Dooku and Khan, now certain of where the criminals' goods were being stored, began their deep investigation. Guided by the Force and cloaked in shadow, they crept closer to the warehouse that loomed over the district's edge.
From a distance, Khan could already recognize several of the pirates patrolling the perimeter.
"Master," he murmured, "these are definitely the same ones. I recognize some of them from the mission with Master Yoda."
Dooku's eyes swept the compound with quiet precision. "Good. We'll approach from the roof. Our objective tonight is not destruction, but discovery. We must learn who supports this operation."
Khan nodded. "Understood, Master. What's the plan?"
Dooku paused, weighing their options. "There are too many of them for a direct attack. By the time we deal with the guards, reinforcements will arrive—or worse, any evidence will be lost."
Khan glanced at the guards and thought aloud. "What if I sneak in, like during the investigation into those money transfers?"
Dooku inclined his head. "That may serve us well. But unlike before, a distraction will not come easily." His tone hardened slightly. "I will draw their attention myself."
Khan blinked in surprise. "You'll attack them directly? I thought you would try… diplomacy."
"Diplomacy," Dooku said, his voice calm but edged, "requires willing participants. These men have already chosen their loyalties."
Khan hesitated, then nodded. "Very well, Master."
"Once you're inside," Dooku instructed, "I'll begin my diversion. Move swiftly—while I can handle these thugs, we don't yet know if that hooded figure is among them."
Khan drew a steadying breath and slipped away, sticking to the blind spots between the guards' patrols. Silent and unseen, he climbed to a higher ledge before leaping onto the warehouse roof.
He crouched low, scanning his surroundings. No guards. No motion. Only the faint hum of machinery below.
Khan exhaled slowly. The infiltration had begun.
Khan, now on the rooftop of the warehouse, moved swiftly and silently across the durasteel surface until he reached the access door. It was sealed by a digital lock—standard security, but nothing beyond his ability. Drawing a small hacking tool from his belt, Khan got to work.
He worked with precision, his fingers dancing across the interface as he bypassed the encrypted security layers. One mistake could trigger an alarm and ruin everything before it began. Sweat gathered faintly on his brow as the final sequence aligned.
Click.
The door slid open with a soft hiss.
Khan exhaled quietly and slipped inside, vanishing into the shadows.
Outside, Dooku began his part of the mission. Cloaked in his flowing robes, the Jedi Master strode toward the warehouse with calm, deliberate steps. His presence commanded attention—an air of confidence and authority that few could match.
One of the guards noticed him first, raising his blaster.
"Wrong block, old man. Turn around before I put a hole in you."
Dooku did not stop walking.
The guard hesitated, then fired.
With a flick of his wrist, Dooku's blue lightsaber ignited, its hum slicing through the night. The bolt was deflected instantly—sent back to its sender. The thug collapsed before he even realized what had happened.
A heartbeat of silence followed. Then chaos erupted.
Blasters fired from every direction, lighting up the street in a storm of red bolts. But Dooku was already in motion—elegant, precise, unstoppable. His saber cut through the air in graceful arcs, each deflection and strike a masterwork of timing and control.
It was not a battle. It was a massacre.
One by one, the pirates fell, their cries echoing through the night. Dooku moved among them like a phantom, his expression unreadable beneath his hood. There was no anger in his movements—only flawless precision.
Inside the warehouse, Khan could hear the distant thunder of blaster fire. Master's begun his distraction, he thought, using the noise as cover.
The thugs inside were already reacting, rushing toward the front entrance to reinforce their comrades. With the number of guards thinning, Khan had more room to maneuver.
He moved quietly through the maze of crates and machinery, using the Force to stay hidden. When he encountered a pair of guards blocking a hallway, he reached out subtly through the Force and whispered into their minds: Patrol the north entrance.
The guards exchanged confused glances, then obediently turned away.
Khan pressed forward until he reached what appeared to be the main office of the warehouse. If there was information to be found, it would be here.
He slipped inside and scanned the room. Datapads and storage drives cluttered the desk, filled with transaction records and planetary shipping logs. Khan quickly downloaded everything he could, his eyes scanning for anything that could reveal who was behind this operation.
No mention of leadership. No names. No sponsors.
But then—something else caught his attention.
A log entry listing their buyers.
Khan's brow furrowed. What he read next made his blood run cold.
Back with Dooku.
The ground was littered with the bodies of fallen pirates. Smoke curled through the air as Count Dooku stepped forward, his lightsaber humming softly in the carnage. Those few pirates who remained no longer dared to rush him—they cowered behind rusted crates and fractured walls, firing blindly in desperation.
Before Dooku could press his advantage with the Force, a cold shiver ran down his spine. His instincts flared—he leapt high into the air just as a crimson blade slashed through where he'd stood a heartbeat before.
Landing gracefully, Dooku's eyes narrowed at the figure that emerged from the shadows. Cloaked in black, face hidden behind a mask, the intruder stood tall and motionless. Even beneath the hood, Dooku could tell his head was unusually long—though his features were completely obscured.
"Who are you?" Dooku demanded, voice sharp and commanding.
The figure said nothing. No sound, no movement—only the steady hum of the red lightsaber.
Without warning, the masked warrior lunged.
