Chapter Text
Your feet sink into the sand as you trek up the side of the seemingly endless dune. The blistering sun forces you to squint as it reflects off of small grains of sand. Heat settles across your entire body, causing your skin to shine with sweat. The tattered brown robes adorning your body were definitely going to need a wash after this one. The infinite plain of dunes around you resembled shimmering waves in a fiery sea. Ripples of heat hover over the sand around you, causing everything to appear as though it was shifting. Your throat felt dry and scratchy; the hot air had long invaded your lungs.
Even the wind, which would normally bring relief on the hottest of days, was laced with sweltering heat. How people actually lived on this planet without becoming miserable, you didn't have a clue. The nearest civilization must have been dozens of miles away. If one would become stranded out here with nothing, it would surely lead to a horrible death. The towns that did exist were incredibly small. All of the civilians had leathery skin kissed by the sun and tattered, thin clothing. They had all seemed to keep to themselves and you couldn't blame them either; Jakku was a cesspool of villainy.
The sun was beginning its course over the dunes; soon to streak the sky with splashes of orange and red. Jakku held beauty if one only looked deep enough, but it was surpassed by the dangers lingering on the surface. Minefields of sinkholes beneath the sand, raiders lurking around every corner, endless wastelands of rotting machinery without the promise of salvation.
As you finally reach the top of the dune after what seemed like an eternity, you lay down on the ridge, puffing and panting next to one of the girls accompanying you. Krina gives you a look and sighs, shaking her head as she adjusts her grip on the ranged weapon. She flicks some tufts of dark hair from her eyes. She had cut it to boyish length a while ago so that she could have at least some differences from her twin other than the scars on her own throat.
"Don't give me that look," you mutter as you wipe the sand out of your eyes. "That was a hard climb."
She shushes you, peering through the scope of the weapon. "They're coming around the ridge. Got your blaster? Dagger?"
You pat your hip and your upper thigh holsters reassuringly. "All set. Where's Myri?"
"Ugh do you mind?" Krina gives you an exasperated look as her focus is broken once more. "Opposite dune just like you planned."
"Hey don't give me that, I saved your life, remember?" You tease as you fiddle with the leather strap encompassing your thigh.
She cracks a grin and laughs. "Going to play that card, are you? Get your ass down there then, hero."
You give her a playful push and laugh as she complains about you messing up her shot line again. Carefully sliding down the other end of the dune, you make your way down into the makeshift valley of sand. The distant rumbling of an engine could be heard slowly getting closer and closer.
As the rusted transport turns the corner, you make quick work of your robes. Some pieces fall to the ground, exposing parts of your skin to the blistering sun. Your hands pretend to fumble with your bag, spilling the contents of it across the sand. As you fall to your knees to pick up the fallen pieces of scrap metal, you hear the transport come to a creaky halt nearby. A smirk tugs at your lips, but you don't rise.
The groan of the hatch falling open is followed by a man barking orders in some rough language you didn't understand. Three pairs of footsteps start towards you; all heavy and slow as they sink into the dense sand. The sound of the sand grains rubbing together as they shift allows you to follow their position without turning around. You slow down your pace when one of the men steps closer, practically eclipsing the sun and casting a shadow across you.
"Excuse me, ma'am." A deep grumbling voice fills your ears. "You look lost. Do you need some help?"
"Oh!" You exclaim, quickly rising to your feet. You notice them slyly looking over your body as though you were a piece of meat, but you couldn't say a word. Not yet. "That would be great! Thank you so much."
One of the men nods to the other. He starts towards you, grabbing you rather roughly in his calloused, slimy hands. When you hear the painfully familiar sound of chains clinking together, you spring into action. Your heel comes crashing down on the man's foot, allowing you to send your elbow flying backwards into his face when he jumps in surprise. Your elbow connects with his nose, sending out a loud cracking noise that leaves him wailing in pain. He stumbles, body hitting the sand with a reassuring thud.
"What the-" one of the men yells out "-stop her!"
