A Runaway, a Scavenger, and a Storm

Sand. It's only been a few seconds and he's already decided he hates it.

Growing up within the First Order has made him curious about a few things. For most of his life, he's been contained in the same boring training facilities and kept aboard space vessels, away from most solid ground. This lifestyle has often left him wondering what mountains actually look like up close, or what it's like to be in a rainstorm, or what the touch of sand feels like against your skin.

Right now, it feels like a thousand minuscule knives repeatedly hurdled themselves at him in an attempt to strip flesh from bone. Knelt down in order not to be blown away, he only knew one thing. He was caught in a sandstorm in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but his stormtrooper getup to protect him.

Focusing on trying not to inhale anything, he vaguely recalled the events that led to his current situation. A few minutes ago, he was helping a Resistance pilot escape from the Finalizer before they were shot down and sent into the atmosphere of… Jakku, right? He'd been sent on a mission the night before to this very same planet, though the details were blurry. In fact, everything was blurry at the moment. Though amidst the chaos of last night, he still remembered why he had been sent to Jakku in the first place: they were to acquire a vital piece of intel for the First Order.

He now knew exactly what they were looking for.

The wind seemed to slow for the briefest moment and he was able to gather his thoughts. Only seconds before the TIE Fighter was shot down above Jakku, the Resistance pilot—Poe Dameron was his name—had told him that a droid held a map to the last Jedi. It was an orange and white BB unit, to be exact. There was not a doubt in his mind that this was the same droid and map that the First Order was determined to locate.

Looking through half-closed eyelids and lifting his head up from his curled up position in the sand, he found that Poe and the crashed TIE Fighter were nowhere in sight. Come to think of it, nothing beyond the length of a few footsteps was in sight. Even the ejected seat he arrived with was gone, having been dragged off by the attached parachute in the wind. It was a miracle in itself that he was able to land safely in this… weather? He wasn't sure what to call it. They don't teach this kind of stuff in the stormtrooper academy.

Actually, he wasn't taught much of anything by the First Order. He was given a gun and a number rather than a name and was told to follow orders without question.

Despite being stuck in the middle of a raging sandstorm, he couldn't help but relish the fact that he would never have to go back. He was done with the First Order. Done with being a stormtrooper. It was all behind him.

He was more than just a number now.

Finn.

The fact that someone had cared enough to call him something other than FN-2187 was enough for him to pick himself up from the sand and start moving. He wasn't about to let himself die, especially when he had finally escaped the sinister First Order.

Raising his forearm in front of his face to shield the onslaught of sand from reaching him, Finn surveyed the area through slitted eyelids, hoping to find something, anything. His legs started moving before he could even pick a direction to travel. Walking blindly through the storm, he could only hope for the best.

Trudging through the dunes of Jakku was deemed a more difficult task than it ought to be, as Finn's armour weighed him down, making him sweat buckets in the process. It's not like he could just take it off, as it was the only thing between him and the relentless barrage of sand. Heat and exhaustion had made him lose track of how long he had been traveling, but Finn figured it couldn't have been more than an hour since he first landed on Jakku. Only an hour and his dehydrated body is already wanting to give up. The only reason he hadn't collapsed yet was that the gravity was noticeably less punishing than usual.

Plus, he just wanted to survive.

Still seemingly in the middle of nowhere, Finn looked up when something caught his attention. All he could see was the golden flow of sand blanketing his surroundings, all he could hear was the deafening up and down rush of the wind, all he could feel was the sweat-drenched fabric under the white armour along with the sandy assault on his exposed face. What caught his attention was a smell. The heavy smell of smoke and burning fumes filled his senses and before he knew it, Finn was already running against the wind, desperate to find the source.

Coming up over a tall ridge of sand, the smell became stronger with every additional stride Finn took. Only seconds later, he misstepped and tumbled down a sandy hill before coming to a rest in front of the wreckage of a very familiar TIE Fighter.

By some chance, he happened to stumble upon the very same starfighter that brought him down to Jakku in the first place. Laying in a mangled mess and already halfway covered in sand, the TIE was fit to never see the skies again.

Disappointed by that fact that he hadn't found an actual shelter or vehicle, Finn could only sit in the sand and look at the starfighter through, the sandstorm showing no signs of stopping. Even if he tried, there was no way that the crumpled fighter would offer any sort of protection from the storm. Ready to leave and continue his journey again, a sudden thought hit Finn harder than the sand already attacking him.

Poe could still be in there.

Finn immediately jumped up and rushed to the shattered circular window in front, desperately searching for any sign of life.

"Poe!" he shouted exasperatedly, finding only a brown jacket and his battered stormtrooper helmet among the wreckage. So far, no sign of life. As he started to climb into the cockpit, a sudden shift beneath his feet caused Finn to stumble back. He clung to the beige jacket and white helmet as the ground beneath the crashed fighter began to give way. Both items in hand, Finn could only watch as the TIE rapidly sunk into the sand and faded away from view.

