Stars. Millions of specks of light sprinkled around the night's sky. Rey Kenobi stared up at the night's masterpiece, sighing. She dreamed of touching just one speck, to feel the warmth from one of those star. They winked at her, as if saying her time would come.
When she looked away from the stars, to her surroundings, she saw her reality. A wasteland of nothing but dust and sand. Jakku, how she wished she could fly far from this place, but she knew she could not. She was needed here. He needed her.
She could hear him rummaging through their makeshift home in one of the many caves of Jakku. Her grandfather, Obi-Wan Kenobi. He had been the only family she had ever known. Her parents had died in the old war and her grandfather had taken her in at the age of six months. Though, their life was not ideal she had grown up a happy child. Obi-Wan had loved her unconditionally. She was the link to the daughter he had lost.
The years had grown harder on both of them as the food supply of Jakku had run low. Everyone was on rations, but those rations came at a price. Nothing was handed out for free. Obi-Wan had reached the age where he could no longer support them, and the burden had fallen upon Rey. She dared not complain, for Obi-Wan had given all he had to her. It was now her turn to repay him, though she felt he received the raw end of the deal.
Rey's stomach growled, a reminder she had not eaten today, nor would she eat tonight. She was a scavenger, and the supplies she had turned in that day had given her only enough rations for one of them. Obi-Wan needed it more than she did. She could hold out for another day. She stood to her feet, knocking off the dirt on her pants. The night's sky received one final look from Rey before she entered the tiny cave.
Her grandfather was tinkering with his latest invention. His callused hands shook with the effort of his work. He was always making things from the junk the Lenders refused to buy from Rey. She would bring them home and Obi-Wan would see the use in them. They had a way to cook their rations instead of eating them raw due to his bright ideas. She sat down beside him, watching him work.
"I think this may be the one," he said, a smile dancing across his lips.
He always thought that about the things he created. More times than not he was wrong, but Rey did not have the heart to tell him that. Instead, she picked up a piece of junk and began to help him. His love of created something from junk had rubbed off on her. She had always enjoyed making things with him. She could fix anything with the right parts. He had taught nothing was useless. Even the smallest things he could mold and change into something priceless.
Her stomach growled causing both of them to stop. She felt his eyes turn to her, as if he could read her thoughts. Obi-Wan turned back to his creation, and Rey thought she was in the clear, but he spoke.
"I thought you had eaten your rations, Rey."
"I did. I ate while you were napping. The leftover rations are yours."
She said the words too quickly, for she felt tears prickle her eyes. She was starving, but she hated lying to him above anything. If he knew she had not eaten all day he would refuse the rations. At his age, he needed them more than she did. Rey forced herself to meet his wise, old eyes and smile. He studied her, no doubt searching for the lie, but he said not a word.
"I promise, Rey, this is the one," he said, pointing to his creation. "I have a feeling this will change both of our lives for the better. Then, you can stop scavenging."
"I don't mind scavenging, Grandfather," she said, truthfully. It gave her time to herself, time for her imagination to run wild. She envisioned a new life where she was rich beyond understanding. She could forget the burdens placed upon her, if only for a moment.
"But, I do mind. You should not have to be working your fingers to the bone to take care of us. That is my job. You should be happy. Married, with a family of your own."
"I am happy," she answered, taking his frail hand in hers. "I do not need to be married to find happiness, Grandfather."
"There is not one out there that catches your eye, child? Before I leave this world I want to know you are taken care of."
"I take care of myself," she said, winking.
Obi-Wan smiled, winking back. "Then, I have taught you well."
The truth of it was she was lonely, that was true, but she never felt she needed a man to take care of her. She was eighteen, unmarried, and looked upon as odd because she had no husband. She knew what the townsfolk said about her behind her back. She was as odd as her Grandfather Old Ben. Rey wanted love. She wanted someone who saw the strength within her, wanted someone to see her worth. She was no damsel in need of saving.
She used the rations to cook her grandfather dinner. The entire time she fought through the tears. She was so hungry, but she reminded herself he needed the food more. She laid his plate of food beside him and walked back outside.
The moment the night air hit her she released her tears. They came fast this night, running down her hot cheeks. She stared at the stars she would never touch, allowing her sorrows to take over. She cried for the pain in her empty stomach. She cried for the parents she never knew. She cried for the lonely, isolated life she and her grandfather lived. She cried for the future and a time she would be truly alone when her frail grandfather left this world.
