Closed to morally_cryptic

[talentedscavenger]

Rey had experienced a whirlwind of events from locating Luke Skywalker's lightsaber to being pulled through time to meet the person who started it all; Anakin. The man was her grandfather, someone who was the 'chosen one' to bring balance to the Force. If that wasn't enough, she learned of her own powers and had to be trained to use them. It was an interesting time, spending weeks learning about the man and studying under him. They developed a friendship, a strange bond between two adults who happened to be generations apart. As much as she enjoyed her time with him, she was thrust back to her present time.

Anakin was right, it was like she never left. Everyone was still at the Cantina, looking for her. The First Order arrived...it was chaos.

But that was then, and this was now. She found out about Kylo Ren and the man he idolized so much. It pained her, no, angered her to know the same person she met had turned to the Dark Side. Rey kept her mouth shut to her cousin, managing to use the Force to keep him out of her mind and push him back. Now, she had a target on her back. The events didn't go well from there, losing her friend and semi-father figure, Han.

Now she was on a quest to find Luke. The man who could or could not be father. She didn't know how many children Anakin had, though she still remembered those strong Force visions of two children. Chewie and her managed to land the Falcon on the right planet, now she had to make the journey to find the Jedi. At least the time to herself would let her deal with her emotions. She was conflicted, angry, and hurt. From losing a friend to learning some of the truth about her grandfather...it was disheartening.

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[morally_cryptic]

From the other side of the ship a whistle from Artoo can be heard that sounds distinctly like the little droid is going, buuuurn! or whatever the droid equivalent of such a sentiment might be. Anakin shoots a sharp glance in that direction, "not helping, Artoo." The cheerful chirp he gets in response is, of course, not at all repentant.

"Well," Anakin says as he gives her a level stare, "you're not going to find that by standing on this sand pit, are you?"

[talentedscavenger]

Rey's sly smile turned into a grin hearing the whistle coming from the droid. Oh she likes being right. At least she knew what she was doing, compared to him. However, he was giving her a tempting offer. Did she take it?

"...get in." One trip that's all. One short trip to prove she wasn't family to someone. She had all she needed anyway. All that mattered to her was her staff. The only weapon she had.

She started to climb into the cockpit, anxious, nervous and excited.

[morally_cryptic]

"You're just lucky it fits two," he quips as he closes up the panel they'd opened earlier to inspect the ship before he climbs in the other side of the cockpit.

But no, he has no intention of helping her get the thing started. A test is a test.

"Have you ever actually even flown anything before? I can't imagine Unkar would go for that."

[talentedscavenger]

Rey climbed in, making sure to strap herself in properly. No use in not being safe. When it came to the actual controls, it took her a moment to get her bearings.

Her hands roamed over the control panel, starting up the engines and warming them first.

"No, never flown but I have a simulator. " she told him, getting things prepped.

"You ready?"

[morally_cryptic]

"A simulator," he echoes. "This ought to be interesting," he adds as he finishes buckling his own restraints.

And then he waves his hand toward the sky, "ready as I'll ever be." Besides, he could always take over the controls if he really thought he needed to.

[talentedscavenger]

"Yeah, a simulator," Rey quips back, a bit of pride in her voice. Okay, she's done this before. All she has to do was engaged the engines, pull on the throttle and she would be okay. The starfighter would start up and they could get going. So...why was she hesitating?

You can do this... She told herself, taking in a deep breath and focused. She was tapping into the Force again, letting it flow through her to guide her. There was some shakiness in the beginning, but she stabilized it. She pulled back on the throttle and they were off.

Rey didn't say a single word until they were off of Jakku, leaving behind the ball of sand and dirt. Her heart was hammering in her chest, elated, excited, and still anxious about everything. She was flying...she was flying and not crashing and not dreaming.

[morally_cryptic]

Anakin manages to rein in any further snark until they make it out of atmosphere, even during the bumpy bits, even when he wanted to point out she was using the Force again, dammit.

"Not bad," he comments as he raises his eyebrows at her, "not great but then not everyone can be me."

[talentedscavenger]

Rey managed to let out a soft laugh, nervousness fading away the longer she was flying. This was....this was great. She was actually flying a ship! She was out in space and experiencing the joy and freedom that came with flying.

"Again, this coming from the Jedi who had his motivator blow up on him?" she quipped back, her eyes taking in the sight of stars and distant planets.

"Where are we going? Unless you want me to keep up us in space and experience my wonderful company."

[morally_cryptic]

"Well, if we're going to test your theory about that motivator, we're actually going to have to make the jump to hyperspace," he retorts, curious to see how she takes it. Will she tell him he has to drop her back to the surface first or will she want to see more now that she's out here?

"Though we're closer to Coruscant here than we are to Tatooine." Just saying.

[talentedscavenger]

"A theory?" she replies, nearly looking over her shoulder at him. No, the motivator was dirty, that's why it blew up on him. Theory her arse. No, she was going to prove to him ti was working fine, that he failed to get his parts properly cleaned and checked out.

