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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[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."

[talentedscavenger]

Rey can see how unsteady Anakin looks, moving closer to him until she's reaching to embrace him. Her arms coming over his shoulders to hold him tightly, just as tightly when they first embraced and felt there was a connection between them. She's blinking rapidly, keeping her tears at bay. She couldn't let him go out there and fight. As powerful as he was, she didn't want to run the risk of losing him too.

"Not tonight..." she murmurs, hoping his rage would calm down by morning, that he would see clearly.

"I know you want someone to pay, but that won't bring her back," she tells him, hoping her words were getting through. It wasn't his fault this happened. None of this was.

[morally_cryptic]

It's practically automatic already. She puts her arms around him, he puts his around her, that was just the way it worked. But here and now, he's holding her tightly (verging on painful), like he just can't let go or who only knew what would happen.

He shudders a little with a choked down sob of emotion. "She shouldn't have had to die," he mumbles into her hair. What was the point in having so much power at his fingertips if he couldn't do something important with it?

[talentedscavenger]

Rey could handle the crushing pain of a hug from Anakin. She would prefer that pain than starvation. It was almost as though they were trying to protect the other from the rest of the world. It wouldn't do either of them any good to let go.

"I know..." she murmurs back, tightening her embrace and wishing there was something more she could do for him.

"But you brought her back. She didn't die out there, she was...she was with her children." He had the power to bring his mother home and let her die surrounded by the people she loved most.

[morally_cryptic]

"It's not enough," he says mulishly, not caring that even as he does so her shoulder is likely getting damp from tears.

But maybe he doesn't have to say anything else. Maybe they can just stand there like this for a while until eventually they will have to move. At the very least, Shmi will need a proper funeral.

[talentedscavenger]

"I know," Rey whispers again, bowing her head to press her forehead into his shoulder. No she doesn't care if her shoulder gets wet from tears. Nor does she care if his shoulder gets wet either. Tears are starting to fall, but she refuses to sob. Crying was the only thing she would allow herself to do.

"I wish I knew her," she murmurs, knowing sooner or later they would have to move. Until then, they could stand and hold each other. When both of them are ready, they could make a nice burial for Shmi.

[morally_cryptic]

"I'll tell you about her. Later." When he could do it without trembling.

[ooc: I am not sure what to do next here. Them deciding what to do after the funeral?]

[talentedscavenger]

"I would like that," she muttered softly, holding on tightly. She wouldn't let go until he was ready.

[ ooc: Them burying their mother and heading back to the temple? would lead more to shenanigans and learning you know, Rey could be a Jedi.

Or that she would be more interested in trying to fly off with one of the ships...>> ]

[morally_cryptic]

[ooc: anakin says she's not allowed to steal a ship, dammit]

Burying Shmi had been almost as hard as having to watch her die. Part of him had to wonder if it wouldn't have been easier to make a pyre the way Jedi do so his- their mother could be a part of the sky than under the baked harsh ground. In some ways it hadn't been his choice. Cliegg and Owen had wanted her buried and Anakin was still emotionally drained enough from the night before to not have it in him to fight them on it. They were her family too, he'd reminded himself...or maybe that was Rey saying it.

In the end, it hadn't mattered. Once the deed was done he was ready to leave Tatooine behind forever. Though, he thinks ruefully as sand trickles out of his robes as he settles back into the ship, Tatooine likely wasn't going to let him go so easily. "You're not going to make me take you back to Jakku, are you?"

Because he wouldn't, for the record.

[talentedscavenger]

[ooc: It's not stealing if she plans on returning it!]

Rey felt physically and emotionally drained, more so than any time she had gone for days without food. She had found her family, only to have a huge piece of it be ripped from her. They had to give Anakin's mo--their mother a proper burial, whether it was by Jedi means or laying her to rest in the ground. We are nothing but sand and water. We are made of dust and return to such. The words went through her mind, recalling one of the women in Jakku uttering it. In what context, she couldn't remember, but the words were oddly fitting right now.

When the funeral was over, they had a new problem to figure out. Did she return to Jakku? It was either that or....stay on Tatooine.

"You have your duties to fulfill, don't you?" she asked, keeping her voice low. There was no point in them trying to fight the inevitable. She wanted to stay with him, but the Jedi had their own missions and duties to take care of. Who was she to stand in the way of that?

"I'll be fine. I can....I can take care of myself."

[morally_cryptic]

Staring. Incredulously.

"I'm not leaving you here, Rey. Get in the ship."

They can figure out the rest when they get to Coruscant. He'll improvise. It works....usually. Sometimes.

