They set up the meeting with Dooku for a couple of days later, received their confirmation and went about planning. The place they'd arranged to meet at was another bar as that had worked rather well last time. Siri volunteered to scope the place out and even managed to figure out how she could infiltrate the establishment. She wouldn't give specifics to Anakin, but he suspected it had to do with liberal mind-tricking, slicing and some possible plans of sleep suggestions. She'd make first contact (not that Dooku would know if it all went according to plan) and be there with her hidden lightsaber in case anything happened.

Anakin insisted that he not go in bugged so they could check more easily for listening or recording devices on Dooku (which Siri would discreetly do, several times, most likely), and that was only if they both decided to go through with the actual meeting at all. If they saw him and got any inkling from the Force that something was up, they'd get out of there as quickly as they could. Anakin decided he wouldn't even put on his appendage extensions (which he'd have to build new ones soon, he was rapidly outgrowing his original ones) until he got the all-clear from Siri.

They spent the next two days getting everything they needed ready, and Anakin rediscovered for the umpteenth time that he very much liked having a project to focus on. He knew he needed to consciously process everything that had happened the past week, and he did work on it some, but he also found that when he let his mind dwell on it all, he tended to get stuck in a slowly spiraling thought-process. It hadn't quite managed to drag him down yet, but he knew it still had the potential to do so if he wasn't careful. It all really boiled down to the fact that he did not want to explain his actions as a Sith to Yoda, Xio and Girth. In all honesty, it terrified him. Sure, they hadn't abandoned him yet, but he could just see Yoda's drooping ears, Girth's horror and Xio's shock. He'd already explained some of his actions to Girth, and indirectly to Yoda and Xio, but that was honestly just the tip of the black hole's gravity well. If anything would drive them to realize just what kind of a monster he was...

So he would think on it, ponder it, and then when he ran into the circular thought-train, he'd go back to focusing on his upcoming, self-imposed mission instead.

It worked, and for now, he'd take it.

Siri and Anakin did decide to inform Yoda of said mission, and he gave them permission to proceed with caution, although he did want to remain updated. It was kind of amazing how different Yoda had become from his counterpart in Anakin's memories. On the surface, they'd seem similar – almost exactly the same, but Anakin still remembered the other Grandmaster telling him to embrace Padmé's death and celebrate it. He also remembered the little troll telling Anakin that there was much fear in him and disagreeing with him becoming a Jedi. The rejection still hurt a little, even though he almost couldn't imagine this Yoda doing that. Almost.

This Yoda knew what was coming and had been forced to change. This Yoda had had his views and ideals thoroughly challenged, and instead of breaking under it, he'd risen to overcome it. He hadn't just suddenly evolved, and there were still things that he and Anakin greatly disagreed on, but this was the Grandmaster who saw someone in need of help, and had decided to give that help despite the risks. This was the Grandmaster who had been initially more suspicious, and then more worried and somehow more supportive because of it. It kind of blew Anakin's mind, as he had no idea what specifically had pushed the little troll from an ancient, tired being convinced that the code would be the Jedi's ultimate protection to a Grandmaster pushing for change and reform (albeit, slowly, from what he'd spoken of to Anakin, Siri and the mind-healers). He wasn't complaining though.

In truth, the former Sith couldn't be more grateful for the change. He'd trusted Yoda in his first life, simply because Yoda had been calm, fairly predictable and would pay attention to Anakin. The old master may not have approved of the young slave-boy joining the Order, but he'd lived by the Council's decision and done his best to include Anakin nonetheless. Still, while Anakin had trusted him, he'd never been able to truly trust in the Grandmaster. He'd always been reserved and had never really been able to address the hurt of rejection he'd initially felt. But now... now he found that he could trust in Yoda and he had no qualms in doing so – with the exception that he didn't want to ruin it by going through the gory details and painting the gruesome picture of a mind twisted by madness, grief and the dark side.

But, while the idea sickened him, it didn't repulse him like it would have in his previous life. And that, Anakin supposed, was a bit of a miracle in and of itself. Didn't make the task he knew he would have to approach much easier, but he'd take what he could get at this point.

