Ben Solo made good distance – about 18 miles – in the first night, and had gone to ground. His shelter not only kept him cool during the hot daytime hours, it had thermo-optic camouflage capabilities.
The second night saw him make his way another 15 miles, where he’d seen a collapsed AT-AT. That could make for a decent shelter – and maybe there would be some other supplies he could use – a different speeder bike or something.
The wreck would be a good place to shelter… then he saw the scavenger heading towards it. A BB unit was trailing it.
Okay, he thought, time to make myself scarce, he thought.
Only the BB unit had other ideas. It was tearing towards him, beeping with a mix of excitement.
The scavenger was right behind the droid.
“Hold on!” she said.
Ben stopped. Maybe he could talk his way out of this.
“Not trying to cause any trouble,” he said.
“You’re out in the middle of the desert and far from Niimo Outpost. This droid, by the way is saying your mother is worried sick about you and there is a huge reward for your safe return,” the scavenger said.
“Oh, great,” he said. Then he looked at the scavenger. “My mom and I haven’t really talked in a few years.”
“Why not?” The scavenger asked.
“Long, complicated story,” Ben said. “Look, I was trying to get to Niimo Outpost. I’ve got a bunch of survival rations and some gear I can exchange for a ride in there tomorrow.”
The scavenger thought the offer over. The droid beeped a bit more.
“What?” the scavenger asked, then looked at him.
“You’re Ben Solo? Any relation to Han Solo, the smuggler?” she asked.
“His son,” Ben said. “You don’t need to guess who my mom is, either.”
The scavenger decided to not press the issue further.
~
After the ride into Niimo Outpost, Ben was caught up in his thoughts.
You know, maybe you shouldn’t have blown off Kolman Tye’s offer for a complete overhaul, he told himself, he’d have gotten you brand-new parts, they’d have worked.
But then, how would you have explained a practically-new ship when you’re struggling to find any sort of decent smuggling run to make?
I wouldn’t be stuck here with few prospects, he told himself. Kolman Tye’s also been very good at keeping a low profile, even if the Silent Partner and Tye Score are wanted vessels, and he is a wanted man.
You do have prospects. You didn’t want to pursue them then, his inner debate partner – for lack of a better term – reminded him. You have potential to be more than this.
Maybe I’m my father’s son, he responded.
He blew out a sigh. Well, he needed a hyperdrive motivator, not to mention a new shunt, and there was a good chance his navicomputer had been fried as well. Maybe he could have done better than a G-type Nubian 139. Kolman had some other ships he’d have traded in for that.
Well, Niima Outpost wasn’t the worst spot to not have a working hyperdrive, but it had to be in the top 25.
The scavenger had turned down a huge offer for the droid, but Ben knew that Unkar Plutt wasn’t going to give up easily. This droid was marked, and the scavenger had no idea what she was in for. He made his way to one person, seeing if he could work out some passage, when he saw two thugs accosting the scavenger.
“Plutt wants droid. We take droid,” he heard.
He acted on instinct – his right hand dropped down to his blaster, and he drew it, aiming and firing a shot that disarmed one.
The two thugs turned to look at him.
“The lady obviously didn’t want to sell the droid,” he said. He kept his blaster ready to move again, but he knew they’d back down. They could push around someone unarmed, old, and trying to struggle, but when faced with the very real threat of someone who could stand up for themselves, they’d run. Which they did.
Now, maybe he could…
She was running after that droid, who was shocking a guy in the leg. Just like R2 did when he was mad, Ben remembered.
“What’s your hurry, thief?” he heard the girl ask.
He heard the denials, and watched as the impromptu interrogation continued, before he stepped in.
“Give the guy a chance,” he said.
“Who are you?” the girl asked.
Just then, their prisoner pointed, saying, “Trouble.”
They looked.
“Stormtroopers,” Rey breathed.
That began a chase, as the stormtroopers fired at them. Ben sent four shots back their way, hardly aiming, but saw one connect.
He turned.
“We’ll need a ship!” he called out.
“We can outrun them in that quadjumper!” the girl shouted.
“What about that one?” the other guy asked.
“It’s garbage! It hasn’t flown in years,” the girl responded. Ben took a look at what the guy had pointed to… then heard the explosion as the quadjumper go up after a strafing pass from TIE fighters.
“The garbage’ll do,” the girl said. Ben was already running there. A YT freighter… he noticed. Familiar memories flooded back of his dad… no, not now, he thought.
“Gunner position is over there,” the girl said.
“There’s two,” Ben responded as he raced to the cockpit. He began to warm up the ship. The more it began to warm up…
The freighter took off, and Ben managed to get it flying expertly. Then again, it was starting to feel more familiar.
Ship that looks like garbage, but flies like a dream? Yeah, I know you… Ben smiled. Okay, they’d need shields… over on the other side of the cockpit.
He reached out and flipped the switches, using the Force. Now, it was time to fly like crazy. He’d need to stay low, to confuse the sensors.
It didn’t take long for the other two people on board to send both TIE fighters into the sea of wrecks on Jakku. Ben then flew the ship out, making a clean getaway with a jump into hyperspace.
The girl and the guy both came from their gunner positions, and Ben left the cockpit.
“That was some flying!” the girl told him.
“It was good shooting, both of you,” Ben said.
“Thanks!” they said.
“How’d you learn to fly like that?” the girl asked.
“My dad taught me,” Ben said. “Anyway, who are you? I figure some proper introductions are in order, since we just killed First Order personnel and stole a starship. I’d like to get a sense as to who my fellow fugitives are.”
“I’m Rey,” the scavenger said.
“Finn,” the man said. Ben could sense Finn was hiding something.
“For garbage, this ship flew pretty well,” Rey said.
“She may not look like much, but she’s always had it where it counts,” Ben said.
“You know this ship?” Rey asked.
Ben walked over, and opened a hidden compartment. He smiled, showing familiarity with the ship, but he had a bad feeling.
“Yeah, it was my dad’s,” he said.
