As if the fight with Jacen hadn't been enough to get him ruffled, then there was the vong speak. That's what had thrown him off more then anything. If it'd just been Jacen he probably could have handled it. He was getting used to fighting with his brother. This was something deeper that hit too close for comfort. Normally on a good day, Anakin could sense Luke coming from a mile away thanks to the bond they had. Not only was it because he was family, it was also a strong Force Bond that they created simply by letting the Force to flow freely between them.
That night things were different. Anakin barely responded when Luke arrived except with a strained sort of half smile that almost hurt to look at. "If you're ready, we'll get started. " He responded. It wasn't with his usual interest or warmth, he needed to block out the emotion. He knew he couldn't let himself get so involved that he couldn't let go. Anger, grief, sadness, they could all lead to the dark side if he held them in to long. Then there was the mental damage they could cause, River had said like pressure in a bottle waiting to explode. If he didn't release the energy somehow he was going to melt down, but Anakin wasn't sure how so he tried to remain detached. On the outside to someone who didn't know the younger Solo they may have been fooled, but through the Force it was as obvious as reading a book just how not fine he really was.