Darkness of Twin Suns

Allies

Count Dooku closed his eyes and concentrated fully on the force that surrounded him. He was standing on a moon in a system between Middle and Outer Rim, one of the few that wasn't under Lord Vader's rule yet. It was neutral ground. 

Dooku had proposed it as a meeting place and now he was waiting for the other Sith, well aware that he could be walking right into a trap.

Over the last few months, the old man had thought long and hard about Vaders offer. It was tempting. Dooku was convinced that he had learned everything he could from Sidious. He would still not challenge him to a duel, he knew that his Master was stronger in The Force than him and it had been years since he met him face to face anyway. 

It wasn't like he could just march into the senate and murder him. But he had, on more than one occasion, thought about using The Separatists rebellion to overthrow The Republic in earnest and take it over himself.

The problem was that he knew Sidious knew about this plan. He knew it and he still kept up the charade. The Droid Army was inferior to The Clones that still remained hidden and so Dooku had to keep on his mask as well, had to play along because Sidious would deliberately hinder the Republics efforts to win the war quickly to get more power of himself.

But if Dooku allied himself with Vader, he would have a chance. That great fleet was better than anything the Republic had to offer and Vader didn't seem to have any problems hunting down the Jedi. Together they could indeed conquer the Republic and defeat Sidious. Then Dooku wouldn't have to fear being replaced as an apprentice, wouldn't have to witness how the Republic crumbled under Sidious greedy hands.

Instead, he would have to worry about controlling Vader. That could actually be the bigger problem, which was why Dooku had hesitated so long. At least with his Master, he knew he was only after power. He didn't know what Vaders motives were. He wanted to fight in the war but he didn't care for the Separatists politics. He wanted to go against the Jedi but allowed his own son to be part of them. He didn't believe in the rule of two but wanted to kill Sidious.

Vader was... temperamental, emotional, impulsive. It was entirely possible that his actions were all founded on something personal, but that was just the thing, Dooku didn't know anything about his person. 

Why did he hate The Hutts' rule so much? 

Why did he care to disestablish slavery (which had always been a favorite tool of the Sith)? 

How did he know so much about spacecraft? 

At first, Dooku had thought Vader was a former apprentice of his Master. It would explain why he wanted to get rid of him now. But then Vader had suggested Sidious might think about replacing Dooku with him and he'd never do that if Vader had already betrayed him once.

Dooku had no reason to trust Vader but he didn't see much of a choice anymore. If it was true that Vader was content being a military commander and would leave the ruling to him, they could actually get along quite well but that was only if that hadn't been a lie to make him feel safe.

From the sky a small shuttle entered the atmosphere, waking Dooku from his thoughts. As the shuttle landed, he concentrated harder. It was still possible that Vader and Sidious were secretly allies and that they had prepared a trap for him. There was however only one Force Presence, dimmed and hidden in that shuttle. 

However it... It didn't belong to Vader. It didn't belong to Sidious either.

For a moment Dooku fought his anger. Vader wouldn't dare to merely sent one of his Generals to negotiate with him, would he? He certainly wouldn't follow this person onto Vader's ship either.