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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟕
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑

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Aurora's head pounded as she slowly came around from her forced slumber. A groan passed over her lips while reaching for her head, only for her to find that she couldn't move her arms. A wave of confusion soon washed over the Jinn woman as she tried to figure out why she couldn't move. It wasn't long after that when everything that happened on Kamino came flooding back to her. Her eyes soon snapped open and she found herself in a room about the same size of the cabin she grew up in. Panic coursed through her veins as she slowly got to her feet. To her dismay, that was about all she could do with her arms bound together and chained to the stone floor.

A shaky breath passed over Aurora's lips as she stared at the metal door in front of her, which was the only way in or out of the room. It wasn't long after that when she began to take in her surroundings. She was hoping to find something to give her a hint to where she was, but all she saw were the rock walls. If it wasn't for the metal that lined the top and bottom of the rock walls along with the matching door, Aurora would've thought she was in some sort of cave. There weren't even any windows in the room, just a simple light hanging above her. It felt like she was in a storage closet, and for all she knew she was. With no way to see the outside world, there was no possible way the Jinn woman could figure out where she was. And on top of it all, Aurora lost her lightsaber in the fight with Jango Fett. So even if she did break out of her chains, she had little hope that she would make it very far.

A wave of defeat soon washed over Aurora as sat down on the cold floor. She leaned against the wall and stared up at the very dim light above her. Her mind soon replayed everything that had happened before she found herself in her current situation. She couldn't help but get angry at herself, knowing she shouldn't have been caught. Yoda taught her better than this. It wasn't long before she remembered that her Master had given the task of deciding if she was ready to become a Jedi Knight to the Kenobi man. She let the silence surround her for another moment before a long sigh passed over her lips.

"Obi-Wan will never let me live this down," Aurora muttered under her breath, knowing that she was the only one to hear her words.

Just as she thought things couldn't get any worse, Aurora heard someone approaching the room she was trapped in. Her senses were on overdrive as she jumped to her feet while keeping her eyes glued to the large metal door. What felt like an eternity passed before the door finally opened to reveal a man she had never met but heard many stories about. And most of the stories she heard about him weren't the best. Count Dooku just studied Aurora in a way that reminded her of a predator sizing up its prey. It made her feel uncomfortable, but she refused to let it show. She wouldn't let this man know that his look alone was getting to her.

"It cost me a great deal of credits to get you here, Aurora Jinn. I have been very eager to meet you," the former Jedi Master said, earning an eye roll from the woman in front of him.

"You know, I would've preferred a transmission. Or maybe we could've scheduled a meeting on Coruscant. Anything would've been better than being kidnapped by a bounty hunter," the Jinn woman stated without bothering to hide the irritation in her voice.

To Aurora's surprise, Count Dooku simply smiled in response to her words. A wave of uncertainty washed over the brunette woman, but she once again refused to let it show. She continued to study the man in front of her, knowing he was doing the same to her. It wasn't long after that when he opened his mouth to speak. "You look just like your mother."

Despite the chills running throughout her body, the Jinn woman scoffed at his words. She kept her eyes glued to him as she leaned back against the wall behind her. "I doubt you knew my mother."

"On the contrary. I knew both of your parents. Well, Car-Ana better than Langston. You can thank Qui-Gon for that," Count Dooku responded. His words were all it took to remind Aurora that the man standing in front of her wasn't just a former Jedi, but her uncle's Master. It wasn't long after that when the Jinn woman noticed a sad look forming on the former Jedi Master's face before he let out a sigh. "I wish they were still alive. I could use their help right now."

A wave of confusion washed over Aurora as she took in his words, but it didn't take long for her to realize what he was implying. "None of them would've joined your cause."

"Are you certain about that?" Count Dooku questioned while interlocking his fingers in front of him. To the Jinn woman's surprise, he seemed to have a hint of amusement in his eyes. He waited for a response from Aurora but never received one. He waited for a few more moments before continuing. "Your parents turned their backs on the Jedi and fled the Jedi Temple. It was obvious to everyone that they disagreed with their beliefs at a very young age. I believe they would've assisted me without any hesitation. And Qui-Gon knew all about the corruption in the Senate, but he would never have gone along with it if he had learned the truth as I have."

The Jinn woman focused on her breathing to keep her emotions in check. She knew needed to find a way out sooner rather than later. And right now, keeping Count Dooku talking seemed like the best way to give her more time to think of a plan. "And what truth would that be?"

"What would you say if I told you that the Republic was under the control of a dark lord of the Sith?"

"Well, Master Yoda and the Jedi Council would sense something was off. So, I'd probably say you're crazy. Or at least crazier than before," Aurora responded, earning a slightly amused look from the man in front of her.

"The dark side of the Force has clouded their vision, Aurora. Hundreds of Senators are now under the influence of a Sith Lord called Darth Sidious. The Viceroy of the Trade Federation was once in league with this Darth Sidious, but he was betrayed ten years ago by the Dark Lord. He came to me for help. He told me everything," Count Dooku explained, earning silence from the Jinn woman once again. It wasn't long after that when he walked across the room until he was standing a few feet away from the young Jedi. "You must join me, Aurora, and together we can finish what your parents started. Together, we can destroy the Sith and finally bring peace to the galaxy."

Aurora just stared at the man in front of her as she took in his words. But something seemed off from the moment he mentioned her parents. Yes, Car-Ana and Langston never fully agreed with the Jedi's teachings. But they never showed any interest in changing the galaxy or the Jedi ways. And after ten years of training with the Jedi and researching what they stood for, Aurora finally understood why her parents truly left. They never wanted to become the Jedi's enemy. They simply wanted to start a family. It was clear that staying with the Jedi wouldn't allow them to do that. And now the Jinn woman could see that they told her those stories and to stay away from them was because they didn't want to lose her.

"I may not have known Qui-Gon as well as I would've liked, but I do not believe he or my parents would've joined you," Aurora stated while doing her best to display all the confidence she could gather, "and neither will I."

"You are just as stubborn as your mother once was," Count Dooku said with a small smile and a sad look in his eyes before letting out a long sigh, "I was truly hoping you and Obi-Wan would accept my proposal."

The confidence the Jinn woman built vanished into thin air after hearing his words. She just stared at him for a long moment before managing to ask the question bouncing around in her head. "Obi-Wan is here too?"

"Yes. He's right next door. He was found sending a transmission after sneaking around Geonosis," the former Jedi Master explained as he began walking toward the exit. He stopped right in front of the door and glanced back once last time at his former Padawan's niece. "I truly am sorry. But it may be difficult to secure either of your releases."

Aurora stayed silent as she watched Count Dooku turn back around and walk out of the room. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving her in silence once again. The Jinn woman just stared at the sealed door with a blank expression on her face. Although she had a small victory after figuring out what planet she was on, she felt more distressed than ever. Her mind was soon on overdrive as she replayed her conversation with the former Jedi Master, making her headache return. But despite how many different thoughts and questions, they all centered around one thing. And that was how she was going to get herself and Obi-Wan out of their current predicament. If only the Jinn woman could figure out how to solve the impossible.

Little did Aurora know that a certain Senator and Padawan were currently on Geonosis looking for her and Obi-Wan. Unfortunately, Padmé and Anakin had the same luck as their captured friends.

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