Dawn was breaking the horizon when Rey saw the first ship entering Jakku's placid harbor, which is a primary route for trading in the south between the old world and the new. The small merchant ship was but one of the countless vessels that journeyed through the island's waters. Waters so clear and pure one easily perceive colorful forests of coral flourishing under its surface.

Though however many ships she witnessed passing by each day, none was ever the one Rey had spent a decade waiting to return.

At the age of nine, Rey had only been a child when she first set foot on the island. Having spent nearly a month on her parents' merchantman voyaging across the Atlantic Ocean toward the panhandle of the new world, she still remembered what it had felt like burying her toes in the sand for the very first time. How her eyes had gone round after discovering palm trees the size of single-story buildings. How eager she had been to show her parents a large conch shell she'd found among shells in various forms and sizes further down the shore, while they mingled with fellow tradesmen at a nearby town.

Now, had she known that afternoon of fun and adventure in paradise would lead to her present state of distress, she may not have ever left that boat.

Helplessly, Rey had watched her parents sail off into the horizon until the ship was merely a speck. Had they even realized she was missing? Were they aware of having left their child alone on an isle that was frequently inhabited by pirates?

There were dozens, maybe hundreds, of excuses why they had forgotten her. But surely they'd come back for her once they noticed she wasn't on board with them. She just needed to wait.

She'd found a vacant shanty not far from the main coast. Should her parents come back for her, she knew it'd offer them the best chance at finding her, quickly, while also providing her suitable shelter. Even though as minutes moved into hours, days into months, months into years, the possibility of them returning grew slimmer in the margin.

What if something terrible had happened to them? What if their ship had capsized during a storm? It was peak hurricane season in this area of the globe, after all.

Or worse - what if they were attacked by pirates?

No, she refused to believe either of those thoughts. Her parents loved her. They wouldn't have abandoned her there on purpose; neither were they dead in a pauper's grave somewhere at the bottom of the sea. It just wasn't logical in her book, not even the slightest bit.

Just wait. They'll come back, she'd remind herself whenever a sliver of doubt crossed her mind, gazing at one of nature's glorious sunsets. If she could withstand living on a ship for weeks on end, anxious to see the new world and if it was anything akin to the tales she'd heard, she could endure waiting just a little longer. Tomorrow. Just wait 'til tomorrow, she'd said.

And yet...

Ten years.

3,650 days.

86,400 hours later, Rey was still waiting.

Not that she was keeping track of how long she'd been stranded there or anything. On a tropical isle where the seasons never evolved past wretched, humid summers, those days had merely bled together. Although, scavenging the shore for lost trinkets and objects while the tide remained at sea had also kept her busy.

She'd bring the items then to her shanty and rid of any barnacles or ocean grime. Anything broken was repaired if she considered it worth salvaging. Rey had come to realize she actually enjoyed fixing things. Mastering a trade like craftsmanship had given her a sense of control when everything else was falling to pieces.

Generally, mid-afternoon, she would make the short trek into the village to a pawn shop and barter her findings for a few essential necessities. By the day's end, fatigue was rapping at her consciousness, only to render the same routine on a completely different day. And this morning was frankly no exception.

She'd woken before sunrise to pillage the shore of discarded objects, including a pair of blue crabs for dinner, till the tide arrived. The rest of the morning was spent scouring each and every object clean of barnacles and muck from her front door stoop, watching as the sun climbed higher into a clouded sky. Rey welcomed the rain. It was a reprieve from the relentless sun rays as she later strolled into town.

No matter the weather conditions, rain or shine, the usual throng of commoners was seen hustling among aristocrats on Jakku's mud-paved roads. Whores paraded themselves on street corners or tavern posts. And pirates, they were an entirely separate class of their own; however, most often than not, they blended well with the average folk, save for a select number who occasionally haled authorities.

Veering the corner of Maz Kanata's pawn shack, Rey rolled her eyes at the few she spotted sleeping away their booze-induced hangovers in the pig pens. Hm. Pigs with pigs. Maybe they weren't such a different sort of class, after all?

Except the livestock served a greater purpose in life.

