As I reached the AT-AT that I called home I sling my bag into the ground hearing the small thud as it kicked up some of the sand. I flung my aching body onto the makeshift bed, which was made out of a few blankets and boxes, and opened up a fresh packet of rations to eat. The rations were bland but food is just fuel for the body, nothing more. Or so I tell myself. The fire I had lit was emitting a light warmth just enough to combat the chill of the night. I grabbed one of the blankets and hauled it around my shoulders as I got up to go outside of the AT-AT. I leaved against the cold metal exterior and looked up I watched, watched the stars as they danced and glistened against the black canvas of the night sky. Beautiful. Each star gave a slight plus as it twinkled, calming every part of my soul. Funny isn't it, how one small insignificant act could calm the deepest part of me. It filled me with a glimmer of hope, oh how I wished I was up there. How I longed, prayed to be up there amongst the stars. I wished I could leave this wasteland and be apart of the wider galaxy. To be in a space ship flying amongst those same stars I'm staring at. If I close my eyes I can imagine it, if I close my eyes I can dream...

But that's all it is. As dream. A hopeless dream for a scavenger like me. Why am I even alive? What's the point in my life if all I'm going to do is scavenge for the rest of it? A single silent tear caressed my cheek as it gently fell off my face. There's no point in hopeless dreams when the reality of my life will catch up to me in the morning. I slid down the cold metal exterior until I was hugging my knees. Closing my eyes once more I fell into a dreamless sleep.

"Rey!" "Rey, please take my hand!" I could hear the desperation in their voice, I looked up as the rain poured ferociously down at me. Battling to keep my eyes open I could feel my hands gripping onto the cliff ledge above me, my arms outstretched to their max above me; and below my feet... nothing? I was dangling off of a cliff, hanging onto the ledge a few feet away from the surface. A blur of a figure was dangling half over the edge of the cliff trying to reach me. "Take my hand!" I could hear him shout as my heart aches inside of my chest. I wanted to reach up, I wanted to take his hand but I couldn't I knew deep down inside of me that I wasn't allowed to take his hand. I wasn't meant to be with him, I had to die. I shook my head slightly at the figure in front of me as my eyes blurred further, tears filling them. "Please, Rey... Please don't leave me." I could hear the hurt, the sadness, the guilt in his voice.

"I'm sorry..." was all I could muster.

"No!"

"I love you, but I have to do this."

"NO! Don't let go! I won't forgive you!" Desperation flooded the figures voice, I felt a sad smile fall onto my face as I gathered my resolve, my arms and hands aching from holding my weight for too long. "You'll be fine without me..." I closed my eyes as my fingers released the ledge, I felt my body fall, plummeting into oblivion, plummeting towards the raging sea. "NOOOOO! REY!" was all I could hear as I opened my eyes watching the stars and wondering if I would join them...

I jolted awake, a cold sweat had plastered my hair to my face. What was that? It felt so, so real... My eyes were wide open as I stared at my hands studying them as if they weren't mine. I'd never had a dream like that before. I wracked my brain feeling like I was missing something, missing a piece of my memory which was so important. Why would I be hanging off of a cliff? Didn't my parents just abandon me here two years ago? Why do I feel this ache in my heart, longing to know what that dream meant. But more importantly who was he? I've never known anyone to care about me like that... Why did I shudder at the mere thought of that dream? I looked up to the stars hoping for the same comfort I had felt from them in my dream. They held the key and I hoped they would reveal some grand secret, an answer to the questions racing through my head. But of course, they didn't.

Rustle... Huh? Crunch. Something's out there. By the sound of things there were a few different sets of footsteps. Who was it? Everyone knows not to mess with me, even at night. Maybe it was a gang of scavengers? It's not uncommon for scavengers to try and rob each other at night. But I thought I'd taught them all to leave me alone, but if they haven't learnt their lesson I was prepared to teach them again. I reached into the hatch of the AT-AT and grabbed my staff slowly shaking the blanket from my shoulders. I silently raised to my feet, standing with my staff outstretched in front of me, ready to attach.

The best plan of attach was to keep my back against the AT-AT then no one could jump me from behind. I strained my eyes as I looked into the vast darkness looking for a hint as into who was trying to attach me. My heart pounded, beating rapidly as it fuelled my body with adrenaline. I could hear the soft crunching of the sand getting louder and closer until several lights were switched on blinding me. Wincing I shielded my eyes with my left arm, slowly adjusting to the blinding light I lowered my arm, focusing on the figure before me. Plutt? Confusion spread across my face as I scanned across the other men. None of which I knew to be Plutts men. What was going on? "Plutt? What is this?" I demanded as my face hardened not allowing myself to show my confusion any longer. As Plutt opened his mouth as if to speak a figure which I had not noticed before stepped out from behind him. Shit! I was the First Order general from earlier. He had a nasty smirk on his face, instinctively it made me raise my staff higher "I brought you." Was all he spat. "What?" I replied in shock, my gaze fell on Plutt as it hardened "What the fuck is he on about?" I questioned anger evident in my voice. I clutched my staff harder, turning the tips of my fingers white from the strain I was putting on them. How dare he! Fury encompasses me as Plutt finally uttered "Sorry, but he gave me an offer I couldn't refuse." There was no remorse in his voice, I was just a tool to him, one which could be easily bartered and sold. "How dare you! How much did he offer!" An evil smile twisted his face as he turned away "MORE than a dirty scavenger like you could ever make me." I watched as he strode away, abandoning me to this fate. As I opened my mouth to shout out after him, the First Order general opened his mouth to interject, obviously bored of my arguing. "Either, you come with me the easy way or..." his face twisted into a shallow, disgusting smirk "The hard way." He motioned towards his men who had trapped me against the AT-AT in a semi-circle. My only reply came in the form of me taking a deep breath and getting myself back into my stance preparing to fight for my life.

One thing you learn is that there is no easy way, everything is a fight.

Sighing the General said "Get her."