"Your call, either way the jump to hyperspace will be fine. You're the one who messed up the first time." All he had to do was point her in the right direction and she would be ready to go. No matter what he decided to do, she was already prepping for the jump.

Was she being a bit arrogant? Maybe, but it wasn't like that was in short supply between the two of them.

[morally_cryptic]

He'd laugh if he wasn't sure that would ruin the whole effect.

"Artoo can help you plot a course for Tatooine then."

Better that than bringing her to Coruscant...even if technically he should at least go back to report on how his mission went. Technically he could call this just a sort of...extension of his mission. No reason to report in until it was complete, right?

[talentedscavenger]

"Tatooine it is," she says calmly, thankful his droid was able to help plot a course for it. Rey had never been off of Jakku. Sure, she heard the names of other planets, and knew their general direction, but to actually travel there? That was a bit beyond her capabilities.

The jump to hyperspace was a relatively smooth, considering Rey had never done that before. Her simulator was meant for intense situations and she reacted as such. She wasn't sure to flying in something...so calm, peaceful. But what was starting to gnaw at her was where they were going. Tatooine was where he was from. That meant...

"...We're going to see your mother, aren't we?" Maybe she should have set Coruscant as their destination instead.

[morally_cryptic]

"Two birds, one starship." To intentionally mangle the phrase. "You don't have to see her."

But Anakin did. The more he thought about it and the closer they got, the more it gnawed at him. "Besides, you'll like it, you won't even think you'd left. The new sand will blend right in with the old."

Though Tatooine actually managed to have slightly more in the way of civilization than Jakku. Plus two suns instead of only the one. Minor differences, right?

[talentedscavenger]

"Such a wordsmith you are," she quipped, but shortly fell silent after that. Did she want to meet her? Did she want to meet the one who gave her or? Or, the woman who had to let her go? It was a lot to think about and the closer they got to Tatooine, the more nervous she became. The nervousness turned into a sense of dread, though it was hard to tell if it was her own feelings or if it was something else.

"Where do you want me to land?" Or would he prefer to take control? She had no idea where she was going.

[morally_cryptic]

"I'll handle it," he says, taking over the controls with the sort of practiced ease that suggests he wasn't at all boasting about his skill with a starship. "Mos Espa is...well," he cocks his head to the side as he turns for the town in question, "...it's better than Mos Eisley. But not by much." It doesn't matter that she probably doesn't know anything about either settlement, he was just talking to fill space by this point.

As they come in for a landing, she'll be able to see well enough for herself that while the place is larger than Niima Outpost, there doesn't really appear to be much else to recommend it save maybe the large stadium-like structure situated outside the town.

For his part, Anakin settles the ship down outside of town as well instead of heading for one of the docking bays.

[talentedscavenger]

Well, apparently Anakin did have some skills behind his words. Rey continued to stay quiet, letting his voice fill the silence between them. Oddly enough, his voice was calming, bringing her to a somewhat relaxed state. Her eyes looked out the window, taking note of the places he was mentioning. The area had more life to it, more structured, but she recalled what else was there. Slavery was still alive on Tatooine.

They've landed away from the docking bays, which tells her they're closer to his mother's home. The closer they got, the more the uneasy feeling in her grew. Did she want to see her? A hard question for sure.

Now that the ship had descended, it was the moment of truth. If anything, she could say she was Anakin's...traveling companion. Those still existed, right?

"I'll head down with you." Just to make sure he didn't get into trouble. Just to maybe see his mother...maybe to find out if that woman was her mother too.

[morally_cryptic]

He looks at her for a moment, then shrugs slightly, offering up a smile. "At least you'll blend in." Because truthfully, no one would give her a second look here and between Anakin toning down the Jedi-robes-look when he went to Jakku combined with the purposeful way he walks through the streets of Mos Espa, no one was likely to bother him either.

"I...don't know exactly where she is now," he confesses, though a tightening in his chest suggests he isn't going to like what he finds. "But I know who ought to." If the Toydarian knew what was good for him.

[talentedscavenger]

Rey shot him a look but didn't say anything. If she really wanted to blend in, she would have donned her helmet and goggles too, but she left both behind on Jakku. Though, he looked different, hopefully that would work in his favor. There was a sense of purpose and power about him, though when they met, she found it easy to push his buttons.

"Let's...let's head over..." She took in a deep breath and followed him, expecting to find his mother. Or at least learn the whereabouts of her. Each step made her heart beat louder. Something wasn't right. She could feel it in her gut. Was something going on Jakku, or were they about to walk into something bad?

[morally_cryptic]

[ooc: paraphrasing the scene in AotC]

Anakin hesitates when they pass near the old slave quarters, wondering if they should just try there first but...it's been a decade, there's no telling that she's still there so after a moment he keeps walking until they find a rather grizzled Toydarian sitting out in front of the old junk shop, looking rather worse for wear. And no sign of his mother. Fear grips him then, had Watto lost her in a bet the same way Gardulla had lost both of them to him? Admirably, he doesn't let the emotion show on his face so the only one who might know it's there is Rey.

