Siri just stared at him for several seconds before the complicated emotions began to pass over her face.
"What?!" she hissed, probably because if she'd said it any louder, Bant would likely hear and come running.
It was Anakin's turn to look away. "You woke that night because I was able to act as a conduit between your future self and your past self. As such, I saw—lived to an extent—many of your memories."
And there was the scandalized look he'd been expecting.
"I did not mean to," he said, making sure he sounded as unhurried and calm as normal. It was all she would get when it came to placation. He never had been good at setting other people at ease, so he figured that he would simply explain the truth and let her come to her own conclusions...and somehow find a way to deal with the potentially dire consequences when they came. "Because this happened I can now empathize with you in a way I could not previously. Then there is also the fact that you and I are the only two people who have traveled back from the future." He stopped and met her darkening expression curiously. "Speaking of, do you remember how you did?"
"How I did what?" she asked snappishly, but with just the right amount of confusion too. If he kept her off balance then perhaps she would calm down before she could yell at him, and he would get answers that could lend credibility to or disprove his theory.
"How you came back with me."
She frowned, this time in contemplation. "Not really. I just remember that I couldn't lose you, so I kept track of your Force signature and followed as best I could."
He nodded again. "So you were attuned to me for a rather long period of time," he said thoughtfully.
She blinked. "Yes."
"Which supports my theory," he said satisfactorily.
He wasn't sure if he should be amused or offended at her sick expression. She didn't speak, and he suspected she was trying to find some way to refute his words. Seeing as she didn't even open her mouth, though, she could see the sense in what he said. He hoped she would be able to continue to do so. He had one more point to make...one that she would like even less than the Force Bond's existence in and of itself.
"I also believe," he said, his voice soft, "that my own state of being may be affecting you."
He could quite literally feel her temper and horror rise. "What do you mean?" she asked, somehow still controlling her voice despite the rejection he could feel coming from her.
He couldn't meet her eyes. "It would stand to reason that if we share a bond and are somehow tied through the Force that my severe anxiety from earlier was influencing your state of mind. It would not be the first time since I woke in this time that I have had problems with my emotions, and it is not the first time you have had a 'relapse'. I simply asked myself why you might have such a severe problem when you had been previously improving. Then I noticed that this seemed to occur when I had been having such a difficult time controlling my own emotions and actions. I do not believe in coincidence."
She looked, for all the world, like she wanted to be angry—very angry—at him, but he could also see her working through everything that had happened and his theories. His respect for her grew a few notches and he was very pleased to see that her nigh-legendary control was indeed returning. Finally she spoke through gritted teeth.
"You're saying your mood put me in that...awful state?" She must have said that for lack of a better term.
"Completely unintentionally," he assured her. Then his voice quieted as he continued. "You must admit, it would explain a great deal."
They sat in silence for several minutes. He could tell she needed time to contemplate this new information and come to terms with it. He actually needed a bit of processing time as well.
After what seemed like forever, she finally spoke, her voice strained but otherwise calm and controlled. "Fine. Until we have a better theory, let's assume yours is right. So what do we do about it?"
Anakin felt his brow furrow ever so slightly in confusion. "Why should we do anything about it?"
She turned a mildly incredulous look to him. "You actually want to be connected through the Force? I mean, we don't even know what type of a bond it is! Is it similar to a training bond? Or is it simply emotional? Or is it something completely new? How will this affect us?"
He chuckled mirthlessly at her tone, but shrugged. "I can only guess but I know little more than yourself and what we have already learned of Force Bonds. However, I believe the benefits of such a connection could outweigh the costs."
"How?" she asked dryly, folding her arms in front of her stubbornly.
He refrained from rolling his eyes, although barely. "For one thing, I will know if something undesirable happens to you."
"You mean like today?" she shot back. He frowned at her, but ignored her comment and continued anyway.
"And this will make it easier for you to keep track of my own mental status."
She contemplated that for a few seconds before eying him curiously, most traces of anger having melted from her features. "Explain."
Anakin sighed. "If our bond follows, even remotely, the basic structure of a normal Force Bond—and we have no reason to believe otherwise at the moment—then in the case that you cannot sense me through the bond, my outlook and feelings will have...changed," he said, trying to ignore his discomfort at having to explain this.
Siri blinked for a few moments before her eyes widened in realization. "You mean, you'll have turned again?" she asked a little too dryly.
