Star Wars Returns To Count Dooku's Homeworld
Star Wars just made a return visit to Count Dooku's homeworld. SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2's first two episodes, "Spoils of War" and "Ruins of War," follow. As Star Wars: The Bad Batch returns for its second season, some months have passed since Kamino's destruction, and the clones are still doing jobs for Cid. As the Bad Batch return from one such assignment, Cid already has their next mission lined up. Based on some intel from Phee Genoa, whom Cid claims is "the most trustworthy pirate she knows," the Bad Batch gear up for a mission to Serreno, the homeworld of Count Dooku.
Serenno has appeared previously in Star Wars, primarily in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, since that is where Dooku continued to live as he led the Separatists. The Bad Batch's objective is to abscond with a significant portion of the war chest that Dooku amassed during the Clone Wars before the Empire takes it off-world. Cid promises the payout will be enough for the Bad Batch to buy their freedom and safety, which appeals to Hunter and his search for a new life for his family. There's some tension between him and Echo, who sees the Empire's rise as proof that their fight is not over and would divert those funds towards Rex's efforts.
Serenno in the Star Wars universe
It wouldn't be an episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch if the mission went smoothly, and indeed it does not. The group ends up separated and Tech gets injured. He, Echo, and Omega meet Romar, an older man still surviving in the wilds of Empire-occupied Serenno. He helps the Bad Batch members, at first reluctantly and later willingly.
Through Romar, the Bad Batch gains a new perspective on the war they fought. He reminds them that Dooku stole as much, if not more, from his people as he did from outside worlds and that Serennians existed before the Confederacy of Independent Systems. He also reminds Omega that joy is more valuable than treasure.
Count Dooku's history with Serenno
As mentioned, Dooku is originally from Serenno. However, given that the Jedi typically take Force-sensitive children as infants or toddlers, how did Dooku reconnect with his homeworld? Most of that story is told in Dooku: Jedi Lost, an audio drama by Cavan Scott (which has since been released as prose and is well worth any Star Wars fans' time). The story reveals that the Jedi did take Dooku in as a child but he unknowingly returned to the planet as a young Jedi. His father, who feared Dooku for his Force sensitivity, reacted with near panic when he realized who Dooku was. Despite this, Dooku struck up a friendship with his sister, Jenza.
Ignoring the Jedi Order's warnings to cut ties with his family, Dooku continued to bond with Jenza via holo-messages. That connection ultimately led to Dooku being drug into internal conspiracies on Serenno. The ramifications of those events, along with those shown in Tales of the Jedi, led to Dooku leaving the Jedi Order, claiming his birthright as Count of Serenno, and becoming Darth Sidious' Sith apprentice.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch's second season premieres today on Disney+. The series' first season is also streaming now on Disney+.