Trial of the Times

Chapter 11 - The Subtlety of Change - Rewritten

Dooku lets the topic rest until the sun is slipping towards the horizon. He knows that Skywalker used to be a slave, and it's not something he's given much thought to. Why would he have? He doesn't know what it would be like to be a slave – it's not something he can relate to – but he does know that it's not something Skywalker seems to have moved past. Why not? If the Jedi want him so much, why would they not have taken care of him? Perhaps Sidious is right this once: the Jedi have not been taking care of their Chosen One.

Even now, he can feel the boy's pain echoing into the Force, and it's almost as if the Force itself is responding to him, trying to soothe him. Perhaps Dooku had doubts about Skywalker being the child of the Force, but no more. The Force responds to him in a way it responds to no other Force sensitive, not even him. It speaks to him more deeply than it does anyone else. If the child of the Force loses himself, what hope will the galaxy as a whole have?

Skywalker is easy to find. Not only does his emotional struggles make pinpointing his location easy, but also, he's so powerful in the Force that Dooku can't help but feel him at all times. He's leaning against a windowsill in the specious sitting down on the main level, staring out at the sun as it sets. A few dark clouds float through the sky, and Dooku questions if they're real. At this time of year, the weather here on Serenno is usually moderately cool and sunny. Clouds are uncommon. Is Skywalker really powerful enough to unconsciously influence the weather to influence his moods? It's a question that Dooku would rather not be answered.

As he approaches, he notices that the boy feels a little more balanced. He clearly took the advice on accepting the Dark Side to heart, because he is no longer fighting it as fiercely as he was only hours ago. But that might not be a good thing, Dooku realizes, as a brief touch of his Force signature reveals emotions that are likely a result of depression. He – he doesn't think he's really equipped to deal with something like this. He's never had a similar situation with Qui-Gon or either of his other Padawans. In fact, it was usually quite the opposite; they were far too energetic – and dare he say eccentric? – for his liking... but he cared for them anyways.

He feels almost awkward trying to speak to Skywalker – he doesn't know entirely what to say or how to approach him – but he preserves anyways. He's never been one to back down from anything. "You accepted the Dark Side," he notes. It's not a very meaningful comment, he knows, but it's one way of trying to gauge the boy's mercurial mood.

Skywalker's right hand – the prosthetic which he gave to him – clenches against the windowsill, and he's silent for a long moment before finally turning to look at him. "Yes," he concedes, "You were right." He meets Dooku's gaze for a moment before glancing away again. "I couldn't not, but..." His voice trails off, and Dooku knows from experience that he needs to give him time, only pushing if he seems reluctant to speak. "The Jedi will never accept me anymore," he finally blurts out in a rush, expression pinched. "They'll know. They'll sense."

"You would hardly be the first Jedi who has struggled with the Dark Side," Dooku points out mildly, careful to check his body language so that he doesn't unintentionally make Skywalker close off completely. They've made progress if he's willing to be this open on his own without forceful prodding. "I might believe the Order in need of major changes, but I would not think the Council would reject you, not when they act as if they need you so much."

His expression is filled with uncertainty. "But I should have – I should have been better. I shouldn't have given in to the Dark Side the way I did." He says it flatly, as if it's a given fact, something that should be as obvious to Dooku as it is to him.

Dooku tries to put together the words to reply to such a statement in such a way so as not to worsen the boy's mental status, but he finds that he can think of nothing. Skywalker's guilt and pain hang heavily in the air, and he can feel it acutely. It's not that the younger isn't shielding; it's simply that the Force responds to him so much.