disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. All original characters are of my creation.

Naya slid off the speeder, her feet making a soft impact on the sand. Immediately turning around, Naya reached up and helped Rey off the speeder. Once they were situated, Mila handed the girls their individual bags filled with the parts they had scavenged. Securing the straps on their shoulders, the girls made their way into Zara's hut. Once inside, Naya placed her bag on the table. She stepped back, lifted up her goggles, and pulled down the wrap from her mouth. Immediately, she exhaled heavy breaths. Her face was slick with sweat and small patches of dirt that were sticking to small patches of exposed skin. She felt dirty.

There was a bowl on the table with a good amount of water sitting in it. A small rag sitting next to the bowl garnered her attention. Taking the rag, she dipped it into the bowl and wrung out the excess water before wiping her face with it. Zara offered Rey another small rag for her to use to clean off her face. The young girl was quite grateful for it. Once they were both done, they placed the damp rags onto the table and began to shred off their excess clothing. There was no need for them to keep them on any longer.

Naya took in a sharp inhale and felt how dry her throat was. She pulled out a canteen from her bag and took a few long drinks. Soon after, she gave Rey the canteen allowing her to quench her thirst as well.

"How was the trip out?"

Naya pulled off her face wrap, allowing it to bundle into a small pile on the table, "It was hot," the statement only made Zara chuckle. "And not really that pleasant."

Only a nod of agreement came from the older woman, "How much did you two get?"

"Not that much," Naya looked down at Rey for a brief moment. "Just a few things, enough to last maybe a couple of days."

The dissatisfaction was evident in Naya's voice. Hinting to Zara that the young girl didn't feel like she had accomplished much with this first outing, "It was your first time out there; you're not going to get much on the first try."

Naya nodded. Looking down at their bags, she then motioned at them, "What do we need to clean these?"

Zara held up a finger, telling her one minute, before turning towards a table and began to gather what they would need. In the meantime, Naya and Rey both situated themselves down on the table benches and began to pull out the parts from their bags.

"Where's your mother, Naya?"

The girl paused and turned to look at the hut's opening. "She's probably back at our hut," she had a pretty good idea as to why she didn't come in here. Mila needed time alone. That was a realization Naya understood far too quickly. Give her mother as much space as she needs.

Zara merely hummed at Naya's words, not really knowing exactly what to say. It was even evident to her that Mila was slowly, but surely, distancing herself. Not to the point of total isolation, but enough to the point that Zara is starting to really worry about her. Dispelling these thoughts for a brief moment, Zara brought over two cleaning brushes, "Make sure you two wear your gloves, you don't want all of the dirt to stick to your hands,"

Naya and Rey obliged by slipping back on their gloves. "I assume I don't have to show you two how to clean these,"

Naya gave Zara a look, fully aware that the older woman was teasing them, "No, you don't," the girl replied with a smile.

Zara gave a firm nod, "Then, I'll let you two get on with it."

"Thank you, Zara." Naya said.

"Thank you," Rey followed with her own gratitude.

All of the occupants went quiet. Rey was quick to start cleaning at her pickings, not noticing that Zara was staring at Rey with the most surprised look on her face. A quick glance to Naya was the only answer she needed. Naya had managed to get through with Rey. Zara simply smiled, "You're very welcome."

Rey glanced up and gave Zara a small smile. "I'll go and check on your mother," Zara gave Naya a gentle reassuring shoulder squeeze before leaving the hut.

There isn't much you'll be able to do, Naya thought. Zara wasn't in Mila's position; she couldn't really relate to how she feels or how her mind has been working since the event happened. Zara was going to learn on her own that the only way to help, is to leave her alone. It's not the most ideal conclusion, however, neither is crowding around Mila.

Naya shook her head, dismissing her thoughts away. Dipping her brush in the water, she proceeded to scrub the parts clean. Both girls started off with the smaller objects they collected, and it didn't take long for them to realize how tedious the job was. There were certain areas that required more attention. The grime and dirt had caked all over these objects. Not to mention that the ship has been sitting in the same spot for about thirty years. In the middle of the desert, the entirety of the ship has been subjected to harsh heat. It is no surprise that the condition of these parts can look poor.

