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.

Comments

[morally_cryptic]

For several long moments, Anakin can't quite believe what he hears. Then the anger rises, "and you just left here there??"

At that moment, it's Cliegg who appears and interrupts, gives the story of how they tried to get her back and how several had died in doing so. Not that it seems to mollify Anakin any.

"I'm going to need a speeder."

[talentedscavenger]

Anakin's anger is strong enough for Rey to feel. His anger is justified, considering Shmi is his mother. Whether they are related or not, she wasn't going to let him go alone.

"You're not going alone," she tells him, giving him a stern look that tells him she would not budge on the subject. The feeling of dread is still in her, but she has to have hope. If not for herself, then for Anakin. No one deserved to lose their mother, even a Jedi.

If Cleigg agreed to lend them a speeder, they could go and try to find Shmi. Rey hasn't faced Tuscan raiders, but a scavenger and a Jedi could handle themselves, right? No, she didn't need to think about that. Just focus on her thoughts and help Anakin save his mother.

"even a Jedi", gee thanks :/

[morally_cryptic]

He's used to stern looks, he's spent half a lifetime getting them from Obi-Wan Kenobi so hers doesn't make as much of an impact as she might like. "You're staying here, Rey."

Whatever they had between them, they'd only just found it. Losing it, losing her, was not an option and maybe she was a decent pilot but that didn't mean she was ready for a band of Tuskens.

I couldn't help it, I kept hearing Obi-wan's voice of, 'you need to let go'

[talentedscavenger]

"What?" He didn't want her to go? Was he crazy? Did he want to die out there?

"You need someone out there with you. If you're thinking of bringing Artoo, he won't help much." As sharp as the little droid was, it was doubtful he would be useful in battle. She understood he was trying to protect her, but she had managed to survive so far.

Besides, who was going to protect him out there?

hah

[morally_cryptic]

"You'd be surprised at what Artoo can do," but no, he hadn't been thinking of bringing the droid with him. "You'll just make it harder. It'll be easier to get in alone. And we can't fit three on the bike."

Because if nothing else, he was going to believe that he was going to bring Shmi back alive.

Should we hand wave the next bit?

[talentedscavenger]

As much as Rey wanted to argue with Anakin, to tell him she would be able to fight with him, he has a point. It would be hard to fit three people on a speeder and the longer they were discussing this, the less time they had to rescue Shmi. Heaving out a sigh, she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Be careful at least." Don't die, she wants to tell him, but the words don't come out.

[morally_cryptic]

Anakin is gone until well after dark and into the next morning. Somewhere late in the night, Rey might feel a deep, cutting sense of grief and anger. Neither of which would bode well. Nor does the sight of Anakin reappearing on his borrowed speeder bike with no one sitting behind him, just what looks like a body bundled to the back of it.

Leaping off the bike almost before it stops moving, Anakin still manages to remove Shmi from its back and cradle her in his arms like she's the most fragile of packages. "She's still alive. Barely." And the only reason he hadn't taken her to the nearest large town is that there was no decent town with any sort of doctor. Better to get her inside here, to try to help her as much as they could.

[ooc: idk, I figure she could still die from her injuries but Rey could get the chance to see her first.]

[talentedscavenger]

Rey watched Anakin leave, forcing her to stay behind and be with people she had no relation to. It was beyond awkward, but she put that to rest by offering to help around. If she couldn't be useful to Anakin, she could useful to his step-brother. She ended up falling asleep on the floor of the home, not daring to sleep on an offered bed. In the middle of the night she felt a deep, heart breaking sense of grief and anger.

There was no point in continuing to sleep after that. There was no point in dreaming if she had images of death, grief, and pain.

When Anakin came back she saw the bundle he had in his arms. She didn't say anything, only moving closer as her own grief started to come over her. "She's alive..." she manages to whisper, feeling tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

Part of her wants to tell Anakin to take Shmi to a doctor, but if this place was anything like Jakku. There woldn't be a good doctor in miles. They could only hope they could treat the poor woman here. Rey took a deep breath, not daring to move closer, but stepping back to give Anakin room to bring his mother into her home.

"Take her inside.."

[morally_cryptic]

Anakin nods, his expression still etched with pain. The only thing that had kept him from taking his emotions out on every last Tusken in that camp whether they had had personally tortured his mother or not was the simple fact that she still breathed, still needed him to save her.

Her breaths were coming so shallowly now, it was difficult to see at all but Anakin could feel the life in her flickering still. Unfortunately, he thinks, as he sets her carefully down on one of the beds inside the house, he's far better at taking things apart than healing people. Chosen One or not, that had never been his calling.

That done, he glances at Rey, voice low enough she's probably the only one that can hear him, "I don't know what to do."

[talentedscavenger]

Rey was trying to think of anything that could help Shmi, something for the pain or to help her with her wounds. The longer she looked on at Anakin's mother, the more she realized there was nothing either of them could do. She didn't know what else she could do. If she should move closer to Shmi or if she should keep her distance.

As for Anakin, she didn't know what to do there. She held out her hand to him, offering it as a way of comforting him.

"...stay with her. Keep her comfortable," she whispered back. They needed to come to terms with the reality that his mother wasn't going to make it through the night. Now wasn't the time to ask her if she was Rey's mother. What they needed to do was find the strength to let Shmi go.

[morally_cryptic]

The sound of their voices seems to cause Shmi to stir a little, her eyes cracking open to look first up at Anakin. When she manages to focus on him, her lips form into a smile as she murmurs, "Ani?....you came..."

Instantly, Anakin is on his knees by the bed, clasping her hand in his. "Of course I'm here, Mom. I had to save you."

