『A Master's Display』

All of the furniture had been moved to one side of the room in preparation for the beginning of their lightsaber training. As lightsabers were three feet in length, approximately, Ento and Vaylin stood nine feet apart.

Dooku standing three full meters from both of them, as they stood in a wide triangle.

"Master Dooku, what are we doing?" Ento asked as he raised a brow, twirling the hilt of his lightsaber between his two fingers with the aid of the force.

Vaylin tilted her head as she shifted slightly where she stood, curling her toes in her boots. She had removed the turtleneck and was left in her mandarin collared sleeveless tunic, letting her shoulders feel a bit more free.

"We are beginning your training in the second Form, Makashi, The Way of the Ysalamiri." Dooku engaged his saber and held it in front of himself, taking the primary stance. His hand was behind his back, and the other held his saber centered in front of himself.

Makashi was primarily used to combat the first form. It was maintained through heavy focus and on the increased ability of movement. However it was often seen as an obsolete lightsaber style.

"Ysalamir? As in the creature that can repel force powers with a neutral bubble of its own?" Ento blinked a few times hearing this as he activated his own perma-frost saber. Quickly, the boy emulated the man's stance.

Vaylin looked to Dooku and then towards Ento, raising a brow. As she activated the lightsaber in her hands given to her by Ento, she licked her lips slightly.

Dooku grinned lightly, "Precisely my apprentice. This form addresses the failings of the first," he began to move fluidly with his weapon, the blade burring and whirring each time he flicked his wrist.

Ento and Vaylin copied his movements. As everytime he struck, so did they. Their movements were free and easy going at first. They kept an equal distance from one another as to avoid getting into the effective range of each other's sabers.

This was just to get them used to the idea of moving around, avoiding getting disarmed against imaginary opponents.

"This type of combat doesn't seem very practical against opponents wielding blasters..." Ento pointed out, as it was a very duel centric martial art, so it wasn't necessarily practical to go against any type of gunner with this style.

"That is where your other expertize come in," Dooku rested his eyes on the boy as he took on a defensive stance, allowing his two students to take the same. "I will primarily teach you the second form, but in order to fight a typical mercenary, it is best to use the third and fifth forms."

Even though the old man was moving quickly, picking up the pace, he could talk so casually and give his monotonous lectures. "Thus when you have taken to a particular style, you will take on the other forms as well. If you do not take on the unorthodox, you will fall, just like any other weak minded wookie with a saber."

Ento while he had no problem staying kept up with Dooku's movements, Vaylin on the other hand seemed to be getting frustrated with her hand eye coordination.

The Jedi Master was able to effortlessly switch between the classic forms. He started doing this after he felt the two had executed and gained substantial understanding of the second form in a satisfactory manner.

From blocking to disarming movements, then to outright striking ones, his training was becoming rigorous as the hours went on. The main part of the training was not only the fluid motions with a saber, but also one's footwork.

Vaylin kept on tripping over herself, sweat coated her skin, causing her new clothes to stick. "This... Is getting tiresome..." She grumbled under her breath, her arms and legs were aching.

On the other hand, Ento started mixing up the flow of his own gestures. He was used to hours of rigorous exercise as in order to use the force effectively, one's body had to be in optimal shape.

"Vaylin," Dooku held his lightsaber out to the side, "You are not obligated to follow through with training in the ways of the Jedi Arts..." She was not his official pupil, as she was not a Jedi and the Order didn't allow multiple padawans to one master during this day and age. Though from his perspective, many of the believed traditions needed to end within the Jedi Order as it only allowed corruption and weakness to fester.

Her eyes narrowed on him, "I will continue!" She hissed, just before catching herself from falling.

Dooku chuckled hearing her response, "So determined, Child."

Being called a child, even if she could be considered one, felt like an insult. She scrunched up her face and let out a shout of anger and frustration, intentionally sending a wave of force energy in the direction of the Jedi Master.

Expertly, Dooku moved his weapon in front of himself, diagonally pointed down from over his head while putting his other hand forward. With the force, he shielded himself, effectively putting the powerfully raw yet inadequate attack to an end.

Ento stopped training the moment all of this happened and watched.

Vaylin was heaving heavily, her nostrils flaring as she stared forward before pausing. Registering what she had just done, her mind went back to when her father had discovered her growing powers. Deactivating the lightsaber, she dropped it to her feet.

Closing her eyes tightly, she opened them again as tears were welling up, "I... I... I'm sorry..." She took several steps back, while biting into the back of her lower lip.

Dooku's cold eyes rested on the girl, though there was some empathy in his inky dark hues. "Anger is a powerful conduit to the darkside of the force, much like the fear I sense in you... I recommend you meditate on what you have done and perhaps... You will improve, young one."

Vaylin looked to Ento, their eyes immediately locking.