The former Sith frowned at her bluntness. "I'm sure there are other instances where such a case could occur, but essentially, yes."
She was silent for several more seconds before she sighed and looked over at Anakin. "I'm still not happy about this, for the record."
"Duly noted."
"But seeing as we can't really do anything about it, I suppose we should take advantage of it," she muttered.
Anakin nodded in agreement. "Also," he added after a second, "it could help you regain your previous level of physical ability more quickly."
Her eyes narrowed and he had to make an effort to not shift in his seat. "So it's like a training bond?"
Anakin frowned and wanted to know why in the Galaxy she thought he knew. Force bonds were tricky things in the fact that no two were ever alike, at least in theory, because no two Jedi were ever the same. A few bonds could be forged on purpose, like training bonds and, thousands of years ago, when Jedi were still allowed to marry, marriage bonds. Other bonds were less predictable and could potentially develop at any point between any two people who happened to relate to each other and spent any amount of time around each other. Some Jedi could go through their entire lives without forging a bond, while others would develop multiple bonds with many of their comrades on a regular basis.
The depth of the bond could range anywhere from a vague awareness to near telepathy when in closer proximity. Sometimes they made missions easier, sometimes they made missions far more difficult (as Anakin had found out the hard way with Obi-wan). The only thing about Force bonds that tended to be predictable was the ability to break them. Purposefully forged bonds could usually be broken by a third party if they knew how to manipulate the Force and knew the two who were bonded well enough. Natural bonds, though, were much harder to break.
The reason that a bond was formed between a master and a padawan was so the Master could guide their student more easily in the Force and teach and train with more empathy and understanding. So, while Anakin and Siri's bond was not in any way purposeful, it could be used as a sort of training bond if she really wished, he supposed. Anakin hadn't tested the bond yet after all. It had been subtle, but there, just waiting to be noticed, but he hadn't figured out the nature of it yet. Unlike his bond with Obi-wan, this one had almost no emotions attached to it, which was what made it so unusual.
"No," Anakin finally answered, figuring he should stick to the spirit of the question instead of focusing on the details. "I do not know more about the nature of this bond yet as I only just noticed it myself, but I do not believe it is like a training bond. It is far more elusive. I was merely putting forth possibilities."
Siri's mouth thinned, but she didn't raise an argument. Instead, she sighed. "Very well," she said and didn't speak further on the subject.
They sat there in an uncomfortable silence for several more seconds before Siri turned to Anakin, eyes tired. "I don't mean to sound rude, but there isn't much more we can discuss for the moment. Could you please leave?"
Anakin rolled his eyes at her rather blunt comment, but he could see why she'd said it, so he slid off of his chair and began to stride towards the door.
"Anakin..." To his surprise, Siri's voice stopped him before he'd reached the exit. He turned to look at her inquisitively. "If your mood is influencing me, then you have to be careful. I don't want to go back to...that again." Somehow, he knew she'd suppressed a shudder.
He could understand her better than she realized, he suspected. After the slightest hesitation, Anakin nodded. "I will keep that in mind. Sleep well."
"Yeah, thanks," she said and almost sounded sincere.
xXx
Tai'k Xio had been a confident woman for decades. It was no secret among those she knew that she tended to be sure of herself because she knew what she spoke of and sported an excellent memory. It wasn't difficult to bring her (not inconsiderable) experience to mind in many situations and draw conclusions from her own memories, and they were usually quite helpful and correct. That hadn't changed, but her confidence had still been shaken.
Perhaps she had grown too complacent and too fixed in her ways because the meeting she'd had the previous day with Healer Girth and the Jedi Council had planted more than a few seeds of doubt in her mind about more than one thing—not the least of which was her own view of the Universe. She had helped many Jedi with their problems in her life, but she had known from the beginning that this one—that Anakin Skywalker—would be different from any other problem she had approached. That was why she'd suggested bringing in a non-sensitive mind healer to help. The Council had been more than a little surprised by her suggestion, but after looking over the young initiate's case, she had known that there would be problems she could not address properly as she simply did not have the background or personal experience that would help her relate to the boy.
The Force nudging her in that direction had helped a bit there too.
