I Bet My Life

Eight: Bones

Reva watched Cody as he faded away from the kitchen and into the nursery. She really didn't think anything of it because Cody usually helped Obi-Wan get the twins up and ready in the morning, so she continued to munch away on her waffle. She hummed with pleasure when the savory breakfast food hit her mouth, closing her eyes for long enough to make the flavor last longer. The waffles were honestly the best Cody had made by far, well except for his Tatooinian Mac n' Cheese. That warm casserole dish that was packed with blue milk cheese, seasoned Bantha meat, and perfectly cooked noodles, topped with Cody's "secret mandalorian sauce". Now that was the absolute best in her list. She took the last bite of her waffle, realizing that she completely cleared her plate of her breakfast. Even if she wanted to, she knew that she couldn't finish another waffle as she was filled from that mouth-watering meal. She jumped from the bar stool of the kitchen island and grabbed the plate from on the countertop. She headed around the kitchen island toward the adjacent sink attached to the wall with the rest of the kitchenette. Reva looked down at the bleakly-white plate, crumbs stuck to the porcelain by the sweet sticky substance that coated the center of the dish. She didn't know why, but staring at that plate made her think of her old life at the Jedi Temple. She remembered how her and the other younglings would cram together at the same table to eat meals with one another. She remembered how there was so much laughter and young life that warmed that cafeteria. Reva closed her eyes, gripping the plate with enough pressure as to not snap it in half. She wanted to remember that moment. The moment when she felt so much joy and pure happiness while being surrounded by the people that loved her so dearly. The moment when she actually believed that she belonged somewhere.

However, that was so far from the truth now. She maybe was only an eight year old girl, but she'd experienced things on that blood-thirsty night that would deeply affect any adult to their very bones. Reva opened her eyes to find that she was still staring at the filthy plate, her fingers sticky from holding the dish too long. She sighed as she put the plate in the stainless steel sink, carefully so as not to break the fragile dishware. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate Obi-Wan's dangerous sacrifice for taking her along with him or gaining two younger siblings unexpectedly as they fall under the guardianship of the Master Jedi or Cody joining their somewhat "family". She enjoyed being in the company of the two adults and she absolutely loved Luke and Leia with all her heart. She would protect those two children with her life as they had unknowingly gone through so much in a timespan of six months. To add to that, Cody and Obi-Wan tried their best to give her and the twins as normal of a childhood as possible for being on the run from the Empire. She was so grateful for both of them with her whole heart.

Reva grabbed a sponge from the metal edge of the sink, the dryness scratching against her sand-beaten palms. With her free hand, she flicked the faucet on with the top of her hand, grabbing the plate after the clear, cold liquid rushed over her warm ebony skin. It feels relaxing against her sweltering body as the twin suns begin to reach their vertex, which would cause the dreaded midday heatwaves on Tatooine. She continued scrubbing the gunk off of the plate, watching as the porcelain began to return to its original state in which she found it. Once she could see her face in the dish itself, she used the Force to shut the water off, something that she would often do as a result of her stature. Though Reva was no longer a Jedi, she tried to teach herself the ways of the Force through simple tasks and chores. It kept her somewhat connected to her old life. It was the one piece that reminded her of her original purpose in this galaxy. She was to be a protector of the peace, keeping the galaxy at bay from any dark side users. However, her destiny wasn't clear for her presently. There was no Jedi Order. No living protectors of peace. Nothing that could possibly stop the new and thriving Galactic Empire. She blinked, feeling the thick, watery substance build up a layer on her eyes, but she pushed it back. Reva was only eight years old, she didn't want to think about it. No child her age should have images of their friends brutally slaughtered like fattened calves by a figure that the younglings looked up to.