Rey bit her lip to keep the sound of her sobs at bay. She rubbed her cheeks raw to get rid them of the tear stains. Each night was the same. She could hide in the light of day, but when the night came her burdens devoured her. The darkness ate away at her soul.
After an hour of crying, she was finally able to calm her tears. It had grown quiet in the cave, which meant her grandfather was asleep. She needed to be asleep as well, for she had to be up before the sun to get the good items for their rations. She could not go another night without eating. Rey climbed to her feet and turned to enter her cave, but a sound in the distance stopped her.
She froze, barely breathing, as she listened for the sound again. Slowly, she turned, looking into the darkness towards the outer reaches of Jakku. She had heard the stories, like every other kid, of the ghosts that lived in that part of Jakku. She waited, but all she heard was silence. Just as she was giving up on hearing anything again the sound came again.
An agonizing scream.
Rey felt the sound hit her in the chest, causing her heart to skip a beat. Whatever was making such a sound was in pain. Excruciating pain. All of her worries and burdens faded from her mind, and she felt a sudden sadness for the poor creature who gave the night it's pain.
She sat back down, her eyes staring harder into the blackness. She could not see a thing, but a part of her felt she could possibly bring the creature some comfort with her presence. She stayed, staring, for an hour as the screams continued, until finally the darkness grew silent again. The scream echoed in her mind as she climbed in her cold bed and closed her eyes to sleep.
"Half a day's rations."
Rey's eyes widened at the Lender's words. "That carburetor was worth two days rations just yesterday!" she said, angry.
She had spent most of her day at the wreckage of an old TIE fighter with only two hours sleep. When she found the carburetor she felt like crying. It was as if she had hit the jackpot. It was unthinkable that it would have not been snatched up already, and now she knew why it had not. In just a day the carburetor had lost its value. It was not unheard of, it just has never happened to her before now.
"Please, I need those rations," Rey whispered. Obi-Wan was leaving today on his journey to show his creation off to potential buyers. He would need a day's rations at least.
The Lender looked her up and down, his purple tongue licking his lips slowly. "I have a…small business on the side. You would be a great asset, and it would assure that you would have rations to your heart's content. Someone would pay a fine price for you."
Rey took a step back, bumping into the person behind her. She ignored their grumblings and sneered at the Lender. She knew exactly what the Lender was implying and it made her sick to her stomach. It made her sick, for she feared that she would become so hungry she would consider his offer.
"I will take the half-rations," she said, her mouth as dry as the sand under her feet. The Lender laughed as he passes the rations to Rey.
She would figure something out. The half-rations had to go with her grandfather. If what his gut told him about his creation came true she would never need to worry about going hungry again. She could go another day without food. At this point, she did not have a choice. Rey allowed her sorrows and darkened mood to drown her, until her home came into view.
Obi-Wan was just finishing up the last of his things for the trip when Rey arrived. She watches him as he talked softly to himself, going over his checklist so he would not forget anything. She smiled at the old man, her love for him draining the sorrow and dark mood away.
"All set?" she asked, surprising him.
He turned towards her with a start, smiling. "I think so. Oh, wait…" he said, disappearing into the cave. A few moments later he walked out, followed by his trusted droid R2-D2. The droid would accompany him on the journey, although Rey felt it should be her going instead. They had discussed it in length, and after almost two hours Rey relented. A part of her knew she needed to stay and scavenge just in case Obi-Wan's deal fell through.
Rey handed her grandfather the half-rations. "It seems carburetors lost their value yesterday. I'm sorry, Grandfather."
Obi-Wan pushed the half-rations back towards her, shaking his hand. "You keep them. I will think of something."
"Absolutely not! There is nothing edible between here and where you're going. I would not sleep a wink knowing you had nothing to eat. I got up early this morning just to give this to you!"
"Rey…"
"No. It is not up for discussion," she said, forcing the half-rations back into his hands. Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around his granddaughter.
"What would I do without you?" He whispered.
Rey squeezed her eyes closed as she held her grandfather tightly. Why did it feel like a goodbye? Why did she feel like she would never see him again?
"Just, hurry back, okay?"
Obi-Wan kissed her lightly on the forehead before he got in the contraption he called a speeder. R-2 sat behind him, his bleeps and bloops signaling his readiness. Rey laid her hand on top of the droids head, smiling. She had always loved the droid.
