Palpatine had amassed enough political power that he was ready to end the war and declare his Empire. But he also wanted the gifted young Jedi, Anakin Skywalker, to join the ranks of the Sith. Dooku was led to believe that Anakin would lead an army of Sith that would be formed from the remnants of the Jedi Order, and so was willing to go along with Palpatine's plan to lure him to the Dark Side: Palpatine himself would be kidnapped by the Separatists, and Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi would be the only Jedi close enough to rescue him before the Separatists left Coruscant airspace. Dooku would then kill Obi-Wan, which would anger Anakin enough to make him turn to the Dark Side. Skywalker and Kenobi arrived as expected, but Dooku's attempt to kill Obi-Wan only knocked him unconscious. It had the desired affect on Anakin, however, who attacked Dooku with a new fury, culminating in him cutting off both of Dooku's arms. Not until this point, when it was too late, did Dooku realize that Palpatine had no interest in keeping him on as an apprentice. He was merely to be served up as bait to Anakin Skywalker. Dooku was shocked and speechless when Palpatine, whom he had expected to come to his defence, instead told Anakin to kill him. Despite his initial reluctance, Anakin gives in to Palpatine's goadings and decapitates Dooku.