A/N: … Sorry this took so long… I've finished uni. Permanently. And the world is terrifying. I've just graduated so anyone who wondered where I've been, there you go. Thoughts on Rey's force perception? I've derived it from her psychometry but I'm unsure on how I'll write it in future chapters. I'm open to comments and suggestions. I gave myself the challenge of not watching the trailer until I'd completed this chapter. Now I have! :) But it's too late here for me to watch it right now :(

The light burnt her eyelids as Rey came running out of the hovel. Luke was staring out at the sandy ridges of the cliff.

"Luke."

He whirled around, blue eyes wide.

"Sorry," She said, slinging her quarterstaff over her shoulder and resting a hand on the leather strap, "didn't mean to scare you… You alright?"

"Can you believe him?" Luke sighed. "My father, a Jedi. Yeah right."

"Yeah, I do. He was telling the truth."

"You're force-sensitive or whatever the kriff that Ben was on about?"

"I've seen a lot of proof over the last couple of days. I know you're Force-sensitive." She replied gently.

These are your first steps…

Rey shifted her feet.

He laughed slightly as he ran a hand through his hair. "I don't even know what the Force is."

"Me either." She admitted, a hint of a smile twitching at her lips despite the fact that her heart was slowly sinking in her chest.

Luke glanced at the lightsabre still in his hand. The light of the twin suns beamed off of the metal.

"Do you think this was really his?" His question was a mumble.

Obi-Wan and Maz had insisted that the lightsabre had belonged to Luke and his father. Anakin. She didn't know him. Killed by Darth Vader… Why did everything keep coming back to him? Kylo Ren was obsessed with him. Why?

"Yeah. I do."

She could show him the one she had. Explain that she knew because she was from the future, that she had the exact same one from a different time. But she was frozen. Fingers still clenched around the leather strap.

"Then why was I raised here?" He sighed, "if my father was some famous Jedi general, then did I end up here? My mother… She must have cared about me. They must have had a relationship, right? Otherwise I would have ended up with someone else instead of with my aunt and uncle. Do you think he knows who my mother was?"

"He might. He seems to know an awful kriff-load about your life." She grinned slightly. "It's kinda worrying if you ask me."

Luke glanced at the speeder. "You think we'll all fit in there?"

"We'll manage it." Rey replied.

They did manage it. She was, however, squeezed uncomfortably in between R2 and 3P0 as the landspeeder raced along the sand as they neared a thick black plume of smoke rising to the sky.

Heart pounding, she gestured towards it.

"Is that normal?"

"No." Luke replied.

As they drove closer and closer, her stomach wrapped itself in knots. Something bad was going to happen. She could feel it, rushing along her arms.

What was it? What could be happening?

They pulled up alongside the big burning husk of metal. Shards of metal covered the ground. She clambered out, lungs tightening.

Little bodies, around about the size of BB and covered in robes, lay sprawled around the ground. Her ears roared and her heart pounded against her chest. A spectre hovering over them going to killkillkill... BurningScorching the ground…

Her knees gave in and she fell into the sand. No, she couldn't get in. Had to get away. Had to live.

Rey took a deep breath to calm and separate her mind from the violent energy that clung to the area. She instantly regretted it as she breathed in the smoke, spluttering and coughing.

A shaking hand brushed against her and she peered up.

Obi-Wan was frowning.

R2 and 3P0 shuffled past her beeping.

"Are you okay?" The old man asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. It just gets overwhelming sometimes."

"When you train, that will stop. You'll become more aware of the Force around you and learn how to avoid it."

"I don't even know what causes it." She admitted as something wet dropped onto her - Luke's - top. Water. She rubbed the tears away from her face.

"If the Force wills it or if there's some kind of violent energy." He gestured to the corpses.

"But I felt Luke's emotions earlier."

"He can't stop himself from broadcasting yet." He replied, walking around the wreckage site.

Luke was studying the wreck when she looked over at him. Did he not feel the violence?

"Any idea what happened?"

He blinked.

"Sand People, I would say." He ran a hand over a piece of metal. "It looks like the Sand People, alright. Look there's Gaderffii stick, Bantha tracks but I've never heard of them hitting anything this big before."

"They didn't." Obi-Wan informed them, his steely eyes studying the scene.

