Office hours [all day]

[sith_happened]

After leaving a message for Ben, Anakin was parked in the center of his office surrounded by pieces of metal.

He was making one heck of a complicated baby toy for a Force-sensitive baby.

He hadn't decided if it would be going to little Ben or Baby Skywalker yet.

The door was wide open.

Comments

[momslilassassin]

Ben had seriously considered ignoring the message his grandfather had left him, but decided the lecture that would go along with that decision wasn't worth it.

So there he was, loitering in the doorway before curiosity finally got the best of him.

"What are you making?"

[sith_happened]

Anakin looked up and smiled. "Baby toy," he said, "for a different version of you. Want to help me?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben bit his lip before nodding. "Okay. What will it do?" he asked. "I don't remember having anything like it."

[sith_happened]

"It's going to be a maze for a ball to race through," Anakin said. "You set it in motion with a nudge of the Force."

[momslilassassin]

"That's...pretty astral," Ben admitted reluctantly, taking a seat on the floor across from his grandfather. "What can I do?"

[sith_happened]

Anakin set him to work on a series of pulleys and levers before getting back to his own section of the project.

"I heard the funeral got a little...interesting," he said carefully.

[momslilassassin]

Ben's eyes went flat. "I don't want to talk about it."

[sith_happened]

"I'm not going to make you," Anakin replied, keeping his eyes on his work. "I already heard about it from Dean and Ender anyway."

[momslilassassin]

Ben wasn't that curious about what they'd said. Truly.

"What did they say?"

He was just trying to be polite, that's all.

[sith_happened]

"That Jacen is a power-hungry meglomaniac and your father isn't seeing it clearly," Anakin said softly. "Does that track with your impression?"

[momslilassassin]

The metal in Ben's hands creaked under the pressure he put on it, but he nodded.

"It's not Dad's fault," he said, voice heated.

[sith_happened]

"I never said it was," Anakin said, keeping his voice calm. He tried to catch Ben's eyes. "It isn't yours, either."

[momslilassassin]

Ben snorted. "I wish people would stop telling me that," he complained. "I'm old enough to know where guilt belongs."

And it was on his shoulders.

[solo_sword]

It was pretty early in the day when Jaina came by, kind of looking like she might be busy but was here anyway. "Tinkering again, huh."

[sith_happened]

"New baby toy for Ben," Anakin said, "if you have room for it on your next trip."

[solo_sword]

"Uh," she started eloquently, "I don't know when I'll be seeing him again. The Jedi kids had to be sent off, I'm not even sure where he is." Oops.

[sith_happened]

"The Maw, right," Anakin said, hiding his disappointment. "I'll keep it for our new little one instead."

[solo_sword]

"Sorry," Jaina said. "I'm really reporting back for duty, too. Got a squadron to command and all."

[sith_happened]

"You're not coming back?"

[solo_sword]

"I'm not going anywhere yet," she amended. "And I plan on coming back." For now, anyway. "But work has to be my primary focus, so that's where I go when I go back."

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded. "I remember the mindset," he replied. "How's the squadron?"

[solo_sword]

"Good," Jaina said, maybe a little proudly. "They're mostly vets by now, but it's a nice cohesive team, and Jag's got them working in my absence. We've yet to lose anyone and are conducting raids pretty regularly."

[sith_happened]

"Congratulations," Anakin said proudly. "I used to have a squadron, but it's been decades."

[solo_sword]

"I wouldn't mind being there to actually enjoy having it," she admitted, "but thanks."

[sith_happened]

"Relish it when you're home," he said. "But I can't say I'm sorry to have you around here, too."