Still, she'd been fairly sure that after a few months, Anakin would begin to understand the Jedi; to see how they were expected to act, and he would begin to adjust accordingly. Now, she wasn't so sure. Truthfully, she hadn't realized just how removed from the normal life of a non-sensitive she had been...and she'd begun to think that perhaps the Jedi as a whole had the same problem. She hadn't yet had time to really contemplate the implications of that realization, but she knew that her experiences with Anakin and Girth had changed her life and her view point.
With that new thought on her mind, Tai'k began to truly comprehend just how ill-prepared she was to really help Anakin. Yes, she could answer questions about the Force and she still had every intention of helping him through whatever mental block he'd created for himself when it came to that, but she was not, in any way, sure about how much she could help him in and above that. Perhaps Girth would be a Jedi Consultant for far longer than they had all anticipated.
With a shake of her head, she turned her thoughts away from what might be to what she could affect; namely, Anakin's current treatment. Speaking with Master Yaddle a few days before had been how she'd taken her suspicions that Anakin had subconsciously blocked himself from at least some aspects of the Force to an all-out conclusion. The diminutive Master hadn't actually spoken of any details, but what she had said supported her theory that Anakin did not trust the Force or the Jedi. He had somehow become severely jaded, and it was stunting his ability to learn. If he were to grow—both as a Jedi and a person—he would have to overcome that. She suspected that his darker training had a lot to do with it.
In addition to all of that, Girth had proclaimed that Anakin did not even feel safe at the Temple. That had caused her to realize just how her general plan for him at the moment would be pushing too far too fast. She knew he didn't trust her, but that wasn't exactly unusual for her patients. Many Jedi didn't like coming to a mind healer. However, not trusting her because she was a stranger and a therapist, and not trusting any Jedi because they were Jedi were two entirely different situations. Unfortunately, the latter was far more severe and far less common.
Tai'k had also appreciated her fellow healer's assertion that Anakin needed a support structure. She agreed wholeheartedly. She simply hadn't realized that, at the moment, he had none. If he didn't trust Jedi, then he was surrounded by people he felt he couldn't trust. Not exactly the most ideal situation.
However, the biggest problem, to her mind, stemmed from the fact that she hadn't seen all of this when she should have. Even now she kicked herself often for overlooking these small but vital pieces of information. For instance, when it came to the support structure, she'd assumed that because he'd made a few friends that he was warming up to the Jedi. Now she wasn't so sure. Also, he only seemed to be interested in making contacts within his age group. Admittedly he also had Knight Kenobi and Padawan Tachi, but he didn't see them on a regular basis, and both had rather large problems of their own at the moment (she knew Knight Kenobi was struggling to release his Master's death, and while she had no doubt he would eventually be able to, he did not have the mental stability to really support anyone else currently, and Padawan Tachi...well, the healers were still concerned with her general mental state). He had similar relations to the Jedi Masters and Knights that taught him, as well as Masters Yoda and Yaddle. And that was it. She and Healer Girth didn't have the history for Anakin to really rely on them yet and as far as she knew, there was no one else. Most people could not even begin to change and heal as he had in situations half as harsh. Girth had been correct in stating that Anakin's improvement was nothing short of a miracle. He really was an exceptional child.
After the meeting, she had reevaluated her entire plan and healing-structure with new eyes, quickly finding many areas where even her adjusted methods would be moving far too quickly because many conclusions that any normal initiate would naturally come to simply could not be expected of Anakin.
And so she had come up with something extremely different for her session with Anakin today. It was something that she may not normally even support as she was afraid she was encouraging attachment, but he needed a support system, and that included not only people he could rely on, but people who could rely on him. She'd actually set this up with the comment he'd made about how he'd returned to the light because of his connection to the people he cared for in mind. It was the only reason she'd even considered going through with her idea to begin with.
She really hoped she wasn't making a very large mistake here. However, this was uncharted territory, and long years had taught her that she really could only do her best when blazing a trail, whether physical or metaphorical. If her best wasn't good enough, then she would have to resort to something else. Perhaps she would meet with Healer Girth again after he returned from his home planet in a couple of days. It wouldn't be part of their normal meeting schedule, but her new observations needed to be addressed, and who better to ask than her fellow mind-healer?
