f2020 | hey there MoM it's me ya boy

[The next time Ezra opens his eyes, he's going to see an elderly man in black sitting on the grass across from him, cross-legged in a meditation position almost identical to Ezra's own. The Count, no stranger to masking his own presence, chose the method of introducing himself that would best make an unspoken point.

He does not open his eyes as he speaks, his voice deep and ominous:]

A fine place to contemplate the Force, is it not? So long as one doesn't mind being noticed, that is.

[Well. Karabast. He didn't think this through, clearly, though he tries to keep his presence calm.]

Yeah... I'm used to it, I guess. Doesn't everyone here love attention?

[Not that he's ever garnered as much attention as any of the other Force users.

A pause. Then,]

What do you want? Since there's no lightsaber through my chest, there's something, right?

The day is still young.

[A dry joke that isn’t entirely a joke. Now the Count does open his eyes to regard Ezra, and his gaze is exactly as dark and piercing as one might expect from someone with that voice.]

I could ask you the same thing. What brings you to the White City?

Writing an article for imPort Weekly. Top Ten Meditation Spots in Every Faction.

[And his response is exactly what one'd expect from him. However, it's very clearly a joke in this case.]

Am I not allowed to be here or something? Never got the memo.

All imPorts are welcome under the Tower. It is our purpose.

[He makes it sound simultaneously welcoming and threatening.]

It seems to me that a talent like yours would be wasted in journalism.

[He is not talking about writing. Or Ezra's humour.]

Yeah? Seems to me like we've got plenty of Force users around already.

[So yes, he knows what Dooku's talking about. There's some bitterness despite his casual tone. Back home, it was Luke who was the hero, Luke who'd reform the Jedi Order while Ezra was still missing. And here, history had repeated itself. Or was it the future?]

If you're looking for an apprentice, you'll have to get in line. Luckily, all the guys in front of you are dead.

It is true. There are many others on this planet who know the Force. But few understand it like I do.

[Time for a flex. The Count turns one of his hands palm-up, curls its fingers into a grip, and lifts. There's a cracking noise followed by a deep rumble as the chunk of ground that Ezra and Dooku are sitting on starts to float into the air - with both of them still on it.]

I would not be so easily destroyed as your other masters. And where else could you learn such power?

[Someone is going to have to fix the chunk of park Dooku just casually ruined for a demonstration. But that doesn't matter. One of the nice things about being a White Tower imPort is having a license to do whatever the hell you want, so long as it does not undermine the Tower, and leave the consequences for the drones and little people.]

[Can Ezra do that? No. Is it admittedly cool? Yes. But he's not fourteen anymore, and with that, his perspective of the Force has changed.]

Not sure how this shows you understand it, but nice trick? And I was pretty sure in our galaxy you were "destroyed" before all of them.

[To the point he'd never even heard of him until he came here. Although he didn't know who Maul was until he met him either.]

In my time, Palpatine was excavating Jedi temples, searching for... [He pauses, trying to think of a way to word it in which he can say enough but not reveal too much.] A door. Do you understand?

[Dooku wrinkles his nose, racking his brain while he maintains the concentration to keep their new ride floating. He doesn’t understand, but like hell is he going to show weakness by admitting as much.]

Doors can be very powerful things. [Power is always a safe guess where any interest of Lord Sidious’ is concerned.] I wonder what interests you about this one?

When you think about it, we were all brought here through a door. For a while, I wondered if they were connected or if it was just a coincidence.

[Without saying anything, he offers some assistance through the Force in keeping them up, lightening the load slightly.]

There used to be a door on my home world. In the end, it had to be destroyed.

[Interesting. When Dooku senses Ezra helping to loft their platform, he starts dialing back his own power, transferring a bit more and more of the load to Ezra, trying to find out how much the youth can really sustain.]

It is an interesting parallel. Yet I know how dangerous it was to ever deny Lord Sidious something he desired. I suspect there was a terrible price to pay for the destruction of this door he sought.

[Why do Sith have to be like this? Why can't they just hold it up together? Ezra seems to be sustaining it, though not as easily as the others might have. His power's never been in physical strength, after all, and it took Maul pushing him for him to even realize how much he had.]

He tried to control me. Use me to open the door for him. He offered me everything I ever wished for. Apparently, he had no plans for what would happen if I said no.

[And in the end, he probably assumed Ezra was dead along with Thrawn.]

