Office hours, Monday

[sith_happened]

After a humiliating evening of thinking he was a merman, Anakin was in his office brooding.

Not hiding.

Really.

...the door was open, at least?

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[likes_scoundrels]

The last time Leia had been to Fandom had been just after she'd found out the truth about her father. She'd managed to get past the initial rage, but still, she'd stayed away because she knew she couldn't look at Anakin without seeing Vader looming over her as she was tortured.

But quite some time had passed since then, and things were very different now in her own world. Not perfect, but different. So it was a much calmer Leia that appeared at Anakin's office door. "Hello, Father."

[sith_happened]

Anakin's face lit up. "Leia!"

[likes_scoundrels]

"It's been awhile," Leia said, stepping into the office. At least she wasn't aiming a blaster at him this time? But she did have a lightsaber clipped to her belt.

[sith_happened]

Anakin noticed the lightsaber immediately. "It has been," he agreed. "Luke is training you?"

[likes_scoundrels]

"Yes, but he's not the only one," Leia said. She hadn't progressed very far in her training yet, since being Minister of State left her with little free time.

"You're training me, too."

[sith_happened]

"Oh, I am?" Anakin replied, beaming. "Let's see what you've learned so far, then."

[likes_scoundrels]

"Aren't you a little curious as to just how that came to be?" Leia asked.

[sith_happened]

"More than a little," Anakin said, "but I wasn't certain you were going to tell me."

[likes_scoundrels]

No, it didn't give Leia even the tiniest bit of joy at being the one to know things instead of her extended family. Not at all.

"I don't think our worlds ended up the same," she said, trying to keep her expression serious. "Given that in mine, you're still in the suit."

[sith_happened]

Anakin blinked. "I'm alive there too?"

[likes_scoundrels]

Leia nodded and sat down. "Did you think I was going to let you die?"

Well, probably, given that she had wanted to kill him herself when she found out he was Vader.

[sith_happened]

"I wouldn't have blamed you if you had," Anakin admitted.

[likes_scoundrels]

"It took me awhile to make that decision," Leia said softly. "But after all you did, you're still my father. And Luke felt the same."

It had helped that she'd met him here in Fandom. If she hadn't seen that side of him, she wasn't so sure she would've come to the same choice.

[sith_happened]

Anakin bit his lower lip and focused on his desk for a long moment so she wouldn't see the emotion in his eyes.

Finding one Luke to believe in him had been miracle enough; he'd never considered two of them.

[likes_scoundrels]

"I can't pretend to fully understand what happened to you to change you," Leia went on. But now that she was training to be a Jedi herself, she was starting to get more of an awareness of the Dark Side.

"Not yet at least. But Luke and I decided to take the risk that the man you were was still in there somewhere." Her lips twitched in a smile. "Well, Luke decided that he would take the risk and confront you alone. He should've known better. I went after him."

[sith_happened]

Anakin groaned and dropped his head into his hand. "Of course you did. What happened next?"

[likes_scoundrels]

"We were on the second Death Star," Leia said, her smile fading as she remembered. "While the Alliance attacked. Palpatine ordered you to kill me. Luke fought you instead. He asked if you could kill both your children, which caught you off guard. Palpatine as well. But you kept fighting until Luke severed your arm and you injured him. I put myself in the way, and we told you that we weren't going to fight you anymore, and if you were going to kill us, to just do it. But you couldn't do it."

[sith_happened]

Anakin closed his eyes. "And then what did Palpatine do?"

Because Force help the bastard if he'd hurt both of his children.

[likes_scoundrels]

"Probably would have tried to kill us all," Leia said. "But right at that point, the Alliance destroyed the main reactor of the Death Star. Luke and I got you out of there before it exploded, but Palpatine got away. He's still out there somewhere, hiding."

[sith_happened]

"I'm sure your father has already told you this, but he needs to be found, tried, and executed," Anakin said.

[likes_scoundrels]

"And that is exactly what we have been trying to do," Leia assured him. "All three of us."