Silence was all they were surrounded with. Aside from the wind that blew against the hut and the sound of brushes scraping across a hard surface, there was no attempt at conversation. Rey and Naya simply became immersed in their cleaning, they didn't realize neither of them had spoken a word.

Naya finished cleaning the first object and set it aside, one down three to go. As she picked up the next one, she became aware of how quiet it was and wanted to change that. "How long were you here before my mom and I came here?" She wasn't exactly thinking at that moment, Naya only said the first thing that came to her mind.

However, she was able to sense that maybe that wasn't the best thing to ask. The whole subject of Rey, her family and the reason why she was here, was a subject Naya never touched. And the hesitation on Rey's face only made her feel worse. "Sorry, I'm not trying to open up something that is sensitive, that was just…the first thing that came to mind."

Rey remained quiet for a small duration, making Naya think that she had just ruined their breakthrough. She was afraid that Rey might diminish back into her recluse attitude, but the young only shook her head, "It's okay. It wasn't for a long time. Only a few days."

The instant relief that Naya felt eased away the tension that had built up in her shoulders. "I know that I might be stepping over the line, but do you know why you're here?" She was most definitely stepping over the line at this point.

"No."

What is wrong with you? Stop asking her about it, "I'm sorry," Naya quickly apologized. "That's all I'm going to ask about that matter." Just go back to cleaning, she ordered herself, hoping that it would take away some of the awkwardness that had built up.

"Can I ask you something?"

This came as a surprise to her. "Sure."

"Why did you and your mother come here?" Naya only thought that it was fair to let Rey ask her. She had just done the same to her. "I mean why would you come here?"

Naya slowed the rate of her cleaning, maintaining her sight on the object in her hand, "Something happened back at home and—my mom just thought it would be best if we left. Why she took me to this place, I have no idea why."

"What happened that made you leave?" Rey glanced down at the necklace hanging around Naya's neck. Noticing the 'J' that was carved on it, "And your necklace, it has a J on it, I know your name doesn't start with a J."

A hand instinctively took hold of the necklace and Naya looked down at the charm, "No, it's mine. But the initial is my brother's."

"Why do you have it?"

"When I was really young, my brother was leaving and he knew that I didn't want him to," Naya took off the necklace and handed it over to Rey, allowing her to look at the object. "So to make sure that I wasn't too upset about him leaving, he made these two necklaces. He carved a J in one, which is mine, and an N on the other. He told me that as long as we had these, we wouldn't lose each other."

Being able to talk about this made Naya feel conflicted. She felt sad and happy in a sense. This was the first time she was able to talk about her brother openly like this. She couldn't do this with her mother. "I was really young when he left, I believed almost anything he said. As I got older, I knew he was just trying to make me feel a little better. But there is a small part of me that believes it. That it keeps me closer to him."

"Jaiden," Rey fiddled with the necklace in her small hand. "I remember you saying it when you got here."

"Yeah,"

"What happened to him?"

"There was," Naya was silently debating with herself. Should she just tell Rey everything? Was she prepared to even talk about it in its entirety? She wasn't even sure if describing it all was a good idea. The only thing she could think of to do was to simplify what had happened. "There was an accident," It wasn't an accident, it was a slaughter, "And Jaiden didn't make it, there were a lot of people who didn't make it out; my brother…my friend," Ben was responsible, he did it, "They're all gone."

"I'm sorry," Rey handed the necklace back over to Naya and folded her hands together on top of the table, "And you came here because of that."

"It's a little more complicated than that… and I'd rather not get into it."

That was the one thing Rey had been waiting to hear from Naya, "I didn't mean to make you-"

"No, it's fine, Rey."

"What was he like?"

"My brother?" Naya completely abandoned the brush and mechanical part. Cleaning these findings didn't really seem that important in the moment. "Now that I think about it, there isn't a lot that I remember about him," She really didn't. Naya's memories of her brother are very vague, only a few of them are clear, whole memories. This made Naya feel ashamed of herself, she barely had any memories of her brother, how is that possible? "I do know that he was very smart, but he was always the one who got into trouble. That doesn't go with one another. But, he was. And he was really overprotective. Always making sure that I wasn't getting into trouble. There were times when things could have gone horribly wrong, but he was there to make sure it didn't."

