II.
Inhabitants of Jakku were paranoid and suspicious folk, with good reason. Out in the desert it was the survival of the fittest. The weak were not spared. Children with scavenging talent were manipulated by adults with empty bellies. Rumors of betrayals and back-stabbings were whispered and quickly passed around Niima Outpost before vanishing with the sunset.
Rey stared at the sleeping form of Shwaz with an intensity she didn't know she possessed. She was tense in her hammock inside the AT-AT. What was she thinking? How stupid could she be to allow a complete stranger into her shelter? It was reckless. If she ended up with her own knife plunged deep into her chest she would deserve it.
It was ridiculous.
She was ridiculous.
Yet, something deep inside her insisted that Shwaz could be trusted. He was telling the truth about BB-8 being part of the Resistance, and that the droid was a key part of a very important mission. And although he hadn't said anything, Shwaz himself was also important. She could just feel it.
Rey breathed out of her nose and turned onto her side, facing away from Shwaz. She tried to force herself to sleep by staring at the metal walls.
It was a fruitless effort.
With a huff of annoyance she turned onto the other side. She grumbled, trying to get comfortable. When she glanced once more in the direction of the sleeping stranger she froze. Their eyes met in the darkness.
"You can't sleep either, can you?" He said softly.
She shook her head.
"You're worried." It was a statement.
"I'd be foolish if I weren't." Rey replied. She could barely see him in the darkness of her shelter.
"Some would call you foolish for letting me into your home at all."
"And they would be right. Also, this is not my home."
"If it's not a home, then what is it?"
Rey shifted positions on the hammock so that she was laying on her back. She stared up at the dark ceiling. "Shelter. Nothing more."
Hours later Rey woke to find both Shwaz and BB-8 gone. Her eyes darted about the inside of the AT-AT. They were nowhere to be found. She pulled herself out of the hammock and stood on her feet. When had they left? Hadn't they agreed Rey would help them get off planet?
A distant beeping followed by a low voice made her shoulders relax. They were still here. Rey hurried over to her table and grabbed a portion of rations. It wasn't much at all, she thought as she ripped open the package, but it was all she had.
Once prepared, Rey stepped outside with her meager meal. She squinted her eyes, blinded temporarily by the brightness of the sun. There she saw Shwaz stood facing the endless sea of dunes. He stood with his hands behind his back and his legs parted. At his feet was BB-8. The droid beeped softly.
"You know, standing out in the open is the perfect way to get caught." Rey couldn't help but say as she approached him.
He turned around and arched an eyebrow at her. "Good morning to you, too."
She stopped in front him.
"Here," she held out her tray. "It isn't much, but a little sustenance is better than none."
Shwaz took the offered food from her with thanks. She settled down in the sand while Shwaz leaned against the AT-AT leg. Together they ate and watched as a starship rose into the stratosphere.
"That's what we need," Shwaz broke the silence.
"What?" Rey looked up at him.
He motioned toward the vessel in the sky. "A ship."
She raised an eyebrow up at him. "Can you afford one?"
"I never said I was going to buy one."
"You want to steal a ship?" Rey almost laughed. "Are you out of your mind?"
"It's the only way to get BB-8 back to the Resistance base."
Said droid beeped in affirmation.
Rey set her empty tray down in the sand and rose to her feet. She faced Shwaz. He stared resolutely out at the horizon. Slowly his intense gaze settled on her and his eyebrows twitched.
"What is it like? Fighting for the Resistance." She asked.
There were whispers and rumors about this band of lifeforms who fought against the First Order. Never was there any concrete information, and no one ever spoke too loud. Fear of backlash for even mentioning the group of rebels had inhabitants of Jakku speaking in low voices.
The stories of the Resistance travelled around the Outpost. They reached Rey's ears. And they brought memories of childhood fantasies back to mind. An age old yearning for adventure burned deep down in her heart. If she could join them, she would.
He made a soft noise. "I think you should ask BB-8 that."
"What do you mean?" Rey's body tensed. "You said-"
"I never said I was part of the Resistance. Not yet, at least."
She went over their conversation from the night before and realized he was right. Rey had simply assumed he, too, was from the Resistance because the droid was. That had been a foolish mistake, and she mentally berated herself for it.
"Are you going to join them?" She said.
His face took on a look of determination. "Yes." He paused. "Are you?"
"I - no," Rey looked away from him and turned to the sky. "I have to stay here."
"Stay on Jakku?" She could almost hear the frown on his face. Rey tried to push away the swell of emotions that rose every time she thought of them - of her parents. "There's nothing here for you, Rey. Just a whole lot of sand." He spat out the word with particular disgust.
"What do you care if I want to stay?" Rey narrowed her eyes at him as she turned with a spark of anger. "You don't know me - and I don't know you."
His eyebrows knitted together. "Staying here doesn't make any sense." He waved an arm in emphasis. "You live alone here in your AT-AT. You scavenge for parts to trade for miniscule portions of what can barely be called food. And when you're presented with an opportunity to leave - to be free - you don't want to go."
Rey curled her hands into fists and clenched her jaw. He struck a chord, and judging by the look in his eye, he knew it. It was true. There was nothing here for her on Jakku. Nothing - except hope. The slightest possible hope that they would come back for her. That Rey would reunite with them at last, and be held tight in their arms once more. The hope that their disappearance had been an accident, or a misunderstanding.
"Why don't you want to leave?" He stepped forward, his words more of a demand than a question.
"That's none of your business." Rey said in her best no-nonsense voice. "And if you still want my help, I'd suggest you drop it."
The earth beneath them trembled for a split second, startling Rey, before it stopped. There seemed to be a flicker of... something... in his eyes. Then it vanished, as if Rey had merely imagined it.
"We should probably get going. We've wasted enough time." Shwaz turned away from Rey and beckoned BB-8. She watched as they began their journey to Niima Outpost.
"Good riddance," Rey mumbled. But she couldn't get herself to go back inside. Her legs were frozen and her eyes were glued to the two retreating figures. A member of the Resistance and a potential recruit. Her gut feeling told her to grab her things and follow them. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to get off Jakku, perhaps forever. Her childhood fantasies could come true - she could be a rebel.
If she stayed on Jakku, she would wither away until her body turned to ash and became part of the mighty dunes of sand.
"Wait!"