A small bell chimed overhead when Rey pushed open the door to Maz's, the aroma of age and mold a remarkable breath of fresh air in opposition to the stench of manure and mud. Silence swallowed the banter of civilians passing by as she carefully closed the door. There was no Maz, just heaps of unsold knick-knacks sitting on shelves and the floor.

"Maz?" Rey called out, still clasping the door handle. There was a harsh clatter in the background, followed by a muffled slur that made her chortle. Moments later, the sound of feet scuffing along wooden floorboards accompanied the emergence of a petite, elderly woman from behind a tall shelving unit of books.

"Oh, Rey!" Maz greeted elatedly, adjusting the absurdly large frames on her nose. "Hello, my dear."

Rey beamed at the little old woman, whose height barely reached her bust even when wearing boots. "I hope I'm not interrupting you?"

Maz snorted. "Heaven sakes, no," she huffed. "You may be the only other person in this town whom I enjoy talking to." Turning on a heel, the elder motioned a hand for Rey to follow her to a counter, partially bare of clutter. "What have you got for me today?"

Deciding it was best that she simply show Maz rather than speak, Rey drew up the satchel hanging at her side and proceeded to spill its contents onto the counter. Maz's eyes widened at the assortment of keys, locks, and pewter flatware. "My, my," she hummed. "You were busy this morning."

Rey bit her bottom lip. "Do you think it's worth anything?"

"Well, I'll have to take a look and see," the old woman sighed. Gauging by the hesitancy in Maz's tone, Rey figured she may as well have told her no right then. "Unfortunately, there's just no demand for these sorts of things, I'm afraid."

Rey had wondered earlier if that would be the case. Household items weren't exactly scarce on Jakku, or rare sort of delicacies. Scavenging had gotten her through the tough times since she'd been on the island. What would she do if there was nothing of value left to get her by? Be a whore at the tavern alongside the inn? Definitely not how she planned to lose her virginity.

No, Rey scowled, the thought alone was bad enough to elicit dry heaves. She'd rather shrivel to nothing and starve than hand herself over to some miserable bastard at a bar, or be another notch on a public headboard.

"You know," Maz began pensively, causing Rey to blink from her daze. "I was chatting with Governor Organa—yesterday, in fact." She smiled knowingly. "She did mention she was wanting to hire an extra maid at the plantation outside of town."

Rey's eyebrows quirked. "You mean a job?"

"Mmhm," Maz replied assertively. "Leia is a lovely woman. You'd have freshly cooked meals, laundered clothes, and a soft bed with fresh linens every night. Most importantly, she would be kind to you, too."

Nibbling her bottom lip, Rey folded her arms over the ivory-colored fabric concealing her chest. Maz's offer was indeed tempting, despite being hard to visualize herself amongst those of noble class. However, by working for Governor Organa, she would be required to stay at the plantation, and staying there meant leaving her shanty on the beach.

What if her parents came looking for her when she was gone?

"I do appreciate the suggestion," Rey murmured, grimacing. "But—."

"You can't leave," Maz interrupted benevolently. Rey nodded, grateful she understood. "I understand," she assured, studying the pile of gizmos on the counter. "I'll tell you what, give me a moment while I look through these, okay? I'll see what I can do for you."

Releasing air that she hadn't realized her lungs had been holding, Rey uttered a soft thanks as she stepped aside to browse the assortment of merchandise inside a cedar crate on an end table. An Aegean blue box, palm-sized, and geometrically-shaped with an elevated dome centered on its lid initially grabbed her attention. She discovered inside the inverted arch, upon opening it, was an inscription of the lustrous, star-filled heavens, and the device it retained she recognized was a compass. A navigational instrument so no one ever lost their way whether on land or sea, as its needle always pointed north.

Except for this particular compass, apparently...

Her brows knitted at the compass, confused, it appeared to be, by its own ferromagnetic force, twitching and pulling itself from south to north to west, before finally landing on east. "I think your compass is broken, Maz," declared Rey, within her timbre was an edge of uncertainty.

"Oh! Goodness, that wasn't supposed to be out there," Maz exclaimed, leaving her position and soon joining Rey. "There's no telling what would happen if it ended up in the wrong hands."

Closing its lid, Rey scoffed as she surrendered the compass to Maz's extended hand. "How's a compass that doesn't point north a bad thing?"

