8. I Could Never Hate You

They were enemies--she knew that. And yet she knew that she had betrayed him. They had become allies, thrown together in such a way that forced them to work together. And she had betrayed his trust. Rey shook her head. Should she have told him of her mission? If she had, would he have gone with her?

Perhaps she made the right choice. By not telling him of her mission, she had ensured his trust. And Kylo Ren--Ben Solo, whoever he was--had trusted her.

They had spoken like companions in the Tie Fighter, as she flew them to her home. And they had been so close; his breath had been tickling her neck. And Rey had not minded their nearness. She took comfort in knowing he was right there, right behind her, ready to protect them with the guns he wielded.

Time had slowed down as General Leia's voice came through the tiny handheld device Rey had stashed away. Rey's heart had sunk as Leia spoke. Because right behind her, so very close, was Leia's son. And for a time, she could feel his joy.

But then rage replaced joy. He had been angry with her. He still was angry with her.

Hours had passed, and yet they had not moved from the Tie Fighter. Hours had passed, and yet they had not spoken. But they were human, and humans need nourishment. Swallowing hard, Rey stood up from the sand, brushing the fine grains from her clothing.

She walked around the tail of the Fighter, to the left side where Ben had sat. And there he was, standing. He turned when she neared, and his features were soft, his face relaxed. His hands, which had once held her close were unclenched by his sides. He looked at her. Blinked. And then he turned away, his face hardening.

"We need food," Rey stated, walking closer.

"I don't have any, Rey," he responded gruffly, not bothering to turn and face her.

Rey almost laughed. He assumed that she was asking him to get food. "I know. I wouldn't expect you to. But I can get us some. It'll take about an hour or so."

"Where will you go?"

Rey swallowed. The question was dry, and there was no emotion behind it. "There's a junk trader called Unkar Plutt. I'm a scavenger. I bring him things, and I get food in exchange."

As soon as the spoke, Rey's heart rate sped up. Because she remembered exactly what she had stolen from Unkar. Surely he would be angry that she had taken the Millennium Falcon from him. Perhaps he would not give her food for what she brought. But either way, they had to eat. She had to try.

"Is it safe?" He asked.

She paused, contemplating not lying. She had already been untruthful with him, broken his trust. Words flew from her mouth before she realized what she was saying. "Of course. I've been doing this all my life."

"Do you need me to go with you?" He asked, the words almost forced.

Rey shook her head. He would only slow her down. "Stay here. I'll be back soon."

He gave no response, ignoring her like they were children. Rey turned around and, grabbing items from the Tie Fighter she knew would bring a good price (without hindering their ability to fly), walked down the dune they had landed on. The sand was hot and she was thirsty, but she was used to both feelings. She almost . . . relished in feeling that way. She had missed her home.

Twenty minutes later, Rey walked into the market she had often come to, time and time again her whole life. She switched the bag she was carrying to her other shoulder and continued walking between the stalls. People called out prices for their merchandise, trying to tempt her into buying something.

Rey did not stop, although they were as desperate as her to survive. She was not here to buy. She was here to trade.

At last she stood at the back of the line, full of people waiting to trade their junk to the trader. Rey's heart sped up, pulsing faster and faster. Now that she was here, facing the person she had stolen from, asking for a trade, she could not help the waves of trepidation that washed over her.

She was at the front of the line.

"Are you going?" Someone gruffly asked behind her. Rey could only nod and step forward.

She waited only a half a second before Unkar was turning around, looking her up and down. And then. "You," he spat.

Rey lifted up her hands, surrendering. "Look, I didn't know that ship was yours. I don't want any trouble. All I want is to trade. I've got two people I need to feed today."

Unkar chuckled deeply, falsely. He was not happy. "Two people? Do you think I care about the business of a thief?"

"I have something that may be of interest to you," Rey responded, lifting the bag from her shoulder, and showing him the contents.

Unkar paused, glaring darkly. Rey shivered--she couldn't help it. Unkar was known for his unfair deals. But he was greedy, and his beady eyes lit up when he saw what she held up. He reached out, ready to take it from her, but Rey pulled it back. Shook her head.

"That's a First Order radio," Unkar stated greedily.

Rey nodded. She had pulled it from the stormtrooper helmet. She knew how valuable it was. The wiring and the programming involved were incredibly complex. This should be able to feed her and Ben for days. "Do we have a deal?"

Unkar nodded solemnly, but there was something else in his eyes--a darkness that was not unfamiliar to Rey. A small smile crossed his face. "Four portions."

Rey's eyebrows shot up. "Four? This is worth at least--"

"You stole my ship," Unkar spat. "Four portions or nothing. Unless you can give me my ship back?"

Rey pursed her lips. There was so much she wanted to say, but right now, she had to focus on the task at hand--bringing food back. "Here."

Unkar slammed four portions on the table in front of her, and she took them quickly, before he changed his mind. Relief flooded her. Perhaps he was not as unforgiving as she had thought. She was only a few paces away from his stall.

And. Then. "After that girl!" Unkar was shouting and pointing and commanding his workers to run after her.

Rey's heart shot to her throat. She was running, faster and faster, and turning through the market, trying to lose them. But there had to be half a dozen of them, all taller and bigger than her. And in that moment, Rey regretted stopping Ben from coming with her.

True. She could use the Force on them. But surely that would get her into more trouble. She ran.

Rey blinked. Hard. One was right behind her. She could not outrun these men. Rey reached across her back, preparing to pull out her staff. But her staff was not there. She was unarmed and he was right behind her.

Rey sensed his punch before it came. She grabbed his fist, twisting his hand. But his hand was bigger than hers. He was stronger than she was.

Suddenly the man was on top of her, trying to hold her down. Rey beat him with her fists. But then her fists were being held down too. She could barely move. "Look what I caught," the man spat, grinning.