A look of hopelessness became apparent on his face as he stared at the spot where the TIE once was, hoping that Poe had somehow made it out. Not even a minute to gather his thoughts, Finn was suddenly thrown back with a great force when a thunderous bang—no louder than the sandstorm—erupted from the sand beneath him. As he landed back on solid ground ten feet later, the only item left in his hand was his helmet; Poe's jacket lost in the wind.

If Poe was still in there and somehow wasn't dead from the crash, that explosion definitely finished the job. Otherwise, Poe was probably wandering through the sand as hopeless as Finn was right now.

Choosing not to dwell on the pilot's fate for too long, Finn turned away and continued his journey through the storm. Having obtained his beaten helmet, he supposed it was still useable and put it over his head.

The second the white material covered him, the pain and constant annoyance from the sand faded away, replaced by a dull throb and the hum of the wind against his helmet. Finding the task of traveling swiftly easier, Finn set off again with the goal of finding help before dehydration claimed him.

Yet again, the hope of finding anything worthwhile was fading away. Finn had been walking for hours now, daylight disappearing rapidly, making it harder and harder to navigate through the endless hills of sand. He had stumbled and fell so many times, he couldn't tell if he was going in circles or not. The storm had not dissipated in the slightest, remaining an intense, hot mess that attacked Finn's every sense, even through the safety of his armour. Though he wasn't ready to give up.

As the time passed by, Finn was left alone with his thoughts. If Poe really was dead, that meant Finn now held a responsibility. He got both Poe and himself into this mess, and he was going to have to fix it. The droid must be found. He would have to move quickly, as the First Order was likely already searching for it. A BB unit. One that just so happens to hold a map that leads to Luke Skywalker. Just as Finn started in to wonder how in the world he was going to find such a droid on this desolate wasteland, he spotted a large, dark object peering through the airborne sand.

Energy spent, Finn was too tired to run this time. The object came into view after a few more fatigued steps, though he was sure he was seeing things. It appeared to be a fallen First Order— no, Imperial walker. Laying on its side, the decayed material seemed to be barely held together, though it's the first sign of anything in miles. Where the underside would be, there was a small gap that led into the walker; an entrance, it seemed.

Finn took his time as he approached the slain walker, trying not to pass out from exhaustion. Each shambling step depleted his energy even more. If he fell down, he probably wouldn't be able to pick himself back up. Warily approaching the entry to the AT-AT, he climbed inside to seek refuge from the storm without hesitation.

For the first time that day, Finn was able to feel truly relieved. The constant roar of the wind seemed to disappear underneath the thick metal armour of the walker and the scorching heat of the dying day was left outside. He immediately stripped out of the now unneeded armour and tossed it out into the storm along with his helmet. The black fabric underneath was drenched in sweat, but it was all he could wear for now.

Forced to a crouch in the nearly claustrophobic room, Finn found a wall to settle down against and regain his bearings. As he sat down and let his legs rest for the first time in hours, he eyed the area only to discover something problematic.

This was somebody's home.

Panicking, Finn swiveled his head around in search of the occupant of said home. Finding nothing but a few old belongings, he assumed no one was here at the moment. Nervousness subsiding, he took a minute to get a good look at the interior of the AT-AT walker.

There appeared to be no food or water in sight, though Finn was too drained to put in the effort to look.

Soaking everything in, the word "home" became more of a loose term if the rusty and decayed interior were anything to go by. It was more of a hideout, a place that could be abandoned at any moment. Perhaps it was.

Though the state of the place was subpar, someone definitely lived here. Or they had. The main indicator was the various supplies and tools laying around as if they were part of some collection. One thing that did catch Finn's eye were the markings on the far wall. Thousands of white ticks were etched into the black metal, all organized into an array of rows and columns. What they meant, Finn could only guess. The only logical explanation he could come up with was that each marking represented a unit of time. A day, maybe? Whoever made them was probably waiting for something, but no sane person would wait that long for anything.

Then again, anything seems possible in a place like Jakku.

Finn almost thought it was all a dream, though that was improbable. There's no way that he would come up with something as wild as a droid carrying a map to Skywalker.

Certainly, Finn hoped it wasn't a dream. If everything that happened was a dream, that meant he was still enslaved by the First Order, playing just another one of their expendable puppets. If it were a dream, he would still have to answer and serve his extremist superiors. If it were a dream, a number—FN-2187—would be the only distinctive quality about him. If it were a dream, he wouldn't be Finn.

Worn out beyond belief, he finally faded from consciousness and fell into an uncomfortable slumber.

"What about the droid?"