You drop to the ground as the two men start forward. The other was still recovering from his blow to the face; blood spurting from his broken, blackened nose. Their blasters are out in a flash, but Krina and Myri are faster. As soon as your body hits the ground, two red shots come soaring down from peaks of the dunes, striking the two men directly in the chest. You scramble to your feet, raising your lips to your fingers to deliver a sharp whistle that echoes through the badlands.
On their cue, the two girls on the dunes come sliding down. You gasp as a pair of arms suddenly latch around your neck, violently yanking you back. The man grunts, tightening his grasp around your neck as he snarls into your ear. You struggle against the man's strong grip, but suddenly, he goes limp. You peel his arms off and leap back as his body hits the ground, blood pouring from his side in crimson waves.
"I thought I told you to watch your back." Lani teases, tugging her hood down to release her fiery red hair.
"And I thought I told you to go for the jugular." You return with a smirk.
Lani looks down at the suffering man writhing on the ground as he bleeds out. She spits on his paling, blood drained face and scoffs. "That's what these fuckers deserve."
"Easy there, killer." Myri slides her ranged weapon into the holster strung across her back. She draws her small blaster and gestures towards the transport. "We still need to get these girls out of here."
The four of you hurry towards the transport, quietly hoping that there wouldn't be much more company to go through. As your feet hit the ramp simultaneously, you all stop in your tracks. A blue Rodian was already crouched over the body of the last guard, while she casually works on fixing a clump of broken cables.
"Damn, Vami." Krina raises her eyebrows. "Didn't know you had it in you."
Vami gives her a look and signs an obscene gesture with some of her slim fingers. You all laugh and head further into the ship. The smiles slowly fade at the sight. The women were all chained together and sitting on long benches. They look at the five of you with wide eyes, pleading silently for help and offering you their wrists. Their wrists raw and bloodied from their shackles, hair matted and wild, skin stained with dirt and grease. So petrified, so desperate. The stench radiating off the walls in the heat told you they hadn't been cared for in ages.
"Find the fucking keys; I don't want them in these chains any longer than they have to be." You order.
Lani gives you a pat on the back and helps the others search. Eventually they recover a set of them up in the cockpit. The women begin to cry tears of joy at their chains clatter to the floor. They drop to their knees, hands clasped together as they thank your group with teary eyes. Lani and Krina grunt as they drag a bag full of clothes into the ship. The women all begin to sob harder, clinging onto your robes to thank you as you walk through them.
They quickly dig into the bag, pulling out clothes. They strip themselves in the ship, slave clothes hitting the ground as a sign of freedom. Their nude bodies are re-dressed by the new baggy clothing. It didn't fit them too well, but it was better than their clothing before and it worked well to cover them. They couldn't afford to stand out anymore. Not after this.
"Please," one of the women latches onto you, voice raspy from wailing, and stops you in your tracks. "How can we repay you?"
"No need." You give her a kind smile. "Just take this transport and get as far away from here as possible. Does anyone live here on Jakku? We'd be happy to escort you back."
The women all shake their heads collectively. You nod and they carry on. As you walk through the crying, chattering group, you spy Lani beckoning you over. She points quietly to a girl sitting in the corner with her back to everyone else. Knees hugged up to her chest, back full of welts. She was rocking back and forth slowly, muttering something beneath her breath. You shudder at this sight. It reminded you of... you.
"Hey," you say softly, slowly squatting down as not to scare her. "It's okay to be scared. We're here to rescue you. You can go home."
She shakes her head, tears slipping down her dirt and blood-caked cheeks. "You don't understand..."
You gentle lay a hand on her shoulder. "But I do. I've experienced it as well. I know what you went through and I know it was hard, but you have a family who loves you. They're waiting for you to come back. To know that you're alright." You scoot closer. "How old are you?"
A pause.
"13."
Your heart sinks. You glance back at Lani, who was listening and chewing on her lip. She shakes her head at you and you nod, understanding what she meant. You offer the girl your hand and to your surprise, she takes it. The women look up as you guide the young girl towards the pile of clothes.