Yoda wished them well and asked them to do their best by Dooku. He also told them that he trusted them, and whatever happened, he believed that it would be the best outcome.

Anakin couldn't help but be touched.

The day of their meeting with Dooku, Siri left early, claiming some personal errands that Yoda backed up. He hadn't been happy about the idea of Anakin sneaking out again, but had more or less allowed it as long as Anakin was careful not to leave any openings into the Temple on his way. He assured the old Master that he wouldn't, and then went about finishing his classwork.

An hour or so before he was to meet Dooku, he slipped out of the Temple and went to his storage unit, picked up his arm and leg extensions before catching an air-taxi to the meeting place.

He ended up getting there a couple of minutes before the set time and contacted Siri.

"I'm in position," he said into his comm unit, even though his 'position' was really just a street corner where he could watch casually but disappear into a crowd if necessary.

"'Bout time you got here," Siri responded.

"Have you made the target?" he asked.

"Of course."

A beat. "And?"

"Just a sec..." Another pause before Siri answered. "Sorry, was filling someone's glass. So, he seems to be alone, and he doesn't seem to be bugged at all. He's about as calm as I remember, although he does have a few nervous ticks."

"Does he seem... dark?" Anakin asked.

Another pause while he assumed she checked. "No. But then, no one was able to sense the Emperor either." They'd decided to call Palpatine that instead of by name, just in case anyone overheard them.

"He had years – decades even – of training then," Anakin pointed out. "Not months."

"Target has had years of training now, just with the light."

Despite knowing she couldn't see it, he shook his head. "It would take a while to really be able to hide darkness like that... trust me."

"If you say so," she said hesitantly. "I've already given the note to another staff member to deliver. He should be getting it... right about... now."

Anakin nodded, despite knowing Siri couldn't see him. It really was inconvenient that they couldn't seem to make telepathy work, even through their bond, unless they were within a couple of meters, but she still should be able to feel his acknowledgment.

They'd debated on what they should write on the flimsy, and had eventually come up with one sentence. Give me one good reason why I should believe anything you say.

He could just imagine Dooku reading it, then repressing a sigh of frustration.

"Oh. Look at that. He's asking a waitress for a writing implement."

Anakin held his breath.

"He's giving the note back... alright. I'll go meet her. See you in a few."

While he waited for her to bring the note to him, he looked over the crowd passing by for the umpteenth time. He noticed a few people looking his way suspiciously, but glared them away. This wasn't the safest place for kids, but if he looked like he belonged there, he doubted he'd have any real problem.

He felt Siri's approach before he saw her. She stepped up beside him and he finally turned to look at her... and froze, blinking.

"Siri... what are you wearing?"

She raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him, done up in all sorts of makeup. It didn't look like Siri. Something about her nose and jaw. She also had on a blaring wig that faded from a dark rust color to a neon orange. It had been backcombed up several inches over her head... and that was the calmest part about her.

The most surprising thing, he supposed, was the very revealing outfit she wore. It was made of cheap, shiny material that hugged some curves that had to be fake or enhanced somehow, even if he couldn't tell for sure. The skirt (if one could classify something so small as that) flared out around her hips and swayed with her every movement. Cheap or not, it certainly did what it had obviously been made to do.

"The uniform," she muttered darkly. "If you take any pictures, you won't like my revenge."

Anakin just blinked at her for several seconds. Then he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing as he nodded solemnly. "I understand. The note?"

"Here," she said, eyeing him suspiciously.

The former Sith took the flimsy without reading it, nodded, and walked back down the street. "Thanks."

She didn't answer. She didn't need to. He'd get in contact with her whether he decided to go through with it or not.

It took him more than ten minutes to duck and crawl to where he felt that no one had followed him, and only then did he open the flimsy.

I regret to say, I do not have a good reason. The note started out with. I can only say that you were right. If I am to succeed at all in my endeavors, I need your help.

Anakin would have snorted if it hadn't been for one final word at the bottom: Please.

He stared at the word for several seconds. That wasn't something he would expect to hear from the man he'd gotten to know in the last couple of years, let alone Tyrannus. Neither one of them would 'stoop' to asking for help. For the Count, it was practically begging, and Anakin couldn't see the man doing so even as a cover. In all honesty, it showed more about Dooku's mind-set and desperation than anything else.

