**Dooku's Folly**
**Coruscant – Sidious' Hidden Lair**
Deep beneath the gleaming spires of Coruscant, in a secret chamber carved from ancient stone and shielded by layers of Sith sorcery, Darth Sidious stood with his hands raised. Blue Sith lightning erupted from his fingertips, slamming into the kneeling figure of Count Dooku — Darth Tyrannus — with unrelenting fury.
Dooku screamed, his body convulsing violently as the dark energy coursed through him. For two full minutes, Sidious poured his rage into the punishment. The air crackled with ozone and the stench of scorched flesh. When the lightning finally ceased, Dooku collapsed forward onto his hands, gasping for breath. His left arm — now a sleek, mechanical prosthetic after Dagon had severed the original during the Valahari campaign — sparked faintly from the overload.
Sidious lowered his hands, his yellow eyes burning with contempt. "Let this be a lesson to you, Darth Tyrannus. Never attempt your own plans without my approval."
Dooku remained on his knees, head bowed in submission. "Yes, my lord… I beg for your forgiveness."
Sidious paced slowly around him, his black robes whispering against the stone floor. "You fought against Dagon Marek and lost. The Jedi now know about the dark side clones I provided you — the special cylinders meant to replenish your acolytes. Nearly all of them are dead or worse. And that thought bomb in the hidden Sith shrine beneath their Temple… if not for Dagon's interference, my plans would have been destroyed along with half the Jedi Order."
Dooku lifted his head, pain and shame etched across his aristocratic features. "My lord, that… thing called Dagon is not a normal Jedi. He is dark. A beast. A shadow. His crossguard blade — Jedi do not allow such weapons because they risk self-injury, yet his kyber is cracked and bleeding, making it far more powerful than our corrupted crystals. And that beskar sword of his…"
Sidious waved a hand dismissively. "It matters not. When I invited him to the opera as Chancellor Palpatine, I understood him better. He is much like what I expected — a soldier through and through. The good news is that he has already stated his intention: once the war ends, he plans to join the Antarian Rangers and head to the edge of the Unknown Regions to confront some future threat to the Republic. Until then, we must defeat him with conventional tactics."
Dooku rose slowly to his feet, favoring his robotic arm. "My lord?"
Sidious turned, his wrinkled face twisting into a cruel smile. "There will soon be four major campaigns. Malastare and Kamino for defense. Mygeeto and Felucia for offense. A great number of Jedi are being sent to Mygeeto, so I expect them to either finish that battle quickly or become bogged down. But Dagon is heading to Felucia. This is the Confederacy's chance to kill him. You will dispatch the appropriate forces to eliminate him. Understand?"
"It will be done," Dooku bowed deeply. "Although the *Malice* is not yet finished — the repairs have turned into upgrades, transforming the ship into a 6,900-meter warship. The other Subjugator-class heavy cruisers are ready. We have three available, as well as several new vessels from Geonosis and Sullust."
Sidious nodded, his yellow eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Then let it be done."
Dooku straightened, masking his pain. Ventress was already dead — replaced by the Nightsister Selena — and the *Malevolence* had been destroyed at Dentaal. Now the *Malice* and its variants would have to suffice.
As Dooku left the chamber, Sidious remained behind, staring into the shadows with a cold smile.
"Dagon Marek… you are a useful tool for now. But your time will come."