Chapter Text
Rey sneaked down the corridor, heading for the hangar.
As she hadn't been at the new Resistance base the first time around for long, she had a hard time navigating without anyone noticing her. Even though it was nighttime, the base was still brimming with energy on every level.
She froze, as she opened the door to the hangar.
Among the X-wing fighters stood the Millennium Falcon, and beside it... Finn.
He looked like he was deciding whether or not to leave. A backpack was slung over his shoulder, but he didn't seem to have any resolve.
"Finn." Her voice was soft, but it still startled him.
He turned to look at her. His eyes filled with disbelief and betrayal.
"Tell me that it isn't true."
Rey wanted to explain, to make him understand, but her voice caught in her throat.
"Rey" Finn begged, "Tell me that it isn't true."
Rey pressed her lips together, unable to defend herself or deny the truth.
Finn staggered, shaken by her silence "you've got to be kidding me."
She cleared her throat, finally gaining control over her voice "Finn..." she started.
"No" Finn cut her off, same as Poe had done "Kylo Ren is a monster, Rey!" he yelled. "You can't do this!"
It hurt, seeing him like this hurt her, but there was no way around it. She knew what she needed to do, and that he would never understand. "I know what he is." She said, swallowing what felt like a moon.
"It sure as hell doesn't sound like it!" His voice cracked halfway through the sentence.
"Finn... please listen to me" Rey pleaded.
"No, just leave!" Now Finn's voice was low. "That's why you're here, right? You are going to meet him."
Rey didn't deny it.
"Finn, you were my first real friend." Her voice was heavy with emotions.
"Just go," Finn said turning his back to her.
Tearing up, Rey marched towards an old freighter at the back of the hangar.
No one would miss that piece of junk.
-
Kylo?
Rey reached for him as she exited the atmosphere of the planet. It felt like he was weary far away.
Rey, even his answer seemed distant, are you okay?
I'm fine. Where are you?
Relief spun over their bond from him to her. It's a little hard to explain
Just give me the coordinates.
No, it's better if you don't come.
Why? She asked, feeling disappointed that he wasn't waiting for her on a nearby planet.
Rey, I need to do this alone.
Rey sighted. Fine, you can find me on Jakku, when you are done.
Jakku? She could almost feel his frown through the bond Are you going back to that junkyard?
Yes, I forgot something when I left.
Rey didn't want to admit that she didn't know of any other place they could meet.
The entire First Order navy was probably out looking for them. Jakku was mostly deserted-land, easy to hide in, and there she had the home advantage. Yes, it was filled with scavengers, but she knew how to handle them.
Suit yourself, was his only reply before he shut off the connection.
Thrown out of his head, Rey tried to shake off the sudden feeling of abandonment.
The freighter protested as she set the coordinates and readied the jump into hyperspace.
Nothing happened the first time she yanked the unwilling handle on the hyperdrive, she had to meddle with quite a few wires before the freighter, henceforth known as Scrapmetal, finally jumped to lightspeed.
-
Seeing the dry planet below should have been welcoming and familiar, but Rey only had a feeling of deja-vu.
As she lowered the freighter to hover over the sandy ground some meters from her AT-AT, it became clear that someone else had taken over her territory and her home.
It was something she could have told herself.
On Jakku nothing was sacred. If something was left behind, anyone could claim it. Yet somehow, she had convinced herself that everything on Jakku would be just as she left it.
There was never really anything of value in there, only the necessities, but it had been her home.
Not wanting to know who lived there now, she made the Scrapmetal fly again, stirring clear of Niima Outpost and heading for the wasteland.