"Chut chut, Watto," he greets, finding it strange that his once-master looks so small now.

The Toydarian looks up sharply from his work, glancing at both of them before he catches sight of the lightsaber hanging from Anakin's hip and just visible where his robe doesn't quite cover it. "Anjenda! du Jedi!" He raises his hands and pushes back away from his work table, "no bata no tutu!"

Anakin rolls his eyes and ignores Watto's protestation of innocence, "mi boska di Shmi Skywalker."

That, at least, has the Toydarian looking at him suspiciously instead of cringing.

[talentedscavenger]

Rey saw the hesitation in Anakin, wondering if he should go one way or another. He's nervous too. She didn't ask how long ago he saw his mother, so this really would be bittersweet for him. Her gaze is focused ahead, glancing out of the corner of her eyes of the others around them. The junk reminds me a lot of Unakr's station, but he was smart enough to hide behind a wall in case there was trouble. Her eyes flicker to Anakin as he switches tongues, only guess what he and the old Toydarian are talking about. She picked up pieces, but that was it.

The feeling dread stirred in her, especially when the Toydarian looks him and now her. There is a strong urge to take Anakin's hand and lead him away. She wasn't about to make it seem like she was a helpless girl, or give the impression Anakin was her owner, or keeper.

So for now she stays quiet, hoping they can find his mother and leave soon.

[morally_cryptic]

After narrowing his eyes at Anakin another moment, he asks, "Ani? Little Ani?" Then another look up and down. "Nah," couldn't be him. That little kid this guy?

With another barely restrained eyeroll, Anakin reaches down and scoops up one of the obviously-broken small droids on Watto's bench. A few seconds roll by as he manipulates it with a few deft movements of his hands and a little help from the Force to click pieces inside into place. Anybody's guess as to whether he did it more to prove his identity to Watto or to show off a little for Rey. Probably a little of both.

Certainly it serves to convince Watto who looks down with surprise at the now-working little droid Anakin puts before him before he sets his wings in motion so he can look at them at eye level. "Hah! You are Ani! You sure sprouted!"

Suddenly Anakin has an idea of what normal children feel like when old relatives they haven't seen in years talk about how much they'd grown. "Hello, Watto. About my mother?"

[talentedscavenger]

[ooc: my apologies, I haven't seen the movie in ages. I need to do another marathon.]

Rey had to hold back the urge to chuckle. Ani? That was his nickname? Her eyes glanced over to him, feeling the tension start to ease. It was awkward to watch the two of the interact, but for Anakin he probably felt just as weird and awkward. To be in the presence of the Toydarian who was his owner.

Apparently the best way to prove one's identity was to rebuild something old and make it work again. Rey is a bit impressed with Anakin's skills and how he uses the Force to move the parts back into their proper spots. Funny, she had been looking at the same doll too.

The mention of his mother has Watto looking away for a moment then back at him. He looked like he had a lot on his mind suddenly. In an attempt to change the subject he looked over in Rey's direction and looks taken aback. Anakin was looking for his mother and there was a woman who looked remarkably like her.

"...Anakin, I'm going to wait outside." Perhaps it was best if Rey let the two of them talk in private.

[morally_cryptic]

[ooc: it's okay, probably easier to handwave the rest anyhow. :) ]

Anakin nods and waves her off, keeping more of his attention on the junk shop owner as she goes.

It doesn't take too much longer for Anakin to talk Watto out of trying to convince him to pay a visit to some people who owned the Toydarian money and get him back on the track of telling him what happened to Shmi. Soon enough, he's stalking outside to meet Rey. "He sold her to some moisture farmer. He says he heard they got married!"

And Anakin doesn't know if that's a good thing or not.

[talentedscavenger]

Rey moves outside, deciding to stay a few paces away from the entrance to the junkyard. The climate on Tatooine is similar and different on Jakku. The two suns made it hotter, but she was used to dry weather. At least she was dressed for it, whereas Anakin, those Jedi robes he had to hot.

She wasn't one to pace around, but she was starting to feel fidgety, pondering over her decision. Her concentration is broken once Anakin steps outside. He was upset, visibly and understandably so.

"He did what?" This wasn't good. A marriage between a slave and their owner was very rarely a good thing.

"Are they still here or do we need to go elsewhere?" she asked.

[morally_cryptic]

"Business is business," Anakin mutters in an echo of Watto, as he leads the way back to the ship. "Not here, the farm is on the other side of Mos Eisley on the other end of the Jundland Wastes." Once again, not something that would likely mean much to her but had to be said anyway.

"I'm still driving," he says firmly as they get back to the ship. Not that he thinks she was going to argue him on that at this particular point.