Of course, his paranoia told him to forget it all and just leave. But while listening to his gut had saved his life multiple times, it sure hadn't ultimately led him to a place where he'd wanted to be. And he was still curious...

So he closed his eyes and felt for the Force. It wasn't nudging him forward, but it also wasn't nudging him away.

Of course.

So this would be up to him.

"Stang it all," he muttered to himself as he drew his extensions out of his bag and began to put them on.

Once he finished with his disguise, he took out his comm. "Looks like I'm coming back, Siri."

He waited for her to get back to him. "Are you sure?"

Anakin scoffed. "No."

A longer pause. "Alright. He is still here, but you may want to hurry. He doesn't look comfortable. Well, for Dooku."

"On my way."

xXx

It took him far less time to get back to the bar than it had to get away, seeing as he wasn't trying to lose any potential tails. He stepped warily in, looking around the crowded room carefully. He spotted Siri over at one corner delivering some drinks and food. He was a little amazed at how well she blended in. If he hadn't already known what to look for, he wouldn't have been able to spot her.

Anakin had found Dooku as well. The former Jedi looked up and even the initiate could see that his shoulders relaxed noticeably when their eyes met. They studied each other for several seconds, Anakin feeling him out. He was surprised at what he found. The man's light had dimmed somewhat, but what remained seemed somehow firmer and stronger than before. And it was definitely light. No darkness to be found.

The former Sith let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he strode towards the booth Dooku sat at.

"Lars," he greeted, tersely and yet warmly. That... was strange. Dooku? Warm? It took Anakin a moment to respond.

"Dooku," he finally said. "I... have to admit, I'm pleasantly surprised."

The older man nodded his head in appreciation. That... also wasn't like him.

"And I have to admit that I also expected some gloating. Not many could have lasted this long."

Instead of smiling – smugly or otherwise – Dooku just sighed and looked down a little. "I will admit, it has not been... easy."

"I'd imagine not," Anakin agreed. Then he ventured to (slowly) ask the question that had been running through his mind. "How did you do it?"

Dooku sat back against his seat, looking suddenly tired. "All I can say is that it must be the will of the Force. Either that or I have a guardian looking out for me." And that almost blew Anakin's mind, because Dooku was many things, but superstitious was not one of them. He did not like how the former Jedi was somehow able to keep him off balance still.

"That implies that you have had some... close calls," Anakin spoke, still choosing his words carefully.

The gray-haired man closed his eyes for a moment, his hand going to a pouch on his belt. "You could say that."

And this had just gone so far beyond what Anakin could have possibly expected. He really didn't know where to go from here...

"So... with what do you need my help?" he finally asked, deciding to address the reason he'd come at all. "Do you want my help getting away from him?" They could fake Dooku's death fairly easily, although Anakin would have to really grill him on hiding his Force presence from darksiders.

It looked like it was Dooku's turn to choose his words carefully, which set off warning bells in Anakin's head.

"I... have thought of that, but I cannot stomach the idea of all my work and preparation and sacrifice going to waste. But, I do not think I can withstand his machinations for much longer." That tiredness somehow increased, making his shoulders slump even more, but Anakin remained tense. He still wasn't sure what the man wanted and couldn't help but be ready to bolt if necessary. He was curious, not stupid.

Dooku rubbed a hand over his face (again, too close to Obi-Wan...) before he spoke again. "If I stay with him, I believe you are right: there will be no avoiding the dark side."

Anakin really didn't like where this was going. He didn't speak, though, so Dooku decided to continue.

"Is... there a way to control a Fall? Fall on my terms, not his?"

It was only because Anakin had his mask on that he allowed his jaw to drop in shock. He wanted to yell and scream and ask the man before him about his sanity. Could one go insane instead of going dark when backed into a corner? Anakin had always assumed that darkness meant insanity, but it had never occurred to him that one could go insane in such a situation to avoid the darkness.

And yet, Dooku didn't seem insane... he didn't have that aura about him. Anakin had been around his share of the mentally challenged, and Dooku just didn't fit the bill. And yet, Anakin couldn't see this proposal as anything short of completely crazy.

