Chapter 10

Three hours had passed since Anakin had returned to the ship with Aric. They had spent most of it trying to fix the ship and get it back into the air, and the rest was quickly used to provide some sort of rule structure.

As far as Aric was concerned, Anakin had set him free. There was no way he was going to listen or obey Dooku. He told the ex-Sith to go take a hike and tell someone else to do his stupid chores.

Dooku, on the other hand, thought of Aric as simply a hired gofer and soon the two were at odds.

Anakin tried what he called "Master Obi-Wan's Approach" and attempted to reason with them, but soon he threw that idea out and came up with his own.

"If you both keep arguing I'm going to make you sleep in the same room!"

The threat was very effective.

So now it was quiet. Anakin sat at the controls of the ship, flying them towards Naboo. He and Dooku discussed whether or not to make for Coruscant, but both quickly decided it would be crawling with spies.

Dooku's knowledge of what happened to the Jedi since Vader's death surprised Anakin. He was incredibly informed for one who had been dead for nearly twenty-five years. And Aric knew a lot of the economy of the republic. He told Dooku and Anakin many of the planets were moving away from the republic and a good deal of them had never joined to begin with.

All of this news concerned Anakin. He had not expected to come back to a weakened galaxy. In fact, he had expected the exact opposite. He expected to be fought off by a good number of Jedi and possibly to have been tried for his crimes, but it appeared that no one save for the returned would even truly know the full accounts of the Jedi Code.

"That could be a good thing," Dooku told him. "Perhaps then errors can be fixed. The NO EMOTIONS rule for example."

The Jedi smirked at Dooku reaction. "Yes, that one's got to go."

"And marriage?" Dooku continued smoothly. He nudged Anakin with his elbow. "Should be allowed, am I right?"

Anakin's smirk grew. "Should be required."

They both laughed.

"Why?" Aric asked making a face. "Girls are annoying and a waste of time."

Dooku grinned and pointed at Aric. "I've decided I like this kid, Skywalker."

His eyebrows went up. "Really, Dooku? I didn't think you liked anyone."

Dooku shrugged and leaned back. "First time for everything, I suppose." He put his arms behind his head and relaxed. "Who knows, I might even marry."

At that Anakin did laugh. "Yeah, good luck with that."

"I'm incredibly charming," Dooku insisted. "I might sweep some young lass off her feet."

"And right out the window." Anakin finished for him.

Aric bent over in laughter and Dooku shot him a glare. "Shut up, kid; like you could get a girl with that face of yours."

The smile left Aric's face. "What's wrong with it?"

Dooku smirked and turned away.

"Nothing," Anakin told him. He turned away and gestured for Aric to join him at the controls. Aric did.

"Don't let what he says change you," Anakin told him. "Don't listen to it. He's just trying to get at you."

Aric rolled his eyes and looked out the windshield. "You guys are not at all what I thought Jedi were like."

Anakin smirked. "We're not typical Jedi. We're ex-Jedi."

"What?" he looked at the older man and back at Anakin. "You're not Jedi?"

"I am," Anakin told him. "Dooku, isn't sure what side he's on yet."

The color drained from Aric's face. "you're sith…"

Anakin's eyes darkened and he wouldn't look at the boy. "No, I was, but I've left the dark side."

"So that's with the personality issues," Aric mused. "That makes sense."

Dooku behind them burst out laughing. "See Anakin, I said you weren't like them."

The darkness did not leave Anakin's eyes. "I'm not like you either."

"You're just like me," Dooku told him. He stood and walked out of the cockpit. "The sooner you come to terms with that, the better off everyone is."

Anakin stiffened but said nothing. A couple of minutes passed before his eyes lifted the dark veil for a moment, and he smiled a sad smile.

"Aric," he said quietly.

Aric turned his gaze away from Dooku and towards Anakin. "Yes, sir?"

"Ever piloted before?"

The boy's eyes lit up. "No…"

"Want to learn?"

"OH yeah!"