To the Far Reaches

Breathe

A stark sky greeted my eyes when they opened. It was full of no stars or clouds; just loneliness. The only movement made was my eyes blinking after a prolonged sleep. It hurt to move them, and so they remained focused on the infinite sky splayed before me. I painfully moved my tongue across my lower lip, the bitter rust-flavor of blood trickling down my throat burned with dryness. My fingers twitched at my sides and sent sharp pains up my wrists. I felt as though I had risen from the dead, as the weight of my own body felt unnatural on me. How much time had passed I do not know.

I curled my head away from the gritty stone floor, my body feeling fatigued with every movement. In time I had sat up properly to gather myself. My being was covered in rubble and chalky dust. I dusted some of the debris off with my bloody hands that were now dry and tight like molds. Standing up would be another physical battle.

Using my arms, which were stronger than my legs, I lifted myself up from the powdery ground and stood.

I looked off in the distance to find where the large chunk of debris I woke from ended. The rock was about a half a mile in diameter, but nothing else roamed here with me. It was empty with the exception of large boulders uprooted from the planet, dotting the surface like sun kissed freckles on ones nose. I realized something almost instantly. I was in orbit.

The fine grains of the blasted rock crunched gratifyingly under my boots as I limped to the edge. Once I made it there, I reluctantly peered over the side. What I saw was impressive and made me shrink away in loneliness in the universe. Thousands of parts circulated around each other at their own lengths and gravitational pulls. Wings of TIE Fighters and X- Wings mingled with each other. The explosions of the war were so grand that they created their very own artificial "solar" system. I swallowed my overwhelming doubt. I was never going to make it off of this island. I was to starve to death here or perhaps become crushed when rubble decided to scrape along the surface.

I breathed and leaned against a rock. My hands picked the white dust from my hair and peeled away the dried crimson- colored blood that was grimly smeared around my face.

Something shiny caught my eye as I was scraping off blood from my temple. Having nothing better to fill my time with, I fumbled over to the metallic glow; attracted to its unique quality that made it different from an ordinary stone. I hovered over the piece as conflicting feelings fought in my heart. I hated what I saw. I was embarrassed by what I saw. I was disgusted by what I saw. Gently, I bent down to pick up the object. Yes, it was so familiar in my hand and in its looks that I could picture how it was only what felt like minutes ago. Its smooth, black surface was interrupted by a metal stripe. A piece of my mask mocked me in my hand like a mirror.

"Aaaaaaagh!" I bellowed, my voice squeaking at first then booming after it lubricated itself after centuries of being restrained by a derelict owner. I threw it hard across the sky in hopes of never seeing it again. It must have been a miracle for my mask to have been blown from my TIE Silencer and land before me here on this very rock.

I felt hopeless, utterly useless, and ready to die here alone. My mouth gaped at what I told myself in fear. The manipulated heart confined in me dropped. Any moment now I would lose it- go insane on a rock with no one to answer my screams for help.

My hands found something buried deep inside of my pocket. I dug it out. It was the necklace I had torn away from Rey's chest on Pasaana. Its bright tassels tickled underneath my calloused fingers. The beads. . . the rocks were smooth and a cheerful yellow. It hurt my heart to have known that I had ripped this from Rey's neck and had taken an important gift away from her. How awful I was then. I gripped the necklace tight in my hand. Clarity consumed my clouded mind instantaneously. I know what I must do.