A small chime sounded, bringing her out of her thoughts. Realizing what time it was, she began to make preparations for the session. It was a little earlier than she normally started, but she had to make a stop today...
xXx
To say that Anakin was feeling better after his discussion with Siri would be a mild understatement. That didn't mean he'd reached a point of complete calm. Hawk-bats still churned his stomach and he still clutched his wrist in his hand behind his back, walking with a firm, straight-backed posture that he simply couldn't bring himself to lose at the moment, but he could at least put forth an exterior picture of control. It gave him the air of confidence he needed to continue down that thrice-cursed hallway towards a door he still did not want to think about. He refused to allow himself to slow at all, fearing that if he did, he may not be able to force himself onwards—to what his mind had begun to recognize as certain doom.
Obi-wan had always said he'd had a flair for the dramatic.
With an inward sigh, Anakin wrenched his mind away from that train of thought and made himself reach out towards the door, knocking lightly. Somehow, he managed to continue standing there for the few seconds it took for Master Xio to open the door.
"Welcome back, Anakin," she said with that warm smile of hers after the door had slid aside.
"Master Xio," he said with a slight bow and a toneless voice. It would be the best he could do at the moment. He'd been doing so well after he'd left the healer's wing, but every step towards this room had only brought his anxiety back. He wasn't on the verge of Force-choking anyone, but he still did not want to be there.
"Come in," she said, stepping aside and ushering him through the portal. "Have a seat."
His only acknowledgment came in the form of him lowering his body to the edge of one of the arm chairs.
"Now I know you've been rather nervous about today," she commented lightly as she too took her seat. Anakin had a very difficult time repressing a snort at her understatement. "However, we still have a session to get through before we come to your session with D-40, and I would like for you to try and focus on that."
For a moment, Anakin felt dread freeze his veins before he was able to calm himself down and release everything to the Force. Not only did he have his confession to 'look forward' to, but he had to endure another hour before hand? And not just any hour, but one of the sessions with Master Xio and her rather frightening ability to jump to the right conclusions...
He closed his eyes and used his calming techniques. They helped to take the edge off of his panic and he was able to answer in a smooth voice.
"Very well, Master Xio," he said in monotone. "What do you wish to speak of today?"
How had he gotten that out without squeaking? And his lack of courage was seriously starting to get on his nerves.
"Well, I'd like to talk a little more about your decision to come to the Jedi temple," she said slowly and with an easy, almost lilting tone. "Why did you decide to come here?"
Again, Anakin had to force himself to not snort derisively. "I would think that was obvious," he stated rather blandly.
Master Xio didn't look fazed by his less-than-enthusiastic response. "Nevertheless, I'd like you to go through all of your reasoning for me, if you could."
He allowed himself the luxury of a small eye roll and fell back on what was more or less becoming a chant in his head—keep the mind-healer happy and the Jedi Council would continue to observe and not interfere with him and his plans. Happy mind-healer, happy Council. Happy mind-healer, happy Council.
"First and foremost, I did not want to remain a slave," he said after a few seconds.
"Unsurprising and completely understandable," the older Jedi said with an acknowledging nod of her head. "But after being freed, you could have remained on Tatooine with your mother. Why even leave her?"
Obi-wan had given Anakin the 'are you serious because that really has the most obvious answer in the galaxy' look so many times that the former Sith had vowed—years ago—that he would never, in turn, give it to anyone. As Anakin, he had lived by that rule. As Vader, he hadn't really had the opportunity to break it. Right now, though, he had to fight to keep it off of his face. His expression was already dry enough as it was.
"As a child who used to be a slave on a Hutt-owned planet with no one but other slaves as support? Honestly leaving was my only option if I did not wish to run the risk of being enslaved again."
She tapped her chin with one of her fingers thoughtfully. "I see your point. But then,why the Jedi?"
At this Anakin snorted softly and looked away. "What child has not heard of the Jedi—the heroes of the Galaxy, the peacekeepers that everyone looks up to and listens to. I honestly thought they had the power to do anything—and I would have given anything for that power."
Master Xio's brow furrowed in a slight frown. "But Jedi do not seek power. Surely you knew this before coming."
Anakin had known more than a few Jedi who did indeed seek power, but he really didn't want to get into semantics at the moment. "I didn't understand," he said finally. "I didn't really comprehend what I craved above freedom and the ability to help others."
"You speak as if that has changed."
Anakin's eyes fell ever so slightly as a sad acceptance welled inside of him. "Now I just wish to prevent evil from destroying the galaxy. I was given light back after knowing darkness for so long, and I wish to give that to other people, even if they do not realize that that is what I am offering. There are so many innocent people who deserve the chance to live..." Like Padmé. Like Ahsoka and Luke and his daughter and how many countless other people that he and the Emperor had practically destroyed?
