intended for him to know. For one so young, Dooku had sensed that she understood something that he did not. Of course, it could simply have been that the child had only wished to cheer him up, and had thought that a pretty flower would suffice. But for some reason, the Count could not convince himself of that.

It is of no consequence, Dooku admonished himself. He had to focus on the present. There was much he needed to accomplish, and wondering what some Jedi youngling had been trying to tell him more than a decade and a half earlier was not productive.

He was not even certain what had caused him to remember such an insignificant event. It was not as though he cared for children. Perhaps it was this place, Telona. Seeing its beauty destroyed caused buried feelings to stir, knowing that something so wonderful could be ruined so completely.

"My Lord," a tentative voice called, interrupting Dooku's reverie.

"What is it?"

The former Jedi Master turned to stare at his underling. The Count allowed himself a small smile as the man flinched visibly.

"Sir, we…well, there is…you see…" the officer stumbled over the words.

Dooku's expression sharpened. He loathed having to put up with such fools.

"What is it?" the Sith Lord demanded more forcefully.

The man seemed to shrink further, appearing even more diminutive next to the towering figure of the Count. But realizing that it was not wise to test a Sith's patience, the pathetic being finally spoke.

"We have a Jedi prisoner."

A Jedi, Dooku thought, his mood brightening. This was what he needed to regain his focus.

"Very well. I wish to see this Jedi for myself."

"Yes, my Lord," the man said, bowing. "If you would follow me, sir."

Dooku nodded curtly, and stepped behind the nervous officer. He allowed himself a small, wicked smile as he thought of this Jedi's fate.

There was a Confederate world that had not yet had an opportunity to prove its loyalty. When the issue had arisen, Dooku had suggested that the planet be placed in charge of executing the next Jedi the Separatists captured. The planet's government had eagerly accepted the task, and Dooku knew it would indeed be a most interesting spectacle. This world had a reputation for particularly gruesome deaths.

"The Jedi prisoner, my Lord," the man announced, indicating a room that served as a makeshift brig. Dooku savored the moment, debating what would be the most entertaining way to inform the Jedi of its fate. But when he stepped through the doorway, he froze.

There, in the center of the room, was a Jedi Padawan who looked to be about twenty. Her long, black hair fell around her shoulders, partially concealing a tribal tattoo on the right side of her face. But most startling of all, were her eyes. The vivid, teal eyes stared directly into Dooku's own. And for the first time in many years, Dooku found that he had nothing to say.

He was not certain of how long his gaze had been locked with that of the young woman, but once the spell had broken, Dooku quickly left the room. He felt an odd stirring of emotions, and a sudden sense of unease; the knowledge of the Jedi's upcoming execution was less satisfying than before.

"Are you not pleased, my Lord?" the officer asked, fear evident in his voice.

Dooku did not answer immediately, allowing the man's terror to grow, and taking a moment to compose his answer. No, he was not pleased. As much as he loathed to admit it, he did not wish for the girl's death.

"She is a Padawan," Dooku said at last, his voice taking on a knife-edge.

"P-Padawan, sir?" the cowardly man asked.

"A student, not a fully trained Jedi. Couldn't you find a full Jedi Knight?"

"There was a Knight, s-sir, but she was killed during the battle."

Dooku allowed the silence to voice his displeasure.

"W-with all d-do respect, my Lord," the man stammered, "We d-do not have time to acquire another. We will, of c-course, if you wish it, sir. B-but is she not adequate f-for the execution?"

For a moment, Dooku was tempted to simply rid himself of the bothersome pest. But as he reflected on the man's words, he realized the truth in them. They did not have time to capture another Jedi, and Lord Sidious would want to know why his apprentice had insisted on continuing their search when they had a Jedi Padawan to suit their purpose. Indeed, sparing the girl could lead to many uncomfortable questions.

"She will be…sufficient," Dooku answered finally. He did not wish this, but as so many things in his chosen path were, it was necessary. "Make the preparations for her transfer."

The man bowed, and quickly left. As to whether he was hurrying to complete the task, or was simply anxious to leave the Sith Lord's presence, the Count was unsure. But, he suspected the latter. In truth, Dooku himself did not wish to remain where he could sense the girl's vibrant presence…a presence that was soon to be extinguished.

The day had arrived. To Dooku, it seemed as though time had passed with agonizing slowness. But now, the day of the girl's execution was upon them. On the streets of the Confederate world, banners hung and music could be heard, celebrating the event. Currents of dark anticipation swirled around Dooku as he was welcomed into the stadium. But he did not drink in the sensation as he normally would have; he simply watched the proceedings in silence.

