The ship moved slowly enough that Rio barely noticed when they docked, she had been confined to the small room Kylo had shown her earlier and hadn't been able to leave. She knew they were torturing Poe, she could hear his screams from her quarters, but the door was locked tightly and though she burned to use the 'saber at her hip, she knew it would be little use if she was fighting Stormtroopers alone. Staring up at the ceiling from the small bunk, Rio let her palms rise and fall in drumming beat, pondering an escape route. When the door to the room slid open, Rio sat up fast, immediately becoming dizzy but as she stared at the black cloaked figure in front of her, she tightened her lips.
Kylo Ren beckoned her forward with a mere. "Come." And she walked to his side, eyes narrowed.
"I have something to show you, it may shed some light on the reason why you found the lightsaber so easily." Her brows arched upwards but she kept her mouth shut as he swept away, indicating for her to follow him. She did, though she found it continually hard to keep up with his strides, as he walked quickly past clumps of Stormtroopers and into a large, bright corridor in which many doors lined. He swept into one with a red flashing sign over it and Rio followed him in, reading the red print as she did - NO ENTRY – AUTHORISED PERSONEL ONLY - Rio glanced around the room, where droids, humans and other creatures burbled. This was a lab, she realised and as she neared the tank they were surrounding, she realised just what kind of facility this was.
"You're bringing dead people back to life?" Her voice exploded and the lab technicians all looked at her, frightened by the ferocity of her voice. Kylo Ren watched her, the mask hiding his glare.
"Do you know exactly who this is?" She peered at the young man, he was indeed beautiful, with a mop of brown hair and quite pretty bone structure. She examined his body briefly, he was clothed, which she was both glad and annoyed about as the man seemed to be a fine specimen. Rio tightened her lips at the thoughts plaguing her mind, seven suns it was improper and she knew it.
"No, I don't believe I've met him." Kylo Ren seemed almost smug when she answered him.
"Of course you haven't, he died quite a while ago. Well, this form at least."
At her inquiring look, he continued, it seemed this was a subject he liked to speak about.
"This is my grandfather, when he was my age. We found some of his preserved DNA, crystallized in magma from the volcano in that he became Darth Vader. This is Darth Vader before he was Darth Vader. Anakin Skywalker was a talented Jedi and it took quite a while for them to rewire the Force sensitivity before we were sure he was the same. He won't have any memories, nor will he know any other world than the sleep stasis he's been in. But he'll need guidance, a friend even. That's where I believe you would be most poignant. You seem to radiate an aura of warmth, it's quite discerning."
Rio realised he was complimenting her and raised an eyebrow.
"Flattery will always get you far Kylo Ren. When are you bringing him out, or in?" Kylo Ren looked at the woman who seemed to be in charge of the lab, a tall black haired woman with white teeth and dark skin.
"We're ready when you are sir." Kylo Ren nodded.
"Stand back." Rio allowed him to move her back as they began to fire up the tank and ducked her head down as air blasted her face. It was another few minutes until one of the techs cleared her throat.
"Is he stable?" There was a loud sound and Rio raised her arms just in time to see the now very awake, and very angry tank guy hurled himself at one of the technicians. Kylo Ren reached for his 'saber and Rio glared at him.
"No!" Taking several steps forward, as though she was approaching a startled bird, Rio raised her hands.
"Hey, hey! Look at me please." The green eyes were filled with madness as they met Rio's blue ones, he was trembling slightly but she had captured his attention. Rio smiled, making sure her teeth weren't visible as it was in fact a sign of aggression and he didn't need to feel threatened.
"Hello." She said quietly, dipping her shoulders a little to appear submissive, knowing it would relax him. The techs and Kylo Ren all watched silently, none of them moved to intercept or to help, but no matter, Rio realised that is she got Anakin Skywalker on her side, she would be better off than letting the First Order pit him against her.
"I'm Rhiannon Meerene, but I'm called Rio. You're aboard the First Order's fleet and the man in black is Kylo Ren. He won't hurt you, though he may look threatening. Can you remember anything?" The boy, if she could call him that, looked confused and almost vulnerable for a few heartbeats before he swallowed.
"I'm Anakin, Anakin Skywalker. I can't remember how I got here, but I know I'm a Jedi-" He broke off, looking around. "My master, he's not here is he?" Rio glanced at Kylo Ren, that was the extent of which she could fill him in.
"You're not in the time you left. It's been quite a long time, but you were imprisoned in magma, from a volcano and it preserved you until one of my men found you, then we managed to bring you back." Rio interrupted Kylo Ren's droning speech quickly, sensing that Anakin may be a little too volatile to start mentioning what had happened, but at this point, she realised he may need to be saved from himself.
"They say that your memory was lost but you're alive now and that's all that matters." Anakin looked towards her and she smiled gently, allowing it to reach to her eyes and hoping it comforted him a little bit. She couldn't believe Kylo Ren trusted her to be here, she could blurt out the truth and compromise the whole operation but no, it seemed like Kylo Ren trusted that she would keep her mouth shut. "Anakin, can I call you that?" Kylo Ren asked cautiously and Rio caught herself from looking surprised as she heard something like manners roll off of Kylo Ren's tongue.