"Because, my dear child, in this case," Maz's gaze flickered to the box nestled safely in her palm, "you're not trying to find north."

Head cocked to the side, Rey crossed her arms again. "I—don't understand?"

Silence hung briefly in the shop as Maz seemed to be contemplating her next line of words. "This compass," she began to explain more quietly, "it is not ordinary. It will guide whoever carries it toward their heart's deepest, utmost desires."

It was asinine, really. Any person who was remotely sane would have laughed at how crazy the old woman sounded then. But in her heart, Rey knew the truth, this compass was the ticket she needed in order to find everything she'd been waiting all these years for. Love. Belonging. A family. Yet in Maz's hand, it was so close but still so far out of reach.

Blinking, Rey felt something miniature, cool and smooth-surfaced, touching her palm. Maz, eyeing her intently, was holding the back of Rey's hand, which now possessed the compass. Rey was confused. Completely and utterly confused. "Maz? What are y—."

"There's something special about you, Rey," interrupted Maz, eyes warm and bright behind her specs. "Call it a hunch that's telling me this compass belongs with you." Her voice fell to a more serious octave, "Promise me, though, promise me you will never let it leave your sight."

Rey nodded in earnest. "Yes...Yes, of course," she assured, clenching the compass in her fist. "I promise."

"Good," Maz said, letting go of her hand. "I hope you find what you're looking for, Rey of Jakku."

**

Rey beelined straight to the pier. Her heart was racing, like a battering ram slamming her ribs, and her lungs ached tremendously. But being solely fixated on gaining passage to a ship - any ship, so long as it was going east - she hardly noticed the pain.

There were several ships, maybe a dozen or less, lining the harbor. She heard the men on board them barking orders. Seagulls wailed as they flew overhead by the flocks, some perching on planks atop sails; some dove beneath waves, catching food.

It was peaceful, she had to admit. Beautiful. Serene. At the same time, however, it was absolutely terrifying. Because for the last ten years, Jakku had been home.

Rey took a breath, a sudden gust of wind lapping the beads of sweat dotting her temples and neck, jarring the three buns scaling on the backside of her head, beginning at her nape and rising to her crest. Glancing at the compass in her hand alleviated the nervousness coiling in her gut. It reminded her that somewhere, beyond a vast ocean of blue, her parents were waiting for her. Perhaps out there on the sea, or on the mainland of the new world.

I'll find them, she swore, no matter what it takes.

"You doin' alright there, ma'am?"

The stranger's voice caught her off-guard. Gasping, she whirled around to see a young man staring at her, seemingly concerned about her standing there looking foolishly lost. His arms crossed over his cream and linen-colored, striped shirt, a plunging neckline leaving the dark skin of his chest slightly exposed, sleeves rolled half-way to his elbows, its bottom hem tucked inside a pair of khaki trousers. Had her eyes dipped any lower she may have noticed the silver hilt of a sword holstered at his waist.

"Yeah, sorry," she nervously laughed, crossing her arms too. "Actually, um...Maybe you could help me?"

He shrugged lazily. "Depends on the assistance, I guess."

"I need a boat," she demanded nicely.

"You mean a ship?"

"Boat, ship, does it really make a difference?" She scoffed.

"There's a huge difference, actually," he chuckled. Allowing his hands to hang loose at his sides, he directed a finger towards a smaller vessel garnishing twin sails. "That is a boat," he corrected, then motioned his hand to a ship of larger size with more sails. " That is a ship."

"Whatever," sighed Rey, rolling her eyes hard in her skull. "So long as it floats, I don't care about technicalities."

"No need to get your bloomers in a bunch there, peanut," he chided lightly. "I'm just messing with ya."

"Can you help me or not?" She grumbled, making it apparent to him she was losing patience quickly. "I have no money, otherwise I'd offer to pay you."

"Aye." His eyes swept down then back up her attire. "But you're gonna need a change in wardrobe," he suggested with an eyebrow raised.

Frowning, Rey gave her ivory blouse and rust-tinted skirt a once over. "Why? What's wrong with it?"

"The captain doesn't take too kindly to women on board, I'm afraid," he sullenly explained. "Unless your family jewels are hidden underneath that skirt of yours, I strongly suggest you find yourself a disguise."

