Dooku – Above the Awakening World
The swirling blue of hyperspace dissolved into the silence of realspace, and Count Dooku stepped forward into the light.
His vessel—a custom long-range transport of Serenno make—exited with practiced elegance, gliding into position above a system that did not appear on any known star chart. Yet here it was. And more importantly—here it waited.
Dooku stood in silence, the hum of his ship's systems barely noticeable beneath the weight pressing through the Force.
The planet below radiated something more than life. It pulsed with equilibrium—neither dark nor light. Not chaos, not serenity. Just presence.
His fingers clasped behind his back.
"This is no simple world," he murmured. "No accident."
The Force didn't shout here. It breathed.
He adjusted course, entering low orbit. As the upper atmosphere cleared, a structure—no, a city—came into view.
And Dooku paused.
It was luminous, biotechnological, wrapped in flowing light and integrated nature. Spires coiled like growths of living crystal, platforms glided between aerial lanes, and the land itself seemed to embrace the construct rising from it.
The ship's console chimed.
[Incoming Transmission – Elysiar Approach Control]"Unregistered vessel, please identify. You are approaching a secure zone under sovereign control. This world is protected."
Dooku lifted his chin slightly and responded. "I am Count Dooku of Serenno. I seek no conflict. I was… drawn here."
A pause. Then—
"Your presence is acknowledged. You are not the only one. Another has arrived. You are cleared to land."
Another?
His brow furrowed.
So he wasn't alone.
Alis – Between Stars and Instinct
The stars snapped into stillness, and the Nightsister known as Alis leaned forward as her freighter dropped into orbit.
She had followed the pull for weeks now—guided not by coordinates, but by instinct. Visions. Whispers.
And now, here she was.
The planet ahead didn't look remarkable at first—green-blue, atmospheric, veined with faint auroras—but through the Force, it was blinding. Not in a destructive way, but in a kind of natural radiance she'd never felt.
"This is not Dathomiri magic," she whispered. "It's… deeper."
She guided the ship through descent protocols, then gasped.
Below her, the clouds parted—and the city appeared.
Not a settlement. Not an outpost.
A dream.
Living trees wrapped around towers that glowed with inner light. Water flowed upward along gravity-defying lifts. Pathways lined with pulsing glyphs shimmered in impossible patterns. She could feel the Force moving through it—not as a storm, but as a river in perfect motion.
She reached for the comms as her ship was pinged.
[Unregistered vessel, identify yourself. Planetary sovereignty in effect. Presence registered.]
She swallowed. "I am Alis, of the Dathomir Nightsisters. I was guided here. By the Force."
"Acknowledged. You are not the only one. Another approaches. You are welcome. Proceed to assigned coordinates."
Alis blinked.
Another?
She wasn't sure if that brought comfort… or concern.
Descent – Two Ships, One Destination
From two different angles, they descended.
Neither ship saw the other until final approach—one dark and sleek, the other matte-grey and marked with tribal etchings.
Both headed for the same landing bay.
Both passengers silent, stunned.
Dooku felt the second presence as the ships neared. Not Jedi. Not Sith. Something else—wilder. Controlled not by discipline, but by pact.
Alis felt the older presence across the tarmac. Noble. Measured. A man forged of control. Power wrapped in poise.
The Force pulsed between them, neither welcoming nor warning—merely waiting.
The city loomed ahead, and both felt it:
This place was not defenseless.
It saw them.
And still—it let them come.