Chapter Text
(Aesthetic by Junjunyil)
Avery had been living on her own for about three years. The night she lost her parents however, felt like yesterday.
She had heard sirens going off in the village during the middle of the night. Her father had scooped her up and placed her in her mother’s arms before grabbing his blaster.
No one knew what was going on but Avery knew something terrible was coming. Her father placed a kiss on her forehead, “you stay with your mother, you hear me?” he said as he ran out the door.
All she could hear were blasters going off like lightening through the night. Her mother smelled smoke and decided it was time to leave the hut. With Avery in her arms, she ran outside to the horror that awaited, stormtroopers had infiltrated the village and were rounding up people in the village center.
An officer spotted Avery and her mother and quickly grabbed her mother’s shoulder to lead them to the center. Avery spotted her father with a defeated look in his eye as he saw his wife and daughter at the mercy of the First Order. It was then that Avery began to wail against her mother’s chest. Her mom wrapped her arms tightly around her and hushed soothing words in her ear. Avery couldn’t focus on much more than her terror until she heard a menacing voice speaking behind her.
Avery looked over her mother’s shoulder to see a dark cloaked figure speaking with a man kneeling on the ground. She couldn’t make out what they were saying but suddenly the man was brought to his feet and whisked away on a ship. Before Avery could figure out what had transpired, she heard a female voice shout “Fire!”
Bodies began falling around her. Her mother’s grip tightened on her and soon Avery felt them both fall to the ground. Avery ended up pinned beneath her dying mother and another woman already gone. “Mommy!” She cried out as she tried to get up and help her mother. The shooting stopped and Avery realized that no one knew she was still alive.
She grabbed her mother’s hand and wept softly, praying they would either leave her be or end her suffering quick. She heard ships taking off and realized that she had been spared. The sun began to rise and Avery realized she did not know how long she had been lying in the sand underneath dead bodies she once knew as neighbors or family. Avery scrambled out of the mess and knelt by her mother’s side. She wasn’t sure when she had passed but Avery couldn’t face leaving her.
Please wake up mommy, please don’t leave me alone. Quickly, her tear laced eyes shot around in search of her father. She spotted his signature jacket and ran to his side. Avery wasn’t sure why she had a glimmer of hope that he would still be alive, but her heart sank when she realized the opposite was true.
Her father had been her best friend, and now she had lost not only her parents but her only friends. Avery had never felt so alone in her entire life. In the matter of a couple hours, she had gone from being completely surrounded by a thriving community, to being completely alone. Avery picked herself up and walked over to her family’s hut.
Once inside, Avery laid on the ground and let the hard wracking sobs escape from her small body. After a few minutes, she wiped the tears from her eyes and began thinking of what to do next.
Avery had only been outside of the village a few times with her father. Mostly it was so she could be taught the ways of scavenging, or so that’s what her dad used to say. Secretly, Avery always thought he just wanted to spend some quality time with her. Avery used to love going scavenging with her father, and quickly realized she would never feel that joy again.
Now, she would have to scavenge alone, in order to keep herself alive. Avery decided she would head towards Niima outpost as she used to go there often with her dad to trade in parts for portions.
Avery gathered what little belongings she had left and began her trek across the desert towards the outpost. She had only been walking for a couple hours when she noticed something shining out of the corner of her eye. At first she thought it was a hallucination from the heat but upon closer view, decided it was real.
Cautiously, Avery began to walk towards the metal beast wondering what contents it would hold or if anyone was inside. The beast was splayed out in the sand and seemed to have four metal legs. The outside doorway was draped in tarps alarming the girl that there may be people inside, as it did not look natural to the structure.
Please be friendly, please be friendly. Avery poked her head inside the doorway to see if anyone was home. She did not know which she preferred, occupancy or vacancy. She had heard stories about what happened to young female scavengers when they dared to walk alone in the desert. Before, she had her father to protect her, but now at the age of ten, she only had herself as a defense.
It appeared as though no one was home. She decided to step inside to see what she could find. Maybe there was something she could scavenge for portions lying around, or portions themselves.
She knew this was doubtful as no one would be foolish enough to leave water or portions out in the open while they were gone. The inside was cramped but cozy; someone had definitely made this their home. Avery was taken aback by a wall with tiny scratch marks covering its every edge. There must have been thousands of markings, she just couldn’t figure out what they meant.
Maybe they kept track of time? On the opposite wall there was a homemade shelf of sorts with some scraps of paper, spare parts, and a doll. Avery grabbed the doll and hugged it to her chest as though it was instinctual. It instantly brought her comfort that had been lost to her the night before.
At the far end near the door, there was a small kitchen area with a pan on the stove. Avery began looking through the drawers underneath and couldn’t believe it when she found a quarter portion lying in the bottom drawer. Avery began to cry at her luck, it felt as though a guardian angel had left her these things as restitution for what happened. Avery had seen her mother cook portions many times so she knew what to do with the bread and vegemeat.
Once it had finished cooking, Avery began to feel guilty. She didn’t know who lived here or what their situation was. She had barged in here and stolen the only food this person had. Avery began to think about the consequences that were sure to come once the inhabitant came back.
Quickly, Avery grabbed her bag and food and raced out of the metal beast. She looked around quickly and ran up a steep hill. Once at the top, she discovered fire and smoke in the distance where she knew Niima outpost to be.
Avery realized something terrible must have happened there as well, probably something to do with the First Order. Avery shuddered at the thought of them and sat down on the sand. She had no intention of going to the outpost now and discovering another wave of stormtroopers tearing through it.
She decided to wait and see if whoever lived here returned and then judge whether she could ask to stay or would have to run for her life. Darkness fell quickly and once Avery decided the dweller would not be returning home tonight, she decided to set up shop.
She would only stay one night and then keep moving first thing in the morning. The First Order would have left by then and she could try to find work in the outpost or a place to stay. Surely a lonely, widow, scavenger would have enough sympathy left in them to take in a ten year old orphan, or so she hoped.
She settled into the makeshift bed in the corner and held the doll close. It made her feel better just by having it in her hands. However the quiet stillness around her reminded her that she was once again, alone. There was no one there to tuck her in, tell her a bedtime story, or kiss her goodnight. She began to cry softly and at some point, fell asleep.