Office hours [all day]

[sith_happened]

After a week spent with Rory's family, Anakin was a little bit grateful for the solitude that his office provided.

He chose against sitting at his desk, at least for the moment, and found a spot on the carpet to meditate instead, trying to cleanse himself of the stress of the upcoming holiday season, students worrying about finals and the other various emotions that had battered against his shielding over the last few days.

The door was cracked open.

[OOC: And details with Jaina are NFB, please!]

Comments

[sith_happened]

"Yes," he said simply. "Sit down."

[solo_sword]

She had been expecting defensiveness or anger, and the fact that she didn't get that was encouraging. Still, she paused for just a moment since she'd almost rather stand for this, but she didn't want this to be a fight. That meant she couldn't be stubborn, and so she sat.

"You knew exactly what was on those recordings, didn't you?" she asked.

[sith_happened]

"I had a rough idea," he said. "Temple footage?"

He glanced down and swallowed hard. "Mustafar?"

[solo_sword]

"Right on both counts," she said with a curt nod. "Among other stuff, but those were the things that really got everyone riled up."

[sith_happened]

"I imagine," he replied, running a hand through his hair. "So are you here to yell?"

[solo_sword]

"Depends," Jaina said. "Why didn't you tell me what was on them when I told you about them?" Like she'd told John, she'd also been of the opinion that whatever it was wasn't so bad that everyone wouldn't get over it, but she wasn't going to assume a reason.

[sith_happened]

"It's not something I talk about," Anakin said, "nor a part of my life I relish reliving. I don't do things by halves, my fall to the dark side included."

[solo_sword]

Which brought to mind the question she thought would be the bad one: "Does Rory know?"

[sith_happened]

He nodded. "She knows all of it," he said. "So does my version of Luke."

[solo_sword]

Jaina'd been trying to try and put herself in the same situation, to see if she could make sense of it. Right now she was deciding that for as much as she hated Nancy, if John had come back without a wife because he'd killed her, along with a whole bunch of kids, there'd be no getting back together.

"I guess I don't have to ask if they're okay with it." She still worried about her version of her family, though.

[sith_happened]

"I don't think 'okay' is the correct descriptor," Anakin said. "Rory dumped me flat when she found out."

[solo_sword]

Score one for Rory, honestly. "But she took you back," she pointed out.

[sith_happened]

"Not for months," Anakin said, "and it was certainly nothing I'd counted on. You'd have to ask her for the reasons why she did."

[solo_sword]

"I'm not sure I need to know them," she decided, speaking slowly. "But I think I need to know yours."

[sith_happened]

"Why?" Anakin asked quietly, not trying to stall but wondering what Jaina was hoping to get out of the answer.

[solo_sword]

The answer was immediate. "Because I need to understand, and because the rest of my family witnessed those recordings for themselves, and they deserve answers if they can be given."

[sith_happened]

"It seemed logical at the time," Anakin began, staring at his desk, "each step led to the next, and the next, and before I knew it, there was no going back. Without Padmé, there wasn't even reason to try."

He took a deep breath. "I had a vision that Padmé would die in childbirth, which was a future I wouldn't allow to happen. I took my worries--vagued up considerably, of course--to Master Yoda, who told me that attachment was wrong and that I should let the person go." He made a face. "This was not what I wanted to hear."

[solo_sword]

"How did that turn into Force choking?" She felt it was an important question, indelicate as it was.

[sith_happened]

"There were a few steps first," Anakin said. "Palpatine told me that--first, he knew that Padmé and I were married, then he told me he'd heard of ways to stop death--but they weren't anything a Jedi would teach me."

He rolled his eyes at himself. "I was desperate, and tempted, and Palpatine until that moment had shown me nothing but kindness all my life...but I was also not completely stupid. I figured the easier way into the archives would be to be promoted Master myself and have a look around. The Council placed me among them, but only to serve as their spy on Palpatine. I viewed it as an outrageous insult. I didn't crave the title--I just wanted the information, but it wasn't exactly something I could ask Obi-Wan to look into for me."

[solo_sword]

The first part of his explanation worried her a little, thinking of Jacen and his five years of travels where he'd picked up plenty of things no one could account for.

"Because he wasn't supposed to know about the marriage?" she guessed. "But it was Obi-wan."

[sith_happened]

"Who was a Jedi Master sitting on the Council," Anakin said, shaking his head. "He wouldn't have kept it to himself, and I couldn't have asked him to."

[solo_sword]

Okay, she could see not wanting to involve others in your secret. She was doing that herself. She could also see being placed in an uncomfortable spot by the Jedi though not as much as she'd relate in a few years. "So how did trying to save her get that twisted up?"

[sith_happened]

He sighed heavily. "It was the end of the Republic," he said, "though I didn't know it at the time. Obi-Wan was off-world trying to take down General Grievous. That had been the condition set upon Palpatine's extraordinary powers granted by the Senate--when Grievous was captured or killed, the war was considered over and his time would be over. The Jedi anticipated him putting up a fight. What they didn't know was that he wasn't planning on leaving power because he was a Sith." His eyes were haunted. "Which he told me plainly. He also said he was my only way to save Padmé. I turned him down and returned to the Temple with the news. Mace Windu and two other Masters went over to confront him. I waited, and waited and waited for them to return, knowing that my choice had probably doomed my wife."

[solo_sword]

"And you didn't consider that maybe your vision had been wrong?" Jaina wondered. "Or that a Sith might be lying?"

[sith_happened]

"My visions aren't wrong," he said. "It's why I don't like getting them. And I knew he was lying, at least about some things, but it is hard to overstate just how clever Palpatine was. He was beloved as a ruler. The creation of the Empire was greeted with thunderous applause. I was confused, alone, and --this cannot be overstated either--very, very stupid."