"That is very noble of you, Anakin," she said, her voice nothing if not sincere. "And more mature than many people several times your age. Thinking of others like that is what Jedi ideally strive for. So maybe you fit in around here more than you think."
He nodded his acceptance of her statement (even if he couldn't quite believe her himself), but didn't trust himself to say anything more at the moment.
"You're already someone that others in your age group look up to. Speaking of, though, I have noticed that you don't really have many acquaintances outside of your age group."
Anakin blinked at the rather strange turn of the conversation and watched as Master Xio rose and walked over to one of the doors. "I know this may seem rather sudden, but I would very much like to remedy that."
The younger Jedi frowned. "What?"
Master Xio smiled knowingly at him (a smile that very nearly drove him mad every time he saw it because it was such an Obi-wan smile...) before turning to the door and opening it.
"D-40, could you bring our guest out here?"
Anakin wasn't quite sure what to think, but mentioning the droid brought up the unpleasant reminder of what he would likely be doing very soon while simultaneously peaking his curiosity. Just when he was off kilter enough to not be able to focus and see if he knew the person. Of course.
"Master Xio," the female voice of the droid said from the other room. "I really must object. This goes far outside my programming!"
Anakin cringed at the words. Perhaps he'd been relying a little too much on what he could remember of C3P0's programming. She was starting to sound like that old, prissy protocol droid.
"I think you adapted rather well, considering the circumstance," Master Xio said with no small amount of amusement in her voice.
"Adapted well?" the droid asked disbelievingly, "There is no possible way in this universe or the next that this...situation could be considered anything I could 'adapt' to!"
"Then perhaps we will have to take a look at your programming and see if we can't put in a code that will help next time." The older master still seemed entirely too entertained. For some reason, it was driving Anakin's curiosity up while simultaneously calming his ruffled nerves.
Anakin paused and thought about that for a moment. Perhaps he wasn't giving her the credit she deserved after all.
"There you are, dear," the master said after a few seconds of silence. It took every ounce of control Anakin possessed to stay seated and not get up to go run and see what she was talking about. He would find out soon enough, after all. "Come in."
"Thank you, Master," a subdued, high-pitched voice replied. Anakin did turn at that and peered behind the seat, no longer caring if that made him seem young and undignified. What he saw seemed to shoot the world around him into slow motion.
"I won't leave you. Not again!" His breath caught in his throat as he remembered blue eyes that seemed so defiant and yet resigned, as if she'd known...
"You're welcome, young one," Master Xio said as she lead a familiar little girl past. Anakin's gaze followed them and he stared in blatant surprise (while struggling to hide the horror that crept into his expression, and feared that he really hadn't succeeded) at the two Jedi as they stopped where they could easily see Anakin. He sat back, eyes still wide with unhidden emotion.
"Then you will die!" Red blade meeting white ones—a far too accurate illustration for the situation as it had been at the time...
"Anakin, meet one of our newest initiates. Next week I will arrange for another Jedi to come in some time during our session and I would like for you to write down some questions that you would like to ask an older Jedi, but for now..." she trailed off and nudged the little girl forward. "Introduce yourself, young one."
It took every ounce of Anakin's will to continue to breathe past the guilt. He couldn't take his eyes off of her and only seemed to be able to think "I killed her" in his head over and over again. His own apprentice and he'd actively sought to destroy her for no other reason than that she had opposed the Empire. Simply because she wouldn't join him...
He forced his thoughts away from that line of thinking and tried to bring them back to the reason why Master Xio had done this at all. Not only was it extremely unexpected (and somehow he felt there was more to it than met the eye) but why had the Master chosen to introduce him to the one youngling he'd actually had a close connection to in his past. It had to be the Force at work...but why? Simply to dredge up his pain and throw it in his face?
The girl looked uncertainly up at the Jedi Master before looking back at Anakin, then up at the Master again.
"But he's scary," she said, not at all shy. She didn't sound scared either...more upset, now that he thought about it. Typical Ahsoka. Force he'd missed that...
"Why would you say that?" the older woman asked in surprise.
The little girl looked down and shrugged. "He just is."
"Maybe he won't be scary when you get to know him."
She frowned and folded her arms. "No."
