The Resistance was formed as a small military force to combat the First Order in 2012 from the shambles of the New Republic's military. With the Civil War nearing the end, the final battle took place in Jakku. After the Empire's defeat, a peace treaty called the Galactic Concordance was signed, seemingly ending the cruel war. Soon, the New Republic has carried out the demilitarization of its troops. This angered and deeply worried some of the members of the Senate, who have created their own organisation in order to unravel the dirty schemes of the once great Empire and to get rid of the government's childish naivety and pacifistic views. The conflict was not over as much as people wanted it to be. Decades of terror have caused everyone to crave peace in any form possible.
Rey is too young to remember the horrors in the reign of the Emperor, but there are quite a lot of people who were there to witness the bloodshed, the sudden disappearances, the orphans crying for their mothers. Some might even say they cannot recall if there was ever a peaceful period, to begin with.
Politics have never interested Rey much so not taking a side in the conflict as old as the world feels secure. Her life can be described as rather uneventful and monotonous, but subsequently safe and Finn ruined it all when he ran onto the road so carelessly.
He is now kneeling on the gravel with his face stuck in a bowl filled with water, lapping at the liquid hungrily. It is probably filled with dirt and sand, but he pays it no mind. He is still wearing the leather jacket for some reason. It is hanging loosely over his broad shoulders, exposing the dirty black turtleneck.
Bebe is sitting on the porch quietly, heavily breathing. Its beautiful golden fur shines brightly in the sun. The orange bandana that is wrapped around its neck is made of smooth delicate fabric. The dog has to be of the expensive kind. You can only see such luxurious breeds in the northern regions. It looks well taken care of so whoever is its actual owner, he must really care about the animal.
"Oh, Maker!" Finn groans loudly.
The man has turned to lie on his back with his limbs stretched out. He then slowly sits up and looks at Rey with such adoration she has to look away. She is not used to being in contact with others who do not want to either rob or kill her.
"So, you live here, huh?" he prompts. "Looks nice. Not that I've seen many houses like that. You've got a cool truck and-"
The girl's stern gaze is saying, 'don't push it'. Finn gets quiet and an uncomfortable silence starts to hang in the air. He purses his full lips, his eyes are darting between her and some random spot to the right.
"I just want to thank you, y'know, for helping and not stabbing me."
"It has crossed my mind."
The man's eyes widen comically for a second as he is taken aback by her bluntness. She does not give him an opportunity to answer and says, "You are supposed to tell me why you're here."
Finn stands up with a grunt, patting his thighs to get rid of dust.
"This jacket, it belonged to Poe Dameron. He was captured by the First Order", he shuffles his feet on the sand. "I helped him escape but our car crashed."
So their vehicle was the one Elena talked about. Anything that comes close to the Sinking Fields perishes. People say that if you stay still, you will survive. It is not true. You will still be pulled down, no matter how much you struggle. Gangs use that to their advantage. They dump corpses there to destroy any evidence of their dirty deeds.
Finn's young face shows the same somberness from before when he was talking about that friend of his. The name Dameron does not tell her anything. She reckons he must be one of those rebelling folk. The girl has heard stories about brave fighters and that is all they shall remain - tales for children, silly hearsay.
"I don't know if Poe made it," the man finally mutters.
As if it understood his words, Bebe whimpers, dejected. The animal enters the house slowly with its head hanging low. Rey watches the dog until it disappears inside the hut. Now, she feels more confident as she is closer to figuring out who Finn really is.
"So you're with the Resistance?"
Almost in an instant, the man's expression brightens up as he vigorously nods. The girl is not sure why he looks so relieved. She quickly scans him with her eyes once again and her lips curl up. He does not exactly look like one to actively battle oppressing regimes or to revolt against an established ruler. People who rebel against Unkar Plutt have that sparkle in their eyes, that flame that separates them from the rest. They know they have got nothing to lose. Finn's eyes lack that kind of spark.
Why would Elena want Rey to meet a Rebel? Was she a part of that organisation? Could she not help Finn so she sent him to Rey? If the man stumbled upon anyone else on that road, he would not find help. Just like the girl, people of Jakku look only after themselves, their survival is the most important. Rey is not able to do much for him. She could drive him to the nearest city the next morning and come back just in time to go to Unkar with the parts.
The sun is beginning to set, causing the sky to turn crimson and pink. It now matches the ground's orange hue. The area is quiet, not even the coyotes can be heard, but soon the winds will come to haunt the dwellers of this land and cover everything with sand.
Reluctantly, Rey gets up and walks towards her truck. Cleaning up after the sandstorms is a tedious job so she covers the car every night with a big blue plastic mat. Then she goes inside the house. The girl places a grey blanket on the floor and puts a long thin piece of fabric over it. She hears Finn's heavy steps. He is looking around with curiosity. He has never seen a hut like this as he is from the northern part of the country. Rey moves past him to lock the door.
Finally, his eyes land on her. The man's features soften and his lips seem to be forming a tiny smile. He does not say anything. Rey is not sure why he is gawing at her like this. It has never happened to her before, she has never been given so much attention from anyone. The girl gets uncomfortable so she focuses on setting up the small eating space. It consists of a portable cooker standing on a metal crate, an old burned pot and an electric lantern that illuminates the room with its blue light.
Finn sits next to her on the floor. There are no chairs. Rey offers him a piece of stale bread and some watery soup.
"Was that whole story you told me a lie?" Rey asks softly.
"N-No, of course not!" he mumbles with his mouth full. "Poe got sent to Tuanul on his own. Was supposed to be a quick little trip but something went wrong. The whole place got sacked."
Finn notices the girl's horrified expression. Tuanul is, or was, located hundreds of miles away from Jakku, built on top of a massive rock mesa near the Kelvin Ravine. The villagers were peaceful and strong in faith. They never bothered anyone.
"You know the rest of it," the man trails off.
The wind is howling outside but Rey can only hear dozens of voices calling out with pain and desperation. With the sun gone, it is quite chilly inside the hut and she shivers but it is not because of the cold. Rey suddenly wishes she had never gone to Elena's.