Trial of the Times

Chapter 31 - A Time to Talk - Rewritten

Skywalker enters the office a bit hesitantly, as if uncertain. With their initial course of action finalized, Dooku felt it would be prudent to turn his attention towards Skywalker himself. Force knows he needs the attention and care. "Tell me, how have you been doing? I know that you opposed the decision to bring Master Kenobi here." This is much harder to say than he thought it would be. "I was thinking about the situation as a whole instead of you personally. I know you two spoke, but one conversation will not automatically make everything right."

The boy seems momentarily taken aback by the inquiry, though he recovers quickly, masking his surprise. "I'm fine," he replies a bit brusquely. "I'm stable if that's what you're asking."

Dooku resists the urge to sigh. Sometimes, Skywalker is so incredibly complicated and frustrating. "You don't have to be alright, you know," he points out, careful to not sound condescending. "If you... struggle with being around your former master, I would like to know. I could hardly expect you to be able to move past what he did to you overnight."

"He's trying," Skywalker answers slowly, hesitantly. "He seems to realize what – what he should have been doing differently. I could hardly ask for more."

"If he doesn't treat you right, you need to tell him though," Dooku reminds him gently. "I understand that it will not be easy for you. Perhaps I got him involved too soon." He feels the oddest sense of regret at the possibility. Somehow, Skywalker has gone from being a barely tolerable burden to a useful asset to... something more. With a jolt, Dooku realizes that, much to his chagrin, he cares about Skywalker. It didn't happen all at once, of course. Rather, it happened slowly, over the course of many conversations and interactions. The boy is so strong in the Force that he draws people to him, though he seems to be completely unaware of it. He has a way of pulling others into his orbit, where they can't break free even if they want to.

Skywalker ducks his head, looking even more vulnerable than he did a moment earlier. It's ironic how someone who the galaxy worships as a powerful hero can be so... weak, for lack of a better term. It's not a bad thing, his weakness; it's simply something that makes him more human. He's not perfect and all-knowing. He has flaws and problems, major ones. He's emotional to the point of instability, passive to the degree where victimizing him is easy.

For the first time, Dooku is willing to accept that he has come to care for this child, respect him even, though he's loath to admit it. Skywalker's Force signature is conflicted, a myriad of emotions swirling within it, but Dooku respects his privacy and doesn't probe. After a moment of thought, Dooku suspects that he might realize what, specifically, is troubling Skywalker.

"I know you care for Kenobi greatly, but he is..." He wants to say abusive, but he knows that the term would not be well received. It's not intentional on Kenobi's part anyways. His deep, unfailing love for Skywalker is obvious, even to Dooku, who doesn't know the two on an extremely personal level. "He has problems," he says at length, "And sometimes, one needs to take time apart from... loved ones." The term is definitely applicable in this case. He's generalizing a bit, and he's rapidly approaching territory about which he knows little.

Some of the tension bleeds out of Skywalker's body, and he looks up, almost shyly. "Perhaps more time... might have been good," he manages to say, although it seems to be almost physically painful to confess, "But we – we can figure this out." It sounds more like a prayer than an actual statement of fact, but Dooku doesn't comment.

After a moment, Dooku rises from behind his desk, gesturing for the boy to follow him. He does, albeit a bit tentatively. Dooku leads him into a small, private sitting room which connects to his office. It's more comfortable here, and Dooku is hoping that the more informal setting will allow Skywalker to relax enough to actually speak his mind. Watching him, sensing the many questions swirling in his brain is enough to almost give him a headache.