Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 69 - Undercurrents
Sereno, the Sereno Galaxy.

Dastan Sector.

Darth Sidious’s icy voice broke the silence of the room: “That girl, Keith, is useless now. She’s an obstacle to our plans and must be eliminated before she grows up to threaten your control over Separatism.”

The Sith Lord stood before the apprentice, draped in a magnificent, heavy wine-red robe.

The wide hood cast a heavy shadow, almost completely enveloping his figure, with only his tightly pursed lips, pale chin, and well-defined knuckles exposed in the dim light.

Deep within the hood, two golden pupils radiating an inhuman glow were the only visible features of his eyes, coldly locking onto Count Dooku kneeling on the ground.

Dooku knelt on the cold floor of his castle, his head bowed slightly, and replied respectfully, "Yes, my master. I have dispatched the most reliable agents to ensure that she is completely removed from this plan."

Count Dooku had anticipated this outcome, but deep down he still felt a sense of regret.

When Darth Sidious introduced Severn Tann to him, her apparent indifference toward the Force did indeed... bother him.

Tann is not without potential.

Although she lacked certain sissy qualities, she demonstrated extraordinary talent in other areas.

Severn Tann was dignified, meticulous in his thinking, and erudite; he should have been a perfect apprentice.

Although his eloquence is not outstanding, his political skills are also somewhat immature.

But she was passionate about learning the Sith way.

She rarely makes mistakes and always silently endures punishment without complaint.

but!

Count Dooku could see that Tann never truly pursued the Sith Way; she only sought the power and knowledge that the Sith Way could bring her.

Dooku knew very well that if the Jedi discovered her first and offered her access to the dusty tomes of the Jedi Temple, she would also throw herself into the light without hesitation.

Of course, she would never truly accept the Jedi Creed.

The Sith did not only accept young apprentices; adults who had experienced the world and whose hearts were filled with disillusionment, anger, or a desire for revenge were more likely to be molded.

Severn Tann, however, does not belong to any category.

Driven by nothing but intense personal ambition, she had no other burning emotions.

Ambition alone is enough to make a Sith.

But Tann's ambition had been forged into an extremely tenacious resolve by years of rigorous military training, and the unique culture she grew up in, unknown to the general public in the galaxy, made it even more difficult to shake her will.

Dooku could not sense any genuine darkness emanating from her.

Dooku knew very well that once he stopped teaching her new knowledge, Tann would not hesitate to abandon him, and might even betray him.

That's why he didn't let Tann know about the grand Sith plan.

Although he enjoyed mentoring Tann, to Dooku she was merely a tool.

Just as he was merely a tool to her.

“You must not underestimate her, Dooku,” Sidious warned. “You have trained her exceptionally well, and what is particularly dangerous is that she has not been blinded by the dark side of the Sith. You must be extremely careful… Her handling of the war makes me very uncomfortable.”

such a pity……

Dooku felt a pang of regret once again.

With Tann's exceptional military talent and his shrewd political skills, they could have joined forces to overthrow the old order and rebuild the galaxy according to their vision.

In that case, Sidious's existence would become superfluous.

Unfortunately, Tann ultimately did not agree with Dooku's vision of a pure and revitalized galaxy dominated by authority and order.

Ultimately, she lacked a sense of belonging to the Milky Way because the object of her true loyalty remained hidden deep within the unknown.

As envisioned, when their plan is finally realized, no corner of the entire galaxy will be able to escape the control of the new order.

Whether it's the Gree people's enclave, the Hypis star system, the Hutt space, or the Qis people's ruling territory, all will be included.

“Sean Volta is a formidable assassin, my lord,” Dooku exhaled slowly, deliberately controlling his tone. “If he proves ineffective, there is a ‘new pawn,’ which I believe will be a very suitable test for him.”

“Griffiths…” the Sith Lord slowly uttered the name, “Yes, Count Dooku, he will be of use to us. You also held back when you were training Tann.”

Darth Sidious's gaze pierced through the shadow of the hood, sharply scrutinizing Dooku and capturing every subtle change in his face.

That last sentence was both a statement of fact and an implicit warning, or even a threat, against Dooku having any dissenting thoughts.