"I'm sure one of these lovely ladies can help you get your clothes sorted out." You squeeze her hand gently.
She looks up at you with watery eyes, but nods silently. Hands trembling, she reaches into the pile of clothes and begins to sort through them. The others aid the young girl, speaking to her with soothing tones despite their own fear.
"Guess our job is done here." Myri smiles, crossing her arms.
"Yeah..." you trail off.
As the group starts back down the ramp to gather up their own belongings, you feel a tap on your shoulder. You turn around to face Vami, watching her sign out something. 'What's wrong?'
You shake your head, offering her a small smile. "Nothing, Vami. Don't worry about me. I couldn't ask for anything better than this."
She nods stiffly and you sling your arm around her shoulder, trudging down the metal ramp by her side. The two of you trail behind the group as the sun slowly begins to disappear behind the dunes. The rays dance across the sand, creating rippling waves of heat. Despite its last few attempts at beauty, Jakku would remain a place that you despised. It was an empty wasteland of heat and dry air. You couldn't imagine having to live in a place like this.
As you climb across the last dune, the glistening grey ship comes into view. You chuckle softly at the sight of Lani thankfully patting the ship's underbelly, her fingers trailing along the blue markings. Sometimes you felt as though Lani would sacrifice her life for that damned ship. She had won it from a late night, drunken gambling match off an old merchant who was too willing to take her credits. Every time she told the story, you couldn't help but think about Han Solo excitedly telling a similar tale for the fiftieth time while everyone pretended to listen. You and Ben would exchange glances and kick each other beneath the table; just testing out to see who would break into laughter first.
"Jakku to (Y/N)," Krina snaps you out of your daze. "Lani asked you to check the landing gear."
"Oh right, sorry..." you shake your head and duck beneath the ship, eyes flickering over the gear which you knew nothing about.
She tilts her head at you. "Are you sure you're okay? Seems like you've been more distracted than ever lately." She glances around, lowering her voice. "Is it the Force again?"
You wave your hand, letting out a fake laugh. "No, no, everything's fine. I'm just tired. That's all, really."
She gives you one last look of concern, before turning on her heel and starting back up the narrow ramp onto the ship. You take a deep breath, releasing your tight grasp on the landing gear. You turn away from the ship, sand slowing your steps as you walk to the edge of the dune. A familiar painful lump begins to grow in your throat as tears sting your eyes. You lick your dried lips, pressing them together as you stare out over the sunset.
It had been a long time since you had last seen him. Two years and counting. The Force had settled its vicious cycle through your body, but you were often cursed with night terrors. Echoes of his voice through your cluttered mind. His voice claiming that he loved you, only to dash your heart to pieces by leaving you behind. What had you done to deserve this? What had you done to earn his hatred?
Your endless claims of being 'okay' were truly hiding how you felt. Scattered. Abandoned. Broken. Although you had found some solace through retrieving the girls from the Black Sun and traveling the galaxy together, you felt that a piece of your life was missing. It was obvious what that piece was... but that was the past. You shouldn't have been longing for him. For his voice, for his touch, but you were. And you hated yourself for it.
"Hey," a familiar voice says softly.
You quickly wipe the tears from your cheeks. "Oh h-hey." You force a smile onto your face.
Lani shakes her head at you, red hair flowing like an untamable fire. She had let it grow out and it now hung to her breasts. You had to admit that it suited her much better than the boyish cut she had been forced to get. She gives you a look. "Don't give me that fake smile shit. I can tell when you're hurting."
"I'm f-"
"Don't say that you're fine either." Lani cuts you off with a serious tone. "I know what this is about. What it's always been about. Him."
Your hand subconsciously reaches into your bag on its own. Your fingertips meet the cool metal of your lightsaber. They wrap around the hilt and draw the weapon from the leather pouch. Lani watches you gaze sadly at the saber.
"Go on-" she nudges you gently "-it would be a shame not to."