She said the word with such conviction that Anakin couldn't help it, he actually chuckled. It seemed to break the lump of ice that had been building inside his chest cavity somewhere. The other two paused and looked at him. He somehow managed to smirk down at the little girl.
"Are all togrutas as snippy as you?"
Ahsoka's frown grew more pronounced.
"I'm not!"
Anakin raised one eyebrow in question, never once losing his smirk. "Oh really, Snips?"
The girl stamped her foot. "That's not my name! It's Ahsoka! Ah-so-kah! Get it?!"
"Ahsoka Tano," Master Xio said disapprovingly, causing the little girl to cringe and back away in shame. "That is no way for a Jedi initiate to act!"
"Sorry, Master," she said softly.
"I don't think I'm the one you need to apologize to."
The scandalized expression on the four-year-old's face almost caused Anakin to burst into outright laughter—no small feat in his mood. He managed, however, to keep his face straight as she turned to him and said, quite grudgingly:
"I'm sorry I got upset...uh..."
"Anakin," he replied. "Anakin Skywalker. You can call me 'Skyguy' though, if you want."
She made a face at that. "Why would I call you that?"
He really couldn't help it if his smile seemed more than a little nostalgic. "No reason."
Ahsoka folded her arms in front of her. "I don't like you."
"Ahsoka!"
She immediately looked down. "Sorry," she muttered again.
"Don't be," Anakin said.
The girl looked up and Anakin ignored Master Xio's frown in his direction. He continued, looking directly into her large, ice-blue eyes. "Never apologize for speaking the truth. Just learn when it is a good idea to voice such thoughts."
The little girl's brow furrowed and she looked like she was concentrating hard on something. After a moment she tipped her head at him.
"Okay."
He nodded firmly. "Good."
And then she did something neither of the older Jedi were expecting. She walked over to the chair and held out her arms in the universal gesture that signaled she wanted to be picked up. Anakin managed to overcome his shock enough to reach down and pull her (surprisingly heavy) form into the chair next to him.
"I thought I was scary," he said after she'd situated herself next to him.
"Sometimes," she replied without a pause. "It's scary 'cause it's cold."
Anakin's heart skipped a beat. "What?"
"Sometimes you're cold here," she said, putting her hand up to lay on his chest. "But you're not cold now, so it's okay. I kiss it better?"
The room fell into a very heavy silence as the two Jedi stared at the little girl who seemed content to sit still, as almost any Jedi youngling would, looking up imploringly at Anakin. He couldn't begin to imagine where she'd learned the idea of 'kissing it better' because that was most definitely not a Jedi practice. Perhaps something she still remembered from her life before she'd come to the Temple? Although, hadn't she come from a harsher background? Anakin couldn't quite recall, it had simply been too long.
"I don't think you can kiss it better," he said gently. She really was advanced for her age if she could make him forget he was talking to a three year old. Until she'd asked if she could kiss it better, he really had seen his old, snippy padawan in place of the child.
"Why not?" she demanded.
He smiled sadly and shook his head. "Why don't you ask me that again in a few years. I'll be able to explain it then."
"Why not now?" she asked with a pout.
"Because I don't want to scare you, and telling you about it might make it cold again. Do you want that?"
She didn't seem happy, but finally shook her head. "No. I don't like it."
"Me neither," he confirmed and glanced over at Master Xio who was watching with an unreadable expression. It made him a little uncomfortable. Still, she hadn't actually stopped them, so, no matter how blank she looked, he decided that he liked having Ahsoka back and had no problems continuing to speak with her like this, no matter her age.
He didn't realize just how much he'd relaxed, nor did he realize that he was no longer focusing on the upcoming session with D-40.
xXx
Master Xio knew that children tended to be unpredictable at best and that Anakin took that concept to new heights, and yet she still had difficulty comprehending what she saw before her. At first she had thought that bringing someone Anakin might be more inclined to be open towards, the little girl who had captured his attention the week before, had been a mistake. She'd been openly wary of Anakin and seemingly closed towards any sort of relationship with him.
Then, with a few well-placed words that she was surprised anyone could pull out, he had acknowledged the girl's aversion, addressed it and alleviated it. He hadn't made any promises or even openly voiced reassurance, but he had somehow worked past the girl's wariness. After Ahsoka's first thoughts, the older Jedi hadn't even expected to be able to get the two to be able to speak at all, let alone see the girl suddenly change her mind and decide she wanted to sit in such close quarters with the boy she had not wanted to be acquainted with not moments before.
