Jedi Master Adi-Gallia frowned as she glanced over the report on the data pad in front of her and allowed herself to indulge in worrying her bottom lip between her teeth—a habit she'd picked up as a Padawan that tended to show only when she found herself particularly puzzled. She couldn't help but feel both relieved and concerned by what she'd read. On the one hand, Siri seemed to be making progress and healing, but on the other hand Adi had no idea what to make of this new development. None of it made any sense.

Adi's eyes scanned the unofficial note at the end of the report for the umpteenth time as she continued to try and assess the situation with her student. Adi could specifically remember watching her Padawan and feeling pleased at who Siri was becoming: A strong, dependable knight who would be an asset to the Order and the universe at large. That had been just hours before her Padawan had collapsed.

Now Adi hardly recognized Siri. The girl almost seemed like a different person altogether, and was not, by any means, stable. At times, she acted completely normal, if more mature and self aware than Siri had ever been before her coma. Then, in the blink of an eye, she would snap, panic and start babbling about things that made no sense. Some of what she rambled about sent chills up and down Adi's spine. More than once Siri gone on about the Temple's destruction and the Sith taking over the Galaxy. She would often mention someone called 'Vader', although she would never explain just who he was, and then go off on a seemingly unrelated subject, like clones, or 'Separatists' or 'Rebels' or (for some reason she couldn't fathom) Master Dooku.

The most disconcerting change in her Padawan, though, were the times when she seemed completely lucid, but would simply get such a sad, mournful look on her face that it broke Adi's heart. During those episodes, the girl would start talking about things as if they didn't exist anymore, if she spoke at all. Adi found those instances most worrying because it showed that Siri's mind had either been damaged far worse than they realized, or the visions she'd received were real. The ramifications of either option went beyond terrifying, and in all honesty, Adi wasn't sure which scenario bothered her more.

And now this? A bond...with an initiate she'd never met? The phenomenon was irrational, unpredictable and frankly disturbing in its suddenness. She'd questioned Siri about it, only to get the run-around as Siri responded vaguely with answers that made little to no sense at all. If Adi hadn't been strictly instructed to not push her Padawan, she would have long since heaped on punishments and demanded a straight answer. The healers weren't sure she could give a straight answer, but Adi knew her Padawan well enough to see that she'd deliberately dodged the questions.

When Adi had finally outright asked for a straight answer, Siri had just looked at her for several seconds as if she wasn't quite sure her Master was there. "It isn't my secret to tell," she'd finally responded and refused to clarify.

The young Master had tried to not let it scare her, but even all of her (not inconsiderable) discipline couldn't stop the anxiety that seeped through her mental shields. Siri was keeping something from her, and Adi knew she couldn't help unless she found out what.

Well, perhaps Anakin Skywalker would have some answers.

It wasn't difficult to track the boy down in between his classes, and so she approached him, managing to bring out a soft smile that usually put children at ease as she called out to him.

"Initiate Skywalker?" The boy paused, as did the fairly large group of initiates he traveled with.

They all stared at her in various stages of shock and awe. She found it amusing. Had she been that way at their age? Probably. If not worse.

The boy in question stepped forward.

"Master Adi-Gallia," he said respectfully. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions," she said.

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly in puzzlement, but he slowly nodded his head and turned to the rest of the group. "Go on without me. I'll catch up."

"Are you sure?" the girl with mouse-brown hair on his right asked quietly, eying Adi warily. Internally, Adi frowned. Why did she suddenly seem protective? Was it because Adi was a Master? Or perhaps an adult? The connotations were not something she liked and she made a mental note to point it out to their caretaker and créche leader. The Jedi Temple had a zero tolerance policy for people deliberately harming or threatening the children, and having them distrust a Master like that didn't have many other explanations.

Anakin smile reassuringly. "I can handle myself."

The girl frowned. "Well obviously, but..."

"Go," the boy said with a fond exasperation. It seemed out of place on his young features, as if he were a family member of some sort tolerating and appreciating a younger sibling uselessly speaking up for them.

"If you're sure," a blue-skinned boy said unsurely.

"I am."

"Come on," a larger boy in the back said, his words soft but strong. He simply turned on his heel and continued to walk in the direction they'd been heading towards. The rest of the group finally, if reluctantly, followed him. Adi wondered at their protectiveness. Such bonds spoke of attachment...and that was never a good thing in the Jedi Temple.

