Obi-Wan could hardly believe he was back on Coruscant. Fortunately, his distress signal had been picked up, and a Republic ship had been dispatched for him. But he had spent a soggy few days in the swamp on the small backwater world he had crashed on. And the time period leading up to that had been like some kind of combination of a surreal dream and nightmare rolled into one.

Thankfully Grievous had been true to his word about releasing the Senator. He had talked with his friend just yesterday, when he had first arrived back on Coruscant. Bail was unharmed, if shaken, and was safely back on Alderaan. Bail had said that he didn't plan to disclose the details of what Grievous had done since it seemed that he 'wanted to give all the credit to Obi-Wan'. Apparently Bail had seen the same footage Obi-Wan had of the cyborg General denouncing the Jedi Master for killing Dooku. In any event, the decision whether to release any further information would now rest with the Jedi Council.

The Jedi Council that Obi-Wan stood before at this very moment in the Council Chamber, a round, airy room with large windows on all sides. He looked between Yoda, Mace Windu, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Eeth Koth, who were attending in person, and Adi Gallia, Plo Koon, and Shaak-Ti, who were attending via hologram. Many of the seats stood empty. Obi-Wan knew that was because many of the Jedi Masters were, at this very moment, engaged in battle.

"As you know from my message, Count Dooku is dead," Obi-Wan began. "But there is much more I have to tell you."

Yoda looked somber. "Bittersweet news his death is. Fallen to the Sith, Dooku had. Unspeakable things he had done. Needed to be stopped, he did. But my padawan, he once was. Served on this very Council, he once did. A moment of silence to reflect on this, we will have."

All of the Council were silent then, heads bowed in silent reflection.

Obi-Wan shared Yoda's mixed feelings on the Count's death. He felt immense relief, on the one hand. Dooku had been their enemy, had proven his ruthlessness and lack of compassion, countless times. And what the Sith Lord had done to Grievous required justice, even if Obi-Wan would have preferred that justice be less-fatal. Yet he couldn't fault the cyborg for choosing to kill the Sith, especially when Dooku had been prepared to kill Obi-Wan and re-enslave Grievous. Still, he couldn't take the same joy in Dooku's death that Grievous so clearly had.

That even a Jedi Master who had served the Order selflessly for decades could fall to the Sith led him to wonder if any of them could fall to such evil. In this time of war, when the pall of Darth Sidious hung over them, it seemed that even the best of them might suffer disillusionment. But Obi-Wan didn't think that disillusionment by itself was what turned a Jedi to the Sith. His own Master Qui-Gon had been disillusioned with the Council as well. No, it was that disillusionment coupled with the willingness to draw on the easy power that the Dark Side offered.

Obi-Wan could only speculate on what Sidious might have said to the Jedi Master Dooku to entice him to embrace that power. The Sith Lord he had faced with Grievous had done things he could never reconcile with the actions of the very Master who had trained his own.

"Continue on, we shall," Yoda said suddenly, and Obi-wan looked up at the aged Jedi.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, his thoughts turning back to the present. "I have-unexpected news regarding the Count's death."

"We feared the worst when it was reported that General Grievous had captured not only Senator Bail, but also you, Obi-Wan," Mace said. "But it seems that both of you have lived. And it is surprising news that you bring us, of Count Dooku's death. You said that you didn't want to discuss the details of what happened publicly, though, so I can only guess that you must have good reason for your secrecy."

"Yes," Obi-Wan said. And then, taking care to collect his thoughts, he spoke. "You see, I was not the one who killed Count Dooku. General Grievous did."

Though the room was silent, Obi-Wan could see the surprise in the other Jedi's expressions as they looked between one another.

He continued. "What's more, he told me that his motive for doing so was learning that Dooku had been using some sort of mind control on him."

Mace's expression was unreadable, but he leaned forward in his chair. "This is very unexpected. Do you know anything else about this mind control the Sith used on him?"

"Not much more than that, really. He only told me that the Count had done something to his mind. Bail said that he had mentioned some sort of surgery that had removed whatever it was the Count had used to control him, though. We don't know the circumstances surrounding the surgery that removed these control implants, but I think it's highly likely that someone on the Separatist side was involved."

"That makes sense," Shaak-Ti said. "They would have the most opportunity." She smiled wryly. "And no one on our side has reported any impromptu cyborg kidnappings to remove implants we were not even aware of."

"But perhaps they are an ally to us, nonetheless?" Master Koth asked. "If they were willing to expose Dooku like this to Grievous at the potential cost of weakening the Separatists, then perhaps they are also willing to talk to us."

"It's impossible to say," Obi-Wan replied. "Grievous said nothing about who might have been involved in that."

"What about Grievous himself?" Master Koth asked. "What differences did you notice in his personality from our previous encounters with him?"

"They were subtle," Obi-Wan said. "I would suggest extreme caution around him, still. But there is good in him. If there is one difference I've seen, it is that I would trust his word now. I sensed that honor is very important to him, though he may have a somewhat different conception of that than we do."

Eeth Koth frowned. "You say that there is good in him, Obi-Wan," he said. "And I do not doubt your statement. But I think that it is important for us to remember that there is also great evil in him. Perhaps much more than there is good."

"I think all of us have seen that evil," Plo Koon said. "Though you have perhaps experienced that more viscerally than any of us, Koth."

Obi-Wan looked between the three Jedi Masters. Koth had been tortured by Grievous, and Koon had been nearly killed by the cyborg's attempt to eliminate any survivors who might report on the existence of the Malevolence.

"At least I had warning of what I would face with him," Koth said, looking meaningfully at Shaak-Ti and Ki-Adi-Mundi, who had been among the first Jedi to face Grievous and live to tell the tale.

"I understand your reservations," Obi-Wan said simply. He had seen that side of Grievous himself. Recently, even. "But given that his mind was altered against his will, I do not think his past actions were entirely within his control."

"That is a fair point," Koth said mildly.

Obi-Wan hesitated before continuing. "Also-I've discovered the reason for his intense hatred of us."

"Do you mean to say that that was not caused by these implants that were removed?" Mace asked.

"No, though they surely exacerbated his hostility," Obi-Wan said. "But he told me that we aided his people's enemies. While he was not clear on the specifics, he indicated that these enemies were the aggressors, and his people suffered as a result of our aid to them."

"And do you know what planet the General is from?" Mace asked.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "That's the problem. He didn't give me any details I could use to confirm what he told me. I planned to try to find out what I could, though, using what little he did say."

"That would certainly be valuable information," Mace said. "We need to know if these allegations are true."

Yoda nodded. "Yes. But speak of these details yet, do not. Sense that Sidious will try to exploit this information, I do. Say only that Count Dooku is dead, we will. Let others think Obi-Wan destroyed him, we will."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I understand." While the Council had yet to locate any good leads on the identity of Sidious, they had become certain that he resided on Coruscant. Unfortunately, anything more specific on his location had yet to be determined. The Council knew only that they were dealing with a Sith of immense power who had thus far eluded any of the usual methods by which the Jedi tracked such ability.

Obi-Wan's thoughts turned back to the cyborg general. "I'll find out what I can about Grievous."

"Good," Mace said. "Report back to us as soon as you determine the information."

Obi-Wan nodded. One way or another, he would find the truth.