"Anakin, can I call you that?" Kylo Ren asked cautiously and Rio caught herself from looking surprised as she heard something like manners roll off of Kylo Ren's tongue.
"Skywalker is fine." Anakin muttered and Rio made a face at the floor before she realised that he could see her, and he had, judging by the way he smirked just a little when she did. "Skywalker." Kylo began, glancing in Rio's direction.
"Rhiannon Meerene is an experienced fighter but the reason she is here at the moment-" Rio interrupted him. "I don't actually have a choice to whether I'm here or not." Kylo Ren's fingers clenched and he resumed talking as though she had never opened her mouth. "Rio is here to guide you in this environment. She will be a companion to you as she is one of the few on this ship that
"I don't actually have a choice to whether I'm here or not." Kylo Ren's fingers clenched and he resumed talking as though she had never opened her mouth. "Rio is here to guide you in this environment. She will be a companion to you as she is one of the few on this ship that
"Rio is here to guide you in this environment. She will be a companion to you as she is one of the few on this ship that do not belong, but have a high level of empathy and she will be in a way, your mentor, as you will be hers, you will teach her to control her power and she will teach you about the life you have arrived in." Kylo made ushering gestures with his palms. "
"Meerene, I know how much you'll hate it, but you're on babysitting duty. I'll come to escort you to dinner. I need you to keep an eye on him." Rio glared at him.
"What do I get out of all of this?" Kylo Ren didn't look at her.
"I let you live and I let your pilot rest until I see that he is fit enough to continue answering our questions." Rio made a strangled sound, without thought she dove for him, only for cold fingers to wrap around her wrist. Rio glanced in surprise at Anakin Skywalker, who was watching Kylo stride ahead of them with an odd look on his face. "He holds a lightsaber, yet you are the more powerful, but I can barely detect your '
"He holds a lightsaber, yet you are the more powerful, but I can barely detect your 'saber. Where do you hide it?" Rio shushed him, exuding a surprised stare from Anakin before they reached the quarters she recognised as her own. Kylo Ren was already in there, pressing buttons to make another bed slide out on the opposite side of the room. He swept past them, closing the door behind them and Rio glared briefly at the door.
"How do you know I have a lightsaber on me? Kylo couldn't sense it but you, you're different. You feel different. The Force around you is odd, distorted even." Rio didn't want to tell him, but she knew it was to do with him being hardwired for the old Anakin's Force sensitivity, she also had a bad feeling about his memories. One way or another, they would come back to him. She wondered briefly if she could trigger them but then settled on another idea. She would tell him his story, but not as he knew it. Rio smiled briefly to herself before she realised if Kylo heard this plan he would probably kill her. But Rio couldn't bring herself to care. When she escaped from this ship, she would be taking Anakin Skywalker with her, whether they disappeared into the galaxy or whether she took him to help the rebels, she knew she wouldn't be leaving the vulnerable looking boy behind her.
When Kylo Ren reopened the door, Anakin Skywalker and Rio Meerene were both sitting cross legged on the floor of their shared quarters, several objects spinning above their heads. Kylo watched in awe of the two, they were completely concentrated until he cleared his throat. Several items dropped onto the floor, but the ones surrounding Rio lowered gently as she stood.
"Kylo Ren." She greeted.
"How is my Poe?" Kylo Ren nodded in greeting. "He's alive." Rio clapped her hands briefly. "Good. Dinner time already?"
"He's alive." Rio clapped her hands briefly. "Good. Dinner time already?"
"Good. Dinner time already?" Kylo nodded. "Do either of you need to change garments before dinner?" Rio grumbled quietly, "Do you have anything indigo? I think it suits me more."
"Do either of you need to change garments before dinner?" Rio grumbled quietly. "Do you have anything indigo? I think it suits me more."
"Do you have anything indigo? I think it suits me more." Kylo tutted quietly and opened the same chamber her had opened earlier and swept through it.
The dark purple dress would nearly reached her ankles, apart from the slits running to knee height on both sides. It would fit her, she hoped, and though it was not the most beautiful thing she could wear, it was her colour and was very suitable. Though she wasn't sure if dinner was a more formal event, as a female, Rio made it her requirement to outshine all others in the room, men, women, it didn't matter. Rio liked attention, she was a warrior but a princess in her own mind. She began to change, not minding Kylo or Anakin's wandering eyes, she was used to getting changed in front of people and nudity never had bothered her, her mother was a healer and she was used to naked bodies.
"Ready?" Kylo Ren asked her before he looked at Anakin.
"Skywalker, you stay close to her. Don't speak to anyone other than her unless it's myself." Rio caught up with Kylo Ren.
"What can he eat? Is he okay to eat normal food or should you put him on a diet?" Kylo Ren observed her.
"The techs said he would be fine with food, though you need to make sure he keeps himself hydrated." Rio raised her eyes towards the ceiling before she dropped back to a lonely looking Anakin's side. Kylo heard her talking to him and wondered how she was so at ease talking to one of the biggest threats in the galaxies history. Granted, he was not dangerous at the current moment, but Rio also seemed quite protective of Anakin, who she pushed behind her when stares were turned his way. Maybe the lightsaber thief was not as tricky as she seemed.