She again made a mental note before pushing it to the back of her mind and nodding towards a nearby unused room. Anakin followed her there and inside without hesitation before shutting the door behind them. Adi waited for him to be seated on one of the chairs in the room before she spoke with him.

"Initiate Skywalker," she began. "I'm glad you remember me."

"You are a well-respected Member of the Council. Why would I not?" he asked, tipping his head to one side.

She shrugged. "I am a recent addition to the Council and not very well known."

The boy smiled as if he knew something she didn't. "You will be."

She raised an eyebrow. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

He shrugged. "I was merely stating an opinion."

"Then I thank you," she said with a smile and seated herself facing him. "I actually came to see you today because of your recent interaction with my Padawan, Siri Tachi."

His smile dimmed ever so slightly, but he didn't lose it. "Yes. I thought someone might ask me about that."

Adi nodded, happy to see that he seemed to be willing to speak with her. "Yes. Her condition is quite baffling and, seeing as you two seem to have formed some sort of bond, I was wondering if you could shed a little light on her condition and perhaps how such a bond could have formed."

For several seconds he just stared at her as his smile faded only to be replaced by a stony expression that showed nothing. She couldn't seem to get a read on his emotions through the Force either and she found herself impressed with his control, if a bit worried. She knew the rumors going around about him—about how he'd been trained before his arrival at the Temple and how he seemed to be extremely advanced for the average Jedi his age.

Finally he answered. "One of the Jedi that found me, Knight Kenobi, introduced me to her when she was still in a coma. I visited her when he couldn't. I believe that both of us had the same vision, and that's why we seem to share a bond," he said softly.

Something about what he said still seemed off to Adi, as if he were hiding something from her, but she couldn't detect what, and he didn't seem to be outright lying. She decided that she couldn't, in good conscience, take his word for the plain truth. Still, he seemed to be willing to give her more information than Siri did, so she'd take what she could get and sort through it all later.

"Really? What kind of a vision?"

He looked down, face grim and posture suddenly stiff. Even though he didn't meet her gaze, she could see that whatever came to mind haunted him.

"I...saw the Jedi Temple on fire. Death choked the air and no one could survive it. They all died. Everyone."

Adi's eyes had widened in shock. How could that be? But what he told her certainly meshed with what Siri had been saying. Instead of reassuring him—she saw that trying to do so would do little good—she took a deep breath and rolled with the punches.

"How did that happen?" she asked.

His lips had thinned into a hard line and he still refused to meet her eyes, watching the floor in front of him as if he could see something in the patterns on the tile.

"The Sith...a Sith."

Her breath caught in her throat.

"But...how?" She couldn't imagine any single person, no matter how powerful, managing to take down the entire Jedi order.

"He excelled at hiding and gained the power to do so through manipulation and intrigue. The Jedi were weakened by war and could not stand up to him and his apprentice." The confirmation that at least two people had been involved in the destruction did not calm her fears in the slightest.

"Weakened by war?" she asked, trying to wrap her head around what he was saying.

Anakin simply nodded.

"But...why would the Jedi participate in a war?" she heard herself ask aloud.

For the first time since they'd seated themselves, Anakin turned his head upward and met her gaze. "That is the question."

For several seconds, she just stared at him. For a moment she didn't see a child sitting before her and it was...unsettling.

After a few seconds, she licked her lips and pushed ahead in her questioning. "Who is 'Vader'?"

If he'd been stiff before, he looked positively rigid now. "One of the Sith. The apprentice."

Somehow she felt as if she'd been socked in the gut. It seemed difficult to breathe. No wonder Siri was having such a hard time focusing on the here and now. She'd seen the Sith destroy her home and the best hope for peace in the Galaxy.

"The Emperor?"

His jaw somehow, impossibly, seemed to clench even tighter before he spoke. "The Sith Master who managed to take power."

"Luke?"

That seemed to throw him off. For several seconds, he just stared blankly ahead, as if not seeing anything, and then his entire form relaxed.

"The person who brought the light back."

Adi frowned. That was what Siri had said too.

"Can you explain that for me?"

He almost didn't seem to be speaking to her when he answered, his voice quiet and unfocused. "After years of darkness—decades—he stood against it. He shouldn't have won, but he did, because he took after his mother. So good, so pure, so willing to risk everything to save a soul that didn't deserve to be saved."

