She hums, settling back - content, mostly.

Still...

"We'd been talking about battle meditation, hadn't we?" A bit teasingly: "I assume you're interested in hearing about my experience of it?"

"As far as you're willing to share it."

"Honestly I'd like to write most of it down and archive it, in case I'm unable to teach the next unlucky soul to suddenly find themselves bonding with fellow soldiers. Having nothing to go on - led to mistakes I shouldn't have made."

"Fair enough."

"You're enjoyable to talk to, though - even if you'll eventually get the written copy, I still like talking things out with you directly. Helps me think."

"I shall offer what assistance I can."

She details her early work on redeveloping battle meditation techniques, pointing out already where she faltered or failed or simply could have done better...

It's a good way to pass the time.

Indeed.

This sort of personal retrospective is quite rare, and very interesting.

There's something to be said, too, for the self reflection Ani learned from the Jedi, here... And to the dramatic life changes she's undergone. She doesn't have any pride getting in the way of critiquing her past self, nor even much self hatred tinting her view to negativity.

(Elesse is - not as present as she perhaps should be, and not entirely from Ani talking around her. It seems their duties to the war drew them in separate directions, during this period.)

(Not entirely surprising. Her read on the situation is that history might have gone... differently, if it were otherwise.)

The change in outlook is also interesting; she knows of no other cases that have unfolded in quite the same way.

"I've always defied the odds. I - also have my suspicions about why I lost the ability as Vader..."

"Oh?"

"Initially... I only ever used it with people who trusted me to guide them. Even things like Force suggestion - I've never used that to make someone do something they wouldn't. Just - to lower their inhibitions a bit around what they already wanted to do."

"The thought of controlling someone - of enslaving people who didn't willingly give themselves to me - has always been... Abhorrent, really. The clones - my girls - trusted me pretty utterly, until Sidious overrode their personalities."

"They would have consented, after, but - only because of the brainwashing - and I'm not sure battle meditation used through the Dark can be used - well, politely."

"There's also the part where - I had a Force bond to my children, but if I knew they were alive, Sidious would find them. So I - removed my ability to feel that. Battle meditation is... A less intense version of it."

"...Yes. That fits."

"I - could probably do it again, now, but I don't know there's an army in the galaxy desperate enough to trust me..."

"I would hope that is not needed."

"Maybe. It'd been a really nice feeling, though. I bet I could use it out of battle, too..."

"To what end?"

"I'd have to find something that needs coordination, I guess. Nothing as fun as fighting springs to mind, though."

"Most other activities are either dull or undertaken in smaller groups."

"And I doubt the Senate would agree to help on creating bills they all like in a reasonable time."

"Nor would their constituents, I imagine. Even if you could explain the mechanics to the Senators, the larger population would never understand."

"Politics is dreadfully complicated, it seems."

"I like to leave it to others as much as possible."

"A sensible preference."