Rey

xvii

Unfortunately, no good thing lasts forever. Jase's fever came back a few days later, worse than ever.

Rey sat next to him, holding his hand as he fought off his feverish nightmares. If only she had some medicine...

Wait, Jorl had offered to get her medicine. Would he still be up to it?

She decided to ask when he got there.

But he wouldn't agree.  Jorl shook his head.  "I can't, Hirich is just starting to trust me again, if I stole from him, that would all be gone."

Rey rubbed her forehead.  "So you value Hirich's trust over my brother's life?"

"I value my life over Jase's.  Hirich could kill me!"

"He could.  That's not a guarantee," she argued.

"You obviously don't know Hirich well then.  I should have phrased that 'he would kill me.'  He almost killed me when I helped you escape."

They faced off for a second, out in the sand.  Jase's slightly muffled coughing came from inside the AT-AT.

"I hope Hirich's trust is good enough for you," she said, turning to enter the tilted vehicle.

Jorl stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.   "Rey, I'm sorry.   But I'll make sure he doesn't find out about this place."

She grunted in response.

Inside, she found a cup and filled it with water from the rainstorm.  Only one barrel had water left, and it was only half filled.

Rey helped her brother drink the water, talking to him. "I wanted medicine for you, but Jorl won't get it. And I won't leave you here alone. I'm sorry."

He didn't respond, merely coughed again, as his eyes slipped closed.

She pressed the back of her hand into his forehead. Boiling hot.

A wave of hopelessness washed over her. Without the medicine, Jase would die. If she left for the medicine and got caught, he would die. Perhaps when Jorl came back he could stay with Jase and she could go after the medicine.

But Jorl didn't come back the next day.

Rey had six portions left, so she made one, half watered down and the other half for her, and spooned the watery part into Jase's mouth.

He didn't come the day after either.

She slammed a fist on the emptying water barrel in frustration. Why couldn't he come back? Too secure in Hirich's trust?

Rey picked up a dish, one of the few breakable things they had, fully intending to smash it. She was interrupted by Jase's coughing.

He was struggling to sit up. She rushed over to help him, and, once he was done, laid him back down.

She didn't sleep that night.

Jase died four days later, in his sleep, and for that Rey was glad. As far as she could tell, it was painless.

She carried his frail body out onto the dunes at sunset, and built a pyre.

Rey didn't care that Hirich would probably be able to see it from the outpost. Her brother was gone, the only thing keeping her on the planet was the promise of her parent's return, someday.

She sat, head in hands, watching the flames consume her adopted brother.

The fire burned until the next morning. Then Rey needed food and water. She slung the strap attached to her staff over her shoulder and clipped her water bottle to her belt.

As she mounted the speeder, she gave a half-hearted salute to the ashes laying upon the sand. They would be gone once she returned, blown away by the winds.

She blinked back tears, adjusted her helmet, and sped off towards the Star Destroyer.