Yeah, I read his comment about that, but as you probably know, I'm quite happy to go all death of the author. Especially with one as, ummm, flexible as George.
Ahh, I see re: irnan's stories. Yeah, I remember that, though my fannish goggles coincide a bit more with fialleril's in this case. (Unsurprisingly.)
Okay, about Tarkin, it's a little involved. I'm not shipping them as, like, an actual I-want-them-together couple, but I couldn't help seeing it when I was rewatching ANH. See, I thought it was sort of funny that Leia acts as if she's just on a pleasure cruise and Tarkin is some icky acquaintance who happens to be on the same ship. Then he starts stroking her cheek and talking about how much it hurts him to do this and suddenly "icky acquaintance" with Leia sneering about recognizing his smell was a lot nastier. And then when it turns out she lied, Anakin's going "lol I told you so NANNER NANNER" but Tarkin actually seems hurt (idek!) and is all "How could you do this, Leia? HOW?" as if his lover's been cheating on him rather than ... y'know, reality.
So it does seem to me that he has some sort of sexual interest in her. I expect he's been making creepy overtures of some sort for awhile -- probably (since he doesn't seem to have known she's a spy but her idealism is obvious) suggesting that he'd help/hinder her politically. So I imagine either she rejected him (and he's exulting in his power over her now) or she didn't, presumably considering it worth it in her capacity as a spy. If she's going to be pushed into a creepy dubcon relationship, she might as well Mata Hari it up. Or something.
I lean towards the latter mostly because Tarkin, after committing genocide against her entire planet, still seems completely shocked by her deception. Vader's contemptuous response (to him) and respect (for Leia) would then be pretty loaded too. And since Leia's immediate reaction, upon waking up to find a stormtrooper in her cell, is this, I don't find it remotely difficult to believe her perfectly capable of using sex as a weapon. (Which could also factor into her romantic interactions with Luke and Han.)
So, yeah, that. (I do think she'd have had healthy sexual relationships before this point, probably on Alderaan before she had to survive the heart of the Empire.)
Re: I expect this will be a long reply
Ahh, I see re: irnan's stories. Yeah, I remember that, though my fannish goggles coincide a bit more with fialleril's in this case. (Unsurprisingly.)
Okay, about Tarkin, it's a little involved. I'm not shipping them as, like, an actual I-want-them-together couple, but I couldn't help seeing it when I was rewatching ANH. See, I thought it was sort of funny that Leia acts as if she's just on a pleasure cruise and Tarkin is some icky acquaintance who happens to be on the same ship. Then he starts stroking her cheek and talking about how much it hurts him to do this and suddenly "icky acquaintance" with Leia sneering about recognizing his smell was a lot nastier. And then when it turns out she lied, Anakin's going "lol I told you so NANNER NANNER" but Tarkin actually seems hurt (idek!) and is all "How could you do this, Leia? HOW?" as if his lover's been cheating on him rather than ... y'know, reality.
So it does seem to me that he has some sort of sexual interest in her. I expect he's been making creepy overtures of some sort for awhile -- probably (since he doesn't seem to have known she's a spy but her idealism is obvious) suggesting that he'd help/hinder her politically. So I imagine either she rejected him (and he's exulting in his power over her now) or she didn't, presumably considering it worth it in her capacity as a spy. If she's going to be pushed into a creepy dubcon relationship, she might as well Mata Hari it up. Or something.
I lean towards the latter mostly because Tarkin, after committing genocide against her entire planet, still seems completely shocked by her deception. Vader's contemptuous response (to him) and respect (for Leia) would then be pretty loaded too. And since Leia's immediate reaction, upon waking up to find a stormtrooper in her cell, is this, I don't find it remotely difficult to believe her perfectly capable of using sex as a weapon. (Which could also factor into her romantic interactions with Luke and Han.)
So, yeah, that. (I do think she'd have had healthy sexual relationships before this point, probably on Alderaan before she had to survive the heart of the Empire.)