"What soul?"

Anakin blinked and seemed to return to the present. He glanced up at her and then shook his head, indicating that he either didn't know, or couldn't speak of it. She didn't press him. He'd already given her quite a bit to think about.

"You said this 'Luke' took after his mother. Do you know who his mother was?" If the smile on his face gained any more sadness, she would be shocked he wasn't crying.

"Not a Jedi."

She nodded. That wasn't a surprise. Still, she knew very well that even retaining that kind of information from a vision was unusual. He'd already been able to give details that most Jedi wouldn't be able to remember. It must have been an extremely vivid vision. That...did not bode well for their future.

She regarded him for several seconds, suddenly aware of just how young he looked. She couldn't help but feel sorry that he'd had this vision—a vision a trained almost-knight couldn't even seem to keep straight. No wonder he seemed so much older and sadder than his age group. No wonder everyone seemed to want to help him and protect him. He had to have nerves of steel and a nigh-unfathomable mental capacity to be handling this as well as he had.

"Who else knows about this?" she asked.

His answer worried her.

"I don't know, anymore."

"Have you told Master Yoda?"

He frowned, looking troubled. "I think so?" The fact that he couldn't seem to remember obviously bothered him. This vision seemed to play with a person's reality perception.

She reached a hand out and placed it on his arm. "Do I have your permission to discuss this with him? We may come back for more answers."

Instead of biting his lip or looking worried or grateful, she found herself surprised that his face turned stony again, showing no emotion.

"That would be acceptable."

She smiled at him. He seemed so mature. Just what had this vision done to him?

"You're an amazing person, Anakin," she said softly. "You are living and dealing with something that has driven other people mad." As much as she hated to admit it, she never had been fond of dodging or sugar-coating the truth. "Please don't be too hard on yourself for doing the best you can, and know that if you ever need help, you can come to me. I have been working with Siri a lot and maybe I can help you too."

He regarded her with that blank expression for several seconds before he nodded. He didn't smile but he did seem to relax and she would have sworn his features softened ever so slightly.

"Thank you," he said.

"Let me walk you to class," she said as she rose. "I can excuse your tardiness."

That did get a small smile out of him. It didn't seem as fake or pushed as his previous smiles and she counted that as a victory.

"That would be greatly appreciated."

xXx

Anakin felt like he'd been strapped to the nose of a speeder and then driven around for the week. The last few days had had so many high and low points that he seemed to have lost any control he had. His emotions had taken roller coaster rides like nothing else and it didn't seem as if this state would stop any time soon. It was...exhausting.

Still, his discussion with Adi-Gallia earlier that day had bolstered his spirit. Maybe he wouldn't have to worry about getting proof to convince the Jedi Council about Palpatine after all. He hoped so. The sooner he could convince them, the better.

With that thought lightening his mind, he focused back on the hallway in front of him and remembered where he was going. Another mind-healing session with Master Xio. As emotionally drained as he felt, he wasn't sure he was up to another session. However, he'd decided that he wouldn't back down from talking to D-40 about his past and working through what he needed to while he still could. He'd still decided that he was going to talk about something safe this week. Actually, he already had a bit of a plan and that alone gave him the nerve to show up. He'd seriously considered postponing the whole thing, but knew that he would only be putting off the inevitable. Besides, the idea of just running away without a good reason bothered him greatly.

That plan almost completely fizzled out when he opened the door and saw who, besides Master Xio, was sitting there. He felt his feet move to turn 180 degrees and only Master Xio's calm acknowledgment of his arrival stopped him.

"Anakin! Right on time, as always. Please, come in."

He hesitated. How could he not reconsider? Because sitting right in front of him, stern and stoic as ever, was Mace Windu.

Master Xio must have noticed his pause because she gestured to her 'guest'. "Anakin, this is Mace Windu. I know you've already met, but I wanted to introduce you personally to a few Jedi outside of your age group in a more personal setting. If you're not comfortable, we can reschedule."

He almost said yes. But that would make Mace even more suspicious than he already was, so he took a deep breath and shrugged. He didn't trust himself to speak.

"Are you sure?" the white-haired woman asked cautiously as Anakin strode inside and picked his usual armchair, which happened to sit across from the Council Member.

