Unkar Platt handed Rey an irregular metal sphere, his jowls quivering in malice. The sphere had ridges, grooves, and holes spotting its surface in no discernible pattern.

"What is it?" The seven-year-old girl asked.

"A Malkor Cube," Unkar Platt said, grinning. "Inside is recorded information. If you try to unlock the Cube the wrong way, it explodes."

Rey was smart enough not to point out that it was not remotely cubic. She was in trouble: she knew that much. She scavenged some wires yesterday that looked useful, but for some reason Unkar Platt wasn't pleased. If he explained why, then she wouldn't do it again, but that wasn't how Unkar Platt taught his workers.

"You're going to unlock it for me," he said. "I need what's inside."

Rey swallowed.

Something explosive. Right. Well, if it was meant to be opened, there would be a way. And she was pretty good at avoiding explosions.

"Bring it back to me by tonight," he growled.

She gasped, but Unkar Platt had already turned around. He stomped off, leaving her surrounded by sand and a few onlookers' pitying stares.

The Malkor Cube was warm in her hand.

No work or food today. She took it back to her little nest of a home and got to work.

Exploding, it turned out, was not the only thing the Malkor Cube did. While she did a preliminary inspection, a needle stabbed out at her hand. She sensed the danger a second before it happened and only barely got out of the way.

Rey blessed her crazy prescient luck and took a minute to breathe.

After that, she put the sphere down gently and did her inspection by sight alone.

It was a puzzle of sorts. Various rings and ridges along its surface moved, twisted, and interlocked. If she aligned the surface just right, the sphere would open.

If she didn't align it right…

Rey worked for hours, using salvaged tools and bits of wire to timidly push pieces around. As evening fell, the plates and rings had started to form a pattern. She was getting close.

Then the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

She stopped and closed her eyes. Something was wrong. She couldn't tell how she knew, but she did. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it was just nerves and fear and hunger.

Rey was too afraid to touch the Cube again.

So, she used the trick she did when she got lost inside the Ravager.

Taking a deep breath, she let her mind unfold into a layout of the orb so she could see all the parts on the outside. Then she dove inside, inspecting how they interlocked. Somehow she could envision it all. There was no way to know if she was right, of course. But she had never been wrong before.

That's why they called her lucky.

Eyes still closed, the little girl reached out and began to shift the interlocking pieces of the Malkor Cube by touch.

Click.

The sphere began to beep.

Rey froze.

She was sure she'd gotten it right. In her head, it had all worked out. Slide that ring up and—

The Cube crashed open in her palm and Rey jumped. Her eyes flew open.

The sphere had opened like five petals. Inside lay a smaller, totally smooth sphere with a glowing port on top.

"…obviously hasn't blown herself up yet," a voice carried to her from outside. "Girl! Get out here!"

Unkar Platt's shout was as gruff as ever.

"Hiding won't do anything. Bring out the Cube and face your punishment."

Platt's large face pulled away from the small exit as Rey's feet pushed through. He had one of his lackeys with him and the woman was armed—though that was normal. Rey stood and held out the open Malkor Cube.

Both the visitors' mouths fell open. On Unkar Platt's face, the look was like a hukta beast gasping under sunlight.

Cocking her head, the small girl pushed the Cube at him. She was both confused and proud at his reaction. And hoping that startling him wouldn't bring on another punishment.

"How…how did you do this?" His growl deepened. "What did you do, girl?"

"By solving the puzzle."

"You expect me to believe that? Thought you could pass a fake off? I'll know as soon as I plug it in."

Rey tried to hide the fear sparking in her chest.

"It's real," she insisted. "I moved the pieces and it opened. I got lucky."

The woman behind Unkar Platt murmured, "She always gets lucky."

He grunted and a slow smile spread across his face. Since all of his smiles were ugly, it was hard to tell if this was a good thing or a bad thing. But Rey didn't sense any immediate danger. She pushed down the urge to flee.

"Lucky girl." Finally taking the Cube from her, Unkar Platt patted her head. "Nobody gets these open except— Well, you're lucky, plain as that. Keep it up and I'll keep having uses for you."

Rey nodded a shaky head. She wasn't lucky. There was no such thing as luck. She just had good reflexes. She was smart. She could figure things out. But if that's what would keep her alive and well until her family came back for her, she could keep it up.

Keep helping me, Luck.