Chapter 1

“How the hell do I get myself into these messes?”

Jakson piloted his ship through the rough atmosphere of Jakku, working just to stay on course. Truthfully, this ship needed both a pilot and a copilot, but he was good enough to make it work. All he required was a safe landing area. Keeping a firm hand on the controls, a red warning light began to flash in front of him.

“Ah, shit ... fuel’s leaking.” Checking his chart of the planet, Jakson saw his destination in range at last. “Niima Outpost ... here we come.”

Approaching the tiny settlement, Jakson made for the small shipyard on the outskirts of town. The old freighter sputtered and sparked on approach, but he was finally able to set down in the middle of the clearing. Happy to be alive, he relaxed for a few moments before hearing a transmission from the intercom.

“Unidentified ship, you have landed in a restricted area. Step out of your vessel with your hands up.”

“Of course,” he sighed to himself, unbuckling his crash restraints. Jakson stood and made sure his Bryar pistol was securely holstered at his side. After lowering the exit ramp of the ship, he proceeded into the scorching heat of Jakku, his hands clearly visible the entire time. Soon, he came upon a team of five masked security officers.

“Pilot, you have landed in Unkar Plutt’s personal shipyard without permission. State your business,” the leader commanded.

Smiling, Jakson replied, “I’m here to meet with Unkar Plutt. I have something he’s going to want.”

“These damn scavengers ... they never find anything worthwhile anymore,” Unkar Plutt growled. Sitting at his workbench, he sorted through the various parts he had purchased that day.

“Mr. Plutt, sir!”

“What is it?” he replied, turning to find one of his security officers.

“An unauthorized ship has landed in your shipyard. The pilot says he’s here to see you. He says he has something you want.”

“Hmm,” Plutt said, rubbing his large, bulbous chin. “Bring him in.”

“Yes sir.”

The guards soon brought forth a young man of about twenty-five. His shaggy, sandy-brown hair was quite unkempt, extending almost to his jawline. This combined with his rough beard to create a rather crazed appearance. Yet, in spite of his disheveled looks, the man’s blue eyes projected an air of quiet confidence. After removing his wrist binders, the guards retreated to the corners of the room.

“Well, sit down then,” Plutt said shortly. As the man did so, he continued, “My men tell me you have something I want, is that right?”

“That is. My name is Jakson. I come by way of the Irving Boys.”

“Hah! The Irving Boys...”

“Yep. Toursant and Vanver themselves.”

“And why have they sent you here?” Plutt asked.

“They didn’t. I’m on the run from them,” Jakson replied. “Let me explain ... I’m sure you’re well aware of the Irving Boys’ unlucky streak in regards to their illegal operations. One of their recent endeavors went south in a big way, attracting unwanted attention. That is, it would be, if they hadn’t framed me as the mastermind of the operation. Now I’ve got a bounty on my head the size of Yavin. That’s why I’m here. I need a place to disappear, something that’s easy to do in Niima Outpost.”

“Interesting ... and what is to prevent me from collecting on such a large bounty?” Unkar Plutt asked, drawing a blaster pistol from his side.

Jakson just smiled right back at him. “That ship currently parked in your shipyard. I stole it from the Irving Boys. You should be able to see it from that window there,” he said, gesturing to the small window in Plutt’s office.

Lowering the pistol, Plutt rose and peered out the window. “Is that?”

“Yep. An old Corellian YT model freighter. Looks like a bucket of bolts, and needs some serious repairs, but that thing has some of the most incredible hardware I’ve ever seen. We’re talkin’ customized weapons systems, secret compartments for smuggling, you name it! A little work, and I bet she’d make 0.5 past lightspeed.”

Turning back towards Jakson, Unkar Plutt mulled over the young man’s offer. “What exactly would you want in exchange for this ship?”

“Permission to live here in secrecy. A guarantee that you will forget about that bounty I mentioned. And a house of some sort, somewhere to lay my head at night. And access to food and water, of course.”

“Hmm ... permission to live here is granted. I’m not sure if you mentioned anything about a bounty or not; my memory is not what it used to be, you know,” Plutt replied with a slight belly laugh. “As for a house, I have something that I think can accommodate you: an abandoned Imperial Lambda-class shuttle southwest of town. I have had it staked off as a place to go on my vacations. Still, for a ship like the one you’ve brought me, I suppose I can part with it.”

“Sounds good. Now, what about food and water?” Jakson asked.

“Food and water are never free in Niima Outpost. If you want those, you will work for them. By day, you will scavenge for spare parts out in the Graveyard of Giants. Clean them up and bring them to me, and if they are useful I’ll give you some of my food rations. It is that simple.”

Jakson was a little perturbed by this, but decided he had to accept. After all, he was the best mechanic the Irving Boys had ever employed. How hard could scavenging be? Eying Unkar Plutt a moment longer, he finally stuck out his hand.

