Corner of the junkyard [all day]

[sith_happened]

After slapping a sign onto his office door letting people know where he was if they were looking for him, Anakin headed down to the junkyard with the vague thought of building himself another speeder.

There had to be a faster way to get to New Haven than the stupid train, dammit.

A few minutes of wandering around the junkyard and Anakin had a pretty hefty pile of parts next to him and a light to his eyes that most people didn't get to see. He placed his robe and comlink in a neat pile next to him and began tinkering with the engine parts he'd unearthed.

And if this got his mind off of who was arriving on Friday, well, bonus.

[OOC: Up for great SP justice because work insists on me working there...]

Comments

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

It wasn't that he was looking for trouble so much as he was looking to set things straight before certain people arrived on Friday. John found the professor in the junkyard, just like the sign had said. "So, I heard your favorite person's coming to town," he said casually.

[sizzler-sisters.livejournal.com]

There were two fur-wearing men rowing a canoe past the junkyard, and singing loudly.

"Aaaaaaaaaalouette, gentile alouette ..."

[sith_happened]

Anakin gave him a flat look. "A lot of people fall into that category. Be more specific."

[sith_happened]

Anakin stared.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Jaina's dad," he reminded him. "You know, the guy you put up on the wall a few weeks ago and never apologized to her about." He was still going for casual.

[sith_happened]

Anakin shrugged, entirely unconcerned. "It's Mara Jade I'm more worried about," he said. "Solo's just...irritating. Jade has power."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"You're worried about Jaina's master?" This was a different conversation than expected.

[sith_happened]

"We have history," Anakin said shortly. "We're not...wildly fond of each other."

This, John might've noticed, was a bit of a pattern with Anakin.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

John wondered who, other than Molly, was fond of Anakin. "Now I'm kind of interested to meet her."

[sith_happened]

"I'm wondering if the years have changed her any," Anakin replied. "I knew her when she's the age Luke is now."

His tone indicated he didn't think it was likely. Or if it had, he'd be all that impressed.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"What was she like then?" John asked, curious to hear an alternate perspective.

Biased as it may be.

[sith_happened]

"The Emperor's Force-trained assassin," Anakin spat. "Lovely girl. Really."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"That puts the whole cutting off blood vessels to the brain thing in perspective," John remarked, thinking he needed to find reasons to stay hidden in his room all weekend.

[sith_happened]

Anakin's mouth was a thin line. "Yes. And she' teaching Jaina. I'm...displeased."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"If she was an assassin, then is she teaching Jaina to be the same? I didn't think that was part of the Jedi thing," John was a bit confused.

[sith_happened]

"The Force is neither good nor evil," Anakin lectured, "it just is. How you use it determines what sort of Jedi you are. A Jedi can use their powers to heal or to cut off circulation, to solve problems or to seize control. I know how Jade has been taught...it worries me."

The hypocrisy was strong with him.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

John listened to Anakin's lecture. It was important to him that he understood as much as he could about the Force and the Jedi.

"From what you've said, you may be right to worry. But would your family let Jaina train with her if they didn't think it was safe?"

[sith_happened]

"There aren't a lot of options," Anakin said, looking unhappy. "There are only a few Jedi in Jaina's galaxy, and they aren't being trained who I was trained."

There was no indication in his tone or face that he might've had anything to do with that. When he chose to, Anakin could become a blank slate.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"How was your training different?" he asked.

[sith_happened]

"I was not allowed to see my family after I went to the Temple," Anakin said. "I certainly wasn't trained by them. That kind of attachment would've given my masters heart failure."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"I didn't know Mara was part of the family," John said, surprised Jaina hadn't mentioned it.

[sith_happened]

Anakin looked even more unhappy. "Yes," he said shortly.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

John tried to reign in his sarcasm. "Is she as happy as you about your relation?"

[sith_happened]

"It's likely," Anakin said dryly. "I'm not alive there, through."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

He was shocked and sort of stared for a second, but he still felt the need to ask, "Is it because you're a different you than Jaina's you? I only ask because I was told there was an alternate me here from the future at one point. Do you and Jaina have that sort of different versions thing going on?"

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded. "It's not something I talk about."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Sorry," John frowned, feeling oddly sad. "I didn't mean to pry."

[sith_happened]

"Different choices," Anakin shrugged. "Fandom just makes the theory of multiple universes a little more stark."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Seems to take a lot of the theory out of it," John said, remembering what Lana had told him. "I'm just glad I didn't meet the other me." Because broken brains are bad.

[sith_happened]

"He was a jackass," Anakin told him helpfully.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Oh, great," John shook his head. "Something to look forward to."

[sith_happened]

"Don't arm chickens," Anakin said, "even against zombies. Or pee on things during the next invasion."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"I don't want to know," John buried his face in his hands for a moment. "You wouldn't hold his issues against me?"

[sith_happened]

There was an ominous silence.

"Perhaps."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"You know you teach Ethics, right?" John asked, mostly because he already had enough strikes against him to add weird chicken arming and public urination to the tally.

[sith_happened]

"I'm still a work in progress, too, young one," Anakin said, but for once his tone didn't have the normal bite to it.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"I never know what to expect with you, sir," John replied, almost pleasantly befuddled by their conversation.

[sith_happened]

"It's part of my charm," Anakin said dryly.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"I should probably go before I say or ask anything that gets me in trouble," John said, totally failing in his purpose but happy with the overall results.

[sith_happened]

"Smartest thing I've ever heard you say," Anakin agreed. The tone indicated he hadn't set the bar overly high.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

John made a face, pleased his teacher thought so highly of him. "Thanks, professor." Sarcasm in John's voice? Never.

[sith_happened]

"Go away now," Anakin commanded.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

At least John was good at following commands. He nodded and left the junkyard quickly.