A pause. "What about him?"

"I'll pay for him."

Suddenly interested, Rey watched in astonishment as Unkar Plutt brought an armful of food onto the counter between them.

"Sixty portions."

Everything in Rey's mind started screaming at her to take the food. Especially on a sandy day like today, portions became very valuable. Plus, she had not allowed herself to grow too fond of the white and orange droid, making the deal all the more appealing. Today's weekly sandstorm combined with an empty stomach had her longing for anything edible. And sixty portions! That was a month's worth of food!

Taking one final rueful glance at the droid in question, Rey made up her mind. This was an offer she couldn't refuse.

"Deal."

The very next second, two of Unkar's goons threw a net over BB-8 before the droid had any chance to react. Rey could only watch for a few long seconds as the spherical droid struggled against its captors and was lifted away. As Unkar's men carried him out of sight, a small object dropped out of one of BB-8's side compartments before sneaking through the netting and hitting the sand beneath.

Sounding almost distressed, the droid made a few last-second beeps and Rey deciphered two distinct words.

Take it.

Curiously piqued, Rey scrambled to take the portions from the countertop and retrieve the dropped article before it was lost in the sand. Claiming the large amount of food without thanking Unkar, she hastily approached the item and picked it out from the soft, golden floor.

Rey examined the small object and couldn't help but notice it was some sort of storage device. A jagged piece of hardware that looked old and battered. Whatever it contained, she didn't know nor would she usually care. Normally she would sell this sort of thing and pray for a decent amount of food in exchange. This time it mattered though. That droid had given it to her as a final wish, and she felt responsible.

Whether what was on the device was important or not, Rey was now invested in finding out what was hidden within. Her best guess, it was a small hard drive containing something no bigger than an image or two. The only problem was, she didn't have anything to analyze it with.

Looking down at her unusually large amount of food, Rey figured that she could find a good deal for something; perhaps a small monitor or a holographic projector. Anything capable of reading the device would be good enough for her.

Jakku obviously didn't have the grandest of technology, as all of it was either made from scratch or lost in the treacherous conditions. The finest piece of machinery around was probably Rey's own homemade speeder, though that didn't mean it was impossible to find something to scan the hard drive—if that's what it even was.

Having nothing better to do with her time in Niima Outpost, a quick trip for supplies seemed right. Rey's water supply has been a bit short the past few days, so restocking now was probably a good idea. Anyway, she could find something to read the device, now safe in her satchel along with her new supply of food.

Rey readjusted the bag over her shoulder, put her protective goggles over her eyes, and navigated her way towards the other shops in Niima Outpost, sandstorm still sweeping the area.

Having lived here long enough, Rey knew how to handle this sort of weather. She knew how to handle all of it, in fact. Today, she wore her usual outfit, combined with some additional protective clothing. It was something light enough to keep her from getting too overheated, but sturdy enough to provide some sort of barrier against the sand. It wasn't perfect, but it did the job.

Leaning sideways into the wind at the appropriate angle in order not to be blown over, Rey trekked to the shops in town. A frown crossed her face upon arrival; not because of the surprising amount of outlets open in this weather, but for something else entirely.

Dozens of familiar looking white figures stood around the sandy market area, clearly not there to buy anything.

Rey stopped in her tracks, wanting nothing more than to avoid the stormtroopers that seemed to have taken over Niima Outpost. Her last run-in with the white troopers ended with her hiding from all signs of life for a while, though that was a long time ago. Since then, they seem to have updated their attire, sporting a sleeker look, visible even among the harsh conditions. But she had never seen so many stormtroopers in one place at the same time.

She wondered if it had anything to do with the First Order's star destroyer that showed up in the sky just over a day ago.

Skeptical of the large number of troopers from the First Order, resupplying tomorrow rather than today seemed a better option. Rey just hoped they were gone by then. Anyway, she's survived on minimal amounts of water before. Rey was sure she could hold on for another day. And whatever was on the device could wait for another time.

As Rey turned and walked away from the market, the sight of the stormtroopers awoke a distant memory in the back of her head. Something she was sure she had hallucinated.

When the First Order was still making a name for themselves, Rey happened to come across two troopers when scavenging down south. Though years ago, she'll never forget the fear she felt when they started to accuse her of suspicious activity for no reason whatsoever. Being stormtroopers, they had decided to execute her—probably to show others that the First Order meant business.

Only, they hadn't.

Jakku had taught Rey that begging for anything just didn't work. Reasoning seemed to be a popular form of obtaining anything, though that didn't seem to work for Rey either; she wasn't the most sociable person around. A completely different tactic worked when getting what she wanted. Straight up telling people, no, commanding them seemed to sway people. It just happened, with no logical explanation. Maybe people were scared and just gave up on arguing, but that was very unlikely.