[sith_happened]

Anakin didn't look entirely pleased to hear that. "Be careful," he said. "He killed me in my version. I killed him back, but still."

[likes_scoundrels]

"I am being careful," Leia insisted. "We all are. We'll find him, though both you and Luke are worried he'll come after me first, since I have the least training."

She hated feeling vulnerable, so she'd made it a point to squeeze in as much training as she could.

[sith_happened]

"It would be like him," Anakin said. "No training, your history with the Senate, connection with Alderaan...it'd be how I'd play it if I was still evil and not your father."

[likes_scoundrels]

That wasn't very comforting, Dad.

"I am being careful," Leia said again. "You and Luke are doing most of the hunting, though you're keeping a lower profile." For obvious reasons.

[trigons_child]

Later that afternoon, Raven stopped by for a visit as well. The last time she'd seen Anakin she'd had no memory had had been dressing in white. She was MUCH better now, see?

"Hello, Professor Skywalker," she greeted him with a smile. "How are you?"

[sith_happened]

"Very well," Anakin replied, beaming as he stood up. "I'll be better with a hug, though."

[trigons_child]

Raven needed no urging for that. "It is good to see you, and even more to know you," she said, moving in for a hug.

[sith_happened]

Anakin hugged her tightly. "That sounds like a story."

[trigons_child]

"A long one," Raven said with a little sigh. "But the shorter version is my brothers found a way to influence my emotions with their powers without me realizing it, and when Karla broke the connection, the trauma to my mind caused me to lose my memories for a time. But I am much better now, and my brothers will not be able to affect me in such a way again."

[sith_happened]

Anakin dropped a kiss on the top of her hair. "Your family makes mine seem stable and well-adjusted," he said a little wryly.

[trigons_child]

Raven nodded. "I fortunately have not sensed anything from them in some time," she said, "and I hope it remains that way. Their manipulation of my emotions was...unsettling."

She was kind of glad she hadn't run into Anakin while under her brothers' influence. On the one hand, he likely would've sensed that something was going on sooner than anyone else, but on the other, if Lust had been particularly active that day, it could have been awkward, to say the least.

[sith_happened]

Yeah, that would have been reaaaaaaaaaaally uncomfortable for everyone, and Anakin couldn't mindwhammy himself.

He made a face. "I would use slightly stronger terms than 'unsettling'," he said. "What did they hope to gain by doing it?"

[trigons_child]

"I cannot be absolutely certain," Raven said, thinking it over. "To try to make me give in to my baser emotions, most likely. And to drive a wedge between me and my friends." Which they'd succeeded in doing for some, and almost with others.

[sith_happened]

"What do they have against Karla and her realm?" Anakin wondered.

[trigons_child]

"It is not so much Glacia, I think, but reclaiming me as their sister," Raven said. "United, as a family, we would be stronger. But they will never have me. My true family is the one I have made here in Fandom."

[sith_happened]

"Good," Anakin said, smiling. "I'm very proud of you for it."

[trigons_child]

Raven preened. "I hope perhaps they will give up trying to convert me now. I think I have felt them from time to time brushing against the corners of my mind, but they cannot get in."

[sith_happened]

Anakin smiled at her. "Don't get too smug about it," he said fondly. "We can work on shielding techniques if you have some time."

[trigons_child]

"I would like that, yes," Raven said, equally fond. "I have missed making weekly visits to your office."

[sith_happened]

"I've missed seeing you," Anakin admitted softly.

[trigons_child]

"I should try to visit more often, then," Raven said. "My work in Glacia keeps me busy, but I will find the time."

[sith_happened]

"I would really like that," Anakin said softly.

[trigons_child]

"You should come visit Glacia as well," Raven offered. "It can be quite lovely there, though I would not recommend the dead of winter." It would give him flashbacks to Hoth.

[demonbelthazor]

Bel randomly poked his head through the doorway. "Jackass," he said, before wandering away.

It was possible he'd made a special trip up to the school just to say that.

[sith_happened]

"Didn't miss you!" Anakin yelled after him.