Her muscles tense at the first rush of power, eyes going wide, heart pounding, lips gasping open - she doesn't really have time to react past that, beyond the flush through her body and the tight coil in her core, before the power withdraws. 

(She reacts much faster when in danger. Her reaction now is not that of someone who feels threatened.)

"Oh," she gasps after a moment. " - Oh."

She swallows, mouth dry, pupils still blown wide. A breath, then, reaching without even thinking about it for the techniques Elesse has taught her to get a hold of her emotions - and: "Why tell me?"

"The central tenet of the Sith Order for the past thousand years has been what we call the rule of two. One master, one apprentice. I have other tools," she flutters a hand dismissively, "but not one truly worthy. I have brought the galaxy now to the precipice of change. I would have you at my side when it tips."

"Oh," she says, feeling dumb, and - something else. Not revulsion, at all, but there's enough of a chaotic mix she's having trouble picking out individual emotions. 

"...What would you want to do? With - me, with the galaxy?" Pause. "As much as you can tell me when you're not positive if I really belong to you." Brain why did you word it like that. "I - don't want to be lied to, but I won't feel lied to about just... Common sense keeping secrets."

"You, Anakin Skywalker, are the brightest and best Force user of our age. Your talents and potential are being sorely wasted. And," she gestures around the apartment, "I enjoy having pretty things around me. Your beauty has blossomed to match your brains."

"By the time I am done with the galaxy, the Jedi Order will no longer exist, and the Republic will likely be unrecognizable as well."

She blushes! 

"I - "

"Elesse, please, can you be more specific with me?" She identifies two of her churning emotions - anxiety... And yearning. "I want to know what I'm signing up for, at least - "

"I'm assuming you want the Jedi dead." A sick feeling in her gut - she has friends, there, she has Master Palpatine. Then a thought - the Jedi won't tolerate Elesse, either. 

The thought of being Elesse's enemy makes her even more sick. 

"Any that prove too inflexible. Which will be almost all, yes. They will be tested, twisted and stretched beyond the narrow confines of their doctrine and they will have no idea who is doing this until the end."

She nods, slowly, thinking. 

"What would the final plan look like for the galaxy, and - is that something I could influence?"

"Of course, my dear. I would value your input. Best and brightest, as I said."

Soft smile. 

"...I can tell you're not answering the question about what the galaxy is going to look like. Is there - a time you'd tell me?"

"Yes."

She bites her lip, thinking.

"I'm... Still kind of unsure? But I'm not going to turn on you - I need to think, and - probably ask more questions, but... If I don't want to be yours, I won't get in your way, either? I've been considering leaving the Jedi anyways, I don't think it'd surprise anyone if I did..."

She reaches out to brush Anakin's face gently. "Take all the time you need to think it over."

She leans into Elesse's touch a bit. "Thank you."

Hum. (...She kind of wants a hug.) And then, thinking over what she wants out of this...

Knowing that Elesse is a Sith is - big.

Anakin wants to not feel lied to, and... To know if she can still feel safe with Elesse - if the person she's fallen in love with is the real one.

"How much of - all your interactions with me - have been honest?"

"My lies to you were of omission only, and as few of those as strictly necessary. I have always shown more of myself to you than any other."

Slow nod. "Thank you." Then, almost without noticing, "Ma'am."

She shifts a bit.

Soft smile.

That gets her a little return smile.

"...I think better when someone's touching me, sometimes," she says, shyly, "Or if I'm exercising..."

"Do you want me to touch you, Anakin?"

"Please, ma'am?"

She reaches out to pull Anakin into her, laying them down stretched out across the couch.

"Like this?" she whispers into Anakin's ear.

She shivers a bit, heart rate picking up - and she snuggles into Elesse, tucking her head under the older woman's chin (conveniently hiding her massive blush, though Anakin's realizing that if Elesse is Force sensitive she should be able to feel Anakin's emotions when she isn't masking them, which she hasn't been).

(That makes her blush more, but the idea that Elesse knows what she feels and hasn't told her to stop feeling it also sets off a warm glow in her chest.)

"Yes, ma'am," she whispers back once her vocal chords feel like producing words and not little nondistinct sounds.

She hums, pleased, and smooths Anakin's hair.

"Good."

Oh this is nice.

Anakin snuggles Elesse for a bit, letting her brain wind itself down, until she can identify more of her conflicting emotions and start working more straightforwardly through everything that's been said.

...And then something pings her brain.

"Elesse, as a Sith Lord - are you aware of other dark siders and, like, what they're doing and who they are?"

"At least in general terms, yes."

She hums.

Then: "I - think I told you, a while back, but - we think my father was a dark sider, or... Gardulla thought that, at least. And - I haven't found any trace... Do you know anything about that?"