"Do you ever question it, Anakin?"
Anakin tore his gaze away from the window he and Padme had been gazing out of. The city was fascinating and busy and beautiful, but not nearly as beautiful as she was. Not that he could say that aloud.
"Do I ever question what?"
"It," said Padme, gesturing vaguely. "Power. War. Killing. I just…I don't know…forgive me, I'm being silly, aren't I?"
"I wouldn't know; you didn't finish your thought," said Anakin.
"I just don't understand how one man getting his soldiers to slaughter another man's soldiers solves anything. There has to be a better system then this. We are a civilized people, perfectly capable of civilized problem solving! I could—"
"You could what?" Anakin's eyes stared up at Padme, almost a challenge. She got the most peculiar feeling that she was suddenly the self-assured child and he the sensible one, helping her work through to the inevitable conclusion. In that calm blue gaze, she softened.
"What do you think, Annie?"
"I think some people have to do the fighting and the killing," he answered. The response must have been sitting on his tongue awaiting the question, it came that fast. " I think whoever's in charge fights so that the people below him don't have to. To protect them. That's what the Jedi do."
For a second, he was quiet.
"That's what I'm going to do. If I have to kill all of the people who are wrong, I will just have to do that."
Anakin's small chest puffed out a bit. Over the span of a few minutes, though, it deflated with doubt.
With half the bravado, he asked, "Do you think I'll be a good Jedi knight, Padme?"
Padme's answer came slowly, but not so slowly that she could have any insincerity. "I know it. I know you will be very courageous. You will be a protector."