[Dooku, on the other hand, has always excelled at the Force in the realm of manipulating the physical world, whether through telekinesis or a lightsaber. It's in the spiritual, mental side of the Force that he fades, having never been gifted with precognitive visions or a talent with the Mind Trick. No matter, to him: he would rather make the future than see it, and there are other ways to persuade people.

But he does stop testing Ezra as he senses the lad beginning to be strained, and settles into an easy balance with him as their platform slowly rotates above the park, heedless of White City residents hurrying along nearby, careful to avoid prying into imPort business.]

It is... very rare for one to reject his offers. You showed great wisdom in denying him.

[Dooku speaks slowly, carefully, trying to hide the conflict that suddenly stirs deep in his cold heart. Palpatine had made the same offer to him, and Dooku had willingly allowed himself to be used to open a different door, ripping the Galaxy in two so it could be remade into something better. What would his life have been like, if he had rejected the Dark Side? Would his last moments have been stunned bafflement before Skywalker sliced through his neck?

He crushes the thought within him as though he was stamping on a new sprout before it had a chance to grow. Doubt is a weakness the Dark Side does not tolerate.]

The Porter here is a doorway to immeasurable possibilities. But I suspect even he would have struggled to master it.

Thanks.

[Ezra relaxes slightly as some of the weight is lifted. Although, he's not sure how to feel about a Sith Lord calling him wise. At the same time, his greatest strength really is emotions and connections. While he might not know Dooku's whole deal, it still must be weird to hear about someone resisting Palpatine.]

No way would he have even been able to access it. I mean, he needed the help of a barely trained teenager and that was in his own galaxy.

It is not wisdom to underestimate the power of the Dark Lord.

[The Count suppresses an involuntary shiver at shadowy memories that still haunt him, even after years in this universe. A voice that knew every secret, a power that could send lightning ripping through his muscles in an instant, a cold hand closing around his throat from half a Galaxy away. You have disappointed me, Lord Tyranus...

He puts it out of his mind, and forces himself to focus on the boy.]

But you did not come here to discuss the failings of Darth Sidious. And I did not seek you out merely to give you a demonstration.

I'm not underestimating him. I'm... estimating.

[Estimations based on facts and lived experiences! Seems pretty accurate to him.]

I wanted to see if I could connect to the Porter. That's all.

That's all, is it? And for what purpose?

[The Count raises a skeptical eyebrow. Considering Ezra told him that another Door he dealt with was destroyed... Well. Dooku remembers how impetuous youth can be.]

You see, the Porter is very secure. It would be almost impossible to connect with it... without help from the White Tower.

That's all. Seems like it'd be useful.

[Ezra pauses, then smiles at Dooku.]

It's lucky then, that I know someone at the very top. Right, Master?

It may be lucky indeed.

[The Count gives Ezra a smile, then lowers the platform back into the ground it was crudely wrenched from, the demonstration at an end. As they float downward, the gears turn in Dooku's mind.

Actually enabling the boy to have access to the Porter is out of the question - at least, for now. Such boldness is prohibited for good reason, and the Count doesn't doubt that Ezra intends some mischief. But the goal can serve as useful motivation, something to dangle, scraps of information and hints doled out as reward for loyal service...]

But it would take a strong commitment. It is not something to be done lightly. Only one with the deepest, most powerful understanding of the Force has a chance of reckoning with the mysteries of the Porter. It could require years of study and training... and total dedication.

[As well as complete obedience to one's wise and dignified Master, who holds the key to the special door.]

[Once they're back on the ground, Ezra takes a moment to stand up and stretch.]

Mhm.

[He's listening, clearly.]

Unfortunately, as far as I know, I'm the only one here who understands the Force in that way. The only one who's spent years meditating and considering this. The only one from a planet where the Jedi and the Sith studied this phenomenon.

I can call anyone master... Master. The commitment's on your end, not mine.

[Dooku can't help but chuckle. The sheer cheek. He stands up as well, unfolding himself from his meditation position and rising to his feet like a pillar from the Earth.]

You are a bold one, aren't you? But you misjudge your position. There are many potential Apprentices on this planet... but few Masters. Especially Masters with status in the White Tower and proximity to the Porter.

[He spreads his hands in invitation.]

Who else could possibly offer you what I do?

[If there's anyone who might rival the Count in that department, he wants them singled out yesterday.]

hey there MoM it's me ya boy

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