What this planet lacks in dwellings, it makes up in stairs. Rey thinks this as she climbs down the Falcon. Before her the stairs go on and on, like sand dunes in the horizon. But it's so green, greener still than Takodana, yet Rey misses the bustling of that planet. There is nothing here that catches Rey's eyes.
Waves crash below against rocks she can't see and she breathes. The map leads to here and she's sure this is the destination. She hopes so. Would be obtuse for all of it to be meaningless. A part of her (of everything?) tells her it is not.
Rey takes the first step, the clack of stone against boot clear in the silence. It's the first of many, many more.
The wind is strange, full of salt and lacking the ferocity of Jakku's sandstorms. Here, it brushes her skin, the salt clinging and drying on her clothes. It brings a heaviness to her steps, but she's here, closer to the bottom than the top. No use wasting time.
The roar of the Falcon's engine slowly turns into a purr as she ascends until it is banished. Rey prefers it, for a moment, so her mind doesn't wander. She knows what will visit her in her dreams tonight no matter what happens. Her feet work automatically, always guiding her away from an uneven step, sidestepping holes. She loses track of time.
She can feel another presence, high up above her, above the stairs that stretch endlessly. There is no need for a map now. She knows the way. It's following a well-worn trail your feet know by memory. It's the wind nudging her along the steps toward her goal. Is this the Force?, Rey asks, but she knows the answer.
Her hand dips into her bag, digs through until her fingers brush the lightsaber. She thinks of Finn, if he's awake now and wondering where she is. She stares at her hands, ball loosely beside her and for once wishes he could take her hand, sending strength with his warmth. She hopes he thinks of her too.
Stone gives way to grass, tickling her ankles. The earth is soft, the stairs exhausting themselves away. The sky grays and Rey settles her gaze toward the field. At the other end, she sees a figure.
A robed man waits for her. Rey inhales. The weight in her bag grows. Rey exhales.