"Yes," he managed to get out, trying to keep the memories of the man at bay (with little success). He had very few positive thoughts or feelings towards Mace Windu, and the fact that he last time he'd seen the man before waking in the past, he'd been falling away, minus one hand and betrayed by a fellow Jedi...

Anakin closed his eyes for a moment and then looked down. No, no he wouldn't think of that. He'd think of anything else and ignore the sweet whisper of the darkness that called out to him...

"Alright," Master Xio continued, voice firm but eyes still wary, "I know this is a little sudden, but I asked you to come up with some questions you wished to ask some of the older Jedi. Did you do so, Anakin?"

Yes, he had, but he didn't want to ask Mace Windu of all people how he meditated or what he thought of the Council and its mandates. That was a recipe for trouble if he'd ever seen one.

Slowly he nodded his head, though.

"I would be happy to answer any questions you have," Mace said with what Anakin figured was supposed to be a friendly smile. It did soften his rather hard face, but nothing could ever truly get rid of Mace Windu's stern expression. At least nothing he'd ever seen.

Anakin nodded and would have licked his lips, but he refused to show any sign of weakness around this man, and so he sat with his back straight and hands in his lap as he wracked his brain for something fairly neutral that he could ask this particular person.

"What is it like, to be a Jedi Master?" he finally settled on. Then he realized that he sounded old again. It had been happening more and more lately. He would slip into the speech patterns he was most used to, and that happened to be high-class Empire era political speech. The children seemed to find it amusing, so he hadn't been watching himself so much lately, but around Mace...

The dark-skinned Jedi didn't seem to mind at all, thankfully. "Well, it's a lot of work. A Jedi Master has to hold themselves to the highest standards and stick to them. This goes double for the Council because they have to make decisions regarding the entire Order. It isn't easy but we do our best."

Anakin wanted to scoff. Hold themselves to the highest standard, huh? Like allowing themselves to be pulled into a war that goes against everything their order stands for? Or like letting themselves be bullied into allowing a less-than-legal lawsuit regarding a Padawan go to the normal Courts instead of handling it internally? Like not standing up against the Senate when they needed to? Like confronting and trying to kill the Chancellor because he was also the enemy they'd been searching for instead of capturing him to make him stand trial?

Sitting in front of Mace Windu seemed to take his emotional strain and multiply it by a thousand or so. Even Obi-wan didn't gain this kind of reaction anymore. Probably because, unlike with Obi-wan, Anakin had rarely been on truly civil terms with Mace. He also found it far worse when one-on-one versus standing in front of the Council, for some reason he could not fathom.

He did his best to put on a thoughtful face and decided that maybe he would go for broke. He doubted he'd be able to hold back on his (decades old) grudge against the man in front of him, so why not at least get an honest opinion?

"What do you think of the relationship between the Jedi and the Senate?" he asked, more than aware that he'd set foot on shaky ground.

Mace seemed to be taken back by the question. Served him right.

"That's an interesting question," he said slowly. "I'm guessing you're asking because of the Ambassador program?"

Anakin nodded, trying to look as neutral as he possibly could.

"Well, the Senate represents the systems in the Republic. We serve the people of the Republic and often have to work in tandem with the Senate to fulfill that role."

"How far does that go?"

Instantly, Anakin knew he'd gone too far. The scowl on Mace's face and surprise on Xio's alerted him to that.

"What do you mean?" Mace asked slowly.

Anakin felt worry overcoming his anger and backed down. It took him a few seconds to find a good explanation, but find one he did. "It was something Master Qui-gon said," he muttered. "He said that Jedi have lost sight of who they serve. They serve the Senate and those in power more than they serve the people who really need them. I...didn't understand at the time, and I'm not sure I do now. I...was hoping you could explain that."

Thankfully, it seemed to put their minds at ease and they relaxed.

"I see," Mace said, looking troubled. "Well, Master Qui-gon was a very good man and a very good Jedi, but he didn't always see eye-to-eye with the Council."

Anakin cocked his head to the side. It didn't escape his notice that Mace hadn't answered the question, but he decided to let it slide in light of the new direction the conversation had taken. "What do you mean?"

The older Jedi looked down for a minute and Anakin caught sadness there...or at least he thought he did. He'd never thought Mace Windu had time for such emotions and it startled him to see it here.

