sith_happened | Office hours [all day]

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Office hours [all day]

Anakin was sitting crosslegged on the small carpet in his office, breathing in and out.

He'd say he was meditating.

He was actually checking to see if he could see how Jaina was doing back home.

Sneaky Anakin.

The door was cracked open.

The Moth - Aimee Mann

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"It's a harsh form of mercy," Anakin said, eyes sympathetic. "Living with consequences always is. Are you sorry you did it?"

"Death would have been the easier path, in some ways. I had nightmares about it for months," was Romeo's first answer. "The look in his eyes, the way he fell. If I could steal back the bullets and give him what life he would live" - and it was clear he did not think much good would come from this life - "I would."

"But if I am being honest, I must say I would want my friend back first, and I am not sorry his killer was punished."

Anakin nodded. "The example I used was similar," he said. "When I was a little older than you, a man threatened my family and did his very best to kill my partner in front of me. He'd also taken my hand from me on a prior occasion. I killed him. It wasn't justice. I regretted the action almost immediately."

As he considered this, Romeo's eyes skittered to Master Skywalker's (perfectly normal-looking) hands, then back to his face. "Peace would come easier, without such men in the world," he finally said. "I think it can be hard to see what is justice, and what is simply vengeance."

Anakin caught the movement. "We have very good medical services at home," he commented. "Generally speaking, I find justice happens only when you are in full control of your emotions. When you are clouded, you make stupid mistakes. Count Dooku was a stupid mistake."

Romeo simply nodded at the information about medical services; he'd been looking out of morbid curiosity, and he deserved to be caught. "I can see that," he said. "I think I was too clouded to make proper decisions about my own life, let alone that of another."

Anakin nodded. "It's why the Jedi value detachment so much. We were charged with bringing justice, not vengeance."

"I half think we need Jedis at home," Romeo admitted. "Even the justice is hardly dispassionate."

He waved it off. "Anyhow, so now you've my life story, and I suppose I should let you get back to more pleasant work, unless there's more for class."

"When I know your history, it puts your comments in class into context," Anakin said quietly. "I've made terrible mistakes. If I get you to think even a second longer before you make a choice you can't take back, I've done my job."

"I hope I have learned to take that second," Romeo said. "Though I have not yet been in a situation that would test me on that."

"I do like that your class makes me think about all of this, though. It hurts, sometimes, but ... perhaps it should, if it helps me keep my terrible mistakes in the past."

"I know that I never learned anything that truly mattered if it came too easily," Anakin replied.

"That does seem to be the rub of it all," Romeo nodded. "Perhaps my head is just too hard to absorb knowledge presented softly."

Anakin smiled. "Exactly. Especially when it's something you don't particularly wish to learn."

"Especially then," Romeo nodded, pushing back the hair that had fallen into his face.

Slowly, he rose from his seat. "I should go, but thank you for your time, and for the class."

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