Cars are complicated machines. Some say they resemble a human's body. To some extent, it is true. A car is not as fragile as a person but once the damage is done, it could not be as easy to restore it to its original state.
Rey has experienced that feeling while working on her beloved truck. Over the excruciating period of trial-and-error, she managed to find the right salvageable parts that fit the car frame and engine. She spent hours putting it all together in order to be able to travel the long distance between her home and the Niima Outpost every day. To this day the girl remembers how happy she felt when the ignition was flipped on and the loud noise of the engine broke the silence of her desolate homeland.
Right now Rey is standing in front of the Falcon with gloomy thoughts swarming in her head. Han motions her to climb onto the driver's seat. The girl immediately notices the dangling wires and she winces. Han sits uncomfortably close next to her so she cowers away.
"Sir?" she prompts, unsure of his state of mind.
"Don't 'sir' me, girl," he shoots back not unkindly.
Has he calmed down after the confrontation with Kanata? He does not look as agitated anymore even though there is a slight frown on kiss sun-kissed face. He tells her to speak about Plutt, referring to the blobfish as he 'friend'. She denies such level of association between her and the man.
"He's my employer," she almost uses the past tense.
The young scavenger comes to a very grim conclusion and that is Plutt will not be happy with her. Taking his property – although obtained with questionable means – beating up his lackeys, not showing up for work for days? People have been executed for less.
"You steal for him?"
"I've never stolen anything in my life!" Rey hisses in defence. Han's eyebrows knit in abashment. "I strip wreckages for him."
"He pays you for it?" he does not sound convinced. "How many credits?"
Rey's mouth opens and closes.
"How many for a day?"
The young girl does not know what to say. Unkar has never paid his workers with actual money simply because he does not have any. Since resources in Jakku and the area are scarce, the military rations left behind after the war are so valuable. Sometimes when off-worlders stumbled upon the settlement they offered money for the few services that were available. The dwellers then exchanged the credits for water, tools, or anything that could keep them alive. Ten portions soon became equal to thirty credits and that is how Unkar made a business for himself – by preying on someone else's misery and desperation.
Han waves his hand in dismissal, aware of her discomfort. He is hesitant to admit that the girl is growing on him. She is smart, too smart for her age. And intuitive, too. It is clear she can take care of herself just fine. Her skills could come in handy, he knows it.
The Falcon is still in one piece, more or less, but some work is gonna be needed. Both the girl and the troopers have made their presence clear – the bullet holes pissed him off especially.
"Anyway, Rey," Han finally says. "Go take them tools from Chewie and we'll get right to work."
Chewbacca is found tinkering with the lorry. Rey approaches him with a shy smile. She sees a couple of crates by the huge wheels. She goes to grab the toolbox standing nearby. It is heavier than she has expected. Once she is sure the battery is disconnected, she wastes no time and dives right in. Chewie has given the girl a pair of protective gloves made out of rough material but she puts them away as she has always preferred to work with bare hands whenever possible.
After the steering wheel is removed she takes out the ignition lock and goes straight for the wiring. They get untwisted and separated in order to prevent any short circuits. Insulation tape is put on the frayed ends, which are then inserted delicately into a wiring harness connector. They are bound by a string and tucked away.
Since Han managed to get his hands on some new parts while Finn and Rey were locked up, she has no problem with putting the dash up right away. Next, the young girl takes the brand new ignition lock, places it in the right socket so she can move onto the steering wheel. The one Han got has a smooth brown leather wrapping that feels smooth under Rey's fingertips.
Even though she has finished her work faster than she expected, it is still not the end of it.
As soon as Rey puts down her screwdriver, Han beckons her. He has been working on the engine, probably feeling spooked by the compressor Unkar is responsible for, and has had some issues. This time Rey has to wear the gloves. She is instructed by the old man to hold this, screw that in, pass the right wrench, change the wires and oils. This is clearly his way of punishing her.
She has kept her mouth shut through it all but in the end, she feels mentally exhausted. Solo's unnecessary comments have almost made her scream – only Chewie's presence has kept her somewhat sane. The excitement due to meeting a living legend has begun to wane and so when announces they shall take a break, she instantly thinks back to that promise he made her on the way to Takodana.
The man plops down on a crate with a bottle of clear liquid and takes a big sip. When Rey does not sit, he motions her to rest next to him. She does so hesitantly, feeling a spark of anticipation once again.
He passes the bottle to the scavenger and sends her a look saying 'go on, I know you're dying from curiosity.'
"Why'd you come back?" she asks the first question that comes to her mind.
Han's lips press themselves into a thin line. He has hoped she would not pick that particularly uncomfortable enquiry. He really wants to say something like, 'what's it matter? We're here now, ain't we?' but that answer would certainly not satisfy Rey and he see her pursing her lips, disappointed, in his mind.
"Chewie wouldn't stop bugging me. Had to do something to shut him up," the man clears his throat, unsure if the carefree approach was the right one. "He likes you for some reason."
"Have you known Maz for long?"
"For almost my whole life."
"Is she your..." the girl trails off, not knowing which word to use. "Caretaker?"
'Mother figure' would have fit better, perhaps.
"I reckon so," he shrugs. "She got my back in some of the toughest times. Helped me with a couple of runs."
Rey sees that the man has grown sheepish because he is avoiding eye contact and wringing his hands so she changes the subject. It is evident the ex-war hero is not the best at expressing emotions, instead opting for jokes or lighthearted quips. Deep down the scavenger cannot help but feel a pang of jealousy, bitterly prickling her heart, and wishes she had a mentor. Anyone but Unkar Plutt would do.