It seems hard for her to maintain focus as her gaze wanders a little around the room, though perhaps she gains a little strength from Anakin's hands on hers for when her eyes find Rey, they seem to clear a little, "...found her?"

[ooc: idk, I headcanon Shmi as being at least a little Force sensitive.]

[talentedscavenger]

The world seems to stop the moment Shmi stirs. She only says one word and Anakin is at her side. Rey felt awkward looking into such a private moment. She didn't belong. There was no way she was related to them. He found a scavenger and brought her with him for something Hat would have no pay off.

However, when Shmi looks at her, Rey doesn't utter a word. Was she referring to her? She looked at her, taking a step closer.

"...do you know me?" Rey asks, her voice wavering.

[morally_cryptic]

Shmi's gentle smile doesn't shift at all as she looks upon Rey, "daughter," she whispers, barely audible now.

Despite the pain radiating through Anakin at the thought that any moment now his mother might die, something inside him eases just a little at the confirmation of Rey's identity. At least that's one person he's managed to save.

[talentedscavenger]

Tears start to prick at the corners of her eyes, doing her best to stay strong. Crying wouldn't help matters. At least...at least she had the chance to meet her.

"Twins.." Shmi manages to answer, happy admits the pain that both children were with her.

She can't say anything, only move closer so she put her hand on top of Anakin's as he holds their mother's hand. At least the three of them were together now.

[morally_cryptic]

Anakin bows his head as too much emotion all at once seems to overtake him, "Mom," he whispers, almost like a prayer, "don't go."

Shmi's breath rattles in her chest now as she tries to speak a few more words, "children....I love-"

Now Anakin raises his head, expression stricken as no more words come.

[talentedscavenger]

Rey's lower lip starts to tremble, doing all she can to not cry. She had waited all her life to be reunited with her family, to see her mother and hear those three words. The first time she hears them is the last time. Her hand tightens on Anakin's.

There are no more words. No more faint sounds of breathing just silence filling the room.

Rey doesn't know what to say or what she should say. Then again what comes out might be a sob, but she needs to be strong. Crying wouldn't fix this. Crying didn't resolve anything. But she knows they'll have to dig a grave for her or a funeral pyre.

For now, they can mourn together as siblings.

[morally_cryptic]

Mourning will come but it feels as though a hole has ripped open inside of him and the only thing that call fill it is vengeance.

It's not the Jedi way, but his mind is so far from the Jedi teachings at the moment it's almost like someone else standing slowly, slipping his hands away from Shmi's and from Rey's.

He'd been too late. He'd failed. But if he couldn't save her, maybe he could make those who'd killed her pay.

[talentedscavenger]

When Anakin's hand slips from hers, Rey briefly touches her mother. Her hand trembles and she swallowed the sob that wants to form in her throat. Her head turns to look at Anakin, seeing him getting ready to leave. That wasn't good.

"Anakin," she softly calls, hoping he would turn back to her. Where she wants to grieve, he wants to take action. What she knew of the Jedi, was limited, but from what she could feel from Anakin, what he might do would be un-Jedi like.

"Anakin, wait," she calls out again, moving from Shmi's side to try and cut his path.

"Don't go." He shouldn't leave. he shouldn't go out and do something he'll regret later.

[morally_cryptic]

"I have to do this, Rey. I need to," he says to her through his teeth and perhaps only holding back from just walking away from her by the her echo of the very words he'd used only moments before in begging his mother to stay.

"Don't try to stop me."

[talentedscavenger]

"You need to be here," she counters, trying to lock eyes with him, trying to stay strong. One of them needs to keep a level head about this, even in such a sad time.

"I will stop you. I'm not letting you do something rash when..." When they lost their mother, when they were reunited.

"I'm not losing my brother too." There's a heaviness that comes from saying those words out loud. Finally admitting it only after they lost someone.

[morally_cryptic]

Well, that manages to set him back at least a bit but they're both rather stubborn creatures so he shakes his head, shifting away from her.

"You haven't seen them. They're like animals. Worse. At least animals can do some good!"

[talentedscavenger]

He can move away from her, but she would slip into a different spot and block his path again.

"I don't have to see them to know, vengeance won't do anything. It won't change the past, it won't..." Bring Shmi back. Rey has to think and think fast, to keep Anakin from doing more than saying words. He could try to move past her and knock her down.

"Would she want this? Would she want you to go out there, risk your life and harm people?"

[morally_cryptic]

He could do a lot more than just move past her, the power is right there at his fingertips.

But she's his sister. His twin. A part of him he hadn't even known he was missing.

She's still standing in his way. "They're not people! They're monsters. They only exist to kill!"

Which wasn't an actual answer to her question because of course he knows that Shmi wouldn't want this of him, monsters or not.

[talentedscavenger]

The power he has is right inside of her too. If he tried to do fight her, she would fight back. She wasn't going to let him walk out that door. She had something in her life now, she had him. Why did he want to risk losing that? Hadn't they lost enough today?

"You can make the case about anyone! Half the people on Jakku are criminals, one whose hands are bloody, but they don't deserve to be struck down either," she countered, trying to make him see reason. He wants to kill, he wants vengeance.

"Going out on a suicide mission won't do anyone any good."

[morally_cryptic]

"It's not suicide if I win," he says grimly. And he could do it, he knows, he could cut them all down and walk away unmarked. At least...on the outside. And here was Rey trying to protect him from that at least as much as she was trying to save the lives of those who didn't deserve it. It was obvious he'd have to go through her if he was going to see this through.

Just as it was obvious the longer he stood there without following the path of vengeance that Rey was right.

The realization hits him and the rage that had been pushing him suddenly rushes out leaving behind only an aching sense of loss and grief. The shift leaves him wavering a little unsteadily on his feet. "Something has to be done," he maintains, more quietly, "someone has to pay."