"I am fear. I am the queen of a blood-soaked planet and an architect of genocide. I have helped to crack the galaxy in half with this war and conquered every enemy I have ever faced—including death. All except for you." – Asajj Ventress, in Star Wars: Obsessions, by Hayden Blackman
hen Asajj Ventress first made her debut in 2003’s Clone Wars animated series from Gendy Tartakovsky, one thing was clear: she was a dynamic and striking force to be reckoned with! In true George Lucas fashion, her introduction was a bold choice. How could Dooku have a Sith assassin?! Doesn’t that violate the Rule of Two™? But Lucas never let continuity stand in the way of blazing forward with his creativity. And because of that, we have a wonderfully complex character whose story unfolds interestingly and surprisingly over more than fifteen years.
Ventress, at first, was a seemingly one-dimensional character: vampiric in appearance, she was motivated by her blood lust and desire to please her master. She seemed duty-bound to carry out Dooku’s bidding by commanding Separatist armies, more than capable of taking down her fair share of Jedi in situations where droids just can’t cut it. But when in the hands of brilliant creators in the Expanded Universe and in Dave Filoni's newer incarnation of the Clone Wars, Ventress took on a much more developed story-arc. Since then, we’ve seen her complicated and often flirtatious relationship with Kenobi, her rivalry-turned-mentorship with Ahsoka, her shattered expectations concerning Dooku, her developed backstory with both her former Jedi Master Ky Narec and Mother Talzin and the Nightsisters. She’s even been a bounty hunter teaming up with Boba Fett! Her story is heartbreaking, thrilling, mustache-twistingly villainous, and even heroic points along the way–with Asajj Ventress, there’s a little to love for everyone!
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Books in this Collection
The Cestus Deception
The Republic’s greatest strength against the Separatists is the Jedi. But when the planet of Ord Cestus begins manufacturing a new form of bio-droid called the JK-13 that rivals the Jedi in martial prowess, the Chancellor becomes deeply concerned. Obi Wan Kenobi and Kit Fisto soon find themselves dispatched to Ord Cestus to stop the sale of the JK-13s to the Separatists before it’s too late. However, if diplomacy should fail, the Chancellor has given strict instructions to destroy the bio-droids at all costs—even if it requires means that are…not the Jedi way.
The Cestus Deception, written by Steven Barnes, presents wonderful foreshadowing into Obi Wan’s eventual disillusionment with the Republic and its actions across the galaxy.
Ord Cestus, a planet mostly barren and inhospitable to life, was first colonized as a prison world, until a handful of hardy pioneers discovered its rich ore deposits and managed to build up a successful droid-manufacturing industry. But when the Clone Wars erupted, bringing severe rationing of imported resources and a Republic ban on the production of battle droids, Ord Cestus was threatened with imminent economic collapse.
Enter the Confederacy of Independent Systems - the Separatists - with a life-saving offer to purchase a generous quantity of the planet's most lucrative export: bio-droids. Possessed of tactical capabilities that rival the fighting abilities of even the most advanced Jedi, these sophisticated, techno-organic hybrid units would prove a most formidable weapon if ever deployed for military use.
Determined to halt the bio-droid sale, but fearing a show of force will result in a political backlash, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine dispatches a team of envoys, led by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. But if all else fails, the Republic will not hesitate to launch a full-scale attack and wipe out not only the means of bio-droid production, but countless lives as well, to demonstrate the consequences of disloyalty.
For Obi-Wan, the prospect of such wholesale slaughter only serves to fuel his growing suspicions about the sinister path the Republic seems to be taking. As the leaders of Ord Cestus refuse to capitulate and Palpatine rapidly loses patience, Obi-Wan's hopes of a peaceful resolution are dwindling. Now, facing a crisis of conscience, Obi-Wan must find the wisdom and strength to prevent a bloodbath and safeguard the Republic while abiding by the ancient code to which he has pledged his life.
Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
Yoda, Grand Master of the Jedi Order, carries the weight of the Clone Wars on his shoulders. When his former Padawan and leader of the Separatist movement, Count Dooku, reaches out and asks to meet for a truce, that burden becomes heavier still. Knowing that Dooku is likely laying a trap, Yoda places the needs of the galaxy before his own and ventures forth to the mysterious world of Vjun to face his old apprentice for perhaps the final time.
Author Sean Stewart clearly loves Christopher Lee’s background in monster movies and writes Dooku as a sympathetic villain reminiscent of the golden age of Hammer Films. He both heightens Dooku as a villain and humanizes him as a sympathetic character through his exploration of the novel's central question: is Count Dooku redeemable?
As the Clone Wars rage, Jedi Master Yoda must once again face one of his greatest adversaries: Count Dooku. . . .
The savage Clone Wars have forced the Republic to the edge of collapse. During the height of the battle, one Jedi Knight escapes the carnage to deliver a message to Yoda on Coruscant. It appears that Dooku wants peace and demands a rendezvous. Chances are slim that the treacherous Count is sincere but, with a million lives at stake, Yoda has no choice.
The meeting will take place on Djun, a planet steeped in evil. The challenge could not be more difficult. Can Yoda win back his once promising pupil from the dark side or will Count Dooku unleash his sinister forces against his former mentor? Either way, Yoda is sure of one thing: this battle will be one of the fiercest he’ll ever face.
Dark Disciple
Asajj Ventress did not deserve the pain she endured as a child, but she endured it all the same. While most know her as the relentless, hardened Sith apprentice who will stop at nothing to please her master, there’s a much less sinister side to her -- one that may even be capable of falling in love.
There were many stories originally meant to complete The Clone Wars that never got their chance to be told. But Ventress’s journey deserved a proper ending, and it got exactly that. In this story of love, loss, and triumph, watch as the villain you thought you knew transforms into a celebrated hero of the Republic.