Whatever it takes. Right, Rey?

"Alright, I'll take care of it," she assured. "Where is your ship?"

His chin jutted to the east. "Got her anchored at the other side of the island. Meet me here at sunset, if you're serious about going through with this."

Rey nodded in response, assuring him she was serious without declaring it out loud. She lingered a few seconds after he left, uncertain as to whether or not he was simply tooling with her, or if his offer was genuine. For now, though, desperation had called for desperate measures. Wounding her pride was a risk that Rey was absolutely willing to take.

Grudgingly, heeding to his advice, she borrowed a permanent pair of khaki breeches and a mahogany overcoat from a close line outside a housing complex neighboring the pier. Thankfully, her own blouse wasn't so feminine and made a decent tunic for a man. Saying a prayer, she silently thanked whoever was watching over the universe for blessing her with small breasts. For them, specifically, she tore a wide strip of fabric from her skirt and tied it around her chest, as tight as she could possibly stand it without depriving herself of oxygen. It also made the perfect hiding place for her compass.

Lastly, she cut her auburn locks to a length that barely made it possible to pull her hair back into a low ponytail at her nape. This better work, she muttered, tugging boots on over her feet. She grabbed the dagger she had hidden underneath her pillow, just in case, before exiting her shanty for the final time.

As promised, the young man she'd met earlier was waiting for her at the docks, a hat on his head greatly resembling those she'd seen the local pirates wear. She immediately dismissed the thought the moment he smiled at her. Because pirates were selfish, their smiles usually sinister with missing teeth, and only cared about themselves and gold.

"And here I didn't think you were capable of pulling it off," he teased, regarding her new appearance. She supposed she could take it as a compliment. Whichever way he had meant it, regardless, it made her preen. "Now you just need this and you'll be set with the captain."

Rey happily accepted the hat he gave her. It had definitely fit him better than it did her, but having it to hide under made her feel slightly less exposed and more discreet. He led her then to a two-seater row boat stationed at the end of the dock. She immediately claimed a rower upon entering the boat, sparing him the need to ask for help.

Darkness descended rapidly across the water, no thanks to the sun's absence and rolling nimbus clouds. Aside from the occasional glimpse of the moon, there was nothing but total blackness shrouding their surroundings. She could barely see the outline of a ship with dark sails as they rowed closer. That was when the butterflies started sinking into her stomach.

"I hope this works," she swallowed thickly, narrowing her hazel orbs in hopes of getting a better look at their destination ahead.

"It will," he assured. "Just do as I say and the captain, Hux, is his name, will never suspect you're a woman. You can work with me, scrubbing the decks and shit. Sanitation is where it's at when you want to remain invisible most of the time."

Rey curled her upper lip. "Wonderful," she snarked.

She heard him snort, but he kept quiet as he steered them to a rope ladder dangling from the ship's bow. That's when she saw it. A flash of moonlight revealed the black flag with the insignia of a skull-and-crossbones. Her heart began pounding like a war drum and her stomach turned sour.

"I almost forgot, I'm Finn by the way," he nonchalantly said. "You got a name?"

"You're a pirate!" She spat, venom blatantly lacing her tone. "And you didn't feel it was necessary to tell me?"

"With all due respect, you didn't ask," Finn replied as if it were nothing. "Now either you tell me your name or I'm gonna have to make up one for you."

Rey glared pointedly at his shadow, cursing him along with herself for not knowing how to swim. It was the only thing preventing her from jumping in the water.

"Well?" The boat swayed under his movement as Finn grabbed a ladder prong and pulled himself up.

For a split second, she considered biting the bullet and telling him her name. Her real name, first and last. No sooner than the thought appeared it was quickly swept under the rug and she pondered something else. Something that represented her situation prior to meeting this man on the docks. How she had lived alone for all these years. Alone and totally solo.

"Solo," she stated calmly. "Rey Solo."

She couldn't say what his reaction had been. There was nothing but dead, awkward silence that followed. She began to wonder if she had said something wrong when Finn still hadn't uttered a response to her name as they ascended the ladder. It wasn't until he hauled himself over the ship's ledge and offered her a helping hand when he finally spoke.

"Well, Rey Solo," he smirked. "Welcome aboard the Supremacy."