"As long as it's not going to go berserk and murder the rest of us in our beds."

"It doesn't have any ability to do that," she says, smiling a little. "It's an archival droid."

"But I'll keep an eye on it."

"All right."

" - Quick thing, 'it'? Uh. Just - "

She scrunches up her face.

"Gender is an organic invention," the droid intones from its corner. "It has artistic potential, but the implementation is messy and inelegant. There is no suitably aesthetic pronoun within my database, nor a single pronoun of inorganic origin except in Binary, so I will simply note an objection to the system." It tilts its head. "Including a concept that inorganic pronouns are lesser."

"Sorry," she says. "I don't know many droids, so I was unsure what's - polite."

"Apology noted."

It goes back on standby.

Anathema blinks at it, shrugs, and then, to Anakin: "So... I guess other thing is why you're weird sometimes around Ellaita?" She glances at Ellaita with a quiet apology. "...Though that's maybe not my place to ask."

"Does need to be asked, though."

"...Oh. Uh. Sorry."

She looks incredibly socially awkward about this.

"It's nothing - you did. You just resemble someone I knew once, not - precisely the same, but enough that if I'm tired or not paying attention, my mind... Catches, for a bit, before I realize."

"I'm working on being less awkward about this, but - seeing Jacen threatening Lily was. The angriest I've ever been, which meant I needed to - turn inward, to control myself. And I was focusing enough on that and what I was doing that it - took me until we landed to actually look at you in the Force and remind myself you're - not her."

"Now that we're out of immediate danger I should get used to it, though, without much more time."

"Hmm. Okay."

Somewhat awkward - but friendly - smile. "It's not an - unpleasant resemblance, at least."

"Good."

Her expression softens.

"I'd had other questions, but - I think actually most importantly right now... I understand that you're ill at ease with me. I fully understand and accept why that might be the case." She pauses a little bit, looking thoughtful. 

"Mm?"

"I want to keep working with you, if you're willing. You're - smart, adaptable, knowledgable. Brave, but not foolish. Skeptical when needed. You have a level head. And you took care of Lily when I couldn't."

"But peace requires trust. I trust you, as much as I can so far - so what do you need, in actions or information, to trust me to work beside you?"

"What you did today... I don't get this Force shit. I'd- need to know how to protect myself, or how to stop you."

She nods.

"That's reasonable."

"I'm willing to teach you, and I'm willing to help you find ways to protect yourself that take less time to learn to use. Most of the ways I can think of - aren't straightforward, unfortunately, though - "

She looks - uncomfortable. "...Though it's likely I could reconstruct what Jacen used to trap me, and that it'd be easy to use. Or, at least, easier than - beating me at my own game."

"Not a great solution."

"It was unpleasant. But - "

"I don't intend to ever need to be stopped. I'll listen to you, if you think I'm doing something wrong, though I can't promise I'll ultimately agree. I'll listen to Lily, too, and she's more experienced at arguing with me."

"But being trapped there would be - significantly better than the failure modes if I lose control of myself."

"I'd want - perhaps a bit more certainty that you wouldn't - abuse it, like Jacen did. But - it's something I'd be very willing to let Lily have, and... It's not something I'm opposed to someone other than her having."

(Lily makes a small, unhappy noise.)

"Let's keep that on the back burner."

She nods - and turns to Lily, floating a blanket from one of the bunk rooms to wrap around the girl, ruffling her hair with the Force. "I love you, dear heart," she says, softly, voice pitched so Anathema and Ellaita can barely hear. "I try to be worthy of your trust, but none of us can truthfully say we'll never do something we regret."

"I know," she mumbles, leaning a bit toward her teacher. Then, to Ellaita: "Can you trust that Master Anakin will be her own control? At least - until you're stronger yourself?" She glances at her teacher. "She's not a bad person. At all. She's done bad things, but - she really doesn't want to do them again."

"For now."