You bite your lip, thumb hovering over the ignition switch. You press down and the steady white blade springs free with a familiar rush. In the setting sun, the silvery glow was more beautiful than ever. The two of you admire it as the tears build in your eyes again. Healing your Kyber crystal had been a difficult decision to make, but it had been the right one.
"Can you feel it again? The Force?"
"Just flickers of it," you reply quietly. "It comes and it goes. Sometimes I feel like... I can feel him. It's just my mind playing tricks on me. Sometimes I think everyone and everything is against me. Even myself." Admitting this was difficult.
Lani grips your wrist tightly. "I'm not. We're not. What you've done for us isn't something we can repay, but believe me when I say we'll always be by your side."
"Thank you... for everything." You murmur as you deactivate the saber.
You let out an unwanted sob as Lani pulls you into her arms. Her grip was comforting. Touch was something you needed desperately. From anyone. She rubs your back soothingly and pulls away, taking you by the arm to guide you back into the ship.
"Reaper's all set for liftoff." She gives you a small smile. "Where to next?"
Wherever you were needed. That had been the plan since their rescue. You had been expecting them to flee back to their homes the moment you had pulled them out, but they stayed. They stayed and you were forever grateful for them doing so. Then it was just a matter of finding your purpose. The five of you had found that purpose within 'liberating the galaxy.' At least, that was Lani's dramatic way of putting it.
The ramp of the ship slides shut behind you, sealing you all into the warm confines of the Reaper. Just as you turn to make your way up to the cockpit of Lani's precious ship, a pair of footsteps clunking against metal reverberates around the ship. Krina skids around the corner with a small data pack in hand; she appeared concerned.
"You might want to take a look at this."
Lani looks at you uncertainly as you take the data pack from Krina. The two follow you into the central belly of the ship, where Vami and Myri were already playing some Dejarik. They exclaim in protest as you wipe the game board and wordlessly plug the chip into the holo-player.
An image that appeared to be security footage is projected above the circular table. The five of you knew that wretched building all too well; a Black Sun compound. More specifically, the compound that had kept you all prisoner. The only problem now was that it was booming with life once more.
Men of all species dressed in Black Sun uniform, dragging in disheveled women wearing chains. Dozens of them, at that. They all looked exhausted; stumbling around and clinging onto each other. Rage courses through your veins at the sight. As you fast forward through the tapes, you watch as customers enter sober and exit drunk. Occasionally they would be accompanied by a recently purchased slave girl, dragging her along as though she was nothing of value.
"How did they get the base up and running so fast?" Krina demands angrily. "Dorno's dead, isn't he? You said he was."
"He is." You snap. "I watched him die in front of me years ago. There's no coming back from a lightsaber through the heart. This is someone else's doing."
"But who?" Lani demands.
"Wait," you slowly lean in, squinting at the screen. "Vami, can you zoom and enhance those guards?"
The Rodian nods, the click of buttons following the pause of silence. Bit by bit, the image is enlarged and enhanced as the crackle of pixels fades away. You frown when the guards become more clear. Something was off.
Then it clicks. "There!" You point to the small crest on their shoulders. "That's not a Black Sun symbol. That's Crimson Dawn."
Gido Corr. The man who had cost you everything for just one brief interaction with him. You despised his very being more than anything in the galaxy. And now that this bastard was reinstating the Black Sun's old operations, you were practically fuming.
"What do we do?" Myri questions. "We can't just sit around and do nothing. I mean really... these girls need our help."
The girls all look to you, as if awaiting orders. You were still glaring at the screen with your hands balled up into fists at your sides. Your nails were digging into your palms, leaving behind little red crescent shapes as evidence of your anger. Swallowing thickly, you release your fists and take a breath.
"It's simple really-"
The decision was not a difficult one to make. If you had to risk everything to get these girls out, you would. You knew firsthand what slavery could do to a person, even if your experience had lasted about a week. You couldn't imagine spending years in such a cruel system. To be used and disposed of like a piece of garbage. It made your decision incredibly easy.
"-we burn their compound to the ground."