The only way to bring down the Sith’s most dangerous warrior may be to join forces with the dark side.
In the war for control of the galaxy between the armies of the dark side and the Republic, former Jedi Master turned ruthless Sith Lord Count Dooku has grown ever more brutal in his tactics. Despite the powers of the Jedi and the military prowess of their clone army, the sheer number of fatalities is taking a terrible toll. And when Dooku orders the massacre of a flotilla of helpless refugees, the Jedi Council feels it has no choice but to take drastic action: targeting the man responsible for so many war atrocities, Count Dooku himself.
But the ever-elusive Dooku is dangerous prey for even the most skilled hunter. So the Council makes the bold decision to bring both sides of the Force’s power to bear—pairing brash Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos with infamous one-time Sith acolyte Asajj Ventress. Though Jedi distrust for the cunning killer who once served at Dooku’s side still runs deep, Ventress’s hatred for her former master runs deeper. She’s more than willing to lend her copious talents as a bounty hunter—and assassin—to Vos’s quest.
Together, Ventress and Vos are the best hope for eliminating Dooku—as long as the emerging feelings between them don’t compromise their mission. But Ventress is determined to have her retribution and at last let go of her dark Sith past. Balancing the complicated emotions she feels for Vos with the fury of her warrior’s spirit, she resolves to claim victory on all fronts—a vow that will be mercilessly tested by her deadly enemy . . . and her own doubt.
Legends Epic Collection: The Clone Wars Vol. 2
The Clone Wars rage on! And the fighting is fierce as General Kenobi and his first lieutenant, Anakin Skywalker, brace for the Battle of Jabiim! Facing attacks from both the Republic and the locals, can Anakin and his "Padawan Pack" hold the rain-soaked planet — or will they face a washout? Then, Skywalker finds himself behind enemy lines alongside a Tusken Raider-turned-Jedi! But where is Obi-Wan? Perhaps Dark Jedi Asaji Ventress has the answer! Meanwhile, Senator Bail Organa is plagued by pirates, and Quinlan Vos goes undercover within Count Dooku's inner circle. All that, plus Mace Windu unleashed!
COLLECTING: STAR WARS: REPUBLIC 55-67, STAR WARS: DARTH MAUL - DEATH SENTENCE 1-4, MATERIAL FROM STAR WARS TALES 22
Age Of Republic Special
Legends Epic Collection: The Clone Wars Vol. 3
Dooku: Jedi Lost
Few know much about Count Dooku or his past that led him from the highest ranks of the Jedi Order to the knee of Darth Sidious. But when he charges his new assassin, Asajj Ventress, with her first mission, he also opens a window into his past. That past, riddled with dark prophecies and broken relationships is the key to Ventress understanding her new master…and his weaknesses.
Cavan Scott, bolstered by a whole host of voice actors, delivers one of the most engaging, immersive stories in all of the Expanded Universe with Dooku: Jedi Lost. This origin story enriches Dooku’s character so much that it even manages to elevate his on-screen appearances in the films.
Delve into the history of the sinister Count Dooku in this audio original set in a galaxy far far away....
Darth Tyranus. Count of Serenno. Leader of the Separatists. A red saber, unsheathed in the dark. But who was he, before he became the right hand of the Sith? As Dooku courts a new apprentice, the hidden truth of the Sith Lord's past begins to come to light.
Dooku's life began as one privilege-born within the stony walls of his family's estate, orbited by the Funeral Moon where the bones of his ancestors lie interred. But soon his Jedi abilities are recognized and he is taken from home to be trained in the ways of the Force by the legendary Master Yoda. As he hones his power, Dooku rises through the ranks, befriending fellow Jedi Sifo-Dyas and taking a Padawan of his own, the promising Qui-Gon Jinn—and tries to forget the life that he once led. But he finds himself drawn by a strange fascination with the Jedi Master Lene Kostana, and the mission she undertakes for the Order: finding and studying ancient relics of the Sith, in preparation for the eventual return of the deadliest enemies the Jedi have ever faced.
Caught between the world of the Jedi, the ancient responsibilities of his lost home, and the alluring power of the relics, Dooku struggles to stay in the light-even as the darkness begins to fall.
The Clone Wars Anthology: Stories of Light and Dark
Brotherhood
Brotherhood is an adult novel by Mike Chen and focuses on Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker must stem the tide of the raging Clone Wars and forge a new bond as Jedi Knights.
The Clone Wars have begun. Battle lines are being drawn throughout the galaxy. With every world that joins the Separatists, the peace guarded by the Jedi Order is slipping through their fingers.
After an explosion devastates Cato Neimoidia, the jewel of the Trade Federation, the Republic is blamed and the fragile neutrality of the planet is threatened. The Jedi dispatch Obi-Wan Kenobi, one of the Order's most gifted diplomatic minds, to investigate the crime and maintain the balance that has begun to dangerously shift. As Obi-Wan investigates with the help of a heroic Neimoidian guard, he finds himself working against the Separatists who hope to draw the planet into their conspiracy—and senses the sinister hand of Asajj Ventress in the mists that cloak the planet.
Amid the brewing chaos, Anakin Skywalker rises to the rank of Jedi Knight. Despite the mandate that Obi-Wan travel alone–and his former master's insistence that he listen this time—Anakin’s headstrong determination means nothing can stop him from crashing the party, and bringing along a promising but conflicted youngling.
Once a Padawan to Obi-Wan, Anakin now finds himself on equal—but uncertain—footing with the man who raised him. The lingering friction between them increases the danger for everyone around them. The two knights must learn a new way to work together—and they must learn quickly, to save Cato Neimoidia and its people from the fires of war. To overcome the threat they face they must grow beyond master and apprentice. They must stand together as brothers.