Rey & Anakin
There was a lot to unpack there. Even if he was not a good man and his intent was evil, he had managed to give Anakin some comfort where others had failed. He'd noticed and preyed upon that weakness and Rey looked down, grip tightening at every word spoken. There was a warmth in Anakin's voice as she spoke about him favorably.
Ben had tried to do something similar with her but their relationship had been open and honest. She had done the same, both fighting to pull each other into their respective sides of the force. Despite what his motives may have been, the Jedi she saw before her was confident and already on his way to becoming a legend in his own right.
"That sounds amazing," she said finally. A little support went a long way. When Han first offered her a job, she'd been over the moon. She didn't want to leave Jakku, but to have a legend request she stay on with him had been everything. The feeling of being wanted and belonging she'd acquired from those around her even now. It was completely different than when she felt alone on Jakku.
The thought of being raised by a man who could command that kind of feeling... She saw how loyal she was to those she was around now. How dangerous would it have been if she had been in his presence since she was a child when her parents had dropped her off on that desert planet. How dangerous would she actually be?
She didn't understand everything that went into the man's reasoning, but he'd encouraged Anakin to become one of the greatest Jedi in the history of the galaxy. "I'm glad he was there for you. It makes me feel like I can call you an uncle," she said with a soft tease. Padme was definitely more like a mother, but she could not feel a paternal kinship from Anakin himself.