Work Text:
(8?) (~23 ABY)
Day 700:
I almost gave up today, almost believed what Old Lazzi said when she told me that my parents are not coming back. It’s only been two years. Lazzi has been stuck here for ten, when her shuttle crashed and she was the only survivor. She gave up fixing it two years ago. That’s why she’s stuck here.
My mother would never give up fixing the starfighter. I’m sure she’s just over in Blowback Town, too far to go on speeder. Working hard to buy the parts they need to get back to Niima Outpost.
(25 ABY - 10)
Day 1430:
I got stuck again today. Plutt had to dispatch two of his thugs to get me out from behind that bulwark. I managed to not lose the fusion-cutter, at least. It slipped but I caught it. But my bag spilled half its contents and I lost almost the whole day’s pickings. At least I didn’t panic this time.
He told me not to eat so much, or I won’t be worth anything to him if I can’t fit in those tight places where the better parts are. He did give me extra water because I didn’t die even if I was stuck for almost the whole day. I found some grubs to eat, so that helped, but I didn’t tell him. They were tasty, but I like them better grilled.
Day 2160:
I’m hungry all the time now. Unkar says I should do like the others and just smoke some spice sticks to numb the feeling, but it makes me too nauseous, I almost puked. I don’t know how the others do it, and it costs almost as much as food. It’s addictive too.
My mate Sassy says she heard there were a lot of people that left Blowback town to join the new Order. The men in town here are thinking of doing the same, since the New Republic again delayed relief and machine parts after that Solar Flare that took out half of all our electronics. It’s not the first time some big military campaign happens and takes a lot of kids and adults.
I sometimes think my parents left the planet. Maybe they left me here to be safe.
(13?) (in 28 ABY)
Day 2525:
I finally got the “women’s curse” today. It felt like a terrible wave of cold, like when it’s the coldest week of winter, when you wake up and there’s ice in the water vaporator’s catch basin. I got this terrible shiver, and I told Master Plutt, and for a moment I thought he would send me away like I had the fever, but he touched my cheek and made me stick out my tongue and I don’t have the fever so he just grunted instead. Then I felt like I was wet between my legs so I excused myself to go to the fresher and there it was: the curse, all over my skivvies, staining everything in blood.
I went to old Lazzy and she told me she was surprised I got it so late, and she told me to go to Sassy for help and Sassy showed me how to layer some rags together to tie them to my skivvies so I wouldn’t stain everything.
When I came back I felt terrible, and I told Plutt what happened and he grumbled about how much trouble girls are and he sent me to our kennel early. He gave me an extra bottle of water and a quarter ration too. He said I could take tomorrow off.
Day 2527:
I had terrible nightmares all night. Like something was broken. Not me, something far far away. I hope it’s not my parents. I've been doubled over with cramps all morning, even my head hurts. I hope it's not always like this. I feel so bleak, I'm not even hungry. I have rations for maybe two days, so I hope I get better soon.
Day 2529:
The nightmares stopped, but I saw a red crystal. It was cracked and it was bleeding ; and it was crying. I’ll ask Lazzy what it means when I get back to Niima Outpost. I stopped bleeding, so I’ll go back today. I’m out of rations, and there aren’t even any ‘skitters or crickets to catch and eat.
...
(29 ABY)(15)
Day 2881:
Plutt says since I won’t lay with the visitors for credits, he won’t keep me in the kennel with the others. Says he won’t pay for the preg-prev, so I have to move out so I don’t get in trouble. I have one standard week to find a place.
The Kennel is overcrowded but in the winter, we all sleep cuddled to keep warm. I’ll miss that. I’ll miss my pack-mates: Sassy, Tomme, Ada; the others. I realize I’m one of the oldest of Plutt’s pack still in the kennel.
...
Day 2885:
Sassy thinks Lazzy’s dead, and that’s why she hasn’t come in three days. If I start walking now, I might make it before anyone else gets her place.