"Take care of him, do you understand?" she said. R-2 Replied with several bleeps in answer. "Remember to send me a signal if anything goes wrong. I'll be on my way." Again, she received bleeps in answer.
"Nothing will go wrong, child. I will be gone only for a day. Wish me luck."
"You do not need it. Your creation is wonderful."
"Our creation," he corrected.
Rey gave her grandfather a final hug and watched him until the distance swallowed him from view. Now, she had only to wait. Either they were set for life, or she would have to work even harder to feed them. She walked into their cave, the silence deafening. Only the growl of her stomach interrupted the silence. She laid down, ignoring everything but the urge to sleep.
Hours later, after the sun disappeared, Rey awoke to a strange sound. At first, she could not place it. She stood to her feet and looked around her small cave, all the while trying to place the sound, but when she saw the red light blinking she felt her world spin.
"R-2's panic tracker," she breathed, fearful. It was the signal he used when they were in danger. Rey ran towards it, grabbing it. It pulsed and blinked in her hand causing her heart to beat harder. Her grandfather was in trouble.
Rey grabbed her cape, throwing it over her shoulders as she ran from the cave. She gave no thoughts to supplies. All she knew was that she had to get to Obi-Wan as fast as she could. With the tracker in her hand she jumped in her speeder and zoomed out into the darkness.
Miles and miles she went, headed straight towards the outer reaches of Jakku. She had no time for fear, so she pushed it aside and pushed the speeder to go faster. It seemed the closer she came to the area no one traveled to the darkness around her became thicker. Her heart beat harder. Her fear rose to new heights, but the determination to reach her grandfather outweighed it all. She would fight the darkness for him.
Up ahead of her she saw something begin to take shape. At first, she assumed it was just some sort of rock formation, but as she drew closer she realized it was a castle. She had no idea a castle was this far out. Rey slowed, her eyes growing wide at what she was seeing. Only the pulsing alarm of the tracking growing louder could penetrate her fear. There was something about the castle that made her want to turn back and never return.
She drove her speeder towards a large, black iron fence. It looked old and worn, as if no one had taken care of it in years, but she had no problems pushing it open. It moaned with every movement making her wince. The lawn of the castle was in worse shape than the fence. The grass grew to her chest, the bushes even higher. The darkness did nothing to help this place look harmless. Shadows danced around her, large and ominous. The castle was bathed in black, it's hard stones reaching towards the sky.
Rey ran towards the door, grabbing the handle. To her surprise it was unlocked. She pushed the door open, wincing again as another moan interrupted the quiet night. A large foyer awaited her. She took slow steps inside, looking around for the owner of the castle, yet she saw nothing but cobwebs and shadows.
"H—Hello?" she said, her voice barely working. There was no answer.
With a deep sigh, Rey walked completely into the foyer. She slowly circled, taking in all she could see in the dim light. Grey. Nothing but grey everywhere she looked. Below her, she walked on a grey and black rug. Large grey sheets hung from the walls covering whatever was underneath them. The only light she had was a single candelabra. She walked towards it and picked it up, studying the odd object. It had a face upon it with its eyes closed. She looked closer, swearing she had never seen a sculpture look so real.
Rey held the light out before her, not knowing where to go. No one had answered her when she called, so perhaps the owners were gone.
"Steps ahead."
Rey squealed as a soft voice spoke. She turned, hurriedly, in circles looking in every direction, yet there was no one. She had heard something, she knew. It had spoken about some steps ahead of her. Slowly, she walked until she saw some steps. Again, she looked around making sure no one was hiding in the darkness. She saw nothing. The voice had sounded so close.
Rey took the steps slowly, holding the light out before her. The stairs swirled and swirled, sending her deep down below. Right before she made her mind up that there was no end, she saw the stairs straighten and she found herself looking down a long hallway. What she saw on each side of her made her gasp. Two rows of cells lining the long hallways greeted her.
"G—Grandfather?" she called, her voice shaking.
"Rey!"
She heard his voice float to her from one of the cells at the end of the hallway. She ran towards him, her eyes wide in fear. Obi-Wan leaned against the bars of his cell, his eyes wide and pained. Rey fell to her knees, tears springing to her eyes. When she grabbed the door to the cell it did not budge. She tried harder, crying out in frustration.
"How? What happened, Grandfather?"