“Agreed.”

“Excellent. The rules of Niima Outpost are simple. Do as I say. Do as my guards say, as they are under my orders. Finally, stay away from the scavenger with the quarterstaff.”

“May I ask why?”

“That is my best scavenger, and that one works best when left alone. My men will not hesitate to remind you of this should you forget,” Plutt warned.

“Um ... ok then. I’ll go get my survival supplies off the ship. You said the Imperial shuttle is southwest of town?”

“It is, maybe a kilometer or two. It’s the only ship in the area, you won’t miss it.”

The next several months were quite a change for Jakson. Gone was the exhilarating life of a smuggler, replaced with the simple existence of a scavenger. As such, he decided to change his appearance, cutting his hair short and shaving his beard. This not only made the desert heat more bearable, but also threw off any potential bounty hunters. He had developed quite a knack for machinery over the years, and was often able to salvage parts that others had passed over as useless. His most incredible find, a crashed Imperial speeder bike, came after about a month on Jakku. He at first considered scrapping it for several weeks worth of food, but soon thought better of it. It took a lot of work, but he finally managed to get it running again. Despite a nonfunctional laser cannon, Jakson’s new transportation was quite impressive.

The speeder bike allowed Jakson to travel to other wrecks unreachable without adequate transportation. His daily labors provided him enough spare parts to remain quite well fed and comfortable. His new home, a crashed shuttle named the Tarkin, was rather spacious and well preserved. Unkar Plutt had used it as a vacation home over the years, converting much of the troop seating area into a living room. Further, part of the cargo hold made for quite a luxurious bedroom. Considering the circumstances, Jakson was more fortunate than most on Jakku.

All the while, Jakson saw the mysterious scavenger with the quarterstaff. Each day, he caught a glimpse of him, usually flying by on a pieced-together speeder. If that scavenger had managed to build that speeder by himself, he had to be one hell of a mechanic. Still, Jakson never knew what this mystery scavenger looked like under the face wrap and work goggles. Remembering Plutt’s warning, he remained a safe distance away at all times.

After a few months, Jakson became well known around Niima Outpost for his reliability. Not only was he able to salvage almost anything, but his bike also provided him an incredible range within which to work. Unfortunately, that success attracted some of the seedier residents of Jakku. One hot evening, Jakson was hauling his final bag of parts at the end of the day. As he approached his speeder bike, a Teedo had parked himself alongside, strode atop a luggabeast. The scavenger raised his electropole and shouted an unintelligible threat in an alien language. Jakson drew his blaster pistol, but was halted by the sound of another individual behind him.

“Drop the weapon.”

Knowing he was outnumbered, and feeling a blaster pressed to his back, Jakson complied. He kept his hands in plain sight as the Teedo approached. The creature began to rummage through Jakson’s bag of spoils, looking for anything of value. But, as the alien continued to inspect the bag, a loud thud sounded from behind Jakson.

“Ow!”

No longer held at gunpoint, Jakson spun around and saw the blaster-wielding thug lying on the ground in pain. Standing over the male Twi’lek was the mysterious scavenger, quarterstaff in hand. Taking the opportunity, Jakson turned his attention to the Teedo. The pair traded blows, but the smaller alien was quite scrappy and managed to knock Jakson onto his back. Before he could finish Jakson, the masked scavenger assumed a defensive stance between them. Knowing they were beat, the two would-be robbers dashed off into the desert.

“Whew ... thanks ... for the help,” Jakson heaved.

After helping Jakson to his feet, the stranger made for his speeder and took off before Jakson even knew what had happened.

“Hey, wait! Who are you?!” he shouted, but it was no use. He was gone. “Huh ... odd.”

That day taught Jakson an important lesson in watching his back during his time on Jakku. He remained vigilant in guarding his spoils and home against the scum of Niima Outpost. Still, he felt bad that he hadn’t been able to thank the mysterious scavenger for his help. This guy had no skin in the fight, yet chose to step in because it was the right thing to do. Though he remembered Unkar Plutt’s warning, Jakson still sought to find a way to repay that kindness.

Such an opportunity arose about a week after the robbery incident. As Jakson ate his lunch atop a tall dune, he saw a familiar-looking speeder zooming through the desert below him. As the stranger rode, a Steelpecker bird suddenly flew in front of the speeder, forcing the driver to swerve and crash. The speeder hit the sand with a thud, but the scavenger was flung a few dozen feet away, landing in a pit of sinking sand. Jakson immediately saw the stranger struggling and being swallowed by the desert and leapt up to help. He sprinted as fast as he was able, grabbing the scavenger’s quarterstaff from the sand along the way.

“Here! Grab on!” Jakson shouted as he reached the edge of the sand pit.

“I’m ... trying!” the stranger gasped. Finally, after two unsuccessful attempts, he managed to latch both hands onto the quarterstaff. “Ok, I’ve got it!”