Day 2886:
I have my own place! After I recycled her water, I buried old Lazzy to the west of the Imperial AT-AT, a model Hellhound Two, I think. It’s a long walk from the village. Lazzy’s speeder was gone, but no one could get inside the Walker so I was lucky to hack the security and get in. I hope to get at least a lift where I need to go every now and then. She had a week’s portions stocked up and her vaporator is in good shape.
I put a stick over the mound where I buried Lazzy so I don’t walk over her.
Day 2887:
It takes two hours to make it to the Outpost, but at least once there I can get a lift to the Graveyard. It costs me though, and I’m starting to wonder if I shouldn’t do like the other girls. Sassy says there’s a few people who have been asking for me, even one from Tuanul village: the Holy man — the Traveler. But I don’t think he wants that. I didn’t see him in any case.
I came back to find an abandoned speeder right in front of the door. It’s out of order, but if I can fix it, there’s just enough fuel to make a few trips to Niima Outpost and the Graveyard of Giants.
Day 2889:
I think things are really going well for me now: I fixed the speeder, I have my own place, I even found a green spinebarrel growing in a spot of shade. I brought it in for luck. The Walker has minimal power supply, so I have to ration, but it can run the computer console I found in that old BTL-A4 Y-wing. The little stove can use dung, and I tweaked the vaporator so it converts solar power more efficiently. So I’m all-set.
Day 2900:
Today is a round number so I scratched a mark on the far wall. That way when my parents come back they will see that I never stopped waiting for them. I don’t care what Plutt says. They didn’t just leave me for “a few weeks” and that they didn’t come back because they’re dead. If they were dead, I would know. I feel their presence out there. I just know it.
The walker is big enough for me and I am really comfortable now. When I eat my portion, I can sit in the shade outside and watch ships take off or fly in. One day, I will build a ship and fly around Jakku. I’ll find my parents myself.
Day 3046:
The last storm was a real test for the vaporator and now I have to fix it. There’s sand everywhere. The wind blew away Lazzy’s stick and now I’m not sure where she is anymore.
Day 3112:
Sassy disappeared. Her daypack is still in the kennel, so she didn’t fall in one of the wrecks and die. She didn’t go out very often anyway. Maybe she had a regular.
(30 ABY)(16)
Day 3150:
I saw Sassy’s necklace hanging behind Plutt at the counter. She loved that necklace. Unkar saw that I saw it and he tried to smirk at me, but then he just looked away. He gave me almost a good deal this time.
...
Day 3203:
I have been having so much luck lately: I have a week’s stock, and I found good parts so Plutt put me to work in the junkyard, fixing up ships!
Day 3240:
I have a real knack for this. I can use the shipboard computers and that gives me access to the holonet. I can just look up schematics now. Parts aren’t any easier to come by though, so I still have to go out to the wrecks and find whatever fits the ship I’m working on now. Plutt and some others help me adapt parts from time to time.
…
Day 3443:
I spent half the day pulling and tacking together a huge tarp to cover that beat-up YT-1300f light-freighter Plutt got from the Irving Boys. I think he was storing it as a favor for them. Now I’m sure that ship is wanted by the New Republic or some rival smuggling gang. No chance of them coming all the way out here for it, so it’s just a bother to cover it. Helps keep the sun off at least, so it’s almost cool when I do the checklist on it. It looks terrible. I can’t believe it even flies. The inside is full of long animal hair that’s stuck in the ventilation ducts and other places. The computer is a real bitch too. Like it’s got three astromech cores that won’t stop arguing.
(31 ABY)(17?)
Day 3523:
I’ve convinced Plutt to let me co-pilot with Devi, so I have been practicing on the flight simulator three hours a day.
(32 ABY)(18?)
Day 3856:
I had one of my nightmares again. That dark-haired man. He was crying. I couldn’t help him. It’s always the same man and I wonder if he’s an older brother I should remember better. He feels like we should be close.
Day 3911:
Things are slow. I don’t get to test-pilot much of anything these days. Though the market for parts from the old cruisers is on the uptick again.
(34 ABY) (19?)
Day 4095:
I have a guest tonight: I saved an astromech from a teedo and now he’s followed me home.