One of the things Naya remembered was how quick he was to act. Especially when Naya was very young, always trying to explore different areas. Jaiden would always be quick to catch her before she got too far. She would never have enough time to react or get away from him. That was a skill Naya wished she could outsmart when it came to her brother. Of course, she never accomplished that skill. "He watched out for me and I never really appreciated it when I was younger. I do now. I just wish I could tell him that."

Her throat began to constrict and her eyes began to sting. Tears were just beginning to brim and Naya immediately went back to cleaning, clearing her throat in the process. Stop crying. She told herself, she couldn't keep letting herself get too upset. Zara was right. Keeping a clear mind was helpful out here. While in the star destroyer, Naya wasn't being burdened by guilt or sadness, she had stored away any negative thoughts before venturing out to the graveyard. And it helped. She was focused on the task, Naya just needed to maintain that kind of control.

Even though she tried to hide the oncoming tears, Rey was able to notice it fairly well. She felt that pang of guilt knotting in her stomach. She shouldn't have asked Naya those questions. Rey picked up her brush and continued with her cleaning when she said, "Your father is a pilot," Rey didn't let the conversation stop, yet she didn't want to dwell on the subject that was clearly upsetting Naya. She opted to switch the conversation around to something different, "Did he want you to become one?"

Naya went along with it, talking about her father didn't upset her as much, "I knew that he was happy that I wanted to be like him," her lips curled at the edges into a small smile. "My mom was a different story. She knew that I wanted to fly for the New Republic, that didn't settle well with her. She always told me it would be dangerous, that I could get seriously hurt or worse,"

"Do you still want to be a pilot?"

"More than anything," she quietly admitted, the hope dripping from her tone was so little. But enough for anyone to pick up. "That's something I will never really let go of, but I know that I will have to,"

At this, Rey glanced over at her, brows furrowed, "Why?"

With a shrug of the shoulders, Naya glanced around them, "Look at where I am, everything that my family and I went through, I just don't see myself getting out of this place."

"You don't have hope," the statement held a hint of disappointment. Once that Naya was surprised to hear from Rey. Of course, in the time she had been verbally communicating with Naya, disappointment wasn't an emotion she experienced from her yet.

"There's no point in hoping for something that won't happen," she answered with a mere shrug.

"You don't know that. You might be able to leave, you just have to have hope."

Naya barely smiled at the young girl's enthusiasm. "Are you hopeful?"

"I have to be. My family… they'll come back. I know they will."

Naya could feel something in her break. Rey had so much hope that her family would return. Conversations that Naya had with her mother makes her think differently. However, Naya had no idea as to why Rey was left here. For all she knew, her family would be returning soon. Anything really could happen. But Naya couldn't shake this poking feeling that this wasn't the case. Like Naya, Rey might be stuck here for an indefinite amount of time. And that can stretch from months to years. Looking at the young girl next to her, Naya felt immense sympathy towards her. She can't even imagine what that must have been like for her. Being taken to a desert planet and left there. Crying and begging for her family to come back. The fact that Rey was in that position not too long ago sent a chill down Naya's spine.

"Hope isn't a bad thing," Rey continued. "It's really good. It makes us believe that things will get better. I think we both need that."

Naya nodded silently, lips pressed into a thin line, "I think we do."

Cleaning the parts proved to be more of a challenge than Naya had anticipated. Combined, Naya and Rey had scavenged seven parts, that didn't seem like much to them. However, through the cleaning process, that number started to feel more heavy. Several times, Naya would have to scratch off the grime coating the surface. This slow, tedious work stretched on for hours. By the time both Rey and Naya were finished, it was nearing night. Mila had decided to hold off trading the parts until the next day. Naya and Rey had been working all day, they deserved to just rest for the night.

