Ajan Kloss- Tuesday after all that

[thatwaslucky]

Rey didn't even know how long it had been since this all started now. Though she was filthy and bloody- where had that even come from?- Ben had healed her and nothing hurt physically. She wasn't tired from lack of sleep and constant stress anymore. There wasn't even adrenaline that had to wear off. Emotionally though, she felt exhausted.

She had asked for a few minutes to clean up, and after a shower and a change of clothes she had Anakin meet her in her quarters on the Falcon. They needed to have a very important talk, and this was the most private place she had.


[im done spamming you! For the Master.]

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[sith_happened]

Anakin poured as much comfort as he could through the Force towards her, carefully shielding his own heartbreak, as he hugged her back.

Talking could wait.

[thatwaslucky]

For a long moment she just stood there, not caring if she was crying a little, because now that things had calmed down there were a lot of things to cry about and you hit a point where you had only so much control over it.

But when she pulled back, she asked, "Are you okay?"

[sith_happened]

Anakin let out a slightly hysterical laugh. "Not remotely," he admitted, "but I'm very glad you're here and not with Obi-Wan and Master Yoda."

[thatwaslucky]

Rey paused, and admitted, "I was for a minute."

Literally, not not? More like they'd been there with her.

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded. "That's part of why I'm not okay."

[thatwaslucky]

"I'm sorry," she said, deeply meaning that.

[sith_happened]

Anakin pressed his lips together and swallowed hard. "But you're here now," he said, pulling her in for another hug. "That matters, too."

[thatwaslucky]

It did, and she let him have that hug, because she was about to make it all even worse.

"There are things I haven't told you."

[sith_happened]

"Why do I have a very bad feeling about this?" Anakin asked, looking for a place to sit. It had been a long day and he could tell it was about to get longer.

[thatwaslucky]

There was a bunk and a small chair, but not a lot in the room otherwise.

And it was bad enough that she was waiting for him to sit before she said anything.

[sith_happened]

That only increased the feeling of doom, really. He folded himself into the chair and waited.

[thatwaslucky]

Rey sat on the bunk, giving herself a second to consider how she wanted to say it. And the only way she could bear to say it was straight out.

"Palpatine was my grandfather." It was the first time she'd ever said it. It really did make her feel dirty.

[sith_happened]

So, so many unwanted images in Anakin's head right now, so he gaped at Rey for a very long moment as he tried to form words.

Finally, "I'm sorry, what?"

[thatwaslucky]

She'd expected a bigger reaction, and she was surprised to not get that.

"He kept himself alive through cloning," she said, she explained. "I don't know details, exactly, but my father was what Palpatine considered a failed clone. He couldn't access the Force."

[sith_happened]

As the news sunk in a little more, Anakin was looking decidedly like a man who trying not to vomit.

"And that's why your father's dead," he said, swallowing. "What was Palpatine's plan for you?"

[thatwaslucky]

"I was told he wanted me dead," Rey said. "He actually wanted me as a vessel for his own power."

[sith_happened]

Anakin really looked pukey right now. He put his hand over his mouth, going gray in the face.

[thatwaslucky]

"Are you all right?" Rey asked.

[sith_happened]

"Not just yet," Anakin said, closing his eyes. "Are you?"

[thatwaslucky]

"It's going to be a while," Rey said, not even needing to think about it.

[sith_happened]

"Should I worry that there are now a whole ton of non-failed Palpatine clones running around your galaxy?" Anakin asked, still keeping his eyes closed.

[thatwaslucky]

"I don't know. I don't know if there were more, or if any even survived," Rey said. And after seeing what all of that had done to the Emperor... "I don't think it's a problem."

She'd worry more about any of his followers that survived.

"I think I was the last resort."

[sith_happened]

Anakin reached for her hand. "I don't think you were the last resort. I'm not sure that's comforting, really."

[thatwaslucky]

"I don't mean that in a... negative way, I guess," she said, squeezing his hand. "I'd get feelings when I was down there. Impressions. I think he was just out of other options."

[sith_happened]

"Because he was supposed to be dead thirty years ago," Anakin muttered.