And not in a good way.

Finally he forced himself to say something. "I... don't think you jest..."

Dooku shook his head. "I assure you, I do not."

Nope, he couldn't wrap his head around it.

"You are asking for the Force equivalent of a slow addiction to death sticks, and somehow expect me to believe you are, indeed, serious."

Somehow the Count's expression turned sad, of all things. "I am, aren't I. Well, I simply need to stay sane long enough to get you the information you require."

"And after that?"

Dooku shrugged. "I will have outlived my usefulness."

Forget being off-balance, Anakin was having a difficult time remembering which way was up at this point. "You never struck me as suicidal."

"If it is for the cause," he replied nonchalantly. As if this wasn't just normal, but expected. It occurred to him that perhaps this was how free-born felt when they saw Anakin acting on his slave-born impulses...

"What cause, exactly?" Anakin asked, needing the clarification.

Dooku raised an eyebrow and took a drink from the cup he'd had before him the entire time. "Saving the universe, of course."

Anakin just stared at him as he forced his mind to process that – to work, kriff it! Was Dooku really asking this? Did he expect (hope, even) that Anakin would – could – help somehow?

He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "Count Dooku, we are not speaking of a mere under-cover mission any more. This is your very soul we are discussing, for that is what is at stake."

Dooku studied him for several seconds before nodding. "I understand that more than you realize. However, I have weighed the options and this seems to be the best solution."

Anakin scoffed. "Best solution? What could possibly be worth your eternal soul?"

The old man smiled sadly. "The Galaxy and all the souls therein."

They both sat in utter silence for almost a minute while Anakin contemplated that. Not for the first time, he wondered if he'd ever really known the man in front of him – the man who would, apparently – trade everything about himself for the betterment of others. Of course, they couldn't have known Dooku once he'd fallen, but still...

Then he remembered what Siri said about Depa – that she had a simple outlook in that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. And now that he thought about it, it was a common Jedi ideal. Almost every Jedi he'd met had, at one point, been willing to sacrifice the few (be they clones, other Jedi or – most often – themselves) for the many. Mace Windu, Luminara, Adi-Gallia, Ferus... Although he knew most of them tried to save everyone they possibly could. Obi-Wan, Plo Koon, Siri, they all worked rather tirelessly to save the many and the few. Somehow, even though he'd known Dooku had been a Jedi, it had never even crossed his mind that the Count, of all people, would adhere to such a self-sacrificing ideal.

And yet, Dooku was volunteering for this... at the highest personal cost possible.

Anakin's opinion of the man shot up several notches and somehow made his memories of the Sith he'd become in the other timeline even more tragic.

Finally, Dooku spoke again, his voice quiet and subdued. "I made my decision long ago, Lars. I would gladly trade my soul for the galaxy."

The former Sith remained silent for a couple seconds longer before speaking up himself. "Luke," he said through the vocoder.

Dooku blinked. "What?"

Anakin swallowed. "You know my first name. I would ask you call me by it."

The older man smirked a little. It may have been forced, but there was also some real emotion behind it. "Even if it isn't your real name?"

Well, Anakin could only shrug to that, but Dooku didn't seem to mind as he finished off his drink. Then he reached into a pocket and pulled out a mini datapad.

"With your explanations of addiction, I looked up medical procedures for how to treat someone who needs an otherwise addicting or illegal drug. Most of them deal with limited use and an inability to supply a fully-fledged addiction. Unfortunately, that isn't exactly something we can enforce to my knowledge." He raised an eyebrow in his companion's direction.

Anakin thought over the words he'd just heard carefully before nodding slowly. "Not without limiting your use of the Force at all."

Dooku nodded grimly, obviously expecting the answer. "Which would be plausible if I didn't also have to answer to Palpatine. I don't believe he knows I have returned to Coruscant, but with the resources he has at his disposal..."

The former Sith couldn't help but agree. This was Sidious, after all, and he had more active resources than most people could comprehend.

"I can likely put off going back to him for a couple of days – a week at the most – before he'd set up a confrontation."