"But someone wants us to think they did... What would they have to gain?" Rey questioned, furrowing her eyebrows. While it was a common thing on Jakku with plenty of Unkar's mercenaries stealing from other scavengers. Everyone else was too scared of them to speak up against them.

"People around here are already scared of Tusken Raiders." Luke told her. "They'd have nothing to gain."

"The tracks are side by side. Sand People normally walk single file to hide their numbers." The old man said, gesturing to them with wrinkled finger.

Luke bent down, examining the little Jawa corpses. "These are the same Jawas that sold us R2 and 3P0."

"It wasn't revenge against the Raiders - Luke!" She called, suddenly feeling boneless. "Someone's after the droids!"

"These blast points... Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise." Obi-Wan murmured, hobbling over to the big vehicle.

"What would Stormtroopers want with the droids? They don't - If they learnt who they sold them to that, that would lead them back... home." Luke's eyes widened, his voice wavering.

He took off running. Fear and worry clinging to him like the sand that was almost certainly in his boots.

"Wait! Luke! It's too dangerous." The old man called.

He didn't listen as he clambered into the speeder and started the engine.

"Luke!" She called, running towards him.

The speeder whirled to life and shot off into the distance, leaving behind a brown cloud of sand in the air.

"You won't catch him." Obi-Wan informed her simply as she came to a stop, spluttering on the sand grains.

"Don't you care?" She questioned through gritted teeth. Really? What was with him? So he was some fancy Jedi General. Big deal.

"Look at me." He replied, gesturing to himself. "I can't run after him."

"You didn't even try."

She saw the smoking homestead before she felt the anger and heartbreak. It slammed into her chest as she saw him, crying in front of two smoking skeletons.

Her face flushed, a warm slimy feeling rising up in her throat. She collapsed to the ground, choking as her knees slammed into the hard sand.

She forced herself to crawl over to him and did the only thing she could think of. She wrapped her arms around him. He buried his head into the crook of her neck as he sobbed. His skinny shoulders shook.

Nononono...Deaddead...Can'tbedead...whywhywhywhy

It battered the front of her mind. The warm presence of Luke was aching, screaming with agony. She could feel him clenching his fists, fingertips nipping at her skin as he balled the fabric in his grip. He took a shaking breath.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

He let go of her top and pulled back. His eyes, puffy and red. The swirling blue stood out as they started to fill with tears once more.

"I-I wish I'd said something to them… The last thing we ever said to each other was a stupid argument."

"Don't." Rey found herself pleading with him. "Don't blame yourself. You didn't know."

The two of them stayed there what seemed like hours. After a private burial, they regretfully turned back and headed back to Obi-Wan.

Luke was still sniffling as they approached the burning wreckage. She took his hand and stayed silent. He glanced at her.

The crackling of fire caught her attention. 3P0 was dumping her jawa corpse into a fire. The two of the climbed out of the speeder.

The old man walked almost listlessly over to them. His face still calm and blank. Rey wanted to punch him, shover her quarterstaff right up his arse.

"There's nothing you could have done. You'd have been killed too. And the droids would now be in the hands of the Empire." Obi-Wan informed him calmly. Far too calmly.

"I want to come with you to Alderaan. There's nothing for me here now. I want to learn the ways of the force and become a Jedi like my father." Luke replied just as calmly, despite his bloodshot eyes.

Was that his concussion talking? Something felt right in the air around them - it felt like the Force - yet it felt horrible. Off. He needed time. Heal from his head injury and grieve.

"Kriff off." She snapped.

The two of them turned to look her. Did she just say that outloud? Oops.

"Luke, you don't have to go." She protested before turning the old man. "He has no obligation to you or the Force and he is kriffing grieving."

"I believe he can make his own decisions."

Of course he can. She never said that he couldn't. She just didn't think it was healthy. It would be the start of a revenge quest and despite what Obi-Wan seemed to be trying to imply, he didn't have any obligation to become a Jedi… Was she disrupting the timeline? Or was she talking about herself rather than Luke?

She had no obligation to the world. No obligation to become a Jedi even after Maz had brought it up. So why did she want to be a Jedi? She wanted to belong. She wanted to help people. Maybe Luke did too.

It was an awful way to lose the ones you love and just finding their bodies there. Dumped like trash. She could feel the bile beginning to rise in her throat again.