Besides, as hidebound as the Jedi could be, they certainly wouldn't expect him to turn away from his own newly-found twin sister. And if they did...well...he'd take a page out of Qui-Gon's book and do what he thought was right anyway.

[talentedscavenger]

"You could visit," she snapped back, finding some of her strength returning, but only briefly. Hunger pains were starting to gnaw at her, but she wasn't about to clue him on that.

"I'm not important, Anakin. You are." And she wasn't saying that to stroke his own ego, or that a Jedi's duties were above anyone else. It's what she truly felt. She wasn't important enough to be saved, to be cared for...or to have her family.

She didn't into his ship, not yet. Not until he promised to take her back to Jakku.

Or convinced her there was some place better for them.

[morally_cryptic]

Oh for the love of-

Anakin jumps out of the ship and stalks over to her. "I'm not leaving you behind on some Force-forsaken dirtball," that meant either Tatooine or Jakku, "just because you want to feel like you don't matter. You matter to me."

[talentedscavenger]

Stubbornness, a fine family quality trait. Really, it is.

Anakin was trying to pull big brother rank on her, and Rey....was going to give in. Who knew which of them was older, but in that moment it, she needed to be told she mattered to some one. She let out a sigh and walk with him to his ship and got in.

"...you matter to me too." she finally whispered back, getting herself buckled in.

"Do you have any idea where you're taking us?"

[morally_cryptic]

Well that was easier than he'd expected it to be. Maybe he should wonder if she was getting sick.

No sense in looking a gift nerf in the mouth, he's going to take what he can get and climb back into the ship and take off before she changes her mind.

"Coruscant, for now." Any other detours would just be delaying the inevitable. "I've got to report in." She hadn't been wrong about him having Jedi responsibilities, after all.

[talentedscavenger]

Rey's eyes widened. Coruscant? The city that had the Jedi Temple? He was going to report in with her in tow? She shook her head at him. Oh, she had a feeling he was going to be in trouble for bringing her a long. Then again, maybe the other Jedi would understand?

Or maybe she needed to eat soon before she started to get loopy.

[morally_cryptic]

Hey, his Jedi ancestors (if only Obi-Wan could hear himself referred to as such) had a long and glorious history of bringing home strays.

He frowns slightly at her. "Are you...feeling okay?"

Either the day's past exertions hadn't caught up to him yet or he'd simply been so focused on getting from one thing to another he'd pushed aside anything else.

And of course, he was rather more well-fed and nourished than Rey already coming in to all of this.

[talentedscavenger]

Isn't she too told to be a stray? Whatever, she wasn't about to think about it too. She had to focus on where they were going.

"Huh?" She nearly missed his question.

"I'm okay. I just need water. " a lie, she needed food than anything else. She wasn't about to pass out. She wasn't at that stage yet.

[morally_cryptic]

"Uh huh, well, water's there." Pointing to where a couple of bottles are stashed. "And here's a snack," he tugs a small capsule off his belt and hands it over, taking one for himself as he does so, "not very tasty but it's better than nothing."

[talentedscavenger]

The water would do. She grabbed a bottle, twisting off the cap to take a few sips. Too much water too soon could make her sick. The water was greatly appreciated. As for the snack...she hesitated to take it. Better to have something in her stomach than nothing.

"Thanks....I owe you. " for the capsule and the water. She took it and swallowed it.

"Doesn't matter if tastes horrible. Food is vital. "

[morally_cryptic]

"If you think you owe me for something like that, you're crazy." He shakes his head. "Do you owe everybody who does something nice for you?"

Then again, considering where she came from, just being nice was a bigger deal than for most people. He ought to know that. "Don't answer that. Let's talk about something else instead."

Because their shared background in terrible childhoods is something he'd rather not dwell on.

[talentedscavenger]

Well yes, it was a big deal considering no one was without any reason. It was a good way to get in trouble with someone. Being nice could result in owing someone a favor. Not to mention everyone was out for only themselves. No one worked together.

"Like what? " what did he want to know? What did she want to know? Aside from everything.

It was a little weird trying to open up to him.

[morally_cryptic]

"There's got to be somewhere you've wanted to go, if you got the chance. There's a whole big galaxy out here," he waves in the general direction of space around them. "Now you've got it. Where would you go?"

He flashes a wry smile over at her, "I can narrow it down for you a bit with the places I've already been that you should avoid."

[talentedscavenger]

Rey gave him a faint smirk, turning her gaze to look out the window. She fell quiet, thinking over the places she wanted to go.

"There's an island I've dreamed of, ever since I was little. Or a forest. A place that doesn't have sand," she admitted, feeling silly for even saying it out loud.

"But get back to the temple. Don't want them to think something happened--and didn't I tell you? You didn't clean the part well. Everything is working fine. "