Anakin nodded in acknowledgment, but didn't answer. Truthfully, he wasn't sure what to say. What was the right answer here? He closed his eyes again, reaching for the Force, and yet again, felt nothing. Was that, perhaps, the light and the darkness within the Force negating each other? Because this felt like a rather monumental turning point. If Mace Windu were here, he'd likely be seeing so many shatterpoints it would give him a migraine.

He needed to get away, somewhere quiet, and really think on it. Meditate even. Speak with Siri, perhaps? But they didn't have the time to really go into the decision, because Dooku wasn't wrong when he said he didn't have much time. But this was something Anakin could not, in good conscience, rush in to.

So, a compromise.

Letting out a deep breath, Anakin searched his pockets for the pad of flimsy he'd written his note on earlier and the writing implement. He quickly wrote down the address of the building they'd gone to before, where they'd outrun Palpatine's bounty hunters and ended up in the droid maintenance area.

"Meet me there tomorrow evening," he said as he handed the note over. Dooku took it, looked it over, and seemed to recognize it. Good. Then the man nodded.

"Tomorrow?" he asked.

"I have some errands I need to finish up today," Anakin said as he stood. Then he dropped some chips on the table. "This is on me."

With that, he signaled to Siri that he was leaving, making sure that it would look like he was just notifying the waitress. Thankfully, she'd made sure to keep herself near them and was the closest one, so it wouldn't seem out of place. Well, she seemed to be far better at under-cover work than Anakin ever would be.

"I will see you shortly, Count," he said with a nod of his head, before turning and striding out.

He made immediately for his and Siri's rendezvous point, arriving about eight minutes after leaving the bar. He made sure he hadn't been followed (he hadn't) before stripping his extensions off. For some reason, he suddenly felt restricted and caged inside them and had to get out.

Ten minutes later, Siri arrived, still in her waitress outfit, although she'd taken off the wig. It somehow made Anakin want to scour the image from his mind. It felt like seeing an older sister in a bakini or something, and just wasn't something he wanted to focus on.

Ever.

So instead, he focused on information and told her what Dooku had said. Then he waited for her response.

Siri just stared at him. "He wants to what?!" she finally asked.

Anakin sighed and nodded. "I had a similar reaction."

The blond just sat down, looking a little dazed. Anakin didn't blame her. "I've heard of people doing some pretty extreme things when going under cover, but this..."

"Agreed," Anakin muttered.

"And he wants you to somehow just... kill him when he goes too far?"

The former Sith held in a groan as he nodded again.

They both sat there in silence for several seconds.

"I'm... not getting anything from the Force," Siri finally said.

"Me neither," Anakin muttered.

Siri sighed. "Meditation, then?" she asked.

"Not sure how it will help, but we don't have many other options at this point," Anakin replied as he settled down in a cross-legged position next to her.

She didn't even respond, instead closing her eyes and falling into the Force. Anakin nodded in approval (not that she'd see it) before he thought about what he should use for his focal point today. While the dark side required his focal point to be extremely powerful, he had discovered that his focal point in the light would only have to be positive. He found it interesting to try and use different emotions as focal points to see how deep his connection with the Force could go.

After a moment, he decided to use his awe at Dooku's utter selflessness – at least in this particular case – and his newly found respect for the man. It was something he'd like to try and process anyway.

(He'd realized how lucky he was that his therapists had helped him learn to identify his emotions, and how much of a prerequisite that was for this type of meditation. Then he'd realized that there was no such thing as luck and had just shaken his head at the Force.)

Then, he meditated on Dooku's proposal and exactly why he felt how he did about it.

After an hour and a half, he didn't have much of an answer, even if he did feel better about the whole situation. Well, calmer at least.

He and Siri had discussed it on the way back to the Temple, and they'd both come to the conclusion that they didn't really have any better ideas for infiltrating Palpatine's network, and while this had a lot of potentially high risks (what if Dooku fell fully and hard and decided to tell everything to Palpatine?), it had some potentially high rewards.

There was just no guarantee those rewards would come. Dooku could fully fall before completing his mission, and may not choose to get them the information they needed. Even if he didn't go to Palpatine, just standing in their way of getting what they needed would make their entire situation potentially far worse.

