Rey stares at Anakin. She wants to ask 'how?', 'why?'. So many questions run through her head. And disbelief. Because Anakin could never do that. She is the best person that Rey has ever known.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"I know. But - sometimes, when our emotions master us, we do things we don't actually want to do."

"I was angry, and my anger controlled me. And - I think she must have been angry too, over what I did. I betrayed her, after all, even if I did it to protect her."

"What would have done differently, knowing what you know now?"

The answer is actually 'stab Palpatine in the face' but that's not a useful lesson here. Probably. Stabbing Palpatine is admittedly usually a good bet but Anakin isn't sure how broadly applicable that is.

"I would talk to her more. Ask her what she wants me to do. Work with her, instead of against her."

"And if she'd wanted me to do nothing... I'd accept it. I - know now, that I can live without her. I didn't know that, back then."

"I don't know if I could live without you."

"You'd be able to. You're strong. And - life goes on. It always does. Wounds heal. Pain fades. I - eventually... I loved her so much. She was the center of my world. I thought of her whenever I needed love to draw on, and her death broke everything in me that could feel..."

"And. Thinking about her still hurts a little. Maybe it always will. But I found someone else to live for - someone else to die for - and then I accepted my role in her death over a decade ago, and - now I can think about the good parts, too." She pauses and looks away. "I'd like to tell you about her, I think," she says, softly. "So that - someone else will remember her."

Rey nods and wipes away her tears. She knows Anakin's words are true because Anakin doesn't lie, but... she's not sure she's as strong as that.

"Tell me. I want to know her."

Her answering smile's small but sincere.

And, slowly, she begins to talk about Elesse, her old teacher.

There's a lot to talk about, even just in Anakin's time as a padawan. (She isn't so eager to talk about the later parts, the war, the slow unraveling of democracy - but she won't run out of mission stories anytime soon.)

Rey is, as always, an attentive listener. She wants to know everything... though at some point she will have to sleep again.

Anakin lets her.

The next two years include more history from Anakin's own life - the end of the Old Republic, the rise and fall of the Galactic Empire, the Alliance and the New Republic. More about emotions, and philosophy, and more honest discussions of hard choices.

Rey meets her dream friend a few more times. He grows increasingly withdrawn, consumed by shadows and fear.

And then Anakin's away for a few days - she'd warned Rey she might be, to watch over her family -

She returns, a storm of grief in the Force, a roiling cloud of pain -

Anakin falls to her knees, body wracked with uncontrollable sobs.

Rey is by her side in an instant, dropping the hyperdrive piece she was working on - it doesn't matter.

"Anakin. Whats happened - are you okay?"

"Ben, he - he - he killed them, I - has no one learned from my mistakes, how can - "

She screams.

Rey doesn't flinch, she's steady. On the ground. A rock in the current. It's hard. Anakin's pain is her pain too. She closes her eyes and focuses. Reaches out with their bond. Trying to lend Anakin her strength.

Slowly, Anakin's passion swirls down, stills. Her breath evens out.

She's under her own control. She is the master, here, not her pain, not her grief or anger. She closes her eyes, releasing her emotions before they can drown her.

She clings to Rey all the while.

She's here. She's steady. She is in control. They are together.

"My grandson - Ben - he killed all of Luke's other students. Burned his temple. Luke and little Anakin were the only survivors when I left, and - little Anakin was badly hurt."

"Ben said he was finishing what I started. Destroying the Jedi."

She sends so much love through the bond.

"This isn't your fault. His choices are his own."

"I feel like I - should've done better. He's my family. They all are."

Rey sighs, her chest aching from Anakin's loss.

"You love them. They know that. But... you're dead, Anakin. It's a fluke that I can see you consistently." But she does pause. "Maybe we could be doing more. Is there anything you feel like we could do? I'm in this with you."

"Thank you. And I don't know. It - feels important, for some reason, that you stay on Jakku for now."

"But... Maybe I can practice - I don't know. Manifesting more. Showing myself to people, or at least reaching out with the Force. I healed you, that one time - I might be able to do more."

"And you mind-tricked Unkar that one time, don't forget. I've been his favourite scavenger ever since."

"Because you're the best scavenger."

Still, she smiles.

"I am fantastic, it's true."

She laughs.

"Rey - thank you. For being here. And for reminding me of who I am."

"There is literally no other place in the universe I'd rather be."