"He liked to question the Council's authority. He'd always bother us about decisions we made or orders we gave. We more or less got used to it. Sometimes I miss it because he made us think. With him and his Master both gone, we don't have many people to do that anymore."

Anakin thought about that, his own anger almost completely gone (almost). "So every Jedi has the same opinion now?" he asked carefully, hoping that would be what a child would come up with next.

Mace smiled. It still looked sad. "No, of course not. We just don't have many people that wish to question the code."

And there was his opening. "But, if you don't question things, how can you find out what's right?"

The Council Member cocked his own head, studying Anakin for a moment before he answered. "The Jedi Order has been around for thousands of years. We try to take what we've learned and pass it on, just like every other order. The Code as we have it today is what has helped us not just survive, but thrive. Most Jedi don't question the Code because it works."

Anakin made a showing of thinking on that. He was aware that he was blatantly manipulating Mace, but couldn't bring himself to really care. Perhaps it had been difficult to do so as of late (due to having the brain of an 11-year-old), but while he'd never be up to Obi-wan's caliber, he'd learned no small amount of negotiating politics in the Empire.

"So, the Jedi Code will always be right for every Jedi forever?" he finally asked.

There was the blank look he'd been hoping for. "I don't know."

Well, at least he was honest. Anakin tried to look confused (and not triumphant or smug). "It won't be?"

He shook his head. "I don't know that either."

Anakin tried to look as if he were working something out. "So the Code has always been like it is today?"

Mace's expression loosened ever so slightly. "No. It's changed and adapted until we found what works the best."

"So the Jedi of old didn't have the right Code?"

Mace seemed to think on that for a moment. "I don't think so, no."

"Did they think so?"

Okay, maybe this was leading a bit, but he hoped he'd be able to pass it off with childlike innocence. It seemed to be working so far in any case.

"I would like to think they did the best they could."

Anakin nodded but still held to his furrowed brow and slight frown. "When did they know they had to change?"

Mace's own frown grew pronounced. "I beg your pardon?"

The Initiate took that as a chance to explain. "Well if they did the best they could, they thought they had the right Code, but you said it was different then. What made them change?"

The dark-skinned Jedi's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Tragedies they couldn't prevent with their system."

Check.

"Oh! So the Code today prevents all tragedy!" He grinned as if he'd just put everything together.

The older man shook his head. "No, Anakin. There isn't a system that can prevent all tragedy. We can only prevent as much as we can and adapt to the changing culture of the Galaxy as a whole."

He quirked his head again. "So the Code doesn't prevent all the problems?"

Mace shook his head. "No."

"Then...how do you know it's right?"

The Council Member was looking rather flustered at this point. Anakin wouldn't have picked up on it if he hadn't known Mace Windu as well as he did.

"The Force wills it."

Check.

Anakin scratched his head. "But Master Qui-gon said he followed the will of the Force. If he did and you do, shouldn't everyone have agreed?"

The flustered look sharpened. "Sometimes people get confused and don't realize they're not following the will of the Force."

"Oh. Then how do you know you're following the will of the Force?"

"It will tell you."

"But everyone hears different things and so they argue?"

He could have sworn Mace shot a 'help me' look to Master Xio who seemed completely content to sit back and watch the two of them 'discuss' things.

"No," Mace said, trying to stay calm. "People hear their own wants and their own needs and sometimes think that is the will of the Force."

That...was actually a rather good answer. And rather true. Anakin could vouch for that himself, unfortunately.

Well played.

"So how can you tell the difference?"

To Anakin's surprise, a slight smirk edged onto Mace's face. "Meditation."

Munition.*

Had he been truly ten, Anakin would have made a face. Now, though, he just blinked at the man in front of him and refused to let any of his own frustration or disappointment with the answer show.

He still had a few tricks up his sleeve, though. "So what if the Force tells someone to do something against the Code? Are we supposed to follow the Force or the Code?"

Anakin could tell Mace wanted to say something along the lines of 'that would never happen', but even he couldn't delude himself that much.

Check.

"That has actually been the subject of a lot of controversy," Mace said slowly, looking at Anakin as if seeing him for the first time. He'd probably realized just how much Anakin had led that conversation.

"I see," Anakin said softly, tapping his chin with his finger. "What do you think?"

