Office hours [all day]

[sith_happened]

The poster of Farrah Fawcett stared down at Vader as he banged things around in his office.

The Emperor had been in touch ridiculously early that morning.

Now Vader had some contractors to scare as soon as possible. He'd argued that if he didn't hold office hours, young Skywalker might get suspicious.

It had nothing to do with his thought that building a second Death Star was pointless. And that he really didn't want to fly all the way to freaking Endor.

Really.

The door to his office was cracked open.

[OOC: Contents of conversation with Rory NFB, please and thank you!]

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[can_be_more]

"Maybe, maybe not," she tells him. "I'm not convinced of that. But it still might make things easier for you. The offer will be there if you need it."

[sith_happened]

"I blew up her planet," Vader said after a long moment. "And dropped her boyfriend into carbonite."

Another pause. "Even if she has the terrible, terrible taste to be dating Solo."

[can_be_more]

She frowns, trying to figure out where that came from. "Who, Leia?" She's not even sure she has the name right.

[sith_happened]

Vader nodded.

"My daughter."

[can_be_more]

Aeryn would love to have a halfway eloquent reaction to that, but once she's finished blinking and deciding she still hadn't heard him right, all she's left with is "Um..."

[sith_happened]

"Exactly," Vader said, staring at his desk.

[can_be_more]

Wow, those are impressive parenting skills, but Aeryn can't find the words to say that yet. She sticks with the simple questions right now, like, "Does Luke know?"

[sith_happened]

Vader shrugged. "I have no idea. I didn't know until I was halfway through," torturing her, "an interrogation."

Yup. Worst. Father. Ever.

[can_be_more]

"Was that before or after you blew up her planet in front of her?" Aeryn asks, really slowly.

[sith_happened]

"After," Vader said. "But I knew and still put Solo into carbonite."

Pause.

"It didn't kill him."

[can_be_more]

"Why?" she asks, and she's just a smidge not okay with this.

[sith_happened]

"There was a price to pay," Vader said, "after Skywalker didn't turn. I needed to prove my loyalty."

[can_be_more]

"She's your daughter," Aeryn says. "You don't punish one child for another's actions, especially when no one did anything wrong."

[sith_happened]

"I wasn't trying to punish her," Vader said. "I didn't even know about her until we had captured Solo. But the Emperor...needed appeasement. And I didn't have the time to find another Rebel to capture."

It was a poor excuse and he knew it.

[can_be_more]

"That doesn't make it right," she says. "You're supposed to fight for your children, not hurt them because someone else tells you to."

This subject might be a little close to home.

[sith_happened]

"I didn't know hurting him would affect her at all," Vader replied defensively. "Until she practically killed me with her eyes. She has some rage issues."

And he would know.

[can_be_more]

"Then fix it," Aeryn tells him.

[sith_happened]

"How?" Vader asked angrily. "A card? A fruit basket? I blew up her planet. Even if Luke forgives me, Leia never will."

[can_be_more]

"It's her right to decide whether or not to forgive you. If you don't do anything to remedy the situation in the slightest, you don't deserve her forgiveness."

[sith_happened]

Vader was the poster child for wallowing. "Then I don't deserve it."

[can_be_more]

If she thought hitting him would have any impact, Aeryn would be doing it right now. "So you're going to let her suffer because... why? It's too hard? You're too stubborn? Too selfish?"

[sith_happened]

"Because telling her I'm her father would only make things worse."

[can_be_more]

"Anakin, do you honestly think that the path you're on right now is going to make things better?" Aeryn asks. "Isn't that a sign that something needs to change?"

[sith_happened]

"I never said I wanted things to be better," Vader insisted.

[can_be_more]

She's really good at the bitch, please faces when she actually does them. "So you're talking to me about this because the way things are is perfectly all right with you?"