“Alright, hang on!”

Jakson pulled with all his might, beginning to counteract the effects of the sinking sands. It took nearly five minutes, but the pair managed to claw their way out of the pit thanks to a few well-placed roots. Finally back on solid ground, the stranger collapsed to his knees, panting and heaving.

“Easy, easy there. You’re alright,” Jakson said, kneeling down next to him.

“Can’t breathe ... can’t breathe!”

Trying desperately to catch his breath, the stranger finally unwrapped the mask from his face and tore off the helmet and goggles on his head.

“GAH!”

As the scavenger finally tasted fresh air once more, Jakson was stunned to learn that his savior from a week previous was not a man at all, but a woman. She was young, perhaps nineteen or twenty, yet also quite strong. After all, she had fought off a pair of muggers and crawled out of that sand pit. As she worked to calm herself, Jakson finally found the words to speak.

“You’re ... a girl?”

With a slight laugh, she replied, “Yeah, I’m a girl. Don’t worry, most men have that reaction when they meet me.”

Jakson couldn’t help but notice her extreme natural beauty, which was only accentuated by her strength. Though the dusty clothes wrapped around her hid most of her body, he could tell that it was still thin and quite athletic. She had tied her dark brown hair up in a trio of small buns traveling down the back of her head and neck, perfect for the scorching heat of Jakku. Her face, and in particular her eyes, were strong and tough. Yet the occasional smile that flashed across her face hinted at a playful side buried deep down.

“You’re staring,” she said in her gorgeous accent.

“Oh, um ... sorry,” Jakson replied sheepishly. “I, uh, never got a chance to thank you for your help last week.”

“I’d say you just did that quite well. I suppose this is the point where the swooning girl falls to her knees thanking her hero?” she teased.

“HAH! Maybe, if I hadn’t already seen you fight. So, what’s your name?”

“Rey.”

“Rey, I’m Jakson. My friends call me Jak,” he replied, extending his hand.

Looking at his hand for a few moments, Rey finally said, “Friend?”

“I mean friends do save each others’ lives, don’t they?”

Smiling, she shook his hand warmly and replied, “That they do. Glad to know you, Jak.”

“Come on. Let’s get your speeder back up and running.”

“I’m not helpless, I know how to repair a speeder.”

“And so do I, meaning it’ll go that much faster,” Jakson shot back. “I’m not offering to help because I think you’re weak.”

Kneeling down next to her wrecked speeder, Rey asked, “And why are you offering to help?”

“Why’d you help me last week?”

“Because ... it was the right thing to do,” she said in realization.

The pair righted her speeder in record time, the work going much faster from their tandem efforts. Rey performed diagnostics on the engine while Jakson secured her payload of scavenged parts to the side of the speeder.

“Nice haul,” he remarked.

“Thanks. With any luck, nice enough for a couple of good meals.”

Imitating Unkar Plutt, Jakson said, “Let’s see ... today you’ve brought me an Imperial Tie Fighter, still in working order, customized with a hyperdrive even ... I’d say that’s worth ... one quarter portion!”

Rey cracked up laughing at his spot-on impersonation, falling to the sand from atop her speeder. “That’s exactly what he’d say!”

Jakson smiled at hearing her sweet laugh. He could tell that this girl had lived the hard life of a scavenger for years, and seeing her smile was a treat for him. He was growing rather fond of her and, in spite of Unkar Plutt’s warnings, was becoming quite attracted to her as well. She was smart, strong, and fearless. He had never wanted anything more than those things in a woman. The fact that she was also beautiful was just a bonus.

“Ok, looks like we’re up and running. Diagnostics are all green,” Rey said, interrupting his thoughts.

“Awesome.”

Turning back to Jakson, Rey hesitated for a moment, almost as if she was searching for the right words to say. “Um ... thank you for your help, Jak. That was generous of you, and I do appreciate it.”

“Anytime. It’s the least I can do after last week.”

“Think nothing of it,” Rey replied with a smile. “I ... guess I’d better get going. Gotta get these parts cleaned up before they’re worth anything.”

As she turned to go, Jakson said, “Uh, Rey?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you, I don’t know, want to join me for dinner tonight? I want to thank you properly for everything. I know it’s just polystarch and veg-meat, but I can’t think of anyone I’d rather share such an exquisite meal with.”

Rey eyed him for several long moments, processing what he had said. “You know what the Blobfish will do to you if he finds out, right?”

“You saying he controls you?” Jakson replied with a grin.

Returning his smile, Rey said, “Hell no. All right, come by my place at sunset: an old AT-AT in the Goazon Badlands, the Hellhound Two. You can park your bike underneath the legs; I’ll leave a spare tarp for you to cover it with.”

“Sounds great. And don’t worry. I have no delusions about the danger in this.”