"I think the Code is there for a reason and that we should learn from the mistakes of our past," Mace finally answered.

The initiate cocked his head to the side in what he hoped looked like confusion. "So you think that we should follow the Code, even if the Force tells us otherwise?"

Mace's lips thinned. "Perhaps we should discuss something else."

Ah, no. He wasn't going to get out of the game by ending it prematurely. Anakin decided to pull the 'new kid' card and shrank back. "I'm sorry. You said to ask anything. I...didn't mean to offend. I...just wanted to know."

The older man sighed ever so slightly . "You didn't offend me. And to answer your question, I think that there are exceptions to the rules, but they should be held as exceptions, not the rule."

"So," Anakin said, his voice quiet, "If the Force said to change something, you would, but follow the Code otherwise?"

Mace nodded firmly, a pleased expression crossing his face as he sat back in his chair. "Precisely."

Checkmate.

"So, Follow the Force before anything else and use the Code as a guideline. Right, got it. Thank you for answering my questions."

Mace looked surprised. "You're welcome," he answered, almost automatically.

Anakin would take that as a win.

Master Xio leaned forward. "Is that all you wanted to ask?"

Anakin blinked over at her as if he didn't quite comprehend what she'd said. Then he hit the side of his fist into the palm of his hand in front of him. "Oh, yeah. I wanted to know...what will happen to me if I don't get picked to be a Padawan? Will I be able to go home and see my Mom?"

At that one, Mace and Xio exchanged glances before Mace leaned forward. "About that," he said slowly, not looking pleased at all. "Normally when initiates come to the Temple, they are encouraged to let their past go so no one can have bias or attachments. That can be difficult after a certain age and that's why we don't normally let children over the age of 5 into the Temple. Even that can be considered too old.

"But remember how I said there are exceptions to the rule?"

Anakin blinked at him in pure shock. Just where was he going with this? He almost seemed...understanding. Anakin couldn't help his surprise as that certainly hadn't happened the first time...

"Yes," he said cautiously, not liking that he didn't know where this would lead.

"Well, we've decided that you should be one of them. We've set it up so that we'll contact your mother twice a year."

Anakin felt his mouth drop ever so slightly and he began to wonder if he was seeing (and hearing) things. Because Mace Windu would never allow for something like that. Just...why?

"Anakin?" Master Xio cut in worriedly when he didn't respond. "We know it's not much, but we realize it wasn't fair to make you want to change your life like that. If you can know that your mother is safe, maybe that would help you in the areas you're struggling in. She can give you support that we, as Jedi, simply do not know how to give."

He just continued to stare at them and wondered how in the Universe this had happened. He never would have thought in a million years that they'd allow him to contact his mother.

"Y...you mean it?" he finally asked, almost not daring to hope.

Master Xio nodded, a soft smile on her face. Master Windu gave a short, sharp nod. "Yes."

Any anger he had towards Mace Windu was suddenly replaced by a gratefulness and something that felt like (dare he think it) hope. Maybe the Jedi could change after all.

"Thank you," he whispered softly already looking forward to speaking with his Mother again. "I...don't think I can thank you enough."

"You just keep doing your best," Master Xio said with a grin. "Even if you don't get chosen as a Padawn, we will do everything we can to help both you and her. We've already made arrangements to have her released and moved to a core world."

"Really?" he asked, injecting as much excitement as he could into that. He did have a role to play still, after all. It wasn't difficult to conjure the emotions necessary.

They nodded and a relief began to flood through Anakin until he remembered his deal with Jango Fett. He made a mental note to contact him as soon as he possibly could and get this hammered out. He wasn't sure whether he should hope that his mother had been rescued and released as of yet or not. In the long run, he supposed, it didn't matter. She would be freed and that was what mattered.

"When?" he asked.

"Within the next few months."

So he still had some time. Good.

"Well," Mace said at that point. "If you don't have any more questions..." he looked over at Anakin expectantly and the younger Jedi shook his head. "Then it's been enlightening speaking with you, Initiate Skywalker. Unfortunately, I must attend to other duties."

"Oh, thank you, Master Windu!" Anakin blurted as he stood and bowed, for once not feeling any resentment in doing so. "Thank you for everything!"

"You're welcome, Initiate." And he actually almost sounded genuine. Would wonders never cease?

