Star Wars- In another Life.

Chapter 13- The Girl

Rey sat in the evening sun outside her AT-AT home. She was wrapped tightly in the beige robes that protected her from the brutal elements of her planet- both sand and sun. The Rebellion pilot helmet on her head as she munched on her hard-earned portions. This time of day in Jakku was her favourite. It wasn't nice, but it was tolerable. It was cooler, not yet the night's freezing desert conditions; it was quiet and peaceful. It was the time of day when all the creatures of Jakku ventured out to gather food and enjoy the cooler air. Rey had spent her day as she spent every day scavenging within the remains of an old Imperial Star Destroyer. For a brief moment, she'd been caught up in the Resistance, helping the pilot and his droid at Nima Outpost to escape the First Order in a stolen Freighter belonging to Plutt.

Today, there had been no such excitement; she'd spent the morning traversing and shimmying and the afternoon furiously scrubbing. She thought she'd gained enough for three portions, but it had only been one quarter, not even one whole portion. Once again, Plutt had changed his requirements and his price, or perhaps it was punishment for helping the Resistance pilot. It didn't matter. She was too valuable to Plutt; she was his best salvager and was worth more to him alive. She wondered what might happen when that was no longer the case; she'd worry about that when the time came. Her meagre dinner was still better than no portions, which had happened to her rarely, the first time Ben had come and given her food. That night, he'd been kind but also cruel, and they hadn't spoken since. She had no idea how long ago that was. She'd been a little girl, and she was now a woman grown; she knew that much. She still scratched the marks into the wall, but that night to Ben, she admitted she'd scratched too many to count. Counting those scratches was a waste of time she could spend scavenging. She admitted in her deepest part that he'd been right that day; they were never coming back. However, saying it out loud would make it final and true, and the last few years of her life an utter miserable waste. To stay on this planet without a reason, no one would do that unless they had no other choice. It was insanity, so Rey buried it away with the memory of the boy who'd said it, for he too was gone. Sometimes, half asleep, she thought she could still feel him, but only the masked villain came. With that figure came horror, dread and fear, but also something familiar. Rey couldn't put her finger on what could be familiar about that nightmarish sight, but there was something.

The sky had turned to dusk as she wondered about her old friend. He'd been there whenever she'd needed him, and though she no longer needed him, she missed him. That last time she'd seen him, something inside her had changed. That something was inside her still, dormant, begging for release. Removing the X-Wing pilot's helmet, she licked her plate absently and watched the last of the day's light before heading inside her sunken AT-AT home. She stood picking up her staff and belongings when she caught sight of something unexpected: a tall, dark figure striding towards her. The stranger's form was clad in layers of black; the face was hidden beneath a large hood. She'd seen this creature before in her dreams. No, not in her dreams, in her nightmares. She shook herself and squeezed her eyes shut. This wasn't real; it was another dream, a vision, that's all. Rey opened her eyes, but the black monster was even closer. The horrifying creature was so close she could make out the black and chrome helmet beneath their cowl. Worst of all, she saw the same dreaded red weapon spitting angrily in his gloved hands. Rey stared at him in horror, eyes wide and went to bolt inside her home, but he raised his gloved hand towards her palm out, and she was frozen to the spot. She was paralysed by fear, but he was the reason she couldn't move. She realised he was controlling her body, and until he released her, he was hers to control. He strode right up to her and lowered his covered face to hers until he was almost touching her.

"It is you."

His voice was mechanised and deep. He cocked his dark masked-covered head slightly, and Rey felt a pain course through her head. She wanted to reach for her head, squeeze her eyes shut or scream, but the monster controlling her allowed nothing. His head tilted the other way.