☆ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀᴡɴ ᴏꜰ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ☆ ᴘᴏᴇ ᴅᴀᴍᴇʀᴏɴ

four

Nova climbed up the leg of the fallen AT-AT, as Rey followed after her and picked up her staff which was lodged into the metallic structure. The two of them climbed up a sand dune as the distressed noises grew louder. Once they were at the top of the sand dune, Nova laid eyes on a scavenger who had thrown a net over a small droid. The droid let out troubled beeps as it tried to move out of the netting. 

The scavenger man rode a four-legged creature which was hidden underneath armor, as he shouted down to the droid to control it. Rey instantly stepped forward and shouted out towards the man, speaking in the same dialect. Her order caught the man's attention, as well as the droid's as they both turned to look at Rey. The man muttered a response and waved his staff in dismissal; which infuriated Rey as she continued to shout at the man, running towards him.

Nova quickly followed after her, not quite understanding what was happening. Rey bent down and removed the netting from the captured droid, while Nova kept her eyes on the scavenger man. The man continued to cuss out the two women as he kept waving his arms around in warning. "Noma!" Rey warned as she stood up, only for the man to not listen to her once again. Cocking her head to the side, Nova pulled out her blaster and aimed it towards the man. He gasped in fright and instantly backed down, making Nova hum in response as he began to walk away, muttering many expletives. 

Once the droid was freed from the netting, the droid let out a chain of content beeps, before Rey glanced downwards and shushed the droid. Nova kept her blaster aimed at the man, anticipating his deceit in case he launched a surprise attack. Once the man was far away, Rey released a heavy breath. "That's just Teedo. Wants you for parts. He has no respect for anyone." Rey explained to both Nova and the droid. Once he was far enough, Nova slowly stowed her blaster back into her holster.

She observed Rey, from the way she glared back at the man. She was young but had learned a lot about surviving in such a hostile place that was filled with so much villainy. Rey's mannerisms shone a new perspective of what it must have been like to grow up completely alone, with no one to help. Nova instantly felt her respect for the girl increase. 

Nova diverted her gaze from the girl, down towards the droid. She slowly crouched down to his level and observed the droid, as it looked back at her. Once its scope looked back at her, the droid let out a light chirp as his head swiveled around his round body. She eyed its round body and the orange circles which illuminated the droid's identity. Nova was suddenly drowned with the feeling of recognition as she looked back at the droid. "I know you." She muttered to the droid, as he released another chirp in response. Rey looked down at Nova, making the woman switch up her focus on the droid. "Your antenna is bent." Nova spoke, as the droid dipped his head down for her to take the wire. Nova held onto the thin antenna and bent it back into a straight angle while the droid observed her, shifting his scope as he analyzed her movements. 

Rey lowered down to Nova's level and looked at the droid with a slight frown. "Where do you come from?" She questioned, curious as to what a small droid like himself was doing so far out from any kind of civilization. The droid gazed towards Rey with a small chirp, before he looked back at Nova as if he were asking her for advice. Nova leaned forward and returned the antenna to his head, giving the droid a subtle look. "Classified, really?" Rey questioned with a raised eyebrow as the droid beeped back at her. "Me too, big secret." Rey shrugged. 

Nova removed her hands from the droid and gazed off into the distance, observing the setting sun which casted a hazy shade of orange across the dust-filled sky. Rey kept her eyes on the droid, noticing how it looked between the two of them as if he were expecting them to help him. Rey sighed before she swiveled around and pointed off into the distance, "Niima Outpost is that way. Stay off Kelvin Ridge, keep away from the Sinking Fields in the north, you'll drown in the sand." Rey explained before she stood up and began to walk away. Nova gave the droid one last glance before she stood up and followed after the girl.