"Have a good day," Mace said finally as he strode to the door. "If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Just, make sure I have enough time first?"

"Yes, of course!" Anakin said hurriedly and then watched the door close after the Master, feeling like he'd been left floundering. For the first time, he really didn't know how to react to Mace Windu.

He sat back down and continued to try and process everything that had just happened.

"Anakin," Master Xio said softly, drawing his attention to her.

"Yes?"

She studied him intently, as if he were a puzzle she couldn't figure out. "How many masks do you wear?"

He blinked. "I'm sorry?"

The older Jedi shook her head. "Don't think I didn't see what you did. You had control over the conversation most of the time and you led Master Windu where you wanted him to go. You usually speak far more intelligently than what you showed and...well, I was sure a lot of what you were showing us before was a mask you used for protection. What I just saw was something completely different. I don't think you're lying to us, but...How many masks do you wear?"

He thought about that for a moment and then decided to answer truthfully. "However many I need to."

xXx

It was with no small amount of relief (or a sort of numb shock that he still needed to process through) that he sat down across from D-40. Master Yoda had come in just a few minutes after Mace had left, but Anakin couldn't, for the life of him, remember most of the rest of the meeting.

That worried him, but not enough for him to do anything about it.

But that was all over now and he could get on with his day. He had his safe topic to discuss: his family. He'd only really gotten to his time as a Padawan during his previous session, but while he liked the idea of sharing things in chronological order, he really wasn't up to it today. Between the depression and rejection he'd constantly felt as a youngling at the Temple that first time around, he doubted he could make it through that in his current mood without reverting to his dark-side ways.

So he would talk about the best things that had happened to him. He informed the droid of this, and then launched into a description of Padmé, beginning the story of how he'd met her. It was easy to get lost in the memories—those no longer tainted by darkness.

After a good half an hour (he could have talked longer on the subject, easily) the droid asked if he would like to speak on another matter. At that point, he moved over to Luke and spoke of how amazing his son was. He avoided sad thoughts about how he'd hurt his child or how he'd hunted him, or even how there was a good chance he wouldn't exist in this universe, but instead expounded on how steadfast Luke stayed and how quick of a study he'd been. He spoke with pride about how well his son had performed time and time again. He wished he was more like his son.

Then, just before they would wrap up, the robot tilted its head to one side. "You have spoken a great deal about your...future relationships, except for your daughter. You did mention you had one."

Anakin blinked. "Yes, I did. She...well, I never met her. Luke told me about her just before I died." More or less. "I never even knew her name or what she looked like."

Although, she must have been in the Rebellion or somehow related to the Rebellion if Luke had discovered his connection to her around that time. It would stand to reason. He supposed they could have met on a scouting or surveillance mission, but somehow he didn't think so. The way his son had felt about her seemed familiar in a way that long-distance just didn't cut. No, she had to have been in the Rebellion.

He wondered if he'd ever met her. As he recalled from the wanted list, there were a few women who had hair and eye color similar to Luke's. But then they wouldn't have had to look like him necessarily. He and Padmé looked rather different. Maybe she had blond hair and brown eyes. Or brown hair and blue eyes. Or brown hair and brown eyes.

There were a lot of people who fit that description, up to and including the Alderaan Princess.

His mind froze on that thought for some reason.

And then he started piecing it together. She was adopted. That was well known. He'd always suspected she had some Force potential, but had dismissed the idea because whether she did or not, she was untrained and wouldn't have been a problem. But there were those eyes looking up at him in defiance...those brown eyes...

Oh, Force.

Oh, Force!

They'd hidden his daughter—his own daughter—right underneath his nose. He'd known her, interacted with her...tortured her...

For several seconds he just sat there in shock.

Not a minute later, up in the healer's wing, Siri Tachi screamed.

xXx

*Seeing as Dejerik is similar to chess, I decided to use chess terms. However, the term for 'castle' isn't really something that they'd probably use, seeing as it's a futuristic, non-earth-based society. So I looked up other terms and that one seemed to work well enough. Basically, in this instance, Anakin was acknowledging a sneaky move similar to a 'castle' in chess.

AN: Sorry for the long wait. One of my beta reader's computers died on him and I had some things come up at work and in life and...well, here it is. Long chapter. Enjoy.

Thank Khalthar and SPJaymo117 for this! Seriously, they help me SO much!