Children were supposed to have simpler minds than adults, she almost wailed to herself silently. Then she took a deep breath, released her frustration to the Force and settled into her own chair as she watched the two converse.
Ahsoka, it seemed, couldn't stop talking or asking questions:
"What clan are you from?
"The Thranta Clan."
"How is it different from the Clawmouse Clan?"
A light chuckle. "I've never been in the Clawmouse clan, so I couldn't say."
"Oh. What do you have to do then?"
"The same thing you'll have to do: take classes and prepare for becoming a Padawan and later a Knight."
"Oh. You're going to be a Padawan soon, right?"
"I'd like to think so."
"But you don't know?"
A smile that seemed so strangely out of place on any child's face. He did that so often. "No."
"Oh. When did you get your lightsaber?"
"I don't have one yet."
"Why not?"
A sigh, but not an impatient one, surprisingly. "I came to the Temple after the latest Gathering."
"But you're older than me! I was almost too old..."
This time a sad smile. "Yes. Initiates like me would have a hard time catching up with the other students."
A small, thoughtful pause. "But you can do it 'cause you're old."
A wry chuckle. "Something to that affect."
"When will you get your lightsaber?"
He shrugged. "When I prove I can handle one, I guess."
"When will that be?"
"I don't know."
"Oh."
She found it fascinating that their interaction seemed so smooth and easy, not something the mind healer had expected from either Anakin or Ahsoka, especially after Ahsoka's initial reaction. Oh, she'd anticipated that they would eventually come to terms with each other, but she did not believe she could have anticipated this level of camaraderie.
She also noted how Anakin treated the little girl, like she was something very unique and precious, but not fragile. He answered all of her questions with a patience she didn't see in many adults three times his age. It painted a strange picture as he seemed so childishly impatient according to other reports.
Fortunately, the waves of nervousness he had been containing (with only moderate success) when he'd entered had almost completely calmed now. If this was the affect children had on him, then perhaps putting him in charge some of the younger classes under an older knight might be a good idea. She would have to discuss this with Master Yoda and see what he thought. It certainly made for an interesting idea.
She continued to watch the two interact for a while longer, not realizing how peaceful and right everything felt until she caught herself smiling softly, the motion completely subconscious. When she did catch herself, she couldn't help but blink in surprise. She reached out to the Force and found herself shocked at how utterly warm and approving it felt. It seemed to pulse around Anakin and Ahsoka in a way she hadn't ever observed before. It was subtle, but it was there.
As quietly and unobtrusively as she could, she called her datapad to her with the Force, not wanting to disturb the scene. Anakin glanced at her once, one eyebrow raised in question, but then he focused back on Ahsoka. Quickly she wrote down everything she could observe as best she could along with a list of impressions she got from the scene. It would definitely be something she would go over later. For now, though, she sat back and continued to watch.
xXx
AN: Not very happy with this chapter. I kind of feel like nothing happens, but this is important for later in the story, so yeah.
I had to bring Ahsoka in. In my opinion, she's one of the best characters to come out of the SW franchise and rates just under Obi-wan on my favorite character list. For those of you who don't like her, don't worry, she won't be a huge part of the story. The really main point I wanted to make in this chapter is how much Anakin is forcing the Jedi to change. People are starting to see that perhaps just being stuck in their ways and using the code as a law isn't the answer to everything.
As for how long this took, well, you'll probably have to wait that long for chapters now. I'm sorry, guys, but my muses are working overtime on my dark!Obi-wan story, and even that one hasn't been updated in a while because I now go to school from 8-5, I have an hour drive to GET to (and from) school and I have a job. Writing time is scarce, and it's really getting to me. I want to write, but just don't have time. *sigh*
Oh, on a side note, someone I think I blocked left a comment with a lot of swearing as a guest. I was going to say something refuting what they said...but I forgot what they said and what I was going to say. ^^; Guess it wasn't that important and I don't want to waste time looking it up. Eh, it doesn't matter. I don't care to listen to flamers like that anyway. I want to say, though, that the rest of you guys are awesome! 3 Even when you criticize, you do so in a positive manner and I can't help but appreciate that! I love constructive criticism, really! So thanks!
And finally, revamped to match with Rebel canon.