And yet... Anakin was getting a little desperate. In all honesty, he wanted Palpatine's threat handled long before the Clone Wars were even a twinkle in the Senate's eye. He hated to admit it, but his old tendencies of impatience were kicking in and he was having difficulties waiting for proof that they may never find. And if Dooku was so willing to play the sacrifice, could Anakin afford to not take advantage of that?

That didn't exactly make him feel any better about the entire thing. Or himself.

He never had been good at sending people on suicide missions. Well, perhaps as Vader... but that realization just served to make Anakin feel even worse. Of course.

They got back to the Temple late, but they still met Yoda on the platform. He didn't even pull a double-take at Siri's attire, instead focusing on each of their faces intently. The two of them exchanged glances before Anakin suggested they go somewhere private.

They ended up in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, as it happened to be closer than any of their quarters. Not too many people were around at this time as the diurnal Jedi were winding down and the nocturnal Jedi had yet to really start their day. Once they were settled, Anakin and Siri explained everything to Yoda, whose ears kept drooping more and more. When they finished, he sat there in silence for a very long time.

Finally, he spoke in a croaking voice. "Unsure, I am, as to whether pride, I should feel, or despair."

"Why not both?" Anakin asked. "Girth says that emotions don't have to fit together to be felt simultaneously."

The old troll nodded thoughtfully, although his ears still showed his sadness. "A wise being, Healer Girth is."

More silence at they contemplated that. Then Siri spoke up.

"Master, what should we do? I don't want to help anyone fall."

"It wouldn't be you 'helping' him," Anakin muttered, feeling incredibly guilty for even contemplating throwing Dooku at the speeder. Could he knowingly lead anyone down the path to the dark side at this point? Or would that break him too? All over again...

"Like it, I do not," Yoda said firmly. Then he deflated a bit. "But just like Dooku, this is. Stubborn to a fault, he is. Stubborn and willful. Worried, I am, that if reject him, you do, proceed on his own, he will."

Siri snorted. "That's the Dooku I remember – always putting us in impossible situations."

Well, she wasn't wrong.

Then to Anakin's surprise, Yoda turned to him. "If possible, it is, ask you, I would, to help him, as you can."

"You want me to do this?" Anakin asked, incredulous.

Yoda shook his head. "No. However, if going to do it, he is, then prefer for you to help him, I would. Leave hope for his return, I believe it would."

Anakin felt his eyes grow wide, and sensed similar shock from Siri through the bond.

"What happened to, 'Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.'"?

"Yet here with us, you are."

That took Anakin back a bit and he sat there, blinking at the older being for several seconds. He hadn't expected Yoda, of all people, to change his tune so thoroughly.

"It... it isn't easy," he finally managed to get out. "To come back."

Yoda nodded. "Expect that, I did."

"Right." He thought on that for a few more seconds before returning to the task at hand. "There is one more problem, though: I don't think it's possible to fall in a controlled way. I mean, we can make an attempt, but I don't think it will work."

Siri seemed to be thinking rather hard herself before looking over at Anakin. "You don't think there's even a chance?"

Anakin's lips tightened. "I'm... not sure. Perhaps it is possible, but it will take time to figure out."

"Time we don't have," Siri muttered, seeing his issue.

The former Sith shook his head. "No." Then he looked at Yoda. "If we had months or years to plan, then maybe, but with Palpatine involved like he is... Even if we made any progress, he would likely sense it and then either pick at weak points until Dooku crashed and any advantage we had or progress we'd made would be lost.

"Also, the dark side doesn't work exactly like the normal Force. Jedi are taught to listen to the Force as much as they request the Force listens to them – a constant state of a mutually positive symbiosis, for all intents and purposes. Darksiders demand what they want of the Force, and the dark side addicts them to that power so they keep coming back and keep gaining more power. Growing more powerful with the dark side is honestly simultaneous with acting more confident – arrogant even." Which was why Anakin wouldn't ever have been able to finish off the Emperor on his own; all of his confidence and arrogance as a Sith had been a lie, and Palpatine had known it. Vader had just been too blind – too desperate and addicted – to see it.

"Is that why it requires such strong emotions as anger and hate to use as focal points?" Siri asked, sounding honestly curious.