There is another matter that has been bothering her for quite a while. "Finn said you'd fought in the war."
Han inhales deeply, suddenly feeling at a loss of words, and curses that damn kid and his loud mouth. He knows where this is going – prolonged war stories about the amazing deeds he did - so he tries to give the girl an answer that is both satisfactory and good enough to steer the conversation towards a different, safer topic.
"I was coerced into it," he states half-jokingly, half-dismissively. "Had I known to destroy the Death Star paid so poorly, I'd've thought of it twice."
"They're true? The stories?"
Han scoffs. "They are. The Force, the Order, all of it."
"So, Luke Skywalker-"
"Yeah, I knew him." The mention of his best friend's name forces Solo's mouth to turn down just a little bit.
"That's amazing!" Rey beams at him. "How'd you get the Falcon?"
"I won her in a game of sabacc."
"Did you really do the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs?" He nods. "Some people have said it was 14."
"It was 12!" Han snaps. Him getting up and walking back to the lorry officially ends the exchange. Chewbacca inquires him about something, but the old man mumbles under his breath, waving his hand to shush his friend. Next, he grabs a flashlight standing nearby in order to direct its light beam at the hidden parts of the engine. "Left the best for last."
Once the sun starts to set down, they hurry back to the castle, having assessed most of the damage inflicted by Plutt and the troopers. Finally, Chewie has a chance to chat with Maz over a drink. Han is nowhere to be seen, probably hiding from everyone in some dark corner.
Rey is on her own, left to wander around after bringing Maz's back into a cubby covered in a thin layer of dust. She decides to find Finn.
Entering the cantina, she is hit with a cloud of smoke that causes her to stifle a cough. It is getting late so most of the patrons have already left or retired to their chambers. Music is quietly playing in the background, conversations are hushed, the overall atmosphere is mellow. She manoeuvers around the tables, moving towards the bar, and finds the kitchen empty.
The room is rather narrow with cabinets and counters on the left and stoves on the right. There are a couple of pots filled with aromatic stew sitting on the burners. She stirs it with a wooden spoon but does not dare to taste it. Her tummy is still full of the food she has eaten in the early afternoon.
The counters are piled with dirty pans among all kinds of kitchen utensils thrown around carelessly. The girl walks towards the huge fridge, treading cautiously so that she does not step into the trash that has been left on the stone floor. When she gets to the entrance of a strange room, she is startled by a stumpy figure exiting the said area. Stronto 'Cookie' Tuggs is holding a crate full of what looks like vegetables, which are threatened to fall down because of him abruptly stopping in the hall. He growls at her in annoyance and she mumbled a quick apology.
"What're you here for, girl?" his tone softens.
"I'm looking for Finn."
"Who?"
"Finn. The boy I've come here with."
Stronto's scarred face frowns in thoughtfulness. He drops the crate on the counter that seems the cleanest and begins to put each vegetable down but not before diligently turning it over in search for any flaws or blemishes.
The man lets out a hum. "That no good, lazy brat?"
Rey scowls lightly but nods.
He waves his hand in the general direction of the cantina. "He's out there with the hound."
The girl goes back outside and, as Stronto said, Finn is serving what is left of patrons, although he is doing a rather sloppy job. The sour expression on his dark-skinned face while he is attempting at balancing a tray with glasses and bowls standing on it. The young man stumbles in front of Rey with a relieved smile. Bebe joins him right after getting satisfied with pets he has been receiving from a balding man dressed in smuggler's garb.
"Thank Maker, you're here!" her companion lets out a weary sigh. "Solo wasn't bullying you too much?"
Rey shakes her head – there is no need for adding fuel to blooming conflict between the young man and bitter smuggler. They have been butting heads for some time, which has Rey and Chewie rolling their eyes. It is a result of stress and exhaustion, but still, it would be nice not to snap at one another constantly – they have a common goal even if Han does not want to admit it.
Once Stronto tells the young couple to bugger off, they head towards their quarters they have been given for the time being. They go up a stone staircase that leads to a long corridor where they pass a tall fair-skinned woman.
Their room is at the end of the hallway. Finn unlocks the heavy door and the interior is revealed to the youngsters. Immediately, they are hit with a musky smell of a long un-occupied room.
It is not spacious but it should be big enough for the two of them and the dog. There is a bed pushed to the wall that has only a mattress placed in the frame. The nightstand which is standing next to it looks beaten up but it still holds its shape. The only thing left is a small table with a mismatched white chair.
Bebe lets himself in first and Finn follows soon after. He does not stop to look around curiously unlike Rey. It must be a regular occurrence for him to rest in such accommodations, she figures somewhat bitterly.
The sound of soft steps wakes Rey from her musings. Maz walks into the room with a vigour which can be due to the amount of alcohol she has consumed. There are grey sheets and what looks like vibrantly colourful fabrics in her arms. She sets her gifts on the table and asks dryly, "The place up to your tastes?"
However, the woman does not give them time to answer because her hands make a loud clapping sound when she clasps them together.
"Good, good!" she murmurs and turns to Finn. "Tomorrow you'll get your transport to wherever it is you want to go. For now, you'll be staying here. The bathroom's to the left, just gotta get hot water from the boiler room. Brought you clothes to change into. You two did good today, get some rest."
She finishes her little monologue with a sigh. "So, any questions?"
Silence seems to be enough of a reply so Maz nods and motions Finn to get buckets from the bathroom for water. The woman pushes him out of the room, hurrying him, just to suddenly stop in her tracks as if she remembered something very important. Kanata looks piercingly at Rey through those large lenses and says with appreciation, "No idea what you did to that stubborn oaf but it worked."