Sometimes people repeated what she said, sometimes they didn't, but she could make others do things they otherwise wouldn't do. Often it didn't succeed, but when it did, it was usually in a moment of desperation.

Just like the moment before she was about to be shot by two stormtroopers. The details were lost, but Rey remembers telling them to stop.

And to her amazement, it had worked.

Nothing of that scale had been successful since then. This weird gift she had would only be used subconsciously when trying bargain a better deal for something, or other similar, small things. It's a crazy concept, now that she thinks about it. Maybe people just felt bad for her.

Still, it scared her.

Rey shook those thoughts away as she took note of the fading daylight. It was best to go home for the night and rest. Hopping on her speeder and activating it using her thumbprint, Rey sped off towards her old, collapsed Imperial walker.

Well, it wasn't that old. Most of the ruins around the area—including her own home inside an AT-AT walker—was debris leftover from the Battle of Jakku. She heard that it had happened not too long ago, but Rey couldn't recall any battle in her lifetime. Assuming the stories and legends were true, the ruins appeared just before she was born.

The destruction that blanketed her home planet was without a doubt the only interesting thing about it. Even she had to admit she lived in an awful place, though it wasn't like she could just leave; she was still waiting. Her parents would come back. Someday.

Even while riding through a sandstorm, Rey was still able to locate her home. Finding salvation was pretty much instinct at this point.

Killing the engine, Rey stopped her speeder and jumped off. It's times like these when Rey wishes she had a working door at her entrance. She could just find one, maybe even build one, but it seems she's always occupied with scavenging for her survival. Now that she has enough food to last about a month, she could figure something out.

After a day like today, a little relaxation would be nice. The guilt of selling a helpless droid hadn't quite gone away, so some time to unwind inside her protected home was very inviting. Thoughts of having an easy night, Rey dropped her bag in shock once she saw what was inside the fallen walker.

Someone, a man, was asleep in her home.

Upon first glance, she could tell he wasn't from around here. His pure black attire suggested so, along with the fact that he was in her place. Anyone that lived in these parts was smart enough to not enter Rey's premises at any given time. The intrusion needed to be dealt with.

"Hey!" Rey shouted, effectively waking up the sleeping form that was across the room.

Flinching and scrambling to get up, the man said flusteredly, "Oh, er, sorry— I, just uh—"

Rey interrupted, not wanting to hear it. "Get out."

It came out as more of a command than a request, compelling the man to crawl, albeit slowly, toward the exit. As he passed by her at the door, Rey could tell that this man had been through hell. Perhaps he was hiding from the storm. But this was her home, so she tried not to allow herself to feel sorry for him.

Watching as the clearly exhausted man struggled to clamber out of the exit, Rey turned to check what he had done in her shelter.

Nothing looked out of place, though that didn't mean he hadn't done something. The first thing Rey checked was her emergency food and water supply, which she had forgotten to hide after using it this morning. Sitting out in the open, nothing had been taken from it, seeing as the water levels were the same as how she left it and the two food portions still intact.

A surge of guilt was swept through her for the second time that day. Whoever that man was, he was noble enough to not take any of her supplies. Rey hadn't even given him a chance to explain himself before she kicked him out. She had only gotten a couple seconds to observe him, be she could tell that he needed nourishment more than she did.

Rey scrunched up her face in thought and decided to let the man stay while the storm passed. If she let him walk through the storm, she would be failing yet another individual that day, the first being an innocent droid.

Stepping outside, Rey was about to call for the man, when she saw his buckled form on all fours in the sand a few feet away. Running up to his side, her voice was drowned in the wind as she beckoned him back inside. It took a few moments to help him up and back into her home against the raging sandstorm, but she managed it.

Seconds after making back inside, the man collapsed against the same wall he occupied a couple minutes beforehand.

"Th— thank you…" he said hoarsely, drifting off.

Before the man could fall asleep, Rey quickly brought some food and water over to him. He probably wouldn't make it through the night if he didn't eat something. She could tell was ready to drop, as he needed help getting the food into his mouth.

After an awkward few minutes of feeding some unexpected stranger, the man fell asleep once again, already looking better than moments before.

Whatever his name was, or why he was here, or how long he would stay, Rey would find out in the morning. Right now, she also needed to rest. Today was the most eventful day she's had in ages.

Finally removing her sandstorm garments, Rey made herself a meal, although with little to no water. She sighed and wondered she was going to deal with her new guest, but that could wait till tomorrow. Then, she would figure out just what was on her newly acquired device.

For now, Rey added another small tick to her wall and went to bed.

Don't worry, I haven't given up on my other stories. I just thought I'd revisit Episode VII for some inspiration, as I'd like to see how my version of events unfolds. Thanks for reading and please feel free to review!