Anakin turned his surprised expression on to her. He hadn't expected her to ask without disgust or disapproval. Then he nodded. "Anger and hate don't fuel the dark side, they fuel the person. They are simply conduits strong enough to motivate a person into demanding and enforcing control. Then it magnifies and feeds that emotion back to you in a feedback loop. The stronger the anger, the more motivation, the more one gives up, the more one can use, and the more one wants."

The blond woman's eyes widened. "You... almost make the dark side seem masochistic... and sapient... again."

The initiate couldn't help but shrug. That was how he'd understood it. Anger and hate – or whatever his focal point was – were reins used to force control on the dark side, and would only be useful if they were somehow powerful enough to hold the darkness in.

"Hmm. Back to the point, we should come," Yoda admonished softly.

"Right," Siri said with a nod of her head before turning to Anakin. "So what do we do?"

Anakin rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. "I don't think there's anything we can do but try to help him. I doubt it will work, but whether it does or not, it would put us – well, me, I suppose – on better terms with him if he does fall completely. Something I plan on informing him of before hand."

"Didn't you say that the dark side twists someone's thoughts and memories? Would earning good will even help?"

"Potentially," Anakin said slowly. "I mean, it didn't twist all of my memories, just the ones that would encourage me to give more of myself to it. I could still remember happy times, I just chose not to... 'indulge uselessly'."

"Hmm. Tell master Xio this, you should. Help her with her theories, it can."

Siri and Anakin stared at him for several seconds before exchanging glances.

"Theories?" Siri asked.

"She told you?" Anakin couldn't help if he sounded a bit incredulous.

Yoda looked amused. "Explain to the Council why she wanted access to Sith holocrons, she did."

Siri's eyes bulged. "She's been studying Sith holocrons?"

The former Sith looked away, embarrassed for some reason. And a little worried, but he felt that was perfectly reasonable. "She's doing it for me... to understand me more."

The blond woman just stared at him incredulously. "I don't know whether to be extremely impressed at her dedication or utterly horrified at the lengths she's willing to go." And the current similarities to Dooku hung silently in the air like bombs waiting to drop.

"Monitoring her, we are," Yoda assured her. Siri didn't look appeased.

"I've felt no darkness from her whatsoever," Anakin said. "And trust me, I've looked for it ever since she told me."

"Hmm... okay," Siri responded, sounding a little less unsure. Well, it wouldn't be too bad to have more than one person on the look out for any dark-side tendencies from their counselor, Anakin supposed.

A yawn forced its way out of him quite suddenly and he blinked. How tired was he that a moment there was an actual lull in the conversation, he showed it? He blamed the child's body again. So frustrating. At least he'd be turning twelve soon. In about a month. One more year closer to being an adult again, with a fully-functioning brain and at least some mastery over himself.

"Agree with you, I do," Yoda said, ears perking up ever so slightly.

Anakin blinked at him, then tipped his head in question.

"Tired, we all are. To bed we should go. Rest, we must."

The former Sith felt that familiar resignation creep up on him. "So that's it, then?" he asked. "We – I – help Dooku fall to the darkness and deal with the fallout as best we can?"

He felt a hand on his arm and followed it up to meet Siri's sad gaze. "What other choice do we have, Anakin?"

Yoda's ears drooped again.

"More observation and brainstorming could present a solution," Anakin said.

"We're open to suggestion," Siri replied with a sigh.

And... he didn't have any to offer. Of course.

"Look, let's think on it," Siri suggested. "Sleep on it. We'll discuss our options again tomorrow before we go to meet him. And we'll keep thinking of something else – some other idea."

"Agree, I do," Yoda said, mouth set firmly. "Find another solution we can."

Well, he appreciated that they were trying. Not that he'd ever phrase it like that to Yoda.

"Alright," Anakin agreed, wanting to sound determined himself, but very well aware that he only came off as tired.

They bid Yoda goodnight – apparently he wanted to stay for some more private meditation (Anakin approved) – and left the room of a thousand fountains.

