Why did Dooku attempt to kidnap Palpatine on Naboo?

Question

In Clone Wars Season 4, episodes 15-18, there is a whole plot about Count Dooku selecting bounty hunters for a mission to kidnap Palpatine from Naboo's Festival of Light. One of the bounty hunters is Obi-Wan Kenobi working under disguise, and in the end he foils Count's plan with the help of other Jedi .

Dooku did explain to his accomplices that he wants to blackmail Republic with Chancellor as his captive. But, as we all know, both Dooku and Palpatine are Sith. Therefore, they must have an ulterior motive for this complex operation, but this is never shown in cartoon. What could it be ?

Answer 1

While we, the audience, understand the link between Dooku and Palpatine, nobody in-universe does. Palpatine's ulterior motive was to continue to chip away at the behemoth that was the Republic and continue to gain more power for himself by creating situations that would induce fear into the population. He was also trying to spread the Jedi out and thin their ranks as much as possible before executing Order 66. Palpatine was (supposedly) always in control of the situation and was coordinating both sides of the war like a giant chess match that ultimately benefited him and the Sith.

Answer 2

Classic False Flag. Dooku's people come close but not quite close enough to capture Palpatine--as a Sith, Palpatine was quite capable of assuring his own survival against some bounty hunters. The near miss, ideally with some friendly casualties, does three things. First, it creates fear. After all, if Dooku could get someone that close to the well-guarded Chancellor, is anyone really safe? Second, it creates sympathy for Palpatine. Look how well that brave man is holding up after his life was threatened! Such dedication as continuing to do his job despite the risks!

Third, and finally, if anyone did have even the slightest bit of suspicion about Papa Palps, they'd have the same question you posed. Why would Dooku try to capture the Chancellor if they were really working together? Clearly, an absurd notion.

From Dooku's side, and remember, they don't know he's working with Palpatine either, he's clearly doing his best to win the war. Shame about those bounty hunters screwing up and the Chancellor barely escaping, but that's not Dooku's fault. Just bad luck. Better luck next time!

Answer 3

I am looking at all the answers given and I can see now that there doesn't seem to be many people who noticed that Count Dooku at no time knew that Palpatine and Sidious were the same person. Every answer given seems based on a mistaken assumption. Sidipus kept his identity hidden from every single person throughout the Clone Wars series. He always, always, always speaks to Dooku with himself cloaked, hiding his identity from his own padawan; and Sidious is always careful with his words to Dooku, several times avoiding anything that would connect him to Palpatine. In fact, one of those times, Sidious was actually talking to Dooku about himself, but made Dooku think that Sidious had a secret ally in the Senate. Palpatine is that person!

Nobody ever totally figured out Sidious' identity. Maul was Sidious' apprentice but on tye day of Order 66, even after he acknowledged several truths that pointed right to Palpatine being Sidious, (and Maul cqme DANGEROUSLY CLOSE to adding up Sidious identity, he didn't get it. Nobody recognized Sidious as Palpatine. Dooku kidnapped Palpatine to use as leverage against the Senate when he asks for Separatist prisoners to be released from prison. However, I do suspect that the idea was actually Sidious' idea, with Anakin's apprentiship as his goal.