Mutual Feelings

Reformation

With an armoured togruta at his back, along with two Jedi masters, Anakin would have felt more comfortable facing any other foe than the diminutive, green being waiting at the foot of the ramp.

"Master Skywalker." Yoda greeted him. "Bought dire tidings, Master Kenobi has. To the dark side, you nearly fell, he says."

"I did, Master" Anakin replied. "But I had something to bring me back." Turning on his heel, Anakin took a rather firm grip of Ahsoka, and kissed her. They were only in contact for a few moments, but it was still an incredibly satisfying experience.

"Nevertheless, punished, you must be." Yoda said. "Thrown out of the Order, Master Windu recommends."

"I'm sure he does, Master." Anakin replied, glancing at Windu briefly.

"However, a far more fitting penalty, I have in store." Yoda said, holding out a large folder of flimsiplast. "To reflect on your actions, give you time, this will."

"Is there an alternative, Master?" Anakin replied.

"A job, get." Yoda said, sternly. "And your lightsaber return."

Two weeks later:

They'd sentenced him to a committee. Not thrown him off the Council. Not shipped him off to an enclave in the Outer Rim. Not expelled him from the Order. They'd handed him an inch thick folder, and the chair of a committee to renew the Jedi Order. It was something that was held every few years. They'd be a few changes, usually. An activity wouldn't breach the Jedi Code, or would be found in breach of it. Changes to recruitment practices would be agreed, such as the right type of Jedi to recruit particular species.

Anakin remembered Yoda taking him aside, though.

"A boring job this will be, Young Skywalker." The wizened Jedi Master had said. "But power, the chair has. Reform the order, that chair can. Change the code, the chair cannot. But change the meaning, he can."

Although it wasn't exactly his favourite activity, Anakin had spent a significant amount of time studying the Code, and the Jedi Path, judging it an accurate depiction of the majority of orthodox Jedi.

So, today, Anakin stood up at the head of the conference table, brandishing a blue book, made from flimsiplast.

"Can anyone tell me what this is?" He asked. "Perhaps Master Donial will know."

The head of the Jedi recruitment office stood up. "It's a copy of the Jedi Path, Master Skywalker."

"Anakin replied by flipping the book so that he was holding it like a throwing knife, before throwing it at the human master.

"In it, I believe some of the 'slurs' against the Jedi recruitment division of the day are listed." Anakin said. "Such is at being acceptable for Jedi to abduct children against the wishes of their parents on the grounds they have the legal right to kriffing do so!" Anakin said, his voice rising. "On Tatooine and in much of the Outer Rim, it is legal to keep another person as a slave, and implant an explosive device into a child!" He continued, still at significantly greater volume than conversational. "Is that acceptable in the eyes of the Order? It's legal."

"Slavery isn't right, Master Skywalker..." Donial replied.

"And abducting children is?" Anakin demanded.

"It is our legal right..."

"And it was the legal right of a Hutt to implant an explosive device in my shoulder because I belonged to him!" Anakin roared. "Was that right?"

"No..."

"Exactly!" Anakin bellowed. "Just because something is kriffing legal doesn't make it right."