“Good.” Boarding her speeder, Rey called out, “See you tonight, Jak. Just remember, when we’re in town, we don’t know each other.”

“Who are you again?” came his snarky reply as she started up her vehicle and sped off towards Niima Outpost. “Damn, she’s somethin’ else,” Jakson sighed to himself.

For the rest of the afternoon, Jakson worked at his home to repair and clean the parts he had scavenged for the day. It was tedious and exhausting, but doing it at home was far better than using the cleaning stations in town. Unkar Plutt loved to deduct rations as payment for using his cleaning supplies. As the day neared its end, Jakson packed up his haul and rode into town, arriving at the long line of the concession stand. While he waited his turn, he caught a glimpse of Rey departing on her speeder, food rations in hand. Tempted as he was to wave to her, he thought better of it in the nick of time. By then he had made it to the front of the line.

“Let me see ... these parts are worth, I’d say, a portion and a half,” Unkar Plutt muttered after inspecting Jakson’s haul.

“Nice doing business with you,” Jakson sighed, taking his food and starting back to his bike.

Departing town, Jakson journeyed back to his home, putting away his supplies once he had arrived. As it was still an hour or so until sunset, he stripped off his clothes and took a quick shower, washing the stink of the day off his body. Redressing himself, he couldn’t help but notice the amount of muscle he had developed in the last few months.

Scavenging apparently does wonders for the body.

Jakson zoomed off on his speeder bike, making sure to encircle Niima Outpost at a fair distance to avoid attracting attention. Even with his nerves about disobeying Plutt’s orders, he found himself enthralled at the chance to get to know this girl. Everything he knew about her thus far was just incredible. She was strong, independent, intelligent, and resourceful, all traits he held in high regard. Jakson had never been a one-woman man, as his employment with the Irving Boys wouldn’t allow for it. Still, he figured now might be as good a time as any to try and establish a long-term connection. After all, it’s not like he’d be going anywhere for the foreseeable future.

Soon, he spotted his destination over the next dune: the downed AT-AT Hellhound Two. Parking underneath one of the legs as Rey had instructed, Jakson found a tarp waiting for him, which he used to cover his ride up. Not only would this would protect it from the sand, but it also would prevent any passersby from wondering who was visiting Rey’s home. After grabbing his food rations from the storage bin, Jakson took a deep breath and knocked on the main hatch on the belly of the AT-AT.

“Jak! Come on in!” Rey said as she opened the hatch.

“Thanks for having me.”

“Not at all. It’s rare that I encounter someone in this wasteland that actually possesses a soul. I’d be a fool to turn down such great company. Make yourself at home. Here, I’ll get the food ready.”

Jakson looked around her makeshift home and was quite impressed. Though not as spacious as his shuttle, Rey had gone to great lengths to ensure that the space was all her own. A small bed sat in the corner with the bathroom entrance right next to it. Opposite that side of the room sat Rey’s workbench, littered with various parts she was working to repair and clean. In the center of it all was a small eating area, containing a table with some cushions surrounding it. A large pile of pillows against the wall functioned as a relaxation area. On the wall itself were a large number of small scratches, too many to even count. Jakson couldn’t help but wonder what they meant.

“Ok, food’s ready,” came Rey’s voice, interrupting his thoughts.

“Thanks,” Jakson replied, taking the plate from her with a smile.

Sitting around the table, the pair began eating their meager rations. The polystarch was as tasteless and bland as ever, and the veg-meat seemed a bit stale, but neither could complain about the company.

“Ok, I’ve seen you around for a few months now. What’s your story?” Rey asked.

Hesitating a moment, Jakson got the feeling he could trust her with some of his real backstory. “Well, I used to work for the Irving Boys, until they tried to pin one of their deals gone sour on me, placing a huge bounty on my head. Long story short, I had no choice but to steal a ship and disappear, and what better place to disappear than Niima Outpost?”

“You’re not wrong there.”

“Once I arrived, I traded the ship I stole to Unkar Plutt in exchange for a place to live and a promise he would forget the bounty on my head. He gave me an abandoned Lambda shuttle on the outskirts of town, and I’ve been scavenging to survive ever since.”

“So that’s where the Blobfish got that old freighter!” Rey exclaimed.

“Yep. That thing has some of the most incredible machinery I’ve ever seen. If Unkar Plutt can find the right mechanic, he’ll make a pretty peggat in selling it.”

“Fat chance he’ll get that far. The man lords over our salvaged parts from behind his barred window, but in reality he’s a terrible judge of machines. He’s only ever out to make a quick sale.”

Laughing at her sarcastic wit, Jakson finished his rations. “Rey my dear, you are one amazing cook. You must have slaved for hours on this meal!”

“Well, I have had more than enough practice opening packages of polystarch and veg-meat, so I would hope it would be ... edible, at least.”