Star Wars:The Apprentice

The hum of my new lightsaber filled the chamber. 

The crimson blade crackled to life, its glow painting my pale skin in deep red hues. The hilt—my hilt—was sleek, dark, and refined, forged from the finest metals Sidious had provided. It was mine in every sense of the word. A weapon crafted for my hands alone. 

I twirled it experimentally, feeling its weight, its balance. It was perfect. 

Across from me, Count Dooku stood with his own saber in hand, his aristocratic features betraying nothing. 

"You've come a long way," he remarked, his voice smooth yet sharp. "But strength alone will not serve you. You must refine your technique. Without precision, without control, you are no more than a rabid beast wielding a blade." 

I scowled but said nothing. 

Sidious watched from the shadows, his presence looming over us both. 

"Begin," he commanded. 

Dooku moved first. 

His crimson blade ignited with a snap-hiss, and in the blink of an eye, he lunged. 

I barely had time to react. 

His strikes were precise. Elegant. A master of Makashi, he moved with the fluidity of a man who had spent decades perfecting his form. Each slash, each thrust, each step—every motion was deliberate. 

I parried the first blow, my arms shaking from the sheer power behind it. He followed up with a second, then a third, forcing me back. 

I gritted my teeth. 

*He's testing me.* 

I knew it. 

He wasn't trying to kill me—just picking apart my form, analyzing my every movement, searching for flaws. 

But I wasn't some weak, inexperienced fool. 

I was Darth Venator. 

Sidious' apprentice. 

A Sith

I refused to be bested. 

Summoning the Force, I launched forward, spinning my blade in a vicious arc. Dooku sidestepped, deflecting effortlessly before retaliating with a counterstrike aimed at my ribs. I twisted, barely evading the searing heat of his saber. 

"Too slow," Dooku chided. "You rely on your anger, but you let it cloud your judgment." 

I snarled, slamming my foot down to halt my momentum before surging forward again. My blade clashed against his, sparks flying as the air vibrated with power. 

I attacked relentlessly, raining down blow after blow, forcing him to retreat. 

Dooku smirked. 

"Better." 

And then, without warning, he struck back. 

Faster than I could process, his foot snapped out, catching my leg. My balance faltered for half a second—just long enough. 

His blade came for my throat. 

I barely managed to block, the impact sending tremors through my arms. But he wasn't finished. 

A surge of Force energy hit me like a landspeeder. 

Pain exploded through my body as I was flung across the chamber, crashing against the cold, unforgiving floor. My lightsaber flew from my grasp, clattering out of reach. 

I gasped, struggling to push myself up. 

Dooku strode forward, calm, composed. 

"A Sith must always be in control," he lectured. "You are powerful, Venator. Your raw potential is undeniable. But you lack refinement. You lash out like a wild beast, rather than a hunter." 

I clenched my fists, rage boiling beneath my skin. 

"I am in control," I growled, standing once more. 

Dooku merely raised a brow. "Are you?" 

The truth stung. 

I had power, but he had *experience*. 

And if I wanted to surpass him—if I wanted to become unstoppable—I had to be better. 

I extended my hand, summoning my lightsaber back to me. 

I wouldn't make the same mistakes again. 

I ignited the blade once more, setting my stance. 

Dooku smiled. 

"Again."

Dooku's saber came down in a precise arc. 

I twisted, ducking low, and— 

Snap!

My saber deactivated mid-swing. 

Dooku's blade cut through empty air, and in that instant, I reignited mine, thrusting forward toward his open side. 

He barely managed to parry, surprise flashing across his normally composed face. 

I smirked. 

That worked.

We clashed again. I repeated the trick. Saber on, saber off—vanishing in an instant, appearing in another. Dooku's precise counters missed by fractions of a second. It was throwing him off. 

I could see the slightest crack in his composure. 

Good. 

I pressed the attack, my blade flickering in and out of existence as I weaved around him. It was working. He was losing his rhythm. 

Or so I thought. 

Dooku suddenly stopped retreating, meeting my next strike head-on. His saber didn't aim for my body this time. 

Instead, it aimed for my hilt. 

A single precise slash. A brutal, unrelenting strike. 

The moment my saber vanished, his blade cut down—right at my fingers. 

Pain flared as I yanked my hand back just in time, but my grip faltered, and my saber went flying. 

Before I could even move, an invisible force slammed into my chest, sending me crashing to the ground. 

I coughed, struggling to get air into my lungs. 

Dooku loomed over me, blade humming near my throat. 

"That," he said coldly, "was pathetic." 

I gritted my teeth. 

Sidious' voice rang out from the shadows. 

"Indeed." 

I turned my head, my breath ragged. 

Sidious was watching me with disdain. 

"You fight like a coward, Venator." His words dripped with disappointment. "This trickery, this cheap tactic—you would lower yourself to the level of scavengers? Of weaklings?" 

I clenched my fists. 

"It worked," I muttered. 

Dooku scoffed. 

Sidious' expression darkened. 

"Did it?" he asked, stepping closer. "Look at you. On the ground. Disarmed. Defenseless. Do you think a Jedi would fall for such petty deception? Do you think Kenobi, Windu, or any Jedi on the council would be fooled?" 

I swallowed hard gritting my teeth

He was right. 

If Dooku had been fighting seriously, I wouldn't just be on the ground. I'd be dead. 

I hated the truth of it. 

Sidious crouched beside me, his eyes gleaming with disdain. 

"The Sith do not 'deceive' in combat, Venator. We dominate. We crush. We overpower." His voice turned venomous. "What you displayed today was weakness." 

I felt my blood boil. 

Weak? 

I wasn't weak. 

I pushed myself up, ignoring the sting of pain. 

Dooku stepped back, extinguishing his saber. 

"If you ever use such disgraceful tactics again," he warned, "I will not hold back." 

Sidious gave a cruel smile. 

"And neither will I." 

I exhaled sharply, gripping my own lightsaber hilt. 

I wouldn't make the same mistake again. 

I'd show them.

I'd show HIM