Search the Galaxy // Poe Dameron

shake off the pain

On the planet of Jakku, I learned something significant: all inhabitants of the planet were not as nice as Rey had been to me. In Niima Outpost, I came to understand it was a place where people kept their heads down, did their work, collected their portion of food, then went home. It was a cycle that was never broken, or for some people, never tempted to be broken, in fear of consequences.

In the first minutes I entered the Outpost, I asked around for where I could purchase a plane. No comment, a grunt, a shake of the head-- those were the answers I received. I asked for a boss. I was granted with a finger in the direction.

"BB-8, you follow me. Stay close," I ordered.

 With a nod from the droid, I entered the tent. BB-8 squealed and rolled through the crowded line of workers to the front. I elbowed my way through people to follow that droid. "He's malfunctioning," I lied at one point, to get an angry worker to let go of my hair. Lucky for him, he released my black locks.

At the front, I found the girl who tried to kill me. Rey stood at the desk in front of an old, fat Crolute. His scrunched nose gave away the displeasure with her trade. "Well, what about the droid?"

Rey noticed the presence of BB-8. Preoccupied with gaining her food, she shook her head. "What about him?"

"I'll pay you for him," said the boss. From under the desk, he dumped dozens of packaged gray paste in front of Rey. "Sixty portions."

A slight gasp came from Rey. She stepped forth, her hands cradling the portions as though they were going to disintegrate upon her touch. Her head slowly turned to BB-8. Without having to see her face, I figured I knew what her next move was. I took a single step, ready to fight for my droid, but I didn't have to. The look at BB-8 made her mind: "Actually, the droid's not for sale."

"Shame," I said, which caused her to jump. I walked with her away from the tent. "It was a good deal."

"I couldn't make it."

"Says a lot about you," I said. "Now, point me in the direction of a ship, would you?"

She pointed across the Outpost. "Over there. They're not much, but they're able to take flight."

"Will any of them get me to another planet?" I asked.

"Depends on the quality of the ship."

I stared at her. "Will you tell me which has the best quality?"

"You want a true answer?" asked Rey. "None of them."

I stared blankly at her. Rey opened her mouth, calm, but in an instant, her face morphed into fright. A sharp blow to my lower back had me falling into her body. She set me on my feet just before another attacker grabbed her from behind.

I took my time taking down my attacker, as Rey wasn't someone who needed saving. I fought strictly self defense, I fought effortlessly, until the attacker pulled a dirty move and delivered a punch to my chest. I took a shocked stumble back. Realizing the move had been made, I kicked the side of his knee, causing him to kneel. A swift kick to the head knocked him unconscious.

Alerted by BB-8's sorrowful beep, I freed him from the mesh bag. In the daylight once more, he twisted his head. A wild whir exited him. I followed his gaze. Through the tents, I found a dark skinned man staring wide eyed at the three of us.

"Says he's a thief," said Rey, when she deciphered BB-8's words.

My fists clenched. "He is a thief," I snapped. "Hey! You!"

The man sprinted in the opposite direction of us.

"Not the greatest approach," said Rey honestly. She grabbed her stick from the ground as she pointed in a direction. "Run that way."