Star Wars: I Am a Slave ✓

Chapter 13 - X-Wings and Pilots

Over the last month, Rey had been trapped a total of five days in the walker due to sandstorms. During this time, Ani showed her how to turn the refresher units to the correct angle. Fortunately, because the walker was straight off the assembly line during the Battle of Jakku, the refreshers were empty.

Ani had taken care of the corpses in the pilot's compartment, burying them in the dunes kilometers away. He had also showed Rey how to set up traps around the walker to keep the gnaw-jaws  away.

While Rey was trapped, she updated her day markings from the record she had at Unkar's. Each of the 1917 days had its own mark on the wall behind the permanent stove she had built from some sheet metal and elements found on the Ravager. She had taken a cargo net and hung it as a hammock in one corner—much better than sleeping on the hard deck.

But now she was at her wits' end. Another day trapped and nothing to do. She sorted through the few pieces of salvage she had in the corner, seeing if they could be repaired or relegated to the melting pile. Two of the three were only good for melting after their burn-outs. She cleaned the last one and then looked around for something else to do. At least the cellar had room for her to climb and run. The walker was like a prison for Rey on days like this.

She grabbed her staff and practiced her forms, but she had to stop when she knocked her pan off the stove. She sat down cross-legged, frustrated, manipulating the first thing that came to hand—the X-Wing pilot's flight suit she had used for hauling the impromptu sled from the X-Wing a month ago. She rubbed it and felt the fabric. She looked around, her eyes settling on the helmet she had brought with her.

Rey stood up, put the helmet down, and grabbed her knife from her toolbag. She cut the white flack jacket into pieces that would become a doll. Then she cut the orange polyester to form the flight suit around the white stuffing. She used binding tape on the back to close the seams. Last, she took some twine and tied a flight harness around the figure.

Then she put her helmet on and grabbed her doll. She started, "Green arrows, report to the flight deck. Green arrows, report to the flight deck." She moved the doll to run across the deck, landing it on her left leg. Rey grabbed one of the burned-out, cylindrical fuses and laid it down flat on the deck.

A few days before, she had found the recording of the last battle in an A-Wing cockpit. She had been able to play it back on the residual power in the cockpit. She tried to remember the chatter over the comm that was recorded.

"Green arrows, prepare for launch. On our mark, three, two, one, launch, launch, launch!" She lifted her pilot doll on the fuse and soared the fuse around the room, twisting it and turning it.

After a few minutes of weaving in and out all over her room in the walker, Ani appeared. "I would have used a high side gun pass there," corrected her granddad. He waved his arm, and the other burned-out fuse rose as the attacker. "Fly it with the Force this time, Rey."

Rey took her hand off the fuse and flew it around the room, trying to dodge her granddad's fighter. 

Ani said,  "Think through it. As I come at you, break right and up, then roll back on my tail and snag me."

Rey did as she was directed and got him.

Next Ani grabbed the last fuse that was actually working. "Now, you will be my wingman, and this fuse will be the attacker. Watch it come toward us, then you break right, and I'll break left. Good!"

Ani continued to play with her, teaching her the different maneuvers and when to use them. He could not wait to show her the flight simulators on board the Ravager.