Her vague memories of her parents and them leaving her had become fuzzier and fuzzier until she started to believe that they were dreams, made up from being unceremoniously dumped into the desert sands. Then she had picked up that lightsabre and a few things had come flooding back. Not enough. But it was something.

Like that memory of her parents talking. Her mother telling her to finish her sums. It still wasn't getting any clearer.

Obi-Wan glanced in her direction.

"And what about you Rey?"

"I don't have anything else either." She sighed.

She hated how true that was.

The outskirts of Mos Eisley were filled with people and sandy coloured buildings. What was it that the old man had called it? A hive of scum and villainy? She wanted to laugh. Didn't look that bad. Clearly he had never been to Jakku or Nar Shaddaa, a place which Jess and Poe had talked about.

She held out a hand, wiggling her fingers to feel the air flowing through the spaces.

"Miss Rey, what are you doing?" 3P0 questioned, anxiously.

"Enjoying being the ride."

"I'm glad you enjoy my flying." Luke pointed out. She could see the hint of a smile in the wing mirror. At least she was helping him feel a bit better.

"It feels nice to not be the one flying."

"We should have a race at some point." He suggested.

"Oh, I'll win."

"Really?" He turned his head slightly. "Beggar's Canyon."

"I'm not stupid enough to take you on on your home turf." She laughed, pulling her arm into the speeder as they approach a barrier of dirty stormtroopers.

Instead of speeding up and driving off, he slowed down and pulled to a stop in front of them. She looked at him. Why was he stopping?

"How long have you had these droids?" The one with the red shoulder patch asked

"About three or four seasons." Luke replied.

"They're up for sale if you want them." Obi-Wan added with a hint of a grin.

Wait, what? What the kriff?

"Let me see your identification."

Her heart felt like it was about to burst right out of her chest. She moved her hand and rested a hand on her staff, gripping it until her knuckles turned white. She had her own blaster, even if that got knocked out of her hands. She didn't have to get the sabre out just yet.

"You don't need to see his identification." The old man waved a hand as he talked.

"We don't need to see his identification." Shoulder patch trooper echoed, glancing at the others.

One of the others adjusted the grip on his blaster.

"These aren't the droids you're looking for." He told him.

"These are the droids we're looking for." The trooper repeated.

Her fingers started to throb slightly from her tight grip on the staff.

"He can go about his business."

"You can go about your business." Shoulder Patch agreed, walking away from the

Luke's eyes followed the stormtrooper

"Move along."

"Move along. Move along." He ordered them, sounding a bit agitated.

Luke started the speeder up again and he drove through the streets. Her grip on the staff relaxed slightly. Her heart was still pounding in her chest as she shuffled forward in her seat.

"What the kriff did you do that for? What if they'd have wanted to buy the droids?" Rey asked him, staring at the old man.

"They don't." He replied, glancing at her.

"You didn't know that." She told him, her thoughts wandered to Unkar Plutt and how badly he wanted poor BB8. Any one of them could turn around and run after them, put a blaster to their heads… She'd deal with it if it came to that. She had three weapons on her. If it came to it, then she would do what she had to.

"Where are your parents?" Obi-Wan asked. "I'm sure they wouldn't approve of your language."

"They dumped on Jakku when I was little. Never heard from them since. They told me they were coming back."

"How long were you waiting?" Luke's question was gentle. Not like the annoying calmness of the old man.

"Over a decade." Rey told them.

She swallowed, trying to ignoring the sadness welling up inside her.

Luke thought that this place with the bustling crowd and many, many buildings was the furthest point away from the brightest part of the galaxy? In a competition between the worst planets, she was sure Jakku would win. It was vast amounts of pure sand and junkyards, there was no civilisation like Mos Eisley.

There was so many people here. Everything was loud. People walking, talking, breathing. Someone was shrieking with laughter as Luke parked the speeder. A Jawa walked up, hands wandering over the vehicle.

"I can't abide those Jawas. Disgusting creatures." 3P0 ever so kindly enlightened them. She was very glad that she'd avoided the droid at all costs on the D'Qar base.

Luke climbed out and shoved the creature along, mumbling to himself in his own, guttural sounding language.