The young woman was dragged into the arena and quickly shackled to the center post. Dooku could not help but think of Geonosis. Only this time, there would be no last minute rescue, no fellow Jedi to fight at her side. She was alone, and without hope. There was no doubt that she would die tonight.

Within moments, gladiators stepped from the shadows, and the crowd erupted in wild cheering, some members of the audience shouting encouragement to their favorite warriors. But the gladiators were not there to fight, they were there to carry out her sentence. The Jedi Padawan's hands and feet were bound, and she had no weapons to resist with. She would be completely at the mercy of her executioners...her murderers.

A murderer, Dooku thought. Was that what he had become?

The sound of horns blaring filled the arena, drawing Dooku's attention once more. The mournful notes called to mind something his own Jedi Master had told him years earlier: All murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.

The gladiators began parading around the arena, waving their weapons, and exciting the crowd even further. The Jedi Padawan watched them grimly. Dooku could sense that the girl was afraid, but like a true Jedi, she overcame her fear. She looked at each of the warriors, her expression eerily calm. Then, her eyes swept the crowd.

To the Count's surprise, she stopped suddenly, and turned. It took Dooku a moment to realize that, somehow, her eyes had found his. The teal irises seemed to pierce the Sith Lord's soul. He did not see accusation in them, but rather acceptance... perhaps, even forgiveness.

As Dooku watched, he could not help but see her as the small youngling he had met all those years ago, remembering the kiss on his cheek, and her bright smile. She had gone out of her way to help him then, simply because she had sensed that he was sad.

Not wishing to remain in the stadium any longer, Dooku spun on his heel and moved for the doors.

"Are you not going to watch the event, my Lord? I am sure it will be most entertaining."

Dooku turned to find one of the government officials standing behind him. The plump little man was practically grinning from ear to ear, obviously enjoying himself. The Sith Lord detested him immediately.

"There is no need for me to witness the execution," Dooku answered coldly. "I have far more important matters to attend to than the death of another, pathetic Jedi."

Something in the Count's tone must have been enough to convince the official not to pursue the matter further. The man quickly bowed, and fled. Dooku continued to walk at a brisk pace, ignoring the opulent décor that covered the halls of the stadium. As he reached the exit, he heard the crowd suddenly erupt in a thunderous roar. Realizing what was about to happen, Dooku paused, debating about strengthening his mental shields, but he decided against it. He would share in the girl's suffering. He owed her that much, at least.

In the next instant, he felt a wave of intense pain come from the young woman, and her presence began to fade. More waves of agony assaulted the Sith Lord's mind, as the Jedi's life force flickered erratically. After a few moments, he felt her presence vanish completely. The crowd continued to shout its approval, all the while demanding more. It seemed that the girl's death was not enough for them. At the realization, Dooku resumed his walk.

The night was peaceful, aside from the noise which came from the stadium. Obviously, the officials had succeeded in finding another victim to entertain the crowd with. Dooku simply stood, staring at the stars, lost in his own thoughts.

The girl had made him aware that he had not fully driven out his weaker emotions. That was most troubling. At this point in his Master's plan, Dooku could not afford to be weak. He had to be completely one with the Dark Side, entirely embracing its power. But he had to admit, he...regretted the girl's death.

The Count looked down, suddenly conscious of where he was. Once he had left the arena, he had walked without a destination in mind. But somehow, he had found his way to a garden. A garden, the Sith noted with irony, that was filled with Aldeerian roses.

Reaching down, he plucked one of the blossoms.

The sight caused the little girl's voice to echo in Dooku's mind: Flowers need light to grow. And in that instant, Dooku understood what the youngling had been trying to tell him. Beauty came from the light. The little girl, with her childish wisdom, had wanted him to know that. But because of her youth, the child could never have known that there are some flowers which bloom solely at night. Only in darkness, can they reach their full potential.

The Count gave a small cold smile. Perhaps this war did make him a murderer, but in the end, that did not matter. All that mattered, was that the Sith would triumph. The galaxy would be theirs, and the decaying remains of the Old Republic would be swept away.

Dooku looked at the rose he held in his palm. He took a moment to appreciate its beauty, then swiftly closed his fingers around it, crushing the blossom. He opened his fist and the ruined petals fell silently to the ground. Dooku's smile grew. Darkness, he realized, would always overcome the light. The girl's death had proven that, if nothing else. Dismissing thoughts of the past once and for all, Dooku turned and walked from the garden. In the distance, he could hear the trumpet's call…

Fin

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think!

Take care and God bless!

Ani-maniac494 :)