Dinner was simple. As it always has been since they arrived on Jakku. The meager portions of food didn't really bother Naya. Something did nag at the back of her mind that this would be a matter that will require more care and attention down the road. She didn't know how fair the traders were in the market. From the snippets she has heard from Zara and Mila's conversations, Plutt was always the name that came up. She learned that he was the main tradesman and he wasn't too keen on giving out fair portions. Unless you were one of his favorites, even that title was bestowed upon few scavengers. He was the main reason why Mila always returned to the hut from the market frustrated. The impending introduction Naya will have with Plutt made her stomach lurch. It wasn't something she was looking forward to.

Her thoughts on Plutt and trading in their scavenged parts, sunk towards the back of her mind. She ate her dinner outside with Rey, both of them discussing minimal things as the sun disappeared, leaving the girls with only the star cluttered sky. The temperature dropped tremendously but that was how Naya preferred it. If she could do away with the heat, she would. The cool air that accommodated with the night was something she appreciated. And it all reminded her of the few occasions her and Ben would be out in the forest at night. That wasn't something they were able to do far too often. It was a rarity and one they both cherished the most. Being able to sit near the creek and gaze up the stars, discussing what they wanted to be when they grew up, were memories that Naya had stored deep in the back of her mind.

They didn't get to stay out there for too long, sleep was something that they had to do. Naya and Rey couldn't complain about that. They felt exhausted after crawling through the ship and being suffocated by the thick, humid air. Mila didn't wake them up early. They were only going to venture into the market to trade their findings. She wasn't going to make Rey and Naya go back out to the graveyard for a few more days. Mila wanted Naya to get more progress with her defense skills and she wanted to try and teach Rey. Retrieving objects to trade will be Mila's task for just a little bit longer.

Rey and Naya woke up just a little after the sun had risen over the horizon. They were not in a hurry. It gave the girls plenty of time to eat a quick meal and to fully wake up. Once everything was in order, they piled all of their findings into the net on the speeder and made the trip out to the market. The entire time, Naya could feel her stomach turning into knots. She was so close to meeting Plutt.

What is it going to be like?

Naya imagined that it wasn't going to be pleasant. She actually didn't want to meet him. However, she is going to be dealing with him on her own for who knows how long. At least she was going to have her mother there for the first meeting. This first meeting is giving her a chance to see how she will have to prepare herself to handle him in future trade sessions. The ride to the market was a lot shorter than the ride to the graveyard. When they finally made it to the main compound in the market, Mila made the speeder stop and the three of them slid off. Naya saw multiple people walking around, carrying around their hauls and people sitting at cleaning stations. Prepping the objects they scavenged to turn them over for food portions. This was the first time Naya had actually been in the thick of the market. When she first arrived on Jakku, it was towards the outskirts of the market, they never ventured in. Mila and Naya only wanted to get to Zara's, they didn't waste any time walking around the market.

Now, Naya was able to see the people who were like her. They were all scavengers. Taking whatever they could in order to get food, in order to survive. They were her peers. Mila secured her bag on her shoulder and opted to carry Naya and Rey's bags. Motioning at the girls to follow, the three of them ventured into the main hub. People were entering and exiting, some of them were scowling at Naya and Rey. Possibly at the fact of how young they were. Naya made no discovery of anyone who looked around her age. They were all much older than her. If there were children close in her age, they never came to the market unless absolutely necessary. Naya and Rey stuck out in the crowd like a sore thumb and all eyes were on them.

The three of them stood in line to Plutt's window. Naya took this time to see how Plutt treated the other scavengers. There wasn't anything special about it. Most of the scavengers were in the mindset of just trading their parts and getting out. A guy, who had been a few people ahead, got four whole portions and the way that they interacted told Naya that he must have been one of Plutt's favorites. She tried to get a look at his face but was unable to get even a glimpse. She didn't get to linger on that thought for long since it was their turn next. Naya turned her attention on Plutt and she was able to get a good look at him.

He looked like a blobfish, that comes with being a member of the Crolute species. She had never personally met anyone from this species, but she had heard about them. And his face, it looked like he had never smiled before in his life. That particular thought rang a little true when she heard him speak up. "What have you got for me today, Arellano?"

