Saving the Monster

Chapter 7

Passaana was as dusty as it looked from the air, great clouds of dust blustered across the windshield of the Falcon and rattled the metal work. 

They pulled on cloaks, putting the hoods up to protect them against the biting wind and then they headed down the loading ramp and out into the blinding sunshine. 

They were all armed, Poe and Finn had blasters tucked under their cloaks, Chewbacca had his bowcaster and Rey had been sure to clip the legacy saber to her belt.

After it had blown up aboard the supremacy Rey had retrieved the pieces and after many hours of pouring over the Jedi texts she had been able to rebuild it.  It made her feel safe sitting there on her belt.  They had to be careful, this place might seem familiar to her with its dunes and sandy cliffs but it was a place which was unknown to all of them.

They walked for sometime, Poe stopping every now and then to look through his macrobinoculars.  They reached a high plateau and Finn pointed down into the valley, "Is that a settlement?"

Poe lifted his macrobinoculars to his eyes, "Oh yeah, we have life.  A cluster of dwellings, can't see any movement though"

"That's good enough for me" Rey said, cutting in front of Poe and starting to make her way carefully down the cliff side. Chewbacca grunted in agreement and was next to go over the top, followed by Finn. Poe hesitated for a moment, his hand running across his eyes as he sighed deeply. As the most senior resistance member on this trip, it irked him no end that Rey seemed constantly to be acting alone, moving forwards without properly consulting with him. Another deep breath and he followed them down.

Every door they knocked on went unanswered, the village seemed deserted. Rey looked around at the stone huts. Between them coloured flags were hung, flapping in the breeze, but that was the only sign of life. At the far end of the village stood a slightly bigger hut, set into the cliff side. Upon closer inspection it housed what appeared to be a bar, and their first sign of life.

"Now listen, this could be dangerous.....I've been in these types of places....watch your back. We'll ask everyone we can about buying supplies from them and then we'll get out". Poe looked to each face, stopping at Finns who was screwed up.

"What did you do before all of this?" Finn asked, genuinely intreiged. He'd never given much thought to what anyone else did before this, simply focused on his former life.

Poe stopped talking and sighed deeply, his gloved hand sweeping over his face and coming to rest on top of his head. Finn dropped his question, it seemed like the clever thing to do.

They headed inside. The music was deafening, as was the chatter, all around them creatures with two long tendrils hanging from their faces chatted and laughed. Poe leant in to Rey, "These are the Aki-Aki, locals. Let's get doing the rounds".

Rey noddded, her eyes scanning the crowd, unsure of where to look first.

A voice, clear and confident suddenly rang out across the sea of faces, not speaking the Aki-Aki's native tongue, but English,

"Chewbacca, how are you? Long time no see"