"Those disgusting creatures brought you to Luke." Rey reminded them, heaving herself out.

She glanced around, a couple of people were walking past, a few hanging around but no massive crowds. Regardless, it felt like they were all staring at her, watching her. Just waiting for her to make a mistake. Like Unkar Plutt was breathing down her neck. Was he even alive at this point in time?

"I can't understand how we got by those troopers. I thought we were dead." Luke

"They wouldn't have killed us, would they?" Her mind cast itself back to the rumours of stormtroopers that had circulated through the outpost the day she met Finn.

They killed them all. They'd done nothing and they slaughtered them.

"Yes." He responded, frowning at her. The only stormtroopers she'd seen were the ones on Starkiller base, all of which she'd avoided. Would they have killed her? Did that mean Finn had killed people? Had that made him walk away?

She missed him.

"The Force can have a strong influence on a weak mind." Obi-Wan was informing Luke.

She'd used mind tricks before… Taken away his will but it had been an entirely different situation. Not that she could take the old man seriously with that hood flopping over his face as he talked. He looked like an idiot. But that could just be because he was starting to annoy her.

"And what if his buddies realise that something's up?" She considered.

"We'll be long gone by then." He replied.

"Not if they're starting to realise now."

The old man shot her annoyed look. Well, she assumed he was annoyed but with his hood covering his face she couldn't quite tell. She bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. For one long moment that seemed to stretch out forever, he stared at her.

She shifted uncomfortably, heart pounding in her ears.

"You remind me of someone." Obi-Wan told her, his voice sounding worn out as though just the memories themselves were tiring him out.

"From pointing out the obvious?"

"No. From criticising everything."

"Maybe you need it." Rey pointed out, raising her eyebrows.

Oops. He didn't look pleased.

"You really think we're going to find a pilot here that will take us to Alderaan?" Luke piped up, gesturing at the round building.

"Most of the best freighter pilots can be found here. And watch your step. This place can be a little rough." Obi-Wan told them as he walked to the entrance.

"How do you know that?" Rey called after him.

He didn't reply.

"He means smugglers." She glanced at Luke.

"I'm ready for anything." He said, more to himself.

Feeling a small grin stretch across her face, she crept forward. Reached out with shaky hands and grabbed his sides.

He jumped, face

"Thought you were ready for anything." She laughed.

"Very funny." He tried to scowl but the slight grin threatening to stretch across his face ruined the image.

"Let's go." She said.

"Come on R2." 3P0 chided the astromech.

Rey could hear all of the commotion going on inside as they headed inside the building. She could face it. She'd faced the loud sounds of Poe's eating, she could face this.

It wasn't like Maz's castle with its wide rooms and massive walls. It was small and cramped. Everyone was talking and drinking. The music thudded in her ears.

Heart pounding against her chest, she felt like she was rooted to the spot. Her fingers tingled. She could run. If she left, nobody would know they weren't looking at her.

Or she could stay but keep closer to the wall where nobody would notice her.

Rey swallowed and took a long, slow deep breath. In… Out… In… Out… Just like Jess had taught her.

Obi-Wan was talking to pilot in a dark flight suit. Behind him was - Oh… Oh Force!

Wait, be reasonable Rey. That might not be Chewie. That could be any Wookie. Just a normal, random Wookie.

Taking another deep breath, she glanced at Luke. As one, the three of them walked down the steps.

"Hey!" An angry voice snapped. Rey jumped, hand snapping to rest on her staff and head whipping round to the source of the voice. It was the bartender, gesturing to the droids.

"We don't serve their kind here." He grunted.

"What?" Luke asked, his face blank and confused.

"Your droids. They'll have to wait outside. We don't want them here."

Luke said something to 3P0. But she didn't hear whatever was said. The crowds were sniggering and whispering amongst themselves as she looked around, trying to ignore the feeling of the dark walls pushing in and the threat of not being able to breath.

She continued to take deep breaths as Luke lead her to sit down near Obi-Wan. It might not be Chewie. Might not be Chewie.

"And droids are going to drink alcohol because?" She muttered to Luke as they took their seats. "Do you want to put the lightsabre in my bag?"

Instantly, she regretted asking. How would she explain that she had two identical lightsabres? But he looked so obvious walking around with it swinging from his belt. If someone questioned him, he probably wouldn't know what to say about it… And if that someone was a stormtrooper…

"No, it's fine." He answered before turning to tug on the bartender's shirt.

