"Get to the AT-AT, over there. You'll be safe."
Rey opened her eyes and turned her head over to where the voice had come from.
A brown-haired man crouched next to her, glowing with a soft blue light. Both of them sat behind a piece of scrap metal that she had been using to block herself from the oncoming storm. His eyebrows were knitted together in concern.
She squinted at him, hugging her knees tighter to her chest.
"What?" Rey whispered, her voice quickly dying out in the sound of the howling wind.
He inched closer and reached to put his hand on her shoulder. She flinched, and he curled his hand back, guilt flickering over his expression. But he leaned against the metal wall of scrap and pointed over to her far left. It was hard to see in the wake of the swirling sand, but it was there.
"It has legs," Rey murmured, frowning. She turned back to the man, and he smiled softly at her.
"Yes, that's the one, youngling. Now go, before the storm is really here." He glanced over to the hurtling mass of sand with urgency in his eyes.
But I don't want to go, she wanted to say. Rey wanted to stay with the only person who was actually trying to protect her. The only person who actually cared.
The man sighed softly, like he knew what crossed her mind, and put his arms on his knees. He pointed his chin over toward the legged structure.
"Go. Don't worry, Rey. I'll come back."
She bit down on her lip, but shifted her hands onto the ground to get up, and ran towards the fallen AT-AT.
As Rey stumbled into the transport, drowsiness swept over her immediately as she quickly fell asleep on the floor from exhaustion. And when she woke, all that was seen was the barrier of scrap metal slowly getting eaten up by the dust.
Only a mirage, Rey thought. Anything else would be too stupid to come out here.
She had sat at a table, fiddling with small bits of metal, bending and twisting them in and out of shape. There was no use for these scraps, anyway.
A sudden noise startled Rey out of her peaceful pondering. Or however peaceful it could get while the wind was screaming in your ear.
She picked up a fairly sharp metal piece, which was fashioned into a crude knife.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" Rey shouted, jumping up from her seat, the high sound of a seven-year old's voice much less intimidating than intended. She took in heaving breaths, whirling around and pointing her weapon everywhere in her panic.
The man with long robes and brown hair stepped out from behind a wall, his hands held up in the universal 'I surrender' gesture. Rey turned to meet him, lowering her knife but still facing him. Her forehead scrunched together.
"Oh, it's you," She huffed, irritation making her neck prickle.
The man crossed his arms, pouting in fake hurt and looking down at her.
"Rey, you sound so disappointed! I'm upset."
She frowned, turning around and placing her small weapon on a nearby bench. She crossed her arms in suspicion as she went back to face him.
"How do you know my name?"
He quickly sobered up, clasping his hands behind his back. But still, his lip twitched with the hint of a smile.
"I'm magic."
Rey rolled her eyes, faintly amused, as she watched him stand there. She sighed, moving back against the table.
"I bet you're just a mirage," Rey mumbled as she looked down, picking at a small scab on her wrist. It was just like her to reach out towards anyone who was nice to her. She just wanted her family to come back. Rey shook her head. No, they were going to come back. Even if they left her all those years ago. They told me they would come back.
The man made a small guilty noise and sat in front of her, crossing his legs. His robes were draped along his knees, and he was floating about an inch off the ground. He held a glowing blue palm out and glanced over at the metal pieces she had been playing with, waiting.
Rey's eyebrows knit together in confusion.
"What are you going to do?" She asked, curiosity taking over, but then cursed herself for trying to interact with a mirage.
He sighed sadly and twitched his fingers. The scraps flew into his waiting palm and swirled around in circles. She gasped and reached her hand out. They were there, alright, as real as was the blistering heat of Jakku.
The man smiled softly, and let the pieces drop through his now-empty hand.
"I'm really here, Rey."
And that was when the dam truly broke. Rey stepped back, her thin shoulders trembling, as tears streamed quietly down her cheeks. She took in soft gasps and leaned back against the metal wall of the AT-AT, sliding down to sit on the floor and wrapping her arms around legs that were curled against her chest.
The man got up to sit next to her, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. Rey shuddered, putting her head on her knees. And as she drifted off into sleep, he stayed, caring for her far more than anyone else had ever done.
She had woken once the storm was gone, and had Rey ended up flicking at the small grains of rock littered across the surface of her new table. Her nose scrunched up in frustration.
"I hate sand," Rey muttered. "It always gets everywhere."
The man laughed, smiling down at her annoyed expression, and moved to sit down close by.
"I've heard that before."
She glared up at him, picking up the sand and throwing it. It went straight through his body. Rey sighed, putting her chin on her elbow, and went back to flicking them off the table. He leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands together in his lap. He smiled, quietly watching her once more.
The silence was soon broken by the quick curiosity of a child.
"Who are you, anyway?" Rey asked as her question was muffled by the cloth on her arms, sudden interest filling her voice, although she didn't turn to look at him.
His eyes flickered over her warily, but he answered.
"I taught someone…" He paused, choosing his words carefully. "That you knew, once."
Rey blinked, processing what he was saying. Then she whipped her head around, forgetting all about her small quest to flick all the sand off the table. Desperation colored her features as she leaned forward.
"Did you know my parents?" Rey gasped, her wide hazel eyes searching for answers. "Did you teach them? What were they like?"
The man looked down at his hands in sorrow, his forehead scrunching up in guilt.
"No, Rey. I am afraid I did not know your parents."
Her hopeful expression deflated, her voice shrinking back to a small, weak, "Oh."
She turned back to the table, but this time she didn't play with the grains of sand. Rey sat there solemnly, turning her thoughts over in her head. The thoughts of how stupid she was for thinking that he had all the answers. Thinking that he knew who her parents were.
The man sighed, taking out a stick of metal that was attached to his waist, turning it over in his hands. He looked back at Rey's blank face.
"Rey…If I did know who your parents were, I would tell you. Believe me. I would give anything for you to meet your family once again."
She blinked, taking in a deep shuddering breath, her features becoming pinched.
"It's fine. I should have expected it, anyway. It's alright…" Rey frowned, her mouth hanging open as she trailed off. "What should I call you?"
The man slid the metal stick back onto his belt and leaned his elbows on his knees, steepling his fingers. He squinted down at the floor.
"Well, some call me Ben…" He tilted his head, contemplating over his next words. "But you can call me Obi-Wan."
"Okay, Obi-Wan," Rey spoke slowly, testing the name out. The name stirred something in her memories up, something in her made her chest feel like a pit. But as she tried to grasp at it, the feeling soon faded.
Shaking her head to distract herself from her convoluted thoughts, Rey then rested her chin on her palm, her forehead becoming creased from with confusion. "Why are you blue?"
His face was serious, but his mouth twitched as he tried to hold back a grin.
"I've been holding my breath for a very, very long time."
Rey's expression became one of horror and confusion. "What?"
Obi-Wan barked a laugh, throwing his head back in amusement. Rey frowned in embarrassment, making her blush a deep red. He waved his hand.
"No, no! I'm just messing with you. Anyway, It's fine that you asked! I just didn't expect it." He paused, schooling his features into something more serious. He took a deep breath. "You see, Rey, there's something called the Force…"
And he talked to her about an energy field created by all living things, and how it bound the galaxy together.
But he told her not of the stories of the past. Too dangerous, Obi-Wan thought.
Only the Force was what he spoke of until the twinkling stars rose above Jakku and Rey's eyes fluttered shut into a long and peaceful sleep.