Beating Heart ♔ Rey

four

Chapter Four

There was no sight of Finn or Poe on Jakku.

The only thing that did seem to be on Jakku, Hester reflected bitterly, was sand. Everywhere she looked there was the same endless, barren expansion of dark sand. Jakku was less than a wasteland. Jakku was quite literally nothing.

Unless you liked sand. And heat. And somehow Hester couldn't quite think of anyone who would.

She'd landed on the planet, trying to follow Finn and Poe to where they crashed, but she lost sight of them. She'd landed (her ship had sustained damage from the fire of the Troopers and she thought it unwise to keep it in the air) and, for as long as she dared, stumbled around searching for them.

That had only lasted about an hour. Within minutes of being on the planet, sweat started pouring down Hester's body. She was already feeling lightheaded and her skin was sensitive - even though it scorching out, Hester kept her robes on and her hood pulled over her face to protect her skin as much as possible - she didn't fancy being burned.

Knowing she only had a limited time to find a town before she collapsed of a combination of heat exhaustion and dehydration, Hester abandoned her search for her friends and started to look for a nearby town.

She cared about Finn and Poe, but the fate of the galaxy rested in the droid being kept out of the First Order's hands. She had to get to the droid before they did.

Hester vaguely knew the direction to Niima Outpost, so she stumbled in that direction for a time that felt like months. The heat was getting to her quickly, seeping through her skin and messing her body up. Soon she felt dizzy, her mouth and throat were parched and dry as bone, her lips were cracked and she was craving water desperately. Whenever she saw a sand und to climb she groaned and after struggling to climb the first few, ended up pushing her way through with the Force.

Finally, after hours, Hester saw a beautiful sight: Niima Outpost, just ahead.

She knew things had become desperate when she thought Niima Outpost was beautiful. But she couldn't have lasted much longer in the dry, desolate desert - she'd have passed out of rom lack of food or water soon enough.

Hester took the opportunity when she was not surrounded by people to take off her robes (not just because she was burning, but her getup just screamed First Order! Don't trust her!), only leaving her with underclothes consisting of loose fitting black trousers and grey shirt. She'd fashioned her robes so they hung like a skirt around her legs, in order to hide the lightsaber at her waist.

Gritting her teeth and thinking about the water awaiting for her at the outpost, Hester pushed on, and didn't slow down until she reached it.

As soon as she stepped inside the boundaries, Hester received stares. She guessed that strangers weren't too common on the planet. Still, she marched on, keeping an eye out desperately for water.

Niima Outpost was a desolate place. Hester soon gathered that it was a place nobody cared to linger. Everyone kept their heads down, slaved away to bring in items to trade for food, collected their food portions and were on their way. No one stopped to talk, and everyone hurried as though afraid they'd be targeted if they stayed for too long.

Hester soon found a place that sold water. She approached it and, at first, was denied. She narrowed her eyes.

"You will give me water," Hester said sharply and, within seconds, the man handed water out to her. Thanking the Force, Hester brought the canteen to her lips and drank deeply. Water had never tasted so good nor been so welcome - her body screamed its thanks, her mouth moistened, and her thirst was quenched. Within two minutes Hester had drained the lot and, with a content sigh, placed the canteen back down table.