"Are you alright?" Ento was looking her over, her breathing was still erratic. Her eyes were glowing, it seemed even though she had been emerging from the darkness, she had been submerged once more due to her frustrations.

She nodded, clearly not alright despite her answer.

Ento frowned lightly, "We'll drink some nectar before bed," that frown immediately turned upside down. "How about it?"

She blinked at him and nodded again, smiling faintly at her friend this time.

The two of them then looked towards Dooku, who glanced behind himself to look towards the dark skies above dotted with beautiful stars. "It seems training is coming to an end... Please, take a bath, you both smell like a pair of damp wookies.."

"Heeeey..." Both of them looked to the Jedi Master as he picked on their 'smell.'

Dooku shrugged his shoulders as he grinned to himself. He then watched as the two took a step back from their triangular formation. As they went off to find the showers, or baths, the Jedi Master would deactivate his own saber before looking to the saber pike resting on the floor.

He called the weapon to his hand and looked it over for several moments, letting out a sigh. "You trained and disciplined your boy well..." Those eyes of his trailed over the engraved surface of his former padawan's weapon. "If only you were alive to reap the benefits of his training."

Letting out a pained sigh, the Jedi Master walked over to the nearby table and rested the hilt upon it. His eyes looked to the ceiling, down to the walls. It didn't feel as if they were alone.

The villa was empty, however there was someone nearby, someone who was hiding themselves away expertly. This presence was familiar, someone he had talked to with a friend many years ago about their struggles with the Jedi and serving the Republic.

Unknown to Dooku, this presence belonged to the man that had had offered his friend Sifo-Dyas funding for a Clone Army, an army for the Jedi to use in order to defend the Republic and it's Senate. It was strange, he didn't expect for Hego Damask to be so close.

"Hm..." Caressing his chin with his index finger under his lower lip, Dooku would fold his hands loosely behind his back as he placed his hilt on his belt.

+ + +

The next several days were the same. They attended to their duties to watch over and advice the Queen of Naboo, while on the lookout for the return of Sheev Palpatine. However, that occurrence never transpired as the Sith Lord didn't come home.

After watching over the Queen and following through with their duties, they would return to the Villa and train. Under the guidance of Dooku, Ento quickly improved in the use of a lightsaber, but he still needed to learn much more in order to use it effectively against another opponent.

His stances were flimsy at best and he still focused too much on using the force to aid himself in battle. Being too dependent on one skill will lead to the death of many, or just the one.

Dooku knew this and tried his best to convey these words.

Vaylin on the other hand started to get used to the massive amount of physical study needed for the stances and use of a saber. It still wasn't her strong suit, but she was becoming more capable of controlling her emotions.

While the scars left behind by the darkside would still linger in the corners of her mind, her eyes began to clear up within the next couple of weeks that went by. By the time a month had transpired, her eyes had become a deep blue with a golden sheen to them, her irises surrounded by a thin yet prominent black ring.

The droids on the planet that had deactivated, following the destruction of the Trade Federation Control Ship, were brought together to be recycled and repurposed.

The Naboo Security Forces also saw a great increase in recruits as well as improved equipment. No longer wanting another attack on their sovereignty, the planet's nobles and wealthy houses put forth efforts to greatly invest in the planetary defensive and offensive systems.

While there was little improvement made by the New Chancellor despite his public crusade against Corruption... There were still many senators in the pockets of corporations and under the influence of criminal elements. In order to learn more about the Galactic Politics and State of the Galaxy, the Queen formed the Naboo Intelligence Services, a clandestine organization similar to the Republic's agency known as the Senate Bureau of Intelligence .

Padmé however did not want to organize the Naboo Royal Security Forces into a fully functional military institution. While they were equipped to fight against pirates, being able to fight against another wave of Trade Federation Cargo Freighters still seemed far out of their league.

Often she would find herself debating with Dooku, as both of them were disillusioned with the Senate along with the Republic. Though at the same time, she was a pacifist and even as a Jedi Master the man was considered a Militarist.

Quarsh Panaka seemed to find he had more respect for this particular Jedi Master, than he ever thought he would for another Jedi, due to their tendency to agree and even get along.

Everything was peaceful, up until there was an incident on the planet of Serreno, the homeworld belonging to Dooku. The Ruling House of Serreno, his house, had been slaughtered by a one armed figure.

It was thought to be the doing of the former Senator of Naboo, Sheev Palpatine.

His brother having died already, had left a nephew and widow behind. Now that they were dead his younger sister, Jenza, was thought to remain. She was a single year younger than him. However that didn't seem to be... It was confirmed that House Serreno, aside form Dooku himself had perished and he was being called back home to take on the hereditary title of Count.

If he didn't return, a civil war was sure to erupt and his fortune would disappear.

Dooku wasn't going to let that happen.