Chapter Text
All Deke could remember was something malfunctioning in his patent-pending jump drive while he was having an argument with Fitz – they were always arguing – while Simmons tried to calm them both down. There was a blinding flash of light and the last thing he saw was his grandparents’ horrified faces before he landed here. Wherever “here” was.
He seemed to be in a dark cave, and he couldn’t see a single thing. He placed his hands on the cave walls and started feeling his way around. Unfortunately, he tripped on something and fell hard on whatever it was. He tried to get his bearings and caught site of something shiny, immediately reaching for it and pulling it out of what seemed to be child-sized robes. It was a shiny colourless crystal that provided some light in this dark cave. He eyed it for a moment, not recognizing its foreign structure but used its light to look around. He recoiled in horror when he realised what he fell on. It was a tiny hooded dead creature that had lifeless glowing eyes under its hood.
He continued to use the crystal to shed some light around the cave and discovered many similar creatures lying on the cave floor. All dead. They seemed to have been cut down by a burning laser of some sort. He was getting more confused by the second. Where in the world was he? Was he even still on Earth? He was thankful for the crystal light as he managed to find a bright opening further along the cave and slowly made his way towards it. As he got closer, he could feel the extreme heat of the surroundings outside on his skin. This really wasn’t his day. He stopped for a moment and contemplated if he should even go outside. It was too bright and hurt his eyes after spending time in a dark cave. What if Fitz and Simmons figured out a way to get him back and he wasn’t even there? This really sucked. He didn’t survive an alternate future apocalyptic hellscape just to end up in another hotter one.
He sighed and made his decision to continue onward and immediately regretted it when he went outside. The heat was almost unbearable, and his mouth was immediately parched just staring at the rocky desert canyons around him. He made the mistake of looking up and the two suns almost blinded him.
“Wait. Two suns?!” He exclaimed to himself. “You’ve gotta be kidding me,” he muttered. So, he was on some unknown desert planet, with creepy murdered creatures behind him, a weird shiny crystal and no water. This just got better by the second. He shielded his eyes and walked forward and of course immediately tripped on a rock. He landed hard on the ground and considered not getting up.
“Why me? Why does this always happen to me?” He said, feeling sorry for himself. He suddenly heard a chuckle behind him and immediately stood up, startled, trying to find the source of it.
“Do you always find yourself in situations like this?” A woman asked. Deke turned to his right and his breath almost caught in his throat. How had he not noticed her before this? The woman was beautiful. She had long dark hair with a single braid, embroidered with reddish gold between her free locks. It somehow gave the illusion that she had a stream of fire braided into her hair. She had some really weird fashion sense though. She was covered in black with fitted trousers and a weird goth blouse of some sort. It was long-sleeved and split in the middle, so it looked as if she had to button it up. It ended in a sort of V-shape, just enough to cover her midriff, while the ends and back flowed down to just above her ankles. It looked like a weird dress-cape type thing. She looked like a dark princess of the underworld. At her side hung a cylindrical device, also black like the rest of her outfit. The only startling pop of colour were her blue eyes which seemed to contain years of sorrow and pain as well as darkness and regret, although she couldn’t have been much older than 25. Deke was immediately on guard, even though he was immensely attracted to her, but something was off.
“I…I didn’t see you there,” he said cautiously, eyeing the cylindrical device at her side. He was 60% sure it was a weapon.
“Where are you from? Its obvious you’ve never been to Tatooine. It seems like you didn’t even know you were here,” the woman said, still smiling but there was something about her smile that unnerved Deke. He stayed silent, still eyeing her, unsure of how to respond. He looked around, trying to find a path to escape if he had to.
“You’re afraid of me,” the woman continued, and Deke was taken aback. He cautiously moved backwards.
“I’m not afraid,” Deke lied. She looked him over once and her smile faded, there seemed to be sadness in her eyes. He noticed traces of faded tear tracks on her face. Was she crying before she found him? Deke paused, trying to gauge her thoughts.
“What is that in your hand that you’re clenching so tightly?” The woman asked him. Deke frowned, he didn’t realise his hand was balled into a fist, totally forgetting about the crystal. He opened his fist and extended his hand towards her, showing it to her. She stared at the crystal for a moment before looking him straight in the eyes.
“That crystal belongs to me. How did you find it?” She asked, completely expressionless. Deke didn’t know if he should tell her or not but honestly, he just wanted to survive, and he’d gladly give her the crystal if she wanted it so much.
“I found it in the cave. It was really dark. This was the only thing that helped me get out of there,” Deke told her honestly.
“I was just in that cave. I searched everywhere. I didn’t find it.”
“So, it was you that killed those weird…things. What are they?” Deke asked, still cautious.
“They’re called Jawas. I had to kill them. They stole the crystal from me. They are vicious and dangerous creatures that attack you. I was defending myself, “the woman said. She sounded earnest enough, but something was still off, and Deke couldn’t quite place what it was.
“Where are you from?” She asked again, but Deke sighed. He didn’t even know how to answer that.
“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you,” Deke said, walking towards her and offering the crystal in his hand. She smiled at him again and this time the smile actually reached her eyes.
“Why don’t I get you a drink and you can tell me what happened. Maybe I can help you,” she said, sounding sympathetic as she took the crystal and fastened it on a chain around her neck. Deke hesitated as he eyed the device at her side. She saw him looking.
“It is called a lightsaber,” she said as she took it from her side and handed it to him. He was shocked. “Don’t activate it though. Its dangerous,” she continued. Deke examined it in awe, and he relaxed considerably. She seemed trustworthy - at least, for the moment - and maybe she could help him figure out a way to get home. He handed it back to her.
“Thank you. My name is Deke Shaw. Who are you?” Deke asked.
“My name is Jaina Solo Skywalker. It was nice to meet you, Deke.”