Anakin offered to walk Siri to her room first, before she took him to the creche. Seeing as she still wore the two-piece, flashy monstrosity of a uniform, she agreed. Too bad they'd been too focused on speaking with Yoda when they'd returned or they would have made a detour to grab a cloak or something. And, apparently, something had happened to prevent her from getting her initial robes and tunics when she'd left the bar earlier. She wouldn't tell him exactly what, but he got the feeling that someone had realized that she shouldn't be there and had followed her out of the bar for a bit. Not wanting to give away the fact that she was a Jedi, she'd had to lose them before going to meet Anakin by their appointed time.

They hurried down the halls, ignoring any other Jedi they came across (a fair amount, many of whom did raise an eyebrow in their direction), intent on getting to where she could change again. So focused on reaching her room were they, that they didn't notice the familiar presence they almost ran into as they turned into the residential wing housing the quarters knights (and their padawans) stayed in.

Siri just suddenly froze and Anakin was tired enough to actually run into her.

"Siri?" he asked, looking up at a very rigid back. Then he looked around her and saw a blank-faced Obi-Wan staring at them... well, at Siri. He seemed rather shocked. Then the embarrassment hit him, practically like a volcano erupting, or a hurricane slamming into Anakin – coming from the woman standing next to him. He actually staggered for a moment.

Then he looked up at Siri again. He'd never seen more than a light blush on her cheeks. She'd always been a bit reckless, but she'd also always had very good self-mastery. Now, though, she had a rather deep shade of red on her cheeks that off-set the flashy material of the two-piece. Anakin had known that Siri was considered attractive (although he'd always been partial to brunettes, himself), but it hadn't really crossed his mind that she was considered attractive. Especially by ginger-haired knights if Anakin read Obi-Wan's minute expression correctly. What were the odds of them running into him of all people? At this time of night? And Siri hadn't cared about the other Jedi they'd passed... Then again, now that he knew more about her feelings towards Obi-Wan, that did make sense.

He wasn't sure how long they all just stood there in a sort of stand off, but then Obi-Wan did something Anakin couldn't help but be impressed by.

"Knight Tachi," Obi-Wan said with a warm smile. "Pleasure to see you. Have a pleasant evening." Then, with that, he just walked by them. No other comment, no smirk, not even a second look. Was he even male? Maybe he wasn't as straight as Anakin had always assumed?

Then, to Anakin's confusion, the embarrassment he felt from Siri turned to indignation. Well, it seemed that she still had a ways to go before she regained that self-mastery.

"That's it?" she asked after Obi-Wan. Then she covered her mouth, looking as if she wanted to melt into the ground again. Oh, and the embarrassment came back full force.

Obi-Wan finally glanced back, and Anakin could finally see that familiar, amused smirk of his. "I can't say I don't enjoy the view," he said, "but then, I always do when you're around, no matter your choice of clothing."

If anything, Siri's cheeks grew even darker. Anakin was afraid she might pass out. And... that was far more forward of Obi-Wan than he'd expected, too. And smoother. How surprising.

"You'd better not mention this again," Siri practically growled.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't dream of it. Goodnight." And then he turned and continued to walk toward his original destination, whatever that was.

And Anakin couldn't hold it in any longer. He let out a snort. Siri rounded on him, and that just set him off harder. The snort turned into a series of snickers, and then a guffaw. He ended up doubled over, trying not to laugh too loudly and failing miserably.

"Ha, ha," Siri muttered, still radiating embarrassment, but he could also sense the underlying amusement at the situation (and a touch of pride at the Obi-Wan's comment). "Come on, Hero with No Fear."

Anakin was sure the annoyed look he'd meant to shoot at her was completely undermined by the amusement he was still trying to rein in.

xXx

AN: I have to admit, that last scene is one of my favorites. lol

I would like to thank Carradee, Khalthar and Quathis for their beta-reading skillz and amazing support.

Also, I do read every review I get, even if I don't get around to replying to them. I love reading them, though, and they give me ideas, point out issues I can address later, etc. So, thank you to everyone who has read this or any of my other stories.

And for those of you who don't know, I updated/revamped (again, lol) Hindsight is not Perfect, the first story in this series. Nothing really major changed, but I did end up splitting up some chapters (that were like 20 pages long... HOW did that happen?!), added a couple of little thoughts in here and there, just wanted to make it flow better, etc. So if you got that update for Hindsight and was confused, well, that's what happened.