Star Wars : Tanya

"Husband, you need the Jedi Council to believe that Tan'ya is already in their hands. You need to make them believe the difference between you training her and one of them is not an important one."

...

He stared at her for a long moment, and she could see the whirlwind of thoughts behind those normally unreadable eyes. Eventually, he breathed out through his nose and turned away. "I can see you won't be moved." He strode down the ramp back towards the house. "I'll get the droids to pack your things."

Athemeene had already taken care of that, but she didn't correct him. Dignity and composure were important to the Count, and grinding his nose into the fact that she won their fight wouldn't be good for either of them.

Wait.

"We just had our first fight." She murmured to herself in shock.

Athemeene looked down at Tan'ya, who through the yelling and raised voices hadn't uttered even a peep, just stared at them with wide, watchful eyes.

"Well at least nothing bothers you." Athemeene chuckled and bounced her.

...

Never had the trip to Coruscant felt so long before. When he was still a member of the Order, Dooku once had a reputation for impatience, always demanding action rather than caution but then the Jedi Council would prefer to do nothing on most days. He tended to dismiss that view of himself. He was used to traveling great distances, waiting calmly to speak to people at functions, and waiting for any amount of time necessary to accomplish his goals. Just so long as waiting was not needless, he was willing to do it.

Today, Dooku practically fidgeted in his chair. He wasn't the pilot of his own starship, he had droids for that, and normally that suited him just fine, but today it left him with nothing to do but sit and brood. The passing lights of countless stars blurred past the ship, making hyperspace look like a shining tunnel of silvery blue and casting a pale flickering light over his face.

He couldn't meditate, he was just too restless. The thought of Tan'ya going to the Temple had unmoored something in him that he hadn't realized was there. A streak of possessiveness that still felt quite alien. After ending the call with Yoda, Dooku had nearly been ready to charge up the steps of the temple and, what? Fight the Council? Force them to back down with his lightsaber in hand or shout them down with words? Maybe Yoda was right about the danger of these attachments.

Dooku sighed, and in a moment of weakness put his head in his hands. It was amazing that he had such clear plans for the future, and yet still somehow felt so lost.

He was lucky Athemeene was there. It wasn't that he hadn't appreciated her before this point, she had been doing an excellent job as a wife, raising Tan'ya and managing the Serenno Palace more and more as each day passed, but Dooku realized he hadn't respected her before now. It was the first time she'd ever told him no. Obviously, he didn't want her to make a habit of it, but in this case she'd been right. The Jedi Council would have to rise to any challenge he directed at them, and as an individual Dooku had no chance of overcoming the combined power of the Republic backed Jedi.

In time he would build his strength, but for now he was made to play the Council's game by the Council's rules.

The door to the bridge slid open, and Dooku didn't need to turn his head to know that Athemeene was standing there.

"Tan'ya is asleep." Athemeene said, before coming over and sitting next to Dooku, her floral perfume tickling his nose. His wife had always been good looking, even a great beauty. Since giving birth to Tan'ya she'd also gained some weight, adding a little extra to her cheeks and hips. Somehow he found he didn't particularly mind.

Something on his face must have given away how unsettled he was, Athemeene reached over and took his hand in both of hers, placing it on her lap. "Are you okay?"

He wasn't. Dooku was shaken, ready to lash out and strangely exhausted, but he couldn't say that to her. Right now Dooku needed to be powerful, in control, and focused. He glanced across and saw the look of concern on her face, and the lie died on his lips. Even without the force he was sure she could see right through him.

With nothing to explain to her, they sat in silence for a long time. The low hum of the hyperdrive and the glimmering of billions of stars accompanied the sound of their breathing, and the occasional articulation of the droid pilot's mechanical limbs as it adjusted their course slightly.

Finally, she asked in a soft voice, "What's the temple like?"

Dooku paused, considering for a moment before answering. "The Temple sits at the top of Coruscant, in view of the Senate itself. It's impossible to imagine just how high up the towers rise. Even with the planet's weather systems, Coruscant has always been very cold.

"Compared to the world outside, the temple was warm. Safe. As you step inside you can actually feel the change in the air. For someone raised outside the Order, the Jedi always seem cold and aloof, but if you're raised among them you can sense each other's feelings in the Force. We might not… cuddle, or kiss, or whatever else, but what need do you have of those when you can share the very feelings of affection?

"Jedi are not supposed to have attachments, but there was a real love inside the Temple. Amongst each other there was a deep, ancient, powerful bond, an unbroken chain stretching into the mists of history and reaching forward into millenia unseen. It goes unspoken, unquestioned. It was there, lingering over everything and connecting everyone, even when we left its walls. It was of great comfort to know that in the Temple, there were always Jedi meditating and watching us through the Force."

"...But you left." Athemeene murmured.

There was a long pause, before Dooku nodded. "But I left." His voice, usually a powerful bass rumble, sounded small even to himself.

His wife put a hand on his shoulder, not needing to ask why, but understanding that he was in pain. "It's okay to grieve." She murmured.

A lump was building in Dooku's throat, but he swallowed it down. "No, not yet." He said, forcing his voice to become firm. "I need to be… composed." He looked at Athemeene, and saw the water building in her eyes. "Wife, please. I can't speak of this now."

She nodded, sniffling slightly and standing up. She took out a handkerchief and dabbed at her cheeks. "You're right. Now's…"

"It's not the right time." Dooku agreed and stood up.

"We have to be strong." Athemeene smiled up at him, and reached out to massage his bicep. "Strong."

"Yes. For Tan'ya."

"For our child." And then, her lower lip quivering, Athemeene reached out wrapped her arms around her husband, pulling herself closer to hug him.

Dooku looked down at the top of his wife's head, both arms raised above his shoulder in surprise. He had been paying such little attention to the Force that he hadn't noticed her intentions at all. After a long few seconds of being unsure of what to do, Dooku slowly lowered his arms and wrapped them around his wife.

It was the first time they'd ever hugged. No, Dooku realized it was the first time he had ever been hugged. They stood like that for a long moment, and he was unsure of what he should do with his arms. With no other idea, he raised a palm to slowly pat her back like he would to relax Tan'ya. Athemeene raised her head to look up at him, eyebrow quirked and eyes sparkling with amusement and he stopped.

"Apologies." He murmured.

A peal of laughter escaped Athemeene, and she stepped away. "It was fine, it was… You did wonderfully." In the force she was radiating with something like an epiphany. She had learned something about him that she thought was important, though Dooku really wasn't sure what. She touched his arm again. "I'm happy."

Well, he could read that much. "...Good."

That drew another burst of laughter, and Athemeene dabbed at her eyes. "Okay. Okay. We've got twelve hours to Coruscant. I'm going to go get changed, and then we'll try to come up with a game plan."

"An excellent idea." And what was she so amused about? Was she laughing at him?

She smiled again, then turned back the way she came. There was a hiss of gas as the door opened and shut, and Dooku was left to himself on the bridge again.

It was only when he sat down that he noticed his nervous energy had largely dissipated. That well of fear inside him just seemed to have… melted away on its own.

How strange. But not at all unwelcome.

...

if you want to read ahead of the public release you can join my p atreon :

p atreon.com/Rimanovi