Her cheeks burned as he did so. For a moment, she didn't know whether she wanted to the floor to swallow her up in embarrassment or if she should slap Luke's hand down.

He ordered … something… The bartender grudgingly gave them two cups. Whatever was in it, he knew what the liquid was as he took a big gulp of it.

Hesitantly, she sniffed it. Nope. Not water. She put the drink back on the counter.

"How are we paying for this?"

"It's on tab for when we leave. I'm sure Ben won't mind paying. I'm hungry. You hungry?"

"I'm alright." Rey smiled politely. She'd eaten yesterday and while she knew it wasn't healthy, it was something she was used to. A familiar pain.

"You recognise any of these species?"

"Not really." He glanced around. "Erm… the Jawa that's about it."

"How do you not really recognise a species?"

"It's been awhile." Luke smiled.

The sounds of a Wookie muttering caught her ears. It was too loud in here for her to fully make out. She leaned in closer.

Wham!

Something banged into her. She glanced down to see a blonde head. Luke.

She frowned and glanced behind him. Two men, neither a species that she recognised. The one with a big furry head and giant eyes were a complete and utter mystery.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"It's fine. That nerd-herder needs to be more careful."

The alien growled something in his language as Luke went back to his drink. She glowered at them, recognising and not liking the look in their eyes. Like the eyes of a thief who has found an easy target.

"He doesn't like you." The other man ever so politely informed Luke.

"Good for him." She replied, swinging herself around to face him.

"He doesn't like you either." He turned to her.

She shrugged. He wasn't her problem. He could go kriff himself for all she cared.

"I'm sorry." Luke said, looking back at the bar top.

The man reached out and grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around.

Instantly, Rey was on her feet. He was going to hurt her friend (there was a small part of her brain giddy at the thought - Luke Skywalker was her friend). She pulled her quarterstaff off and gripped it tightly. Threateningly she hoped.

"I don't like you either. You just watch yourself. We're wanted men. I've got a death sentence on twelve systems." They were too busy informing Luke.

"I'll be careful." He said.

"If you really did, you wouldn't be picking on him." She told them before waving her hand and trying to summon the Force. "Go back to your drinks."

Fuzzy head tilted his head to one side. The other started to openly laugh. Shavit, that didn't work.

"Who's this, your girlfriend? You need your girlfriend to protect you?" He sneered at Luke, not even paying attention to her. As though the idea of her protecting him would goad him into snapping. She didn't know him all that well but she didn't think that would work.

Rey swings the staff into his knee. It hits with a crack and he falls to the floor, clutching his knee.

Fuzzy head ran at her but a worn, wrinkled hand reached out and stopped him.

"These little ones aren't worth the effort." Obi-Wan said before gesturing to the bartender. "Let me get you something."

"There's no need. They were just leaving." Rey replied coldly.

Instead of doing that, Fuzzy Head shoved Luke to the ground. He went flying, knocking a table over and landing in a heap on the ground.

The old man sighed.

A now familiar snap-hiss of a lightsabre igniting met her ears. Obi-Wan's bright blue blade caught the eyes of the crowd. People turned, now curious. Some holding their breath.

Then Fuzzy Head was yelling, his arm now bloody fell to the floor. Still held in its grasp was a blaster.

Luke was staring at the blue plasma, fascinated. Rey studied at the old man's face as he deactivated the blade. People turned back to their drinks and conversation now that the commotion was over.

Rey headed over to where Luke was sitting and held out a hand, trying to ignore the feeling of deja vu. He took her hand and pulled himself to his feet.

"I'm alright." He said, clutching his head as they joined the Obi-Wan and the Hopefully-Random-Wookie. She slung the staff over her head and pulled the leather strap around her shoulders.

"Yeah, that's why you have a hand on your head. Do you want me to take a look?" She asked as they started to walk away.

"No, I'm fine."

"Chewbacca here is first mate on a ship that might suit us." Obi-Wan told them.

Luke glances back at the Wookie, completely unaware of the many, many swear words running through Rey's head. But they all felt woefully inadequate for this entire situation.

Why did she have to land here? Of all the times she could have landed, why now?