His voice was deep and gruff, almost sounding like he had liquid stuck in his throat. Giving his voice a type of reverberate. Naya couldn't help but flinch when he spoke. There was no emotion to it. It was just a dead voice.

Mila hoisted up the bags and dumped out all of the contents, "Ten different parts."

Plutt took a moment to assess the pile of items on his table before looking down at Naya and Rey, "You and," he pointed at the girls. "Those two girls scavenged all of these?"

Looking down at them, Mila answered with a shrug and then raised an eyebrow, "Is there something wrong with that? When have you ever had a problem with who brought you things? As long as they brought something."

Plutt waved his hand up, signaling for Mila that she didn't need to continue. "Let's see," he picked up one item after the other, giving himself only a few seconds to inspect each one. It was almost like he wasn't even evaluating them. He was just doing it for show. "For all of these parts, these are worth," lips pressed together and a few small nods, he continued, "One-half portion."

Naya's brows immediately furrowed in confusion and Mila's hand balled into a fist, "A half-portion for each of us."

"That is what they are collectively worth." Plutt gathered all of the items and placed them in a bin next to him. Then he slammed down the three portions on the table.

"That doesn't seem right," Naya couldn't help but speak up. That definitely wasn't right. "There are ten parts that we turned over to you, if anything, you could give us half-portion for each part. Not for the whole bunch."

The junk boss remained silent, mentally sizing her up. He had been dealing with Mila ever since she arrived, this was his first time meeting Naya. His first impression of her wasn't turning out as a positive in his mind, "Why do you think so?"

Naya gave him a look, "It's only fair," she stated as a matter of fact.

"I am being fair."

"Then your view of what is fair is very different from mine." Naya quietly mumbled to herself. She could hear the people behind them talking amongst themselves, most likely about how foolish she was being for challenging Plutt.

"Naya," Mila turned to her daughter, silently conveying her to not challenge Plutt anymore. "It's fine," she turned back and grabbed their portions. "We take what we can get."

Naya allowed her mother to pass, but chose not to follow her in that moment. Instead, she turned back to look at Plutt, who seemed unfazed by Mila's frustration. The look on his face gave Naya a chill down her spine. Plutt didn't seem like the kind of man who she or anyone could reason with. If he was set on giving someone half portion for ten items, that's what he was going to do. Their eyes met in a silent stare down, waiting to see which would be the first to break. Naya took in a breath, finally settling on leaving the matter alone.

Naya turned and motioned for Rey to follow. It wouldn't do Naya any good if she tried to argue with him. He was someone she was going to deal with almost every day, trading new parts for food portions. She would rather stay on his good side.

Naya had been walking at a fast rate, making it difficult for Rey to keep up the pace. When she finally was next to Naya, she said, "He doesn't seem like a nice person."

Naya scoffed. "And he's the one we have to see in order to get food portions," she followed the statement with a shake of the head. "I think it would do us both good if we stay on his good side."

"He has a good side?"

At that statement, Naya chuckled and glanced down at Rey, who also seemed to take light of her statement as well. "He might have his own idea of what good is supposed to be."

When they reached the speeder, Mila was hooking the net back up and was mumbling to herself. Naya could only imagine she was venting out her frustration. "Only gives us half portion each," she huffed out a breath. "Unbelievable."

Naya watched her mother, allowing her to have this moment before finally saying something, "Mama," Mila turned to them and brushed back the few strands of hair. "You're mad, aren't you?"

"Mad," Mila tested the word in her mouth and bit down on her lip. "Naya, whatever you do, don't ever get into an argument with Plutt. Especially when it comes to portions."

"He's the only one we can trade with?"

"The only one at this market you can get portions from," she tapped her fingers against the speeder. "You don't want to aggravate him. Please refrain from doing so."

"I'll try," Naya answered honestly. "It depends how much I get frustrated with him."

"Learn to control that," Mila was quick to tell her. "The last thing you want is for Plutt to have any kind of grudge against you."

Rey and Naya both nodded in compliance.

"As long as you two watch out for each other, you both will be fine."

Edited: 5/11/2020