Saga You Are the Person I Wanted to Be (ROTS AU - Count Dooku's Redemption) COMPLETED

Title: You Are the Person I Wanted to Be
Genre: Angst, Drama, Redemption
Characters: Count Dooku, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jocasta Nu, Yoda, Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu, Palpatine, Qui-Gon Jinn
Timeline: ROTS (AU)
Summary: What if ... other choices had been made?

*

"Good, Anakin. Now kill him."

... why did you do it?

"Masters, he is coming to."

"Grave his ... injuries are ..."

"Master Yoda, I am sorry. The other Healers, and I ... there is nothing further we can do but make him comfortable."

"Understand, I do." The ancient voice seemed to sag, but as always there was an acceptance underneath that transcended it all.

The Healers moved on, leaving the private wing. Six Jedi surrounded the hover-bed. On it was a man. Or what was left of a man. Both his wrists ended with stumps. His flesh was burned and scarred. The Jedi Master Yoda stood closest to the bed. He put one gentle leathery hand on the other's arm. His large old eyes were sad. He closed them, and his ears drooped.

The others looked on at the figure in the bed. Jocasta Nu's face was soaked in quiet tears. Mace Windu's face was as grim as Obi-Wan's, but even his gaze faltered at times. And the other Jedi, a younger man with a metallic arm looked on at the person in the hospital wing with warring emotions the power of storm-clouds threatening to overwhelm his impassive gaze and demeanour.

Slowly, the patient's eyes began to flutter open.

*

"I shouldn't do this ..."

Two blades, one blue, and the other red came towards Dooku's throat. One of them was his blade. His own blade that he created from what seemed ages ago, the curved hilt worn with his grip has it had deflected blaster bolts, and other sabers, cleaving through friend and foe alike.

And now it and its new red crystal had betrayed him as he had so many others. And it would feast on his flesh. He looked up into the blazing blue lightsaber eyes of his murderer. Of this he had no doubt.

Then, the young man seemed to speak again, although this time his lips did not move.

Why did you do it?

*

Brown eyes looked up. There were images surrounding him. They were blurred. An old voice crooned next to him. He felt an old hand on his arm. His ravaged face twitched in what would have been a smile.

He heard the old voice, old when he was just a little boy. He had always looked up to that voice, even when they were the same size. Even when he got taller, and went off to train ...

"I am now more powerful than any Jedi."

He groaned. Tears formed in his eyes, and his chest ached with a pain not of his injuries. Even as the grandfatherly Master sang to him, in the creche and the other Younglings. It made him feel peaceful. He felt a presence soothe him, telling him how it was all right. That he was long forgiven. How proud he was ...

Dooku embraced the other's presence, his large comforting presence through the Force, and felt the other's sadness. And he knew. The old voice that was not a voice continued to sing gravelly, and he felt himself drift into a peaceful slumber ...

*

Why did you do it?

The boy's eyes blazed. And the Force surged around him. For the first time in ages, Dooku was awed. Not just by the sheer power of the other's connection with the Living Force. No, it was the golden glow around the other. The sheer beauty as the Force sang through him. Even to Dooku it was only a shadow of what he was capable of.

It was sheer elemental power. And it was beautiful. He was beautiful.

"What are you waiting for, Anakin? He is a threat. To all of us. Kill him. Now."

Dooku's eyes never wavered from the boy's own.

*

And the dark lifted again. He was aware of someone else by his side. It was an older man, seasoned with pain and experience. The other's Force grasp on his was strong and firm. Dooku was vaguely aware of the other talking about his days as an instructor -- teaching the ways of Jedi philosophy. And oratory. To hold one's self high and have respect for yourself.

The other presence reminisced about

 

Ooh *shivers*


I'm totally hooked; you have me. Please update soon?

 

Wait no longer, Charmijess. Wait no longer.

It is done.

 

Oh, well done, well done.

Then something happened. Dooku felt himself rush forward. With the last of his strength, he jumped in front of the younger Jedi and held out his handless arms. The Force lightning hit him full blast. Palpatine's demonic eyes flashed in utter surprise. Dooku let go of everything around him, and let the hard brittle core he cultivated around himself, the spindly artefact of his transformation shatter. And let all the light back in. And out.

"G-go ..." He told a very startled Anakin Skywalker, "You and ... Kenobi. I can't ..."

Palpatine screamed in rage. Through Dooku's failing gaze, he saw his padawan's apprentice come up to Anakin, and the two rushed upon the other Sith Lord. Lightning was repelled everywhere off of them. And they kept charging.

Then everything erupted into a white hot explosion.

 

Oh, that was lovely. If only....

 

...I'm crying here. Oh my goodness. Oh...This was beautiful. The bit with Obi-Wan especially, but then Dooku's last words and Qui-Gon...<sniffles>

 

Oh, I am so happy. This fic is so absolutely lovely. You completely delivered, darth_treyvah!

The different reactions were so perfectly in keeping with the various characters, each distinct. I really couldn't pick a favorite, the flavors were so good with each of them. I love the repeated "Why did you do it?" I love how you drew the reader into finding out what happened to poor Dook.

This was warm, sad, wistful, charming, heartbreaking and satisfying, all in one. Well done.

Oh, do write more Dooku fics!!

 

Once more, thank you Charmisjess.

And also to jedipati, Dreagoddess, and Valairy_Scot.

All the fan fics I am doing are things I have long envisioned, but never really done. Count Dooku was a very complex figure, and I often felt that he and some of the other Jedi were skimmed over in the films. But I could really see this scene happening ... which is why I had to write it.

It was fun. Thanks all for reading.

 

Oh that was brilliant. I loved every thing about it. The way Dooku described Anakin, his answer to saving him, his thoughts...it was so emotionally gripping, I think I'm going to see the end of the Anakin/Dooku duel a whole lot differently now...

Very well done!

 

Oh, lovely.

And he became what Anakin did at the very end, after all, because Anakin did the right thing and reminded him....

I've peeked at your other fics. Cool, somebody else who wants to play with the Force-ghosts...

 

Great story and a fascinating insight into Dooku. I'd ask for more, but I think that would spoil it a bit, as it was ended very well.

 

What a beautiful fic!!

It is just so great to see Dooku remember himself, and come back at the end like that. I did get a little confused by some of the wording, but it's a beautiful story, and the ending totally surprised me. In a good way.

I love being made proud of Dooku.

 

Very good work. I really enjoyed this.

 

Thank you everyone.

 

That was A neat fic

 

Thank you.

 

Wowzers... I can't believe I missed this!

Totally, totally loved it!! Thanks so much for sharing this!

Dooku saved Anakin! Loved the fact that he was able to see/be with his true family at the end.

There so much of what I liked that I'd be jotting down most of the story! It was awsome!

Well done! Indeed you should write more! He got to join Qui-Gon!

My fave was the admitting the part about why he did it. "Because you ... are the person ... I ... wanted ... to ... be ..."

Well played out!

 

Wow ... sorry to leave this for so long. Thank you Kynstar. If you are interested, I have indeed written some other things. There was one other Dooku story, and an ongoing Anakin in the Afterlife story in Beyond the Saga as well as a Plagueis one I am currently working on. Not to mention a Dark AU one with Luke that is already done.

Again, my thanks.

 

YAY!!! Dooku back with Qui-Gon? This is what I've been waiting for =)

 

found this one off your Bio-- I really liked it. Well done.

 

Thank you.