Their blades collided in a burst of light. The stranger's strikes were fast—relentless, almost surgical. Dooku found himself pushed back, his refined Makashi style tested to its limits. The attacker shifted fluidly between Soresu's measured counters and Juyo's vicious, acrobatic assaults. Whoever this was, they were no mere pirate—this was a duelist of rare skill.
If Dooku had not mastered Form II to perfection, he would already be dead.
He deflected another furious strike, every movement measured, efficient—no wasted energy. Yet even he could feel the strain of the duel.
Then—a faint beeping tone echoed from the communicator on his wrist. Khan's signal. The mission was complete.
Dooku's expression hardened. He no longer needed to linger here.
Spotting an opening, he executed a precise feint, parried low, and drove a Force push into his opponent's chest—just enough to send the masked warrior stumbling back. In that brief window, Dooku disengaged and withdrew, cloak sweeping behind him as he disappeared into the shadows of the burning outpost.
The hooded figure did not pursue.
Khan waited in the hangar where their ship was docked, the low hum of engines echoing through the vast chamber. His thoughts lingered on the data he'd uncovered—records pointing to a member of the Techno Union as the one purchasing large quantities of spice from the pirates. The implications were troubling.
Before he could think deeper on it, the hangar doors slid open, and Count Dooku stepped inside.
Khan straightened at once. His master looked… different. Gone was the composed elegance he always carried. Dooku's robes were singed at the edges, his usually immaculate hair slightly disheveled. Sweat beaded along his brow, and though he stood tall, there was a faint weariness in his eyes.
"Master, are you all right?" Khan asked, concern slipping into his tone.
Dooku exhaled softly, regaining his posture with practiced poise. "Worry not, my Padawan. I am unharmed—merely… fatigued."
Khan frowned. "What happened, Master?"
"Nothing that requires your concern," Dooku replied curtly, already moving toward the ship. "Come. We have information to analyze and a report to deliver to the Jedi Council."
Khan hesitated, then nodded. "All right, Master. If you say so."
Together, they boarded their vessel and began pre-flight preparations. Moments later, the ship lifted off, cutting through the smoky atmosphere of Cyrkon. As the clouds thinned and the stars came into view, Khan turned to glance back at the world below—a den of criminals and corruption, ruled by the Hutts.
A bitter feeling settled in his chest. He wished such places did not exist, yet he knew the galaxy was full of them. One day, perhaps, he might have the power to change that. But for now, his duty was clear: uncover how these pirates had grown so organized—and who stood behind them.
Inside the High Council Chamber, the galaxy's greatest Jedi sat in their seats, listening intently as Master Dooku and his Padawan delivered their report.
Khan stood at the center of the circular chamber, hands clasped behind his back, his voice calm but clear.
"…and so," he concluded, "after infiltrating the warehouse, we recovered this data. It lists several planets where the pirates operate. More importantly, it indicates that a representative of the Techno Union has been purchasing their contraband—apparently with full awareness of its illegal nature."
The Council murmured among themselves. Master Yoda's ears twitched slightly as he leaned forward in thought.
"Unsure if the Hutts involved they are," Yoda said gravely. "Careful, we must be, moving forward."
Plo Koon nodded. "We should act now that we know the pirates' locations. Their network must be dismantled before it grows stronger."
"Agreed," said Ki-Adi-Mundi, his tone firm.
Mace Windu folded his hands. "We'll bring this to the Senate. If we can secure support, we'll organize a joint operation to eliminate these pirates once and for all."
Khan frowned slightly. "And what of the Techno Union's involvement?"
Oppo Rancisis responded with a measured tone. "Without concrete evidence, there is little the Council can do. Accusations without proof could strain relations with the Republic's industrial sectors."
Khan's jaw tightened, irritation flickering behind his calm exterior. Before he could speak, Dooku stepped forward.
"I would still advise that we inform the Chancellor," Dooku said smoothly. "Even if no immediate action can be taken, it would allow the Senate to monitor the Techno Union more closely."
Yoda nodded slowly. "Agree on this, I do."
The Council continued its deliberation for a moment longer before Mace Windu turned his gaze back to the pair. "Is there anything else from your mission to report?"
Dooku hesitated briefly, eyes narrowing in thought. "No. That is all. However, we were informed that one of the pirate leaders may possess a lightsaber. We should proceed with caution should that lead prove true."
"Very well," Windu said with a nod. "Thank you both. The Council will determine the next course of action."
With a respectful bow, Dooku and Khan turned and exited the chamber.
As the great doors closed behind them, Dooku's expression darkened. He had intentionally withheld the truth about his encounter with the hooded warrior. No one—not even Khan—knew of that duel. His trust in the Jedi Council had eroded long ago, and revealing such knowledge now would only invite scrutiny he no longer desired.
He walked in silence beside his Padawan through the long marble corridors of the Temple.
Khan finally spoke. "Is something troubling you, Master?"
Dooku glanced at him, his features softening slightly. Khan was talented—disciplined, perceptive, and loyal. Dooku was proud of him.
"It is nothing," Dooku said at last. "Merely fatigue. I wish to rest after our long mission."
Khan smiled faintly. "I understand, Master. I could use some rest myself."
The two walked on together beneath the golden light of the Temple's halls. But within Dooku, a shadow deepened—one that would only grow darker with time.