“I did have reservations about following your instructions completely,” Dooku responded with impeccable loyalty. “Tann still firmly believes in the infallibility of her precognitive abilities, that she is invincible, and that she never thinks she can make a mistake.”

“You’ve done a good job,” Sidious’s thin lips twisted into a satisfied smile. “I’ve made arrangements. Tann won’t be able to return to the foundry in time… On the other hand, it’s time for our new pawn to take center stage. Grievous will become the Separatist Alliance’s much-anticipated savior.”

"Everything is as you wish, master."

“Don’t disappoint me, Count Dooku.” Darth Sidious’s voice was like a final growl, then his holographic image flickered and disappeared completely. After the Sith Lord’s figure had completely vanished, Count Dooku stood up gracefully, his movements showing no hesitation or imbalance even after a long period of kneeling.

Even when no one is around, one must always maintain proper decorum; this is the true mark of a nobleman.

Severn Tann understood this.

But that repulsive cyborg monster Grievous was completely different.

However, this was not Grievous's fault.

When this unfortunate creature was modified, his mind was... deliberately adjusted to better suit the role tailored for him.

As far as Dooku knew, Grievous had always been a ruthless and terrifying being, like a war machine.

Count Doocu of Sereno walked to the communications console and entered a specific frequency code.

The communication request was answered shortly afterward.

A massive figure forged from hard durasteel was projected before him.

This body, over two meters tall, is emaciated, with its head, chest, and limbs covered in white armor. Its body is a white bio-engineered human formed by the forced combination of flesh and steel.

The monster's last vestige of intelligence was manifested in its blood-red, hate-filled eyes hidden beneath the skull mask.

Metal teeth were added to the bone helmet, and their opening and closing seemed to exude an aura of death.

Even in the Milky Way, where alien races abound, it is a complete anomaly.

"Is the time right, Count Dooku?"

Because of his lung injury, Griffith coughed incessantly, producing a mechanically synthesized, low voice with an unnatural buzzing quality that would send chills down the spine of any mentally fragile person.

Dooku was very satisfied with the result.

While in some ways Grievous could never replace Tann, in others, Grievous was far more valuable than her.

Teaching Tann is a spiritual pleasure, while training Grievous is a physical satisfaction.

Dooku didn't need to go to the trouble of provoking anger and hatred in this cyborg, as he did with other Sith apprentices.

Because after the transformation, anger and hatred became the cornerstone of Griffith's unique existence.

Few Jedi survive a confrontation with Grievous.

Grievous's record on the planet Christophersis is proof of this.

Even during their training, Dooku, the legendary swordsman, sometimes struggled to completely overpower the cyborg monster in terms of pure power and speed.

However, Count Dooku also did not teach Griffith all the secrets of swordsmanship, and still held back some of them.

“The time will come soon!” Dooku settled comfortably back into his large chair, which felt especially pleasant after the Sith Lord’s departure. “What do you think of your new flagship?”

The Invisible Hand of Divine Will!
Greaves responded with a screeching mechanical screech: "It meets my requirements."

'You meet my requirements too.'

Count Dooku smiled almost imperceptibly. "Then it's time to put this ultimate weapon to its first combat test... and announce your arrival to the entire galaxy. The Republic will fear you, General, especially the Jedi."

“I don’t care if the Jedi are afraid,” Grievous’s voice was filled with icy killing intent. “I only care if they die.”

Dooku understood.

This pure and intense hatred for the Jedi stemmed from Grievous's firm belief that the Jedi had committed unforgivable crimes against him.

This is very interesting and extremely useful.

When Grievous finally loses his usefulness, his cruel tactics and barbaric behavior will make him the perfect scapegoat for all the atrocities committed in this war.

Tann, with her almost rigid sense of honor and unwavering adherence to the laws of war, would never be suited for this role.

"Then, get ready and await my orders to proceed to the Kolumex system," Dooku gave a clear command. "There, you will find a large number of Jedi Knights for you to hunt to your heart's content."

Suddenly, an invisible force surged around Dooku, and Dooku responded by channeling the Force.

Everything is proceeding according to plan, Master.

Dooku clearly sensed the undercurrents within the Force, which then gradually dissipated.

At the same time, Griffith's unsettling holographic image nodded slightly and then disappeared.

The Force surrounded them, and dark tides surged around them.

The Force is with us.

(End of this chapter)