"L—listen to me, you must leave this place at once," he said, his fingers reaching through the bar for her. Rey grabbed them, gasping at how cold he felt.
"I am not leaving until I get you out of here."
"No!" He cried. "You must leave. He will be back!"
"Who? Who did this to you?" Rey demanded, feeling anger.
"Listen to me, Rey, you will do as I say this instant. H—he is a monster. Please, go. Go now while you can."
Rey was shocked at the fear in her grandfather's voice. His body shook in fear and cold. She could not leave him in this cell no matter what he said…or who awaited her. She had to get him out, otherwise he would die this very night.
"I will go and find something to break the door. Just…" she started, but her words faded.
Rey felt his presence before he spoke. Her entire body reacted to it in a second. He was behind her, watching. "Here is another who has come to steal from me."
A low, deep robotic voice washed over her from somewhere in the shadows. Slowly, she turned to look behind her expecting to see some monster, but all she saw was the darkness. She rose to her feet, turning fully towards where she had heard the voice. She could hear him breathing, could feel his eyes scrutinizing her.
"What monster locks an old man in a cold cell?" she asked, her body shaking.
"The kind that does not appreciate a thief!" the robotic voice answered.
"I—I am sorry! I was hungry and cold. The food had been sitting out for a while. I did…did not think I was doing any harm," Obi-Wan cried.
"It was not your to take!" the robotic voice yelled, causing Rey to jump.
"Please, sir, whatever harm my grandfather did he did not mean to do it. Please, find it in your heart to forgive him and let him go. We will leave this place and never return," Rey begged.
"A wrong has been done to me and I require payment. He will stay in that cell and rot!"
"You will force him to die over cold food?" Rey yelled back, her anger taking over.
There was a long pause, and Rey began to hope, but the stranger's next words caused a cold hand to creep up her spine. "Yes."
Rey turned towards Obi-Wan, her eyes looking for any weaknesses in the cell. There was none. Her grandfather was trapped, cold and dying. A horrible helplessness fell upon her causing tears to well up in her eyes. What could she do to save him? She met Obi-Wan's eyes and he must have seen her thoughts before she understood what she was thinking. His eyes grew wide, his head shaking furiously.
"No," he whispered.
"It will all be okay," she whispered back, squeezing his fingers. She ignored his cries as she turned back to the stranger in the shadows. "What if we make a deal?"
"What deal?" He asked, angered.
"If you allow my grandfather to go free I will stay in his place as your prisoner. I will pay his debt."
"Rey! No!" Obi-Wan yelled.
The stranger did not answer for several moments, as if thinking it over. "You will stay in his place?" He finally asked.
"Yes. If you allow him to go free and unharmed. I—I will stay with you," Rey whispered.
"I accept," the stranger said, without hesitation.
"Come into the light and let me see you," Rey said.
As the seconds passed, Rey wondered if the stranger would give her what she wanted. She slowly held the candelabra out before her, waiting. Suddenly, a black shoe came into view bringing with it a black-clad leg. Her eyes moved up the strangers long body, which was dressed all in black as well. The stranger stopped short of showing his face. Rey would have to step closer to see the rest.
One foot, and then another, until finally his face came into view. The stranger wore a hideous mask, which made Rey scream and jump back, only coming to a stop when her back hit the cell. Again, the stranger disappeared into shadow. Rey covered her mouth to stop the scream.
"Do you still want to take his place?" the stranger sneered.
The stranger's voice was angry, yet there was something else underneath the surface. She could have sworn she heard sadness as well.
"Rey, please, get out while you can," Obi-Wan begged.
"We have a deal," she said, instead.
The stranger moved with swift action, coming towards the cell. Rey dropped the candelabra as she tried to move from his grasps, but he was too fast. He grabbed her arm, jerking the cell door open. She had no time to prepare as he threw her inside the cell and grabbed her grandfather. Rey fell to her hands and knees scrapping her palms.
"Rey!" her grandfather screamed.
Rey turned just in time to watch the stranger slam the cell door closed, locking her inside. He drug Obi-Wan down the long hallway as the the older man fought.
"Wait!" she cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I did not get to say goodbye!" she threw her hand out of the cell towards her grandfather. His hands outstretched to her as well, yet the divide between them was as far as two sides of an ocean. Rey could do nothing but beg the stranger to bring him back. The stranger denied her, slamming the door and leaving her in darkness.
"Come back!" she yelled, until her voice no longer worked.
