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[sith_happened]

The Emperor had woken Vader up before dawn.

Again.

And demanded he come back to check on the Death's Star's progress.

Again.

Which meant Vader would be spending days stuffed into his TIE fighter and flying out to Endor.

Again.

So he was in a pissy mood.

Again.

[OOC: Door's closed, post's open! Contents of conversation with Rory and Aeryn are NFB! Void where prohibited, sales tax applicable in Washington State...]

The Undeveloped Story - Anberlin

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[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory looked like she had been slapped.

Then she recovered.

"You really think that if they hadn't split you and Obi-Wan up, you wouldn't have still tried to save her?"

It was the first time she'd mentioned how much she'd deduced.

[sith_happened]

"If we hadn't been split up, it would've worked," Vader insisted. "I would have saved her. Grievous would have been dead, Palpatine would have been forced to step down from his emergency powers when the war ended and she would still be here!"

Way to be sensitive, there, Vader.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Thank you for letting me know my worth," Rory said quietly, clearly more hurt by this than by anything else Vader had said to her in a long time.

[sith_happened]

Vader tilted his helmet as he looked at her, the words he said finally registering.

He berated himself for a long moment in the comfort of his head.

You shouldn't listen to me, he whispered, sounding desperately unhappy. I break everything I touch.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

You don't have to be this way, she whispered back after a moment. And you obviously don't have to be touching me to break me. You're choosing this. And I refuse to stand idly by. Because even if I'm nothing more than a little girl you had a fling with, I never replaced you and I refuse to give up.

Rory had her arms crossed around herself protectively, and was staring down at her shoes.

[sith_happened]

Vader's left hand twitched towards her.

She never replaced you, he said, voice almost impossible to hear even in her head. It didn't work that way.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

She's more important. You did this to yourself for her. You won't undo it because of me. It's okay. I needed to grow up and realize that I probably made up like ninety percent of what we had. I'm glad you found someone you could love like that.

[sith_happened]

For a brief, ugly moment, Vader considered letting Rory think that for her own good. Maybe then she'd leave him alone.

But even a man who blew up planets had a line he wouldn't cross, and lying like that to Rory was it.

She wasn't more important, he blurted into her mind before he could regret saying anything. And what you and I had... he hesitated, afraid. It was as happy as I ever was, he finally concluded.

And if that said something about how he and Padmé worked, well, so be it.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"It's really none of my business," she said aloud.

[sith_happened]

"That's never stopped either one of us before," he replied.

There was no harshness in his voice.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Are you planning on taking off the mask and whisking me off my feet right at this moment, Anakin?" Rory asked sarcastically. "Are we going to live happily ever after now, because since your wife can't come back you're going to settle for second best? Are we going to go steady? Do I get to be Mrs. Dark Lord? I don't care what lies you want to feed me, but I'm not buying any of them. Claim that you still care about me. I know it's true on my end. I wish I had so much faith on yours."

[sith_happened]

Vader hadn't thought he had enough emotions left in him to be torn that raw again.

He was grateful for the helmet. It hid the heartbreak.

"Then there's nothing left to say, Miss Gilmore," he said, voice carefully neutral. "Leave now."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory looked up and if Vader was looking, he got a glimpse of her red eyes and damp cheeks. "Right. Bye."

With that, she turned on her heel and left.

[sith_happened]

Vader stared off after her for a long, long time, mind full of regret.